Chapter 45: Two Rings Short

The Man:

"I'm sorry," Flash says, blinking a few dozen times. "I'm sorry. Wait, what? What did you just say?"

"I said I give up," Hal yells, "Just like Arisia. I give up. I mean, what's the point even? My ring won't glow. According to Sunglasses Man, it's because I lost my will. And without my will, without my ring, what am I? How can I even help anymore? I'm useless."

"Easy with the drama would you," I say, looking at the green ring in my hand. "And get to your feet."

I throw the ring back at Hal. He squirms when it hits his forehead. I watch as the ring falls on the deck and Hal doesn't immediately grab it.

"Okay," I say with a sigh. "This is bad. Hal, come on."

I walk up to Hal and grab him by his neck. Lifting him up, I shake him back and forth.

"Come on," I say, slapping Hal across the face. "Snap out of it, Twitter-Dumb. This is not the time or place to feel down in the dump."

I let go of Hal but he drops to his knees again.

"Oh for crying out loud."

I take a step back and raise my foot. On the verge of stomping the bottom of my dirty shoe against Hal's sad face, I stop when Flash appears in front of me with his arms and legs spread out.

"No need for that," Flash says while Oliver and Jason run to grab and pull me back. "Just let me talk to Hal."

"What can you say to Hal that my foot can't?"

"Uhh, I don't want to kick you."

"Yeah," I say, lowering my foot. "That means sense. Fine. You guys can talk to Hal. Meanwhile, I still need to fix the thrusters, and I need at least some of you to check for any damages."

I look at Oliver and Jason as they still have their arms around me.

"You can let me go now."

"Sorry," Oliver says, he and Jason letting me go. As soon as they do, I quickly punch Flash in the chest before he can stop it.

"By the way, my fist says the same thing."

I nod my head at Oliver, Jason, and everyone else before walking over to the railing. Reaching the railing, I grab it and jump over.

Barry Allen:

"Son of bit-," I say before Oliver cuts me off.

"No, no, no," Oliver says, shaking both his hand and head. "Don't swear."

"Really," I say, bending over while holding my chest.

"Yeah. Do you want Sunglasses to hit you again?"

"Point taken."

Some of the breath returning, I look at the others as they circle Oliver, Jason, Hal, and myself.

"You want an ice pack," Captain Cold asks.

"I'm fine," I say, taking one last breath before pushing myself up. "Just go and look around. Check around for any damages. Meanwhile, I'll talk with Hal."

"Yeah," Reverse-Flash says, bending down. "Best of luck with that. Here, you might need this."

Reverse-Flash gives me Hal's ring before leaving with a few others.

"I'll stay," Oliver says with a nod of his head.

"Strangely enough," Selina says, crossing her arms. "I think I'll stay too. Let me know if you find a gas leak."

"On it," Cheetah says, shooting a wave before she leaves with the others.

We watch as the others disappear below, leaving the four of us behind.

"Okay, Hal," I start.

Harleen:

"Do you have any idea where we are?"

"I have no clue," Dinah answers, spinning all around. "I thought this was a high-tech spaceship. Why are there so many pipes here?"

"Don't ask me," I say with a shrug. "Ask Sunglasses. Then again, it makes a little sense when you think about it. Old-school pirate ship, old-school working."

"When you say it like that," Dinah starts, "It sounds bad. It makes me want to jump ship and swim away."

"Yeah," I say, "I wouldn't recommend it. I think home sweet home is a little too far to swim to. Besides, I'm sure despite the old-school work, the Rusted is a safe place. See?"

I tap my knuckles against one of the pipes on the wall before smiling and crossing my arms. My smile only stays for a second before I hear the pipe starts to rattle. The rattling is then followed by the sound of the pipe bending, squeaking, and creaking. The pipe itself, along with a few others around it, starts to shake.

"Hmm," I say, stepping back. "What is the chance there are lifeboats somewhere around here?"

"You wanna check," Dinah asks.

"Ask me after we finish checking and regrouping with the others."

Selina Kyle:

"Hal," Oliver shouts, his arms falling to his sides. "Will you listen to yourself for a second? You're going to give up. Just like that? What about this?"

Oliver waves his green ring in front of his face.

"What about it," Hal says, looking up. "It chose someone else. It chose that bastard in the sunglasses."

"Forget about that bastard in the sunglasses," Barry says. He grabs Hal's hand and the ring. Barry places the ring in Hal's palm but the second he lets go, both Hal's hand and his ring fall. "Okay. Seriously! Stop this already!"

"Even Guy Garnder turned on me," Hal murmurs, "And he's the one that help me. This is getting too much. I don't know what to do anymore."

"I can offer one bit of advice," I say, walking up to Hal. I push the two aside.

"Hal," I start, grabbing the man and helping him to his feet. "We've known each other for a few years now, and it's only recently we've been on the same side right."

"Yeah," Hal answers, still staring at the floor. "What's your point?"

"My point is this, and for the record, I am a little sorry about this. Only a little."

"Only a little," Hal repeats before I lift him up via his chin. Smiling at him, I then slap him hard across the face.

"Ouch," he screams, turning away while holding his chin.

"After seeing that," Oliver whispers, "Maybe we should've just let The Man stomps him."

Barry hits Oliver on his arm.

"Again, I'm sorry about that. Only a little sorry, but still sorry nonetheless. Hal, I didn't exactly have a mind-blowing experience like you just now so I can't relate, but here's something I can relate with. I know it sucks to have something, or someone, you care about lost. Believe me. I do. But I also know unless you do something besides mope around and stare at the floor, then it'll stay lost."

Seeing the ring on the ground, I grab the green ring and hold it up.

"The Man," I say, "As ignoring and as frustrating and all those other bad words that he doesn't want us to say, he is right. You lost will, and now, you have to find it again. Until then."

I close my hand, the ring disappearing from sight.

"I don't have as strong a will as The Man, so when you do find your will again, come find me and pull it off of me."

I turn to walk away.

"Where are you going," Oliver asks.

"In case you've forgotten," I yell while walking down the stairs. "We're two rings short. I'm going to find Arisia. She should be with the Doc."

The Man:

I focus my anger and form a small red flashlight. Aiming it inside one of the thrusters, I can see inside.

"There are layers of soot all over the fan blades. It's making it impossible for them to spin, and the jammed blades are causing the motors to overheat. Shoot."

Once more, I channel my anger and make some red tools before diving into the thrusters. As I clean the soot off the blades and loosen some nuts to examine the motor, I hear my phone starts to go off.

"What now," I say, throwing my screwdriver into the air and grabbing my cell phone. "My B.U.Gs? Oa. What's going on?"

I tap my screen and watch as a feed comes to life. There, on my screen, I see a bunch of green lanterns heading somewhere.

"Where are you going? Where are all of you going to so far?"

My question is answered when I see the lanterns surrounding Atrocitus's cell.

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