In the center of the known universe sits the planet OA, home to the Guardians of the Universe, a race of blue-skinned humanoid creatures who lead the greatest collected force of heroes in galaxy, the Green Lantern Corps.

Having just returned from a peace-keeping mission, one of the largest members of the Corps, Kilowog, returned to OA at the demand of the Guardians. Kilowog was known far and wide throughout the Corps to be one of the greatest Green Lanterns to ever exist, often training the newer recruits on how to use their powers and weeding out the weaker ones. If you could survive Kilowog’s training, you definitely had what it takes to be a Green Lantern.

“Kilowog, you have finally arrived,” an echoing voice said in the dark chamber room where the Guardians held their meetings. Kilowog couldn’t tell who was addressing him, as the Guardians kept themselves hidden, which was something they’d only recently began doing. “We have news of Da’Namal’s disappearance.”

“Is he in trouble? Should I form a rescue team?” Kilowog asked.

“Da’Namal has perished. His ship’s location is within sector 2814, on a small planet called Earth,”

“I’ve heard of that place, a real backwater dump,” Kilowog said. “The crime level on that planet is off the charts.”

“Yes, and there is worse news. His ring has fallen into the hands of a young Earthling. You must retrieve it and bring it back to us so that a suitable replacement can be found.”

“But if this kid is using the ring, that means Da’Namal willed it to him, maybe he saw something good in–“

“Or perhaps he was forced to will the ring over. No matter the case, the ring will be retrieved and returned to us.”

“And if this kid puts up a fight?” Kilowog asked.

“Then do what must be done. That is all, Kilowog. You will leave at once. Do not return without the ring.”

“Yeah, but–“

There was a sudden deafening silence as Kilowog looked around the darkened room. He looked down at his own ring, remembering how much of a friend Da’Namal was to him before both got their got their own sectors to protect.

“I guess I’m going to Earth. Hope they have decent food.”

CLEARLY I DIDN’T THINK THIS PLAN THROUGH

By Tobias Christopher

Earth

“He just seemed so… out of it,” Terry said as he sat on Kyle’s couch.

“Maybe he was just drugged up,” Kyle said as he brought his brother a cup of coffee. “They have to keep those patients from turning on the doctors somehow.”

“This was different, the last few times I saw him, he was docile, but he knew who I was,” Terry told him. “As a matter of fact, every time I go there, there seem to be fewer patients in the place and Todd seems to be more and more… out of it.”

“I’ll tell you what, I’ll go talk to Todd myself,” Kyle said. “Maybe it is time I saw him, maybe try to get a piece of this closure pie for myself since you and Mom have already forgiven him. Do you want to come along?”

“I would, but I have to meet up with Alexandra for our kickboxing session,”

“Say what?”

“Didn’t she tell you? We’ve been getting along a lot better lately, it turns out we have a lot in common. We found something we both are interested in, so we’re learning kickboxing. She’s pretty damn good at it, too.”

“Great, my gay kid brother’s stealing my girlfriend from me,” Kyle said  under his breath as he grabbed his jacket. “We’ll talk about this after I get back. I’m sure it’s nothing, Todd’s probably just having a weird reaction to some new pills or something.”

At the hospital, a young patient named Eddie, strapped to the table in an operating room, struggled with his restraints, but they were far too tight. The young man’s parents admitted Eddie to the ward when his drug use that had gotten out of control, ruining his chances of getting into college during his senior year. The family had finally seen enough and admitted him to the ward in the hopes he would get clean.

“Why am I here?” the young man asked. “I’ve been doing good, I haven’t touched any junk since I got here. They said I can go home soon.”

“They were lying,” the doctor said as he stood over the patient. The bright light was blinding him so he couldn’t see the doctor’s face. “I’m afraid I can’t let you leave this ward, Eddie. You’re far too valuable to my research. The massive amount of drugs you’ve taken have had a unique effect on your body,  making you the perfect candidate for my little… experiment. Don’t worry though, you’ll wake up not remembering what happened here, just like all the others.”

“Don’t hurt me man, please,” Eddie begged.

“Oh, don’t worry, this won’t hurt a bit. At least not until I put  this needle into your brain,” the doctor said as he produced a six-inch needle. The orderly shoved a gag into Eddie’s mouth as the doctor poked the needle into his head, injecting the green liquid inside into the young man’s brain as he tried to thrash around, but the restraints kept him from doing so. “There, there, Dr. Colton is going to take good care of you.”

Kyle arrived at the ward and asked to visit with Todd. Eventually the two men were sitting across from each other as Kyle looked over at his former enemy.

“Terry said you’ve changed, but I wanted to see it for myself,” Kyle said as he looked at the young man with the blank look in his eyes. “Are you even paying attention to me?”

“I know you, don’t I?” Todd asked. “Were we… friends?”

“Oh, God no,” Kyle told him. “You went nuts with your powers and tried to kill my mom and a bunch of other people, remember?”

Todd just looked down at his hands. “Powers?”

“How much stuff are they pumping into you?” Kyle asked. “They need to lay off the drugs.”

“No, not drugs. Something else,” Todd said as he tried to remember. He started getting flashes of the operating room and the man standing over him. He suddenly started clutching his head in pain.

“Todd? Are you okay?” Kyle asked.

“Not drugs!” Todd cried as he fell to his knees. The orderlies came to take him back to his room. “It’s not drugs! It’s–“

A needle plunged into his arm to sedate the young patient as the orderlies dragged Todd back to his room, leaving Kyle sitting there alone.

“Don’t worry about him,” Dr. Colton said as he approached Kyle. “Todd is… a unique patient. We’re trying a few new treatments on him that we’re hoping will help him.”

“Are you sure?” Kyle asked.

“Trust me, by the time we’re done, Todd Rice will be a whole new man,” Dr. Colton said as he walked away.

“That wasn’t creepy at all,” Kyle said. “Maybe Terry was right. I think it’s time for a higher power to get involved.”

“Jesus?” a patient asked.

Kyle just looked at the patient, and was just about to reply with the most sarcastic remark he could think of, but instead just walked away.

“Alright, hit it again!” Terry shouted as Alexandra did another spin-kick to hit the target that Terry was holding. “I really felt that one! You’re getting stronger!”

“Well, if I ever have to fight someone off, I want them to feel it,” Alex told him. “The last thing I want is to be killed and stuffed into a fridge, you know?”

“Those are some wild dreams you have,” Terry told her as they took a break. Terry tossed her a towel as he grabbed his water bottle. “So, how are things with you and Kyle?”

“Great,” Alex told him as she grabbed her own water bottle. “But I get the feeling that Kyle’s, I don’t know, distracted lately. I know he has his new job, but something just feels off.”

“Maybe he just needs to get laid,” Terry smirked. “I’m just kidding. I know you guys are waiting for… whatever it is you’re waiting for. Kind of makes me wish I’d waited instead of giving my virginity to the guy who dumped me for no real reason.”

“You’re going to find another guy, Terry, someone who’s worthy of someone special like you,” Alex said as she rubbed his shoulder. “I could hook you up with some gay celebs. My father knows a few agents who are trying to keep them in the closet.”

“Such as?”

“Well,” Alex whispered into his ear.

“Seriously? That accent is a major turn-on,” Terry said as he thought about it. “But I can’t. As much as it hurts… I still love Marvin. I just don’t think I’m ready to move on yet.”

Todd had been strapped to his bed, having been heavily sedated as a green light started shining all around him.

“Todd?” Green Lantern asked as he sat down to him. “It’s me. You do know who I am right?”

“You’ve come to kill me,” Todd said, his voice breaking. “Please, just do it and end this. I want to die.”

“I’m not going to kill you,” Green Lantern said. “No one’s going to come in, I’m projecting an image of you sleeping soundly to anyone who looks through the door.”

“Won’t they notice everything’s green?”

“…clearly I didn’t think this plan through, so we don’t have much time. Now tell me, what’s going on?”

“I can’t.”

“I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s happening to you and the other patients.”

“Why do you want to help me?”

“Because a very good friend said you were in trouble,” Green Lantern said. “Now spill. If you’re not being drugged, what are you being given?”

Todd looked up at him with tears in his eyes. “Snake venom.”

Under the hospital, in the operating room that had been set up to do his experiments, Dr. Malachi Colton removed his lab coat before unbuttoning his shirt. Malachi was in his late 30’s with brown hair and green eyes as he looked at himself in the mirror. He soon started peeling off his skin, letting it shed to the floor. He pulled off the brown wig and removed his contacts, revealing a scaly appearance and a snake-like head, along with yellow eyes.

Grabbing a jar, he opened his mouth as fangs started to protrude. As he held his mouth open, a green liquid started to drip into the jar until there was a good half-inch in it.

“Soon,” Malachi said as he headed to a secret door, opening it and revealing  dozens of glass cages filled with hundreds of snakes, and several barred cages filled with half-human/snake hybrids, all of them mutated patients. “You are all going to go down in history as those who helped evolve the human race. As those who helped DR. FANG cure the plague of humanity!”

To be continued!