Sinestro's eyes nearly popped out of his skull when he saw the scene. He had hesitated for just a moment—just one—and Thea seized the chance. No longer caring about his battered mental state, he grabbed at the Yellow Ring with the resolve of a man walking to his execution. Thankfully, the Ring did not make things difficult for him again, allowing him to finally relax.
After a brief pause, Sinestro recited his Yellow Lantern oath:
In blackest day, in brightest night,
The wicked flee before my sight.
The fearful burn beneath my fire;
Fear my power—my empire.
He hesitated noticeably at the last line, but in the end didn't dare toss in anything like "Sinestro's Authority." Like Thea, he, too, now wore a black-and-yellow uniform.
He didn't pay attention to his outfit. Instead, like Thea, he reached into the void and pulled out a mass of yellow energy, loudly declaring:
"I hereby take up dual leadership of the Sinestro Corps. I, Thaal Sinestro, claim authority over the Central Yellow Power Battery and will forge new Yellow Rings."
Thea almost laughed. Thanks to her interference, the original Yellow Ring's power had been cut nearly in half. Sinestro's dream of branching off on his own had been chopped down before it even sprouted. Even if he still had ambition, he'd now have to expend far more effort to make any of it real.
Maybe he wouldn't rebel at all—maybe he'd work under the Green Lantern Corps his whole life.
Imagine Sinestro becoming Ion Lantern Sinestro…
Hmm. That didn't sound so bad, actually.
If Thea merely wanted to laugh, then the ancient blue little elders were nearly ready to howl with joy. Even with billions of years of acting experience, they struggled to hide their delight. They kept solemn faces as they watched Thea and Sinestro examine their new powers, but their telepathic chatter was utterly gleeful.
The Yellow Ring had turned into such a pitiful state—its primordial might split into two. Sinestro, rebel? Ha! He'd be working overtime instead!
The crisis of their star general defecting had been delayed indefinitely. None of them dared grin openly, fearing they'd provoke Sinestro—still their strongest fighter.
Thea finished reviewing her new abilities with a sigh. After the split, the first Yellow Ring was still stronger than any future ring of the same color, but many of its functions had inevitably been damaged.
Manifestation, shields, high-speed flight, and wormhole generation were all still available to both Rings.
However, the Yellow Lanterns' fear-amplification power had been tragically split in two. Originally, the Ring could locate a target's greatest fear and amplify it tenfold, a hundredfold—until the enemy lost all will to fight.
Now?
Thea's Ring gained the ability to identify a target's fear.
Sinestro's Ring gained the ability to amplify that fear.
Such a powerful skill… ruined by being torn in half.
Thea was slightly better off—she could see fear-sources like little movies and then use her own magic to create illusions.
Sinestro wasn't so lucky. He didn't know magic. He had no idea what people feared. He'd have to guess every single time.
Both of them were extremely unhappy.
Still, Sinestro received most of the Ring's main functions:
Twin-energy constructs, environmental replay, invisibility, light refraction, cellular regeneration, and energy absorption.
Thea, meanwhile, received:
Phase shifting, spatial warping, emergency teleportation—and one utterly unbelievable ability… Kryptonian charging.
What the hell?
The Yellow Ring had solar charging properties?
Thea examined it repeatedly but couldn't grasp the mechanism. She only knew the Green Ring could mimic kryptonite radiation wavelengths.
But the Yellow Ring—its direct opposite—could charge Kryptonians?
One harms, one heals.
Thea could feel the universe's deep, cosmic malice toward Kryptonians.
Overall, Sinestro had gained all the combat-focused abilities, while Thea's skills were… mostly escape techniques. She couldn't help feeling speechless—and could clearly sense the Ring mocking her on a psychological level.
If the Yellow Ring splitting had any benefit, it was this:
Against the Blue Lanterns—the natural counter to Yellow—going from "utterly crushed" to merely "heavily suppressed" counted as an improvement.
From Sinestro's expression, though, it was obvious he was not satisfied. Even with most of the abilities, the Ring hadn't given him the overwhelming power he expected. As his self-appointed "leader," he couldn't exert the slightest authority over Thea—especially since she held the Book of Parallax.
"Honored Guardians… what is this book?" Thea asked. After studying it, she found the cover displayed a few pictographs that translated themselves, but the pages were blank. Completely blank. What was the point of this thing?
The lead Guardian explained each word slowly:
"Parallax originates from the Source Wall, the boundary of the universe—the origin of all existence."
"Its true form is now unknowable. But Yellow power comes from the Anti-Matter Universe. You must have passed through it on your way to Oa. It cannot be understood with science, logic, or reason. It is the antithesis of all rational existence. The Yellow Central Battery draws from that realm."
He pointed at the yellow energy Sinestro was holding.
"As for the book—this is the Corps Roster. Every Yellow Lantern will inscribe their name upon it, follow the rules you two create, and receive rewards or punishments accordingly. There may be additional functions, but those will be for you to discover. It is similar to our Book of Oa, though its power source must be supplied by you."
Thea nodded.
So basically… a registry.
Sinestro recruited people; she recorded their names and managed logistics.
By old gang-structure logic, Sinestro was the "red pole" leading fighters, and she was the strategist—the white fan.
No matter. First things first—she would put her name down. As she thought this, she inscribed her name on the first page, first line—right under Sinestro's murderous glare.
"I am the leader! My name should go first!" Sinestro barked, furious, pointing at her so hard his finger trembled.
"Hmph. Don't pretend I didn't see you making a Yellow Power Battery earlier. Why didn't you give me one?" Thea scoffed.
Does he really think she didn't know Yellow Rings require regular recharging?
Please. She knew plenty.
Trying to control her with a lantern? Dream on.
Sinestro had no choice but to create another yellow lantern and hand it to her.
Thea tested it—yes, it charged her ring—then passed him the Book of Parallax.
With a resigned expression, Sinestro inscribed his own name on the second line.
The frustration on his face was indescribable.
But credit where it was due—the man truly had the temperament of a future overlord.
Even though he was livid, he still spoke calmly as he and Thea began drafting rules and regulations.
Sinestro, temporarily unable to break from the Green Lantern Corps, was well-traveled and experienced. Thea, running a multinational corporation, treated rule-making like child's play.
Together, the two quickly drafted a basic framework for their future Corps.