Sam watches his dad fly from behind the fence, keeping his jacket warm for him. Also left behind with Sam was Hal's ring. Hal had the tendency to fly planes without it for the thrill and exhilaration of the danger. Martin Jordan was a cautionary tale, but that never stopped Hal from doing what he loved. If Carol were to find out that Hal went up without his ring, she'd flip, and when she finds out that Sam was keeping it a secret, it's over. But for now, it was a father-son secret they bond over.
Not once Sam has ever tried to put on his father's ring, even holding it made him feel more powerful somehow. Hal's ring was different from all the other Green ring-slingers because he forged it from his own willpower in his time of need. It was things like this that made Sam appreciate the parents he has. They were probably the coolest parents out there. Even when he had his moments of doubt, it was quickly forgotten when he looked at Carol or Hal.
Tearing his eyes from the sky for a brief moment, Sam takes a brief look at his dad's ring, tracing the rim with his thumb. As if reacting to Sam's touch, the ring begins to glow.
ɪɴᴄᴏᴍɪɴɢ ᴛʀᴀɴsᴍɪssɪᴏɴ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴜɴᴋɴᴏᴡɴ ʟᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ.
"Wh- huh?"
The ring projects a hologram of a man in strange armor and a helmet, similar to what Sam has been seeing in his dreams. This time, the name was on the tip of his tongue.
"sᴀᴍ ᴀʟᴇxᴀɴᴅᴇʀ, sᴏᴍᴇʜᴏᴡ ɪ ғᴇᴇʟ ʏᴏᴜ ᴍᴜsᴛ ʙᴇ sᴇᴇɪɴɢ ᴛʜɪs sᴏ ʟɪsᴛᴇɴ ᴜᴘ." the man in the hologram instructs, causing Sam to furrow his brows in a puzzled fashion. "Alexander? Who's Alexander?"
"sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ɪs ᴡʀᴏɴɢ sᴀᴍ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴜɴɪᴠᴇʀsᴇs ᴛʜᴇʏ- ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴄᴏlℓї∂℮∂ . †ℌ℮¥ ◎-◎ṽ℮ґℓѦ℘℘℮∂ Ѧη∂ ƒ◎ℓ∂℮∂ ◎η†◎ ℮Ѧ¢ℌ ◎†ℌ℮ґ ¢Ѧʊ﹩їηℊ ᴀɴ anomaly."
The connection caused the hologram to sound garbled and washed out so Sam could only understand half of what he just said.
"Excuse me, what now?" he asked, but the message wasn't being transmitted in real time, it was only a recording.
"ᴛʜᴇ ᴜɴɪᴠᴇʀsᴇ ɪs ɪɴ ᴛʀᴏᴜʙʟᴇ sᴀᴍ, ʏ-ʏᴏᴜ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ғɪɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʜᴇʟᴍᴇᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ғɪx ᴛʜɪs ғᴀsᴛ. ʏ◎ʊ мѦ¥ ℮ †ℌ℮ ◎ηℓ¥ ℌ◎℘℮."
San scoffs, taken aback. "My helmet? Like the one in my dreams?"
The recording cut off prematurely, leaving important information unheard. "Erm, hello?" Sam squinted at the ring, shaking it as if that were to do a thing. He understood how serious this could be, considering the kind of world he lived in, and especially since his father was a Green Lantern and his ring just spoke to him. The ring even said Sam's name, that couldn't have been a coincidence. Even if Samuel was a common name and his last name didn't match the one given, what other Sam had something to do with Hal Jordan?
Meanwhile, Hal lands the plane for another test well done and begins to make his way over.
Growing nervous, Sam's hand begins to shake. What am I going to do? I gotta tell dad… something about that man is itching my brain. Where do I know him from?
"Hey kid." Hal greets from the other side of the fence. He has his helmet tucked under his arm and used his other hand to unlock the gate. "You seemed lost in thought, something bothering you?"
"What? Why would you say that? Nothing is bothering me." Sam lies, trying to play it off. He didn't want to lie, but the words just slid right off his tongue. Hal looks at Sam questioningly, his father senses urging him to press on. "Nothing bothering you huh? Have you been texting that girl, what's her name… Khamela? Are you having girl issues son because-"
"No!" Sam shouts. His face flushed pink as he crosses his arms and pouts. "I am not having girl problems."
Seeing Sam flustered caused Hal to chuckle ever so slightly. "Well if it isn't that…" Hal goes over and places a hand on Sam's shoulder. "Then what is it?"
"Um…" Sam looks down at his sneakers, wishing he had never heard the transmission. Oh look, my shoe is untied. He thinks, trying to be distracted. He'd rather be anywhere than here right about now.
"Sam?"
Sam lifts his gaze up to his father, biting his lower lip. "So um, hypothetically, let's say your ring spoke to me."
Hal gives him a perplexed expression, slowly nodding "Yeah-?"
"Completely hypothetical." Sam emphasizes.
"Yes."
"That the ring… spoke to me."
"And then?"
"It wasn't a Green Lantern but one of those corps members from my dreams. And he sounded pretty vague."
"What did he say?"
"Hypothetically, remember."
"Sam, spit it out now!" Hal demands, getting a little upset.
"Okay!" Sam juts out his hand that holds his father's ring and begins to ramble. "He told me that something was wrong and that I needed to get my helmet to fix it! There were other things about worlds collapsing but the signal wasn't very good and I missed that part. Also there was supposed to be more but I missed that too."
Surprisingly, Hal took this very well. "How did he get onto a Green Lantern frequency…" he wonders aloud. "And… this must mean your dreams might have a grain of truth to them. We have to tell Carol."
"Tell mom?!" Sam squeaks, his voice cracking. Damn being a teenager. "She's gonna freak!"
Hal shoots him a warning look, not taking any of that nonsense. "Your mom very well deserves to know too because she is your mother first of all and not only that she's a Star Sapphire. If this message was directed to you, we sure as hell are going to make sure our son is going to be okay."
Sam blinks, not prepared for that mini lecture at all. "... That was cheesy dad."
"Yes, I know." Hal kisses Sam on his forehead. "That's what dads are for."
"And you're probably the corniest one." Sam jokes, feeling a whole lot better. "Well we better face mom's wrath sooner or later."
"Let's make that sooner, c'mon kiddo the world possibly hangs in the balance." Hal says, draping an arm around Sam's shoulders, guiding him inside.
"Yeesh, no big or anything."
