Calling Cardinal

My Alice

"The way it's ticking synchronizes with your heartbeat. Look into my eyes. Not above them, not around them, but deep into their center. You are completely relaxed and under my control."

All doubt and worry fade away. My pain disappears. All I can understand are the commands coming from this mystery man and the desire to fulfill each of them. I am no longer myself. I am his property.

He shuts the pocket watch and opens the back door of his limo for me. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Jervis Tetch. Now, come along my dear. We have a date tonight. Would you like to know where we're going?"

"Yes."

"We have quite the eventful night, you and I. We're going to crash the mayoral dinner together!" He squeals in glee.

I wish I could feel the dread I should be feeling. Instead, I feel nothing.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Your brother killed my sister," he explains. "She was my everything— my love, the one person I cherished more than any in this entire world. He took that from me, and now I'm going to take it from him, too. You see, I thought taking his lover would meet that void. I see now that you are the answer, Sera or— which name do you prefer?"

"Cardinal."

Tetch laughs from my side as we're driven away. "Why don't you prefer your real name, anymore? You can tell me. I want you to tell me."

"I'm not who I was. I'm not good like I used to be."

"Oh? Please explain."

"I like who I am now." The words struggle to leave my lips. Each sentence feels pulled from my throat without my knowledge or consent. "I like this darkness."

Jervis's giggle is spine-chilling. "One last thing." He holds up the choker crafted by Strange to silence my scream. "We don't want any splattered brains, do we?"

I allow him to take away my freedom once again. I am truly captive by this stranger, and there is nothing I can do about it.

Tetch allows his hands to linger around my throat and drift delicately over to my collarbone. I'm sickened, disgusted, and frozen by his touch. When I get out of this, he will be permanently eating through a straw!

"I must confess I feel somewhat of a spiritual connection to you, Cardinal. You remind me so much of my Alice. The resemblances are uncanny. It is almost a shame that you will die tonight. I'd much rather you stay here with me."

My blood runs cold. How many times will I die in this life? His threats mean nothing to me.

"Do you miss the mayor? Do you miss his touch? Be honest, now."

"Yes. I do."

"I wasn't going to visit the mayor tonight, but I thought that I might as well kill all of my stones with one pretty little songbird." Jervis turns my chin to look at him. "If I do not succeed in killing Jim Gordon tonight, you must follow in my footsteps, Cardinal. You will kill him and then you will kill Oswald Cobblepot before you kill yourself. After all, without the two of them, what other reason do you have to live?"

"I don't."

He has a knowing smile. "Just as I thought."

I'm ushered into a warehouse where his goons tie me down to a chair. Men with guns stay trained on my position for hours. None of us move. None of us can without Jervis's permission.

Finally, he returns with an elegant gown for me to wear.

"Please put this on. Hurry my dear, we don't want to be late for this very important date!"