Jerome Valeska || OS/SS/I

2. The Joker and his Harlequin

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Haly's Big Top"

The smooth voice boomed through the tent, captivating the entire audience. You bounced in your seat, full of excitement, as the ring master slowly made his way into the ring.

From where you sat in the third row from the front you could clearly make out that he was a young man with pale skin, red hair and a cheeky smile. His eyes were covered by shadows from his top hat, which completed his red and black circus master costume.

"Are you ready for shock, awe and laughter? Are you ready to be 'amazed'?" He finished his little speech as he jumped atop a large platform, situated just to the left of your line of sight, and broke out his 'jazz hands'.

You giggled gleefully and whooped and hollered, much to the displeasure of the two girls sat beside you. They hadn't been all too thrilled at 'wasting' a Saturday with something as childish as a circus, but had ultimately agreed to come along, so long as you paid for their tickets and fill of junk food.

The acts came out, performed, received their applause and trotted off again. The ring master threw some cheeky comments around, bantering with the audience throughout. Despite your excitement at seeing the acrobats and clowns, you couldn't help but keep your eyes glued to the ring master; his commentary had your stomach hurting from being bent over double in stitches.

Suddenly, the lights went out. The whole tent was submerged in darkness. A bright spotlight shone down on the man in charge, a dark grin spread over his face as his eyes remained hidden under the rim of his hat.

"Laaaadies and Gentlemen, now the real fun begins." He slowly raised his head, his dazzling green eyes revealed, as he surveyed the crowd.

The lights came back up, only lowered, bathing the ring in a soft glow. He pulled a hand gun from the back band of his trousers and tapped it against his chin, as though in deep thought as he began to speak.

"Who here has ever wanted to join the circus? Make people laugh?" He questioned the crowd, obviously expecting no one to answer.

A few people tried to leave but were swiftly stopped by armed clowns. A couple were made examples of -the gun shots ringing around your ears as you perked up slightly in your seat.

"Ah, such a waste of bullets. Please, don't try to leave. I really don't want to perform to a dead audience." He sighed.

"Now..."

He jumped down from his podium and paced back and forth across the ring. "I need an assistant. Raise your hands, come on, don't be shy."

Slowly you began raising your arm, your lip twitching as the dark mind you had kept under wraps for so long began quickly unravelling in his presence.

"Gotta be beautiful... obviously." He smirked as he caught your movements out the side of his eye.

But at his words you dropped your arm. You definitely didn't think you'd fit his beautiful criteria.

Your friends snapped out of their fear induced states and grabbed your hands, holding them down.

One whispered harshly to you. "What the hell are you doing? He's crazy, can't you see that? He'll kill us first now, you stupid bītch."

He had begun moving closer to your seat, now standing right in front of the first row. Even a deaf man would have caught your 'friends' words.

You huffed out a sigh and looked glumly at the stunning psychopath standing before you. He'd never pick you.

"You three. Here, now." He pointed towards your seats and then to the spot beside him with his gun, his smile no where to be seen.

As quick as you could you jumped out of your seat and down beside him. You bounced on the ball of your feet in excitement at being chosen, disregarding the mean words you had just heard. You were never chosen for anything, and here you were being chosen by the most handsome man you had ever laid eyes on.

Your friends weren't quite as thrilled; shooting you daggers as they were forcefully dragged to the ring by the clown enforcers.

"This is all your fūcking fault."

"How could you be so stupid?"

More harsh 'whispers' which were hardly quiet given the remaining audience members were so silent you could hear a pin drop.

Your happiness seeped away with their words, the dark thoughts and insecurities you had about yourself taking over. The voices convinced you he'd choose one of them as his assistant and you'd be cast aside.

Just as your smile faded, red hair and green eyes filled your line of sight; his grinning face right before yours.

"Well, hellooo beautiful. I'm Jerome." He trailed his hand up your neck and under your chin, tilting his head as he eyed your face.

"Now, why did you drop that arm of yours? Surely you knew I'd pick someone as gorgeous as you out of the crowd in seconds? Or did you think I'd pick one of these two? Your two 'friends' who I have taken an extreme disliking to?" He smiled darkly before quickly pecking your lips and throwing his arm around your shoulders.

"Hm. You two." He tutted and wagged his gun back and forth in front of their faces, as you giggled, delighted by your current position under his arm. "Why would you try and keep this beauty from joining me? Are ya jealous of her? You should be."

He signalled his men and within minutes your so-called friends were strapped to spinning wheels.

"Please, please, help us."

"We're your friends. Please?!"

They begged and begged, frying the last few nerves you had left. They always went on and on and on. And you'd had just about enough of it.

Stepping away from Jerome, you made your way over to a bag one of the clowns had dumped beside the girls. Jerome didn't anticipate your movements and raised his gun, ready to shoot you if he had to, although it would displease him greatly.

You finally found something that would do and pulled it from the bag. A large roll of duct tape. You quickly tore off strips and gleefully shut their annoying mouths up. It was something you had been dying to do for months. Well, that and stabbing people. You had a particular fondness for knives.

Jerome lowered his gun, bemused by you. You skipped and twirled your way over to him and slipped under his arm once more, wrapping your arms around his waist.

"Sorry for interrupting, but they were disrupting the show. As you were, Master."  You fluttered your lashes as his mouth curved into a smirk and he resumed his speech about knives, torture and killing everyone else in here.

You were absolutely in your element and at his command twirled knives between your fingers before hurling them at the targets. The targets being the girls of course, not the ones painted on the wheels.

Jerome beamed as he watched you, his new doll giggling happily as each knife embedded itself in flesh, spurts of red flying through the air.

All you needed to unlock your mind and potential was a trip to the circus, a little guidance, and a master just as crazy as you.

----

The show went on in each of the subsequent, unsuspecting towns you moved to and fled from –the police always on your tails.

However, it was now introduced slightly differently.

The clowns would guard the doors, gun fire would ring out and together you'd make your way into the ring. The speakers would boom with manic laughter as Jerome introduced you both, him in a classic red and black suit, you in a matching skintight one.

"Please, give it up, for the infamous Joker and his beautiful Harlequin!
Let the fun begin!"

----

A/N

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to yet another Jerome Valeska one-shot. His crazy ass just wouldn't leave me alone this weekend (😏), so here ya go.

Bloodhounds, don't fret, we'll be picking up their story in a few days.

Goodnight.
- Ellie  💋