Reading settings
Chapter 511: When I Was Here, You Despised Me. Now That I'm Gone, You Need Me.
Tony looked at the Hal before him, his expression remaining calm, but a flicker of complexity flashed in his eyes.
He had sent Optimus Prime to Mars, intercepting the Green Lantern Ring and replacing Hal Jordan. As compensation, Tony had specially dispatched people to establish a private company, providing Hal with the best treatment and secretly assigning an Undying Warrior to protect him.
Unfortunately, in the face of a world-class disaster, none of that mattered.
Hal had also walked one of the darkest paths, becoming Parallax. His personality had drastically changed, and he was now a puppet controlled by the Parallax entity.
This yellow monster before them, with its deformed body and a grotesquely large, frightening mouth, was an incomplete version of Parallax. Once the Parallax entity itself possessed him, Hal's body would become even more twisted.
Tony beckoned with his hand. Cyborg Superman's body moved abruptly, then floated in front of Tony before crashing heavily to the ground.
"Hal, you want revenge. I'll give you the chance. Kill him, right in front of me," Tony said.
An omnipresent, terrifying force pressed down on him. Cyborg Superman felt as if even his thoughts were no longer his own, becoming muddled, with only a shred of instinctual will remaining.
He wanted to resist, but Tony's power, as vast and boundless as the cosmos, plunged him into utter despair.
Many people gathered around, watching Parallax warily.
Tony had scanned him several times with no results. He couldn't help but ask, "What exactly is that thing?"
"A new lifeform replaced by Fear, the natural enemy of the Green Lantern Corps," Tony said succinctly. "As for what the Green Lantern Corps is, just ask around in China. The very first Green Lantern in Earth's history was Chinese."
Tony wasn't lying. That ancestor was also, without a doubt, the Green Lantern who had died the most pathetic death in history.
The Guardians had sensed the darkness in that first Lantern's heart and secretly applied a "fear of wood" weakness to his Lantern Ring.
Then that Lantern returned to China to lord over the people, only to be beaten to death with wooden sticks by a group of farmers.
Beaten to death, just like that. It was truly damn tragic.
He was the most tragic Lantern since the founding of the Green Lantern Corps.
The Sabretooth currently in S.P.E.A.R. was someone who had managed to acquire a bit of Willpower Energy to use as a weapon.
"Jarvis, collect information on the Green Hat Legion. Create a dedicated file." Tony was taken aback, especially by the idea of a "corps."
A corps meant a large group of people. And this monster before him, which instilled fear in his heart, was the natural enemy of that so-called Green Lantern Corps.
Parallax gnashed its teeth. "Tony, let me leave, or I'll make you pay the price. I can feel the fear of everyone present. If I really wanted to, everyone here would be devoured by Fear."
"You can try." A hint of mockery flashed in Tony's eyes as he aggressively stepped forward, carrying Cyborg Superman and tossing him over like a piece of trash.
"You can take that gamble," Parallax growled in a low, wary voice. "Will I drive countless Earth civilians insane first, or will you kill me first! But I am immortal!"
It didn't ask how Tony knew about it. Perhaps the Green Lantern Corps had leaked the information? It didn't matter. Although its existence was a secret, quite a few people knew.
Any powerhouse capable of peering into the timeline could find it if they looked hard enough.
"Then let's make a bet." Tony pointed at Cyborg Superman on the ground, then at Parallax. "Just because no one has ever killed you doesn't mean I can't. And if I can't kill you, I can at least imprison you and torture you for countless years. Believe me, if you dare kill anyone else on Earth in front of me, I will make you my number one target. Even if you flee to other universes, I will drag you back and torment you relentlessly for countless years."
"I'll give you a choice. Kill Cyborg Superman, then come with me. If you don't, I'll kill him for you, but you'll still have to come with me."
"This isn't a request, it's a notification. I refuse to believe an incomplete version of Parallax like you can do anything in my presence."
Tony was dead serious. He kicked Cyborg Superman, sending him tumbling in front of Parallax.
Parallax's head swayed, slightly dazed. The moment Cyborg Superman's electronic eye met its eyes, Hal's will began to surge, fighting for control of the body.
Clark could finally no longer hold back. He had hesitated for a long time, his mind in turmoil.
"He's guilty, but he hasn't been put on trial yet! We can get more information out of him, and then according to the law..." Clark said.
"He was indirectly responsible for the deaths of seven million people. I hereby sentence him to death, to be carried out immediately. Do you have any other questions?"
Tony cut Clark off.
"No, you can't represent the law and the people."
"I don't represent those things. I only represent myself. Cyborg Superman must die. When I sentence him to death, he must die, just like Mongul moments ago, whose head I tore off," Tony said with immense gravity.
"Alright, pal, don't worry about such minor details. This alien criminal would be executed no matter where he was taken," Tony said, a headache coming on as he stepped in to mediate.
He was worried the two would start arguing and then come to blows.
Parallax seized the opportunity, erupting with a low roar. It staggered forward, striking a bizarre pose as if two wills were wrestling for control—one wanting to leap into the sky and escape, the other wanting to kill Cyborg Superman first.
Hal's will gained the upper hand. Hatred gave him strength. He charged toward Cyborg Superman, his hands reaching out with great difficulty, and then viciously bit down on the fractured neck.
A piercing shriek of metal rang out, and with a violent tear, Hal ripped Cyborg Superman's head clean off.
The red light in the electronic eyes slowly faded, then went dark.
With a loud stomp, Tony strode forward and crushed Cyborg Superman's head like a watermelon.
"He can only be killed by completely destroying his head. But I have to say, Hal, you've surprised me. I didn't think you actually had it in you."
Tony shrugged and offered his praise.
In truth, before the Justice League was formally established, Batman, Wonder Woman, and the others were all ruthless characters who were more than capable of killing.
Batman was a special case; he subjectively didn't want to kill, but when necessary, or when facing aliens, he was absolutely brutal.
This was especially true in various film universes, which depicted Batman's ruthlessness to the fullest. The Batman in *Batman v Superman* even killed wantonly just to get his hands on a piece of Kryptonite.
Diana hailed from Themyscira and saw herself as a protector of humanity; she had slain more interdimensional creatures than she could count.
But after the Justice League was founded, their mindsets became a bit problematic. Perhaps realizing their immense power could easily spiral out of control, they insisted on capturing enemies alive during battles.
The Avengers, however, still leaned towards killing when necessary and not holding back.
Tony's gaze swept over to Clark, who stood to the side, dejected and with a complicated expression. He felt a sense of helplessness.
He could almost see the impending showdown: Avengers vs. Justice League.
The tragic outcome might be even worse than the original Civil War, where Banner was killed by one of Hawkeye's arrows and Captain America was shot in the head.
"Now then, come with me, Parallax. I'll take you to a better place."
Pushing aside the irrelevant thoughts, Tony reached his hand out directly toward Parallax, on the verge of making contact.
No matter how Earth developed in the future, he would help if he could. But if it involved a civil war, Tony could do nothing to help. He was only human, not a saint, and certainly not a babysitter.
(end of chapter)
Tony looked at the Hal before him, his expression remaining calm, but a flicker of complexity flashed in his eyes.
He had sent Optimus Prime to Mars, intercepting the Green Lantern Ring and replacing Hal Jordan. As compensation, Tony had specially dispatched people to establish a private company, providing Hal with the best treatment and secretly assigning an Undying Warrior to protect him.
Unfortunately, in the face of a world-class disaster, none of that mattered.
Hal had also walked one of the darkest paths, becoming Parallax. His personality had drastically changed, and he was now a puppet controlled by the Parallax entity.
This yellow monster before them, with its deformed body and a grotesquely large, frightening mouth, was an incomplete version of Parallax. Once the Parallax entity itself possessed him, Hal's body would become even more twisted.
Tony beckoned with his hand. Cyborg Superman's body moved abruptly, then floated in front of Tony before crashing heavily to the ground.
"Hal, you want revenge. I'll give you the chance. Kill him, right in front of me," Tony said.
An omnipresent, terrifying force pressed down on him. Cyborg Superman felt as if even his thoughts were no longer his own, becoming muddled, with only a shred of instinctual will remaining.
He wanted to resist, but Tony's power, as vast and boundless as the cosmos, plunged him into utter despair.
Many people gathered around, watching Parallax warily.
Tony had scanned him several times with no results. He couldn't help but ask, "What exactly is that thing?"
"A new lifeform replaced by Fear, the natural enemy of the Green Lantern Corps," Tony said succinctly. "As for what the Green Lantern Corps is, just ask around in China. The very first Green Lantern in Earth's history was Chinese."
Tony wasn't lying. That ancestor was also, without a doubt, the Green Lantern who had died the most pathetic death in history.
The Guardians had sensed the darkness in that first Lantern's heart and secretly applied a "fear of wood" weakness to his Lantern Ring.
Then that Lantern returned to China to lord over the people, only to be beaten to death with wooden sticks by a group of farmers.
Beaten to death, just like that. It was truly damn tragic.
He was the most tragic Lantern since the founding of the Green Lantern Corps.
The Sabretooth currently in S.P.E.A.R. was someone who had managed to acquire a bit of Willpower Energy to use as a weapon.
"Jarvis, collect information on the Green Hat Legion. Create a dedicated file." Tony was taken aback, especially by the idea of a "corps."
A corps meant a large group of people. And this monster before him, which instilled fear in his heart, was the natural enemy of that so-called Green Lantern Corps.
Parallax gnashed its teeth. "Tony, let me leave, or I'll make you pay the price. I can feel the fear of everyone present. If I really wanted to, everyone here would be devoured by Fear."
"You can try." A hint of mockery flashed in Tony's eyes as he aggressively stepped forward, carrying Cyborg Superman and tossing him over like a piece of trash.
"You can take that gamble," Parallax growled in a low, wary voice. "Will I drive countless Earth civilians insane first, or will you kill me first! But I am immortal!"
It didn't ask how Tony knew about it. Perhaps the Green Lantern Corps had leaked the information? It didn't matter. Although its existence was a secret, quite a few people knew.
Any powerhouse capable of peering into the timeline could find it if they looked hard enough.
"Then let's make a bet." Tony pointed at Cyborg Superman on the ground, then at Parallax. "Just because no one has ever killed you doesn't mean I can't. And if I can't kill you, I can at least imprison you and torture you for countless years. Believe me, if you dare kill anyone else on Earth in front of me, I will make you my number one target. Even if you flee to other universes, I will drag you back and torment you relentlessly for countless years."
"I'll give you a choice. Kill Cyborg Superman, then come with me. If you don't, I'll kill him for you, but you'll still have to come with me."
"This isn't a request, it's a notification. I refuse to believe an incomplete version of Parallax like you can do anything in my presence."
Tony was dead serious. He kicked Cyborg Superman, sending him tumbling in front of Parallax.
Parallax's head swayed, slightly dazed. The moment Cyborg Superman's electronic eye met its eyes, Hal's will began to surge, fighting for control of the body.
Clark could finally no longer hold back. He had hesitated for a long time, his mind in turmoil.
"He's guilty, but he hasn't been put on trial yet! We can get more information out of him, and then according to the law..." Clark said.
"He was indirectly responsible for the deaths of seven million people. I hereby sentence him to death, to be carried out immediately. Do you have any other questions?"
Tony cut Clark off.
"No, you can't represent the law and the people."
"I don't represent those things. I only represent myself. Cyborg Superman must die. When I sentence him to death, he must die, just like Mongul moments ago, whose head I tore off," Tony said with immense gravity.
"Alright, pal, don't worry about such minor details. This alien criminal would be executed no matter where he was taken," Tony said, a headache coming on as he stepped in to mediate.
He was worried the two would start arguing and then come to blows.
Parallax seized the opportunity, erupting with a low roar. It staggered forward, striking a bizarre pose as if two wills were wrestling for control—one wanting to leap into the sky and escape, the other wanting to kill Cyborg Superman first.
Hal's will gained the upper hand. Hatred gave him strength. He charged toward Cyborg Superman, his hands reaching out with great difficulty, and then viciously bit down on the fractured neck.
A piercing shriek of metal rang out, and with a violent tear, Hal ripped Cyborg Superman's head clean off.
The red light in the electronic eyes slowly faded, then went dark.
With a loud stomp, Tony strode forward and crushed Cyborg Superman's head like a watermelon.
"He can only be killed by completely destroying his head. But I have to say, Hal, you've surprised me. I didn't think you actually had it in you."
Tony shrugged and offered his praise.
In truth, before the Justice League was formally established, Batman, Wonder Woman, and the others were all ruthless characters who were more than capable of killing.
Batman was a special case; he subjectively didn't want to kill, but when necessary, or when facing aliens, he was absolutely brutal.
This was especially true in various film universes, which depicted Batman's ruthlessness to the fullest. The Batman in *Batman v Superman* even killed wantonly just to get his hands on a piece of Kryptonite.
Diana hailed from Themyscira and saw herself as a protector of humanity; she had slain more interdimensional creatures than she could count.
But after the Justice League was founded, their mindsets became a bit problematic. Perhaps realizing their immense power could easily spiral out of control, they insisted on capturing enemies alive during battles.
The Avengers, however, still leaned towards killing when necessary and not holding back.
Tony's gaze swept over to Clark, who stood to the side, dejected and with a complicated expression. He felt a sense of helplessness.
He could almost see the impending showdown: Avengers vs. Justice League.
The tragic outcome might be even worse than the original Civil War, where Banner was killed by one of Hawkeye's arrows and Captain America was shot in the head.
"Now then, come with me, Parallax. I'll take you to a better place."
Pushing aside the irrelevant thoughts, Tony reached his hand out directly toward Parallax, on the verge of making contact.
No matter how Earth developed in the future, he would help if he could. But if it involved a civil war, Tony could do nothing to help. He was only human, not a saint, and certainly not a babysitter.
(end of chapter)
