a/n: i know i've been slacking on memes in all of my stories, but they'll be back. i promise

"Hey, you alright? Uncle Barry told me all about-"

"Then he told you why I have to leave?" I whispered and pulled Wally aside. "Wall... I don't think I can keep doing this."

"Zar, what happened? You left for two months with Hal and all we got was John telling us that we shouldn't worry." Wally frowned.

"I did something terrible, Wall. I lost control and-"

"Hey, it's okay to get a little crazy sometimes. It's nothing to be-"

"I destroyed half of Ysmault." I admitted and his eyes widened. "I was charging my Ring and it just happened before I could stop it. Hal had to give me a safeguard until we get to Oa and figure this out. That's why I'm leaving tonight after the ceremony."

"It's gonna be okay, alright? A few weeks at Oa will definitely-"

"That's the thing... I don't know when or if I'm coming back. Tonight's my last night on the Team."

"Then we'll all be there to say goodbye." Wally assured and hugged me tight. "It's gonna be weird not having you around to annoy Rob."

"Which is why Robin can never know what I'm about to tell you... It'll ruin his relationship with Batman and I don't want that." I sighed and pulled away slightly. "Batman asked for my resignation during the last League meeting when Hal was begging for me to be inducted... He then came to Coast City to formally ask me the other day."

"You're kidding?"

"I wish I was. I have until tonight to say my goodbyes and leave."

"And Hal's just okay with this!?"

"He isn't. But what choice do we have now? Batman knows that I can't control my Ring which makes me a danger to myself and this Team."

"Guys, it's on!" Zatanna called out.

"We can finish this later." Wally whispered and wrapped an arm around me. "Your secret's safe with me, Zar... And congrats on almost making the League."

"You're the best, Wall."

"Superman is now handing out official League membership cards."

"Uhh, Zar? Why is your dad glaring at my dad?" Dick asked.

"He's in a bad mood because he had to wake up early and Carol was arguing with him over another crashed jet." I lied and watched Barry hit Hal on the arm. "Okay, that was hilarious!"

"Finally, Green Arrow welcomes his former protege Speedy, now known as Red Arrow to this roster of heroes."

"Way to go, Roy!" Wally and I cheered.

"At last he got his wish." Kaldur smiled.

"First of us to make it." Dick added. "No one will call him a sidekick anymore."

"Since when is being a sidekick a bad thing?" Raquel asked. "You sidekicks were my inspiration!"

Before any of us could answer, there was knock on the glass above us. I looked up to see Hal waving with a frown and gave me a signal to start saying my goodbyes.

"We leave soon." He mouthed and I nodded. "Party in Watchtower."

"Have fun." I mouthed back and he saluted before flying away. "Uhh, guys... There's something I need to-"

"Hold that thought, Crimson. We've got to go." Dick said, grabbing my arm.

"Go where!?"

"Mission time."

*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*

"How come Homeland Security and the N.T.S.B. Aren't all over this?"

"Cheshire's ID was a League alert. Authorities didn't pick it up, and her jet didn't follow its flight plan. Flew under the radar, literally. The Watchtower auto-tracked the jet and recorded the crash." Dick said before turning to me. "Crimson, you getting anything?"

"Ring's not reporting any life source on the jet or nearby." I called out.

"Why isn't the League here?" Raquel asked.

" Because our Boy Wonder has hacking skills and arranged to get the alert first." Zatanna answered.

"I'm picking up several life source. I think it's-"

"Here's one... And she is stunning!" Cheshire called out and we looked up.

"I am flora, not fauna. I am foliage, not trees. What am I?" Riddler asked and I rolled my eyes. "Come on, you can get this. I am shrubbery, not grass. What am I? I..."

"Am bush." Dick sneered.

"Didn't you think we'd be tipped you were on Cheshire's trail? We're tired of your interference, kiddies. This is the end game. Ordered from above and executed by their master strategist, moi." Riddler praised himself and I rolled my eyes.

"Everyone linked?" Kaldur asked and we all nodded. "Go."

"Ekahs siht ebolgwons!" Zatanna chanted and we were covered in snow almost immediately.

My ring hummed faintly, and I glanced down, catching a flicker of green that spread like a crack through the blood-red surface.

"Dammit, Green!" I groaned and Wally turned to me. "I'm fine, just go!"

"Red, I need some backup!" M'gann yelled and I immediately took off flying next to her.

"I've got them," I said, summoning a construct. A massive wall of spiked chains erupted from my ring, cutting off the enemies' advance. But as I pushed the construct forward, the green cracks on my ring flared brighter, and I felt a sharp, searing pain shoot through my hand.

Shaking my hand, I turned toward the hostiles and unleashed a wave of crimson energy, sending them scattering. One of them tried to counter with a plasma rifle, but my ring deflected the shot with a pulse of energy that was more violent than I expected. The blast knocked him unconscious, but it also tore a deep trench in the snow and nearly hit M'gann.

"Hey!"

"Sorry!" I quickly apologized and landed next to Wally who was already looking at me in worry. "It's the safeguard. I don't know what's happening to it!"

"How long have you had this safeguard?"

"Since Ysmault... It was two months ago."

"And you haven't used the Ring since!? You got back like two weeks ago!"

"I've been too scared to, KF!" I exclaimed, holding my wrist tightly as Wally hid me behind the jet.  "What if this is who I am now? A Red Lantern is fueled by rage, and I—I can't seem to shake it. It's like the ring knows, Wally. It's feeding on it."

"Red," Wally said, putting a hand on my shoulder, "you're more than that ring. Hal wouldn't have trained you if he thought you were just rage. The safeguard wouldn't have lasted this long if you didn't have some sense of control... It's gonna be okay."

"It's done." M'gann announced. "We've got the case."

"Let's head to the Cave and get Hal, okay?"

"KF, please don't-"

"I won't say anything, I promise."

*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*

"Tell me if this sounds familiar... You hacked League systems, disobeyed protocol and endangered your lives and your initiative resulted in the capture of three escaped felons proving Warden Strange runs Belle Reve as a cover for criminal activity... Well done."

"Did he just-"

"And then there's this. Bio-technology integrated with some form of nano-circuitry. We'll take it to the Watchtower for further study." Batman said and took the case. "Zaria, do you have idea what it is?"

"I used the Ring to scan... that biocomponent is not from Earth or from any other system I've been in. I'll have to contact the Guardians and-"

"No need. Well done, Red Lantern... We'll take it to the Watchtower for further study."

"Can you... Can you tell Hal to come to the Cave when you see him?" I asked and his eyes narrowed. "I really need to talk to him."

"I'll pass the message." He said and glanced down but I immediately hid my hand. "I'd start saying my goodbyes soon."

Recognized: Batman, 02

"Goodbyes?" Zatanna asked and I frowned. "Why are you saying goodbye?"

"After the induction party, I'm leaving for Oa. There are some issues I need to take care of... Lantern business." I shrugged and they all raised an eyebrow.

"You just got back!" Artemis protested. "How long will you be gone?"

"Hopefully not much longer than I need to... This is my last mission until further notice."

"Then why don't we make it count?" Dick said and gave me a small smile. "I think we can all agree that we were set up, right?"

"Yes. Cheshire and Riddler were tipped and ready for us." Kaldur said and I groaned.

"Not the mole thing again!?"

"Mole thing? Again?" Raquel asked.

"We had intel that there was a traitor on the Team. Namely Artemis, M'gann or me." Connor explained and walked away with a wince.

"And where do you think you're going?"

"There's something I need to do... There's something I need to tell you."

"Spill."

"Last month, on Thanksgiving, I went back to Cadmus, found a few things out. When I was cloned, only half the DNA was Superman's. The other half was human. That's why I don't have, will never have, full Kryptonian powers."

"You sure? Because you sure seemed to have them today." Dick pointed out.

"I've been using these. Shields. They suppress my human DNA. I get the flight, the heat-vision, but I think I also get angry. Well, angrier... I'm sorry."

"Where did you get those?" Kaldur asked.

"From my human father, Lex Luthor."

"Lex Luthor is your dad!?" Dick and I exclaimed.

"He's summoned me to Santa Prisca."

"Listen..." Artemis sighed and summoned a keyboard. "Superboy and isn't the only one suffering from bad DNA."

"Artemis-"

"My mother is Huntress, an ex-con. The rest of my family aren't even ex. My dad's Sportsmaster and he's sending my sister, Cheshire... to fly me to Santa Prisca too... I was so desperate to make sure none of you found out."

"I knew." Dick smirked and we all turned to him. "Hey, I'm a detective! But it never mattered, Artemis. You're not your family. You're one of us."

"So, uh, who's next?" Wally asked and M'gann raised her hand. "I swear I was kidding!"

"Queen Bee's been blackmailing me. She wants me in Santa Prisca too."

"How could she be blackmailing you?" I asked and she looked down.

"She knows my true Martian form."

"Bald M'gann? Who cares if-"

"No..." She interrupted and shifted to her true form making all of them gasp and take a step back in shock, except for me and Kaldur. "I realized you would never accept me if you saw what I really am."

"Did we truly seem so shallow?" Kaldur asked.

"It's complicated, Kaldur." I called out and stepped in front of M'gann. "Being a white Martian among the Green on Mars is horrible... The treatment they receive would make most of American History seem like nothing."

"I couldn't face that from-"

"Me?" Connor asked and stood beside me, holding M'gann's hand as she shifted back.

"You're all needed in Santa Prisca. Handle your business there and we will be on standby." I assured as M'gann hugged me.

"Don't start your goodbyes just yet."

"You can start by telling us and we'll fill them in later." Dick crossed his arms once they left and I glanced at Wally. "What's really going on, Crimson?"

"Rob, leave her be." Wally warned. "It's none of our business right now."

"Unless any of you have a solution to my problem, it's best if you don't know." I said and showed them my Ring. "Something happened that made Hal tether his Ring to mine... Which is why we have to head to Oa to find out what's going on."

"Isn't Oa for Green Lanterns? Why not Ysmault?"

"I... I can't go back to Ysmault. Not after what happened." I shrugged and stepped back. "And Oa is where the Guardians live and they know everything... Plus, they owe me for saving the universe from Krona."

"So you're just going to leave without giving us any real explanation? You're part of this team, Zar. We can help you." Dick begged but I took another step back.

"You don't understand, Robin," I replied, clenching my fist as the crimson energy of my Ring pulsed faintly. "This isn't just a bad day or a personal issue. It's dangerous... I'm dangerous."

"You're not dangerous to us," Zatanna countered, stepping closer. "You've always had our backs, and we'll have yours. Whatever's going on, we can figure it out."

"Not this time. This isn't about teamwork or trust. This is about stopping something before it gets worse. Hal and I have been trying to figure it out for months, and... if I stay here, I might hurt someone."

"You don't give yourself enough credit, Zar." Wally said. "Yeah, you've got rage, but you also have control. You've kept it together this long, haven't you?"

"Not really," I muttered. "What happened in Ysmault didn't 'just happen' because I tripped and fell. It happened because I let go. I thought the Ring would protect me, but it fed on my anger, on everything I was feeling, and it... it consumed me. Hal barely stopped me. If he hadn't been there—"

"You stopped yourself," Kaldur interjected calmly. "You sought help, and you are taking action to prevent further harm. That is not weakness, Zaria. That is strength."

"Maybe. But strength isn't enough if I can't trust myself. And until I can, I can't stay. Not here, not anywhere near you guys."

"You don't have to go through this alone." Raquel frowned.

"I already am, Rocket. I have been since Ysmault. None of you were there. You don't understand what it felt like... what it still feels like. I'm doing this because I love you guys. I can't put you in danger."

"You think walking away is gonna protect us?" Dick asked, his tone sharp. "What happens if something goes wrong out there, and you're alone? What happens if you need us and we're not there?"

"I can't ask you to take that risk," I said firmly. "You guys are my family, but this is bigger than all of us. The Guardians might have answers, and if they don't... then at least I won't hurt anyone else trying to figure it out."

"If you're so scared of losing control, let us help you find it. You're more than just that ring, Zar. We see it, even if you don't." Zatanna stepped forward and reached out to hold my other hand.

"You don't get it," I said, my voice cracking. "What happened on Ysmault wasn't just a mistake. I lost control. I enjoyed it, Zee. The rage, the power... it felt good. And that's what scares me the most. What if it happens again? What if I like it again?"

"It's okay to be scared," Kaldur said, stepping closer. "It is human to feel anger and fear. What matters is how you choose to act in spite of it. And from where I stand, you are choosing to protect us, even at great cost to yourself. That is not the action of someone lost to rage."

"You don't have to leave to protect us," Wally added, stepping closer to my side. "We're not afraid of you, Zar. We never have been."

"Don't make this harder than it already is." I choked out and he hugged me tight. "This is something I have to face alone. You guys mean everything to me, and that's exactly why I can't stay. Not right now."

"If this is what you think you need to do, then... okay. But promise us one thing." Dick said, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Anything."

"You'll at least call us once in a blue moon... Let us be there for you, even if we can't be by your side."

"I'll try to."

"Not good enough."

"Alright, I promise." I laughed and wiped my stray tears making him smile. "Thanks, Robin."

"We'll  be here... No matter how far you go or how long it takes. You're not just part of this team, Zar. You're part of this family."