Calico: Rise of the Jokester Chapter 8

Calico Chapter 8

The next day, Clare sat on the couch after another training session. Wally and M'gann joined her with glasses of water.

M'gann: Nice job today, Clare.
Clare: Thanks.
Wally: Yeah. So you got any plans? If you want I--
Clare: No, I got another mission tonight. Nice try.

M'gann laughed as Conner and Artemis came in.

Artemis: What's so funny? Wally got rejected again?
M'gann: What do you think? So you got another mission tonight?
Clare: Yeah. I mean someone needs to keep an eye on our newest rival.
Conner: Another reconnaissance mission?
Clare: Sort of, the last mission I had started ok, then my cover was blown, but somehow I got recruited into the group.
Artemis: So now you're a double agent?
Clare *stands up and yarns*: That's a short way to say it. I'm going to take a nap, night guys.

As Clare leaves, she ran into Robin. As usual they never talked, but Clare didn't care anymore. She just went to her room and took her nap. Later, she woke up at eight p.m., geared up and started her mission. She arrived at the warehouse, and sees no one. Just then, Clarion enters the room.

Clarion: You’re here. Everyone’s in the training room.

He leaves, and Calico then makes her way to the training room. She finds Anarkette and the Conundra observing the training of Marconi and Scarecrone. Just then, the Jokester dances in to the lounge, singing “Psycho” by Puddle of Mud.

Jokester *singing*:
Maybe I'm the one
Maybe I'm the one who is the schizophrenic psycho (yeah)
Maybe I'm the one
Maybe I'm the one who is the paranoid Flake-oh

Just then, the Jokester got into Calico’s face still singing the same song. Calico grabbed his collar, pulled him up to her face, pissed off.

Calico: What the ******** do you think you’re doing?!
Jokester *smirks and shrugs*: I don’t know.
Anarkette: Save that energy for your training.

Calico and the Jokester then walked on to the training floor as Scarecrone and Marconi walked off the floor. Calico prepared herself as the Jokester dusted off his jacket before the fight.

Announcer: Combat Mode: Jokester V.S. Calico. Time Limit: Three Minutes.
Jokester: I'm warning you: I fight dirty!
Calico: That makes two of us.

The two of them fight until The Jokester kicks her in the shoulder.

Jokester: When I'm done, I'll carve a smile on your face.

Jokester attempts to kick her in the head, but Calico quickly dodges and follows up with a sweep-kick. But the Jokester performs a hand-stand to regain his balance. They continue the fight when suddenly; Calico punches him in the face.

Calico: I'll knock that smile off your face!
Jokester *smiling as he moves his hand behind his back*: Here Kitty, Kitty.

Calico was about to punch him, but the Jokester grabbed her fist. As he did this, Calico felt a shock in her hand. She quickly kicked the Jokester's chest to break free of his grip, and saw that he had a joy-buzzer in his hand. He tried to slap her with the buzzer, Calico evaded the attack, but the Jokester pulled out a hand gun and aimed it at her.

Calico: You cheated!
Jokester *Offended*: I did NOT!

The Jokester pulled the trigger and a little flag that said: "BANG" came out.

Jokester: See?

An alarm went off, meaning that the time was up. As Calico walked off the training floor, the Jokester pulled the trigger and the gun fired the flag past Calico's face.

Jokester: Oops, I guess not.
Calico: .......

Calico continued off the training floor as the Jokester prepared for his next training exercise.

Announcer: Predator Mode: GCPD Station, seven guards.

Jokester: Did any of you hear the one about the escaped mental patient, hunting down the guards, and killing them one by one? No? *serious tone* Stick around.

The Jokester started his training by sneaking up on a guard and spraying gas in his face. As the guard falls down, the Jokester bowed to the unconscious body, and pulled out a set of walking teeth and set it loose. Calico couldn't help but ask what he was doing.

Calico *thinking*: Teeth?

Just then, the teeth exploded, killing two guards. As the rest of the guards ran the source of the sound, the Jokester danced as he laughed, hysterically. Shortly, he crawled into a vent and hid in a small room and put on a pair of X-Ray specs.

Calico: What's he doing now?
Marconi: Using those specs to see through the walls.
Calico: You must be kidding.

The Jokester crawled out of the vent and jumped on another guard, smacked his head until the guard fell to the ground. Then the Jokester pulled out a gun and aimed at two, unknowing guards. The Jokester killed the two guards with one bullet, and hid behind a wall as the last guard ran to the source of the sound.

Guard: Is anyone gonna help me?! Oh God, I'm gon--

Suddenly, the Jokester charged at him and took out the guard in one punch.

Jokester: I'm free! FREE to do whatever I want, and no one can stop me!

The Jokester walked off the training floor, as Anarkette and the Conundra prepared for their training exercise. As their training starts, the Jokester starts to talk to Marconi.

Jokester: You know, I was wondering why you carry that umbrella.
Marconi: Force of habit, it makes me look sophisticated.
Jokester: True. Where’d you get this umbrella? It looks nice.
Marconi: These are special made, they are bullet proof.
Jokester: Come on now. You expect me to believe this is bullet proof?
Marconi: You want proof? We got a shooting range behind us; let’s test it there shall we?

The Jokester nods. As he and Marconi head to the range, Calico decided to follow them. When they arrived to the shooting range, Calico could see that they had an arsenal of weapons: handguns, machine guns, rifles, grenades, mines, mini guns, and more. She could tell that these guys aren’t messing around, they mean business. Marconi then opened his umbrella and stood fifteen feet away from the Jokester, and shielded himself with the umbrella.

Marconi: Fire away!

The Jokester started with his hand gun and fired an entire round. As Marconi said, it was indeed: bullet proof. Then the Jokester started to use other guns that were nearby, he tried a machine gun…nothing, he used a rifle…nothing; he tried a mini gun…still nothing. Finally the Jokester was going to try one more test; Calico was then shocked to see he was going to use a rocket launcher. The Jokester fired and the explosion threw him and Calico back towards a wall. As the smoke cleared, Calico got on her feet and pulled the Jokester up by his collar.

Calico: THE ******** IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?! YOU COULD HAVE KILLED US!!!!

Then they saw Marconi, smiling, still alive and still holding his umbrella.

Marconi: As I said: Bullet proof.
Jokester: You weren’t kidding. What else can that thing do?
Marconi: I have another umbrella that allows you to glide.
Jokester: Do you have THAT one with you? If so, I think we need to do another test.

Marconi nods his head and the two of them make their way to his van outside. Calico stayed behind angry, but more confused on what was up with the Jokester. However, she figured she’d find out soon enough as she made her way outside of the base.