The Batcave - 04:15 AM
We returned from the Oblivion Bar. The mood was grim.
"Lobo," Bruce Wayne muttered, pulling up the files on the Batcomputer. "Czarnian. Super-strength. Regeneration. Immortality. He's banned from three quadrants of the galaxy for 'excessive violence.'"
"He is a biological weapon with a motorcycle," I added, organizing the silverware on the tray. "Luthor chose... effectively."
"Where is Damian?" Bruce asked suddenly.
I checked the GPS tracker.
"Sector 5. The Docks. He is taking Titus for a 'tactical walk.'"
Bruce frowned. "Recall him. If Lobo is already in the system, Damian is exposed."
I tapped the comms.
"Young Master. Return to base immediately. Code Black."
Static.
"Damian?"
CRSSSHHH.
A sound tore through the speakers. Not static. Heavy metal music.
And the roar of an engine that sounded like a dying star.
Gotham Docks - Warehouse District
Damian Wayne stood frozen.
He had sensed the intruder. Titus had growled.
But they hadn't expected the sky to tear open.
A massive, chrome-plated space-hog motorcycle smashed through the roof of Warehouse 4. It landed with a crater-forming impact, sending shipping containers flying like cardboard boxes.
Dust cleared.
A figure sat on the bike. Seven feet tall. Pale skin. Red eyes. A leather vest that smelled of cigar smoke and alien blood.
Lobo.
"Frag me," Lobo spat, lighting a cigar. "This planet smells like wet dog."
He looked at Titus.
"Speaking of which."
Lobo revved the engine.
"You are trespassing!" Damian shouted, drawing his katana. "Identify yourself!"
Lobo looked down. He saw the ten-year-old boy pointing a sword at him.
"Aww," Lobo grinned, revealing jagged teeth. "Look at the little Larva. Are you the Butler?"
"I am the Heir to the Demon!" Damian lunged.
He was fast. He aimed for the neck.
CLANG.
Lobo caught the katana with two fingers.
"Cute," Lobo said.
He flicked his finger. The katana shattered into shrapnel.
Damian gasped. He tried to backflip away, but Lobo was faster.
Lobo grabbed Damian by the cape. He lifted him up like a doll.
"Let him go!" Damian commanded Titus. "Attack!"
Titus launched himself. The Great Dane bit Lobo's arm.
CRUNCH.
Titus yelped. His teeth couldn't pierce Lobo's skin. It was like biting diamond.
"Bad dog," Lobo laughed. He backhanded Titus.
The dog flew across the warehouse, slamming into a forklift. He didn't get up.
"TITUS!" Damian screamed.
He punched Lobo in the face. It didn't even leave a bruise.
"You got spirit, kid," Lobo said, pulling a massive chain hook from his belt. "But I ain't here for the sidekick."
Lobo looked directly into the security camera mounted on the wall.
He grinned.
"Hey! Butler-Man! I know you're watching!"
The Batcave
Bruce slammed his fist on the console. "He has him."
I watched the screen. My expression did not change. But the teacup in my hand cracked.
Analysis: Threat Level: Omega. Hostage Situation. Personal.
"I'm going," Bruce said, running to the Batmobile.
"No, Sir," I said.
Bruce stopped.
"He called me," I said, my voice dropping an octave. The shadows in the cave began to writhe. "This is a bounty contract. If you intervene, he will kill the boy just to make a point."
"He's unkillable, Sebastian. You can't fight him alone."
"He is unkillable," I agreed, removing my white gloves. I tossed them into the trash. "But he is not unbreakable."
I walked to the teleporter platform.
"And he just kicked my dog."
The Confrontation
I materialized in the warehouse.
Lobo was sitting on a crate, smoking. Damian was wrapped in alien chains, suspended from a hook. He was unconscious, bleeding from a cut on his forehead.
Titus was whimpering in the corner.
"Finally!" Lobo clapped. "The Main Man was getting bored!"
He hopped off the crate.
"So, you're the Butler? Luthor paid a lot of moon-metal for your head. Said you were 'special.'"
I ignored him. I walked over to Titus.
I placed my hand on the dog's flank.
Heal.
I poured a fraction of my essence into the beast. Titus stopped whimpering. His breathing stabilized.
"Good boy," I whispered. "Rest now."
I stood up. I turned to Lobo.
I unbuttoned my suit jacket. I folded it neatly. I placed it on a clean crate.
"You have damaged the Young Master," I said. "You have assaulted the family pet. And you are smoking indoors."
My eyes flared. Not violet. Red.
Deep, abyssal red.
"That is three violations of the House Rules."
Lobo laughed. He spun his chain hook.
"House Rules? Lady, I'm the Main Man! I break rules for breakfast!"
"Then I shall teach you manners," I said.
My shadow exploded. It filled the warehouse, blotting out the lights.
From the darkness, I didn't summon a weapon.
I summoned Myself.
My form shifted. The human guise melted away. Horns curled from my forehead. My teeth elongated. My suit tore as my true form—the form of a High Demon of the Pit—emerged.
Lobo blinked. He puffed on his cigar.
"Okay," Lobo grinned, revving his chain. "Now it's a party."
The Clash
Lobo charged. "FRAG TIME!"
He swung the chain. It hit me.
I didn't dodge. I caught the hook.
BOOM.
The impact created a shockwave that blew the roof off the warehouse.
Lobo pulled. I didn't move.
"Strong," Lobo noted. "But can you regen?"
He pulled a massive laser cannon from his back and fired point-blank.
ZAP.
A hole was blown through my chest.
Lobo laughed. "Dead center!"
The hole closed in a second. Black smoke knit the flesh together.
"Is that it?" I asked, my voice distorted and multi-layered.
I yanked the chain.
Lobo flew toward me.
I met him with a punch.
CRACK.
Lobo's jaw shattered. He flew backward, crashing through three shipping containers.
He stood up, spitting out teeth. The teeth grew back instantly.
"Hah! I like you!" Lobo roared. "Come on, Butler! Let's see who breaks first!"