Inflorescence • Poison Ivy's Daughter

chapter twenty six - mad scientist

She didn't wait for Dick to reply closing with a click, a few seconds later he heard the sound of running water.

Dick sighed, reclining on to the bed with a soft groan at the ache in his bones. As soon as his head hit the soft sheets he was overcome with exhaustion, he closed his eyes and listened to the sounds of the water running in the bathroom. His mind clouded as unconsiousness clouded at the edges of his mind.

Then he began speaking, 'My boy, you're in trouble.

'I can see it. She's got you in her grip, hasn't she? You've been pulled in.'

Dick groaned, flipping on to his stomach and pulling the pillow over his ears. 'Shut up, I don't want to hear anything from you.'

'So you're going to knock me out? Go on do it then, shut me up. You wouldn't be interested in the truth about Kora at all would you.' Dick cracked open his eyes to send him a sharp glare, he greeted it with a large smile.

'Don't get any assumptions old man, I just can't be bothered with you right now.' Dick hissed.

'You can tell yourself that, I don't mind. The truth remains the same, however, you what to hear what I have to say.'

Dick chuckled, 'You tell yourself that.' He echoed.

'You want answers. You're a curious kid by nature, I see that in you. You're a lot like me. You like knowing the answers, solving the puzzle. It has been a while since you've had a puzzle as good as her, hasn't it.'

Dick gave up on the pillow and flipped back onto his back smiling, closed lip, staring at the ceiling. 'You really put the 'mad' in 'mad scientist', don't you?'

Dr Woodrue frowned slightly, 'I'm not mad, just observant.'

Dick scoffed, 'Observant, what a joke.'

'No joke, I notice more than most people. No doubt more than you, naive boy, blinded by emotions.'

Now it was Dick turn to frown, 'I'm not naive.'

The doctor just smiled, wider than before. 'You probably think Kora's a tortured soul, hurt, alone. Just longing to connect to people, be ordinary, find love, right?'

Dick didn't answer. 

'People aren't that simple. Not such thing as black and white in reality. She likes the adventure of being a destructive force, I don't think she even realises it yet. But if you were to take that away from her, she will resent you.'

'She already resents me.' Dick bit back.

The doctor smiled slowly, 'No boy, she doesn't. If she did she would have left you there, she's done it before with people more important than you.'

'Left them in the middle of the forest after escaping from an evil scientists lab?' Dick smirked, voice drawled with sarcasm.

But the doctor held his gaze with an icy seriousness, 'She left her brother there.'

'Her brother?' Dick questioned raising his eyebrows. 'She doesn't have a brother.' 

The doctor's mouth twitched, 'Like I said, you know nothing.'

With that the door clicked open, smooth warm steam spilled into the room. Bella closed the door behind her, her wet hair the colour of dried blood, straight and reaching down to her knees, a course white robe wrapped around her body. Her forest eyes quickly noticed the not so unconscious prisoner and gave Dick an exasperated look before stalking over to her father.

'Hello there Kora,' He smiled.

She gave him a sharp smile back, 'Bye, Dad.' and she sent a sharp kick to his temple. His body went limp against the wall and Bella whirled to Dick.

'What did I say about keeping him unconscious-'

'Do you have a brother?' Dick blurted the question that had been circling around in head as calmly as a hurricane.

Bella froze, not even blinking. 'Did Woodrue tell you that?' Dick didn't answer, so she continued, 'You shouldn't believe anything he says, his pathological in his lies.'

'Was he lying?'

Bella let out a breath he hadn't notice she had been holding, 

'No.'