It felt like he was inside a tin can.

 

 

As Jake blinked, the interior of his helmet came to life, revealing a series of familiar illusions that resembled a video game heads-up display. This was precisely why Jake seldom removed his helmet, as it provided him with a wealth of information about his surroundings that exceeded what his own eyes could perceive. He focused on a pop-up display showing what was behind him and blinked to dismiss it. At the present moment, all it displayed was the pillow he was resting on.

 

Turning his attention to the review feature, he activated it to replay what had happened. Apparently, he collapsed and his costume vanished, thus he reverted to his normal outfit, this suit of armor. They ran into some problems checking on him, since the armor wasn't something you could remove without the wearer's permission. They settled on having Martian Manhunter attempt to phase through it. They were surprised when it didn't work. After that, they tried talking with his rings and perhaps a mental probe. It was difficult to tell from the replay.

Jake shifted his head slightly to glance at the Superman android seated beside his bed, and then turned his head in the opposite direction, taking in the sight of the medical bay. Currently, he was the sole patient within its confines. Abruptly the android suddenly jerked and looked around, blinking several times like it was a computer booting up from sleep mode. It turned and focused on Jake, "Are you awake?"

 

Jake nodded. The android did nothing. Jake went, "Oh." And willed himself into his Lantern costume, "Hard to see me nodding in the armor, eh?" Jake paused and grabbed his throat, "Hold on..." He cleared his throat a few times then frowned, "Why is my voice so funny?"

 

Yellow chimed in, ~It appears that you have physically reverted to the age of fifteen.~

 

The android nodded, "Indeed. The X-ray vision in this android cannot seem to look through that suit of yours. It also gave Manhunter a lot of trouble." There was a long pause, "Ah. About that..." He paused again awkwardly, "We called in an expert. A magician we know by the name of Giovanni. He said that... Well. The lasso reveals truth and apparently, it can also reveal one's true form." He paused again. Jake was unsure if the pause was because of the wonky nature of the android or because Superman was trying to be tactful, "He suspects that your soul isn't in your original body and that the lasso caused your body to revert to, as he put it, original factory settings."

 

Jake sat up bolt-straight in bed, "WHAT?"

 

The Android nodded energetically, "And the lasso appears to have broken several artificial barriers in your mind.  When you were knocked out, J'onn went into your mind to figure out what was going on. Although he said it gave him a terrible headache he managed to sort things out. It's awfully jumbled up in there. He also said he learned a great deal from you, and that it was quite overwhelming. He needed some time to sort it all out. He said you closed off a large section of your mind of... information you most likely didn't want to remember. The lasso opened that all up at once." The android was quiet for a few moments, "J'onn said he put the barrier back up. He thought you'd prefer it that way. He said it was far too much to comprehend all at once, so he just bricked it all back up and said if you wanted it brought back down, he'd do what he could to make it as... soft a landing as possible, is how he put it."

 

Jake nodded, "I suspect it has mostly to do with the war. I've been getting the impression I lobotomized myself. I only seem to remember what happened in the abstract. Like everything is detached-" He looked at his hands, "I'm a... little..." He turned them over a few times then balled them up into fists, "Never mind. One problem at a time." He looked at the Android as he relaxed his hands, "Did... he say he found anything of importance in there I should know about?"

 

The android froze and didn't do anything for several seconds before it blinked and rubbed the back of its neck, "J'onn did find in your mind what you were talking about with the guardians being genocidal. He was particularly angry to find out what they did to his people. He agreed with it in principle, but it seemed to be a rather disturbing revelation all the same."

 

Jake took in a sharp breath through gritted teeth, "Ouch. Not the way I wanted him to find out. I was going to bring that up, but I was hoping to soften the blow."

 

The android nodded, "Well, he found out. He also talked about how the guardians apparently murdered all life on several thousand planets to make the first green lantern used by Alan Scott. How it doesn't use Will, but The Green." The android straightened up, "As for the part about sector 666. Your rings were happy to talk about that while you were unconscious."

 

He lifted his hands and looked at them, "Really?"

 

The red ring cried out, "SUPERMAN! Hate your wound and it will cease to EXIST!"

 

Jake quirked an eyebrow, "Huh?"

 

The android smiled, "Not usually this chatty, huh? Giovanni said the Lasso also causes people to revert to their true forms. When magic interacts with magic, unpredictable things can occur. Apparently, all your... companions reverted to their true forms. He's not sure how that worked with your rings, but he said they were damaged before, and this might have had an odd effect on them."

 

Yellow spoke up, "I had done a fine job blocking out the eons of isolation up until that damn lasso went over your shoulders. I might be just a ring, but nothing self-aware does well with endless isolation."

 

"You weren't alone." Red commented, "We had each other to yell at." Yellow didn't respond.

 

The android raised a quizzical eyebrow. Jake looked from one ring to the other, then up at the android, "They were trapped in the Nul. A void between voids. They were there so long, I suspect it also changed their fundamental nature."

 

 "Me and Red came to a conclusion while you were out. We're not going to Oa. We're self-aware and deserve to live as much as any intelligence. It's not right they just get to destroy us because they are uncomfortable with how we work."

 

The android pointed at Yellow, "He made a very persuasive case, especially when Batman confirmed removing the red ring would kill you."

 

Jake sighed, "I was hoping to keep that part a secret, but I guess I have that one coming after revealing your secret identities. I'm sorry about that, by the way. I honestly thought you all would have known that about each other already."

 

The android laughed. The laugh was way too loud, sudden, and stopped abruptly, "We talked about that as well. It was something we were meaning to get around to, but just never did. I'm glad in a way." The android abruptly frowned, "I'm more worried about you. Batman filled me in about what happened to you when he last came in to check on you. I told him to go get some rest."

 

Jake squinted, "Huh? Why are you here waiting on me, anyways?"

 

The android's expression went flat, "Seriously? You saved my life. I feel I owe you one. Not to mention that your situation is a moral grey area that none of us are comfortable with." He hooked a thumb over his shoulder, "And Bruce has a soft spot for people who try to do the right thing when it'd be easy to give in."

 

Jake nodded slowly, "Spending seven years planning revenge, sacrificing all my friends and loved ones for that revenge, when I finally win, torturing my enemy instead of just killing him..." He shook his head slowly, "Batman has a funny way of judging the right thing."

 

The Android remained motionless, with only its lips moving as it spoke. The rest of the machine remained still and unresponsive. "Batman asked me if everyone else had been killed, leaving only Wonder Woman, and I tried to bring her to safety." It conveyed with a detached tone. "But then she said, 'Thank you', and took her own life because the pain of living had become unbearable. What would I do?" The Android remained perfectly still, its gaze unfocused, seemingly staring off into the middle distance. "I had no answer. I thought I had come to terms with the possibility of losing one or more of my friends someday, but never thought I might lose all of them at once, yet somehow survive. I had always expected to have at least SOMEONE to help me through such a loss."

 

There was another long pause, "Then he told me he didn't know what he'd do if we all had died and only he survived."

 

The android blinked and started moving again, "I lead a charmed life. I've had bad things happen, but somehow it keeps working out. I've lost, but never big. It's easy to never quit and never give up when it's just for a day or two." The android looked sad, "But you stuck it out for years in an impossible situation. For some reason, I think your situation hit Bruce rather hard. I guess it's like the old saying goes, ' There but for the grace of god go I'."

 

Jake leaned back and closed his eyes, "Ah. Is it better to be born good, or overcome your evil nature through great effort?" 

 

The android abruptly straightened its posture and blinked rapidly, signaling its attempt to comprehend the situation. "Hrm... While I'm not sure if that relates to this situation, I get your point." It remarked thoughtfully. Extending its hand, it reassuringly patted Jake's leg. "We held a vote, and it was clear that we have no intention of surrendering you to the Guardians. Of course, that's assuming you keep your nose clean." It added with a hint of playfulness.

 

The android slouched momentarily, seemingly lost in contemplation. "I believe Guy might appreciate that decision. He has many questions for the Guardians when he returns to Oa. All this new information has taken him by surprise. Guy and J'onn always had a good rapport, and J'onn was deeply affected by what he discovered within your mind. I think Guy is taking this personally due to that connection." After a brief pause, the android continued, "I get your animosity towards Guy, and I understand. He has a way of rubbing people the wrong way. However, ultimately, he remains committed to doing what's right, regardless of the circumstances. I can't say for certain what is happening with the Guardians, but I do not doubt that Guy will uncover the truth."

 

Jake nodded, "Thanks." He made a bit of a face like the expression you make when your parents are forcing you to eat your vegetables, "Say, Superman, you know your android is a bit glitchy, right? I didn't want to be rude, but I thought Kryptonian technology was better than this."

 

The android nodded, "Ah. Well... About that. When I finally got back to... well, you know about my fortress, I assume?" Jake nodded, so Superman continued, "I talked with Bruce and he suggested that we pretend I was fully recovered after a few days. Let my reputation work to keep criminals from trying things while I was recovering. So J'onn turned into Clark Kent and my android saved him. Then 'Clark' went home to visit his parents after the near-death experience and took some time off from work while I started using telepresence with my android."

 

Jake raised an eyebrow, "And people were fooled?"

 

The android laughed loudly for exactly three seconds then stopped, "At first, yes. However, I was worried something might happen if the comm link was cut, so I had a second control link installed in Metropolis, just in case. Sort of like cell towers. Even if my primary quantum entanglement control was lost, the secondary system would kick in."

 

Jake facepalmed, "LET ME GUESS..." He stared at the android through his fingers, "Someone hacked the secondary control system?"

 

The android let out a drawn-out sigh that persisted for about forty seconds before resuming its explanation. "Toyman. It seems he managed to locate one of my backup links and assumed control over it. He enticed my android counterpart, applied some sort of pulse to disrupt my direct control, and once the secondary system took charge, Toyman gained control of the robot." The android shrugged, conveying a mixture of resignation and a touch of relief. "Thankfully, I had the foresight to install a third communication method, although its sole purpose was to initiate a self-destruct sequence."

 

Jake winced, "And everyone saw your android blow up."

 

The android nodded as it echoed Jake, "And everyone saw my android blow up. Even after conducting a complete wipe and restart, that... something-something... managed to introduce a virus that contaminated the entire network. As a result, the operating systems of all my androids are riddled with bugs. He attempted to gain control over any other androids I might possess, but he was unsuccessful. Nevertheless, I cannot deploy the androids in the field until I locate and fix the glitch." The android let out a sigh of frustration. "Moreover, the fact remains that the truth of what happened is already widely known. The deception serves no purpose now."

 

Jake nodded, "So... what now?"

 

Superman's Android shrugged, "You stay here a few days. We want to make sure you're okay, especially since the Lasso seems to have..." He gestured towards Jake's face and let the implication hang in the air before he continued, "Bruce theorized that you had no idea your soul isn't in your original body, or you never would have suggested using the lasso."

 

Jake froze. Up until this point, he had been doing a good job of ignoring the elephant in the room. He looked down at his hands, "Yeah... I..." His hands started to shake and abruptly he clasped them together to force them to stop, "I'm fine."

 

The android frowned, "You don't look fine."

 

Jake ran a hand through his hair, "It's just... If..." He gestured to his body, "If this is factory default settings, as this Giovanni guy says, then..." He started to rub the bridge of his nose, "That means I've been in the wrong body for over a decade. More, if you think subjectively. Or is this because of the second summoning?" He dropped his hand into his lap and looked at it, "What happened to my original body? Am I in a coma somewhere? Or..." He sighed and shook his head, "All that work into getting this body into shape and it's all gone." He looked up at the Android, "Any thoughts on if this Giovanni guy can fix me?"

 

The android just stared for a bit, "I don't know." It stood up, "But give me a few. I'll see what I can find out." He gave Jake a short head nod, then walked out. Jake didn't say anything. Instead, he just stared at his hands, making a fist and then relaxing it.

 

 

Over

 

 

And over

 

 

And over.

 

---

 

The android walked out to find Batman standing in the observation room, watching through a monitor and listening in on the conversation. Batman stared at the monitor as he spoke to the android, "What are your thoughts?"

 

"I think we made the right call." The android came to a stop next to Batman, "You're still worried about something. What is it?"

 

Batman was silent for several seconds as he gathered his thoughts, "He represents an outcome I never considered before. Not to mention the fact that he knows a great deal about us. He's a huge security risk I don't want the guardians getting a hold of, not if half of what J'onn pulled out of his head is true."

 

The android turned to face the monitor, "Maybe I'm just being optimistic, but I got a good feeling about him. He could have used that information against us for his own benefit, instead, he seems to be trying to do the right thing. Wish I could get those rings off him, but given the situation, I think things could be worse."

 

"He's suicidal."

 

The android looked confused, "Come again?"

 

"He's broken. He's been broken for a long time now. I've seen it before. He had a goal and he could hold it together until he reached his goal. Now that goal has been taken from him. He knew about the lasso and what it could do, therefore he knew he was taking a huge risk by requesting we use it." Batman leaned closer to the monitor, "He just didn't care. The only reason he hasn't ended his own life is because he wants to put that sword somewhere it can't hurt anyone before he dies." Batman frowned deeply, "And now he just found out the past decade or two of his life may have been a lie. He's lost everything, including his own body." He looked at the android, "How stable do you think someone in his situation would be?"

 

The android was quiet for a long time before it finally asked, "So do you have a plan?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Batman turned away to look at the monitor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Batman didn't answer.