"What's going on? Why is it blinking like that?" Carol asked in confusion, her eyes on Hal's glowing Green Lantern ring. Though she knew it was the source of Hal's powers, she couldn't fully grasp its mechanics. The flashing made her think someone was trying to contact him.
"It looks like I'm getting a message," Hal replied, realizing she was right. He focused on the ring, and an image projected in front of them, revealing Tomar-Re, the bird-like Green Lantern. He seemed visibly anxious.
"Hal, I have urgent news," Tomar-Re began hurriedly. "Sinestro didn't want me to tell you this, but I can't stand by and watch you walk into danger without knowing. You have a right to be informed."
"Our mission to eliminate Parallax failed," he continued. "Everyone was wiped out, except for Sinestro, who barely escaped. He and the Guardians are now turning to a forbidden power to combat Parallax. But… Parallax isn't heading to Oa anymore. It's heading straight for Earth!"
"What?! Parallax is coming to Earth?" Hal was stunned. He'd been surprised by the mission's failure but hearing that Parallax had turned its attention to Earth left him deeply unsettled.
"Wait a second! If Parallax is heading for Earth, aren't you guys going to step in? Or are you too scared after failing to defeat it before?" Hal challenged, glaring at Tomar-Re's hologram. "When you trained me, you said you wouldn't back down from fear. You claimed your willpower was ironclad…"
"That was before facing Parallax. We thought we could handle it," Tomar-Re admitted with a sigh. "But seeing so many Green Lanterns consumed by it, strengthening it with each death… that kind of loss shakes anyone's resolve."
"Fine," Hal retorted, "but what's the plan now? You mentioned some kind of forbidden power. Aren't you going to help Earth? Or did you only contact me to drop the news?" Hal's expression hardened as he connected the dots. "This wasn't the Corps' decision, was it? You reached out on your own, meaning the Corps has already abandoned Earth!"
Tomar-Re hesitated, then glanced around before lowering his voice. "Look, I overheard some discussions… With so many Lanterns dead, Parallax only grows stronger over time. The Corps won't act until Sinestro and the Guardians fully master this forbidden power. Sacrificing Earth to buy time isn't off the table. But I don't know if that power can be harnessed fast enough to outpace Parallax's growth."
"And there's another issue," he added quietly. "The forbidden power Sinestro and the Guardians are working on… it's somehow connected to Parallax's strength. I don't have all the details…"
"You're telling me Parallax might be the Corps' doing?" Hal snapped, piecing together the troubling implications. Could the Corps really be so reckless? He felt a surge of anger at their willingness to use Earth as a pawn. Saving the universe was one thing, but letting Earth suffer while the Corps hesitated seemed deeply unjust.
For the Corps, sacrificing Earth might be a strategic decision. But for Earth's inhabitants, such a decision felt cruel and unfair. Only Earth itself should have the right to make such a choice for the sake of the universe—not because of an interstellar corps like the Green Lanterns or a figure like Sinestro.
Tomar-Re looked at Hal apologetically, nodding. "It's possible. After all, the Guardians have lived long enough to make mistakes…"
Suddenly, he paused, his expression turning alarmed, and his image flickered and vanished.
"What happened? Did he get cut off?" Carol asked, breaking her silence.
Hal shook his head, concerned. "I don't know. Let's hope he's okay… I need to alert the Avengers. Carol, stay safe and avoid unnecessary risks for now."
"I will. Just be careful yourself," she replied softly. "The Avengers have handled many crises—maybe they'll have a plan for Parallax."
"I'll be cautious." With a final nod, Hal transformed into a streak of green light, quickly contacting JARVIS to activate a portal to the Avengers' base. There, he shared the troubling news about Parallax and the Green Lantern Corps' decision with Tony Stark and the others.
Back on Oa, Tomar-Re had ended the call abruptly because he sensed someone approaching. It was Kilowog, Hal's drill instructor.
"Sinestro wants us all to assemble," Kilowog informed him. "He's learning to wield the new power and plans to teach it to us soon." Kilowog hadn't noticed Tomar-Re's previous discussion with Hal but seemed just as dispirited as the rest of the Corps. Their morale had hit rock bottom following the devastating losses against Parallax.
The Green Lantern Corps had once believed themselves invincible. Now, after witnessing the deaths of their comrades, they were forced to question their own strength and identity. The forbidden power they were preparing to wield only deepened the disillusionment among its members. If Hal were to visit Oa now, he would find an entirely different Corps than the one that had trained him.
Meanwhile, back on Earth, in a secluded lab, Hector stood soaked in blood, his face twisted with madness. He looked like a demon risen from the depths, barely human anymore. Before him lay the mangled remains of his father, Hammond, whose body was nothing but a bloody pulp. Hammond's fate was one of unthinkable torture; Hector had finally exacted his revenge for being used as an experimental subject, subjecting Hammond to the same torment he had endured.
"Ahahaha…" Hector's laughter filled the room, but it quickly turned to screams of agony. "No…! It hurts…! AHH!" He clutched his head as a new wave of excruciating pain tore through him, even worse than what he'd felt during his mutation.
At that moment, Hector sensed an overwhelming presence invading his mind—a presence far beyond his comprehension, vast and terrifying. He instantly dropped to his knees, his delusions of godhood shattered. This entity was the true source of his powers.
"I sense a Green Lantern on your planet. Find him, kill him, and cast the world into fear. Prepare them for my arrival!" Parallax's voice thundered in Hector's mind. He wanted to comply, but he had no idea who this Green Lantern was or where to find him.
Seeming to sense Hector's confusion, Parallax continued, "I'll guide you. Go now! Kill him! Let fear consume the Earth…"
"M-Master, I have a question," Hector stammered, his voice trembling. "Why would killing a Green Lantern plunge Earth into fear?"
Parallax sounded mildly confused. "Hasn't the Green Lantern taken up the role of your planet's protector? Even if it's only been a few days, his death should unnerve many, no?"
As Parallax scanned Hector's mind, he was shocked by the chaotic history of Earth's battles. "The Avengers? Demons? The Spider-Man incident? The New York invasion? Dark events? What kind of world is this, so plagued by conflict?"
Even Parallax was taken aback by Earth's history of disasters. The more he saw, the more he realized that Earth was far from the average planet; it had survived countless catastrophes.
"So, it appears only the deaths of those Avengers could spread fear across this world," Parallax mused. Despite the intense history of superhuman events on Earth, he felt no hesitation. Earth's strongest heroes had never posed a cosmic-level threat.
Hector, however, wasn't so fearless. Facing the Avengers was daunting, even with Parallax backing him. Even at his peak, Hector had never dreamed of challenging the Avengers, and he wasn't eager to be a sacrificial pawn.
Sensing his fear, Parallax grew angry, amplifying Hector's pain to unbearable levels. Hector screamed in agony. "Please, Master! I'll go after the Avengers and the Green Lantern! Just stop… please!"
"Go!" Parallax's voice was cold but satisfied. "Such a delightful source of fear," Parallax mused as he withdrew from Hector's mind. "If Earth's inhabitants are all so richly filled with fear, it would be a paradise of sustenance…"
In the blood-soaked lab, Hector staggered to his feet, trembling. "I'll start with the Green Lantern," he muttered, hoping to avoid the Avengers if Parallax arrived in time to spare him from confronting them.
Back at Avengers HQ, Hal had briefed the team on Parallax and the Green Lantern Corps' intentions. The Avengers listened, their faces grim. The Corps' plan to sacrifice Earth to buy time only confirmed their distrust of the organization's ethics.
To the Avengers, the Green Lantern Corps' willingness to risk Earth for their own ends cast serious doubt on their claim to be true defenders of justice.
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