Brad dispersed most of the Green Lantern rings, leaving only the fastest one, which had been the first to break through Earth's atmosphere.
That little display had completely shattered Hal Jordan's confidence. Ever since he and Barry had witnessed that cosmic spectacle of green filling the sky, the normally arrogant Hal had grown quiet and withdrawn.
Barry stayed in Gotham to experience the local culture for a few days. As a hardworking employee forever caught in the rat race, he had hardly ever asked the Central City Police Department for time off. Aside from being late once every day, Barry was generally well liked by the police commissioner.
So Barry's boss readily approved his leave, and he planned to bring his girlfriend, Iris, over in a few days, too.
Hal quietly left Gotham after a long silence. Perhaps he would start reassessing himself now. Perhaps he wasn't quite so invincible after all. But who knew?
To curry favor with Wayne Enterprises, the Gotham Evening News arranged an exclusive interview with the owner of the newly established Skynet Research Institute-Brad, who was still virtually unknown in this universe-and a feature on his institute.
After the usual biographical questions, the pretty reporter, a recent graduate who had only just started working in Gotham's media industry, asked the question Brad had been waiting for.
"Does the institute have any noteworthy results to show yet?"
"Noteworthy?"
Brad sat perfectly upright on the sofa, his suit and tie crisply pressed.
"In the spirit of pacifism, my institute doesn't develop dangerous things. Our designs start with the fundamentals and cater to people's everyday lives. Smart household robots, for instance.
"Ha ha ha ha! Just kidding. Those things became obsolete ages ago."
Brad tugged at his collar with both hands, his smile abruptly turning serious.
"We can