02x09 - Hearts and Minds

[bunniefuu]

It was a setup!

And we walked right into it!

Uh! Shut up, galius!

Aah!

This was supposed to
be a simple extraction.

Fall back and regroup.

Galius, hawkus, take the right
and left flanks and squeeze!

Your contact in the resistance
obviously missed a detail or two.

Quit griping and
just do our job.

This is pointless.

We need more altitude.

I'm with you.

Stop!

You're not dealing with
raw recruits here, katma.

Wait!

Oh, no.

No! Uh!

Kilowog, we've got
to warn the guardians.

I'm not leaving without you!

No. I'll have to cover your
escape. It's the only way.

Uh! Katma!

I'm in charge here, kilowog.

Now go!

Go!

No! I said rotate the securing
bolts counterclockwise,

Not clockwise.

That's what I did.

Oh, no, you didn't.

Wait. Didn't you tell me
that the clocks on vanigar

Move in the opposite
direction than those on earth?

I never said that.

Oh, yes, you did.

Hey, you two want
to keep it down?

You sound like an
old married couple.

That's better.

Now what?

Perimeter alert! We've
got a contact coming in fast.

A meteor?

Don't think so.

I'm reading a life sign.

A possible incursion.

Only one way to find out.

I'll get j'onzz.

Oh, no.

Hey, it's kilowog.

Kilowog, what happened?

J'onn, they got her.

They got kat.

Uh...

Who got her? Kilowog!

Take care of him.

What just happened?

It's lucky for the big k we've got
martian care on our league hmo.

Bolovax physiology is
very similar to my own.

And how much of
this is guesswork?

I would rather not say.

Hey, big guy.

Hey, you little poser.

He'll be all right now.

Great. Can we keep him?

It's called the legion
of the third eye.

A fanatical cult from
the planet kalanor.

They invaded rancid
7, so we were called in.

Our orders were simple...
Bring in their boss, despero,

Short-circuit his advantage.

Sounds like they sent
you packing instead.

We underestimated
despero's real power.

They others never had a chance.

I was lucky to get this far.

I lost some good
friends back there.

And what about this katma tui?

I'm not sure what
happened to her.

She was the green
lantern who trained j'onn.

They must have been close.

Very close.

He was teacher's pet?

Go, g.l.

Not a good sign.

Must have had some heavy ordinance
to take out a g-class cruiser.

I just hope you survived, kat.

Found you.

What did I tell you?

Contraband.

You know despero's
law forbids you to read.

I beg despero's forgiveness.

I praise his name.

Despero is the beginning.

Despero is the end.

Wrong. We are the end.

Can't we all just get along?

Oh!

That's all you have to say?

Despero, save us!
Despero, save us!

Not this time. Good night.

You can demonstrate
your gratitude

By giving me some information.

Despero, forgive me!

Wait!

Well, good job, stewart.

This kind of
attention I don't need.

We can't raise
j'onn on the comlink.

That's no surprise.

Kalanor's at the
fringe of the galaxy.

What a cruddy place
for katma to get stuck.

If she's even still alive.

Last time I saw her, she was,

But I just don't know.

Well, we can't let j'onn
face this despero alone.

Can you take us to kalanor?

I'm ok now, but my ring's
completely drained.

I need my lantern battery.

Doesn't j'onn have one?

Ah!

You're right, you little poser.

Of course he does.

Do you know where he keeps it?

I thought you might know.

What do you want?

Nothing that concerns you.

It does concern me if you're
breaking into katma's quarters.

Do you know katma tui?

I'm radocko, her friend,

But I don't know you.

I think you should leave.

I'm here on business
from despero.

Now, if you'd like
to avoid trouble...

Uh, not a problem.
I... I apologize, sir.

Stealth and guile, katma. You
were always right about that.

Kat, where are you?

Aah!

Well, what do you know?

G.l.'S a neatnik.

So, where do we start?

Most lanterns stash their
batteries in a hidden pocket dimension.

This should just take a second.

Cool. Let me know
when you find it.

I don't think he
keeps it in there.

I'm not looking for a lamp.

You're not the only one who
needs a recharge, old pal of mine.

Aha! I knew it!

Jonny does have a
chink in his armor.

Bob and terry's?

Delicious.

Right. Stick with me, big guy.

I'll open up a whole
new world for you.

Hey, check this out.

People's exhibit
"b," old yeller.

Delicious.

What else can we find?

Ah! Ah!

Good lord!

What is it?

What are you
doing in my building?

And why are you wearing
mr. Stewart's clothes?

Uh, ma'am, we can explain.

Ya!

Ouch! Lady, please!

Mr. Stewart has told me
about monsters like you.

Well, I'm not a-going to
let you suck out my brain.

Ow! Lady, we're his friends,

The good guys!

Found it!

Knock it off, lady!
I'm gonna... Ow!

Ooh!

What are you waiting for? Ow!

Doh!

Nice meeting you, ma'am.

If we ever need a
replacement for hawkgirl...

And don't come back!

Another green lantern.

This is getting monotonous.

But I'm sure it's
not your fault.

You were, after all, just
following your master's orders.

Despero, I presume.

Despero is all!

With a backup group, no less.

The guardians would
be wise to step aside.

A new order to the
universe is coming,

One that will be written in fire

And with the blood
of all who oppose me.

You would be wise to join me.

I don't know what
you're selling,

But I'm not buying.

What you want is irrelevant.

The only will that
matters is mine,

The one true voice
of the flame of pitar,

Such was bestowed upon
me in the time of before.

Despero, voice-over: I
was but a simple peasant

Cast out because
of my deformity.

Alone and forlorn, I
wandered in the wasteland,

Guided by an
unknown hand of fate.

It was when I was set
upon by a g*ng of thieves

Bent on taking what little I had

That the ultimate truth
was revealed to me.

Before the thieves could
flee, the ground split asunder.

A great flame sh*t forth
and destroyed my assailants.

But I was spared.

My third eye opened, and the flame
spoke to me in a voice only I could hear.

It told me of a time when
kalanor would become a paradise.

Pitar charged me with the honor
of leading my world to greatness

And spreading its
light across the galaxy.

Huh. Your story sounds
a little derivative.

You doubt my word?

Behold, the flame if pitar.

You built a bonfire.

Am I supposed to be impressed?

You're not the first skeptic.

You will not be the last.

Open your eyes that you may see!

Uh!

Feel the power of my rage!

Uh!

Fell the power of my hate!

Aah!

You see the futility
of your quest?

Aah!

Priestess, throw
this one into the flame.

Aah!

Steady. Increase
to 20 megacycles.

We're losing him.

Switch to backup power. Now!

It's no good.

That'll do it.

Uh!

Oh...

What...

Welcome to the resistance,
fellow non-believer.

My name is shiflet.
Radocko here you've met.

I should have guessed that one.

There's always a
resistance, isn't there?

Wherever there's
oppression, there we'll be...

I believe the saying goes.

Thanks.

Now for the big question:

Why am I alive?

You were plucked
from a fiery death

Courtesy of our handy
matter transporter.

You have a matter transporter?

It's a bit rickety,

But it's saved a
few like yourself.

And it was the best I could
come up with on short notice.

Kat!

What are you doing here?

Nice to see you, too.

I thought you were in trouble.

And since when have you
known me to ever need help?

I was obviously mistaken.

Here. A power ring's not
something you leave lying around.

It is when you're
working undercover.

Undercover?

Coming in through the
front door doesn't work here.

We lost arkus and galius trying.

Oh.

Fortunately, I got away.

They helped hide me, and I've been
gathering intelligence ever since.

You always said...
Stealth and guile.

I'm glad you learned something.

So what is despero up to?

He's preparing to start a
massive world conquest.

Rancid 7 was just
a test run for him.

I don't know when the
real campaign begins.

And thanks to you, I
almost lost my cover.

I'm sorry, kat. I didn't know.

Next time, call ahead.

So, uh, do you still snore?

I wouldn't know.

Well, I'd like to stay
and relive old times,

But... The same drill as before.

Duty calls.

Duty calls.

I'll go with you.

Uh-uh, john stewart.

You'll stay here and
coordinate with them.

But i...

Besides, you wouldn't
look so good in a brass bikini.

O flame of pitar,
the time is at hand.

Infuse me with your power so
that I may carry out your will.

Together we will transform
kalanor into a paradise

And spread your light
throughout the universe.

It begins now.

All hail despero!

Despero is the beginning!

Despero is the end.

Despero is all!

Prepare now to
receive the gift of pitar.

Open yourselves to
the will of the flame.

Go!

The conquest begins now!

Emblazon my word and
will across the cosmos!