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Chapter 388: Delving into the Fire Pit
Geneva, the Fire Pit.
The interrogation of the few Apokolips cannon fodder went exactly as expected. What they knew was essentially the same information from the previous meeting. They weren't very clear on the specifics of the so-called "gift of Apokolips," only that the Fire Pits appearing around the world were key to the next phase of the plan.
The only useful piece of intelligence extracted was that the Geneva Fire Pit was the first to appear on Earth. Rumor had it that the operational headquarters for this new Apokolips offensive against Earth was hidden within the Geneva Fire Pit.
Alan and Orin Vale had already decided their next step was to find a Fire Pit and investigate it. Having obtained this intelligence, they chose the Geneva Fire Pit as the first 'instance' to explore.
Orin Vale went to the scene to take a look for himself. As the intelligence had indicated, the Fire Pit didn't release pure flame. It contained an energy characteristic of Apokoliptian technology—violent and powerful, as if it sought to annihilate everything.
Orin Vale was reminded of when the New 52 Superman fell into a fire pit on Apokolips. His cells absorbed the Apokoliptian energy from the Fire Pit, granting him immense strength and turning him into the "God of Strength," but it also twisted his personality. The corrosive energy even eroded his cells, killing him like a slow-acting poison.
Orin Vale could indeed see the power and potential within this energy, but it was a destructive force of darkness and chaos, incompatible with him. Furthermore, Orin Vale couldn't determine if he would suffer the same adverse reaction as Superman upon contact and absorption.
Perhaps he wouldn't, but he felt it was better to be cautious until he had conclusive evidence. Therefore, Orin Vale first collected comprehensive data on the Fire Pit's energy, then released his light energy to envelop his body in a form similar to a shield or force field, and walked straight into the mass of energy.
Of course, he didn't forget to help Green Lantern.
The two of them flew directly into the massive hole, braving the blazing flames and delving deeper into the endless torrent of energy gushing toward them. During the descent, Alan looked at him with a hint of admiration. "No wonder The Green told me we should seek an alliance. I can feel your energy, surging powerfully. I've never seen light so strong, so pure. And here I thought I was strong enough, being chosen by Earth."
Orin Vale smiled without a word. The two continued their descent, soon leaving the destructive energy behind them.
Sure enough, a massive facility was hidden in the deepest part.
The potent Apokoliptian energy protected the entire facility at its core, preventing anyone from getting close, or even detecting it. The secret of Apokolips's plan must be hidden within this Fire Pit.
Meanwhile, deep within the Fire Pit base.
"Someone has entered."
The one who spoke was a New God. He had dark brown skin and two pairs of red eyes, for a total of four. His pupils clearly reflected the scene at the entrance of the underground stronghold, several miles away.
This was his special ability. It was not simple super-vision—ordinary X-ray vision would be blocked by this base's materials and energy field. What he possessed was an ability similar to 'mental projection.'
"Is that so? Human metahumans?" a woman said in a hoarse voice, leaning lightly onto the Four-Eyed New God's back, her two round mounds squishing and deforming against him.
"Why does your voice sound so hoarse?" the Four-Eyed New God asked, startled.
The woman shot him an annoyed glare. "Isn't it because of last night's overuse? Whose fault do you think it is?"
"Oh, oh, my bad, my bad."
The Four-Eyed New God nodded repeatedly. However, though his words sounded apologetic, his back couldn't help but straighten a little, as if he were rather proud.
Making her this hoarse in a single night—could an ordinary person achieve that?
"Cut the crap." The woman slapped his forehead. "How many are there? Who are they?"
"Just two. I don't recognize one of them, but the other is a Green Lantern," the Four-Eyed New God said.
"A Green Lantern... I see." The woman was pensive. "He is one of the few remaining powerhouses among Earth's superheroes."
Through their clashes on the main battlefield with Earth's forces, the forces of Apokolips were already well aware of which of the enemy's top generals could fight. This Green Lantern was undoubtedly a top-tier commander on the human side.
"Should I report to Slaughter?" the Four-Eyed New God asked.
"No need." The woman waved her hand dismissively, sneering, "He has some skill, but that's all. Since he has the guts to barge in here..."
The corner of her mouth twitched into a cold smile as her long, soft tongue emerged from her mouth. It licked her lips first, then began to extend, getting longer and longer, almost like a tentacle...
Seeing this, the Four-Eyed New God seemed to make a connection. He hurriedly averted his gaze, sighed softly, and unconsciously covered his lower back.
What was that saying again?
No field is ever overworked, only the ox dies of exhaustion.
"I'm going. Remember to share your vision with me," the woman said, retracting her tongue as she stood up.
"No problem."
The Four-Eyed New God coughed and said.
"With you on the case, their capture is guaranteed. They don't stand a chance."
The woman giggled. "You sure know what to say. I'll reward you again tonight when I get back."
With that, she turned and left.
She left the Four-Eyed New God shivering.
With a low rumble of machinery, the heavy metal gate was pried open from the outside by brute force.
Having forced the entrance, Orin Vale and Alan strode in side by side.
"There's not a single person here. That's illogical," Alan said, looking left and right.
It was indeed strange. An Apokoliptian facility hidden beneath a fire pit had all the makings of a secret headquarters. They had steeled themselves to face a massive army, or even the true form of a darkened Superman. They never expected there wouldn't even be a guard at the door.
If this place really was the command headquarters for Apokolips, Orin Vale had to start wondering if its gatekeepers had trained under their Director Hikari.
The voice of The Green rang out: "Be careful. I have a bad premonition. This place might not be simple."
Alan, however, was optimistic. "Maybe they knew that I, the Green Lantern, was coming and ran away with their tails tucked between their legs—"
Just as he spoke, his final syllable seemed to stretch on infinitely in Orin Vale's ears, and his striding motion abruptly froze.
An electric current instinctively radiated from Orin Vale's body. He could clearly see pink tentacles—
No, not tentacles. They looked more like... a tongue?
Although in his vision it appeared as a slow-motion shot, arduously breaking through the air's resistance, he roughly estimated its surprise-attack speed was at least Mach 7. At such a close distance, and with an ambush from the shadows, it would be extremely difficult for a normal person to dodge.
Orin Vale thought for a moment and casually took two steps to the side.
The next moment, the long tongue pierced through the afterimage he had left behind and struck Green Lantern head-on...
...and instantly bound his teammate, who had no time to react to being suddenly abandoned, in a perfect tortoise-shell binding.
Green Lantern: "???"
(end of chapter)
Geneva, the Fire Pit.
The interrogation of the few Apokolips cannon fodder went exactly as expected. What they knew was essentially the same information from the previous meeting. They weren't very clear on the specifics of the so-called "gift of Apokolips," only that the Fire Pits appearing around the world were key to the next phase of the plan.
The only useful piece of intelligence extracted was that the Geneva Fire Pit was the first to appear on Earth. Rumor had it that the operational headquarters for this new Apokolips offensive against Earth was hidden within the Geneva Fire Pit.
Alan and Orin Vale had already decided their next step was to find a Fire Pit and investigate it. Having obtained this intelligence, they chose the Geneva Fire Pit as the first 'instance' to explore.
Orin Vale went to the scene to take a look for himself. As the intelligence had indicated, the Fire Pit didn't release pure flame. It contained an energy characteristic of Apokoliptian technology—violent and powerful, as if it sought to annihilate everything.
Orin Vale was reminded of when the New 52 Superman fell into a fire pit on Apokolips. His cells absorbed the Apokoliptian energy from the Fire Pit, granting him immense strength and turning him into the "God of Strength," but it also twisted his personality. The corrosive energy even eroded his cells, killing him like a slow-acting poison.
Orin Vale could indeed see the power and potential within this energy, but it was a destructive force of darkness and chaos, incompatible with him. Furthermore, Orin Vale couldn't determine if he would suffer the same adverse reaction as Superman upon contact and absorption.
Perhaps he wouldn't, but he felt it was better to be cautious until he had conclusive evidence. Therefore, Orin Vale first collected comprehensive data on the Fire Pit's energy, then released his light energy to envelop his body in a form similar to a shield or force field, and walked straight into the mass of energy.
Of course, he didn't forget to help Green Lantern.
The two of them flew directly into the massive hole, braving the blazing flames and delving deeper into the endless torrent of energy gushing toward them. During the descent, Alan looked at him with a hint of admiration. "No wonder The Green told me we should seek an alliance. I can feel your energy, surging powerfully. I've never seen light so strong, so pure. And here I thought I was strong enough, being chosen by Earth."
Orin Vale smiled without a word. The two continued their descent, soon leaving the destructive energy behind them.
Sure enough, a massive facility was hidden in the deepest part.
The potent Apokoliptian energy protected the entire facility at its core, preventing anyone from getting close, or even detecting it. The secret of Apokolips's plan must be hidden within this Fire Pit.
Meanwhile, deep within the Fire Pit base.
"Someone has entered."
The one who spoke was a New God. He had dark brown skin and two pairs of red eyes, for a total of four. His pupils clearly reflected the scene at the entrance of the underground stronghold, several miles away.
This was his special ability. It was not simple super-vision—ordinary X-ray vision would be blocked by this base's materials and energy field. What he possessed was an ability similar to 'mental projection.'
"Is that so? Human metahumans?" a woman said in a hoarse voice, leaning lightly onto the Four-Eyed New God's back, her two round mounds squishing and deforming against him.
"Why does your voice sound so hoarse?" the Four-Eyed New God asked, startled.
The woman shot him an annoyed glare. "Isn't it because of last night's overuse? Whose fault do you think it is?"
"Oh, oh, my bad, my bad."
The Four-Eyed New God nodded repeatedly. However, though his words sounded apologetic, his back couldn't help but straighten a little, as if he were rather proud.
Making her this hoarse in a single night—could an ordinary person achieve that?
"Cut the crap." The woman slapped his forehead. "How many are there? Who are they?"
"Just two. I don't recognize one of them, but the other is a Green Lantern," the Four-Eyed New God said.
"A Green Lantern... I see." The woman was pensive. "He is one of the few remaining powerhouses among Earth's superheroes."
Through their clashes on the main battlefield with Earth's forces, the forces of Apokolips were already well aware of which of the enemy's top generals could fight. This Green Lantern was undoubtedly a top-tier commander on the human side.
"Should I report to Slaughter?" the Four-Eyed New God asked.
"No need." The woman waved her hand dismissively, sneering, "He has some skill, but that's all. Since he has the guts to barge in here..."
The corner of her mouth twitched into a cold smile as her long, soft tongue emerged from her mouth. It licked her lips first, then began to extend, getting longer and longer, almost like a tentacle...
Seeing this, the Four-Eyed New God seemed to make a connection. He hurriedly averted his gaze, sighed softly, and unconsciously covered his lower back.
What was that saying again?
No field is ever overworked, only the ox dies of exhaustion.
"I'm going. Remember to share your vision with me," the woman said, retracting her tongue as she stood up.
"No problem."
The Four-Eyed New God coughed and said.
"With you on the case, their capture is guaranteed. They don't stand a chance."
The woman giggled. "You sure know what to say. I'll reward you again tonight when I get back."
With that, she turned and left.
She left the Four-Eyed New God shivering.
With a low rumble of machinery, the heavy metal gate was pried open from the outside by brute force.
Having forced the entrance, Orin Vale and Alan strode in side by side.
"There's not a single person here. That's illogical," Alan said, looking left and right.
It was indeed strange. An Apokoliptian facility hidden beneath a fire pit had all the makings of a secret headquarters. They had steeled themselves to face a massive army, or even the true form of a darkened Superman. They never expected there wouldn't even be a guard at the door.
If this place really was the command headquarters for Apokolips, Orin Vale had to start wondering if its gatekeepers had trained under their Director Hikari.
The voice of The Green rang out: "Be careful. I have a bad premonition. This place might not be simple."
Alan, however, was optimistic. "Maybe they knew that I, the Green Lantern, was coming and ran away with their tails tucked between their legs—"
Just as he spoke, his final syllable seemed to stretch on infinitely in Orin Vale's ears, and his striding motion abruptly froze.
An electric current instinctively radiated from Orin Vale's body. He could clearly see pink tentacles—
No, not tentacles. They looked more like... a tongue?
Although in his vision it appeared as a slow-motion shot, arduously breaking through the air's resistance, he roughly estimated its surprise-attack speed was at least Mach 7. At such a close distance, and with an ambush from the shadows, it would be extremely difficult for a normal person to dodge.
Orin Vale thought for a moment and casually took two steps to the side.
The next moment, the long tongue pierced through the afterimage he had left behind and struck Green Lantern head-on...
...and instantly bound his teammate, who had no time to react to being suddenly abandoned, in a perfect tortoise-shell binding.
Green Lantern: "???"
(end of chapter)
