The Return Of The Phantasm

[AndreaBeaumont]

OOC:

'Ello fellow Bat Fans...I KNOW I've re-posted this story on here millions of times and MOST of you have read it at least twice...but I got bored and said, "Why the hell not?"

Plus, it's the only worthwhile story I've started and written. Actually part of it is mine...well most of it...but it was a string story when I first started it. It's been made over many times but this is the finished product!

And, yes, I finally did get done going through and correcting grammer and spelling mistakes...so enjoy!

(P.S. I love getting comments and criticism on this story so feel free to post them!)

[AndreaBeaumont]

** The Return Of The Phantasm **

Authors: Irish, AndreaBeaumont, Barb, ShadowWalker, SilverKnight,BudNLou, Larry, Alexandra Wayne..(there are more but since it was a string story it was hard to keep track of)


Andrea Beaumont glanced at the plane seat next to her, where her 19 yr. old daughter sat. 'Oh myabe thsi the wrong decision,' Andrea thought, 'So many things could go wrong.' For they right now were heading to Gotham City.

"Mom?"

Her Daughters voice had startled her out of her daze, "Yes Ang?"

"You look...I don't know...drained, almost sick. Are you feeling ok?" Angela asked with a note of concern in her voice.

"Oh I'm fine, just a touch of air sickness I suppose." Lied Andrea. She wasn't fine...neither of them would be when they reached Gotham, too many things could happen. She sighed and sat back we'll cut our stay short she decided as she drifted off to sleep.

[AndreaBeaumont]

TWO DAYS LATER

[AndreaBeaumont]

Dick sat in the back of Bruce's limosine using every curse word he could think of with his mentor's name.

'Oh, why couldn't he just go himself!? Why do I have to go in Bruce's place?' thought Dick. 'Why couldn't he have let Barb, Tim, and himself handle the Joker being loose in Gotham?!' He wondered feverishly. 'We could have handled it...'

But he did owe him so he had decided to pay off his debt to Bruce now. He was going in Bruce's place to some incredibly stupid business party.

MEANWHILE

[color=sky blue]Angela looked around the room longing for someone her own age to talk to. Her mother had been sick after all and couldn't come the business party tonight so Ang came in her place.[/color]

[AndreaBeaumont]

Dick walked in the front door handing his coat to the valet. He frowned and looked around the room, everyone here was older than him, this was going to be even more dull than he...

Suddenly, his gaze caught Angela sitting on one of the many plush couches pushed over to the sides of the room.

He smiled to himself and noted that she was pretty and with that, he started making his way through the throng of people, in HER general direction.

~~~~~~

[color=sky blue]Ang looked up from the drink she had in her hands to see a yong, handsome man coming in her direction, but then quickly pretended to be interested in the picture handing to her right. She waited until he was right next to her to look at him. He smiled down at her and asked if she'd like to dance. She accepted.[/color]

[AndreaBeaumont]

After awhile of dancing, Dick took her hand and coaxed her out onto the empty veranda.

"So Angela's your first name, but what's your last?"

"Beaumont, yours?" She asked in a soft voice.

"Grayson," Dick replied. He her over again. When getting close to her he'd quickly realized she was more than pretty, she was beautiful. Yet he had an eerie feeling that she reminded him of someone he knew.

"What time is it?" She asked suddenly.

"12:14," Dick replied as he unsuccessfully tried to shake off the uneasy feeling.

"Oh, I really must be going, my mother is sick, so I really have to get home," She said.

"Do you need a ride?" Dick asked hopefully.

"Sure," She said and a smile lit up her face.

Dick took her arm and tried one last time to shake off the eerie feeling, it worked. He grinned slightly as he led her to where he knew Alfred would be waiting.

~~~~~~

He helped her into the limo, suddenly glad Alfred had told him to take the limousine and not the Rolls-Royce. Something about a limousine was just more...romantic.

[color=sky blue]She slid in, impressed by his chivalrous attitude. She sunk into the leather seats and parted her limps demurely, half of her enjoying the moment, the other wondering just how sick her mother really was.

Angela sighed. She loved her mother, really, she did, but Andrea tended to use her pretty daughter. Angela was loath to do her mother's dirty work, but, after all, Andrea was her mother. She couldn't say no. She carefully touched the hypodermic needle in her purse, making sure it was properly covered. She looked out the window wistfully as the limo began to move toward some address she had made up. She hated Gotham.[/color]

[AndreaBeaumont]

Andrea looked in the mirror, watching her reflection closely. Her face was gaunt and ashen. Dark circles appeared under her watery eyes. With a shaking finger, she tried to apply her make-up, but before she could touch her face, she fell weakly. She reached out fot the sink and grabbed the smooth porcelain with her trembling hands, then began to cough violently. She placed a hand to her mouth...it came back streaked with scarlet blood. She was sicker than she had let on, sick enough to need medical attention. And doctors were expensive. She sighed. She hated making Angela do her bidding, but she needed money, and she knew many wealthy, influential people would be attending the party. They wouldn't miss a little of their precious money, would they? One less entertainment system. She chortled, but her snickering was abruptly cut off by her retching. She stared out the dusty window as a police siren roared by. She wiped blood from her mouth with the back of her hand and rolled her eyes. She hated Gotham.

[AndreaBeaumont]

"I haven't seen you around," said Dick. "What brings you to Gotham?"

[color=sky blue]Angela's hands trembled. She knew what she had to do, but as she spent more time with this young man, her task was slowly becoming quite difficult. She decided her mother could wait- just a short while.

"My mother is here on business," she said. "I usually hate these trips, but this time I don't mind so much."[/color]

"Oh yea?" Dick grinned. Suddenly, he wasn't too upset about running Bruce's errands either. "Why's that?"

[color=sky blue]Angela smiled. "Good company." She looked at Dick. Slowly they moved closer together, their lips parting. They closed their eyes...[/color]

CRASH!!!

Dick jerked out of his trance. They had just been rammed from behind.

"My word!" exclaimed Alfred, trying to regain control of the cumbersome vehicle.

"Steady Alfred," said Dick. He looked at Angela. "Friends of yours?"

[color=sky blue]"No I don't.."[/color]

BLAM!

Suddenly, a long purple car hit them from the side. The passenger lifted a megophone to his grinning mouth, "Hello kiddies! Time to play! Yah hah ha hah hah ha hah!"

Dick's eyes narrowed, "Joker." He mumbled darkly.

"We got 'em now, puddin'!" The driver, Harley Quinn said. "Hold tight! Momma's got a present for Daddy's play things!"

RAM!

[AndreaBeaumont]

Alfred lost control. The car veered off the road into a ditch, rolling over. Angela screamed. Dick kicked out the window and leapt from the car, unbuttoning his shirt at the same time. The limo stopped, wheels up, at the bottom of the shallow ditch. Angela was unconscious, blood leaking from a small wound in her head.

"Ahh ha hah hah hah ha!!" Jokers car screeched to a halt. "Uh-oh, Mommy's not gonna be happy that her little girl got a boo-boo, hee-hee!"

"My word!" Suddenly it dawned on Alfred. The last name, here with her mother...this was Andrea Beaumont's daughter! The Phantasm!

Joker got out of the car and walked slowly toward the wrecked limo. "Let's just give mammy a- OOOF!" A dark form came out of the night, kicking the Joker to the ground.

"Not this time, Joker," hissed Nightwing.

"Aww, just when things get fun, one of you pajama wearing goodies have to the crash the party!"

"Comes with the job.."

"Yeah?" Nightwing heard from behind, too late. "So does this!"

BoInG!

Nightwing dropped cold to the dirt. Behind him stood Harley, the boxing glove hanging from the pop gun in her hand.

Ahh! Ha ha hah ha haa!!!" Joker laughed hysterically.

"My Word!!" Alfred said, one last time, before he fell into darkness.

[AndreaBeaumont]

Commishioner Jim Gordon waited, a silhouette against the glaring Bat Signal. He never waited long. His calls were always answered relatively fast- Batman was never far away. He chuckled. Never would he have imagined that he would be associated with one so mysterious and unusual as the Batman. Yet he had come to respect, even rely on the Dark Knight. He knew that he could even go so far as to call him a friend...this dark, silent, enigmatic-

"Any word on the Joker?"

The Commishioner jumped. "Do you always have to sneak around like that?" he asked. "I'm not a young man anymore."

Batman flashed him a half grin -for only a split second- then returned the grim expression to his face. "Word on the street says he's up to something, but specifics have not been leaked."

"He's up to something alright," Jim frowned. "My officer's found Bruce Wayne's limo upside down in a ditch just outside town," Batman tried not to reveal his concern, "They arrived to find Wayne's butler, Alfred Pennyworth, barely conscious," Gordon continued, "All he was able to say was 'Joker' and 'Master Dick', before falling under. I thought you-"

But Batman was gone.

"I hate when he does that," Jim said to thin air. "Good hunting my friend."

[AndreaBeaumont]

[color=sky blue]"Wakie, wakie, Boopsie!" Cold water splashed in Angela's face. She tried to open her eyes, but decided it was only the remnants of a bad dream. Just a little more sleep- she thought.[/color]

"Hey, Mistah J said WAKE UP!!"

[color=sky blue]Suddenly she was gasping for air. Her eyes flew open to see a clown girl in a red and black costume holding a seltzer bottle, still dripping from the nozzle.[/color]

"That's more like it." The clown girl brought her face within inches of Angela's. "When my puddin' says jump you JUMP!"

"Harley, please," came a voice. "Enough with the dramatics, all ready. Save those- for ME! HmmhmmhmmHeeheehee AHH HA HA HA HAA HAA HAH!!" A clown in a purple suit came into focus. He wore a huge grin and a psychotic expression.

[color=sky blue]"I know you," said Angela.[/color]

"Oh you should, you should," The Joker teased. "Your dear, dear mother and I share quite a history!"

[color=sky blue]"Mother would never get involved witha creep like you!" Angela scowled.[/color]

It was Harley's turn to laugh. She doubled over and laughed until tears came to her eyes- the the Joker smacked her, sending her across the floor.

"I said ENOUGH!" He screamed, his face twisting with anger. Then he smiled again, regaining his cool demeanor, "I'm trying to have a long over due family reunion, and I DON'T NEED YOU INTERRUPTING!"

"Sure thing Puddin'," Harley said, subdued. "I-I'll just go feed the hyenas."

Joker's scowl remained on her until she was no longer in sight, then he turned to Angela. "You just can't get good help these days, hee-hee!"

[color=sky blue]Angela frowned, disgusted. "You sick, demented-"[/color]

"Now, now then." Joker interrupted. "Is that any way to speak to an old, friend o' the family? How-about gving uncle Joker a nice...big..smile..."

He leaned into her, winking, his huge red lips splitting. He leered at her. "you're a pretty little one, aren't you? A nice girl, just like your mother." He pinned her down as she writhed and was ready to kiss her when he suffered a swift kick to the stomach. She stood up, towering over his fallen figure, as the Joker clutched his stomach in tearing pain.

Dick's eyes opened slightly, and through his half-moon vision, he could see her standing there.

"Tease," coughed the Joker. "Just like your mother." Angela kicked him again. The Joker's face twisted with rage as he managed to bring himself to his feet. "Mommy could never take a joke either," and with that he backhanded her, sending her once more into darkness.

Nightwing grimaced as he watched the Joker deliver the blow, watched Angela slide down teh wall to the floor. He saw the Joker turning his way, and quickly shut his eyes. Silvently, he moved the ropes binding his wrists along a piece of broken glass. He watched the Joker move to the far side of the room, then disapear from sight. The ropes snapped- he was free. He rubbed the back of his head, feeling a lump. I should've been ready for he though. He moved to Angela, inspecting her. Her forehead displayed an open wound, and a nasty welt was forming around her right eye. "She won't be walking out of here on her own," he said to himself. He slung her over his shoulder. After a glance around the room, he headed for the window.

"Naughty, naughty Nighty! He-he!"

'Joker,' thought Nightwing. His eyes narrowed. "Good, I was starting to think this was going to be too easy," He said as he lowered Angela to the floor. "And where's the fun in that?!"

[Batgirl]

So, is this the end? Or does it still need to be finished? It looks like a cliff hanger to me...

[sun]

Originally posted by AndreaBeaumont
OOC:

'Ello fellow Bat Fans...I KNOW I've re-posted this story on here millions of times and MOST of you have read it at least twice...but I got bored and said, "Why the hell not?"

Plus, it's the only worthwhile story I've started and written. Actually part of it is mine...well most of it...but it was a string story when I first started it. It's been made over many times but this is the finished product!

And, yes, I finally did get done going through and correcting grammer and spelling mistakes...so enjoy!

(P.S. I love getting comments and criticism on this story so feel free to post them!)

sorry, some of the color that you used to display the story made it unreadable to me....oldtoonguy