Shadow Monarch in DC

Chapter 533: A Deal with the Main Man - 3

Lobo’s boots were propped up on the table, his jacket hanging open, his glass refilled for the fifth time.

Arthur sat beside Raven across from him, he held his glass loosely, swirling the liquid inside, something dark and smoky that burned going down, he still had no idea what they served here and ended up trying this.

Lobo took a long drag from his glass, then slammed it down on the table.

"You know what I don’t get?" he said, his voice a gravelly rumble that carried across the noise of the bar. "You got a whole fragging dimension of shadows.. An army of dead guys who do whatever you tell ’em. And you’re sitting here, drinking with the Main Man, like you’re just some regular schmuck..."

Arthur’s lips curved. "Regular schmucks don’t drink with the Main Man."

Lobo laughed. "Fair point, fragger. Fair point." He leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "But seriously. You got all that power... All that juice, and you don’t use it to, I don’t know, conquer something? Take over a planet for fun? Build a throne out of your enemies’ skulls? I did the planet one already, I don’t know think of something unique for you.."

Arthur’s eyebrow rose. "Is that what you would do?"

"Fraggin’ right I would." Lobo’s grin widened. "I’d build a throne so big, it’d make Darkseid’s chair look like a kiddie seat. I’d have fragging parades every day. I’d make ’em bring me tribute, gold, women, the works.."

Raven’s voice was flat. "And then what?"

Lobo blinked. "And then... I’d do it again. What else is there?"

Raven shook her head slowly. "That’s the saddest thing I’ve ever heard."

Lobo’s expression shifted, "Saddest? Saddest?! I’m the Main Man! I live the dream! I do whatever I want, whenever I want, and no one can stop me! Not even your shadow boyfriend.."

Arthur’s voice was calm. "And yet, you’re here, drinking with us. Talking about what you would do if you had my power."

Lobo’s mouth opened for a moment but no words came out.

"That’s..." He paused, his brow furrowing. "That’s different."

"Is it?"

"Yeah, it is!" Lobo jabbed a finger at Arthur. "I’m sitting here because you fraggers offered me a job! A job that pays! I’m not here because I like you!"

Raven’s smile was sharp. "You seem to be enjoying yourself."

Lobo’s jaw tightened. "I’m... tolerating your presence.. There’s a difference."

Arthur’s laugh was warm, genuine. "Sure there is."

Lobo’s eyes narrowed. "You’re mocking me, aren’t you?"

"Would I do that?"

"Yes. Yes, you would." Lobo leaned back, shaking his head. "You’re all the same, all smug and mysterious and ’oh, I have an army of the dead, I’m so special.’"

Raven’s voice was dry. "Says the guy who rides a space motorcycle and calls himself ’the Main Man.’"

Lobo’s grin returned. "Hey, the Main Man is a title of respect. It’s earned, you don’t get to be the Main Man by being nice."

Arthur’s eyebrow rose. "How do you get to be the Main Man, then?"

Lobo’s expression shifted. "By being the best, by never backing down. By taking every hit and getting back up." He paused. "By making sure everyone knows that if they fraggin’ mess with you, they’re gonna have a bad time."

Raven’s voice softened. "That sounds lonely."

Lobo’s grin faltered. "Lonely? I ain’t lonely. I got my bike, I got my guns. I got the whole fraggin’ universe to explore."

Raven said nothing. She just looked at him.

Lobo’s jaw tightened. "Stop looking at me like that!"

"Like what?"

"Like you feel sorry for me." Lobo’s voice was filled with genuine irritation. "I don’t need your pity, little girl. I got everything I need."

Arthur’s voice was quiet. "Do you?"

Lobo’s eyes snapped to him. "What’s that supposed to mean?"

Arthur shrugged. "Nothing. Just wondering."

Lobo stared at him for a long moment. Then he shook his head, a low laugh escaping his lips.

"You know what, Shadow?" He raised his glass. "You’re alright, you’re a pain in the fraggin’ ass, but you’re alright."

Arthur raised his glass. "I’ll take that as a compliment."

Lobo downed his drink, then set the glass down with a heavy thud.

"Speaking of pain in the asses," he said, "you got any idea how fraggin’ annoying your shadow lanterns are?"

Arthur’s eyebrow rose. "My shadow lanterns?"

"Yeah. Those glowing, shadowy bastards who keep popping up everywhere across the galaxies." Lobo’s voice carried a note of genuine exasperation. "I can’t fraggin’ go anywhere without seeing one of ’em. They’re like pests. You know? You try to have a nice day, and suddenly there’s a shadow lantern watching you from the corner, just fraggin’ staring, your space police is worse than the green bastards!"

Raven’s lips twitched. "They’re monitoring threats."

"Threats?!" Lobo’s voice rose. "I’m not a threat! I’m a professional! I do jobs! I don’t just go around causing chaos for the fun of it! Unless I find it fun to cause chaos."

Arthur smiled. "You caused chaos on Earth when we first met."

Lobo’s grin was sharp. "That was business. Business is different."

Lobo leaned forward. "When it’s business, it’s clean. You get in, you do the job, you get paid. No hard feelings. No one takes it personal, mostly because they’ll be dead after meeting me." He paused. "But your shadow lanterns, they don’t get that. They just see me, and they think ’threat.’ And then they start following me around, making sure I don’t do anything ’destabilizing the peace of universe.’ Or whatever bullshit they seek."

Raven’s voice was flat. "Are you destabilizing the universe?"

"Maybe!" Lobo’s grin widened. "But that’s not the point!"

Arthur’s laugh was warm, genuine. "What is the point, then?"

Lobo was silent for a moment, his red eyes fixed on Arthur.

Then he spoke, his voice quieter, more serious.

"Enough ragebaiting me... back to business, this Dragon fellow.." He paused. "You want me to find him because it’s personal to you, isn’t it?"

Arthur’s expression didn’t change. "What makes you say that?"

Lobo’s grin returned, but it was different now. "I smell bad blood." He tapped his nose. "I’ve been doing this long enough to know when a job is just business, and when it’s something else."

Arthur was silent for a long moment.

Then he spoke, "Well, you don’t need the details. But if you’re really interested in my history.." He paused, his violet eyes meeting Lobo’s red ones. "You’ll understand once you actually find him."

Lobo’s grin widened.

"Oh, now I’m excited." He leaned back, cracking his knuckles. "A job with a story. A target with history. This is the good stuff, Shadow. This is what makes it double fun."

Raven’s voice was flat. "You have a strange definition of fun."

Lobo laughed. "That’s because you don’t know what fun is, little girl. You spend too much time brooding and looking mysterious."

Raven’s eyes narrowed. "I do not brood."

"You literally have ’brood’ written all over your face." Lobo gestured vaguely. "It’s your whole thing."

Arthur’s laugh was warm, unexpected.

Raven turned to him, her expression carrying a note of genuine indignation. "You’re laughing at me because you agree with him?"

Arthur’s smile was soft. "A little."

Raven’s jaw tightened. "I am not brooding."

Lobo’s voice was a stage whisper. "You’re doing it right now."

Raven’s hand shot out, a wisp of dark magic curling around her fingers. "I can show you what brooding looks like when it’s followed by.."

"Alright, alright! Careful or you’ll hurt yourself!" Lobo’s hands rose in mock surrender. "No need for the magic show. I’m just saying, you could use a little more chaos in your life.."

Raven’s magic receded. "I’ve had enough chaos to last several lifetimes."

Lobo’s grin returned. "See? That’s what I’m talking about. You’re too serious, you need to loosen up and have some fun."

Arthur’s voice was calm. "She has fun."

Lobo’s eyebrow rose. "Oh yeah? What kind of fun?"

Arthur’s smile widened. "Not about to discuss that with you."

Lobo laughed at Arthur’s unexpected answer. "Fair enough, Shadow. Fair enough."

He raised his glass.

"To fun," he said. "To chaos and to finding a fraggin’ Dragon bastard and Darkseid’s bastard daugher and getting paid for it!"

Arthur’s glass rose. "To chaos I guess.."

Raven’s glass rose reluctantly. "To tolerating you both."

Their glasses clinked.

/-\

If you Like this story! Check out my other stories! Shadow Monarch: In One Piece / The Witcher: Heir of Fire!

&

If you wish to read more or simply support me than check out my p@t-reon / FrenzyAren"

You can Get Access to 7 More Chapters on all of my stories!