Mama Gotham

RIP To My Youth

A/N: Wow, this took a long time to write. I'm sorry guys, I've been visualizing this whole story arch with Jervis since the beginning. After re-writing it in my head so many times, it's kinda hard to put into actual words on a page. I'd love to bounce some ideas off of some of you if you don't mind the spoilers.

The ride to wherever it was Alyssa and Alice were being taken was silent. They both sat in the back seat, dressed in the attire Jervis had sent with the driver, staring out opposite windows each lost in their thoughts.

Alyssa fingered the old pocket watch she'd kept on her since digging it up in the Narrows. She hadn't opened it; she had long ago sworn she'd never use its power again.

As if to remind her of what had happened the last time she did, nearly every face on the streets they drove past looked like Andy. Her Andy...

She lifted her hand to fidget with the golden bird around her neck, thinking of the dented sun that used to hang above it. Sweet, innocent Andy....

She really did drive away all the goodness in her life didn't she?

******

Alyssa liked to think that she knew Jervis Tetch well. Sweet little Jervis, always wanting to discover, always eager to please. He and his sister didn't have much in common, but they shared an innocence that she had always felt the need to preserve. If she couldn't have it, someone ought to.

If only she'd known how innocent she really was.

Something in her told her that when she couldn't find Jervis at the house that something was wrong. Worried for her friend, she didn't think twice about heading out into the streets of the narrows; only lit at this time of the night by the few street lights that hadn't been smashed.

She wasn't sure how she knew where she was going. It was almost as if she could hear the steady ticking of Jervis' pocket watch from blocks upon blocks away. The sound really was bewitching, and she hadn't even come full face with it. If it was this hard for her to get out of her head, she pitied the people they hypnotized just a bit.

She ended up on the old wrought iron bridge that connected the edge of the narrow to the outside world. The metal was rusty and the pavement was cracked; most people used one of the main bridges to get out of town, so this one hadn't seen TLC in years.

"Jervis!" she called out to the shadowy figure standing on the bridge. It and everything else seemed a bit blurry. Alyssa blinked and shook her head to shake off the effects of the watch Jervis held open in his hand.

"'Lyssa!" the boy's voice sounded high, and when she got close enough she could see his face lacked its usual smile. It was the first time he wasn't happy to see her. "Y-You're supposed to be asleep. You practically melted into that blanket you got earlier today."

"Something felt off. I got up and you weren't there, I was worried."

"I'm fine." Jervis assured in a clipped tone that sounded anything but.

"How are you fine, you don't look fine." Alyssa frowned. Indeed, Jervis looked worried. His eyes were darting everywhere, refusing to land on her face. When his eyes flickered upwards, Alyssa's followed them and all the blood drained from her face.

"Oh my god, Andy!" she shouted. "What are you doing up there?!"

"'Lyssa, calm down." Jervis placed a hand on her arm when Andy didn't respond. Alyssa could practically feel the ticking getting closer to her. She jerked her arm out of his grip.