Author's Note: This chapter is not part of the actual story. This is just a little mini-story/ teaser for Part II of "Us Against the World." :) Inspired by the "Fake Joker gag" from Batman: Arkham City. Enjoy!
I heard the Bat arrive outside the abandoned clinic where I was caring for Jack. I had been expecting him for a little while. I actually couldn't believe he hadn't found us sooner. It was even more unbelievable that I had been able to find some old equipment and gotten it working to help Jack.
The dark figured stood in the doorway, standing there like a statue for a moment. His black silhouette was outlined by the light of a streetlamp.
"Just leave him alone," I said as I stood protectively in front of his bed. I raised my hands raised to stun if necessary. "Check for yourself if you don't believe me."
"Out of my way," Batman said.
"Shh!" I snapped, "Don't wake him!"
He drew nearer.
"Please, just let him sleep! He's very sick. He's had a fever for days, 102 degrees today."
Jack shifted a bit and I was instantly at his side. His eyes slid slowly open.
"How are you feeling sweetheart?" I asked.
"Like a picture of health," he teased with a grin.
"That's good. You're getting better, I promise. Everything's going to be okay." I touched his cheek. "Go back to sleep." And he did.
"I have to keep him on light sedatives, or else I'm afraid he try to move around and hurt himself. You know how stubborn he is," I said, gesturing to his IV bag.
Batman looked down at Jack, hopefully seeing the sweat over his pale skin. Please let him believe me. Please leave Jack alone.
"Why don't you bring him to a hospital?" he asked.
"Are you kidding me? They'd kill him if they found out who he was. A hospital is the worst place for him to be right now."
"I'll help you nurse him back to health on one condition: you turn him in when he's well enough."
"So you're saying you'll let him die if I don't turn him in?"
"No. I'm just saying if you don't, you're on your own."
"You know me. I'll find a way."
Without a final remark, he jumped out the window and vanished into the night.
Batman's proposition was not going to fly by me. There were other ways I could get help for Jack. I just hoped he would be fine when I left him to find help.
I made sure Jack was comfortable before I left. I set a glass of water, orange juice, and a few items of sick food on a table beside him, along with a bottle of Tylenol just in case he woke up while I was gone. I adjusted his pillows and made sure he had enough blankets like a doting mother.
Making my way through the city, I found the place I was seeking. At first glance, the simple plant nursery seemed completely ordinary. However, I was aware of what lurked underneath the veil of innocence. I went to the room in the back, and met the red-haired woman myself. Dressed in her green garment, with leaves falling off her body, she watered her pots of plants while humming a soft melody.
Pamela, or as she liked to be called, Poison Ivy, waved to me to beckon me closer.
We sat across from each other at a table. "What can I do for you?" she asked.
"My husband is ill. He's had fever symptoms for days and he's not getting any better. Do you have anything that could heal him?"
"How sweet," She clasped her hands together, "A woman taking desperate measures to save her lover." She threw her hands in the air excitedly and stood up. She pulled out a few books from a shelf behind her, which revealed a hidden safe. She entered the code and pulled out a little vial of a green liquid. "This should do the trick," she said, "Of course it won't come cheap."
"Of course," I said.
"And don't even think about stealing it. It won't work unless you follow my specific instructions, which I'll give you after I see some green."
Unfortunately, I couldn't find those instructions in her mind. "How much do you want?" I asked.
"Just a little token really: twenty grand."
"I'll have it to you tomorrow. And be warned: If you try to harm my husband in any way while he's as weak as he is now, I'll burn down your plant sanctuary and every tree in the city."
"We're done here."
"Yes we are." And I left to find twenty thousand dollars.
Finding such a large amount of money would be easy. The hard part was leaving Jack long enough to get it. I returned to him and found that he had not gotten any better while I was gone, but he hadn't gotten any worse, either. I guess that was a reason to be thankful. I kissed his cheek through the surgical mask that covered my face.
I stayed by his side until the evening when I went to an open bank. A simple storm knocked out the power, allowing me to sneak in unseen. The darkness and my illusions together made me totally invisible to everyone. I could have stolen money from the vaults, but that would've required time and equipment that I didn't have. Instead, I simply took from the pockets of the people in the bank, creating little distraction now and then to reach them. I targeted those who looked to be wealthy. A couple hundreds her and here, a few fifties there, and a few trips to the cash registers added up to the necessary twenty thousand.
I swiftly made my way back to Poison Ivy's nursery and watched her count out the money. She handed me the vial. "How do I know you didn't just give me a fake medicine? I asked.
"Oh, I would never do such a thing to a paying customer."
"You know I can tell if you're lying." I searched her thoughts, and no such lies were there to be found. "Thank you."
"Pleasure doing business with you."
She handed me her list of instructions and I couldn't get out of there and back to Jack fast enough.
It seemed that I had gotten back to him not a moment too soon. When I found him, his skin was burning up and I couldn't seem to fully wake him. It was like he was awake, but still caught in a dream somehow. Carefully following Ivy's instructions, I mixed the vial's contents with the right amount of water cooled to the right temperature and helped Jack sit up to drink it.
The effect was instant. I immediately felt his skin cool down to normal and it was like a fog was lifted from his eyes. I looked down at his face, tiny remnants of his makeup still visible. I gave a huge sigh of relief and kissed his forehead. I was happy there, just holding my husband, knowing that was safe with me, and that he would live that much longer.
