Inflorescence • Poison Ivy's Daughter

chapter thirteen ~ human nature

Dick blinked at her, 'What are you doing here?'

'At the moment, saving your ass.'

'But-'

'Save the interrogation for later. The guys I knocked out aren't going to stay that way forever and I'd rather not have to go through that whole thing again.'

Dick hesitated, a million thoughts whirling through his mind doing nothing to help his headache. She was a villain, she was evil, but she was his best shot at getting out of here. As soon as he began to nod she shot of pulling him along next to him, he stifled his gasps of pain as she sharply turned and twisted through the maze passing countless bodies which littered the path.

'Jesus, how many are there.' Dick gasped.

'More than enough,' Bella scoffed, 'I counted at least sixty.'

He was about to express his disbelief at the number when they turned to the open shutter door and ran through it, dodging the mass of bodies that littered the ground.

'Are they...'

'Unless their skulls are made of jello they should survive. Same can't be said about us if you keep wasting time though.'

'Ah, sorry.' Dick grumbled, barely hiding his sarcasm. But he quickened his pace anyway. The wind was cold and biting and carried the strong set of sea water.

She led him to a motorbike parked around the corner before she whirled on him switch knife in hand.

'Woah.' Dick cried, backing away from her quickly, too quickly, he tripped over his own feet. Bella took hold of his wrist pulling him up and keeping him there.

'Calm down, princess, I'm not gonna bite.' She grabbed the bottom of his shirt and with a clean slice took out a strip of it. Dick was too confused and stunned move, let only talk, so he just watched her as she moved to the bike, opened up the back compartment and took out a beer bottle as Dick found his tongue.

'So all that rushing was so you could have a cold one?'

Bella didn't look up as she unscrewed it's lid and stuffed the cotton fabric in it.

'Oh no, don't tell me that's what I think it is.' Dick groaned.

'Relax princess,' Bella grinned flicking open a lighter and pressing the flame to the fabric, 'just a little bit of a diversion.'

She backed up and in a large sweep of her arm through the bottle into one of the glass windows, it shattered along with the bottle and almost immediately smoke began spilling into the air.

'That our cue.' Bella chimed, grasping Dicks' arm and pulling him onto the bike behind her. He had just managed to grasp hold of her waist as the bike lurched into action speeding across the concrete and away from the blazing warehouse. Dick glanced around at the expanding road and the waves crashing on the shore next to them, he didn't have the energy to stifle the nervous laugh which bubbled in his throat as he tightened his grip on Bella and didn't dare loosen it. As strange as it seemed he couldn't shake the thought that she smelled like home.

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It wasn't long before they had reached the heart of Gotham city. The bike slowed it hurtling pace but only slightly as they dodged between the afternoon traffic. Bella pulled up outside the Main hospital.

'I don't need a doctor,' Dick grumbled as Bella dismounted from the bike.

'No?'

'No-' Dick inhaled sharply through gritted teeth as Bella poked his ribs with a pointed nail.