THE BLUEPRINT [JOKER X JOKER]

iii. THE OTHER ONE

Nosy, Joker thought.

"I don't think you're allowed to ask those questions," Joker said.

"... I get the hint."

The guard stayed silent after that. Joker was one of the more violent inmates, so he knew he shouldn't intentionally make things worse.

The pair walked to the cafeteria on the second floor. It was as dull as ever. Concrete floors, concrete walls. The tables were made from metal with the paint chipping off of it. The line started near the emergency exit— the place Joker would almost always escape through.

Jack was already sitting down in the corner table by himself. No face paint. Just greasy, half-dyed hair, and scars sitting across his lips. The line wasn't that long. Joker would be sitting with him in no time.

Nobody even tried sitting next to Jack.

Everyone knew that was his and Joker's table.

Joker got his tray and tried not to make eye contact with the server. The server always wanted to talk to every goddamn fucking inmate, and it bothered him. He rushed out of the line and practically ran to Jack's table.

He sat down across from him. The long lightbulb was right above them, and a window that showed the yard was to Joker's left. The table was long, but it was always just the two of them who occupied it.

Joker wanted to keep it that way.

He needed to keep it that way.

Joker sat in silence for a short moment.

Jack broke the tension.

"Did you see that fucking kid," he whispered with a nasily voice. "Looks worse than both of us combined," he rudely joked.

"I don't like him," Joker softly answered.

"Why? You both have the same skin issue. That's rude to not like him because of his appearance," he laughed.

"No- It's not that. He kept calling me Arthur."

"Bite his finger off!"

"I'm only doing that if he comes up to us."

"I can hold him down if you'd like," Jack creepily smiled.

"He's not here yet. Why isn't he here yet," Joker asked Jack.

"I dunno. He's probably in the medical ward right now. Looks like those scars were pretty fresh. He might've accidentally opened one. Or a few."

"That shit's painful."

"Aww, are you feeling bad? Joker feeling bad for someone other than himself?"

"Well- No! But I mean, if the nurses don't dress the wound right, it'll stick to the gauze, and rip open when you change it! That hurts more than getting your ass beat by a bunch of guys!"

"More than The Bat," he cackled.

"Yes. More than him."