Chattanooga, Tennessee
Two young girls walked through the late autumn forest. A light breeze blew. The last Indian summer of the year had settled in.
In another universe, the youngest girl might have been in second grade. The older might have been dreaming of her driver’s license. Instead, they enjoyed the scenery and the wildlife.
“It’s such a beautiful day!” The older girl held the younger girl’s hand. “Some days it’s good just to be alive!”
“I just wish my doggie could be here!” The younger girl answered. “How come I couldn’t be the one to train him? I know he loves me.”
“I don’t know, Helena. Sometimes we can’t teach the ones we’re closest to. Sometimes, you’ve got to have a little distance to do it right. Doesn’t mean he doesn’t love you. Just means he needs to learn from someone with a different perspective.”
Helena nodded.
“I’m glad you let me come with you. Mommy almost never lets me go out to play without my doggie. But she says I’m even more safe with you!”
Her friend smiled.
“That’s a special compliment. It makes me feel great!” She guided Helena downhill. “Let’s go watch the river!” They sat on a cliff overlooking a waterfall.
Overhead
Wonder Woman rode the wind. She spotted the two girls sitting on the rock. She also spotted something else – far more sinister. She prepared to descend.
At the Waterfall
They heard a rifle shot. A large man grabbed Helena and held a gun to her head. Helena squirmed, the fear obvious in her eyes.
“Well, cuties, you’re silly ones.” The large man taunted. He glared at the older girl. “You don’t even carry a weapon in these woods. What kinds of fools are you?” He leered at the older girl. “Well, maybe I’ll put the young one under my protection after I’ve had my way with you. Give me what I want, or I’ll blast you both straight to Hell.”
Overhead
Wonder Woman debated with herself. Should I interfere? No, he doesn’t deserve my protection. Have to admit! This will be fun to watch! Diana floated into a nearby tree.
At the Waterfall
The older girl leered at the man.
“Hell?” Her coloration changed. Red eyes blazed out of a green complexion.
“Been there!” Bamf! She disappeared in a whiff of brimstone.
“Done that!” Bamf! She appeared with her arms around Helena.
“Got the T-Shirt!” Bamf! She reappeared with Helena in her arms several yards away. The red glow faded from her eyes. A green glow shot at the man from her left hand. His gun went flying.
“You want what a woman has to offer?” Her power poured into the man. “Have it with my compliments!” He screamed with shock. Then the glow overtook him. It faded almost immediately.
Helena giggled. “Linda, she looks so funny in those big clothes!”
The kidnapper looked down at her new body. She whimpered. She ran into the underbrush. They could hear her squeal as she ran away.
Diana landed.
“You were kind. Most women would be thrilled to have a body like that.” She laughed uncontrollably. “I’d love to hear her try to explain her change!” She laughed again. “Jade, that was absolutely priceless! Ruthless, but priceless!” Diana joined their outing. Linda Danvers shifted back to a Caucasian skin tone.
An hour later, the Sentinel’s Lair
“Commander? We have an inbound Green Lantern.” Jerik waved from the communications console.
“I wonder why.” Elise crossed the Command Center. “The Green Lanterns all went back to New Oa with the Guardians. We only see them for the scheduled Green Lantern Express runs. Hal Jordan is supposed to take that over when he completes his training.”
“Don’t know. Says he’s on a mission for the Guardians. Something about an apology and an offer.”
Elise sighed.
“Guide him in. It is a him?”
Jerik nodded.
Elise heard footsteps behind her. Diana, Linda Danvers, and Helena Wayne entered. Helena ran to her mother. Elise overheard parts of the story Diana told Selina Kyle. She and Selina started to laugh at the same time.
Selina ruffled Linda Danvers’ hair.
“Honey, you do have a sense of humor. We just need to work on your subtlety a little bit.” She howled with laughter.
Elise walked to the Command Center controls. She opened the Command Center to the outside world. What had been a wall became a balcony.
The Green Lantern landed. He towered over them.
“Kilowog’s da name, training Green Lanterns is da game!” (Elf note: His story can be found here - http://www.glcorps.org/kilowog.html).
Elise walked up to him.
“Welcome, Green Lantern, but why are you here?”
“Well, Ma’am if you’re Commander Zoldar or da Sentinel, you’re supposed ta help me figure dat out. By your uniform, ya gotta be a Command Assassin, so ya ain’t da Sentinel.”
“Your powers of observation are intact.” She smiled. “How can I help?”
He looked up at the girls. Dey is so cute! He smiled and waved at them.
“Da Guardians, they been fightin’ among demselves. Been a real fight. One of our rules is dat to be a Green Lantern, your first loyalty gotta be to da Corps. Dey took back a Green Lantern’s Ring cause ‘dat Green Lantern’s loyalty was to the cause the Guardians serve, not to the Guardians. Well, dis Green Lantern forced them to reconsider the rule after he got tossed.”
Kilowog paused.
“See, it’s da weirdest thing. In the Corps, da biggest honor is ta have a citation placed against your ring. When da Guardians place a citation against a ring, it really means sumptin. It means da ring is bound in some way to da memory of da Green Lantern what earned it. I’m supposed to track down da guy what earned the honor and offer my services.”
Elise was puzzled.
“But why are you here? How can we help you track the Gentleman down?”
“I don’t rightly know. See, I never met dis guy, but he was de best of de best. His ring carries da citation of the Order of Oa. It’s da Guardian’s highest citation. It ain’t been given in thousands of years. It binds a ring to the bearer’s home world – Da Guardians will always assign dat ring to dat world. It’s really odd. Dey didn’t give me da ring – dere’s another wearing it now, but I’m supposed ta offer to help ‘em any way. I done asked K’ryssma ‘bout it, but she wouldn’t say nuttin. She just laughed.”
He appeared distraught.
“I gotta find dis guy. It’s an honor just to be in de room wif someone who could earn dat citation. Dis is de first time dat citation has been awarded to a living person, ever. Dis was somebody really special. I gotta find ‘em!”
Elise looked across the room and smiled. Her intuition raged. Maybe they’re not such a bunch of blooming idiots after all. She walked across the room and put her hands on Linda’s shoulders. Linda looked back at her, puzzled.
Elise glared back to Kilowog.
“Hal Jordan wears the ring, but it’s my daughter’s citation. Read it.”
“Dat little squirt? Dat’s da Corps’ best?”
“Elise, I don’t understand?” Linda questioned. “I’m not real smart. I don’t know much. I didn’t wear it very long. I barely knew the Guardians. They certainly weren’t anxious to keep me. I don’t really know how to be an Oan Green Lantern. Why me?”
Elise looked at her. She smiled.
“Because you earned it. Linda Lee Danvers, you are simply the best.” She turned to Kilowog. “Read my daughter’s citation.”
He nodded.
“I can get to it now. It’s formally registered in da book.” He smiled when he confirmed the name. He nodded to the Commander. He read the same citation Hal Jordan would read in the coming days.
In honor of Linda Lee Danvers,
Our first Green Lantern of Earth.
Who stood alone,
Without hope or help,
Without the Power of the Green Lantern and still triumphed,
Who surrendered all she knew
To aid our cause without hope or expectation of reward.
To Linda Lee Danvers
We award your world the protection of the Order of Oa.
From now, and until your world exists no more,
We warrant that your ring will always be worn
By a resident of your home world.
Your service humbles us.
“It’s got da marks of all da Guardians and da Zamarons.” He got on his knees before the young girl. “You was da savior of da Corps? You pulled da plug?”
Still stunned, she only nodded.
“You’re just a little girl and you’re acknowledged as de best of de best. What could I possibly teach you?”
She answered slowly.
“Kilowog, in my lifetime I’ve been damned and I’ve been blessed. I’ve carried incredible power. I’ve been able to make a difference. But I want to make the best difference. I just don’t know how. Everything I’ve done has been based on my instincts. I need to know how to make wise decisions. I want to be the best Green Lantern I can be. I want to be the best person I can be.” Her look intensified. “I need a teacher who can work with me, but not judge me. My road is mine alone and only I can be responsible for where I go and what I do. Only I can answer for my life.”
He shook his gigantic head. Wow!
“If you ain’t da best, you will be. Here, let’s go talk for a while.” He picked her up with one hand. She squealed with delight. “I’ll have her back, soon folks.” He took off.
Elise grinned.
“If you think he’s impressed now, just wait until he gets to know her.”
On a nearby mountain top
“Still don’t know why dey didn’t give me a ring for you.” He set the young woman down. “You sure earned it.”
She smiled.
“They really didn’t tell you anything about me, did they?” She chuckled. “Let’s have a little adventure! Call ‘Now’ and try to catch me. Use your ring, if you want to!” She grinned.
“Dis is too easy!” He stepped away from her. “Now!” He charged towards her.
“Oh, my!” She teased. She ran. He almost caught up. Her skin changed hues. Bamf! He smelled brimstone. Now an emerald hue, she laughed from several hundred feet away.
“This is fun!” She waved. He charged for her again. Bamf! He smelled brimstone again. She laughed from above him.
“Now youse gotta escape da ring!” He aimed ring energy at her. A giant hand formed around her.
“And this is only our first date!” She grinned from ear to ear. She waved her left hand and shattered his construct. “My turn!” She giggled. She reached down and tossed him upwards with her own energy. “Catch me, Kilowog, if you can!”
Jade tore through the atmosphere and entered hyperspace. He followed. She let him follow her at his top end speed. Then she left him far behind. She looped back behind him and surprised him.
She laughed.
“Kilowog, this has been fun. We can go back now.” Amazed, he followed her back to the mountaintop.
She spoke much more seriously.
“I needed you to see that to understand what I am. I’m Jade. I carry the power of a Starheart from another universe. That gives me the powers of a Green Lantern. I’ve also got a few scattered abilities from my hellish past.”
“I earned the citation before I had the Starheart’s gift. I really was an Oan Green Lantern until they kicked me out for following the Green Flame. The Sentinel honored me with the Starheart’s power just after the Guardians discharged me.”
“Kilowog, I will hold this power until I die. I can’t give it back and I can’t give it away. I am proud to carry it, but I want to learn to use it wisely.”
He nodded down to her.
“I need ta understand how strong you really are. Let me put up a shield and brace it. Den try to get through it.”
She nodded.
He braced his energy shield with his full will force. She tore through it effortlessly. He staggered.
“I ain’t never seen dat much raw power. Jade, I gotta admit dat. Dat’s galaxy class power. I ain’t sure how to teach you to handle dat.”
She looked up at him earnestly.
“With responsibility.”
He shook his head slowly and grinned.
“I thought da teacher wuz supposed to be smarter dan his students.” He put his giant hand upon her tiny shoulder. “I tink I’m gonna be here a while.” I don’t envy da fellow what’s got her ring now. He’ll spend da rest of his life in da shadow of what she’s already done. So will I. Difference is dat I tink I don’t mind. Wow!
They flew back to the Sentinel’s Lair.