They caught a cab.
Jason Blood and Lucien Lamb. Werewolf and….. Weredemon?
Looking the way they do.
The driver pissed himself and Lucien could literally smell how much more water he needed to be drinking on a daily basis.
So, they stuck to walking with all the eyes allowed on them until they were able to steal some clothes from a department store.
Lucien wore a undersized blue long sleeve and black work jeans. Jason wore a hoodie and baggy cargo pants that he gagged while putting on.
The rest of the walk was calm. Lucien kept his head down and nose on the trail of whatever stood out to him.
Cities made his head hurt. Too many smells and impulses to combat. He needed to get in and get out. Thankfully he was fast.
Thankfully again, they'd made it without trouble.
"Here we are." Jason said.
It didn't look different in real life, unlike many of the worlds heroes. It looked just as it did in the comics. A white stone monument with clean glass walls rimmed by gold and engraved with the name of the building. It sat atop a long white stairway, giving the place a vibe similar to Mount Olympus. The backdrop of the city rose high at its back.
"Let's go." Lucien thumbed the vial of blood in his pocket.
Jason followed as promised.
"It's not always this silent right? I only hear two people inside." Lucien asked.
"When the League goes offworld, they usually leave behind a few members to hold up the fort. Batman is in Gotham— I know that much. I just spoke to him a day ago with Constantine." Jason replied.
"Ok. Vampire stuff?"
Jason nodded.
"Of course. What else would it be."
"It's Gotham. It can be anything."
"True." Lucien said as he climbed the steps with his eyes peeled for the big blue boyscout.
What he found instead was the Green Lantern.
"Jason! You brought guests….. on steroids?" Green Lantern said as he hovered towards them. He glowed like a verdant star.
"You want to joke about performance enhancement with that piece of jewelry on?" Lucien asked. Under better circumstances he would've geeked out at the simple idea of bantering with the Green Lantern. He was among one of Lucien's favorite heroes. THE Hal Jordan. His own father was a fighter pilot. He resonated with the emerald knight from a young age.
"Hohoho….. did I run into that? I do that sometimes."
"We know." Jason replied, "Green-Lantern, I'd like to introduce you to Lucien Lamb. Lucien, Green-Lantern."
The two nodded in greeting.
"What brings you boys over to the big leagues?" Green-Lantern asked.
"World ending issues…"
"That's obvious, specify." Green-Lantern replied.
"Can we talk inside?" Jason asked.
"Of course. I know it's winter time, but let's get out of the sun. It can be so harsh on the eyes sometimes…"
***
The inside of the Hall of Justice was just like the outside. White walled, framed by blue and gold metals. It was empty and spotless.
"Where is everyone?" Lucien asked, ignoring how Jason looked at him in confusion. As if he didn't just tell them where the other leaguers were.
"You mean the Justice League? They're offworld— left me behind to handle any…. domestic issues."
"And me!" Someone yelled from across the room.
"And him….. unfortunately." Green-Lantern scowled as the other leaguer joined them.
He wore a skintight suit of black and purple with a golden z logo on his chest. His bowl cut was only barely overgrown and failed to hide his spiky ears that were similar to Lucien's.
"One half of the Wonder-Twins, Zan. When In contact with his sister Jayna, she can turn into any animal and he can turn into water. Old age superheroes are bizzare. But hey, he got into the league." Lucien thought.
"You're tall." Zan said to Lucien.
Lucien nodded and turned back to Green-Lantern.
"Do you know where offworld? Is it the whole league— minus you?"
"Yes—"
Lucien and Jason stiffened.
"But you two aren't here to question me, wasn't the world about to end a few seconds ago? Fill me in— I'm a space-cop, remember?"
Lucien took a step in front of Jason, deliberately inhaling through his nose. "There's a Vampire outbreak. A war is coming. Andrew Bennett— the ex lover of the queen of vampires told me so."
Green-Lantern went serious, "Woah hold on, Vampire outbreak? Wouldn't we have seen signs by now?"
"Star City's dark-dome."
"But that only lasted one night and all the damage could be mocked up to a big forest fire." Green Lantern said.
"Yea thanks to the heroes inside."
Green Lantern nodded, "Ok, I'll play ball. What else did this Andrew Bennett tell you?"
"He said he knows who's behind it— but he doesn't know who to trust so he didn't tell us."
Green Lantern thumbed his ring, "Does anyone else know about this?"
Lucien shook his head.
"Where is he now?"
"He's here— in Washington. I can take you to him."
"No that's ok. Let's get you somewhere more secure first." Green Lantern said, "Wonder-dork, let's go."
"Actually, I uhh…. I have to go. My sister needs me downtown. I'll be back, though." Zan did everything but run past them for the door.
Lucien shared a look with Hal.
Hal sighed and aimed his ring.
A construct of a rope flew from his ring and wrapped around the young leaguer. The moment it fastened around him, he hissed and flailed, turning into a bat to fly away.
The rope turned into a construct of a birdcage immediately.
"Well, damn. Right under my nose. How long. Zan?" Green-Lantern asked.
Zan hissed in his bat form and flew into the gate repeatedly.
"The one time you don't talk…. That feels ironic, in a very morbid way." Green-Lantern said before looking to Lucien and Jason. "I'll never doubt you two again. But if it's already reached the league, we need to go on lockdown. You guys should stay here a few days so we can devise a plan and I'll go find Andrew. He's gotta know more."
"Got it." Lucien replied. Jason stayed quiet behind him. His expression darkened the more they all spoke.
Green-Lantern turned back to Zan. Constructs of wooden spikes floated around the cage. "We don't have a cure— and I don't have the time to babysit you as a Vampire. I barely could when you were human. This'll crush your sister. I'll make sure I'm there for her in these trying times."
The construct of wooden spikes flew into the cage, skewering Zan a dozen times over. Once inside, they exploded, leaving the undead as ash inside the cage. Then the cage was gone, and the black debris fell to the floor.
"So, where's Andrew? Where downtown?" Green-Lantern asked.
"I'll take you. We should stick together."
"...hmmmm… Sure."
"I forgot how to get out of here…. Can you—"
"Yea, come on." Green-Lantern took the lead, carelessly stepping over the pile of ash and leading Lucien towards the exit.
After the first turn, Jason disappeared.
Lucien and Hal Jordan remained.
His childhood hero.
They reached the door.
Hal placed a hand on it but didn't push it open. His shoulders bounced as he laughed to himself.
"You kn—"
Lucien tackled him through the door.
They came outside into the sun rolling, clawing and punching eachother until Green-Lantern finally kicked him off.
He flipped in the air and landed on his feet, taking off again.
"Here, have some of your own kind." Green-Lantern aimed his ring, spitting out constructs of giant sabertoothed wolves at him.
Lucien shoulder bashed and swiped the constructs apart. They fell around him like glass. He split the distance between himself and the undead Lantern in a second, kicking him back into the Hall of Justice.
The lantern fell on a construct of a trampoline and bounced back to his feet with a green rocket launcher in hand.
Lucien zig zagged as he ran at him.
Green-Lantern fired. It was rapid fire.
An rpg with a switch.
Green-Lanterns were horrifying in real life.
Lucien jumped and powered through the explosive green barrage. Once he got close enough, Green-Lantern flew for the high cielings to keep shooting.
Lucien got hit from behind. He rolled, digging his claws into the slippery floor until he could pull up a piece of flooring and use it as a shield.
The rocket shattered the floor piece he held overhead.
From the rubble, he jumped, snarling in a rage.
"Oh shi—"
He caught Green-Lantern's leg and squeezed until his entire foot came off at the ankle.
"AHHHHH!" Green-Lantern hissed and suddenly Lucien's whole world was green.
When he came to, he was wrapped in green chains and held upside down.
"Green supernova." He remembered the ability. It was unique to Hal and strong enough to level planets. An expression of his explosive and dominating willpower.
The entire inside of the Hall of Justice was scalped. No more spotless white and gold trim. It was all dirt and rubble collecting in a crater. He focused the blast.
He was living up to his hype.
"You're a smart one, Lucien. I didn't know how long you knew before, but I've been thinking. Ever since you asked where ALL members of the Justice League were, you knew, didn't you? That was bait…. And I took it."
"I know Batman is in Gotham."
Green-Lantern clicked his teeth, "Damn….. you got me. And the little step forward? You were trying to smell me, weren't you? And here I thought changing Zan and compelling him to go rogue would've been enough to keep my cover. Plus the aura, I thought I was safe!"
Lucien didn't bother replying.
Green-Lantern tapped his aura, "No use."
"Is that what lets you into the sun too?"
Green-Lantern shook his head and let his aura fade. Then he raised his ring above and shot a blast of energy into the cieling. It ripped through the roof and allowed midday sunlight to enter.
The vampire didn't burn. Light focused and spun at the tip of his ring as he spoke.
"Sunlight is….. interesting. Various. It produces multiple forms of light. For example, UV Rays that provide essential vitamins to humans and literally feed plants. It's deadly to me. Or at least it would be if I wasn't a lantern. I'm a paradox. I'm a Vampire, but my powers have always been based on light. Visible. Infared. Whatever it is. It's mine. Manipulating it. Shaping it. Empowering it. My ring can keep the light away from me or make it my greatest weapon." Green-Lantern explained as the ball of twisting sunlight atop his ring became blindingly bright.
Lucien patiently waited as he tried to break the constructs. But he knew better.
"You're strong, Lucien. Your names already making waves. I'd change you if I wasn't ordered to kill you on sight. You're a conflict of interest. A thorn in our side that could become infected and spread even faster than us. We can't have that. We're looking to bring hell to earth, so you'd understand why there's no room for beastial saints."
"If you think I'm a saint then I think you need to lose the other foot too." Lucien snarled.
Green-Lantern smirked, showing his fangs, "That won't be neccesary. Now let's wrap this up, I need to figure out where Jason went after this too. Cleaning up loose ends is always such a bore."
"No search neccesary." Lucien replied as his hair stood on end at the emmergence of magic.
From outside the hole Green-Lantern shot into the cieling, an arrow fell. It was yellow like sunlight, making it blend in as Green-Lantern looked upward.
He dodged last second. The arrow hit the ground and there the yellow cartridge strapped to it exploded like a sun grenade.
The heat burned through the construct and seared Lucien's skin.
Hellfire burned worse.
He was already healing as he crashed into Green-Lantern and mauled him. He punched and slashed and stabbed until the undead lantern began charging another Green supernova.
Lucien lunged forward, now transformed, and bit his wrist. He clamped down until his inscisors cut through flesh and bone and Green-Lanterns hand was bitten off.
The green lights faded.
Green-Lantern's roars were cut short as Lucien grabbed him by the throat and ripped his head off.
A few seconds later and Green Arrow came into the Hall of Justice with Jason Blood.
Green Arrow speed walked past Jason and pressed Lucien, punching him straight in the face.
Lucien didn't move.
Green Arrow groaned as his wrist bent in a bad angle against his jaw.
"You are seriously fucked up!"
"G—"
"You didn't have to brutalize him! He was a good man, god dammit. I don't care if he became satan himself! We can contain them and find a cure, were the justice league!" Green Arrow's tears fell behind his mask.
"You're the Justice League and at least a fourth of your members were already infected. This isn't something to play with. A human genocide plot is in motion and Green-Lantern wouldve probably been the most dangerous Vampire behind the Flash."
Green Arrow cursed under his breath as he got himself together.
"What is this yellow stuff?" Jason asked as he studied the arrow in the floor.
"It's a synthetic rapid degrading fine silica powder in thirteen zero eight five eight yellow. It's the yellow most effective in neutralizing lantern constructs." Green Arrow mumbled, "I visited Gotham. Batman also suspected Green Lantern would be a candidate for this…. uprising. He gave me some after we went a few rounds until realizing neither of us was infected."
"So you were hunting the other leaguers?" Jason asked.
Green Arrow stiffened, "Don't say it like that."
"If the shoe fits, it must be worn." Jason replied.
"Yea well, I'm shutting this place down. You two are free to go. No, you two need to go. Now."
Lucien and Jason made their way out.
"Wait….."
Lucien's claws extended.
"Where's Hal— Green-Lantern's ring?" Green-Arrow asked.
"It flew off once he was defeated." Lucien replied.
Green Arrow sighed and whispered to himself, "Let's hope whoever it goes to is able to use it as well. We're gonna need it."
"Right."
Lucien tightened his grip on the yellow powdered dirtball in his pants pocket. Inside, the power-ring glowed with power. Power he wanted….