The Rose and Her Thorns
Arkham Asylum: Recreation Room
Harley was still pouting at Ivy's outburst almost five minutes ago, making the auburn-haired plant villainess extremely aggravated. The childish blond had decided to hang out with one of her rather strange newfound friends; The Riddler. Riddler, or as Harley called him, Eddie, was actually a very good friend to the rather ditzy harlequin. Sure he was pompous and utterly annoying most of the time, but Eddie's heart was as mushy as playdough when it came to Harley.
Harley and Eddie were currently sitting on the couch, the harlequin chattering away about nothing. Eddie just sat there, smiling serenely and pretending to listen as he worked out a sudoku puzzle. Ivy walked up, her red hair swishing against the rough cotton fabric of her Arkham uniform. She stood before the man, hands on hips and a slender eyebrow raised. The Riddler looked up from his sudoku, smiling pompously up at Ivy with his perfect white teeth.
"Why hello Ivy! What brings you to see little old me?"
Ivy rolled her eyes. "I haven't come to see you, you riddling twat. I'm here to talk to Harl."
The blond had noticed her best friends presence, and was currently facing the other direction, nose in the air and arms crossed defiantely over her chest. Ivy sighed, running her fingers through her hair. Why did Harl have to be such a pain? She couldn't just make something easy on her for once!
"Come on Harl! Please stop giving me the cold shoulder. You aren't Freeze, so it doesn't become you."
Turning her head, Harley reguarded Ivy for a moment before promptly sticking her tongue out at her and whipping back around. Poison green irises widened as the lids around them twitched, showing Ivy's irritation at her best friend.
"Harley, what did I do! You're just being difficult now."
Harley whipped around, glaring at Ivy with her bright baby blue eyes. "You're not supposed to be the one that yells at me for doing nothing! That's Mistah J's job! And it makes me mad when you do it!"
Eddie frowned, closing his sudoku puzzle and sliding over closer to Harley. "Harley, you know you're the only one that Ivy really enjoys the presence of. Don't throw that away because you're overreacting to one little snap."
Sighing, Harley turned around to face a double whammy of two red heads assaulting her eyes. "Thanks Riddles." Turning to Ivy, she added, "Sorry for bein' a pain Red."
A smirk crossed Ivy's red lips and she plopped down between Harley and Eddie. She turned to Harley, amusement lighting her eyes. "You're forgiven Harl."
Eddie cleared his throat slightly, a smirk of his own gracing his ever-smiling features. His normally loud and slightly obnoxious voice was now a smooth whisper, actually sounding slightly sexy, if that was possible for the Riddler. "I've gotta deal for both of you."
The women stared at him, eyebrows raised and waiting expectantly for his proposal. A grin split his face and he continued, voice just barely audible as he pulled a plain white-plastic card out of his sleeve. "I managed to swipe a master card-key from the nurse after my...encounter with Two-Face last week."
Ivy chuckled behind her hand. Riddler had gotten the crap kicked out of him after telling Two-Face that his coin was, "an inferior way of decision making that was only for fools." He'd been in the infirmary for a full six days after Two-Face flipped to see if he should walk away or beat the holy living crap out of Eddie. Two-Face got his way and got three tranquilizer darts stuck in his neck before he could finish his rather savage beating. Shuddering, Riddler went on with his proposition. "I've decided to bust out. Tonight. I was wondering if you would provide me with a place to stay if I broke you out as well."
Harley nearly squealed, only keeping it in by covering her mouth with her hands. Ivy was less reactive, but you could see the excitement and hope reflecting in her eyes as she observed the rather ordinary looking card. That square piece of plastic was her ticket to freedom; her ticket to get back to her babies. The only catch was she'd have to put up with Nygma until he could get on his own. This would take some pondering.
Harley beat Ivy to the chase, whispering excitedly, "Sure you can stay with us Eddie! Red's got a great house down in Gotham and there's plenty a' room for us all."
Ivy sent a glare that could melt steel towards Harley, but nodded in agreement with what the blond had to say. She could put up with a little bit of annoyance as long as it gained her freedom. Eddie grinned and slipped the card back up into his sleeve. "It's settled then. I'll get you out at nine tonight. That'll give us plenty of time to exit Arkham and reach your hideout before the guards come around at ten."
Ivy sighed happily and wrapped an arm around Eddie's shoulders. "Thanks Eddie. You might be annoying sometimes, but you know how to treat a girl."
Ivy's Home; Eight-thirty p.m.
Sunni stood in the kitchen, placing a couple of pizzas in the oven. She had her hair tied back into a long ponytail, sweeping the silky blond strands away from her face so she could better work. The boys were in the living room, watching a cartoon. The babies however, were all sitting in high chairs Sunni had managed to swipe from a local mini-mall. Howard still made things sprout from time to time, but that was only when he got mad. At least the greenhouse flourished when he was around, the many exotic plants responding as soon as he entered a room.
A sudden coughing sound drew Sunni's attention towards Hayden. The little boy's face was as red as his hair, giving him the appearance of a carrot. Sunni's eyes widened as smoke began to billow from the nine-month-old's nose.
"Oh sh...!"
But before Sunni could finish her swear, Hayden proceeded to billow out flame, nearly setting Sunni's hair aflame. Oh the joys of James Anthony Amyx's experimental power technology! The three newest members of the Amyx children's motley crew; Snow, Fang, and Steel, paced into the room. They were timber wolves, though they had a special bond with Sunni that made them safe to be around. She shared a bond with them that seemed to derive from the powers that her father gave her.
Sunni smiled as she remembered the day she met them. It wasn't but six days ago that she met the wolves, but they were already well integrated into their family.
Sunni strolled down the streets of her new neighborhood, scoping out what they were dealing with. The Cadillac hadn't been stripped to the frame yet, so she assumed that it was a good sign for a downtown Gotham slum.
She passed an allyway, barely giving it a moments glance. Then she stopped. Something had moved down there, and she wasn't sure why, but she wanted to take a second look. Whatever it was, there were three of them, and they gave off a weird vibe that she could somehow pick up on. Sunni had been able to do that as of late, so she assumed that it was a part of her powers.
Down the dark allyway, Sunni could just make out the forms of what seemed to be three dogs scavenging for food. What was strange was she thought she heard them talking, but it wasn't in her ears. She could hear it in her mind, almost like telepathy.
I'm so hungry Steel! I've gotta find me some meat!"
A tired sigh reverberated through Sunni's skull. "I know Snowy. I'm hungry too, but we just have to keep trying."
Sunni approached the wolves and whispered, "Hey, guys. Are you hungry?"
The wolves whipped around, snarling viciously, with their amber eyes glowing in the darkness. The largest one was an iron grey color, black flecked into the deep and rather luxurious looking pelt. His muzzle was criss-crossed with scars, the stark white tissue contrasting with his fur. The other two were...well, they were scrawny. One was a creamy white color, its hide clinging to its frame and displaying the poor creature's ribs. The last one was a deep black color, the deep shade of a moonless night.
Suddenly the creatures quited, looking on Sunni with intense curiosity. "You are pack."
Sunni spoke in her head this time, unaware that her eyes were now glowing with the same intense and wild amber that the wolves' was. "What do you mean I'm pack?"
"You're a predator; a wolf like us."
"No I'm not! I'm human!"
The biggest one stepped foreward. "You are pack because you are a wolf at heart." The wolf cocked his head. "I am Steel. These are my packmates, Snow and Fang. Will you also be our packmate?"
Sunni held her head in her hands, the amber fire in her eyes glowing all the brighter. "Wait, why are there wolves in Gotham City?"
The small white one, Snow, stepped forward with her ears pricked and head cocked to the side. "Our pack used to live in cages, but we left over three weeks ago. Now we're really hungry, so can you give us some meat?"
Sunni laughed a little and kneeled to the wolves' level, locking eyes with Fang. "I will be your packmate and you can live with me and my family. We'll also feed as much meat as you want."
Steel stepped foreward, his tail wagging and bright red tongue lolling out as he panted. "We'll go with you. You're family is our family. You're pack is our pack. And I really want some meat so please let your house be really close by."
Sunni was shaken out of her flashback by Snow's cold nose pressed into her thigh. Hey Sunni, what was that sound?
It's just Hayden spitting fire again. Nothing for you and the pack to worry about.
Fang stepped forward, his black head held regally. Would you like for us to do something for you?
No thanks Fang. You're doing enough just watching the boys for me.
The alpha wolf sneezed slightly, his version of a laugh. The one called Jaylon has been floating around the ceiling, and we cannot seem to find the one named Camden.
Don't worry Fang. Camden's around here somewhere.
That's what I'm worried about.
Sunni snickered and watched as the pair of wolves snuck off out towards the living room, their paws not making a sound on the floor. Looking out the window above the sink, she wondered what would make the owners of this beautiful home leave. It would remain a mystery to her forever...that is until she met the owner later that night.