The second episode of Lanterns, titled “Trust Fall,” started from 2016 as Hal Jordan continues training John Stewart in the middle of the investigation in Rushville, Nebraska. Hal wakes John by throwing a bucket of cold water over him before telling him that it is time to learn how to fly. He gives John almost no useful instruction beyond telling him to think about flight. John tries to use the ring but instead creates a small green bird. The construct circles around him and continues to exist even after John removes the ring, something Hal immediately recognizes as unusual.
Hal soon turns his attention to the Green Lantern ring, which is running low on power. He sends John to his home in Coast City to retrieve his Lantern so the ring can be recharged. John arrives at Hal's mansion with the green bird still following him. While searching for the Lantern, he discovers Hal's old Green Lantern uniforms and gets a glimpse into the life his mentor has kept largely hidden from him. The Lantern is stored inside a container that opens into a strange pocket dimension. John also encounters Earl, Hal's unusual extraterrestrial plant, which turns out to be carnivorous and needs to be fed.
John does not make it far after leaving the house. He is attacked, captured and taken away by a group of aliens. He manages to fight back during the attempted escape, but the group eventually overpowers him and brings him before their leader, Antaan. The alien explains that he and his people have come to Earth because they are searching for a Manhunter.
Antaan tells John that the Manhunters existed before the Green Lantern Corps. They were created as artificial beings and were capable of disguising themselves as members of other species. According to Antaan, one of these creatures infiltrated his world and used its position to destroy his people. The Manhunter's idea of justice resulted in the deaths of an entire civilization. Antaan then forces John to experience the destruction through a device that transfers the memory directly into his mind. John is overwhelmed by the images and the pain of what happened to Antaan's people.
Afterward, Antaan explains why John has been brought there. The aliens believe the Manhunter responsible for destroying their world was captured by Hal Jordan but was never actually destroyed. They believe the creature may have been brought to Earth and hidden in Rushville. The four aliens killed at the football field were searching for it when they were discovered. Antaan tells John that the Manhunter is capable of taking human form, making it difficult to identify. He gives John 48 hours to find the creature, warning that if it remains hidden, the aliens will destroy Rushville to make sure the Manhunter is eliminated. John is also told not to reveal their conversation to Hal because they suspect that Hal could be protecting the Manhunter.
While John is being held by Antaan's group, Hal continues his own investigation in Rushville. He attends a town meeting and once again clashes with Sheriff Kerry Kane. Hal's investigation has repeatedly interfered with Kerry's attempts to keep control of the situation, and she makes it clear that she does not appreciate him undermining her authority. Hal then turns his attention back to the bodies of the aliens killed at the football field.
Hal removes the bodies from the morgue and takes them to the football stadium. He runs them through the equipment that had been described as metal detectors and discovers that the machines are actually designed to identify aliens. The discovery leads him back to William Macon, who is connected to the equipment and appears to know much more about the extraterrestrial activity in Rushville than he has admitted.
Hal confronts Macon and questions him about the sophisticated alien-detection technology. He wants to know where Macon obtained it and who supplied him with equipment that Hal claims he has never encountered anywhere else in the galaxy. The confrontation turns violent when Hal is shot through the shoulder he was then taken to the hospital, where Kerry is waiting for him.
While Hal recovers, Kerry asks about the name Sinestro, which Hal had mentioned while unconscious. Hal explains that Sinestro was once his mentor and a Green Lantern who eventually attempted a coup. Hal was responsible for bringing him down, and Sinestro was imprisoned afterward. Kerry also confronts Hal about the way he has handled the investigation. The two eventually make peace and acknowledge that they have both crossed boundaries while trying to do their jobs.
Hal notices another strange detail before leaving the hospital. Despite the building being filled with new equipment, there are almost no patients or visitors around, and some of the equipment still appears unused. The discovery adds an unexplained detail to the growing mystery surrounding Rushville. Kerry also reveals that she originally came from Gotham City before settling in Nebraska.
John eventually returns to Hal after his encounter with Antaan and the other aliens. Instead of keeping the warning to himself, he tells Hal everything. He explains that the aliens believe a Manhunter is hiding in Rushville and that they have given him 48 hours to find it. He also tells Hal that the aliens believe the Guardians may have helped conceal the creature.
Hal listens as John explains what happened, and his reaction changes when he realizes exactly what the aliens are looking for. John also still has the strange green bird he created earlier. Hal points out that John has managed to keep the construct alive even without wearing the ring, something that requires a much higher level of ability than John should have at this stage of his training. John dismisses the significance of the bird and eventually allows the construct to disappear.
With the new information about the Manhunter now in his hands, Hal prepares to leave Earth. He retrieves his Green Lantern uniform, charges his ring and finally puts the suit back on. He then travels to an intergalactic prison to meet someone connected to his past.
Hal arrives to see Sinestro, who is being held in confinement. Rather than wasting time, Hal immediately asks him about the Manhunters. Sinestro confirms that if a Manhunter still exists, it would represent an enormous threat. But instead of simply answering Hal's questions, Sinestro turns the conversation toward John Stewart. He asks Hal about John, leaving the episode with a new mystery surrounding the young Lantern and what Sinestro may already know about him.
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