Close Encounters(Green Lantern)

[Superman]

"I'll Always be Around......"

A rocket launch. It was something you'd expect from STAR labs at this time of the year. With things starting to settle down on earth, it was time for the shift between two teams upon the global space station. Of course, that meant someone had to come down as the other team went up. It was usually a dual process, and that had yet to chance. Nor had the effect these things had on the press. So of course, Maxwell was here to observe and record what he saw. Though sadly, he wasn't alone.

"Boring...You'd think that these kind of things would have a concession stand or something..."

The Daily Planet had a reputation for hiring young photographers, and that was another thing that hadn't chance. Ollie was the one that had sent with him to cover the story. He liked Ollie, but there were moments when the kid could just be unbearable . Placing his hand over his face, Max shook his head while looked towards the young boy before lightly smacking him upside the head.

"Stay focused Ollie...Boring or not, the chief will flip if we don't get this...."

Rubbing his head with a frown,Ollie sighed as he nodded and started snapping pictures.

"I know..But come Max! STAR does this every two years. Its not like there's anything new about it...."

The kid had no idea. Something repetitive was nice. Considering that he was now Superman, things had changed drastically within. What had started as a quick period of peace was slowly turning into a crime wave. Perhaps it was Metropolis's top players making one last stand? Even so, it had him busy and watching every corner. At that very moment, his eyes and ears were distant and aware of two kids playing right outside of the Daily Planet. Though that soon changed as he picked up something very disturbing upon a nearby personal worker's lips.

"They say the ship is malfunctioning! It might not make it through the Earth's atmosphere!"

Thus came the call and it was time for him to act. Of course, how would he loss Ollie? While the area was crowded, he'd still have to be careful.

"Maybe you're right though Ollie....Theres a small cafe not too far from here. I'll go get us some coffee and donuts..."

"Awesome! Now you're talking!"

It was almost too easy...But he wouldn't argue with results. Moving slowly within the crowd, he managed to get outside of it and then into an alley. At this point, he had managed to practice the removal of his street clothes, combining it with his speed in flight. Checking to be sure that he was in the clear, he made one leap into the air and disappeared with his clothes falling to the ground before those as well vanished in a blur of red and blue.

Moving up to a roof, Superman placed his clothes behind an air vent and then took off into the sky. Though as he flew, he released that he would be making his first attempt at space travel. While the original Superman had done this countless times, he wasn't sure if he could pull it off himself. After all, he only shared some of his father's abilities...not all.

"Just I just have to wing it..."

[Green Lantern]

Lloyd waved his UN badge at the security guard as he walked passed. The agent was inside STAR Labs observational deck. Down below, underground, was the off-limits control room. Unfortunately he didn't have access there, so this would have to do for his investigation. He pocketed his wallet as the lead technical scientist walked forward. He held out his hand and shooked the man's hand. "You must be Dr. Praxis. Nice to meet you. I'm Lloyd Wryte, the President's-."

"You're here to investigate our nuclear engine program," finished the man, releasing Lloyd's hand. "We're happy you made it in time for the launch. We want every opportunity to show that STAR Labs is ready for the shift to nuclear power."

Lloyd nodded. He himself had a degree in Nuclear Engineering so he was qualified to at least gather an opinion. STAR Labs was attempting their first shuttle launch that relied completely on nuclear power. None of the press knew about this since it was just out of the testing phase. They wanted to be sure that it was reliable first. Understandably, the President was incredibly concerned about a vessel carrying nuclear material into the space. If one crashed the fallout would be disastrous, nuclear material raining down across the nation.

That was why Lloyd was here. It was his job to gauge the safety and overall performance of STAR Labs and the new engine. He looked out of the window as he rocket fired.

It went off without a hitch, but a few minutes later someone started to panic. "Oh my god! The second stage fuel valve is stuck. The rocket's gonna stall!"

At least it wasn't the nuclear engine, just a normal fuel malfunction. Lloyd pulled out his cell phone. "I have to make a call."

He stepped out of the room and stepped into a nearby janitors closet. The green ring on his right middle finger glowed. Light poured out, transforming his outfit into his Green Lantern uniform. He flew up, the ring allowing him to phase through the building and up into the sky. The Green Lantern shot off towards the rocket as it began to slow.

This would be tricky. At this height the auxilery rocket pods might detach. The shuttle itself was in proper working order. He'd have to catch the rocket and lift the shuttle into orbit. This was gonna be tricky.

[Superman]

"I'll Always be Around......"

Catching up to a speeding rocket was somewhat difficult, but Superman managed to get to it's side and see that one of its boosters had stopped. This had to be the malfunction, but what to do about it? He considered reheating it with his Heat Vision, but it would only be a minor repair and he wasn't certain it would help in getting through the atmosphere. But then what could he do here?

Moving himself further, the speed of the shuttle was starting to decline. It would be only moments before this thing direction shifted back towards the ground. At that moment, an idea came to him. Directing the shuttle. Perhaps he could guide it through into Space, taking it to the station safely. It was a long shot, but one that was possible....in theory.

Falling back so that he was now at the tail-end of the ship, Superman grabbed the base of the rocket and began to push it forwards. He made sure to do it as carefully as possible, though he had to keep speed in order to clear the atmosphere. Though it was difficult to see with two blazing boosters at both sides of him.

[Green Lantern]

Lloyd raced up towards the rocket. The Ion entity within him boosted his speed, allowing him to reach the machine quickly. As he approached he started to mak out a blue and red speck moving around the outside of the rocket. Another superhero? Or a supervillain sabotaging the device? The question was quickly put to rest as the figure started to push at the back of the failing boosters.

So it was a hero. At least Lloyd didn't have to deal with a superpowered metahuman and the shuttle at the same time. "I'll have to take this guy for a drink afterwords."

Suddenly, the shuttle broke from the booster. The sudden extra force had put stress on the locks. Lloyd cursed. He raised his ring, a giant green hand of energy sprouting. The fingers wrapped around the shuttle, catching the vehicle as it fell. Lloyd felt a sudden drain of energy pulling from his chest, like someone was pulling a string through his chest and lungs. Needless to say it was not comfortable.

The Green Lantern groaned as he began to drag the shuttle up into the atmosphere. The buffeting winds kept pushing the shuttle back and forth. Lloyd smiled as the sky began to clear and the stars appeared. He stopped, however, when he looked back down and saw the two auxiliary boosters break off from the main rocket. The two long pieces began to fall towards Metropolis below.

"Oh, shit," breathed Lloyd.

[Superman]

"I'll Always be Around......"

It was interesting to see that he was pushing a rocket into Space. At one time, he dreamed about what it would be like to go to the moon. Of course, it was a young teenagers dream and one he never thought he could actually do. Even with his powers, he figured that he had to be limited in someways. Yet there he was, now about to travel into the vast reaches of the dark unknown. Though his amazement was cut off as the booster broke from the shuttle's base, causing him to fly backwards.

Though just when he was about to race back towards it, a green hand grabbed hold of the ship and continued to guide it forwards. Looking towards the direction from where it came, he found a man in a green and black suit. while his mind questioned the stranger's identity, he was at least relieved to see that he was here to help.

Following behind it, Superman soon saw his first glimpse of the stars. It was the brightest he'd ever seen them, even when out on the farm. It left him without words. Another thing that left him stunned was the fact that he could breathe...at least somewhat. They were shallow breaths, but still...it gave him the air he needed to not choke to death. Which was good, for as soon as he started to relax, he saw that two long pieces of the rocket had broken off, and instead of drifting into space, were now headed for Metropolis.

With a quick dash, he turned into a blur, moving underneath one piece and grabbing hold of it as it fell. Managing to stop it, he then made his way towards the second, feeling the weight of the object as he descended rapidly after it. As it drew closer and closer to the ground below, he could see people starting to run from the launch site, all in fear of what was likely to be a disaster. Yet he soon found himself side by side with the steel piece, moving under it and placing his hands on its surface before it hit the ground.

Holding the boosters in both hands, he gently lowered both onto the ground, sighing in relief before he flew back towards the shuttle and the stranger holding it.

[Green Lantern]

The cold of space. Lloyd didn't feel it thanks to the ring. Rays of sunlight wafted across the energy field that protected his body. He could feel some of the warmth and see the blinding light. Space was beautiful. The Green Lantern looked down to see all the rocket pieces safely caught by the other metahuman. Thank god. Lloyd rose higher and waited until the shuttle had adjusted before letting go. The ship flew off, one of the astronauts waving thanks through the window.

Lloyd raised his ring to his face, the source of his abilities and power was a little dimmer than before. That little stunt had taken a lot out of him. "Power level?"

The ring glowed as it responded, the intensity of the light changing with the inflection of the words, "77.634%. Time to recharge: 11.35 minutes."

So lifting the massive shuttle into space had taken over 20% of the ring's power. Lloyd wasn't as familiar with his limits as more experienced Lantern's were. He didn't have to rely on the battery core to recharge, but the Ion entity within him took some time to recharge him to full. He could still use the battery though. He'd have to memorize the power output.

Lloyd dropped down to the city below, focusing on the massive and clearly visible rocket pieces. He landed and looked around. Both pieces of the rocket were massive and steaming with heat. Hopefull nothing else would go wrong. It'd be horrible if that gas valve suddenly worked and the rocket took off across the site. Lloyd didn't like the idea of chasing down a rogue rocket as it pushed it's way through the city like a needle through a cloth. The emergency crews were on the way, sirens roaring and lights flashing red and blue. He'd have to get back to Praxis soon or else risk suspicion. Hopefully he'd at least be able to meet the other metahuman first. They should at least exchange cell numbers or friend each other on Facebook.

[Superman]

"I'll Always be Around......"

"That was really close call"

Superman's voice was directed towards the person that had helped him, looking down at him as he slowly descended to the ground. Now that he was getting a better look at him, he didn't appear to be that much different from a normal human. But then again, looks were deceiving as he well knew from experience. Either way, it didn't matter. This man was a hero in his opinion, at least he looked and acted the part.

"Thanks for the help back there....I don't think I could have pulled that off without it...."

In all truth, he might have been able to at least get the rocket. But as for the boosters as well, it would have been a challenge.

Though as he landed upon the ground, Superman looked over his shoulder and saw the police and other officials headed towards the site. Looking towards the boosters, he wondered just what exactly had happened? It just didn't seem like STAR labs to make a major error like this.

[Green Lantern]

Lloyd looked over the man that stood before him. He was younger than Lloyd, though about the same height give or take an inch and maybe a little thinner. Given a fist fight, Lloyd was relevantly sure he could take him in technique, but that super strength was another matter. Lloyd smiled at the man's compliment. "No problem. I wouldn't have been able to do it alone either."

It was Superman. No doubt about it. The outfit, powers, and look of the hero all revealed him as the legendary superman, albeit younger with longer hair. Perhaps another Kryptonian or a Daxamite? Daxamite's were weak to lead just as Kryptonian's were weak to Kryptonite. Lloyd resisted the urge to scan the man with his ring. That would be rude. He held out his hand to shake. "I'm the new Green Lantern of Sector 2814. Pleased to meet you."

As they shook hands, Lloyd's ring spoke, "DNA recognized. Kryptonian/Human hybrid. WARNING: Use caution."

"Shut up!" barked Lloyd quickly. Damn ring had a mind of it's own sometimes when it came to metahumans. He looked at the man. "Sorry about that."

[Superman]

"I'll Always be Around......"

That was one way to ruin a handshake. The saving grace was the fact that there was no one at the site save himself and Green Lantern. Though that was changing quickly as the authorities came closer and closer to their position. While they were not visible, Superman could clearly hear them. Still,a Green Lantern was a rare sight indeed. He had only heard stories and read a few old articles on the one that existed 25 years ago. But from what he had gathered, they were something like galactic police officers.

"Maybe we should talk elsewhere....Follow me..."

Taking off into the sky, he flew towards a nearby building before landing and waiting for him. It wasn't the most secure spot, but it was better than just trying to have some kind of conversation right there on the seat. Also, if the ring of his continued to pull out information like that, he'd have a real problem on his hands. Next thing was that it would likely tell his home address.But it did prove that he wasn't kidding about being a Lantern.

"But what would does that mean exactly? Is there something here from off world?

[Green Lantern]

[glow=green,2,300]In Brightest Day, in Blackest Night, no evil shall escape my sight.
Let those who worship evil's might, beware my power, Green Lantern's Light![/glow]

Lloyd watched as Superman flew off. He had told him to follow him. Lloyd should realy get back to Praxis, but it wouldn't be that bad if he vanished for an hour or so. He leapt off and followed the man. He was fast too. If Lloyd didn't have the Ion entity he'd be lagging behind a bit. Good thing he did.

As that thought crossed his mind, Lloyd considered what the result might be if the two of them fought. Lloyd knew nothing about the man except that he had the abilities of the original Superman. But the ring had mentioned that he was only half Kryptonian, which might mean he wasn't as powerful. That would be a bad assumption to make if it was wrong. Most likely, they were on even ground in terms of speed, power, and such. But Lloyd had a few tricks up his sleeve taught to him by the veteran Lanterns on Oa that could tip the scales.

The Green Lantern shook the thoughts from his head. This man was a fellow hero. No need to be comparing biceps. Lloyd continued to fly. Eventually, Superman set down atop a tall building. Lloyd followed suit, lightly landing on the structure. His energy field protected him from the uncomfortably cold winds, but the gusts would make talking difficult for him. Superman had super hearing. Lloyd didn't. He extended his hand and created a box around the two. The winds were muted so now they could talk with ease.

Best to be the icebreaker. "I'm a Green Lantern, as I've said before. I'm also human, if you were wondering. You look a little worried. I can assure you that I don't mean any harm and I'm not on any official Corps. business at the moment. It was just good luck that I was in the area."

[Superman]

"I'll Always be Around......"

"That's a relief...I'm sorry but I only know so much about the Green Lanterns. You being here somewhat caught me off guard, especially since one hasn't been around in the last 25 years..."

Holding a calm expression on his face, he then smiled as he relaxed once again. This wasn't the time to be questioning. From all appearances, this guy was about ten years older than he was. That meant that he knew things that he likely didn't. Not only that, but it was possibly that he knew things about himself that he might not know. If that ring had already told him about his biological origins, what else might it know? Thankfully, the Green Lantern was on the side of right. Otherwise, this would be a huge cause for concern.

"I'm Superman...at least the new one. The events that happened to most of the heroes hadn't forgotten about him....sadly.."

[Green Lantern]

[glow=green,2,300]In Brightest Day, in Blackest Night, no evil shall escape my sight.
Let those who worship evil's might, beware my power, Green Lantern's Light![/glow]

"It's fine," replied Lloyd to Superman's apology. "After the loss of Earth's previous Lantern's the Guardian's were reluctant to let any of the Corps. members even approach Earth. They labeled it a no-fly zone so to speak."

Lloyd regarded the new Superman again. The metahuman seemed worried, most likely due to the ring revealing his species. Any superhero would be worried. Lloyd suddenly wondered if he could actually figure out Superman's identity. It wouldn't be hard to scan his face and then hook into the Federal Database. But no, Lloyd wasn't really interested in knowing such a thing. They were both heroes and should respect each other's privacy.

The Green Lantern reached into his uniform, finding his actual pants pocket, and pulled out a card. On it was his private cell phone number and nothing else. He handed it to Superman. "Here's my number if you want to call. It's a secure line so you don't have to worry."

Lloyd geve Superman a little salute and then blasted off. "Gotta go. See you!"

Lloyd flew off, rocketing back to the lab with all speed. Within minute he was back in the janitor's closet. He checked to see that no one was outside, changed back into his normal clothes, and walked out. He moved back into the observational deck and approached Dr. Praxis. "Ah, doctor. I'm sorry I had to step out. It appears a disaster was averted. Strange to see superheroes again."

"Yes. I hope this accident won't impact your report." Praxis seemed concerned about that.

"Of course not. I and the President know that a rocket failure, while a cause for concern, has nothing to do with the engine. My report shall reflect that." Lloyd pretended to check his watch. "I have to go. I'll be back tomorrow to check in on the shuttle's progress."

Lloyd waved as he walked back out. Today had certainly been interesting. He eventually wound up where the media had been directed to. For a few minutes he stood there with the reporters and photographers, just watching the rescue crews working with the rocket components. It had surely been an interesting day.