Red And Blue (Jerome and Jeremiah Valeska X OC)

Before The Fever

a/n - before the fever by grimes is the song referenced throughout this chapter

             "Fuck the ten minute rule I guess." Jerome says while he stares at Harley in awe. She spins back and looks at him with a smile. Then she goes and sits in a nearby stool, waiting for the next act to start. "Well, I think it's time for tonight's actual first official victim." He says and points back out to the audience again.

            They all shuffle around nervously. The night has been going in an interesting direction, Harley can attest to that. Hopefully Barbara didn't knock out Galavan too hard or he won't wake up in time. Not that it really mattered to Jerome or Harley either way. The night being a shit show is only part of the fun.

            "Where is Bruce Wayne?" Jerome asks. His eyes scan the horde of people in front of him. All he finds are old white rich people, which Bruce almost was, minus the old part. He realizes that he'll have to talk him into showing himself. "You know I'm an orphan too, Bruce?" He tries to get the boy to relate to him. "Harley too. We killed our parents, though."

           "Small difference." Harley sarcastically adds with a laugh.

           "Where are you hiding?" Jerome's smile turns darker. "Bruce! Where are you, buddy?" He huffs frustrated. This was taking too long for his small amount of patience. He throws his hands up and looks to the men Galavan had hired to be their back up. "Kill his butler." He tells two. The two goons nod and quickly find the older man, grabbing both of his arms, and moving him to the front of the room.

           Alfred struggles to try and break free from their grasp. He fails and is brought to where the previous man who had been beheaded was kneeling. His headless body is all that's left nearby. Harley licks her lips in anticipation of the whole thing. She raises her hand slyly in a polite manner.

           "Actually boys..." She tells the henchmen. "I want to do it. Just hold him still for me." She gets up from her seat and walks back to the center of the stage. She takes out her dagger then presses the button on the side of it, extending the metal. She readies it at the butler's throat. Same way as the last.

           "All right, last chance, Bruce, it's about to get very butler-brainy out here." Jerome warns the hidden rich kid. He glances to Harley. She can instantly tell what that look meant and knew that he was telling her to do it. She swings the sword back before—

            "Stop!" Bruce's voice screams from behind a potted bush in the back of the large room. He runs out to where Alfred was kneeling a few feet in front of the planned execution. Alfred yells back at him, knowing that Bruce is now in danger.

            "What the bloody hell are you doing, Bruce!" He scolds him. Before he can answer, detective Gordon and many police officers storm the building. Gun fire goes every which way making the henchmen scurry. Many civilians scream, trying to run out of the building to escape while they have the chance.

           As an act of desperation, Jerome jumps down off the small elevation of the stage and pulls out a knife. In the midst of the chaos he successfully grabs small Bruce and puts the knife to his throat, knowing that a hostage is now necessary to stay alive. Harley's eyes widen as she looks down at them from the stage.

         "Drop the knife!" Alfred demands of Jerome. He laughs maniacally in return. Gordon holds his pistol up and aims at Jerome's head.

         "I don't have a clean shot." He informs Alfred. Harley realizes that if he did, if Jerome didn't hold Bruce close enough, he would already be dead. She slides the blade of her knife back in, making it back to the size of a kitchen knife rather than a sword. Surrendering may have to be their next move.