Chapitre 150: CHAPTER 142
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[David Lance POV]
I can't escape this hell.
No matter how many times I tried.
My grief had sealed me in a prison of rage, a labyrinth without escape. I knew that; I knew that the ring was empowering my darkest emotions and numbing everything else to the point of non-existence.
And while I had tried to fight this cage of crimson, I had willingly accepted, at least since I was defeated by Superman, my attempts had been in vain because, on a fundamental level, I wanted this, this power, the rage I felt, the hatred, was addicting beyond comprehension.
The funny thing was that I didn't feel good.
Addictions are supposed to feel good. That's how they hook you, but this? This didn't feel good, not even a single bit.
I mourned Dinah in a perpetual state of rage and hatred; I had no positive thoughts or calming ones, just rage, pure rage. That was all I had, alongside a bit of logic that I had somehow managed to retain through this evolution of sorts.
Suffering, hate, and rage were the only emotions I could feel. And somehow, I was addicted to them.
Pain without love.
Rage, I couldn't get enough.
I was becoming a monster.
Little by little, I could feel it.
I had almost killed the ones that had saved my life just because I could. I remember seeing their faces, their dread, and I remember enjoying it; I had only stopped because the doctor had managed to somehow reach me.
The worst part was that, beyond regret, I felt annoyed he had interrupted me.
"Are you ready to start your training, recruit?" Atrocitus' voice suddenly boomed around me, shattering any and all thoughts I had been entertaining before his interruption.
I glared at him, clenching my fists so hard that my knuckles turned white. I knew his game, he thought me a fool, but I knew he was planning to use me for his own benefits, to complete his vengeance.
I refused to be used.
However, I could see the benefit of learning whatever he has to teach, so while eradicating him from the face of the universe would've been my first choice, I had begrudgingly decided to learn under him.
"Remember our deal, Atrocitus," I replied, using my ring to speak.
Atrocitus chuckled a deep and guttural sound. "I remember our deal very well. Though we have yet to discuss what do I gain from this arrangement."
"You get to keep your life," I replied coldly, my power ring glowing red as it transmitted the message.
Atrocitus' smile widened. "If your attempt at my life will be as poor as the one you did on Superman, I like my chances."
Red aura bursting to life around me, I took a step forward, glaring at him in blinding rage; I wanted to eliminate him. I wanted to tear him limb from limb and watch him bleed out, but by some miracle, I resisted the urge.
"Don't push your luck Atrocitus, don't bet on my control," I replied, the voice my ring was playing dripping with venom. "With each breath I take, I feel my rage grow, and while I try to keep it caged, I can't control it. I can feel my wrath scratching on the walls of my psyche like a wild animal demanding to be released, so unless you have a death wish, behave."
It was hard to keep it together; I wanted to lash out, to hurt him. I wanted to make him untold pain, unmeasurable anguish; I wanted him to feel the way I felt. But I couldn't give in; I wouldn't give in. I was better than that, stronger than that. Or at least I used to be.
The ring, in a way, was corrupting me, making me into something I never wanted to be. But what other choice did I have? Only with it, I would be able to fight Superman, meaning my only choice was to fight tooth and nail for every ounce of control.
"I suppose your words carry some weight," Atrocitus conceded with a growl. "So, for now, I will play by your rules. However, know that, should your rage ever wane down, should your hatred become weak, I will be there to reclaim what is rightfully mine."
An empty threat, the weapon of choice of those who are powerless to change their situation. Pathetic, utterly pathetic.
"I don't care what you tell yourself, but stop wasting my time," I growled through the ring.
"You might feel your rage is without equal, that only you feel the way you feel," Atrocitus replied, walking around me. "But you are wrong. There are many who wear the red, many who have been consumed by hatred. You are not alone. We all share the pain that is to wear this ring."
"Is this going somewhere?" I asked, my patience wearing thin.
"Yes," Atrocitus said with a smile. "Everyone in the Red Lanterns has lost everything. Our rage burns bright because our reason to love was taken from us."
"It thrills me to hear you speak about philosophy instead of training me; IT THRILLS ME!" I glared at him, my ring glowing red.
"You are unbearable," Atrocitus said, his face contorting in anger. "The point I was trying to make is that while you feel the way we feel, you are a special case. Because you still have a reason to love."
I narrowed my eyes in confusion. Where was he going with this?! Could it be that he had learned something about me through the ring's link?!
No, it couldn't be.
I was certain his control over my ring was very limited, only allowing him to locate me; other than that, I was in control or as much in control as I could possibly be.
"I might not be able to subjugate you, not yet," Atrocitus continued. "But I have more than enough power to sense a few things."
I bared my teeth at him as my ring glowed brightly. "Care to elaborate?! Because it feels like you've been shopping around where you shouldn't have!"
"Don't make a big deal out of nothing; I didn't read your mind," Atrocitus said dismissively. "Butcher knows I tried, though, but your mind is annoyingly well-protected. You have mental blocks I doubt anyone can penetrate."
"Then elaborate on what you meant, in a concise manner," I growled through the ring, my patience at an end.
"Every power ring, no matter the color, grants the user the ability to perceive a vast array of emotions in the emotional spectrum," Atrocitus replied. "When you were unconscious receiving medical care after I saved you, I was able to feel something within you, something faint, very faint, but peculiar enough that it contrasted with the rage in your soul. Love."
I see.
I had lost a lot in this world.
But at the same time, in a way, things remained the same for me.
My sister, my Dinah, was still alive.
Raven was still alive.
Oliver was still alive.
Hopefully, they were still alive.
....
"So I was right," Atrocitus said as he stared into me.
Meanwhile, I remained frozen in place, trying to make sense of the new feeling that had invaded me for a brief moment, hope.
I had felt hope for the briefest of moments.
"Disgusting," Atrocitus said as he walked toward me. "Within you, there should be no room for hope, only rage!"
Having had enough of Atrocitus, I darted forward and grabbed him by the throat before slamming into the ground with enough power to force some blood out of him in a cough. "Go on, keep wasting my time, and we'll see how it ends."
Atrocitus grinned in rage and something else I couldn't quite read. "That's it! That's all you should feel, RAGE! HATE! NOTHING MORE! Hope is long forgotten for us!"
I tightened my grip on his throat, momentarily severing his ability to talk. He struggled, using both hands to grab mine, but no matter how much he tried and how much power he used, my hand wouldn't budge. "Let me remind you of our agreement. You teach me what you know about the ring and how to use it, and I let you live," I said through the Ring as I loomed over him before releasing him of my grip.
Touching his throat gingerly, Atrocitus glared at me in a mix of rage and amusement as he coughed a few times. "Very well, let's get started then."
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[B'dg - POV - Elpis Planet]
In a sea of rage and despair, I felt one ray of hope shine bright for the briefest of moments. Not enough to be a bringer of hope, but enough to receive salvation and release.
"You felt that?" Bro'dee Walker said calmly yet with a hint of excitement as he stared at me from his meditative position.
I nodded, still trying to comprehend what I had just experienced. "Yeah, for a second there, I felt something more than crimson red within the heart of a Red Lantern."
"No matter the situation, hope never dies. It remains strong through all adversity," Bro'dee mused as he leaned back, a sad expression dawning on his face. "I can't help but feel sad about that poor soul, to be trapped in a state of perpetual torment. I can't imagine a worse fate."
I agreed with him. "But now that we know of him, we must help him."
Bro'dee nodded sagely. "Yes, we must. The question is, how?"
I sighed. Unlike the other corps, our numbers were not as plentiful, which made taking tasks a difficult decision as, more than not, we didn't have the numbers to assist those who needed it. "I know our numbers are tight, as per usual, but I can't in good conscience let this be. I will take on this mission alone if that's what it takes."
"You won't be alone in this, dear friend; I will accompany you. Elpis can survive a few days without us, though to be sure, I will call back one of our friends to fill in for us," Bro'dee said with confidence as he stood up. "For now, though, we must rest. We have a long journey ahead of us, and we need to be prepared."
I nodded.
Chapitre 151: CHAPTER 143
If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to https://www.patreón.com/cornbringer
Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz
Enjoy!
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[Kent Nelson POV] [Injustice]
[Moments after Canary's Death]
As I neared Dinah's body, the life gone from her eyes, I could feel two immeasurable energies clashing against one another beyond the reach of this world. Rage and fear, clashing against one another in a battle that threatened to consume everything.
Even from down here, their battle echoed untold destruction.
"That kid," I muttered as I stared into the sky. "He's going to destroy everything."
This rage... it wasn't normal. It went beyond anything I'd ever felt before; it was all-consuming, all-encompassing. It was suffocating to feel. No matter how much he felt he had lost, his rage shouldn't have been like this; something wasn't right.
I focused my senses on him and felt a faint shade of magic, something dark and corrupting, seeping into his soul.
"What is that?" I whispered, giving Dinah's body a look.
She had been the catalyst for this, her death had sent him over the edge, and now a dark, mysterious power was corrupting him, it felt old, very old, and it was incredibly powerful.
I had to find out what was corrupting him and how to stop it before it consumed him entirely. He was already teetering on the brink of insanity, and if this power took hold of him completely, there would be no coming back from it.
But first.
I had to save Dinah while I still had the time.
-You will not!- Nabu screamed inside my head.
I grit my teeth and pushed forward. "I have been a loyal follower of your cause since my wife died, but I'm afraid today I will defy fate, old friend."
-You cannot defy fate! She was destined to die, and you can't alter that. We are order! And what you are about to do, is a desecration to the balance of life and death! is CHAOS!-
"Don't mistake things, old friend, you are order. I'm just a human, and we are as chaotic as can be," I replied as I reached Dinah's body. There I sat before taking a deep breath, where I started drawing a few magic sigils in the air then, as I had completed the sigils, a powerful surge of energy coursed through my body before blasting Dinah's body, claiming back her soul by setting her in golden flames of resurrection, the flames of life.
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[Rachel Roth - Raven - POV ]
[Young Justice]
No matter how much I researched in the Tower of Fate, how much I experimented by myself, no matter what I did, my goal would remain just out of reach.
I had read every book on transdimensional travel, I had tried every summoning spell I could find or make, but no matter what I did, the result would be the same, David would remain trapped in whatever dark corner of the cosmos he had been sent to.
At this point, it felt like I was just flailing in the dark, grasping at straws.
"Raven," Miss Martian entered the room.
I hadn't noticed her.
I guess I can't be bothered to feel other's emotions when my own are so heavy.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, not bothering to look at her.
"The others wanted me to check up on you," Miss Martian said hesitantly. "You've been in here for over a month."
"I'm fine; you can go," I replied, my voice cold.
"Raven, you're not," Miss Martian said as she came closer. "You need to eat; you need to sleep. You can't keep going like this."
"Do I need to remind you that I'm no longer a member of the team?" I replied, finally turning to look at her.
"It matters to us because we care about you; you're still our friend," Miss Martian said pleadingly. "Please, just come out and talk to us; we're worried about you."
"I have little time to waste as it is, and none of that time includes talking to any of you," I replied before turning back to my work.
"You're not the only one that misses him, you know?" Miss Martian said, hurt evident in her voice. "I'll be back in a week to check on you. We're not going to give up on you; Bolt wouldn't like that, would he?"
I stayed silent as Miss Martian left the room, her words bouncing around in my head.
I wasn't the only one that missed him?
I knew that.
But nobody missed him like I did.
We were each other's anchors; we were the only ones that truly understood each other. And now he was gone, taken from me by the very thing I had sworn to protect him from.
I failed him, and I would never forgive myself for it.
They only knew the version of him that he had learned to play; they only knew the mask, not the one behind it. But I knew him, all of him. I had seen him at his weakest, his darkest, just as he had seen me, the one beneath the facade.
"I'm sorry, David," I whispered into the empty room, a tear rolling down my cheek. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you when it mattered, but just wait; I will get you out of there in no time, I promise."
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[Superboy POV]
[Young Justice POV]
I stared into the sky, waiting for M'gann to come back from her weekly visit to Raven. Hopefully, this time it would bear better results. It had been a while since Bolt had disappeared, and there hasn't been a day since where I don't think about him.
I missed him.
Perhaps M'gann was right, and he was my best friend.
I wouldn't know.
I wasn't the best with all that mushy stuff, but then again, I guess that was why we got along so well. He was always straightforward with me, he understood me without me having to explain, he wasn't afraid of me, in fact, the bastard challenged me on my bullshit.
I miss our spars.
Taking a deep breath, I heard a set of footsteps approaching from behind.
I turned to see M'gann walking towards me, a sad look on her face.
"How did it go?" I asked, already knowing the answer.
"No better than last time," M'gann replied with a downcast expression. "She's still consumed on saving Bolt no matter the cost... She barely touched the food I brought her last week."
"What about water?" I asked, concerned.
"She drinks it, but not as much as she should," M'gann replied. "I'm worried about her."
"We all are," I said, running a hand through my hair in frustration. I hated this; I hated problems I couldn't punch away! "But what can we do? She's not going to listen to us."
"Bolt would know what to do," M'gann said quietly.
"He would," I replied as I walked with M'gann back to her ship.
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[Batman POV]
[Young Justice]
I stared at the file in front of me, and it was yet another dead end. I had been searching for any lead that could help me reach David's whereabouts, but magical or not, all leads led to the same dead end; it was as if he had vanished into thin air.
But I would not give up. I knew he was alive.
Giovanni had suggested more than once that he could very well be dead, as he had dealt with Klarion of all villains, one known for his extreme cruelty. However, I refused to humor such an option.
"Anything?" Dinah's voice snapped me back into the room.
Closing the file I had open on my PC, I turned to see her and Oliver walking toward me as Alfred closed the door behind them, both of them with hopeful expressions.
I shook my head in reply, their faces falling in disappointment.
"Constantine is working with a contact of his to bring David back," I said, trying to reassure them.
"He has been doing that for weeks!" Oliver exclaimed. "We can't just sit here and do nothing!"
"I know," I replied. "But, unfortunately, we have to trust John; he knows what he's doing."
"Trust John?!" Oliver exclaimed. "Have you seen the guy!? He reeks of cheap booze and disappointment!"
"Constantine's contacts in the magical world are vast, immensely vast, and while at times he has been more than unreliable, he always delivers when it truly matters," I replied, a part of me wondering if I was saying this to them, or to convince myself Constantine would actually come through this time.
"Oliver, I know you miss him," Dinah said, placing a hand on his arm to calm him down. "And while I don't like it, Constantine is our best hope right now."
"I know," Oliver said, sighing in frustration as he ran a hand through his hair. "It's just... I feel so helpless."
"We all do," I said, understanding his frustration.
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[John Constantine - POV]
[Young Justice]
I stared at the lousy bartender as she wiped down the bar, trying to ignore the fact that my drink hadn't been served yet, or that Lucifer hadn't come as he had promised he would. For bloody sake, I had been waiting for hours, and so far, it had been a giant waste of time.
"Constantine, what a surprise," The cocky and unmistakable voice of Lucifer got my attention as he walked towards my table, a smirk on his face.
"Surprise? Are you daft?! You set this meeting!" I exclaimed, standing up from my chair. "Where the bloody hell have you been?!"
"Feisty as always," Lucifer said, holding his hands up in a placating manner. "I was busy entertaining two lovely twins."
I glared at him. "You promised to help a long time ago. Last time I checked, the devil's word was something you could trust, so what happened?"
Lucifer chuckled as the bartender brought him a drink. "I promised I would help, and help I will. Or should I say I already did?"
I paused at this, staring at him. "What do you mean?"
Lucifer grinned, winking at me. "Well, you asked for help bringing him back. So, I set a few events that will ensure a certain goth lady brings him back, eventually."
"That wasn't the deal!" I replied, slamming my fist on my table.
Lucifer smiled at me. "You said, and I quote, help me bring him back. You never say how. Honestly, you should know by now I enjoy playing you. Besides, the kid is fine, mostly... going through a rage stage, but who hasn't?"
"I know you don't like me," I sighed, my eyes growing tired. "But don't take it on the kid."
Lucifer's smirk softened a bit as he took a sip of his drink. "I don't know what impression of me you have, Constantine, but I don't torture innocents."
I stared at him for a long moment. "I know this sounds stupid, but is someone bigger than you pulling the strings?"
"You mean him? Ha! I wish! That would make this little deal of ours more enticing, but no," Lucifer snorted, putting his drink back on the table. "He can't be bothered to help anyone; it's all part of his big plan, mysterious ways my ass, blah blah."
"Alright then... then why the FUCK, don't you open a portal and bring the kid back here?" I nearly shouted.
"His destiny is bigger than you could possibly imagine, Constantine," Lucifer sighed, his fingers tapping on the table, one after the other. "I checked with Destiny just to be sure, and well, to make the story short, the kid is writing his own chapters. If I bring him back now, I would be doing what I hate the most, taking his free will, rewriting his chapters by my own hand. Instead, I decided to aid what was already destined to happen, to happen faster."
The Kid was doing FUCKING WHAT?!
"That's impossible, Lucifer," I replied, my mind still processing what he had said. "He's a mortal, only the Endless and..."
Lucifer interrupted me. "Only the Endless, to an extent, and primordial beings can alter their own destiny, I know. That's what makes this kid fascinating."
"Can you tell me at least what destiny awaits the kid?" I asked, trying to get more information.
"But, friend! That would spoil the audience," Lucifer winked before taking another sip of his drink.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
200+ Classement
Power Stone 
3 Power
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