A/N: Hey guys and gals. Haven't really been putting Author's Notes but there's no time placement as it's a direct continuation of last chapter. Going to start putting these in the beginning to get them out of the way. The transition to Invasion is coming soon. There will be some differences though nothing major. Hopefully you're enjoying the story.

Chapter 7 - Decisions

Lasers were coming in at all angles. They had to think of a way out. Alex couldn't hold the force field up forever.

"Time's running short here!" Alex said as beads of sweat started to form across his face.

"Open it up..." Cassie's voice was serious.

"Now wasn't that foolish of you?" Elizabeth teased. "If the urchin wants me, she can have me. But I'll have you know those weapons are strong enough to hurt the Man of Steel."

"Are you sure about this?" Zatanna asked looking back at Cassie.

"Positive."

Alex made a hole above them as Cassie flew out flying through the wave of men before her, bodies being tossed aside like dolls.

Elizabeth's eyes went red as Cassie came toward her at top speed. Just then her brother John came crashing from above in his transformed state, smashing Cassie into the ground leaving a small crater. Cassie was crushed beneath his weight. As she tried to lift him, he pressed down harder creating a small shockwave. Alex's eyes widened at the sight.

"It's her brother!" M'gann shouted. Things just went from bad to worse. They could take Elizabeth but they weren't prepared for this.

"No one lays a hand on my sister...and I came up with a name for myself. Instead of John, its Diamond Back." He grinned.

"You never let me have any fun..." Elizabeth pouted.

"You sound like a bad comic book villain." Cassie mocked as she slowly stood up.

M'gann looked around. There weren't as many guards since Cassie plowed through them. She noticed the unfinished Zeta Tube, that had to be destroyed. Another obstacle was John and Elizabeth. She lead the mission and had to act fast.

"Put the shield down!" She communicated psychically.

"What are you doing?" Zatanna thought back.

"Improvising."

The shield dissipated as M'gann flew towards John punching him with all of her strength. Lasers were coming from all angles and Alex did what he could to protect everyone. Cassie stood up slowly. Her suit looking slightly tattered.

"You ok?" M'gann asked.

"Peachy. Though I could've taken him..." She winced.

Alex and Zatanna were fighting off the remaining guards. It was eight to two. He surrounded Zatanna with armor as she used her magic to dismantle their weapons. The men quickly reacted and surrounded them. The two were back to back. Alex looked back at Zatanna and she nodded. In an instant Alex ducked as she leapt over his shoulder with a flying kick to the nearest guard. He had caught her foot and she disappeared into thin air.

"Looking for me?" Zatanna smirked as she hovered above them.

"I think you guys should keep your eyes on me." Alex made a large mallet and swung it. Taking out three of the guards.

"Behind you!"

A guard grabbed Alex from behind by his neck slamming him into the ground. Zatanna rushed in but was trapped between two men.

M'gann and Cassie were busy with John. John seeming to have the upper hand despite being outnumbered. It was like their physical attacks barely hurt him. Alex looked around as another guard kicked him while he was down. Their enhanced strength cracking his ribs. He clutched his sides in pain. Zatanna didn't have much luck herself as she was knocked out by a blow from behind. He saw Elizabeth jump in going one on one with M'gann, dancing around the psychically tossed objects being thrown at her.

Just then he heard a scream as he saw John holding Cassie by both arms from behind, pressing his knee into her back.

"Shall I tear off your arms?" He seemed to take delight in hearing her screams.

"Stop!" Alex cried out. He concentrated his will, energy pulsing outward from his core. The energy pulsed harder turning yellow, he was afraid for her. He struggled to stand, clenching his ribs. John was going to kill her. He felt a mix of fear and anger. He couldn't lose here, he couldn't lose his friends.

"You can end this..." Atrocitous' voice came into his head.

"You can save all of them...give into your anger. Embrace your rage."

Cassie cried out once more. Elizabeth had M'gann's head under her heel pressed against the ground. His helplessness stoked the growing anger. The energy began to liquefy, turning crimson with a malicious glow.

"I said...stop!" Alex's voice become deep, monstrous. His eyes burned like fire. Energy dripped like tears from his eyes.

John let Cassie's limp body fall as he and his sister stared in awe. Suddenly he was knocked back by a wave of red energy.
He held his ground and smiled with delight.

"Looks like the boy has a bit of backbone...well not for long...I'm about to tear it out!" He laughed maniacally.

Alex then began to recite an oath.

"With blood and rage of crimson red,
Ripped from a corpse so freshly dead,
Together with our hellish hate,
We'll burn you all-That is your fate!"

"What kind of nonsense is that?" John continued to laugh.

Alex flew at full speed into John and grabbed him by the neck. John felt the red energy burning his neck as he found it difficult to get free. He kicked Alex where he was injured and broke free. There was no response except for an inhuman roar as Alex looked him in the eyes, unfazed by the blow.

"Are you upset I hurt your little girlfriend?" John's tone was coy and playful.

A whip of red energy struck his shoulder, leaving a burning mark. John began to feel fear within the pit of his stomach. That wasn't supposed to hurt him. He had never felt pain when he was transformed yet that attack burned him as if he was hit with searing lava.

"What...are...you?" John tried to back away, his legs buckling.

"I'm going to rip your head from your shoulders..." Alex approached him slowly.

"You don't want to do that." Elizabeth kicked M'gann aside and jumped in front of John.

"You kill him and your friends die. There explosives buried around us. Just enough to hide any evidence of our work and bury you under miles of earth and snow. Now how about we all live to fight another day?"

Cassie stood up and limped over to Alex, putting her hand on his shoulder.

"Hey...come on...we can't keep fighting like this...even if I want to pound her face in..." Cassie's voice was soft.

Alex turned and glared at her. Cassie took a step back. Seeing him like that terrified her. It was like his humanity was replaced by some savage beast. Whatever this was, it wasn't her friend. It wasn't the boy who she could easily frustrate, the boy who bumped into her not long ago.

"Come on!" She grabbed his arm, her eyes not afraid for her but for him. His eyes returned to his emerald green and the energy receded.

"How nice!" John jumped in punching Alex across the room.

Cassie was furious. They had gone back on their word of letting them go. Now they'd have to pay...dearly.

She turned around flying at top speed, delivering an earth shattering blow straight to John's stomach sending him through the ceiling. His body came crashing back down in seconds.

"Let's go, Princess."

M'gann flew to her side with Zatanna in arms.

"Wonder Girl, we have to go." She urged.

"I advise that you four flee now. I'd say you have 5 minutes to escape. It will take 7 to get back to your ship." Elizabeth called as she was seen riding the elevator. John jumped up with her.

"See you pups later"." He called.

"Our employers will be most pleased..." She spoke to John as they vanished above them.

M'gann surveyed the area. The incomplete Zeta machine had a timer that read 4:55. The Zeta machine was the bomb.

"Can we disarm it?" Cassie asked.

M'gann's expression was grim. She knew they couldn't do it. Not without Robin. He could've at least delayed the countdown. Men were frantically running in all directions trying to escape. Elizabeth had left them to die and that made the situation much worse.

4:30 and ticking. They had to do something and fast. They were too far for any contact with the League and even then they probably wouldn't make it.

"Guys...go..." Alex said as he walked over, his breath labored. His body burned from the Red energy he had used to fight John. His eyes burned a bright emerald. His will was stronger than ever. Hal would've been proud to see him acting like a true Green Lantern.

"I can try to contain the blast long enough for you to get out..."

The girls hesitated and Alex looked at them and smiled.

"I'll be right behind you..."

M'gann nodded and with Zatanna in arms she flew out. She knew what was going to happen.

"I'm not leaving you here..." Cassie didn't move.

"Cassie..." He paused "Not too bad of a first mission right?" Alex's voice was light and easy going. This was different from his usual serious demeanor and it worried her.

"I need you to go with M'gann and help look after Zatanna. I'll be right behind you." After a slight pause he looked into her eyes.

"These past few days have been full of surprises...hell, I didn't think I'd feel so welcomed. Then you came along and told me that I was just like you except I'm not. You're headstrong and confident. You take charge. I guess I needed that..."

Alex was enveloped by a blue aura and then a radiant green that shined brighter than his usual green. He ignored the strain of using the power of multiple emotions as his body screamed in pain.

Cassie couldn't speak. She felt as if whatever she said wouldn't change the outcome of what was going to happen.

"Promise you'll be right behind us?" That was all she could muster. She felt tears trickle down her cheek.

"Prom-"

She kissed Alex deeply and flew off. She felt the room shake around her as she escaped through the elevator. The first bombs around the hangar went off and the walls began to crumble.

Alex stood there creating a shield around the Zeta Tube. He knew there were more explosives buried in the ground around him but the best way to ensure that everyone got out was to secure the path to the elevator and to shield them from the main explosion.

He remembered the Oath taught to him by Hal in hard times like these.

After everyone had gotten out. He flew up towards the entrance and spoke the words of the Core.

"In brightest day...In blackest night.
No evil shall escape my sight.
Let those who worship evil's might.
Beware my power...Green Lantern's light..."

Alex shielded himself and tried to hold back the blast as the hangar exploded around him.

As they flew in the Bio-ship, the Team looked back, the sky lit up as the hangar exploded, rocking the ship.

As soon as the explosion had died down, M'gann scanned the area for any trace of thought. There was nothing...the silence haunted them as the two surveyed the area. After about an hour of circling the wreckage, the Bio-ship hadn't picked up anything. The flight home was spent in silence and mourning.

January 12th 6:22am

No one had slept. Everyone had sat together except for Cassie who had hid away in her room. The moment they had returned they called the League for a search and rescue team. The Green Lanterns reported. They felt that despite not being an official member, that Alex was one of them. John Stewart and Guy Gardner stood before them. Batman was also present as he was their Den Mother for the week.

"Where's Jordan?" The Dark Knight's voice was low and remorseful, after all he had sent them on the mission.

"He's out there searching like a madman..." Guy's voice reflected Batman's with the same feelings of sorrow and loss.

Batman narrowed his eyes. If he'd lost Robin like that. He wouldn't even think of it.

"Where's Cassandra?" He asked.

"Wonder Woman's with her in her room." Connor stood up.

"I led the mission...this was my fault." M'gann felt as if she should've pushed him to go instead of her.

"He made the decision...he sacrificed himself to make sure you were safe...he wouldn't want you to blame yourself." Robin sat next to her dressed in civvies wearing his trademark sunglasses.

"Guy...you should go help Hal." John put his hand on Guy's shoulder.

"Someone's gotta tell Carol." He added.

Guy nodded and beamed away.

(Meanwhile in Cassie's room)

Wonder Woman sat on Cassie's bed cradling the young woman in her arms. After a few moments Cassie stood up and took in a deep breath.

"He promised he would be right behind me..."

Diana didn't want her protege to experience something like this, especially now as she had joined the Team not so long ago. What could she say to make everything better? If this were her and Bruce then nothing would soothe the grief she felt, the anger towards the people who killed him.

There was a knock on the door.

"Its Batman." The deep voice spoke from outside the door.

"Come in."

Batman stood before Cassie and kept his eyes lowered. She could see the saddened expression beneath his cowl.

"They found his body...because he's essentially made of energy, he's constantly giving off a pulse. We can't tell if he's alive or not but it seems as if he's in a deep coma."

"Can we do anything?" Diana asked.

"We're bringing in J'onn to see if he can bring him out...or to see if he's even in there."

Cassie suddenly hugged Batman and to both of their surprise he returned it albeit was brief. She wiped her eyes.

"Thank you..." She gave him a slight smile.

"We're both essentially clones..." Connor's voice came from the doorway. "If he's anything like Hal, the greatest Green Lantern there ever was...I'm pretty sure he'll be fine."

"Besides...we can't let him just get away with not doing anything about that kiss right?" Zatanna was right behind him.

Cassie smiled. She felt like she wasn't just part of the Team but part of a family.