DC Mayhem: Guardian of Earth #2

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rav4

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Edited By rav4

This story is part of the DC Mayhem continuity

Continued from Guardian of Earth #1

---

All was quiet in the apartment, at least for the time being. The sun had just risen above the horizon, bringing with it a new day. For Barbara Gordon, it was a magical day.

Suddenly, the radio clicked on, emitting steady, upbeat music, blaring at almost full volume. I used to think maybe you love me, now baby I'm sure / And I just cant wait till the day, when you knock on my door / Now every time I go for the mail box, gotta hold myself down / 'cause I just cant wait till you write me, you're coming around.”

As the chorus hit, Barbara Gordon herself ran out of her bedroom door, still dressed in only a simple T-shirt and her underwear, along with a pair of socks, and her Green Lantern ring placed firmly around her finger. Reaching the hardwood floor, she slid several feet, a broad smile across her face, and began singing along with the song while dancing in rhythm with the beat.

I'm walking on sunshine (whoa oh) / I'm walking on sunshine (whoa oh) / I'm walking on sunshine (whoa oh) / And don't it feel good (HEY!) Alright now / And don't it feel good (HEY!) Alright now / All right now yeah! (HEY!)”

Her legs never stopped moving as she made her way over to the kitchen to cook up some breakfast. She grabbed a skillet from the drawer, turned the stove on, and then bounced playfully up and down on her feet several times, as the music continued in the background.

I used to think maybe you love me, I know that it's true / And I don't wanna spend all of my life just waiting for you (just waiting for you) / Now I don't want you back for the weekend, not back for a day, no, no, no / Baby I just want you back and I want you to stay.”

Barbara next danced herself over to the refrigerator, pulling it open wide and sifting through to find the eggs. Leaning over forward, she swayed from side to side, pulling the carton of eggs, a pack of cheese, and bag of vegetables into her arms.

I'm walking on sunshine (whoa oh) / I'm walking on sunshine (whoa oh) / I'm walking on sunshine (whoa oh) / And don't it feel good (HEY!) Alright now / And don't it feel good (HEY!) Alright now / All right now yeah! (HEY!)”

Back at the stove, she cracked a couple of eggs open onto the skillet. She gently ran it back and forth over the flame until finally leaving it alone as she moved back across the kitchen floor, breaking out into an even more vigorous dance. The smile on her face could have lit a beacon.

Walking on sunshine / Walking on sunshine / I feel the love, I feel the love, I feel the love that's really real / I feel the love, I feel the love, I feel the love that's really real / I'm on sunshine baby yeah / I'm on sunshine baby yeah.”

As her eventual omelet solidified into a more solid form, she lifted the skillet up again and flipped the the cooked eggs up into the air. She quickly spun around, holding the pan behind her back and catching the omelet perfectly.

I'm walking on sunshine whoa / I'm walking on sunshine whoa / I'm walking on sunshine whoa / And don't it feel good hey alright now / And don't it feel good hey alright now / And don't it feel good hey alright now.”

When the music finally ceased, Barbara breathed out a deep breath and held her hands to her hips. Too long had it been since she'd been able to dance like that, freely, openly, without the restriction of a wheelchair. To be able to jump around on her legs again, to move her body to the beat, to have real fun with it... it was probably the one thing she had missed most. But now... now she had it again, all thanks to a silly green ring.

As Barbara sat down at the kitchen table to eat her breakfast, a knock came on her apartment door. She paused a moment, wondering who it could be, but when the urgent voice soudned out from the other side of the door, she smacked a hand to her forehead and groaned.

“Babs!” Dinah Lance called out, pounding her fist against the wood. “Babs, are you in there? Are you alright?! Barbara!”

“I'm fine, Dinah!” she replied, remaining in her seat. “The door's open, come on in.”

No Caption Provided

Dinah burst through the entrance a moment later, practically racing across the floor. “What on earth happened last night?! Our line went dead when we made our move, and then I couldn't get into contact with you again! We thought maybe something had happened, that maybe you'd-”

“Dinah, I'm fine, really,” Barbara assured. She held her left hand up, urging the woman to calm down, while her right hand, the one with her ring, remained below the table. “Just a... minor equipment failure.”

For several moments, Dinah remained silent, blinking at her friend in confusion. Then, she came forward and sat down at the kitchen table across from her and said, “An equipment failure? You had an equipment failure?”

“Yeah.” Barbara shifted her gaze slightly, taking a bite of her omelet.

“But... you never have an equipment failure,” Dinah said, lifting an eyebrow. “Ever.”

“Well, I've never had my computer literally blow up in my face before, either,” Barbara replied, with a small laugh.

Dinah blinked, scratching the side of her head. “What the hell happened?”

“Oh, nothing much.” Barbara paused a moment, then glanced over at the fridge. “Hey, you want something to drink?”

“Oh, uh, sure,” she said, starting to get out of her seat. “I'll just grab a-”

“I got it.” And on that note, Barbara pushed her seat away from the table, stood up, and walked towards the refrigerator. The stunned silence that followed brought a wide grin to her face, as she opened the fridge and took out a carton of orange juice.

“Babs, y-you're-” Dinah started, eyes open wide. She stood there for a moment, unable to form proper words as she watched her formerly paralyzed friend grab a glass from the cupboard. Finally, she managed to spit it out. “You're walking!

Barbara held her smile, as she returned to the table and passed the glass of orange juice to her friend. “Yeah, pretty awesome, right?”

Dinah blinked again, rubbing her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things. “But I- I mean- how?

“Well... it's all thanks to this.” Then, Barbara finally lifted her right hand, showing off the green Power Ring. “As long as it's charged and I'm wearing it, I can walk again.”

At this point, Dinah dropped back into her seat, staring blankly forward. This time, she couldn't even bring herself to blink. “That's a- that's a- a-”

“Yeah... it came to me last night,” Barbara explained, looking down at the ring. “I don't know why it chose me... but it did.”

“And you accepted it? Just like that?”

“It's a lot of responsibility, I know,” Barbara said. “And in many ways, a burden. But... that's something I'm willing to accept, yeah. Not just for the use of my legs, but for a greater purpose, you know? At first I wasn't completely sold on it, but I did some thinking before I went to bed... maybe this is what I was meant to do.”

Dinah was quiet for a few more moments, as she gulped down most of her orange juice. When she finally took her glass away, she breathed out a deep sigh and brushed back her blonde hair. “But... but I mean, what about Oracle? And what about the team?”

“I can have Wendy take my place easy enough.” Barbara smiled lightly, sitting back down at the table and folding her hands. “I've been training her as my back up long enough... I think she's ready for it.”

“Well, I mean I guess... but- but what about, well...” Dinah paused, rubbing her eyes again. “I mean, Green Lanterns spend most of their time in space, right? How often would you even still be here? To see your family, your friends...”

Barbara was silent for a long moment, tilting her gaze downward. She shrugged, shaking her head. “I... don't know. I suppose I'll find out when I go to Oa.”

Dinah lifted her eyebrows. “Oa... you mean G.L. Headquarters?”

“Yeah,” she replied. “The ring has been urging to take me there already, but I've been holding off until I can at least say goodbye to people. I... don't know how long I'll be gone or what I'll be doing, yet. I barely even know how to make the ring work at this point. I imagine they'll be training me.”

“But... you'll be back, right?” Dinah asked. “I mean, eventually.”

“Well yeah, the other Green Lanterns are back here all the time, right?”

Dinah breathed out softly, getting up from her seat. “Then go for it, girl.” Leaning forward, she gave her friend a warm, comforting hug, holding on tight for a few moments.

“Thanks, D.”

When Dinah finally let go, she asked, “Who else knows about this? I mean, have you told your dad?”

Barbara cleared her throat, pulling her hair back behind her ear. “Well... he thinks I'm going away on business.”

“...what kind of business would a librarian need to go away for?”

“The other kind of business.”

“Oh, right...” Dinah said, with a small chuckle. “I forgot, he knows about... well, you.” She paused a moment, only to suddenly look up quickly. “What about Nightwing?”

Babs smiled slightly, glancing away. “I'm meeting him later... I'll break it to him then. Hopefully... well, hopefully he'll understand.”

---

No Caption Provided

Dick Grayson looked around the busy Gotham street corner, searching for Barbara. This was where she had told him to meet that afternoon... so where was she? He squinted his eyes a bit, trying to see through the driving rain pouring from the sky. Why she'd want to meet outside on a day like today was beyond him. Last he knew, she didn't enjoy being soaked. But, of course, he didn't question her. He simply went along with it.

The street corner began to clear up after a few minutes, as people went about their business and moved on. Eventually, the only one left standing there was Dick, and some other woman dressed in a raincoat with an umbrella pulled low over her head. He waited several moments, arms folded across his chest, until finally walking over to her.

“Excuse me, miss?” he said, coming up behind her. He couldn't see who she was yet, not through the umbrella. “Have you seen woman around here, red hair, in a wheelchair? I'm supposed to be meeting her here, but I haven't... haven't...”

As he spoke, the woman slowly turned towards him. Within moments, she was facing him, allowing him to get a clear look at her, and when he did, his eyes went wide. “Babs...?”

“Hey, Dick,” she said, offering a broad smile. “How's it going?”

“Barbara! You- you're-”

“Walking, yeah, I know,” she stated, lifting a playful eyebrow at him. “So you just going to stand there gawking or are you going to hug me?”

Saying nothing more, Dick came forward and wrapped his arms tightly around her. The umbrella tilted slightly off to the side, spilling rainwater onto their heads, but he didn't care. “I just, I don't understand... how?”

She paused a moment, breathing outwardly as she lifted her hand. The Power Ring glowed softly on her finger. “This.”

Dick needed no explanation. He knew what the ring was, knew what it meant. He softened his eyes as he turned his gaze from the ring back to Barbara's face. “So you have to go, then?”

“Yeah,” she said, nodding. “I... I don't know why the ring chose me, Dick, but I'm going to do my best to fulfill its calling.”

“I know,” he said, curling his lips into a gentle smile. “You always do your best. That's what I love about you.”

“I don't know how long I'll be gone,” she added, swallowing a little. “I'll have to go to Oa, I'll need training, then I'll probably be on patrol, and I don't know if-”

Her words abruptly cut off, as Dick moved in, pressing his lips to hers. Barbara allowed herself to sink against his body, feeling his arms again wrap around her. They held that kiss for the longest time, until finally Dick pulled his lips away and gave her another caring smile. “I'll still be here when you get back.”

Barbara returned the smile, lifting up on her toes slightly. “Promise?”

He nodded. “Promise.”

“Then, I guess... I'll see you later,” she said, taking a small step back. She broadened her smile, giving him a little wave, and then finally ran back into the nearest alleyway, disappearing from sight.

Dick stood there, watching carefully. He glanced upwards, spotting a bright green streak darting across the sky, until finally disappearing into the clouds. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he maintained his smile. “Go get 'em, Babs.”

---

No Caption Provided

Barbara wasn't certain exactly how long the travel took. She was certain that it had taken a long time, yet it had barely felt like more than a few hours. She had no direct control over her flight path, though, merely along for the ride as the ring brought her to her destination: the planet Oa. When she finally descended onto the surface of the planet, the bright green bubble surrounding her disappeared, allowing her to freely walk across the raised platform she now found herself upon.

“Whoa...” she uttered, moving up to the edge of the platform. Spread out all around and below her was one of the most amazing, beautiful scenes she had ever seen. “So this is Oa...”

The architecture was so unreal, completely unlike anything back on earth, or anything she could have even imagined. She had heard stories from the other Green Lanterns about this place, but a few words of description just couldn't do it justice.

After she finally got over the initial wonder of witnessing Oa firsthand, Barbara finally managed to glance down at herself, now realizing the uniform she was dressed in. The design must have been pulled subconsciously from her mind, because it was exactly how she would have wanted it. Simple, practical, and clearly indicate of a Green Lantern.

“Nice... not bad.”

No Caption Provided

Suddenly, another voice interrupted her. “So, the new recruit finally arrives.”

Turning around suddenly, Barbara looked up above her, at the Green Lantern floating up in the sky. “Uh... yeah, I guess that's me, huh?”

“You don't look like much,” he said, arms folding. After a long, careful look, he finally descended in front of her. “But then, they never do when they first arrive. What is your name, Lantern?”

“Uh, Barbara,” she answered. “Barbara Gordon.”

“Barbara Gordon... I see.” He paused a moment, until finally waving her along, flying up into the air again. “Follow me, Barbara Gordon. You must meet with the Guardians.”

Barbara paused a moment, staring back down at her ring and concentrating. After a brief moment's hesitation, she finally lifted up into the after him. “Right, on my way, uh... what do I call you?”

“Sinestro,” he replied, glancing back over his shoulder. “My name is Sinestro.”

No Caption Provided
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Joygirl

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#1  Edited By Joygirl

....

ASDFGHJKL

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEE

BALALALALALLBINGIBOO

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

*ahem*

Yeah, stuff along those lines.

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rav4

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#2  Edited By rav4

@Joygirl: Those are, uh... wonderful comments xD

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batkevin74

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#3  Edited By batkevin74

@Ravager4: Katrina & The Waves AND Sinestro! Nice story, looking forward to seeing what Barbara can do as a Lantern

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rav4

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#4  Edited By rav4

@batkevin74: Thanks!

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punkpuppy3

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#5  Edited By punkpuppy3

Awesome!

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thespideyguy

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#6  Edited By thespideyguy

@Joygirl said:

....

ASDFGHJKL

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEE

BALALALALALLBINGIBOO

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

*ahem*

Yeah, stuff along those lines.

darn straight

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Avenging-X-Bolt

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#7  Edited By Avenging-X-Bolt

@Joygirl said:

....

ASDFGHJKL

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEE

BALALALALALLBINGIBOO

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

*ahem*

Yeah, stuff along those lines.

yup yup

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wildvine

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#8  Edited By wildvine

Sweet. I would never thought of Barbra as a Lantern. Very creative of you.

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4donkeyjohnson

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#9  Edited By 4donkeyjohnson

Very good

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dngn4774

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#10  Edited By dngn4774

The picture from JLA: Created Equal was a nice touch. Barbara Gordon should make an excellent Lantern.