Wait...Ducks Drink Milk? (Nighthawks Invite)

Finally, Mark had returned home to Earth. The trip had taken him nearly 3 hole days and that's after he got out of the wormhole from Odym. But, of course he knew it would be like that before he even made the trip. It's like his elder Lantern Lunic had said, "We are weaker than regular Lanterns in the regard that we need another to reach full power, but that weakness is also our strongest weapon. It is because we combine willpower with our hope that our Corps. are the the most powerful of the others in the emotional spectrum." Ya well where was a Green Lantern when you needed one?

As Mark re-entered Earth's atmosphere he flashed back to his training. Overall everything had gone well, he better understood his duty and was beginning to grasp how to optimize his ring usage, as well as it's limitations. Although, while there they taught him more about what Hope meant to the universe than how to use it as a weapon. That part he was going to have to figure out on his own. "It's ok, just remember to stay hopeful and you'll get the hang of this." Easier said than done. Truthfully, Mark's faith in himself was shaky at best. He had been given a crash course in being a univeasal protector, but without being trained in field combat he wasn't very sure if he could handle one of the galaxies most powerful weapons. Not to mention he wasn't looking forward to running into any enemy Lanterns again.

For now, Mark pushed all those thoughts into the back of his mind and just tried to focus on finding a place to live. He couldn't go back to his foster family, he would visit occaionally, but the members of the Justice League told him it was better if he hid his invovlement with the Blue Lantern Corps. hidden, even from them. A story had been devised that Mark had was finally adopted and moved away. When in reality he had diappeared for a month to visit a distant planet in another solar system FAR, FAAAAAR, away. Can't go back, don't wanna get the fam mixed up in this. So what now? Well I am hungry, I guess going to the store wouldn't hurt. And with that Mark took off towards the market area of Jump City.

Upon arrival Mark landed behind a dumpster outside the supermarket and instantly changed clothes into some black jeans, bluck converse, and a blue sweater with white draw strings. After doing so the teenager hid his lantern in a pocket dimensional rift that only occurred around a power battery and proceeded into the store. Mark went up and down the isles grabbing what little food he could afford. After he finsihed grabbing all the items he approached the cashier's counter and found something odd in front of him. Rather than waiting in line behind a person the teen was standing behind a very small duck. However, this was not just any old duck, this duck had a suit case, a trench coat on with a little hat and seemed to be getting very aggrivated with the employee at the register. "I'm sorry, I don't understand what you're saying. You're 50 cents short, do you want to place an item back?" The duck hysterically quacked back at the girl and again she just stood with a confused look upon her face. Apparently, that was the last straw for the strange human influenced duck. For soon after his last angry quack it fluffed it's his feathers and reached into the trenchcoat, pulling out a long tommy gun and unloaded at the girl behind the counter instantly. Luckily and instinctively, the girl was able to duck just in time behind the register and covered her head avoiding being shot, but the duck just continued to blow away.

Mark was shcoked, he didn't really know what to do. A freaking duck just pulled a firearm out of it's coat and was going to kill a girl over 50 cents that it was short for milk. Mark then realzied that he had to quickly snap out of it. This girl was in trouble and he had sworn an oath to be an intergalactic peacekeeper and this display was anything but peaceful. He looked around for a second and noticed that the coast was clear. That or other customers had ran for cover once they heard the rounds of the gun firing. Either way Mark took the chance to re-suit up and then dropped his groceries as he shined a beam of light at the duck hoping to grab his intention. "That'll be enough of that, errr, Mr. Duckling. I'm sure the girl understands that you have no intention of paying full price for your 2% milk and would be glad to give you a discount this time."

Awww diplomacy and how it usually failed to work on those already on a set course. This duck was no different. While Mark spoke to it and tried to resolve the matter peacefully, Mr. Quackers just replied with a stern qauck and then turned the sub machine gun his way and opened fire. Mark barely had enough time to react, but still qucikly threw up a blue rounded shield in front of his person that deflected the bullets. Nevertheless, with the continual shell casings smashing againt the construct, Mark found hismelf having to hope more and more that it wouldn;t break to keep it from shattering. Wow, first day back and I'm already being shot at. Way to go Mark, and by a duck of all things.

(Mind If I was to pop up in this with Nikki?)

OOC: It does say NightHawks invite. Hurray for Mr. Quackers!

BIC:
Mr. Pacific was patrolling the streets when he heard gunshots. A lot of gunshots. What was going on here?

He ran into the store with nun-chucks already out. He saw a man with a blue bubble shield being shot at by...Mr. Quackers? Pacific had only heard of the fiendish meta-duck in the past, but now he was looking right at the infamous criminal.

Pacific's armor wasn't bulletproof, so he was at a disadvantage here. He threw a nun-chuck at Quackers and then dove for cover. The nun-chuck had been poorly aimed and missed. Quackers turned for a second to shoot at Pacific, who was hiding behind a counter.

Bullets filled the air around him.

Mark's shielding wasn't doing so well, pieces of it were starting to fall out of place allowing bullets to zip by him. He was still holding it up, but it was taking serious effort! He was holding his ring hand by the wrist with his other hand with sweat dripping down his chin. He had no idea keeping a construct up would be this hard and it seemed to be getting harder. What, NO! Come on gotta keep the hope going, what would the other Blue Lanterns say? Focus Rowan, FOCUS! Luckily, the duck's attention was grabbed by another as a nun-chuck soared passed it and it instead fired on what Mark had thought to be a random citizen who had come to his aid. Great, now even the people thought he was hopeless. This is my chance to mount an offensive maneuver, better not screw it up. Just envision it in your mind and it'll appear, you can do this Mark, you're a Lantern of Hope.

"Fear not, all will be well citizen. The Blue Lantern's got em." Mark then sprung into the air and came soaring down towards Mr. Quackers. Both his fists encased themselves in hard light on the way down forming two blue boxing gloves over each hand and as the right haymaker connected, a big thump was heard, following dust from the tile flooring and plaster flying up into the air. However, once it cleared it could be seen that he hadn't actually hit anything except for the now cracked floor. "HEY, well maybe I don't got em!?" *QUACK* The gloves then dissipated from Marks hands just like his dome shield had broken apart leaving the boy standing with nothing, but his own blue aura around him and a puzzled look upon his face as to where the perp. had gone. However, that quack alerted him to Mr. Quacker's position just in time to feel the wrath of his unrelenting bullet fire.

Mark turned to see Mr. Quackers. it had somehow avoided his attack and was now behind him with the Tommy gun pointed right at the ring-slinger. Wow that duck is quick! No sooner had Mark noticed it the duck took aim and hit the Blue Lantern in the chest with a full round from it's clip. The bullet's didn't penetrate his armor, but Mark's shielding could not take away the pain from such an attack or just take it to the chest like Superman. "AAAAAAAAHHH!!" Instead he was knocked backwards into an isle of cereal, jam, and other breakfast necessities. Tipping over the whole row in his wake and then as he laid there the boy gasped for breath feeling like he had just been jabbed fourty times in his rib-cage.

Quackers was distracted by the blue person. Good. That guy seemed to know how to handle himself. Even as he got shot in the chest and flung across the room, Pacific could tell that the blue guy wasn't dead.

Now that was impressive. Bullet-proof...kinda.

Pacific pulled out a bottle of Mace spray and his Swiss army knife. Piercing the bottle of chemicals so as to create a constant stream of them, he tossed the Mace towards Mr. Quackers. Quackers wasn't planning on sticking around, however, and immediately ran for cover on the other side of the store. Pacific lost sight of him behind a tall shelf.

Didn't this guy ever run out of bullets?

Nope. Quackers appeared from behind another shelf and started firing an unstopping stream of bullets towards Pacific. Pacific jumped behind a heavy counter.

Pulling out his communicator, he called for back-up from the Night Hawks.

Hearing her communicator go off, Haruhi appeared at the scene of the crime. Hearing round after round of bullets go off inside the market, she knew she had to be on her toes and stay sharp. She wasn't bulletproof so she had to go in cautiously.
She stayed close to the ground as she went farther into the market.
She heard another round of shots go off, and jumped behind a huge stack of cans. She didn't know if she had been spotted yet, or if the bullets were even meant for her. Rolling, crawling and diving behind counters, she peeked over one to see exactly what they were dealing with and what was going gun crazy.
A duck? With a gun? She'd seen some weird things, but so far this has got to be the most strangest thing she has ever gone against. Since when did ducks go shopping at supermarkets, or better yet, since when did they carry a gun?

She stealthy walked behind some more counters before she reached Mr. Pacific.
"Really? That's what we're dealing with?"
She peeked over the counter again and this time a guy in blue not far off caught her eye. "Who's he, a civilian?"
He didn't feel normal, he had bullet holes in his clothing but other than that seemed fine.

While Mr. Quackers continued to fire upon Mr. pacific and now Haruhi, who was peaking over things and trying to see what was going on out of their cover Mark had regained some of his senses. The Lantern turned over and was breathing exasperatingly hard; the wind had been knocked out of him, but considering that he should be swiss cheese really he should count himself lucky. After turning over he saw that the duck was still running a muck in the store and had what the Lantern still perceived to be a civillian pinned down, obviously not noticing Haruhi yet. This was starting to anger Mark, not the fact that he was being shown up by a duck, of all things, but that he couldn't protect the people he had sworn an oath to. That's it, this duck's GOT to GO.

"HEY! You're going to miss your ride!" As Mark spoke he had already gotten up with his eyes glowing bright blue as the rage filled his system and he pointed the ring at the duck while holding his ring hand's wrist with the other. The bold call was meant to get it's attention. Meanwhile, he began speaking the oath as the aura all around him seemed to spike frantically, almost like an open flame.


Mark then experienced a power rush like he had never felt before in his life! It was like a one shot KO, all or nothing, die or try feeling. It was like he was putting all he had into this last construct, and with the utterence of those words, from the confine of his ring he built what appeared to be a whole city bus within the store that went hurdling towards sMr. Quackers. The whole construct didn't even really fit in the grocery store to be honest. The roof of the light motor vehicle was scraping the ceiling as it's horn blew. Although, there was an unforseen issue with it as well. The bus had red cracks all over it, it was what other Lantern's would describe as a 'weak' construct. Even though Mark formed it while supercharged by the oath, he had used the wrong emotion you see. Hope powered the ring, but when he constructed this bus he was angry with himself. Thus making what happened next a huge wake up call...

Mr. Quackers turned after the remark made by the Blue Lantern and saw that he was now speaking a long winded chant. He could've shot him during it, but he realized now bullets weren't hurting this foe. Instead Quackers kicked his suit case he had with him earlier, flinging it open and popping up a large rocket launcher out of nowhere. Even for a gun crazed duck, carrying around an RPG in your suitcase was a little manic. In anycase, as the bus approached Mr. Quackers pointed the large missle launcher at the moving hard light construct and fired. The missile flew towards it and upon collision the vehicle's cracks were exploited and it broke apart in a huge explosion, which knocked back a surprised Mark Rowan. The recoil sent him hurtling into the side wall of the building, where upon impact his body left a huge imprint in the structure and then dropped to the ground flat on his stomach where he laid weakened and battered. Uhghh, he broke it? He destroyed my construct, but how, why!? Whyyy am I a failure? Why isn't my hope strong enough like the others.... Mark then collapsed. He was momentarily exhausted emotionally, which was the source of his power. His ring in response completely powered down as well leaving him defenseless.

Mr. Quakers turned his attention back to the guy in blue, and pointed his rocket launcher. This was not good, acting quick Haruhi jumped up onto the counter and waved her arms.

"Hey, duck Face, over here!" she then jumped from counter to counter dodging the rockets. Unlike Bullets, rockets took a bit more time to fire so it was easier to dodge. She was going to act as a diversion so Mr. Quackers would get his mind away from the civilian and the blue guy, and Mr. Pacific.
Hopefully she could get in closer to get a hit, or someone else could while he was occupied.

Pacific watched in amazement as the blue-man created a bus out of pure energy and sent it rolling towards Quackers. This guy was a Green Lantern? No. Green Lanterns only made green constructs. That would make this guy...a Blue Lantern? Pacific had never heard of such a thing, but he didn't care at the moment. That guy was the key to beating Quackers.

Unfortunately, the bus got blown up and Blue Man was sent flying.

As Haruhi jumped around the store, dodging rockets, Pacific ran out to the Blue Man and grabbed him by the shoulders.

"Quick. Get up! You're the only one who can beat him! You can beat him if you try. You can do it! You can save all these people! Now make a...a bubble around him. Yeah. Make a bubble around Quackers!"

It was of no use at first, Mark was out cold. Completely and otherly gone, but then Mr. Pacific's words began to inspire hope. The raw emotion in him by itself began filling Mark up with hope, even though he wasn't coherently listening. The hope was like taking little baby sips from a cup for his ring, which was all he needed. For as the ring began to re-empower itself, it healed his wounds and slowly, but surely as his vision began to blurrily return to him the scene unfolded with Mark being shaken in Mr. Pacific's arms. His consciousnesses coming in and out just enough to hear the tail end of the still perceived civilian's words; "......can save all these people! Now make a...a bubble around him. Yeah. Make a bubble around Quackers!"

Quackers? Who the hell was that, the duck? "Ughhhh my head...I hit it pretty hard? Can't really focu---LOOK OUT!" As mark got to a kneeled position while rubbing his head, his vision was still blurred, which meant his mind was fuzzy at best. He couldn't make a containment field or even a bubble even if he wanted to. However, he did see that the duck while shooting everywhere at Haruhi had noticed the other two getting up and sent a rocket their way as well. Now although Mark couldn't construct anything, he did still have raw emotion, even if it was rather shaky. So he instantly shot forwardth a beam at the missile before it reached half the length to them, causing a mild explison as it was sawed in half by Mark's blue energy beam. Then as the shcokwave came towards them he instinctively threw up his hands, which insticively caused him to imagine some kind of block between him and the incoming explosion, but again his mind was rather foggy, so a half light constructed wall flew up from the ground in front of him and Mr. Pacific barely separating them from the aftershock. Although, at the same time it was so wobbly that the wall dissipated quickly afterwards as if a gust of wind had blown it down. Afterwards Mark dropped his ahnds and just looked down, pitying hismelf again. He couldn't believe he was so weak minded, so frail, he didn't deserve this ring. This guy had talked him up momentarily, but he knew he really wasn't cut out for this. "I can't, I'm sorry, but I can't do it. I'm not what you think I am; I'm not a Green Lantern, and I'm not even a real Blue Lantern, or at least not a good one. I can't help you. Run away and I'll do my best to hold him off for you. At least I can do something good in self-sacrifice."

Haruhi thought of an idea, that if she couldn't hit him from close up then a long range attack was in order.
"Not satisfied about your purchase, then try this on for size."
Still pouncing here and there, she picked up a can and threw it at Mr. Quackers, bonking him on his head. It stunned for a bit, it seemed he couldn't take as much as a human could.

She landed close to mr. Pacific and Mark. She heard the blue lantern guy bring himself down by say he couldn't be a hero.
"Stop it." she said a little harshly, as she turned to face him. "Don't you ever say you can't do anything. You were given powers for a reason weren't you, giving up is just as bad as committing the crime."
She paused a bit, then smiled, reaching her hand out towards him.
"Don't give up, we can beat him together, Kay?."

After bonking Mr. Quacker's on the head the girl he had noticed kind of before approached them and upon further inspection he found her to be a cat!? Now that he thought about it, this other guy didn't seem rather average consumer either. Then it hit him; they weren't pedestrians, they were heroes, and the fact that super-heroes were trying to talk him up and he had been putting himself down upset Mark. "You're right. I can do this I hope, NO, I KNOW I can." That being said, As Quacker's turned again and prepared to fire his rocket launcher at the group, rather happy that they were altogether this time.

Mark grabbed Haruhi's hand and stood with determination. Her's and Mr. Pacific's words had re-instilled his faith in himself, heroes were telling him he was one of them. Not to mention a guardian of the universe thought the same, he needed to stop second guessing himself. He was a Blue Lantern, and just because he wasn't an alien or one of them in traditional terms did not make him any less an agent of hope. As these thoughts came to his mind, along with the rocket Mr. Quacker's had just fired, Mark extended his arm forming a riot shield at the end of it and stood firm as his blue aura also returned. The rocket collided against the shield, but this time rather than shattering, it just made a few tiny cracks in it. Mark's focus was determined at the moment and his faith was strong.

After seeing that the explosive round had no affect Mr Quacker's realized that it was definitely time to go, but before he could really get away Mark formed a shot gun with an Elemer Fud like hat as he took aim at Quackers. "Sorry, but it is definitely duck season." And with that he fired at the duck villain, but instead of being hit with bullets he was ensnared by a bolas, which trapped the duck and even wrapped around his bill so he couldn't quack insults or whatever it was he was saying. Wow, I did it, I actually took down my first super-villain. "Cool." With that Mark's constructs all powered down except for the bolas around the duck, but that wouldn't last forever. He was hoping either that cat woman or the guy had handcuffs or something.

Nikki came running down the street toward the crime scene. Her beeper had gone off a while ago but she figured she could make it if she hurried, usually these fights lasted a while, right? She transformed into her ferret form finally when she reached the door of the store and crashed through it. Hair standing up and snarling.
But then she paused and looked at the tied up duck and then at her team mates.
"Well, that's the last time I go all the way across town." Nikki muttered as she transformed back. She then looked down at the duck, still confused as to why she was called in over a duck. "Uh, is it duck season or something or did some one want really fresh duck?"



Ooc: yeah sorry, haven't been able to get on a lot. But I did post *feels proud of self... kinda.*

Pacific pulled a pair of handcuffs from his belt and awkwardly put the restraints on the ducks "wrists." Pacific wasn't really sure if these were wings or arms, but the handcuffs would hold either way.

He saw Nikki approach and ask about the duck.

"This is Mr. Quackers. He's a wanted supervillain who's now detained. We were outmatched, but we were able to beat Quackers thanks to that Blue Lantern over there."

Pacific walked up to the Blue Lantern and held his hand out. "Thanks for the help. I'm Mr. Pacific. Who might you be?"

After capturing Mr. Quackers and right after expressing what he thought of his first victory, suddenly, a large ferret came busting into the building? "You have got to be kidding me!?!" But then the large animal transformed into a small petite girl and approached the group showing that she knew them with her nonchalant comment about going across town. Mark was happy/glad she wasn't another evil animal or a friend of the ducks, because he was almost empty from that battle and the trip back to Earth. Then teen definitely needed a recharge soon. She also inquired as to who the duck was exactly, something Mark had been wondering himself. Although, right after securing Mr. Quackers, which allowed Mark to ease up on his light construct, Mr. Pacific explained exactly who it was. Mark automatically guessed he was the brains behind this little pow-wow of heroes as he spouted out the information on their opponent. In addition, he also thanked Mark, which was a rather nice surprise. "Thanks, but I was only doing what I'm supposed to, keeping hope alive, and preserving peace." With that he shook Mr. Pacific's hand as he introduced himself and then asked he who he was, but Pacific had already referred to Mark as a Blue Lantern, so was he asking his real name?

Hmm, Mark wasn't supposed to give that out to just anybody, but these two had helped him out back there so maybe he could tell them. In fact, they had helped the new agent of hope come to a very important realization and that was that he didn't need to associate himself with the Blue Lantern or anyone else to believe in himself. He was his own hero, with his own strengths, and goals. He was only human and he meant that in a good way rather than it's usual negative connotation, which made what he said next have very special and personal meaning for him. "I'm the Blue Lantern of sector 2814 and direct inhabitant of what you refer to as Earth, but you can just call me, The Teen Lantern." As Mark said that last part he smiled. He finally felt like himself, not some guy trying to live up to a title, but good plain ol' Mark Rowan. "And you all might be? I mean seriously, I was getting my butt kicked back there. I really should be thanking you Mr. pacific and...." He waited for the cat chick to introduce herself or for someone to do it for her.