In the dim light of a room on the second floor of Wayne Manor, the night seemed unending. Hal held his hands up in the center of the room, turned his head to see the face of an older man.
"I'm aware of your unique ability to disappear and reappear instantly. However, from my observations, it seems to take you some time to trigger this ability. So, do you believe you will disappear faster, or will I pull the trigger quicker?"
If any other inhabitants of Wayne Manor had heard these words uttered by Alfred, they would surely be taken aback. This kind, elderly butler had never spoken to any occupant of the Manor in such a chilling manner.
In most people's eyes, Alfred was always seen cheerfully carrying a tray, arranging the dining table, or with a duster in hand, diligently cleaning museum display shelves.
Yet, his current stance suggested that holding a gun was not unfamiliar to him. In his hand was a shotgun with a wooden grip. The long barrel reflected the cold, unsettling light of the lamp as it pointed directly at Hal's waist.
Swallowing, Hal stood frozen in the room. Despite his Green Lantern Ability usually taking a negligible amount of time, the summoning of the green ring would emit a light. The instant green light would spread across his body, and Hal had no doubt that the moment his ring emitted light, it would trigger the pulling of the trigger.
He wasn't confident that the power of the Green Lantern could protect his waist from the bullet's impact. If his ability failed, he would be shot through the waist. Although the Green Lantern ring could restore Hal's injuries quickly, the self-healing power had its limits and wouldn't cover a shot at his waist.
"Are you Bruce's butler?" Hal attempted to initiate conversation to alleviate the tense atmosphere, but was met with silence. Alfred responded by nudging the shotgun forward, causing Hal to close his eyes tightly before saying, "Alright, alright, let's not do this. Are you aware of the child's origin? She is not human but a monster..."
Behind him, Hal heard the daunting "click" of the trigger and was immediately washed over with fear. After a cold sweat passed, he felt no pain. Alfred had pulled the trigger without discharging a bullet.
"I am aware of much more than you know." Alfred stared intently at Hal, his tone chillingly cold, which made it impossible for Hal to gauge his emotions. Alfred continued, "I guess you consider me a clueless old butler, otherwise you wouldn't dare to invade this mansion."
"Listen, I am not invading, I just..."
Hal suddenly stopped talking after the barrel of the gun poked him again. He then heard Alfred sternly say, "If your parents never taught you that visiting someone's home requires an appointment and entering from the front door, then I suppose you've got the message clear today."
Hal lowered his hands and sighed before turning to face Alfred. He looked into his eyes and said, "I'm sorry, Mr. Butler. I know it's wrong and dangerous to trespass onto private property . I also acknowledge that my actions were somewhat invasive."
"However, please allow me a chance to explain. Aisha is not..."
Seeing the barrel slowly move in between his eyes, Hal raised his hands once again and took two steps back. "Alright, let's not talk about that."
Hal also realized that any time Aisha's origin was mentioned, the old butler did not want him to continue speaking. As he expected, Alfred looked into his eyes and said, "It is the duty of the butler to help his master deal with all issues related to their children, including any uncertainties, and potentially dishonorable aspects of their past..."
"I guess you wouldn't want to become part of these background stories" Alfred dragged out his words. Understanding the implication, Hal knew if he wanted to leave this place alive, it would be best for him to shut up about this secret.
He took a deep breath, then said, "Alright, let's leave that issue alone. I came here because I want to make sure that her abilities, which are far beyond those of normal people, will not pose danger to the general public..."
Regardless of whether Alfred was following him or not, Hal started carrying on with his explanation: "The Yellow Lantern has always been the greatest threat to the Green Lantern Corps. Although I have not encountered a real Yellow Lantern Demon, the Green Lantern Corps places great importance on them."
"This time was no different," Hal heaved a sigh and continued, "At the time of their arrival here, the leader of the Yellow Lantern Corps and the Lantern Beast were taken seriously enough for the Green Lantern Corps to consider dispatching some of our strongest Green Lantern Knights to handle the situation."
"However, everything happened so quickly. By the time the decision was made, the problem had already been resolved. Hence, all I can do now is to wrap things up."
"Whether it's for the safety of the cosmos or for the safety of ordinary people, I have to do this."
"Your name is Hal, right?" Alfred suddenly asked.