Chapter Two

Sector 2814

Earth

Hal, as it happened, had been very close by. In a neighboring city, as a matter of fact. When he heard, he went to where they said it had happened. He was welcomed by a very strange sight. A kid was floating around on a green hard light platform, followed by a member of the Sinestro Corps. Hal shook his head. He had seen weirder just that week, but jeez. He flew up, took down the Yellow Lantern, and caught up to the kid, who was sweating from effort. No wonder. He was holding himself and a platform up in the air and moving it around just by sheer force of will, using a ring that most likely hadn't chosen him. This had to be his first time, or he would be flying. Hal grabbed the kid's shoulder and nodded at him. "You've done well today, kid. You can drop the platform now. I'll handle this from here."

The poor kid was so tired, he didn't even question. He just let the platform disintegrate and fell about three feet before Hal put down a platform of his own. And then he passed out.

Angela had no idea any of this was happening, but wondered where Cathal was and why he wasn't at school.

When Cathal woke up, he was in the school's infirmary, laying on a cot. Three men were sitting beside him, but his vision was so blurry, he couldn't recognize any of them. He blinked a few times, waited several seconds, and saw that the men were his father, Hal Jordan, and John Stewart. They were talking about something. Arguing, it seemed. John wasn't taking part in the discussion. John smiled at Cathal, pointed with his thumb at the other men, and rolled his eyes.

He said in a low voice, "Hal told me his side of the story. Now it's time for you to hear it and tell yours." Then, to the other men, in a louder voice, he said "He's awake!"

Hal and David turned to Cathal. Cathal's dad said, "Thank God. Cathal, what happened?"

"Yes," agreed Hal. "Tell us your side of the story."

After Cathal had explained what happened at the track, Hal turned to David and said "You see? Your son had no training or experience, yet still did what he did. He is exactly what we need!"

David said "I don't care! You are not sending my son into your battlefield in space! It doesn't matter what he gets paid, it doesn't matter what protection we'll get, none of it matters if my son goes into space and never comes back!"

Cathal said "Woah, woah, woah. Stop the music. Are you… are the Green Lanterns trying to recruit me?!"

Hal nodded. "Yes, we are. Or, at least, I am." He looked at John, who half-smiled in reply.

"That's awesome! I just…" He thought of Stephen and Elizabeth, of Angela, and of his family. Would he have to leave them all behind? He voiced his concerns.

Hal assured him he wouldn't. "If that were true, we'd never have any recruits! No, even if you're not always on Earth, you can still make visits all the time. I wouldn't recommend showing off a Power Ring, though, at least not until you're very powerful, like John here, or myself. So, what do you say?"

"... It's a tough decision."

"I understand. You have forty-eight hours to decide. That should be plenty of time."

"Can I tell my girlfriend?"

"It's up to you."

"All right then. Mr. Jordan, Mr. Stewart, it's an honor to meet you." Cathal shook their hands. "Dad, we should go."

David glared at the Green Lanterns. "Yeah. Come on."

Forty-seven hours later, Cathal still hadn't made up his mind. He had told his family, Stephen, and Angela, and they had all told him that it was his decision to make and that they couldn't offer any advice. He would just have to decide for himself.

Thirty minutes later, he had steeled his nerves, made his decision, and gone to the high school, where John and Hal said they would meet him and hear his choice.

They were already there.

They were talking about something. Cathal heard snippets of conversation, words like "Oa," "representation," "Galactica," and "new factions."

He walked up to them, and they abruptly stopped talking. "So," Hal asked, "have you chosen?"

"I have. I will be an intergalactic peacekeeper with the Green Lantern Corps."

"A little over-the-top, but his heart's in the right place," John murmured.

Hal nodded. "Very well. You're going to face every single one of your fears, complete training, and be one of us."

"That sounds simple."

"It is simple. It's not easy."