Green Lantern #1
In Our Darkest Hour (Part One)
"The Arrival "
by
Darkness. When we think about it, that's what the universe is all about. A large pool of darkness, with a few shining dots here and there. This is especially true, to the figure seated at the bridge of the intergalactic starship, the "Armadillo." The ship, of course, wasn't his.
"Who am I?"
Silence was the response obtained by the figure, but it wasn't as if he was expecting one anyway. The only companions he had on the bridge of this ship were those of his own making. Tendrils of darkness extending from him to shadowy figures that controlled the ship. Once, they may have been the crew of this ship.
Now they were an extension of him.
"What am I?"
And as the words were said, outside of the ship a world was dying. The Darkness was very slowly consuming it. It wasn't his world, but his world had in fact experienced a similar fate. Like many other worlds. Very fine tendrils of darkness connected the ship to the world.
The figure stood up, the dim lights in the bridge of the ship, casting their eerie illumination over him. The hair, black. The skin, a pale gray. The eyes, a dark gray.
"I'm but the emissary of the Dark. Dusk. that's all that I am."
Dusk opened the palm of his hand, and shadows started gathering on it shaping a humanoid figure.
"The other one showed me what the ring could do, little man. How it can augment my powers. Extend them, so that the shadows will take on a life of their own." Dusk paused, as the figurine he was creating took a more and more familiar shape. "The ring. I must have it. Enjoy having it while you can, little man, as it won't be yours for much longer. No. Not at all." And as Dusk fell silent, the details of the shadowy figure became complete. Floating over the palm of his hand, was a replica in tones of black and white of the last Green Lantern. Kyle Rayner. Dusk's face was without expression, and in a sudden movement he turned around, the figurine being destroyed and becoming a mix of shards and black ooze.
And just then, the planet that was being consumed by the Darkness, turned completely black.
Kyle was in high spirits today. As he flew through the skies of New York, in the later afternoon, a small smile played on his lips. For the time being, all problems were pushed aside. Up in the air, he experienced a very particular version of freedom. 'I've to admit that so far the day has been great,' he thought to himself, 'And it's good having one of those,' he added to his thoughts. The emerald aura surrounding him, and the trail it was leaving behind was a telltale of the method the man was using to fly around. One of the perks, of being the Green Lantern.
Fate had something else in mind for the hero, for it wasn't long before the sounds of sirens attracted his attention down below, back to the world of mortals. Kyle's mood soured. 'Me and my big mouth,' he thought, as he now found himself soaring down, following the traffic jam to its source.
Ambulances and fire trucks were trying to get to the source of the traffic problems, their progress painstakingly slow. For Kyle, though, this was not an issue. The Green Lantern flew over this, emerald binoculars forming in front of his eyes. The sight awaiting him was very unusual and certainly explained the whole traffic situation.
A couple of blocks from his location, a crater had appeared in the middle of the street. The center of it was what appeared first to be a ball of blue electricity, sparks and electric bolts being wildly released from it. A small adjustment on Kyle's binoculars revealed the truth, though. The ball of electricity was in fact a kid, no older than twelve years old. And obviously the kid looked quite scared.
Green Lantern picked up speed, now, a harness with oversized thrusters appeared on his back and around his torso. It wasn't long before he arrived to the place, landing softly on the ground. A large crowd surrounded the crater, the policemen somehow managing to keep them from getting hurt. 'People are stupid,' Kyle thought, shaking his head as he approached a group of paramedics that were trying to determine, how to best help the boy.
"What's going on here?" Kyle asked, attracting the attention of the medical personnel. It was the obvious question, and it was probably a bit obvious what was going on too, but somehow it sounded appropriate.
"Well. that's a good question. We are trying to determine that one ourselves," one of the paramedics responded, as his eyes moved towards Green Lantern. Relief immediately appeared on the man's face. "The only thing we know, is that kid suddenly turned into that," the paramedic added, pointing now towards the crater. "Think you can give us a hand?" he then asked towards Kyle. Kyle's eyes had gravitated to the crater the moment the paramedic pointed there.
"Alright, lets see what I can do," Kyle offered, as he scratched his head. Slowly he started to approach the kid. "Uhm. Hi there." he started, but electricity immediately shot out from the child and hit the ground just before where Kyle had stopped. This wasn't going to be as easy as he thought. "GET AWAY FROM ME!" the child screamed out.
"Oh boy.." Kyle says, "Hey, I know this must be scaring you but-" the emerald hero wasn't even allowed to finish his words, as another bolt of electricity hit the ground in front of him again. "I TOLD YOU TO GET AWAY FROM ME!!!" the child screamed out, sobbing. He was scared, quite scared. "I 'm just a freak. I'll hurt you if you get closer," the child added, the words made Kyle wince.
"You are not a freak, kid. You're just different. Like me," and as he said the words, Kyle started moving forward again, a small glow surrounding the ring he wore. The glow then expanded, and around the hero a mobile suit of powered armor formed around him, to protect him from the energy being released by the shield. "See? You won't hurt me. Don't worry about it. I just want to help you. I can help you," Kyle offered, trying to make his voice as soothing as possible. Not long ago, he had been given the ring. Not long ago, he understood completely how this kid must feel.
"I'll make one for you as well."
And around the kid, an emerald glow gave form to an armor suit, similar to Kyle's but smaller. This one intended to contain the electricity inside of it. "With this, the others will be safe," Kyle said, and tilted his head back, letting, with the expression of his face, the paramedics that were waiting far behind know that things were under control. "I'll take you to a hospital now. There, we are going to check what's going on with you. Sounds good?" Kyle asked. The kid slowly nodded his head, "OK." he said, the words uncertain.
"You'll even get to fly," Kyle added, just as he started levitating himself. This brought a smile to the kid's lips as he also started levitating. It wasn't long before the kid was giggling and becoming all excited about it. Pleased, Kyle flew in his armor further up, the armored kid behind him and headed to a hospital nearby. He doubted the doctors there knew what to do about this, but they probably knew who to contact that could help.
As the Green Lantern and the child left, a large figure observed from one of the alleys nearby. The buildings around it provided enough shadows that the alley was cast in half darkness. This suited the observer.
"-Hic- Dancing in the moonlight." a drunken bum was singing, as he walked into the alley. He had entered the wrong ally, at the wrong time. Not being aware of his surroundings, he found himself bumping into the figure of Dusk. Dusk's attention then moved from the hero leaving the area, to the bum, his face expressionless.
"Sorry 'bout that. -Hic- I wasn't payin' much attention."
Before the drunken bum could say anything else, living darkness extended from Dusk to the man. The man wanted to scream, oh how he wanted to do so. However, this was denied to him as the shadows covered his mouth. His terrified expression disappearing into the darkness that consumed him. For just a brief moment, a shadowy wraith stood next to Dusk, before it melted into the shadows and was absorbed into the gray skinned man. Dusk's attention was returned to the procedures outside.
"No. You were not."
"We've contacted someone at S.T.A.R. Labs," one of the doctors said, studying some preliminary records on the child. Green Lantern had taken the child to a hospital nearby, and now some doctors inside a room were looking at him, while Kyle talked to one of them outside. "To be honest, we don't know what's going on. Short of the child suddenly displaying some metahuman abilities," the doctor added.
There was very little that Kyle could say himself. "What about his family? Maybe some kind of history?" the hero offered, trying to find something that the doctors could use. The doctor talking to Kyle shook his head. "Nothing. We'll have to wait until the person from S.T.A.R. Labs arrives."
The child saw him. The doctors taking care of him didn't. The nurses didn't. But the child saw him. Interesting development, thought Dusk as he floated out of the window. He was supposed to be invisible to the normal eye in this form. A form he had absorbed from an enemy long ago. he doesn't even remember anymore. It doesn't really matter anymore.
The powered armor that Kyle used on the child as a containment suit still surrounded him. The child's expression was one of curiosity, not understanding the meaning of that which he was seeing outside. If he did, terror would be the frozen expression on his face. Four doctors were currently looking at the child, all of them not knowing how to deal with this. Is not every day that a recently born metahuman is dropped at their door. Kyle continued talking with the doctor outside of the room, unaware of the being that was watching the kid from outside of the building.
Memories assaulted Dusk. A kid, running for a ball. Not older than this one, in fact. The kid is running and playing, alien flora surrounding him. There's a certain similarity between that child in his memories and him. Flashes of a planet, vivid with life but stale for some reason attack him as well, forcing Dusk to close his eyes.
All the doctors left the room except for one. The remaining doctor's attention, though, was too focused on some of the machinery that had been hooked to the emerald containment suit. As the large window to the outside world slowly opened, the doctor failed to see the figure floating into the room. But the child saw it. The child saw it. And somehow at that moment he knew.
Darkness extended from Dusk to the doctor, not giving the man even the chance to express his horror, as he was absorbed. "You know, little one. You understand." Dusk said, looking at the child, his face a mask of sadness.
It didn't take long for the Dark to absorb the child as well.
At that particular moment, the door to the room went open, a nurse who's attention was on some readouts she was bringing walked in. "Doctor Johnson, the results-" here words were cut off from her by the intense fear that suddenly ran through her veins. Standing in front of her was Dusk, and to his side two shadowy wraiths. One as tall as the doctor, one as tall as the child
The nurse could do nothing else but scream.
Outside, Kyle heard the scream. So did the doctor with him. It was a terrifying scream, a primal sound of fear and terror. "What the-" started the Doctor, but by that time Kyle was already heading towards the door, thrusting it open.
"At last, the ring bearer. You -will- give me the ring," Dusk said, as Kyle appeared at the door. The Green Lantern took a moment to react, paralyzed by the sight of the wraiths next to Dusk. "Plaaaaaay with meeeee," the one the size of a child said, extending its hands towards Kyle. It was this that made Kyle react, the statement from Dusk now settling down on him. "The heck I will," was the response, as the Green Lantern brought up his right arm, pointing the ring at Dusk. Emerald light formed into a large bat that knocked Dusk through the window, the wraiths being dragged along with him. He didn't know who this guy was, or why he was after him but there was quite enough proof of what he could do, so the first instinct was to remove him from any innocent bystanders nearby.
Outside, an emerald large chair formed, catching Dusk. The chair then proceeded to launch Dusk into the air and towards the rooftop of the building. Dusk landed on the rooftop, in a crouching position his eyes quickly scanning the area for Green Lantern. Shadows seemed to dance around him, the wraiths that had been knocked out of the building with him slowly being absorbed into his being. Kyle followed, flying through the air and leaving a trail of emerald energy behind him, and softly landing on the rooftop. "What are you?" Kyle asked, trying to comprehend that which he was fighting.
"I came here for the ring, and I -will- have it," Dusk responded, walking forward. "You've already used that line, buddy," Kyle responded. Emerald beams of energy shot from the ring, forming energy bands as the Green Lantern tried to subdue Dusk. Shadow scissors immediately formed in front of Dusk, connected to him by a faint flow of shadows. The scissors easily removed the bands, leaving Kyle a bit surprised at the events. Dusk's advantage and power became more and more evident to Kyle. A suit of high tech green armor formed around him, as he started picking up on the intensity of the attacks. Bolts of pure energy were shot at Dusk, who deflected them by creating a large dark shield out of his shadow constructs. A suit of armor also formed around Dusk, one that seemed to flow with life as it covered him.
The gray skinned man then made a run towards Kyle, a large axe construct appearing on his hands. "I must have the ring!" he exclaimed, as he swung at Kyle. "And I told you there's no way I'm letting you have it!" The Green Lantern exclaimed, as he countered by forming a shield that ended up turning into a whip, as the blow was deflected. The intention being to trap and remove the other man's weapon.
Instead of letting go of it, Dusk pulled dragging Kyle towards him. "I won't be denied. The ring will be mine, and so will you," prophetic words indeed. For as Kyle was dragged towards Dusk, the larger man reached to punch through Green Lantern's armor construct, somehow cracking it open. Enough that his hand was able to touch Kyle.
The next thing Kyle thought about was the nurse. The pain he was feeling was like nothing he had felt before. The void that seemed to be sucking his soul in, was something he was unable to resist. The nurse. Her scream was one of primal fear.
So was his.
And then sweet darkness took over him, his consciousness slipping away.
Darkness. Shadows. Dusk stood on the rooftop of the hospital, triumphant. Kyle was gone, absorbed by the shadows. And without its bearer the ring was falling towards the rooftop..
Falling.
Falling.
Next Issue: Whoa we are just starting and already Kyle seems to have been defeated? Is he alive, dead... or something else? What will happen, if Dusk wears the ring? Find out, in our next issue of Green Lantern!