Chapter 2: Immunity's a Bitch
I walked by many of the cells in the penitentiary section of Arkham Island. I walked by many well-known faces; such as: The Riddler, Black Mask, Calendar Man, and Killer Moth, making sure to bow to Mr. Nigma as I walked by. I also went by the normal inmates, humans with regular abilities, and I went by the insanity division with the inmates in strait jackets that were drooling and banging their heads against the wall. I shook my head sighing as I walked past them. I put my hands behind my back and walked out of the penitentiary and into the courtyard. It had been about fifteen hours since my interview with Waylon Jones and I was eager to start our second one as soon as possible. I, however, didn't interview him until about five-thirty that afternoon so I had to do all I could to get it out of my mind.
I found my way into the area where all of we psychiatrists did our interviews. There were offices in the middle of square walls and I heard voices every now and again. I smiled and kept walking listening every now and again to the conversations going on behind the walls. Well…before a guard moved me along. I then headed out into the courtyard once again. I shook my head bored when suddenly Gorian seemed to pop up out of nowhere behind me. "What are you doing? Don't you have something to do?" He asked gently. I turned and smiled, he scared me shitless, but I didn't let it show.
"No, not anymore, I got my report on my interview with Jones done and out of the way." I smiled. "This morning, in fact." Gorian nodded and said.
"Well come with me, then. Might as well have something for you to do instead of you just wandering around alone in this place." I nodded then asked.
"What's on the agenda today?" He looked at a clipboard he carried and sighed.
"Looks like another day of securing cells and checking inmates." He groaned again and put the clipboard under his arm.
"Like who?" I asked excitedly.
"Roman Sionis…"
"Roman's fine," I assured him. "Went by his cell earlier today." I smiled. He grinned then said.
"Edward Nig—"
"Riddler's alright too," I said with another smile. He chuckled and said.
"Alright, let's see, Jonathan Crane?"
"Haven't checked him yet."
"Bane?" I shook my head. He smiled. "What about Killer Moth?"
"Yep checked him earlier." I smiled. He laughed and said.
"Well, hell, you're making my job easier." We laughed and walked back into the penitentiary.
We walked by many of the 'nameless' inmates and we talked about a few of them. I asked what their diagnosis was and Gorian seemed to know all of them. He was good at his job and made sure to read every prisoner's dossier as soon as their admitted. "This one's odd, he's obsessive compulsive but also a murder. He'll clean up the crime scene, not because he won't get caught, but because he can't stand the mess. The funny thing is, he wanted to get caught but no one could ever find him because of how well he cleaned up the mess." I laughed at the irony, but quietly so not to seem inconsiderate. "Well here we are," Gorian said as we approached a droll but tidy cell. There was no blanket on the bed, instead it was hung in front of the window. I looked around and saw a potato sack under the bed, it had been torn up and someone attempted to sew it back up.
"Hello, Gorian," a soft but cold voice said from one of the dark corners of the room. "How are you today? Good?" A very skinny, shirtless young man walked out from the shadows. He had black wavy hair, grey eyes and a pair of square-rim glasses on. He had a pair of orange pants on with a belt tightened as far as it could go.
"Hello, Jonathan," Gorian said typing in the code to his cell. "Stand back please, so we can check your cell." The man known as The Scarecrow stood back and placed his arms behind his back.
"Please, be my guest." He smirked at me and I smiled back. "And who is this?" He asked looking at me.
"My name is Damian Rykotsu," I told him. "I'm the newest of the Psychiatric Ward here at Arkham. How are you today Dr. Crane?" He smiled a soft but crooked smile and bowed low.
"I'm fine, doctor. How are you? If I might ask." I smiled and said.
"I'm very fine, thank you." I bowed back.
"Damian, quiet for a second while I check the cell." I nodded and smiled at Dr. Crane, who wasn't smiling anymore, more grinning evilly. I cocked an eyebrow. He suddenly asked.
"May I ask you something, doctor?" Crane asked with the same small grin. I nodded still trying to smile. "What is it you're afraid of? Do you fear anything? You must. You are human, correct? Every human is afraid of something. I mean even I'm afraid of things, but don't ask me what they are cause I'm not going to tell you. But…you wanna know don't you?" I wanted to nod, I was very interested in what a master of fear is afraid of but I remember Gorian and shook my head instead. "No? Then you bore me. Leave my cell." Gorian rolled his eyes and when he was finished he locked the cell and Crane, still grinning evilly, went back to his dark corner.
"You okay?" Gorian asked. "That was your first encounter with Crane wasn't it?" I nodded. "Don't worry, shakiness is normal. You see, Crane uses that fear toxin so much that it's, in fact, stained itself on him, anyone who's not used to the scent of the small aroma is going to fall victim to it." It was a few seconds later when I remembered that blinking was important to my eyesight. I looked at my brother and shook my head nervously. "What did you see?" He asked. I shook my head.
"I didn't see anything. Nothing that became visible, but I felt fear, nervousness, things like that." Gorian nodded and ruffled my hair.
"It's alright, little brother, you'll get used to it once you're around him more often." He grinned and chuckled softly. "Hell, Kainan should be completely immune by now, he spends more time with that man then anyone else on the planet combined. Crane is number one on Kainan's "Most Intriguing Inmates" list." I smiled weakly and we kept moving until we met up with Rex in the middle of the hallway.
"Hey guys," he said with a smile when he saw us. I smiled and Gorian nodded his head. "Where you guys off to?"
Gorian checked his clipboard. "Uh…Bane's cell." Rex smirked.
"Alright, let's head there then, I'm done with what I had to do." I cocked an eyebrow.
"What did you have to do?" I asked.
"Had to fix a malfunction in Maximillian Zeus' cell. Bastard was messing with the wiring so we had to put him in cuffs until he agrees not to do that anymore." Gorian shook his head tiresomely.
"I told them to just go with regular bars for his cell. He's a genius at mechanics and technology. We can't just make his cell out of his element!" Rex shrugged.
"Well Lilly tried that but wouldn't you know it the higher-ups said it would be too easy for him to break out of." Rex laughed. "The idiots don't know what their talking about." So afterwards we pushed on towards Mr. Dorrance's cell. We spoke along the way of Crane, Rex's first encounter was the same as mine, and other inmates then what was on the menu for the cafeteria. We were about to enter the room they held Bane in when someone stopped us. We turned to see one of Rex's handymen charging at us in panic.
"What's going on?" Gorian asked seriously.
"Rex, it's Fries! Mr. Freeze's cell is on the fritz again and the cooling device is acting up. If you don't fix it soon Victor Fries will die!" Rex cursed and, like that, we were off towards Solitary. We found our way into the large, circular room where many cells were placed along the walls. Mr. Freeze's cell wasn't hard to find, the only one completely encased in frost and ice. The only problem, the ice was slowly dripping to the floor.
"Shit! The temperature is dropping faster than I thought. Lawrence go get the required tools from my office. Go!" The man that had warned us of the situation rushed off and Rex activated the bridge to Fries' cell. He typed a few numbers into the pad, one code to balance the temperature in the cell with the outside, not enough to kill the inmate, but just enough that when the warmer air and the cooler meet it wouldn't kill him on contact. Rex found his way inside; I followed without him knowing, and saw an icy-blue man sitting on a cushioned bench. Victor Fries was a tall, broad man with no hair and cold air rising from his skin. He wore a blue jumpsuit that was covered with a thinning lair of frost. It's only reasonable that he didn't have his Cryo-Suit on in Arkham. When we entered he looked up and revealed a pair of red eyes. He smiled at Rex weakly as he entered.
"Good…to…see you…again…Rex," he said softly and weakly. His voice was raspy and deep like a stereotypical macho man, only colder, if you'll excuse the horrible pun. "Do you…mind…helping me…with this…temperature problem I seem…to be…facing at the moment…?" Rex smiled and nodded.
"Hang on Fries," he said kindly. "Let me see what I can…Damian?" He exclaimed jumping when he saw me behind him. I smiled innocently. "You gotta get outta here dude, when I raise the temperature it could kill you on contact. It's for your own safety man, sorry." I frowned.
"What about you?" I asked.
"I can't explain it man," he said with a smile opening the cooling device at the top of the cell. "I just have a high tolerance for the cold. Always have. Don't you remember when we were in school and I used to walk around shirtless in the snow? Now go on. I gotta get this done so Victor can be at a nice comfortable one hundred below." I smiled and nodded saying farewell to Fries as I shut the door. I walked back across the bridge where Gorian was giving orders to a few guards. I stepped up beside him and said nothing about me going with Rex, I don't think he even noticed.
Lawrence returned and opened the door to Fries' cell. "Here you go Bossman," he said handing a pack to Rex. Rex thanked him and began tightening screws and pressing buttons to test it out.
"Hang on Fries, just a bit longer," Rex told him with a positive sound to his voice.
"I must…thank you…for this…" Fries managed. "I'm not…usually this weak…" Rex smiled and said.
"I don't think I could count you weak now either." Victor smiled at him and blew cold air onto his hands to try and cool them off. "Hang in there man I'll get this fixed."
"When…did you learn…about your immunity….to the cold…?" Victor asked weakly, trying to keep himself awake. Rex figured this was what he was doing and replied.
"I don't really know, though I wouldn't exactly call it an immunity. I guess I figured it out when I was about ten or eleven. I walked out into the snow one day in only my underwear and couldn't feel the cold air, and it was twenty degrees outside." Victor laughed weakly.
"I remember…the first time…I felt the cool air…I was a child as you were…and I just couldn't get over…how good it felt…on my skin…" his strength was returning to him slowly but surely. "I remember wanting to…study this sensation…I wanted to know what it was like on a scientific level…so I started studying it in my…own ways." Rex smiled and nodded, not knowing that "in my own ways" was him referring to the fact that he froze animals solid as a child. Rex felt the chilling breeze spit from the machine at once. It gave him goosebumps but that was about it. He looked down at Victor who was smiling kindly. "Thank you," he said. When Rex was down off the bench Fries put his hand out. Rex took it and shook it happily. "Once again you've saved my life."
"Yeah," Rex said angrily looking at the cooling device. "I just wish they'd get a new one in here for you so you wouldn't be at so many risks of dying." Victor shook his head.
"It's fine, my friend. At least we can have conversations this way."
"That is a plus side." Rex replied with a smile. He shook his hand once again then left the cell to find Damian waiting there by himself. "Where's Gorian?" Rex asked coming across the bridge.
"He had to check on Bane's cell, it was a necessity," I said putting sarcastic emphasis on the last word. " Rex shrugged and said.
"Sorry man, but I gotta go to. Every time that thing breaks down I have to send in a written report to the Warden. I gotta head to my office. You gonna be okay by yourself?" He asked. I nodded and smiled.
"I'll be fine, you go ahead." He took off down the hall and turned right towards his Penitentiary Office. I sighed and looked around. I looked at the plaques in front of the cells to see who all was in them and found one of special interest. It didn't have a real name on it but it was definitely a big name. I looked at his cell and I could feel the evil from it. "So…" I said slowly. "This is the Joker's cell, eh?" And as I turned and walked away, I could've swore I heard a dark and maniacal laugh from inside.
I found my way down the halls and found myself in a hexagonal room with only one cell. It was a reinforced glass cell with a pink glow about it. Then I realized that the pink was something in the air. I couldn't see anyone inside through the frilly shroud so I stepped closer to get a better look. A dark form seemed to appear as I got closer; a thin, curvy form that I assumed was a female. I was right. A beautiful woman with curvy hips, firm breasts, long visible legs, short red hair, and green skin appeared before me. She had lush lips and soft-looking skin. Her eyes were green and beautiful; a man could get lost in them, and probably had before. I was looking at Pamela Lillian Isley, aka Poison Ivy.
"Oh…" she breathed sensually, sounding impressed. "You're the new doctor eh? That's interesting. Such a handsome, strong one as well." I didn't show signs of interest. "What brings you to my cold and lonely cell, doctor? Are you here to search me? Are doctors allowed to do full-cavity searches? Oh well, if you insist." She smiled at me and I only smiled back like I did with all inmates.
"Hello Ms. Isley," I said with no sign of sexual interest. "How are you?" I asked.
"Oh no need to be so formal, doctor. I like you, you can call me Ivy." She smiled sensually again. Okay so even I can't resist the body and smile but I didn't let it show to the best of my ability, which I did pretty well I think.
"I'm not going to fall for it Ms. Ivy," I told her with a small smirk. "I'm not as foolish and naïve as the other doctors here at Arkham. The men, anyway." I smiled. Her smile however didn't fade.
"Don't be that way, Dr. Rykotsu," she said, I didn't show that her knowing my name surprised me, though it did. "I seem to have fallen for you, Doctor, and only you. Will you join me in my cell?"
I sighed and said. "Give it a rest Ms. Ivy. I told you I'm not falling for it." I smiled at a thought. "Though you wouldn't have any power over me, I'm afraid." This seemed to catch her attention and this time her smile did fade.
"What do you mean doctor?" She asked without the sensuality.
"Your pheromones, the very ones you used to seduce and mesmerize men," I said blatantly. "They'd have no power over me." I thought about that statement and said. "And it's not because I'm gay." She frowned.
"You overestimate yourself doctor. My pheromones work on all men, they've even worked on the Batman. What makes you think, for a second, that you'd be of stronger will than him?" She cocked an eyebrow and put on a cocky smile. I put my face closer to the glass so my nose was nearly touching the glass.
"I've tested them out before," I whispered to her dramatically. I winked at her and she began to anger.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"Okay, so this is what happened," I began. "I was walking on the sunny streets of Gotham one day and I was knocked aside by a very out-of-place and massive vine. It seemed to appear out of the concrete of Gotham's very own streets. Well, getting to my feet, I saw the Batman appear out of nowhere faster and much quieter than the vine. And who do I see him doing battle with but…you?" I smiled and said. "Well I watched your battle and finally, using some kind of experimental weed-killer to finally knock you unconscious and kill your plants. Well before a crime-scene was set up I saw floating particles in the air that…uh…well…it affected me sexually." I coughed and turned away to hide my reddened face. "Well, intrigued by the effects of the dust, I took it home in a little container and found it was the very pheromones you use to hypnotize your victims. Odd right?" She wasn't happy about this at all, but she let me continue. "So I had a friend of mine examine them and make copies with the same effect, only more potent, hoping to come across some sort of immunity. You see, I kept inhaling the pheromones suffering the urges of the flesh every time." I cleared my throat as my face reddened. "Once I actually tied myself down because the urges were so bad…Ahem…anywho, I finally inhaled so much that one day the urges seemed less than usual, then the next tries they lessened more and more until the effects of your pheromones were no longer sending me into crazed aroused furies! Cool huh?" I winced at the sight of her anger then cleared my throat and said. "I may find you attractive, Ms. Ivy," I said calmly collecting myself. "But, as I said, you have no power over me." I winked again.
"You're bluffing!" Ivy exclaimed furiously. "I don't believe you. There's no way a man could become immune to my pheromones. It's impossible!" I sighed with a smile and began entering a code into her cell's keypad. "What are you doing?" Her voice had a twinge of interest in it.
"I want to show you that I am actually immune to your pheromones. Sorry, Ms. Ivy, but I'm gonna have to ask you to step back." She smiled and walked, hips swinging, to the back of her cell and leaned forward for me to get a good look at the green underwear she wore instead of pants. I gulped as I entered the cell and said. "Okay, Ms. Ivy, you can stop leaning against the wall now." She raised up slowly as I watched every muscle move. She walked over to me and I watched her curves bounce and I couldn't help but flush. She was right in front of me, only much shorter. I could smell all kinda of scents coming from her body and it made me think of good thoughts then I smelled something else, a weird aroma, yet familiar. Then I realized it was the pheromones that she had just blew into my face. I inhaled every last one. I felt my body warm but the blood coursing through my veins didn't boil like they had the first time I tried it. I smiled down at her and she smiled back, thinking it worked.
"Now…" she said. "Give me a kiss, doctor." I smiled and leaned down and touched my lips to hers. Our kiss was long and warm. She then inserted her tongue into my mouth and touched mine. We kissed passionately for about five minutes when she broke the kiss and rubbed her mouth. "My, my, what a wonderful kiss."
"Thanks," I said with a smile and a wink. Her face morphed to shock and then anger. "Nope," I said. "No effect." I laughed and ducked as she swung at me. She growled and took another swing but this time I grabbed her wrist skillfully. "Stop doing that! I didn't come in here to fight, well I didn't exactly expect a kiss either but at least that was a plus." I winked again. I released her wrist and walked towards the door.
"Wait!" She said. "Don't leave yet." I turned and saw her green skin was flushed. I cocked an eyebrow. Then she looked surprised like she didn't know she said it. "What did I say? Get out!" I was confused but did as she said and exited the cell. I then punched in the code to lock the door. She put her back against the wall breathing heavily and slid down to sit. "What are you?" She asked. I was worried at her reaction. I merely shrugged and walked off before things got weirder.
"Where've you been?" Lilly asked not looking up from her paperwork as I stepped into her office. I was still flushed but hid it as I sat down in front of her desk.
"Just walking around seeing the sights," I told her controlling my breathing.
"I see," she said drolly. "God I hate paperwork!" She said throwing the file she was working on down and leaning backwards. "New inmate's files. Why do they send them to Arkham? Why not Blackgate? This is an Asylum not a prison!" She looked at me. "You look like hell what happened to you?" I looked up at her surprised.
"Oh nothing, thought I'd go for a jog around the courtyard, been a long time ya know?" She smiled and said.
"Don't strain yourself, kid." We laughed and I got up.
"Well, I think I'll go ahead and take a nap, still got two hours before my interview with Croc and I'm a bit tired. You mind sending Stone or Gorian up to wake me up?" I asked.
"That's what an alarm clock's for," she said with a laugh. "There should be one already in your room. Just be mindful not to sleep in. The higher-ups hate it when interview sessions are missed due to neglect." She turned around to read a file and I bowed and left.
I sat in my bed without a shirt and my face in my palm thinking of what Ivy had asked before I'd left. "What are you?" What kinda of question is that? What did she mean? I thought about going and asking her personally but I wasn't sure if I'd be lucky enough to find the guards off duty again anytime soon. "Wait…" I said aloud. "Why were the guards gone?" I lay down in my bed and looked up at the ceiling. "Damn guards, their neglect is going to get them killed, or worse, someone else!" I shook my head as it lingered back to the kiss. Stop! I thought to myself. It wasn't that great of a kiss! But I couldn't' exactly think that. It was the best kiss I'd ever had and the warmth of her tongue was unlike anything else. It was amazing! I kept thinking of the kiss until I finally passed out…