Up and Away

Arisia:

Flying to catch the man with the glasses, I freeze when I see him flying up to him. His arms are crossed, and he is holding his ring in between his fingers.

"What," he laughs, tossing and catching the ring. "Did you forget about my non-green hoverboard? I used it in space when we first fought."

Catching the ring in his hand, the man with the glasses starts to crush it. He brings his closed hand to his face and Kilowog and I watch as a green glow starts to seep through his fingers. Without warning, the man then throws the ring.

The ring itself, glowing bright, flies past us before disappearing from sight.

"The ring is going back to Hal," the man says, the two of us turning around. "It should reach him in a matter of seconds."

I look down at my hands as my glow also disappears. I look at Kilowog and at all the other green lanterns. They seem to be returning to normal as well.

"This should be obvious, but in case it isn't, no ring, no power up."

Flash:

"There," Captain Cold says, freezing a crack in the ceiling. "It won't exactly pass a building inspection, but it will hold nonetheless."

"Thank you for your help," Laira says, using her ring to force a support beam back into its place. "Honestly, I wasn't sure how much longer the infirmary could stand with all those yellow lanterns. I am thankful for your help."

"No problem," I reply, running around the entire building to make sure nothing is shaking.

"I still don't get it though," Laira says, flying and landing in front of us. "How could your leader just pull off a ring and use it? That can't be possible."

"Okay, first," I start, "The Man is not our leader. He is not our leader. Second, well, there's apparently a lot about The Man we don't know. His name included."

"What I'm curious about is why The Man didn't just fly," Harleen asks, walking up to us. "He summoned a hoverboard for reason. Why a hoverboard? You could probably save yourself a little bit of juice if you fly, not call forth a hoverboard."

"That's what's on your mind," Dinah says. "Really?"

"At this point," Harleen starts, "The Man can tell me he can turn the whole universe into jelly and the only thing I would think about is why jelly? Why not chocolate pudding?"

Before any one of us could say anything, something small and green shoots past us.

"What was that," Laira screams, all of us turning. As it turns out, the something is a green lantern ring. Flying through the infirmary, it reaches Hal and climbs its way back onto his finger.

A green glow erupts from the ring as it climbs back onto Hal's finger, we all have to shield ourselves. Before we know it, Hal wakes up screaming.

Green Lantern:

"What the hell," I say, getting up and looking all around. "What? What? What happened? Where am I?"

Looking down at myself, I check my arms and see them wrapped in bandages.

"What happened," I ask again, trying to remember the last thing before I blacked out. I was in the middle of a fight, flying through the air, summoning anything and everything I can think of before something happened and the next thing I know, everything is black.

"Hal," a familiar voice yells. I look to see who it is and I see almost every Insurgency member. Barry is the first to reach me. Using his speed, he runs right up to me.

"Hal," he starts, "Are you okay?"

"I, I think so."

Looking at my bandaged arm, I move it up and down.

"A slight burning feeling," I say, "But overall, it's fine."

By now, everyone is surrounding me. Even Laira.

"Did Arisia call you guys?"

"Yeah," Leonard answers, "Your alien girlfriend called us asking for help."

"Arisia is not my alien girlfriend."

"Your alien girlfriend then fired at us, along with every other green lantern. And even those blue son of bitches. What the hell?"

"Blue son of bi--"

"He's referring to the Guardians," Oliver interrupts," But yeah. What is going on? Why are we the enemies?"

"It's because you brought a Super," Laira answers, all eyes turning to her.

"What," Selina says, "Are you talking about Supergirl? Yeah, she's Superman's cousin but what does that have to do with anything?"

"We don't trust Super," Laira says. "Even if they said they're allies."

"Ssssooo then," Harleen starts, "Why are you being kind to us? You specifically. Not your friends who try to blast us a while ago."

"It's because of your friend. The man in the glasses."

"He's not our friend," Barry says.

"As strange as this may seem," Laira says, looking down. "He just looks familiar. Like I've seen him before but I can't remember where or when exactly."

"Seriously," I say, "You've seen him before?"

"Maybe," Laira yells, "I don't know for sure, but, I just don't know. When he stole your ring and flew past, he somehow looks--"

"Wait, wait, wait," I interrupt, "He stole my ring and used it?"

I look at my finger.

"No. That can't be true. My ring is right here."

"The Man stole it while you were knocked out," Reverse-Flash says, "It just came back now. In fact, when it crawls back onto your finger, you woke up. Must have been some sort of trigger."

"The Man stole my ring while I was resting," I say, looking at the ring on my finger. "And he used it? I can only assume the man isn't dead, so he must have sent it back to me."

Everyone starts to say something, but I just ignore it all. I'm too focused on The Man.

"He used my ring," I think. "He actually used my ring. While I was unconscious? How? How is that possible? I need to know. I have to find The Man."

I look up at everyone, all of them still talking to each other.

"Where is he," I ask. clenching my fist. "Where is The Man?"

The Man:

"What do you mean by you borrowed Hal's ring," Ganthet asks. "That should be impossible."

"That is impossible," Ranakar yells, pointing a finger at me. "You must be lying."

"Either you stop pointing at me," I start, turning to face Ranakar with crossed arms, "Or you lose that finger."

Whether Ranakar believes me or not, he pulls back his finger either way.

"He's not lying," Arisia says, stepping forward. "I was there. So was Kilowog. We both saw it."

"I have no idea what I saw," Kilowog says, stepping up. "All I saw was some poser with a stolen ring."

"Assuming that is true," Ganthet says, "That would still imply that this stranger did, in fact, use Hal Jordan's ring."

"But how," Appa Ali Apsa interrupts, "There isn't a force in this universe that can put a ring on someone else's finger. Only the ring itself can do that."

"Can I go," I yell, everyone in the meeting chamber turning to face me. "Seriously, can I go? There's really no point in me being here so can I just leave?"

"No," everyone in the room simultaneously says.

"No you cannot leave," Ranakar shouts, "You are going to stay here and explain yourself."

"You are to explain how you managed to steal another Green Lantern's ring and use it," Appa Ali Apsa yells.

"But before you explain yourself," Ganthet says, "You will prove yourself."

"What," I say, uncrossing my arms.

"What," Ranakar also says. "Ganthet, what are you talking about?"

Ganthet floating from the stone slab, he hovers high in the air.

"Guardians of Oa," he starts, "Green Lanterns. I know these have been difficult times, with all the yellow lanterns attacks and many of us falling wounded, but I believe this stranger, this strange earthing, may indeed be a single bit of hope for these times."

"Single bit of hope," I repeat, "Really? Me? Wow, you guys really are desperate."

"That is why I suggest a trial," Ganthet goes on. "A test of will, to see if the man really as Arisia claims."

"He is," Arisia says, "You didn't see what he did. He somehow charged all of us with extra wills. We somehow got more power than before."

"Uh hey Arisia," I whisper, grabbing Arisia and pulling her close in. "Uh, stop talking."

"It's decided then," Ganthet says, "You will prove yourself in a test of will. Be ready, stranger."