Sark
Im-im-impossible!!
No Evil
Guy writhed his fingers around the hilt of Shan Yu’s sword. It held the weapon of his foe tightly. Holding it felt… unnatural. Raising the sword above his shoulder hurt more than every blow Shan had dealt against him. It hurt more than the sting of his first defeat. It burned more fiercely than the fire of his capture and chilled him more than the loss of his rings. Invisible to all but Gardner, Shan Yu’s sword was crusted with old, dry blood and greased with the fresh stuff. Using such a weapon sickened him. He contemplated letting it go. He contemplated tossing it aside and ending the fight like an animal. But he couldn’t bring himself to surrender his advantage aside. Not now. Not after all this time waiting. And dreaming. And fantasizing.
The Green Lantern raised his blade above his head. At long last, he was the executioner. His foe was stunned. Bruised. Blinded. The fight was over. He wasn’t murdering Shan. He was putting him down. Yes. He had meant what he had said. Shan was a sick dog. He was doing the world a favour. The multiverse was better off without the mongrel.
***
Shan’s eyes were still rolling. He couldn’t focus. Couldn’t see. Even he, with all his years of experience, couldn’t shake off such a dirty blow. He did his best to face Guy, his eyes red with blood. Maybe it was his concussion talking. Maybe it was his blood loss or his sickness or the fog of war. But for one blissful moment he could’ve sworn that the killer carrying his sword looked just like him.
***
Guy lined up his killing blow. He lowered his blade down towards Shan’s neck. A beheading was fitting fate for a demon such as he. He stared down at his glistening, curved blade. He caught sight of his reflection in its polished face. He caught sight of Shan’s bruised face. As he twisted his sword, the two faces became one.
He stood there for a moment trembling
***
Shan closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable. He wasn’t afraid of death. There were worse ways to die. To fall on a battlefield with the smell of smoke and blood lingering in the air around him. Yes, it was always meant to end this way.
His work was, at last, done. He had waged his war and won. His men would continue his mission. The blood of his foes would be spilled long into the night. And then, when the time was right, the world would come to an end. A new sun would rise. A better reality would take its place. One where men like him would always have a purpose. A world where men like Gardner would know their place and remain beneath his boot.
Shan Yu closed his eyes and waited for death to claim him. He waited for sudden sting to strike his throat. He waited for oblivion’s sweet embrace. It never came.
He heard his sword strike the dirt beside him. Perhaps death truly was as painless as they said it would be. He opened his eyes to be certain. He stared deep into Guy’s tear-soaked eyes.
***
“Shan Yu…” Guy breathed deeply. He coiled his fingers into fists to stop them from trembling. His stare hardened. His jaw tightened. “How does it feel?”
“What?” The Hun spat, his face crimson with hate.
“I don’t know why I asked. Truth is, I already know.” For the first time since the death of the Blue Light, Guy allowed himself to laugh. It was an honestly laugh. A soft laugh. A spread from his lips to his eyes. His body radiated a warm glow. He spoke calmly and slowly. “I know exactly how it feels. Shame. Hate. Helplessness. You’re a Prisoner of War now, Shan--”
“No—” Shan interjected, his voice cracking a little. He couldn’t contain himself. He raised his tone and to drown out Guy’s.
“From this moment on, you’re in my custody—”
“No--!” His words rattled weakly.
“I’m going to take you back to behind the allied line.”
“No--!”
“And you’re going to call off your Huns. You’ll be taken to Oa where you’ll be tried before the Guardians of the Universe—”
“No--!”
“You’ll be found guilty and sentenced to life in an emerald cell.”
“The Coalition won’t be taking prisoners. Not now…” Shan teased, a twisted grin crawling across his split lips. “We’re at War, boy. I won’t live to see trial. And there won’t be a multiverse left to contain me. I’ve got nothing left to fear, Gardner. So pick up that sword—” The Hun leaned up from his place in this dirt. His eyes locked onto Guy’s. “Pick up that damn sword and finish what you started!”
“No,” Guy replied calmly. “No. I’m not arresting you as a member of the Coalition, Shan. I’m arresting you as a Member of the Green Lantern Corps…”
“A Green Lantern?” Shan cackled, his strength returning to him. “You’re no lantern, boy. Or have you forgotten? You’ve got no ring!”
“Come on, Shan.” Guy smiled warmly. “Haven’t you heard? The clothes don’t make the man—”
Crack!
Shan Yu’s boot swept the back of Guy’s legs, sweeping his body out from under him. The shock of the fall forced the breath from his lungs, stunning him. Before he could cry out in pain and confusion, the Hun was upon him. His words were strangled short. Shan’s fingers coiled around his neck.
“You’ve lost your nerve!” Shan bellowed. His eyes were red with glee. “Where’s that spunk gone, aye? Where’s that killer instinct? You’ve disappointed me! This was supposed to be a glorious battle! But look at you… you’re a shadow of the man you were! You held the most powerful weapons in the universe in the palm of your hand, and you gave them up for fistfuls of dirt…”
Guy could quite remember what happened next. A black ring closed in from the edges of his eyes. The hands that had once punched and clawed at Shan’s arms swung limp and loose. His eyes rolled. His body went numb. His head rolled back. Shan shook his corpse a few more times for good measure. Guy had defied death once before. But you only live twice. Shan’s sword pierced his still chest. It’s hilt stuck out upon the battlefield like a stone cross. A gravestone, a monument to a dead hero.
The End.
Once upon a time, there was a man named Guy Gardner. He was a hot-headed boy. His father was cruel, but his mother was sweet. He endured his father’s wrath to spare his mother the same fate. He grew up. He grew strong. He learned how to take a punch. He learned how to punch back.
He became a cop. A protector of the innocent. He fell from grace. He crawled back to the top. He became a teacher. A footballer. A lantern. He was chosen by some ancient order. He carried the lights of will, hope and hate within him.
As his life neared its end, he lost hope. He succumbed to the madness of obsession. He devoted himself to vengeance, having failed at everything he had devoted himself to. Twisted by hate, he lost himself.
But the moment before he fell, he found the sacred path once again. His passions burned afresh. He let go of his hatred. He willed himself to show mercy. He stretched out a hand of compassion to his mortal foe. His foe rejected his love and, in a moment of fear, forced him from this mortal plane.
As he drew his final moment, a new fire was ignited within him. He loved life. He willed himself to live. He spat in the face of fear and fury. He lusted for life. He needed to live. He wanted to live. More than anything he had ever wanted before. He wanted to get up. He wanted to dust himself off and start swinging again. He wanted to go home and look his father in this eye again, unafraid. He wanted to return to the Corps, to his brothers in arms. He wanted to return to the front lines. He wanted to leap back into the fray. He wanted another shot at saving the multiverse. He wanted to live.
He wanted to live.
He wanted to live.
He wanted another chance. To love everything he took for granted in the world that came before.
He wanted to live.
He wanted to hold Ice and remind her of how dearly he loved her.
He wanted to live.
He wanted to live.
HE WANTED TO LIVE.
[AVARICE DETECTED]
At long last.
The cycle he had started on that infernal planet was complete.
[RAGE DETECTED]
No matter how hard he tried to bury it, his hate never left him. But the fire that burned within him… it wasn’t blind fury. It was righteous wrath.
[WILL DETECTED]
The spark that his mother had kindled within him had ignited an all-consuming forest fire. Will, that urge to get back on his feet and wipe the blood from his lips. Will, that urge to throw his arms wide and scream ‘is that all you’ve got?'
[COMPASSION DETECTED]
The force that had saved him. Compassion for his fellow man. It had saved him from becoming a beast like Shan. Perhaps it would save Shan too.
[LOVE DETECTED]
Love conquers death. It’s a simple fact. You can stop a man’s heart from beating, but no matter what you do to him, you can’t stop him from loving. Ice. He’d make it back home to her. He had to. He had to. After all. He wasn’t about to give up—
[HOPE DETECTED]
He welcomed it back like an old friend. Even as he banished his other rings to the expanses of space, the blue light had never left him. It had only faded from view. All this time it had just been hiding, waiting for the opportunity to come out. And it was time to let it in. It was time for hope to burn bright.
[YOU THE ABILITY TO INSTILL GREAT FEAR]
Shan Yu was about to shit himself.
[GUY GARDNER, WELCOME…]
The planet shook. A blinding white light came burning down from the heavens. Form the heart of the blinding thunderbolt, a sword came soaring. Shan Yu turned back towards Guy’s body. His hesitant hand reached down towards his blade. He stared in awe at its melted blade.
“Hey, asshole!” A voice called from the heart of the light. “Ready for round two?”
[GUY GARDNER OF SECTOR 2814… WELCOME TO THE WHITE LANTERN CORPS]
View attachment 6306
Shan, breathless, turned to run. Drifting across the skies, Guy lackadaisically gave chase. A shimmering, crystal chain surged forth from his ring. The tether bound Shan’s legs and dragging him upwards towards the White Lantern.
“You were saying, Shan?” Guy smiled. “Something about shadows? Hate to break it to you, buddy, but you’re not dealing with a lantern anymore. You’re staring straight into the sun!”
Shan opened his mouth in protest.
“Shhh, I’ve got you down!” Guy teased. “You’re going to call me a ‘dog’ or a ‘mongrel’ or a ‘cur’ or something like that. You’ll try to spit in my face, but your slobber will turn to steam before it hits my cheek. You’ll call be a bastard and blah blah blah. We’re in different leagues now, pal. Light and dark. Night and day.”
Shan writhed against the pull of the chain and howled in fury. Guy conjured a pair of old socks to stuff in his mouth.
“But don’t beat yourself up too hard. I’ve got a gift for you…” Guy removed one of his freshly restored rings. His White Glow dimmed a little. White had never been his colour anyway. He held his indigo ring between the pair. The chain raised Shan’s hand. Despite his attempts to resist him, Shan could do little more than huff and puff as Guy slipped the Ring of Compassion onto his finger. “I hate to do it to ya, killer, but you’ve more than earned a spot in the Prisoner’s Corps.”
A wave of indigo light washed over the Hun. For the first time in far too long, he felt… sorry. Guilt’s crushing weight crumbled down upon him. Guy released him from his chain. He fell to his knees. Hateful cries were drowned out by weakened sobs. The sadistic glow that had burned behind his eyes was replaced by a pale, glassy glow. The light of compassion hollowed Shan Yu from the inside out. Only compassion remained.
Only guilt. Only Nok.
Stunned and empty, the Hun looked back up at Guy.
“Anything to say for yourself, Lantern?” Guy spoke quietly and softly.
“Nok…” Shan replied emptily, staring straight through his former foe. “Nok…”
“I thought as much…” Guy hummed. “Your sentence starts now, pal. Welcome to the Indigo Corps. There aren’t many people I’d wish the ring on. It took me years to handle that burden. Don’t worry. You’ll have time. You’ll be a changed man from here on out, Attila. No more killing. No more savagery. Only peace. Nok Nok. Best of luck, ‘friend’. You’ve got a lot of sins to sift through. We’ll meet again, I’m sure. Let’s hope you’ve turned things around by then, aye?”
Guy flew a little higher above the battlefield. He closed his eyes and searched for a certain emotional signature.
There it was, on the other side of the city. Sinestro. Another day another war. The odds were still against them. The Revanites were still closing in. Maybe the deck was fixed from the start. Maybe they were doomed to fail. Still. There was no harm in trying. No harm in fighting. Guy cracked his knuckles and smiled.
“Hope burns bright,” The Lantern repeated to himself. “Hope burns bright.”
Guy writhed his fingers around the hilt of Shan Yu’s sword. It held the weapon of his foe tightly. Holding it felt… unnatural. Raising the sword above his shoulder hurt more than every blow Shan had dealt against him. It hurt more than the sting of his first defeat. It burned more fiercely than the fire of his capture and chilled him more than the loss of his rings. Invisible to all but Gardner, Shan Yu’s sword was crusted with old, dry blood and greased with the fresh stuff. Using such a weapon sickened him. He contemplated letting it go. He contemplated tossing it aside and ending the fight like an animal. But he couldn’t bring himself to surrender his advantage aside. Not now. Not after all this time waiting. And dreaming. And fantasizing.
The Green Lantern raised his blade above his head. At long last, he was the executioner. His foe was stunned. Bruised. Blinded. The fight was over. He wasn’t murdering Shan. He was putting him down. Yes. He had meant what he had said. Shan was a sick dog. He was doing the world a favour. The multiverse was better off without the mongrel.
***
Shan’s eyes were still rolling. He couldn’t focus. Couldn’t see. Even he, with all his years of experience, couldn’t shake off such a dirty blow. He did his best to face Guy, his eyes red with blood. Maybe it was his concussion talking. Maybe it was his blood loss or his sickness or the fog of war. But for one blissful moment he could’ve sworn that the killer carrying his sword looked just like him.
***
Guy lined up his killing blow. He lowered his blade down towards Shan’s neck. A beheading was fitting fate for a demon such as he. He stared down at his glistening, curved blade. He caught sight of his reflection in its polished face. He caught sight of Shan’s bruised face. As he twisted his sword, the two faces became one.
He stood there for a moment trembling
***
Shan closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable. He wasn’t afraid of death. There were worse ways to die. To fall on a battlefield with the smell of smoke and blood lingering in the air around him. Yes, it was always meant to end this way.
His work was, at last, done. He had waged his war and won. His men would continue his mission. The blood of his foes would be spilled long into the night. And then, when the time was right, the world would come to an end. A new sun would rise. A better reality would take its place. One where men like him would always have a purpose. A world where men like Gardner would know their place and remain beneath his boot.
Shan Yu closed his eyes and waited for death to claim him. He waited for sudden sting to strike his throat. He waited for oblivion’s sweet embrace. It never came.
He heard his sword strike the dirt beside him. Perhaps death truly was as painless as they said it would be. He opened his eyes to be certain. He stared deep into Guy’s tear-soaked eyes.
***
“Shan Yu…” Guy breathed deeply. He coiled his fingers into fists to stop them from trembling. His stare hardened. His jaw tightened. “How does it feel?”
“What?” The Hun spat, his face crimson with hate.
“I don’t know why I asked. Truth is, I already know.” For the first time since the death of the Blue Light, Guy allowed himself to laugh. It was an honestly laugh. A soft laugh. A spread from his lips to his eyes. His body radiated a warm glow. He spoke calmly and slowly. “I know exactly how it feels. Shame. Hate. Helplessness. You’re a Prisoner of War now, Shan--”
“No—” Shan interjected, his voice cracking a little. He couldn’t contain himself. He raised his tone and to drown out Guy’s.
“From this moment on, you’re in my custody—”
“No--!” His words rattled weakly.
“I’m going to take you back to behind the allied line.”
“No--!”
“And you’re going to call off your Huns. You’ll be taken to Oa where you’ll be tried before the Guardians of the Universe—”
“No--!”
“You’ll be found guilty and sentenced to life in an emerald cell.”
“The Coalition won’t be taking prisoners. Not now…” Shan teased, a twisted grin crawling across his split lips. “We’re at War, boy. I won’t live to see trial. And there won’t be a multiverse left to contain me. I’ve got nothing left to fear, Gardner. So pick up that sword—” The Hun leaned up from his place in this dirt. His eyes locked onto Guy’s. “Pick up that damn sword and finish what you started!”
“No,” Guy replied calmly. “No. I’m not arresting you as a member of the Coalition, Shan. I’m arresting you as a Member of the Green Lantern Corps…”
“A Green Lantern?” Shan cackled, his strength returning to him. “You’re no lantern, boy. Or have you forgotten? You’ve got no ring!”
“Come on, Shan.” Guy smiled warmly. “Haven’t you heard? The clothes don’t make the man—”
Crack!
Shan Yu’s boot swept the back of Guy’s legs, sweeping his body out from under him. The shock of the fall forced the breath from his lungs, stunning him. Before he could cry out in pain and confusion, the Hun was upon him. His words were strangled short. Shan’s fingers coiled around his neck.
“You’ve lost your nerve!” Shan bellowed. His eyes were red with glee. “Where’s that spunk gone, aye? Where’s that killer instinct? You’ve disappointed me! This was supposed to be a glorious battle! But look at you… you’re a shadow of the man you were! You held the most powerful weapons in the universe in the palm of your hand, and you gave them up for fistfuls of dirt…”
Guy could quite remember what happened next. A black ring closed in from the edges of his eyes. The hands that had once punched and clawed at Shan’s arms swung limp and loose. His eyes rolled. His body went numb. His head rolled back. Shan shook his corpse a few more times for good measure. Guy had defied death once before. But you only live twice. Shan’s sword pierced his still chest. It’s hilt stuck out upon the battlefield like a stone cross. A gravestone, a monument to a dead hero.
The End.
Once upon a time, there was a man named Guy Gardner. He was a hot-headed boy. His father was cruel, but his mother was sweet. He endured his father’s wrath to spare his mother the same fate. He grew up. He grew strong. He learned how to take a punch. He learned how to punch back.
He became a cop. A protector of the innocent. He fell from grace. He crawled back to the top. He became a teacher. A footballer. A lantern. He was chosen by some ancient order. He carried the lights of will, hope and hate within him.
As his life neared its end, he lost hope. He succumbed to the madness of obsession. He devoted himself to vengeance, having failed at everything he had devoted himself to. Twisted by hate, he lost himself.
But the moment before he fell, he found the sacred path once again. His passions burned afresh. He let go of his hatred. He willed himself to show mercy. He stretched out a hand of compassion to his mortal foe. His foe rejected his love and, in a moment of fear, forced him from this mortal plane.
As he drew his final moment, a new fire was ignited within him. He loved life. He willed himself to live. He spat in the face of fear and fury. He lusted for life. He needed to live. He wanted to live. More than anything he had ever wanted before. He wanted to get up. He wanted to dust himself off and start swinging again. He wanted to go home and look his father in this eye again, unafraid. He wanted to return to the Corps, to his brothers in arms. He wanted to return to the front lines. He wanted to leap back into the fray. He wanted another shot at saving the multiverse. He wanted to live.
He wanted to live.
He wanted to live.
He wanted another chance. To love everything he took for granted in the world that came before.
He wanted to live.
He wanted to hold Ice and remind her of how dearly he loved her.
He wanted to live.
He wanted to live.
HE WANTED TO LIVE.
[AVARICE DETECTED]
At long last.
The cycle he had started on that infernal planet was complete.
[RAGE DETECTED]
No matter how hard he tried to bury it, his hate never left him. But the fire that burned within him… it wasn’t blind fury. It was righteous wrath.
[WILL DETECTED]
The spark that his mother had kindled within him had ignited an all-consuming forest fire. Will, that urge to get back on his feet and wipe the blood from his lips. Will, that urge to throw his arms wide and scream ‘is that all you’ve got?'
[COMPASSION DETECTED]
The force that had saved him. Compassion for his fellow man. It had saved him from becoming a beast like Shan. Perhaps it would save Shan too.
[LOVE DETECTED]
Love conquers death. It’s a simple fact. You can stop a man’s heart from beating, but no matter what you do to him, you can’t stop him from loving. Ice. He’d make it back home to her. He had to. He had to. After all. He wasn’t about to give up—
[HOPE DETECTED]
He welcomed it back like an old friend. Even as he banished his other rings to the expanses of space, the blue light had never left him. It had only faded from view. All this time it had just been hiding, waiting for the opportunity to come out. And it was time to let it in. It was time for hope to burn bright.
[YOU THE ABILITY TO INSTILL GREAT FEAR]
Shan Yu was about to shit himself.
[GUY GARDNER, WELCOME…]
The planet shook. A blinding white light came burning down from the heavens. Form the heart of the blinding thunderbolt, a sword came soaring. Shan Yu turned back towards Guy’s body. His hesitant hand reached down towards his blade. He stared in awe at its melted blade.
“Hey, asshole!” A voice called from the heart of the light. “Ready for round two?”
[GUY GARDNER OF SECTOR 2814… WELCOME TO THE WHITE LANTERN CORPS]
View attachment 6306
Shan, breathless, turned to run. Drifting across the skies, Guy lackadaisically gave chase. A shimmering, crystal chain surged forth from his ring. The tether bound Shan’s legs and dragging him upwards towards the White Lantern.
“You were saying, Shan?” Guy smiled. “Something about shadows? Hate to break it to you, buddy, but you’re not dealing with a lantern anymore. You’re staring straight into the sun!”
Shan opened his mouth in protest.
“Shhh, I’ve got you down!” Guy teased. “You’re going to call me a ‘dog’ or a ‘mongrel’ or a ‘cur’ or something like that. You’ll try to spit in my face, but your slobber will turn to steam before it hits my cheek. You’ll call be a bastard and blah blah blah. We’re in different leagues now, pal. Light and dark. Night and day.”
Shan writhed against the pull of the chain and howled in fury. Guy conjured a pair of old socks to stuff in his mouth.
“But don’t beat yourself up too hard. I’ve got a gift for you…” Guy removed one of his freshly restored rings. His White Glow dimmed a little. White had never been his colour anyway. He held his indigo ring between the pair. The chain raised Shan’s hand. Despite his attempts to resist him, Shan could do little more than huff and puff as Guy slipped the Ring of Compassion onto his finger. “I hate to do it to ya, killer, but you’ve more than earned a spot in the Prisoner’s Corps.”
A wave of indigo light washed over the Hun. For the first time in far too long, he felt… sorry. Guilt’s crushing weight crumbled down upon him. Guy released him from his chain. He fell to his knees. Hateful cries were drowned out by weakened sobs. The sadistic glow that had burned behind his eyes was replaced by a pale, glassy glow. The light of compassion hollowed Shan Yu from the inside out. Only compassion remained.
Only guilt. Only Nok.
Stunned and empty, the Hun looked back up at Guy.
“Anything to say for yourself, Lantern?” Guy spoke quietly and softly.
“Nok…” Shan replied emptily, staring straight through his former foe. “Nok…”
“I thought as much…” Guy hummed. “Your sentence starts now, pal. Welcome to the Indigo Corps. There aren’t many people I’d wish the ring on. It took me years to handle that burden. Don’t worry. You’ll have time. You’ll be a changed man from here on out, Attila. No more killing. No more savagery. Only peace. Nok Nok. Best of luck, ‘friend’. You’ve got a lot of sins to sift through. We’ll meet again, I’m sure. Let’s hope you’ve turned things around by then, aye?”
Guy flew a little higher above the battlefield. He closed his eyes and searched for a certain emotional signature.
There it was, on the other side of the city. Sinestro. Another day another war. The odds were still against them. The Revanites were still closing in. Maybe the deck was fixed from the start. Maybe they were doomed to fail. Still. There was no harm in trying. No harm in fighting. Guy cracked his knuckles and smiled.
“Hope burns bright,” The Lantern repeated to himself. “Hope burns bright.”