Life is as tedious as twice-told tale, vexing the dull ear of a drowsy man.
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Batman Beyond Season 4Episode 63: Failure Returns
Author James the Lesser
I do no own the Characters, names, villains, so forth
A/N This takes place after Batman Beyond Return of the Joker so yes that movie happens in this timeline/series
Melanie, Ace, is with the Jokers. "So we just set these bombs up?"
"Joker has a plan for them." Ace rolls her eyes.
"I thought we were going to steal some jewels or get some creds and have a night out on the town."
"The boss told you to be our backup so that's what you'll do." Two Jokers place a bomb in the closet of an office.
Batman, Batwoman, and Flash are just outside. "When should we strike?" Flash taps his foot impatiently waiting.
"We know where these bombs are and we'll just defuse them until we get bored enough with following them." The three continue watching and wait for the right time to strike.
Across the city David Wheeler is hiding in an abandoned house when he hears footsteps. "Who's there?"
"I didn't say knock knock first." David sees the shadow of the intruder.
"Who are you?"
"It doesn't matter." A gunshot rings out.
Near morning Batman, Batwoman, and the Flash strike. The three Jokers are caught off guard. "Shoot them!" They are quickly disarmed by Flash.
"Slag this." Ace takes off on her card.
"Get back here!" Batman activates his rockets and chases after her.
A couple miles away she lands and Batman lands behind her. "So did you guys disarm all the bombs?" He nods. "Well at least we got some thing done tonight." She yawns.
"So he didn't tell you any thing?" She shakes her head. "Why was he placing bombs around the city?"
"He didn't say."
"He did this already so why is he doing it again?" Batman hears a gunshot. "Joker?"
"It might be." Ace is about to get back on her card but Batman stops her.
"He can't know we're working together. Fly towards the gunshot and I'll chase after you." She takes off and Batman follows seconds later.
Shriek grabs his stomach as blood flows through his fingers. "I'll kill you."
"Really? From the grave?" Another shot rings out.
Ace and Batman can't find where the gunshots came from. "The Joker would be more open about this." Batman and Ace walk through a building they thought the gunshots came from.
"So it was some one else."
"But who or what were they shooting?"
"Maybe they missed?" The two look for a few more minutes before giving up.
Terri sneaks in through the window and lies down on his bed. "School in two hours. Enough time for a nap." He curls up and starts falling asleep when he phone beeps. "Hello?"
"Terri?"
"Dana?" He yawns. "What are you doing up this early?"
"You missed class today." Terri looks at the clock. He thought he was just falling asleep. He had actually passed out almost instantly. "As did Max."
"She sick too?"
"She probably got it from you!" Dana hangs up on Terri.
"I'm too tired to deal with this." He lies back down and stares at the ceiling. "As soon as I'm done with school I can sleep all day with out getting in trouble."
He goes out to the kitchen as his stomach rumbles. He is at the fridge when he hears a throat clear. "So you decided to wake up?"
"Uh, hi Mom." Terri opens the fridge.
"So why were you coming home as the Sun was coming up?" He closes the fridge with out getting any thing out.
"Working for Mr. Wayne."
"Doing what?"
"He is sick. He turns in to a great big baby when he's sick."
"And if I called him he'd confirm that?"
"Yes." Terri takes the phone off the wall and dials. "Mr. Wayne are you feeling better today?"
"Terri?"
"My Mom was worried about me being out so late." His mom walks over and takes the phone from Terri.
"Is this Bruce Wayne?"
"Yes Ms. McGinnis."
"Was my son with you last night?"
"Yes Ms McGinnis. I was sick and at my age it could turn serious at any moment. Sorry if this inconvenienced you."
"It didn't but my son slept through school. I would appreciate it if the next time this happens you call me."
"Of course Ms. McGinnis I'm sorry as I said. Now if you don't mind I have a few calls to make."
"No, good day Mr. Wayne." They hang up.
"I should probably eat and get back to Wayne Manor. He said some thing about a meeting with lawyers today."
"You do a lot for the old man. What happens when he dies?"
"He's been training me to take over small parts of the company with help from others he trusts. I'm really interested in the advertising department. I've even helped with a couple commercials they did for that new deodorant spray. "
"Really?"
"You don't even want to know what they thought would be a good commercial targeted at highschoolers."
Bruce is on the phone with Barbara Gordon. "No that does not sound like the work of Joker."
"Then who is doing this? I know you would never allow this kind of carnage."
"Terri would never do this even with out me." Bruce looks up at the images on the computer. "This has been happening for three days now?"
"Yes and two more were found this morning." Two new images appear on his screen. "This looks a lot like the word of a friend of ours."
"He'd be as old as you are and he's had no children to pick up the mask."
"He was adopted and could have adopted some one. When is the last time you checked on him Bruce?"
"I stopped a few years ago when he was old enough to retire. It isn't him."
"As far as you know. Use your sources to find out where he is."
"Why not use Gotham Police to find him?"
"If he's outside of the city then we won't find him but you can."
"True. I can look in on him and let you know later today."
"Bruce if it is him or some protege of his then we must warn Terri and his idiot friends. They are still young and clueless compared to what we know."
"The Flash is not clueless. He was Kid Flash."
"What? Kid Flash disappeared with the other Titans decades ago."
"He was sucked in to a Hell Dimension with the others. Raven opened a portal and he was the only one fast enough to escape."
"But he'd be as old as I am."
"The Hell Dimension time moves slower than here. He claims it was less than an hour for him and the other Titans."
"And he is ok? He is now in the future with out any friends or family."
"He came here as soon as he could. Mistook Terri for Nightwing at first but he has gotten settled in here." Bruce closes the screens. "I'm keeping an eye on him but as far as I can tell he is still the same as he was before."
"Must be hard for Melanie and Maxine." Barbara laughs a little as she remembers the times she had with the Titans and dealing with Kid Flash.
Batman and Ace are near the cave the Jokers were using as a base. "Go in and see if he or the other Joker has any thing to do with those gunshots last night and what they're planning with the bombs."
"I got it." She pulls her mask on. "I'll be back." She flies on her card to the cave entrance.
Inside she sees the Joker in his chair. "Hey Mister J I'm back."
"And? Who are you?"
"Uh, Ace, you told me to work with your gang last night." The Joker starts laughing.
"The Clone sent you to do that did he? I told him no more bombs I did that already!" She flinches as he shouts. "But you could be useful. I seem to be missing some of my boys. Do you know what happened to them?"
"We got interrupted by Batman and his friends. I took off and Batman came after me but then there were gunshots and he went after that. Maybe some of your boys shot his friends."
"No they don't carry guns. Those fools would just end up shooting themselves in the foot." Joker pulls out a gun and fires it at the feet at one of the Joker gang members in the cave but misses his feet.
"Who ever it was it kept Batman off of me Mister J."
"Ooo! Do you know how many years it has been since some one called me Mister J, Pudding?" She gets closer and leans forward.
"No but I'd love to learn Mister J."
Across the city Mad Stan has a vest on with bombs covering it. "They ticketed me for parking in a handicapped spot so I'll make them all pay!"
"Really?" Mad Stan turns around.
"Who are you?"
"Some one who doesn't deal with criminals." A gunshot rings out.
Batwoman and Flash are watched two T gang members. "That's not suspicious." Batwoman crouches down behind a car.
The two T gang members smash a window and grab a big screen television. "Not so fast!" The Flash trips one T and he drops his side of the television.
"Really? I'm sure you've told that pun a thousand times."
"And now a thousand and one times." The Flash runs back to Batwoman as she steps out from around the car.
"Hey! Now it's broken and nobody can watch it!" The T still holding the television lifts it over his head and throws it at the two heroes. It barely goes a couple feet before smashing on the sidewalk.
"Do you not understand how heavy those things are?" Batwoman pulls out some handcuffs. "So will you come quietly or are we going to have a problem?"
"Slag it if I'm going down I'm going down hard." The second T charges the two.
Batwoman steps to the side, trips the T, and cuffs him before he hits the ground. "That was anti climatic."
"He was an idiot but I'm not." The first T starts running away.
"Is he seriously running away from me?" Flash lets the T get a headstart before running up to him and cuffing him to a USPS mailbox.
Later that night Mad Stan is found by two police officers. "We got another one better call it in."
Barbara is woken up by her phone. "What is it?"
"You told us to call you Commissioner if we found another escapee."
"And you did? Is he dead?"
"Bullet between the eyes like the rest."
"That makes seven in four nights. Thank you for informing me make sure you leave a full report for me by morning."
"Yes Commissioner."
"Honey what is it?" Her husband had also been woken up.
"Nothing Dear. I'll be right back." She takes her phone with her to the bathroom and calls Bruce.
Batwoman, Flash, Ace, and Batman meet in the Batcave the next night. "Place is getting a little crowded but I do like the ratio." Flash smiles at Ace and Batwoman.
"If you can focus on crime and not your hormones I have some disturbing news." Several pictures appear on the screen of criminals.
"What are they doing? I know I should be trying to put them back in Arkham but we have two Jokers which is two too many."
"Nothing Terri. Some one killed all seven." Their arrest pictures are replaced by pictures from the morgue.
"Whoa, dark dude." Flash looks them over. "Who are they?" Bruce is about to answer but Terri starts first.
"Shriek, David Wheeler, Ratboy, Mad Stan, Abel Cuvier, Terminal, and Mr. Fixx." Batman feels a chill run down his spine. "Who did this? Joker?"
"No. Nothing tying them to the Joker was revealed at the crime scene."
"And Mister J, er, Joker doesn't care about these lightweights."
"Does Commissioner Gordon have any more information? Police files maybe?"
"No. Do not contact her on this. We have been tasked in stopping these kills by catching those who are still free."
"Uh, I know I'm new here, but shouldn't we catch the guy doing this?" Ace shrinks back at Bruce's glare.
"Who ever this person is they are targeting criminals. If you put the criminals back in Arkham then he will run out of targets."
"Got it Bruce. I call Blight." Batman walks over to the Batmobile.
"Wait, I need that." Batwoman runs over to it. "You ride with Ace."
"Fine. You look for Spellbinder or Watt."
"Terri I think you should avoid Blight. Who ever this guy is he is going after low lifes not some one like Blight or the Joker."
"I'm going after Blight. I am Batman now Bruce and I decide where I go."
Ace and Batman are flying over the city. "Where do we start Terri?"
"Commissioner Gordon."
"Bruce said we shouldn't talk to her."
"Exactly. She knows something." The two fly to police headquarters.
Batman and Ace are in Commissioner Gordon's office when she steps in after a meeting. "What are you doing here? With a member of the Royal Flush Gang."
"I'm not with them any more. I'm a good girl now." Ace holds her hand out. "I call myself Ace now."
"I know who you are Melanie." Commissioner Gordon does not shake her hand. "So why are you here?"
Batman walks over to Commissioner Gordon. "Some one has been killing criminals."
"And?"
"Bruce told me not to talk to you."
"So I am the first person you came to." Barbara walks over to her desk and sits down. "Very much like Batman." She opens a drawer and pulls out a flask and a glass.
"I want answers."
"And I want a city without masked vigilantes."
"You used to be one." Ace is confused bust doesn't interrupt.
"I used to be a lot of things. You'll learn one day." She pours herself a drink. "What do you want to know?"
"I think Bruce knows who this is. If he knows who it is then you know who it is. So who is it?" Batman crosses his arms.
"You're not ready for this one." She takes a sip from the glass. "If it even is him."
"I've faced the Joker and beat him."
"The Joker is insane. This man is any thing but." Barabara takes another sip. "If it is him as I said."
"So who is he?!" Batman pounds his fists on the desk. "If I'm going to catch this guy I need to know who he is!"
"I can't tell you."
"I am Batman."
"And I am the Commissioner. You are a vigilante and she is a juvenile delinquent." Ace crosses her arms.
"I'm not a juvenile and I'm a hero now."
"You're as much of a hero as my chair."
"Stop it! You won't distract me. I need to know who this guy is so I can stop him!"
"Keep quiet Terri." Ace is even more confused. Who was Commissioner Gordon and how did she know Terri and Bruce?
"Tell me or things will get very loud." Terri's voice changes as he leans in closer to Commissioner Gordon. "Do you understand Batgirl?" Terri grabs at his head as memories flood his mind.
Batman and Robin are in Europe hunting down Ra's Al Ghul. They are also dealing with the Joker causing more chaos than usual.
Terri collapses on the desk.
Batman is on his motorcycle. A building in front of him explodes. "No!"
Terri feels like his mind is about to explode as Commissioner Gordon splashes her drink on his face. "Snap out of it Terri!"
"You haven't lost your touch, Bruce."
Terri stands up sweating heavily. "What was that?"
"Terri are you ok?" Ace puts a hand on his left arm.
"No. I saw some thing. Bruce's old memories."
"Huh?" Ace feels his muscles flex as he struggles to stay under control.
"I saw some one wearing a red helmet. Telling him that he hadn't lost his touch. Who was he? I've never seen a red helmet like that in Bruce's collection."
"You wouldn't. Now leave before I have to make you leave."
"What's wrong with him? Batgirl? You used to be Batgirl?" Ace pulls on Batman's arm.
"Used to be is an understatement."
"Get me back to the Batcave." Batman and Ace leave Commissioner Gordon's office.
Batwoman and Flash find Watt at the arcade. "So are you coming quietly?" Watt continues playing his game.
"I've almost made it to level twelve!"
"So?" Flash taps his foot at Flash speed.
"What? No you didn't. The highest I've ever made it was level nine." Batwoman leans over Watts shoulder. "Whoa what gun are you using?"
"You only get it at level eleven and higher."
"Batwoman aren't we catching him so he isn't killed by the mysterious dude?"
"What? Killed?" Distracted, Watt gets shot in the game, and loses. "You made me lose!"
"Now can we take him?" Flash grabs Watt's arm.
"It is safer if you come with us Watt. Some one has been killing criminals."
"Ok, ok. You don't need to crash me with this kind of news." Watt smiles. "Psych!" He uses his powers to blast Flash and Batwoman and starts running.
"Watt!" Batwoman throws a batarang but was still inexperienced with it and misses.
"I got him." Flash is a blur as he runs after Watt and trips him. He rips Watt's jacket off and uses it to tie his hands behind his back.
"Let me go!"
"You idiot some one is killing small fries like you. If you go back to jail you'll be alive."
"But I'll be in a cage!" He struggles against his tied hands but can't get them loose.
"Alive in a cage." Batwoman picks up the batarang she threw and puts handcuffs on Watt's wrists along with the shirt.
Bruce hears the alarm and checks the camera to see Ace and Batman on Ace's card. He had already been called by Commissioner Gordon. When Ace makes it to the main chamber Batman, Terri, steps off the card.
"Who is he? You bastard you know who this is."
"It isn't him." Bruce points at a screen. A tombstone is shown. "Jason is dead."
A/N Had you all going there... It must be Red Hood! Oops... Anyways, I know it has been a long time since I've updated this. Had a week of vacation but was not near a computer. So I handwrote this episode and then put it down on computer with a few revisions and changes.