For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
Superman continued watching the strange being standing before him. The figure made of energy remained in the center of the enormous crater, surrounded by broken trees, rocks, and dirt that were still slowly falling through the air. Despite the destruction around him, the being did not appear aggressive. If anything, he looked lost.
Alex, meanwhile, stared at the landscape, trying to understand where he was. Everything was unfamiliar to him. The trees, the wind, the blue sky, and even the feeling of the ground beneath his feet were all new experiences after spending so long in the void. After everything he had experienced since his death, being on a planet again felt almost unreal.
Superman was the first to break the silence.
—Do you remember anything? —he asked calmly, trying to obtain any information that might help him understand who this creature was.
Alex raised his eyes toward him.
—About what?
—About anything that happened before you arrived here —Superman clarified—. Your life, where you came from, how you arrived in this universe... anything could be important.
Alex remained silent for a few seconds. He slowly lowered his gaze toward his hands as he tried to search through his memories. At first, he found nothing but darkness. Then fragments began to appear: a street, cars, people walking, a house, his family, and his friends. They were memories that seemed to belong to someone else, but little by little, they began to regain their meaning.
—I remember... my life —Alex finally answered.
Superman did not interrupt him.
Alex continued speaking slowly, as if he were afraid that he would forget those images if he stopped thinking about them.
—I was human. I had a family, a home... friends. I had a normal life.
His voice began to weaken as another memory surfaced in his mind. The sound of an engine, the headlights of a vehicle, the impact, and finally the darkness.
—I died.
Superman kept his eyes on him.
—How?
Alex looked away.
—I was hit by a car.
Superman's expression softened slightly.
—I'm sorry.
Alex did not answer immediately. There was something strange about remembering his death. All that time, he had tried to understand what had happened afterward, but he had never had the chance to stop and truly think about what he had left behind.
—After that, I woke up somewhere else —Alex explained—. There was nothing there. No ground, no sky. I didn't even know if I was alive. There was only darkness.
Alex raised one of his hands. The energy that formed his body began to slowly move beneath its surface.
—I don't know how long I was there. Something happened to me. My body disappeared... and then I became this.
Superman watched the energy moving through his body carefully.
—You don't know what happened to you?
Alex slowly shook his head.
—No. I only know that I somehow began to exist. I could think, I could feel... and then I started absorbing things that were there. I don't know exactly what they were.
Superman remained thoughtful before asking his next question.
—You said you were human. What are you now?
Alex looked at his hands again. The light forming them trembled slightly before he answered.
—Now... I don't know what I am.
Before Superman could continue, Alex raised his head. A distant sound passed through the atmosphere and caught his attention.
Superman looked toward the sky as well.
—We shouldn't stay here.
Alex frowned.
—Why?
Superman looked back at him.
—Because you're not the only one who detected what happened.
Alex did not have time to ask what he meant. Several green lights appeared above the clouds. At first, they were nothing more than small points in the sky, but they quickly grew larger as they descended toward the impact site.
Alex looked up. He could feel something coming from those figures. It was not the same sensation he had experienced when that force had brought him to Earth. It was different, but the energy inside his body began reacting to their presence.
Superman noticed immediately.
—Alex, stay calm.
Alex looked at his hands as the light surrounding his body intensified.
—I'm trying. Although, to be honest, I'm not sure I even remember what being calm is supposed to feel like anymore.
Superman gave a small smile.
—That's understandable.
The figures finally broke through the clouds. Four of them descended at incredible speed and landed around the crater.
The first to touch the ground was a dark-haired man wearing a green uniform. His ring glowed brightly as he examined the impact site. He was Hal Jordan, the leader of the group sent to investigate the anomaly.
John Stewart landed beside him and immediately began analyzing the terrain and the energy present at the site. Guy Gardner descended shortly afterward, wearing a much more suspicious expression, while Kilowog landed heavily on the ground and carefully examined the enormous crater.
Hal Jordan stepped forward.
—Superman.
Superman nodded.
—Hal.
Hal looked directly at Alex. His ring immediately began scanning him. For several seconds, none of the others spoke. Then the ring emitted a series of warning sounds.
Hal frowned.
—It's him.
John Stewart stepped closer while looking at the readings from his own ring.
—The anomaly we detected?
Hal slowly nodded.
—Yes. The energy matches.
Guy Gardner looked at Alex suspiciously.
—And what the hell is he supposed to be?
Kilowog raised his ring and performed his own analysis.
—That's exactly what we're trying to find out, little human.
Alex looked at Kilowog with some surprise.
—Human?
Guy let out a small laugh.
—Believe me, big guy, we don't even know if we can call him that.
Superman stepped in before the situation could become more tense.
—He doesn't know what he is either.
Hal looked at Superman.
—Have you talked to him?
—Yes —Superman replied—. His name is Alex. He remembers being human, but he doesn't know what happened after his death. He doesn't know how he got here either.
Hal looked back at the young man.
—Alex —he repeated, as if testing the name—. Is that your name?
Alex nodded.
—Yes. I think so.
John Stewart slightly raised his eyes.
—You think so?
Alex remained silent for a moment before explaining.
—It's strange. I remember other people calling me that. I remember my life... but there are things I can't recover. It's as if parts of my memories are blocked.
Hal continued watching him while his ring performed another analysis. Suddenly, the Lantern's expression changed.
—That doesn't make any sense.
John stepped closer.
—What did you find?
Hal looked at the information projected by his ring.
—The energy signature doesn't match any registered species.
Guy crossed his arms.
—Alien?
Hal shook his head.
—Unknown.
John continued examining the data.
—Metahuman?
—Neither.
Kilowog growled as he analyzed the energy.
—Then we've got a problem.
Alex looked at them in confusion.
—Why?
Hal raised his eyes toward him.
—Because your energy shouldn't exist.
Alex remained still.
—What does that mean?
John answered this time.
—It means our rings can recognize practically every known form of energy. Yours doesn't appear in our records.
Alex looked at his own body.
—Then... what am I?
Hal slowly lowered his arm.
—That's what we want to find out.
For several seconds, everything remained silent. Then Hal's ring stopped scanning Alex, and a strange projection appeared before them.
It was an unknown symbol. It did not appear to belong to any language or any alien script. It looked more like a geometric structure made of lines and constantly shifting patterns.
John studied the projection carefully.
—What is that?
Hal slowly shook his head.
—I don't know.
Guy stepped closer.
—The ring can't translate it?
—It's not a language —Hal replied—. At least not one it recognizes.
Kilowog stared at the symbol for several seconds.
—I don't like this.
Alex suddenly felt something in his chest. The energy inside him shifted and began moving throughout his body with greater intensity. The air around him distorted, and small rocks began to rise from the ground.
Superman turned toward him.
—Alex?
Alex placed a hand against his chest.
—Something's happening.
John immediately raised his ring.
—Everyone, back away!
The Green Lanterns created energy barriers around the crater. Superman, however, stepped toward Alex.
—Alex, look at me.
Alex tried to control the energy.
—I can't.
—Then don't try to control it —Superman replied—. Let it pass. Don't fight it.
Alex looked at him in confusion.
—What do you want me to do?
—Trust it —Superman answered.
Alex closed his eyes, and the energy continued building inside him. For several seconds, it seemed as if something within him was trying to awaken.
Then he heard a voice.
It was not Superman's voice, nor the voice of any of the Green Lanterns. It was something different, a voice that seemed to come from the deepest part of his own existence. A whisper, almost impossible to hear.
Alex opened his eyes.
—You...
Superman frowned.
—What's wrong?
Alex slowly raised his head. His eyes began glowing with much greater intensity.
—I heard something.
Hal immediately became alert.
—What did you hear?
Alex looked toward the sky.
—I don't know.
The energy gradually began to fade.
Then Alex spoke words that made everyone fall silent.
—It said my name.
Superman stared at him.
—Your name?
Alex slowly nodded.
—Yes.
Hal looked at John, and John looked back at Hal. Neither of them understood what they had just heard.
—Who said your name? —Hal asked.
Alex shook his head.
—I don't know.
Guy looked around the crater.
—Are you saying you heard a voice that no one else could hear?
Alex looked at Guy.
—Yes.
Hal looked back at Alex.
—What else did it say?
Alex tried to remember.
—Nothing else.
However, a few seconds later, his expression changed. He had just realized something. He tried to remember his full name, the name he had been given at birth, but he couldn't.
—Wait...
Superman stepped closer.
—What is it?
Alex lowered his gaze.
—I can't remember it.
Hal frowned.
—Remember what?
Alex slowly raised his head.
—My name.
John Stewart looked at him in surprise.
—But you just said that voice said your name.
—I know —Alex replied—. But when I try to remember it myself... I can't.
Superman kept his eyes on him.
—Do you remember what people called you?
Alex nodded.
—Yes. Alex.
Guy asked in confusion:
—Then what's the problem?
Alex answered after a few seconds.
—I don't know if that's really my name.
Silence fell over the crater once again.
But then something happened that none of them expected.
The symbol that had appeared in the ring's projection began forming again. This time, it did not appear in the air. It appeared directly on Alex's chest.
Hal immediately raised his ring.
—Everyone, wait.
The energy surrounding Alex began to compress. Hal watched the readings as the energy structure rapidly changed.
—The structure is changing.
Alex felt something inside him reorganizing itself. The energy that had formed his body for so long began concentrating into a single point.
First, his hands appeared. The light became denser until it took on a solid form. Then his arms and torso began to form. The energy stopped behaving like a luminous substance and began turning into matter.
Alex dropped to his knees.
—What's happening to me?
Superman moved closer, but Hal extended an arm.
—Wait. We don't know what will happen.
The transformation continued. His arms became completely solid, and then an internal structure began forming inside him: bones, muscles, organs, and tissue. Everything emerged from that energy.
Alex breathed heavily. It was the first time he had felt something resembling a human body again.
The transformation moved down through his legs and finally reached his head. Energy covered his face and slowly began to disappear, replaced by pale white skin. His hair turned black, and finally his eyes opened, revealing a deep gray color.
Alex took a deep breath.
Air entered his lungs.
For the first time since his death, he truly felt what it meant to breathe again.
He slowly moved his fingers. He could feel them. He could feel the ground, the wind, and the weight of his own body.
Alex stared at his hands in disbelief.
—I have... a body.
Superman watched the transformation carefully.
—Yes —he finally replied—. And it looks like the transformation is complete.
Alex looked down and quickly realized that he was completely naked. Superman understood the situation and removed his red cape, handing it to him.
—Here. You can use this for now.
Alex took the cape and quickly wrapped it around himself.
—Thank you.
Guy Gardner watched the situation and gave a small smile.
—Well, at least now we know the alien has a sense of modesty.
John Stewart gave him a serious look.
—Guy.
—What? I was just making an observation.
—This isn't the time.
Alex paid no attention to the discussion. He remained focused on the new sensations moving through his body.
Hal scanned him again, and his expression became even more serious.
—The energy is still there.
Alex raised his eyes.
—Where?
Hal pointed toward his body.
—Inside you.
—But didn't it disappear?
—No —Hal replied—. It integrated itself with your biological structure. You now have a body that appears completely human, but the energy that originally formed your body is still present.
John studied the readings.
—It's as if your biological body was built around that energy.
Alex looked at his hands.
—Then... I'm still the same.
Hal nodded.
—Essentially, yes.
The symbol began glowing on Alex's chest again. This time, everyone could see it. The figure remained there for several seconds before slowly sinking beneath his skin.
Alex placed a hand over the spot.
Then he heard that voice again.
—Alex...
The voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.
Alex raised his head.
—Who are you?
There was no answer.
The voice spoke again.
—Now you can begin.
The symbol disappeared completely.
Alex remained motionless.
Superman stepped closer.
—What did it say?
Alex looked at him.
—It said I can begin now.
Hal exchanged a look with John. Neither of them understood what those words meant.
Before they could continue, something else changed.
Alex blinked, and for an instant, his vision distorted. The world before him seemed to break apart into countless structures.
—Are you all right? —Superman asked when he noticed the change in his expression.
Alex did not answer immediately. His gray eyes were completely open, but he no longer saw the world in the same way.
The ground beneath his feet no longer appeared to be simply dirt. He could now observe its internal structure, the particles, the elements, and the interactions constantly taking place within matter.
Alex looked at a nearby rock and could distinguish exactly what it was made of. Then he looked at the trees and could perceive structures that had previously been completely invisible to him. Even the air had changed before his eyes. It was no longer simply air, but an enormous number of particles constantly moving around him.
Finally, Alex slowly turned his head toward Superman.
He no longer saw merely a man wearing a blue suit and a red cape. Around Superman, he could perceive an enormous amount of energy. It was not simply an aura, but a complex structure of different forms of energy flowing through his body and concentrating in certain areas.
Alex could even see the composition of the matter that made up Superman's body.
—What's happening? —John Stewart asked as he approached.
Alex took several seconds before answering.
—I can... see everything.
Hal frowned.
—What does that mean?
Alex raised one of his hands in front of his face.
—Matter. I can see what it's made of.
Then he directed his gaze toward Hal's ring. Behind its physical appearance, he could see an extremely complex energy structure. The ring was not simply an object that stored energy; it was connected to something much greater, a flow of energy that seemed to extend toward a place Alex could not locate.
—That ring... it's connected to something.
Hal immediately raised his hand.
—Can you see the connection?
Alex slowly nodded.
—I don't know exactly what it is. But I can see how the energy flows through it.
Kilowog watched Alex with concern.
—That's not an ordinary ability, little human.
Alex turned his gaze toward him.
—I don't think I'm human.
The statement immediately created silence.
Alex looked around again. He could now distinguish heat, electricity, magnetic fields, and other forms of energy that had previously been completely invisible to him. The entire world seemed to have gained another dimension.
However, among all those structures, something caught his attention.
Behind ordinary matter and energy were much deeper structures. They were faint, almost imperceptible, but they were there. It was as if the universe had hidden layers that normally remained beyond the reach of any living being.
Alex closed his eyes.
And, to his surprise, he could still see.
—I don't need my eyes...
Superman heard him.
—What do you mean?
Alex slowly opened his eyes.
—My vision isn't limited by them.
Hal once again looked at the data from his ring.
—What are you seeing?
Alex looked around before answering.
—Energy. Matter.
After a few seconds, he added:
—And there's something else.
Superman kept his eyes on him.
—What?
Alex slowly shook his head.
—I don't know.
Hal checked his ring's analysis again. The data continued changing constantly.
—It's analyzing matter and energy at the same time —Hal explained—. But every time it tries to determine what kind of perception Alex is using, the results change.
John watched Alex seriously.
—Then we still don't know the limits of that ability.
Hal slowly lowered his arm. Then he looked at the other three Lanterns.
—We have enough information for now.
John immediately understood what he meant.
—We need to report to the Guardians.
Kilowog nodded.
—And we'd better do it soon.
Guy looked at Alex again.
—And what do we do with him?
Hal answered without taking his eyes off Alex.
—For now, nothing. Superman is already here, and he doesn't appear to be an immediate threat.
Superman nodded.
—I'll stay with him.
Hal looked at Alex again.
—Alex, we still don't know what you are or where your energy comes from. We also don't know what that symbol means. But we're going to report everything we've discovered to the Guardians.
Alex remained silent for a few seconds before answering.
—Are you coming back?
Hal nodded.
—Yes. Once we know more.
John Stewart moved beside Hal while Guy and Kilowog prepared to take off.
—Stay alert —John told Superman—. If anything strange happens again, let us know.
—I will —Superman replied.