Bloodshed: A Valeska twins story

Deception Pt. 2

Isabelle's POV~

Everyone freaks out, as you would if this ever happened, and scrambled to escape. I watched as many died and others were forced to sit back down. I could hear Jerome's cackles of laughter from the stage even though I couldn't see him. "Oh, gorgeous! I know you're out there. Come here or else more will suffer because of you," I hear Jerome say as the chaos starts to die down finally. I sigh knowing I have no choice. I start making my way towards the stage and look at the horrified few that are seated at their tables once more. One of them being Galavan.

I look towards the stage to see Lee tied to a wheel with Barbara standing next to the wheel. "Ah, there you are!" I look to see Jerome had taken his disguise off. I make my way up the steps of the stage and up towards him. But as I am walking up the steps I hear Jerome tell one of the men to work the camera. He turns back towards me and smiles as I approach, "I just need to make a quick phone call, doll. Then I will deal with you." That sends a shiver down my spine. Not the good kind either.

He holds the phone up to his ear, "Sorry Jimbo, it's just little old me." He waits for Jim's response before asking him, "Are you outside?" Jerome's eyes light up before be mockingly gasps, "You are, aren't you? Oh, goody." Again he waits for Jim's response. I take this time to look over at Galavan. He sits there with a smug look on his face, how does nobody see this guy? "Breathe, James. I haven't touched a hair on your girlfriend's pretty head. Although, I can't say the same for my doll after all." He chuckles while looking at me before turning towards the camera. I forget about all Jerome is doing and try to find a way out of this mess. I look around before deciding to scoot slowly offstage as Jerome and Barbara are distracted.

"See for yourself. This is live television after all." Jerome laughs even harder at this statement before walking over to Lee and making explosion noises while mimicking blowing up her head. Both him and Barbara spread their arms out displaying Lee to the camera. He pulls the phone back to his ear once more, "True. But not the point. Hey, let's talk about what I want. Oh, excuse me." I successfully make it fully behind the curtains, now to find a way out.

Jerome talks to Harrison Kane's dead body before stepping over it to get closer to the camera. He clears his throat before continuing, "$47,000,000, a helicopter, obviously, the dry cleaning I left at Mr.Chang's, be careful, the man is a crook, and, I don't know, a pony! You've got 10 minutes before I start killing people. Remember, this is being broadcasted to every home in Gotham, so, you know, don't let people die. BYE!" He laughs his evil laugh until finally hanging up and turning towards Barbara. "I think that went well." 

"Enough," I hear Theo's voice say. Hmm, I wonder what their plan for all of this madness is. "You need to pack up your pathetic little sideshow and leave." As I make my way through the building and farther away from where I began I see Bruce and a girl leaving as well.

"Bruce?" I ask catching both of their attention. They turn towards me looking horrified before a look of relief spread over it.

"Who're you?" The girl asks me.

"I am, Isabelle. Who might you be?" I ask in return. She rolls her eyes at me.

"Selina," she quickly says in my direction before turning to Bruce. "I'm not going back."

"I don't expect you too," Bruce says to her. But before she can head off he stops her once more, "Selina. I miss you. I just wanted to say that." Aw how cute! Bruce turns to head back towards Jerome, I follow in suit.

As we approach the curtains leading into the auditorium I hear Jerome, "Well, I think it's time for tonight's first official victim. You all know and love. Poor rich boy, parents murdered in an alley, and my favorite volunteer. Where is Bruce Wayne?" Bruce pulls the curtain open slightly allowing us to see inside. "You know I'm an orphan too, Bruce? I killed my parents, though," Jerome says making me sick to my stomach. Parents? As is both? 

Jerome must have lost his patience because his voice becomes angry, "Where are you hiding?" Everyone looks around frightened as to what will happen if Jerome doesn't get Bruce. "Bruce!" Jerome yells suddenly causing people to jump. "Where are you, buddy?"

"Kill his butler," Barbara says from behind Jerome. One of the henchmen pushes Alfred to the front of the crowd towards the stage. 

"All right, last chance, Bruce, but it's about to get very butler-brainy out here, " Jerome says into the mic maliciously trying to coax Bruce out from hiding. It seemed like Bruce was about to reveal himself when James puts a hand on his shoulder stopping him from moving.

"D-Detective Gordon," Bruce stutters out. The detective looks at us both before Bruce continues, "He's gonna kill Alfred. I have to help."

"Brucey!" Jerome says into the microphone taunting Bruce.

"No. It's you he wants. Bruce, he wants you," James tries to reason with Bruce.

"I will not let him hurt Alfred." Bruce says in a determined tone.

"Ok, but take this," James pulls out another gun and places it in Bruce's vest. Then he turns to me pulling out another, "Isabelle, you take one too." I nod before grasping the hand-gun tightly.

Bruce stops them from shooting Alfred by jumping from out behind the curtain and yelling stop. Bruce runs to Alfred as James instructed him to and Alfred pushes himself against Bruce after a brief conversation and grabs the gun successfully from Bruce. Jerome holds a knife to Bruce's throat and pulls Bruce away from the butler while a henchman holds Alfred off. "Let's get started, huh?" Jerome says pulling Bruce on-stage. Jerome points to another henchman, "You, check behind the curtain. Make sure nobody is playing silly buggers." 

When the man approaches the curtain James pokes his gun out and fires it straight into the man's chest. We both emerged from behind the curtains. Alfred, James, and I shoot at all of the henchmen killing them and spreading out. Before we point our guns at Jerome. Jerome just laughs at this.

"Drop the knife!" James yells at Jerome. Jerome laughs at him before wrapping an arm around Bruce's shoulder and turning towards me and smiling. "I don't have a clean shot."

"I don't have one either," I indicating to Jim I can't take the shot either.  

"Stay calm, Bruce," Alfred says to Bruce who is shaking like a leaf in Jerome's grasp.

"Oh, doll. You won't shoot me," he says taunting me causing me to glare at him in response.

"Don't be so sure, dick. You aren't the person I became friends with at the circus and made that promise to," I say with confidence dripping off of every word.

"No! I am the exact same person, you just don't see. I just let myself free, free from judgment, and free from fear," Jerome yells before turning his head to Bruce. "It seems like we've got ourselves a pickle," Jerome says before sparing a quick glance across the room and leaning in closer to Bruce's ear. "What do you say, Brucey boy? Wanna boost our ratings, huh?" Jerome laughs once again before moving the knife, revealing a line of red across Bruce's neck, getting ready to slice his throat completely and kill him. "Smile."

A voice stops Jerome and makes his smile falter, "I said enough." There stands Theo Galavan, the puppetmaster of this whole night. Jerome unwraps his arms from around Bruce allowing them both to turn and face Galavan. What happens next surprises all of us. 

Galavan drives a knife into Jerome's neck. "NO!" I scream dropping the gun and running towards the stage. I hear Jerome choking on the knife as I approach the steps of the stage and run up them.

I see Galavan talking and whispering to Jerome as he lowers him to the floor. But by the time I reach them Jerome is taking his last breaths. It is a horrific sight, Jerome is bleeding not only from the neck wound but from his mouth. Jerome's head turns to me and breaths out, "I love you." 

He looks back at Galavan smiling before finally breathing out, "You said I was gonna be..."

Jerome lies completely still no longer breathing, a knife in his neck and a horrific smile on his bloodied face. I immediately am clouded with memories and memories of the sweet Jerome I did come to know once. Each memory fading into the next as I fall to the floor beside his body sobbing. As the last memory fades I whisper under my breath, "I love you too."