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chapter twelve ━ innocence vanished

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❝ who are you really? ❞

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THE WORLD HAD slowed. Or maybe time did. Did it slow down though? Skylar couldn't tell. Every breath she took was at an antagonizing pace. The walls had begun to encapture her. Had they moved though? With each passing second Skylar was away from her brother, time had seemed to hesitate. It was as if it wasn't sure whether to continue at its normal pace or not. Stupid, she scoffed to herself. The teenage girl had sat in her room for hours. Selina and Ivy had greeted her, her newfound friend happy to see her. Barbara was still upset from seeing Jim and Lee yet ecstatic to have her daughter back.

How naive was Skylar to think that Jerome wouldn't go to Arkarm? The redheaded brother of hers had murdered their mother in cold blood, chopping her body to pieces of an ax (he gladly admitted to it during his further interrogation). Jerome detailed how he did it and why, explaining how after years of hoping his sister would return, he finally decided to give his mother what she deserved. Everyone was unnerved at the GCPD. And the thought of how Skylar - his sister - was the adoptive daughter of Jim Gordon and how she was nothing like Jerome struck odd. And no one dared utter her name.

Edward Ngyma found himself missing her company. He had a few riddles tucked in his mind for her to solve when she came back. Skylar was the only one at the GCPD who actually seemed to enjoy his riddles. Kristen Kringle didn't care but the teenage girl did. And he admired that. Because while everyone saw him as odd, she did too though she treated him like anyone else. Skylar loved his riddles. Every time she was there, he would give her one. Edward had yet to stump her. It was a challenge. A game. He considered them friends even if she didn't. After all, the word was foreign to her until Bruce and Selina came along. Were they her friends though?

Fish Mooney had sat at her club, her pointed and painted nails aimed at the ceiling as she stared off into space, thinking about the young girl who had come in a few weeks ago. News traveled swiftly through Gotham about the relation between Skylar Gordon and Jerome Valeska. The discovery changed nothing for those who knew the girl personally. Fish had made a few of her men make sure no harm came to Skylar, the guilt of having her held hostage once ate away. So she sent a gift: flowers, a few pieces of clothing, and a note with an apology. And this was all before Fish was removed from Gotham because of Oswald Cobblepot.

Oswald Cobblepot was unsuccessfully running Fish's club. He thought back to the girl he had met when he visited Jim. Tense, cautious, afraid, and timid were only a few words to describe her. And now? He had heard that Skylar had progressively gotten more relaxed. But then, who hadn't heard about her adventures in the short time she'd lived in Gotham? He began to wonder if this girl became even more popular than she already was, would befriending her be a way to get himself up in the ranks? Would she even like him?

Jerome Valeska sat in his cell at Arkham, aimlessly staring out the small window provided. Every thought of his was plagued with the image of his sister's crying face, watching as the only person that made her feel loved got dragged away. He pulled on his red hair, forcing himself not to cry. This was Gotham, Arkham. When he got out of the cell - and he would - Jerome needed to protect his sister no matter the cost. Skylar was the only thing that mattered to him. And if she were to die, he'd have nothing to live for.

Skylar Gordon had stepped outside of her room in what was days since she arrived. Barbara was nowhere in sight, nor was Selina or Ivy. The teenage girl padded over to the balcony, taking two swift strides to stand on the edge. Her eyes closed for a moment, allowing herself to take deep breaths. But as soon as her eyes opened, someone yanked her down.

Barbara was wide-eyed with worry, holding her daughter. "What the hell were you doing?" Skylar blinked back. "Honey please tell me you weren't-" The words got caught in her throat. Silence stretched out

"I was testing fear like Bruce was." Her eyes went to Selina who was now standing there, her expression coated in shock. Skylar looked back to her mom. "I miss Jerome, mom. I want my brother back."

The blonde nodded, rubbing the girl's shoulder. "I know you do. Just please don't... do that again." Mascara was smeared under her eyes and the sight made Skylar frown internally. Because she knew Barbara was going through a tough time - as was she - Skylar nodded. "Now, why don't you get dressed. I'll take you to see Jerome."

Skylar's eyes light up with excitement. "Ok. Thank you, mom." The girl raced through the door, past Selina and Ivy, and up the stairs.

Clothes were already laid out, casual attire. Skylar concluded that Barbara must have noticed her absence when she entered the room to get her daughter up and ready for the day. A long-sleeve gray sweater was beside long black jean pants, followed by a pair black converse on the ground.

Barbara was ready in the main room when she finished. She motioned for her to come over to the mirror and her daughter listened, giving no resistance. Hand went to the sides of her shoulder, moving Skylar to look at herself in the mirror. She ducked her head.

"Look, Skylar." She didn't move. "Please. Just for a second." The girl finally raised her head, peering at herself through her dark lashes. Barbara pushed a strand of brunette waves aside. "Do you want to know what I see? I see beauty beyond understanding. I see intelligence that even Einstien couldn't comprehend. I see a girl becoming a powerful and remarkable woman. You have let people walk over you all your life and that is stopping you from greatness."

She moved another strand. "You can use all of your qualities to become strong, powerful. More powerful than any man could ever be. Because you don't need a man to rule the world. No woman on the face of this earth does. They only think they do because otherwise, we are nothing. We can show Gotham that women can be just as strong as men. And looking at you Skylar, my precious daughter. I can see that you will become the strongest of them all. You'll make Gotham kneel."

The teenage girl didn't quite understand, but at the same time, she did. "What if I don't want that?"

Barbara stared at her through the reflection of the mirror with a smile. "You do. You just don't realize it yet."

---

Arkham was terrifying. Sklar had pushed the conversation between her and her mother to the back of her head. She couldn't even begin to think about it. She didn't want to. So, instead, she focused on seeing Jerome in the place he would spend for decades. Did he get a life sentence? Bars surrounded the entire building. It was almost like a gigantic cage for criminals. Was Jerome a criminal though?

Barbara had kept a firm grip on her hand so she didn't lose Skylar in the midst of chaos. They had gone to the desk, right on time for the visiting hours. The lady at the desk looked exhausted, her black hair in a bun, frizz covering the entire thing. She had pressed a button which created a buzzing sound. A man appeared not too long after, leading the two females to a room with a glass in between.

Jerome sat on the other side, a black and white striped uniform on, his red hair messy. Skylar sat in the chair in front of him, bringing the phone to her ear. He hadn't noticed her yet since he was staring at the floor. A guard was stationed at the door, Barbara behind Skylar. So, naturally, she wasn't truly alone with her brother. And the urge to break through the glass and hug him was difficult to fight.

Skylar took a deep breath. "Jerome." In fact, he did know she was there. For he had the phone in his hand. He slowly brought it to his ear but didn't look up. Her voice cracked from the tears beginning to form. "Jer?"

He looked up at her. If she didn't know him, she would've backed away in fear. Jerome's eyes were full of insanity. Was that even a thing? He looked so different from when she sat in the guest bedroom of Lee's apartment. But the way his eyes softened at the sound of her voice and the sight of her didn't alter. "Sky. What are you doing here? You shouldn't..."

"I miss you," she admitted, putting her hand up to the glass. He smiled sadly, the craziness growing. Little did she know, Jerome was fighting the desire to kill the guards, getting to his sister and escaping with her. They would run together. No one would ever tear them apart again. "I love you."

Jerome was brought out of his daydream. "I miss you too. I love you." He sighed, putting his hand on the glass as well to match with her hand. "When I get out of here, I'll come and find you. Just don't do anything stupid."

She smiled, laughing slightly. Before she could say any more, the guard on Jerome's side yanked him up. "Time's up." Barbara grabbed her hand, pulling her away from the glass. Skylar's smile instantly fell.

"Jerome! No!" Tears spilled from her eyes and her knees buckled. Barbara caught her and quickly led her back to the car. Skylar sobbed, bringing her knees to her chest. "I want him back. I want Jerome back." She pulled away, her eyes narrowing at her mom. "I want to be strong, mom. I can't-" She breathed in and then out. "I can't let people hurt me anymore."

Barbara nodded, soothing her daughter by running her hand through her hair. "Don't worry, sweetheart. They won't."

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With hesitation, she jumped onto the ledge and faced the empty space, her eyes shut. Cars sped down below her. The wind blew. A bird cawed. The person behind her scoffed. "Open your eyes, Sky."

The girl did so, turning slowly to face Selina who was leaning against the wall. She brushed the hair in her face away, crossing her arms over her chest. "It's not that easy you know."

"That's the point." Selina pushed herself off and glided over to jump on the ledge beside her. "You need to face the fear of being up so high in the air. So, if someone has a gun pointed at you and you're standing on a ledge, you don't fall off." Skylar turned to the edge and then looked back at the stone ground. "Just pretend like it isn't even there. Pretend you're standing on the ground. Breathe in then out if you get nervous. Go on."

Barbara bit her nails, watching from the window anxiously. After Selina had explained that in order for Skylar to become strong, she had to develop a sense of eliminating fear. Then, and only then, could she begin to relax and fight for herself. Because wearing clothing that made you look strong was easy, it was a mask. But fighting fear, learning how to fight for yourself was challenging.

Selina smiled, seeing Skylar face the edge with her eyes open. Her chest was rising and falling fast, indicating that she was beyond nervous. But she had done it. The other girl jumped down. "Now to kick it up a notch." Skylar followed, her expression expectant. "I'm going to teach you how to steal."

The blonde went over. "I'm not too sure about that one. If Skylar gets caught-"

"She most likely will. But don't worry, I'll get her out of there in no time." Skylar gave her a look. "You never know! You might get it on the first try."

When Selina took Skylar to the streets, demonstrating how it was done by stealing a man's wallet, the teenage girl had followed with her steps exactly. Skylar's movements, however, were much more swift and unnoticeable. If Selina hadn't been stealing all her life, she would've never noticed how the brunette went by and stole a wallet from a woman's purse, continuing on her way back to Selina with it in hand.

Skylar succeeded on the first try and that showed Selina just how much potentially her new friend had. And when they went back to the penthouse to show Barbara, her mother was in awe. Barbara had smiled in disbelief. In response, Skylar smiled back genuinely. Because she felt for the first time in her entire life like she had done something right.

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What did you think about the moment between Jerome and Skylar? What do you think about Skylar stealing for the first time? I hope you guys have a great day/night and don't forget to vote on this chapter, comment your thoughts, and follow me for updates!