Elena opened her eyes and a smile grew on her face as she turned over to kiss Jerome. But her smile quickly disappeared when she noticed he wasn't there anymore. Confused she leaned up to look around in the room, but he wasn't anywhere to be seen. Then her heart beat raised and her eyes widened as she heard Jerome scream in the distance"Elena help me!". She quickly threw the blanket off her body and jumped out of the bed.
She ran out of the bedroom but didn't know which direction to run to. But then she heard Jerome's painful screams coming from the living room and she ran as fast as she possibly could. When she came into the living room she gasped as she saw was Jerome tied up to a chair and blood was dripping from his mouth. His eyes had turned purple and they were all swollen from what looked like a heavy beating. Someone had tortured him. He looked awful and he seemed terrified as well.
Elena started to cry when she saw Oswald and Barbara's dead bodies laying right next to him. She was just about to run up to Jerome and help him, but then her blood boiled as she saw Theo walking out of the shadows and into the light. He had a smirk on his face and Elena tightened her fists in anger.
«What the fuck are you doing here? What have you done!" she shouted and tramped her foot down to the floor in anger. He let out a short and amused laugh as he shook his head at her.
"There's no need for such an aggressive behaviour, Elena. I've merely got some unfinished business and as Mayor of Gotham I need to keep my word, you understand that don't you?" he said and then she saw something shiny and silver appear in his hand. She squinted her eyes trying to see what it was threw the tears in her eyes, but when she did, it was too late.
It was a small knife and he smiled widely before burying it in Jerome's neck once again and she saw the life disappear from his eyes as they closed. She screamed at the top of her lounges and felt like she was going to pass out. This was too overwhelming, this could not be happening again, it could not be real!
"Elena? Elena wake up!" Elena heard Jerome shout and she threw herself up from the bed as she desperately gasped for air. Her body was shaking and she looked all around herself to notice she was back in the bedroom and Jerome sat beside her with a concerned expression on his face.
"It was only a dream.." she thought to herself as she tried to control her breathing and placed a hand on her heavy breathing chest.
"Are you okay? You were screaming." Jerome asked as he held a hand on her back to comfort her. She swallowed a lump in her throat and nodded hastily.
"Yeah, I'm fine..I just had a nightmare about Theo." she said while tightening her fists and turned her head to look into Jerome's eyes while frowning.
«He killed you in front of me, again."
Jerome sighed and leaned forward to kiss her forehead and pulled back with a smile.
"If anyone is getting killed it's him, that I promise you."
Elena smiled and nodded. But this was a wake up call for her. Theo had to die one way or another. As long as he lived there was no way they could know for sure that they were safe. He knew very well that they could easily expose him to everyone and instead of being Mayor, he would be thrown into Arkham for burglary, kidnapping, and corruption.
After getting dressed they walked down to the dining room where Oswald's staff had prepared breakfast. Barbara and Oswald where already seated so they walked over and joined them.
"So, what's the plan now Mr. Valeska? I mean since you made the city go black and all." Oswald wondered. Jerome was stuffing his face full of food and didn't really care that everybody watched him. Elena giggled when he lifted his head up with egg all around his mouth.
"Please Ozzie, just call me Jerome. I'm just creating a little chaos, and my so called 'fans' out there are very helpful."
Oswald looked thoughtful as he studied Jerome.
"Indeed they are. I was watching the news earlier and it seems like the police has gotten their hands full since they're getting thousands of phone calls from scared citizens that have observed your followers all over Gotham. Apparently they're breaking and vandalizing, well, everything. And if I may ask, how does this help you in your plan?
Jerome wiped away the food around his mouth and leaned back in his chair.
"Simple, they're creating a mass panic."
Oswald raised his eyebrow.
"And that's a good thing?" he asked. Jerome smiled widely.
"Um duh, of course it is! Terror and chaos is leaving the citizens of Gotham feeling scared and helpless. And what does fear do to people that are used to everybody else risking their life so they don't have to? It causes rage. Then it's only a matter before they demand someone to take action and do something. And who do they trust to help them?" he asked as he rested his elbows on the table and held his hands out waiting for an answer.
"The Mayor, aka Theo Galavan." Barbara said with a smirk on her face.
"Bingo!" Jerome said and snapped a finger at her as he smiled, "I'm simply going to make his life difficult, ya know, before I kill him and all that." he said and seemed to be daydreaming about all the different ways he wanted to murder him.
«And exactly how are you going to do that?" Oswald asked curiously.
"That, I don't know yet. But it's going to be painful, that I know."
Then the doorbell suddenly rang and everybody froze and looked at each other to wait and see if someone had a clue who it was.
"You expecting someone?" Elena asked Oswald who shook his head.
"No. And no one know the address here either." he said sounding suspicious.
"Well then." Barbara said as found her gun and reloaded it, "Let's go find out who it is."
Everyone loaded their weapons and followed Oswald to the front door. He peeked through the hole and then suddenly he gasped which made everybody super curious. He slowly opened the door and everybody stood ready with their guns. And to their surprises, there stood an old familiar face.
"Ed.." Oswald almost whispered. Not was it only shocking to see Ed again, but just to add up to it he was standing there covered in blood. He was looking super nervous and his hands were shaking like crazy.
"Oh, um, hi everybody." he said and pushed his glasses up the bride of his nose. Oswald didn't seem to get out any words at all, he just stared at him. And Elena understood him. Edward had after all left him for someone else just when Oswald had gotten mutual feeling towards him.
"Hah, you look terrible dude!" Jerome said followed by a laugh and Elena gave him a 'shut up!' look. He quickly closed his mouth and shrug his shoulders not knowing what he said wrong.
"Ed..why are you covered in blood?" Elena asked carefully. He looked down at his clothes and swallowed a lump in his throat before he looked back up at them.
"Well..I just.." he said and groaned in frustration, "It wasn't my fault! It just happened so quickly and..maybe it's best I just show you." he said anxiously and walked over to his car. Everybody followed, but Oswald was a bit hesitant at first before he also came along. Edward took a deep breath before he opened his trunk and there laid his girlfriend, dead.
"Oo who's that?" Jerome asked excited meanwhile everyone else was more shocked, especially Oswald who seemed to be speechless.
"That is, or was I guess, his girlfriend Isabella." Barbara said and then tilted her head over at Ed.
"Really Ed, you had to kill this one too?" she said with crossed arms. Edward sighed and leaned his back against the car while placing a hand on his forehead.
"I don't know what happened. She had gotten obsessed with 'fixing' me and started to dress like her just to prove I wasn't going to hurt her." he said and he meant she had tried to be like his former girlfriend, Kristin Kringle, who he had murdered by strangling her to death.
"She dyed her hair and everything. So I..I just snapped at her. Everything went black and when I regained consciousness, she was laying on the floor, dead." he explained.
"Well I'll be damned. You're just as crazy as I am! I'm Jerome." Jerome said and was very inappropriate as he held his hand out to Ed who looked confused, but shook his hand anyway.
"Edward.." he said awkwardly and then let go. Suddenly Oswald broke his silence and looked over at Ed with a angry frown on his face.
"So you just leave us to be this woman and don't even bother to call every once in a while, kill her, and then after months show up here again with her dead corpse and expect us to fix it? How dare you!" he shouted angrily. He was probably very hurt. Edward looked ashamed of himself, but before he could answer police sirens were heard in the distance and Elena quickly panicked.
Oswald grabbed Ed's shirt and pulled him close to him face as he looked furious.
"You idiot! You lead the cops straight to us!" he yelled at him and then pushed him away so Edwards almost stumbled.
"Okey we need to leave, like right now." Barbara said and everyone nodded in agreement. Oswald still stood in front of Ed and stared him in the eyes. He felt so betrayed and hurt. Elena walked up to him and carefully placed her hand on his shoulder.
"Oswald..I know how you feel. But we have to go, or else we all get sent back to Arkham." she said calmly and Oswald nodded before he stepped away from Ed who was still speechless after Oswald's reaction.
"Let's take the chopper." Elena said as the looked at everyone.
"What about Isabella?" Ed asked.
«We don't have any time to deal with her, the cops will be here any minute." Elena said and they all ran to the chopper and took off.
It was an awkward tension in the chopper because of Oswald and Edward. Oswald sat as far away as he could with his hands crossed as he looked out the window.
"Where do we go now?" Elena asked everyone.
"We can go to my old apartment. It's just standing there empty. I have enough space for everyone." Barbara offered.
When they got to the apartment Elena made Jerome make dinner with Barbara and Oswald so he could get to know Oswald better. Meanwhile Elena stood out on the balcony with Ed.
"He hates me, doesn't he?" Ed asked in despair. Elena felt bad for both of them. But they both had a fault in why Ed left.
"No, he doesn't hate you. He's just hurt by the fact that you just left us, or him for Isabella." she said and placed her hand on his back.
"Yes I can understand that, but why? Why get so angry?" he said and looked at her for answers. She raised her eyebrow and sighed.
"Really Ed? Like REALLY?" she said to indicate she was hinting to something. But he just looked at her in confusion and she rolled her eyes at him.
"He loves you, stupid." she spat out. Edward's eyes widened and his jaw dropped.
"W..what?" he said like he didn't believe what he just heard.
"Yes, you heard me right. Had you just told him that you liked him right after we broke out of Arkham you would have known that already. He was just about to tell you when you met Isabella. He told me you didn't show up for the dinner he had planned for you two when he was about to tell you." she explained and she could see him getting angry at himself as his head dropped between his hands that were resting on the fence.
"Oh my god, that explains everything! Do you think I've ruined everything between us?" he asked sounding concerned.
"No I don't. Just give him some time. He's very sensitive you know." she said hoping they would sort things out. Then Jerome peaked his outside the door and smiled to Elena.
"Dinner's ready. If it it's good it was all me! If it's not, blame it on Oswald." he joked and they followed him inside.
Elena and Jerome joined Barbara at the table. They had made spaghetti and it smelled so good. Oswald was on his way over to the table when Edward grabbed his arm and turned him around to face him. Oswald frowned and pulled his arm out of his grip.
"What do you want, Ed?" he asked and looked away. It broke Ed's heart to see him this upset.
"Listen Oswald, I'm so very, very sorry." he said and Oswald's eyes widened a bit and he looked back into his eyes.
"I know I hurt you and that was never my intention. I thought Isabella was the love of my life, but she just wanted to change me. You were the first to ever accept me as who I truly am. And I..I missed you."
Oswald's eyes were glowing and he actually smiled as he turned to look at Ed.
"Well..I guess I can forgive you. Because" he said and cleared his throat, "I missed you too."
Edward got a big smile on his face. Elena felt so happy for them. They deserved each other. They joined them at the table and they started to dig in.
"This is soo good!" Elena said as she stuffed her face with spaghetti.
"It was all me!" Jerome said as he tried to steal the credit from Oswald and Barbara. It just made everyone laugh a little.
"So we need to lay low for a few days. The police are after all of us now after Jerome's comeback, Elena's stunt at the news station and Ed's little ex girlfriend being found in the back of his trunk." Barbara said.
"Then we can make a plan on how to take down Theo." Elena said and Jerome nodded.
"He needs to suffer. I want him to beg for mercy as I kill him slowly." Jerome said as he smiled viciously.
"I forgot how crazy you are, good to have you back." Barbara joked.
Then they heard someone enter through the door to the balcony. Everybody turned around to see Selina standing there with wide eyes
"Oh, didn't know there would be people here." she said awkward. Since she lived on the street she had been 'borrowing' Barbara's apartment.
"Selina!" Elena said and ran over to hug her for a few seconds before they pulled away.
"Dude, I was so worried about you. While I was with Bruce Jim stopped by, he wanted to warn Bruce about you and Jerome being back after what happened at the gala." she said and Jerome smiled as she mentioned his name. He leaned back in his chair so she would notice him.
"Hi." he said and Selina instantly frowned at him. She walked up to his and suddenly smacked him right across the face. Elena's eyes widened as she watched him lay a hand over his sore skin before looking up at her Selina a smile.
"I guess I deserved that one." he said and laughed.
"Yes you did. That was for threatening Bruce." she said angrily and walked back over to Elena.
"Awh don't be so mad. I just did it because Theo told me to." Jerome said and just kept eating. Selina rolled her eyes and looked back at Elena.
"About him, Theo was also at Bruce's place. He wants Bruce to sell him his company in exchange for information about his parents begin murdered. He's such a jerk because it's obviously a lie." she said angry.
"He can't get Wayne Enterprises, he will get way to much power in Gotham." Elena said concerned.
"Duh, I've told him that like a thousand times. But Bruce it obsessed with finding his parents murderer." Selina said frustrated.
"We're planning on taking him down, maybe you want to help?" Elena asked and Selina nodded.
"Sure, anything to get that idiot away from Bruce. He's getting on my nerves. What do you need me to do?" Selina asked.
"Well if you could follow him, find out where he lives and how much security it is, that would be very helpful." Elena said.
"I'm on it!" Selina said and disappeared out of the door again like the ninja she was.
Elena turned to the others and smiled.
"Let's get to planning."
Did i get you at the start of the chapter? Haha I'm sorry if you panicked.
Really hope you are enjoying the story so far!
-Michelle