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 22
*April second early morning*
(Bruce's POV)
"Automotonophobia…she's afraid of humanlike things?" Bill asked while pacing up and down through the Bat-Cave
"Yes, more specifically: dolls." Bruce explained with a heavy heart.
"Porcelain dolls. My feet are proof." Bill tried to force a smile "I-I should've been there faster…" Bill sat down in the Supercomputer chair he got from Riddler and Strange. "I should never have left." Bill put his head in his hand.
"You saved her…you came back." Ivy leant down and looked into his eyes "You can't do the impossible Bill. You're only human…in a sense."
"Look: Tim is sleeping in the same room as her; she's got someone whom she trusts." Harley explained
"We appreciate it…We really do Harl, thank you." Ivy thanked her friend "Come on, it must be about five in the morning…we can probably get some more sleep."
"You guys go. I'm…I'm okay." Bill strained himself awake
"No way, you and Red are going to bed: now!" Harley pushed him towards the doors.
"Okay, okay doc! Sheesh." Bill groaned
"Think those two will make it?" Bruce asked as he and Harley went up the stairs.
"I think so, heck look at us." Harley smiled while wrapping herself around Bruce's arm.
(Venus's POV)
*seven twenty eight*
Venus was still in bed, the light from the next day was creeping through the curtains; she tossed and turned and awoke with an abrupt gasp, still shaking from the horrors of the day that passed. Venus looked around and saw Tim sleeping next to her. She gripped him tightly, waking him in the process "Venus…ack…what's wrong?" Tim struggled to breathe
"I…I just wanted to know if you're real…" Venus began to choke up.
"It's…it's okay. Ack. Choking not breathing!" Tim comforted her while being chocked slightly.
"Oh, sorry." Venus apologised releasing Tim letting him breathe. "You must think I'm a scared girl." She spoke in sadness.
"Honestly…I don't think that." Tim answered "We're all scared of something, hell I was scared when you were taken and I couldn't do anything…I know Ivy was scared to hell…God knows what Bill would've done if "they" hurt you…" Tim confessed his fears to his girlfriend
"He would've killed them…" Venus looked down at her closed fists "Why…why can't I use any powers? Mum has florakinesis and poison abilities and my dad is meta-human strong…me…what have I got?" she tried to hold back her tears
Tim moved in and hugged her "You've got your mum, your dad and all of us. Hell, Dick said that having powers is more of a hindrance than a blessing."
Venus looked at him, smiled then moved to kiss him then the alarm went off causing them to jump out of the bed and land on the floor. "Guess I'm still a bit jumpy." Venus spoke with a small stammer.
"Yeah…hang on." Tim smiled as he hit the alarm "You always get up around this time?"
"More or less." Venus was ashamed and saw the door open.
"What happened?" Bill came in out of breath
"Just the alarm; Sir…Bill…Mr Isley…err?" Tim startled saying different titles to Venus's dad.
"Mr Isley?" Venus and Bill asked
"*laugh* Where'd that come from?" Venus asked laughing
Bill face-palmed with a small laugh "Come on, it's time for breakfast; oh and Tim." Bill said with a smile…or a small grin on account of his Joker smile. Tim seized up when his name was mentioned; normally he was relaxed around Bill but without the helmet and the news what he did to Dollmaker and Dollhouse would frighten anyone. "Thank you…for staying with Venus tonight." He thanked the young ward and descended the stairs.
"Uh…" Tim was in shock then fell backwards
"Tim!" Venus called out
(Bill's POV)
"Tim!" Bill heard his daughter call out to her little Robin.
Bill let out a small chuckle and saw Ivy down the stairs "That's both of us now. Looks like Tim's had his mind broken by both of us."
Bill rubbed his head and nodded "Guess what he said when I went up." He asked Ivy shrugged not knowing what he'll say "He said: Sir, Bill, Mr Isley." He answered with a small laugh
"No…" Ivy started a laugh disbelieving it.
"I know…I mean: Sir Bill? Come on, do I look like a knight?" He made a small joke.
"You…you'd take my last name?" Ivy calmed down
"Well, you wouldn't want mine would you? I take it no-one knows my real last name." Bill answered
"What is it then? It can't be that bad can it?" Ivy asked, Bill leaned in and whispered it into her ear causing her to make an astonished looked face. "…Yeah you're better off taking mine." She answered immediately with Bill nodding his head.
(Harley's POV)
*time skip ten thirty AM*
"I hope this'll take the edge off things. We all need something to forget." Harley said as they walked around at the zoo. Harley was dressed in three quarter length jeans, a short sleeved white top and trainers.
"It'll be fine; Tim's with Venus, Dick and Barbara are a phone call away and Ivy and Bill are at the gardens." Bruce reassured her "Let's just enjoy the time now." Bruce was wearing a long sleeved black shirt, blue jeans and black suede shoes.
"Okay everyone, follow me and we'll begin our tour around the Animals of Africa exhibits." The Tour Guide "First we have the Hippopotamus…" he continued
Taking a relaxing breath Harley saw the large water mammals and sort of melted away with all her cares.
(Ivy's POV)
Bill and Ivy were hanging around the botanical gardens; unfortunately they were getting some unusual looks from the surrounding public. "Is there something on my face?" Bill asked sarcastically, he was wearing a full body overcoat with a XL shirt underneath he got from his old store and XL loose fitted blue jeans, a large fedora covering his head, black boots and wrapped his face in medical gauze (dressing).
"Maybe it's your coat? It is in the mid-twenties today." Ivy answered knowing full well what was attracting the public's attention. Ivy was wearing a short sleeved light brown shirt, three quarter length khaki shorts and brown trainers and a pair of square glasses (hey if it's good for Superman it's good enough for Ivy) her hair was tied up into a ponytail instead of letting it down naturally.
"Hmm…maybe it's because you look like a sexy archaeologist. I know I wouldn't mind being dug up by you." Bill retorted with a smile under the gauze.
"True…but not many people can say that they're boyfriend turned from a: medium build, five foot eleven; to a: XL sized, six foot eight giant who can crush a guy's hands with ease." Ivy spoke with an almost malicious smile looking up at him (she's five foot six inches in canonical sources)
"You think that was easy? It was one of the most difficult things I contested with mentally. It was between: crush the bastard or kill him." Bill answered as they sat down under a tree looking at the flowers.
"Venus wants to know why she hasn't got powers." Ivy said making a rose stem grow in length to her hands.
"I don't know…maybe she's, and pardon the pun; a late bloomer? I mean my strength didn't come to me immediately; maybe it's a delayed effect?" Bill spoke in all seriousness.
"Perhaps, oh hello." Ivy spoke as she saw a young boy come up to them.
"Your friend is tall…" he said in awe.
Bill looked at Ivy; then answered the boy "Yes, yes I am."
"Can you scare my big brother and his friends, please?" the boy asked pointing to a large group of teenagers who were yelling at the boy's friends as they were attempting to flirt with some girls.
Quietly Bill said "I just sat down…" he strained himself up and stood tall "Okay, what've they done wrong?" Bill asked aloud
"They're being mean and telling us to get lost." The boy said.
"Shouldn't you tell your parents?" Bill asked
"They're talking to their friends and don't want to be disturbed." The boy pointed and Bill saw a group of rich looking parents possibly talking about business, two of them Bill recognised.
"Give me two minutes kid." Bill said walking towards the teens
"Don't hurt them Bill." Ivy asked
"I won't; one look from me and they'll faint." Bill answered
(Bill's POV)
'Those two…they're part of Wayne Enterprises. So close…' Bill said as he walked clenching his fists 'Stay focused Bill. They'll get theirs.'
"So anyway enough about us, what about yourselves?" one of the teens asked the girls.
"Well we're economic and ecologist students, studying for our finals at Gotham University. We're studying ecological effects on: flora and fauna due to corporate…giants…" the brunette began to speak then caught Bill in her vision.
"Giants? Hey, stop blocking the sun!" the teen groaned "I said stop…blocking…" he spun around aiming at Bill's feet then crawled his vision to Bill's face.
"Hello." Bill spoke in a butler type manner "This young lad here, has told me: that you've been bullying him and his friends all for the pursuit of these lovely ladies." Bill indicated the younger sibling "Is this true?" Bill asked
"W-w-well…we erm…well…we…" the teens stuttered in fear from Bills immense size.
"Speak properly and clearly. You're not making a very decent impression for…I'm sorry; I never caught your names." Bill asked for the girls names in apology.
"Ursula, Rachel and Tiffany…" the girls spoke one after another. Ursula a slender Hispanic girl with black hair; Rachel being of average size, tanned skin and blonde streaked hair on brown; and finally Tiffany with pure brown hair and fair Caucasian skin.
"Of course; now: I don't want any problems, You don't want any problems. So I propose: you all; be nicer to your siblings and I won't cause you anymore interruptions or grief. Okay?" Bill proposed and the boys nodded their heads not to incur Bill's wrath. "Very good; oh and girl's…" Bill smiled and drew attention to the girls "Try: Professor Yew's Mother Nature, Domination and Co-Evolution. My girlfriend recommends it. It got her through her university years." Bill gave them a useful reference. "Play nice now. Good luck kid." Bill gave some luck to the young lad who asked for his help.
"Your girlfriend better be better looking than that green skinned lady over there: she looks like she's spent her entire life in a greenhouse…freak." A teenager slagged off Ivy.
Bill stopped in his place and turned slowly "That, young lad is my girlfriend!" he spoke slowly with growing anger.
The boys and girls separated from him as he begged for his forgiveness and saying "I…it was…I didn't mean…I-I-I…"
Bill chuckled and put his hands on the boy's shoulders. His grip tightened and then yanked him up from the floor over his head, the boy flailing begging to be put down. "You see…This is what's wrong with this generation: ignorant, learning the mistakes of their parents and ready to pass judgement on whomever they want. Listen my boy: you'll never grow up if you act like this…meaning either: I crush you under my foot. Or you end up in a car crash due to drugs and alcohol…" Bill ushered him a predetermined warning "So…what's it going to be? You apologise to: Me, your little friends and my girlfriend…or the fun way?"
(Ivy's POV)
'Oh god…they must've ticked him off…Bill you maniac. I still didn't like what that lad called me.' Ivy shook her head while smiling, knowing what Bill was like after using diplomacy. 'What's going on now?' Ivy thought to herself as Bill walked towards her with the insulting teenager
"Madam, I apologise for calling you a greenhouse sheltered freak." The boy stood attentive then bowed "Sir, I won't forget the lesson you taught me and my friends…I apologise to you as well."
"Well I accept your apology. Ivy?" Bill asked
Ivy looked at the boy and then Bill, then back at the boy again "Sure, just don't act like a brat again."
"T-Thank you…" the boy stuttered and then legged it to his little sibling and his friends then panting heavily clutching his heart from beating out of his chest.
"Well that was eventful; sandwich?" Bill said with a smile and offered Ivy a snack.
"I'd prefer a Caesar Salad." Ivy smile as Bill pulled her towards him "Hmm…or maybe just you." She smiled seductively.
"Here you never did tell me, what Harley's favourite pets were." Bill tried to divert the conversation.
"Well she owned…" Ivy began but heard a group of people screaming.
"The hyenas are loose! Call the zoo keepers! The hyenas are eating a visitor!" they all yelled
"I'm going for A: Hyena." Bill joked as he and Ivy stood still.
"You've just won the grand prize." Ivy joked as people screamed.
"I'll cash it in later." Bill smiled
To be continued
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