Advantage

It made sense in hindsight. Lucien was a mutant among the Skinwalker race. He was stronger, faster, more ferocious. And his powers climbed drastically with every person he changed. If every Skinwalker were like him, history would be very different. But it wasn't.

And he wasn't.

He wasn't apart of this universes history. He didn't have parents to teach him how to use his powers or ancestral teachings to guide him. He didn't have decades in his new and improved body to learn the finer details of the magic flowing through him like the finest fuel ever made.

He wasn't born. He woke up— anew and in danger.

He may have been a martial artist, super-soldier, assassin, and green-lantern. But there were things that took time and experience.

Complex racial magics was one of them.

And they didn't have time.

He stood still as stone, waiting as Arisia approached. Like most of the universe he occupied, she wasn't what he expected. She was colder— aged up and more experienced. No longer a student, but a teacher in her own right, plagued with taking on the man who killed her teacher— and in some instances groomer, under her wing.

If the latter was true, maybe she'd take a liking to him. Not that he cared.

"Are you ready?" Arisia asked. Her lantern uniform was primarily white with a sleeveless top and green pencil skirt, contrasting his own nearly pure black second skin. The same went for her platinum blonde hair.

"Yes."

She raised her fist. Her ring glimmered like a star. A beacon of will and manifestation. The very things he'd need to achieve his goals.

His impatience grew. She was taking too long. He needed freedom like he needed air.

He grabbed her wrist and slammed her ring-bearing fist into his forehead.

A green atomic cloud lit up the skies in a verdant flash.

Lucien's mind was mush, overrun by the Oan energies as they sifted through his mind with unbridled and absolute willpower, drawing forth his innermost ability and strength. It felt like nails and fishhooks being slowly pulled from his brain.

He saw wars. He saw the universe and it's near galaxies through the eyes of the corps. Sometimes he was Hal Jordan, watching as Guy Gardner angrily accepted being sent off as a Red Lantern.

Other times he was Sodam Yat, exploring faraway planets and showing them the concept of safety and security despite his people's wishes.

Then there were the Guardians. Seated like the founding fathers of America if they'd founded a space force instead rules to impose on lands they stole.

"We fear. Gods forbid, we fear. Perhaps you're a plant working for Parallax, because we fear greatly. Your potential is immeasurable. We granted Arisia's request out of neccesity— but be it any other time and we'd have you eliminated. There is no quanitifable upper limit to your power. No mortal weakness. You live because we have a shared interest. But we fear that's no more after what we've allowed. You're a nexus event living, Lantern Lucien Lamb. There are no other timelines with you in it. And none change as much as they have here after your appearance. Continue your hunt for freedom. But the moment your fangs pierce anything beyond, it will be the end."

"You guys really know how to have teamwork." Lucien said in his delirious state.

"You don't want teamwork, Lucien. You want hedonism. Whatever life you lived before this, it was a stringent and dark one you had little control over. You were a weapon. You want the opposite now. Fine. All we ask— all we beg, is that you keep it that way. We Guardians think you assume you're incapable of happiness. Don't let that deter you. Find optimism. Even hell can freeze. I guess now, you'd know that."

Lucien opened his eyes then and found himself laying on his back against solid ground. A green holographic image hovered, flowing from his ring.

[Potential: Unleashed]

"Right…." Lucien sat up after realizing he couldn't see the night sky. "Holy hell…."

He sat in a frozen shell— a castle of ice, with prisms and reflective mirrors of icy walls and blades.

Snowflakes and wispy currents of frost rode the air within the frozen dome.

"Kind of reminds me of the fortress of solitude…" Lucien commented as he stood up, "But that can't be right. I did this."

He could feel it racing through him. A virulent cold threatening to bring sub zero stillness to the entirety of the globe. The same way he wanted freedom, his magic wanted cold. Silence. Peace. Protection.

"Bloody hell— someone get me a coat!" Constantine tried to light his lighter only to find it was too cold inside.

"This is unreal…" Raven looked around in awe— even if her tone was one of almost pure boredom. The only thing different was the look in her eyes. Just like when he suggested they all become Skinwalkers.

"Now I understand you, demon." Jason Blood said to his reflection in the ice wall that looked back at him as Etrigan. "This is the magic you followed."

Arisia stood behind him. Her lantern aura was covered in ice crystals and shards as large as a man. They burst as she called off her protective barrier. Plumes of smoke spiraled from her lips as she exhaled, "Now let's see what you can do on your own."

The others backed up toward the ice walls and watched as Lucien took center stage.

"Now remember Lambchop, magic works depending on many factors. Strength of your bloodline, belief and your level of experience. You have a strong bloodline and beleive in your own power. Keep that up and the experience will come in stride, mate." Constantine explained.

Jason turned away from his reflection, "But naturally, getting started will be the ha—"

The frosted winds spinning within the ice dome began to collect and shrink into a focused ball of cold winds in Lucien's hand.

"I think I got it." Lucien replied.

It was incredible. It was like regaining another limb he never knew he had. The flow of magic reminded him of blood. The rush and pulse of this living essence within. Only it was one he could control. Not through direct focus but desired intent. He wanted to hold the frozen winds. So he did.

As they all watched, he began manipulating the frosted winds. He dropped the temperature, freezing the little bits of moisture left in the air until a small blizzard spun in the palm of his hand.

With his other hand, he let it hover over the magical whirlwind. He dipped a claw in, watching as the ice coated his claw.

He continued playing with his new power until he felt it was time for the next portion of his training.

"Bruce."

The skinwalker eyed him.

"Help Arisia."

He jumped, clearing a dozen feet in a soundless soar to land beside Arisia.

"Help me?" Arisia asked. "And who will help you?"

"Raven." Lucien said.

Constantine gasped sarcastically, "You've been summoned, birdbrains."

"I noticed." Raven joined Lucien.

"Let's level the playing field." Arisia said as her ring glimmered.

A construct of a lantern ring appeared on Bruce's finger. Instead of an entire lantern uniform taking over Bruce's hybrid form, he gained a sleeve and glove. Signifying his now partial lantern status.

Lucien looked over to Raven.

"It's simple." Arisia said to Lucien, "Will it to happen, and happen it will."

"Alright, Yoda." Lucien thought before focusing his mind and ring.

Raven looked down at her right hand and found green light spinning into the hardlight shape of a ring.

Green accents and black space-like skin wrapped her arm as the power of a green lantern awakened within her.

"Not what I was looking for, but this works for now." Raven said.

"Goo—"

Bruce lunged at blinding speeds with a ground-shaking hiss.

Raven spawned a portal in front of Lucien.

Bruce fell in, ending up on the grounds beside Constantine and Jason behind them.

Lucien focused icy winds in his hands and threw it at Arisia.

She spawned a hardlight shield and braved the blast before firing her own from a hardlight hand cannon.

Lucien jumped over the blast, being swallowed into another portal. He came out behind Arisia and kicked her in the back.

She rolled forward towards Raven.

The two shared a glance. It was all they needed before Raven fell through the portal on the floor at her feet, causing Arisia and Bruce to collide.

From there, Lucien threw another ball of ice, freezing them together.

Constantine clapped.

Bruce and Arisia freed themselves.

"Well done." Arisia said.

"Next step. Raven, you remember how I used to train….." Bruce trailed off suddenly with a snarl.

Lucien heard the echoes of the end of his sentence in his mind.

"How I used to train Nightwing…."

"I remember." Raven replied.

Suddenly, dark energy in the shape of a blindfold wrapped around Lucien's head, blinding him for the duration of the fight.

He didn't complain.

They started again. Only now he was blinded.

It didn't make much difference. His best sense as a wolf-skinwalker was his nose. He used it to the best of his ability and stayed in the fight. Bruce only gained better control over his abilities, making him more terrifying.

Lucien's chemistry with Raven remained and they held off the lantern and detective duo all the same.

With a few hiccups along the way.

Especially after the first hour passed.

Lucien ended another exchange with Bruce on the backfoot. He heard a tear and cut through the wind, following the sound of Bruce jumping through the air. He tackled him, only to find all he had was a handful of skin and hair.

From there a kick smashed his ribs and sent him flying into the frozen walls of his dome so hard it cracked.

"He baited me by tearing off his skin. What a smart way to make use of a healing factor…." Lucien thought.

"You're impatient, Lucien." Bruce said. "You're not a fighter— you're a killer. That's the problem. When looking for the kill, you skip the pattern in combat. You miss physical signs and readings because killing is easier than winning. But you can't kill me that easily. We're the same now."

"No we're not." Lucien said, "We're similar, but I have this."

Raven's ring turned to ice. Only it was green ice.

Lucien called to the ice in the form of a snowy tidal wave. He threw it at Arisia and Bruce.

At the same time, he aimed his ring and fired.

The two energies collided into a verdant frost that blew apart the dome and sent everyone off the roof.

Lucien blinked and found himself standing alone. Green snow fell around him.

In his hand he held a shard of green ice. It didn't melt. Inside the glasslike prism, green lightning sparked and spiraled.

"This is what we were looking for. This is how I compensate for my shortcomings." Lucien thought. "This is my secret weapon."

As soon as he said weapon, the green ice expanded into an ice cold great sword that looked like it was made of green glass.

He couldn't help but laugh.

"Cool."

Arisia hovered back to the rooftop in a protective bubble with everyone else.

"How's this?" Lucien held up the sword.

"Could be better."

Round three began in earnest.