The night sky was clear, full of stars. The moon lit up the ground below in an eerie and subdued glow. Down below, monsters and creatures of the night prowled the streets of every town and city, looking for reward for their travels. It was a night of terrors.

It was Halloween.

Cutting through this clear night sky came a brilliant emerald beam of light. It left a fading contrail much like a jet plane's exhaust. The beam cut across America, making its way to a small town in central Kansas. As the beam approached this town, it dropped in altitude. When it reached ground level, it streaked across farmer's fields and finally landed on the town limits. The sign there read "Welcome to Timor, Kansas, Population 714."

The emerald beam faded, leaving two men standing there. One was dressed in a well-worn bomber jacket, blue jeans and a white t-shirt. The only accessory he wore was a green ring that emitted a faint luminescence. Beside the man stood another wearing a green, black and white uniform. His chest had a stylized lantern symbol on the upper left side.

Hal Jordan and Kyle Rayner were members of the Green Lantern Corps. They were chosen to receive the ring because of their moral character, will power and total lack of fear. They had faced some of the most evil and terrifying beings the universe had to offer.

Tonight, however, Hal Jordan was going to have to face fear head on…with seven hundred lives in the balance.

"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" asked Rayner. "We could find a way around this. We could send in the entire Corps and JLA and kick this maniac's ass before he knew what hit him!" Rayner's ring emitted a small flare of energy at this.

"No, Kyle," said Jordan. "He'll be ready for that. He wants me. He'll get me. No one is to enter Timor until I give the all clear. Understand?"

Rayner looked as if he understood but wasn't agreeing with what Jordan had just said. Still, despite his demeanour, Rayner remained silent. Jordan looked down at his right hand. His ring glowed in the night. Taking a deep breath, he removed the ring and handed it to Rayner.

Steeling himself, Hal Jordan took his first step into the town of Timor.

One Hour Earlier

Hal Jordan smiled.

Children were milling about for Halloween. Hal remembered his past Halloweens fondly. His father had been a pilot at Edwards Air Force Base in California, and before that he had served at a variety of Air Bases around the world. Hal had been an army brat and for many years had found very few friends that lasted long due to the constant moving. Hal's mother always made sure that when a day like Halloween came around, that it was one Hal and his brothers would always look forward to. They would all have amazingly detailed costumes that were the envy of all the other base kids. Hal, however, always went as the same thing. A fighter pilot. He knew that someday, he was going to fly jets just like his old man.

Hal was wearing his dad's bomber flight jacket today. It was well worn and beginning to look its age, but that didn't bother Hal. He wore it proudly. Today, he wasn't just a fighter pilot. He was a member of a galactic police force. He experienced a joy of flying that his father never lived long enough to taste. It was one thing to fly at Mach Three. It was another to fly at warpspeed and visit alien worlds. One of the qualities that Hal needed to become a fighter pilot as well as a Green Lantern was his ability to conquer his fear. In Hal's mind, he owed a lot of that courage to his father. He had been Hal's shining example of fearlessness.

Hal was sitting on a park bench in the military housing compound of Edwards Air Force Base. The compound was a community unto itself, with a population bordering those of many other smaller communities in the area. With all the time that being a part of the Green Lantern Corps took, Hal didn't really have the time he would have liked to do the things he enjoyed. One of those things was watching the kids at Halloween at the Air base where he spent the most years of his childhood. He still knew many of the families that lived here, having kept in touch off and on over the years. The last few years he had been…away…for various reasons, but now that he was back, he wanted to take a moment to enjoy one of the fondest moments of his childhood.

He had been watching the kids run about from house to house for thirty minutes when his ring began to glow. Someone was trying to contact him. He willed the ring to cloak him to anyone that might overhear, and then had the message come through. A small, green, holographic image came out of the ring.

"Hal!" It was Kyle Rayner.

"What is it Kyle? You sound flustered."

Kyle's face looked more than flustered. He looked deadly serious. "Something's come up. Something you need to see." Kyle's face disappeared. An instant later, an image formed of a floating ball of flame. In the ball was a silhouette. "This thing appeared in the Watchtower thirty minutes ago. We had Zatanna try to analyze it after my ring couldn't make heads or tails about it, but she was forcibly blocked when she tried…to the point that she's unconscious in the infirmary. It's been repeating a message…a message for you."

Kyle tuned into the message. "--Jordan…Green Lantern Hal Jordan…It is time for you to face your fears…At 10:00 local time, you are to come to Timor, Kansas…You will come alone…You will enter from the town limits on foot…with no power ring…No one is to accompany you…If anyone else follows you…Everyone in the town will die…Hal Jordan…Green Lantern Hal Jordan…"

Hal was stunned.

Kyle returned to the image. "He sounds serious, Hal. How do you want to handle this?"

Hal looked at his watch. "10:00 local time is in thirty minutes. I don't see how I have a choice. I'm on my way." Hal's civilian clothing began to change into his Green Lantern uniform, a domino mask on his face. He lifted into the night sky like an emerald comet, and seconds later was gone.

Now

Hal stood at the end of Timor's main street. It was quiet. Nothing stirred. A cool breeze blew litter around the front of the local grocery store. Not even birds could be heard. The town was, to Hal's mind, dead.

If that's so, then whoever is behind this will pay for it, thought Hal. He felt naked without his power ring, but knew that he couldn't take any chances should this maniac do what he promised. The fact that Zatanna had been painfully and forcefully repelled when she tried to discern the nature of the magicks involved was a testament to the true nature of this person. He just hoped he was able to stop him before it was too late.

Kyle had the JLA and the Corps on standby. They were in the Watchtower, but ready to move at Kyle's order. The town limits seemed to be safe. Hal was glad that Kyle had come with him that far. He would know what to do with Hal's ring should the worst befall him.

Hal kept walking. He passed the post office when he heard a sound from the alley closest him. He steeled himself at the sound of approaching footsteps. Someone was coming. He may have no power ring…but he knew how to fight.

Someone was coming.

He or she was almost visible. Closer…closer…

Hal's jaw dropped.

"Hello, Hal."

It was his father.

Kyle Rayner stood at the edge of Timor. His ring generated a small heat field to keep out the damp chill, but he still shivered. The person who threatened Hal was obviously deft with magic, but were going to find out they had severely underestimated him. Hal was a resourceful man. He was tricky and crafty.

"Kyle?" It was Supergirl from the Watchtower. "Anything new?"

Kyle projected an image of Supergirl. "Nothing. Hal went in a few minutes ago and a thick fog appeared. I can't see through it. Spooking the hell out of me."

"Well, someone is on the way to keep you company. Someone who wouldn't take no for an answer."

"Who?" asked Kyle.

A green flame streaked out of the sky and landed beside Kyle. When the flame dissipated, Kyle smiled. "Man, am I glad to see you."

Alan Scott, the first Earthman of the 20th Century to call himself Green Lantern, had arrived. He was much older than he looked, but that in itself was a long story. Alan was a founding member of the Justice Society of America and one of the most respected superheroes in the world. Hal had succeeded him in the public eye as the Green Lantern and Alan often thought of Hal as a surrogate son. Kyle wasn't surprised that Alan had come.

"Kyle, the League filled me in on what happened. Any word from Hal?"

"No," said Kyle. "No contact."

"Have you tried to enter the town limits?"

Kyle shook his head. "After what the message did to Zatanna, I figured it was best not to try. Magic is something I've never understood."

Alan walked up to the town limits sign. "Let's see just how talented this person thinks he is." Green flame erupted around Alan. He projected it towards the town. It began to move slower and slower until it abruptly stopped. The flame continued to flow out of Alan, but now seemed to be moving around something. It seemed to be following a shape. It continued to move until the shape became obvious. "The town is surrounded by a mystical dome. Its keeping me out…and must be designed to have allowed Hal inside."

Kyle smiled. Alan's power was related to that of Kyle's and Hal's rings, but was still quite different. Eons ago, the Guardians of the Universe removed all magical energy from the Green Lantern power they shared with the Corps and contained it within a receptacle called the Starheart. The Starheart eventually found its way to Earth and was made into the form of a green lantern. Alan came into possession of the lantern and after discovering its power, constructed a ring from its substance. Later, the Starheart was absorbed entirely by Alan into his body, making him effectively into a living Starheart. Alan was potentially one of the most powerful beings on Earth…both as a superhero and as a magical being. "Can you get through?"

"I'll try," said Alan. He focussed his energies towards the barrier again, probing. He was determined to get through.

For Hal's sake.

"Dad?"

Hal was stunned. His father was standing before him, hadn't aged a day since he died in a fighter plane crash at the Air Base. His father's death was one of the most defining moments of his life…and one of the scariest times of his life.

"It's me, son. I have to say, you've made something with your life, it seems. You're a big superhero, saving lives. You're respected among your peers. You're a pretty big deal."

Hal struggled to speak. "Dad…I…you can't be real!"

His father laughed. "Ha! Why not? Because you saw me die? How many people have you seen die and return? Clark, Diana, even yourself. You've all come back. Problem is, I have a bone to pick with you."

"What?" asked Hal.

"You think you've accomplished something in your life…but you're a waste. You're all flash and no substance. You say you're a hero. You say you save lives. But in the end, you're a failure. You let little blue men order you around. You let men like Bruce and Clark tower over you. You think you're big…but you're really small." He sneered at Hal.

"That's a lie," said Hal. "I've done more to help people than I could have ever thought possible! I've worked my whole life to make you proud of me! I've given up any hope of a normal life! Given up everything…Carol…my career in the Air Force…Everything!"

"You have a ring on your finger that can do anything…yet you failed when it counted most."

"How? When?!" Hal was beginning to lose his temper.

"For all your power and all your talk…you failed. You failed to protect what should have been your first priority."

Hal's face went white. "No…you mean…"

"That's right. Coast City."

Sweat ran down Alan Scott's face as he worked to probe the mystic shield for weak points. He hadn't said a word for minutes. The chill Kyle had felt before was replaced by sweat from Alan's green flame.

Kyle's ring glowed again. "Kyle here."

The image of J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter, appeared. "Kyle, I have some information you might find of value. First off, Timor doesn't exist on any known map or U.S. government record. It's as if the town simply appeared out of thin air."

"That's freaky," said Kyle. "Anything else?"

"Yes," replied J'onn. "The land upon which Timor is located is part of a large tract of Kansas farmland owned by Ray and Eileen Sims. They're large ranchers in the area. Eileen Sims is also the sister of Allan Jens…who was killed in the destruction of Coast City."

"I'm confused," said Kyle. "Are you saying that Kansas ranchers mystically created a town and placed it here just to get at Hal? How would they know who he was? How would they know magic??"

"Records search shows that in the last year, Eileen Sims has purchased over $20,000 in rare artifacts and mystical tomes from online dealers. I'd hazard a guess Mrs. Sims has been taking a crash course in magic. However she found out about Hal's identity as Green Lantern, I suspect she holds Hal responsible for those events."

"Well, Alan is working on the barrier keeping us out. We'll keep you informed."

"We as well. There was one other thing, Kyle. Timor is a Latin word. It means' fear'. Good luck, Kyle."

Kyle was extremely creeped out. "Thanks. Kyle out."

Hal grabbed his father's coat lapels. "Coast City was out of my hands! I wish every day that I could have saved those people…but I couldn't! You have no idea how much that day hurts me!"

Hal's father laughed at him. "You should have been there. It was your home. You were its protector just as much as Clark was Metropolis's protector. Your first priority was to Coast City, not to be gallivanting around somewhere else!" He grabbed Hal's arms, twisted them behind Hal's back and threw him across the street. Hal skidded off the opposite curb and he felt his arm snap.

His father walked towards him and began to change as he did so. He transformed from the dashing pilot Hal remembered…into the alien conqueror Mongul.

Hal got up, cradling his arm. He had no power ring. He was facing the being responsible for the destruction of Coast City. He was being led like a rat in a maze by someone who was out to get him. He cursed for allowing himself to be brought into an argument with his 'father' instead of trying to find a way out of this town and save the people in it. Thing is, he hadn't seen a person yet.

And Mongul was coming.

The evening was comfortably cool at the Sims' ranch in central Kansas. A highway patrolman approached the front door of the large ranch-style home. The Sims were very well to do. Cattle ranching had been a boon to them, especially since the American border had been closed to Canadian cattle.

The patrolman rang the doorbell. No answer. He knocked on the door. No answer. He went to turn the doorknob…and it moved freely. He opened the door and went inside.

"Mr. and Mrs. Sims? This is the Kansas State Patrol. Is anyone home?" No answer. He continued inside.

The main floor was empty. The kitchen, living room and dining room was dark and quiet. The patrolman found a door to the basement. It was partly open. A dim flickering light was seen coming from the basement.

The patrolman slowly and silently crept down the stairs. As he approached the bottom, he saw the source of the light. The cement floor of the basement had a pentagram drawn on the floor in what looked like blood. In the center of the pentagram was a man, lying down. He was disembowelled, with his entrails positioned at the different points of the star. The truly surprising sight though, was the woman who was floating in the air above the dead man. Her hair was long and stark white. It was sticking straight out from her head as if she was conducting an electric current. The woman was naked and was moving her hands and feet as if she were walking. Then she spoke aloud.

"You couldn't stop me from destroying Coast City, Hal Jordan-"

"-and you can't stop me from killing you now!"

Mongul was mere feet away from Hal. He moved to his left, then went right. Mongul failed to notice the fakeout and shattered the concrete to Hal's left. Hal, still cradling his arm, ran. He needed to get away from Mongul. He ran into the town bar's front door.

He stopped.

"What the hell is going on here?" he asked himself.

"You can't escape me, Jordan!" yelled Mongul. "Your failure ends here! You'll never fail anyone-"

"-Ever again!"

The woman spoke in guttural tones. She was acting as if she were talking to Jordan as if he were right in front of her. Maybe, in a strange way, she was.

The Patrolman slowly approached the pentagram. Energy flowed around the woman in electrical arcs. He moved closer to her. Suddenly, the woman's right hand sliced out towards him and an arc of energy came flying from her fingertips. The bolt went right through him.

He was still standing.

The woman thrashed her head towards the Patrolman to see how he had survived. A gaping hole had appeared in his chest…and reformed back into his normal form. The wall behind him was black and charred. The woman was confused. In her split second of confusion, the Patrolman stepped towards her and swung his fist down on the pentagram. The cement floor shattered. The energy around the woman winked out. The house shook. The woman fell down to the shattered concrete. Dazed, she tried to get her bearings. The Patrolman flicked her with his finger, knocking her unconscious.

The Patrolman's body then changed shape. In seconds, the patrolman was gone. In his place, was the Martian Manhunter.

Alan Scott strained to break through the barrier. Then, a loud screech sounded and the barrier fell away with a flash. Green flame erupted into the sky.

Kyle shielded his eyes. "You did it, Alan! You're through!"

"Whatever happened…it wasn't me, Kyle."

Hal looked around the bar. The inside was bare. The walls were empty, there were no chairs or any furniture. Just gray walls that looked like they were moving…like rippling water. Hal gathered himself. Mongul was coming.

Mongul broke through the wall. His eyes were murderous. Suddenly, he stopped. He threw his right arm out to his side, but nothing happened. Then he turned his head, as if looking at something. Hal looked…there was nothing there but grayish rubble that seemed to melt.

The next moment, everything disintegrated in a flash of light.

J'onn J'onzz alighted near Kyle, Alan, Hal, Supergirl, Superman, the Flash and Steel. They stood in the centre of a quarter of pasture land, although it was slightly charred and smoking.

"Hal, are you all right?" asked J'onn.

"I'll live," said Hal. His arm was in a cast made of emerald energy from Kyle's ring. "What the hell just happened?"

J'onn explained his investigation and subsequent tussle with the woman. "Disrupting the pentagram broke her spell. I did a telepathic scan of her while she was unconscious. She was Eileen Sims. The man she sacrificed was her husband Raymond."

"How can a woman harbour such hatred like that?" asked Hal. "I regret not being there for Coast City more than anything."

"I'm afraid we'll get no more from Mrs. Sims," said J'onn. "No sooner had I divulged information from her mind that her mind simply shut down. She's brain dead. I was getting an impression from her that someone had set her up with the magical knowledge…but could not find out who."

Hal took back his ring from Kyle and put it on. His ripped civilian clothes disappeared and he was once again wearing his Green Lantern uniform. "I'm sorry to hear that, J'onn. I would love to know just who was behind this…I owe that person. I owe them for what they put me through more than I can say."

Elsewhere

The woman had performed well. He hadn't anticipated the Martian's involvement in such a dramatic fashion. That would have to be planned for in the future. In any event, this test run went well. He had outfitted the woman with the knowledge she required, both mystical and otherwise. Jordan was a survivor, lucky but resourceful. Next time, Jordan and his allies wouldn't find such an easy solution to their woes. Next time, there would be no way to avoid the fate he had planned for all of them. Them…and Hal Jordan in particular.

Content with the results of today, Jordan Weir, also known as the Puppeteer, went on to other plans…and other possible punishments for Hal Jordan. Weir had lost his entire family in the Coast City disaster. He had tangled with Jordan years ago in another life.

He also knew that Jordan had become the deranged Parallax. Somehow, he had returned to the good graces of the Justice League and the Corps itself, but Weir didn't buy it.

The doorbell rang. Weir went to the door and was greeted by several children in costume. One of them wore a homemade Green Lantern costume. He put candy from a nearby bowl into their bags.

"My, that Green Lantern costume is quite good! I think you deserve an extra treat." He put an extra candy bar in the Green Lantern's goodie bag. Smiling, the children went running away to the next house over. Weir closed his door.

Jordan would meet the fate he deserved…Weir would be sure of it. In the meantime, he would plan…and wait.

"Happy Halloween, Hal," he said.

THE END