Fresh Air: A Sequel to "It's All the Same" by TaylorMade

Chapter One: The Job

The laugh that echoed throughout the warehouse was certainly nothing abnormal. It was the duration, the overall longevity of the noise that made the kid's blood run cold. The men had begun to eye one another, their muscles as tense as the mood in the empty building - unconscious preparation for fight-or-flight. It was unnerving, being there, but it was too late to back out. Usually Harley would have entered the office by now, diverting the boss' attention, and the cackle would have stopped its merciless onslaught through the halls.

But Harley wasn't here.

"Hey, Omar," the young henchman whispered to the human mountain next to him. "Should... Should someone go in, d'ya' think?"

"Be my guest," Omar shrugged. "But he'll probably shoot you right in the face."

The smaller man let that sink in, casting a worried look at the door at the top of the spindly stairs. Somehow he sensed Omar wasn't joking. He'd heard stories about his new employer, after all, like everyone who'd been born and raised in this miserable dump of a city. He hadn't been pleased to find himself working for the man who was the source of that hysterical sound, but he was hoping to earn enough money to get himself and his little sister out of Gotham and out to the countryside where there was the promise of a little fresh air.

"Hey," Omar was saying. "Kid, don't worry. Just keep your head down and do what you're told. If we're super lucky, his girl will come back and settle him down. If we're not unlucky, he'll have a plan and a job for us soon, which means he'll have something to focus on."

"And if we're not lucky at all?" the kid asked.

"Then there isn't much we can do about it anyway, son," Omar clapped a huge, dark hand on the younger man's bony shoulder. "Try and concentrate, okay?"

Before the kid could even nod, the office door slammed open and the cackling ceased. The boss appeared in the frame, his eerie shadow falling across the men on the ground floor. Bright eyes glittered with malice on the pale face. That and the man's nasty, unnatural smile made for an impressive, if horrifying, entrance. There was no question about it: he had their undivided attention.

"Get ready, boys!" he sneered. "We're setting a trap to catch ourselves a pretty little flower..."

And then that hellish laugh resumed...

(:)

'Ivy, are you awake?' The voice came from the bedside table. 'The orchids are thirsty. I could use a bit of water myself, to tell the truth...'

The shimmer of the sunrise glowed pleasantly on the redhead's face through the window, but she'd had such a late night... Her bed was so comfortable... She sighed sleepily.

'Patience,' she told the China Doll plant. 'I've never neglected you, have I, my darling?'

The plant chuckled, but she sensed its acquiescence. Even so, Ivy opened her eyes and gazed lovingly down at the little blonde snuggled securely in her arms. Harley's head rested on Ivy's bare chest, smiling in her sleep. It was almost too good to be true... Harley had moved in with her nearly five months ago and, so far, Ivy was enjoying the domestic life far more than she had as a child. It was nice to wake every morning and know that she and her plants weren't alone.

"Harley," she gently jostled her lover.

There was a sound of protest, a loud yawn, an exaggerated stretch... And then Poison Ivy found herself trapped in a vise-like bear hug. A soft puff of air escaped Harley's lips, and with that she fell immediately back to sleep. The China Doll laughed.

'That went well,' it remarked.

Ivy couldn't help but grin. 'Any suggestions?'

'A crowbar, perhaps?'

"Harl," Ivy said a bit louder. "I need to get up, my Love."

"Awww," Harley moaned, but instantly brightened as she looked up at her girlfriend. "Mornin', Red. Need help with th' flowers?"

'Start with the orchids,' the China Doll prodded.

"I'll get the orchids," Ivy said to Harley. "If you want to tend to our friend here."

Harley eagerly complied, taking extra care with the China Doll. After all, it had been nearly dead when she'd found it and rushed it to the only person she knew who could save it. A little water, a bit of her girl's special plant food... It had been pretty amazing to watch the houseplant revive before her eyes.

"Pam, are we gonna go out or have breakfast at home?" she called.

"You want doughnuts again, don't you?"

"She knows me pretty well, huh?" Harley whispered to the China Doll.

'Well, it isn't as if you don't work off the calories,' the plant replied, although it knew the blonde couldn't hear. Harley grinned at the China Doll and then hurried to help Ivy in the greenhouse. Together they made short work of their task and, in record time, they had showered, dressed, and were in the car.

'Have fun!' the China Doll called after them as the car engine revved to life. Then it muttered to the seedlings in the window. 'We should have asked Ivy to turn on the radio... I'm in the mood for some heavy metal...'

(:)

"So tell me all about this flower show thing," Harley said as she stuffed her eighth doughnut in her mouth. Ivy was trying not to watch, focusing instead on her salad. If she looked, she'd be unable to stop herself from calculating the amount of processed sugar the blonde was ingesting. She wasn't sure her gag reflex could take it.

"You mean the exhibit," Ivy warmed quickly to the subject. "The botanist in charge is one of the few who has never spoken out against me to appease the industrialists... Alice Beauchamps. She's going to be showing the world her amorphophallus titanum this weekend."

"You wantin' ta steal it, baby?" Harley asked, obviously ready to help.

"No," she shook her head. "This woman is a cultivator. She wants to protect the plants. If she were just showing off or trying to use the flower for profit, I might steal it. But, as far as I know, she's never used her corpse flower for anything other than a tool to educate the masses."

Harley choked on her latest doughnut. "Corpse flower?"

"Well, yes," Ivy replied. "That's the sort of odor it emits."

Wide blue eyes stared at her, clearly hoping for some indication of a joke. When no such sign appeared, the gymnast carefully placed her doughnut on her napkin. A nervous laugh escaped her as she scanned her girlfriend's placid expression. Ivy, it seemed, was quite serious. Harley hoped this wasn't the other woman's idea of a date, but if it was... How could she refuse?

"Um," she cleared her throat. "That's, uh... real interestin', Pammy... Real interestin'..."

"Don't worry," Ivy laughed letting her off the hook. "I know this isn't your cup of tea. The exhibit opens at four o'clock tomorrow. I'll take an hour or so to see it and speak with Dr. Beauchamps and then meet you for dinner and a movie. How does that sound."

"Like music to my ears," Harley giggled with relief. "An' my nose, too." Her smile turned a bit sly. "But it ain't a promise till it's sealed with a kiss."

Of course Ivy was happy to comply...

(:)

"What th' hell's'a' corpse flower?" one of the men was asking.

"Oh, it's bait," the boss laughed. "In fact, it's bait for our bait..." He followed this statement with a trademark laugh. The kid sighed. He already hated where this job was going...