redwoods, talk to me;

Harley burst into tears. She couldn’t hold them back any longer. The images that ran through her mind when Ivy said things like “explosion” and asteroid shower” and “taken it out.” “My babiiiesssss” the harlequin wailed, trying to wipe her tears but really just making the running mascara mess ten times worse. “Ill kill em’ fer this!” The sadness flipped the rage switch real quick. “An…an..all the other stuff too!” Harley began to pace back and forth, shouting expletives and describing in gory detail just what she was gonna do if she ever got her hands on that vile clown. 

Harley breathed in deeply, trying to calm herself. With fists still slightly clenched, she asked….somewhat timidly. “I can’t give up on em’ just yet. I gotta know fer sure…..” Blue eyes lifted to meet those of her companion. “Will ya help me, red? I need ya on this....”

ivy made a mental note to change her phrasing around harley... of course, that was one note of many. she was not skilled in the art of tip-toeing around subjects – normally, that was the best way for her to be; in front of harley, however, it caused quite the... spirals. then again, there was really nothing better than hearing harley yelling over and over about how much she wanted to kill the joker. did she want to chime in, perhaps offer suggestions ?? more than anything. did she know better ?? yes. harley already knew ivy hated him with every fiber of her being. to chime in would just be adding fuel to harley’s fire, however, and her fire was running short and purely on grief.

when harley’s moment of rage subsided, if even just for the time being, ivy readied herself for this again. there was a 99.99% chance that harley’s hyenas were dead – at some point, ivy knew that’d have to hit her. uncertainty was never a particular style of hers, however, so she assumed the only way the harlequin would be able to accept that – yes, they were gone – would be to see it for herself. she only hoped there’d be no bodies. hesitantly, ivy responded, “ i think the zoo’s closed down, so it should be easy to get in. ” ( aka, they wouldn’t have to pay. )

she had been on batgirl duty since the beginning of the earthquake - technically she still was ( her suit and all her gear were packed safely away in her bag ) - but for the moment, she was dressed in her civvies. she was barbara gordon again. and barbara gordon hadn’t been in direct with her father in over a week. he had told her to stay safe, left her with one of his detectives and left the apartment. of course, barbara hadn’t been home since the start of the chaos but they always check in with each other once every few days. him missing one or two wasn’t abnormal - commissioner gordon was a notorious workoholic - but three was worrisome. the fact that the cell towers were all but destroyed wasn’t helping matters - she couldn’t just call him up. so she had been searching on foot since sunrise. though she was still her civilian self, she had stopped several times to assist survivors. at present, she and few others were trying to help a mother of three free her children and her husband that were trapped underneath a steel beam. trying to sooth the children while she carefully maneuvered the beam so it was off their critical organs. the group had already gotten two of the children loose but the middle child and the father still remained, causing the children to weep as their mother tried to hold it together. “ hey, it’s gonna be fine. i promise. you’re going to be absolutely fine,” she repeated to the youngest, a boy seeming about five years old. she offered him a smile as she swallowed her worry about her own father. everything would be fine - she’d make sure of it.

what was really left of gotham to crumble ?? why was it that people were saying the city was crumbling when, in reality, it couldn’t get much worse than how it already was ?? gotham had crumbled. there were a few buildings still intact ( rather, intact enough to enter, not to function ), but there was no use in counting on them to hold. -ing was for hope, -ed was for sureness. as ivy saw it, gotham had crumbled the second its life had died out – and, by life, she in no way meant that of the people. gotham had ceased to be the second the green had all dissipated – had all died out, vanished. now, it was just a broken record of people crying ( and she knew nothing about broken records !! ). most of the cries, she was able to ignore. she would help perhaps one person out of every fifteen, simply because it seemed logical. however, there was an exception – one breed of person she would almost always help ( almost ): ( harmless ) families. robinson park could no longer be a haven for the children of gotham, so there were some things she needed to do. ivy was not barbara gordon’s biggest fan, but there was a struggle going on within the family she was attempting to help. stepping to the other side of the beam, she wasted no time in making light, instead saying, “ we’ll lift at the same time. ”

     “ did you check all of the stores and abandoned buildings ? it is not unlikely there would be potted plants. if anyone could save them, would it not be you ? ”

        Her eyes narrowing, not that it was visible with her mask up, Laura crossed her arms. “It’s not safe.” Which, of course, the woman had to have known. She rolled her eyes and let her arms fall to her side. “I can’t just leave you here.” Like most heroes, she had a bit of a problem knowing when to give up. More than that, she didn’t want the woman’s screams to join the cacophony of screams that she already heard wherever she went. Before the zombies, she’d barely spent three days in Gotham, enough time to enroll Gabby in school despite her many protests, convince the landlord that Jonathon was a dog, not a wolverine, and find a restaurant that served something that almost tasted like twenty-five with chicken. However, she hadn’t spent much time exploring the city or putting faces to the many names of villains she heard discussed. 

how many times would somebody tell ivy that it wasn’t safe ?? truth be told, this woman only made it twice ( the first one being selina ), but, nonetheless, it was implied by all city officials. it was quite clear to see that, yes, zombies were running ( or walking ) rampant throughout the city – this woman was pointing out the obvious. “ there’s been an explosion, an asteroid shower, a zombie infestation – whatever’s thrown at us next, i’ll either take it or die trying. it’s as simple as that. ” had she said why she was so adamant about staying out among the almost barren land to this stranger – well, there was a cell in arkham suited just for her ( not that arkham was still standing, of course ).

Harley offered up a shrug, still staring at the ground…tears threatening to spill out all over the place and flood the whole interaction with a complete and total meltdown. “I sorta….lost custody of em’ after I….went my own way.” She didn’t even want to say “breakup” in case it added fuel to Ivy’s fire. Though…she knew better than to believe that Ivy had forgotten about the whole ordeal. It was kind of…and epic drama. Everyone knew the details, especially Ivy. She’d been there for the whole thing. “I didn’t find anything….nothin of use anyway. Lotsa….other stuff…” Relics of a pairing that had long been over. Only Harley could find broken pieces of joke gags slash weapons and get emotional over the nostalgia. Another piece of information she wasn’t about to disclose to her lady friend. “Maybe he sent em ta the zoo?” Her eyes lit up for a moment…but then remembered the state that the city was in. “What do ya think the zoo looks like right now?” Sadness crept back up and stole the light right outta the crazy clown girl’s eyes.

ivy ditched the plant thoughts for a second ( well, not completely, but as much as she could ) while harley explained the predicament. ‘after i went my own way’ – the very definition of a euphemism. “ you found and took in those hyenas, but the abusive, murderous clown gets them ?? ” in retrospect, both harley and the joker were murderous clowns, but some more so than others !! ‘lotsa... other stuff’ – yes, the nostalgia found in weaponry !! ivy was, of course, attempting to hold back the majority of the comments that came to mind while harley spoke. most of them were criticizing the joker, anyhow, but in such a manner that it could be misconstrued. at the mention of the zoo, ivy turned back towards the plants, as if it would somehow help break her own theory. “ the explosion probably tore it down just as much as it did the entire city. ” she turned back around – again, as if it would help – as she continued, “ if the explosion didn’t reach it, the asteroid shower could’ve taken it out. ” it was brutal.

y’all. my og fav manipulative bitch’s heel-face turn would 100% my replies on at least ivy bc u kno,,,, emma is kinda heel-face turn-y. but ivy. isn’t. rly.

y’all. im fckin emo.

        Her definition of danger was different from the average person’s, it was probably different from the average superhero’s, and she knew that. She also knew that most people with powers would run around risking their lives even if he meant they could get killed. Laura supposed it was honarable and, in most cases, she wouldn’t mind but now it just seemed like too much of a risk. If she had a shirt that said If you are easy to kill than me, go the fuck inside she’d wear it. Staring at the woman, she tried to assess if she were like the countless superheroes running around in spandex trying to help end the zombie problem. “I didn’t ask if you were. I was telling you to get inside.”

although ivy was inherently a stubborn person, this was not an act of inflexibility. she had a reason, yes, although that reason may not’ve sounded as sane to other people as it did to her. she had failed her duty to protect the majority of gotham’s green ( yes, she was unable to prevent the apocalypse, but all the same ). if she saw even one sign of natural life remaining, she was to restore it; was to fend off the undead... not to mention, were she to enter town hall, she would undoubtedly begin some damn uprising. she had never seen this woman before – clearly she was a new resident, unaware of exactly how gotham worked, unaware of the picking order, unaware of the means and motives everyone had, unaware of what to do to prevent further chaos. “ babe, i’ve been out here ever since armageddon began. your act isn’t going to stop that. ”

though selina didn’t quite always understand ivy, she had to respect her connection to the green, as it were. selina didn’t feel that level of connection to anything but herself - except perhaps her sister and her cats, which she didn’t count. at this point, maggie and her furry children were extensions of her own soul. and, if she was being honest, nature - the plants, the green, whatever ivy wanted to call it - was an extension of ivy, in selina’s mind. there couldn’t be one without the other - ivy was a part of gotham’s green so she couldn’t be surprised that the redhead had refused to leave her post as the protector of gotham’s plants. a part of her was worried - which the very thought of made her stomach turn - that ivy was going to get hurt outside, alongside the freaks of nature that had recently risen from the ground. however, selina knew better than most that ivy could take care of herself. though they had vastly different views of what self preservation meant and how to go about it, she knew that ivy wouldn’t allow anything to happen to herself, or her plants - or at least, she believed that’s what ivy thought. regardless of what was fact and what was fiction, blind faith in oneself has proven to be quite successful in ivy and harley’s survival. 

despite that fact that selina knew how capable her friend was when it came to her own survival, she couldn’t help be disagree with how she was going about it. “ ives, your mission isn’t going to mean much if you don’t survive the day, ” she pointed out, remembering briefly that she had once said something very similar to the caped crusader that would forever own a piece of her heart. she quickly let go of that thought, moving on to the next flaw in ivy’s argument. “ that’s.. very inaccurate. they’ve been ripping people apart all day, and i’d really rather you not be their next victim. you’re one of the few people in this entire city i can stand, ” she added. she nodded as ivy spoke, dropping her hand to her lap as luna leaped onto her lap to peer curiously at the conversation. still holding onto the ledge with her spare hand, selina leaned back ever-so-slightly. “ sure sounds like it. what can i do to help? ” she asked. she might not be nearly as attached to the environment as ivy was, but destroying corrupt men was something of a specialty of hers. at the sound of ivy’s almost agreeable comment, selina started to edge her way back inside. “ so perhaps coming inside would be the best course of action. given that you would need to see him to kill him. unless there’s something that you’re not telling me about your abilities? ”

it seemed that people often forgot ivy was half plant. it hadn’t always been that way, sure, but it was that way now. quite frankly, she found it far more fitting. she’d always felt a certain closeness to the flora of the world, having studied it for that exact reason. even before she became ‘poison ivy’, she found a way to work with plants – create the pills she so readily sold, apply the balm she so readily used. however, when she could hear it, talk to it, it still managed to make all the difference. she understood. she became, for turning half plant wasn’t the same as embracing it. and now, she, the guardian of the green, had to take new measures to ensure people would not forget their crimes. she couldn’t see herself ever having the immorality to kill the only two people she cared for, but anyone who so much as littered now made her list. on a ‘normal’ day, littering was still a crime to her, but not worthy of death. now, during the apocalypse, during a drought in the green, anything was possible if she put her mind to it !!

although she was usually more rational than she was then ( of course, she still considered herself rational ), selina was correct – not that she consciously recognized that. but somewhere, wherever the real ivy was hiding, knew selina was bringing up the better point. “ i’d rather die for this than die for nothing. ” of course, she wasn’t asking for death to come knocking on her door right then. she very much wanted to stay alive in that moment, she very much wanted to fight for it. the possibility of personal harm was not much to her when compared to the possibility of more natural harm. “ most of those victims don’t have defenses. ” it was a bland statement, however true. sure, they didn’t have what ivy had, but the zombies were still a threat. hell, they were more of a threat to gotham than any of its villains had ever been. “ find him. ” as simple as the instruction was, it led to a grand plan in ivy’s mind. “ i imagine he would’ve found his own spot to hide out in. he’s been said to be one of those types, ” she replied, mind only focused on selina’s former statement.

        Zombies. Why wasn’t Laura surprised? At this point, she doubted many things would surprise her anymore. The threat the zombies posed didn’t worry Laura much, she and Gabby would be fine. Although, she knew everyone wasn’t lucky enough to be nearly unkillable so she patrolled the streets with her eyes peeled for anyone that might need help. She walked down the street and texted Gabby; Still stay inside. I don’t care if you can handle yourself. You aren’t leaving the apartment without me. After hitting send, she slipped her phone into her pocket. At the sound of footsteps, she said, "Unless you are a zombie, I suggest going inside.“ 

even when posed with the threat of explosions, asteroids, and zombies, ivy had not gone inside. don’t mistake me – living inside was a normal thing for her to do, but, after all the green had been killed, the outdoors had been her grounds. everybody who was holed up in town hall couldn’t face up to their actions ( or, what their actions would lead to ) and, what between the apocalypse and the dead everything, ivy was done playing her role as the villain who only killed when it was absolutely necessary. “ i think i’d know if i were a zombie by now, ” she replied, briefly raising her hands to show the other woman she was no threat – as a zombie, at least.

Sure, he had killed a poor girl just hours before but this was all just too exciting for him to pass up on. To watch someone control another person like this? It was simply put, facinating. Ivy in general was facinating, how she so effortlessly killed people, while for him it took time and precision. He needed everything to go according to plan and if something didn’t, all hell would break loose. Looking at the man she talked about, he then chuckled. “Well, clearly he’s stupid when all the signs are there” he mused and then shrugged. Some people didn’t even deserve to live, especially not people who are as stupid as the man standing on that edge. Watching the coin toss, a smile formed and then he watched the man jump and a giggle fell from his lips. “Now this is just.. beautiful!”

ivy had been lax with her rules over who she killed lately. first of all, they were going to come back to life; second of all, they still committed some atrocity – even she wouldn’t kill without even a slight reason anymore; third of all, no one was listening to her; fourth of all, the apocalypse made people do crazy things. her usual m/o was allowing the plants to do it whilst she either sat back or fought on the frontline. this, however, was a much worse punishment for whoever was experiencing it. they weren’t fully conscious, sure, but they were still making the decision. it was the ultimate payback for a life of disrespect. “ and that exact ignorance is what will be his ultimate downfall. ” what a great pun. there was something incredibly satisfying about watching the man do her bidding by himself, for himself. she’d had a great amount of fun lately with that concept. “ retribution in its purest form. ”

❛  first of all,  knock off the sir.  you know what my name is.  ❜  he snapped,  finding such a joke tedious now.  ❛  since when did batman wear blue ?  — and there’s nothing wrong with this colour scheme. ❜  dick feigned hurt as he put on a dramatic pout and looked down at his clothing.  at the mention of red hood and the reference to his method of destruction,  nightwing can’t help but roll his eyes to the side and scoff to himself.  of course a villain like poison ivy would find what jason did fun,  which only proved what dick is trying to say all along to his brother:  he’s just as bad as them.  ❛  i do have fun,  actually.  arresting you has always been fun ivy,  ❜  he said with patronising superiority and a tilt of his head.  ❛  wow ivy,  do you want to be congratulated for what was supposed to be some type of heroic act ?  because that kind of stuff doesn’t look good on you ! ❜  dick spoke fiercely through his teeth,  sarcasm dripping from his lips.  ❛  he could have gotten what he deserved for that — alive.  ❜ 

❛  i’m no ones expy,  ❜  not anymore,  anyway,  dick thinks to himself with a mental scoff.  ❛  i’ll do it to keep you in line,  that’s all,  ❜  he warned with a frown.  this had been one of the main reasons for dropping the mantle as robin,  for moving to bludhaven,  for starting something new,  so even though he could be ambiguous with what he meant,  a part of his strong stubbornness ( another thing inherited from bruce,  to his dismay ) meant he’d always be defensive towards such comments. whether he was subtle with it or not depending on a variety of factors,  but it would always happen.  his frown deepens at her words, grip not loosening for a second however he sets his jaw and jerks his head down in a quick nod.  ❛  go on.  ❜