Everybody vote in the poll! It will influence the story!

"In brightest day/ In blackest night/ No evil shall escape my sight/ Let those who worship evil's might/ Beware my power/ Green Lantern's Light!" -Hal Jordan (And thousands of other Green Lanterns)

In Greek mythology, there is the tale of Pandora's box. Though the box is really a jar. Pandora was the first woman. She was given many things by the gods. Beauty, Speech, Clothing, and Musical Ability. She was also given something else. A jar (often mistranslated as box) that contained all the evils that man had never experienced yet. Zeus gave her the jar to punish man's rebellion, because in his god wisdom, he knew she would open it. And she did.

Death, pain, and every sort of evil was unleashed upon man. Zeus commanded Pandora to shut the jar before the last thing escaped. She did as she was told, not knowing what she had kept from man. Pandora had sealed hope away from man. Scholars argue about why hope was left in the jar, but I think the answer is quite self-explanatory.

Zeus was afraid. Zeus was afraid man would gain hope. Hope is the most powerful thing a man can have. Beaten, broken, half-dead, with hope, those things don't matter. With hope, man could rise up and overthrown the tyrannical gods. With hope, Zeus would be overthrown like his father before him. But somehow, man got their hope anyway. And the first people to get that, were heroes.

Heroes are the embodiment of hope. The lights in the darkness. The people that push humanity forward, into the next great tomorrow.

The Protector

Hal Jordan wanted to be a bird. So he could fly whenever he wanted. No effort. Wake up. Fly. Just take off and soar among clouds. He also wouldn't have to wait for his dad to get the plane ready.

Martin Jordan was a former Air Force pilot, considered one of the best pilots that served during the 70s and 80s. He retired after over 20 years of active duty, to work as a test pilot for Ferris Aircraft. When Hal didn't have school, Martin would bring him to the airbase. The father and son duo couldn't be closer, and their bond was strongest in the air.

"Daaad! When are we going to go flying?" Hal asked impatiently. He was holding his father's hand. Martin never let his son walk around without an adult when they were on the airbase.

"Pretty soon buddy." Martin promised. "I have to take the plane for a quick test run." He rubbed Hal's head. "Go in the office and hang out with Carol." He winked at his son.

Hal blushed. "Stop Dad. She's my friend." He groaned. He dropped his father's hand and ran toward to office.

Martin laughed to himself. "Of course she is." He headed toward the plane hanger.

Hal entered the office. He took a seat at his dad's desk and swung his feet back and forth on the chair that was too tall.

A cute little girl walked in holding her father's hand. She blushed when she saw Hal. "Hi Hal." She had long black hair and shining green eyes. Hal's favorite color.

"Hey Carol." Hal said tossing around a tennis ball. "Mr. Ferris my dad is getting the plane ready."

"Okay thank you Harold. I'll see you two in a little bit." Carl nodded toward them and walked outside.

"I hate when he calls me Harold." Hal grumbled.

"It is your name, Hal." Carol sat in a chair next to him. She snatched the ball out of the air. "Too slow."

"Hey give it back." Hal said and tried to take it from her, but she wasn't paying attention. "Carol what's wrong?"

"Hal something is wrong with your dad's plane." Carol pointed out the window.

Hal turned around and watched as Martin's plane engine stalled. He stared in horror as the plane plummeted toward the ground. "NO DADDY!" He screamed right before the plane hit the ground and exploded.

"JORDAN! GET YOUR ASS DOWN! NO RECRUITS WILL DIE ON MY WATCH!" A drill Sargent screamed at an 18 year old Hal Jordan. He was standing on the roof balancing while wearing 80 pounds of equipment on his back.

"Yes sir." Hal grinned. He slid down the roof and gracefully rolled off the side and onto his feet. "Hal Jordan, reporting for duty."

"What the hell were you thinking? Do you want to die, Jordan!?" The drill Sargent screamed, spit flying.

"No sir no!"

"Then why the fuck did you do it!" The Sargent had worked up a sweat from screaming so much.

"They dared me to, Sir." Hal answered. "And I never refuse a dare."

"You've got some real balls, Jordan, I'll give you that."

"Thank you, sir!" Hal said.

"Now all of you get your asses back in the barracks, before I make your do pushups till your nipples bleed." The Sargent screamed. The recruits all filed into the barracks. Once all of them were in, they burst out in laughter.

"God damn Jordan that was funny." One of the other recruits said laughing.

"Jordan are you scared of anything?" Another one asked.

Hal laughed. "Why would I be scared of anything? It's just a little fall."

"Your nuts Hal."

Carol Ferris ran her hand through her hair. She sighed and looked over the bank statements one more time. The company was barely staying afloat. Ever since her dad had left the company in her hands, business had dropped off. The military didn't want to use a defense contractor, ran by a woman. "Excuse me, Miss Ferris, there's a man here to see you." Her assistant popped her head in.

Carol sighed. "Fine send him."

"He insist you go out to meet him." The assistant said carefully.

"Who the hell..." She got up from her desk and marched out into the office. She was ready to chew someone out. Then she saw him. "Hal..."

An adult Hal Jordan grinned at her. He pulled her into a hug. "How are you doing Carol?"

"I'm good. In charge here now." Carol said. She was confused by his presence here. "I thought you were in the Air Force?"

"Honorably Discharged." Hal said. He pointed at his head. "Apparently, the military docs think I'm crazy, because I'm not scared of anything."

"Of course you would get discharged for something like that." Carol rolled her eyes and smiled. "Come on Hal let's go in my office and talk." He followed her, his eyes appreciating the women she had grown into. They sat down across from each other. "So...are you looking for work?" She asked.

"Right down to business, Carol, I like it." Hal joked. "I would like a job here, yeah, but only if you can afford to take me on. I don't won't to make you feel like you have to give me a job just because we're friends."

"Oh shut up Jordan." Carol said. "Your hired. You start tomorrow."

"Your the best, Carol." Hal grinned. He hopped up. "Wait does that mean I can't flirt with you anymore?"

Carol rolled her eyes. "Actually it means I can't flirt with you."

"Oh how will you be able to contain yourself?" Hal joked.

"Get to work Jordan." Carol said.

"Jordan! You still have simulator hours left for this week!" Carol yelled into the office.

Hal grinned to himself. He was talking to his office buddies when Carol yelled at him for not having enough simulator hours. It was mostly an act, to keep up appearances in the office. The two had been secretly dating for the last 6 months. Then again Hal really did have more simulator hours to do. "Yes, ma'am." Hal yelled back cheekily. He winked at her and she rolled her eyes, but winked back all the same.

Hal made his way into the simulator. He turned it on the went through the motions. He hated the simulator. It was a poor excuse for actually flying. Regardless he did the simulation with easy perfection. "Harold Jordan." Hal heard a disembodied voice.

"What the..." He looked around the simulation pod. "Who said that?"

"Harold Jordan, of Earth. You have been chosen." Hal exited the pod. In front of him a green ring was floating in the air. Hal cautiously touched it. He was suddenly teleported next to a crash alien ship. An injured alien was laying next to the ship.

"Green Lantern? Whoa let me help you." Hal went to help the injured man.

"Stop. I don't have time. I must explain. I am Abin Sur Green Lantern of Sector 2-8-1-4. The ring has chosen you. Do you accept this honor?" Hal nodded. \ The green ring from earlier slipped onto Hal Jordan's finger. His flight suit transformed into a sleek green and black suit. "You are now a Green Lantern, one of the protectors of the universe. The guardians will collect you soon." Abin took a labored breath. "Use this power wisely." Abin's ship exploded instantly killing him, and the ring protected Hal from being killed.

"What the hell?" Hal said to himself. He stared at the ring.

"Brace for teleportation." Hal heard a voice in his head.

"Wait hold on-" His vision was suddenly filled with a green light, after a couple seconds, it cleared up and Hal could see he was in what looked like a conference room. In the middle of the room was a giant green battery. Little blue men stared at him while other Green Lanterns watched form afar.

"Harold Jordan, of Earth. You have been chosen for your undeniable will and good morals. You are now a green lantern, tasked with protecting the universe and its people." One of the guardians said.

"I understand." Hal nodded.

"Now, you must repeat the Green Lantern oath after us." Every Lantern and Guardian raised their hand. "In brightest day." They all spoke in unison.

Somehow Hal already knew the oath. He said it with them. "In blackest night. No evil shall escape my sight. Let those who worship evil's might, beware my power, Green Lantern's light!" Dozens of rings lit up with bright green light. Energy flooded into Hal's body. Hal didn't noticed but his ring shone the brightest in the room, except for one other person.

"You are officially a Green Lantern. Your Mentor will tell you everything else you need to know. Sinestro!" Sinestro flew down and landed next Hal.

"Nice to meet you human. I'm Sinestro." The purple skinned man nodded at him.

"Hal Jordan."

"Come on Jordan, try to keep up." Sinestro taunted. He sliced a robot in half with a green sword, and then blasted another into pieces.

Hal dodged an energy blasted and delivered back on of his own. He then created a minigun and gunned down a dozen robots. "Top that Sin!"

"I'll never understand your crazy Earth constructs Hal." Sinestro fired a huge green wave destroying the last 20 robots. "It'll be along time before your top me kid."

"We'll see about that Sinestro." They landed on the foreign planet. It was mostly barren except a metal fortress in the distance. "What did the Guardians send us here for?"

"They didn't tell me. Just like they never do." Sinestro said with a little bit of an edge. Hal had noticed he was growing increasingly upset with the Guardians. Hal didn't like Sinestro's attitude, but Sinestro was his mentor so he refrained from saying anything. Though neither of them would ever admit it the two had grown closer than just colleagues. They were friends. "Though I have a pretty good idea."

"What do you think it is?" Hal asked.

Sinestro frowned slightly. "I'd rather not mention it, just in case I'm wrong."

Hal gave him a suspicious look. "Alright well let's go figure it out." The partners flew toward the fortress. Once they were about a 100 yards away a different kind of robot fired an energy beam at them. "Sin, is that a Manhunter?" He fired back but the energy only staggered the robot.

"Yes. My ring confirms it. That would explain why the Guardians want us here." Sinestro fired a ball of energy through the Manhunter's chest. Manhunters started pouring from the fortress. Hal and Sinestro split up taking out the robots left and right. Hal fired cannonballs into the crowd.

"Why have one cannon, Hal, when you can make the whole ship?" Sinestro created a pirate ship and sent it flying through the crowd. He followed up by creating a hammer and smashing the bots on the ground.

"So you have been doing your research on Earth." Hal grinned. He created a jet and it zoomed through the army of Manhunters. He then fired a dozen rockets from the jet.

"Jordan, finishing move." Sinestro ordered. Hal nodded. They both fired huge green balls into the heart of the robot mob, destroying almost all of them. Sinestro finished off the stragglers with a few quick sword slashes. "Doors are all shut." Sinestro said.

"That's fine." Hal said as his ring glowed. "I'll make one." He made a power saw with his ring and cut a hole in the wall. The two Lanterns flew through the hole into a dark room. There was a power ring sitting on a pedestal in the middle of the room. "Is that what I think it is?" Hal asked.

Sinestro couldn't keep the grin off his face. "Yes. That is a power ring." Sinestro picked it up. It was bright yellow and Hal felt dizzy near the ring. "A yellow power ring."

"Fear. Yellow power rings use fear." Hal said. He put his hand against his head. "Aren't you dizzy, Sin?"

"No Hal, because I am this ring's master." Sinestro slipped off his ring. "I am sorry, Hal, but the guardians have failed the universe, so I must save it myself."

"What do you mean, Sinestro?" Hal pointed his ring at Sinestro. "Put that ring down! I have to take you to the guardians."

"Sorry, Jordan. This is something I must do." Sinestro slipped on the yellow ring and blasted Hal unconscious. "I will miss you, my friend." Sinestro said sincerely to himself.

"SINESTRO!" Hal yelled at his archnemsis and former friend. The yellow lantern was holding an injured alien with one hand. A dozen other aliens surrounded him, all dead, mostly from decapitation. "Drop him." Hal glared and pointed his ring at Sinestro.

"Nice to see you again Hal." Sinestro dropped the man. "They were committing murder Hal. Killed an entire village looking for loot. This is justice."

"This isn't how Green Lanterns serve Justice. We protect people, not avenge them." Hal said.

"Well, then luckily for me, I'm not a Green Lantern." Sinestro created a yellow shield and deflected Hal's blast. He then fired back with his own. Hal dodged and created a sword. "My favorite, Jordan." Sinestro matched him and the two clashed.

"You can still join us Sinestro! You just need to surrender." Hal kicked him in the chest and fired a beam.

The yellow lantern deflected it with his sword. "The guardians don't know what is best for the universe! I have to do what I think is right!" He created a car and threw it at Hal.

Hal created a baseball bat and knocked the car into the ground. "I respect that, but I can't allow you to continue this anymore. Sinestro stand down!"

"I can't leave this universe in their hands any longer." Sinestro said. He fired a dozen balls of energy and Hal batted them away. "The Sinestro Corps shall rise!" Sinestro rushed Hal bringing everything he had. Hal countered blow for blow. The two were seemingly evenly matched in every way. Suddenly Sinestro sped up his attacks and caught Hal with an uppercut and blasted him in the chest. Hal smashed into the earth. "In blackest day, In brightest night!"

Hal heard Sinestro start to recite a revised version of the Green Lantern oath. He felt Sinestro's yellow energy start to flow over him. Hal couldn't move.

"Beware your fears, made into light!" Sinestro projected his yellow energy onto Hal. Hal's suit started to turn yellow like Sinestro. "Let those who try to stop what's right. Burn like his power. SINESTRO'S MIGHT!" Sinestro flooded with power. He channeled all of it on to Hal. Hal's suit turned almost completely yellow except for his ring.

Hal struggled in the yellow light. "Get off of me!" He powered up and fought back against the fear energy. "In brightest day, in blackest night!" The green started to take back Hal's body.

"Oh no you don't." Sinestro fired more and more yellow energy onto Hal to no avail. Hal's will was taking over.

"No evil shall escape my sight. Let those who worship evil's might, beware my power. GREEN LANTERN'S LIGHT!" Hal blasted through the yellow energy and hit Sinestro in the chest. He fell to his knees panting. He didn't have enough energy left to finish off Sinestro.

Sinestro struggled to his feet. He saw a squad of Green Lanterns flying in behind Hal. "Have to go Hal. We'll have to do this again sometime." He opened a portal with his ring, which was something Hal was pretty sure his ring couldn't do.

"Were we ever friends Sinestro?" Hal yelled at his former friend.

"That's the great tragedy of all this, Hal." Sinestro said as he took a step through. "We always will be friends." He then stepped through completely and the portal shut behind him.

Fear is the enemy of hope, but hope is useless without willpower. But hope can create willpower. But not vice versa. All the will in the world doesn't matter if your fighting for nothing. Normally heroes have both in droves. Even Batman has hope, deep, deep down inside him.

Hope that one day, all the work that they do, won't be needed anymore.

I've always done what I truly believed was right. At first, people called me a hero for it...and then a villain. And as the memory of what I've done and been - fades. I hope I will be seen a different light. -Hal Jordan