Green Lantern's Protégée

SPECIAL: Charlie's Story

Hello all! As we wait for the inevitable arrival of Green Lantern's Return on April 30th (ONLY 9 DAYS!!!!!), I have decided to hold you all over with a very special short story about the backstory of our lovely, intergalactic villain, and traitor Charlie!

Before the story, I have a few special pieces of news. First, y'all are going to love the new Cyra Brion and the story! It's so much fun writing and Cyra gets some major character development! You will also see more OCs and Cyra's family! And yes, this won't be the last you see of Charlie ;)

Another thing is some self-promotion. I have just published a new story on Wattpad called The Capitol Games, a Hunger Games fanfiction based off the what-if the Capitol children were sent off into the Games at the end of Mockingjay. If you enjoy the Hunger Games, fights to the death, and some LGBT pride, check it out!

Also, my story, Gotham, is coming to a close very soon! We're hitting the climax folks, and I'd love if you jump on the wagon now! There is plenty of action left in the story.

And finally: to the story!

Planet Daxam

Many Years Before Meeting Cyra Brion

Not one, but two suns blazed away, but Char-lee had always been used to having two suns, having grown up on the wide farmlands of Daxam.

He was soaked with sweat. His shirts never lasted long in the heat, leaving them nothing more than damp rags. He gave up completely in wearing them anymore, only having baggy thin pants to protect his legs against the sharp bristles of grain.

Acres upon acres of pale hay and tall grass filled with fine seed stood around him. The hoe in his hands barely made a dent on the pasture, but he still had many hours of the day to work, and one of the suns had just hit their peak, leaving him caged in his own burned skin from the suffocating heat.

His skin peeled around his nose and cheeks. His father was weathered like old leather, and Char-lee hoped his youth would hold on for a little bit longer, but it wasn't looking very good.

A groan left his lips. Sometimes, noises would just leave him. His tongue was heavy and dry, his throat parched. He grabbed his large jug, pouring it into his mouth and letting down drip down on his skin, where it would sizzle against him and disappear into the atmosphere. It was just too damn hot.

It wasn't the long hours of intense labor or the blistering sun that got to him—it was the repetitive boredom that plagued him every day, which there was no escape from.

The same work happened every day. He had to walk through the scratchy stalks of vegetables, pick out the weeds that left blood on his hands, cut down any of the dead plants that couldn't survive the heat, pick anything that was ready, load it up, and transfer it back home, pounds on his back, but it wasn't much weight. He's able to lift tons more.

But it was simple—easy work that took hours upon hours to do solely because there was so much of it.

Finally, a hooting reached his ears, signaling it was time for lunch. He packed up the dry, tasteless vegetables onto the large pack strapped across his shoulders and began his trek back to the house like a mule.

A long time passed before he reached the one-story ranch house, built from rotten wood and thin metal shingles that made it chime in the wind and everyone within a mile knew exactly where they were. Daxam wasn't a large planet by any means, to the point everyone knew everyone, but there weren't many of them, so they all had their space.

Char-lee was perfectly aware that his family was one of the firsts that came here when Krypton was under threat—also known as the oldest and most respected.