Toxicity

"Pam - Pam - Pam" A woman called over and over "Check this out - quick. They are reacting!" The woman smirked as she pulled her eyes from a microscope. Pamela set down a tube into its rack and quickly stepped over - her heels clicking on the floor. She tucked a loose strand of hair into her bun and leaned down. Her hands expertly turned the knobs of the microscope until the view was just perfect.

"Holy shit, they're eating the cells" Pamela chuckled and then watched. A green cell latched onto a white cell and consumed it. There were other organic cells about but it seem to only attack this particular white cell. "Fucking get out of here, I've cured god damn cancer"

"Well, only this particular Cancer cell, who knows - but-"

"Give me this moment, Dr Leigh." she put a hand up.

Dr Leigh smirked and then nodded. "I'll go get the Champagne..." she chuckled and then rushed from the room. It was roughly 8pm at night. There was nothing else for Pamela to do, but tinker in her lab. Pamela stood up from viewing and then quickly grasped a recorder.

"Wednesday, August 25th, 8:12pm. This is Dr Pamela Isley. The extracted cells from the very rare Lenux Plant, L.P One Dot twelve, are actively attacking and destroying the cancer cells of patient X Dot Three Four Six Six Nine... Temperature of the controlled unit is.. 71.2." She knelt back down "The other cellular strands - have not been impacted at all. After three months of feeding the Lenux Plant with the Alpha Eight mixture - it is as if the plant recognizes the cell as food, and attacks it..." she smirked and then pulled back again. "Phase Three of the Experiment is now completed, onto the final phase..." she clicked the mic and then paced slightly.

She approached a square box in the center of the room. Within it was a large square box, filled with dirt... and growing from it was a beautiful vine. It crawled up a lattice and had gorgeous flowers that bloomed off the vine. The vine itself was bright green with a thin purple line that traced up the side of the stem. The flowers were white with purple veins... They were very large and not as abundant as some vines. "Oh you beautiful little specimens you..." she reached forward and placed a hand on the glass. The plant seemed to react - a vine uncurled itself and reached for the glass, as if to touch her hand. Pamela giggled slightly and pulled her hand back. "We have to start growing more of you beauties. A real shame you are so close to extinct... my greatest pride and joy... you will save lives. Then maybe, maybe the world might respect you again. Stop littering, and burning down forests. Maybe I'll covet this little discovery and demand it, hm?" she whispered and smirked.

"Pam are you talking to the plant again?" Dr Leigh came back with a bottle.

"Yes, I am. Keep your judgements to yourself. If mothers spoke to their children like I speak to my plants - this world might be a better place. Now - pour" Pamela grinned and stepped away.

Right as the cork popped off - Dr Leigh gave a little screech, she chuckled and then poured two glasses, right into two clean beakers. "Cheers, Pam. You did it. You may have cured - fucking Cancer" she held the glass up.

"Damn right I did..." Pamela clicked her glass and grinned. Right as she took a sip - there was a shattering. The large glass window that peered to the city skies broke into a million shards. A gun fired and Dr. Leigh dropped her beaker. She gripped her stomach as the bullet left her body and looked to Pamela.

"No - Ashley!!" Pamela lunged forward and grasped Dr Leigh. She looked upward to see a man in an entire black outfit, his face covered by a mask. He held his gun up to Dr Leigh, who was gripping Pamela's shoulder, fighting to breath. He fired the trigger into her skull...

Blood splattered across Pamela's body as the woman went immediately limp in her hands.

"Sorry Ivy... job's a job" he spoke and then held the gun up to Pamela's head.

Pamela pressed her forehead against the barrel and sniffed up a large sob. She shut her eyes and immediately a vine crashed through the glass that held the Lenux Plant and wrapped around the gun. The gun was ripped from his hands and turned about - quickly firing at the man. "Fuck you" Pamela spoke and stood. From the shattered glass a Helicopter hovered downward.

"We already got we wanted Ivy...." A man spoke from the Helicopter. Smoke billowed from the top of building - the botanical garden.

Pamela looked out to see the smoke above wafting over the city - she squeezed her hands into fists and then her entire body became swarmed with vines. She was lifted upward and out of the building - approaching the helicopter. "Ahh, just what I needed for the perfect experiment..." the man held a vial up - he shook it and then poured it into a grenade and shut the lid. "You'll miss a great show, Pam" he called out and the Helicopter then lifted away.

Ivy reached her hand forward - the vine whipped outward and wrapped around the bar below the helicopter. In an instant the man held a gun up and shot the vine. By the time she could react - they were already flying away. Then - from afar a rocket was shot into the building, it wizzed past her as she was several feet from the edge of the building, above the roof tops of the city below. Her lab was one of many, with WayneCorp's logo printed above the flaming gardens.

Ivy was thrown forward as the explosion threw her, severing the vines of the Lenux plant within the lab. She reached outward - trying to summon a plant, but nothing came in time. She soon expected her death, which she came willingly.

However she was caught. A figure gripped her and held her as they hit the rooftop of another building. The figure gracefully stood and brushed her black attire off. "Oh Pam, seems you've fallen for me again" she spoke as she helped Ivy up, brushing some dust off her shoulders.

"Cat..." Ivy sighed softly shrugged off her lab coat. She turned and glanced to the building, which was in the midst of collapse. Smoke and fire billowed high - sirens and helicopters came hovering over it. "Did you get a glance at the Helicopter?" she questioned.

"I know I have good eyes and an agile body. But no, I was just in the neighborhood - and really, you could thank me first - "

"Cat - I don't have time" Ivy grasped the woman's shoulders, she looked into the mask of the woman, Catwoman, who stood before her. "What ever they stole from me, blew up my damn lab, they do not have good intentions. I watched them dump some serum, no doubt from my gardens, into a grenade -- "

"Okay okay, the Helicopter - " Catwoman pulled up her phone and then a GPS locator. "I managed to tag it, I was just teasing you. " she smirked and nudged her. "Relax a little, come on. Just some fun"

"Where is it going?" Ivy ignored her and looked over - "Fuck, the Asylum? For real?" she sighed. "Lets go"

"Oh no honey, I'm not going there. This is you. I did my part. Stay safe, okay?" she kissed Ivy's cheek and then leaped away before Ivy could reply. Leaving the phone in her hand...


****

It was painfully annoying to make her way to the Asylum, but she eventually made it. She had to UBER, to which the driver did his best not to question the soot and ash about her body, her battered hair and blood over her chest. She tipped the man wildly high and rushed to the entrance of the building. She watched a blonde woman - lab coat in hand - walk towards the employee entrance. She quickly veered away towards the entrance. With subtlety she reached for a leaf from a bush and slipped it into her pocket. When the woman opened the door after swiping her card - a vine quickly lunged forward and caught the door before it closed.

Ivy stepped inside and gently shut the door. She lingered back as the woman was checked in.... she hid around the corner and breathed for a deep moment. She could hear the helicopter hovering over the building...

After a deep breath - she approached the guard. "Hello. - " she smiled and a vine came from her hand and shot forward, choking the man until he passed out- she was sure not to kill him. She slipped through the gates and then pushed through the doors. A gun went off and she winced - Dr Leigh flashing before her eyes briefly. She sucked in a breath and pressed herself up against a wall. She glanced over as the men instructed the blonde woman to move, a gun to her head...

She trailed behind - two vines crawled across the floor and gripped the feet of two men. They dropped to the ground and the vines quickly entered their mouths - muffling their screaming as they pierced into his chest and stabbed his heart. She quickly rushed forward until she came to a door - she opened it slowly. She saw a man with a grenade in his hand - he chucked it to another guy. "You know what to do" he spoke and then reached upward to a rope ladder. The ceiling above had caved in... he grasped it and he was lifted easily into the sky.

Ivy quickly opened the door - but right as she did, the sirens to the building went off. Explosions caused the entire building to shake - gun fire went off. Pamela winced as she saw Dr. Leigh again... the blood leaking from her chest. The bullet wound that splattered her brains over Pamela's coat...

Ivy rushed forward as the men scattered, she turned and glanced into the room before them. She pulled at the door - locked. She grunted and her hand flung forward - vines crawled around the door and then peeled it apart with ease. Green gas rushed outward, though it did not bother Ivy at all. She rushed forward and looked to the blonde woman - the woman from before... She pulled her brows together and she scooped her up. She turned the woman over to view her face - it was pale and cold... "You're still with us" she whispered and then her vines began to wrap around her.

She held her hand up and the ceiling burst from vines from outside. They lifted into the air - and onto the roof top. Just as she landed up top - Batman hand landed from his jet. "Ivy - you'll pay for this" he spoke and gripped something from his belt.

"This wasn't me..." she pointed to the helicopter. "That fucker blew up my Lab..." she took in a breath. "I followed him here... there is some gas down there.... you'll need a mask" she spoke and then shook her head. "Not today Bat..." she held a hand upward.

The open holes of the Asylum became swarmed by huge thick vines, blocking the patients from escaping... Batman touched something on his helmet, which caused a mask to cover his face and then he jumped into the ceiling hole. With that the ceiling became covered with vines....

***

The TV was turned on - the news was playing. "This just in - Wayne Corp Lab's has been destroyed. Attacked late last night - demolition of the remnants of the building has already began. Only six casualties occurred, one death and fix injured. There has been no indication other than Arson - by unknown assailants. The Police unit is already investigating... Following the attack - Riddick Asylum was immediately broken into... Several of the attackers have been killed, a few guards killed by gun point. The villain Bloodwing was killed by unknown poison substance, and a Psychiatrist - Doctor Harleen Porter has gone missing. Sources say that the attacker may have been none other than Poison Ivy" an image of Poison Ivy, from at least 5 years ago appeared - her flowing red hair was drifting in the wind - her hands covered in vines as she had them raised.

"Ooh, when I took down that Oil Company that chopped down an entire forest and poisoned the local water..." Ivy grinned....

"However, Batman was sighted, and let her go - which possibly means that she was not the source of the issue. The entire facility has been covered in Vines. No one has left or entered the building yet... We are not sure if Batman is within the walls of the Asylum, or not. But Gotham knows it - we need him... "

"Sure you do..." Ivy sighed over a bowl of cereal, she sat on a green couch and leaned back, sighing deeply.

At the other end of the couch - the blonde woman was laying. She had been asleep all night, there was nothing that Pamela could do to wake her. She tried a few tricks.. but she knew to just wait.

"Frank - watch the girl. I'm going to shower real quick..." she stood and set the empty bowl down on the coffee table.

"Are you going to put that shit in the kitchen, or am I going to have to stare at it..." A large plant in the corner of the room came to life.

"Figure it out" She spoke and stepped away.

A vine appeared from Frank and picked the bowl up - he chucked it towards Ivy. Though it was blocked by a vine of her own and the bowl clattered to the floor. "I'm not picking it up!" Ivy called as she stepped into her room and the sound of the shower started.

"Stop throwing a bitch fit and be a reasonable adult" Frank called out. The bowl then lifted up by his vine and was gently placed in the kitchen.

Her home was actually underground, a fall out shelter that she was given - by a dying old man, a Doctor she was once knew. He was a little psycho, but was a good man at the end of the day. The bunker initially was crude, but livable. Over the past year - she had spent quite a lot of time fixing it up. It was outside of town a little ways, under a hillside of flowers. Ivy had solar panels placed above, which was the source of her electricity. Water came from the well system... everything was rather.. organic, one could say.


The home itself was a two bedroom, two bath. The living room was large - lining all of the living room walls was lattice, which vines growing happily. The lights were warm and bright... everything else was normal. A typical couch, tv and glass coffee table. The kitchen was attached to the dining room, but it was nothing fancy. The two bedrooms were as simple as it could get. Though nothing was wood, everything was either glass, plastic, or metal. She had metal dressers, which were very hard to find, metal bed frames... and the like.

Ivy finished her shower and pulled green tights on, and a basic graphic T that said "Only you can prevent forest fires". She walked back into the living room with a comb in her hand - gently combing at her crimson red hair. "She still asleep?" she questioned to frank...

Ivy sighed as she looked to the dangling woman. “Thanks Frank...” she set the comb down on the glass table and then crossed her arms as she looked to the woman. Something changed – in a split second. The woman who cursed and was loud – her brows furrowed and hands balled up… now sat, sulken and soft, her voice was different… Ivy’s brows pulled together even more as she saw the change.

“Ivy is fine…. But yes” she smirked slightly. She placed a gentle hand on her arm and helped her up to the couch. She glanced to the lab coat and touched Harleen’s badge. “Harleen Porter” she smirked. “Listen… sit here for just a minute, okay? I’ll get you a change of clothes.. You’ve been out nearly half a day… I’m glad you are awake” she spoke with a soft and soothing voice. “Frank -”

“yeah yeah, whatever” he spoke. A vine reached forward and grasped the remote and he began to flick through the channels. “Tired of listening to that shit. Over and Over. Batman this, Robin that. At least my girl made an appearance!” he flicked again.

Ivy came back a few moments later with a pair of shorts and another large T shirt that had a giant tree on it. “Not much, but it’ll do...” she set it down and then held her hand up. A vine poured a glass of water from a pitcher and then it was set down infront of Harleen.

“It’s been an eventful day...” Ivy sat down and crossed her legs. “Before rescuing you – I was on the verge of curing cancer, working in my Lab. Some fuck face stole.. god knows what… from my Botanical Garden on the roof, and then blew the entire fucking tower sky high. He then went straight for the Asylum. I followed… actually saw you moments before you badged in…” she thought for a moment. Dr. Leigh flashed before her and she froze… she squeezed her eyes shut, stiff for a brief moment, and then continued.

“You were forced to get Bloodwing out from his cell… and then they dropped a poison bomb into your room. Made of some kind of mixture, no doubt something from my Garden… I had some… rare plants up there...” she sighed.

“Speaking of… if you will let me… I’d like to do a quick blood draw, I can try and figure out what he poisoned you with… it seems you are.. possibly facing some side effects. Do you remember what happened, just a few minutes ago? When you tried to leave?” she questioned and then stood and approached a drawer. She dug around until she found a needle, still packaged. She often drew her own blood and studied it… fat luck.

“Oh, and you’re at my home, base… thing” Ivy mentioned, forgetting that Harleen questioned where she was.

“Its an underground bunker – we’re ready for the apocalypse baby!” Frank called out. “You should see her Green room, all kinds of food and shit. I’ve been trying to get her to grow some Weed for the longest time though” Frank called out and huffed loudly. He was still flicking through the tv, in hopes to find something.

“You know that shit rots your brain. It is the cockroach of the plant society. A fucking weed I wouldn’t mind --- “

“Burning baby! Burn it all day long!” Frank cackled.

“What’s the last thing you remember?” Ivy questioned. “Don’t worry, by the way. I too – am a doctor” she chuckled. “Well, of Biology and Chemistry, but… drawing blood. I’ve done a few times..” she smirked and set the needle down and pulled out a tourniquet…

Ivy pulled her brows together “You don’t remember trying to leave?” she questioned softly. She sucked in a breath and tied the tourniquet onto her arm and waited a moment. “You’re the doctor” she spoke softly and then paused before she stuck. She nailed the vein and pulled syringe of blood. She withdrew and then put a bandaid on the stick. She slipped away and came back with a heavy microscope. She set it on the glass coffee table and then dropped a few drops of blood onto a dish and pressed it. She then set it in the microscope and then moved to her knees. She leaned over the microscope and moved the knobs and twisted things about.

“I don’t know if it is a side effect, or the trauma – but you seem to have some kind of… other personality. When you tried to run – you were pale, loud...crass. Not this soft composure you currently have...” she hummed softly and grew quiet as she looked closer.

She sighed and then leaned back. She lifted the syringe once more and dropped a drop of blood onto her finger. She then plopped her finger into her mouth and sucked in a breath.

“I think he used Gilian Root… mixed with some other chemicals – it causes the alveolar sacs in your lungs to uh… explode” she raised a brow and then shook her head. “In other cases… there have been studies that it can cause morphesis of the DNA.. which yours is looking a little… weird” she huffed slightly. “I’d have to get this back to the lab… which is… destroyed” she sighed and then leaned back.

“Well if you were going to die, you would have by now...” she picked the microscope up and then set it back in the closet she got it from.

“I know it all seems weird...” she chuckled “I don’t have much company - “

“Scratch that, NO company. This chick is a freaking loser! Do you know how much it fucking sucks to be stuck with a LOSER?” Frank spat.

“Shut the fuck up Frank” Ivy snapped back.

“You were surrounded by some very….. interesting patients” she was careful with her words. “Some with powers, other’s not… I do not know if this is your real first experience with someone with abilities...” she shrugged. “Just me and my plants… and Frank.” she chuckled. “We’ll see what comes of all of this… Looks like they were trying to Pin it on me, in some fashion. If Bats gets through it all.. he’ll probably clear my name, I hope. Otherwise – you are a missing woman. And I am uh.. your captor...” she leaned back.

“I guess.. you are free to go. If you choose… but um.. I have an extra room. You can crash for a little… I’d suggest it. You are going through something, god knows whatever it is. You’re not ready to re-enter society...” she stood then and brushed her hands together. “But, I don’t keep people against their will. That is for sure… I’m not your typical uh...”

“Eco-terrorist baby. You ain’t no scummy Villian with a bunch of low life goons” Frank spoke and flicked the tv again.

“Right” she smirked. “If you want to stay, that set of clothes is free of charge, and your room would be to the right over there…”

“If you stay longer than a month – you are paying rent, bitch!” Frank waggled a vine arm and flicked again. “Fuck where is my Oprah?”

Ivy smirked “You got an in with Batman?” she glanced to Frank and then back to Harleen. “Well, that is good at least...” she sighed softly and nodded then. “Alright… well… whenever you feel good enough...” she sat down on the couch then and let out a sigh.


She turned her gaze and watched Harleen stand and then fall to the ground. “Fuck!” Ivy spoke and stood to help her. Though suddenly Harleen came to. Ivy immediately took note to the change in her skin, then… the obvious came. “God damnit” Ivy grumbled and crossed her arms as she watched Harleen toss the glass.

“Yeah – she’s got the badge to prove it..” she stood and glanced to Harleen. “Harleen --- Harley, Harls...” she held her hands up. “This is Frank, my roomie. I’m Ivy, you are – ohh kay, you are just being you, huh?” she smirked.

“You are at my secret base. As a super eco-terrorist and all, I have such a thing. And you, my dear. Are covered in all kinds of icky shit, huh? How about a shower, and fresh clothes” she picked up the clothes and held it to her. “Come on” she lead her into the spare room. It was empty – and then into the attached bathroom.

“Shower, go. There’s some shampoo and conditioner in there. Do the thing” she threw two towels down onto the toilet and then stepped out of the room..

“She’s real fucked up” Frank perked up.

“Yeah no shit...” she crossed her arms and sat down. “I think it’s the poison...” she glanced to the vial of blood.

Moments later her phone rang… Bruce Wayne… the CEO of the Lab she worked for… she sucked in a breath and answered it.

“Dr Pamela Isley” she sat back and glanced to Frank, who wiggled in his pot.

“Dr Pamela…. I am sorry about what happened last night at the Lab, this is Bruce Wayne...” his voice was deeper than she had imagined it to be, but it had a smoothness to it.

“Well.. I appreciate you calling.. I am safe… enough” she sighed softly.

“I can get you into witness protection.. we can get you some help.. if you want it” he spoke softly.

“I um… I really appreciate that, Mr Wayne.. I do.. The best cure for me will actually be to go back to work” she spoke and sighed softly. “I was really close on a major break through… Career changing, for me. And world breaking for you...” she stood and paced slightly.

“That is unfortunate… but I am sure you can pick it back up. Give it a week, Doctor. I’ll get a new lab set up for you… maybe one that isn’t so high up… Quite a tumble you took” he cleared his throat.

Ivy froze slightly and cleared her throat “I um - “

“No worries, Doctor Isley. We’ll get you back at it… I am expecting great things from you.. Rest up. You have my number now, if you need me..” he hung up after.

Ivy glanced down at her phone and sighed softly. “Well, I still have my job” she smirked.

“After all that shit? You still got a job? Your dumbass plants on the roof caused all this shit.” Frank sighed. “I miss when you hated your life and spent every day sitting on that couch with me! Damn those were some good times!” he finally stopped the TV on South Park. “Helll yeah!”

“Right, great times” she sighed and thought for a moment. “No one but a handful of people would have even known what was on that roof… all of this – was very well thought out. I was duped, for sure...” she froze slightly – Dr Leigh. She held a hand to her forehead and sighed.