Disclaimer: I do not own DC comics or any of it's characters
"No! I will not sign that witch out. It's too dangerous." Warden Sharp shouted at Vega.
"I assure you Ms. Isly will not run and if she does I'll resign." Vega said staring at the warden. Ever since the two first met they had not agreed on anything. Warden Sharp despised the inmates while Vega marveled at them. Warden Sharp wanted to execute the prisoners while Vega wanted to warp their evil desires. Vega's claims that Pamela Isly aka Poison Ivy was close to rehabilitation in just a matter of months had Sharp very skeptic. Many had tried to rehabiliate her and met either death or lust.
"You'll resign you say? Are you really that gullible?" Warden Sharp asked mockingly.
"Gullible no. But I must say that the chance to make you look stupid is one I never miss." The doctor replied smiling.
"We shall see who the stupid one is!" Warden Sharp boomed loudly, "You have your pass."
"Thank you. I'll take Ms. Isly out tomarrow." Vega said before walking away.
"And I'll have your resignation ready for you to sign." Warden Sharp snapped.
The next day Pamela Isly was escorted to Vega's red Ford Taurus by two guards. "Ms. Isly, how does it feel to walk out of Arkham rather than run?" Vega asked.
"Feels nice but I am still a prisoner." Ivy answered.
"With the progress you've been making your freedom is within your grasp." Vega said opening the door. Ivy stepped into the car.
As soon as Vega got into the car Ivy asked, "So where are we going?"
"A place worse than Arkham." Vega answered without any emotion.
Ivy laughed a little, "Is there such a place?"
"Unfortunately." The two drove into Gotham in silence. Ivy began to wonder where they were going. Arkham was hell on Earth yet Vega said there was a place worse. It couldn't be anything worse than her first session. After the first session Ivy was in shock and started to believe human life had value, but now she just tolerated him. She would soon be able to leave Arkham and continue to protect plants from human ignorance. It made her smile knowing that she was making a fool of her current doctor. He believed he was changing her but in reality she knew where her calling was and nothing could stop that.
"We're here." Vega said breaking Ivy's thoughts. Ivy looked out the window and saw in bright red letters, 'Wayne Children's Hospice.' "Let's go. Time you find out why I am so messed up." Vega said stepping out of the car. Ivy slowly followed wondering why she was here. "A place filled with children who are slowly dying. Despite what the doctors, nurses, and volunteers do the smell of death lingers here. I hate this place." Vega said quietly as tears were begining to form. The doctor wiped his eyes and walked to the door. Ivy followed close by unsure of what was happening.
The two walked up to the nurse at the front desk, "Ah Mr. Alexander I'm glad your here."
Vega's widened, "Why? Has something happen to Mikey?"
"No. Your brother is just fine." The nurse replied as Ivy took immediate notice of the word brother. "It's your father. I know the director said he could stay but..."
Vega sighed heavily, "Yeah alright I'll take care of it." Vega wrote his name in the visitor's log followed by Ivy.
"What is your brother here for?" Ivy asked carefully.
"Lung cancer. Second hand." Vega replied sharply. Two reached a room where a man stood looking in the window. Ivy could tell the man hadn't bathed in a while. "Hey dad, how's Mikey?"
"He's sleeping. He looks like a little angel." Mr. Alexander said not moving from the window.
"Dad, go home, get a shower. People are starting to complain." Vega said quietly.
"No!" Mr. Alexander said tears starting to stream down his face. "I can't leave."
"Dad, Mikey will be here when you get back. Don't you want to look nice for him?" Vega said softly. Mr. Alexander nodded before walking toward the door.
"Is he gonna be alright?" Ivy asked watching Vega's father leave the building.
"I pray he will be." Vega replied with a sigh. Vega's mother was a smoker. When Mikey was diagnosed his father blamed the mother and said horrible things. Mr. Alexander left for a walk. When he returned home he found she had slit her wrists. Mrs. Alexander survived but was locked in a mental institute where she remained catatonic. After that Mr. Alexander stayed near Micky, not wanting to enter an empty house.
"C'mon. I have someone I want you to meet." Vega took one last look at his brother before moving on. The two walked through the building as multiple children smiled and waved at Vega.
"Are you gonna do more tricks?" A young pale black boy holding a teddy bear asked.
"I'll do one right now." Vega said softly as he pulled a quarter from his pocket. "Are you watching very closely?" The quarter moved through the knuckles of his fingers until it disapeared. Vega show the child his hands revealing the coin disappeared. Slowly he then pulled the quarter from the teddy bears ear.
"Wow. That was so cool. Can I see another trick?" The child asked.
"I'm sorry but I am busy. But don't worry I'll be back." Vega replied sadly as it broke Ivy's heart. The child just smiled and nodded his head. "Come on Valarie is waiting for us." Ivy looked around seeing multiple childern knowing why they were here and upset that their was nothing she could do. The two entered a room with a girl. Her skin preferance was white but in truth she was red as a lobster with a shiny rash, and dry patchy place, along with horrible sweating. "Hey Valarie. How are you feeling?"
"Better. Who is she?" The young girl asked looking toward Ivy.
"That is a friend of mine. She likes plants." Vega replied.
"Really? How about I make her a flower?" Valarie said her face brightening. "What are your favorite colors?" She asked Ivy pulling a small stack of multi-colored paper from the table on her left.
"Red and green." Ivy replied. The little girl nodded and began folding paper's.
"Here you go. A red rose." Valarie said with a smile.
Ivy slowly took the rose and said, "Thank you."
"We have to go. But I'll be back okay?" Vega said. "You rest up. We'll have some fun tonight."
"Okay." Valerie said happily.
"What does she have?" Ivy asked when the two were out of ear shot.
"Aids from birth and now pnumonia. I met her at the soda machine a month after my brother was placed here. I've gotten to know plenty of these children." Vega looked over at a nurse. "Miss, I need to set up a party for tonight. Here is money for snacks and whatever else is needed. I'll be back here at six." Vega said handing the woman five hundred dollars, "Oh and keep the change." The nurse nodded and hurried off.
"A party?" Ivy asked amused.
"They're children. They should have as much fun as they can. Come on let's go see if Mikey is awake." The two saw Mikey sitting up in bed watching television. "Anything good on?" Vega asked walking into the room.
"Is there ever?" Mikey replied with a smile.
"Not during the day. So has this place been treating you well?"
"Could be worse." As soon as the child answered he started coughing violently as blood came up. Vega took out a hankerchief and cleaned up the blood.
"You gonna live?" Vega asked his eyes going soft from seeing his brother like this.
"I will today. Tomarrow who knows." Mikey answered with a smile.
Vega let out a quick snort, "Funny. Morbid but funny. I want you to meet someone while I go get a nurse."
Ivy stepped forward looking at the child."Hey. How long have you been here?" Ivy asked.
"A couple of months." The boy replied. "My brother and father thought this place would be better than home."
"Well this place does have the necessary equipment to help you." Ivy said softly not wanting to mention the child's mother.
"Yeah. Plus I do get to make a lot of friends. We all hang out together and do stuff."
"Oh? Like what?" Ivy asked inquisitive.
Mikey gave a dark smile, "Causing mischief. Such as placing rubber snakes in the nurses and doctors lounge. Glue on the attendant's phone."
"Does your brother appove of this kind of behavior?"
"Where do you think we get our items?" Mikey answered leaving Ivy shocked. She thought she knew her doctor but in reality she barely scratched the surface.
"Hey we have to go." Vega called entering the building with a nurse behind him. "But I'll be back later." Vega kissed his brother on the head before leaving. The two made their way to the vehicle as Vega gave the building another dirty look.
"If you hate this place so much why do you come here?" Ivy asked.
Vega's eyes remained locked on the building as he replied, "I heard a tale about a woman who dreamed she was in hell. She constantly tried to climb out but whenever she reached the top she always fell back in. Welcome to my hell." Vega's eyes turned to Ivy. "I brought you here for a reason. With the way you manipulate plants imagine the cures you can produce with it. Imagine ending cancer if you fought with everything you had. The money you make with the cure you can buy land to save plants all over the world. You have the ability to wipe this place off the face of the Earth." The two drove back to Arkham in silence.
Entering the Asylum Vega shouted, "Hey Sharp, We're back!" The Warden ran out of his office in complete shock. Vega chuckled as the two kept walking forward.
"What was that all about?" Ivy asked curiously.
"He lost a bet. That is all you need to know. We're here." Vega said stopping in front of Ivy's cell. "I'll see you later."
Ivy stepped into the room looking down the flower Valerie gave her. Vega was right, she did have the power to manipulate plants and the ability to create all sorts of cures if she pushed herself. This morning she was playing on Vega's trust. Now she wanted to be free and save the children who were dying.