"Thanks. I'd like it more if he wasn't such a little squealer, but whatcha gonna do? can't pick your family." Jerome sighed, exaggerated, and then approached Jeremiah while shaking his head slowly. "I love you, Jerry. You're my little brother. Flesh and blood."
He paused for a moment and then shrugged. "Granted, I hated our whore mother and I don't even know what to think of her getting fucked by that blind geezer, but this is different. You're the other side of the coin, aren't you? Two peas in a pod."
He pulled a switchblade out now and opened it up, looking at Jeremiah with a shrug. "Or I guess I'll just cut your throat. Might be fun to see you bleed."
"No, no, please. God, no, this isn't happening." Jeremiah closed his eyes, wishing he had last a bit longer. He wanted to live, he hadn't finished his work, he hadn't found love. All he ever did was stay inside and hide. He didn't have much to lose but he didn't want to lose it anyway. "If you love me, leave me be."
"Worthless to one." Jonathan mused, looking at Edward. Unrequited love. Even between family, it was no less fascinating. "Priceless to two."
Jeremiah laughed tiredly. "Love." How ridiculous. "Jerome... if you love me, put the knife away. Prove to me that you love me."
Edward smiled at Jonathan, drawing a heart in the sky. Still made him think of Oswald, but there was a little less pain with it now. Some scarring instead of the open wound. And Jerome wasn't even looking their way, just tossing the blade from one hand to the other. "What. You want a smooch or something?"
How else could he prove it? "Fiiiine, all right. I guess you can have a grace period, given you're my lil bro."
He stepped closer and used the blade to tilt Jeremiah's head back. "How about I-- I could help you get laid. Bet you're still a virgin." He looked over his shoulder back at the others. "What do you say, gentlemen? Shall we get his cherry popped?"
"How exactly?" Jonathan asked curiously, not sure how. Or why. He supposed Jerome took their virginities and it was likely weird to take his brothers so here they were. "Nightclub? Bar?" Jon looked at Edward, he seemed the most likely to know.
"Club, for sure. If that fails, a whore." Jervis suggested helpfully as he looked at Jerome. "Shall I release him?"
"I--I don't need-- I can..." As embarrassing and awful as this suggestion was, maybe it would give him some time to escape. It was his best shot. "I suppose so." Ugh. He didn't want to even think about it but that blade was so close to his throat, he'd do anything.
"Yes, Jervis, he can move. However much he dares to." Jerome predicted not too much, given the blade at his throat.
"...I mean, typically a club might not be a bad idea for such a thing, but we are wanted men." And not exactly subtle either. "Perhaps the Narrows."
"Look at that, Spooky. Your boyfriend knows where to party! Lead the way, Riddles, Jerry here is eager." He wrapped an arm around Jeremiah entirely, which allowed him to still have the blade by his throat as he led him toward the door. "Oh, yeah." There were still all those people on the building. "Tell them to go splat once they hear the car horn. I don't want to have to drive over all the bodies, makes for a bumpy ride."
"Very forward-thinking," Edward commended, glancing at Jonathan and grinning. "Maybe we go to the fight club."
"You heard the man. Do what you can. Of at the horn. Don't be too forlorn!" Jervis ordered and Jeremiah's eyes widened. There were six people on that roof. They were all going to jump. Good God. His brother had one hell of a weapon, he was terrified to think what he'd do with it.
"Is the fight club like a club-club or just a gathering of fighters?" Jonathan asked idly as he and Edward took the lead. Jon headed down the stairs and made his way towards the lift. "Could be fun, I suppose."
"Jerome." Jeremiah spoke quietly, just trying to talk to his brother for a moment. "Jerome. Please, listen to me. The Narrows is dangerous and -- and we could go. Go... go somewhere nicer." Anywhere but that gross shithole. He didn't want to get killed by some drug riddled pimp.
"Don't know what you're so precious over. I'm right here with you, I'll keep you safe. No one gets to hurt you but me," Jerome promised as he hit the button for the lift, leaning against the wall and... Huh. "Jervis, tell him to whistle."
He indicated his lips. "I can't really do it any more, time for you to fill in."
"It's a club with a fighting ring inside. Drinks and a show, if you will." Edward stepped into the lift and pushed the right button, waiting on the others. "Mr Tetch, you should adjust your hat. The wind up there, it blew. Your crowning glory is askew."
"Jeremiah, my dear. Whistle a song for us to hear." Jervis asked nicely and Jeremiah complied, unable to stop himself. The lack of control was utterly horrifying. These men were monsters. And somehow, someway, Jerome was calling the shots. Jervis looked at Edward and then adjusted his hat, approaching the other two with a wide smile. "Thank you, Mr Nygma."
"You are looking very dapper, Mr Tetch." Jonathan complimented, then looked at Jerome. "You too, Mr Valeska." Well, he did have his fancy new white suit. It needed pointing out.
Jonathan got into the lift and pressed the button for the ground floor, coming to stand by Edward. "Perhaps tonight will be more fun than we expected. Less time lurking in the basement."
"Spoken as if you don't enjoy a good lurk." Edward said it teasingly, walking next to Jonathan when the lift doors opened and they stepped outside.
"Oi, you two dorks! Take the uber dork back in the love wagon with you, I'll drive. Jervis called shotgun." And Jerome felt he might as well indulge him, the little rascal.
Edward didn't argue, he just grabbed Jeremiah by one arm and pulled him along, waiting by the back of the truck. "Open up for us, Jonathan. We're in for a bumpy ride."
"Hell yeah, you are!" There was a resounding slapping sound when Jerome slapped Edward's butt on the way past him, heading for the driver's side. "Nice butt, Nygma! Someone ought to riddle you that."
"Charming," Edward muttered, but he smiled at Jonathan, amused more than anything.
"You get used to it. He's being doing it to me since he first arrived. He'll fuck anything. Was he always like that? Oh... you're whistling. Can he stop whistling now, it's annoying?" Jonathan asked as he helped Edward haul Jeremiah into the truck. The man was certainly no Jerome, he was not a 'twunk' as Edward had claimed. No, he was lacking the muscle.
"You are free to talk. Not to go on a walk. Stay close to brother dear or you'll be full of fear." Jervis recited, peering back into the car with a small smile. "We can't lose our new friend."
"Yeah, he'd hate that." Jonathan found it all very humorous. He got Jeremiah onto the bench and watched the other look for seatbelts. Cute. He was not going to enjoy his night at all. "I would brace yourself. And watch your feet. My scythe is loose here."
"You have to get used to him, Mr Valeska. Our dear Mr Crane here takes his Scarecrow act very serious. He's a true professional." Edward explained it calmly, sounded reasonable enough. He held on to the seats himself, while the car started, the horn sounded and, yes. That was the sound of several bodies hitting the ground just behind them. Lovely.
"All aboard the shag mobile," Jerome announced loudly, while he sounded the horn again and took a shortcut over most of the pavement. To the Narrows was quite a bit to go, but it was late enough that there wasn't much traffic at least.
"Oh God!" He was going to die in Jerome's fuck van. Seemed about right for his life so far. Jeremiah was having a crisis, shaking from head to toe in horror. Jonathan honestly found it quite fun.
"Oh, this is a bad night for you. It will only get worse." Jonathan laughed as Jeremiah copied Edward and desperately gripped the bench. "Look on the bright side."
"What is the bright side?" Jeremiah asked as they went over some large bump in the road. That screamed. He shuddered.
"I don't know." Jon didn't think he had to come up with the bright side. "Edward?"
Optimism wasn't exactly Edward's strong suit, so he tried to think about it while he held on to the seat, which did take a lot of focus. The screeching of wheels outside was a little distracting. "You don't have loved ones. Less to lose that way."
Was that a bright side? He certainly used to think so. Love was a weakness, after all. His eyes went to Jonathan, checking to see whether he was bracing himself properly. "Hold on to something, Jonathan, you'll hit your head."
There was some strength to be found in companionship.
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He paused for a moment and then shrugged. "Granted, I hated our whore mother and I don't even know what to think of her getting fucked by that blind geezer, but this is different. You're the other side of the coin, aren't you? Two peas in a pod."
He pulled a switchblade out now and opened it up, looking at Jeremiah with a shrug. "Or I guess I'll just cut your throat. Might be fun to see you bleed."
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"Worthless to one." Jonathan mused, looking at Edward. Unrequited love. Even between family, it was no less fascinating. "Priceless to two."
Jeremiah laughed tiredly. "Love." How ridiculous. "Jerome... if you love me, put the knife away. Prove to me that you love me."
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How else could he prove it? "Fiiiine, all right. I guess you can have a grace period, given you're my lil bro."
He stepped closer and used the blade to tilt Jeremiah's head back. "How about I-- I could help you get laid. Bet you're still a virgin." He looked over his shoulder back at the others. "What do you say, gentlemen? Shall we get his cherry popped?"
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"Club, for sure. If that fails, a whore." Jervis suggested helpfully as he looked at Jerome. "Shall I release him?"
"I--I don't need-- I can..." As embarrassing and awful as this suggestion was, maybe it would give him some time to escape. It was his best shot. "I suppose so." Ugh. He didn't want to even think about it but that blade was so close to his throat, he'd do anything.
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"...I mean, typically a club might not be a bad idea for such a thing, but we are wanted men." And not exactly subtle either. "Perhaps the Narrows."
"Look at that, Spooky. Your boyfriend knows where to party! Lead the way, Riddles, Jerry here is eager." He wrapped an arm around Jeremiah entirely, which allowed him to still have the blade by his throat as he led him toward the door. "Oh, yeah." There were still all those people on the building. "Tell them to go splat once they hear the car horn. I don't want to have to drive over all the bodies, makes for a bumpy ride."
"Very forward-thinking," Edward commended, glancing at Jonathan and grinning. "Maybe we go to the fight club."
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"Is the fight club like a club-club or just a gathering of fighters?" Jonathan asked idly as he and Edward took the lead. Jon headed down the stairs and made his way towards the lift. "Could be fun, I suppose."
"Jerome." Jeremiah spoke quietly, just trying to talk to his brother for a moment. "Jerome. Please, listen to me. The Narrows is dangerous and -- and we could go. Go... go somewhere nicer." Anywhere but that gross shithole. He didn't want to get killed by some drug riddled pimp.
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He indicated his lips. "I can't really do it any more, time for you to fill in."
"It's a club with a fighting ring inside. Drinks and a show, if you will." Edward stepped into the lift and pushed the right button, waiting on the others. "Mr Tetch, you should adjust your hat. The wind up there, it blew. Your crowning glory is askew."
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"You are looking very dapper, Mr Tetch." Jonathan complimented, then looked at Jerome. "You too, Mr Valeska." Well, he did have his fancy new white suit. It needed pointing out.
Jonathan got into the lift and pressed the button for the ground floor, coming to stand by Edward. "Perhaps tonight will be more fun than we expected. Less time lurking in the basement."
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"Oi, you two dorks! Take the uber dork back in the love wagon with you, I'll drive. Jervis called shotgun." And Jerome felt he might as well indulge him, the little rascal.
Edward didn't argue, he just grabbed Jeremiah by one arm and pulled him along, waiting by the back of the truck. "Open up for us, Jonathan. We're in for a bumpy ride."
"Hell yeah, you are!" There was a resounding slapping sound when Jerome slapped Edward's butt on the way past him, heading for the driver's side. "Nice butt, Nygma! Someone ought to riddle you that."
"Charming," Edward muttered, but he smiled at Jonathan, amused more than anything.
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"You are free to talk. Not to go on a walk. Stay close to brother dear or you'll be full of fear." Jervis recited, peering back into the car with a small smile. "We can't lose our new friend."
"Yeah, he'd hate that." Jonathan found it all very humorous. He got Jeremiah onto the bench and watched the other look for seatbelts. Cute. He was not going to enjoy his night at all. "I would brace yourself. And watch your feet. My scythe is loose here."
"Scythe?!"
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"All aboard the shag mobile," Jerome announced loudly, while he sounded the horn again and took a shortcut over most of the pavement. To the Narrows was quite a bit to go, but it was late enough that there wasn't much traffic at least.
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"Oh, this is a bad night for you. It will only get worse." Jonathan laughed as Jeremiah copied Edward and desperately gripped the bench. "Look on the bright side."
"What is the bright side?" Jeremiah asked as they went over some large bump in the road. That screamed. He shuddered.
"I don't know." Jon didn't think he had to come up with the bright side. "Edward?"
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Was that a bright side? He certainly used to think so. Love was a weakness, after all. His eyes went to Jonathan, checking to see whether he was bracing himself properly. "Hold on to something, Jonathan, you'll hit your head."
There was some strength to be found in companionship.