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Chapter 225: At Worst, We'll Cede Territory
The negotiations broke down; the attempt failed.
This result wasn't exactly unexpected. The Blue Lantern's light was said to soothe the spirit, but it was ultimately positive guidance, not a powerful form of mental control. Orin Vale's own purification technique was similar, being more effective at calming enraged, berserk beasts.
After all, if it were forcibly effective, it wouldn't be called purification; it would be brainwashing.
For those more stubborn types, direct incineration was a simpler and cruder solution.
However, although he had anticipated the outcome, Hank Henshaw's reaction to his wife, Terri, was somewhat surprising to Orin Vale.
He deftly dodged another charge from Hank Henshaw, smashed a knee strike into his abdomen, and with the momentum, slammed the Cyborg Superman back onto the ground.
"Why, Hank Henshaw?" Orin Vale asked. "You should be able to feel that this revenge is meaningless. What you experienced was an accident, you can't blame anyone."
"Perhaps."
By this point, Hank Henshaw had been beaten black and blue. His armor was cracked with parts falling off, his internal circuits were a mess, and he was crackling with electric sparks.
He turned his head to look at Orin Vale, the light in his mechanical eye flickering on and off like a bad connection.
"Maybe you're right. Revenge is meaningless. I felt that just now... but I have found a grander goal. I once thought I loved Terri, that I did all of this for her. But only a moment ago did I understand that wasn't the case."
He shakily tried to get up, but his body's condition no longer seemed to permit it. Even a body on par with Superman's couldn't withstand Orin Vale's current strength. Both his organic and inorganic halves were now riddled with wounds.
"Love... *cough cough*... is a cruel deception in life," Hank Henshaw said with difficulty through his mouth full of broken teeth. "It can be easily broken, and it can't truly be installed into my new body.
My memory, everything I thought I had, is now false. What I feel now is nothing more than a digitized record.
This made me understand that this bone-deep suffering can be eliminated. No one has to feel such pain. As long as I can eliminate organic life, I can completely erase this suffering from the universe."
As he spoke, the remaining Manhunters all around responded in unison.
"End all life! End all life! No one can escape—"
Before they could finish, Orin Vale's figure flickered and shot out. In a series of explosions, the Manhunters, having lost their Grandmaster's leadership, all blew apart.
The afterimage from his Mach-speed movement circled around and flashed back to its original spot, stopping once more before the Cyborg Superman.
"You're wrong. Life itself is not a curse," Orin Vale said earnestly. "Yes, life is inevitably stained with parts of darkness, but there is always hope.
Even the smallest flicker of hope's flame is worth protecting, until one day in the future it can blossom with the brilliance of the sun.
That is why we fight—no matter which world, which universe."
"No! Life is a mistake! It should never have existed!"
Hank Henshaw shouted, his red eyes beginning to flash rapidly.
"Everyone will eventually understand, because the ultimate secret of life is that it's meaningless! But most of you here won't get the chance to see that moment!"
Seeing this, Norland's expression changed drastically, and he exclaimed in horror, "He... he's going to self-destruct!"
Everyone present turned deathly pale. The operator on the warship was even starting to consider abandoning the commander and fleeing...
"That's right. An explosion radius of thousands of miles, my true trump card activated with my own life. You will all go down with this planet..."
Before the words left his mouth, a flash of electricity arced. Orin Vale appeared before him in an instant, one hand pressed against his shoulder.
The next moment, Cyborg Superman felt the light and shadows before him flicker in a dizzying, world-spinning blur. When he came to his senses and focused his vision, he saw a field of stars before him. His whole being was floating helplessly in the empty vacuum.
He turned his head to see a trail of electric light enveloping a dissipating afterimage, stirring a spatial ripple.
In a flash, Orin Vale had returned to the surface of Mars, clapping his hands as he looked up at the stars.
Instantaneous movement, kid.
If you love self-detonation so much, go ahead and take your time with it.
Cyborg Superman's expression went blank for a second.
"Motherf***—"
The next moment, Cyborg Superman became the most brilliant display of fireworks in the sky. Even from the surface of Mars, one could seemingly feel the earth-shattering impact.
Norland stared at the terrifying impact detonating in the sky, speechless for a long time.
"So, it really wasn't that I was a coward, sir."
Having delivered Orin Vale's message, Norland returned to Almerac with his head bowed, not daring to meet his boss's gaze.
"I really did my best. Although that guy used some method to block the warship's systems, so I couldn't bring back the footage, that Ultraman is truly something I've never seen before. It's just ridiculous, sir..."
"And that's your reason for backstabbing your teammate during the negotiations?" Zazo asked expressionlessly.
Norland quickly lowered his head. "I was also considering the bigger picture. I thought that my own death would be of no consequence, but if I died and the news couldn't be brought back to Almerac in time, and the kingdom went to war with that Ultraman afterward, wouldn't I become a sinner for all eternity?"
Hearing this, everyone was stunned.
"Is he that powerful?" Zazo asked. "But on your mission, didn't that Cyborg Superman say... he had Parallax as a trump card?"
"Yes, he summoned Parallax, but it took one look at the opponent and wanted to run away before even fighting."
Everyone: "?"
The entity of fear, the monster of the Yellow Lanterns, Parallax... was going to flee without even a fight?
This made everyone doubt the authenticity of Norland's report.
What kind of godlike being could possess such intimidating power?
"It's the absolute truth. Everyone on the warship saw it; they can all testify," Norland said glumly. "The key thing is, it didn't even manage to escape. That guy went *swoosh*, became huge, and he was so fast! He went up and just started pounding on Parallax.
Such a massive monster was like a sandbag in his hands. What else could we do? We were in despair too..."
Everyone: "..."
A minister at the side frowned and said, "But your actions were far too reckless. That Cyborg Superman also mentioned that the force behind him was unfathomably deep, possibly even connected to the legendary Apokolips.
You are less involved with interstellar affairs and lack understanding of matters beyond the galaxy. That Lord of Apokolips has boundless reach; even the Green Lantern Corps gives them a wide berth.
And according to that Cyborg Superman, it was That Lord who has plans for the Solar System and Earth. For you to act so rashly, backstabbing an ally and giving Almerac a bad name is a small matter. But what if you disrupted the plans and schemes of Apokolips? That Lord is someone we cannot afford to offend."
Zazo glanced sideways at him, grumbling unhappily.
"Can't afford to offend this one, can't afford to offend that one. Are there really so many monsters in this damn universe?"
Norland muttered under his breath, "We can't afford to offend anyone anywhere... is it possible that... we're just too weak?"
"What did you say?" Zazo's gaze shot over.
"Nothing! Nothing at all!" Norland said hurriedly.
Zazo retracted his gaze, his eyes narrowing as his expression gradually turned grim.
"In that case... alright, it seems there's no other choice," he said in a low voice. "Since we can't beat the Ultraman over on Earth, there's nothing to be done. We did our best.
If the people from Apokolips come demanding an explanation, we'll just tell them the situation as it is. If they're reasonable, that's for the best. If they're unreasonable and actually try to get rough on our turf, hmph..."
Everyone's eyes widened as they stared at him in shock and nervousness, wondering if they were actually going to war with Apokolips.
Then they heard Zazo say in a deep voice, "Then at worst, we'll cede territory and pay reparations."
Everyone: "..."
(end of chapter)
The negotiations broke down; the attempt failed.
This result wasn't exactly unexpected. The Blue Lantern's light was said to soothe the spirit, but it was ultimately positive guidance, not a powerful form of mental control. Orin Vale's own purification technique was similar, being more effective at calming enraged, berserk beasts.
After all, if it were forcibly effective, it wouldn't be called purification; it would be brainwashing.
For those more stubborn types, direct incineration was a simpler and cruder solution.
However, although he had anticipated the outcome, Hank Henshaw's reaction to his wife, Terri, was somewhat surprising to Orin Vale.
He deftly dodged another charge from Hank Henshaw, smashed a knee strike into his abdomen, and with the momentum, slammed the Cyborg Superman back onto the ground.
"Why, Hank Henshaw?" Orin Vale asked. "You should be able to feel that this revenge is meaningless. What you experienced was an accident, you can't blame anyone."
"Perhaps."
By this point, Hank Henshaw had been beaten black and blue. His armor was cracked with parts falling off, his internal circuits were a mess, and he was crackling with electric sparks.
He turned his head to look at Orin Vale, the light in his mechanical eye flickering on and off like a bad connection.
"Maybe you're right. Revenge is meaningless. I felt that just now... but I have found a grander goal. I once thought I loved Terri, that I did all of this for her. But only a moment ago did I understand that wasn't the case."
He shakily tried to get up, but his body's condition no longer seemed to permit it. Even a body on par with Superman's couldn't withstand Orin Vale's current strength. Both his organic and inorganic halves were now riddled with wounds.
"Love... *cough cough*... is a cruel deception in life," Hank Henshaw said with difficulty through his mouth full of broken teeth. "It can be easily broken, and it can't truly be installed into my new body.
My memory, everything I thought I had, is now false. What I feel now is nothing more than a digitized record.
This made me understand that this bone-deep suffering can be eliminated. No one has to feel such pain. As long as I can eliminate organic life, I can completely erase this suffering from the universe."
As he spoke, the remaining Manhunters all around responded in unison.
"End all life! End all life! No one can escape—"
Before they could finish, Orin Vale's figure flickered and shot out. In a series of explosions, the Manhunters, having lost their Grandmaster's leadership, all blew apart.
The afterimage from his Mach-speed movement circled around and flashed back to its original spot, stopping once more before the Cyborg Superman.
"You're wrong. Life itself is not a curse," Orin Vale said earnestly. "Yes, life is inevitably stained with parts of darkness, but there is always hope.
Even the smallest flicker of hope's flame is worth protecting, until one day in the future it can blossom with the brilliance of the sun.
That is why we fight—no matter which world, which universe."
"No! Life is a mistake! It should never have existed!"
Hank Henshaw shouted, his red eyes beginning to flash rapidly.
"Everyone will eventually understand, because the ultimate secret of life is that it's meaningless! But most of you here won't get the chance to see that moment!"
Seeing this, Norland's expression changed drastically, and he exclaimed in horror, "He... he's going to self-destruct!"
Everyone present turned deathly pale. The operator on the warship was even starting to consider abandoning the commander and fleeing...
"That's right. An explosion radius of thousands of miles, my true trump card activated with my own life. You will all go down with this planet..."
Before the words left his mouth, a flash of electricity arced. Orin Vale appeared before him in an instant, one hand pressed against his shoulder.
The next moment, Cyborg Superman felt the light and shadows before him flicker in a dizzying, world-spinning blur. When he came to his senses and focused his vision, he saw a field of stars before him. His whole being was floating helplessly in the empty vacuum.
He turned his head to see a trail of electric light enveloping a dissipating afterimage, stirring a spatial ripple.
In a flash, Orin Vale had returned to the surface of Mars, clapping his hands as he looked up at the stars.
Instantaneous movement, kid.
If you love self-detonation so much, go ahead and take your time with it.
Cyborg Superman's expression went blank for a second.
"Motherf***—"
The next moment, Cyborg Superman became the most brilliant display of fireworks in the sky. Even from the surface of Mars, one could seemingly feel the earth-shattering impact.
Norland stared at the terrifying impact detonating in the sky, speechless for a long time.
"So, it really wasn't that I was a coward, sir."
Having delivered Orin Vale's message, Norland returned to Almerac with his head bowed, not daring to meet his boss's gaze.
"I really did my best. Although that guy used some method to block the warship's systems, so I couldn't bring back the footage, that Ultraman is truly something I've never seen before. It's just ridiculous, sir..."
"And that's your reason for backstabbing your teammate during the negotiations?" Zazo asked expressionlessly.
Norland quickly lowered his head. "I was also considering the bigger picture. I thought that my own death would be of no consequence, but if I died and the news couldn't be brought back to Almerac in time, and the kingdom went to war with that Ultraman afterward, wouldn't I become a sinner for all eternity?"
Hearing this, everyone was stunned.
"Is he that powerful?" Zazo asked. "But on your mission, didn't that Cyborg Superman say... he had Parallax as a trump card?"
"Yes, he summoned Parallax, but it took one look at the opponent and wanted to run away before even fighting."
Everyone: "?"
The entity of fear, the monster of the Yellow Lanterns, Parallax... was going to flee without even a fight?
This made everyone doubt the authenticity of Norland's report.
What kind of godlike being could possess such intimidating power?
"It's the absolute truth. Everyone on the warship saw it; they can all testify," Norland said glumly. "The key thing is, it didn't even manage to escape. That guy went *swoosh*, became huge, and he was so fast! He went up and just started pounding on Parallax.
Such a massive monster was like a sandbag in his hands. What else could we do? We were in despair too..."
Everyone: "..."
A minister at the side frowned and said, "But your actions were far too reckless. That Cyborg Superman also mentioned that the force behind him was unfathomably deep, possibly even connected to the legendary Apokolips.
You are less involved with interstellar affairs and lack understanding of matters beyond the galaxy. That Lord of Apokolips has boundless reach; even the Green Lantern Corps gives them a wide berth.
And according to that Cyborg Superman, it was That Lord who has plans for the Solar System and Earth. For you to act so rashly, backstabbing an ally and giving Almerac a bad name is a small matter. But what if you disrupted the plans and schemes of Apokolips? That Lord is someone we cannot afford to offend."
Zazo glanced sideways at him, grumbling unhappily.
"Can't afford to offend this one, can't afford to offend that one. Are there really so many monsters in this damn universe?"
Norland muttered under his breath, "We can't afford to offend anyone anywhere... is it possible that... we're just too weak?"
"What did you say?" Zazo's gaze shot over.
"Nothing! Nothing at all!" Norland said hurriedly.
Zazo retracted his gaze, his eyes narrowing as his expression gradually turned grim.
"In that case... alright, it seems there's no other choice," he said in a low voice. "Since we can't beat the Ultraman over on Earth, there's nothing to be done. We did our best.
If the people from Apokolips come demanding an explanation, we'll just tell them the situation as it is. If they're reasonable, that's for the best. If they're unreasonable and actually try to get rough on our turf, hmph..."
Everyone's eyes widened as they stared at him in shock and nervousness, wondering if they were actually going to war with Apokolips.
Then they heard Zazo say in a deep voice, "Then at worst, we'll cede territory and pay reparations."
Everyone: "..."
(end of chapter)
