"Good morning, Warden."
Just as Wolf's thoughts drifted toward the miserable reality of another unpaid overtime shift, a smooth, alluring voice quietly broke the silence.
His tired eyes twitched.
He turned around immediately.
At some point, someone had entered his office without him noticing.
The woman standing there wore a light green Bohemian-style coat over a fitted top that accentuated her figure. Her wine-red hair rested neatly over her shoulders, drawing immediate attention.
Even Wolf, a man hardened by years of dealing with dangerous metahumans, felt his heartbeat quicken for a second.
But only for a second.
He quickly composed himself.
This woman was his superior.
Under the filtered sunlight pouring through the office windows, she carried herself with the unmistakable authority of someone used to command. There was something sharp in her presence, something naturally intimidating, as if she stood above ordinary people without needing to prove it.
The woman was Mera.
By Adrian's order, she had been placed in charge of Iron Heights Prison, the facility designated for dangerous super-powered criminals.
"Good morning, Ms. Mera."
Wolf straightened his posture immediately.
"I heard there were problems with the prison's surveillance and power systems last night," Mera said without wasting time. "Did one of the inmates cause trouble?"
"Yes."
Wolf answered quickly before adding, "But it wasn't the prisoners. There was a minor issue with a relay system. We fixed it shortly afterward."
"Is that so?"
Mera's gaze lingered on him for a moment.
The brief silence alone was enough to make sweat begin gathering at Wolf's temple.
Because the truth was not nearly as simple.
The outage had happened after a prison guard, someone Wolf had secretly brought in without authorization, accidentally caused a fire. It had been extinguished quickly, but not before damaging part of the electrical system.
"It… happened exactly like that," Wolf said stiffly.
"I hope so."
Mera did not press the issue further.
Instead, she stepped forward.
"Take me to the section holding the Green Lanterns."
Her reason for coming today was simple.
The Green Lantern prisoners.
Mera was not a woman content with remaining powerless.
She understood her position better than most.
More importantly, she knew perfectly well that one particular woman around Adrian held no affection for her.
Wonder Woman.
The hostility between them was obvious.
If the two of them ever truly came to blows, Mera knew the likely outcome.
Wonder Woman would not hesitate.
Mera had little doubt Diana would cut her down if given the chance.
And if their positions were reversed, she would not hesitate either.
Still…
The situation felt ridiculous.
The woman practically treated her like a rival.
Even when Mera herself had never intentionally crossed that line.
At least, not originally.
As they walked deeper into the prison, a thought repeated itself in her mind.
A Green Lantern Ring.
If she obtained one of those rings, things would change.
Power changed everything.
And with enough power, even Wonder Woman would stop being untouchable.
Wolf led her through the heavily secured prison corridors.
The deeper they went into B Block, the heavier the atmosphere became.
Rows of reinforced cells lined both sides of the corridor.
Most inmates housed here were not ordinary criminals.
These were metahuman offenders, dangerous individuals serving life sentences without parole.
No bail.
No reduced sentences.
Few visitors.
Many would never step outside these walls again.
Provided Adrian continued enforcing his strict policies.
Their footsteps echoed through the silence.
Each reinforced security gate opened only after Wolf entered multiple authorizations before closing heavily behind them.
Sunlight filtered through narrow barred windows high above, stretching their shadows across the cold floor as they moved further inside.
Eventually, Mera stopped.
Voices.
Coming from deeper within the prison.
Her expression sharpened.
She turned toward Wolf, silently asking a question.
Why is someone here?
Wolf looked equally confused.
Cold sweat formed instantly on his forehead.
He had not approved any visitors.
Inside the holding area, an irritated female voice echoed through the corridor.
"I honestly can't believe the two of you still showed up."
The speaker was Arisia.
The Green Lantern often nicknamed the "Elf Princess" sat inside her cell, glaring at the two visitors in front of her.
"I figured you and Sinestro were too busy acting like perfect partners."
Her tone turned sharper.
"Maybe even enjoying some nice team bonding."
Arisia was no stranger to Earth.
She had visited before and once worked briefly at a bar while observing human culture.
By Earth standards, she was more than two hundred years old.
But according to the lifespan of her homeworld, Graxos IV, she was still considered young.
When she still possessed her ring, Arisia had altered her appearance into that of an adult woman.
Now that Adrian had taken the ring, she had reverted to her natural younger form.
Standing outside the cell were Hal Jordan and John Stewart.
"I don't support Adrian working with Sinestro," Hal said with visible frustration. "But Arisia, reality isn't something we can ignore. None of us can change it alone."
"You can."
Arisia's eyes narrowed.
"Back on Oa, you fought for Adrian and the Green Lanterns. You escaped prison and came all the way to Earth because of it."
Her voice hardened.
"Tell me, Hal, do you still remember the Green Lantern oath?"
"Of course I do."
"Then have you actually lived by it?"
Her attention shifted toward John Stewart.
"And you? As Hal's replacement, have you fulfilled your responsibility?"
John folded his arms.
"Justice isn't always straightforward," he said carefully. "Sometimes people disagree on how it should be upheld."
"This isn't disagreement," Arisia snapped. "There isn't more than one right answer here."
Her expression darkened.
"Homelander is wrong. Completely."
Hal exhaled slowly.
"But Adrian isn't as simple as you think."
Arisia immediately cut him off.
"He killed Ch'p!"
The mention of the fallen Lantern brought visible guilt to Hal's face.
"I know," he said quietly. "And I'm sorry."
He paused before continuing.
"But before things become irreversible, we can still stop something worse from happening."
His voice became firmer.
"Sinestro wants war. He benefits from conflict. When you're dealing with someone like that, the worst thing you can do is let them control the pace."
Hal looked directly at her.
"If Adrian releases you, will you speak to the Guardians? We need to stop this before it turns into something bigger."
Arisia went silent.
She liked Hal.
That much was true.
After a moment, she sighed.
"I understand what you're trying to do," she admitted. "But it's already too late."
Hal frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"The Guardians already sent forces."
Her voice turned serious.
"The Corps will probably reach Earth soon."
Then she gave him a helpless look.
"And honestly, Hal, I'm just a Green Lantern. Do you really think I can change the Guardians' minds?"
Tension immediately appeared on Hal's face.
"They're coming that soon?"
"It looks that way."
Arisia hesitated before speaking again.
"You and Stewart should come back to the Corps. Your problems with the Guardians aren't impossible to fix."
"No."
Hal answered immediately.
"I'm following my own path."
His voice remained steady.
"You don't understand Adrian. He's not some irredeemable monster."
Hal glanced toward the exit.
Right now, the incoming Green Lantern Corps mattered more than anything else.
"Sorry," he said. "We need to go."
Without wasting another second, he turned and left.
John followed closely behind.
Outside the secured area, Mera had heard everything.
The moment Hal and Stewart approached, she quietly stepped into an adjacent room with Wolf, avoiding direct contact.
The two Lanterns exited soon after.
Their rings released faint green light, bypassing security systems that ordinary personnel could never unlock.
Once they disappeared, Mera frowned.
"So…"
Her expression darkened slightly.
"A war is coming."
After a brief pause, she turned to Wolf.
"Keep close watch on Arisia. I don't want any accidents."
"Yes, ma'am."
Without another word, Mera left Iron Heights.
Meanwhile.
Metropolis.
Inside the government building, Adrian finally found time to review Lana's manuscript.
Chloe had passed it to him earlier, but recent matters had kept him too occupied to read it properly.
Now, sitting in his office, he flipped through the pages carefully.
Beside him stood his secretary, Hanna.
Dressed in a fitted black office outfit with black-rimmed glasses, she placed a fresh cup of coffee on his desk.
Her eyes drifted toward the manuscript.
"Is that another novel from Betty?"
Because of how comfortable she had become around Adrian, Hanna spoke more casually than most employees dared.
"No," Adrian replied. "This one's from Lana."
"Lana?"
Hanna paused.
"You mean Lana Lang?"
She knew her.
Adrian's longtime friend and former classmate.
"Yes."
Hanna raised an eyebrow.
"Didn't expect her to enjoy writing too."
Her thoughts wandered briefly.
Betty often expressed emotions through her writing.
Could Lana be doing something similar?
Before she could dwell on it longer, Adrian suddenly stopped turning the pages.
His expression shifted.
Serious.
"Hanna," he said quietly, "wait outside for a moment."
"Hm?"
"I need to speak with a guest."
Though confused, Hanna simply shrugged.
"Alright."
She walked out of the office.
The door closed behind her.
Adrian slowly looked toward the window.
His gaze sharpened.
"You can come out now, Sinestro."
His voice turned colder.
"I already know you're here."