PLEASE KEEP COMMENTING YOUR REACTIONS TO THINGS THAT HAPPEN DURING THE CHAPTER AND JUST THE CHAPTER IN GENERAL
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The lights in Arkham had been shut abruptly off, as the power in Gotham had gone out due to the explosion at the power plant. As it was the middle of the night, inmates were in cells that were suddenly unlocked, letting them go free throughout the halls. The red lights outside Jane's cell danced across her floor from all the people, but Jane was not one of them. She laid in a ball on the floor shaking from her hallucinations. She hadn't recovered from Dwight's visit and had been seeing Jerome like crazy.
Look at her, so weak.
What happened to the all the progress we made? What happened to that girl who killed all of those people?
Jerome will whip you in shape. Beat this weak bitch out of you.
Jane shook as she rocked her body back and forth, trying to calm herself down. She couldn't let them win. Jerome wasn't coming back. He wasn't. He couldn't. People don't come back from the dead. It's unnatural.
However, as these thoughts were entering Jane's mind, the reason all of this was happening walked down the hall, with only Jane on his mind. Jerome Valeska had just been risen from the dead and just killed Dwight in order to knock out the power of Gotham. Gotham had to go crazy and it seemed here in Arkham, it had. When he first heard his younger sister ended up in Arkham, Jerome couldn't help but laugh. Of course that scrawny little good for nothing got locked up. However, he was intrigued to find out why. When he showed up, he had many people wanting to help him. His followers had taken jobs everywhere.
Jerome walked further, swinging his gun around in his hand while watching all the inmates tear at each other and scream. Then he stopped in front of his sister's cell and secured the gun in the waist of his pants before opening the door. "Ohhhhhh, Janey." He song as his eyes adjusted to see his sister in a ball on the floor rocking back and forth.
Jane jumped when she heard the voice. She looked up from her ball and visibly gasped at the sight of her brother. Instantly, she started crying as she stared. No. No. No! This wasn't happening. "Get away from me! Please!" She yelled at him. Jane ducked her head into her knees. Her voice getting weaker. "Please, I've had enough of you today."
Jane peaked up from her ball to watch (what she hoped was a hallucination of) her brother turn to his side to a man standing there. That made Jane frown. Other people could see him. Was this real? The light adjusted and revealed her doctor, Dr. Johnson standing next to him with a crazed look on his face. Oh my god. This was real.
Jerome motioned towards her sister. "What's wrong with her? Why is she in here?" He smiled at Jane's horrified face had tears streaming down it. Nothing was like being back from the dead and watching his sister cry once again because of him.
Dr. Johnson answered quickly out of excitement for Jerome. "She had a psychotic break and started hallucinating voices and you. According to her, a hallucination of you made her kill fourteen people."
Jerome turned back to his sister and laughed. Jane flinched. It sounded so real. How did he come back from the dead? That was supposed to be impossible! More tears started streaming down her face, she couldn't stop them. She was absolutely terrified.
Jerome moved towards his sister, grabbing her by the upper arm. "I knew we were related." He tightened his grip as he dragged her out of the cell. "Let's go, Janey! I've missed you, and I have some fun planned for us."
Jane started thrashing in his arm. "Let me go! Jerome!"
As they made it out of the cell, Jerome was about to start dragging her down the hall towards the exit when a booming voice called out to the two siblings. "Get your hands off my girlfriend!"
That made Jerome stop. Slowly, he turned around (with Jane) to face the blonde bombshell that was Jane's love, Laney. Jane's tearful eyes softened at the sight of her. Laney stood ten feet away from them. Her eyes were narrowed in on Jerome, and Jane could see the killer instinct in her girlfriend's eyes. Then Jane grew even more scared - scared of what Jerome would do to Laney.
Jerome looked a little off guard, clearly not expecting this. He looked down at his little sister who had stopped fighting due to the shock of Laney. "Girlfriend? I didn't know you were in a relationship, little Janey." Then his face twisted into a sick smile, a signature look for him. "Well this is going to get in the way of our little plan."
Jane frantically looked up at her brother. "Jerome, please! Leave her alone. I'll come with you, just leave her alone!"
Jerome looked back and faux pouted. "But I have to do my brotherly duties. A brother always has to interrogate and beat up the person his little sister is dating."
Then everything happened so fast. One second, the three of them were just staring at each other and then the next, Jerome pulled his gun out and shot Laney in the head, right in her forehead and Jane was being pulled away.
Jane started screaming as she watched the woman she was in love with fall to the floor with a pool of blood pouring from her forehead. More tears started falling from her eyes as Jane watched the life dim in Laney's beautiful blue eyes and her beautiful blonde hair loose life. Laney was dead, and it was all Jane's fault.
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Jerome's whistling filled the silence as his new followers drove the inmate transfer bus to Jerome's next location: Wayne Manor. He sported a new straitjacket that he stole from Arkham. Jane stared emotionlessly in front of her. Her hands were handcuffed together, which were then tied to the floor of the bus. She was no longer crying. Her face felt red and puffy with the tears all dried up on her face. She couldn't help but think of what just happened. Laney was dead. Jane watched the blood pour of her, the light drain from her eyes. It was all Jane's fault. Laney would've still been alive if it wasn't for her.
Jerome continued to whistle as he sat in front his sister and smiled. "How yah doing, Jane?" No reply. He continued regardless. "Sorry it got a little messy there with your girlfriend. Too bad I had to kill her. It must've been nice for you to have someone care about you." Jane wanted to cry again but she didn't want to give him the satisfaction. Jerome continued to talk as he knew she was listening. "I gotta say, when I heard you were in Arkham, I laughed. Of course you would end up there. But look at you." He smiled wider and gestured towards her. "You're following my footsteps!" Jane cringed. "How did you feel when you killed for the first time? Wasn't it just thrilling?" Jerome spoke very theatrically, and it made Jane cringe harder. She forgot just how psychotic the real Jerome was.
Tell him how much fun you have putting people through pain.
Tell him about Big T and how you wanted to finish her off.
Thank God Laney's dead. She won't hold you back anymore.
Jane looked up at her brother and noticed his face stapled onto his head. Jerome saw this and rolled his eyes playfully and gestured to it. "Yeah, I know. A little gory right? Apparently it was part of the whole resurrection thing. I wasn't waking up so they took my face off to inspire all the other followers, yah know basic cult leader things." Jane nodded slowly.
The bus came to a hard stop. Jerome stood, very excitedly. He looked down at his sister. "Be right back, sis! Time to get the next guest on this Party Express!"
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Bruce Wayne was cuffed right across from Jane. She watched as this happened and felt bad. The poor kid looked older than the last time they saw each other and she was quickly reminded of all she put him and Alfred through. When Bruce finally noticed her, he flinched. "Jane?" Jane nodded with a quick "Hey."
He looked her up and down in disbelief. "What happened to you? I haven't seen you in like a year."
Jane didn't know how much to tell him. How much did he already know? Jane shook her head. "Too much to go into."
Bruce nodded but nevertheless continued. "Do you know where we're going?"
Jane shook her head again. "No idea. What happened in there?"
Bruce thought back of the scene he just avoided and felt bad about leaving Alfred there to fend for himself. "Jerome was going to kill me but I convinced him to make it into a spectacle."
"Then we could be going anywhere."
The conversation died down after that as they waited to see where Jane's crazed brother was taking them. The drive only lasted roughly ten more minutes before the bus abruptly stopped and men came back, roughly putting sacks over their heads and dragging them out.
Although Jane couldn't see much, she saw lights flashing through the sack and the sound of rides and screams of joy filled her ears. She felt sick to her stomach. She had a feeling she knew exactly where Jerome had taken them.
Then the sacks were roughly ripped from their heads, and Jane's suspicions were confirmed. Jerome had brought her back to the circus. Jane felt the PTSD from her childhood coming back. Bad memories flowed through her mind. She turned her head to see Bruce standing next to her, equally confused and looking around. Circus workers were being exploited as Jerome's followers started abusing them with the games. Accidentally, Jane made eye contact with her brother. He smiled when she saw the fear. He knew how much she hated the circus. He knew she was going through all her bad memories.
Jerome laughed as he walked in front of Bruce and Jane. "Well we're off to a good start." One of the followers handed him a black straw hat with red ribbon. He placed in on his head with a huge sick smile on his face. Just looking at it made Jane want to run.
Jerome spoke very carefully, taking his time to create drama and fear in his victims. "What do you say you two? Wanna have some fun before the main event?"