Some guys didn't need capes, tights, or a tragic backstory to make you really scared. Lex Luthor was one of those guys. He stood on the top floor of a towering Metropolis skyscraper, city lights flickering below like he owned them all. But he wasn't even looking at the view; his eyes were glued to a floating holo-display.
And on that screen? rough footage of Rex tearing through some poor demon. Blood, ashes, the works. Rex even had the nerve to smirk for the camera. He had swagger for days. Lex, on the other hand, looked like he was biting into glass.
He couldn't stand unpredictable players.
"Fascinating," he muttered, narrowing his eyes as if he could burn a hole in the screen. "A devil with no leash."
[SUBJECT: REX. STATUS: UNREGISTERED META-THREAT.]
Lex downed his drink, hardly tasting it. "Send it to Waller. Tell her the League missed a spot."
[CONFIRMED.]
He turned around and found a line of hired killers standing in the shadows. They were stiff figures, all arranged like they were posing for a "Who's Who of Dangerous Bastards" photo. They weren't super-powered, but they were more than willing to get messy if the price was right.
"You've got one job," Lex said, a lazy menace in his voice. "Bring me his head. Or a leash. Either works. I'm not picky."
Meanwhile, in Gotham the city with a bat problem that the tension filled the air. The Watchtower's hologram flickered, making Batman, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman look even more serious than usual.
Bruce spoke first. "He's a threat and Unpredictable. We can't let him do whatever he wants."
Diana crossed her arms, unimpressed. "But he's cleaning up after us. Not like we're winning any awards for punctuality."
Arthur shrugged. "The guy's got flair. A bit too much, maybe. But Bats has a point. He's chaos on legs."
"He's neutral," Diana shot back. "That's not a crime."
Bruce clenched his jaw. "And he's not our ally. That's the issue."
Meanwhile, Rex was enjoying himself up on a broken water tower, his feet hanging down. He polished his guns like he was preparing for an open mic night. Evelyn sat next to him, her nose buried in a worn tablet filled with medical notes. Apparently, someone had to be responsible.
"You're quiet," she said, glancing at him over the screen.
He grinned. "Just enjoying the peace before the next attempted murder. It's the little things."
She rolled her eyes. "Don't sound too excited."
"Oh, I am. It keeps me from getting bored."
[INCOMING HOSTILE SIGNATURES. 7 TARGETS. ETA: 30 SECONDS.]
That grin turned sharp.
"Told you," he said, stretching like he was about to hit the gym instead of facing a death squad.
Evelyn was already packing up. "Should I even ask?"
"They're not here to borrow sugar."
"I figured."
Some Figures emerged from the alley below, armed to the teeth, moving like they had rehearsed for too many action movies.
[IDENTIFIED: LEXCORP ASSASSIN SQUAD.]
Rex leaned over the edge and called down, "Lexy sent you himself? The man's got trust issues."
The first bullet whizzed past his face—he didn't even blink.
"Dude it's Rude," he muttered, then dropped from the tower. He landed right in the middle of them, spinning like a show-off. With his weapon drawn, he got to work.
Then the Slaughter begins. A complete dance of carnage. Bullets pinged off his sword, ricocheting into their owners. Rex moved like he had planned the whole thing. The more they panicked, the wider his grin got.
[STYLE RANK: B — BRUTAL.]
He snorted. "C'mon, [V.E.R.G.I.L.], give me something flashier than Brutal. I'm putting on a show here."
[VARIETY REQUIRED. STOP REPEATING EXECUTIONS.]
Rex rolled his eyes and got creative. He grabbed one guy and used him as a meat shield. The rest went down fast—messy, efficient, and ugly.
Eventually, silence fell. It always does, eventually.
Evelyn finally climbed down, eyebrows lifted. "Took you long enough."
"I was enjoying myself."
"Figures."
He flat beside a corpse and plucked a small tracker from the guy's belt. LexCorp's logo was stamped on it, just in case anyone missed the memo.
"Well, well. Lexy wants a dance. Guess I should send him a thank-you card."
Evelyn frowned. "You're not actually thinking of going after him, are you?"
He revolved the tracker, smirking. "Nah. He'll come to me. They always do."
[REPUTATION STATUS: CHAOTIC NEUTRAL. LEX LUTHOR INTEREST: ESCALATING.]
That grin? Now it was sharp as knives.
"Good. Let him."