Batman: The Jester and The Queen

Death in the Family 💘🃏

Robin fluttered his eyes open. The restraints attached to his wrists were extremely tightened.

"Somebody help!" he cried out, crying like a little child. The boy wonder still had the youthful innocence inside him, he needed guidance once again in the moment of darkness.

"You ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?" asked a sinister voice, which quickly transformed into a devious laugh. Robin shuddered. "No?" he asked.

Joker then emerged from the darkness, grinning at Robin. Robin's heart raced. Harley Quinn came swooping in next from the darkness, behind her boyfriend, Joker.

"You tried to hurt my sugar-plums and this is what it all adds up to," said Joker as he carefully circled around Robin. Robin struggled to free himself.

Suddenly, Robin noticed he wasn't wearing his mask anymore, Joker had unveiled his secret identity. He wasn't Robin in this moment, he was now Dick Grayson.

"You removed my mask you sicko!" Dick exclaimed at Joker. Joker turned around to face him as Harley giggled with some moans. 

"Sicko, eh kid? You are the psycho, I'm the re-builder!" exclaimed Joker. He slapped Dick across the face, as he whistled to Harley.

"Ohhhhhh Harleyyyyyy," bellowed Joker to his love. She went into the shadows, and then a moment later, she re-emerged from the darkness. She was holding a crowbar, rigged and sharp.

Joker snatched the crowbar violently from her, as she giggled and kissed him on the lips in front of an uncomfortable Dick. "Thanks honey," said Joker to Harley. "You're welcome, Mistah J!" she replied and backed away. 

As Joker admired his crowbar, Dick knew he still had a tracking beacon hidden in his costumed boots. Luckily, the beacon was being surveillanced by Bruce back at Wayne Manor.

Bruce was shocked, hearing the voices of Joker and Harley, and his apprentice's struggle. "I must go out there," he said, coughing still from the sickness. Alfred tried to warn him again.

"Master Wayne-" he began to say. Bruce shook his head and pointed at his butler. "Alfred, please. Dick is in serious trouble, it's time for me to go!" he yelled and proceeded to the Batsuit. 

Dressing up as Batman, he got into the Batmobile, and drove off without giving poor Alfred a thumbs-up for assurance. 

Batman tried his best to head to the beacon where Dick was, and realized the beacon was located far off of Gotham, nearly leaving the city's border. "Oh shit," Batman uttered. 

Back at the unknown building where Dick was held, Joker continued to admire the crowbar. "What are you going to do with that?" asked Dick nervously. "I'm just going to go easyyyy on you, heheh. Give Batman a nice taste of his own pal Robin!" Joker gleefully announced.

He laughed and cackled, as Dick embraced for impact. "Just...don't do it," he tried to say weakly. Joker stopped laughing, and tilted his head. "Oh why not? You'll miss all the fun that's in this here crowbar, heheh!!" he proclaimed. 

Back in the Batmobile, Batman managed to get ahold of Dick's audio recording transmitted from the tracking beacon. "D-Dick?" he tried to say. All he heard was heavy panting and cackling. Batman stepped harder on the pedal, speeding the Batmobile faster to its desperate destination.

Joker raised his crowbar up high, right above Dick. Dick shook for a moment, deciding to look up at the crowbar and face what will happen. "Take it slow, alright?" asked Dick. Joker winked.

BANG! Joker swung down the crowbar onto Dick's head with a single smash. Batman shed a tear, even hearing the collision. BANG BANG! Joker proceeded with the crowbar, smacking Dick across the face twice with the crowbar, spurting out thick red blood from him. 

BANG BANG! Joker whacked Dick more and more across the face, puncturing his left eye socket. Dick was bleeding everywhere, still able to take in a few more hits as his breathing decreased. Batman shed more tears, hearing the muffled panting from Dick and laughing emitted from Joker at the same time.

Joker panted for a minute, studying the oozing blood dripping from the rusted crowbar. "I'm just getting started boy! Wake up a little and smile for me real tight, hahaha!!!" Joker shouted. 

Joker kicked the chair that Dick was restrained to, making the body lay on the ground as Joker continued his brutal crowbar murder. BANG BANG BANG BANG! 

Dick was dead by this point. Pieces of scalp, hair, and face flesh were on the floor, as a pool of thick red blood poured all over. Joker grinned so happily, even Harley was a bit appalled. 

"Mistah J? Shall we end it now?" she asked him. BANG BANG! He turned to her, Dick's blood splashed on his white face. "Darling, yes. Hand me the kerosene and match," he said nicely to her.

She carried out a tank of kerosene and a box of matches. Joker grinned and grabbed it from her. He poured the kerosene over what was left of Dick's mutilated head. Lastly, he lit the match which emitted a tiny flame.

"Goodnight," he said and dropped the match. Harley laughed uncontrollably as she fled the building, Joker right behind her. The kerosene lit on fire, covering Dick's body. Batman was almost to the destination, as Joker and Harley got into an ice cream truck with some goons and drove away into the darkness of Gotham City.

Three minutes later, Batman arrived at the building, and saw it on fire. Knowing Dick was left in there, he rushed into the building hoping to retrieve his fallen friend. Finally after a struggle with the burning flames, he lifted Dick's scorched body and escaped the building before it collapsed.

Batman held what was left of Dick in his arms. He looked at his friend, the young boy he had trained for years to become his sidekick and he had now failed protecting him. "Oh...god...oh god, Dick," Bruce said. He got rid of the Batman persona and voice, he was just Bruce Wayne dressed in a batsuit in the moment.

"I failed you..I failed to protect you. Oh goodness..." Bruce sobbed as he held the roasted corpse. Dick was dead, and Bruce had failed to keep him alive after taking him in as family after Selina. Bruce thought of Selina, and what her realization will be once she hears the tragedic news.

Bruce then softly lowered Dick onto the pavement. His fists tightened. 

It was time to track down Joker and stop his madness.