晚上,James和Lee在她家里一起吃晚饭,Lee突然发现了那条信息地解答,有一座桥的两边有两座塔桥,以前他们还是孩子的时候喜欢把两个命名成两个姐妹的名字,而在靠近哥谭的这一边有一座花园。她拉着James就要去,James很不情愿的被她拉去了。 他们在那里找到了一把斧头,上面写着THFC,这是一个撒旦崇拜者的邪教,犯下过很多献祭性的谋杀,但是他们已经隐退10多年了。 Lee认为是他们回来了,但是James否定了她的想法,打电话叫巡警去叫几个人。 他们回到了警局,James要来了两个人,他们都不知道对方也在这里。 他请来的人之一就是Cicero,“We solved the message Lila sent you.Took us to Arkham Bridge Park. We found a hatchet there with Satanist symbolsscratched into it. You know what that hatchet means, Mr. Cicero?” Cicero回答,“Tell me.” James说,“It means you’rean accessory to murder. “Such drama. I merely passed along a message.” “Didn’t happen.”James毫不留情地说,“Which means you invented the message which means youhad someone plant the hatchet for us to find. You wanted us to think Satanistwere responsible for Lila’s death. You’reprotecting somebody.” “Lila spoke to me. That’s all.” James示意警卫把另一个人带过来,“You know, a hatchet is aclumsy ploy. You wouldn’t try it unless you weredesperate. Which suggests you’re protecting some oneclose. Someone you love.” “This fantasia was conjured in you blinkered mind. If you could onlysee what I see.”
门打开了,James开着来者,打了声招呼,“Hi, Jerome. Please. Take aseat. You know Mr. Cicero, from the show.”“Yes, sir.”Jerome走过来乖巧的坐下,“Hello, Mr. Cicero.”Cicero回应道,“Good evening, Jerome.” James走到桌子对面,坐下,“Do you know why you’re here?” Jerome说,“Did you find out who killed mymother?” “You killed your mother, Jerome.”James冷漠的回道。 “Me?”Jerome很震惊。 “You killed her up on that hill and Mr. Cicero let you clean up in histrailer. He told you to scratch the Satanist stuff on the hatchet and throw itoff the bridge.” Jerome很不可置信,“Sir, that’s….absurd and… and offensive” “But it’s the truth. What I don’t know is why this man risked so much to help you. I thinkhe’s your father.” Jerome笑了,“You don’tknow what you’re talking about. My father was a seacaptain.” “Am I wrong, Mr. Cicero?” Cicero默默的说,“Yes.” Jerome继续说,“He was a sea captain. His name wasSven Karlsen. He died at sea.” “What was the name of his ship?” Jerome愣了一下,说,“He worked on a lot of differentships.” “The one he went down in?” Jerome沉默了一会儿,“She never said.” “We can do a blood test to prove I’m right. Ittakes only half an hour to get a foolproof result. Isn’tthat right, Dr. Thompkins?”James问向了作为医生的Lee. Lee给了他肯定的回答。
“Save yourself for that needle.” Cicero冷静了一下说,“I’msorry, Jerome.” Jerome看向他,说,“What are you talking about?” Cicero: “He’s right. Iam your father.” Jerome:“No, you’renot. Why would you say that?” Cicero: “You must have suspected the truth.” Jerome:“You’re not myfather. My mother would never…” Cicero:“Your mother was a cruel woman. She wasoften unkind to me, but she did once love me, in her way. And she loved youvery much. That’s why she gave you a better father.” Jerome哽咽着低下了头,接着,他的哽咽突然变成了诡异的笑容,他盯着James看了一会儿,然后转过头去看着Cicero。 他整个人身上的气质已经变掉,那种乖巧懂事的少年的样子已经不在,取代而之的是一身的邪气。 他用冷淡低沉的声音对Cicero说,“My mother was a cold-hearted whorewho never loved anyone, and she’d never touch apathetic old creep like you.” Cicero还是很淡定的对Jerome说,“Allthese years do you think I was kind to you because I’msuch a good man? If I wasn’t you father, would I helpyou as I have, after what you did?” “My father.”Jerome满不在乎的转回身,“I’ll be damned.” James和Lee皱着眉头看着Jerome。 “Oh, that’s very funny”Jerome狂笑起来,“Looks like the bitch got me with a zinger in the end.” “Why did you kill your mother, Jerome?”James表面上保持着淡定。 “Oh, you know how mothers are. She just kept pushing. And I’m like, fine, Mom. Be a whore. Be a drunken whore, even. Butdon’t be a nagging drunken whore.”Jerome的语气让Lee打了个冷颤,Jerome笑了一下,问James,“You know?” 他们不敢相信地看着Jerome,Jerome咬牙切齿地说着,“Don’t come yell at me to do the dishes if you’vebeen banging a clown in the next room!” “You know?”Jerome肆无忌惮的开始了他令人战栗的大笑
在一个发布会上,Jim的上司要退职了,(只有他的上司退职了Jim才能复职,他拜托企鹅人帮他搞定) 他又请了一个他刚到哥谭市的朋友,对于他的简介,让人感觉一阵不明觉厉的厉害,Theo Galavan. 如果仔细看的话,他就是那个开头给罪犯药水的那个人。 他说他被哥谭深深吸引,但是其实他有更大的野心。 --------------------------------------------------------------------- (Arkham) 他们聚在了一起,Richard在给Jerome, Barbara, 大傻个等人讲故事,“Sowhen I was in college, I played for the varsity polo team (校马球队)and I had a string of ponies.” 警卫把那个Zaardon带了进去,他一进去就对着众人大喊,“Greetings! I amZaardon, the Soul Reaper!” 大家转过头去看了他一眼,然后Richard继续讲,“So Ihad these ponies and the maître d’(舍管) says, “Youcan’t bring them in here.”” Zaardon又开始大喊:“Hear me, slaves. My patience iswearing thin! Surrender your souls to my mercy.”他站到了桌子上,“OrI swear by the master, I shall feast on your pain. I shall gorge on yourtorment. I shall crush you like a bug.” 他笑着笑着突然开始咳嗽,接着他跪倒在了桌子上,仰面朝上,嘴里喷出一堆蓝色的气体,所有人晕了过去。 门被砸开了,一个女人走了进来,射杀了所有警卫,看着监狱里的人。 --------------------------------------------------------------------- 他们再次醒来的时候六个人被各自站立着绑在一个推车上。 一个满头毛毛的人说,“What the hell is this place?” “Ain’t Arkham, anyhow.”Jerome兴奋的笑了笑,“Things are looking up.” “Welcome, everyone.”Theo走了进来,“Myname is Theo Galavan. This is my sister Tabitha.” Tabitha在他之后走了进来,她就是那个把他们带出Arkham的女人。 “I understand you’re feeling confused, scared,a little groggy… but please, relax.”Theo在他们面前踱步,“Today is the first day of a wonderful future for allor you. If you want it.” “Who are you?”Barbara开口提问。 “Well, now, the question is who are you?”Theo开始了他的天才理论,“The world sees criminal lunatics. I seebrilliance. I see charisma. I see power.”
“Yes! Exactly, my man.”Jerome满脸兴奋,“Oh,that is so spooky. That is me to a T. (意思就是“我就是这样”)These other bozos, oh I don’t know, but…you are singing my song.” “Quiet, Jerome.”Richard发话了,示意Theo,“Keep talking.” Theo耸了耸肩,“Imagine a group of brilliant outlawslike yourselves, each selected for their unique ability, all working togetheras a team. Imagine the synergy. Imagine the impact. Gotham would tremble beforeyou.” “Well, that sounds fabulous,”Barbara发话,“but I am not a brilliant outlaw. I just have… issues.” Theo朝她走了过去,“You have ferocity and beauty anddesire and that’s enough. ”他端起她的下巴,“Comewith me, Barbara. Whatever you want in the world it’syours.” “Theo?”Richard又发话了,“That’s your name, right, Theo?” Theo转过头去看着他。 “You’re getting way ahead of yourself, here.First of all, keep your hands off her. Second, this whole “Magicteam”? I gotta pass. I don’ttake orders. Good luck on everything, though. It’s andintriguing concept.” Theo走到他面前,“This is very disappointing.” “Oh…Fair play. You want a reward for busting usout of Arkham. I am grateful. How’s a million bucks sound?Pretty good, huh? I can get it for you today as soon as I hit the street.” “Money’s not the concern.”Theo满脸厌恶,“I had such high hopes for you. I didn’tanticipate sexual jealousy. That always poisons the well. You have to go.” Theo往后退了几步,手下上来把Richard身上的绑带解了开来,“Tabithawill see you out.” Richard下来以后往Barbara那里走,“MissKean is coming with me.” “Oh…she doesn’t want togo where you’re going.”Theo端起桌边的酒喝了起来。 Tabitha甩出了鞭子,绕在了Richard的脖子上,她把他往后狠狠一拽,他倒在了地上。Tabitha骑到了他身上,让他无法动弹,抽出匕首往他身上扎着,血溅满了她整脸。 Jerome看着他们,兴奋的笑着。(我词穷) 等他没气了,Tabitha停下了手。 Theo看了两眼,再抬头,“Anyone else want to leave?” 所有人噤了声。