THE BALLAD OF BERRIES & CREAM

By Tobias Christopher

As Kyle Rayner started to regain consciousness, he raised his head to see a blurry vision sitting against the wall in front of him.

“You okay, boss?” the blur asked in a familiar child’s voice.

“Mi- Mitchell?” Kyle asked as the blur started coming into view. It was Mitchell but he was completely green, wearing a Green Lantern t-shirt. His hair was now a dark green with the skin to match.

“How?”

“Don’t ask me,” Mitchell told him. “One second I’m downloading apps on your phone, the next I’m standing over you. You know you’re almost naked, right?”

Kyle sat up and saw he was in a pair of scorched boxer shorts. He lifted his ring finger to get his costume on, but his ring was missing.

“My ring’s gone!”

“I think the girl I saw running out of the alley while my body was forming took it,” Mitchell said. 

“The fight with Kilowog must have sucked you into my ring,” Kyle said as he tried to find some pants, finding a pair sitting on in a dumpster in the corner. “But if the ring is stolen, why are you here?”

“I guess I’m a part of the ring now, I just can’t go too far away without losing power,” the boy told him.

“Then the ring must be close,” Kyle said as he found a pair of pants. “It must be low on energy, that’s how she got it off. The security protocol is too weak. Can you lead me to it?”

“Sure thing, boss,” Mitchell said as they ran out of the alley. “Now, about that digital pet…”

Not too far away, Kilowog was flying overheard to find Kyle and retrieve the ring before he recovered from his fall.

“The ring usually safeguards itself in an emergency,” Kyle said he found a pair of shoes to wear. “I forgot to charge the ring last night! Between that, Mitchell’s cyber soul getting sucked in and taking on a form, the ring must be low on power, which means I don’t have long until you go back to the ring and wait for a recharge. We have to hurry.”

“I’ll say,” Mitchell said as he noticed his hand fading in and out. “That can’t be good. At least I’ll be a hit at parties!”

“Without the ring, I only have my wits and my dashing good looks,” Kyle said as he started thinking of a plan as he paced around. “Do you have any powers?”

“I can do the Starburst ‘Berries & Cream’ dance if I have more energy,” Mitchell told him. “I think with a full charge I might be able to make constructs, but I don’t think there’s much energy left.”

“Then save that power in case we need it,” Kyle said as they ran toward the furniture factory. “Take me to the ring so I can fix this.”

The Manson Family Bar & Grill

Marvin White sat at the bar of a local family tavern, sipping on an orange cream soda. He’d just left the hospital with a walking cast on his right leg, having found out this morning he’d been let go from the police force after a bullet to the leg ended his career. He’d get workers comp and unemployment for a while, but Marvin wanted to do more with his life and not just sit around waiting for life to happen.

What’s worse, the boyfriend he was planning on winning back when the sting operation was over ended their relationship for good after the truth came out about why he lied. Not being able to contact his twin sister for help, Marvin was alone and directionless for the first time in his life. But he wasn’t going to cry about it, no. Not in public, at least.

“Why look so down, mate?” the Australian waiter asked as he stood behind the counter he was tall with shoulder-length dark brown and stubble on his face. He was around Marvin’s age and had a friendly smile. “Looks like you’ve been given the emotional beating of your life.”

“Well, I lost the love of my life, my job, and my livelihood,” Marvin told him with a deep sadness in his voice. “This cream soda is my only friend in the world,” Marvin looked down to see an empty glass. “Aw.”

“Cheer up, pal, when one door closes, a window opens. Just climb through and lift the stereo of  life from the apartment of emptiness.”

“What the hell does that even mean?” Marvin asked.

“I”m saying to not feel bad for yourself, look for something to improve your life,” the bartender said with a sigh. “Someday I’ll get up the nerve to take part in the bar’s talent night, where I’ll be noticed. Then I’ll get enough money to make my way home and start putting my life back together. I just need a band to play with.”

“What do you play?” Marvin asked.

“The drums, but it’s not enough to perform with,” the bartender told him.

“A band huh?” Marvin asked. “I’d love to help, but I only play the keytar.”

“Are you good?”

“Mom made me study every day for eight years,” Marvin told him.

“Next question: What the hell is a keytar?”

“Come on, Kyle, pick up,” Terry said as he dialed Kyle’s number again. “That kid better not be tying up the line downloading more apps.”

“Who, Kyle?” Alexandra asked. 

“… Yeah, that’s it,” Terry told her, remembering Alexandra and Maura weren’t in the know about Mitchell. “Guy’s addicted to Candy Crush.”

“We might have to stage an intervention like the time he got addicted to those Garbage Pail Kids cards,” Maura said. 

“We had to put our foot down when he started making us watch the movie every night,” Terry told Alexandra. “We felt bad because that was just after his father left and we didn’t the heart to tell him to cut back. Having him around wasn’t good for Kyle’s self-esteem, but he was still miserable after he left. Kyle felt like he was the reason his dad left, no matter now horribly that bastard treated him.”

“You don’t talk about Kyle’s dad much,” Alexandra told him. “Kyle is always changing the subject when it comes up.”

“Because that’s the only thing that Kyle’s truly afraid of,” Terry told her. “He’s scared to death that his father might actually come back someday. Kyle’s 21 now, but the thought of him returning turns Kyle into a 10-year-old kid again. The thought of what that guy could do to Kyle’s self-confidence scares me.”

Marvin and his new friend Jay were trying to find a guitar player to help them enter the talent show. They sat in a private room with instruments, including an old drum kit, the keytar  Marvin had brought from home,  and a few other random instruments.

“Thanks for helping me,” Jay told him.

“I told you, I like to help people,” Marvin told him. “If we form a band and win that talent night, then that should be enough to get you home, even with a three-way split. But we need a guitar player for a better sound.”

“Are you sure this will work?” Jay asked. “We’ve been here for an hour and everyone kind of…sucks.”

The two friends stared at the person playing a ukelele in front of them. He was strumming ‘Stairway to Heaven’ as Marvin pounded his head on the desk.

“I think we need to take a break,” Jay said as a young man entered holding a guitar. 

“Am I too late?” the young man asked. He was 18 with sandy brown hair and seemed nervous to be there. He had had his mother with him, who was pushing him to follow a dream.

“Actually we were about to take a break,” Jay told him.

“Please,” the woman said, her eyes pleading for them to give her son a chance. “He’s so nervous. I’ll never get him to come back again.”

“Okay,” Jay told her as he finally relented. “Show us what you’ve got.”

Jason picked up a guitar and started playing a few notes. Marvin went to the keytar as Jay started hitting the drums.

“Keep going!” Jay said as they started picking up the beat as Jay started singing.

I get on with life as a bartender,

I’m a charming kinda person.

I like singing songs and hanging with friends.

I like to contemplate singing.

But when I start to daydream,

My mind turns straight to love.

I like to use words like ‘crikey’ and ‘cool.’

I like to use words about singing.

But when I stop talking,

My mind turns straight to love.

I like to hang out with Jason and Marvin.

But when left alone,

My mind turns straight to love.

I hate hatred and liars.

But I just think back to love,

And I’m happy once again

“That wasn’t bad,” Marvin told him. “I think we found a guitar player. What’s your name?”

“Jason Hart,” he said as they shook hands. 

“Looks like we have our band. We have our instruments and a lead singer and—“

“We don’t have a lead singer,” Jay told him. “I’m great on drums, but I’ve never sung in front of a crowd before. I can play an instrument but that’s about all I can do.”

“How are you holding up, kid?” Kyle asked as he looked at the old furniture factory where it looked like two men were guarding the lobby.

“I think I have some juice left, but not much,” Mitchell told him. “We’ll get your ring back, boss. As far as I can tell, giving me life used up a lot of the charge since you haven’t charged up since yesterday. You probably got 15% battery life left at most.”

“We’ll get you fixed up, kid,” Kyle promised. “I’m not losing you again. We have to get to that ring before then, meaning I need to get in there.”

“I can tell that the ring’s on a lower level so you probably have to take an elevator about I’d say, two floors down,” Mitchell told him.

“So I need to plan strategy, and I’ll probably need to fight without the ring. Luckily I’ve known how to throw a punch since sixth grade when a kid on the playground called Terry a… very homophobic slur. I punched him so hard he swallowed the tooth I knocked out. Alright, listen up, kid, this is what we’re going to do.”

The guards standing guard in the front watched as the green-skinned boy calmly walked up to them, putting on an obviously fake English accent.

“Pardon me, but have you have you any berries & cream Starburst?”

Kyle snuck past them to get to the elevator as Mitchell held his stomach in pain mid-dance, losing another percent of power.

“Are you okay, kid? You look really green,” the guard said as Mitchell tried to stand up.

“Yeah, I just had White Castle for lunch,” Mitchell told him. “I’ll be okay, but I better hit the bathroom.”

Mitchell ran toward the bathroom, disappearing around the corner as the guards followed.

“There’s something in the elevator heading toward us,” the organization director said as Wendy stood in front of him, holding the ring. “It might be Raynor. Find that boy and kill him.”

“You said he wouldn’t get hurt,” Wendy told him, feeling bad for her role in this. Kyle was brother’s friend and didn’t want to see him harmed since Marvin had few friends as it is.

“We lied,” the director told her with a smirk.

The guards surrounded the elevator, ready to kill whatever was inside when the doors opened. As they got ready to fire, a swarm of green crows flew out, filling the hallway, the guards that didn’t run were forced to drop their weapons as they were forced to the ground.

“All clear, boss!” 

Kyle dropped down as Mitchell started to stumble.

“I think I’m done, boss,” Mitchell said weakly as he fell to his knees. “I think I’m dying.”

“You’re a phone app, you’ll be fine if I get the ring back,” Kyle promised. “I’ll bring you back. I’m not losing you again.”

“You’re the best friend I’ve ever had,” Mitchell told him with a smile as he started to fade. “Thanks for being my friend.”

“Come on, Mitchell, stay with me,” Kyle pleaded. “I can’t do this without you.”

“You’re the hero here, Kyle, I’m just the puppet that got to come along for the ride. I hope I see to you again someday,” Mitchell said as he faded away, the green energy turning into dust that disappeared as it hit the ground.

“I’ll find a way to save you,” Kyle promised as he held a tear back as he heard more guards coming. As they ran past, Kyle grabbed one to knock him out, stealing his uniform to blend in and continue on his way.

“I want that kid dead!” the director shouted. “I won’t be ruined by a child!”

Wendy stood back, fumbling with the ring as Kyle grabbed her arm. She jumped around to see Kyle raise his armored mask.

“I think you have something that belongs to me,” Kyle whispered.

“How did you get in here?” Wendy asked.

“It wasn’t easy, but I need that ring,” Kyle told her. “I need to get rid of a big pink asshole riding me and WOW did that come wrong! Just give me the ring, please.”

“It doesn’t work,” Wendy told him.

“It doesn’t work for anyone but me,” Kyle told her. “Plus the battery’s dead.”

Wendy went to hand him the ring as it was shot out of her hand. The ring hit the ground and rolled through a door leading into a conference room where it rolled down the stairs.

“I’ll take that ring, thank you,” the director said as he aimed his gun at Kyle. Kyle ducked and ran through the door as another shot flew past him. “Your services will no longer be needed, Ms. Harris. Leave before I execute more than your position.”

Kyle ran down the stairs to find the ring in the darkened room as a gunshot fired off, hitting the wall.

“I had a perfect success record before you,” the director told you. “100% success rate in working for this company, always performing above standard. Then you came along. The brat with the most powerful ring in the universe, a child unwilling to share his toy. Now you’ll witness what we do with spoiled brats.”

Kyle saw the ring on the ground as a gunshot was fired, grazing his shoulder.

“You wanted to play a man’s game,” the director said as he got closer. “The problem is that you have to be a man to play this game, and you have no idea what it takes.”

“Maybe you need a child to play this game,” Kyle told him. “Sometimes you need that perspective.”

The director fired at Kyle as he rolled, grabbed the ring, and disappeared between a row of chairs.

“That ring will do you no good,” the director told him. “I heard you say the thing is dead. And you have no charger.”

“The funny thing about that is that I always have a charger with me,” Kyle’s voice echoed in the room as he slid the ring on.

In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight

The director looked around as the power went out, putting the room into pitch black darkness. He nervously started firing all around him.

Let those who worship evil’s might

“Where are you, you son of a bitch!” the director shouted.

Beware my power, GREEN LANTERN’S LIGHT!

The power turned back on, bathing the room in a green light as the director started backing away, walking right into Green Lantern.

“Boo,” Green Lantern said as he grabbed the gun from the director’s hand, tossing into a construct fireplace to melt it. He picked up the director by the shirt.

“Look, it was all a joke, you don’t want to kill me,”

“No, I don’t,” Green Lantern said as he held the man high in the air. “Because I’m not a murderer. I don’t believe in taking lives, I believe in justice for every man.”

The hero sat the man down as he dusted himself off. “Then you are a fool.”

“However, I do believe in a thorough ass-kicking,” Green Lantern told him. “Get him, girls!”

A kick to the back sent the director flying forward as Buffy & Faith started punching and kicking at him. As he fell forward, he started laughing.

“I know this is every man’s dream, but it shouldn’t be this funny,” Green Lantern said as the director pulled out a remote and pushed a button.

“This location has been compromised,” the director told him with a vicious smirk. “You have two minutes before this building explodes, taking the whole block with it. Try to save the day this time, Green Lantern. I may have lost, but so have you.”

“Okay, Kyle, think,” Green Lantern said. “What would Superman do? Oh, right!”

Buffy & Faith disappeared, being replaced by constructs of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, J’onn, Flash, and Aquaman. “This is going to sound weird coming from me, but as the JLA leader, but get out there and save all the lives you can!”

The seven Justice League members split up and started running through the building using the speed of Kyle’s ring to rush through and grab every human being in sight, running them outside to safety. Wendy was about to go back to help Kyle when Flash grabbed her, depositing her outside. By the time Green Lantern went to get the director, he was gone.

“Dammit, I’m such a rookie! Always grab the bad guy first!” Green Lantern flew outside to see the group of people. “Is this everyone?”

“Yep,” The Flash told him as the League contracts disappeared. “That’s it. Oh, and there’s a big pink thing behind you.”

A Green Lantern turned around, he held up a hand to stop Kilowog from talking. “Give me thirty seconds, big boy, I still have a bomb to get rid of.”

Green Lantern held up his ring as a giant claw machine arm reached down to pick up the entire building. The arm stood up on its hind end and started spinning before launching the building into orbit where it exploded in a huge fireworks display while in orbit.

“Well, that takes care of that,” Green Lantern said as he dusted his hands off. “Now I just have to—“

Kilowog’s giant pink hand picked Kyle up by his head and turned him to face the larger Green Lantern.

“I could have sworn we had a conversation about the hair earlier,” Green Lantern told him.

“You retrieved your ring using only your brain and courage,” Kilowog told him.

“I had help from a friend,” Green Lantern told him. “You don’t have a high opinion of me, but I’m using this ring to do some real good for this world. I’m saving lives and making sure that people get to see another day. So if that’s not good enough for you, then we’ll have it out right here. But I’m not giving up this ring for anyone. Finally, I’m doing some real good after a lifetime of being a slacker, and I like it. I like knowing I can be a better person.”

“Be silent, Earthling,” Kilowog told him. “I still don’t like the idea of an Earthling wielding this power. However, you did show potential in the way you wielded it and used it to protect people. So consider this a trial basis for you keeping the ring. We’ll be watching you to make sure you’re suitable this since Earth lacks a Green Lantern currently.”

“So I get to keep the job?” Green Lantern asked.

“Unless we decide you’re unworthy,” Kilowog told him. “You will be watched very closely from now on. Do not abuse your power or use it for evil. You are now the Green Lantern of Sector 2814. Do not mess this up, poozer. We will be back to check up on you.”

“I’ll make burgers,” Green Lantern told him as he was put down gently.

As Kilowog shot back into space, Wendy tried to sneak off as a Spice Girl with a ’stop’ sign appeared in front of her.

“Stop right there, thank you very much,” Green Lantern said as he flew down behind her. “We have to have a talk.”

Wendy pulled out a flash drive. “I was going to use this to erase their files on you. With it gone, I have to go to each location and do manually.”

“So you’re leaving town?” Green Lantern asked with sadness in his voice. “It’s going to hurt Marvin to know that—“

“Marvin doesn’t know this is my line of work,” Wendy told him as she looked away. “He can’t know. You have to keep an eye on him until I come back to check on him someday.”

“Me? We’re not really close,” Green Lantern told her. “

You saved my brother from that swamp monster, and for some reason, he admires Terry’s big brother,” Wendy told him as she put a finger to his lips. “I think he knows who you are, he just wouldn’t admit it, Marvin’s good at keeping secrets. Keep him safe, Kyle. And get him and Terry back together, that’s an order.”

As Wendy started walking away, she gave Kyle one last look. “Alexandra’s a really lucky girl. Hang on to her, Raynor.”

As Wendy walked away, Kyle looked down at his ring and realized he one more thing to do.

As the director exited from a stairwell miles away, he ran right into Green Lantern.

“Hi, how ya?” Green Lantern asked as he grabbed the guy. “You know, I’m a non-violent guy, I don’t like hurting people, I don’t. But I have friends that I need to keep safe, and the funny thing is that I can’t do it with little douchenuggets like you knowing who I am, so I have two options. 1) I lobotomize you.”

A green spike poked out of the ring, coming within a half-inch of the director’s temple.

“Or I call my buddies in the Green Lantern Corp to destroy every last one of your facilities. We’re tight now, so you better believe I’ll call in that favor if you force my hand. The pink guy I was talking with? He eats spines like spaghetti noodles. Either way, you’re not walking away with a whole body. So what I’m proposing is that you forget about me. You don’t know who the Green Lantern is, you don’t know his name, you don’t know that he still owns a My Buddy doll from his childhood. You forget every last detail you know and you don’t wake up with a green horse head in your bed. Do we have a deal?” Kyle asked as looked down at the floor. “That growing puddle of urine I’m taking as a ‘yes’.”

As the sun was setting while Kyle walked home, he just sighed to himself.

“Shit! I forgot about Mitchell!” Kyle shouted as he held his ring out and concentrated. “Come on, come on…”

“What’ya coin’, boss?” Mitchell asked as he stood behind Kyle.

“I’m bringing my friend back,” Kyle replied as he stopped and put his hands on Mitchell’s head. “YOU’RE ALIVE!”

“I never really died,” Mitchell told him. “I went to this big green room and started hearing a million voices. I think that’s where I’m supposed to go if I run out of juice. I think it’s where the source of your power comes from.”

“The Central Battery, I learned about it when the ring gives me info sometimes,” Kyle told him. “You’re connected to the Central Battery. Oh, the GLs are gonna love that when they find out.”

Kyle and Terry sat on the couch in his apartment as Terry played on his phone as Mitchell slept within the ring.

“So, Mitchell’s your sidekick now?” Terry asked in a jealous tone.

“I don’t need a sidekick,” Kyle told him as he playfully punched Terry’s shoulder. “But it would be nice for Green Lantern to have an assistant when things get rough out there. It’s nice having someone to talk to about this, as well.”

“What about me?” Terry asked with a raised eyebrow.

“When I’m in costume,” Kyle corrected. “It’s nice to not keep all of this bottled up. To have someone else know about this. I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, letting others in.”

“What about your secret identity?” Terry asked as he looked up from his phone.

“Does that mean that I can’t have a life outside of being Green Lantern?” Kyle asked as he stared at his ring, not wanting the power in his hand to dictate his life. “I want to get married someday. I want to have kids and start a family and be a better father than my old man ever was, and I can’t do that if I have to hide this ring. I want to tell Alexandra that I’m Green Lantern.”

OA

“The Earthling is still raw and needs training, but his will is strong and he does know how to handle  a ring,” Kilowog told the darkened room. “I say give him a chance to prove himself. I think he has potential.”

“An Earthling? Impossible,” a voice echoed around him. “Fortunately our attention is divided elsewhere presently so we will allow this creature to protect Sector 2814 for the time being. But soon he be will be brought to OA for us to see this Earthling for ourselves. And if he isn’t everything you say he is, OA will be his burial ground and the ring given to someone more suitable. Tell us, does the Earthling know his true power?”

“To create more rings? I don’t think so,” Kilowog said.

“That’s good, we don’t need him creating more rogue Lanterns,” the voice said.

TO BE CONTINUED…