ISSUE NUMBER FOUR

"Scavanger Hunt -- Page Two"

Starring Raker, Green Lantern of Apokolips

Written by Tim Hartin

The hellish world known as Apokolips.

The slavish Hunger Dogs scatter for shelter as dusk sets on Armagetto. It isn't much, but the Hunger Dogs call Armagetto home. They know the risks if they are caught out after the curfew - their meagre lives would be forfeit. The many evil minions of Darkseid would make sure of that.

Five winged, armoured soldiers of Darkseid's elite Crimson Vulture Squad buzz the rooftops of Armagetto as they chase after their elusive quarry. Deadly energy blasts fired from long thin, sinister weapons streak through the air. The soldiers are hidden by black and red armour sporting avian highlights and Apokolipian technology. Their flame belching jet wings cast sinister shadows as they fly by. Sensor goggles scan the area for their target's bio-signature.

Dirty, ragged robes snap in the wind as the legendary Green Flame of Apokolips flies through the air on pilfered aero-discs. With only a half a second charge left in his ring (and placed in a null cronosphere for safe keeping), he must now rely on his skills and wits to survive. Some believe him to be a legend, or a demon, or even a hero, but to the chasing Crimson Vulture Squad he is nothing but prey. The truth of the matter, for those who are so inclined, is that the Green Flame of Armagetto is actually Raker, the ill-fated Green Lantern of Apokolips.

The Crimson Vulture Squad is hot on Raker's trail. He has to make it to the deep catacombs of Armagetto to make his escape. He knows he can lose them in the shadows of Armagetto's sublevels. He just has to make it to the closest catacomb entrance on Mount Ordenance to do it. He swerves and banks as he dodges the Crimson Vultures' energy barrage. He reaches into his robes and pulls out a small green polyhedron. 'This modified magna-lock should do the trick,' thinks Raker. He tosses it behind him as he speeds for Mount Ordenance.

The polyhedron begins to hum and pulsate with each passing second. The trap is set as the Crimson Vulture Squad fly within the reach of the magna-lock's powerful magnetic influence. Three of the Vulture squad find their armour's computer systems blinded and they quickly tumble out of control as the magnetic field completely disrupts their armour's technological components. The hapless soldiers veer off course as they collide with the magna-lock. They are helpless to continue with their hunt as they are now nothing but a crumpled ball of inert technology and flesh, held captive by one of the universe's fundamental forces.

Not all of the remaining squad is helpless - far from it. The Crimson Vulture Lieutenant fires his radiation blaster, not at the Green Flame but at his careless troopers. "You shame your unit and Darkseid with your stupidy. You are no better than the Dogs that hide below in fear." Those trapped in the magnetic field of the magna-lock scream as they explode in flame and shrapnel.

"Hail, Darkseid!" shouts the only remaining Crimson Vulture trooper. He starts to bombard Mount Ordenance in an attempt to prevent the Green Flame from reaching the ventilation shaft that leads to the maze-like Armagetto catacombs. He cares not for the innocent lives of the slave work force that inhabit the area that he is razing. He only cares about destroying his target as any good Apokolipian soldier should.

"Good work, Vulture. I'm glad there is at least one soldier within my unit." The Lieutenant grudgingly commends his trooper as they both assault the area around the Green Flame in an attempt to herd him towards his destruction. 'That's the idea,' thinks the Lieutenant. 'If this Green Flame wants to hide in the earth, then we'll make sure he stays out in the open. The Crimson Vultures are an elite aerial combat unit, and in the air he is as good as dead.' He smiles at the sight of the ground below him turning into nothing but red hot, molten slag.

At one time Raker would have been repulsed at his opponents' strategy, but spending several centuries on Apokolips has harden him. No one can spend that amount of time on Apokolips and not be tainted by it (even if ever so slightly). He soars through the dark, polluted sky to avoid the explosive bombardment. He knows the Crimson Vulture Squad thinks he will be at their advantage in the open air, but he has spent more time flying than they ever have. After all, he was… is a Green Lantern. He has experienced more action in the centuries as a Green Lantern than these rookie troops can only dream about.

Raker cranks his aero-discs to full thruttle and back flips through the air as he re-orientates himself. He bares a long jagged knife as he streaks towards the rookie Crimson Vulture Trooper. Raker gracefully weaves past exploding energy blasts as he closes in on the soldier. The trooper fires without hitting his mark, as Raker literally flies past and grabs him from behind. He whispers into the trooper's armoured ear sensor. "Do you dare face the Green Flame of Armagetto?" Raker can't see his opponent's face behind his Apokolipian mask, but he knows he is sweating in fear.

But before the trooper can answer, a burning hole sears through his chest. Raker somersaults through the air to safety as the Crimson Vulture Lieutenant continues to blast his subordinate into pieces in an attempt to hit the Green Flame. "You can't dodge my blasts forever, Green Flame. In the name of Darkseid, I will kill you."

"The better than the likes of you have tried and failed. Come and get me if you can…" Raker discards his grungy rags towards the approaching Crimson Vulture soldier, revealing his green and black Green Lantern uniform in the process. "Lets see what you are made of, vulture." Raker zigs and zags through the rubble of Mount Ordenance as he makes his way towards the Armagetto border. His pursuit is hot on his tail as they both zoom through the Apokolipian sprawl. Raker can see the tall, dark Towers of Vigilance approaching fast.

The Towers of Vigilance, located at the border of Armagetto near the Mines of Oblivion, are a part of Apokolips' early warning monitoring system. They dot the gloomy Apokolipian landscape like a series of jagged teeth. Raker knows that his presence will bring scores of Parademons to investigate. He knows he doesn't have much time to defeat the remaining Crimson Vulture trooper, and hopes that his plan will work.

"You have made a tactical error, Green Flame. When I have scattered your atoms to the winds, the name of Dark Duran will echo throughout Apokolips! I will then take my place on Darkseid's Elite!"

Raker hovers slightly over one of the mile high surveillance towers. "Fire away, Dark Duran. Destroy me and you will destroy the tower while you are at it. I'm sure Darkseid will reward you handsomely for such an act of sabotage. This is the Prime Tower. Destroy it and you will cripple Apokolip's early warning system… leaving it open to attack from its enemies. Do you want to be known as the traitor who delivered Apokolips to its enemies?"

Dark Duran, of the Crimson Vulture Squad, raises his radiation blaster. "Your cowardly attempts to hide behind Darkseid's greatness will not work, Green Flame. You do not fool me." He ponders Raker's words as he prepares to fire.

"I am not hiding. In fact, you could make the argument that I've never been more in the open." Raker raises his hands into the air. "There is one thing you should know before you kill me."

"And that is?"

"A good soldier keeps all combat factors in mind. You have forgotten a very important detail." Raker watches with a smile as Dark Duran's winged engines begin to putter and belch black smoke. "In your excitement to chase me through Armagetto and all the way to the Towers of Vigilance, you've over looked your fuel capacity. By my estimates you should be running on fumes at this moment. Have a nice trip."

Dark Duran tries to restart his stalled jet engines but it is no good. His enthusiasm has gotten the better of him. It is a mistake that will cost him his life. He plummets towards the quickly approaching surface below. He screams obscenities at the Green Flame as he falls.

Raker watches Dark Duran fall and sighs. He can't let him die this way… not even one of Darkseid's soldiers deserve to fall a mile to their death. Raker powers up his aero-discs and zooms after the falling Apokolipian. He catches Dark Duran with one arm will placing a small disc on him with the other. "That is an Energy Dispenser Disc. It will drain all of your armour's remaining power. I had to make sure I led you on a goose chase to get your power at a level that my disc could take affect."

Raker carries the powerless Dark Duran back to the top of the surveillance tower. He sits him on the apex of the tower. "You can wait here for your friends to arrive. I'm sure the approaching Parademons will be honoured to rescue the 'great and all-powerful' Dark Duran." Raker laughs as he soars away on his aero-discs. He is long gone by the time the Parademons arrive to find the defeated Lieutenant.

For weeks after the Tower of Vigilance incident (as it will become known), the legend of the Green Flame is whispered throughout Armagetto. The story of how this 'demon' defeated a squad of elite troopers in a great battle worthy of the gods brings something to the Hunger Dogs that they are unacustomed to… the feeling of hope.

EPILOGUE:

Edo Duran screams in pain as every molecule is bombarded by an energy current. It is enough to torture him, but not enough to kill him… not yet. Edo Duran continues to scream as the feeling of a million needles pierce his flesh. It feels like his body is slowly being ripped apart. His vision blurs as he looks at his torturer.

He is a thin man in dark plain robes. He is Desaad, master torturer and a member of Darkseid's Ruling Elite. "How are you enjoying my Pain-bed? The price of incompentence carries a hefty toll." Desaad adjusts the controls to the pain bed to the next level.

His agony is unholy and yet Edo Duran endures. He focuses his pain numbed mind onto an image to concentrate his thoughts. That image is of the Green Flame. His concentration is strengthened by his hate. He vows to himself that he will endure any punsihment that Darkseid sees fit to bestow upon him. He will survive to gain his revenge on the Green Flame.

"Your uncle would have been extremely disappointed with you. You are a disgrace, Edo Duran Vundabar. Virman Vundabar would have killed you in a second for being such a failure. But in Darkseid's ultimate wisdom, he has spared your life… on condition that you can survive your punishment." Desaad chuckles with glee as he slides the controls of the pain bed to maximum. He murmurs the few last words again as Edo Duran screams, "If you survive…"

Duran Vundabar thrashes in his restraints as his body convulses in excrutiating pain. Darkseid's wisdom has crafted a warrior strengthened by extreme hardship. Edo Duran Vundabar will emerge from this whole affair stronger than ever… He will not die yet, he will live so he can extinguish the Green Flame of Armagetto!

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

I hope you enjoyed this little oneshot. I had a lot of fun writing it, but then again I've always been a fan of Kirby's 'Fourth World' characters/concepts. After reading Orion 18 (a great series btw) I've immediately became interested in the character of Raker. It isn't everyday you get a Green Lantern who is exiled on one of the most evil places in the multiverse and he can't rely on his ring to defend himself. This is a Green lantern who must use his own gile and resourcefulness to survive. I hope to revisit Raker later on in the future and maybe a few other Green Lanterns eventually. Who knows, maybe I'll get to writing that Jade story that's been at the back of my mind for a while, or that tale set on Rhoon, or maybe even an intergalactic space opera story. The ideas are limitless.

Cheers,
Tim Hartin