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Chapter 513 Taking Hal Away
Hal suddenly fell silent.
His torn, bloodstained face was stiff and silent.
Tony said calmly, "Hal, I've done what I could. When I learned Earth was being invaded, I rushed back immediately. You can't expect me to do more. Likewise, I don't owe you anything. On the contrary, you owe me."
Tony looked at the young man who had suddenly become demoralized and numb, and said lightly, "Many people have died. I've also lost many relatives and friends. That's why I've always treated my enemies with cruel methods, just like you did just now. You killed the Cyborg Superman. Well done."
Suddenly, Hal raised his head, as if a thought had struck him, flashing through his mind like a bolt of lightning.
"I want power, I want to have more power! That thing of fear, you took it!" Hal said excitedly, his wrist hanging limply. "You know what I want. If I had that kind of power, I could change everything!"
"That's nothing. I can give you more. As long as you come with me, I will help you resurrect Carol. She's the person you care about most, isn't she? Your father died in a plane crash, your mother died of illness in her bed. All you have left is your childhood sweetheart, Carol."
Tony extended the invitation.
Hal Jordan should have been the greatest Lantern, and also the Lantern with the most immeasurable potential. He had been Parallax, a Green Lantern, and a Blue Lantern.
Hal had the potential to obtain Cybertronian citizenship.
And with Carol being a suitable candidate for a Violet Lantern ring, Tony wasn't losing out in the slightest.
Carol's body had been preserved. Tony had discovered it early on. Although it was incomplete, that was nothing. Tony had mastered many methods of restoring life.
Hal's eyes widened. Then, he nodded heavily. "As long as you can resurrect her, I'm willing to pay any price. As long as..."
He muttered to himself like a madman.
Clark opened his mouth, but Tony glared at him. Clark hesitated for a moment and didn't try to stop him. He simply didn't know what to say.
Everyone knew that for Hal, who harbored immense resentment and could be corrupted at any moment in his pursuit of power, being taken away by Tony was actually the better option.
At least Tony could firmly suppress Hal and guide him in the direction Tony wanted him to go.
From this point on, the Green Lantern Corps' greatest Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, completely vanished. All that remained was a new resident of Cybertron.
A massive portal opened, golden sparks flickering endlessly, incomparably beautiful.
"I know what you all want to say, but I won't resurrect anyone else." Tony glanced at the people who looked like they wanted to speak but were holding back. "If I resurrect them today, and another crisis occurs tomorrow, more people will demand I resurrect even more people. If I can't do it, I'll just have to endure more abuse."
Tony beckoned, pulling the heavily injured Hal, who was barely breathing, over and tossing him into the portal. Before leaving, he said to Tony Stark, Clark, and the others, "I was once a Guardian. I have fulfilled my duties and obligations. No one can demand more from me. I don't owe Earth anything, but the people of Earth owe me."
As soon as his voice fell, Tony vanished into the portal, taking the massive Warworld from outer space and a certain corpse from the ruins with him.
In the ruins of Coast City, Tony Stark and the others stood, suddenly feeling a sense of listlessness.
"I have a feeling you all just did something stupid." Tony Stark was the first to lash out. "I was always against him leaving, but he's not the type to listen to reason. Even if leaving Earth was his dream, you all know perfectly well how much of this was pushed by those guys behind the scenes."
Clark was silent. He picked up the Cyborg Superman and flew back to Metropolis without a second glance. His mind was in turmoil; he felt that something was clearly wrong, but he didn't know how to fix it.
Another crisis had ended. Seven million casualties and the complete destruction of a major city.
Soon, the news spread across the entire Earth, and more and more people joined in the heated debate.
"Tony clearly had the ability to save some of those civilians, so why didn't he? I have reason to be suspicious of his intentions."
A pundit questioned on a television show.
"Shut up, Tony doesn't owe Coast City anything. He has no obligation to do that," someone retorted.
"Isn't he a superhero? Isn't he a Guardian of Earth?"
"Well, is he your mom? He's not! So you shut up! Besides your mom, no one has that obligation!"
...
Tony had grown weary of the messes on Earth and decided to stop thinking about them.
This time, it was Dormammu who had taken the initiative to inform him. Upon hearing the news that Cyborg Superman and Mongul had teamed up, Tony immediately rushed back to Earth, only to find he was a step too late.
"Dormammu, you will operate on Cybertron from now on. You are not to return to the Dark Dimension without my permission," Tony commanded. After speaking, he directly pulled Dormammu out and casually tossed him somewhere on Cybertron.
Tony returned with Warworld and immediately placed it in orbit, converting it into a third satellite.
As for the slaves inside, Tony had already killed them all long ago.
The entirely metal planet of Cybertron had a shifting, dark color palette. Transformers, numerous enough to make one's skin crawl, were engaged in frantic construction. Every moment, a vast number of metal structures were being built.
Its unique purple plants were being cultivated everywhere. Genetic scientists had even developed more varieties of Vibranium plants, which were beginning to be spread over large areas on Cybertron.
They also initiated a research and development plan for Adamantium plants, though it would be some time before they had a finished product.
"This is the main planet of Cybertron, and there are two companion satellites. You can travel between them as you wish and live wherever you want." Tony pointed to one of the two moons in the sky, its bright moonlight draping the land in a silvery veil. "That one is the mutant planet called 'New World'. They are all from Earth, so you can live there. If there's anything you don't understand, just ask the intelligent life form, Ultron. He is everywhere."
"As for your lover, go to the Academy of Sciences in a week to pick her up. The scientists have already begun the process of reviving her."
Hal stared in shock at this planet of engineering. The entire metal planet was undergoing massive construction. One superstructure after another, each starting at a kilometer high, rose from the ground, stacking upwards at a speed visible to the naked eye.
The Transformers, as dense as a colony of ants, were building infrastructure at a speed that would put humans to shame.
Their massive bodies, in front of one jaw-dropping structure after another, truly did seem as small as ants.
"Hal, I see your potential, but I don't want you to be consumed by hatred. A moderate amount of hatred can drive you forward, but if you make hatred your entire life, it will only turn you into a complete monster."
Tony patted Hal's shoulder. "Don't disappoint me. I'll be assigning you a mission soon, one that is most suited for you."
(end of chapter)
Hal suddenly fell silent.
His torn, bloodstained face was stiff and silent.
Tony said calmly, "Hal, I've done what I could. When I learned Earth was being invaded, I rushed back immediately. You can't expect me to do more. Likewise, I don't owe you anything. On the contrary, you owe me."
Tony looked at the young man who had suddenly become demoralized and numb, and said lightly, "Many people have died. I've also lost many relatives and friends. That's why I've always treated my enemies with cruel methods, just like you did just now. You killed the Cyborg Superman. Well done."
Suddenly, Hal raised his head, as if a thought had struck him, flashing through his mind like a bolt of lightning.
"I want power, I want to have more power! That thing of fear, you took it!" Hal said excitedly, his wrist hanging limply. "You know what I want. If I had that kind of power, I could change everything!"
"That's nothing. I can give you more. As long as you come with me, I will help you resurrect Carol. She's the person you care about most, isn't she? Your father died in a plane crash, your mother died of illness in her bed. All you have left is your childhood sweetheart, Carol."
Tony extended the invitation.
Hal Jordan should have been the greatest Lantern, and also the Lantern with the most immeasurable potential. He had been Parallax, a Green Lantern, and a Blue Lantern.
Hal had the potential to obtain Cybertronian citizenship.
And with Carol being a suitable candidate for a Violet Lantern ring, Tony wasn't losing out in the slightest.
Carol's body had been preserved. Tony had discovered it early on. Although it was incomplete, that was nothing. Tony had mastered many methods of restoring life.
Hal's eyes widened. Then, he nodded heavily. "As long as you can resurrect her, I'm willing to pay any price. As long as..."
He muttered to himself like a madman.
Clark opened his mouth, but Tony glared at him. Clark hesitated for a moment and didn't try to stop him. He simply didn't know what to say.
Everyone knew that for Hal, who harbored immense resentment and could be corrupted at any moment in his pursuit of power, being taken away by Tony was actually the better option.
At least Tony could firmly suppress Hal and guide him in the direction Tony wanted him to go.
From this point on, the Green Lantern Corps' greatest Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, completely vanished. All that remained was a new resident of Cybertron.
A massive portal opened, golden sparks flickering endlessly, incomparably beautiful.
"I know what you all want to say, but I won't resurrect anyone else." Tony glanced at the people who looked like they wanted to speak but were holding back. "If I resurrect them today, and another crisis occurs tomorrow, more people will demand I resurrect even more people. If I can't do it, I'll just have to endure more abuse."
Tony beckoned, pulling the heavily injured Hal, who was barely breathing, over and tossing him into the portal. Before leaving, he said to Tony Stark, Clark, and the others, "I was once a Guardian. I have fulfilled my duties and obligations. No one can demand more from me. I don't owe Earth anything, but the people of Earth owe me."
As soon as his voice fell, Tony vanished into the portal, taking the massive Warworld from outer space and a certain corpse from the ruins with him.
In the ruins of Coast City, Tony Stark and the others stood, suddenly feeling a sense of listlessness.
"I have a feeling you all just did something stupid." Tony Stark was the first to lash out. "I was always against him leaving, but he's not the type to listen to reason. Even if leaving Earth was his dream, you all know perfectly well how much of this was pushed by those guys behind the scenes."
Clark was silent. He picked up the Cyborg Superman and flew back to Metropolis without a second glance. His mind was in turmoil; he felt that something was clearly wrong, but he didn't know how to fix it.
Another crisis had ended. Seven million casualties and the complete destruction of a major city.
Soon, the news spread across the entire Earth, and more and more people joined in the heated debate.
"Tony clearly had the ability to save some of those civilians, so why didn't he? I have reason to be suspicious of his intentions."
A pundit questioned on a television show.
"Shut up, Tony doesn't owe Coast City anything. He has no obligation to do that," someone retorted.
"Isn't he a superhero? Isn't he a Guardian of Earth?"
"Well, is he your mom? He's not! So you shut up! Besides your mom, no one has that obligation!"
...
Tony had grown weary of the messes on Earth and decided to stop thinking about them.
This time, it was Dormammu who had taken the initiative to inform him. Upon hearing the news that Cyborg Superman and Mongul had teamed up, Tony immediately rushed back to Earth, only to find he was a step too late.
"Dormammu, you will operate on Cybertron from now on. You are not to return to the Dark Dimension without my permission," Tony commanded. After speaking, he directly pulled Dormammu out and casually tossed him somewhere on Cybertron.
Tony returned with Warworld and immediately placed it in orbit, converting it into a third satellite.
As for the slaves inside, Tony had already killed them all long ago.
The entirely metal planet of Cybertron had a shifting, dark color palette. Transformers, numerous enough to make one's skin crawl, were engaged in frantic construction. Every moment, a vast number of metal structures were being built.
Its unique purple plants were being cultivated everywhere. Genetic scientists had even developed more varieties of Vibranium plants, which were beginning to be spread over large areas on Cybertron.
They also initiated a research and development plan for Adamantium plants, though it would be some time before they had a finished product.
"This is the main planet of Cybertron, and there are two companion satellites. You can travel between them as you wish and live wherever you want." Tony pointed to one of the two moons in the sky, its bright moonlight draping the land in a silvery veil. "That one is the mutant planet called 'New World'. They are all from Earth, so you can live there. If there's anything you don't understand, just ask the intelligent life form, Ultron. He is everywhere."
"As for your lover, go to the Academy of Sciences in a week to pick her up. The scientists have already begun the process of reviving her."
Hal stared in shock at this planet of engineering. The entire metal planet was undergoing massive construction. One superstructure after another, each starting at a kilometer high, rose from the ground, stacking upwards at a speed visible to the naked eye.
The Transformers, as dense as a colony of ants, were building infrastructure at a speed that would put humans to shame.
Their massive bodies, in front of one jaw-dropping structure after another, truly did seem as small as ants.
"Hal, I see your potential, but I don't want you to be consumed by hatred. A moderate amount of hatred can drive you forward, but if you make hatred your entire life, it will only turn you into a complete monster."
Tony patted Hal's shoulder. "Don't disappoint me. I'll be assigning you a mission soon, one that is most suited for you."
(end of chapter)
