GREEN LANTERN MEETS PINOCCHIO

By Tobias Christopher

“There,” Kyle Rayner said as he finished installing the new deadbolts on the door. He locked the door just to make sure that no one could open it. “My apartment is safe and secure.”

Alexandra DeWitt, Kyle’s girlfriend and the love of his life, simply walked past and calmly opened the door without unlocking it.

“I wish you’d let me buy you a proper security system,” Alexandra told him. “I worry about your safety living in this neighbourhood.”

“This neighbourhood is perfectly safe,” Kyle assured her as he shut the door and picked up the screwdriver to start over from square one – for the third time that afternoon. “Plus it’s in the perfect spot. I live exactly one mile from my mother and Terry, and I have easy access to the freeway so I can get to your place in less than ten minutes.”

As Kyle said that, he tried to talk over the sound of gunshots and police sirens from outside.

“I hate to admit it, but maybe you and Terry should be roommates,” Alexandra said as she sat down on the couch. “If you won’t take money from me then that would help you financially. Plus I actually would feel better if you had someone here at night, even if it had to be Terry.”

Alexandra and Terry had recently called a truce, but they still agreed that they could sling insults at each other, just as long as they didn’t go too far. Kyle was glad they were getting along – for now at least.

“Well, you know, we could get a place together,” Kyle said, barely muttering it in the hopes that Alexandra wouldn’t hear it. He really did want to take their relationship to the next level, he just wasn’t sure how to approach it, especially with his dual identity as the Green Lantern.

“You know how my parents are, they’d never go for it,” Alexandra replied, happy in the fact that Kyle was at least considering it. “Besides, we haven’t even . . . you know. Not that I’m complaining or anything. You’ve been a perfect gentlemen about waiting for our first time.”

“I’m willing to wait until you’re ready,” Kyle said as he sat down next to her. “When we do finally . . . you know, it’s going to be special.”

The two leaned in to kiss as G’Nort started yelping from the kitchen counter. It was feeding time, and G’Nort wasn’t about to let Kyle forget it.

“I’m changing your name to cockblock,” Kyle whispered to his pet as he headed to the kitchen to get some imitation horse meat dog chews for his pet.

Terry was delivering mail at the Feast Magazine office. He’d taken an internship there to support himself through college. As he pushed the mail-cart down the walkway, he saw all the other employees impatiently waiting for their mail. Internship was the first stop to Terry. He was going to go a lot further, then one day, he’d have an intern delivering mail to him. Maybe that cute little redhead down in the mailroom.

“You!” a man said as he stood at the editor’s office. He was middle-aged, with his black hair slicked back. He had a neatly trimmed beard and moustache, with a commanding voice. “Intern! My office, now!”

Terry gulped as he headed toward the office of Alexander Benton, head editor. He’d never actually met the man, but knew that virtually everyone in the office was afraid of him. He walked through the door, seeing an older man standing there, as well another middle aged man. Both were talking at the same time.

“I need someone to go with me to take pictures!” the man said, trying to raise her voice over the other man. This was the star writer for Feast magazine, Billy Anderson. He was in his late twenties, had neatly trimmed brunette hair, and tended to carry himself very seriously, particularly in relation to his career. “Our photographer just quit to work for Mapplethorpe Magazine.”

“We had a scheduling error for the interview, now we have to decide who gets the ten o’clock interview,” the other man told Benton. “We have Zodd Zimmerman and Neil Diamond both waiting on the phone and we don’t have time for both interviews today.”

“Silence!” Benton shouted. “Billy, take the intern with you to help you with the story.”

“But I’m just supposed to deliver the mail and get coffee,” Terry meekly said as Benton stared at him.

“The Shadybrook Asylum has a mailbox, deliver their mail to the front door, because that’s where you’re headed!” Benton shouted as Terry jumped back a little.

“What about the interview?” the other man said as Terry followed Billy out the door. “Who gets it and who gets pushed back?”

Benton just looked at him and said in a demanding tone. “Neil before Zodd!”

After Alexandra had gone, Kyle decided to go out and patrol the neighbourhood for some crime. Maybe with some luck, he’d run across the thief that had broken into his apartment, even if they hadn’t stolen anything. As he flew over the city in his Green Lantern uniform, he started thinking about Alexandra’s suggestion. Maybe it was time that he got a roommate.

He loved Alexandra, but he didn’t know how he’d be able to hide his secret identity from her if they were sharing a living space, and telling her would put her in jeopardy if anyone found out. It was bad enough that Terry knew about his alternate life. Then again, since Terry knew about Green Lantern, he would make the ideal roommate. Kyle had a lot of thinking to do before he asked either one to move in with him.

As he flew over the city, looking for someone to help, he was being watched by a new enemy. Jordan Weir watched the hero flying past, smirking to himself. Soon, he’d have a new pawn to do his dirty work, he just had to bide his time.

“I hope you’re good with a camera, kid,” Billy said as he drove through the asylum gates with Terry in the passenger seat.

“I’m not bad with it,” Terry replied as the car came to a stop. “I took photography in high school, but drawing’s where my real passion is.”

“Well, do a good job today and we’ll see about you getting you out of that mail room sooner than later,” Billy told him.

“So, you haven’t said who we’re here to interview,” Terry said as they were let into the building. As they walked down the halls, Terry looked at the patients roaming around. “Are we talking to a murderer? Or maybe some fallen child star?”

“No, we’re here to talk to him,” Billy said as they came to a small room where a young man was sitting at a table. He was wearing blue pyjama pants, a white t-shirt, and slippers. He had day old stubble, and a sorrowful look on his face. Terry got a nervous look on his face as he recognized the man.

“Obsidian.”

Green Lantern had thwarted several muggings, prevented two car accidents, and prevented one jay walking over the course of the evening. Now it was time to head home to a relaxing cup of hot chocolate before heading to bed. He had an important interview to get ready for in the morning.

“Help!” a voice was heard from the distance as the hero turned back around and flew toward the cry. A child had fallen into the river and was being swept away as the hero flew over the water. The boy was struggling to stay above water as Green Lantern extended his hand, creating a large six-foot green hand that scooped the child out of the water, dropping him safely on to the river bank.

Green Lantern landed next to the boy to see if he was alright. The kid was around ten years old, with light brown hair. He was wearing a Green Lantern t-shirt, something that hero wasn’t even aware had been made or sold. Before he could use CPR on the boy, he started coughing and spitting up water.

“You alright, kid?” Green Lantern asked as he kneeled down. “Hang on, I’ll get you to a hospital.”

“No, no hospital,” the boy told him as he continued coughing. “They’ll just send me to the orphanage.”

“Orphanage?” Green Lantern asked as he created a green towel to wrap around th e kid. “Where’s your family?”

“They died,” the boy replied. “I’ve been on my own for the last few months. I’ve been living in the forest and eating whatever I could find.”

“You got a name kid?” Green Lantern asked as he created a blow dryer to get the kid dry before hypothermia set in.

“Mitchell,” the boy replied. “Thanks for saving me, but I should get back before it gets dark and I can’t find my way.”

A large green pincer grabbed the boy by the shirt before he could run off. “Hold it right there, you’re not going anywhere, kid. I’m taking you someplace where you can have a good home.”

“Don’t put me in an orphanage, Mr. Lantern, please,” Mitchell begged. “They’ll just ignore me and treat me bad, I read Oliver Twist. I’d be better off on my own. You’re my hero, see my shirt? It’s the only shirt I own. Don’t toss me away, please.”

Green Lantern just sighed. It was pretty getting pretty late, and if he dropped the kid now he’d probably have to do a ton of paperwork to make sure the kid got a proper place to sleep for the night.

“I know a guy you can crash with for tonight,” Green Lantern replied. “Then in the morning, you’re going a foster home. I’ll personally make sure they treat you right.”

“Thanks, Mr. Lantern, I knew you wouldn’t let me down,” Mitchell smiled as he hugged the hero.

Weir smiled to himself as he watched the action through his puppet’s eyes. The Mitchell puppet had been designed to screw with someone else’s head as a favour to an old friend, but he knew that Green Lantern wouldn’t be able to resist helping out a child who declared Green Lantern as his personal hero. He just had to make sure his puppet stayed close to the hero until it was time to strike.

The interview was Todd Rice was a sombre one. Billy asked the tough questions one had come to expect from the man who’d spent every waking moment over the last fourteen years trying to forge a career in journalism to support himself and his family. And Todd gave the answers one wouldn’t expect from a man who’d gone a homicidal rampage through the city in an attempt to kill those he blamed for his misfortune.

By the end of the interview, Todd was in tears, crying and repeatedly apologizing for what he had done. Terry took the pictures, not sure if he believed a word that came out of Todd’s mouth.

“I’m going to interview Todd’s doctor before we go,” Billy said as he stood up. “I’ll meet you back here in five minutes, Terry.”

Billy walked away as Terry just stared at Todd.

“You tried to kill some people who are very important to me,” Terry told the man bitterly. “I hope you spend the rest of your life in this place, even though you deserve worse.”

“I know,” Todd said as he stared down at the table. “I can’t make up for what I did. I’m sorry what I did to everyone, even your friend Kyle. Is he still doing the Green Lantern thing? They don’t let us know what’s happening in the outside world in here.”

“What? How did you–?”

“I was in his head, I saw it all,” Todd replied as he sniffled a bit to keep more tears from falling. “I haven’t told anyone, Terry. I’m not going to tell anyone. I’m not that vicious killer that Green Lantern fought that night, I’ve come to my senses over the last few weeks. I am deeply sorry for all those I hurt.”

“Hey, Terry, time to go!” Billy shouted from across the room. Terry didn’t say a word to Todd as he stood up and walked away, ready to get out of there.

Mitchell sat on the porch steps of Kyle’s apartment as Green Lantern went inside to talk to the man inside. Moments later, Green Lantern stepped out of the door and looked down at the kid.

“You can stay here for the night,” Green Lantern told the boy. “And in the morning I’m going to take you downtown to get you put into a good foster home. One that’ll treat you right.”

“Promise you won’t leave me like everyone else?” Mitchell asked as he gave the hero the puppy dog eyes. Green Lantern smiled as he mussed the boy’s hair.

“I promise, kid, I can’t let down my biggest fan, can I?” Green Lantern asked as he took off into the air and blasted off in a flash of light, disappearing into the sky. Seconds later, the door opened as Kyle Rayner stepped outside in a pair of blue jeans and a black t-shirt.

“Mitchell?” Kyle asked as he shook the boy’s hand. “I guess you’ll be staying the night on my couch. Come on in and we’ll go over the house rules.”

As they got inside, G’Nort immediately sensed something was wrong and started growling at the boy.

“Now, G’Nort, is that any way to treat our guest?” Kyle asked as he picked the dog up. “Now say you’re sorry.”

The dog continued snarling at the boy as Kyle carried G’Nort to the bedroom and closed the door. “Sorry, he gets the same way whenever they play Bieber on the radio. You hungry?”

“No,” Mitchell told him as he looked around. “When’s Green Lantern coming back?”

“First thing tomorrow morning,” Kyle replied as he grabbed some blankets from the closet. “We’re kind of like best buddies, I can almost never get the guy to leave. Bathroom’s over there so you can wash up and the kitchen’s over there if you get hungry. Don’t have much in the way of television, just the basic antenna channels and some DVDs.”

“That’s okay, I’m really tired anyway,” Mitchell told him as a knock came at the door. Kyle went to answer it, and was met by a passionate kiss from Alexandra.

“Ready for our dinner date?” Alexandra asked as she saw Mitchell sitting on the couch.

“Oh, this is Mitchell, I’m sitting for him tonight,” Kyle explained as he suddenly remembered the dinner date. “It was a last-minute thing, I couldn’t get out of it. Do you mind eating in tonight?”

“Not at all,” Alexandra told him. She was a little disappointed, but it was sweet seeing that Kyle was making time to help someone in need, and it would help to see how good he was with children in case they ever decided to start a family down the road. “I was in the mood for Chinese, if you didn’t mind.”

Kyle smiled as he kissed her again. “There’s a place just up the street. Five minutes, and I’ll be back. You two get to know each other, I’ll be back soon.”

Kyle grabbed his jacket and rushed out the door as Mitchell just smiled at the girl. Weir watched from his warehouse, knowing something was going to have to be done about the girl so he could continue to con his way into the Green Lantern’s life through his best friend Kyle Rayner.

TO BE CONTINUED . . .