Well, it killed me to write this.

Are you ready?

~

I sat up straight and mana shot itself out of my eyes, damaging a wall.

“Star!” M’gann rushed to my side. I grabbed my head painfully. Psimon’s brain blasts really did hurt.

“I-I’m fine. Just a…bad dream…” I mumbled. That wasn’t a lie.

Our mission was a success. Psimon was…contained. M’gann disguised herself as Queen Bee to reveal to the people the truth. Her acting is pretty good.

We returned to the Logan Animal Sanctuary. While M’gann explained the Hello Megan! thing, I went and sat beside Garfield to check up on him.

“Hey Hana,” he said. I looked at him in surprise.

“I heard Robin say it. Cool name,” he grinned up at me. When he grinned his eyes shone. His…green eyes.

“Pretty cool huh? I guess it’s because of the Martian blood,” Garfield grinned. A mutation of the cells…and the DNA. Hope the kid doesn’t become a fully fledged martian.

On the Bio-Ship, I came to the conclusion of something. The real reason I did not want Robin finding out who I was.

It was also something the team didn’t know; what drove me to join Klarion. It wasn’t something simple either. I hated myself after what happened.

We returned home. I went to the sanctuary and laid down in the grass with Wipeout. Artemis, Kaldur and Conner came in at different times to ask why I knocked them out.

They all received the same answer that I gave Robin; although a little clearer.

It wasn’t until the morning of November the fifth that I experience the worst day of my life. 

“This cheerleader knows the score; the centre of attention and so much more!” I could not stop singing the Hello Megan! opening song.

The entire team were here, spending the morning together before everyone went to be with their families. (Those who have families anyway)

“Is anyone else have signal issues?” Zatanna asked, her phone in her hand.

Some of us pulled out our phones to check. Mine was blocked too. Robin check his computer across the bench from me.

“Looks like signals in the area are down,” he said.

My ring beeped twice. I groaned. “It’s been doing that all day!” I complained, banging it on the table. 

“Doesn’t it beep when the Guardians are trying to call you?” M’gann asked, prepping cherries for her pie. It is Thanks Giving.

“Yeah, why?”

Wally made a noise, stuffing his face with some of the cookies Zatanna made. “Maybe the signal’s blocking your ring,” he said- I think.

“No, this signal can’t be blocked. Not unless you have a Lantern Trajectorcator. Those only exist on planet-“ I cut myself off immediately, my eyes widening.

My back straightened and a chill ran down my spine. “Zamaron,” I whispered.

“Zamaron? As in, the Pink Lanterns?” M’gann asked.

“Lantern Trajectorcator’s block signals going out, but not signals coming in,” I mumbled to myself, my voice shaky. I reached into my pocket and took my phone out.

“Hey yeah! I just got a text from my mom!” Wally said. “Gotta go!”

He sped out of the room and into the mission room. I stared down at my phone, when Wally suddenly came back in, frowning.

“The Zeta-tubes aren’t working. Would the Lantern Traje-thingy effect them?”

This confirmed my fears. My phone suddenly rang. John’s ID came up. I pressed answer and put it on speaker.

“John?”

“Hana! The Guardians are furious! They are calling your ring but the signal keeps cutting off!”

“That’s why it keeps beeping twice! What do they-“

“They say Cyra came across Alure and was almost killed by her, had Guy not shown up. Alure escaped; but they’re saying she had a-“

“Please tell me you aren’t about to say Lantern Trajectorcator!” I panicked, looking at the team.

“Why…yes. How did you-“

“John she’s using it! He must be tracking my ring! That means she-“

The cave shook like an Earthquake. I froze and my eyes widened.

“No,” I whispered. 

“Hana?” John’s voice said. 

“She’s here.” The team had assembled in the kitchen. “She found me.”

There was a gigantic crash. Rubble spread itself around the room. In a flash of pink, the team and I were thrown back.

I jumped back up quickly to see Alure standing on front of a hole in the floor. That’s how she got to me. She looked around the room curiously.

“Homey. In a mountain; nice,” she commented. My uniform put itself on me. I jumped over the bench to face her. 

I heard the others try to follow, but she created a force field that threw them back upon contact. I was facing her alone.

“Alure,” I began softly. I can’t forget; she’s in the situation I once was.

“Don’t,” she glared, shooting a stream at me. I reacted with my own. The forces met for a moment before dispersing.

“You don’t need to follow his orders! You might love him, but he only uses you! It’s what Valour does! It’s what any young bad guy does!”

She stopped and mulled over my words. “H-He loves me! That’s why I do what he says!” She yelled, throwing discs at me.

I created a shield and pulled out Chain at the same time. “He might love you. But he loves the crime more,” I replied in a normal tone.

“N-No!” She yelled, flying towards me with a punch. I threw the chain with an expert swing, grappling her wrist. I swung it and she hit the wall.

My glance at the team was momentary, but they watched my battle intensely.

“You can see it in his eyes, can’t you?” I said quietly. 

“Hana-“ M’gann called out. I looked over at her, then at Robin. Now of all times.

“You try to get his attention when he’s making more evil plans; but he couldn’t care less if you’re there or not. You act as if he does, but deep down; you know he doesn’t,” I said.

“N-No! He-“

“Think about it!” I said urgently. She froze in her position on the ground.

“The only time he shows you affection is when he wants you to do something evil. A Star Sapphire chose you; you’re naturally good person Alure. It must have been awful for you; to do all those things. Hurt people. But you did it for him. And when you finally decide when you want out-“

“I couldn’t,” she answered for me. 

“Exactly. Because too much damage has been done. You feel like you’re in a hole you can’t climb out of.”

“B-But I can’t! If I run away, he’ll find me. He always does!” She said, standing up.

“That’s when you need friends,” I glanced over at the others. They were staring at the interaction in shock, probably surprised by my words.

“I don’t have-“

“Villelda was your friend. Galia told me she was your friend. I would have helped you if you had asked. Any of them would have helped. One is a personal friend of mine. You may know her; Carrol Ferris.”

This got her attention. “The one that proved to Ghia’ta that love was important,” she mumbled. I nodded.

“How am I supposed to get out?” She asked quietly. I smiled at her. I think I’ve got this.

“Right now. You just go. You return to Zamaron. He can’t get you. You’re out of the hole. All you need to do is keep your friends close. Keep smiling. Do good things.”

She looked at me curiously, before frowning. “Th-That’s not how it works! Y-You wouldn’t understand!” She yelled, smacking a mana whip towards me. I blocked it with a shield.

I then swung Chain around, but she blocked that, leaving both of my arms incapable.

Here goes…everything. I clapped my hands together and electric Midnight energy streamed out of my hands and hit her in the chest.

Alure screamed and dropped to the floor, clutching her chest and glaring at me.

“I understand better than anyone else!” I yelled at her, barely noticing the single tear that streaked down my face. My eyes found their way to Robin, who stared at me with so much confusion and shock I could have shrivelled up and died.

“How!?” Alure yelled. I landed, not realising I was flying.

“Because I was once in a similar situation,” I said quietly. Her eyes widened. “My name is Emerald Star, as you know. After I experienced trauma of a certain degree, a dark magic awakened in me. A mystic entity that…”

I found myself looking at Robin again. His expression killed me.

“A mystic entity thats name was Midnight. So I became Midnight. This was alongside someone who, at the time, I thought I loved very much,” the words in my mouth were poison.

“He…was like Valour?”

“Worse. He is a Lord of Chaos. Klarion the Witch Boy. He used my feelings for him and the trauma I had experienced to control me, having me convinced the whole time it was love. By the time I realised this, the damage I had done I believed could not be turned away from.”

“Then…what happened?”

“I was betrayed. I got out and was replaced instantly, like an object. My Emerald Ring saved me from the darkness. Your Star Sapphire will save you from yours. But nothing will do more help than love and friendship.”

I didn’t care how cheesy it sounded. It was true.

Alure straightened up. “If you’re wrong,” she began darkly. “I will come back and not only kill you; but them as well,” she said, before jumping into the hole.

The barricades blocking the team off dispersed. I found myself staring at Robin with a distraught expression. 

“Zeta-tubes online,” Catherine announced. The team remained silent, staring between Robin and I.

He began walking backward, towards the mission room. Tears ran down my shocked face. I was so frightened of his reaction.

Speak. Say something. You’ll lose him. My hand raised. “R-Robin I-“

“Don’t!” He said firmly back at me. He turned away and walked through the mission room and out the Zeta-tubes.

I felt myself collapse to my knees as I began bawling. 

He was no longer mine.