Mama Gotham

'Penguin'

*One year later*

Naturally, best friends who live together will become closer than best friends who don't. It wasn't very long before Edward Nygma and Alyssa Connors knew each other like the back of their hands.

Alyssa's family wasn't something that was brought up much, her parents were both in prison and she hadn't heard from Jamie since she'd been adopted.

Alyssa had grown far more open, her smiles becoming genuine. She still had a knack for trouble, though now Edward was usually right by her side in it. She was actually passing all of her classes rather well – she still wasn't as smart as Edward however.

Edward never failed to have a smile on his face around Alyssa. Despite taking pride in his intelligence, he had always been insecure about his oddities and how different he was from the other kids. Alyssa had an opposite point of view, seeing all of his strange personality traits as strengths, which did wonders for his confidence.

Mrs. Nygma delighted in having a daughter, and she didn't fail to notice how good the children were for each other.

Alyssa asked once, why she had never met Mr. Nygma...

"He's uh...he's gone." Edward said, fiddling with the pencil between his fingers. "Mom still kept the name, but they've been divorced for several years."

"Oh...Eddie, I'm sorry..."

"Don't be." he shook his head. "It was a long time ago. The 'ole man had no interest in raising a nutty geek, so...."

"Wait, you think it was your fault?" Alyssa frowned.

"I know it was." Edward corrected. "Mom doesn't say it, but I heard them arguing about me." he sighed. "Given the right materials, I could design and build a rocket that could successfully orbit the moon. But other kids could, ya know, throw a ball through a hoop." he mimed shooting a basket ball.

"His loss." Alyssa declared, taking his hand. "Everyone knows jocks are jerks. But you're the sweetest boy I've ever met. Smartest too."

"Thank you..." Edward looked down.

"Besides, it works out." Alyssa smiled. "You be brains, I'll be brawn?"

"What did the card say to the stamp?" Edward looked up with a small smile.

"Got me."

"Stick with me, and we'll go places."

Alyssa laughed. "I've got one for you. I have a frame but no pictures. I have poles but not standing up. What am I?" before he could answer, she snatched his glasses off his face. "Glasses!"

"Hey!" Edward laughed, reaching out blindly. He couldn't see more than a few feet in front of him without his glasses, and Alyssa was quick to move out of range. "Give them back!"

"Say please!"

"Please!"

"Good, now say you love me!"

"Alyssa!" he stumbled forward, trying to find her.

"Say it!" she jumped up onto the his bed to stay out of his reach.

"Fine! I love you! You're my best friend!"

Alyssa laughed, beaming. Jumping down to the floor, she came up to Edward and steadied him. Carefully, she placed the glasses back on his face and made sure they were straight.

"There." she smiled at him. "You know, you don't look like you without your glasses."

******

"Ugh, I can't believe the teachers gave us so much homework on a Friday." Alyssa huffed, hiking her backpack up on her shoulder. "Its the weekend! I wanna watch cartoons, not do algebra problems!"

"Cartoons are by no means stimulating entertainment." Edward informed matter-of-factly.

"They're funny." Alyssa rolled her eyes.

"Sometimes I question our relationship. You and I have next to nothing in common." Edward gave her an amused look. "I'm not sure why I spend so much time with you."

"Our bedrooms are next door to each other."

He chuckled. "True."

The walked home from school by way of Gotham Academy, the rich kid's school. They didn't talk to them much, preferring to look down their noses at the lower class.

But when the pair passed the alley off the side of the school, Alyssa paused when she heard screaming.

"No no, please!"

"Shut it ya little rat!"

"Rat? I'd say he looks more like a penguin!"

Alyssa and Edward shared a concerned look before they ran forward. They found three boys in Gotham Academy uniforms standing over a fourth boy who coward on the ground, bruised and bleeding. He looked to be their age, and younger than the boys beating him up.

"Hey! Leave him alone!" Alyssa shouted.

"Oooo, penguin's got himself a girlfriend!" one of the boys laughed. "Why don't you two get out of here before we give you the same treatment."

"Maybe you didn't hear me." Alyssa glared at him and his friends. "Leave. Him. Alone."

Scoffing, the oldest looking boy stepped up to her, coming to about a foot taller than the girl. "Or what?"

Alyssa sighed. "I tried to be reasonable." she shrugged off her backpack and handed it to Edward. "Eddie, hold this."

"Yes mam." he took it from her and stepped back, all to aware of what was about to happen. She'd done the same thing to his bullies.

Alyssa threw a hard right hook at the boy in front of her, taking him by surprise.

"That's or what."

"Look, we don't wanna hit a girl." one of the boys behind the one who had just been hit said nervously.

"Then this will be very easy. Get. Lost."

"....Come on guys."

"Lets get out of here!"

"This chicks crazy!"

They all bolted.

Alyssa rubbed at her now bruising knuckles and turned to the boy on the ground. "Bullies tend to be cowards. Take a shot back at 'em and they scatter. Here, lemme help you." she pulled him to his feet.

"Thank you...." he stared at her in awe.

"No problem. They hurt you bad?"

"N-nothing major..." he hesitated, then held out a hand. "I'm Oswald. Oswald Cobblepot."

"Alyssa Connors." she smiled and shook his hand. "That's Eddie."

"Edward." he corrected her, stepping up to the pair. "Edward Nygma."

"I-its very nice to meet the both of you."