Young vs. Old
"Maybe this world is another planet's Hell." ~~ Aldous Huxley (1894-1963)
Two hours later, across town
"Who the hell are you!" screamed Shriek, firing off a blast of sound at the approaching figure. The blast smashed into the target, but did no damage to him whatsoever.
"Shriek, your Angel of Death awaits!" came the haunted voice, raising its right arm, which was encased in a blade.
"Like Hell!" screeched Shriek, and hit his amps to their maximum output, "See how you like this!"
He fired the blast directly at the ground, causing a deep fissure, but the attacker leaped into the air, its dark gray cape flaring out like wing as he began his descent. He thrust the blade forward, aimed for the head of the mad genius known as Shriek.
Without warning smoke suddenly billowed out from in front of Shriek and a second figure appeared from it, and blocked the incoming blade with its own.
"You!" screamed the first phantom, leaping back.
"Me," agreed the second one quietly.
"Forget this crap, I am not getting paid enough for this," yelled out Shriek as he ran off for his hideout.
His original attacker began to dash after him, to finish his job, but was stopped when the other shot their blade out to stop them.
"That is enough! Who do you think you are?" demanded the second creature angrily.
"I think you of all people should know," snapped the first one angrily.
"I know what I was," said the second one, pulling off its mask to reveal the age ravaged face of Andrea Beaumont, though she kept her cloak and hood on. She pointed her blade at this new Phantasm, "And who are you?"
"That is none of your concern," came the harsh reply as it turned and began to walk off, summoning the fog to disappear.
"I'm not done with you," shouted Andrea, beginning to give chase. Before the smoke could completely spirit away Andrea had grabbed them by the arm, preventing them from leaving.
"I said, leave me alone!" said the creature, giving Andrea a kick. She dropped her arms to block it, and in an instant, it was off, running and leaving a wake of smoke behind it.
"Oh no you don't" growled Andrea, giving chase. Despite her old looks, her body was still that of a teenager, allowing her to give chase.
"I said leave me alone," screamed the first Phantasm as they looked over their shoulder as it tore down the alley. The alley ended as so many did, with a thick chain link fence, but he easily jumped and cleared it. Behind him, Andrea took a similar leap, jumped onto the top of the fence and then used it as a springboard, cutting the distance between them to a mere twenty feet.
As they continued their chase, the first Phantasm saw a semi backing into a docking bay on the left side of the street. Putting on a burst of speed, he went into a slide feet first, slipping underneath the truck's load. As he flew underneath, he put both hands out and from them a green vapor began to flow. It connected with the axles of the trucks and from there a hissing sound came, indicating the mist was eating away at the thick metal. Sliding out from underneath the truck, he was off again. Meanwhile, as Andrea came to the truck, there was a sickening crunch, and the truck began to fall towards her. Throwing her hands up, the smoke flew up transporting her away as the truck crashed, and exploded in a mushroom cloud of fire.
Meanwhile...
Batman was continuing his patrol, searching for any signs of his attacker. He was angry, angry that he had been cast aside so easily. He was use to getting the crap beat out of him, but at least he was able to get a few good shots in. Instead, this time he had been trounced as easily as he did to the assorted street thugs that he battled. Traveling down a narrow alleyway, he saw a familiar face creep from the shadows of a doorway and towards the sewer entrance: Shriek. However, Shriek looked different. Instead of the insane rage of a genius surrounded by fools that normally clouded his eyes, Shriek now looked like a small boy who had just been taken back behind the woodshed.
"Something freaked the old sound guy out," muttered Terry to himself, "And that may be who I'm looking for."
Batman spread his wings and took flight, following the path left behind by Shriek. It wasn't too hard, for Terry it was a simple matter of following the knocked over trashcans. He had not followed it very far, when the crack of an explosion flew by him. A second later, a heat exploded over the roof he had just landed on. Shielding his eyes with his hands, he felt wave after wave of hot energy blowing over his body, turning the normally comforting night into midday.
"Freaking Ass Crackers!" screamed out Terry without thinking. As the initial blast waned, he began running towards the growing column of smoke. As he came to it, he saw that a truck had been overturned, and the contents of it were quickly going ablaze. Turning on his infrared visor, he saw two noticeably cooler spots in the cab, and without thinking, dove straight in. Using the boosted strength that the suit gave him, Terry grasped the door and pulled it as hard as he could with both hands, bending it back like an old soup-can. He reached in, and felt the driver and his buddy, both unconscious. Grabbing each one, he extended his wings and activated his boots, sending all three flying up into the night sky.
The cool air revived the driver's friend first, and he nearly crashed the three into the wall when he realized that he was in mid-air.
"Don't move, I'm having enough trouble as it is," groaned Batman as he finally cleared the building and landed on the roof.
"We have to get out of here!" screamed the man, "There's 500 pounds of pure Solaris crystal in there. When the fire breaks through the metal casing surrounding it, everything in a four hundred yard radius will be vaporized!"
"Great, how long?" asked Batman tersely, already forming a plan.
"A minute, at best, but still, what are you going to do?" called the assistant, "Its gotta be twenty-five hundred degrees in there!"
"Then I better have enough sunscreen!" said Batman as for the second time he dropped over the top and into the inferno. As he landed on the side of the blazing truck, he brought his left fist down and smashed it into the side. The metal groaned in protest, and Batman threw his right fist into the same spot, denting it further. Giving a scream, he raised both hands and smashed them down at the same time in an axe-handle strike, breaking through the metal. He peeled it back, then dropped in. Inside the truck, the fire was quickly growing, thanks to the air that Terry had just let it. Looking around, he saw what had to be the Solaris crystal, because it was the only thing in the truck. It consisted of a perfectly cubed metallic box, about sixteen inches on each side. Terry grabbed its sides, feeling the blistering pain even through his thick gloves. He half-dragged, half-carried the small container to the hole. He activated his jet boots, but they weren't strong enough. Even as he turned them to their maximum setting, he still couldn't get the lift he needed.
Just as he was wondering what he could possibly do, a gray gloved hand shot through the hole.
"Give me your hand, I'll pull you up!" came a woman's yell.
"I'm carrying some dead weight, you won't be able to! Get your ass out of here!" yelled back Terry.
"Always the stubborn one!" came the woman's voice as the hand reached in and grabbed him by one of his pointy ears. With a feeling unlike anything he had ever experienced, he was lifted out of the hole, and dropped unceremoniously on the street next to the blazing wreck. As he looked up, he realized the case of the Solaris crystals was gone, and so was his mysterious helper.
"Damn it!" he screamed to no one in particular as he flew off, aware that the fire department was quickly arriving.
"Maybe this world is another planet's Hell." ~~ Aldous Huxley (1894-1963)
Two hours later, across town
"Who the hell are you!" screamed Shriek, firing off a blast of sound at the approaching figure. The blast smashed into the target, but did no damage to him whatsoever.
"Shriek, your Angel of Death awaits!" came the haunted voice, raising its right arm, which was encased in a blade.
"Like Hell!" screeched Shriek, and hit his amps to their maximum output, "See how you like this!"
He fired the blast directly at the ground, causing a deep fissure, but the attacker leaped into the air, its dark gray cape flaring out like wing as he began his descent. He thrust the blade forward, aimed for the head of the mad genius known as Shriek.
Without warning smoke suddenly billowed out from in front of Shriek and a second figure appeared from it, and blocked the incoming blade with its own.
"You!" screamed the first phantom, leaping back.
"Me," agreed the second one quietly.
"Forget this crap, I am not getting paid enough for this," yelled out Shriek as he ran off for his hideout.
His original attacker began to dash after him, to finish his job, but was stopped when the other shot their blade out to stop them.
"That is enough! Who do you think you are?" demanded the second creature angrily.
"I think you of all people should know," snapped the first one angrily.
"I know what I was," said the second one, pulling off its mask to reveal the age ravaged face of Andrea Beaumont, though she kept her cloak and hood on. She pointed her blade at this new Phantasm, "And who are you?"
"That is none of your concern," came the harsh reply as it turned and began to walk off, summoning the fog to disappear.
"I'm not done with you," shouted Andrea, beginning to give chase. Before the smoke could completely spirit away Andrea had grabbed them by the arm, preventing them from leaving.
"I said, leave me alone!" said the creature, giving Andrea a kick. She dropped her arms to block it, and in an instant, it was off, running and leaving a wake of smoke behind it.
"Oh no you don't" growled Andrea, giving chase. Despite her old looks, her body was still that of a teenager, allowing her to give chase.
"I said leave me alone," screamed the first Phantasm as they looked over their shoulder as it tore down the alley. The alley ended as so many did, with a thick chain link fence, but he easily jumped and cleared it. Behind him, Andrea took a similar leap, jumped onto the top of the fence and then used it as a springboard, cutting the distance between them to a mere twenty feet.
As they continued their chase, the first Phantasm saw a semi backing into a docking bay on the left side of the street. Putting on a burst of speed, he went into a slide feet first, slipping underneath the truck's load. As he flew underneath, he put both hands out and from them a green vapor began to flow. It connected with the axles of the trucks and from there a hissing sound came, indicating the mist was eating away at the thick metal. Sliding out from underneath the truck, he was off again. Meanwhile, as Andrea came to the truck, there was a sickening crunch, and the truck began to fall towards her. Throwing her hands up, the smoke flew up transporting her away as the truck crashed, and exploded in a mushroom cloud of fire.
Meanwhile...
Batman was continuing his patrol, searching for any signs of his attacker. He was angry, angry that he had been cast aside so easily. He was use to getting the crap beat out of him, but at least he was able to get a few good shots in. Instead, this time he had been trounced as easily as he did to the assorted street thugs that he battled. Traveling down a narrow alleyway, he saw a familiar face creep from the shadows of a doorway and towards the sewer entrance: Shriek. However, Shriek looked different. Instead of the insane rage of a genius surrounded by fools that normally clouded his eyes, Shriek now looked like a small boy who had just been taken back behind the woodshed.
"Something freaked the old sound guy out," muttered Terry to himself, "And that may be who I'm looking for."
Batman spread his wings and took flight, following the path left behind by Shriek. It wasn't too hard, for Terry it was a simple matter of following the knocked over trashcans. He had not followed it very far, when the crack of an explosion flew by him. A second later, a heat exploded over the roof he had just landed on. Shielding his eyes with his hands, he felt wave after wave of hot energy blowing over his body, turning the normally comforting night into midday.
"Freaking Ass Crackers!" screamed out Terry without thinking. As the initial blast waned, he began running towards the growing column of smoke. As he came to it, he saw that a truck had been overturned, and the contents of it were quickly going ablaze. Turning on his infrared visor, he saw two noticeably cooler spots in the cab, and without thinking, dove straight in. Using the boosted strength that the suit gave him, Terry grasped the door and pulled it as hard as he could with both hands, bending it back like an old soup-can. He reached in, and felt the driver and his buddy, both unconscious. Grabbing each one, he extended his wings and activated his boots, sending all three flying up into the night sky.
The cool air revived the driver's friend first, and he nearly crashed the three into the wall when he realized that he was in mid-air.
"Don't move, I'm having enough trouble as it is," groaned Batman as he finally cleared the building and landed on the roof.
"We have to get out of here!" screamed the man, "There's 500 pounds of pure Solaris crystal in there. When the fire breaks through the metal casing surrounding it, everything in a four hundred yard radius will be vaporized!"
"Great, how long?" asked Batman tersely, already forming a plan.
"A minute, at best, but still, what are you going to do?" called the assistant, "Its gotta be twenty-five hundred degrees in there!"
"Then I better have enough sunscreen!" said Batman as for the second time he dropped over the top and into the inferno. As he landed on the side of the blazing truck, he brought his left fist down and smashed it into the side. The metal groaned in protest, and Batman threw his right fist into the same spot, denting it further. Giving a scream, he raised both hands and smashed them down at the same time in an axe-handle strike, breaking through the metal. He peeled it back, then dropped in. Inside the truck, the fire was quickly growing, thanks to the air that Terry had just let it. Looking around, he saw what had to be the Solaris crystal, because it was the only thing in the truck. It consisted of a perfectly cubed metallic box, about sixteen inches on each side. Terry grabbed its sides, feeling the blistering pain even through his thick gloves. He half-dragged, half-carried the small container to the hole. He activated his jet boots, but they weren't strong enough. Even as he turned them to their maximum setting, he still couldn't get the lift he needed.
Just as he was wondering what he could possibly do, a gray gloved hand shot through the hole.
"Give me your hand, I'll pull you up!" came a woman's yell.
"I'm carrying some dead weight, you won't be able to! Get your ass out of here!" yelled back Terry.
"Always the stubborn one!" came the woman's voice as the hand reached in and grabbed him by one of his pointy ears. With a feeling unlike anything he had ever experienced, he was lifted out of the hole, and dropped unceremoniously on the street next to the blazing wreck. As he looked up, he realized the case of the Solaris crystals was gone, and so was his mysterious helper.
"Damn it!" he screamed to no one in particular as he flew off, aware that the fire department was quickly arriving.