*Chapter 10: The Gardens: Part 1*
"You still want to go through with this? I'll take you back to Cash. You'll be safe with him and the others." Batman asked Mia who walks besides him with a determined look in her eyes. After stopping Harley, she is eager to help the Dark Knight and get this nightmare over with. She needs to be back with Axel. He's alone at the apartment. "Ivy is dangerous. You know that?" Batman spoke. "Mia!"
"Batman, I know!" Mia said with a look. "Let's just find Ivy and stop Joker so this night is over! I feel like I'm going insane around here!"
"Mia, calm down." Batman grabbed her by the shoulders. "Let me handle all this. Just let me take you to-"
"No." Mia stopped him. "Let me help you. After Ivy, you go after the clown who got us trapped here. I promise. You can go solo when Joker is next." Batman wanted to smile. He's afraid the plants in the gardens would harm Mia either way. But they do have to find her since Joker is in the secret lab in the gardens. Batman will face him soon enough. "When things get too intense, I'll stay behind." Mia said.
"There's no stopping you, is there?" Batman asked with a slight chuckle. Mia smirked.
They walk up the steps of the glasshouse of the gardens. Some of the lunatics were running around and some of the Arkham guards are dead. Batman got the door open and let Mia walk inside and he followed her.
Batman uses his detective mode to follow the rest of Harley's trail. He can't waste any time in finding the Titan production plant. Mia kept her distance from the plants in case any of them try to grab her. She remembered last year when Ivy uses her plants to kill everyone in Gotham. Both Axel and Mia almost got poisoned, but thanks to Batman he injected them with a cure. Mia stepped on a tape. The interview tape. She picked up and see it was Ivy's.
"What are you planning, Ivy?" She wondered. Batman threw two batarangs at the armed men and made them fall back against the security gate. He then uses his sequencer to unlock the gate.
"There are armed goons in there. Stay hidden and don't make a sound." Batman said. Mia nodded. They quietly walked inside the Botanical Glasshouse. Batman grapples up to one of the gargoyles as Mia hides behind the plants. What she and Batman didn't know that they aren't the only ones around the gardens with Joker's men. A hand went over her mouth with a cloth. Mia couldn't scream. Her eyes roll back and everything went black. Someone drags her away and disappear in the wall.
Batman finished off the men, hearing Joker in the glasshouse. But he couldn't find Mia anywhere. He called out for her, but no response. He uses detective mode to find where she hid. His eyes behind the cowl went wide. There are footprints and lines that lead towards the wall. Someone took her. But who?
XX
"Wakey, wakey." A female voice spoke. Mia groaned and open her eyes, finding herself strapped to a chair. Across from the table is the Mad Hatter, pouring tea. Beside Mia is Alice. The first time Mia met her is two years ago when she lost her memory. She has been at the hospital for many months until she lost her sanity and went back to Jervis Tetch and becomes his Alice. Mia wanted to help her, but there was nothing she could do. Alice chose this life, not her old one.
"Good evening, Nurse Harlow." Jervis spoke. "Would you like some tea?" Mia looked around. Is this the Mad Hatter's secret room to have tea parties on the island around here? How could no one know about it? Mia looked over at the Mad Hatter.
"Where am I? What're you two doing here? I thought you escaped since Joker-"
"Escape? Oh, no no no no no!" Jervis spat. "This is a celebration! Tonight is a special night!"
"A two year anniversary since we met, Ms. Harlow!" Alice said with a grin. Mia got a better look at her. She is wearing the same blue dress from two years ago, but she is wearing a navy blue jacket and a rabbit mask over her face. She is wearing black boots with black and white tights. "So happy to see you here in the gardens to join the party. Our tea party!" Alice picked up a cake labeled Eat Me on it. She took a bite out of it.
"Why am I here?" Mia asked. "I don't have time for a tea party..."
"No time for tea? Such a shame." Jervis said with a pout. "You wish to know where Poison Ivy is?" That caught Mia's attention. But there is a catch. "Ah, now I have your attention, I see." Jervis giggled. "We will tell you where she is, if you have a sip of tea."
"You tell me where she is around the gardens, so I won't have to be on drugs again! I'm in no mood for Wonderland crap!" Mia snapped. Alice blew a puff of purple smoke on Mia's face. The woman started to cough. "What did you...do?" She asked as the room around her is spinning. "Not again..." Mia groaned.
"Down the rabbit hole you fall." Alice sang out. "Follow the white rabbit." The wall exploded and revealed Batman. Alice got her throwing cards out with knives. She threw them at him, but he uses his gauntlets to block them. "The Jabberwock!" Alice growled. Batman glared at her and the Mad Hatter. Mia is unconscious. She is on drugs. He must wake her up. Alice grabbed a knife and jump up to stab Batman, but he grabbed her and threw her against the wall.
"Alice!" Jervis gasped. "Not my Alice!" Batman grabbed him by the shirt collar and threw him down on the table, knocking everything over. He punched him in the face. Batman went over to Mia, shaking her shoulders. The woman gasped and see Batman in front of her.
"Oh shit..." Mia panted. "That...that was not fun." Batman unties her. "Wonderland is not a happy place to be in. Jervis knows where..." Mia stopped as she noticed the Mad Hatter is knocked out. "Never mind then."
"You okay?" Batman asked, checking on her face features. "I didn't expect to see them here."
"Me neither. But, I'm fine. Scarecrow's fear gas was worse than Hatter's drugs." Mia said, rubbing her eyes. They walk out of the hidden room, leaving the unconscious bodies.
"You need to stop this now. Before it goes too far!" Batman told Joker who is across from him and Mia. The room is flooded. Joker turned around to face them, holding a guard hostage.
"Stop? But everyone's dying to see what I do next!" Joker giggled. His eyes focused on Mia. "Did you have fun with Hatter and Alice, my dear?" He asked. Mia glared at the clown in return. "Aww, guess not."
"Let him go, now!" Batman said.
"Really? Okay, if you say so, Bats." Joker said, kicking the box over. Electricity hits the water. He pushed the helpless guard to the water. Sounds of electricity is heard. Mia shuts her eyes. "Whoopsie!"
"No!" Batman yelled. Joker laughed as he walked away.
"You really need to speed things up, Bats." He said as he took out a device. He press a button and the walls blew up, blocking the corridor. "At this rate, you'll never catch me!" Mia groaned. Batman will have to shut down power to this room to catch up with Joker. Mia told Batman that she will wait while he heads out to shut down the power. After he left, Mia leaned against the wall, thinking to herself. Will this night be over? Or is it endless?
"You there, Oracle?" Mia asked.
"Always. You doing okay, Mia?" Oracle responded. "You really shouldn't be out there doing this. It's too dangerous."
"I'm fine for now." Mia replied. "Have you checked on Axel? I'm not sure if he's asleep or not."
"Actually, he is awake. He's been calling about you and Bruce. Wanna talk to him?" Mia couldn't help but to smirk. Her son is worried. He will be so tired the next day. He's lucky he is on summer vacation. She then hears her son's voice.
"Are they okay? Was Joker stopped?"
"It's me, Axel. You should be in bed." Mia told him.
"Mom? Oh good, you're alive! But, how could I sleep while you and Bruce are still out there? What's happening?" Axel asked. Mia has been giving him updates of what has been happening. The boy was nervous about Poison Ivy. He counts on Batman to put her away in the cell and stop the Joker. "Okay. Be careful, both of you. Nice to hear from you, mom. Love you."
"We'll be okay. Try to relax and go to sleep. I promise we'll be home safe and sound. I love you." Mia said. After she hung up on him, she sat on the ground. She noticed the electricity is no longer in the water. Batman shut down the power. She smiled to herself. "And I love you, Bruce."
After he returned, Mia grabbed his arm, making him turn to her. She pressed her lips on his. Batman blinked, but returned the kiss.
"What was that for?" He asked.
"For being a great hero." Mia told him, touching the side of his face. "I love you, Bruce. You know I'd do anything to help you. Especially on this night." Batman gently strokes her face.
"Mia, I love you too. More than anything. But, I really think you should wait out on this one. Wait for me. Stay safe." Batman told her. He gave her a kiss on the forehead before walking across. Mia watched him pull open the vent. Batman crawled inside. Mia will have to find Ivy some other way, but she needs to defend herself from the plants.
"Wonder where they keep the weed killer?"
Batman found himself in the abandoned chamber. He is hearing Joker's voice from above from the water pipes. Sounds like he is testing the Titan formula. Batman climbed up and a body fell from the hole. A man with a big arm, dead. A failed mutation. Joker hasn't perfected the formula, but Batman needs to hurry. Joker called in another victim. Batman has been climbing around the place while listening to Joker and his goon he is testing on.
"What does this thing do anyway?"
"Oh, nothing much, make you bigger, stronger, smarter. Well, I can guarantee bigger. We'll just need to wait and see about the others. Now you may feel a little prick..."
"Ow! What did you stick me with?" The man started to groan in agony. Batman could hear other sounds coming from him. Sounds like a transformation. "It hurts!"
"Exciting, isn't it?" Joker giggled.
"But it hurts!"
"Maybe less red. Ok, send in the next victim. And get this ugly mess out of here." Batman found a door that lead to another room. Joker's voice sounds faint when he walked through.
XX
Batman crawled through the vent and see two of Joker's men kicking a janitor. He came out and beat them both. He helped a janitor up, asking if he is okay. The poor guy is frightened, but not seriously injured. The man told the Dark Knight that Joker came in and took the doctors to lock them in cages. Batman had to rescue them. As he spots a statue with a missing head, he sees Mia sitting on the bench testing a weed killer she found.
"Mia?" Batman wondered. "How did you-?"
"There's always a way out. Remember?" Mia asked him with a smirk. "Now, I'm gonna find Ivy while you get the Joker. She ain't gonna like this."
"Mia, no." Batman said with a look. "Just let me handle-"
"Batman, please. I just want to talk to Ivy. I'm not gonna kill her with this. I mean I could make her talk with it, but-"
"Just stay here and wait. Please." Batman said. "Or else I will force you to walk out of here." Mia couldn't argue with him like this. She puts down the weed killer and remain on the bench. "I won't be long." Batman promised her. He walked over to the door. He had to rescue the hostages.