Chapter 4: Bedroom Drama

The sounds of running water, the rumbling of the dryer, and the melody of soft humming emanating from the bathroom—that was the orchestra playing around Joker as he waited.

Sat on the edge of the bed in the bedroom. He sat leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees. He held the playing cards that had miraculously reappeared in his pocket. Now along with the ID card that he had previously left behind.

Inspecting the items didn’t lead him to any answers. Only more questions or at best a hypothesis. One of which he surmised from looking at the ID card. Which was obviously too strange to be a government ID. After all, who names a child Joker and gives them no last name. This led him to two options, the card either originated from an agency or a corporation. This “Hades Company” was the name of said organization while the name Joker was probably his alias.

The sound of running water was cut off and the humming grew louder as it drew near. Until Jess emerged into the bedroom, covered provocatively in a towel around her damp, curvaceous form.

“My, my, I seem to have bored you while I was gone,” Jess said with a teasing lilt to her tone as she approached Joker.

With a grin on her lips, she plucked the cards from Joker’s hands and set them aside on the bedside table. Then reached out, guiding his hands to her hips.

Joker narrowed his eyes at her as he pulled away, removing his hands from her body. It was a mix of unease from the intimate contact along with growing suspicion. Which was based on her behavior, the fact she was withholding information, along with her combat prowess. The question of whether Jess was friend or foe was becoming something that needed to be answered. Sooner rather than later.

“What? Are you seriously trying to tell me that this does nothing for you? A bombshell of a woman like me, wrapped up so nicely in a towel, just for you. Most guys would jump at the opportunity to get all handsy in a situation like this.” Jess teased playfully as she leaned forward to give him a better view of her ample cleavage.

“Answer my questions,” Joker demanded as he hardened his stoic expression.

“Well, aren’t you being all grumpy.” She whined as she pulled away, placing her hands on her hips.

“Where am I?”

Jess’s eyes widened for a moment at the realization that this was no longer a conversation, but an interrogation. Clear by her expression she was both stunned and a little hurt by that fact.

“America. Seattle, Washington to be exact.”

“How, why?”

“You swam here,” Jess answered sarcastically. Seeing as her sarcasm had no effect on him she rolled her eyes. “I don’t know how but you came here for work.”

“Hades Company.”

“Yeah, that’s right. They were the ones that called you over here.”

Joker didn’t need to ask much about his line of work. As confusing as the information was he already had his answers. The Raijin had called him a spirit hunter. Since Jess was able to fight something like a Raijin and win with otherworldly abilities that would make her a spirit too. The only way he could come to terms with her behavior and his title as spirit hunter. Was by hypothesizing that his means of hunting spirits was to utilize spirits of his own.

“So are you going to keep interrogating me like a big meanie or are you done? Because this is seriously starting to piss me off, Joker.”

“I’m not being rude, you’re simply being unreasonable.” Joker countered as he held her gaze. “I have a gap in my memory and you’ve been keeping information from me.”

“Hey, that’s not fair. We were interrupted before we could properly talk.”

“Don’t give me that. You probably would have still withheld information from me. I’m a spirit hunter, something you failed to mention to me.” Joker accused her, causing Jess to flinch slightly from it.

“H-how did you expect me to explain that to you?”

“Not only that but you’re a spirit. The same kind of monster as that Raijin. So I wouldn’t be wrong to say that it would be in your best interest to get one up on me.”

“Joker, don’t.”

“I don’t know who you are. But I know what you are. Since you’re of use to me-”

Before he could even finish that sentence Jess had slapped him. His head snapped to the side from the force of the impact.

When Joker turned his head to look back at Jess. Her face was crumbled in hurt and anger. Tears welled up in her eyes that she could just barely keep from falling. Her hand was still up in the air from smacking him like she was frozen in place.

For a moment silence fell between them. Until it was broken by the tune of the dryer finishing its cycle.

“I’m going to get dressed.” She muttered before walking out of the room.

Joker let out a sigh as he put his face in his hands as he sat there alone in the bedroom. His only company, was the crow that watched on from the window.

Luckily, this was not the only story taking place. There was yet another taking place in the streets of Paris, France. Where a young man, tall and skinny with hair of gold. Walked the alleys along with a woman of similar appearance. Her blonde hair, was twisted into curls at the end.

“You mean to tell me that someone here has a tip as to where Joker might be. Alice, just who is your informant anyway?” The young man asked as he walked beside her. Using the flashlight on his phone to brighten the path.

“Spirits like to talk, silly. If they come from the same home they like to share information. Some of them even like to make friends with other spirits. It’s like they have their own form of society that they uphold. You already know that the spirits are split between two factions. Those that help and those that conquer. Ace, do you think there’s a third faction that just wants something fun to happen?” Alice asked before she abruptly came to a stop.

Looking around Ace found nothing that could have caused them to stop. However, Alice’s eyes were locked on a rundown abandoned bookstore. The door was left open and hanging on by a single hinge.

Alice entered the store with Ace following behind her. But Ace quickly split off following tracks of mud. While Alice stayed her course toward the main counter. No register, just a single globe that looked as if it had been untouched. Unlike the books scattered across the floor or the broken shelves.

Her ears perked up at the sound of a soft meow. A black cat with white paws and white fur on top of his nose. Jumped up onto the counter and sat down beside the globe. Its eye locked onto Alice’s as its tail curled around the feline’s body.

“Well, aren’t you a cutie?” Alice asked while she scratched underneath the cat’s chin with her nails. “You wouldn’t happen to know where my friends are, would you?” She asked again with a little smile.

With a meow, the cat motioned to the globe with its head. Once Alice has looked over in that direction. The cat created a circle around a location with the tip of its tail. Causing Alice’s eyes to widen in shock and disbelief.

“Ace, I’ve got a location. He’s still in America.” She called out.

“How can you be sure?” He asked as he walked over to her. Abandoning whatever had caught his interest earlier.

“Trust me on this.”

Ace sighed and began to dial a number on his phone. While he waited for the person on the other end to pick up. They began to walk out of the bookstore and back onto the streets.

“Boss.” He said once the call was answered. “This is Ace of the Spades District. I have a tip as to where we might be able to find Joker.”