"Ah? Damn it!" Hal turned his head in the direction Wade pointed, spotting helicopters on the horizon. As a pilot, he understood all too well the speed of these new armed choppers, so he muttered a curse under his breath, gave Abin's body an apologetic glance, and dashed toward the car.
To be honest, Hal knew his actions now were like sacrificing a comrade to save himself. Leaving Abin's body behind meant it would inevitably be subjected to official examination and dissection.
However, if Hal stayed, he wouldn't be able to escape with the Green Lantern and ring, which would end up in government hands, and he'd find it nearly impossible to escape himself. This meant Hal might lose his freedom forever and fail to fulfill the dying wishes Abin had entrusted to him. So, reluctantly, Hal chose to prioritize his own safety over rescuing Abin's body.
Abin probably hadn't expected his moral appeal to be used as an excuse for Hal to abandon his body. Still, if Abin knew, given his character and dedication to the Green Lantern Corps mission, he likely would have wanted Hal to make this choice, having already entrusted everything to him.
"Lucky you showed up when you did; otherwise, I'm not sure I'd have escaped the government's radar today…" Hal said with a touch of lingering fear as Wade drove away.
"Don't worry. Even without me, they probably wouldn't catch you. This mixed-up universe at least ensures you'd complete your origin story…" Wade shook his head, making a cryptic comment Hal didn't quite understand.
"Mixed-up universe? Are you saying Abin was wrong? Is the universe even more dangerous than he thought?" Hal asked, frowning at Wade, though clearly, they weren't talking about the same thing.
"Let's not get into that now. Your priority is to keep your identity hidden and figure out how to use those two things." Wade gestured at the Green Lantern and ring in Hal's hands.
"Figure them out? How? Do you know how to use them? Why don't you give it a try first?" Hal looked at Wade in confusion.
"I've never dealt with aliens… at least, not with the Green Lantern Corps, and I don't want to end up glowing green!" Wade declined, adding, "Come on, let's head to Slade's training base."
"Do you think your red suit is any better than this green?" Hal retorted, then asked, "Why go to Slade's training base? Don't you have your own?"
"Why set up my own base when I can use someone else's? Do you have any idea how much it costs to set up a training base?" Wade replied nonchalantly. "Plus, if it were more convenient, I'd take you to the Avengers base…"
"What's inconvenient about that? It's the Avengers! Could you really take me there?" Hal's eyes lit up with excitement.
"Well, for one, they don't know you. Outsiders can't be taken to the Avengers base, or it'd be exposed ages ago," Wade explained, giving Hal a look. "Besides, though the Avengers stand on the side of justice, you'd better master your abilities before you visit. Otherwise, they might want to study your powers, and I bet you don't want to become a lab rat."
"No way!" Hal shook his head vigorously. Joining the Avengers as a superhero was one thing, but joining as a test subject was quite another. Hardly anyone would willingly submit themselves for research, even if it was the Avengers.
Meanwhile, at the abandoned dock where Abin had fallen, several helicopters landed, bringing an official agency that quickly retrieved Abin's body, not sparing his spacecraft. Not long after, more jets arrived on the scene, even including an air-carrier, though they found nothing left.
"Who got here first? Was it the Avengers?" The officials who arrived later exchanged frustrated questions, but this wasn't the Avengers' doing.
The Avengers hadn't sent anyone. Though JARVIS monitored the situation, the energy levels here were too low to merit much attention. After notifying Tony Stark, who also wasn't concerned, JARVIS detected Wade's presence on-site. Wade hadn't been in contact with the Avengers for a while, but his movements were still tracked, partly because of the tracking system in his personal communicator and partly because Tony Stark had financed Wade's previous expenses, allowing JARVIS to record every transaction.
Meanwhile, at Slade's training base, Slade paused his workout as Wade and Hal entered. "Wade? You're back? It's been a while since you trained… hmm? Hal?"
Truthfully, Slade and Hal didn't know each other well. They were only connected through Wade, but with no blood relation between them. If Hal didn't bear a striking resemblance to Wade, Slade might not have recognized him.
"Aren't we both loaded now? I've been on break for so long, and you're still pushing yourself?" Wade shook his head, commenting on Slade's sweaty appearance.
"I'm not like you; I don't have an immortal body," Slade retorted. "And given how long you've gone without training, your skills must be rusty, immortal or not. Care to test it?"
"I'm not into masochism," Wade replied, rolling his eyes and pointing at Hal. "I'm here for Hal. He encountered some extraordinary events, and we're here to test his abilities."
"Oh, I see. Just don't wreck the place, or you'll be paying to repair it… which actually works out because I was thinking of upgrading anyway," Slade responded casually, gesturing to another area of the base.
"Sure!" Wade agreed, though whether he'd actually pay if they damaged the place was another matter.
As for the Green Lantern and ring, Hal spent a while trying to figure them out without success. Even wearing the ring did nothing, and he was at a loss for how to use the Lantern until Wade suggested inserting the ring into the Lantern. Suddenly, the ring began to glow as if it had charged up, waiting for Hal to wear it and take the oath.
Meanwhile, in a laboratory elsewhere, Abin's body lay on an examination table, and a gene scientist named Hector Hammond, with the help of an assistant, began his study. Abin's ship was given to another research team, and in this field, the official agency was quite efficient, having done similar operations many times before.
As Hector continued dissecting Abin's body, a yellow light suddenly emerged from Abin's flesh, piercing Hector's finger. Startled, he pulled his finger away.
"What's wrong, Doctor?" the assistant asked, puzzled.
"Nothing, just felt a prick in my finger, but the glove's intact. Probably just my imagination," Hector replied, glancing at his hand but seeing no issue. He quickly resumed his work, compiling the results to report.
Hector's place in the research team wasn't only due to his expertise; his father was a senator. Although Senator Hammond didn't think highly of his son, Hector still managed to leverage the connection for many opportunities.
Back at Slade's base, Hal noticed the ring beginning to glow. "It seems to have charged. Can I put it on now?" he asked Wade, uncertain.
"Give it a try. What else can you do?" Wade shrugged, unconcerned.
"All right!" Hal muttered, slipping the ring onto his finger. Just then, a light shot from the Lantern, and Hal's gaze turned intense, his eyes emitting a green glow. This wasn't mere reflection but light emanating from his own eyes!
"Hal?" Wade called, noticing Hal's odd behavior. His call drew Slade's attention, but Hal ignored them both.
"He looks possessed?" Slade, instantly on guard, aimed his gun at the Lantern. "Are you sure this is his chance and not some entity taking over?"
"I think so? I'm not omniscient or watching this from behind a screen—who knows what's happening?" Wade scratched his head, sounding uncertain.
Unaware of Wade and Slade's reaction, Hal focused on the Lantern, reciting in a solemn voice: "In brightest day, in blackest night; no evil shall escape my sight. Let those who worship evil's might, beware my power—Green Lantern's light!"
When he finished, Hal seemed to come to, looking at the Lantern in a daze as if forgetting what he'd just said.
"Wait, was that oath recited under possession? No wonder Batman dislikes the Green Lantern ring!" Wade seemed to understand something. "That's the most forced, soulless oath ever. Makes wedding vows look heartfelt!"
"Huh? Oath?" Hal asked, still disoriented, as if he'd just woken up.
"So, did he gain his powers? Are you sure he's not possessed?" Slade asked cautiously.
"I'm not sure. Why don't you check?" Wade shrugged, refusing to guarantee anything in this strange world.
"Well, good, because I've wanted to punch that face for a while," Slade grinned, advancing toward Hal, who quickly backed away. There was no way a pilot like Hal could stand up to a mercenary when he hadn't yet mastered his Green Lantern powers.
"JARVIS?" Wade was about to enjoy the spectacle but was interrupted by a call from JARVIS, inquiring about the events of the day.
"Yes, there was an alien, and he passed on a legacy to Hal… Wait, Hal? Oh no, Hal's flying! Slade, stop him!"
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