"In communism, we never had any freedom - of movement, of speech, of press. We didn't even make our own decisions for our lives, our future. We were human robots." - Lee Hyeon-seo

Wondong DMZ Zone, The People's Democratic Republic of United Rhelasia

11:28 AM EST, December 15, 1985

The trenches towered above a platoon marching along the trench lines. Among them was a young man, Koa Seeha. He is a soldier in the People's Army, serving along the DMZ. Preparing for a South Rhelasian invasion. An invasion that he knows will never come. For his whole life, he has been living in fear. He never talked outside his home. Do what he was ordered. Try to excel in his studies for a chance to stay out of the military. Go to a foreign embassy. Escape. Live free.

Instead, he was sent to the most militarized front. Chances of escape was pure suicide. But he longed to be free. When his platoon reached a Pill Box, the relieved platoon walked out. Gripping their Type 5 Rifles. They didn't even look or acknowledge Koa and the platoon. Walking inside, he found the same stone walls, hiding the line of Type 4 Machine Guns. He watched as his friends leaned into the guns. As he sat down next to the radio desk, his best friend, Makan, sat next to him. Setting their guns to the side, they tried to relax.

The friend picked up a piece of stone and started making his rough drawing. Knowing it will be brushed away tomorrow. The still air, brought nothing but time to think. To fear. Koa begun to think of the weeks of plans for tonight. No one knows them. Safer that way. Looking over to his friend, he wished he could bring him along. Leaning his head back, he'll wait in silence.

Wondong DMZ Zone, The People's Democratic Republic of United Rhelasia

9:08 AM EST, December 16, 1985

The soldiers rested after the long guard duty. All but Koa. He moved through the still silence, carrying little. Opening the bunker's door, he crept out. Watching out for patrols. No one should be coming this way for an hour. Climbing up a ladder, he scanned the open field leading to the base. Snipers will be on the lookout. Climbing out, his heart was pumping. There was a designated path for soldiers to march to and from the trench line. The rest of the field was filled with mines.

He has no choice. The checkpoints will shoot him on sight. Crawling through the dirt, the moon light only giving little view. Moving forward, he was lucky to not find a mine for some time. That was until he found a square mine dug into the ground. Forcing him to crawl around it. Counting the minutes of being in this field, he thought of his future. He was about to go into a land hostile to him. The long ceasefire didn't mean that war was over. He would be treated as a POW. Facing torture and death. Putting those thoughts aside, he continued forward.

For hours, he spent crawling around mines. Sometimes he nearly detonated them. Scaring him. Reaching the coil wire. Kneeling up, he pulled out wire cutters he bought weeks ago. Clipping the rows of wire, tensing up with each snap and recoil. When an opening was made, he ran for the barracks. Staying in cover, he crept along the shadows. Reaching the end of the barracks, he saw the rows of armored vehicles. Scanning the area, seeing no patrols, no sniper towers.

Running, he feared of getting shoot. These could be his last moments. If he were to die, he'll die forgotten. To his surprise, he reached the large vehicles. Opening the hatch on the side, he climbed in. Locking it tight, before locking the other hatches. Reaching the driver seat, he began to pull and flip switches, trying to get the vehicle to start. When the engine roared to life, he was started. Pressing the pedals, the war machine rolled forward.

He rocked around, following the dirt road. The metal scraping against other vehicles, buildings, and soon bullets were pinging off the armor. At the base's checkpoint, the guards opened fire. The window cracked at the force of the bullets. But the vehicle punched through the checkpoint. Driving along the jungle trail, he used the jungle as cover. But there was the risk of getting lost. He didn't know these roads. For all he knew, he was going straight for a mine.

Crossing a bridge, he saw a destroyed tank abandoned to the right path. Forcing him to take the left. A disaster. It led him to a trench line. His large tire war machine wouldn't be able to go over it. But that wasn't what he should have been worried about. The vehicle rocked as heat burned his skin. A loud boom sent his ears ringing. His vision was blurry, but when it returned, a squad of soldiers marched towards him. Desperate, he rolled forward. The soldiers retreated back to the trench as he picked up speed. The armored vehicle dropped into the trench with a thud. His body flew forward, his face striking the window. A sharp pain stinging his skin.

Banging echoed the interior. Orders for him to come out came. He leaned against the seat, unholstering his Makarov. Putting it to his head, his thoughts turned to survival. These were men just like him. Ordered to kill without mercy or justification. But if he wanted freedom, he'll have to take their lives. A dreadful thought. But one he needed to do. Grabbing a hold of the hatch's lock, he aimed the pistol. With a deep breath, he unlocked it. A wave of bullets was going to come. Chances of surviving were slim. Before he opened the hatch, a ping made him freeze. It was louder than the other pings.

A green glow had caught his attention. Looking over, he saw a green ring, floating in the air. He reached out, grabbing the ring. It was strange. He has never seen the symbol on it before. Putting it on was bizarre to him. A green flash clothed him in a green suit of shorts. He felt powerful with the ring on. The hatch opened, startling him. Turning around to see the barrel of a rifle staring at him. Clenching his fist. The power surging. He thought of putting a knife to the soldier chest. To his amazement, a green solid light pierced the surprised soldier's chest.

As the soldier fell limp, Koa took cover. He couldn't believe that just happened. He just thought of it and it happened. Soon he wondered if he could create anything with his thoughts. Because of the ring. His thought turned to the DP Gun. The size, the little pieces, the feel of the gun. Just as he expected, the ring created the gun in his hands. Taking a breath, he went to the hatch. Pulling the trigger, cutting down the platoon. It seemed to have an unlimited ammo. Climbing out, he heard orders coming from the other side of the vehicle. Climbing out the trench, he thought of a T-72. The ring formed the war machine around him.

Pushing forward, he rolled over the fences and rows of wire. What he didn't expect was rolling over mines. The explosion should have killed him, but the ring protected him. Then there was the speed. He was going faster than the real tank actually could. It wasn't rocking around like it should. It just rolled through the barren dirt land. Of course, his luck never gets better. Before he could reach the South Rhelasian border, a purple skin man wearing a green suit similar to his. But he was floating in the air. Stopping the tank, Koa made the war machine vanish, getting his feet on the guard.

"Who are you?" he asked, forming a rifle in his hand. The stranger landed on the ground.

"I am Sinestro of the Green Lantern Corp." Sinestro answered in a friendly manner. Before the human could say anything else, a gunshot echoed the area. A burning feeling thrust throughout his shoulder. He kneeled down while Sinestro created a green wall. "Sniper! You alright?"

"I don't know." Koa admitted as green walls formed around them.

"I'll get us out of here." Sinestro said. The two were carried in the box to the skies. Then further into the stars. It was amazing to the young human. Before he knew it, pressure was put on his wound. "Don't worry, once we reach Oa, the medical unit will treat your wound."

"Wait what?" Koa asked as the stars started to zip past them.

"Oh, right, we didn't finish our talk. I'm a member of the Green Lantern Corp. Our mission is to protect the cosmos from intergalactic threats. Enforce law and order. But above all else, destroy evil."

"So what does this have to do with me?"

"That ring is our most powerful weapon. It chose you to be a Lantern. Welcome to the Corps." Sinestro said as the stars began to slow down. A green planet shining ahead. Koa's world was shaken. This was beyond his understanding. So much was new to him. But he was weary of Sinestro. After so many years of living in North Rhelasia, he can't trust anyone. Even those who helped him.