The next day after classes came to an end, before Mr. Nagai could leave for the teacher's lounge, I called out to him and said "Wait, I have something I want to talk to you about."
He turned to face me and said "Yes Hoshino?"
"Yesterday, you said those things to me, about me having potential." I said "I don't know what you were talking about and wanted to ask what you meant."
Mr. Nagai looked at me with a genuinely baffled expression and said "I'm sorry to say Hoshino, that I don't know what you're talking about. I stayed late in the teacher's lounge to finish correcting papers from your class. Perhaps it just looked like me due to poor lighting."
Is he really going to play dumb? I need to know what he was talking about, if he knows about the ring, and how I've been trying to be a hero. But I don't know if I'll be able to get anything out of him.
"If you really don't believe me, you could speak to Mrs. Kagekiyo, who was there with me. Now besides that, do you have anything to ask about?"
I sighed and said "No, that's all."
Mr. Nagai nodded and left, as I decided that since I don't know what I can do, I'll just keep an eye on him for now.
Two Weeks Later...
As I wandered around town with Kazushi, we ended up heading into whatever shops interested us. It's been a while since the two of us have had the chance to hang out and actually spend time together so I'm glad to have a day to just hang out with my brother. I picked up a couple games at a used game shop and followed Kazushi into a shop for sportswear and the like. As much as it makes me guilty that he threw away so much to take care of me, Kazushi was always super passionate about sports, and was a 3rd dan black belt in shotokan karate, but since he needed a way to make more money to take care of me and him, he gave up on his passion.
Still, he'll be able to return to his passion once he doesn't need to deal with the dead weight that is now as his younger brother. And hopefully I can find something I'm passionate about someday too. But before I go anywhere with it, I want to pay Kazushi back for everything
"Hey Naoki, there's a movie theater not too far from here, how about we see something?" Kazushi suggested as we walked up the stairs of a bridge over the road.
"Alright, that works for me." I said
As we walked across the bridge, I looked at the cars passing under us, when all of a sudden, Kazushi, me, and everybody else on the bridge seemed to start to struggle to breath, and right as I felt myself losing consciousness, I could suddenly breath again, at least until suddenly there was a loud boom as fire suddenly filled the area, and as the bridge started to collapse, and before I could be burned too much, Kazushi pushed me off the bridge. It'll definitely hurt, but I'll survive the fall. Or at least it would if I didn't have the ring, and before I hit the ground, I pulled it out of my pocket and put it on, and stopped my descent.
<Fear>
Before I could react, the mysterious explosion caused the bridge to collapse, the pieces falling and crushing the cars that were underneath it. As the dust settled, I rushed towards the rubble, praying to god that Kazushi was okay. As I got there, I saw multiple people trapped under rubble, and Kazushi, burned and with a piece of rebar through his back.
My thoughts are a mess, but as I walked towards Kazushi, I created the four armed ogre from a game to try and remove the rubble on top of people
"Kazushi, are you okay?" I asked. Please god, don't let me lose my brother too. I don't know what I'll do if I end up all alone...
"Y/n? You're that new vigilante?" Kazushi weakly said, dazed, but still able to recognize my voice
"We can talk about that later, but for now we need to get you help." I said
"I-I'll be fine for the moment. Focus on the others fir-" Kazushi said before he started to gasp, holding onto his throat, seemingly unable to breath.
"Come on. Why is it that the one person I was trying to kill the most is still alive?"
I turned and saw that walking towards us with an open box of matches was the arsonist that keeps appearing on the news, Kaen Kimura. From what I understand, he specialized in causing gas fires, igniting whole buildings with one spark.
"Kill? Well, I guess I'll figure out why you were going after him later. For now, you need to surrender" I said, holding the ring towards him
<Willpower>
"And why the hell are you able to breathe? I thought I removed the oxygen around that bastard." Kaen said
"Let's just say I'm special." I said "Now how about you put your hands behind your back and I'll take you back where you belong"
Kaen smiled and said "Nah, not until I get my payback."
Suddenly I heard Kazushi no longer choking, and as I turned back to face him, Kaen lit a match and tossed it towards me. Not a moment later, the air the match touched burst into flame, and an explosion knocked me back. As I landed beside Kazushi, Kaen tossed another match towards me, and I created a spherical shield around the two of us to protect us from the blast, but even then the blast cracked my shield. Kaen's eyes widened for a moment before he pulled out another match.
My brother, the only family I have left, could die here, all the people caught under the destroyed bridge could die, and it's all this bastard's fault. And worst of all, he doesn't even seem to care! To him, he has control here, and he isn't going to stop those blasts of his until they're all dead. He needs to pay, he needs to suffer just as much agony as all these people are feeling.
As I saw him hold up his next match, I felt my mouth salivate, and a flavor like sulfur and oil filled my mouth
<Rage>
—----------------------------------------------
To all bystanders, as Kaen Kimura prepared to toss another match and set the air itself ablaze, a red streak of light flew from the wreckage, and charged into him, Kaen disappearing as the streak heading into the sky, the only sign of him being there a second before being a box of matches falling where he once stood.
Naoki, his mind clouded and filled with rage, had tackled Kaen and carried him off into the air, his hand holding Kaen by the throat, his saliva dripping and falling onto Kaen's shoulder and sizzling as it burnt his skin.
"L-let me go!" Kaen said, grimacing from the pain
"And why should I do that? After all the pain you've caused others you can't take some pain yourself?" Naoki said, spitting as he spoke, it splattering and burning Kaen
"Why? Why can't I suffocate you?" Kaen screamed. Ever since he survived the mistake that was his last fire, the one he'd been paid to do, he'd been able to choke people with a wave of his hands, and cause explosions with a spark, yet he truly was defenseless against the man who had a hand tightly around his throat.
Noaki, using all of his force, threw Kaen onto the roof of a nearby building, and after a sick crack, stood over him.
After recovering for the shortest second, Kaen pulled a lighter out of his pocket and tossed it at the man in front of him who had just landed in front of him. As the lighter hit Naoki on the chest, there was an explosion, and he was blown back. But just as Kaen started to think he was safe, Naoki stood up again, blood oozing from a gash on Naoki's head.
"It's time you pay." Naoki said, raising his fist, planning to crush the windpipe of the man in front of him. After all, who says he couldn't with this sudden surge of strength?
As Naoki started to swing, fully intending to cause this bastard to suffer the worst he could, a green construct of a hand grabbed onto Naoki's forearm and stopped him.
"That's enough."
Behind Naoki was the man considered the greatest of the Green Lanterns, who had come to investigate a supposed reappearance of the phantom ring, the man without fear, Hal Jordan.
—-----------------------------------------
As I turned my head to look at the person who was stopping me from putting this scumbag down, I saw that it was one of the Green Lanterns I had watched videos of when I was trying to find out about the ring. I struggled to break free of the construct's grip, but failed as I said "Let me go."
"I can't do that. Not only were you going to kill him, that ring you have there has been missing for the past month, and is too dangerous, I'm gonna be taking it back." he said
"Take it back? No! It's mine now! You can't take it, I won't let you!"
<Avarice>
As I started to struggle more to break free from his grasp, it broke free as his construct shifted from green to orange, and started to surround me. I guess even his light is mine too. I want all of that light, in fact I want more than just that, there are so many things that should be mine. So many things that should belong to me.
I charged at the Green Lantern in front of me, and whipped my hand forward, multiple tendrils of orange light shooting towards him and taking a hold of him, pulling him closer to me, where I started to punch him with orange gauntlets. He's trying to take away my ring, my power! Well I won't let him!
"It's mine, you hear me? Mine!"
With his free hand, he punched me without any of that green light of his covering his fist, causing me to recoil.
"You need to take the ring off! It's messing with your head, kid!" he said
"No way! The moment I do it, you're gonna try and take it from me!" I said
Suddenly, I felt a blast against my back, and while it did mess up my concentration and Green Lantern broke free, my orange light grew bigger. However, as I turned to see who did it, I saw Kaen. His life is mine to take, and I won't let him get away!
<Rage>
As I felt my mouth salivating again, I charged back at him, fully intending to end him. But as I got closer, I felt myself pushed against the ground and restrained.
"If you won't take off the ring, then talk to me. Focus! If you don't, all those people could end up dead!" Green Lantern said
Shit, that's right. I was so focused on the bastard in front of me that I stopped thinking about my brother, and all the others who could die. Oh god, if they die it'll all be my fault.
<Fear>
As my outfit changed to yellow, my mind felt clearer, and my body felt like it was burning, and was being torn apart "W-what is happening to me?"
"That's the ring. If you can't control it, it's going to eat you alive and eventually make you blow." Green Lantern said
"What? But I thought this was my chance to actually do some good, to be able to help people!" I said. Oh god, have I just been putting everybody in harm's way?
"Hal, I have something to talk to you about concerning this boy."
I felt my binding lossen, and as I moved to stand up, I saw Green Lantern alongside a tall, bald man with green skin. I recognize this one, he's the Martian Manhunter. He's appeared in Japan in the past, and back in the 90s he was called the Jade Warrior here, there was even a manga about him. Although since he goes by Martian Manhunter nowadays, I doubt it was in any way accurate...
"What is it, J'onn?"
"Ever since I discovered he had a power ring, I've been keeping an eye on this boy, judging to see whether or not he could do good with it. Hal, he has potential. He even was able to beat The Shark two weeks ago." Martian Manhunter said
"Wait, that thing is just straight up called The Shark?" I said
"Really?" Green Lantern said
"Yes. I've also been watching him as a civilian." Martian Manhunter said, transforming into Mr. Nagai "I believe that he genuinely wants to do good."
I stood back up and took a deep breath before I said "Hal, or Green Lantern, or whatever I should call you, you said that it's dangerous if you can't control it, right? Then please, teach me how to control it."
Green Lantern smirked at me and said "Alright, meet me in the sky in ten minutes, I'll give you that long to get things in order. It's the guardian's decision, but if J'onn will vouch for you, I will too. But be aware that you may be gone for a couple of weeks."
"Right." I said. I put back on the ring, and in the green suit, flew back to the site of the accident, where ambulances were saving who they could. One of the cots, headed for an ambulance, had Kazushi on it.
"Is he going to be okay?" I asked the E.M.T
"I don't know about okay, but he should hopefully live." they responded
I followed alongside them until they loaded him into the ambulance, and as they headed to board the ambulance, I had a moment alone with Kazushi.
"So it looks like we have some things to talk about..." I said
"We do, but that can wait until later." Kazushi said
"Right. But right now I need to say something. I may be gone for a couple weeks to really learn how to use this thing. So until I come back, please cover for me." I said
Kazushi looked surprised for a moment before giving me a smile and said "Geez, what would you do without me? Alright, I can do that. Although it may be hard to come up with an excuse for Sumire as to why she won't even be able to call."
"I know." I said "Still, I hopefully won't be gone for too long."
I then flew away to meet back up with Green Lantern. I'm gonna miss Kazushi, Sumire, Keke, Ren, Kanon, and Chisato, but I'll try to be back as soon as I can, and I'll be able to make sure that all of them will be able to live a safe life that they can dedicate to reaching and attaining whatever their dreams may be.
<Hope>
As I changed to the blue light, I felt my body start to burn intensely, and was filled with an intense pain. I felt myself start to drop, when I felt something solid below me and saw Green Lantern had created a floor below me.
"Hey, are you okay?" he asked
"Y-yeah, I think so. But my body feels like it's on fire." I said
The floor underneath me grew up and became a sphere around me, and Green Lantern said "Take off the ring for a bit and rest, I'll take us. The phantom ring is dangerous if you can't keep control of your emotions"
I nodded and took off the ring "Right, thank you."
"It's nothing. Now I take it you are ready to go?"
"I am, thank you Green Lantern." I said
"Just call me Hal." He said "Now, we're headed to the center of the universe, the planet Oa."
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A/n: And thus is the end of the first arc. I'm really having fun with this story, and I hope you guys are too. With Naoki now off to learn how to really use the Phantom ring, a lot of future constructs are going to be references to games and anime, so I'd love if you guys could try and keep an eye out for moments like that.
Also, I've finally shown off my first original villain. I wanted to create an original rogues gallery since I'm trying to write this in the regular continuity, with the exception of the really lame heroes DC has for Japan (The fact that one of the actual heroes for the place is literally called Shiny Happy Aquazon makes me want to die) And so because of that, I decided to try and set something up myself.