Shadow Monarch in DC
Chapter 182: Submission Denied

Chapter 182: Submission Denied

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Arthur and Hal flew in silence now as the massive structure of the Citadel of the Guardians loomed larger and larger in the distance. Suspended in the vacuum above the radiant surface of Oa, the fortress was a marvel of alien design, spires jutting out like the crown of a cosmic god, each etched with ancient sigils of the Green lantern corps. Emerald energy pulsed through its structure.

Arthur narrowed his eyes.

The closer they got, the more he felt it, the power of Will. Not just the energy of the Central Battery humming across the planet like a low hymn, but the collective focus of the Corps. Hundreds, and thousands of Lanterns were circling above and around the citadel now, their postures rigid, alert. A full perimeter.

They were expecting him.

Their formation wasn’t ceremonial. It was defensive.

Arthur didn’t speak, but his body tensed his shoulders drawn back, chin slightly tilted, violet light humming louder around him as if instinctively responding to the unspoken challenge. His glowing eyes flicked across the sea of green.

’They fear me,’ he thought. ’Good.’

He didn’t need to say it. He could feel the words leaking from their minds, taste the accusation hanging in the air:

’The Earthling.’

’The one who killed Sinestro.’

’The one who defies the Balance.’

’The Shadow Lantern.’, ’The Dark Lantern.’

When they landed at the citadel, Arthur landed first. There, waiting at the arched entrance to the inner sanctum, stood Tomar-Re, Salakk, and the towering presence of Kilowog himself, arms crossed over his chest,a living wall of alien muscle and distrust.

Kilowog’s small, eyes settled on Arthur.

"So," he rumbled, his voice like distant thunder, "this is him."

Arthur didn’t answer. He didn’t even look at Kilowog. He simply walked past, each footstep calm as ever.

"We shouldn’t waste time here, Hal." he said to Hal without turning his head.

Hal gave a small, tight shrug. "Right. Just walk ahead. The Guardians are expecting the audience."

Behind them, Kilowog leaned slightly toward Hal and muttered under his breath, "I don’t like him."

Hal replied without hesitation, voice dry. "Trust me — he doesn’t like you either."

Kilowog snorted.

They passed through the gates.

The interior of the Citadel was nothing short of majestic. It was as if the universe itself had folded inward to pay homage. The hall was massive, circular, and impossibly tall its ceiling lost in a dome of shimmering stars, like a glimpse into the fabric of space itself. Green light cascaded from floating pylons above, the floor was a ringed mosaic, the symbol of the Green Lantern Corps stretched across it like a holy crest.

And there, above everyone, stood the Guardians of the Universe.

Small in stature, yet titanic in presence, their ageless eyes watched Arthur approach from atop a hovering platform of pulsating energy. Draped in flowing white and blue, their hands folded behind their backs or clasped at their sides, they regarded him not with hostility, but with calm judgment; the quiet, crushing kind that felt like standing under the weight of a mountain. But not to Arthur.

Arthur’s boots struck the floor with steady rhythm. There was no hesitation, no bow, no pause for reverence. He didn’t fidget. He didn’t lower his gaze. His violet eyes burned as they swept across the immortal beings, meeting their gaze without flinching.

He stopped a few paces from the center, shoulders squared, only his power seemed to generate.

One of the Guardians, Ganthet started speaking, his tone even, wise.

"Welcome to Oa, Arthur Blackwynd of Earth."

The greeting echoed through the hall, reverent.

Arthur stood still for a moment.

And then... he smirked, just faintly, not out of arrogance, but out of pure, calculated defiance.

"So this is where the universe pretends it’s in control."

A pause. The hall echoed with silence. Then, one of the Guardians floated slightly forward, his expression unreadable, voice calm yet heavy with judgment.

"Do you know why you were summoned here?"

Another added, harsher

"Your crimes in Qward have not gone unnoticed."

"The destruction of the Yellow Lantern Corps," a third intoned, "may seem noble to you, Earthling. But the emotional spectrum exists in balance. Disrupting one Corps invites chaos."

They all looked toward the ring on Arthur’s hand. Violet and black, pulsing with unnatural energy.

"Your creation," one whispered, almost with disdain.

A fourth Guardian spoke ancient and trembling with veiled concern.

"That ring is unstable. Extremely dangerous."

"The Central Power Battery in Qward, which you have... corrupted, is draining the energies of the spectrum."

"Even now, your mere presence here disturbs the Battery on Oa. The willpower light dims when you breathe near it."

Their eyes glowed brighter as they came together in collective decree.

"Arthur Blackwynd," one declared solemnly, "if you care for the universe as your fellow Earthling Hal Jordan does, then heed our judgment: Submit your ring. Surrender it to us, and it will be destroyed. A squadron will travel to Qward and cleanse the battery you altered. If you comply, your crimes will be forgiven."

"We understand," another said, tone almost philosophical,"that sometimes evil arises not from intent, but from accident. The universe bends and twists. We do not always punish we correct, we bring balance, justice and order. That is our duty."

The hall fell still.

The Guardians awaited his answer.

Then Arthur...

He laughed.

At first, it was low a breathless, rasping chuckle. But it grew, rising into a full-bodied laugh that echoed across the walls, shaking the very pillars of the Citadel. The sky and Light trembled. Lanterns outside paused mid-flight. The Central Battery itself seemed to pulse in confusion.

From outside the chamber, Hal Jordan froze.

"...That’s not good," he muttered.

Kilowog’s jaw tightened. "He’s pissed isn’t he..."

"Of course he is," Hal snapped, turning on his heel. "I made sure to tell them not to provoke him!"

Without another word, he sprinted down toward their hall. The others followed.

Back inside, Arthur’s laughter faded.

He stood still now. Straight. Calm and dangerous.

He looked up at the Guardians hovering above, eyes burning with violet light.

"That was very funny," he said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

He began pacing slowly beneath them, gesturing idly with one hand.

"So it’s a crime now... to eradicate evil?"

His voice was calm, but it thrummed with something raw.

"A crime... to destroy an entire corps who terrorized galaxies, slaughtered millions—beings you were responsible to protect?"

One of the Guardians opened their mouth, but Arthur cut them off, his voice rising slightly.

"You never sought to end them. Not truly. You let them grow. You let them exist. Because you needed them. You needed fear to justify your peace. You needed monsters to define your order."

He stopped. His hand curled into a fist.

"And yet I’m the one on the floor... while you float above me like gods."

The room dimmed. Shadows gathered.

Arthur rose slowly, his body lifting from the floor, surrounded by a storm of black mist. His glowing violet eyes locked onto theirs.

"Let me correct something," he said, now eye-level with the Guardians. "It was not an accident. It was not chaos. It was not some wayward, emotional mistake."

The Citadel seemed to grow colder.

"I went to Qward with one goal," he said, his voice a growl.

"I killed them. I destroyed them. And I meant it."

A wave of his violet aura flared behind him. The Guardians recoiled slightly, their eyes flickering with caution.

"I altered the battery," Arthur continued, flexing his hand. The ring glowed, pulses of dark light flickering like a heartbeat. "I forged this ring. The effect...the absorption of the spectrum...was unintentional, yes. But the justice I delivered was not."

He floated in a slow circle now.

"I’m not giving up my ring because it scares you."

"I don’t wish to harm the Green Lanterns, your Corps is filled with warriors I respect. But you..."

He looked directly at the central Guardian.

"...you are not worthy of that respect."

A Guardian finally snarled.

"This insolence is expected from an Earthling. You underestimate the might of the Corps."

Arthur smiled coldly.

"Your numbers don’t scare me."

He descended back to the floor, boots touching the ground with eerie stillness.

Then he whispered,

"Witness and judge for yourselves."

He raised his ringed hand.

The ring glowed darker now, almost black.

And then the shadows stirred.

From the floor beneath his feet, violet-black tendrils of darkness slithered outward, stretching like living veins of ink. The air pulsed. The Guardians stared, wide-eyed, as shapes began to rise one after another.

/-\

If you Like this story! Check out my other stories! Solo leveling in Westeros.

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If you wish to read more or simply support me than check out my patreon at

"/FrenzyAren"

You can Get Access to 3 More Chapters OR 7 More Chapters if you want