CHAPTER 20- LANTERN VS PARALLAX (PART 2)
A/N-Hehe, a week...More like 12 hours. Idk, I just sat down with my computer and went bezerk. A really fun chapter, fighting, insight, character development, and plot development as well.
Hal had a lot of explaining to do, and he managed as much as he could. Experience told him that giving the people a chance to allow him to help would be more beneficial than doing things by force. Eventually, the President allowed him secrecy on his identity. He nodded his thanks, and turned to fly away, but the man still had a question to ask.
"Do you need any help, son?"
"No. I will take care of it. I promise, Sir," Hal put his hand on his chest. "No one will be harmed today."
He flew out into the stratosphere, the air thinning and making him fall back to his ring to help him breathe. The expectation of the following fight clung to the air like a sick stench. Hal closed his eyes while the ring on his finger was glowing brighter and brighter with the impending presence which had entered Hals vicinity.
"SO, WE MEET AGAIN, LANTERN. DO YOU FEEL THE FEAR? WATCH YOUR PLANET DIE."
Hal kept his eyes closed, letting the aura of the ring possess him. He felt the energy of the strongest will seep into his mind. He opened his eyes with a jerk, the green iridescence floating around his body like a shield. For the people of earth…for Diana.
He rushed forwards with a streak of speed, and collided with the monster head on. The green energy was an odd colour, more luminous or strong than anything Hal had ever summoned before. He punched, again and again, the gigantic fists colliding with the beast which was simpering away from the will.
The monster lashed out, the whip hitting Hal like a ton of bricks. He shielded from the blow with a makeshift Captain America Shield, the first thing that popped into his mind. The shield cracked, and he felt the weight of the blow, but he was not injured. Parallax expanded in size.
"DO NOT FIGHT IT, HAL JORDAN. I CAN FEEL YOUR WEAKNESS."
Hal did not argue, because the falsity of the beasts words was evident. The doubt that lingered behind them was enough incentive for Hal to make his next move. He imagined a gigantic missile firing from his arms. The rocket exploded in Parallax's face, burning the flesh. Mutilated, it roared, and flung its entire body over Hal. He couldn't breathe. He was suffocating. Air…
The tightness of the hold was so strong that struggle was useless. Is this it? Is this how I die? Hal felt his lungs clench and expand for gasping, but he was breathing in fear. He tried to summon some protection, but the dread and panic clouded his thoughts. No…please…. I didn't even say Goodbye to Diana…
The monster roared in victory…
Only to feel a drip of water inside its body. One, tiny, miniscule, tear. One drop. One drop. Symbolising not fear, but loss…and Anger.
Hal screamed, the last of his breath used in pushing outwards. Parallax would've opened its mouth in surprise, but it had no time to respond as its insides exploded.
The shredded remains of the colossus were tossed around in sheer rage. Hal fought with a fury, all of his frustrations against the guardians coming out in his fists. Parallax was shocked to see this…this Boy...causing so much pain to it. But it could not do anything. It watched the fear power fade and succumb to will. The beast itself was feeling its greatest weapon. Hal couldn't feel his arms, he just kept pushing them forwards, and summoning whatever came to his mind to smash through the layers of fear.
A baseball bat, a chainsaw, boxing gloves, all of his childhood memories…a plane….
"Dad, can I come to see you fly planes today?"
"Not today, kiddo, I've got important work to do!"
"Please, dad!"
"Oh Hal…"
A scattered mess on the runway. Fire. Blood. Tears. Pain and Loss.
A nine year old with no one.
The scarred remains of his father.
A funeral.
ANGER.
Hal blasted a wave of pure will towards the monster, which was fittingly paralyzed, unable to move against the onslaught. The wave hit the beast with a blast. The attacks had pushed the monster out of orbit, and Hal was determined to keep it away from the planet. Bringing his emotions under control, he stopped, punching so hard Parallax was blown away several miles. He pulled the tentacles apart with shackles, and it was now cowering.
Hal took a deep breath. Every Lantern had their oaths, their words that would define them…the words that would set them apart from the other Lanterns. Hal didn't have an oath. He would charge his ring in silence. As he fought in these moments, he remembered something his father had said to him…so very long ago.
"Hal, no matter how bright the day is, there will always be someone doing evil…no matter how black the night…make sure no mischief goes unnoticed…because those who do bad things, should be scared of consequences. You remember that, okay son?"
He didn't want this responsibility, but the ring had chosen him. Because it saw something. Will. Responsibility was something he would have to accept now. He was a GREEN LANTERN!
He held up his ring, a vortex of energy swirling around it.
"IN BRIGHTEST DAY…"
He punched Parallax, the first creating a hole in the beast.
"IN BLACKEST NIGHT…"
He covered himself with energy and barrelled through its centre.
"NO EVIL SHALL ESCAPE MY SIGHT…"
The next blow ripped through the flesh.
"LET THOSE WHO WORSHIP EVILS MIGHT…"
He punched downwards, his ribs aching with effort, and pushed Parallax forwards, the sheer momentum ripping the shreds of the monster apart.
"BEWARE MY POWER…"
He concentrated as the beast roared, and absorbed as much energy as he could, pushing it outwards with the force of a bomb.
"GREEN LANTERNS LIGHT!"
The explosion was devastating, the monster disintegrating into nothing. The swirling shockwaves backlashing Hal into a heavy blow. That coupled with his fatigue was more than enough to cause his unconsciousness.
Hal fell backwards…into the void once more…
He woke up in a hospital bed. On Earth. The President himself was present.
"You saved us kid. You really did."
Hal tried to sit up, but his ribs let out a flinch of pain. "Thank you, ."
"I should be thanking you. And you should be thanking that friend of yours, that Kilowog. He's a scary one, but he saved your life. He's a Lantern too?"
"Yes, sir, of a different space sector."
"So we aren't as alone as we thought…so these…Space police…Er…Green Lantern Corps are protecting us? And the rest of the universe from threats like this…Parallax?"
"Yes…"
Hal's ring flashed, and a holographic message sprung from it.
"Hal Jordan…you owe the guardians a great debt. We thank you, and allow you to remain on Earth as was your intention. We will notify you if your services are required."
Hal sighed in relief. I can stay! I can go back to Diana!...At least for the time being….
He lied back down and smiled at the President. "My identity will remain safe? And will you give me freedom?"
The man looked hesitant, but paused only momentarily to say "Of course son. But I have a request."
Hal smiled. "You want me to help the people of Earth, don't you?"
"Yes…"
"I'll be glad to. But I can't do it alone…you wouldn't happen to know others like me would you?"
"There's one in Gotham City. Calls himself the Batman. He stopped one of the Jokers terrorist attacks a week ago. He's a vigilante, but he should be on our side. Not too comfortable with government protocols though. He's the only one we know of."
"I'll go and meet this Batman…" Hal smiled, closing his eyes to sleep again.
Next time he opened his eyes he was out of the hospital in three minutes. Finding a power battery left for him by Kilowog, he charged his ring and headed towards home. Powering his ring down, in normal clothes, he informed his foster parents that he had been kidnapped, but the police saved him. It was an outrageous lie, but not as outrageous as the truth. They were happy to see him, but Hal felt something was amiss. It was evening time, so he headed towards the football ground where they would usually play. They should have been there, but none of them were.
He flew around the city trying to find out where any of his friends were, but they had vanished, they were all presumed lost. Bruce was missing, his flat empty and no trace of him ever being there. Victor had gone out of the country to Cuba. Hal was shocked to see Barry in a coma, no trace of him waking up anytime soon. He had been struck by lightning, apparently. Hal was nervous…he knocked on Diana's door but no one answered it. He forced it open with a key of green light, and saw it empty. At this point he had a pit at the bottom of his stomach and was very unnerved.
Hal had even flown till Smallville and asked the Kent's where their son was. They said they didn't care, he ran off without telling them, he moved on and found something better to do, obviously.
Hal thought them to be very rude that way, and that would likely explain Clark's antisocial and sometimes erratic behaviour. He sat down on the roof of a water tank, nervous. All of them…they are all gone. I'm alone? I have no one to share this responsibility with?
Before these morose thoughts could overcome him, the sane side of him told him to go to Gotham, and find out what this…Batman was about.
He flew towards the city, and seeing the sights and sounds of the hustle in Gotham made him want to beat up all the cheats and robbers on the streets. He momentarily thought he glimpsed a reddish blue blur making its way towards Gotham outskirts, but he reasoned it to be his imagination, nothing could move that fast.
He searched for an hour, but found no Batman anywhere.
Until there was an explosion downtown. He rushed towards it and came face to face with a monstrous looking man with a mask on, and greenish tubes plugged into his ripped muscles. The greenish liquid was pouring into his body, making his veins look a sick green. This man was throwing bombs the size of barrels towards Gotham Hall. Hal grimaced and quickly captured the man/monster whatever it was in a green containment box.
Then, he saw a shadowy figure glide down from the top of the hall. Hal hadn't seen the ghostlike apparition approach. He blinked. The ghost spoke. "So, Bane was your big strategy was it, Joker. Hmph. You should have tried harder."
Hal glided down. "You must be Batman."
The dark figure narrowed his eyes towards Hal, and that made him feel uneasy for some reason. "Green Lantern. I was monitoring your battle with Parallax. You did a good job. But for now, don't interfere here. If you want a city to keep justice in, find another, Gotham is mine."
Hal shifted uneasily. "Yeah, sure…Batman…"
"I don't want metahumans in Gotham. Leave. I can handle this."
"But I caught him for you!"
The caped man stepped over and unplugged Bane's green tubes. "I didn't need your help. Now Leave." he muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "It's bad enough I had to ask for one Meta's help, I don't want yours."
Lantern arched an eyebrow at that. So there is another one. The reddish blue blur! "Yeah fine whatever. I'm leaving anyway, hardass."
Batman didn't reply, choosing to drag the unconscious Bane towards a machine that Hal thought might have been a car. He put Bane inside it and pressed some buttons on his wrist, and the car drove away. Then, he turned towards Hal. "Look, if you want to be helpful, don't try to be. Go deal with the Meta problem in Central City. Leave here. Now."
Hal opened his mouth to respond, but shut it again. Irritated, he flew off, leaving the caped man to find out Jokers next plan.
I hate that guy. What a prick.
As he flew, he thought about what he had discovered. Hmmm…so Batman couldn't manage Joker himself, he asked the help of another Meta…so there are 3 of us. Unless Batman isn't one… As far as Hal could tell, Batman hadn't shown any powers, and his dislike of metahumans proved that he probably wasn't one.
So this Meta and I. Two of us…great...
He flew towards Central City, a mission in mind.
A/N- So Hal meets Bruce, obviously not realizing who it is, and he has doubts on another meta.