(Hal POV)
This was the second time the Power Ring took control of me. I don't like it, but forcing my will right now will lead to nothing. I have already decided: I will create my own power ring in the future. This ring can't take nearly my full power and will break if I come close to 900 WP. And for the things I have planned, I don't want limits. It would defeat the purpose of having limitless willpower if you can't use it.
[Hal Jordan. Green Lantern of Space Sector 2814. Sinestro. Green Lantern of Space Sector 1417.]
[You have betrayed our territorial edict.]
The rings said as we were being brought to Oa.
"What now?" I ask.
"It's the Guardians. They want a word with us."
"I see."
We are brought to a room with a group of small blue men sitting in a half-circle. The Guardians of the Universe.
"Sinestro. What do you have to say for yourself?" one of the Guardians asks.
"Do us both a favour, Jordan, and let me do the talking.", Sinestro says to me.
"You are well aware of the limits we have put on the congregation of our officers off the planet Oa."
"This is the second time you have disobeyed us. And again with the Green Lantern of Sector 2814."
"Albeit it is a different one. This is not Abin Sur."
"Sinestro, explain yourself," the Guardians say.
"I was simply assisting this officer in locating and arresting the killer who ended the life of Abin Sur. Atrocitus of the Five Inversions. And before you so arrogantly ripped me away from that backwards ball of dirt, I had him in custody.", Sinestro says.
"We are well aware.", one of them says, and the door opens, revealing a fully imprisoned Atrocitus.
"Atrocitus was tethered to your ring. This terrorist will be returned to Ysmault, where he will continue his sentence - an eternity of imprisonment."
"However, this arrest does not excuse you from breaking our territorial edict, Sinestro. Green Lanterns must only operate in their respective Sectors. They must patrol independently. They must fly on their own-" they explain, and I interrupt their hubris.
"Why?" I ask.
"..."
"Working independently will make you stronger, Hal Jordan of Earth.", one of them says.
"You will learn that the enemies of Order will stop at nothing to spread chaos.", another says.
"Do not question the Guardians."
"... Why?" I ask again.
"We have lived for billions of years. What we do, we do for the well-being of the entire universe."
"Is that so? Was that why you created the Manhunters?" I ask them.
"Jordan-" Sinestro wants to stop me, but I continue. They have to listen to this.
"The androids that did our job before they glitched out and slaughtered every living being in an entire sector, except for five people."
"More fables to instil fear among you.", a Guardian says.
"Stop with the excuses. I am certain that it is true. There is something going on that you aren't telling the Corps, and it has everything to do with yellow ... it has everything to do with fear. Your fear, to be precise."
""""You dare accuse the Guardians of feeling fear?!"""" they all say at the same time and begin to glow green.
The power they are using is significant but in front of me ...
"Jordan. Don't push it too far-", Sinestro tells me, but I don't care.
"I'm not impressed by their light show, Sinestro.", I say. My ring glows green, and I project my will on the situation. I will for the light they are projecting to dim and become less and less. This is insane, as I am basically forcing my will on their powers and making them use less of it. But I also use my will to calm them down so that no fight breaks out here. Not because I'm afraid of them but because my current ring can't handle all of my will right now.
"I'm not afraid. It is them who are afraid of us. That much is obvious.", I say.
"That's absurd.", Sinestro says. He doesn't understand what just happened.
"Truly? Our rings don't work on yellow, but no one can explain why. The buildings of Oa, the citadel of the Guardians, all just happen to be yellow. They created the Manhunters before us. Their intent might have been noble, but the result was not. The Manhunters had a glitch and went on a genocide.
So the Guardians changed their way and decided to trust the emotional spectrum of will, the colour green. However, as a safety measure and because they are afraid, we'll turn on them and the Universe, just as the robots did, taking safety measures.
You expect us to overcome our fears while you want to prevent them from happening. That territorial edict is stupid, and you know it." I finish my rant.
.
"Enough. Your accusations and disrespect cause us great concern. You are on the verge of expulsion, Hal Jordan of Earth.", one of the Guardians says.
"Guardians. If you expel Jordan, you can have my ring as well. Oh, help me, the Earthman is right. We can be stronger together. The Corps should work in unison when necessary. And it should be up to us to not only help our fellow officers grow but to keep them in check.
To ensure that the tragedy that happened in Sector Triple 6 never happens again. All of this started because one of you sent me to assist Abin Sur's replacement.", Sinestro says.
"One of us?"
"The one who calls himself Ganthet."
"Ganthet?"
"We take no names?"
"One of you has."
"Which one?"
"I believe we have heard much to consider, Sinestro. For now, we leave the Earthman with his ring. And obviously, you with yours."
"Yes, but he is as much your responsibility as Korugar and the rest of Sector 1417."
"We trust that is acceptable, Sinestro ... greatest of the Green Lanterns."
.
.
(3rd Person POV)
"I must go. I do not have time for games right now. The Guardians have bothered me with the task of returning Atrocitus to Ysmault.", Sinestro says.
"Sinestro.", I say and fly towards it.
"If you're going to say anything, Jordan, say 'I won't make you regret this.'"
"I wanted to say thank you for having my back in there. The old Guardians need to change their ways. Otherwise, we won't be able to do our jobs well. So thank you."
"That is all I need to hear, because, unfortunately, a 'goodbye' is not appropriate.", Sinestro says. "We will reconvene in one month so that I may evaluate your progress. But next time ... you're coming to my world."
.
Hal made his way back to Earth. He might talk to Carol later on. She now knew about him being Green Lantern, after all. She deserved some of the truth after all.
"Ferris is letting you fly?" Tom asks Hal.
"It's not like she had much of a choice, Tom"
"I guess not. But being the only pilot-"
"For now."
"As the only pilot, you'll be logging a considerable amount of flight time."
"That's what I fear, yes."
"I still don't get why you aren't happy about that."
"I will do some studying, and for that, I will need time, which is time that the flying will take away. But it doesn't matter. I am smart enough to do both simultaneously.", Hal says.
And that is correct. Thanks to the Essence Hal gained, he now has a beyond genius-level intelligence with perfect recall and memorisation. He will be able to learn things incredibly fast by reading or hearing them once. That is why he has no problem with the current arrangement.
"Speaking of. Which one am I taking up today?" Hal asks Tom.
"That one over there.", Tom says and points at the plane.
"This ... this is that hunk of junk. This is the plane my dad flew me in. But-"
"I'm good, huh? Only took me three weeks."
"It's amazing, Tom."
"It seemed like she meant a lot to you. I told Miss Ferris, and she said I could fix it up."
"Carol did?"
"When every other pilot left, I needed something to keep you here." Carol's voice is heard as she walks towards the two.
"But it's Miss Ferris, Jordan. Not 'Carol. ' What are you staring at?" she asks.
"Hopefully, the girl I'm having dinner with tonight.", Hal says.
"Oh, Jordan. Everyone knows - I don't date employees."
"I guess I should have quit after all."
"Get in the air."
"Right away, Miss Ferris."
.
- Edwards Air Force Base -
- Hangar 44 -
'I have a girlfriend too. Do you hear me?' Edward thinks telepathically. He was imprisoned in a small box in the hangar since he was deemed too dangerous.
'Hello? Anyone? Do you hear me? You can't leave me in here. This is a terribly empty place! A vile place!'
'I'm not like that alien ship! I'm not here to be poked and prodded! Don't listen to the Green Lantern!
He is amazing, though; the life he lives is so thrilling. The leaps and the flights and the women ... the women.
I want to be a part of that excitement. Oh, it'll be wonderful when I am there again! Yes, oh, yes! I'm feeling better already.'
.
- Planet: Ysmault -
Sinestro has delivered Atrocitus to his prison and has nailed him to a wooden pillar.
"By order of the Guardians, I return you to your prison, Atrocitus. You are to serve out your sentence for your crimes.", Sinestro says.
"NNAAAA!"
"Farewell. Felon.", Sinestro says and turns around.
"We witnessed the fate of Abin Sur, Sinestro!" Atrocitus says in his dark voice. He is still having trouble talking because of the beating he got from Hal in his hulked-out form.
"We can see another!"
"Your tales will not frighten me, Quill. I can look out for myself.", said Sinestro, another one of the five survivors of Sector Triple 6.
"Quill is not speaking of you, Sinestro. I see it now too.", another one says.
"Korugar.", Atrocitus says with a menacing voice, "Your homeworld will soon descend into civil unrest. Violent riots, a bloody coup. Your people will plunge into madness as you save worlds that are not your own. Chaos will spin it out of your control"
"You think me a fool, Atrocitus? Korugar will never embrace chaos. Not as long as I am around to instil order.", Sinestro says and rises into the air. While he leaves, he speaks the last words.
"I feel no fear, Demons. No fear of any kind."
"Then one day, you will feel my rage, Green Lantern, and you will burn by it. As will your friend.", Atrocitus says
.
- Earth -
Hal lands in front of Carol's house and knocks.
*Knock Knock*
"Hal? What are you doing here?" she asks him.
"Where is he, Carol?" Hal asks her.
"Who?"
"Your Father. I know that he's here. Please lead me to him."
"I don't know-"
"Please. You're not alone, Carol. Let me help you.", Hal says, and Carol nods. She leads him up the stairs and shows him her father lying in a medical bed.
"He's sick. Your father was his best friend. And after the crash ... it tore him up inside. Over the years, the guilt took its toll.
Ferris Air was already in trouble last year when he got too sick to get out of bed."
"So you stopped flying? Did you start running Ferris Air? And you let everyone think your Father was doing it all through you?"
"I didn't know what else to do. That company, after mom and your Father... It's all he had left.
"Not all he has left, Carol..."
.
Hal and Carol talked for a long time. But not about him being Green Lantern. He was a friend to her at that moment, and through the talk, Carol Ferris was able to lift some of the burdens off her shoulders. A closer bond was formed between the two. One that would bring great changes to Carol in the future.
A rather ... sapphire future.
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I'm not sure about the female lead yet. Tell me what you think.