Z-mage and Hart arrived at the Hall of Justice at the same time. Hart stayed in the shadows, unnoticed by anyone, since everyone's attention was focused on Z-mage's more spectacular entrance.

Clothed in green armor formed from the green flame of Alan Scott, with Dr. Fate's yellow cape flowing behind him. He certainly wasn't the best dressed one there. But he was the most notorious.

The heroes had been in the middle of their strategy meeting when Z-mage arrived. If they had been able to get a shot off, they'd have probably massacred him. But Z-mage didn't leave any time to wait.

"DeMonStar," Z-mage announced in a voice boosted by his magical ability in order to hold all those listening to him enthralled and listening to what he said. He poured so much power in that even those with magical defenses were held fast by the spell. "You may have managed to fool the heroes, but you haven't fooled me. You an I are going to have a little talk." He turned. "And you may come, too, Mr. Hart."

When his talk was done, the heroes began to react, and most weapons were aimed at the Z-mage. He let them get off shots, and it looked as if they had killed him. But something wasn't going right. As the energies of the Pheonix Gate surrounded his charred body, the Eye of Odin also glowed. Tendrils of fire lashed out and struck both DeMonStar and Officer Hart. They were both surrounded in a cocoon of fire and before the assembled heroes could blink (not including the speedsters) all three were gone.

Z-mage and Hart reappeared in an inky blackness somewhere outside of the timestream. The first thing that happened was Z-mage turned to art and said "I think you should know your wife is lying in the hospital dying horribly of an uncureable disease and your son is about to be put in foster care, wondering where his father is."

"What are you talking about, Z-mage, we were in my home universe two weeks ago and my wife was fine."

"There's a reason for that. We were there because I knew you'd only stop when you had to. So I manufactured a family crisis. I think you'll need to spend a whole lot more time at home now, since your son needs you. For protection."

"What makes you say that?!" Hart screamed, his rage boiling.

"If you keep persuing me, I will strike your child next. If you go home right now, You'll never see me again. That is my ultimatum. Take it or leave it."

Hart's rage allowed him to inject some of the neurotoxin into Z-mage before his more reasonable senses told him to turn his suit to home. "When I see you next, you're dead. Not even that gate will save you." Then he disappeared.

"I've heard that before," Z-mage said, even as he was trying to minimize the damage the toxin had done to him. He hadn't gotten a full dose, so he could still cast some spells, even if they weren't very effective. 'Anyways,' he thought, 'Most of my power is item based. I can still fight.'

Which was lucky for him, because DeMonStar had just materialized.

"Where have you taken me, whelp?" DeMonStar asked.

"It's just a little place I have outside of time. We're scheduled to be here three hours by our sense of time, but about a day real time. Just long enough for me to teach you not to mess with me."

"Big words," DeMonStar responded, "Let's see if you have anything to back that up." With that, he activated something he had on him, activating his false star power, and became slightly metallic.

"I think I can," Z-mage countered, as the green flame that formed his armor peeled back from his arms to form a sword in his hands. "Let's do it."

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