In the Golden Light - A Justice League AU

Chapter 21 - Find Me

! Before You Read Act 3 !

{Act 3 has been branded with a content warning for containing the following topics: depression (moments of emptiness and hopelessness), alcohol abuse, verbal abuse, physical abuse, manipulation, gore, death and trauma. Please protect yourself first if these topics will upset you/cause a trigger.}
{This particular chapter deals with: manipulation and blood}

The Thanagarian stood there silently, his back to Hawkgirl and Green Lantern. His heart ached massively as he lost sight of Lazuli. Goldwath already missed everything about her; her embrace, her warmth, her voice, everything. His good paw dug in the soft sand, letting the waves lap his toes. He shook his head, turned around and snarled.

"You guys forgot about me," he repeated his statement to them. He lowered his head as he growled. "And now, now you let the love of my life get dragged back to her hellish home. Unforgettable. Unforgivable." Nightshadow? 

"We didn't, honest!" Hawkgirl reiterated.

"Then why didn't you try to save me?"

"I... I was!"

She's a liar.

"Liar."

You're a liar, Hawkgirl. A liar, liar, liar.

His thoughts were getting consumed by the shadowy-like wolf he had encountered long ago. He slowly approached them. His eyes flitted at the two of them as the suppressed anger that Hawkgirl managed to calm down all those times resurfaced. It didn't help that Nightshadow was back in his mind, controlling him like a puppet, twisting his thoughts, his words- His body throbbed painfully, his pupils constricted, mind raced-

You know what happens to liars, right? 

The faint voice of Nightshadow echoed in the back of his mind. It was deafening, so loud, so controlling-

Kill her.

She betrayed you, abandoned you.

The whole League abandoned you!

Kill her. Kill him. Kill them all! KILL, KILL!!

Goldwath snapped under the pressure; he lunged at Hawkgirl with his claws aimed at her, teeth bared. The two of them tumbled on the sand, particles getting in their mouths and eyes. Hawkgirl was taken aback by this sudden motion. His claws hooked into flesh, digging deep. He snapped near her neck, desperate to get it in his jaws. Hawkgirl managed to dodge the snapping teeth that loomed over her, and she flipped Goldwath on his back. Green Lantern took this time to shoot out with his ring and hit Goldwath.

He landed on the sand with an "oof" and stood on his paw, breathing heavily. He could taste the sand and blood on his tongue. He felt something hard hit his shoulder as he lunged again--her mace--sending him tumbling. Again, Goldwath stood and lashed at Hawkgirl, drawing blood. As he parted his jaw open to bite down, another hit landed on his body, on his jaw, and he was left disoriented, blood pooling his mouth. His mask had flown off from the impact, softly landing on the sand. Goldwath shook as he struggled to stand; he collapsed and coughed as Hawkgirl stood above him, eyes wide as she gripped her mace. She looked terrified at what she done but she kept her tight grip whenever Goldwath jerked.

"Judas Priest!" Green Lantern had exclaimed once he bounded to Hawkgirl's side and saw Goldwath unmasked. He saw the horrid scar Goldwath sustained on the right side of his face from the Gordanian, covered completely in dried blood and blinded by red, the scars running down from the top of his eye to the bottom of his cheek. Hawkgirl was also shocked at the injury. She kept her guard up.