Ben 10: Justice Incarnate Chapter 32 (Early Preview) (Patreon)

Metropolis Police Station

Outside, chaos erupted as bystanders scattered. Inside the police station, a nervous policeman stood as still as possible, an apple balanced precariously on his head. Bedlam grinned under his mask and steadied his aim; his gun pointed right at the apple.

Lobo, meanwhile, yawned loudly as he fired shots randomly around the room, barely aiming. "Ah, this is gettin' lame," he muttered, slouching with boredom. "I thought he'd be here by now."

Bedlam, still aiming, shrugged. "Same. If what those coppers said was right, they’re the hero type." Suddenly, he jerked, "WHOA! MOSQUITO!" He fired, though it was unclear whether he’d seen anything.

Inside, Lobo got to work. “Time to up the ante, I’m thinking…” Lobo took out a box of scraps and, within a few seconds, constructed a bomb and activated its timer.

On the other side of the room, Bedlam aimed his gun at a trembling cop’s face, ready to pull the trigger.

At that moment, Superman and Ark transformed into Astrodactyl, swooped down from the sky, and landed at the police station's entrance. A voice crackled from Astrodactyl’s comms. Azmuth’s voice spoke up, “Explosive device ahead.”

In a flash, Astrodactyl shot through the glass doors. After spotting the bomb, Ark’s body glowed, transforming into a new alien: a vaguely humanoid creature with swampy-green skin, a tanned stomach, and black-green spots on his limbs and back.

Superman blurred into motion, too, grabbing the cop and pulling him to safety just as Bedlam fired. He landed next to Upchuck and glanced at the two aliens, assessing the situation.

Lobo and Bedlam watched in surprise as three tongues shot out from Upchuck’s mouth, latching onto Lobo’s bomb. Upchuck’s mouth stretched wide, and in one swift motion, he swallowed the bomb whole. His stomach glowed green, and a moment later, he let out a small burp with a puff of smoke. “Ooh, spicy.” He was lucky. That bomb would have blown up half the block.

Lobo’s grin returned, now even wider. “Well, well, look at this frager over here. Seems like we got ourselves a shapeshifter.” 

Bedlam held up the hologram and noticed the familiar green hourglass symbol on Upchuck’s body. “I think we found ourselves a three-in-one deal.”

Lobo sauntered up to Upchuck and Superman, hands on his hips, amused. “Finally! I've been tryin' to get in touch with you guys all day.”

A beep sounded, and Upchuck’s Omnitrix symbol glowed, activating DNA Scan Mode. A yellow hologram projected from the Omnitrix, sampling Superman’s, Lobo’s, and Bedlam’s DNA.

"Uncatalogued DNA acquired," the Omnitrix announced.

All eyes turned to Upchuck, who blinked in surprise. “Oh, right. Forgot to change the settings on that.”

Lobo started patting himself down, checking his pockets, looking around like he’d lost something. “The frack was that?”

Superman shot a questioning look at Upchuck. “Ark… What was that?”

Upchuck shrugged, his stomach rumbling slightly. “I’ll explain after we deal with… whatever this is.”

Superman’s eyes narrowed, focusing on Lobo and Bedlam. “Fine.” He turned back to the two beings figures in front of him. 

“So, who are you guys?” Upchuck asked. 

“Yes,” Superman added, eyeing them carefully. “And what do you want?”

With a cocky grin, Lobo nodded. “Oh, I’m sorry. My card.” Before Upchuck could react, Lobo delivered a powerful punch, sending Upchuck flying through the front door and tumbling into the street. Lobo bolted after him as he laughed.

At the same moment, Bedlam drew his guns, firing off a shot that struck Superman squarely in the chest. The energy blast threw him backward, and he skidded to a stop just outside. As he straightened, he felt a stinging burn searing through his suit. Superman gritted his teeth—it hurt. That was no regular gun.

Upchuck shook himself off, standing upright with barely a scratch. Both Lobo and Bedlam emerged from the police station, looking confident. Lobo cracked his knuckles with a menacing grin while Bedlam twirled his pistols with a showman's flair. “You got a price on your heads, and we’re here to collect.

“The name’s Bedlam. Fastest gunman this side of the cosmos.”

“And I’m Lobo,” The gray alien grinned even wider. “That’s L as in ‘lacerate,’ O as in ‘obliterate,’ B as in ‘disembowel,’ and O as in, uh… well, I guess I can use ‘obliterate’ twice, huh? What do you think?”

Upchuck’s mouth hung open before he looked at Superman, baffled. Superman could only shrug.

“I’m pretty sure that makes you LODO,” Upchuck smirked.

Lobo’s grin faltered, and a low growl rumbled from his throat. “What’d this bastich call me?!”

Suddenly, Bedlam’s gun flashed again as he fired a shot directly at Superman’s forehead. Superman staggered, rubbing the fresh burn left on his skin. “OW!! You’re certifiable madmen!” he said, wincing.

Lobo wasn’t fazed. “Thanks.”

Upchuck gathered the energy from the bomb he’d swallowed earlier, aimed, and spat out a bright green energy ball. The projectile whizzed toward Lobo, but he ducked just in time, and it exploded against a nearby road with a loud BOOM, leaving a large crater.

Lobo’s eyes lit up with a strange appreciation. “A lethal loogie?! Sick!”

In one swift move, Upchuck extended his three adhesive tongues, grabbing Lobo by the shirt and flinging him toward a police car. Lobo managed to kick and punch Upchuck away mid-flight before slamming into the car, denting the metal.

Lobo lunged at Upchuck, tackling him to the ground and delivering a brutal kick that sent the small alien crashing back into another police car.

“First rule of hunting, Vomitboy,” Lobo cracked his knuckles. “Make the target come to you.”

Upchuck glared. “You’re not the first bounty hunter I’ve faced before.”

“Clearly. Cuz you’re still kickin’.”

Upchuck’s long tongues lashed out, snatching a discarded car wheel from the ground. With a loud crunch, he swallowed it whole, his belly glowing faintly green as he processed the metal. A second later, he spat out a high-speed green energy projectile straight at Lobo.

Lobo sidestepped with a cocky grin, the glowing glob sizzling into the ground behind him and leaving a smoldering crater. "Is that all you got? My grandma could aim better, and she’s been dead for years!"

Upchuck ignored the taunt, his tongue shooting out again. This time, they wrapped around an entire wrecked police car. With a pull, he yanked it into his gaping maw, swallowing it whole in a matter of seconds. His body surged with energy, glowing brighter as he let out a burp that rattled nearby windows.

"Here we go," Upchuck muttered, his voice gruff. He spat again, this time unleashing a massive green energy projectile the size of a small boulder.

Lobo’s grin faltered for a moment as takes the hit. The energy glob slammed into him and detonated. Lobo crashes through a nearby lamppost and wall, obliterating it. "Now that’s more like it!" The visibly damaged muscle fibers on Lobo’s body were quickly healing. Lobo grabbed his chain and hook from his belt. He swung it around, the weapon whistling through the air before he hurled it toward Upchuck. The alien’s tongues lashed out, catching the chain mid-flight and yanking it.

The unexpected tug threw Lobo off balance, and Upchuck took the opportunity to close the distance. His tongues lashed out, wrapping around Lobo’s blaster and ripping it from his hands. The Czarnian cursed as the weapon clattered to the ground, but his grin quickly returned.

"Nice try, puke machine," Lobo said, cracking his knuckles. "But I don’t need toys to take you down."

Lobo charged, his massive fists swinging. Upchuck leaped back, his armor-like hide absorbing the impact of a grazing punch. He responded by firing another glob of energy, forcing Lobo to dive to the side.

"Maybe it’s time to show ya I can do that too!" he taunted. With a mighty grunt, Lobo gripped the edges of a nearby semi-truck, his Czarnian strength making the steel groan in protest. He smashed the front and back of the truck together like a soda can, compacting it into a dense ball. Lobo pressed it further into a tight sphere with his bare hands.

"Let’s see how you handle this, runt!" Lobo bellowed, lifting the compacted mass over his head like a trophy. Then, with a wild chuckle, he stuffed the truck ball into his mouth, his jaws stretching unnervingly wide to accommodate it.

Upchuck’s eyes widened. "Oh, that’s just wrong," he muttered.

Lobo chewed noisily, the crunching sound echoing through the battlefield. After a moment, he tilted his head back, swallowed with a theatrical gulp, then opened his mouth wide again. A deep rumble reverberated from his gut as he spat the ball out with incredible force.

The metallic projectile hurtled toward Upchuck like a cannonball, spinning wildly and leaving a trail of heat and sparks.

"Incoming!" Upchuck shouted, his tongues shooting out to grab a nearby lamppost. He yanked himself sideways just as the compacted truck ball slammed into the ground where he’d been standing. The impact sent shards of asphalt flying in all directions, and a massive crater formed beneath the projectile's weight.

Upchuck rolled to his feet, shaking off the debris. "You think that’s gonna scare me?" he growled, his stomach glowing bright green. He snatched up an empty bus with his many tongues, swallowed it whole, and quickly spat back a glowing energy glob straight at Lobo.

Lobo took the brunt of the energy and flew into the sky.

Upchuck didn’t hesitate. His glowing stomach surged brighter, and with a guttural heave, he hurled a massive, pulsating green energy ball straight at Lobo. The projectile hissed as it cut through the air, radiating an ominous hum.

Lobo’s grin widened. He had an idea and stretched his mouth impossibly wide, his Czarnian physiology defying reason. "Dinner time!" he bellowed.

With a thunderous gulp, Lobo swallowed the green energy ball whole. Silence fell over for a moment as even Upchuck blinked in astonishment.

Then it hit.

Lobo’s stomach began to glow a sickly green as the energy pulsed within him. His grin faltered. "Uh…that was spicier than I thought," he muttered, his voice distorted by the pressure building inside.

BOOM.

Lobo’s belly inflated like a balloon, stretching to cartoonish proportions. Smoke and fire burst from his mouth, nose, and ears in a dramatic explosion of chaos. His body wobbled comically as he swayed, his glowing green gut trembling with residual energy.

Upchuck crossed his arms, smirking. "Looks like someone bit off more than they could chew."

Lobo burped a puff of black smoke, his hair singed and his eyes spinning in their sockets. "Fraggin’... spicy meatball," he groaned, stumbling backward. His legs buckled, and he collapsed onto the ground with a loud thud. The Czarnian was still alive, but his regeneration would take longer than usual to undo the internal damage.

Upchuck stepped closer, his glowing stomach dimming as he caught his breath. "Next time, maybe use a plate," he quipped, turning away with a victorious flick of his tail.

Lobo, flat on his back, groaned as another puff of smoke escaped his mouth. "I’ll... frag ya... after my nap… Cough I'm losin' it… goin' under..." He swayed dramatically before collapsing to the ground, apparently unconscious.

Upchuck cautiously, keeping a wary distance. Upchuck stretched out one of his long, sticky tongues, flipping Lobo onto his back for a closer look.

Upchuck’s eyes narrowed. "I’ve never seen an alien like this… Azmuth, what did the DNA collection reveal?"

The program hummed. “It’s certainly unique. It’s regenerative abilities are akin to -”

But before Azmuth could finish, Lobo’s eyes snapped open, and he grinned, puckering his lips and making exaggerated smooching noises. "Mwah, mwah! You got that tongue action. I love you too, sweetheart," he taunted.

Upchuck recoiled, his face scrunching up in disgust. "You are one twisted weirdo."

Lobo chuckled, still lying on the ground, clearly enjoying the reaction. He then kicked Upchuck away to stand back up. 

Upchuck growled. "You know what? Let’s see how tough you are when you’re the meal, not the chef!" His long tongues shot out, latching onto Lobo’s jacket and yanking him forward with surprising strength.

"Wha—hey!" Lobo barked as he was pulled off his feet and dragged straight toward Upchuck’s gaping mouth. "What do you think you’re—oh, this ain’t happenin’!"

Upchuck tilted his head back, his jaws stretching impossibly wide. Lobo’s arms flailed as he was hoisted into the air, his boots kicking wildly as the alien prepared to swallow him whole. "That’s what you get for running your mouth!" Upchuck snapped between gritted teeth.

But Lobo’s manic grin never faltered. "You’re in for a surprise, ya little vacuum cleaner," he sneered.

As Lobo was halfway inside Upchuck’s mouth, he reached down and yanked the pins from the grenades strapped to his chest. "Let’s see how you like indigestion!" he roared as the grenades began to beep.

Upchuck’s eyes went wide as the warning signals reached his ears. "Oh no!" he gagged, rapidly unwinding from Lobo and flinging him back out. The Czarnian flew through the air, arms still flailing, just as the grenades strapped to him detonated.

Upchuck may have a pocket dimension for a stomach, but he still had breathing organs. Upchuck coughed violently, thick clouds of smoke and sparks billowing out of his mouth. "Ptooey!" he spat, staggering back as the aftertaste of burnt leather and explosives lingered in his throat. "You taste terrible, you maniac!"

Scorched but still standing, Lobo landed in a crouch a few feet away, shaking off the soot and debris. His jacket was shredded, and his skin was charred, but his grin remained firmly in place. "Nice try, puke-boy! But nobody eats the Main Man!"

Upchuck wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and glared. "Next time, I’ll chew first." His stomach glowed brightly again, signaling that he wasn’t done yet.

"I don’t think you’re quite done yet, little guy," Lobo groaned, sitting up and cracking his knuckles despite the smoke still wafting from his charred body. "C’mon, let’s see what you got next!"

Upchuck glanced at the looming Czarnian, his expression unreadable. Then, the Omnitrix symbol on his chest began to flash and beep.

"Time for something a little more hands-on," Upchuck muttered.

With a flash of green light, Upchuck’s small, stout body began to morph. His legs lengthened, his torso stretched and thickened, and fur sprouted from his skin. When the transformation was complete, standing in Upchuck’s place was a towering bipedal tiger alien clad in black and green shorts. His muscles rippled, and his razor-sharp claws gleamed under the streetlights. Rath bared his teeth in a ferocious grin.

"Lemme tell ya somethin’, Lobo!" Rath roared, pointing a clawed finger at the Czarnian. "Nobody, and I mean nobody, tosses me around without getting schooled! You’re about to learn why Rath is the king of kickin’ butts and takin’ names!"

Lobo blinked, then broke into a wide grin. "What a coinkidink. I’m the king of that too. This might get interesting."

Rath crouched, his claws scraping the pavement. "Oh, it’s gonna be more than interesting. It’s gonna be legendary!" With that, he charged at Lobo, the ground cracking under the force of his powerful strides.

Lobo leaped to his feet, laughing wildly. "Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about!" He braced himself as the unstoppable force that was Rath barreled toward him.

Meanwhile

Bedlam’s cape billowed as a jetpack hidden beneath the wings roared to life, propelling Bedlam as he circled his target.

With a swift motion, Bedlam whipped out a wire lasso crackling with electricity. He grinned, his laser pistols glinting at his sides, and tossed the lasso toward Superman. It wrapped around Superman’s torso, sending electric shocks surging through him. Superman gritted his teeth, feeling the burn as the electrified wire dug into his skin, weakening him.

"Not so tough when you're tied down, are ya, big guy?" Bedlam sneered, tightening his grip on the lasso. "That little jolt packin’ a punch?"

Superman glared, focusing on his heat vision and precisely burning through the lasso. Bedlam cursed as the wire snapped, and Superman launched forward, aiming a powerful punch. But Bedlam’s jetpack roared to life, shooting him upward and out of reach. In response, Bedlam threw his hat down toward Superman; in midair, it began to beep ominously. Superman’s eyes widened as he recognized the trap.

With a swift movement, he caught the hat and hurled it into the sky, just in time for it to detonate in a blinding burst of orange flame. The explosion briefly lit up the sky, and Superman turned his attention back to Bedlam, now wielding twin laser pistols.

Bedlam fired rapidly. Each shot carryied a reddish tint—a clear sign of Red Sun energy. The shots struck Superman across the chest, and he staggered, feeling the drain and impact as the energy seared through him.

"How do you like that? Got these babies customized just for you," Bedlam taunted, firing relentlessly. "Not so invincible when Red Sun's in the mix, huh?"

Gritting his teeth, Superman deflected some of the shots with his forearms, taking each hit that slipped past. Superman’s eyes narrowed as he tracked Bedlam. 

Sure enough, Bedlam propelled himself toward Superman. “Gotta love the upgrade from the boss,” Bedlam drawled.

Superman didn’t reply, holding his ground as Bedlam activated a new lasso. The electrified line crackled as it shot out, arcing toward Superman. Superman dodged, but the lasso lashed around his forearm, sending a jolt through his arm that forced him back a few feet.

Superman clenched his fist as he broke free from the lasso, the surge of electricity dissipating as he yanked it away.

Bedlam retracted the lasso with a wrist snap, then drew his twin laser pistols. His smirk widened as he aimed, firing rapid shots toward Superman. The energy bolts hit Superman square in the chest, the red-sun-infused blasts searing through his suit and forcing him to stagger.

Superman gritted his teeth, feeling the burn of each shot. The red-sun energy weakened him, and the familiar warmth and strength he drew from yellow sunlight faltered under the onslaught. Bedlam took full advantage, strafing through the air with his jetpack and shooting quick bursts of his pistols to keep Superman on the defensive.

He lunged at Bedlam in a flash, using a gust of his super-breath to throw the bounty hunter off balance. Bedlam spun in midair but managed to stabilize with his jetpack. He activated a thermal grenade and tossed it at Superman in one smooth motion. The explosive charge triggered just before it hit Superman.

The explosion threw Superman back, disorienting him. Bedlam took the opportunity to surge forward, slamming into Superman and pinning him against a nearby satellite. He pressed one of his pistols to Superman’s forehead, the barrel still glowing with red sun energy.

Superman narrowed his eyes, ignoring the pistol at his head. Quickly, he grabbed Bedlam’s arm, twisting it to force him back, then threw a punch that knocked Bedlam spinning backward. Bedlam fired his jetpack just in time to avoid being tossed into orbit, but Superman was already advancing, his eyes glowing red with heat vision.

“Here’s a tip,” Superman said, the air crackling as his heat vision ignited. “Maybe don’t bring explosives to a fistfight.”

Before Bedlam could react, Superman’s heat vision hit the jetpack, searing it and causing it to sputter. The engines struggled to keep him airborne.

“Not bad,” Bedlam muttered, glancing over his shoulder as his jetpack sparked. “But I ain’t done yet.” He twisted sharply, breaking free, and with a quick reload of his laser pistols, fired another series of Red Sun-infused shots at Superman.