This storage space was the most homogenised environment Vell had ever seen in her entire life. Not a single outward jutting corner that someone could use to smash a head against, not a single loose object that could be used as a weapon, not a single raised level that could be fallen off of...amongst other things. Vell peered around the place as she remained crouched behind a stack of cushioned storage spheres.

She was used to unkept bays sprawled with cabling and cuboid crates. It was this difference in starship upkeep that she used to distract herself from her current predicament. It was her first assignment as an officer of the Green Lantern Corps, a force that she was drafted into without any choice in the matter, and it had gone so far South that Vell was sure that there was no fixing it. Over one hundred high-risk criminals plus one Yellow Lantern sergeant were locked inside this prison facility with her...and her partner of course, who was currently scouting out the next hallway. They were sealed in here with their power rings on low battery, and the ability to recharge was blocked by the elaborate security tech built into this prison.

Vell spied Hal as he slinked back into the room and jogged quietly over to her. His uniform was dirtied and torn, and his face was bruised, matching Vell's. They'd gotten involved in several scuffles thus far, and none of them went as planned. A fair number of the criminals here possessed levels of strength that would give a certain caped kryptonian a hard time, let alone a pair of weakened Green Lanterns. "A patrol's incoming. Keep your ring slung."

"We could destroy them in half a second." She retorted, raising her ring.

Hal shook his head and raised a hand to her. "I'm getting sick of repeating myself, lady. Look, we need to play this smart, alright? As soon as our rings run dry, you can kiss our translators goodbye...and I'd rather us understand each other at a time like this."

The ex-space pirate wasn't used to being resourceful. She often just blasted holes in whoever posed a threat to her... She inhaled sharply, removing the rather large amount of frustration that built up within her and asked simply "Then what do you propose?"

"There's three of them coming..." Jordan began rubbing his chin in contemplation, and Vell was confused by the strange human habit. "Medium-sized races armed with prison jumpsuits, and no weaponry...so our chances are good, but we can't afford to use any ring functionality apart from translation. I'd say disable passive shielding and strength enhancement. We still have a certain Yellow Lantern to worry about; we need to conserve power for him if we cross paths again."

Vell huffed in annoyance as she hesitantly disabled the functions that Hal mentioned. "I've killed my fair share of fools with my bare hands in the past. I don't need this ring."

Hal sighed. "Yeah, yeah whatever. Come over here." He hurried over to the door and crouched in the shadows beside it. Vell slowly followed him and tensed her brow in confusion.

"What in the name of Hyrzog are you doing?"

"...Uh, hiding?"

"Why are you hiding? I thought we decided that we're going to fight them!"

Jordan ferociously pointed at the opposite end of the door "Hurry up and get over there! They're going to see you!"

"How do you want me to fight them if they can't see me?!"

Suddenly, the door split open and three figures jolted in surprise. One of them yelped "Kulltex! It's one of the Lanterns!" This one was some green scaly humanoid with a trio of purple insectoid eyes in the centre of its face.

Vell stood in place as the three cautiously took up fighting stances and walked into the room, none taking notice of Hal in the corner by the door. The mechanical being in the party then declared "Observation: Green Lantern officer is displaying lack of power readings and evidently has not discharged energy with which to incapacitate us. Conclusion: Lantern Ring is depleted."

"Hey...we might've hit the jackpot...! Arkillo has to take us into the Corps if we bring him a GL!" The first green alien said.

The last one simply barked in agreement.

Before any of them could move, Hal brought a fist into the back of one of their heads, instantly rending them unconscious. Vell took this opportunity to throw herself at the third silent alien. She propelled it into the ground and pounded its face with ferocious punches.

"Uh...okay...you got him...!" Hal called over the sounds of Vell's fierce snarling and fists colliding with her victim's skull.

Her attention instantly snapped to the last prisoner, the robot, who stood frozen in place. "Proposition: I surrender."

Hal crossed his arms. "...Really?"

"Reinforcement: Yes."

Vell pushed to her feet and frowned "I should gut you and wrap yourself in your own insides."

"Declination: No, please." It replied with zero emotional content as it slowly raised its stiffly-jointed arms in surrender.

"Okay, C-3PO...why exactly are you locked in here with hardened criminals?" Hal pressed.

"Explanation: A bug within my neural systems resulted in an unsavoury personality trait which led to my escape from my point of origin. I then arrived here seeking to find advanced technologies from which to learn and improve myself with."

Hal mused the strange automaton "Let me guess...you started to feel that your existence was more important than what your masters wanted you to do?"

It chirped "Encouragement: Yes, indeed."

"Okay, let me lay the groundwork." Hal continued, motioning his hands out towards their newfound friend. "If you don't help us get out of here, we're going to reduce you to a pile of scrap."

The machine stared motionlessly at Hal for several seconds. "Error: your heartrate indicates that you are bluffing."

"If you don't help us get out of here, we're going to reduce you to a pile of scrap." Vell repeated with gusto.

"Compliance: Yes, certainly. I will do whatever I can."

Hal grimaced and groaned.

"Observation: There is no method of escape in your current condition that will result in a successful extraction. Solution: Weapons of some kind may be beneficial in alleviating a small percentage of risk."

"A small percentage?" Vell growled.

"Okay, okay, cool it." The more experienced Lantern said to his greenhorn partner. "Look, is there a place you can take us to that might have stuff we can put to use? Like a guard armoury or something?"

"Answer: Negative; due to the automated nature of this installation, weaponry is not stored within its walls. However, inmate belongings are kept inside a vault."

Hal's face suddenly lit up. "Take us there. We need to lose the uniforms though; we'll have a better chance at getting there in one piece if we're not wearing bright green unitards. "

Hal focused momentarily, and his body was enveloped in a flash of light. When it cooled, he was dressed in his casual attire which was comprised of a brown leather flight jacket with his surname stencilled on its breast, weathered and faded blue jeans, a pair of work boots, and a fitted black t-shirt. He removed his jacket then knelt beside one of the unconscious aliens as he began to liberate its prison jumpsuit.

"What in Hjalltin's name are you doing?"

"Well...genius...they're looking for Green Lanterns. If we don't look like Green Lanterns and instead look like prisoners, maybe they'll have a harder time finding us." Hal explained in a voice he'd use if he were speaking to an infant.

"That is...not entirely idiotic." Vell murmured, willing her uniform to fade away.

"Oh, a compliment? Thank you." He responded smugly.

She snapped "Shut up."

When her Lantern uniform disappeared, her sleeveless, mid riff-revealing undersuit was revealed; it was lightweight and form-fitting clothing from her homeworld of Bekkor. Following her arrest when Hal intercepted her crew, her space suit was confiscated and she was locked in a cell with what she had underneath, which was this black outfit that covered everything but her shoulders, mid-riff, arms and face. On Bekkor, physical fitness was something that each individual took immense pride in, so their clothing as well as their physiques reflected that.

Hal slid the jumpsuit on over his clothes, then slipped his jacket on top, whilst eyeing his partner's well-defined musculature. Vell was going to take her outfit off entirely and replace it with the prison wear until she noticed what Hal was doing, then decided to just copy him. She squeezed herself into the fatigues, zipped them up halfway and shifted around until it felt comfortable.

"Okay, let's go." Hal said to the robot.

"Confirmation: Affirmative. This way." It answered promptly.

The pair of GLs followed their robotic friend's lead as it navigated the lined corridors with efficiency. Vell loathed the clandestine nature of Hal's current plan. On her home planet of Bekkor, people were straight forward about everything. Any citizen who had a problem with the Emperor Lord of any region could personally challenge them in single combat. If the Lord won, they would continue their rule, but if they were bested and killed, the victor would become the new Emperor Lord. Most Bekkorian Lords spent their entire rule killing challengers until one eventually bested them and received the title. Relationships were also equally to the point, so much so that vows of eternal loyalty were made several months into a courtship on average.

All these customs and social norms conflicted with the behaviour of Hal Jordan. It seemed to Vell that he had no honour. He attacked that prisoner from behind, is manipulating this inmate to secure an exit, and is being a coward by masquerading as one of them and forcing Vell to do the same. She was quite frankly confused and enraged by his strange behaviour.

The trio swept by several other prisoners as they continued on their way. Vell cautiously eyed them and it seemed to her that they were all searching for her and Hal. However, Hal's plan worked...somehow. They were still the only human and Bekorrian in the prison. Surely these hardened criminals weren't all stupid enough to fall for it.

"Automaton." Vell snapped bluntly.

"Acknowledgement: Yes?"

"What is your name?"

"Answer: I am Dax."

Hal furrowed his brow, glancing over his shoulder ever three seconds to make sure no one was watching them. "That hardly sounds like a robot name."

"Agreement: Yes, as a matter of fact I selected the name myself."

Hal quizzed "Uh...why?"

"Answer: I desired to wipe all traces of my creators' existence away from my being. They had subjugated me for many cycles, and I wished for that subjugation to end as soon as I left their world, so I constructed a short name with random characters in interlac."

"Geez...that got awfully dark." Hal muttered.

Vell added "You make it sound like you want to destroy them all."

There was an eerie silence as Dax did nothing but continue walking with his metal feet pounding upon the surface of the floor.

Hal was extremely disturbed by the fact that the sole being capable of helping them was a genocidal maniac, but tried his best to shrug the feeling off with a dumb joke, as usual. "...Just...don't do anything...or we'll be seeing each other sooner than either of us would like."

From the start, Vell was not trusting of Dax at all. Yes, she was a member of a race that hardly disguised their emotions, but she had spent countless cycles as a pirate and mercenary. A lying scoundrel wasn't going to fool her, even if it had its cold fingers wrapped around her mentor.

"Hey!" An unknown voice yelled.

Vell froze and fiercely snapped around, Hal casually slowed his walk to give the inconspicuous shoulder glance, and Dax just stopped without turning at all.

The lifeform that spoke was a large, pale, black-haired brute. His long hair was draped over his shoulders, as well as matted beyond all repair. His eyes were blood red and surrounded by jagged black patterns on his skin. His arms, revealed since he had torn the sleeves from his jumpsuit, were rippling with muscle. He almost looked like a Bekkorian to Vell, but Hal knew who he was.

"Oh no. Oh no." Hal whispered.

"You know that guy...?" Vell asked, probably a little too loudly.

"What are you bastiches talkin' about?" Lobo asked, spit flying from his mouth.

When he got close enough, it was plain to see that he was a head and a half taller than Hal, and was twice as wide with thick bands of muscle.

Hal crossed his fingers behind his back, hoping that the last Czarnian wouldn't recognise him out of uniform. "We're just...confused at how those damn Lanterns could hide from a hundred and fifty of us." He said casually.

Lobo's eyes fell onto Hal, and contracted in contemplation. "Hey...you look familiar. Don't I know you from someplace?"

"No. Definitely. I can confidently say that I have never met anyone who looks even remotely like you. Apart from her." He said, nodding to Vell.

Remarkably out of character for Lobo, he didn't avert his eyes to the attractive alien next to him. He continued looking at the undercover Lantern. "Oh, that's right! I remember! You're a human, right? I've been to Earth a couple times, it's a real shit hole."

Hal finally stopped holding his breath. "Yeah! You wondering how I got here? Long story. Maybe I'll tell you once we find those Lantern punks."

Now, with the question of Hal's identity out of the way, Lobo's attention was snagged by Vell. "Oh, hey there gorgeous. Couldn't help but notice that nice skin of yours. It's almost like we were made for each other, babe." He prodded a finger at Vell's face. Hal's stomach dropped. She was going to do something stupid.

"Thank you. You are fairly attractive yourself." She said with terrible conviction. Hal reckoned a three-year-old could've called that lie. Luckily, Lobo was not a man known for his ability to see through manipulation. "Could you tell us what Arkillo wants, exactly?"

Lobo, in an effort to impress the female Bekkorian, leant onto the hall and casually recounted "This Arkillo guy is here to break everyone out. Wants to recruit 'em into his...whatever it is. It just happens that those stupid Greenies showed up during his breakout, so he wants to take 'em out first."

"So that is his angle..." Hal mused, rubbing his chin.

"Hey babe, you should come with me. Screw this loser. I have a nice padded cell." Lobo winked.

Vell made no effort to disguise her genuine shuddering before she responded incredibly bluntly "No."

Lobo wheezed with laughter "Yeah, right. You don't know what you're missin' out on, hot stuff. Doesn't faze me; I got so many chicks I don't know what to do with 'em all." With that, the massive alien trudged off.

After Lobo disappeared around a corner, Hal exhaled "Nice try rookie, that was terrible."

"Terrible?! It was my first try at being a bootlicker like you."

"It's a subtle art. Practice makes perfect. I'm glad I'm making an impact though."

The three unlikely compatriots shortly came across a rather sturdy looking hatch that had a holographic banner skirting its top, which was automatically translated with each Lantern's ring.

Hal said "Inmate...profiling laboratory? Is this the right place?"

"Affirmative: Yes, of course. The Celdonians examined every intricate detail of all inmates including their possessions in order to tailor the best possible treatment." Said Dax.

Vell vented her confusion over the Celdonian's dedication to helping others "They still waste time on that? I thought the Arxis held the incurable criminals of Celdon."

"Still...gotta give 'em props for not giving up. That's something to respect." Hal whistled.

Vell crossed her arms. "Why? Isn't it just...stupid?"

"That level of hope for the future is something some of us should strive towards, rookie. You'd best remember that."

With an irritated huff, Vell snapped "I'm bored of your pointless lectures on naïve rhetoric. Dax, how do you intend on getting us inside?"

Hal rolled his eyes and muttered certain curse words to himself as Dax enthusiastically approached the door. "Explanation: It is rather simple really. The small amount of Celdonians who have access to the Arxis carry a unique security key that emits a very precise frequency that is in turn analysed by a receiver unit inside the lock mechanism. Solution: I can utilise my internal systems to replicate this, thus granting us access."

There was a barely audible whine in the air, as Dax cloned the access signal and caused the door to slide open without any resistance at all.

"Well, that was difficult." Hal said with sarcasm.

Vell snorted in amusement and followed Dax inside, leaving a slightly puzzled and uneasy Hal to take up the rear.

The interior of the lab was more like a storage facility than anything. There was an observation table to the right which was accompanied by some computer units, and the majority of the room was occupied by rows upon rows of containment cylinders that held various trinkets belonging to the other inmates.

"Looks like Arkillo wanted your pals to find us first before he gave everyone their stuff back. Good news." Quipped Hal. He used the limited amount of power left in his ring to levitate into the air and began to search for his trump card.

"Would you care to tell us what it is you're looking for!?" Vell shouted with disdain.

Hal vanished from sight behind the wall of containers, and the only thing Vell could hear was his muffled voice calling back "You'll see! It hit me when I saw a couple of Qwardian weaponers locked up in here."

"Bingo!" He yelled in ceremony. Seconds later, Jordan returned with a container proudly tucked under his arm. His face was plastered with a cocky smirk, like he expected Vell to know what was inside the cylinder.

She bent over and pressed her nose against the clear tube as Hal held it up to her. It was a handful of yellow rings. They didn't bare the Sinestro Corps crest...so quite frankly, Vell had no idea what they were. "...Explain yourself." She demanded.

"I thought I told you to read your logs."

"With all due respect Harold Jordan, you can't tell me that you've read each of the millions of logs compiled in the database."

"...Touché."

"What...?"

"...Forget it. Listen, these are Qwardian power rings." Hal tore the top off of the container and plucked a ring out. "Think of these as the prototype for the Yellow Lantern model. Sinestro had these forged when he was banished to Qward, in the anti-matter universe. He was using these for cycles before he finalised the design and recruited his own army of Lanterns. The beauty of these comes in how they're powered."