Nightmare in Arkham
Chapter 16: "Mother Nature's Love"
-Alice stood alone a top the roof where the Bat Signal shone brightly into the clouds eclipsing Gotham with the wings of its guardian. She had been standing on the roof waiting for Batman for quite some time now and she was starting to grow both bored and anxious at the same time. She looked at her watch and saw that Batman was over an hour late for their usual meet up.
-Alice sighed and leaned against the side of the signal. She lit herself a cigarette and after she exhaled the smoke she was startled by a female voice close by, "Waiting for your blind date?"
-Alice gasped and shot up from her spot and spun around. Catwoman walked out of the shadow cast by the signal. "Relax, I come in peace" Catwoman told her reassuringly.
-After a few moments of starring at the feline woman Alice came to a realization. "Hey, wait a minute, aren't you-"
-"The one who gave the Batgirl the whipping she had coming? Yup"
-"And who might you be?"
-"Catwoman."
-Alice chuckled, "So, are you another hero?"
-"Meh, I go back and forth depending on what suits my needs."
-"And what are your needs right now?"
-"I just wanted to see The Big B-Man. It feels like forever since he and I have had some quality time."
-"I see…"
-"Do you mind if I join you?"
-"Sure, suite yourself."
-The two women sat down next to the Bat Signal. After Alice took another puff from her cigarette she offered one to Catwoman, who accepted with "Eh, what the heck?"
-Alice lit Catwoman's cigarette and the two of them sat in silence for a minute or two before Catwoman spoke.
"So, how goes the hunt for Freddy?"
-Alice, who was in the midst of inhaling, suddenly broke out coughing from the surprise brought on by Catwoman's question. She looked up at Catwoman in disbelief.
"Excuse me?"
-"I was the one who gave Batman the name. I would have handed it to him in person but they told me he was "at a conference" with you; so I had them deliver it to him. I heard about what happened afterward…sorry about that".
-"Hold on a second…you saw him? How long ago?"
-"Oh, it was a while back. In fact, I think it was the same night Scarecrow died."
-Alice turned so that she was facing directly toward Catwoman and her tone turned serious. "How much do you know about him?"
-"Other than that he's a complete pervert, not much. I didn't even think much of it until I heard about Barbara", then Catwoman looked at Alice concerned, "What's going on? Who is this guy?"
-Before Alice could answer, she noticed Batman walking toward them with a serious look in his eye. "Alice, we have a problem"
-"What is it?" Alice asked.
-"It's Harley", Batman said. Alice froze with worry in her eyes.
MEANWHILE…
-Harley sat on the brown, leather couch inside of Poison Ivy's hidden greenhouse. Ivy sat behind her running a brush through Harley's long, black and red hair, which hung down past her shoulders nearly going past her mid back. Ivy smiled while humming as she stroked the brush through Harley's locks. Harley, on the other hand, still had melancholy etched on her face. She had barely said a word since they arrived back at the hideout.
-Eventually Harley's silence started to bother Ivy. "Come on, Harl, what happened to my little ball of sunshine? Let's put a smile on that face", she said stroking her index finger in circles around Harley's cheek.
-"This feels so wrong" Harley said drearily.
-"So why aren't you enjoying it? If I remember correctly, you always loved being naughty", Ivy said with a smile.
-"Look Red, I just…" Harley stopped after failing to find the right word.
-"You're confused" Ivy finished for her, "And you're probably tired. I'm not surprised; you've been through quite a lot these past few days. Your little mind is probably going nuts trying to process everything", she said soothingly while slowly running her nails along Harley's scalp. Harley tensed at the feeling of her head being touched and she began shivering.
-Ivy felt Harley's apprehensiveness. "Oh, I'm sorry Harley", Ivy moved her hands down Harley's head and started to gentle sweep them down her back. Harley jolted in pain at the touch.
-"What's wrong?" Ivy asked concerned. Ivy removed Harley's shirt and was horrified to see the scars and stitches that covered Harley's back.
-"Oh my God! Harley, what…how long ha-"
-"Just forget about it, Red" Harley said with a tone of annoyance, "I know exactly where this is gonna wind up: You're gonna blame Mista or Misses J for this, right?"
-"Grrrrrrr stop calling her that! It's bad enough you have a pet name for that obnoxious, evil "boyfriend" of yours'; I can't stand the thought of a second one!"
-"Red, why do you hate people so much?"
-"Because they do nothing but hurt! I mean, my God, you literally have the writing on your back and you still can't see that those people don't give a shit about you! All they know how to do is lie and manipulate!"
-"Oh, you'd know all about 'manipulation', wouldn't you, Miss Poison Kiss!"
-"SHUT UP!" Ivy snapped, her eyes were now flooding green with rage, "One of us has to 'know all about it' so that person can protect the other from those filthy flesh sacs. They're not capable of real love"
-"How would you know? You've never been in love. If you had, you'd know that love is supposed to hurt".
-"How do you think I wound up like THIS?!" Ivy said throwing her hands out in a manner that emphasized her inhuman body. Harley fell silent. "Do you honestly think I wantedto be like? All I ever wanted was for someone to love me; I've always wanted a family". Ivy looked at Harley with hurt eyes.
-"I never even knew my parents; they just dumped me in an orphanage before I could even take my first step. All of the children around me treated me like dirt: every time I would try and talk to them they would push me away and when they did talk to me it was in the form of a mockery, or even an assault". Ivy paused for a moment and turned to a flowerpot with a beautiful magnolia flower blooming inside. She walked over to the flower and gently stroked the petals.
-"So I turned to the plants. They were a living form of life that I could talk to and they wouldn't hurt me, shun me, or tell me I was ugly". Harley gasped at the thought of anyone who could seriously think that Red, the Green Aphrodite, was "ugly"; she was beauty incarnated.
-"The plants were great company, but I still longed to know what it was like to be loved by a human being. And when I finally got the chance it was unlike anything I had ever felt before: it was exotic, it was lush, it was vibrant-"
-"It wasn't painful?" Harley asked.
-"No, it was a sweet pleasure that can only be known by those who have experienced it…but it was all a lie!" Poison Ivy suddenly spat with a tone of bitterness, "He lied to me, he only saw me as a lab rat that he could test his vile plant mutation experiment on. He took away my humanity, my trust, and my chance at ever having children". Poison Ivy's voice indicated that her heart had sunk on the last line, yet she still did not cry.
-Harley's jaw hung in a frozen gape. So that's why she calls her plants her "children".
-"Red…" Harley walked up to her friend and placed her hands on the back of her shoulders. Poison Ivy turned around and faced Harley; her eyes were neutral.
-"There's something I want to show you, Harley", she said. Poison Ivy brought Harley down a narrow corridor that lead to a large opening with ripe vines acting as the door. Ivy placed a gentle hand on the vines and they parted like a curtains in a window on a bright sunny day. The two women stood in the Eden that was shown in Poison Ivy's dream back at Arkham. It was now revealed to be a massive cavern that spread the length of the park. The waterfall came from the reservoir within the city that came pouring through the ceiling. There was also a massive tree that was covered with flowers of every kind. In fact, it was so covered with them, that it looked as if they took up the leaves on the tree.
-Harley's breath was taken away. Never had she seen, nor could she ever have comprehended, something so beautiful in her entire life, not even in her most vivid, colorful dream.
-When they neared the flower tree, Harley noticed a large patch of flower petals arranged in a message that spelled out "MOTHER NATURE LOVES YOU ALL". It was almost exactly like the shrine that Alice had. As Harley looked at the message, Ivy went to a small hole just under the base of the tree and pulled out a box that was wrapped up in vines to hold it closed. Ivy removed the vines and handed the box to Harley. She motioned for her to look inside and when Harley opened the box she saw dozens of items that looked like they belonged to little children. There was a little doll made of straw, a tiny heart-shaped locket, a boy's sports cap, and much more. But the item that caught Harley's eye was a bracelet that had been made with vine and a combination of flowers.
-"I had my chance to be a mother, once. After I had set up shop in Robinson Park, all I wanted was to be left alone with my plants. But then, one day, an earthquake devastated the city. I was protected down here because I coated the walls with a strong, petrified wood that withstood the tremors. The homes on the surface weren't so lucky. Dozens of children were left homeless and orphaned; a large number of them had taken refuge in the park, and that's when I found them. Even though I detested humans, even back then, I knew what it was like to live without a home or a family as a child, and there was no way I was going to turn my back on children. So I took them all in and raised them; they were my stars, my little rays of sunshine, and I was their Mother Nature. That bracelet you're holding, it was made by my youngest daughter. Her name was Rosie", Poison Ivy gazed off nostalgically as she spoke
-"She was like you in every way, Harley: bright, cheerful, filled with joy, she would bring a smile to my face every time I was around her, and, most of all, she was sooo beautiful"
-Harley's eyes widened in surprise: Did Red just suggest that I was beautiful?
-"W-What happened to them, Red?" Ivy asked with a concerned frown. Ivy was silent for a moment before she spoke.
-"After nearly a year, the children all began to grow ill. At first it didn't look too serious, just some minor queasiness and headaches…but then it slowly escalated with each passing month. It turned into nausea, then sickness, then fever, then…then one day…they all died".
-"How?" Harley asked with shock in her voice.
-"After I tested their blood, I found out that they died from toxins emitted by poisonous plants. I thought there was a mistake: I didn't have any toxic plants in here. Then I realized, it was me. As time went by, my body slowly began to develop poisonous toxins that were spread through physical contact: every time I held one of my children in my arms, hugged them when they missed their parents, tucked them into bed, kissed them goodnight…I was slowly killing them". Ivy turned to Harley.
-"Do you remember the anti-toxin I gave you when we first met?"
-Harley nodded, still dumbfounded by Ivy's tragic story.
-"That was the only one in existence. The plant that I used to create it was destroyed by those filthy ingrates on the surface. So when I created it, I knew I had to choose wisely whom I gave it to. Because that person would be the only person that I would ever be capable of loving".
-"But Red…why me? I'm not even a man".
-"So? Who said love had to be between a man and a woman?"
-Harley was fascinated by this question. Since she was discouraged from pursuing a relationship, she had never really considered the thought of 2 people of the same sex getting together; and since the majority of the relationships that she had seen involved a man and a woman, she had just assumed that was the "right" way.
-"Well…well still Red; you're a goddess, you have absolutely flawless beauty. Why would you want to be with a screw up like me?"
-Ivy solemnly looked up at Harley and frowned. She slowly walked toward her and gently placed a hand on the side of her face. She used her other hand to brush the hair out of Harley's eye so that Harley would focus directly on her.
-"How could you say that about yourself Harley? You are the kindest human I have ever met, you're one of only ones who has ever made me smile with true intent to do so, I don't know what that bastard maniac said or did to you that made you doubt your beauty and your self worth. But I am telling you right now, you are far more beautiful than any of those filthy flesh sacs you associated yourself with, you're a beckon of light that would melt the darkness completely and leave nothing but joy, hope, and compassion, and…" Ivy leaned her face closer to Harley's and Harley's eyes widened in surprise as her heart began to race. Is this what love is? Oh my God, why couldn't I have seen this before? Harley was so happy she could feel a tear starting to run down her cheek. Ivy gently wiped it away. "…And you're the only one capable of receiving Mother Nature's love".
-Before Harley could say anything, Ivy sunk her lips deep into hers'. Ivy's tongue penetrated Harley's lips and dove so far back in her mouth that the tip was practically touching the uvula. Harley's eyes shot open and her mind began to short circuit. So many thoughts raced through her mind that it had become detached from Harley's own body. Harley's hands grasped and scampered all along Ivy's back, hips, shoulders and abdomen not knowing what to do with themselves while Harley's muffled cries of surprise sounded from her mouth. Ivy moved her hand from Harley's cheek to the back of her neck and wrapped her other arm around Harley's waist, taking care not to squeeze on Harley's stitches, and pulled Harley even closer into the kiss. After a second or two, Harley froze completely, closed her eyes, and her muffled cries turned into one long sigh as she melted in Ivy's arms. Harley's legs gave out and she slowly sank to the ground. Ivy followed Harley's descent so that she would land softly on the grassy ground and when she was down, Ivy lay on top of her.
-After a few moments, Ivy abruptly pulled her lips from Harley's; a thick strand of saliva hung from her lips. She looked down on Harley, who was desperately trying to catch her breath; Ivy placed a hand on her chest just above her breasts and felt her heart hammer on the inside. Ivy smiled as she waited for Harley's breathing to subside and when it did, she focused her eyes directly onto her friend.
-"Red…that was…that was…" Harley's mind was still racing.
-"I know, Harley, it's a lot to process, isn't it?"
-Harley nodded through her breathing.
-"But did you like it?"
-"Like it? That was the greatest moment of my life!" She said with a shaky voice, "Oh God, is this what Mista J was keeping from me this whole time?"
-"Yes Harley", Ivy told her with emphasis, "That's what I've been trying to get across to you."
-"I'm sorry Red" Harley said with guilt in her voice, "If I had known I-"
-Ivy silenced her with a finger to her lips, "Shhhh, all that matters to me is that you know now".
-Harley smiled with a quivering lip. "Oh Red, I can't believe I could ever get this lucky! I mean, you could have had anyone you wanted and you actually saw something special in me: The Screw-Up Queen of Clumsine-"
-Harley was cut off by an erratic tingling sensation coming from her mid area. She gasped and looked down. Ivy had her finger right on top of the spot where her opening rested under her panties and was slowly tracing the slit with her fingertip. Ivy then pinched a part of the panties between her thumb and index finger and slowly pulled them down revealing Harley's neatly shaven vagina.
-Ivy looked back up at Harley and said to her very seriously, yet very seductively, "If you keep insulting yourself, I'm gonna have to keep teasing you".
-She then placed two fingers on both sides of Harley's entrance and slowly grazed them down in a stroking motion. Harley's breathing became sporadic and came out in breathy whimpers. They became so intense that Ivy felt a sudden need to intervene. She slowly crawled up her lover's body, still stroking her pride area, until her face was over Harley's. "Honey, calm down and breathe slowly, otherwise you'll hyperventilate".
-"I…can't!" Harley panted between breaths.
-Ivy dropped her head down and gently bit down on Harley's neck right on top of her throat. She then started sucking while her teeth gently grazed it. Harley gasped and then her breathing became less frantic and turned into deep, slow inhales and exhales. Ivy's gentle grip on her throat put a slight hold on her breathing but, at the same time, the pleasure she received from the sucking of Ivy's mouth and the feeling of her smooth, wet tongue on her throat relaxed her to the point where she felt nothing but pure bliss on both ends of her body. She was in heaven.
-After allowing Harley to enjoy herself for a few minutes, Ivy deliberately grazed Harley's clit with her fingernail causing her to shoot up and yelp with surprise and pleasure. In a moment un-dictated by natural thought, Harley grabbed the back of Ivy's head and kissed her deeply. "Oh God, Red, you taste so sweet!"
-Ivy's smile turned mischievous. As Harley looked at her trying to figure out what she was thinking, she screamed a profanity as Ivy's finger was thrust inside of her. She wiggled the finger around for about five seconds while Harley screamed with pleasure before jerking it out. The tip of her finger had a white, gooey substance on it. Ivy placed the tip of her finger on Harley's face and wiped her own cum right below Harley's eye. Ivy then moved her face into Harley's and slowly licked the cum off with the tip of her tongue. "You taste even better," Ivy said with a wink.
-"OH GOD TAKE ME! TAKE ME YOU SEXY BITCH!" Harley shouted as she grabbed Ivy and kissed her with every once of passion inside her. Ivy complied and started to vigorously rub the inside of Harley's pride while kissing and biting her neck. Harley held onto Ivy as she built closer and closer to her climax. Her breathe grew louder and louder with each passing second and, right before she hit her orgasm, she opened her eyes for a second and saw the flash of thick red hair that loomed over her. As she climaxed, Harley screamed at the top of her lungs "ALICE!"