Mama Gotham

Damaged And So Ashamed

Arkham Asylum seemed to be something of a fixture in Alyssa Connors' life. There had always been a certain aura to the ancient building. She hadn't understood it when she was a kid trespassing on the property to explore, nor when she corralled the inmates or visited her friends within once the asylum had opened for business once more. And she certainly didn't understand now that she was slipping her way through the chaos to get inside.

It was something akin to the feeling of watching a horror movie at the moment everything went silent and still. When you knew something was going to happen, but you just weren't sure what.

Despite everything, Alyssa had to admire the irony. Even with the absolutely chaotic state Arkham was in; sirens blaring, GPCD officers yelling, guns firing, the asylum still managed to maintain its eerie silent feeling. Perhaps she just wasn't listening. At the moment, all the noise of the scene sounded like ti was coming from underwater. What she did hear clearly was the voice in her head that was screaming at her to turn back.

Alyssa stubbornly ignored it and made her way into the building. The lights were flickering, and the staff that usually bused around the front desk was no where to be seen. The heavy door thudding behind her echoed ominously through the halls, and for a moment Alyssa thought she might actually be in a horror movie.

The old box speakers above her crackled to life. "Ah, 'Lyssa darling. So glad you could make it. Our guest were beginning to worry."

"You know I'd never miss tea, Jervis." Alyssa said with a smile, knowing she had to play this a certain way if she had any hopes of anyone within a five mile radius making it out of this alive.

"Oh to be sure. Not to worry, we'd never start without you."

Alyssa nodded, looking up to where she knew the camera to be. Gathering her courage and steeling herself, she made her way down the hall. It was odd, but she missed the dull roar of rambling inmates that usually filled the air.

When she came upon the gate that blocked off the mess hall, she found it empty, save for the little rectangle table in the front left corner of the room where she had always sat with Hatter. Instead of the styrofoam tea set however, this time there was a proper china one. Sitting on either side of the table with Jervis between them were Edward Nygma and Jim Gordon.

"Hello Jervis." Alyssa cursed the shake in her voice. "Ed, Jim." The two gave her a worried look while the man in the top hat only smiled. He pushed his chair out and stood, moving to open the door to the gate.

"'Lyssa darling. We've been expecting you. Please, have a seat." he gustered to the open chair.

Alyssa pulled the gun Victor Zasz had gifted her with so long ago from the waist of her pants and pointed it right at Jervis. "I think I'll stand."

A snap of the man's fingers produced two fat men in bowler hats from the back kitchen area pointing shotguns at her. "You'll do as I say, or things will get messy, darling. Now --" he reached to pick up a shiny silver platter with a folded name card that read 'Alyssa's Gun.' "Place you gun, on the platter, and have a seat." Alyssa hesitated, her eyes darting between her two friends at the table. "Really?" Jervis raised an eyebrow. "After everything that we have been though, you have to think about it? Not everyone here has to die, dear 'Lyssa."

With one last reluctant look, Alyssa released the trigger of the gun and set it onto the platter in Jervis' hands. She took her seat across from his and spared a fleeting glance towards Jim and Edward. "It's gonna be okay." she assured.

Jervis tutted disapprovingly as he walked back to his place at the table. "Don't lie to them, dear." you could cut the tension in the room with a knife as he poured the tea into the cups lined up in front of him. "Mr. Nygma, could you be so kind as to pass this to Alyssa please?" he held out a white cup with blue flowers on a saucer, which Ed took with a stiff smile.