Lanterns 1x8

1. Stand down!

2. It's over. Let him through.

3. Where's Hal?

4. He's at the motel.

5. Do you need a doctor?

6. No.

7. You all right?

8. How many dead?

9. I don't know yet.

10. It's bad.

11. Was it worth it?

12. What?

13. It's the same thing I asked John.

14. What will the Guardians say?

15. I failed to notify 'em, and I put a lot of people's lives in danger for...

16. selfish reasons.

17. And that there won't be any pushback

18. in any court that convicts me of reckless endangerment.

19. Kind of a nice, clean solution to their problem...

20. of me.

21. I'm sorry.

22. You told me.

23. I didn't leave town, whatever happened next...

24. was on me.

25. I know.

26. It is.

27. But I can still feel bad about being right.

28. You're here.

29. I am.

30. You brought Schlitz.

31. Maybe this was a bad idea.

32. I'm a grown woman and the law in this town.

33. As fun as it is,

34. I'm not gonna spend another month sneaking around with you.

35. You realize they wrote, "Leave, asshole" on my front lawn?

36. - Wanna file a report? - In manure. Their own.

37. That takes time.

38. And they didn't need to leave the "asshole" to make the point.

39. Unless the asshole was the point.

40. Listen.

41. I know it took you years to earn these people's respect...

42. I don't want you to lose it because of me, that's all.

43. Listen up, people.

44. I know you don't like this man...

45. but I like him.

46. I like him a lot.

47. He did his time,

48. and he came back here knowing you'd stare at him,

49. and slash his tires and write things in shit on his lawn.

50. He could have gone anywhere. He's still a hero most places,

51. but he chose to come back here where he's hated.

52. And every day he goes out and tries to fix something he broke.

53. I lost as much as any of you ten years ago,

54. and I forgive him.

55. So I want you all to know, before God

56. and the best garlic bread in western Nebraska,

57. that Hal Jordan may have fucked up,

58. and maybe he doesn't deserve your grace, but he deserves peace.

59. We all do.

60. And anyone who wants to threaten that peace should know...

61. he's with me.

62. What?

63. Stop staring. It's weird.

64. I'm willing you to stay.

65. Try asking instead of willing.

66. Stay.

67. I can't.

68. I'm not ready to let Noah wake up alone yet.

69. Pretty sure Noah knows about us.

70. There is a difference between knowing and accepting.

71. Want to go to Noah's game Friday?

72. You mean together?

73. Yeah.

74. Yes.

75. I would like that very, very, very much.

76. Good.

77. Fuck!

78. Fuck!

79. What's happening?

80. It's better if you keep still.

81. Your skin's new.

82. I wish there was a way to save you without letting you know what I am.

83. You can't tell my mom I healed you.

84. She doesn't realize I know.

85. What are you?

86. A Manhunter.

87. A gold star for a failed trainee.

88. And Hal told you all of this?

89. He was standing right where you're standing now.

90. - So, it was Noah who broke you out? - That boy has become a man.

91. And he's powerful.

92. - How powerful? - Look where I'm sitting.

93. - I'm ready to speak to Hal now. - Sorry, he's not available.

94. Then avail him.

95. Why here?

96. Why make a portal to a dead planet with poisoned water

97. that makes you want to kill yourself?

98. The other Manhunter.

99. The one the boy inherited the tech from that set me free.

100. The grandmother.

101. She built it so she could visit the place she destroyed.

102. Why would she do that?

103. Same reason Jordan came back to Rushville.

104. Weakness and guilt.

105. - What does Noah want with you? - I'm done talking to an intern.

106. - I need to speak with Hal. - I don't know.

107. It doesn't make any sense.

108. You sit there and you tell me that

109. Noah saved Hal's life just to turn around and kill him.

110. He's a Manhunter. Life and death are transactional to him.

111. Hal must have stopped being of use.

112. So, what was his transaction with you?

113. I'm done talking to you.

114. You don't have to do this! No! Stop!

115. - Don't do it! - What were you doing here?

116. - Tell me the truth! - I am telling the truth!

117. Tell me!

118. What do you see?

119. - Don't use it on me. - What are you afraid of?

120. Don't use it on me!

121. Stop. All right, stop.

122. Stop! Stop!

123. I forged him a lantern.

124. Does it work?

125. Of course it works. Now let me speak to Jordan.

126. - What are these streaks? - Well, you tell me.

127. You forged it here.

128. And whatever's in the streaks is from the water and the air.

129. Their fear.

130. The Lantern Corps thinks that fear makes you weak.

131. They couldn't be more wrong. If harnessed correctly,

132. fear can be the most powerful force in the universe.

133. Fear is just evolutionary intelligence.

134. Show me a species that's fearless,

135. and I'll show you something on the extinction list.

136. - And it can charge my ring? - Yes, it can.

137. Don't.

138. There you are.

139. You don't know what that lantern might do.

140. You should have listened to me.

141. Told you if you went back out there, you'd get yourself killed.

142. Tell me why Noah wanted a lantern.

143. I have an idea. Maybe you don't have to have died in vain.

144. What was I doing here?

145. After the boy healed you, he made you promise to keep his secret.

146. But you followed him.

147. You found his portal.

148. When he went out, you came in.

149. You got it into your head.

150. You wanted to lock away the portal and hide it.

151. I told you that locking away the portal would only anger the boy.

152. - You wanted me to kill him. - You were going soft.

153. - He's a Manhunter. - What the fuck

154. did Noah want a lantern for?

155. We can still do it. He can't get you out of his head.

156. You'll stay whole. That ring is barely charged.

157. We can overpower him. But I know a way.

158. If we have your ring, I could bring you back to life, for real.

159. You talk too much.

160. You always have.

161. It's annoying.

162. Don't listen to him about the ring. He doesn't want you to charge it.

163. Because the moment you do...

164. His entire existence is erased. Rather selfish, don't you think?

165. Considering that means your protégé will have to face a Manhunter unarmed.

166. You're the only one who's ever killed a Guardian.

167. That's why Noah broke you out.

168. That's why he asked you to forge this lantern.

169. He wants revenge.

170. Why hasn't he used it?

171. Well, first you need a ring.

172. Yeah, well, he could call Gardner.

173. Use that dumb signal light in town.

174. Ambush him. Gardner would never see it coming.

175. Take the ring.

176. He has a conscience, doesn't he?

177. He has a conscience and it pisses you off.

178. The boy's just struggling between his nature

179. and his pedestrian human nurture.

180. Nature always wins. It just takes time.

181. If you don't want the boy to kill you, I suggest you charge that ring.

182. Hal.

183. You can't just leave me here.

184. The lake isn't swimmable. It just brings madness and death.

185. Hal!

186. I'd be like some castaway. Hal!

187. Look, I take it back. You should charge the ring.

188. There's only about seven minutes of power left.

189. You know what? I don't really feel like talking right now.

190. Well, then, charge the ring. I'll be out of your life forever.

191. Listen, I'm trying to protect you here.

192. So now, you're trying to protect me? Once you're dead?

193. - What were the last words I said to you? - What are you talking about?

194. You told me about that conversation that we had. In the cafe.

195. Yeah, what about it?

196. We talked, you sucker-punched me,

197. and then what were the last words I said to you?

198. You told me not to tell anyone I was in Rushville.

199. And why would I do that?

200. Because Noah would assume that you told me about him.

201. You was trying to protect me. There you go.

202. - Happy? - So why won't you charge the ring?

203. - My gut tells me Noah won't hurt me. - Well, your gut's wrong.

204. So your gut's always right, but my gut's wrong.

205. My gut's dead.

206. I don't know why you give a fuck about this anyway.

207. Because I'm trying to protect you.

208. Charge the ring or you're gonna die, John.

209. What's the plan?

210. I'll come out the portal at the water tower.

211. Noah's got a football game.

212. That'll give me time to think.

213. Use it.

214. Or he'll kill you.

215. No, he won't.

216. You okay to drive?

217. Just watch the road.

218. - Why did you kill my grandma? - She was a Manhunter.

219. So am I.

220. Yeah, I know.

221. You think that's a good enough reason to murder someone?

222. You know, I cared about your grandma.

223. I feel like we understood each other.

224. You probably don't know this part, but I almost burned alive in my car.

225. She pulled me out and...

226. she took me to that machine that you now have in the slaughterhouse.

227. And she saved my life.

228. So she's the only reason that you're alive?

229. She is.

230. But she also could have pulled me out the car

231. before it exploded.

232. She wanted me at the very edge of death...

233. 'cause she knew that she needed me to kill Hal Jordan.

234. She wanted me to kill her.

235. She knew she couldn't stop herself, so she wanted me to stop her.

236. Why?

237. Because if she was gone, then nobody would come here to look for you.

238. - So, this is my fault? - No.

239. She'd been around for so long. She lived so many lives.

240. I think maybe she was just tired.

241. I don't believe that.

242. Which way you wanna go, Noah?

243. What's it gonna be?

244. I didn't burn down Hal's house.

245. I saw the smoke and I went in to help him.

246. Well, that's the opposite of your programming

247. so you're not a prisoner to it.

248. You know I trusted him with what I was.

249. All he had to do was let it be.

250. - What are you saying? - He followed me.

251. He found the portal and what was inside.

252. I couldn't risk him telling my mom what I was doing.

253. So, what?

254. Tell me.

255. Say it.

256. Why can't you say it?

257. I killed Hal.

258. You're still tryna figure out if I'm gonna kill you?

259. I am. Yeah.

260. You don't think I can overcome my programming?

261. You know...

262. for a long time...

263. I couldn't tell where I started and where my programming ended.

264. The whole "what is me" thing, you know, how much of it is just training

265. and repetition and am I just doing it to please my parents?

266. But then, you know, I decided that actually

267. that's all just a big fucking cop-out.

268. Because if I can ask myself the question, then I can answer it for myself.

269. It's tough to field a good marching band in a small town.

270. Yeah, I imagine tryouts for third trombone get a little dark.

271. You know, there's a part of me that wants to live a normal life.

272. I can go to Nebraska, I'll play football. I like it. I'm good at it.

273. You know, meet someone, get married, start a family.

274. Just live.

275. And what's the other part of you say?

276. I get these ideas.

277. It's like they're in me.

278. Like I don't even think 'em.

279. - They just exist. - What kind of ideas?

280. - About power. - What about it?

281. How I could go to Annapolis, could end up in the Pentagon,

282. use football to get famous, go into politics.

283. It'd be so easy.

284. I'd have access to all the levers of power,

285. people, the weapons.

286. And if anyone tried to stop me, I'd have a ring and a lantern

287. that are even capable of killing a Guardian.

288. If you could see the inside of my head, you'd never stop screaming.

289. I need to ask you a favor.

290. Okay.

291. I want you to kill me.

292. - I don't understand. - Yes, you do.

293. - You're not trying to talk me out of it. - I'm just listening.

294. You killed my grandma out of mercy.

295. I'm asking you to do the same for me.

296. Just let me play this last game for my teammates.

297. One more favor.

298. Just please don't let me see it coming.

299. Hal, are you there?

300. Come on, man, I know you...

301. I know you was listening to that.

302. Hal?

303. Hal, I need you, man.

304. Need you, man.

305. Ready?

306. Set! Hike!

307. Too nervous to sit with the other parents to watch the game?

308. I'm a mental patient.

309. I get it.

310. Watch 50. Set! Hike!

311. How's he playing?

312. He's five-for-five, playing within himself.

313. I don't know why I get so crazy.

314. Every time he steps out there, everything just slows down for him.

315. Nebraska sent their whole staff.

316. There's assistants from Florida State. Michigan sent their OC.

317. You know, the main reason he delayed his commitment so long

318. is those scouts would keep showing up and hopefully see some of his teammates.

319. It's tough for small-town kids to get a look,

320. especially if they can't afford to go to the satellite camps.

321. Yeah.

322. No, he's a good kid.

323. Are we gonna pretend to chat about football,

324. or are we gonna talk about the fact you dumped me

325. and went to the storage unit on your own?

326. I didn't know if I could trust you.

327. And now?

328. You know...

329. when I was a kid...

330. my mom would do the most insane things to try and make me fearless.

331. She would drop me off in the worst neighborhoods

332. and tell me to find my way home and just take off.

333. Jesus. What did you do?

334. I found my way home. What else could I do? But that's not the point.

335. The point is that the whole time I didn't realize,

336. while she was trying to make me fearless,

337. she was completely terrified.

338. And if I hadn't come home, her world would have been over.

339. So every time I walked through that door...

340. it was as if she'd been holding her breath the entire time I was gone.

341. My mother held her breath for my entire childhood.

342. Why are you telling me this?

343. 'Cause I think you know exactly how my mother felt.

344. You must have been so scared for Noah every single day.

345. I don't know what I would have done if I was you

346. and I was scared somebody might discover what he was,

347. but I do know that fear and love...

348. makes people scared, and scared people can do anything.

349. I wasn't scared.

350. I was terrified.

351. Were you already here?

352. Did Hal come to you?

353. Hi!

354. - What happened to your face? - Nothing.

355. It's not nothing.

356. - Don't worry about it. It doesn't matter. - Did someone hit you?

357. - Was it Billy? Did Billy hit you? - No, it wasn't Billy.

358. - Tell me who did it and I'll— - Look, just stop.

359. Okay. What's going on?

360. I know about Noah.

361. You know what about Noah?

362. I know what he is.

363. - I don't know what you mean. - Don't do that. Don't.

364. I know.

365. I need you to be honest with me.

366. Are there more?

367. Manhunters, Kerry, are there more like Noah?

368. No.

369. He's the only one.

370. All right.

371. Zoe saved my life, you know?

372. There were people looking for me.

373. It's a long story, but I lost a finger,

374. and she said she could grow it back, but...

375. something must have happened in the process,

376. 'cause next thing, I'm pregnant, and I hadn't been with anyone for months.

377. I didn't want a kid.

378. I didn't want to pass on my shitty genes, but...

379. he was just so perfect.

380. I figured if I raised him right, if I loved him enough...

381. Please don't tell him.

382. Promise me.

383. What are you talking about?

384. He doesn't know. I haven't told him what he is.

385. Kerry, he knows and he's planning something very dangerous.

386. - What? - That doesn't matter.

387. - Of course it matters. - Listen, we can keep him safe

388. and we can protect the others around here, but we need to leave.

389. - We need to go. - We can't just go. Go where?

390. I got a trusted friend in Guadalajara.

391. I'm not going to fucking Guadalajara.

392. Just until we can figure out what to do next.

393. Then there are other planets that are more isolated.

394. No. No.

395. Noah has a championship game on Friday.

396. He's deciding where he's gonna go to college.

397. You can't just ignore all this. Kerry, this life, it's over.

398. - You need to stop talking. - Do you understand? That's over.

399. You should never have come here.

400. - You don't mean that. - Yes, I do.

401. You should never have come back here!

402. This isn't just about you. Listen to me. People are in danger...

403. - You need to stop talking! - ... Noah's in danger.

404. Goddamn it, I love you.

405. It happened so fast, and I couldn't undo it.

406. Why did you call me to tell me about Hal?

407. I thought you should know.

408. You asked me to come here.

409. The one person who might be able to look into what Hal knew.

410. The one person...

411. who might be able to discover what you did.

412. So, I'm asking, why did you call me?

413. I ran away to Rushville to escape a monster.

414. I needed to know if I was raising one.

415. Yeah.

416. Break!

417. - He wants to be good. - How can you be sure?

418. He had a ring and a lantern that is more powerful

419. than you and I can even imagine.

420. And he just gave it to me.

421. He also confessed to killing Hal to save you.

422. And that? That is not programming. That is love.

423. You raised him well.

424. There's something you should know.

425. Noah asked me to kill him tonight.

426. - What? - He's scared of what he might become.

427. What are you gonna do?

428. I'm not gonna kill him, if that's what you're asking me.

429. But after this, I don't know.

430. He's scared of what he might do.

431. But that bodes well because, with the right guidance,

432. you know, he could be the boy that you raised him to be.

433. And if he gives in to his worst instincts...

434. Well, then, the world's gonna need somebody who can stop him.

435. Do you mind if I just finish watching?

436. I'll turn myself in after. I promise.

437. Somehow, I just don't think that's what Hal would've wanted.

438. This drive is critical for the Pioneers.

439. Hike!

440. The clock continues to run. Third down.

441. Ten on ten. Go!

442. Eight seconds remaining.

443. Chadron down here at Rushville.

444. Rushville facing one final play.

445. And go!

446. Touchdown Pioneers!

447. Rushville wins! Rushville wins!

448. Now, I think you might have just forgotten to put this on today.

449. - Want to see how it fits? - Yes, sir.

450. How's it look?

451. Jesus, you again?

452. - Yeah, me again. - That light is for emergencies, homes.

453. Son of a...

454. Look, I got important shit to do, okay? I can't be...

455. Is that Jordan's ring?

456. No, it's mine.

457. You fucking tricked me so you could take a ring off a corpse?

458. No. I tricked you so I could find out what happened to him

459. because you didn't seem to give a shit.

460. So did you find out what happened?

461. - Yeah. - And?

462. He died a hero.

463. And that's all you need to know, homes.

464. Wow.

465. You know, you got a lot of attitude for a man wearing a dead ring

466. on your finger and nothing to charge it with.

467. The fuck is that?

468. Yeah, that's mine.

469. Well, that looks to me like an unsanctioned lantern.

470. Well, maybe you should take it from me.

471. - Why'd you call me, Stewart? - To get a message to the Guardians.

472. - Well, I'm not your errand boy. - Nah, but you're theirs.

473. - Am not. - Guy, you are.

474. That's why they chose you. And there's nothing wrong with that.

475. You should be proud. You're the Green Lantern of Sector 2814,

476. chosen and ringed.

477. But I'ma take Earth.

478. The fuck does that mean?

479. Think of me as an independent contractor.

480. No Guardians, no Corps.

481. You take the stars. Have fun.

482. I'll take the dirt.

483. I'm completely confident we won't get in each other's way.

484. Yeah? Well, I'm not confident.

485. No, Earth is part of my beat.

486. You can't just take it. That's not how this works.

487. - There's a chain of command. - Well, I guess I'm breaking it.

488. You do realize when I take this bullshit back up to Oa,

489. they're gonna send an army to put you down.

490. Please tell them, and use these exact words, okay?

491. That if they search their hearts,

492. I know they'll find it within themselves to let me be.

493. You got it?

494. Their hearts? What is that, a code?

495. Yeah. Guy, it's code.

496. Well, you can...

497. Anything else?

498. Yeah. Lose the gold tooth. You look like a fucking idiot.

499. - This ain't over, hotshot. - I hope not.

500. What a douchebag. Gold tooth. Jesus Christ almighty.

501. And where the hell have you been?

502. - Around. - No, you haven't been, actually.

503. Well, I'm here when you need me. You haven't needed me.

504. - I called for you. - It's your subconscious.

505. You been listening?

506. - You heard everything? - Everything.

507. - You're taking a very big risk. - Yeah, I know.

508. You need to really think about it.

509. - Kid could be president one day. - Yeah.

510. - He could have his finger on the button. - Jesus! I get it, okay?

511. Hal, what would you do?

512. Now you want my wisdom?

513. - Are you really gonna do that right now? - Very interesting development, isn't it?

514. I think it's the least you could do, given that you ghosted me before. No?

515. My gut tells me...

516. you're gonna be better at this job than I ever was.

517. You're ready.

518. Ring's running out of charge.

519. Hey, you know that thing looks good on you.

520. - Yeah. - Most guys, they can't handle jewelry.

521. You're lucky. You got slim fingers like a girl.

522. Man, shut the fuck up.

523. Charge the ring.

524. Yeah, don't tell me what to do.

525. Don't be afraid to be afraid.

526. Now what's the matter?

527. - It's the oath. - The oath?

528. Yeah, it's not quite me.

529. - What you mean, it's not quite— - It's not quite me.

530. Well, you're in uncharted waters. Fuckin' A. Write your own fucking oath.

531. Yeah, you're right.

532. Hey. Hey, wait a second.

533. I kind of...

534. fritzed out when you were talking to Kerry.

535. What were the last words that I said?

536. I mean, exactly.

537. For posterity's sake.

538. "I love you."

539. And I love you too, Junior.

540. In brightest day, in darkest night,

541. I'll embrace my fear...

542. I'll do what's right.

543. I choose this ring,

544. I choose this fight...

545. in service to this lantern's light.