The Scars Left Behind
This is the Sequel to the Harlequin and the Bat and The Harley and The Ivy.
Important notes: I do not own Batman or any portion of the franchise. I give all credit to DC Comics and respective owners. Except the characters I wrote in my profile.
Chapter 5
A few days passed the date is now December the Twenty Fourth, Christmas Eve, Dick was healed up and working with Tim patrolling around Gotham. Ivy was about to hold in her hands, her daughter: Venus, she finally chose a name. Barbara was with her father for some quality family time after all this they deserved it. Sonia and Alfred were having a talking session trying to find common ground; she wanted to be the daughter he wanted and he wanted to see her happy being herself.
(Bruce's POV)
'Now what to get Harley for Christmas…she has the necklace I got her ages ago. But I can't give her something else like that, what else does she like? Dresses, flowers, plush…' Bruce thought going around the Gotham shopping district, but unfortunately he wasn't alone in the place; someone was following him…a little pussycat.
As Bruce went into the next clothes shop he tried to find a nice dress or a pair of gloves. As the shop assistants left him on his own a seductive voice called behind him. "Hello Bruce…looking for something exotic?"
"Selina…" Bruce whispered closing his eyes. And as he turned he opened them again "What do you want?" he questioned her
"Oh…is the big bad playboy not looking for some little something for a special someone?" Selina asked walking towards him.
"Yes. I am." Bruce answered darkly causing Selina to grin "But it's not you." he continued causing her smile to fade.
"Oh Bruce…it's not fair that you shut me out. After all the good times we've had…" Selina was making a scene at this point getting people's attention
"Those times are over Selina. Do you really want to make a scene?" he said pushing her away from peoples view
"Is that how you see things now Bruce? Maybe I should wear my costume? Seeing how you enjoyed that…" Selina teased Bruce
Bruce sneered and left "Goodbye Selina!" but Selina grabbed his hand
"Really Bruce; is this how you're going to be with me? Cold, aloof and bitter?" Selina made a pouting face.
"I'm with Harley, Selina. You made your choice, you left me. I've moved on, I suggest you should to." Bruce gave her an ultimatum and left the store.
'Oh Bruce…this game is only beginning.' Selina thought while she slunk back into the clothes store.
'Crap, I didn't get Harley anything…what am I going to do?' Bruce thought rubbing his hair.
(Harleen's POV)
Harley looked around the shops trying to find a gift for Bruce but she called Alfred to get some insight into Bruce's mind "Hello?" Alfred's voice called from the phone.
"Hi Alfred…do you know what Bruce likes for a Christmas gift? All this looking around is giving me a headache…I'm stressing out." Harley explained
"Miss Harley, don't worry. Master Bruce sometimes enjoys small gifts to expensive ones." Alfred reassured her.
"So a small gift, huh." Harley thought
"Miss Harley?" Alfred asked
"Alfred, I'm just going to the store. I'll be right back soon." Harley explained "See you back home." As Harley put the phone down she asked for a taxi to her store. As she arrived there she passed Bill's old run down store: the windows were broken in, there was litter all around the doors and inside. And she saw Jekyll standing in front of it. She walked up to him but was overly cautious she knew it was Bill but…would he remember her? "Hi there." Harley spoke
Jekyll turned and saw the young woman "Oh hi…you live round here?"
"Sort of…why are you here?" Harley answered
"I don't know…I was walking around and just…ended here…"Jekyll explained
"It's sorry to see this place ending up like this." Harley sighed
"Who ran it?" Jekyll asked
"A good guy…he died a while ago." Harley answered
"Oh…sorry to hear that…but it's funny. I'm starting to think of things I never really remembered…like a dream that really happened. Anyway, I've taken enough of your time. Goodbye miss." Jekyll offered his hand
"Goodbye." Harley reciprocated
"Nice to see some good people living in Gotham." Jekyll sounded happy as he walked away.
'Goodbye Bill.' Harley saw him walk away and she walked into her store.
*Back at the mansion*
Bruce and Harley decided to hide their presents for each other in their own rooms Dick and Tim were "relaxing" by playing Zombie Massacre Four: the Re-Return of the Double-Double Dead.
"No freaking way! There is no way you've got more points than me!" Tim yelled in frustration
"Well some people have it; others don't!" Dick said indicating him then Tim.
Ivy was tending the plants in the garden trying to reconcile her thoughts thinking about how Bill didn't recognise Harley. "You've really forgotten haven't you Bill?" she whispered
Alfred and Sonia were preparing the dinner for tomorrow as it was their first dinner as a family. "Father, do you think that Mister Freeze or Calendar Man will strike again? It seems to be that time they might plan something." Sonia said while peeling the potatoes
"Maybe…but it's possible that it won't happen. We all deserve this, especially Master Bruce, Miss Harley and Miss Ivy." Alfred tried to remain optimistic, while tending the turkey.
(Jekyll's POV)
Jekyll looked at the other members of the Suicide Squad as they were granted the holiday off tomorrow, Jekyll remained behind as he knew of only the Base. 'Waller…you think you've gotten rid of my entire memory? I'm remembering more each time you force me to forget.' Jekyll thought as he posted something to the Wayne Mansion two days ago. 'Forgive me my Poisonous Rose. This is the only thing I can give you…tell Venus…I'm hoping to see her.' He looked at the computer screen looking at the vitals of the members excluding Killer Croc.
"Keeping an eye on them Jekyll?" Waller asked behind him
"Yes; all seems well with their explosive devices." Jekyll answered "With your permission Commander Waller, I want to take a sabbatical for the holiday."
"Hmm…I'll think about it Jekyll." As Waller walked away
'Soon Waller…Soon.' Jekyll thought.
(Victor's POV)
Victor Fries was panicking the money that Bill was sending for this month was dried up. "No, no, no! He couldn't have betrayed us! Not now! Not when I'm so close!" Victor slammed his fist into the table; the chemicals rumbled but didn't spill over. He went over to don his suit, but he heard a knocking at his door then a car going off. As Victor searched for who it was, there was a medium sized package left by the door "What is…?" he examined the box and looked at the label:
'To my friend; this should be enough.' On the front he then flipped it over when he went inside. 'Open B4 Xmas' it bore no name.
Victor opened it and saw inside the box opening the wrapping and saw a smart tablet, with it were a pair of unusual gloves and a note:
'To Victor, Happy Holidays; my gift to you and to Nora, I'm sorry I haven't made the drop offs in a while. The gloves will help with the touch screen. Your friend Bill'
"Bill…?" Victor said as he placed the box down on the table and put on the gloves "Hmm. Not a bad fit; comfortable to." He said with an agreeing nod. He picked up the tablet and saw the wallpaper:
It was a picture of Victor and Nora on their wedding day. Victor used his fingers to press the only app that wasn't part of the default: The First National Bank of Gotham app as he pressed it he was asked his name, as Victor typed it then clicked search his eyes widened, his hands shook and he almost dropped the tablet. "One…one…one and a half Million?!" he gasped he walked backwards into a chair gasping for breath… "Bill…" Victor smiled then laughed "You son of a bitch!" he then looked at Nora still frozen in her cryo-stasis. "Merry Christmas my love."
(No-One's POV)
The Rogue slipped behind the rafters of the Wayne Manor home and waited inside the attic. Only Sonia felt his presence, she went up telling her father she was going to find more decorations. "I know you're here Rogue. Your moves, your style, the way you install fear into the world…just like My Master." Sonia tried to be careful not to connect Bruce as Batman but he already knew about Bruce being Batman from his incarceration from ages ago. The Rogue remained silent and indicated he just wanted to sleep and have a Christmas meal; "Very well; but any funny business…and I'll kill you." Sonia threatened; the Rogue bowed his head and rested his head and fell to sleep. "So much for a ruthless killer; he just wanted a place to sleep…but why here…why in the attic?" she wondered and she left grabbing a box of decorations.
*Christmas Day*
Barbara and her father were spending time at their home; Bruce, Harley Dick, Tim, Sonia and Alfred were going to open their presents. "Hey where's Ivy?" Harley asked.
"She said something about a letter and Venus…the kid she was with." Tim answered
"Oh…wait, a kid?!" Harley replied with a "what the hell" sounding voice "What's she doing with a…?"
"Harley; maybe it's something not involving us, hmm?" Bruce explained
"*sigh* Maybe…" Harley sighed
"Let's just enjoy today okay?" Bruce asked
"Okay. I can do that." Harley hugged Bruce
(Ivy's POV)
Ivy arrived at Bill's old home, his store, his past. Ivy held the hand of the twelve year old clone of her and Bill's DNA: Venus. Venus looked an almost exact clone of Ivy but her eyes were the same shade like Bill's; she wore Harley's shirt she made for kids of that age from the store along with a pair of jeans and trainers that belonged to Tim. "Mum…where are we going?" Venus asked her biological mother.
"We're going…hoping to see someone very important…just be patient." She told her daughter; as they saw someone in a large overcoat, his head was covered in a grey helmet reminiscent to Jason Todd's helmet. "You could've written earlier or something." Ivy spoke with some annoyance.
"But then…" the figure said turning, it was Jekyll but he sounded more like the man behind the mask…Bill. "Where would the romance be Ivy?"
The two saw each other for a few minutes then Venus spoke "D-Dad?" trying to believe who this person was, Bill nodded and she ran to him and hugged him tight. "You're alive." Venus was crying
"I know…I know…it's okay now…it's okay." Bill hushed his daughter holding her tight. Bill indicated towards Ivy to be a sort of unusual family. As Ivy and Venus felt a familial bond between them "One hell of a Christmas present." Bill laughed
Minuets passed as the three of them went into the park; it was about seven o'clock the streetlights were on and Venus was in the swings, Bill gave Ivy his present to her: a Christmas rose bracelet, Ivy looked at Bill with that helmet still on his head "What happened Bill; what really happened?" Ivy asked
Bill sighed "Amanda Waller. When I visited Crane to finish the list she injected me with a nano-virus serum that could detonate inside me if I stepped out of line. I used Victor's freeze ray on them and got the antidote, after the run in with the Joker…she recruited me into the Suicide Squad…wiped my memory, she thought she could control me…she almost could, she injected me with some weird drug that was like Venom…but more volatile. As I slowly remembered I made sure that I tried to remain anonymous towards you and the others before revealing my identity" Bill said holding his head in his hands "And I had to make sure that Waller thought I was on her side."
"That's why you were still struggling to remember…" Ivy finished then she looked at Venus "Who else knows of you remembering?"
"Deathstroke…he put together the pieces first…Waller manipulated my memory to make me reveal my intentions…she had no idea she was doing me a favour, I remembered everything she erased." Bill spoke with a gradually happy tone, Ivy hugged him "I've completed the Meta-Human armour. It's: self-repairing, bullet proof, laser proof, extremely durable and environmentally adaptable." He added "Venus looks just like you…beautiful."
"She's got your eyes." Ivy smiled as she saw their daughter jump from the swings to the floor like an acrobat.
"Mum, Dad! Did you see that?" Venus said running up to them into a hug.
"Yeah, we did. You should join the circus with that skill." Bill joked
"Nah…I'm going to be an eco-amazon, like mum!" Venus said looking at her mother.
"That's all I need to hear…hey!" Bill said doing a fake hitting his head movement then getting punched in the arm but Ivy.
"We better get going, come on Venus." Ivy said "Thank you Bill…for telling me this; knowing you didn't betray Batman or Shard…it helps."
"Mind erased or not…I won't betray you." Bill reassured his girlfriend.
Ivy looked at the ground then back at Bill "Take off your helmet…"
"Ivy…I can't…" Bill spoke sadly "What Joker did…" Bill tried to explain but Ivy managed to take the helmet off. She saw Bill's face the dropped it back down. "I'm sorry…too many scars…too much pain. You and Venus need to be safe." Bill explained
"Bill; Batman and Shard need to know." Ivy started
"I know…take the drive…it'll explain everything. I'll be home soon, I promise." Bill hugged Ivy
Bill hugged his daughter goodbye and promised the same thing, Ivy was crying with joy and sorrow. Venus looked at her and asked "Mum, is everything going to be okay?"
"Yes…it'll be okay." Ivy reassured her wiping her tears away as they went back to the car.
(Dick's POV)
*Earlier back at the mansion*
Dick and Tim were helping out with the washing with Alfred and Sonia. "Master Dick, Master Tim; it's quite alright, we've got this." Alfred explained
"No way Alfred, we've got this. Besides you and Sonia need some family time like Barbara and her dad; don't worry we'll be careful when putting the stuff away." Dick explained
"I'll only put stuff I can reach, no being a hero here." Tim smiled
(Bruce's POV)
"Sounds like Tim and Dick are trying to do their part in the cleaning." Harley smiled
"Can you blame them? Between the two of them they ate probably half of the food." Bruce joked
"It's so quiet…" Harley sighed happily
"We've had a full day…hardly quiet." Bruce explained
"You know what I mean." Harley nuzzled her face into Bruce
"Before I forget…I've got a gift for you." Bruce reached for the underside of the settee
"Bruce…you've given me: perfume, dresses and keys to a Bat-Bike…and you…I don't need anything else." Harley listed off (Bruce didn't propose, she's just being romantic)
"Yeah well…this gift I needed to give you last, when everyone wasn't here." Bruce explained getting a small-medium box from the underside and got up from the settee.
"Bruce…" Harley smiled as he handed her the box. As she unwrapped it; she saw something she thought she had lost, her: H Heart B bat-plush. "Where did you…I thought I lost it."
"World's Greatest Detective, remember?" Bruce grinned
Harley felt the soft plush in her fingers and felt a small chain that looped to a small pocket, with her Bat-Shard logo on it that was recently sewn on. Harley pulled out content of the pocket: a gold ring with a diamond shaped ruby set in the middle. "Bruce…is this…?"
Bruce nodded he got down on one knee and held Harley's left hand "Harleen Frances Quinzel…will you be my wife?"
Harley looked down at the plush and the ring, speechless. "Bruce Wayne…will you be my husband?" she smiled with joyful tears forming.
Bruce smiled and replied "If you say it…so will I." still holding her hand
And together they said it: "Yes."
As the newly engaged couple hugged in joy, Dick's voice called out "What the hell are you doing here?!" and a smoke cloud came through the door cracks.
"What the…?" Bruce called out
(No-One's POV)
*minutes earlier*
The Rogue snuck down from the attic to wander around Wayne Manor, but his main focus was the room Harley and Bruce were still in. He saw the two as Harley gasped: "Bruce…is this…?"
He saw Bruce kneel down; the Rogue did nothing but watch. He saw a beautiful thing that had blossomed; he could feel something well up inside him. "Harleen Frances Quinzel…Will you be my wife?"
The Rogue remained still as Harley responded Bruce's question with hers and they answered together the Rogue wiped a tear from his eye but then was stunned by Dick's voice behind him "What the hell are you doing here?!" the Rogue slammed down a smoke pellet and disappeared.
"What the…?" Bruce called out
(Ivy's POV)
"Whoa what's going on?" Ivy asked clearing the smoke away from her face and arriving with Barbara.
"Can't we have a peaceful Christmas?" Barbara asked
"The Rogue was here! Right by that door!" Dick explained
"Are you washing up Dick?" Ivy smiled looking at the dishcloth
"Unrelated, Ivy" Dick spoke
"He snuck in…he didn't cause any problems when he was sleeping in the attic." Sonia confessed
"He snuck in?!" Barbara shouted as Venus went to the Bat-Cave door and went downstairs
The others looked at Venus and diverted "Who's that?"
"Bill's and my daughter…and don't yell at her!" Ivy retaliated and they were stunned
"I'm an aunt already?!" Harley spoke in shock.
(No-One's POV)
Time passed and everything was being sorted out; Bruce, Tim and Sonia went up to see where the Rogue slept for the night and saw a note, it read: thank you for letting me stay.
(Ivy's POV)
"I'm an Aunt." Harley repeated with disbelief
"Yes…you're an aunt…and I'm a mother…who would've thought it: Poison Ivy being a mother to a living human…" Ivy smiled "Besides what's this "good news" you wanted to share?" Ivy asked, Harley showed Ivy her new engagement ring.
First there was silence…then.
"*Squeal*!" Ivy squealed loudly
(Dick's POV)
Dick and Barbara were having a quiet session alone as they heard Ivy squeal; Barbara looked at Dick as he smiled. Barbara sighed knowing she had lost. "Okay…my turn with the flying helmet and the feather duster."
To be continued
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