Green Lantern - Galactic Guardian [1]

Chapter Eleven

Hal woke up the next morning, feeling refreshed. It felt good to be in his apartment again, sleeping soundly in his own bed on Earth. He'd had the weirdest dream. Wait, no. He didn't have that kind of imagination. Aliens, mushroom people, all of it was real. 

He had sorted things out with the Ferris Aircraft staff the day before. He managed not to lose his job, so things were already looking up. Now he could continue with his life like nothing had happened. Aliens don't exist. Tiny mushroom people don't exist. Oa doesn't exist. And for goodness sake, he wouldn't have to look at anything else green for years. There was too much green in the Corps.

But there was one thing that he hadn't gotten back since his time with the Corps. His date.

--

Hal knocked on the door to Carol's house. He didn't know why he was here. She had made it clear on the phone that Hal had missed his chance, but he had to try again.

The door opened. Carol peaked out and sighed.

"Hal."

"Hey, Carol," Hal said. "Do you mind if I come in?"

"Uh," Carol hesitates. "Sure."

Hal followed Carol into her house. He looked around. It was a cozy house. Hal sat down on the couch. Carol sat across from him, in a chair.

"So, Hal," she started. "What an unexpected surprise."

"Uh, yeah. Look, Carol, I'm sorry about missing our date. It wasn't anything personal, I just..."

"You what, Hal? You were gone for weeks. Why?"

"I can't... I can't tell you," Hal said.

"Why not?"

"You wouldn't believe me."

"Try me," Carol dared.

"Okay, fine," Hal sighed. "I was abducted by a green ring that belonged to an alien I just watched die. It took my to a planet in the center of the universe, where I trained to become a space police officer."

"Tell me the truth, Hal," Carol said. "Or whatever we may have had, it's over."

Hal groaned and looked down at his feet. A misplaced magazine sat, poking out from under the couch. He picked it up and looked at it. On the front, it read:

Coast City Amusement Park: Opening Today!
Come check it out, the whole city will be there!

"Let me take you to the amusement park," Hal said.

"No, I don't think-" Carol started.

"Come on, it'll be fun!" Hal interrupted standing up.

"I- fine. It's been awhile since I've been to an amusement park. But you better be there this time," Carol said.

"Deal," Hal said, and walked out of the house, smiling.

--

Hal and Carol walked into the amusement park. It was packed. The line to get into the park itself was miles long. When they finally did get into the park, they couldn't see anything but people.

"Geez," Hal said. "They weren't lying when they said the whole city would be here."

Carol surprised Hal. She wanted to ride every ride, even the roller coasters, some of which Hal was even wary about. Hal just watched, amazed, as Carol laughed and had fun. He hadn't thought it possible. 

And just when Hal thought everything was going to be okay again, he spotted something out of the corner of his eye. An out-of-place looking man, looking for something. Or someone. Hal groaned when the man turned. Sinestro. He was looking for Hal. But then Sinestro turned back around and started talking to someone who was passing by. Hal recognized him as one of his old friends, a high school professor, Hector Hammond. Sinestro took Hector around a corner. Hal wondered what Sinestro was doing with Hector. He decided to go and see.

"I'll be right back, okay?" he said to Carol, who was picking her way through a funnel cake.

"Mm-kay," she replied through bites.

Hal walked around the corner in which Sinestro had taken Hector. They weren't there. It was a dead end, nowhere to go. Except one direction. Up.

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