A/N: Ok, I know that this took me FOREVER to write, but I've been busy... and grounded. This is going to continue right after Harley was challenged by her men, and then jump to Ivy, then to a very weird conversation. I hope you all like it.

Song used: "Move" by Thousand Foot Krutch
Look, listen to my voice If you're making the choice tell all the girls and the boys Either scream or rejoice let's make that noise Either move or we will all be destroyed
Move and show me what you can do When you step into the circle and shake like we do And move when you just can't take it And move if you just feel like breaking it
Can you hear me? Stop, look, listen to my voice It was never my choice to feel all alone This is my home Back up, you don't know if you've never been here You've never been to the place inside, I face my fears It takes everything I am So move, move until the storm is over 'Cause underneath, there's a diamond passing over So breathe, let's leave until the storm is over Because I want to take you away


Move

Harley bent over and picked up the prick's crowbar and casually hit it against the palm of her hand. "So, anyone else?" she asked casually over his screaming. She glanced at him coldly and noticed a trickle of blood come out of his mouth. Apparently she had shattered a few teeth and the fragments were cutting into his gums. Not nearly as much damaged as she hoped, but it would have to do.

Fortunately, no one stepped forward. Harley smirked and swung the crowbar onto her shoulders and began to strut out of the room. "Good." Suddenly, she stopped "Now," and pointed the end of the crowbar at the ringleader "as for you," she paused, thinking. She could knock his fucking head off right now and set an example, but he had rallied all these men so easily and had the sense to be scared shitless of her. She may need him. "What's yuh name?"

"D-Dax ma'am."

"Dax huh?" She swung the crowbar back on her shoulder and pushed out her hip. "I like you." And with that she continued to strut past her men. "Hold down the fort while I'm gone ok Dex? I'll be back in a jip," She called back, almost carelessly. No one could ever imagine how tense she was at that moment.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't feed you to my babies," I hissed angrily.

"I-I'm sorry! But I was starving! You have so much fruit here and my friends and I are-"

"I don't care if you're hungry," I snapped, appalled this human would even bother to use the sympathy card with me. As if he was better than my babies. I looked him over in disgust. "All you homo-sapiens are the same. Thinking you're more important than Mother Nature's other children… what gives you the right? See this?" I held up the fruit he had stolen and almost eaten to the core. "These were the plants' children… my children's children! And I am a very formidable grandmother…"

"Please! I- I can give you information! I know what's going on outside!"

"Oh? And would could possibly be so interesting that I'd let you go?"

"Strange is dead! Gone!" he shouted desperately.

I scoffed. "That's no shock. I'm surprised he lasted this long," I said as I checked my nails nonchalantly, and then began to walk away. "Take him downstairs," I ordered to my servants behind me.

"Wait! Wait! The Joker's dead! Rumor has it Batman killed him in the theatre! Please… please let me go!"

I stopped immediately. "Oh… well. That is interesting." Finally. Batman finally put down that beast… he was finally out of the game. Serves him right… after all of the things he's done to me, to my babies, to my plans… and to Harley.

Harley was probably heartbroken right now without her beloved clown prince. She's probably in an unimaginable amount of pain… but in a foreseeable amount of danger.

Joker had been keeping her away from me since I arrived in Arkham City, but now he was gone. The only thing keeping Harley away from me was gone now, and naturally we were going to be pulled together like magnets.

"I-Interesting enough to let a husband and father of two go?" he asked hopefully, tears and snot dripping down his face.

I turned on my heels to face him. "No. In fact, I'd much prefer you as feed than for you to breed." With that, my plants grabbed him by his ankles and dragged him away, not waiting for my servants to take him.

"No, nooo!" he screamed as he was pulled into the floor below us to be eaten, his nails digging into the floor. I smirked as he screams of fear turned into screams of pain, and then into anguished gurgles as he became what he was truly meant to be: meat.

I sighed as I sat down on a chair of vines that formed beneath me, and waited.

I didn't wait for her very long. Only fifteen minutes passed before my babies told me she had arrived.

It had never been hard for Harley to find Ivy's place. She knew Ivy, and what to look for when looking for her "hide-out". While the building had almost none of the charm Ivy preferred, the vines and leaves poking out of windows and walls was proof enough that Ivy felt right at home.

Harley eyed the vines slithering around her coolly. She half expected them to grow a bed of leaves just for her to carry her in, but it was too cold in Arkham City for that. At least Ivy would know she was coming to see her –surprising Ivy rarely went well. It had been months since their last meeting, so Harley suddenly felt a bit guilty that she couldn't feel happy or excited.

When Harley got to the front door, it opened for her. Ivy's plants had always acted like butlers around her.

"Pammy?" Harley called in, unfazed by Ivy's choice in décor. Plants and flowers of all sorts covered the walls, make the rooms look alive as the vines slithered and swayed. As Harley stepped into the room, she felt the temperature jump dramatically from the tundra outside to the tropics inside. Nothing was too good for her babies…

"Come on up." A vine dropped down from above and curled itself into a platform. Harley gingerly stepped onto it and held on to the vine as she began to rise. As Harley got closer to Ivy, she realized she didn't know what to do or say. She needed help but…

I sat there patiently, waiting for her. For my friend. For Harley. I wasn't sure what to expect. Would she be broken? Would she be murderous? Would she be beaten? Would she run to me like a child and cry into my chest?

Yes, yes. She'd probably be blubbering like a baby, snot running into her mouth while tears ruined her face. I saw the tops of two blond pigtails, and braced myself for the sudden flood of sympathy and love that would pass through me once I saw her. My friend.

But she wasn't crying though. She obviously had been, but she wasn't now. Her eyes were an angry red and puffy. Blood and mascara ran down her face, ruining her pale complexion. But she didn't look fearful. She didn't look lost.

She looked determined, like she paid no mind to the troubles surrounding her.

Or put up a mask to make it seem that way. Even for me.

I didn't like it.

"Harley."

"Ivy."

"You're a mess."

Silence. Stone cold silence.

"The Joker's dead," I stated plainly.

That's all it took. Her soldier-like demeanor melted away instantly and she became a crying child. She ran towards me, arms out, and hugged me close, burying herself in my chest, crying.

"He's really gone Red… He's really gone this time," she sobbed. "I-I even saw Batman carry his body away… I'll never see him again Red… I'll never see him again…"

I paused, not entirely sure of what to do, or what to say. I simply placed my hands on her head and stroked her hair. I can't deny the pang of satisfaction I felt when she pressed her face into my chest.

"Shh… shh… there there. It'll all be fine," I soothed.

"No! No it won't!" she cried out, pulling her face away from me. "I'm alone Red! He left without me… I don't know what to do… I don't know what to do…" She continued to pull away from me, slowly curling herself into a ball, her hands on her head as if she were trying to keep it together… or perhaps trying to keep the world out of it.

I knelt beside her. "We can just walk away from this, you and I," I whispered, hopeful. "Like old times remember? With Strange gone, they're going to close Arkham City and we can just break out of Blackgate or wherever they're planning on sending us."

She pushed her hands onto the ground but kept her head down, and I instantly saw her resolve form again. Something's changed. Something was different. She should have just paused and untangled herself, glad for a sense of familiarity.

But clearly, going back wasn't an option. Her body language screamed an absolute no… but I couldn't think of a reason why. We had gone through this a thousand times before. The Joker would leave her, or she would run away from him, and we would team up until she went running back to him. Nothing should have changed.

"We can't go back Red… we can't just walk away this time. It's not just me anymore…"

I looked at her, puzzled. And that's when I smelled it. I'd stopped checking for it years ago, when I figured it was impossible. They'd never go through with it, I had told myself. He's too uncaring, and she's not that willing. She wouldn't put herself through that… not even for him.

But there it was… that pheromone I had dreaded from day one.

I bowed my head, making my blood red waves cover the hatred that passed over my face. So, he had managed to keep one last dagger to her heart, even after death. Even after he was gone and she could finally be all mine. "You're pregnant…"

My first thought was to kill it. I had thousands of chemicals at my disposal. I could make Harley inhale any one of them and it would look natural, like an accident. A simple occurrence that could happen during any pregnancy… that should happen during this pregnancy.

"Yes…" she admitted, almost guiltily. Almost.

"We need to run. We need to get out now," I stated coldly. "The second someone finds out, you're done for Harley. Two-Face and Penguin will do everything they can to take advantage of you. And you won't be strong enough to fight them both off anymore. You-"

She picked her head up immediately. "That's why I need you Red. I might not be strong enough in a few months, but I'll have you helping me. With you I'll have this whole god forsaken place in the palm of my hand before we're done."

I tensed my jaw. She wasn't budging. "Harley…" I said desperately, trying to think of something, anything to make her see that we needed to get out now.

"Ivy, if I don't have you on my side, by my side, they'll chew me up and spit me out no problem. And if we run, how long do you think it'll take them to find us? And then they'll have everything they need. I need to get rid of them here and now. I need to take over this place and make it safe. In here I can defend him. In here I can crush them. Out there," she pointed past my head, "I'm dead. He's dead… and I can't… I can't…"

I glowered at her. This was the strongest I had ever seen her. I've seen her determined before, but this bested any previous resolve. And it wasn't after I put her together. Her confidence didn't come from me. It came from the abomination growing in her belly. Forced there by the Devil himself… Fucking Joker. He had always been Harley's main weakness and her primary source of strength. And now he would stay that way for the rest of her life… no.

She was going to break away from him. This wasn't going to be his abomination. This was going to be her child. It would be her creation. It was going to have her eyes, her hair, her smile, and her laugh. But I needed to lead her… and to lead her I needed to be by her side.

Yes, that was it. That's why I was joining her. I was joining her to help her. Not because I felt the need to be close to her. Not because I felt the need to follow her. I was joining her because she needed me.

"Fine… but we need to clean you up first. You're a mess, and we need to make you… presentable."

"Dude, think she'll get killed on her way back?" Isaac asked for maybe the hundredth time. Dax kept his back to him, but he could still hear him sharpening a stake behind him.

"I don't know… maybe," I answered coldly, hoping this time he would just shut up instead of trying to continue a conversation.

"You'd better hope so. She's gonna kill yo ass if she sees you. Fucking shit… did you see that bitch's face when she socked dat dude? Talk about a fucking hellcat…" He chuckled.

"Yeah… a hellcat…" Isaac was a dumbass. A dumb ghetto motherfucker who always made Dax wonder why the Joker hadn't killed him the moment he opened his mouth. Then again, Joker wasn't one for improving the world.

But as dumb as Isaac was, he got that right. Harley Quinn had looked like a hellcat when Eddy had challenged her. She had scared the hell out of him… but it was somehow enticing. She was dangerous, and she could have killed him with one swift movement, but she hadn't. She had even said that she liked him. She liked him. He had even left him in charge.

He had immediately called off the attack, but was completely aware that another attack was brewing right under his feet. He wasn't exactly sure who was setting it up, and who was a part of it, but he knew he was outnumbered. No one was going to lay down their lives for Harley. She was a psycho bitch who bullied them. But the only reason she was able to do that before was because if you didn't listen to Harley, you weren't listening to the Joker. And that was scary.

But seeing her defend herself in the office before… she wasn't just a psycho bitch. She was strong and powerful. She could have them all wrapped around her finger if she wanted to. She could beat them all into submission if she needed to. They must have all sensed it, because they all followed her. As much as they all hated her, the felt her power. And now that Dax had seen it… and been threatened by it… it seemed-

"Ey Dax! What is that?" Isaac suddenly stood up and looked over the edge of the building. Dax stood up and leaned over the railings as well, looking for what Isaac was talking about. He didn't see anything.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, irritated. He didn't see any men coming in from the bridge, thank goodness, but Isaac's tone was making him anxious.

"Over there!" He pointed towards the destroyed bridge, where there was nothing.

"There's nothing there Isaac." But Dax still looked, anxious.

"It's the metal… it's moving man…"

Dax looked closer. Weird shit happened in Arkham City, but he couldn't think of anyone who could make metal move… but as he stared at the bridge… he realized something was moving. It was too dark to make out what it was but it looked like…

"Vines…" Dax breathed quietly. His eyes went down the vine to find the ends, and he saw that they were slithering like snakes towards the entrance. Dax was quickly able to put together what had happened. There was only one person who could control plants like this, and Harley had her on speed dial.

Dax was caught. He could either sound the alarm and save the men at the entrance and make the men inside battle ready, or he could keep his mouth shut and show that he was on Harley's side. He tensed his jaw and ran the possibilities over in his mind. But he didn't have time to think it all through.

"They're vines man! They're fucking vines! Hey guys!" Isaac called down to the men guarding the entrance, "Get your asses inside! We've got fucking vines!" The men paused and looked at Isaac like he was retarded. "Look!" Isaac screamed in alarm and pointed behind them.

The men turned around and saw the vines curling up the entrance of the steel mill. Dax could see them all jump and they all started shooting at the enemies in a panic. Dax felt both relieved and frustrated as he watched the vines slowly retreat. He sighed and made his decision. He had to look like he was in charge. There was going to be too much panic now for anyone to remember that he had not called the first alarm, but if he didn't act now everyone would remember that he had tried to help Harley.

"Get inside and shut the doors!" he yelled out. "We've got Poison Ivy's bitches coming after us! Anyone stuck outside is fucked! Move! Move!" Isaac immediately booked it down stairs, but Dax stayed outside. He needed to see what they were up against.

Some of the men guarding the entrance had stayed behind to keep the plants at bay while men rushed in, but for now everything had gone quiet. The plants hadn't made any movement Dax could see, but he also noted the few men that had gotten past the plants. At least thirty guys were walking around, but only five had gotten through…

"Get inside!" Dax bellowed at the guards, but it was a fatal mistake. When they turned around to look at him for that brief second, all hell broke loose.

Countless fines suddenly popped up from behind the walls surrounding them. His men cried out in surprise as vines wrapped around their arms and legs, rendering them immobile. The men tried to fight, but the vines held fast as countless more sped towards the doors. The men tried to close them, but the numerous vines kept them open. Dax cursed under his breath and sprinted down the stairs and through the doors. He ran to the entrance, the sound of guns echoing through the halls as well as the screams of men begging for help.

The second room he reached was filled with men aiming their guns towards the doors which were already bolted shut.

The doors were pushed against and the whole room suddenly picked up their guns and turned off their safeties. "Help! Let me in! Let me in! We need help! They're far enough behind me that you can open the door! C'mon guys!" A few shots were fired outside the door. "Open up!" the man screamed.

Dax looked around him angrily, at the cowards that surrounding him who had retreated back here while there was an enemy to be fought outside. But he didn't want to be the one to open the door. He didn't want to be the one to let hell inside the room.

"Oh God… Oh God… they're coming… LET ME IN! PLEASE I DON'T WANNA DIE!" he screamed in desperately. More shots were fired, and then there was a primal scream of desperation from the other side of the door as the gun kept firing.

Dax could feel his heart pound from excitement and fear. Maybe this guy would save them all, or maybe he'll just die and the vines will burst through the door.

Suddenly the bullets stopped firing, a scream, a hard thud against the door, then silence.

Silence…

The sound of quick breathing… a rushing heart…

Silence…

A soft scrape…

"THE VENTS!" someone screamed. A few shots, and suddenly everyone was shooting in the same direction, hopefully annihilating whatever had caused the alarm.

"Stop!" Dax shouted sharply and raised his hand in a silencing motion. Everything was quiet again.

A single leaf floated down from the vent… quickly spinning as every man in the room watched its decent to the ground. Dax tensed as the leaf got closer to the ground…

Once it hit the ground, and everyone was looking down, the vent exploded outward and a thousand vines took its place. The plants worked like lightning, like they all had a target. Each one immediately immobilized one man or another. A vine went right past Dax's face and he fell backwards on his ass to avoid it. He looked over towards its destination and saw one man shooting wildly at another vine, screaming in fury in desperation, but suddenly his gun was in front of Dax and the vine was wrapped around his arms and legs, holding him relatively still even though he still struggled to pull the vines away from his throat.

Dax couldn't help but watch him struggle while the room filled with desperate and muffled yells. Suddenly, he noticed another vine seemed to stop in its tracks and look at him. Look at him. Dax scrambled backwards in a panic, completely forgetting about the gun that was at his feet. The vine lowered itself to the ground and began to slither towards him. All the while Dax was searching around the room, searching for someone to help him, but everyone was already immobilized by the vines. A few men were completely engulfed in vines, only a struggling hand or a twitching foot, like a mouse caught in a trap.

Dax whimpered softly, watching the vine approach him while he had no weapon. Suddenly it raised its head, and looked like a cobra getting ready to strike. When it did, Dax put his hands out defensively but the vine curled itself around his wrists and neck lightning fast. Then it paused, its head floating around his face.

The vine's end suddenly began to crack, and small bulbs began to erupt down its length. A bulb also erupt in Dax's face. Once it was big enough, a large pink flower began to form from the bulb. Dax didn't know what would come out of the flower, but the possibilities had his teeth chattering.

But when whatever it was came out of the flower, Dax knew it wouldn't kill him... he knew what it was for, and he didn't bother fighting it.

Well played Harley Quinn…

Those final two words echoed through his mind while his world was black.


A/N: I hope you all liked this second chapter. I know it was long awaited. Please review, I would love to know how I did with Poison Ivy. Although I know I need to make some tweaks. The only reason I made her so willing to be the follower this time because at the momentHarley isn't going to let anything stop her, and she knows it. I know the relationship is a bit abnormal at the moment, but in this story Harley is going to be the leader because her Master forced her into that role in His abscence, while we're all used to Poison Ivy being dominant in his relationship. I know it's weird, but bare with me here.

And I know a few of you are curious about this "Dax" character. Well, I'm sorry to tell you that this love sick puppy is going to be around for a while. You'll all have to wait and see how Harley reacts to his affection towards her.