Kulan Faust raised his withered fists to the sky. Caught in his magical grasp were Green Panther and Steel Bat, heroes from alternate dimensions who had been fighting each other. “By manipulating dimensional energies, I managed to bring you two fools from across the realms. The natural friction of your dimensions, added with the pathological need you costumed do-gooders have to fight each other, meant powering the Red Necklace of Calythyberia was child’s play!”
“Friend of yours?” Green Panther asked the black clad hero.
“I thought he was yours,” Steel Bat replied as he tried to break free from the magical entrapment. Steel Bat studied the gaunt magician as he waved his hands in a conductor like manner.
“You got a plan or you just want to leave him monologuing?” Green Panther said as his eyes resumed their normal service.
“I always have a plan.” Steel Bat stated which made Green Panther chuckle. “What?”
“I always have a plan!” Green Panther mimicked.
“WITNESS THE POWER…!” Faust roared as he lifted the heroes higher up into the air. “AS I, KULAN FAUST, MERGE YOUR DIMENSIONS TOGETHER!”
“Do you have a grappling hook arrow?” Steel Bat asked.
“Yeah?”
“Shoot me.”
Green Panther smiled as he fumbled through his quiver. “With absolute pleasure!”
Faust muttered words from an age gone by and slowly brought the two captured heroes together. Green Arrow struggled against the magical bubble but managed to fire an arrow towards Steel Bat, who caught it.
“Hold on!” Steel Bat wrapped the cord around his fist and yanked Green Panther, sending the emerald hero hurtling towards him.
“NO!!” screamed Faust as he fought to keep them apart. “You ignorant apes! You can’t just..”
“Smash dimesions together without consequences?” Steel Bat remarked as he pulled Green Panther towards him. “From my cursory studies with Dr. Strangebeast…”
“Strangebeast?” Green Panther repeated as he pulled from his side of the rope.
“You’ve got to be in control of the spell.”
“STOP! YOU HAVE NO CONCEPT OF WHAT YOU DO?”
“I think we’re ruining your fun,” Green Panther laughed.
“You can drop the spell,” Steel Bat growled. “Or reap the whirlwind of an unfocused multidimensional merge spell. Your choice?”
Kulan Faust hesitated as he fumbled the words of the spell. With a wave of his hands he dropped the heroes and collapsed in a heap. Green Panther landed with cat-like grace as Steel Bat glided down beside him.
“Did you just bluff?” Panther asked Bat, who ignored the question and strode forward confidently. “You did too.”
“I was so close…” coughed Kulan Faust.
Steel Bat reached down and yanked the necklace off him. “I suspect this is the source of your power.”
“NOOOOOOO!” Faust screamed as he shimmered from existence.
“You killed him?” Green Panther asked cautiously.
“He’s returned to his home dimension,” Steel Bat said.
“Now I know you’re bluffing…” Green Panther raised a quizzical eyebrow before continuing. “So, who the hell is Chesire Black?”
Before Steel Bat could answer, he found himself alone, standing on the rooftop of one of Gotham’s tallest buildings, cape flapping in the breeze. In his hand was the necklace. “Until next time, Green Panther.”
Green Panther looked around him in confusion as he found himself back in his hometown. "Well that was weird!"
Fin!
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