Focus and Fear: Orion vs. Sinestro

[Illidan Stormrage]

The smell of sun rotted flesh and woodfire smoke sunk into Orion's nostrils as he left the bar. His first few steps coincided with the thick crunches of broken glass peppered over the ground. Buildings all around suffered scars from the bandit invasion; broken windows, battered and scorched walls, doors ripped from their hinges. However, the people of the town with no name had already initiated the cleanup. He saw a moustachioed man busily sweeping the fragmented objects of his home together in a pile through his jagged window. Another couple helped carry in furniture strewn on the street as an elderly man with a crooked back looked on smiling, leaning on his cane. Three men pushed around a two wheeled cart, stopping to haul a fallen bandit onto it for a destination unknown to Orion. If it was his choice, he'd throw them out beyond the city limits and let the vultures feast on them.

In any case, the town was pulling together. They already began repairs on the remnants of their nightmare. At the rate they worked, and with the altruism they displayed to their neighbours, their town would likely be almost restored in a few days, he surmised. Resilient lot.

"This was your idea," Sinestro said, adjusting his wide-brimmed hat. "Where should we test our strength?"

Orion looked around. "Not in town. Enough damage has been done here already."

"The city outskirts," Sinestro suggested. "No one lives out there, just sand. If we find our battle takes us closer to the town, there's always more room to spread out into."

"Indeed," Orion said, poking his side. His damaged ribs felt healed. What was in that booze?

The saiyan picked a direction and walked, Sinestro following his gait beside him.

"These people," Orion said as they travelled. "Why do you protect them?"

"Chaos needs quelling," Sinestro said, eyes on the horizon. "Order must be established."

"That didn't answer my question," Orion said, looking at the Lantern.

Sinestro returned the stare, then set his eyes forward again. "What does it matter? These people need my protection. I was here. It doesn't have to be more complicated than that."

Orion looked over his shoulder at the townspeople. "No. I suppose not."

The passed through the boundary of the town, leaving the last buildings on its edge. Some of the structures no longer stood as evidenced by the smouldering piles of rubble, and others had complete walls blown clean away. It made sense that these unfortunate dwellings were the hardest hit. The bandits loved destruction. Orion couldn't bring himself to hate them, though. Under the right circumstances, he could've been leading the raid on this town rather than defending it, and he would've been perfectly at peace with the decision. After all, his old life was composed of invasions exactly like this one. Of course, his life had changed since his saiyan squadron days, allowing him to appreciate the concept of protection, of peace. Yet to this day, he could take either and run with it. It all came down to perspective. Or whichever side he stood to gain from.

The sun half sank behind the veil of the horizon, painting the sky in vivid oranges and pale pinks. Despite its descent, the sands still brimmed with scorching temperatures. Heat waves seeped from them, bending and twisting objects in the distance into a swaying pattern, though beyond the town all Orion could see was sand dunes and the twisted metal chassis of bandit vehicles he either trampled or melted as an Oozaru. He noticed the dying rays of the sun glint off his metal arm bracers.

"Does this suit?" Sinestro asked. The town was still within sight, but with Orion's back to it, at least his ki attacks wouldn't be a threat. Sinestro, though, might have some sort of projectile based moves. Best to keep their relative position in mind.

Orion nodded. "We shouldn't bother the town."

Orion weaved his fingers together and angled his wrists downwards, cracking his knuckles. Unlacing them, he balled his fists and tensed his muscles. The edges of his robe quivered, as did the tips of his black hair. Releasing the bonds on his ki, he flooded his body with it, feeling it soak into his muscles, meshing with them, bolstering them. A light wind rose from the sand around him, ruffling his robe further. The energy plateaued. Orion stiffened his back and groaned loud enough for it to echo back at him, and a navy blue aura ensconced his body. The winds from the outward expression of his ki kicked the sands away from him, leaving him in a small crater. It was hardly his full power, but it was enough to get the ball rolling.

Sinestro stared back at the saiyan. His face gave nothing away. If only his NOVA unit was working, maybe he could get a read on the Lantern. Right now, he had no idea how strong his opponent was; he could be a worthy adversary or a pompous weakling. That ring at least would provide some unique tricks, but Orion really hoped for a challenging fight. The bandits were cannon fodder, good only for flushing the rage from his system. He wanted something more tactical, something that would push his limits. That's all he ever wanted from a fight.

"There's a saying amongst saiyans," Orion said. "You never really know someone until you fight them. Not just for determining their strength, but for revealing their true qualities. When someone's life hangs in the balance, they'll show themselves for who they really are, for good or not."

Sinestro tilted his head upwards. "Are you suggesting this is a fight to the death?"

"No," Orion said, his natural eye narrowing. "I'll pull back the killing blow at the last second."