Light in the Darkness

[Alan Scott]

Alan made himself comfortable in what he considered to be a truly over-the-top easy chair. He was in an ornate sitting room off of the master bedroom in the mansion of the Mondrine family, a perfect example of blue-blood, old Gotham money if there ever was one. He had been warned of an impending robbery at this house by the Batman, and had been 'asked' (if by asked one meant directed) by the Dark Knight to "see to it". Ever since moving back to Gotham, Green Lantern had made himself available to Batman to help with overflow.

Lord knows with the JLA and JSA both inert at the moment I have the time. Most seniors take up bocce or go fishing to get out of the house. Oh well, it beats gardening, never could stand that.


Alan had moved back to Gotham only a year or so ago, at the insistence of his wife. He had wanted to move out West to Opal, feeling that someone should stand in for Ted now that Jack had hung it up and Ralph had died. Molly had insisted however, and so they ended up buying their old house back, still in pretty good condition, and setting up domestic shop just like they had never left.

Happy wife, happy life I guess. This town is dark and dreary though, more so even then it was back in the day. Sometimes I think it takes on the reflection of it's primary benefactor and protector, which would explain a lot I guess.

Just then, the door to the boudoir swung open and six armed men in masks jumped through. They immediately started shuffling through drawers and moving pictures to reveal the safe. An impressive display of efficiency, but one about to be rudely interrupted.

The Green Lantern did not move from his chair. He had been invisible since he arrived, and so the crew were completely unaware of his presence. Alan no longer cared if people knew of his exploits, and if he could capture them without fighting it would minimize the chance of collateral damage.

With a thought, Alan created a small camera to record the theft for evidence. Once he had enough, he willed a large magnet, cartoonish in appearance into being. The crooks saw this but it was too late. All of the metal in their hands, as well as belts and suspenders, flew off their bodies and stuck to the large green U. The pants of a particularly large-boned thug fell to the floor in slapstick-fashion.

Crime does not pay!!!

Those were the only words the villains heard before they found themselves enveloped in an eerie green glow. The next thing they knew, they were being lifted up by the hand of a giant and placed into little white cells! Screaming to no avail, the hapless thieves were soon captured and imprisoned.

Glad to make some use of this pillbox other then play-acting. I carry it around to give the impression that I take a lot of pills like the rest of my circle of geriatric friends. Makes a handy little prison, if of course you possess a magic ring that enables you to shrink no-good-nicks to the size of aspirin!

Alan then enveloped the pill-box prison in a green fiery glow and sprouted emerald wings from it's sides. After attaching the crime recording with a green energy bow, he tossed the glowing package into the air as if he were releasing a carrier pigeon. It flew out the open window, headed for GC police HQ.

OH well, mission accomplished and still time to get home for dinner. Gotta remember to send a recording to Bruce as well...don't want to get a demerit! Ha Ha.

Green Lantern flew off through the ceiling and roof like a greenish ghost, a pale emerald beacon in the deep dark Gotham night.

[Alan Scott]

Alan landed invisibly in front of his front step. Switching to his civilian clothes, Alan appeared on the step and walked through his front door.

"Honey, I'm home!"

Molly came in from the kitchen and gave him a hug.

"...and you're late too. Lucky for you I got a late start on the roast, or you would be enjoying tough chewy meat and burned veggies for supper."

As she released from their embrace Molly tried to reach for the old-fashined and very worn derby on Alan's head. His suit was modern and fit perfectly, but the brown hat looked dated, old, and out of place.

"Do you have to wear that thing? It is ugly and beaten to heck! I bought you a new fedora for Christmas, since you insist on wearing a hat. Can't you please retire this one?"

She grabbed for the offending hat but her hand, as always, went right through it. This was a daily dance between the two, a ritual they had performed on and off for years. Alan could always sense when she was going to go for it, and always made sure she did not succeed.

Alan only smiled in response, no need to speak. She knew very well that the hat once belonged to Alan's friend and confidante Charles "Doiby" Dickles and that Alan often wore it as a remembrance of his friend, and as a tie to his "other life" that seemed at once both so long ago and like it was yesterday. Spending many lifetimes in Limbo, as well as having his natural aging process disrupted by the Starheart, had left Alan without an internal clock, and thus subject to bouts of what could only be called "chronal confusion".

"Don't forget tonight is my quilting night. I think you are supposed to meet up with Ted and Jay to talk about old times, or bowl, or beat drums, or whatever you old powerful men do"

Alan smiled in response. Was he an old man? He head an old soul, that was for sure. The rest was something for Einstein to figure out. Only he was dead, as were so many others.

Snap out of it Green Lantern, and go conquer pot roast.

The Alans sat down to their evening meal, having no idea what was in store for them as evening turned to night.

[Batman]

I heard it asked, perhaps a thousand times in various news media and even among people on the street why I train a sidekick. Why I should endanger the life of another for the nightly crusade, as some refer to it, I put on against criminals, thugs, maniacs and mass murderers. Its not a bad question really. Certainly not one I haven't considered in minute detail in my meditations. Indeed at times I've even gone without a partner in my efforts, tried to do without.

Unfortunately the simple fact is I can't. To many in Gotham I might seem some demon spawned from hell or superman of untold nature, but the reality is I'm just one man, and I can't do it all. I need help, I need assistance. There are too many crimes and too few hours in the night to deal with them all. I could remain awake twenty-four hours a day, three hundred sixty five days a year, and I still wouldn't be able to deal with one tenth of the crimes that take place in this dark city. The reality is I'm only human.

Clark, in his usual way would argue that heroes are a symbol, that we inspire others to do better, that those crimes I do stop are enough to inspire the common man to their own heroism.

Clark is very naive sometimes.

I don't inspire people to be like myself, I inspire them with an elemental fear of the darkness, a crawling sensation that makes the guilty look both ways when they step out at night, that makes thugs think twice about commiting crimes. Thats what I do.

That is not say that Clark is wrong in his views. I know of one particular symbol that has inspired me from as early an age as I can remember, whose power stands as a beacon to my age of heroism.

A lantern if you will.

Alan Scott has done much to inspire my generation, and his heroics continue to the modern day. Though I'm not about to tell him it, his moving back to Gotham has eased some of the burden for me. I may inspire fear from my enemies, but Scott inspires the sort of hope Clark exudes. It creates a natural balance that makes the city as a whole safer, and everyone a bit happier.

As I said though, I'm not about to tell him that. As much an icon as he is in my own past, I have to keep that sepperate and distinct from the way things are now. Alan Scott has done great things for this city, but its mine now. I have to maintain control over whats going on, I have to keep an eye on him, and not the other way around.

Hero worship is unprofessional, and ill advised.

That said, I don't begrudge the oppertunity to rely on him when the need arises, and his assistance with dealing with a recent band of thieves was an important break in the case. One of the criminals he locked up goes by the name Sanford "Sandy" Maxwell. Low rent hood with a rap sheet an inch thick. He is however tied to several criminal orginazations in the city, and having him in on the jobs implies a deeper level of involvement, a fact backed up by a certain uniformity of method in breaking and enterings of late.

He confirms a pattern, which might be key in uncovering the mastermind behind the burglaries. Underworld contacts have even gone so far as confirm another possible burglary location, one which I plan to head to tonight, just as soon as I speak with Scott. Having his experience as testimony on the other robbery should prove valuable.

Parking the batmobile some distance from his home, I make my way on foot from there, arriving soon enough at his home, and then making my inside, taking care to use a maximum of stealth to avoid being seen. No reason to draw attention of Scott's home as a meetup point for superhumans.

Once I'm indoors, I move up on the dining area to find the couple enjoying their evening at home, coughing to make my presence known. Speaking gruffly once that is out of the way. Smalltalk is unnessecery in this case.

[glow=black,2,300]"I need a word, Green Lantern."[/glow]

[Alan Scott]

Alan's hand started glowing a deep dark green. Someone had entered the house. The ring pulsed, longer then usual, much longer. In a few moments however, the power of the Starheart confirmed that it was in fact the Dark Knight who had invaded the Scott home. The glow subsided since the intruder was not a danger, to them anyway.

I will never understand how Bruce can resist the scan of my flame for so long. It takes less then a second for me to scan and identify almost everyone else, even crazy-powerful heroes like Superman. Batman however finds a way to confound the Green Flame of Life, confuse one of the Fundamental Powers, simply by refusing to be so easily identified. I shudder to think how powerful Bruce would be with a GLC ring on his hand...

Molly was aware that something was happening since her husband's glowing hand was making it impossible to watch the end of 'Lost'. She said nothing, but simply looked at him for an explanation once the glare died down and she could take her hands away from her eyes.

"Sorry Hon. Batman is waiting for me, gotta go."

"That's OK, I can't follow this silly show anyway. I think there is a good movie on AMC I can put on. Have fun storming the castle!"

At that moment Batman cleared his throat, making his presence known. Molly had already switched the channel and did not look up or even hear him. Alan's ring had already changed his evening clothes into his working colors, and as he approached the Bat both nodded almost imperceptably. Batman was young but had many attributes of the 'old school' that Green Lantern appreciated, and that included greetings. So many of the young heroes always wanted to hug him hello, even the men! Ugh.

"Hold on".

Batman and Green Lantern were surrounded by a deep green fog of flame and slowly decended into the floor. When the haze cleared they were in a small but comfortable second home, a duplicate of the original but entirely constructed of green energy. This was a space created by Green Lantern for his use when private meetings needed to be held, but mostly for when he might need to hide or protect Molly. It took an extreme act of will to create and sustain because it actually existed in a plane a half-step off from our reality. The house was as such virtually impervious to any effect originating on the material plane. It was the Green Lantern's ultimate safe house.

Alan sat down at a small table and invited Batman to do the same if he wished..

"So I assume you reviewed the recording of my work this morning. Besides getting those scum off the street, did it help you learn anything else? What, in short, can I do for you tonight, son?"

[Batman]

Magic isn't something I'm very comfortable with. I've had dealings with everyone form Dr Fate to the demon Etrigan, but I've never quite been able to trust in something I can't see, I can't control. The logical part of my mind always rejects what it doesn't understand.

I can articulate the principles behind how magic is supposed to work, but actually touching the underlying structure, manipulating those forces is out of my depth, and I consider myself fortunate in that regard. I'll leave the demons and boogy men to Dr Fate and Zatanna, I have quite enough enemies to deal with allready.

Needless to say this stance doesn't make it any easier when Green Lantern puts his ring to effect, drawing us both through the floor of his home and into a pocket dimension of his own creation. I assume its a pocket dimension anyway, I'm just a bit out of my depth to understand it beyond that. Smilar in funciton though Hal and Alan's rings might seem, there is an entierly different and far more mystical principle behind how Alan Scott's ring seems to opperate.

As Alan settles himself into the green energy duplicate of his home, I remain slightly on edge, pausing for a moment to consider the area before seating myself at his question, noting that I'm still a bit on edge from the teleportation he used. Not much better than when Clark decides its prudent to move me halfway around the globe without consulting.

Still, I hold it together fairly well externally, deciding not to dwell on how much I'm within Scott's powers at the moment. I'm reasonably confident he has my best interests at heart, and I'm willing to trust that even above any misgivings I might have about the magic he used.

I set aside such issues in considering his question, taking a moment to collect my thoughts before I respond.

[glow=black,2,300]"I did peruse the photographs you provided of the situation. You did adequetely in aprehending them, and I'm certain the commissionor was happy for some photographic evidence to back up the charges. That aside though, one of the criminals gave me some leads into a possible connection with larger criminal organization. I think its possible that these crimes might be part of a larger game that is afoot. I was wondering if you'd be interested in partnering with me for the investigation. Several of the homes that have been broken into match up chronologically by age, and all appear older than 50 years. I think it might be possible that the thieves were after more than just quick cash. Since they're from a time period when you were active as a crime fighter I was wondering if you might have any insights as to what the thieves might be after. Although they're in custody now, the criminals themselves don't seem to have any insights into what they're really after. I think they might be some sort of a smokescreen. Giving the real culprit a window of oppertunity after the initial robbery to reloot the same house without being noticed. I've noticed a few details with past crime scenes that'd be consistent with that theory. If I'm correct, the robbery you spoiled today should be just a prelude to the real crime tonight."[/glow]

[Alan Scott]

Alan realized after a moment that Batman was not comfortable and he smiled briefly to himself. Though it had not been his intention to unbalance (to whatever degree that might be possible) the Dark Knight, he was aware of the Detective's dislike of magic, and by default magic green houses.

Batman makes a living putting others off-balance. I have nothing but respect for him, but I am after all a man, and a competitive one at that. It is nice to return the favor on occasion.

"Of course I am happy to help. I was going to suggest that I tag along anyway, because I too feel like something larger is going on then meets the eye. Unlike yours however, my reasoning is, well, unreasonable. It is more a feeling that something powerful in the sphere of magic is hovering just beyond the event horizon. It is something that is a big pending problem, mystical in nature, cloaking itself behind these simply thefts. I can't explain it and have no facts to support it. Since I put this trinket on back a lifetime ago, however, I have rarely been wrong when it comes to this kind of premonition."

Green Lantern, secure that no immediate threat was imminent, returned himself and Batman to the Material Plane. Molly had gone to bed, and so Alan led Batman to the same room they had just come from, except this time made from matter.

"So, what next. We need to try and get to the heart of this thing, which means finding the mastermind behind these break-ins. We also need to be wary of the big bad wolf that my magic flame tells me is part and parcel of this as well. Thoughts?"

[Batman]

Alan and I reach an accord with regard to the plan, and he offers some further insight with the help of his ring, pointing out how there is doubtless a larger power behind these capers. One that doubtless does not have our best interests at heart, if indeed they decided to target us specificly. I

'm not so arrogant as to believe a properly equipped villain couldn't plan for my weaknesses and adapt accordingly. I'm just a man afterall.

Aided by his ring Scott poses a signficantly higher risk but counterbalanced by its weakness to organic matter. The obvious solution is to create an eventuality that cannot be so easily predicted, and thus countered.

In short we both have significant weaknesses that a wary villain could easily exploit to their own ends, and we're heading into a situation that might pose more risk than either one of us could predict. The best thing to do is be more unpredictable.

I give the matter a moments thought, and then speak simply.

"If we're walking into a trap, we should make an effort to plan for it...Being unpredictable would be a viable solution for this...I'm going to need to borrow your ring."

This isn't precisely a new ploy. Clark and I have used it to good effect before in similar situations...albiet not with my having to use magic in the bargain.

"How good is your throwing arm?"