a/n: pt 2 of the flashback chapters.

"Kilowog, stop drilling her. When I asked you to come with us to Ysmault, I didn't expect you to interrogate her all the way."

"She's not saying anything."

"Because she's a kid and she's scared!" I defended, pushing Kilowog away and sat on the floor by the table Zaria was hiding under. "Hey, little Red. Whatcha doing under the table?"

"Tamaraneans are bred to be soldiers from birth, despite being a peaceful race. Zaria is no different." Kilowog pointed out and I rolled my eyes, holding out a hand for Zar.

"Doesn't take away from the fact that she's a kid... I've seen what war does to young adults. I can't imagine what it would be like for a kid her age."

"The Green Lantern of our sector was murdered trying to protect me." Zaria mumbled, crawling out from under the table. "I was not supposed to be involved in the war... I was not properly trained. But so many of my people have died, I did not have a choice."

"Zaria, you don't have to explain. It's perfectly-"

"I hoped for a moment that the Ring would choose me. It's a great honor for a Tamaranean to become a Green Lantern since we've only had two... but the wrong Ring chose me. Which means I am now a disgrace to my people... but I was so angry and confused! I didn't-"

"Hey, it's not your fault." Kilowog sighed and sat across from me when Zaria crawled into my lap. "We'll get the answers to help you. But you've done the one thing no Red has been able to do and that's a win in my book."

"What?"

"You still haven't let the Ring control you."

"Should I?"

"No!" We both yelled and Zaria flinched.

"We'll go to Ysmault and get all the answers we need to help you, little Red. In the meantime, you should rest. You had a very long day." I sighed and stood up with her in my arms. "I'll take first watch. You should get some shuteye as well, Kilowog."

Leaving the room, I turned to the barracks in the back and gently set down Zaria on one of the beds but she immediately grabbed my arm.

"Would... would you stay with me? I'm scared of my Ring." She pleaded and I nodded, moving to lay next to her. "Do you think I'll be able to keep control of my Ring when we arrive at Ysmault?"

"Kid, I have a feeling you're gonna do things you'd never imagine."

*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*

"Oh, this place is-"

"Terrifying." I finished and Kilowog nodded.

"It's calling me." Zaria whispered, leaving the ship and stood in between us. "He's calling me."

"Who's calling you, little Red?" I asked and she pointed at the destroyed castle on top of a mountain. "Oh... because that's not creepy at all."

"His name is Atrocitus." She said, seemingly in a trance and flew to the castle.

"Hal? You got a bad feeling about this too?"Kilowog called out and I nodded, immediately flying after Zaria.

"Just... let's just keep an eye on her and Bleez. She has a vendetta against me."

"Only you would make a Red Lantern feel more rage." He sighed and I shrugged, holding Zaria back when we arrived at the castle and Bleez walked out.

"Jordan!" She screeched and pointed the Ring at me but Zaria stood in the middle, horns slowly appearing.

"We come in peace, Bleez." I said, raising my hands. "I always wanted to say that!"

"We come to see the one who summoned." Zaria spoke in the distorted voice again, the horns growing larger by the second. "You are not to touch the Green Lanterns."

"She is already becoming one of us." Bleez grinned, walking down and stroked Zaria's horns. "I did not believe Atrocitus when he said the Ring chose a child. You must have great rage in you."

"We come seeking answers, Bleez." I rolled my eyes. "We're here to talk to the big bad in charge, not his errand girl."

"And who's to say he wishes to speak to you? He only summoned the girl."

"We're a package deal. Where she goes, I go."

"Deals change."

"Hal Jordan comes with me." Zaria said, chaining down Bleez and forced her to kneel. "The Green Lanterns stay with me."

"They have no power here, child. And you're wasting what's left of your battery. If you don't charge soon, you will die."

"Take us to Atrocitus... Now."

"As you wish."

*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*

"Zaria of Tamaran. Welcome."

The moment we stepped inside the castle, Zaria's appearance completely changed.

The horns on her head grew significantly larger, her hair started emitting fire, large fangs instead of teeth and her eyes and hands emitted black smoke. Black and red veins covered her body and the Ring could blind somebody by how bright it was glowing.

"How do you know her name?" Kilowog asked, shielding Zaria but she pushed him aside and kept staring at Atrocitus.

"I know all the Ring bearers." Atrocitus smirked, walking down from his throne and stood in front of Zaria. "You are different. Willpower is keeping you from letting the Ring take over."

"We came for answers and then we'll be on our way." I said, taking a step forward. "Why is she like this?"

"The Ring forces the user to take form of their rage. This is what Zaria's rage looks like. She is still a child, so I imagine it will change when she is an adult."

"The Oath?"

"She knows it... deep down she knows it." He grinned and I grimaced. "But if you must know... With blood and rage of crimson red, ripped from a corpse so freshly dead, together with our hellish hate, we'll burn you all, that is your fate. That is our oath."

"She needs to charge or she'll die." Kilowog pointed out and Atrocitus gestured to the grand Lantern behind him.

"Once she finishes her first Charge, she will receive her Lantern."

Not tearing her gaze from Atrocitus, Zaria slowly stepped up to the Lantern and placed her left hand inside.

"With blood and rage of crimson red, ripped from a corpse so freshly dead..."

"Once she charges, she won't be able to remove the Ring. It will render her heart useless. Her blood is spoiled so the Ring will expel it and that will become her permanent form." Atrocitus nonchalantly said and I widened my eyes. "She could've removed it at any moment and we wouldn't be having this conversation... such a shame, Jordan."

"Zaria, don't finish the oath!" I yelled, flying up to the Lantern but it was too late.

She finished the oath.

The Lantern sent Zaria flying back to Kilowog's feet. I flew back down and helped her sit when she started vomiting her blood.

"Breathe, Red. You're not your anger." I tried to reason. Zaria looked up at me, her eyes slowly turning a darker shade of red and black veins crept up her neck. "Zar... listen to me."

She let out a scream, the rest of her blood coming out and burned a hole through the ground.

"She is one of us now, Jordan. Release her." Atrocitus grinned, but I held Zaria when she started convulsing, black goo pouring out of her mouth.

"Take it off... Kill me." She pleaded.

"Not how this works, little Red. I don't kill." I shook my head and constructed a mouth guard to keep her from spilling more goo but it didn't work. "Control it, kid. I know you can."

"The Ring will overpower her, Hal!" Kilowog exclaimed.

"It won't!" I yelled back and constructed a shield around us when Atrocitus started laughing. "I just need to come up with something..."

"You're losing her, Jordan!" Atrocitus cackled.

Willpower overcomes every emotion.

"I'm sorry, kid. But I can't let you go. You've become too important to me in the span of a few days." I whispered and broke the shield.

Taking a deep breath, I used the Ring to somehow gather all the blood Zaria vomited and forced it back onto her body, causing her to scream out in pain when the Ring rejected it again.

"Hal, you're killing her!" Kilowog pleaded, trying to stop it but I just pushed him away.

"Willpower overcomes all emotion... if I succumb her to enough will-"

"She might regain control."

"Exactly." I grit my teeth, forcing the last of the blood back into her body when Atrocitus forced me away from her.

"She doesn't belong to you, Jordan."

"Yeah? Well, now she doesn't belong to you either." I smirked, pointing at Zaria who stopped convulsing and the dark veins disappeared. She slowly stood up and stared down at Atrocitus with gritted teeth. "And you're so fucking screwed!"

"Let him go." Zaria growled and Atrocitus laughed, grabbing me by the neck while Bleez flew up and took my Ring, the other Lanterns holding down Kilowog and removed his Ring as well. "Now."

"A child dares give me orders? I could remove that Ring without much effort, girl." He challenged and squeezed my neck. "But let's see what would happen to poor Hal Jordan without his Ring."

Zaria flew up to Bleez and swiftly kicked her across the face before using the Ring to pin her against a wall. Turning back to Atrocitus, she constructed a spear and took a step forward but he pinned her next to Bleez.

"Zaria!" Kilowog screamed.

"Let him go!" Zaria yelled, struggling against the hold Atrocitus' Ring had on her.

"Fight me for it." He grinned, throwing me next to Kilowog. Bleez broke free from the restraints Zaria placed and immediately chained both of us to the ground, forcing our heads up to watch.

"Terms?" Zaria asked, her voice finally returning to normal.

"You win, you get to leave with your Lantern and they both get their Rings back. I win... you belong to me."

"Zaria, don't! Get out of here and we'll take our chances!" I begged.

"I accept." She nodded, constructing a sword and stabbed him on the side.

"Kid! What the hell-"

"She's a soldier, Hal. Remember where you found her." Kilowog tried to reason.

"She's eight years old!"

Atrocitus grabbed her head and bashed it against his throne before grabbing her horns and threw her to a wall.

"Weak." He spat. Zaria wiped the blood off her mouth and stood up. "But I must admire your dedication."

I watched in pure awe as her hands turned to claws and she flew up to Atrocitus, scratching him by his left eye and constructed a spear, stabbing the hand where his Ring was.

Once Atrocitus was on his knees, Zaria knelt down and went to remove his Ring but he stopped her.

"I... I give." He admitted and Bleez slowly let us go. "You may leave."

"My Lantern and their Rings. Where is it?" Zaria asked. Bleez threw me and Kilowog our Rings while a red Lantern appeared right in front of us.

"So... this is your rage?" I asked with a smirk and she sheepishly shrugged. "I like it! But I could live without the claws."

"Let's get back to Oa before someone changes their mind." Kilowog grumbled and we both nodded. "Nice thinking of going after the Ring, kid."

"Go for the weakest point. That's what I was taught in Okaara."

"Those war lords taught you well."

"Seeing her fight brought you rage, Hal Jordan. It is only a matter of time." Atrocitus called out and I flipped him off, slinging an arm around Zaria's shoulders. "This isn't over!"

"I believe it is, ugly! Have fun seeing with only one eye and half a mouth!" 

*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*

"I'll be in charge of her and take full responsibility. If she wishes, she's to serve the Green Lanterns. This isn't up for negotiation."

"You dare bring that... that demon here!" Dennap yelled and pointed at Zaria who was staring him down with no emotion whatsoever.

We still haven't found a way to see if she can shift back to normal.

"She has a name." I spat and clenched my fists. "And if you all would just listen to me, you'd know that she did what no Lantern has been able to do."

"And what is that?"

"She took down Atrocitus." Kilowog called out and the Guardians all gasped. "Without much effort... and she almost removed his Ring."

"Removing a Ring won't do her much good."

"The Red Ring becomes their lifeline. Once they say their oath and charge, it replaces the heart." I explained and they all widened their eyes. "Zaria managed to almost remove Atrocitus' Ring with no effort whatsoever."

Suddenly, all of the Guardians started yelling over each other. I turned to Zaria who seemingly hadn't blinked or moved a muscle since we got back.

"Kid, are you-"

"They are planning to kill me. You do not have to read minds to know that." She shrugged and turned to me. "He called me a demon... that was not very nice."

"Dennap always judges by appearances. When he saw I was nothing more than a human pilot, he wanted me to turn in my Ring." I waved it off. "You'll be fine."

"No... I won't be. They are going to kill me."

"Hal Jordan of Earth, step forth." Pazu ordered and I nodded. "Regarding Zaria-"

"Hal!" She screamed and I turned to see her chained down again by all the Guardians.

"What the hell are you all doing!?" I asked and turned to them. "Stop this!"

"If she managed to take down Atrocitus and almost removed his Ring, there is no telling what she'd-"

"She's a kid, for the love of God! I feel like I'm talking to walls these past three days!" I pleaded and heard Zaria scream in pain again.

"Hal, she's gonna vomit her blood again!" Kilowog called out. "And if you do what you did in Ysmault again, you might kill her."

"She is a danger to-"

"A kid! A literal child who doesn't know any better! If I take her then-"

"And you'll do what? Take her to Earth? Away from the only home she's ever known and-"

"Enough!" Zaria yelled, breaking the constructs and flew up to the Guardians.

"Zaria!" I called out and flew next to her.

"I stay with Hal Jordan. That is final."

"I'll begin her training and she'll stay here with Kilowog in the meantime when I have to go to Earth. After that, she leaves with me. We'll make all the adjustments necessary with her." I said and shielded Zaria from the Guardians. "None of you are gonna lay a hand on her ever again, you hear me?"

"You dare challenge us, Hal Jordan?" Dennap asked and I smirked.

"Touch her again and we'll see."