Beware Your Fears Made Into Light

[sinestro_corps]

Their lord, Henshaw, has given them their target.

The shining jewel of Earth. The City of the Future.

Metropolis.

An army of Manhunters descends on the city, blasting any living being they see with energy blasts.

Comments

[sinestro_corps]

Smithwick's ego still smarts. The fight on Oa did not go as he planned. Salaak managed to defeat him there, during the initial jailbreak assault. Even knocked him unconscious.

It was good fortune that he was rescued by one of his compatriots. Time to even the score.

He looks up at the incoming Lanterns and grins, hoping that Salaak is among them here. He flies towards one band of rookies, generating a wide range of rotating blades and saws. Perhaps he can kill four at once!

[salaak]

Unlikely. Since even those yet to graduate have been called to Earth, the Corp's seniors appointed one of their most veteran Lanterns to helm the rookies. Well, self-appointed. Whilst Kilowog directs the graduates and sector Lanterns from high, Salaak's detachment cut through the city at street level.

His ring responds as prompt as Smithwick's, bringing up energy constructs along the precise trajectory line of each of the aggressor's projectiles.

[sinestro_corps]

The saws and blades hit Salaak's constructs, attempting to grind through them.

The Slyggian looks down to see his rival. "So they let you out of your ivory tower," Smithwick snarls. A pike launches from his ring, directly for Salaak's head, even as twenty yellow explosive balls of energy fly towards him, each from a different direction.

[salaak]

The screens that surround Salaak go blank and they spiral off to collide with each of the energy spheres. He brings his ring arm up to glance the pike away from his face before diving towards the other Slyggian.

"That's emerald tower," he corrects, spitting a flock of corrosive energy gulls from his ring.

[sinestro_corps]

Each of Smithwick's arms grow a bubble-like shield, which he uses to block each blast.

"That's broken tower," Smithwick retorts, closing in for hand-to-hand-to-hand combat, blades forming on each hand.

[salaak]

As Salaak nears, a cloud of green mist bursts from his ring, shielding him from view. As the cloud envelops Smithwick, he comes at him from within the mist, attacking with a single blade, each move aiming to disarm one of Smithwick's

From an unknown position comes his voice, "Better than a Qwardian refuse heap."

[sinestro_corps]

Smithwick snarls, covering his body in a damaging energy aura, and flails for Salaak to try to tackle him.

"When you die, the galaxy will only know fear from Slyggians... your coddling will be forgotten!"

[salaak]

Salaak allows him to get a hold, dragging them at high-speed into the pavement. Emerging from the fracas, Salaak points his ring at the valve on a hydrant nearby.

"You're a disgrace to Slyggia, Smithwick. The only fear you conjure for that ring is your own," with that, he discharges his ring and breaks open the valve, which launches a torrent of water at his Sinestro counterpart.

[sinestro_corps]

Smithwick flies back several yards from the water pressure before he manages to put up a shield. He begins to bend the water...

"You are the disgrace. You bring order through granting others freedoms. How does that bring order?"

The water returns to Salaak... but at the last second freezes into millions of tiny shards of ice.

[salaak]

Emerald flame enshrouds Salaak, melting away the ice projectiles as they near him.

"Let's not mess with semantics, Smithwick. Tyranny and order are not synonyms."

Still billowing with flame, he pounces toward Smithwick.

[sinestro_corps]

Smithwick responds by surrounding himself with an aura of carbon dioxide foam.

"One must be utilized to achieve the other!" he insists, attempting to grapple his opponent.

[salaak]

Salaak had delayed this moment. The Guardian's had decreed lethal force a tool, not an aberration. It was in the Book of Oa; he should know, he kept it.

He hated- no, he was loathe to prove Smithwick correct, but circumstance proved it necessary.

As the pair lunge for each other, Salaak fires his ring with more precision than he has ever utilized. As they pass each other, Smithwick's ring-arm is severed from his torso.

[sinestro_corps]

The ring arm sundered, all Smithwick's constructs vanish instantly. He screams, clutching at the bleeding stump where his fourth arm had been just a moment before.

[salaak]

Salaak traps his enemy's ring with his own, incinerating it.

"Only one thing engenders order, and that is the will to do so. You're free, Smithwick. Go find a corner of the universe to cower in. I have work to do."

With that, he lifts off, the energy screens reforming around him as he proceeds to direct the fracas around them.