The Impractical Joker/The Joker's Provokers

Chapter 21

 Alfred was replacing Egbert again one night.

The Warriors were with him this time, but they were also in security guard uniforms.

A bell rang at midnight.

"Was that the doorbell?" said Charles Wallace.

"Master Calvin, would you answer it?" said Alfred.

"Will do" said Calvin.

He entered the vestibule and found Aunt Harriet in front of the barred window.

"Aunt Harriet!" said Calvin.

"Calvin! What are you doing here?" said Aunt Harriet.

"Some guards are working undercover so I've volunteered to help a little. What can I do for you?" said Calvin.

"I really hate to be a bother, but I was returning home from town and I ran out of gas a little way down the road" said Aunt Harriet.

"Gee" said Calvin.

Sam, Charles Wallace and Alfred showed their faces just then.

"I see your friends have joined the volunteering too, Calvin" said Aunt Harriet.

"Uh-huh" said Calvin.

"Alfred? What are you doing here? In that getup? I'm Mrs Harriet Cooper of stately Wayne Manor. And you're our butler Alfred!" said Aunt Harriet.

"Sorry, baby. My name's Egbert. I'm the night security man" said Alfred imitating his cousin.

"He really does look like Alfred, doesn't he?" said Sam.

"Why, Sam, the resemblance is absolutely uncanny. Anyway, could I use your phone to call a cab?" said Aunt Harriet.

"Oh, certainly you can, Aunt Harriet. It's on the wall right here" said Charles Wallace.

Aunt Harriet entered the vestibule and searched her purse for a dime.

Batman and Robin came in a second later to bring Alfred a midnight snack.

"Batman and Robin!" said Aunt Harriet excitedly.

"Good evening, Mrs Cooper. What a strange place to find you" said Batman.

"Well, I was also surprised to find your friends the Three Warriors working here. But not as surprised as I was to see that this gentleman looks exactly like the Wayne butler. I was telling them that I ran out of gas on the way home today" said Aunt Harriet.

"We always carry an extra supply in the Batmobile. Robin" said Batman.

"This way, Mrs Cooper" said Robin leading Aunt Harriet outside.

"Oh, thank you, Batman" said Aunt Harriet.

She looked back at Alfred and said "The spitting image!"

Then she followed Robin to the Batmobile.

"Nice save, Batman" said Charles Wallace.

"A very close save, sir" said Alfred.

"But you handled it with your usual finesse, Alfred. And you three covered it beautifully" said Batman.

"Thanks, Batman" said Sam.

"At least that mischief maker and his mangy militia won't be bothering us anymore" said Calvin.

"I wouldn't say forever, Calvin. But they won't be bothering us for quite some time" said Batman.

"Excellent, sir. But one thing concerns me. He still has some of those gargoyle keys in his possession" said Alfred.

"No no, he was relieved of them. And we received the lab report. Somehow, he'd concocted a drug which produced a mass hallucinatory effect when dissolved inn water by some key force" said Batman.

"The key to the magic box?" Sam guessed.

"Ah" said Batman.

"But how? How could it have turned time backwards, forwards, faster and slower?" said Alfred.

"How little do we know of time. A one syllable word. A noun. Yesterday's laughter, tomorrow's tears" said Batman.