Ok, viewers. Here's the next chapter. If you remember from the last chapter, Tyler got back his memories of being a Red Lantern, and he said to Eddie, that Atrocitus is planning something else. It got Eddie concerned and then he tried to force the truth out of Tyler, but couldn't get him to talk, so in this one hence the chapter's name, it'll reveal what Atrocitus plans to do. Curious as to what? Read and find out.
Deep in Frontier Space, Eddie's wormhole had opened up, and he came out of it, and looked to the planet in sight.
"Ysmault," Eddie said to himself while looking to the partially destroyed planet of the Red Lanterns. "All right then, Atrocitus. Let's see what you're up to."
He flew down towards the desolate, red planet to see if he could learn what it was Atrocitus was planning to do.
Down on the planet, Eddie slowly descended down to the ground, trying to keep out of sight, for there were Manhunter robots standing in formation around the red central battery, and there were even some flying through the skies, and Eddie quickly got to a nearby cliff and hid from them behind a big rock.
The human Lantern then looked towards the area he recognized as Atrocitus' control room.
"All right, Eddie. Let's see what he's planning," He said to himself.
He began looking all around to see when it was safe to come out of hiding, and when he saw his chance, he took it and flew up towards the windowless area.
A few Manhunters on the ground looked towards the area Eddie went in, but because he was already out of sight they looked away.
Inside Atrocitus' lair it was dark and empty, and there were red screens scattered on the other side of the wall, which were monitoring movement outside.
Eddie then looked to see a doorway with red lights on it and on the right side, was a couple of red glowing buttons.
"Could this be." He said as he pushed the bottom button and the doors opened up to reveal a small space with red lights all over it on the black walls, ceiling and floor. "Aha. An elevator." The human Blue Lantern stepped inside the elevator and looked to a panel of buttons. "Not even labeled. If I were Atrocitus, where would I keep my secret plans?" Eddie asked himself. "Maybe on the bottom floor, underneath this whole lair." He then pushed the button on the very bottom and the elevator began to go down.
After a few minutes of going down, the elevator stopped and the doors opened up and Eddie was now in a bigger room; One that looked like it went on for multiple miles, and all across the big room, he could see and hear the sounds of clanking metal and machinery being operated.
Eddie stepped out of the elevator and looked to that all in plain sight, were machines building and fixing warships and Manhunters.
"Okay, now you're getting somewhere. Machines making machines."
"Yes, sir. I've got him all riled up and he's got no idea what it is we plan to do."
Eddie looked down to a lower level to see Tyler and Atrocitus walking along a bridge above the operating machinery.
"Excellent. And you told him nothing of our plans I trust?" the hulking red alien asked his human recruit.
"Not a word. He kept trying to beat it out of me, but the thing about me, my Lord is I don't break easy."
"Very good, Tyler. I shall very much look forward to see our plans unfold when we exterminate that wretched human. The human race will suffer and writhe. Their pitiful defenses for their planet is feeble to the power of the Red Lantern Corps."
"I do not like the sound of that," Eddie said to himself.
He continued to sneak through the factory, trying to find another clue as to what it is Atrocitus was up to.
While going along, he soon came across a small door. Eddie pushed a button next to it, and the door opened up. Inside was a small room with a bunch of computer screens and a control panel.
"Maybe I can find a clue in here." Eddie said entering the computer room and closing the door behind himself.
He walked over to the computer and stared down to the control panel. "Okay, now I don't know much about alien technology, but I am good with computers, so hopefully this isn't too difficult."
The human Lantern began to fiddle with the control panel, trying to access the computer.
In another area of the factory, Tyler and Atrocitus were both standing on one end of the place and looking over the machinery.
And then from behind Atrocitus flew onto his shoulder a gray and vicious looking cat, that was wearing a Red Lantern uniform on its body, and a ring on its tail.
"It is truly remarkable, isn't it, Dex-Starr? For soon, I will conquer many planets and rule over them all with this army, as Lord and master of the Red Lantern Corps."
The feline Red Lantern then began to slightly hiss.
"What?! You sense an intruder?"
"Come," Atrocitus turned to Tyler and they both flew up.
Back in the small computer room, Eddie was making progress with Atrocitus' computer, and was beginning to start accessing certain files.
"Okay, now we're getting somewhere," Eddie said to himself. "This isn't too hard. Just gotta look through these files, and maybe. Just maybe I'll find what I came here for. Whatever that is."
He kept on looking through files on the computer and used his ring to translate the alien language into English so he could understand what it was.
After a few moments, he'd opened up another file and looked at it shocked beyond all reason. "Oh, hell no. So that's what you're planning." Eddie said beginning to quiver with fear. "I...I gotta get this info to the Guardians. Gotta get to Oa."
Eddie began searching all around the computer looking for something else, and then underneath the control panel, he noticed a small port.
"I wonder." Eddie felt the port and constructed a flash drive then attempted to plug it in, and sure enough it fit. "Perfect." Eddie said standing back up and fiddling with the computer again. "Now there should be a way to copy and download these files. There's always a way to do that."
He kept on messing with the computer, trying to download the file he found.
"All right, we're making progress," said the human Blue Lantern as the file began to download onto his drive. "Got it!" He pulled the flash drive from the computer and then walked back to the door.
After opening the door, Eddie peered out to make sure the coast was clear, as not to be seen by any of the Manhunters or any Red Lanterns.
When it looked like there was nobody in sight, Eddie quickly made his way out of the computer room.
"Well, this certainly was simple. Now to get out of here before-" Eddie said but wasn't able to finish his sentence because he was hit with a red energy blast and knocked against the wall.
"Before you what human?" Atrocitus said as he and Tyler, along with Dex-Starr on his shoulder hovered in the shadows. "Leave here without getting the chance to catch up as you humans say."
"Atrocitus!" Eddie glared towards the red skinned alien.
"What exactly did you see in there?" Atrocitus asked.
"Your plans. I know what you're up to and it's not gonna work, Atrocitus."
"Oh, but it will. See nobody else will know of these plans until it's too late, human. Besides, now that you've seen my plans I can't let you leave here...alive," Atrocitus lit up his ring, grinning wickedly.
"We'll see."
"Dex-Starr, have at him," Atrocitus said and then the Red Lantern cat flew towards Eddie, hissing viciously.
He jumped Eddie, who grabbed hold of the cat and struggled to keep him back, as Dex-Starr hissed and clawed at him.
"Bad cat!" Eddie yelled throwing Dex-Starr against the wall.
After hitting the wall, Dex-Starr landed on all fours, then shot a blast from his red lantern ring at Eddie, knocking him back.
Eddie recovered almost as quick as he was knocked down, then saw the cat coming right for him again. "All right, kitty cat. Bath time." He the constructed a fire hydrant, which sprayed a bunch of water at Dex-Starr, knocking him down with a yowl and he flew off.
Atrocitus then blasted Eddie with a red energy blast from his ring, knocking the human back.
"I'll deal with you myself, human," Atrocitus said descending down towards Eddie on the ground.
The hulking red alien grabbed Eddie by his neck and lifted him up, bringing him face to face with him. "You have no idea how I've longed for this, since you escaped me and foiled my last plans to kill you." He tightened his grip on Eddie's throat.
Eddie began to struggle to breathe. "Last time, I only just barely escaped. But that was because Tyler had worn me down," Eddie gasped for air and then cracked a slight grin. "But this time, I'm at full strength."
And finally Eddie lit up his power ring, then blasted Atrocitus in the chest with it, making him release his grip and drop Eddie, who coughed and began to catch his breath.
"Now let's see who will be victorious this time, Atrocitus," Eddie said as the two started to recover and get back on their feet.
"Yes, let's," Atrocitus said powering up his ring and shot a red energy blast at Eddie.
At the same time, Eddie shot a blue blast from his ring, and it countered Atrocitus'.
Both the red skinned alien and the human man kept shooting their power blasts at the opposing enemy, and neither one of them would stop.
"You cannot win, human. Your will is not strong enough to overpower the strength of hatred."
"Maybe not. But it's not will that powers my ring, Atrocitus. It's hope that fuels my energy!" The human Blue Lantern exclaimed as an electric blue aura shined on his body like when he battled Sinestro.
And in an instant, that blue light shining on his body, burst from him, spreading across the entire room.
The next thing Atrocitus knew was that his ring began to stop firing red energy, and he looked at it confused. "My power ring. What have you done, human?!" He yelled aloud towards Eddie.
"It's the power of hope, Atrocitus. It...how you say, jams the power of red energy. Now feel the power of hope!" Eddie yelled once more and let out a massive blue energy blast from his ring, blasting Atrocitus away.
Tyler glared and attempted to shot a blast from his power ring at Eddie, but it instantly powered down before he could use it and then he fell from midair and fell to the ground.
"Love to stay and settle our score, Atrocitus, but I gotta go. Gotta meet with the Guardians of Oa," Eddie said to the alien warlord and the blue aura around his body faded and he flew off.
Making his way out of the factory and back up to the surface, Eddie flew out from where he first went in, and began to leave the planet.
But as he was flying up into space, a bunch of yellow blasts came from behind him.
The human Lantern looked back down to see over 2 dozen Manhunters chasing him.
"Threat detected," one of the Manhunters said. "Eliminate threat."
They each aimed their long cannons at him, and opened fire.
Eddie flinched as they started shooting at him, and continued flying off the planet, with the Manhunters shooting at him nonstop, and he constructed a shield from behind to block their fire.
As the Manhunters continued to shoot and chase him, through the endless void of space, Eddie's shield construct began to crack from all the hits it was taking.
In moments the Manhunters laser blasts destroyed his shield, and then Eddie started shooting blasts from his ring to draw their fire.
He then constructed a missile and launched it, which created an explosion, destroying a few Manhunters.
"Okay, that didn't work as well as I thought it would," Eddie said to himself. "I gotta get out of here."
The human Blue Lantern started to power up his ring, and then opened a wormhole, which he flew through and vanished from the Manhunters.
On the planet Odym, it was night time out, and the Blue Lantern Guardian, Ganthet was floating in midair above the blue central battery. His eyes were closed and he had his hands together as he was meditating.
He then sensed something through telepathy as he opened his eyes and looked to the night sky; From there he saw Eddie descending down to the planet.
"Welcome back, brother," Ganthet said with a small smile across his face and Eddie bowed his head slightly in respect. "Have you come back for more lessons on the healing technique?"
"No, sir. I'm actually just here because I needed to recharge my power ring. I didn't have enough juice left to make it to Oa, and I can't afford to lose this very important construct." Eddie replied pulling his flash drive construct from his pocket.
"Oh, and what might that be?" Ganthet asked again.
"It's kind of a long story. Unless you've got time, Ganthet."
"Of course."
Eddie nodded. "All right, then let me just recharge and I'll explain."
After he recharged his ring from the central battery, Eddie began to explain the whole situation to Ganthet.
"Atrocitus? Are you certain that this is what he's planning?"
"That's what these plans that I stole from his computer say. That's why I need to get this info to the Guardians on Oa, so that they can hopefully save me."
"I sense there is also another problem, isn't there?" Ganthet asked again.
"Yes. As if this mayhem with the Red Lanterns wasn't enough to worry about, I have another threat at hand. The former Green Lantern, and my former friend Sinestro got banished from the Green Lantern Corps, but some time after that happened, he received a new power ring. A yellow one, that harnesses the yellow energy of fear. And believe me when I say he's certainly been busy, because he's already recruited hundreds of people."
"Have great patience, brother. Remember throughout this coming storm, never lose sight of hope. Hope will always be there to guide you, even in the most of misfortunate times."
"I won't forget. And thank you, Ganthet." Eddie said standing back up.
"Fare thee well, old friend. Until we meet again."
Eddie flew out of the atmosphere of Odym, and back into space.
On the planet Oa, Eddie flew down into the atmosphere, and made his way as quick as he could to the Guardians' citadel.
Right outside the entrance doors on his computer-like device was Salaak; A four armed alien with a pink, squid shaped head and three fingers on each of his hands.
He looked towards Eddie walking up. "General Edward J Michaels, what is the purpose for you being here?"
"I need to see the Guardians. I've got some incriminating information involving the Red Lanterns that they really need to see."
"How incriminating?" Salaak asked.
"Extremely," Eddie replied.
The doors into the Guardians' chamber opened up, and there they were, all floating above the ring in the chamber as both Eddie and Salaak made their way in.
"General," Appa spoke first. "What might be the purpose for this visit?"
"I don't mean to trouble you, Guardians, but I've just come from the planet Ysmault, for I bring you some critical information."
"And what might this information be?" Appa asked again.
"It's all on this," Eddie replied taking the flash drive out of his pocket again. "It wasn't easy, but I managed to get some very secret plans from Atrocitus' computer on Ysmualt that I thought you all should see."
Eddie turned towards Salaak and gave him the flash drive, and the squid faced alien plugged it into his computer device. "I am now pulling up the data, downloaded onto this external device."
And then in the center of the entire chamber appeared a bunch of holograms of a massive fleet of warships; Bigger than the one that Atrocitus attempted to send to Oa.
The Guardians all gasped in shock.
"Another fleet of ships?" Sayd said looking to the holograms.
"Yes, but ten times bigger than the last one that the Corps had fought off," Eddie chimed in.
"How did you get this information, General?" Appa said to Eddie.
"After a battle with my former friend from Earth, who Atrocitus made a Red Lantern, he told me that Atrocitus was planning something, but didn't say what that was. It worried me, so I went to Ysmault to find out for myself. I snuck into Atrocitus' computer room and stumbled upon these plans, and I knew I couldn't just do nothing about this."
"You did the right thing in bringing this information to us. We must prepare the Corps for another invasion," Sayd said to the other Guardians.
"Indeed," Appa agreed. "We shall recall all our soldiers to prepare them for this invasion."
"But that's just it, Guardians," Eddie interrupted. "Atrocitus isn't sending this fleet to Oa. This thing isn't only worse for me than it is for you; It's worse for the entire human race, because Atrocitus is gonna invade Earth with this fleet."
"And it does not look as though that will be long," Salaak intervened.
The holograms of the ships then disappeared, and then it was replaced by a set of holographic numbers counting down.
Eddie used his ring to translate the numbers to see that the countdown was at 5 days, 17 hours, 31 minutes and 25 seconds.
"We don't have long at all," Eddie said looking to the Guardians. "Guardians, listen to me. I know that you all need to measure your actions before you take them, but even with the allies I have on Earth, we alone can't stop this fleet. That's why I ask for your help Guardians. We need the rest of the Green Lantern Corps to help fight this invasion. I'm asking you as this for a favor, and not to do the whole debt thing, but I do believe you are obligated to help me, in exchange for all I've done. Help me save my planet, and your debt is repaid, Guardians."
The Guardians all looked towards one another, debating everything Eddie had just said and then looked down to Eddie.
"Very well," Appa said. "We shall lend you our aid. As general, you shall lead the entire Green Lantern Corps to war with the Red Lantern's."
"Thank you, Guardians of Oa."
All right, there you have it. Atrocitus is planning another invasion, but this time on Earth. So when he does, Eddie will have aid from the Green Lanterns, as repayment from the Guardians. And I guess I realized that I never brought in the Red Lantern cat Dex-Starr. I actually forgot until a short time ago, and decided, why not bring him in. So next chapter will be when Atrocitus sends that fleet of ships to Earth. Until then, please read, review and enjoy.