"Leaving!? What do you mean you're leaving!?"

"Robin, I've away from this team more times than I would care to mention. I was off world for months just trying to regain control of my Ring!"

"So? We don't care!" Dick protested and unpacked whatever I threw in the boxes. "You're back now and that's what-"

"Dick, you don't understand." I sighed and he raised an eyebrow. "There's things I can't tell you... Any of you."

"Zaria, what could be so bad that you can't tell us? We've literally seen you go full demon several times."

"This isn't about that."

"Then what?" Dick asked and grabbed my hand before I could grab anything else. "Crimson, what's really going on?"

"Little Red, you all packed?" Hal called out making Dick immediately drop my hand. "Robin, mind if I speak to my kid for a sec?"

"Sure..." He mumbled and walked away, closing the door behind him.

"You didn't tell him, did you?"

"No, of course not!" I exclaimed and glanced at my Ring, the green hue surrounding it glowing even brighter. "I haven't told a soul since I came back from Ysmault."

"Zar, I know they're your friends, but there are some things one needs to keep private."

"Hal, I can't look at them in the eye."

"Zar, you lost control while charging. It happens to-"

"I almost slaughtered half the planet!" I exclaimed and immediately calmed down. "Hal, you can't keep giving me scraps of your willpower to keep this under control. Eventually it's gonna be too much and neither of us would be able to handle it."

"We'll figure it out once we speak with the Guardians. Ever since you took on Kroa, that thing's been going haywire."

"Which is why I can't tell them." I sighed and finally closed the box. "When do we leave?"

"I have a meeting with the League. After that, we head out. Head home and finish packing in the meantime. You can say your goodbyes later."

*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*

~Hal's POV~

"Still, we could always use more raw power. And Earth has another Lantern, Guy Gardner."

"No."

"But we could really-"

"No." John and I said in unison.

"You sure about that?" Barry asked and I hit him upside in the head. "What the hell!?"

"He sings about his ass constantly. Do you really want that here?" I asked and they all grimaced. "Oh, now you feel bad for me!? Allow me to thank you all for the sympathy!"

"You seem tense. It's unlike you." Diana pointed out. "Not to mention you've been absent for the past two months."

"I've been busy with my kid. Daddy-daughter time if you wish to call it that."

"Does that explain the red hue surrounding your Ring?" Bruce said and I rolled my eyes. "Care to elaborate?"

"No."

"You're hiding something, Jordan."

"When am I not, Spooky?" I smirked and they all narrowed their eyes. "Fine, we're nominating random people to join the League? I nominate Zaria."

"You're joking."

"Do you see me laughing, Batman? My kid's faced Krona, almost killed Atrocitus and only God knows what she's seen in Tamaran doing the war... She's got the guts, raw power and-"

"A completely unstable Red Ring that could obliterate half the planet if she loses control." Dinah interjected.

"Small details. She has it under control... mostly."

"That's a hell of a 'mostly'." Oliver said and gestured to my Ring. "We can't throw a volatile Red Lantern and cross our fingers!"

"Oh, but we can have your temperamental ward who walks around like he has a stick up his ass!?"

"Yeah, but what happens when she loses control?"

"I'll deal with it! And she has more disciple than half of this room combined... And I'm especially looking at you, Spooks!"

"Hal, we understand. Probably more than you think we do." Diana frowned. "But that red hue in your Ring is clearly a sign that something is wrong!"

"It's a precaution!" I yelled and they all froze. "I installed a safeguard, just as a precaution. Nothing too serious."

"Against what?"

"Against her losing control... My willpower is reinforcing hers, creating some sort of barrier between the Ring and her. It's not perfect and there might be some cracks, but it's working... At the end of the day, she's still her. She's still Zaria."

"You're tethering your Ring to hers?" John asked in complete shock and I nodded. "Hal... Do you even realize the kind of strain it's putting you through? The combination of both Rings could result in-"

"You don't know, John. None of you know what goes on inside her. I've witnessed it firsthand when I found her... Yes, she has rage, but she's so much more than that. I'm giving her a chance to prove herself."

"Hal, we've all seen her potential." Clark said. "We see it all the time when the Team defends her to no end. But this? I don't think this is the best course of action."

"That Ring is a danger to herself and to others." Bruce added and I scoffed. "Whether you want to see it or not, Zaria has been a risk we've taken since day one. She's dangerous and-"

"And you're walking around with a red warning sign on your left hand!" Barry interrupted. "Even I've got to admit it, Hal. I love that kid and she's probably the purest soul I've ever met, but that Ring? You're taking a gamble with something none of us fully understand."

"Look, just give her another chance and-"

"No." Bruce decided and stood up. "We gave her a chance when you guaranteed she had full control. This stunt you pulled is clear evidence that she doesn't."

"So what do you suggest, Spooks?" I spat and stood up as well.

"Her resignation. Until she has full control and isn't a threat to herself or others, I'm afraid she has no place on the Team."

"Her resignation!? You can't be serious, Bruce!"

"I'm dead serious. This isn't a debate, Jordan. You brought a volatile Red Lantern into the fold, and now you're admitting she doesn't have full control. That's a risk we can't take anymore."

"Risk?" I scoffed, stepping closer. "You talk about risk like you didn't put your grieving kid in tights and send him into battle. Don't lecture me about what's too dangerous."

"That 'kid' doesn't walk around with the power to destroy planets if he snaps," Bruce countered.

"And Zaria's not snapping!" I snapped back. "She's learning. She's growing. She's fighting harder than any of us ever had to because she's got a freaking Red Ring! Do you know how hard it is to hold onto who you are with that thing whispering in your head, every second of every day?"

"Hal, we're not saying she hasn't shown promise," Diana interjected, her tone calm but firm. "But this safeguard you've created... it's a sign that she's not ready. And we can't afford to put the entire League, or Earth, at risk while she figures it out."

"She has me. She has the Team. Hell, she has all of us if we just stop treating her like a walking bomb and start treating her like a person!"

"Hal, we know you care about her. We all do. But Bruce isn't entirely wrong. She needs time... time to train, to learn, to master her Ring. And you need time, too. Tethering your Ring to hers? That's not a solution, it's a Band-Aid. And you know it." Clark placed a hand on my shoulder but I shook it off.

"You're all so damn quick to write her off. After everything she's done, after everything she's been through, you still can't see it, can you? She's not a danger. She's a survivor. She's the strongest person I know, and she's my daughter. And I'll be damned if I let you cast her aside like she's nothing."

"Hal, this isn't about casting her aside," Barry said quietly. "This is about making sure she's safe. Making sure you're safe. If something goes wrong... if she loses control... we're not just talking about one life. We're talking about millions."

"Then I'll take the fall!" I shot back. "I'll take full responsibility for her, for whatever happens. Just don't take this from her. Don't take this from me."

"This isn't about you, Jordan. It's about the League. It's about Earth. If Zaria wants to prove she belongs here, she needs to show that she can control the Ring without your interference. Until then, she's a liability." Bruce defended and narrowed his eyes at me.

"She's not a liability," I hissed.

"She is. And you know it."

"No, Bruce," I said through gritted teeth, stepping closer. "What I know is that you've never given her a real chance. You see the Ring and not the person wearing it. You see a weapon, not a kid trying to make the best of what she's been dealt."

"And what I know is that ignoring the facts because you're too close to her is reckless," Bruce replied, unflinching. "This isn't about her worth. It's about her control. And right now, she doesn't have it."

"She's more in control than anyone gives her credit for!" I snapped, my voice rising again. "I've seen her fight that Ring's influence every damn day! I've watched her push herself beyond her limits to protect people who don't even trust her! If that's not control, I don't know what is."

"You're not objective about this, Hal," Diana said. "You love her, and that's why you can't see what's right in front of you. She's fighting hard, but the possible cracks in your safeguard prove she's not ready. That doesn't mean she'll never be... it just means she needs time."

"Time she won't get if we give up on her!" I argued. "You're talking about sidelining her, taking away the one place where she's felt like she belongs. Do you know what that'll do to her? To me?"

"Hal, no one's giving up on her," Clark added. "But this isn't just about belonging. It's about safety... hers, ours, the planet's. Zaria isn't the first person who's had to step back to regain control. It doesn't mean she's failed."

"But she'll it as a failure and start believing that she's nothing but a threat. She's fought so hard to prove that she's more than that. And you're all ready to just... undo that progress?"

"You're the one who tethered your Ring to hers, Hal," Barry interjected. "That's not something you'd do if everything was fine. It's not just her fighting that Ring...it's you. And that's not fair to either of you."

"You're all so damn righteous, making decisions for her like you have the right," I said bitterly. "Fine. You want her resignation? You've got it. But don't expect me to stand by and pretend like this is the right call."

"Hal-"

"I pity the poor bastard that gets inducted into this mess... Consider this my well deserved vacation after dealing with you assholes."

"Hal!" Barry called out, but I was already at the Zeta Tube.

"After the induction ceremony, I'm leaving for Oa... At least there Zar has family she can rely on."