"Not so fast Ivy, we need to talk."
Batman scowled as he walked towards us.
Ivy got ready to fight as Batman did the same. But I stepped in between them and held out my hands.
"I think we have bigger problems right now so let's save whatever shit you got between the two of you for later until after we've dealt with the Joker and get Harley back alright?!"
The two of them took a moment to think before standing down.
"That's actually why I'm here."
Batman said.
"Joker has been working with someone on a secret project called Cloudburst. It's a dispersal device that was developed by Stagg Industries and was originally intended to be used as a means to rapidly cure diseases when loaded with a cure."
"I'm guessing that Stagg didn't help him willingly."
I muttered as Batman shook his head.
"He did, but was promised to be rewarded with something from Joker in return. Joker himself plans to load his newest strain of Joker Toxin into it and use it on Gotham."
Batman then turns to Ivy.
"I need your help Ivy, I know your plants have the capability to combat even the worst of poisons and neurotoxins."
"Fine I'll help, but only because of Harley."
Ivy said.
"Then what are we standing around for let's get going."
Batman immediately shot me a glare.
"You're not coming."
He said.
"You're not my boss, I'm going."
I argued.
"You have no history of fighting unless it was in self defense, you just got out of the hospital, and you haven't the slightest clue who your talking about going up against. You can't even properly defend yourself against a knife."
At this point he and I were standing nose to nose.
"From what I've heard you had your back broken once upon a time and yet you still had the spine to get back up. How does a stab wound and a gunshot compare to that?!"
I shot back as he didn't even blink.
"He has a point."
Ivy cut in as we turned to her.
"You don't even know her. You haven't even known her for a weekend and yet you're saying that you want to go up against Joker with a crow bar, why?"
I sighed when she asked me this.
"Because I made a promise to myself that whenever someone needed help with anything, if it was within my power to help them I would do so and be to them who no one was for me when no one ever came to my rescue when I needed help the most."
I said to her as I turned back to Batman.
"I'm no hero, not like you and not even in general. But I'm not going to abandon her when she needs help. Yeah I could die tonight, tomorrow, next week, next month, hell even next year and so could any of us. So just tie me up or knock me out because the only other way that you're going to stop me from going is if you kill me."
The three of us stood in silence for a moment as the two of them stood taken back or in contemplation.
"Your intentions are admirable and believe me when I say that we'll get Harley back and save Gotham..."
Before I knew what was going on he grabbed me by the arm and shit whipped me into the ground before plunging a needle into my neck.
"Get the fuck off me and go crawl back to whatever dusty ass coffin you came out of!!"
I yelled in defiance as I fought and struggled but he didn't even budge as he held me down.
"I said..."
I tucked my body inward and tried to kick up to push him off of me, but even when I did so he just let me go.
"Get off meeee!!!"
I tried swinging on him as hard as I could but all my punches just hit open air as he then swept my feet out from underneath me.
"Stay down, you can't win."
Ivy says as I felt whatever he injected me with starting to take effect.
"I know."
I growled back as I staggered to my feet.
"You don't need to tell me that."
Batman then came up from behind me and so I continued to swing but it seemed like I was moving through molasses as I fell over once more. But before I hit the ground Ivy willed her plants to make a bed out of flowers and vines as they gently lowered me down to the floor. At this point I hadn't the strength to even stand any more as I was then knocked out for a third time in the same weekend.
3rd POV.....
After Poison Ivy and Batman had left to go and deal with the Joker, Damien was left unrestrained and unconscious while still laying on a bed of Ivy's plants. He was in a peaceful and dreamless sleep due to the sedative that Batman had injected him with. However off in the corner of the room, a small bush of white flower buds began to form as they made their way over to the sleeping Damien. Once they had fully bloomed into beautiful white roses, they started releasing small little puffs of red dust that ended up enveloping Damien's entire body.
Damien POV....
The first thing that I noticed when I was pulled from dreamland was one of the sweetest scents that I had ever smelled. The next thing was a bunch of white roses covering me with red gas. And finally the third thing was that whatever it was that I had just inhaled had filled me to the brim with energy. What's more is that I no longer felt pain where I had been stabbed or shot. When I lifted up my shirt I noticed that my wounds had completely mended while only leaving small white scars behind.
"The fuck?"
I asked aloud as I turned back to the bush of white roses.
"Can...can you understand me?"
I asked the bush as it shifted up and down.
"Did Ivy do this?"
I continued asking as the bush shifted left and right. I couldn't help but smile as I bent down and gently caressed the petals on one of the roses.
"You're so going to get grounded when your mom finds out, but thank you."
A single vine then handed me my things as it or they I should say made a salute like motion.
"And thank you too but I have one last question..."
As if on cue one of the vines tapped me on the shoulder and led me over to a scrap book which doubled as a diary and had obviously been made by Harley. It depicted an old fun house that had long since been abandoned by real estate investors. Strangely enough I also remembered where this place was as I had only gone once as a kid.
"Thank you!"
I say once more to the plants as I rushed out the door and down a series of alleyways.
Hopping over fences and running through a construction site along the way. Even after the first few miles I was able to sprint full blast and I hadn't even broken a sweat. I also felt a bit lighter on my feet too. Normally what would have been a couple of tries for me to jump onto or over I was able to do with ease. However I somehow knew this wasn't permanent, which meant this was a one off. I did my best to keep that in mind while not trying to worry about it too much so that I didn't get distracted. By the time I had arrived at the old Carnival it looked like the party had already started as I could hear the peppering of gunfire and see Ivy's vines whipping around and tossing Joker's goons left and right.
Batman was also kicking all kinds of ass. Throwing combos left and right to anyone that stepped to him. I didn't hesitate as I rushed in and drop kicked two goons away from Batman's six.
"Mind if I join in?!"
I asked.
Batman then threw a batarang towards me and broke the nose of some guy behind me.
"How did you negate the effects of the sedative?"
He asked as he knocked a guy out with a single cross.
"How did you two even get caught?!"
I exclaimed as I threw a goon over my shoulder and smacked another in the liver with my crow bar.
"They knew we were coming before we even got here!"
Ivy said as she wrapped up several goons at once.
Batman then flipped over an entire line of goons and threw out a smoke bomb before diving into the smoke and beating the piss out of all who were in it before emerging with the same scowl as he had earlier.
"We'll talk later, let's move."
As we made our way into the fun house, Joker's voice came over the loud speaker.
"Batsy, how nice of you to drop in!! Ooo and I see you brought some guests with you as well! The more the merrier I say hahahahahahahaaaaa!!"
"Give her back monster!!"
Ivy snarled.
"Hahahahaha, whoever do you mean green meanie?! Refresh my memory, who is it that you came here for again?"
He taunted as we continued walking.
"We're here for Harley you sick fuck and to stop you from poisoning Gotham!"
I yelled back as Joker gasped to what I said.
"Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?!"
He clicked his tongue.
"Give it up Joker, your plan isn't going to work!"
Batman exclaimed as we were then met by someone else.
"Now why do you always have to be such a party pooper bats?! The fun has only just begun hehehehahahaha!!!"
After Joker was finished with his banter, the mutated henchman rushed us like raging bulls.
Ivy immediately went about immobilizing them with her plants as Batman rushed head first to meet them. Despite her efforts these bastards were strong enough to rip through her vines.
"Damnit!"
She hissed as she summoned even more vines.
Batman activated some kind of built-in electrical knuckles in his gauntlets as he began to dodge and weave the mutated henchman's wild haymakers as he took any and all body shots whenever he could. Somehow I was able to slide in between one of their legs and get past them.
"Eyes forward Beastie!!"
I yelled out to one of the henchmen as I crack them upside the head with the crowbar.
When the henchmen tried to grab me I rolled out of the way just in time before I took off down the hallway as the mutated henchman gave chase.
"Raaaaaaaaagh!!!!?"
Batman then threw several electric batarang before refocusing the mutated henchman's attention towards him.
"Focus Ivy, we don't have time to be wasting on them!!"
He hollered before tucking and rolling out of the was as the henchmen slammed his giant fists into the ground.
"I could just let you deal with these three by yourself meatsack!!"
She spat back as she whipped her Vines around and slammed one of the henchmen into the the walls on either side of her as well as the ceiling and floor.
Before they had a chance to notice I took off like a rocket down a labyrinth of hallways. But as I rounded the next corner I was met by the rest of Joker's henchman. 10 of them in all and armed with pipes, a couple of them had crowbars like me, a baseball bat, one of them even had matching brass knuckles.
"We're gonna fuck you up real good!!"
Even as my heart pounded in my chest I stood there as I thought about the reason why I was here in the first place while gripping on to my crowbar even tighter.
"Alright then..."
I snarled before charging towards them.
"Come onnn!!!!!"
The first couple of henchmen that I met with tried swinging on me with their pipes. I ducked underneath one of them and blocked the other as I performed a WWE style clothes line and swept his feet out from underneath him. The next few weren't as easy as I was met with a hit to the face by the dude with the brass knuckles before getting side kicked in my ribs as the other guy tackled me into the wall. I threw my crowbar at the guy behind him and hit him in the face as I wrapped my arm around the henchman's neck who had me pinned before kneeing him in the gut a couple of times and pushing him away.
The next henchman that came at me went for a wide kick and so I wrapped my arm around his leg and slammed him into the wall before I got smacked in the back of the head. For only a split second I was dizzy before I regained my composure and slammed my fist into his gut. The next three henchmen had actually started laying into me quite a bit as one of them could actually box. One of them had side flip through the air and kicked me square in my chest which sent me flying back several feet. Another one had kicked me in the face as I grabbed on to his ankle and tried to pull him down but then I found myself getting stomped on.
After a moment or two of this I finally managed to struggle my way back to my feet as I continued fighting. I grabbed the dude who kicked me by the throat and ran him into the wall before grabbing one of the pipes that the other henchmen had dropped and stabbing him through the leg. He cried out in pain before I delivered a knee to the side of his head. I then grabbed one of the crow bars left on the ground and continued swinging on the others. Before I knew it I was the last one standing as I watched blood drip down the side of my face as my hands wouldn't stop shaking.
I even started to feel the pain from the blow that I took to the back of my head as I gently pressed my fingers to it to see if I was bleeding from there as well. I found it to be no surprise when I found out that I was as I spat out the blood that was pooling in my gums. I then tossed my crowbar aside as I turned around and walked through the doors behind me.
They let me into a wide open room with a slanted roof and roller coaster tracks across the floor. The Clown Prince of Crime himself stood with a beaten Harley, tied up and with a gag in her mouth.
"Harley!!!"
Joker then stopped me dead in my tracks as he pressed the barrel of the same gun I assumed he shot me with to her temple.
"Uh uh uhhhh, you've been a very naughty boy junior!! Now go to your room while momma and I have a talk!!"
The way he said this brought up a suppressed memory of mine on one of the many nights that my father was in a raging drunken stupor.
"No, let her go now!"
Joker then pointed his gun at me and fired at my feet.
"Don't make me get my belt!!"
He continued to taunt me as I shook my head and spat out more blood.
Harley's eyes filled with fear as countless tears fell from them. Those eyes of hers, silently pleading to me. Joker sighed, exasperated as he shook his head.
"Here I was expecting Bats to be the one to come through those doors, even the wench you seem to be so fond of as of late!!"
Joker snarled as he wrapped his hand around Harley's throat, causing her to scream and cry through her gag as he pressed his gun to her temple once more.
"Now go back out that door before I paint the walls with the insides of her skull!!"
I shook my head no.
"You don't want to do that."
I said, causing the Joker to look surprised as he started laughing once more.
"Hoohoohoohoohahahahaaaaa!! And why the hell not?!"
He asked before pulling his gun on me yet again as I smiled back with my blood stained smile.
"Where's the fun in that?"
I asked as he tilted his head.
"I mean, when was the last time you actually had a no holds barred brawl with someone on your level? I'm not Batman, I don't know even know or have a quarter of the moves he has. And yet I plowed through your boys just outside, them and the ones I layed out last night."
I held my hands out to either side as I shrugged, continuing to smile as I turned around and started walking towards the door.
When I had walked in I noticed that the ceiling had retractable shudders as well as the door that brought me in her, and the lever to control them on the wall.
"Hehehehahahaha, who are you?!"
Joker laughed as I pulled the lever down.
"No one special, I'm just a kid from Gotham."
Joker continued to smile as he tossed his gun to the side and took off his purple jacket.
"Hahahaaaa, well if it's a whoopin your a wantin!!"
He raised his fists up and taunted me to come meet him.
"Let's dance bozo!!"
Just as the shudders dropped to the floor we ran towards each other.
The effects of the the rose bush had finally worn off after I finished up with the goons in the hallway. All that was flowing through my veins was pure adrenaline. When Joker and I collided I tackled him to the ground and started beating his face in. He was able to turn the tables and pin me on my back before giving me the same treatment.
After I kicked him off of me we went in for another clash and started going blow for blow, neither of us bother to block or dodge. When I slammed my fist into his jaw once again he responded with a squirt of acid from the flower he still had pinned to his chest. I was able to dodge but then he rushed me and kicked me in the side of my chest with a shoe knife.
"Ahhhhhhhhh!!!"
The Joker roared as he tackled me against the stage.
I managed to stop him from kicking me with that knife and even managed to rip off the part of his shirt that held the acid flower. But my vision became blurry and I began to slump to the floor even as the Joker proceeded to try and choke me out.
"Hahahaaaaa, you really thought you could play hero huh?! Well what do you think?!! Huh?!!!!"
I glanced over for only a split second towards the stage to see Harley had kicked something down to me, a joy buzzer. I smiled back at the Joker as I spat blood in his face.
"Hate to break it to you, but your not even funny!"
I say as I switched on the joy buzzer and pressed it to his neck neck.
"Aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrgh!!!!!!!!"
The Joker screamed as electricity shot through his body until he fell unconscious.
I pushed the Joker off of me and managed to stand up although I was still stumbling around like I took ten shots of tequila. When I made it onto the stage I fell to my knees and began to untie Harley's binds.
"Are you..."
I wasn't even able to finish my sentence before she tackled me back down to the floor.
"Damien!!!"
She screamed while trying to strangle me with a hug.
"Urgh, owww!!"
I winced as she sat up and straddled my waist while covering her mouth with both her hands.
"You didn't have to stop."
I smirked before getting a punch to the gut.
"Oww, why?!"
"For scarin me ya fuckin idiot!! What were ya thinkin?!!"
She screamed while continuing to pound on my chest.
"I wasn't thinking, not about allowing what he did to go unanswered. Not when he... not when he hurt you.. *coughs blood* for fuck sake!!"
I heaved as I rolled over clutching my sides in pain. Just then the doors were blasted open by the caped crusader himself with Ivy right behind him.
"Heh..heh, you missed the finale."
Batman came running up to look me over as he shined a flashlight in my eyes.
"You have a concussion, 9 broken bones, and a perforated liver. What were you doing running off by yourself?! That was reckless and irresponsible!"
"So is... dressing up as a blind rodent... and your sidekicks as traffic lights..."
I smiled and silently imitated laughter as Harley and Ivy couldn't help but laugh themselves.
"That's the second time he's roasted you tonight."
Ivy chuckled before Harley tackled her with a hug as well.
Batman then went over to the Joker to look him over as well.
"For someone who says they're not a fighter, you sure do have a fighter's spirit."
After he complimented me the police came through and grounded up Joker's goons. Batman himself explained the entire situation to Commissioner Gordon and his detectives. Not only that but while I was dealing with Joker, Ivy and Batman found the Cloud Burst. Turns out it had already been activated and Joker was planning on taking us all with him to Crazy Town. Thankfully he was able to reduce the blast radius in time before sending in the Batwing to carry it off over the bay and just a few miles beyond that before it detonated. But Batman also wasn't so sure about that being the end game.
As he talked with the cops, I told Harley and Ivy how I woke up after Batman had knocked me out. Ivy the grabbed me by my bloodied shirt.
"She bloomed?!!"
Ivy yelled in my face.
"Uhh...yeah I...guess so?"
I stuttered out as Harley came up from behind Ivy and hugged her.
"Thanks for coming Red."
She smiled, Ivy turned around and hugged her back.
"I'll always come for you."
The dark side of my brain couldn't decide between Giggity or Pause. Then it whispered to me and told me watch this play out. Ivy then turned back to me and smiled.
"Spiritus Phoenix, that's the name of the flower that bloomed. She only blooms once every 500 hundred years. But before the Roman Empire had fallen, Spiritus Phoenix was ordered by Emperor Romulus Augustulus to be purged from the earth forever for she had been feared by many for what she could do."
When she said this it all made sense, all the energy that I had a long with my wounds being healed, even my speed and agility. Apparently the look on my face had told Ivy that I understood.
"Am I missin somethin here?"
Harley interjected as Ivy looked back to her.
"We can talk about it on the way to the hospital."
She replied as the Medics were reluctant to let the two of them into the back of the Ambulance. Hopefully my new boss was the understanding type and would allow me at least a week to recover before actually starting tomorrow morning. But then again I didn't count on it.
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Hey there everybody, hope you all enjoyed the conclusion to second chances as we move on into the next arc of the story.
Sorry but I'm feeling lazy on the outro as I have been up since 2:00 this morning. So please don't forget to like, comment, follow, and share with your friends and followers as well as on any and all social media!!!