( And the rest... )

Hal wipes the blood from his nose and looks up at his opponent. His left arm may be broken, but the ring is working on fixing that. His shields took the brunt of that last blast, but the kinetic force of it was still impressive.

"You can't win, Henshaw," he tells his assailant, rising from the crater left behind. "Turn yourself in, and this can go easy."

Sure, it's tough talk from a guy who's just been blasted into a crater... but Hal's always been good at that kind of talk.

( Despotellis! )

( Karu-Sil! )

( Bedovian! )



( Kryb! )

( The Evil Plot-Bunny Fairy bit me yesterday... )

This post takes place before the events of Star Sapphire's kidnapping of Hal

It's been a rough few weeks. He went home with a busty waitress the other night, but nothing happened. He couldn't get Ari's face out of his mind, and he didn't think it was right.

Ari wouldn't have minded, he knows. But... he would have minded.

Which is confusing the hell out of him. I mean, the woman was hot, and ready, and willing... and he apologized and left. God knows he wanted her. His body was practically screaming for some female companionship. But he still said no, and walked away.

He needs a drink. Badly. And he's heard that Ari's offworld right now, on vacation with Kilowog. It'd be safe to head back to Warriors.

He steps into the place, slides up to the bar, and orders a beer, then sits and grimaces, looking into his beer.

Yes, a man could get used to this. Waking up in Ari's arms again...

His clothes are strewn across the room, as are hers.

It's been a long while.

Of course, they had both been drinking, and were both just tipsy enough... Hal certainly didn't regret it, though. And he hopes that Ari didn't either.

He rolls over in her bed to face her, to see if she's awake yet.

Alright, so being a Green Lantern doesn't pay the bills.

Not like I have a lot of expenses, per se. I mean, the League provides optional room and board. But I can hardly maintain a presence in Coast City if I live on the moon. I can hardly take Ari on a date if I ask her to cover it all with her tip money.

I've been living off my savings. But it won't last forever. And since the Guardians have decided to reform the Corps, without my help... well, my schedule isn't going to be quite as full as I thought it might have been.

I've tried other jobs. None of them last long. I've got to fly.

But I'm not sure it's a good idea to head back into the military. Schedules can conflict too much with my Lantern duties.

I need to be in the air. And no, an airline pilot won't be for me. Or a flight instructor.

There's an obvious one. When I first returned, I was offered a job. I turned it down, but perhaps it's still open.

I didn't want to take it at first. I mean... I'd be working with Carol again. And she's married now. Happily. And I didn't think I'd be able to take the job and face that every day. As happy as I am for her.

But now? With Ari back in the picture... well, somehow, it just gets a little easier.

A phone call later... and Hal Jordan is once again a test pilot for Ferris Aircraft.

Guy and Ollie have certainly thrown together quite the shindig here. Warrior's reopening, celebrating several people's return from the dead -- including myself -- and the defeat of Ra's al-Ghul's plague... this party somehow manages to meet all those needs. Major Disaster rubbing elbows with Jay Garrick... Superman singing Karaoke with Detective Chimp... it all reminds me how good it is to be alive.

But even more than that, the woman on my arm reminds me what's good about being alive.

My history with Arisia is... long. And complicated.

When I met her, she was a teenager with a crush. I rejected her... but then she altered herself. Made herself into my "perfect woman" through the ring. And, yes, her body certainly was... well, I've always had a weakness for busty blondes. But she was still that teenager with a crush inside.

But... she changed. And grew. And I changed. And somewhere in there, I ended up falling for her after all. I fell in love with her.

We lived together. Arisia and me, John and Katma. Two couples sharing an apartment.

Until things changed again. Katma died... Arisia and I... drifted apart. Parallax was in me by then. Some of what happened was probably him. Some of it probably wasn't. Hard to sever my motives and Parallax's.

But it doesn't matter anyway. I have a second chance at life. And, even better, I've been given a second chance with Arisia, too. Somehow, marvelously.

We've both been dancing. We've both been drinking a little.

She's a little tipsy. She's a little warm. So we step out for a bit of fresh air, just the two of us.

It's warm here. Safe.

The stress of the last month are gone from his mind here. People are safe. The disease is gone. And at long last, after a month without any form of rest, he sleeps.

There are arms around him. Gentle. Feminine. He feels the arms embrace him, and the gentle rhythm of his partner's breath.

How long has it been since he was in a place like this? A very long time... years. So much time lost. So much time to make up for.

Consciousness oozes back like cool honey. His eyes slowly open, and he realizes that he's not at home. No... he was at Arisia's...

They... no, wait. No, they didn't.

Though he definitely isn't exactly dressed... and that's definitely Arisia, her arms wrapped around him, pressing against his back. She's awake... he can tell from her breathing.

And his breathing shifts, as he comes fully awake as well.

I'm not sure what to say about it.

She's alive again.

I'm alive again.

She has a ring again. The last time she had a ring, we were living together. And I was very much in love with her.

What changed? Certainly, Parallax's influence can't be discounted, but nor can it be the scapegoat I lay everything on. Parallax twisted my view; he didn't control me like a puppet on a string, not until later.

Carol is married now. She's not even part of the equation. Why am I even thinking of Carol? The rope showed me it's not fair to compare Arisia to Carol; they have been my two greatest loves, but both have been very different. And the man I was around each one was different, too.

I know I need to talk to her. At least to check on her.

She's getting set up at Warriors... I wish I could help her out.

I wish I could talk to her. Like we used to talk.

I need to talk to her, though. She deserves more than what I've given her so far.

To Warriors it is, then.

Hal has helped evacuate the Watchtower; he's visited with Ralph during the party at Warriors; he's almost ready for his interview with Lane.

But he's got a few things on his mind. And there's one person whose presence can help him sort out his thoughts. His best friend.

He knocks on the door of the Queen household.

I've been reborn. I've made an offer to assist the League.

But before I meet with the League again... there's someone I owe a beer to. My best friend.

And it really wouldn't be the same without Dinah along, too.

In brightest day;
In blackest night;
No evil shall escape my sight.
Let those who worship evil's might
Beware my power:
GREEN LANTERN'S LIGHT!

That was what was distracting me... Felix Faust was attempting to wrest control of the Spectre. But that has now been... dealt with.

Sue is safe, and alive again. Zauriel will recover in short order. I should be happy that there's been a happy ending.

But still... things are wrong. Nothing is right. I shouldn't be who I am. I know in my heart that this is wrong. I'm used to my friends being put in danger because of who I am; I'm not used to my friends being put in danger because of who I'm not. I am not the Spectre... I am, at most, a guide for the Spectre force. Faust didn't want revenge against me... he wanted to control the Spectre force.

I visited with John briefly after the issue with Faust. He invited me to a baseball game with Guy. A baseball game. I'd love to go... but I don't know that I can. I want to, but the Spectre is getting too much for me to deal with.

I need to speak with Ollie about this. Ollie has always helped me think through my troubles. But Ollie has his own problems right now... I don't want to add to them. Still, sometime soon, we need to talk.

I'm definitely going to the ball game. I think I need a little time with Guy and John... they're good for giving a little perspective.

But I definitely want to find some way of divorcing myself from the Spectre force once and for all.

There's... something... at the fringes of my mind. Brushing at the edges of my consciousness. The Spectre does not acknowledge it, but that does not make it any less real.

I reach out with my perceptions to track it down, but it proves elusive.

At this point, I can't even tell if it's within or outside of me. But I'll find it somehow...

I hear Wally. He's looking for me...

I'll... look later. For now, a friend is in need.

Whoever this graffiti artist is, they've started targeting Ollie.

The Spectre tells me that it's not "our" concern.

But it's mine.

Dammit, I hate this. I trust Ollie to get himself out of this situation, but I wish I could provide assistance.

Something else is going on, though... when I ask Spectre why Sue is back, he's remaining silent...

Zatanna Zatara. I must speak with you.

This... isn't me. It's not right.

The Spectre is God's Vengeance. It is punishment. It is righteous anger personified.

I am not Vengeance. I never wanted vengeance.

I just want to make things right again. That's all I've ever wanted to do.

But I have no idea how to do it.