90 Ambush #90

Shifting my attention away from the horde of assassins swarming me, I turned to Gorilla Grodd and couldn't help but crack a smirk. There he was, the oversized, not-so-bright ape, flat on his back, eyes rolled back, and foaming at the mouth. Meanwhile, Rattigan, the rat extraordinaire, lounged over his back, casually scratching his rear end like he owned the place.

Sure, I could have handled Grodd myself, but where's the fun in that? Besides, it wouldn't have been enough payback for the year of annoyance he and Ras Al Ghul had inflicted on me.

Ras only cared about his immortality and legacy, both of which I was about to smash to pieces. Now, this fortress of his housed his last remaining followers and the final Lazarus Pit on Earth, both of which were about to meet their end.

As for Grodd, well, he was too busy basking in his own strength and pride. So, I figured, why not let Rattigan have a bit of fun?

And let me tell you, that cheeky rodent didn't disappoint. Not only did Rattigan make a monkey out of Grodd, but he also destroyed him on so many levels, leaving him in a state of absolute despair.

As I surveyed the scene, a grin spread across my face, a familiar feeling I hadn't had in a while swelling in my chest. The scores with those two were about to be settled, leaving only the mastermind behind it all.

And trust me, I had plans for the bastard, too. Now, all I needed was for him to show himself. But until then, let the chaos reign.

As I pondered these thoughts, a sudden shift in the atmosphere caught my attention, the very fabric of space trembling around the base. In an instant, a shimmering blue barrier materialized, encasing the entire area.

My brow furrowed at the sight. "Not this shit again..." I grumbled, testing my powers against the barrier. To my surprise, they remained unaffected, turning my annoyance into disappointment.

"Seriously... after all this time, this is the best you've got? A talking gorilla, a bunch of foot soldiers, and a defective space anchor?" I muttered to myself, casting a critical eye over the fallen assassins strewn across the ground, some unconscious, others not so lucky.

Suddenly, a swift movement behind me jolted me into action, and I dodged just in time as a beam of yellow light streaked past, leaving a smoking crater where I had stood moments before.

Tracking the source of the attack, I locked eyes with a man clad in a garish yellow and black suit, his mustache twirling in a villainous fashion. Sinestro.

He regarded me with an almost disinterested air. "This barrier doesn't nullify your powers... it confines them within this space," he explained matter-of-factly. "Nowhere to run, I'm afraid," he added, his tone devoid of emotion.

Arching an eyebrow, I attempted to teleport beyond the barrier's confines, only to find myself thwarted by its invisible walls. "Impressive... whoever crafted this knew they couldn't sever my connection to space... Instead, they opted to cage me in a small space isolated from the outer world..." I remarked with a nod of acknowledgment.

Glancing briefly at Gorilla Grodd, I couldn't help but scoff. "Definitely not his handiwork... this level of sophistication is beyond a simple-minded ape," I muttered, shifting my attention back to Sinestro.

"Alright, spill the beans. Who's behind this barrier? Who sent you to ambush me here?" I demanded, my gaze narrowing with suspicion. "If you tell me everything you know, maybe I won't have to rearrange your anatomy..."

Sinestro let out a disdainful snort at my words. "You think too highly of yourself, human," he jeered, curling his ring-clad fingers into a fist, conjuring a gigantic hammer construct. "You're about as humble as Hal Jordan, but I suppose it doesn't matter. Once I'm through with you, I'll swing by and squash Hal like a bug."

His threat was about as subtle as a gigantic sledgehammer made of hard yellow light, which, coincidentally, was hurtling toward me. With a roll of my eyes, I leaped skyward, meeting the descending hammer with my bare knuckles. The collision shattered the construct, showering us in glittering fragments of yellow light.

As I stood amidst the yellow haze, Sinestro's bravado still ringing in my ears, I couldn't help but chuckle to myself. The idea of him taking on Hal Jordan was like a stray dog picking a fight with a tiger. Did Sinestro genuinely think he stood a chance against the Green Lantern, or was he just posturing to boost his own ego?

The way Sinestro carried himself, you'd think he had the universe in the palm of his hand. But what was fueling his confidence? Sinestro might be full of himself, but if anyone knew the extent of Hal Jordan's power, it was him. Yet here he was, acting like he was about to take down the Green Lantern single-handedly. It didn't add up.

Before I could dwell on it further, Sinestro snapped me back to the present with a barrage of stereotypical villain lines. "How dare you lose focus while fighting me?!" he bellowed, charging toward me with a shimmering barrier of yellow light.

I rolled my eyes at his melodramatic interruption. "What the hell do you amount to, anyway?" I retorted, effortlessly dodging his attack in mid-air. "I wasn't even giving you my full attention in the first place."

I gestured nonchalantly toward the ground where my shadowy tendrils were making short work of Ras Al Ghul's lackeys like swatting flies.

Sinestro's face contorted with fury at my dismissive attitude. "You dare mock me?!" He pointed a clenched fist at me, unleashing a searing beam of yellow energy.

I sighed, raising my hand to shield myself.

With a subtle flex of my fingers, I tapped into my connection with space as the light made contact, causing the fabric of reality to fracture around the beam with the sound of shattering glass. Sinistro's attack fizzled out harmlessly, dissipating into the ether.

"You're really leaning really hard into the cliched villain shtick, huh?" I remarked, shaking my head in disbelief. "Your reactions are so boring and predictable that I'm getting secondhand embarrassment..."

Sinestro's face flushed with anger, his crimson skin almost matching his rage, but I was done indulging him. Dealing with him had eaten up enough of my time, and I'd already showcased more than a glimpse of my abilities. It was time to wrap this up.

"Alright, I think you've hogged the spotlight long enough," I remarked casually, my hand weaving through the air as I conjured a pulsating orb of purple spatial energy. "Time for you to make your exit."

With a swift motion, I layered my hand over the orb, twisting and manipulating the gravitational field around us. The force beneath Sinestro surged, doubling in intensity by god knows how many thousands of times, and he plummeted toward the ground like a lead weight.

He shot me a venomous glare, clearly itching to spew some retort, but the increased gravity rendered him speechless. I met his gaze with a blank expression as a colossal hammer materialized above me, its golden light gleaming ominously.

"Allow me to demonstrate proper light control," I quipped, tapping into my mastery of light magic and directing the hammer's descent toward Sinestro's prone form.

Just as the golden light hammer was about to descend upon Sinestro, four beams of yellow light materialized out of thin air, shattering the hammer into countless pieces. Before I could even process what was happening, the beams converged upon me, ensnaring me within a sphere of shimmering yellow energy.

Raising a skeptical eyebrow, I found myself surrounded by four figures clad in attire reminiscent of Sinestro's signature style, while another alien knelt beside Sinestro, aiding him in rising to his feet.

"Well, well, well... looks like you've brought the whole entourage," I remarked dryly, shooting a pointed glance at Sinestro. "I can't decide whether to feel flattered or downright aggrieved..."