2nd November
22:50 GMT -5
I frown.
"No it doesn't. BL-!
"
Alan comes in through the door,
plate armour style blue construct armour around him. Lantern Stewart and I barely had to spend any time beating that habit into him at all. "What have you got?"
"Karl Wilson. He's been mind controlled, and his controller is trying to make his brain collapse. His emotional resonance is almost nonexistent. I've been trying to infuse him with orange light with
partial success, but it's not enough. He needs your help.
"
He nods. "Of course. Ah… How?"
"See the symbols I've put around his body? Copy those. And.. try and.. project things that make you hopeful into-.
" I put a construct manacle around the woman's arm as she lunges for me, the sigil on her forehead now glitching in the same way Mr Wilson's was.
"Into him.
"
"
Alright." He raises his right hand,
blue cables extending from his ring and
attaching themselves to Mr Wilson. "What's
her story?"
"She's a member of the Order of Stone. Evil worshipping warrior monks.
" She swings up her right leg, kicking at my head. I catch her ankle in another construct manacle and then float her back against the far wall.
"And-. Actually.
" I put a construct muzzle on her.
"She's got the same thing
he has, but it doesn't seem to be affecting her in the same way.
"
Alan
squints slightly. He still doesn't find fine detail as easy as I do, but
blue lines in the pattern already traced by
my construct begin
moving across Mr Wilson's skin. "I.. think
I can feel what you're talking about. What
is that?"
"Not sure, but it doesn't look too healthy. Any joy?
"
"Black light infection fading, Orange Lantern. Mister Wilson will be restored shortly."
"Blue Lantern?
"
"
She's been getting more talkative the longer I wear her.
Should I be worried?"
"Not unless she turns yellow. Fear isn't useful without a yellow ring.
"
"
Alright then."
The blue ring's right. I can see the black lines fading slightly. Maybe if we had other colours to go with it we could go faster? Seems
logical, but I don't particularly feel like having a tête-à-tête with Sinestro, so… That can wait. I reach into the sarcophagus and recover my ring, because I don't think dealing with
that should be the first thing Mr Wilson has to do when he awakens.
Rings, total charge remaining?
Fifty four percent.
Drat.
"This isn't a viable long term solution.
"
"
Seems to be working fine to me."
"One Blue Lantern in existence. Two Orange Lanterns on Earth, one of whom has agreed not to use his ring until his trial date. Between zero and four Green Lanterns. Orange Lanterns don't come more powerful than me, and I couldn't purge him on my own. That means we need to grab… Green Lantern A is on Earth at the moment, right?
"
"
I haven't spoken to him since our last training session."
"Even if three of us makes it faster, that means it takes
three Lanterns to fix. Per person. We need a better solution-
" The last black strands evaporate, and the colours behind them
surge-.
I step back, cancelling my infusion constructs. Alan glances my way.
"
That it done?"
"Hope's a little less…
Dangerous than avarice. Give him a moment or two.
"
Ring, is his brain still collapsing?
Decay has ceased.
Restore his brain to its original organic state. I'm.. not exactly sure what happens to a human who has not-exactly-organic parts to their brain for a prolonged period, but I don't have any reason to find out.
Compliance.
Mr Wilson's eyes snap open.
"Uuuuuuumgh?"
I transform the sarcophagus into a camping bed and set it down on the floor.
"Okay, Blue Lantern, that should do.
"
Alan withdraws his hand, his construct fading. "How are you doing, sir?"
"Uh?" He shudders. "Like-. Like everything I've ever tried has been a total failure.
Oh God."
"Sir, do you remember your name?
"
"Um. Karl. Karl Wilson."
"Do you know where you are?
"
"Aaaah…" He looks around, spotting the woman attached to the wall. "Wh-?"
"Mister Wilson, please try to focus. I appreciate that you've been through a trying time, but I need to assess your mental state.
"
"Right, right, sorry. No." He shakes his head. "No, I don't. I don't… I don't remember…"
"Don't worry, sir. That's probably for the best.
"
"
Oh.
Oh God, what did I do?"
"That we know about, one act of petty theft. I-.
"
Alan puts his right hand on my chest. I stop talking. "
Which wasn't your fault, and neither was anything else you did while you were being controlled."
Mr Wilson looks
stunned for a moment. "Ah.
Yeah.
Of course not."
"Now, I realise that you've been through a traumatic experience, but when you've had a chance to-.
"
He smiles. "
Actually, I feel pretty good right now.
If you want to ask me any questions, you can go right ahead."
I glance at Alan for a moment.
"Thank you, Mister Wilson, but I think we should probably wait until you're in a police station.
" He
nods cheerfully.
"Blue Lantern, if you'd be so good as to escort him outside?
" Alan offers Mr Wilson a hand up. He takes it, and they walk out of the room. I dismiss the bed construct and turn back to the woman.
"And now
you. What exact-?
"
Ah. Darn.
I lift her body off the wall, pick up the statue and follow Alan out of the building.
