One Year Ago…
A few hours before the hospital charity gala, Jerome was getting dressed into a magician outfit as he was going to be disguised as The Great Rudolpho.
As he was fumbling with the tie, Jerome was having a hard time before Poppy walked in and helped him. She was not looking at him, or even speaking to him as her usual normal self.
This time it was different for them.
Ever since they came back from killing Mr. Cicero, Poppy started to feel off after when the blind elderly man whispered in her ear saying…
"Theo Galavan is a man that you and Jerome should never trust. I see death for him, but yours is unknown. You are Jerome's light. Make him listen to you. I know that he touched you wrongfully."
Believing in every word from earlier, Poppy finally had the courage to tell him once he was out of the bathroom.
"What?"
"You heard me Jerome. Let's run away now. Where me and you can be truly free. Somewhere it's warm away from this horrible city. We'll start a new life. I'll dye my hair another color if I have to. I want to be with you forever." Poppy explained as she stood in front of Jerome since she was at the foot of the king sized bed.
"We can't do that now, Poppy. We're in the middle of making this city become ours. This is our chance to become King and Queen of Gotham. We're going to be stars. Just you and me. It's all part of our plan that Galavan doesn't know." Jerome explained, as he had his hands on Poppy's shoulders. "There's no turning back, Doll. You should get dressed soon. I need a lovely assistant like you to help me…" He stated before he lifted up two different skimpy magician's assistant outfits.
Poppy was staring at the floor where her eyes were at her black combat boots as Jerome was looking back and forth at the outside since they were a different color for the 16 year old to choose.
"Which one? The black one or the pink one? I was thinking black because me and you would be a cute matching couple, but Stabby Babs though pink will make everyone's eyes stare at how cute my soon to be Queen of Gotham is going to-" Jerome rambled on as Poppy was trying her best to ignore him, but she stood her ground and finally spoke up.
"I won't help you tonight." Poppy responded with confidence, before Jerome finally stopped talking as his green eyes stared at her in shock.
"Dollface-"
"Jerome… you need to listen to me for once. If you go onto that stage tonight, it's going to be a lie. Not a stage act that you and Galavan practice." Poppy confessed, before looking down at the promise ring that Jerome gave to her on the night when Lila's body was found. "If I lose you, I'm sure what could happen. And… and there's something else… Galavan…"
Jerome kept his eyes on Poppy as he was listening to everything that the younger woman was trying to tell her. But this time, Poppy was afraid of how he would react and what would Jerome do once he told her about what else happened.
Her body was shaking in fear like she was nervous.
"Tell me. Tell me now, Poppy. Everything." Jerome stated, knowing Poppy was trying to find out the right words to tell him, but she immediately hugged him tight before finally speaking up.
"Galavan drugged me… and he tried to…" Poppy managed to say as she started crying, until Jerome's green eyes widened in shock once he found out the truth.
Then his green eyes started to glare angrily as he couldn't believe what Poppy told him about Galavan's true intentions to him and even to her.
Poppy only belongs to him. Not to anyone. She was his future Queen of Gotham. But now Galavan has taken it too far by trying to put his filthy hands on someone like Poppy who was underage.
"That sick son of a bitch!" Jerome retorted, before pulling out a pump action shotgun from underneath the bed. "That old bastard thinks that he can get away from touching my girl?! I don't think so!" He retorted, before he started cackling evilly as he started loading the gun and headed towards the door.
He started marching towards the doors of their bedroom, as Poppy knew that Jerome was going straight to Galavan.
The 16 year old immediately put her arms around Jerome to make him stop walking. Her grip tightened as she rested her head on his back. Jerome can hear more of Poppy's cries from behind, knowing that deep down in his heart, he cared more about protecting this special person in his heart.
"Jerome… I don't want to lose you. Please don't go. Let's leave now!" Poppy pleaded, as Jerome can hear how hurt she is now.
In Jerome's dark heart, he wanted to kill Galavan now for putting his hands on Poppy. But he knew he had to calm her down before he made it worse. The ginger haired adult loosen his tight grip on the pump action shotgun and turn around for Poppy to look up at him. Her teary eyes were staring at his green ones, before Jerome managed to wipe her tears with his left hand and hugged her close, ignoring that shotgun in his other hand.
"I've believed you. Every single word. And I won't leave. But we're leaving now." Jerome whispered,
Poppy nodded, before she reached up and kissed his lips when her hands cupped his cheeks. A smile curled up on his lips as, before Jerome placed a few more kisses on Poppy's lips, until the last one was rough which took her breath away.
Jerome quickly barricaded the door with a nearby armchair, before handing Poppy the pump action shotgun.
"If someone comes in, don't even hesitate, Doll." Jerome instructed, before Poppy gripped onto the shotgun with both hands as she started aiming it at the barricaded door while the 18 year old fugitive started packing up their stuff...
Present Time…
At the coroner's office, Leslie Thompkins was held at gunpoint by a reborned Jerome Valeska as his face was all bloody and covered with bandages.
"Okay… last time was alive, or like hell walking on earth, I was supposed to do something to take over Gotham right? Ah, what do you know, you don't know anything… Well, I guess I'll start by killing of Theo Galavan, that jug earred judas." Jerome responded as he started to remember parts of his past before he died.
"Theo Galavan is dead. You've killed him." Leslie corrected him.
Jerome looked back at her before speaking again.
"What? I did? I don't remember killing him. But he's dead? Awww, who beat me to it?!" Jerome responded as he tried to think back, knowing he was still confused.
"That would be Poppy." Leslie answered quietly as she finally knew the truth.
"Poppy? Poppy who?" Jerome asked.
"Poppy Leigh Ann Canellei. She's your girlfriend." Leslie explained.
"My… girlfriend?!" Jerome responded before he started laughing loudly. "My girlfriend?! Me and her?! That 16 year old brat had the balls to kill Galavan before me?!" He asked as he was laughing out of control, until he calmed down.
"She loved you no matter what. And yet, you do not remember her? You've nearly driven her into killing herself over you, Valeska." Leslie explained, knowing that Poppy went through depression when Jerome went to Arkham Asylum and even after his death, but recommended her to take therapy to help her out overtime.
"Alright, alright, let's not get all emotional. Well, since you've told me about her. But let's get one thing straight, I don't do relationships. I used them. And whatever me and that brat had was nothing. Nothing but darkness..." Jerome warned, before gripping onto Leslie's neck. "Since you've told me about her, I might as well kill her off. Tell me… where can I find her? And where's my face?" He stated lowly.
At Château De Peters, Poppy's birthday party is now underway as the now 17 year old teenager was upstairs in her bedroom, putting on her pair of combat boots that had heels on them which was a gift from her best friend Ruby.
"Poppy!" The older gruff voice of Poppy's father, Joel Peters was heard from downstairs the stairs as Potential Breakup Song by Aly and AJ started playing in the main living room. "Poppy Canellei! Did you hear me calling you?" He asked as he saw the now 17 year old teenager climbing down the stairs.
"I heard you, Dad. What's wrong?" Poppy asked.
"I thought you were going to be inviting your friends." Joel stated as Poppy stood in front of him.
"I did. I only invited Ruby and Liv." Poppy explained.
"Yeah, but I didn't expect the whole classroom to show up." Joel responded, as he and Poppy walked into the living room to see half of Poppy's classmates which made the 17 year old teenager's eyes widened in shock. "I thought this was going to be a sleepover. Not a house party." He responded with his arms crossed.
"Dad, I can explain. I did tell you that the one with blonde hair was half dumb right?" Poppy asked.
"Jesus Christ, Poppy Leigh Ann… Alright, you know I have company coming over to have private business with my job, right? But I recommend you take this party somewhere else, beside the living room- Hey!" Joel started to explain, before seeing one of the Gotham City High students taking down an expensive art piece off the wall as he left Poppy alone.
"Crap!" Poppy cussed to herself, before she turned off the music and grabbed a megaphone. "Everyone! We're taking my party outside! Once we're out there, let's turn the night of Gotham into a madhouse!" She exclaimed, before loud air horns and noisemakers were heard after Poppy's announcement while Joel placed the expensive art piece back.
Everyone started leaving to head to the large, spacious backyard while bringing the buffet table and even their presents for the birthday girl.
"Alright. I'm taking my company somewhere else. And beside the person I'm meeting told me that he once knew you in the past. Maybe back in the circus days with your mother?" Joel stated, before grabbing his suit coat which Poppy was confused about the mystery person that her father was meeting. "Here's the rules. No drinking. Streaking. No fires. No loud blaring music. If the police are called, you will be grounded until your 18th birthday. Understand?" He explained.
Poppy nodded before Joel patted his daughter's head.
"Have fun, kiddo." Joel responded before he left the mansion.
At Gotham City Police Department, Tommy Canellei was hitting the large jail cells with his nightstick where inside were Jerome's cult members who were trying to grab or fight back.
"Aaaaahhh! Shut up!" Tommy retorted as he pulled out his taser and started using it on one of the cult members. "That's right. Back up. Your dead God is nowhere to help you." He stated as a few cult members back away from the gates and the unconscious member.
"It's another night for us. It's been a year since Jerome Valeska has been announced dead. And we're pulling in more cult members left and right." Jim Gordon explained.
"Jesus, one more of these crazy people and I swear, I will lose it." Harvey Bullock stated.
"And that's not the worse part, someone stole my police car and ran over someone this afternoon. Now I'm getting in trouble over something I didn't do." Tommy explained, before he handed a file towards Jim. "Here's Poppy's application. She told me that she didn't want to serve the police force at the moment." He stated, before they heard a TV flickering on when it showed the Channel 5 news which it was reported that the news van was stolen earlier… until it started flickering once again.
"Testing, one, two three. Is this on? Ah screw it, let's get this over with."
The voice of Jerome Valeska was heard as everyone at the police station started watching when they saw the ginger haired psychopath whose green eyes were staring at their very soul and his face was stapled back onto his skin.
"Hi. Some of you may have known. I died. Death is dull. Coming back is different. Giving you a whole new perspective on life…" Jerome explained before walking over towards Dwight who was unconscious while strapped to a chair. "And I would like to share that with you…"
"Oh no. It can't be…" Tommy responded quietly in shock, before seeing Jerome pulled out a zippo lighter from Dwight's ear.
"Tonight, Gotham. Is a very special night. In the darkness, there are no rules. So tonight Gotham… do what you want. Kill who you want. But I'm looking for someone very familiar. There was a girl in my old life that I want dead now in my second life. And her name is Poppy Canellei. Short black hair. Blue eyes. And dressed like a tomboyish punk school girl." Jerome explained as he walked back towards the camera with the zippo lighter. "Dollface… if you're watching this, you can run, but you can't hide forever in the darkness. But when morning comes… you too… shall be reborn."
Jerome cackled like the psychopath that he is now as he had a bomb stim before lighting it with the lighter, leaving out of the power station.
A loud explosion was heard all over Gotham as the power went out all over the city after Jerome's reborn announcement was heard.
Jim Gordon knew that his niece was in trouble at the moment...
Potential Breakup Song by Aly and AJ was used in this part of the story which Poppy would go for the older version, but for me, I love both versions.
What will happen in the next chapter? Will Jerome and his cult members will find Poppy? Will she and her friends, and her classmates will be in more danger?
