Destiny Rewritten

Chapter 125

Oliver couldn't help but notice that since he'd come back, John hadn't even touched the punching bag, he'd made no attempt try and get back in the field and that was concerning. Even after he'd killed Andy originally, John still hadn't completely sidelined himself.

"You okay?" Laurel asked her husband.

"I'm worried about John. Something happened to him while he was gone. It seems to have made him forget himself." Oliver said.

"Well, to be fair, we don't know what he went through while he was gone. He might've seen something so traumatic, that it caused him to lose his fight." Laurel said.

"Maybe, but since he's back, I don't know, I guess I was hoping that he'd take up his helmet again." Oliver said.

"Ollie, we need to be patient, I'm sure that over time, he'll come back." Laurel said.

"I don't know Laurel. Whatever it is that's going on with him, it's different. It's like he's lost his will to fight." Oliver said.

"Then maybe his brother should help him find it again. Especially since we're going to be down a teammate soon." Laurel said with a smile.

"You saw the doctor?" Oliver asked and Laurel nodded.

"He confirmed it." Laurel said and Oliver smiled as he kissed her.

"Let's wait to tell the others until after I remind John of who he really is." Oliver said.

"Then be quick." Laurel said and Oliver smiled.

"I'll try, but no one knows better than me that you can't rush this sort of thing." Oliver said and Laurel smiled.

"And that is why he's lucky to have a brother like you to help through it." Laurel said.

John was hardly when surprised when he opened the door to his apartment, since to his surprise, Oliver had continued paying his lease while he was gone, to find Oliver standing there.

"You here for a thank you for keeping my place for me?" John asked dryly as he showed Oliver in.

"You that's not why I'm here John. I'm concerned about you. It's like you've lost your will to fight. Which is weird since I thought will was what a Green Lantern got his power from." Oliver said.

"I'm not a green lantern anymore Oliver. Frankly, I wish I never had been." John said.

"And that is part of what worries me, since you seemed more complete when you were a lantern than I've ever seen you before, so changed John? I want to help you, but you need to let me." Oliver said.

"Oliver, I don't want to talk about it." John said.

"John, you know I'm not gonna leave this alone. Whatever it is that happened to you, it's clearly still affecting you considering the fact that you haven't even picked up a gun since you were back. And I'm not the only person who's worried about you, we all are." Oliver said.

"Oliver just leave it be okay." John said.

"John, you're my brother and you can't just expect me to do nothing me to do nothing while you're clearly hurting." Oliver said.

"You don't want to be my brother Oliver." John said.

"And why's that?" Oliver asked.

"Because the last time I had brothers in arms, I watched them all get wiped out by a creature so powerful I barely escaped with my life." John shouted and that got Oliver's attention.

"What?" Oliver asked.

"It was a routine patrol. Nothing I hadn't done before. Until me and about 50 other green lanterns were ambushed by this creature called Parallax. I watched it disintegrate my fellow lanterns and I barely managed to escape with my life and I don't know, something inside me broke." John said.

"Look John, I can't pretend to know what that felt like, but I do know what it feels like to be broken, like you can't push forward." Oliver said.

"Oliver, I don't think I can get past this." John said.

"Not alone. So you let others in. Let them help you become better. Become stronger." Oliver said.

"Maybe you're right." John said.

"I've felt like this several times over the years, but I always managed to put myself back together even stronger than before. And you can as well. You just have to let yourself begin to heal." Oliver said and John nodded.

"Thank you Oliver. I'm not saying I'm ready to get back in the action, but maybe I'm ready to start healing." John said.

"As long as you're actually healing, take as much time as you feel you need. But John, we need you back." Oliver said and John nodded.