Mama Gotham

You Can Fool Any Friend Who Ever Knew You

She couldn't breathe. The elevator reached and left the ground floor, making Alyssa numbly reach for the emergency stop to avoid being brought back to the one place she was trying to get away from.

Alyssa knew several people who detested small spaces like the elevator who's metallic wall she was now sliding down. She wasn't especially fond of them either, but she certainly preferred them over large, faceless crowds. Isolation was easier to comprehend when one was physically alone.

It wasn't possible. Over a dozen doctors had told her so. She had even called in a favor with Lex and brought in the best mental professionals the world currently had.

Every single one of them had said with absolute certainty that Jervis Tetch was lost to the world.

******

*Four Years Ago*

Despite its still dilapidated state, Arkham Asylum had been re-opened last week. Inmates were cycling in from all over and it was all the news, all anyone, was talking about.

Alyssa had always been fascinated with the old building. It had first closed down when she'd been a child, but there had never been a lack of stories about the place. Most of them were ghost stories to dare teenagers to spend the night there, but those stories paled in comparison to the truth. She'd never understood why a hospital would do so many things that sounded as though they only made patients worse.

'Only in Gotham.' Harvey Bullock's words echoed in her mind as she explored the halls. She had broken in several times in her youth, so she vaguely knew her way around. The only difference was that she was supposed to be her now; Falcone had noticed her interest in the place and had put her in charge of making sure all transitions went smoothly.

She swerved sideways as a blob of....oatmeal? went flying at her head. Yeesh, so much for order. The men and women in stripped uniforms were running amok, screaming and giggling like her toddlers at the Flea.

"Crazy, right?" the guard who'd let her into the rec room said.

Glaring at him, Alyssa lifted two fingers to her mouth and whistled shrilly. The entire room froze. Several pairs of eyes drifted to the platter of cookies she was holding.

"And here I was hoping to make some friends." she addressed the inmates in a pleasant voice. "I was always taught not to show up at someone's residence without a gift." she held up the tray. "Form an orderly line, and no shoving. Let's all be fair here."

To the absolutely amazement of the Arkham staff, the inmates did as Alyssa instructed. They were like children, bouncing on their heels and looking around each other's shoulders. Children were her specialty however, and it appeared her skills could be put to use no matter the physical age.

"O frabjous day! The white queen has reclaimed her throne at last."

Alyssa's eyes snapped up to the man who had spoken. He was an inmate, dressed in the typical stripped uniform. He also had a top hat on his head made out of newspaper. His gestures were wild and animated, his longer brown hair was in desperate need of a wash. Something about those eyes however.....

Stepping down from the table he'd been standing on to make his announcement, he walked up to her and bowed, flipping his hat off with a flourish.

"My queen, I am honored to stand in thy presence. I am, of course, your humble servant."

She wasn't sure what it was about the phrase, but Alyssa's blood suddenly felt like ice. She played along however, pulling out the sides of her skirt to curtsy back as the thanked him for his loyal service.

She figured if someone called you a queen, you ought to agree with them.

Once rec hour was over however, and the inmates had to return to their cells, the first thing Alyssa did was look into this 'Mad Hatter.'

She sincerely wished she hadn't.

"How is a man who was declared dead twenty years ago, alive, kicking, and thinking he's a character in a children's story?" she studied the file she'd been given.

"No clue." the Warden, Quincy Sharp, shook his head. "Half the inmates we've been getting haven't got much of a story before they got locked up; they've just been there that long." he nodded to the file in Alyssa's hands. "This one doesn't even recognize his own name anymore. According to every record I was given, Jervis Tetch no longer exist. All that's left is the 'Mad Hatter.'"

******

The door wasn't locked. Given who lived here, Alyssa supposed no one would be stupid enough to break in. The gun pointed at her face upon entry proved her point.

Raising her hands with a sigh, she rolled her eyes at the woman dressed entirely in leather. "Don't shoot, I come in peace, blah blah blah. Where's your boss?" she demanded.

"Ms. Connors, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Victor Zasz strolled into the room, a slight grin on his face.

Alyssa lowered her hands and crossed her arms. "I've got a job for you."

"Sorry hun, Penguin has me booked these days."

"I'll pay double your usual rate."

Victor chuckled, smirking. "Why not triple?"

"Done."

His smirk fell as he realized how serious she was. "....What sort of job?"

"I need someone killed."

"Okay, while I'm flattered you thought of me, why're you going to so much trouble? You've got Penguin wrapped around your finger; you say the word and every man he's got is at your command."

"Oswald tends to have a flair for the dramatics. You're more straightforward. If I ask you to put a bullet in someone, it stays between us." her eyes trailed to the woman still pointing her gun at her. "Well, us and your little entourage."

Victor glanced at the 'Zaszette' and nodded at her to lower her weapon, which she did without question. "Alright Mama Gotham; anyone who's got you this spooked will no doubt be a challenge. I like a challenge." his smirk was back.

"I'm going to need you to take this seriously."

"Come on Alyssa, you came to the best."

"And we've already established how much it took to get me here."

He scoffed. "You really think this guy is a threat to me?"

"I think he's a threat to everyone. That's why I want him dead."

"Well, pay me half upfront and I can take him down with one shot."

"He can take you down with less than that."

"Thought you wanted me to kill him?" If Victor Zasz had eyebrows, they would be drawn together in annoyance.

"I do. I just want you to know what you're dealing with."

"Who is this guy anyway?"

"His name's Jervis Tetch."