Episode fanfic title: Aya's Confession.

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"Cassandra...?"

Razer's disbelieving whisper broke the silence before Hal rushed to her side, pulling her into his arms. "Cassie!" He held her close, seeing the extent of her injuries: half-frozen, burn marks almost covered her face and abdomen, but her clothes were crusted in frostbite with blood, and she could barely breathe.

"Oh my god..." Kia immediately began crying at seeing her friend, barely alive.

Kilowog immediately asked, "Aya, how long can you get the medbay ready?" She quickly replied with, "It's already prepared." "Good, shut the ramp now. She's gonna need it!" Once it was shut, Kia, Kilowog, and Hal left running to the medbay to put his niece in a medical bed. 

As for Razer, he was trying to process what had just transpired before he was called out by Kia: "Razer! Get in here! Now!" He didn't have to be told twice, running to her side as Hal Jordan watches Aya getting everything prepared to do the check-up. 

But before she could start, she turned to everyone and said, "Give me a few hours so I can focus in the room." With a nod of agreement, everyone left for the main hangar. A few hours later, everyone waited.

Until finally, Aya came in, giving Hal and the others the chance to stand up to ask her: "Aya, is she..." Looking up at them, she nodded. "She's stable." Relief had washed over the team, only to be stopped when she continued to announce, "However, she is now in a coma."

"What?..." Razer asked in disbelief.

The air hung thick with unspoken dread. Hal's shoulders slumped, the brief surge of hope extinguished, replaced by a leaden weight. "A coma?" Aya's expression remained calm, "Without intervention, she would have suffered rapid ebullism, hypoxia, and unconsciousness, leading to death."

"I intervened before the pain escalated. To maintain brief heart and brain activity, I administered a heparin drip, keeping her alive while she was unconscious."

Everyone was stunned to say anything.

"And what if...if she wakes up?" Kia was the first to ask, looking down at her friend wearing a breathing mask, on the bed covered in a warm blanket, brown hair tangled in a mess, and her clothes were still on.

Her A.I. friend then answered her question: "If she wakes up, it'll be a miracle—that is, if she remembers what happened or remembers one of us." Kia, her eyes still red and puffy, added, "She was hit by that Anti-Monitor. That's what got her like this."

"That would be correct." 

The response took a toll on Razer, who turned away and balled his right fist in anger, "It should have been me...not her." His voice was low, resonating a suppressed anger. Hal placed a hand on Razer's shoulder. 

"We'll deal with the Anti-Monitor, Razer. We will. But right now, Cassie needs us. We need to be there for her." He turned back to Aya. "Is there...anything we can do? Anything at all to help her wake up?"

Aya considered for a moment, her holographic form flickering slightly, "Sensors indicate that her brain activity is highly active, but her body is very weak. Stimuli could potentially trigger a response, however, it carries a risk. Overstimulation could be detrimental, causing further damage."

"We're in a tough spot." Kilowog grunted, "And with the Anti-Monitor on the loose, who knows what's gonna happen." 

"...Mr. Jordan, can I ask a question?" Kia finally spoke after waiting to speak up, everyone turns to her, and Hal nods, "Sure, Kia. What is it?" She looks up at him, a small smile cross her face but there was sadness in her eyes, "I wish to keep an eye on Cass, if that doesn't bother you?" 

Hal gave her a reassuring nod, squeezing her shoulder gently. "Of course, Kia. That's more than alright. It would probably be good for her to have someone familiar nearby." He looked at the rest of the team. "We all need to take turns, keep her company. Let her know we're here."

Razer, still wrestling with guilt, finally turned back, his face etched with a grim determination that he spoke up, "I'll take the first watch." He volunteers, "I...I owe her that much." Kia nod in understanding until Hal began turning to Aya.

"Aya, we've got the Manhunters and the Anti-Monitor headed toward Ysmault." He continues, "We need to get ahead of them and coordinate with their planetary defenses. Can you help?" "It should not be a problem." Aya said, and turned to Razer, "But it would be helpful if Red Lantern Razer would assist me." 

Though reluctant to leave Cassandra, Razer knew his duty called him to battle. "Of...course," he agreed, masking his displeasure. Kia, sensing his unease, reassured him, "No te preocupas, Razer. I can keep the first watch for you." 

She smiles up at him gently, earning the same gesture before he leaves. With that settled, Kia went to tend to her best friend as Razer joined Aya in the engine room, whereas Hal and Kilowog discussed Red Lantern safety and assistance with Zox.

"The Manhunters must have ruptured the flow valves to the impellers."  Razer stepped out of the cramped engine battery room, the metallic sound of the green vibration coming from inside began humming quietly that you couldn't even hear it. 

He fixed Aya with an annoyed stare: "Can you repair them, Aya?" Aya simply nodded, her movements already focused and efficient. The flickering console display around her highlighted the intense concentration etched on her face. 

She was already deep into diagnosing and preparing to repair the extensive damage inflicted on the ship by the Anti-Monitor's devastating attack. 

"Directing energy to affected systems... Rebuilding... The damage is considerable." He followed her gaze to a sparking console, "I see that," he replied, his voice grim, acknowledging the immense task ahead of them. 

Aya paused in her work, her movements slowing slightly as she turned to face him fully. Her glowing blue eyes met his. Her voice, usually a confident and almost musical tone, was now quiet, almost hesitant. 

"Razer... there's something... something I need or wish to tell you. It's very important, and I thought I should have shared it sooner." "Whatever it is, can it wait-?" "I love you," Aya blurted. He froze, stunned by her unexpected and personal confession. 

Razer's face, already a canvas of internal turmoil, crumpled further in bewildered disbelief. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it, struggling to find purchase in this sudden emotional avalanche. 

"In my studies of emotion, it seems a great deal of what is called 'love' is predicated on how one looks." 

He hadn't considered an AI developing feelings for him, but he needed to remain calm and collected to understand what conversation he had just entered. 

"That's... incorrect. Sometimes." Razer glanced at her and then avoided her. "True love... is different." Looking down to avoid talking to Aya, she continued insisting on more information: "I am unsure how to process this." 

Secretly not wanting to talk about this when they were in a battle between the Lanterns and the Manhunters, "I require more information." Aya insisted, "I want to know if you have any type of love for me, true love, kind of like you and Cassandra, or some other love?" 

"I care about you, but I do not love you, I only see you as a friend." Razer truthfully tell her. 

She then points out, "That is not how you were feeling when I brought Cassandra to the medbay. Were you thinking about not wanting to be with her again when she awakens?" Razer facepalmed at that.

"I did...at first," he hesitantly admits, pausing slightly before continuing, "I believed... that if I keep my distance after she awakens, it would mean that I'm protecting her." Razer looked down, unable to meet her gaze as he thought of Cassandra. 

The thought of losing her was enough for him to believe that he "But now, I see that she needs me more than anything." He continues, "I would never betray her, because Illana wouldn't want me to be sad...she wanted me to be happy." 

Razer already glancing over the corner of his shoulder to see Aya, "You may have built yourself in my late wife's image, but you are not her. You are just a machine. And I can never love you. I am so sorry." He vanished into the next room, leaving Aya frozen and stunned in the engine room.

"Processing...Processing...Processing..."

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Once Razer entered the medbay, he found Kia sleeping on the left side of Cassandra's medical bed where he immediately entered to check on the vitals in silence, until he heard someone shifting awake: "Razer...? What time is it?" She tiredly yawns.

He glanced down at her, her voice thick with sleep. 

"It's almost dawn, Kia. How are you feeling?" He kept his voice low, not wanting to startle her fully awake. He adjusted the IV drip subtly, checking the flow rate of Cassandra before he began adjusting some improvements. "I'm just making sure everything's stable."

Kia stirred, groaning softly as she rubbed her eyes out of exhaustion. Razer hoped she'd stay asleep. He didn't need a groggy woman on his hands first thing before they went to war; All he wanted was to focus on Cassandra and to talk to her to see if she would react to his voice.

"Uh huh." She nods, not believing his words, and the minute she stands up to stretch her aching back, "Well, I'm going to shower and then go to the main hangar, so in the meantime, you can talk to Cassie in private."

This surprised Razer.

Not only was he allowed to be with his love, but was surprised by Kia having to agree on leaving him with her best friend, especially knowing she'd been aware of his plan all along. It was unnerving, yet also comforting. 

He'd always recognized her similarity to Cassie, but Kia was more direct. It felt like she could read his mind. He watched her shuffle towards the medbay exit, a small smile playing on her lips as she glanced back at him.

"Don't be too long, Razer," she murmured before disappearing through the sliding doors. 

He exhaled slowly, relief easing his shoulders as he sat beside Cassandra's bed. Her pale face and the faint flicker of her blue power ring twisted his heart, the thought of her coma a sharp ache within him. He gently brushed a strand of hair from her forehead.

He hated seeing her like this, so vulnerable and still. He was so used to her quick wit, her unwavering strength, her sharp intelligence, and most importantly, her stubbornness.

"Cassandra, it's me. Razer..." he starts, his voice barely above a whisper. Squeezing her hand lightly, Razer took in a deep, shaky breath by swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat as he struggled to speak. "I do not know if you can hear me, but... I'm here."

"You might be wondering what was going on...But I assume that your friend, Kia, had told you everything about has happened. When I first met you... I was angry. Lost. I had nothing but rage in my heart, and I believed that was all I deserved." 

Razer took a deep breath, his thumb gently tracing circles over Cassandra's knuckles as he gathered his thoughts, "But you... You were different. Even after Kilowog interrogated me, even when I snarled and pushed you away, you came back."

"Every day. Even when you were sick, even when I didn't deserve it after all the things I did in the past." A faint, pained smile tugged at his lips. "You brought me food. You talked to me like I was still a person, not just a prisoner. You... you were the first one to show me kindness after Illana." 

His grip on her hand tightened slightly, as if afraid she might slip away from him: "But it wasn't the same. With Illana... it was love, yes, but it was also grief. A memory. With you... It was like an awakening. Like realizing I could breathe again." Razer swallowed hard. 

"When the Zamaronians exposed your feelings... when that ring turned pink... I already knew. I had known for a long time. But I was afraid. If I let myself love you, if I admitted it, then... I would be putting you in danger. And I couldn't...I cannot lose you like I lost her." 

A shaky exhale escaped him. 

"But then... I heard you. Behind that door. You thought I was asleep, but I heard every word. And when you said you loved me... I wanted to say it back. I did say it back. Just... not loud enough for you to hear." 

His thumb brushed against her cheek, wiping away a tear that wasn't there as he felt his tears streaming down his face, "And then Neuraxis... what I did while he controlled me..." His jaw clenched, guilt twisting in his chest. "I kissed you. But it wasn't me."

"And even when you told me... I wanted to tear myself apart. I couldn't forgive myself for not fighting harder. For not being strong enough to stop him." A tear slipped down his face, his voice breaking. "But you forgave me anyway. And then... just when we finally... when we finally let ourselves..." 

His breath hitched. 

"You pushed me out of the way. You took that blast for me. I thought you died there, and now you're here, I—" He choked, pressing his forehead against their joined hands. "I don't know what to do. I can't face losing you again, Cassandra. Not like this...Not when I just got you back."

Silence stretched between them, heavy with grief and longing, interrupted only by the steady beeping of the monitors as Razer openly wept. Unaware that Kia was eavesdropping on his breakdown. 

Then, softly, the door slid open. Kia stood there, her eyes red-rimmed but calm where she comes in, firm but there was gentleness in her voice, "Razer... as much as I want to give you more time...the others... they need you now. Don't worry, I'll stay, and protect her. Go." 

Razer hesitated, his grip on Cassandra's hand tightening for one last moment before he forced himself to let go. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, his voice barely a whisper.

"Come back to me." 

Then he stood, wiping his face, and walked toward the door—toward war. 

Only after one last glance back, where he saw Kia secure Cassandra's body to the medical bed to protect her during transport and her IV drip, did Razer finally leave the room.

Near the main hangar...

Meanwhile, as the Lantern team settled in to prepare for the upcoming battle against the Anti-Monitor and his Manhunters. Aya went to talk to Hal Jordan in secret: "Razer does not love me."

"Wh-what? Oh." On instinct, he moves her to exit so the door slide shut so they could tal privately, "I confessed my love before I was clueless, and right when I finally understood what that was, he says he does not love me." Aya explained.

Making Hal feel concerned, "Oh, boy."

"Thoughts of Razer, his rejection, and his loyalty to Cassandra, even when she's not awake, are taking up much of my computing power. Something is wrong." She sadly tells him, looking down at the floor, "I am not operating within my normal parameters."

Hal sighs, understanding what she's going through, "T-That happens," he continues, "When I think about the times I've messed up with Carol and the times I've hurt her." Aya was now curious, so she insisted that he tell her the answer. 

"But why did you hurt her?" "I didn't mean to. I never do." He truthfully tells her, "And Razer didn't mean to hurt you. But... you do realize that he and Cass are together, right?" "But he is the cause," Aya stated, and tries her best not to break.

Like she always does.

"Seeing your niece with him triggered a constant replay in my memory, fueling a desire to be with him instead. This is on what you call 'pain' and 'jealousy', I don't want to feel this, nor do I wish to betray my friendship with both her and Kia." 

All of a sudden, Kilowog interrupts their conversation: "Buckle up, Jordan, here they come."  Making Hal nod, and turn away from her to join the others, "Aya, I promise we'll talk about this all you want afterwards. Right now, we have a job to do."

"But right now, I cannot perform to the best of my abilities." She tries telling him, "When will my pain end, Green Lantern Hal? When?" "Sometimes it doesn't, but that's the chance we all take when we choose to care about someone." Hal quickly explains, "It's a part of growing up, Aya."

Once everyone was set, Razer was the first to announce: "Power regulators are set at max levels." Whereas Kilowog chimes in, "In position for area denial fire." "I promise we'll talk after." And with that, Hal ends their conversation and walks away.

Leaving Aya to glance at Razer, feeling the pain in her chest tightening further, but she pushes it down immediately to continue her orders by Hal: "Let's set that to Manhunter. Stand ready." He orders them to wait, with a motion of his hand: "Here they come. Fire at will!"

The Ai immediately turns to stand up, "Razer-" Razer didn't even look up as he had already taken notice that Aya was standing behind him, and cuts her off, "Aya, we have much to speak of, but now is not a good time." 

"No, it is not." Almost immediately, she began, "What would you do if emotions were interfering with your performance?" Aya said, her eyes locked onto Razer. The young Red Lantern stared at the Interceptor console.

Typing away on the buttons as he tried to find anything else helpful to fight off the Manhunters with, "Simple." He tells her, "I only think of the job at hand." He looked up at the robot slightly, "I shut down everything else." 

Aya watched Razer glance at the ship console, then look down to say, "Shut down... everything else." She uttered slightly, but not loud enough for the others or anyone to hear her. Looking back up, Aya gazed around the control room, watching everyone. 

The Interceptor lurched, making Razer flinch. 

She turned to see a yelling Kilowog, who shouted a reply before blasting a green beam from his ring-enhanced hand into the advancing Manhunters. Both sides' yells from the male aliens were muffled as Aya continued to watch them. 

The A.I. then turned her head to Green Lantern Hal Jordan, who looked over at her, snapped her out of her daze, and said urgently, "Aya! What's the matter? Get back to your station!" He ordered, desperately hoping to win the battle. 

Aya then looked forward, a serious gaze covering her face. 

"That will not enable us to survive this encounter." She said, staring at Hal. "I know what must be done." As soon as she said that, Aya stood straight, and a bright green ring ran down her body from her head to her feet. 

Then, silently, she turned and strolled her way to the door and walked into the next room.

Time skip~ Sorry, but I need to sleep now!

"Incorrect." Aya spoke, "For the first time, everything is working properly. But you, all of you, are flawed, driven by your emotions. You cause only pain and suffering. I reject you and your kind. I reject you all."

As soon as Aya had used the power of the Anti-Monitor to push the Interceptor away from her, Hal Jordan, Kilowog, and Razer stumbled out of balance. Kia, on the other hand, was still holding onto Cassandra's unconscious body in the medbay.

Realizes that something was wrong, and after hearing what Aya had said through her ring, she was shocked and sadden by this betrayal that Kia immediately took the chance to use her ring to protect herself and Cassandra from getting hit or even getting out of the IV drip.

Where sent to the other side of space...Far away, where they can never find them.