King Clown
DCU Green Lantern Corps #71 Saying Goodbye (Blackest Night)
To go along with the issue, here is the track for issue 12. If you care to, listen to it before, during, or after the issue, I feel it elevates the experience :)
-^-
Hal falls to the ground with a thud. He's able to catch himself with his elbows, stopping a nasty blow to his skull. It's unusual for someone to be strong enough to knock him down and quick enough to blindside him.
"Shit…" the person curses, "sorry about that one, man."
"It's fine," Hal responds, floating himself back up to a stand. "Just watch how fast you're taking cor… ners…"
Hal's eyes widen at the sight in front of him. It was a man, a human man. His skin is brown with light scarring along his neck. His eyes shine bright green, an uncommon trait for new lanterns, one even Hal himself didn't have. He stands slightly shorter than Hal, his buzzed hair not adding any additional height, but what little height difference there was is dwarfed by his physique. He was built not like a truck, but a tank.
Out of everything, Hal stays amazed by his first observation.
"You… you're from Earth..." Hal says, his words a mix of a question and a statement.
The man takes a moment before nodding, his green eyes filled with confusion and worry. "Y-yeah… yeah I'm from earth," he confirms, his breathing quick and uneven. "I… I was… there was an attack… and-and the ring… and it saved me but t-took me and-"
Hal places a hand on the man's shoulder, looking him in the eyes with a soft smile. "Hey, you're okay," Hal says, squeezing his hand a bit tighter on the man's shoulder. Hal has been there. The man needs an anchor, and Hal would be that. "You're okay… what's your name?"
"J-John Stewart."
Hal extends his hand, the smile still on his face. "I'm Hal Jordan," he greets, watching as John slowly accepts his hand. "We've got… a lot to discuss."
"We… we don't need to fight, John," Hal reasons. He holds his arm up, a violet star protruding from the ring. Even with the healing properties from the entity, his wrist still hurts like hell from the fracture.
What makes you think I'm just gonna let you die!?" John calls back, his own ring burning orange smoke. "I've lost enough people in my life…"
"You still have people who need you, John," Hal says, eyes watering as a sword forms in his hand. "Whether you know it or not."
"That's the thing, Hal… I never have."
Hal freezes in place at the man's words.
"This fight… this mission… I've been at it for years," he mumbles, smiling as a tear falls from his right eye. "Everyday I wake up and ask myself why. Why do I do it? Why does everyone I love get hurt because of me? Why did I have to survive that damn attack all those years ago? … Why do I even still have a ring? I kept asking what the point was… what the world had planned for me. It's this. It always has been. Every scar… every bloodstain… every grave. It's me.
"I'm Death's Hand."
"You're hurting, John," Hal says after a moment of silence, staring down at his clenching fist. "I should've seen it sooner… I should've done something sooner, but I-"
"You don't have to do anything, Hal," John reassures, gesturing to himself. "You… Jessica… Alan… Guy and Simon? You all have kept me going. You've kept me alive, so let me do the same for you."
"So this is how it ends?" Hal asks, his voice breaking as he grits his teeth. He looks up at John, staring at the man's fake smile. "I don't want this to be my last memory of you! Please, John!"
The two float idly in complete silence. Hal watches as John's ring glows brighter. He knows. He knows that they're going to fight, that one of them is going to die. He knows that John is fighting for the thing he wants most in this world… he knows it only fuels his power.
"I'm sorry," he whispers.
John's ring flares to life, firing off a large blast of energy. Hal creates a multilayered shield in front of himself, intercepting the blast. The force of the attack pushes Hal backwards through the void and causes cracks to form along the shield. Unprepared for John's follow-up strike, the shield shatters as the orange lantern's fist connects, the impact blowing Hal back further. He's only given seconds to ready his blade, blocking John's own. Hal, finally given a moment to breathe, pushes back against John, the sparks of the blade bind illuminating space around them.
"John, give up!" Hal shouts, pushing further against John.
"That's not what a soldier does!" he screams back, orange energy bursting from his body. The blast sends Hal careening through space, crashing hard into the side of an asteroid. "A soldier gives his life for what matters to him. For his home and family!"
-^-
"John… I…"
"It's fine Hal," John responds, not letting Hal finish his sentence.
John knew it had been a hard day for Hal, harder than it was for himself. Hal had known Tommy for years, before he even got his ring. John also knew he was one of the only people Hal had left in his life, losing him had cut deep.
The two overlook all of Oa from Hal's balcony, a perk of being an Honor Guard. Another was the request for a Lantern's funeral for his friend. The constructs from the "firing squad" still linger in the sky, as they would until nightfall. Tommy always wanted to be a lantern… he'd be remembered as one forever.
"No I… John, thank you," Hal says, turning to John with a sad smile. "You… if you didn't stop me… I don't know what would've happened… I don't know what I would've done to him."
John pats the man on the back. "You don't need to worry about what could've been," he smiles, staring out at the constructs. "Just know you didn't… your actions always matter in the end."
Hal nods, looking out at the constructs. "Yeah I just… you need to know that I'm grateful."
"I do," John says, looking over to Hal. "Hey, how about you give me a tour of some of the trophies you collected over the years? Tommy mentioned… a lot of weird shit about starfish."
"It'd be my pleasure."
-^-
Hal forms a lion construct, its roar ringing in his ears before it charges towards John. John counters the attack with a beast of his own. John's tiger leaps onto Hal's lion, its claws and teeth tearing into the violet animal. Hal wastes no time as the constructs fight, launching himself forward and landing a punch on John's jaw. John riases his arm, blocking the follow-up strike and hitting Hal with a right hook, a punch to the cut connect just after. Hal is able to dodge the next strike, catching John by the wrist and using his momentum to throw him into an asteroid. Hal shoots forward like a missile, crashing into John. The impact causes a small crater to form, John and Hal at the center.
Hal lifts himself to a stand, spotting the black ring floating aimlessly in the distance. As he lifts off, John bursts free from the crater, grabbing Hal by the leg and slamming him back into the rock. Hal rolls onto his back, firing a beam of energy up at John, who dodges the attack.
"John, stop!" he shouts, lifting off into an uppercut punch. "Just… just stop!"
John slams his head down into Hal's, putting him back into the crater. John coats his fists with orange energy as he starts slamming them into Hal's chest. "Why won't you just let me do this!" he screams, tears streaming down his face. "It's the only thing I can do for you! For everyone!"
"The only thing you can do for me…" Hal mumbles, blood leaking from his mouth as he glows a brighter violet, "is to live!"
A burst of violet light shatters the crater the two are on, the shockwave launches John far back and dislocates Hal's shoulder. Hal takes the moment to breathe, wiping the blood from his mouth. He's so tired. It had been a few hours at most since they started the journey, but feels like he's been up for days. His body is sore, hurting. He'd give almost anything to just take the ring off, lay down, and fall fast asleep.
Almost anything wasn't anything.
Hal pops his shoulder back into place with a grunt. He stares out at John, who pants heavily. Hal isn't the only one tired.
"I know what you're feeling," Hal shouts, grabbing John's attention. "You might not believe me… but I do. That feeling like it's all your fault? The way it feels like some god or devil is constantly toying with you, taking everything you care about? You're hurting… but move forward anyway, because that's what a hero does. I know because I've been there… I locked it all away… and it built up to me almost killing Goldface.
"You ask why I won't let you do this? It's because you haven't gotten a chance to heal…"
"Hal, I-
"Hey, don't. How about… how about we start over?"
-^-
"Thaal, please."
"This is goodbye, Jo- Hal. Goodbye Hal."
"Thank you, for everything."
"And I am sorry, for everything."
"I won't let you die until you do."
The two stay idle, floating across from each other once more. This is it. Hal knows both can't keep fighting like this. He has enough in him for one last attack, and he assumes John does as well.
It ends now.
-^-
"C'mon recruit, I don't have all day," the pink skinned woman orders, jutting her thumb backwards. "We've got places to be."
John looks at Hal, who merely smirks, waving him off. It's gonna be a long ride.
-
"Names Tommy K, how are ya?" askes the short, lean man, his fingers snapping into a gun. "You must be that new GL, big H told me all about you'se."
"Big… H…?"
"Can't reveal his secret identity to some random guy," Tommy explains, nodding to Lee, still sitting in the chair. "Now let's go, gots lots to talk about."
-
"John I…" Hal mumbles, staring at John from over his shoulder.
John can't speak. He can't move. He can't even let a thought enter his mind. The only thing he can do is hold her, blood pooling around his folded knees. Rock her body back and forth as his tears drain from his eyes.
Failing her is all he can do.
-
"January 4th, 1999."
Jessica pauses, her head turning slightly towards John.
"January 4th, 1999…" John repeats, taking a deep breath, "there was an attack in the middle of the city. I… woke up in a daze ready to run, but then I saw you. That image of you… trapped… it would've haunted me for the rest of my life if I didn't do something."
John raises his fist, showing the green metal around his finger to Jessica.
"That day was the day I found my purpose," he says, a tear of his own falling from his eye. "I was a war vet ready to give up on everything, on everyone… but that day, you caused a change in me, and I'm not gonna walk away until I return the favor."
John rears his arm back, the orange light coursing through him proves too much for his ring, instead bursting through his own flesh. His ring isn't smoking anymore, but crying. Raw orange energy seeps from cracks that spread along the metal, like blood from a fresh wound.
"I can't bury someone else."
He launches forward, all of his power in his right fist.
-^-
"Highball?" the blacked haired woman asks, chuckling as she tosses the helmet back to Hal. "Odd choice of a name, newbie."
Hal smirks at her, staring at the eightball insignia. "It was my father's callsign," he explains, looking up to her. "Full speed ahead, no matter the risk. That's uh, that's what he used to say before every flight."
-
The pink-skinned fist slams into Hal's gut, knocking him to the ground. "You're scum, and never should've been given that ring," Thaal chastises, kicking the fallen man in the chest.
"Guess I could," Hal starts, looking up at his mentor with a smirk on his face, "finally settle down with your mother."
-
"Sinestro… you don't have to do this…" Hal screams, his ring aiming at his old comrade. "Just… just let me know where she is… please!"
The small locket falls from Thaal's hand, the picture of Hal and Carol inside cracked. "She is no longer among the living."
Hal stops breathing, an arrow of pain launching into his heart. "No…" he mumbles, dropping to his knees and clutching his chest. "No…"
-
"Carol… I thought you were gone, just listen to me please!" Hal begs, holding out his hand to Carol.
"You left me… you left me to die at the hands of that monster… and when he said what he did…" she cries, moving her head to look at him, tears turning to violet flames. "You let him go."
-
Hal's eyes widen at the red lasers closing in on him. He isn't able to dodge, not in this shape, and a strong enough construct wouldn't be ready in time. Images of Carol flash in his mind. Images of patrolling deep space with Thaal, of lunch with his friends.
It was really over, just like that… just like…
CRACK
Hal's eyes open to see a green wall in front of him, the lasers only denting the construct. His eyes travel to find Simon, one arm broken and bloody hanging to the side, the other raised to form the wall.
"You!" Evil Star shouts. "You… can not… win!"
Hal remembers the wall he made that day, the wall that saved the lives of two children too good for the world they lived in. The day he met Simon… all those years ago.
He returned the favor.
"We already have."
-
Hal runs to her, Carol taking notice. "What are you doing?" she shouts, not diverting her focus. "Are you trying to die?"
Hal shakes his head, stepping into the ball. "No, you need help Carol," he says, covering his eyes from the blinding light. "You can't beat that alone."
"Just run Hal," she pleads, sweat running down her forehead. "You need to go or you will die."
Hal moves closer, sliding his hand into hers. She looks at him, confused, as he begins to blast green energy into the blackness. With both of their ring hands intertwined, their green and pink energy spiral.
"Hal, you don't need to die for me!" she cries, the darkness still overtaking them. "Let go!"
"No! I won't let go!" he shouts back, his white eyes glowing an emerald green, his ring's power output maximizing. "I'll never let go…
"Not again…"
Hal clenches his teeth, eyes fixed on John. His arm trembles as violet energy flows through his veins. His ring begins screeching as cracks form along its base, light spewing out of the metal like ink. He bites down on his lip, silencing his own cry of pain.
He couldn't save his brother, so he vowed to protect John. He couldn't lose a brother… not again.
Hal leaps forward, everything he has put into a single punch.
The two rocket at each other, a streak of both violet and orange painting the galaxy. As their rings collide, the world around them goes silent, all light that isn't their own going black.
"John…"
John's mind is filled with a single thought, a single praise he repeats over and over again.
"I'm going to see her again!"
As Hal feels his strength leaving his body, a single thought enters his mind. His family. Everyone he cares for, everyone he's fighting for. Carol, John, Thaal, Simon, Guy, Jessica… They're worth the pain. They're worth anything.
His love is stronger than anything.
"Not today you aren't."
Hal's arm changes. Its violet energy shifts, losing all of its color and becoming a pure white. The sensation burns in his chest, his arm feeling as if it's being ripped apart from the inside. He doesn't know what's going on, or what caused the change. All he knows is that it's enough. It's enough to send John soaring through space, his body destroying a plethora of asteroid's before crash deep inside one. Hal watches as the orange light from inside the rock dulled, down to a mere life support field.
John was unconscious.
Hal smiles softly, knowing he'd done it. He saved John. He suddenly wheezes, his chest feeling tight. His vision begins to blur as he gasps for air, dropping to his knees to stop an asteroid. Through his worsening vision, he spots the violet ring floating in front of him. His head tilts downwards, seeing that his left arm is gone, blood drooling from the wound.
He understands now why he can't breathe, why his body feels so cold. His ring is gone, his life support field is gone. He's running out of oxygen.
His right arm reaches out in an attempt to grab the violet ring. He can feel the strain it puts on his body, pushing himself as far as he can. His body topples forward, the world around him going black. It's too far out of reach. He can't get the ring. It'll all be for nothing.
It's only then when his closing eyes spot the small, gunmetal object floating off in the distance. Raising his right arm once more, he reaches out to the ring, eyes barely staying open.
"And this… is Carol Ferris, your supervisor… and my daughter."
"Hal Jordan. Looks like I'll be your colleague from now on.
You'll be my subordinate from now on. Get ready Jordan, I work to get things done."
-
"Hey, you're okay. You're okay… what's your name?"
"J-John Stewart."
"I'm Hal Jordan. We've got… a lot to discuss."
-
"Hal Jordan. You're nothing but a joke. A species as pitiable as humans should never be considered possible candidates for the corps."
"If we're talking about people who shouldn't be possible candidates, I think the guy with sinister in his name should be on that list.
"You dare!?"
"I do."
-
"You two okay? He didn't hurt you, did he?"
"Y-you're?"
"You two must not be from around here, I'm Green Lantern. I'm what you'd call a superhero in Coast City."
"Oh, I'm sorry… I'm Simon, this is Sira. We just moved here this year."
-
"Guy Gardner, reporting for duty, sir!"
"You have big shoes to fill, Guy… your predecessor is a good man."
"Well, good thing I've got big feet."
-
"Jessica, right?"
"Y-yeah, I'm Jessica."
"I want to personally thank you for what you did. It takes… a lot of willpower to overcome that ring."
The whiz of the ring shooting towards him is the last thing he hears before the world around him falls silent. The last thing he sees, off in the distance, is Simon, leading the fight against the Time Commander. He smirks to himself, as he shuts his eyes for the last time.
DCU Green Lantern Corps #71 Saying Goodbye (Blackest Night)
To go along with the issue, here is the track for issue 12. If you care to, listen to it before, during, or after the issue, I feel it elevates the experience :)
-^-
Hal falls to the ground with a thud. He's able to catch himself with his elbows, stopping a nasty blow to his skull. It's unusual for someone to be strong enough to knock him down and quick enough to blindside him.
"Shit…" the person curses, "sorry about that one, man."
"It's fine," Hal responds, floating himself back up to a stand. "Just watch how fast you're taking cor… ners…"
Hal's eyes widen at the sight in front of him. It was a man, a human man. His skin is brown with light scarring along his neck. His eyes shine bright green, an uncommon trait for new lanterns, one even Hal himself didn't have. He stands slightly shorter than Hal, his buzzed hair not adding any additional height, but what little height difference there was is dwarfed by his physique. He was built not like a truck, but a tank.
Out of everything, Hal stays amazed by his first observation.
"You… you're from Earth..." Hal says, his words a mix of a question and a statement.
The man takes a moment before nodding, his green eyes filled with confusion and worry. "Y-yeah… yeah I'm from earth," he confirms, his breathing quick and uneven. "I… I was… there was an attack… and-and the ring… and it saved me but t-took me and-"
Hal places a hand on the man's shoulder, looking him in the eyes with a soft smile. "Hey, you're okay," Hal says, squeezing his hand a bit tighter on the man's shoulder. Hal has been there. The man needs an anchor, and Hal would be that. "You're okay… what's your name?"
"J-John Stewart."
Hal extends his hand, the smile still on his face. "I'm Hal Jordan," he greets, watching as John slowly accepts his hand. "We've got… a lot to discuss."
"We… we don't need to fight, John," Hal reasons. He holds his arm up, a violet star protruding from the ring. Even with the healing properties from the entity, his wrist still hurts like hell from the fracture.
What makes you think I'm just gonna let you die!?" John calls back, his own ring burning orange smoke. "I've lost enough people in my life…"
"You still have people who need you, John," Hal says, eyes watering as a sword forms in his hand. "Whether you know it or not."
"That's the thing, Hal… I never have."
Hal freezes in place at the man's words.
"This fight… this mission… I've been at it for years," he mumbles, smiling as a tear falls from his right eye. "Everyday I wake up and ask myself why. Why do I do it? Why does everyone I love get hurt because of me? Why did I have to survive that damn attack all those years ago? … Why do I even still have a ring? I kept asking what the point was… what the world had planned for me. It's this. It always has been. Every scar… every bloodstain… every grave. It's me.
"I'm Death's Hand."
"You're hurting, John," Hal says after a moment of silence, staring down at his clenching fist. "I should've seen it sooner… I should've done something sooner, but I-"
"You don't have to do anything, Hal," John reassures, gesturing to himself. "You… Jessica… Alan… Guy and Simon? You all have kept me going. You've kept me alive, so let me do the same for you."
"So this is how it ends?" Hal asks, his voice breaking as he grits his teeth. He looks up at John, staring at the man's fake smile. "I don't want this to be my last memory of you! Please, John!"
The two float idly in complete silence. Hal watches as John's ring glows brighter. He knows. He knows that they're going to fight, that one of them is going to die. He knows that John is fighting for the thing he wants most in this world… he knows it only fuels his power.
"I'm sorry," he whispers.
John's ring flares to life, firing off a large blast of energy. Hal creates a multilayered shield in front of himself, intercepting the blast. The force of the attack pushes Hal backwards through the void and causes cracks to form along the shield. Unprepared for John's follow-up strike, the shield shatters as the orange lantern's fist connects, the impact blowing Hal back further. He's only given seconds to ready his blade, blocking John's own. Hal, finally given a moment to breathe, pushes back against John, the sparks of the blade bind illuminating space around them.
"John, give up!" Hal shouts, pushing further against John.
"That's not what a soldier does!" he screams back, orange energy bursting from his body. The blast sends Hal careening through space, crashing hard into the side of an asteroid. "A soldier gives his life for what matters to him. For his home and family!"
-^-
"John… I…"
"It's fine Hal," John responds, not letting Hal finish his sentence.
John knew it had been a hard day for Hal, harder than it was for himself. Hal had known Tommy for years, before he even got his ring. John also knew he was one of the only people Hal had left in his life, losing him had cut deep.
The two overlook all of Oa from Hal's balcony, a perk of being an Honor Guard. Another was the request for a Lantern's funeral for his friend. The constructs from the "firing squad" still linger in the sky, as they would until nightfall. Tommy always wanted to be a lantern… he'd be remembered as one forever.
"No I… John, thank you," Hal says, turning to John with a sad smile. "You… if you didn't stop me… I don't know what would've happened… I don't know what I would've done to him."
John pats the man on the back. "You don't need to worry about what could've been," he smiles, staring out at the constructs. "Just know you didn't… your actions always matter in the end."
Hal nods, looking out at the constructs. "Yeah I just… you need to know that I'm grateful."
"I do," John says, looking over to Hal. "Hey, how about you give me a tour of some of the trophies you collected over the years? Tommy mentioned… a lot of weird shit about starfish."
"It'd be my pleasure."
-^-
Hal forms a lion construct, its roar ringing in his ears before it charges towards John. John counters the attack with a beast of his own. John's tiger leaps onto Hal's lion, its claws and teeth tearing into the violet animal. Hal wastes no time as the constructs fight, launching himself forward and landing a punch on John's jaw. John riases his arm, blocking the follow-up strike and hitting Hal with a right hook, a punch to the cut connect just after. Hal is able to dodge the next strike, catching John by the wrist and using his momentum to throw him into an asteroid. Hal shoots forward like a missile, crashing into John. The impact causes a small crater to form, John and Hal at the center.
Hal lifts himself to a stand, spotting the black ring floating aimlessly in the distance. As he lifts off, John bursts free from the crater, grabbing Hal by the leg and slamming him back into the rock. Hal rolls onto his back, firing a beam of energy up at John, who dodges the attack.
"John, stop!" he shouts, lifting off into an uppercut punch. "Just… just stop!"
John slams his head down into Hal's, putting him back into the crater. John coats his fists with orange energy as he starts slamming them into Hal's chest. "Why won't you just let me do this!" he screams, tears streaming down his face. "It's the only thing I can do for you! For everyone!"
"The only thing you can do for me…" Hal mumbles, blood leaking from his mouth as he glows a brighter violet, "is to live!"
A burst of violet light shatters the crater the two are on, the shockwave launches John far back and dislocates Hal's shoulder. Hal takes the moment to breathe, wiping the blood from his mouth. He's so tired. It had been a few hours at most since they started the journey, but feels like he's been up for days. His body is sore, hurting. He'd give almost anything to just take the ring off, lay down, and fall fast asleep.
Almost anything wasn't anything.
Hal pops his shoulder back into place with a grunt. He stares out at John, who pants heavily. Hal isn't the only one tired.
"I know what you're feeling," Hal shouts, grabbing John's attention. "You might not believe me… but I do. That feeling like it's all your fault? The way it feels like some god or devil is constantly toying with you, taking everything you care about? You're hurting… but move forward anyway, because that's what a hero does. I know because I've been there… I locked it all away… and it built up to me almost killing Goldface.
"You ask why I won't let you do this? It's because you haven't gotten a chance to heal…"
"Hal, I-
"Hey, don't. How about… how about we start over?"
-^-
"Thaal, please."
"This is goodbye, Jo- Hal. Goodbye Hal."
"Thank you, for everything."
"And I am sorry, for everything."
"I won't let you die until you do."
The two stay idle, floating across from each other once more. This is it. Hal knows both can't keep fighting like this. He has enough in him for one last attack, and he assumes John does as well.
It ends now.
-^-
"C'mon recruit, I don't have all day," the pink skinned woman orders, jutting her thumb backwards. "We've got places to be."
John looks at Hal, who merely smirks, waving him off. It's gonna be a long ride.
-
"Names Tommy K, how are ya?" askes the short, lean man, his fingers snapping into a gun. "You must be that new GL, big H told me all about you'se."
"Big… H…?"
"Can't reveal his secret identity to some random guy," Tommy explains, nodding to Lee, still sitting in the chair. "Now let's go, gots lots to talk about."
-
"John I…" Hal mumbles, staring at John from over his shoulder.
John can't speak. He can't move. He can't even let a thought enter his mind. The only thing he can do is hold her, blood pooling around his folded knees. Rock her body back and forth as his tears drain from his eyes.
Failing her is all he can do.
-
"January 4th, 1999."
Jessica pauses, her head turning slightly towards John.
"January 4th, 1999…" John repeats, taking a deep breath, "there was an attack in the middle of the city. I… woke up in a daze ready to run, but then I saw you. That image of you… trapped… it would've haunted me for the rest of my life if I didn't do something."
John raises his fist, showing the green metal around his finger to Jessica.
"That day was the day I found my purpose," he says, a tear of his own falling from his eye. "I was a war vet ready to give up on everything, on everyone… but that day, you caused a change in me, and I'm not gonna walk away until I return the favor."
John rears his arm back, the orange light coursing through him proves too much for his ring, instead bursting through his own flesh. His ring isn't smoking anymore, but crying. Raw orange energy seeps from cracks that spread along the metal, like blood from a fresh wound.
"I can't bury someone else."
He launches forward, all of his power in his right fist.
-^-
"Highball?" the blacked haired woman asks, chuckling as she tosses the helmet back to Hal. "Odd choice of a name, newbie."
Hal smirks at her, staring at the eightball insignia. "It was my father's callsign," he explains, looking up to her. "Full speed ahead, no matter the risk. That's uh, that's what he used to say before every flight."
-
The pink-skinned fist slams into Hal's gut, knocking him to the ground. "You're scum, and never should've been given that ring," Thaal chastises, kicking the fallen man in the chest.
"Guess I could," Hal starts, looking up at his mentor with a smirk on his face, "finally settle down with your mother."
-
"Sinestro… you don't have to do this…" Hal screams, his ring aiming at his old comrade. "Just… just let me know where she is… please!"
The small locket falls from Thaal's hand, the picture of Hal and Carol inside cracked. "She is no longer among the living."
Hal stops breathing, an arrow of pain launching into his heart. "No…" he mumbles, dropping to his knees and clutching his chest. "No…"
-
"Carol… I thought you were gone, just listen to me please!" Hal begs, holding out his hand to Carol.
"You left me… you left me to die at the hands of that monster… and when he said what he did…" she cries, moving her head to look at him, tears turning to violet flames. "You let him go."
-
Hal's eyes widen at the red lasers closing in on him. He isn't able to dodge, not in this shape, and a strong enough construct wouldn't be ready in time. Images of Carol flash in his mind. Images of patrolling deep space with Thaal, of lunch with his friends.
It was really over, just like that… just like…
CRACK
Hal's eyes open to see a green wall in front of him, the lasers only denting the construct. His eyes travel to find Simon, one arm broken and bloody hanging to the side, the other raised to form the wall.
"You!" Evil Star shouts. "You… can not… win!"
Hal remembers the wall he made that day, the wall that saved the lives of two children too good for the world they lived in. The day he met Simon… all those years ago.
He returned the favor.
"We already have."
-
Hal runs to her, Carol taking notice. "What are you doing?" she shouts, not diverting her focus. "Are you trying to die?"
Hal shakes his head, stepping into the ball. "No, you need help Carol," he says, covering his eyes from the blinding light. "You can't beat that alone."
"Just run Hal," she pleads, sweat running down her forehead. "You need to go or you will die."
Hal moves closer, sliding his hand into hers. She looks at him, confused, as he begins to blast green energy into the blackness. With both of their ring hands intertwined, their green and pink energy spiral.
"Hal, you don't need to die for me!" she cries, the darkness still overtaking them. "Let go!"
"No! I won't let go!" he shouts back, his white eyes glowing an emerald green, his ring's power output maximizing. "I'll never let go…
"Not again…"
Hal clenches his teeth, eyes fixed on John. His arm trembles as violet energy flows through his veins. His ring begins screeching as cracks form along its base, light spewing out of the metal like ink. He bites down on his lip, silencing his own cry of pain.
He couldn't save his brother, so he vowed to protect John. He couldn't lose a brother… not again.
Hal leaps forward, everything he has put into a single punch.
The two rocket at each other, a streak of both violet and orange painting the galaxy. As their rings collide, the world around them goes silent, all light that isn't their own going black.
"John…"
John's mind is filled with a single thought, a single praise he repeats over and over again.
"I'm going to see her again!"
As Hal feels his strength leaving his body, a single thought enters his mind. His family. Everyone he cares for, everyone he's fighting for. Carol, John, Thaal, Simon, Guy, Jessica… They're worth the pain. They're worth anything.
His love is stronger than anything.
"Not today you aren't."
Hal's arm changes. Its violet energy shifts, losing all of its color and becoming a pure white. The sensation burns in his chest, his arm feeling as if it's being ripped apart from the inside. He doesn't know what's going on, or what caused the change. All he knows is that it's enough. It's enough to send John soaring through space, his body destroying a plethora of asteroid's before crash deep inside one. Hal watches as the orange light from inside the rock dulled, down to a mere life support field.
John was unconscious.
Hal smiles softly, knowing he'd done it. He saved John. He suddenly wheezes, his chest feeling tight. His vision begins to blur as he gasps for air, dropping to his knees to stop an asteroid. Through his worsening vision, he spots the violet ring floating in front of him. His head tilts downwards, seeing that his left arm is gone, blood drooling from the wound.
He understands now why he can't breathe, why his body feels so cold. His ring is gone, his life support field is gone. He's running out of oxygen.
His right arm reaches out in an attempt to grab the violet ring. He can feel the strain it puts on his body, pushing himself as far as he can. His body topples forward, the world around him going black. It's too far out of reach. He can't get the ring. It'll all be for nothing.
It's only then when his closing eyes spot the small, gunmetal object floating off in the distance. Raising his right arm once more, he reaches out to the ring, eyes barely staying open.
"And this… is Carol Ferris, your supervisor… and my daughter."
"Hal Jordan. Looks like I'll be your colleague from now on.
You'll be my subordinate from now on. Get ready Jordan, I work to get things done."
-
"Hey, you're okay. You're okay… what's your name?"
"J-John Stewart."
"I'm Hal Jordan. We've got… a lot to discuss."
-
"Hal Jordan. You're nothing but a joke. A species as pitiable as humans should never be considered possible candidates for the corps."
"If we're talking about people who shouldn't be possible candidates, I think the guy with sinister in his name should be on that list.
"You dare!?"
"I do."
-
"You two okay? He didn't hurt you, did he?"
"Y-you're?"
"You two must not be from around here, I'm Green Lantern. I'm what you'd call a superhero in Coast City."
"Oh, I'm sorry… I'm Simon, this is Sira. We just moved here this year."
-
"Guy Gardner, reporting for duty, sir!"
"You have big shoes to fill, Guy… your predecessor is a good man."
"Well, good thing I've got big feet."
-
"Jessica, right?"
"Y-yeah, I'm Jessica."
"I want to personally thank you for what you did. It takes… a lot of willpower to overcome that ring."
The whiz of the ring shooting towards him is the last thing he hears before the world around him falls silent. The last thing he sees, off in the distance, is Simon, leading the fight against the Time Commander. He smirks to himself, as he shuts his eyes for the last time.