(Sequel) Through Thick and Thin [Jason Todd x Reader]

Side Story Pt.1

彡 ᴠᴀʟᴇʀɪᴀɴ ᴋᴀɴᴇ 彡

I was barely 15, living alone with my parents whose second home was called Arkham Asylum. I was already aware of the type of people my parents were and what it meant to be their child. I remember wondering many times why I was brought into this world. It's not as if they ever treated me like their child. 

Well, scratch that, my mother did. The Joker was never one to be affectionate. Though I would rather die than have him ever be affectionate towards me.

I recall the day in which he brought a kid and kept them hidden in a room he wouldn't let me enter.

When I asked about who was the mysterious kid, he would grin and reply, "Someone you'll meet very soon"

I was already aware at the time that he was going to encourage me to become friends with that kid. We had some sort of "game," or at least it was his game.

Since I never really liked following into his footsteps, he'd try to create a weakness he could use against me. So by making me have a friend, he could take advantage of that friendship to manipulate me into doing things such as killing.

We both felt the distance between us. We were no father and son. I don't think I have ever felt like a normal son loved by his father.

I used to attend school because my mother wanted a normal life for me, however, that all went down the drain when my classmates heard my name for the first time. Valerian. They'd all ask the same question: "Why do you have a girl's name?"

I never bothered to figure out whether my name really was a girl's name or not. I never felt the need to talk back to their insults. Not even when they'd treat me like a girl as a 'joke.' Or when they'd 'accidently' shove me to the girls' team when we had to split into gender-based groups for gym.

Perhaps I never said anything because I found that the girls treated me a lot better. Or maybe they were right and I have always been a coward since birth.

Mother wasn't alone in expecting me to make friends. I also wanted to experience that. Everyone who had friends would smile wide when they played games together, or even release an authentic laugh that would catch the attention of everyone around. It wasn't the wicked smile or maniacal laughter that I was accustomed to. It was a true expression I never wore. A smile I tried to put on my face once with my fingers pushing the corners of my mouth upwards. It could never compare to the actual thing.

Thus, I had never considered the possibility that my father may be successful in finding me a friend.

On that day, I was sure that I would never get along with whoever was inside that room. I was going to irritate them, be cold to them, and be brutally honest. 

When I finally met the one inside the room a few days later. I was surprised to find a girl who was a year older than me sitting on a bed staring at the wall.

"Kid, why don't you introduce yourself?" The Joker said. I got the hint that he was introducing me as a new kid, someone he abducted recently. So, I acted like a quiet kid.

"I-I'm Valerian. Valerian Kane"

The only reason I was going along with his game and using a fake surname was because we had made a deal that this would be his last attempt at trying to create a way to control me. There were other ways he had tried like buying me a pet, or bribing me, or using my video games.

"Okay," she responded in a bland tone. But it was perfect. It seemed as if I didn't need to worry about her being someone I would care about.

Of course, I was wrong.