Ch. 121 – Travels through the stars and an oopsie
Our first stop on our extraterrestrial journey towards Oa was Mars, where we met J'onn J'onzz's father, M'yrn J'onzz.
After a few weeks on Mars, as guests to the J'onzz family, we kept going. We went to Thanagar, where we didn't reveal ourselves, as the only reason I wanted to go there was to devour some Nth Metal.
After that, we went to Almerac where we stopped an invasion of Kroloteans, a hostile alien race that look like gremlins. They perform horrible experiments on other races from across the universe in hopes of creating the ultimate genetically engineered warrior.
Now we're flying through space, on our way to Krypton just as a small blue man with a disproportionately large head suddenly appears in front of us, surrounded by a green glow.
"Lantern, you were expected to report to Oa immediately after taking ownership of the ring to report for training. It has been weeks. There is a wormhole half a lightyear away. Go there now and it will take you directly to Oa." He says before disappearing immediately.
"What the hell was that?" Alice asks.
"That was one of the Guardians of the Universe. They're the leaders of the Green Lantern Corps." I say as I hold up the ring.
"The reason the emblem on my chest is still just an empty white circle is because I haven't completed my Lantern training, which is done on Oa, the home planet to the Corps. For now I'm just a provisional member."
"So why haven't you just done it?" Alice asks.
"Because the only downside to being a Green Lantern is having to take orders from the Guardians. And I'm not gonna do that. Besides, the've got nothing they want to teach me that I don't already know."
"Then let's just go there and you make sure they know it. Then we can move on with our travels." Alice says before she starts flying towards the wormhole without waiting for a response.
"Okay... guess that's what we're doing now."
After a few minutes, Alice and I fly through the wormhole and once we exit, we see a beautiful green planet with two seperate ring systems.
We lower into the planet's atmosphere and fly towards the planet's most populous region. I recognize a large tower with seven pillars on top to be the citadel of the Guardians.
We land on top of the building between the pillars. The Guardians are sitting on top of them all around us.
"Lantern, what is your name?" One of the Guardians asks as I feel them all trying to probe my mind with telepathy
"First, I would strongly suggest you all stop that immediately." I say before I send out a strong telepathic burst that gives them all a slight headache for a few seconds.
After a few seconds of shaking off my mental push, they collect themselves and one of them speaks. "Normally we wouldn't, but your ring was disconnected from the Main Power Battery. So we have no idea who you are and how your ring is even functioning without a power source."
"I am Fenris. I am a God from Earth, in the sector 2814. About a month ago, thirty Earth days, Darkseid invaded. The Green Lantern, Yalan Gur died during my fight with Darkseid. The New Gods Steppenwolf, Darkseid's uncle, and Kalibak, Darkseid's son died at my hand in battle."
*Cough!* Alice coughs to get my attention.
"Oh, right. And my wife killed Granny Goodness." I say before given her a thumbs up and recieve one in return as she puffs up her chest and holds her head a little higher.
"Darkseid himself sustained heavy injuries and he was forced to retreat but I'm certain he survived."
The Guardians all look at each other, communicating telepathically. After almost a minute, the one in the middle, right in front of us speaks up.
"Gods don't usually accept a Power Ring as they feel it is beneath them. Why are you wearing one and why did you disconnect it from the Main Power Battery?"
"Well, yeah it is beneath me. At this point, this is really just an accessory." I say, holding up the ring. "The moment I put on the ring I gained the ability to manipulate the green energy of will freely.
Only moments later, when I remembered there were other colors as well, did I gain the ability to manipulate all of them freely. I can manipulate the entire emotional electromagnetic spectrum. And much like yours do with the green energy of will, my body now generates all these energies.
As for why I disconnected it from the Main Power Battery? That's because it's mine now and I don't want you lot spying on me."
"That ring may be yours for now but it belongs to the Lantern Corps." one of them speaks with obvious ire in his tone.
"I wasn't planning on keeping it forever. My wife and I will be staying here on Oa for the next few months and while we're here, you will grant my ring unfettered access to all your knowledge."
"why would we ever do that?" The same Guardian speaks again, now angry.
"Because I'll give you five thousand years where you don't have to worry about Darkseid or his armies. You can expand the Corps, make more rings, you can do anything you deem necessary to prepare.
And I'll ensure that during those five thousand years, if Darkseid attacks, he'll regret it."
The Guardians all look at each other as they communicate telepathically. Sometimes one of them nods or shakes their head. After a few minutes the one in the middle speaks.
"My name is Ganthet, leader of the Guardians of the Universe. We accept your proposal. Step onto the platform." Ganthet says as he points to a platform behind us.
I step onto it as it immediately rises up, raising me to the eye level of the Guardians.
The Guardians all connect to each other telepathically before they connect with me as well. I make sure it's a one way street where they can only share their knowledge with me, without granting them access to my mind.
After a few seconds an unfathomable amount of knowledge comes rushing in as I process it immediately to ensure they're not putting anything harmful in my head.
I gain knowledge from trillions of different worlds that has been accrued over billions of years. Everything from sciences, medicine, history, philosophy and so, so much more.
Once it's finished, the platform lowers and I focus on my ring.
[Warning, willpower exceeding Power Ring limits.]
After a few seconds, I've reestablished its connection to the Main Power Battery and made a few other minor alterations.
"Choose well." I say, before I launch the ring into the sky as it's going to seek a new Lantern
"Use this knowledge wisely." Is the only thing Ganthet says before Alice and I leave to continue towards Krypton.
As we reach our destination, we make sure we're invisible and absolutely undetectable. We land in Kryptonopolis, the largest city on the planet.
I spread my aura in a thin veil across the world as I connect to every living creature. Gaining omniscient knowledge over every plant, animal and piece of technology across the planet.
I also get what I really came for. The ability to take on Kryptonian traits.
I connect to the Kryptnet, their equivalent to the internet as I inject two identities into their systems. Fen-Ris and Al-Lis.
Over the next few months we travel around the planet, enjoying the different Kryptonian cultures and cuisines. We also spend a lot of time in the wild, watching, taming, riding and sometimes even hunting the Kryptonian wildlife.
Right now we watch a raoset over the Fire Falls. A river of lava that flows down a cliff like a waterfall. Definitely one of the most beautiful sights on the planet.
"This place is amazing. We could just stay here forever." Alice says as she leans back into my arms.
Immediately I come to a realization. 'Shit, I forgot to tell her.'
"Uhm... that's actually not possible."
"What? Why not?" She asks as she turns around and leans away.
"Well, they mostly get their energy from the core of the planet. But they don't realize that it's draining the planet dry. About five thousand years from now it will explode."
"Awh... I kinda wish you hadn't told me that. I've been enjoying this so much, but how am I supposed to do that knowing this will all go kaboom in a few millenia."
"Well, I've been enjoying it and I knew all along."
"You sadistic.."
"Whoa, hey. They're doing it to themselves. They'll even know about it beforehand and they won't do anything to stop it."
"You could stop it."
"Honey, even if I solve the issue with their core, the star there," I say pointing to Rao, "is dying as well. They'll have maybe a thousand extra years before it swallows the planet and collapses in on itself."
Alice just looks at me with a deadpan gaze.
"I'm not their God."
'Ugh, even to me that sounded like a flimsy argument.' I think to myself as Alice just raises an eyebrow as she continues to stare.
"Fine, how about this. I'll make sure one third of Krypton survives. And I'll create a whole new planet for them and everything."
Alice thinks it over for a second before she smiles, turns around and leans back in my arms again. "Okay. It's not ideal but it's a good compromise between salvation and annihilation I guess." She says as we continue to enjoy the raoset.
Over the next few months I implement a few measures to ensure one third of the planet just breaks of as the core explodes, without destroying the surface.
After that we move to Daxam, a planet that was once a Kryptonian colony. They are less advanced than Krypton in all areas except one, bio-engineering.
I learn everything and we spend some time enjoying everything the planet has to offer.
One day, we're about to leave the planet before I sense something. I look up, out into the stars.
Alice notices me suddenly focused. "What's wrong?" She asks.
"We should go back to Earth."
Alice looks at me weirdly. "You can sense Earth from here? There's over twenty galaxies between Earth and Daxam."
"Stop relying on the five senses you were born with, you're a god now. I gave you over a dozen."
"Fine, so what's going on on Earth?" She asks, a little exasperated.
"Seems my fight with Ares had unintended consequences. The Amazons are in trouble." I say before I swipe my claws through the air, creating a portal to Earth, at the foot of Mount Olympus.
We step through and are met with a large thunderstorm brewing on top of the mountain, where Ares is fighting against the other Gods.
Meanwhile, the Amazons are enslaved by humans. The end of the Gods of Olympus should have come after the Amazons were freed by the Gods.
If the Gods are slain by Ares before they free the Amazons, there will be no Diana. Hell, Themyscira doesn't even exist yet.
"Yeah, I might've made an oopsie."