Green Lantern's Blight!

Green Lantern's Blight

Time: 1702 AA / 1818 AD

Location: The Void Between Galaxies

The jagged fortress loomed in the darkness, an obsidian mass pulsating with veins of sickly purple energy. The tendrils of shadow surged toward me, each one tipped with crystalline barbs that glistened like the teeth of some monstrous predator.

I hovered in the oppressive blackness, my mind cold and focused. Panic had no place here. Fear was a luxury I couldn't afford. This was just another obstacle. And obstacles could be crushed.

"Ring," I muttered, my voice tight, "analyze the fortress. I want weak points."

++ Analyzing structure… Unable to complete analysis. Dimensional interference detected. ++

I clenched my jaw. Of course it wouldn't be that easy. Whoever built this place had layered it with defenses that even a Lantern's Ring couldn't penetrate.

The tendrils lashed out faster than thought. I willed a construct shield into existence, a curved dome of emerald energy wrapping around me just in time. The shadowy appendages slammed into the shield, sending shockwaves rippling through my body. The pressure mounted, cracks spiderwebbing across the surface of my construct.

++ Structural integrity at 67%. Recommend evasive maneuvers. ++

I gritted my teeth. "Recommend shutting up."

With a surge of willpower, I expanded the shield outward in a shockwave. The tendrils shattered into wisps of black smoke, but I knew it was only a temporary reprieve. The fortress pulsed again, the dark energy within it thrumming with a rhythm that felt alive.

I needed a different approach. Charging in headfirst wasn't going to work. Not this time.

I scanned the fortress, looking for anything—anything—that could be used to my advantage. My Ring couldn't analyze it, but maybe I could use its own defenses against it. The fortress was alive, reactive. If it was going to adapt to me, maybe I could make it adapt in the wrong way.

I floated in place, forcing myself to stay calm. My eyes narrowed as I watched the fortress, waiting for the next attack.

Sure enough, the tendrils began to reform, the darkness coagulating and writhing like a nest of vipers. But this time, instead of rushing in to meet them, I did the unexpected.

I turned and flew away.

The fortress hesitated, the tendrils freezing mid-motion. The intelligence controlling it was confused, trying to process my retreat.

Good.

I didn't fly far—just enough to create some distance. Then I doubled back, circling the fortress like a predator sizing up its prey. I needed it to commit to one direction, to overextend. I had to be patient. I hated patience.

The fortress pulsed again, this time more erratically. The tendrils lashed out in all directions, reacting to my movements. The more it spread itself out, the thinner its defenses became.

"There you are," I murmured, spotting a section of the fortress where the shadows were slow to regenerate. A weak spot. Not much of one, but I'd take what I could get.

I poured every ounce of willpower into the Ring, forming a spear of pure emerald light. The construct hummed with energy, vibrating with the tension of a coiled spring.

"Let's see how you like this."

I shot forward, the spear blazing ahead of me. The fortress shuddered, the tendrils desperately trying to intercept me, but I was moving too fast. The weak point grew larger in my vision, a wound in the fortress's armor waiting to be exploited.

At the last second, I twisted my body, driving the spear home.

The construct pierced the fortress's surface, sinking deep into its dark mass. The obsidian material shrieked, cracks spreading outward from the point of impact. Purple energy leaked from the wound like toxic blood.

I didn't stop. I couldn't stop. I poured more energy into the spear, driving it deeper, forcing the crack wider. The fortress trembled, the veins of purple light flickering wildly.

For a moment, I thought I'd won.

Then the fortress fought back.

A pulse of dark energy exploded outward, shattering my construct and throwing me backward. Pain seared through my body, the Ring's shields barely holding as I tumbled through the void.

++ Warning: Energy reserves at 49%. ++

I grunted, forcing myself upright. The fortress's wound was already sealing, the dark material knitting itself back together.

"Dammit," I muttered, frustration bubbling up. I'd hit it hard, but not hard enough. And now it knew my tactics.

Think. Think, Michael.

Retreating wasn't an option. Not yet. If I went back empty-handed, the fortress would just keep growing stronger. I needed something to bring back, some kind of leverage.

I closed my eyes, forcing myself to breathe. The fortress was powerful, yes, but everything had limits. Even this. I just needed to find its breaking point.

++ Energy spike detected. ++

My eyes snapped open. The fortress's core pulsed, a surge of dark energy radiating outward. It was preparing for another attack, something bigger.

But in that moment, as the core pulsed, I saw it—a faint flicker of something else within the fortress. A different energy, buried beneath the darkness. It was brief, but unmistakable.

Fear.

The fortress was afraid.

It wasn't invincible. It was just as trapped in this void as I was. Whatever intelligence controlled it, it wasn't operating from a position of power. It was desperate.

A slow, grim smile spread across my face.

"Ring, amplify my voice."

The Ring hummed. ++ Amplification ready. ++

I floated closer to the fortress, my posture relaxed, confident. Predatory.

"Whoever you are," I said, my voice echoing through the void, "you're scared. I can feel it. You're hiding out here because you know what happens if you're found."

The fortress pulsed, the tendrils hesitating.

I pressed on. "You think this darkness makes you powerful? It just makes you small. Cowering in the shadows, too afraid to show your face."

The shadows writhed, uncertain.

"You want to invade my Sector?" I sneered. "Then come out and fight. Or crawl back into your hole and stay there. Either way, you're mine now."

The fortress shuddered, the dark energy around it flickering like a dying flame. The tendrils began to retract, the obsidian walls drawing inward.

I knew a bluff when I saw one. This thing wasn't beaten, not yet. But I'd made my point. I'd shown it that I wasn't an easy target. And for now, that was enough.

I turned and flew away, the Ring's glow steadying as I left the fortress behind.

This wasn't over. But when it came to survival, sometimes the best move was knowing when to walk away—and when to come back with a bigger hammer.