This is an 'imaginary story' set on Earth-2. In the current Earth-2 continuity, this story never occured. Still, there were a lot of people who liked it so I can't just let it go. So here it is...

Jay Garrick is running for President. There have been a lot of shady politics going on since he announced his candidacy, including the near fatal automobile accident of a reporter for the National Enquirer Weekly Star, who wrote a vicious 'expose' about Jay's past. Lois Lane is investigating the National Enquirer Weekly Star. And we have just found out that Zeus and the ghost of Bruce Wayne are playing chess using humans as the pieces.

This pissed me off, and it still does. It was such an incredible slur on Bruce Wayne that I had to respond to it. So I wrote the story below. I hope you enjoy it!

Unknown to Lois, another investigator had managed to make his way inside the National Enquirer Weekly Star building. And he had seen enough. There was more going on here than simply a tabloid newspaper. Vandal Savage had recently tried to summon the ancient god of evil Cthulu to the mortal realm and come dangerously close to succeeding. One immortal evil demon was more than enough for any single planet. As a fellow immortal, Jason Blood had long been aware of Savage and his schemes, but it wasn't until now that those schemes had risen above the level of an annoyance. It was time for Blood to become involved. And when Blood began an investigation...

In a locked storeroom, an eerie ancient ritual was occurring...

Yarva Demonicus Etrigan.
Change, change the form of man.
Free the prince forever damned.
Free the might from fleshy mire.
Boil the blood in heart of fire.
Gone, gone the form of man,
Rise the demon Etrigan!

Jason Blood, a tall sturdy man, disappeared as he chanted those ancient words, to be replaced by a veritable Demon! Short and wide, with orange skin, horns, red eyes, and ears resembling bat wings.

"This place is filled with Savage lies The stench of ancient evil fills the air,
Power lust which never dies Turning hope to foul despair!"

"Eternal evil is MY right, I will not share with any man
I'll rend his life this very night I, the demon, Etrigan!"

Suddenly, Etrigan's body stiffend. He tilted his head, as if listening intently. And in a way he was, though he was listening with senses mystical, not available to mortal men.

"Jason Blood, a fool you are, Your will has been usurped this day.
A secret power from afar Has charged you with a part to play!"

"Who would dare make ME a tool And try to bind me to his plan?
Will soonest learn he is a fool! None may make a slave of Etrigan!"

He paused in thought, once again emplying magical seneses beyond human comprehension, and the cadence of his rhymes changed.

"It was my double nature that saved me from this power, The demon inside Blood could not be bound.
The is another, dual, like me, they also have enslaved, The opposite of all that I expound
I go to free the one I hate, A more unlikely pair could not be found."

He disappeared in a flash, leaving behind the stench of brimstone.

On Mt. Olympus, Zeus turned to Bruce. "You are not allowed to deploy your agents during one of my phases."

Bruce looked puzzled. "Etrigan? Not one of mine. Since it was your phase, I assumed he must be one of yours."

Now Zeus looked worried. "I think we're in trouble!"

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Jim Corrigan and his family were having a cookout when Corrigan's magic senses flared with a warning of incredible danger. An evil force nigh as powerful as the Spectre was approaching. Though Jim's human form limited his powers of perception, and he wasn't quite able to identify this approaching evil, there were only 2 evil beings he knew of who had this level of power and who regularly frequented Earth. And Satan had been dormant for a while. Jim instantly summoned the Spectre, and the Ghostly Guardian quickly shunted Jim's family into a the previously-prepared, strongly fortified pocket dimension where they would remain in stasis until he had once again, inevitably, triumphed over the approaching evil,

And then, Etrigan arrived like a bolt of lightning. The Spectre was poised, ready to respond to any attack - in fact, to any action by his foe. Any action, except what Etrigan actually did - which was nothing. After a second, the Ghostly Guardian spoke.

"What evil purpose brings you here Demon? Have you perhaps grown bored in your immortality and come to me to hasten your return to primal nothingness?"

"Your banal bluster mean nothing to me. One thing our endless years have taught.
You can't best me, I can't beat you, It's been this way each time we've fought."

"You shall never best me, Demon, though it is also true that though we've fought through ages past I've also not beat you."

The Spectre realized what he had just said and looked stunned! The Demon cackled with glee - but said nothing.

"You didn't break into my life in order to taunt me, Demon. Or to socialize. State your purpose or leave. Regardless of past history, I would not advise you to risk my wrath."

"It astounds me That you fail to see."

and he stopped, and waited some more.

The Spectre started to respond with even more anger, and then halted. His posture was eerily similar to that adopted earlier by Etrigan, as he sampled the world with senses far beyond those of mere mortals.

"I sense that Jim Corrigan, and many other mortals, have been living under a spell. A spell which replaced their free will with the will of others, forcing them to act as pawns in an unholy game!"

The Demon winced at the word 'unholy', but then he rallied and responded, as usual, in verse.

"You and I are much alike, though it pains us both. Our dual natures set us free of this vile spell.
I propose we find the fool who bound us, Dismember him and send him straight to hell!"

"Though the humans around us are still bound by this spell, deep inside them, their inner selves cry for vengeance. Cries the Spectre cannot ignore. I agree to join you for this purpose, Demon. Our ancient battle can be rejoined at our leisure, as we have all the time in the universe."

Far away, in a game room in a grand palace on Mt. Olympus, Bruce Wayne turned to Zeus. "I take it the Spectre is not one of your pieces, either?" Zeus didn't answer. Bruce shook his head. "You're right, we _are_ in trouble!"

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On Earth, the Spectre and Etrigan vanished. In human terms, the trip from Earth to Mt. Olympus was so fast as to seem instantaneous, but human terms mean little to beings such as these. In the short interval between leaving Earth and arriving in Olympus, the two near-godlike ancient enemies had plenty of time to 'chat'. No mortal observer would have recognized them during this short time, it was as if they could 'let their hair down' with each other as they could with no others.

"Well, cousin, you seem astoundingly lucid today." The Spectre's voice was, as usual, as cold as the depths of space, but there was a trace of something, something unidentifiable, in his voice. Certainly not friendship, but perhaps… familiarity. "The recent binding with Jason Blood must agree with you."

"When Blood does deign to summons me, My soul retains his strictures for a while
And during that while it seems that I am… 'sane',
But sane for long I cannot be My maker filled me with excessive bile
Sanity passes, Etrigan I remain."

"For both our sakes I do suggest A quick conclusion to this little jaunt,
As sanity goes my power grows; I more than overmatch an ancient haunt!"

Though the Spectre had never in human history displayed any discernable sense of humor, a human observer might almost have thought him amused.

"We've the two of us battled since the dawn of the universe, Demon, and your greatest successes have barely been draws. Your threats are meaningless."

"Please listen to me, Ghost of Vengeance, My warning, not merely a pretense,
My insanity grows, My power explodes, Into madness for which you've no defense!"

Did the Spectre wince? He closed his eyes, at least, for a second. During that second Etrigan found himself awash in powerful mystical forces, but he immediately sensed that they were, at least this once, benign.

"I see the truth of your words. Your forced binding with the human Blood is painful, his sanity tears at what passes for your soul. That pain increases your madness and in your madness, you use your powers with less restraint than ever before. Blood knows this and thus only rarely looses you. I would relieve you of that pain and your madness if I could, but the powers of your maker far exceed my own."

"Still must you know this, the binding pains Blood as well, and ere long he will seek his freedom, regardless of the awful cost. As for your unnatural concern for me, regardless of whence it came, know that in some ways the binding with Corrigan has had a similar effect on me. The restraints of his soul remain with me for some time after I am released, and during that time, my behavior is more 'human' than has been my norm since our ancient birth. Perhaps as a reaction to being restrained, when the restraints fade, I am more powerful than ever."

"Still, when my powers were at lowest ebb, even then were you unable to best me! Remember the battle in the Nendromanda Proto-Nebula? I had just finished one of my most momentous and draining battles (with foes other than yourself), banishing the World-Eater to a lesser universe. I was at my weakest when you struck most treacherously - and failed! Though you destroyed the entire Proto-Nebula and several thousand future races who never had a chance to evolve 'neath the stars you so casually erased."

"I would not say it failed, oh boastful ghost I'd say in fact that you were toast!
I caged you away for eons on that day. Inside of a sun where you had run, I still remember all the fun, You've forgotten, eh,
your mind does you betray."

"My point is that you have not the power to destroy me. I continue to live, I did escape, and we still do continue our eternal battle."

"Fine by me, I must admit, If you were gone, you piece of spit. I'd miss our everlasting war.
There has been none Near half as fun, For me to use to wipe up the floor!"

This was starting to sound more like the Etrigan he knew! He hoped the Demon would retain his new-found sanity long enough for their upcoming confrontation. Zeus himself would be little problem for either of them, but Zeus could summon powerful allies. And, even though he was but a ghost, and a human ghost at that, the spirit of Bruce Wayne was no mean opponent to be underestimated! He was still musing when their brief journey ended and they materialized in one of the magnificent game rooms in Zeus's Mt. Olympus Palace. And none would ever know what passed 'tween these two ancient enemies during that oh-so-brief and private moment.

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The two arrived with a boom. Literally. The magical power Etrigan had used to transport them exploded around them, an explosion that would have devastated any mortal abode. But Zeus was no mere mortal, in fact, no mere god, but the King of the Gods. The massive blast of energy had no more effect on anything nearby than turning on a light bulb. Except that Zeus was livid.

"How dare you invade the demesne of Zeus? Begone instantly and I will ignore your impertinence, tarry longer and face my wrath!" Zeus words rumbled like thunder, shaking the foundations of that mighty palace. The concussion disintegrated the nearby servants, while the ones further away fell screaming with the agony of burst eardrums. Annoyed, Zeus discorporated the bunch of them with a snap of his fingers - he could easily make more later.

Totally ignoring the livid King of the Gods, Etrigan moved to the sideboard and examined the various bottles. The Spectre addressed Zeus directly.

"Have a care, godling, remember who you do address. The age is long past when you can with impunity play games with human lives."

Etrigan broke in loudly

"Ouzo, mead, ambrosia, absinthe, Bacchus wine No vodka or tequila to be found
Only horrid circumstance makes me drink this slop, A battle with a godling makes my thirst profound."

He reached out and his hand grew larger, and he swept all the bottles, jars and containers from the sideboard. He tilted his head backwards and his mouth opened, grotesquely, stretching, wider than several manholes. He dropped everything in and his mouth returned to normal size. He chewed once, and there was the sound of various containers crunching, and then swallowed. And belched.

The belch was as loud as Zeus's voice had been and had much greater effect. The wall he was facing exploded away from him, blasting through the beautifully tended garden outside. What plants were not destroyed by the blast immediately withered to brown as the gas expelled by Etrigan billowed outward.

"Not too bad, I must admit, though without much bite
Now that I am fortified, let's begin the fight!"

He snapped his fingers, and sparks flew from his clashing talons, igniting his waste gasses into a massive fireball. Unlike the explosion that heralded their entrance, this one was effective - the palace of Zeus was blown apart like a house of cards in a wind tunnel. Zeus roared with anger as the beautiful ancient marble rained down around them, bouncing off protective bubbles thrown up by the various combatants. Bruce Wayne had no such power, and had to move quickly closer to Zeus in order to remain unscathed.

When the dust cleared, the scene was, literally, unearthly. Zeus's palace had been surrounded by miles of carefully tended parkland, throughout which had been scattered a number of smaller buildings. In the direction of the sun, near the horizon, stood the city of Olympus. The former parkland resembled nothing so much as the ground surrounding an atomic explosion - nothing but piles of rubble, fires burning sporadically where flammable debris had been rammed into piles by some more durable feature of the landscape. For miles around them, nothing lived.

The devastation had not reached the city of Olympus - not that Etrigan hadn't tried, but the Spectre had stepped in with an attempt to keep the rest of the Greek gods out of this battle. Still, it was an impressive display of power, even among the present company. Zeus was avidly cursing in the language of the Titans, which can't even be translated. But the gist was something like this:

"You barbaric idiot! You'll pay dearly for this!"

He hurled the lightning which suddenly filled his hands. Etrigan must have been expecting this kind of attack - it was Zeus he was fighting, after all. The bolts exploded before they reached the hell-spawned Etrigan, and even though he was prepared, the power of those explosions staggered him. But this round of lightning had been nothing more than a distraction. When the bolts stopped flying and exploding, Etrigan and the Spectre were both facing hideous monsters well known in Greek mythology.

The Spectre was confronted by two giant monsters with extra heads. A three-headed dog, larger than the largest elephant, snarled and charged. An even larger Hydra, with hundreds of heads on long necks, breathed magical fire. The hound Cerberus, a creature of the Underworld, ignored the magical flames splashing on his back and leaped for the throat of the Ghostly Guardian.

Before Cerberus reached him, the Spectre was suddenly much larger than the giant dog and still growing. He casually kicked the hurtling snarling dog aside. Cerberus smashed into a pile of rubble, rolled and turned, ready to charge again. The Spectre spoke, his voice lashing out in a thunderous command. "Sit!" The mythical dog's roars changed to whimpers, and he sat - and didn't move again until well after the battle was over.

The Spectre turned his attention to the Hydra, which by now was no taller than his ankle. He reached down with one hand and plucked the hapless monster from the ground. "The monstrous Hydra of legend- cut off a head and two more will take its place. Yet how will you respond to this?" He squeezed and then shook his hand violently to clear it of the grotesque goop that was all that remained of the horrific monster.

Etrigan smiled as he turned to the Gorgon who was approaching him. At least, we must presume it was a smile. Whatever it was, it altered his face, which quickly became more hideous than anything ever witnessed by earthbound mortals. The Gorgon, whose visage was so terrible it turned those who gazed on it to stone, screamed at the horror in front of her as she met a similar fate, while Etrigan laughed at her own power. Her body turned to sand and was quickly dispersed by the violence of the combat around her.

Etrigan turned and was struck again by lightning. The Cyclops were the smiths of Zeus and created his lightnings, and this Cyclops brought with him the best products of his millennia-long labors. A barrage of bolts exploded in the Demon's face, which momentarily knocked him off balance and had the added benefit of preventing the Cyclops from viewing Etrigan's face.

The Cyclops was frantically grabbing bolts from a pile, and throwing them, but once he had their measure, Etrigan seemed to ignore them. He strode through the barrage like a man through a light rain, and as he approached, he also grew. The Cyclops was a giant by human standards and Etrigan matched his size. Seeing that the lightning was having no effect, the Cyclops drew his mighty sword - the blade of which was a leashed lightning bolt - and slashed at the Demon with a mighty blow. Etrigan's hand morphed into a sword and he easily parried the lightning sword, though sparks flew when the two blades crashed together.

"A little sport is all ask, Slaying you, a simple task"

His sword arm flashed forward, faster than the eye could follow, and he skewered the Cyclops through the chest. The mystical creature vanished in a puff of greasy smoke. Etrigan turned to his partner and mocked him.

"This growing tall, to awe a foe, A paltry trick to wow the rubes, I've seen it all before,
I think that in six billion years, you would have learned some better spells, Sometimes you're such a bore!"

"Now whose mind has gone? In perhaps our third battle, when we were younger than a million years, when I sought vengeance for an entire race whose star you had extinguished, you first used that 'paltry trick' on me. And you used it again and again until I figured it out myself."

"Ah but how superior is an original to the copy,
The shiny new, showroom special to the beat up old jalopy?"

Both had returned to human size, and as they spoke they ignored Zeus. In turn, Zeus was furious with Bruce Wayne. "Ghost of Wayne, in this you are my ally! Why have you not aided me in this battle?"

"I'm… sorry, Lord Zeus" His voice was so strained, it sounded as if the Cerberus was ripping his words from his throat. "Something restrains me."

Zeus did a quick check. "There is no magic restraining you" he thundered. "Save mine own" he didn't add. "It must be base cowardice, something I would never expect from you, who are the most renowned of human heroes. The mighty Batman? Pfaw! More like the cowardly Kitten Man! Know that you have good cause for your fear, ghost - after my allies and I destroy these two intruders, I will have time to deal with you correctly!"

He turned back to the attackers and was joined by several other Olympians, who had come to seek the cause of the destruction. Zeus and Hephaestus, God of Fire and the Forge, advanced on the Spectre, while Ares God of War and Pluto, Ruler of the Underworld, advanced on Etrigan.

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"There is none as skilled with sword and shield as I!" Aries boasted as he approached Etrigan, weaving his sword through a glittering series of arcs and slashes. The flashing sword veritably filled the air in front of him with deadly edges - whatever he closed on would be slashed and chopped to death.

A bored looking Etrigan pulled a gun from the holster on his side. The barrel was the size of a truck tire. A single shot, a shell the size of a cruise missile, and Ares' torso was blown to shreds.

"It is always a surprise What can be learned through mortal eyes"

He turned to Pluto.

"Greetings, Unk! you must debunk Zeus's claim on your allegiance
Otherwise, right now you die For your petty malfeasance"

Pluto spoke. "Zeus is my brother, while you and I share naught but our home, the Underworld. And even you have not the power to kill the Gods of Greece - humans created us and only with the extinction of humans will we be undone. Still, you have the power to cause great pain to even gods, which gives me pause." He looked at Ares and shuddered. The God of War (well, his head, shoulders and arms) was frantically scuttling around the battlefield, gathering scraps of his body. He was screaming in pain as he did so. "I believe Zeus has transgressed and may need a lesson - so I'll sit this one out."

Etrigan turned to the battle between the Spectre and the Greek Gods of Lightning and Fire. Suddenly the Spectre found himself again in that timeless instant of translation, a private universe inhabited only by Spectre and Demon.

"Please go deal with Wayne, ghastly white
Allow me to finish your fight,
Lightning and Fire
Have earned my vast ire
I do what I do out of spite!"

The Spectre was then standing in front of Bruce Wayne, and he realized that Etrigan had just switched place with him. Across the landscape, two grim Greek gods faced a cackling prancing Demon, all three growing larger as he watched. If front of him, wearing a cloak and hood which strongly resembled those of the Batman, Bruce Wayne stood motionless, almost as if in some kind of stasis.

"Bruce Wayne, you have much to answer for. While the arrogance of Zeus is understandable, how dare you, of all the spirits in the afterworld, play games with human lives? What was the Batman but a symbol that all humans have the power to choose their own destinies? Do you deny them that which you fought for in life?"

His voice beat at Bruce like a hammer. Bruce was clearly struggling with something, but remained silent. Each word inflicted incredible agony on the ghost, who had thought he was beyond physical pain at this point in his existence.

"How is this 'game' you play different than how Silky Cernak manipulated your wife and lead her to her death? In fact, perhaps, his blackmail was more honest. Selina at least knew she was being played!"

There was pain on Wayne's face as he remembered his wife, blackmailed into committing 'one last crime' and then being killed by the blackmailer. He was shuddering and sweat was pouring from his face, his teeth were clenched, and still he said not a word.

"Did not you learn your lesson when you came unknowing under the influence of the Psycho Pirate and near tore the JSA apart? Have you forgotten the pitched battle in the Batcave, or the terrible consequences? A team that was together for close to 40 years, torn apart by the mistrust you spread while under the influence of that villain. And now you bring others unknowing into a mere game?"

There was clear contempt in the thundering voice. The rage of the Spectre was rarely unleashed in full, and there was few more terrible things in the universe…

"Bruce Wayne, those humans who died because of your game cry out to me for Vengeance. Nor your dubious ally, the erstwhile King of the Gods, nor the respect you gained from our past association will help you now!"

The Spectre's face grew in Bruce's vision, growing impossibly larger, filling his entire universe, filling his entire mind, coming near to wiping out everything that Bruce had ever been or ever strived to be. With a last heroic effort - an effort far greater than any he had ever made, far greater than he had ever imagined that any being could have made, he finally forced himself to speak.

"Jim, help me!"

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With those words his struggles stopped, he no energy left with which to fight. He slumped, helplessly. He knew that if the Spectre didn't heed his final words, he might spend the rest of eternity in the place of the damned.

As for the Spectre, these were the last words he had expected from Bruce Wayne. An appeal to Jim Corrigan? As he considered this, he realized yet again the power of Bruce Wayne's mind. The Spectre was hardened to appeals from the damned, having heard them all millions of times. Nobody ever deserved vengeance, it was always someone else's fault… Yet Wayne knew that Corrigan could never ignore a plea for help from a friend. Not that Corrigan's intercession would stay the hand of the Spectre if punishment was required. So there must be more to this than just a baseless plea for mercy. And what did Corrigan have that the Spectre did not? Why, he was a detective.

For the third time that day, time stopped. This time, the two who conversed in the timeless limbo were an even stranger pair the before - Police Detective Jim Corrigan and the Spectre.

Corrigan: "Something doesn't add up. Look, when Etrigan forced me to change, you discovered that I had been under a spell, right? A spell that kept me from noticing this 'game', and also prevented me from thinking about changing?"

Spectre: "That is correct. Proceed…"

Corrigan: "If I had not been ensorcelled, would you have noticed this game?"

The Spectre thought for a few seconds: "Perhaps not. In fact, likely not. It was a subtle thing, and not the sort of affair I normally concern myself with."

Corrigan: "Right! So why was I pulled in at all? Leave me alone, don't make me a pawn, you won't have any reason to investigate, and you won't become involved. Safest thing to do… On the other hand, if Blood had not been made a pawn, would Etrigan have interfered with this game?"

The Spectre didn't need to puzzle over that. "No. At most he would have been amused. It would certainly have not aroused his ire."

Corrigan: "So why include Blood at all? Including Blood guaranteed that Etrigan would interfere with this game. Whoever cast the spells on Blood and me wanted this game to be discovered and destroyed."

Spectre: "I begin to see. And no doubt you know the identity of this secret player?"

Corrigan signed: "C'mon, Spec - you've been merged with me for what, almost 50 years? What are you going to do when I pack it in? Isn't it obvious?"

Spectre: "I have no patience for riddles. Quickly, the answer!"

Corrigan, sighed: "Let me show off a little more - and see if you can work it out yourself. Bruce is a ghost. Do normal ghosts have the kind of power over human behavior that Bruce is exhibiting? You don't have to answer, I already know. Zeus must have loaned Bruce some power. Does that clear it up?"

Spectre: "Ah… Zeus used his power to place a geas on the ghost of Bruce Wayne, in order to find a worthy opponent. Being of mortal descent, Wayne was unable to overcome this geas directly, yet he refused to yield. Within the rules of the game he found a way. You and Blood were among his 'secret pieces'. And he foresaw these consequences entire." Only someone as intimate with the Spectre as Corrigan could have heard just a small trace of something very much like awe in the spirit's voice. "A brilliant strategist he proves himself again!" The timeless place vanished yet again.

Nearby, Etrigan had messily bested Hephaestus, and was toying with Zeus. The Spectre waved a hand over Bruce Wayne and his will was once more his own. He anger gave his voice a power that was normally reserved for gods and demons. "Zeus, you will pay for this!" He launched himself at the god like a human missile. Zeus had bigger issues to worry about, and swung a careless backhand that sent Bruce tumbling, broken, over the landscape.

Zeus roared with laughter. "Puny human shade, who are you to think you can challenge the King of the Gods?"

While still flying through the air, the broken body changed… It became darker, and seemed to grow great dark wings. The tumbling slowed and came under control, and the broken body straightened, and with a final acrobatic roll, landed lightly, and turned back to the battle. "I'm Batman."

There was no boast to the words, no added emphasis - yet none was needed. Zeus, who had faced and easily defeated every mortal champion ever raised up against him, for thousands of years, felt the first twinge of fear. The being that strode towards him across the shattered and devastated grounds of his palace was far more deadly than the shade of Bruce Wayne. Etrigan withdrew from the battle, observing the exchange alongside the Spectre. Neither seemed worried about the outcome.

"You are wearing the body you wore when alive." Zeus said, trying to sound confident. "You have no more power now then you ever did. And you never had the power to face a god."

"Sounds like you're talking to build up your nerve, eh, Zeusy boy? Your power doesn't matter to me. I already told you - I'm Batman."

Rather than respond, Zeus let fly a barrage of lightning javelins. Batman slipped agilely between most of them; those he was unable to dodge, he blocked with his insulated cape. Zeus couldn't believe that any mortal could survive such an attack, yet Batman moved through the lightning storm as casually as if he were strolling through a garden. Before Zeus could react, he was within striking distance and strike he did - a stinging slap across the face.

The outline of Batman's hand glowed red on the snarling face of the Lord of Olympus. Rather than throw another lightning bolt, he used his next one like a spear or a pike, stabbing and slashing at his foe. Casually, with no apparent effort, Batman evaded each blow, and again, slipped close to the god and slapped him, again, so that he had matching markes on each side of his face.

Zeus roared in rage, and the volume of that roar would have leveled mountains. Batman stood with his cape wrapped around him and weathered the storm. Even Zeus could not sustain such volume for long, and when his voice failed him, Batman slipped close and this time blasted him with pepper spray. Zeus vanished and Batman was wrapped in the coils of a giant snake. A touch of a switch on his utility belt, and his cape stiffened into knife-edges wings, and the tighter the snake squeezed the deeper it was cut.

The snake was replaced by a bloody Zeus, but his wounds quickly closed. Yet he moved a little more slowly than he had before. But the Batman was moving as quickly as ever. A batarang flashed out, trailing a wire, binding Zeus's arms and legs. Batman moved around behind the bound god, who was unable to turn to track him. A not-so-gentle shove to the back of Zeus's head, and he toppled to the ground, screaming as his face smashed into the rubble. There was an explosion, and the wire was melted, and Zeus sprang to his feet.

"ENOUGH! Spirit of the Bat, I banish you back to your eternal rest, never again to tread on Mt. Olympus." and Batman was gone. Zeus turned wearily to the Spectre and Etrigan, who were totally ignoring him. Etrigan spoke before the two of them vanished.

"When next we meet, we meet as foes, I take my leave, so it goes…"