GL Bertron sat staring across the table at the three men. They were legends as far as he was concerned. The whole time he had been traininng with the Corp Lanterns spoke of these three men with great respect. Hal Jordan was the man who slayed his fear, not just overcame it. John Stewart, a Lantern with the mind so sharp he could make flawless images with his ring. Finally Kyle Rayner, Ion, the torchbearer. What else could be said about any of these men?
"So why are we all looking so glum, sirs?" Bertron started, he didn't like beating around the bush and he wanted answeres.
"I'm not that old, infact you're older than me." Kyle sighed as he scooted his drawing napkin away from himself.
"The Guardians have given us orders concerning you, Bertron." John stewart quitely barked as he folded his hands on the table infront of himself.
"What kind of orders would that be, sirs?" Bertron could feel his brow tighten.
The looks on the three men's faces suggested that they had a bad taste in their mouths. Bertron didn't like the fact that the gaurdians had sent three men with such explosive powers out to meet him.
"You have violated the will of the Guardians, Bertron." Hal cut through the red tape in one short sentnce. "The Guardian's did not want to make a direct action against the Sabre family. They wanted to give them to the end of a dead line they had established a few years back before they sent in a Lantern or two to confront the Sabres. They are the last of the ruling family on their planet and now, they only have one person left before their bloodline is completely wiped out. Personally I would congratualate you, but the Guardians feel that this may be taken as a threat to the peace of their system and have sent us to resolve this matter."
Bertron could feel his face tighten as his frown increased, he didn't like all this talk about Guardians, they were the only part of the corp that was hard to deal with. They insisted on being so political, even when they could just sort everything after all the dust cleared.
"They want us to collect your ring." John Stewart said in a disgusted voice. "They want you to be temporarily suspended until they can find a way to diffuse or take over the situation."
"That's pretty straight forward there Mr. Stewart." Bertron sighed. "I guess my two weeks notic would be useless at this point?"
No one laughed, they just sat staring at each other. Bertron shifted in his chair and faced Hal.
"May I collect what is mine out of my 'personal locker'?"
"Take anything youu want from the pocket dimension you have set up." Kyle stated. "Just not the battery. Do I sound like Captain Obvious or what all of a sudden?"
"I understand what I have to do." Bertron said quitely.
He held his fist up and the ring started to glow. None of the other Lanterns flinched, let their breath catch, or even narrowed their eyes. Bertron was imppressed.
Suddenly he thrusted his hand into the space infront of himself and John Stewart. Instantly his hand disappeared into nothingness. He fished around for a short second and drew his hand back, except now he was holding a katana in a decorated sheath. He leaned it against the table and reached forward again, this time he pulled a medic ruck sack from thin air. He tossed it over one shoulder and stood.
He looked each of the men in their face and could see that they were just as unhappy as he was. He looked at his hand and clinched his fist tightly.
In his mind he began to see all the adventures he had shared with the ring that talked like his wife Laylin. He could see the enemies he had piled at his feet and the people he couldn't save. He saw the creatures he liked to use so much, and then he realized, he couldn't hear the soft voice of the ring no more. He looked at his hand again and saw the ring, but the warmth that the ring usually gave off was gone. For once the ring actually felt like a cold piece of metal resting against his skin.'
"I am sorry that we have to ask this of you, you have been a good soldier." Hal whispered like the whole had been in on the conversation until now.
"Then from one soldier to another, you can understand this." Bertron said in a cold calm voice.
Hal stood up to his right, Bertron turned so he could face the man eye to eye. He slid his hand over the ring and grabbed a hold of it. With a final shrug of exhurtion Bertron pulled off the ring and looked at Hal. Quitely he held out his hand, and quitely Hal reached out and closed his hand over Bertron's.
"It is done." Hal assured Bertron. "Kyle, get him to Arizona."
"On it." Kyle stood and pushed his seat in, stopping for a second to retrieved his napkin. "Let's take the back way, these two will draw his attention through the front door."
In a second the three men's clean informal clothes were replaced by their Lantern uniforms. Kyle's was clean and glowe magnificently. Hal's and John Stewart's uniforms were ragged in spots and exposed bruises and cuts as well as dirt spots.
"We will mock up a battle in the basement across the street and show ourselves to him as if we had defeated you, but the ring will have to go to the Guardians so that tey can show him in good faith that they are not against him. Then we will do what we can to get you re- enstated to the Corp. You will be powerless for awhile, but I don't think you will have much of a problem with that, will you?"
"I am a soldier above all else now, and soldiers don't die without permission." Bertron smiled as he spoke, he hadn't been the underdog for quite awhile. "I will asurvive and when yo come for me I will stand proudly as a Lantern who has proven himself even when he was powerless."
"That's what we wanted to hear." John said with the quite excitement that only a soldier could express.
The restraunt was now abuzz with the astonished looks and whispers as the patrons realized that they were being graced with the presence of heroes that they looked up to, and a feww even called out to the three men. They were left in wide eyed wonderment as the men split up and two went out the front and started letting their rings flare with energy as if they had engaged and attacked a powerful enemy, while to flew quitely and quickly off to the west and hopefully out from under their enemy's gaze.
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