With Lips of Poison. [jade]

[Poison Ivy]

New Bludhaven was blooming, in more ways than one. The people under Poison Ivy's care were learning, and much to her surprise the insight that they brought to the table, as well as their opinions and suggestions were helping Eve - as was another name for the utopia - improve as much as Pamela's connection to nature was. Mother Nature was more content than she could ever remember being. Perhaps this was her calling after all? Surly there had been other instances where Ivy felt as fulfilled as then, but they had always ended in fire, brimstone, and the selfishness of mankind, which inevitably threw Pamela back into her villainous career.

Precautions had been made against such a thing, in turn. Poison Ivy alone knew the full extent of the lethal ability of the plants turning battered skyscrapers to spires of emerald, or decorating the moss-covered walkways. Even if Pamela felt more vitality running through her veins than ever before, there were a fair deal of concessions made on her part to maintain New Bludhaven. She couldn't risk leaving her city long enough to accomplish tasks in other places of the world - even the short distance to Gotham - for fear of what would happen in her absence. Poison Ivy might have had a powerful position in her new paradise, but her grudges on the outside world still persisted.

There were men that she needed to kill, but couldn't, and every day that that continued was a failure on her part. So Pamela had started a search. Sifting through the dredges of the criminal underworld, it hadn't taken Poison Ivy long to find what she was looking for... Or, rather, who. Perhaps that was because the toxin-baring assassin's reputation preceded her? Honestly, Ivy couldn't fathom why she and Cheshire hadn't worked together before. If she needed someone now to act as her hand where her reach could not extend normally, though, Cheshire was the perfect candidate.

Female, first and foremost. Poison Ivy would never enlist a man to do her dirty work. She always preferred a woman's touch in any situation. Then there was Cheshire's preferred weapons. Poisons, toxins, venom... How could Pamela resist such a hireling? What sealed Pamela's opinion of Cheshire was the knowledge that she carried herself in a silken, provocative manner that could attempt to challenge Ivy's own demeanor. So Mother Nature had arranged a meeting in New Bludhaven to propose a partnership of sorts to the assassin.

Pamela was familiar with the way that criminals, especially smart ones, thought. Having Cheshire come into the very heart of Eve, and into Poison Ivy's palace-like garden would be too hazardous a situation. She didn't want to scare of Cheshire before she had a chance to give her pitch. Therefor Pamela had organized the meeting to take place in what had been the ashen bones of one of the city's old plazas. Most of the structure had collapsed, but the central room still was erect, reinforced by the vines supporting it. A dome of glass glittered high above, sunlight beaming in, turned emerald by the leafy canopies and webbing of ivy through which it passed.

The fountain that had been in the heart of the hall had been redirected by some of New Bludhaven's craftier inhabitants as a gift for Poison Ivy. Now water cascaded from the upper balcony into a fall on the shattered jutting of masonry that had once been a staircase descending to the main floor. The miniature waterfall crashed into a pool that took up the majority of the floor, which had massive lily pads and other water flowers floating on the surface. Fish darted among the reeds. There was only a small portion of floor - draped in moss, tilled soil, and smooth stones - running a wide rim on the edge of the room against the front door.

Poison Ivy lounged on a small island near the heart of the pond on a pallet of blossoms, gently caressing the petals of the nearest lily. If Cheshire chose to arrive in the direct route, she'd be escorted by one of Pamela's guards into the remodeled plaza through the main entrance, which, coincidentally, was a large hole in the front wall where the double doors had once been. Thick vines and tree trunks that grew woven together formed a patch over the crumbled gap, only giving way for twelve-foot wide, ten-foot high opening. Until then, or Cheshire chose to make a more grand debut, Pamela was content to bask in this moment of quiet.

[che]

Deep in the underbelly of Delhi, Jade Nguyen was on vacation. However, she found out long ago that no such thing truly existed for her. If she was not working for someone, she was killing people for personal reasons. She preferred not to do that (no one was paying her that way), but sometimes a woman has no other choice.

A group of men, tattooed, scarred, and muscular, entered the parlor. The tension was immediate. The rest of the patrons there stared and avoided eye contact in the same nervous glance. The smallest of the men, ironically the leader, approached the owner seated in the corner of the dark shop. Intricate fabrics and ropes adorned the ceilings and windows, keeping the heat and light from the Indian outdoors where these men too belonged: outside. Potted plants and old paintings occupied the room with quiet patrons. The owner, an elderly man of lean proportions, sat on a plush pillow, smoke surrounding his face after he exhaled. He straightened his back as the outsider approached him. "Your women. We will take them by force if anyone should cause problems," the leader said. "By coming here and demanding our women, you are already using force." The leader's patience was gone. He pulled his arm back ready to strike, when a shuriken pinned his wrist against the gray wall. Blood gushed out and he panicked. He screamed as he and his friends surveyed the patrons to see who was responsible. They had little time for that, or to even pull out their guns. Three more shuriken sliced the thick air and pierced their necks. All but one survived. This sole survivor was ready to make a run for it when a whistle stopped him. Jade whispered to the elderly woman next to her to translate her orders. "Drag your friends out of here and you may go unharmed. Run, and you will join them," the owner's wife said. He stood still to judge the seriousness of the deal. Jade threw one more shuriken, nicking his ear. The man quickly dragged his former friends out of the parlor, gripping his ear as he left. The owner signaled his patrons to return to a state of peace.

"Men," Jade sighed. The elderly woman nodded and passed the pipe to Jade. "It is not in my nature to hate them, but lately they have been the source of my problems. I'm starting to get sick of it," she added, breathing in and exhaling a large smoke cloud through her nose. "We each have a poisonous habit of blaming others for our problems. Women do this everyday. You must look inside to see it is you, not men, that is the cause of your woes. It is your weak instincts that make you do this." Jade was passing the pipe back to the woman, but stopped after hearing what was said to her. Jade pulled her hand back and clutched the end with her entire palm, staring at the older woman, before deciding to pass it to her. The woman inhaled, but couldn't exhale. The poison forced her body to hit the ground. "Misogynistic bitch," Jade muttered. She walked up to the owner, now a widow, and threw rupees at his feet before exiting the parlor.

Poison Ivy made an offer a week earlier to join her in a some social experiment or other. Most of that environmentalist's ideas are about saving the rainforest or stealing museum plants so Jade didn't think much of the offer...at first. In fact, entering India, she had forgotten the deal. Now that she was leaving the country, she was seriously considering it. Maybe the answer to the bitterness seeping into her spirits was murdering some men who had it coming (assuming men were the targets; they almost always happened to be on Ivy's shit list).

Arriving to New Bludhaven, Poison Ivy's presence was unmissable. Their meeting place in particular made the emerald ninja apprehensive. It was essentially a giant Venus flytrap. Plants, those moving and those still, grew, twisted, and wiggled over every surface and into all crevices. Walking in unarmed was suicide; the moment Poison Ivy heard something she didn't like, her children would do away with you. Jade had to enter prepared. She approached the guard at the entrance of the building, wearing her usual green outfit, as well as a grinning cat mask over her face. He led her in and through the building, revealing an bustling Eden inside. It was beautiful and unsettling all at once. Jade walked cautiously and stayed on the path, taking in her surroundings and making mental notes of her observations. When she finally saw Ivy, Jade stopped a good distance from her. "Is it too late to talk business?" she asked from behind her grinning mask. "I brought a peace offering if it is," she smiled to herself.

[Poison Ivy]

Pamela knew that for a woman such as Cheshire - that is to say, one cunning enough to consider her own well-being - entering New Bludhaven in itself was a dreadful gamble. If Poison Ivy truly wanted to employ more nefarious methods of coercion on the assassin, it would be very difficult to avoid falling prey when so deep in her emerald territory. Poison Ivy knew not to underestimate Cheshire, though. No doubt she only arrived with several contingency plans in place for her escape if the need arose. Mother Nature was sure of that fact, and that only helped solidify Cheshire's position in the botanist's mind.

Poison Ivy looked up at the woman, and her simply choice of garb - more specifically, it's shade - brought a smile to her lips just as readily as her words did. Pamela's eyes glazed over the mask situated on Cheshire's face, and her auburn brows rose in intrigued amusement. She had heard of the masquerade, of course, and was pleased to find that in face of Cheshire the use of the mask was more stylish than some of the costumes that other villains made use of. At least the female assassin's application of theatricality was more intimidating than it was comical.

"'Late'?" Poison Ivy reiterated in question, looking up from her kneeling position on the island of blossoms. "Why, you're just on time." Pamela raised a hand and stroked her chin with a finger in thought. "I am curious, though... What is this 'peace offering'?" Mother Nature's eyes glinted mischievously, and her smirk remained firmly in tact. Rarely was Poison Ivy so eager for a possible gift. She had a feeling that a woman in Cheshire's line of work would be intriguing, to say the least.

[che]

"Hm," Jade hummed, her face still concealed by the grinning cat mask. With delicate, thoughtful steps, she took three paces forward in Ivy's direction. The thin vines below squirmed away from her feet, but hovered nonetheless. The glint off her katana and twin sais (the only weapons on her that were visible) should have her plants keep their distance, but this detail only proved how confident they and Ivy were in this place, their turf. She chose her words carefully.

"I've just arrived from a trip through India. It was mostly a waste of time. I visited a few allies, and of course, a few enemies. And as always, I did my research. You more than anyone know toxicology is an evolving science. Every day, there's a new substance, a chemical, or genius out there to be studied, or robbed," Jade said, a mischievous growl in her tone. "So one morning, I'm in an herbalist's garden in Bhinga, but there's nothing there I haven't seen before. Except one thing did stand out. It actually made me think of an arrest I saw on the news months earlier. Your arrest." She grabbed the chin of her mask and lifted it so that her face was finally exposed. Jade offered the smallest of grins as she knelled. From the small of her back, she pulled a purple velvet cloth rolled and tied. The movement produced hissing from some of the plants close to her, but always, Jade kept calm and her body language as steady as her heart. She offered the gift to one of the thicker vines lying nearby to deliver it to Ivy.

The vine wrapped around the cloth and moved toward its mother while Jade continued her story. "I don't recall who it was, but some caped martyr ambushed you in a garden you created outside of Metropolis. All in all, it was a standard arrest, except they had to call in a SWAT team to control you. You kept screaming about a plant that was destroyed in the ambush. You were so upset. It wasn't until your last seconds before you destroyed the news camera that I heard what it was you lost." The vine carrying the gift finally reached Poison Ivy. It removed the thin gold rope that tied it and revealed the offering inside. "Epipogium aphyllum. How that Indian herbalist obtained the seeds of a Ghost Orchid, I never found out. She unfortunately suffered from a terrible fall after she wouldn't sell me the seeds," Jade finished. "So? Best friends?" she smirked.

[Poison Ivy]

Poison Ivy had had certain expectations coming into the supposed partnership with Cheshire. They hadn't run into each other in the past - strangely enough, considering all of the similarities that the two seemed to share - and so Pamela had very little to base her opinion of the female assassin on prior to their first meeting. Primarily, the botanist had been forced to dig into the criminal underworld and sift through various reputations, rumors, and half-remembered stories that had the elusive cat in their fabric. What she had unearthed, Poison Ivy had liked - enough to seek Cheshire out, at least.

Impressions, or predetermined opinions aside, the emerald-clad woman standing at the mouth of the chamber was surpassing all of them. Pamela was becoming more and more smug as the moments passed. The comment that had originally plucked an intrigued nerve within Poison Ivy made her wary and anxious in the same instant. Surly someone as cunning as Cheshire - for that trait was obvious, through stories and just several moments after having met the woman - would bring a token of considerable worth to the table. She would truly prove her worth. Indeed, the femme fatale was doing so now, before even officially enrolling Pamela's services.

Not only that, but it was refreshing to have someone with which Ivy could actually have things in common with. She was so drastically different than others - even in the super villain line of work - that she had resigned to think that none would ever invigorate her on an intellectual level. Cheshire began speaking of the nimble art of toxicology, and Poison Ivy's smirk turned more knowing. Never before had she been around someone who she could actually feel grasped the intricacies of poisons. Then Cheshire lighted upon her arrest many months before.

Pamela's smile twitched and became more sinister. Forced, even. She remembered the occasion, of course. Hard to forget the death of something so dear to her. The death at the hands of some wretched flying rodent, no less, which made the sting that much more lasting. Cheshire plucked the parcel that had been concealed in her lower back, and Poison Ivy hadn't even to order her children to retrieve it on her behalf - they acted accordingly without urging. Pamela's heart began beating faster at the possibility. She was no fool, she knew what Cheshire was hinting at.

Had the two women been in a crumbling warehouse, or other 'normal' meeting place in Gotham, Bludhaven, or even Metropolis, Pamela would have felt the seeds coming a mile away. Here, among so much vibrant life, though, she had missed it. Indeed, when Ivy connected the dots, she disallowed herself to reach out through the green and prove the notion either true or false. The implications were too good to be true, surly. Cheshire, even as sly as she truly was, couldn't know how great a bartering chip that would be, could she? The vine gingerly lay the velvet parcel on the flowered island on which Pamela knelt.

Poison Ivy was so anxious that she didn't need to untie the braided golden chord which fastened it shut. Her merest touch caused the fibers to hiss, fray and singe away. Pamela forced the gathering toxins at her fingertips to abate. No need appearing giddy in front of someone who would soon be in her employ. Mother Nature eased the clothe aside, and there, laying like a handful of the most precious jewels on earth, were twelve seeds that glistened in the light, tinged emerald of the chamber. Tears glazed Pamela's eyes, and she was glad that the distance between her and Cheshire, and the fact that her face was downcast disguised this.

The botanist reached out a hand that trembled slightly, and gently caressed one of the seeds. Too good to be true, she thought as if in a daze. Poison Ivy gathered the grouping of seeds into both cupped hands, and gently pressed a kiss against them. Pamela looked up with a cunning grin that spread her supple lips wide. The unborn babies in her hands were retrieved by wiry vines that snaked from her forearms, and pulled tenderly against her arms for safekeeping. "Darling," she said with her deep, sultry voice, "you have no idea."

[che]

It wasn't immunity, not in the slightest. It did, however, guarantee a smooth patch that began their professional relationship. How far that patch extended would be seen in time, but for now, it was enough to get them off to a good start. Jade stood back up on her feet and deliberately changed her body's language (as if speaking with Ivy's plants, all of which appeared to be very perceptive). Her shoulders fell, her feet eased off her sturdy stance, and her face relaxed. If this obvious signal that she had lowered her guard wasn't enough to convince the plant life, maybe it would Ivy and she could keep any rogue weeds from springing into action (if they suddenly consider Cheshire a threat). The last thing she wanted was to be attacked and have to cut through Ivy's so called children in defense. That would only serve to ruin what she's established so far and no plant was going to rob her of her prize.

"Well then, this is a cause for celebration. How often is it that people like us can ever see eye to eye?" she shrugged. "But before we get started, I want to talk conditions, and I want a lot more information. You didn't offer that much intel when you came to me about this city of yours, but it was intriguing enough. What are you planning exactly? And why would you need an assassin to protect it?" Jade asked.

[Sorry for the short post, wasn't sure where to take the thread at this point]

[Poison Ivy]

Cheshire's ploy to put the plants circling near her to rest, or so it would seem. Body language, and intent were a factor in Pamela's children settling slightly - plants were much more attuned to subtler things in human nature. What didn't hinder Cheshire's chances was how good a mood the cat had just put New Bludhaven's mother in. Poison Ivy was too sly to let the offering run too deep. She appreciated the gesture - more than she should have, perhaps - but the mood of the meeting had not become less professional in light of the token. Besides... Pamela now had the seeds in her possession.

The woman standing on the edge of the pond proved her nimble mind with every step of their encounter. Cheshire realized that she had played a card that would favor her, and was pressing her advantage, no less. Good girl, Pamela acknowledged with approval. She was putting much faith - largely undue, and unearned at this point - in Cheshire with hiring her. They had no past, not rust, or mistrust to reflect on as a foundation. Literally the two women were strangers, though they shared similarities, and had heard of each other through the grapevine.

Cheshire asked for more details for the same reason that Pamela was paying such close attention to her new agent's actions, and verbal approach. Finally, Poison Ivy rose gracefully from her kneeling position, and as she did she began to elaborate. "The justification is quite as simple as the jobs that come with it," she said lightly with a shrug. "Now that I am tending my new utopia, I have no way to influence events beyond it's borders." Poison Ivy flashed a sly smirk. "Until now, that is."

Pamela began walking towards the edge of her little island with a purpose that told she could care less that there was deep, clear waters prohibiting her progress. At her approach, plants that had green stems flowing into the deep of the pond, and emerald bulbs at their tops, arose from just beneath the surface where they had been sleeping. One after another the bulbs swelled, and unfurled in sturdy lily pads such as over-sized stepping stones. They stayed open just long enough for their mother to tread upon them, closing and opening before, and in her wake.

"With my duties here, I need agents in my confidences to carry out my will where I cannot." Poison Ivy flapped her hands dismissively to express how simple she believed the parameters of Cheshire's new employment. "You particular skill set immediately intrigued me. And so far you have yet to disappoint." Pamela stopped at the edge of the water, less than five feet from Cheshire. "So many people to kill, so little time," she sighed, then looked conversationally toward the other woman, "Well, you know."

"Beyond acting as my emissary into the outside world, you will act as my right hand here in New Bludhaven. Treated with respect, and reverence by all who dwell within its emerald borders." Pamela paused to let that sink in, and Cheshire's mind to work toward all of its implications. Obviously the assassin would have to work diligently to earn Ivy's trust. At first their relationship would be... strenuous. Hopefully each could grow to depend on the other - if just on their capability, or potency. "Now I believe you'd like to know 'what's in it for you'?"

Poison Ivy's lips twisted in a cunning smile. "Well, I believe it's my turn to give a gift."

[che]

This was perhaps one of the stranger deals she was considering. As any good assassin knows, staying locked to one location was a bad idea. As soon as word got out that you're there, it made you a target all over again and any secrecy you had gained was lost. And Jade had a lot of enemies. On the upside, and as she's seen from the past, this place had one of the most unique security systems. A single intruder's toe placed on a blade of grass, and Ivy knew right away of their presence. The plants could even sense aerial attacks by disruptions in the air. And not only were they eyes and hears, but they could fight. Poison Ivy had an incredible control over these plants. As beautiful and docile as many of them appeared, each could be turned into a weapon. If Jade were to be attacked here, and if she had Ivy's favor, perhaps it was the safest place to be after all.

Then came the most important aspect to consider: what was in it for Jade? The security would be nice, and staying in one place for a change could be relaxing (between any murders, of course), but that wasn't enough to keep even the most amateur assassins locked to one location. There had to be more. Jade spoke in dollars, but she imagined that Ivy wasn't about to offer a large sum of cash just now. At least, not only that. Ivy had one thing that Jade couldn't possibly get from anyone else. Not to mention it would be a great value to her. Jade's eyebrow arched. "Oh?" she said at the mention of a gift.

Cheshire was a master at poisons. It had taken her years to be this good, but it was time well spent. Studying, stealing, robbing, and collecting herbs, chemicals, plants, samples, and all other material to make poisons had cost her greatly. She's struggled figuring out what goes with what, how to properly combine two or more elements, and do these experiments without a lab. She traveled the world and got herself into all kinds of trouble to better her knowledge. But even after years of hard work, her toxicology expertise was not on par with Ivy's. The plant woman had several advantages, but the most prominent was her ability to communicate with her plants. They themselves have helped Ivy create amazing toxins, and then some. Her pheromone creation was perhaps her best invention. It was like liquid mind control. Jade never dabbled in such science, but it was intriguing nonetheless. If Ivy were to share her knowledge with Jade, then it would more than make up for the fact that she was putting herself at risk being in New Bludhaven.

"And what would that be?" Jade asked, looking into Ivy's eyes, a move any man (or woman) would admit was a bit of a gamble.

[Poison Ivy]

Poison Ivy smiled. Cheshire's question was nonchalant without seeming reckless. Truly an ability credible enough for the botanist's appreciation, grudging, but even so. Talent, and nothing else it was to be able to appear to nearly all others at complete, elegant ease, while in your mind a confident phrase was truthfully just the moving of another pawn on the chessboard of the conversation. Pamela had never taken to the game – art, the Riddler had called it – of chess, but she respected the subtleties, strategies and sheer mental tact that it took to excel at playing it. In a way, this entire exchange could be likened to that of a game of chess.

There was confident poise to Cheshire's word, but Poison Ivy could detect the traces of caution at this unknown that had been put abruptly before her, as well as the nearly undetectable vein of genuine, sly longing at the promise of what this unknown gift could possibly be. Pamela's expression had been sly for a moment, but smoothly melted into a nearly indifferent stance. “Now that I have both hands busy here, I can't run the little in-field experiments that I used to tamper with when I was in Gotham.” Poison Ivy flapped a hand demurely to emphasize the airiness, and slight tinge of regret that correlated with the matter.

“I thought that with someone of your talent,” Ivy's eyes flicked momentarily back to Cheshire with a dark light kindled in the emerald pupils, “I had the perfect vessel to try out the toxins that I have in the making, and tell me how they fare upon application.” At first the Heathens – the name given to the lawless ruffians that ran with rape, murder, and force what stretches of Bludhaven's carcass Pamela's garden did not enrich – that had assailed the Children of Eve were frequent and numerous enough to provide suitable test subjects. After several weeks their brazen attempts to attack the realm of Poison Ivy became less and less numerous, and the perfected security measures that were now in place among the plant life left behind fewer and fewer candidates.

Another of the multiple perks that Cheshire's employment beneath her presented Pamela with was a means of getting results beyond what she was capable of in her position as the matriarch of New Bludhaven. Not only that, but Cheshire had experience – and an impressive mastery – over the subtle art of toxicology and, perhaps more importantly, the proper way of applying toxins, venoms, and poisons. Poison Ivy knew that having Cheshire test out her concoctions with a vague description of their various uses already in store would have the assassin come back from using the mixtures with a detailed report with an attention to detail that only a fellow toxicologist would give.

“Consider this the first of many.” Mother Nature extended a hand, and uncurled her fingers slowly to reveal a thin crystal vial laying on her palm. The liquid within was an acidic green that fizzed and shone dully with malicious light. The top was sealed with a similarly crystal stopper – cork or wax would have bean eaten through within moments by the poison – that was kept in place by a single leaf that curled unnaturally around the top. “I won't ruin the surprise. You'll see what it's meant to do once you use it.” Poison Ivy's voice held a business-like air associated with the cool declaration of fact, but that silken allure that always glazed the botanist's syllables in glamor was ever present.

[che]

Cheshire couldn't help but arch an eyebrow. Poison Ivy was serious. She was really going to let Jade test her latest poisons. To any normal person, that would seem horrific, but to Jade, that was like being admitted into a candy store after hours. In fact, she couldn't help the curl at the end of her lips as she heard Ivy's part of the deal. While she never considered herself in competition with Ivy over toxins, poisons, and whatnot, there was an unspoken rivalry there anyway. They were the experts in the field, miles ahead of any other so there was dueling there regardless of sentiments. So to be brought in so intimately and share the details of Ivy's work, it was a bargain that weaved trust into their relationship, something that never had existed there before.

Her eyes followed the movement of Ivy's hand as she revealed the small token in her palm. The assassin's focus darted back to her employer's eyes, gauging her for a moment, then back down to the vial. She reached out for it and plucked it from Ivy's hand like selecting the perfect rose from a bush. Jade held it up to the light to examine it and her smile stretched further still. "I can barely contain my excitement," she said. Eager to get to work (if only to try out the vial's contents), Jade turned her attention back to Ivy as she slid her prize between her breasts for safe keeping. "When do we get started?"

Hours later, Jade sat at a desk made of vines and branches, in a room decorated with more vines and branches, with a window that looked out to more vines and branches. It was beautiful, kind of artistic in a way, but in the back of her mind, she could already imagine herself getting tired of this view fast. Before her were files and her laptop was open to a number of cases. Each file contained information on targets Poison Ivy already had in mind. "Salvador Forme. Why does that sound familiar?" she asked herself. She sifted through more papers when it dawned on her. "Isn't he that state senator that was caught a few months ago in a hotel with a dead hooker in his room?" she looked up at Ivy from behind her laptop. "He didn't even do a day of jail time for that. Fat wallet I guess. Why is he a target?" she asked. "Besides the fact that he's human garbage," she added in thought.

[Poison Ivy]

Everything was coming together. Pamela couldn't help but feel satisfied at the realization - and perhaps a little anxious, as well. The Sirens had enlightened Poison Ivy on how well a partnership could work in her line of work. At least among women. She'd been the one to fill the stereotypical 'female villain' slot on enough of the criminal alliances to know how that story played off. Anything from the Injustice Society to the Injustice League, Pamela had had her foot in the door, only to watch the childish tug-of-war between the boys tear everything apart.

No, this was much better. A shape-shifting protege that Pamela could mold into a proper villainess, and an already established master assassin, expert toxicologist at her bidding? How could things get any better. The fact that Poison Ivy, Cheshire and Gemini got along splendidly didn't hurt. At least in turn. The botanist truthfully wasn't sure how the chemistry between the two other women in their union would be if all were present at the same time. Which, really, was crucial. She couldn't have Cheshire poisoning Gemini the first time the young woman put her malleable foot in her own mouth, now could she?

Depending on how events played out, Poison Ivy would have to play the mothering role. Even if she couldn't look at Cheshire as a daughter - perhaps an estranged younger sister? Regardless, the two women's exchange of gifts had most definitely served as a proper icebreaker. Now they had adjourned from the picturesque building that they had met in, and were now in the place that Cheshire would call her own while stationed within New Bludhaven's emerald walls. Which most likely wouldn't be that often or prolonged.

During Cheshire and Poison Ivy's departure from their previous venue, she had sent word to Gemini, heralding her. Now that both of her lieutenants were in her pocket, Pamela wanted to finally move on in her plans. That desire explained why Cheshire sat at a vine-covered desk pouring over documents, both from Poison Ivy's given folders, and her own information bank. Mother Nature smirked poisonously when Cheshire asked about a certain target while inspecting the leaves on a flower bulb on a vine hanging from the ceiling.

"It will come to you," Ivy said smoothly while the assassin thought on the matter. "The very same," she responded once Cheshire guessed at his identity. Pamela smirked and quirked an eyebrow at the assassin's next question, though. "Isn't what you just said justification enough for his death?" Poison Ivy didn't want to sound like a completely crazed employer, though. If she went around killing men just for the reasons that Cheshire voiced concerning Salvador Forme, few men would be left.

Ivy shrugged daintily. "Beyond that, he's heading, and acting as the prime spokesperson for a residential housing development campaign." Pamela's eyes darkened as she went on, showing her anger at the man that was the topic of conversation. "A campaign that - if it were to meet fruition - would raze countless square miles of forests that I've kept preserved over the years." Preserved through blackmail, seduction and murder, but preserved nonetheless.

[Gemini]

Gemini had Six commandments to follow while she was exploring New Bludhaven. Ivy had gone off to go find her next lieutenant and so Gem was left alone with Six Commandments. Do Not Steal. Easy enough... There was nothing here that she wanted anyway, it was all plants and people looking somewhat sad. Do Not Kill, Maim or Dismember. Pretty easy too... she just had to leave her various beat downs and aggressive tactics to bruising and general 21st century torture... like water boarding. Though she had found a serious way to quell her boredom in a store she found tucked away towards the outskirts of town.. It was a pawn shop! Everything the store had prior to Ivy's... aggressive expansion, was still there!

Do not Destroy or Vandalize... that was the only difficult one. She had originally been under the assumption that every step she took on something was leaving her footprint there, she was eroding the world slightly and that was vandalism.. everything was vandalism... and yet standing in one spot was exerting her pressure on a spot much more forcefully than walking.. so she decided to work the lesser of two evils. Nunchucking. A pair of white ones with a brushed silver chain... she had been walking around the city streets for hours, just chuckin' at things. Until of course, she received a message from the green. Ivy was back.. and she had the new girl with her! She dropped her new weapons and made the quickest b-line towards the central spire. Running, Flying, Hurdling, Leaping.. it took her but minutes to find her way to the chamber she was summoned to.

Apparently the meeting had been going on for some time now as it was in full swing when she showed up. Flipping in through the entryway she came to a silent rest in her mother and new sister's line of sight. So he's disrespecting the environment.. we rush in there and what? Show him the nadir of your pain.. or take him out? She was praying for the second option... she hadn't killed anybody in weeks.. and if she could show her skill to the new girl from the jump, she would have a new friend in no time. Skipping over to the desk, she leaned up against it and gave off her biggest smile. Hi, Mom. Hi New Girl! In the weeks she had been bounding around this place she had come to call Pammy, Mom, full time. It made things much easier.. Pammy was nicer than Madame Rouge and that just did wonders for her self-esteem. She pushed off the desk and twirled around it, coming to rest on the opposite side of her mother, and directly adjacent to Jade.

She hopped up on the desk and rested her hands in her lap, barely containing her excitement in meeting someone new in this world she now rested in. She had to remember her training however, she wasn't supposed to blather on incessantly about everything that came to mind.. So what can I call you? I mean I'm going to be calling you sister eventually, but until I work up the courage to get there I need something official.. unless you're one of those silent mysterious assassins in which case I will call you Kitty-Kun... I'm Gemini! By the way.. in case I haven't been properly introduced yet, I'm the... right, sorry. She had failed miserably in her new 'training' regimen.. but at least she had the sense to stop early, because the speech she was going into was going to be looong. She kept her bright smile on and kicked her legs back and forth giddily. Good Times.

[che]

"Isn't what you just said justification enough for his death?" Jade's head tilted and her brow lifted. It was enough of a reason, but Jade wasn't an avenger. Setting things right, tipping the scale so that it's balanced once more was not her concern. Leave that job for people who cares and does out of their own will. Ivy's true reason for targeting Forme was a far better in Jade's eyes. She might not agree with the tree-hugging eco-terrorism ethics, but her assassinations needed to be for those very ethics. That's what she signed on to accomplish and nothing more. It was in that where she and Poison Ivy were truly different. She knew there were times Ivy's actions weren't solely based on saving a flower or tree, but rather on injustices she saw directed to women and children. Not Jade. She lost her sympathies a long time ago.

A second voice chimed in. Jade turned to see a young girl in her late teens join them in the green office. She remained silent, observing her and noting a few things about the young criminal as she spoke (and Jade assumed she was a criminal for associating herself with Ivy and talking about killing Forme). There were a number of interesting things about her (like the "mom" quirk), but the most glaring thing was her similarities to Harley Quinn. In fact, her positive attitude might have been the biggest factor in her employment. How Poison Ivy had the patience to deal with Harley, let alone now this Gemini was beyond Cheshire. Maybe some shrink over at Arkham has it figured out and written in her case file. Jade didn't pretend to understand. And she wasn't about to ask for the whereabouts of said clown girl.

"No need for apologies. Although I'm hurt you don't already know who I am," she grinned. "But it's okay. You can make it up to me by agreeing to some training." Jade's green eyes darted back to Poison Ivy. "If this is your team, there's a few more conditions we need to agree on. And training requirements is one of them." Jade turned in her chair, propping her arm up on the backrest and crossing her legs to face Gemini. "These cases call for extremities. I need to know what you're capable of."

[Poison Ivy]

The experiments that Doctor Jason Woodrue had conducted on Pamela all those years ago had given her so many gifts. At first, of course, she hadn't realized the extent of the alteration to her body - her very DNA - and was even still broadening the horizons of her power. Through Jason, the earth had chosen her champion. The woman to embody her mind, spirit, and strength. To protect, nurture and avenge her. Everything had a price, though. One price that Poison Ivy's birth had wrought she'd divulged to none save Harley.

Pamela was, and forever would be, barren. An incredibly cruel twist of fate's hand for someone who was so motherly. Perhaps that was why Poison Ivy spoke of plants as her "babies", or had taken children under her wing several times in the past? That could be the reason behind Ivy's fostering of Harley Quinn, and now even the malleable young villainess that flipped into the office? Pamela didn't care. She rarely paid any mind to the psychological profiles that Arkham's staff drew up on her every time she was admitted. All she knew was that with Gemini, she had a blank canvas.

Poison Ivy knew that Cheshire and Gemini's meeting would go one of two ways. Either the feline assassin would find her new rubbery ally's boundless energy charming, or she would attempt to poison Gemini while she slept. Fortunately, it seemed to be the former. Pamela quirked one eyebrow in nearly indifferent amusement as Gemini did everything but bounce around the room - which she was known to do, literally, on occasion. Poison Ivy hadn't acknowledged the title that Gemini had given to her, even once, and had yet to address it explicitly.

The truth, honestly, was that Pamela liked being called "Mom." She'd never admit it, but it was true. Then, as Cheshire and Gemini became acquainted, Ivy smirked in the background, watching their progress fondly. Cheshire breached a topic that Mother Nature had actually had on her mind without urging. Whatever her intentions were for Gemini's improvement as a villainess, Poison Ivy acknowledged that she wasn't fit for the physical aspects of training. Cheshire, on the other hand, was perfect for the job.

"Gemini, this is Cheshire," Poison Ivy said, later than she should have, "your new... associate." Pamela didn't answer Gemini's question about the fate of Mr Forme. Now wasn't the time. Instead, she looked at the woman lounging in the vine-encrusted desk chair with a sly half-smile. "Your suggestion is actually most opportune. It was actually my intention to ask you to train Gemini in combat." Ivy looked towards the changeling, expecting her to either react in ecstatic excitement, or wariness.

[Gemini]

Kitty-Kun was a badass. No faltering when meeting new people, meant she was uber sure of herself. Making compromises and deals with Poison Ivy, IE her BOSS, without so much as batting an eyelash? Gem's entire family was turning into a dark reprise of The Incredibles. Including Daddy way out in the checkmate tower. Training? Like... Ninja Assassin training? Does... does it come with free ninja clothes? Nevermind the fact that this training would probably rock her body to a point beyond physical exhaustion, test her mental capacity and leave her dreading every following moment.. if she was getting sweet ninja clothes, she was in.

I'm capable of a lot actually... smooth combat has never come into the equation. I'm more into... stealth and that other thing. She wasn't trying to boast her position... just explain why she wasn't as combat oriented as her birth mother. She looked up at Pamela when she decided to drop in Kitty-Kun's name. Gem wasn't that far off actually. She would've pounced on that name drop like a hound, with references to Teleporting, Wide grins and classic literature. Instead she nodded thoughtfully and kept her massive smile at bay, settling for a happy smirk. Combat Training sounds like fun, though! Sure would've helped me last month.. Her encounter with Red Hood was less than fun for either participant. A duel on the roof of Wayne Tower with doves flying everywhere would've been much more satisfying. Gem, in her infinite confusion, believed that being a master of any style of combat, automatically caused doves to follow you around, poised for action.

She shook her head out from the thoughts and positioned herself a few feet away from Jade. Capabilities... By Capabilities, I'm assuming you mean only in a WaaaaaCHA, Complete with hands extended in karate poses and eyes staring off into the distance as if she had just avenged her master look, sense of the word... but I don't know if.. you've been informed on my unique physiology? She figured, being made of rubber would hinder her ability to learn true balance a top a bamboo tree while the sun sets behind her. Before I lose myself to my visions, what do you do Cheshire? Like.. what are your powers and stuff? Do you teleport? Cause if you do.. She had to literally fight off her urge to jump up and down laughing and clapping. Mom always picked the best henchpeople... except for that Honeysuckle girl.. dear god she was dreadful. Wait, Mom.. If you wanted me to start combat training all this time, why not make me go out and find some one to train me? I could at least be a yellow belt now..

Gem was always getting the short straw in this family. Ivy was queen of the hill, Cheshire made her own way in the world.. and Gem got told not to break anything and was confined to her bedroom at 9:30 on weekdays. At least her subscribers understood her. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and tried to sneak a picture of Jade and Ivy together, tumblr would love this.