Crazy Eyes ✧ Gotham [2]

chapter fifteen

PLEASE KEEP COMMENTING YOUR REACTIONS TO THINGS THAT HAPPEN DURING THE CHAPTER AND JUST THE CHAPTER IN GENERAL

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                Several hours of makeovers and bomb placements later, Jane found herself in front of the G.C.P.D with her brother and Jerome's old followers dressed and acting very military-like behind them. They were dressed in grey power suits and held their legs together, gripping machine guns. Jeremiah stood in front of them and Jane stood next to him, wearing something very similar to the followers, instead not holding a gun since her hand was still recovering. Jeremiah had gotten all of Jerome's followers to pledge loyalty to him after blowing Jim Gordon up. All except one, Jongleur, had shown up which Jane found odd. She brought it up to her brother, afraid of his anger that a follower left, but received nothing but a shrug. He didn't seem very worried about it. Instead, he had her arrange plans for poor Alfred to be kidnapped so Bruce could go as insane as Jeremiah did. Jane still didn't understand his fascination with the teenager.

Before the group, detectives and cops came running out, extremely alarmed. Jane only recognized a handful, but by their glares, they seemed to remember her. 

It was so silent, Jeremiah's voice carried effortlessly. "You might not recognize Jerome's followers as I've given them something of a makeover. But I assure you they're as loyal to me as they ever were to him. More so, because I accomplished something my brother never could. Killing James Gordon."

The group and Jane chanted Jeremiah's name in unison as the detectives before them pulled out their guns pointing at them. Detective Harvey Bullock took charge. "You're a liar!"

Slowly, Jeremiah pulled out a clicker that controlled the bombs. "Not so fast," he taunted. "I have bombs planted around this city. Just like the one that killed Jim Gordon. 

Again, the group and Jane chanted. Every time killed Jane a little more inside. She hated how loyal she had to be to him. She hated she still had to prove to her brother the worthiness of her life. She hated that the millions of people in this city could die because she couldn't stand up to him. 

The cops inched closer, holding their guns perfectly still. Jeremiah, Jane and their group didn't flinch. 

Jeremiah continued. "All you need to know is if I hit this detonator, Gotham's blown back to the Stone Age."

"If I pull this trigger," Bullock spoke. His tone was full of disgust. "Your brains are blown through the back of your skull."

There was a moment of silence before Jeremiah stepped forward until there was only a foot between the two men. "Dead man's switch. You're familiar. It's another little something I took from my brother, except mine is a bit more advanced. You shoot me, my thumb loosens, and then boom, boom, boom." Jeremiah then shrugged and nodded towards his sister. "And if that somehow doesn't work, Jane over there has a switch herself that detonates all of the bombs at once." Jane felt even sicker to her stomach. She didn't want to pull of that trigger. If it came to that, she would find a way. She couldn't kill all those people. There was another pause as the faces of the officers became more harsh. "Now, if you don't do what I say...."

Bullock interrupted, "You're more sick than your brother. And your sister keeps getting dragged back into all of this."

Jane wanted to scream out and agree. She had tried to tell them, no one listened. Now look what they got themselves into. But then Jeremiah chuckled at that and Jane's confidence instantly drained from her body. "Don't compare me to that shortsighted psychopath. He just wanted to destroy things. Me, I'm a builder. I'm going to create a new Gotham in my image. But every artist needs a blank canvas. So, all of this needs to go. Besides, Jane needs someone to put her into check." He glanced back at her, to make sure she was doing as she was told - she was. "She had to be retrained." Jane flinched. Jeremiah looked around at the city, a look of determination on his face. "Anyway, I detonate the explosives in six hours, I want this city empty when I do."