Tower of Light (Under The Cowl Book #2)

CHAPTER 5

     Mary dragged Michael out into the hall and pushed him into a small corner out of sight from their nosy onlooker.

"What was that back there?" she asked.

Michael caressed his arm, more like bruised ego, more so to play on Mary's sympathy. But judging by her stern glare and piercing lips she wasn't going to take the bait.  "A gentler touch can do wonders if you try it sometimes."

Mary brushed her hair back and locked her hands on her hips. "You've read her file. Pushing her will not garner the results you think."

"You rather I lie to her? She the last Green Lantern on this earth, hell on all earths on this side, and we know why."

"I'm not comfortable with this."

"Dawnbreaker could have killed her if he really wanted to."

"Dawnbreaker is not why we are here. There is a sentient human from a different universe out there hunting Danny the Street to absorb him. And we have no location on either of them because that information died with Casey. Stirring Jessica up will only pull her from the fixed timeline we are supposed to keep her on."

"So what is your plan? Because it sounds to me you don't care what happens to her."

"We can't interfere. Now Danny doesn't know many people."

"Yeah, and the only real connection may lie with Jessica."

"That was before you decided to tell her about people she shouldn't know about. Now I thought about the Justice League and that Danny may have gone to them?"

"No, the Chief wasn't really on good terms with the JL here. He and the League had some differences and I'm sure he shared those differences with the rest of the Doom Patrol."

Mary sighed heavily aware that was only one option open to them. "So how close by do we stay to her?"

"As close as we can get without her telling us to fuck off."

"I hope you're trying to make for what happened last time you were out in the field?"

"Fuck off." Michael said in a huff against Mary's teasing.

~

Staged in front of the window inside her empty high-rise apartment she wore a see through gown with white laced negligee underneath. The woman gazed down at the dotted specks of light from buildings below and moving cars with a glass of red wine in her hand.

The elevator door on other side of the room opened behind her. She did not bother to turn away as the sound of soft pressed footsteps so bold entered her domain.

"What do you think this world needs to become what I need it to be?" she asked, her eyes drawn towards the reflection in the window of a shadowy figure yet to come into the light.

The elevator door closed as the silent song of dead air followed. She turned her head slightly and spotted in the corner of her eye the same figure now frozen in the shadows. An ominous figure that would normally forced the hairs on the necks of lesser individuals to stand in dread of the unknown.

"By your sudden return I figure you did not find what you were looking for."

"... This body is failing me." a voice horse and sickly in tone replied.

"That is because you do not belong in that body anymore. You fear the idea of losing what had. I warned you this would happen, did I not?"

"Please." the voice pleaded, quick to lower himself to the floor with his knees on the marble and hands on his thighs. His eyes likely aimed at his crotch, did not bother to lift his head to meet the eyes of the woman across from him.

"There was a time when I could not control the actions of those who have done the same thing you're doing now. They begged for my love. Willpower versus fear, never should the two coexists. But yet I felt how she makes it possible through you. I thought I could ignore her. I thought eventually her fear would cripple her into submission and her ring would abandon her. Force her to come to me. But I got you instead. It seems I was wrong. Why?"

The woman turned away from the window completely and made her way half-way across the room. The closer she moved toward the man in the shadows the further he lowered his head. With every press of her bare feet on the floor she noticed the man on his knees cower inch by inch away from her.

"How will you remedy my dilemma?"

Still he refused to lift his head, reaching behind his back as he swung forward what he hid now placed in front of him.

A pale lantern power battery dented on all sides, glass cracked across the center and colorless.

"For your love, goddess Bekka."

The goddess of love. A new god. Bekka's eyes narrowed. "And where did you get that?"

Pulled from his pocket is a device Bekka recognized, an Interdimentional Extraplator. "On this side of the multiverse Green Lanterns are few and far in between."

"And are you saying you've killed a Lantern and took his power battery?"

"No, that was Dawnbreaker. This lantern is a gift of good will and good fortune. The rest will be yours soon enough."

Bekka lowered her glass and raised her chin, eyes like pointed daggers aim to pierce. "What do you mean when you say 'this side of the multiverse?"

"We are a crumbling world with little time left."

She smirked. "That is not news to me. Who gave you that device?"

"Someone who wishes for you to complete what you sought out to finish."

"And what is it I seek to finish?"

"... The Tower of Light."

"I do not recall asking for the assistance of humans on matters that concern only the gods."

"Please forgive my insolence."

"The true Tower of Light requires me to have all the Lanterns in the universe from the same corps."

"And you will have them all."

Expelled from the darkness in her fireplace is the Yellow Lantern. Poured through the center is the yellow power ring. "Take it." The ring floats towards the man on his knees. "Use this to get me what I want." 

The ring slipped on his finger revealing a pair of dotted yellow lights and a single crack across the face of a man revealed to be Simon Baz.