"My love, Atrocitus appears to have ceased pursuit," said Aya.

Razer turned in the air, looking in all directions before tiredly nodding and gliding inside a nearby building through a long gash in the stone wall before setting down on the floor inside. He stared into Aya's blue eyes.

"I believe you can release me now, my love. My legs will function adequately for the purpose of standing in this room," said Aya.

Razer continued holding on to her, his hands trembled, "I, I'm afraid to."

She inclined her head curiously, "Why?"

Razer tried with some success to keep his jaw straight as he held her tighter, "Because I don't want to lose you again. Not a third time."

"You did not lose me. I never left you, my love."

It was Razer's turn to blink, "I don't understand."

Aya looked at Razer's bad arm. Her eyes widened with concern. "I will clarify in a moment. But you have sustained an injury, my love."

"It is nothing," said Razer, still staring at Aya and holding onto her with his good arm.

"Incorrect," said Aya. In a swift motion she took hold of Razer's shoulder with one hand and his bad arm with the other hand before promptly wrenching the arm back into place. Razer cried out in pain and dropped Aya in the process. She stumbled backward a couple steps before regaining her balance. "I apologize but that was necessary."

"Ooohh," exhaled Razer. He backed up against a wall before sliding downward into a sitting position, rubbing his shoulder.

Aya moved to sit down beside him.

"I think you were going to tell me about how you never left?" Razer managed.

"Yes, I will clarify my previous statement," said Aya, "After my dissipation, my program was scattered throughout the galaxy. A quantum of my existence, however, remained with you."

Razer's eyes widened as he stared at Aya, "These seven years . . . all the places I've gone . . . this place even . . . I never knew why. That was you? Guiding me?"

"In the instant before my dissipation, I calculated probable trajectories my program might take. In the event you attempted to restore me, I tried to imprint that information on your mind." Aya looked down, an expression of shame on her face. "Was that selfish of me?"

Razer tilted Aya's face to look up at his own, "No," A tear rolled down his face, "If you hadn't I may never have found you."

Aya raised a hand to rub away Razer's tear, "I am glad I did not upset you, my love."

Razer placed a hand on top of Aya's, "You could not if you tried," he said, before leaning over to kiss her.

Aya glanced to the left then to the right after their lips parted.

"What is it? Do you hear something?" asked Razer.

"No," said Aya, "But I have become accustomed to encountering life-threatening situations immediately after receiving affection from you. I wanted to ensure there was no such danger in the vicinity."

Razer managed a small laugh, "I love you," he said, before hugging Aya tightly.

"And I love you too, my love. Query: am I overusing the colloquialism 'my love,' my love?"

Razer touched a hand to Aya's face, still having difficulty believing that she was truly back, "I had not noticed."

"I am glad, my love. I have another query."

"Anything," said Razer, smiling.

Aya looked Razer up and down, "You seem to have undergone a transformation. Are you now a Blue Lantern?"

Razer looked down at his own clothes, "I suppose I have. I had not noticed." His expression suddenly became nervous, "Aya, what was it like when . . ." his voice trailed off.

"Prior to my reintegration?"

Razer nodded, "Was it painful?"

Aya looked down, "My dissipation was painful. The aftermath was . . . I do not know how to describe it in terms you would understand. Perhaps, numb?" She looked back up, "Although I did dream."

"What did you dream?"

"Memories. Of Hal, Kilowog, and of you and me. Other times I only saw you. Looking at me. It was comforting."

Razer choked and hugged Aya once more, "You really did never leave."

Aya shook her head as Razer squeezed her. "I did not, my love."

Razer let go of Aya, lowering his hands down to hold hers. "I want to leave this world with you. This world is a tomb and I have seen enough death for a dozen lifetimes."

Aya nodded. "I concur. I also feel as if I have died enough for one lifetime."

Razer squeezed Aya's hand and led her toward the gap in the wall. The blue sun had set, allowing the stars to shine brightly in the night sky.

"Where do you want to go?" he asked.

Aya's eyes widened as she looked up at the starlit sky. At length she pointed, "That one," she said decisively.

Razer and Aya held hands as they took to the stars.

The diminutive blue figure saw everything. She watched Atrocitus attack Razer. She witnessed Razer's expected decision to use the blue power ring and she saw Aya's reconstitution. Then she watched as both quarries fled and Atrocitus simply left after taking Razer's Red Lantern battery.

This irritated her.

By all reason Atrocitus should have pursued and annihilated his former enemies. It became clear to her that she had overestimated Atrocitus's enmity toward Razer and Aya and underestimated his hatred for his own contemporaries, whom he seemed eager to punish.

For a brief moment the diminutive figure contemplated destroying Razer and Aya herself. She almost certainly possessed the necessary power, she knew, but not within an acceptable margin of error. She had never before faced a Blue Lantern in combat and could not be absolutely certain that she could destroy both him and Aya. Atrocitus would have been expendable in such a battle but the diminutive blue figure knew that she herself was not expendable.

The diminutive blue figure shook her head. She had accomplished her main objective. Aya had been reconstituted, and, without the power of the Anti-Monitor or the Manhunters at her disposal, she was now vulnerable. Aya's ultimate destruction was assured. The time, place and method were merely details. The diminutive blue figure nodded. Atrocitus had proven unreliable but she would find another pawn to complete her work.