This story takes place after 'Prisoner of Sinestro' and before 'Loss.' In no way do I own this series or its characters.


What is Love?

Chapter 11

The moment Aya's hand went down, Adira jumped into action. In nearly over a second, Razer found her less than a breath away from him. In the next second that followed, her left fist was less than a breath away from his face! All he had time for was to turn his face away so she wouldn't smack him in the nose. His cheek on the other hand…he'd certainly have a nice bruise there later.

"Oooh," Hal cringed.

"As aggressive as ever," Naaman commented.

The blow was enough to send him sprawling onto his back, though previous experience helped him catch himself before he could slide out of the ring. He was scrambling to gather his bearings when she came upon him again. This time, he pulled himself out of the way just in time, causing her fist to make contact with the ground. But as he got to his feet, still bent over, Adira lashed out backwards with her leg, striking him from behind. He tumbled forward this time.

"Incorrect Naaman," Zafeer replied. "You see that she has decreased her speed exponentially and her mechanical arm remains unused."

It was true. Her robotic arm had been folded behind her back since the fight begun. Instead, she favored her organic left arm which she now aimed at his chest as he attempted to stand up. Razer quickly side-stepped her, avoiding her punches, and sent a kick in her direction as she stumbled. Adira hunched over, caught herself with her left arm, and swept her leg around in a wide arch, tripping him to the ground once more. Thinking quickly, Razer rolled over, pulling himself out of the dirt and back onto his feet. He sent a few more punches in her direction followed by a few kicks…all of which she dodged. Gritting his teeth in frustration, it took all of the red lantern's will power to force himself to calm down and think. Logically, in terms of strength and power, he had the advantage. If he could just land one hit, he might be able to set her off balance enough to make a comeback. Only one problem: he couldn't even get close to hitting her! Every time he attempted to fight back she'd dodge or send a counterstrike against him. Growling, Razer threw another hook punch towards her head, only to have her duck down and side-kick him in the stomach, knocking the air out of him. He coughed, clutching his midsection and missing his red lantern armor. That's when he came to the realization. Adira wasn't trying to knock him out of the ring. No, she was trying to knock him out! And judging from that twisted smile she now wore, she was enjoying every second of it.

"Get her Razer! Fight back!" Hal yelled from the sidelines.

"What does it look like I'm doing?!" Razer snapped back before she sent another kick towards his chest. He grunted as contact was made.

"It looks like you're getting clobbered," Hal responded.

"Oh, like you could do any better!"

To this, Adira laughed. "Aw, looks like the Lantern bad boy isn't as tough as he thinks he is! How pathetic!" she sneered, crossing her arms across her chest. "Really, is that red ring you wear the only good thing about you?"

Razer growled, feeling his rage begin to boil beneath his skin. At this point, he'd gotten fed up with synchronized strikes and had practically begun to throw himself at her. As though she'd predicted it, Adira merely side-stepped him and kicked him again, knocking him off his feet.

"Face it hotshot, without your ring, you're nothing," she taunted him with a smirk.

From where he lay, Razer felt his fingers begin to dig into the ground as his breathing quickened.

"Way-zer has an owie?" Lulu asked innocently, pointing towards him.

"Yes, I believe so," Aya worriedly replied. While his vital signs had increased throughout the bout, her sensors picked up a large spike after Adira's last comment.

"It's no wonder you couldn't protect your wife seeing as you can't even protect yourself!"

Almost immediately, the red light washed over him, covering his body in hatred in its purest form. Levitating off of the ground, Razer's hands clenched, his ring arm raised on reflex. In response, Adira raised both her fists for protection, though she had not even taken a step back.

"Oh boy," Hal muttered as he and Kilowog got up, prepared to stop whatever may come. Naaman and Zafeer had risen as well, pulling out their weapons and approaching cautiously.

Adira's turned her head towards them, fists still raised. "Stand down!" she ordered.

"Adira, it is not-," Zafeer attempted to say.

"I said, STAND DOWN! This is my fight," she commanded, turning back towards Razer. "Well? Are you going to attack, or are you too weak?"

"Razer, please consider the consequences of your actions," Aya pleaded.

Zap her, send her flying into a burning oblivion! his mind screamed. He wanted to, he really did, and in the past, he would have done it without any hesitation. And yet, in the back of his mind, he felt his conscious flare up in the form of a certain lantern's voice.

Focus on the calmness of the lake, it said.

Taking a deep breath, Razer forced himself to lower his arm which had been aimed directly at her heart. It would only take a single shot, and despite the fact that every anger cell in his body protested, he fought to push his rage aside. Slowly but surely, the red light returned to his ring, his red armor melting away. Off to the side, he heard Hal and Kilowog let out a sigh of relief. Zafeer and Naaman had lowered their arms as well.

"Huh, should have known you wouldn't have the guts to do it!" Adira said.

He paid no heed to her taunt. Instead, the red lantern raised his own fists, prepared for the upcoming onslaught while attempting to think. With his anger cooled, Razer felt his mind begin to clear. Focus on the calmness of the lake, he remembered Saint Walker saying to him. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more this fight resembled his fight with the blue lantern all those months before while on Odym.


Razer's grip was harsh as he held tight to the tree branch. It was the only thing supporting him at the moment, the only thing keeping him from collapsing to the ground. He remained hunched over, his breath rapid, sweat pouring down his face and back, soaking into his uniform. Nearby, Saint Walker merely watched him with those knowing black eyes and that peaceful smile, not showing any signs of exhaustion. Right then, the red lantern was so tempted to march over and rip that smile clear off of his face. He probably would have done it had he not felt so drained.

"Your kicks need work," Saint Walker said, breaking the silence.

"Thank for informing me yet again!" Razer replied sarcastically.

"You're quite welcome!" he said grinning widely. Razer's eyes narrowed. He hated it when the blue lantern indirectly mocked him.

"Razer, you are too quick to strike. While your speed and strength may get you far, the minute you go up against an opponent who is faster than you or has a better defense, such as myself, relying on those abilities alone may lead you to your demise."

"And what exactly are you suggesting I do about it?" Razer asked bitterly. He also hated it when he was right.

"You must be willing to make a change."

"What sort of change?"

"Well, for starters, try to take a step back and work on your defense. Study your opponent, search for his or her weaknesses, and draw those out. Fighting does not have to revolve solely around offense, which, from what I have observed, is what most red lanterns like to believe."

Razer looked down at the ground and let out a sigh. Reluctantly, he let go of the tree branch and walked over to where the blue lantern stood. "Very well," he admitted. "Saint Walker, will you aid me then in achieving this change?"

Saint Walker smiled. "I am happy to be of service Brother," he said, taking a fighting stance. "Prepare yourself. I will attempt to strike you as many times as possible. Your task is to work on your defense as well as figure out my technique and fighting pattern. Almost everyone has one. Once you have, you must adapt in order to land a counterattack."

Razer nodded. "Then let's begin."


Make a change, Razer thought. It was exactly what Arella had told him earlier. But the minute the memory had left his mind, he found Adira lashing out at him all over again. Steeling himself, the red lantern stood his ground and waited for what was to come. Right on cue, Adira threw a punch towards his side, clipping him slightly as he pulled away. She quickly followed up with another kick, throwing him back once more. But this time, instead of letting the frustration take over, his mind was reeling with information, taking note of her attacks.

She can't use her mechanical arm, so she always punches with her left, he thought. She quickly follows up with a kick from her right leg. She seems to favor it over her left leg. He got to his feet. Meaning, her left side is wide open!

"Hey Jordan," Kilowog spoke up. "Is it me, or does Red seem a lot more focused now?"

Hal's brow knit. What Kilowog said looked accurate. Unlike before, when he'd immediately lash out and strike out blindly once he'd been hit, this time, Razer was holding back, his eyes shifting slightly. From where Hal stood, he would almost guess that the red lantern was studying her.

"Hyah!" Adira yelled, throwing an uppercut, catching the side of his chin. He pulled back, shaking the fog away. After letting her come at him three times now, he was sure he was ready. Taking another deep breath, Razer dropped his arms, allowing them to lie at his side.

"He's letting his guard down?!" Hal cried.

"He appears to be surrendering?" Zafeer suggested, tilting his head.

"What is he, nuts?! Hey Red, what the Knartz are you doing?"

"Looks like it's all over for you. Too bad, I was just starting to have fun!" Adira laughed. Then, without another word, she bolted towards him, her left fist raised.

1, 2, 3, he counted in his head right as she swung her arm around for a hook punch. Raising his right arm, Razer caught it just before it could make contact, reducing her speed in the process. He wrapped his fingers tightly around her wrist.

Left…

Naaman's eyebrows rose. "What's this?"

Gritting her teeth, Adira straightened her right leg.

Right…

Tilting her body in the opposite direction, her right leg came up in a light arch, aimed at his shoulder. Raising his left arm, Razer caught that as well, holding her in place.

Left…

Before she could even adjust her left leg for a counterattack, Razer had already taken a step forward, swinging his leg upward and wrapping it around the back of her knee. Adira gasped as she struggled against her bonds like an insect caught in a spider's web. But despite her efforts it was all in vain. He held her tightly, his fingers gripping her wrist and ankle. She was completely immobilized.

Adira's eyes widened as she stopped to look at his face, so close you couldn't squeeze an apple in-between them. Razer smirked, loving the shocked expression she now wore. "You were right. It is over for you." he whispered.

"Let me go!" she hissed.

"If you wish!"

Then, slipping his hands further down the length of her limbs, Razer summoned all of his strength as he lifted her body off the ground. With one last battle cry, he released her left leg, swung his arms back, and tossed her off to the side, into the dirt and out of the ring. Adira let out a sound of discomfort as her back made contact with the hard ground where she skidded for a second until she came to a stop. The only noise after that was her heavy breathing, for everyone else had been stunned into silence.

After a minute of no other sounds, the silence was finally broken. Kilowog jumped to his feet, both arms in the air as he let out a hoot of success.

"Whoo-hoo! Alright Red, I didn't doubt ya fer a second!" he cried.

Riiiight, he felt like saying but didn't.

Aya smiled, floating into the ring to congratulate him, Lulu and Hal following behind her.

"Way to go team, we did it!" Hal said.

"We? You mean Razer and I did it. You're the one that lost Jordan."

"I-I don't believe it, he defeated her," Naaman said.

Next to him, Zafeer nodded. Getting up from where he sat, the Mecha warrior ran over to his fallen comrade, helping her up as she pulled her aching body out of the dirt. Her face was lowered towards the ground and she was shaking, which worried him.

"Adira, what is your status?" he asked, his tone of voice betraying him. She didn't answer.

All eyes turned towards her. Suddenly a noise reverberated from her throat. Lifting up her head for all to see, everyone's mouths began to slacken, Razer's most especially, as they all realized that she was…laughing?

Clutching her side as her laughter echoed around them, Adira continued to smile even once it had died down to a light chuckle. Razer could only wonder if she'd lost her mind. Pulling away from Zafeer's clutches, she made her way over to where the green lanterns had congregated, a big grin plastered onto her face.

"Nice going there! You passed the test!" she said.

"Test?" Razer asked skeptically.

"That's right!" she said, before her face turned serious. "I wanted to see just how well you could control your anger without hurting anyone. I couldn't just let you walk around the village knowing you were a ticking bomb waiting to blow someone to pieces at the simplest provocation. It's my duty to keep the people safe after all."

Razer's eyebrow went up. "So you were purposely trying to anger me. Is that why you said all those things during the fight?"

"Exactly. Plus, I wanted to see if I'd be able to take you on in case you did go on a murderous rampage. But it turns out I was worried over nothing. Nice work!" her smile returned as she clapped him on the shoulder. He winced as a sliver of pain shot through him.

Hal stepped forward. "You know, you're not such a bad kid after all. You really do take your job seriously. I can see why you were chosen as the leader of your team. So, I'm sorry for what I said when we first met, you know, about calling you a little girl and not respecting elders." He held out his right hand in front for her to shake.

She shrugged. "No need to apologize. You were just being truthful, just like me when I said I thought you were ugly!"

"WHAT?! Why you little-"

Luckily Kilowog was able to grab hold of the human and restrain him just as he began to lash out at her. "Settle down Jordan!"

"Anyway, a deal's a deal. We'll take you anywhere you want to go!"

"That's good to hear!" another voice called out. Everyone turned to see Elder Amon making his way towards the clearing. Archer walked alongside him.

Adira's eyes lit up. "Uncle Amon!" she cried.

"I hope you don't mind, but we caught sight of your battles and decided to watch. I must say, those were some impressive victories!"

"All in a day's work," Hal said optimistically.

"He said 'victories' Jordan," Kilowog muttered.

"Yeah! That was awesome!" Archer piped up. "Although," he looked over at Razer, "You had such a great shot there when you had her immobilized like that!"

"What're you talking about?" Razer asked.

"You got closer to her than any other guy has gotten! Why didn't you kiss her?!"

"WHAT?!" they all screamed in unison.

"Such a perfect opportunity, I would have taken it if I were you! Why'd you have to let it slip away like that?!" Archer asked dramatically as waterfall-like tears tumbled down his face.

WHAM!

Archer went flying, landing three meters away.

"Maybe because he's not as perverse as you are!" Adira yelled with her fist still up after punching him.

Amon cleared his throat to get the group's attention. "Anyway, I came to inform you that Elder Sander of the Minara clan will be meeting you later at the mines to discuss just how much Mahdi you will need."

"Perfect, we can head over there in a bit!" Hal exclaimed. "Thanks for telling us."

"Oh, it was no trouble at all. And I hope you all are enjoying yourselves so far!"

"It has been quite pleasant," Aya replied as she picked up Lulu, pulling the toddler into her arms. Lulu squealed and hugged the AI in response. "Your offspring are very friendly!"

Amon chuckled. "I'm glad to hear that! I will leave you to it then, the council is expecting my arrival soon. And Adira?"

"Yeah Uncle?"

He frowned. "Please put your tunic back on! It is unsuitable for a lady to show so much skin! Makin would have my head if he saw you walking around dressed like that!"

"I like it!" Archer spoke up from where he lay dazed on the ground.

"Shut up Archer!" Adira grumbled as she went retrieve her tunic to cover her tank top. After she was completely dressed, Elder Amon and Archer went on their way while the rest of them began their trek into the village. Just before they left however, Hal couldn't help but chuckle at what Amon had said.

"Heh heh, if they think that's unsuitable, wait until they meet the Star Sapphires," he whispered to Kilowog.


Chapter 11 everybody! Sorry for the wait, it's been a busy week! Speaking of week...AGH, that finale! So many feels! I can't believe it's over! No matter, I will continue to write for Green Lantern TAS, as long as there are people here to read my stories and review them (hint, hint!). But still...that finale! I know the producers wanted it to be bittersweet, but it leaves soooo much open! For anyone who hasn't seen it yet, stop reading this and go see it NOW! (Then come back and write a review).

Reviews, comments, and criticisms are greatly appreciated!