Hal Jordan flew a few circles in the sky, satisfying his newfound joy of flight before finally deciding to land.
However, when he was still two or three meters from the ground, the green lantern energy suddenly disappeared.
He clearly hadn't anticipated such a situation and free-fell, hitting the ground with a heavy thud.
Hal Jordan didn't recover for quite a while.
When he climbed to his feet, holding his waist, and looked at the green lantern ring on his hand again, he found it had lost its luster.
"Why?" Hal was puzzled.
"It seems Abin Sur didn't teach you the most important thing."
Hal instantly tensed at the words: "Who! Who's speaking?"
"Look up."
Hal subconsciously raised his head and saw four figures descending from the sky.
Shazam, almost entirely wrapped in a White robe, with White lightning divine power flickering in his eyes, and the lightning on his chest seemed to come alive.
Superman, in a blue suit and red cape, with a sunny smile, and a large "S" on his chest drawing attention.
Diana, wearing ancient armor, majestic and exuding the power of a Goddess. Also, her legs were really long.
Batman, clad in all black, as deep and silent as the night, his eyes seemingly able to see through everything.
Hal Jordan was awestruck by the demeanor and presence of the four, momentarily speechless.
"Hal Jordan, congratulations on becoming the first human Green Lantern in history."
"Who… who are you?"
"We are the Justice League!"
Perhaps because the first impression was too shocking, Hal agreed to Dane's suggestion to talk.
"I told you, this entrance is absolutely impressive, wasn't it?"
Batman turned his head: "Next time, I won't accompany you in doing something like this again."
He loved to educate the Bat-Family, and his most common phrase was: "We. Don't. Pose!"
But Dane knew that in his early days, Batman was quite chuunibyou, often standing atop gargoyles striking poses.
Saying cool lines like, "I am the night, I am vengeance."
Hal, having just gained superpowers, was eager to confide in someone, and no sooner had he thought this than God sent down several metahumans. He eagerly asked:
"Who are all of you?"
Dane first introduced himself: "I am Shazam, the current Guardian of magic."
He then pointed to Clark, who was full of anticipation: "Superman, a Kryptonian, from an extraterrestrial civilization, just like Abin Sur."
Hal looked at him in surprise, but Clark explained: "But, actually, I grew up in Kansas…"
"Cough, cough—!" Batman coughed before saying: "Superman, you're saying too much!"
"Oh…"
Dane then pointed to Batman: "He is Batman; you might have heard of him; he's quite famous in Gotham."
"You are Batman?" Hal's expression was odd.
Batman was like an urban legend among the populace, with all sorts of chaotic stories. Some said he was a Vampire, some said he was a ghost, and others said he was just a lunatic in a black costume… But Bruce's expression remained unchanged, as if he didn't care about others' opinions at all.
Finally, Dane introduced Diana: "Wonder Woman, an Amazon. Yes, you guessed right…"
"She's from the Amazons of Greek mythology, that tribe composed entirely of female warriors."
"And Wonder Woman is the best among them, also the daughter of Zeus and Queen Hippolyta, a demigoddess."
Diana raised her head proudly as he introduced her.
Proud of her identity as an Amazon warrior.
Hal's mind was a bit muddled, with gods, aliens, and urban legends.
This World is changing so fast! I just came out for a stroll!
How did I blink and it's like I'm living in a different Universe?
"Why are you looking for me?"
"You've just received this ring, so you probably don't know what it is yet, do you?"
Dane looked closely around him, not finding the small lantern from the movie.
It seems this version might be a bit different from the movie.
In fact, just looking at Hal, it was clear he didn't resemble Ryan Reynolds at all; his facial features were more rugged.
Hal subconsciously nodded when he heard Dane's words.
Then he immediately reacted, looking at him in surprise.
He tentatively asked, "Do you, by any chance, know?"
"To be precise, only I know a bit more."
After Dane finished speaking, he rubbed his hands together, producing magic sparks that evolved into a 3D holographic image.
Suddenly, orange-yellow sparks gathered to form many small, big-headed figures.
Then Dane began to recount the history of the Green Lantern Corps:
"Billions of years ago, an immortal race, the Maltusians, discovered a powerful force existing in the Universe—the Emotional Spectrum."
"The Emotional Spectrum is an energy field activated and gathered from the emotions of all life forms in the Universe, so you can imagine what an immense energy it is."
As he spoke, the orange-yellow sparks turned green.
"The Maltusians unearthed the green power from the Emotional Spectrum, a color symbolizing pure willpower."
The green sparks reassembled into a Planet, and the perspective gradually zoomed in, revealing various sub-human species on the Planet.
"They used this energy to build on Oa and formed a green legion, known as the Green Lantern Corps."
"This Corps was reportedly established to maintain peace, order, and justice in the Universe."
The green sparks gradually contracted, finally transforming into a lantern ring.
"The standard issue for the Green Lantern Corps is the Green Lantern ring, which bestows all Green Lanterns with the power it possesses."
"Furthermore, it is also a versatile super-technology, possessing hyperspace communication, wormhole traversal, interstellar positioning, mind-reading…"
"Some can even read the brainwaves of the deceased, achieving a temporary resurrection effect."
"The ring has a certain intelligence, so it will automatically seek out a successor."
"Generally speaking, when the previous lantern ring wielder suffers an irresistible accident, the lantern ring will detach from the current Green Lantern and seek the next successor."
"And the successor must meet the conditions of having sufficiently firm and pure willpower. Clearly, Hal Jordan…"
"You are The Chosen One!"
Hal was so excited by his words that he wished he could immediately dedicate himself to the cause of Justice.
But Dane cooled him down: "But, Hal Jordan, are you truly prepared?"
"Maintaining Justice in one city is already incredibly difficult, let alone maintaining Justice in the Universe."
"The fact that you were chosen by the Green Lantern ring proves you have the qualifications, but I still hope you consider it carefully."
"Because you are the first human Green Lantern, but I believe you may not necessarily be the only one."
The green sparks in the center of the area disappeared as the words faded, leaving only Hal Jordan's calm mind to ponder Dane's words.
The other members of the Justice League also remained silent, giving him ample space.
Hal looked at the dim ring in his hand: "I need to seriously consider it."
"Of course, you have that right."
Dane stood up and handed him a watch.
"This is our internal private communicator. If you make up your mind, I might be able to help you reactivate the power of the lantern ring."
"Thank you."
Dane smiled: "You're welcome. We might even be teammates in the future."
Hal just smiled, then turned and walked home.
"What do you think he'll choose?"
To be an ordinary person, or to be a Police of the Universe who might not be able to return home for a very long time.
And it comes with countless, endless fatal dangers. Most people wouldn't choose to be a hero.
The sacrifice is too much, too great.
"If he's still the person I remember, he'll definitely choose to put on the ring."
Dane said to Diana with a smile: "After all, he's the greatest Green Lantern in the history of the Green Lantern Corps!"
Hal Jordan returned to his small house and threw himself onto the bed.
He raised his hand, looking at the small lantern symbol on the lantern ring, thinking about what Shazam had just said.
Suddenly, faces of people he cared about—family, friends, Carol—appeared before his eyes.
Putting on this ring meant that his time with them would become very scarce.
Was it worth it?
He couldn't help but look at his father's photo on the table.
"Dad, do you think this is worth it? If it were you, what would you do?"
------------------------
If you like this story and want to read more, I have posted chapters on Patreon.
You can check it out here: [patreon.com/TripleCrown07]
Thank you for your support.