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Chapter 362: Is This Really Your Escape Route?
Green and yellow light streaked across the city's sky like meteors streaking across the coastline. Unknowing, children leaned against balconies and windows to watch the meteors cross the heavens. They couldn't help but close their eyes, clasp their hands, and make a wish.
But what they didn't know was that the light brought not wishes, but destruction.
"So this is the place you care about most, Jordan?"
Sinestro maintained a flight speed of over Mach Ten, his Power Ring assisting him in maneuvering and reacting at such high speeds.
A construct of yellow energy morphed into a dragon-like creature. It opened its massive maw, bit down on Hal, then flipped over and dove. The massive dragon crashed into the ground, smashing into a construction site.
The overwhelming power tore through the concrete, shattering it like an eggshell. The unfinished structure trembled in the shockwave, teetering like a house of cards in a gale. Bricks, rebar, glass, and other materials scattered everywhere.
"I think I just smelled fear on you," Sinestro flew forward and sneered. "How ironic, for the greatest Green Lantern, Hal Jordan."
"I said..."
Hal slowly climbed out of the crater, then suddenly spun around. A large, floating green hammer construct slammed into Sinestro, sending him flying.
"Shut up."
Hal took flight in pursuit, but Sinestro had already stabilized himself in mid-air and unleashed streaks of golden light. Hal was forced to raise a shield to block, his speed inevitably slowing.
"What's more ironic is that I understand, Jordan. I know why Coast City means so much to you, why your family is so important to you."
Sinestro said as he continued to fire.
"Because I had a place just like it, remember? Korugar, my hometown," Sinestro roared. "You took my status as a Green Lantern, you took everything from me. Now, you will experience what I experienced, and feel what it's like to have nothing!"
While firing at Hal head-on, four more constructs advanced rapidly from all sides, using the city's streets and buildings for cover. Once in range, four tentacles shot out, suddenly binding Hal within his green light from cunning angles.
"Hmph, it seems you haven't improved after all," Sinestro snorted. "Your willpower is strong, but you'll never learn to fight with your head. That makes you predictable, and it's why you can never defeat—"
Before he could finish, his expression changed.
Because he saw clearly that what he had entangled within the green light wasn't Hal at all, but a construct shaped into Hal's image.
As the teacher who had single-handedly trained Hal, perhaps no one was more astonished to see this than Sinestro.
The brute has actually learned to use tactics?
He whipped his head around, but it was too late. A massive shadow blotted out the sky. A long train constructed from green light dove vertically from above, slamming head-on into Sinestro. It pushed him down at full speed, crashing thunderously into the ground.
The ground of Coast City suffered another heavy blow. Machinery was overturned, cars were thrown into the air, and it looked like the construction site, which was already more than halfway complete, would have to start over from scratch.
"Detecting a squad from the Sinestro Corps approaching," the Green Lantern Ring warned.
Hal took a deep breath.
He knew that blow had bought him some time, but not for long. Sinestro's men were on their way, and the flames of war were now scorching Coast City.
He turned and flew back to his brother's house.
"Is everyone okay?" As Hal flew into the living room through the shattered glass, Jim was comforting his still-shaken daughter.
"Hal, what's the situation?" Jim asked, quickly getting up when he saw him.
"It's not looking good."
Hal glanced at the television in the living room and sighed softly.
"I never thought I'd do this."
He stretched out his hand, and the green light from his Power Ring flowed into the television set. The Green Lantern Ring connected to Coast City's television network, transmitting his image to every household.
"Attention, Coast City. This is the Green Lantern," he said. "An alien invasion is on its way, and they won't stop until everything is destroyed. I will do everything in my power to ensure they don't succeed, but at the same time, I need you to do something. I need you to escape the city, get away from the combat zone. I will help as many people evacuate as I can... while it's not too late."
"The front line is spreading."
In an unknown location, the endless void seemed to be filled with a torrent of data. Brainiac's eyes flickered as he monitored the entire battle situation from behind a curtain of data.
"Sinestro has brought the front line to the Green Lantern's hometown. The Green Lantern Corps and the Blue Lantern Corps might follow," he said, as if to himself. "This will require adjustments to the established tactics.
"Furthermore, the subject 'Ultraman' has displayed abilities far exceeding expectations. His evolutionary capability is beyond imagination; most of the previously collected and calculated data is now obsolete.
"Recommending action: abandon containment. The subject's level of evolution has already surpassed the upper limit for containment, and there are no signs of it stopping..."
A lazy voice sounded from behind him.
"Isn't it a little too late to decide to give up now?"
Brainiac's pupils shrank. He whipped his head around and saw light converging amidst the scrolling data. Within the void, it shaped itself into the familiar, and in his eyes, utterly terrifying image of the giant, wreathed in sacred radiance.
Ultraman had caught up to him once again.
For a moment, Brainiac's intelligent mind simply crashed.
But how is this possible?
This was his final contingency. Despite his confidence that his main body could personally defeat Ultraman, he had still left himself an escape route. Brainiac's true form was an AI; as long as he could escape his physical shell when things went south, he could always survive. The body he had just been using was his most satisfactory one to date, one he hadn't upgraded in many years. It was a pity to lose, but he had long been prepared to abandon it to save his life.
In the instant before the detonation, Brainiac's consciousness had already drilled into his dedicated network. His rendezvous battleship was waiting near Saturn, and he could instantly download his main body into that warship and use it to escape.
This was his true escape route.
It was supposed to be foolproof. How was this possible!?
But there was no time to think about that question.
"It's quite a surprise that you could follow me here," Brainiac stared coldly at Orin Vale.
"But your arrogance is precisely what will lead to your downfall. This is a world constructed and ruled by me—"
Brainiac snapped his fingers.
Data instantly coalesced into physical forms. It became mountains and earth, crisscrossing alien streets and towering, spire-like structures that rose from the ground, resembling the cityscape of some distant civilization.
And with a wave of his hand, the city was thrown into chaos. Streets were severed, their halves standing vertically. Buildings spiraled and twisted, as if the entire world was beginning to fold in on Orin Vale's position, trapping his virtual body in the center.
"...Now that you're here, you will never leave," Brainiac said.
"Is that so?" Orin Vale chuckled. "You'd better take another look."
The data stream scrolled, and an intense light burst forth in this virtual space. It seemed to last only an instant. When Brainiac came to his senses, he was shocked to find Orin Vale floating unharmed in mid-air, as if nothing had happened.
And when he tried to retaliate, he found his virtual body was as if locked in place.
Looking down, he was horrified to see that the severed streets, towering structures, and high mountains—the entire world—had been twisted around his own body, binding him tightly like a spiraling rope.
This guy... did he overwrite my commands?
"But how..." Brainiac was bewildered. "This is my world. I should have absolute authority here..."
"Is that really the case? You should look more carefully," Orin Vale said calmly.
"Are you sure this is really your escape route?"
Brainiac: "!"
(end of chapter)
Green and yellow light streaked across the city's sky like meteors streaking across the coastline. Unknowing, children leaned against balconies and windows to watch the meteors cross the heavens. They couldn't help but close their eyes, clasp their hands, and make a wish.
But what they didn't know was that the light brought not wishes, but destruction.
"So this is the place you care about most, Jordan?"
Sinestro maintained a flight speed of over Mach Ten, his Power Ring assisting him in maneuvering and reacting at such high speeds.
A construct of yellow energy morphed into a dragon-like creature. It opened its massive maw, bit down on Hal, then flipped over and dove. The massive dragon crashed into the ground, smashing into a construction site.
The overwhelming power tore through the concrete, shattering it like an eggshell. The unfinished structure trembled in the shockwave, teetering like a house of cards in a gale. Bricks, rebar, glass, and other materials scattered everywhere.
"I think I just smelled fear on you," Sinestro flew forward and sneered. "How ironic, for the greatest Green Lantern, Hal Jordan."
"I said..."
Hal slowly climbed out of the crater, then suddenly spun around. A large, floating green hammer construct slammed into Sinestro, sending him flying.
"Shut up."
Hal took flight in pursuit, but Sinestro had already stabilized himself in mid-air and unleashed streaks of golden light. Hal was forced to raise a shield to block, his speed inevitably slowing.
"What's more ironic is that I understand, Jordan. I know why Coast City means so much to you, why your family is so important to you."
Sinestro said as he continued to fire.
"Because I had a place just like it, remember? Korugar, my hometown," Sinestro roared. "You took my status as a Green Lantern, you took everything from me. Now, you will experience what I experienced, and feel what it's like to have nothing!"
While firing at Hal head-on, four more constructs advanced rapidly from all sides, using the city's streets and buildings for cover. Once in range, four tentacles shot out, suddenly binding Hal within his green light from cunning angles.
"Hmph, it seems you haven't improved after all," Sinestro snorted. "Your willpower is strong, but you'll never learn to fight with your head. That makes you predictable, and it's why you can never defeat—"
Before he could finish, his expression changed.
Because he saw clearly that what he had entangled within the green light wasn't Hal at all, but a construct shaped into Hal's image.
As the teacher who had single-handedly trained Hal, perhaps no one was more astonished to see this than Sinestro.
The brute has actually learned to use tactics?
He whipped his head around, but it was too late. A massive shadow blotted out the sky. A long train constructed from green light dove vertically from above, slamming head-on into Sinestro. It pushed him down at full speed, crashing thunderously into the ground.
The ground of Coast City suffered another heavy blow. Machinery was overturned, cars were thrown into the air, and it looked like the construction site, which was already more than halfway complete, would have to start over from scratch.
"Detecting a squad from the Sinestro Corps approaching," the Green Lantern Ring warned.
Hal took a deep breath.
He knew that blow had bought him some time, but not for long. Sinestro's men were on their way, and the flames of war were now scorching Coast City.
He turned and flew back to his brother's house.
"Is everyone okay?" As Hal flew into the living room through the shattered glass, Jim was comforting his still-shaken daughter.
"Hal, what's the situation?" Jim asked, quickly getting up when he saw him.
"It's not looking good."
Hal glanced at the television in the living room and sighed softly.
"I never thought I'd do this."
He stretched out his hand, and the green light from his Power Ring flowed into the television set. The Green Lantern Ring connected to Coast City's television network, transmitting his image to every household.
"Attention, Coast City. This is the Green Lantern," he said. "An alien invasion is on its way, and they won't stop until everything is destroyed. I will do everything in my power to ensure they don't succeed, but at the same time, I need you to do something. I need you to escape the city, get away from the combat zone. I will help as many people evacuate as I can... while it's not too late."
"The front line is spreading."
In an unknown location, the endless void seemed to be filled with a torrent of data. Brainiac's eyes flickered as he monitored the entire battle situation from behind a curtain of data.
"Sinestro has brought the front line to the Green Lantern's hometown. The Green Lantern Corps and the Blue Lantern Corps might follow," he said, as if to himself. "This will require adjustments to the established tactics.
"Furthermore, the subject 'Ultraman' has displayed abilities far exceeding expectations. His evolutionary capability is beyond imagination; most of the previously collected and calculated data is now obsolete.
"Recommending action: abandon containment. The subject's level of evolution has already surpassed the upper limit for containment, and there are no signs of it stopping..."
A lazy voice sounded from behind him.
"Isn't it a little too late to decide to give up now?"
Brainiac's pupils shrank. He whipped his head around and saw light converging amidst the scrolling data. Within the void, it shaped itself into the familiar, and in his eyes, utterly terrifying image of the giant, wreathed in sacred radiance.
Ultraman had caught up to him once again.
For a moment, Brainiac's intelligent mind simply crashed.
But how is this possible?
This was his final contingency. Despite his confidence that his main body could personally defeat Ultraman, he had still left himself an escape route. Brainiac's true form was an AI; as long as he could escape his physical shell when things went south, he could always survive. The body he had just been using was his most satisfactory one to date, one he hadn't upgraded in many years. It was a pity to lose, but he had long been prepared to abandon it to save his life.
In the instant before the detonation, Brainiac's consciousness had already drilled into his dedicated network. His rendezvous battleship was waiting near Saturn, and he could instantly download his main body into that warship and use it to escape.
This was his true escape route.
It was supposed to be foolproof. How was this possible!?
But there was no time to think about that question.
"It's quite a surprise that you could follow me here," Brainiac stared coldly at Orin Vale.
"But your arrogance is precisely what will lead to your downfall. This is a world constructed and ruled by me—"
Brainiac snapped his fingers.
Data instantly coalesced into physical forms. It became mountains and earth, crisscrossing alien streets and towering, spire-like structures that rose from the ground, resembling the cityscape of some distant civilization.
And with a wave of his hand, the city was thrown into chaos. Streets were severed, their halves standing vertically. Buildings spiraled and twisted, as if the entire world was beginning to fold in on Orin Vale's position, trapping his virtual body in the center.
"...Now that you're here, you will never leave," Brainiac said.
"Is that so?" Orin Vale chuckled. "You'd better take another look."
The data stream scrolled, and an intense light burst forth in this virtual space. It seemed to last only an instant. When Brainiac came to his senses, he was shocked to find Orin Vale floating unharmed in mid-air, as if nothing had happened.
And when he tried to retaliate, he found his virtual body was as if locked in place.
Looking down, he was horrified to see that the severed streets, towering structures, and high mountains—the entire world—had been twisted around his own body, binding him tightly like a spiraling rope.
This guy... did he overwrite my commands?
"But how..." Brainiac was bewildered. "This is my world. I should have absolute authority here..."
"Is that really the case? You should look more carefully," Orin Vale said calmly.
"Are you sure this is really your escape route?"
Brainiac: "!"
(end of chapter)
