Title: A Light to Help (DC/YJ SI)
Author: Andoriol
Universe: DC/ Young Justice
Word Count: 120k
Status: Hiatus
Synopsis: None
Rec Reading Site: SpaceBattles
First Chapter:
(better to read on SpaceBattles because of the use of colors (most of the lantern fics use colors which can't be used on webnovel)
Day 2
Noon… ish
Florida (Pretty sure I'm still near Jacksonville)
Charge 89%
---
I take a bite out of my sandwich, looking over the projected lists before me.
Just a totally normal guy in a hospital cafeteria. Y'know, one that floats in midair, in a purple trenchcoat, cargo pants, boots, and muscle shirt.
Totally normal.
Yeah, about as normal as fucking Octodad.
So… yeah. Still adjusting. I just spent a lot of yesterday healing people with light channeled through a ring on my finger that operates by emotion. A ring that'd just been there with me when I woke up… on a fucking space rock. This ring was all that was between me and hard vacuum and direct solar radiation. I don't want to think too hard about that.
Let's go with: That wasn't fun. I'd panicked pretty bad there for a few minutes… I'm actually not sure how long… 'Ring?'
A deep, distorted bass rumble made itself known in my head.
… deep breath.
Right! For twelve minutes. That's actually kinda funny.
Oh, it hadn't been funny then, but it definitely was now.
Thankfully, the ring on my finger hadn't just flown off and left me. Or brainwashed me. Or any other number of bad things. Reeaallly not thinking too hard about the ring right now.
I glanced at the ring reflexively as I raised my drink to sip from the straw to wash down my bite of sammich.
A band of purple, technically indigo, with an indented circle and a raised symbol, a circle with two triangles pointing away from it, one above and one below.
The Indigo Ring, the ring of compassion. The POWER OF FRIENDSHIP™ in an exceedingly literal sense.
It was a ring of compassion rather than willpower, rage, or ALL THE THINGS (Life). That was bad. I knew myself well, I wasn't well suited to a green ring, but it's sheer applicability was an appeal. I had rage, but I controlled it, the red ring would work well with me, and the white ring was broken and if my life is on the line I want broken.
It was still a fucking power ring! That was good! I usually don't think of myself as compassionate, but I don't like to see people suffer and… I guess that counts? I've been able to use it so far and it's a power ring, so it's good!
I wasn't in my home universe anymore. That was bad. I already miss my family… I don't know if it's even feasible to get back… I don't want to think too hard about it.
I swallowed before going for another bite. Ignoring the few stares I was still getting as I floated. Thankfully everyone had been getting mostly used to me over the past thirty minutes I'd been munching.
I wouldn't have been floating here like this in plain sight if there wasn't a use for it though. Because it inspired hope.
'Oh, good. We can maintain it without me maintaining hope right?'
'What rate are we talking about here?'
I thought about it for a moment before nodding to myself, 'Okay, I can work with that.'
Yes, I had changed the voice of my ring to Sovereign from Mass Effect. No, it didn't exactly fit the whole 'Ring of Compassion' feel but it made me all tingly and giggle-y. It'd probably get old eventually but it wasn't eventually yet!
… a deep breath through my nose and the threatened onset of giggles was suppressed to just a smile. Wouldn't be good if I started giggling maniacally in the middle of the hospital cafeteria.
So anyways… this was a DC continuity, one I wasn't familiar with. There was Superman and Batman and Justice League and so on, but Wonder Woman had operated in the forties, Aquaman still had both his hands and wore the orange scale mail stuff… It was similar, but just that bit off that I couldn't be sure of what I knew.
I'd enjoyed the comics but lacked the money to really get into them, so most of my knowledge was through nerdy osmosis or the animated series' of Batman, Superman, and the Justice League cartoons. So my info might just have been way out of date after the latest continuity reboot.
Hadn't really gotten a chance to get into the War of the Lanterns or Brightest Day or Blackest Night, they'd sounded super cool but again, lack of the mullah. So… I only had the vaguest sense of what I could do with this specific ring, when I'd first arrived I'd only known that Indigo was Compassion and that I could use the other colors somehow.
The ring had been able to explain some things to me thankfully.
The indigo ring could channel ambient light of any color provided I could channel that emotion through compassion. I couldn't just generate it from nothing, and I couldn't just rip the emotion out of somebody, it had to be out there in some way. Everybody 'leaks' some emotional energy, and the amount 'leaked' increases exponentially with emotional intensity, but we're still talking trickle feed here. The only time it was useful was with fear, hope, and dealing with other lanterns.
'And– ' There was a tug on my coat, making me blink and look down, '… huh?'
I looked down to find a little girl tugging at one of the dangling ends of my coat. I blinked again before smiling as gently as I could with a raised eyebrow, "Yes?"
"Um… mister… why are you floating…?"
I snorted in amusement, "Because I'm magic," that's what a power ring basically was, "And I like floating."
She looked up at me and batted her eyes almost comically, it was adorable and the doe-eyed look was probably practiced, "Could you help me fly?"
The whole 'cute' routine has never worked on me, but why not, 'Ring?'
'So that's a yes. Is the cost non-negligible?'
I smiled gently and let go of my drink, the paper cup floating midair as I reached down towards her, "Sure, but no leaving the room."
"Yay!" she grabbed onto my hand, bouncing in place as she held it. I focused on what I wanted, on what she wanted, she wanted to fly and I had the power to give it to her.
She beamed, the gap between her front teeth suddenly obvious even as she floated upwards, a deep purple glow about her. 'Ring, give her directional control over her flight aura, limit her speed to a little above walking speed.'
With an ecstatic giggle, she began to fly about, a cry of "Mommy mommy! Look! Look! I'm flying!"
I smiled gently. That's the reason for my existence right there. Those smiles, didn't have to be on a kid but… this is why I live.
With a warm smile, I watched her do loop-de-loops and barrel rolls and aileron rolls and so on for just a few moments before looking back to the projected scribbles before me.
'Alright, back to the priorities list,' I skimmed over the Indigo Tribe's written language as I grasped my floating drink again. The ring could translate for me easily, which was good since I didn't want anyone here seeing what I was doing. 'So from the top, Not Dying.' The corner of my lips quirked upwards a bit more, 'Doing good so far. Next~ Ring Charge. Already working on that.'
See, while I could channel the other lights, I couldn't really store them. I could store some Blue or Yellow light since those colors naturally could absorb ambient forms of their emotion, but apparently my ring could only store them for a limited time.
I didn't have a power battery, power staff, or other indigo light source. There wasn't any on Earth, and I didn't risk expending the ring charge to search the universe for the Indigo Tribe. There's also the fact that I'm not sure how the Indigo Tribe would react to me and I didn't want to risk a confrontation with them until I had a better position.
I would have if I hadn't had another option, specifically, creating a power staff. It doubled as both battery and ring for the Indigo Tribe, and the ring had a template for it.
Sure, the Compassion required was literally a degree of magnitude greater than my ring could store… but, I could channel ambient compassion into the action so that I had other people's leaky emotions do the work for me. The only kicker was that the range which I could absorb ambient emotion of any kind was dependent on my currently running compassion. Still, I'd set that to priority one.
… well, priority two after I'd had the ring make up my outfit. I'd been in my freaking boxers when I'd arrived. And unlike Superman, I wasn't going to fight crime with my undies showing.
Yes, he did that here too. Damnit. Still looked stupid.
I barely avoided rolling my eyes as I tried to take a sip of my sweet tea before finding that it didn't work. Quick little ice jingle to confirm the lack of drink and I was floating back towards the fountain drink… thing. Whatever it's technically called.
I'd made the decision to go to a hospital because Compassion and Hope are easiest to summon up here so I could get used to what I could do. I had the second worst, if not the worst face-punchery ring there was, I didn't really want to jump into the fighting villains yet, especially without a way to charge my ring.
That and, well, it's hard to punch someone in the face compassionately. I'm sure it's possible, but for the life of me I can't see it yet.
It'd still be a while before my power staff was ready, and until then I'd have to go light on the Indigo Power. But apparently I could use the light of hope pretty damn freely so long as I kept hope for others. That part wasn't hard. I wouldn't have been doing this if I didn't have hope for humanity.
Anyways, ring charge was as handled as it was gonna get.
'Next priority: Food.' I glance at the sandwich I'm munching on before smirking just a bit. People were more than happy to give me some food when you walk into the emergency room and basically magic everyone better. 'Handled. Shelter?' A glance at the ring this time, 'Also handled. Clothes?' A glance down at the rather snazzy if cheesy outfit.
'Also handled.' The pants and coat were the same shade as my ring, the shirt and boots so dark as to be nearly black. Thankfully, while short, I was in shape. I had only minimal baby fat at my belly, and the shirt hid that pretty well. Wouldn't pass for Superman or Batman levels of physique, but I was a ring user, not a strongman.
'… next priority, not appearing to be a ring user.' I didn't remember all of the ways you could bypass a lantern ring, but I didn't want people to think in those terms in the first place, 'First rule of war, deception.'
'… well, not the first rule, but close enough to matter. Anyways, happiness?' I think about it for a moment. 'Helping people, learning new things, making people happy. That's pretty doable right now…'
My lips pressed into a thin line even as the little girl started to fly beneath the tables with a giggle. 'The problem is the ring charge, until I have a consistent source of power, there's little doing I can actually do. I can use my blue light charge for hacking, calculations, and healing, but most of the more serious doing isn't doable yet.'
That meant I was on Jesus duty at hospitals until my power staff was created. 'At least I can still do research… and once charge is handled I'll figure out the whole 'saving the day' thing. Not before.'
Another sip of my tea, 'Still… I'm going to need to organize what I need to know otherwise I'm going to be spastic about this… and really inconsistent.'
I raised a finger off of my sandwich, causing several blank screens to appear before me even as the little hispanic girl giggled and flew around her father's head. Little thing couldn't have been more than eight.
'Okay, so… People to Research by order of priority,' I floated there in my imaginary chair, waving the sandwich in my left hand like a wand as I added text to the tops of the boxes, 'Things to Look Into by priority, Threats by priority…'
All in Indigo Tribe Script by the by, didn't remember if it was just something the rings couldn't translate or if it was straight untranslatable, but it was probably enough of a buffer for now. Didn't want people glomming onto the fact I wasn't exactly native just yet.
I pause, 'Wait… I never really set that setting…' a brief scowl crosses my face 'Ring, display all language for notes in Indigo Tribe language unless I am deliberately attempting to convey information to someone else…' Another pause as paranoia strikes, 'Or I am rendered somehow unable to understand the language.'
'Anyways, how to organize myself… by heroes and their villains…?' Another sip of the sweet tea, '… yeah, that'll work. So big boys first, let's go through the Justice League… Superman goes into the research pile as higher priority. Luthor… I need a Potential Allies category…' A quick finger waggle and the category is there. 'Metallo? Research, high priority.'
I look at the image of Metallo and his common shape… and how he looked before this… I remember him from the Superman Animated Series. '… reformation if at all possible. New category. Because I need to care. This is what I'm supposed to do as an Indigo Lantern… and… and I do care, not enough yet, but I'm going to care for the world. There's pain in the world and it's now within my power to soothe it.'
I took a shuddering breath as the surge of emotion washes over me.
'Okay, wow, that was a bit much.' My ring just lit up like a beacon there for a second. People actually looked at me funny. I wave it off with a smile. It's not perfect, even I can tell it's pretty brittle, but it's enough that they return to their meals or watching the glowing purple girl fly about. Right, back to it, no dilly dallying. 'Okay, Atomic Skull…?' Name was familiar but I knew a total of jack diddly…
Images and knowledge flashed into my head, 'Okay… research and threat, lower priorities. Parasite, research and threat, low and mid priority respectively. Possible Reformation? Low priority. Draaga…? Who the fuck–?'
Another flash of information and knowledge as the ring distilled the data it'd collected from the internet and various databases. I blinked. 'Okay… okay, weird, but no. Threat category, mid level since he threw down with Supes… Moving on, Lobo, hah! Threat. And research. His invulnerability and regen might be useful. Low priority though.'
The ring was providing images of enemies classified as 'Superman's Rogues Gallery', not exactly sure what the criteria were but-…
Something occurred to me, 'Oh, and damn, I've got to add…' I reached out with my left hand towards the scribbly script that read as 'Superman' to me, 'Footnote, scan the hell out of the Fortress of Solitude. Ring, remind me to do that when I've got more charge… like, twenty percent blue energy storage.'
Right, back to it.
-oOo-
'So, Bane goes in the low priority threat and Research at mid priority. Joker goes into the threat priority high, and… research… no, Counter Research, new category.' A new purple window appears in the air around me, 'High priority counter research. Add Scarecrow to that category too.' Because I wanted me some fear toxin to strike literal fear into my enemies.
Because the ability to charge off of someone's fear and then use it to punch them in the face is all the yes when you have toxins that instill fear.
'Moving on, Flash is going in the Research category as high, I want me some speed force. Also gotta figure out which one I'm dealing with. Kinda hope it's Barry, a scientist would be awesome.' I dropped the empty paper cup into the waste bin as I floated back towards the emergency room, 'And gonna add Captain Cold to the research category… actually, ring, scan his gun.'
I blinked, '… okay, um… why?'
'… oh. Fair enough. Research then.' I'd set the ring to inform me if there was anything immediately life threatening that came to the attention of the hospital, but nothing had happened over the past hour, 'Captain Boomerang? Threat and possible reformation. Low priority.'
-oOo-
"Boop~"
No disease can stand before the might of… the nose boop! "Nok."
Best part of that is I'm actually serious. I can cure fucking cancer. Well, fix, not cure. I'm going to work on that though. But right now I just copy-pasted the aggregate genetic code of the rest of his body into that of the cancerous cells then converted the excess cells into their component proteins and transferred all of that into his stomach so his body could re-digest and absorb it, all with the blue light of hope.
And once I got started and people started to actually believe I could heal with a touch… well, the hope I inspired by walking into the room gave me enough charge to heal people. It was the best kind of feedback loop.
I can make things better… I can help the world, and I will.
"Thank you… thank you so much! I–" I interrupted Phil by ruffling his hair.
"You're welcome, and don't worry about it." I smile at him gently as I drift off.
I'd heard a lot of those impassioned and disbelieving thank you's even since I started yesterday. It's already getting a bit old. It's kinda hilarious if you look at it from the outside, but while I care about them, I care about their problems… I'm not super into the whole getting thanked part of this.
I just… I want to help. But thank me and move on with your life please and thank you.
'Right,' I float vertically down the hallway, hands sliding into my pockets, 'Pretty sure that was everyone in the cancer ward… ring, remaining charge?'
'Oh, good, he basically charged me back up completely. Anyways, ring, triage. Next most pressing health hazard within range?'
'That sounds–' I jerk, hands flying out of my pockets as I look around frantically, some of the orderlies and hangers on that have taken to follow me jerking in surprise, "Wait, what?!" 'Ring! Where?!' A targeting reticle and distance counter– the image of a plane at a shallow angle downwards towards the ocean–! 'Shit! Gotta help!' "Right, gotta go!"
*Vvvvorp!*
-oOo-
*Vvvvorp!*
And I'm there, hurtling through the air over the ocean just outside the city. The plane is crashing. The plane is crashing–!
'No.'
'Okay. Need to care! And I do! I care about everything!' My environmental shield expands in a diffuse light over the waves, a vague purple tint over all things in my sight. The plane lights up like a purple beacon as I encompass it in a flight aura and decelerate it as quickly as I can manage.
The ocean was approaching quickly, 'I don't want them to get hurt! I want the plane to slow down–! That's not right, it's not wanting it's–'
With a screech of twisted metal, the wing on the side closest to me tore off. 'Shit.'
'Right! Catch that shrapnel! Flight aura, slow them down!'
A dozen purple stars appear as shards of metal and wire light up with flight auras, the wing also being encased. The plane isn't slowing down enough with the flight aura alone, we're still approaching the waves far too quickly, I need a construct.
I extend my left hand towards the plane as I hurtle along beside it, 'Now catch that plane! Gently.' Purple hands on tethers stretch out from the bright purple aura around my hand and grab on to the plane, massive hands that cradle its fuselage, 'Gently now, gently. Don't want people inside to be beaten up by G-forces… come on… okay, ring, where's the–' I'm panicking, I'm using fear not compassion, 'No! I need– come on damnit!'
The hands flicker from the emotional confusion and the plane jerks– 'No! I won't let them be hurt!'
The hand's blazed at the surge of concern powered them. The water's far too close now-! I could feel the plane's weight against my constructs, 'Come on! I can do this, the right emotional state! I'll–!'
'Stop it damnit.' With effort, I force myself to take a breath and calm down, the plane now moving only a hundred feet or so above the waves and forward at something ridiculous. Slower damnit. I decelerate some more, carrying the debris and shrapnel from the wing behind me in my extended shield.
'It'll be okay. All will be well for them. Where's– I'll take this to the airport.' And then I know where the airport is and I make a wide turn to head back for it, 'Because I care. I care about the people, I care about the plane, and I care about fucking everything. Every single bit of it is an important part of the whole.'
"In brightest day, in blackest night," it escapes my lips as a whisper completely unbidden. But… don't Green Lanterns say their Oath when they need to reaffirm their will…? My lips press into a thin line and I fucking roll with it. "No suffering shall escape my sight," I just got this damn thing, but I'm going to live up to it! I'm an Indigo Lantern now damnit! "Let those who suffer evil's might, seek my power, compassion's light!"
My ring blazed as I moved quickly, extending my environmental shield into the ship and over all of the occupants, letting its inertial damping protect them as I made top speed towards the airport down low. 'Ring, where's an open spot that no one's gonna land-?'
Got it.
I float it down and start to set it down, '… wait, landing gear. Ring, can you- no, no I know you can, and you're going to deploy the landing gear for them.'
With a whirring noise, the landing gear does its job, popping out slowly.
'Good. Okay, setting it down now…' There's a metallic sound as the weight of the plane sans most of one wing settles on the tires, 'Alright, ring, triage.'
'Shit! I need to be there now–!''
*Vvvvorp*
And then I'm there– there's a mother over the child, a baby, not even a toddler yet. She's not breathing. I've gotta fix this.
"What–?! Who–?"
"It'll be okay," the words are almost forced, but I believe them, I have to believe them. But the next words come easily and are as true as they can be, "I'm here to help."
"But my Mary, she's–"
"Going to be fine," I interrupt gently, extending my left hand over the child she's cradling in her arms, neck's aren't supposed to look like that... but I've fixed cancer, this is doable, "Have hope, this is what I do." 'Ring, massage her heart and keep her blood properly oxygenated.'
"You– you can save her?"
I smile gently, "Yes. I can."
'Ring, let's give this girl back to her mother.'
There's a flash of deep purple and blue as I press my hand gently to the baby's chest, leaving sparkles of the two colors behind. The blue hope doing the heavy lifting as the indigo guides it, re-setting bone and knitting flesh. The baby coughed as the blue light started her lungs back up and Ms. Heyman's eyes widened, 'Ring?'
"There we go, good as new."
As little Mary made some unhappy noises, Ms. Heyman clutched her to her chest, huh, three piece suit, didn't notice that earlier. She looked up at me, eyes wide and tear-streaks down her face and whispered, "Thank you."
That one… that one I understood, "It's what I'm here for." 'Ring, triage.'
My head jerks up even as I float back into the aisle, 'Ring, apply mild sedative to–!'
'Damnit subroutine! Yes I want you to use an alternative! New subroutine, if an alternative exists to accomplish a task where the standard is inapplicable then use that one automatically in correct dosages!' The ring had pointed out the woman, older, she was wrinkled and breathing hard, 'Now apply sedatives and electrical impulses to smooth out heart rate as necessary.'
'… thank you subroutine.' It was something I'd put in early on when I started working in that first emergency room, I'd told the ring to run a simulation to determine whether treatments will have detrimental effects on patients, and warn me of non-negligible risks.
"Alright everyone, listen up!" 'What am I going to do… okay, limited functional charge.' Right. "Everything's going to be okay, I'm here to help. Everyone get up and move towards the exit."
I gesture towards the door… 'Ring, pop the door and deploy the emergency ramp.'
There's a snap, hiss, and *ca-chunk* as the door opens and the bright orange ramp deploys. I float towards the exit, gesticulating as I try to be as calming as possible, "Make a nice, orderly line, leave your possessions for now, we're all heading outside to get everyone looked over by the emergency folks. Come along," I speak gently, gesturing as I do.
The people shuffle and move, and there's more than a few groans of displeasure and pain, but another quick check with the ring confirms that it's nothing worse than some banging around. Mild concussions at worst now in the passengers… wait, pilots?
… oh. Pilot's dead. Stroke in the middle of flying. Damn. Copilot–? Still there, clinging to the control yoke with white knuckles, 'Ring?'
'Huh,' My stomach did a little uncomfortable flip-flop at that, 'Right. Gonna need to go get the copilot myself after this.'
People are shuffling towards the emergency exit now as I'm floating next to it like a bright purple beacon. I keep talking to them gently, projecting my voice from the stomach. Thank you band camp for teaching me how to talk loud, "Come on, we'll all get out and let the paramedics take a look at you, they'll be here soon," 'Ring, how long?'
'Good enough.' "It's alright, you'll get your stuff back after you get looked over." 'Already committed, but is the plane gonna be dangerous? Like, explode or something?'
'Is the plane going to catch fire, explode, or otherwise be a danger to the passengers, staff, or myself in any combination thereof?'
I don't sigh in relief, but I'm pretty sure some of the brittleness leaves my smile as I gently wave people along. Thankfully, everyone's still too stunned to really notice how I'm only sorta holding myself together right now… that is pretty out of it though, 'Ring, check each person for injuries as they go again, inform me of anything meaningful.'
As people pass, I reach out and pat them on the shoulder and give them the best smile I can manage before they each shuffle onto the big orange slide. I pour out what Hope I can to heal the concussions… I don't– … Okay, I may not know what the proper way to treat a concussion is, but I have faith that the blue light will fix it up.
'So… that was exciting… I... can I go back to healing people in the hospital now? ... still… at least everyone's okay.'
"You saved us…"
'Hm?' I actually pay attention to the person walking past towards the bright orange inflatable slide to find the mother, Ms Heyman, staring at me, "You saved my little girl… thank you."
I give her an honest smile, warmth flooding my chest, "It's what I'm here for."
As she cradled the little Mary close to her, carefully getting onto the inflated slide, I couldn't help but think I did good for my second day on the job.
---
Day 2
Nearly Sunset
Jacksonville, Florida
Charge: 77.2%