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Chapter 737: Hal, Coast City
2022-10-19 Author: Great Demon Spirit
While the Sinestro Corps fled in disarray and their leader, Sinestro, was once again imprisoned on Oa, on the distant planet Earth, another man who should have been great but remained obscure for many reasons was sitting dazedly atop some ruins.
Hal Jordan, a Yellow Lantern, and a former resident of Coast City.
He stared blankly at the rapidly rebuilding city, feeling a profound sense of unfamiliarity.
This was no longer his Coast City, no longer his city.
Back then, Mongul and Cyborg Superman had destroyed Coast City. Eight million residents had become innocent victims. Hal was lucky to have survived and was even possessed by Parallax, who had rushed in from the depths of the universe, allowing him to kill Cyborg Superman in one fell swoop.
Although the city was continuously and rapidly being rebuilt, and despite a large number of residents flocking here every day, this completely unfamiliar metropolis no longer had anything to do with Hal.
"Thankfully, at least I have Carol..."
Hal sat atop a precarious, abandoned building, dazedly gazing at a Coast City filled with construction sites.
At least his lover, Carol, had also survived. She had even been transformed by a super serum and become a superhuman.
But some things... were lost forever.
Hal caressed the yellow Power Ring on his finger. The Power of Fear lingered in his heart, a silent weeping that composed a low, melodious symphony.
He had accepted the Power Ring from Tony and became a Lantern.
Although this outcome wasn't exactly wonderful, it was the best possible choice under the worst of circumstances.
Hal watched the city in silence, not uttering a single word.
The night wind swept in. Specks of light flickered on, like candles in the wind that could be extinguished at any moment. Compared to the former metropolis of eight million people, the Coast City of today was a pale imitation.
Everything had changed.
Zzzt!
In the dim night, streaks of electric arcs flickered as they moved at high speed. Hal didn't even need to look to know that it was definitely the few Speedsters from neighboring Central City fighting it out again.
The Flash, Reverse Flash, and Smokescreen—the three of them were always like this, fighting every other day. Their speed was astonishing when they let loose, casually reaching thousands of times the Speed of Sound and easily crossing from one end of the Earth to the other.
Although in Hal's eyes, a mere few thousand times the Speed of Sound was nothing. When he traveled through Space, he could surpass the speed of light in an instant.
"Time to go back."
Hal hesitated again and again, stroking the Power Ring on his finger. Its yellow luster seemed to pierce the soul, and the aura of Fear pulsed unceasingly. In the end, he did nothing.
He had considered a crazy plan: to use the omnipotent Emotional Energy to rebuild Coast City. He had even tried it once before.
Using his yellow Power Ring and following his memories, he had frantically erected buildings of fear and constructed street after street...
But he didn't go through with it.
Carol was still alive, waiting for him on Cybertron. He had already lost too much and couldn't bear to lose her too.
A yellow beam of light shot upwards. Hal glanced back at Coast City one last time, sighed silently, and flew desolately into Space, heading for Cybertron.
That was his home now.
Countless planets blurred past as Hal crossed innumerable galaxies. In less than half a day, he had returned to Cybertron from Earth.
The first thing he did upon returning was find Tony.
"I've thought it through," Hal said in a low voice, his head bowed.
"I've been waiting for you, Hal. I'm glad you've made this decision. You haven't disappointed me."
Tony patted Hal's shoulder and smiled. "Although I was the one who brought you from Earth, I respect your decision. Time will prove you made the right choice."
Hal nodded silently.
Neither of them specified what this "choice" was, but it was a mutual, unspoken understanding.
Hal faced two choices: either stay in Coast City, no matter the cost, or remain with Carol and become a resident of Cybertron.
Perhaps even Hal himself didn't realize just how extraordinary his decision was.
In the original story, after receiving his Green Lantern ring, Hal returned to Earth. Having lost everything, he was driven mad and tried to use the ring to rebuild Coast City. Because his energy was far from sufficient, he was willing to go to any length, returning to Oa to seize more Green Lantern rings and even attempting to take the Central Power Battery for himself.
He even went on a killing spree against his comrades in the Green Lantern Corps, slaughtering many of them.
The thorn that was Coast City had been planted in his heart from the moment of its destruction. Although the present-day Tony could easily take down a crazed Hal, some actions can never be undone. Once committed, they could never be concealed.
Hal's choice to return to Cybertron was undoubtedly the best one, and it was the outcome Tony had hoped for.
"I'm very pleased, son. Go say hello to your Uncle Hal. He'll be looking out for you from now on."
Tony smacked Duzun on the back of the head, every bit the father disciplining his son, and ordered him to greet Hal.
"What? Don't you dare humiliate me! Just because you're my dad now, don't think you can do whatever you want!"
Duzun flew into a rage, fiercely flicking his red Cape behind him and proudly puffing out his chest.
Hal frowned, glancing at Duzun. "You're not Clark?"
Clark would never curse like that, nor would he be so bad-tempered. As for the whole "dad" business... Hal chose to ignore it.
"I am Duzun! The great Anti-Matter Ultraman! Compared to me, the Superman from your Prime Universe is nothing but trash!" Duzun sneered arrogantly.
Bang! Boom!
Without a change in expression, Tony sent Duzun flying with a kick. The immense force launched Duzun like a cannonball, sending him crashing through the building's floors and out into the Outside World.
"He's just an ill-mannered child. My apologies," Tony said with a smile.
Hal: "..."
It seemed that while he had been on Earth reminiscing about his past, something incredible and quite bizarre had occurred.
"There's something I need you to do, Hal," Tony said. "I need more armies. The Yellow Lantern Corps alone isn't enough."
"Just tell me what you need me to do."
"Obtain more Power Rings and form more Lantern Corps. You're a genius, Hal. You have an innate and incredible sensitivity to the Emotional Spectrum. There's no need to limit your future to a single yellow Power Ring."
Tony finished speaking and handed Hal a file with the latest plan.
Hal quickly scanned the document, his expression turning to one of astonishment. "The Spectrum War? A Civil War between the Seven Corps?"
"If we don't do it, someone else will beat us to it," Tony said calmly. "The best method is to strike first and secure as much as we can."
(end of chapter)
2022-10-19 Author: Great Demon Spirit
While the Sinestro Corps fled in disarray and their leader, Sinestro, was once again imprisoned on Oa, on the distant planet Earth, another man who should have been great but remained obscure for many reasons was sitting dazedly atop some ruins.
Hal Jordan, a Yellow Lantern, and a former resident of Coast City.
He stared blankly at the rapidly rebuilding city, feeling a profound sense of unfamiliarity.
This was no longer his Coast City, no longer his city.
Back then, Mongul and Cyborg Superman had destroyed Coast City. Eight million residents had become innocent victims. Hal was lucky to have survived and was even possessed by Parallax, who had rushed in from the depths of the universe, allowing him to kill Cyborg Superman in one fell swoop.
Although the city was continuously and rapidly being rebuilt, and despite a large number of residents flocking here every day, this completely unfamiliar metropolis no longer had anything to do with Hal.
"Thankfully, at least I have Carol..."
Hal sat atop a precarious, abandoned building, dazedly gazing at a Coast City filled with construction sites.
At least his lover, Carol, had also survived. She had even been transformed by a super serum and become a superhuman.
But some things... were lost forever.
Hal caressed the yellow Power Ring on his finger. The Power of Fear lingered in his heart, a silent weeping that composed a low, melodious symphony.
He had accepted the Power Ring from Tony and became a Lantern.
Although this outcome wasn't exactly wonderful, it was the best possible choice under the worst of circumstances.
Hal watched the city in silence, not uttering a single word.
The night wind swept in. Specks of light flickered on, like candles in the wind that could be extinguished at any moment. Compared to the former metropolis of eight million people, the Coast City of today was a pale imitation.
Everything had changed.
Zzzt!
In the dim night, streaks of electric arcs flickered as they moved at high speed. Hal didn't even need to look to know that it was definitely the few Speedsters from neighboring Central City fighting it out again.
The Flash, Reverse Flash, and Smokescreen—the three of them were always like this, fighting every other day. Their speed was astonishing when they let loose, casually reaching thousands of times the Speed of Sound and easily crossing from one end of the Earth to the other.
Although in Hal's eyes, a mere few thousand times the Speed of Sound was nothing. When he traveled through Space, he could surpass the speed of light in an instant.
"Time to go back."
Hal hesitated again and again, stroking the Power Ring on his finger. Its yellow luster seemed to pierce the soul, and the aura of Fear pulsed unceasingly. In the end, he did nothing.
He had considered a crazy plan: to use the omnipotent Emotional Energy to rebuild Coast City. He had even tried it once before.
Using his yellow Power Ring and following his memories, he had frantically erected buildings of fear and constructed street after street...
But he didn't go through with it.
Carol was still alive, waiting for him on Cybertron. He had already lost too much and couldn't bear to lose her too.
A yellow beam of light shot upwards. Hal glanced back at Coast City one last time, sighed silently, and flew desolately into Space, heading for Cybertron.
That was his home now.
Countless planets blurred past as Hal crossed innumerable galaxies. In less than half a day, he had returned to Cybertron from Earth.
The first thing he did upon returning was find Tony.
"I've thought it through," Hal said in a low voice, his head bowed.
"I've been waiting for you, Hal. I'm glad you've made this decision. You haven't disappointed me."
Tony patted Hal's shoulder and smiled. "Although I was the one who brought you from Earth, I respect your decision. Time will prove you made the right choice."
Hal nodded silently.
Neither of them specified what this "choice" was, but it was a mutual, unspoken understanding.
Hal faced two choices: either stay in Coast City, no matter the cost, or remain with Carol and become a resident of Cybertron.
Perhaps even Hal himself didn't realize just how extraordinary his decision was.
In the original story, after receiving his Green Lantern ring, Hal returned to Earth. Having lost everything, he was driven mad and tried to use the ring to rebuild Coast City. Because his energy was far from sufficient, he was willing to go to any length, returning to Oa to seize more Green Lantern rings and even attempting to take the Central Power Battery for himself.
He even went on a killing spree against his comrades in the Green Lantern Corps, slaughtering many of them.
The thorn that was Coast City had been planted in his heart from the moment of its destruction. Although the present-day Tony could easily take down a crazed Hal, some actions can never be undone. Once committed, they could never be concealed.
Hal's choice to return to Cybertron was undoubtedly the best one, and it was the outcome Tony had hoped for.
"I'm very pleased, son. Go say hello to your Uncle Hal. He'll be looking out for you from now on."
Tony smacked Duzun on the back of the head, every bit the father disciplining his son, and ordered him to greet Hal.
"What? Don't you dare humiliate me! Just because you're my dad now, don't think you can do whatever you want!"
Duzun flew into a rage, fiercely flicking his red Cape behind him and proudly puffing out his chest.
Hal frowned, glancing at Duzun. "You're not Clark?"
Clark would never curse like that, nor would he be so bad-tempered. As for the whole "dad" business... Hal chose to ignore it.
"I am Duzun! The great Anti-Matter Ultraman! Compared to me, the Superman from your Prime Universe is nothing but trash!" Duzun sneered arrogantly.
Bang! Boom!
Without a change in expression, Tony sent Duzun flying with a kick. The immense force launched Duzun like a cannonball, sending him crashing through the building's floors and out into the Outside World.
"He's just an ill-mannered child. My apologies," Tony said with a smile.
Hal: "..."
It seemed that while he had been on Earth reminiscing about his past, something incredible and quite bizarre had occurred.
"There's something I need you to do, Hal," Tony said. "I need more armies. The Yellow Lantern Corps alone isn't enough."
"Just tell me what you need me to do."
"Obtain more Power Rings and form more Lantern Corps. You're a genius, Hal. You have an innate and incredible sensitivity to the Emotional Spectrum. There's no need to limit your future to a single yellow Power Ring."
Tony finished speaking and handed Hal a file with the latest plan.
Hal quickly scanned the document, his expression turning to one of astonishment. "The Spectrum War? A Civil War between the Seven Corps?"
"If we don't do it, someone else will beat us to it," Tony said calmly. "The best method is to strike first and secure as much as we can."
(end of chapter)
