"Spooky! Spooky, my darling boy, it is me! Ho ho ho!" Jerome did his best Santa impression as the door was unlocked for them and then he led Jerome into Jonathan's cell, still holding him close. "Here we go. Jervis Tetch, meet the fearsome Professor Crane."
He presented Jonathan and then added. "Asterisk: He's not actually a professor, he's just a nerd like you. Look at all those books he's got, one more boring than the other. Bunch of eggheads."
Jervis already disliked the smell in here, it stung his nose and it had an unsettling sharpness that set him on edge. It wasn't very pleasant at all. And whatever Jonathan was brewing in his -- was that his toilet? Well, it smelled and looked vile.
Jonathan turned to Jerome, sitting on the floor by his experiment, smiling. Since returned to Arkham, the guards had shaved his head and his long hair was gone, nothing to hide behind now. Jervis was slightly surprised, he supposed time flew - he always believed Jonathan was a boy but no, this was a man. Then again, so was Jerome. Two strong men and him, powerless and useless.
"Hroo hraa." Jon got up slowly, looking at Jerome then Jervis. "Hello, Mr Tetch. I am Mr Crane. I have come to free your mind."
"Knew I could count on you, Spooky." Jerome smiled, pleasantly, or so he thought, and he wrapped his arms around Jervis from behind. "He's got this trick with his voice. I dunno, I think it tingles a bit? Like an itch you can't scratch."
And, evidently, something Jerome found easy to ignore. He undid the buckles that held the gag in to pull it off, allowing Jervis the use of his mouth again. "Come on. Try and use it on my associate, yeah? I just wanna see how he'll react."
He shrugged, looking at Jonathan. "He couldn't get it up when he tried with me. Performance anxiety. I just wanna see how he does with you."
Jervis licked his lips and then looked at Jonathan. He was playing along. He seemed fascinated and entertained. Even so, this seemed like a trap so he didn't know what to do or how to do it. He did the same he did with Jerome. The rhythm, the eyes, the pupils going as Jervis and Jonathan locked eyes.
"On the count of three, jump for me. One, two, three." And Jon jumped. Dazed but playing along. Jervis giggled a little - he wasn't broken. Thank God. "Once again, my friend, let's play. Just listen to what I say. You have a vial in your hand, tip it out just as we planned."
Jonathan went to tilt it onto the floor but he looked down, saw the scarecrow and another forced smashed through him. Jonathan cried out suddenly, trying to stop himself because if he dropped it, he hit the scarecrow. If he hit the Scarecrow, he would be found and hurt. "Mr Tetch, if you please. The Sc-Sc-Scarecrow."
Jervis frowned and then he looked down. "Ah." Well. That was fascinating. "You may stop." It seemed some forces were stronger than expected.
"Wow. Cool." Jerome wasn't really sure what was going on. "I think you two crazy kids should play a bit more." He twirled Jervis around - once entirely and once just enough so he could face him. Hands on his shoulders, he looked into his eyes. "Listen, buddy. You are trying to stay hinged. I get that. I've been there. But you could be so much more. Let go of those hinges. This is Gotham. Only the insane are ever truly in charge."
He leaned forward and kissed Jervis's forehead, then looked at Jonathan. "You'll take care of the Hatter for me, won't you? I want there to be a Mad Hatter next time I check."
"I am insane, why must I prove it? If I say it, will you quit?" Jervis practically begged because he really didn't want Jonathan to do whatever he was planning. He nervously watched the man fill his syringe and his whole body tensed. "I will drop dead! I have pled and pled, I have bled red! Oh, the dread. No, no, no."
Jervis was already trying to back of the room, as useless as that way. Jonathan finished flicking the syringe before coming in close. "This will be fun. Do you want to watch, my friend? I adjusted the dose, it shouldn't cause toxicity now. I'm 99% sure."
"Only 99%!" Jervis yelped, his voice squeaking as he looked at Jerome. "No. Please."
"Hmmmm... I guess. I mean, he was a good guck and I'm a sentimental fool in the end." Jonathan headed over to the bed, almost casually wrapping his arm around Jervis's throat and using that grip to pull him along. He sat down and got Jervis on his lap, which allowed him to easily hold him still for Jonathan. "Trust the process, Tetch. It's for your own good. And for our amusement, that too."
Jervis struggled against Jerome's hold, feet flailing but Jon simply went to the side and sought protection from Jerome's manly thigh. It blocked the hits from his legs, at least. He pulled the jacket down slightly and injected Jervis in the neck with his formula, despite all attempts to avoid it.
Jervis felt his heart rate race and he fought desperate against Jerome. "Let me free! Please! Let me free!"
"Shh, it's okay, it's only the Scarecrow." Jonathan whispered to Jervis, pulling back and setting the needle aside. "Give it about a minute, it sometimes takes a few to kick in and--"
Jervis interrupted him screaming in terror suddenly, his eyes blown out and wild. Oh. The new formula was much faster.
"Look at that, Spooky. You've earned yourself a promotion with that one." Jerome chuckled, holding the screaming and struggling Jervis. He reached up with his hand to cover his mouth and shushed him gently, even rocking him a little on his lap. "It's all right, my boy. Uncle Jerome is here to keep you safe."
clearly he was doing a bang up job of that. "He's not cannon fodder. I think he'll be one of us. What do you think? He's got potential."
"I think we should have him. He seems fun." Jervis was wailing pathetically behind Jerome's hand, tears coming down his face. He did wonder what he was seeing, he would make sure to ask but for now, he just enjoyed the sight. He sat himself on the floor, opposite Jerome, and smiled at him.
"I like his screams. And how he talks. It's fun. I wonder if it's a compulsion or a habit, that he talks as he does." He assumed Jerome didn't know or care about the difference but it was fun to ponder. "Can you get me his file?"
"Sure, can do. I'll have it delivered to you posthaste." Jerome smothered Jervis's screams for a while longer before he relented, as Jervis seemed to have quieted down to whimpers and sobs anyway. Admittedly, he did like how it sounded too. "He's got shiny hair, I like that. I think a bit of therapising from you, a bit of loving from me and he'll be right as rain in to time, won't he?"
He grinned at Jervis, wondering whether he could even see him. "Hey. Spooky always asks that... What do you see, huh? What are you scared of, little boy?"
"I think he has a good program ahead of him." Jonathan agreed as he pulled his legs up to his chest and held them as he watched Jervis and Jerome, perfectly content to watch the two of them. He didn't get much entertainment here.
Jervis whimpered and choked on his tears, shuddering in terror. "I didn't do it. I didn't. I didn't. I wasn't me. She's my Alice, I didn't-- he made me. Please." Jervis sobbed as he rolled away from Jerome. "It wasn't me! I love you!"
Jonathan cocked his head to the side. "Alice... his girlfriend?"
"I don't know. Probably? Could be his wife. Or his mother. People always underestimate those mommy issues." Jerome started to braid a few strands of Jervis's hair, as it really was quite shiny and long enough for this. He used to do it with Jonathan sometimes, before they'd shaved it. "Who's Alice?" Might as well ask. It was always good to know a lot about the people he wanted to play with. Especially the ones he wanted to turn into players.
"Oh." Jonathan pulled a face. "Ew." Maybe it was nice and platonic but ... still, the way he said he loved him, he was not expecting anything but wife or girlfriend. "More original than mother." Jonathan shuffled closer. "What bad thing didn't you do, Jervis?"
"Kill her!" Jervis wailed suddenly, a horrible agony in his chest, terror blocking all of his senses. "I know what I'm doing! I am in control!"
"Ahh, so stressful. Let loose a little, my boy. Lose that control. Lose everything. All sense, all reason. Come join us in the madhouse and we'll start the tea party you've been waiting for." He was fairly sure he got the book reference right this time. Either way, he imagined some properly brewed tea would do wonders for that poor man's tortured mind. Really set it free. "I'm in control here. You're controlled. It's better that way. Isn't it, Mr Crane?"
"Sure." Jonathan didn't entirely disagree. He liked to have his own mind and thoughts but he had none of those before Jerome so he didn't linger on it. Jerome gave a purpose, Jonathan worked to that purpose and he spent less time in his head and more time in the pursuit of something worth his time. "Relax, Mad Hatter. It's a tea party. With the March Hare and the Dormouse."
Jervis groaned and sobbed, shaking his head and then looking at Jerome. "The frumious Bandersnatch! Beware, beware! No, you're no dormouse! You're a cat!"
"The Cheshire cat then." Jonathan was fine with that. "We'll have tea and conspire."
"Cheshire cat. I like it." He was fine with that. He kissed Jervis's cheek and then slid him off his lap and onto the bed, so that he could be comfy. Or miserable, shaking and afraid, whatever worked for him. "Now, children, daddy's gotta take care of some business. I'll be sure to get that file to you, Jonny, my boy. And you use that muzzle if need be."
He gestured to said muzzle and got up. "I want his mind a bit more open to the company line when I next see him, yeah? Don't let me down."
"You got it, boss man." Jonathan playfully saluted Jerome before he shuffled closer to Jervis, eyes wide and full of interest. Oh, this would be a fun 6 to 8 hours of chaos. He did so enjoy working with Jerome. He brought a spark.
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He presented Jonathan and then added. "Asterisk: He's not actually a professor, he's just a nerd like you. Look at all those books he's got, one more boring than the other. Bunch of eggheads."
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Jonathan turned to Jerome, sitting on the floor by his experiment, smiling. Since returned to Arkham, the guards had shaved his head and his long hair was gone, nothing to hide behind now. Jervis was slightly surprised, he supposed time flew - he always believed Jonathan was a boy but no, this was a man. Then again, so was Jerome. Two strong men and him, powerless and useless.
"Hroo hraa." Jon got up slowly, looking at Jerome then Jervis. "Hello, Mr Tetch. I am Mr Crane. I have come to free your mind."
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And, evidently, something Jerome found easy to ignore. He undid the buckles that held the gag in to pull it off, allowing Jervis the use of his mouth again. "Come on. Try and use it on my associate, yeah? I just wanna see how he'll react."
He shrugged, looking at Jonathan. "He couldn't get it up when he tried with me. Performance anxiety. I just wanna see how he does with you."
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"Come, Mr Tetch, play with my brain."
Jervis licked his lips and then looked at Jonathan. He was playing along. He seemed fascinated and entertained. Even so, this seemed like a trap so he didn't know what to do or how to do it. He did the same he did with Jerome. The rhythm, the eyes, the pupils going as Jervis and Jonathan locked eyes.
"On the count of three, jump for me. One, two, three." And Jon jumped. Dazed but playing along. Jervis giggled a little - he wasn't broken. Thank God. "Once again, my friend, let's play. Just listen to what I say. You have a vial in your hand, tip it out just as we planned."
Jonathan went to tilt it onto the floor but he looked down, saw the scarecrow and another forced smashed through him. Jonathan cried out suddenly, trying to stop himself because if he dropped it, he hit the scarecrow. If he hit the Scarecrow, he would be found and hurt. "Mr Tetch, if you please. The Sc-Sc-Scarecrow."
Jervis frowned and then he looked down. "Ah." Well. That was fascinating. "You may stop." It seemed some forces were stronger than expected.
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He leaned forward and kissed Jervis's forehead, then looked at Jonathan. "You'll take care of the Hatter for me, won't you? I want there to be a Mad Hatter next time I check."
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Jervis was already trying to back of the room, as useless as that way. Jonathan finished flicking the syringe before coming in close. "This will be fun. Do you want to watch, my friend? I adjusted the dose, it shouldn't cause toxicity now. I'm 99% sure."
"Only 99%!" Jervis yelped, his voice squeaking as he looked at Jerome. "No. Please."
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Well, he wasn't trying to lie about that.
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Jervis felt his heart rate race and he fought desperate against Jerome. "Let me free! Please! Let me free!"
"Shh, it's okay, it's only the Scarecrow." Jonathan whispered to Jervis, pulling back and setting the needle aside. "Give it about a minute, it sometimes takes a few to kick in and--"
Jervis interrupted him screaming in terror suddenly, his eyes blown out and wild. Oh. The new formula was much faster.
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clearly he was doing a bang up job of that. "He's not cannon fodder. I think he'll be one of us. What do you think? He's got potential."
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"I like his screams. And how he talks. It's fun. I wonder if it's a compulsion or a habit, that he talks as he does." He assumed Jerome didn't know or care about the difference but it was fun to ponder. "Can you get me his file?"
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He grinned at Jervis, wondering whether he could even see him. "Hey. Spooky always asks that... What do you see, huh? What are you scared of, little boy?"
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Jervis whimpered and choked on his tears, shuddering in terror. "I didn't do it. I didn't. I didn't. I wasn't me. She's my Alice, I didn't-- he made me. Please." Jervis sobbed as he rolled away from Jerome. "It wasn't me! I love you!"
Jonathan cocked his head to the side. "Alice... his girlfriend?"
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"Oh." Jonathan pulled a face. "Ew." Maybe it was nice and platonic but ... still, the way he said he loved him, he was not expecting anything but wife or girlfriend. "More original than mother." Jonathan shuffled closer. "What bad thing didn't you do, Jervis?"
"Kill her!" Jervis wailed suddenly, a horrible agony in his chest, terror blocking all of his senses. "I know what I'm doing! I am in control!"
"Lose of control. Huh. Definitely a compulsion."
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Jervis groaned and sobbed, shaking his head and then looking at Jerome. "The frumious Bandersnatch! Beware, beware! No, you're no dormouse! You're a cat!"
"The Cheshire cat then." Jonathan was fine with that. "We'll have tea and conspire."
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He gestured to said muzzle and got up. "I want his mind a bit more open to the company line when I next see him, yeah? Don't let me down."
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