Chapter 33: The Main Man Part 3
Elsewhere
Metropolis Streets
Lobo cracked his knuckles. "You really are full of surprises, kitty-cat. Won't be the first time I had to put down an animal?"
"Lemme tell ya somethin', Lobo! Rath's gonna put you through the wringer for ruining a bro's day out!" Rath's quick jab sent Lobo reeling back into a nearby light pole that crumpled. Rath bared his teeth. "Time to teach you how to hunt, ya muscle head!" He leaned closer, fists clenched.
"Who you callin' a musclehead, musclehead!"
"Then you won't mind if I do this!"
Rath grabbed him by the head and smashed their foreheads together. Despite no one really winning using this move, it was a manner of pride.
On impact, it was as if two cars smashed together. A loud ringing echoed out.
They both backed away from each other to get their bearings.
Growling, Lobo ripped the broken light pole out of the ground and swung it like a bat. It smashed into Rath, sending the tiger alien hurtling through the air. But Rath twisted mid-flight, correcting his position, and dove straight back toward Lobo.
Lobo jumped off a nearby ledge, catapulting himself into the air just as Rath charged back. He whistled, and his flying motorcycle roared to life, swooping in to catch him in midair. Lobo revved the engine and tore through the sky but didn't get far.
Rath leaped up and grabbed onto Lobo from behind, his claws digging into the back of the bike. "Hey, no riders!" Lobo barked, trying to shake him off, but Rath held on with feral determination.
Lobo struggled to maintain control, twisting the handlebars sharply to swerve and throw Rath off-balance. But Rath's grip only tightened as he snarled, "Lemme tell ya somethin', Lobo. Rath's goin' nowhere 'til I'm done with you!"
Rath held on tightly as Lobo swerved his flying motorcycle back and forth through the Metropolis skyline, doing his best to shake the tiger alien off. But Rath swung himself forward, throwing a wild punch at Lobo.
Lobo's head snapped back, blood trickling from his lip. "Oh, so that's how it's gonna be, huh?" Lobo grinned with excitement. He twisted the handlebars, sending the bike into a sharp spin.
Rath's grip slipped briefly, but he held on with his claws digging into the metal frame. "Lemme tell ya somethin', Lobo!" Rath roared. "Nobody tosses me around like a frisbee and gets away with it!" He swung his other fist, catching Lobo in the ribs.
Rath landed another punch, and this time, Lobo lost his grip on the bike, tumbling off midair.
They plummeted, grappling with each other until they crashed below. People scattered in shock.
Lobo wiped the blood from his chin. "You're a real piece of work, kitty cat, but I got nine lives to burn through!"
"Bring it on!" Rath crouched low and bared his claws. "I'm gonna pound you so hard, you'll turn to dust."
"Oh, yeah? I'll grind you into atoms."
"Then I'll stomp you into... whatever is smaller than atoms... Protons?"
Lobo blinked and shrugged. He thinks that's correct.
They both charged at each other and locked arms in a grapple.
Rath suddenly ducked low, wrapping his arms around Lobo's waist. He hoisted the bounty hunter off his feet and slammed him back-first into the ground with a belly-to-belly suplex. Lobo got back up and delivered a brutal clothesline that nearly flipped the alien tiger over backward.
Rath rolled with the impact, bouncing back up. Timing it right, he leaped into the air and slammed his full weight onto Lobo's chest with a flying body press, pinning him to the ground. "Got ya, loser! One, two—" Rath mockingly counted before Lobo kicked him off.
Lobo ripped a mailbox and swung it like a steel chair across Rath's back.
Rath stumbled. He then did the same and ripped a parking meter out of the sidewalk and bashed Lobo with it like a baseball bat. "Your time on earth has expired, and it's time to impound ya!" Rath sent Lobo crashing into a nearby hot dog cart, which exploded into a mess of condiments. Rath licked stray mustard off his claws. "Tastes like victory!"
Crushing the hotdog cart debris, Lobo ran up and hurled Rath into the hood of a nearby taxi. Rath then lifted Lobo onto his shoulders and slammed him into the ground with a thunderous powerbomb.
Not to be outdone, Lobo grabbed Rath in a headlock, hoisting him upside down. "Eat asphalt!" he sneered, driving Rath headfirst into the pavement with a piledriver.
Both combatants staggered to their feet. Rath lunged, grabbing Lobo mid-charge and lifting him high into the air before slamming him down with a devastating spinebuster. Lobo retaliated with his chain, whipping it around Rath's torso and spinning him like a rag doll before slamming him into a parked van.
Getting out, Rath dodged more blows, but when he saw an opening, he struck, driving his knee into Lobo's gut, doubling him over. Rath followed with a powerful uppercut, launching Lobo off his feet and crashing into a parked car. The vehicle crumpled under the impact, and alarms blared.
"Not bad, kitty!" Lobo wheezed, stumbling back to his feet. He cracked his neck, then grinned as he reached behind him to pull out a heavy chain and hook, swinging it.
Rath's eyes narrowed, a wild grin spreading across his face. With a ferocious roar, he charged again, dodging the swinging chain and landing a kick to Lobo's side. Lobo snarled, whipping the chain around to try to entangle Rath, but the tiger alien caught it midair, using it to yank Lobo forward.
Rath's claws dug into the pavement, his tiger-like snarl echoing through the air. Wielding his massive crowbar, Lobo grinned wildly at the Appoplexian, clearly enjoying the fight.
"Nebula Strike!" With a roar, Rath lunged forward, his clawed hand jabbing into Lobo's midsection. Lobo recovered and retaliated by swinging his chain, which Rath ducked under before delivering a swift knee strike to Lobo's ribs. "Meteor Knee!"
Lobo gripped his side. "Not bad, Jungle Cat. Eat this!" He swung his crowbar for the alien's chin.
Rath sidestepped and countered. "Cosmic Headbutt!" His forehead slammed into Lobo's face. The bounty hunter's nose started bleeding.
"You ain't the man. I'm the man. That's what ya get for messin' with me!" "Galactic Spiral Kick!" His legs spun through the air and landed squarely on Lobo's shoulder, forcing him to one knee.
Lobo threw his chain like a whip to snag Rath's leg. He yanked hard, pulling Rath off-balance, but the tiger alien recovered mid-fall. "Comet Dropkick!" This sent Lobo flying into a parked car.
"You're gonna regret that, bastich!"
Rath climbed onto the car, launching himself into the air. "Stellar Slam!" His full weight slammed into Lobo, who barely caught himself on the car's trunk. Without giving him a moment to recover. "Asteroid Dive!" The Headbutt from his jump sent both of them crashing through the windshield.
Lobo groaned, trying to shake off the hits, but Rath wasn't done. "Supernova Slashes!" Rath's claws sliced across Lobo's skin, leaving his jacket in tatters.
"Watch the outfit! You have any idea how hard it is to get new ones in this galaxy?!" Lobo grabbed a lamppost and swung.
"Gravity Crush!" Rath ducked the first swing, then leaped over the second before slamming down with devastating kicks, each shaking the ground and pinning Lobo against the pavement.
Lobo coughed, laughing through the pain. "You hit hard, but the Main Man doesn't go down that easy!" He reached for his bike's remote, summoning it to his side. The engine roared as the bike sped toward him.
Rath growled, flexing his claws. "Come on, Lobo! I can do this all day!"
Nearby, Superman's fight with Bedlam grew closer and closer to them as he dodged another blast from Bedlam's twin laser pistols.
Superman suddenly changed tactics. He swooped to Lobo, grabbing the Czarnian by the shoulder and dragging him directly into Bedlam's line of fire. The laser bolts slammed into Lobo instead of him.
Lobo barked out a laugh despite the burns. "Nice try, blue boy. Gonna take more than that to keep me down!" He whistled sharply, and his bike returned. It swooped down just in time to catch Lobo as he leaped upward.
"Catch ya later, furball," he called as he flew off into the sky.
Rath crouched low, preparing to pounce. "Oh no, you don't, ya talking trashcan. Get back here, and let me put some claws into ya!"
Lobo sat on his bike and blew Rath a mocking kiss. "Sorry, pussycat! This dance is just getting started!" With that, his bike flew skyward.
"Coward!"
As Rath turned, ready to switch forms back to Astrodactyl to give chase, Superman flew past him in pursuit of Lobo. "Ark!" Superman called over his shoulder.
Rath snarled, watching him flee, but turned his attention to Superman, who landed nearby.
"Go after Bedlam! His weapons are tailored to fight me, not you!"
Rath dusted himself off. "Fine. But round two's gonna end with him in the dirt. Mark my words!" Rath turned to his next opponent. "Let me teach cowboy over there a thing or two!"
Bedlam landed as his jetpack sputtered to a stop. The space-cowboy bounty hunter adjusted his wide-brimmed hat. Bedlam kept his laser pistols holstered.
Across from him, Rath locked onto Bedlam. However, instead of charging headfirst as expected, the Appoplexian stood still. With a flash of green light, his form was replaced with an armored one.
Ark was now equipped with a Sotoraggian's green and black power armor. Nanomachines shifted to form twin blaster pistols on his hips. TenTen adjusted his stance, and four extra mechanical arms formed on his shoulder and back.
A grin tugged at Bedlam's lips beneath his mask.
The two faced each other, locked in a tense standoff.
"Well," Bedlam drawled, casually spinning one of his pistols on his finger. "Ain't this a sight. Two gunslingers. Looks like we're at a good ol' fashioned showdown. Only thing missin' is a tumbleweed, and we'd be just like the holovids." Bedlam twirled his pistols before reholstering them. "You sure you're up for this, partner?"
TenTen's mechanical limbs shifted slightly. "You talk a lot for someone who's about to get their tin can shot full of holes."
Bedlam chuckled, tipping his hat slightly. "Big words from a tin can yourself. Let's see who's the quicker draw."
"Fine by me."
The silence stretched thin. A bead of sweat rolled down Bedlam's face. TenTen's armor plates opened up a bit for more flexibility.
For a moment, time seemed to freeze.
The Next Block Over
A black sedan screeched to a halt just as Lois Lane stared at the ongoing fighting. "Stop here, driver. There they are. I don't believe it."
Lois saw Superman and Lobo locked in midair, grappling as they veered toward the more buildings. Lobo's bike revved, propelling the two straight for LexCorp.
Lex Corp
Inside, Lex Luthor paced around his opulent office, dressed in a fine suit, addressing a video call. "Believe me, Mr. President," he said smoothly, "you have my word that my new weapon system will—"
The high-pitched whine of Lobo's bike and the shattering crash of glass cut Luthor's words short. He spun around just in time to see his window shatter. Superman and Lobo crashed through, punching their way up through the building.
"What the devil?" Luthor muttered.
Lobo finally forced Superman off with a kick, sending him crashing out of the building's rooftop.
Luthor found himself in the middle of his ruined office, fuming angrily. "Superman!"
Outside
Lobo turned, and his bike unleashed a missile aimed directly at Superman. Superman dodged to the side, but his gaze immediately tracked the missile's deadly trajectory—it was heading straight for a packed monorail. In a blur, he took off after it, the force of his flight sending gusts through the nearby streets.
Inside the monorail, passengers caught sight of the fast-approaching projectile and began to scream in terror, bracing for impact. Superman pushed himself harder as he closed the distance in the last moments. With a final burst of speed, Superman intercepted it just before it struck the monorail, angling it upward. The missile detonated high in the sky, and Superman took most of the blast.
He fell through the smoke cloud toward the ground.
"Look out!" a citizen shouted as others scattered below. Superman hit the pavement with a heavy crash, leaving a crater beneath him. Dazed and grimacing in pain, he forced himself to try and stand.
"Superman?" a nearby citizen whispered, watching as he struggled to lift himself.
The rumbling of Lobo's bike grew louder as he descended, parking near the crater. He swung his leg off the bike and strolled over to where Superman lay. Despite the impact, Superman pushed against the ground, trying to stand, but Lobo pressed a heavy boot to his chest, forcing him back down.
"Dang, man," Lobo said with a grin, "I gotta say, I am impressed. When I saw you go after that rocket, I couldn't figure out what you were doin'." Lobo tapped his forehead, pretending to be deep in thought. "Then it hit me. You didn't want no one else gettin' hurt—even if it meant you took the fragging yourself. You actually care about these geeks." He gestured to the nervous, watching citizens.
Superman clenched his teeth, lifting his head despite Lobo's foot pressing down. "They're human beings."
Lobo sneered, pressing down harder, pinning Superman against the concrete. "Yeah, well, they're gonna have to make do without their big blue babysitter from now on." He reached into his bike's storage and pulled out a massive, grimy crowbar, its metal gleaming under the city lights. He grinned, walking back toward Superman.
"See, someone's payin' me a heap of cash for your carcass, and the Main Man always delivers." Lobo raised the crowbar high. "Now, the more you move, the worse it'll hurt. So feel free to go crazy."
Superman took a deep breath, his eyes flashing with renewed resolve, even as he lay pinned beneath Lobo's grip, knowing he'd have to fight through every bit of pain to protect those around him.
Suddenly, Lobo felt something light tap his back. He frowned, turning around to see Lois Lane, her eyes blazing, gripping a metal pipe.
"Excuse me?" he drawled, raising a brow.
"Leave him alone. Go on, get out of here!" Lois demanded, brandishing the pipe defiantly.
Lobo rubbed his chin with a smirk. "Well, well… hello, little lady." He licked his lips, his grin growing wider with interest.
"Lois, stay back!" Superman warned, still struggling to his feet.
Lobo kicked Superman hard in the face, sending him crashing down again. "Pipe down, junior."
Turning back to Lois, he started walking closer, each step making her grip the pipe tighter. "Lois, huh? Guess that means you know this loser, right, honey buns? What are ya, his girlfriend or something?"
Lois's face twisted in disgust, and she swung the pipe again, striking his shoulder with all her strength. "Drop dead!"
Unfazed, Lobo grabbed the pipe, yanked it from her hands, and tossed her back. Before she could scramble away, he casually took a big bite of the pipe, chewing with relish, then tossed the rest into his mouth, licking his fingers as if savoring a snack.
"Of course, any babe with real class would rather be hangin' with the Main Man," he leered, lowering himself to meet her eye level. "Why don't you show ol' Lobo just how classy you are?"
"You pig!" Lois spat, slapping him across the face. She gasped, wincing as pain shot through her hand from the impact.
Lobo laughed, unbothered, and rubbed his cheek. "Ah, I like a babe who plays rough. C'mon, lemme have another. Right here." He tapped his chin with a smirk. "Right—"
Before he could finish, Superman surged up, throwing a punch that sent Lobo flying into the air.
Lobo spun through the air, shouting back, "You dirty friggin', back-fraggin', son of a—"
Lex Corp
Lex Luthor observed the wreckage around him, hands clasped tightly behind his back. "Get maintenance teams on every floor," he ordered to an assistant. "Put them on round-the-clock shifts if you have to, but I want all repairs completed—"
Suddenly, the ceiling exploded as Lobo crashed through the floor above. "KILL, MAIN, FRAG, DESTROY!"
Debris rained around him. "Immediately!"
With Superman
Superman and Lois clung to each other, both checking for any injuries in the other's face, eyes locked with concern.
"Are you all right?" they asked in unison.
Lois managed a small smile. "I'm fine."
Superman gave a reassuring nod, stepping back. "Gotta go."
Lois watched him as he prepared to take off. "Give him one for me."
Superman took flight toward where Lobo landed.
Lois raised her voice one last time. "MAKE IT A DOZEN!"
The Docks
Lobo groaned as he came to, lying face-up on a wooden dock splintered from the impact. He shook his head, still a bit dizzy. "Last call? Already?" he muttered, blinking as his vision cleared.
Then he saw Superman, rocketing down toward him.
"Uh oh," Lobo mumbled, scrambling to his feet.
Superman was faster, tackling him. The force sent them both crashing through the wooden floor boards. Lobo barely had time to react before Superman lifted him high into the air.
"Get up," Superman lifted Lobo higher. "I said, get up."
Lobo chuckled. "You ain't half the boy scout you're cracked up to be. Looks like I'm in for a real fight." He smirked and let out a whistle.
A second later, his bike slammed into Superman, knocking him back and sending him crashing into a wall. Lobo dropped back to the dock, dusting himself off.
"Think I'll take five until I'm ready to resume kicking the collective butts of you and everyone else on this dung heap," Lobo did a mock salute to Superman. "Ciao!" He jumped on his bike and zoomed back to space.
With TenTen and Bedlam
…
…
…
The silence stretched like the moments before a lightning strike. TenTen and Bedlam stood poised, their weapons ready, their gazes locked.
Then, as if by an unspoken signal, both moved.
'DRAW!'
In a flash, their weapons roared to life. Blazing red energy bolts streaked toward TenTen, the first grazing his shoulder armor, leaving a smoking groove. Simultaneously, TenTen's retaliatory blast seared past Bedlam, who ducked and rolled, his cape trailing smoke where it had been singed.
TenTen's extra arms came alive, whirling into action. One launched a barrage of laser blasts while another hurled an electric disc that bounced off the pavement in sparks, forcing Bedlam into the air. His jetpack lifted him as he rained down gunfire. TenTen deployed an energy shield, deflecting the shots while his mounted laser gun returned fire.
Bedlam swooped and spun through the air, his pistols blazing. He threw an explosive charge, detonating near TenTen, who countered by unleashing a salvo of rockets from his jetpack. The rockets forced Bedlam to dodge.
"You're not bad," Bedlam admitted as he twisted to avoid a plasma burst, his voice laced with begrudging respect. "But you're still outta your league."
Behind his helmet, TenTen smirked. "We'll see about that."
As Bedlam darted to the side, his lasso crackled with electrified energy, snapping toward TenTen like a lightning bolt. With a swift motion, TenTen's buzz saw arm intercepted the lasso, cutting it in two with a sharp crackle of energy. Bedlam scowled but didn't falter, his twin pistols firing another volley. TenTen retaliated with his grenade launcher, the explosive payload forcing Bedlam to swerve sharply as a shockwave rattled the ground.
The two combatants circled each other. Bedlam's jetpack allowed him to dive, while TenTen's mechanical arms constantly shifted to deploy new weapons. Energy discs ricocheted around Bedlam, one narrowly grazing his arm, while TenTen took another barrage of laser fire with his reinforced armor.
Bedlam landed hard as he aimed for another shot. "You've got some fancy tricks," he admitted. "But fancy don't win fights."
"Neither does running your mouth," TenTen shot back. With a quick movement, one of his arms launched a sonic wave, briefly disrupting Bedlam's flight path. Another arm fired a rapid burst of energy bolts, forcing Bedlam to dive for cover.
TenTen activated his jetpack and closed the distance. Bedlam fired point-blank at TenTen's chest, but his armor absorbed the brunt of the attack. TenTen's arms shot forward, one grabbing Bedlam's pistol and crushing it while another snatched his cape, yanking him down to the ground with a resounding thud.
Bedlam tried to reach for another weapon, but TenTen's mechanical limbs pinned him down. A metal pike extended from one arm, aiming squarely at Bedlam's face.
"Game over."
Bedlam struggled before sighing. "Alright, you got me. Don't mean you'll keep me."
TenTen's extra arms bound Bedlam with energy restraints, ensuring he couldn't escape. He pressed a button on his wrist, opening a comm channel. "Superman, Bedlam's detained. Sending you my coordinates."
As Bedlam glared at his captor, TenTen smirked. "Fancy enough for you?"
#
TenTen stood over the downed Bedlam. The bounty hunter wasn't dying, but he'd hurt in the morning. With a mental command, metallic arms coiled tightly around Bedlam, who struggled fruitlessly. Sparks flickered from Bedlam's damaged jetpack, and his signature pistols lay discarded on the ground.
"Stay still," TenTen growled. "You've caused enough trouble for one day."
Bedlam sneered. "You think this job is over? You don't know who you're messing with."
TenTen pulled tighter. "Yeah. Yeah. I've got a pretty good idea. You're just a couple of bounty hunters hired to kidnap people. I've been through this song and dance more times than I like to admit. But it looks like you're staying put this time, cowboy."
A shadow fell over them as Superman landed nearby, clearly frustrated. After fighting both bounty hunters, Superman's suit was scorched and torn in places.
Ark turned to Superman. "Please tell me you brought that maniac Lobo down."
Superman sighed and shook his head. "Lobo got away. He took a cheap shot and bolted the moment he got the chance. I couldn't stop him."
Bedlam chuckled through gritted teeth. "Of course, he got away. The Main Man ain't that easy to stop. I should know."
Superman glanced at the restrained bounty hunter and folded his arms. "Well, his partner isn't going anywhere." His gaze shifted to Ark. "Good work holding."
Ark shrugged. "Thanks, but I was hoping we'd have both of them to get answers."
Superman nodded. "So was I, but it'll have to do."
Bedlam huffed. "Lobo won't think twice about coming back to Earth. He and I don't leave jobs unfinished."
"Let's hope so," Ark replied. "Because if he does, I'll make sure he regrets it."
Superman then knelt beside Bedlam. "Let's get straight to the point. Why are you targeting me and Ark?"
Bedlam raised a brow. "That's the shapeshifter's name? Huh… Well, if you haven't noticed. Mr. Superman, you just so happen to be the last Kryptonian. That makes you a rarity in the universe."
Ark and Superman decidedly chose not to mention Superboy and that complicated bag of worms.
"And Ark?"
Bedlam scoffed. "Have you looked at him? He can turn into rare aliens that I've never even seen before. You're both trophy hunts."
"It's obvious that you didn't come here to kill us but to take us to your employer. So, who paid you to come here, Bedlam?"
Bedlam huffed. He rolled his eyes as he leaned back. "Sorry. No can do. That there's private information. It's bounty hunter's code to not reveal the buyer. You really think I'd spill to the likes of you two?" He sneered at Superman and TenTen.
TenTen crossed his arms and decided to bluff. "We can make this easy. Or we can make it very, very uncomfortable." Several arms extended from his back, forming many bladed weapons.
Superman made a face upon seeing the presumably fake threat he's seen Batman do on occasion.
Bedlam's smirk grew wider, unbothered. "Well, I think I'll choose neither since you put it that way." He gave a subtle shift of his wrist, barely noticeable, but Superman caught it too late.
A faint beep sounded from Bedlam's cuff as a flash of red light pulsed through the air. Before TenTen or Superman could react, Bedlam's body began to shimmer, flickering with a teleportation aura.
"No!" Superman lunged forward, reaching to grab Bedlam's wrist to stop him.
But Bedlam's body faded as he vanished into thin air. "Better luck next time, heroes," he taunted as his form dissolved, leaving only empty air where he'd been lying.
Superman's fist hit the ground where Bedlam had been. "A recall device," he muttered, frustrated. "He's probably back with whoever sent him here."
TenTen clenched his extra arms in irritation. "He was our only lead."
Superman stood and looked to the sky. "Not the only one. You know what Bedlam said. Lobo doesn't leave a job unfinished, so he should still be in the system. It's time to go on the offensive."
#
AN: Special thanks to Seana, Jebest4781, Mecha Destroyer98, vividlearner744, OmegaDelta, Henry Stickman, fearmegu, Kitsune Robyn, Dragon lord, Shooter1344, Alexander, Ajax Roranson, trey, Asaf, DJC, $hane-08, Daniel, nighnight, decimator, Roswell, SpeX, Smoking_ash12, Giorgie Baramidze, Kyan Christian, Professor Xivass, AF360!
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