The Lanterns
Area 51 - Nevada
It had been a week since the incident. Hal sat in his Quarantine booth after having been exposed to the crafts exotic energies. At least they had given him a TV to watch while in here. Watching the Stark Expo only served to make his blood boil. Rhodes and Danvers he had worked with before, different squadrons and little more than a "Hi how are you" handshake at a few of the big officers hullabaloo's but he had heard they were good people. But Jordan... Jordan was a different story. A hotdogging womanizer with no moral scruples, disobeying orders, pushing crates far beyond their safety limits in order to impress the girls, buzzing the control towers, Hal had done all of those things himself but here he was locked up in Alien Central, while there was a Major, getting a promotion and now a chief test pilot of Stark's new Mutant-Buster battlesuits. Now, Hal didn't really have a problem with Mutants, mostly he just saw them as anyone else armed on the streets of America. Some who are gonna shoot up a school, some who are just gonna carry it around their entire lives without using it. But it was still a lucrative job and there he was. Some prissy ivy-leaguer who's daddy probably bought his position. He couldn't help but flip the TV the bird. But as he did so, he looked down at the ring on his finger. Shortly after he had gotten here, the ring seemed to have run out of juice and he hadn't been able to do anything with it. The boys in the lab tried to take it away from him for study, but the moment anyone took their eyes off of it, i was back on his finger. It seemed to phase through reality itself or teleport or something, but it just kept ending up back with him.
Getting up from the bunk, he had choices galore. Read that magazine for the 17th time, watch one of the other 3 channels, or maybe have his 3rd shower of the day. It was just as he was about to take his shirt off for that 3rd shower that there was a knock at the door.
"Come in." He replied. At that point, the door opened and a guard walked in.
"Captain Jordan, your quarantine is officially over and you are being summoned by the chief." He said, saluting him. Jordan saluted back before following him.
"Honestly, i'd have accepted a summary execution before staying in there longer." He groaned, finally being allowed to walk around and stretch his legs. He was lead to an office several floors up.
"So, which Chief is it?" He asked, before being shown into the room. Inside of the room was a comfortable sitting lounge with leather sofa's and everything. There were a couple of guards, some guys with weird symbols on their jackets, the Alien in yellow he had rescued, and on a monitor was THE chief. As in, the Commander-In-Chief. Hal immediately stood to attention and saluted
"Mr President.""At ease, son." The president replied, Hal took the opportunity to sit down.
"Well, gentlemen, we're in a dally of a pickle here so i've had the call in the best of the best of the few as possible. God knows can't let this stuff get out. You've signed your NDA's, right Captain?" The president asked looking at Hal. Hal nodded in response.
"Good man. This is Agent May of our Strategic Homeland Intelligence Evaluation and Logistics Division." He motioned over to the woman sat on another sofa in the jacket. Yeah, now Hal recognized that logo. Usually a couple of those guys hanging around the base just before he went on sorties with mutants involved.
"Our visitor has a heck of a tale to tell. Want to fill Captain Jordan in on this?" He asked. The alien in yellow nodded, before getting up.
"Hal Jordan of Earth, my name is Thaal Sinestro of Korugar. I have come to your planet because of a grave threat not only to you but to the entire universe." He said.
"I will first thank you for my rescue as well as the kind hospitality your government has chosen to show me." His ring started to glow as a hologram of a
immense being weilding a hammer appeared "Ronan the Executioner. Formerly one of the chief enforcers of the Kree Empire, ever since their war with the Thanagarians ended in a truce, he has since gone rogue. Deeming any and all of the universe to be unworthy of remaining alongside the Kree. His government has officially denounced his actions, but they have also done very little to try and stop him.""Oh, that ol' chestnut..." Hal shook his head.
"Ronan is exceptionally strong and determined. He has been searching for the power to wipe out some of the other alien races of the galaxy. That is what lead him to the Lantern Rings... He tricked us. A trap that isolated us and destroyed us. But i was able to get all 5 of the other rings before he could get his hands on them." Sinestro pointed to the ring on Hals finger.
"In total, there are 7 Lantern Rings of Power. Each dedicated to a different emotion, each powerful enough to destroy a planet or banish evil from the galaxy, depending on who's hands they are in. I weild the Gold Ring, it represents the ability to instill great fear in those who would serve evil. You, Hal Jordan have been chosen by the green ring. It represents Will. Pure, unadulterated will, to do what is necessary in the universe.""I feel honoured... Did it choose me because of Abin-" But before Hal could respond, Sinestro interrupted.
"Abin Sur died a hero, defending what he knew was right. One of the greatest souls this universe has ever known. You, Hal Jordan, are now in charge of keeping his legacy alive." Sinestro and Hal stared at each other intently, both trying to get in the others head, but it was Sinestro who decided to move on.
"The other rings are Blue that represents hope. Red that represents righteous rage. Star Sapphire that represents love. Indigo that represents compassion and Orange that represents the insatiable avarice for justice. I, however, have no idea what happened to the rings, i can only assume they were scattered in the crash." He sighed, but Hal piped up at this point.
"Wait, i remember seeing them. When Abin died, he said something about he can't be allowed to use them. He said something and then there were 5 lights that shot off in different directions. Blue, Orange, Pink, Red and Purple." He said, Sinestro stared at Hal for a second, silently.
"Clearly in his final moments, Abin felt the need to scatter the rings in case we were followed by Ronan or one of his men." Sinestro sighed.
"A wise precaution. If what you say about these rings are true, then we are very lucky that it was you and Abin that had them in your possession." The president replied.
"So, Mr Sinestro, how do we plan to gather these rings? And how would we choose who wields them?""That, Mr President, is both an easy and difficult answer. The rings are currently searching for those who may use them. They will seek out those best suited to their use, who feel the strongest of their set emotions. Red will seek out a champion of Anger, Indigo a champion of compassion, etc. And in the meantime, i suspect Ronan is on his way, if not right now, then as soon as he has picked up our ships trail. But we must be cautious with the rings. In their tempremental phase like this, they may grab ahold of anyone feeling strong enough emotion and drain them to continue their search.""That sounds incredibly dangerous, we have to warn the public." Hal stated.
"It sounds a lot worse than it is. They will transform people into some sort of Pseudo champion. Force them to feel their emotion at their absolute zenith, then drain that energy from them and leave. The victim in this scenario will be left rather weak, but nothing a few days of bedrest won't cure. There is little foreseeable chance of actual fatalities.""But what if it's someone who's already rather weak from disease or something. Or heaven forbid, the opposite. What if it grabs one of those hyper-powerful mutants and makes them go on a rampage. There's a few mutants out there who're probably angry enough that if the Red ring grabs them, they could kill people." Hal reiterated.
"We are quickly approaching rampant speculation." The president stated.
"Mr Sinestro, please do answer Captain Jordans question though." Sinestro looked at the computer screen, then to Hal, then back to the President.
"I don't know... But if they are as powerful and as angry as you say, then it may be entirely possible.""That's a worrying answer, Mr Sinestro, but i appreciate your honesty." The President sat and thought for a second.
"But this is why Agent May is here. Captain Jordan, I am hereby officially giving you an effective immediate leave of abscence from your duties in the United States Airforce while you focus on personal matters. I am then unofficially giving you orders to accompany Agent May and Mr Sinestro to S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters in New York City where you will coordinate efforts to hunt down these power rings and recruit anyone who these rings choose." Hal put his hand up and the President stopped to allow the question.
"What's the official story on the plane going down?" Hal asked.
"Technical fault with the plane itself, don't worry, this won't effect your military record." The President replied.
"Is there any way we might be able to say that there was no test flight? Just sweep the whole thing under the rug?" He asked.
"I just don't think it's too fair for Ferris Aircraft to take the blame for this. Also, they are a fairly large manufacturer of our military jets, we can't afford to shake public trust at the moment, can we?" Hal said, putting his best foot forward, also hoping to save Carol and her family some face. The president thought for a second, before relenting.
"Alright, Captain, have it your way. But remember we are walking on eggshells here. If this is done quickly and quietly enough that Ronan doesn't discover the rings were ever here, then we can discuss moving them to whichever planet Mr Sinestro would like. If not... Well, we'll make decisions as they come. In the meantime, i am going to quietly kick some extra military funding for Stark Enterprises Mobile Battle Suits. If these rings are as dangerous as you say and can truly choose anyone to go on a rampage, then we may need some extra precautions on our streets. Good hunting gentlemen" The president saluted to the room with Agent May and Hal saluting back, Sinestro looked around and awkwardly copied the hand manoeuvre before the president signed off. Agent May turned.
"Gentlemen, if you would please follow me, we have a plane waiting. Your possessions have already been packed." She said, before looking Sinestro up and down.
"We may need a disguise for you.""Why?" Hal asked.
"All i see is a minor skin mutation on an otherwise regular human being." He smiled. Sinestro stared at Hal for a second, before his ring glowed and in an instant, Sinestro seemed to change to look like a regular human.
"Alright, we'll sort you out with ID in flight. As well as brand new NDA's." She replied, before starting to walk, followed by the 2 Lanterns.
"Trust me, i've seen enough freaky stuff that's getting me sent to the nut house if it ever comes out. I ain't telling nobody nothing."
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