hwithumalut

The Robin and Batman flew along the side of the highway. Red and black spots in the slowly bluing sky. It was evening and the sun had just begun to plant its feet on the horizon, so they were both awake. Batman ate his breakfast and so occasionally darted off on an echo cue to catch some bug. They took a food-detour from the leisurely flight every once and a while, and the Robin would often diverge to pick up garbage from the side of the road. They had not been friends for a long while, but the Robin enjoyed Batman’s constant rambling.

“You such a goofball” chirped the Robin.

“More of a goofbat actually” said Batman.

“What, I don't get it?” chirped the Robin.

“Cause I’m literally Batman. Also cause baseball.”

“I’m literally a bird though. Our brains are so tiny.”

“No one will ever understand my pain or my complex philosophical comedy. I had been working on that one for many months, most jokes take years to perfect. My humor is an artform to me that I take seriously, but many people don't have the staminia or intelligence to listen to it. Uh. It hurts so much, and I feel the pain on the inside too. I had been waiting so long to lay that one joke on you”

“Geez. I’m sorry. Is there anything I can do to help you? I think you might want to get a therapist to talk to. There is a lot of stigma around mental health, but it’s actually really important.” chirped the Robin.

“Haha. It was just a bit again. You could say that I was being a little ironic even. I would never be so tropey as to be like one of those edgy teenagers.”

“I don’t understand, could you explain?”

“Sure. I’ll ruin the joke for you. You see I would never just go out there in the world and say I’m misunderstood, wawawawawa! That would just be so cliche. I did it for a joke. “

“So what you're telling me is that you were making fun of supposed cliches. I was supposed to get it as a joke because it's against your character to do so?”

“Yeah sure, you could spin it that way. You also missed my robin joke. You missed the unspoken gap inherent to all of comedy. You have to get it or else it's not funny.”

“Could you explain that one too. ”

Batman rolled his eyes.

“Lay it on you.” He said.

‘I don’t get it. The gap inherent to all comedy was just a bit too wide for me on that one, most people would get it I assume.” chirped Robin.

“Like lay an egg”

“Oh like cause I’m a bird. I’m also like a dude, but it’s a pretty clever joke anyway. I have one for you too. There's some garbage I better pick it up. Stay on top of this electric pole wire for a moment.”

The Robin flew down to the grass near a telephone pole and picked up a tin can from the ground. He flew up holding it by the can tab with their feet. Batman hung upside down from the wire.

“Would you hold this?” He chirped.

“Ok?” said Batman.

Robin perched on the pole’s top.

“Now your litter-ally Batman.”

“Yep. I am still.”

Robin smiled. Then Batman exclaimed

“Shit. No. I just got that one…oh. Ok. That was pretty silly. Uh, you're a goofball.”

Batman caught on that it was a joke, but not what it was. He was grimacing. He sincerely did not get the “litter-ally batman”. He was unusually silent. He glared at the Robin's innocent smile, which continued in the face of Batman’s newly adopted attitude.

“I think I’m gonna pick up some trash.” croaked Batman.

“Awesome. I don’t see any right now though?”

“I’ll just go down and check.”

“I’ll stay right up here on this telephone pole. Tell me if you need anything.”

Batman swooped down to look for garbage that wasn't there, but mostly just kicked the ground. A quiet “wawawawawa” could be heard by a car passing by with the window open.