Tuesday Morning September 19th, 2024. Northern-Hollywood, California. Light-Bringer College of the Arts (LBCA).
Kyle left S.T.A.R Labs when the sun had only just risen, cutting orange across the dark sky and leaving hues of yellow and blue in its wake.
He would've enjoyed the flight. He would've casually marveled at natures brush strokes across the atmospheric canvas and considered viewing space and beyond with his same artistic eye. If only he didn't learn his mentors brother was a supervillain bodyguard. And his dead ex-girlfriends brother was on the fast track to crashing and burning.
His day had many objectives. Many questions to be answered, and he slept through his chance at an early start twice. He passively appreciated Ganthet for mentally tweaking the faculty to push back deadlines suddenly.
It had been an hour since he left the labs. With no time to shower or change beyond his Lantern uniform, he walked the campus grounds looking like a loosely styled mess.
Which was fine. Arts majors basically always looked halfway between walking a runway and just waking up.
If only Kyle was in the arts wing and not…. everywhere else. He didn't even know Jack's major. The realization stung as he searched aimlessly amidst a sea of students and faculty.
People stared. Hard. Some even followed. But not because of him.
"Ganthet, what the hell are you doing?"
"What? I'm here to assist your human dillema since you insist it's more valuble than cosmic doom. The quicker we fix this here, the quicker we can find Guy Gardner and ultimately his brother." Ganthet explained.
Kyle sighed as two girls giggled and took a picture of them. "Sure, man. Thanks. But why are you Bruce Wayne???"
"I hear he is infuental and handsome and single and good with young people. These are benefits we could….. benefit from." Ganthet walked like he wasn't born with legs. Luckily most people were focused on his face. A face with a chiseled clean shaven jaw, thick eyebrows and deep blue eyes. The man looked like a movie star. Almost hard to believe he chose to live in a place like Gotham. Especially with a suit so expensive.
"Watch this." Ganthet whispered before turning to a group of girls on the campus volleyball team.
They either just finished practice or were seconds from flustering into a faint.
"Human women of prime sexual maturity, have you seen a temperamental human man of near-prime sexual maturity with anger issues and too many tattooings for his tax bracket?"
Kyle stood beside "Bruce Wayne" in complete despair as he watched the girls dream of a playboy millionaire courting them turn to dust.
"I'm….sorry— he's sick. Actually, forget everything you just heard. Woah is that a Martian fighting a kaiju?" Kyle pointed to the sky behind them.
As the athletes turned in fear, Kyle dragged his alien shape-shifter-god away in a rush to disappear deeper into the crowd.
"You really need to learn how to shapeshift dialect or else you're just slandering people for fun." Kyle harshly whispered to the alien in millionaire clothing.
"Humans tend to care less about the content of your words and more about the makeup of your physiology anyway." Ganthet waved him off—
"Bruce Wayne! If you'd please give us a moment of your time. We have many questions in regards to Gothams increased crime rate and your recent vacation—"
"Oh hell— we ran into the journalists." Kyle cursed before grabbing Ganthet by the arm and trying to drag them furth ahead at a faster pace only to almost crash into a tall blonde haired man in his fourties. There was something almost…. mystical to him despite his rather mundane features.
Maybe it was because of the dean badge on top of his green sweater.
"Kyle Rayner, Bruce Wayne— welcome to Light-Bringer College of the Arts. Come with me."
Kyle swallowed audibly and looked at Ganthet— who also looked at him.
"I thought you tweaked everyone." Kyle whispered.
"I did for everyone that mattered. He wasn't in. The deans schedule is a mess— I presumed he was a good for nothing coasting on status."
"You assumed the head of my college— nevermind. If I get expelled I'm going to ….. nevermind. You literally have nothing to lose."
"And everything to gain." Ganthet replied as they followed after the dean.
***
The walk to the dean's office was quiet. He didn't seem interested in being charitable or gracious, even with THE Bruce Wayne walking behind him.
Every step of his tailored shoes echoed down the colorful splash art covered halls as students fell into class.
It was almost nerve wracking. By the time they entered the dean's quiet, small office at the back end of the engineering wing, Kyle was sweating. He must've smelled like a dump.
The dean once again, didn't seem to care. He took a seat, adjusting the photo on his desk. A happy capturing of him and his assumed husband. It seemed so off considering how deadfaced the dean looked currently.
Kyle's eyes drifted. Focusing on the framed photos of old J.S.A members in laminated news papers, freshly made railways in places far from California and satellite pictures of earth. A weird assortment to say the least.
"Am….. am I in trouble?" Kyle asked suddenly.
"No. I try to speak with all my students as the year goes on. It's a ….. new development. Your rich friend here just happened to come at the right time. Funny since there's been absolutely no sightings of you anywhere in Gotham, Mr. Wayne."
Ganthet shrugged and smiled cordially.
"Anyway." The dean turned back to Kyle as he pulled a file from his desk and began flipping through it. "Kyle Rayner, I am your dean, Alan Scott….. It's great to meet you— to finally put a face to the work before me."
Kyle leaned in and found him looking over panels and art pieces he hadn't given anyone. Many previously rejected works as well.
Kyle swallowed audibly.
The dean looked up at him and smiled casually, "You lay it on quite thick with these works, you know. It wouldn't take the worlds greatest detective to figure you out. Even if you're different from the others."
Kyle smiled nervously, "What? I— I don't know what you're talking about. Bruce, what is he talking about?"
Ganthet moved to speak, "We—"
Alan slammed a hand on his desk, "Quiet, Tyrant!"
Kyle gave up trying to hide.
The dean went back to reading over Kyle's file.
"The psyche students would have a field day with you, Mr Rayner. You're a walking case study on how the human mind can be fundamentally transformed in the face of abject adversity. How trauma can be a catalyst to evolution. A derailing factor that can lead us all to something new. To will. You were an entirely different person three months ago. A jock…. A man-whore with a cool drawing gimmick to get women out of their clothes. Now look at you… a hero. A powerful one at that. But still so new…."
Alan picked up one of Kyle's drawings. The one of him flying through space thatd he'd drawn in his sleep.
"I threw that out— have you been in my apartment?!" Kyle sat up straighter.
"I have. I was looking for the other one…. But I found you. Have you ever felt the ice cold magnificence of space, Mr. Rayner?"
Kyle didn't answer. Alan Scott was….. odd. He looked so young but felt so old and jaded but also forever pondering positively. Even over nightmarish concepts as he touched the tendril-sporting sun-monster on the page.
"It can drive a man mad or birth brilliance. A lot like the ocean. Some would call it the first ocean. The primordial soup of soups. Cauldron uno. There are still those within fighting to escape— to evolve, step out with their own legs to stand on. Has your Guardian told you?"
Kyle looked at Ganthet, "What the hell is this guy talking about?"
"I have not, Mr. Scott." Ganthet replied, "Kyle is not ready to take on the universe. He wishes to focus on his human life. His human world. For now that is where we work, it will one day lead us beyond. I'm sure you know how that goes considering your own history."
Alan made a face of pure confusion. "You hypocritical bastard!"
Ganthet said nothing.
"First you created the Manhunters— who plague a hundred worlds even now, then you cage up magical brilliance— The Starheart, like some rare bird left to rot….. left for me to pick up the pieces! Then you poorly maintain your Lanterns until one destroys everything! The Sectors go unprotected and you're playing dress-up on my god damned campus."
"We're actually looking for someone— I'm looking for someone. I get everyone's got beef with the Guardians and from what I've heard it's warranted. Even Ganthet understands that. That's why he's trying to change at least most days. We're staying on earth right now because I'm being hunted. Once I find out and get rid of this organization after me, maybe we can go beyond. But right now I need to stay alive. And even more right now, I need to know where Jack D. Moore is. He's a first year."
Alan Scott pried his eyes from Ganthet and looked at Kyle. "Lanterns being hunted on earth? That's a terrible sign."
"We know." Kyle and Ganthet replied.
"How do they know you're at your weakest? Backing from an Alien? From Hal?"
"We have a lead." Kyle replied.
"Where?"
"Not where, who." Ganthet explained. "His name is Militia."
"An old blood pack member. Weird string to tug on." Alan pondered.
"Do you know him too?" Kyle asked.
"Not much. But I can contact some old friends."
"Thanks."
"As for Jack. He's in for English literature. Classroom twenty-three twenty-six on the south wing."
Kyle shot up out of his seat, "Thank you, I owe you."
"You do. Find me at nightfall."
Kyle hesitantly nodded and left with Ganthet. Both were in a rush to leave the old mannered angry young-man.
***
An hour later and Kyle was seated in the back of an English class— creative writing. It was silent. Almost like his art classes only the smells of paint and freshly opened canvas were swapped out for the click of fingers on laptops and flipping of pages. The room was also plain. White walls, blue carpet, shaped like an auditorium. The clicking went on.
It went that way for an hour— almost driving Kyle mad as he fiddled with his ring and watched Jack's back.
The wiry, awkward, teenager he remembered was almost completely gone.
His mind went back to Alan's words about grief changing a person. He wasn't the only one. Never thought he was, but seeing birthed a different type of beleiving sometime—
The bell rung. In a rush, students packed their things as the professor yelled in a scholarly rage about due assignments and cheaters being burned at the metaphorical stake.
Kyle waited in the hallway, practically hidden as the students rushed out of the end halls and headed outside. The day was over.
Jack came out at last, walking like a silenced brute. His tattoos ate up the sunlight. Detailed art of explosions, chains and flaming tidal waves leaving humans as ashen skeletons.
Kyle forced himself to look away from his arms and approach.
"Hey, Jack."
Jack looked up and unplugged his earbuds. When he saw it was Kyle he jumped and almost ran into a wall.
"Hey— easy!"
"Don't touch me, man!" Jack backed away, eyes focused on Kyle's ring, "You get that thing away from me!"
The students ahead of them glanced back and began a series of hushed whispers.
Kyle confusedly tried to work with Jack.
"The traumas of Coast City have affected him differently than you. The Green Lantern ring saved you, Kyle Rayner. It gives you power. Allows you to keep your promise to Alex. For Jack, it has only inextricably tied itself to death and destruction." Ganthet explained telepathically.
Kyle finally backed away a few steps, taking off the ring and throwing it, "Ok! Ok!….. Look it's gone."
Jack's breathing came under control and his angry exterior returned. "What the bloody hell do you want? Came to show off your new day job? You got a city to bomb?"
"Jack. No."
Jack spit on the floor. Trying to play off the way his knees shook.
"I... I don't know why I came."
Jack turned around, "Fuck off—"
"No, I do! I just…. I don't have the exact words." Kyle pressed onward. Facing his fears as he promised.
Jack kept his back to him but stopped walking.
"You have every right to be mad— to be in a rage. I can take that. But the way I see it, you're not doing well aside from that."
"What a genius."
"C'mon, Jack. We used to be best friends…. brothe—"
"Yea, and then as I got older I realized you were playing my sister for a fool and not long after, you got her atomized for a sweet lay."
"And that's something I have to live with everyday."
"Yea, I'm sure life's a lot easier when you got the powers to change it."
"What?"
Jack turned around, "Why can't I remember the last few days? Ever since that purple bastard you've been putting that ring to use, huh?"
"Ganthet, you actual idiot." Kyle cursed under his breath, "Jack, listen. I've made horrible mistakes. I've hurt people. I've been a coward. But I'm trying to do better— I am, doing better. The least I can do is bring you with me."
Jack laughed, "Oh right, now that everything's gone you want to be the man of the hour. Eat a brick, Rayner."
He walked away.
Kyle looked around. No one was present….. which was odd on a campus. By design. He'd have to curse and thank Ganthet later.
His ring flew back to his finger. He moved in a green blur, drifting around to the front of Jack, just close enough to touch his ring to his forehead.
A quiet wave of green lantern energy spread, brightening into blinding whiteness.
When the lights faded the two stood on an endless field of green hardlight energy.
"What the hell did you do?!" Jack questioned as he looked around.
"I….. I actually don't know. I'm new to this." Kyle said.
Every step Jack made birthed echoes of endless verdant shades like stones in a pond. It was beautiful and vivid and transient.
"So what? You captured me, now what?" Jack huffed.
"I didn't capture you. I gave us a space. I want to give you a memory." Kyle held out his hand.
Jack looked at it, eyes widening as green energies formed and took the shape of a woman's hand, continuing to grow and form into—
"Allie?" Jack mumbled.
"Long time no see, J." Alex replied. She stood between them, holding both their hands. Like a magical otherworldly binding agent.
Jack looked at Kyle. He nodded as if to tell him it was real.
"What…. How…..—"
"It's called a Green Memory." Alex explained. "The Green-Lantern Corps are made to fight fear. It's a challenge. It's what makes them the strongest or absolutely powerless if they fail. What's scarier than death? Not much. It's one of their greatest battles. Those who face the fear of death are granted a sort of secondary power. Creating life from mind. Empowered by strengthened will."
Kyle and Jack eyed her, "How do you know this?"
Alex shrugged, "I never told you guys— it felt silly. I was just a girl with a camera. But I was having dreams. Dreams of wars on faraway desert planets. Nightmares of violent men with hawk wings. Thoughts of a ring slipping onto my finger. Some days I thought it meant you'd one day propose to me, Kyle."
She laughed.
Kyle both realized something and died inside. He kept both to himself. This wasn't his moment.
Jack sniffled, "Allie…. I'm so sorry."
"Don't be, J. No one could've known. It was a tragic event and that's it."
"But—"
"Kyle knows what Kyle did." Alex interrupted, "I won't tell you to forgive him— and I won't tell you I have. But I will tell you to look at him."
Kyle felt the strongest urge ever to run away as Alex and Jack looked at him.
The sight was infinitely more terrifying than Major Force and teenage Kryptonians. They were his people. He'd known them since he was a kid. Now fractured and forever changed because of him. They stared. It felt eternal. It felt scalding. Like fire on newborn skin.
"Does he look like he forgives himself?"
"I hope not."
Alex sighed, "You've always had so much anger, J. I used to hate having to babysit you. You'd throw tantrums and they'd last for hours. You'd scream and rage until you were red as hellfire. To be honest I didn't like you. You broke my favorite camera."
"You were always taking those god damned pictures of me." Jack replied.
"Then Kyle came over. You remember what he brought?"
Jack side eyed Kyle.
"Comics."
Alex nodded and laughed, "You were such a bad artist."
"Gee thanks."
"Until you weren't." Alex said firmly, "You caught up to Kyle fast. You had fun. I took so many pictures. Find them. Maybe in the lamenated images you can find peace. I have. Let go of your anger, J. Don't be afraid. Let the sadness come. You won't be alone. I'm always here, and so is he. Now if you take his hand, that's up to you. I still love you the same. Forever and after."
The Green Memory began to fade like petals on a flower in a windstorm. Like pictures taken on a Polaroid.
"Wait— Allie…. Mom and Dad are fine!"
She smiled as her legs disappeared, "Good."
"I have all your pictures— I got one posted on the local newspaper! You became a photographer. You were damn good!"
Alex giggled, "I knew I was!" Then she winked and threw up the peace sign, "Until next time, J. Also, cool tats!"
She was gone.
They both blinked and were suddenly back on the sidewalk. Tears dripping from their stubble lined chins.
"I'm sorry, Jack. I'm trying to be better. If I could do it all differently I would've. But I can't. I'll go insane thinking that way. I have to move forward. But I'm not leaving you."
Jack wiped his tears and grunted through the last portions of his cries. He took a folded up paper out of his pocket and approached Kyle, slapping it against his chest.
"She loved you, man."
He left, letting the folded paper fall to Kyle's feet. He moved to follow—
"Kyle Rayner— I've bent to more than enough of your human customs. We must follow this lead to Guy Gardner, now."
Kyle groaned in anger as Jack left around a corner and disappeared. "Fine."
He turned back to the folded paper and picked it up.
It was an old photograph of the three of them holding up pictures Kyle drew of them as superheroes.
Alex was Royal Frame. An assistant to Green-Lantern who could solidify his constructs with her magical Queen's Camera. Jack was Jack the Giant-Boy. A kid that could turn into a red skinned monster that cried flaming waterfalls. Kyle was The Artist. He didn't care about superheroes back then.
But now, more than anything he wanted to know what someone like Superman would've said to Jack. To anyone in need in a similar way.
"Kyle."
"Ganthet."
"Yes?"
"One question."
"Of course."
"When were you going to tell me it was Alex who was supposed to be the next Green-Lantern?"