"There's nothing we can do right now. It's impossible to take down both the Sinestro Corps and Homelander at the same time. We would need an enormous army, and we cannot deploy the entire Green Lantern Corps because there are countless other crises across the universe that require attention."
The Guardians spoke with firm authority, their expressions stern as they addressed Ganthet and Guy Gardner.
"Even if we gathered enough forces to strike Earth, we would risk harming the very people we are meant to protect."
Guy's jaw tightened, anger flashing in his eyes. "So that's it? The so called Guardians of the universe are just going to sit back while Homelander and Sinestro tighten their grip on Earth?"
To him, it felt like they had abandoned their oath, the very promise that defined the Corps.
Ganthet said nothing at first. His gaze lingered on the star map before him, a display of eight known sectors. Earth was missing. That absence stood out more than anything else.
After a long silence, he finally spoke.
"No. We will not stand idle. But rushing in blindly would only play into Sinestro's hands. We must find a way to bring both him and Homelander to justice. Right now, Earth is under their control."
He turned slightly toward Guy. "We must proceed with caution."
Guy did not argue further, though the frustration in his eyes remained. He understood Ganthet's reasoning, but that did nothing to ease the weight of disappointment settling in his chest.
At the Justice Society Hall, Adrian studied the Green Lantern ring resting in his palm.
The emerald glow was faint, lacking the vibrant energy it once held. Without its original wielder, the ring felt almost lifeless.
"This one belonged to Ch'p," Adrian muttered under his breath. "It feels different from Hal's and John's rings."
He was still examining it when a sharp alarm cut through the hall.
"Enemy approaching. Enemy approaching. Alert. Alert."
Red lights flashed across the chamber.
Adrian's expression hardened. He slipped the ring away and moved toward the entrance at once.
At the doorway, Solomon Grundy staggered backward with a frightened shout, covering his eyes as if he had seen something unbearable.
He lost his footing and crashed heavily onto the ground, the impact sending a tremor through the floor. The reinforced door behind him was forced open, cracks spreading along the nearby wall.
"Grundy saw something scary," the massive figure muttered, quickly uncovering his eyes when he noticed Adrian. There was a nervous, almost childlike look on his face.
Adrian ignored him.
His X ray vision activated, locking onto the intruder instantly.
Floating just beyond the entrance was a man with a narrow mustache and crimson tinted skin. His arms were folded calmly across his chest.
Sinestro.
A suffocating aura radiated from him. Even a being like Grundy had recoiled from the fear he projected so effortlessly.
"Sinestro."
Adrian's eyes glowed red, heat vision ready to fire.
"Wait," Sinestro said immediately. "I'm not here to fight."
Adrian did not hesitate.
A beam of searing heat shot forward.
Sinestro reacted instantly, his yellow power ring generating a solid barrier of energy. The blast struck the shield, but before it could dissipate, Adrian was already in motion.
His fist smashed through the construct with explosive force.
Fragments of yellow light shattered apart as Adrian closed the distance and grabbed Sinestro by the throat.
The speed was overwhelming.
His next strike drove straight into Sinestro's chest, knocking the air from his lungs.
Before Sinestro could recover, Adrian pushed forward with brutal force, blasting straight through the wall of the Justice Society Hall.
The two shot into the sky like a missile.
Sinestro struggled, freeing one hand as his ring fired a concentrated beam into Adrian's body. The attack should have slowed him down significantly.
It barely did.
Adrian's grip tightened.
Their speed surged past Mach 20, their forms becoming nothing more than streaks of light vanishing into the upper atmosphere.
Moments later, they reached the Moon.
Adrian drove Sinestro down into the surface with devastating force.
The impact carved a massive crater into the lunar ground, cracks spreading outward from the point of collision. In the vacuum of space, the destruction was silent, but the sheer scale of it spoke for itself.
Sinestro's body tensed from the shock. Pain shot through him, radiating along his spine.
Adrian did not give him time to recover.
One hand pinned Sinestro's head into the lunar soil while the other drew back, gathering enough force to shatter mountains.
"Wait," Sinestro managed, his voice strained. "I came to warn you."
Adrian's fist stopped just short of impact.
"What kind of warning?"
"Those Guardians," Sinestro said, narrowing his eyes. "They will come. They would rather see worlds burn than lose control. You killed a Green Lantern. They will not ignore that."
Adrian said nothing.
"I know what you've done," Sinestro continued. "I can help you deal with them."
For a brief moment, there was silence.
Then Adrian's fist came down anyway.
The blow slammed into Sinestro's head, sending another shockwave across the crater.
"You talk too much," Adrian said coldly as he stood.
Fifteen minutes later, back at the Justice Society Hall, the core members had gathered.
Adrian stood at the front. Wonder Woman, The Flash, Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Shazam, the Wonder Twins, Bart Allen, Mera, and others formed a loose circle behind him.
Sinestro was confined within a high security holding cell, separated by a transparent barrier.
Despite his situation, he stood calmly with his hands behind his back, his expression composed, almost amused.
"You called all of us for this?" Mera asked, folding her arms. "To show off an alien prisoner?"
Her gaze shifted toward Sinestro. "And not even a Green Lantern. A Yellow Lantern."
"He's not just any alien," Hal said before Adrian could respond.
He stared at Sinestro, disbelief clear on his face. "You actually captured him?"
John Stewart remained tense, every instinct telling him something was wrong.
"This is a terrible idea," John said firmly. "You cannot hold him. He is one of the most dangerous beings in the universe."
"I agree," Hal added.
"In the time you spent explaining this, I have already gone over every possible outcome," John continued. "This is beyond unwise. This is reckless."
Wonder Woman gave a small nod. "I feel the same. There is something dangerous about him."
"You're all correct."
The voice came from inside the cell.
Sinestro stepped forward, his eyes moving across the group before settling on Adrian.
"Fear is natural," he said. "That is what I inspire."
His gaze sharpened.
"But you and I are not so different."
"No," John snapped. "You are nothing like him. You're a psychopath."
Sinestro did not react with anger.
"It is easier for people to call me a monster than to understand me," he replied calmly.
He turned back to Adrian, placing a hand against the barrier.
"That is why I came here. Do you think I would involve myself in your affairs without reason?"
His voice lowered slightly.
"I saw something in you. A reflection of who I once was. My purpose, my drive, everything that was taken from me."
The room fell quiet.
"They called me the greatest Green Lantern," Sinestro continued.
"And I believed them. I believed I existed to serve the Guardians."
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