Work Text:
Hal Jordan finally had it all. He was a beloved hero on his home planet, Earth. He had some amazing friends, teammates, and even some interesting frenemies. But, best of all, he had the greatest husband anyone could ask for. Hal and Barry had started out as coworkers in the hero community, then quickly became good friends. Hal never expected they would be a couple. After all, he had had Carol and Barry had Iris, and each couple had been devoted to each other. Hal had been happy with Carol, truly happy, but he made one too many mistakes. Carol left him and never looked back. He had kept a watch over her for a time, just to make sure she was really happy, but ultimately decided it would be better to leave her be. After all, if she was happier without him, what right did he have to take that happiness from her. Barry and Iris had been there for him as he nursed his wounded heart. He really was blessed to have found such an amazing pair of friends. And then tragedy struck. Iris was murdered by the Reverse Flash. Hal had to watch on in anguish as Barry’s life fell apart. But Hal remained determined to help in any way he could. He stuck by Barry’s side, even when that ridiculous trial took place, and ended up moving in with him. It just made sense. He and his best friend would share a small home, a little place of their own away from the source of their heartache, and Hal would be able to watch over Barry and be there in whatever way Barry needed.
Then the most wonderful thing happened. Hal realised he was in love, again, this time with his best friend. He refused to push his own feelings on Barry, no one deserves that, but he also felt stuck, as he did not know if Barry would even feel the same way ever. And so, he pined hopelessly from a distance, keeping his true feelings locked deep within his heart. As time went on, Barry started to improve, his grief no longer completely consuming him. Hal watched with pride as Barry processed through feelings Hal could only imagine, and came through brighter than ever before. Or maybe that was just Hal’s love tingeing the world around him in golden light, like a filter on a picture. Either way, Hal was relieved his best friend was finally able to move forward. That’s when things began to change; for the better, much to Hal’s surprise. You see, Hal learnt that his affection for Barry wasn’t as one sided as he once thought. In fact, Barry had loved him for quite some time. He couldn’t believe it at first, but then he’d notice little looks, or a lilt in Barry’s voice, or the way he’d move his hands when nervous, all the little signs of love Barry had shown to Iris. All the signs of Barry’s love that Hal had witnessed first hand, and now they were directed at him. Hal could remember that wonderful confession as clear as the moment it happened.
Hal returned to the home he shared with Barry after a long day of work. He loved his job, both of them really, but he was exhausted and desperately needed a break. He stepped through the door and was greeted by the incredible smell of Barry’s cooking. Hal grinned, a mischievous idea taking hold, and snuck into the kitchen. Sure enough, there at the island in the centre of the kitchen, was Barry. Focused on his work, carefully chopping up a variety of vegetables, Hal was pleased to find that Barry had yet to notice his arrival. Practically gliding across the floor, Hal made sure to stay out of Barry’s line of sight until he was right behind the man.
“Hey good lookin’! What’s cookin’?” He asked, wrapping his arms around Barry’s waist and leaning his chin on Barry’s shoulder.
Barry jumped, startled, before laughing and ruffling Hal’s hair with his left hand.
“Careful Hal! I could’ve hurt you!”
“Maybe, but at least we’d have a funny story for the ER !”
‘I’ll never get tired of this.’ Hal had thought to himself. ‘How did I ever get this lucky?’ At Barry’s hesitation and nervous little movements, Hal frowned.
‘What is it, Bar? What’s wrong?” Hal felt his heart speed up, beating furiously in his chest, as his thoughts raced through every possible worst case scenario.
“Hal… We need to talk.” Barry said, gesturing towards their small dining table, before taking a seat himself. Hal sat down, mind still whirling, and waited. He had so many questions, but his voice refused to surface.
‘Is this the end of our cosy little life?’ He thought to himself. ‘Does Barry want me to leave? Was I too obvious with my feelings, too overbearing with my affection? Did I make him uncomfortable?’ His thoughts repeating endlessly on a loop as his throat grew tight, anxiety taking hold as Hal willed himself to focus on Barry.
So he sat, and waited, and hoped against hope that whatever the problem was he would be able to solve it.
“Sorry, I know I should have said this sooner, but I was too selfish. I didn’t want to lose what we had. I didn’t want to lose you… But now, I can’t just watch from a distance. I–’ Barry paused, taking a deep breath, before returning his gaze to Hal. ‘I love you, Hal Jordan. I love you more than I can say, perhaps more than anyone before or well ever! Except for Iris, of course.” Barry let out a light huff of a laugh, before returning his gaze to Hal, brilliant blue eyes piercing Hal’s. “I love you.” He repeated into the silence, his hand twitching and fidgeting as they always did when he was nervous. The silence stretched on as Hal took this in. Had he heard Barry correctly? Was he just dreaming? After what felt like an eternity, but was in fact only five minutes, Hal felt the lump in his throat loosen and rushed to fill the silence before Barry could jump to the wrong conclusion.
“You… You really love me? Me?! Are you sure?” Hal finally sputtered out. At Barry’s nod, a stunning smile bloomed across Hal’s face. “Oh Barry!” Hal crooned, rushing from his seat and pulling Barry into his arms.
“You have no idea how much of a relief this is. I– I’ve loved you for some time, but it never felt like the right time to confess. I didn’t want to lose what we had either, and I especially didn’t want to lose you, but now–” Hal spun, his laugh infectious as Barry squeaked in surprise at the sudden movement, “now I have everything I could ever need.”
Gazing into Barry’s eyes, Hal felt a peace sweep through his heart. He reached out his hands, gently cupping Barry’s cheeks, before leaning in for a kiss. When their lips finally met, Hal could swear he felt a spark, like fireworks exploding in the night sky.
Hal hummed to himself at the memory as he walked along the street. He had flowers in hand, green and shining and made permanent by his great willpower, ready to surprise his husband. They had been married for nearly two years now and Hal couldn’t be happier. A glimmer of green and what looked like space drew his attention. He turned towards the strange sight, but all he saw was a large office building.
‘Strange,’ Hal thought to himself. ‘Maybe someone was watching a video and I saw the reflection?’
Unsure, but unwilling to leave Barry waiting, Hal shrugged off the strange phenomenon and rushed along his path home. After all, he could have just been seeing things! The sun was out and shining, sparkling on the glass of the window, reflecting off the smooth metal of the buildings and cars, he probably just saw a weird reflection and thought it was something serious! More satisfied with this idea in mind, Hal smiled to himself as he turned his thoughts towards Barry once more. Right about now, Barry would have arrived home from the lab, and would be planning out the rest of their evening. Hal could picture it now: Barry, pencil in hand, absently chewing on the dull eraserless tip in thought, humming to himself as he carefully read over his plans. Barry was always so particular about details. He liked to have everything just so, and worried about ruining the night if he forgot something or was late.
‘Silly Barry.’ Hal thought to himself. ‘How could anything be ruined when you’re by my side?’
Yes. Nothing was more perfect to Hal than having Barry by his side. Strange flickers of green and a heart crushing feeling of something, perhaps grief, startled Hal with their sudden appearance. But he swiftly shrugged it all off as he spotted the house he and Barry shared.
“Honey! I’m Home~!” Hal called out, mimicking all the sitcoms he had loved, as he carefully closed the door behind him. There was no response, which was odd, as Barry was always home by this time of day. Hal frowned and began to search the house.
“Bar? Darling? You there?” Hal called out, anxiety rising as his voice echoed in the silence. “Call out if you can hear me! Or, better yet, fly into my arms!” A nervous little laugh slipped past his lips. With Barry’s super speed, he could easily find Hal and nestle himself in Hal’s arms before Hal could register the change. And so, Hal waited in silence as the house started to flicker around him. The solid walls appearing green and fragile, just like his constructs whenever he released his hold on them, instead of the solid oak he knew they were made of, before returning to their proper form: solid, sturdy, covered in dry wall and a wallpaper with delicate pastel yellow daffodils painted in a beautiful pattern of hearts and circles, their stems intertwined like a wreath or flower crown. Hal reached out to touch the wallpaper, his fingers tracing the pattern carefully. He closed his eyes, trying to ignore the flickering walls as he willed himself to calm down, and remembered the day he and Barry got the wallpaper.
It had been a week since Hal and Barry had moved into their new home. Their wedding had been spectacular, full of their friends and loved ones, and even a place left for Iris who, Barry had assured a nervous Hal, would have gladly approved of their match had she lived. After they had made sure their friends made it home safely, Hal and Barry had made their way back to their new home. It was rather barren, with only a few pieces of furniture and no decoration, but it would be perfect. Hal had carried Barry across the threshold, delighting in Barry’s embarrassed delight, before the two settled into bed. In the wee hours of the morning, they had talked about all they would do to make this new house feel like their home.
And so, after taking the week to plan and measure and shop, Hal found himself out and about with Barry, choosing which pieces of decor and furniture they would keep. Hal had been loading the boxes of furniture and picture frames onto their cart, when he noticed Barry staring intently at the aisle of paint colours and wallpaper options.
“Paint, or wallpaper?” Hal asked, shocking Barry out of his thoughts.
“Honestly, I’m not quite sure.” Barry said with a laugh. Without a further word, Hal fell into step behind Barry, and the duo carefully went up and down the aisle, eyeing each option carefully. Hal could not see any options that really called to him, and was ready to turn and tell Barry so, when he saw Barry tracing a delicate pattern on a swatch of wallpaper. The background was cream, perfectly supporting the soft colour of the flowers woven into shapes on the foreground. His eyes softened as he watched Barry.
“Looks like we’ve found the winner!” Hal said, jovially, as Barry blinked in surprise before blushing.
“Oh, no that’s quite alright! I like the pattern but if you’d rather choose something else–” the flustered Barry tried to play off just how much he liked the wallpaper, but Hal saw right through him.
“It’s perfect, love.” Hal said, gently kissing Barry’s cheek. “Daffodils are your favourite, right?” At Barry’s nod, Hal continued, grabbing rolls of the wallpaper and adding them to their already overflowing cart. “Then we have to use this! You have great taste. After all, you chose me!”
At Hal’s wink, Barry laughed and lightly slapped his arm, saying “You are incorrigible!”
“Maybe,” Hal retorted, “but I’m utterly yours. No take backs!” Barry’s laugh filled the space around them, wrapping Hal in the warmest feeling he could remember. He was lucky, beyond lucky, that he had found a love like this.
Hal steadied his breathing. That’s right. He and Barry had chosen this place together. They had worked together for years before they even started this relationship. Whatever is going on, whatever is causing Hal to see these strange things, he’ll find the solution with Barry by his side. Determined, Hal opened his eyes and started a second search of the house, looking for any sign of a message Barry could have left for him. And if Barry was simply late, or forgot to leave a note, then he would just have to trust that his husband would return safe and sound soon. After all, he always had before. Why should this time be any different?
Just as Hal’s carefully willed patience was running thin, Barry rushed in through the door, flustered and moving nearly faster than Hal could see. He was a blur of colour until he noticed Hal. The colours solidified, and there stook Barry, hair a mess, still in his work clothes; that is, his Flash costume.
“Hey, dear! Sorry I’m late. There was this bank robbery I had to stop, and of course it had to happen on the day I had to stay overtime to finish lab work so the boss could make sure the team arrested the correct person.” He huffed in slight annoyance, as a smile bloomed across Hal’s features. Relieved, Hal swiftly pulled Barry into a tender, yet incredibly strong, embrace. Barry frowned, wrapping his arms around Hal. “Hal? What is it? What’s wrong?”
Hal shook his head, nuzzling Barry, before placing a gentle kiss on Barry’s forehead. “It’s nothing. At least, I hope it’s nothing. But it’s much better now that you’re here.” At Barry’s concerned look, Hal nodded towards the sofa and said “Come on. Let’s sit down and I’ll tell you all about it.”
They sat in silence as Hal collected his thoughts, rubbing his thumb on the back of Barry’s hand, while Barry showed his incredible patience. Hal marveled at this. Speedsters were generally impatient, given how they experience the world and the passage of time, but somehow Barry always showed such incredible patience, especially for Hal.
“Alright. This may sound rather strange, but I suppose our lives always are.” Hal laughed lightly. “It all started on my way home today. Everything was perfect, I made flowers I was going to surprise you with, but, well, clearly that isn’t going to happen. As I walked down the street, I started to see these strange flickers of green, kind of like when I make constructions that don’t need to last too long. It faded quickly, so I figured I was just seeing a weird reflection or something. Then, I got home and you weren’t here. I started to worry that maybe that green light was a warning, and that something had happened to you. I started to panic a bit,” he huffed out a breath derisively, “and when I did the flickering came back stronger than before. The walls started to fade, looking exactly like constructs instead of actual walls, and then it was over just as suddenly as it began. I waited for you to return, hoping my panic was, well, just a waste of time, but the strange green light and flickering has me worried.”
Hal took a deep breath and eyed Barry. He would have loved to keep this to himself, but he had made a promise to Barry, before they were married, that he would always be honest with him. And so, he found himself telling Barry about his worries, the strange light, and just how little he knew of what was going on. He was glad to have some to be this honest with, but a part of him was worried about how Barry would react. Not that he needed to, he was just under some stress. Barry clutched Hal’s hand and nodded in the silence.
“Alright,” he said. “Then there might be something actually going on. Once is a coincidence, twice is the start of a pattern. We’ll figure this out together. Whatever that green light is, whatever caused the flickering, it must be important.”
Hal released a breath he didn’t realise he had been holding, and nodded. “Alright. Then we’ll just have to keep an eye out for it. Next time there’s a flicker, we’ll investigate. Together.”
With a determined nod, the duo rose and went to prepare what they could; Barry heading towards his home lab, while Hal made sure his ring was charged and ready to take on any foe. Their preparations complete, they then went about their usual routine: Barry prepped dinner, Hal cleaned up afterwards, and then the duo relaxed in the evening, soaking up the warmth and love that came with being held in each other’s arms.
Days passed, and the flickering continued seemingly at random. Whenever he spotted it, Hal would signal Barry, who would come running with various devices trying to measure it and understand it. And yet, despite all of Barry’s effort and quick thinking, they still had no answers. Barry couldn’t even seem to see the flickering at first. Hal worried he was losing his mind or being controlled by something, until one day the whole city flickered so violently Barry seemed to glow green in its light. Hal had clutched at Barry that day, a strange feeling of desperation and grief flooding his heart and mind, as he felt this nagging thought telling him if he didn’t cling to Barry in that moment he would lose him forever. The feeling was very odd: It felt like his feelings, his true feelings, but how could that be? He had Barry by his side, how could he be so desperate to hold him then and there? Why did he fear he would lose him?
A flash of images erupted through his mind. A great rush of fire and heat, a deafening cacophony of screams and fracturing earth. Then the images cleared, holding still for agonising moments that felt like eternity. First, an image of the world, Hal’s world, as it should be. Him, with Barry, having a peaceful day off, walking side by side through the streets completely content. Then, an image of that world crumbling. The earth cracking beneath their feet, Barry’s smile turned into an anguished cry, as Hal desperately reached out a hand to keep Barry by his side. Next, an image of people and things vanishing, turning into dust slowly. It was like something out of a horror movie, or that one movie Hal had watched where the heroes lost and had to watch their friends vanish as they crumbled into dust around them. Finally, the last image was a frozen image of pure despair. Hal, alone in the middle of space, kneeled and wept, as the dust that was once his home planet began to drift through space around him. Hal shook his head frantically, willing the images to leave, but no matter how hard he tried he could not look away from this image of himself so lost and alone.
“-al– Hal!”
Hal blinked, his vision clearing as a precious voice called out to him. The last of the images vanished, and he found he was lying on the ground, looking up at the anxious eyes of his husband.
“Hey, Bar.” Hal mentally winced at how weak his voice sounded. “Have I told you lately how lovely you are? Even your anxious eyes are enough to drown me in love and beauty.”
Barry let out a huff of annoyance, shaking his head slightly, before lowering it, gently resting his forehead against Hal’s. “You had me so worried. What happened?”
“Honestly? I’m not entirely sure. But I’ll see if I can explain.”
Hal steadied his thoughts, organising his thoughts and feelings, before he finally explained it all. Every image he saw, every feeling he felt, everything he could remember.
“I don’t know what it all means. Is it a vision of the future? Something to do with this weird flickering I’ve been seeing? Or is it completely unrelated?” Hal huffed out a laugh. “Heck, maybe it’s just my anxious, stressed out brain letting me see what the actual worst case scenario is!” He frowned when Barry didn’t laugh.
“Bar? What is it, darling?”
Barry was always quick to figure things out and this time, Hal feared, Barry had figured out the cause of this great nightmare.
“I need you to be serious, Hal.”
“I am serious!”
Barry gave him a look. Hal held up his hands in surrender. “Alright, I’ll be serious. But what’s going on? What’s your theory?”
Barry took a breath and said “Are you sure all of this–” he gestured with his arms to the world around them, “-is real? Are you sure that all those images you saw were fake or something your brain conjured up?”
Hal froze. How could this not be real? He had held Barry in his arms every night. He had been to work and visited other cities. He had even been on missions with the Justice League!
“You can’t be serious. Of course this is all real!” Hal said, eyes wide as he tried to hide his growing unease.
“Are you sure you’re not just running away?” Barry asked him.
“Me? Run away?” Hal laughed. “When have I ever run away?”
Barry gave him the look. The look he used on his nephew Wally whenever the boy tried to talk his way out of trouble for causing some typical, harmless teenage mischief. He started ticking off a count using his fingers as Hal grinned sheepishly.
“When Carol left. When your father died. When your mother died. When–” Here he cut himself off as Hal gave him a questioning gaze. “When Coast City was destroyed.” He finished, eyes far away, a sorrow as plain as the sunlight shining through the window behind him clear in his eyes. Hal froze at the mention of Coast City. His city. He remembered all too well the grief he had felt, the guilt over his failure to protect it, and the actions he had taken in those last desperate moments.
“Are– Are you saying that this is all a construct?! But… It all feels so real. When I made– or remade Coast City as a construct, there was no doubt that it was a construct. I could see the green–” His voice caught in his throat as he remembered all the glimpses of green he had been seeing. Barry nodded.
“Exactly. It had been just like your other constructs. Nothing but green, even transparent in places. Which sounds like what you described seeing in our home that day, and again when you said I nearly vanished with the world around us.”
“But I’ve never made a construct that could fool me! No lantern can! Regardless of the lantern colour, their constructs will always be the colour of the emotional spectrum they wield. There’s no possible way for it to turn into some grand illusion!”
“Maybe, maybe not. After all, you’ve done the impossible before! What’s to stop you from doing it again? Especially if your grief is so great that you refuse to acknowledge it?”
Hal shook his head, denial running through his veins.
“No… No, no, no nonononononono!” Hal cried out. “This can’t be! I can’t have lost you! Haven't I suffered enough?! Haven’t I sacrificed enough?! It has to be just some horrible dream! Or a hallucination caused by stress! Surely the universe isn’t cruel enough to take you.” Hal clutched his head as images continued to rise unbidden into his mind. Tears pricked at his eyes, but Hal willed them away, as Barry laid a gentle hand on his shoulder.
“I’m sorry. I don’t want to distress you, but you have to consider the possibility. After all, why else would the rest of us start to appear like constructs, but you remain yourself?”
Hal looked down, trying not to cry as Barry carded his fingers through Hal’s hair.
“No, you're right. I have to consider it. I don’t want to believe it. It shouldn’t be possible! But–” Hal gulped. “It could be the truth.” Hal clutched Barry’s free hand. After a comfortable silence, Hal looked up into Barry’s eyes once more. “I’ll consider it, genuinely. But please, bear with me. Let me look into this and consider all other options first. If–” His breath hitched slightly as he tried to ignore the sharp pain in his heart. “If this really is just a construct, or a dream, please let me enjoy it for as long as I can. If I must be parted from you, I’d rather it be on my terms.”
Barry nodded, kissing Hal gently, before taking him by the hand and leading him home. Once inside their home, Hal left Barry to his work in his lab and started digging through his files. He had to find a cause for this. And it couldn’t be a construct of his. After all, if it really was just a construct, Hal would have to acknowledge Barry’s loss. He would have to accept that he had lost his love, and he would now be alone, with no one and nothing left to call home. Hal felt anger rise. How could a universe that gifted him the ring and power of a lantern take away his world?! And his planet?! Hal had almost forgotten that it was the entire Earth that had been destroyed in those images. After all, his focus had been Barry. Barry was his world far more than Earth. And if something had taken it from him, what was he meant to do? Sure, he could get revenge, and that may satisfy him, but he’d still be left without his love. Why was he the only one that seemed to suffer though things like this? No one else had had their cities stolen from them. None of his friends had lost their loves in some mysterious way. Only Barry had been so misfortunate, but Hal had been there for him. Who would be there for Hal if all this turned out to be a desperate lie to conceal the painful truth?
Hal shook himself from his thoughts. No, there was no use getting angry just now. First, he needed to find an answer to these strange phenomena, and then he could worry about a plan. He sorted through every file of every foe he had ever faced. None really had the skill to pull off this sort of illusion, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t have done it. They would have needed help, or to significantly improve their skills, but it was still possible. He sorted all the files into three piles: Those who could potentially do something like this, those who could not do something like this, and those who were confirmed dead or otherwise unable to take action. Unfortunately for Hal, that first pile was very small and clearly just him clutching at straws, trying desperately to pin this strange, almost threatening occurrence onto anyone. With a growl of annoyance, Hal tossed the files aside. He had to think of something. Finally, an inkling of an idea sparked to life. Usually, when faced with tragedy, people are seen praying to various deities for help. Hal wasn’t quite sure if he believed in any gods, but he knew, from working with Diana and other heroes of her ilk, that there were gods out there. But how does one ask a god for help? Various religions have different preferences for prayers and hopes, and Hal remembered some from his childhood, but he really wanted to leave the prayer open to any god that would listen. And so, he sat on his bed, the one he shared with Barry, and gazed at the ceiling.
“I don’t know if anyone can hear me, or if you’d even care, but please hear me out.” Hal began, softly. “I’m not used to asking for help, especially from gods, but I’m all out of ideas. Please help me save Barry. The rest of the world can go. We’ll start over somewhere, anywhere, just please, don’t take Barry away from me. I’ll do anything you ask, sacrifice anything I have, as long as I can keep him by my side.” Hal bargained, desperately, reaching out with his heart and soul to anyone who would listen. All he received in return was a deafening silence.
“Fine then!” Hal raged. “Keep your silence and your favours and your gifts!” Hal shook a fist at the ceiling. “I’ll save him! Just you watch! I’ll do it all myself and then you’ll wish you’d have helped me!” Naturally, he received no reply. But Hal felt more relaxed and satisfied after having vented out his rage. As he left the room, he found Barry in the kitchen, cooking up his favourite meal. With a strange sense of ease, Hal made his way over to Barry, pulling him into his arms, and kissed his beloved husband. The pair spent the rest of the day together, in comfortable silence, as Hal cradled Barry in his arms. After all, if this was all doomed to vanish, Hal wanted to make sure he held Barry as much as he could. He was grateful Barry chose not to mention his outburst, which must have echoed through the house, and decided to repay Barry with a night so passionate he could have sworn it was their first all over again.
The following morning, Hal knew something was wrong. The world around him was green and turning transparent. Everything still held its unique designs and shapes, but the green was too pronounced to ignore. With a jolt, he shot up out of bed and turned to look beside him. There, Barry slept, peaceful yet green and partially translucent.
“Barry! No! Nonononononono! You can’t leave me like this! I can’t lose you now!” Hal cried out, shaking Barry awake and clutching him to his chest. “Please, please, don’t go!”
Barry cupped Hal’s cheek in one hand. “It’s okay, I’m here.” Hal nuzzled against Barry’s hand, trying desperately to calm down. There was no doubt about it now. This was his carefully crafted illusion, built of the best constructs he had ever created, so he would have to maintain it. But no matter what he tried, the world around him continued to flicker and fade. Everything started becoming more green and more translucent. The walls became transparent, allowing Hal to look out and see the world around their little house fade quickly. The people became green and translucent before turning transparent and vanishing. The building broke down, fading away layer by layer, level by level, until only space remained. It started with the outermost reaches of the world, collapsing like dominoes, until finally, there only remained Hal, Barry, and their little transparent green house. Hal tried to focus, channeling his willpower into the world around them. For a moment, it seemed to work. The house, and Barry, solidified. But Hal’s relief did not last. Just as he thought he could breathe, the walls started to fade away, more quickly than they had been before.
“No!” Hal yelled, reaching out with his ring to create more constructs, new constructs to help hold the old ones in place. “Please! Please!” Desperation coloured his voice, changing it from the usual warm and pleasant tone to one far weaker and rougher. Hal began to pant, eyes widening as hyperventilation took hold.
"Hal, love, look at me!” Barry called to him gently, taking Hal’s head in his hands, drawing his attention. “It’s alright. It’s all going to be alright. Breathe. In… and out… Come on Hal, breathe with me! In– very good, now out! … And again!” As Barry coached him through his breathing, Hal settled enough to realise just how much of Barry had already vanished. His once warm, pliant skin was now icy and rigid. He looked like a statue made of a solid piece of emerald. Then he started to fade even more. The world around them, now fully transparent, sparkled with stardust. Barry now appeared less solid than a statue or a figure. To Hal’s eyes, he might as well be a ghost now. Hal shook his head furiously, willing himself to hold the illusion steady, no matter the cost. His nose began to bleed from the strain and Barry called out to him again, but Hal ignored him. If he was going to save Barry, he would have to use every last ounce of strength and willpower he had. He rose, desperately clutching a nearby wall for support, and channeled his energy into it. He held on for as long as he dared, but he felt his strength failing him.
“Please…. PLEASE!” Hal cried out, willing the world to solidify once more. But this time there was not even a flicker of solidity or additional colour in the world around him. Everything that was not space was green, transparent, and ghostly. Figures of ghostly people moved about outside the walls of his ghostly house, and even Barry, his beloved Barry, was nothing more than a wisp of spirit, instead of usual, wonderfully warm self. Frustration and desperation had fueled Hal thus far, but even those fires were fading now.
Hal shuddered, eyes frantic as he tried to maintain the illusion of stability. The spectral Barry shook his head with a sad smile and cupped Hal’s cheek. Hal leaned into the touch, wishing for the warmth of Barry’s hand, and the grounding feeling it brought him so often before, that was all too absent here.
“It’s okay, Hal.” Barry said, rubbing his thumb gently under Hal’s eyes to wipe away stray tears. “You can let go.”
Hal shook his head, taking in a shaky breath. “If I let go, then you’re gone, really gone… forever.”
“Not forever.” Barry said calmly, a glow coming from somewhere within his form, rippling light across the stardust holding him together. “Just for now. You’ll find me again. You always do. But right now you need to let me go.” When Hal tried to deny this, Barry shook his head and interrupted. “I know. I don’t want to leave you either. But I can’t stay with you. I’m no longer here, in this place at this time. You have to let go, my darling, if you are ever going to heal.” He reached out, touching his pointer finger to Hal’s chest, right above his heart. “I’ll always be here, if you need me. You know that right?”
Hal nodded, breathing out a gentle, breathy laugh. Leave it to Barry to try to comfort him from beyond the grave. Hal leant forward, pressing his forehead against Barry’s, tears falling freely, and said “Goodbye, love. I’ll never forget you.”
Brilliant green light shimmered around him before radiating out into space as Hal let go. The constructs, for that’s what they really were despite Hal’s attempts to deny it, collapsed, leaving behind nothing more the stardust and a devastated Hal Jordan. Hal dropped to his knees, arms falling lifelessly to his sides, and watched the stardust scatter into eternity.
No. He would never forget. But now he would finally allow himself to grieve.