Unsuspecting Hero (Batjokes)

Chapter 38

It became a routine. Jack would slip out of Bruce's arms during the night and sneak down to the cave. Sometimes to talk to Axel, sometimes to Jest. Sometimes Dick would come with him, or sometimes he brought a board game for them to play.

This was one of those times. Jack sat in front of Axel's cell, connect 4 clearly visible in front of the glass. "row four" Axel says, and Jack would place the colour in. It had been a week of this, and as far as Jack was aware, Bruce didn't know. 

"You keep coming back. You even sleeping?"

"No" Jack spoke as he took his own turn. Considering the mess that was this round, it looked like neither of them would win this round. "I can tell. I won like three turns ago. See?"

Jack cocked a brow, looking at the row of red. "Oh"

Axel chuckled. "Your hardly functioning. You need sleep, man"

"What, like you care?" Jack hadn't meant to snap at him, but he quickly straightened himself out. "Sorry"

"...you keep coming down here. I appreciate it, gives me some entertainment. But why? You confessed what you wanted to. Why keep it up?"

"It's my fault your locked in here. That any of this happened. It just...it keeps me up at night. I couldn't sleep even if I wanted to. A-And it's nice, doing this." Jack spoke as he emptied out the board, resetting the game and placing his own counter in first. "It's nicer to know that I know about one of the messes I've caused. I know that your okay. I-It's just...it's nice"

"Yeah, sure. I can get that"

A call down from the cell, and Jack turned his head. "Joker! You there!?" Jest's voice called out from another cell. "I'll be back"

Jack stood, making his way to the man calling for him. "Hey, Jest. You doing okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. Good. You think you can get me some food, man? I'm starving!"

"Uh..." Jack pondered that for a moment. "Sure. What you fancy?"

"Remember that chilli you made for us, after that successful bank heist that one time?" Jest reminisced, and it made Jack smile at the memory. "Yeah, I do. My specialty"

"That?"

"I'm sure we've got the ingredients for it.  Might take me a while though"

"I don't care, man. Just as long as I get some grub"

"I'll be back once it's done" Jack smiled, walking off to ask Axel if he wanted some too. "Want some chilli?"

"Anything better than the toast Batman's been feeding us"

Jack made his way up to the kitchen, scavenging for the ingredients he would need. It was quiet in the kitchen, peaceful besides the slight sizzling of the mince cooking on the stove top. He cut up the vegetables, ignoring the shake of his hands as he dumped it all into the pan. He was in the middle of chopping up a carrot, when Alfred entered the kitchen. "Master Jack?"

Jack started a little, wincing as he caught his finger along the blade. "S-Shit"

Alfred rushed over once he saw the blood, quickly beginning to aid the wound. "What are you cooking?"

"C-Chilli" Jack mumbled, as his finger was bandaged. "Jest asked for it, and-"

Both of them froze. Jack, realizing he let too much slip, and Alfred, who was giving him a confused look. "Master Jack?"

Jack sighed. No point lying now. "I've been seeing them. M-Making things right. Please, don't tell Bruce! He'll just get all concerned and ban me from doing it"