[ Written by Joygirl. Plotted by Joygirl and Avenging_X_Bolt. ]
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“What's going on?” Razer said quietly, his arms folded across his chest. The bizarrely-colored earth-cat, Dex-Starr, crawled up onto his shoulder for a better look, his long blue tail swishing back and forth.
“I'm unsure,” Atrocitus replied, taking a pensive posture with his hands clasped behind his back. With his first several officers already doused in the agonizing abyss of the Blood Ocean, and a few of those having already set out onto their vengeance-quests, the High Lord had moved on to the next “wave” of recruits, the first of which had been a curious creature.
Squat, but sinuous – powerful yet feral. The deep indigo, one-eyed creature known as Veon had always been a particularly ferocious lantern when he had been mindless, and Atros had high hopes for him... very high hopes. Now, however, Veon thrashed and squirmed within the Ocean's embrace, shrieking and spewing plasma out of his mouth, his very body seeming to twist and contort, muscles knotting.
“It's taking too long. His awakening should have finished by now,” Razer said, taking another step forward. Dex had settled on his shoulder now, arms and legs draped over either side, and had started to purr contently... though his eyes never left the spectacle of Veon's anguished flailing.
“He's reacting badly to the awakening. I've never seen anything like it before.” Atrocitus reached in quickly, closing one massive hand around Veon's head-tail and yanking him out of the burbling scarlet liquid.
“Killllll! Rend, maim! Rrraaaagggge...!” Veon spluttered. He had visibly changed, but only slightly. When each member of the Red Lantern Corps emerged from the Blood Ocean their uniform would change very slightly to fit their own tastes – Veon's, however, was nearly identical to the way it had been before. A burning red membrane coating his body, encasing him and emblazoned with the Red Lantern insignia.
“We may never know what happened to him, to bring him the ring,” Atros mused, still holding the writhing creature up by his head and examining him closely. “Perhaps it was so terrible that even being granted lucidity was not enough to bring sanity. We may not be able to comprehend the torment he has sustained.”
“We have all sustained true pain, Lord Atrocitus,” Razer said softly, standing behind and to the side of the Corps' leader, getting a closer look at Veon. “No one's rage is greater than another's.”
“Untrue,” Atrocitus growled, tossing Veon to the bank and turning away. He'd been manageable up until now, he'd remain so. “Rage is not equal. Some rage, certain burning furies, are more bitter... more savage. More pure. The rage of a Red Lantern.” He inhaled, turning to face the blue-flesh creature again as it scrambled onto all fours, struggling to regain what senses it had. “But perhaps even that rage is not without its impurities."
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