Steppenwolf sensed the rush of air from behind and turned with an impatient wave, intending to swat Hal away. But the instant he made contact with Hal, an inexplicable panic surged through him. He instinctively turned back, and when he saw the yellow light in Hal's eyes, countless hallucinations flashed before him.
Darkseid was a cruel enough ruler. Whether dealing with enemies or subordinates, anyone who failed to meet his demands would face severe punishment. He ruled his followers through fear. That also meant every subordinate under his command harbored a deep fear of him.
Steppenwolf was not immune to fear energy; his willpower was simply quite strong. But Hal was a natural-born Lantern. Whether Green Lantern energy or Yellow Lantern energy, he could bring out its greatest effect. And Parallax had not targeted Steppenwolf before, but Hal was coming straight for him.
In the moment Steppenwolf lost focus, Hal directly enveloped him in fear energy. Steppenwolf staggered in a daze, and Hal's fist slammed into his face.
But Steppenwolf was no pushover either. He took a deep breath, the light in his eyes growing even more intense. He seized Hal with a backhanded grab, drove him into the ground with a bear hug slam, then followed with a straight punch to Hal's chest.
Yellow Lantern energy had not solved Hal's weakness in close combat. Steppenwolf's punch made Hal spit out another mouthful of blood. And Yellow Lantern energy repaired the body far more slowly than Green Lantern energy. But Hal had no way out. He flew up again, trying to manipulate Steppenwolf with fear energy.
Steppenwolf was indeed disrupted, but he was a born war machine. Even relying solely on instinct, he could track Hal's flight path, then smash him heavily into the ground.
Hal grew anxious. Yellow Lantern