Legacy's Wake

Joker and Elliott found themselves deep in the maze-like alleys of Casinova, the shadows stretching out and twisting around them like the city itself was trying to hold them in place. The few pedestrians wandering these alleys gave them strange, side-eyed glances, as if they were extras in a low-budget noir film.

"Who thought this was a good spot to go exploring?!" Elliott shouted, panting as he kept pace with Joker, who strolled casually ahead as if they were on a leisurely walk rather than being chased.

Joker flicked open a fan of cards, twirling them in the air with an exaggerated flourish. "Well, you see, I was missing an ace from my deck. Decided it was time to complete the set."

Elliott's jaw dropped, his frustration reaching epic proportions. "You swiped the card from that poor guy! He was trying to sell it for a decent price! You know, the man was probably saving up for groceries or—"

"Oh, please," Joker cut in with a dramatic eye-roll. "We're pirates, Elliott. Not exactly the neighborhood watch committee, are we?"

Elliott's face turned a shade redder as he pointed an accusatory finger behind them, his voice rising to a pitch that nearly cracked the concrete beneath their feet. "Even so! You didn't have to drag us into trouble in the first hour we landed on this cursed island! And now we're being chased by those officers, who I might add, look way more fit for the job than you are!"

A shout rang out behind them, and Joker casually glanced over his shoulder, still flipping the cards like he was rehearsing for a magic show. "Ah, I see they've brought backup. How sweet."

"Sweet?" Elliott growled, eyes locked on the approaching officers, who were closing in like an angry swarm of hornets. "Joker, this isn't a party trick! This is a life or death situation! And not the kind that involves taking a bow after a performance!"

Joker's smile widened, his expression unfazed. "Relax, Elliott. I think we're about to hit the jackpot. Just remember, the card game's not over until someone shouts, 'Go fish!'"

Elliott's groan echoed down the alley, and he silently cursed the day he'd teamed up with a jester who'd rather collect aces than run from trouble.

"Now, listen here, friend," Joker said dramatically, skidding to a stop mid-stride and launching into a moonwalk, his hat somehow staying perched firmly on his head as he did so. The sight of him gliding backward while running made a couple of bystanders raise their brows and question their life choices.

"I came here to have fun and entertain myself while looking for Aurelio. And trust me, that's a bigger problem than these officers chasing us with a vendetta against playing cards." He pointed a finger at the sky as if he'd just revealed the meaning of life itself, weaving through the crowd with the grace of a confused penguin.

Elliott's eye twitched, his patience fraying like a rope in a storm. "What?!"

"Furthermore," Joker raised his second finger, "we haven't even scraped the surface of who this 'Luckmaster' guy is, so we're basically clueless puppies in the rain right now." He spun around, his feet pivoting on the slick pavement as if he were rehearsing for a Vegas show. "Also," he wiggled his third finger, "I didn't think anyone would get so bent out of shape over a single card. My bad." He shot a finger-gun at a nearby lamppost and kept on gliding, the world whizzing past him in a blur.

"You're a damn robot! You should have a better AI brain than that!" Elliott's voice cracked like a whip as he bellowed at his companion.

Joker paused for a dramatic moment, wagging his metallic finger at Elliott as if scolding a child. "Ah, ah, no, no, no, bestie. I'm half-robot, half-human. The human part of my brain is just like yours, but I've got a robot body, so technically, I'm the best of both worlds. I can just scan and research with my netwear. See? Totally normal human stuff."

Elliott stopped mid-stride and stared at Joker as if he'd just declared he was a unicorn with a PhD in quantum physics. "You told me that now?! I was really hoping you'd be, I don't know, useful."

Joker's mouth dropped open in mock horror, and he clutched his metal chest, performing an over-the-top act of being struck by Elliott's words. "Ouch, my friend, that hurt. My poor little human soul." Trickles of digital tears cascaded down his face, pixelated and dramatic.

"Idiot! Stop crying and watch where you're going!" Elliott yelled, the words barely leaving his mouth before Joker smacked face-first into a lamppost, his arms and legs splayed out like a crumpled marionette.

The pole creaked under the impact, and Joker's hat tumbled off, landing neatly on a startled pigeon's head. Elliott, already halfway down the street, stopped, turned around, and burst out laughing. "I knew it was too good to be true! You really are the gift that keeps on giving."

Joker struggled to untangle himself, limbs flailing as he tried to regain his composure. The pigeon, now sporting a top hat, cooed in indignation before flapping off into the sky.

"Do me a favor," Joker muttered, eyes locked on the retreating Elliott. "Next time, let's run straight into trouble, not dance into it like we're auditioning for a Broadway show."

Elliott only laughed harder, the sound echoing down the alley as Joker picked himself up, resigned to the fact that in their pirate career, chaos would forever be their co-pilot.

The hat settled back on Joker's head as he spun around, only to find himself and Elliott surrounded. The officers, grim-faced and armed with muskets, formed a tight perimeter, their eyes glinting with the promise of imminent action.

"Stop right there! You're here to return the card you stole from that merchant!" one of the officers barked, his voice cutting through the air as the rest tightened their grip on their weapons. Joker and Elliott exchanged a quick glance before shifting to stand tall, each trying to exude confidence despite their predicament.

"Now, listen, officer," Joker said, spreading his arms wide in mock innocence, his tone oozing charm. "Are you really going to pull the trigger just because I took one tiny card? It's just a little piece of paper. No treasures, no diamonds, not even a pocketful of gold dust." He cleared his throat theatrically and muttered under his breath, "Well, not for him, anyway. It's basically a golden ticket for me." His grin was smug, as if the joke were worth its weight in platinum.

Elliott's jaw tightened as he rolled his eyes. "You're a real genius for a robot, you know that? You actually think that's going to smooth things over?" He shot a sideways glance at Joker, then at the group of officers, who seemed ready to act at any moment.

"Enough chatter!" The lead officer snapped, raising his musket and pointing it squarely at Joker's chest. The command reverberated through the alley, and the tension thickened like the humidity before a storm. Joker's face fell into an exaggerated pout, his cybernetic eyes flickering as he studied the faces in front of him, desperately searching for a crack in their armor—or a crack in their logic.

"Return the card to us now, and we'll take it back to the merchant. Refuse, and you'll be facing the consequences of our bullets," the officer declared, the words sharp enough to slice through metal. The squad shifted, the polished muskets glinting under the weak glow of the streetlamps, ready to act.

Joker sighed dramatically, folding his arms and tilting his head to the side. His metallic face took on the expression of a melodramatic hero preparing for an untimely end. Elliott's foot tapped anxiously on the ground as he scanned their surroundings for anything—a crate, a shadow, a passing cat with the audacity to look unbothered by the chaos. They needed an escape plan, and fast.

"Do you want me to do something?" Elliott muttered, glancing at Joker with a mix of hope and exasperation.

Joker's smile widened, the kind of smile that belonged to someone who had never met a life-or-death situation they couldn't twist into a party trick. "Always, my friend," he said, his voice low and sly, as if he were sharing an inside joke with the universe. "Always."

"Ugh…" Elliott groaned, running a hand through his hair as he let out an exaggerated yawn. He adjusted the cuffs of his sleeves and rolled his shoulders, taking a deep breath. "Guess we're about to become just another pair of enemies to the island. Seems perfect, as usual." He dropped into a battle-ready stance, muscles tense and eyes focused, lightning crackling subtly at his fingertips. After all, speed and lightning manipulation were his forte, and he was ready to put them to use.

But before he could make his move, the air seemed to shift. It thickened, and the space around them twisted in a surreal stretch, like the world itself was holding its breath. The officers' movements slowed to a crawl, their expressions frozen mid-frown as they aimed their muskets, barely able to react. Suddenly, a dark blur weaved through the group, darting like a shadow made alive, moving faster than the eye could follow. The figure struck with precision, taking down each officer in a fluid dance, knocking them down like ragged, lifeless dominoes.

As time snapped back to its usual pace, the officers crumpled around Joker and Elliott, sprawled on the cobblestones with pained groans and groggy, disoriented eyes. A complete silence followed, broken only by the distant hum of the casino's night life and the faint rush of the breeze.

Elliott's mouth fell open, his eyes wide and blinking in bewilderment. His jaw dropped lower, and he turned to Joker, who was equally stunned. The jester's face shifted from confused to amused, an eyebrow arching in exaggerated surprise.

"I know you're fast, but you didn't even move," Joker said, smirking, his tone laced with disbelief. "How did you take them out?"

Elliott shook his head, still staring at the pile of fallen officers. "That wasn't me! I didn't even move a muscle!" His voice was barely a whisper, as if saying it out loud would make it real.

They shared a moment of silence, eyes meeting, trying to decipher what just happened. It was as if a phantom had swept through their midst, leaving them with only questions and a surge of adrenaline.

The alley felt eerily still, the remnants of chaos echoing in the tense quiet. Joker ran a hand over his face, a crooked smile forming as he glanced at Elliott. "Well, that was… new."

Elliott couldn't help the nervous chuckle that escaped him. "You think we just made a new friend or an enemy?"

To be continued...