Precipitation

Rising Star - Chapter 14

© Eldric

 

 

 

Darkstar Vessel Defiant

 

“We’re finally back in real space, Mr. Olsen & Ms. Gordon,” the first mate of the Defiant communicated to both Jimmy Olsen and Barbara Gordon over the ship’s communications.  “Earth is completely unreachable; something is wrong with that area of space.  But we have finally established contact with our main fleet.”

“So the Brainiac War will go on without us,” Barbara scowled, turning to Jimmy.  “I hope the task force has the resources they need to shut him and the Manhunters down.”  She turned to face the hologram the ship’s communications projected.  “Is there any status on the MVP-2 Green Lantern Corps Task Force and their battle with the Manhunters in this region of space?”

“The situation has changed dramatically since we fell out of normal space,” the first mate explained.  “All MVP-2 personnel have vanished from our probability.  However, another small strike force from two different universes arrived to aid the remaining members of the Task Force.  I believe they came from the Alterverse and Inheritables, or some such.  Three mystics and a small army of Kryptonians.”

“I’ve heard the term the Inheritors,” Jimmy Olsen suggested, “probably them.”

“Ah…” the mate continued, “your Ms. Graves led a strike team that eliminated the Guardians and is now occupying Oa.”

“What?”  Barbara rebuffed, “she doesn’t have the experience to lead a child to a bus stop.”

“Apparently, that is no longer the case,” the mate explained, tactfully.  “The Sentinels who led the Green Lantern Task Force have now cleansed the Battery, so it is useless to the Manhunters.  It is instead providing energy to the small band of Green Lanterns who did not come from MVP-2.  The Manhunters are running out of power and the Kryptonians are hunting those that remain.  These Manhunters are becoming an endangered species.  Still, we must be wary of them.”

“What of the Starheart,” Jimmy asked, “any idea how it will respond?”

“The Inheritors have eliminated it as a threat,” the mate explained.  “It is no longer yellow and is no longer controlled by the same consciousness.  Beyond that, we have little information.”

“I’m not sure what Ellen Starr will make of this,” Barbara commented.

“Frankly,” Jimmy considered, “it’s probably not her call, not here.  We left Alexis to her own devices and she is making her own decisions.  We need to find out what she is doing and decide whether we should help.  We owe her that much, at least.”

“You’re overly trusting, Jimmy,” Barbara countered, “remember, she is one of the Luthor brats.”

“Is she really?”  Jimmy considered.  “I guess we’ll find out.”

   

RISING STARR

 

Oa

 

Unlike the Oa of the other Multiverse probabilities, this Oa had no prior need for large meeting rooms in the main Guardian complex.  Instead, the team had made use of workroom elsewhere provided by the servants of the former Guardians.  Alexis Graves’ visit to the Starheart had given her time to sort out the information provided by Steve and Helena Rogers.  Now that she had returned, she briefed the rest of the team on what she had learned.

“I know that the Starheart is supposed to be out of commission,” Alexis explained, “but I’ve seen some activity I can’t explain.  Still, the Starheart remains green and has tended closer to the blue frequencies than the yellow, so I’m not as concerned at the moment.  I’m much more worried about the other tidbit…four universes and a cosmic something are merging into a single universe.  We can expect to see those other universes merge with this one at some point.”

“Does that mean they will destroy each other?”  Gim Allon, Leviathan, asked.  “Were our sacrifices in vain, after all?”

“I don’t think so,” Drake Burroughs, Wildfire, answered.  “Remember that space is mostly empty, even with dark matter and dark energy factored in.  Even if the universes merged, the odds of universal annihilation are infinitesimally small.  It’s more likely that almost everything would wind up displaced enough that there would be few immediate problems.”

“Then,” Alexis considered, “the real problems might begin when the cultures and civilizations from the differing universes begin to interact.  Nura?  Are you seeing anything?”

“Not so much at this point,” Nura Nal, Dream Girl, admitted.  “A lot of muck that I can’t yet sort out.”

“According to Kara Gand,” Lara Gand recounted, “none of the other universes have an Oa.  We don’t know whether any of those universes have a Krypton or a Daxam.”

“Even if they did,” the Green Lantern Stel offered, “we do not know if those worlds would be anywhere in range of this Milky Way Galaxy.”

“MVP-8 might have interesting consequences for me,” Mysa Nal, the White Witch, added.  “I understand it is a bit more mystical.”

“I do have to wonder,” Alexis mused, frowning, concentration evident in her features, “how complete those universes really are.”

“You’ve lost me,” Tasmia Mallor, Shadow Girl, admitted with a puzzled look.

“It’s like this,” Alexis responded, gesturing.  “MVP-1 and MVP-2 don’t have all of the features of MVP-3.  The Phantom Zone criminals, for instance, did not duplicate.  MVP-4 was the prime reality of that set of five universes, with MVP-5 tied closely to it.  A lot may have dropped out of the other universes.  They were also more vulnerable to the Shadow Warriors.  Was that in part because they were less than complete?  Remember, even the MVP-8 Marvel Family doesn’t travel far from Earth.  Only Earths Four and Five had a lot of extraterrestrial visitors.  Maybe there is a reason.”

“So,” Drake suggested, “they might not bring the same amount of mass into this universe during the merge, whenever it happens.”

“What about the cosmic muck the Inheritors mentioned?”  Lyle Norg, the Invisible Kid, asked, frowning.

“I don’t know enough to begin to speculate,” Alexis admitted, shrugging.  “The Inheritors may send information before they go, but we may have to wait until we can examine the event horizon.”

“So what do you have in mind?” Hal Jordan questioned, boredom obvious in his features.  “Some intellectual pow-wow on how to deal with this?”

“Not at the moment,” Alexis assured him.  “We’ll talk to the Guardian and see what he can share.  But we have more pressing problems.  It’s time for the Lanterns to check out the neighborhood.  What looks familiar to you guys?  Any particular threats we need to worry about?  Any counterparts to old friends that you might recommend for future membership?  You can create more rings and you have an adequate power source.”

“Katma Tui,” all four Green Lanterns mouthed at once.

“Old friend?” Alexis queried.

“The best,” Arisia assured, “the best.”

“I need one of you to stay on Oa,” Alexis stated, gesturing outside.  “We’ll be continuing our reconstruction efforts and we need your help; we’re making remarkable progress and we need to continue that progress.”

“What about the Darkstars?” Tinya Wazzo, Phantom Girl, asked.  “Do we have to worry about them?”

“I don’t think so,” Hal Jordan responded confidently.  “The Darkstars have to respond to the new universal order.  They’re the closest thing to an intergalactic police force right now and they’re not up to the job.”

“That’s a rather harsh evaluation,” Nura Nal reacted, turning towards Hal.  “They’re the only thing out there at the moment.”

“They didn’t knock off the Guardians and reclaim Oa,” Hal replied confidently.  “This team did.  And we’re one challenge they don’t want at the moment.  Not to mention that they have been our allies up to this point.  I guarantee that’s one apple cart they don’t want to upset.”

“Curious that they won’t even talk to the Guardian,” Projectra cast an image of the Controllers giving Ganthet the boot, receiving laughter for her efforts.

“No urgency for them,” Nura chimed in.  “They know what they want to know about the Green Lanterns for now and your future acts will show them even more.”

“Your power showing you that?” Hal asked.

“Snatches,” Nura confirmed, glancing quickly at Alexis and Mysa before turning back to Hal.  “Remember that the Controllers have their own world view and we’re just on the periphery.”

Alexis’ expression darkened as she glanced at Nura.  She held her tongue, instead redirecting the conversation.

“We’re moving in the right direction, I think,” Alexis made eye contact with her team members.  “The Darkstars should let us know when communications open up with Earth.  We’ve got people we care about in that battle and we’ll get to them as soon as we can.  In the meantime, we turn Oa into a more welcoming place.  GLs, we’ll be looking forward to your scouting reports.”

 

RISING STARR

 

Alexis took time to watch the progress on the reconstruction of Oa; Dream Girl’s vision was just beginning to take shape.  Alexis knew that the Legionnaires were not architects, but their work combined with the efforts of the Green Lanterns and the servant races was beginning to have an effect.  Critical infrastructure was being restored; power, water, sewage.  Still, the projects would take time to complete.  Of course, after a certain point, the construction would be taken over by others.  In the future, Alexis foresaw an Oa that provided a meeting place for civilizations; fees would pay for the maintenance of the planet.  Of course, if the Guardian and the Controllers could work a deal acceptable to the team, that would work, too.

Her team could not spend its days as the caretakers of Oa, even if they continued to provide its protection.  They were adventurers and heroes who had other roles to play and she could not afford to waste their talents.

Still…she could take a little time for herself.  Amazon discipline or no, she had her own issues to work through.  The imp had opened the Phantom Zone to save her life…how could she possibly have been worth that?  As well-meaning as he had been, he had caused the deaths of so many to save her. 

No, she considered, the Phantom Zone prisoners were responsible for the deaths of her family members.  No one forced them to kill anyone, she knew that.  The imp’s crime had been to underestimate their hatred and the speed with which they carried out their agenda.  No show trials, no proclamations.  And Jax-Ur had triggered the probability device, despite the imp’s warning.  And when he did, everyone in the original probability died, even Jax-Ur.  Duplicate prisoners then rained havoc in MVP-3.  Only Alexis and the imp remained of the original probability.  And now it was just her.

She felt a sense of loss before thinking about her mother, Mercy Graves.  Her family remained on Earth.  Would they still be there if the space-time around Earth rebooted?  Now that she understood her origins, Alexis recalled times in her life when things seemed to change in ways she had not understood: timeline reboots where she had remembered the old timeline.  She now realized why she had no actual memories of her brother, Lex, Jr.  His existence was part of a timeline that did not become real until after Mercy, Lexie, and Alexis had escaped to Themyscira.  Alexis also recalled a past where Mercy Graves had created her and Lexie without the knowledge of Lex Luthor.  And there had been other timelines she had survived, mostly on some version of Themyscira.  Lexie had not always been so cruel…perhaps the next reboot would change her again.  Hmmm…she smelled Mysa Nal.

“A penny for your thoughts?”  The young sorceress suggested as she flew beside Alexis.

“Just sorting through a lot,” Alexis admitted.  “It’s likely that there is going to be another timeline reboot before all this is done.  As I’m no more native to this probability than you are, I won’t know what’s changed until I see it.  That means that the family I remember may not remember me, even if they continue to exist.  My Mother might have memories of me that I have never experienced.”

“Ouch,” Mysa replied sympathetically.  “We, at least, knew there was no going back.  I can’t imagine what it’s like not to know.”

“I’m also dealing with the fact that I’m an unusual type of hybrid,” Alexis confided.  “Lara is a hybrid, but she is stable, a combination of both her parents.  I’m far different.”

“How so?”  Mysa asked.

“I have two distinct physical forms,” Alexis explained.  “The way it is supposed to work, I can shift between the two forms.  But my default is Kryptonian and I have no idea what triggers the shift.  And the people who put me together don’t exist anymore.”

“It has to be a mystic trigger,” Mysa focused on Alexis, examining her.  “On the other hand, we could try to hit you with Green K, to see if the local variety would affect you.”

“Some other time,” Alexis demurred.  “Something tells me the trigger is voluntary.  I just don’t know what it is.”

“Giving Lois Lane her due?”  Mysa suggested.  “The lady had quite a reputation.”

“That has to be part of it,” Alexis’ eyes narrowed as she concentrated.

“Whoa, hold off…” Mysa quickly warned, shivering.  “Damn me for a fool.”

“What’s wrong?” Alexis ended her concentration, gazing at Mysa with concern.

“You are the heir to the power of the Amazons of your original probability,” Mysa considered, “hexed by a powerful sorceress to save your life.”

“How did you know…”  Alexis puzzled.

“I can read some of the hex,” Mysa explained.  “It’s part of why you weren’t overwritten by the MVP-3 probability when you should have been.”

“But that’s nothing new,” Alexis related.

“No,” Mysa agreed, “but you grew up in Themyscira, where your cells absorbed mystic energy instead of solar power.  Your Kryptonian physiology reduces your ability to make use of that power, but that’s apparently never stopped you from casting spells.  But when you shift to human form?  We’re going to have to try that somewhere in deep space, at a time when your presence isn’t so critical to the universe.”

“It couldn’t be that dangerous,” Alexis protested.

“Maybe not to you in the long term,” Nura Nal appeared, floating next to her sister, “but if it puts you out of commission for any period of time, it could easily be fatal to this little team we’ve put together.”

“Seriously?”  Alexis rebutted.  “Things are moving smoothly at the moment.  Most of the Lanterns are off planet, but they can be recalled.  Lara Gand can do the things I can do and she’s the smartest of us.”

“You aren’t listening,” Nura warned.  “I see visions of the future.  If you are here, things work.  If you aren’t, this world goes to hell in a hand basket and the team falls apart.”

“She has a point, Alexis,” Mysa supported her sister.

“Alexis,” Nura pressed, “you have to trust me.  This is my area of expertise.  Just hold off for a little while.  We’ll make it happen.  Just…not…now.”

“Alexis,” Mysa tried to reassure her, “Nura is a Legionnaire for a reason.  And she was the best of our people with prophetic power.  For once, you have to trust us.”

Alexis gazed at the sisters with dissatisfaction before acquiescing.

“I will listen.  I am not happy, but I will hold off, for now.”

“That’s all we can ask.”  Nura acknowledged with relief.

RISING STARR

 

As they watched Alexis fly away to speak to other Legionnaires, the two sisters shook their heads in tandem.

“I wish we didn’t have to do that,” Nura confided to Mysa.

“What did you see?”  Mysa asked.  “I saw something I didn’t like in the Hex, but I don’t know what it means.”

“I don’t know, exactly,” Nura confided, shaking her head again.  “It could be that her human half is overshadowed, it could be something else.  I just know if she evokes the transformation, bad things happen.”

“But we don’t know why,” Mysa fumed, “and she deserves an answer.”

“Once we pass the critical juncture,” Nura assured her sister, “I’ll let you know.  I just don’t know what that juncture is.”

 

RISING STARR

 

“Princess, I need your help,” Alexis landed behind Wilimena Vauxhall, Princess Projectra, as she worked to access the Oan databases.

“Anything has to be better than this,” Projectra related, turning to face Alexis, “and Jeckie, please.  I won’t be overseeing the government of Oranda anytime soon, if this reality even has an Oranda.”

“…Jeckie,” Alexis continued, “I need to take advantage of your experience at governance.  Not only do we have to set up something that works for Oa, I also need to know how to interact with the Darkstars and Controllers.”

Jeckie nodded thoughtfully.

“You would be considered the head of government, if not the head of state. The government takes its lead from you, but whether the Guardian or you would be considered the head of state is another matter.  In any case, of we were to exchange ambassadors, the ambassadors would work through you.”

Alexis fidgeted, considering Jeckie’s words.

“I still haven’t spoken much with the Guardian,” Alexis admitted.  “He is pursuing his longer-term aim, I think: some kind of galactic police force to patrol the galaxy and beyond.  But I have the more pressing problem of how to keep the planet operating and how to relate with Oa’s partners.”

“…while trying to figure out if we’re going to get hit with a timeline reset and what the other universes are going to do to us,” Jeckie nodded.  “I’m looking forward to this challenge!”

 

RISING STARR

 

“No point putting off the obvious,” Alexis muttered as she searched for the Guardian, finally locating him in one of the archives.  He faced away from her, holding his hand out, concentrating as he attempted to access the archive using mental energy.  As he sensed her approach, he turned towards her.

“Ms. Graves,” he intoned blandly, “what can I do for you?”

“I would like to ask,” she answered firmly, “that you take me seriously as a real person, instead of simply the destroyer of Oa, or the incidental commander of what includes the Green Lanterns.”

The startled Guardian’s eyes opened widely before his brow furrowed with concentration.  He glanced at her again before breathing in sharply.  He still did not speak.

“I owe the people of this planet a government that will work for them,” she continued.  “I have to determine how we will deal with the Darkstars and the other local forms of government.  And I have to determine what is best for the team.  Do the Legion and the Lanterns continue to remain united as a team, or does some other construct work best overall?”  She sighed.  “I have had discussions with the Green Lanterns and the Gand family, but I still don’t know if I can trust you.  I don’t know where you are going or even whether we have similar goals.”

Ganthet floated wordlessly, waiting for her to finish.

“I’m sorry if I seem abrupt,” she concluded, “but I hold the charter to lead this team and I don’t know how you fit.  And I’d really like to find a way to work with you and learn from you.”

He waited for her to speak again, then realized that she would not.

“Ms. Graves,” he began, before falling silent again.  “Give me a moment, please.”  She waited as he glanced at her again.  “It seems that I am…like so many others, have made a serious miscalculation.”

“And that would be?” She offered without malice as he prepared to continue.

“I, and to some extent, the Green Lanterns and the Legionnaires are all dealing with the situation as we feel it should be from our previous conceptions and the authorities we held in our previous realities.  We, and especially me, have been missing the point.”  He shook his head.  “Now I understand what Kara Gand was trying to tell me.”

“I’ve learned a lot from Kara as well,” Alexis admitted, waiting for him to continue.

“I have taken so much for granted,” the Guardian continued, “not understanding the importance of it or what has been going on around me.  And that I have to blame on my own arrogance.”

“Mxyzptlk made the same admission,” Alexis volunteered, “but his heart was in the right place.”

“It would seem so,” Ganthet considered before continuing.  “You are quite correct; I have not taken you seriously and I have taken the work you do for granted.  I have not given you or your work its due.”

“And that would be?” She elicited, waiting.

“You, not I, are leading the reconstruction efforts here,” he admitted, “and while I could choose to point out your lack of experience or that you are an extremely unlikely fit for the task you are performing, those points are both irrelevant.  The only thing that matters is that you have established a viable long-term vision for Oa and you are steadily executing that vision.  You are also developing a longer-term vision for the Legion and the Green Lantern Corps, which you have begun to execute as well.  But both pale in comparison with what you will do next.”

“Obviously, I can’t leave well enough alone,” Alexis smiled warily, focusing on the Guardian.

“That would be a disaster,” Ganthet noted emphatically.  “No, Ms. Graves, I have realized that you will be in the thick of deciding how the universe will run.  What role will the Darkstars continue to play?  What succeeds the Legion/Green Lantern Corps alliance?  You have set a very strong example…super humans from many worlds now know what is possible.  And, without the previous generation of Guardians to keep order, a new method of checks and balances must be established.”  He nodded thoughtfully.  “Instead of advocating for a new Green Lantern Corps to the Controllers, I should be working with you to develop a concept that will work for this universe.”

“I would like that,” Alexis accepted with a nod, “I do look forward to working with you.”

“It took us Billions of years to establish the Green Lantern Corps,” Ganthet noted.  “Hopefully, there is much to be gleaned from our trial and error efforts.”

“I do hope so,” Alexis responded, “I would like to leave the universe better than I found it.  And even I have only so much time…”

“Maybe so, Ms. Graves,” Ganthet responded with what almost sounded like humor, “but then again, it’s not the amount of time you have; it’s what you do with it.”

 

RISING STARR

Darkstar Vessel Defiant

 

“Mr. Olsen?  Ms. Gordon?”  Jimmy and Barbara heard their workroom door buzz.  “You have a visitor.”

“All right,” Barbara intoned, “thanks.”  She rose to answer the door.  It opened to reveal an elderly gentleman with blue skin.  He floated a foot off the ground, facing her. 

“Ms. Gordon and Mr. Olsen,” Ganthet greeted them, “I am Ganthet.  I have the honor of working with Ms. Graves.  I will be providing an update of the situation in this universe as we proceed to Oa.”

“And you are?” Barbara challenged.

“I think he is a Guardian,” Jimmy related, “probably from one of the other universes.”

“Just so,” Ganthet admitted, nodding.  “The universe of MVP-9.  But helping define the future of this one will be so much more fulfilling, I think.  This will be quite an adventure for all of us.  But before we go, there is another story I must tell you.  It’s the story of what really happened in the Fortress of Solitude, so many years ago.”

 

RISING STARR

 

“Let there be light!”   Drake Burroughs crowed to the assembled team as he gestured for one of his technicians to throw a switch.  All across the capital Oan city, lights came on more brightly, and more of the communications infrastructure resumed.  “The first of the main reactors is now on line and the second will be soon to follow.  We’re good to handle normal electrical needs and when the second reactor comes up, we’ll shut down the last of the backup power.”

“This is fantastic, Drake!”  Alexis complemented.  “I thought we were weeks away from this.”

“There is a lot still to do,” Drake admitted, “we’ve bypassed a lot of normal operations, but we thought bringing up at least some of the power would let people feel like they were living in a city again, rather than a refugee camp.”

“No argument from us!”  Jo Nah contributed, grinning, “especially if that means working plumbing.”

“It certainly does,” Drake agreed.  “Sanitation is now on-line.”

“We’re working on food sources,” Deep Raggle commented.  “Having more power on-line will make everything much easier.  Great work, Drake!”

“Thanks!”

 

RISING STARR

 

Korugar

 

Hal Jordan and Arisia Rrab dropped out of Hyperspace just above the planet.  Curiosity had driven both of them to find this world.  They knew that Sinestro of Korugar had been the evil Starheart’s champion, but had no other information about the inhabitants of his home world.  The Katma Tui of Hal’s original universe had been killed by Carol Ferris in her days as the Star Sapphire.  The Katma Tui of the Wasteland universe had been killed by the Shadow Demons on the Wasteland Oa.  Both Hal and Arisia realized they were chasing versions of a ghost.  And even if the Katma Tui of this universe had survived, she would have been much older than the counterparts they remembered.

Still, a remote chance was better than no chance.

But what they saw below was clearly no chance.  The entire surface of the planet surged with radioactivity.  No oceans, no cities, indeed no atmosphere, remained.  Had Sinestro destroyed this world?  Or had others destroyed the world in retaliation for the transgressions of Sinestro?

In the end, it really did not matter.  Innocent Korugands had died for no reason they would have understood, Katma Tui among them.  Both Hal and Arisia shook their heads with sorrow.  One more sign of the evil of this universe and even more proof that the universe needed every bit of help it could get.

 

RISING STARR

 

OA

“This is just too much,” Barbara complained to Jimmy Olsen as they stepped into one of the many research centers.  “Most of our lives are fiction.  We’re substitutes for earlier versions of ourselves, if we’ve even existed before.  And our world is about to be rebooted again!  We’ll lose everything just because that idiot imp couldn’t let one child…couldn’t let one doomed infant who wasn’t even his responsibility…”

She stopped speaking, struggling to find the words to continue.

“So much lost.  How many times did all our loved ones have to die?”

“Once,” Jimmy replied, sighing as he crossed the room, stepping away from her, gazing across the Oan cityscape.  “And the Lucy who died is not the one I remember.  I know that I only remember an echo of the real Lucy, but it all seems so real.”

“And now we, and everything we know is about to fade away, again,” Barbara exclaimed.  “The universe won’t even remember Ricky, Bruce, Alfred…all our friends.”

“But who we are and what we do affects the next timeline,” Jimmy observed, turning back to Barbara.  “Things seem to shift subtly over time.  So most of who we are bleeds into who we will be.”

“Or we might not even exist…”  Barbara countered, horror in her voice, “…Ricky…”

“…will likely be there in some form…”  Jimmy assured her.  “It’s just that we can’t get back to Earth yet.  But in any case, I am not going back.  That’s not where my future lies.”

“…Jimmy?”

“The imp screwed up the universe,” he exclaimed, “But he did not entirely fail.  That’s the biological child of Clark and Lois Kent out there.”

“Superman’s daughter seems to be able to take care of herself,” Barbara observed.  “She doesn’t seem to lack for friends and allies.”

“Barbara, you are missing the point,” Jimmy shook his head, his eyes narrowing.  “Ellen didn’t see it, because she couldn’t, but I hoped that you would.”

“Spill it, Jimmy.”

“Yes, that is the daughter of Clark Kent, but it’s not that simple.  When all is said and done, Lois Lane contributed most of her personality and Mercy Graves contributed most of her education.  And Lois Lane’s force of will and ambition drives everything we’ve seen her do.”  He gazed at Barbara firmly.  “But she isn’t the mature Lois Lane of Ellen Starr.”  He drew a deep breath, “Clark’s personality provides some grounding, but still…”

“As a people we are far more blood-thirsty than the Kryptonians,” Barbara acknowledged, suddenly shivering.  “Ellen’s vision drove the restoration of our world, but that was the limit of her vision…what she intended as the final act of her very long life.”

“Now you’re beginning to see it,” Jimmy praised.  “Earth has cast its daughter to the stars.  And this child is not the guardian of any one Earth, as was her father or Ellen Starr.  She perceives no such limits, because truthfully, for her those limits don’t exist.  And this is only the beginning.”

 

RISING STARR

 

Drake Burroughs flew out of the city.  Dusk had fallen, with the night closing in quickly.

His work remained the most therapeutic thing he could do, but still, his heart broke.  He knew he was not the only one.  The Legion had all known they would be leaving their former lives behind to come to this universe.  The Lanterns had been no different.  But their combined work over the last few weeks had made a necessary difference to the universe.  They had jelled as a team and were beginning to fit into this strange reality.  They had partnered with the Darkstars on multiple occasions, saving lives, performing rescues, doing the kind of work that made Drake feel alive.

He wondered what had happened to his teammates who had remained on Earth, which remained unreachable.  Would they ever be able to come back together?  He knew he should be grateful that the merger with the other universes had not yet occurred.  Lara Gand had postulated that their timeline in this part of the universe had sped up exponentially.  She suggested it would slow down again when the merge occurred and that Earth would likely become reachable at that point.  Then the full Legion would reunite.

Sure he missed Brainy, Imra, Rokk…

Who was he kidding…he missed Dawnstar so much he could barely keep from screaming.  Dawnstar came off as an Ice Queen to most people and she tended to be more than a bit aloof.  Drake himself tended to be more than a bit obnoxious to keep people at a distance.  He felt his walls coming down around the team, but nothing would ever cure the isolation he felt from losing his human form.

He had expected to miss her less as time went by and he settled into his new life.  But that was not the case, it just kept getting worse.  If it hadn’t been for the friendships he found in the Legion, he would have worried more for himself.   But it forced him to get away occasionally, just so that he could allow himself to feel how much he missed her, so that he could pull himself together and function the rest of the time.

So here he sat, just missing her under an alien sky, just hoping…waiting.

 

RISING STARR

 

“C’mon Hal,” Arisia Rrab nudged Hal Jordan as he plotted his next escape from Oa.  “Alexis is interviewing a candidate from the Darkstars to be their permanent liaison with us.  She wants us to join her, remember?”

“Right,” Hal grumbled.  “Me, stuck doing interviews when I could be out there.  I’d rather…”

“You always say that,” Arisia commented.  “I’m not falling for it.  You’re not nearly as impulsive or brash as you like to put on.”  She began to walk, turning and waiting for him to catch up.  After a moment, he joined her and they walked together.  They spotted Alexis speaking with Commander Arisia Rrab, Jimmy Olsen, and another woman they could only see from behind.  Long grayish-black hair fell down the woman’s back, but she seemed somehow familiar.

“We’ve been had,” Hal muttered to Arisia.  “I don’t know how, but we’ve been had.”

“You think?”  Arisia agreed.

“I must admit that I was more than surprised to be offered this interview,” a too-familiar voice related.  “I have come to the end of my career as pilot and I was planning to rejoin the survivors of my world when Command informed me that the Midnight Angel had asked to interview me for the liaison position.  I have to admit I’m absolutely thrilled to be here, but I am curious as to why.”

“That is a very long story, Lieutenant,” Alexis explained.

“Believe me,” the voice of Katma Tui responded firmly, “I have the time to listen.  And, frankly, I’d rather die with my boots on here than retire anywhere, or anytime.”

“That’s Katma,” Hal whispered to Arisia.  “I’ll try not to scare her off.”

“Don’t bother,” Arisia commented, “I don’t think you could.”

 

RISING STARR

 

Katma Tui continued a conversation with Barbara Gordon.  The two of them had occupied a small office, working through issues of common interest.  Barbara sat at a workstation while Katma gazed out a window, watching construction in the distance.

“I’m still having a hard time with the concept of multiple universes,” Katma admitted, “so many out there.  But seeing the two Arisia Rrabs together certainly made the point.”

“It’s not a concept that comes easily,” Barbara agreed.  “I can’t tell you how hard it was for me to truly understand the woman who freed our world.  She was a duplicate of a woman who had long-since died on our world.  And, strictly speaking, not a single member of the Angel’s team is native to this probability, except for Jimmy and me.  Still, I’m not complaining that they are here.”

“Of course not,” Katma slowly drew in a breath.  “I was in one of the battles with the Manhunter Fleet.  I’ve seen the Angel of Death in flight.   It’s not something you forget.”  She shook her head.  “And now I have the opportunity of my life because my alternates were legends.  That will take some getting used to.”

“Fate got you the interview,” Barbara related.  “Everything after that is all you.  And I have come to realize this is a very competent team, as much as I don’t always want to admit it,” she grinned.  “Jimmy was right.  We are at the beginning of something special.  And we’ll never have another opportunity like this one.”

“Too true,” Katma agreed.

“And Katma,” Barbara nudged.

“Yes?”

“This isn’t like anything else you will ever do.  When it comes time to make choices, follow your heart.”

“Very odd advice,” Katma stated with confusion, “I’m not sure I understand.”

“You will.”  Barbara promised as Katma turned back to look out of the window.  Your time with the Darkstars is at an end.  You’ve been ours since the moment you set foot on this planet. 

“You know,” Katma related, “I have the oddest feeling that I’ve come home.  I’ve never had that feeling, not even on Korugar.”

“Then go with it,” Barbara encouraged.  “And make the difference only you can make.”

 

RISING STARR

 

Dusk had come again…another day, another shift ended.  Drake Burroughs flew towards his favorite outcropping of rocks.  He let down his guard, letting his feelings wash over him.  But this time, instead of letting the feelings passively envelop him, he reached inside pulling his feelings to the surface, feeling more than he had ever felt before.  It meant everything to him that he could ever need her so much.  He loved her and he gave his entire being over to that feeling.  It was honest, it was real, and he would not be afraid of that feeling, ever again.

 

RISING STARR

 

“Alexis?”  Jan Arrah, Element Lad, called her as she studied a console.

“Yes?” She turned to face him.

“I’m trying to contact Drake, but he’s not answering his comms,” Jan explained.  “I can fly out to the signal, but your telescopic vision would save a lot of time.”

Alexis triggered Drake’s comms signal.

“Funny, there are two signals together out there,” she related.  As she focused her telescopic vision on the location, a gentle smile crossed her features.  “We won’t be bothering Mr. Burroughs for a while.”

“What?”

“And I need to task Lara to do something about the face mask on that containment suit.”  She smiled contentedly, turning back to Jan.  “So that’s a Dawnstar.  I don’t think she’s going to be letting go anytime soon.”

“Dawnstar is here?”  Jan asked.  “Anyone else?”

“Just Dawnstar,” Alexis explained.  “She appears to have gone with a different group than the rest.  She was lost in the Bleed.”

“The Bleed?”  Jan repeated with confusion.  “Then how did she find her way back here?”

“He loves her,” Alexis explained.  “He really, really loves her.  And now she knows it.  And I am going to get that damned face mask fixed.”

 

RISING STARR

 

Katma Tui stepped across the open square in the center of the Oan City, where the Power Battery had been stationed.  A cold morning, Katma had pulled her cloak around her.  As she walked past the Battery, she stopped, gazing at it.  A Battery such as this one had powered her counterparts and their fancy power rings.  But she knew that her counterparts had died in their relative youths.  She was a bit older already and her calling had been a bit different, but she had done her bit for the universe, first as a Darkstar and now in her current role.

She was happy to have real work to do.  Her reactions had slowed just enough that she had to leave the cockpit and she was to be forcibly retired.  But now she had been rescued from that fate; she would not be sent back to her fellow Korugand refugees to die.  That had been the one thing she truly feared.

She stepped towards the Battery, gazing at the energy, feeling a strange comfort as she did, wondering if she actually felt the power.  Still, just being in front of the battery made her feel so energized.  She no longer even felt the morning chill.  She closed her eyes, thinking of her counterparts.  What was that little oath they swore?  Ah, yes.  She mouthed the words in their honor.

 

“In Brightest Day,

In Blackest Night,

No Evil Will Escape My Sight.

Let Those Who Worship Evil’s Might,

Beware my Power, Green Lantern’s Light.”

 

She opened her eyes, glancing at the Battery again, thanking her predecessors for what they had done for her.  Their mere existence had saved her from a fate worse than death and she would always honor them for that. 

She stepped away from the battery, but still she did not feel the cold.  She walked towards the office where Barbara would be waiting.  But as she stepped towards the building, two Green Lanterns landed in front of her: Arisia Rrab and T’Cher.  She wondered why.  T’Cher had something to do with training Green Lanterns, didn’t he?  What did they want with her?

She ran her fingers through her hair.  Was there something wrong with her right eye?  Her color perception had been off for just a minute.  Everything seemed to turn…

She recalled Barbara Gordon’s words “…follow your heart.”  And Barbara’s other words “Fate got you the interview.  Everything after that is all you.”

Katma considered the sheer absurdity of her situation.  She had been rescued from a fate worse than death by the Angel of Death and now she would have her future, a future that would know no bounds.

She stepped towards the two Green Lanterns, the ring on her right hand blazing.

“Teach me what I need to know,” she commanded.  “I will earn the right to wear this ring.”

 

RISING STARR

 

Drake Burroughs heard the knock his door.

“Come in,” he heard Dawnstar say as she stepped towards the door.  He followed her towards the door, surprised to see Lara Gand standing in front of them with a box in her hands.

“Compliments of the Boss,” Lara stated as she walked in. 

“You have my attention,” Drake replied as she placed the box on a table.

“Her words were ‘fix that damned mask…and come up with something for the other end,’” Lara explained mischievously. “I hope you like it.  It’s a bit more fragile than your usual headgear, so you can’t wear it in battle, but you can certainly use it here.”

“It’s a face!” Dawnstar exclaimed as Lara opened the box.  “Does that mouth really work?”

“That was the point,” Lara explained.  “And the other item needs to be put in the right place, but it works, too.”  Her cheeks flushed a slight greenish color.  “The boss said to leave you instructions and to leave quickly.  I am going to do that.  And to let you know that you won’t be expected at work today.”

She stepped towards the door, winking at Dawnstar as she stepped out.

“I think, Mr. Burroughs,” Dawnstar began, gazing at him with a predator’s eye, “your life is about to get a lot more interesting.  And I hope they don’t expect you at work tomorrow.”   She grinned mischievously, “here, let me help you with that.”

 

RISING STARR

 

“Ms. Graves, it’s begun,” Ganthet found her in her work room, a small flicker of white magic floating in front of her.

“The universes have begun to merge?” Alexis asked.

“Yes,” Ganthet explained.  “I can sense your Earth now, but none of the communications are operating.  I fear the worst; the timeline has reset in that region and I have no idea how severe the changes are.  But now we have the other three universes merging as well.”

“I’ll get everyone back to Oa,” Alexis decided, preparing to issue orders.  “We need to face this together; I won’t have the team split unless I have to.  Once the worst is over, we’ll perform triage.”

“Most wise,” Ganthet agreed.  “Time is finally slowing down in this region as whatever hit Earth is targeting us now, I…”

 

 

End—Precipitation

 

 

 

-- Story written and copyrighted (C) 2016 by Eldric

-- and may not be reprinted without permission.

-- The Continuum Worlds Concept is a joint creation of

-- Dylan Clearbrook and Eldric.  

-- Otherverse, Multiverse, Primalverse. and Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes,

-- as depicted in the Continuum Worlds, are original creations of Dylan Clearbrook.

-- Alterverse, The Inheritors and Rising Starr,  as depicted in the Continuum Worlds,

-- are original creations of Eldric.

-- Wasteland, The Sorority, and Otherverse 2.0,  as depicted in the Continuum Worlds

-- are original creations of Nomad (Jake H.).

-- The Realm and The Web of Shadows, as depicted in the Continuum Worlds,

-- are original creations of John P. and Jason G./ Andrew Shields respectively.

 -- DCM: The Merging, as depicted in the Continuum Worlds,

-- is an original creation of Chip Caroon and the stories therein remain

-- the property of the respective writers.

 -- Some characters in Continuum Worlds stories are original creations

-- of Dylan Clearbrook, Eldric, Michael Liebhart, Jake H., Jason G.,

-- Andrew Shields, Kyle M., Brian, John P., DTO,  or Jason Froikin and may not

-- be used without express permission of the respective author.

-- All DC characters are property of D.C. Comics.

-- All Marvel characters are property of Marvel Comics.