Freddie Cunningham looked out the restaurant window intently watching the Gotham City Skyline. Even all the way up here on the top of Tropical Heaven you could hear the police sirens cutting through the night. The GCPD had been running themselves ragged trying to keep the city safe after Batman disappeared. Batman. Gone. It hurt so hard to say it because it just seemed so unreal. The Dark Knight had been protecting the city for so long that he was practically the city's patron saint. Maybe not to the same extent that Superman was in Metropolis but he was definitely loved by the people and feared by the criminals. As it should be. After so many years of the invincible Dark Knight's continued dominance over the madness of Gotham...he just disappeared into thin air. For the first few days nobody paid it any mind. Then days turned into weeks. Then into a month. Then into a year. Then that turned into years. The maniacs began coming back out of the woodwork again now that the threat of The Bat wasn't looming over them anymore.
Their only saving grace was that out of all of these maniacs,
The Clown had apparently decided to stay in Arkham. The rest of the madmen were still dangerous as hell of course, especially
The Jester, but they thanked whatever God was listening above for The Clown's extended vacation. The absolute last thing they needed was him rampaging around again.
"Any sign of him?" The waitress asked Freddie.
He sighed. "Still no. I mean, I know you couldn't ever see him unless he wanted you to but still....you could still catch a glimpse of him back in the day if you watched the skies." Freddie raised his right hand which was covered by a white glove. The hand spun around.
"Woah! How did you do that?" The waitress asked.
"Ah this? Yeah, it's artificial. A special present from Wayne Enterprises after
Croc bit my old hand off back in the day. You know how that animal is."
"Pffffft! Heeheeeheeheee...hahahahahahaaaaa!" The waitress burst out laughing and doubled over.
Freddie backed up and covered his mouth. It couldn't be! Joker Gas? HERE?! NOW?! WHY?!
A few of the other restaurant patrons got up out of their chairs and put further distance between them while covering their faces and trying to see any sign of The Clown.
"Heeeeheeehahahahaaaaaa! I-I-I'm..s-s-sorrrryheeeeheeeheee!" She stammered out between her laughs. She covered her mouth as desperately tried to reign herself in. Tears began welling up in her eyes. "I-I'm...I'm s-s-sorr...I'm s-sorr...I'm sorry. I-It's not my f-fauuulllt! I'm sorry!" She fell to her knees and grasped her chest as she desperately sucked in air in between her laughs and she desperatly tried to get them under control. Her constant giggling slowly becoming more under control as she sucked in air. "I'm sorry." She apologized. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry...i-it's not funny. It's not! It's not! It's not!" She sobbed and wiped her eyes. "It's not my f-fault."
"Uhmmm....wait. Wait." He knelt down next to her and offered his hand to the waitress. "You were gassed weren't you?"
"Y-yeah...f-f-cuking happy gas." She accepted his hand up and got her breathing under control before apologizing to everyone else. "Sorry everyone! It's a condition! Joker Gas! You know how it is!"
There were loud murmurs of agreement and the people slowly returned to their meals and Freddie sat down with the waitress.
"When did it happen?"
"The Gotham Casino Gassing. I was one of the lucky survivors." She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "They were able to treat me at the hospital but there were some...side effects."
"Like the laugh."
"Yeah. I'm getting better but it's still there. The Doctor's say it's going to be lingering on."
"I'm sorry to hear that. Freaking maniac. You didn't deserve that."
"Nobody does." She rubbed her eyes. "I'll never understand why the police wouldn't just freaking shoot him."
"Who the hell knows. At least he's stayed locked up for now."
"I wish I could say he'd stay there forever. This city has suffered enough at the hands of the Arkham Animals."
"I'll drink to that." He poured her a drink and they clinked the glasses and chugged them. "Miss, do you have a ride home? I'd be happy to drive you. Lord knows it isn't safe to walk the streets without bodyguards anymore."
"I'd appreciate that. I'll take it up with my co-worker. And Freddie? My name is Lyla Yates."
"A pleasure to make your acquittance Miss Yates."
They shook hands and she walked to the backroom to talk it over with her friend while he returned to his dinner.
She eventually returned. "We're golden. If you don't mind, my friend Heather will be following us."
"Good idea. Strength in numbers and the more the merrier."
"You're the best, Freddie!"
"That would be you, Lyla." He assured her kindly.
Time passed and he finished his dinner and paid a nice 20% tip for the meal on top of his bill. He hung out for a bit longer still watching the skies for any sign of Batman while rubbing his mechanical hand until Lyla and Heather arrived and he escorted them to the cars. Heather got into hers and Lyla joined Freddie. He put her address in the GPS and they drove off. Despite the bright flashy lights and music of the city it didn't feel alive. The people they passed by were all keeping their heads down and huddling together for any sign of the many dangerous maniacs of Gotham. Even if it wasn't one of the big names, there was always the lingering threat of one of the various small time sickos or gang members could crawl out of the woodwork and mug you. If you were lucky they would let you off with just a beating. If not, you'd catch a bullet. If you were really unlucky you'd run into a monster like Zsasz. The less said about that monster the better.
Sure, Gotham had never been a paradise, but at least in the days of The Bat you could walk home at night without having to look over your shoulder anywhere near as often.
Freddie put it out of his mind and focused on his driving.
"What do you think happened to him?" Lyla asked.
"I don't know."
"...D-do you think he abandoned us?" Lyla asked, her voice choking.
"No. No. After everything Batman did for this city? There's no way he'd abandon it. Maybe...maybe something happened to him. Maybe he's being held somewhere. Who knows. We just have to get through the day is all. That's all we can do."
"I hope he comes back. I'd like to see him again. Lord knows we need him."
"Yeah. Yeah me too."
They eventually pulled up to her house and he parked the car. Freddie then got out and he walked around to Lyla's door and opened it for her. "Oh my. Such a Gentleman."
"I figure this city could certainly use a few." He offered his hand and she took it as he helped her out of the car.
"My, my, my. Are you going to need your room tonight?" Heather asked.
She covered her mouth to stop another laughing fit and then coughed as she got it under control. "Haaahahahahaaa n-no. No. No we're good. I'm good."
"All good!"
"Great. You're a good man, Freddie."
"Compliments appreciated." He walked the two ladies to the door and Lyla retrieved her keys. She unlocked the door and then turned around to kiss Freddie's cheek.
"You're a sweetie, Freddie. Come back to the Restaurant anytime."
"If it means I get to see your beautiful face, I'll come there everyday." He assured Lyla.
"Alright lovebirds, save it for the third date." Heather high-fived Freddie up high and then low and walked inside with her friend. He watched them go inside and close the door behind them before he turned and walked down the porch. He had just reached the bottom step when he heard a shriek of terror and he immediately turned back around and hauled ass up the stairs! "LYLA! HEATHER!"
Freddie grabbed the doorknob and flung the door open. He dashed inside to see a group of men dressed in white puffy jackets with white jeans, gloves and boots on. What was most striking though were the nightmarish white bunny rabbit helmets on their heads. It was like the Easter Bunny from your nightmares! The smiling rabbit helmets slowly turned to look at him in unison from where they were holding the ladies down in the kitchen. The bunny men tilted their heads in surprise for a moment before turning back to focus on the women. The women were struggling but they were held tight with their mouths covered. Freddie didn't recognize this particular gang but he wasn't going to waste time asking questions. It was time for action.
"Stinking bastards. LET THEM GO!" He shouted and charged the bunny men head on! One of them calmly stood up and walked towards him and Freddie barreled into him. He drove his shoulder into the man in a football tackle. Now Freddie was a big man. He wasn't a Kung-Fu Ninja God like Batman of course, and really who was, but he kept himself in good shape. But the bunny man didn't even let out a grunt! Freddie pushed him back but the bunny man simply took the blow, grabbed him and used Freddie's force against him to throw him against the freezer door! Freddie's jaw dropped and he gasped in pain as his back crashed against the cold steel of the door and he dropped to the floor. He coughed and hacked as he pushed himself back up. The bunny man calmly grabbed him and pulled him up to his feet and flung him backwards. He crashed against the shelves and barely steadied himself. As the bunny man closed in on him he pushed himself forward again and he began swinging at the bunny man. He landed a few solid blows to his chest and stomach but despite the solid impacts he still didn't utter a sound!
Instead, he simply countered and drove his fist into Freddie's face! Freddie fell back against the shelf and the bunny man advanced on him and smashed him down to the floor with an overhead swing. Freddie dropped like a sack of hammers. The bunny man knelt down on his back and pulled his head by his hair to see another man place a bunny helmet on Lyla despite her struggles and protests. The helmet was opened up and placed on her head, covering the front and back of her head and then it was fastened tightly! The bunny men let her go as Lyla's body spasmed and shook on the floor for a minute before her body simply went still. After a few tense horrific seconds she slowly rose up and bent over before straightening back up and turning to look at Heather and Freddie. She never took her eyes off of them even as she got back up to her feet.
The process was then repeated with Heather. Just like Lyla she had a spasm fit on the floor before going still and then rising up like a Vampire rising out of their coffin. She turned to look at Freddie and climbed back up to her feet. Heather and Lyla approached Freddie with the others and they completely surrounded him. "Lyla...Lyla..p-please...help...me..." He begged.
No response. She simply turned to look at one of the bunny men as he handed her a helmet. She accepted it and the bunny's grabbed him and pulled him up. "No! No! No Lyla No! Stop! Don't do this! Lyla! Lyla! Stop! Heather! Heather help me! Someone! Anyone! Help me! Someone! Hel-" Was all he got out as the helmet was placed on his head and fastened. A series of flashing spirals played before his eyes and he heard a buzzing in his ears played over Lewis Carrol quotes being repeated in his mind.
If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see? It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then. I’m not strange, weird, off, nor crazy, my reality is just different than yours. The time has come, to talk of other things–of shoes and ships and sealing wax, and cabbages and kings. And why the sea is boiling hot, and whether pigs have wings. Calloo, Callay, no work today, we’re the cabbages and kings.
OBEY.
Freddie's arms dropped to their sides and his friends stepped back. Freddie straightened back up and smiled behind his mask. His friends were right here with him. It was all going to be okay. Oh! Except! Except! They were late! They were late for a very important date! Oh, fur and whiskers! They were late, they were late, they were late!
Freddie hugged the friend he'd just foolishly attacked and he returned it. All was forgiven. Of course it was. Friends weren't supposed to fight after all!
The friends walked out of the house hand in hand in hand in hand in hand in hand! They returned to their vehicles and drove away into the night.
It was not wise to be late to Alice's Tea Party.
