#anyway nothing but respect for my man jerome

[mist-the-wannabe-linguist]

fuck it, becoming catholic for saint jerome and for him only

[nostalgic90s]

Arranged Marriage AU pt1

"You can't make me go."

"Wanna bet?" Zachary grumbled, while tossing a heavily loaded suitcase into the back of his truck. "Now get in and quit yer bitchin'."

Jerome glared daggers at his uncle and remained defiant, unwilling to move.

At this Zachary abruptly smacked his nephew upside the head, carefully avoiding his face. His sister, Lila, made it clear that Jerome wasn't to arrive at the manor with bruises on his face. "In the truck, NOW."

The assault made Jerome flinch and tears pricked the corners of his eyes. It wasn't so much the physical pain that had his eyes glossing up, it's the fact he's leaving his life behind to start a new one elsewhere. Granted, Haly's Circus isn't paradise but it's his home nonetheless, and the only one he's ever known. He didn't want to leave. He didn't want to marry a total stranger, especially not some rich prick who doesn't know shit about the way the world works. Jerome would rather die than marry Bruce-fucking-Wayne.

Zachary opened the driver's side door and climbed into his truck, waiting expectantly for Jerome to do the same.

Fuming at the unfairness of his circumstances, Jerome grumpily climbed into the passenger side of the truck and yanked the door shut. "I can run away ya know."

"I know and if you do, Lila will fuckin' kill you." The bearded man inserted his key and the engine roared to life. He shifted into drive and pulled out of the gravel parking lot, making his way towards the main road leading into Gotham City. Zachary could care less what happens to his nephew but he offered his two cents anyway. "Can't be all bad, yer gonna live in a fucking mansion. The Wayne family will spoil ya with money and riches. Shit yer gonna be a celebrity after this."

"I don't want to be a celebrity," Jerome huffed. He crossed his arms firmly against his chest and scowled at his muddy shoes. "Don't need money and riches either. I just want to live my life the way I want, I wanna stay at the circus and become a performer."

Zachary snorted in amusement. "You'd rather stay at shit-hole circus instead of a mansion? Damn... You really are stupid."

Jerome silently flipped his uncle off.

The older man rolled his eyes and turned the truck onto a busy freeway. "Look if yer unhappy with yer marriage, just divorce the kid and take half his money. You can start your own circus here in Gotham or move across the country, get you a nice little house on the beach or something."

"It almost sounds like you care," Jerome said sarcastically.

"I don't but Lila will murder you if you try to come back to the circus."

"So this is it? I'm banned from the circus?" Jerome felt his eyes burning hot, "And all because of a stupid fucking promise from some dead guy."

"Hey!" Zachary grabbed a magazine and threw it at Jerome's face. "Show some respect! Your grandpa is a goddamn war hero."

The redhead raised his elbow to block the projectile. "So? I never met the guy." He quickly grabbed the other magazines next to his uncle and pulled them out of reach, should Zachary be tempted to chuck one at him again. "Why me? Why can't you or Lila marry the billionaire brat?"

"Because that's not what your grandpa promised." Zachary shook his head. "He specifically wanted the eldest grandchildren to marry from the Valeska and Wayne families. Unless I have kids that I don't know about, yer the oldest grandchild."

"Lucky me," jeered the redhead.

The remainder of the trip was held in silence and Jerome mourned the loss of his old life, he would truly miss the circus and the animals he cared for. Penelope. Ryan. Lisa. Even Curtis's ugly face. Jerome would miss them all.

By the time the manor came into view, Jerome had shed a few tears. He said nothing as he climbed out and retrieved his suitcase from the bed of the truck. Neither he or his uncle exchanged goodbyes.

Jerome watched the rusty old truck disappear down a road and when Jerome turned around, he saw the butler waiting by the open iron gates.

"Welcome Master Valeska, might I take your suitcase for you?" Alfred approached the young man but Jerome declined.

"No I got it and just call me Jerome."

"As you wish," Alfred politely nodded and gestured for Jerome to follow him.

With each step that brought Jerome closer to the Wayne Manor, he died a little inside.

[gaillol-13]

ITTHIGSS AU

Cartoon encounter

The Thrilling Adventures Of Captoon Underpants. By George Beard and Harold Hutchins

Despite it's old appearance, it was made in 2021 by cartoonists George Beard(20 and 0/5 yrs) and Harold Hutchins(21).

They said that they made the cartoon in memory of their boss, Benjamin Krupp, who was tragically killed in a car accident(?). And despite his grumpy, strict, and sarcastic nature, they did miss him (in the interview they joked that black and white cartoons were played at his high school, despite that he was in his 40s, and technology didn't work like that back in the day). And it was also based off the comic books they made when they were young.

The Cartoon itself was about George and harold (as kids) and a chubby half-naked goofy superhero called Captoon Underpants. The trio go on wacky action packed adventures, stop alot of evil baddies, or just have a bunch of fun. It has a decent amount of potty humour, well-balanced in the adult jokes department, and was a hit for kids (and even some adults) everywhere.

The only unhappy customer was Theodore Murdsly, a rich businessman with a huge company (called Ted corp), and a ego to match. The main reason he found the cartoon unacceptable was that he was a major antagonist and Captoon's rival. And it potrayed him as a selfish, cocky, greedy, perverted (yes, I went there), and lying pig (what pissed him off even more was that George and harold dont regret it one bit, even enjoyed that he was annoyed). When he stated this problem, Harold simply said "Look if you dont like that we made your character so accurate, you don't have to watch it at all."

The viewers laughed their heads off, and no one seemed to cared about Theodore's complaint.

On December 4th, seven criminals who worked for Ted kidnapped George and Harold and took them to the abandoned Jerome Horwitz school (which was also where the two cartoonists got their education) to "end the production".

When people asked how George and harold got out alive, they didn't answer and looked at each other with worry. So the police (along with class S scientist Melvin sneedly, who also went to school there) went to the school to investigate, all the evidence they found was a room with 5 dead bodies (no doubt the criminals) and a small TV.

From what Melvin described, 1 body had their neck twisted off and skinned to the bone, 2 had been hung from handmade nooses (that were, strangely, just a bunch of briefs tied together), another one had the top half of their torso missing (with teeth marks,human teeth marks), and 1 looked like it was crushed by a heavy object. There was no trace of the other 2 criminals. Here's what he said in the interview.

"Do you think George and harold are responsible for these murders?"

"Of course not! Sure, those rusty water pipes are very clever, but they wouldn't kill a human, not even if its self defense!"

"You said one was crushed, can you define exactly how?"

"Actually, it seems that the killer crushed him using...some sort of weapon. *pulls out a small broken piece of the weapon out of his pocket and shows it to the camera* I got a sample of it right here"

"The weapon was made from...grey wood?"

"That's the thing! It has the texture of wood, right?! But-but it feels... *drags finger on sample* wet, like ink, just a little. But it's also static-like!"

"Static-like?"

"Y-yeah, and its definitely solid, but it feels like you can bend it too, sorta like rubber!"

"So...its moist rubber wood that feels like...static?"

"I know I know, it sounds crazy. But thats just how it feels, we ran some tests on it, all the computers (after some errors) could say was that it was "hammer wood". So we can confirm this person used a hammer."

"But you said it was rubbery, so how could this person smash them with it?"

"They must have swung it hard, and judging from this picture... *pulls out a picture of the completly smashed corpse* ...it must have been a pretty big hammer. *chuckles a bit*"

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing. Just imagining this guy smashing someone with a hammer probably bigger than his body, while its obviously barbaric and gruesome...it kinda reminds me of the captoon cartoons George and harold make..."

"It does?"

"*Nods* mm hm. *pulls out the picture of 2 criminals hanging* And they also made a noose out of underwear! There was actually a Captoon episode where Captoon kinda did that."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, *crosses his legs and smiling* Theodore said to some people something about him winning a contest and gloated that he was gonna win Edith (like that's ever gonna happen), and-"

"Do you know who Edith is in the cartoon?"

"Of course! She's Captoon's love interest, her first appearance was in "Captoon's train troubles", and just like George, Harold, Theodore, and me (yeah, I'm in there too), she's an actual person in real life. And she didn't seem to mind the role those two gave her *leans foward* if you know what I mean. *winks and leans back to his original spot*"

"*chuckles*"

"So anyway. Theodore says that, but what he didn't know was that Captoon heard and saw the whole thing through the window, and boy, did he look pissed! So Captoon tapped the window to get Theodore's attention, then pulls out a bunch of underwear from his utility waistband (one of his powers in unlimited underwear), then ties them into a noose, points at him, then at the noose, and then does the "slit-throut" gesture, all while making direct eye contact with Theodore!"

"Woah...that's kinda dark for a family-friendly cartoon."

"I know!! Captoon didn't even say a word in that moment, but that was CLEARLY a death-threat!!! He had full intentions to KILL that smug rich douchebag!!! I mean, they ARE aware kids are watching these, right?!?! Anyway, my point is whoever killed these criminals are obviously a fan of the cartoon, that would definitely explain why he let George and Harold live. *takes a sip of tea*"

"Heh, your one to talk."

"*spits out tea* NONONONOITSNOTLIKEILIKEITORANYTHING I-*ahem* Its just those two keep bugging me to watch it with them, they really love how their work turns out in the end, and I respect that, a-and I seem to remember what happens in the episodes, heh. *nervous laughter* I think we're getting a bit off track. Back to the murders."

"Right, there were seven criminals who took George and harold, but you found five. What happened to the other two?"

"Oh that's...a great question, we couldn't find them, but... *freezes for a moment* remember that there was also a small TV in the same room as the bodies were?"

"Yes."

"W-well, when I was alone in there, it was on one side of the room, and there was a door to the storage room on the other, it was a big room. I noticed there was blood, coming...o-out of...the TV screen...

"W-was there anything showing on the TV?"

"*shakes head* The TV showed nothing but static on it, but bloods was oozing out of the corners...and...when I got closer...I could hear someone...humming..."

"What?"

"*shivers* The-they were humming the Captoon theme song...I could hear it...and...hands..."

"Wha?"

"I could feel...hands...reaching out toward me...from behind...I could hear the storage room door opening...the breathing...footsteps that repeatedly stopped to tap to the rhythm of the song he was humming...that was the moment I realized the man who killed the criminals was right behind me..."

"Jeez."

"His breathing seemed like it was coming from a radio, scratchy...static-like...but that wasn't the unsettling part..."

"What was?"

"I couldn't believe what I was hearing, I KNEW one person who breathed like that, it was too familiar...but...It just...couldn't be...he's been deseased for over a year now..."

"Who?"

"... *shakes head* never mind, I think it's time for us to end the interview anyway."

To be continued.......

[roguish-gallery]

Did you ever make that joker tier list, I always like seeing what people think of all the different ones. Though if they put Romero last I can no longer respect them.

LMAO I DID! I think I’ve made it kind of obvious in this blog but I... don’t... particularly... care... for... the joker.... unless he’s, y’know, fun to watch. Cause he’s a clown, and clowns are supposed to be entertaining. But since you politely brought it up, and and because I have a deep respect for mutual Romero-lovers, I guess this would be a good time to explain my rankings and just discuss my general thoughts on each clown:

General Thoughts:

For the most part, I don’t really care for the Joker. This is hardly an uncommon opinion here on tumblr, but I definitely fall on the side of the fandom that feels that he gets too much attention from DC. I get WHY they use him so often for films and comics, and I don’t have anything against *most* folks who consider them their favorite Batman villain, but at this point he’s used more for shock value and as a crutch instead of anything interesting. Like, instead of giving attention to the other Rogues, writers (at least for the comics) will try and make up some bullshit story that they can shoehorn the Joker into, ‘cause it sells. It’s tiring, and I feel like the character has lost his meaning; I can only read so many stories about the Joker, I don’t fucking know, wearing a suit made from dead babies and Jason Todd’s flayed corpse before I get sick of it.

I’m at the point where I’ll like any Joker who’s just fun to watch. I genuinely respect those who prefer darker interpretations of the character, but that isn’t me; I vastly prefer the lighthearted takes on him, because... at this point... writers who use the “cleaner” version of him tend to be more creative, since they actually have to write a Joker story that doesn’t rely on gore/torture porn.

TIER ONE:

Joker Baby: Self explanatory. Joker Baby is thematic, thoughtful, and intense. Everytime I watch this video, I shiver with fear and pleasure; something primal in me awakens whenever Joker Baby runs his fingers through his spray-on dyed hair, and ends up smearing green paint on his forehead- it represents the inner turmoil, the chaos, that resides within the disturbed body that is Joker Baby. Nothing can ever hope to top the artistic and cultural impact Joker Baby has had on society.

TIER TWO:

Batman Ninja: I genuinely believe that Batman Ninja is one of the most fun, organic, and creative things to come out from the Batman side of DC comics in like... hmmm... a decade, maybe (I could talk for hours about how much I love this movie but that’s something for a future post). This Joker is easily, and unironically my favorite interpretation of the character, period. I love his energy, his design, everything. This is the most fun I’ve ever had watching a Joker on-screen, and for that I’ve gotta give the film credit where it is due.

Batman ‘66: I looooove Caesar Romero. Batman ‘66 in general is one of my favorite pieces of Batman media, and I absolutely adore this Joker. The show is pure, genuine fun, and it’s nice to turn my brain off and watch a show where the entire cast was allowed to goof around. This Joker is just a cute, goofy little clown-man who likes to commit crimes, go surfing, turn Gotham’s water reserve into gelatin, and have wild orgies with Penguin, Catwoman, and the Riddler. I massively appreciate the hustle. I love his little mustache and his facial expressions. I’d give him a chaste little kiss on the cheek if I could.

The Batman: EXTREMELY CONTROVERSIAL TAKE BUT. I think TB!Joker is better than what people will give him credit for. I can only imagine how stressful it must have been to be the first Batman cartoon to follow BTAS and the writers for this show knew they were gonna be fucked no matter what they did with the Joker, so they just decided to try something completely different with him. Personally, I appreciate the new direction- he has a fun, unhinged energy. I’ve placed him higher than BTAS/BTNA!Joker simply because The Batman was the show that got me into the Rogues in the first place, and I’m just a bit closer to this Joker because of it. Also his vampire form was cool as FUCK in Batman Vs. Dracula and the scene where he gets drenched in blood at a blood bank is fucking awesome.

Batman the Animated Series/The New Adventures: Everyone loves BTAS’s Joker, and I’m no exception. Mark Hamill is fucking great, and the writers clearly knew the character well enough to create a version of him that can be fun and threatening. As an aside, I unironically like his redesign in BTNA- I remember Hamill mentioning somewhere that he thought it was neat that this Joker looked more like a shark (I’ll see if I can find a source on that... I think he said it in an interview with Kevin Smith?) and I kinda agree with him. the redesigns in the final season are hit or miss, but I didn’t get why so many people bitched about the Joker’s new look.

Batman Unlimited: Hear me out... Hear me out... Clown... funny... and cute... He wears a little crown and gives Solomon Grundy a little smooch on the cheek and it is as delightful as it sounds. Yes the Batman Unlimited films literally only exist to sell toys but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy them on some ironic level.

TIER THREE:

Lego Batman: He’s a gay icon. He has the range. Enough said.

White Knight: This is just a genuinely good, original take on the character, and the art in White Knight is absolutely gorgeous. 

Arkham: My friends and I joke that this Joker is basically a more unhinged version of BTAS! Joker and... yeah. I’m glad Hamill and Paul Dini got to fuck around with the character more, but I never really dwelled on the Joker parts of the games like I might have for other characters. I definitely liked him the most in Arkham Asylum, as he was more fun to watch. Arkham City was fiiiiine, but I think I replayed the game so much that I kinda got fatigued with everything about it. Genuinely hated his part in Origins, and I was pissed that he stole the attention from Black Mask and Bane (who’s the best fucking part of Origins IMO). I’ll admit that I... Haven’t... played... Knight yet (I have it on PC but my laptop is too wimpy to run it) but like... He’s dead at that point, so I’d assume he isn’t the main point of that game anyway. I love Mark Hamill and the fact I can personally beat the shit out of this Joker, so he’s ranked up pretty high for those reasons.

TIER FOUR:

Batman ‘89: TBH this Joker should be a rank higher, but I’m too lazy to hop onto PicsArt to change it. NIcholson was an excellent choice, and I apprecaite how this Joker makes use of the playful and unhinged aspects of the character. Also, his outfits are cute, and I love the museum scene.

Brave and the Bold: Technically this Joker SHOULD be ranked higher since he’s literally based on the more lighthearted comics in the 60′s but... ehhh... I haven’t really watched BATB so I don’t have any strong opinions on the show and how it handles the character. he’s ranked this high through beause I appreciate what they were going for.

Golden Age: The quality of comics are always subjective, based on the creative team behind them. Some I’ll like more, others less so, It’s kind of hard to rank the pre-52 comic version of the Joker because of this.

TIER FIVE:

Killing Joke: Read it, didn’t care for it. I acknowledge how massive the impact this comic had on... everything, but just because I recognize how important this graphic novel is, doesn’t mean I have to like it.

The Dark Knight: Ledger did an excellent job with the role, but uhh... I’m kind of sick of the alt-right chuds who are out there sucking this Joker’s dick. The fanbase definitely ruined the character for me.

TIER SIX:

99′: Eh

Endgame: No

Suicide Squad: NO

Death of the Family: Hate him. Despise him. Lame stupid dumb little edgy bitch.

Gotham (Jeremiah): I don’t particulary care for Gotham in general, but the only reason I ranked this Joker over Jerome is beause I thought it was kinda funny to see that they made him a little rat-man, and I liked watching all the fujoshi on here cry and complain that they can’t ship this version of the joker with the pre-pubescent Bruce Wayne in the show bc he’s too ugly.

Gotham (Jerome): stop shippping this freak (who is fucking eighteen years old) with a literal twelve year old child. what the FUCK is wrong with yall.

UNRANKED:

The Joker (2019): I don’t plan on watching this film, nor will I ever. I know this is ironic, coming from someone who runs a Rogue blog, but stuff that focuses primarily on a character’s deteriorating mental health makes me reaaaaallllllyyyyy anxious (it’s kind of a phobia) and considering that I don’t particularly the Joker, I have no reason to watch something I know will only give my dumb ADHD-ass intrusive throughts.

[jeromesxreader16]

Such A Joker 37

SAJ Part 36

~

"How are you going to do it?" I ask holding Jerome's cold hand. "Sending waves of high electricity and jump-starting the brain should trail with the elements of the awakening."

A loud laugh echoes through the warehouse causing me to fight green eyes I lost long ago. "He's going to fry me!" Jerome laughs looking down at himself.

"Well looks like when this is all over you won't need that replacement any more."

Xander. Crap.

Jerome giggles clapping his hands together. "He's not real anyway, doll. Don't worry about it. You think you've been living a life without me to help you along?" Jerome pets my head kissing the crown of my head and grabs my cheek. "Aw, sweets, you do need me."

Everything I've done in the past couple of months has been fake? It would explain how closely Xander and Jerome resemble each other. Maybe I am just crazy. Maybe I never was cured.

Maybe I just need to be free again.

"If you don't want to get shocked Ms. Gordon I would advise you to remove your hand." Dwight places clips on Jerome's body and flips switches making a huge machine hum with power.

Dwight giggles as he rests his hand on a large lever. "HOLD ONTO YOUR HATS FOLKS!" The lever is forced over and lightning fires within the room. Dwight cackles at my poor lover's body gets fried.

"Come on Jerome. Come on, baby." I beg, gripping the chair for life.

Soon after the machine clams down and Jerome is still lifeless. I grab his hand weeping. "J?" I lean down trying to listen for a heartbeat any sign of life.

"He's still dead." Dwight's assistant addressed. "I know he's still dead. I ran into some technical difficulties. Nothing that I can't fix."

"Is everything plugged in?" "Yes." "Try turning it on and off." "I did! Three times."

"Look, you have spent the last year telling everyone that the Prophet would return. People have made sacrifices for you, Dwight. I left a really good job at the post office. The police are coming, and you promised them Jerome. The others expect to hear him speak. They want to see his face and if you can't do that-"

"You know, you make an interesting point."

Dwight walks near, grazing Jerome's face. "What are you doing?" I gasp seeing a small scapula in his hands. Dwight smiles and rests a hand on my cheek.

"Shh."

the black bag is thrown over my head and I'm forced away from Jerome.

~

I'm sat in a chair now fully handcuffed and unmoving. I groan moving my arms and resiting against the restraints.

"Don't move too much, doll. You'll bruise your pretty wrists." Jerome whispers in my ear. "You're not even here!"

"Not yet."

"Brothers and sisters, I promised you Jerome would return and today your faith is rewarded. Jerome is here, and so is our Queen!"

The bag is ripped off my head and I'm set on stage for the whole cult to see. I look up the stairs behind me and feel my heart sink.

Jerome's face is being used as a mask for this wannabe! Dwight prances down the steps wearing my lover's face!

"Behold the Prophet. The Prophet is here." Dwight grabs my hair raising me to a standing position. "We are back!"

The crowd screams in protest of their false leader. "Where's Jerome?" "Where's the hell's Jerome?"

Dwight groans pulling me forward. "The Prophet is here. Tell them, (y/n)!" I glare at him smirking at the mask. "You'll never be Jerome. You will never even meet the standers." Dwight hisses and throws me to the pavement harshly making the crowd scream.

"The Prophet is here! Listen to me! Jerome is here. He never left us. Each of you kept him alive. Each of you is Jerome. I am Jerome. We are all Jerome."

The cult chats over and over again getting louder every time. Dwight rips me from the floor and holds me in his arms. "Kiss me, doll face." I glare at him and turn my head. "I only kiss men with scary smiles."

"Then I don't need you." His voice is thick with venom and he tosses me into the crowd. "Remove the toxic cog! She has resented me. She has disrespected Jerome!" They push me away and out the door scraping my legs and arms every time they push me to the ground until I exit the building and run into town in search of my father.

I run into the GCPD panicked. "Dad." Lee catches me as I stumble past. "(Y/n)! What happened?"

"Dwight! He took- He cut off his face!" I cry out letting my tears fall. Lee leads me to Jim in an examination room.

"(y/n), god where have you been?" I fling into his arms crying. "Dwight took me. He- He's wearing Jerome's face! He cut it off, Dad." I sob in his chest as he smooths my hair back.

"(y/n)." Lee says grabbing my attention. "We know." I turn around seeing my faceless Jerome laying on the table.

I cover my mouth choking on my sobs. "Why couldn't they just leave you alone?" I whisper and touch his shoulder still feeling the coldness of the grave.

"I was going through the evidence you recovered from the scene. That phone was on the corpse next to Jerome. The last number came from the precinct." Lee explains passing over a flip phone to my father.

"Wait. You're saying someone in this house tipped them off?" I ask never taking my eyes away from Jerome.

" It would make sense. They cleared out moments before we got there." "So we got a freaking mole? Is there any way to know who called?" "The number came up as the main."

"So you can't make some kind of gadget to figure it out?" I look up meeting my father and Lee. "Why don't you just flood them out? You have the phone. Go call the number back from the floor and see who sweats." They both nod and move to exit the room until Jim grabs my wrist.

"I'll let you say goodbye, (y/n). Properly this time." I smile and wipe my tears away. "Thanks, dad."

A quiet room surrounds me and all I can do is stare at the faceless man I've loved for years. I sit next to him playing with his fingertips. "I wonder where we would've ended up if we skipped Gotham together. You might be here. I might not be crazy. We might be happy."

I let a tear slip from my eye sighing. "I've just lost the fire in me. It was all connected to you Jerome, and now I feel empty, but I know I have to get healthy. I need to stay strong. You were always worried about me stepping out alone in Gotham. So I can't live how we want. I'm going to have to be a fucking cog, and be the boring detective's daughter again. I'm just sorry you can't be here to laugh at me."

I close my eyes crying alone. I miss him so much.

"Detective's daughter, huh? I could make it work."

I giggle opening my eyes and looking over to the corner expecting the ghost that keeps me company, but the room is empty.

"Looking for someone, doll?" I avert my eyes down and see the faceless Jerome smiling widely at me. I drop his hand covering my mouth in shock. Jerome laughs looking at the hand I was previously holding. "Strang."

He sits up staring at me with his green eyes. "I know you. Don't I?" I nod my head feeling a smile creep its way up my cheeks.

The door opens and closes shut and not a second later Jerome has my gun pointed at my head and is threatening Lee. She looks at me with wide eyes. "(y/n)." I shake my head sighing. "It's alright. He won't shoot me." Jerome tightens his grip digging the end of the gun in my head. "Is that so?"

I smiled turning around to meet his eyes. "I know you. Don't I, Jerome?" He stares at me and begins to cackle madly. "You've got me, honey." He then points the gun at Lee. "Game change! Now tell me. What's going on?"

I sigh walking to the door and blocking it from entry. "(y/n), what are you doing?" Lee asks panicked. I roll my eyes picking up medical supplies to wrap Jerome's face. "Looks like I'm taking care of your patient. Now tell him what's going on." "Why do you do it?" I laugh rolling out the gauze. "Well I'm not the one with the gun pointed at them, am I?"

I watch Lee's facial expression change from confused to realization. "You never changed did you?" I roll my eyes walking over to Jerome.

"Gosh, you sound like my father." I place one end starting at Jerome's neck. "Hold please." He smiles and holds the cloth down.

"Storytime. Let's go!"

Lee proceeds to tell him the recap of his last living months, and everything that's happened in between.

He throws his head back laughing. "Wow. Now that I quite a story. You know, I know I've been dead, but doesn't that seem kind of crazy to you?" Jerome looks at me laughing.

Lee tilts her head smiling sarcastically. "Hey, maybe you're dreaming. Try shooting yourself." Jerome hums putting the gun to his head making me giggle. "Makes sense. Maybe you're right. Is this my angel?" He points to me winking.

"Hey, tell me more about this cult. They think I'm pretty great, huh?" I roll my eyes spinning in the chair. "They're a bunch of raving lunatics and idiots."

"Plus they have no respect for their queen."

Lee raises an eyebrow at me. "They didn't even get me a crown."

"Aw, baby don't you worry. I'll get you the biggest crown in the city." Jerome says pinching my cheek. He groans grabbing at his head. "Sorry. Head's a little fuzzy. You know, I was just reborn. Last year was nothing but darkness as far as the eye can see."

I sit next to Jerome patting his shoulder lightly. He looks over at me and tilts his head. "I know both of you, right?" He giggles smirking at me.

"Hey, did you and I ever, uh..." Jerome places the gun suggestively near his crotch and winks at me. I nod returning his wink. "Ah, I knew you were something else, doll. Long history?" "Another story for another time, love."

Jerome waves my gun at Lee laughing.

"That's right, (Y/n) Goron, the crazy, badass, sexy daughter of Jimbo. It's good to have you back sweetheart. Now that leaves you. You're Jim Gordon's little Twinkie." Jerome moves closer pressing the gun against Lee's face making me smile.

"How's it going between you and Jimbo? Huh? You still together, or..." "No." "No?" Jerome turns to me, "You knew this? Daddy can't keep a girl huh? Oh, that's a shame. I really liked you guys. What happened?" Jerome lays his arm over my shoulder pulling me to his side.

"He killed my husband on our wedding night." Jerome starts to laugh pulling me along. "Glad you two find it funny."

"I do. I get why you don't. Wow. You miss a lot of being dead!" He laughs again. He pulls me close and kisses my head.

"You know what? Go ahead, enjoy it. There are about a hundred cops on the other side of that door ready to kill you all over again, and all they'll do for (y/n) is lock her up in Arkham."

I huff rolling my eyes leaning my head on Jerome's chest. "I see your point."

"So, when I was last, you know, uh, alive, I was about to kill Bruce Wayne. I suppose I didn't manage to-" We shake out heads. "No. Right. Theo Galavan killed me, that jug-eared Judas. Well, I suppose I should start by killing him. Does that sound like a good plan, doll? I'll let you get the first swing."

"Theo Galavan's dead, J." "Oh Who beat me to it?" "W-Which time?" I grit my teeth as I feel Jerome grow tense. "Galavan came back to life, too? That son of a bitch is always upstaging me. Well, I guess I'm just missing one thing, then." Jerome presses the gun to Lee's face again. "Where is my face?"

I push myself off the chair and tap Jerome's shoulder. "I can help with that." I turn on the TV finding the station showing Dwight making a speech wearing Jerome's face. Jerome watches the TV closely. "Huh. Interesting. Looks almost like my twin!" Jerome cackles with glee.

[achtung-attitude]

SAN GABRIÉL, MISSIÓN SAN GABRIEL ARCÁNGEL

The sun rises over Los Angeles, bloated and golden. The first rays of the summer day spill through the windows of the San Gabriel mission chapel, falling upon the man kneeling before the altar. He has been awake for most of the night. The news of Hotel California’s destruction, and Paul Mann’s arrest, have reached him almost as soon as they occurred.

Someone barges in through the chapel doors, but Dust does not turn to see them. He already knows who it is. He is the one who summoned her here. She approaches him swiftly, impatiently, her dreadlocks swaying with each sharp, jerky movement. “Where’s Toto?” she says, standing over him and crossing her arms.

Brother Dust inhales, and sighs. “You know how your brother is…”

“Typical. Fucking typical! Always, he gotta do this, don’t he…? I swear if he don’t show up in the next minute, I’m outta here-!” she rages, stepping over the divider and pacing back and forth in front of the altar.

“Knowles, please…” he says, standing, “Don’t behave that way. You know that patience is a virtue…”

“You ain’t my dad!”

He chuckles. “No. No, I’m not…”

“Why the fuck we even gotta have a meeting in person anyways?! It’s the modern age, padre, just text me the deets!”

“Eyy, now that wouldn’t do. I ain’t even got a phone, so…” says a languid, new voice. Knowles stops pacing as quickly as she starts. Dust turns to watch him enter, a young man with an unruly afro and wearing clothes two sizes too big for him. He frowns at the sight of the blunt hanging from his lips.

“Toto, please do put that out. This is a place of worship.”

“Oh, yeah, sorry ‘bout that. Forgot…” Toto replies, removing the spliff and crushing it under his foot. Dust sighs in resignation.

“And just where the hell have you been?!” Knowles demands, “What took you so long?”

“Whaaat? I woke up on time and e’rything…!” he yawns, “I ain’t woken up this early in a while, not since I stood in line to get the next Lamar album!! You lucky I’m here at all...”

“You goddamn no-good bum! A sloth, is what you are!”

“Now, now, children, be good to each other. There is business to attend to…” Dust says, raising his hands, calming them. “I’m sure you both know why we’re here.”

“... Nah, I don’t.” Toto replies bluntly.

“What the hell you think it is?! It’s all fucking falling apart, Toto! Phantasma been murdered and our cash cow’s been got by the pigs! I seen it on the fucking news! The whole plan’s FUCKED!”

“Ohhh, right, right, I remember… Wait, sorry, which plan is that?”

“THE PLAN!! The plan we been working on for years now! The plan to get Paul Mann into Congress and eventually into the White House, so that we can run the fuckin’ country! That plan, motherfucker!!”

“I heard, I heard, I was kidding… Man, you takin’ this real personal, aint’ya?”

“I respected Phantasma. She was a powerful woman, so of course that four-eyes asshole All-Kill wanted her gone! We can’t let him get away with this!”

“In time, my dear, in time… I share your pain, and your worries for the future, but fear not. Despite the loss of our Sister and the capture of our political asset, hope is not yet lost. Toto is right: although our original plan may have fallen through, we have but simply to hunker down, and find another way. The Lord will provide us with a new opportunity, I’m sure of it.” Knowles sniffs, then turns, jumping up to sit cross-legged on the altar.

“Soon, all our enemies, those that stand in the way of our enlightenment will be vanquished… All our enemies…” he says, glancing at Toto.

“Uhh, right…” he says, pulling photographs out of his pocket. Polaroid pictures, depicting secretive shots of Shizuka and her friends. He cycles through them, scrutinizing them, “So, I ain’t learned much more after they left the hospital. Joestar girl showed up in town a few weeks ago, looking for her momma…” 

“Her momma? … Could she be related to someone in All-Kill’s crew?”

“Maybe, I ain’t confirmed yet… What makes you say that anyways? It ain’t like all Asians know each others, right?”

Knowles’ eyes go wide. “That’s not-- That’s isn’t what I meant, I just thought, since-- I mean she keeps on getting in our way, I thought that maybe--!! D-don’t put words in my mouth, you--!!”

“Yeah yeah, whatever. Anyway, they pulled up at the Hotel California last night, like I told you, and we figured that was that, right? Well… obviously, that was not that. ”

“Quite. Underestimating them is clearly folly. What more?”

“Uhhh, that’s all, I think. Already told ya she here lookin’ for her momma... Oh, right, there was somethin’ I wanted to ask… All-Kill’s thing, his coup, he probably definitely gon’ get T’onga to do us in, right?”

“Indeed. T’onga Kim is Brother All-Kill’s most valued asset, it is only natural he would entrust our elimination to her. It was she who eliminated Phantasma, after all, as she would now do to us.”

“The treacherous bitch,” Knowles hisses, “How could she? Murdering a sister in solidarity like that… It’s a disgrace!”

“You surprised?” Toto asks. “This’s kinda her thing.”

“That’s not the point, damn it!! The plan’s been ruined because of her!! How are we supposed to rise above the oppressors if we gotta worry about turning against each other?!!”

Dust lays his hand on Knowles’ shoulder. “You are right, child. Absolutely. That is not the Paradise I have envisioned, where the Chosen bring peace and order to the world! Hear what I say now, my children.

“We are those Chosen. The true light shines out of darkness, in the hidden places where the Hands of God moves the world! It is the truth I’ve seen, for us to be those Hands on Earth! It was my dream to share that vocation with my Congregation… But All-Kill has rejected it utterly. 

“This, now, is more than a mere battle, but a Crusade! We will prevail, for we are garbed in the protection of the Lord!”

Dust’s pontification hangs in the air. Knowles has calmed down dramatically, drawn in by the preacher man’s sheer conviction. Toto stands apart, his hands in his pockets. He raises his hand to pick away his spliff, only to notice he no longer has it, having put it out not long ago. Scratching the back of his neck, he retrieves a dustpan from the corridor and sweeps up the burnt ashes left on the chapel floor. 

The preacher man sighs, contented. “That aside... Hear my words well, children. Go now, and prepare.”

Knowles partially breaks out of a daze and ambles away, out of the chapel. Toto watches her leave for a moment, glancing at Dust before following her. 

The old man turns and stares into the eyes of the angels above the altar, then moves and crouches behind it. With deft fingers, he unlocks a secret hatch hidden beneath. Inside is a gym bag full of CDs. He opens it, and the Stand discs inside shimmer in the low light.

He grins tightly. “It seems I’ll get to avenge you after all... Pucci.”

                                                        ---

IN C-KING’S MANSION

“There’s something I want to say before we go any further.” Moya declares. She sits on an armchair in C-King’s living room. Shizuka and Jerome sit across from her and  watch her expectantly, while Kilo stands next to them, arms crossed. In Moya’s right hand, she holds a crisp, white envelope. Written on the envelope in permanent marker is the name ‘JOESTAR’.

They had hardly been back in the mansion for more than a few hours before the doorbell had rung. Moya and Kilo had gone to answer, their Stands at the ready. When they stormed out of the door, no-one was there. No-one, and nothing but the envelope. Inside, they could clearly see the outline of a letter.

“I’ve told you this before, Shizuka, but I’ll say it again,” Moya stresses, “Your mother is a dangerous person. No matter how much you want to see her, I will not allow her to harm you. If she tries anything… anything… then I won’t hesitate to deal with her. If I have to, I will kill her.”

No one says anything for a moment. Kilo silently agrees. 

“... I’m sure it won’t come to that. I know not to expect any hugs and kisses.” Shizuka declares, smiling, resolute.

Moya sighs. “Alright… Kilo.” she says, flicking the envelope to Kilo. SATURN BARZ catches it and cautiously opens it, ready to neutralize anything that might emerge from it. But the paper is a normal piece of paper. After inspecting it for a moment, he presents it to Shizuka.

The message is simple, containing only these words, again, in permanent marker: I WILL MEET YOU AT ANAHEIM. Alongside it are three tickets to a convention. At the bottom of the letter is no name, but a simple drawing of an impossible triangle.

Shizuka inhales, and exhales as a rush of adrenaline causes her fingers to shake, rattling the paper.

END of CHAPTER 33

[dragon-kazansky]

The hypnotist - Jervis Tetch x reader

Summary: While you wait for Jervis to recover and return to Arkham, you make a new friend. You woke up the courage to be honest about your feelings and something starts to stir for Gotham.

Chapter 10 - New friends and feelings

From day one you did your best to not stand out too much and observe the people in Arkham. Jervis once said he got used to it’s ways and you grow accustomed to being there.

The patients mostly tuned each other out, only really interacting if they found it funny or there was a fight. Avoiding them was easy if you kept to yourself.

It was the treatments that concerned you.

It had only been a week and your only meeting was on your arrival as they asked questions. For now you were just a confused individual until a doctor could have proper sessions with you.

You became quickly used to your little cell. It took a bit of effort to tune out the screams and jeers of your neighbours, but Arkham was becoming home bit by bit. You could laugh at the idea.

It was during lunch one day that he approached you. Apparently, despite how little attention you brought upon yourself, you had caught his eye. You weren’t sure if you were honoured about it, but you took it in stride.

After all, there wasn’t a soul in Gotham who didn’t know Jerome Valeska.

He slid into the seat across from you, casting a slight shadow over your lunch tray. You peered up at him curiously wondering what he wanted.

Jerome smiled, his scars not bothering you in the slightest.

“You’re new.” He gave a light chuckle.

“Been here 7 days.” You gave false smile.

“I’m Jerome!”

“I know. I’m Y/N. What can I do for you?” You remained polite, but cheeky. He didn’t scare you. If anything he amused you.

“In a place like this, you need friends.” He leaned forwards, looking at you from the side.

“So, you want to be my friend?”

Jerome gave a toothy smile and reached over for your pudding pot. You let him have it. You may not be afraid, but you knew better than to start something with him.

“Sure do!”

You took a bite of your lunch, looking at him. You thought is over as you swallowed your mouthful.

Having Jerome on your side would certainly scare away any trouble. It was also a pretty cool thought knowing this guy right here had Gotham in his grasp for a whole night.

“I suppose being your friend would be pretty cool. Considering it’s you and all.” You smiled. “I do need company until my very special someone gets here.”

“Special someone?”

“Oh yeah, he got hurt pretty badly, he’s recovering in hospital, so I hear. He should be back here soon.” You remained friendly. You didn’t want to let your smile show at the thought of Jervis, but it was difficult not to.

He made you so very happy.

“The guards here talk a lot.” Jerome took a mouthful of pudding. “You mean Tetch?”

“Yep. I went through a lot to be with him and became so close to losing him.” You sighed softly. “I’ll be with him again soon.” You gave a little giggle as you thought about him.

“Well then, I’ll keep you company till he gets here, shall I?” He gave a big smile.

“Sounds fun!”

Over the next few days you and Jerome were pretty much attached at the hip. You met up at every moment that was allowed, giggling and chatting away in the corner.

In your next meeting the doctor brought up your friendship with Jerome, but no one seemed bothered enough to pull you apart. You figured Jerome had something to do with that. He was dangerous alone with words, it made you chuckle.

He even had the staff in Arkham quaking in their boots.

He oozed control.

One afternoon, while the pair of you were sitting together and chatting, the guards came strolling down the hall with the one person you had been waiting for. Your eyes landed on him and you smiled, rushing to the fence that separated you from that very hall.

Time had passed slowly in Arkham, despite your new fond company. Not a moment went by were you weren’t thinking about Jervis and how he was doing.

Jerome watched you from his seat with a grin. He was curious about the pair of you and almost touched at the sentiment of your reunion.

Jervis caught your gaze and smiled as he neared you. His heart was leaping with joy at being able to see you again. He hadn’t stopped thinking about you either.

“Y/N!” He sounded so happy.

“Jervis! You’re looking much better.” A part of you wanted to cry with joy, but you refrained from that. You just wanted to savour the moment. He was here and he was OK. That’s all that mattered.

“I’m much better, especially now I can see you again.” The smile never left his face and the pair of you could feel the tension in the air with all the things you wanted to say, but couldn’t. Neither one of you knew where to start, too overwhelmed with being together once more.

“Stop talking.” The guard growled, seeing Jervis had stopped following him to talk to you. You glared at the guard. It was hard to hold onto any happy moments when people took them away so easily.

“I’ll see you later, my dear.” He smiled sadly as the other guard grabbed a hold of him and guided him away from you. He glanced over his shoulder with a soft gaze in his eyes as he was escorted away.

You watched him till he was out of sight.

You sighed.

Jerome came up beside you and peered down the hall. He had been in Arkham for quite some time now. He was used to the way the staff behaved and how little respect was given between them and the patients.

You looked a little lost now they had taken Tetch away once again.

“Don’t let that guard get in the way.” He sounded amused. “You’ll be with your boyfriend sooner or later.”

You turned to face him slowly with a small smile.

“Tell me again about this place.”

Jerome had told you everything you needed to know about the staff and sessions. Most of the guards would look the other way, not really wanting to involve themselves with Gotham’s most dangerous, so it was surprising what you could get away with if you knew what you were doing.

All you wanted, however, was to be with Jervis.

Unfortunately there wasn’t a whole lot Jerome could do about that. You would just have to wait till Jervis was allowed to be in the same room as the other patients once again.

In the mean time you had Jerome for company, so it wasn’t entirely dull. He had told you a lot about some of the other patients, who they were, why they were there. You learnt quite a lot about pretty much everything.

Jerome’s only goal was to keep you smiling until Tetch was allowed back into the room. He had become quite fond of you and knew that you had spunk. You had become just as much entertainment to him as he had to you.

Three days.

Three days had passed before Jervis was allowed to join you.

You had been sat with Jerome, as usual, talking and people watching. He had made a comment that made you laugh.

Neither one of you noticed right away.

The gate had opened and Jervis was ushered inside, the Doctor behind him clearly wanting to get on with their day. He made them no mind as he scanned the room, his gaze landing on you and a smile stretched across his face.

Finally. After all this time he got to be with you again.

When your laughter had died down you cast your gaze to the figure standing in the corner of your eyes. Time seemed to stop when you realised he was there.

“Jervis!”

You got up quickly and hurried over to him. Jerome remained seated, watching intently.

Jervis wasted no time in opening his arms and pulling you into his chest when you reached him. It felt so good to hold you like this. He buried his nose into your hair and let you give him a squeeze.

“I’m so glad to see you’re OK!” You pulled away just enough to look up at him. “I was so worried.”

“Everything is fine, my dear. You have nothing to fear.”

Jervis took a moment to let your features sink in. His eyes scanning every inch of your face as he caressed your cheeks gently.

You smiled softly up at him.

“At least we’re together.” You whispered.

His lips twitched up into a grin.

“Just as we hoped.”

Jerome, as much as this scene fascinated him, came over and coughed into his fist.

You pulled away from Jervis and turned to face your friend.

“Mr. Tetch!” Jerome grinned at the taller man. “Pleasures all mine.” He held out his hand, but quickly moved it out of the way as Jervis went to shake it. Jerome chuckled and you just rolled your eyes, amused.

Jervis gazed back down at you and reached for your hand, taking it in his own.

“I see you have been making friends.” He looked at you so sweetly.

“Well, I was waiting for you. Jerome has been keeping me company.”

“I’m glad you weren’t alone.” His smile was so soft, it made your heart melt.

You find yourself holding his hand and pull him over to the table you had been occupying before. You didn’t know what would happen now, but at least there was no Jim to get in the way.

Jervis sat down happily, his hand becoming comfortable in your own.

There was so much you wanted to say. You wondered, despite the situation of being locked up in an asylum, if you should just confess everything.

Perhaps not.

Before you could say anything at all, a guard came over to the gate and looked over at your table.

“Y/N. You have a visitor.” He called out. “Hurry up.”

You gave Jervis an apologetic look and left his side to see who it was. You really weren’t expecting anyone to come see you.

Barbara, though she was kind to you and gave you work, you doubted would come all this way to see you.

Jim would never make the effort, knowing this was what you wanted in the end.

Oswald was also unlikely. He didn’t really bother with others unless it benefited him, and you sure as hell don’t benefit him anyway now.

You followed the guard and waited as he handcuffed you to the table.

The door opened once the guard had left you alone for a couple of minutes. Looking up you saw Harvey Bullock.

“Harvey?”

The detective walked over to the other chair and sat down, removing his hat. He sighed heavily.

“I wasn’t expecting you. I wasn’t expecting anyone.” You smiled at him. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Let’s just say my conscious wasn’t accepting of the idea.”

“Um, what?” You furrowed your brow at him. “What does that mean?”

“The antidote has been made.”

“I assumed so, but now you’re changing the topic. What are you doing here Harvey?” You glared at him.

“I thought I’d give you one last chance to back out.”

“Bit late for that isn’t it?” You scoffed. “This is the problem with Gotham. No one listens.” You leaned forwards and glared at him harshly. “Go away, Harvey. I got what I wanted. Go and try and save the city as you like to do.”

“I suppose I just wanted to be sure.” Harvey leaned back in his seat and looked at you.

“Sure?”

“That you really were losing your mind. No one would want this.” He put his hat back on his head. “I got my answer. I’ll be on my way.”

“Maybe I have lost my mind, but for the record, I’m happy.” You gave an uncontrollable giggle. 

Harvey said no more and left you alone.

The guard waited for you to calm down a little as you chuckled in your seat. It was funny to you how much Jim and Harvey had tried to convince themselves you weren’t that person.

Let’s face it, you are. You have lost your mind, but you’re happy. You’re with Jervis and that’s all that mattered to you.

The guard came in and released you from the table, escorting you down the hall.

Unfortunately everyone had returned to their cells. You wouldn’t be seeing Jervis again until tomorrow morning. Your displeased expression didn’t go unnoticed by the guard, but he chose not to say anything. He was already freaked out by your giggle fit.

As you turned the corner you almost bumped into someone. A young man also being escorted back to his cell.

He had fluffy brown hair, he was tall and slender, and he was avoiding eye contact.

He glanced up briefly when he nearly walked into you, stepping back and flicking his fringe to the side. A small apology escaped his lips as he stepped around you, the guard gripping his arm, and walked away.

You glanced over your shoulder and watched him go.

The guard gave you a shove.

“Keep walking.”

You gritted your teeth and continued to make the walk down to your cell. Remaining stoic as the guard locked the door behind you and walked away, you decided then and there you would tell Jervis how you felt next time you saw him, and you would accept the chaos that could ensue.

In the back of your mind an idea was brewing.

Meeting Jerome had lit a spark in your mind.

For now you would sit and wait.

The next morning, when you were all escorted to the food hall for breakfast, you went straight to where Jervis and Jerome were sitting after grabbing your food. The hatter had the brightest smile on his face when you sat beside him. He instantly reached for your hand.

“Good morning, my dear.”

“Good morning, Jervis.” You smiled back at him.

“I didn’t get to see you after your visitor, who was it?” He had been curious about it since you left his side yesterday.

“Harvey Bullock. I think he finally gets it now.”

Jervis smiled as he leaned a little closer to you, his gaze was piercing and you had suddenly control of how hard your heart was beating.

“Good. Hopefully he will leave you be now.”

“Jervis, there’s something I want to tell you.” You bit your lip sheepishly. You just wanted to get things off your chest and be open about your complete adoration with this man.

“What is it?”

You opened your mouth to say something when you realised Jerome had sat down on the opposite side of the table. He placed his chin in his palm as he rested his elbow on the table, watching you with an amused glint in his eye. His grin was something wicked and you lost all the words you wanted to say.

“I’ll tell you later.”

“Don’t stop on my account, doll.” Jerome chuckled.

Jervis gave a small sigh, leaning away from you once again.

“Where did you go?” You asked, changing the topic all together.

“Over there.” Jerome put his hand down and turned around, looking over his shoulder at the boy in the corner. It was the same young man you saw in the hall last night.

“Who is he?” You wondered aloud. He was sitting on his own and everyone else was looking at him with caution.

“Jonathan Crane. His dad went crazy making some fear toxin.” Jerome spoke with much curiosity.

“I heard about that.” You looked at Jonathan, intrigued.

Jerome looked at you with a grin.

“What?”

“Maybe you could talk to him, get him on our side.”

“Our side?” Jervis asked, warily.

“I have plans for Gotham. I need people on my team!” Jerome opened up his arms and gestured to the pair of you. The three of you too occupied with this conversation to notice that Jonathan had looked over.

“Funny.” You leaned forwards, your arms resting on the table.

“Is it?”

“No, it’s funny because now I’m in here, I’ve had this feeling.” You let your smile show. “Something big is coming to Gotham, it just makes perfect sense you would be involved. You’re Jerome Valeska. You have quite a bit power just by being you.”

Jerome grinned.

“That’s true. What do you say? Help bring some anarchy to this wretched city?”

You turned to Jervis with a bright gaze.

“What do you think?”

Jervis smiled at you.

“Creating trouble with you? Very appealing.” He chuckled.

“I’ll see what I can do, but first I have a session to get ready for.” You turned to your breakfast, realising no one had eaten yet.

Jerome glanced over once more at Jonathan, smiling at him when he saw the boy looking.

Jervis peered at you from the corner of his eye, wondering what it was you wanted to tell him.

You ate quickly and stood up, preparing to leave for your session, but Jervis was quick to follow you over to the door and pull you to the side. Jerome hadn’t moved from his seat, so now seemed like a good time.

“What is it?” You asked, slightly worried by Jervis’ behaviour.

“I wanted to know, what is it you wanted to tell me?” His gaze was so soft, you just wanted to kiss him.

“Oh, well...” You reached for his hands hoping the words you had lost would come back to you. “I need to be honest with you.”

“I’m listening.”

You glanced around the room. Jerome was looking over with a grin on his face, but he remained seated. The guards around the room seemed otherwise preoccupied.

Jonathan was also looking, but you didn’t notice him from where you were standing.

“Jervis... I think I’ve fallen in love with you, but I understand if this is complicated and weird. I doubt Arkham allows much in the way of romance.” You chuckled softly.

Jervis smiled warmly and tucked some hair behind your ear.

“I was worried you were going to tell me something bad, but to know my feelings are returned makes me glad. Quite a duo we do make, but now you���ve cured my heartache.”

You couldn’t help but chuckle.

“It feels glad to tell you.”

Jervis still had a hold on your hand.

“We’ll be OK. Bide our time and sit in wait. Gotham surely will reach it’s fate.” He placed a kiss to your cheek, doing it quickly so no one would notice.

“I have to go, but I’ll see you later.” You smiled up at him.

“I’ll be waiting.”

You reluctantly let go of his hand and had the guard take you to your next session. You dreaded what would be brought up this time, but you knew Jervis would be waiting for you.

Arkham wasn’t entirely bad.

Jervis turned around after you had left and returned to the table. Jerome tucked his little fingers into his mouth and tried to whistle, something that he couldn’t do as well any more, but tried anyway.

“Well aren’t you a lucky man!” Jerome let out a loud laugh, which was starting to upset some of the other patients.

Jervis sat down with his head held high.

“Oh yes, very much so.” He gave a bright toothy smile.

Things were looking up.

Tags:

@mistressoftorture @fandombeehive @awyr  @queenofmonstersanddemons @they-shot-me-with-a-knife

[lachlantrash]

Q&A

"Oh my god, I can't believe we agreed to this." You laugh, sitting in an office chair, Lachlan in one to your left and Jerome to your right. There's a camera that's facing the three of you, ready to record a video for Jerome's channel.

"C'mon, you two have been together three years, everything I ask you guys will probably be things you've already talked about."Jerome says, trying to ease you.

"Plus, if we don't like where he takes it, then we can always walk out." Lachlan offers, taking your hand in his.

"I don't think it'll come to that. Anyways, are you two ready to record?" Jerome asks, waiting for you both to say 'yes' before he presses the button on his camera. "Hey guys, it's Jerome and today, I have the pack power couple, Lachlan and (Y/N) with me. Their three year anniversary today, and I convinced them to record a Q&A with me before they drive out to the hotel they're staying at for the night." He laughs, winking at the camera. "Before we begin, say hi." Jerome says, motioning for you and Lachlan to greet the video.

"Hey guys, before you think too deeply into why we're staying at a hotel, it's because our dinner reservations are far from Jerome and Mitch's place, so we didn't want to have to drive back late at night." You say, waving at the camera.

"And, because we're probably going to have sex and Jerome complained about hearing us when he stayed at our place, so we thought it'd be nice to cut him a break at his." Lachlan adds with a laugh.

"Oh my god, Lachlan! I can't believe you just said that." You say, holding back your own laugh and covering your mouth.

"That's staying in, I'll make this a second channel upload." Jerome says. "Are you two ready for the questions?" He adds.

"As ready as I'll ever be." You sigh, running your free hand through your hair.

"Alright, so Lachlan... When are you going to pop the question? It's been three years, she must have started to nag you on it." Jerome asks, making you smile as you look over at Lachlan.

"Yeah, I like this question. When are you going to pop the question?" You ask, playing with his hand you're still holding.

"Well um... Shit Jerome, way to put me on the spot." Lachlan laughs. "When it feels right, I guess. I know she's the one for me, so there's no point in waiting too many more years for it, but I also don't want to rush it. I can guarantee I'll ask her to marry me within the next two years." Lachlan says, eyes on the back of your hand as his thumb runs over it.

"So I have at least a year to get a date for it, noted..." Jerome says, pretending to write it down on his sheet of questions. "Alright, have you two ever had sex at my house?" He asks, making a blush rise to your face.

"Um, about that..." You trail off. "Maybe a few times, but nothing crazy." You add, moving hair out of your face.

"More than a few times, some of our wildest adventures took place here." Lachlan says, laughing when you mock punch him in the shoulder. "I'm kidding, we're pretty tame here." Lachlan says, taking it back.

"Either way, you guys are sick. I would never get it on at your place." Jerome sighs, scanning his question sheet. "Alright, well will (Y/N) ever get another cat?"

"No more cats, Lachlan said I've reached the maximum amount of cats he'll deal with." You fake sigh.

"Oh c'mon, you have four cats." Lachlan says, making you roll your eyes.

"Right, but I could have five." You say in a matter of fact tone.

"No fighting here, I don't want to ruin your anniversary. What's the hardest part of living together?" Jerome asks.

"I'd say for me, it's the fact that he leaves things around. He picks them up eventually, but at night he'll just throw the shirt he was wearing across the room and call it a night, it bothers me." You confess, looking up at Lachlan.

"For me it's the fact that she gives her pets so much attention. After working sometimes I just want to cuddle and go to bed but she's always doing something involving the cats or the ferrets or the fish." Lachlan says, making eye contact with you.

"Both of those things could be annoying, I see." Jerome says, pretending to take notes again. "So both of you, who is your favorite member of the pack? And before you ask (Y/N), you can't say Lachlan." Jerome says.

"I'll go first so you can think, babe." Lachlan laughs. "My favorite would probably be Preston. I'm sorry Jerome, I really am, but Preston and I vibe out really well whenever I see him in Texas, and he doesn't try to steal my girl from me when he's drunk like you've done before." Lachlan says, making you laugh as you remember the event. "Plus, him and (Y/N) really get along, even when they team up to bully me." Lachlan adds.

"My favorite besides this hunk of an Australian next to me would have to be Mitch, just because I've known him the longest. I was friends with him before I even began dating Lachlan, and he's the reason Lachlan and I got together in the first place." You say, shrugging afterwards.

"I'm actually so offended you two, I'm neither of your favorites!? Whatever, moving on... Obviously you two aren't even engaged yet, but any ideas on where to go for your honeymoon?" Jerome asks, making both you and Lachlan laugh.

"Well, we've had talks about it, but we have mixed feelings. I want to go somewhere warm, like the Bahamas or something. She wants to go somewhere cold." Lachlan says.

"Well if we go somewhere cold we can stay cuddled by a fire, and during the day we can snowboard and stuff, it's cute." You argue.

"If we go somewhere warm, I can see you in your bathing suit." Lachlan counters.

"If we go somewhere that's cold and has a hot tub, you can see me in my bathing suit and less." You wink at him, making him let out a little laugh.

"Alright, you've convinced me." He says jokingly, leaning in to plant a kiss on your lips. "Shit, I forgot about the camera." He says when he pulls away, noticing Jerome just staring at the two of you.

"I don't know what I just watched, but I'm going to move on... How many kids do you want to have? And let's say you had one boy and one girl, what do you guys want to name them?" Jerome reads from his paper.

"Well, I want three but he wants four. If I got to name one boy and one girl, I'd name a boy Bentley and the girl Allison." You say, looking to Lachlan. You two have never discussed names before.

"I like Bentley, but I always pictured having a little girl named Farrah." Lachlan says.

"I can deal with Farrah." You tell him, squeezing his hand.

"Good, that was an easy agreement. (Y/N), do you like the sidemen or the pack better?" Jerome asks.

"That ones easy, obviously the pack. I'm kind of dating a group member from there, so it'd be kind of unjust for me to say I like the sidemen better. Even though they're all ultra cool guys and I totally think Harry's cute, I'm going to have to say the pack because Lachlans just a smidge cuter." You say, laughing as Lachlan gives you a dirty look.

"Harry's not even close to being on my level." Lachlan huffs, jealousy clear in his tone.

"Oh c'mon babe, all I did was call him cute. Obviously I'm not interested in him when I have all of you to myself." You defend yourself, making Jerome gag.

"No lovey dovey talk please, I know this is a couple Q&A but save the love eyes and speeches for later. Let's move on, do you two like being the longest standing pack couple?" Jerome asks, scanning his sheet.

"I love it, all of the boys go to (Y/N) for relationship advice on how to treat their girlfriends if they have one. And then they'll go to me to see if I have any secret tips on how to keep a girl happy and interested. I feel respected when it comes to it. What about you, babe?" Lachlan asks, curiously looking at you.

"I love it too, especially because the fans call us mom and dad. I think it's funny, when I get tweets saying 'mom, tell dad to upload' or if I scroll through your YouTube comments on videos of us and people will be like 'mom and dad are so cute together'." You laugh. "At first I was wary about getting romantically involved without a youtuber, because fans can be brutal. But for the most part, yours have been nothing but nice to me." You add, looking at Lachlan appreciatively.

"I think that's because they knew who you were before we were dating. They've seen you in in Mitch's videos before I even knew who you were, and then you moved it to Australia and at first they didn't know we were dating, but we told them we were friends and they immediately wanted us to date. I think a lot of them are just satisfied that they were correct about us having a thing." Lachlan laughs, looking at you after he finishes speaking.

"Please don't forget I'm here, guys." Jerome chimes in, drawing both your attention and Lachlan's. "So, can I be the best man at the wedding, whenever it does happen?" Jerome asks, looking hopefully to Lachlan.

"Sorry mate, but I've already promised Mitch that if (Y/N) and I get married, he's the best man for introducing us." Lachlan says, making Jerome gasp.

"I'm actually offended, first I'm not the favorite and now I can't be the best man? Fine, what about the maid of honor?" Jerome asks teasingly. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. But, can I at least be a groomsmen?" Jerome sighs out.

"I don't know, we'll see." Lachlan answers, making a laugh escape your lips.

"Wow, savage level answers here." You laugh. "If he tells you no Jerome, you can be a bridesmaid."

"Thanks (Y/N), all the years I've known Lachlan and he won't even let me be a groomsmen at his wedding. I can't believe this." Jerome sighs out.

"Oh I was only kidding, of course you can be a groomsmen." Lachlan says, making a smile appear on Jeromes face.

"I knew the pity party would work." Jerome cheers. "Well uh, that's all the questions I had... Are you guys excited for your date?" Jerome asks.

"Yeah, yeah we are." You laugh, the awkwardness clear in Jerome's voice.

"Well that's all then guys, I hope you enjoyed the inside information from the power couple themselves." Jerome says, finishing off his outro before turning the camera off. "Alright you two, you have permission to go on your date now." Jerome says.

"Oh why thanks, I didn't realize I needed permission to take my girlfriend of three years out to dinner." Lachlan laughs, letting go of your hand so he can stand.

"Yes, you still need permission to take her out. And have her home by ten!" Jerome says sternly, making you laugh as you stretch, standing after and hugging Lachlan.

"Are you ready to go?" You ask, taking your head off his chest to look him in his face.

"I'm always ready to go somewhere with you. Are you eager to get to the hotel?" He asks a smirk on his face making you roll your eyes.

"Actually I am, but I think we're excited for different reasons. I'm excited to get ready for our dinner date." You say, playing with the bottom of Lachlans t-shirt.

"I'm more excited for what's going to happen after dinner." Lachlan says, the smirk on his face lasting a second longer before he leans down and places a kiss on your lips.

"Alright you two, that's where I draw the line. Go, get on out of here." Jerome says, making you pull out of the kiss to laugh.

"Okay, lets go." You laugh, pulling out of the hug and instead grabbing hold of Lachlans hand.

"Whatever you say, babe." Lachlan says, making your heart flutter at the man you've fallen in love with.

[trumpetnista]

CMW2/Trumpetnista: True North

Summary from FFN: CANON COMPLIANT AU WITH HEAVY SPOILERS FOR THE END OF SEASON 4 AND THE FIRST EPS OF 5; After the events of 'Not You, Too', Bruce is ecstatic that Selina is alive but he is about to truly lose it. Being the True North of his life, Selina enlists the one person who loves him more than her to help him escape Gotham's ruins.;Rated for words & imagery;4th in my 2019 SSS Project

Words from the Hooded GOTHAMITE: Your eyes are not deceiving you, folks. It's a double header! I'm really gonna knuckle down and update/finish at least one of my established stories in another fandom after this one, I promise but again, what the Muses want, they get. If I don't cooperate with them, they go away for ages. They really want Bruce and Selina right now. It is what it is.

Selina and Alfred's bond is one of my favorite on the show. I've always loved a good 'started from the bottom, now we're here' plotline and I'm glad that they've united. Other than Jim, they're all Bruce has so it's best that they get along. They've gone from enemies to frenemies to family and I really, really hope that the BatFamily can become some kind of an official thing in GOTHAM's endgame. If not, that's what fanfic is for.

Again, I just want everyone to be happy. Is that too much to ask?

Anyway, here's the follow up to 'Not You, Too' and after I do the aforementioned updating/finishing in my other fandoms, I will get started on my next big Baby BatCat fics. There is a need and I will fulfill it!

Disclaimer: “Honestly, it’s not mine!”

"I once said that the only reason he wanted to be with me was because I was literally the only girl he knew. That myth is just busted all to pieces now, ain't it?"

"Completely. You're the love of his life."

"He's a masochist. And I'm an idiot because I love him back. One of those Tangs for me?"

"Yes."

"Any vodka in it?"

"Unfortunately, no."

"Don't worry. I'll swipe some Goose from Barbara later. I gotta go see Tabby. Pay my respects."

"I'm sorry for your loss, Selina."

"Are you?"

"You cared for her."

"She tried to kill Bruce. Like really, really tried."

"Everyone has."

Laughing still hurt like hell but Selina Kyle couldn't help but do so. It wasn't like Alfred Pennyworth was wrong. Every maniac worth their salt in Gotham took a crack at Bruce Wayne at least once before their temper tantrum was done. That was what he got for being an overly noble piece of shit like Jim Gordon. Not to say that Gordon wasn't a good man (not that she'd ever tell him so to his face) but to model one's life choices after him really wasn't the best idea. It led to so much trouble.

Hopping down from the roof's ledge aggravated her injuries but Selina welcomed the pain. She welcomed the fact that she could climb and jump again. Even when she had nothing, even when she was all alone, she had been able to move. She had been able to run, jump and be free. Jeremiah Valeska had taken that away from her. He had shot her, nearly ruined her, but fate in the form of Bruce had intervened. He had gone out and found a Cure for her. He had risked becoming a living garden from Ivy Pepper Version 3′s venom for her. He had saved her and in turn, she would do her best to save him.

Eventually, she wouldn't be able to. It went back to him being an overly noble piece of shit but damn it, she would try. Bruce didn't get to die on her, not for a long time.

"How are you feeling?"

"I look the way I feel, Lurch."

"So, like a walking piece of roadkill?"

"Fuck off."

And it was very clear that Selina could not die on him. It wasn't an option. Jeremiah Valeska and his crazy girlfriend bitch had tried to kill her. They had damned near blown her up but she had made it out. She had managed to get out of her restraints and had been in the process of climbing out of a window when the explosives went off. That had sent her flying and while there was a bit of a blank, she remembered the feeling of weightlessness, the impact with the truck, and more importantly, the feeling of needing to get home.

Home was Bruce. Whether they were in Wayne Manor, The Haven, or anywhere, Bruce was home. She needed to get her ass up, pull herself together enough to function, and get home. If Valeska went after her, it stood to reason that he was going to go the whole nine yards. Her, Gordon, Alfred, anyone positive in Bruce's life had a bulls-eye on them again. Valeska wanted to break him. He wanted to convert him to his special brand of madness and the circus freak probably wanted his body, too. Bruce was damned fine to look at, like one of those angels in museum paintings. He had been adorable before but puberty had been very good to him.

However, the only person who would be touching the art was her.

Even if Jeremiah wasn't crazier than the cow that jumped over the moon and blew it up, the age difference was not good. Jeremiah was in his mid-twenties. Bruce may be 40 years old in the head but he had just turned 18. Jeremiah's Evil Twin Jerome, may he forever rot and burn in Hell, had ruined his birthday party when he took over that concert with exploding neck bombs.

The cake had been damned good, though. God, Selina missed cake so much. It was still possible to find the ingredients or a done one but it was more trouble than it was worth. The energy would be put to better use finding medicine or ammo.

Anyway, it had taken some time but she had gotten to the Twelfth Precinct, only to find a broken Bruce Wayne. He had thought she had been murdered. Jeremiah had said she was dead and instead of breaking in the way the freak longed for, Bruce had beaten him to death with a chair.

Jeremiah Valeska was very much dead.

Selina had demanded to see the body, just to make sure he was gone, and it had been a mess. Absolutely justified but a mess, all the same. Jeremiah's girlfriend had been catatonic but when three unfortunate saps tried to transport her to Arkham, she had murdered them and ran. Word was that she The Dark Zone's leader now and she would 'continue her beloved's legacy' or some other nonsense like that. As long as the demented bitch left Bruce the hell alone, Selina didn't care.

She would never forget the way he looked when Bruce came out of Gordon's office.

He looked as if his whole world had been destroyed but reborn in front of his eyes. The wild look in his eyes, the way he was shaking? It was the warehouse with Scarecrow's Terror Gas all over again, only a thousand times worse. All Selina could do was touch him, tell him to breathe, tell him to look at her but he hadn't got it. It had taken seconds for him to get it but it had felt like hours. Seeing him like that? God, if the motherfucker wasn't already dead, Selina would've gone after him. He already had a target on him for the bullet to her spine but hurting Bruce, breaking Bruce...

The hug he had given her had been so painful but she didn't dare pull away, not until she was sure that he was back. The anguish and relief in his voice as he cried in her arms, even as he responded to her would haunt her forever.

It also put a very heavy responsibility on her.

She had to stay alive.

She had to keep her remaining 7 lives close to her because if she didn't?

"...Selina? Are you up here?"

"Hey, B. You want some Tang? There's no vodka in it but it's still pretty good."

"No, thank you. I...I woke up and you were gone."

"Sorry. I needed some air and you needed the sleep. I didn't mean to scare you. C'mere."

Bruce came to her and hugged her, hiding his face in her shoulder. It had been 2 days since her supposed demise and Selina knew that he would cling for quite a while. Afterwards, he would be even more protective of her and she had to get ready to deal with it. Not just from Bruce but from everyone. Even though Valeska was gone, eliminating one of Gotham's biggest problems, she and everyone else was far from safe. The government was still doing its best to avoid helping them, meaning that the city would continue to fall apart. Eventually, even the good people would start turning on each other for the sake of survival and then, where would they be?

"You two weren't fighting, were you?"

"Nah. Truce is still on."

"Good."

"You need to eat."

"I'm not hungry."

"I didn't ask if you were. You need to eat. I found a bunch of MREs and water. There's enough."

"Selina..."

"Look, I get it. You thought I was dead, went full on WrestleMania on Valeska, found out I wasn't dead, and had the panic attack to end all of them. You're stressed out. You're feeling guilty for caving that asshole's head in, which you really shouldn't, by the way, you're still sad because the city's fucked but let me tell you something: I'm still here. We're getting by as best we can until we can get outside help. Valeska had it coming to him and all not taking care of yourself is gonna do is make Alfred worry about you and piss me off. Do you wanna do that?"

"...no."

"You need to eat. And you need to sleep some more. I'll come down in a few minutes. I gotta bandage and ice my ribs, anyways. Eat. Talk to Gordon and get some damned sunlight, will you? You look even more like a vampire than usual."

Bruce let out a noise that was between a scoff and a laugh before looking between them.

"Anything to add, Alfred?"

"No, I think she covered things nicely."

"I don't know if I like this. You two ganging up on me..."

"Somebody has take the L. It might as well be us. Are you still here?"

"I'm going, I'm going..."

"Wait."

Stepping forward, Selina pulled him down into a tender kiss and pecked his forehead.

"Now, scram. Grab me some chili mac and a vanilla pudding."

Bruce looked at her fixedly, nodded, and headed for the staircase. He hesitated in the doorway and when he turned around, Selina gave him a tired but genuine smile. Relief visibly filled him at the sight and he was gone. Shaking her head, she let out a noise that was half sigh and half sob.

"For fuck's sake...Alfred, we've got to get him outta here. Enough is enough. I don't...he has been on the edge of the worst nervous breakdown ever since it all went down with his parents and now this shit, on top of all the other shit? We gotta get him the hell out of here, government bullshit be damned!"

"Agreed. How?"

"I dunno. I was hoping that you had an idea. All that gray hair. There ought to be some wisdom underneath it..."

"This gray hair used to be blonde."

"Oh Christ...don't tell me you were walking around looking like one of the bastards from The Bee Gees back in the day..."

"Okay, I won't."

"Ewww...I wanna see pics but ewww..."

"...we're all he's got. Us and Gordon and he won't leave."

"Gordon will help us get him out, though. Him, Bullock, and Foxy. Maybe even Barbara. She's always had a soft spot for him from back in the day. If not, she'll do it for me...or Gordon. Gross."

"Problem is that Bruce may refuse to leave. He sees Gotham as his responsibility."

"I'll change his mind about that."

"I don't think you're in enough good physical condition to do that, yet."

"First of all, where there's a will, there's a way. Secondly, you need to mind your business, Jack. I know you're his Guardian and I guess mine now but there are boundaries..."

"Apologies."

"...and third, I don't think getting him to bounce will be as hard as you think. He doesn't want to lose anyone else he loves to what's left of this place. That's us. If we get out, he'll get out. Of course, he'll come back here to help as soon as possible because he's an overly noble piece of shit..."

"He's our overly noble piece of shit."

"...I know but...if we stick together, we can pull it off. Truce is still on."

"For Bruce."

"For Bruce."

[darkling-er]

Hope’s Savior ( John Seed x OC ) | Part 10

Summary: Trinity-Hope Johnson finds herself in the middle of a holy war, leading the Resistance, while having a complicated relationship with one of the cult’s herald. And she thought her first case would be easy. Oh how wrong she was!

Pairings: John Seed/Fem!Deputy, John Seed/OC, Earl Whitehorse & OC ( uncle&niece ), Joseph Seed/Fem!Deputy ( kind of ), might add more later

Warnings: mild language, violence, eventually smut, masturbation, oral sex, you know guys the usual, use of drugs ( bliss and other, thanks to Sharky ), fluff ( does that even need a warning? ), manipulation, angst, mention of mental illness ( insomnia, depression ), mention of child abuse ( from John’s side ), torture, I think that’s it? I swear it’s not so bad!

Word Counter: 4794

Notes: In this chapter I mention my hon’s oc, Liza Evans. You can check Liza’s story, and our interactions here: link , interactions with Liza and my ocs (others). I’m in love with hon’s oc, I’m sure you’ll like her too. ♥

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 |  Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | MASTERPOST for the others

Only you, can make this change in me...

The world is on fire again. Dark clouds of fire and ash cover the once green and vivid Earth. Hope’s nose is filled with the smell of burned flesh, human flesh, she thinks and she knows she’s right. Her friends, the people of Hope County are dead. And she stands on the pile of dead bodies, not even recognizing one of them as they melt in the fire. A fire that doesn’t affect her, which doesn’t hurt her. She shakes of fear and fury. But there are no screams, like last time, only an all too familiar song:

For it’s true, you are my destiny...

Then the dead bodies suddenly all stand on their feet. Looking at her, though their faces are melted and disfigured, she knows they are looking at her. All screaming silently, not making a noise, but a high pitch reaches her ears. Too high, too painful and she covers her ears with her hands, but to no vail, it doesn’t help. The music, the screams it’s all too much for her to take. Hope falls to the ground, but an even louder voice shakes her out of it:

“TRAIN! HUNT! KILL! SACRIFICE!” It’s Jacob Seed’s voice, and it repeats over and over and over again, getting louder than before and she can’t taki it anymore, she screams as well.

“Train! Hunt! Kill! Sacrifice!” She cries out, suddenly a gun in hand, killing the high pitch noise makers, every person getting a face as she shoots them.

Disfigured face, shoot, Dutch... Burned body, shoot, Sharky... Unknown bloody face, shoot, Earl... and it goes on again and again and again and she doesn’t stop even as tears fall down her face, knowing she’s killing her friends.

Then it stops, the high pitch, the music, everything. The ash falling from the skies stops as well. And then blackness comes to swallow her whole and Jacob Seed’s proud voice can be heard:

“Excellent.”

Waking up on the bench of the church in Fall’s End is a lot better than waking up tied up to a chair. So Hope doesn’t complain as her muscles hurt, when she gets up from the furniture. Her muscles hurt all the time, she gets cuts and wounds every day, thanks to the fighting, so who cares anyway?

She’s covered in sweat, even though the church is quite cold. Her ears still hurt and she feels a liquid sliding down her earlobe. She touches it then moves her hand in front of here view. Blood. And as if she wasn’t panicking already, a cough comes from behind her, startling her.

She doesn’t think as she gets her pistol from her holster, turns around and shoots blindly. The sound of the gunshot echoing in the house of God scares her. Her own actions scare her. With wide eyes, panic creeping up on her she looks at Pastor Jerome, hands shaking, lowering her gun.

The man seems scared, but not hurt, as the bullet went past him and hit the walls instead of his flesh.

“Oh God! I’m.. I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry Jerome, are you okay?”

She puts down her pistol and stumbles as she gets near the man, the Pastor catching her by the arm.

“Yes, don’t worry, Deputy. Nothing bad happened, that’s what matters.” He says and then looks at the young woman’s bleeding ear, touching the still fresh blood. “Deputy, are you all right? You’re bleeding!”

She shakes her head. No, I’m not fucking all right. The she nods slowly, calming down, closing her eyes. She can’t mention her dream, or the real time she heard Jacob’s commands, could she now?

“I.. yeah, just hit it into the bench when I woke up from a nightmare.” She feels bad lying to the man.

He showed her nothing but kindness and comfort, and here she goes betraying him with her lies. Jerome seems to notice it too, the hurt in his eyes visible, but says nothing as he sighs and lets the girl go.

“Did you sleep in here?” He asks looking at the bench she was sitting on a couple of minutes prior to this moment.

“Yeah, I hope you don’t mind...” Hope starts and Jerome chuckles lightly, holding up his hands:

“Deputy, it’s alright. But you could have asked any of us, we surely would have found you a bed.”

She nods, then starts to walk out of the church:

“I just wanted a place to rest for the night, I still have lots of things to do in the Valley... I’ll talk to you later.”

Hope feels bad about leaving the man like that, but she can’t seem to handle people, not while her dream is still fresh in her mind. As he exits the church she bumps into Adam’s chest.

“Are you okay?” The man asks, looking down at her, it’s easy for everyone to tower over her small form.

“Yeah, why is everyone so interested how I’m doing today?!” She asks annoyed and goes on her way toward the chopper she landed yesterday night.

The chopper reminds her of John Seed and she groans out loud, not wanting to deal with the youngest Seed brother in her head right now.

“Wow, someone’s grumpy.” Adam chuckles as he follows her.

Hope enters the chopper and the gun for hire does the same, making the young woman annoyed again.

“Why are you following me?”

He raises an eyebrow and looks at the junior deputy weirdly:

“You didn’t call.”

She snorts as they take off from the ground, leaving Fall’s End behind as they move toward west.

“Yeah, that usually means that you don’t have to come and follow me. When I call you, you come. That’s how this works, asshole!”

The man rolls his eyes:

“Well yeah, we were worried about you. Liza called me to check up on you after yesterday, so I did.”

Hope frowns at that. Liza Evans, the woman who she considers as her friend, who tends to listen to all radio channels to help out the Resistance with all kinds of information called Adam. To check up on her... After yesterday’s events...

“Fuck...” She sighs out, knowing that the woman probably heard her conversation with John Seed.

“What happened yesterday?” Adam asks her.

So she didn’t tell him at least. Good...

“Nothing of your concern.”

Silence falls upon them and she feels like apologizing for being rude to the man, when he changes topics:

“Where are we going?”

They’re already near their destination as she answers him:

“To the Lamb of God church. A woman named Grace needs our help there.”

Hope lands the chopper and exit it. Her rifle on her shoulder, pistol in holster and AR-C in hand. Adam holds his bow as they approach the church. Peggies are already outside, shooting at the belltower, where Hope spots a woman, Grace, probably.

The cultist don’t expect Adam and the Deputy so they fall to the ground dead pretty quickly.

“Hey, belltower!” Grace motions for them and Adam stays down the ground as Hope climbs the ladder on the side of the church.

The woman look at the sniper rifle on Hope’s shoulder and asks:

“How good of a shot are you?”

Hope smiles, remembering her longest shot to be about 150 meters:

“Not to brag, but pretty good.”

The woman scoffs, but smiles:

“Good... Name’s Grace. Got word soemone was out makin’ life miserable for the cult. You got good timing. See those graves down there?” She points at the cemetery of the church.

“Yup.”

“A couple war heroes buried here... My Pops is one of ‘em. The Peggies are trying to defile ‘em. They’re trying erase our history... demoralize us... get us to break so we’ll roll over. Huh, not on my fuckin’ watch. Ain’t nobody gonna touch my Pop’s grave while I’m still breathing. I’m a good shot, but I need someone to watch my back. They’re be here any second.”

“Alright, we’ll help you, don’t worry!” Hope takes her place on the roof, and tells Adam to get ready his pistol, if his bow won’t be that great against an ambush.

There’s no much time to prepare as the peggies are already on their way toward the mausoleums to destroy them. Grace wan’t kidding, she’s a good shot, as she takes out the peggies one by one. As some of them get closer they throw molotovs on the roof, Hope almost getting herself caught on fire. Sharky would love this... She thinks as she takes out the peggies that get too close to the graves.

“How pathetic are they, trying to destroy graves? Like, seriously? What is wrong with these people?” She shouts in between shots to Grace.

“Fuckin’ coward, that’s what they are. Don’t respect anyone, not even the dead.”

After firing up the guys with the flamethrowers and no more peggies are left alive Hope goes up to talk to the woman:

“Gotta admit, it would have been tough, without you... I owe you. Not a lot of people would have stuck their neck out like that.”

“That’s what I do.” Hope smiles at her, Grace returning a small smile.

“Means a lot to me. My pops always said, as long as we keep believin’ in each other, there’s still hope. If we stick together, look out for one another... Cult will never break us.”

Hope smiles, her anger from yesterday evening toward Dutch and the Resistance fading away. She had her doubts, she was angry that people kept acting like she was some soldier, just a tool for their cause. And here it is this woman, talking the truth. The reason why she keeps fighting and not just give up. People need to stick together.

“I ain’t about to get all sappy and shit, but if you ever need help, gimme a call. I got your back.”

“Thanks, I appreciate that. Right now I have that asshole over there with me though.” She motions to Adam with a teasing smile. “But I’ll call you, if we need help, keep safe.”

“Same goes to you, Deputy.”

They stay to loot the peggie corpses for useful stuff, as Dutch calls her. She feels ashamed after their yesterday fight, but the man sounds same as always.

“See you met Grace. Known her since she was a kid. Honest. Tough. Every bit the soldier her daddy was. Probably ten times the shot, too. She’ll watch your back when the shit hits the fan.”

The chopper got destroyed by the peggies while they were fighting - Thanks assholes - so Adam and her start walking. Adam being left behind a bit.

“Deputy.. not to be... a pain... in the ass... but... slow down?” Adam asks, breathing heavily.

Hope turns around, while walking backwards, still moving faster than the man, with a big grin on her face.

“Awwww, is our big grumpy man being tired? You wanted to come, so suck on that.” She laughs turning around.

“Seriously... gonna... pass out.”

Hope thinks he’s just being dramatic, but a big thud sound makes her turn around. Man on the ground she jogs up to him, crouching at the man’s side.

“Adam, you okay?” She asks, poking the man, who grunts in return, but unconscious.

“Great...” She scoffs, then sits beside him, dragging him off the road. They don’t want to get hit by a car or anything.

She’s waiting for the man to wake up, considering to call help after a few moments, when her radio crackles to life.

“Deputy... you’ve had your fun. But all sinners must confess. This is the will of the Father. My men are coming for you.” Wow, he sounds pissed, and I haven’t even done any big damage today. She wonders if the man remembers yesterday night as he finishes with: “I’ll see you soon.”

Why did that last sentence send chills down her spine? Why does she feel excited about this? Why did he sound so... sincere with the last sentence. Why, why, why... She doesn’t have much time to prepare as the search party comes for her.

Just as she starts shooting them down, getting her and Adam behind a tree, not wanting to get a bliss bullet yet again her radio crackles again:

“John is fucking determined to sink his hooks into you, Deputy.” Yeah, no shit! “I know you got out by the skin of your teeth last time, but don’t underestimate this bastard. Dutch out.”

And as the man says out, Hope gets a bullet into her leg. Same that got the arrow days ago.

“Oh for fuck’s...sake...” She says but feels dizzy as the white dots appear in front of her, and she’s soon out.

Moaning into the blackness Hope feels like shit. Her leg hurts, her body hurts and weirdly enough she doesn’t feel the effect of the Bliss. How long has she been out, if it wear off?

“They put up a good fight.” An unfamiliar man’s voice can be heard and she wants to say ‘Shut up I’m sleeping’, but as she closes her eyes and catches a glimpse of the ceiling, she realizes she’s in a bunker. John’s bunker!

“Wake up, Sinner!”

“Fuck you...” She spits out, but is still feeling dizzy and sleepy, her body aching for going back to sleep.

“Be easier to just put a bullet in ‘em.” You did that, it hurt, you fucker...

“That is not the will of the Father.” She wants to say fuck your ‘Father’ but feels that would not be a smart move, also she can’t even speak straight, she can’t even see straight, just blurrs all over.

“Take them to John. He’s ready to hear their Confession.”

She kicks powerlessly at the man who grabs her hurting leg, and the pain sends her right back to sleep, with the knowing next time she’ll wake up, she’ll have to face John Seed.

Muffled screaming and metal clamping wakes her up. Having a headache it doesn’t help her relax. It’s annoying and she wants to shut the source up. She groans, but the scream just becomes louder so she opens her eyes, though she wishes she didn’t. She looks down at herself, tied to a chair and for a moment she thinks she’s back with Jacob and it scares her to hell. Then her memory starts to work and remembers they took her to John. Why does that make me relax?

She looks down at her bloody hands - her own blood from the fighting, climbing and crawling made her hands filled with bruises. She tied to the chair, with rope, not tape that Jacob used on her. But it’s not comfortable either, even more uncomfortable. Her wrists feeling already hurt by the ropes on them, she must have move around a lot while she was asleep.

She looks up from her hand and in the back of the strange room is another person, tied to a chair just like her. The woman, by the sound of it -because her vision is still not yet clean- is jumping and moving around in her chair, trying to escape or to get Hope’s attention. She blinks and opens her eyes wide to get her vision back to clear - keep it like this and I’ll lose my sight one day.

“Hudson!” She says as she recognizes her co-worker. She’s still in her uniform. Jesus, she’s been in that for weeks?! She looks miserably to Hope, still trying to get words out of her mouth, which is covered in tape. But not hers, not Hope’s. And she has a feeling why it’s like this. She wants to say to her that she’ll get themselves out, though she knows that’s a lie. Now they are both in the same position.

Hope keeps her mouth shut as a metal door behind her, where she can’t see, is being shut forcefully.

Hudson keeps quiet, seeing the person coming into the room. But Hope doesn’t need to see to know who it is.

Steps echo on the metal floor and a cheerful whistle can be heard. We’ll meet again...

She gets a jump as John Seed gets into her view, placing a bowl down on the table next to her chair. Water and a sponge. Then he doesn’t even look at the junior deputy as he goes along, metal box in hand, still whistling.

He stops at a wooden table of some kind. Which has a... Jesus is that a human skin?!... taped to it. The Baptist sets down his box on the table, then opens it and a bit too dramatically wipes the table from the dust on it as he sets down his tools on it. I have a feeling those aren’t usual tools for fixing the heater or something...

He stops whistling, both hand on the table, waiting for something. Or just being a dramatic ass as usual...

In the sudden silence she can hear her own heart pounding in her chest. She’s not that terrified, only god knows why not. She doesn’t dare to speak up first. Over the radio it’s her territory, she feels in a false safe, but here. This is the den of the wolf, and he’s ready to swallow it’s prey if it dares to make a sound.

She looks him over for weapons, seeing none, but she knows better than to think he can’t do damage to her. His sleeves are rolled up to his elbow, his hair is neatly done. She imagines how she must look like: her sweater from the whitetails being big on her, her overused jeans being dirty and bloody. She looks like she came from a war to do netflix. While he looks like he’s ready to fuck everyone’s shit up in court.

The man inhales as he turns around and it makes her shiver a bit, completely lost in her thoughts now trying to focus on John Seed. Oh for fucks sake! She thinks as Hope watches the man smirk at her, hand on the table, other hand hanging at his side, almost behind his back. She can’t help but look at his belt, kind of hanging in the air on his jeans, breaking the whole neat form a bit. Why the fuck is he hot? No! Stop it, don’t think about that! As the man starts talking Hope rolls her eyes, knowing this will be a long ass monologe.

“My...’parents’.Were the first ones to teach me about the Power of Yes.”

Hope frowns as John turns back to the table. This is new. This isn’t something about Joseph and the Voice, the grace of God, no. This is something more personal, more real. And Hope can’t help but feel like she’s being invited to get to know his past. She sits quietly, waiting for him to continue. He gets a stapler out of the metal box and a piece of human skin, sticking it next to the other skin. Eww...

“One night, they took me into the kitchen, and they threw me on the ground, and I experienced pain after pain after pain...” He slaps down the stapler on the desk and Hope gets starlted a bit, while Hudson makes a crying sound of fear.

Hope isn’t exactly afraid, she’s more intrigued with the story. So he was abused by his parents, great... Makes sense... Don’t feel sorry for him, don’t feel sorry for him, don’t feel sorry for him... But she can’t help and imagine a young boy, crying on the kitchen floor while his parents beat him. Shit, I feel sorry him...

He turns around, looking at Hope, but his stare wanders around, imagining the story he tells her, she thinks.

“And when I didn’t think I could take anymore, I did.” He gets something out of the box, a tool of some kind and she follows his every move with her eyes. As the man steps closer to her, a smell of cologne hits her nose. God, it’s been so long she felt the something so good. Always fighting the scent of blood and dirt around her. Even in Fall’s End, with the gunpowder and everything unpleasent. And here it is John Seed with his too good scent, she can’t help but inhale deeply which she tries to hide as an annoyed sound.

He turns on the lamp next to her on the table, positioning it so it blinds her for a second.

“Something broke free inside. I wasn’t scared, I was...” He seems to think for a bit as Hope watches the key hanging around his neck, right on his collarbone with the ‘Sloth’ carving. “...clear.”

He starts to connect the head of the tattoo gun with the machine, and Hope gulps at that, not wanting to know that sooner or later that will touch her skin. I wanted a tattoo once, now I’m not sure about this...

“I looked up at them and I started to laugh. All I could say was... Yes.” He doesn’t break eye contact and as he starts the tattoo gun, trying it out Hudson groans through her gag, but Hope doesn’t flinch. I’m not gonna give him the satisfaction.

He looks kind of dissappointed, raising his eyebrows as he looks away, turning of the tattoo gun, putting it down.

“I spent my enitre life looking for more things to say ‘yes’ to.”

Hope gasps as he quickly moves toward her, making it impossible to not look at him as he grabs the neck of her sweater, tearing it open down to her sternal line. Oh fuck, you got to be kidding me. She thinks, realizing she doesn’t wear a bra - it was removed from her when she was brought back to the whitetails just as all of her clothes. Her breasts aren’t out completely but it’s enough to make her feel exposed, face turning red.

It’s obvious to John she doesn’t wear a bra as well. A smile on his face as he looks at her exposed skin, eyes wandering around. She tries her best not to breath so heavily, not wanting more attention to herself.

“I opened every hole in my body and when those were filled, I created more.” He looks up at her flushed face and her lips. Hope doing what she always does when feeling anxious bites her lover lip a bit, making John stop for a second, considering something even, but he straightens up, not breaking eye contact.

“But it was Joseph who showed me just how selfish I was being.” He grabs the bowl with the sponge and starts to clean her chest with it. The cold water making her having goosebumps and the liquid sliding down on her making her nipples harden against the fabric of her sweater. The feeling of skin to skin making her thoughts go wild, trying to think about anything but John Seed’s hand against her chest.

“Always receiving. Always taking.” He looks up at her and continues to clean her skin with the sponge. “The best gift isn’t the one you get, it’s the one you give. And giving takes courage. The courage...” He finishes cleaning her, putting the bowl and sponge back to the table next to her as he turns around continuing.

“...to own your sin. To etch it on to your flesh.” He looks at Hudson, for the first time since he stepped into the room, then turns back.” And carry it’s burden and when you have endured - when you truly begin to atone - to cut it out like a cancer and display it for all to see.”

He motions to his own chest, trying to mimic what he’s talking about. Then he chuckles. “ My God, that’s courage.”

He turns to his desk with the human skin on it, getting out a knife sharpener from his metal box while talking, pacing around the room. Letting his voice to raise as he does.

“I’m going to teach you courage. Teach you how to say yes so you can confront your weaknesses. Confront your sin. You will swim across an ocean of pain and emerge... free.” He points the sharpener at Hope’s direction, walking toward the young woman. Placing the cold metal to her skin, right on her chest, then sliding it down to her clivage, which makes her trying to shift and get away from him. He smirks at her, a sadistic smile on that beautiful face. Why are the pretty ones the craziest?

“For only then can you truly begin to atone.”

He turns around, stopping at his desk, leaning on it with a pose he could totally make front page of a psycho version of Playboy. His voice smooth, but the it’s filled with the heavy consequenses they carry.

“So, who wants to go first? Hm?”

Fuck him... Hudson’s mouth is taped, so there’s no way she could say yes to the man, not that she would if she could anyway. This is a game between them, between the Deputy and the Baptist. They all know it.

She has to think quickly. Her heart says she should just say it and be over with it already. Let him win this round, make Hudson free from the man for a short time. But her pride, her stubborn head makes her stay silent. I won’t let him win...

“Which one? Hmmm?” But there’s only silence following him, his eyes starting to burn with fire, his voice collected still, but not for long and the junior deputy knows that.

“This..is..lesson..number..one.” His voice starting to get cold, smile fading a bit.

Hudson screams a sound that is similar to “no”, fighting against her restraints. Hope glances toward the woman, feeling her own walls break at the look of her. Pity building in her, her heart aching. She parts her lips, but closes it. Even if she said yes, he would keep both of them. This makes no difference. He will torture them both even if she says nothing. The word would just make his ego bigger, so she tries her best to ignore Hudson, looking at the man’s eyes, challenging him.

“Someone’s got to choose!” He shouts, eyes burning in anger and he suddenly turns around and flips the whole table he was leaning on a few seconds ago.

“For Fucks Sake, we’ll start with you!” He shouts angrily at Hope, walking toward her, face hard, then an evil smile comes across his face as he leans in to her face. I knew it...

“You won’t regret this, I promise.” He leans out and walks toward a crying Hudson.

“Now, before we begin I think it’s only proper that Deputy Hudson goes back to her room. Confessions are supposed be privatey after all.” He grabs her chair and starts leading her out toward the door, to stop next to Hope.

Hudson crying John stops her, hushing her.

“Shhh...shhh... I am not here to take your life.” He looks at the junior deputy. “I’m here to give it to you.”

John leans in toward Hope, grabbing her neck smoothly with both his hands, thumb circling around her pulse. Then he starts to choke her, giving more force as he speaks:

“I’m going to open you and pour your worst fears inside.” He cuts all her air away and she opens her mouth, desperatly trying to get away, trying to breath again. A moan escaping her lips which can be easily mistaken to a pleasure sound. “And as you choke, your sins will reveal themselves. Only then will you truly understand the Power of Yes.”

He stops choking, but leaves his hands on her throat, smoothing away the previous pain with his fingers, a smirk on his face as he takes a look on her more exposed breasts.

“Fuck you!” She spits at him, making him to release her as he steps back.

A surprised chuckle comes from him, looking down at her as he wipes the spit from his beard and then taking his fingers in his mouth, tasting it. Hope looks at him, disgusted and flushed by his action. He humms, then looks into her eyes, a look of a predator... a look of lust on his face and Hope can’t help but remember how he said in their last conversation that he wants her beneath him...

“Baby’s first words.” He chuckles again, meaning that the deputy never spoke to him in real life, only through the radio.

Then like nothing happened he takes Hudson’s chair and smirks at Hope.

“I’ll be right back.” And he takes out Hudson with him through the door, where Hope can’t see to leave the deputy on her own in the room.

A/N: So fucking tumblr decided to delete my chapter at least 3 times in a row, so I had to rewrite everything... Meaning it’s probably a sloppy and poor version of the original one. My anger and annoyance making this chapter probably my worst one ever. So sorry for that. And screw you tumblr...

Tags: @onl-you , @redaurora17

[sunlitroom]

Gotham, s3e13 - Smile Like You Mean It

As I watched it, and some random observations here and there.

As always, long post will be long - reaaally long.  There are likely to be rambling digressions. Gobblepot may appear (although I welcome all shippers and non-shippers alike :)).  There will be naked favouritism and naked not-favouritism.  Broader comments at the end on plotlines and parallels and general direction.

Previously on Gotham.

Jim shot Mario.  Lee wants Jim arrested or dead.  Selina's dodgy mum. Vengeful Ed. Enraged Oswald

We open on the restricted area we saw last episode, where Jerome’s body – amongst others from Indian Hill – is stored.  We hear music and see two guards amiably playing cards.

A man enters and approaches. He's dressed fairly normally. He’s accompanied by several of the Jerome cultists we met last week. 

One guard opens fire. They don’t care and keep advancing, laughing all the while.  Suddenly, we see one of the guards has been shot, not by a cultist, but by the other guard – who was in on the attack, and is part of the Jerome cult.

Walking past the man’s body, they leave behind a joker playing card before heading to the (corpse tanks?  I don’t know what you’d call these)

Dwight spots Jerome and gazes in awe before laughing hysterically.  

Jerome’s frozen corpse grins back

GCPD at the warehouse. Jim stares grimly at the Jerome’s empty tank, which now bears the graffiti we’ve been seeing for a while now. Harvey tells us that when Indian Hill closed, the government sent all materials and subjects back to Wayne Enterprises.  Jim is infuriated at the incompetence/corruption of this.

Jim and Harvey talk about how Jerome wound up at Indian Hill in the first place, pointing out that Hugo seemed to have a special interest in collecting psychopaths (not really sure of the thinking behind that, but anyway)

Lucius is here.  They ask him what he would do with the frozen corpse of a murderer.  Lucius says that it would have to be thawed, and that he’s familiar with this technology from his time at Wayne Enterprises.  Harvey sarcastically thanks him for helping the bad guys.  Lucius says the thaw should take about three hours. About the same as defrosting a chicken, then.

Jim hears a noise, and they find an injured cultist behind some boxes.  Lucius says he should be taken to hospital.  Jim has other ideas.  I agree with Jim. The sick have enough problems without being irritated, too.

Wayne Manor, where Maria's sketchy friend Cole is asking for 200 grand. Bruce and Alfred are obviously unimpressed.  Cole is claiming that Maria lost him money, and that is he doesn’t get it – he’ll have her sent to jail – and then Selina will barely see her. He tells them to give the cash to Maria which…. makes no sense whatsoever, actually – and leaves.  Bruce nods slightly to Alfred, before looking thoughtful.

GCPD.  Jim and Lee are talking.  She’s mad at him for bringing the cultist here and says he needs a hospital. Jim says he has reasons – but Lee tells him he always has reasons for breaking the rules.  Jim tries to thank her for having Falcone call off Zsasz – but Lee dismisses him sullenly, telling him to get Dwight to bring Mario back from the dead, if he reallt wants to thank her.

In the examiner’s room, the cultist is pleased to see Jim.  Jim tells him his friends left him behind, trying to get him to talk, but the cultist says he would have done the same.  He tells Jim he can’t stop the awakening that has begun, and that Jerome is just the first step.  He wraps up by saying they are a small band, but they are everywhere, and then laughs annoyingly for a bit.  

Jim sends everyone in town out to hunt for the graffiti while the cultist still cackles in the background.  It’s interesting to note that the cultists have not been presented to us as intimidating, or impressive, or remotely cool - but as irritating, unoriginal, contemptible.  It’s a cue for how Jerome is likely to see them.

Dwight is in another dubious warehouse with an assistant, attempting to reanimate Jerome.  He’s a little creepy with it, asking fondly if he’s had a good sleep while touching his face.  He then mouths some lines that he imagines Jerome might say, and we keenly anticipate Jerome murdering him later.

Babs reads a newspaper article aloud to a dozing Oswald.  It’s less than flattering, detailing exactly how he fucked up his interview.  Oswald wakes up, and Babs waves the front page at him: Mayor Crumblepot.

She’s trying to explain this situation to him, but all we hear in the background is Oswald asking repetitively and irritatingly about Ed.  Babs tells him to forget that – he needs to fix this situation.  Oswald replies that the city runs itself. Babs clarifies: she means his real job – where his weakness is blood in the water

(An aside – so the mayoral role that Oswald apparently desperately wanted - and was extremely proud of – apparently he didn’t really care about that all along?  Oswald is greedy for power and respect, wants to make his parents proud – but this is suddenly nothing?  Nope.)

Babs spins Oswald a pretty tale about dissent among the families.  Oswald might claim to be the King of Gotham – but Babs says the word is that the King is dead.  Oswald is still going on about Ed being the only one who can fix this – and again, what?   Ed is incredibly intelligent in his way – but it’s Oswald who managed to go from umbrella boy to King.  It’s Oswald who played Fish and Maroni and Falcone off each other, and easily rid himself of the likes of Frankie Carbone.  Why can he suddenly not do his own job anymore?

Babs channels my spirit and smacks Oswald in the face with the newspaper. She tells him Ed isn’t here, but she is.  He needs to shower, do that disco vampire thing with his hair, and then come to a meeting with the families at her place, and be his old self.

Oswald asks why she’s helping him.  Babs says that people think he likes her, and this makes her feared by proxy.  If Oswald is no longer feared, Babs isn’t protected.  Babs leaves, and Oswald is left on the couch, head in hands, trying to take all this information in.  Are we still interested in Elijah’s corpse - or has that turned up - or what?  Not going to even nod towards the whole ghost thing?

Maria is asking Bruce is he’s sure about this in a faux-concerned tone.  Bruce coolly replies that he is.  Selina says that this is ridiculous – if you pay a guy like Cole, he’ll just come back.  They should have him arrested, and get Maria a lawyer.  Bruce says that the worst case is that this money buys them a little time to clear Maria’s name.

Maria says that she could leave.  She doesn’t want to – but it’s an option. Alfred and Bruce exchange looks that confirm to us that Maria is a liar - and that they’ll probably fumigate the place after she leaves.

Selina is infuriated by the whole situation, flinging a ‘fine!’ at them, before leaving.

 GCPD.  Jim tells Harvey that the graffiti is everywhere – maybe there’s lots of groups.  Harvey thinks there’s 50 wackadoos, tops.  Jim isn’t so sure.

Lucius approaches and says electricity is a possible way to find them – since they need it for reanimation. Jim catches on fast, and Jim and Harvey head out to the location of the most recent power surge.  Lucius quietly remarks that he’ll stay here

A random cop overhears Harvey yelling Jerome’s possible location and quietly phones someone with this information.

At the warehouse – we see that Jerome has no vital signs.  Dwight whines at him to wake up.  His assistant runs in and tells him GCPD are coming – and remarking with horror that Jerome’s still dead.  There’s a bit of back and forth about turning it off and on again, and how the assistant gave up a good post office job for this.  The disciples expect to see Jerome’s face.  Dwight electrocutes him, and then remarks

You make an interesting point

Eyeing Jerome’s face, he picks up a scalpel and starts cutting.

GCPD arrive later and see the body on the table.  Harvey wonders why they took his face. 

Yet another disused industrial space.  No hipsters in Gotham, apparently.

The faithful wait to see Jerome.  Dwight slowly enters, telling them that their faith is rewarded - Jerome is here.  They see that he is wearing Jerome’s face, and go quiet.  Dwight insists that their prophet is here.

Jerome would despise these people

The crowd’s not buying it and start to murmur mutinously.  Leatherface throws a hissy fit.

Jerome is alive in your heart.  Each of you

The crowd is just dumb enough to be placated by this.  I’m Jerome! I’m Jerome!  I'm Jerome - and so is my wife!

 GCPD – the examiner’s room. Lee puts on gloves - but leaves her hair down.  As she prepares, we see Jerome’s finger twitch.

Up in Harvey’s office. Lucius hands over the phone found near Jerome's body.  The last number came from the precinct – but it was the general line, and so can’t be traced directly.  Harvey responds badly to the idea of a mole in GCPD – and asks whether Lucius can’t just make some gadget to figure it out.  Lucius eyerolls.

Jim walks out front.  He tells everyone that they have a mole – someone tipped off Dwight.  Jim bluffs – claiming they have the number here, and – holding up the phone – begins to dial back.

Stupid undercover cultist cop panics and runs before being grabbed by several of his colleagues.

Oswald arrives at Babs’ club.

You scrub up nice

Oswald is confused that the place is empty.  Babs lies glibly, pretending that no-one showed up – a sure sign of disrespect.

This is a rebellion - I warned you

Oswald catches on to her game, and starts to play her – all wide-eyed sincerity.

You have been such a friend to me - what should I do now?

Babs tells him that they don't respect him – he should kill both – and clean house.

Oswald laughs, manic-eyed, before drawing the concealed blade from his cane.

Did you really think I would be so easy to manipulate?  He then neatly summarises exactly how Ed has manipulated him:

What was your plan?  Take advantage of me in a vulnerable state? Make me attack my subordinates so they would rebel?  Incite war so you could pick up the pieces?  You are tragically out of your depth.

He then suggests that he should call Bones – and ask him about this planned meeting of Barbara’s.  On cue – the phone rings.  It’s Bones.

We don't work for you no more.  Your day is done - freak

Oswald is livid.  I will gut you.

Bones tells him if he does that, then Nygma dies.  If he plays ball – he might get him back in one piece, and they might let him keep being mayor.

Oswald’s brief moment of having a working brain is over, and we go back to panicky, non-thinking mode. He’s going to kill them.  Gather the men.

(An aside - For fuck's sake Oswald! You’re smarter than this.  You displayed more rational thinking when Gertrud was kidnapped – I’m not buying that you can’t stop and think for a moment now. This just feels like blunting the character to push the plot along.)

Back at Bones’ place, we see Tabs had gun on him the whole time.  He asks if they’re good now.  Tabs tells him he did well – but shoots him anyway.

GCPD interview room. Harvey reads from the mole’ s records, and tells him he’s going to Blackgate – where they love cops.  He replies that he stopped being a cop a long time ago.  Jim doesn’t believe that, doesn’t believe anyone who saw Jerome’s first attack could think that – but he claims that was the thing that changed him.

He taunts Jim and Harvey a bit, laughing maniacally, which leads to them punching him repeatedly. Harvey’s a little more enthusiastic, and as Jim pulls him away, Lee enters, and injects him with sodium pentathol before leaving with an eyeroll.

Jim goes after her and tells her that she shouldn't have done it.  Lee is infuriated, and asks why he and Harvey can bend the rules, but she can’t.  Jim replies.

You're better than that.

Lee responds sarcastically: how sweet.

Jim bats back at her. She can blame him for Mario's death  - he doesn’t care. It’s enough to know she’s OK

Lee’s hostile, and asks whether if she were to break too many rules, change too much, he would shoot her.

Jim tells her that he’s going to talk to Harvey: she came back too soon, and needs to take time off. He touches her arm, but she shakes him off angrily and tells him never to touch her again, or tell her what to do. She walks off.

Jim is distracted, looking after her, when Harvey approaches with news about the cultists’ plans – making an announcement on channel 9.

We cut to the news station, where the boss is explaining that GCPD has asked them to evacuate – but that they’re perfectly safe.  However, the Jerome acolytes invade and begin killing indiscriminately

Lee strides angrily into lab – but stops short when she sees a cop dead on the floor.  Before she can fully react, Jerome grabs her from behind.

When we come back, they’re sitting across from each other, Lee telling Jerome what’s happened.  He is disbelieving, but gleeful at the thought of people worshipping him.  Lee tells him they’re lunatics and idiots, and throws in a suggestion that he shoot himself.  Salty Lee is great.  More of this, please.

Jerome tells her the last year was nothing but darkness – which is likely to disturb Lee a little, with Mario’s death.  Jerome suddenly realises that he knows her.  He asks if they had sex – to which Lee responds

Oh God no

Jerome remembers – she’s Jim Gordon's little twinkie, and how is that relationship going.  Lee tells him they’re not together.  That's a shame, comments Jerome.  What happened?  He killed my husband on our wedding night, responds a stone-faced Lee.  Jerome – predictably – finds this hilarious. Lee’s not provoked though, and watches him – unimpressed.

Jerome remembers that he was ready to kill Bruce Wayne – but didn’t manage. He comments it was all the fault of that jug-eared Judas (ha!) Theo Galavan. He wants him dead, but Lee says he’s too late.  Jerome asks who beat him to it. Lee doesn’t miss a beat

Which time?

Jerome is taken aback. Galavan resurrected too?  Lee replies with a bored mmhmm.

Son of a bitch upstaging me.  Now - where is my face?

(An aside – Lee and Jerome interact well, and that was a pretty long scene to give them.  Just sayin’)

Cops arrive at news station, but Jim is edgy, making an observation that applies across the board tonight:

Something's not right

He’s right – they’ve taken a newscaster hostage, and wired her up to several grenades.

Maria arrives back at the sleazy apartment.  Cole grins. The whole thing was a scam.  He’s thrilled, but she’s not enthused.  Let's just get out of this town

Cole smiles - We won!

Yeah – you did. Selina pushes the door open and wanders in.  Cole tells her to get out.  Maria tells him to shut up.  She looks impassively at Selina.

You caught me

Selina stares at her – telling her she just wanted to make sure.  It was an easy mark.  She learned that Bruce and Selina were connected and came back to pull the scam

Maria does not seem remorseful: You want to hate me?  That’s your choice

Selina is furious, Damn right

Maria’s confused about why she’s angry.  Bruce has money to spare.

Selina says she cares that the mother who abandoned her only came back to use her.

Cole tries to intervene – but Selina quickly has a knife at his throat.  She backs down, but turning to Maria, tells her tearfully

Don't ever come back.

At the TV station - Dwight is orating from chair.  An acolyte rushes breathlessly in to tell him the police are outside and Jim Gordon is on the phone.  Dwight is just about turned on by the similarity between this situation and Jerome’s at the charity function.  He picks up the phone, and begins to talk to Jim – but he’s simply mouthing Jerome’s words from last year, and Jim calls him on it.

You’re the understudy – pretending to be the star.  You’re a fraud

Dwight begins to lose what little cool he ever possessed – yelling: I am Jerome

Jim has no time for this, and taunts Dwight by delivering a home truth

For the record, you’re doing one thing Jerome never did…..boring me.

(An aside - Jim's the best at trolling criminals over the phone.  He should do this more often.)

Harvey tells Jim they can get access via the ventilation system, and they begin to move.

Babs and Tabs at the club – with bickering gangsters at the bar.  Babs is jubilant.  Oswald is murdering everyone in sight, and anyone who’d left is in-fighting.  He’s destroying everything he’d built. Tabitha is more reserved, eyeing her carefully, and adding.

When this is over - Ed dies.

Babs promises her this – and seals it with a kiss.  The fact Tabs needed reassurance is interesting.

(An aside – Butch is now very conspicuous by his absence)

Babs runs through their options at this point.  Plan A: They could appeal to the remaining families’ reason and get them on-side, or – Plan B - kill them all.  Tabs is all for slaughter.

The phone rings.  It’s Ed.  Babs calls him honey, and tells him everything is set, and Oswald is his.  While they talk, Tabs sprays the remaining gangsters with bullets, and Babs tells Ed – yes, Plan B.

(An aside - Babs and Tabs are fun and all – but as the lone person who actually liked all the mob stuff in season one, the merry misrule is sort of tiresome.)

The TV station, where Dwight fucks up his opening line.  

Back at GCPD, Lee watches aghast, gagged with medical gauze.  Jerome grumbles.

No charisma - no stage presence.

Before he leaves, he tells Lee to keep watching – she won’t want to miss what comes next.

In a stolen police car and uniform, Jerome mows down a random pedestrian on his way to the TV station.

Hostage - GCPD outside

Jim has sneaked in with Harvey and strike force

Dwight keeps rambling on

GCPD shoot their way in - and fire on acolytes.  Dwight tries to run, but Jim yells stop and tackles him to the ground.  Oh, good stuff, Jim.  Dwight bleats about it being the night of awakening – but Jim tells him: not anymore.

At Wayne Manor,  Bruce is working on a punching bag.  Selina angrily confronts him, asking him if he knew. Bruce falters a little – and says he wasn’t sure at first, but – yes – it was obvious.  The money wasn’t important to him, and she might have skipped town without it.  Bruce wanted her to stay.

Selina is angry and hurt. Bruce lied to her.  Bruce insists that he didn’t – he simply didn’t tell her the truth, and that’s not the same thing.  How could he have possibly told her that her mother is a con artist who just came back to scam her?  Selina responds that they both lied to her.  She tries to fight him – but Bruce refuses.

Selina steps closer, and jabs him in the chest:

The only reason she came back after 11 years was you.

She strides out, and Bruce stays behind – both clearly hurting.

Ouch.

Crowds outside the station are cheering as Dwight is taken away to be questioned.  We hear another police car arrive – presumably Jerome’s. Jim's phone rings.  It’s Lee – warning him that Jerome is alive and after Dwight.

We see Jerome driving off in a stolen van, a nervous Dwight in the back - because real Jerome is erratic and scary.

At some sort of industrial space. Jerome staples his face back on

How's it look?

Looks good, Dwight shakily replies

Jerome plays with him a little: Wouldn’t lie - would you?

Dwight nervously asks if Jerome is mad about the whole face peeling thing.  Jerome asks what he could possibly be mad about – Dwight brought him back to life, after all.  What’s a stolen face between friends?

Dwight asks Jerome what he has planned.  Jerome tells him: you’ll see.

Van Dahl Mansion of plotlines that need to end soon.

Oswald rants at Gabe about finding Ed.  Gabe says he’s not at any hideout, and tries to tell Oswald that he’s been hearing some weird things.  Oswald’s apparently turned his brain off completely, though, and simply screams that he’ll tear the city apart.

The phone rings.  It’s Ed.  Put Jim on, Oswald – it’d be really entertaining: Jim’s good at this.

Ed delivers a shaky message saying that he managed to make the call, and that he’s being held at Kane Chemicals – but Oswald has to hurry.  Gabe looks somewhat askance at all this.  Oswald trots off straight into a trap – telling Gabe to stay behind in case Ed calls.

GCPD.  Jim tells Harvey random attacks have been taking place around the city.  Lucius walks in and turns on the TV.  Jerome is broadcasting using stolen equipment from the Channel 9 van.  The newscaster says that they want to show the video to help catch him – but actually for sensationalism, because – TV news. Harvey yells at someone to get them to stop broadcasting – but it’s too late.

We see Jerome puttering round an industrial space, wondering if everything’s hooked up right, before deciding: Screw it - let's do it

I died.  Take it from me: Death is dull.  Coming back - that is something.  Dying gives you whole new perspective on life.

We see Dwight hooked up to explosives.

Jerome says that tonight, the city will be in darkness.  No rules. Do what you want.  Kill who you want.  When morning comes - you too, shall be reborn.

He starts to leave, before turning to the restrained Dwight.

And I don't forgive you for my face.

Watching the broadcast – Jim realises where they are – the power plant across the river – and sprints from the office to the roof as Harvey orders a helicopter.

Jim makes it to the roof in time to see the explosion – and all the lights in the city blinking out – one by one.  It’s a lovely shot, actually.

Oh my God......

Something’s not right here.....

Nothing’s right - with scams and frauds everywhere. Dwight steals Jerome’s face, but he’s a poor substitute.  Speaking of cheap fakes – Maria is exposed as maybe the lowest of the low: a scam artist who is willing to manipulate and damage her own daughter for a quick buck. Babs and Ed are pulling off a huge scam on Oswald – who unwittingly figures out the bulk of their plan – but can’t quite hit home, because he’s still fooled by Ed - who’s now wearing friendship as a mask and luring Oswald into a trap.  Lee is very hostile towards Jim – but it’s hard to say whether this is a mask, an overreaction to Falcone’s claim that she still loves him.  Bruce plays a role to try and keep Maria in Selina’s life, but is caught out.  He insists that a lie of omission is different than a regular lie – but Selina’s not so sure.  We see moles and turncoats everywhere, too: at GCPD, at the Wayne Enterprises storage facility, in Oswald’s organisation. Nothing is right, and no-one can be trusted.

Oswald

I said in previous recaps that while Ed might not have directly wished Oswald harm, his tactics in ensuring that Oswald relied wholly on him wandered into red-flag territory.   He was controlling.  He didn’t like him having other sources of support, or alternative viewpoints, and so made sure to isolate him – ensuring that he was completely dependent on Ed.

The result is an Oswald whose confidence is largely shot, and barely seems to exercise any judgment at all, let alone trust it.  Bear in mind how much agency and confidence he had back in season one, playing mob bosses against each other.  Remember his skill in observing situations and discerning motivations. Remember him telling Butch that being under Falcone’s thumb had become ‘intolerable’. Think about how he could keep a cool head and think fast under extreme duress.   Compare that with now.

Jim

I’m still liking Jim right now.  The cultists were annoying as hell – so random punches to the face were endearing.  I also love his telephone trolling.  

Lee

I liked Lee this week. She got to be a person in her own right. My chief complaint previously was that she really just functioned as love interest – and that was it.  She was supportive and/or concerned as Jim’s storyline demanded. But here, she was allowed to be bitter, sullen, sarcastic – in short, to behave like someone who is grieving - hurt and angry.

I also very much enjoyed her conversation with Jerome.  They play well off one another.  I think it was also a very long scene to give them both, and wonder if that lends weight to the Har-Lee theory.

General Observations

Character is what you are in the dark

So Jerome has turned out all the lights, and told everyone to do whatever they want, kill whoever they want, and be reborn.  What will people do when they think no-one is watching?  

In the Babs/Tabs/Ed/Butch/Oswald story – that’s going to be about who stabs who in the back, and why. There’s also the serious tease that this is where Ed is going to really step into his Riddler identity – so a possible rebirth, too.

How people will act in dire straits might come into play, too.  Will Lee’s hostility last if Jim is in danger?  Will they play on her link with Jerome?  What’s Selina going to do, angry and disillusioned.  Is the Court of Owls still in play at all?

Thoughts?