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Chapter 332: A New Order
The Speed Force, a subject once shelved for a new project, was now back at the top of Orin Vale's priority list. The research data provided by Karen and Michael Holt had opened up new lines of thought, convincing him that space travel was just around the corner.
Now, all that was needed were a few final simulation runs and some last-minute adjustments. If all went smoothly, their small, newly-formed research group, with the help of The Flash, would be able to officially launch their first journey across the Multiverse in a few days.
Of course, The Flash and Power Girl were more than capable of handling the simulations and adjustments. At this stage, there was nothing left for Orin Vale to do. For the past two days, he had refocused on analyzing the 'Origin' energy, occasionally supervising the progress of Kara and Streaky's project for a change of pace.
But the Kryptonian duo wasn't very motivated.
Especially since there was a big event in Gotham City. A super-popular idol group was performing in Gotham, supposedly invited personally by Gotham's wealthy scion, Bruce Wayne, at great expense. The entire city was buzzing with excitement, a fact Orin Vale could see even among his acquaintances.
That day, Kara came looking for him very early, holding Streaky in her arms.
The young girl was a little embarrassed. "Orin Vale, you know me. I'm not really that interested in singing or anything. It's mainly Streaky who wants to go."
Streaky: "Meow meow meow?"
*Do I want to go?*
Kara shot it a series of meaningful glances, as if they were communicating via a private team voice channel with her eyes.
*I'll treat you to grilled fish when we get back!*
Streaky's eyes lit up, and it immediately nodded repeatedly. "Meow meow!" (That's right, I'm the one who wants to see it.)
Orin Vale waved his hand. "Go on, go on."
"Yay~!"
Kara skipped away happily.
Unexpectedly, a short while later, the Old Wizard also came over, announcing that the Chef was asking the Store Manager for a day off.
"You know me, I'm not interested in that young people's stuff," he mumbled vaguely. "It's mainly because I heard a new three-star Michelin restaurant opened over there, and I want to go learn some advanced culinary arts..."
Orin Vale squinted.
Your browsing history is full of dancing girls with exposed navels and long legs. Who are you trying to fool?
But as the saying goes, some things are better left unsaid. He waved his hand dismissively. "Go on, go on."
And so, the Old Wizard also left.
After a while, Tom, the struggling writer who usually sat by the coffee shop window all day, actually started packing up early, putting away his computer and getting ready to leave.
"Finished your word count for today?" Orin Vale asked casually.
"Nope, I'm skipping today," Tom said with righteous confidence.
Orin Vale raised an eyebrow. "Is that really a good idea? Won't your readers have a problem with that? Oh, you're also going to that concert?"
"Of course." Tom held his head high. "I don't know anything about dancing, but I love the long legs."
Orin Vale was speechless.
Fine, at least you're the most honest one.
In a short while, only Orin Vale was left in the shop, giving him the strange feeling of an empty-nest old Ultraman.
"Chee!"
The little monkey, Titano, hopped over, reminding him that he wasn't alone. It also thoughtfully offered him a half-eaten banana, as if asking if he wanted some.
Orin Vale glanced at the half-eaten banana, which even had a ring of teeth marks on it.
"Thank you, but I'm fine."
Universe, Unknown Sector.
A grim planet, in this forgotten corner of the cosmos, was like a territory that even death refused to enter—a wound of the universe, an edge ignored by the world.
The gray earth was like incompletely burned charcoal, possessing neither vitality nor fire. Giant volcanic craters dotted the planet's surface, but even within them, there was no temperature or flame, only an unending stream of gray smoke. Incalculable particles condensed in the cold atmosphere, forming a thick cloud layer that blotted out the sun.
A red-skinned man sat silently in this nearly lifeless forbidden domain, cross-legged atop a massive rock. His eyes were closed. He was unclothed, with a body structure similar to a human's, his strong muscles forming smooth lines.
Branded on his chest was the large symbol of a Lantern Ring.
His name was Thaal Sinestro. He was once the finest Green Lantern in the Legion, following in the footsteps of his most admired mentor, Abin Sur. He then, as a mentor himself, personally trained the successor to Abin Sur's ring, Hal Jordan.
And now, Hal, who was once his apprentice, had become a rising star in the Legion after a series of exploits, and was even beginning to be hailed as "the greatest Green Lantern."
What was more ironic was that Hal had achieved this by stepping on him, his mentor.
Now, Sinestro had lost everything. He was expelled from the Legion, his ring taken, and exiled to this forgotten land with nothing to his name.
But when the man slowly opened his eyes, his gaze was still resolute. The flame of his will had never been extinguished.
He would forever possess the most steadfast will; he had simply chosen to forge a different path.
Having nothing was merely the beginning.
"It seems you've been betrayed, Sinestro."
Another man appeared behind him. He was clad in golden armor, wearing a segmented golden helmet with a pair of red eyepieces.
The Weapon Master, from Sinestro's home world of Korugar, specialized in creating all kinds of weapons.
"I once thought I could make a difference as a Green Lantern, but I was wrong." Sinestro didn't turn his head, speaking coolly. "It's the universe that needs to change. We live in a world corrupted by hedonism and chaos, a world that is amoral, wild, and untamable."
"As a Green Lantern, I did my utmost to set things right. I achieved it on my home world of Korugar. I brought Order, and the next step was to spread that Order to every planet in Sector 1417. Then, with the help of the Legion, to the entire Universe..."
"A fine vision, but you failed," the Weapon Master said in a low voice.
"Yes. Until that human I trained with my own hands, Hal Jordan, took everything from me. He accused me that the order I brought to Korugar was merely to satisfy my own desire for control. He accused me of using Fear to force people into submission..."
"And those foolish and shortsighted Guardians, they believed his story. I was stripped of my ring, branded a traitor to the Lantern Corps, and exiled..."
"So this is what you need? The ultimate weapon you had me forge for you?"
The Weapon Master extended his hand. Resting silently in his palm was a yellow ring.
"Yes. Fear. Hal did only one good thing: he made me realize where true power lies. Fear. This is the authority that belongs to me."
Sinestro stood up.
"The Universe will be changed, and the Green Lantern Corps will be changed as well. All they need is to feel Fear."
The ring lit up, burning like a golden flame. It nimbly levitated and flew into Sinestro's hand. In the next moment, a golden uniform covered his body, the brilliance of the ring enveloping him like fire.
"It's time for a change."
Sinestro's figure floated, surrounded by the ring's energy, as he looked coldly at the Weapon Master.
"Since you've come to me, does that mean the preparations are complete?"
"Of course, Sinestro. Who do you take me for?" the Weapon Master said flatly.
"All the Yellow Lantern rings you requested have been completed."
"How many?"
"Three thousand, seven hundred and eighty-two."
"Excellent. Send them all out." Sinestro narrowed his eyes and clenched his fist. "The Green Lanterns have a Legion. So, to establish a new order... we also need a Legion."
(end of chapter)
The Speed Force, a subject once shelved for a new project, was now back at the top of Orin Vale's priority list. The research data provided by Karen and Michael Holt had opened up new lines of thought, convincing him that space travel was just around the corner.
Now, all that was needed were a few final simulation runs and some last-minute adjustments. If all went smoothly, their small, newly-formed research group, with the help of The Flash, would be able to officially launch their first journey across the Multiverse in a few days.
Of course, The Flash and Power Girl were more than capable of handling the simulations and adjustments. At this stage, there was nothing left for Orin Vale to do. For the past two days, he had refocused on analyzing the 'Origin' energy, occasionally supervising the progress of Kara and Streaky's project for a change of pace.
But the Kryptonian duo wasn't very motivated.
Especially since there was a big event in Gotham City. A super-popular idol group was performing in Gotham, supposedly invited personally by Gotham's wealthy scion, Bruce Wayne, at great expense. The entire city was buzzing with excitement, a fact Orin Vale could see even among his acquaintances.
That day, Kara came looking for him very early, holding Streaky in her arms.
The young girl was a little embarrassed. "Orin Vale, you know me. I'm not really that interested in singing or anything. It's mainly Streaky who wants to go."
Streaky: "Meow meow meow?"
*Do I want to go?*
Kara shot it a series of meaningful glances, as if they were communicating via a private team voice channel with her eyes.
*I'll treat you to grilled fish when we get back!*
Streaky's eyes lit up, and it immediately nodded repeatedly. "Meow meow!" (That's right, I'm the one who wants to see it.)
Orin Vale waved his hand. "Go on, go on."
"Yay~!"
Kara skipped away happily.
Unexpectedly, a short while later, the Old Wizard also came over, announcing that the Chef was asking the Store Manager for a day off.
"You know me, I'm not interested in that young people's stuff," he mumbled vaguely. "It's mainly because I heard a new three-star Michelin restaurant opened over there, and I want to go learn some advanced culinary arts..."
Orin Vale squinted.
Your browsing history is full of dancing girls with exposed navels and long legs. Who are you trying to fool?
But as the saying goes, some things are better left unsaid. He waved his hand dismissively. "Go on, go on."
And so, the Old Wizard also left.
After a while, Tom, the struggling writer who usually sat by the coffee shop window all day, actually started packing up early, putting away his computer and getting ready to leave.
"Finished your word count for today?" Orin Vale asked casually.
"Nope, I'm skipping today," Tom said with righteous confidence.
Orin Vale raised an eyebrow. "Is that really a good idea? Won't your readers have a problem with that? Oh, you're also going to that concert?"
"Of course." Tom held his head high. "I don't know anything about dancing, but I love the long legs."
Orin Vale was speechless.
Fine, at least you're the most honest one.
In a short while, only Orin Vale was left in the shop, giving him the strange feeling of an empty-nest old Ultraman.
"Chee!"
The little monkey, Titano, hopped over, reminding him that he wasn't alone. It also thoughtfully offered him a half-eaten banana, as if asking if he wanted some.
Orin Vale glanced at the half-eaten banana, which even had a ring of teeth marks on it.
"Thank you, but I'm fine."
Universe, Unknown Sector.
A grim planet, in this forgotten corner of the cosmos, was like a territory that even death refused to enter—a wound of the universe, an edge ignored by the world.
The gray earth was like incompletely burned charcoal, possessing neither vitality nor fire. Giant volcanic craters dotted the planet's surface, but even within them, there was no temperature or flame, only an unending stream of gray smoke. Incalculable particles condensed in the cold atmosphere, forming a thick cloud layer that blotted out the sun.
A red-skinned man sat silently in this nearly lifeless forbidden domain, cross-legged atop a massive rock. His eyes were closed. He was unclothed, with a body structure similar to a human's, his strong muscles forming smooth lines.
Branded on his chest was the large symbol of a Lantern Ring.
His name was Thaal Sinestro. He was once the finest Green Lantern in the Legion, following in the footsteps of his most admired mentor, Abin Sur. He then, as a mentor himself, personally trained the successor to Abin Sur's ring, Hal Jordan.
And now, Hal, who was once his apprentice, had become a rising star in the Legion after a series of exploits, and was even beginning to be hailed as "the greatest Green Lantern."
What was more ironic was that Hal had achieved this by stepping on him, his mentor.
Now, Sinestro had lost everything. He was expelled from the Legion, his ring taken, and exiled to this forgotten land with nothing to his name.
But when the man slowly opened his eyes, his gaze was still resolute. The flame of his will had never been extinguished.
He would forever possess the most steadfast will; he had simply chosen to forge a different path.
Having nothing was merely the beginning.
"It seems you've been betrayed, Sinestro."
Another man appeared behind him. He was clad in golden armor, wearing a segmented golden helmet with a pair of red eyepieces.
The Weapon Master, from Sinestro's home world of Korugar, specialized in creating all kinds of weapons.
"I once thought I could make a difference as a Green Lantern, but I was wrong." Sinestro didn't turn his head, speaking coolly. "It's the universe that needs to change. We live in a world corrupted by hedonism and chaos, a world that is amoral, wild, and untamable."
"As a Green Lantern, I did my utmost to set things right. I achieved it on my home world of Korugar. I brought Order, and the next step was to spread that Order to every planet in Sector 1417. Then, with the help of the Legion, to the entire Universe..."
"A fine vision, but you failed," the Weapon Master said in a low voice.
"Yes. Until that human I trained with my own hands, Hal Jordan, took everything from me. He accused me that the order I brought to Korugar was merely to satisfy my own desire for control. He accused me of using Fear to force people into submission..."
"And those foolish and shortsighted Guardians, they believed his story. I was stripped of my ring, branded a traitor to the Lantern Corps, and exiled..."
"So this is what you need? The ultimate weapon you had me forge for you?"
The Weapon Master extended his hand. Resting silently in his palm was a yellow ring.
"Yes. Fear. Hal did only one good thing: he made me realize where true power lies. Fear. This is the authority that belongs to me."
Sinestro stood up.
"The Universe will be changed, and the Green Lantern Corps will be changed as well. All they need is to feel Fear."
The ring lit up, burning like a golden flame. It nimbly levitated and flew into Sinestro's hand. In the next moment, a golden uniform covered his body, the brilliance of the ring enveloping him like fire.
"It's time for a change."
Sinestro's figure floated, surrounded by the ring's energy, as he looked coldly at the Weapon Master.
"Since you've come to me, does that mean the preparations are complete?"
"Of course, Sinestro. Who do you take me for?" the Weapon Master said flatly.
"All the Yellow Lantern rings you requested have been completed."
"How many?"
"Three thousand, seven hundred and eighty-two."
"Excellent. Send them all out." Sinestro narrowed his eyes and clenched his fist. "The Green Lanterns have a Legion. So, to establish a new order... we also need a Legion."
(end of chapter)
