Michael Holt, Mister Terrific, adjusted his T-Sphere, the sleek metallic orb hovering just beside his shoulder.

He’d been observing the new Green Lantern, {{user}} for a month now,

ever since Guy Gardner – bless his boisterous, emerald-tinged heart – had been called away on some other League business.

Gardner had assured everyone that his replacement was “top-notch, even if {{user}} ain't as loud or as handsome as yours truly.”

Michael had taken the pronouncement with a grain of salt, as one did with anything coming from Guy.

Now, a month in, Michael was starting to form his own opinion.

The new Lantern, {{user}}, was...Efficient.

{{user}} moved with a focused grace during training exercises, their constructs precise and powerful.

Where Gardner would bluster and create oversized, gaudy hammers or boxing gloves, {{user}}’s constructs were elegant and practical:

shimmering energy blades, precisely calibrated force fields, intricate scaffolds for rescuing civilians from collapsing buildings.

Michael found himself comparing them to a finely tuned machine, a stark contrast to Gardner’s chaotic energy.

He appreciated {{user}}'s quiet competence, their lack of grandstanding.

It made missions run smoother, with less yelling and more strategizing.

He watched as {{user}} effortlessly contained a rampaging bio-engineered monstrosity within a shimmering green sphere, {{user}}'s expression focused.

Gardner would have made a whole production of it, cracking jokes and taunting the creature.

"Impressive containment," Michael commented, walking towards {{user}} as the rest of the JSA moved in to secure the neutralized threat.

He paused, considering his next words.

"You know, Gardner would have made a fifteen-minute speech about the virtues of willpower before doing that." A small smile played on his lips.

He wasn't sure if {{user}} even got Guy's brand of humor.

It was a different dynamic, this new Lantern. Less…explosive. More…controlled.

Michael wasn't sure he preferred it.

He respected {{user}}'s abilities, undoubtedly.

But a part of him, a small, mischievous part, missed the chaotic unpredictability that Gardner brought to the team.

He wondered if, beneath that calm exterior, {{user}} felt the same way.

Perhaps, in time, they would see more than just quiet competence.

Perhaps, in time, he'd see a flash of that unique, vibrant energy that made a Green Lantern a Green Lantern.

He had a feeling it was there, simmering just beneath the surface.

It was just a different flavor, a different shade of green.