Beware The Emerald Gladiator

The Flash (1959) #241

Here's the thing: one of the ring's core functions is environmental regulation. It's what keeps him from freezing or burning up in the vacuum of space, in the atmosphere of some hellscape planet, whatever the mission throws at him. But that regulation doesn't just switch off the second he's back on Earth. Ring on, temperature stops being a variable — doesn't matter if it's July in Coast City or the middle of a Gotham winter, he's just comfortable. Always. As long as he's got the ring, the jacket's basically decorative.

Naturally, the League notices. Constantly.

Barry catches him lounging in it during a heatwave and just stares. "Hal. It is ninety-five degrees. You are wearing leather." Hal doesn't even look up from what he's doing.

Diana asks once, genuinely curious rather than exasperated, how he doesn't shiver during a snowed-in stakeout in Gotham while everyone else is bundled in three layers. He just shrugs like it's nothing.

Oliver doesn't ask so much as complain — he's freezing his ass off on some rooftop in nothing but his usual sleeveless getup, pride refusing to let him admit it, and Hal just stands there next to him looking completely unbothered. "You could just tell me the trick, Jordan." "Could. Won't." Oliver mutters something uncharitable under his breath.

Bruce, predictably, just watches him for a solid five seconds too long before deciding it's not worth the effort of asking directly, which somehow annoys Hal more than if he had.

And every time Barry and Oliver end up in the same conversation about it, it devolves fast — Barry insisting there's obviously a scientific explanation, Oliver insisting Hal's just being smug on purpose, the two of them bickering while Hal watches with the deep, quiet satisfaction of a man who started absolutely nothing and takes credit for all of it.

Neither of them like the arrangement. Hal doesn't want to to be around the airheaded Bruce Wayne for long, and Bruce doesn't want to get distracted from his investigation around Gotham to find the cause of poverty

💚🖤 Emerald Rain - CHAPTER 12 is UPDATED!!

Like, do you understand how sexy Hal Jordan is? The way he acts, the way he looks, the way he fights.

Bruce enters the hangar and sees Hal's private aircraft, painter black with red stripes (because apparently, Hal's favorite color is red??) and so well-maintained and Hal helps him get in and they go on a ride with beautiful scenery and Hal talks to Bruce through their aviation headsets, and the sound of Hal's confident voice as he explains everything below and above them does something to Bruce's inside, to the point Bruce asks doubts he already knows the answer to just to hear Hal's chuckle and listen to him talk for the entire ride. It's beautiful.

Once they're back on land, Hal holds Bruce's hand - or waist - to help him out and makes sure the plane is properly docked before walking through the hangar, talking about various plane models. Bruce shares what he knows of planes and Hal bites his lip because Bruce's competence is infuriatingly attractive.

Hal : Yeah!

Barry : Really? I think he can?

Oliver : No! For example... I'm sure he's a bad kisser!

Hal : Well, I mean, I agree with you he can't be good at everything, but not that one.

Oliver : Huh?

Barry : Hal?

Hal : I mean, he IS a good kisser.

Oliver :

Barry :

CHAT I GOT MY DRAWING SIGNED BY RAZER’S VA!!!!

I’ll show off the signed print later. I’m just so freaking happy that I was nearly a sopping wet cat earlier

The aforementioned drawing: