Chapter Five: Lips of Venom

"Jump."

"No."

"She needs to take off the towel first."

"Definitely no."

Bruce sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair. He and Dick were trying to teach me how to swim. The Big Guy had an indoor swimming pool, which was awesome but I didn't know how to swim. He decided that if I was going to be on the team (as part of our deal) then I needed to know what to do if we ended up in deep water (no pun intended). Dick couldn't keep helping me.

So Alfred was sent out and fetched me a bathing suit, one piece at my request. Sadly, much to my dislike, he came back with a two piece bathing suit, but the modest kind and refused to go out and buy another one. I was lucky it even fit me. I was so skinny and boney that I was terrified it would just slip off if I did jump like Bruce asked.

I blushed a deeper shade of red and tugged the towel closer. "Y-you know how I'm kinda part plant…" I mumbled. "Is it bad for me if I go in chlorine water?"

Dick raised his eyebrow and looked back at Bruce. The older man shrugged. "There's only one way to find out. Jump."

Hugging the towel closer to me, I stumbled back. "I could die! You'd let that happen? I'm hurt."

"You won't die. You're mostly human after all." Stated Dick with a smile.

"O-okay…" I murmured and slowly dropped the towel. I rubbed my arm and blushed when I caught Dick looking at me funny. "You better help me back to air… or carbon dioxide…"

I let out a puff of breath, ran and jumped into the water. It was freezing! My feet touched the bottom and I began to panic. I struggled to the top and burst out into air with a scream. Then my devilish mind came up with a thought.

"Ah!" I shouted flapping about. "It burns! It burns!"

They both looked shocked and surprised. The second they were both near me I burst out laughing then latched onto Dick like a life raft.

"I was joking." I said in a small voice. "No more games, I'm scared."

"Good." Snapped Bruce, flicking some water at me. "You should be for making us worried."

I stuck out my tongue. "Good, I want some attention around here."

"Um, Wini…" came Dick's soft voice. "Why are you so skinny? It doesn't look healthy."

"I've been wondering the same thing myself." Added Bruce.

I looked at the two of them and puffed out my cheeks. Nosey. But the question sunk deep. The memories of all the abuse I had to survive through the years and the loneliness. I was happy now and they were in jail, so it wouldn't hurt to finally tell what they did to me.

"My Foster Parents… they only fed me… twice a week. Sometimes, if I was good they'd feed me a bit more…" I kept my eyes down, I didn't want to see their reactions. "So I'm kinda skinny."

"Kind of skinny? You're just bones!" exclaimed Dick, lightly touching my arm. "I'm scared to hold you, you might break!"

I puffed out my cheeks. "Yeah, but I can still kick ass; skinny or not."

"Well, that aside, you will have a much better diet here and more to eat." Smiled Bruce, he splashed us a little. "Now, let's get to work."

I tightened my grip around Dick's neck and he let out a pained little gasp. "Nooo! It burns!"

Xx

BOOM!

I was up and out of my bed in a flash. A thunderstorm raged outside and the tree by my window raked against the glass. Lighting blinked and thunder boomed, slightly shaking the house. I never liked thunderstorms. They were hard to deal with when I was on my own, since my Foster Parents didn't have a heart in their chest.

I had spent the past ten minutes, huddled under my covers with a pillow over my head trying to calm myself down. But it didn't seem to work. So I threw back my sheets and dashed out of my room, tripping and tumbling over things as I went. My nightstand was first to go, smashing the lamp the same time thunder rumbled overhead. So no one in the house really heard it. I took off down the dark hall and let out a little scream when lightning flashed and light up the hallway.

I was still getting used to the layout of the large house. I was aiming for Bruce's room, to throw myself on his bed and curl up in fear, but happy to know an adult was nearby to protect me. Alfred's room would have been nice too.

But I threw open the first bedroom like door I came across and dashed through the room. I stubbed my toe on the foot of the bed as I quickly threw up the sheets and dove underneath.

BOOM!

I let out a squeal and curled up tightly beside the person I curled into bed with.

Said person gave a grumbled groan and shifted slightly, blinking awake. "Wini…?" they mumbled.

BOOM!

I screamed and covered my ears, wanting nothing more but to crawl under a rock and die. Not only because the thunderstorm was a nightmare, but because I just realized I jumped into Dick's bed.

He sat up and I felt his eyes on me. I was shaking and my lips trembled like I was freezing.

"What is it? Are you okay?" he murmured gently, lifting up the sheets to look at my curled position.

BOOM!

I threw my arms around him and held on tight, squeezing my eyes shut and fighting back the tears that threatened to spill down my cheeks.

"I d-don't l-like it!" I stumbled over my words just as bad as I stumbled down the hallway.

"You're afraid of thunderstorms?" he asked, he let out a small laugh. "Here,"

He laid down again and wrapped his arms around me in a comforting way. The covers were draped over both of us and I quickly found my sleep in a deep sleep in his arms. I was half curled on his chest, our legs tangled together. It was a sweet moment until the morning.

Xx

Bruce blew his top. Well, in a Bruce-way I suppose.

Alfred woke the next morning to find my room a mess and the tree branch that had been scraping at my window was through the window. Glass was everywhere and it looked like Ivy had kidnapped me. (Though it was my own unstable powers that did it) And he quickly woke Bruce up. Bruce was about ready to call the Justice League and go on an all out stake out when he went to Dick's room to tell him what happened. Only to find us half asleep. In the same bed. Curled together in our sleep. In the same room. In the same bed. Under the same covers. You get the idea.

Anywho, he was so mad that he didn't even stop to let me explain. He practically dragged Dick out by his ear and shut the door to his study. They were in there for an hour. During which I told Alfred about what really happened and that I was sorry for breaking things. He waved it off and said he was just thankful I was alright. But the same could be said for Dick.

He left the office, as red as my hair and refused to meet my eye. Bruce was just as red and left the house without eating breakfast. I had a feeling they had the 'talk'. That was the only reason I could come up with that explained why they were both so red and embarrassed. I guessed the talk was even more embarrassing when the one that's meant to be learning already knows what's being said and the older one has no idea that the 'talk' is completely irrational. This day in age all you had to do was watch TV and you know all about 'it'.

When I apologized to Dick later, he just smiled and waved it off, offering to teach me how to swim some more. To which I kindly shouted no.

I kind of enjoyed my life living with Bruce and Dick. It was certainly interesting. But short lived.

Xx

It was school a few days later that she showed up. I was excited to finally get out of that place, A) because I hated it there and B) Dick was taking me to the comic book store. We were going to come up with ideas for my new outfit, since I no longer fit Black Widow anymore, being plant and all. We walked out of the gates smiling and chatting about something when a shiny red convertible caught my eye.

"W-wait here. Okay?" I said, and he nodded.

I stumbled over to the car and lent in. "Giselle? What the hell!" I hissed, hoping Dick didn't hear me. "You left me! Left me! So much for partners in crime!"

Giselle turned to me and scowled. "Left you? What are you talking about! That stupid Bull hit me so hard I fell into the dumpster! When I woke up, you were gone! What happened?"

I frowned. I trusted her; she was like my big sister. But I knew I had seen her slink off into the shadows. Even if she had, she had to have had a good reason for it. I bit my lip.

"They…" I bit the inside of my cheek. I had to lie. "They took me in and I met the big guy Batty-Boy. They thought handcuffs were enough to keep me in their grip but I got out and like that-" I snapped my fingers. "I escaped."

Giselle awkwardly hugged me. "Ooh! I'm so glad you're alright! I was so worried!" she pulled back and looked me in the eyes. "But I went back to your house, as much as you would have hated it, and you weren't there! And neither were Bob and Mari!"

I waved my hands and shushed her. "Quiet! You're so loud! I kinda got a little hurt in the fight. They broke my fake arm. I was scared to go home, y'know, so I just wondered the streets a little and some rich guy found me. Gave me a home and put Bob and Mari in jail."

She stared at me for a moment like I had horns coming out of my head. "No way…! A rich guy! You lucky little minx!"

She pinched my cheeks. "I'm glad you're doing better now! I never liked how they treated you, you know. Oh! That reminds me."

Giselle tugged out a ripped bit of newspaper and showed it to me.

Lady Vada's Pink Diamond now on display at Gotham City Musuem.

"I got us a job. Piece of cake, I've already scoped out the building! So…" her pale blue eyes were set on mine. I couldn't refuse and it was like she knew that.

If I refused then she would know something was up. She would know that I was working for the Justice League, the good guys when she was a bad guy and deep down so was I. She didn't need to know. So I bit my pride and agreed, knowing it would come back to bite me in the ass later.

"14 karat? You know I'm in." I smiled then I glanced back, forgetting that Dick was waiting patiently at the gates for me. "Gotta go, I've got a date!"

"Ooh!" she chirped. "Have fun! See you in three nights, same time, same place! Ta Ta!"

Then she sped off. It felt like my heart just ripped out of my chest and stood there looking at the convertible as it made tire marks in the pavement. The heart and I glanced at each other and sighed.