Jack walked Lily back to her house after they sat at the park together for a little bit. It was a little bit late out now and she was worried of getting caught sneaking out. Once they arrived by her house, they stood together on the sidewalk a short distance from her house.

Jack reached out and gently grabbed her hands, standing in front of her so he was looking at her.

"Sorry for being late today, I'll see you tomorrow?"

Lily smiled sheepishly. "It's okay. Yeah, see you tomorrow." Her cheeks flushed slightly red, and she leaned up to plant a gentle kiss on his lips before smiling at him over her shoulder as she walked back inside her house, trying to be as quiet as possible. Once inside, she walked over to one of her windows facing the street, where she watched Jack as he strolled away down the sidewalk.

Little did she know; this was the last time she would ever see Jack. Or at least, so she thought.

Earlier that day, Jack had gone out to make a deal before he was supposed to meet up with Lily. Since Jack's parents had long since been out of the picture, it was up to him to provide food and shelter for himself. He struggled to get by for a long time in his earlier years, but when he got to high school he learned more about the drug scene in Gotham. He began dealing and selling things, starting out small with things like weed or LSD. But, these weren't making him nearly enough income to be able to live comfortably. Jack eventually started buying cocaine in the Narrows for bulk, and then re-selling it cut with some other substances to make a profit. Business was good for him; he lived in a somewhat decent apartment in a fairly nice side of town, and had food in his belly most of the time. But, Jack grew greedy, slowly and slowly cutting his product more and more to try and maximize his profits. He was on his way to make a deal like he normally would, but this time they knew they were getting ripped off.

It was mid-afternoon, usually broad daylight wasn't a good time for making deals, but he had lots of free time on his hands since he hadn't been in school. Plus, he could always use money in his pocket. He went to his usual meeting spot down one of the narrow dark alleyways of the Narrows, where he saw his customer waiting.

"You got somethin' for me?" He asked.

"That depends," Jack retorted. "Do you have something for me?"

The man was leaned up against the brick with one of his feet planted against the wall, his face shadowed and his pose relaxed. He stood still for a moment before reaching in to his pocket and tossing a small wad of cash Jack's way.

Jack caught it, eyeing it quickly before stuffing it in his pants pocket. He reached in to his jacket pocket, grabbing a small baggie and tossing it his way.

"Thanks," the man grunted under his breath. Jack gave him a quick nod before heading on his way.

Jack made his way out of the alley, walking down the street for a block or so before feeling someone reach out and grab him by the back of his jacket and slamming him against the brick wall of one of the buildings.

"What the fuck, dude?!" Jack shouted, turning to look over his shoulder and seeing the same person he had just sold to.

"What the fuck, dude?! You just ripped me off, you little shit!" He was right behind Jack as he kept him pinned against the wall, practically shouting in to his eardrum.

Jack tried to keep his cool. "I don't know what you're talking about," he replied stoically.

"Yeah, I'm sure you don't. Listen up, kid. You are fucking around with some dangerous people. You better uh, watch your back." And with that, the man let him go, walking away while chuckling to himself.

Jack turned around and watched as he walked away, confused. What did he mean? He looked around for a minute, before turning in the opposite direction and began navigating through the Narrows as quickly as possible, until he was in the city.

The route through the city was always much longer than the Narrows, but Jack didn't like the sound of what that guy said to him so he opted for the longer, safer route. By the time he got close to the school, it was already past the final bell. Jack sighed, opting to walk to the park where they usually met instead. When he arrived however, Lily wasn't there. He started to feel bad, as it was getting late and was almost sundown. He eventually opted to walk to her house, trying to get her attention from the backyard without raising his voice too much, but it was to no avail. He threw a few small pebbles at her window, which eventually caused her to notice him outside and she excitedly ran outside to greet him. They exchanged a few words before Jack led her down the sidewalk, away from her house. They didn't get very far before Lily asked him about where he was all day. He halted in his steps; he forgot to think of an excuse as to why he was late today. He muttered nervously, trying to come up with a believable excuse quickly. He didn't have to however, as Lily brought up his lack of stitches and he quickly retorted that he had them removed today, hence him being late. She bought it and they continued on, Jack feeling a slight rush of relief.

They arrived at the park, where Jack sat down on the spinning roundabout and stared at the ground absentmindedly. He felt incredibly guilty for lying to her, but there was no way he could tell her the truth without scaring her off or changing her views of him.

He was drawn from his thoughts momentarily when she bashfully acknowledged him to get his attention, and then began to sheepishly thank him for what he did for her at school. He just smiled, cutting her off mid-sentence with a kiss to her lips. When she kissed him back, he parted shortly after and moved them both in to a more comfortable position and then drew her back in for more. He pulled away again after a few moments, assuring her she didn't need to thank him for anything. Jack knew he would do anything, anything for her.

They sat for a while after, before Lily brought up that it was getting late and she should probably go back home. Jack stood up, walking her back to her neighborhood again. He stopped on the sidewalk a short distance outside her house, apologizing to her once again for being late and he promised her he would see her tomorrow. She planted a gentle kiss on his lips before turning around and going back inside. Jack stood for a few moments as he watched her walk inside, smiling to himself slightly before turning around and making his way back home as well.

He wished he had never made that promise to her, as it was one he couldn't keep. That night was the last time Jack would see Lily for many years.

The next morning, Jack awoke bright and early. It was still fairly dark out, and would be much safer for him as he had another deal to make today. He hopped in the shower after he woke up, brushing his teeth afterwards and then he got dressed. He grabbed his jacket and stuffed a few baggies in to one of his pockets before heading out his front door, locking it behind him.

He made his way through the streets, eventually getting to the Narrows. It was nearly empty, apparently there wasn't much activity around here this early in the morning. He found the street he was looking for, heading down a dark narrow alleyway where a man was already waiting for him.

"Hello there." The man called out, a smug grin on his face. Jack couldn't see much, only the slight orange luminosity overcast through the alley from a nearby streetlight.

Jack made his way over towards the man, reaching a hand in to his pocket and pulling out a small baggie. "Hi, you have something for me?"

The man chuckled under his breath. "Yeah, I got somethin' for you," he said as he reached in to his own pocket and pulled out some cash. They quickly exchanged between each other, and as Jack turned around and was about to leave, two more men came in to the alley and blocked the way out.

Jack felt his heart beginning to pump faster, and tried to stay calm. He cleared his throat gently.

"If you two are looking, I have more, don't worry," Jack said as he slowly reached in to his jacket pocket, except this time he was reaching for his knife. He held his hand in his pocket for a few moments, but they continued to draw nearer. He glanced over his shoulder to see the other man he had just sold to was also getting closer. Jack inhaled sharply, taking a deep breath before pulling his hand out of his pocket and flicking the knife open. He lunged towards the two men first, since they stood between him and his only exit. One of them reached out, grabbing his arm as he lunged at them and painfully twisted his wrist around. Jack let out a small gasp, only to have the other man behind him kick him in the back of his knee and send him down on his knees. The man behind him immediately grabbed a large fistful of Jack's hair, as the other knocked the knife free from his hand while he was distracted by the pain and sent it skittering across the asphalt and colliding with the brick wall a few feet away from him. Jack winced from the burning pain at his scalp, his chest heaving up and down with every shallow breath he took. He was outnumbered, and now his only weapon was out of his reach. He refused to go down without a fight, though. Jack took a deep breath, exhaling slowly before raising his right arm up and in an instant he harshly collided his rigid elbow in to the knee of the man behind him, immediately causing him to let out a cry of agony and release his grip on Jack's hair. This seemed to stun the other two, and Jack immediately shot up from his position on his knees and stumbled to grab his knife just a few feet away. Jack managed to get to it in time, feeling his adrenaline pumping through his veins as he turned around to face the other two men, running at them with the knife again. Everything suddenly felt like it was moving in slow motion as one of them stepped forward while Jack ran towards them, when Jack caught a glimpse of him reaching in his pocket. Jack's ears were seemingly filled with only the sound of his own rapid heartbeat and his breathing, until he heard the very distinct sound of a pistol being cocked. The sound rung in Jack's ears, causing him to slow his pace to a halt as he caught a glimpse of the gun being raised at him. The next thing he felt was the barrel of the gun being pressed firmly against his sternum, his already rapid heartbeat grew even faster as he anticipated his own death any moment now. He threw his arms up in the air, letting his knife fall back down to the ground below him, the loud clattering of the metal against the rocky ground echoed inside his eardrums. His breaths were uneven and shaky, and he swallowed nervously, feeling the moisture on his tongue had depleted and his mouth had gone dry.

Jack barely even noticed when the man who was behind him a few moments ago grabbed his hair again, pushing Jack back down on to his knees as the other man still kept his gun pointed at him, except now it was aimed at his head. Now there was the man behind him, holding him down as this other man stood in front of him with this gun pointed in his face, and the third man stood behind the man with the gun, effectively blocking Jack from any escape. This is it, Jack thought.

The man with the gun peered over his shoulder at the man behind him, motioning with his gun at the ground. Consequently, the man stepped forward and bent down to pick up Jack's knife, placing it in the man's other hand before retaining his position behind him.

The man with the gun in his hand let out a grim chuckle, examining the knife he now held in his hand before looking back at Jack, who had desperation in his eyes. He kneeled down so he was at Jack's level, looking him in the eyes.

"Remember me, kid?" He asked, another low chuckle escaping his throat.

Jack squinted at him in the darkness trying to make out his features. That voice sounded familiar…

When he got no verbal response, the man decided to answer his own question. "I'm uh, the guy you ripped off last night? Remember?"

Jack's eyes grew wide. His body tensed up, his muscles frozen. Now he realized the familiarity of his voice. Jack swallowed again, trying to lubricate his mouth so he could speak.

"Look, I'll give you your money back. Please, I-I really don't want any trouble." Jack pleaded, but he could tell his pleas were unheard. The man simply laughed in response.

The man had stood back up, examining the knife in his hand as he twirled it slowly in the dim lighting. His other hand was now relaxed at his side, gun still in hand but no longer pointed at Jack.

"This is a pretty nice knife," he declared, still examining it in the dim lighting. "Very sharp."

Jack swallowed nervously; he had no idea what was in store for him. He kept his eyes fixated on the man in front of him.

He watched as the man in front of him stepped closer, but he walked past Jack instead this time. Jack tried to follow him with his eyes and see what he was doing, but still the man behind him was holding his head in place.

"You," the man ordered, keeping his eye on Jack as he handed the gun to the man holding on to Jack, who reached out and took it with his free hand. "If he tries anything funny, shoot him in the back of the head" was all he said before he made his way back over to where he stood before in front of Jack, who looked up at him again.

The man behind Jack seemed confused. "You aren't gonna shoot him?"

"Oh no, no no. I have something much worse in mind for this kid."

Jack watched as the man stepped over to the side, now standing by the brick wall. The alleyway suddenly echoed with the horrible, scraping sound of metal against ragged brick. The sound encompassed Jack's ears, it was like nails on a chalkboard but so much worse than anything else he had ever heard before. Then, he heard another sound. This time it sounded like the blade was being smacked in to the brick, rather than scraping it. Suddenly, Jack's heart dropped as he realized what he was doing. He was intentionally scraping and damaging the knife blade, to make it more jagged and serrated.

Jack's eyes grew wider as the man turned back toward him, walking over and standing in front of him again. He looked over his shoulder, motioning for the man behind him to step forward.

"Go hold on to his arms, I wanna make sure he doesn't try somethin'."

Jack watched as the other man obeyed, walking behind him and kneeling down, roughly grabbing both of his wrists and restraining them painfully. He felt panic setting in even more now, his breath was ragged and heavy and sweat beaded on his forehead with messy strands of curly hair sticking to his skin.

The man leaned down to Jack's level again, grabbing his jawline with his free hand, forcing Jack to look at him. He simply grinned at him, gently twirling the knife in his other hand. Jack's eyes darted down to it, watching the slight gleam of light reflecting off the now ragged and irregular blade. His eyes still followed the knife as it was slowly raised up, and placed at the corner of his mouth. Jack's instincts kicked in and he shot up a few inches, only to be pushed back down from his shoulders. He felt the gun being pressed against his head more forcefully now.

"P-please, no…" Jack pleaded, feeling tears beginning to sting his eyes and could his vision.

The knife remained resting gently in the right corner of Jack's lips, as the man moved his hand from his jaw down to his neck, squeezing forcefully and catching Jack's breath in his throat and making him gasp for air. Jack was looking up to the sky, still dark but now with a light pink tinge as the sun would be rising soon. His attention was drawn back to the man as he spoke

"I would suggest you don't scream. It'll only make it worse." The man laughed as he roughly shoved the blade inside Jack's mouth, nearly cutting Jack's tongue as he did so. Jack felt searing hot pain ripping through his flesh as the ragged knife sawed through the skin of his cheek, causing him to let out a shrill scream. Jack's scream only made the wound tear more, and hot sticky blood began slowly creeping down his skin. Tears were now flowing from his eyes, his vision clouded as he let out frail little cries as he struggled to breathe with the hand clenched around his neck. Blood also filled his mouth, making it even more difficult to breathe and Jack felt himself getting more and more lightheaded. It wasn't over for him yet though, as he vaguely noticed his head being turned in the other direction. He again felt the sensation of the rough blade being placed inside the corner of his mouth again, this time on the other side, letting out another whimper. This time he gritted his teeth together as hard as he could, choking back a scream as the knife dug through his skin yet again, the sound of flesh tearing and his own ragged breathing filled his ears. Blood again began to flow freely from his wound, some of it ran down his face and past his neck and the rest sneaked through the tiny cracks of his teeth and down his throat. He coughed and sputtered, releasing the blood from inside his mouth. He let his mouth hang open slightly, blood dripping down the middle of his lip and on to the man's hand. Jack's eyelids grew heavy, pain was radiating throughout his body and he was struggling to stay conscious. The grip on his hair was released, allowing his hair to fall in his face and stick to his bloodied and sweaty skin. He also felt the pressure around his neck relieve, and there was no longer a grip around his wrists. Without the support to stay up, Jack fell forward and barely caught himself with his hands. This jarred him slightly, and he desperately tried to push himself up and get away. He blinked away the blurriness from his eyes, looking down and examining what was in front of him. He saw the dirty concrete ground, with smears of blood and fresh drops falling rapidly. He then noticed his hands, shaking with a mixture of fear and adrenaline and they were now covered in his own blood. He lifted them closer to his face, seeing more and more of his blood dripping on to them as he knelt on the ground hunched over. His head was spinning and he was pretty sure this must be what going in to shock feels like. He was too weak to hold himself up and inevitably fell back down to the ground with a thud. He heard distant murmurs of speaking but they were overshadowed by his own pounding heartbeat. He lay there on the ground, his chin bobbing up and down on the pavement with each shallow breath until he felt something turning him over on to his back. He looked up, his vision still blurred but he could make out the outlines of the three men. He also heard them speaking to each other, but could only make out a few words.

"Should we kill him?"

"No, leave him to bleed out and die."

Jack then saw the shadowy figures slowly moving out of his field of vision, and he continued to lay there on his back with his chest heaving up and down. He blinked his eyes slowly, looking up at the orange colored sky. The sun was just beginning to rise, but Jack couldn't overcome the urge of darkness. His eyelids fluttered shut, and he let the blackness encompass him.

Several hours later, Jack's eyelids began to flutter and struggle to open. His ears were once again filled with the sound of his own breathing and heartbeat, and his eyes slowly opened and he was greeted with the soft orange glow of the streetlight once again.

What happened? Am I… Am I alive or am I dead and dreaming?

Jack tried to sit up, only to feel something pulling him back down to the ground. He winced in pain, realizing it was his cheek. He must have rolled on his side at some point, and now the right side of his face was stuck to the ground. Jack let out a shaky sigh, placing his palms flat against the ground. He took a few deep breaths, before quickly pushing up against the ground and letting out a shrill scream as he ripped his face away from the pavement, the sound of sticky blood peeling away from the pavement made a sound similar to that of a paint roller rolling over wet paint on a wall. Jack's eyes were squeezed shut as he winced hard, trying not to scream again and tear the wound any further. He breathed heavily, eventually letting out a long sigh and opening his eyes again. The ground below and around him was stained with sticky pools of crimson liquid. He lifted up his hands, which were crusty with dried blood and drips of fresh blood from him reopening his wound just now. He looked at his clothes, which were completely stained with blood. He noticed on the ground a few feet from him was his knife, completely stained with blood as well. Jack reached a shaky hand out, grasping it and hastily jamming it in his pocket. He placed both of his hands on the rough brick, using it as a brace to push himself up and off the ground. He stood up quickly, feeling blood rushing to his head rapidly and nearly making him fall over. He stood leaning against the wall for a few moments to gain his footing before stumbling out of the alley, grabbing the wall for support again. Once he was outside the alley, he took in his surroundings. It was pitch black out again, the only light source coming from the dim orange streetlight outside the alley.

Suddenly, it hit Jack. Exactly how long had he been lying there, he wondered? It was dark out again, the last thing he remembers is the sun was just rising as he passed out.

"Fuck…" He muttered under his breath. He must have been passed out all day… then it hit him again, and he felt his heart sink.

"Lily," he muttered with wide eyes, trying to run a hand through his hair but it was tangled with dried blood and sweat. He was supposed to meet her after school today; she must be worried sick about him, and-

"Lily…" he muttered again, this time with tears stinging his eyes. What was he going to do now? She can't see him like this…he didn't even know what his face looked like anymore. Would she even recognize him? Would she be scared of him? Jack let out a sigh, his voice shaky. He felt weak, but he forced his legs to work and started walking out of the Narrows.

Jack walked for a long time, limbering slowly in the dark night streets. He was lightheaded and probably lost a pretty significant amount of his blood, but he kept going. He eventually made it to her neighborhood, standing on the sidewalk outside her house under the glow of the streetlight. He had no idea what time it might be right now, but he figured it was probably pretty late. He started walking again, slowly making his way in to her backyard, and hiding in the shadows.

Jack stood within the shade from the large tree in her backyard, most of the leaves had already fallen off so he remained near the trunk to avoid being seen. He saw the soft glow of light coming from her window, and peered up at the glass. He felt his heart nearly skip a beat, he could see her silhouetted form in front of the window, looking outside. He recoiled slightly, making sure he was still hidden. He looked up at her, smiling slightly before wincing sharply at the pain.

Meanwhile, Lily sat awake staring out her window. It was incredibly late out, but she hadn't seen or heard from Jack all day. He was late yesterday, but he did still come to see her. She fidgeted with her hands nervously, tears welling up in her eyes as she continued to stare in to the blackness outside her window. "I hope you're okay…" she whispered to herself.

Jack watched her for a few moments, eventually looking at the ground and slowly shaking his head. He looked back up to her window again, seeing her still sitting in front of it and peering outside. He took a long, deep breath and exhaled slowly.

"I'm sorry, Lily…" was all he said, before blinking back the tears that stung his eyes as he turned around and started walking away.