Sinestro was naturally the one to receive them.
"Welcome to Oa," he said.
He was familiar enough with Thea, so his attention focused mainly on Diana.
Heroic, imposing, and radiating an awe-inspiring presence—Diana stood there like a drawn blade: sharp, cold, and filled with lethal intent.
Sinestro stared, momentarily stunned. No ring. No tech. No emotional amplification. And yet this woman's battle instinct was practically spilling out of her.
Were Earthlings always this terrifying?
They hadn't even exchanged blows, but his instincts told him he might not actually win against this black-haired woman.
Watching the usually arrogant Sinestro get stunned by Diana amused Thea secretly. From her dimensional ring, she took out Abin Sur's body—placed inside a crystal coffin she had acquired from some random planet along the way. From the outside, the effect was quite decent.
Sinestro gently brushed his hand across the coffin. For his old comrade who had fought beside him for so many years, he still held deep respect. He nodded gratefully and led the two toward the Green Lantern Corps memorial grounds.
News of Abin Sur's burial quickly spread, and many Lanterns came to mourn. In a corps that fought across the universe, having one's remains retrieved and properly buried was an incredible luxury. Many thanked Thea for bringing him home.
"How's the training going? And why did you say you don't want to return to Earth anymore?" Thea asked Hal Jordan when she spotted him. He had been training on Oa and would be heading back to his sector in a few days, but Hal answered listlessly that he didn't want to return.
In the original timeline, Hal had strutted back to Earth convinced he was a big-shot superhero.
But with Thea's involvement, heroes kept popping up like mushrooms, and his contributions didn't seem all that impressive anymore. In his eyes, Earth was ridiculously safe. Better not go back and make trouble.
He sheepishly explained a few things to Thea and had just been about to leave when Sinestro returned. His eyes still carried a trace of grief. Though his relationship with Thea wasn't exactly friendly, it had softened considerably from their earlier hostility.
"You didn't come just to return the body, did you? What else is there?"
Sinestro had come to understand her a little. Unlike Hal Jordan, who was basically a simple child, this woman never did anything without benefit.
He wasn't wrong. Thea had, at first, only planned to build good relations with the Green Lantern Corps. But after running into Boston Brand a few days earlier, she had slightly adjusted her intentions.
"Well, a few days ago I found someone very interesting. I think he's a perfect fit for the Yellow Lantern Corps."
"It wouldn't be the woman next to you, right?" Sinestro glanced sideways at Diana.
A woman this strong without a ring absolutely could not be allowed into the Corps—who would lead whom? He quickly tried to think of an excuse to reject her.
Thea shut that down immediately.
"No. She's my lover, and she has nothing to do with any Corps."
Hearing it wasn't Diana, Sinestro quietly exhaled and relaxed.
"So, he's an Earthling?"
"Uh…" Thea thought about it before answering. "He was an Earthling. Whether that still counts, I'm not sure."
Was an Earthling? Sinestro glanced at his ring's translator again—no translation error.
"What do you mean? Where is this person? Can I see him?"
Thea scratched her head.
"He's already here. You just can't see him."
"I can't see him!?"
Sinestro had encountered invisible enemies during years of campaigning with the Corps. But no matter how he looked around now, he didn't see anyone—though he did sense a cold, eerie presence lingering on his right side.
"Here, right?"
He pointed to where his senses led him. Thea confirmed it. Sinestro was shocked. An invisibility ability this strong… the potential destruction it could cause was enormous.
Half a month ago, because Diana couldn't get used to alien food, Thea had returned to Earth to buy supplies and tie up loose ends in Star City. Right before leaving, she received an email from a "dead man."
After examining him, she discovered a fragment of her own spiritual power embedded within his soul—likely a leftover effect from her fear magic. It resembled the "master-recognition" trope from novels. One thought from her could erase him completely.
So the idea of turning him into a subordinate had naturally arisen.
Since he wanted purpose, she suggested he become a superhero. And if he wanted a body others could see—well, how about this yellow power ring? With it, he could manifest a physical form!
One sales pitch later—sounding like a TV infomercial offering a deal for "only 998!"—she gave Boston Brand the codename Deadman and unceremoniously shoved him into her dimensional ring to bring him to Oa.
Sinestro wasn't divine or magical, yet he sensed Deadman purely through mental strength. Even Thea had to admire that.
"So? Impressive, isn't he? Let him serve the Yellow Lantern Corps," Thea said openly.
This… Sinestro hesitated.
To be honest, Deadman's ability was extremely powerful. If Thea hadn't introduced him, Sinestro would have agreed on the spot.
But he had no real excuse to refuse. Wasting such talent would be a crime. His ambitions soon overrode his reservations.
"Fine. I agree. Come with me to my quarters—I've picked up a new subordinate recently. I'll introduce you."
They flew toward Sinestro's residence.
"Someone's here?"
Hal Jordan, who had been planning to leave, followed behind. No matter how he squinted, he couldn't sense anyone. A chill crept up his spine. He leaned toward Thea, curiosity getting the better of him.
"Yes. His name is Boston Brand. He died during an aerial acrobatics performance a few months ago. Now he's in a state somewhere between life and death."
Hal's jaw dropped. His earlier confusion didn't vanish—it multiplied.
Earth had things like this?
His worldview had already shattered several times since becoming a Lantern. Now it seemed he hadn't shattered enough. More cracks were incoming.
Hal fell silent—shock had stunned even his usually talkative mouth.
Without him to fill the air, the group grew quiet as they walked.
Soon, Thea met Sinestro's new subordinate.
"I am Lisa Draka. No one understands fear better than I do."
A blue-skinned woman wearing only a few strips of fabric introduced herself proudly.