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Pygmalion
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Chapter 6
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"The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life." – Richard Bach
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"Hello, Helena, my name is Ivy. This here is my friend Harleen."
"Hello there! How old are you, Helena?"
Pause.
"I'm four. How old are you?"
"Oh, you are so cute! I'm fourteen—ten years older than you. Ivy here's sixteen. Anywho—can we call you Leni?"
Pause.
"You two are weird."
Giggle.
"Harls!"
"She's not wrong. So Leni, why are you here?"
Shrug.
"Don't know. That lady told me it's safe with you."
"Cat? She said that it's safe with us?"
"Yeah. Who's Cat? She said her name was Selina."
"It is—Cat's real name is Selina. She likes it when we call her Cat though. Did she say anything else before she left you with us?"
Pause.
"That she was gonna go do something. She talked about a policeman."
Awkward stare.
"Did she say why she was gonna go talk to the policeman?"
"She's gonna tell him who killed my mama and papa."
Gasp.
Longer pause.
"Your … parents are dead, Leni?"
Nod.
"Yep. That man shot them. That was yesterday."
Pause.
"What man?"
"He came into our house. I didn't know his name. He's dead now."
Longer pause.
"And you Leni … aren't you sad?"
Shrug.
"Why would I be sad?"
"You're mama and papa … you'll never see them again. That would even make grown-ups sad."
Head shake.
"No, I'm not sad. They're dead—no one can hurt them anymore."
Pause.
"That's a very … grown up thing to say."
"You aren't sad at all?"
"No—they weren't my real mama and papa anyway."
Silence.
"How … how do you know that? Did they tell you?"
Head shake.
"No. I just know."
"You just … know?"
Nod.
"How do you know?"
Shrug.
"Don't know. Just do."
Awkward pause.
"That's a … very interesting ability, Helena."
"What other kind of things do you know? Oh! Can you hear what I'm thinking?"
Head shake.
"No. That's weird."
Glance.
"... She's not wrong, Harls."
"Yeah yeah—so Leni, do you know who your real mama and papa are?"
Head shake.
"No. Selina says she'll tell me when I'm older. But I'm gonna stay with her now."
"Oh? Why with us?"
Shrug. "Selina says she and I are related."
Gasp.
Shoulder pat.
"Ivy, you remember that time … ?"
"You don't have to whisper Harls—Helena can still hear you. And yes, I remember."
"So, you think she's ever gonna tell us?"
"Probably not."
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"Irony is a clear consciousness of an eternal agility, of the infinitely abundant chaos." – Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel
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The shrill shrieks of the carnivorous plants that occupied Ivy's home filled the air, loudly letting their mistress know that not only was Poison Ivy under attack, but the vines themselves were at present under a tremendous amount of strain. Harley glanced around with weary anticipation as she saw the greenery come to life, the walls surrounding them surging with energy and shaking as though caught in a breeze.
The shrubs were obviously disturbed.
Ivy's home alarm and defense had both gone off, meaning that there was definitely a threat.
Normally, if someone heard a very large and dangerous sounding crash coming from the other side of their home, they would head in the opposite direction. And considering that Ivy was holding a baby that she had just announced to be her own flesh and blood (or whatever Ivy was made of these days), Harley would have thought her safety was first priority.
However, the redheaded plant mistress simply readjusted the infant in her arms as she turned to the indigo-wigged figure standing in the corner with a questioning look.
"Is it him?" she asked, her tone very serious.
Harley glanced over to the other member of their "merry" party. The Huntress had become defensive when hearing the crash, no longer relaxed as before. Instead of leaning against the wall, she was standing up straight with her eyes focused in the direction of the noise that had disturbed the silence. For a few moments, the lilac-eyed teenager just stood there staring out into space. There was no way she was looking at anything in front of her, considering all that was in front of her was a wall of vines.
There was an awkward silence.
What the hell … ?
Shut up! She's doing her thing!
Oh …
Right … forgot about that.
Helena suddenly snapped out of her trance, a shiver overcoming her form like she was exposed to electricity. As the hiss left her teeth, she dropped the duffel bag that was over her shoulder. Arms firmly resting on her sides, her fingers opened and closed at the air surrounding her hands, almost expectantly.
She was readying herself for a battle.
Ooooh! Time for some fun!
The brunette looked at Ivy, and Harley saw those lilac eyes of hers melt away. They were replaced with a pair of bright silver irises that seemed to radiate with some kind of kinetic energy that made her eyes glisten.
It was an unearthly presence, but it calmed Harley—she always thought that those eyes were so pretty when they did that.
Pretty but deadly.
The younger girl finally broke the silence. "No," was the only thing she said to Ivy.
Ivy visibly relaxed, letting out a long exhale. Whomever she had been expecting, the redhead obviously did not want to host the person in her home.
Didn't she say that it might have been Flora's daddy?
Wait … does that mean she doesn't want to see him?
Harley could not contain her brow from wrinkling as she looked at her friend. Ivy was not facing the blonde, instead she looked down to the baby in her arms with an almost worried expression. Her face was as stoic as possible, but there was a glint in her eyes.
She was … scared.
As the blue-haired infant began to fuss, Ivy rocked her back and forth and shushed her softly. Flora let out a moan of protest, obviously a little upset about something. Maybe it was the fact that her mother was unsettled.
You idiot, she's hiding from him!
What?
Ivy! She's hiding in here—that's why she couldn't come outside.
Why would Ivy hide from the father of her own child?
Harley did not have the time to rationale about her friend's actions or motivations. Because, as soon as the brunette teenager reported to the group that the noise was not who Ivy feared, she swiftly withdrew the handheld crossbow from her thigh and loaded it.
Oh, right … Show time!
Helena didn't say a word as she ran from the enclosure, the vines opening and Harley instantly heard a series of strange noises. Harley didn't wait as she saw her retreating. Her body surged with anticipation as she slipped out of her coat.
"What are you doing?" Ivy suddenly hissed.
The blonde smiled wildly. "What do you think?" she asked almost sardonically. She threw her coat over the chair of vines that sat in the corner, she reached down to unfasten the buckles on her shoes. Cute shoes, but very inconvenient for running. "Aren't you coming?"
There was someone breaking into her house. Was she just going to stand there?
Ivy only blinked at her friend incredulously, eyes widened, before almost instantly gesturing to the baby in her arms.
Oh yeah …
Yeah, remember that genius?
Like she can do a lot of fighting with a baby …
Harley had completely forgotten about the infant. Ivy was usually one of the first to respond to a situation such as this. From the way the vines were shrieking, the threat was very real. As her stocking feet touched the dirt floor, she felt the pulsing of the plant roots. They were protesting from the movement, taking in more water to aid in their efforts.
Ivy visibly winced.
She could feel the strain.
Sharp thorns that looked more like spikes snapped out of the walls around them. It was obvious that the vines were on full defense if they had gone that far to protect their mistress.
Shaking off the weariness, Ivy looked to Harley with resignation. "Go," she responded, pulling her daughter away from the entrance. "I'll be right there."
If Ivy had been locked in her house for as long as Harley estimated, it had been a while since her last scuffle. Fighting had not been the redhead's first instinct, but Ivy came to the realization that it should have been. This was her home, and more than her "babies" were under attack.
She had a real baby to worry about.
Racing up the stairs towards the entrance, Harley clearly hear the sounds of the shrieking plants along with breaking glass. She knew it was probably a bad idea to dive into battle without a weapon or a plan, but Harley knew that Helena only reacted that way for one reason.
Something is definitely going down.
I just really hope there are some skulls to bash…
Harley needed to take out her stress on something.
Who would have thought that Ivy would have a baby?
Yeah, and right around the time of this thing with you …
Too weird.
Harley would think about that topic when the eminent threat was gone. She wanted to find Helena as soon as possible. The teenager had swiftly disappeared before Harley could even start following. Even if Harley was the one in trouble, she was still the adult.
Cat will kill us if we die after Leni …
You mean, after she revives us?
Yeah, of course …
By the time Harley stumbled into the "foyer", she finally found the younger girl. The Huntress was firing off a few arrows … at what looked like a ninja assassin.
A female ninja assassin.
Harley reacted right away. Before the entirely black-clad masked figure could slice at the teenager, Harley used her full body weight to launch at her. Snagging her legs around the woman, she flipped her over onto the floor. The long sharp blade fell from the ninja's hand and skidded across the floor. Before her prey could attempt to get up, Harley grabbed her by the skull and began to bash her head against the concrete. When she finally stopped moving, Harley looked up to Helena.
The girl was … off fighting another one of these interesting attackers.
Harley paused as she analyzed the situation. It took only a few nanoseconds, but she still needed to know who she was killing.
The first thing she noticed was the car that was lodged into one of the glass walls. The slick little black sports car was unmanned, the open door revealing no driver, however the engine was still revving despite it being on the side.
Hey, we know that car …
From the trail of glass behind the machine, and the even larger hole in the glass wall right next to the front door, it was obvious that it had been the source of the crash. Whoever had been driving may have been aiming for the door …
A sickening crack sounded from beside her.
… we know that sound …
"Cat!" came out of Harley's mouth.
The woman in skin-tight black leather wasn't facing her, too busy with another masked woman that she was striking down with her trademark whip. The first thing that Harley noticed was the amount of glass that was embedded into the back of her leather motorcycle jacket.
As Harley announced her arrival, the master thief turned around to smirk at the blonde.
Catwoman's purple eyes glinted as she let out a sigh. "Hey Harley."
Bouncing up and down, Harley nearly skipped over to the black-haired woman. It had been ages since she saw the oldest of her "siblings". Of course, Harley had to headbutt this bitch wielding a pair of oriental knives before she could make it over to her, but it was worth it. Harley kicked the woman in the gut before taking the knives away. After a quick slitting of her throat, Harley was satisfied seeing the blood.
With the next one dead, Harley jumped up and smothered the older woman with a hug.
"Cat, Cat, Cat—Kitty-Cat!" she exclaimed, bouncing on the balls of her feet, making sure to keep the knives away from her friend. As Harley pulled away, she was ignoring the distressed sounds of combat behind her.
Out of the corner of her eye, she finally spotted Helena. She was back-flipping another woman to the ground, heavily laying into her figure. As Harley heard a crack, she was assured that the younger girl could handle herself, at least for the moment.
Good girl!
She's been remembering her lessons!
There were only two more masked figures, including the one underneath of her, and Harley was certain the teenager could handle herself.
Harley pulled away from her friend and held her face in her hands. "Oh, you look so nice with shorter hair!" she declared, before pulling away to look her over better.
The taller woman before her was still smiling, a deep look in her eyes. Cat had always held the look of an old soul trapped in a young body.
Ebony curls spilled out around her face almost like a halo, illuminating her flawless pale skin. Her eyes were naturally feline in nature, the thick dark lashes only highlighting the cat-eye eyeliner that framed them. Flawlessly painted burgundy lips never moved more than a few centimeters with her grin.
Cat was dressed in street clothes that day, the tight leather pants accented by the motorcycle jacket that hung open to reveal the leather bustier top underneath. Harley couldn't help but notice Cat wincing as she moved around. The black-haired woman's heels landed into the last masked woman's solar plexus, and she retracted her long whip to turn to Harley again.
"Nice to see you," Cat remarked, the limp figure falling to the ground.
Lack of movement confirmed their opponent was dead.
Hm, no restraint from Cat today …
Wonder who these fools are …
"It's nice to see you too!" Harley exclaimed. "I thought you were busy."
Cat glanced over to the indigo-clad teenager. She headed right over to the younger girl, who was wrestling with the other woman.
A few minutes ago, Helena had abandoned her weapon and was relying on hand-to-hand combat. With a few swift kicks to the abdomen and finally the face, she slammed her elbow into the other woman's back and neck, and Harley heard a crack.
No restraint from Leni either.
Breathing heavily, the teenager slowly rose up to her feet. When the figure on the floor moaned, without pause, Cat let out her whip onto the figure to hold her still. Harley came up from behind, and drove her new knife into this woman's neck. Harley had to strain against the bone, seeing as she drove it into the back of the woman's neck. As she stood up, Harley shook off the residual blood on her hands.
We just changed.
As the figure stopped moving, Cat's eyebrow rose distinctively. "I was," she said, responding to Harley's earlier comment.
Jumping up to her feet, Harley probably looked a little too happy to be holding a pair of knives and coated with a layer of at least two people's blood. "But you came anyway?" she asked eagerly.
It had been way too long since they had the whole group together.
There was only a small smile from Cat at this, seeing as the older woman's attention was soon drawn to the teenager that was crouched in the corner.
Harley blinked for a few seconds, before she too looked over to Helena. "Leni! You're bleeding!" she exclaimed, bounding over to her.
Although Harley moved to wipe away the blood that was trickling down from her lip. Helena pulled away with a wince, and Harley paused.
Her eyes were still silver.
Oh yeah, she doesn't like being touched after that …
More like she doesn't want more blood on her face …
Harley retracted her hands, and relaxed knowingly. They were pretty messy, and still wet. Maybe she should fix that before touching anyone. Harley refused to push Helena, but she was still concerned.
The younger girl was literally hugging herself in the corner.
Helena never explained too much of her weird ability, and over the years the blonde never asked too many questions. Harley had been born with her pale skin and ability to kill, whereas this black-haired girl was born with this strange power. She knew that Helena would tell her what was essential, so Harley did not pry. It was just something else that made their group rather interesting.
For the most part, from what Harley witnessed over the years, the teenager in front of her was an emotional sponge. The official term was something along the lines of "Empath".
Helena had the ability to absorb feelings and sensations, and literally the emotions of others. From fear, to anger, to sadness, whenever she let loose, those things would bombard her like bombs to her system. It was primarily one of the reasons she was usually so stoic.
Allowing the emotions in would tear her to pieces.
Undoubtedly, Helena could feel all the pain and sadness of the now dead women that littered the floor. She could also feel the death, a sensation no living creature should know. Harley had attempted to hold the younger girl in comfort many years ago. Helena only wound up absorbing her own anxiety and pity for her state, making the situation worse.
Helena ended up hurting more than just herself.
Cat was so angry when she saw all the scars on Leni …
Overloaded, Helena became a wounded animal and lashed out without abandon. She even ripped and tore at her own body. All she could see were the emotions, and she could not see her friends at all. But she still knew they were there, and she never wanted them harmed.
As a result, whenever things ended, she withdrew from the moment.
Her little ability helped tremendously in a scuffle, or whenever there was a threat. It was how she knew their attacker before seeing them.
She could feel them.
However, Helena only liked to use this power in certain cases. Getting back from the state was a task in and of itself. Dragging her mind out of that pool of emotion was daunting and tremendous. So, she never released her full strength all too often.
There was one reason she let it out without wanting it; she couldn't help herself. This was when she was emotionally charged herself; she would have to be experiencing her own dramatic feelings.
Usually, it meant she was either angry … or scared.
This hadn't been that much of a scuffle. It had been over within a few minutes. So, which one of those emotions had she been experiencing?
From the way she trembled, Harley could only conclude it was fear.
Harley glanced over to the older woman beside her.
Cat was staring at the girl on the floor, a deep concern in her eyes. Harley realized that her friend wanted to hold the girl as well. But Selina knew just as well as Harley that Helena couldn't be touched in such a state.
And whereas Helena would accept Harley's physical concern, she would probably push Cat away.
The blonde bit her lip.
This was turning out into a very awkward day …
Harley perked up, attempting to divert the energy of the room. The last thing Helena needed at that point was more dreariness. What had been best in the past was attempt to go about normal behavior, and she would come around with more positive vibes.
"So … what's up with you?" she asked the taller woman.
Like we're just gonna forget the dead bodies on the floor?
Hey, I'm not one to be nosy …
Yeah right!
Selina turned her head in Harley's direction, brow raised. Well, in her defense, Harley was acting like she hadn't just killed a few people. Letting out a deep sigh, Selina rubbed the back of her neck.
Harley realized how tired the older woman looked. "Same old same old," she responded.
So, lots of blood and tears then.
Yep, typical Cat.
The silence was shattered by a voice from behind them.
"Is everyone alright?"
Selina and Harley both turned around, and found Ivy standing in the doorway. Her hat and skirt had been removed, and she had most definitely armed herself. The greenery mistress was holding a rather large and ancient-looking shotgun in one hand, and a revolver in the other. Strapped around her torso, over her shoulder, was a belt of transparent bullets filled with mutlicolored liquids.
The redhead's eyes landed on Harley. "You look horrible," she commented. "How did you get that much blood on you that fast?"
Harley shrugged. "I may have knicked an artery …"
Walking up to her two friends, Ivy glanced at the still revving car as she stepped over the bodies. "Cat, what on earth is going on that you had to crash through my walls?" she questioned.
Cat was wrapping up her whip around her arm, and gestured to the bodies on the floor. "I took care of them," she responded simply. Ivy didn't need to worry, the threat had been taken care of.
It was obvious Cat did not want to elaborate on why she was being attacked by these people, or who they even were. She probably would not give them anymore information. Harley was curious, but Cat was even more stubborn than Helena.
Realizing that this was the end of that conversation, Ivy's eyes zeroed in on the bodies. "I'm guessing you'll need to dispose of them?" she asked. Cat only responded with a nod. "Well, I supposed the girls will take the fresh meat, even if they prefer live prey …"
Cat let out a sigh. "I did my best," she muttered.
It was then that Cat turned away from them as she walked over to the car. Ignoring the glass in her back, she opened the rear door and reached inside. Ivy had come up behind her right away, suddenly looking startled—like she had just remembered something.
"You brought him?!" she hissed in almost a whisper. It was clear she was a mix of annoyed and concerned. "How could you bring him here?"
Uh … he who?
Cat crawled halfway into the car, and after a few moments she emerged with something in her arms.
Wait a damn minute …
Two … do I hear three?!
Does your "maybe" count as three?
The baby was older than Flora, and most distinctively male. From the way he was holding his own neck up, it was clear he was closer to a half-year old than a newborn. His short black hair wasn't nearly as curly as Cat's, and his eyes were a sapphire blue. Completely covered from head to toe in dark cloth, he was dressed as plainly as possible. For Cat, this was clearly strange.
She'd never allow even a baby out of the house looking that plain.
Harley jumped up. "Baby!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms out above her as she went over to Cat's side.
Instantly crouching down to look him in the eye, Harley stuck her tongue out at him playfully. "Hello there, cutie-pie!" she said, tickling his chin with her only clean hand. "What's your name?"
Oddly enough, despite the chaos around them, the baby looked oddly calm. Not a tear in sight, his face lax with wonder. He was curiously looking at the space around him, taking in as much as his young eyesight could.
As Harley looked up to Cat, the older woman let out a sigh. "Damian," she told her.
Harley smiled even wider. "Hi Damian," she said, noticing on closer inspection that he was a little grimy. There wasn't a scratch on him, the car and carseat doing its job in protecting the passengers. "You need a bath too, hm?"
Wrapping a blanket around him, Cat reliquished and finally gave the baby to Harley. They had all been accustomed to little girls. Boys were such a treat.
Making sure only to touch the blanket, and never the baby underneath, Harley became aware of the blood drying onto her skin and clothes. She bounced the infant as she positioned him onto her hip.
"He's so … cute!" Harley exclaimed. "How old is he?"
"He will be one year old in August," came the reply from the corner.
Helena stood up, and as she meekly walked over Harley could see that her eyes were lilac again. She was back, but still holding herself in a hug. The Huntress looked to the older dark-haired woman, her expression angry. "Why'd you bring him here?" she demanded.
Selina's eyes narrowed on the younger girl, unpleased with this tone. "The better question is, why are you here?" she interrogated, attempting to divert the subject. "You're supposed to be in class."
Harley looked over to the teenager, brow wrinkled. "You had class this morning, Leni?" she asked. The baby in her arms reached up to take a hold of Harley's hair, but as his grip was only so strong, she let him be.
Only a shrug was the response to Cat's inquiry. "I sent in my homework," Helena replied. "And attendance is optional for that one."
"That doesn't mean you can slack off," Harley parented. "You worked so hard to get into college early."
Harley knew more than anyone—she had been paying for tuition. Helena had been brilliant since she was a child, and her early acceptance at a university was such good news for the entire party. Cat could have afforded it, and was paying for it originally, but Harley insisted upon doing so when Helena announced she was pursuing medicine. Ivy had may a few payments as well, but was mostly just funding her daily allowance. Harley just had to pay for it on principle—being the only other resident doctor.
We're technically not a doctor anymore …
Just because we no longer have the title, doesn't mean we didn't learn all the smarts …
Helena just pushed off her comment. "I handled it, okay?" she snapped. Harley winced; Helena was clearly still mad. Her gaze turned to Cat again. "You shouldn't have brought him here."
Cat took on a stronger tone with her response. "That is not your concern," she instructed, retrieving a few bags from the back of the car. Clearly, Selina was not in the mood. "But if you must know, I had no other choice."
Harley glanced between the two women, and then over to Ivy. The redhead was visibly nervous, feeling the tension that was evident in the room.
Hey, did Ivy know about Damian too … ?
Am I the last to know everything …?
You're also the last one to get knocked up, too …
That has not been confirmed yet!
Wow, all three of you within a year, that's something else …
Despite Cat's evident unsatisfied mood, Helena refused to back down. "You know very well where you could have taken him," she snapped.
There's some place safer than Ivy's?
Really, where?
Helena was the one scolding this time. "You never should have hidden this," she insisted, arms gesturing angrily around her. She pointed to the distance, not looking away from Cat. "He could have helped."
He who?
Harley bit her lip. She was clearly only getting half of the conversation. But there was no way she was going to interrupt—last thing she needed was her head bitten off.
Selina visibly frowned. "You want to deliver him there?" she asked, clearly egging the girl on.
Her tone was quiet, yet angered. Her eyes were daring the teenager to do as she was instructing, but the two of them were aware this was the opposite of what Selina wanted.
"When you do, maybe you should attempt to explain yourself? I highly doubt he would believe you without telling him who you are!"
Helena said nothing, but she was clearly seething.
"Go home," was the next thing that Cat said to the younger girl. Her tone was calmer, warmer. "And get some sleep. You've been up for long enough."
Oh yeah, her insomnia …
The teenager rolled her eyes, but turned away from Cat and headed for the door.
Only, Harley really didn't want to send her away like that.
"I'll see you later, Leni!" Harley called after her.
Pausing, the Huntress glanced over her shoulder and gave Harley a genuine, albeit solemn, smile. But without another word, she slipped through the gapping hole in the wall, completely disregarding the door itself.
Harley looked over to Cat. "Who did she mean?" she asked. If it was a safer place, then it was a safer place.
Selina was not looking at her, too busy turning off the car's engine. "Damian's father," she replied simply.
Harley blinked. She had anticipated the answer, and she had been right. However, it had been strangely easier to get out of the older woman than Harley expected. Harley glanced down to the baby in her arms. "He … doesn't know about him?" she asked.
Cat was silent, clearly hesitant to speak. She placed her bags over her shoulders. "No, he doesn't," she confirmed. "And Helena is fighting with me about it."
"She … wants him to know?" came the next question, this time from Ivy. She had just finished patching the wall with new vines. "Why?"
Selina glanced at the space around them, but before she answered she nodded to the hallway. She wanted to tell them while they were moving. As they found themselves heading down the steps and into the main area, Harley held up the rear but quickly caught up to hear Cat's soft words.
"I suppose she wants to meet him too," was the only thing Cat said. "Damian's father."
Harley was eager for information. In the span of a few minutes, she discovered that her two oldest friends both had babies, and neglected to tell her a thing. She wanted to know as much as possible. Why would they hide this? Not to mention they were both being so secretive about the fathers. Was she really going to give out some answers?
"And why would she want that?" Ivy asked.
"Because Damian's father is Helena's father," Selina finally answered, turning around to look them both in the eye. "The minx decided to do her own DNA test."
Smart girl.
Very foolish, but smart …
Harley finally caught up to the two of them, glancing from one to the other. "And … that's a reason to hide them both from him?" she asked, clearly confused.
Hide children from their father? Was that really necessary? Coming from the woman who shot the father of her potential child, it seemed a little hypocratic, but she was certain that her friends had chosen better partners than she did.
Hopefully a little less homecidal.
Ivy crossed her arms over her chest, neither annoyed or angry. She looked deflated, like she was worn thin. "He's a criminal, Harley," she responded.
"Yeah …" Harley responded. "So are we."
They were all criminals—this was not news.
Was there a point she was trying to make?
"Unlike Ivy's baby daddy, who people avoid like the plague," Selina started. Ivy glared at the black-haired woman out of the corner of her eye, but said nothing. "Helena and Damian's father is a criminal that all the other criminals want to kill."
Is Cat going somewhere with this …?
Harley didn't answer, just stared with confusion. Cat didn't linger, turning around and walking away again. That was all she was going to say.
The blonde turned to Ivy. "Um …"
Letting out a sigh, the plant mistress rubbed her temple. "You know who, Harley," she responded. "Who else would Cat let touch her?"
"You mean, aside from that guy back—oh!" Realization hit her, and her eyes flew open. "Wait a second, him? How is that possible?"
Ivy groaned as she began walking. "Just wait until you meet Flora's father."
"Oh yeah, who is he anyway?"
The redhead laughed. "Haven't you guessed yet?"
Harley only shrugged. "Yeah, but that doesn't mean anything …"
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"Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated." – Confucious
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"So, Leni is … Cat's daughter?"
"Apparently."
"But she doesn't know—that Cat is her mother."
"Nope."
"How did we not know?"
"She had her at fifteen, Harley; would you tell anyone?"
"Well, she obviously found her another home, right?"
"That's not how Cat put it."
"What do you mean?"
"Remember that scar on her stomach?"
"Yeah, that big, awful looking thing—wait, you don't mean …?"
"Yep, and it took all this time to find her."
"So, that explains the lack of birth certificate … does that mean Leni doesn't technically exist?"
"Well, Helena Kyle doesn't exist—never did."
"That sucks …"
Pause.
"So, who do you think it is?"
"Who?"
"Leni's daddy! Who do you think he is?"
Laugh.
"That's a good one."
"What do you mean?"
"Like you don't know?"
"Know what?"
"Harls—I worry about you sometimes. But this is really frightening. You have honestly don't know?"
"Why else would I be asking you?"
"Remember how Cat was always disappearing? Well, he did come by that one time …"
"But Cat said she only has a thing for that one guy … "
"Yeah … "
"Wait a minute! That preppy kid that she brought here that one time? He was so … naïve."
Sigh.
"Yes, Harley, that guy …"
Pause.
"Oh … oh!"
"Yeah, the light bulb finally went on."
"That sure explains a lot … "
"But we can't say anything. Cat probably will deny that Helena is hers—I'm pretty sure she's gonna tell people they're related, but not much else."
"That makes sense. He disappeared or something, right? Well, what would you do?"
"Not get knocked up by him, that's for sure. Or any man for that matter."
Giggle.
"What?"
"I'd like to meet the guy that sweeps you off your feet, Pammy. He's sure to be interesting."
"Like that will ever happen."
"Oh yeah? I think it's the total opposite—I can see you falling real hard and having a whole bunch of kids. You know, I bet you'll have a kid before me. And we both know how likely that is."
Grumble.
"Dream on, Harley."
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"You cannot carry out fundamental change without a certain amount of madness." – Thomas Sankara
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"Wonderful."
"Awe … aren't you glad I'm not dead, boss lady?"
"Glad is not the word I would use."
"Shucks, and here I thought you were concerned."
"I am, just not about your safety, Miss Quinn."
"And we were getting so close to a breakthrough …"
Pause.
"Your report, Miss Quinn."
"Oh yeah. I'll be out of commission for a few days. I'm laying low."
"For recovery? For how long?"
"About … three to five days …"
Pause.
"Fastenating wording. Anything else?"
"I'm happy to report that I revealed absolutely no information while I was captured. All secrets are safe."
"That's a surprise. The Joker is notorious for his torture."
"Well … I wouldn't call what we did as torture …"
Pause.
"What would you call it?"
"Um … negotiations …"
"What kind of negotiations?"
"He he … the kind where we … didn't do much talking …"
Pause.
Longer pause.
"Boss lady?"
"I am still on the line, Miss Quinn. I'm just unsure if I heard you correctly. Are you telling me that the Joker … initiated a physical relationship … with you?"
"Well, that … is a very good way of putting it …"
"And, he left you unscathed?"
"Do bite marks count?"
"But he did not harm you."
"Well … I think they call it S&M …"
Pause.
"You there?"
Silence.
"Fascinating—you said you were laying low? Where?"
"Somewhere safe … and no one knows where I am. I'm running my clubs through messages, so no one should be suspecting anything weird."
"I suppose that's good enough. Stay where you are, and do not contact me until I contact you."
"Um, okay …"
Click.
"Well, that was f**king weird."
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"Babies don't need fathers, but mothers do. Someone who is taking care of a baby needs to be taken care of." – Amy Heckerling
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Harley cooed at the baby laying down in front of her. "Come on, Damian," she coaxed gently. She reached down to tickle his little pudgy belly. "Why won't you smile for me?"
The blonde was not sure what was wrong with the little boy, but what she did know was she had been with him for four days, and not once did she see him smile. He was almost seven months old; this was just abnormal. She was determined to see him laugh.
Sitting inside a claw-foot tub, Harley made sure only to fill the water up a few inches so that the baby in front of her could lay down without her worrying about his safety. When Selina reported that she had to leave her child with Ivy for a few days, she reported that she was going off to do a few things that were not exactly baby friendly.
Cat did not go into detail, but Harley was convinced that it may have had to do with the small group of masked women that she had the pleasure of helping Ivy feed to her favorite plants; Lilith, Circe and Dolores. Ivy was hesitant into letting Cat's child stay, having her own baby to worry about. But seeing as that Harley was already staying, the blonde jumped at the chance to watch the little one. She was just glad Cat hadn't questioned her on what she was doing the past few days.
Helena and Ivy would tell her later anyway.
Cat simply left behind several of Damian's things, as well as some instructions for his care.
Part of them was bath time.
But seeing as little Damian was actually too big to bathe in any of Ivy's sinks, Harley had to find an alternative. This happened to be Ivy's own tub, but it was way to big for her to put him in by himself. Once she removed his clothes and placed him into the nice warm water, Harley decided to strip down to her undergarments and join him in the tub. She was going to get wet from bathing him anyway.
Damian was such a calm and good baby. He hardly fussed at all over the past few days. The only times he did express himself was when he was uncomfortable, which apparently was not often. Harley had been with him for the entirety of her time visiting the greenhouse, and she even had begun sleeping near his little makeshift bed. He was so quiet, and even when he fussed he was restrained.
Now, if only Harley could get him to smile …
Maybe he got it from his daddy. Supposedly he was rather stoic and solemn. Not that Harley had anything to back this up personally, as these were all third-hand speculations that reached her ears through the grapevine.
Then again, Selina had never been much of a smiler either.
With his parents, he didn't have much going for him in the happiness area; she needed to make him to smile at least once.
Only, the baby stared up to her with wide blue eyes, just blinking every now and then as she used a soft cloth to scrub his little arms and legs. He kicked several times, but refused to smile.
Oh well, baby steps for the baby …
Kissing his little nose, Harley sat up against the tub. The bathroom was sectioned off in another room of the greenhouse. The building of Beaudelaire's itself was actually several buildings joined by a series of pathways. It had been one building, and over time the original owners kept adding to it. As the diversity of the inhabitant plants increased, so did the need for special climates. Ivy possessed trees, shrubs and flowers from all over the world inside these walls.
At that moment, Harley was in the muggy steamy one was developed to resemble the jungle. The tropical plants that surrounded the tub thrived in this climate.
Where else would Ivy put the tub?
It was such a relief from the main space.
Flora was sleeping in that room, and after a day of staying there, Harley quickly became aware of why it had been so cold in the building. According to Ivy, Flora apparently needed it to be cold—just like her father. Flora's internal body temperature needed to be kept lower than normal humans, or else she would overheat and become very sick to the point it would endanger her life. Considering her mother was some kind of floral hybrid, that probably meant that Flora herself was not considered human either.
That was all Ivy explained.
Harley did not ask any more questions. She had already asked about Flora's father, and the redhead had instantly changed the subject. However, from what Cat told her, combined with everything Harley already knew, she had a pretty good idea.
A criminal.
Other criminals avoided him.
And he needed the cold.
Hm … that's a toughy.
We don't know too many criminals personally …
We read about them, but that's about it …
But Harley really hadn't the time to dwell on it. Taking care of Damian was turning out to be a twenty-four seven task. He needed attention at all times. No wonder Helena had told her Cat was busy. Thankfully, he was sleeping through the entire night and he kept a fairly regular schedule, but it was just so new to the blonde.
Helena had been four when she started living with them.
Not to mention, that day in particular was a little more stressful. Ivy decided to leave her home that day. Apparently, she had been in her home for months and had not left once since Flora had been born. With Harley holding down the fort, it allowed Ivy to run around to many of her other, albeit smaller, greenhouses.
Ivy was in the drug trade, primarily. It was a very good source of income, considering Ivy grew her own breed of plants and could tailor them as she saw fit. It was not Ivy's passion, but it was a regular source of income so that they could go about their work without interference. When she wasn't intoxicating Gotham's underworld, Ivy was supplying many other criminals with covert explosives.
Plants were not on the bomb squads' radar.
Despite her numerous funds and contacts, Ivy had been lacking in her role in her own business—actually running it first hand. While on "maternity leave", the redhead had other people, mostly her own drones, were faithfully running the operation without her. However, more recently other things had been occurring.
The redhead had explained that Flora's father had been sabotaging her businesses to get her attention.
Flora's father … did not like the fact that Ivy was ignoring him. Ivy gave off the impression that she was fearful of his anger, but Harley disagreed. He was still leaving her flowers regularly; he wasn't that angry. Harley knew, since she had witnessed the florist come almost every other day to deliver them and leave them by the door.
Ivy herself had been doing a good job of ignoring the attacks, but there was only so much she could do from afar.
So, Harley was somewhat of a godsend.
Well, if the only thing I can do is babysit, I guess it's not too bad …
Besides … baby!
Babies were just fun; this had been the most fun Harley had in weeks. All she had been doing recently was work, work, work … and more work.
Well, except for that little episode a few days ago …
Yes, how can you forget Mistah Jay?
Harley let out a sigh of relief, still thinking back to a few days before. Within a day of her staying, Harley realized one morning that her monthly bleeding had come. Even without taking the tests, she realized that she was not pregnant.
It had been such a weight that was lifted off her shoulders.
Babies were nice, but dangerous. Both of her friends were in that boat and having to deal with the multitude of problems that came along with it. Harley realized from her own anxieties, which she had gone through over the short amount of time, that she was nowhere near ready for a child of her own.
So many thoughts had been running through her head. She was having strange dreams too. Mostly, they were about a pale child, with pale blonde hair and bright blue eyes. It would have been a girl. Harley had just known. If she was carrying a child, it would be a girl. At least this one would have been. Her little curls would be held in pigtails on the sides of her head.
And she would have a nursery the size of a house containing enough pink and purple bows to smother the child.
That, and a multitude of giant stuffed bunnies.
How would he react to their child? Would he give her all those things? The clown of crime would most definitely spoil his own flesh and blood, probably more so than her. That was evident even after only knowing him so briefly.
But … what happened the past few days, that had been all a show right? It had been nothing but a display of control over her.
There was no way that he could possibly want her … in that way.
The Joker was many things. And of all his traits, Harley had a sinking feeling that if he discovered she was carrying his child, and actually had it, the child itself may have not been safe. Somehow, she did not envy her friends. Harley did not want to start imagining how they felt.
Hiding the existence of their children from their fathers?
Harley had chastised them before. Now she wasn't so sure about that. She might have done the same in their shoes. Thankfully, it was no longer a decision that Harley needed to make. That did not mean she could put it out of her mind. For a while, it had been a distinct possibility.
Snapping out of her thoughts, Harley realized that the baby before her was beginning to make noise. Her charge was either bored, or most likely, displeased with the fact that his skin was resembling prunes.
With a smile, Harley lifted him up to her shoulder, and stood up. It was time to get out. Flora was probably awake by now.
As she stepped out of the tub, she grabbed the fluffy towel hanging over the table and wrapped the baby in it. She would dry herself off later. Lowering herself down to the tile floor, she put down a cushion before setting him down on it. Within a few minutes he was completely dry and dressed. She made sure to pull on socks onto his feet. Despite the footed onesie, it was still going to be cold in the other room.
Damian was, as far as their standards, physiologically normal. He needed to stay warm.
Making sure to place a pacifier in his mouth before she left physical contact, Harley took the time to stand in front of the mirror in the corner and blow dry her hair. The dyed ends had faded days ago, but she was still trying to keep up her appearance. Crime bosses could not look shabby.
She changed out of her wet things and put on some simple undergarments. The boy-shorts and sports bra were navy, and the cropped hoodie and shorts over top were red. She pulled on thicker thigh-high socks on her legs, as her options were limited. Of the things that were retrieved from her wardrobe, heavy clothes were not among them.
Do we even own warm clothes?
Well, nothing with long pants …
She needed to further invest in her wardrobe after she got back to her club. Draining the tub, Harley hung up her wet things over the side of the tub before she retrieved the baby on the floor. Pulling him onto her hip, she bounced him up and down.
"You hungry, little guy?" she asked as she headed down the hallway of trees. She slipped into the passageway that would lead her back to the main space, her stocking feet padding over the grass. "I am, you want a snack?"
She pulled his blanket closer around him as she opened the door into the colder space. It was a dramatic drop, at least forty or fifty degrees. Thankfully, they were still a little warm from the bath.
"I'm gonna see if Flora's awake, and then we can all have something to eat, hm?"
Harley knew there was no chance of a response from the almost seven month old, but she knew it was good for him to hear her voice. He was more interested in pulling on her hair, but at least he was not doing it harshly.
Walking down the spiral stairs in the main space, Harley hummed a little tune. She wondered when Ivy was getting back. Harley had been being nice and cooking meals for Ivy, seeing as she was a guest for so long, so she was concerned about what time to start dinner.
Maybe she should have noticed that it was colder in the room than it had been earlier.
Then, maybe she would not have been able to detect the newest guest to the greenhouse before walking into the room.
Harley stopped short as she came into Flora's room, unable to contain her gasp at the figure standing in the space.
Her entrance made him turn around.
Dressed entirely in white, he was stark against all the green behind him. From the way his hood fell over his eyes and collar came up in front of his mouth, Harley could not make out his face. The loose jacket that hung over his shoulders had a lot more fabric than necessary, the folds billowing out around him. Beneath that were long pants that would have suited a mountain climber, and a pair of combat boots.
He would have looked ready for an expedition to one of the earth's poles, had it not been for the fact that he was bare-chested under his jacket.
Shiny almost translucent silver skin coated the bulging muscles on his chest, his broad shoulders taking up a lot of the space. He was not bulky, almost slim like a swimmer. What made him even more unearthly was the faint glow that radiated from beneath his clothing.
It was coming from the shiny white metal that encased and framed almost each and every one of his body parts. The metal was layered like scales to help with movement, but left plenty of his skin exposed. He faint blue glow looked almost neon, the lines of color streaming like a nervous system all over his body.
In his arms, was Flora.
He was holding her quite securely, in no way threatening. Flora was still asleep, clearly unafraid by the man holding her. She obviously sensed no threat.
As soon as he turned around, one of his hands reached up to pull down his hood. His long sleeves covered a majority of his hands, that were also encased in the glowing scaly metal. His cowl was pulled away from his face, and Harley couldn't help but be surprised.
Way to go Ivy …
He's … surprisingly very hot …
Or is it cool … ?
Ice blue hair tumbled down his shoulders, long and thin. It was pulled back halfway with a few braids at the top of his head. It may have been longer than Harley's own hair. The underside of his head had been shaved down to reveal the multitude of snowflake patterned white and blue tattoos along his head and neck. His hairstyle was bordering on being a Mohawk, the sheer amount of hair on the top of his head preventing that. Blue icicle tattoos marked his face like some kind of native tribal markings, down the center of his face and right across his eyes.
A very intricate and delicate looking helmet encased his head, clinging to his chiseled jaw line as if it were facial hair. The light coming from beneath his chin gave him a ghostly glow, even more so than the visor over his eyes.
Harley could see small words appearing on the clear material in front of his eyes, the devise connected to the rest of the armor. There were bright white gemstones almost everywhere on his body, including the large choker on his neck where the largest sat. It seemed to pulsate with light, feeding it to the lines.
He was extremely good looking. He had a rugged appearance, not beautiful but in many ways incredibly masculine. Face entirely calm and stoic, she noticed him looking at her curiously.
There was absolutely no malice coming from him at all.
This man was Flora's father. Harley instantly recognized the similarities in the baby's bone structure to his own facial features.
How did he get in here?
And what was Harley going to do?
"Hello," slipped out of Harley's mouth before she could say anything. It was clearly not the smartest thing to do, but she couldn't take it back.
The man blinked once, then twice. "Hello," he responded cautiously, a little confused.
He was calm, not agitated in any way. His free hand returned to Flora's back. Harley noticed how large it was compared to the child, and how delicate he was being.
He had a voice that was clear and strong, laced with years of education. "And you are?"
Harley swallowed and bit her lip. She needed to tread cautiously. "I … should be asking you that, shouldn't I?" she asked, looking him up and down. She instinctively readjusted the baby in her own arms.
This was not good, not good at all. If this person was who Harley thought he was … then that meant trouble.
The man's face remained stoic, but he nodded. "Fair enough," he responded. His movements were surprisingly quiet for the heavy boots he wore, as he took a few steps forward and extended his hand. "Victor Fries."
As Harley looked at him closer, she realized that he was young—younger than she had first thought. Was he younger than Harley herself?
Does that make Ivy a cougar?
No, that only works if she's old enough to be his mother.
He's nowhere near there …
Harley was hesitant as she stared at his hand. She thought it best to remain calm and play along. Ivy slept with him, he couldn't be too bad. He was holding Flora—that meant that she needed to keep him calm. However, as she saw his metal-encased hand, she was hesitant.
Was this a trick?
Harley was slow to take his hand, and felt a chill run up her arm and spine as she grasped and shook it. "Harley Quinn."
This … had trouble written all over it.
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(Author's Note: Please, please, please don't yell at me. I am very much aware there was no Joker in this chapter. He was supposed to be there, but things have a way of working out differently. You have to remember, that where I left Joker, he was stranded on an island without weapons or a vehicle. That, and the explosion was bound to attract someone's attention (if you know who I mean). He's a little more than preoccupied. That, and you have to remember that not only is Harley hiding, he has no idea where she is ... how could he know? He didn't even know her name when they met.
I swear Joker will be in the next chapter though!
Please be happy with my consolation prize; Flora's daddy. That ... and all the juicy bits about Cat and company. I know this chapter was heavy, but I attempted to make it a little longer in compensation for such a long time without updating. I hope it's enough for now.
To all of you who guessed correctly on Flora's father, congratulations. I got quite a few guesses (most of them were good), but sadly not all of you were correct. But yes, it is Mr. Freeze. And no, the reason for this has nothing to do with the live-action film they were both in together. I shall elaborate on the why later.
I went for a cyberpunk vibe for our notorious iceman. And I am so sick of seeing him in that weird suite with a glass dome over a bald head, hence my change in his style. Not only did I try to modernize him, I must admit I was attempting to make him more attractive.
One of the things that I found so fascinating about Ayer-verse Joker was the fact that some found him attractive. I do not see why villains need to be ugly-I find that the best villains are truly quite beautiful. It only makes it more disturbing to learn that someone so good-looking can be so corrupted. Not only do I find it more realistic (why can't villains be sexy? It's one of the best weapons), I find that it goes with this universe.
Also, I must apologize for the delay in this chapter. Currently, I am in the middle of one of the more stressful points of my life (I'm enrolled in school, and my term is coming to a close. Graduation is literally around the corner-with any hope, it will be in January) and I just couldn't find time to write with all of my work piling up on me. That, and I had to rewrite this chapter at least three times since my last update.
But once again, thank you for reading this chapter. Please review for me! Tell me what you think!)
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