Carnations for Emily

Chapter 13: Attacked

"Do you have to go back already?" Jill whined.
Jack was going back to New York today and his family wasn't ready for him to go.
Or at least Jill wasn't.
"Of course I do, you and mom both know I'm not done with my therapy yet." Jack replied.
Jill pouted.
"But I don't want you to go..."
"Don't worry, I'll be back soon.
Just bare with me." Jack flashed her a smile and Jill instantly calmed down.
After patting her on the head Jack stepped out of the house, only after a good bye hug from Jill.

As he made his way out the door, bags in hand, his mother Hellen stopped him on a dime. She just pulled in the drive way, coming home from work.
"So you were just going to leave without telling your mama bye huh?"
Hellen said.
"N-no of course not." Jack felt bad.
In truth he was trying to leave before anyone noticed.
But he forgot that Jill wakes up early and Hellen works early too.
"So you're going back to New York already?" Hellen asked.
"Yeah, I've gotta head back and continue on with my life." Jack smiled.
"Well come on." Hellen hops back in her car and patted the passenger seat.
Jack nodded in return and slid in the seat.
As Hellen drove off to the airport, they talked a little bit.
"So you got to see Emily again." Hellen said.
"Does she remember you?"
"After a bit, yes she did.
I hadn't realized that she really forgot me.
I wonder how..." Jack pondered.
"Oh hun, on the night you left for New York for the first time a few years ago-"
"Emily chased after me and begged me not to go..."
"-yes, when you left she got into a horrible accident.
It was snowing as you know.
She ran off the road and totaled her car.
The ambulance got her to a hospital and saved her...
But the next morning she didn't remember a thing...
After a while, with help she had recovered most of her memories.
Except the ones with you in it...." Hellen finished her sentence.
"Hmm, she remembered my name though when I met her again.
She looked so beautiful..." Jack thought to himself.

"Here we are!" Hellen said as she and Jack reached the airport.
Hellen looked to Jack with a somber look in her eyes.
"Have fun in New York sweetheart.
Don't forget to come back for your birthday." Hellen said.
"I will." Jack smiled.
"Ah!
And if you need anything from us here please call and let us know.
We worry about you hun." Hellen gave Jack a good bye hug and Jack stepped out of the car.
"Don't worry mom, I will." Jack gave her another smile, waved goodbye and left.
As Jack boarded the plane, it slowly took off from the runway and into the sky.
Since there was nothing to do and his phone was forced into airplane mode Jack just slowly dozed off into dreamland to pass the time...

Within the dream Jack recalled his eyes turning red.
Trying to pull it into a lucid dream, he started to dream of Emily...
When he had met her again he almost didn't recognize her.
Her emerald green eyes didn't shine as bright.
But her auburn hair was short again like when they were kids.
Jack always found this look to be cute on her.
She still wore yellow and still had the same necklace around her neck since the day they first met.
"She hasn't changed much." Jack smiled to himself.
When he opened his eyes a handful of hours later Joker called out to him in his reflection of the planes window.
"Hah, it sure was nice to be home for a while wasn't it Jackie?" Joker teased.
"You know it actually was." Jack replied.
Joker was taken aback by Jack calmly replying to him.
"Hmm?
What's the matter with you?
You never want to talk to me.
You always push me down into the vault of your mind."
Jack just shrugged.
"Does that mean you're finally accepting me?!" Joker asked.
"Not even close." Jack answered.
Joker just smiled.
"Heh, if you only knew."
That caught Jack's attention.
"W-what do you mean?" Jack asked.
"I'll tell you when the time comes." Joker ended his sentence and disappeared from the window.
Jack gasped.
Those last two lines put Jack on edge, but he tried to ignore it and relax for the rest of the flight back to New York.

It didn't work.

When Jack got off the plane he started making his way to Cole's Cafe first before heading to his apartment.
In the time before going back to his home town, Jack actually grew close to Cole and Belle.
When he got in the door the cafe's bell rang.
"Be right with you!" Belle shouted from the back of the shop.
"Ah!
Jack you're back!" Belle wore a warm smile, happy to see Jack home.
"Hey Belle, where's Cole?" Jack asked.
"Oh he had to go get some supplies for the shop.
He should be back soon."
Belle came around from the counter and wrapped her arms around one of Jack's
"Come in and sit down will ya?" Belle chimed.
She was in a good mood now that Jack was back.
After he saved her from that thief a while back she's been thinking more and more about him.
Though she keeps it to herself.
"How was it being back home?" Belle asked.
"It was fine I guess, I made up with some of my past mistakes and even saw someone I thought I wouldn't see again.
Someone important to me..." Jack blushed a little.
"Ah that sounds nice, I hope you had fun." Belle said.
"Eh, something like that."
Jack replied.
After Belle and Jack talked for a few hours well into the night Jack decided it was time to go home.
"I guess I'm gonna get out of here." Jack said as he scratched the back of his head.
"You're going home already?" Belle asked.
"I mean it's midnight.
I'm pretty sure Cole went off to bed since he hasn't came here." Jack said.
"Hmm, I guess you're right.
I'll lock up and see you sometime soon I guess." Belle smiled.
Jack nodded and began to leave.
Before he got out the door though Belle called out of him.
"Jack!"
When he turned around he saw Belle approach him and get as close to him as she could.
In one false move she got up on her tip toes and planted her lips on Jacks cheek.
"It's good to see you back." Belle said as she turned heel and went back to the back of the cafes counter.
Jack put a hand to his cheek and could tell his face had flushed a deep red.

When Jack stepped back out into the street he started making his way home.
"Hmm, it seems to me like that girl might be into us." Joker spoke.
"You mean into me." Jack said.
"I'm a part of you Jackie weather you want to accept me or not." Joker announced.
Jack just shook his head.
There was that line Joker has always been saying since Jack took control again.
"Accept me." "I'm part of you."
They always sent chills down his spine.
But what Joker said on the flight back to New York was what made Jack more worried.
There was something Joker knew about Jack and wasn't telling him.
Which made him antsy.
Jack just shook his head and tried to ignore it again.

Suddenly on the street lit sidewalk Jack felt uneasy.
Someone was watching him.
He could feel eyes set on him.
A mugger?
No these eyes felt fierce.
Like there wasn't intention of mugging, only hurting, possibly killing.
With this sudden fear growing in him, Jack started to hurry down the side walk and made his way through alleyways.
But it didn't matter the tricks he knew to get around, he still felt the eyes on him.
"The eyes are still on me.
How are they tracking me?"
Jack said to himself as he stopped in the middle of an ally.
When he looked up he noticed the rooftops give a clear look of where he's going.
"That's how!"
Jack started running through the streets trying to get away but it wasn't enough.
Soon enough he could feel the eyes grow closer to on him.
In an instant Jack heard a voice ring in his head, it didn't sound like joker but it still yelled:
"Watch out!"
But as soon as the voice rang Jack felt something cold and metallic run across his left cheek.
This causes him to fall back and cup it.
As he did he felt the warmth of his blood run down.
It was cut.
Deep enough to scar.
"W-what?" He thought to himself.
Behind him he heard something metal hit the ground.
Reaching back he grabbed the object and found out that it was a throwing knife.
"Who the hell has throwing knives in New York City?" Jack thought.
He took in his surroundings trying to find his attacker.
Within the shadows of the ally he saw three, no, four figures.
When one of them noticed that Jack could see them, the figure spoke.
It was a female voice...

"He noticed us.
Might as well come out." The woman said.
The figures stepped out of the shadows revealing themselves.
Three men and a woman.
All in black hooded coats, wearing masks.
Jack realized who they were.
"T-the Broken Glass Gang?"
He thought the gang dispersed after Joker killed their boss, Harvey.
When he thinks back on it, Jack has come across the Broken Glass Gang a few times in his life.
The last time wasn't pleasant.
And neither was the first time...
In the time that Joker took over, Jack had little memory of what went on.
He only knows what Joker has told him.
They surrounded him, clearly preventing him from escape.
"What do you want?
I've killed your boss.
Why do you guys still exist?" Jack asked.
One of the men spoke up, this figure was about the same size as Jack and his voice was just as light as his.
"Well you see Joker, we were told to bring you in." The man spoke.
"Huh?
Harvey's dead though.
Isn't he?" Jack questioned.
The woman spoke next.
"Yes and many of our members are still furious about that.
Especially the big guy behind you."
Jack looked and standing behind him was a huge man ten times Jacks size.
The huge figure was cracked his finger.
He seemed like he wanted to put Jack in the ground.
The third man hiding behind the woman and light voiced man stepped between them coming more clearly into view.
Without saying a word the figure reared a leg back and kicked Jack hard in his stomach.
"Gah!" Jack fell to the ground.
The wind kicked right out of him.
He rolled on his back, coughing and hacking, trying to breath, as he looked up at the sky.
What came into his view frightened him.
The third man pulled back his mask and what lied beneath ripped The mysterious other voice out from Jacks conscious.
"You?!" It spoke.
"Long time no see, Joker."

And with that said the big man standing behind him brought down his foot causing Joker to black out.

"Night, night big guy."

Chapter 13: End