[Third person POV]
"So you mean to tell us you kidnapped us from our home but can't send us back the same way you brought us here!?" Sam's voice rose, her tone cutting through the air as she glared between Aga'po and Ghia'ta. "We have a family back home who's going to be worried sick if we're gone for this long!"
Danny stayed silent at first, his jaw tightening. 'There has to be another way to get back home… there just has to…' He raised a hand to his face, rubbing his temple as his mind churned, sifting through everything he knew, every scrap of possibility.
Ghia'ta's expression softened, a shadow of guilt in her eyes. "We're sorry," she said, her voice sincere, "but without anyone to zero in on—"
'That's it!' Danny's thoughts sparked like a sudden lightning bolt. 'It's a long shot… Quite literally a shot in the dark, but maybe… just maybe this could work.'
"Are you absolutely certain there's no one else on Earth you could lock onto?" he interrupted, leaning forward slightly. "Maybe someone like the Green Lantern from our world? You're both Lanterns, right? So maybe…"
'Come on… get the hint!' he urged silently. 'Carol Ferris—she's a Star Sapphire, isn't she? I'm not a hundred percent sure if she still is, but even if she isn't right now, that potential has to still be there. Right? Hopefully? I pray to the Almighty Presence!'
Aga'po's eyes narrowed slightly as she shook her head. "Were you even listening? It doesn't work that way. It wouldn't matter if the other person was also a Lantern—unless they possess a great love in their hearts and are worthy of becoming a member of the Star Sapphire Corps, then it is simply not possible—"
"Actually, wait just a moment," Ghia'ta interjected, as if a forgotten memory had just resurfaced. Her hand covered her mouth in thought before she looked toward Danny and Sam. "When you mentioned a Green Lantern from Earth… could you be referring to Green Lantern Hal Jordan?"
Danny's heart leapt. 'Hahaha! Yes—Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!'
Sam stepped in before he could speakl. "We don't know his name," she said with a shrug. "He keeps his identity secret and always wears a mask. Plus, he mostly operates in Coast City, so we don't exactly have any connection to him."
"What are you getting at, Ghia'ta?" Aga'po asked, her brow lifting in curiosity.
"Your Majesty, have you forgotten the first time Green Lantern Hal Jordan arrived on our planet?" Ghia'ta's tone carried the weight of a reminder she thought impossible to overlook.
Aga'po's brows drew together… then her eyes widened sharply in realization. "That's right! I remember now… We summoned Carol Ferris to our planet in hopes of turning her into a Star Sapphire so she could help us take him down."
Sam blinked, caught off guard. "Whoa—what?" she asked, her voice laced with suspicion.
Ghia'ta quickly waved her hands in a calming gesture. "Worry not. That matter was resolved long ago. But… as it turns out, you two are in luck. There is someone on your planet we could lock onto to send you home. She was found worthy of being a Star Sapphire, but—just like you, she chose to reject the offer."
Danny grinned, relief flooding through him. 'Booyah!'
He turned to Sam, and the two exchanged matching smiles, the tension between them dissolving into shared victory.
"I'll go prepare the teleporter," Ghia'ta said, turning to leave.
---
Moments later, Danny and Sam stood before a swirling violet tear in space, the air around it thrumming with energy. The portal's glow cast a faint pink sheen over their faces as they turned to Ghia'ta.
"Thank you for your help," they both said at the same time.
Sam stepped forward slightly, sincerity clear in her voice. "Honestly, I doubt I could've presented our case as well as I did if it wasn't for you. You really came through for us."
Ghia'ta rubbed the back of her neck, her cheeks warming faintly at their gratitude. "I was simply doing my duty as a Star Sapphire," she said modestly. "But… I'm glad I could be of use to you."
Aga'po's gaze settled on Sam, her expression soft but steady. "If you ever change your mind about becoming one of us," she said, her voice carrying a faint echo of authority, "know that you would always be welcome here."
"It is certainly nice to know, thank you… Now, we really should be going," Sam said, her tone polite but laced with lingering frustration. "We don't know how long we've been gone, and we wouldn't want our families to worry. By the way—" she added, narrowing her eyes slightly at Aga'po, "you really should change how that portal works. It's both stupid and an inconvenience."
Danny smirked faintly at her bluntness, but didn't argue. With a final exchange of farewells, the two stepped into the swirling violet tear.
---
On the other side, the world was suddenly brighter, warmer—sunlight streaming through tall windows. A beautiful woman with shoulder-length black hair sat behind a sleek desk, mid-paperwork, blinking in surprise at the sight of them materializing out of nowhere.
For a long moment, all three simply stared at each other.
Then Danny broke the silence, straightening his posture and putting on his best mock-serious face. "Greetings, Earthling. We come in peace~!" he announced, speaking in a comically strange, drawn-out tone while holding up his hand in the Vulcan salute.
Sam immediately slapped a palm over her forehead, groaning. The woman—Carol Ferris—let out an involuntary snicker, covering her mouth to hide it.
"Let me guess…" Carol said, a knowing glint in her eyes, "the two of you got abducted as well?"
Sam sighed, lowering her hand. "Something like that."
Danny rubbed the back of his neck, looking tired enough to drop on the spot. "This was the only location we could teleport to in order to return home. Sorry for the inconvenience… Would you mind giving us some directions?"
---
A few minutes later, Sam and Danny soared through the skies above Ferris Aircraft. Both were invisible and intangible, slipping past the world unnoticed. Danny held Sam securely in his arms as the wind whipped past them.
With no traffic, no obstacles, and a speed that blurred the world below into streaks of color, they made it back to Amity Park in under an hour.
Danny phased them directly through the walls of Sam's mansion, landing softly in her bedroom. The moment they touched down, his form flashed with a brief glow before vanishing, leaving him in his human self. He dropped to one knee, panting heavily.
Sam's brow furrowed in concern. "Okay… this might be a stupid question, but are you okay?"
Danny waved her off weakly, forcing a grin. "Yeah, yeah—me? I'm perfect. Epitome of a healthy young man," he said between breaths before crawling up to sit beside her on the bed.
Sam eyed the cuts and bruises scattered across his arms and face. "What are you planning to tell your parents when they see you like this?"
Danny leaned back, scratching his cheek sheepishly. "Honestly? I was thinking of… falling down the stairs at home and pretending I got them that way."
Sam blinked at him in disbelief. "Are… are you serious right now?"
Danny averted his gaze, lips pursed. "…No."
"Pfft… you're a terrible liar," Sam said with a small laugh, shaking her head as she stood. "Wait here."
She left the room briefly, returning moments later with a first aid kit in one hand. Setting it on the bed, she crossed over to her dresser and began pulling out a collection of brushes and makeup tools.
Danny tilted his head, watching her. "What are you doing?"
"First, we're going to clean up your wounds," Sam said matter-of-factly. "Then, we're going to cover them with makeup so no one can tell you were in a fight."
Danny chuckled, shaking his head. "Honestly… a better idea than mine."
"Well, duh," she scoffed, rolling her eyes. "With my way, you run less risk of breaking your neck in your little 'stage play.'"
Danny groaned at the mental image. "Ugh, imagine if that was how I went. I fight dragons, assassins, and an army of intergalactic police women… and it's me trying to fake an injury that does me in."
The two of them laughed at the absurdity, the tension from earlier fading into comfortable banter.
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A/N: For those confused, this is referencing to the Green Lantern animated series, since I heard they were interconnected with Young Justi