Going Native: Feeling of Dread (ch. 52) (Patreon)

There weren’t words to describe the sight of a thousand Green Lanterns in once place. A handful were on Oa at any given time, most of which were recruits, but it was the first time Hal had seen so many of his comrades gathered in one place. Much less to fight a singular enemy. The Sinestro Corps wouldn’t be crushed, ripped out root and stem here, but the snake's head would be cut off. The body would thrash  around for a bit and then they could clean up the pieces left behind. 

“Feels like this is overkill,” Hal muttered as he sat down on an asteroid amongst a field of them. It was the perfect ambushing spot, and the perfect spot for a fleet to warp in to punch through the Thangarian defenses. A thousand Lanterns for this? 

“Do you honestly think that?” Kilowog asked from behind him as they both looked at the spot of empty space that would be filled with a portion of Prince Tarble’s fleet that carried their heavy hitters. A thousand Lanterns were arranged around that point, their rings fully charged and it was just a matter of waiting. But, as a military man, Hal was used to hurrying up and waiting. 

Hal considered that for a moment before he shook his head, “Knowing Sinestro? We probably should have brought more,” Hal admitted. Sinestro was just one of those kinds of people that would slip out of any net that threw at him. He had been one of the best before he proved himself to be a monstrous tyrant. And being a monstrous tyrant didn’t mean his skill and cunning were suddenly forfeit. “Especially since the restrictions haven’t been lifted.”

Kilowog made a noise of acknowledgment, “A restriction that Sinestro doesn’t have.” He reminded lightly, his voice was grim. Hal’s lips thinned at the reminder. It wasn't like he wanted to kill -- it was the exact opposite. If he never had to kill a single person in his life, Hal would count himself lucky. 

But Sinestro would. Those Saiyans would. And because they would, they had to front-load the entire Green Lantern force to deal with that handful of Sinestro Lanterns. Unlike normally, the enemy would be operating on the same tech level. They would have Power Rings. Despite outnumbering the enemy, Hal felt like they were at a disadvantage.

"Don't worry about it, Poozer," Kilowog smacked him on the back as they waited for the enemy to come. A thousand Green Lanterns against two hundred and fifty Yellow and a handful of Saiyans. "We take care of Sinestro, then the Frieza-force is a mop-up. Do you really think that the Guardians don't have an answer to that tiny demon?" He asked, speaking more to those around Hal than Hal himself. 

Hal put a smirk on his face, "Of course they do." He said, wondering when he had stopped being the rookie that looked up at everyone else and became a veteran that others looked to. And he did believe that. It was just an honest question of why the Guardians let things progress this far. But the newbies and rookies took his reassurance at face value. Or if they did have doubts, they hide then away. 

Taking in a deep breath, Hal let the smirk fall from his face. He would be fighting Sinestro again. A mentor and a friend. The battle to come… they were going to lose people. It was inevitable. But… Hal gritted his teeth as he clenched his hand into a fist, making a promise to himself. 

He promised that he would fight with his all so that everyone could go home-

>Warp detected< His ring announced, snapping Hal out of his thoughts as he aimed a ringed fist in the direction of the coordinates that had been leaked. Only there was nothing there. His confusion only lasted a brief moment before he saw a flash of yellow light and the asteroid that he stood on trembled. It was only his instincts that managed to save him -- a bubble formed, covering the lanterns in the vicinity and he felt pure power wash over his shield. 

It won't break. His shield wouldn't break. Hal wouldn't let it. 

"What was that?!" One of the Lanterns shouted as they reinforced his shield with their own willpower, allowing Hal to fly themselves clear of the attack. 

"That was an ambush," Kilowog said and Hal had to make sure that Kilowog wasn't in the shield with him. Three others were. Their rings fueled a few extra layers to the shield, protecting them as they sailed out of the blast. 

Hal realized what he meant, "We got played?! How-" Hal was forced to cut himself off as they finally left the blast that had nearly taken them out. The asteroid field was filled with specs of yellow as a battle had begun. Specs of yellow and green clashed but there were so many yellow specs. So many Yellow Lanterns. 

"This is Stel, acting commander of the regiment! Regroup on me -- do not be separated!" Stel announced as Hal took in the sight. It all clicked into place as they sailed through empty space. It was a brief moment of stunning clarity in the middle of pure chaos -- it only lasted for the briefest of seconds but it felt it lasted hours. 

They were completely outnumbered, so much so that Hal could tell with a glance. There were thousands of Yellow Lanterns. 

"How did this happen?!" Hal snapped, a yellow beam slamming into his shield, the others gasped at the source behind it. Hal felt the impact rattle his bones, and he knew at that moment who had fired at him. 

Looking at the source, Hal saw Sinestro lagging behind a child. Prince Tarble. The former's ring was aimed at him, while the Saiyan Prince floated forward. The two rings on his necklace drifting slightly in zero gravity. 

"Back on Rench, my ring activated and communicated with me," Prince Tarble responded. "So, I figured the ring was able to listen in on my conversations." That cold voice didn't belong to a child. "War with the Green Lanterns was inevitable -- it was clear that you were letting your enemies soften each other up before you went for the kill. So, I let you listen in for a couple of years." 

Prince Tarble glanced around at the chaos around them -- Stel was rallying the forces, and they had to regroup with them if they had any hope of surviving. Sinestro seemed to bask in their seeming defeat but said nothing. "I had something like this planned for years. The catch was bigger than I expected. I'm actually kind of sad that we have to share with your Corps, Sinestro." 

It was a trap. That much was obvious, but it was daunting just how badly they had been duped. But it would take more than something like that to make him cower. 

"You three," Hal muttered to those in his bubble shield. "When the shield drops, head straight for Stel." His attention was sharpened to a razor-sharp focus, the kind that he only experienced when he was in such deep shit that he couldn't see the sun. Because of it, he saw a green trail nearby that could only belong to Kilowog. 

But he needed to keep them talking to put everything in position, "So, it was all a trap? The battle plans, and everything?" 

Prince Tarble cocked his head, "You're ambush won't work. I'm here to fight you and Kilowog -- the others can join in if they want. Or they can regroup with Stel. Doesn't matter in the end." 

Shit. What a brat. "And why's that?" Hal questioned as Kilowog abandoned subtly and flew forward, another six Lanterns with him. 

"Because you're all going to die here," Prince Tarble stated, speaking the words as if they were fact. It was impossible to see his face because of the mask and his visor, but as he spoke the words, his hair shifted. A green aura covered his body, and he seemed to grow an inch taller while his hands curled into fists.

"We'll see about that!" Hal shouted, having heard that phrase so many times before. The shield dropped as he surged forward, the other Lanterns following in his wake. He wasn't surprised -- if they were the kind to run in this situation then they wouldn't have earned the ring in the first place. 

Prince Tarble darted forward, moving in a blur, and in a split second, he was in Hal's face. Behind the blood-red visor, Hal saw glowing yellow eyes -- the yellow Power Ring or the Wrath State? 

"Yeah, we will," Tarble agreed before a fist met his face. 

…

"Sinestro, you're on herding duty," I reminded as the battle began. Stel, Hal Jordan, Kilowog, and a few others were identified as cornerstones -- those that the Green Lanterns would rally around. Separating them from the herd would drastically reduce their strength. 

It was simple -- Sinestro was the bait to lead the Lanterns around by their nose because they would do whatever they could to take him out. Even at the cost of their lives and to ensure those that died didn't die for nothing. My team and I were ensuring that the cornerstones of the Green Lantern Corps remained separate before taking them out. 

"As you say," Sinestro agreed, forming a shield around himself as he flew off. "Hal, Kilowog. It was nice to see you again, at least," He said, offering one last taunt before he flew off. Hal Jordan, who was sent flying from my punch, surged forward. He seemed unharmed -- Green Lanterns were durable. It seemed like it took more than just pure strength to break through their defensive auras. I had to will it to break. 

"Sinestro!" Hal shouted as Kilowog moved in. There were a handful of other Lanterns, lucky ones to survive the opening blasts. More than a few hadn't been so fortunate. With Hal Jordan distracted by the fleeing Sinestro, enraged by his taunts, I flew past him. My hands curled into fists as I met eyes with a nameless Green Lantern that I didn't know nor recognize. 

This time, when my fist met their face, I willed the barrier to break. My fist cleaved through the weaker alien's head, meeting almost no resistance once the barrier broke. A half-formed construction behind me. The others reacted well -- the two converged on me while Hal turned around to face me. He hesitated for the briefest of seconds, and if it wasn't for a half dozen energy blasts from Kilowog's group, I would have taken another Lantern. 

Strafing away, I grit my teeth as a comically large green boxing glove raced towards me. I slammed a fist against it, but unlike with Sinestro's constructs, it didn't shatter. 

"Hm," I hummed as the pain from the Wrath State surged while I instead sent the glove flying to the side. A benefit of my larger body -- the Wrath State stage fifteen was available to me. It still felt like my body was a hundred times too small for the power within, but it was better than the hundred and one times too small that I was. "Is it because yours are stronger or because of the lack of weakness to will?" 

Hal's expression was a furious mask, but it was controlled. He was angry, but he kept himself in check. The two groups linked up, their rings pointed at me. 

"That ring on your neck," Kilowog spoke, "I heard you were worthy of it." 

"I am. I'd just refuse to use a borrowed power," I answered. I clenched my hands, feeling my knuckles flash with pain. I felt like Broly in that cave all those years ago -- I had gotten too used to things breaking when I hit them. "Though, it has come in handy." It was obvious what I had referred to and one of the Lanterns went forward, only to be stopped when Kilowog pulled them back.

The Lantern glared, countless similar battles being waged all around us. Unlike normal battle, I wasn't overwhelmed with hundreds of thousands of presences, meaning that I could pick out when one vanished. And, what's more, they were just as aware of their comrades dying as well. "He's trying to taunt you, Poozer." 

"And you're stalling," I returned, floating in empty space. For what? Ah. That's how it was. Instead of crossing the distance to disrupt their plans, I hovered where I was, idly tracking the battles around us. Both with my ki sense and my scouter. 

Hal spoke, "You don't deserve that ring," he decided. "You're spitting all over what it means!" 

"I could say the same for all of you," I returned evenly, feeling Tora, Shugesh, and Fasha clash against Stel and his group nearby. A hand went to my necklace, pinching the green ring that was now clamped with an item that would prevent the Guardians from listening in. An item I had received from Virl -- that guy really did know too much. 

I clenched my jaw, "As far as I'm concerned, Kaylark was the only one that was worthy to wear a Green Power Ring. She was the only one to stand up for the oaths that you all took. The rest of you are just trash dragging the Lantern Corps name through the mud." I wish I wasn't wearing a mask or my visor. "And the Guardians killed her." 

Kilowog looked oddly sympathetic, "It wasn't for a lack of effort on our part." 

That much was true, "I know. That's why you're all here -- everyone on probation in the Green Lantern Corps. Honestly, I feel bad for you all. No matter how you look at this, it’s just the Guardians cleaning house." They bristled, and I shrugged uncaringly, "Not that it matters. You said the words -- be the shield that defends the universe and blah blah blah. If you meant them, then you wouldn't have let being punished stop you." 

"And what were we supposed to do," Hal bit out. I could see them making preparations. And knowing who they were made it all too easy to see what they were about to do. 

"You don't need a ring to uphold the oath you made," I answered shortly. If they were serious about interfering in the war, about putting an end to it, then getting grounded by the Guardians shouldn't have been enough to stop them. It wouldn't have been enough to stop me. "You just wanted one. You weren't willing to sacrifice being a Green Lantern for the lives you swore to protect. Kaylark only interfered when we invaded her home planet, but at least she did something."

Ki gathered in my hands, "So, I deem you all unworthy of those rings. The same for those that didn't even try. And the Guardians of the Universe unworthy of that title." They took on a job that was just too big for them. They gave it their best shot, and they did what they could, but the fact of the matter was that countless billions, trillions even, were dead because of their inaction. 

Hal trembled, his ring glowing in response, "And you are?" 

"No. But I never said I was a hero," I answered, my tone flat. And that was the cue for the Green Lanterns to move. Kilowog and Hal surged towards me, constructs forming -- a minigun for Hal when a deep green wall meant to block my vision protected the remaining other Lanterns. As I was forced to move, dodging hundreds of green bullets made of pure will, I felt their presences grow further away, heading in the direction of Stel. 

Predictable. 

I ignored the retreating Lanterns, glad for their absence because it meant that I could focus on my two desired opponents. Ki gathered in my hands as I tracked the barrel’s path as Hal attempted to drive me in the opposite direction. "Darts," I called out, the ki breaking up into several beams of light. The funneled into the minigun's barrels and a small explosion rang out. 

So, ki was effective as well. That was good to know. Though, regardless, the two Green Lanterns wasted no time to press the attack. Their rings flashed, constructs forming while their faces were grim masks of determination. 

"You didn't attack the fleeing poozers," Kilowog noted, a sizable fist flying my way sent by Hal, while Kilowog formed a net -- one to pin me down and another to attack and keep me distracted. They fell into their roles seamlessly as they attacked, and it was clear that they had a great deal of experience working together. 

"No point," I responded, cupping my hands together as I formed a Spiral Buster at my side. "I'm only here for you two. They were just filler," I told them, sending the ki attack at the net. It shifted, becoming a wall, but I willed the ki blast through. The wall cracked visibly before it shifted, becoming an angled plane at the point of the blast to send the attack flying away from them. Kilowog was a quick thinker. 

Hal closed in, a buzzsaw forming as he lunged it at me. I looked down at him for a moment, the saw arcing towards my torso -- I had plenty of time to move, but I gained more when Hal's blade hesitated. I asked underneath my breath before I lazily flipped out of the way, kicking the construct up, before I blasted forward. Hal had enough time to regret his hesitation before I planted a fist in his stomach hard enough that he folded like paper. But the protective aura didn't break. 

"Don't hesitate," I scolded him, twisting and kicking him in the face hard enough that he was sent flying. As soon as he was clear, a beam of green light raced towards me. Making a split-second decision, I reached out and grasped the light, feeling it solidify under my hands. It pushed me back, away from the two, but in the depths of space, we had nothing if not plenty of room. 

Clenching a fist, I formed a fist and slammed it into the beam of light. It cracked under my fist, but it wasn't until the second hit that it broke. The will construct faded from view, the two lanterns some distance from me. I spared a glance at my knuckles to see that they were bleeding. Behind my mask, a smile tugged at the corners of my lips -- this was fun. More fun than I thought it would be. 

Hal glared at me as both of them closed in, coming to a decision. If they tied me up here, then I wasn't killing other Green Lanterns. "I'm here for a decent fight. If you keep flubbing it because I look like a kid, then I'll turn my attention elsewhere," I warned, rushing forward to meet them. I spun out of the way of a light blast while Kilowog sent some kind of obelisk at me -- ki coated my hands, sharpening into blades that I conceded as much as I could.

Slamming their razor-sharp edges against the construct, I sliced through it. It felt like I was cutting through concrete, and it was only pure strength that let me force the blades through. The cuts were anything but clean, but I cut through them. Hal reacted by sending another giant boxing glove at me, and I lashed out with a foot. The glove fractured under the blow, not quite breaking but it might as well have. Was his will shaken or something? 

That was disappointing. I expected better. 

"What a cocky brat," Hal spat at me, speaking to his partner but the fact I could hear him speak in the void of space told me that the words were meant for me. "Save your threats. What's next, you're going to raise my planet to the ground?" 

I let out a small laugh, "Why would I destroy something that's mine?" I asked, flying up as I resharpened my blunted ki blades. The whites of Hal's mask narrowed as he formed a wall between us while Kilowog formed some kind of ray gun. My blades slashed into the wall, cutting through it with greater ease. His will was weakening further or was I just getting stronger? 

My blades raced towards Hal's neck, only for him to save himself by throwing up an arm. It was covered in green layered construct armor, which caught the blade to save his life. A ray rushed towards me, forcing me to shift my other ki blade into a shield to absorb the ray beam. The ki shield cracked almost instantly, but that half-second was enough for me to continue my slash -- the construct faltered, allowing me to cut through flesh and bone with ease. 

Hal screamed, his arm cut off just above where the white of his gloves marked. Though, he managed to save his own life by retreating, cupping a hand over the bleeding stump. Kilowog covered him, attacking recklessly to allow me to retreat. The severed limb floated in space, but it, unfortunately, lacked an identifying ring on it. 

"Hal! Are-?" Kilowog shouted, clearly concerned as Hal capped off the stump with a construct. 

The human glared at me as his chest heaved, "I'm fine. I have another arm to work with," he decided, his eyes narrowing into slits as he glared at me. "What do you mean that you own Earth?" He demanded, standing tall despite the loss of a limb. I guess he wouldn't be Green Lantern material if he let the loss of an arm stop him. 

His question confirmed my suspicions. I had owned Earth for over a decade at this point and Earth itself belonged to the Trade Organization for millennia. Yet there was a Green Lantern stationed there. The Guardians were infringing on Trade Organization territory and Lord Frieza allowed them to do so because he previously lacked his own Lantern Corps. 

"I guess that's another thing that the Guardians have been hiding from you. I am the legal owner of Earth. I chose it as my reward after instigating the Trade Organization-Reach war around twelve years ago," I told him and because of the mask that only covered his eyes and cheekbones, I saw the expression in his face. 

Complete and utter betrayal because he believed me. The Guardians had shown their hand too many times -- the probation, this slaughter of a battle, now keeping a secret like that? Whatever trust Hal Jordan had in the Guardians was likely gone. But that was inconsequential. 

Because he was dying here. 

"Quit dwelling on it," I told the Green Lanterns. "It doesn't matter at the moment who owns what or who betrayed who. Right now, you're trying to defeat me and I'm trying to kill all of you." As I spoke, I flew forward, getting ready for another bout. Hal's expression was pained while Kilowog's was grim. 

Both of their rings glowed with an ominous light that stood out in the darkness of space -- they were ready for me. As much as they could be, at least. But Hal's resolve was shaken and I swallowed words that I knew would strengthen it. 

As much as I wanted a great fight, I was a general first before all else. 

And telling them that I was a diversion would be just the thing that they needed to pick themselves back up. 

…

Shayera looked down at the cup she had been drinking out of and saw her own tired expression staring back at her. The bags under her eyes, while her eyes themselves were dull from a potent concoction of depression, alcohol, and exhaustion. Then she knocked back the rest of the bitter red liquid in one go before slamming the mug down on the counter. 

The bar she was in was more of a club -- dance floors, Thangarian style music, a fighting ring with other cages around it with various nude aliens dancing within. This had been one of her favorite spots to come back to after a long deployment. A place to cut loose and just have mindless fun. 

Now the music grated on her ears, the alcohol tasted like shit, and the company she used to party with just got on her nerves. 

"Don't you think that's enough?" The drink provider questioned, giving her a pitying look. Shayera swallowed her first instinct of throwing the cup at him. Then her second of telling him off. Then her third of demanding another drink and for him to shut up. 

"...Yeah," Shayera agreed, pushing the cup forward as she went with her fourth reaction. She wasn't drunk enough to act on base impulses and considering how she swayed being an angry or depressed drunk as of late, it was better to quit while she was ahead. "Put it on my tab," she said, waving over her shoulder as she left the club. She was a regular for years, but in the past half-decade and became a much more frequent regular. 

Stepping out of the thriving club, Shayera let out a sigh as she stretched her wings out a bit. Of its own free will, her gaze drifted to the palace of the Thanagarian Empire. Hours earlier, hundreds of Green Lanterns had landed before taking off with a considerable army. Her fingers ached for the touch of her weapon -- a spiked Nth metal mace, but it's presence was nowhere to be found. Over half a decade without its weight on her hip never got easier to manage. 

Her gaze shifted to the sky above -- the view of the stars was thoroughly ruined by light pollution, but more so because of the defense platforms constructed around the capital of the empire. Her drunken mind amused the thought of going with the army, fighting in glorious battle, and finally putting an end to the uncountable evils that the Trade Organization and Reach committed. But that hopeful fantasy was swept by bitter reality, forcing her to look back down the road and start walking home. 

Her wings had been clipped. 

As she made her way home, Shayera's mind wandered to half-forgotten memories. The moment that her entire life had been turned on its head. 

Years ago, the Frieza-force had attacked her and her husband. Both of them had been stationed on Earth with the goal of convincing the Earth populace that they were better off under the Thanagarian Empire. Her and her husband, Katar, had been heroes in addition to policemen. And the Frieza-force had used that as an excuse to attack them. Using the defeated Frieza-force ships as an excuse, Frieza began a long campaign to humiliate the Thanagarian Empire. 

Shayera and her husband had just been following orders, orders given to them by the government. But the government needed scapegoats. No, not scapegoats. They had needed to bury all evidence of wrongdoing to save face because they had been attempting an underhanded act of theft. 

So, she and her husband were stripped of their badges and booted off the force. 

They were given a generous pension and a significant monthly stripped because they were unable to work. At all. Once they had been some of the best in the force but because the Empire wanted to bury their existence, Shayera was unable to so much as get a job as a street sweeper. Or a dishwasher. She couldn't even become a hooker or a stripper. 

So, she used the government's generous fund to get drunk. Because there was absolutely nothing else she could do since she also wasn't allowed to leave the planet. 

"It would have been better if they shot us down," Shayera muttered darkly. Death in combat would have been a kinder fate than slowly wasting away, completely aimless in life because any direction she could go was sealed off from her. The governing body of the Empire had tried to be kind in recognition of their service and the fact that they weren't at fault, but instead, they inflicted a cruel and slow death upon her. 

The life of fighting crime and if service to the empire was gone. Stolen from her- 

Another sigh escaped her, "When did I become a bitter bitch? I haven't even hit my forties yet." She was barely in her thirties. Shayera looked back up at the sky as she walked, knowing that her husband would be sprawled out on the couch. As hard as being dismissed from the force hit her, it had hit him twice as hard. 

Katar had tried to find a way around the issue of being blacklisted. He had attempted to use the scrutiny he was under to shine a light on several issues. That had ended… poorly. But defeat after bitter defeat had chipped away at him until he spent most days watching tv when he wasn't sleeping. 

A flash of light marked the sky as she looked up, her eyes drawn to the defensive platform that stood before the moon. Because of that, Shayera saw that the defensive platform was blasted apart in orbit. Her jaw dropped, the alcohol and rust clogging up her mind as she could only stare up in confusion what was going on as the defense platform drifted apart before streaks of light poured down.

They were being invaded. 

Thangar, the capital of the Thanagarian Empire, was being invaded. 

"This is Queen Teach of the Frieza-force," a woman's voice announced, hijacking into the intercom system that reached every inch of the planet. "You assholes tried to invade the empire of my son, Prince Tarble and now you're going to suffer for it. Don't bother surrendering, begging for mercy, or trying to make deals for your worthless lives. None will be spared. Fight your hardest to entertain me and my darling little girl, and your corpses will become food." The woman's voice was cold with icy fury. 

"Because that's what you are now. Entertainment and food. Make up for your previous transgressions by becoming the best entertainment and meals that you can be," Queen Teach continued and old instincts began to kick in. "If some hero wants to make a desperate charge at me, then I'll be at the palace. I'll see you there." 

Shayera slowly turned around, the entire planet holding its breath as Queen Teach’ss speech sunk in, and she looked up at the palace just in time to see a massive explosion light it up. But not before more explosions fell upon the capital city. 

War had come to Thangar. 

Shayera realized she should be more careful with what she wished for.