On his right index finger, a green Green Lantern Ring was prominently displayed.
"Would you rather see a multi-million dollar jet turn into scattered debris on the runway? Along with the originally handsome and charming pilot, also scattered into pieces among it?"
Hal said to Carol seriously.
"But you said you never fly with this Green Lantern Ring!"
"I know what I said, but Carol, I can't give up this power now."
Hal's expression became somewhat solemn.
"So, did something happen?"
Carol asked him, puzzled.
She didn't know why Hal would show such an expression.
"I don't know, everything changed, starting when the American government decided to kill Superman and Homelander."
"Hey, Hal, if you're scared—"
Carol was about to comfort him, but Hal continued to speak to himself, "I'm not scared, I'm just being realistic for once."
He hadn't finished speaking when he suddenly received some kind of information.
Placing the Green Lantern Ring to his ear, Hal listened to the message from the ring, then said to Carol, "I have to go!"
"Now?"
"Yes, now."
"Alright."
Carol put her hands on her hips, looking helpless. "Just let me handle the paperwork, you know, I can't write 'Jet Saved by Magic' on a test report, can I?"
Hal quickly apologized to her, "I'm really sorry, Carol. I really want to stay with you and sort all this out."
"It's fine."
Carol walked up, ready to go back to the office, "If you turned into a pile of shattered pieces on the runway, the report I'd have to write would be much longer. So, in a way, I should thank you, Hal."
The two walked out together, bathed in the red glow of the setting sun.
On the long runway, their figures were stretched infinitely long.
"Carol, thank you so much for your company these past few days. Without your help, I don't know what I would have done. Being able to see you every day, I think, there's nothing happier than that."
Hal said to the woman he had liked for a long time.
"Hal, I'm not one of your big-headed blue Guardians."
Carol suddenly stopped, turned around and said to Hal, "What I mean is, you don't have to hide anything from me."
She reached out and stroked Hal's bowed head, "If you feel fear, you can tell me. You can choose to be honest with me, and I will listen to your inner thoughts."
"Fear?"
Hal said, head bowed, and after a long pause, slowly, "Yes, even though everything is normal, I can feel my fear."
He recalled a childhood memory, the moment Eric threw him off the bridge.
"Do you know when I first felt fear?"
Hal raised his head, his eyes showing a tired expression.
"When I first tried to experience flying. Of course, jumping off the flagpole at the training ground doesn't count. The first time was when I was thrown off a bridge over ten meters high."
Hal said, surprising Carol.
"The wind whistled in my ears, and I could feel myself falling like a baseball. Just like this out-of-control jet, I couldn't control myself. If I had crashed straight down, I would probably have become a pile of shattered pieces. I felt fear for the first time; it comes from deep within you, uncontrollable, and it will erode you like a ghost. The more you are in that moment, the more you will crave power."
Hal murmured to Carol.
"Then how were you saved?"
Carol asked him curiously.
She was already intrigued by Hal.
"I was saved, but the person who saved me was also the person who threw me off the bridge."
Hal said to her with a wry smile, "Do you know who he is?"
"Is it someone I know?"
Carol's face showed a surprised look.
"Yes, he is Homelander, our current President!"
Carol: "..."
After a moment of silence, she asked Hal, "So, the one you've feared since childhood, that existence, is Homelander?"
"It's him! Compared to him personally, I fear what he's doing now even more! Although I support him, I always feel a subtle sense of fear invading me. This isn't due to lingering childhood memories."
Hal wanted to say more, but glancing at the time, he sighed helplessly, "Carol, I have to go."
"Alright, remember, if you have any troubles, I'll always be willing to listen!"
Carol kissed his cheek and left the test flight area.
After watching her leave, Hal activated his Green Lantern Ring power, flew into the air, and headed towards the Justice Society in Metropolis.
The previous call was from Eric, and upon receiving the order, he immediately rushed over without delay.
Metropolis, Justice Society Headquarters.
Eric was waiting for him inside, and upon seeing him arrive, he stood up directly from the head of the round table.
"The council intends to shut down the U.S. government."
Facing Green Lantern, Eric said something that astonished him.
"I..."
Hal was somewhat speechless, and after a moment, he asked Eric, "Is there anything I can do? Or do you want me to persuade those people? This level of intervention..."
He wanted to say that this kind of intervention was not his forte.
Moreover, he didn't want to get involved.
"You are the Green Lantern of Sector 2814, aren't you authorized to protect Earth and its people? This isn't intervention, it's protection!"
Eric slowly said to him.
"How did you know?!"
Hal's face showed a surprised expression; he had never actively told anyone this information.
Humans on Earth couldn't possibly know these things belonging to the Green Lantern Corps.
Could it be his future self who told Eric?
"I know more than you do."
Eric still said expressionlessly, "You are authorized to intervene in these matters, right?!"
"That's right."
Hal said helplessly, "But I don't know if this is correct, after all, I've never done anything like this before."
"Then do it!"
Eric didn't give him a chance to refuse, "You're not acting alone, Flash will be with you. By any means necessary, make them believe your authority surpasses theirs!"
"I... I understand."
After a moment of silence, Green Lantern couldn't help but ask Eric, "Why aren't you coming with us?"
Although he had already guessed the answer to this question, he still asked it.
"Once I act, it means things have reached an irreversible point. Are you sure you want me to resolve all of them personally?!"
Eric raised an eyebrow and asked him.
"No, leave it to me!"
Although Hal Jordan didn't want to get involved, he ultimately agreed to the other's suggestion.
If Eric were to act, he would likely go on a rampage!
"With Flash accompanying you, it's best not to have any accidents."
Eric looked at the night outside and calmly said to him, "Even if you use violent means, don't let them make a sound."
"Alright, I'll try to resolve the situation peacefully."
After Hal finished speaking to Eric, he turned to leave.
"Oh, and."
Hal suddenly remembered something and turned around.
"I heard from Bart that tomorrow is your birthday. Happy birthday!"
Hal suddenly said something clearly out of sync with the current topic.
The solemn and serious atmosphere in the room was suddenly diluted a bit.
Eric was stunned for a moment when the other person mentioned his birthday.
But he quickly composed himself.
"Thank you!"
"Oh, by the way, this is a gift I specially prepared. Although it's not very expensive, I still hope you like it! Since I don't know if I'll have a chance tomorrow, I'm giving it to you now."
Eric took a somewhat crudely wrapped small box from the other's hand.
Without waiting for him to open it, Hal directly left the Justice Society Hall.
After Green Lantern left, Eric curiously unwrapped the birthday gift he had received.
The gift prepared by Green Lantern was a pair of green gloves with a glowing Green Lantern symbol printed on them.
"If you clench your fist hard, it will have a magical effect."
These words were written on a piece of paper.
So Eric clenched his fist, and the entire glove immediately lit up, emitting a shimmering green light, and a floating Green Lantern Ring appeared on the Lantern Corps symbol.
The Green Lantern Ring, suspended in the air, slowly rotated.
At the same time, the green light projected a blue planet.
The ring and the Earth presented a sense of contrast, one large and one small.
Eric looked at the somewhat exquisite gift, slowly shook his head, and then put the gift away.
Although he didn't feel much surprise about the gift in front of him.
But after all, it was specially prepared by the other person.
After putting away the gift, Eric returned to his seat and suddenly received a call from Martha.
Martha on the phone asked him to return to the Smallville farm.
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