Harley and Ivy chapter 11
Harley led Ivy through the sewers without hesitation. Coming to intersections, she would only pause a moment before heading off again. Dim service lights in the tunnels allowed them to see and there were numbers on the walls and intersections but other than that there was no way Ivy could see to tell directions.
"Harley? How do you know where you are going?" Ivy finally asked as Harley paused at yet another intersection.
"Mr. J. once had a plan to flood Gotham with Joker Gas. He was going to use the sewer systems and had me study up on the plans. He finally discarded the idea when I pointed out that Joker Gas is heavier than normal air. The sewers in Gotham are all gently sloped towards the sea. His gas would never get enough lift to rise up out of the sewer but would have been harmlessly dumped into the sea." Harley answered as she studied the numerals on the wall.
"And from that one time you remember the layout of the entire Gotham sewer system?" Ivy said impressed.
Harley glanced back and even in the gloom of the sewer Ivy was struck by the haunted look in Harley's eyes through the mask she wore. "When the Joker tells you to study something and remember it, you study it and never forget it. Even after Joker trashed his gas idea he would months later suddenly ask me which sewer went where and if I couldn't answer him he would punish me for failing to pay attention."
Ivy could just imagine how Joker would punish Harley for failing to remember sewer layouts and not for the first time she wondered how the petite blond had kept from slitting the Joker's throat while he slept one night.
"We're here." Harley finally stated coming to a stop near a ladder leading up to a manhole cover.
"Where?" Ivy asked.
"The hotel where we are staying at. Go up this ladder and the hotel is across the street from it."
Ivy had her doubts but dutifully climbed the ladder first, leaving Harley to carry the power core up and pushed on the manhole cover. After a few moments the cover came free and she pulled herself up.
The first sight to hit her was the burned out remains of the hotel where they had been staying across the street. Sitting in the parking lot of the hotel was a giant gaily wrapped gift box with a Jack in the Box in bright purple clothing leaning drunkeningly out of the top and to one side. In the Jack in the Box's hands was a flame thrower. Police had the area cordoned off and a fire truck was still parked in the parking lot.
The police had a wide area around the Jack in the Box isolated and as Ivy watched sitting on the edge of the sewer entrance in the shadows, a few brave officers would advance on the box and poke it and then quickly dart away.
Obviously the police were afraid there were more tricks to be had in the box than just a surprise arson trick.
"Red?" Harley's voice called up from the sewer. "What's going on? Why don't you move so I can come up?"
"I'm coming back down Harley." Ivy whispered down to her. Even though there was so much noise and action going on across the street she didn't want to chance a cop looking over and spotting her. Carefully Ivy leveraged the manhole cover back in place and descended the ladder.
Harley looked at her in confusion once she reached the bottom.
"Joker has been at our hotel. He left one of his calling cards across from the room we were staying in. A Jack in the Box arsonist." Ivy explained.
Ivy could see the fear leap in Harley's eyes even in the gloom.
"How could he have tracked us to the hotel? I was so careful. I guess I must be more distinctive a blond than I thought." Harley muttered to herself.
Ivy leaned against the ladder. "So where do we go now?" She asked Harley.
"I guess we'll go to the warehouse I have the Penguin shipping the stuff too. While it is awfully close to the one the Joker used, there maybe a chance he won't find it." Harley said after a moment.
Harley handed the power core over to Ivy and once again took the lead.
"Harley are you sure you can find your way down here? I thought only one person knew the sewer system this well?" Ivy asked her at one point on their long journey.
"While Killer Croc might know these systems like the back of his hand, I know enough to find my way." Harley assured her but then stopped in confusion at a dead end.
"But…But… I was sure this was the way!" Harley muttered to herself almost in tears.
Ivy came up beside her and studied the blocked path. "You probably do Harl. This is recent. Probably some Gotham City renewal work. Is there any way around this?" She asked Harley.
Harley glanced over in surprise but almost ecstatic none the less. "You trust me to find a way around this?" She asked hopefully.
"Well of course Harl. You say you know your way around down here I trust you. So, which way to we go?"
Harley back tracked a few yards till she came to a small hole in the side of the sewer wall. The hole was barely large enough for her and Ivy to crawl through. Fortunately there was no water or sludge coming out of it at the moment.
"If we crawl through here it should open up to a parallel main tunnel. With any luck that one won't be blocked and we will come up right across from the warehouses."
Ivy didn't look thrilled but she wasn't going to crush Harley's fragile spirit now. She nodded and started to enter the tunnel first but was stopped by Harley pushing in front of her. "I'll go first." Harley stated and started squirming into the tunnel.
Ivy opened her mouth to protest but stopped and watched Harley's butt as she crawled into the small hole. With a smile she followed along behind Harley dragging the power core behind her.
A short crawl later and Harley found her main tunnel she was looking for and to her relief it wasn't blocked. Finding a ladder she rapidly climbed it. Reaching the top Harley placed her shoulder against the manhole cover and pushed… And found she couldn't budge it in the slightest. "Ivy? Give me a hand I can't get this stupid thing open."
Suddenly Harley felt a hand resting on her inner thigh and slowly starting to creep up till it cupped her crotch.
Standing straight up in shock, Harley didn't even notice the manhole cover she had been braced against pop off like a cork in a champagne bottle.
"Ivy! What are you doing?" She hissed as she stood on the surface and peered down into the gloom of the manhole. She dimly see Ivy's grinning face as she climbed up the remaining few feet to join her.
"You did ask me to give you a hand." Ivy stated with a leer.
Harley shook her head and examined the area they were in. The manhole was in the middle of a open deserted lot. Years of mud and crud had practically sealed the cover and that was why it didn't open at first. Across the street were the warehouses proving that Harley did indeed remember the sewer system. Dawn was just breaking and in the early morning light Harley could see the field they were in was strewn with broken glass bottles, rusty cans and miscellaneous garbage.
"Mr. J. would have been proud of me." Harley muttered to herself.
Hearing a growl, Harley glanced over and saw to her chagrin saw that Ivy must have heard her. Sitting the power core down, Ivy marched over to stand in front of Harley and placed her hands on her hips in anger.
Just as Ivy was about to blast in to Harley, she saw Harley's eyes grow wide looking at something over her shoulder. Before Ivy could turn to look, Harley grabbed a hold of Ivy's arms and twisting threw themselves to the ground, Harley turning her body so Ivy landed on top of her and thus was protected from the garbage strewn ground.
From her prone position on top of Harley, Ivy could see two cars racing down the street between the empty lot and the warehouses. One was brightly painted purple and orange and had two brutish henchmen leaning out of the backseat windows. As Ivy watched the henchmen started firing machine guns back towards the second car.
A massive but sleek looking black car, the Batmobile.
Ivy pressed herself even closer to Ivy as she tried to hide in the tall weeds that covered the empty lot. She even held her breath as the cars raced by not more than a few yards from where her and Harley were lying. After waiting a good five minutes after the cars passed to make sure they weren't coming back she carefully raised herself up and offered a hand to Harley. As Harley rose she couldn't keep a grimace off her face.
"Harley? What's wrong?" Ivy asked and then turning the smaller woman around she could see bits of broken glass and rusty bits of metal had pierced her costume and were sticking in her back.
"You took the fall so I wouldn't get hurt." Ivy said in surprise. She knew that Harley was attracted to her but she just wasn't used to someone trying to protect her from harm like that, of someone actually caring about her.
"Don't worry Red. Your blood will cure me remember?" Harley hissed in pain.
"My blood helps you heal fast and protects from toxins and poisons, that's true but it won't stop infections and you won't heal properly unless we get those shards out of your back first!" Ivy replied with worry in her voice. "Which way is this warehouse of yours? We need to get off the streets in case the Joker or Batman come back."
Harley with Ivy's help stumbled to the roadway. Nodding her head to the left, Harley said. "The warehouse Mr. J. used is that way. I picked one a few blocks this way." Harley then nodded her head to the right.
"Right it is then." Ivy said and started to lead Harley off but suddenly Harley dug her heels in.
"The power core! You can't leave it behind! Without it we are sunk!"
Ivy frowned in annoyance but realizing that Harley wouldn't move without the core she raced back and got it and then returned to her side.
Moving quickly they reached a nondescript warehouse that was just one in many such on the street. All of them appeared to be empty and abandoned.
The only thing that identified this warehouse as being any different than the others was of course its street address and a scrawny looking tree that was dying near the front entrance to the warehouse.
Reaching the entrance Ivy placed her hand against the tree. Immediately the tree sprung to new life and one of its roots pushed open the door to the two story warehouse.
Ivy led the wincing Harley into the empty vast space and took stock. The roof/second story floor was missing quite a few sections leaving huge gaps. Reaching down Ivy rested her hand on the root that had opened the door for them and the root branched upwards carrying her and Harley to the second floor.
"I'll have to rip up your costume so I can get to the glass slivers and remove them Harley." Ivy told her.
"No. I don't have anything else to wear." Harley said and sitting up started to unzip the front of her costume.
Ivy watched enthralled as the zipper slowly lowered and exposed Harley's skin to Ivy's view.
Harley started to squirm and blush under Ivy's scrutiny, turning she exposed her back to Ivy and finished lowering her costume's top.
Ivy caused the tree that had helped her and Harley to the second floor to sprout several oversized leaves and pulling them she laid them on the floor. Motioning for Harley to lie face down on the leaves, Ivy began to pick out the glass shards from her back.
"I need something to clean these wounds so they'll heal cleanly." Ivy muttered to herself. The now mutant tree gave a shudder and a single tendril shot out from the base of it to slither across the ground floor of the warehouse till it came to a first aid kit attached to a distant wall. Crawling upwards the tendril then ripped the first aid case off the wall and continued growing pulling the case along with it. Reaching a hole in the ceiling the tendril continued to slither till it reached Ivy's side.
Finishing pulling the last glass shard from Harley's bare back she glanced down and was surprised to see a medical kit entangled in the crawling plant tendril. Reaching down she lightly caressed the root.
"Why thank you baby! You are such a good plant." She cooed to the plant.
Opening the kit she was disappointed to find the bandages inside were dried out and fell apart at her touch but she was hopeful when she spotted a small brown bottle in the kit. Picking it up she gave it a experimental shake and heard the distinctive slosh of liquid inside. Unscrewing the bottle she smelled the acrid odor of rubbing alcohol.
"This might sting a bit Harley." She warned and dumped the contents on Harley's back and began to gently rub it in.
Harley's only reaction was a slight hiss.
"You are good at tolerating pain." Ivy praised her as she continued to massage the alcohol in.
"Had a lot of practice." Was Harley's only response.
Ivy's hands began to wander, from Harley's rapidly healing back, down her sides till she was lightly caressing and feather touching the sides of Harley's breasts.
"Ivvvyy" Harley groaned in a something between a warning and a moan of desire.
"You want me to stop?" Ivy said teasingly.
"I never want you to stop." Harley breathed. "But now is not the time. Penguin's guys should be here soon with the stuff I ordered."
Ivy was about to tell Harley what the Penguin's men could do but was stopped by the unmistakable sounds of a truck pulling up outside the warehouse. Getting up she made her way carefully over to a window and glanced out.
"Damn it." She muttered to herself. Harley was correct and a truck was slowly backing into the entrance of the warehouse below them. Turning around she saw that Harley had replaced the top of her costume and had zipped it back up.
Harley unknowingly rested one of her hands on the plant tendril that had brought up the first aid kit. "I need someway to get down there so I can make sure they brought everything." She said out loud.
She barely suppressed a squeal of fear as the tendril lashed out and wrapped itself gently around her waist and started to lower her towards one of the holes in the floor/ceiling.
"Ivy are you doing this?" she managed to get out as the plant maneuvered her to lower her through the hole.
Ivy shook her head. "No. It must be all you Harley. The plant is responding to you as it would to me."
A child like look of glee came over Harley's face. "I can talk to plants!" She managed to say before the plant tendril lowered her through the hole.
One of Penguins henchmen looked around the empty warehouse suspiciously. "I say we just take the equipment and sell it somewhere. We can tell Penguin we delivered it and who is to say we didn't?" The man said to the other three guys who were with him.
"I would!" A female voice said from the ceiling and the shocked group watched as a woman slowly lowered from a hole in the ceiling in the grip of what looked like a huge plant vine.
"It's the crazy man hating plant bitch Poison Ivy!" One of the group breathed in fear.
The henchman who had proposed stealing the merchandise, peered closer. "That's not Ivy. It is that Joker's toy, Harley Quinn!"
As Harley came into view the young hoodlums could see that Harley's costume was worse for wear. There were several long rips in the front of it just beneath her breasts and the brief look they got of her back as the plant twisted and grew downwards showed the costume was barely holding together.
The plant tendril continued to lower Harley till she was at ground level near the men.
"I say in addition to the equipment we take Harley too." The self appointed gang leader loudly stage whispered to his gang. "Who would know?"
Hearing a rasping noise near the front entrance the gang turned almost as one to see a second plant tendril lowering down. Sitting calmly in a crook of the tendril was Poison Ivy.
"The crazy man hating bitch me for one!" She growled at the suddenly quivering in fear gang members.
Two of them immediately sprang to the back of the delivery truck and started unloading the equipment the Penguin had hired them to purchase and then deliver.
"You try and double cross the Penguin by stealing merchandise he was hired to deliver, there won't be enough of your bodies left for him to feed those penguins of his." Harley said as the tendril that had gently carried her down uncoiled from her waist. The tendril then rose up behind her and sprouted wicked looking thorns as if it was a guard dog watching the men in front of her and was merely waiting a signal to pounce on them and rip them apart.
The would be gang leader backed nervously away from Harley and her plant protector, only to have something bump into his shoulder. Sparing a glance backwards he nearly wet himself when he realized what had bumped into him was another spiked plant vine coming from the root Ivy was sitting on.
He was saved from becoming mulch by one of the men hauling equipment out of the truck saying something to Harley Quinn.
"We're done Miss Quinn. That's the lot of it."
Harley looked over the pile of electronic equipment and computer parts sitting in the center of the warehouse. The pile dominated by a very ugly looking robotic carnival clown.
"Mr. Penguin wanted us to tell you that was the hardest part to find. They don't make those things any more so he ended up having to steal that from Gotham Police evidence room."
Ivy could see from where she sat as Harley turned pale. She realized that must be the very clown that the Joker used in his attempted death machine turned portal generator. The police must have removed it from the warehouse he had used when the Batman had brought them back.
Taking Harley's pale and slightly shaking form as some kind of encouraging sign, the wannabe gang leader moved towards her.
"Sure you don't want to trade up from the plant queen to a real man?" He asked as he neared to just a few paces from her.
Harley drawn out of her thoughts looked up and smiled sweetly at him but then addressed the men standing near the open truck.
"Boys? You forgot something."
"What Miss Quinn one of the more politer (and more intelligent) gang members asked.
"This." Harley said as the plant behind her lashed out suddenly catching the gang leader in the stomach and hurling him across the room to crash into the back of the now empty truck. "Get that trash out of here and get gone before I call Pengy and tell him how you treat his customers."
"Yes maam." The polite one said and raced to the front of the truck. The others piled into the back with their now unconscious leader and the truck sped off.
Ivy watched them go from her perch on the tree limb. "They'll talk you know. In a very short time everyone in Gotham underworld will know where we are."
Harley grimly nodded her head. "And that means in a very short time Joker and Batman will know it too."
Harley began to rapidly sort through all the component pieces sitting on the floor. The plant tendrils occasionally moving the larger pieces she couldn't by herself. Harley was beginning to quickly understand why Ivy preferred plants over people, especially over men. The plants were helpful, protective and didn't try any cheap come on tactics when you weren't looking.
Harley's eyes grew wide as a small plant tendril reached out and caressed her inner thigh.
"Ivy! I know you told it to do that this time!" She yelled.
"I swear I didn't!" Ivy replied. "He just likes you."
Harley blinked a few times. "It is a he? I didn't know plants had sex."
Ivy swung down on her vine till she was next to Harley. "How do you think little plants get made?"
Harley opened her mouth and then shut it. She thought about it for a moment before looking at a grinning Ivy. "Funny."
"I thought so." Ivy replied as the vine that had been helping Harley suddenly wrapped around her waist and pulled her closer to Ivy.
"Um, now Ivy, I've got work to finish. We don't want to be caught do we?" Harley said nervously.
Ivy frowned. "Party pooper. As soon as we get over to this other world of yours, we are going to have some alone time and if anyone interrupts us I'm going to have a plant turn them into fertilizer."