"With Or Without" Part One
Green Lantern could move fairly fast when he needed to. In space he could even go faster than light, but that was more a result of warping space than straight speed. In the atmosphere of the earth, however, he was limited by friction and the fact that he did not want to warp the planet or ignite the atmosphere by accident. Even with all those limits, the ring could propel a body through the sky at high Mach speeds. Today, however, Kyle wished he could move faster. The water was a solid blue-green blur below him looking as flat and featureless as a waxed linoleum floor. "It's okay, just hang on. We'll be at a hospital soon," he whispered to his half-unconscious passenger knowing that the sound of his voice would be ten miles behind them before it was hearable. Gripping the green stretch tighter, GL squeezed every last MPH from his will. He had to get across the country, the entire continent. To get from the Pacific to the East Coast would take less than an hour at top speed but that was still much too slow. Time slowed to a crawl for Kyle Rayner. He looked down every five seconds to make sure his injured passenger was still breathing. Time dragged forward like a snail. The grasslands seemed endless and the country huge. If it wasn't for the risk of scrambling atoms and causing more damage, the Watchtower teleports would have been much faster. But without being certain that they would be harmless it was better to fly. Finally he could see the tall spires of skyscrapers through his emerald aura. He touched down in front of the hospital and shot through the automatic doors. The two seconds it took for the doors to register his presence and open seemed an eternity. "Medic!!" GL called out as he flew inside, "Big 'ER' type situation here. You know the drill. We need 10 CCs of something damn effective, STAT!!" The staff froze as they looked at Green Lantern and whom he carried on the green stretcher. A doctor dropped his clipboard and grabbed his stethoscope as he ran over. "Omigod. Is that really him?" "Anyone else you know dress like that!?" Kyle snapped. "He needs help! Hurry." "We'll do what we can," the doctor replied examining his newest patient. "Mild burns, not even 1st degree. Multiple large bruises on the face and neck. Clammy skin. Only semi-conscious." "Can you help him?" Green Lantern asked. "I don't even know for sure what's wrong with him," the doctor said placing his stethoscope over the chest and jerking back suddenly. "Ugh… heart beat is strong." He placed it back down and left it half an inch from the skin. "Strong and regular. Might be a little fast. I can't be sure. But…" "But what, doctor?" "But what could do this to Superman?!?" One Hour Earlier It stuck out from the green of the Pacific Ocean like a member of the Klu Klux Klan stood out in a NAACP sponsored Gay Pride parade. A large man-made metal island covered in dark soil and blooming green with plants. The main complex in the middle of the faux field was a large bunker with four bulky towers, one on each corner of the bunker. It was the office and water processing station that filtered out all the salt from the ocean to keep the plants pleasantly moist. Superman gracefully landed on the edge of the platform right beside the crashing waves as the ocean licked the metal frame. A single man, attempting to look formal and official while clad in a tank top and khaki shorts, walked out the office and through the field to meet the visitor. "William T. Bailey. I run this operation. And what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" he asked the man of steel. Superman stood there with his arms folder across his chest and a scowl on his face. "I am here to shut you down." The man wiped sweat from his forehead, not all a result of the bright summer sun overhead. "For whatever for?" Bailey asked, his southern accent now readily apparent. "For cultivating controlled substances. This whole island is one large drug growing operation. Plants for heroin, cocaine and the venom derivative." "True. I'm growing mass amounts of illegal substances here. Good crop too. Street value of almost a $100 million dollars, right here, well over 200 nautical miles from California, on international waters where you can't touch me. As a Leaguer you have authority across the globe but not on international territory. Where you and your kind have no authority whatsoever." "True, but there are no laws holding me back from smashing this floating piece of private property and bringing you all in." "Under what charges? My men and I have committed no wrong on American soil. And we could easily sue you for damages and destruction of private property. All those rewards you get are bound to be valuable. If not, I guess you'd just have to pawn your suit to settle," the man said with a grin. "Are you done?" Superman smiled right back. "I'm just getting started. Arthur?" Aquaman leapt out of the water onto the deck. "Hello Superman. This metal crap-heap is floating on UN recognized Atlantean territory. Also known as the ocean," he said officially while brushing his hair away his face. "I am hereby deputizing you as an Atlantean peace officer with full authority to make arrests. Remove the eyesore from my property." Superman smiled and cracked his knuckles. "With pleasure, Boss," he said with a grin. Bailey backed up in panic and pulled out his walkie-talkie. "We got us some problems here boys," he said. Four large muscular men charged out of the barracks at super-human speeds. "Recognize them?" Superman said, taking to the air. Aquaman shook his head no. "I'm getting little empathically from them but rage and obedience. Probably venom enhanced." One leapt into the air and collided with the Man of Steel, knocking both to the ground. They impacted hard into the artificial island, creating a large dent on landing. The grunt lashed out, connecting several times with the Kryptonian's jaw. Superman punched his attacker in the face, sending the stunned guard flailing backwards into the ocean where he promptly sank like a rock. "Do you think they're related to the US super soldiers?" Superman looked at the ripple where the man went under. "He's not getting up." Aquaman leapt over one attacker and smashed into another, driving his metal fist into the brute's face. "I'll send a dolphin after him. Eventually. And they're too weak for Luthor's men. He wouldn't support an operation like this anyway." "No matter," Superman said, grabbing two and slapping them together. They both let out a final moan and went limp. "Now where did Mr. William T. Bailey run off to?" The four towers surrounding the bunker rumbled to life and opened up. Rust and dust rained off the imposing structures as four large particle cannons rose up. Laser guided sensors scanned out and locked in on the two Leaguers as the cannons powered up. "Hmm," Aquaman grunted. "Those must have set them back a few million." Superman was moving before the cannons had finished powering up. He tore into one, ripping large chunks of the cannon apart with his bare hands. With a bright explosion it erupted in shrapnel and smoke. Superman turned to the next cannon. He reached it as the bright glow at the barrel climaxed and erupted in a devastating point blank blast. The proximity of the explosion detonated the cannon like plugging the barrel of a gun. Crimson energy streamed around the last son of Krypton, sending him tumbling backwards into the crop. The flames on his cape ignited the plants that slowly began to smolder and burn. Aquaman saw Superman fall and wanted to run and check on him. But he had other concerns. The two remaining cannons turned and targeted him. They finished powering and fired at once. The first blast shot directly at Aquaman at the speed of light. Lethal energy crackling and speeding forward relentlessly like death. Wonder Woman landed inches away from Aquaman, bracelets raised in defiance. The blast scattered on contact, the force pushing her backwards into Aquaman and leaving two long grooves in the deck where her feet had been planted. Aquaman pulled away from Wonder Woman in mild embarrassment at their closeness. He looked over to see a large glowing green diaper covering the final weapon. In the sky above, Green Lantern waved a quick warning before seven angry dwarves tore into the cannon with pick axes. "Wonderful timing, Diana," Aquaman said. Wonder Woman just smiled at him and picked a piece of barnacle from his hair. J'Onn floated down from the sky. "Forgive our late arrival. We came as soon as we got your signal." "No problem, J'Onn," Aquaman said. "Where's Kal?" Wonder Woman looked over at the smoke coming from the field below the burning cannon. "The blast was powerful but nothing too dangerous. Not for him. He is most likely just dazed." They wheeled him quickly into the main acute trauma room. "He looks pale. I need a saline drip started." "Alright, Doctor. How?" "Right, right. Skip the I.V. What's his blood pressure?" "I… I don't know, Doctor Robinson. The cuff won't compress his veins." "Pupil dilation?" "No response, but he can stare at suns without blinking." Dr. Robinson muttered angrily under his breath. They could only do the most routine and non-invasive procedures and that told him nothing. They couldn't even run a blood test! Any results they did get were debatable given the subject's alien physiology. On first glance it appeared that his heart rate was fast but that could be normal for him, or even a bad sign. "Do you know anything?" Green Lantern asked, fighting to get closer. "I know that you're in my way. And that he's gathering a crowd," Doctor Robinson said, gesturing to the amassing onlookers anxious to get a look to see if the rumors were true. That Superman was injured. Green Lantern examined his boots thoroughly. "I'll see if I can clear the area a bit," he muttered. Ten minutes of crowd control later he entered the Watchtower and collapsed on his chair. "So?" Flash asked, leaning over the table. "He's alive, but the doctors aren't sure about anything," Green Lantern said, leaning back limply. Aquaman grumbled something only J'Onn heard. "Do we know who was behind that operation?" J'Onn nodded. "The bodyguards were the first clue. They were similar to drug enhanced soldiers I encountered a few weeks ago." "So whomever was responsible for them was responsible for this," Wonder Woman said. "And the cannon?" Green Lantern asked. "Batman and Atom are going over it right now," Flash said. "So, J'Onn," Aquaman started, "you're the detective. What now?" The Martian Manhunter thought for a moment. "We split into four groups. Batman and Atom stay here and see if they can find anything strange with the weapon. Arthur, you and Plastic Man stake out the hospital. When news of Kal's condition gets out to the public, every villain with a grudge will try to kill him in his weakened state." Aquaman nodded. "Kyle, Diana. You are to interview this 'Mr. Bailey' found on the artificial island. Wally and I will interrogate one General Rickman. He was responsible for my earlier encounter with chemically enhanced guards." They left in silence, heading off to their destinations. William T. Bailey was being held in the Los Angeles Correctional Facility for international crimes. He had been given the choice between pleading guilty on American soil or being tried and held underwater. He had chosen the former. "What can I do for you two fine Leaguers?" he asked as Green Lantern and Wonder Woman entered the interview room. He sat leaning back in the chair, tapping his fingers on the armrests. He was dressed in standard prison fatigues and handcuffed to the chair. "Who do you work for?" Green Lantern said, slamming his hand on the table. "I don't know. He never told me his name," Bailey said with a grin. Wonder Woman walked forward and gently laid her lariat overtop of the drug lord. "Would you please repeat your comment?" Bailey looked down at the rope with a sneer and opened his mouth. "His name is…" He immediately shut up with a look of horror on his face. Green Lantern dashed forward and pulled a glowing green handgun the size of a small tank from behind him and pointed all three barrels at the criminal's face. "Tell. Us. Who. You. Work. For!!" he snarled slowly in his best Batman tone. A look of supreme terror crossed Bailey's face as he stared down the long dark cylinders. He swallowed loudly and shook his head 'no'. Green Lantern's white eye-slits narrowed as he felt at the trigger. He was really tempted to pull. Wonder Woman laid a hand on his shoulder and he slowly lowered the gun. "Perhaps we could make a deal," Wonder Woman said. "Reduce your sentence." "He'd kill me. I'd be a dead man within a week," Bailey said sadly. "Then we could protect you. Find someplace safe." "I doubt that." Green Lantern sighed and sat on the table. He had the most powerful weapon in the universe resting on his finger and he couldn't do crap. And one of the people he respected most in the world might be dying while he wasted his time with a two-bit dealer with delusions of grandeur. "Can you tell us anything? We will not say it was you," Wonder Woman asked softly. "It is very important." Bailey blinked. "What's the big deal? I grew some drugs. Ain't the end of the world. Didn't hurt anybody except those that wanted to use." Wonder Woman sighed. “Should we tell him?” she asked Kyle telepathically. “What? And let him know that his scheme worked?” Kyle balked. “He honestly believes he did not hurt anyone. The lasso is on him; he has to speak the truth.” “Let's check in with the others? Any news, guys?” he asked, widening the telepathic bond. “Parasite and Major Disaster just tried two completely separate assassination attempts at the same time.” Aquaman said. “And we just finished stopping some armored men in suits that look remarkably like Lexcorp technology.” “Do you require assistance?” J'Onn asked from Colorado. “No. Everything is *ugh* under control. Sorry, Parasite is still feisty. How is it on your end?” “Gen. Rickman is less than cooperative, but his mind is open to telepathic probe. I am hesitant to invade his privacy though.” “Kal's life may be at stake here. We do not know what that energy blast did to him,” Wonder Woman reminded him. “It MAY be at stake. I do not wish to violate someone over a possibility. A probe of this nature would require an invasive scan and be potentially harmful.” Green Lantern rubbed his temples. He had little choice. He walked over to Bailey and looked close at him. He held himself scant inches away from the criminal. "Do you know why we're pushing you so hard? Grilling you to find out who you work for." Bailey shook his head no. "I have no idea. I guess you just hate drugs." "We're doing this because something happened on that floating grow house; something that sent Superman to the hospital. " "Something like what?" Bailey asked. "The cannon? The goons I sent at him? I didn't expect them to do much. This is Superman we're talking about. It just seemed like the thing to do." "Yes, it is. But you don't know what that weapon was designed for. Or the effects of inhaling venom on a Kryptonian body. Or the combination of both." "So?" Bailey asked with an arced eyebrow. "What does this have to do with me?" "If he dies, people will need someone to blame. A scapegoat. Someone like the person arrested at the scene. They may even charge you with murder, or at least manslaughter. Presuming you even make it to trial. Few people would complain if there was an 'accident'." Bailey swallowed loudly. "I didn't know. I respect Superman. He saved the world…. so… so he saved my life too… My sister, she lives in Metropolis. He's saved her life twice! I wasn't thinking back on the island!" "Help us find the person responsible and we tell the judge how cooperative you are. If not…" Kyle leaned in closer. "Then I'll just have to call in the Bat." Wally rested his face in his hands and moaned loudly. He and the Martian Manhunter sat in the hall outside the interrogation room where a couple of Military Police were taking over the interview with General Rickman. "What if he dies?" the Flash asked, not moving from his brooding pose. "If Superman dies?" J'Onn said slowly. "It would not be the first time. We survived without him once. We can do it again." "But last time he died, four people tried to replace him and none was up to the task. Four people can't take his place. And his death led to the destruction of Coast City and the end of the Green Lantern Corp! What could happen this time?" "We do not know his condition is fatal, just that he is ill. There is plenty of time left to save him." "Yeah, I just can't help but worry," Flash muttered. "I think at light-speed. Ten billion ideas have shot through my brain since breakfast. And if that energy weapon could do that to Superman, imagine what it could do to you or me." "It may have been designed for Kryptonians specifically. There is still much we do not know." Flash sighed loudly and rested his head against the hard cement wall. "Yeah J'Onn, I know. Well, let's go take another crack at breaking the ex-General." Byrne walked out of the elevator and strolled towards his office humming Wagner to himself and mentally arranging his timetable. He was dressed in his standard Italian business suit and had his black hair and goatee freshly trimmed. He was reaching for the door of his office when his secretary barreled out of his office and closed the door behind her. "Oh!" she muttered when she saw her employer. "You have company, sir," she said quietly. Byrne's smile evaporated. "I was not aware of any meeting scheduled for today." His secretary smiled sadly. "They just barged in and insisted on seeing you." Byrne nodded. "Then tell security to get up here while I go see what they want." He thrust open the doors to his office and let light pour into the large dark room. Standing in front of his oak desk was most of the Justice League. Byrne blinked in surprise. The Martian Manhunter stepped forward. "You are the man known as Byrne." Byrne smiled a humorless smirk. " 'When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions.' Hamlet; Act IV, scene 5. I am Byrne." "You are the current head of 'the Organization' also known as 'Intergang'?" "Perhaps," Byrne said walking into the room and sitting down at his desk. He ran a hand across his goatee. His black hair was graying and streaks of steel ran through his beard and across his temples. "But my records and taxes clearly show I am a simple businessman dealing in computer software and security. What can I do for you?" Wonder Woman turned and rested her hands on the desk and leaned forward so her face was close to Byrne's. "Your Organization funded and defended an illegal drug harvesting operation off the coast of America." "I do not remember seeing that on my budget. I could call accounting and have them let you take a look. I am positive everything will be shown to be legitimate and honest," Byrne said with his unfading and emotionless smirk. " 'O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain!' " J'Onn said softly, staring directly at Byrne. Byrne continued smiling. "Hamlet again. Act I, scene 5. I'm impressed." He opened up a drawer and pulled out a cigar. He slowly and deliberately lit it keeping the lighter burning for an extended time, his eyes never turning away from J'Onn. "I need not remind you that telepathic information is inadmissible in court. Anything you believe you know about me that you read from my mind or anyone else's is total hearsay." Green Lantern walked forward and grabbed the back of Byrne's chair and spun it around so Byrne faced him. "We want to know what was in those cannons!" Byrne inhaled deeply and blew a long puff of smoke into Lantern's face. "I don't know anything about any cannons." He waited for a few minutes before checking his pocket-watch. "This impromptu meeting is finished. You are trespassing on private property. Please vacate the premises immediately before I have you arrested and tossed out into the street." Kyle swore under his breath and put his fist through the wall of the hospital patient's lounge. "Dammit! I can't believe we just let him push us around like that. He was dirty. You could tell it just by looking at him." Wonder Woman rested her hand on Kyle's shoulder. "We had no hard evidence. But at least we know his name now." "But he's dirty. Like mud. Like unwashed mud," Green Lantern growled angrily as he sat down on one of the cheap chairs. "Yes," J'Onn said, "His psychic defenses were numerous and it was difficult to even probe surface thoughts, but I did get the impression he was surprised to see us. There may be more to this than first appears." Aquaman walked into the lounge shaking his head. "Toyman just made a failed attempt to kill Superman," he said, tossing a large broken Jack-in-the-box onto the table with the jack replaced by a blade covered monster that breathed fire. "It has grown worse now that word has spread through the underground. The hospital has taken some damage and lost a few walls. Superman is stable now. We might want to think about moving him to the Watchtower." "Hold that thought Aquaman," J'Onn said, "I am picking up an urgent call from Batman." “I have news,” Batman said over the telepathic link. “Palmer and I have analyzed the fertilizer, the plants and the cannon and have found nothing that would affect Superman or Kryptonians adversely. Just some standard plant nutrients, chemicals and high energy plasma weapons.” "Great," Flash said out-loud. "Now we're back to square one. What are we missing here?" Doctor Robinson cleared his throat. "We have finished our tests and we think we know what's wrong." Everyone turned abruptly; they had not even heard the doctor enter the lounge. "Spit it out, doc," GL said anxiously. Dr. Robinson looked about and closed the door to the room. "We eventually managed to draw blood and take some tests. His blood is unusual and it took us a while to be sure. Even now there is some doubt to the accuracy." "Doctor, please," J'Onn said, "We understand the difficulty and in no way hold you responsible for misdiagnosis. That being said, get to the point!" "Superman has acute myelogenous leukemia." The room grew a heavy silence. Dr. Robinson looked around nervously. "You mean…" Flash started. "Yes," the Doctor nodded. "Superman has cancer. And it's killing him." To Be Continued... Previous Issue | Next Issue |
