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Chapter 580: The Overbearing Tony, Oa Trembles
In Sector Zero, on New Oa, the entire planet was on high alert.
Over seven thousand Lanterns wore expressions of concern. Many of them, having just returned from Earth, looked utterly bewildered, unable to believe that the next leader they trusted would do such a thing.
"Optimus Prime let the criminal Sinestro escape!"
This explosive news nearly stunned the Green Lanterns.
If there was one defining characteristic of the Green Lantern Corps, it was that nearly all its members were people of firm willpower, high moral standards, and a strong sense of responsibility. Otherwise, they would never have been permitted to serve as Green Lanterns.
Lanterns who broke the rules were either imprisoned or exiled, but without exception, their Green Lantern rings would be immediately locked by the Guardians.
Unqualified Lanterns were almost nonexistent—or at least, they were hidden very deep.
But this made the situation all the more difficult for them to accept. Something like this had almost never happened in the history of the Green Lantern Corps.
"How could this happen? Why would Optimus Prime do this? I trusted him so much..."
A female Lantern roared angrily.
"That's enough, Laira. Sinestro was his mentor, after all. What Optimus Prime did isn't necessarily a bad thing."
Tomar-Re said, his expression perfectly calm. On his fish-like face, there wasn't the slightest trace of extraneous emotion.
Kilowog, standing to the side, also tried to placate her.
As his closest friends, the two of them understood Optimus Prime's actions better than anyone.
The ring Optimus Prime gave Sinestro to escape was Tomar-Re's... If Optimus Prime hadn't insisted on taking all the blame himself, Tomar-Re would have been punished as well.
Laira gritted her teeth, her voice filled with anger. "Was it worth it? Sinestro is a bastard! Look at the mess he made of Korugar!"
Laira's anger and confusion were not isolated; many Lanterns were in a similar state.
Sinestro had once been an object of admiration and respect for many present. Initially, the fact that his failed offensive had led to the deaths of twelve Lanterns was not the main issue. While they mourned their fallen comrades, they held no real animosity toward Sinestro for it. They were space cops, ready to die at any moment.
But when reports of the horrific situation on Korugar reached them, there was an uproar. The Lanterns felt only the anger and humiliation of being deceived, along with sympathy for the people of Korugar.
"Sinestro deserved to go to prison! But Optimus Prime threw himself away for a bastard like that! Who's going to lead us now? Are we just supposed to fall into disarray when we face the enemy? And how will the Guardians judge his crime?" Laira roared.
In the battle for Earth, the Green Lantern Corps had dispatched one-seventh of its forces to wage a bloody war against the Parademon Army from Apokolips. They had emerged victorious, bringing Optimus Prime immense prestige, and many had come to trust him.
When that immense respect crumbled, it naturally gave way to immense anger.
It was heartbreaking. Many Lanterns were heartbroken, feeling that Optimus Prime had been incredibly foolish.
"That won't happen. Optimus Prime has only been imprisoned for three days. At most, today's judgment will result in his permanent exile from Oa," Tomar-Re stated calmly.
"Why?"
Another voice spoke, but the speaker was nowhere to be seen. Only a faint flicker of green light indicated the presence of a living being.
The speaker wasn't a person, but a viral lifeform.
"Because Optimus Prime's homeworld would never stand by and do nothing. If the Guardians really do something they shouldn't to Optimus Prime, that group of demigods on Cybertron will absolutely not sit idly by," the gruff Kilowog said.
Cybertron...
Many of the Lanterns subconsciously frowned.
The only reason they had been able to ultimately defeat the forces of Apokolips during the battle for Earth was because Tony had dealt with Steppenwolf. And since Tony's rise to power, far too many formidable figures had been slaughtered by him.
Trigon, Doomsday, Dormammu, Mephisto, Mongul, Thanos, Steppenwolf... The list was too long.
Just the thought of Tony personally showing up on their doorstep sent a chill down the spines of the Lanterns present.
So many monsters had been eliminated by Tony—what chance did they have? Could they possibly stop him? Moreover, it was said that there were at least twenty demigods on Cybertron, and that was only the number they knew of.
Add their powerful standing armies to the mix... it was a complete nightmare.
"Optimus Prime just let Sinestro escape. There were extenuating circumstances. The merciful Guardians shouldn't judge him too harshly. It surely won't lead to permanent exile, right?"
After a long pause, Laira finally managed to say.
Tomar-Re and Kilowog exchanged a look and remained silent.
It was hard to say...
Just as the grand plaza on Oa was bustling with activity, a brilliant flash of white light tore through the sky above. A figure seated upon a throne descended, bringing with it an immense pressure.
An overwhelming, majestic pressure crashed down without restraint. The atmosphere was violently compressed, forming a deep, concave funnel. In an instant, the entire planet of Oa fell silent under this immense weight.
Immediately afterward, countless Green Lanterns, a mixture of shock and anger on their faces, shot up into the sky.
"Who is it?!"
"Who dares to invade Oa?"
"Any enemy who offends Oa will pay the price!!!"
Several thousand Green Lanterns soared into the air.
Tomar-Re's expression changed. Before he could stop them, a blinding white light shot out in all directions in the next instant. It formed what appeared to be a very thin curtain of light that howled madly, seeming to cover the entire planet as it slammed down viciously on the thousands of green specks.
For a moment, it was as if the entirety of Oa had plunged into hell. The curtain of light, suffused with deathly energy, crashed savagely into the Green Lanterns. Many of the weaker Lanterns couldn't withstand the impact and plummeted from the sky like rain.
The ground began to groan and crack. The intense pressure triggered drastic shifts in the local gravity, and erupting clusters of energy sparks caused violent explosions across large areas.
It was an apocalyptic scene.
And all this was caused by just one person.
"Enough!! Everyone, stand down! Tony, you stop too!"
Ganthet's tiny figure flew into the sky, his face incredibly grim. He glanced at the incompetence of the weaker Lanterns, the corner of his mouth twitching, and braced himself as he flew up to confront the intruder.
The curtain of light paused for a fraction of a second, then flared violently, reaping another wave of Green Lanterns. Even more of them plummeted down in disarray.
"You wanted to say something? I'm listening."
Tony's voice clearly reached the ears of everyone present, but the curtain of light, like the Grim Reaper, remained steady in the sky, showing no signs of dissipating.
Ganthet's eyelids twitched violently as anger surged in his eyes.
"Enough! Tony, do you want to go to war with Oa?" Ganthet roared in a low voice.
"Of course not. I've always held Oa in high esteem. I'm just here to find my subordinate. It's just that the attitude of you 'lightbulbs' isn't particularly friendly," Tony said coldly.
Ganthet's face became as black as the bottom of a pot.
Tony remained seated quietly in space, looking down upon the planet below. He spoke calmly, "I will wait right here until I see Optimus Prime with my own eyes. So, I suggest you put away all your despicable little tricks. I hope you won't disappoint me."
(end of chapter)
In Sector Zero, on New Oa, the entire planet was on high alert.
Over seven thousand Lanterns wore expressions of concern. Many of them, having just returned from Earth, looked utterly bewildered, unable to believe that the next leader they trusted would do such a thing.
"Optimus Prime let the criminal Sinestro escape!"
This explosive news nearly stunned the Green Lanterns.
If there was one defining characteristic of the Green Lantern Corps, it was that nearly all its members were people of firm willpower, high moral standards, and a strong sense of responsibility. Otherwise, they would never have been permitted to serve as Green Lanterns.
Lanterns who broke the rules were either imprisoned or exiled, but without exception, their Green Lantern rings would be immediately locked by the Guardians.
Unqualified Lanterns were almost nonexistent—or at least, they were hidden very deep.
But this made the situation all the more difficult for them to accept. Something like this had almost never happened in the history of the Green Lantern Corps.
"How could this happen? Why would Optimus Prime do this? I trusted him so much..."
A female Lantern roared angrily.
"That's enough, Laira. Sinestro was his mentor, after all. What Optimus Prime did isn't necessarily a bad thing."
Tomar-Re said, his expression perfectly calm. On his fish-like face, there wasn't the slightest trace of extraneous emotion.
Kilowog, standing to the side, also tried to placate her.
As his closest friends, the two of them understood Optimus Prime's actions better than anyone.
The ring Optimus Prime gave Sinestro to escape was Tomar-Re's... If Optimus Prime hadn't insisted on taking all the blame himself, Tomar-Re would have been punished as well.
Laira gritted her teeth, her voice filled with anger. "Was it worth it? Sinestro is a bastard! Look at the mess he made of Korugar!"
Laira's anger and confusion were not isolated; many Lanterns were in a similar state.
Sinestro had once been an object of admiration and respect for many present. Initially, the fact that his failed offensive had led to the deaths of twelve Lanterns was not the main issue. While they mourned their fallen comrades, they held no real animosity toward Sinestro for it. They were space cops, ready to die at any moment.
But when reports of the horrific situation on Korugar reached them, there was an uproar. The Lanterns felt only the anger and humiliation of being deceived, along with sympathy for the people of Korugar.
"Sinestro deserved to go to prison! But Optimus Prime threw himself away for a bastard like that! Who's going to lead us now? Are we just supposed to fall into disarray when we face the enemy? And how will the Guardians judge his crime?" Laira roared.
In the battle for Earth, the Green Lantern Corps had dispatched one-seventh of its forces to wage a bloody war against the Parademon Army from Apokolips. They had emerged victorious, bringing Optimus Prime immense prestige, and many had come to trust him.
When that immense respect crumbled, it naturally gave way to immense anger.
It was heartbreaking. Many Lanterns were heartbroken, feeling that Optimus Prime had been incredibly foolish.
"That won't happen. Optimus Prime has only been imprisoned for three days. At most, today's judgment will result in his permanent exile from Oa," Tomar-Re stated calmly.
"Why?"
Another voice spoke, but the speaker was nowhere to be seen. Only a faint flicker of green light indicated the presence of a living being.
The speaker wasn't a person, but a viral lifeform.
"Because Optimus Prime's homeworld would never stand by and do nothing. If the Guardians really do something they shouldn't to Optimus Prime, that group of demigods on Cybertron will absolutely not sit idly by," the gruff Kilowog said.
Cybertron...
Many of the Lanterns subconsciously frowned.
The only reason they had been able to ultimately defeat the forces of Apokolips during the battle for Earth was because Tony had dealt with Steppenwolf. And since Tony's rise to power, far too many formidable figures had been slaughtered by him.
Trigon, Doomsday, Dormammu, Mephisto, Mongul, Thanos, Steppenwolf... The list was too long.
Just the thought of Tony personally showing up on their doorstep sent a chill down the spines of the Lanterns present.
So many monsters had been eliminated by Tony—what chance did they have? Could they possibly stop him? Moreover, it was said that there were at least twenty demigods on Cybertron, and that was only the number they knew of.
Add their powerful standing armies to the mix... it was a complete nightmare.
"Optimus Prime just let Sinestro escape. There were extenuating circumstances. The merciful Guardians shouldn't judge him too harshly. It surely won't lead to permanent exile, right?"
After a long pause, Laira finally managed to say.
Tomar-Re and Kilowog exchanged a look and remained silent.
It was hard to say...
Just as the grand plaza on Oa was bustling with activity, a brilliant flash of white light tore through the sky above. A figure seated upon a throne descended, bringing with it an immense pressure.
An overwhelming, majestic pressure crashed down without restraint. The atmosphere was violently compressed, forming a deep, concave funnel. In an instant, the entire planet of Oa fell silent under this immense weight.
Immediately afterward, countless Green Lanterns, a mixture of shock and anger on their faces, shot up into the sky.
"Who is it?!"
"Who dares to invade Oa?"
"Any enemy who offends Oa will pay the price!!!"
Several thousand Green Lanterns soared into the air.
Tomar-Re's expression changed. Before he could stop them, a blinding white light shot out in all directions in the next instant. It formed what appeared to be a very thin curtain of light that howled madly, seeming to cover the entire planet as it slammed down viciously on the thousands of green specks.
For a moment, it was as if the entirety of Oa had plunged into hell. The curtain of light, suffused with deathly energy, crashed savagely into the Green Lanterns. Many of the weaker Lanterns couldn't withstand the impact and plummeted from the sky like rain.
The ground began to groan and crack. The intense pressure triggered drastic shifts in the local gravity, and erupting clusters of energy sparks caused violent explosions across large areas.
It was an apocalyptic scene.
And all this was caused by just one person.
"Enough!! Everyone, stand down! Tony, you stop too!"
Ganthet's tiny figure flew into the sky, his face incredibly grim. He glanced at the incompetence of the weaker Lanterns, the corner of his mouth twitching, and braced himself as he flew up to confront the intruder.
The curtain of light paused for a fraction of a second, then flared violently, reaping another wave of Green Lanterns. Even more of them plummeted down in disarray.
"You wanted to say something? I'm listening."
Tony's voice clearly reached the ears of everyone present, but the curtain of light, like the Grim Reaper, remained steady in the sky, showing no signs of dissipating.
Ganthet's eyelids twitched violently as anger surged in his eyes.
"Enough! Tony, do you want to go to war with Oa?" Ganthet roared in a low voice.
"Of course not. I've always held Oa in high esteem. I'm just here to find my subordinate. It's just that the attitude of you 'lightbulbs' isn't particularly friendly," Tony said coldly.
Ganthet's face became as black as the bottom of a pot.
Tony remained seated quietly in space, looking down upon the planet below. He spoke calmly, "I will wait right here until I see Optimus Prime with my own eyes. So, I suggest you put away all your despicable little tricks. I hope you won't disappoint me."
(end of chapter)
