"I-IVY! Sh-She's supposed to be in Arkham!!"
Ivy shook her head.
"Oh, honestly. How tight do you think security is when The Joker isn't there? Escape is quite simple for me. Now…as for you…"
She threw a small round object to the ground. Thick green smoke clouded the entire area.
"GET DOWN!!" The men knew better than to trust that anything used by Poison Ivy for opposition would be less than the deadliest of poisons. They coughed and sputtered as they scattered like insects from the area. Her arrival was far from expected.
She turned to see Harley lying alone on the ground.
"Poor dear."
Harley lay silent and still. A feeling of warmth encompassed her body, despite the eternal cold of Gotham. She saw an endless blue sky streaked with white above her head. The sun shone brighter than she had ever seen as birds circled above her head, beckoning her to stand.
"Where…am I?" She observed her surroundings in wonderment.
"This sure ain't Gotham." She stood in a field of white roses, which cradled her body. Trees grew strong and tall over the flowers, protecting rather than imprisoning her.
"Puddin'…?" Her eyes shifted back and forth, she saw no sign of The Joker.
"What is this place??" Colors danced and swirled across her eyes as the blissful vibrancy drove her to tears of joy. She felt a newfound innocence brush against her mind. The roses grew more numerous and began to glow. The sun had suddenly disappeared deep within the sky, leaving Harley alone in the dark surrounded by the glowing field of roses. Stars appeared, as if to be a reflection of the white roses. The soft glow lit up Harley's face as she looked down at her body, puzzled. She was wearing her old white sweater. Her scars and bruises had vanished; the blood had been washed away. Not a single mask was in sight
"Where is everyone??" She fell to her knees as the wind began howling against her ears. The roses began to wrap themselves around her legs. They dug their merciless thorns deep into her flesh.
"This...this is hell, isn't it…?"
A voice whispered to her deep within her mind.
"Harleen, this is the only hell you've ever known. This is your mind."
Suddenly, The Joker appeared before her. She stood up and wrapped her arms around him, tightening her fingers into his suit of purple.
"Puddin'! Oh, God! I thought I lost ya!!"
He lowered his head.
"It's alright, Harley. You're safe with me." He gently placed his arms around her as her heart leapt, the bliss she felt was indescribable.
"Puddin'…I…I thought you were dead! I tried so hard…but-" He silenced her by placing his finger on her lips.
"It needs to end."
He pulled the gun out from his suit and placed it on her forehead. Harley closed her eyes.
"You're right." She reopened her eyes in a trance to find that the gun was now in her hands.
"It ends now." She pulled the trigger.
"NO!!!"
Her body twisted violently as she screamed. The woman kneeling next to her held her down with all of her strength.
"Harley! Get a hold of yourself! Those damn toxins did something to you…it's a hallucination! You have to snap out of this!" Harley refused to leave the hellish nightmare.
"OH GOD, NO!!" Harley kicked and clawed at the woman's flesh.
"No…please!" She sobbed in the woman's arms.
"Harley…my God, what the hell did he do to you??"
Harley slowly opened her eyes. Her blurry vision slowly cleared as she saw the familiar, curly locks of crimson.
"Red…?" Ivy's emerald eyes sparkled through the haze of Harley's mind.
"Hello, Harl."
ConfusedHarley shook her head.
"Where…where is he? What happened to him? What did you do??"
Ivy lowered her head as she closed her eyes.
"I turned my back and he was gone. Maybe he thought I'd cut his throat for hurting you…or that I couldn't handle the cops. Maybe he just didn't care. I'm not sure, Harl."
Harley turned her face away from Ivy.
"He left me…?"
Ivy took Harley's hand into her own compassionately.
"You're hurt, Harl. Badly. You've been out for fourteen hours now."
Harley's eyes shifted back and forth, still deeply confused. She looked down upon the old, worn clothing she was wearing in disgust.
"What…? Where am I…?"
Harley slowly lifted her body and gazed at her surroundings in wonder.
"The greenhouse…"
Ivy chuckled softly.
"Yea, it's been a while since you've been here. I got your letter, Harl, and I wasn't getting any good vibes. I know when things are going downhill for you, which is pretty much always."
Harley paused briefly.
"I…I shot Batman."
Ivy's eyes lit up like the stars themselves.
"YOU WHAT?? How did-??"
Ashamed of the deed, Harley interrupted Ivy.
"He saved me…the anti-toxin…"
Ivy shouted with enthusiasm.
"I can't believe you, Harley! You mope around about that bastard The Joker, and meanwhile you SHOT BATMAN??? He could be out for months…helpless…vulnerable …or dare I say it…The Dark Knight may even be DEAD!! Did you see a body?? Was there lots of blood?? Oh how exciting!!" We've gotta celebrate!!"
Harley shook her head in disapproval.
"I don't know what happened to him…but I'm not really in the celebratin' mood, Red."
Harley rested her body back down on the bed of leaves.
"Yea…I know. I think The Joker added a new ingredient to that laughing gas of his…I've never heard such screaming in a girl's own dreams."
Harley bit her lip in shame.
"I…I killed Mistah J...in my mind, I-"
Ivy placed her hand on Harley's shoulder.
"Afraid that it wasn't a nightmare, Harl? Did it occur to you that it might have been a fantasy?"
Harley stood up in a state of rage and extreme defense.
"What're ya sayin', Red?? Ya think I wanna kill the man who means everything to me?? The man I gave up EVERYTHING for???"
Ivy paused for a moment and arched her brow.
"Well…I know I would." She smiled as pleasantly as she could.
Harley rested her head against the soft pillow as she sighed.
"I just wish he wouldn't hurt me so bad, we could be so happy…"
Ivy sighed and handed Harley a small bottle filled with a purple liquid.
"Here. Drink."
Harley turned to Ivy with a look of bafflement on her face.
"…What is this stuff?"
Annoyed, Ivy rolled her eyes.
"You know what it is. You've had it many times before. It'll just give you a boost, which you could use. Drink."
Harley uneasily sipped the liquid as Ivy reached towards the side of the bed and revealed the pristine costume of red and black.
"I took the liberty of stitching up that garish, oppressive guise of yours."
Harley grabbed the costume greedily and held it close to her face. Any sense of home was welcome to her.
"Thanks."
In her mind, Ivy debated whether or not to discuss what had happened, but she needed answers that only Harley could give.
"Most of what I stitched was claw marks…you're covered in them."
Harley giggled nervously.
"Heh…yea…that Catlady didn't like me shootin' her boyfriend too much…"
Ivy paused for a moment and decided it best not to force the words from Harley's clearly unstable mind.
"You're going to be fine." Ivy plucked three large green leaves from a vine hanging above her head.
"Here." She handed the blanket of leaves to Harley.
"If those scratches sting…just apply these to the wounds. It'll ease the pain."
Harley nodded compliantly. Exhausted, she closed her eyes and turned away from Ivy who disappeared into the deep green surroundings.
Visions of the cold metal gun swam through Harley's delirious mind. The gun that he'd pressed against her head. The gun she had aimed at the only man she'd ever loved in her dreams. The gun that shot the woman who had tried to help her, and for all she knew may have killed the man who saved her life.
"You've abandoned him, Harleen. He's alone. He's in pain. He needs you."
Suddenly, she felt a stabbing pain in her stomach, waking her in terror.
"Red!!" She clutched her abdomen violently.
"It hurts!" Harley tightly coiled her body as Ivy ran to her side.
"Harley, calm down! Do you want the whole GCPD to hear you??"
Harley snarled at Ivy.
"That crap you made me drink is tearin' up my insides!!"
Ivy arched her brow in confusion.
"You mean the elixir? Harl…you've had that stuff before, remember? You're body should have adapted by now. Maybe…maybe it's just a side effect. I'm not entirely sure."
Harley grabbed Ivy by her frail neck.
"This is NO side effect." She threw Ivy to the ground with all her strength.
"What're ya tryin' to pull, Red?? What's the plan? Kill me? Steal my Puddin' from me??"
Ivy's jaw dropped in astonishment.
"WHAT??" Harley continued to spill the insane logic from her mind.
"It's sooo easy, isn't it? Kill Harley…and win the most powerful man in Gotham! It's what ya want, isn't it?? You've neva' been able to seduce him…and it drives ya crazy!!"
Ivy fiercely slapped Harley across her face.
"What the hell would I want with The Joker? Why would I have saved you from those cops? And who the HELL do you think you're talking to??? Don't you dare underestimate me, little girl. Sympathy can be broken, easily."
Harley stood up defiantly.
"No…you don't want him for yourself…"
Ivy nodded her head.
"Thank you." Ivy assumed this was an apology. Harley glared defensively into Ivy's eyes.
"You want ME for yourself!!" Harley thrust her two feet into Ivy's chest, throwing her body through the air. The elixir had not only quickened the healing process, it had fortified Harley's strength and agility.
Ivy grew angry and impatient with these outrageous accusations. Harley had rarely rebelled in such away towards her, and she knew her poisons too well to assume that this was just a mood swing. The Joker's lingering toxins in Harley's blood were to blame.
"Harley!! Do you really want to fight me? On my turf?? You wouldn't stand a chance, you weak little…"
Harley fell the ground with a loud thud.
"Harl…?"
Like a pathetic lost child, Harley began to weep.
"Harl…Just let the poison work itself out of your system, you'll be fine."
Harley lifted her head and looked hopelessly into Ivy's eyes. Her voice was so muddled with tears and gasps for air that her words were barely comprehendible.
"He…he hit me so bad and h-he put a gun to my head and he made me bleed and he gassed me and…and he left me there…he left me…HE LEFT ME THERE TA' DIE!!!"
Harley's tears penetrated Ivy's cold heart. She kneeled down beside Harley and placed her hand on the girl's trembling face.
"I know, Harley. I can't imagine what that bastard has put you through. It's time to forget him, live your own damn life. He's gone now. Take this chance to leave him. For good."
Harley threw herself into Ivy's arms.
"I'm so sorry, Red…"
Ivy bowed her head.
"It's okay, Harl. You're safe here. I'm not letting him anywhere near you."