Kori.
He turned and saw her standing at the other end of the arena. She looked just as horrified as he felt. But then her expression shifted. She forced on a smile—small, sad. Understanding.
She had always known this was a possibility. She had accepted it.
Joseph hadn't.
The crowd roared, eager for blood.
"Begin!"
Neither of them moved.
They just stared at each other, the weight of the situation pressing down like a vice. If they refused to fight, the Citadel would kill them both. If they fought, one of them would have to die.
No. Joseph clenched his fists. There had to be another way.
The ground beneath them rumbled as Kori's hands ignited with green energy. She t his gaze, eyes pleading.
"Fight ," she said, her voice barely audible over the roar of the crowd. "We can't both die here."
Joseph's jaw tightened. His fists clenched.
He wasn't going to let the Citadel win.
Not like this.
His hands loosened. Nikomar's sword dropped. Tension drained from his body.
He had to accept it. There was no escape. And he wasn't going to kill Kori.
Instead of sparing her the pain, he made his decision. Joseph shot into the air with all his power, soaring so high he could see the entire massive stadium packed with hundreds of thousands of spectators.
Above, the ugly green sky stretched endlessly. Two moons hung overhead. Weird. He hadn't noticed them before.
Then he turned downward, angling himself straight toward the ground. Full speed.
Kori flew after him, trying to stop him. He wasn't going to let her.
Joseph managed to force all his energy into his anti-gravity field, accelerating even faster. He was a missile, plunging headfirst toward the arena floor.
"Sorry, Kori," he muttered as he closed his eyes.
//Initiating Speed State.//
Everything froze.
Joseph opened his eyes. Ti had stopped. Kori's tear-streaked face was suspended in front of him, her hand outstretched, reaching for him.
"Where the fuck have you been, Nova!?" he roared.
//My apologies, sir. I couldn't risk being detected by the Psions. If they noticed , they could have erased or reset , leaving you truly helpless. I had to hide. I left only core functions active—accelerated healing and ntal regulation to contain the force in your body.//
Nova's voice was clear, controlled.
//Now that you are willing to die, I have reactivated myself to protect you. I have also accumulated just enough energy for an escape. Please follow my instructions quickly—Speed State is limited. Grab Miss Koriand'r and head toward the arena entrance.//
Joseph didn't hesitate. He shot forward, reaching Kori in an instant. Scooping her into his arms, he flew toward the entrance.
'The door is closed.'
//No ti. Fly through the walls. Your body can withstand the force.//
Joseph shifted his hold on Kori, shielding her as he extended his free hand into a fist. Then he crashed through the first wall.
Two Gordanian guards were frozen in motion, he quickly removed their golden helts and placed them on Starfire and his heads.
Then he continued, crashing into another wall. And another.
Hope surged in his chest.
'How do you even know where to go?'
//The Psions implanted a tracker in you to monitor energy accumulation. I took control of it and infiltrated their systems. With the Speed Force and your energy bolstering my capabilities beyond a quantum computer, I've accessed their entire network. Turn left.//
Joseph complied without question. He was speechless. One mont, he was ready to die. The next, he was escaping. He was going ho.
Walls and bodies shattered around him as he pushed his speed, his vision blurring into streaks of gray and green.
//Stop.//
Joseph halted mid-air.
'Don't your nanites get disintegrated as I'm in the Speed State? You're probably way past your critical threshold. And how the hell did you hack an entire intergalactic system?'
//I can maintain this for only a limited ti. Go right. The teleportation room is ahead. I have already set the coordinates for Earth. Doing so will destroy this teleportation room. I will also lock down this section of the facility while releasing every prisoner. Their collars and shackles will be disabled. That should keep the Citadel occupied. If they pursue you, inform the Green Lantern Corps—they have violated the Vega system treaty. Be safe, sir—//
Nova's voice cut off abruptly.
Joseph continued moving in the Speed State before stopping. Ti resud.
Pain never ca.
Kori stirred in his arms, disoriented. "Joseph… what's happening?"
One mont, she had been trying to stop him. Now she was in his arms, inside a strange room.
"Nova helped . We're escaping, Kori." Joseph grinned as alarms blared around them.
She looked at him, dazed. "Where to?"
"Earth."
The teleportation chamber lit up red.
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