Chapter 2: A Tale Of Thunder – Part 1

A boisterous laugh echoed through the sky. Cutting through the rain and the rumbling of the clouds above.

Jess tore herself away from Joker in agitation and stomped over towards the window. Placing her hands on her hips, tapping her foot impatiently over the shattered glass.

“Can’t you read the room? I’m having a moment here with my beloved!” She shouted up towards the clouds.

Though, while Jess was preoccupied with the laughter of the clouds, Joker was on the move. He had rushed over to the bedroom he had woken up in moments ago. Rummaging through drawers looking for any sort of item of use. Unluckily for him, there was nothing there to find. He settled on only taking a shirt from the closet and pulling it over his head. The fabric stretched taut over his broad shoulders.

“Jess, we need to leave,” Joker called out to her as he rushed for the front door.

Without missing a beat she was by his side running through the hallway. Because even in his current state, Joker knew this weather was beyond ordinary. He didn’t need his memories to put those pieces together.

Jess reached the elevator at the end of the hall and pressed the button with a downward arrow. Calmly and patiently waiting for the elevator to reach their floor.

“Forget the elevator, we’re using the stairs.” He barked while grabbing her by the arm and dragging her into the stairwell.

“Ugghhh, my thighs are thick enough. I don’t need the leg exercises.” She wined but fell in step beside him.

“Quit whining and start explaining, you obviously have a better idea of what is going on right now. So explain it to me.”

“Even without memories, you’re still as level-headed and stoic. But it would be rude of me to keep you in suspense for so long. The rude bastard that can’t read a room is a Raijin.”

“A Raijin, a Japanese spirit?” Joker questioned as they reached the floor level. “Does that mean we’re in Japan?”

Before he could acquire any answers to his questions. The glass doors at the front of the building swung open with the wind. Sending shards of glass gliding across the tiles. Then came a flash of light and a loud crash, causing the two of them to cup their ears in agony. An intense ringing sensation overpowered them while their vision struggled to return to them. The bright light causes them to have large blind-spots in their vision. Leaving both of them feeling dizzy and sluggish.

Over the sound of ringing a faint and muffled laugh could be heard. Joker raised his head unsteadily, trying to look through the blind-spots in his vision to make out the figure walking towards them.

Jess was much quicker on the recovery than Joker. Her recovery capabilities seem far more inhuman in comparison. It was enough for her to place herself between the approaching figure and Joker. Conjuring two large knives out of thin air and brandishing them toward the Raijin.

The spirit was twice the size of Joker and muscular. With dark blue-ish skin like a stormy sky. He held a fierce expression on his face with sharp fangs and wild eyes. Long and spikey white hair that whipped behind him with the wind. Two horns protruded from his forehead and curved around the top of his head like a crown. Around him floated a constantly rotating ring of drums with symbols on them. His clothing was minimal, only a dark and torn loincloth to cover himself.

“To think I would be lucky enough to find the spirit hunter in a place like this. I’ll have to thank the winds for bringing me here.” The Raijin spoke unnecessarily.

Jess was visibly displeased by the idea of a conversation in this given moment. But given her circumstances, what choice was she really given?

“I should be thanking you too. If it wasn’t for you he wouldn’t have held me so protectively a while ago.” Jess responded with a grimace toward the Raijin.

“Oh-ho-ho, is that man your lover by chance?” He asked with an amused lilt to his tone.

“No.” Joker chimed in weakly as he attempted to lower his hands from his head. But the ringing in his ears was relentless.

“How is that what you hear?”

The Raijin couldn’t help but burst out into another fit of laughter. Finding the relationship between the two of them to be amusing.

Though while the spirit laughed Jess gestured for Joker to reach into his pocket. However, with the blind spots still swimming in his vision, it did require some exaggerated movements.

Once his hand was in his pocket his eyes widened in surprise for a moment. He pulled out the three playing cards he had left behind in disbelief. Clearly wondering how they had ended up in his pocket and more so how Jess knew that they would be there.

“You two are fantastic! No wonder that shape-shifting spirit told me to”

The Raijin fell silent when Jess pointed her hand in his direction. The knife that was in her hands just moments ago was gone. Ever so slowly with a look of disbelief on his face, the Raijin lifted his hand to his cheek. A cut had appeared there, blood trickling down his skin.

Jess’s movements had been so fast and precise that not even the Raijin saw that she had thrown her knife at him. A clear and silent warning that was about to have a voice.

“Don’t you dare, mention, that monster,” Jess growled as she slowly turned her head to face the Raijin.

A dark smoke began to curl around her feet, emanating from the very bottom of her shoes. There was a dangerous look in her eyes with an obvious and deep murderous intent behind them.

“Hold on just a moment, I think we’re at a bit of a misunderstanding.”

Though Jess was no longer in a frame of mind to hear out his pleas. The thick black smoke that crawled over the ground finally reached its target. Her preparations were all complete.