My Original Outline For Chapter 3 And 4 Ended Up Being Too Short So I Combined The Two. So Now There's

My original outline for chapter 3 and 4 ended up being too short so I combined the two. So now there's only one filler chapter. That means I can start getting to the good part soon 😏 (well I wouldn't really say good, it's actually pretty sad, but it's definitely more interesting than what i'm writing now)

I had to do Heath ledger as himself taking a photo then turning into the joker from Dark knight!! Based off of the killing joke!!

I’ll refine the animation don’t worry💥

RIP Chris Cornell 🖤

Crack A Smile and Cut Your Mouth

Ledger!Joker Origin Story

Chapter Three - Leaving Home

Warnings: None

Chapter Summary: Jack, now 18, leaves home and joins the army.

Author's Notes: I know there are a lot of time skips in this chapter but I really don’t know enough about the military to give a quality depiction and plus I’m lazy :P There will be more length in the coming chapters I swear 😭 I literally had no motivation for this one. I kept telling myself to just make it to at least 1k words. It's gonna get good guys I promise. Just trust the process 😅

Taglist: @alittlesmartcookie

If anyone else would like to be added please let me know! <333

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1 Year Later 

Long brown curls fell to the bathroom tiles as Jack cut his hair. With each snip it pained him to watch them go but it had to be done. Rules were rules.

A year ago Jack’s last summer at home was spent enjoying himself while he could. He filled up his sketchbook to the brim with his drawings and the photos he took. When the book was finished, he stored it in the top drawer of his nightstand. He thought maybe it could be something to look back on when he came back home. 

He also did some odd jobs around the house that needed to be done years ago. He repainted the small tool shed in the backyard and redecked the front porch. His father was actually appreciative of Jack’s work. Lazy bum.

After that school started back again. Jack made an effort to do better his senior year so he could at least graduate. He succeeded and completed school with grades that weren’t exactly the greatest but he still managed to earn a high school diploma. His mother was so proud.

Skateboarding became his nightly routine. He wore the tires out trying to get as much out of the board as he possibly could. He knew it was probably going to be a while before he would skate again.

Currently he was preparing to leave. In a few weeks, he would be sent off to Fort Leonard Wood for basic training. He had to get everything in order before he left. It wasn’t stressful but it was still a lot for him to take in since he was still so young. He’d only been a legal adult for a few months and already he was beginning to see why older people always said to enjoy being a kid while you can.

Jack put the scissors down and grabbed a razor from the cabinet. He turned it on and cleaned up the sloppy mess of hair the scissors left behind, ending up with a decent crew cut.

He examined himself in the mirror. It was like a stranger was staring back at him. He had always kept his hair longer than most boys, letting the messy curls flow freely. Having hair this short felt so foreign but he would have to get used to it for a while.

“Ugh. I hate this.” He grumbled.

A feminine laugh startled him and he turned to see his mother standing in the doorway. 

“I think it’s very handsome. It makes you look so grown up.” Jacqueline complimented him as she dusted his hair off the back of his shirt.

Jack just shrugged and grabbed a broom to sweep up the mess on the floor.

…

The day was finally here. It was time for Jack to head out for boot camp. As his mother drove, he sat in the passenger seat of his truck with mixed emotions. On one hand he was excited to leave his old life back home and experience new things in the army, but on the other hand the next 10 weeks were going to be rough. It would be a true test of his endurance. 

The more he thought about it, he wasn’t that worried since it couldn’t be any worse than what he dealt with at home. His father yelled and screamed at him his whole life. He was used to it. The drill sergeants would be no different, minus the brutal beatings of course. He could do this. 

Soon they reached the place Jack was supposed to meet at for transportation. Jacqueline parked the truck and turned to her son warmly.

“Jack, you’re the bravest guy I know. You’re gonna be fine.”

“Thanks Mama.” Jack mumbled with a small smile.

Jacqueline pulled him into a hug and kissed his cheek. “Be safe. I love you.”

“I love you too.” 

He grabbed his duffel and out the door he went. Jacqueline watched him approach the bus station and couldn’t help but sigh. Her little boy was all grown up.

…

Saying basic training was rough was an understatement. 

It was the most grueling 10 weeks of his life. Jack didn’t really consider himself to be athletic but he was at least in good shape. Even then he still struggled to keep up with the amount of work exerted on his body. It was utterly exhausting.

Jack was wrong about the yelling being like what he was used to. At least at home he could find ways to get away from it. There was no escape at basic. It was constant. And instead of one person getting in his face it was three or four. His shyness didn’t do him any favors. Joining the army really forced him out of his comfort zone. 

At the start Jack regretted his decision to enlist in the first place and cursed himself for not thinking it through. But now that basic was over, he felt a sense of accomplishment and actually started to like this new chapter of his life.

…

Months later

Jack leaned against the wall, taking a long drag from his cigarette. He exhaled and stared intently at his watch wishing the time would go by faster. He took up smoking after basic when he was stationed at Fort Benning. It gave him extra energy and kept him awake on hard days. 

Today was definitely one of those days. He’d been up since about 0300 and wouldn’t be returning to the barracks until 2300. PT was more strenuous than usual and then it was nonstop work all day. Things were finally beginning to slow down but there was still an hour left until the day was over. It felt like time was slowly creeping by.

To pass the time, Jack glanced up at the TV in the middle of the lobby. Like always the news was on, this time showing unrest in the Middle East. 

Jack shook his head. The possibility of approaching conflict loomed in the air, creating unease among both the inexperienced and experienced soldiers. Jack didn't mind entertaining the thought of going to war. He would do what he had to do. But there was still a trace of fear that lingered with him.

Almost like his gut knew.

My girl Harley <3