Chapter 191: Did You Have to Ask?
A few minutes later, in Hal's apartment.
"Sorry, it's a bit of a mess," Hal said as he entered. "I just got back to Earth not long ago and haven't had a chance to clean up."
Orin Vale politely kept quiet, but thought to himself that 'a bit of a mess' was quite an understatement.
Piled-up food scraps by the door filled the entire room with the smell of yesterday's takeout. The worn-out sofa was covered in stains and even had cracks. Piles of miscellaneous items like plates, clothes, and books were stacked in the corner, as if everything was simply tossed aside after use.
The air was thick with the smell of a bachelor pad.
Hal seemed a bit embarrassed too. He coughed, then put on his Power Ring. With a thought, green energy instantly materialized several cleaning robots out of thin air. Each held a broom, mop, and dustpan, with the iconic symbol of the Green Lantern Corps printed on their chests.
He waved his hand, and this small Green Lantern cleaning squad immediately split up and got to work.
Orin Vale glanced at the black carpet beneath their feet and couldn't help but chuckle. "A black carpet is a great idea. It doesn't show the dirt."
The black carpet was the only thing in the entire room that looked halfway decent.
Who would have thought that upon hearing this, Hal's expression would stiffen again.
"Actually, I remember the carpet was supposed to be blue."
Orin Vale: "..."
The two fell into an awkward silence for a few seconds before wordlessly agreeing to drop the subject.
"Coffee? Beer?"
Hal asked as he sat down on the sofa, simultaneously giving his Power Ring a casual wave.
A pair of hands materialized out of thin air in front of the fridge, pulled open the door, and took out a can of beer and a box of coffee beans.
"No, thank you," Orin Vale said, glancing at the cleaning robots busy at work and the two hovering hands that had closed the fridge and were now starting to brew coffee for Hal. He mused that this Power Ring was actually quite convenient.
"By the way, how did you find me?" Hal looked at Orin Vale strangely. "How did you know I'm a Green Lantern? I was wearing a mask."
"No offense, but your 'mask' only covers your cheekbones," Orin Vale smiled.
In a certain Green Lantern movie that Warner Bros. itself isn't keen on mentioning, the heroine, Carol, roasted Hal, "I've even seen you naked. You think I wouldn't recognize you just because you covered your cheekbones?"
However, Hal was one of those superheroes who wasn't overly concerned with a secret identity. He was the type who would disguise himself if it was convenient, but wouldn't bother otherwise. In his mind, there was no problem that couldn't be solved by punching it. If there was, he'd just use a bigger fist.
"Alright, let's get back to business... I've recently been catching up on a lot of things that happened while I was off-Earth," Hal said. "So, while I was gone, Earth got a Superman, and... an Ultraman. That's you, right?"
"It's strange. Why isn't your race in the Guardians' database..."
"The Guardians' database doesn't have the Manhunters in it either," Orin Vale said. "And I'm sure that's not the only thing they're hiding."
"Yeah, I'm starting to have my doubts," Hal said, resting his chin on his hand. "I asked about the Manhunters, but the Guardians reprimanded me on the spot and told me to stay away from the case."
"So naturally, I told them that was impossible. These mechanical things showed up in my sector, on my planet... I've long felt that those little blue guys were unreliable. But unbelievably, no one in the Green Lantern Corps finds it strange. Everyone thinks it's natural to obey their orders."
"There are many things the Guardians don't tell us, so they just don't ask. I tried to ask questions, and they threatened to take away my Power Ring and strip me of my position..."
"The Green Lanterns are soldiers; obedience is their duty. Of course they never ask," Orin Vale shrugged.
While it's true that, in essence, the duty of the Guardians and the Green Lantern Corps is to maintain peace and defend justice in the universe, it's the version of justice the Guardians want. At the end of the day, the Green Lanterns are just working for the Guardians.
"But my Power Ring found a unique signal used by the Manhunters. I suspect it might be for their internal communications."
Hal crossed his legs, sipping the coffee his Power Ring had just brewed for him.
"When I got back, I had the ring simulate that signal and broadcast it. I could get a response any second now..."
"Signal response," his Power Ring flashed.
"Ha, what did I tell you?" Hal's eyes lit up. "Power Ring, mark the coordinates."
The Power Ring quickly displayed the specific location as instructed. It wasn't far, somewhere in near-Earth orbit. Someone had responded to his call with the same signal.
"Good. If the Guardians won't talk, I'll find out for myself. Let's see what's behind these Manhunters, pulling the strings..."
As he spoke, a flash of light enveloped him. The glow of his Power Ring spread over his body, materializing the classic Green Lantern uniform that wrapped around him.
At the same time, Orin Vale's bracelet activated. Armor materialized out of thin air and quickly assembled itself over his body.
Hal chuckled. "Cool."
Ten minutes later, the two of them had flown out of the atmosphere and arrived at the location indicated by the coordinates.
A spaceship.
A silver spaceship with a streamlined design. The scan results indicated it was some kind of scout ship, showing traces of Oan technology.
Hal used his Power Ring to release cutting energy, like a green laser knife, carving a circular opening in the ship's exterior. The two flew inside one after the other.
The atmosphere was gloomy, with no light source. The green light from the Power Ring shone in through the opening, barely illuminating a small area near the entrance.
There was no sign of life, not even air, like a long-lost haunted house. Mirror-like instruments hung on the walls, but they were shattered. The green light of the Power Ring reflected off countless mirrored surfaces, and the shadows cast by the cracks were chilling.
"No signs of life," his Power Ring reported.
"Then continue scanning—"
Before Hal could finish his sentence, Orin Vale suddenly shot out a hand, grabbing his arm and yanking him back.
In almost the same instant, a red-hot energy beam shot out from the darkness, grazing past Hal's protective force field.
The spaceship's wall was pierced by the beam, and green energy fragments flew in all directions from the point of impact on the force field. A searing pain shot through him. Hal stumbled, gritting his teeth as he looked toward the ambusher.
Then, a pair of eerie red glows lit up.
A dark red, curved torso, smooth and with the texture of alien technology. Silver-cased limbs, sturdily and precisely designed. Its eyes flashed with a demonic red glow, and its human-like facial features were mechanical and cold, without a single flicker of expression.
A Manhunter.
"Is that the best you've got?" Hal glowed with green light. "That's it? This is a Manhunter?"
However, the words had barely left his mouth when more and more red glows lit up in the darkness, surrounding the two of them from all sides.
Orin Vale glanced sideways at Hal. "You just had to ask, didn't you?"
(end of chapter)