*J* (the continuation)

Part Forty-Six: Chapter 357: The Silent Treatment

Jester's POV

It was the pain that woke me up. It coursed through my entire body, pulsating with each heartbeat. My head pounded. My torso ached with every breath. I crack my eyes open only to be blinded by bright white light. It only seemed to make the pain ten times worse. Why was it so fucking bright?

I raise my head and look around. And that's when I realize where I am and everything comes flooding back to me about yesterday. Being beaten, dumped in the harbor, arrested, admitted into Arkham, and my broken jaw being wired shut. My hand goes to my jaw and I cup it as I struggle to sit up straight. It was wired a bit too tightly. My teeth were pressing against each other so tight that it was creating more pain.

My arms wrap around my busted ribs as I try to stand. It's nearly impossible to stand without the use of your ribs, as that's what supports most of your weight and organs. But you don't realize something like that until you break them and actually realize that you're using them. I walk over to the thick glass of my cell and bang on it, hoping someone hears and comes.

As I bang I realize how damn thick the glass is. My pounding probably only sounded like a faint tap outside of this cell. So I try to bang louder, using the side of my fist. Of course it reverberates through my ribs, only causing me more pain. However, no one seems to notice. At least I didn't see anyone coming my direction.

I notice the slot in the glass that food is served through. I start to bend over to it, but what good would it do? It's not like I can call out with my damn jaw wired shut. Then I notice a push button of some sort and a small speaker next to it. A call button. But again, it's not like I can talk to whoever might answer. Still, if I can make it bug them enough maybe someone will come to my cell and then I can pantamime that I needed something for pain.

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Julia awakens on her and Jester's bed. Her hand goes to her aching nose and she can feel dry custed blood around it. It aches bad from where Jason knocked her out cold. She sits up and looks around the room noticing that Jester was gone and the house was alarmingly quiet. That couldn't have been a good sign.

With her heart pounding in her chest, Julia quickly jumps out of bed and starts going room to room looking for Jester. He wasn't anywhere in the house. So she rushes back to the bedroom and quickly gets dressed. She had to find Jester. She didn't know what Jason might have done to him.

She rushes into the bathroom and looks at her reflection. She gasps when she sees herself in the mirror. Not only was her nose busted, but she had dark streaked bruising under each eye. Jason had really hit her hard. Thankfully her nose wasn't broke. She turns on the water and quickly starts to wash away the dried blood.

When she finishes cleaning up, she grabs her keys and quickly rushes out of the house. She jumps in her car and speeds away. She had to find Jason and find out what happened to Jester. Her heart raced as she expects the absolute worst. She's looked into Jason's eyes. He definitely wasn't above killing Jester.

Luckily she knows the hotel where Jason and Harley were staying with Lucy until the penthouse window was repaired from where the bat crashed through it. So she drives her car like she stole it to the downtown Gotham Hotel. She marches right into the hotel. She doesn't even have to ask what room. Jason was the acting Joker. A man like the Joker would settle for nothing less than the penthouse.

She takes the elevator straight up to the penthouse. She pulls out her gun and loads it up on the way up. You know, just in case. She was, afterall, storming the hotel room of the most powerful criminal in the city. When the elevator stops and the doors open. There are two clowns are standing there. Julia knows they're definitely armed, but neither is holding a gun. Stupid mistake on their behalf.