Mama Gotham

Empires From Nothing

Slowly, Alyssa regained the ability to breathe. She hadn't answered any of Edward's calls, and she was honestly surprised the man hadn't shown up at her door – though that may have to do with the fact that all of her children were aware of what he had done. They didn't know the details, they just knew that their mother had been notably sadder and had told them if he came by not to answer the door. They'd put the pieces together.

But there was no time to cry over lousy ex-boyfriends. Her city was falling apart thanks to one Theo Galavan, which was saying something as the man was still residing in Blackgate prison. Not for long though, if Jim Gordon's hunch was correct. He had been to see the man after officer Parks' unfortunate death; and Galavan had seemed far to happy for a man facing ten years jail time.

While Alyssa was aware these issues should be at the top of her list – and no doubt she'd regret that they weren't later – she chose to focus on more personal matters.

Theo Galavan was not the only one coming to trial; Jerome had been working well with his therapist, and his medications seemed to be balancing out, so the board had been talking about releasing him into his mother's care on a conditional probation. This was something Alyssa, Jerome, and Selina all desperately wanted, but Alyssa worried about Galavan. No doubt the man would be furious with Jerome for ruining his plans in the first place, and if Jim's hunch was correct and he did get released, perhaps Arkham would be a safer place for him.

Add this to the fact that her daughter was making a plan with Bruce Wayne to discover the information Galavan had had on his parent's murder, Alyssa was very much resenting the man. She was happy Bruce had come to his senses, but she didn't like Selina being in any sort of danger. This had resulted in some very creative threats towards the boy-billionaire that were thankfully out of hearing range of his butler.

Oswald had been recovering well, and to be honest she thought the emotional wounds were hurting him more than the physical ones. All in all: things were screwed up and it was all Theo Galavan's fault. Well, not really all his fault, but it made Alyssa feel better to have someone to assign blame to.

Both Jim and Harvey had wanted to keep her involved with the case, but Alyssa kept blowing them off with excuses – she didn't want to risk running into Edward. So instead, she kept tabs on the situation via Harvey Dent, who was currently trying to convince the judge that would be residing over the case that Jerome Valeska and Alyssa Connors could be presented as witnesses to the case.

Despite his impending parole, Jerome had been turned down as a witness when the judge stated he wasn't in his right mind – a verdict he hadn't helped when he'd punched a hole in a while afterward. Alyssa herself had no connection to James' kidnapping or Galavan's arrest thereafter, and therefore was also written off. She hadn't been to happy about that either.

Alyssa felt like she was being pulled in nine different directions at once. She didn't have control over what she was doing, hell she barely knew what she was doing, and she hated not knowing.

But as it turned out, she'd know soon enough. It would all be explained by the last person she expected to explain it.

******

Smack!

Ow....Alyssa blinked and tried to move her hand to cradle her stinging cheek, but found both of them bound above her head.

"It almost seems a shame." A familiar voice made her look up. "The great Alyssa Connors."

"What hell's going on, Galavan?" she demanded.

"I did my homework on you, you know." Theo continued as if she hadn't spoken. "You came from nothing. There were a handful of arrest records for petty theft and the like, and then of course the whole debacle with your parents, and then –" he huffed dramatically. "Suddenly you're a household name. I'm sure there's a fascinating story to that; perhaps I'll let you live long enough to tell it."