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Chapter 334: Target, Hal Jordan?
**Author:** Rowing Without Oars 233
Target, Hal Jordan?
Planet Oa, Green Lantern Corps Headquarters.
Hal Jordan stared at the pile of green plants on his food tray, searching for the speck of meat so minuscule he had to squint to see it. He then looked up at the four-tentacled, orange-red server.
"I'm telling you, this wouldn't even be enough to feed Lantern Jot Na," Hal said, raising an eyebrow. "Give me a little more, will you? I can't patrol on an empty stomach."
Jot Na was a goldfish-like creature in the Green Lantern Corps, barely tall enough to reach Hal's knee.
"That's all you get. It's the rules." The server waved a tentacle impatiently. "Even Kilowog doesn't get more than you."
Kilowog was the drill instructor for the Green Lantern new recruits, a massive brute the size of two Hals. Hal furrowed his brow, staring at his food tray in dissatisfaction for a long moment before finally turning to find a seat, grumbling.
The cafeteria had a round, domed ceiling, filled with Green Lanterns flying about. There were walking ones, crawling ones, and aquatic species—they had everything.
A commotion could be heard from the entrance. It seemed a Green Lantern had been distracted while landing and had nearly collided with another teammate who was just taking off.
One of them unhappily shouted, "Watch where you're flying!" However, it was common knowledge that Green Lanterns were a bunch of hotheads. The other immediately widened his eyes, his glare challenging, "What, you wanna start something?"
And so, a brawl broke out outside.
If this had been when he first arrived, Hal might have gone to join the spectacle, perhaps even jumping in himself. It wasn't like he hadn't done such things as a rookie. More than once, he had fought condescending Lanterns in the Legion who dismissed him as a bumpkin just for being from Earth. The outcome, without exception, was always a trip to the Pocket Dimension.
But those days were long gone.
He was no longer the newly arrived "bumpkin from the backwater planet Earth," but a legend of the Legion, admired by the entire force.
"Mind if I sit here?"
A towering figure appeared beside him. Hal looked up and saw Kilowog, whose massive frame was large enough to block a WiFi signal, standing there with his food tray.
"I do," Hal said grumpily. "I can't stand your stink."
"Ha, and I can't stand the smell of you humans."
Kilowog didn't seem to mind, nonchalantly setting down his tray and sitting.
Hal scooted over. It was a necessary move, as Kilowog alone took up the space of two people.
"You have twice as much food as me." Hal's eyebrows shot up as he looked at Kilowog's tray. "That server lied to me!"
"What, are you going to file a complaint against her?"
Hal shrugged and shoveled a spoonful of the colorful, mushy substance into his mouth. When he first arrived, he couldn't get used to Oa's food, but now he found it was actually quite good.
"So, what did the Guardians call you in for last time?" Kilowog asked.
"Nothing new. They said I'd been doing a good job, to keep it up, ask fewer questions, and not to follow Sinestro's old path."
"Oh, still bringing up that old bastard?" Kilowog grunted. "He's a traitor to the Lantern Corps, even disregarding the highest honor he could have had. You defeated him head-on, proving you're better than him."
But Hal showed no joy. "He's still my friend, the one who trained me. Even now, there isn't a moment I don't miss the times we worked together."
Before his falling out with Sinestro, Hal had worked closely with him. They had gone from mentor and student to comrades-in-arms who could trust each other with their backs, and finally to mortal enemies.
Perhaps nothing was more ironic than this.
Even after becoming enemies, they still considered each other their closest friend.
"Sorry, I know you two were close... The rookies only see your achievements, but they don't understand how heavy this is for you." Kilowog patted his shoulder. "Listen, if you need someone to talk to..."
"Me? Forget it. You know I don't need that," Hal said.
"Right." Kilowog grinned. "Let me rephrase that. If you need someone to fight..."
Hal met his gaze and smiled as well.
"Don't be the one on the ground begging for mercy this time."
"Funny, that's exactly what I was going to say..."
BOOM!
A sudden explosion! None of the power rings or the entire planet's security systems had reacted beforehand. The outer wall of the cafeteria was blasted open by an overwhelming force, and a powerful surge of energy poured through the massive breach.
The Green Lanterns sitting by the wall were sent flying before they could even react. The other well-trained Lanterns immediately shot into the air, activating their shields and looking warily toward the direction of the explosion.
The rookies were completely dumbfounded.
A terrorist attack? On Oa?
The headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps, the interstellar law enforcers?
What kind of master would have the guts and ability to cause trouble here?
However, contrary to expectations, the attacker wasn't some terrorist, or even a person at all.
There was only a ring.
A yellow power ring. It was as if it had materialized out of thin air, completely invisible to the entire Green Lantern security and radar systems. It released an astonishing amount of energy to blast open the cafeteria, then streaked inside in a series of intersecting arcs.
"A yellow ring!"
A Lantern cried out in surprise.
"Why is there a yellow ring?"
"Stop it!"
Several Green Lanterns simultaneously raised their fists and unleashed green light. The green light screens they released merged into one, forming a wall linked by their willpower, capable of withstanding even the cannon fire of an interstellar warship.
However, the yellow power ring pierced right through, and the wall instantly shattered. Golden energy erupted like flames along its trajectory, sending the Green Lanterns tumbling.
It was just as the old saying went.
No more than five Green Lanterns, or it's a guaranteed team wipe.
The tiny ring darted left and right, weaving up and down through the Green Lanterns' encirclement, constantly unleashing energy blasts that knocked them to the ground. The golden energy it erupted was like a sharp sword slicing through mud against the green light; no construct could withstand a single blow from it.
"Got it!"
A huge green hand descended from the sky, slamming the power ring onto the ground with a loud crash. The entire building shook as if by an earthquake, leaving a giant handprint on the floor. Dust filled the hall.
Kilowog gritted his teeth, and under his mental control, the hand construct transformed into a large lid.
"I've got it, I've got..."
"Kilowog, look out!" Hal shouted.
The next moment, the green lid was blasted to fragments. The power ring shot out, striking Kilowog squarely on the chin and sending his massive body tumbling to the ground. Without losing momentum, it flew like an unsheathed sword, straight toward its target.
Hal Jordan.
Before everyone's astonished eyes, the power ring forcefully slid onto Hal's finger.
"What the hell!?" Hal was stunned, struggling to pry off this yellow power ring.
"Planet Oa location confirmed. Re-evaluating mission... Hal Jordan locked... Hal Jordan captured... Preparing to transport life-form... Willpower energy interference detected... Interference neutralized. Teleportation ready."
"Hal!"
Kilowog, sprawled on the ground, yelled Hal's name.
But in the next moment, he saw Hal, still wearing a look of bewilderment, disintegrate right before his eyes. From flesh to bones, then all his internal organs, he was broken down bit by bit by the yellow light, as if ground to ash from the inside out, then vanished, swept away within the yellow light.
A golden radiance burst through the cafeteria, shot out from Oa, and flew into the vast, boundless Universe, disappearing without a trace.
Hal felt like he might have passed out for a moment—he wasn't entirely sure. The whole process was like riding on clouds and mist, as if he were on the boundary between reality and the dream world.
But he knew clearly that he had been teleported from Oa.
He wanted to use his green power ring's "activity log" to see what had just happened, but he quickly found he couldn't.
His green power ring had also stalled out, its condition not much better than his own.
And now, the one controlling his body was that eerie yellow power ring.
"Warning, Hal Jordan's willpower is resisting..." the yellow power ring issued a warning.
Hal gritted his teeth. "Yeah, now get... off of me!"
"Error. Host's willpower is too strong. Fear is being suppressed..."
"...Error. Willpower exceeds the power ring's upper limit."
"Error..."
BANG!
The yellow power ring exploded right on his finger. It was as if a burst of green light erupted from within, shredding the ring to fragments.
As the yellow light dissipated, the green power ring reawakened. Green light once again enveloped Hal Jordan's entire body, and the reassuring voice of the green power ring's built-in AI returned to his ear.
"Ring reconnected."
"Good to have you back, old buddy." Hal looked around. "Now, tell me where we are."
"Insufficient data. Unable to determine location... Sapient life-form reaction detected."
Hal looked up and saw several beams of golden light descending from the sky, each containing a humanoid figure.
Three Yellow Lanterns from different species across the galaxy, wearing the Corps uniform and wielding power rings.
"So, this is the 'great' Hal Jordan."
One of them, a man with a snake-like face, flicked his tongue and sized up Hal with cold-blooded eyes, sneering.
"...I thought he'd be taller."
"Those yellow rings... you're the culprits, aren't you?"
Hal said coldly, striking his right fist against his palm as his power ring flashed with a green glow.
"Only three of you. Guess that means I just have to beat the answers out of you."
"Don't be so hasty, Lantern..."
One of the Yellow Lanterns sneered and made a hand gesture.
Instantly, specks of yellow light began to appear in the surrounding darkness.
Hal's pupils contracted.
More yellow light, more figures. A full circle of Yellow Lanterns—tall, short, fat, and thin, from various starfields and species. Every one of them radiated ill intent, their yellow glows merging into a single sheet, like an endless expanse of golden, blazing flame.
He was surrounded.
The snake-faced Yellow Lantern's lips curled into a sneer, and he let out a low, sinister laugh.
"Count again, Green Lantern."
(end of chapter)
**Author:** Rowing Without Oars 233
Target, Hal Jordan?
Planet Oa, Green Lantern Corps Headquarters.
Hal Jordan stared at the pile of green plants on his food tray, searching for the speck of meat so minuscule he had to squint to see it. He then looked up at the four-tentacled, orange-red server.
"I'm telling you, this wouldn't even be enough to feed Lantern Jot Na," Hal said, raising an eyebrow. "Give me a little more, will you? I can't patrol on an empty stomach."
Jot Na was a goldfish-like creature in the Green Lantern Corps, barely tall enough to reach Hal's knee.
"That's all you get. It's the rules." The server waved a tentacle impatiently. "Even Kilowog doesn't get more than you."
Kilowog was the drill instructor for the Green Lantern new recruits, a massive brute the size of two Hals. Hal furrowed his brow, staring at his food tray in dissatisfaction for a long moment before finally turning to find a seat, grumbling.
The cafeteria had a round, domed ceiling, filled with Green Lanterns flying about. There were walking ones, crawling ones, and aquatic species—they had everything.
A commotion could be heard from the entrance. It seemed a Green Lantern had been distracted while landing and had nearly collided with another teammate who was just taking off.
One of them unhappily shouted, "Watch where you're flying!" However, it was common knowledge that Green Lanterns were a bunch of hotheads. The other immediately widened his eyes, his glare challenging, "What, you wanna start something?"
And so, a brawl broke out outside.
If this had been when he first arrived, Hal might have gone to join the spectacle, perhaps even jumping in himself. It wasn't like he hadn't done such things as a rookie. More than once, he had fought condescending Lanterns in the Legion who dismissed him as a bumpkin just for being from Earth. The outcome, without exception, was always a trip to the Pocket Dimension.
But those days were long gone.
He was no longer the newly arrived "bumpkin from the backwater planet Earth," but a legend of the Legion, admired by the entire force.
"Mind if I sit here?"
A towering figure appeared beside him. Hal looked up and saw Kilowog, whose massive frame was large enough to block a WiFi signal, standing there with his food tray.
"I do," Hal said grumpily. "I can't stand your stink."
"Ha, and I can't stand the smell of you humans."
Kilowog didn't seem to mind, nonchalantly setting down his tray and sitting.
Hal scooted over. It was a necessary move, as Kilowog alone took up the space of two people.
"You have twice as much food as me." Hal's eyebrows shot up as he looked at Kilowog's tray. "That server lied to me!"
"What, are you going to file a complaint against her?"
Hal shrugged and shoveled a spoonful of the colorful, mushy substance into his mouth. When he first arrived, he couldn't get used to Oa's food, but now he found it was actually quite good.
"So, what did the Guardians call you in for last time?" Kilowog asked.
"Nothing new. They said I'd been doing a good job, to keep it up, ask fewer questions, and not to follow Sinestro's old path."
"Oh, still bringing up that old bastard?" Kilowog grunted. "He's a traitor to the Lantern Corps, even disregarding the highest honor he could have had. You defeated him head-on, proving you're better than him."
But Hal showed no joy. "He's still my friend, the one who trained me. Even now, there isn't a moment I don't miss the times we worked together."
Before his falling out with Sinestro, Hal had worked closely with him. They had gone from mentor and student to comrades-in-arms who could trust each other with their backs, and finally to mortal enemies.
Perhaps nothing was more ironic than this.
Even after becoming enemies, they still considered each other their closest friend.
"Sorry, I know you two were close... The rookies only see your achievements, but they don't understand how heavy this is for you." Kilowog patted his shoulder. "Listen, if you need someone to talk to..."
"Me? Forget it. You know I don't need that," Hal said.
"Right." Kilowog grinned. "Let me rephrase that. If you need someone to fight..."
Hal met his gaze and smiled as well.
"Don't be the one on the ground begging for mercy this time."
"Funny, that's exactly what I was going to say..."
BOOM!
A sudden explosion! None of the power rings or the entire planet's security systems had reacted beforehand. The outer wall of the cafeteria was blasted open by an overwhelming force, and a powerful surge of energy poured through the massive breach.
The Green Lanterns sitting by the wall were sent flying before they could even react. The other well-trained Lanterns immediately shot into the air, activating their shields and looking warily toward the direction of the explosion.
The rookies were completely dumbfounded.
A terrorist attack? On Oa?
The headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps, the interstellar law enforcers?
What kind of master would have the guts and ability to cause trouble here?
However, contrary to expectations, the attacker wasn't some terrorist, or even a person at all.
There was only a ring.
A yellow power ring. It was as if it had materialized out of thin air, completely invisible to the entire Green Lantern security and radar systems. It released an astonishing amount of energy to blast open the cafeteria, then streaked inside in a series of intersecting arcs.
"A yellow ring!"
A Lantern cried out in surprise.
"Why is there a yellow ring?"
"Stop it!"
Several Green Lanterns simultaneously raised their fists and unleashed green light. The green light screens they released merged into one, forming a wall linked by their willpower, capable of withstanding even the cannon fire of an interstellar warship.
However, the yellow power ring pierced right through, and the wall instantly shattered. Golden energy erupted like flames along its trajectory, sending the Green Lanterns tumbling.
It was just as the old saying went.
No more than five Green Lanterns, or it's a guaranteed team wipe.
The tiny ring darted left and right, weaving up and down through the Green Lanterns' encirclement, constantly unleashing energy blasts that knocked them to the ground. The golden energy it erupted was like a sharp sword slicing through mud against the green light; no construct could withstand a single blow from it.
"Got it!"
A huge green hand descended from the sky, slamming the power ring onto the ground with a loud crash. The entire building shook as if by an earthquake, leaving a giant handprint on the floor. Dust filled the hall.
Kilowog gritted his teeth, and under his mental control, the hand construct transformed into a large lid.
"I've got it, I've got..."
"Kilowog, look out!" Hal shouted.
The next moment, the green lid was blasted to fragments. The power ring shot out, striking Kilowog squarely on the chin and sending his massive body tumbling to the ground. Without losing momentum, it flew like an unsheathed sword, straight toward its target.
Hal Jordan.
Before everyone's astonished eyes, the power ring forcefully slid onto Hal's finger.
"What the hell!?" Hal was stunned, struggling to pry off this yellow power ring.
"Planet Oa location confirmed. Re-evaluating mission... Hal Jordan locked... Hal Jordan captured... Preparing to transport life-form... Willpower energy interference detected... Interference neutralized. Teleportation ready."
"Hal!"
Kilowog, sprawled on the ground, yelled Hal's name.
But in the next moment, he saw Hal, still wearing a look of bewilderment, disintegrate right before his eyes. From flesh to bones, then all his internal organs, he was broken down bit by bit by the yellow light, as if ground to ash from the inside out, then vanished, swept away within the yellow light.
A golden radiance burst through the cafeteria, shot out from Oa, and flew into the vast, boundless Universe, disappearing without a trace.
Hal felt like he might have passed out for a moment—he wasn't entirely sure. The whole process was like riding on clouds and mist, as if he were on the boundary between reality and the dream world.
But he knew clearly that he had been teleported from Oa.
He wanted to use his green power ring's "activity log" to see what had just happened, but he quickly found he couldn't.
His green power ring had also stalled out, its condition not much better than his own.
And now, the one controlling his body was that eerie yellow power ring.
"Warning, Hal Jordan's willpower is resisting..." the yellow power ring issued a warning.
Hal gritted his teeth. "Yeah, now get... off of me!"
"Error. Host's willpower is too strong. Fear is being suppressed..."
"...Error. Willpower exceeds the power ring's upper limit."
"Error..."
BANG!
The yellow power ring exploded right on his finger. It was as if a burst of green light erupted from within, shredding the ring to fragments.
As the yellow light dissipated, the green power ring reawakened. Green light once again enveloped Hal Jordan's entire body, and the reassuring voice of the green power ring's built-in AI returned to his ear.
"Ring reconnected."
"Good to have you back, old buddy." Hal looked around. "Now, tell me where we are."
"Insufficient data. Unable to determine location... Sapient life-form reaction detected."
Hal looked up and saw several beams of golden light descending from the sky, each containing a humanoid figure.
Three Yellow Lanterns from different species across the galaxy, wearing the Corps uniform and wielding power rings.
"So, this is the 'great' Hal Jordan."
One of them, a man with a snake-like face, flicked his tongue and sized up Hal with cold-blooded eyes, sneering.
"...I thought he'd be taller."
"Those yellow rings... you're the culprits, aren't you?"
Hal said coldly, striking his right fist against his palm as his power ring flashed with a green glow.
"Only three of you. Guess that means I just have to beat the answers out of you."
"Don't be so hasty, Lantern..."
One of the Yellow Lanterns sneered and made a hand gesture.
Instantly, specks of yellow light began to appear in the surrounding darkness.
Hal's pupils contracted.
More yellow light, more figures. A full circle of Yellow Lanterns—tall, short, fat, and thin, from various starfields and species. Every one of them radiated ill intent, their yellow glows merging into a single sheet, like an endless expanse of golden, blazing flame.
He was surrounded.
The snake-faced Yellow Lantern's lips curled into a sneer, and he let out a low, sinister laugh.
"Count again, Green Lantern."
(end of chapter)
