Nightmare in Arkham
Chapter 6: "Friends and Strangers"
-After a lengthy chase Catwoman finally eluded Batgirl. The two women raced through the city like a cat and mouse, just like Catwoman wanted (if only it was Batman pursuing her). Catwoman was eventually able to throw Batgirl off her trail when she snuck away off of the streets of Gotham and into the thick clutter of trees that littered Robinson Park. Robinson Park was located Between South and Central Gotham in a part of town that no one dared venture alone (the perfect place to make an escape). Once inside the desolate forest, Catwoman prowled through the trees and foliage until she came to what appeared to be a giant mound of vines meshed together creating some sort of giant barricade. The vines were riddled with thorns that were at least two inches long and some of them were covered in dry blood; probably from animals that were foolish enough to seek shelter in the massive barbed fence. At first glance the mound did not seem too out of place in this dead, spooky jungle but, upon closer inspection, Catwoman saw that the mound appeared to be hiding something inside.
-As Catwoman approached the mound and tried to peer through the small openings in the vines she felt something tightly constrict her leg directly over her wound.
-"AAH!" Catwoman screamed in both pain and surprise. Her first thought was that Batgirl had found her. Her second thought was that a snake had bitten her. She soon found out it was neither of the above. When she looked down Catwoman saw that her leg had been ensnared in a plant root, which then erupted out of the ground hoisting Catwoman in the air upside-down.
-"Hey! What? What the hell's going on?!" Catwoman shouted and began to frantically slash at the root with her claws.
-"That's right keep struggling, you're only exciting it." A deep, seductive, yet very soothing, motherly voice said somewhere close by. Catwoman stopped struggling and looked in front of her. Standing directly in front of Catwoman less than a foot from her face was the lime green, emerald face of a young woman in her early-mid 30s. The woman was practically naked, save for a dark, crimson red tank top with a blue out line, which she wore with only 2 buttons joining it together at the chest so that her boobs remained concealed and a patch of leaves covering her junk. Her stomach, arms, legs, breasts, neck, and cheeks were lined with green tendrils that looked like blood-filled veins running the length of her emerald colored body with leaves sprouting from the tips. The woman had a ruby red lips and a mass of lush, red hair the shade of a fresh spring rose and her eyes glowed an eerie green color making her look like and alien life form. There was no conviction of whose angry, inhuman eyes Catwoman was starring into.
-"Oh, um, hey Ivy". Catwoman said nervously.
-"That's Poison Ivy to you" she said sternly to her prisoner. "You have some nerve Selina".
-"Okay that's 'Catwoman' to you"
-"Shut up! Give me one good reason why I shouldn't turn you into mulch."
-Catwoman was undeterred by Poison Ivy's threats. "Ya know", Catwoman purred, "from this angle your kinda cute"
-"Gee thanks", Poison Ivy replied sarcastically, "then let me give you a big kiss"
-Poison Ivy placed both her hands on either side of Catwoman's head and lowered her face in to give Catwoman a nice poison smooch that would leave her dead in a matter of minutes.
-Catwoman shot her hand in between her face and Ivy's lips. "Whoa! Whoa! I was just kidding!"
-"I wasn't. What are you doing here? You come to hurt my babies?"
-"Why would I want to do that?"
-"Why else would you have snuck onto my property?"
-"How the hell could I have known you were hiding here? Up until just now I was under the impression you were inside of Arcade or whatever that place is called?"
-"You mean Arkham?" Poison Ivy asked angrily, "I busted out. Ya know, after you ratted me to Batman?"
-"Refresh my mind: was that before or after you and Harley tried to kill me?"
-"Oh like we were the first people to try and send you to the Great Litter Box in the Sky. Now why are you here?" Poison Ivy angrily asked raising her voice.
-"Shhh! Keep you're voice down!" Catwoman whispered.
-Poison Ivy grabbed Catwoman hard by the back of her neck. "Why are you here?!" She asked quieter but just as angrily.
-"I was hiding from Batgirl, now would please tell your 'baby' to let go of my leg? It's squeezing a scar and it hurts like hell."
-Poison Ivy stood silently for a moment with a stunned look on her face. She looked back at Catwoman in disbelief then to her plant. Poison Ivy then made a gesture in the form of her pointing her finger to the ground in stabbing kind of motion. Catwoman thought she was telling the plant to put her down. The plant started to lower Catwoman.
-"Thanks Iv-", before Catwoman could finish she was dealt a violent blow to the side of her head.
-"You brought Batman to here?!" Poison Ivy snapped.
-"No I said 'Batgirl'. And I-"
-"What the hell difference does it make? She'll call Batman, and he'll come and they'll take me away, and all my babies will be taken away so those disgusting pigs can experiment on them, and that's if they don't destroy them!"
-"Calm down, Ivy-"
-"NO! I won't calm down. You've endangered the welfare of my children. And now I am going to kill you. Batman can have whatever's left of you to take home and fuck. I know he's got thing for you."
-"Whoa! Okay, that is none of your business. And no, I didn't say I brought anyone here I said 'I was hiding from her. And I would have thought you'd be a little more grateful since I voluntarily put her on my tail to get her off of Harley's."
-Poison Ivy was about to scream at Catwoman again but stopped before she had a chance to begin. She stood frozen in mute silence while Catwoman's words registered in her brain. "Come again?" Poison Ivy finally said with a tone of disbelief.
-"Yeah, I saved Harley. Two gangbangers were about to rape her then all of sudden this freaking badass chick comes in and beats the crap of out them using nothing but a lab coat and a bug zapper but then Batgirl came and she was like 'Harley, you're under arrest' but the chick was like 'No she's not' and I was like 'Hello Kitty!' and I made Batgirl chase me so she'd leave that woman, and Harley, alone". Catwoman finished with an innocent smile on her face.
-Poison Ivy just stood silently in both shock and confusion. Her mouth hung open and she would turn her head every 5 seconds trying to piece together the bewildering story Catwoman just spilled out to her. "You're welcome…" Catwoman exclaimed.
-After a few more seconds Poison Ivy finally spoke. "Are you saying Harley's been thrown out onto the streets by that bastard clown again?"
-"Sure looked like it. She looked like she'd been outdoors for quite some time too. From what I saw it must have been about a week since she last saw a bathtub."
-Poison Ivy cringed at the thought then continued. "And you're saying someone else has her now?"
-"Yeeeeeup".
-"Who?"
-"I don't know. I think she said she was some new girl from Arkham. Did you guys get any new employees re-"
-"WHAT?!" Poison Ivy burst out angrily, "You let one of those hell doctors from Arkham take her away?!"
-"Okay, she was not a 'hell doctor'. If you had been there you would have loved this woman. In fact, if all the doctors at Arkham are anything like this one I just might check myself in. Quite a few people have told me I'd fit right in. It used to hurt my feelings but now I'm glad for the reassurance".
-Poison Ivy grabbed Catwoman by one of her ears and jerked her head up so she'd see the anger in her glowing green eyes. "Hey! Hey! Watch the ears!" Catwoman protested.
-"And how, exactly, did you save her?" Poison Ivy asked angrily.
-"I lured Batman's goon away from her…"
-"So instead of having Batman take her to Arkham you just let Arkham come and take her".
-"Hey, Harley looked like she wanted to go with the woman. And honestly, after what I saw I wouldn't blame her."
-Poison Ivy motioned her plant to drop Catwoman, which it did, and then she grabbed Catwoman by the ear and pulled her to her feet and started to drag her toward a bush.
-"Hey! Hey! Easy!", Catwoman protested.
-When they reached a bush Poison Ivy grabbed a hold of it and it was revealed to be a decoy bush that hid a pink convertible with a license that read "ROSE BUD". Ivy released Catwoman's ear.
-"Get in", she ordered.
-"Why?"
-"You're going to help me save Harley."
-"Um Ivy, I think you should know-"
-Poison Ivy grabbed Catwoman by both sides of her collar.
-"Listen you, you're the reason she's in danger. You took her out of the frying pan and threw her straight in the fire. If anything happens to her, so help me I will make you beg for me to end all 9 of your lives. Got it?"
-Catwoman shrugged "If you say so".
-"Good. Now get it."
-"I call shotgun!"
-The 2 women entered the vehicle and Poison Ivy sped through the woods until she came to a path that ran right through the park and into the city.
MEANWHILE…
-Alice sat on the dark sidewalk next to Harley, who was still in a dazed start. Harley seemed aware of her surroundings but Alice did not want to leave her alone shaken as she was. As they sat in silence Alice decided to light a smoke. She took out a fag and placed it firmly between her lips. Then she took out a small, sliver Zippos lighter, sparked the flame with one flick of her thumb, lit the end of her cigarette and then in-hailed for a few seconds before breathing out a thick cloud of fumes. Then she turned to Harley. Whether or not she smoked was anyone's guess but experiencing something as traumatic as being attacked by 3 people would be enough for anyone to seek any sort of comfort available. She offered the cigarette, which still hard a bright, orange ember burning at the tip. Harley did not look at her but she slowly shook her head. Alice took another long drag.
-Harley did not know what to say or think. This stranger was the only company she had in the past few days. She had longed for someone by her side and now that she had her wish she couldn't even muster enough courage to talk to her. Had she even thanked her for saving her life? Harley felt that was the least she could say to her.
But, before she could form the words, she was startled by a pink car bounding right past them down the road going at least 90 mph. Alice choked and coughed out puffs of smoke. "Jesus Christ! Is nobody sane in this city?" She asked out loud.
-Alice glanced to her left and noticed Harley looking at her for the first time. She looked like she was trying to say something to her. Alice smiled at her.
"Penny for your thoughts?"
-Having been cut off before having a chance to speak hindered Harley and she had trouble forming the words again. Come on Harley; just tell her "Thank you for saving me". What's so hard about that? Usually people have to tape your mouth shut to get you to stop talking. She obviously wants you to have a conversation. And how many people would go out of their way to talk to a worthless freak like you? Just tell her…"Are you going to throw me in Arkham?" She asked sheepishly. Dammit Harley! You can't do anything right!
-Taking her eyes off of Harley, Alice snickered at the remark. "No. I only deal with people already on the inside of Arkham. I don't go around looking for people to-" Alice was cut off when she looked back at Harley and noticed she was trying to fight back tears. Alice's smile faded and she moved closer to Harley. "Hey. What's the matter?"
-"I messed up again" Harley said with a cracked, hurt voice, "I spent the past 30 minutes trying to find the best way tell you 'thank you for saving me' but I messed up", Harley paused and sniffled "This is why my Puddin threw me out in the first place", now tears began to roll down Harley's face "I never learn. I can't do anything right". Harley then started to weep softly.
-Alice's mouth hung open in disbelief of Harley's words. She placed her hands gently on Harley's shoulder. "Hey. Hey. Don't cry sweetheart. You didn't have to thank me; I'm just glad I was able to keep you out of harms way".
-Harley slowly turned her head until her tear stained face was in front of Alice's. Alice removed one of her hands from Harley's shoulders and gently wiped the tears from Harley's face while also making an effort to clear some of the mascara that had caked her cheeks. The only person to ever show Harley this kind of affection was Poison Ivy, or "Red" as she commonly referred to her, and after being denied the chance to rekindle that love from her and spending 7 long, miserable, sleepless days and nights on the streets alone this complete stranger not only saved her from both Batgirl and 2 perverts but was now giving Harley the affection that she had long been denied since childhood after her father left her with her single mother, even after Batgirl had stated that she was dangerous.
-In one quick motion Harley encircled her arms around Alice's torso just under her armpits and constricted her body tightly, her chin resting on her shoulder. At first Alice was surprised; not by Harley grabbing her but by how quickly she did it. It only took a second for her mind to register the action before she returned the embrace. But instead of squeezing Harley she simple wrapped her arms around her and started rubbing one of her hands down her back. When she did so she felt that Harley was quivering. This was not due to one single emotion but several: the mixture of sadness, relief, fear, and happiness coupled with the chill from the night air had started to send rapid shivers through Harley's body. Alice tightened her grip on Harley hoping to ease her down.
-"It's okay. No one's gonna hurt you anymore" Alice whispered softly in Harley's ear. Her voice relaxed Harley a little and she started to calm down. Suddenly, Alice and Harley both heard a low, booming sound from above. Alice looked up and saw that a thick rain cloud was forming overhead. A second later she felt a drop of water sprinkle on her nose.
-"Come on" Alice said easing Harley to her feet. Alice carried Harley with her arm over her shoulder to the passenger side of her car and eased her into the seat. Harley laid back into the soft leather and began to drift off. When she opened her eyes she saw for an instant she was not in the car but in a dark, red-lighted room. A hand grabbed Harley by the arm and a male voice from behind said "We're home Harley!"
-Harley sprung awake gasping and found herself back in the car, which now had the roof raised while heavy drops of rain battered against the windshield. Alice was grasping her arm. "Where's home, Harley? That is your name right, Harley?" She asked.
-"Oh, yeah, um…I guess you can drop me off at any of the old warehouses around the city. I hear they're actually quite cozy, even in weather like this".
-"No. I'm not leaving you on the street. You don't have any place to stay?"
-"We'll maybe my Puddin's forgiven me by now. I'm sure he's really, really worried about me. He usually lets me back in after a few days so maybe-"
-"Usually? You mean this isn't the first time he's done this to you? Harley…I think you should stay with me tonight."
-"Oh, no. I don't want to be a burden. I stink, I snore at night, I have terrible nightmares, I mess up all the time, I'm loud, I never shut up, I'm not good at following directions, I touch everything I see, and-"
-"It's either that or I bring you to the hospital", Alice said sternly, "I can see the bruises on your body and your fatigue. The only reason I haven't brought you there already is because you seem to be able to function relatively well at the moment. But I am not leaving you anywhere where your condition will worsen".
-"No! Please! Anything but the hospital! I can't stand needles! They're so pointy, and pokey, and stabby, and stingy, and ouchy, and they make me all fainty, and-"
-Alice started snickering again, cutting Harley off. "You are so funny. Ya know that?" Harley frowned and made a sound like a whimpering puppy. "Oh come on. That was a compliment." Harley smiled timidly.
-"Look Harley, just come with me, take a hot bath, rest up, and I'll help you get back on your feet tomorrow"
-Harley's heart melted. Never had a complete stranger ever showed her this kind of selfless generosity, nor had she ever thought she was deserving of such kindness. And yet this wonderful, beautiful human being sat before her with arms wide-open acting as a savior when her friend could not. "Thank you Alice" Harley exclaimed, "You're welcome" Alice responded. Perfect Harley, perfect!.
MEANWHILE…
-Poison Ivy and Catwoman had successfully infiltrated Arkham Asylum. It was actually one of the easiest break-ins either of the 2 femme fatales had ever done. Poison Ivy's inside out knowledge of the building ensured that neither of them would make a wrong turn and wind up in a trap and her seductive powers brought the male guards to their knees. The female guards, on the other hand, were a different story, for Ivy's pheromones were not as effective against the low testosterone women. That's where Catwoman came in: Catwoman stayed in the shadows and acted as a sort of guard for Ivy and when her powers proved to be ineffectual she would pounce on the guard and subdue them. They used this tactic until the reached the cell-block. There, Poison Ivy seduced one of the male guards into giving her his key to the cells.
-"So, which one of these cells is Harley's?" Catwoman asked.
-"That one over there", Poison Ivy responded pointing to a cell at the far end of the hall.
-"How can you tell? This room's so dark I can't even see the insides of the cells."
-"You also don't know this building like I do. Harley usually gets assigned the cell right next to mine. That way she can talk to me and sit right across from…from…"
-"The Joker?"
-Poison Ivy cringed, "Never say that bastard's name around me."
-Catwoman smirked. "So I'm guessing that's your cell over there?" Catwoman asked pointing a glass door cell where she could just make out the outlines of dozens of plants littering the cell.
-"Very observant," Poison Ivy commented sarcastically, "Good to see those barbarians haven't thrown out my babies yet. No doubt they were waiting for Batman to catch me again so they could wait to tell me just as I walked in that they killed my children. Those filthy, disgusting-"
-"Okay, I get the picture: people are jerks. Now can we just rescue Harley and get out of here before those of guards we just took out wake up and swarm us like an army of ants?"
-Poison Ivy snapped out of her angry rant. "Oh right, you have the key?"
-Catwoman held up a small card that served as both and ID and a key for opening and closing cells. The 2 women quietly approached the cell, careful not to wake up any of the other inmates who might rat them out or demand that they set them free as well. The inside of the cell was completely dark, as it had no window and the lights in the hall had been shut off and the windows in the hall had been blocked out by the rain clouds. Poison Ivy hated the thought of Harley being trapped in here alone without her, for she was terrified of the dark.
-Poison Ivy gently tapped on the glass. "Harley" she whispered, "Hey Harley, it's Red. Rise and shine honey, I'm here to take you home". There was no reply.
-"Maybe she doesn't want to leave," Catwoman chuckled. Poison Ivy shot her a glare. "Okay, fine. Here, I'll open the cell and you can wake her up."
-Catwoman slid the key through a narrow slot on a panel right next to the cell and after some lights flashed on the panel the glass slowly rose and the cell opened.
-Poison Ivy stepped inside and slowly approached the bed. "Harley, it's time to wake up. We have to go now. You're safe with Red now". When Poison Ivy reached the bed and placed an arm on top of it expecting to feel Harley snoozing in deep sleep she felt only the empty mattress. But by then, it was too late.
-Catwoman quickly slid the key back through the panel and the cell door shut almost instantly (the cells opened slowly and closed quickly in the event that an inmate tried to rush a guard that opened the cell) and Ivy was trapped. She angrily ran to the glass.
-"Hey! What the hell?! Where's Harley?!"
-Catwoman leered at Poison Ivy. "If you'd have listened to me back at the park you would have known: the doctor didn't take Harley back here. She tried to protect Harley from Batgirl who tried to throw her back in Arkham and when she was about to take both of them in I lured her away from them. Mind you, whatever she did with Harley afterward is anyone's guess".
-Poison Ivy was dumb-founded. Catwoman held something up in front of her and Ivy soon realized she had the key to her car. Catwoman wickedly smiled at her and waved goodbye before leaping to one of the windows and making her escape.
-With every ounce of her rage, Poison Ivy shouted as a bolt of lightening erupted outside of the building "You little bitch!"