Hal had felt it through his body, the slow drag of the fading energy within his ring. It was fading quicker now, the ring holding less since he learned of Bruce's death. He used to be able to go all day without harm, now it felt like Hal was dragging his feet by midday.

His body was battered and bruised as he dragged himself back to his ship, his constructs having failed multiple times during that last battle. If it had continued much longer, Hal was sure his suit would have been breached as well. At least then he'd be able to follow Bruce to the new chapter.

He walked the familiar route to his sleep quarters where he had placed his Power Battery earlier this morning. Hal briefly wondered if he needed to take a trip to Oa to the Central Power Battery to see if that would work, but he feared they'd take his ring and claim he lost the right to willpower.

The Power Battery felt cold in his hands as he grabbed the handle, lacking the warmth he used to feel in the presence of its power. Hal could feel the shake in his body, the way his arm shook as he held his hand towards the entrance of the Lantern. He licked his lips, taking a deep breath. "In brightest day, in blackest night." Hal started his oath.

In brightest day, in blackest night

Hal felt his breath catch in the back of his throat as he heard the voice whisper. His hand shook more, even as he felt the willpower creep up his arm. That was Bruce, Hal could swear his life on it. But it couldn't be— Bruce was dead.

Holding back the shake in his voice, Hal continued on, trying to ignore the way he shook from the echo of the voice. "No evil shall escape my sight," Hal said loudly, feeling the Power Battery start to warm beneath his hand.

No evil shall escape my sight

Hal felt the shake in his hand calm as the words became stronger. Like the speaker was becoming more confident. His Power Battery and ring were responding in ways he has not felt in weeks, their light responding brightly. "Let those who worship evil's might," Hal continued, almost feeling like he was floating as he felt a rush of power come from his ring.

Let those who worship evil's might

Hal felt the smile cross his face. He could lie to himself, if only for a second, that he wasn't making it up, that he could hear the man's voice. Lie that Bruce was alive and well, that his partner was standing next to him. He knew Bruce had learned his oath; had even recited it before when he thought no one was listening. "Beware my power," Hal started before clenching his fist, "Green Lanterns Light!"

Hal frowned, normally there was an epic suiting up montage after reciting an oath with a drained ring, a rush of power. But there was nothing, only a small trickle of power from his ring up his hand. He wasn't losing it, was he? This wasn't the end of him being a Lantern?

Beware my power, White Lanterns Light!

Hal gasped, the sudden rush of power nearly flattening him to his back. The power rushed up his arm, wrapping tightly around his chest so hard it almost hurt. His suit appearing around his body in a flash of green that whited out his vision for a second. Hal stared in shock as the white faded back to green, feeling the rush that shook through his body.

Looking closer at the Power Battery, Hal could see a familiar face staring back at him. Bruce was looking back at him, looking almost calm in a pure white Batsuit. Hal blinked, Bruce vanishing from view as the glow of the Power Battery reduced back to its normal level. That— that couldn't be true—

Hal crashed down to his knees, unsure as to when he had started to hover. There were aches through his body, like he'd overworked himself in a training exercise. His breath came in gasps, hands clutching at the floor as the Power Battery rolled away from him. That was— Bruce was— He couldn't believe it. Hal rested his head on his knees as he tried to calm his breathing. In, hold it, out. He was shaking so much, the residue of the power still moving through his limbs, but as he focused on his breathing Hal felt the black start to fade away from sight.

Hal coughed, choking down the noise that wanted to escape. It couldn't be real. He got the message that Bruce was dead, shot in crime alley like the man's parents. Bruce was human — his equal, his partner. He couldn't come back to life, he wasn't a being beyond the limitations of mortality.

Someone was playing a cruel prank on him, twisting the voice of his partner, playing on his grief. Hal choked again, he couldn't even be there to bury the body. He was being mocked, the Lantern whose partner died like some common civilian. Mocking his weakness, for letting someone unpowered into his life — into his heart.

His finger scratched uselessly against the floor, like they were trying to claw at some reason for all this. Bruce was dead, he couldn't be a— Hal gasped, trying to suck back in more air. He moved to grip at his hair, tugging at it as he tried to make sense of everything flowing through his mind.

Hal could see, even with his eyes closed, the imprint of Bruce's face, burned into his eyes. The way the man seemed to stand strong, composed even when he must have been so confused. The small way his lips gave him away, growing a little looser as they locked eyes. The white cowl that sat on his head, like a glowing copy of the cowl Hal first saw him wearing all those years ago.

The Batman, the legend who protected from the shadows now stood shining as bright as the sun. Standing there like this was right, like this was his life mission. The impenetrable man who bested Hal all those years ago, who proved there was more to a hero than powers.

He looked so healthy there, in a way Hal knew his mind never would have been able to make up. Like the burden had finally been lifted from his shoulders. That— that was Bruce, Hal realised as his hands slipped from his hair. That was Bruce staring back at him through the Power Battery. Bruce was a White Lantern. They had brought his partner back from the dead.

He still wanted to deny it, Bruce was his partner, his equal. The idea that he could come back defied everything Hal had ever known about life and death. But Bruce had always had a plan, always been a step ahead. Hadn't he? So to know how to defeat death didn't seem that strange for him. That his partner knew the steps before it even happened. His partner in life, equal at his side, was something more.

He was shaking, but at least his breathing was getting more under control. But Hal still couldn't believe it, Bruce was a White Lantern. White Lanterns were legends — honestly — Hal thought they were myths. Mysterious figures who were not real just used as threats to behave. Obey the oath or the White Lantern will get you. That sort of thing.

Damn. No wonder Spooky became one. That's like Bruce's whole thing as Batman. Don't act out or the bat will get you. He wondered what would happen now, Bruce had the power of Life at his hands yet chose the oath of Will.

Hal scrambled to his feet, grabbing the Power Battery to put back into its correct place. His shaking started to fade the closer Hal got to the control room. He needed to get to Oa to debrief on his mission, but as his hand hesitated over the coordinates, he knew he didn't want to go. He needed to head back, to see him alive before he could allow the hope to bloom any further.

The shake in his hand was gone as he typed in the coordinates for Earth. He needed to head home, to Bruce. He needed to hold his partner— and never let him go again. He couldn't lose him again, not after everything. Hal wasn't sure he could go on without him, not this time.

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