Jerome surprised himself. With a supportive family at his back he actually did really well in school. So well in fact that he graduated high school early. And was on the honor roll. Bruce, Alfred, and Jason were really proud of him. Richard Grayson was as well, even though he barely spent time at Wayne manor by the time Jerome was there. Jerome went to Gotham University and studied chemistry. He was still determined to help his brother. To cure him of his inability to feel strong emotions.
Jason was dead. Jerome was devastated. Jason had been like a brother to him. His best friend. And Joker had murdered him! Joker sent a video to Batman that showed him torturing Jason and Jerome watched it. He wished he hadn't. He had never hated his parallel self but it was getting very hard not to hate him right then. And Jerome hated himself, knowing that he was connected with that monster. He had nightmares of the incident only he was the one torturing Jason, not Joker.
Jerome went on to get his PhD in Pharmacology. He told his family he wanted to research ways to help cure people with mental illnesses hard to treat. In reality, the only one he wanted to cure was his brother, Miah. He wondered what Joker thought of his educational choices. But Joker never contacted him again after that time with Harley years ago. He had no doubt the man was still watching his progress though. He tried to tell himself he didn't care about what Joker thought. But it was a lie. Given different circumstances, Jerome would be just like that man. He didn't want to be. His life with Bruce Wayne had helped immensely. He hoped that would be enough to stay mentally stable.
Jerome had made it. He had finally graduated from college and gotten his degree. He wanted to wave it in the faces of his biological family that had never believed he would do so. Maybe someday he could. He did want to go back to his own world someday. After all, this was all for Miah and he was in the other world. His adopted family was so proud of him. It was a great feeling to see them cheering for him in the audience when he got his diploma. They celebrated by taking him out to eat at his favorite restaurant.
Not long after Jerome graduated, an honorary member of the bat family, Barbara Gordon, or Batgirl, was shot by Joker and left paralyzed. It tore Bruce up. Jerome could tell that it was hard for Bruce to stop himself from killing the Joker that time. Jerome could barely look any of them in the face anymore after that. Joker hit close to home for the second time when he paralyzed Barbara. Jerome didn't know what to do.
Jerome was hired at Wellzyn, a pharmaceutical company owned by Wayne Enterprises. He knew that the reason he was hired was that Bruce had put in a good word for him. That was fine. Whatever worked. Jerome was frustrated that he couldn't work on the research he wanted to though. He had plans. He needed to find a cure for Miah. And wanted to do it while Miah was still young enough to enjoy his life. But Jerome did what he had to. If he did a good job, they'd eventually let him do the research he wanted, right?
"Bruce, I can't come to dinner tonight. I'm busy." Jerome said. Ever since Barbara was paralyzed, Jerome had distanced himself from his family. He felt so much guilt for being who he was. He couldn't have his family still treat him with such kindness and not feel guilt. If they only knew who he was supposed to be. They would just see the Joker, not him. They'd compare him to a madman. A madman that had tortured and killed someone they all loved and then nearly did so again a second time.
"We hardly ever see you anymore. We all miss having you around. Come to dinner with us. Just one night. You can take one night to come to dinner with your family." Bruce said.
"I'm swamped with work. You know what that's like, Bruce. I'm sorry." Jerome said.
"Well, Tim will be disappointed that he didn't get to see you. He enjoys spending time with you." Bruce said, sighing in disappointment. Tim Drake was the new Robin. Or newer Robin. By that time he had been Robin for a decent amount of time. Jerome didn't know what to think of the fact that Bruce let Tim be a Robin after what happened to Jason. But he did like Tim. Tim was a good kid.
"Maybe I can finish work early enough. No promises though." Jerome said.
"That's all I ask. We'll all hope to see you tonight." Bruce said, with a hopeful tone to his voice.
When Jerome hung up, he was surprised to have his phone ring right after.
"Hello? This is Jerome Valeska."
"Mr. Valeska, My name is Doctor Penelope Young. I was hoping to speak with you about a job opportunity."
"What kind of job opportunity?" Jerome asked.
"I was referred to you by my benefactor, a Mr. Jack White. He told me that you could help me with my research and encouraged me to add you to my team of researchers." the woman said.
"What kind of research are you doing? And who's this Jack White guy? I've never heard of him." Jerome asked, very confused.
"Odd. He said you knew each other rather well. One of his conditions in continuing to fund my research was to get you involved. I can't tell you the details of my project over the phone but I'm developing a chemical formula that could be revolutionary. You'd be allowed to work on your own research while you are here. I am one of the chief psychiatrists here at Arkham asylum and can provide you with the space to work on your own research when you aren't helping me."
"Have you ever met this Mr. White? Who is he?" Jerome asked. The offer was tempting but the fact that this Mr. White person insisted that they knew each other seemed odd. He didn't know someone named that. Unless it was a pseudonym. Then who could it be?
"I haven't met him but he's eager to get you on board. He told me to tell you that it would be in your best interests to do so. That he had information you wouldn't want getting to family members." Doctor Young said, sounding a bit apologetic. "I'm sorry, Mr. Valeska. The way that sounds out loud… if this man is blackmailing you, I am very sorry. I will make it worth your time to make up for that."
Jerome got a very exasperated look on his face. It seemed very obvious now who this Mr. White was. What did Joker want with him and what did this woman's research involve? He shuddered to think about what it could involve if Joker was interested in it. He rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming. "Damn it. Fine. If you can provide possible human test subjects for my own research when I get to that point, I will agree to be involved."
"I can probably arrange that. Thank you. I will be glad to have you on board." Doctor Young said.
Jerome found himself headed to Arkham Asylum to meet with Doctor Young. Arkham island had only one bridge connecting it to the mainland. Since it was an island. Jerome stared out the window of the cab as it approached the asylum. It looked so ominous. How did they expect to treat patients in such a dreary place? No wonder it had a bad reputation. The cab drove through the main gate and into the main part of the island. The intensive treatment building was right ahead. He guessed it was so the really dangerous crazies got dropped off quicker. He got out of the cab and looked around. Was someone supposed to meet with him?
"Mr. Valeska?" a guard said as the man approached him.
"That's me."
"Doctor Young told me to wait for you. She's waiting for you at Arkham Mansion. It's the administration building now. It's a bit of a walk."
"Then lead the way." Jerome said.
They walked through some security doors into another part of the Asylum grounds. Arkham East seemed to be made up of the old mansion and a botanical garden. Weird. What Asylum had a botanical garden? He wondered idly as they passed it if Poison Ivy had ever tried hanging out there. It seemed like her thing. The mansion was huge and as old as Wayne manor. But he doubted it was as well maintained. He could see Wayne tower way off in the distance like a beacon. He really missed Bruce. He wished he could warn him about whatever Joker was probably planning. But he couldn't. If he said anything, Joker would know. And if he knew, he'd tell people who Jerome was. And by this time, people realized that the people from Jerome's world were telling the truth. There was another world. They weren't crazy. So they'd believe Joker if he revealed who Jerome was supposed to be in that world. Jerome hated that he had to play by that madman's rules. That he was forced to do as he said or else. But he couldn't have Bruce know.
They entered the mansion and went through the huge atrium. He got through the security at the front and followed the guard to Doctor Young's office.
A young woman in a lab coat looked up from her computer as he entered and smiled at him. "Ah, Mr. Valeska. It's good to finally meet you. Thank you for bringing him here, Officer Andrews. I've got him from here."
"Sure thing, doc." the guard left.
"So can you tell me now what exactly you're working on or am I going to have to guess?" Jerome asked, snarkily.
"I'm sorry for the secrecy. It's just that this project is important to me and could be dangerous if it falls into the wrong hands. Hence the secrecy. Thank you for humoring me." Doctor Young said.
"Does your financial backer know what you're working on or is he in the dark too?" Jerome asked.
"Oh he knows. He's one of the few that does." Doctor Young said. "How much do you know about a man known as Bane?"
"Bane? You mean that guy that uses a chemical known as Venom to be super strong? Not much. Just that." Jerome said, confused. "Why?"
"I'm working on a chemical formula derived from the Venom toxin. A formula that would work similarly to Venom but not require the storage tanks that Bane uses. I call it Titan. The military applications of this could be immeasurable. Imagine super strong soldiers that could end battles nearly before they begin. And not just that, if given to a patient in a smaller dose, it could possibly give weaker, unhealthy patients, the strength needed to survive the more rigorous treatments they need to get better. That's what I'm hoping for anyway."
Jerome stared at her in shock. Really? He could only imagine the destruction Joker could pull off with a bunch of gigantic super strong thugs at his back. So that was what Joker wanted. "Are you sure that's really a smart move, making something like that? The odds of that kind of formula getting into the wrong hands in Gotham city of all places is really pretty high." Jerome sighed in exasperation. "But I already agreed to help so what do you need me to help with, where should I set up my stuff, and when do you need me to start?"
"I have a small lab set up for you in the medical building for your own research. I'd love you to start as soon as possible. And you'd be helping with making the formula more stable. Right now, the process works somewhat but tends to be fatal. Don't worry. I'm only testing on rats so far. I haven't killed anyone. I'm not going to begin human testing until I'm sure it won't kill someone."
Jerome thought she was being rather naive thinking a formula like that wouldn't kill a few test subjects she tried it on. But he didn't say anything about it. "I guess I'll get started right away."
Jerome figured it was pointless in pointing out to Doctor Young who was financially backing her. If she knew, she'd want to stop. And if she stopped, Joker would either kill her, or someone she cared about. So he didn't say anything. He figured that in this case, ignorance was bliss. He helped her with her work. They made a lot of progress. Bruce thought Jerome was helping Doctor Young with some kind of medicine that would help treat some kind of mental illness. That was his forte after all. He hated lying to Bruce but it couldn't be helped. While he was working with Doctor Young, he also worked on his own research. It was his only solace at that point. Working on the cure for his brother's inability to feel strong emotions. He was making progress with it. Soon he'd be able to test it on humans. Doctor Young found a few patients that might be ideal test subjects. He told her he wanted test subjects that had an inability to feel strong emotions. Whether from a mental defect or brain injury. It didn't matter. He wanted ones that had issues with the part of their brains that felt emotions. If he could jumpstart that area of their brain to work properly, he'd have Miah's cure.
"You knew! Why didn't you tell me? Why did you agree to this?!" Doctor Young stomped angrily into his lab one day.
"I assume you're referring to the identity of Mr. White?" Jerome said, setting down the beaker he was holding.
"Yes! If you knew then why were you ok with this?!" She yelled at him.
"What else could I do? Hmm? You heard what he told you to tell me. He has information about me that I don't want getting out. And even if he didn't, you don't say no to a man like him. Doing so is suicide." Jerome said.
"You should've at least told me!" she raged at him.
"So you could do what? Stop working on it? Refuse the money? Do you know how well that would work out for you? Like I said, you don't say no to a guy like 'Mr. White'." Jerome said.
"I don't care. I'm going to refuse the money! I'm going to stop. I have to!"
"Didn't you hear what I just said? Do you have people you care about? Friends? Family? People you'd miss? Do you want them in one piece? Read my lips. You can't say no to that madman. I was trying to spare you this. That's why I didn't say anything." Jerome said, starting to get annoyed.
It started to sink in for her. "You're right. Oh god. What have I done? My research. He's going to use it for something awful and I can't stop it. I'm sorry I dragged you into this. I didn't know!"
"You didn't drag me into it. Even if you hadn't hired me, he would've figured out some way to involve me. I'm sure of it. It couldn't be helped. That guy and me...have a complicated history. We can't stop working on this...Hold on. Give me just a sec." Jerome walked over to his stereo and put on some music so they would be harder to hear. "Let's move over here, out of the direct view of the camera." When they were out of view he continued. "Ok. As I said, we can't stop working on this. But we can make it less dangerous. Not in a way that would be immediately recognizable obviously. But if we make it so the formula is a bit more unstable than it needs to be, then the hulks it creates will be less dangerous. Maybe even have a shorter life expectancy. We do this but make it so it's not noticeable. If he were to find out, we'd be dead or worse. But if we do it intelligently, he might never find out."
"We could contact someone. Like Batman. We could warn people." she said.
"He would be expecting that. We can't tell anyone. If people find out, it's game over for us. Trust me. I know how this guy thinks. The only thing we can do right now, is make sure this isn't as useful to him as he thinks. Make him think he's won and do our best to make it so he hasn't won much. It's the only way we are walking away from this." Jerome said.
"I'm sorry that I came up with all of this. I should've realized that some psycho would take advantage of it. We'll do what you said. Hopefully that will be enough. Hopefully Batman will be able to stop him before this gets bad."
"Let's hope Batman is enough to stop him this time." Jerome agreed with her.
They continued to work on the Titan project. They were making progress. Jerome was making progress on Miah's cure too. He was about ready to start human testing. But that wasn't the only thing he needed to research.
"Riddle me this. I feel your every move, I know your every thought. I'm with you from birth and I'll see you when you rot. What am I?" said Riddler on the phone.
"A reflection?" Jerome answered, sighing in annoyance. "If you're trying to imply something, you're wrong. I'm sorry to disappoint you but I'm not your parallel."
"You aren't? When you tried contacting me to find information on how to get back to the other world, I just assumed. You look rather similar and don't seem unintelligent." Riddler sounded a little disappointed.
"Just because someone has a high IQ and red hair and glasses, doesn't mean they're you. I'm not your parallel, sorry." Jerome said as he continued his work while he talked with Riddler on the phone.
"I suppose more than one Riddler in my world would be annoying anyway. So that's not too disappointing. But you are a parallel of someone. The way you said that implies that you are. Who is your reflection?"
"That's not something I like to tell anyone. Tell you what. Find out yourself. I know you can, and I don't mind you doing so. Just don't spread the information around when you do find out, please. When you find out you'll know why I don't want to be associated with that person." Jerome said.
"That's fine. Mind if I ask you questions from time to time to figure it out? If I'm going to be finding out the information you need on how to get home, I think that's only fair. I'm intrigued as to who you could be." Riddler asked.
"Sure. Fine. Go ahead. I just need that information soon. I figured you would be the one to go to for it." Jerome said.
"Of course I'm the one to go to for information. I'm the Riddler. First question. Where were you born?"
Jerome sighed. "I have no idea. Mom never bothered to tell me. We moved around a lot. That information won't help you since I'm fairly certain my parallel was born in Gotham."
"That narrows it down a tiny bit. I figured though that it was the best place to start. I'll ask another question tomorrow." Riddler then hung up. Jerome sighed. The things he had to do for information. But he needed to know how to get back to Miah. This all would be for nothing if he couldn't get the cure to him in the first place.
Jerome had finally started testing Miah's cure on humans. He bubbled with excitement as he injected the drug into the mental patient who stared at him with a blank look. Jerome waited and watched the man but there seemed to be no change.
"Do you feel at all different?" Jerome asked, hopeful that something would happen.
"No. Should I? I don't feel anything." the man said in a monotone voice.
Jerome sighed in disappointment. "The first test would seem to be a failure."
"What did your parents do for a living?" Riddler asked.
"My mom always said that my dad was a sea captain that went down with his ship but it felt like a lie. I never met the man so I have no way of knowing what my dad really did for a living. My mother, on the other hand, she's a snake dancer in a sideshow." Jerome said.
"At a circus, I imagine. Interesting." Riddler said, sounding deep in thought. "I'm getting close to finding the information you need. I'll be in touch."
Jerome's human testing continued with varied results. He hoped for the best when he injected the next test subject with the drug. This time, he didn't have to wait for the man to say how he was feeling. Jerome could tell right away. The man started trembling like he was trying to hold something in and then, to Jerome's horror, the man started laughing hysterically. Like he had injected the man with Smilex. Had he accidentally created Smilex? Shit. He rushed to the phone and called Doctor Young.
"Doctor, do we by any chance have an antidote for Smilex lying around? Because I'm going to need it. Quickly." Jerome asked with a frantic sounding voice.
"Yes, we do. What happened?" the doctor asked just as frantically. "Is Joker back in Arkham?"
"No. It's a long story. Just get the antidote over here as quickly as you can and don't tell people about it. Please."
Doctor Young ran in with the antidote about ten minutes later as Jerome was trying to hold the flailing laughing man down. He was so glad the walls were thick and mostly sound proof in that room.
"What happened?" she asked.
Jerome grimaced in embarrassment as he grabbed the antidote from her and injected the man who promptly passed out. "So, this is awkward and an annoying coincidence but apparently the drug I'm researching can accidentally create Smilex if mixed wrong. Who woulda thought?" Jerome leaned against a table with an irritated look. Even when he didn't try to act like Joker he managed to mirror him.
"How on Earth does your drug accidentally turn into Smilex?" Doctor Young asked with a suspicious look. "What is it supposed to do? What are you creating it for?"
"I have a biological brother out there. He is the only person in my real family that I give a shit about. I love him no matter what. But he has something wrong with him. I could tell. I only lived with him until we were ten, but I could tell. He couldn't feel strong emotions. Nothing. He could never feel truly happy. I wanted to help him with that. To finally make it to where he could enjoy his life. Because he's the other half of my soul. I was trying to create a cure for him. So he could finally feel things the way he was supposed to feel them. But I guess when one is creating a drug that affects positive emotions, if it's done wrong and too high a dosage it becomes enough like Smilex that the antidote works for it. Which does make me uncomfortable, I can tell you that right now."
Doctor Young sighed in relief after she heard his story. "Oh. I admit I was worried when this happened. I came to the wrong conclusions. I'm sorry. I hope it works. Not just for your brother, but for other people that have those issues. Don't use this patient as your test subject anymore. It won't be healthy for him. I'm not sure this won't leave lasting damage. But I won't say anything about this to anyone. Don't worry."
"Thank you. I swear I didn't mean for this to happen. I guess I should stock a bit of that antidote in here just in case." Jerome said.
"Be careful. If this happens again and another doctor finds out, they'll make you stop your research and might make me fire you." Doctor Young said.
"Noted. Thank you for being so understanding. I appreciate it." Jerome said.
"My research isn't pleasant. So I have no room to judge." she said.
"I know who you are. I saw the tape. Don't worry. I had it erased. No one will see it... Joker." Riddler said smugly.
"Now you know why I don't want that information spread around. I'm not him. That incident was an accident. An annoying accident." Jerome said, annoyed. He sighed. "But yeah, you're right. I'm his parallel. I don't want to be his parallel… but incidents like that just drive home that we're connected. Even when I try not to be like him sometimes it just happens. I'm trying to cure my brother's lack of emotions, not create Smilex. And yet I just accidentally created it. So fucking annoying. Do you have the information I need yet?"
"Yes. I do. I'll have the details sent to you. Does he know about you?" Riddler asked.
"Yes. So no point in going to tell him. My parallel already knows and holds it over me." Jerome said.
"Well, I can tell you right now, you don't seem nearly as mad as him. So that's one thing in your favor. It can be downright intolerable to deal with him. You aren't nearly as annoying. Try to hang onto that sanity for as long as you can and I wouldn't mind dealing with you again sometime in the future. One more question before I go. What is my parallel like? Have you ever seen him?"
"I don't know what he's like. I left that world when I was only twelve. So he probably hadn't gotten started with his career as Riddler yet. If I ever come back from my world I'll let you know what I find out about him." Jerome said.
"That would be interesting information to have. Thank you. Good luck." Riddler hung up.
Jerome prayed to a god he didn't even really believe in that his current test subject wouldn't descend into hysterical laughter when he injected the man. He waited with baited breath after the drug was injected. But the man didn't laugh. Jerome sighed in relief.
"How are you feeling? Feeling any different?" Jerome asked the man who was looking a bit confused.
"I don't know. I don't understand what I'm feeling. What is this?" the man asked him, getting increasingly confused.
"Hmm. Well it seems to be doing something to you. We'll wait and see what it's doing to you over time. But this is encouraging." Jerome said with a hopeful look. Could it be working? Did it work? He'd have to inject another test subject to know for sure. Maybe that one that had a head injury that robbed her of feeling? That would be a good one since the woman still knew what emotions were supposed to feel like. He had her brought in and injected her with the drug and waited with a hopeful look.
"How are you feeling?" Jerome asked her.
"Oh my god." she stared at him with a wide eyed look. "I can feel. I can feel!" She smiled at him in pure joy. He stared right back with an overjoyed look. It worked! He stared at the purple stuffed bear that he had named Miah years ago. "It won't be long now, Miah. You'll have your cure soon. I promise."
Jerome was over the moon in happiness. It worked. The cure was working! He had waited a few weeks to see how his test subjects were doing and in that time they only seemed to improve. They were smiling. They were feeling. And there didn't seem to be any bad side effects. The only thing that threatened to spoil Jerome's good mood was the fact that the Titan formula was also completed. It wouldn't take Joker long before he tried to get it from them. Before he tried to create an army or something.
Jerome was sitting in the lab in the Botanical Gardens when he heard news that Joker had been captured by Batman and was being brought back to Arkham. Something about the whole thing seemed off. The Joker apparently had given up without much of a fight. That wasn't like him. It was like he wanted to be at Arkham. Which could mean only one thing. He was there for the Titan formula. Jerome knew that shit was about to hit the fan. He could feel it.
Sure enough, not long after Joker was brought back, he got loose and took over. Jerome locked the door to the room he was in and hoped the Joker thugs that were now running loose wouldn't show up there. His phone rang and it startled him.
"Hello?" Jerome responded.
"Jerome? Are you someplace safe? Are you still at Arkham?" came the very worried voice of Bruce in his modulated Batman voice.
"Batman. I'm fine for now. I locked myself in a lab. What's going on? What's happening?" Jerome asked even though he had a very good idea of what was going down.
"Joker has taken over. Stay where you are. If you're in danger, let me know and I'll do my best to save you." Bruce said in his Batman voice.
"Don't worry about me. Just stop him. Make sure he doesn't do something awful." Jerome said. "I'll tell you if I'm in danger. Go kick some ass."
Bruce ended the call, probably to go kick ass. Jerome stood there wondering what he was going to do. He was in the lab that they were working on the Titan project in. Joker was going to come there at some point. But he didn't have long to wonder how he was going to deal with that reunion because his phone rang again. This time it was an unfamiliar number.
"Hello? This is Jerome Valeska." Jerome answered the call. Maybe it was Oracle?
"Hiya, JJ!" he heard the high pitched voice of Harley Quinn and rolled his eyes.
"Harley. What's up? You seem rather busy, so why call me?" Jerome said, not getting a good feeling about the situation.
"Mista J would like you to join the party. He'd like his mini him right alongside him as he kills the Bat."
"And what if I don't want to join the party? If Batman sees me there, He'll know. And if he knows, the whole world knows. And wasn't that the deal? That Joker wouldn't tell people I was his parallel if I helped with the Titan project? That was the deal!" Jerome snarled at the phone.
"Calm down. You knew this was going to happen at some point. Mista J wants you to finally step up and reveal yourself to the world now that you're an adult. Who cares what the rich twit that adopted you thinks? He doesn't understand you like we do. This isn't really a request. He told me to tell you that if you don't come to him on your own, he'll send his thugs to drag you to him. And they won't be gentle."
"Fine!" he snarled. "I'll come to him. Where is he?"
"Yay! I'll have Johnny Frost meet you at the Intensive Treatment building. See you soon!" Harley ended the call.
Jerome raged around the room for a few minutes. Damn it! Joker was going to tell Batman! Even if Jerome found a way to stay out of Joker's hands, the madman would tell Batman. Bruce was going to find out! Jerome's normal life was over. His adopted family was going to hate him. It took more than a few minutes to pull himself together.
"I guess it's time to go home. I have Miah's cure. After this, I should go back to my own world. Since there will be nothing left for me here after this is over." Jerome said to himself. He got out his duffle bag with a change of clothes and changed out of his lab coat into something a bit more stylish. Then he packed up the stuff he would need, including a few vials of Miah's cure...and a picture of Jerome and his adopted family. He put it in his bag and got out the gun he kept just in case something like this happened and made sure it was loaded. He left the gardens and made his way to Intensive Care. A group of thugs was waiting there.
"Hands up, pretty boy." said one of them, who was holding a gun.
"That's cute." Jerome said before shooting the man in the head. Bruce might have a rule about no killing but Jerome did not. Jerome looked over at the longtime hired thug of Joker named Johnny Frost. "New guy?"
"Hey, Jerome. Yeah, he was new. He hadn't been told the stories about you yet." Johnny said.
"How you been? How's your sister?" Jerome asked, ignoring the shocked looks of the other, younger thugs that hadn't met him until now.
"She's fine. Moved to Metropolis." Johnny said. "You look good. I see the rich guy treated you well."
"Yeah. I kinda wish he wouldn't have to find out my connection to Joker but we can't have everything we want in life, can we?" Jerome said, not even bothering to hide how pissed off he was. "Where is the pale bastard who insisted I had to be a part of this?"
"He's just inside." Johnny said.
"Then lead me to him. Can't have him becoming impatient, now can we?" Jerome said.
"I'm sorry that he didn't just let you live your life." Johnny said. Johnny was always one of the more sane of Joker's henchmen. Jerome had often wondered what the hell the guy was doing being so loyal to the Joker.
"Yeah yeah. No point in crying about it, is there? So let's move on." Jerome said as the thugs led him inside the building. Joker was there murdering a guard that was tied down to a stretcher and then writing a message on a board and leaving it on the corpse.
"Frankie Frankie Frankie. Not the smartest tool in the shed now were we? Your drinking problem might've led Batman right to us if I hadn't noticed what Batman was doing. Oh well. Not like you were much use anymore." Joker said, before laughing. He looked up and noticed Jerome walking in. "JJ! So good of you to join the party. You look good. I do like to see that my younger me has a good sense of style even if it's not as unconventional as mine quite yet."
Jerome stared at him angrily. "I was told that if I worked on the Titan project you wouldn't tell people about our connection. You lied!"
"I never lied." Joker said laughing. "I never said I wouldn't tell people the truth about you. You came to that conclusion on your own. What did you think I was going to do? Let you live out a boring normal life? I would never do that to you. You are me. And you deserve to have a life in the spotlight just like me."
"Did you ever think that I might not want to be you?" Jerome snarled at him.
"Now don't bring down the mood, Little J." Joker said with a dangerous look. "I'm in a great mood right now so I will ignore your little outburst. Just stick by me and follow my instructions and don't piss me off. And maybe you'll get through this night without me deciding you need to be tossed into a chemical vat to make you see things more my way."
"I'm here aren't I? I'm doing as you say." Jerome said, crossing his arms and rolling his eyes.
"Good boy." Joker said. "You'll be such a great twist to surprise Batso with. The adopted son of Bruce Wayne is a parallel version of me! What a hoot!"
Jerome didn't point out that it would be an even more devastating twist for Batman than even Joker thought. Since Batman was Bruce Wayne and his adopted father. Bruce was going to be devastated and Jerome couldn't do a thing about it.
They went to the Penitentiary. Some thugs were building a facade over the front entrance.
"What are you planning?" Jerome asked Joker as they walked through the door.
"Why would I spoil things for you? Wait and find out." Joker said.
"I know it has something to do with the Titan formula. But what?" Jerome asked.
"Like I said, I'm not going to spoil it for you. So shut up with the questions for now, will ya?" Joker said walking through the visitor's center and into the penitentiary. Jerome rolled his eyes when he saw the makeshift throne Joker had made for himself. Joker walked to another room set up as a control room with several monitors. He was looking at a camera feed showing several different cameras on the island hoping to see Batman. "I think Batso made it out of Intensive treatment." Joker turned to his radio and talked with Harley. "Harley! You in the Medical building yet?"
"I just got there, puddin! I'm all safe and sound. Bats won't get to me or Gordon." Harley said cheerfully. "How's JJ? Did he show up?"
"He did. He's not stupid. He is another me after all." Joker said.
Jerome watched on a monitor as Batman entered the Medical building. Batman couldn't go any further because of a security force field separating him and Harley. She taunted him. Joker turned on the tv screen in the room behind Harley, who gave a little startled squeak.
"Harley! What's he doing here?! It's too early!"
"I'm sorry puddin. Don't be angry at me." Harley said going and kissing the screen.
"Oh you little minx. I can never stay mad at you." Jerome snorted in amusement. He knew for a fact Joker definitely could and did stay mad at her on several occasions. Joker turned off the tv and she turned around and smiled at Batman.
"Sorry B man. You'll have to find another way. Buh bye now." Harley did a few flips out of the room.
Batman left the building.
"I give him about ten minutes before he finds a different way in." Jerome said.
"Oh I have no doubt." Joker said, irritated. "But at least he'll get sidetracked by having to save all the doctors that didn't manage to get to safety. That should buy us some time." Joker got on the loudspeaker to let his thugs know to round up the doctors. He also got on the radio to tell a few of them to go after Doctor Young who was in the x-ray room.
Joker turned to Jerome and smiled a dangerous smile. "So, JJ, I know you don't have the Titan formula notes on you personally but I do know you worked on it quite closely with Doctor Young. That was my plan you see. I know she'd try to hide things from me when she found out who was paying for her research. So I had someone I knew could keep up with her join her team. Someone I knew could help me when and if I couldn't rely on her. You."
"And you think I'm all that interested in just helping you with that? I don't see any incentive for me. Plus, Doctor Young was very careful with her research. Only she knows everything about it." Jerome said, irritated.
"Oh, I know. That's why she isn't dead yet." Joker turned around and had a look at the cameras. And saw Batman dart past to take out a few of his thugs. He got on the loudspeaker for that room to mock the remaining thugs for being idiots that couldn't stop Batman. Then he turned back to Jerome. "Why is it that you seem so resistant to the idea of being me? I can tell you enjoy when people fear and respect you. Even when you were a kid it was like that. You like being viewed as dangerous. And yet you seem so against letting go." Joker sighed. "Maybe I should've made more of an effort to get you away from Brucie. He was obviously a bad influence on you. I thought it was amusing at the time, you manipulating your way into that man's life. And figured I'd just see what you'd do. Let you make your own way down the path to becoming me. But I suppose that was a mistake."
"Batman saved the doctors and beat up all your thugs." Jerome smirked and pointed out the screen that showed Batman checking on the doctors. Joker turned around and sighed in annoyance, not really surprised at all.
"Still got three more doctors to save though." Joker said not worried. "And I do believe Scarecrow is out and about now. That should be fun to watch."
Jerome and Joker watched as Batman saved the doctor in the surgery wing and then shortly after, saw Batman leaving the X-ray room.
"Looks like only one doctor to go." Jerome said, smirking at Joker. Joker glared at him for a few moments and then taunted Batman on the tvs scattered around the area Batman was.
"I've got two old friends coming to the party. One of them is just terrified you'll leave without saying hello. The other, well, let's just say he's going to be as surprised to see you as you will be to see him. Oh and I just can't wait till I reveal the big and happy surprise I have for you. I'm just itching to tell you! But I think I should let you wonder what it is for a little while longer."
"Looks like the last remaining doc is having some issues." Joker said, staring at a screen. "Oh and look, it's that guard, Cash! I wonder how long before the gas seeps into that room they're in. Then they'll find the situation as funny as I do!" Joker laughed maniacally and went back to taunting Batman on the loudspeaker. But he was a little pissed off when Batman managed to get the ventilation systems back online to clear out the Smilex gas. "No matter. He'll run into Scarecrow soon. That oughta slow him down at the very least."
Jerome didn't like the sound of that. He watched as Batman stopped another bunch of heavily armed thugs and then went to the elevator. Was he really going to chance the elevator? Joker had access to the controls!
"Oh, it's so tempting." Joker said, looking to be debating whether or not to drop the elevator and kill Batman. He didn't though. Jerome wasn't really surprised. Joker would never kill Batman in a way that was that easy. Instead, fear toxin was pumped into the elevator. Batman didn't seem immediately affected by it. But when he got out of the elevator and Jerome saw him get out, he could see that he wasn't completely unaffected. Batman stumbled around a bit and looked uncomfortable. Joker laughed at the sight. Jerome saw it affect Batman more and more. Seeing him go up to a random dead guard and looking devastated like it was someone he knew. Who was he seeing? Jerome knew that Bruce's worst fear was failure. It was letting the people he cared about die and not being able to stop it. So it was likely that Bruce was experiencing that. He headed to the morgue and just stood in there staring into space for several minutes with a terrified look.
"I wonder what he's seeing. If only we could peek inside his head. I'm sure it would be so entertaining." Joker said, laughing. But then his eyes widened in surprise when Batman seemed to shake himself out of it and move on. "Of course." Joker said, frustrated. "Crane did tell me that Batman could do that. Fight his way out of his fear toxin if it wasn't a high enough dose. So annoying."
Batman got close to where Harley was holding Commissioner Gordon hostage. Joker got back on the tvs. "Your precious police commissioner is just through the glass. Take a look." Batman went over to the glass separating him from Harley and Gordon. "Harley's under strict instructions to kill the old man if any of my guys even think you're in the room. They're patrolling down there and I've told them all you're on your way. So here's the deal. If you can find a way to get to Harley without anyone realizing, I'll give you your next present. Fail, then the old codger dies."
"You do realize he's going to manage that pretty easily, right?" Jerome pointed out. "Your thugs aren't exactly the most observant."
"Shut up, JJ. I'm getting real irritated at your attitude. It's almost as if you're rooting for him." Joker said, with a sneer.
"Oh, you think?" Jerome snarked and rolled his eyes. "I am rooting for him. I'm not going to lie about that. And oh look, guess I was right." Jerome pointed out Harley lying on the floor after being knocked down by Batman from the ceiling above.
Batman and Gordon looked to be heading towards the lab where Young kept Bane. They discovered him hanging up on the wall, the venom drained from his body. Joker got back on the tv. "How do you like my puppet? What say we cut him down?" Joker said before pressing the button that would release the Venom back into Bane's body. Bane pulled himself off the wall and threw Batman through a wall. They didn't actually get to see the rest of the fight.
"I wonder if Bane broke his back again." Joker said, looking like he wished he could watch the fight.
Jerome wondered if Batman got through the fight ok until his phone rang. He looked down at it in surprise.
"You expecting a call? Well, you better answer it, JJ. Don't be rude." Joker said.
Jerome took out his phone and answered it. "Hello?"
"Why didn't you tell me what Doctor Young was doing?" Batman asked in a stern voice. "You were working with her. I know you knew what she was working on. Why did you lie, Jerome? What is Project Titan?"
"This isn't the best time." Jerome said, not sure he wanted Joker to know who was on the call.
"Tell me what Project Titan is, Jerome. You know what it is. Joker is after it. You are at risk!"
"Look, I…" Jerome started saying something but Joker took the phone from him.
"Hello, who is this? Is it Bruce Wayne? Is it that butler guy? I'm afraid Jerome is a bit busy at the moment. He'll have to call you back." Joker asked, while putting it on speaker so Jerome could hear it too.
"Joker." Batman snarled.
Joker laughed. "It's you, Bats! I suppose you're calling to ask him about the project he was working on with the lovely Doctor Young. We're on speaker, so he can hear you. What was it you wanted to ask him, hmm?"
"Leave him out of this." Batman said, sounding very concerned. "Let him go."
"You make it sound like he's my captive, Batman." Joker said, laughing. "Oh, I just can't wait any longer! I have to reveal the big surprise! It's a little early but you just made it so hard not to."
Jerome knew what he was going to say. He was going to tell Batman who he was. He wanted to stop him but he knew he couldn't. He had to just stand there as his adopted father learned who his adopted son really was.
"Jerome and I know each other, rather well in fact. When we first met, he was just twelve years old, lost and alone, in a world that wasn't his own. It was like fate or some huge existential magnet bringing us together. Because you see, he and I are the same. In fact, if he had grown up in his world, he'd become me." Joker laughed. "Surprise! Bruce Wayne's adopted kid is my parallel self! Isn't that such a hoot? So you see, he's not my captive. He's my reluctant protege!"
"You're such a fucking asshole." Jerome said, glaring at Joker. "Did I ever say I wanted to be your protege? No. Why the hell did you think I ran from you in the first place?"
"Like I said, a reluctant protege." Joker said into the phone. "He's just a little upset cause he figures you'll reveal his secret to his dear ol adopted dad. Wonder what Brucie will think of all of this. Not that it matters. JJ was meant for more than that boring life that rich twit gave him. He just doesn't want to accept it yet. Don't worry. He will. He is me after all."
"Batman, please tell Bruce that I never meant to hurt him. I just didn't know what else to do and I figured it was the only way to get away from this asshole. I figured Bruce was important and rich enough that he'd be able to protect me. I care about Bruce so much. He treated me better than anyone ever has. That meant so much to me. Whatever happens here, please tell him that." Jerome said.
"...I will let him know." Batman said in an unreadable voice that worried Jerome. He knew that Bruce couldn't react to what he just found out. He couldn't reveal that he was Bruce Wayne. So Jerome didn't know how Bruce was processing the news that his adopted son was a young version of his worst enemy. It was agonizing to Jerome.
"Oh gag me a river. That Bruce Wayne has gotten you so sentimental." Joker said, frowning at him. "Bats, whatever you were planning on asking JJ I don't think he'll tell you. So don't bother. I don't want him spoiling the plot to you. That would just be rude. You'll have to find it out on your own."
"Whatever it is, I'll stop you." Batman snarled at him.
"Oh I'm looking forward to you trying. Tootles!" Joker ended the call. He then tossed the phone back to Jerome. "Hang onto that kiddo. In case Bruce Wayne calls. I'd love to tell him directly just who you are. It would be so much fun to hear his reaction. I wonder if he'll cry."
Jerome sneered at him. "You enjoying the fact that you just ruined my life? I have nothing left now that Batman knows!"
"Nothing left but me. And yes, I am enjoying it." Joker said grinning. "Because you need to realize that your life will get so much more entertaining after you become me. That life you had? It's nothing. It's a total joke. You were meant for more. So much more. I'm just trying to help you see that."
Jerome got out his gun and pointed it at Joker in a rage.
Joker just grinned at him. "Go ahead kiddo. Do it. Shoot me dead. Well come on. What are you waiting for?"
Jerome couldn't do it. He didn't even know why. Joker was awful. He would be doing Gotham a favor by killing him. But he couldn't pull the trigger. He dropped his arm that was holding the gun loosely by his side and looked down in shame. "Why the fuck can't I kill you? If you were anyone else, I would be able to with no problem."
Joker just laughed. "You can't kill me for the same reason I can never bring myself to kill you. We are the same person. Neither of us are suicidal and in some existentially complicated way, if one of us was to try and kill the other it would be like killing ourselves. Why do you think I never worried about you still being armed around me? Because I knew you'd never shoot me. If you want to relieve a bit of that pent up rage go shoot one or two of my lackeys. I won't mind."
"Maybe later." Jerome said with a nasty look as he put his gun away.
Suddenly an alarm went off. Joker turned to look. "Looks like a suicide collar on one of my boys went off. Bats must be in the mansion."
"Suicide collar?" Jerome asked.
"It's a collar that monitors heartbeat. In case someone tries to off themselves. I put them on my boys so I'd know and my boys would know when one of them gets knocked out." Joker said seeing Batman talking to a guard about it.
"If their heartbeat drops too low, an alarm goes off and a crash team rushes in." the guard on the monitor said.
Joker chose that moment to switch the tv near them on. "And so does my crew if you trigger one. How do you like them apples, Bats? Standing around in the...hmm, let's see… ah, the west wing. They'd be there now if they weren't busy knocking a little sense into Cash. I'll tell you what, I won't spoil the surprise and let them know you're coming."
"Why is Batman in the mansion?" Jerome asked.
"Probably to find Doctor Young. I did see her wander over there with Officer Cash earlier. Probably trying to get her formula so I can't get my hands on it." Joker said.
Several other suicide collars went off. Jerome hoped it meant the thugs in that area were all taken out.
"Oh look, it would seem my boys have Doctor Young in their hands now." Joker said laughing.
They both looked at the monitor and watched as several thugs beat Doctor Young.
"Where are your notes, doll? Where did you hide them?!" a thug asked her.
"I won't tell you! You won't get anything out of me! There's no way Joker will get his hands on my formula! And even if he gets my notes he won't get it to work! Not without me. And I won't help him!" she yelled back at them.
"You think so?" another thug laughed. "What about the redhead you're working with, huh? I think he could probably get it to work."
"Mr. Valeska assisted me but won't be helpful to you. Don't make him help you. Leave him out of it! There's no need to involve him!" She said, thinking Jerome was going to get threatened into it.
The thugs just laughed. They all knew who Jerome was. "Sorry to tell you this doc, but Joker wouldn't have to threaten Jerome to get him to help. Jerome is no innocent victim. He's a younger version of our boss from that other world. So I think Joker will be able to manage getting the formula to work, you think?"
"What?" Doctor Young looked at them in shock. "It's not true. You're lying to me."
"It's true, babe. I've been a Joker thug for awhile. I got to see little Jerome Valeska murder the thugs that beat him up one by one in various sick ways. And he was only twelve. He's just as brutal as the boss when he wants to be. Did you think because he was working with you and acting all friendly and such that he was a nice guy? Sorry to disappoint you."
Jerome looked away from the screen. He had murdered those thugs. He had never felt much guilt at killing when he felt a person deserved it. Most of the time he tried not to think about that because he knew it was evidence that he was more like his parallel than he'd like. He definitely hated when people called him out on it. Joker glanced over at him with a pleased look. He hadn't been there when those thugs were killed. He was in Arkham at the time. "Oh JJ, I knew you had it in you. My boys held out on me. I knew that they felt wary around you but I never knew why. I always wondered why they practically let you run off without a fight that time."
Doctor Young's face looked torn between betrayal and worry.
Joker looked at a screen and grinned. He got on the loudspeaker for that area. "Hey Zsasz. I got a fun little activity for you. Mind if you help my boys convince a doctor to give up her secrets? I'll let you kill her when you've gotten the information I need from her."
Jerome looked at the screen and saw the tally marked serial killer stop and seem to consider the Joker's request.
"She's in the mansion, in the warden's office. Be quick or Batman will get to her before you get there." Joker said.
"He won't get to her before Batman rescues her." Jerome said, hoping that was true.
"I sent a message to Crane to take care of that for me. Batman will be a bit sidetracked for a little while while trying to fight his way out of one of Scarecrow's drug fueled nightmares." Joker said. He grinned as he saw Batman coughing from the fear toxin being pumped into the room he was in. "Right on time. Crane is always so punctual."
They watched as Batman stumbled around through the hallway. They saw him fall to his knees and stare at the floor. Jerome was impressed when Batman actually managed to fight off some thugs while he was still clearly doped up on the fear toxin. It would seem his senses were still pretty sharp even if they were dulled by the hallucinogenic drug. Then they lost track of him. Joker looked around the monitors wondering where Batman was. Jerome figured if he couldn't find Batman, he wouldn't see Batman talking to someone. So he chose that time to take a walk.
"Where are you going?" Joker asked.
"I'm not a prisoner, right? I'm going outside to get some air. I might shoot one of your thugs while I'm at it. Who knows. You did say that was ok. Is it suddenly not ok?" Jerome asked.
"Oh. That's fine. You can go outside but don't leave the area. And don't get too wrapped up in whatever you decide to do to one of my thugs because we'll be heading to the gardens soon. We've got a lot of work to do after all." Joker said.
"Noted." Jerome said before leaving the room. He went outside and saw there were only a few thugs in the immediate area. The thugs looked at him nervously. "Hey. Want to get shot in the head? No? Then get lost for awhile. Go find a doctor or guard to go torture. I want to be alone."
"But...Mr. J told us to stand guard out here. I don't want him to get mad at me." one of the thugs said.
"Guess you do want to get shot in the head." Jerome raised his gun and shot the thug in the head. Then he sighed in frustration. "That doesn't make me feel better at all." Jerome looked around at the other thugs. "Still here? Want a bullet too?"
They scattered. After he was alone, Jerome took out his phone and called Bruce.
"Jerome." Batman answered, sounding very coherent. He must've fought off the fear toxin.
"Batman. I'm sorry about all of this. He made me work on the Titan project. I don't have very long to talk so shut up and listen. Don't talk, he might be able to see you and I don't want him knowing I'm talking to you. You better get to Doctor Young soon. She's in the warden's office and I think Zsasz is on his way there. And if you want to find out more about the Titan project, the lab that we did most of the work in is in the botanical garden. Joker said we might be heading over there soon so you might be able to get there before he manages to get to it. I'm going to try my best to make sure it's not helpful to him but I can't promise anything. No matter how you view me now, know this. I'm trying my best to see that this doesn't get bad. Or any worse than it already is. Now go find Doctor Young before Zsasz gets to her. Quickly!" Jerome ended the call and went back inside.
"You're back. Good. Zsasz got Young to talk. I was afraid you'd miss him killing her." Joker said. "Batman is on his way. He shouldn't be able to stop Zsasz before he slices her open though."
"Oh yeah? Turn around. Batman is already there." Jerome said smugly pointing at the screen. Batman was keeping his distance because Zsasz was holding Doctor Young at knifepoint.
"I know you're still out there!" Zsasz said, looking around for Batman. "Won't be long and you'll hear her final song!"
"Zsasz, what are you talking about?" Joker said, getting on a tv in that room. "Just kill her. She's useless to me now."
"But if I kill her, the Bat will get me!" Zsasz said.
"You're not scared of a little bat, are you, Slicey?" Joker asked mockingly.
Suddenly, they see a batarang come flying from a corner of the room, hitting Zsasz in the head.
"Not really all that surprising." Joker said after he switched off the tv in a huff.
Joker and Jerome could still see the camera feed of the room though and saw Doctor Young hit Zsasz a few times in a rage. "You monster! You evil evil monster!"
"He's not going anywhere. You can stop now." Batman said.
She looked up at Batman with tears on her face. He helped her to her feet. "Sorry. I'm so sorry!"
"I saw Bane." Batman said.
"I know. I...I wanted to stop the experiment when I found out who was funding me but Mr. Valeska told me it was too dangerous to stop. That Joker would come after us if I did. That we shouldn't try to warn people because Joker would find out. He lied to me! I had no idea who Jerome really was. The thugs told me that he's the Joker from that other world. He used me."
"Whatever and whoever Jerome Valeska really is, he didn't lie to you. Joker doesn't take no for an answer. If you had tried to back out, Joker would've killed you." Batman said.
"He wants an army. A horrible twisted force to destroy Gotham. But he couldn't do it without the formula. Jerome didn't know the exact formula. Only I did. I hid it but…"
"So now Joker has Venom and your formula." Batman said.
Jerome looked at Joker. "You have it? So Zsasz really did get it out of her?"
"Yep! So all we have to do is head to the gardens. Well, after this next bit. I want to see this next bit." Joker said.
Jerome didn't like the sound of that. He looked back at the monitor.
"The security keys for the entire island are in the warden's safe!" Doctor Young said, running to the back of the room.
"What else is Joker planning?" Batman asked.
"How should I know? You think anything he says makes sense?" Young said, pulling open a plaque on the wall to reveal the warden's safe. And on the safe was a Joker grin spray painted on. Jerome's eyes widened in shock. Oh shit!
"Get out of the way!" Batman yelled just as the safe exploded. Both Doctor Young and Batman were knocked to the floor. And Doctor Young didn't like she'd ever be getting back up. Joker laughed enthusiastically. Jerome looked frantically at the screen hoping that Batman was still alive.
"Time to go. We've got a lot of work to do after all and can't rely on Harley keeping Batman away for too long." Joker said, getting up. "Don't worry. Batman is still alive. I can tell. We'll still get more fun from him. He wasn't close enough to the blast to die from it. You still have a lot to learn, kiddo."
Jerome followed Joker as he left the building and headed for the botanical gardens. "What's Harley going to do to keep Batman away?"
"Oh, she still has ol Warden Sharpie hostage. He'll have to save him to get the security codes to get to us in the gardens." Joker said. "But if she knows what's good for her, she won't make it easy for him. She's going to set up a trap for him."
They got to the Botanical Gardens building. The Joker thugs were waiting for them and greeted their boss enthusiastically. Jerome always wondered how and why the thugs were that loyal to such an unpredictable psychopath. Joker was more likely to kill them than reward them for things and yet they followed him without question. Jerome followed Joker into the building and into the secret lab.
"I know you'll just betray me the first chance you get, Jerome. You'll do just short of kill me. I'm not really bothered. If I was you, I'd do the same." Joker said. "I've never been fond of being under another person's thumb so I shouldn't expect anything less from you. But maybe I should take that cellphone from you now. Since you insist on calling Batman with it."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Jerome lied.
"Nice try. Like I said, I know you. Why else would you go outside for air? Why else would you stick around except to try and stop me? I'm not holding you prisoner. You could've left at any time. I would've found that rude and made you pay for it later but still…" Joker said with a dangerous sounding voice.
"Alright, fine." Jerome said, sneering at him. "That's why I stayed. I helped you with this when I thought I didn't have a choice. I feel responsible for most of it. After you removed every last connection to a normal life I had when you revealed our connection, I could've just left, and never thought about you or this world ever again. But I stayed to stop you. I might not be a good person. I'm not going to lie and say we don't have a lot in common. But I am not you. I have not lost it completely. And this...this is a little much even for me. What you could do with the Titan formula is not something I can let happen without at least trying to stop it. I won't help you with this. And you know that threatening me isn't going to do any good. I'm not afraid of death or pain all that much. I was afraid of losing the love and respect of the people I cared about. And you already took that away from me. You have nothing left to threaten me with."
"Oh you think? I'm sure I could find something." Joker said, grinning at him dangerously. "But I am pressed for time so I won't bother at the moment. I can do all this without you helping me. You know that. Having your help was just a bonus. I figured it was as good a time as any to start your real education into being me. And it still can be. Even if you are my unwilling protege I can still teach you the important things. So, if you aren't going to help, sit your ass down and don't be a pest. I can't kill you but I am not against beating you senseless. Oh and I'm going to ask that you don't leave the room. You leave and my feelings will be as hurt as you will be." Joker then walked over to where several monitors were set up haphazardly and sat down. Jerome walked over and saw that Batman had found the warden. And Harley was freeing Poison Ivy. Batman was watching it on one of the monitors in the room he was in. Joker switched the monitor to show himself so he could talk to Batman. "I could watch those two all day. What a riot! And speaking of riots…" Joker got out an ominous looking button. "Here's a bit of civil unrest I cooked up just for you!" He pushed the button and released the penitentiary inmates. The garden variety babbling crazies. All out and ready to cause havoc. Joker got up and got to work making Titan.
Jerome sat down and continued watching the monitors. What else did he have to do? While he wasn't afraid of pain, it would slow him down to get beaten by Joker's thugs and he had things to do after all of this was finished. Batman took the codes from the warden and made his way through the building and ran into Harley who turned on the electrified prisoner suppression floor. Batman found a way by it and several of the thugs and managed to find and subdue her. Joker managed to taunt Batman and work at the same time. Jerome just continued to sit and watch the monitors looking over occasionally to see how far Joker was getting with the formula. Joker was uncharacteristically serious and focused while he worked. Joker looked up from his work when he heard the suicide collars go off on the thugs that were guarding the area in the building. "So annoying. What do I pay my lackeys for? Oh well, if you want something done, do it yourself. You're coming with me. I don't want you out of my sight."
They left the lab and on the way Joker noticed a guard and grabbed him. "Tough luck for you, random guard. Why is it that all of you seem to look so alike? Guess it must be those helmets or something." Jerome followed them to the flooded room.
Batman entered the room not long after. "You need to stop this now."
"Stop? But everyone's dying to see what I do next!" Joker said facing him with his hand around the guard's throat.
"Let him go now!" Batman said in a threatening snarl.
"Really? Ok, if you say so, Bats." Joker pushes something into the water that electrifies the water and then shoves the guard in after it.
"No!" Batman said.
"Move it kiddo." Joker told Jerome as he was walking back down the hallway and Jerome wasn't following him fast enough. When Jerome was next to him he pulled out a detonator. "You really need to speed things up, Bats." He pressed the button and collapsed the hallway with an explosive. "At this rate you'll never catch us."
"Problem solved. That should slow him down for awhile." Joker said as they returned to the lab and got back to work.
One of the Joker thugs entered the room. "You wanted us to come here, boss? Are we going to get that Titan stuff?"
Jerome rolled his eyes and watched from where he was sitting.
"You have the distinct honor of being my first test subject! Just sit down. It shouldn't hurt...much." Joker injected the formula into the thug. The thug started screaming.
"It hurts!" the thugs screamed as he started to change and mutate. His muscles rippled and grew but he died before the change was complete. Joker sighed and went back to work. He hummed as he worked. He tried a few times on other thugs but they all died. "Still not quite right. But getting there."
Jerome noticed that Batman was saving a janitor and one of the scientists that had worked with Doctor Young. He seemed to be getting very close to the entrance of the lab and Jerome hoped that Joker wouldn't notice. "Pay attention to me. I'm talking to you! What are you looking at? Oh." Joker noticed Batman on the monitors. "I guess we're going to have company soon. Boys! Get in here now! We're about to have Bat problems." A few thugs rushed into the main room of the lab filled with the Venom infused plants that were used in the formula just as Batman opened the door.
"Well, look who's discovered our secret lab. Since you've made it this far, let me show you what I've cooked up." He aimed an injector gun filled with the Titan formula at the two thugs that were in the room and shot them both with it. The thugs turned into hulking monsters but didn't die this time. The formula was working! Batman had trouble fighting the hulks off but managed it, throwing batarangs at their faces to blind and disorient them. He managed to knock both out.
Jerome had enough. He saw that the formula worked. He couldn't stop Joker from making it. He had quickly realized it was pointless to try. He had to hope the formula was as unstable as Doctor Young and him tried to make it. Maybe that would be enough to make it less useful. It would make it temporary at least as far as the mutating and strengthening effects. He didn't know what other effects it could have on the subjects longterm. But it wasn't like he cared. It was up to Batman to stop Joker now. Jerome didn't belong there. It was time to go home. So when Joker was busy greeting Batman and injecting his goons with the formula, Jerome slipped out easily. None of the thugs that he passed dared to stop him. They knew that he was just as willing to kill them in a violent manner as the Joker was. So he didn't bother hiding as he made his way out. When he was at the docks, he turned around one last time to stare at the asylum and wished Batman luck. Then he got in a boat and left the island.
After the incident at Arkham Asylum was over and Joker was subdued, Batman went to Jerome's small lab in the Medical building. He hadn't seen Jerome with Joker towards the end. He had to assume that Jerome made a run for it. Bruce looked around the lab that had so many personal touches that made it obvious it was Jerome's. His emotions were very complicated at that moment. He noticed a folded piece of paper underneath the purple stuffed bear. He picked it up and saw it was a letter. A letter addressed to him.
Bruce,
I know that if you're reading this, then you know the truth. I didn't ever want you to find out. I swear, even though I never told you who I paralleled, I never really lied to you. My life was awful before I got to this world. My real family were abusive monsters. If I had stayed with them for most of my life, I have no doubt I would've ended up just as crazy as the Joker. Maybe that's what happened to him. Who knows. I really did care about you. I still do. So damn much. All of you. You treated me with so much kindness. I never knew that people could be that kind and good until I met you. You were the closest thing I had to a father. And I will never forget that. Ever. I'm not going to lie and say I'm a good person. I'm not. Me and Joker do have things in common. Far too much, in fact. But when I was there at the manor with you my life felt stable. I felt stable. You kept me from becoming him. And for that I thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Bruce. I will always consider you my family even if you choose not to view me as such. It's ok. I understand if you don't want to. After Jason I realized that if you knew, you'd hate me. I'm not happy about it but I understand and don't blame you. If you're reading this, then I'm most likely long gone. I'm going home. Back to my own world. I never told you but I still have one member of my real family I still care about. My brother Miah. For years I've been trying to cure him of a condition he has. This is what I've been researching. His cure. And I found it. I can give him a normal life. And that's all thanks to you. You funded my schooling. You helped encourage me through it. Because of you Miah will be ok. He'll be cured. And that's all I've ever wanted. For the only person I ever loved in my own world to have a better life. A life where he can finally be happy. And if he's happy, I'll be happy too. Like I said, I'll never forget you. I hope you have a long and happy life and that Gotham city thrives under your care and protection. Take care, Bruce.
Jerome Valeska