章節 149: CHAPTER 141

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[Atrocitus - Injustice POV]

A new Red Lantern had risen in Sector 2814, one that somehow had been able to retain his cognitive abilities despite the ring's purpose to suppress all thought, leaving only anger, for I was to give them back their thought, should they prove worthy of such a gift.

This wasn't the only surprise this new lantern had brought to light. His power was without parallel; his rage and his desire for vengeance had turned him into a killing machine void of rationality, emotion, morality, or remorse.

Never in my long life had I seen such power, such rage.

I couldn't help but wonder what exactly had fueled such a monster to be born.

Be that as it may, even with all that overwhelming power that coursed through him like blood, all that burning rage, that crimson desire for justified vengeance that fueled his ever-growing power. He had lost.

But even in defeat.

His thirst for combat and desire for death and destruction against the one who wronged him was unyielding.

Which is why I had come to retrieve him instead of killing him.

This had been a difficult decision, mostly because of his ability to somehow resist the ring's forceful indoctrination, which makes all Red Lanterns succumb to the rage and hatred in their hearts until it is all that they know, an all-consuming need for revenge and destruction, in turn taking over their minds.

Making them mindless beasts.

He, however, had overpowered the ring's indoctrination.

At first, I wanted to kill him, for he represented a threat. But, while the threat he represented was true, his power was without peer. So, I decided to use him, to make him one of my fiercest warriors, the instrument of my vengeance against those who had wronged me.

"He seems stable," Morthu said as my newest lantern lay inside a stasis pod. Morthu was the closest doctor I had been able to find around sector 2574. "He would heal faster if you allowed me to take him out of the stasis."

I glared at the doctor, my eyes burning red. "He is not to be taken out of the stasis until I say so."

"Yes, as you wish, Lord Atrocitus." Morthu trembled before me, his fear palpable in the air.

"You are dismissed." I waved my hand dismissively, and Morthu bowed before scurrying away.

I then turned my attention back to the stasis pod, looking at the wounded man in front of me. While I understood the Doctor's concerns about his patient, taking him out of the stasis pod could prove to be a terrible mistake, for I still had no way to contain him should he rebel against him.

For that reason, I needed him out of commission as long as possible.

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[Morthu POV]

A few hours after Lord Atrocitus had left the patient's room, I entered to continue treating the patient alongside my assistants.

"His pulse is getting better," I said, smiling as I checked the charts, comparing his vitals from two hours ago to now. This was the first time I was treating a human, but based on the data Lord Atrocitus had given me, the readings I was getting were pretty normal.

Now time to check his neural activity.

Suddenly, as I moved to the computer, the stasis pod shattered with a loud crack as a hand burst out, catching me by the throat, forcing a single terrified grunt of pain and a gasp of fear from my young assistants.

For a few silent moments, I hung, imprisoned by the powerful grip of the one I had saved, as red glowing eyes stared at me.

"Who are you?" The patient growled, his voice deep and guttural. Though the voice didn't seem to come from his mouth, for it remained close as each word came.

I gasped for air, trying to speak, but the grip on my throat was too tight. I could feel my vision blurring as I started to lose consciousness. However, just as I was about to blackout, the grip on my throat released, and I crumpled to the floor, gasping for air.

"I am Morthu, a doctor currently in service of Lord Atrocitus." I managed to choke out, my voice raspy and weak.

"Atrocitus?" The patient questioned with a growl, his brow furrowed in confusion for a moment before realization hit him. "I see."

He then turned his attention to my assistants, who were still cowering in fear, and he approached them slowly, a predatory grin on his face.

"Please," I begged, "they've done nothing wrong."

The patient stopped and looked at me for a moment before shock and realization crossed his features. "What am I doing?..."

"You awoke," Atrocitus said from the doorway, his eyes narrowed in anger at me as he looked at the patient.

"I have no interest in joining your crusade," The patient said, his voice cold and detached. "I only want revenge against Superman."

"And I can help you with that," Atrocitus replied, his voice equally as cold. "But first, you must learn how to control your power."

Glaring at Lord Atrocitus, the patient bawled his hands into fists as a crimson-red aura appeared around him, cutting our breath. "Do I look like I need your help?! I could rip you apart before you could even process what happened!"

"I don't doubt that," Atrocitus said with a calm growl. "But if you can't control your power, then you'll never be able to defeat Superman. You lost because the overwhelming amount of rage you were producing started to take a toll on you."

"And you can help me?" The patient asked, his voice dripping with venom. "How generous of you. Cry me a river, I know who you are, and while your reasons to hate the guardians are just, you are not."

"Then, by all means, leave and die at the hands of the one that broke you," Atrocitus replied with a shrug. "But if you stay, I can help you harness your power and direct it towards defeating Superman."

The patient glared at Atrocitus for a few moments before finally sighing in resignation. "Fine, I will take you on that offer, but if you try, even for a second, to manipulate me, I will eliminate you on the spot. Am I clear?"

"I expect nothing less," Atrocitus grinned in response, seemingly pleased by the patient's threat.

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章節 150: CHAPTER 142

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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[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.

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