Kaitou Joker
The Red Behind The Blue
It was a peaceful night for Japan, all was well, people were sleeping soundly, the moon shone nicely as usual, but, "Joker! You're under arrest!", broke the usual silence.
"I'm taking the shining star, Inspector Oniyama!" Joker said and waved the jewel in front of the Inspector mischievously.
"You come back here!" Oniyama yelled at Joker, who already drove off in his Road Joker.
"Inspector, get in the car!" Ginko insisted, when Momo and Oniyama strapped on- wait, they didn't- oh god. "Devil chaser!"
The car moved at unbelievable speed, which made Oniyama feel sick, Momo enjoying the ride but leaving Ginko unfazed.
"Joker! You're under arrest!" Ginko shouted through the microphone.
"Nuh-uh!" Joker shot a playful glare, and the Road Joker rose into the air.
"What the-" Momo said.
Then the image gum on the Sky Joker blew off, and Joker drove his car in. "See you, Inspector!"
"Joker! I will arrest you!" Oniyama yelled in vain.
"Another successful mission, I take it, Mr Joker?" Hachi asked, wiping his hands with a clean piece of white cloth, wearing that apron again.
"Oh yeah, it was great!" Joker laid on the couch lazily. "Wish Spade was here to see it."
"Heh, do you want to rub it in his face, Mr Joker?" Hachi asked.
"Of course I do," Joker smirked. "What day is today?"
"I think it's twenty-fourth of May, why is that, Mr Joker?" Hachi asked.
Joker's face sank immediately, "Nothing," he said in a low voice.
Hachi, noticing the change, "I-is something wrong, Mr Joker?"
"I said nothing's wrong," Joker said lowly.
"O-okay, if you're sure…" Hachi said unsurely.
Slam! The door of Joker's slammed shut, startling the sleeping Hosshi, aka pseudo-cat.
"Hosshi-hosshi-hosshi-hosshi!" Hosshi yelled, running around.
"Hosshi! Calm down!" Hachi said, taking out a bag of sweets. "Hosshi! Konpeito!"
"Hosshi!" Hosshi dived into the bag that Hachi was holding.
"I wonder why Mr Joker's acting like this," Hachi said to himself, backing up to let Hosshi eat the konpeito, but bumped into someone.
"Oh, hi Hachi," Spade said, giving younger ninja a jump. "I didn't mean to startle you."
"W-w-what are you doing here Mr Spade?" Hachi asked, recovering his head.
"Has Joker been acting… weird?" Spade asked.
"He has been acting somewhat down just now, when I told him what day it was," Hachi shrugged. "I don't know exactly."
"You're lucky you're still alive," Spade sighed.
"Uh, why is that Mr Spade?" Hachi asked questionably. "Is there… something I should know?"
"You should," Spade sat down, his fingers crossed, letting his chin rest on it, he sighed hardly before he started. "Every year, at this date, his personality… changes a little…"
"Changes? Change into what?" Hachi asked. "Why this day?"
"I don't know the details- Joker- Jack was not the type who likes to talk about his past- or childhood," Spade continued. "All I know that he doesn't trust anyone this day."
"Is there anything we can do?" Hachi asked worriedly.
"I'm afraid not," Spade shook his head. "We can only wait three days, try not to go near him."
"Why… is that?" Hachi asked.
"When he doesn't trust anyone, he hurts people," Spade said. "You really should stay away from him."
"Uh, I'll try, Mr Spade," Hachi said, and looked around. "Where's Dark Eye?"
"I told Ai not to come, it's dangerous," Spade said, and turned on his heels to leave. "Stay careful, need anything or help call me, Queen or Master, don't call Shadow."
"Uh, o-okay, Mr Spade," Hachi said, lifting his head to look for the blue haired phantom thief, but he left. "Why not Shadow…?"
Afraid.
He was afraid.
"Jack, we'll come back after three days, I promise."
Liar! He didn't fulfill his promise- he didn't come back at all!
The memory played in his mind without any signs of stopping.
'Why does this have to happen to me?!' He slammed the wall with his fist, he didn't care if his hand hurt.
There was a knock at the door, "Mr Joker? Are you okay?", it was Hachi.
"I'm fine!" Joker snapped.
"You don't sound fi-"
"I said I'm fine!" Joker snapped, he knew he shouldn't treat his assisstant like that, deeply.
"I-if you say so…" Hachi's voice became distant, why does everything seem so distant?
He sat in the corner of the dark room, his hands won't let go of his head, like it was hurting like hell.
"You aren't mama and papa!"
Clover.
He despised that name- for destroying his childhood, even when he's gone, Joker still wanted to give Clover a lesson he'll never forget.
Ever.
"Roko, we'll be paying Joker a visit," Queen said, loading her sword.
"Huh? Why is that, Queen?" Roko asked in confusion.
"Did you forget what day is today?" Queen asked, with a hint of sorrow in her voice.
"Oh," Roko's ears drooped lower, but Queen patted his head to make him feel a little more positive.
Queen, trying to sound positive, backfired, really badly. "I'm worried about Hosshi and Hachi, what is Joker kil-"
She slapped her hands over her mouth to prevent herself from saying the cursed word.
"Have faith in Jack, he's a phanton thief, he won't kill anybody," Roko tried to sound positive himself. Meh, never works.
"I'm still paranoid," Queen said, getting on Silver Heart's plane. "Come on."
"I don't know Hosshi, maybe Mr Joker is just having a bad day," Hachi said as he petted the space-cat, Hosshi purred back in response.
"Hosshi…" It's ears and tail drooped, knowing it's owner's pain.
"I just hope Mr Joker really is fine," Hachi said, putting Hosshi in his lap.
"Hachi," Roko jumped out of nowhere, startling Hachi and Hosshi.
Hachi tried to calm himself down,"Mr R-Roko! W-where did you come from?"
Roko pointed next to him, "With Queen."
"Why are you here Mrs Queen?" Hachi asked.
"Is Joker okay?" Queen asked. "Has he been acting strange or more grumpy?"
"Eh? Mr Spade came and asked the same, Mrs Queen, what happened?" Hachi asked.
"Me and Spade don't know the details on his annual… panic attack," Queen said, not making eye contact. "What we do know, that he's too dangerous these times."
"And Mr Spade told me not to contact Shadow, why is that?" Hachi asked.
"All we know so far, Clover caused this," Queen said with a serious voice. "Shadow worked for Clover, so we think that's why."
"Oh, I see…" Hachi said. "I'll keep it in mind."
"Take care, Hachi," Queen said, walking away. "Take care."
"So Mr Joker has an annual panic attack, eh…?" Hachi thought, watering his crops.
A black flash swiped through Hachi's feet, causing him to jump on some radishes, noticing the black piece of paper, he picked it up and read it.
"Oh no…" Hachi's eye widen as he read the name on it. Shadow.
"Should I tell Mr Joker? I mean- he can't compete in his condition…" Hachi thought, and pulled out a phone. "I'll just tell Mr Shadow that Joker is in no condition to compete!"
"Hold it!" A voice shot through the air, a red flash swiped Hachi's phone away.
"Hey- Mr Joker what are you doing?!" Hachi yelled, hands waving up and down to show his worry.
"I, can't, lose, to, Shadow," Joker spat these words out like poison, one by one.
"But you can't compete in your condition!" Hachi protested.
"Yes, I can," Joker's voice turned dark for a minute, sending a shiver down Hachi's spine.
Be there at midnight. Joker replied to Shadow with Hachi's phone. Don't be late.
"You'll think Hachi will be okay?" Roko asked.
"I… can't tell…" Queen sighed, piloting th eplane was her main goal at the moment, she couldn't be distracted.
"I just hope he'll be okay," Roko sighed, letting his long ears flow through the wind.
"Master Spade, how is Joker at the moment?" Dark Eye asked.
"Frankly, I really don't know," Spade sighed, resting on the sofa. "We can only hope for the "best."
"So big brother, you sent another challenge to Jack, huh?" Rose asked.
"Of course I did, after all that training, I'll beat him this time!" Shadow said confidently. "I will paint my shadow over his light!"
"I remember how that went last time," Rose chuckled, thinking of the picture where Joker sent a toy to compete with him because of that wretched cold. "Pfft-!"
"Mr Joker, are you sure, sure, sure, really sure you want to do this?" Hachi asked worriedly. Wait, he was beyond worried.
"I'm sure, Hachi, for the thirty-ninth time!" Joker snapped. "You're annoying, you know that?"
Hachi took a deep breath, 'This isn't Mr Joker being himself', he told himself.
"Heh, I kinda am," Hachi scratched the back of his head.
"What time is it?" Joker asked emotionlessly, well, at this point, emotionless was better.
Hachi looked at his watch, "About midnight."
As on time, a black bike with two riders charged out of the bushes.
"We're here!" Rose said cheerfully.
"Mrs Rose, long time no see!" Hachi tried to sound cheerful, but the arua Joker's emitting is making it almost impossible.
"Shadow," Joker said coldly. "Let's decide this."
"I will paint my shadow over your light!" Shadow, not noticing the change in his tone, pointed his purple umbrella at him.
He expected a taunt coming from Joker, but he just scoffed.
"Is everything okay here?" Shadow asked. "Joker seems to be acting differently, a lot."
"Uh…" Hachi hesitated. "Truth is-"
"I'm fine, race you to the Jester's Mask," Joker said coldly, and disappeared in a flash.
"Why that Joker-" Shadow said, pulling Rose on the bike taking off, leaving Hosshi and Hachi there.
On their ride, Shadow swore he saw Joker smirking coldly like a cold blooded murderer, holding a trigger of some kind, it was a flash, but Shadow didn't take any longer to think, because the path in front of him blew up!
"Ah!" Rose yelled, holding Shadow even tighter. "Joker, why are you doing this?!"
Joker still didn't answer, he just kept on running towards the building, and disappeared.
A voice of glass shattering and 'That's no way for a phantom thief to sneak in, indeed!' was heard.
"I take it he already got it," Rose said awkwardly.
"Joker, what did you do?!" Oniyama's voice was faint, but recognisable for them.
"Joker!" They yelled, and took off to find out.
"The Jester's Mask, huh?" Joker said to himself after breaking the glass, and Kaneari yapping about 'That's no way for a phantom thief to sneak in, indeed!', he saw the case containing the Jester's Mask.
The design yelled 'Clover' all on it, and Joker's nightmare came to life once again.
He screamed Clover mentally, pulled a card out…
And destroyed it.
This was when Oniyama arrived, which he witnessed that Joker destroyed the treasure.
"Joker, what are you doing?!" Oniyama yelled.
"Joker!" He heard familiar voices behind him.
Queen, Spade…
"How did you know?" Joker asked.
"I-it was on the news…" Queen said softly. "There were cameras everywhere…"
"Joker, you're not a phantom thief anymore…" Spade said. "You're a criminal."
"Well, I don't care," Joker snapped. "This was supposed to be the worst day of my life, and Shadow just had to challenge me."
"Wait, Shadow did?" Queen asked. "That explains it."
"What did I do?!" Shadow yelled.