Lex Luthor, the guy always had a backup plan. Tonight, he was working on something called Project "Obsidian." Lex. Just made another weapon in secret, with one purpose: to control the devil.
Gotham's docks were a war zone. Fire was everywhere. Rex stood right in the middle, Rebellion resting on his shoulder, looking through the smoke. Sirens echoed, and the fog was thick enough to choke on.
[WARNING: HIGH-POTENTIAL HOSTILE APPROACHING. DNA SIGNATURE—UNKNOWN.]
Rex scoffed. "That's new."
He didn't have to wait long. Water erupted and then exploded. Out came a terrifying creature. It was huge, its armor darker than night, absorbing every bit of light. It had no face, no voice. Just pure, suffocating menace. And then there were the chains. The chains slithered from its gauntlets, alive and eager.
Rex smiled wildly. "Holy shit....Lex built himself a hell of a guard dog."
The creature? Not much for talking. It preferred action.
Chains shot out as fast as bullets. Rex dodged, but there wasn't much room on the docks. One chain wrapped around Rebellion and yanked it away effortlessly, sending it crashing into a shipping container hard enough to dent metal. Another chain snaked around his leg, pulling him off his feet.
And then it wasn't just grabbing him. It was pulling something deeper out of him. Something that felt like it came from his very soul.
[ENERGY DRAIN DETECTED. DEVIL TRIGGER LOCKDOWN INITIATED.]
Tch. Lex wasn't fooling around tonight.
These chains weren't just for effect. They aimed to tighten their grip on what made Rex…
He spat and twisted in the air, kicking off a crane in an attempt to shake the chains. No luck. They kept coming. It felt like they were learning. Smart and annoying.
"Persistent bastard," Rex muttered.
No sword? Fine. Time for the old-fashioned way.
He charged forward, dodging the metal snakes, and delivered a solid uppercut right into the monster's chest.
The creature didn't even flinch.
Chains whipped around, crushing his torso. He felt something give. Ribs? Probably.
Then came that sound. The snap. The golden lasso. Diana.
"Need a hand, Devil Boy?" she called, calm as ever.
"You're late, Princess." He managed a grin, even while half-suffocating.
"Cry about it," she shot back.
Then Superman swooped in, using his heat vision to slice through chains like they were nothing. Batman was above, barking orders. Aquaman and Cyborg flanked the creature, taking it on with their usual League efficiency.
For a moment, Rex found himself alongside the best. Not exactly friends—more like survivors caught in the same storm.
Clark shattered another chain. "You're lucky we're here."
Rex snorted, grabbing Rebellion as it skidded back to him. "Nah, Boy Scout. You're the lucky one. This thing's just my warm-up."
He charged in. This time, with backup. Every chain that reached for him got sliced. Rebellion cut into that armor—finally, something gave. Underneath? Squirming, writhing darkness. Disgusting.
[STYLE RANK: S — SAVAGE.]
Still not enough. Rex drove Rebellion deep, twisting hard, his eyes blazing.
"Tell Lex," he spat, "I don't do chains."
The monster convulsed, its own chains turning against it. It tore itself apart from the inside. Messy. Satisfying.
Silence. The docks lay silent, just the crackle of flames and the smell of smoke.
Rex let the moment linger, then threw Rebellion over his shoulder and looked at the League.
"Don't get it twisted. This isn't a team-up. You had the leash, and you dropped it. Remember that."
Batman glared. "This isn't over."
Rex shrugged. "It never is, Bats."
And just like that, he disappeared into the smoke, gone before anyone could respond.
[LEX LUTHOR STRATEGY: FAILED. THREAT LEVEL: ESCALATING.]
Diana watched where Rex had vanished, exhaling slowly.
"He's a devil," she murmured. "But there's not a chain in the world that'll hold him."