Stupid Boy

Charlie —Green Lantern—felt a bit off-balance as he looked at the boy. Boy? he thought, uncertain. Was this some strange alien species that saw gender differently? Or maybe it was his own eyes playing tricks on him? Everything about this person's appearance screamed "girl": the delicate facial features, the bright, youthful eyes, and the innocent look. Her—no, his—expression was as open and cheerful as any young person's could be.

But now this "boy" had announced, quite confidently, that he was, in fact, male.

So… it's really a boy? Charlie squinted, almost unable to believe it. Unless… maybe the Lantern Ring can confirm it.

Deciding to double-check, Charlie lifted his right fist and directed the green light of his ring to scan over the boy from head to toe. The boy just sat there, looking curiously at the thin beams of light sweeping over him. After a few moments, the ring delivered its results: male.

Well, I'll be…

Charlie let out a long sigh. Definitely not what I expected.

The green energy of his ring surrounded them, forming into a spaceship that lifted smoothly off the ground, leaving the planet Krafal behind. As they passed into open space, Charlie checked the star map stored in his ring, carefully plotting a course toward the Void of the Astral Plane. By following the path to the closest star gate, they'd avoid using too much energy for an interstellar jump, which took a lot out of the ring and had a cooldown period.

With the route set, Charlie relaxed. He leaned back, letting the green energy under him shape itself into a comfortable seat. The boy, on the other hand, stood pressed against the green porthole, staring out with wide eyes, completely captivated by the stars and planets passing by. Every few seconds, he'd gasp or clap his hands, his excitement bubbling over.

"Uncle, your powers are amazing!" the boy said, his voice filled with awe. "Can you teach me? I want to learn how to do this too!"

Charlie blinked, surprised. Uncle? Uncle?! He did not think of himself as that old. He rubbed his forehead, deciding to brush it off. It wasn't worth correcting the boy right now. Instead, he decided to learn more about this strange kid.

"What's your name?" Charlie asked.

"My name?" The boy blinked, then his face lit up. "Oh! My name is… Stupid Boy."

Charlie did a double-take, momentarily speechless. Had he heard that right? "Wait, your name is Stupid Boy?"

"That's right!" the boy replied confidently, as if it was the most normal name in the world. "Grandpa always called me that, so it must be my name."

Charlie tried not to laugh, though a grin broke through. This "Stupid Boy" seemed to take himself completely seriously, even with such a name. It was hard to tell if this was some alien custom, or if the kid's grandfather just had an odd sense of humor. Either way, the name somehow seemed to fit him.

Unable to hold back his amusement, Charlie let out a chuckle, and even Hal—the Lantern Ring's AI—seemed to laugh along. Hearing him laugh, the boy joined in too, clapping his hands joyfully without understanding the joke but enjoying the moment.

Trying to regain his composure, Charlie cleared his throat. "That might not actually be your real name. That sounds more like a… nickname." He thought carefully before asking, "Has anyone besides your grandpa called you something else?"

The boy looked thoughtful, but then shook his head. "Nope. I haven't really met anyone else," he replied. Then he added, "Oh! The leader did call me Son of the Lost Star, but I didn't like that. It sounds weird. So I just call myself Stupid Boy."

Charlie stared at him, half in disbelief. This kid had no concept of names. Maybe his people didn't use names the same way humans did? But it was still strange to think of him wandering the galaxy with a title like Stupid Boy.

"Where were you before you met the Second Alliance?" Charlie asked, hoping to gather more information.

The boy looked puzzled. "What's the Second Alliance?"

Charlie sighed. "Okay… then where were you before you got here?"

"At home," the boy said cheerfully, as if that explained everything.

Charlie felt his patience stretch thin. "Where exactly is home?" he asked, trying to keep his tone gentle.

"Home is… well, it's home!" The boy laughed, looking at Charlie with innocent confusion. "Uncle, you're not very smart, are you?"

Charlie let out a small sigh of exasperation. This kid answered everything with the pure honesty of a child, never once questioning who Charlie was or why he was asking. His simplicity was almost refreshing, yet incredibly frustrating at the same time.

As their conversation continued, Charlie learned a little more. The boy had grown up with his grandfather and had rarely left his home. His world was small and simple, which explained his fascination with the stars and planets outside. Then, one day, his grandfather had told him he was leaving.

The boy's memory seemed to replay as he spoke:

---

"Stupid Boy, Grandpa has to leave," his grandfather had said one day, his expression serious but gentle. "You need to stay here while I'm gone."

"Okay!" the boy had replied with a bright smile.

"Aren't you going to ask how long I'll be gone?" the old man asked, looking slightly amused.

The boy tilted his head, then asked, "How long will Grandpa be gone?"

The old man chuckled, ruffling the boy's hair. "It could be a few days… or a very long time. Either way, you have to stay here and not go anywhere. Understand?"

"Got it!" the boy had replied, without a trace of worry.

---

Charlie listened, wondering about this strange, isolated life. "So why did you leave in the end?" he asked, curious.

"Oh, because Grandpa called someone to come get me!" the boy said cheerfully.

Charlie raised an eyebrow. "And that someone was… the leader?"

The boy nodded eagerly. "Yes! The leader told me that Grandpa wanted him to bring me to the temple. He said it was time for me to help with something important. Isn't that obvious, Uncle?"

Charlie tried not to groan. This kid is way too trusting. He couldn't help but wonder if the leader of the Second Alliance had tricked him, leading him out of his home with some grand story. And here Charlie was, doing the same thing—leading him out and away without much effort. The boy had left everything he'd known with no questions, no doubts.

"Oh, by the way, Uncle, where's Grandpa?" The boy looked around the spaceship, his expression full of hope. "Do you think he's already at the temple waiting for us?"

Charlie frowned. "Did the leader tell you your grandfather would be at the temple?"

"Yes!" the boy said eagerly, eyes shining with excitement. "He told me Grandpa is the only one who knows how to get into the temple, but he needs my help to do it. So we're supposed to meet him there and do something really big together!"

Charlie's mind raced. This changed things. Even with the boy and the key, they might still need his grandfather to enter the temple. But where would they even start looking for this old man? The members of the Alliance on Krafal hadn't known anything about the boy's origin. No one had even known who—or what—was in the restricted area. He had no clues about the boy's grandfather, and the galaxy was a vast place to search.

Suddenly, a low rumbling sound broke through his thoughts.

Charlie turned, startled, and saw the boy looking down at his stomach in confusion. Then the boy looked back up, his eyes wide.

"Um… I think I'm hungry," he said, sounding surprised as if this feeling were brand new to him.