CHAPTER 6

"Better say your prayers, Dark Knight, because you are about to…"

Before the half-Superman/half-Batman super-villain, Composite Superman, could finish his snarling statement of finality, Batman managed to reach one of the compartments of his yellow Bat-belt, even as the super-strong, super-stretched hands continued to squeeze the Caped Crusader's athletically muscular form, in order to produce a small device that, once activated…

RRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

"Gyiiiiiii!" exclaimed Composite Superman as the high-pitched ultrasonic device created hell with his super-hearing, causing him to instantly release his super-grip of the Batman in order to clap both hands over his ears, one exposed and the other beneath half-a-cowl.

Knowing that his ultra-sound device's effect wouldn't last long, Batman quickly produced the same Green Kryptonite Bat-knuckles from a cape-concealed lead-lined compartment, which he'd previously used against a Joker-controlled, via Red Kryptonite, Superman, in order to hopefully beat down this curious super-visitor from another universal reality.

Unfortunately for the Cowled One, the first of two blows he'd landed upon Composite Superman's exposed green-skinned face brought forth not blood, but cackling laughter.

"Hate to disappoint you, Batman, but my Superman-like powers are derived from a Daxamite 'super-hero' named Lar Gand," said Composite Superman with a malicious sneer. "He was better known, in the Legion of Super-Heroes organization of my reality, as Mon-El. So, Green Kryptonite has absolutely no effect…as you can see."

Even as such registered within the weary mind of the Caped Crimefighter, Composite Superman further demonstrated his brand of super-strength by barely tapping the exposed chin of the Dark Knight with a single knuckle and, in turn, sent the Batman sailing across the width of the dimly illuminated warehouse to slam hard into a shadowed wall and leave a massive dent where the protectively-padded Batman had smashed into its unyielding metal.

"Uhnnnn," groaned the man inside the cowl-and-cape through tightly clenched teeth as, once again, pain shoved aside the sleep-deprived weariness so dominating him for the past several days. And, once again, the Batman teetered on total unconsciousness. His vision blurred. His breathing laborious. His back muscles a mass of barbed agony.

As Composite Superman, laughing maniacally, slowly began to stride straight for the Dark Knight, one Superman-booted foot ahead of the Bat-booted one.

"I think it's time, Batman," said Composite Superman with an audible growl to match his sadistic glower. "Time for you to die. Ha, ha, hahahaha!"

But, before the half-and-half super-villain could carry out his threat, and before the Caped Crusader could force his battered body to shakily stand…

Krash!

…the unexpected arrival a dying-from-Kryptonite poisoning Superman crashing through the warehouse's metal roof to end up in a smaller mini-crater within its otherwise smooth concrete floor. Dark blood still spraying forth from Kryptonite-infected lungs to stain the partially shattered surface beneath the struggling-to-stand Man of Steel.

"Ah," said Composite Superman with a self-satisfied smirk while turning toward the dying superhero. "Looks like we have to put your demise on hold, Batman. It's time to finish off your friend and colleague…Superman. Ha-ha, ha, hahahaha!"

Thinking fast, even as he barely managed to push himself into a shakily standing pose, Superman wheezed, "So…you're so uncertain…about your powers…that you have to… fight me…while I'm…incapacitated…by Kryptonite dust…?"

Stopping short, Composite Superman considered what the Last Son of Krypton was implying in regards to the half-Superman/half-Batman super-villain's grandiloquence, then, a mad grin growing on his green-skinned features, Composite Superman held out a single purposefully poised hand, while saying, "Easily fixed, Kryptonian. All I need do is utilize Element Lad's powers to return the composition of the dust in your lungs to its original state…that of common brick dust."

As Batman watched, forcing his own traumatically aching legs to push himself into a standing posture, Superman finally seemed to return to his former super-human state, even as the Dark Knight quickly placed the Green Kryptonite Bat-knuckles back into their lead-lined Bat-belt compartment.

"What does he mean, Superman?" asked Batman in a blatant attempt to stall for time as he regained his own non-super composure and think of some non-super means of temporarily besting Composite Superman. "Who's 'Element Lad'?"

The ploy worked. Composite Superman first looked at Batman, then back to Superman, before asking, "So, Superman, you know about the Legion of Super-Heroes of my reality?"

Almost fully recovered, Superman picked up on Batman's simple subterfuge and said, "Don't sound so surprised. Time is as much its own dimensional reality as your 'world'. I've actually visited the Legion in what, to me, would be considered the distant future…while, to you, merely your present. Element Lad, Batman, is Jan Arrah, the sole survivor of the planet Trom, which…"

"Enough!" super-shouted Composite Superman, whose voice literally shook the huge metallic structure about them as if being buffeted by hurricane winds. Then punctuated that vocal command with a super-punch straight into Superman's square-jawed face to not only send the Man of Steel soaring backward through a far wall of metal, bursting through and continuing on into the surrounding night, while actually bringing forth blood from the Kryptonian. Again.

Having forced his own recovery by sheer human willpower, Batman applied simplistic non-super techniques, such as a double drop-kick utilizing his 6'2", 210 pounds of trained muscle, and catching Composite Superman unawares. Thus sending the half-and-half super-villain flopping hard onto his bi-caped back.

Realizing that, in this instance at least, discretion truly was the better part of valor, the Dark Knight hurriedly dashed through the gaping hole left in Superman's punched-away wake in order to get the Man of Steel to agree to a hasty retreat.

Meantime, scrambling back to his dual-booted feet, Composite Superman super-ran in the same direction as the Caped Crimefighter to find both heroes long gone.

"Wherever you go, I'll find you!" said Composite Superman loudly to no one in particular. "And when I do…you both will die!"

END OF CHAPTER 6