Arkham Buddies

CHAPTER 13: Brucey's Memories

Ivy is in front of the TV when I enter the apartment, groceries bags in my arms. Didn't pay for those, as usual. I know Ivy doesn't like it when I do that but I can't help it. It's so much fun!
She's watching the daily news and, at the look on her face, I guess something bad happened.
"Hey babe! I'm back! Got you the Country Crips you like. Bio, of course." I shout with a casual tone, sending her a wink by the same occasion.
Ivy looks up from the television, just realizing my presence. Her eyes widen and her mouth is open in shock.
"What's wrong?" I ask with a frown as I store the food in the refrigerator.
"Nothing. I... I just didn't expect you home this early."
Ivy bites her lip nervously. She's obviously afraid to tell me something.
I take a few steps towards the couch and sit next to her. I turn my attention to the TV and listen carefully to the journalist speaking.
"As you can see, Gotham has been thrown into anarchy. The Joker has taken control of the city and the entire continent is worried about what he'll do next. We're waiting to know more about Batman's condition since he got infected by a strong poison that made him forget about who he is..."
"Fuck." I utter anxiously.
"Seems like your ex-boyfriend finally got what he always wanted..." Ivy says with a shaky voice.
I run my hands through my hair and exhale loudly. Ivy looks at me, restrained.
"What do we do Harl'?"
I shrug.
"I guess... we get the antidote. Get Brucey's memories back so he can deal with Joker. "
"What? How?
I look down, jaded by this whole thing. I really thought I'd be done with Joker for a little while. I guess I was wrong. He's always there, creating troubles over and over again. I'm so sick of it.
Ivy breaks me out of my thoughts, grabbing my shoulders to make me face her.
"You're about to do something stupid again." Ivy says with a bitter expression like she was about to scold me.
"Ivy, I..."
"I'm serious Harl'. Don't go to him." She interrupts me.
I ignore her and sigh, walking away to the bedroom. She follows me.
"Harley, listen to me." She says, remaining as calm as she can.
"What?" I respond dispassionately, opening the wardrobe to take my gear.
"If you try to get the antidote and fail, well..."
"I won't fail."
Ivy chuckles sarcastically.
"You're going to do whatever it takes, aren't you?"
I don't answer, zipping up my leather jacket.
"Harley, please don't." She says.
I sigh and turn to look at her.
"I have to."
I grab my bat and try to walk to the door. But Ivy stands in my way and doesn't seem to be ready to move anytime soon.
"Let me go."
"No. We need to work this out together, remember? You can't... do that to me again."
She has tears in her eyes now, and this is all my fault. I didn't mean to do this. Every time Joker comes back in my mind, I'm acting so weird. Careless. I hate that. And I hate myself right now.
"Ivy I'm sorry. I love you but... you're going to have to let me go. I can't just stay here and do nothing!"
Ivy shakes her head and sighs. She looks down at the floor.
"Look, I'm just going to Crane's place, get the antidote, and head to Bruce's manor. Simple as that."
Ivy doesn't answer or move. She just looks at me sadly. I raise my hand to her cheek and caress it gently.
She sighs loudly.
"Fine. But I'm coming with you this time."
I shake my head, anxiety suddenly pinching my stomach.
"You don't have to..."
"Of course I do! If something goes wrong, I want to be there for you."
I smile tenderly at her, then lean in and kiss her cheek.
"Okay sweetie. Let's do this." I say.
I walk past her and grab her hand in the process. We both walk out of the apartment, ready to go make Gotham our bitch.

*

I head over to Crane's manor, Ivy's hand still in mine, and knock on his door. No answer, so I try to open it instead. It opens slowly with a squeaking noise.
"Maybe he's not here…" I whisper.
Ivy looks at me with a mixture of concern and relief. She walks inside first. I follow her, watching my steps carefully.
I jump when I hear the creaking of floorboards. I slowly turn around and point towards the upstairs. I can hear some light footsteps coming from up there.
Ivy puts a finger to her mouth, implying for me to stay silent. She slowly heads up the stairs, me following closely behind her.
As she gets to the top of the staircase, she pauses to listen. Then, she slowly turns to me and points up ahead to a closed door.
One voice echoes in the room behind the door. Crane is talking on the phone with someone. My blood freeze in my veins when I understand who is at the end of the line...
"Yes, Jay." Crane says impatiently. "I know the rules, I've followed them."
Crane listens to the person on the other end for a bit. Then, he sighs and says:
"I see. Very well... I understand."
The phone line goes dead.
I want to kick the door open but Ivy surprisingly precedes me. She puts herself in front of the door and kicks it rapidly. It opens up to reveal a shocking Crane who dropped his phone with a startle.
"Hello there Johnny."
He makes a disgusted face, not at all intimidated to see me and Ivy.
"Uh, I hate that nickname..."
"Sorry for the abrupt entrance…" Ivy says, smiling at him, arms crossed on her chest.
"What are you doing here, Ivy? And..." He notices me behind her. "Harley?"
I put my bat on my shoulder, making a bubble with the gum in my mouth which explodes with a satisfying sound.
"Yup. Me again."
"The last time I saw you, you were... well, you didn't look good..." Crane says with a nasty grind.
Ivy takes a step towards him but I retain her by the arm. I shake my head slowly. We're not here to beat Crane up. We don't have time for this. Joker could release the toxin on Gotham citizens anytime now.
"We're here to get the antidote." I reply, not letting him the chance to warm up Ivy's anger more.
"What antidote?" Crane answers with a shrug, still smirking.
"Cut the shit, Scarecrow. I'm warning you." Ivy says, threatening.
I smirk proudly, looking at my girlfriend acting so badass.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Crane says, shaking his head.
It's too much for Ivy. She jumps on him and raises him to the air by the collar of his white blouse like he's just a tiny potato package.
"You're a complete and utter prick, you know that?"
Crane tries to get her to release him but she only strangles him harder. He manages to sputter.
"Hey!"
I make another bubble with the gum as Ivy bends his arm behind his back, making him wince in pain.
"Alright! Alright! Alright!"
Crane throws up his available hand in surrender and Ivy sets him down on the ground.
"That was hot…" I smirk at her.
Ivy crosses her arms and pouts at me. Makes me giggle slightly. Then, she shakes her head and looks back at Crane.
"Joker is going to kill me..." He pants, rubbing his arm.
"Not if I kill him first." Ivy replies.
I frown.
"Wait... What?"
But Ivy ignores me.
"You're bluffing..." Crane spits at her.
"No, Johnny, I'm not." She retorts, angrily.
I take Ivy's arm to make her look at me.
"We never agreed to this." I say.
Ivy looks at me for a moment and then sighs.
"You think I'll just let Joker go away with this?"
"That wasn't the plan! We're here for the antidote, that's all!" I explode.
"Just think for a minute, Harley! If he got Batman with the amnesia toxin, he'll just try to get us next. I'm going to protect myself. And you. For good."
I shake my head.
"Don't. Please."
"Why do you keep protecting him?" Ivy says loudly.
"I'm not!" You cry.
"Oh oh... Lesbians drama..." Crane mumbles, rolling his eyes.
"Shut the fuck up Crane!" Ivy claims dryly, pointing a finger at him.
I choose to ignore him and continue looking at my girlfriend, begging her to come back to her senses. She's blinded by anger, which makes me concerned. She could do something bad and regret it later.
I put my hands on her shoulders and try to look into her eyes but she turns her head away.
"Ivy, I'm not protecting him. I just... don't want us to do anything stupid. Just like you said."
My voice trembles as I speak and tears begin to fill my eyes.
"Please. Let just take the antidote and go ok?"
Ivy sighs.
"Fine." She says, turning back to Crane.
"Johnny, I want you to go get the cure and bring it here. Now."
"Yeah... See, there's a problem... I don't have it." Crane responds.
"Are you kiddin' me? When was the last time you even saw it?"
"Uhh... Probably when I was testing it on that... victim number six... last month. I mixed up a new batch recently."
Ivy sighs, exhausted. "Then who has it?"
"I do."
We both turn around in one quick move. The voice came from the door frame.
I freeze in fear as I see Joker standing a meter or so from me.
He smiles, grinning as he raises a hypodermic needle filled with blue liquid.
But before any of us can move, Joker grabs me and puts an arm across my chest, placing the needle so close to my neck. One false move and he will plunge the thing in my skin, letting the blue liquid mix with my blood.
Ivy instantly pulls out a pistol from her belt and points it at the grinning man in front of her.
"Let her go, you fucking clown!" She yells, clenching her jaw, rage increasing in her.
Joker explodes in a shrill laughter.
"Wait until I put the needle in her skin. One little injection and she will not know who she is or who you are anymore." He says.
"Ivy..."
I start to sob in fear. I can't move. He's too strong.
Ivy takes deep breaths in. She's so afraid, I can tell by the way she's looking at him holding me. He makes the needle of poison dancing around my bare neck.
"Joker. Let her go. Right now."
"You brought this on yourself, darling. I knew you'd come around eventually."
Crane yawns.
"Just do it, Jay. Let's get it over with."
Ivy is shaking, quivering in fear, her knuckles becoming white around the gun.
"Don't! What do you want?" She asks in a low voice.
"You." He says simply with a nasty, hideous smile.
"What?" Ivy asks, confused.
"See... You're always standing in my way and I'm tired of it. I know your weakness now..."
He kisses my cheek with a giggle. I feel nauseous. He looks at Ivy with a nasty smile.
"What do you want from me?" Ivy yells at him.
"Crane? Show her." Joker orders.
Crane takes out a little flask from his blouse pocket. It's containing the same liquid that Joker is handing, inches from my face.
"No!" I scream, trying to move.
Joker grabs me tightly.
"Shut up!" He looks at Ivy with wild eyes. "Drink it."
Crane hands the flask to Ivy who takes it.
"What if I refuse?"
"Haven't you understood anything yet? Stupid fuckin' bitch. Let's make it simpler. It's either you drink it... Or she gets it."
Joker puts the needle closer to my neck and I can feel a little pinch.
"DON'T DO IT IVY!!"
Ivy looks at me, crying, and then at the flask in her hand.
"Ooooh that's interesting." Crane says with a grin.
"Ivy don't."
She slowly lifts the tiny bottle to her mouth.
"IVY NO!"
She pauses, looking at me with tears on her cheeks and then down at the flask in her hand again.
"What else am I suppose to do Harley? I will not just watch him do that to you!!" She shouts.
I turn to Joker and beg him.
"Please. Don't make her do it. I'll do anything you want."
He bursts out laughing.
"Really? It's a little late for that kind of statement Harley."
"PLEASE!!"
I'm crying so hard now, eyes fixated on Ivy's every moves.
He smiles.
"She has a choice, sweetheart. "
Crane blows out a puff of air, looking at me with disgust written on his face.
"Now Ivy. You had enough time." He says.
Ivy looks at me with a grave expression on her face. I know right away that she took her final decision.
"I'm sorry babe... I love you so much..."
I watch as she lifts the flask to her lips and swallows the liquid.
"NO!!!"
I let out screams, trying to move forward.
Joker puts his hands firmly on me. My vision becomes blurry by the tears that fall down my cheeks.
Ivy coughs for air for a few seconds then collapses on the wooden floor. My heart skips a beat when I see her sprawled on the ground.
"Ivy!" I scream. "Ivyyyyy!"
Joker releases his grip on me and I run instantly to kneel beside her.
She coughs again. I look at her face, which is pale and her lips have turned blue. I hold her in my arms, her head resting on my lap.
"No no no-no-no. You can't leave me! Please..."
Her hand is cold.
I wrap myself around her body, sobbing into it.
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." I whisper over and over again.
But she doesn't respond. Her eyes are closed. She stopped breathing.
But I can't accept it. Not yet. Not ever.
"I love you... Please... Come back..."
"She's gone, Harl'. Don't you see? That's what happens when you make the wrong choices."
You turn to look at Joker, standing there, obviously proud of himself. He must think he's a God. He just killed Poison Ivy!
"You don't know the first thing about love or pain, Harl'. Stop your comedy and get up."
"SHUT UP YOU FUCKIN' PIECE OF SHIT! I'M GONNA FUCKIN' KILL YOU!!"
I jump on Joker, blinded by the pain, ready to beat him up pretty hard, letting my rage out until I drop dead too. I can't live without her anyway. I don't want to. My life would not make any sense without her in it.

Suddenly a black-cloaked figure steps out of the shadows.
Before I can reach Joker, this one falls to the ground, knocked off by someone behind him. His body collapse and reveal a familiar face standing behind him.
Barbara points her gun towards Crane and shoots. Two bullets hit him in the chest and he drops dead next to Ivy.
"Harley?" Batgirl calls out.
"Barbara? Wh… What are you doing here?" I manage to articulate, too shocked about what just happened.
"I was in the area, and I heard the ruckus. What's going on?"
Then she looks on the floor where Ivy is laying, inert.
"What the fuck?" She asks stepping forward.
"I killed her." You state simply.
"What?" she asks, taken aback by your remark.
I kneel beside her body again and sob.
"It's all my fault..."
Barbara takes the empty flask in Ivy's hand.
"Amnesia toxin? Harl', Ivy's not dead!"

I silently watch as Barbara approaches Ivy's body. My heart is pounding out of my chest.
Barbara bends over ivy's chest, listening to her heartbeat.
"She's alive. She's just deeply asleep."
I cry of relief.
"Oh my God…"
"Hey... It's okay. Help me caring her back to her apartment."
I raise Ivy's body and help Barbara placing her on her shoulder, Ivy's long red hair falling Barbara's back.
I follow her outside and to her car. We drive back to the apartment, Ivy's sleeping on my laps. I caress her cheek. She's not gone.
Well, not completely…