Chapter 80: Realizations

Hal couldn't help but scowl at the sight of Sinestro towering over him, a suped-up blaster in his hands. Reluctantly, Hal held his hands up before slowly getting to his feet.

"Looks like you've got me," Hal remarked.

"So it would seem," Sinestro repeated, still keeping his gun trained on him.

The Lanterns and Cyborg all readied themselves as Vartox came lumbering toward them.

"I'm gonna enjoy yearning you all apart," he declared.

"Bring it," Kilowog challenged, motioning him to come at them.

Roaring in response, Vartox charged forward, swinging his ax at Kilowog. Kilowog dodged it before moving in close and socking him across the face. Vartox stumbled back as Kilowog rammed into him, knocking him to the ground. Kilowog tried to punch him in the face, but Vartox moved out of the way before smacking him with the flat end of his ax. Kilowog stumbled backward, allowing Vartox to get back on his feet. Before he could move toward him, Arkkis and Cyborg opened fire on his back, getting his attention. As he turned toward the two of them, Cyborg looked back at the energy valve before looking back at Vartox.

"Come on, big guy…" Cyborg whispered. "Come on."

Vartox then leaped toward the two of them, prompting them to roll out of the way in opposite directions. Cyborg rolled next to the energy valve, rushing at Vartox and punching at him repeatedly.

"Come on!" Cyborg cried out. "Go down already!"

Vartox took the punches, simply backhanding Cyborg and knocking him into the valve. Cyborg braced himself as Vartox approached, wielding his ax with both hands.

"Big mistake," Vartox declared.

"Big time," Cyborg remarked, smirking in response. As Vartox swung his ax at the metallic hero, Cyborg dropped to the ground, causing the valve to rupture. Cyborg quickly moved out of the way as energy began building up from the rupture. The other Lanterns made their way for cover as the valve exploded, sending a shockwave that rocked the entire ship.

..

Up on the bridge, Sinestro kept his gun aimed at Hal, moments away from pulling the trigger. Before he could though, the explosion from the engine room rang out throughout the ship, rocking the bridge and those who were there. Seeing Sinestro trying to stabilize himself, Hal took the chance and punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground as he made a break for the control console. He pressed a button, activating the communicator.

"SOS!" he called as Sinestro picked himself up. "Ship is down and we have been boarded by-"

Sinestro fired at him, prompting Hal to duck just as the blast hit the console, destroying it. Hal looked at the fried console before turning back and seeing Sinestro aiming his weapon at them.

"Can't blame a guy for trying," Hal remarked.

Back with the others, Cyborg slowly picked himself up, having ducked behind some pipes to shield himself from the blast.

"Everyone ok?" he called out.

"Little shaken," Katma relayed as she and the others picked themselves up. "But alive."

Cyborg nodded as he and the Lanterns regrouped. "What about the big guy?"

Kilowog looked back, seeing nothing of Vartox but his charred ax.

I don't think we need to worry about him," Kilowog commented.

Cyborg winced at the prospect. "What a way to go."

"We can't worry about that now," Katma spoke up, regaining their focus. "Right now, we have to find Hal and take back control of the ship."

Before they could move out, an all too familiar voice came over the ship's intercom.

"Before any would-be heroes try anything foolish,"Sinestro spoke."You should know that your friend Jordan is our… guest. If you wish to keep him breathing, you will join us on the bridge. Promptly, please."

The voice then cut out, allowing the four heroes to speak.

"Hal…" Victor let out.

"No way it's gonna be that easy," Kilowog remarked. "They're gonna fill us full of holes the first chance they get."

"If we do nothing, Hal is dead," Arkkis argued.

"What we need is a way to take those weapons out of play," Katma realized, stroking her chin. "We just need a way…"

They all paused for a moment, trying to think of a plan. Suddenly, Cyborg perked up, remembering something.

"I think I may be able to think of something," he informed, getting their attention.

"How?" Katma wondered.

"During one of our fights, I was able to get a scan of one of those blasters," he then raised his arm and manifested a holographic display of one of the blasters.

The Lanterns all gathered around to look at the specs of the weapon.

"Heck of a toy," Kilowog commented.

"That's putting it mildly," Katma concurred.

"When I looked over it before, something about it felt familiar," Cyborg admitted, walking up to the scan for a closer look. "And if I'm right…" he continued sifting through the display, pulling the projection down and zooming in to get a better look at the inside circuitry and infrastructure.

He kept analyzing the data, swiping past every circuit and servo in the weapon. Suddenly, he stopped, zeroing in on one particular component within the weapon. Seeing this, a confident smile came across his face.

"We got him."

Before they could do anything else, the sound of approaching footsteps rang out. Cyborg quickly shut down as Black Circle forces marched up, their weapons trained on them. They all raised their hands in surrender, not wanting to cause any trouble.

Back on the bridge, Hal was on his knees with Sinestro keeping his weapon trained on him. All the while, Amon went over to the console, checking over the damage it had sustained during their altercation.

"Most systems appear to be operational, apart from the engines," Amon reported. "However, communications systems are down, so if his call did get through, Lantern backup will be coming and we can't speak with them."

"Meaning they'll be looking to board," Sinestro realized.

"Ooh, that's gotta suck for you," Hal commented. "If you give yourselves up now, I guarantee it'll be much less painful for you in the long run."

"I think we'll manage," Sinestro replied dismissively.

Just then, the doors to the bridge opened, allowing the remaining Black Circle Soldiers to come in with Cyborg and the Lanterns.

"Ah, welcome my friends," Sinestro greeted smugly. "I trust you didn't have much difficulty getting here."

"Oh, we've found plenty to find difficulty with," Kilowog remarked.

"Amusing."

"You're wasting your time," Katma told him. "Lantern reinforcement will be here any minute."

"And they will bring us to Oa, where our true work can begin."

"Seems like you've got it all planned out," Hal remarked. "And uh, how exactly do you plan to get there unnoticed?"

"That, I will leave to you, Jordan. Just tell them that you need to return to Oa for repairs. Oh and if you should get any ideas of heroism," Amon gave a signal that prompted the Black Circle soldiers to train their guns on the others. "It will not end well for your friends."

Hal scowled in response. "Well, since you put it that way…"

A short time later, additional Green Lantern support arrived to check on the prisoner ship. An orange alien with fins and a beak on his head named Tomar-Re and a woman with purple skin and white hair wearing a green headpiece named Boodikka quickly arrived on the scene.

"Green Lantern Tomar-Re to Prison Transport Ship," Tomar-Re called out, only to get no response. "Tomar-Re to Prison Transport Ship. Please respond?"

Tomar-Re flew around to the front of the ship, seeing Hal Jordan through the viewport. Hal tapped his finger to his ear, signaling that he couldn't communicate with him. Tomar-Re nodded, turning to Boodikka.

"Looks like comms are down," he relayed. "Heading to the airlock."

Boodikka nodded as Tomar-Re flew around to the airlock. Once there himself, Hal opened up the airlock, allowing Tomar-Re to come inside. Unbeknownst to the en-route GL, Sinestro was waiting in a corresponding hallway, ensuring that Hal wouldn't attempt anything.

"Tomar," Hal greeted as Tomar-Re boarded. "Thanks for coming so fast."

"Of course. Your transmission cut out, but it said you were boarded?"

"We managed to fend them off. Unfortunately, our engines are shot and we need some repairs."

"And the prisoners?"

"All secure," Hal replied, doing his best not to glance back at Sinestro. "Think you can give a lift back to Oa for a tune-up?"

"Shouldn't be a problem," Tomar-Re replied.

Before Tomar could turn away, he noticed a somewhat nervous look on his face.

"Is… something wrong?"

Hal paused, his mind bouncing between outing Sinestro and protecting his friends.

"I just…" Hal let out a sigh. "Remembered… I need to apologize to Appa Ali Apsa about something I said to him before. Really shouldn't've said that about his hair, you know what I mean?"

Tomar-Re paused for a moment before responding. "Oh… yes. He was quite perturbed. I'm sure he'll appreciate the apology."

"No kidding. So, think you can hook us up with a ride?"

"We should be able to get back in no time."

Hal gave a two-fingered salute before closing the airlock. Hal let out a sigh before Sinestro rounded the corner to speak with him.

"Apologize to Appa?" Sinestro questioned.

"Something that was bugging me. Besides, not like I'll get the chance later."

Sinestro narrowed his eyes in response. "Indeed…"

Meanwhile, Amon and the Black Circle had taken Cyborg and the Lanterns back to the brig, keeping their weapons trained on their prisoners. All four of them were on their knees as they looked up and saw Amon pacing back and forth.

"It's only a matter of time," Amon mused.

"And then what?" Cyborg asked, getting his attention. "You're just gonna kill anyone who gets in your way? Destroy everything your father fought for?"

"What do you know of it, cyborg?"

"Kilowog and the others told me about you. He told me who your father was. And I gotta say, he would not be happy with how you turned out."

"My father surrendered his right to have an opinion when he put the Green Lanterns over his own family! Now, like him will be reduced to nothing but a memory."

"Yeah, well maybe he did what he didforyou! Maybe all that time he spent away from you was him keeping you safe! Looking out for you! Putting everything else on the line so…" Cyborg's speech slowed for a moment, coming to his own realization. "So that… you could have your best chance…"

Cyborg didn't have a chance to dwell long though before Amon struck him in the face with the but of his gun, knocking him to the ground.

"Do not presume to know me or what I have endured. I am only keeping you fools alive long enough to watch as the source of dogma and oppression in the galaxy is burned to a crisp! And then… you will die."

Cyborg groaned, smirking a little as he picked himself up.

"We'll see…" he muttered.

A short time later, the ship was pulled into Oa space. Hal sat at the bridge, with Sinestro standing over him gazing out at the approaching planet. Sinestro couldn't help but smile at the sight.

"Take it in, Jordan," Sinestro mused. "Before long, this monument to the Guardians and their failures will be nothing but ruins."

"Wow," Hal mused. "That's beautiful. You should write a book."

"Amusing. I will truly miss your unfiltered wit."

"Hey, I knew I'd grow on you. Eventually."

Sinestro dismissed Hal, trying to focus on the task at hand. As he turned back toward Oa however, he was met by a startling sight. Several more Green Lanterns came flying up from the planet's surface, each one as they got close, firing a stream of energy that surrounded the ship. Sinestro took a step back in surprise.

"What is-"

"You know," Hal spoke up, getting to his feet. "We never got that much of a chance to bond before you got arrested. You never got to know my, uh… little quirks. One of my more notable ones," he turned toward him. "I don't apologize to Appa. Ever."

Just as Sinestro was about to turn and shoot at him, Hal socked him across the face, knocking him and his weapon to the ground. Sinestro tried to reach for it, but Hal stepped on his hand before kneeling down and picking it up.

"I'm sorry, did you want this?" Hal remarked.

Sinestro snarled in response.

Back down in the brig, Cyborg tried to get back to his feet, only for Amon to aim his weapon at him again.

"Try it, and I will shoot you dead," Amon threatened.

"You don't scare me," Cyborg challenged.

"Dying brave is still dying."

"Attention ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking,"Hal spoke over comms."Thanks to the generous support of the Green Lantern Corps, we are beginning our descent into Oa where all lawbreakers and ne'er do wells will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of galactic law,"the Lanterns and Cyborg all smiled at this while Amon scowled in response."We know when it comes to getting arrested you have many options, so thanks again for choosing Green Lantern Air."

"Way to go, Jordan," Kilowog commended.

"Looks like someone else has a reason to be scared," Cyborg remarked.

"If I must rot in a cage…" Amon let out, raising his weapon. "At least I will take you with me! Kill them all!"

Before the Black Circle Soldiers could get off a shot, Cyborg activated his sonic cannon and sent out a pulse that rang throughout the entire room. Amon shook his head in irritation, turning back to Cyborg.

"Noise…" he mocked. "You attack me with noise?!"

He raised his weapon and tried to shoot at him, but nothing happened when he pulled the trigger. He kept trying to shoot at him, but nothing was happening. The other soldiers tried firing their guns, but it was the same result.

"More like attack your fancy laser guns with noise," Cyborg remarked, aiming his sonic cannon at him. "Wanna see me when I'm trying?"

Amon glared in response. Ultimately, he threw his weapon to the ground, admitting defeat. One by one, the other Black Circle soldiers followed suit, throwing their weapons to the ground in surrender. Cyborg smiled confidently as Kilowog walked over to him.

"Nice work, kid," he commended, placing a hand on his shoulder.

After moving them on a new ship and recharging the rings of the Lanterns, they finally managed to complete their journey to Seti-Alpha Seven. Once there, they began moving the prisoners off the ship and into their cells. As they brought the last soldier in, Cyborg decided to take a step back, looking out into the vastness of space. As he was about to walk inside to finish up the transfer, Kilowog took notice of this, getting a sense of his feelings.

"Uh… " he let out, turning to Arkkis and Katma. "Why don't you guys finish up here? I'll catch up."

Arkkis and Katma nodded as Kilowog flew over to Cyborg, touching down next to him.

"You doing good, kid?" Kilowog asked.

"Fine… just thinking," Cyborg let out a sigh. "Amon's anger with his dad… made me think about my own. I… hurt him," he looked down at his mechanical hands. "I didn't even need high-tech weapons to do it… just my own damn mouth."

"Sounds rough," Kilowog replied. "So, what are you gonna do about it?"

"I… I don't know."

"Really? Cause it seems like it's obvious what you should do. The question is what's stopping you."

"I… what if he doesn't forgive me? What if he won't speak to me? What if…"

"Listen, kid," Kilowog spoke, stepping in front of him. "Even if that stuff doesn't happen, it's better to say what you need to say now, than put it off till later. You never know how much time you'll have left with them…" his face dropped and his tone became more depressed. "Never know… if there will ever be a next time."

Cyborg was taken aback by his frankness, clearly realizing what he was talking about.

"You… you lost your family… didn't you?"

Kilowog slowly looked up. "Kid…I lost everything. My planet, Bolovax Vik, was destroyed a long time ago. As far as I know… I'm the only survivor.

"Whoa… no wonder you don't like talking about it."

"Yeah… so take it from someone who knows, kid. You never know how much time you've got with your family… make the most of it."

Meanwhile, Hal was placing the last of the prisoners, the hulking red one, into his cell.

"Man, you missed quite the show, pal," Hal commented as he secured his bindings. "Firefights. Explosions. Family drama. Surprised you didn't want to join in on the party."

"There was no need," the creature replied.

Hal raised an eyebrow at that. "Why not?"

"Because I already know the days of the Green Lanterns are numbered. I have seen the future. And I know what fate is to befall your order."

Hal paused for a moment, wondering what this could all mean. Seeing his trepidation, the creature sneered.

"Do you dare to know the truth, Green Lantern?"

Thinking for a moment, Hal shrugged in response. "Surprise me."

The creature let out a twisted smile. "In the near future, sooner than you might even imagine, one of your Corps' greatest will become something beyond recognition. Something power, something… horrifying. He will scorch the surface of Oa until it is nothing but ash and death. Only fragments of its once great power will remain, just enough for the victims of the Guardian's sins to arise and lay vengeance upon them, snuffing out the Emerald Light once and for all."

"And… who might those victims be?" Hal asked, clearly put off by what he was hearing. "You?"

"All you need to know is that the balance of power in the universe will tear apart everything you love." Then, the creature began to recite something. It sounded like an oath, a dark and threatening one. "With blood and rage of crimson red, that fills men's souls with darkest dread, and twists their minds to pain and hate, you all will your fate."

Hal scowled in response, pausing as if wondering how to respond. Finally, he hit a button on the side, closing the cell door and sealing off the creature. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind of what he had heard. He walked off, wondering how much of what the creature had said was true, unaware of how the beast was eying him like prey.

Once the prisoners were secure, Hal and Victor made their way back to Earth. Both of them were in silent contemplation about what they had both encountered. Victor stared out the window of the ring-constructed ship as Hal piloted them toward Earth.

"You… you doing alright, Vic?" Hal asked.

"Huh?" Vic let out, snapping back to reality. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just… thinking about my dad."

"You finally gonna talk to him?"

"... yeah. Better now than never, right?"

"Yeah." Hal gave him a pat on the back. "Glad you're ready to talk to him."

"Me too. So… what's on your mind?"

Hal just shrugged. "Just some mad ramblings about the end of the universe. He just seemed… committed to the bit. Like… prophetically so."

"Whoa… freaky."

"Tell me about it." Hal ran his fingers through his hair. "And that oath at the end… It almost sounded like a horror movie parody of the GL oath…"

"Sounds like he was just trying to get under your skin."

"That's what I keep telling myself… but at the same time… his commitment seemed all too sincere."

Victor paused for a moment, unsure what it could mean either. "So, what are you gonna do about it?"

"For now, report it to the Guardians, then go and hold Carol until I forget this nightmare."

Victor smiled in response. "Sounds nice, man."

"Yeah… yeah, it does…"

Inside his apartment, Silas stared down at his phone, wondering whether or not to try and call Victor again. Every attempt he made to try and reach out to him had been declined and ignored and he didn't hold out too much hope on any invoices he left being heard. He sighed, preparing to stand up and do something when there was a loud boom in his living room. Just then, a Boom Tube portal opened up in the living room, causing him to leap back in surprise. Then, out from the portal came Victor, a sincere look on his face as the portal closed behind him.

"...Victor," Silas let out.

"... hi, Dad." He gave his father a sheepish smile. "I'm home."

Silas didn't even waste a word, just stepping forward and hugging his son. Victor was surprised at first, but returned the hug in kind, just happy to still have his dad in his life.

After reporting to the Guardians, Hal made a beeline back to Carol's. The two decided to just cuddle up on the couch watching whatever they could find on TV. With a blanket over them and cups of cocoa in their hands, both of them felt nothing but content. Hal looked down at Carol, silently thankful for how fortunate he was to have her in his life, and worried what that future the creature described would mean for her should it come to pass. For now, though, he decided not to worry about it.

Right now, all that mattered was them.

Out in the vast reaches of space, Kormand'r drifted along, silently cursing herself about her situation. Blown out into space with no chance of returning home to finish what she started. Any settlements would be well beyond her reach, and there was no telling the condition she'd been in if she even made it there. There was nothing left for her to wander through the desolate emptiness of space.

However, just as she was about to fully give up, an ominous shroud suddenly overtook her. Curious, she turned around and saw a large ship slowly encroaching on her. Flying up to be more level with it, she realized it was a battle cruiser belonging to the Gordanian Empire. Upon realizing this, Kormand'r sprouted a mischievous grin before flying over to meet them.

That night at the offices of Lexcorp, Mercy Graves was going over some paperwork, hoping to finish so she could go home for the night. Just as she was about to put the pen down, the lights in the office began flickering on and off. She looked up in curiosity, wondering what could be causing such a malfunction. After a few moments, however, they finally stopped, much to her surprise.

Mercy raised an eyebrow in response but was just about to dismiss it when some fast-moving force suddenly threw her out of her chair and into the glass behind her. She barely had a chance to fall before a hand grabbed her by the throat and forced her against the window. Mercy grabbed the hand to brace herself, looking up and seeing that it was the Reverse Flash that was attacking her.

"I warned Luthor to leave the Flash alone!" he demanded. "He's not listening!"

"Sorry…" Mercy let out. "But I don't take messages anymore."

"Don't worry," Reverse Flash told her, raising a vibrating hand. "This will be your last one."

Before he could finish her, Mercy grabbed his arm, allowing electricity to surge from her arm into Reverse Flash. He yelled in pain before letting her go. The second she touched down on the ground, she raised her arm, allowing her arm to split open, tearing her sleeve and revealing a laser cannon within. She then opened fire on the Reverse Flash, prompting him to speed out of the way as she made for cover behind the desk.

"It's Luthor who has the message, pal!" she called out. "He doesn't take orders from anyone! You have a problem with that, you can take it up with him!"

Mercy waited a few moments for him to respond, but heard nothing. She took a chance and peered over the corner of the desk, seeing that he was already gone. Sliding back down to the ground, he took several deep breaths, then glanced up at the camera set up in the corner of the room.

In a hidden hideaway miles from Lexcorp, Luthor glared at the screen with narrowed eyes.

"Message received."