The Batmobile raced through the night towards the commissioner's house. When Batman arrived, he could see the one Bruce called Phantasm standing over someone. That someone was an unconscious Barbara! Batman saw the Phantasm raising his right arm, the one with the sickle on it. As Batman jumped out of the Batmobile he screamed....
"NOOOOOO!"
Phantasm turned to see Batman flying towards him. Phantasm was frozen like a deer in the headlights as Batman tackled him to the ground.
"No! It wasn't supposed to happen like this! You've ruined everything!" bellowed Phantasm as he kicked Batman off of him.
"You will never hurt anyone again!" Batman growled as he stood back up.
"On the contrary, I intend to destroy your entire legacy Batman! You got lucky this time, showing up before I had the chance to kill her. Next time, it will be different!"
That said, Phantasm once again began to disappear beneath a cloud of smoke. Batman lunged into the cloud hoping to catch Phantasm, but there was no trace of him left.
Only after the smoke cleared did Batman turn his attention to Barbara. He knelt next to her and took her hand in his. She had just returned to a conscious state when Batman spoke.
"It's going to be ok, Barbara. He's gone now. I'll make sure that you stay safe."
"Trying to get on my....**cough**...good side McGinnis?"
Batman smiled. "Come on, I'll take you to a hospital."
Batman carefully picked her up and placed her in the Batmobile. He went to Gotham General Hospital and placed her in the care of the finest doctors in the city.
***meanwhile, at Arkham***
"Alright, time to get to work..." said the Joker as he walked in the doors.
The old room had been left in the same state ever since the Joker's "final" confrontation with the original Batman. Everything except what he was looking for.
"It's not here...I can't believe this!"
"What are you looking for?" said Ghoul.
"The card! The giant Joker card! There was something very important on it!!! The only other people that have ever been here are.............oh."
It finally dawned on the Joker where the card was.
"Ooooo...kkkkk...this is going to be more difficult than I thought. I'm gonna have to go visit an old friend," the Joker grinned.
***across town***
Thomas Harper had everything a man could want in life. A great job in a prestigious law firm, a brand new house, and his loving fiancée. He just laid in bed thinking how wonderful his life had turned out. His thoughts were interrupted when the bedroom door opened.
"Finally decided to turn in for the night, huh?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'm exhausted!" replied his fiancée.
He just stared at her and smiled.
"What?"
"I just can't believe how things have finally turned out right for a change! And you know what the best part is?"
"What's that?" she said, already knowing the answer.
"It's you! We're going to be married in a couple of months! I'm so excited!"
"Me too! It's like a dream come true!" she smiled.
She went to go get ready for bed as she heard Thomas recite his vows for the hundredth time.
" I, Thomas Harper, take you Katherine Beaumont...,"