In the Golden Light - A Justice League AU

Chapter 9 - The Truth is Revealed

How...How can it be!? I thought I would never see him ever again! 

"It is you," Goldwath said, his eyes wide. "Dazzling Hawk...from the Thanagarian Army. ...The one who challenged my rank! Now that part of my memories make sense..."

The Thanagarian, Dazzling Hawk, leaned his head closer to Goldwath, smirking. "So you do remember me," he teased. "After all these years of my exile. And to think, I've been exiled far longer than you have."

"Don't be surprised to see me-"

"I'm not. I always knew you would be stripped of your rank and sent here. I've known it since the day you joined the Army. Pathetic little worm you were, and still are, always dependent on your brother, Amberwath, for help. Hah....I knew the General would eventually come to his senses. But none of that matters now; I've much better plans to exact my vengeance."

Goldwath pulled back his lips and snarled. "What have you been planning...?" he asked him.

"Oh you wish to know what I have been plotting while I was on this miserable planet?" Dazzling said while raising a paw to his mouth. He dramatically gaped his mouth open before chuckling. "How cute! I thought you would already know by now. With your nightmares and all-"

Goldwath blinked up at him. He squinted at the mention about his nightmares. "...How did you know about my nightmares?" he inquired. 

"Oh, darn, I guess I let the cat out of the bag. I really should watch what I say-"

"Dazzling Hawk! Don't ignore me...Answer my question. Now."

Dazzling Hawk put his paw down and looked directly into Goldwath's eyes. "I've been keeping close tabs on you, Goldwath," he began, "with the help of my companion Nightshadow over there." He pointed to where Hawkgirl was fighting off the trio that were piling her, specifically pointing to the pitch black-furred wolf. "I purposefully asked him to induce your nightmares to an overdrive so your anger would be uncontrollable. I didn't think he could pull off such a feat but..." Dazzling Hawk smirked, pausing his sentence. "...Cassandia really did all of us wonders, I'll say..."

Goldwath stared in this revelation, looking back to the fight. It was him who had been following him. It was him who slinked into his shadows and his mind to tamper with his trauma. But it was also Dazzling Hawk. He turned back to him and snarled, kicking him square in the stomach to push him off. He lashed out to Dazzling Hawk but he kept dodging his every move, which angered him more. 

It was his fault.

He was the one responsible for bringing out his deepest traumas and turning them into anger. He was the one who nearly cost him his spot in the Justice League. 

"COME AND FACE ME IN A REMATCH, YOU COWARD DAZZLING HAWK!" Goldwath shouted. Dazzling Hawk just dodged, a smirk sprawled on his face.

"I am facing you; you're just a terrible fighter. More so now with your injuries," he sneered.

Anger seared through his body. He did not just say that to him! Goldwath's head ached from the anger. Emotions of all kind flurried in him; luckily Dazzling Hawk was there to be his outlet.

"I'll make you regret those words!" 

The two collided in a writhing ball of snapping teeth and claws, spots of blood flying. Goldwath was so angry. His surroundings blurred, nothing was clear. He was focused on Dazzling Hawk and Dazzling Hawk only. Back in the Army, one could not kill their peers. But they were no longer in the Army. The code doesn't apply to them now. 

Goldwath was now focused on finishing what had been started: kill Dazzling Hawk.

"You know you can't do any harm to me," Dazzling Hawk taunted as he slashed at Goldwath. "You never had the guts to kill."

"I so did- I've killed many Gordanians!"

"Alongside your brother~" He lashed out again when Goldwath was distracted, tearing a huge gash on the side of his neck. "You were just the bait because you were too weakhearted to even tear their scaly throats out! I know so, I've seen you."

Goldwath limped back, breathing heavily. "That may have been when I first joined," he breathed out, "but I learned overtime that those reptiles were nothing to us, so I had no remorse in killing them! Which means I won't have any remorse killing YOU FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE!" He lunged at Dazzling Hawk again but this time, he caught him mid lunge and slammed him to the ground by the base of a tree, hearing a faint gasp emerge from Goldwath. The disabled Thanagarian laid on the ground, groaning and slightly spasming from the hard impact. Dazzling Hawk lowered his head to him and continued to talk. 

"You'll never be the strong Thanagarian soldier you probably dreamt of when you were a pup. And you will never, ever, be able to bring me down. No matter if it'll be you or the stupid Justice League. I will get my revenge." He grabbed Goldwath's head into his paws. "Our fight will be on hold for now, but once I'm back, you'll be sorry for causing the General to exile me. For now...have fun with Nightshadow-"

He clenched his grasp on his head and slammed it to the trunk of the tree. The last thing Goldwath recalled was a bright flash of white light before he fell unconscious. 

There was also a voice calling to him, one he wanted to reach out to but couldn't.

"GOLDWATH!!! Goldwath, can you hear me-? Stay with me!! Stay..."

Silence.

{To be continued...}