Chapter 199: Aftermath of the Vice President's Kidnapping (1)
The Interrogation
By observing the change in their expressions, Luke immediately deduced what had transpired and couldn't help but smile.
"It seems you didn't mention the slaughter of the Fourth Mechanized Infantry Division."
Hal Jordan looked completely disbelieving. The hand supporting Sinestro's arm unconsciously slackened.
"Th-that's true?"
Sinestro did not, and would not, offer an explanation. Seeing this, Hal's expression became incredibly complicated. He hadn't been a Green Lantern for long, but he knew every Corps law clearly.
The Fifth Law explicitly forbids the large-scale slaughter of sentient races. If discovered, the perpetrator must face severe punishment.
Sinestro killed so many people yet appeared here unharmed. What did that mean?
Hal grasped his hair, finding it difficult to believe.
Sinestro stepped forward. "Earthling, state your purpose."
"That question should be mine to ask you. Don't forget, this is Earth, our country."
Sinestro fell silent. Perhaps out of guilt, or for another reason, he dropped his aggressive posture.
"We are tracking an extremely dangerous entity. It is on Earth and has likely possessed a human being. Should it find an opportunity, it will not hesitate to devour you—to devour the entire planet."
"I must warn you, it is incredibly dangerous. It is not something you can fight."
Luke asked curiously, "What is this dangerous entity you speak of?"
"The source of all terror, the materialized embodiment of yellow energy. It is called Parallax."
As expected!
Luke felt a stir inside but kept his expression neutral. He continued,
"How does this matter concern me?"
"Parallax has an infected host on Earth—Hector Hammond, the murderer in the mummified corpse case. As we were cornering Parallax and about to destroy it, Hector summoned it to Earth through a ritual, indirectly saving its life. According to the intelligence we received, the meteorite that appeared over Coast City is directly related to you. You were the last person to see Hector and the first Earthling to encounter Parallax."
"We had to find you!"
Sinestro's tone was extremely serious. Hal also stopped his musing and looked at Luke with a shocked expression.
Hector? The meteorite?
Could he be the mysterious hero of Coast City rumored online?
Luke was noncommittal. He said coolly, "So, you sought me out to get information on Parallax and check whether I've been infected?"
"Correct."
Luke spread his hands. "And now?"
Sinestro shook his head. "There are no Parallax energy signatures on you. You have not been possessed by it."
"Looks like I can safely leave, then."
Luke rose from the sofa and started walking out.
"Wait."
Sinestro's expression was unusually grave. "Earthling, I hope you understand this isn't a game. Parallax is the source of fear. It is greedy and powerful and will consume all sentient life it can. If it is allowed to grow stronger, Earth will turn into a dead world, like many others it has destroyed."
Luke stopped. After a moment's thought, he replied,
"Thank you for the warning, Mr. Sinestro. I'll give you a warning in return: this planet is not as simple as you think. If you have nothing else, go back immediately. You'll die if you stay here. As for that multi-limbed, segmented, yellow-skinned bug..." He paused, then shrugged under their shocked gazes.
"It no longer exists."
With that, he turned and left, leaving the two stunned men standing rooted to the spot.
"No longer exists?"
What does that mean?
Hal's voice was exaggeratedly loud. "Did he actually eliminate Parallax?"
That's the embodiment of the yellow emotional spectrum of Fear, one of the seven emotions—an immortal, indestructible entity. How is that possible?
Sinestro frowned, remaining silent. After a long time, he finally spoke.
"He's the Luke Shaw who took your Ring?"
Hal nodded bitterly. He and Luke were technically love rivals, but they'd barely interacted. Today was, effectively, their first real encounter.
"A terrifying first."
That was Hal's immediate feeling. No wonder the man could become the crime boss of Coast City at such a young age. No wonder Carol followed him so devotedly. The oppressive aura this guy radiated was overwhelming.
In his presence, Hal felt like prey wrapped in layers of spider silk, barely daring to breathe.
"He is a very dangerous individual. You need to be prepared."
Sinestro said only that one sentence, then said no more. He used his Lantern Ring to construct a medical pod, lay down, and began to recuperate.
As for the matter of Parallax, he would continue the investigation. Abandoning it based on a single Earthling's statement was not his style.
The Capitol Shakes
Meanwhile, the White House entered an unprecedented state of alert.
The Secret Service, the FBI, the CIA, Special Forces... every available resource was concentrated at the Presidential Residence, turning the Executive Mansion into a fortified military bunker.
Dick Cheney's kidnapping was a wake-up call for all high-ranking officials. If an alien could snatch the Vice President in broad daylight, it could certainly snatch anyone else.
That was the most terrifying thought!
Concerned for their personal safety, the White House power players, who had been locked in endless infighting, united for the first time, mobilizing their respective forces to ramp up security.
In the U.S.'s short history of over two centuries, a Vice President had never been kidnapped. This incident was too serious to cover up. Soon, the news of Vice President Dick Cheney's alien abduction spread, sparking a public outcry.
Major news portals unhesitatingly made the story their top headline of the year.
The internet exploded. Unsubstantiated speculation spread like an epidemic. Some speculated that aliens were planning an invasion. Others guessed the Vice President had been implanted with an alien bug. Still others claimed the entire event was a hoax orchestrated by the White House, and that no alien existed at all.
Passions flared, and the internet buzzed with activity. Many celebrities, singers, wealthy individuals, and socialites joined the frenzy. Traditional media resources were insufficient, so many chose to become users on ShowMe.
This incident caused ShowMe, whose user base had primarily consisted of young people and college students, to leap several levels, becoming an essential choice for the American public. ShowMe's market value soared, reaching $1.3 billion in just ten days.
It is worth remembering that only a few months prior, ShowMe was a small company with only two employees—but those are developments for another time.
Due to the incident, Dick Cheney's political career came to an end. He was detained in a secret facility, guarded around the clock. Even the dumbest people in the White House wouldn't dare allow a man who had "intimate contact" with an alien to hold high office. That wouldn't be confidence; it would be suicidal, like keeping a nuclear bomb in your home. Only a fool would do that.
With the Vice President finished, the network of power he had painstakingly built over decades instantly crumbled. The military, now lacking a spokesperson, began searching for new partners.
It was at this moment that Amanda Waller appeared, walking into the White House conference room under the title of Special Security Advisor.
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