The following day, you and Jerome both agreed on the perfect headline for all of Gotham to see. It was an easy decision to make, the first casualties of the day would be several guards and doctors at Arkham Asylum. The hospital left a bad taste in your mouth and you didn't approve of how the guards mistreated the inmates there, and especially you. You couldn't help but hold a grudge against them.
You were comfortably seated in the chair in front of your vanity mirror, you patted your face with a makeup brush, and smiled back at your reflection.
Jerome was lazing around on the bed behind you, looking as bored as ever. "How long is that going to take?" he asked, glancing at the back of your head.
"Not much longer. I need to look as good as possible if I'm going to be all over the news! We are going to be stars, remember? It's kind of a big deal. Besides I miss my makeup, I wasn't allowed any of it in prison." you replied, tracing your lipstick all around your lips and then puckering them.
"You look fine without it, gorgeous." he grinned, watching you apply the makeup from afar.
"Aw how sweet. I know you're just saying that so I don't feel the need to apply it, so nice try." you winked at him playfully and chuckled.
"I'm bored, you know I can't sit still for long, not when Gotham's calling my name." he remarked, stretching his arms out in the air. "It's getting louder."
You added the finishing touches, which was your eyeliner and eyeshadow. You turned around to the moping ginger on the bed.
"All done! C'mon, let's head out." you said with a big smile, he immediately hopped off the bed and joined your side, he couldn't contain his excitement. You brought the other members of the Maniax along with you two, excluding Barbara. Theo saw you on your way out, a look of contentment on his face, wishing you good luck. Tabitha followed as well, because she was going to keep a sharp eye on the group to ensure that the job was done.
As you and the others made your way down to Arkham Asylum, Jerome's hand crept to hold yours, gripping it firmly. You turned to him with a smile and he looked back at you with his signature grin. You knew that living this type of life was dangerous and that it had its consequences, but you loved the thrill of it especially when you were with him. Sometimes you weren't sure if you could keep up with him, he was so overzealous when it came to terrorizing the city and he had an irresistible urge for destruction, while you felt you were able to keep yours more at bay. He was consumed by the idea of being in the spotlight and everyone knowing his name, you could see it in his eyes. You just hoped that he would be willing to share it with you, because you were able to adjust so quickly after being sucked into this new way of life.
When you arrived outside of Arkham Asylum, you spotted two security guards protecting the place, they were as still as statues. You knew that wouldn't last long. You and Jerome gave each other a reassuring nod and told the others to wait for their cue. Once the guards heard Jerome's maniacal laughter, they took their guns out, and started looking around the region cautiously. You two were hiding by opposite sides of the gateway, waiting for them to find you. You could hear their footsteps as they looked about and you knew they were getting closer. You waited for the opportune moment, clutching onto your knife tightly. One of the guards appeared before you and you took him out with a swift slash through the neck, watching him fall to the ground as the blood spilled. When you looked in front of you, Jerome had already took care of the other guard, they were both bleeding next to each other. He smiled to himself, with specks of blood on his clothes.
"Sorry that we came unannounced! It was kind of a last minute decision, hope you don't mind." he said, leaning over them as he laughed loudly. He winked at you, expressing his approval.
"And to be fair, your jobs sucked anyway." you added, laughing with him. The others came out of their hiding spot as soon as the deed was finished. Arnold and Aaron looked down at the dead bodies dumbfoundedly, then back at you two.
"Oh don't worry, you'll have your fun too! Just follow our lead." Jerome replied, looking back at the rest of the group. Arnold clasped his hands together with a big smile on his face. Aaron cracked a small smile in acceptance. Robert laughed, getting fired up about the task at hand.
You giggled and took his hand in yours again. You busted the doors down to the asylum and almost immediately the officers started shouting with their guns pointed towards you, "Put your hands up!"
Aaron didn't waste any time pouncing on the guards in front, choking them with both of his hands to their necks, he banged their heads against the ground repeatedly until they took their last breath. Jerome dodged the bullets that were shot towards him just in the nick of time, and once he got the chance he flung a knife at one of the guards' throat. Their bullets didn't prove to be much of a threat because you were an expert at avoiding them, you pulled out your own gun and shot several of them in their heads. You could see from the corner of your eye, Arnold and Robert slashing some of the other guards with their knives and then kicking them to the side when they were finished. Jerome whistled before saying, "Nice one boys, but we're not quite done yet.
You turned to look at the inmates shouting and begging to be released, their hands gripped the bars and they shook them rapidly. You couldn't help but feel a little sympathetic towards them because you knew what it felt like to be behind those bars, but at the same time you knew that you shouldn't make such a spur-of-the-moment decision by freeing them.
You caught one of the doctors running away and before you could make your move, Jerome shot him in the leg and hurried his way over to his fallen body. The doctor laid there groaning and holding onto his bloodied leg.
"Not so fast big guy! Better to stay put because we'll find you anyway." he looked down at the fidgety man and smiled at him before shooting the other bullet into his head.
You could hear another person's soft footsteps down the hall so you carefully went over to investigate. You looked around for a few moments until the officer jumped out abruptly and fired his gun towards you, but it didn't reach you. You rolled over quickly and found yourself behind him in no time, you swung your knife into his neck and stabbed him several times before you deemed him dead. You took in a deep breath out of relief and then looked down at the spots of blood on your clothing, you could feel it on your face and skin as well.
"They are gonna have to hire so many new people, I feel bad for the person who runs this shitty place." you commented in a derisively tone.
Jerome was grinning from ear to ear when he saw you, so you couldn't help but smile back. Sharing this life with him made you feel even closer to him, almost like you two were cut from the same cloth. There was a look in his eye, like he was about to say something but instead he ordered the guys to get the cans of red spray paint out and start decorating the walls. They started spray painting the word 'Maniax' all over, covering the walls in it. You took a can from them and decided to write something as well. You looked at Jerome before adding some hearts in various areas with both of your initials printed in them. He chuckled upon the sight, he approved of it unquestionably.
"Ah, why are you so cute? Always the romantic, aren't you?" he said with an impish smirk as he leaned towards you, brushing his nose against yours fondly and you giggled as you returned the affection. He stole a soft peck from your lips but then he suddenly grabbed your arm tightly in his hand. "We best be on our way gorgeous, don't want to get caught in the act now do we?"
"Those damned cops will be here any minute, ain't no time for you lovebirds to canoodle." Robert complained.
"Right. Let's get moving boys!" you called out to them and they followed you out the door. You were all fortunate enough that no one saw you leave but as you made your way back to Theo's place, you could hear sirens in the distance.
When you made your way back, Theo welcomed you with open arms. He was eagerly awaiting for your return.
"Welcome back! The whole city is talking about the stunt you pulled. Brilliant job, everyone. I'm more than impressed." he congratulated you all, and you couldn't help but feel proud of yourself and the rest of the group because you had excellent team work. You made the news faster than you thought, the newswoman reported the crime and you got to see your handiwork on the big screen. Jerome hopped on the sofa and he burst into laughter, his eyes lighting up, he was certainly entertained. The others joined him on the sofa, gathering around to watch. Theo looked back at you with a satisfied smirk and motioned his head to the dining room, instructing you to follow him there.
You wondered what he wanted, he led the way and you entered the sumptuous dining room. There was candles lit in the dim room and wine glasses on the table. You raised an eyebrow, hoping that it wasn't what it looked like. Theo closed the door behind him. "Tabitha, bring him out." he ordered.
Tabitha came out pushing Aubrey James; the mayor. His head was locked in a large black box with vents in it and his hands were tied behind his back. She pulled out a chair for him and shoved him in it. You couldn't say that you were surprised, you already knew how powerful Theo could be and that he had the resources he needed to abduct someone like the mayor. You waited for Theo to explain.
"I haven't shared this information with you yet, Y/N, but I'm planning to run for mayor. I believe that you can help me reach that goal." he said assertively, taking a seat from across the mayor who was whimpering loudly.
"I told this fine gentleman what he needed to do in order to help make that happen. He called his secretary and informed her that he was running away with his lover. Sad thing is, he has to disappear with or without one. He's been dampening the mood with all his whining, so I was thinking you could get rid of him for me." he explained, staring back at you intently from across the room.
The mayor shook his head rapidly and he cried out, "No please, I'll do whatever you want. I'll disappear just like you said and I won't dare come back to Gotham! You have my word!"
"Your word's not good enough. As long as you're still breathing, there will always be that chance. A chance that you'll blurt out everything you know to the press about this incident. I'll be able to sleep better at night knowing that possibility doesn't exist." he moved closer to the mayor, making sure he heard every word.
"So you want me and Jerome to kill him?" you tilted your head to the side and asked him casually.
"That's the plan. Not immediately though, Tabitha enjoys playing with him when she's bored and I'm interested in what other bargains he'll come up with." he chuckled to himself and then added, "Tell Jerome the second you get a chance, he'll certainly be delighted."
"Not a problem. Just say the word when it needs to be done and we'll take care of it." you smiled confidently. "There's not a doubt in my mind that you'll be mayor soon, Theo." you assured him, acting as if you were going to do whatever you could to make that happen.
"I won't be able to reach my goal without your help, I can't thank you enough for your compliance. My promise remains the same, I'll make sure you all become stars and that all of Gotham trembles before you." he said with a satisfied look on his face.
You thought to yourself, "Could be fun. It would definitely serve as a pastime for me and Jerome."
"I'll make sure you two always stay entertained, boredom won't ever be an issue." he reassured.
"You're a smart man, Theo, to keep us around. We'll continue to meet your expectations." you made your way over to the mayor, lowering your head down to whisper. "I'll be seeing you, Mr. Mayor." you said with a long smirk on your face, he continued to whine and wriggle in his chair. You walked out the dining room and rolled your eyes as you left.
The next morning, Theo congratulated the whole group about how they made headlines. He flaunted the newspaper in his hand to ensure that everyone saw it. The picture on it was of the dead employees along with your graffiti. You were at the table with the Maniax, sipping your morning coffee. Jerome emitted a chuckle at that, he was becoming a newsmaker just like he dreamed.
"You all did such a fine job yesterday. The whole city knows your name. I think this calls for a round of applause everyone! I'm incredibly proud." Theo exclaimed zealously and everyone clapped their hands enthusiastically.
"Now that we have Gotham's full attention, it's time for the Maniax to make a monumental entrance." he walked across the room, examining the group as he spoke.
"But I thought that was it?" you tilted your head as you looked back at him.
"That was just phase one, to hush the audience and keep them on edge." he said in a murky tone. "The next step is to instill fear in them, take away what they love most and whatever they hold dear. Finally, we offer them a lifeline and then they are ours."
"That's how it's done, take notes Y/N." Jerome said with a chuckle as he looked back at you. You made a face and rolled your eyes playfully at the comment. You couldn't help but get the impression that Theo's mentorship would only make Jerome all the more egotistical.
"Ha, I think that applies to you too." you reached a hand over to the plate of donuts on the table, taking one with chocolate frosting and feeding it to him. He smiled as you did so and when he was finished with it you ate the rest.
"But most importantly, you need to brush up on your acting. Being on TV means that you need to have stage presence, so that you have your audience's full attention." Theo advised. You noticed that he was mostly eyeing Arnold, Robert, and Aaron. When they weren't looking, he winked at you and Jerome, which made you both laugh quietly.
While you were enjoying your breakfast, Tabitha and Barbara suddenly entered the room as well as the mayor. They were taking turns flogging his back repeatedly with a whip as he tried to get away, they laughed loudly each time they hit him and he uttered a sharp yowl every time. You raised your eyebrows at the sight and then remembered that the poor helpless man was only around to amuse them. They continued to beat him until his body bumped against the wall, resulting in him collapsing to the ground.
"Don't mind them, they're just entertaining themselves while he's still here." he reminded the group and made his way over to the mayor's body on the floor.
"We're bored!" Barbara whined. "You let the boys have all the fun while we stay here and do nothing but beat him." she thrashed the mayor again before continuing, "And it's not fair that Y/N is in on all the merriment, why does she get to have fun with them?" she scowled at you, hissing under her breath. You giggled when she looked your way and waved at her with a smile to aggravate her further.
"Oh, you mean Y/N and Jerome? They come as a duo, they're practically attached to the hip. They work incredibly well together so I can see why." he turned to look back at you and Jerome with a broad smile, you were both feeding each other various sweets on the table which led to you two making quite a mess on one another's faces followed by loud banter. Barbara crossed her arms, staring back at Theo until he finally said, "Don't worry, I have plans for the both of you. I won't keep you waiting long." he reassured.
Barbara sighed and shook her head, but then Theo added, "Tell me everything you have on Jim Gordon." he said, almost in a whisper.
You became very intrigued about their conversation once you heard that name again, you couldn't help recall what took place weeks ago and when he interrogated you back at the precinct. However, you weren't going to dwell on it. You took one last sip of your coffee and wiped your face with a napkin, from the corner of your eye you saw Jerome smirking at you.
"It's showtime now, darling." Jerome exclaimed, you knew exactly what he meant. He sprung from his chair and he grabbed your hand tightly. He practically dragged you out of the building and on your way out you could hear Theo's laughter which signified approval. Chaos was about to ensue.