Chapter 6: Reconciliation

It hadn’t been long since Joker and Jess had left the apartment complex behind to start their journey. However, it was unclear what the primary goal of their journey was. Whether it be to find answers to Joker’s questions or to find a safe place to call in for the night.

However, one thing was made abundantly clear, Jess was still in a foul mood. She followed a step or two behind Joker instead of being as close to him as possible. Remaining silent the entire time they walked through the streets of a ruined Seattle. Her arms crossed over her chest with a pout and her cheeks puffed.

As for Joker, he was completely unbothered by the fact that he was given a moment of silence. In a sense, her behavior was working in his favor. Yet the idea of a powerful spirit being angry with him was a little unsettling.

Joker took a deep breath, letting out a heavy exhale before tossing a glance behind him towards Jess. She responded by turning her head away from him and pouting even harder.

“How long do you intend to keep this up? I am under the assumption that you possess the intelligence to understand that we need to work together.” Joker broke the silence between them coldly. Turning his attention in front of him.

Jess’s jaw dropped in response as she came to a halt. Frozen there for a moment. Until she realized that Joker would leave her if she didn’t catch up soon.

“Is that all you see me as? Just a tool for you to use? A chunk of meat to do your bidding and be your shield from other spirits?”

“Did you genuinely believe that I’d see you as anything else? You’re a spirit that has invaded my world. I can tell that we’re obviously contracted together but I have no memories of us working together. So I have no opinion of you.” Joker explained in a very matter-of-fact tone before his attention was directed elsewhere.

Spotting an abandoned convenience store Joker stepped over the trampled sliding doors on the ground. Taking a glance around for anything that was left behind that might be of use to him.

“You’re infuriating. Does every thought in that brain of yours need to be so damn logical?” Jess asked as she stomped her foot by the entrance.

Joker squatted down beside some canned food that was left behind. He looked over at Jess and only held her gaze for a few moments before turning back to the cans. As if his gaze was enough to portray the words that he would have spoken.

Jess’s face fell and her shoulders slumped as her hands fell to her sides. A look of utter defeat filled her expression as she watched his movements. As if she was looking at a shadow of a man that she once knew. But whilst clenching her fists she knew that wasn’t the case. Somewhere in her mind, she expected this because that was who Joker was at his very core. Cold and defensive until you got closer to him and she wanted nothing more than to be close to him again.

“Fine… You don’t remember so let me remind you then. I wasn’t always your contracted spirit. I had a different contractor before you, another member of Hades Company. I was disobedient, heartless, and rarely followed an order to fight unless I wanted to. But-”

“If you think this will get me to remember then-”

“Just shut up and listen!” She screamed at him with tears in her eyes. “I’m doing this for myself too, not just for you to remember… On a joint mission, I saw how you treated your other spirits. Like you cared, like they were your partners not just tools. So I followed you for days until I made the decision to kill my old contractor and beg you to take me.”

Joker’s jaw clenched at that information. The weight of this information settled heavily on his shoulders. His finger tapped against the canned food he held in his hand as the silence settled between them. After a moment he let out a sigh and tossed the can over to her.

She quickly caught it in her hands and glanced down at it. Some canned meat that still looked good. Then slowly lifted her gaze to look at Joker as he stood up.

“We’re going to eat what we can here and then carry whatever else we can. I can’t have you starving on me.”

Joker turned away from her as her face lit up with relief and joy. Knowing that this tiny act of care was monumental without his memories. Unable to contain herself anymore she ran to him and hugged him from behind. Pressing herself up against his back as much as physically possible.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you.” She repeated as she nuzzled her face into his shirt.

She inhaled his scent deeply, causing her eyes to roll back and a shiver to wrack through her body. Her arms squeezed him a little tighter in the process.

Joker’s eyes widened as he felt like he was about to be crushed. His ribs slightly cracking from the strength of her grip.

“Too much, too much, Jess let go you’re hurting me.” Joker groaned in pain as he furiously tapped her arm.

Jess froze and the color drained from her face when she heard that she was hurting him. She released him and jumped back to the entrance of the convenience store. Placing a good distance between their bodies. Jess held her hands in front of her while she stared down at the floor. Wringing her fingers together and biting her lip hard enough to draw blood.

“Jess, it’s fine. I know you wouldn’t do anything to purposefully hurt me.” Joker said as he turned around to face her. Lightly rubbing his hand over his ribs.

“H-how do you know that?” She asked without looking up from the ground.

“Just by looking at you. If this is how you get when you just squeeze me too tightly then I know I don’t need to worry about you actually hurting me. Memories or none, I can tell at least that much.” Joker then turned around to continue looking for food. “Now come help me already. I need you.”

Jess’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped when she heard those three words leave his mouth. Said so casually but somehow just as sincerely. Which made her face turn a fierce red as her hands flew up to cover her cheeks.

“Y-y-yes, I’m coming.” She stuttered before moving to follow behind him.