Help Wanted

The:

I hear some footsteps approaching and turn my head in time to see both Cat and Cold enters the dining room. I turn the stove to low and offer the both of them a stack of pancakes.

"Go easy on this," I say, shaking in front of them a bottle of maple syrups. "It's the only bottle I got left."

The two, not so surprisingly, are hesitant about the pancakes. It's not until the doc comes in yawning and starting that they seem to ease up a bit. Taking a seat, Doc starts to dig in, Cat and Cold following after him seconds later.

"Here," I say, sliding a plate of smoking sausages toward Doc. "So how are the four?"

"They're fine," Doc replies in between a mouthful of pancakes and sausages. "I check on them before coming here and they're all practically back at full health. Once I finish here, I'll go back to them."

"Okay."

One by one, the others begin to walk in; Ivy followed by Harleen and then Oliver and Dinah, and finally Kara. Oh, Flash is here too. Like Cat and Cold, they're all slow to take a seat but eventually, feel comfortable enough to eat. Or at least, 99% of them feel comfortable enough.

"How can you guys eat this," Flash asks, pushing away an empty plate.

"It's foods you big baby," Cold replies, stuffing his face with some bacon and eggs. "I'm guessing it had been a while since any of us had some real home cooking."

"Yeah," Harleen says, agreeing with a mouthful of waffles and syrups. Tossing the empty bottle, she then moves on to the scramble eggs.

"Hey," Oliver interrupts, reaching over the table. "Please hand me the pitcher of orange juice."

"Here you are," Dinah says, grabbing the pitcher and giving it to Oliver. "Hey, can you give me the milk?"

"Sure."

Oliver reaching over but being a little short, could not grab the milk. Instead, Selina grabs it and gives it to Oliver, Oliver giving it to Dinah and Dinah pouring it into her cereal.

"Are you not eating," Kara asks, putting down her fork with half a hard-boiled egg on it.

"Yeah no," Doc chuckles, wiping his mouth. "Uh, The doesn't really eat. Or at least, I've never seen him eat."

"Seriously," Cold asks. "You don't eat? What are you, a robot?"

"Not entirely, but yes, I do eat. I just do it by myself."

I'm about to offer the final batch of pancakes, waffles, bacon, eggs, and sausages when someone barges into the dining room and stops me.

"I need to go," Hal yells, bringing up his flashing green lantern ring. "I need to go. Now!"

"Oh shoot," I say, looking between the table and Hal. "Doc said you wouldn't be ready for at least another 20 minutes."

Eyeing the Doc, he starts to look away and uses his hand to block his face.

"Oh well. Here, you can have this last batch. Be warn though. We're out of maple syrups and very low on juice and milk."

I offer him the food and point him toward an empty spot at the table, but Hal shoves it aside and brings his ring back up.

"I need to go now," he repeats, "Oa needs me. Where's the exit? No, forget the exit. Give me one of those teleporters I heard about. I'll use that instead."

Hal taking a step forward, I launch my arm out and stop him dead.

"Easy there, early bird," I say, putting down the pans and plates. "Before you go frisking me and invading my personal space, how about you tell me what is going on? What's with the sudden urge to leave? What's going on with Oa?"

"Didn't you hear me," Hal says, trying to step forward but my arm pushing him back. "Oa needs me. The Green Lantern Corps needs me. They're under attack."

"Under attack," Flash says, getting up from the table. "What do you mean by under attack? By who? Superman?"

Flash then walks up to Hal and bumps me aside. Once there, Hal raises his ring into the air. Once high enough, a projection shoots out from the ring and appears on the far wall.

"Hal," a green lantern, a human one with orange hairs, starts. "Hal, this is Guy here. Listen, I'm on Oa right now and we're under attack by yellow lanterns. We need your help."

Explosions happening nearby forces Guy to stop talking for a bit and for the screen to shake.

"Again," he goes on. "Hal, we need your help. Get here as soon as possible."

The video ending, we all turn back to look at Hal.

"I felt my ring shaking while I was in that glass tube," Hal says, lowering his ring. "Guy just sent that."

"Guy," Kara whispers.

"Guy Gardner," I state. "Fellow Green Lantern."

"Guy is more than a 'fellow green lantern'. He, along with a few others, helped me when I was trying to earn back my ring. They convinced everyone, including the Guardians themselves that I wasn't a complete waste of time. I have to go. Where is the exit to this dam-"

"You can't go," I say, cutting Hal off before he can finish his sentence.

"What do you mean I can't go," Hal says, stepping forward, his ring rising 'til its aim at my chin.

"I mean," I start, lending forward until my chin is touching his ring. "You can't go because if you do, you will die."

Within the blink of an eye, I then swipe Hal's hand from beneath my face and start to twist it.

"What are you doing," Flash screams, Hal's own screams almost blocking him out.

"Proving a point."

"Let him go," Oliver yells.

"Stop it," Harleen shouts.

Everyone gets up from their seats, they all rush to Hal and me, but with one quick gesture, shooting out my hand, I stop them.

"Hal. I will more than gladly tell you where the exits are but only if you can break out of my grip. All you have to do is just summon something to knock me down."

"Fine," Hal groans, clenching his fist. His ring glowing brightly, I watch as a green, see-through hand appears beside us. The hand floated around for a bit before moving to my hand. It tries to pry my hand from Hal but after a minute or so, I grab it with my other hand and crush it.

"Seriously? You can make anything with your ring and you choose to make a third hand?"

Hal grunting in response summons an entire person this time. The person appearing behind me tries to grab me but he only takes a step before I elbow him in the face and knock him down. Fading away, I begin to shake my head.

"What's next? Two people? A fourth hand?"

I start to see bits of red gather in Hal's eyes, and veins appear all over his forehead. Growling like a beast, his teeth grinding against each other, I look to the side as a green chainsaw appears, the engine revving and the blade spinning.

"Hal no," Dinah says but her plea falling on deaf ears, the chainsaw moves toward me. Out of the corner of my eyes, I can see Kara running. She's about to leap into the air but before she can, I grab the spinning chainsaw's blade with my bare hand.

Everyone's mouth is hanging open as they watch me stop the blade from spinning. The engine is choking, green smoke is shooting out. Even Hal can't understand what he is seeing. His jaw hanging, the veins in his forehead disappearing, and the last of the red leaving his eyes, all he can do is watch as I slam the chainsaw into the ground and break it.

"Your will is weak," I say, finally letting Hal go. Not even screaming when I do, all Hal does is look at his twisted hand, rubbing his wrist. "Don't think I didn't see your fight with Sinestro. What else would your swords be flashing like that?

"Hal," Flash says, running to help Hal up. However, Hal, looking more like a ghost than a green lantern, is shivering as he gets to his feet. "Hal. Hal? Hal? You son of a bitch."

Flash turns to me, he points a finger at me.

"You son of a bitch," he says, stepping toward me. "You son of a bitch. Why did you have to do that? What did you have to break Hal's hand?"

"Calm down. I didn't break Hal's hand."

"Calm down? Calm down? Did you just tell me to 'calm down'? What the fuck is wrong with you? You psychopathy, no-name, kidnapping, son of a bitch. Well, guess what. I have had enough of you. We're leaving. We're all leaving."