The Freaks Of Gotham (Jeremiah Valeska x OC x Jerome Valeska) (Gotham Fanfic)

Chapter 8

And Jeremiah grabs my arm and pulls me into his embrace.

"Please Ash, stay with me, don't go with him, please, he'll hurt you, I know he will, I know he already has hurt you, where else would those scars be from, please stay with me, I won't hurt you, not again," He says, then lets me go, allowing me to make my own choice about it. I look back to Jerome's outstretched hand, then into Jeremiah's eyes. I take a step towards Jerome, then swiftly turn around and run back into Jeremiah's arms.

"I'd never leave you Jer, never," I say, hugging him. He hugs me back and slowly walks me out, keeping his eyes on his brother. Jerome tries to grab me, but Jeremiah keeps him away.

"He won't make you happy Ash, I know how he thinks, you're just a toy, and he's tricking you, he's acting sane but I know he isn't, he's as insane as I am, we're identical after all, and when you realise that he'll throw you out and take everything from you, just like he did to me, "Jerome shouts after me, I cover my ears, trying not to listen to him. Jeremiah leads me to his car and we drive back to the house.

" Listen, Ash, I'm sorry I let you feel alone, I should have tried to talk to you about it, and it's not your fault my hand got hurt, I was the one who was hurting you, it was self-defence, I was just too focused in my work to realise I was hurting to you." He explains.

" No, Jer, I should be the one apologising, not you, I'm sorry I hurt your hand, I'm sorry, I am, I'm just relieved that I didn't break it..." I say. "Anyway, what is the work you've been doing recently?" He hesitates slightly.

"A bunch of freaks were released a bit ago, they were all from under Arkham Asylum, and they were all created by a scientist called Hugo Strange. A while ago, during a nightmare, you started to continually mumble his name in your sleep, so I was curious about it and I thought that maybe... He had created you. I did a bit more research and realised a girl went missing a while ago, and they were reported missing by their aunt... They looked exactly like you. It said in the attached police report that their parents had sold them off for some reason, but they weren't sure who they sold them to... That happened three years before you joined the circus when I was 3 and you would have been 6. The girl that went missing was six! So, that led me to believe that you were the girl, so that would mean you were sold off by your parents to someone... " The car stopped at his house and he quickly walked me into the house and grabbed a file off of the table and hands it to me.

"One of the police officers, I believe he was called Jim Gordon, was kind enough to allow me access to this file, it was one of Strange's." I open a file to find a picture of me when I was younger, next to it was my name, Ash, and under that were a bunch of notes about some form of tests. There were a bunch of blood tests and other fairly normal tests, but when I turned the page, it was covered in all sorts of notes, scribbled down, unlike the other notes which were typed, they read.

"Exposure seems to have increased brain power, they are now able to make objects vibrate, their eyes glow bright blue while they are using their ability, more exposure needed for the desired result."

"Constant exposure to the radiation seems to have increased their ability tenfold, they are now able to raise objects off the ground slightly, more exposure required."

"The desired result finally acquired, the subject can now move objects completely with their mind, the only objects that are challenging to them now are humans, as each time we have tested using people for them to move, they have passed out after becoming too overwhelmed by lifting the person. The subject will still be exposed to the radiation in the hope of them being able to properly lift humans. "

"The subject is being released in a day, they can now move humans, however, it does still cause them a pain to do this. They can easily move their body parts, but lifting the whole body seems challenging and is what causes the subject pain. However, we can't keep her any longer and more exposure could lead to an undesired outcome."

"Ash has now been released and left outside of a circus, they will easily be able to adapt to normal life as their memory of these tests will be hidden from them. The only memory they will have is their name. This file will now be permanently stored in the archives."
The notes end there. I can feel the beginning of a headache. I look up at Jeremiah.

"So, this means that I'm one of them, I'm one of those freaks that are being hunted by everyone? One of the freaks that people can make money off of by handing them in to the police? Is that what you're gonna do now, give me away as my parents did just for some money?" blurred images swirl through my mind as the headache worsens, memories resurface, unlocked by the file within my hands." You're just going to abandon me like my parents, no matter how much they loved me, they loved the sound of all that money a lot more than me." I start shouting. Jeremiah walks towards me and hugs me.

"No, Ash, I'd never do that, what they did was awful, they shouldn't have abandoned you like that, especially when they didn't even know what Strange wanted you for. They shouldn't have left you to be constantly tortured. The thought of what you've been put through is sickening, spending 3 years trapped in a cell, constantly being exposed to some form of radiation, it must have been awful." He says, holding me tightly. I cry into his shoulder.

" I-It was... I remember... I was... Constantly in pain because of it... No one would help me... Nothing would stop it... I felt... At the time, I didn't even understand that it was a bad thing, I thought it was normal, I thought it was fine... " I stop talking, he strokes his hand through my hair, whispering soothingly in my ear.

" I promise that I'll always protect you, Ash, always," He says, carefully leading me into the bedroom. He kisses me and I lie down on the bed.

(insert random smut here) (I have to put these somewhere, what else am I meant to do when I'm not sure what else to write and don't want to just put that they fall asleep)