"What do you mean, collusion?"
The Batman Who Laughs clasped his wrists together, tipped back his head, and laughed.
"Good and evil were never clearly defined. It's all driven by profit. If you can't offer me anything, why shouldn't I turn to someone else for benefits?"
Nekron understood that perfectly well. His earlier remark had merely slipped out in shock and anger. Now, however, he fell silent, apparently wavering.
After an indeterminate stretch of time, Nekron suddenly looked relieved. Even his tone became considerably more deferential.
"Then may I ask what the terms of the deal are now?"
The curve of the Batman Who Laughs' mouth became increasingly inhuman, his crimson lips parting slightly. "I want your Black Lantern energy. All of it."
Nekron froze. For a moment, he even wondered whether he had misheard.
Only after replaying those words three or four times in his mind did Nekron finally begin trembling with overwhelming humiliation and fury.
The entire Dark Temple shook with him. Bone dust occasionally sifted down as Nekron's furious voice reverberated through it.
"How dare you make such a demand! You're-
"You're-!"
"Aha, I know. Taking advantage of your misfortune."
The vibrations made the Batman Who Laughs' ears ache, but unfortunately, his bat-shaped top hat and spiked visor covered them. He could only rub them through his hat.
"You've been obsessed with death for too long. Perhaps you don't understand how the living do business."
The Batman Who Laughs spread his hands, looking utterly innocent.
"Business negotiations are inherently unequal. When you fail to seize the first suitable opportunity, then regret it and return to negotiate, you usually won't get terms as generous as the first offer. That's perfectly normal."
"No, no! This isn't fair! Originally, you only wanted me to provide part of the Black Lantern