dear_mun | get out, i don't want you in my head

[Excuse you, possessing his predecessor. AIN'T NOBODY GOT TIME FOR THAT. Sodam folds his arms, looking deeply unimpressed (see: not afraid!!) and gives the creature a Look.

Okay so maybe there's a little bit of fear there. Because if there's one thing he's learned, hubris only gets a guy so far, and you can be a Daxamite Green Lantern Ion host and still get your ass kicked, and your mind controlled, and burn at the centre of a sun, among all manner of other things. He's never faced Parallax directly, and he's not certain he'd enjoy it. But that doesn't mean he's going to walk away, either. #Lanternproblems]

Do you always talk so much, Parallax?

[BRAVADO. Bravado is good let's go with that.]

[Wow harsh, there is always time for possession. Always.

With any other person, any other creature, that look would be convincing. Sodam would seem like a proper Lantern, brave and dashing and full of willpower. This is a creature of terror, though, and for Parallax that little sliver of fear is so very easy to see. So he laughs, because this is exactly what he was looking for. A Green Lantern come to play, with Ion as a bonus. #trolling]

I only speak the truth, Ion. And, truthfully, I'm a little confused about something. I was the great Torchbearer, the guy who brought the Corps back after Jordan destroyed it; it made sense to have me host Ion, you know?

But you. You, I don't get. How was a sub-par replacement such as yourself trusted with Ion? If the Guardians had chosen good ol' Hal, that would have made sense. You? Help your predecessor out, man, what made you so special? Cause I just can't see it.

[Oh, little Lantern. Bravado isn't going to get you very far.]

[His posture straightens, incrementally, some instinctive reaction to having been found out. Or maybe it's that Parallax sounds a little like nails on a chalkboard.

What bothers him more than that, though, is the words. Parallax has access to Kyle's memories just as well as it had Hal Jordan's. It knows what he does, and more than that, knows how to use that knowledge to cut. Truthfully, when Sodam first heard that Kyle had been the prior Ion, he couldn't believe it. It seemed like so much power to waste on a human. But he's since learned.

Is the sentiment truly that of the Illustres? Or is it simply Parallax augmenting the internal dissent? Either way, it stings. It's probably Kilowog's training that has him trying to calculate how likely the odds are of him being able to take on Parallax.

His expression shifts into something like grim amusement. Wouldn't be the first time he fought a losing battle.]

You'd have to ask the Guardians.

[Since. You know. They kind of just showed up on Earth and went 'here have a space whale' without preamble.]

But if I'm sub-par, I'd hate to hear what you think of the people who've consistently stood against and stopped you.

[His tone is mild. Turns out that constant self-immolation does wonders for a guy's ability to keep his anger in check.]

[Parallax has quite a bit of experience acting like his host, and with access to all of Kyle's memories and mannerisms the act itself is easy. It isn't quite perfect, of course, as Parallax is far better at playing up the worst parts of his hosts than he is at the best, but it is near enough to fool even the closest of friends.

The best part about the act? Was that everything he used against beloved friends and family came from the hosts themselves. All the cruel words, all the hateful sentiments; all readily dredged up from the darkest corners of his host's mind. Parallax could always tell when he found the best ammunition; it was when his dear host screamed and begged the loudest.

Amusement, Sodam? This isn't a battle of constructs, of green light versus brilliant yellow or corrupted green. Losing this battle won't leave you with bruises or broken bones. It probably won't even kill you. Kyle could always use a friend, after all.]

Ask the Guardians? I think I'll pass on asking those Willy Wonka rejects anything. I've kinda grown beyond them now; new suit, new Corps, new color.

[Space bugs are cooler, you should try it. While Parallax talks, he starts to circle, slowly, no big deal he's just walking. Don't mind him.]

Oh, good one. I'm hurt, I really am. Is that any way to talk to the guy who paved the way for you? I carried the torch when no one else could, reinstated the Corps and hell, I even found Ion. You should be thanking me, not acting like I'm the enemy.

[He looks genuinely hurt before his expression turns ugly, a snarl with a few too many teeth stretched unnaturally across his face.]

[Welp. When in doubt, insult their... fashion choice? Good job. Most articulate Lantern.]

Yellow doesn't suit anyone.

[Wow okay thanks he is not moving as Parallax circles him. Just gonna stand stock still and pretend he's not super, super twitchy at the idea of Parallax being in his blind spot. Thank Rao for yellow suns, he's not quite so vulnerable as he'd be otherwise, but the constant thrum of lead in his bloodstream is a weakness he hopes Parallax knows nothing about. He tracks his movement in other ways, the subtle things that his Daxamite heritage lets him pick up on, heartbeats and breath.]

You'll notice I'm not talking to Honour Guard Rayner.

[His tone is stiff. Still not turning around, although his fingers have secured a vicegrip on his arms where they're folded. He faced down Mongul and dropped his shields to save a planet once, the snarling doesn't so much as make him flinch. But that he's unsettled is obvious.]

[Pauldrons are wonderfully stylish super villain attire, and capes are always cool. Jealous.]

Yellow is beautiful.

[Parallax is unimpressed. You can pretend all you like, Sodam, but Parallax has been around since the first living being felt fear; body language is no mystery to him. He's still circling slowly, there's no rush. Parallax can be patient when it comes to wearing down a Green Lanterns willpower, and right now he has no where to be except here.]

Oh, Sodam. I am Kyle Rayner. Becoming Parallax was less a possession, and more a partnership. Do you want me to prove it to you? Nothing you can create with the help of that over grown fish inside you can compare to what I can imagine, can compare to the creativity I can summon.

[He laughs, and this time it sounds far more human than it did before. Less nails on chalkboard, more genuine amusement (still a lie, but a more convincing one than the last). Parallax stills at the very farthest reaches of peripheral vision, almost, but not quite within easy viewing. What was a slow, steady human heartbeat starts to speed up. He might be getting ready to do something; he might not.]

[Evil is never fashionable!! Gosh.]

We'll have to agree to disagree.

[Still impassive, he forces his hands to his sides with a stiffness of motion that belies his calm, still not turning to face the creature. He's always been a man of action, standing still (like prey) is setting him on edge. Give him a good fight any day of the week, he never has been patient.]

No one who's known Ion would ever submit to you, Parallax. You have access to Kyle's mind, his memories. But I know he's fighting you.

[Lethal force enabled against members of the Sinestro Corps. He remembers the day that order came down, how much he'd relished the idea. Could he kill Kyle, to stop Parallax? Could he have destroyed Zamaron's central battery?

He wouldn't like doing either. But yes. He could. But while he can believe that Kyle has a fighting chance, he won't strike first. Though that laugh, the almost-human quality to it, makes him flex his hands into fists.]

[Alas, Parallax will never win Project Runway.]

Oh, I'm sure I'll be able to change your mind.

[Parallax tilts his(it's) head, smiles, and continues to stand with the relaxed, confident stance of a predator patiently waiting for the preys inevitable stumble. Parallax can enjoy a good fight; but it's the building tension, the limb shaking fear before the action starts that he truly enjoys. Idly, Parallax begins to run the tips of his fingers along the underside of his gauntlet. When did his nails grow sharp? It doesn't matter; dragged over Parallax's metal gauntlets his claws make a low shrieking noise followed by grating clicks. Shhssss, click click. Shhsssss, click click. Hope the noise doesn't get on your nerves, Sodam.]

Does that lie make you feel better, little Lantern? Brings you comfort on cold, dark nights when there is no yellow sun to strengthen you, and no fellow Lanterns to guard your back? Does it help you believe you'll never end up in my place?

It just shows how very little you know. You can say Kyle's fighting all you like, but the truth is, he never put up a fight at all. He begged, and he screamed, and he broke long before Sinestro tore Ion from his chest. . And when it came time for us to become one, for me to possess that endlessly creative heart, he had no more vaunted willpower left to resist with.

[One step closer, now. Shhssss, click click. Another step, slow and steady. Shhsssss, click click. He's not too far away, now. Shhhssss, click click.]

I wonder. How many friends and family will I have to kill to make you break, Sodam Yat?

[He considers, very briefly, snapping out try it. But given the susceptibilities he now knows he has to people capable of the erasure of free will-- the difficulty he had in breaking Mother Mercy's control. Hn. He says nothing on that front, instead focusing on being as externally nonreactive as possible. Ion is a cold comfort at this time, he still remembers and resents the block that Scar had put on his ability to reach it in one instance of great need.]

I was a Lantern before I even knew the changes a yellow sun would have on my physiology. And I've fought alone enough to know the stakes.

[Would the fight with Prime have been different if someone had his back? A muscle jumps in his jaw. It's difficult to imagine Kyle as someone broken, but he doesn't doubt it. To be vulnerable to Parallax takes only a moment of fear, but it grows like an infection once it's been given a chance to take root. And for all that Parallax says he had no willpower left, he knows that Kyle and the other Earth Lanterns defeated the creature once before.

He takes a moment, a breath, trying to centre himself. The sound (the clicking, the screeches. Dick move around someone with super hearing) is one more way Parallax is trying to throw him off balance.

But he's the host for Ion for a reason. Because he can handle it. Not because he'll never break, not because he can't be weak. But because his will is indomitable. You can lose the battle and still win the war.

How many friends? Tessog comes to mind. Arisia. Does he have others? Not really. He's always been a loner. And as for family-- hah. He came back to Daxam because he was a Lantern and it was his duty, not because he cared. Objectivity was easier than dealing with the rancour, the rage he still and will doubtless always feel towards that hateful place. His own father, hungry for power, wanted to throw him back into the Daxam sun. 'Family' means nothing to him, outside of the Corps.

He likes the Lanterns he's worked with. Kyle, Guy. Vath, Isamot. Kilowog. Others. But if they died, it would be for duty. And he would not break. But Arisia--

He has faith enough, in her.]

You'd have to get past me. Somehow I don't see that happening.

[Because sometimes he's still just a cocky little shit under it all.]

[Click. Click. Screeeech. Take a moment, take a breath. Take a few, even, for no amount of time will help you regain your balance here, Sodam. Every weakness and every flaw that can be exploited, will be.]

Haven't we already established how little you know?

[Parallax was born of fear, and fear is what he(it) is. Every living being has fears; big, small, trivial or intense they are all laid out for Parallax to pick and choose from. How does one person easily fight a creature that knows every fear you have? That knows the terrors you won't admit to, even to yourself? It was why killing Jack Chance was so very easy, and why hosts can't escape without help from the outside. Giving into that fear for even one moment can leave a Green Lantern vulnerable to Parallax, and he is always willing to use that to his advantage.

After all, Green Lanterns are his favorite type of beings to break.]

Get past you? How cliche. I don't need to get past you. The Universe is a large, dangerous, frightening place. How many of your fellow Lanterns, I wonder, will die trying to protect it? Four years, three months, one day, thirteen hours, and seven minutes is the average life expectancy of a Green Lantern. That's not very long at all.

Oh, but you... you're the host of Ion. With the green energy of Ion, you'll outlive everything and everyone you know. Outlive the Corps, even. You will be the last Green Lantern. Fitting, for the replacement of someone known as the 'Torchbearer'.

[Lantern, Lantern, burning bright... what is your greatest fear tonight. The screeches and clicks of Parallax's claws go silent as he lazily waves a hand. In easy view of Sodam a green light appears, slowly sketching Parallax's vision into existence. The features of Arisia Rab are drawn out in bright emerald energy, her figure standing firm and her face proud. Behind the Daxamite, another dim green light silently begins to form nightmarish constructs.]

I can personally guarantee one thing, Ion. You will outlive your partner from Sector 2815.

[Green energy turns almost yellow, the construct Arisia's face contorting with terror before the whole projection shatters. Parallax laughs; this time, there is nothing human about it.]

You look a little grumpy for a Green Lantern, buddy. Grumpier than usual.

[ Because all he's seeing is the outfit. ]

[Hey, Kid. That costume is nice. Love the yellow.

Parallax may have looked grumpy before, but with the appearance of a familiar face he looks all too excited. This Kid Flash could be from timeline or multiversal shenanigans, it didn't really matter to Parallax. The human Green Lanterns have always been close to the Flashs, and that makes them easy targets for Parallax.

Any friend of Kyle's, even a de-aged/potentially alternate one, is a friend of his. So Parallax puts on a friendly face, dissolves the mask and smiles (the smile may have a few too many teeth, if you look close enough).]

Dude, I am not grumpy. Guy's the grumpy Lantern, come on, I'm the hip Lantern with the witty one-liners.

But, Flash, man. What happened to you? You're looking a little shorter than usual. Did the League get hit with another de-aging curse when I wasn't looking?

[Parallax is just going to... circle around, maybe edge a little closer. For all the human memories and mannerisms Parallax can pull from Kyle's head, he still has trouble with casual. He looks far more like a circling shark than an approaching friendly.]

[ Yellow is totally the best color, but not for the reasons you're thinking, bub.

Domino masks were what Wally was used to with Green Lanterns, or at least from his uncle's best friend, Hal. John and Guy went maskless; must be interesting to go out in the open like that.

He's not sure what to make of this one getting rid of his mask, though. Or smiling. Weirdly smiling. Showing off all those teeth. ]

I dunno, Guy seems like a barrel of laughs most days. If kind of annoying. [ The joys of limited appearances. ]

Flash? Kid Flash, dude, and not even really that. I'm retired. Sorta.

[ He is wearing the costume, though, so it's more like he's temporarily back in business? Wally follows along as Kylelax (Parakyle?) starts circling about him. ]

I get that you're a Lantern and all, but you're not one I know.

[Parallax is being friendly! So friendly. The extra teeth are just to show off how 'extra' excited he is to see you. Honest.]

Barrel of laughs is one way to describe Guy. Angry and annoying are probably better ones. [Guy 'always getting the short stick to the head' Gardner. At least he has appearances.]

You retired as Kid Flash? This must be an alternate universe thing, because the last time I checked you were 'The' Flash. Guess you're not quite up to it in your universe.

[Parallax can't pull off nice very well. The best he can do is 'only mildly creepy'. He's just going to casually stroll along while looking extremely unimpressed. Full Flashs are so much more impressive than baby ones. Unfortunately for Wally, Parallax enjoys messing will all types of heroes. Large and small.]

Dude, your universe must suck. You know Guy, but you don't know me? I guess friendships really aren't universal.

My name is Kyle, and I'm not just a Lantern. I'm the guy who took over the ring after Jordan went crazy and tried to destroy the universe.

[Yes sir, this is all one hundred percent truthful. True facts, no lies. Now, ask why Hal went crazy. Go ahead. You know you want to, Wally.]

[ If Parallax gets any friendlier, someone is going to have to start playing the theme from Jaws. To be honest, it's working at creeping Wally out a little bit. ]

Must be. I guess if I can have a cousin traveling back from the future, alternate universes aren't that far off as a possibility.

[ He shrugs, trying to keep his cool, and trying not to rise to this guy's baiting. He's cool with not being Kid Flash anymore. Yeah. He totally is. No matter what anyone else might say. ]

Wait- [ Wally tenses. Hal did what now and how? ]

What do you mean, "Hal went crazy and tried to destroy the universe?" Green Lantern's are pretty kick-ass, but they're not that strong, dude.

[Parallax does creepy better than he does friendly. The curse of possessing a human, but not actually being one. The upsides to possessing a human? Having all of their memories. Right now, Kyle Rayner's memories show a Wally West who felt like a inferior Flash when he took over for his uncle. They show a Wally West who, like all superheroes, break better with threats to friends and family than to self. So, how do you like hearing about the fall and death of people you know, Wally? It really doesn't matter, because Parallax is here to share.]

Trust me, time travel is one of the less weird things out there.

[Hooked. Parallax's face falls, looking for all the world like someone who just brought up a touchy subject and now strongly regrets it.]

Buddy, I hate to break it to you, but in my universe Hal went crazy. And while Green Lanterns may not be that strong, insane GLs who destroy the Corps and then absorb all the power of the Central Power Battery are definitely that powerful. If the original Flash had still been around, he might have been able to talk Hal down. As it was, the only Flash we had was you. The Justice League was forced to hunt him down and stop him. Permanently.

It may not have happened yet in your universe, but you should keep an eye out just in case. Jordan never was the most stable of guys; it's not a surprise he went power mad like his mentor Sinestro.

[ Well. That's an earful he never expected to get. Wally goes silent for once in his life, quite visibly distressed by this news. Heck - out of all the Green Lanterns he knows, Hal is pretty much family - a second uncle via his friendship with Barry. Whenever Wally got the chance and needed to talk to an older guy who wasn't his uncle, Hal was the one he went to.

So to hear that this man had gone crazy in some other other universe and that the same could happen in his? ]

I won't let that happen. [ The speedster looks back to Parallax, frowning. ]

Sorry, dude - but I'm gonna make sure there's no need for a fourth GL back home. [ Look at that, Parallax. You've managed to start making him angry at the face of a potential best friend. ]

How do you plan to stop it? You're a lone speedster, a retired speedster, how can you possibly stop all the events that lead up to him taking a high dive straight into crazy? If your uncle had still been alive, he might have been able to do something. Lessened the damage, maybe.

But you? A teenager against the events that will shape the man who destroys the entire Green Lantern Corps. Doesn't sound like a winning scenario.

[Parallax laughs (it sounds more akin to nails on chalkboard than to any human laugh), reforms his mask and does a showy spin.]

Well, good luck. But I wouldn't make any promises if I were you. After all, the fall of Hal Jordan is inevitable. The events can be changed, but the outcome? That will never change, not even across universes, and all the power of the speed force you wield will be of no help in stopping it.

[He pauses, the skin of his face twisting inhumanly for a moment before settling into a curious expression.]

I wonder how many people Hal will murder in your universe before he's put down like a rabid dog?

[ This has certainly just descended into full-on creepy. Any shred of Wally that still considered this guy human has gone waaaaaaay out the window and somewhere off past Jupiter. The laugh for one thing, but then there was the way his face deformed for a moment that just had the speedster drawing back from the brunet as much as he could. ]

You don't know that. Different universe, different rules.

[ He looked down, which was probably a bad idea, taking his gaze off of this psycho, but this was actually getting to him... The thought that Hal might go off the deep end and kill people.

It wasn't right. ]

My uncle is still alive in my universe anyway. Like you said, he has a chance of doing it, and I'll make sure he knows it.

[Whoops, he lost control of his skin for a second there. Pay it no mind, Wally, it's no big deal. Parallax just has a very serious skin condition.]

Kid, some things are universal.

[Pay attention, Wally, it's story time. Emerald figures begin to sketch themselves into existence, lines and weight and details forming into familiar heroes. Hal Jordan and Barry Allen, Green Lantern and The Flash stand in front of Wally. They look young, heroic and hopeful and alive.

Until the Flash begins to crumble, turning into dust as the Green Lantern tries desperately to stop it. Desperation(fear) turns to despair as the Flash disappears entirely. A miniature Coast City then springs up around them only to be destroyed. Hal Jordan's devastation turns to rage, and alien Green Lanterns appear around him. Jordan strikes them down; he burns Kilowog, destroys the Guardians, and breaks Sinestro's neck. Finally, the Central Power Battery shatters, the energy inside encasing Jordan's form. When it dissipates, he's wearing a new uniform, one eerily reminiscent of what Parallax is wearing.

Hal Jordan looks dispassionately at Wally, then raises a hand. Just as green energy readies itself to strike the speedster down, all the constructs vanish.]

No one can stop what's meant to happen, Wally.

If you are looking to spread terror throughout the universe, might I suggest a screening of the modern film classic Birdemic: Shock and Terror? It is highly regarded among some circles as an achievement in the motion picture arts.

I am told it is also filled with thrills and chills.

A movie? I was thinking of something a little more... hands on.

If it's such an achievement, why haven't you seen it yourself? Not interested in a little fear?

We all have to start somewhere.

I do not mind fear in the least. I prefer watching films together, with friends. I find the experience is much more enjoyable in a group setting.

You don't mind fear? That's good to hear. Fear has it's place after all; it's very enlightening.

I find a group experience fun as well. Friends and family all together for a binding, fearful experience.

get out, i don't want you in my head

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i hate tenses

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