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blade-liger-4ever · 4 months ago

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Green Lantern: Episode 4 Outline.

When see the Jordan family household at night. Various lights are being put out, and Jessica is making certain that the two boys still living in her house - a seventeen year old Hal and thirteen year old Jim - are heading to bed. As Hal makes sure Jim brushes his teeth and puts on his pajamas, Jim asks how Hal feels that he's going to be eighteen and voting age tomorrow. Hal answers that he's going to be eighteen at midnight, and responds playfully that he'll be enjoying the "doors that that age opens" soon enough. Jessica cuts off their playing around and tells them to go to their rooms, the boys doing as they're told. Sparing a last look at Hal before he disappears around the hallway with notable concern, Jessica turns off the hallway lights and goes to bed herself.

We see the clock go from eight in the evening to nine-thirty, whereupon we see the door to Jim's room silently swing open. Glancing down both sides of the hall, he sneaks out and goes to a room clearly meant for wrapping packages and presents. Pulling out a brown box, he wraps it in paper and ties it up as quietly as possible before heading back down the hall. Stopping in front of Hal's door, he gets into a cross-legged position and stares at the door, smiling widely as he casts a glance at the clock. However, as the screen switches to Hal's room, we see his bed empty but with two square indentations on it. A wind blows some curtains, and we see the window open.

On the sidewalk, Hal walks briskly while wearing his father's jacket unzipped, a suitcase in each hand. He walks for hours before coming to the south end of Coast City, and stops right in front of the Air Force recruitment center. Leaning his suitcases against the wall, Hal sits down and waits. The first rays of daylight pokes over the horizon, and a dozing Hal screws his eyes closed before blinking them open. Standing up, he checks to see that he has both suitcases still with him before footsteps approach. Turning, he sees the man in charge of the recruitment center spy him, who asks, "What are you doing here, son?"

Noticeably twitching at the term, Hal nevertheless pulls himself up to his full height and answers, "I'm looking to join the Air Force. I turned eighteen this past midnight, and I won't be taking no for an answer."

"That so? I'll need to see some papers for confirmation, but you've got the right spirit," the man says.

"I've got my birth certificate and health files with me, sir. I'll show them to you inside," Hal responds immediately.

"All the papers? Damn, you did come prepared," the officer chuckles. Walking past him, he unlocks the center and ushers him inside, adding, "Somehow, I don't think you'll get turned away."

Smiling, Hal nods and enters, and we focus in on the door as it closes. The scene shifts, and we see a less impressive door that is mildly weathered before the present day Hal opens and closes it behind him. Locking it, he activates his ring and talks to holographic projections of Ganthet and the rest of the Guardian Council, with Sinestro present as well. Appa Ali Apsa is displeased with Hal's absence from his GL duties, and when he demands that Hal return to escort Princess Iolande of Betrassus to Thanagar for a political prisoner exchange, Hal, with no shortage of displeasure, insists that he can't manage it today. He explains that his apartment got ransacked the previous night, and that he has to pay for some of the lost equipment and bills he owes his landlord before the week is out, which also means he has to go to work at Ferris Aircraft and find other work to collect some money that he's been losing the past few months.

Ganthet interposes quickly that they have been overworking Hal, and points out that his planet's technology and people are further behind in terms of space travel and ignorance of the stars than most of those under the Guardians' protection, which leaves him unable to be honest with his employers about his GL duties. Although Appa and Guardian Scar don't agree with this, the other Guardians agree that Hal should get a reprieve to straighten out his personal struggles. When Sayd asks who will go in his place, Sinestro steps in and offers himself and Green Lantern Boodikka to take over for Hal. As the meeting ends, Ganthet wishes him luck while Sinestro nods, and Hal, relieved, privately messages Sinestro, "Thanks, Sinestro. I owe you one."

"That you may, Hal. Take care of yourself, and I'll see you once you're ready," he replies, smiling slightly before the transmission ends.

Hal's smile wavers slightly, but he nevertheless turns off the ring and heads back out into the main room. We then see it's Pie's house, his wife Tegra having just finished making breakfast as Pie himself comes down from the shower. Sitting down, the three eat and discuss the plans for the day, with Hal telling Pie that he has a lot of work at Ferris Aircraft and Kristen Limbo's curiosity shop for cash. Pie, realizing that it's code for "I've got a break from GL duties", smiles and wishes him luck.

Once finished, both men head out, though Hal glances away awkwardly as Pie gives his wife a hug and kiss before parting. Arriving at Ferris Aircraft, they check in and prepare for the day. However, Hal is momentarily thrown when he sees Gil is in charge, and becomes uneasy when Gil informs him that Carol is taking the week off, possibly the next as well. Swallowing his concerns and the urge to go find her, Hal spends the next few hours testing out flight pods and the jet from the previous week. It turns out that Pie's mechanical aptitude has not only fixed the bug in the jet, but also enhanced the performance. Hal does a few impressive aerial maneuvers, but quickly stops when Gil cuts in over the comm that he wasn't supposed to hotdog a twelve million dollar aircraft; Hal excuses it as testing out its capabilities, but doesn't push his luck when Gil grudgingly concedes, "Fine, but you do that again, and you're flying nothing but the pods til Miss Ferris returns."

"Understood sir," Hal answers flatly. Glancing at the sky, he thinks to himself, Dad used to do a few things like that. Wonder if he'd approve of my antics.

Meanwhile, we see Kari leaving for her work at the zoo. As she goes, we see a small white car trailing behind her from a distance; Kari notices this, and takes a few different turns to lose him. Inside the car, a man in casual clothes and wearing a baseball cap that covers his eyes, smirks and continues on past her before pulling into an alleyway. Pulling out a high-tech laptop, he opens it and watches a dot that represents Kari as she takes a shortcut to the zoo. Smiling openly now, the man - possessing the same voice as Deadline - says to himself, "You're a clever one, I'll give you that. But you gotta get up earlier than that if you wanna lose me."

On the underside of her car, we see a small tracking device flashing dimly as Kari pulls in. Turning off the engine, she gets out, locks the vehicle, and glances around before heading inside. Back in the alley, Deadline drives out and heads to the zoo from a separate route.

At Ferris Aircraft, Hal flies one last small jet for the company before his hours are done. He meets with Gil, and the two men have a civil, though frosty, exchange over his performance in the air before Gil gives him his pay - which is the same as what Hal got from Carol the previous week. However, as Hal leaves, Gil adds that he heard about the robbery, for which he is sorry. Hal's eyebrows raise slightly, but he nods and thanks him before leaving. Going out to his car, he starts it up and heads over to Kristen Limbo's shop.

At the zoo, we see Kari with the tigers, who are absolutely placid with her, while the cubs, once she's done feeding the adults, play with her. She laughs and plays along, clearly enjoying it, before getting called back by a coworker, asking her for to meet with a visiting zookeeper. Confused, she leaves and finds the zookeeper with her coworker; he introduces himself as James Distefano (still possessing Deadline's voice), and informs her that he's heard a lot about the good care the captive felines have been getting, and wants to see her work for himself.

They get to talking as they move back to the tigers, with James confessing he's more of a canine expert. Kari talks about explains how the tigers were given to their zoo by a retired English huntsman who had bequeathed the tigers from his failing sanctuary for Coast City, and that they had already been docile enough. James hedges for a clarification, implying that he'd heard some of the staff had been scared off by the tigers. Now Kari laughs, informing him that most of them were unfamiliar with the big cats, and that she had been able to tame them rather easily due to her experience with wild felines.

"That so?" James replies, stroking his chin. "You a big cat whisperer?"

"Not entirely," Kari answers, pausing as one of the males stares at James for a moment before lying down. Leaning back, she admits, "My family has connections, and my father always loved taking me on a safari when I was younger. One thing led to another, and I ended up spending time with the lions and lionesses near his hunting grounds. I think they just accepted me as one of them, and ever since, I've just loved the cats so much that I decided to make a career of it when I saw an opening here."

James nods, then apologizes for her father's loss. Kari swiftly corrects him, explaining that her father and mother are alive, but out of state. James laughs off the mistake, apologizing for it as Kari waves it off, asking if he wants to see the tigers up close. He declines, admitting he's only here to check on the tigers' well-being, and that, since they're clearly in good shape, he'll see to the wolves before he leaves. As he walks away, Kari notices one of the cubs hunch down as he passes by, causing the mother tigress to approach and growl lowly. Smile faltering, she glances back at James' disappearing form.

Hal arrives at Kristen's shop, shutting down the car and heading inside the building. Entering, he soon finds Kristen near the front, rearranging the Chinaware before he greets her. She turns to him with a smile, confidently stating, "I knew I'd see you here today! How'd the work at Ferris go?"

"Oh, it went well," Hal answers, picking up and moving a box that was close to the foot of the ladder she's on. It tinkles slightly, and returning it to the floor a short distance from her, he jests, "But my boss' CEO didn't approve of me pushing the limit a bit."

"Hmph. He must have no sense of adventure," Kristen declares. Stepping down from the ladder, she opens the box to rummage through the contents and continues, "Believe me, I knew a daredevil of a pilot in my day, and he got results because of his risk-taking nature. And you, young man, are just what that business needs, if the CEO is anything to go by."

Hal laughs in response, and taking some of the glassware from her hands, he notes teasingly, "I'd say he has a point due to the cost of the machinery, but my instincts tell me I'd get in trouble for that."

"Indeed you would, Harold," Kristen counters, smiling wickedly. Hal, still holding the glasses, raises his hands and laughs, "I surrender, I surrender!"

They both laugh and continue setting up the new acquisitions. Soon enough, Hal is also helping locate items that customers come to purchase, the entire atmosphere remarkably relaxing and peaceful, something that actually puts Hal at ease. When it's a quarter to five, Hal helps close up shop before Kristen gives him his pay. He thanks her, and after some joking between them, he leaves, giving her a salute before driving out.

Around this time, Kari sees that all is well with the tigers before collecting her paycheck and leaving. However, when she turns on the car, the "coolant low" sign dings. Confused, she turns it off and gets out; checking under the vehicle, she sees a pool of liquid underneath, with a slowing stream of it pouring down from under the engine.

Groaning, Kari mutters, "Oh, come on."

Getting back in, she turns on the car, seeing the coolant low sign still lit up. Backing out, she manages to get halfway through the city before the engine stalls and the car shuts down. Sighing, she pulls out her phone, exiting the vehicle and calling the local repair shop for a tow. Once done, she hangs up, then sees Hal's number on the screen. Hesitating, Kari clicks on the number; after two rings, Hal picks up, and she explains that her car broke down, and apologizes for calling him, but adding that there isn't anyone else she'd trust to get her home.

"Hey, don't worry about it. Where are you now?" he asks.

"I'm on Madison Avenue," she answers, then glances across the street. She blinks, then laughs and adds, "I'm right across from Hideo's Hibachi!"

"Really? That's great! I'll be there in less then ten minutes," Hal answers, and after a quick goodbye, they both hang up.

Soon, Hal arrives, just as the wrecker pulls up to tow Kari's car away. She explains that her car ran out of coolant, which she guesses is because she hit something sharp that cut the line when she was driving earlier. Hal ponders that, opening the side door for her before getting in himself, and they talk more as they drive. When they're about to pull into her driveway, Kari recalls that he lives on the opposite end of the city from her, and asks how he got there so quickly.

"I'm actually crashing at a friend's place for now," he answers, then admits, "My apartment got robbed last night."

"Oh Hal, I'm so sorry," she replies as he pulls into the driveway. "If I'd known, I never would have bothered you with this."

"Hey, hey," Hal interjects, gently taking her hand in his. Smiling warmly, he says, "You could never bother me, Kari. I'm here for you, no matter what."

Kari smiles, then says, "Thank you. If you need anything, too - someone to talk to, or a place to go - I'm here for you as well."

"Thanks, Kari," he responds.

They pause for a second, then lean over and kiss for a long moment. Afterwards, Hal once more gets the door for her, then offers her his arm as he leads her to the house.

Elsewhere, we see Star Sapphire pacing an apartment room, memories of Gil flashing through Carol's mind before a final image of Hal leaving the office at Ferris Aircraft appears and chains her back to the present. She stops as the door opens, and looking up, she sees Deadline enter. "You're late," she snaps, eyes glowing dangerously.

"Apologies for the delay. I had to do some final surveys of your targets," Deadline answers casually.

"Do explain what you mean by 'targets'. I assume Jordan was found with Limbo again?" Star Sapphire queries, her posture relaxing.

"He was, but before I get to that, here's some more info on Limbo," Deadline responds coolly. Tossing a file onto a nearby desk, he continues as Star Sapphire approaches it, "Her grandmother seems to have been an old adventurer from the late forties, going 'round the world and collecting a lot of cash from it. When she married and had Limbo's father, they spent lots of summers going on safari and hunting in India. Limbo got the same treatment from her old man, and is rather well off from the family's escapades. As for her and Jordan -"

Here, Deadline pulls out a tablet and passes it to Star Sapphire, two pictures briefly visible as he finishes, "I figured to do a test run for you, and it seems they're quite cozy with each other."

Star Sapphire looks at the screen, and we see it's two different pictures. The first one shows Hal giving Kari a ride home, and the other is when they're walking into the house together. Seeing them that close, the Zamarons start hissing in her head about how their plans are being disrupted. Soon though, the leader breaks in, "Silence! We will have our revenge, and we will kill the Guardians' strongest champion. And once that is done, we will kill the Guardians as well."

Handing back the tablet, eyes glowing again, Star Sapphire states, "Well done, Deadline. You carried out your job well. The rest of your pay will be given to you as we agreed. Your services will be remembered in the future."

Deadline nods, taking the suitcase of money that Star Sapphire had prepared for him. As he leaves, the camera pans up and out of the building, where two stars shine brighter than the rest. The scene warps, making the two stars resemble eyes, and dark, feminine laughter echoes as the screen goes dark.

@edgar-allan-possum Sorry this one got delayed. Hopefully, I can pick up the pace again for the remaining four episodes!

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