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Slyvester, looked up with a hiss. Groaning, "What hit me, Grundy?" Rubbing his eyes, he noticed he was in a loft. He definantly didn't know.
"Good, your up. I got some pancakes for you." Said, a well to be honest he looked like aryan perfection. Slyvester tensed.
"Let me guess. I eat those, then you... what did Pat always say. Hydra me." He snarked. Pat also said he, well had a temper. To put it lightly.
What he didn't expect was laughter. "Sorry, it's been a while. Since, I have had a conversation so socially." Clearing his throat. "I should start with who I am. My name is Oliver Queen, Slyvester."
"Oliver Queen." That name sounded familiar. Wasn't that from Pat's and his. As his eyes widened. "Wait I know a Queen."
"Yeah from your time in the Seven Soliders of Victory. Don't you want some pancakes. They will go cold?" Oliver attempted to smile.
Standing up. "No, I'm famished. Thanks, though I would rather know why you don't look old and gray. And what all this is?" Reaching, or pulling his staff to him. Only for nothing, after a few moments. "Cosmo, it's not here." Shocked.
"No that stayed in the mortal plane. It had it's own destiny to fulfill. You know why?" His voice, was surprisingly gentle. "I had told pat to keep the staff safe, for the next user. That would only happen if I died, somehow."
"We were running, from the Society. In Pat's car. Then we crashed, and..." clutching his side. "Told him to keep it safe. Not him, as I always instructed for the staff. To keep him safe. He would try to be me." He chuckled.
"Then icicle killed me." Sitting back down. "Damn. Is this some kind of after life? Heaven, though I definitely did somethings to belong in hell."
"Actually. You described Purgatory. People thinking that they deserve hell. When they can possibly be in heaven. Think of it as a island." Oliver said amused, by something. Suddenly. The pancakes were on the table near him, and a water. Which he gulped the later.
"I'm not the Oliver, you know. Actually you can say I'm much more than that. Something else, than that." He smirked. As a green glow spread around the loft. The skyline turned into into a island outside before Slyvester's eyes. And "Oliver" now stood in a green cloak. With face paint. In front of the counter. A otherworldly presence to him he knew.
"The Spectre. Your him. The hand of god, his wrath." He had knew of the Spectre power. Seen it action too. This was the first time. He was close to this power. The closet thing he can say, that was to a God. Maybe he had a thousand words. Could've been said. All he can get out was "why?". Covering his eyes.
Then it all went back into his hands. as everything returned to normal. As it was before. " because I need your help. Slyvester. You and your earth. Are gonna need all they can get, against the first hand of god. Or Eclipso, as you call him."
" Eclipso. The Black Diamond. Last I ever heard of that. Was when we finished Gordon. And gave that to Mcnider. For safe keeping. Good riddance. Sionyara. I'd say."
"Except. After your Society's defeat. The Wizard, had collected it for his collection of magical artifacts. That leads it closer to someone as corrupted as Gordon. To claim it wouldn't you think?"
"Okay, then some other poor disillusioned soul. Gets possed. Share thereself with Eclipso. That's all it can do. Just some old fashioned spiritual haunting."
"And if that diamond breaks. That haunting. Well in your terms. Would be a demon. Free, into the new multiverse. Your earth."
"It can do that. We always speculated, but Mcnider. and the science guys never figured out how to properly destroy it. Even the Shade didn't know."
"He knew. The shade is sensitive to certain subjects. In the wrong hands. Especially that the black diamond can be broken with it's opposite pure light."
"Pure light. Like Cosmo's." He knew that the Staff, chose it's bearers. Ted had said. They day he had met Cosmo. He never thought Cosmo could potentially break Eclipso.
"Perhaps. The Diamond is merely a temporary shell, to contain him. As you can see with how Eclipso can interact with people in this form. You could have destroyed only the diamond."
"Only the diamond. Meaning Eclipso could have lived. If I could've..."
"Could've released him. Alot earlier than expected. And slaughter the JSA, before the injustice society did. The only play was to kill Gordon, and lock up the diamond. The best you thought to."
"In my previous life. As the Green Arrow. I belived in extremes. People could only be dealt with as extreme as they are. All they way to my responsibilities now. You only could kill Gordon."
With a deep sigh. "Killing Gordon. Cost us, us. Nobody was able to look at me the same way. Not Jay. Even Pat. Looked at me, like he didn't know me anymore. Then when we finally were under one roof. I thought we could reconcile, we fell apart instead." Head in his hands.
"And you will have to go forward with that. The rest of your existence. I've let mistakes define me too, Slyvester. It will bring you and others down. When you go down that road. I had to learn to take them, and use them. Just as much as my arrows." Oliver quipped.
"Tommy Merlyn, the Undertaking. Moira Queen, the Siege. My sister, the Outbreak." Sylvester could tell, Oliver grimaced. "Laurel Lance, Genisis. My city had been lead, one after the other. To be corrupted, and taken advantage of. By, madmen.
"A awfully depressing story. Your life, has lead one disaster after the other."
"Yes, point is. You can't be without the decisions, you make. Gordon, may have destroyed you, and your team. And... you know what I'm still working at these speeches. Let me just give you a example."
Then the scence changed again. Green, then he could see what he could tell. Another hourman. A female Wildcat. And a small midnite? Iron Vintage Giant, looming over them. That's not what had his attention. In front of them, was a familiar costume, like his. Cosmo too, glowing brightly beside female him.
He gasps for breath. Clutching the water again. Drinking air. Until Oliver flicks, his hand. Next to him. And water returns again. "What was that?!
"The next JSA. That has recently formed because Courtney Whitmore, has found the staff." "Pat kept his promise?" "He kept his promise."
"Oh my.... almighty." He was stunned. He has not thought, there would be another JSA, after them. Feeling something loosen inside him. He barely could hear himself mumble. "I didn't kill them."
"How could I believe you. This could still be some multiverse crap. To hook me, into whatever you want." Though there was a reason. It sounded hollow for him.
"I want for you to have the chance. To protect the next JSA. And personally I don't want to see your earth burn again. If you believe nothing else, believe this."
"And how would this work. Become this Spectroylte. And kick some Eclipso sith ass." Yes Wildcat. He made a Star Wars pun, he mused. This was seeming so much like Star Wars.
"Purgatory connects us all. Makes us, are truest self. And as the person who prepared me with this power stated. All the battles we have faced leads us to our biggest one."
"Wait. Why can't you go down yourself. You certainly know how to do things, being the spectre. Aren't you on the same level as him. "
Oliver grins, "Because I also taken the responsibility to monitor, and steady the multiverse. From all things, derived from the crisis, or that can jeopardize it. From it's previous holder."
" And because of me being busy. Not wanting to risk, this becoming another multiverse problem. I'm appointing you. Apart of team Spectre."
At his bewildered look. "The last guy I was talking about who gave me, access to the power because I had a purpose, a destiny you might say. Of course you would be my representative, of course. After you do yours. Can't just leave your earth unintended. New Earths, are still unknown to me. And at a infinite rate. Can't do it, just by myself." Looked like he grumbled.
"I'd be the wrath of the wrath of God?"
"Yeah sounds, about right. Of course it isn't that simple. I once told a great friend, of mine. I only have the power to be able to do what you want to do."
"If you had the guilt in front of Eclipso. You would hurt everyone else. And he'd take your power from you. Remember it's the same as his. Chaos, and Wrath."
"You needed to know your purpose. And forge that guilt into something wrath like. And not let it consume you, it's no different than you. Or the purpose of purgatory, itself. Can you do that?"
Slyvester thought for a minute. "Yes. I could for them. The next JSA, and the safety of my world. I'll do the best I can. To be the man they believe me to be, and myself. Like Pat, said, I have to live up to that more." Feeling good about himself.
"Guess I'll eat those pancakes." He quipped. Both men laugh. "You did guzzle the water though." More laughter. "I know you are not sure about yourself. You'll realize you are the man, for this. I seen it, myself. Looking through, how this can go. Speaking of, looking."
Hands, him a small container with a strange symbol. At Slyvester's skeptical look. "It will contain Eclipso, better than you think. Or not be temporary anymore."
"Trust yourself. And don't go about it alone. They help you, not be chaos. Pat, for example. Contain Eclipso. And be the best you can be. This time, around."
That's what he remembers. When he woke up. Covered in dirt, and debris. In the same forest, he died in. He at least had managed to get his hands on a car. And clothes. Fresh ones, he smelled. Certainly, a shower. As he moved the rear view mirror. His eyes, glowing green. Under his glasses.