Hal Jordan/Green Lantern (highballjordan) wrote in dc_heroes,
@ 2010-09-20 11:14:00

Entry tags:

"rebirth", carol ferris, green lantern hal jordan

Awakenings
First, there is pain.

/Begone, Spirit of Vengeance/

The pain begins at the same time the chanting does. He can feel himself being torn apart at the seams, a feeling unfamiliar after so long as one who cannot feel pain. His alter-ego tries in vain to keep hold of him, but soon enough he finds himself adrift in the sea of darkness.

The chanting grows louder, more urgent and the pain in his stomach, his mind and his heart become nearly unbearable, followed by a sharp pain in his eyes and across his body.

Still, he struggles toward the rhythmic voices, unwilling to let this this deter him. He can feel the wind on his face, like when he's flying followed by the rain.

Nearly five years after his death, Hal Jordan climbs out of his grave, casting his eyes on the world around him.

The first thing he sees are bodies.

Scrambling out of the hole in the earth, Hal runs off into the Coast City night, naked, wet and afraid.

He has to find somethng or someone that can make this make sense.

He has to find Carol.

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	highballjordan 2010-09-21 06:32 pm UTC (link)
	"Sounds good. And don't worry, Carol. I'd be great influence on the kids!" Hal teased, sounding a bit more like himself. He goes to the bathroom and takes the longest shower of his new life, trying to forget what he went through to get here. Eventually, he makes his way to the spare bedroom and waits for Carol, wrapped in his towel. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

ferris_ceo
2010-09-21 06:57 pm UTC (link)

It took some time to find something that would fit Hal until she could get him new clothes. The best she could do was a large black tee shirt with Ferris Air in white across the left breast pocket and a pair of old stretched out sweat pants in a faded yellow. Underwear was out of the question. When she looked back on this, she would wish for some mens clothes left behind by a date so she wouldn't appear so pathetic.

She took the clothes, turned up the heat, and carried a mug of hot, strong coffee to the spare room. She knocked quiety.

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	highballjordan 2010-09-21 11:29 pm UTC (link)
	Hal was just staring at the door, his mind firing on all cylinders. After taking a five-year dirt nap, he's wired. He can't fall asleep tonight. "Come in, Carol." Hal says, smoothing his wet hair back. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	ferris_ceo 2010-09-22 01:33 am UTC (link)
	She opened the door cautiously, almost afraid she'd find Zombie Hal. Forget the brain eating, body parts scattered on the floor would cost her a good housekeeper. "These will get you through the night. Tomorrow morning I'll get your clothes from storage." She set the clothes on the bed and held out the mug. "This'll help you warm faster." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	highballjordan 2010-09-22 01:53 am UTC (link)
	He takes the offered mug and smiles, glad for something that will take away the chill that seems to have settled in his bones. "Thank you, Carol, for everything. I'm not sure where I'd be if you hadn't picked up." he says. "So...how did my stuff end up at the airfield? Did Jim not ask about any of that stuff, either?" he asks. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	ferris_ceo 2010-09-22 02:00 am UTC (link)
	"He didn't know what to do with it either and had no room for it. So I offered to store it until he made a decision and...well, time passed. It was out of sight, not in the way." She leaned against the dresser. "I've always been there when you needed me before, it would be a sad thing I wasn't now." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	highballjordan 2010-09-22 02:20 am UTC (link)
	"You have, Carol. I'll set up that physical as soon as possible...or once I get my spare ring charged, I can have it give us the news. It can do that, you know." Hal tells her. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	ferris_ceo 2010-09-22 02:30 am UTC (link)
	"I know, but I need a more mundane opinion." She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "You know my opinion about the ring. It hasn't changed over the years." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	highballjordan 2010-09-22 02:36 am UTC (link)
	Yes, he knows her dislike of the ring. It's well-storied throughout the course of their tempestuous relationship. "But all right, I'll do it your way. I'll find a doctor and get one as soon as possible." he says. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	ferris_ceo 2010-09-22 02:43 am UTC (link)
	"My doctor will do." She straightened up. "You get dressed and I'll see about some food. Climbing out of the grave has to be hungry work." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

highballjordan
2010-09-22 03:11 am UTC (link)

"Actually, it was scary as hell." Hal says, and the fact that he can make that statement is amazing. Fear hadn't ever been a problem with him until a few years ago, when he'd noticed the first bits of gray in his hair.

Now, though, he's alive and he doesn't know why. He /should/ be happy, but he's still trying absorb it all while looking like it's just another day at the office.

"Okay, I'll be out in a few. I need to acquaint myself with a toothbrush, too." he says, taking several sips of the hot coffee. He can finally feel the cold start to abate.

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	ferris_ceo 2010-09-22 03:19 am UTC (link)
	"Take your time. There's no hurry. You should find everything you need in the medicine cabinet." She went to the door. "If you just want to spend the next hour freaking out, that's okay too. You have every reason." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

highballjordan
2010-09-22 03:26 am UTC (link)

"Carol, as much as I'd love to do that, I don't really have the luxury. Sooner or later, someone is going to find that plot and figure it out. I'm not sure who will come looking, but someone will.

Especially once I have my ring." Hal says.

It could be the League, or the Lanterns, some bad guy, or even the Little Blue Men who come looking for him and it's a safe bet that none of them will be happy to see him. He knows he needs to be prepared.

"I'll be fine. Life went on when I wasn't here. It'll have to go on now that I am." he says, offering his trademark "trouble" grin.

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	ferris_ceo 2010-09-22 03:30 am UTC (link)
	The grin, while pure Jordan, didn't fool her. "I'll track Ollie down and he can help you do what you need to and solve the mystery. Now go brush your teeth before you breath on me and give me death cooties." She smiled back and closed the door behind her. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

highballjordan
2010-09-22 03:50 am UTC (link)

"Looks like someone already caught the snarky-Ceo cooties, so the death cooties might be invalid." Hal snarks as she leaves.

He laughs at that, the first laugh he's had all evening. Carol still has some magic after all.

He changes his clothes, then downs the coffee so quickly he can still feel the burn when he goes into the living room. The chill in his bones is nearly gone and now Hal can focus on other things.

He's glad to be alive, even if it means possibly being Public Enemy Number One for awhile. He sneaks up behind Carol adopts his best Australian accent.

"Crikey! Look what I've found! The Cranky CEO in her natural habitat! Yes, mate, she's drop dead gorgeous, even if she threatens to shoot you over the phone, but have you ever tried to get her to crack a smile?

It's like trying to get blood from a stone sometimes!" he quips.

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	ferris_ceo 2010-09-22 04:26 am UTC (link)
	"Because I'm a Zombie Hunter in my other life." Carol had assembled a collection of warmed up takeout from the last week, egg rolls, enchiladas, lasagna, a green salad, garlic bread and wonton. "I keep the blood stone in my office to show that only I can do it." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	highballjordan 2010-09-22 04:35 am UTC (link)
	"All I ever wanted was your heart, Carol." Hal quips. The smell of the food hits the air, however, and the only sound that can be heard in the room is the rumbling of Hal's stomach. "You might want to subtract what you're going to eat first, because I assure you, I've got five years' worth of appetite ready to go." he grins. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	ferris_ceo 2010-09-22 04:55 am UTC (link)
	"Eat." She gave the order with a smile. "You always had my heart. But that's old history, Hal. You're getting a chance for a fresh start." She reached out to smooth the hair at his temples. "You even look different. Younger." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

highballjordan
2010-09-22 05:22 am UTC (link)

"Yeah, I am. It makes me think a lot about what I should be doing with it, and who I should do it with." he says, sitting down to eat.

"So you saw it, too? The grandpa stripes are gone and I'm not crazy?" he asks, before taking his first bite.

"I feel younger. I feel...better than I did before I died. Is that even possible?" he asks, wishing he could talk to Clark about it. This whole thing was completely surreal.

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	ferris_ceo 2010-09-22 05:28 am UTC (link)
	"It looks like it's possible." Carol shook her head a bit. She'd like the gray at the temples. Hal died and grew younger while she was still five years older. Her mirror showed her the evidence every morning. "We'll figure it out. I just want you to be okay." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	highballjordan 2010-09-22 12:32 pm UTC (link)
	"When I get some things settled, I'd like to talk to you about some things." Hal says. "In the meantime, thank you for dinner." he smiles, and begins eating. Soon enough, he's cleaved through most of everything she put there and he's still going. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	ferris_ceo 2010-09-22 02:16 pm UTC (link)
	Carol sat at the table with him and watched. She couldn't do anything else. Now that she was sitting, the shock returned. Hal was alive. Eating in her kitchen. Flirting as always. Younger. "You know where to find me. I'm still owned by the company." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	highballjordan 2010-09-23 12:52 am UTC (link)
	"Well, we'll have to talk to that Cranky CEO about your vacation time. You look like someone who could use a night time flight or two." Hal grins at the memory. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	ferris_ceo 2010-09-23 01:23 am UTC (link)
	"I don't know about that. She's a hardass. The employees all complain that she expects too much." She knew exactly what memory he had and experienced a moment of sadness. Was she even that person anymore? "You're getting ahead of yourself, Hal. Slow down and let's get you declared not dead first." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	highballjordan 2010-09-23 01:35 am UTC (link)
	"Yeah, she's definitely a hardass, but with good reason." Hal says. "That could take months, Carol, and who knows how long I've got left? There's a lot of things that have to get sorted out, most especially things with the Lanterns." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)