One Big Joke: The Joker Origins

Chapter 4 - Diamonds Are Forever

The rickety doors of Hogan’s Alley burst opened and the cold evening air entered the warm, stuffy bar. The idle chatter ebbed away as a figure, wearing a black hoodie, shuffled into the bar carefully scanning the surroundings. Several circular wooden tables stood within the area, the middle table encircled with young tattooed men playing what seemed to be an intense game of poker. They all glanced at looked at the figure with menacing eyes. The usual customers groaned at the sudden drop of temperature, turning towards the entrance, shooting dirty looks at the person responsible for interrupting their evening.

“Ey, close the bleeding door! You’re letting the heat out!” one guy shouted from the back of the room.

The figure removed the hood and revealed her golden blonde, pigtail-tied hair. Her ruby red lipstick glistened against the warm yellow lights of the tavern. The hoodie that clocked over her was tattered, and had a tiny, distinctive red diamond painted on the left breast area. Over her shoulder, hung a muddy black backpack also covered with red painted diamonds. The young men began their ceremonial whooping and barking, blown away at the beauty that had entered Hogan’s Alley.

The woman didn’t pay them any attention, for she already knew that they’ll bark at any young girl that steps inside the Alley. The young woman pressed forward and one skinny guy from the table shouted out in Spanish and the table erupted with laughter and whoops. Ignoring them, she raised her head towards the back, around where the bartender’s table stood. She squinted, narrowing her cornflower blue eyes, trying to identify the strange being sat at the table.

The being raised his drinking glass, shouted something at the bartender and slammed the table. His drunken voice reached and danced around her ears, triggering a very familiar butterfly sensation around her lower stomach. Unable to fight the warm feeling of affection, she ran her fingers through her golden hair and smiled. Simultaneously, the figure in the corner of the room began to wobble around and fought to keep his balance on the stool. A look of concern replaced the smile on her round, clear face. Not wanting to be grabbed by the carnivorous men around the table, she maneuvered herself and hurried towards the back of the bar.

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 “Hey! Give me another!”

Jackie slammed the empty glass cup on the graffiti scratched bar table. His eyes rolled around his head as he propped himself back on the bar stool. He took a moment to thank the individual who discovered alcohol and pushed his empty glass away from him. This was his alone time. He needed to think of a way to find a way out of this mess, whilst trying to forget about what had already transpired. Alcohol seemed to do the trick; numbing the pain and giving him room to open his mind. An idea would have sprouted out by now, if it wasn’t for the migraine that pounded against his temples; the fiery sensation lingering at the back of his head.

Jackie spun around to get a better look at Hogan’s Alley. He nodded at the familiar surroundings of the knife scarred walls; dry, blood-stained wooden floors and the dusty and sticky jukebox in the left hand corner of the room, which played records from the 60’s and 70’s. Shifting his focus on the table in front of him, he observed the gang of tattooed Spanish men playing cards. About five of them were heavily focused on the game, whilst the rest were gawping at some blonde woman walking across the room. The table roared with cheers, again, as one heavily tattooed muscular man stood up shouting triumphantly, and incoherently, and seized his winnings.

“What an amateur,” scoffed Jackie. “He could have won the game two rounds ago.”

A fairly huge and hairy hand gently placed a new glass next to the empty one, full of a bronze coloured liquid that swirled around in the cup; freshly poured, in front of Jackie. Jackie swung back facing the bartender and nodded his head.