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ARTHUR'S BASE -
Owl sat hunched over the primary terminal, fingers dancing across the holographic keys, pale light catching in the edges of his shadow owl mask.
Arthur stood behind him with his arms folded, his expression was serious, eyes fixed on the scrolling data. He had been waiting for a while now, his patience running thin.
Owl exhaled through his nose and leaned back slightly. And simply shook his head there was a faint edge of frustration beneath that gesture.
Arthur's jaw tightened. "So no one at all huh," he muttered. "Well that's great."
A ripple of shadow energy formed in the corner of the room, coalescing into a tall, familiar figure. Shadow-Lex emerged, his posture impeccable even in this state, cradling something small and metallic in one hand, while wearing one similar next to his ear.
"My king," Lex began, his voice surprised even Arthur. And he realized why. He wasn't mute this time thanks to whatever he just made.The sound was clear, almost human perfect. Lex held up the device in his hand like a trophy. "I've developed this," he said, pride flickering in his eyes. "There are only two for now one for myself, and the other for Owl. It will allow us to speak to you directly. Every low-ranked shadow soldier will be able to in time."
Arthur's brow lifted, a rare flicker of approval on his face. "Brilliant. Mass produce it as soon as possible. It's a pain in the ass that only the generals and above could talk to me before. I've been giving orders like I'm passing notes in class."
Owl's tilted his head slightly toward Arthur at that, a faint snort of amusement escaping him.
Arthur stepped closer, studying the device for a moment before looking Lex in the eye. "Tell me something...can you make something that detects energy signatures? I'm not talking about standard cosmic scans. I mean… sinister ones. Something that feels like my shadow energy or my ring's energy. Far from Earth. Very far."
Lex's expression sharpened as he considered it, fingers idly adjusting his device, a purely reflexive habit from when he'd been alive. "It would be… difficult," he admitted slowly, "but not impossible. Since the energy you're describing is similar in nature to your own, I could calibrate a detection grid to track for the same spectral properties, I'm afraid it will take time my king."
Arthur's eyes narrowed, his mind already elsewhere. "Do it." His voice was low, serious now. "Something's bothering me. And I hope to hell I'm wrong about it."
Lex studied him for a beat, as if weighing whether to ask what his king meant. In the end, he simply bowed his head. "At once, my king."
The shadows seemed to curl tighter around him as he dematerialized, the faint mechanical sounds of the chamber filling the silence again.
Arthur stood there for a moment longer, eyes still locked on the empty data feed Owl had left open, the faint reflection of violet light in his irises. 'Damn it all.' he muttered to himself.
****
HALL OF THE GUARDIANS – OA
The chamber was nothing but silent, The Guardians of the Universe floated in their customary ring, their ancient faces lit in the pale glow of Oa's central light. The wreckage of recent events still lingered in the air not in sight, but in the weight pressing down on everyone present.
Hal Jordan stood in the center, arms crossed, jaw tight. Beside him, Kilowog's massive frame seemed even larger in the chamber, his tusked face shadowed by suspicion.
Kilowog spoke first, his deep voice carrying a faint growl.
"So, cut the crap. What was the real reason for that mission?"
One of the Guardians his voice clipped and cold spoke without inflection.
"There was no deception, Kilowog. The directive was simple: apprehend Arthur Blackwynd."
Hal's brows furrowed.
"Apprehend? That's a hell of a word for someone you know is no push over, have you forgotten what happened here the last time you requested to speak with him ?"
Another Guardian's tone sharpened, defensive.
"Blackwynd is a threat. The nature of his power… unpredictable. But it seems our judgment was… compromised."
Kilowog took a step forward, heavy boots echoing.
"Compromised how? You're saying we left Oa wide open for that attack by accident?"
There was a pause small by mortal reckoning, but an eternity for beings who claimed to never hesitate. Then one Guardian finally admitted
"We were… misled. The timing of Blackwynd's capture was manipulated. The Finest of the Corps were drawn away… leaving Oa vulnerable."
Hal's eyes narrowed.
"Misled? who could possibly..." He cut himself off mid-sentence, glancing around the circle of robed immortals. His gaze counted each one. He came up short.
Scar wasn't there.
His stomach sank. "Damn it, Bats… you were actually right…" he muttered under his breath.
Ganthet, who had been watching him carefully, inclined his head.
"It seems you have noticed Hal Jordan. Scar has betrayed the Guardians… and the Corps. She released the prisoners from the Sciencells, and the carnage that followed is her doing."
Hal let out a low whistle.
"You actually saying that out loud? That's rare for you." He stepped forward, his voice sharpening.
"But I want to know why. Nobody turns on their own kind after eons without a reason."
The Guardians were silent. Their stillness wasn't serene it was evasive. Finally, one of them spoke, their tone shifting like they were brushing away a question.
"There is a more pressing matter you must attend to."
Hal's glare could have burned through steel.
"Answer my question first."
They ignored him.
"Larfleeze," another Guardian stated. "He was among the escapees. He did not engage in battle… he simply vanished. That individual is… dangerous. Considering what he is, he will seek out great power. You know what that means.. He will want whatever Blackwynd has."
Hal's jaw tightened.
"…Shit. No wonder I didn't see him or his body in the aftermath."
Ganthet's eyes met Hal's.
"You understand the gravity of this."
"Yeah," Hal said, straightening his shoulders. "I'll hunt him down myself. But when I get back, I expect answers about Scar's real goal and I know you're keeping that under wraps. Don't think you can stonewall me forever, not while everything around us feels wrong."
The Guardians gave no reply. But their silence wasn't the silence of ignorance it was the silence of those who already knew far too much.
Kilowog grunted under his breath as they turned to leave.
"Poozers never learn, do they?"
Hal didn't answer. His mind was already on Scar… and the ugly feeling that whatever her plan was, they were already three steps behind.
A sharp crack echoed through the Hall of the Guardians distant, muffled at first, then followed by another, closer and sharper. Not the crisp snap of a construct breaking… something wetter, messier.
Kilowog's ears twitched, his broad head turning toward the great emerald doors. "You hear that?"
Another sound rolled in, overlapping the sound of the Oan air ring-fire. Dozens of blasts in quick succession. Somewhere beyond, voices shouted in urgent, panicked bursts… and beneath it all came something else. Low at first. Then louder. Shrieks.
Not the kind born from pain no, these carried something more primal. Hunger.
Hal was already moving toward the exit. "What the hell is going on now?"
Kilowog lumbered after him, grumbling under his breath. "I'm startin' to hate this job…"
As they approached, the sounds sharpened energy blasts tearing through the air, constructs shattering, the unholy howls threading through the chaos. The hair at the back of Hal's neck prickled. The noise wasn't just wrong… it was unnatural.
Hal tapped his ring, his voice low but edged with urgency. "What's happening out there?"
Static burst in his ear, followed by ragged, panicked breathing.
Then a voice high, trembling, barely coherent. "Th-they're… they're not staying down… we killed them in the fight, we killed them and they just..." The voice broke into a sob, words tumbling over each other. "It's the dead, They have rings now, Lantern! It's the.."
A sharp, wet sound cut him off. The scream that followed was raw, blood-curdling more a tearing of the soul than the throat and then the comm went off.
/-\
If you Like this story! Check out my other stories! Solo leveling in Westeros.
&
If you wish to read more or simply support me than check out my patreon at
"https://www.patreon.com/FrenzyAren"
You can Get Access to 3 More Chapters OR 7 More Chapters if you want