No one saw it coming (HalBarry)

3

"I know you... Sebastian Allen Smythe."

"Who's there?"

"Are you afraid? Is fear consuming you?"

"What kind of bullshit are you spewing?"

"Scared for your brother? Scared for your family?"

"..."

"Good."

No footsteps. No receding sounds. Just an abrupt halt to the voice that just seemed to have appeared out of thin air. Sebastian was positively petrified, his whole being trembling violently even though he knew he had to stay calm.

But through his trembling, he found a sliver of green through the blinding, obnoxious yellow surrounding him. Someone must have had an urge to steer away from the hideous colour code. (I'm not bashing the colour.)

He didn't think much of it.

But when a few infuriated and irritated barks of a man's voice wafted his way, his ears perked up to absorb any sort of information.

And luck decided to stick with him on this one.

"... is here."

"Who?"

"The Green Lantern of Sector 2814."

Sebastian heard a substantial amount of muttered cursing to be heard, much to their prisoner's amused surprise.

"Is he alone?"

"It appears he is accompanied by a metahuman of this planet, The Flash."

Silence.

Even as Sebastian's heart dared to lift a little with hope, a pair of sinister yellow eyes glowing like citrines on a flaring red face that was contorted in the most inhumane way, appeared from the darkness. Instinctively, Sebastian knew that this man was the one who was in charge. His face was too close to Sebastian's, radiating sickening heat and extreme, terrified fear onto him, plunging the depths of his soul.

"The Flash is here," Red Face grinned maniacally. "Good thing, too. We may have a use of you after all."

Sebastian only remembered being on the tipping edge of terror before he blacked out.

****

"Is it a good idea? Challenging him outright?" The Flash asked as he finished preliminary checks on the territory. "This place is teeming with the yellow cadets."

The Green Lantern shrugged. "Thaal Sinestro is a very proud man. Vain, in fact, of his power and position. He abused his role as protector of a Sector and that's what landed him in trouble in the first place." Turning to Barry, he smiled. "Fortunately, he knows he can't use Parallax to infect you anymore (unless you accept the Ring), and he can't overpower my strength of will. These obvious disadvantages will drive him into a corner and he might make a mistake somewhere."

"Might? What do you mean, might make a mistake?"

Hal sighed. "He was close with Abin sur. He would naturally pick up all of the fine details of using power."

Barry shook his head. "Sometimes I'm really glad I'm not involved in this Lantern mess," he chuckled. "First time I heard of you guys, I thought you were something of a revolution modelled after Florence Nightingale."

Hal raised an eyebrow.

"Come on!" Barry's shoulders slumped, stretching his suit. "Florence Nightingale? Lady with The Lamp? Famous figure in healthcare?"