2013.06.30 - Du Matin, Part 1

The Planet Tarmetheon

With a heavy grunt, the large piece of metal is removed and thrown away. The density of this place is pretty heavy, so Superman's cape sticks to his back as if it were wet.

"Thought maybe he saw us coming."

The giant piece of metal was the wall of an abandoned outpost during the colonial era. The landscape is rocky and orange. Desolate. The air is breathable, but makes a guy feel sticky. Humid. That sort of thing.

This is the fourth planet they've been on, now and still no sign of Hildegarth.

The planet Matin had put out an APB to all heroes of sentient beings to find the fugitive. Apparently, he'd stolen some information from the Matin people's holicubes. Something to do about technology, that, if in the wrong hands could cause a lot of problems. Matin is a respected world full of commerce and frequented by very many races. Once they ask, they usually get what they want.

The Lantern of Sector 2814 was one of the heroes who responded to the APB, flying to the planet where he met up with the displaced Kryptonian in atmosphere over the first planet.

Landing a few feet to Superman's side, Hal extends out his fist and grabs hold of another huge chunk of metal wall and lifts it from the place it has sat since the density of the planet pulled the structure down several generations ago. "He can't have gotten far."

The Lantern corp had a wrap sheet on Hildegarth a mile long... a trader in illegal weapons and technology, he was one of the main suppliers of at least two known terrorist groups oporating in the Sector.

"Slippery little bug..." Hal didn't need to breath the air, the energy of the ring providing him all the life support he could want for so long as it was powered and active, but he still had to deal with the density. Strengthening his personal shielding to compensate for the planets increased pressure on his very human body.

"He's probably holed up deeper in..." Jutting his chin out towards one of the large red mounds a few kilometers off from the former outpost. "There's tunnels running all through this planet." Waving his finger after accessing the information the Corp has on it.

Superman nods to Lantern and floats upwards into the air. His eyes take a glazed look, and almost seem to go white as he falls quiet. Searching. "There," he says and points towards a dusty patch about 40 yards in front of them. "I imagine that's him."

When Superman uses his x-ray vision he's unable to distinguish features of the flesh. All he can see is a crouched humanoid skeleton, trying to be extremely quiet.

The information that Superman gotten was similar to what Lantern did, but something didn't sit right with Kal-El. What it was, he couldn't quite put his finger on.

This particular criminal had elluded even the most seasoned of Lantern's, Hal amongst them, so there was definitely something off about his sudden laziness. Lantern couldn't quite figure it out, but he too had a feeling there was more to this story.

There was just only one way to find out what it was. And it was crouching some yards away from them, trying to remain quiet. "Want to be good cop or bad cop?" He knew the answer before he asked it.

Superman was a boyscout.

Lantern rose up off the rocky ground and moved towards the location indicated by the Man of Steel.

Superman's familiar smile slips across his face as he begins to shake his head. He floats over behind Hal as they make their way to the point in question. "Just don't break him."

And as we pan farther back, we now know why the heroes knew Hildegarth was here. A sleek spaceship has crashed due to a lack of fuel out in desolate grounds. The fugitive was lucky to get this far. It doesn't seem as though he'll get much farther.

"How do you want to extract him?" Superman is about to give Hal a warning that this guy is reportedly armed and dangerous, but decides better of telling the intergalactic cop how to do is job.

Hal takes a deep breath, "He's alone down there?" Glancing over his shoulder with white washed eyes set in a green mask. "No hostages, so we can try reasoning with him. He's really out of options anyways." Motioning around at the desolate planet with one sweep of his white gloved hand.

"We're his only way off this rock and I doubt very seriously he wants to die here..." Glancing down at the place where Kal says the criminal is huddled, arms crossing as he hovers up in the thick air.

"We know you're down there, Hildegarth." Looking off to his side at Supes, canting his head a bit. "I strongly advice you to consider your situation very carefully before you force me to come in there after you..."

Does this by creating a megaphone of green energy. Density of the planet inhancing his voice even further until it's nearly like the very ground rumbling with an quake.

There are a few quiet moments after the rumbling stops.

The entire time, Superman is watching using his x-ray vision, pausing briefly to give Hal a 'what now?' look.

But eventually, Hildegarth slinks out of a hole off towards the heroes' right. He's a skinny grey thing with a pair of spectacles that makes his eyes look bigger, a big bald head, and slithery appendages. In two 'hands' he carries a case of some sort, which Superman's already scanning.

"Please! Don't hurt me!"

"Case is clean," Superman mutters under his breath, so only Hal can hear.

Hal takes a deep breath and rolls his shoulders. He really doesn't want to try and fight down in those tunnels.. the indigenous life is hardy and violent enough to make problems in close quarters...

The Lantern's lips press tight with his fist coming up to point his ring at an angle on the ground when Hildegarth comes slithering out of his hiding hole. "Smart move... put the case down." Moving his fist to point it down at the Hendorian smuggler.

"We're going to ask you some questions and you're going to answer them. You are already in violation of seven sector codes, wanted in twelve systems, and are considered a most wanted by the Lantern Corp. Do not make this more difficult by lying." Thumbing to Kal, "Kryptonians can see lies..." He's bluffing, obviously, but he's banking on the alien not knowing that.

Superman, whose eyes are now back to blue, shoots him a glance, but says nothing.

"Seven sector codes? But I've done nothing wrong," Hildegarth pleads. He sets down the brief cases. "You think stealing this information from the Matins is a crime, then fine, perhaps I could be tried on one case. But I've never done anything bad in my life. I'm a damn call center representative!"


 * It should be noted that the words are being translated to English via Hal's ring. Otherwise it would just be a lot of protesting, hands going up and down, and gibberish to them both.

"I deserve to be tried, if arrested at all!"

"And you will be." Hal assures him, lowering himself down to the planet's surface slowly until his boots touch the rocks. The Lantern kneels down and takes the case, sliding it back away from Hildegarth, keeping a constant eye on the supposed armed and suspected dangerous criminal.

"You say you have done nothing wrong, then do yourself a favor and cooperate. What do you want with this technology? Who hired you to steal it?" Kneeling down, fingers outlining the outter border of the case in search of the latch which will open it. The ring flashes for a moment and strengthens the shield around him incase there's an unseen trap. Not that he doesn't trust Superman, but it pays to double up on protection.

Hildegarth goes on his tippy toes as Hal begins to open it. "The combination is Echo-Bravo-Nine-Nine," he explains. "Please don't break it, it's a very expensive case.

"Of course I'm cooperating. It's not the Lantern's or this man in blue that I'm running from. It's from the Matin's themselves. I'm sure you can scan the documents using your ring, and I encourage you to. What I want with the technology is to show it to the universe."

Hal's brow creases at Hildegarth's plead, watching the alien with one brow elevated over his emerald mask. His thumb moves the combination wheel until the latch clicks and he opens the container with both hands, touching his ring against the holocube to download the information directly into the Lantern encyclopedia.

Is it standard procedure? Not entirely... but something is extremely fishy about all this. He's seen it in Superman's face as well as thought it himself.

And Hal's never really been one to play strictly by the rules anyways.

As the datacard information is fed through Lantern's ring and relayed directly to him, it will no doubt astonish.

The plans are secret government documents from high levels of authority. There's a lot here, thousands upon thousands of communications. But they all seem to point at something sinister on the part of the world of Matin. Corporate espionage, aggressive expansion and emigration to other worlds, plans to take over resources on the cheap through bad land deals, and exploitation of cheap labor (read: next to nothing).

"Lantern," Superman speaks up. "If this man is as wanted as the information the Guardians have on him says he is, why haven't I ever heard of him." Superman looks to Hildegarth, "No offense, but you don't look like the arch-villain warrior type."

"None taken, Kryptonian."

Hal takes only a few seconds to download the information, but several moments to process it all. His white washed eyes tick back and forth as his mind puts it all together, files it, and sends it to the datacubes on Oa for the Guardians to access themselves. Sort of like filing his 'report'.

When Superman speaks, Hal glances back and up at him with a nod and stands up, walking directly over to the alien and grabbing his wrist, turns his hand over and presses his finger tips to the lantern on his ring. "Cross check identity against Database records. Access for pronounciations of Hendorian names, vocal structure, and phonic variations." All the while staring at Hildegarth. "You have an evil twin I should know about?"

Hildegarth shakes his head, "No. Unfortunately my mother died during childbirth. I was the only child." He puts up no resistance and waits patiently. After a few moments, the ring comes back with an affirmative. This is Hildegarth, and is, indeed, the person they are looking for.

Superman watches on with interest, but stays quiet as Hal works.

With his hand already on the aliens wrist, Hal yanks him around and grabs for the other, wrapping both wrists in green energy. "Stay. I need to consult with my companion." As he lifts off, green iron brackets materialize around Hildegarth's ankles assuring the alien complies with the Lantern's command.

Floating up closer to Superman, arms crossed, Hal doesn't seem quite as convinced as he did when the 'criminal' could see his expression. His voice is low enough that in the dense atmosphere, it's unlikely to go further than the two of them. "It's definitely him. Oa has a criminal record uploaded form Matin..." Which is where the bothering him starts, "Information on that datacube is... disconcerting, to say the least." Relating it, in short form, to the Man of Steel.

"Protocol says I have to take him to Oa. He'll be turned over to the Matin's though and if he's telling the truth, it's buried here."

"Hey! Ouch!" Hildegarth wriggles in his bonds. "It's not like I could out run you, Green Lantern!" Nevertheless, if this guy did what the Guardians say he did, he could be a lot bigger of an adversary than he looks.

Superman tilts his head at Hal quizzically, clearly unsure himself. "Look, I gotta admit that I think something about the paperwork here is fishy. This guy, who doesn't look -honestly, look at him-doesn't look like he'd hurt a fly, lifts something secret from the Matins. If he's as big of a deal as the criminal warrant says, why have we never heard of him?"

Superman's head tilts to the other side. "Wish we had Wonder Woman's lasso, here." He pauses, and instantly realizes Hal may make a quip about just wishing Wonder Woman was here, "Right, right." He exhales, thinking. "What does your gut tell you?"

Hal starts to make it, it's right there on the tip of his tongue, but he sees Kal's expression and knows the point is moot... So instead he smirks, arms already crossed anyways, and looks smug. At least for a second, there's a man's life hanging in the air (metaphorically speaking).

The Lantern looks down at the man, head tilted to one side. "We could give him a reason to escape... and see what he does." Expression going hard, no matter what it is Superman says...

Clearly, Hal has a plan.

"I'm sure you're shocked to find that I'm somewhat apprehensive about that plan," Superman says, folding his own arms across his chest, but smiling. "I guess no matter what we do, it's our fiduciary responsibility to see to it that this being gets an honest trial. My gut tells me that the only crime he may be guilty of is stealing these documents."

Superman opens his mouth to say something else, but then it just sort of hangs there, open. On the horizon, up in the sky, humongous black orbs announce the arrival of Matin gunships. Some of the sleekest, fastest, and most heavily weaponized in the universe, it seems that they've brought the kitchen sink to this party.

"Lantern . . ." Superman's voice trails as it's clear that the jump from hyperspace put the ships inside the planet's airspace. They already seem to have pierced the atmosphere.

"Green Lantern and Kal, Son of El," you will hand over the prisoner to us for trial," a booming voice erupts from the gunboats.

Superman looks to Hal worriedly, and then back at Hildegarth.

TO BE CONTINUED