Chapter 21: In Blackest Night
Out in the vast reaches of space, several members of the Green Lantern Corps were engaged in a relentless battle with a seemingly unstoppable force. Among the GL ranks were a red scaled reptile Lantern named Yalan Gur, a massive head named Galius Zed, and Kilowog.
"How did he know we were coming?!" Zed let out, creating a shield to block a yellow energy blast.
"Because he was the best!" Kilowog reminded, firing several shots.
The three lanterns moved to evade several yellow energy shots coming from an unseen source. They moved behind a nearby asteroid to regroup.
"Was?" Yalan Gur repeated. "Try 'Is'!"
"Well yelling from behind a rock ain't gonna solve anything!" Kilowog insisted.
Suddenly, the asteroid they were using as cover exploded, scattering them all. Gur stabilized himself long enough to aim his next shot, but before he could fire it, a yellow energy blade shot through his chest.
"Gur!" Kilowog and Zed let out.
His body went limp in space, revealing a red faced alien with a mustache in a yellow uniform mirroring that of the Green Lantern Corps. On his right hand was a yellow ring, which created the yellow energy blade.
"I never did like him." The alien remarked.
"Murderer!" Kilowog yelled, charging at him.
Just then, a large yellow sphere emerged from behind the alien and fired a massive beam of yellow energy at Kilowog. Kilowog put up an energy shield to defend himself from the blast, but it kept getting stronger and stronger, cracking his construct.
"Don't you pay attention in your own lessons, Kilowag?" the alien jeered. "Your rings are weak against yellow, meaning sooner or later..."
The shield cracked as the yellow blast became a clamp, grabbing Kilowag around his torso, pinning his arms to his side.
"... you will fail." the alien finished
Kilowog struggled to free himself as the alien formed a yellow buzzsaw, moving it towards his head. Before it could make contact, Zed blasted the alien, allowing Kilowog to free himself.
"Kilowog, get out of here!" Zed told him. "I'll hold him off!"
"You kiddin?!" Kilowog questioned. "You don't stand a chance!"
"Neither does Jordan if he doesn't know what's coming!" Zed told him. "Now go!"
Kilowog growled in response before finally taking off. The second Zed turned around though, the alien wrapped an energy construct around him and began squeezing.
"That… was a mistake." the alien told him as the construct got tighter and tighter.
…
Meanwhile, on the Justice League Watchtower, Cyborg was on monitor duty making sure the planet wasn't in mortal danger. Unfortunately, without the presence of any imminent crisis, this left Cyborg bored out of his mind.
"Ugh…" Cyborg let out. "This… has got to be… the most boring part of being a superhero. I don't know why J'onn insists on doing this all the time."
"I find the solace quite soothing, in all honesty." J'onn replied, phasing through the wall and causing Cyborg to jump.
"Yikes!" He let out. "Geez, warn a guy before you do that."
"Sorry." J'onn replied.
"How Dr. Miller puts up with your phasing I will never understand." Cyborg muttered.
"On that, you will have to ask her." J'onn told him.
Just then, the doors to the monitor room opened up, allowing the Flash to run inside.
"Hey guys." He greeted.
"Greetings Flash." J'onn replied.
"You're late." Cyborg told him. "You have super speed. How can you be late?"
"Super bad luck neutralizes super speed." Flash told him. "Plus, had to stop for a quick bite."
Cyborg looked over and saw the sushi in his hands.
"Is that… sushi?" Cyborg asked.
"Yeah, why?" Flash responded.
"Nothing…" Cyborg let out, rubbing the back of his head. "Except that Aquaman's here as well, and I don't think he'll appreciate you snacking on-"
The door opened and Aquaman walked in. He locked eyes on Flash and smirked.
"Hey." he greeted. "You grab me some sashimi like I asked?"
"Right here, man." Flash replied, holding up the tray."
"Sweet." Aquaman replied, taking it and chowing down.
Cyborg blinked in surprise, his mechanical eye focusing in and out.
"What?" Aquaman asked, noticing his face.
"You're… eating sushi." Cyborg remarked. "I thought you were friends with fish, what with being able to talk to them and all."
"Aw, jeez, not you too." Aquaman let out, groaning. "Look, I don't 'talk' to fish. I assume mental command over them so they do what I say. I don't know why everyone thinks that, but it's wrong."
"But… what about that giant sea monster?" Cyborg questioned. "I distinctly remember you saying you talked to it."
"That's a sea monster." Aquaman clarified. "Sea monsters are different than fish."
"What about mammals?" Flash chimed in. "Like whales and dolphins?"
"Oh, yeah those I can talk to." Aquaman confirmed. "Higher minds and all."
"Wow." Cyborg let out. "The more you know."
Just then, an alarm sounded throughout the tower.
"Proximity sensors!" J'onn realized, heading to the controls.
"Another invasion?" Aquaman asked.
"No, it's too small to be a spacecraft." J'onn reported. "And it appears to be organic."
Cyborg went to another computer console and pulled up external cameras, seeing the object J'onn described. He made out what looked like a large pig like alien approaching the Watchtower at alarming speeds.
"I don't think this guys attacking." Cyborg observed. "Looks like he's trying to get away from an attack."
"Cyborg, do you believe your boom tube could bring him on board?" J'onn asked.
"Just need exact coordinates and plotted trajectory." Cyborg replied, cables emerging from his hand that plugged into the computer.
"That's new." Flash remarked.
"This robot bod does tricks even I don't know about." Cyborg remarked. "Alright… got it!"
He held up his other hand, opening a boom tube in the middle of the room. The creature came flying through, prompting Aquaman and J'onn to move in the way and try to catch it. The two heroes skidded across the floor for a bit before coming to a stop and allowing the creature to fall to the ground. The four of them gathered around the creature and saw he was wearing a very familiar uniform.
"Hey, that's the same costume Lantern wears." Flash realized.
"Didn't Batman once compare Lantern to a cop?" Cyborg recalled. "Maybe this guy's a fellow space cop or something."
"Either way, I believe only Green Lantern himself can clarify this situation." J'onn deduced.
…
In Coast City, GL was in the midst of a battle with one of his earth based enemies, the Icicle. The man wore dark blue clothes and his skin seemed to be made out of ice. He continued to shoot ice blast after ice blast at GL, forcing him to fly and evade.
"Look frosty, could we pick this up later?" GL asked, forming an energy shield to block an ice blast. "I kinda have a previous engagement."
"Oh, sorry for the inconvenience." Icicle remarked sarcastically. "I'll try and kill you a little quicker then."
Icicle then blasted an awning above GL, freezing it and causing it to fall from its post right onto GL. GL dropped to the ground with a thud as Icicle formed a large version of his name sake, ready to skewer him. Lantern looked up and saw this, prompting him to blast the icicle, shattering it. Icicle just blasted at him again, but this time, GL formed a massive lacrosse stick to catch the blast and hurl it back at Icicle, freezing him to the ground.
"That's better." GL remarked. "The police will be by to thaw you out soon. Meantime, I got a date."
GL then flew off, leaving Icicle struggling in his own ice until the police arrived.
…
At Ferris Air, GL landed behind the facility, reverting back into his flight uniform as he slipped inside. He barely made it a few feet down the hallway when he heard the furious voice of both his boss and girlfriend.
"HAL JORDAN!" She screamed, causing him to flinch up.
"Carol." Hal replied, turning around. "I was just looking for you."
"Where the hell have you been?!" Carol exclaimed, poking him hard in the chest. "You were supposed to be in the air an HOUR AND A HALF AGO!"
"I was on my way, just… something got in the way." Hal told her.
"Right." Carol growled. "'Something came up'. 'Something got in the way'. Day after day, excuse after excuse. I'm sick of this, Hal. Sick of this!"
"I know, and I'm sorry." Hal apologized.
"You're sorry." Carol repeating, throwing her hands in the air. "Wow, that's great! That makes EVERYTHING instantly better."
She poked him in the chest again.
"Do you have any idea the strings I've pulled to keep you from getting fired?" She questioned. "If my board of directors had their way, you would have been walking out of here with your things in a cardboard box weeks ago!"
"I know, and I'm grateful for all you've done, believe me." Hal tried to reassure.
"That's the thing, Hal." Carol told him. "I don't believe you. You've let me down too many times, both here at work, and… outside of work."
She sighed, her voice becoming quiet and resigned.
"Maybe… maybe this just isn't going to work between us."
"You're breaking up with me?" Hal realized. "But Carol-"
"Goodbye Hal." She interjected. "Have your stuff out of your locker within the hour."
Carol then turned around and walked off, leaving Hal standing in the hall completely dejected. Before anything else could happen, his JL communicator started going off.
"Yeah, what?" Hal answered in a pissed off tone.
"Whoa, someone's pissy." Flash let out. "You okay-?"
"What. Do. You. Want?" Hal cut off.
"Know any ugly pink aliens with a uniform similar to yours?" Flash asked. "Looks like a cross between a warthog and a rhino?"
Hal suddenly perked up, realizing who it was.
"I'm on my way!" He replied, changing into his Green Lantern uniform and flying off.
…
On board the Watchtower, GL flew into the landing bay and straight towards the med bay.
"Where is he?" GL asked.
"Over here." Flash replied. "J'onn's been looking after him."
"So you're a doctor?" GL asked.
"I had brief medical training during the war on Mars." J'onn answered. "And your friends physiology is not that different to my martian biology."
"What are the odds?" Cyborg remarked before getting an annoyed look on his face. "No I don't want the actual odds."
"That computer in your head talking to you again?" Aquaman asked.
"Yeah." Cyborg replied. "I think it has some sort of auto-response function. It's seriously annoying."
Just then, their alien guest suddenly let out a groan in pain, getting their attention.
"Looks like he's waking up." Cyborg realized.
"Kilowog, how are you?" GL asked.
Kilowag opened his eyes, sighing in relief when he saw GL.
"Jordan… it ain't good." He grunted, trying to sit up. "He's back."
"He?" Aquaman inquired.
"Sinestro…" Kilowag answered.
GL's eyes went wide.
"No." He insisted. "No, that's impossible."
"Guess what… it's possible." Kilowog replied.
"He was excommunicated, locked in a Science Cell!" GL exclaimed. "How in the world could he be back, much less do this to you of all people?"
"He found… the weapon." Kilowog told him. "Zed and Yalen… they're gone."
"No..." GL gasped, putting a hand over his mouth
"So, I'm guessing that's bad." Cyborg guessed.
"Zed and Yalen were other Green Lanterns, some of the best." GL explained. "And Sinestro..."
His fists clenched.
"Who is this Sinestro anyway?" Aquaman questioned. "With a name like that, he sounds like someone you wouldn't want to cross."
"He's not." GL promised. "He was a member of the Green Lantern Corps and part of the Honor Guard. He was the Corp's golden boy, the one they called in to ensure things got done. He was one of my superiors for a while."
"What caused him to go bad?" Flash asked.
"He met me." GL told him.
…
Six months ago
Hal was still in awe of the prospect of flying towards an alien planet. It was a large green planet with a large green lantern on the face of it.
"Definitely not in Coast City, anymore." GL remarked as he flew towards the planet.
He touched down on the planet's surface, looking around at the sights before him. Hal whistled in response.
"Wonder if this place has an information desk or something?" Hal wondered, seeing a few aliens in matching uniforms flying by. "Uh, hey! New guy here! Anywhere I'm supposed to go for… I don't know, orientation, or something?"
Suddenly, a familiar figure descended next to him.
"Well, well, if it ain't the new human Lantern." Kilowog declared, slapping Hal on the back. "Finally decided to show up on Oa, huh?"
"Figured it was time I learned how this thing works." Hal replied.
"Well then, follow me." Kilowog insisted. "As it happens, I'm in charge of training the new recruits."
"Something tells me 'going easy on em' is an alien concept for you." Hal guessed.
"Ya got that right, poozer." Kilowog confirmed. "Come on, the Guardians will want to talk to you."
"Guardians?" Hal questioned.
…
A few minutes later, Hal was in a large circular room, with dozens of small blue aliens in red and white robes surrounding him. These were the Guardians of Oa, the creators of the Green Lantern Corps.
"Hal Jordan of Earth," one of the Guardians addressed. "You must understand that acceptance into the Green Lantern Corps is an honor of the highest caliber. Not anyone can be granted entry. Each Green Lantern is charged with protecting one of the 3600 sectors of the universe."
"Sort of like, one cop per precinct." Hal surmised.
"Uh… yes, I-"
"My uncle was a cop." Hal continued. "Thirty years on the Coast City police force. Used to let me turn on the siren. Nice guy."
The Guardian cleared his throat before proceeding.
"But more than that," He resumed. "The Green Lantern ring is a complex and sophisticated tool it takes someone with immense concentration to wield it properly."
"I think I got the hang of it." Hal replied.
"He's got the hang of it." another Guardian remarked.
"Appa Ali Apsa, please." the first Guardian insisted.
"Why are we even entertaining this, Ganthet?" Appa asked. "He's a human. No human has ever been inducted into the Corps, and for good reason."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Hal asked.
"Pardon my colleague's words, Hal Jordan." Ganthet apologized. "Humans do not have the best reputation in this part of the galaxy."
"Indeed." Appa confirmed. "Humans have been known to be cruel, dishonest, and untrustworthy."
"I won't deny there are some bad people out there," Hal conceded. "But we got some good guys too. Besides, if this Corps were so elitist, I don't think I'd have this ring in the first place."
"The human does make a point." Ganthet conceded. "If the ring chose him, it must be for a good reason. And he did take down Kanjar Ro single handedly, and without proper training."
"He got lucky, that is all." Appa dismissed.
"Guardians, if I may interject." a new voice spoke.
A red faced GL with a mustache flew up, much to Hal's surprise.
"The Guardians recognize Green Lantern Sinestro of Sector 1417." Appa announced.
"Thank you, Appa Ali Apsa." Sinestro replied. "You are right in noting his takedown of Kanjar Ro, a development that could lead us to destroying the greatest threat to the Corps. Perhaps with proper training, the human could be a valuable asset."
"What do you suggest?" Appa inquired.
"Let me take him under my wing regarding the investigation." Sinestro proposed. "See what he's made of."
"That's my job." Kilowog griped.
"It is a bit out of the ordinary, but we would be willing to try it." Ganthet. "Shall we put it to a vote?"
The Guardians nodded as their eyes went white for a moment.
"What does that mean?" Hal asked.
"Psychic conversation." Sinestro explained. "It's something they do."
After a few moments, the Guardians came out of their conversation.
"We will allow this." Ganthet agreed. "He's all yours."
"So, I guess this means we're working together." Hal guessed.
"Correction, this means I own your ass." Sinestro replied.
…
"Sounds like a real stand-up guy." Aquaman remarked.
"I just assumed he was a little rough around the edges." GL dismissed. "But that was before I saw his true colors."
…
Hal and Sinestro flew through one of the buildings on Oa, with Hal wondering what exactly they were doing.
"So, where are we going?" Hal asked.
"To talk to an old friend," Sinestro explained. "Kanjar Ro."
"The slime that killed Abin Sur?" Hal recalled.
"One and the same." Sinestro confirmed. "Before his death, Abin Sur found out that Kanjar Ro was working with the inhabitants of Quard, weapons makers."
"Not the friendliest sort, I'd take it." Hal guessed.
"Quite." Sinestro confirmed. "Abin Sur's reports indicated the weaponers were working on something that could destroy the entire Corps."
"And let me guess, it's up to us to find it, and destroy it before anyone else gets their hands on it." Hal deduced.
"You do catch on quick." Sinestro commended. "Kanjar Ro was supposed to meet with them when Abin Sur intercepted him, and the rest you probably already know."
"So we get Ro to spill on where the deal was supposed to go down, and set a trap for the weaponers to get the weapon." Hal concluded.
"There may be hope for you yet." Sinestro commended.
The two continued flying through the building, reaching an interrogation room where Kanjar Ro was being held. The two walked in and saw the Space Pirate cuffed to a desk. He looked up as the two lanterns came in smirking.
"Well, well, if it isn't the greenest of the Green Lanterns." He sneered. "How's that ring fit? You know, I never got my thank you for making sure you got it."
"Well you did murder my predacessor, so that kinda evens things out." Hal replied. "Course, if you're feeling generous, you could tell us about the weapon you were going to pick up from the weaponers."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Kanjar Ro retorted cooly
"Then let me jog your memory." Sinestro offered.
He then used his ring to grab Kanjar Ro and slammed him against a wall, much to Hal's surprise.
"Hey!" Hal exclaimed. "What the hell man?!"
"Remember now?" Sinestro asked, ignoring Hal's objections.
Kanjar Ro just groaned in pain as he picked himself up.
"Go to hell, Lantern scum." He spat.
Sinestro formed a clamp around Kanjar Ro's neck as he pinned him to the wall.
"I grow impatient." Sinestro told him. "Where was the sale taking place? What did you have the weaponers build?!"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Hal shouted, cutting the clamp with a pair of scissors he summoned. "Easy there, Sinestro. No need to kill him."
"Stay out of this, Jordan." Sinestro told him. "This is the only way we'll learn anything."
"There has to be a better way." Hal insisted. "Come on."
"Where is the deal happening?!" Sinestro pressed.
"On… Brylyx…" Kanjar Ro mustered up. "I hope you choke on whatever they cooked up."
Enraged, Sinestro prepared to blast Kanjar Ro, but a green hand formed by Hal stopped him.
"Enough!" Hal declared. "We have what we need, let's just go."
Sinestro growled in response before finally releasing Kanjar Ro. The two started walking out, but the second they cleared the room, Sinestro grabbed Hal and slammed him against the wall.
"Never. Question me. Again!" Sinestro demanded.
"Hey, I just thought you were going too far." Hal defended.
"Too far?" Sinestro repeated. "That slime has killed hundreds of innocents. He killed my friend, the previous owner of that ring. Abin Sur is dead because of him!"
Hal was a little taken aback by Sinestro's investment in this.
"I'm sorry… I didn't know you two were close." Hal told him.
"Well now you do." Sinestro replied, letting him go. "So next time, you'll think twice before stopping me from giving criminals like him what they deserve."
Sinestro then walked off, leaving Hal more than a little shaken before flying to catch up.
…
"That's when I found out that Sinestro had a very narrow minded view of justice." GL continued. "He felt the Guardians had been too lenient on crime in the galaxy. Abin Sur's death was just the straw that broke the camel's back."
"Is that why he got excommunicated?" Aquaman questioned.
"Pretty much." GL confirmed. "It all came to a head when we got to Brylyx."
…
On Brylyx, the two lanterns touched down and looked around. The surface of the planet was a seethy little town of thugs and gangsters as far as the eye could see. Hal would be tempted to compare it to a Star Wars movie, if he didn't figure Sinestro wouldn't get the reference.
"Nice place you got here." Hal remarked.
"The exchange should be going down over there." Sinestro told him, pointing to a nearby building. "Let's take position."
"Right." Hal replied as Sinestro walked off. "You're gonna be fun to be with."
Hal went to catch up with Sinestro as the two walked inside. The place was filled to the brim with drunkards and despots, some even engaged in petty brawls with each other.
"Wow." Hal let out.
"Disgusting, isn't it?" Sinestro remarked. "Makes you wonder why the Guardians in all their wisdom, allow such vulgar beings to exist in the galaxy."
"You really have strong opinions on crime, don't you?" Hal surmised.
"I joined the Green Lanterns to bring order to the galaxy." Sinestro shared. "Instead, we serve as the Guardians' janitors, cleaning up after the scum of the universe, but never dealing with the problem."
"That… does sound frustrating." Hal reasoned.
"As it should." Sinestro agreed. "This passive action cost me the life of a trusted friend. That is a pain I will carry forever."
"I get it." Hal reassured. "I mean, if anything ever happened to Carol-"
"Carol?" Sinestro inquired.
"Carol Ferris," Hal clarified. "My boss slash girlfriend. She can be a bit hard on me, but I can't imagine life without her."
"I see…" Sinestro replied.
At that moment, some new arrivals entered the bar. They appeared to be men in gray suits with helmets that had eye visors and wings on the sides.
"Who are those guys?" Hal asked.
"They are the weaponers of Qward." Sinestro informed.
"Ah." Hal realized. "So, how do we deal with these guys?"
"Like this." Sinestro replied, flying out and firing at the weaponers.
The first blast knocks one of the weaponers back, prompting the others to draw laser blasters and open fire. Hal quickly brought up a shield to protect himself as Sinestro kept on the offensive. Thinking of ways to end the conflict, Hal formed several small rockets from his shield and shot them at the weaponers. They managed to take a few out, allowing Hal to fly up and punch one weaponer across the face. Another one pulled out a staff that began sparking with electricity before using it on Hal, causing him to cry out in pain. Before the weaponer could strike again, Sinestro blasts the staff out of his hands before blasting him to the ground.
"Where is the weapon?" Sinestro questioned, aiming his ring at him.
"I-I do not know what you are talking about." the weaponer answered.
"The weapon you made for Kanjar Ro!" Sinestro pressed, forming a clamp around his neck. "I want to know where it is!"
"I- I don't know." the weaponer blurted out. "I was just sent to collect the final payment."
"Then you shall have it." Sinestro replied, before blasting him through the heart.
"NO!" Hal let out, tackling Sinestro to the ground. "You killed him!"
"I did what needed to be done!" Sinestro snapped. "What the Guardians don't have the stones to do!"
"Last I checked, protecting people didn't involve being judge, jury, and executioner!" Hal protested.
"And where has the other way gotten us?!" Sinestro challenged, spreading his arms out wide. "Look at the universe the Guardians have created! We have the greatest power in the cosmos and what have they made us? Garbage collectors! We pick up the trash. A thief here, a killer, but there's no end to it. Not unless all this rot is finally wiped away. A new order must prevail, one that will end the chaos! But... it can't be built by the faint of heart."
"Or the heartless." Hal retorted.
Sinestro just punched Hal off of him, knocking him to the ground.
"You know, for a shining moment, I thought I could have you join me." Sinestro admitted. "But now, you're just in my way."
"Good." Hal declared before blasting Sinestro in the chest.
Sinestro is knocked back, but he quickly retaliated, flying up and shooting at him. Hal dove out of the way before returning in kind. Sinestro held up a shield to block the blasts before shoving the shield right into him. Sinestro then released the shield, allowing Hal to fall to the ground.
"Hopefully, the next one to wear that ring has a bit more vision than you." He mused as he summoned a dagger with his ring.
Before he could fire it, a green energy hammer slammed right on him, pinning him to the ground. Hal looked over and saw Kilowog standing in the doorway.
"What… took you?" Hal wheezed.
"You seemed like you had it handled." Kilowog remarked.
Hal pulled himself to his feet, breathing heavily as Sinestro struggled under Kilowog's hammer.
"How-?" He demanded.
"I had open communications since we got here." Hal replied. "Guess I had enough vision to not trust you completely."
"Not bad for a rookie." Kilowog commended before sneering down at Sinestro. "As for you, the Guardians have a few things to say to you."
…
"After that, Sinestro was tried and imprisoned, swearing revenge and all that." GL concluded. "What I want to know is how the hell he escaped in the first place?"
"We're not sure." Kilowog admitted. "Honestly, the Guardians had confiscated his ring and ensured he could never wield another green one. They figured his threat was over so they figured exile would be a suitable punishment."
"They what?!" GL exclaimed.
"My thoughts exactly." Kilowog replied. "That's why I gathered a posse to round him up. We'd just traced him to Qward when... when he killed the Lanterns with me."
"Using the weapon?" GL guessed.
"What is this weapon?" Flash asked.
"The one thing that the Green Lantern rings can't fight: the yellow element." Kilowog answered.
"Yellow element?" Aquaman repeated. "Your biggest weakness is a color?"
"Yellow is the color of fear." GL explained. "Will is the source of a Lantern's strength, and fear is the enemy of will."
"What's worse is that the element's been forged into a power battery." Kilowog went on. "He has a new ring, Hal. One that is our polar opposite. One we can't fight against. And what's worse...he said he was coming after you."
Just then, another alarm sounded in the Watchtower. J'onn and Cyborg flew to the computers to see what it was, pulling up images from deep space satellites.
"Another object." J'onn observed. "And it's moving fast."
"Sinestro." GL deduced. "Has to be. Where's he headed?"
"Tracking trajectory now." Cyborg announced, a holographic screen appearing on his arm as he began typing on a provided keyboard. "Looks like he's gonna touch down out in the desert outside Coast City.
"Why?" GL asked. "There's nothing there but-"
GL froze up, realizing where he was heading.
"We need to move, now!" GL declared, flying to the hanger.
…
Out in the hanger, GL prepped the Javelin as the others joined him.
"Any luck calling the others?" GL asked.
"Wonder Woman is on another case, Superman is dealing with an earthquake, and Batman would only say that he is busy." J'onn listed off.
"Figures." GL let out, powering up the Javelin. "Never around when you need him."
The second the hanger doors opened up, GL flew out making a beeline for Coast City.
…
At Ferris Air, Carol was getting into one of the prototype jets, still fuming over her talk with Hal. Still, she shoved her emotions down as she pulled her helmet on.
"Begin pre-flight check." She commanded. "Open bay doors and prepare for take-off."
"Miss Ferris, you sure you still want to do this?" One of the techs observing the flight questioned.
"Yes, I'm sure." Carol snapped. "Now get to work."
"Yes, ma'am." the tech replied, opening the bay doors.
The bay doors opened up, prompting Carol to fly out of the hanger and into the air.
"Systems seem fully functional." Carol reported. "Going to put it through its paces."
"Just be careful ma'am." the tech warned. "You haven't been in a plane in awhile. Maybe we should wait for-"
"We've waited long enough." Carol replied. "Besides, it's just like riding a bike."
She gunned the engine and took off into the sky, unaware of the sinister figure cloaked in yellow watching her. The figure grinned maliciously, then flew after her. As Carol continued flying, a large yellow blade came up and sliced through the cockpit, severing it from the rest of the plane. Carol screamed in shock, instinctively attempting to eject herself. Before the seat could get far, a large yellow hand grabbed her. It pulled her towards the figure, a second hand pulling her helmet off and crushing it.
"So, you Carol Ferris." He mused. "I see why he fancies you."
"Who are you?!" Carol demanded. "How do you know my name?!"
"I am Sinestro of Korugar." He introduced. "As for how I know you… let's just say we have a mutual acquaintance. One who is about to know how it feels to lose the one he loves!"
"Sinestro!" GL suddenly screamed.
Sinestro and Carol looked up to see Green Lantern hovering above them wish his ring pointed at him.
"Let her go!" He demanded.
"I think not." Sinestro replied, forming a blade near Carol's neck. "Lower your ring, or I slit her throat."
GL just gritted his teeth in response.
"Green… Lantern?" Carol said quietly, her voice laced with confusion and fear.
Sinestro laughed.
"You claim to love this woman, and yet, it seems as though you've been keeping secrets from her." He mused. "And you call me cruel, Jordan."
"Jordan?" Carol gasped, her eyes going wide. "H-Hal?"
"Let. her. Go!" GL demanded again.
Sinestro smirked.
"Poor choice of words." He said.
With that, the yellow hand dissipated and Carol began plummeting to the ground. GL immediately dove towards her, but Sinestro blasted at him.
"Not going to be that-"
Before Sinestro could finish, a blast from the Javelin knocked him aside, allowing GL to dive and catch Carol before she hit. He flew across the desert before landing and setting her down.
"Are you alright?" He asked.
"HAL JORDAN?!" She screamed. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!"
"I promise I'll explain everything," Hal reassured. "Right now, I got alien ass to kick."
GL then flew off towards Sinestro, forming a giant fist that punched him back.
"Coming after Carol was a bad choice, Sinestro." He snarled.
"It brought you to me." Sinestro replied. "That is all that matters."
"Except he is not alone." J'onn declared, flying up to him.
J'onn punched Sinestro across the face, knocking him back. Sinestro tried shooting at him, prompting J'onn to fly around the blasts. He flew in close and tried to punch him again, but Sinestro just blasted him in the chest. Duel blasts from Cyborg's cannon and Aquaman's trident managed to knock Sinestro out of the sky and onto the ground.
"You wanna come quietly?" Aquaman asked.
Sinestro responded by forming two columns that knocked them back. As he got back up, Flash sped by, punching him across the face repeatedly. Irritated, Sinestro formed a massive shockwave that knocked Flash back, causing him to skid on the ground. He then formed a massive claw that tried to grab him, but Flash quickly moved out of the way.
"I can do this all day!" Flash taunted, dodging the attacks. "Can you?"
"My beams are as fast as you are!" Sinestro taunted. "Lightspeed!"
"Yeah, but I'm betting you don't think that fast!" Flash retorted running at him.
Sinestro then formed a ramp for Flash, sending him over his head and onto the ground.
"You were saying?" Sinestro taunted.
Suddenly a blast of green energy nailed him, sending him skidding across the ground.
"You're done, Sinestro!" GL promised.
"Am I?" Sinestro taunted.
"Jordan!" Kilowog called on Hal's ring. "You're about to have company!"
GL and the others look up to see a giant yellow sphere with a yellow lantern symbol on it descending towards them. It let out a beam of energy, one that tore through the ground and forced the heroes to scatter. J'onn tried to fly up to it, but ended up getting hit by one of the blasts, knocking him out of the sky before Cyborg leapt up and caught him.
"The weapon." GL deduced.
"The very one Kanjar Ro commissioned the weaponers to build." Sinestro confirmed. "The perfect weapon with which I will overthrow the Green Lantern Corps, and replace it with a more worthy institution. One who's chief weapon… is fear."
GL tried flying straight at Sinestro, but was hit by the sphere, knocking him to the ground. Watching all of this play out, Carol rushed over and dropped to her knees by his side.
"Hal, Hal get up!" She cried. "You have to get up!"
GL groaned in response as the sphere came over their heads, Sinestro grinning sadistically.
"Farewell Jordan." Sinestro let out.
The sphere then fired, much to the horror of Carol and the League.
"Hal!" Carol cried out, pulling GL closer.
GL's eyes cracked a bit just as the beam came shooting down. He quickly snapped awake and formed a shield around them, keeping the blast from hitting them. GL's ring struggled to keep the blast back, with it even starting to crack. While this was happening, Flash and Aquaman moved on Sinestro. Sinestro formed an energy sword to clash against Aquaman's trident, the two managing to keep pace with each others blows. Sinestro managed to knock Aquaman back and was about to fire at him before Flash came up and smashed him against a nearby rock.
Back with GL, his construct was beginning to fade. He groaned from the strain as he turned to Carol, who was looking at him in terror. Seeing her in such a state caused GL to grit his teeth and pour every ounce of will he had into his ring, not only hardening his shield but forcing the energy back. GL managed to get back to his feet and even begin flying as he pushed the energy back towards the sphere. GL even yelled in pain as he pushed the energy right back into the sphere, causing it to overload and explode.
The blast managed to knock GL out of the sky towards the ground. Fortunately, before he hit, J'onn managed to fly by and catch him.
"Are you alright?" He asked.
"Tell you…" GL let out. "When my head stops spinning…"
"No!" Sinestro let out.
He tried to move but was cornered by Aquaman, Flash, and Cyborg standing before him.
"You feeling lucky?" Cyborg taunted, aiming his cannon at him.
Sinestro snarled, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists.
"Another time then." he declared.
He sent out an energy wave that knocked them all back before he flew off.
"Damn…" Aquaman let out.
…
Sometime later, Hal and Carol were finally having an overdue talk.
"So… this explains quite a bit." Carol let out. "You're Green Lantern."
"Yep." Hal confirmed. "I'm just sorry you had to find out like this."
"Yeah, about that." Carol said, a hard edge to her voice. "Were you ever going to tell me you're a- a- a space cop?!"
"I wanted to." Hal told her. "It's just… with the threats I face, I was afraid I'd be putting you in danger."
"Hal, I run a multi-million dollar company with several military contracts." Carol pointed out. "I'm no stranger to danger. Besides, how could you protect me if I didn't know I was in danger?"
"That's… a really good point." Hal conceded. "Man, I am an idiot."
"Yeah, you are." Carol confirmed. "I thought you were seeing someone behind my back and that's why you were such a flake."
"What?" Hal let out.
"Well what was I supposed to think?!" Carol exclaimed. "You were consistently late, always backing out of dates, you never answer your phone, and when you did, it was to give me the weakest of excuses!"
"You're right, you're right." Had admitted. "I've made some major mistakes with us, but I would never betray your love like that. And I promise, no more secrets between us."
Carol let out a long breath, seemingly releasing a burden she'd been carrying for a bit.
"Right."She agreed. "I rescind your termination by the way.
"Thanks." Hal replied. "The Green Lantern Corps is pretty cool, but it doesn't pay very well."
The two share a laugh, then just hold each other, grateful to have succeeded in getting past this hurdle in their relationship.
