Batman: The Jester and The Queen

Sounds of Screams 💘🃏

The next day, Bruce and Dick woke up from Wayne Manor. "You really need to get a job than just being the Boy Wonder," said Bruce to Dick.

"I can be whatever I want to be," Dick chuckled. He then thought for a bit. "But I really do need a job," he concluded. Bruce nodded, and proceeded downstairs for a breakfast meal from Alfred.

"Master Wayne, Mrs. Vale-Powers wants to invite you to another dinner later tonight. She wants more details about Batman," Alfred said. "How do you always get these invitations?" Bruce asked. "They call me on the phone, remember Master Wayne?" Alfred reminded his master.

Bruce shook his head to wake himself up more. "True. I guess I didn't pay attention," he replied and sat down in his chair. He noticed the food on the table wasn't as large as usual.

"The food really is shortening, isn't it?" asked Bruce. "It is, Master Wayne. You should know to visit your Wayne Foods today to see what's going on," suggested Alfred.

"Right. I'll get on that," replied Bruce. The rest of the morning was working out and exercising with Dick. As the late evening came by, Bruce decided to take Dick with him this time, as the two were escorted by Alfred into the limousine. "Why weren't you working at all today?" asked Dick to Bruce.

"It's a Sunday. Nobody in Gotham really works," he replied. Alfred drove them both to the downtown part of Gotham City. Wayne Foods was a little known subsidiary of Wayne Enterprises. Wayne Foods focuses on the high end market and specialty goods, producing specialized products such as ecological foods, natural lines with no additives and controlled growing. 

"I keep tabs on the food product market," noted Bruce. "Well not this time. I don't know how you exactly missed the shortage of your city's food," replied Dick. Bruce sighed. The limousine pulled up at Wayne Foods.

Bruce showed his ID badge to a security guard, who turned red when it was actually Bruce Wayne himself. "And him?" asked the guard. Bruce explained that Dick is his guest and "business" apprentice. 

As the two entered inside, the facility's interior was already a mess. Cooks and chefs and salesmen all banded together fumblingly to sort out the food that was being sent everywhere. One chef noticed Bruce's presence and alerted the rest. "Mr. Wayne is here, listen!" he exclaimed.

The chefs, cooks, and everyone stopped and turned to Bruce standing above them, on a catwalk balcony. "What exactly is going on here? Why are all the food shortages coming?" asked Bruce angrily.

The chefs and cooks all stumbled for a definitive answer. "We don't know, sir! One day we come in for work and half the food we produced is missing! It all continues, and we try to do night shifts but none of us are capable of doing that!" were most of the responses from the workers.

"Well hop to the case and find out what or who is delaying your food!" replied back Bruce. Dick walked with him out of the building. "You okay man?" asked Dick. Bruce nodded.

"Oh no..I might be late for Vicki's dinner!" exclaimed Bruce. He fumbled around and called up Alfred with the limousine. "Where did Alfred say the dinner was again?" asked Bruce. "He said that the dinner would be at the same place as last time, Gotham Diner," replied Dick. 

Alfred pulled up with the limousine. "Gotham Diner, Master Wayne?" he asked Bruce. Bruce nodded, helped Dick get inside, and they drove off into the center of Gotham City. 

Back inside Wayne Foods, the cooks and chefs were talking about the delays of food and the shortage. As the commotion was going on, one mysterious chef had a devilish grin, his lips smeared bright bloody red. He then rolled up his white sleeves and ran to the corner of the building, to where the remaining food was. He grabbed a flamethrower, and torched up the food.

"Set it to five minutes, boys," the mysterious grinning chef said into his walkie-talkie. On the other end, a couple clown-masked thugs held a bomb inside an unknown building. They set it on a countdown timer, finished up grabbing some silver artifacts and paintings, and ran out.

Meanwhile outside, Bruce and Dick were dropped off by the sidewalk, the entrance to Gotham Diner. "Okay, okay. Dick, this will be your first lively dinner. These are rich folks that like to compete, so let me do the talking and you sit there and eat," said Bruce to Dick. 

They headed towards the stone steps to Gotham Diner. Vicki Vale-Powers and her husband were already inside the building, shaking hands with some businessmen. Vicki turned around to face Bruce, who was outside the entrance window, and smiled. Bruce smiled warmly back, walking a bit faster towards her. 

BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bruce and Dick were sent back from the explosion, smashing into the ground. Gotham Diner was decimated, completely destroyed and a big ball of fire erupted in the explosion. Bruce was dirtied up, sobbing, and fell into unconsciousness. Dick was barely awake, coughing from the ashes of smoke. 

The last thing Bruce heard before blacking out was the sound of police sirens and Vicki's seemingly soothing voice of "It's okay, Bruce". 

...

Bruce woke up on a stretcher, which was being transported into an ambulance. He tried to get out, using his strength to get up from the stretcher. "I don't need a goddamn doctor!!" he screamed at a medic pleading with him to return to the stretcher.

Bruce cried out for Dick and Vicki's names. "Dick? Vicki?!" he shouted. Dick walked up to him, bloodied and badly beaten. His face was also covered in ashes of smoke. "They're...they're all dead," Dick said weakly to his master.

Commissioner Gordon, Officer Bullock, and the rest of the Gotham police stood near Dick. They all watched the Gotham Fire Department hose down the ruins of what used to be Gotham Diner. "Oh my...what happened?" asked Bruce.

Gordon explained, which made Bruce's heart sink. "Gotham Diner exploded by a detonated bomb. Everyone who was in there, died."

Bruce sobbed. Vicki Vale and her husband were in Gotham Diner, and they had no way out. They were both dead. 

"Everyone died?" asked Bruce, even though he knew the answer. "All dead," replied Gordon. He patted Bruce on the shoulder, who mourned with Dick. "Who did you know that was in there? Nearly half of Gotham's billionaires were in there too," asked Gordon.

"A girl in my childhood, named Vicki Vale. Her last name may have been Powers, but she couldn't overcome the power of this tragedy," replied Bruce. "Oh no..the news reporter? Wait, Vicki Vale? Oh my god, oh my god, I'm so sorry, Bruce..." began Gordon and put his hands over his face. 

The city mourned. So many lives were lost in the wake of the Gotham Diner explosion tragedy. But who could have caused this sickening act? Is he or she still at large? Who??