Wavelengths
A DCAU Plus fanfiction project
Arisia Rrab
Atrocitus was kept in a Sciencell cluster with the rest of what was left of his race in Cell Block Gamma-345, a plain, white and green holding facility identical to thousands of others on Oa. The security levels were fairly low for them. They were of course allowed in general population, and they were allowed to have their cells open or closed until curfew. Even those guarding the area were at relative ease in the area: Laira was sitting in a construct chair and reading just outside the main gathering area. The other Ryutians were reading, meditating or exercising in their own cells, all perfectly placid.
None of this was reassuring to Arisia as she flew up to Atrocitus' cell, and landed gracefully on her feet.
The Ryutian was sitting in repose on his bunk, relaxing. His back was to her, but she knew he was aware of her presence. She held her ground, eyes narrowed.
Arisia still felt intimidated by the huge Ryutian, but having read all she could on him, she did feel a bit more sure footed.
"I came to ask you some questions, Atrocitus," she said.
"If you would like, Lantern Arisia," he said calmly. Arisia took a slow breath, her eyes locked on him.
"You're well informed for a prisoner," she said. "How much do you know about the Sinestro Corps?"
Atrocitus was silent for a moment, considering.
"I know about as much as you," he replied. "I'm sure you've been looking into multiple contacts and links across the galaxy."
"Yes, but I checked your file," Arisia stated. "When you and the Inversions attacked Oa, you got weapons from Qward. Which is the home base of Sinestro and his Corps."
"The Weaponeers of Qward have their own motives. Primarily to do with profit," Atrocitus replied. "That was over a hundred cycles ago. What makes you think I have any information that would be relevant?"
"Like you said. There is very little you don't know around here," she said. "You don't seem the type to neglect useful contacts like that. Especially since they gave Sinestro his first ring."
Atrocitus rumbled a bit, and her ring translated it as a vaguely amused sound.
"Other Lanterns have asked me about this before," Atrocitus said. He turned his gaze on her, his penetrating eyes probing her. "I gave them information."
"But not everything you knew," Arisia shot back. Atrocitus rumbled again, turning to face her.
"And you think you will do better than veteran Lanterns of a dozen cycles?" He asked. Arisia met his gaze, and afforded him a modest shrug.
"I want to try," she said. Atrocitus hummed.
"You always feel like you need to prove yourself, don't you Arisia?" He asked. "You're an exceptional Lantern. Did very well in your training, despite your age. You even learned how to manipulate your body form to age yourself up without genetic damage with your Ring-All to attract the attention of a fellow Lantern who saw you as a younger sibling, not a love interest." He tilted his head slightly to the right. "And now you're trying to prove yourself... To me? To the other Lanterns?"
Arisia stayed stoic, willing herself to remain calm. This was a game. But she better understood the rules now.
"Maybe I do find you... Interesting," she allowed. "Most prisoners who claim they have a big plan of revenge against the Guardians are just boasting. You though... You do have a way with beings. Even a few Lanterns at least admire you. Laira is one."
"I was a mind healer for a hundred cycles before my world was destroyed," Atrocitus replied, "as written in my file. That training doesn't go away."
"So you admit you're turning people to side with you?" Arisia countered. Atrocitus shrugged.
"There are so many beings in the universe with rage. Rage they waste on destroying themselves," he said. He looked up at the ceiling of his cell, almost wistful. "Rage is beautiful when it is used to its fullest potential. The fire that drives us forward, to conquer our enemies. To conquer ourselves. I merely show people the beauty they could have. The beauty they could be." His eyes met hers, as well. "It is a beauty you could have, as well. A power you could wield."
"We aren't talking about me," Arisia said firmly, "we're talking about what you know about Qward."
"Greedy engineers and weaponeers, all of them," Atrocitus snorted. "Selling out to whoever can provide the most profit. Why do you think they sided with Sinestro so readily? His campaign of terror will provide them with black market sales for megacycles to come, and they are now an apparatus of a new galactic empire that will cause endless conflict-Opening up endless markets for them. A winning situation for them all around." He studied her. "A far less interesting subject than you. Why do you find me interesting, Arisia?"
Arisia mentally grumbled. She was losing ground in this conversation, this game.
"Why take the time to ask me such things?" She asked. "Maybe you find me interesting, too. I checked the records, after all-You've never done anything like what you did with me during the prisoner transfer. Nothing with any of the other Lanterns."
"Careful, Lantern Arisia. I wouldn't want to sully your reputation with such salacious rumors," Atrocitus replied, almost sounding amused. Arisia was able to keep herself from blushing-It wasn't like she hadn't heard worse about her. Especially from prisoners. Even so...
"You didn't answer the question," she said. Atrocitus was silent for some time again, before he spoke.
"You did provoke a response, yes," he said. "Your sincerity. It was genuine. It was... Unexpected." He studied her in silence again. "You were disturbed by my responses. It made you question things. Like any other problem in your life, you've resolved to conquer it. That is how you became a Green Lantern in the first place: Your power of will. You seek to conquer me, and conquer your fear. Your uncertainty."
"And you admire that?" Arisia asked. Atrocitus inclined his head.
"I admire all Green Lanterns," he said. "Ultimately, true strength in this universe is determined by how much will one has. To have an unbreakable will is to be unbroken. Even a slave whose will is unbroken is mightier than his captor. You have taught me much. My rage still gives me power... But without the will to harness it, it is useless."
Atrocitus rose from his bunk, slowly, and took a few steps torwards her. He stopped just before he reached the cell door, still open. He looked down upon her, and she looked up at him.
"What enrages you, Arisia?" He asked. "What is the fire that drives you?"
"It isn't rage. It's to be the best," Arisia replied. "To live up to my family legacy. My father, my uncle, my grandfather-They all gave up their lives in service to the Corps."
Atrocitus hummed.
"And if they had died in vain? If they had died due to the Guardians' apathy?" He asked. "How would your drive change?"
Arisia was silent for a moment, holding her ground.
"I suppose a lot would change," she said. She gave him a challenging smile. "But I wouldn't believe it if you told me."
"Of course not," Atrocitus replied, looking almost amused.
"I might believe you if you told me something I didn't know about Qward and Sinestro," she stated. Atrocitus studied her for a moment, then rumbled again. This was a contemplative sound, according to her Ring translator.
"... You've seen the reports of the Sinestro Corps massing near Ragnar," Atrocitus spoke, "after they sacked Havania. You think they are going to strike Biot, your main industrial and support hub. You may have even seen reports of Sinestro himself making ready the invasion force."
Arisia knew all of this. Most of the Lanterns usually stationed on Oa had been redeployed to Biot and other neighboring systems in preparation for Sinestro's next move.
"And that's not his true target?" Arisia asked. Atrocitus shook his head.
"Sinestro... Is a grand stander," he said. "It shows in his actions, in his methodology. He is vain and prideful. When the Corps rejected him, he decided he would get his own Power Ring and start killing other Lanterns, to show his superiority. When that failed he joined with other powers, yet still focused on proving his superiority. Ultimately, his creation of his own Corps is the obvious final step." He made an angry sneer, his eyes glowing red for a moment, before he resumed his placid nature.
"He feels wronged by the Guardians. He feels he knows better than they do in all things. He feels he is smarter, and has to proclaim it. Has to prove it."
Arisia's eyes widened.
"You mean... He's going to strike Oa?!"
A truly cataclysmic boom rumbled through the cell block, making everything shake. Arisia's ring squawked.
"Battle Stations. Battle Stations. Code Green. Oa is under attack. Planetary Defenses are down. This is not a drill. Repeat, battle stations..." The automated warning went off.
"I believe he is already striking Oa," Atrocitus said calmly. "A few prisoners who escaped and were recaptured from the Sinestro Corps claimed they were interrogated for information on the Sciencells. Most likely Sinestro intends to break out the prisoners to cause chaos, then attack the Main Power Battery." He tilted his shoulders. "It is what I would do."
Arisia swore in the old tongue, and turned to fly out.
"Arisia!" Atrocitus called out. She looked back over her shoulder, glaring in impatience.
"What?!"
Atrocitus almost smiled.
"Remember your passion. Use it to stay alive."
Arisia glared back.
"What do you care?!"
"I enjoyed our conversation," he said, "and would hate to not have a chance at more in the future."
Arisia swore again, and flew as fast as she could out the cell doors. Laira was already standing guard-Good. She could handle this, she hoped...
Atrocitus
Atrocitus watched Arisia go. He closed his eyes briefly.
It was too soon... He'd hoped to have more time. He'd had so much time already, and yet...
He would never see a better opportunity.
He strode out of his cell, and his gaze swept around the room. His fellow Ryutians came out, standing at attention: His four brothers, all that was left of their race.
"Brothers," he said. "It is time."
They stepped forward, each bringing with them their copy of The Book of Rage. All of them opened them up, and laid them on the deck. Atrocitus laid his own copy down, forming a five pointed star. All of them, in unison, slit a wound across their wrists, and let their blood onto the pages. Each book began to burn, red hot plasma boiling out like fat on a fire. Atrocitus ran his long, clawed fingers over the deck, using his blood as ink, as he drew an elaborate pentagrammic array between all five books.
Another explosion rocked the cell block, but the Ryutians held their ground. Atrocitus finished his drawing, and stepped carefully to the top of the star. Puhan, a former engineer, set a small block of hyper dense material in the center-The same material used to construct Lantern Rings. Atrocitus bent over, examined it, and nodded approvingly.
Atrocitus stood back up, and turned to face his brothers. He was silent for a time. Aleb, the tallest of the Ryutians, gazed at Atrocitus in confusion.
"Brother," he said, "the ritual?"
Atrocitus remained silent and still. Ikol, the youngest, looked concerned. Puhan, a former engineer, looked impatient.
"Brother?"
Xopull, the oldest of the Ryutians, reached out and rested a hand on Atrocitus' shoulder.
"Atrocitus," Xopull said, "there will never be a better time. We must see this through."
Atrocitus closed his eyes. Xopull shook his head.
"Better to die for a purpose, than to linger on to extinction," he said. "Do not hesitate. Not now."
Atrocitus took a deep breath. He opened his eyes, and looked each of his brothers in the eyes. He commited them to memory.
"You will never be forgotten, brothers," he swore. Xopull pulled his hand back, and nodded.
"We are ready," he said.
Atrocitus took one last deep breath... And released his rage. The very air turned red as he roared, the fury of five hundred cycles he kept under tight control at last allowed to run free.
Laira Otome
Laira screamed in shock as a wave of energy swept over her, knocking her down. She got back up and ran to the cell door, ring charged. Another wave of red energy erupted from the cells, and she formed a construct chain and grapple to hang onto the doors. She looked inside, and her eyes widened.
Atrocitus grabbed Xopull, and tore him apart with his monstrous strength, his claws and teeth ripping him to shreds. He next pounced on Puhan, whom he disembowled then decapitated with a reckless, furious bite to his neck. He then lunged at Aleb, seizing his head and ripping it off with brute strength, tearing the rest of his body to shreds with his hideous rage! Ikol, the last, stood still as Atrocitus plunged his bloody claw right through his chest, and tore out his heart!
Atrocitus roared again, and the bodies of his brothers burned like flames. The blaze grew and grew, the heat and intensity so powerful Laira lost control and fell to the deck. She shrieked, she laughed, she felt like she was on fire and in ecstasy and agony and on fire...!
The light dimmed. The waves ceased, only an overpowering presence filled her senses. She trembled, and got her bearings. She looked up to the tread of heavy feet.
Atrocitus stood before her, holding a single book in his left hand. He was adorned in heavy red and black armor, shaped similarly to the construct suits of the Green Lanterns. His eyes glowed a blood red, and captured her gaze completely. She couldn't look away.
On his right hand, around his middle finger... Was a single red ring, crackling and burning with repressed energy.
"My child," he spoke to Laira, "you have repressed your passion, your power, for far too long."
He held out his right hand. She reached out her own ring hand, and took his. He squeezed her hand in his huge fist, and she felt fire scream through her veins!
"Warning," the Ring computer said, "invasive energy detected. Lantern Laira, enact resistance protocols."
Laira stared up at Atrocitus, gritting her teeth. He shook his huge head slowly.
"You may choose to follow them," he said, "or choose to follow your passion. It is your choice, Laira."
"Lantern Laira, enact resistance protocols," the Ring repeated.
"What do you want, Laira?"
Laira looked up at Atrocitus. The fire burned, it burned... But it felt wonderful. It sang in her blood and it promised everything she ever wanted, everything she had ever desired.
It was her choice, he said. Not an order... An offer. The Green Lanterns had never given her a choice. Now this being was giving her one.
It was freedom.
"L-L-Lanterrrrrn Lairrrrrra, en-en-en-act resistanccccce... Pro-Pro-Pro-srk," the Ring sputtered, fell silent. The burning energy swept over her body, burning away her Green Lantern uniform and replacing it with a lighter, smaller, sleeker outfit. It was made in deep reds and blacks, and allowed the excess energy she was generating to be radiated. Atrocitus let go of her hand, and she gazed in wonder at the Ring on her finger. It was now blood red, and shone beautifully in her gaze.
"Laira Otomo. You have great rage in your heart," it said. "Welcome to the Red Lantern Corps."
This is part of my fanfiction universe DCAU Plus: An AU of the DCAU with elements of the Teen Titans cartoon and the comics canon being introduced. This mini series focuses on what's going on in the rest of the universe during the time of the Thanagarian Invasion on Earth, and will focus on the Green Lanterns. More to come!