The Green Lantern Corps' decision had clearly angered the Avengers. After all, Earth was under their protection—how dare an alien force decide Earth's fate without its consent? As tension simmered in the room, Steve Rogers took a deep breath, his voice steady but resolute.
"How can they call themselves protectors of the universe? They're forcing others to sacrifice for their own safety. If sacrifice is needed, no Avenger would ever back down, but only if it's our choice. No one has the right to demand the sacrifice of others to protect themselves."
Steve's perspective resonated deeply with some, though others within the Avengers had a more pragmatic approach. Rationalists like Tony Stark and Reed Richards could accept the idea of a few sacrifices to protect the many—but not when the entire Earth was treated as expendable for the safety of a distant universe. Steve, however, was unwavering: he would sacrifice himself for peace in a heartbeat, but he would never force that choice on others, especially without their consent.
And at this critical moment, all the Avengers stood united. None of them would ever willingly see Earth turned into a sacrificial pawn.
"Why get so worked up?" Robert said with a smirk as he appeared among them. "Just because they say Earth's to be sacrificed doesn't make it so." He understood the Avengers' anger wasn't only about Earth's fate, but about an alien power's presumption in dictating Earth's future. It felt disturbingly similar to how the Celestials viewed Earth as merely a testing ground.
Unlike the others, though, Robert wasn't particularly angry. His view was straightforward: if the Celestials came to Earth, he'd fight them. If Parallax arrived to destroy Earth, he'd fight Parallax. And as for the Green Lantern Corps? Well, they'd best avoid Robert if they knew what was good for them.
"Still," Johnny Storm grumbled, "the arrogance of their attitude is enough to tick us off!"
"If it bothers you that much, find a chance to give them a good fight," Pietro Maximoff suggested, his eyes gleaming as he looked at Hal. "And it's not like we don't have an insider who could help us find them."
"Wait, me?" Hal's eyes went wide, pointing to himself in disbelief. He shared the Avengers' frustration with the Green Lantern Corps' decision, which disregarded Earth's survival. Hal's family and friends were all here on Earth; the Corps' indifference was as maddening to him as it was to anyone. But Hal had also witnessed the Green Lantern Corps' strength, which was formidable even in defeat against Parallax. To him, challenging the Corps seemed unnecessary—and dangerous.
"Hold on," he stammered, "shouldn't we focus on Parallax first? Stopping it before it reaches Earth seems like the main priority, doesn't it? We can deal with the Corps later, once Parallax is taken care of."
"Most of you wouldn't stand a chance against the Green Lantern Corps in an all-out fight," Robert remarked as he surveyed the group.
Johnny was the first to react. "Come on, against the Lantern Corps? I'm not convinced," he scoffed. He hadn't yet had a chance to fully show off his newly enhanced abilities and saw no reason why a corps reliant on willpower should be particularly powerful—especially since their abilities could be replicated.
Robert shrugged. "They can move freely through space, which is a huge advantage. You can fight in space, Johnny, but many others can't. And space isn't exactly your home turf."
Tony Stark chimed in. "We may not be in our element up there, but that's why I prepared a batch of suits specifically for space combat. If it comes to a space battle, the Avengers won't be stuck on the sidelines."
Despite the massive threats posed by the Celestials and the ongoing challenges with integrating Venom into their tech, Tony hadn't neglected the need for countermeasures. He knew better than to rely solely on Robert's strength. After all, even Superman had been brought to the brink of death by Lex Luthor's schemes. Tony believed in preparing for every possible contingency.
Robert nodded approvingly. "Smart move. The suits could be even more effective if you make them portable and ready for deployment anytime. It'd give everyone much better mobility."
"Actually," Hal interjected cautiously, "shouldn't we focus on Parallax first? Who knows how close it is to Earth? If we could intercept it in space, we might avoid unnecessary damage here."
Robert smiled and nodded. "You're absolutely right. Speak freely here, Hal. In the Avengers, everyone's opinion matters."
"But you should know," Robert added, "that Earth has been the battleground for many superhuman conflicts, often not by choice. Most of the time, these enemies either come from other dimensions or arrive directly on Earth, so we rarely get the luxury of choosing the battlefield. But this time, we should be able to intercept Parallax before it reaches Earth…"
Suddenly, Robert's expression shifted as he sensed a peculiar presence approaching. "Hmm, something chaotic, twisted, and fearful is coming this way… but it's weak. Who could that be?"
"What is it?" Tony Stark asked warily. "Don't tell me Parallax is here already."
"Unlikely. This energy is much weaker, but it could still be linked to Parallax. Feels more like a monster than a person," Robert murmured with a smile. "Guardian, open a portal, would you? That direction…"
Instead of using teleportation, Robert opted for a portal to allow the entire team to move. Teleporting a large group would be difficult, whereas a portal was far more practical.
"So someone's coming to the Avengers' base? Linked to Parallax? Maybe it's a scout," Tony mused as they approached the portal. "We could send Hal out there to greet our guest. That might be interesting."
"And what would that accomplish? Hal's never even met Parallax. Besides, if Parallax really hates the Lanterns that much, wouldn't it stay far away from Earth?" Morbius muttered, scratching his head in confusion. "Why did it divert from Oa to Earth in the first place?"
"Probably because Hal inherited Abin's ring. Abin was a hero among the Lanterns, and he's the one who sealed Parallax. Parallax might just want revenge on Abin's successor," Tony speculated. "But that leaves one question: how does Parallax even know Abin has a successor on Earth, and how did it pinpoint Earth's location?"
"I'll go check it out." Hal stepped forward determinedly, forgetting Carol's earlier advice to stay low-profile. He was ready to confront whatever was approaching, especially if it was his old friend Hector.
Just as he spoke, the Guardian activated the portal, and through the shimmering light, they saw Hector, his head swollen grotesquely.
"Wait! Hector?! How can it be him?" Hal gasped in shock.
"Yes, Hector Hammond," JARVIS's voice announced calmly. "He was recently reported by students for possessing superhuman abilities. His risk factor wasn't considered high… but if he's infected from studying Abin's corpse, that might explain a lot."
Before JARVIS could finish, Hal had already rushed through the portal. Despite their estranged relationship, he had to see if his friend could still be saved.
Hector, startled by Hal's sudden appearance, took a step back, suspicion darkening his face. "A Green Lantern? You sensed me looking for you?"
"Looking for me? Why?" Hal asked, confused, but he barely had time to speak before Hector attacked.
"To kill you, of course! I may not be able to handle the Avengers, but you're just a rookie Lantern. Die! Blame your fate for inheriting that ring!" With a furious shout, Hector unleashed a powerful telekinetic blast that sent Hal flying.
Since they were in the wilderness, there was nothing nearby for Hector to manipulate. He relied solely on raw telekinetic force, catching Hal off guard and slamming him to the ground.
"Why can't you take on the Avengers?" a calm voice echoed behind Hector.
"Because I'm not strong enough to handle them," Hector muttered instinctively, "otherwise, I'd be carrying out my master's orders…"
He trailed off, realizing something was wrong. Turning around, he froze as he saw the assembled Avengers staring back at him.
"What… how can you all be here?" Fear flashed across Hector's eyes as he instinctively took a step back. He'd given up on confronting the Avengers directly, planning instead to kill Hal first and wait for Parallax to arrive. That way, he might have a slim chance of survival.
But here he was, face-to-face with the entire Avengers lineup, despite his attempt to avoid them.
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