Chapter 583: Sinestro's Value
A Tense Standoff
Oa's technology far surpassed Earth's, and monitoring equipment quickly located the six heroes on the remote island.
A streak of green light flew at incredible speed, leaving a long, fiery trail in the air. As it reached the South Pacific, Clark was the first to react.
"Someone's coming."
Linda and Barry, who were eating, quickly put down their food. Diana and J'onn also flew into the sky.
The green light arrived rapidly. One moment it was on the distant horizon, the next it was right in front of them: a crystalline alien spaceship marked with the green Lantern insignia.
"Is that a Green Lantern Corps ship? Why are they here?"
Linda was confused. "Didn't they say communications were cut?"
The ship's hatch opened, and over four hundred Green Lantern warriors filed out, separating in all directions to form a siege. At the same time, a green energy barrier instantly appeared, completely isolating the island and the surrounding sea from top to bottom.
Seeing this, everyone's expression changed instantly.
Barry asked nervously, "What are they doing? Are they trying to take it by force?" He glanced behind him. The Boss was in the middle of sealing Parallax and couldn't move.
"I'll go protect Luke. The rest of you be careful. These guys mean business."
Linda returned to the island and stood guard next to the formation.
Clark clenched his fist. Diana drew her Sword of Hephaestus. J'onn also wore a serious expression. They had initially held positive feelings for the Corps, but after learning they had lied, that goodwill turned to suspicion. The case of Sinestro—a former Corps Leader who destroyed dozens of civilizations and massacred billions of intelligent beings—suggested that the Green Lantern Corps might not be the peaceful organization they claimed to be.
The Negotiating Chip
Sensing the shift in atmosphere, Hal's heart sank. He yelled out,
"What are you doing, Kilowog? We agreed to discuss this first!"
Kilowog shook his head.
"I'm not targeting them. Everything I'm doing is to prevent Parallax from escaping."
He scanned the group and then focused on the island. When he saw the shimmering area in the center, he frowned.
"What is that?"
Due to the formation, he couldn't see what was happening inside, but he felt an instinctive sense of unease.
Clark stepped forward, addressing the burly, Orc-like Kilowog.
"Are you their leader?"
"More accurately, the acting Corps Commander."
Kilowog gave a brief salute. "Greetings, heroes from Earth. Thank you for assisting the Green Lantern Corps."
Clark shook his head. "Earth is our home. Protecting our home is our duty. If anyone should be grateful, it should be us thanking you."
This statement greatly increased Kilowowg's goodwill. Barry and Diana, however, were speechless. If Luke were present, he would have delivered a harsh warning, not expressed gratitude.
Linda shouted loudly, "Stop wasting time, Clark! Ask them what they want. Either fight or leave!"
"Have you forgotten Luke's instruction? No strangers near the island, and absolutely no distractions. It's too dangerous!"
Sealing Parallax was an arduous task that required absolute concentration, which was why Luke had them guarding the area.
Clark instantly cleared his head, discarding any extraneous thoughts, and spoke clearly,
"Friends from the Green Lantern Corps, please leave this area. If you need to talk, we can do so outside the barrier."
Kilowog glanced at Clark, then returned his focus to the island. The more he looked, the more uneasy he felt. Suddenly, a flicker of fear rose in his heart. Others felt it, too; the source was the golden light emanating from the center of the island.
A Green Lantern warrior pointed a sensor at the island. Upon seeing the result, his expression shifted slightly.
Kilowog whispered, "Is it here?"
The Lantern nodded.
"No mistake. It is Parallax's energy signature. The energy is very weak. It appears to be contained by some powerful force."
Kilowog's expression remained neutral, but a huge wave surged in his mind. Based on Hal's intelligence, he deduced that the other half of Parallax's body was sealed on Earth. Could the one sealing it be that Earthling named Luke Shaw?
A small, low-level civilization possessing the power to seal Parallax?
He had to discard his initial assumptions and reassess the entire situation.
Diana raised her sword, pointing it forward.
"Last chance. Are you leaving or not?"
The cold voice carried a chilling killing intent that made the air grow heavy.
Kilowog thought for a moment, then slowly raised his arm. Seeing his gesture, the Green Lantern warriors retreated, stopping several kilometers away.
They did not completely leave; judging by their formation, they were clearly observing something.
Barry urgently said, "This can't last! The Boss is tied up; they'll figure it out eventually."
Clark also frowned.
"Should we tell them the truth?"
"Unwise. If they knew Luke's situation, they might get other ideas. Parallax has always been imprisoned on Oa, and that's their goal here."
"Then what do we do?"
Barry frustratingly ran his hand through his hair. "Why now, of all times? This is a huge headache."
Linda said coldly, "We should take them out now to avoid trouble later."
These were empty words; such an action was impossible.
J'onn, however, had an idea.
"Perhaps we can bring Sinestro here."
Diana's eyes lit up. "The Green Lantern Corps profoundly hates Sinestro. Using him as a bargaining chip might buy us enough time for Luke to complete the sealing."
"Linda, what do you think?"
The girl glanced at the island and could only nod reluctantly.
The Price of the Captured Tyrant
Soon after, the Conquest flew in from a distance and hovered over the island. Linda returned to the ship and brought out the bound Sinestro.
The atmosphere visibly changed with his appearance.
The expressions of the Green Lantern Corps warriors were a complicated mix: anger, hatred, sorrow, pity... various emotions were intertwined. Even from thousands of meters away, one could sense their complex feelings.
Sinestro was their once-proud Corps Leader who had chosen to betray them, aligning himself with their greatest enemy, Parallax. He had devoured dozens of civilizations, slaughtered billions of innocent lives, and single-handedly breached Oa's defenses, leading to the deaths of hundreds of their comrades.
Remembering everything that had happened, how could they not be moved by a deep sense of sorrow and betrayal?
Kilowog flew closer, staring motionlessly at Sinestro. After a long silence, he finally spoke.
"Is he dead?"
"No. He is merely unconscious."
Kilowog took a deep breath. "Can you hand him over to us? There are things I need to discuss with him."
Diana shook her head. "We paid a huge price to capture him. We cannot simply hand him over."
"What do you want?"
"Negotiation."
Diana said gravely, "Undeniably, the Green Lantern Corps contributed to the defeat of Parallax, but we were the ones who decided the outcome. Parallax and Sinestro are our captives. If you wish to take them, you must negotiate."
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