A New Day
When Bruce formed a truce, or alliance with Jerome, he didn't expect it to be in a state of constant frustration. Regarding Selina's look of shock, at Bruce's arrival used to fill him with a child-like sense of glee. Now, he was filled with dread, as Selina gasped, her eyes going wide as the locked onto none other than Jerome Valeska, who stood just a couple feet behind Wayne.
The plan had been to approach Selina in typical Bruce fashion, sneak up without making a sound. While it was unethical, Bruce considered it apart of his training with Alfred, if Wayne sneaks up on a criminal and gets caught because he was too loud, it could be a matter of life or death. So sneaking up on his friends, or just about anyone he intended to converse with was logical and necessary. At least that's what Wayne reasoned.
Bruce was supposed to sneak up on Selina, greet her, then Jerome, who was supposed to still be standing by the fire escape, would slowly make his way over to the pair, giving Selina an opportunity to assess him herself and allow Wayne to explain the situation.
This, however, was not to be the case. Instead of being startled and then immediately relieved by the sight of Bruce Wayne, she remained in shock, glancing at the redheaded maniac behind him, who smirked at her, giving a little wave.
She turned to Bruce, a look of betrayal and anger flashed across her features. Taking a step back her eyes frantically searched for the best escape route, her thoughts only interrupted by the gentle but firm hand on her forearm.
"Selina please I can exp-" Bruce began calmly, before Selina ripped out of his grip, putting up her fists. Jerome laughed, watching the pair. Bruce put up his hands in a placating manner, hoping to calm his friend down.
He saw the kick coming, Selina's slender leg soaring through the air intent on knocking the air out of his lungs with a swift kick to the stomach. He wasn't able to fully stop the impact, grimacing at the pain in his lower abdomen, but managed to grab and hold on to Selina's leg, keeping her from moving.
Selina huffed, trying to yank her leg out of his grip and failing. Hurting Bruce never brought Selina any joy, and it was hard to focus on his pained expression, his breathing also deepened, to which Selina smirked. Leaving Bruce breathless was starting to become her specialty.
She twisted in his grip, causing Wayne to grip down harder. He looked up a second too late, barely having enough time to reach to see her arm racing toward his face. Selina lashed out, her nails catching his cheek. Wayne jerked back, exasperated, he glared at Selina, freeing her leg from his grip to catch her hand.
Selina grinned in triumph, her expression thrilled at the thought of winning the fight, she looped her now freed leg under Waynes, intending to trip him and escape. Wayne saw Selina's maneuvers and made no attempt to shield himself from the blow. Shifting his attention to the hand he had in his grasp. As Wayne started to fall, he tightened his grip on Selina's arm. Instead of trying to keep his balance, he tugged Selina toward him. Together they fell clumsily onto the rough floor of the building's roof. Much to Jeromes delight, who'd watched the two's little show closely. He tried to contain his laughter, not wanting to interrupt the show.
Selina and Bruce were a mess of limbs, each one trying to disentangle themselves from one another. Selina sat up, she placed her hands on top of Bruce's chest. Bruce made no more attempts at grabbing the girl, instead, he stared at her amused expression. She'd always enjoyed squabbles with him, sometimes Wayne wondered if that was the only thing she enjoyed about him.
Selina had him pinned, or at least Bruce allowed her to think she had him pinned. Taking advantage of the opportunity, he grabbed her hand, but held it gently, and kept it over his heart, which had started to beat rather rapidly.
Selina eyed him warily, bracing herself for Bruce to retaliate.
"Selina, I promise I intend you no harm." He said calmly, he smoothed her hand against his chest, she could feel his heartbeat right under her palm. "I came here because I heard you in that alley," his eyes flickering to the other side of the building before returning to Selina. "I thought you were in trouble, so I came up here to check up on you. I want to help, whatever it is, but only if you want it. If not, I'll leave." He said, his tone sincere.
She cocked her head and snorted, raising a brow at the billionaire. "I don't need help or want it, Bruce. You of all people should know I can handle myself." She gestured to the position they were in with her free hand, she knew Wayne's grip on her hand was loose and she could easily break away and run, but she made no attempt to move her hand. Wayne smirked, a look of mischief in his dark eyes, she wondered if Wayne could feel the quickening of her own heartbeat.
"I'm aware." He smiled, then it faded, his expression more serious. "Who is the 'stupid kid' you were talking about, and whats going on with them? Do you know this person, or is it some stranger trying to hurt you?" He said. Selina sighed and rolled her eyes. Back to business then. She looked up, catching sight of Jerome who was grinning at her like a Cheshire cat.
Selina grew rigid, locking her legs around Wayne to keep him in place. "You don't get to ask me questions when you have a literal psycho following you around." She huffed, leaning on Wayne she got to her feet, leaving him still on the ground. "Tell me what's going on or I'm out of here Wayne, and trust me, this time you won't be able to find me," she threatened. Bruce got to his feet, brushing off his pants, trying to make himself more presentable and not look like he got into a brawl on an unkempt rooftop. "And don't lie to me, Bruce. I want the truth." She demanded.
Bruce sighed, not sure where to begin. "Jerome and I have formed a temporary alliance. I was attacked in the manor, only to be saved by Jerome. I am not certain why I was attacked, but with the assistance of Jerome, I will find my answer. In exchange, I am sheltering Jerome for the time being." Brief, but Selina really only needed the bare minimum.
Sheltering Jerome not only went against his ethics, it also went against his own judgment. But Jerome himself had surprised Bruce. If Jerome was allied with the Court of Owls, then he could just be trying to get close to Wayne so he could hand him over. Although, if the Court was to pick anyone to manipulate Wayne, choosing a man who had held a knife to his neck was not the smartest decision. But what if the Court anticipated this, and chose Jerome knowing it wouldn't be logical to throw Wayne off the scent? There were too many possibilities surrounding Jerome, and he couldn't be certain of the gingers motives at all.
Sending Jerome away was on the surface, the smartest option. But Jerome was anything but predictable, and sending the unstable teen away could prove to be disastrous. So in order to get any answers he could, Bruce decided that for the time being he would allow Jerome to stay at the manor. Keeping an eye on his enemy was better than offending him and allowing him to run.
Selina stared at Bruce like he'd grown two heads. "You realize how crazy you sound right? This guy tried to kill you, and now your friends?" She said incredulously.
"It be like that sometimes," Jerome said with a shrug, Bruce glared at him sharply, making Jerome let out raucous laughter. Selina glanced around warily along with Bruce, eyes searching to see if anyone had heard the teens laughter.
"It's more complicated than you think Selina, I really don't want to get you involved," Bruce stated, eyes unwavering from a now pissed off Selina.
"Oh, thanks Bruce! Obviously, I don't understand something so complicated. I know I'm not smart enough to understand whats going, on I appreciate you keeping me out of the loop, just for you to try to get into MY business, because whatever I'm dealing with must be so simple right?" She said taking a couple steps closer to him.
Bruce sighed, facepalming at his words. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that. I'm unaware of how powerful this group really is in Gotham, and I would never put you in danger if I could avoid it."
"Are you suggesting that I would?" She asked angrily.
"Of course not! Selina, I think very highly of you, I know you wouldn't use me. But my enemies tend to be willing to do anything to take me down. Don't you remember Galavan, how he used Silver, his own niece, to get to me?" Mentioning Silver St Cloud was always a risk when it came to Selina, and judging by her souring expression, it didn't lift her spirits at all.
Jerome cleared his throat, getting the attention of the pair. "Also me, but I'd like to make an argument that I am also a victim here, considering I literally died."
"Jerome, you tried to kill me," Bruce stated, furrowing his brows as Jerome rolled his eyes.
"Did you die though?' Jerome said, Wayne opened his mouth to protest only to be cut off by Jerome. "Exactly, you're alive, so you're welcome for that. Plus, you have no clue whether I was gonna kill you or not. Heck, I didn't even know for sure. So if we could all calm down with this 'maniac' nonsense, that'd be swell." He directed a mock frown to Selina. "I have feelings too, you know," He said with a fake sob, which turned into a giggle.
"Tell you what kid, I tell you whats going on with me, and whatever's going on between you two," she gestured between the teens, "I'm apart of it now. Friends help each other Bruce. Trust me and I'll trust you." Her tone left no room for argument. Wayne didn't want to get Selina involved, but if he pushed her further he might push her away altogether.
"Okay. Do you want to come stay at the manor as well?" He asked casually.
Selina frowned, biting her lip. "I'll think about it." She said, her answer disappointing Wayne but also offering him a sense of relief. The farther she was away from Jerome and the Court, the better.
"Is he gonna be a problem? I don't want to talk about everything with him around." She said scrunching her nose at Jerome, who put his hands on his hips.
"Probably, but if you want in on our dynamic duo, you gotta trust me kiddo, Bruce and I, were kind of a package deal now. Right, Brucie?" Jerome said with a grin, slapping Wayne's back.
Bruce chose his next words carefully. "Jerome is apart of this Selina, I can't promise that he won't try to get involved. If you feel it isn't safe, then-" Selina cut him off.
"I'm not scared of some clown wannabe Bruce." She said, one hand on her hip. Bruce grit his teeth, frustrated that she didn't let him, or understand that he was trying to offer her a way out, for the time being, that is. Building a trust with Jerome was basically essential to not only his survival but Selina's as well.
"It's about my friend. She's gone missing, along with a couple of other kids I know. I figured they skipped town, went to some other city or something, but I haven't seen them in a while. And now that my friend is missing, I'm kinda freaking out. I gotta find her Bruce, we had a fight and I need to make things right with her." She said, regretfully.
"Are there any similarities between the missing kids? How long has your friend been missing?" Bruce said, his expression focused as theories sprang into his head. Jerome looked intrigued as well, but that didn't stop him from mockingly copying Wayne's stance, putting his hand on his chin and attempting a serious expression of his own.
"Other than them being homeless? Nothing really, they're all street kids Bruce. She's been missing for a day or so, but she's not one to run off. We always hang out, and she's not at any of our usual spots. Ivy was working for some drug dealers recently but from what I'd heard those guys got taken care of." She said.
Bruce's eyes went wide at the implication, wondering if it was at all connected to what was going on. Suddenly he was distracted by his thoughts, in his peripheral he saw Jerome still, a look of concern on his face before it flashed into a lazy smile, but still, his green eyes looked distressed.
"Care to add anything Jerome?" Bruce said, examining the redhead's expression closely.
Jerome raised a brow and shrugged. "Nope, gotta say it is getting pretty windy up here. Maybe we should head back to the manor and get some grub. Catlady can come too, we gotta solve the case of missing kiddos, don't you think Detective Wayne?" He said with a grin.
Bruce furrowed his brows at Jerome's reaction but knew if he pushed he wouldn't get any answers.
"Alright, lets all head back to the manor and discuss the plan more. I don't think to further our conversation in the open like this is safe anyway." With that Bruce turned on his heel, followed by a humming Jerome and an exasperated Selina, wondering just what exactly she has gotten herself into.
Ivy wandered around Gotham Academy's vast campus, it was the weekend and students had off, allowing her plenty of time to get settled in. Not that she needed it, She didn't have much to fill her dorm room, other than some plants she'd snagged from unattentive store owners. She was lucky enough to get a room with a window though, the garden of the Academy wasn't exactly impressive, but it meant wonders to Ivy. Living in Gotham was dreary, the concrete jungle didn't interest Ivy, she loved the outdoors and nature. Having a garden outside her window was like a dream come true.
The outreach program for gifted kids was relatively small, but Ivy had already seen some familiar faces. Many of them didn't recognize her, because she usually didn't speak to other street kids. Except for Selina.
Ivy grimaced trying to push the girl fro her mind. She was a new person now, Ivy Pepper had nothing going for her, Pamela Isley, however, now had the world at her fingertips. Reaching the garden, Ivy held her head up high, trying to put on an air of confidence around the wealthy children who were already enrolled here. Many sneered at her, but she paid them no mind. At least I didn't have to pay to get in here, she thought. Taking her placement exams had been tough, she barely passed to be put in classes at her grade level. Dr. Woodrue had assured her that she'd excel at the Academy, and who knows if she improved enough maybe she could skip a grade.
Ivy knelt down near the assortment of carnations, beautiful reds and yellows stood out to her, she loved all flowers and would never pick favorites, but occasionally she'd find herself drawn to the classic red and soft yellows. She made quick work of checking for wilting and feeling the texture of the soil. Surprisingly, the flowers were in good shape, She smiled, leaning down to sniff the beauties.
"Kathy! Where have you been I've been looking for you!" said an irritated voice. Ivy felt a tapping on her shoulder, the fingernails manicured and painted red. Ivy felt the urge to roll her eyes but ignored it, instead decided to stand up, putting on an air of confidence she lifted her chin and put a disinterested look on her face, preparing herself to deal with whatever this rich snob had to say. She turned around and felt her heart stop, as she stared at the girl the voice belonged to.
She was only slightly taller than Ivy, who hadn't quite had her growth spurt yet. She had blonde, almost white hair, and hazel eyes, a perfect mix of green and brown. She looked almost like a doll, her skin was flawless and she had a bit of a tan going on, which Ivy certainly didn't mind. Ivy stared at her, the girl blocked the sun, causing it to shine through her platinum hair.
"Oh! I'm sorry I thought you were my sister, you both have red hair. I didn't mean to yell at you like that." The girl tucked some strands of hair behind her ear, which Ivy found distracting. "We're new here and were supposed to be looking around campus together, but you know how siblings are." The mystery girl shrugged, Ivy smiled and nodded, even though she had no clue what the girl was talking about.
"My name is Elizabeth, Elizabeth Kane, but everyone calls me Beth, and my sister is Kathy, obviously." She said with a wave of her hand.
Ivy gulped, then attempted to smile. "I'm Pamela Isley, but you can call me Pam. I'm new here too." She said with a polite smile.
Beth smiled. "Guess we should probably stick together then, huh? What's your schedule? I'm a junior, and I live in the dorms on the third floor. I was hoping to get my own, but my sister and I ended up being roommates anyway. Oh well, I guess when your twins you just get used to sharing everything." She sighed.
There are two of you?! Ivy thought, her palms getting sweaty. "I'm a sophomore," Ivy frowned, "But there's a high chance I'm going to be skipping some classes, so most likely will end up in a class together." She said nonchalantly.
Beth gave her a polite smile. "Cool, hopefully, I'll see you around sometime Pam. Now if you excuse me, I have to go find my sister, it was nice meeting you!" She exclaimed as she made her way out of the garden, her dyed hair shining in the sunlight, almost blinding.
Ivy had found herself enchanted, Beth certainly knew how to make an impression. Her being new was a bonus as well, she wasn't aware that Ivy was just some street trash. And if Ivy had it her way, she never would.
Ivy made her way back inside the campus, searching for the library. If she was going to skip a grade, she'd need to do it as soon as possible. The library was relatively empty, save for a bored looking clerk, who just scanned and stamped the textbooks Ivy was checking out. Lifting the textbooks up the stairs had been tough, she'd rather of used the elevator that the school had provided for the dorms, but scholarship enrolled kids didn't get an access card to the elevator. Which was no matter, all of these struggles would just make Ivy stronger.
Taking advantage of a room without a roommate, for the time being anyways, Ivy threw all her textbooks on the bed opposite of her, prioritizing all the math and science subjects to be studied first. She loved both subjects and figured that if she was to go up a grade as far as classes go, she had a better chance of studying subjects she actually enjoyed.
As the sun started to fade, Ivy relaxed onto her bed, absorbing all the information she could. Gotham Academy had its faults, but Ivy had a feeling that she'd leave the school a changed person, stronger than ever and who knows, maybe she'd come out with some friends. Who needs Selina anyway?
Bruce, Jerome, and Selina all sat in the parlor awkwardly. Bruce picked at his rice, as Selina kept glaring at Jerome, who had been noisily enjoying the Chinese food they had ordered. Bruce now than ever missed the homecooked meals of Alfred, who had stayed in the hospital another night for observation.
Trying to make small talk had failed, Selina wasn't interested and Jerome mainly talked with Wayne, complimenting the manor and revealing his favorite foods and color. Apparently, he really enjoyed chow mein and loved anything purple. Wayne didn't really have a favorite anything, so he just opted to say he liked anything Alfred cooked and he liked black the most.
Bruce put down his carton of rice, and folded his hands, deciding he would try to be as honest as he could with Selina. "The Court of Owls sent an assassin to my home, Jerome saved my life and killed my attacker. I believe the Court will attempt to contact me again, but I am unaware exactly how. One thing is for certain, I cannot stay in the Manor all hours of the day." He explained, to a wide-eyed but not entirely surprised Selina.
"Yeah, you're a total sitting duck if you do that." Jerome managed to say through mouthfuls of noodles, he did his best to gulp them down, putting down his takeout container and burping. "We could use it as an attack though, just let them come in, and bam! I give them the ol' razzle-dazzle." Jerome made a stabbing motion, smiling at Bruce's unamused expression.
"Or they could just kill you both and ransack the place," Selina said dryly, as Jerome frowned.
"Or we could just believe in ourselves and in my skills, and we give them the ol' razzle-dazzle. Then everyone's happy, well, except for the court. But, who cares right?" Jerome laughed, before seriously turning to Selina. "Anyone who gets in my way would get the same treatment." He smiled sweetly at her, which she returned with a sweet smile of her own.
"I guess we're more alike than I thought we were Jerome." She said, her tone sweet but her smile forced.
Jerome genuinely laughed and turned to Wayne. "She's cute, no wonder you keep her around." He let out another laugh, grasping at Bruce's shoulder to keep balance.
Bruce found himself annoyed at the exchange but decided not to comment on it.
"I'm sure we'll be able to work on finding the missing children and work against in the court of owls, we're just going to have to be wary of any threats at all times. Selina, your a known friend of mine, I'm sure the court will be watching you too." Bruce grimaced. "If they aren't already, you also have to worry about whoever is kidnapping children, your sure to be a target as well." Selina rolled her eyes and was about to interrupt before Wayne hurried on. "I know you can handle yourself, but still, please don't do anything risky." He finished, Selina rolled her eyes, but couldn't stop a small smile from forming.
"Jerome, you're a wanted man, I shouldn't have to remind you what is at stake. Obviously, you should continue to stay here, but things are going to get tricky with Aldred returning to the Manor tomorrow. You mus-" Jerome cut in.
"I know I know, don't hurt the butler or get caught by the butler. Gotcha. Also, I will try not to hurt your friend, but if she starts it first I can't be blamed." Wayne glared at Jerome, who just rolled his eyes and smiled.
"Well, it's getting late, Selina, if you'd like to say your more than welcome. The manor isn't very safe, but your welcome nonetheless." He said, with a yawn.
Selina must have been tired, because she made no argument and instead followed Jerome and Wayne up the stairs, into Bruce's room, she jumped onto the navy divan her eyes fluttering shut. Jerome groaned, and walked over where Selina laid down and snapped his fingers, earning him a glare as sharp as daggers. Jerome wiggled his finger back and forth in a 'no-no' gesture.
"Sorry princess, I sleep there, so beat it." He laughed, before yawning.
Selina looked between Bruce and Jerome confusedly. "Where do I sleep then? There aren't any other beds in here." She sighed. "I'll sleep on the floor." She grumbled.
"Nonsense. you can sleep with me if you want." Selina raised a brow, and Bruce felt his cheeks grow red. "I-I mean, we could share the bed, or you could have it! You can sleep anywhere you want, except the floor. You're a guest in my home Selina, you won't be sleeping on the floor." Bruce stated.
Selina smirked and glanced at Jerome. "I choose this then." She said as she snuggled into the divan throwing a blanket over her. Jerome gestured to her, looking incredulously at Wayne expecting him to intervene. When Wayne shrugged helplessly, Jerome groaned and went to Bruce's closet, grabbing an extra pillow and blanket before making a bed on the floor. He was on Bruce's left while Selina was on his right, she'd started to fall asleep rather quickly. She looked content, almost happy while asleep. It felt Bruce feel warm inside as he regarded her.
He turned to his friend, or was it frienemy? Jerome, who looked anything but comfortable. He'd expected Jerome to jump on the bed and demanded Wayne share, or worse, kick Wayne off the bed completely. But Jerome did no such thing, instead, he stared out the window thoughtfully. It seemed Jerome would just continue to find new ways of surprising the billionaire. He felt something akin to respect for Jerome, fond of the idea that Jerome possibly wasn't as bad as he seemed.
Wayne laid on his side and watched the ginger, knowing Jerome could see him staring. It didn't seem to bother the ginger, as he stared out the window contemplating. Wayne was curious to ask Jerome what he was thinking but didn't want to pry anymore than he already did, pushing Jerome was never a good idea. It was dangerous, but Wayne found himself fantasizing about rehabilitating the maniac. Such a feat seemed impossible, so he tried not to dwell on it any longer.
Bruce hadn't even realized he began to fall asleep until he'd heard Jerome's quiet whisper. Bruce glanced at Selina, who was now snoring and curled into a wild but comfortable looking position.
"Do you think this has anything to do with Indian Hill?" Jerome asked seriously, he turned on his side, grimacing at the floors harsh contact with his shoulder. "This seems like their thing, you know? The kidnapping at least. Maybe they moved on from lawbreakers to anyone on the street." He suggested.
"That's a good point," Wayne whispered back, careful not to wake his friend. "But Indian Hill was shut down and exposed. Doctor Strange isn't even in Gotham anymore."
"But how did he fund it all? Stealing from Arkham wouldn't have been enough to keep me and other bozos a popsicle, and all the other weird shit he's been doing. Do you think he stole taxpayer money? Kinda lame but also seems about right. I don't know how many connections this Strange dude has, but what if he's connected to the Court?" Jerome rambled, becoming more and more awake with each theory. Selina shifted in her sleep, Bruce held a finger over his mouth, telling Jerome to be quiet. Jerome playfully zipped his lips shut, they both laid still until they heard Selina continue her snoring.
"That's a very good point. It's all speculation, though. We'd have to find Strange to find out for sure, but that'd be too dangerous of a risk to take right now." Bruce whispered back, Jerome gave a sour smile. "Our focus shouldn't be on Strange, I know you want answers to why he brought you and countless others back-but I think you may be right, about the Court of Owls being included. They felt confident enough to attempt to kill, or possibly kidnap, me in my own home and assault Alfred. Who knows who else they could be connected to? I can't look into Strange's source of funds without questions arising. " Bruce sighed, his once groggy mind now alert. "I suppose we'll form a plan tomorrow after Selina has left." Bruce finished, Jerome raised an eyebrow, a curious smirk crossing his face.
"After?" Jerome inquired his full attention on Wayne.
Bruce grimaced. "You heard me." He said, offering no explanation. Jerome looked confused but then smirked, rolling onto his back.
"You got it boss. Night night Bruce." Jerome said, amusement clear in his tone.
"Goodnight Jerome." And with that, Bruce fell asleep, dreaming of simpler times.