Jeremiah Valeska

"Pass... but I may be convinced to say yes to his cousin." Jeremiah found himself saying. "If it could mean we're best friends again."

“It sure is, boss. Unless I got body snatched in the night,” Ecco replied, her brow furrowing. Had she? No, no. She was definitely herself. Knowing she was overthinking, she shook her head. The scar from the entrance wound of the bullet throbbed, and she couldn’t help but grin. Every time she felt it, her body felt like it was thrumming. It was a constant reminder of her devotion. An oath to her darling Jeremiah. “I would do anything for ya, boss. Even during your long snooze, I handed out candles and leaflets.” He called himself daddy and she bounced on the balls of her feet, practically toppling forward as she leaned closer, but managing to keep her balance. “I’d never let them get ya again, I’ve got knives with their names on,” Ecco beamed, proud of herself for remembering who they were at all as she carved initials into the handles of her set of knives at the kitchen table. Nodding at his order, she leaned into his touch. After not feeling it for so long, it was like she was being given the greatest prize. Like winning an award. “Oh, boss. I missed ya like the feeling of the cold barrel of a gun against my head. And ya know how much I love that.” Gasping as Jeremiah gripped the back of her neck, she allowed him to hold her close. “Daddy wants to dance?” she asked, fingertips tracing his jawline. He was so beautiful. A true God in her eyes. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Ecco pressed their foreheads together. “Then let’s dance! Dance ‘til we’re dead,” she giggled.

“You kept me alive in spirit.” He said with a smile when she mentioned handing out candles and leaflets. She was always so good at picking who to send to their Church and the trials weeded out the weak from the worthy. “I’m sure I have loads of loyal followers because of you.” He wouldn’t expect anything else from his echo. She was exactly what he needed right now. The little pick me up he’d been craving. She’d never leave his side. He didn’t have to worry about her. Still, his heart broke as he thought about Dick. His best friend who seemed to have casted him aside. “Thank you, Ecco. I need you more than I’ve ever had before.” He told her honestly. The thought of letting his proxy handle everything while he healed crossed his mind but if felt too much like old times. Back before he’d opened his eyes and was freed from paranoia and fear. He smiled at the way she gasped and pulled her close to him. Keeping one hand on the back of her neck while the other wrapped around the small of her back. “Mhm-hmm.” He hummed when she asked if he wanted to dance. Glancing over her as she stroked his jawline. It had been such a long time since he saw her. His dear Ecco. Just as she was devoted to him, he felt a similar devotion to her. His lips twitched into a smile when he felt her forehead press against his. Swaying with her to a silent melody. “I must admit... I’ve missed you.”

There was something incredibly off-putting about the man but nothing came to the mind in the ways of his face. He didn’t have anything that was particularly villainous or heroic about him but there was something… eerie. Then there was a hand on his cheekbone and anyone else who was sane would have jumped back at that. JJ didn’t have such a response, instead gaining curiosity. “He who?” It had to be, didn’t it? His father. He’d been told he looked like a young Dick Grayson and it seemed that was circling back in a not so great way. “I…” The best lie was the truth and JJ wasn’t going to bury himself too deeply so he went with the flow and sprung a half truth lie into action. “So you know my cousin then?” It slipped off his lips so easily and it sounded believable enough. Cousins. It wasn’t like there was anyway this stranger could know differently. What he didn’t expect, however, was the connection with Haly’s Circus. “I don’t personally but my cousin does.” No hesitation, nailed it. Of course he knew Dick if he had been apart of Haly’s Circus. “My Aunt and Uncle did too but um… I’m sure if you know then you know.” He hoped his performance was matching up to how good he felt it was. Talking about his grandparents was always a sore subject for his father so JJ had never tried to pry, but he knew enough of the basis to know the other must have known. He felt believable. 

Jeremiah bit his lower lip. He could taste the bitterness of his lipstick with the edge of his tongue. He said cousin and his eyes lit up. He was right. They were related. He lifted his head with stubborn pride that he was able to tell apart a Grayson from a random person. He wondered if Dick knew about him yet but by the way the other man was talking- it was clear he at least knew of Dick. Could this boy be the way back to Dick’s heart? His mind flooded with ideas of what he could do to him. Or even with him. How he could use him to get to his best friend. “Oh yes. I’m sorry for your loss. I was there that night.” He said, thinking back on the performance that caused his coma. He’d considered that him being there for Dick now. “I’m an old childhood friend of your cousin’s. Poor Dick... it was just terrible what happened.” 

Lucy propped her hands on her hips, giving him her best serious medical professional look. “Yeah, but you won’t get very far when you go out if you don’t take care of yourself at the beginning,” she pointed out. She rolled her eyes, taking a step closer to him, and then another, and another, until her nose was inches from his. “Don’t make the mistake, brother,” she said, her voice dropping to a whisper. “I gotta do what I gotta do to make my own way in the world, but I’m anything but boring. I’ll cut a guy’s throat just as easy as I’d patch him up, and my hand is gonna be steady either way, you get it?” She took a step back and stared at him. “Mmm, Jerome stuck in your noggin, huh?” she mused. She hopped up on the table, swinging her feet. “Yeah, but you remind her of someone, numbnuts. You didn’t think you were super original, did ya?”

“I’ve waited a month. Surely that’s enough.” He argued. She moved closer to him and his head tilted. They were practically nose to nose. His silvery-green eyes gazed into bright blue orbs. She looked so much like her mother that it was hard to ignore. His lips drew into a grin when she called him brother. Something that might have made him feel strangely frightened before. The word alone reminded him of Jerome. Causing a burst of shivers rip up his spine violently. His eyes widened at her words. She seemed serious, but he was was dying to see this version of Lucy in action. Her insanity was much like his own at the beginning. Sleeping... begging to be shook awake. “Oh, yeah? Show me, sister.” He said, tilting his head up and showing her more of his neck. As if he was asking her to do it to him. Right up until she mentioned Jerome. Then his smile fell off his face and he pushed forwards. Resting his forehead against her own. “What makes you think that.” He nearly growled. Sighing when she pulled back and hopped up on the table with him. “Are you kidding? I’m much more handsome than your deadbeat dad. No offence.” 

closed starter // @jervaleska​

“Hey, Jer Bear,” Harley grinned, watching him walk through the door. She knew that he’d find her. If anyone would be able to decode her jumbled text message, it’d be him. She’d managed to send it before the goons realised she had her phone. “Mind grabbin’ the key?” she asked, gesturing to the body beneath her beneath her dangling legs. “I broke his neck, but I can’t get the key outta his back pocket.”  As she waited, she whistled the tune of Moonlight Sonata. The fact that she’d been kidnapped and beaten hadn’t phased her in the slightest. In fact, she found it quite… exhilarating. “I caused a incy-wincy bit of trouble with some of Blackmask’s men,” she explained, finally.

“Yeah. Dick talks about a ton of people he knows. He’s a HUGE gossip. At least to me anyway. He knows I get bored in the manor so he keeps me updated on things.” Jarro said as he opened the door to the manor. “Alfred’s grocery shopping I think . So it’s just us for a bit. “ he explained. Jarro nodded when Xander reiterated what he said. “cool. I like you.” the poor naive boy said as he lead him into the manor. “we can check to see if he’s in his room. sometimes he stays there but not a lot. he’s mostly at the tower.” 

“At least you have his company.” Jeremiah commented. Part of him- a very old part of him who he thought he drowned deep inside himself- was reminded of old times. Days in the bunker. Wasting away underground. Obsessively working on engineering projects to keep his mind off Jerome. Only Ecco kept his company when he’d allow it. Long nights with her by his side as he worked... it was the only thing that kept him sane. “Do they keep you hidden away in here?” Jeremiah questioned. “Wonderful, we’ll have more time to get to know one another.” He commented. “Yes... let’s check his room.”

Lucy gave a little huff and shook her head, glancing over at him. “I’m guessing taking it easy is a no-go for you, huh?” she said. She raised her eyebrows. “I mean, strange for you is kind of a higher bar than it is for everybody else,” she pointed out. “I don’t think you have, but I haven’t been spending as much time with you as my mom has.” She frowned. “I think you, uh…just bring up some memories, ya know?” She could see it, too. It definitely gave her the heebie-jeebies. She thought about his question for a minute. “I’ve always kinda pictured you with the Hannibal Lecter diet. Some guy’s liver with fava beans and a nice chianti.” 

“Doctor... I’ve just spent the better part of a year wasting away in a clinic bed. Hidden away from the world. Like I had been trash hastily shoved under the couch. I can’t help it if I’m a little... eager to get out again.” Jeremiah commented. He let out a deep sigh at her words. “How did a boring thing like you come out of a woman so compelling? Please, Lucy. Strange should be your normal too. Don’t forget where you came from. You can play doctor all you want... but we’re the same.” We’ve got the same blood running through our veins. Jerome’s voice boomed in his mind and he raised his hands to cover his eyes for a moment. Trying to block it out. “No, no. Not you.” He whispered, “Her! Her and I-” Letting out a frustrated sound he stumbled over to the table and took a seat on it. “Memories? Of what... we’ve only had good times together.” He scoffed. Rolling his eyes at her words. “I’m sorry to disappoint.” 

Jerome grinned up at him, a little giggle falling from his lips. “No one is crazy like me,” he said, beaming up at his brother. “But you’ve got a few screws loose yourself, you know that, right? I mean, say if there were 10 screws up there, at least eight would be loose. At least eight.” He peeked up at him, considering the offer of a more pleasant home. “Yeah, okay,” he said finally. He gave a little giggle. “I mean, dead people tend to smell pretty bad, anyway, but whatever you want, brother.”

He shook his head at his words. “I’ve never felt more clarity. Well...” That was a bit of a lie. The coma left him a little foggy. “Maybe before I took that little nap.” Jeremiah said with a smile stretching across his cheeks. Like he found humour in his own coma. “I’ll have her search for something... better than this.” Anything would be better than this. Even a cage. He was afraid the stink might linger on his clothes after he left. “Only after about 24 hours. You’d be in a hole by then.” 

♫

“Okaaaaay. Whatever.” Theresa replied, put off by the stranger’s behaviour. She was sure this was one of Gotham’s many weirdos and Tess was too tired for a fight. “I’ve been here long enough. And I can handle m’self, thank ye very much. I fancy m’self a hero every now and then.” The ginger wasn’t entirely sure why she was still talking. Probably the nerves.

“You fancy yourself a hero?” Jeremiah mocked, letting out a sudden laugh. He reached his hand up to cover his mouth as if he hadn’t meant to let out out. “Oh, Red. That’s a dangerous game.” Fingertips dragged along the wall as he took a few careful steps towards her. “Not many heroes left in Gotham. At least, not many who’ve kept their sanity.” 

“Are you really going to stand there and blame me for what you did to me? If you wanted my attention, you could’ve just asked for it. Like Wally or Roy do. Kidnapping me and making me relive the most traumatic night of my life did nothing but make me sure that you’re more like Jerome than I thought.” Dick knew that it was a dangerous thing to say. There was a chance that Jeremiah would totally lose control and attack him. But he had to hear the truth. Had to know that what he’d done was wrong and painful. “No, I don’t think that. I don’t think anybody would willingly jump into the acid. It doesn’t change the fact that you’re not the boy who was my friend at the circus, though. He would’ve never done what you did to me.” Dick nodded. “I lost everything. My memories, my life, my ability to speak properly or solve a kids puzzle. It took me such a long time to get everything back, and I lost someone I really loved in the process.” When Jeremiah started talking about the things Jerome had done, he couldn’t take it anymore. Dick tried to take Haly back again, keeping his hands on her, refusing to back down. “Give her back to me, and I’ll stay here and speak with you. If you don’t, I’ll take her anyway and leave. I’m giving you the chance to make the right choice for once. Don’t let me down, Jeremiah.”

“You just made my point for me. Wally and Roy ask for your attention. That wouldn’t be very unique of me, would it? I wanted to be your best friend. Not just someone you felt obligated to talk to. Why can’t you just understand me?” He asked, a frown on his lips. “No, no. I’m nothing like Jerome!” Why did that feel so familiar? Like he’d said it before... He wracked his memory. Trying to recall it but coming up short. How did Lucy describe it again? Post-traumatic amnesia? How frustrating. “That boy was riddled by anxiety. Plagued by the fear that his twin brother might slit his throat open and peel off his skin while he slept. I may have holes in my memory right now... but I still recall that feeling. Like tickle in my mind. Harley freed me of that paranoia when she brought me to Ace Chemicals. She opened my eyes and you want me to close them again. To feel all of that again. To be him? He wanted to be there for you just as much as I did that night. But this version of me actually made that happen, the other was too scared mommy might smack him.” He sighed. Looking down at the dog and scratching her behind her ears. “I... guess I understand. You did save me after all. You brought me to safety that night so I’m sure you would have visited... if only you could.” He paused before handing back the dog. “Please, keep your promise.” 

Lucy made that doctor hmm that indicated she was listening, her brow furrowing. “Like what?” she said. She considered his question, thinking it over for a few seconds. “Well, typically there’s three stages of being in a coma – ya know, the first being…the coma, and then a vegetative state, then there’s minimally conscious.” She paused. “You kinda seemed to….bounce through those stages, so I guess we’re at the point where you might experience something called post-traumatic amnesia, like…” She paused again when Jeremiah seemed to struggle to recall something. “That, yeah. And you might be more aggressive and confused, which…is probably not a good combo for you, I’m thinking.” She raised her eyebrows. “I mean, I know that. I just wouldn’t be surprised if you ate some weird stuff, that’s all.”

He waved his hand in the air as he thought. “I’m weak... Sometimes when I’m walking I suddenly lose my balance and trip over myself. Most of the time, I can catch myself but other times I drop like a heavy stone.” Jeremiah explained. Glancing over her as she explained the stages of a coma to him. “Have I... been acting strangely lately?” He hadn’t thought he was but things were cloudy for him sometimes and he had no clue. “I hope that’s not why Harley ran off. I do love her. She was so kind to me... She took all that dreadful anxiety away. Made me who I am.” He said, shaking his head. “No. I’m from the circus but I’m no freak. Did you think I was? What did you think I ate?” 

Jerome giggled and shrugged his shoulders. “People are stupid,” he said. “And lonely. That’s not a good combo. It makes them desperate for something to believe in, even two craaaazy kooks like us.” He pouted. “Hey, I don’t–” He paused and sniffed at his sleeve. “Well, you get used to it after a while, trust me.” He looked up at him. “Mmmm, how do I know if I come out there that you won’t shank me or something?”

“I’m not insane like you, Brother.” Jeremiah corrected in a serious tone. Watching Jerome sniff his sleeve, he blinked at him knowingly. “I wouldn’t want to. Just between the two of us, you should look for some real housing. How about I ask Ecco to find you something livable.” He said, nose wrinkling with disgust as he glanced around. “No, I really can’t kill you like this. Jerome. It’s unbecoming. I’ll wait until you’re all cleaned up first.” It gave him time to heal anyway.

Lucy let out a little hum, nodding softly. “Yeah, I bet that would suck,” she said sagely. Her head tilted. “Well, your muscles would be pretty well atrophied, I bet,” she said. “It’s probably gonna take sometime for your body to get back to normal.” She frowned. “Huh,” she said. “That’s weird. I hope she’s okay.” Her eyes widened a little as Jeremiah spoke – had she asked him out to lunch? It was entirely possible that she had. Sometimes she didn’t pay attention when she spoke and trusted other people to stop her if she went on too long. “Oh – uh, I mean, if you wanna, yeah.” She paused. “You didn’t answer my question, though. Are we gonna have to do, like, a Damon Salvatore thing or something?”

“Oh, I’m aware. I’ve been experiencing symptoms.” He explained with a frown. He was never the type to settle down and try to heal. Always wanting to push forwards. Driven by an over active mind. “When do you think I’ll be back to normal again, Doc? I’d like to get back to everything I was doing before. When I left off... I was- uh.” He snapped as though it would help his memory. When it didn’t help, he groaned. “I’m sure she’s fine. She’s resilient.” He replied. “I would love to.” He replied. “What...? Who? I have a regular diet again. I can swallow on my own and everything. So you don’t have to worry about that, Luce.” 

Barbara flinched when he stroked her hair. Flashbacks of the Joker standing over her after he had shot her and left her for dead flickered through her mind making her body shudder, twisting her stomach, bile rising in her throat. Barbara choked it down trying desperately to keep her composure. Her eyes widened her attention now focused on his outburst. She hadn’t said anything but it seemed as though he wasn’t speaking to her, yet there was no one else in the room with them. Barbara watched his outburst carefully using the time to text her father for back up when he was occupied. The nightmares would start up again after this, a phantom pain in her abdomen pinched her but she ignored the sensation, knowing it was just a memory. “Like I said, Dick is not here. I don’t know what you want to know but I think you should go Jeremiah.” 

Jeremiah spent only a moment getting a hold of himself, easily pushing past the voice that had interrupted him before. Calling him out on his own hypocrisy. “And a crying shame that he isn’t. We could have all had dinner together.” He said with a smile stretching across his face. “Trying to get rid of me again, Barbara?” He asked, cocking his head from where he stood. “Don’t tell me you’re scared of me.” The words came out in a hiss. “Do you think I’m him? That I’d do to you what he did?” He chuckled before his head perked up at the familiar sound of sirens in the distance. “They figured out that bomb thing was a bluff huh? And now daddy’s coming to your rescue. Well, as much as I’d love to sit around and chat. Maybe... try my hand at killing you and the commish, you’re probably right about going. I’d like to be alive when I see Dick again.” He said before sauntering to the window and prying it open knowing there was a fire escape under it. “This was fun but we should really do something again soon! I’ll stay in touch.”