STARS & SCARS - CHAPTER 3
Back in Star City...
Michael pushed another brach out of his way and was finally able to get a clear view of the headquarters being used by the members of Young Justice. He had chosen a rather roundabout route to reach the headquarters in case of any perimeter defenses, but he knew there wouldn't be anything that he couldn't get past. Since he was facing the rear of the building, took one last look around just to be safe, and then began making his way around the building.
The building was huge, looming over many of the trees around and blocking out the sun if you were to stand in the right place. This will be a pretty nice place to call home for now. He thought to himself, standing just outside of the building's shadow causing the sun to make it look as if it went on forever. "Now, where's that blasted door?" He asked aloud as he came around the corner to see the large double doors in the center of the wall facing the route he had decided not to take. "Of course, that's where'd it be." He muttered sarcastically to himself, adjusting the strap of his duffel bag across his shoulder to reach inside and feeling just a bit foolish for deciding to take the route he had.
I suppose since everyone is out I'll let myself in. He pulled out a tablet and found a keypad near the door, using a cable he connected the two and entered an old override code he knew as a hail mary attempt. Silently praying that it would work he watched as numbers flashed on both the tablet and keypad before they stopped, the tablet flashing 'Override Accepted' in green. Well that went better than I could have expected. He thought as a smile spread across his face as the doors slid open with a hiss of air being released. "Well, let's take a look around the new place. Maybe find the kitchen and a tv to keep me company."
He stepped through the doors and they hissed shut behind him, blocking him from the smells of the outdoors and hitting him with that new car smell. He was standing in a lounge of sorts. Chairs and tables littered the room, but he figured that there were several rooms like this all throughout the building. No kitchen yet. He thought as he continued on through the building, making his way through hallways and up and down stairs finding the war room, a monitor room, study and a few other lounges. Several rooms that seemed to already be taken by the members of the Young Justice program and a teleporter bay. He finally found what he had been searching for on his second run through of the second floor. "Yes!" He exclaimed as he came across the large kitchen, immediately making himself at home and fixing a sandwich before leaving once again to find a tv.
--Entering Space Sector 2814--
The Jumper was just coming around the moon, bringing the planet Earth into view as Ar'asom stepped into the cockpit. He didn't know much of what was going on, he knew only what Sentinel had told them. They had been hired by the United Planets to track down and contain a Red Lantern's ring. He knew little else beside that, but was hoping for at least a good fight as Hob continued the ship's descent into the Earth's atmosphere.
Exhausted spewed and sputtered from the ship's impulse engines as Hob expertly descended towards the ground. Scanning the city around them, Hob could scarcely believe the results as he shook his head and laid it into his hands.
<"What backwater planet have we landed on now? These primitives still use wood in most of their constructions."> Pivoting in his pilot's seat, he pointed towards Rane as he continued to speak. <"Ol'Bloodthirsty here could probably slice through most of the planet's structures."> The ship suddenly growned as the cobalt craft set down on the ground. Looking outside the windows Hob suddenly groaned as he threw his hands up in exasperation.
<"They still use the combustion engine!"> He snarled as he hopped out of his seat, walking past the others as his head barely past their waists. <"I give up on this planet! We may as well let the red ring raze it. We'd be doing the rest of the galaxy a favour.>"
Rane startled awake at the ships landing, head coming up sharply as he snorted in confusion, Sword of the Skyfather jolting in his loving grasp. He blinked several times, trying to get the sleep out of his reptilian eyes. He gazed out of the ships windows in confusion, certain they were still in space when he'd fallen asleep.
"Where are we. . . ?" He croaked, free hand grabbing at a water container next to him.
Earth Rane. The Legion have come here looking for the Red Ring. Must I remind you of everything. I'm your Sword, not your secretary.
"I see no reason you can't be both." Rane responded amicably. Hob was screaming again, though that was nothing new.
The little monkey doesn't even need a ring to vent his rage
"I keep telling you Sword, thats small creature syndrome." Rane rocked out of his chair, a fluid grace to his movements as he stretched his stiff limbs, Sword still grasped as lightly as he tried to work the kinks out of his lower back. That Sword was never far from his hand.
"So who is it I shall be killing today?" He asked cheerily, an unnerving smile-mockery being made by his lizard mouth. Alexander Mason was never done for telling him that the Legion didn't kill, and Rane so delighted in proving him wrong.
The Jumper shuddered slightly as the ship landed, rousing Rane from his slumber, and allowing the other members of Legion a small glimpse of the fight going on outside. However, after just a quick glimpse Ar'asom decided that 'warzone' was a more appropriate description of the scene outside the ship.
What used to be a school had been reduced to battered buildings, crushed cars, deep gouges and cracks in the earth itself. Add that nearly everything around had been set on fire from the Red Lantern and smoke had begun to fill the air added a haze to the scene. There was already a group of people attempting to fight the Red Lantern, but their efforts were in vain.
Many of them lay around the patch of grass they had landed on (He later learning that it was called a football field) while what few had rose to continue the resistance and only been stomped mercilessly back into the ground. The Red Lantern would've killed one, if not all of them, if the arrival of the ship had left him a little confused.
While taking in the scene he had toned out most of what else had been going on around him, until Rane's question pulled him back. "You may have to actually kill that thing, because I doubt a simple beating will be enough to make him stop." Ar'asom answered as he took in the sight of the Red Lantern. Small cuts and the beginnings of several bruises could be seen on his skin under the torn clothing, a deep cut in his shoulder covered his arm and side in blood, and if it wasn't for the confused look plastered on his face he would look rather intimidating. Ar'asom turned to look at Sentinel. "What's the plan here?"
"We already have a plan," Replied Rane, that lizard almost-grin growing wider and wider, gold eyes shining feverish bright. "I'mma gonna kill him!"
The sound of metal plates sliding together could be heard from behind the other Legion members as Hob stepped out of the dimmly lit corridor, standing level with the rest of the crew as he piloted his mecha suit. Lifting a large gatling gun, Hob scoffed at Rane's comment as he moved towards the door.
"<If your sword can reach him faster than I can get off a full round then you'll kill him. Otherwise I'll be the one bringing down the hairless ape with the planet destroying jewelry.>"
Shoving his way through his teammates, the Krolotean began to open fire indiscriminately on the scene before him.
Alexander wasn't even ready when the ship landed, the 16% of a plan he had managed to come up with was still just a thought. Hob was already in his battle suit and Rane's sword had already been unsheathed at the hatch when Sentinel ran through the corridor without even grabbing his jacket. For reasons unknown, Freeflow took an emergency exit and approached some shady onlookers away from the battle.
"I don't know who those kids are outside but it doesn't look like they're fairing to well against the Lantern...." Sentinel proclaimed, "Hit him hard and hit him fast. The sooner we get that ring back to the United Planets embassy on Braal the sooner we get paid!" he shouted, as Hob had already began firing his gun.
Alexander jumped from the hatch and before hitting the ground generated his giant construct.
"Hey Red, didn't your mother tell you it's nap time?" Alexander quipped smacking the Lantern out of the air and blasting him with a chest beam while still in the giant construct.
"Who in the hell are YOU supposed to be?!?" Garrison screamed picking himself up off the ground.
"Great plan." Ar'asom said as Hob pushed his way through to the open hatch and begin firing the large gatling gun. His aim was all over the place as bullets bounced off the ground sending up clods of dirt and pinging off of any metal they happen to hit before his aim finally began to get on target and head towards the Red Lantern causing him to take to the sky followed by the trail of bullets before the magazine emptied. Luckily, Sentinel was ready in his giant construct and struck the Red Lantern out of the air crashing him back into the ground.
Nap time? Really? He silently wished that their leader had used a slightly better pun, but there was no real way to fix it now. "Rane," Ar'asom looked over at his reptilian companion and his sword. "I've got an idea that may save him. Unfortunate as you may think that to be." He looked back at the Red Lantern as he screamed at them. "Just get ready to cut the kids hand off when I have him pinned." He took a few steps forward towards the door. "And just be sure not to cut me." He added as an afterthought before breaking into a sprint, rushing past a foot of Sentinel's giant construct and Hob attempting to reload the gatling gun to fire off another barrage gaining the Red Lantern's attention.
As Ar'asom reached the Red Lantern he jumped off the ground and planted his feet near the Red Lantern's hips as he grabbed a hold of his shoulders. The hold gave him plenty of leverage to let him rear back his head and deliver a headbutt to his nose, breaking it and causing blood to flow down his face, as well as forcing the Red Lantern to lose his balance and cause his hands up out of instinct to tend to his nose. As his hands came up Ar'asom grabbed his wrist and leaned back as far as he could, landing with his back on the ground he pushed back and up with his legs, lifting the Red Lantern in the air. Letting one of his legs slip to the Red Lantern's side Ar'asom was able to spin him in the air as he came crashing back down to the ground and allowing Ar'asom to perform a perfect helicopter armbar. With a good hold on the Red Lantern he pulled on his wrist until he heard a pop followed by the pained cry of the Red Lantern as he dislocated his elbow. "RANE! NOW!"
"Maybe if you could actually hit anything with that pop-gun of your's tha' would'be a possibility." Rane chuckled as Hob crossed to the hatch and began to spray everything in the immediate area. He might be a hell of a pilot, but that little Krolotean might just be the worst shot in the galaxy. Either that or he hated earth so much that he'd just declared war on it.
The second is a distinct possibility
Rane remained on the ship while the others left to do battle. He hated ganging up on a single opponent, not out of any notions of honour, but merely because he begrudged sharing a kill. That, and if an ally stood to close to him while he was swinging the Sword then they were liable to loose a limb.
Would suit them right.
Regardless, he would rather stay were he was and let the rest of the Legion handle it. If the need arose for him to intervene and put an end to the Lantern - which it more than likely will. We are the powerhouse of the Legion, after all - then he would. Until then, well the monkey and Alexander could handle it for once. 'Bout time that pair made themselves actually useful.
It was then that Ar'asom spoke up, mentioning he had a plan that may save the Lantern.
Save him? Why, in the name of the Skyfather, would he wish to do that? Demanded the Sword.
"Ar'asom is an oddly compassionate creature. He must feel it's his moral duty." Responded Rane, a quizzical arch of his brows as he followed the Bull out of the jumper.
And you Rane? You are a former cleric of Crithalea? Do you not feel a spiritual responsibility towards the Red Lantern, as much a victim of circumstance here as any of the cadavers he has caused?
"Shit no, I wanna cut things with a sword!"
Good. Good. . .
By the time Canmorian and Sword had finished their discussion Ar'asom had managed to wrestle the Red Lantern to the ground, screaming at Rane to strike. The lizard-man was somewhat annoyed at this turn of events, being considered little more than a glorified tool. He didn't need the Bull to restrain his foes for him, he was perfectly capable of killing his enemies without the help. With a petulant sway to his tail he stomped over to the fight, his pace slow and unhurried. Let the fools struggle, maybe next time they wouldn't be as quick to take his feelings for granted.
This is demeaning.
"I know Sword." Rane replied, before turning to his comrades. "I want it on record that I could have killed the Lantern without you all dogpiling him." And with that the Sword of the Skyfather fell, severing the Lantern's hand from his arm.
Hob paused as he watched Rane slice through the child's arm. The hand falling to the ground as the ring sat there glittering in the Earth's pale solar illumination. It was almost as though the shimmering ruby coloured ring was calling out to him as Hob started walking towards it, one hand loosely holding his gatling gun while the other began to stretch towards the ring.
Ar'asom waited for the last possible second before releasing his hold on the Red Lantern and rolling to the side as the Sword of the Skyfather cleaved the Red Lantern's hand from his arm and cutting in the ground where Ar'asom had just been before. I could've done without the prima donna act from him, but I expected as much. He thought to himself as he looked from where the sword and hand laid to Rane and back again as the ring begin to glow. A dull red at first, quickly gaining intensity as the ring began to lift off the ground bringing the hand of the former owner with it.
This does not bode well. Ar'asom continued to watch as the ring and hand continued to lift into the sky, slowly becoming a red blip in the sky before speeding off and disappearing. His attention was brought back to the ground when a dull thud nearby revealed the former owner's hand had fallen back to Earth.