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Barry could not believe his eyes. There, hovering like some shining god, was Hal, his Hal. But his Hal had died, ages ago, when he sacrificed himself to reignite Earth’s sun. Barry stepped forward, a hand reaching up towards the one he thought he had lost forever, moving more slowly than he could ever remember moving.
“Hal… Is it really you?” His voice sounded so far away, so small. But Hal did not face him, at least, not at first. A bright gleam of green light engulfed him, causing Barry to flinch back and shield his eyes. When the light faded, and he dared to open his eyes, Barry saw the scenes that had haunted his dreams for the past two months. On one side, Barry stood with the rest of the Justice League, unshed tears sparkling in the electricity around him. On the other side, Hal, or Parallax as he was calling himself, hovered in place, green energy flowing around him like living lightning. His smile was unnerving, a predatory grin, unlike any of the smiles he usually wore. Barry braced himself. The silence stretched out, seemingly endless, until it was broken by a boom of action, like the clap of thunder after a bolt of lightning. The two sides rushed towards each other, the other Barry a flash of light and colour in the lead, and the fight began.
“Stop this, Hal! Please! It’s not too late!” The other Barry called out, the desperation ringing through his voice as he tried to reach his friend.
“I can’t turn back, not until I’ve righted this terrible wrong. Coast City didn’t deserve its fate, and I won’t stop until it is restored.” The Parallax Hal reached out a hand towards the other Barry, an inviting, yet somehow off, smile on his face. “Join me, Barry. Together, we could do so much good. We could right more wrongs than just Coast City. We could save this world from itself!” The other Barry shook his head sadly as a combined attack from Superman and Batman struck Parallax Hal in the chest. “I’m sorry, Hal… so very sorry…” He said, finally joining the fight proper.
Barry closed his eyes, his heart clenching at the pain of the memory, before wincing at the sound of Hal, Parallax Hal, being launched into deep space by Superman. In the moment, he could have sworn that that attack had killed Hal, but he was soon proved wrong. Their groups would clash from time to time, before it seemed Hal had finally given up and exiled himself into deep space.
Then, just as life was starting to return to some semblance of normalcy, the Sun Eater arrived. Nothing the League tried could seem to solve the problem. Even Batman failed to find a solution, and he had back up plans for his plans’ back up plans!
Somehow, Parallax Hal had received word of the Sun Eater’s arrival. He appeared before the League and, after a tense standoff, offered a possible plan.
“This ring–” He said, gesturing to the Green Lantern Ring that still adorned his finger, “has the potential to do far more than any Lantern ever considers. I nearly brought back Coast City with it, and I could have done so much more… But, what I believe can be done now, is reversing the Sun Eater’s course. Through the force of my will, and the power of the ring, I can reignite the sun and end this apocalyptic winter.”
The room was silent, as the rest of the League considered Hal’s suggestion. The other Barry already knew that if it came to a vote, he would be voting for Hal’s plan. But he dared not make a move. How could he? He had fought against the one man he had loved more than any other. The man who, in spite of everything, was still willing to give the other Barry a home in the world of his imagining, in the world he was planning to create. But now, the other Barry didn’t know where they stood. Hal had been nothing but pleasant since entering their strategy room, but that could have all been merely to appease the others so he could make his suggestion. In due time, the others agreed to the plan, and wished Hal luck, before departing the room. In the silence, Hal approached the other Barry.
“I’m sorry.” His words startled both Barry and the other Barry.
“Wha–” The other Barry began, before Hal interrupted him.
“I never meant for you to end up so hurt. I just wanted to right some wrongs. But I was an Icarus, and I flew too close to the sun.” Hal strode forward as he spoke, crossing the distance as the other Barry watched him in frozen silence. “I wanted you by my side, but I never wanted to force you into something you weren’t comfortable with.” Hal reached up a hand and cupped the other Barry’s face. “I just wanted to love and protect you. I’m sorry I put you through so much pain.” The other Barry reached up to cover Hal’s hand with his own. “You’ll come back from this mission, right?” He asked, his voice pleading as his eyes searched Hal’s for answers. “You’ll come back to me when this is all over, right?”
Hal smiled, a pained smile he only ever seemed to have when he was heading into certain death. “I’m sorry, love, I can’t promise that. But I’ll do everything I can to restore the sun and return. After all, who’d choose death when they had the most incredible man to return home to?” He kissed the other Barry, as tears fell freely down both of their faces, then released his hold and turned towards the window.
Barry watched the scene unfold, though he wished he didn’t have to, and wiped away the tears that had begun to fall. Even though he was just watching the scene as an outsider, instead of living it, it still hurt terribly. As he watched, Hal flew into the darkness, the green light of his will made manifest the only source of illumination in the frozen waste of a world outside. In a brilliant flash of green, the sun began to burn once more. Barry watched as the other Barry waited in vain for Hal to return to him. But how could he return, when he had poured all of his life and will into the sun to undo the damage caused by the Sun Eater? Another flash of green light filled the room, causing Barry to flinch and shield his eyes. When it cleared, he found himself standing where he had been, no longer locked in memories, yet Hal was still there. Then, this really was no dream. He reached out, silently, hoping Hal would move closer and prove he was real and not some hallucination. Hal hovered closer, until he was able to touch the ground and walk two short steps into Barry’s reach, allowing Barry’s hand to touch his face, cup his cheek, and pull him closer. Barry pulled their foreheads together, a gentle sign of affection they had not used together in far too long. Barry finally allowed his tears to flow freely.
“You came back… You really came back!” He said, as Hal embraced him. Hal hummed lightly, then replied, “How could I not? I had you waiting for me. Sorry it took me so long.” Barry kissed Hal softly, then pulled back to look in Hal’s eyes. “I’d rather wait what feels like an eternity, than actually lose you forever.”
The two remained locked in an embrace that neither was willing to break. One thing was certain: no matter the distance, no matter the time, these two would love with a love that could never be extinguished.