A/N: Neither Magpie or Ivy belong to me, only to the comics empire DC.

"Hey, Ivy?"

"Yes?"

"Have you ever wondered what it would be like if we had all of the problems that people think we do?"

Ivy glanced at the redhead from the corner of her eye, her left hand hovering above the small hybrid plant steadily. Beneath her palm she could feel a radiating heat lifting from the dimly glowing leaves, a slight pulse only she could feel pulling up with it. A warm smile danced across her full, forest green lips as she gently brushed her fingertips against its vibrant stalk in a loving, motherly gesture. The plant shivered briefly in response and brightened its glow a bit, as if trying to please the woman further.

"…I think Gotham City would have long since been brought to its knees, if that were the case."

Magpie grinned victoriously and looked back to the magazine in her grip, fumbling through the pages half-heartedly and searching for something worthwhile to read.

"Yeah, that's what I said, too. Go figure, half the loons in this joint would make better shrinks than the idiot therapists they got trying to treat us now." She paused to savor the sweet, alluring scent that began wafting through the stagnant air of the cell and focused her attention on Ivy's back.

"H…Hey, Ivy, whatcha got over there?" She recognized the smell immediately; magnolias and lemon grass, the scent Ivy gave off when she was pleased with something or when she was having a pleasant dream.

"A hybrid I just created using traces of phosphorescent algae, acidic bacteria, and compounds in certain kinds of moss. This little beauty here has an incredible ability; it can store photons of light, like a solar battery, and release them later on in times of darkness. It can also radiate heat in cold temperatures, an automatic reaction to environments below 48 degrees Fahrenheit, as it's doing right now." Ivy turned to Magpie, grinning foxlike. "What, don't tell me you didn't notice that your shivering stopped over 20 minutes ago?"

Magpie perked up instantly, her position morphing from languidly sprawled out on Ivy's cot to sitting cross-legged with her palms pressing firmly against her shins. Honestly, she was more like a cat that she was a bird, as her name suggested. She was quiet for a moment, as if studying the atmosphere, before taking in a deep sigh and smiling contentedly.

"Mmmm…" she purred. "Yeah, I feel it now. That little plant warmed up this entire room, huh? That's pretty impressive, Ivy. Where did you get the stuff to make it?" The red head watched as the other woman gingerly picked up the pot and carried it over to the cot, holding it with the care a mother puts into cradling her newborn child. She placed it on the stiff covers, stroking its leaves and whispering words of endearment as she went. Magpie was instantly captured by the plant's faint, pulsing glow.

"Everything that went into creating her, I found around this cell, from the mold growing in the corners of the walls to the algae forming beneath the floors."

"Wow…" She was silent for a short time, entranced by the hypnotizing light. "That's… that's really amazing, Ivy. You really are something…"

"Oh…" Ivy whispered, a realization clicking in her mind. "So that's why you're called Magpie…" A wide, beautiful grin spread across her lips once again. "You have an unusual affinity with shiny, bright things, don't you?"

The other woman blinked, then shook her head in an attempt to dislodge her eyes from the mesmerizing object. She laid on her back, resting her neck on Ivy's seated legs, and began pawing at her long, brightly colored hair. It had become a regular action to her now, ever since that night a few weeks ago.

"Yeah, you got it. See, I used to work in a museum as a curator in the jewelry section of the place. Everything was so beautiful there, so bright and shining and pretty in the sunlight. I was in charge of keeping it all that way. You know, polishing them up all nice and making them all look like new. But it started to get to me. There I was, surrounded by all the things I've ever wanted in my life, and yet I couldn't have them! It really ticked me off! So one day I finally snapped and made off with about eight grand worth of jewels. Sure, I was caught, but I didn't really care because I had already gotten what I wanted and hid about a quarter of them in a cave I found over in Robinson Park."

Ivy shook her head in acknowledgement, the memory of the cave surfacing in her mind, and continued gazing intently into the hazel eyes of the woman on her lap. Their eyes locked for a moment; long enough for Magpie to notice how gorgeously emerald Ivy's were in the dim phosphorescent glow of her hybrid.

"So why did they put you in Arkham? Seems more like prison territory."

"Yeah, at first. Course, I didn't put the costume on until after my first breakout. And that's the problem with costumes. Once you put one on it's like the whole world turns on you…Plus, I went after Batman pretty soon after that. So, you know…" She gestured in the air with sorted fingers. "Batman—enemy, enemy—super villain, super villain—crazy person, crazy person—Arkham. You know the drill."

"Of course…" Ivy's voice trailed off into the warming air. For the following few minutes there was a comfortable silence between the two, a quiet recognition of the uncharacteristic calmness of the surrounding building. Everything, for the time being, seemed…at peace. At least for now.

Lord knows both women would have rathered it stayed that way forever.

Alas, however, the insanity of the place never remained tame for long. Their time for quiet contemplation was cut short when the solid steel door to their cell slid open, the sound of steel grinding against steel filling the echoing walls. From its wake three guards, all female and armed with oxygen masks and hazmat suits, stepped into the room and approached Ivy. Magpie sat up abruptly and snatched the glowing specimen from the cot they shared, moving as swiftly as possible to hide the object in the small space beneath the legs of the makeshift bed. The biggest woman seized Ivy by the arm roughly and spoke in a voice that told of a long history of chain smoking.

"Come on, princess. Time for your weekly therapy session with Dr. Miller."

Ivy winced under the woman's iron grip and took in a lungful of air through her teeth.

Magpie snapped upwards in a moment, raising herself onto her knees and pointing an accusing finger in their direction.

"Hey! You don't gotta be so rough with her, you big brute!" she snarled.

One of the guards stepped forward, waving a rod charged with a current of flickering electricity in her direction. "Back off, Magpie. You're not giving the orders here." She scowled, but lowered her finger and crossed her arms across her chest tightly in defeat nonetheless.

Ivy couldn't help but smile at the protectiveness of her friend. It felt good to finally have someone who genuinely cared for her, rather than simply lusting after her beauty.

"Now, let's go, Isley. Dr. Miller's waiting."

She snorted delicately and tugged her arm out of the guard's grasp, rubbing an alabaster green hand over the already darkening skin and following them out of the cell, her grace contrasting with their heavy-stepped clumsiness. Magpie watched the four warily, her eyes pinned on the back of the fiery haired beauty as she left. As if sensing her concern, Ivy glanced over her shoulder and nodded slightly, lips turned up at one corner and brow relaxed. At once, Magpie's shoulders fell and lost the angered intensity they had held. She exhaled loudly, mumbling something about a 'hostile work environment' and collapsing onto her back, burying her head into the pillow at its head. Inhaling through her nose, she savored the enticing scent of the missing woman. Roses and lavender. Two of her favorite smells.

Still, silently, she hoped Ivy would be all right with Dr. Miller. She absolutely hated that man. Both of them did. Hell, everyone in this godforsaken place did. He was the therapist to the notably high threat patients; however, his methods could hardly be called therapeutic. Arkham knew it, too. Why else would he post over 15 guards in Miller's office during his sessions? Patients were known to lose their temper with him, but they hardly got very far before they were down on their stomachs, or headed to the emergency room.

Of course, it was Ivy she was talking about. She was sure she'd be fine, she knew how to handle herself in difficult situations without snapping too quickly.

At least, that was what she thought. Miller was a dangerous man, and was going to make that known to all who dwelled in this hellhole.

She just didn't realize how far he was willing to go until the three women returned, dragging a limp and broken Ivy behind them, her fiery hair covering her face and forest green tears rolling over her cheeks in thin streams. They tossed her on the steel floor of the cell like a worn out piece of trash, sneering and grinning like fat, spoiled children, and walked out without a word, typing in the code on the keypad outside that activated the sliding metal door to shut. As soon as the last inch slid closed, Magpie was up in a second, bounding over to Ivy's crumpled form and kneeling next to her, calling to her worriedly and placing a paling hand on her back.

"Ivy! What'd they do to you? What happened? Ivy?" When no response came, Magpie's expression fell even further and she gently, very gently, lifted her off the cold ground and turned her onto her back, propping her back up against her own chest and holding her close. Ivy, in turn, lifted a trembling hand and gripped a fistful of Magpie's orange patient uniform top, burying her head into her breast. She was silent for a long while, in which Magpie held her quietly and stroked her soft, long hair and whispered small words of comfort every now and again. She did not sob, did not once make a single sound, only let the tears run silently down her cheeks. Magpie didn't remember until after nearly 20 minutes of this what Ivy had told her just a handful of weeks ago.

"Ivy…I thought…" she paused, her tone smooth and nearly a whisper.

"…I thought you told me you couldn't cry…?"

Ivy lifted her head, the pained pull on her features tearing a hole in Magpie's heart. An almost sadistic smile washed over her vibrantly colored lips and her tears continued to stain her beautiful complexion.

"I…I didn't think…" she paused, biting back a sob that suddenly cut into her trembling throat.

"…Ivy?" She was shaking now, horribly. Magpie only hugged her closer.

"I…" Her entire body tensed up and curled into itself. She felt as if the woman was literally falling into pieces in her arms. This was a part of Ivy she had never seen, and she would bet money she was one of the people who would ever.

Still, it ripped her apart. When she pulled together, she would continue her questions. But for now, she would remain quiet, and wait until then.