Nightmare in Arkham
Chapter 15: "The Reluctant Escape"
Another week had passed. During this time Alice still had her one on ones with Harley. While she had made progress, Harley had seemed a bit uneasy while talking to her. The reason was because she was not expecting to see Alice take such violent measures to deal with her patients. Ivy may have attacked her, but Alice was the one who tried to kill Mr. Freeze. And the rage she was venting while fighting and preaching; Harley feared what would happen if she were to somehow get on her bad side. And yet, she still had those strange love feelings for her. In fact, as strange as it seemed, they seemed to be stronger now. A part of her was absolutely thrilled to see her take charge and show such fearless and unbound strength. Harley knew she would never have the guts to stand up to anyone like Alice had, and Harley knew if she had someone like Alice by her side as her permanent defender, she would feel invincible and alive both physically and mentally. But still, the uncertainty still lingered: how long would it be before she would lash out at her?
Alice had been making remarkable progress with her patients. Two-Face almost began to feel comfortable talking in his normal voice, Mr. Freeze slowly began to see a tad bit more joy in life, and Killer Croc had even allowed her to assist him in tempering his rage. However, there was one thing that neither Alice nor the Dark Knight had had any progress in accomplishing at all: finding Freddy and rescuing Barbara. In fact, there had not been a single sign of Freddy since Alice's breakthrough. At first Alice had thought that he had lost interest and moved on since she cut off his prey's dreams, as there had been no reports from anywhere in the city of his presence: no reports of abnormal dreams, no bedroom murders, nothing. But no one knew Freddy better than Alice, and she knew he would not give up that easily. She knew he was planning something, and she was not going to let his reign of terror rise again, she was ready for him…at least, that's what she thought.
-Harley walked down the hallway to the lounge room. She had hoped more than anything to see Poison Ivy there, for she had not seen much of her since her confrontation with Alice and she started worry about her. Harley passed Dr. Leland on the way down the hall and the 2 of them exchanged smiles and a kind wave. As she walked into the lounge, she saw all of her fellow inmates gathered around on the couch watching TV together. This caught Harley completely by surprise. Never once had she seen more than 3, let alone all, of the super villains gathered around together looking like a happy family. Bane turned and saw Harley.
-"Ah, Miss Qunizel, come, join us", he said motioning Harley toward them. Harley slowly made her way to the couch, still bearing signs of bewilderment in her eyes. She took a seat on an empty spot on the couch between Riddler and Penguin. Killer Croc was sitting on the floor by one of the arms of the couch and he looked up at her when she was seated. "Ya know Harley, I gotta hand it to ya: You were right about Dr. J", he said.
-"Indeed," said the Riddler, "She may have the look and mannerism of a cat but she has the strength and ferocity of a tiger."
-"And yet she has the heart of a mother bird" the Penguin added, "I've never met anyone as kind as her"
-"Agreed" said Mr. Freeze, "The only other kind soul I have ever met that showed such love and compassion was my beloved Nora"
-Harley chuckled as said "Yeah, I told ya", then her face turned to uncertainty, but none of the other noticed. Then she laid back into the couch and watched TV with the rest of the group.
-After a few moments her eyes drifted to the far side of the room and she noticed Poison Ivy sitting alone in a red a cushioned chair at the window with her arms wrapped around herself as she peered blankly outward. Harley was happy to see her friend and she leaped to her feet and made her way over to her.
-"Hey Red! I've been looking everywhere for you!" she said to Ivy when she reached her. Ivy did not respond.
-"Penny for your thoughts?" Still, she ignored her.
-Harley started to frown. "Red? What's the matter? Come on, look at me" Harley pleaded putting a hand and the plant woman's shoulder. Ivy tensed at Harley's touch but she kept her gaze out the window.
-Now Harley started to feel worry. She leaned her body toward the window so that she could look Ivy in the face herself.
-"Red, don't act like you don't hear me. Tell me what's-" Harley gasped. When she looked at Ivy's face she saw the thick, dark-green bruise that was semi-healed just above her left eye from when Alice head butted her. Her eyes displayed anger, but when Harley saw her lips slightly quivering as the rain fell like tear drops on the window, Harley detected sadness in her face.
-"Red…are you hurt?" Harley asked concerned. Ivy said nothing.
-"Here," Harley said as she brushed a strand of hair out of Ivy's face, "This will make you feel better." She leaned in to kiss Ivy's bruise but Ivy shot up just before her lips made contact.
-"Don't touch it! It fucking hurts!" She snapped. The room grew quite as the inmates by the TV all stopped and looked up at them. Harley backed away looking like she had just been bitten by a dog she was trying to pet. Ivy, having realized what she had done, sank back in her chair and smacked her hand into her face in shame. "I'm sorry Harl," she said sincerely, and motioned Harley in for a hug, which Harley complied.
-After the embrace was broken, Ivy couldn't look Harley in the face but Harley stared straight at her. "Red, please, tell me what's wrong. You've been like this since I came back to Arkham. And I know it's not because of that bump because you were acting like this even before then. You're like a mother to me, Red. And I don't like seein my momma hurting".
-Ivy was silent for a few seconds before she closed her eyes, sighed, and spoke. "I can't talk about it Harley; not here in Arkham", then she turned to Harley, "I'm breaking out tonight and you're coming with me. You and I are going to leave this God-forsaken place behind us and reclaim our titles as the Queens of Crime".
-Harley looked uneasy. "Red…I can't do that. Alice is trying to help me go straight".
-"Forget about her, Harley. She's a great actress, I'll give her that, but she's just playing mind games."
-"What do ya mean Red?"
-"Open your eyes Harl: she sweet talks you into coming back to Arkham, then she tries to act kind and innocent so we'll think she's on our side, and when that doesn't work she resorts to violence. And don't try and defend her like you do the Joker. I saw you in the room after she attacked us: you were scared shitless and you know it."
-Harley was speechless. She couldn't deny what Ivy had said, because it was true, but still, "Yeah but, she saved me Red. And she told me things, secret things she never told anyone-"
-"Like the Joker?" Ivy interrupted. Harley fell silent.
"And to add insult to injury, she's taken away our right to dream. Do you have any idea how violated that makes me feel?"
-Harley dropped her head. Poison Ivy sighed and gently tilted Harley's chin toward her so that she was facing her and very sincerely told her "Harley, you don't know when someone is using you. And that's okay, believe me: I found out how to tell the hard way. But you know you can trust Momma Red, right?" Harley gave a faint nod, "Good, so stay with me Harley. I promise I will never let anyone hurt you ever again". Harley's mind froze as she heard Alice's quote "I will never let anything hurt you ever again" repeated to her by Poison Ivy.
-After a few seconds of silence, Harley reluctantly nodded and said "Okay Red". Poison Ivy smirked at her both out of happiness and victory.
-"All right psychos! Rec time is over, back to your cells!" Shouted a male guard.
Barbara was lying on the ground completely spent. She had nothing more in her. The rubble and debris didn't feel quite as uncomfortable as she would have though, but even if it had she would not have cared. She knew that she was doomed. The only comfort she had was the knowledge that death would have to find her eventually, so all she could do for the moment was make the best of her surroundings and welcome the reaper's sweet embrace. Strangely, as Barbara lay among the corpses on the ground she did not feel so alone, for she was now one with them. Then suddenly, she felt something touch her head. She was stunned; for she had not felt anyone or anything touch her body in…oh she had no idea how long. She slowly lifted herself up as much as her weak arms would allow her and slowly turned her head. Then her hope turned to horror. Standing before her was the Headless Horseman, who now had Scarecrow's demonic jack-o-lantern face placed atop his head. He laughed evilly at her. Barbara tried to scream but had no strength to do so.
-"Don't worry, Princess," he said to Barbara, "Your knight in shining armor won't let anything harm you…at least until I deliver you to the person who intends to."
-He grabbed a hold of Barbara and flung her onto the back of his horse. He then hopped on and rode off through the desolate city laughing loudly.
That night, Poison Ivy sat poised on her bed ready to put her plan into action. Meanwhile, Harley sat on her own bed feeling both guilty and reluctant. Why am I doing this? Alice has been so good to me, how could I betray her like this? But then again, what if Red is right? What if she is just a manipulative psychopath? But she saved my life. But then again-"Oh, why me?!" She said to herself frustrated.
-Ivy took a pair of mini trimmers and used the point to cut a small hole in her finger. Then she allowed the green, toxic blood to ooze from her finger and onto one of her plants. Ivy's blood may have been poisonous to humans, but to plants it was like steroids.
-"Guard! Please, help me!" Ivy said distressfully. A female guard came running up to her cell.
-"What's the problem?"
-"I've cut my finger!" Ivy said showing her wound. The blood was covering her entire thumb now.
-"Who the hell said it was okay for you to have weapons in your cell?"
-"Just fucking help me!"
-"Alright, keep your shirt on," the guard said as she opened the door to the cell.
-Ivy smiled and before the guard even had a chance to react, Ivy's tiny plant grew into a giant tentacle and grabbed the guard.
-"Hey, What the-" the guard was silenced when the vine wrapped around her mouth.
-"I'll be taking this now" Ivy said plucking the guard's key off of her as she protested.
-"That's right keep struggling. You're only exciting it" Ivy said seductively.
-Ivy casually walked out of her cell and went over to Harley's. Harley watched silently with her head down as her friend slid the key through the panel and the glass door slowly opened.
-"Up and at em, partner" Ivy said with a smirk. Harley got up and hurried out of her cell and the 2 women made their way out of the cellblock. Once inside the hall, a group of guards came running up to them, most of which were men. Ivy was undeterred. She simple held her hand up with her fist clenched and when they got close enough she opened her hand and blew a red, pollen like substance at the guards causing the men to freeze in their tracks. After a second or 2 the men smiled like a bunch of buffoons starring at a stripper.
-"Say boys, could you do a couple of poor, little ole damsels a huge favor and keep those mean, old, flat chested women away from us pleeeeeeease," Ivy said smoothly while batting her eyelashes.
-The men all smiled dumbly at her and laughed like a bunch of brainless idiots before grabbing a hold of the women and holding them back while they shouted, protested, and called them names.
-Ivy then motioned one of the men toward her. "Say", Ivy paused to look at the man's nametag, which said "Grover", "Mr. Goober, would you be a nice, sexxxxy gentleman and", Ivy put an arm around Grover's shoulder, put her face just a few inches away from his, and used her other hand to undo his belt, unbutton his pants, pull down his zipper, and grab his crotch, "Open your door so we can let loose our wild side?"
-The guard squealed mindlessly as saliva spilled from his tongue that stuck out of his mouth. He turned to door on the wall beside him and used his keys to unlock it. The door opened revealing the sweet, inviting image of the serene night.
-"Hey, hold it right there!" shouted a female voice. Poison Ivy instinctively turned around and hurled a handful of seeds in the direction of the voice and the seed erupted into tentacle like roots, much like ones she used in her cell, and Dr. Leland was pinned to a wall. She struggled a bit while Ivy ran out the door but was surprised when she noticed Harley standing right beside her. "Harley…why? Why are you doing this?"
-Harley was ashamed. "I…I-"
-"Come on, let's go!" Ivy called from the doorway.
-Harley turned back to Dr. Leland and she was able to see the reluctance in Harley's eyes. "Just…please, give this to Alice when you see her" Harley said glumly placing a Queen of Hearts poker card in Dr. Leland's hand. Harley then looked back into her eyes and Dr. Leland saw that she looked like she was on the verge of crying. "I'm sorry, Joan". Harley said, only she didn't say it in Harley Quinn's voice, she said in the voice of Harleen Quinzel. Harley then ran out the door leaving Dr. Leland stunned at hearing Harley's real voice for the first time in almost 10 years. The male guard came up to Dr. Leland, still transfixed by Ivy's pollen, and he stood blathering and drooling in front of her until his pants fell down revealing a giant woody in the front of his pants.
-"God, they don't pay me enough for this." Dr. Leland said irritably.
Outside, Harley and Ivy sped down the road away from Arkham in the officer's stolen car.
"Yes! Oh Yeah baby! We're back! Hahahaha! I knew men had to be good for something!"
-"Yeah, great," Harley said frowning with her cheek rested in her hand.
-"Hey, come on sweet-cake, you were telling me to lighten up and now you're the one with the frown on your face."