Tempted // A Jerome Valeska Story\\ Written by iloveharleyfanfic and MaggieMae28

- 1 -

Harley

"I am often asked, what are the best things to say at a funeral."  

Harley stared down at the two headstones before her, names inscribed on them.  Just names.  Neither meant anything to her, they didn't know her.  

"And as a director, I can only say things that wouldn't offend the family,"  

The rain pelted on the tent and umbrellas surrounding it.  People wearing all black, people wiping the tears from their faces, some whispering things in my ear of condolences and apologies.  

"But there's one thing for certain.  Darkness has fallen upon our city,"  

Harley blinked as the thunder shook the ground.  She stood, staring at the headstones.  Looking at the names and dates.  Looking at the nice compliments written about the people laying 6 feet under. 

"These aren't the only losses we've faced.  This monster has killed so many, and there's no one to stop him,"  

"Targeting billionaires and millionaires alike all over this city to wipe out the competition,"  

But this monster still left me.  The last descendent of my family's fortune, I'm a target.  I know he'd take the life of a girl just like me. 

"But this one will be protected.  She will be guarded, and looked after every second of every day,"  

Great.  Just what I needed, more people making it obvious that I'm a vulnerability.  

I turned away from the headstones, and began to walk back toward the car.

"I'm ready to go,"  I told the guards as I began the trek through the rain.  They followed close behind, and one in front as we walked to the car.  The driver opened the door and bowed his head as I climbed in, him shutting the door behind me.  

The  rain pelted onto the roof of the car as we drove to my new safe home.  In a place called the Narrows.  My mother always said it was a bad part of Gotham, things like, don't walk through there after sundown, stay away from there, don't talk to anyone from there...I never took her seriously about how bad the place really was until we drove through.  

The houses were small squares, trash and cracked roads.  Some with dirt roads that turned down alleyways.  Rain flooded the side of the roads making little rivers carrying trash and debris.  Dogs barking through the rain, people still walking along in the roads, as if it wasn't raining.  Some on their porches watching us drive by with judging eyes and automatically knowing we weren't from here.  

I stepped out of the car as it was opened for me, and the smell hit me, making me stumble slightly.  The smell of trash, rot, and waste polluted the air around me.  Even when I tried to cover my nose, the smell went through my hands, bring tears to my eyes.  I looked up through the tears at the home.  A cement block with square windows with thick glass.  It had a bright red door and bright red shutters.  The porch was small with a tiny bench by the door.  A man made path ran up the middle of the brown yard, and to the 2 steps that led to the porch and home.  

The doormat said Welcome in faded letters, and I knew that my visit would be all but welcome.  The guards hustled me inside, closing the door of the small home behind me.  I looked around, wooded floors, a small staircase that led to a loft.  The kitchen was slightly outdated and had a tiny table in the middle.  The living room was a couch and a chair in front of an old TV.  The red curtained covered the square windows, and a red rug sat in the middle of the living room, with a table on top of it.  The bedroom was a tiny box with a creme carpet.  The walls were cracked and there was one window, with red curtains.  The bed was a twin with red and black bed sheets.  There was a dresser by the window and a nightstand by the bed.  

And that was it.  

The guards all sat in the living room while I closed the door to my new room.  I walked around the tiny room and sat in the bed, with my head in my hands.  I was basically imprisoned, orphaned, I had a huge target on my back, I was trapped.  

I was tempted to escape.  

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"Her,"  He pointed to the cameras in the home.  The ginger retracted his finger from the computer screen with a devious smile.  Her, his new queen. He had been watching this one since the day he killed her parents.  

"You do realize that she is so heavily guarded, it would be stupid and insane to--"

The ginger slit the mans threat as his blood splattered and he fell to the floor. He pushed the dead body off the chair, and took the mans place. The room was immediately silent.  The killer wiped the blood off the blade and turned to look at his loyal followers.  

"I'm not crazy,"  He growled.  But with a flick of a switch his personality went back to happier much more chipper tone.

"Now, I have a man on the inside.  This will be easy as cake, sooooo,"  The ginger jumped up from the rolling chair and skipped to a buff man and pointed the dagger blade to the man.  The mans eyes crossed, watching the sharp point with caution, letting out a shaky breath.  

"You,"  The ginger cooed.

"Yes, sir,"  The man gulped.  

"I need you annnnd,"  The ginger pivoted to the raven haired girl behind him and another equally buff man and pointed to them.  

"You,"  he smirked, "to go and provide a distraction.  It's very simple--"

"Yeah, yeah.  I know already,"  the girl piped up.  The gingers eyes moved to her and he tilted his head.  The other goons quickly stepped put of the way to reveal the dark haired girl about 18 or 19.  She was looking at her cuticles and picking at them, glancing up at the ginger.  

"Ya see boss, I know a thing or two about sneaking around.  I know the Narrows like the back of my hand,"  The girl said, raising her left hand to reveal an extravagant peacock feather tattoo.  

"No disrespect to you, but,"  the raven haired girl said seductively, "I have the whole map of the Narrows riiight,"  she took two steps to Jerome and walked around him.  Putting her hand on his shoulder, and dragging it across his back so she was flush against his back with her left hand to his face.  

"Here,"  the girl smirked.  Jerome still said nothing as she walked away from him and faced his front again.  

"My plan is that the very house they are staying in, has a weak point.  The roof has a hatch directly over the girls room.  Biggie One,"  she pointed to the men, "and biggie two,  will climb in through the hatch, and as soon as they go in, they blindfold and tie up the girl.  I shoot the two guards outside the door."  

"Exactly, how do you expect these professionals to just come running to you?"  He growled out interested.  

The girl rolled her eyes and flipped her raven hair behind her.  

"When you flip the switch in a dark room, the roaches run to the shadows.  These guards will simply do the same.  It's instinct boss.  If the cops were to bust in here right now, we'd all scatter like roaches wouldn't we?  No matter how great we think we are."  She continued. 

"The four other guards will simply forget their posts, and coming running to my gun."

"And if you miss?"  He hissed.

"Oh I can assure you I won't.  I'm a trained sniper, acrobat, and gymnasist.  Nothing and no one gets by me or catches me."  The girl said her head held high.  

"Anyway, after the guards are all down, which would be the sixth shot, they simply just walk out of the house, I take the car keys off the guard who has them, and we drive away.  Of course after I shot the camera and the tracker off the car."  

"That there is the plan sir.  Simple, easy, an idiot could've thought it up."  The girl smirked bowing and rising with her hand raised.

The ginger stared at her for a moment and broke out into a fit of laughter.

"And what is yoooour name my dear,"  the ginger asked her.  

"Raven,"  she said stepping up to be eye to eye with the ginger.  

"Raven Lloyd,"