Same Time, Same Channel
by Atlan

Disclaimer: All Charmed characters are property of the WB. Any other
non original characters are the property of their respective owners.
I am making no profit from this story. 13th of my Charmed stories.

Note: Any continuity glitches from Traitor Among Us to this story are due to the stupidity of the WB making Chris not evil after all. So ignore them already! :)) This is set in Season 7.


Part 1: Two Old Enemies

October 31, 2004, Halliwell Manor.

Phoebe and Paige come rushing into the manor and Phoebe yells, "Piper!"

An annoyed Piper emerges from the kitchen shushing them and saying, "Quiet, the babies are asleep! What's the problem?"

Waving a letter Phoebe replies, "I got this from a terrified woman today for my advice column. She has a stalker and the police think she's nuts!"

"Demon?" Piper asked.

Paige replied, "Worse, it's Dan Gordon!"

"Which is why the cops can't ever find any trace of him. He's got that shapechanging power now," (see TAU) Phoebe added.

"He was working with Cassandra so she may be involved as well!" Piper said and mused, "Two old enemies..."

"But anyway we talked to Miss Nita Van Dyne, the victim. She is from a wealthly family and is holding their annual Halloween party tonight. She had hoped that the people would keep him away for today but I wouldn't count on it!" Paige added.

"So we have to get into costumes and crash that party!" Phoebe concluded.

Piper remembered the last costume party she attended and moaned, "Oh, crap!"

Grumbling, Piper donned the Isis costume she wore previously and thought, 'Luckily I decided to unenchant this costume. No more changing powers, and eventually my identity!' The costume consisted of an Egyptian style tiara and necklace, a short white dress with a brown belt and pleated skirt and brown high heeled boots coming up halfway to her knees.

"Oh, so you actually got that for a similar party in the past?" Paige said from the hallway.

Piper replied, "What did you think I had it for?"

"Some fun and games with Leo in the Captain America costume, maybe?"

"PAIGE!!!" Piper yelled, and turned but saw Paige and looked at her strangely.

"Just kidding lady, I know the story." And then noticing Piper's puzzled expression explained, "This is the Black Widow outfit, the man at the shop said she was a one time partner of Daredevil." Said outfit consisted of a skintight blue leather jumpsuit covering her from the neck down. It had a zipper down the front, a belt of yellow coin-like disks and bracelets of 2" long yellow tubes from which the heroine's sting and web lines would emerge.

Phoebe wore the Batgirl costume in which she had nearly been killed by Cassandra in via buzzsaw. She explained, "I don't have the right hair for the Supergirl costume anymore."

So after calling the nanny they left for the party. As they departed Piper thought, 'At least Fortunato is dead. SO this time we won't have to worry about any fiction demons!'


Part 2: 'Good, the last thing we want is to get pulled into another TV show!'

Arriving at the Van Dyne mansion, the sisters joined the party. Scanning the crowd Piper was glad to see, 'No sign of Cassandra. Good, the last thing we want is to get pulled into another TV show!'

After a few minutes of searching they spotted a man dressed in an old fashioned black suit, top hat, cane and with a glue on pencil mustache. It was Dan Gordon, and he was halfway down a hallway walking toward the rear of the mansion!

Hurrying after him the sisters glimpsed Dan at the top of a staircase. Dashing up the stairs, they saw a closing door and heard "HELP" from within! Entering the room they saw Dan in his villain outfit grabbing Miss Van Dyne. She was a young blonde woman dressed in an old time dress and hairdo.

Piper immediately froze the scene and said, "Wait a minute, this smells like a trap!"

"Piper, you are so paranoid," Phoebe began, and then noticing the TV on mute in the corner said, "Hey, they're playing an old Batman episode!"

Turning and seeing a familiar Catwoman on the screen, Piper tried to blow up the TV only to find it was shielded and growled, "Cassandra!"

"Is the least of your problems!" said a voice from behind them as a mystic vortex opened and began pulling them into the TV!

"AAAAAAAAAH!!!" Paige screamed as she was sucked in head first! Luckily Piper was able to grab the doorknob with one hand as Phoebe grabbed her other hand, but Phoebe's body was now horizontal and her feet about to enter the TV with the rest of her about to follow!

"Who the heck are you and what is going on here?" Piper yelped.

"I am Fortuna, sister of Fortunato the fiction demon, remember him?" the demoness said as her clothing changed to a skintight sheath of black leather. As she walked across the room, immune to her own vortex, the sisters didn't notice Dan unfreeze, pull a white cloth out of his pocket, transform into a monkey and begin to stealthily approach via the ceiling.

'Don't tell me she's another fiction demon!' Piper thought.

But Fortuna continued, "Like my brother I am a fiction demon and you witches are going to TVland!"

"I like TVland," Phoebe began, but Piper cut her off with a glare and said, "and then what?" While she thought, 'Can't hold on much longer, we need info. If we can't avoid this trap, we need to know how to get out!"

"You will face a number of challenges in the form of old TV and perhaps other episodes. If you can stay alive long enough to endure them all my spell will be broken and you will be returned here."

As her straining arm muscles approached their limit Piper asked, "How many of these episodes?"

"Why, that would be telling, where's the fun in that?" Fortuna responded with a smirk!

"Why you, MMMPH!!" Piper's complaint was cut off as dropping from the ceiling, Dan changed back to human, and clamped a cloth doused with a sleeping potion over Piper's nose and mouth!

Piper immediately lost her grip on the door and she and Phoebe were drawn into the vortex! Dan, one hand still holding the drugged cloth, grabbed Piper's arm with the other! Going into TVland with them, Dan's words "I'm really going to enjoy this!" were the last thing Piper heard before everything went black...


Part 3: "Purrrrrrfect, now we can finish off the Charmed Ones, Gotham City style!"

A minute earlier Paige had arrived in a large room. "OWW!!" she yelped as she tumbled face first out of the vortex and landed hard! 'Worse than a bad dive off of the high board!' she thought and tried to catch her breath only to be gang tackled by Cat-Cassandra's Catmen! Paige tried to orb away but nothing happened! Then as a hand was clamped over her mouth she remembered, 'Oh crap, my powers are weakened in this type of place, I have to speak in order to orb not just objects but myself as well!' But it was too late for that as her attackers took a thick white cloth with a knot in the middle and forcing it into her mouth tied the gag behind her head. At the same time other men drew her hands behind her back and began to tie them securely.

So when Phoebe came through she landed feet first with her back to Paige and her attackers. As Piper was being held by Dan, and not noticing the Catmen securing Paige, Phoebe went to aid her older sister. Seeing several Catmen approach Phoebe from behind, Paige screamed through the gag, "MMMMMMMMMPH!!!"

Phoebe whirled at this and BAM! POW! BIFF! beat them back with a flurry of punches and kicks! However, before she could help Paige a pair of large furry arms grabbed her from behind!

Dan (now transformed into an 800 lb gorilla) started to apply a crushing bearhug and mocking Phoebe said, "You just gotta love these animal powers the Avatars gave me! I can even talk in animal form. What do you have to say to that, Pheebs?"

"Ohhhhhh!" Phoebe was all Phoebe could say as Dan's viselike grip squeezed the breath out of her!

As she lost consciousness the last thing she heard was Cassandra gloating, "Purrrrrrfect, now we can finish off the Charmed Ones, Gotham City style!"


Part 4: 'Obviously she is not a purist!'

Piper slowly began to awaken. As she did so she thought, 'What a crappy dream that was!' Then she discovered she couldn't move, opened her eyes, saw Cat-Cassandra and realized that, 'It was no dream!'

Piper discovered herself lying on and bound to a strange table much like a lawn chair. It had a metal frame and legs with crisscrossing strips of 2" wide brown leather making up the surface of the table. It was on a rooftop. There were strips of an unfamiliar material threaded between the strips that bound Piper to the table. Piper's arms were tied down by her sides at the wrists, just above her elbows and going under her armpits at the shoulders as well. Her legs were tied down at the ankles
and above her knees. In addition, more bindings went around her waist, below her breasts and worst of all, around her neck! All of the bindings had been wrapped around Piper three or four times before being tightly knotted and the ends tucked away out of reach of searching fingers. Finally, Piper had gotten the same type of knotted white cloth gag that Paige and now Phoebe as well sported.

Smirking, Cat-Cassandra stepped forward and leaned over Piper with a wet washcloth. Wiping Piper's face with the cloth she said, "I know you can't turn your head enough to see Piper, but Phoebe is five feet to your right, and Paige five feet to her right. Now sing out girls, or Piper will regret it!"

"MMMMMMMPH!!!" the identically restrained Phoebe cried out, thinking, 'Don't hurt Piper, you lunatic!'

"MMMMMMMPH!!!" Paige angrily joined in, thinking, 'Why does this creep Dan have a wet washcloth? I doubt he cares if I sweat!'

"So I guess you're wondering what is going to happen to you three?" Cat-Cassandra said with an evil grin.

Piper stared angrily at her and thought, 'Just tell us already, although if it's Batman related, Phoebe probably knows!'

At which Phoebe began talking through her gag, "Mhmm, mm, rmmt."

Walking over to her, Cat-Cassandra pulled the gag down and said, "What is it, Freebie?"

"That's Phoebe!" Phoebe angrily responded.

"Whatever, hurry up and get to the point before I have you gagged again!" Cat-Cassandra ordered.

"This isn't right, I know what episode this is from. Batman and Robin didn't have this much rawhide on them," Phoebe began.

Hearing this, Piper and Paige thought, 'RAWHIDE!!!?'

"And they weren't gagged like us! And MMMMPH!!!" Phoebe's prattle was cut off, as tiring of her voice Cat-Cassandra had her regagged even more tightly this time!

"Yes, stupid, I know that! I also know that the dumbfounded duo escaped! I don't want you three to do the same! Comprende, Freebie???"

With that Cat-Cassandra said, "It's show time!" and so she, a catman and Dan stepped forward, each leaned over a sister, and squeezed the water from their wash cloths onto the neck ties. The water caused the rawhide to expand and loosen. Then each of them adjusted the wet rawhide and made it snug around the witches' necks again.

'So the rawhide dries and shrinks and we slowly strangle,' Paige thought, 'but at least this will take a while. That gives us a chance to escape!'

"So the rawhide dries and shrinks and you slowly strangle," Cat-Cassandra began, and continued, "only not!"

"Mmmmph!???" Piper and Paige exclaimed in unified confusion.

With that the Catmen rolled forward giant magnifying glasses, 'Just like in the episode!' Phoebe recognized.

Cat-Cassandra explained, "We have time constraints here in Gotham City. These magnifying glasses will focus the rays of the sun on you three and would eventually give you heatstroke. As it is the rawhide will now tighten and strangle you in record time!"

'Nuts, not only is she killing us, but she will also get to see me sweat!' Piper thought.

'Obviously, she's not a purist!' Phoebe grumbled.

'Dead and sunburned? What a bitch!' the fair skinned Paige moaned.

With that Cat-Cassandra ushered her merry crew toward the rooftop exit and said, "I have to leave you to your fate now. I don't like it, but hey, it's TVland rules!"

As the door slammed behind Cat-Cassandra, the Charmed Ones began to struggle furiously! With the rays of the sun focused on them, the sisters felt the heat! They began to sweat and the rawhide tightened around their necks!

'If only I didn't need to speak to orb in TVLand!' Paige thought as the rawhide bit into her neck!

'If only I still had my powers!' Phoebe lamented as her breathing got increasingly difficult.

'If only I could get my hands on Cassandra!' Piper raged as she struggled on!

But time is running out on the Charmed Ones!


WILL THEY ESCAPE AND CHEAT DEATH?
OR WILL THE CHARMED ONES BECOME THE CHOKED ONES?

FIND OUT NEXT TIME:

SAME CHARMED TIME,
SAME CHARMED CHANNEL!!! Part 5: 'Wait a minute, maybe that's it!'

Piper could hear Phoebe and Paige struggling desperately, but due to the choking neck tie couldn't actually see them. Twisting in her bonds she thought, 'They will never get loose! Our only chance is if I can turn a hand up and start blowing up those magnifying glasses!'

Meanwhile, Phoebe had started rocking her table trying to topple it and get out of the focused sunlight. But that would only delay the inevitable.

"Mmmph!" Paige let out a strangled cry of frustration as the tightening rawhide bit ever deeper into her neck! 'Can't last much longer, if only I could use my powers normally in TVland or even Black Widow's! Wait a minute, maybe that's it!'

As the sisters struggled to survive, an old man on a bicycle arrived on the street below. Looking toward the roof he thought, 'I hope I'm in time!'

'Too tight, I can't turn my hands!' Piper thought as her restricted breathing caused spots to start appearing before her eyes!

'Everything is going black!' Phoebe thought as she struggled to remain conscious!

Paige, better protected from strangulation by the high leather collar of her costume thought, 'Fortunato caused costumes to change my sisters' powers to those of the heroines. Since Cassandra bragged about Fortuna sending us here, maybe here in TVland I can use the powers of the Black Widow too! I can't cast a spell while gagged but maybe just maybe I can use my magic if I concentrate to interact with that of that demonbitch and YES!!!!'

BOOM! Suddenly the Widow's sting on Paige's right wrist activated and shattered her magnifying glass! With almost magical luck a large piece of glass fell almost right into Paige's hand! As she slashed her bonds
with it she thought, 'Some residual luck from our Irish friends?
Whatever, I'll take it!'

Moments later, as the now freed sisters caught their breath and rubbed chafed limbs, the old man dashed onto the rooftop! "Thank goodness I've found you in time!" he said.

"Hey, it's Alfred, OW!!" Phoebe's excited identification was cut off as Piper grumpily slapped her on the wrist.

"You look a little late to me mister!" Piper responded.

"Oh, that?" Alfred said as he gestured toward the tables where the sisters had been bound. "I am sure such a simple deathtrap couldn't hold heroines of your magnitude!"

The sisters looked puzzled at this and Paige said, "So what are you in time for?"

"The dynamic duo needs your help!" Alfred responded earnestly.

Paige's jaw dropped at this, Phoebe smiled and Piper muttered sarcastically, "This just gets and better!"



Part 6: 'Like they would do any good!'

"Wait a minute, how did you find us anyway?" Paige asked.

"Tut, tut, it was quite simple, miss," Alfred responded, and produced a strange device about the size of a TV remote control. It had an arrow pointing to them. When Alfred turned it over the bottom said BAT HERO DETECTOR!

"You've got to be kidding me!" Piper said, but...

Phoebe reminded her, "You know they had all sorts of ridiculous stuff! Remember the anti-polarizing Bat Spray, the Bat shark repellent, the-"

"ENOUGH ALREADY!!!" Piper yelled, "I get it!"

"A bit high strung, isn't she?" Alfred said softly to Paige while the others argued.

"It's part of her charm," Paige responded. "Everyone learns to love her or else!"

"So what's the problem?" Piper grumbled, thinking 'Might as well get it over with. At least it will be another episode and help get us out of here!'

"Batman and Robin went after the Penguin at the Gotham City fair. However, they are long overdue. As the Penguin has currently managed to assume a veneer of respectability, I cannot call Gotham's Finest."

'Like they would do any good!' Piper thought, and then said, "Got a map?"

After Alfred gave them the map he departed. As they examined the map Piper said, "If we help the Dynamic Duo then maybe they can help us find Cassandra and Dan."

"Good thinking, sis," Paige said, and after locating their destination said, "Gotham City Fair!"

With a swirl of blue light the sisters arrived at the arcade. It consisted of not just rides but a large number of booths for foodstuff and various games of chance and/or skill. A sign said CLOSED FOR RENOVATION. Phoebe quickly picked the padlock on the gates and they entered.

After a short walk they overheard a voice saying, "How many times are we gonna do this?"

"As many times as the boss wants," another voice replied.

Peering around a corner they saw half a dozen thugs, most of whom looked battered and bruised. They also saw Batman and Robin lying unconscious on the ground. The Charmed Ones charged into action! FREEZE! BAM! POW! And made short work of the thugs. One of them who Piper had frozen and kicked in the groin was still available for interrogation.

"What the heck is going on here?" Piper demanded.

In a weak pained voice the thug replied, "The bosses have been beating up the caped crusaders for hours. Or rather they let them fight us them clobber em! Fun for them, painful for us!"

"Where are they?" Paige asked, and the man pointed to a nearby building. WHAM! Phoebe then koed him with a kick!

Frowning, Piper complained, "We didn't finish questioning him! I want to know who the other boss is!"

"It's got to be the Joker, nothing to worry about, just another 60's Bat villain!" Phoebe responded.

So after determining that the Dynamic Duo were still out cold the sisters entered the building. Coming from a corner of the building they saw a shadow on the wall. It was of a short figure with a top hat, umbrella and cigarette holder. As they approached the shadowy figure he turned and they confronted...


Part 7: "Like I'm going to fall for that old trick!"

"OOTAT!!!!???" the Charmed Ones cried out in disbelief!

"Yes, my fetching feminine foes, it is I, Ootat, most wanted midget, in this or any other world!" Ootat boasted, and gestured with his umbrella.

"What are you doing here, and how are you the Penguin?" Paige demanded. She didn't notice yellow armored limbs grab Piper from behind! Her arms pinned and mouth covered, Piper was instantly subdued by mystic sleeping gas!

"In regard to the first question, Fortuna sent me. As for the second, it's TVland, nobody notices an actor change," he explained.

"Is the Baron here too?" Phoebe wanted to know.

"Of course, but he has taken the role of King Tut now. So that will be King Blitzkrieg to you, missy!" Ootat virtually cackled in response as he saw once again those arms. One arm pinning Paige's arms to her body, and the other hand covering her mouth! Once again with green gas putting another witch to sleep!

"So where is he?" Phoebe demanded, not realizing that Paige was no longer beside her!

"Picking off first Piper and then Paige with his sleep gas while I keep you talking," Ootat said with a smirk.

"Like I'm going to fall for that old trick!" Phoebe responded just before ZAPPP!!! She was struck by Blitzkrieg's lightning vision!!! "AAARGH!!!" Phoebe screamed, and collapsed unconscious!!!

"I thought you were going to gas her, too?" Ootat queried.

"I had something in my eye," the Baron (now wearing King Tut's Egyptian headdress) responded, and villains laughed maniacally!

Shortly thereafter the baron stood over a wheeled ambulance stretcher. Strapped to it was an unconscious Piper. Her arms were strapped to the side rails at the wrists and above her elbows. Her legs were bound together with more brown leather straps above and below the knees and at the ankles. Still more straps were pulled tight above and below her breasts, and at her waist. A white cloth blindfolded Piper, her mouth was packed with gauze and tightly wrapped with bandages. Stroking her cheek the Baron thought, 'Here there is no Leo and at last you will be my little Queen of Darkness, and Gotham City, too!'

Turning away from Piper, the Baron walked over to the just recovering Phoebe. Both Phoebe and the still unconscious Paige were hanging around. As her head cleared Phoebe assessed her situation. Her hands were tied together with hemp rope over her head and she hung by her wrists from a horizontal metal pole between two wooden posts. Her legs were tied at the knees and ankles, her mouth was packed with cloth and a torn strip of bed sheet tied between her lips held the gag in place. Paige had
gotten the same treatment, but she saw that Piper was on the stretcher. "Mmmph??" Phoebe questioned.

Ootat, still in the Penguin outfit, stepped forward and explained, "You are in back of a booth, Phoebe, can you guess which one?"

Phoebe couldn't see through the cloth background of the booth behind Ootat but thought, 'Why does it matter? Unless it's...' Then her eyes widened as she remembered the episode the Dynamic Duo had been strung up by the Penguin in the back of...

"Der shooting gallery, of course!" the Baron chortled!

"MMMMPH!!!" Phoebe objected, and started shaking her head no! But one of the recovered thugs signaled Ootat.

"My guests are here!" Ootat said, and smirking, walked out. The Baron blinked Piper out, stretcher and all!

As Phoebe struggled, Paige started to come around and began to hear a conversation between Ootat and two other men. As she fully regained consciousness she realized that her Widow sting had been removed and then she heard the ending of the conversation.

"Come on now, commissioner Gordon, chief O'Hara, let me show I've reformed. I'll donate $1,000 to the Gotham City Orphanage for each of you, if you can pass a small test," Ootat said.

"What's the catch, Penguin?" Gordon said. "What kind of test?"

"No catch, just a little test of skill to assure me that the GCPD can protect an honest businessman like me. Show that the police can shoot straight. Both of you put a bullseye in those two targets, and it's money for the orphanage," Ootat proposed, then stopped and added in a questioning tone, "unle