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*****
"It seems I've arrived just in time."
As George drifted above Coast City, he spotted a man enveloped in a streak of emerald light, rocketing away from Earth. That green energy was unmistakable—it was the power of a Green Lantern.
Curious, George transformed into a beam of light and followed in his wake.
The green streak tore through space, weaving through wormholes before arriving at a singular planet and descending toward its surface.
"This must be Oa, the headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps."
The Green Lantern Corps was one of the seven Lantern Corps, wielding the green light of Willpower from the Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum. Created by the Guardians of the Universe, the Corps recruited the most fearless beings across the cosmos to serve as galactic peacekeepers and upholders of order.
Cloaked in invisibility, George slipped onto the surface of Oa and began to explore.
As the heart of the Corps, Oa boasted an incredibly advanced level of technology, with high-tech vessels of every conceivable design darting through the sky. Because the Lanterns were recruited from across the universe, the planet was populated by beings of all shapes and sizes—some beautiful, some grotesque, all unique.
"Those must be the Guardians."
Inside a towering citadel at the planet's center, George sensed several entities radiating immense power, their signatures approaching the level of a Single-Universe being.
The Guardians of the Universe originated from the planet Maltus. They possessed infinite lifespans and had accumulated nearly all the knowledge the universe had to offer. Eons ago, a faction of them migrated to Oa to establish the Green Lantern Corps and forge the Power Rings that channeled the light of Willpower. The Corps had existed for billions of years.
"No need to rush. I'll take this slow."
After circling the planet, George located the new recruit from Earth chosen by the Power Ring.
While the Guardians possessed mastery over the entire Emotional Spectrum—knowledge George would dearly love to analyze—acting too directly would be far too suspicious. It was better to build a rapport with the human Lantern first and use that as a bridge to the Guardians later.
He found the Earthman undergoing training, struggling to master the constructs of the Power Ring under the tutelage of veteran Lanterns. By observing their interactions and drawing on his own knowledge of this world's lore, George pieced together the current situation.
Long ago, one of the Guardians believed that the green light of Will was insufficient on its own and sought to harness the yellow light of Fear. The other Guardians objected, knowing that while Fear was powerful, it was nearly impossible to control and inherently dangerous.
That Guardian, driven by obsession, experimented in secret. Predictably, he was consumed by the raw energy of Fear, transforming into Parallax—the living embodiment of terror—and attempted to rule the universe through fright.
Ultimately, the greatest of the Green Lanterns, Abin Sur, defeated Parallax and entombed him on a desolate, lost planet. However, Parallax had recently escaped his prison and mortally wounded Abin Sur. While fleeing the monster, Abin Sur's ship crashed on Earth. Before he died, his ring sought out a successor: a human test pilot named Hal Jordan.
This was Hal's first visit to Oa, where he was meant to begin his training as a protector of Sector 2814.
"Interesting."
Watching Hal train, George instinctively began to analyze the green energy. Known as the energy of Willpower, it allowed the user to manifest physical constructs based entirely on their imagination. The more vivid the imagination and the stronger the will, the more powerful the user. One could manifest swords and shields, or go further with machine guns, rocket launchers, cars, starships, or even miniature suns.
The Reluctant Hero
"I'm done! He's right—I'm just a human. I'm not ready to protect the universe!"
After a grueling session, Hal had been thoroughly humiliated and beaten down by the other Lanterns, particularly Sinestro—Abin Sur's former protégé and the current leader of the Corps.
His confidence shattered, Hal rejected the training. He used the ring to return to Earth, and George followed him back.
"Sigh."
Back in his apartment, Hal slid the ring off his finger and slumped over. He had quit. It felt like the story of his life—whenever things got real, he walked away. It was a habit he hated, yet he couldn't seem to break. Deep down, he wanted to stay, but the weight was too much.
"Yaaaawn—"
Hal put the ring in his pocket, intending to sleep the failure away. But as he turned toward his bed, he nearly jumped out of his skin.
"Where did this cat come from?!"
Sitting on his nightstand was a black cat with vertical slit pupils, staring at him intently.
"Good afternoon, Hal. I'm George," the cat said.
Hal stumbled back, his heart racing. "Oh my God... the cat... the cat just talked!"
"Is a talking cat really more surprising than the aliens you just saw?" George asked with a playful tilt of his head.
Hal paused, realizing the cat had a point. He had just spent the last few hours on another planet surrounded by bizarre extraterrestrials and learning about an intergalactic police force. In comparison, a talking cat was relatively mundane.
"Wait... I know you. You're the 'Super Cat'!"
Hal quickly put the pieces together. This talking black cat was the one who had helped Superman save the world. It looked exactly like the photos, and the fact that it knew he had just been with the Green Lanterns confirmed it. This wasn't a normal animal; this was the powerhouse from Metropolis.
"That's what your people call me. I was passing through the city when I saw you fly off-planet, so I decided to follow you," George explained simply. Then, he got straight to the point. "I saw you walk away from the Corps. I was wondering... would you be interested in joining the Justice League instead?"
"The Justice League?" Hal asked, confused.
George explained: "It's a team—myself, Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. We've formed an organization to protect Earth's peace. We're currently recruiting, and I think you'd be a great fit."
"Me? You think I can do it?"
Hal felt a spark of excitement, but it was quickly dampened by his own self-doubt. Batman was the Dark Knight of Gotham—Hal had read about him for years. Superman, Super Cat, and Wonder Woman had just fought a literal god-monster in Metropolis.
And then there was him—a regular pilot who had just been laughed out of training by a bunch of aliens. Could he really stand alongside icons to protect the world?
(End of Chapter)