grace under pressure • jerome valeska

CHAP.18: Jerome's Revenge

  The police station event was amazing. It just fueled my hope for this whole Maniax thing to keep going. Even though, now, there was only four of us. Jerome, Barb, me, and Aaron. But I still loved it. Causing havoc across Gotham was like my heaven. It was like all my pain came up to this. I was born to inflict my pain onto others. I saw it as my life's mission. Was that crazy? HA! I guess I was a bit crazy considering I was, well, me. I mean come on, look at me. Just looking at me anyone could tell I was nuts. I had that certain look. 

  Theo congratulated all of us on our spectacular job at the police stationed and showed us that our footage had been broadcasted to all of Gotham and we watched it on main news channel. This blonde chick announced that it was very "graphic". Jerome and I laughed at that. I smiled the whole time watching it, eating popcorn and pointing whenever I saw my face. I didn't realize I looked so good on screen. I had some drops of blood on my cheek that I hadn't noticed before and it made me look even more threatening.

   After we watched it I whooped and clapped my hands while Jerome simply fell on the floor laughing with glee. I had to say, that footage was a sight for sore eyes. But what happened after that made me stop with shock. Theo decided to reward us for our troubles and then said he had been doing some research on things when he had found the location of Jerome's father and my brother. He also told us we were going to preform in front of Gotham tonight at some sort of gala. We didn't quite listen to that part. We both fell silent, me almost dropping my popcorn bowl right then and there. We stayed quiet for a long moment before I started to come into an uncontrollable fit of giggles.

  I had then went full on laughing, not even caring when I scattered popcorn everywhere. Jerome soon joined me and we started to jump around the room and freak out. I was beyond happy! I was going to find my brother! I started to think of all the ways I could kill him. OOOOHHHHH, there was so many! Um, stab him? Strangle him? Beat him too death? God I couldn't even list them all I was so dazed. I felt like I was floating and Jerome actually had to catch me when I tripped on the rug and almost fell. 

  Jerome and I planned the whole thing. Jerome was going to go first since his dad was only a mile and a half from the skyscraper. I was right about my brother, he was on the edge of the city. My guess was that he was planning on leaving. I couldn't wait to see that scar of his. I hope it was deep and ran across his entire face. He used to call himself a ladies man. Not anymore he wasn't. HA HA HA!

  Sadly, Theo told us Tabitha was to join us on our quest to kill our family. I think he thought we were going to run away. I didn't know why. Even though he told me his plan and why he was helping us, I still just did not trust him. I felt myself shiver around him. I could tell he was lying about something. Jerome however, seemed to not think so. He seemed to love the idea of Theo breaking us out and letting us wreak havoc upon Gotham. I liked the idea too, but I knew people like Galavan. I knew he wanted to become Mayor and that is why he was manipulating him and keeping him caged and what not. But what did that have to do with us?

  Whatever. My mind was on Steve. He was mine. I was going to finish what I started with him two months ago. I wouldn't let him get the best of me. Not again. 

                                                            |TIME SKIP|

  Jerome and I were in the back of the white van Tabitha was driving in the front, not allowing us up there even with all our complaining. I sat next to Jerome who stroked my hair and stared into nothing in front of us. I understood. He was thinking about what to do. So was I. I was running over what I would say to my brother. I would kill him but I wanted to talk to him first. I never got that chance before. So, I wanted to make sure to do it right this time. But the fact of doing so is what puzzled me. It felt sort of like a dream. I was finally going to do what I set my mind on for so long. After all these years of torture, I finally was free.