Jesus. Did I really have this much stuff?
For the very first time, Hal Jordan was staring down the quite literal build-up of his entire life. On a rack of five metal shelves in the farthest corner of Carol Ferris-Jordan's garage, there had sat dozens of cardboard boxes full of flight memorabilia, family pictures, clothes, and tons of sports equipment loaned to Hal by his brother. He smiled to himself, thinking of that as he took to the first box and produced an immediate item, which was a worn baseball. The Jordan family men had a history of being fanatical about sports, but this had always applied to Hal even moreso. When they were married, he had even convinced Carol to come with him to a few of the Coast City Cougars' baseball games after weeks of begging at a time. She hated it and hated the crowds, but did it just to see the smile on her husband's face. Looking back even further, he remembered that the team's 2001 record setting victory against the Gotham Knights had been where Hal had tried to propose to her at first. But he ultimately decided against it, knowing that there was only one place worthy of asking Carol to be his wife.
The skies. Always striving to make each memory a lasting one between them, Hal had proposed to Carol during an off-duty sunset flight over the Atlantic. And when she proposed, the two began a marriage that would only become filled with such moments. Hal stopped for a moment, as he looked down at the wedding ring on his finger. Three years since their divorce, and he had never taken it off... though he immediately noticed that she had, whenever she came by the station to post his bail. Maybe that was why she had made it a point to move his junk the farthest away and out of sight as possible. Even though it still felt so recent in Hal's mind, she had obviously picked herself up and moved on with her life. And even though he wanted to explain her resentment towards him as some sort of unresolved love she still had for him, the truth was, it was probably more of the opposite.
She hated him. And he couldn't rightly blame her for it. The best thing for both of them was to get this stuff moved as soon as possible, go back to his apartment and try to move on himself. Which was exactly what he told himself he was going to do, as he picked up the next box and carried it across the garage. But after struggling because of it's density, Hal sat it down and wiped his brow, realizing there was more he had left behind than he realized.
Be great to have all of this back in my closet. Just wish I was sure I had the room for it...
Looking back, Hal paused, noticing something peeking out from behind the remaining stack of boxes. An object with a considerable shape, hidden by a white tarp. Approaching it cautiously, Hal shoved a box aside and took the tarp, removing it with a bit of excitement. And underneath it was probably the most beautiful sight he had seen all day, as his jaw dropped in awe.
He didn't think he'd ever see it again. Much less see it in such a fine condition.
"No freaking way."
"Dad, don't say things like that."
A floor above, Carol Ferris-Jordan had been attending to some mid-day business for Ferris International. And despite the fact that she knew who was rummaging through her garage at this very moment, and what kind of emotions they were beginning to bring about in her mind, Carol had been determined to keep focused on her work until he was done and ready to be driven back home. But when an unexpected call from the notoriously opinionated Carl Ferris seemed to bring the topic back at the forefront, she was forced to try and fend off the tremor of confliction in her voice whenever she mentioned her ex-husband.
"I know you're not happy about it, and I'm sorry I even mentioned him. But I swear, he's only here to get his things. After that, he'll be-..."
Carl's tone got increasingly louder, on the other end of the line. Carol momentarily held the receiver away from her ear, before replying. It wasn't that the elder Mr. Ferris wasn't supportive of his daughter, but he couldn't help but hide his disdain for the fact that she went out of her way to pay the bail of the man that broke her heart, not to mention in the face of allegations that Jordan stole company property.
"Look, I know what you're thinking, but he says that he didn't steal the fuel tanks. Hector Hammond managed to-..."
Carol rubbed the bridge of her nose, in clear frustration.
"What? No, dad. I'm not taking his side. I'm just saying that he's not-... Of course I pressed him about it. It was all I did on the drive home. I-... why would you bring that up at a time like this? Of course I'm aware that what happened between us is over. It's been over for a long time. Him being here today is nothing more than happenstance."
Carol looked up, then back at the phone, after a particularly hurtful comment.
"How could you even... mom has nothing to do with this! Don't you dare try and work her into this conversation! Of course, I'd care about what she thinks of Hal, and what the divorce did to us! But I still have enough sense to know that she wouldn't begin to side with you after a comment like-..."
Angrily, Carol leaned forward.
"You want me to do this, right here, and right now? Fine, dad. But just know that you're the one who was looking for this to happen. Because the fact is, you've wanted me to say these words ever since she died, just because you never could work up the nerve to outright say them yourself. You had to make me do this the hard way, just like when I was a child. So I'm only going to say this once..."
Breathing in, she tried to prepare herself for one of the worst moments of her entire life. But the truth was, no one could ever prepare for something like that. The moment that Hal walked out on her was a prime example, and it had never stopped affecting her. She just didn't want to admit it, so to be accused of letting it affect her judgment was an insult that she couldn't take at this point. Especially coming from her father.
"Mom is dead. She's gone, and will be for the rest of our lives. But just because I'm the only part of her you have left, doesn't mean that I'll let you control me like you did to her for all of those years. I agreed to take over the Airlines because it was the first real decision you allowed me to make for myself, and when that day came, I decided that I was done 'allowing' you to make any more of them for me. So before you tell me how to pass judgment on a man I spent the happiest years of my life with, take a look back and realize something. I am not your little girl anymore. This is my life, and this is my decision."
The line was silent. Carol looked back at the phone again, before realizing that it had been hung up. She wanted to apologize, but the moment had passed. Her father had heard every word she had said. And just like that, she felt like she was 10 years old all over again. Except instead of being the one yelled at, it was her that had done the yelling. She had finally become a true Ferris.
Looking down beyond her work piled desk, Carol noticed a final box she had packed for Hal, but refused to just stack in along with the rest of them. It was everything from their short-lived marriage. Pictures from their wedding day, a few of the gifts, more than a few candids of them at several different events. And in every one of them, whether it was a good day or a horrid one, they looked like the happiest couple in the world. Even though it was just the past, Carol couldn't help feel as if a hole had been placed in her world whenever she filed for divorce. Her eyes began to lightly water, as everything came at her at once.
Damn it, not now. Not while he's downstairs.
And sure enough...
"Yes?"
"You never told me you had my dad's old Harley fixed up."
Hal stood at the door, now wearing his father's old flight jacket after digging it up from downstairs. He had a wide smirk on his face.
"Must've cost a pretty penny."
Carol looked off to ignore him, attending to paperwork.
"An offer was made, and I took it. I decided that I owed that much to Martin."
"Funny, how that works. You never knew my old man."
"From the way you talked about him, I felt like I did."
Rubbing the back of his head, Hal chuckled, a little embarrassed. Indicating the jacket.
"Yeah, I guess I got a little carried away with that. I never wanted to hide how great of a man he was."
Carol only nodded, continuing to read over the paperwork.
"How's it coming with the boxes?"
"It's coming, at least. Who fixed the bike up?"
"Mr. Kalmaku. He took a mechanic's job down at the airport."
"Old man Kalmaku? "Pieface" Tom's dad? Well, that's just surprising. I'll have to send a word of thanks down his way, whenever I can."
Clasping her hands together, Carol looked at Hal sternly.
"Hal? I need those boxes out of here as soon as possible."
Hal shrugged.
"Sure. I can have them out of here by sundown. Figured I'd take the bike and hook a haul to the back, then drive them down by my apartment, a few at a time. Save you the trouble of driving me."
"That seems like a lot of unnecessary work, Hal."
"I don't mind. Not if it means getting to ride my old man's wheels, again."
Carol waved him off.
"Fine. Do it however you want, just get it done. I have alot to do right now."
Hal raised an eyebrow, suspicious.
"You alright, Carol? You sound kind of upset. Well, more than you usually do."
Carol shot him a furious look. One that Hal had seen from her a dozen times.
"Right. Don't want to talk about it. I'll just... leave you to it, then."
Before he turned to leave the room, Hal noticed the box next to Carol's desk.
"You need me to take that one, too?"
Pausing, Carol looked over at the box, and at the photos present on the very stop of the inside stack. Carefully, she moved it back behind her desk, and closer towards her than before. Things may have changed, but if her outburst towards her father had taught her anything, it was that she wasn't about to forget the happiness she once had.
"No, this one has some things I want to keep."
Wordlessly, Hal nodded, leaving before he could be convinced to speak any more. As much as he wanted to pry at what was bugging her besides him, he had his own business to attend to. Namely, seeing how the new-and-improved Harley would handle under his care.
This baby's running like a dream!
Several minutes later, and Hal Jordan was cruising down the barren Coast City interstate at the top speed of his motorcycle's speedometer. Wearing his old helmet, he smiled as he managed to pop a wheelie on the open road, absorbing a sensation he hadn't felt in quite some time. The thrill of danger, and the rush of adrenaline that came with it. Correcting himself as the front wheel landed, Hal barely avoided an oncoming car, who's horn immediately blasted at him. Giving the driver an apologetic wave, he made sure to slow down, realizing he didn't need to end up in jail twice in one day.
Nice one, Highball...
But as he continued into the desert path on the outskirts of Coast City, Jordan was oblivious to the presence from high above. With brilliant emerald energy pulsing out of it with every passing second, the Lantern ring of Abin Sur floated amongst the outskirts of Earth's atmosphere, guided by nothing more than the fallen warrior's will. And considering as much, it was acting with a strong fluidity.
Scanning Lifeforms For Analysis.
Searching For: Immeasurable Willpower. Controlled Emotional Spectrum.
But even as it saw many worthy candidates to wield it's power, such as the alien son of a destroyed world, a force for vengeance driven by trauma, an avatar of the Gods themselves, and a noble youth who's power outweighed even his own knowledge, the ring could not ignore the nature of Abin Sur's final requests as ringbearer. The protector of Sector 2814 had specifically made sure to imput a logical candidate into the ring's programming, in the event that this dark day would have come, when he could have to choose a successor. And whether he knew it or not, it's the candidate's destiny to accept this duty.
A new Green Lantern was about to be born.
Subject Found.
Identified As: Jordan, Hal - Of The Planet Earth.
Former Graduate Of Lantern Corps Federation Academy.
Beginning DNA Conversion.
And moments later, the ring hurdled forth, shooting downwards from space and into the blue skies above Coast City. The closer it came, the stronger Hal Jordan's presence was evident and detectable. The ring shot past several hundred lifeforms, until after many miles, it could finally find him. His emotional spectrum already keyed into the emotion of will, as the ring edged even closer to the speeding motorcycle.
DNA Conversion Complete.
Bond With Wielder Initiated.
Before he could even blink to notice what was coming at him, the ring slipped itself onto Hal's finger, colliding into him with the force of a missile projectile. Seconds later, he was cascaded in bright green light, leaving the motorcycle's engine to explode from the sudden foreign impact.
But by the time it did, Hal Jordan was already miles into the air.
