Reading settings
Chapter 384: It Seems Right Again
Seeing the Green Lantern start walking toward him, Orin Vale raised an eyebrow.
The alias he was using was that of a New God sent by Apokolips. Just a moment ago, when he showed the Mother Box to Dilano in this base, many of the nearby henchmen had noticed. This Green Lantern had likely discovered it as well.
So, from the Green Lantern's perspective, he was now a bona fide invader and, quite possibly, a big fish.
After all, everyone had been working so hard, infiltrating and blending in with the enemy, all for the sake of hooking a big fish.
Of course, Orin Vale had nothing to panic about. Although this Green Lantern's abilities differed from those in the main world, Orin Vale had just observed him and already had a general grasp of his strength.
In any case, he would first try Master Gao's usual routine. First, offer a kind explanation. It would be best if they could talk it out. If not, he would just have to beat him into submission and then explain slowly.
“I’m on your side,” Orin Vale said.
Alan Scott, the Green Lantern, wore an expression that screamed, “Who’s on your side?” as if his intelligence had been insulted.
“I saw your Mother Box,” Alan narrowed his eyes. “You are not ‘on our side.’ You’re not even an ordinary Apokoliptian grunt. I have a lot of questions for you. Don't think you can fool me.”
“Yes, that Mother Box is real. This might be a bit hard to explain, but I’m really not from Apokolips.”
“I believe you.”
An ethereal, indistinct voice sounded, its tone possessing a somewhat feminine quality.
With a thought, Orin Vale activated his enhanced vision. A faint blue glow flickered in his eyes, and he could vaguely see the green flame radiating from Alan coalescing behind him, forming an ethereal, humanoid figure.
Its outline appeared humanoid, but a closer look revealed a body composed primarily of tree-like structures. Its torso was a trunk, its surface covered in deep textures, like the annual rings etched by time. Dense moss and branches entwined its body, and a green light shone in its deep eyes.
That was Earth-2's The Green.
Alan Scott had been in an accident while riding a train; he should have died. But The Green chose him, anchoring Earth's energy into a ring that became his source of power. Since then, he had always acted according to the will of The Green, her voice constantly echoing in his ears.
But up until now, the commands The Green had given him were mostly along the lines of "go do this" or "go kill that," a philosophy of acting first and thinking later.
This time, however, The Green uncharacteristically said gently, “He’s on our side.”
Alan: “?”
The Green Lantern, who was raising his ring and preparing to fight, was momentarily stunned. He glanced back at the spectral form behind him, feeling that this guardian entity of Earth was speaking in a tone that was a bit different from usual today.
“But didn't you say before that there was definitely something wrong with this guy?” he asked, confused. “You clearly said you could tell at a glance he wasn't human. That something was definitely off about him?”
“Yes, at that time I only caught a rough glimpse of him in the crowd and couldn't see him too clearly. At a glance, something seemed off,” The Green paused, “but looking again now... he seems right again.”
Alan: “???”
Orin Vale seemed to understand something. “Can you see my true form?”
“Not exactly,” The Green said politely. “But seeing your brilliant radiance, I can tell that you must stand on the side of justice.”
Orin Vale pretty much understood.
Although she certainly hadn't recognized him, she could see the surging Light and its energy level. It was even more likely that she had connected Orin Vale with the Giant of Light who had appeared in Gotham and swept through the army.
Even if she didn't know his origins or his true nature, regardless of his motives, at least Orin Vale had helped them repel the vast army from Apokolips that one time. This was at least enough to show that he probably wasn't on the same side as Apokolips.
Now that Earth was at a critical juncture of life and death, Apokolips alone was enough to overwhelm it. For an extraterrestrial visitor with such power to suddenly appear, even if they couldn't win him over, they absolutely could not afford to make an enemy of him.
After all, with a fist that big, even if he wasn't on the side of justice, he had to be.
“Alright, since The Green says so... then perhaps it really was a misunderstanding.” Alan scratched his head. “The Green said she can sense that those fire pits are harming the Earth in some way.”
“She says those things are like a virus, taking root in the Earth. She's resisting with all her might, but there's not much she can do. They are getting deeper and deeper.”
Orin Vale thought for a moment. “Then maybe we should go down inside and take a look?”
“Into a fire pit? You're kidding,” Alan said, looking at him strangely. “No one can get close to those things, not even me. What erupts from them isn't just simple flames and high temperatures, but some kind of violent and destructive energy.”
“My Green Lantern ring should be able to protect me in any extreme situation, but The Green says that even the power of the ring might not be enough to let me enter safely.”
After a pause, Alan sighed softly.
“But, I suppose there's really no other way. This is the second Apokolips den I've found, but they're all just insignificant grunts.”
“Even if I capture and interrogate them, what they know is very limited. When I saw you appear today, I originally thought I'd finally caught a real big fish from Apokolips.”
He stopped and glanced at Orin Vale without saying anything more.
Orin Vale nodded. “Sorry to disappoint you. I'm also here to investigate the situation.”
It felt like the FBI spending ages painstakingly laying a trap to catch a big fish, only to find out the guy was from the damn CIA. All that fishing for nothing.
“But time is short. Even as we speak, they continue to bore into the Earth.”
Alan clenched his fist, and his Green Lantern ring ignited with an eerie green flame.
“I don't know what they're doing, but The Green told me I can't delay any longer. There's no time to investigate slowly. I'm going to find a fire pit and charge right in. Maybe if my willpower is strong enough, I can withstand that energy and find the source of the problem.”
“That's an idea.”
Orin Vale nodded slightly, then looked over at the few guides lying there like dead pigs. Moments ago, when Orin Vale had dodged aside, they had been knocked over and had all passed out, spread-eagled on the ground.
“However, I suggest we first ask them if they know anything else about the fire pits,” Orin Vale said, pointing at them. “These ones aren't unconscious. They're faking it.”
Hearing this, the men instantly sat up, looking at Orin Vale with tearful expressions.
Come on, Boss, life is hard enough without you calling us out...
Alan looked at the men, his eyes narrowing as he approached them step by step, the green flame burning silently.
It was as if he was asking, “Would you lot prefer to be steamed or braised?”
(end of chapter)
Seeing the Green Lantern start walking toward him, Orin Vale raised an eyebrow.
The alias he was using was that of a New God sent by Apokolips. Just a moment ago, when he showed the Mother Box to Dilano in this base, many of the nearby henchmen had noticed. This Green Lantern had likely discovered it as well.
So, from the Green Lantern's perspective, he was now a bona fide invader and, quite possibly, a big fish.
After all, everyone had been working so hard, infiltrating and blending in with the enemy, all for the sake of hooking a big fish.
Of course, Orin Vale had nothing to panic about. Although this Green Lantern's abilities differed from those in the main world, Orin Vale had just observed him and already had a general grasp of his strength.
In any case, he would first try Master Gao's usual routine. First, offer a kind explanation. It would be best if they could talk it out. If not, he would just have to beat him into submission and then explain slowly.
“I’m on your side,” Orin Vale said.
Alan Scott, the Green Lantern, wore an expression that screamed, “Who’s on your side?” as if his intelligence had been insulted.
“I saw your Mother Box,” Alan narrowed his eyes. “You are not ‘on our side.’ You’re not even an ordinary Apokoliptian grunt. I have a lot of questions for you. Don't think you can fool me.”
“Yes, that Mother Box is real. This might be a bit hard to explain, but I’m really not from Apokolips.”
“I believe you.”
An ethereal, indistinct voice sounded, its tone possessing a somewhat feminine quality.
With a thought, Orin Vale activated his enhanced vision. A faint blue glow flickered in his eyes, and he could vaguely see the green flame radiating from Alan coalescing behind him, forming an ethereal, humanoid figure.
Its outline appeared humanoid, but a closer look revealed a body composed primarily of tree-like structures. Its torso was a trunk, its surface covered in deep textures, like the annual rings etched by time. Dense moss and branches entwined its body, and a green light shone in its deep eyes.
That was Earth-2's The Green.
Alan Scott had been in an accident while riding a train; he should have died. But The Green chose him, anchoring Earth's energy into a ring that became his source of power. Since then, he had always acted according to the will of The Green, her voice constantly echoing in his ears.
But up until now, the commands The Green had given him were mostly along the lines of "go do this" or "go kill that," a philosophy of acting first and thinking later.
This time, however, The Green uncharacteristically said gently, “He’s on our side.”
Alan: “?”
The Green Lantern, who was raising his ring and preparing to fight, was momentarily stunned. He glanced back at the spectral form behind him, feeling that this guardian entity of Earth was speaking in a tone that was a bit different from usual today.
“But didn't you say before that there was definitely something wrong with this guy?” he asked, confused. “You clearly said you could tell at a glance he wasn't human. That something was definitely off about him?”
“Yes, at that time I only caught a rough glimpse of him in the crowd and couldn't see him too clearly. At a glance, something seemed off,” The Green paused, “but looking again now... he seems right again.”
Alan: “???”
Orin Vale seemed to understand something. “Can you see my true form?”
“Not exactly,” The Green said politely. “But seeing your brilliant radiance, I can tell that you must stand on the side of justice.”
Orin Vale pretty much understood.
Although she certainly hadn't recognized him, she could see the surging Light and its energy level. It was even more likely that she had connected Orin Vale with the Giant of Light who had appeared in Gotham and swept through the army.
Even if she didn't know his origins or his true nature, regardless of his motives, at least Orin Vale had helped them repel the vast army from Apokolips that one time. This was at least enough to show that he probably wasn't on the same side as Apokolips.
Now that Earth was at a critical juncture of life and death, Apokolips alone was enough to overwhelm it. For an extraterrestrial visitor with such power to suddenly appear, even if they couldn't win him over, they absolutely could not afford to make an enemy of him.
After all, with a fist that big, even if he wasn't on the side of justice, he had to be.
“Alright, since The Green says so... then perhaps it really was a misunderstanding.” Alan scratched his head. “The Green said she can sense that those fire pits are harming the Earth in some way.”
“She says those things are like a virus, taking root in the Earth. She's resisting with all her might, but there's not much she can do. They are getting deeper and deeper.”
Orin Vale thought for a moment. “Then maybe we should go down inside and take a look?”
“Into a fire pit? You're kidding,” Alan said, looking at him strangely. “No one can get close to those things, not even me. What erupts from them isn't just simple flames and high temperatures, but some kind of violent and destructive energy.”
“My Green Lantern ring should be able to protect me in any extreme situation, but The Green says that even the power of the ring might not be enough to let me enter safely.”
After a pause, Alan sighed softly.
“But, I suppose there's really no other way. This is the second Apokolips den I've found, but they're all just insignificant grunts.”
“Even if I capture and interrogate them, what they know is very limited. When I saw you appear today, I originally thought I'd finally caught a real big fish from Apokolips.”
He stopped and glanced at Orin Vale without saying anything more.
Orin Vale nodded. “Sorry to disappoint you. I'm also here to investigate the situation.”
It felt like the FBI spending ages painstakingly laying a trap to catch a big fish, only to find out the guy was from the damn CIA. All that fishing for nothing.
“But time is short. Even as we speak, they continue to bore into the Earth.”
Alan clenched his fist, and his Green Lantern ring ignited with an eerie green flame.
“I don't know what they're doing, but The Green told me I can't delay any longer. There's no time to investigate slowly. I'm going to find a fire pit and charge right in. Maybe if my willpower is strong enough, I can withstand that energy and find the source of the problem.”
“That's an idea.”
Orin Vale nodded slightly, then looked over at the few guides lying there like dead pigs. Moments ago, when Orin Vale had dodged aside, they had been knocked over and had all passed out, spread-eagled on the ground.
“However, I suggest we first ask them if they know anything else about the fire pits,” Orin Vale said, pointing at them. “These ones aren't unconscious. They're faking it.”
Hearing this, the men instantly sat up, looking at Orin Vale with tearful expressions.
Come on, Boss, life is hard enough without you calling us out...
Alan looked at the men, his eyes narrowing as he approached them step by step, the green flame burning silently.
It was as if he was asking, “Would you lot prefer to be steamed or braised?”
(end of chapter)
