The Right Side of Wrong

No Ivy in Team: Part 2

Veronica's POV:

When we arrive at the museum, two guards see us, so I connect my mind to each of theirs to force them into a state of prolonged sleep. More guards arrive to open fire while Ivy heads toward one of the ceiling vents.

King Shark: "Did she just ditch us?"

Harley: "I'm sure it's all part of the plan. Let's just go!"

I create a forcefield around us as we rush into the Jurassic wing of the museum to find Ivy having gotten the mosquito trapped in sap. Everyone starts bombarding her with questions, so she uses her vines to shut them up as more guards enter the room. Ivy uses other vines to release the skeletons hanging above us and rushes us out of the museum.

King Shark: "How is an Ivy plan even more of a disaster than a Harley plan?"

Harley: "It's a surprise to me too."

{Time skip}

Back at the mall, everyone but Ivy & I are exhausted and slightly annoyed at how the heist went down.

Ivy: "Ok, successful heist, right?"

Frank: "Yeah, it looks like it went great, boss."

Ivy places the mosquito into a green liquid that dissolves it for both chemicals to mix.

Ivy: "Look, there's dead plant matter under this piece of concrete, and when I apply the Edin serum, it will reanimate the plant and enhance it. Watch and learn."

Ivy places a drop into the soil between a crack in the concrete floor and a small dandelion creature erupts from it. We all cheer in the excitement of the victory until it mutates into a dinosaur version of itself and jumps into a vat of toxic chemicals, screeching.

Frank: "Now I'm not gonna repeat what that plant said, but he fucking hates you."

Afterward, Ivy seals herself into the center of a giant pink flower, so Harley and I try to cheer her up.

Harley: "Hey, Ive, I can't find the opening to your flower. Which is a first."

I high-five Harley as Ivy opens the flower with a disappointed look.

Ivy: "I screwed it up. I screwed up the Eden serum formula."

Me: "Come on. Just take a breather, rework the equations, and we'll try again later."

Ivy: "There's too many cooks in the kitchen. It will be way better if I can just work on this plan alone."

Me: "No problem."

Harley: "Yeah, I will tell King Shark & Clayface it is just gonna be us. I will let them down easy."

Ivy: "I mean alone, Harley. Like, just me."

Harley gasps in surprise before walking off with a saddened look. Ok, it looks like it's onto Plan B.

Me: "Hey, Ivy. Um, I gotta take care of something back at my place. Are you gonna be ok?"

Ivy: "Yeah, I'm fine. Tell Riddler I said 'Hi'."

Me: "You're gonna get this, Ivy. You're too stubborn not to, just like Harley."

I walk off as I pull my phone out of my pocket.

Me: "Hey, I need your help with something. An escape room but with a moral twist. Think you're up to the challenge? Good, see you at home."

{Time skip}

Riddler: "Pest control specialist? You're Miss Mayhem, the most powerful sorceress in the world, and she put you as 'Pest Control Specialist'?"

Me: "Let it go, Nygma."

Riddler: "Why should I let it go? And why should we do this for her if she's-"

I pull him into a quick kiss to sway his thoughts off-topic.

Me: "Because she's my friend, she's dating my sister, she means well, and if you don't, you'll pay for it later."

Riddler: "How?"

Me: "I have my ways."

Riddler: "You're lucky I love you."

Me: "Aw, honey, you've got that backward. I was saving this for our next solo heist, but you're ready for it now."

Riddler dons a confused look as I step back and twirl to reveal my latest costume change.

{A/N: Photo above}

I remove my mask as I walk to straighten his tie and fix his hat before pulling him into one last kiss.

Riddler: "Well played, mon cher."

Me: "I learned from the best. Also, we're live in 3, 2, 1."

The camera light flashes on, and Riddler turns to the camera with his signature grin while I position myself against a metal chair with fake restraints, my mask placed back into position.

Riddler: "Ahoy."

Harley: "Riddler? With a hostage?"

Riddler: "It's us, Professor Puzzler & Alyssa Greene, whom I've trapped in this escape room with minutes to spare. A wrong answer will lead you to hrs and your mortal despair. Fail to solve the puzzle, you'll be squashed like a bug. Win, and you'll get a group photo and personalized mug, limited to 11 characters."

Riddler switches the feed to the forty-five-minute timer, and I release myself from the restraints.

Me: "Alyssa Greene? That's not thinly veiled at all."

Riddler: "Well, I was on borrowed time at the moment. Speaking of which, you're sure sitting in that thing doesn't-"

Me: "I'm fine. A few months ago, maybe not. But I know it's not real, and I'd have you to fall back on if it sent me into that dark part of my mind. What's in the past is past, and it will never last."

Riddler pulls me into a gentle hug as a sign of support.

Riddler: "If I could go back in time so you never ended up in that machine, I would, in a fucking heartbeat. I can't, but nothing and no one can ever stop me from keeping you here, with me, where it's safe. I'll always love you, and I will always protect you."

Did I get lucky in love or what?

{Time skip}

After twenty minutes, the crew has split into three separate rooms, with three groups from the Bat Family. Hopefully, my plan will still go forth accordingly, and they won't interfere with the plan like they usually do when Riddler & I are pitted against them. Since Nightwing's back in town, Riddler has chosen him and Ivy to tease with a riddle we came up with collectively.

Riddler: "Let the game begin, my sad little pawns. Your opponent awaits, a chess master of bronze. Time's wasted in danger, will never abate. So make haste and escape, with a nimble checkmate."

Ivy: "That's it! We have to fail to succeed. Riddler's shit about checkmate."

Riddler: "Hey!"

Me: "Let it go, hun. All part of the plan."

Ivy: "He didn't say it was us doing the checking, mate."

Me: "Ok, that one's on her."

So, Ivy performs the 'fool's mate' chess move, the robot wins the match, and their lives are saved. The group is reunited, with Ivy & Harley being pulled into a hug, and Riddler appears onscreen, this time with a surprise.

TO BE CONTINUED