Detention League

Chapter 6: Nirvana

"Wait, so you were struck by lightning, got stuck in a coma for 9 months, then you got superspeed?" Hal stopped skipping rocks to look at Barry, who smiled sheepishly. 

"Well, yeah. I also have to eat for three people every day. Its kinda hard to be discreet."

"That's brutal." Barry rubbed the scars on his hands subconsciously as Hal skipped another rock. (A/N: This is NOT an allude toward self harm! Barry was holding metal when the lightning struck him, and most lightning strike victims have scars that look like lightning bolts. I thought it would be a cool detail if Barry had small, even faded scars on his hands. Something the speedforce couldn't heal right away... If you don't know what lightning scars look like, just google them, then imagine they're on Barry's palms. Okay, continue)

"How'd you get your powers?" 

"I dunno really... I went to go investigate a plane crash... Turns out it was an alien ship and the ring just... chose me." Hal flexed his hand and created a skipping rock made of pure energy, whipping it across the lake. "I can create anything I can imagine."

"Anything?" Barry narrowed his eyes suspiciously and Hal grinned. 

"Wanna see?"

---

"WOOOHOOO!!!" Hal hollered as the jet he had created sped up, weaving in and out of the buildings downtown. He was having the time of his life. Barry however, was just focusing on breathing. It wasn't that they were going too fast -because why would that be an issue for someone who can create a sonic boom?-. No, he was afraid of heights. 

"You alright back there, Bear?" Hal turned to look at Barry in the seat behind him and the speedster nodded. Barry had to admit, this was kind fun... 

Hal grinned at him until Barry panicked and yelled,

"LOOK OUT!" 

The plane stopped dead, feet from a tall skyscraper, as if it had never been moving at all. Hal sighed with relief and Barry frowned. 

"That did not obey the laws of physics."

"Barry, you can run to China and back in less than a minute. You don't obey the laws of physics."

"13 seconds actually. Hey..." Barry's stomach growled. "Do you want Chinese food?"

---

The two boys munched on dumplings and soup while they sat atop a tall building, watching the sun set on the horizon.

"So," Barry began through his third bowl of noodles, "are there other people with lantern rings?"

"Oh yeah. A whole corps. Everyone I work with is a Lantern actually. Dave and Busters is a front for 'Earth's Space Protection' agency. There's a bunch of different rings too, each with its own energy. Green is willpower." 

"Ooh..." The blond boy trailed off, thinking. "So... Do you have a uniform or something? Like a space cop?" Hal laughed and stood. 

"Actually, yes." The Lantern extended his arms and with a flash of light, green moved from the center of his chest down to his fingertips, the last of the green energy coming to form a mask on his face. 

"Whoa!" Hal grinned shyly as Barry stared. He was floating a couple inches off the floor, the outline of his body enveloped in a soft green glow. 

"This isn't even the best part! Come on." Hal held out his hand and Barry stopped chewing. 

"... What?" 

"Do you trust me?"

"Uh... Honestly? I just met you." Hal rolled his eyes and pulled Barry up by his hand. 

"Oh come on, Bear." The green energy spread from Hal's fingertips to Barry's and the speedster began to glow as well. In an instant, he was weightless, and floated a couple inches off the cement roof like Hal. 

"Wow, this feels weird!" Hal just laughed. 

"Ready?"

"I guess?"

Hal smirked, holding Barry's hand tight and extending his fist above him. And like a tugboat pulls a ship, the ring seemed to pull Hal and Barry up, up, and high above the clouds. 

Barry inhaled sharply and shut his eyes, gripping Hal's forearm with his free hand for good measure while they soared into space. There was a wild whistling as they ascended faster and faster. 

And then, it was quiet. 

Barry opened his eyes as they slowed down, Hal turning so they faced the planet they had just left. Their planet. Barry's mouth fell open. 

The sun was just peeking over the round edge of the Earth, and on the other half, Barry saw thousands, millions, of lights. He has seen pictures taken from satellites before, but none were this vivid, this gorgeous. He was speechless. 

"Told ya you could trust me." Hal murmured quietly, smiling at Barry's expression. 

---

Sorry it was shorter than the other chapters, but I just wanted my dream team to become closer and fall deeply in love (lol eventually). 

Until the next chapter!

-Cas