Wavelengths
A DCAU Plus fanfiction project
Sinestro
Sinestro threw out multiple construct lances, each razor sharp and hurled at near supersonic speed. Atrocitus slammed his fist into the ground, shattering the metal into chunks he pulled up into a shell with the power of his ring. The projectiles impacted against the shell, the booms almost deafening through the protection from their Ring auras.
Karu-Sil charged forward, darting with her construct predators to get around and flank them, while Arkillo summoned up a massive energy cannon and began firing on the shell. His blasts ripped huge chunks out of it, quickly reducing the protection it offered.
Karu-Sil's constructs roared and dug through the shell's rubble, seeking vulnerabilities… Before the ground erupted underneath Sinestro. He ascended rapidly as a gigantic red explosion consumed the courtyard, and a crimson Atrocitus leaped at him. Sinestro formed a shield and fired off another lance. It pierced through the Ryutian's belly as he charged at Sinestro. Sinestro smirked.
"Did you really think that ancient trick would work? You just got that ring, and I-"
The construct exploded in a massive blast, blinding Sinestro! He reared back in shock.
A green energy blast hit Sinestro from behind, as Arisia flew up out of the rubble piles. She expanded her green construct field out far, sweeping over everything. She pulled all of the dust from the debris, concentrating it, before she fired it off into a massive cloud. It obscured everything in the area for a moment before Sinestro had his ring form sensors over his eyes.
Arisia though struck in that moment, her green construct saber slashing across his back! He shielded himself just in time, but the real Atrocitus chose this moment to blast out of the dust cloud and hit him like a rail gun round.
Arkillo came to his aid, letting loose bolts of yellow energy that pinned Atrocitus down. The Red Lantern roared his rage, unleashing red blasts back. Sinestro saw that Karu-Sil had dug herself out of the rubble, and was rushing to flank Atrocitus from behind. Good. That only left-
Multiple green constructs attacked him from multiple angles, all furious looking monsters. Sinestro formed his own, yellow beasts lashing out to intercept the creatures. Four Arisias, cloaked in green energy, shot through the dust cloud and unleashed their own blasts. Sinestro formed layers of shields around himself, analyzing each construct carefully.
"Jordan tried this trick on me once," Sinestro stated. "As I recall-"
He willed a bludgeon to shoot down from his protective shield, striking Arisia hard as she tried to attack from below. She fell to the rubble covered ground as her constructs vanished, and cried out as he fired another blast to slam her into the durasteel plating. He descended, his ring burning with repressed energy.
"Delays are unavoidable, I suppose," Sinestro hissed, floating just above the ground and stalking towards the injured girl. "No plan survives contact with the enemy and all that."
He lifted his ring, focusing its power. Arisia groaned, lit her ring, and flew up at him.
"Neither will you," he finished, unleashing a killing blast right at Arisia!
Atrocitus
Atrocitus was on the other side of the huge courtyard, trading blows with the huge Arkillo. The tusked alien was laughing in a booming voice, his fists encased in massive gauntlet-like constructs that added to his fearsome strength. He was a match for Atrocitus' own great physical might, as every blow they exchanged made the ground around them shake.
The carnivore grinned, his feral bloodlust burning in his eyes.
"Not bad, ancient one," Arkillo taunted, summoning an amber sickle blade and swinging it for Atrocitus's head, "but not good enough!"
Atrocitus willed his rage, and a bloody red shield appeared just in time to parry the blow. Arkillo seamlessly shifted his construct into two punching daggers and thrust for Atrocitus's hearts! The Red Lantern formed two spiked gauntlets, catching the punching daggers and pushing back against Arkillo. Arkillo's grin widened just a bit, and-
Too late, Atrocitus felt jagged fangs clamp down on his ankles, and the back of his neck. He grit his sharp teeth as Karu-Sil's constructs began to bite down harder, their mistress floating behind him. Despite her injuries, she was still willing herself forward, as Arkillo laughed wickedly.
"What good is your rage if all it does is distract you?" He taunted. Atrocitus's mouth glowed, fiery plasma sparking from between his teeth.
"What good is fear if it does not compel you to be ALERT?!" Atrocitus roared, unleashing an eruption of red plasma right into Arkillo's face. Unprepared, the Yellow Lantern's aura failed to shield him and he fell back to cover his burned face, screaming. Atrocitus turned and unleashed another mouth blast at Karu-Sil, this one potent enough to annihilate one of the many buildings around the Central Power Battery complex!
Karu-Sil had barely dodged out of the way, and stared in fear and disbelief as she laid on the ground. Atrocitus grinned again, the plasma burning from his mouth now taking a more definitive shape.
"Your fear is weak. Only rage can end your opponents! You lost this battle before it began!" He bellowed, and unleashed the full might of his wrath.
The red energy erupted from his ring and his mouth, forming into a huge, monstrous maw. The construct monster roared, loud enough Karu-Sil covered her ears and whimpered. It bore down on her like a freight train, leaving her only enough time to summon her three predators to form a shield.
It wasn't enough.
WHABOOM!
The durasteel construction around the courtyard was left as a smoking crater, the aftershocks rumbling throughout the area. Atrocitus extended his Ring's sensors, probing for lifesigns…
Yes. His opponent still lived, her mind mostly composed of impotent anger and feral fear as she laid in the debris. Pity.
Arkillo struck him from behind with a massive energy blast, this one sending Atrocitus falling to the ground. He grunted and got up, forming a red shell around himself. Yellow energy blasts rained down upon him, and he looked up to see Arkillo firing everything he had at him.
"I WILL FEAST UPON YOUR BURNING CORPSE!" Arkillo raged. Atrocitus considered his words, then took a step forward. Then another step, and another. Slowly, calmly, even as the blasts pummeled him, he advanced. Arkillo held his ground, forming weapon after weapon and unleashing their energies upon Atrocitus!
A magnetic cannon unleashed a blast of positrons that made the air explode, and burned Atrocitus's skin even through the aura of his ring.
Flak cannons fired off sharpened metal, pelting him with razor sharp projectiles moving well past the speed of sound.
A lightning gun unleashed millions of volts, threatening to electrocute him to death.
Yet Atrocitus never stopped his relentless pace, a mighty glacier. Arkillo's face showed his fear, even through the burns.
"You… DIE! WHY WON'T YOU DIE?!" He bellowed, the pain he was experiencing only fueling his fear. Atrocitus decided to end this embarrassment, and launched himself forward!
His red construct blade clashed with Arkillo's improvised gauntlets, and he let his anger flow. The constructs burned with incredible heat and energy, the yellow constructs creaking, weakening… Then giving way. Atrocitus pressed forward, his burning hands grasping Arkillo's and squeezing hard enough to break them!
Arkillo screamed in rage and agony, as Atrocitus' grip crushed his hands and burned his skin. The Red Lantern kicked him hard in the stomach, then head butted him.
"Pain fuels my rage!" He hissed. "Every time you strike me, I grow stronger!"
He punched Arkillo, again and again, driving the huge alien into the ruined courtyard floor. He summoned up a huge hammer, blazing red with his fury, and slammed it onto Arkillo. He smashed the monstrous alien into the rubble, again, and again and again!
He paused, long enough to note that Arkillo still lived though his breathing was labored. He glared into the Yellow Lantern's eyes.
"Your fear grows… Yet you are no stronger!" He shook his head. "Pitiful!"
He hefted up his hammer, willing it to take the form of a mighty axe. Best he cleave him in two before he had the-
Green and yellow light erupted from across the courtyard, and he looked up. He saw Sinestro and Arisia engaged, and the Green Lantern was faltering. He considered for a moment, then let the construct fade away.
He could kill these misguided beings later. Now he had more important things to do.
Arisia
Arisia summoned her willpower and fired a blast back, narrowing the beam to deflect Sinestro's own. Sinestro, annoyed, pushed more power into the beam, and Arisia kept summoning up willpower to push back. He continued to walk towards her, his beam's power increasing with every step.
"You thought the beast would aid you, didn't you?" Sinestro taunted. "What is he to you? A pet? A lover?" His lip curled as Arisia struggled against his power, "or a replacement for your father?"
Arisia's eyes burned red, and the furious energy that had propelled her began to crackle around her aura. Her beam grew stronger, but only just-Sinestro still pulled out all the stops and pushed her back. She landed on the ground, and the force pushed her down onto her knees. She kept her ring up, trying to summon more willpower, trying to fight back…
She saw Atrocitus out of the corner of her eye, across the courtyard. He made no move towards her, Arkillo's still body lying near him. She gritted her teeth-Why wasn't he helping her?!
He was going to leave her to die?! After saving her life?! It didn't make any sense!
"Little Lantern," Atrocitus' voice spoke to her, and Arisia started before she realized it was a transmission through her Ring, "I will never abandon you… But you must win this fight yourself."
"Are you kidding?!" Arisia shot back angrily, "this is frakking Sinestro! I'm no match for him! HELP ME!"
Atrocitus shook his head.
"You have all that you need," he said. "I can feel your rage, your anger… Yet you resist it! You hold it back!"
Her ring arm was getting tired. Every part of her was getting tired. She could only see yellow, save for the smallest hint of green that her ring was putting out.
"Unleash your anger! Unleash your rage!" Atocitus spoke. "This man took your father from you! He means to destroy you and all you hold dear! He will take your life! ONLY YOUR HATRED CAN DESTROY HIM!"
Arisia pulled her head up, her eyes narrowing as she focused. She could see Sinestro there, smug, enjoying her fear. It would only be a few moments more before he overwhelmed her. He wasn't even trying anything fancy-Just blasting her with Ring energy until she wore out and he annihilated her.
The red filled her vision, and she grit her teeth so hard they creaked. She grabbed hold of her wrist and held her ring up high, letting her emotions fuel her ring.
"YES!" Atrocitus cried, "TAKE THE PAIN HE HAS CAUSED, AND MAKE IT YOUR POWER!"
Fire erupted from within her depths, and Arisia let out a scream of rage. Dark green energy roared out of her ring, red lightning bolts shooting through it. It shot up through Sinestro's blast, consuming his yellow light. He had only enough time to cry out in surprise before the energy overwhelmed him!
KABOOOOOM!
The massive explosion obscured Sinestro, and Arisia collapsed onto the ground, panting desperately for air. She shook from the exertion, fingers tightly gripping the hard metal-It felt like the entire planet was spinning, and she didn't want to be thrown off. She groaned and managed to look up.
The smoke cleared. Sinestro floated there, covered in burns and scorch marks, his aura burning as he stared down in a mixture of rage and disbelief.
"You…!" He hissed… Then Atrocitus was above him. He didn't even get the chance to finish-Atrocitus shot up like a missile behind him, and rammed a fist into the back of his neck. The pink skinned tyrant fell, eyes wide in surprise, and landed hard in front of her. She held up her hands to protect herself from the kicked up debris, then lowered them.
Sinestro lay in a new crater, groaning softly. Atrocitus landed next to her, and extended a large hand. Shakily, she took it, letting him pull her up to her feet.
Arisia stared at her fallen foe, and then back up at Atrocitus. Atrocitus was smiling, pride in every inch of his craggy face. She smiled back, feral and bloody.
"Your hatred has made you powerful," he complimented. "Your anger burns brilliantly." He let her go, and held out his hand towards Sinestro. "Now… Kill him. End his tyranny, Arisia. Avenge your father. Avenge the fallen. Together, we will forge a new order for the galaxy."
Arisia panted hard, the burning heat flooding her veins. It hurt, and yet it was exhilarating. Already, her Ring was turning red and vibrating furiously, and her uniform was reforming in decadent scarlets and blacks.
She advanced on Sinestro, a thrill shooting through her as she saw his blood dribbling out of his mouth. She lifted her Ring, the transformation nearly complete. The heat of her aura was melting and warping the metal underneath her feet.
Just one thought. One act of will, of rage and her father would be avenged. There was so much evil in the galaxy, so much that the Guardians couldn't stop it all. They weren't willing to go far enough. Her rage… She had bested Sinestro, something even the great Hal Jordan, Kyle Rayner, Guy Gardner and John Stewart hadn't managed to do.
Sinestro would only be the first. She would paint the galaxy red in vengeance, and...
Sinestro rolled onto his side in the shifting rubble, groaning in agony. A green ring dropped out of his ruined belt. Her father's ring.
It rolled and flipped down to her feet, silent. She stared down at it, as it glowed softly. It rose, like a bird long confined now back in the open. It floated before her for a moment, a long moment.
Then it flew off into the stars above, seeking a new bearer. As her Ring had done. As they all did.
Arisia watched it go, then she looked down at Sinestro.
He was beaten and helpless, and stared up at her in naked fear. His throat was injured, he couldn't say a word. His Ring hand had been crushed and burned, rendered useless.
She stared down at her own Ring, nearly completely consumed by red rage. Her hand shook, and she sucked in a deep, haggard breath. She looked around the ruins of the courtyard.
Fires burned in many areas, and smoke rose from cracks in the super strong metals. Buildings had been laid to waste. The greenery from a hundred worlds that had brought life to the courtyard was all ashes, floating into the atmosphere as it burned.
Arisia trembled.
"Why do you hesitate, Arisia?" Atrocitus rumbled gently. "Your moment of triumph is at hand. You just need to take it!"
"... No," Arisia whispered. Atrocitus was silent for a moment.
"No?" He asked.
Arisia shook her head.
"I can't… I can't do it," she whispered. "I can't…"
"Yes you can," Atrocitus said urgently. "It is within you! Just let go! Let go, and be free!"
The rage seemed to intensify, but now all it brought was agony. Arisia gritted her teeth, and slowly pulled her Ring to her face. The Red had nearly taken it all, there was nothing green left…
She closed her eyes, and willed herself to speak.
"In brightest day… In darkest night," she began softly, "no evil shall… Escape my sight…!"
The rage began to subside, and the red retreated from her Ring and clothing as her voice grew stronger. The green light erupted from every inch of her body.
"Let those who worship evil's might… Beware my power…!"
The energy burst, driving Atrocitus back. He regained his footing, and stared in shock as Arisia floated before him-Her uniform restored to green and white.
"GREEN LANTERN'S LIGHT!" Arisia finished, her voice strong and confident.
She hovered over the beaten Sinestro, her eyes locked onto Atrocitus.
"That's not what this Ring chose me to do," Arisia stated, louder now. "It's not what I choose to do." She turned to Atrocitus. "I won't let my rage control me, Atrocitus. You think it gives you freedom. You think it's set you free."
She held her hands out, trying to encompass the ruins and destruction around them.
"What will it do to the galaxy you want to save though?" She asked. "It won't make things better, Atrocitus. It will only make things worse. You think you can do better than the Guardians? They're not perfect… But will this be an improvement?"
Atrocitus stared back.
"So," he said, "this is your choice?"
He sounded… Sad. Disappointed. It hurt more than she thought it would, but she refused to back down.
"I am a Green Lantern," she said, "like my father before me."
Atrocitus watched her for another long, terrible moment. He nodded grimly, and his Ring began to burn.
"So be it."
So, how was that?