"Thanks!" Hal sighed in relief, reaching up as Kilowog extended a helping hand. But just as Hal started to pull himself up, Kilowog unexpectedly swung a punch at his head, knocking him back down and leaving him dazed.
Hal couldn't believe it. Was Kilowog really that ruthless? He thought Kilowog was helping him up, but instead, he'd been ambushed. Did aliens just have no sense of decency?
"This is your next lesson. Remember, enemies won't care about fighting fair. And another thing—don't trust people too easily," Kilowog said from above as Hal lay on the ground, disoriented.
"So, that's how you do things, huh? I wonder what Wade would do in this situation?" Hal thought, snapping back to attention and finding his answer quickly.
In an instant, Hal kicked upward, aiming for Kilowog's weak spot. He didn't know if Kilowog's anatomy was the same as a human's, but since Kilowog resembled a pig-human hybrid, Hal figured he'd probably have the same vulnerable areas.
"Ugggghhhh!!" Kilowog let out a pained scream, confirming Hal's hunch. Seizing the moment, Hal rolled under him, conjuring a green energy chain that wrapped around Kilowog's neck. With a swift tug, Hal threw Kilowog over his shoulder and onto the ground.
"Thanks for the lesson, buddy. You're right about not trusting people," Hal said smugly, standing over Kilowog and turning his own earlier words back at him.
Hal wasn't a pushover—he just hadn't wanted to draw attention here on this alien planet, Oa, where he was clearly out of his element. He didn't feel any particular respect or awe for the Green Lantern Corps and hadn't seen any benefit from their so-called protection of the universe. In his mind, they didn't seem much better than the Avengers, who, at least, wouldn't put rookies through such brutal training.
"Swish!" Just then, Tomar-Re returned, but he didn't have a new ring in hand. Noticing this, Sinestro frowned and flew over to Tomar-Re.
"What's going on? Where's the new Green Lantern ring?" Sinestro asked sternly.
"The Guardians said there's no precedent for replacing an inherited ring. Since Abin's ring chose Hal, he's worthy of it. We don't have the authority to deny Hal Abin's legacy," Tomar-Re explained, sounding resigned.
"Since you can't take it away, can't I just exchange it?" Hal asked, noticing Sinestro's expression growing darker and deciding to test his luck with Tomar-Re.
"No. The Guardians said that if you give up the ring, you forfeit your place in the Corps. Are you willing to do that?" Tomar-Re said, shaking his head. "The Guardians believe that if Abin trusted you with his ring, then we should as well."
"Trust *him*? This rookie?" Sinestro's face hardened. He didn't dislike Hal personally, but he had deep misgivings about the Guardians' decision. Unfortunately, in the Corps' hierarchy, the Guardians held absolute authority, leaving him no choice but to follow their judgment.
"Since the Guardians have faith in you, you need to prove yourself worthy of their trust!" Sinestro said, turning his gaze back to Hal.
Though Hal had gotten the better of Kilowog with quick thinking, Sinestro wasn't impressed. Hal's adaptability was decent, but his willpower was sorely lacking—a critical flaw in a Green Lantern, whose power depended on both willpower and imagination.
"Look, I didn't ask for any special approval," Hal shot back, noting Sinestro's harsh tone. He was already feeling pressured—why was Sinestro still finding reasons to pick on him?
"Your problem is obvious—you're too eager to avoid challenges," Sinestro said, narrowing his eyes. "Now, fight me. Show me what you can do in your own style!"
Hal gritted his teeth, his patience wearing thin. He was tired of being pushed around. Even here, on an alien planet, Sinestro's unrelenting aggression was getting to him. Finally, he fought back.
"Zzzap!" Hal's eyes flashed green as he fired a heat vision beam at Sinestro, inspired by Superman's iconic ability.
"Energy attack? But with no imagination. And your execution is amateurish." Sinestro conjured a large energy cannon, blasting a green beam of his own. The two energies collided, but Hal's attack shattered on impact.
"Whirr!"
With a frown, Hal shifted tactics, conjuring two suits of Iron Man-like armor, one charging at Sinestro and the other firing energy shots from a distance.
If Tony Stark had seen these suits, he would have denied any resemblance to his designs. The emerald color alone would have been enough to make him cringe.
"Metal toys? These are worthless." Sinestro smirked, expanding his energy cannon and forming a green energy sword in his other hand. He shattered the distant suit with a blast and slashed the close-range one to pieces.
Without strong willpower, even the most creative constructs lacked strength. Hal couldn't rely on these constructs to withstand Sinestro's power advantage.
"I can sense your fear. But a Green Lantern fears nothing!" Sinestro declared, seeing the uncertainty in Hal's eyes. "Fear is the enemy of will. Willpower drives you forward, while fear weakens and hinders, making your constructs fragile…"
"Whirr!" As Sinestro spoke, Hal formed a jet fighter and sent it crashing toward him. But Sinestro simply created a green wall, and the jet exploded on impact, unable to breach his defense.
"Bam!" The wall then surged forward, knocking Hal back as Sinestro approached, continuing his lecture. "Unless you cast aside your fear, you will be unable to move, to defend, to fight—and you will be destroyed! You are tainted by fear, Hal Jordan. Bearing Abin's ring is an insult to his memory!"
Feeling Sinestro's oppressive presence, Hal struggled with a wave of panic, but as Sinestro stood over him, he took a deep breath. "Maybe the Green Lantern Corps is like this," Hal said slowly. "But on Earth, strong heroes don't bully and put down beginners!"
"Oh? Earth has its heroes? Do you think they could train you better? That primitive little planet?" Sinestro raised an eyebrow at Hal's resolve.
"Primitive is just your assumption. I don't think you're stronger than the Avengers!" Hal replied firmly, holding Sinestro's gaze.
"Very well, then return to Earth," Sinestro said coldly. "Prove your strength, and we'll see if your primitive planet can prepare you. But if you make no progress, I will come to Earth myself to retrieve Abin's ring and strip you of your Green Lantern status." Sinestro turned to Tomar-Re. "Tomar-Re, take him back."
"Success!" Hal barely hid his excitement as he followed Tomar-Re away from Sinestro's oppressive presence.
"Do you really think he'll improve on that backward planet?" Kilowog asked, approaching Sinestro once Hal had left.
"No. For a moment, he seemed free from fear, but he lacks true conviction in the power of these Avengers he mentioned. If he wants to go, let him. We don't have time to waste on him. Our priority is finding Parallax and ending this threat," Sinestro said, his eyes gleaming with determination.
"As for Hal and Abin's ring, that can wait until after we deal with Parallax. Bringing justice to Abin will give me all the justification I need to reclaim that ring…"
---
Back on Earth, shortly after Hal had left for Oa, Hector, the scientist dissecting Abin's body, started experiencing unusual changes. During a lecture, Hector suddenly began hearing disjointed thoughts from his students.
"God, his class is so boring. What a loser!" Hector distinctly heard the remark while delivering his lecture. It was a familiar voice, though he couldn't tell if it was something he'd heard or merely imagined.
"Michael! What did you just say?" Hector snapped, turning to the student who looked up in surprise.
"Uh, me? I didn't say anything…" Michael responded, sitting up straight, confused by Hector's sudden outburst.
"Didn't you just call me a loser?" Hector's eyes flashed with restrained anger.
"What the hell? Is this guy a freak?" Michael thought, though his lips remained still. Yet Hector heard it as clearly as if it had been spoken aloud.
"A freak?!" Hector laughed, a dangerous glint in his eye. His gaze intensified, a faint yellow light flickering as he stared at Michael. Michael barely had time to react before an invisible force flung him across the room, crashing him to the ground.
"What the—?!"
"Whoa, what just happened?!"
"Did Hector get superpowers? How'd he do that?"
"Should we call the Avengers? They've got that emergency hotline…"
The room erupted into chaos as students whispered to one another. In this new era, extraordinary powers were no longer unheard of, though the sight of Michael being thrown without apparent cause stunned everyone.
"Class dismissed!" Hector barked, realizing the disturbance he had caused. Shaken by the thought of his powers and the potential consequences, he quickly left the room, retreating in a mix of excitement and anxiety over his transformation.
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