Specs follows Guy’s lead to Alan Scott. Aya accompanies him back to Earth. Alan is not home; magic points them to New York, where he, Jade, and Obsidian have come to see a show.
“Sorry to bother…”
“No problem, who hasn’t seen Spring Awakening a million times…”
“Just need you to do what you do to see if I can channel it…”
“Hello non-lantern Lantern Alan Scott, I am Aya. I am a friend of Lantern Hal Jordan, he has told me much about you I do not understand.”
Aya smiles the entire time, even through the lovely idea that there is something she does not understand, because it means she gets to try.
Before the testing, Aya asks Specs to go Green and teaches his Ring how to contact her. The Ring is a construct, but it works like a normal Ring, computer and all.
Throughout the discussion, Specs has been distracted by a man the others cannot see. He does not know who or what the man is. He does not feel worried in the least.
“Um, it was a long trip, I’m gonna use the restroom real quick…”
Out of earshot, Specs meets him.
“Who… what… are you… and why can’t they see you?”
“It’s a long story. I just like to check on them sometimes, ya know. Please don’t tell Alan.”
Specs accepts it. He feels it, understands. He does not need any more words after “Alan.”
He nods and returns to the family to start testing.
IndiKid tries Obsidian first.
“It’s like nothing’s there, but it is, but it’s still a lack of… whatever it is, I got nothing.”
He turns to Alan.
“I can feel it, it’s familiar… but, if I had to describe it, it’s like trying to watch HBO without a subscription. You can make out a boobie but not enough to hold your attention.”
They stare blankly. He thinks they do not understand; they are just shocked at the word “boobie.”
“I mean, if your whatever-it-is was a data file and I were a computer, you’d be coming in defragged and missing bits…”
Alan closes his hand, extinguishing his flame. Jade raises hers and lights up her own.
IndiKid glows green for a moment.
“Woah! Feel that one!!! It’s like… like… Sativa!!!”
He grins.
“I don’t know how else to describe it…”
He lights up green some more. It is not all over—more like an aura wanting to break the Indigo. He inhales deeply.
“It even smells like grass… like… that smell before rain.”
He snaps his fingers.
“What’s that called? It was a password thought, a pass-thought on the TARDIS that time…”
“Petrichor,” Obsidian says.
“I loved Amy and Rory,” he adds, shrugging as he looks at his family.
“I think I get it…”
IndiKid holds his hand out, palm open toward the ground in front of him. His token from Aya begins to glow. Oddly, so does her half.
Green light gathers around and on top of the Indigo. On IndiKid’s forehead, where there would normally be a Lantern symbol of some Corps, there is a green light—or rather, a green dust cloud, like pollen, trying to take form.
Beneath his palm, a sprig of baby’s breath grows to reach his hand.
The green cloud settles into a leaf shape. It is not static like the usual glowing Corps symbols. It moves with the wind and the gestures of his head.
“I got an idea.”
He shifts to Green.
“I think perhaps we should evaluate our new data before proceeding with further experimentation, Spectrum. Do you not agree?”
But Green is already hovering, hands aimed in both directions, palms toward the ground. The Green starts to glow from his palms, lighting the space around him.
The maze around them decides to reach out.
“I was going for baby’s breath…”
He swings a Green sword construct at the vines and ivy reaching out, grappling and pulling everyone in range.
In the fight, Green accidentally strikes and breaks the red stone in the chest of the maze’s stone dragon, waking it and bringing it to life.
Its eyes glow white. Small electric bolts of color escape out the sides.
Specs directs his hand toward the dragon, fingers reaching out as though he is trying to reach for a ball and grab it.
Just before it reaches him, he spreads his fingers outward instead, letting it go.
“Undo.”
The dragon stops and returns to its pose.
The vines retract.
By now it is night. They chat, and the family wants to get to the show. This is just another day for superheroes; Specs is the only one for whom this kind of thing is way off track.
He jokes that maybe now he will be able to make his own Indica.
Before they part, Alan gives Specs a business card for his friend, Diana Lance. She helped him get through some things.
“Maybe she can help you.”
Specs’ tummy grumbles. Rubbing it, he looks down at it.
“Aya, I know you don’t eat, but you’re about to watch me devour an authentic NY pizza!”
They thank the family and head off into the city.
There are white flowers on some of the maze now. Alan stops to admire them.
“Pretty lilies.”
Jade looks quickly over her shoulder before replying and continuing on.
“Those are orchids, pop.”
After pizza, Aya and Specs step outside.
Their eyes are locked on each other. Above them, shadowy winged figures leap across the alley from one building to the very next, silhouettes in the shadow.
Aya and Specs look up where they were. They are already gone.
A howl sounds overhead.
“I don’t know, but I wanna get out of here before the Hound of Ulster or whatever the fuck that was finds us…”
Specs slides to Green. He and Aya fly off in the opposite direction, back to Oa.
