The Crazies (Jerome Valeska)

6

We stood perfect still. I had my whip in hand and Tabby was behind Jerome. The door opened and the old man closed it behind him. He took a few steps before he stopped.

"Who's there?" He asked, "I know someone's there." I put my whip handle around his throat.

"Hey dad. Long time... No see." Jerome chuckled evilly.

Jerome pulled a chair out and I sat him down. Tabby tied him up and put a blue fabric over his mouth, getting blood on it from his nose.

"Sammy, meet my dad. Dad meet Sammy." Jerome laughed. "My girl." Jerome sat in his own seat as tabby looked around the house. I stood behind Jerome and rubbed his shoulders.

"How's it goin'." I said to him, then cracked my whip, making him tremble.

"Ain't she amazing." Jerome kissed my hand. "Anyway... How ya doing?" He paused, "ahh, silent treatment. I'll tell you a story. Do you remember Kansas City, dad? The circus would come around every spring, right around my birthday. And there was this guy... He and my mom would drink and fornicate and beat the crap out of me. They'd make a whole night out of it." I watched Jerome as he spoke. He was so hurt. "And I remember one time. It was my ninth birthday." He stood and walked towards the knives on the table.

"Him and my mom just got done with round one of boozing, boning and beating of Jerome and decided to take a break. Anyway." Jerome continued, "I was outside the trailer and you were there. And... You said, 'why are you crying?' 'Its my birthday... And my mom and the snake guy are beating me.' And you said 'this world doesn't care about you or anyone else, Jerome. Better to realize that now.'" My heart nearly dropped to the floor.

"Oh no, Jerome.." I whispered. He smiled at his blind dad.

"And that was it. You see, there's this girl dad." He came at him with a knife. "She believes in me. She loves me no matter what I've done. And tonight, I'm going to make sure we stay together as I prove to Gotham I'm a star." He took the cloth off his fathers mouth. "Well, except for you of course. You'll be dead."

"Jerome-"

"Oh is this the part when you say how sorry you are?? Hm? How you should have believed in me? How it's not too late to start again? News flash, dad!! It's too late." Jerome growled.

"You don't have to do this."

"No. I'm pretty sure I do." Jerome said.

"I was a bad father, yes. But I did love you, Jerome. To kill me for that?" Jerome started laughing and turned towards my tear stained face. He walked over and wiped a tear away. I smiled up at his serious face.

"Kill him." I whispered, his grin appeared.

"That's not why I'm gonna kill you!" Jerome said, grabbing the evidence we planted. "Prints of Arkham asylum, and look at these." Jerome laughed at himself then rubbed the letters on his fathers face. "Letters from you to your beloved son. Innocent at first glance, but detective Gordon... You remember him, right? He'll see a secret message written in brail between you and your son discussing my escape." I smiled as I remembered when I first tripped over Jerome's passed out body.

"Good times." I mumbled.

"And finally, the knock out gas! Used to disable the orderlies. Cuz you see dad, this girl's brother, he's the one who broke me out of Arkham and he doesn't want anyone finding out. Obviously. So the police will find these letters and they'll think, the blind old fool really loved his son. What a wonderful father." He fake cried. Not as good as me of course. "There won't be a dry eye in the house." He wiped his eye, I silently chuckled.

"They'll never believe it."

"Ahh, sure they will." Jerome said.

"Cops are dumb." I added.