Je m'adore...Et toi?

2008-02-06T12:19:00.001+08:00

Well technically this recent post in well my other personal blog is an essay...So well I'll post it in this essay blog. Somehow...I'm not as emotional as before...Is that good or bad...Emotions...They invoke inspiration...And yet...It's a torture...Here goes.

I remember we were released early...Weize, Cheong Keat and gang went out shopping, lunching and stuff I guess...And they left immediately after early dismissal so I was stranded all alone...I trudged out the hall amidst the throngs of overjoyed chatterboxes, contemplating my next move. Si Heng and Sean walked past me, laughing about some prospective soccer game I presumed. I halted, as the memory of Si Heng's recent message crystallised in my mind.

"What's your problem? Go away!"

I seethed at the thought and whipped out my then-pathetic mobile phone, jabbing the buttons as fast as I could to send Si Heng my retort.

"My problem is you! Very well, I'll grant you your wish then, and disappear."

I threw the duo a look of poison before stuffing my phone into my pocket. I walked down the great slope of tarmac towards the bus-stop. Thinking. Musing. Pondering. And in no time I found myself leaning on the window of the 157 bus. The incessant buzzing of attention-deprived individuals around me in the bus seemed insignificant while I wondered why Si Heng hated me and why the situation just would not change no matter how hard I tried.

I had tried being cordial towards him, only to find myself receiving strings of expletives in return. I tried asking him why he behaved that way, only to be deemed a female hound by him. And yet the worse thing was that he had always apologised after everything he said, lulling me back into a false sense of security. And just when I thought our relationship was better and greeted him, I was insulted by him again. I had received enough of the repeated stabbing of my heart, toying of my emotions. Time and again I asked myself why I put up with him, why I let myself be so easily abused psychologically. Oh but I knew. It was because he was still a good person by nature, not like the other obnoxious fools. He actually apologised and laughed it off. But I couldn't take it anymore. My tolerance had reached its zenith. I hated him.

So I sat in the worn-out seat of the bus, repeatedly addressing this issue in my mind. Then it arrived. A message. Curious. I flipped open my phone and looked at the screen. I froze. It was from Si Heng. My fingers struggled over the keypad. I considered deleting the message without even taking a look but my ego took charge. I thirsted to see how Si Heng would reply so I could inflict upon him the wrath of another vitriol diatribe. And yet, the message stunned me.

"Are you ok?"

I sat in silence for the next ten minutes of my bus trip, my mind rapidly processing those three words. Three words, seven letters. Was it even that difficult? And yet it took such a long time for me to realise the impact of these words. I teared slightly. I hated him. I hated myself for hating him. I hated him for making me miserable. I hated myself for being so weak and vulnerable. And then the next message came.

"Haha we're still friends right?"

Friends. The word shook my reality and state of mind entirely. I teared more ever so slightly and hastily punched in a reply.

"Really?"

Vibration. Flash from the light-emitting diode.

"Yea, why not?"

And the world around me collapsed. My mind was racing so insanely fast until it was nothing more than a blur. I weighed so many options, considered so many possibilities and made so many conclusions. So much from three words once more. If he considered me his friend, why did he treat me that way? So many questions, not one answered. I keyed in my reply but my fingers hovered over the send button, hesitant to launch the chunk of text into cyberspace. I took a deep breath, and hit down hard with my thumb, deleting the message. I sighed in resignation. My ego still mattered after all.

A few seconds ago, in the precarious world of the inner workings of the mobile phone...A sliver of data is being erased. It was a text message. The letters and punctuation marks were running around frantically to avoid capture and imminent destruction. But alas finally, they were captured by the "deleters" as the process of annihilation began...

"Thank you so much, you brightened up my day."

And soon, the scraps of text were painfully erased.

2007-11-27T15:35:00.001+08:00

These are the Secondary One quotes that I'm putting up since Guo Xin requested for more. (If you count "more!" as a request...) Anyway, Chapter 11 should be done soon! Promise! Maybe I'll finish it before Lester returns from his random vacation island. Oh well, voila. Dates missing since I didn't bother to take down dates in Secondary One. But as always in chronological order, those who come first naturally were recorded first.

Mrs Jaya: I can talk to some fools sometimes, but not to all fools all the time.

Random 1F student: (Insert incorrect answer here)
Mrs Jaya: So? What's the problem with you? Sit down!

Mrs Teo CC: (Insert name here) is too good a name for you, idiot will be better.

Random 1C student: What?
Mrs Teo CC: How dare you "what" me!

Mrs Jaya: I'll spice up everything that we've done in class.

Mrs Jaya: Are you talking Marcus, or am I imagining?

Mrs Jaya: If you don't understand the words "shut up", you might as well sit in the Chinese class because you don't understand simple English!

Mrs Jaya: If you don't do well, it's your funeral.

Zhi Hao: Teacher, what about me?
Mrs Chu: You don't need to ask so much, you fail.

Miss Clarinda Choh: I don't want disappearing socks.

Mrs Khoo: Can you please shut your damn mouth!

Miss Clarinda Choh: Your behaviour just now was appalling! If you don't know what appalling means, it means terrible! If you don't know what terrible means, it means bad, very bad!

Mr Alvin Tan: Worksheet - A sheet used to work

Mrs Teo CC: I give you one mark (OP) in hope that you'll open your golden mouth but instead you don't even pay attention in my class!

Miss Clarinda Choh: When someone comes up to make an announcement, you remain silent and not clap like stupid monkeys!

Mrs Mok: Sean Lim (Zi Qing), stop bobbing up and down like a bobbing apple.

Mrs Khoo: Don't say I don't like you arh, I really don't like you lor!

Mrs Khoo on Dennis: He is a boy meh?

Mrs Jaya: I don't want to shout at the top of my lungs and die!

Mrs Jaya: I don't want you to act as if you are a bozo, as if you are deranged.

Mrs Jaya: No! Do not make lying a career!

*Sean Lim Zi Qing laughing his usual demented laugh*
Mrs Jaya: I don't understand why you get so worked up about the word "nudity". You mean you bathe with your clothes on? Unless you are aroused by Josh or you are a downright pervert!

Mrs Jaya: This shows my memory is good although I'm aged.

*Zhi Hao plus other idiots groaning*
Mrs Jaya: I love gorillas but I hate to say you sound like one.

Mrs Jaya: Should I catch you doing other work, I'll take it, tear it, make you eat it.

Mrs Jaya: Frankly, as a woman, I feel insulted. This is a total outrage of my modesty!

*Guo Xin not paying attention*
Mrs Jaya: Have you been influenced by the skin there?

*Some fools clapping for no apparent reason*
Mrs Jaya: I think seals are beautiful animals but you are not one.

Mrs Jaya addressing the class: For the next five minutes, I want the class to be absolutely silent. Shock me.

Mrs Jaya: Where are your brains? Are you sitting on them?

Josh: (Insert obscene remark here)
Mrs Jaya: Can you not colour my mind?

Nicholas Koh: (Insert randome reading here)
Mrs Jaya: You're speaking like some gay!

Mrs Khoo: Don't talk like old man with denture in the mouth!

Nicholas Koh: What is the punishment?
Mr Lim CC: You can try.

Mrs Chu going through test in laboratory: Whoever got question 1 wrong can jump down from here.
Jun Xiang: *Gasps loudly*
Mrs Chu: Don't worry, we won't cry for you.

Mrs Jaya: Don't talk! If you breathe loudly, I will minus your mark!

Mrs Jaya: I don't know where the devil you fellas got this idea. Don't torture me with it!

Sean Lim Zi Qing: What if the teacher doesn't like me?
Mrs Jaya: If she thinks you're an irritating specimen, she'll kick you out.

*Mrs Jaya just explains SCAMPER writing with the handout she handed out*
Random idiot at the front (Most probably Nicholas Koh or Josh: What is SCAMPER?
Mrs Jaya: Are you blind? Then it must be stupidity...*Pretends to contemplate*Hmm... Which is it?

Dennis: What's Rapunzel?
Mrs Jaya: What a pathetic childhood you have.

Mrs Jaya: Are you doing your work, talking or looking at your glue?

*Marcus and random fool babbling about World Cup*
Jiasheng: Do you know World Cup rhymes with Shut up?

Mrs Jaya: Your sheer stupidity infuriates me!

Mrs Jaya: Josh, go to the back of the class! I don't want to see your face or hear your voice for the rest of the year! Every time when it's my class you go to the back. I don't care what you do there...You can do anything you want! Destroy yourself! Anything! I'm sick of two people in this class...There's a chair and a table there!"

Mrs Jaya scolding Zhi Hao: I know I'm discriminating you, but doesn't matter to me.

Mrs Khoo: You must pretend, pretend to listen...Like me, I'm pretending to teach well.

Mrs Jaya: If I see you talking or showing your friend something, I will take that something and maybe...Cut it!

Mrs Jaya: Josh is a rich kid so he can go anywhere even if he doesn't do well. But if you think you're not as rich as him, you jolly well pay attention!

Josh: Can you let us off ten seconds early?
Mrs Jaya: That depends on the one asking. If my pets ask, then maybe I'll agree.

Miss Clarinda Choh: If you think using "lah is a I'm-in-with-the-crowd thing, I think you have pretty pathetic articulation!

Mrs Khoo: 做人不要太过分! 不然就不要做!

Mrs Khoo: Sometimes common sense is not common.

Mrs Khoo: This is so simple and I already explain. If you still don't know and "huh", "huh", "huh", you can go and die!

Mrs Jaya: Enough talking to the paper, talk to the class!

Dennis: Wah Mrs Jaya, how can you call them idiots?
Mrs Jaya: What? They're really a bunch of idiots right? What should I call them? Intelligent souls? I will use intelligent souls only if the meaning of the two words are changed!

Mrs Jaya on Sean Lim Zi Qing: Ah, now we have some one with a pathetic social life.

Sean Lim Zi Qing: (Insert senseless question here)
Mrs Jaya: Which part of your sentence am I suppose to laugh at? The full stop or the capital letter?

*During discussion of skit*
Guo Xin: Are you the taxi or the driver?

Mrs Jaya: If I catch you reading your Newpaper, I'll make sure you wrap it around yourself.

Mrs Jaya: Talk again and you'll be standing on other objects!

Mrs Khoo on those who disrupt her lesson: I've been finding a word to describe people like them...I think they're like suicide bombers..They have no regard for not even their own Mathematics but others'!

Mr Melvin Chng: You have the balls to laugh but you don't have the balls to stand up?

Mr Melvin Chng: I don't know why I have to stop everytime. Unless you have a medical condition whereby you'll drop dead once you stop talking, I suggest you make the process much easier by shutting your big fat mouth!

Mrs Chu: Many cells make up a tissue. Many tissues working together will make up-
1E guy: A box of tissues.

Bradley: Why are you pissed off? Which piece of you drop off?

*Josh being himself, id est, molesting others*
Jiasheng: Don't touch me you repulsive creature!

Mrs Khoo: Shade which part?
Si Heng: Shade everything except the shaded part.

Mrs Khoo: You everything don't know but everything also want to know!

Me:Why do you get 24/40 even when you study?
Kester: Because I study!

Mrs Jaya: Marcus, are you possessed or something?

Mr Alvin Tan: Did I leave any papers behind?
Mrs Jaya: Nothing except for the cloth over there.

Mrs Jaya's proposal after Marcus tore off a quarter of Guang Yan's worksheet: Guang Yan! Go tear Marcus' paper! The next time I'll give you Marcus' paper and you can spit or stamp on it or anything you want.

Zhi Hao: I'll buy my own album because no one buy mine.

Mrs Chu: Josh, what did I say? Body parallel to the table!

Nicholas Koh: Can I go toilet?
Mrs Jaya: Why are you always going to the toilet? Unless you'll die, then you go. Otherwise, you stay in your seat!

Mrs Jaya returning Nicholas Koh his nameless worksheet: You better write your name because I can't just feel and know it's you. I don't have that kind of powers.

Yau Xuan: Mrs Jaya-
Mrs Jaya: My common sense tells me you're wrong.

Mrs Jaya: The board is here not on his face!

Jun Xiang: Teacher, I also don't have a mark!
Mrs Jaya: Because I think it's pointless.

Mrs Jaya giving a model answer on functional writing magazine article topic "Why teachers refuse to teach rotten idiots like Josh": It's the length of intelligence really. No matter how you try, they never listen because their brains are not functional and are left there to rot.

Mrs Jaya wishing the class luck the lesson before the exam: For those who worked hard, good luck and all the best. But for the three annoying kids, you can rot for all I care.

That's all for now!

2007-11-21T14:40:00.000+08:00

Firstly, sorry for delaying Chapter 11 (And still delaying) for so long. Yes, I know, Fang's been hounding me. Don't blame me, put the blame on my surroundings and Dota (Defense Of The Ancients or rather Dummies Operating Tiny Avatars). I don't know...But somehow I'm not emo enough...I'm trying to feel sad but I can't. So anyway, I was looking through some old notes when I found my Secondary Two quote list. This year's teachers weren't so entertaining because of the loss of Mrs Jaya (Oh Great One! Hail her acetic tongue!) so I only took down quotes up to the end of Term 2 before I stopped. But hey, why not post? And I'm going to do just that. According to date although I didn't take down the dates of some. Anyway, this post's purpose is to distract you and buy me more time to write Chapter 11 (Yes sorry again but I'm halfway there)

4th January

Mrs Khoo: Listen to old people...
*Class stares at her*
*She hastily realised she was implying that she was old*
Mrs Khoo: Listen to older people.

5th January

Miss Quah: No swearing on your private part (Yes she said that many times but this was the first)

5th January

Sean Lim Zi Qing: *Insert crappy answer here*
Miss Ting: It's not wrong, it's just incorrect.

8th January

Miss Quah (Referring to sudoku): "Don't do the suku (Hokkien) thing!

11th January

Wei Ze: Knowledge based I'm not the best. Height based I'm the best.

16th January

Jian Yi: Sean, I need to borrow two of your hands, one to pick this, one to pick that.

17th January

Miss Clarinda Choh: I don't need unneccesary redundancies.

18th January

Mrs Khoo lamenting about her pay: Money and Work is always an inequality, never an equation.

18th January

Miss Ting posing question to class: What's th right side of the brain engaged in?
Sean being retarded: Nothing
Miss Ting: That's for you right? (So true)

19th January

Miss Quah: I see no value in you Zhi Hao. (But there is! Seriously, Zhi Hao just needs to have faith. And my blessing aura of course muhaha)

1st February

Miss Ting: Sean, why are you sitting own? Can you not see that the queen is here?

4th February

Jian Yi: Hairy is the new hairless! (No idea what it means...But it is Jian Yi here that we're talking about)

10th February

Miss Quah reprimanding Josh at beach cleanup: I'm going to sue you for my poor health! (Or rather the noxious fumes at the beach aggravated her condition)

14th February

Zhi Hao: I'm perfect.
Mrs Khoo: If you're perfect, we're all angels and you'll be the worst.

15th February

Me being jealous: I'll see you die in the army.
Guo Xin being...himself: I'll just seduce the female general.

Unknown date

Mr. Tan Guan Chye: 如果Yuan Yi(Josh)回头一笑, 我们全部就跑掉了.

26th February

Miss Quah threatening Dennis: Otherwise you shave your head!
Dennis: I don't mind shaving my head.

Unknown date

Dennis complaining: Mrs Khoo, you take my pencil.
Mrs Khoo: Ok lah, you take my pen.
Dennis: It's a marker.
Mrs Khoo: Ok lah, you take my marker or you can take Marcus, plural.

20th March

Miss Quah: Or better still, go to the highest building and jump down.

22nd March

Mr. Charles Low: Josh, still a pervert.

22nd March

Miss Quah giving Josh recognition: If I were to nominate the first-class moron in Hwa Chong, I would nominate you.

23rd March

Mrs Khoo on Miss Teo CM: A woman who is thirsty, hungry, needs to empty her bowels and missed her bus. (You couldn't have put it better and the class couldn't agree more)

23rd March

Mrs Loi: So you go home and ask your little brother and sister how to use a ruler.

29th March

Miss Ting during Biology paper check: I feel so sorry for you because your sperm count is so low. Some of you only have 5 million sperms or even 5000 sperms per ejaculation.

10th April

Zhi Hao on working with me and Sean Lim Zi Qing: I look forward to working with you and Sean. Sean give idea. You type out in English. I serve you all drinks.

13th April

Sean Lim Zi Qing: You break my heart leh!
Mrs Khoo: You have a heart?

21st May

Mrs Khoo: You think I'm the Aladdin lamp arh? Rub rub then all your wishes come true!

21st May

Mrs Khoo speaking to Jun Xiang: You don't have a future.
Zhi Hao: What about me?
Mrs Khoo: You're outside the intensive care unit, you're just visiting.

That pretty sums up what's in the list. Till Chapter 11.

2007-10-21T20:56:00.000+08:00

Oh Gaia! Sorry for not updating since August! Well, basically I was gathering inspiration...Ok fine...Maybe I was slacking...And yea exams yadda yadda...Plus the recent addition to my list of reality aspirins - DOTA or more commonly known as Defense of the Ancients. Anyway, I finally got enough inspiration to write Chapter 11 and of course, it's going to be emotional and extreme since I'm pretty much ending the fic soon. Special thanks to Fang Hui, Si Heng and Guo Xin haha for giving me inspiriation (Well duh, you're in the story!) and festival or sports that enabled me to realise that I've got a great class.

Chapter 11

"Drop the gun sister...Make a wrong move and she dies..."

"Pamela...Drop the knife, or your comrade perishes." Haruko answered defiantly.

Pamela giggled. It was a sound that would melt the hearts of most men but at the moment it sounded full of malice.

"You mean your brother? Anyway, this," Pamela's smile widened, her lips more luscious than ever, "knife here...Won't pose much of a threat, by itself...But when it's coated with batrachotoxin, that's when you have to watch out. So you should think twice before shooting my...comrade."

Haruko stood firm, gun aimed at Kisho whilst looking at Pamela.

"I think not Pamela. You waltz in and give me some poisonous mumbo-jumbo? I've already called the authorities so give it up. Surrender and no one gets hurt."

Pamela stopped smiling altogether.

"Haruko...Since when have I been known to make idle threats? Bring the beast my babies!"

Frank swung upward ninety degrees as the plants rose, moving towards Pamela.

"Let him speak."

The leaves and vines parted, exposing Frank's face.

"Bitch!" Frank yelled before spitting in Pamela's face.

A flurry of leaves blanketed Frank's head immediately as Pamela wiped the spit with her free hand.

"No matter my babies...He is an animal after all...Precisely why I want him to enlighten Haruko...Now Dr. Grey...Can you kindly inform Haruko about batrachotoxin? After all...You are the animal expert or rather, the animal..." Pamela said, pulling the blade of the dagger deeper into Debbie's flesh.

"Oh and don't spit again or else..."

Pamela held out her free hand, palm faced upward and fingers outstretched. Her hand closed up into a fist slowly.

"Or else you punch me?" Frank let out a guttural laugh.

"No, or else your boyfriend suffocates." Pamela replied.

Frank and Haruko's eyes turned to Guo Xin. He was bound by vines which were squeezing him tighter by the second. His face reddened as he started coughing. Kisho threw a vial at Haruko while she was distracted and she was enveloped by plants instantly.

"Oh I forgot...You're a guy..." Pamela remarked.

Frank trembled as his fists clenched, a low growl emanating from the depths of his throat. He roared as he ripped the vines at his sides to shreds with his razor-sharp fangs.

"No! My babies!" Pamela shrieked.

Frank proceeded to pulling apart the weakened vines apart with his arms. He leaped towards Guo Xin but was confronted by Kisho.

"Frank, I've always thought of you as a fellow advocate of the intellectual realm. Don't turn savage or I won't hold back." Kisho said as he brandished his fingernails threateningly.

Frank swung an arm outwards as Kisho prepared to parry the blow, only to be sent flying backwards into a wall by the sheer force of it. Frank bent down and shredded the vines around Guo Xin with his claws. He picked the limp form of Guo Xin up and bounded towards Pamela.

"Freeze!" Pamela screamed as the dagger cut deeper into Debbie's neck. A scarlet droplet rolled down.

Frank continued his stampede, charging towards Pamela as he raised an arm to attack. Pamela gasped and released Debbie, running out of the apartment. Frank followed, eyes filled with murderous fervour. Pamela turned and hurled the dagger at Frank. It flew with little resistance, burying itself in Frank's thigh. Frank barely seemed to notice. He leaped, almost reaching Pamela when the dagger burst into numerous vines, effectively rooting him to the ground. He clawed at the vines fervently. They had only served to greaten his thirst for blood. Kisho appeared at the doorway, shooting Frank's other leg with a gun.

"Frank...I suggest you take a look at Debbie...She's not going to live knowing how poisonous Miss Isley is..." Kisho said with a laugh before running after Pamela.

Frank's mind cleared a little. The girl was going to die. Did it matter?
Help...Frank looked back. He started to think academically. It was something his brain had not done in years...Not since he turned...Animalistic. Batrachotoxin...He turned back, one leg fully healed while the other continued healing at an unnatural rate. This was not his fight.

But it is. You fight on all for Guo Xin. Isn't that why you're here?

There was the irritating voice somewhere in the back of his head. He sighed. The voice had not stemmed from some desultory source. It was his mind again. The over-analytical mind that had put him right in the middle of all this.

He put you here. It's not your fault.

It sounded darker now, the voice. More malevolent. He put me here. These four words were simple yet they harboured so much impact. Isn't that why you're here? Why was he here? You fight on all for Guo Xin.

Guo Xin...

The voice echoed. Frank ran to Debbie's side and set Guo Xin down on the ground softly. Debbie's body had tensed up and her breathing came in quick short gasps. He looked down solemnly at Guo Xin.

All for you...I'm beginning to wonder if it's worth it...

His vision blurred at the thought as he fought back his tears. Focus on the task at hand. That was what he always told Guo Xin wasn't it? The task...Debbie was dying. He racked his brains for a solution. Batrachotoxin...There was no known antidote. It was a deadly poison and that was an understatement. It was approximately fifteen times more potent then curare, the paralytic poison used by South American Indians. Frank thought hard. This was an animal poison...He should know it...Batrachotoxin...Skin secretions of Dendrobatidae frogs that acted primarily on heart muscles. Skin secretions...Could it work?

You'll never know until you try...Guo Xin had said that didn't he?

Frank spun around, seizing Haruko's bound body and frantically shredding the vines while taking care not to hurt Haruko. Once her arms and legs were free, Haruko pulled off the remaining vines and tried to get up but Frank held her down.

"Haruko. I need your help and fast. You have to listen to me first or Debbie's not going to make it."

Haruko opened her mouth and closed it again before nodding.

"Batrachotoxin. You know how it works?"

Haruko nodded once more.

"Good. There is no antidote for it. At least, no known antidote. But do you think reversing the membrane depolarization will work? That is how batrachotoxin works isn't it? If we could reverse it..."

"Then Debbie will be fine...Thereotically speaking..." Haruko finally spoke up.

"But you're the poison expert here since you've worked for Poison Ivy. Do you know any poisons...Preferably neurotoxins that work the similar way but opposite in charges?"

Haruko froze. The memory she had suppressed with the help of Guo Xin was coming back to haunt her. Of course she knew of such a poison. She had killed with it. Tetrodotoxin. The poison from the puffer fish. She had poisoned Mr. Hayashi's puffer fish dish with this poison. It was an ingenious plan according to Pamela for the restaurant would be responsible for serving contaminated food and no foul play would be suspected.

"Haruko! There's no time! I know you had cell implants in you too! And I know how hard it is for you to remember the process or what you did. Poison Ivy told me you killed someone with your implants but it's all in the past now! You can use your implants to save Debbie's life now! So tell me, do you have a suitable poison?"

Frank was shouting himself hoarse. Debbie looked up at him with teary eyes and nodded.

"Tetrodotoxin...It should work..." Haruko stammered in between sniffs, holding out a little finger and rubbing it with her thumb.

Within seconds, the surfaces of both thumb and little finger were moist as the tetrodotoxin was secreted.

"We need more. Then smear it on the wound. Make sure it gets into her system." Frank instructed.

Haruko continued rubbing both fingers together, more vigorously now. A droplet had amassed on her little finger. She moved her finger slowly but steadily and smeared the clear fluid on the gash in Debbie's neck.

"Easy...Apply too little and there'll not be enough to counteract the batrachotoxin. Too much and she'll be poisoned by the tetrodotoxin." Frank stated.

Haruko nodded firmly as the both of them watched Debbie earnestly for any sign of neutralisation the batrachotoxin. Debbie's body started to relax as her breathing slowed and became more regular. Tetrodotoxin, the noncompetitive inhibitor, was having an antagonistic effect to that of batrachotoxin on the sodium flux of Debbie, reversing its effects.

"Si Heng..." Debbie murmured.

"Debbie!" Haruko exclaimed, wiping dry her eyes as she smiled.

"Haruko. You gonna start being concerned 'bout me anytime soon?" Guo Xin asked as he sat up.

Haruko's eyes lit up at the sound of Guo Xin's voice.

"Guo Xin! I was so afraid..." Haruko squealed as she embraced Guo Xin.

"Don't cry...Ouch! Hey watch it baby...I may have the looks but I'm not untouchable...The last squeeze from those vines really hurt...And it still does now...So you gotta go easy on the hugs okay?" Guo Xin said gently.

Haruko sobbed as she nodded, arms still around Guo Xin.

"You probably have a broken rib or two. We can get it fixed up in no time." Frank said.

"Oh yeah, thank you Frank. Seriously, I mean it." Guo Xin replied.

Frank gave an impassive nod and excused himself by saying he was going to check on Howl and Si Heng. He gave both Si Heng and Howl a quick look-over and walked past them He could not stand being near Guo Xin and Haruko while they were so madly in love. Mad? Wasn't he the mad one? Their love was innocent and pure. What right did he have to criticise it? And yet, it pained him to see them this way. The pain...It fought hard to surface everytime he thought of him...The pain that ripped him inside-out, stabbed him like a thousand daggers, crushed him without mercy...But no, the pain was worse. It was this feeling of desire. A desire of something that would never be his. The pain pricked him again, another attempt at liberty that succeeded accompanied by tears. The tears blurred his vision as he walked towards the balcony. The memories started a fresh assault on his mind now, serving only to deepen the pain he was experiencing.

"Oh come on Frank...It'll be fun!" Guo Xin reiterated.

Frank rolled his eyes.

"That's because you like getting kissed!" Frank protested.

"It's the girls, not me!" Kisho said with a snort.

"Exactly!" Frank exclaimed as he fidgeted with his tie.

"It'll still be fun watching! And heck, it's the holidays! Let's have some fun! You gonna stay in the lab all day?" Guo Xin asked with a pout as he repeatedly tugged at Frank's hand, acting as if he were a child begging his parent.

"Oh alright...Seriously! I don't see how the girls swoon over you when you can behave this way..." Frank said with a sigh.

"You should be honoured I act this way only in front of you! Let's go! We're late!" Guo Xin said excitedly as started dragging Frank out of room.

The duo ran across the many corridors of the student dormitories and stopped in front of a particular room with the heading “Self-Study”. Guo Xin opened the door and was immediately welcomed by a deafening blast of music.

“Guo Xin!” A raven-haired girl called out as she rushed forward to hug him.

“Hi Katie!” Guo Xin said as he returned the hug.

“What happened to the Self- Study room?” Guo Xin asked as he looked around in wonder.

“Oh nothing much...We girls decided to give it a little of a party touch since the holidays are here. You like it?”

“Are you kidding? I love it!”

There was a long table at the side of the room that was occupied by an assortment of finger food and beverages ranging from minuscule quiches and pies to red and white wine. The sofa and chairs had been pushed to the edges of the room and someone had brought a few bean bag chairs and pillows to make the chairs more comfortable. The teacher’s table at the front had been converted to a DJ corner and all the furniture in the middle of the room had been cleared away to make space for a dance floor. The regular lights were replaced by spotlights and a hung from the ceiling.

“Katie, meet Frank from Zoology.” Guo Xin said as he pulled Frank’s hand forward.

“Frank, meet Katie from Medical Sciences.” Guo Xin continued the introduction.

Katie took Frank’s hand and shook it.

“Hi, I’m Katie. Nice to meet you.”

“Uh hi.” Frank replied laconically before withdrawing his hand quickly.

Katie raised an eyebrow.

“He’s a little shy sometimes.” Guo Xin explained as he gave Frank a little pat on the back.

There was an uproar at the table behind the three of them as Katie laughed.

"Guo Xin!"

"He's here!"

And Guo Xin was instantly barraged by a mob of squealing girls as Frank hastily took a step backwards to avoid being crushed by them. He looked on at Guo Xin as the wave of girls soon engulfed him. He sighed and cursed himself silently for allowing Guo Xin to sway him so effortlessly. And yet, it was difficult to resist, wasn't it?

"Frank Lewis Grey." A voice came from behind.

Frank stopped. He knew that voice. He smiled and turned around.

"Kisho Ida. Which part of this hallowed hall enticed you to grace this occasion?"

"Still linguistic I must say." Kisho replied before bursting into laughter.

"Kisho! Comment ça va??"

"Je vais bien, merci. I guess you only remember those three words?"

"Et bonjour. Oh well, my French was pretty sucky anyway. So why are you here? God, it's been long hasn't it?"

Kisho threw himself into a bean bag chair, looked up at the still standing Frank and then pulled him down into the bean bag chair beside.

"Like Madame used to say, asseyez-vous! Anyway...It's only been a month...And well, Katie invited me so I couldn't refuse. It's a friend kinda thing. You've met her right?" Kisho asked.

"Yeah..." Frank said as he looked sullenly at the group of girls that were flirting at Guo Xin.

"So why are you here?" Kisho's eyes followed Frank's gaze, "Ah...Pretty boy made ya huh?"

Frank sighed and looked back at Kisho. Kisho always was spot on. That was the reason they had been fast friends. Kisho was the only other friend Frank had besides Guo Xin. Although Kisho was a year younger than him, he had always seemed to know more, resulting in Frank confiding in him.

"I'm being tortured day and night...Just looking at him..." Frank said gloomily.

He had been in love with Guo Xin since the past year and had been repressing his feelings. After all, how could he tell his dearest friend he was in love with him?

"Hmph...I can't believe this! I'm going to go there and help you right-"

"Hi bitch!" Si Heng sneered.

Kisho blushed for a moment before he stood up calmly to face Si Heng.

"Hi Si Heng. Nice party don't ya think?" he answered sweetly.

Si Heng flung his wine at Kisho's face before scrambling away.

"Hey! Si Heng! How could you!" Frank exclaimed as he took some tissues for Kisho to clean up.

"No matter...No matter...Mmm...Merlot, you should try some." Kisho said while he wiped his face with the tissues.

"You took that lying down?" Frank asked incredulously.

"Well...He's the only one that talks to me in my class..."

"Hi bitch hardly counts! Why, Joshua merely made a remark and you landed him in the hospital!"

"No, he's really nice sometimes...And Joshua deserved it! That pig...Don't go telling everyone about that!"

"Okay fine. But nevertheless..."

"Frank! The game's starting!"

Frank groaned. It was another of those party games that Guo Xin never failed to take part in and those games were exactly what he loathed. Well, apart from the bullies that Guo Xin shielded him from of course. Kisho grinned and started pulling him towards the table where the game was starting to commence.

"Spin the bottle...Lovely..." Frank remarked sarcastically.

The circular conference table was being used as the platform for the wine bottle that was to be the bottle for the game. Guo Xin, his unofficial fan club of girls, Sean, Kisho and a few other guys frank did not know were seated around the table. Sean went first and spun the bottle. The spin was rather brief, the bottle wobbling a little due to Sean's mindless spinning, and landed on one of the girls in Guo Xin's alleged fan club.

She gasped as she looked at the lecherous expression on Sean's face. The conference table retracted into the ground as the pair made their way into the middle. The girl kissed Sean reluctantly on the lips and tried to pull away when Sean grabbed her behind to pull her closer. She broke the kiss immediately and kneed him between the legs. Sean grunted as the girl brought him to his knees. He moaned in pain as he crawled back to his seat. The table rised up again and the girl started the next spin. And so Frank sat at his seat as couple by couple kissed, watching the bottle carefully and praying each spin that the bottle would miss him.

The next spin ended with the bottle landing on Guo Xin. The table retracted into the ground as Katie and Guo Xin started to get into a heated kiss. Frank tried not to watch as he looked down, drawing his knees up to to his chest. He felt miserable and the kiss seemed to last for eternity. He felt even worse when Guo Xin's hands slid behind Katie's back to draw her in more tightly for the kiss. They were just friends, he told himself as he watched. It's just a game, he repeated to himself as the couple broke apart. It was Guo Xin's turn to spin the bottle and Frank realised he would have to watch Guo Xin kiss some other girl a second time in a row. He heaved a helpless sigh and turned around to avoid watching Guo Xin and the would-be fortunate girl.

Guo Xin gave the bottle a quick spin playfully as if he was tossing a basketball into the net. The bottle spun and spun and spun. Frank made his decision to leave and stood up when Kisho tugged on his sleeve. Frank turned around grumpily and looked in horror at the bottle that was pointing directly at him. Guo Xin looked a little shocked at the results of his spin at first before an amused smile appeared. Frank continued staring at the bottle, as his repressed feelings fought to burst out of the deepest recesses of his heart. Hadn't he waited long enough? Finally, a kiss with Guo Xin. Wasn't that what he wanted? Everyone around the table fell silent for it was the first time in the evening the bottle had unexpectedly matched two guys together. There was once two girls had to kiss but everyone took it lightly. However, when there were two males involved, most people saw things in a different light.

"Haha...Spin for a girl man! You don't have to kiss me! Go on! Spin again!" Frank exclaimed as he laughed nervously, his mouth dry.

Sean immediately saw this opportunity as one for his entrance.

"No way! You can't back out even if he's a guy! You spun the bottle! So you kiss him!" Sean shouted.

"Yeah! Kiss him!" One of the guys beside Sean called out.

And soon there was chorus of voices calling for Guo Xin to kiss Frank. The table retracted once more and Guo Xin walked to the middle, still laughing as he held his arms up for silence.

"The council has decided! So get up here and get your kiss!" Guo Xin called out, his voice resonating across the room.

"Come on...Don't force him...He really doesn't have to do it..." Frank said weakly, a desperate attempt at escaping from his impending fate.

"Come on! The people want a show, let's give them a good one!" Guo Xin exclaimed as he walked over to Frank.

"I'm sorry Guo Xin-"

Frank didn't get to finish before Guo Xin put his arms around him and drew him close. His heart pounded furiously against his chest, his palms sweating and his vision blurry. God, was this even happening? His doubts were instantly cleared as Guo Xin kissed him. There was no gradual increase in force or brushing of lips, just intensity from the very start of the kiss. Guo Xin tried inserting his tongue into Frank's mouth. it was definitely a queer sensation, kissing his best friend, albeit a nice one. Frank felt Guo Xin's tongue swirling inside his mouth and gave a soft whimper which only Guo Xin could hear. Guo Xin continued his intrusion before finally ending the kiss. Frank drew back, face flushed from the kiss.

"Did you all like the show?" Guo Xin asked.

There was a unanimous reply of "yes" except from Kisho who looked at Frank anxiously.

"You're quite a good kisser Frank...And you seemed to like that." Guo Xin said with a laugh as his gaze dropped towards Frank's pants.

Frank gave a tiny nod, blushing furiously as he wished his state of arousal less obvious. Sean shouted for an encore and soon, there was a chorus of voices again shouting for an encore. Frank looked up at the people crowded around the table laughing and chanting as humiliation burned him from within. He turned his back, fleeing as fast as he could.

"Hey! He's escaping! Get him!" Sean yelled.

Kisho ran after Frank and looked back at Sean and his lackeys who were in hot pursuit of Frank.

"Meat gang...Bozos.." he muttered to himself before he threw a sealed test tube of titanium tetrachloride on the ground after he exited the room as he continued chasing after Frank.

The titanium tetrachloride reacted immediately with the atmospheric moisture, creating clouds of white titanium dioxide and tiny droplets of hydrochloric acid to deter Sean and the other pursuers from going on.

Kisho ran around the dormitories in search of Frank. He tried Frank and Guo Xin's room and then proceeded to look around in the hallways and toilets. He then looked in the library and science laboratories but he still could no find Frank. It was only until he went onto the rooftop garden then did he see the lachrymose Frank sitting on the swing. He advanced forward, thought for a moment, before he stopped.

"Frank..." Kisho started.

Frank didn't reply.

"Do you wish to be left alone?" Kisho asked.

"I already am." Frank replied wistfully.

Kisho got onto the swing beside Frank.

"Frank...Do you intend to let this continue? I mean...I can't bear to see you suffer like this..."

"I know...I just can't help it...I can't just tell him I love him!"

"Why not?" Kisho challenged.

"Because..."

Frank thought about it. Kisho was right. Why couldn't he? He could make his feelings known. It was his right wasn't it? After all, those were his feelings.

"You're right Kisho...Thanks so much..."

"Don't mention it. I'm sorry for not stopping them earlier...If you really didn't want the kiss...I could have stopped them."

"Nah...I'm just glad you didn't laugh with them."

"Hmph! I'd never do that!"

Frank finally laughed.

"Okay fine, fine, I know. I was just joking."

"Ha! I made you laugh! Muhaha!" Kisho said jokingly.

Frank rolled his eyes and smiled, feeling much better as he started swinging himself forward. Someday, he would take Kisho's advice. He would stop running away and face his feelings. He would face Guo Xin, and tell him how he felt about him.

"So...How have you been?"

That voice cut through Frank's reverie.

"Oh hi...I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I was just asking how have you been?" Guo Xin repeated.

"Great. I'm doing fine. Can I help you with anything?" Frank answered impassively.

"Oh it's really nothing...I just...haven't seen you in a long time huh?"

"Yes, it has been long." Frank said as he continued looking out the balcony.

"Speaking of which, I haven't seen you since high school."

Frank laughed dryly and nodded.

"Naturally, our universities were in different countries." he replied.

"You know...I just wanna ask if we could be friends again...You know...Like in high school..."

Frank laughed again, with emotion this time.

"No." Frank said apathetically.

"Why not?"

"Tch! Why not? You still want to be friends with me after that incident? I'm sorry. We were once friends but it didn't work out apparently."

He felt horrible saying all those words to Guo Xin but he had to. It was his folly during his teenage years that caused him so much pain and then his humanity. He couldn't afford to repeat the same mistake he made. He made up his mind to be firm as his eyes began to water once more.

"But-"

"Enough! I don't want to hear anymore! Please!" Frank pleaded.

"Why did you avoid me? After you confessed, why? We could still continue being friends couldn't we?" Guo Xin asked.

"Then why did you run away when I confessed? Couldn't you sort things out then?" Frank retorted hotly.

"I...I always thought we were just good friends...You would help me with schoolwork and when I was in trouble with teachers...I never thought you would..." Guo Xin said slowly.

"It's scary. I'm just a tool, aren't I? Frank will get you out of trouble with the teachers, if you have an overdue project or if your grades are dropping. Fang can save your sorry ass if Poison Ivy and Kisho comes attacking! That's it, isn't it?" Kisho said, blinking his tears away furiously.

"No that wasn't what I meant!" Guo Xin protested.

"I never knew...Do you have any idea how I went through life beside you in high school? Do you have the idea how it feels to love someone and not be able to confess? Have you asked any of the girls in your fan club how they felt? And so I confessed...But the pain was worse...Much worse than before I confessed...Of course I had to leave!"

"Then how...Why did you become this-"

"Monster? That was what you wanted to say wasn't it? After I left...I kept on thinking about you...And I just couldn't stop...You were driving me to the brink of asininity...So I tried killing myself with my animal research...Now...You find me repulsive with gene alteration don't you? Look at me! Fangs, claws and reptilian eyes..."

"I..."

"And now I see I've been such an idiot...Pining for you day and night...When you've already got yourself a girlfriend..."

"Frank...I-"

"Stop calling me Frank! You've killed Frank...I told you that! There is only Fang ! The monster! See!" Frank exclaimed as he ran into the living area.

Frank picked up the gun Haruko was wielding and luaghed bitterly before emptying the whole gun cartridge on his head.

2007-08-23T18:00:00.000+08:00

Ok Chapter 10...I marvel at my own writing haha. Anyways...Sort of Harley Quinn these days. Can't have that for my writing, so I prefer Poison Ivy. Now, the first part of Chapter 10 is adapted mainly from Fang! He kindly sent me his version to explain his homosexuality. And guess what? I used it! Ok, cut the crap. A brief summary, viewer discretion advised. I'm going into...forced ejaculation again! Lalala...Oh yeah, gotta get back to being Poison Ivy.

Chapter 10

"Guo Xin...Do you know something about Frank that we don't?" Haruko repeated.

Guo Xin continued staring into space.

"Guo Xin! Guo Xin! They've got Debbie! So wake up!" Si Heng shouted.

Guo Xin awoke with a start.

"Sorry...It's just...Nevermind, what did you say?" Guo Xin asked.

"Do you know something about Frank that we don't?" Haruko asked again.

"Erm...Yeah..." Guo Xin muttered truthfully.

He took a deep breath, and the story about the rejection of Frank tumbled out. He finished, surveying the others who sat in frozen shock.

Si Heng broke the silence.

"Uh huh...So how does that help Debbie?" Si Heng asked in frustration.

"So he's gay? As in born gay or turned gay?" Haruko added, unable to believe the very monster that attacked her was a homosexual.

Guo Xin pondered hard. What had made Frank gay? Was he born gay? Frank had seemed perfectly normal when the two had first met. A scene swam into Guo Xin's mind; the first time he had crossed paths with Frank.

2002, 16th June. Guo Xin strolled into Macdonalds after school, planning to meet up with some friends afterwards. He was about to join the outrageously long queue when he noticed something out of the corner out of his eye. There was a boy around his age , situated at a far, isolated corner of the fast food restaurant. His face was in his hands, the tray of food in front of him untouched. He appeared to be weeping. Guo Xin, sociable as he was, went up to the boy and patted him on the shoulder.

"Yo dude! Whatsup? This seat taken yo?"

"Leave me alone" was the abrupt answer.

Shrugging, Guo Xin turned to leave. The boy suddenly called him back.

"Hey! Hey you there! Sorry...Didn't really mean that...It's just...I'm real depressed now...Please, do take a seat." the boy said apologetically.

"I'm Guo Xin." Guo Xin said, offering his hand.

The boy took it, introducing himself as Fang. And a conversation soon followed.

"Fang? Cool name."

"Not cool enough for some people apparently..."

"What?"

"No matter, you wouldn't understand."

"Tell me..." Guo Xin pleaded, starting to feign a kawaii face and tone.

"Ok Ok...As long as you stop acting this way...I'm getting goosebumps already!" Fang said, his glum expression replaced by a smile.

"See? I've made you smile." Guo Xin said, returning to his usual self.

"Well...Long story..."

Fang plunged into a long and complicated story concerning his rejection by a girl. Guo Xin only half listened; he was checking out a photograph of an attractive girl that Fang had thrust onto the table. An attractive girl with long black hair...Waist-length black hair...

"Haruko!" Guo Xin yelled, snapping out of his reverie.

"Yea?" Haruko answered laconically, shocked by the sudden sound of her name.

"Did you ever know Frank?" Guo Xin asked.

"Apart from you talking about him...I don't think so..." Haruko replied, taken aback by Guo Xin's seemingly desultory question.

"You never knew him? Probably in school? An online friend or something?" Guo Xin asked persistently.

Haruko shook her head, smiling slightly at the connection Guo Xin was trying to make.

"I-" Haruko started.

Then it struck her. Franklin. Could that thin wiry boy she had once turned down be - Frank? It was all too much. Haruko swayed on the spot, collapsing onto the sofa, head spinning. After much pressing from Guo Xin and Si Heng, her story emerged.

Frank and Haruko were once penpals. Frank writing from Gotham while Haruko wrote from Takachiho. Frank's pen name had been Franklin while Haruko went by the pen name of "Hair-straight" in description of her lustrous locks. Neither of them had known each other's true identity although they had sent pictures of themselves to each other. Frank had been the typical ostracized kid in school; too short, too ugly, not good in sports, only good at studying. Haruko had been his only friend. And as time passed, he developed feelings for her. Haruko was never aware of this however, she had always regarded Frank as a really good friend and confidant, nothing more. Naturally, when Frank's proclamation of his love for her arrived in the form of a letter, she was so taken aback that she threw the letter into the fireplace, swearing never to think of him again. It was a great shock and she did not even have the courage to write back to even declare her preference properly. And so, hundreds of letters came from Frank addressed to "Hair-straight", hundreds of unopened letters went into the fireplace. She had never knew what Frank looked like apart from the photograph of him he had sent her. It seemed more fitting now. Franklin, Frank, Fang. Had the boy she once exchanged letters with changed so much?

"So Frank was rejected by Haruko and was so traumatised that he turned gay?" Si Heng asked skeptically.

Guo Xin struggled to speak, the words seemed stuck in his throat.

"So when I rejected him...He was affected even more?" Guo Xin asked as guilt started to engulf him.

"Actually you don't have to feel so bad. And that would include you Haruko." Howl said reassuringly, finally speaking up after a long period of silent observation.

Guo Xin, Haruko and Si Heng all looked towards Howl, interested in his stand.

"Well, you see. Statistics have shown homosexuality is more of a genetic condition rather than one inflicted by the environment of the homosexual. So there is a larger possibility, though not entirely, that homosexuality is inherent in an individual from the time he takes his first breath, the time he was born that is. So that would mean that the both of you may not necessarily have turned Frank gay." Howl explained.

"But...He took a fancy to girls before he...Liked me..." Guo Xin protested.

"Yes that is true. Individuals who prefer both sexes are classified as bisexual then. But of course, it is not one hundred percent definite. So...Just don't feel too bad." Howl concluded.

"He's bi? Oh my god!" Si Heng asked, apparently disgusted.

Haruko threw him a dirty look.

"Si Heng please...Now's not the time..." Howl said.

"Ok sorry. But still, what about Debbie?" Si Heng asked in fervour.

"Let's look for Lester Gibe then. He used to hang out with Frank after university. I'm certain he can tell us more about Frank. And then from there, Debbie." Howl suggested.

Si Heng plopped into the sofa beside Haruko.

Oh Debbie...I'm so sorry I got you into this mess...

The security guard observed a middle-aged bag lady and a lanky teenager heading towards him. He groaned before putting on his cap, scrunching his eyebrows into the most intimidating face he could possibly form. Late-night shifts were always irksome and now there was the added trouble of dealing with two individuals who definitely did not look like they lived in The Horizon. He picked up his flashlight from the table and stood up wearily. Upon closer observation with the help of his flashlight, he noticed that the teenager was wearing some sort of green uniform and was carrying a bag labelled "Pretty Pizzas".

"Pizza delivery. Eighth floor. Mr. Lester Gibe." the delivery boy said in a monotone.

Pizza boys. The security guard snorted mentally.

Only school dropouts ended up as pizza boys. So I ended up as a security guard. Big deal...

"Ok. And the woman?" He questioned.

"I work here." the bag lady rasped, before coughing violently.

Strange, the security guard thought. He had never seen the bag lady before. He shrugged his doubts off mentally.

"I'm afraid you'll have to wait a while, Madam. You'll have to show me identification."

It was standard procedure. The Horizon was no doubt a luxury residence, but it was also one that was equipped with security facilities that were much more impressive than normal apartments. It was the perfect home for the rich who feared theft. Anyone who wanted to enter had to present identification to the security guard at the entrance. There was a fingerprint scanning system for residents and workers and visitors had to be verified first with the residents. Motion sensors were installed at the foot of three-metre tall reinforced-steel gates and the alarms would go off if the sensors detected any movement before clearance was obtained. There was also a team of armed guards situated around the apartment grounds around the clock should the alarms sound. The guards were armed with M-26 Tasers, an electroshock weapon that fired small-dart like electrodes that could penetrate up to Level III body armour. The guards were given specific instructions if they noticed any suspicious individuals - Shoot first, question later. Security cameras were ubiquitous and even the lift was bulletproof.

"Of course. Here." the bag lady said, handing him a laminated identification card.

The security guard raised his eyebrows.

"Are you sure you work here?"

"Positive." the bag lady replied.

"I'm sorry but we use fingerprint identification here. You must be new." the guard commented, scrutinising the bag lady suspiciously.

"That won't be necessary." the bag lady said, voice turning mellow suddenly.

"I'm afraid-" The guard stopped as the bag lady flung her shopping bag at him.

A tangle of vines flew out, binding him in an instant. "Huh" was all he could say before the bag lady kissed him on his lips. The bag lady had removed the shabby robes she had been wearing and was now clad in a skintight green costume that showed off her cleavage and bare legs. She seemed to arrest his attention and he felt elated all out of a sudden.

"Let us in." the bag lady ordered, waving her hand and the vines around the guard slackened before falling off.

"Yes." the guard obeyed, happy to comply.

He typed in a few commands and the system plunged into manual override. The words "Confirmation Code Required" appeared on the monitor. A flicker of doubt crossed his face. He paused, fingers frozen over the keyboard.

"Why?" the guard questioned, as he broke out in a sweat. His head was aching as one side of his mind waged war against the other.

"Hmm...Strong-willed...Give him another shot." the delivery boy said as the bag lady leaned in for another kiss.

The bag lady held the guard's head and drew him in, pressing her lips against his. The guard's breathing slowed and he relaxed. He typed in the confirmation code and the gates opened at once.

"Thank you. Now, forget me darling." the bag lady said before holding up a perfume bottle and spraying a liberal amount of pink mist at the guard.

The guard coughed, flailing his arms vainly for a moment before he passed out. He would wake up in about an hour later unharmed, but with no recollection of anything that happened during the past six hours.

"Benzodiazepines?" the delivery boy asked, inspecting the security guard with clinical interest.

"To be specific Kisho, Lorazepam is the benzodiazepine, with scopolamine from henbane and other chemicals as well. Hurry in, I don't know how long the gates will stay open."

True enough, the gates shut with a resounding thud a few minutes after the duo entered the compound of The Horizon. The bag lady hesitated before stepping into the lift lobby.

"You're sure we're covered?" the bag lady asked, noting the red light of the security camera mounted above that was winking merrily at them.

Kisho yawned as he looked up at the camera. "Don't worry Pamela. All real feed is being intercepted and a looping video is playing as we speak." Kisho answered confidently.

"Good, the last thing we want is hard evidence against us. Ah...Green again..." Pamela said, pulling her hairnet off to release her locks of auburn hair as she swayed them from side to side.

"Miss Debbie doing fine in a shopping bag?" Kisho enquired as he pressed the button for the lift.

Pamela peered into the largest shopping bag and frowned slightly. Debbie was in a foetal position in the shopping bag, bound by many vines, one of which led to a pink flower placed over her mouth.

"I think my plant is dying. She must be dehydrating." Pamela observed, patting the flower lovingly.

"We better hurry then."

There was a tinkling sound as the lift announced its arrival.

Lester Gibe was roused from his slumber by the sonorous doorbell. He awoke with a start and glanced up at the grandfather clock instinctively, its face illuminated by the soft light of the bedside lamp beside him.

12.30...Who the hell is that?

He lumbered out of his bedroom to the main door drowsily, still in his pajamas. He opened the door, fatigue keeping from looking through the door hole.

"What is it?" He snapped irritably.

"Pizza delivery!" chirped a teenager in a shirt labelled "Pretty Pizzas" and a matching pair of pants.

"Huh? I didn't order any pizza..."

"Just sign over here..." the delivery boy indicated.

"And you'll leave after that?"

"Uh...That's my job...So just sign already!"

Lester scrawled his name hastily, eager for the nuisance to leave. He looked up, only to see the delivery boy's moist lips before they made contact with his.

"What the fuck!" Lester exclaimed before he started spitting and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"What's the matter? Afraid I have cooties?" the delivery boy asked tauntingly before laughing dementedly.

"You-" Lester said as he raised his arm to punch the delivery boy.

"Nights!" the delivery boy said, blowing him a kiss.

Lester felt numb suddenly as his legs lost all sensation and gave way beneath him. Everything started to spin as things began to discolour and images distorted. He felt like flying, like he could do anything. And yet he had a splitting headache, he felt nauseous and dizzy. The last thing he saw was a young woman waving at him from behind the delivery boy.

"We're in, Pamela." Kisho said, pushing the open door wider.

"What was on your lips?"

"Well...Powdered seeds of Angel's Trumpet...Extract from Kava Kava root...Zolpidem...And a compendium of other deliriants...He should wake up in a few hours unless you want to manually wake him up...And he'll be delirious and high...So?"

"Wonderful. All the better for my aphrodisiacs...But we haven't got a few hours. Fifteen minutes max. We need to be ready. Haruko is extremely efficient..." Pamela warned.

"That I know...Why we share blood after all...But chlorophyll is definitely thicker than blood..." Kisho said with a crooked grin.

Guo Xin and Haruko were the first to get out of the ebony limousine, shortly followed by Si Heng and Howl. They walked briskly towards the guardhouse, only to find an unconscious guard.

"They've been here." Haruko stated, gently shaking the guard but receiving no response.

"We'll just go in." Guo Xin said, pressing his thumb against a circular pad that scanned fingerprints.

Gotta make sure I thank Dad for getting me an apartment here...

The pad flashed green as the gates opened and the four of them entered the compound, feet scraping across the asphalt-covered road as they hastened their steps. They ran into the lift lobby, Guo Xin leading the way. The lift was there, doors opened invitingly. They got in, unaware of the tiny pinhole camera that watched them from the light above.

The lift chimed cheerily in the contrast to the tense atmosphere as the group treaded softly on the cement floor, looking around warily as they neared Lester's apartment.

"Hello? Lester?" Howl called out as he pressed the doorbell.

He turned the doorknob in frustration and the whole unlocked door swung inwards. It was completely dark inside the apartment. The only limited light that did little to brighten up the apartment was from the lamps that lit the corridors outside. Howl could make out the shadowy outline of a figure a few feet in front of him. He called out for Lester again but there was no response. He took a step forward. And the lights came on. Lester stood there, wielding a gun aimed at them. He fired.

The bullet missed Howl's head by a few centimeters as Haruko pushed him away. It continued out through the doorway, slicing through the air until it hit the bulletproof lift door. Guo Xin whipped out one of his own guns and shot Lester, the bullet penetrating Lester's arm which held the gun. He cried out and a sickening crunch of bone was heard as the gun spun out of his hand and he collapsed, fainting in agony. There was a deafening roar as Frank leaped from behind a sofa, landing beside Haruko as he locked his muscular arms tightly around her. Just then, Kisho entered the apartment, ambushing Si Heng and Howl from behind.

"Hi!" exclaimed Kisho as Howl and Si Heng turned around.

He raised both his palms perpendicular to his face at mouth level and blew a concentrated powder of mandrake root at both of their faces in succession. The highly narcotic properties of mandrake root made quick work of the both of them. They started entering into a deep stupor as the hyoscyamine and scopolamine wormed their way through their blood vessels.

"Out of the way boys." Kisho said with a laugh pushing both Howl and Si Heng backwards and they fell without much effort. He advanced towards Guo Xin who was unaware of his presence as he watched Haruko and Frank helplessly.

Guo Xin shot Frank in the arm but he did not even flinch as he held his vice-like grip on Haruko. She struggled, assaulting Frank on the legs with her feet and hands futilely. Kisho stepped forward, turning Guo Xin around forcefully and planting a long deep kiss on his lips followed by a vicious kick to the groin. Kisho leaned in towards Guo Xin's ear and whispered.

"So sorry...I've been waiting to do this for so long..."

Guo Xin grimaced and doubled over in agony before passing out. Frank's eyes widened as his body tensed. Haruko sensed this and craned her neck to face Frank.

"Frank...Recognise me? Hair-straight?"

"Hair-straight?" Frank looked at her scornfully.

"You've forgotten? We used to write to each other..." Frank's eyes widened even more.

"You!" Frank snarled.

"I know...I'm sorry but we were so young...And we were fine as friends weren't we?"

"Silence!" Frank roared.

"Yes?" Kisho inquired, inclining his head towards Frank.

"Nothing." Frank muttered.

"Then stop shouting for no reason or rhyme. Miss Isley will be here soon."

Kisho turned back to Guo Xin and slapped his face a few times.

"Wakey wakey!" Kisho said as Guo Xin started to stir.

He caressed Guo Xin face before giving his neck a quick scratch, drawing blood in the process.

"Don't worry...I won't touch your face...As promised..." Kisho whispered as Guo Xin felt a chilling numbness creeping up from his legs.

Kisho's nail had been laced with pancuronium bromide, a fast-acting curare-mimetic muscle relaxant. Guo Xin was paralysed from head to toe in a matter of seconds and all it took was that minute amount on the tip of Kisho's nail. That was the beauty of administering it through nail surfaces. The amount would be too small to cause respiratory failure and kill the subject as a result. However, there would be enough to render the subject motionless almost completely.

Frank continued to stare at Kisho and Guo Xin. Haruko was watching too, every perfectly audible word of Kisho's increasing her anxiety and anger. Kisho replaced a fake nail on his little finger with a different-coloured one he just took out from his pocket. He applied a little pressure to the nail and a transparent fluid oozed out of the tip.

"Now...To torture you in front of my dear sister...What fun!" Kisho quipped as he raised his finger with a flourish before scratching Guo Xin's neck.

The nociceptor stimulus raced through Guo Xin's system, stimulating every single pain receptor in his body. He was overwhelmed by pain in a few seconds. It was excruciating. He felt all sorts of pain everywhere. Mutilation, searing, stabbing, slashing...He felt everything. He screamed and screamed but the most he could do was give a little twitch of his paralysed body. Kisho looked at him with distaste.

"It must hurt..." He said softly.

"Stop! Please..." Guo Xin murmured before he continued screaming. The pain was definitely subsiding but it was definitely still unbearable.

"Let me think about it..." Kisho said as he cocked his head upwards in a mock impression of contemplation.

"Whaddya think sister darling?" Kisho asked brightly, turning his head towards Haruko. He seemed to be enjoying himself thoroughly.

"You've got to stop him...You don't want Guo Xin to be hurt do you? Please, I'm begging you...At least save Guo Xin..." Haruko pleaded with Frank softly.

"Sorry? I didn't seem to catch that." Kisho asked, unaware of what Haruko had said.

Frank struggled to decide. He looked at Haruko's pained expression, Kisho's gleeful face and then to Guo Xin's agonizing screaming. He released Haruko and bounded towards Kisho.

"Hey!" Kisho shouted, sidestepping before Frank's claws mauled him.

"Stop it!" Frank roared as he prepared for another pounce.

Kisho reached into his pocket and got out a few vials.

"What if I refuse?" Kisho asked with a wry smile.

"Then you perish." Frank concluded before launching himself at Kisho.

Kisho launched also, the few vials in his hands. They shattered upon contact with Frank's body; the inner vial containing the growth serum broke, as the serum mingled with the seeds in the outer vial. It took only a second for the seeds to start sprouting shoots and roots and another for leaves to appear. And for the subsequent three, vines snaked around Frank's arms and legs, turning him into ground for a tiny forest of greenery, leaving only the eyes uncovered. Frank was rendered immobile in that mere five seconds and he crashed onto the ground beside Guo Xin, eyes full of regret and sorrow.

"Always thought he was a traitor." Kisho said with a shrug.

"Now just to be safe..." Kisho scratched Frank with several nails that were laced with the pancuronium bromide, "Now, that leaves the matter of you..." He said as he turned towards Haruko.

Haruko now unrestrained, was holding the gun Lester had used. She aimed it at Kisho.

"Let them go." Haruko said, her tone cold and menacing.

"Sister dear...You wouldn't." Kisho said, eyeing the gun as he searched Haruko's face for any psychological clues.

"I will." Haruko said with a tone of finality.

"Oh no you won't..." A female voice came from the doorway.

Haruko's head snapped back and she gasped.

Pamela was standing in the doorway, and she had Debbie by the neck with a venomously-green dagger.

"Haruko." Debbie choked.

2007-08-08T14:10:00.000+08:00

Just realised how much of a wreck I am...Good seems so far away now...I'll just embrace SCORPIA then...Can't trust no one...Anymore...

Song: Breakaway

Extract:

Trying hard to reach out
But when I tried to speak out
Felt like no one could hear me
Wanted to belong here
But something felt so wrong here
So I prayed I could break away

Villain mood: Two-Face

Chapter 9

"Another floral lift Pamela? Don't you ever get bored?" Haruko asked acidly.

Pamela rised above the oversized flower, sitting on a greenish mash of leaves and vines.

"On the contrary, I love them. What about you? Still fiddling with knives?" Pamela retorted.

There was tense moment as both women stared at each other, the chill of abhorrence emanating from them.

Pamela sighed and leaned back.

"You know...Now I realise why I have to help Kisho...With the Batman gone...I should be able to promote Mother Nature's floral wonders...But now...I see you meddling fools as a threat that may impede the progress of any future plans...You want to be heroes...It's not as easy as you think...So why not lead normal lives? I'll let you leave in peace if you make sure we don't cross paths in the future." Pamela said ruefully.

Haruko continued her unwavering stare.

"Be that way then." Pamela said with a scowl.

"Masks!" Haruko shouted immediately after as she put on a Japanese traditional white mask that functioned as a gas mask.

Howl started distributing gas masks to the rest of the group as Pamela raised an arm and vines shot up from beneath Kisho, lifting him up towards her. More vines appeared, some bursting out of the floor while others entered through shattering windows or snaking below doors. Haruko wasted no time as she started slicing each plant with her razor-sharp kodachi. The vines moved incredibly fast as they tried to wind around Haruko and the others. Guo Xin was trying to aim at the vines but could not get a proper shot at the slender vines with his pistol. Howl cut the vines easily with his handheld Class 4 laser device but took care not to cut off any body parts of his friends accidentally. Si Heng was wielding a chair in his hands, using it to defend himself from the onslaught of plants.

Pamela grinned sadistically, laughing silently at the stupidity of Haruko. The gas masks would not serve their purpose this time. She did not prepare any gaseous poison of any sort so the gas masks would only impair their senses. It was not long before she noticed Frank frozen on the spot, staring into space.

"Fang! Do something!" Pamela screamed.

Recognition. It was the first thing that hit him, hard. He stared. Somehow, his brain had froze over. His heart made a great leap and there was a strange sensation in his stomach and his breathing halted. For a moment, he looked human, all traces of animal lost. He felt passion. He had never felt it for such long time. He felt like, human. His eyes dulled as some white colour returned and the pupils became rounded. His chest constricted. There was a sour taste in his throat. His eyes felt wet.

Guo Xin?

Seeing him again was pain. Pure pain. Unbearable. Heart-wrenching. Sharp. It was a different kind of pain from the kind he disregarded in fights. It was something much worse and he never felt it ever since his genes were altered, never felt it until now. The water in his eyes amassed and a drop fell. Something in his memory stirred.

He had to do it. He had to stop running away. And yes, he would do it. He would confess. He strode up to Guo Xin apprehensively.

"Hi Frankie! What's up?" Guo Xin asked as he continued bouncing his basketball.

There he was, forever so cute.

"Oh nothing much. Just wanna tell you something."

"Yeah?"

He took a deep breath, trying not to melt under the pressure.

"I...Um..."

It was hard looking into his eyes. Very hard.

"Uh huh?"

"I...I...like you." He finished with much difficulty, turning away as he blushed.

Guo Xin laughed heartily.

"Glad to know that bro! I like you too! Why do you say it so hesitantly?"

"No...I mean..."

He had to get it straight.

"You mean what? You're acting kinda strange today...Who are you and what have you done to Frank Grey?" Guo Xin joked.

He made an attempt at a weak smile. This was wrong. He had to explain.

"Guo Xin...I...You don't understand..."

Guo Xin snorted as he twirled the basketball on his index finger with an air of complacency.

"Don't understand? Yeah right."

"No...I..."

"What is it Frank?" Guo Xin asked in an exasperated tone.

"I love you."

Guo Xin's face went blank for moment before he started laughing.

"Good one Frank! I thought there for a moment you-"

"Loved you?" He finished as he looked down at his feet. Why was his face so warm?

"Yeah!"

"But I do." He said softly.

"What?" Guo Xin asked in disbelief

"I love you Guo Xin."

Guo Xin looked shocked and then turned and ran, abandoning the basketball.

"Guo Xin!" He shouted. He considered chasing Guo Xin. No, it would only make things worse. He could only stand there and look longingly after him.

The basketball continued bouncing up and down, up and down. Up, down, up, down. It stopped.

Tears started to well up in his eyes, but he blinked them away furiously.

*Three years later*

He was ecstatic. The scholarship to Oxford! It belonged to him! Of course, Howl also got it but that did not matter. He walked to the podium for his speech.

"-And I want to thank my family. My parents who have taught me so much and brought me up. My grandparents who have introduced animals to me. Those friends who have stood by me. Thank you Shawn for all the good times in training! Lester for soccer! Joshua! For treating me I guess haha! G-"

He had almost said his name instinctively.

He dashed down the stage, ignoring all the curious stares and camera flashes as he passed the audience, out of the auditorium.

He was lying on the bed in his room. A photo album was spread open in front him. There were several pictures of Guo Xin and himself having fun, doing schoolwork, performing and about everything they did together. He felt worse with each page he turned.

His parents were banging on his door, asking him what was wrong, begging him to open the door.

But he refused to. He could not. He could not tell anyone. Never, ever.

A teardrop fell on Guo Xin's face in one of the photos, blurring his handsome features.

"I hate you." He whispered, throwing the photo album at the door with all the strength he could muster. He then collapsed on the bed, lying spread-eagled facing the ceiling.

Life never was fair.

But how he wished it was.

"Fang! Do something!" Pamela screamed.

And everything came crashing down again. Frank jumped up in shock. Anger started filling him once more. His eyes turned yellow once more and his pupils narrowed to slits. The beast in him awoke.

"Get the girl!" Pamela shouted.

Frank roared and bounded towards Haruko. The vines parted, making way for Frank. Frank had reached Haruko in a second, circling her in a predatory fashion. He snarled and pounced, arms outstretched with unsheathed claws and bared fangs. Haruko barely twisted away in time and managed to give Frank a quick slash at his arm with her kodachi. Frank snarled and pounced again, only to miss Haruko narrowly once more. Haruko took advantage of this and slashed fervently at Frank's back. Warm blood flowed out out but she noticed that the previous gash on Frank's arm was already no more than a faint red mark.

God...This guy is unbeatable...

Frank hissed this time as he collapsed onto the ground, his legs sticking together and making a big sweeping motion as if they were a tail. Haruko gasped as her legs slid under her when Frank's legs made contact with them. She fell to the ground and her kodachi was knocked away. Haruko groaned in pain as Frank moved closer to her slowly, opening his mouth to show his fangs. He leaped and landed, pinning Haruko to the ground, knocking the breath out of her. He bared his fangs once more, ready to to sink them into Haruko's neck.

Frank could only care about blood now. The feeling of warm blood gushing down his throat. Simply tantalising. But then why was he moving backwards. The girl seemed distant to him now. There were two holes in his chest. And some red liquid was flowing out. He was slumped against a wall. Rage coursed through him and he roared, the inhuman sound reverberating through the house. He charged at the assailant, ignoring the subsequent three bullets which planted themselves in his head, arm, and leg. He raised his claws, preparing to strike.

He paused. The beast in him was subsiding. He could think clearer as his mind sharpened.

Isn't that Guo Xin?

He stood there, arms poised, ready to strike. He breathed heavily, massive body rising and falling.

"Frank? Is that you?" Guo Xin asked, the two pistols in his hands still smoking.

Frank did not reply. Haruko was back on her feet, kodachi in her hands.

"Frank? Oh god...Are you ok?" Haruko asked with concern.

Frank stumbled a little.

"I...Do not...Feel pain...I...Felt..Too much of it..." Frank said slowly as he staggered.

"Frank..." Guo Xin started.

"Frank is dead. You killed him. There is only Fang." Frank said.

Two holes in his chest were disappearing as both bullets dropped out. Animal instinct was struggling to take over as he growled.

"Go...Leave...Before I kill you Guo Xin..." Frank muttered, as the two holes in his chest disappeared completely.

He could never hurt Guo Xin. And yet Guo Xin hurt him, far more than anyone else did. He was struggling. One part of him wanted to kill Guo Xin for turning him into a beastly fiend while the other part still coveted Guo Xin. He could not take it anymore. He swayed, blood still flowing out of the hole in his forehead, and crumpled.

"I think we better go." Haruko said as she severed a few more vines that started attacking.

The both of them ran towards Si Heng and Howl, telling them to leave.

Pamela was busy orchestrating the plants' assault when she noticed Frank's body on the ground.

"Urgh. I hate guns." Pamela said with a sigh.

Before she knew it, she started falling. Instinct took over and she executed an aerial somersault. She landed lightly on the ground, looking up wildly. The entire mass of plants she was sitting on had been sliced into two by Howl's laser device. Suddenly, she felt a searing pain on her arm and saw that some of the flesh had been burnt by the laser. She screeched and turned, ready to destroy the one responsible, only to receive a of freezing blast of nitrogen-cooled water. She stood on the spot, rooted to the ground. Si Heng dropped the nozzle of Kisho's gun-like device and bolted with the others. Pamela looked at her frozen legs in horror and anger. She enlisted the help of the remaining vines which started chipping away at the ice.

By the time she was freed from the icy encumbrance, she could only hear faint footsteps and realised that Haruko and the others had escaped. She clenched her fists, seething with anger. She looked outside the window and saw a car turning onto the main road. She then looked back at the unconscious Kisho and Frank. She decided she would attack them later. Besides, all plants were on her side. And she had to get more helpers, both plant and human. She absent-mindedly chose a name on Kisho's list.

"Hmm...Lester Gibe...Should be of quite some use to me..."

"You mean that was Frank? He's a monster now?" Si Heng spluttered.

"Technically not. His genes were somehow altered that's all...And pain receptors...Removed...That's incredible..." Howl replied.

"But why is he with Pamela?" Haruko asked.

Guo Xin remained silent throughout.

"No idea. I haven't seen Frank since university. We went separate ways. He was more of a zoologist while I was a physicist." Howl said.

"Hey Guo Xin! Frank was one of your bestest pals wasn't he?" Si Heng asked.

Guo Xin continued to remain silent. How could Frank turn into this? This beast, this animal. It was completely different from the Frank he used to know.

But there was one other thing.

That fateful day. He would never forget it, the end of their friendship. Frank had said he loved him and he ran away, unable to accept the strange fact. And from then, they never communicated. Frank just vanished from his life, as if he never existed. He never saw Frank anywhere in school but the records indicated that he was still enrolled. He never knew Frank loved...Him.

It just seemed wrong. He thought of Frank as a good friend, a very, very good one. He would love to have him as a brother. But a lover? He wasn't gay.

And that always brought him back to the question. What about him? Did he love Frank?

2007-07-20T23:41:00.000+08:00

`Finally, Si Heng's back. And I love writing this chapter because of that. I'm so temperamental nowadays.

Well, I just have to reiterate - Touch-me-not for I will retaliate. Hurt-me-not or else you're dead.

Chapter 8

Pamela mused as she pulled down the front of her suit a little to reveal some of her cleavage.

Working with Kisho is one thing...Saving the world is another...I have too much free time helping Kisho anyway...Guess I'll start working on an environmentally-friendly plot to save Mother Nature soon...Oh well...There they are, those sexually-deprived freaks...

The guards at the entrance of Arkham Asylum paced to and fro, cutting off direct access. Pamela sauntered towards them, her green skin-tight suit contrasting ostensibly against the dark surroundings.

"Evening. I'm here to visit." Pamela said.

"Sorry Miss, visiting hours are over." One guard replied, face expressionless.

"Awwww...But this is really important! Would you let me in for a kiss?" Pamela asked naughtily.

"Yeah sure!" The other guard answered eagerly.

The first guard nudged him disapprovingly and then turned to Pamela.

"I'm sorry Miss but you'll have to leave." He said in a tone of finality.

"Fine! I guess playtime's over! I'll give you both a kiss-" Pamela said cheerfully as she grabbed his head and kissed him forcefully.

She then turned around swiftly to face the other guard, whose face was one of evident alacrity, and did the same. One guard looked at her in a daze and the other scowled.

"-whether you like it or not..." Pamela finished.

"Excuse me-" the angry guard started.

"Not now dear. You'll be dead soon anyway." Pamela interrupted.

Both guards looked at her in confusion before they started to have difficulties breathing. The nerve agent sarin that was on Pamela's lips was starting to take effect. The guards gasped and spluttered as they massaged their chests. One of them started to take out his gun before he vomited. The other guard started to drool before the front of his pants became a darker shade of grey as he urinated. Both of them started to twitch and jerk before they collapsed, still in convulsive spasms.

Pamela spat onto the ground and shrugged casually.

"Well, I did ask them nicely didn't I?"

She pushed open the main doors of Arkham Asylum and entered. Everyone looked at her in surprise. There were the doctors, psychiatrists, guards, nurses and janitors. Pamela smiled sweetly at them and scattered a fistful of seeds into the air.

"Ah...It's good to be back!" Pamela exclaimed.

Jeremiah Arkham, head of Arkham Asylum, could not believe his eyes.

"Pamela?"

The seeds germinated in a second as serpentine roots and shoots sprouted. They grew and augmented until they reached their zenith. A single orchid this time towered over the other plants with Pamela standing atop of it.

"Yes Mr. Arkham. I'm back. Now...You can help me...Or die..." Pamela said as she raised both her hands high above head violently.

Pandemonium broke out as a cacophony of screams and gunshots resounded. Pamela scowled and sighed.

"Why must always end this way?" She asked sympathetically. "And with the guns..." She added.

Mammoth wooden spikes burst from the ground from under the guards and their bodies were impaled on them, blood flowing down the spikes to nourish the soil. Thorny vines coiled around the other personnel and the thorns grew to an astounding length of at least a foot, impaling the victims as a result. There was only one inmate present at that time and it was the Joker. Pamela was still placid in the presence of many murders taking place. She glowered at the Joker who was bound in a Velcro suit.

"So Pammy, how have you been? Still as beautiful! But where's Ha-hahahaha-Harley?" he asked jocularly.

"You're next Joker...I'll make you pay for toying with Harley's feelings." Pamela said coldly as she signalled for a few vines to bind Jeremiah Arkham and the Joker.

"Now...Puddin...I've found a way to cure your insanity...Or rather...Your immunity to Joker Venom...A hellish mixture of hydrogen cyanide and strychnodide you said...And that was your mistake. To be immune to hydrogen cyanide and strychnodide...You would need...Let's see...amyl nitrite, sodium nitrite, sodium thiosulphate and active charcoal infusions...But if I neutralise all of those...You won't be immune to Joker Venom...And here I have-" Pamela produced a vial from her inside her glove. "-A mixture of Joker Venom and something to neutralise your immunity..."

That wiped the smile off the Joker's face.

"Come on Pammy...You wouldn't do this...Give me a chance...For the sake of Harley? Will ya? Please? Pammy?" the Joker begged.

"I'm doing this for Harley. You'll be getting a taste of your own medicine..."

The flower descended until the Joker was just in front of her. Pamela took out a syringe and filled it with the contents of the vial and tested it. The vines held the Joker tightly as the menacing liquid spurted out of the tip of the needle. The Joker's face was one of fearful consternation as Pamela's hand which held the syringe that decided his fate inched closer to him.

"Don't worry Jack...You are going to die with a smile...Just like Harley..." Pamela said softly, before she thrust the needle into the Joker's forearm and injected. She then wrenched the syringe out violently and threw it on the ground and turned her attention to Jeremiah Arkham.

"It's ironic isn't it, Jeremiah? The Joker poisoned by his own Joker Venom? But don't worry...It's only a start...I'm helping Batman rid Gotham of its many criminals...Your Arkham will be obsolete by the time I'm finished...But of course...All this is for the sake of Mother Nature...Now...I want to see Fang." Pamela requested as filled the syringe once more with the contents of another vial of Joker Venom.

"F-Fang?" Jeremiah Arkham whimpered.

"Dr. Frank Grey. Animal hybridizations." Pamela said as she smiled at the Joker.

The Joker had begun to grin, albeit nervously.

"This can't be...I'm immune to Joker Venom...MY venom!" The Joker roared in between fits of laughter.

"And you're going to die from it...Just like those who suffered its effects..." Pamela remarked.

The Joker's facial muscles tightened, causing his skin to look paler than ever and as his crazed laughter became louder. He continued laughing manically and uncontrollably and his whole body tensed as his head fell back before he went limp and silent. Pamela motioned for the Joker to be brought closer and the vines withdrew, carrying the Joker's prostrate body towards Pamela.

"Bulging eyes...White skin...Red lips...The same ghastly grin...Yeah...The Joker looks perfectly fine to me...No harm done..." Pamela said as she observed the Joker's face.

"Y-You can't just m-murder a patient like t-that..." Jeremiah stuttered.

"More like prisoner you mean...Now, where is Fang?" Pamela said as she brandished the syringe threateningly.

"Third floor...Having psychotherapy with Dr. Strange..." Jeremiah replied, glancing at the syringe uneasily.

"Thanks!" Pamela said as she chucked the syringe and kissed Jeremiah Arkham.

Jeremiah choked and spat before looking at Pamela.

"What was that?" he shouted.

"Come on my babies...To the third floor! We've got a fang to catch!" Pamela said to the plants.

The vine relinquished Jeremiah and he fell to the ground, gasping and writhing as the sarin flowed through his system. The plants congregated under Pamela and started to walk using their roots as legs. Pamela reached the third floor soon and a thick branch smashed down the door of Frank Grey's cell. Hugo Strange and Frank Grey turned their attention to Pamela.

"Hello Fang. I'm here to get you out." Pamela said laconically.

"Pamela?" Dr. Hugo Strange asked daftly.

"Go die." Pamela replied as a humongous thorn burst into the room from a wall and went through Hugo Strange's chest.

Hugo Strange gave an inarticulate choke of agony before several vines lifted him from his seat and more plants enveloped him.

"Impressive I must say...Poison Ivy?" Frank Grey said as he inspected a pair of spectacles lying on the ground; the remnants of Hugo Strange.

"Well...Kisho said he had to pay...Besides...He had it coming." Pamela said as leaped into the air and executed a front somersault before landing in front of Frank.

"Kisho?" Frank asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Not the point. What matters is we need talents like yours, Dr. Grey. You specialise in animal hybridizations?" Pamela answered.

"Just like you do with plants Ivy. By the way, call me Fang." Frank said as he opened his mouth wide to reveal a pair of fangs.

"Altered DNA?" Pamela asked, noticing Frank's amber pupils.

"Animal hybridization...I have been turned...Into this...But there're the plus sides. I get increased endurance, speed and strength...Enhanced vision, hearing and smell...My wounds heal about ten times faster than humans...I can breathe longer underwater...Yeah...I'm almost animal..." Frank concluded.

"And I'm almost plant. Well, figuratively speaking I suppose...So, interested in working with me?" Pamela asked, twirling a lock of her hair casually.

"What about Kisho? Working on what?" Kisho enquired.

"Details later. Basically, a little kidnapping and of course, greening up Gotham. We want your talents, in exchange for freedom from incarceration here and funding for whatever you want to do. And if you want, make you normal again." Pamela said suggestively.

Frank's reptilian eyes seemed to gaze far away as he thought back to the times when he was normal.

"Well? Interested?" Pamela repeated.

"I can be human again...Fully human...Yes...I can live with kidnapping...Count me in! When do we start?" Frank replied.

"Excellent! We start right away..." Pamela exclaimed gleefully as she clapped her hands together.

Haruko rang the doorbell profusely, flanked by Guo Xin and Howl.

A weary-looking Si Heng opened the door, still rubbing his eyes. It was palpable he had just woken up.

"Hi Si Heng. You look beat." Guo Xin remarked.

Si Heng stared at him for a moment with his bloodshot eyes, then erupted.

"What the heck! Freak you! It's 3am in the morning and you wake me up suddenly to say 'hi' and 'you look beat'! Well, DUH!" Si Heng vociferated, clearly exasperated.

"Si Heng, I know you're irritated that we disturbed you but please just listen." Haruko said calmly.

"Ok, sorry for shouting. What is it?" Si Heng asked in a softer tone.

"Kisho's out to get us. As simple as that. Although it's much more complicated. Oh nevermind, that didn't make sense. Anyway, just be on your guard for now. We're going to Debbie's place to pick her up in case anything happens to her." Howl explained quickly.

"What? Debbie? What has she got to do with whatever you're talking about?" Si Heng asked with concern.

"We're all in danger here. And so are the people close to us. Haruko's my girlfriend and she's coming with us so that's fine. Howl basically has no one except for his precious lab...But Debbie is one of your closest friends...So we fear she's in danger too." Guo Xin said as he glanced left and right.

"Uh huh...So you mean Kisho's after all of you...And me?" Si Heng in an amused tone.

Haruko, Guo Xin and Howl nodded simultaneously.

"Him? Ha! He wouldn't even hurt a fly!" Si Heng exclaimed as he gave a contemptuous snort.

Si Heng supressed a laugh and surveyed the faces of the trio. None of them were smiling. Howl's jaw muscle twitched. Si Heng was unnerved by his friend's still placid looks.

"Fine...I'll join you guys...Later...I wanna sleep first. Pick Debbie then come for me." Si Heng said casually as he stifled a yawn.

"If you say so...You sure you don't wanna come with us?" Guo Xin asked.

Si Heng pointed at his eyes and mouthed the word "red" before he waved goodbye and slammed the door in their faces.

"So...Any idea what he does every night?" Guo Xin asked as he turned to face Howl and Haruko.

Haruko shrugged while Howl raised an eyebrow, wondering if there had been an underlying meaning to the question.

Guo Xin's car stopped in front of Debbie's house and Haruko alighted immediately. The gates and door were ajar. Haruko had noticed this instantly. She pushed open the gate hastily and entered the house, only to discover a scene of total devastation. There were imprints in the wall, as if something of incredible strength had been punching the walls. The curtains were mauled. They were now a pitiful pile of shreds on the floor below the windows. An entire table had been broken into two parts and chairs were missing legs. A blood-red liquid which sickly resembled blood was splattered on a wall and broken china shards, remnants of a Ming vase, were strewn all over the floor. There were gashes in the sofa and a cupboard had been slashed, leaving five long lines on its surface. The floor it seemed, had also split, resulting in a very visible large jagged crack in the middle of the living room. However, there was one conspicuous object in the middle of all the detritus, something alive. It was a flower, or rather, a flowering plant. It had grown from the crack and shot up six feet before blooming; a pale pink rose. Haruko looked at her surroundings, then at the rose and ran out before boarding Guo Xin's car.

"They've got Debbie. We're too late." Haruko choked.

Si Heng trudged back to his room, grumbling about the disturbance a few minutes ago. Then, it occurred to him that Debbie really could be in danger. He pondered for a while before deciding he would go visit Debbie after all, just to make sure she was fine. He reached for his jacket when he heard a voice that chilled his blood.

"Bonjour Monsieur Yeo. Comment allez-vous? Très bien j'espére? I would advise you to not waste your time...Your little girlfriend has been captured." Kisho said condescendingly.

Si Heng turned back slowly, immediately adopting a battle stance with his fists in front of him.

"Kisho! What have you with Debbie?" Si Heng asked anxiously.

"Oh nothing much...Just a little poison, not that it would matter anyway...But I've come for you...Miss Isley has had the pleasure of rounding up quite a few others on my invitation list...And now, it's my turn...I personally came...To see you suffer...Now, let's take a look at today's torture toys shall we?" Kisho said with a demented grin on his face.

Kisho whistled to himself as he opened the backpack he was carrying and took out a gun-like device which was connected to his backpack by a flexible pipe. He aimed the nozzle at Si Heng as he took out another similar gun-like device which was also connected to his backpack the same way. Si Heng watched him apprehensively, gears in his head whirling at top speed as he calculated the distance between him and Kisho and the probability of fleeing. And as if he was clairvoyant, Kisho spoke.

"Pardon the pun, but running won't help..." Kisho said in between fits of giggles.

Kisho then looked up at Si Heng, both nozzles aimed at him.

"So...You toyed with me...Being so warm to me for moment...Before switching to a cold, mocking attitude...And then again...And again...No doubt you played a good game of psychology...I thought I had a friend...But no...I saw through your devious deceit...And now, the tables have turned Si Heng...So which will you choose? You wanna be hot? Or cool?" Kisho said dejectedly before beaming at Si Heng again.

"But you were a friend." Si Heng argued.

Kisho's grip around the nozzles tightened as his smile faltered.

"Don't lie!" He hissed, a shadow of doubt flitting across his face.

"I'm not!" Si Heng protested.

"That...That's fear speaking..." Kisho said slowly, barely audible.

Si Heng glanced at the menacing nozzles. One could project a controllable stream of fire of about ten metres while the other nozzle would project a mixture of liquid nitrogen and water instead, effectively freezing the enemy. Si Heng was not aware of this yet. He observed Kisho; he was muttering to himself, evidently distracted. He weighed his options and waited for the right moment. Kisho' eyes darted from left to right and Si Heng chucked the coat at Kisho before he made a beeline for the door. Kisho shot a stream of ignited napalm at the jacket and then turned the stream towards the door. The 800 degrees Celsius stream of ignited liquid destroyed everything it touched as the flames licked the jacket greedily. Si Heng halted abruptly as what seemed like liquid flame splashed a few metres in front of him, a few drops sizzling on his pants as he yelled in agony. And as soon as it came, the pain was suddenly gone. Si Heng looked downwards at his knee, surprised to find his entire leg coated with a thin layer of ice.

"Napalm and nitrogen. Hot and cold. Choose one Si Heng. Or perhaps...I should let you experience both...Like you did to me..." Kisho said as his thumb moved precariously near the trigger.

"You're mad..." Si Heng said as he grimaced, beginning to feel the frostbite on his leg.

"You're right Si Heng...I'm very, very mad...Now...Prepare yourself...For an experience that will drive you to the brink of insanity..." Kisho said with a maniacal laugh, as the thumbs of both his hands moved down towards the trigger.

And the fiery concoction shot out, searing not Si Heng but the sofa a few feet away from him. The ignited napalm ate through the cloth like acid as the fire spread rapidly to other parts of the sofa from the point of contact. The algid mixture that emerged from the other nozzle hit the ceiling light instead, forming a thin coat of ice around the bulb and miniature icicles that hung from it. Kisho was lying on the floor, both gun-like devices knocked from his hand. He looked up vindictively, seeing Haruko standing a few feet away from him in the very same battle stance Si Heng had adopted, just that Haruko's posture was much more well-defined.

"Oneechan...Ogenki desuka?" Kisho asked with a bitter smile.

"Fine thank you." Haruko replied scathingly.

The door opened and Debbie rushed in, flanked by Guo Xin and Howl. Debbie bent over Si Heng, examining his injuries worriedly. Haruko was momentarily distracted by their entrance and Kisho took advantage of this, firing the mixture of liquid nitrogen and water at the trio that had gathered around Si Heng. The frost crept from their legs to their upper body, literally freezing them in their tracks. Haruko reacted quickly and rammed a heel into Kisho's side, but not before her companions were almost fully frozen. Kisho put down the cumbersome backpack which hid the cylinders of propellant gas, napalm, liquid nitrogen and water and massaged his ribs. He smiled as he advanced towards Haruko.

"You're getting better dear sister. A pity you'll be alone..." Kisho said, shaking his head.

"I'm not getting any better. You're just getting weaker." Haruko replied coldly.

"We'll just have to see won't we?" Kisho said, still smiling, before he leaped at Haruko with a lateral flying kick.

Haruko barely dodged the kick in time before blocking a vicious back kick Kisho executed right after he landed. Kisho then rained a flurry of hand strikes and punches on Haruko as she struggled to parry each blow. Haruko then managed to grab Kisho's arm, and using her foot as a pivot, used Kisho's momentum to throw him towards the ground as she executed a circular kick, throwing Kisho off balance. Kisho broke his fall with a front roll, ending it in front of his backpack.

"Seriously getting better." He said as he opened the backpack and whipped out a dark green whip-like vine coated with wooden thorns at least three inches in length.

He swung the vine at Haruko with incredible force and she jumped aside before there was deafening crack as the vine struck the ground. They side-stepped in a circular motion, intense eyes never leaving each other. Haruko had produced a kodachi, a sword resembling a katana but about two feet in length, wielding it defensively in front of her as Kisho swung the vine round and round above his head. Haruko lunged in an attempt at a stab and Kisho leaped away lightly and lashed out with the vine. The vine had coiled around the kodachi and Kisho pulled, trying to yank it out of Haruko's grip. But Haruko held on to the kodachi like some irritating adhesive and swung the sword downwards, cutting the vine into two. Greenish ichor seeped from the freshly sliced ends of the vine. One part was lying on the ground, now defunct, while the other was still held by Kisho. Kisho scowled and threw the vine on the ground.

"Oh Miss Isley is not going to be very pleased!" Kisho snarled.

Kisho lunged at Haruko with his arms outstretched, fingers claw-like with each black fingernail filed to sharp points. Haruko spun around, aiming a circular kick at Kisho's solar plexus. Kisho scratched Haruko's calf as he blocked the kick, leaving behind five bloody gashes.

"Teflon nails. Much stronger than human. And of course, coated with paralyzants." Kisho said as he admired his false fingernails.

"I'm immune." Haruko said flatly as she advanced with a three-finger strike to Kisho's throat.

Kisho blocked the strike without much effort but broke a few nails in the process.

"Oops. Chipped a nail." Kisho said gleefully as he brazenly took a few steps forward while swinging his arms to scratch air in front of him as Haruko retreated.

Kisho then flicked his wrist at Haruko and a few drops of what seemed like water landed on Haruko's clothing and kodachi, corroding the metal and fabric. Haruko flinched as the acid caused her skin to blister.

"Not immune to acid are you? Chipping my nails releases the acid..." Kisho continued as he attempted to claw at her face with the acid at his fingertips.

There was a gunshot and Kisho flew backwards, slamming into a wall. Haruko turned abruptly towards the source of the sound. Guo Xin was holding a pistol in his hand, a trail of smoke rising from the barrel. He looked at Haruko with a concerned expression.

"I didn't hit you did I? I was so afraid he was going to disfigure you..." Guo Xin said as he kept the pistol, in the pocket of his drenched clothing.

The others had started shaking off the ice. Haruko seemed shocked. She looked the figure at the wall. Kisho was still conscious but he was clutching his shoulder as blood flowed out slowly staining the cloth. He was smiling, though he looked pale.

"Oh my god...Guo Xin...You shot him? You shot?" Haruko shrieked with an expression of disbelief.

She was about to go over to Kisho's side to examine his wounds when he spoke again.

"Ha...So I lose this time...Your dear boyfriend shot me huh? I never was a gun person...But you won't get away...Pamela's on her way here...With a special guest..." He murmured before passing out.

Just then, the ground beneath them rumbled as a fissure appeared in the middle of the ground. A sanguine rose ascended from beneath the ground, opening to reveal Pamela, and Frank.

"Well, well, well...Fang, it's time..." Pamela declared.

2007-07-14T16:33:00.000+08:00

Guo Xin's back. Probably go back to Si Heng in the next chapter. Yeah yeah, I know I'm deviating away from Si Heng...I don't think the term "hypocrite" should be used to describe Si Heng...Why bother speaking nicely over MSN and then do an entire 180 degree turn of attitude at school? I wish it would stop...I've had enough...

Chapter 7

"Why are you doing this you milfilicious bitch?"

Pamela stepped down from her floral throne.

"Well because it is Kisho's wish...And partly mine considering your treacheries..."

Joshua Linton looked up, suspended in the air by the many vines coiled around him.

"Without these so-called treacheries...Gotham's economy would be bust!"

"I do not care!" Pamela hissed.

The plants around them reiterated Pamela's displeasure in a form of violent rustling. Pamela pointed at Joshua with a finger.

"You...Lecherous fool...Who have caused the destruction of so many forests for your own selfish gains...Hmph! Sex...Well...I will make you suffer..."

A sinister-looking vine rose beside Joshua and started to twine itself around Joshua's head. The vine had ternate almond-shaped leaflets sprouting all over and clusters of white flowers blooming.

"Wh-What is this?" Joshua asked with trepidation.

"Leaves of three...Let them be...Flowers white...Poisonous sight...Touch-them-not...Or trouble's sought...For you see...Poison Ivy..." Pamela chanted slowly.

"Get it away from me!" Joshua yelled.

"Itch my dear...You know...Poison Ivy's toxic agent urushiol...So clever...It turns the body's immune system against itself...It infiltrates...And then causes the chaos...Nevertheless...The itch is rather unbearable..."

Joshua's shouts were muffled by the vine as it continued twining around Joshua's entire body.

"Tata! I've got more visits to make!" Pamela said laughing with derision.

"Hello? Dr. Light?" Guo Xin asked.

"Yes speaking. And you are?"

"Guo Xin. As in high school Guo Xin. I need to meet you urgently."

"Oh Guo Xin! How long has it been? Five years? Wow...And yeah, what's the matter?"

"Can't risk talking on the phone. You're still at your lab?"

"Yeah why?"

"Good. I'll send someone to bring you to my place."

Guo Xin hung up. He wondered if anyone had been listening to the conversation. That was why he did not go into specifics.

Haruko appeared in the doorway of the room.

"So? You contacted him?"

Guo Xin nodded.

"Yes. He's coming. But...I don't know if he'll be safe..."

Haruko walked to Guo Xin's side and held his head, turning his face to face hers.

"He will be." Haruko said as she kissed Guo Xin gently on the lips.

Kisho's brow creased with worry as he surveyed the feed his supercomputer received.

So...Guo Xin's enlisting the help of Howl...Now this is a problem...

"Phone. Dial Isley."

"Dialing Pamela Isley...Connection established." said the cold, mechanic voice of the computer.

Three floors below, Pamela's cellular phone rang.

"Hello? Kisho...I was just getting dressed!"

"Sorry Pamela. But there seems to be a problem."

"What problem?" Pamela asked as she wielded the miniature crossbow and loaded it.

"Haruko and Guo Xin."

"Yes? What about them?"

Pamela put on her dark green boots with stiletto heels and sprayed herself with some Atlas.

"Apparently, they've invited Dr. Howl Light over for tea."

"And?"

"Well Dr. Light is an old classmate of mine. Just that he's not on the list because we haven't...crossed paths. But that doesn't mean he can interfere with our plans. Check your compact. I've just sent you information him. He can be dangerous so be prepared."

Pamela picked up her handheld compact and pressed a fingerprint-sensitive button in a special compartment below the rouge as she applied some on her face. The mirror seemed to come alive as it flashed once before displaying details of Dr. Light.

"You received the data?"

"Yes yes Kisho...Photonics? He's an expert on photonics?"

"That's why he's dangerous. Recently he's been working on some laser project on teleportation. But apparently it hasn't been much of a success. But still-"

"I get the picture. Lasers aren't exactly beneficial to my plants. But maybe they will in time...Things will still go as planned then. Send me the blueprints of Guo Xin's residence. I'll be there shortly...After my preparations."

Howl Light sipped his tea once more. He could hardly believe what he was hearing.

"And so we believe Kisho is working with Poison Ivy now." Guo Xin concluded.

Howl sipped even more tea.

"Wow...This is simply too much for me to digest...I mean...Kisho? He's clever but working with this...this Poison Ivy?"

"Pamela Isley. That's Poison's Ivy real name." Haruko added.

"Pamela Isley...That sounds familiar...Oh! That graduate from Yale! I saw her at the "Brilliant Minds" convention. That was years ago...She specialised in...Cellular Biology I think...Biochemistry...She was working for some pharmaceutical company..." Howl said as he tried to recall more about Pamela Isley.

"Goodness...Don't you even know who's Poison Ivy? That prominent eco-terrorist? You must really stop being so nerdy...She uses poisons to commit her crimes. And quite dangerous...She was the one who murdered Batman with a fatal kiss." Guo Xin said.

Haruko filled her cup with more tea.

"Tea for you?" Haruko offered.

"Er...No thanks." Howl answered.

"Anyway, back to the focus. Haruko thinks nothing good will come out of a partnership between her brother and Poison Ivy-"

"Half-brother!" Haruko shrieked.

"Yes and that's because?" Howl asked.

"Well...My dear half-brother specialises in plant genetics and toxicology. He's also well-versed in a few forms of martial arts...Plus the added fact the he has an abundance of technological and financial resources..."

"As for Poison Ivy, she probably knows more about plants than anyone in the world. And like you mentioned, cellular biology and biochemistry. A deadly duo if you ask me." Guo Xin said.

"So?"

"Well we suspect that my half-brother, Kisho, somehow acquired Pamela Isley's cell implant technology and helped her escape from Arkham Asylum. I've checked with Arkham. They found that the items belonging to Poison Ivy in the 'Confiscated highly dangerous items' section missing. This means that Poison Ivy's back on track with her toxins and they're probably up to no good now..."

"Kisho? Kisho from high school?" Howl asked.

"Yes, that's him." Guo Xin said in a sullen tone.

"But how does all this concern me?" Howl asked.

"What's the main reason of Kisho's vindictiveness in school? Can you remember?" Guo Xin asked, a scowl marring his handsome face.

Howl paused for a moment and poured himself another cup of tea.

"Joshua I suppose...And there was Shawn...Si Heng? I'm not sure about Lester..." Howl said, ticking names off his fingers.

"Exactly. So if he's with Poison Ivy...Who knows what he will do to all of us?"

Haruko stood up.

"I'll go take a bath." Haruko said.

"But...It's been so long...I don't really remember much...We were young...We didn't think..." Howl said slowly.

"And Kisho was younger. He was the youngest."

"And so now he's back for revenge?"

"That's Haruko's presumption."

The phone rang, the shrill ringing puncturing the stillness of the conversation. Guo Xin answered the phone, expression grave as he continued listening. He nodded a few times before ending the call.

"Joshua Linton's missing." Guo Xin said.

"What?"

"Joshua Linton. Affectionately known as Josh in high school."

"Josh? I'd never forget him! He was the only one that made our lessons alive!" Howl exclaimed with recognition, a smile forming slowly as he remembered how Joshua Linton used to make teachers' lives hell.

"And he's gone." Guo Xin cut in.

Howl looked at Guo Xin, expression a blend of seriousness and curiosity.

"The authorities only found two dead prostitutes and a gun with Josh's fingerprints. Josh and his bodyguards were nowhere to to be found." Guo Xin said.

"Is Josh the only one? What about the others? Si Heng? Shawn? Lester?" Howl asked anxiously.

Haruko entered the room, donning a traditional kimono with her hair in a coiffured style and decorated with kanzashi, hair ornaments that accompanied a kimono.

Guo Xin seem dazzled by Haruko for a moment before he returned his gaze to Howl.

"Josh's the only one so far thankfully...But anyone of us could be next. So I propose we unite for the time being until Poison Ivy and Kisho is apprehended. You know...Safety in numbers."

"I hope we're all prepared." Haruko said suddenly.

"I'll need to go back to the lab then. I can't abandon my research." Howl said.

"I can set up a lab here in my house. Would you mind moving in?" Guo Xin asked.

There was a soft thunk behind them.

"I'd love to." said a female voice.

Haruko recognised the voice instantly.

"Did I spoil your little tea-party?" Pamela asked in a babyish voice.

By that time, Guo Xin and Howl had also turned to face Pamela.

"Ivy." Guo Xin muttered.

"Isley." Howl said with fear.

"Pamela." Haruko said with determination.

Pamela moved closer towards the trio, predatory stare never leaving them.

"Don't come any closer." Haruko said coldly.

Pamela gave her a mock sympathetic look.

"Awww...Afraid of your previous mentor?" Pamela asked as she took another step towards them.

Haruko's eyes lit up as she inhaled sharply.

"I told you. Stop." Haruko said warningly.

Pamela's laughter resounded across the room before she smirked at Haruko.

"And what're you going to do? Run away like the last time? The only reason I never hunted you down was because I didn't have the time. I had to complete my research before Mother Nature completely faded away." Pamela answered hatefully.

Pamela took a step forward.

And with one swift, fluid and well-practised move, Haruko removed both of her kogai from her hair, holding each in one hand and threw them at Pamela.

Pamela's eyes widened with surprise but reacted almost instantly. She bended backwards, executing a bridge as the lethally-sharp ornamental hairpins flew over her, missing her narrowly. She then swung her legs upwards and over her body before they landed behind her, raising her body then as she assumed normal standing posture once more.

"Shuriken-jutsu?" Pamela asked.

"Gymnastics?" Haruko asked too.

"I never knew." Pamela said.

"Neither did I." Haruko said as well.

Haruko then ripped off the outer covering of her obi, the sash worn with her kimono, to reveal a set of several shining star-shaped metal plates with a hole in the center and sharpened edges, the four point hira-shuriken.

"More? It doesn't matter. I have literally, razor leaves..." Pamela said.

As if they heard Pamela, several leafy plants with pods burst into the room, shattering the glass windows. A shoot punctured the carpet floor below Pamela and lifted her up whilst growing taller and taller.

Haruko's hand moved to the deadly star-shaped blades as she unsheathed a katana that was also concealed in the obi with her other hand.

"Take cover. Someone's about to get hurt." Haruko said to Guo Xin and Howl.

"So it's just you my dear Haruko against the explosive action of my plants?" Pamela asked as Guo Xin and Howl got behind the sofa.

Haruko did not reply but just continued glaring at Pamela.

"So be it then. Fire away my dears!" Pamela instructed as the plants under her grew a protective layer of leaves and branches around Pamela.

The other plants with pods shuddered for a moment before the topmost pods exploded. Hundreds of seeds with razor-sharp wing-like structures made of wood flew in every direction. Some got stuck in the walls while most were standing rigid in the carpet floor. The chandelier crashed to the ground as a few seeds sliced its supporting cables and the crystal shattered into smithereens. Guo Xin and Howl were safe behind the sofa but the sofa had been impaled with many seeds. Haruko was still standing, breathing heavily as her body rose and fell in succession. She wielded the katana in front of her and appeared to be fine apart from some minor cuts.

Pamela eyes burned with rage. She had witnessed Haruko's prowess. Haruko had single-handedly deflected the deadly seeds with the impressive display of swordplay using her katana. Pamela looked at the protective layer of plants in front of her. Seven flat, thin plates had impaled the layer. Haruko had even managed to throw the hira-shuriken at her. The protective layer parted as pink petals took its place. Pamela stood atop the engorged blossom.

"You dare throw those cold, grey creations of Man at my plants?" Pamela asked agitatedly.

Haruko smiled as a drop of sweat trickled down her brow.

"Not so tough now huh?" Haruko said in between heavy breaths.

Pamela gave a contumelious snort.

"Who's not so tough? Take this!" Pamela screamed.

Pamela raised an arm and swung it at Haruko. In sync, several vines burst out of the ground and lashed out at Haruko. Haruko held her katana with both hands, ready to combat the fiendish vines.

There was a loud beep and the vines fell to the ground, severed from the main plant. Pamela stared at the fallen vines whose ends were still smoking.

"What?" Pamela exclaimed with surprise.

The severed ends of the main plant were still smoking as Pamela looked at them. She soon made the connection.

"Dr. Howl Light. Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...I should have known..." Pamela said.

Howl stood behind the sofa, holding a small black cylindrical device of some sort with his outstretched hand. He aimed it threatening at Pamela.

"Class 4 lasers Dr. Isley. You're no fool. I don't need to explain them to you." Howl said breathlessly.

Pamela fluffed a hand through her hair.

"Incidentally Dr. Light...Do you know about 'blooming'?" Pamela asked.

"Why...Why yes. It's an effect...That causes the laser to defocus. Thus losing energy to the atmosphere..."

"Good. Fumes."

"Fumes? If there's the presence of fumes...The 'blooming' will more severe..."

"Good to know that as well! Toodles!" Pamela said, flashing a smile.

The remaining pods on the plants exploded, releasing opaque amber fumes. At the same time, the flower Pamela was in closed up, swallowing Pamela as the entire plant shrank back into the floor and then the soil, moving back to Kisho's headquarters.

Haruko coughed slightly but was unaffected by the thick fumes of Kolokol-1, a fast-acting incapacitating agent, due to the cell implants in her body. Haruko then dragged the now-unconscious Guo Xin and Howl Light out of the room and shut the doors so as to give them fresh air. She walked over to the wall and pressed a button for ventilation on a control panel.

Haruko removed the cumbersome kimono, now clad in a black ninja outfit. She looked at the unconscious men on the ground and wondered what the outcome would be if Pamela had used a lethal agent such as chlorine gas instead of Kolokol-1. She knew that Pamela had not forgiven her for running away and helping her enemies. She also knew that although Pamela was defeated this time, she would be back, and stronger.

2007-07-01T21:43:00.000+08:00

Have been thinking after reassessing some classmates...And I felt like writing so here's Chapter 6.

Chapter 6

The exterior of The Gotham Royale displayed its grandeur in the form of a diverse array of neon lights and gigantic luminous banners. The front of the massive hundred-floor hotel was brightly illuminated by the chandeliers hanging in the hotel lobby. A sleek black limousine pulled in at the hotel entrance and the hotel valet stationed there immediately went over to offer assistance.

"Bonsoir Monsieur, Est-ce que je peux vous aider?"

"Alors...Peut-être...Ma sœur ici...Elle s'est cassé sa jambe...Donc, elle a besoin quelqu'un l'aider rentrer à la chambre...Pouvez-vous, s'il vous plaît?" Kisho replied in fluent French.

"Oui, oui Monsieur...Bien sûr! Et la voiture Monsieur?"

"Oh, c'est pas grave! Ma sœur est plus important que ma voiture! Allez! Depechez-vous!" Kisho answered, faking a worried expression.

"Certainement!"

The valet then left Kisho and the car as he helped Pamela who appeared to be walking with much difficulty with a pair of crutches. Kisho then turned towards the driver beside him, taking an apple out of his pocket.

"Want one?" Kisho offered.

"No thanks sonny. I'm not allowed to accept any food or drink from the clients that I ferry." the driver said flatly.

"Then could you wind up the windows? And then we can leave now. Oooh I love being in limousines! How many does your company have for rent?"

"Er, I'm not sure. And by the way, you're not going to accompany your sister up to her room?" the driver asked.

"Oh she'll do fine by herself. Now drop me off at the mall." Kisho answered.

Kisho started eating his apple as the driver took him to the entertainment centre in the limousine. They soon reached Kisho's destination just as Kisho finished the apple.

"Thank you!"

"Don't mention it."

The driver started driving back to his company to return the limousine. He was late and for that his manager would rant at him again. He could not afford to be fired. He accelerated. But then something went wrong. His breathing hastened. His chest felt constricted. He gasped, he coughed. He could not see clearly. He tried. He tried to drive. But he died.

The vehicle, without the driver's guidance, went out of control; a raging mass of metal going at 120 kilometres per hour. The limousine went on for a distance of about 400 metres before its rampage ended with a deafening crash upon making contact with a truck transporting cylinders of highly flammable gas. A ball of flame erupted as both vehicles were destroyed instantly and their occupants incinerated.

Kisho watched the commotion from the rooftop of the entertainment centre. He grinned as he took out a cellular phone. He dialed a number before putting the phone at his ear.

"Mission accomplished Miss Isley. And the evidence has been taken care of. How're things at your side?"

Pamela walked along with the valet in a corridor on the seventh floor of the hotel. They were in the lift when Pamela took off her trench coat and hat, revealing her green skintight suit as the crutches fell onto the ground.

"Merci beaucoup!"

The valet watched in amazement, puzzled by Pamela's seemingly miraculous recovery. Pamela leaned forward and spoke softly.

"Could you help me pretty please?"

The valet experienced a sense of euphoria as Pamela spoke. It was wild, uncontrolled. There was pleasure, exhilaration and lust. And as soon as it came, it was gone. The valet was breathless.

"You speak English? I..."

The valet could only concentrate on Pamela. He craved for her. He craved for that feeling once more.

Pamela leaned closer, giving a little pout.

"You won't help me?"

The valet felt it again. The feeling overwhelmed him. He acquiesced.

"Certainly...How..Can I help you?"

"Now that's a good boy...May I know which room does Joshua Linton stay in?"

The valet hesitated. That was the boss of all bosses, the one who owned the entire Gotham Royale and he had given strict instructions not to be disturbed.

"I..."

And the feeling vanished. It was so precious, so sacred. He needed it. He had to feel it again.

"Aw come on...Just tell me this...Such a small favour..."

The valet felt the sensuous pleasure again. He finally relented.

"Yes yes..."

He took out his PDA and looked through the records. He found the room shortly.

"Room...258...Mademoiselle...Eighth floor..."

"Many thanks!" Pamela said as she flashed a bright smile at the valet.

The valet seemed mesmerised. They reached the eighth floor and exited the lift. The valet continued admiring Pamela whilst fantasising. Pamela smiled and fired a dart from her miniature crossbow on her wrist at the valet's chest. The larger-than-usual dart flew with fearful velocity and planted itself in the valet's heart. The valet grimaced and clutched his chest. This snapped the valet back to his senses. Pamela laughed and fired a few more at the same place. The valet tried to dodge the deadly projectiles but failed. He gave a silent scream of fear and agony before he collapsed. Pamela stepped on the darts in the valet's chest, pushing them further in until they could be seen no more. This resulted in a brief spasm by the valet's body as Pamela stepped over it.

Pamela rapped the door.

"Room service!"

There was no response. She repeated the rapping.

"What do you want? I'm busy now! Anymore disturbances and I'll make sure you all get fired!" Someone in the room shouted.

Pamela smiled. She took a handful of seeds from her pocket and scattered them on the ground. She then took out a vial from her boot and emptied the contents on the seeds. The seeds started to grow at an alarming rate. A plethora of shoots, leaves and vines shot upwards as a brownish mass of roots crept across the ground. The plants continued to grow upwards until a gigantic pink bud appeared at the top amongst the giant leaves and thick vines. The bud seemed to turn itself out as it bloomed, becoming a two-metre tall rose. Pamela smiled once more.

"Open," Pamela said.

The petals of the rose curved outwards and a vine slithered downwards beside Pamela. Pamela sat on it.

"Lift me up darling."

The vine snaked upwards into the rose and Pamela got down, landing on the rose. Pamela stroked the petals slowly with one hand as she caressed a vine gently with the other.

"Don't worry my babies...You'll be growing all over Gotham by the time Mummy's done purifying it...But first...We'll have to help Kisho with his plans...After all...He's our benefactor. But this part of Kisho's plan I especially enjoy...The imbecile my dears, behind this door is the one that savagely murders so many of your kind just for his own selfish gains...Your brothers, sisters...Parents even...All your relatives...Poor things...Because of him...But don't fret...I'll avenge all of you...He's public enemy number one on Kisho's list apparently..." Pamela said warmly to her green companions.

"Move closer please."

The flurry of plants, supported by roots, moved closer to the door. Pamela put her ear to her door, listening with anticipation.

"I'm going to make sure I find out who disturbed us and make sure that someone gets fired!" The same person in the room exclaimed.

Pamela gave a girlish giggle and whispered in an undertone to the plants, "I'm right here am I not?"

"Oh yeah...Suck it...Suck it harder..." The voice sounded again.

Pamela's grin widened.

There was a groan. Then another. And another.

"Don't stop...Oh yeah..."

Pamela turned to her plants.

"You think I should let him finish?"

The leaves rustled and the vines swayed from side to side.

"I take that as a no then."

Before Pamela could do anything, the door burst open. Two burly bodyguards armed with rifles stood in the doorway. They were shocked by the apparition in front of them; a red-headed beauty sitting on a flower atop an enormous mass of plants.

"Hello boys, welcome to the green." Pamela said seductively, batting her eyelashes.

"What the heck..." One bodyguard said.

"Get them." Pamela said, eyes flashing dangerously.

A flurry of vines and branches flew at the bodyguards before any of them could react, wrapping around them tightly. More vines snaked towards them and winded around their mouths and eyes before any of them made a sound.

"Let's go in shall we?" Pamela suggested to the plants.

The towering mass of plants moved into the room with astounding speed and silence with Pamela still on the flower. Pamela stared at the figures on the bed.

"My...my...What do we have here?" Pamela said.

There was a man. Not really a man, rather a teenager, that looked only seventeen or eighteen. He had a round face with piggish eyes with an all-rounded figure to match; fats, fats and more fats. He sat at the edge of the king-sized bed. There was a beautiful blonde woman with the right figure kneeling on the floor in front of him while a pulchritudinous Asian woman sat beside him with her legs wide open. And all of them were stark naked. The blonde had her mouth over the male's erected private part, going up and down while the male fondled the breasts of the Asian woman, caressing and licking them. All three turned their attention to Pamela at the sound of voice.

"Only two Mr. Linton? I was told you would be in bed with at least ten prostitutes!" Pamela exclaimed with a derisive laugh.

"And who are you? I thought I didn't want to be disturbed!"

Joshua looked at Pamela's curves and face.

"But then again...Perhaps you came to join us? I would love to know you...Inside out.." Joshua said lecherously, eyeing Pamela's breasts.

Pamela gave him a contemptuous stare.

"I see what Kisho meant...But that's not the principle of the matter...The crux is that you and your company have destroyed countless plants with the continuous deforestation...And you will pay for your heinous crimes."

Joshua's lecherous grin faltered.

"Kisho? What Kisho? Who are you? And where are my bodyguards?"

"You know very well which Kisho I'm talking about. As for your bodyguards, they'll be dead pretty soon."

Joshua started ransacking the drawer beside the bed while the other two women huddled together on the bed in fear.

"What are you looking for Mr. Linton? A condom?" Pamela asked, voice filled with mirth.

Joshua rummaged through numerous packets of condoms and wads of money, before producing a handgun. He aimed it at Pamela.

"Answer me. Who are you? What are you talking about?" Joshua asked threateningly.

Pamela sneered. She then held out her palm.

"I want the gun." Pamela said.

Joshua laughed nervously.

"The gun's with me bitch! So you can fucking say goodbye to your life!"

Joshua aimed at Pamela's chest with the handgun which was equipped with a silencer, and pulled the trigger.

Several thick shoots shot up in front of Pamela, deflecting the bullet. The bullet hit the surface of one of the shoots and ricocheted off it, hitting the wall instead. The shoot had been dented. Pamela frowned while Joshua looked on in fear, gun still in his hand.

"Plants stronger than steel...No excuse for damaging them! Get the gun!"

The vines struck Joshua's hand and he cried out as the gun fell out of his hand. Another vine curled around the gun, bringing it to Pamela while more vines wound around Joshua.

"You'll never get away with this bitch!"

"Watch me. Besides, that'll be the least of your concerns soon...Now...You're a murderer...The evidence, fingerprints on the gun...Darling, could you do the honours?"

The vine with the gun aimed and curled tighter around the trigger, until the gun was fired. The blonde prostitute slumped against the wall, a splash of red behind her head. The Asian started screaming but a few vines subdued her easily, tightening around her neck and causing her to die from strangulation in merely under a minute.

"Make sure his fingerprints are around her neck."

The vines carried Joshua near the Asian and pulled his hands towards the woman's neck. Joshua tried to fight but the plants were too strong. Inch by inch, Joshua's hands got closer to the woman's neck and finally, the fingerprints were on her neck.

"You fucking bitch! Release me!" Joshua yelled.

"Oh what a noisy pig..."

Pamela stepped down from the flower and walked over to Joshua. The vines bound Joshua tightly, forcing him to face Pamela as she planted a kiss on his lips.

"A little something to shut you up...Urgh...That was disgusting..." Pamela said as she wiped her lips with the back of her hand.

Joshua barely blinked before he passed out. Pamela sighed.

"Oh my goodness, what a mess...My dears...Could you go to the lift and collect the valet's body? And the others over there, make sure you still have the two bodyguards with you. The three of them are going to be wonderful fertilizer aren't they?"

Pamela leaned back on the petal of the rose and inhaled the fragrant aroma while the unconscious Joshua Linton was swallowed by the seemingly infinite tendrils. She then took a piece of paper from one of her gloves and a pen from her other.

"Now let's see...Joshua Linton done. Oh yeah, make sure you don't smother him my babies. I want him alive, or rather, Kisho wants him alive...Now that's a tick for his name...Who else? Hmm...Dr. Grey? In Arkham Asylum so I guess I'll go there last...Lester...Later...Guo Xin...Of course! Isn't he Haruko's boyfriend...Ah...Haruko...If you had continued following me...The Earth would be at the mercy of Mother Nature by now...Well...I suppose it's time to visit my old apprentice...Haruko-chan..."

Pamela's cellular phone rang. She answered the call.

"Yes? Kisho." Pamela said.

"Mission accomplished Miss Isley. And the evidence has been taken care of. How're things at your side?" Kisho asked.

"Oh...Thoroughly done with Mr. Linton. Anyway, I shall start with Guo Xin next. Is that fine with you?" Pamela said brightly.

"Anything Pamela...I just want my high school reunion..."

2007-06-23T12:25:00.000+08:00

Starting on Chapter 5 thanks to Guo Xin's song "Transylvania". Inspirational trigger! And I used a sentence from Batman TAS episode "Pretty Poison" :).

Chapter 5

"You picked Snow White as a theme?" the boy asked as he picked up an apple and took an enormous bite out of a it.

Pamela gathered the apples on the table and placed them in the basket.

"I guess you could say so Kisho...Does it taste good? I mean they're hollow and filled with hydrogen cyanide gas...That just means that you won't taste much flesh but lots of hydrogen cyanide instead...But with the para-aminopropiophenone cell implants...We're quite immune to it...But not those who will maybe inhibit our next heist." Pamela said with a laugh.

Kisho took another bite, munching with enthusiasm.

"You know, although hydrogen cyanide smells bitter...It's not really bad with apple...Because...Um...The apples you grow taste great and secondly, the taste of hydrogen cyanide blends in quite nicely with the apple juice. Mmm..."

"Ironic haha...And I've to confirm this with you again. You're sure there's a lethal dose of hydrogen cyanide gas in the hollow apples? I don't want anyone to survive you know?"

"I understand Pamela...Don't worry...I tested the levels of Amygdalin in the apples. Very, very high...So that'll mean large amounts of hydrogen cyanide. About 300 parts per million of hydrogen cyanide give or take...That should kill someone in a few minutes...And for the apples...Well basically...The apples are quite safe unless they're subjected to a certain level of impact...But I really must commend you for being able to cultivate apples that contain such a high level of Amygdalin and are hollow! You really are the best horticulturist. But why go to all the trouble when we can just create explosives with hydrogen cyanide?" Kisho asked as he finished the apple.

"Well Kisho...That'll be so not my style and besides...Mother Nature has so much to offer...Apples specially bred will need no resealing, no injecting of hydrogen cyanide...That's more troublesome! With breeding, everything's natural! It was easy to change the Amygdalin's presence to the flesh instead of the seeds and to have hydrogen cyanide produced in the gaseous form...I just tweaked here and there with the enzymes...But the hollow part was rather tricky...But it's all over, and worth it! Now...Help harvest more and fill the basket. We're going to start our little Eden..." Pamela said as her emerald eyes flashed dangerously.

Pamela looked stunning in her usual revealing criminal suit, dark green gloves and boots topped off with a simple straw hat. She walked slowly, hips swaying ostensibly from side to side, as the heels of her boots made contact with the ground, resulting in a sharp tap in Pamela's every step. Kisho followed silently behind Pamela, dressed in light black clothing, with soundless footsteps as if he was gliding across the ground. They arrived at the entrance of the Gotham Botanical Gardens. The massive gate towered over them as they stood in its eerie silhouette caused by the rampant vine growth on it. Kisho inspected the gate and smiled.

"The hinges are rusty. The whole structure is in bad condition. A little explosive could bring it down. So-" Kisho said before he was interrupted.

"We'll do something special tonight. None of mankind's mechanical creations...We'll do this the green way. Behold...My growth formula...Ah...Pardon the drama..." Pamela said with amusement.

She took out a small vial from inside one of her dark green gloves and another from beneath her suit at her chest and Kisho grimaced when he saw that.

"Ewww...Must you put it in your bra?" Kisho asked in a disgusted voice.

Pamela just giggled.

"Oh you sound exactly like Harley! I don't wear bra by the way but better safe than sorry! Harley was never very careful...And that's why she..." Pamela said as her voice turned into a whisper.

Pamela dried her moist eyes with her gloves than smoothened out her suit.

"I'm sorry. That was most unprofessional of me." Pamela said as she sniffed.

"You loved her didn't you? Harley?" Kisho asked softly.

"She was my only human friend...Other than plants of course...She didn't deserve to die...She was so young...Oh but Batman just had to meddle..." Pamela said as her eyes narrowed.

A memory tingled in her mind and showed itself.

"Red? Are you sure breaking into Wayne Corporation is such a good idea? I mean you worked here? Quite obvious looking at the stuff you're gonna steal? And what if Batsy comes?"

"Oh Harley...Batman...So insignificant...No match for my perfume..." Pamela said as she gathered a few bottles of cyanide and boxes of ammonium nitrate.

"Harley? Can you load this bottle of cyanide into your gun? We'll be prepared just in case..." Pamela said as she handed the bottle to Harley.

"Aww...Red...I wanna use my extendable boxing glove. Pretty please?" Harley pleaded, a megawatt smile on her face.

Pamela sighed and gave a nod of approval. They finished putting the last of the bottles into Harley's handbag and almost reached the exit when the alarm sounded.

"Drats! Harley! Whatever happened?" Pamela shouted.

"Oopsy? Haha..." Harley said with a weak smile as she held up a tripwire.

Pamela rolled her eyes and took out a bottle of cyanide, wielding it in her hand just as two police officers burst into the room.

"Freeze! Nobody move!" One policed officer shouted.

Pamela threw the bottle at the police officers. One of them raised his arm to deflect the blow and the bottle crashed onto the ground. The bottle smashed into pieces as its contents flowed out. Harley launched the boxing glove and the other police officer was thrown back into a wall as the boxing glove struck her. The other police officer started coughing as he inhaled the cyanide fumes. Pamela gave him a vicious uppercut and a kick in the groin while Harley threw a smoke grenade on the ground. The police officers coughed even more violently in the mixture of chlorosulphuric acid and cyanide as Harley and Pamela made their escape.

A flash of black. A large shadow was cast over them. A soft thud. The Batman narrowed his eyes. Pamela smirked.

"A late-night rendezvous? To what do I owe the honour Batman?" Pamela asked mockingly.

"Harley and Ivy. You'll both soon have the honour of staying in Arkham."

"What makes you so sure Batsy?" Harley shouted as she launched the boxing glove.

The Batman leaped and avoided the attack with ease. Pamela produced a thorny whip from her boot and lashed out at the Batman as he landed behind them. The Batman parried Pamela's lashes with his arm guards and threw a batarang in Pamela's direction. Pamela raised her arm, preparing to strike again but the keen projectile sliced her weapon into half. Harley launched her boxing glove again and this time, it hit. The Batman flew backwards several feet as Pamela took out an abnormally large aerosol.

"You'll pay for doing that to my precious vine Batman!" Pamela said with rage as she squirted a liberal amount of hydrochloric acidic mist at the Batman.

The Batman shielded himself with his cape but the concentrated acidic mist dissolved part of the cape and his suit, searing his flesh. The Batman flinched in agony just as Harley dealt another severe blow to him with her extendable boxing glove, causing him to fall onto the ground. Pamela dropped a bottle of cyanide onto the ground, shattering the glass and causing the lethal cyanide fumes to rise up from the slowly-forming puddle of cyanide. The Batman started coughing violently as he inhaled the fumes. Pamela blew a kiss at him and laughed.

"Ah...The Batman incapacitated...At our mercy...How long have I dreamt of this..." Pamela said, circling the Batman languorously.

The Batman tried to get up and lifted an arm but Pamela put a foot onto his chest.

"Ivy...Police..." The Batman mumbled, looking behind Pamela.

"Oh the police officers? The cyanide and acidic smokescreen should stop them...And don't bother trying to move Batman...The last kiss I blew was a paralyzant. Now...For the coup de grace...A corporeal kiss...To seal your fate..." Pamela said slowly, puckering her lips for a kiss.

Pamela crouched down and leaned forward.

"What perfect physique Batman...Your figure certainly matches mine..." Pamela said with delight as she leaned forward more, lips touching the Batman's.

"Red!"

There was a shout. The sound of a gunshot. Pamela paused, lips still locked with the Batman's.

Harley crumpled, the patch of red stemming from the left side of her chest was slowly spreading wider and wider.

"Red..." Harley said for the second time, the first being a shout.

Pamela watched aghast from the side of her eyes. Her peripheral vision was not excellent but what she she saw was enough to make her blood run cold. Tears started streaming down her face as she broke her kiss with the Batman.

"Harley!" Pamela screamed, running over to her body.

A police officer stood at the entrance to the building of Wayne Corporation, holding a pistol in his hand still aimed in Pamela's direction as smoke drifted from the barrel of the pistol. He coughed and gasped before the effects of cyanide poisoning overwhelmed him, killing him.

Pamela witnessed the police officer's death and her sharp mind deduced what happened.

The shout. The gunshot. Harley.

The bullet had been meant for her, to stop her from planting her deadly kiss on the Batman. But Harley had shielded her, with her own body, and it cost her her life. Harley had tried to warn her but it was too late. And she used the only last resort she could, sacrificing herself.

Pamela clasped Harley's hands in hers. They felt frighteningly icy. Harley looked pale.

"Harley...Hang on...I'll save you...I'll think of something...You said I was the best botanist didn't you? Just don't die yet Harley...I'll find a plant...I'll help you..." Pamela said in between sobs, holding Harley in a tight embrace.

Harley smiled.

"Red...I had gotten over the Joker long ago...I'm no fool...I used to be a psychiatrist...I realised it was just infatuation...The one...I really love...Is you Red...You..." Harley said, with ostensible difficulty as she articulated each word.

"I love you too Harley...I had always loved you...Just wait for me...I'll find a cure...The immunity serum I gave you...I can try to change it...Make it something to give you immortality...Just hang on Harley...I'll do anything...We can go beg Ra's Al Ghul...I'll be his slave...So you can use his Lazarus Pits...Yes...I'll go now...Oh Harley..." Pamela whispered comfortingly.

"Red...Promise you won't forget me..." Harley said, smiling as she closed her eyes and a teardrop rolled down her rosy cheek.

"I won't...Harley...Harley? Harley?" Pamela screamed, tears cascading down literally.

Pamela carried Harley in her arms. She could hear sirens, then another gunshot, a burning sensation in her chest and then everything went black.

"Pamela? Pamela? The growth serum...Do I pour it or what? Pamela?" Kisho asked.

Pamela snapped back to the present. A teardrop fell.

"Yea-Yeah? Pardon? I was reminiscing, sorry."

"I asked how should I use this serum of yours?" Kisho repeated.

Pamela rubbed her reddened eyes.

"Oh just pour them on the vines. On the roots."

"Okey-dokey."

"I'm so sorry Harley...But I'll avenge you...The entire world's population will pay at the expense of your death..." Pamela said in an undertone.

"Sorry?"

"Nothing...Just mumbling to myself about imperfections in the serum..."

A flurry of vines sprouted from the tip of every leaf of the initial vines on the gate. All the vines snaked their way up the gate as their roots planted themselves in the ground firmly. The vines continued to shoot up, lifting the gate into the air, pulling it from its hinges.

Pamela smiled at the phenomenal sight.

"Now...Let me show you something I discovered during my stay in Arkham..." Pamela said, clearly please with herself.

Pamela stroked the plant softly.

"Spread yourselves out...Slowly...We don't anyone suspecting you do we?"

Tne vines curled up and snaked across the gate, spreading out evenly. When the last of the rustling of leaves was heard, the gate was back in its original position held up by the vines that spread across it.

"Good work my babies...This way...When they open the gate the next morning...They'll think the gate just needs maintenance. No suspicion of foul play..."

Kisho watched in awe, mouth agape.

"Oh, my, god...Telepathic plant control..."

"No Kisho silly...I can...communicate with the plants...Not control...Now, let's collect all the species of plants here..."

The both of them went around collecting seeds of plant species ranging from some of the rarest to the most common weeds. In the event whereby there were no seeds, they took the entire plant altogether. They continued throughout the night without fatigue, stamina, strength and agility enhanced by Pamela's plant extracts.

The first rays of sunlight filtered through the clouds, signaling the arrival of dawn. Pamela and Kisho finally finished and they approached the gate. Pamela greeted it.

"Good morning my dears! Now my hands are a little full...So could you open the gate for me and then close it after I leave?" Pamela asked the vines.

The vines responded by moving away from Pamela towards a tree. The vines coiled around the tree at one end and grasped the gate at the other. The vines then started to curl, pulling the gate away from Pamela.

"Thank you." Pamela said sweetly.

Kisho continued watching even after they left the compound as the vines started their work of returning the gate to its original position.

Kisho ran after Pamela.

"Wait up! Now that's something you don't see everyday..."

"Oh don't worry...I promise we'll be seeing much of this in the days to come...Gotham - My Poison Paradise! Now get the plants and seeds into the car..."

2007-06-09T21:36:00.000+08:00

Writing this chapter after watching Agent Cody Banks rerun on channel 5. Just realised my writing needs triggers or emotional outbursts. So it helps if I'm a wreck. So...I guess I'll continue being depressed...Oh yeah, Guo Xin doesn't wear glasses in my story (As requested by himself) so don't laugh or do other crappy stuff.

Chapter 4

"Miss Isley?" the boy called as he gestured towards the table.

Pamela surveyed her surroundings. They were in some kind of special operations room it seemed. Pamela started exploring. There was more apparently to the seemingly small room. She moved on, fingers moving across the black walls until they found a depression. Pamela applied a reasonable amount of pressure to the depression and waited. There was a grinding noise as Pamela stepped backwards. The wall seemed to split into two, revealing a second room which appeared to be a laboratory.

"Pressure pads I suppose?" Pamela commented as she turned towards the boy with a wry smile on her face.

The boy just smiled thinly as he beckoned towards Pamela.

"You are certainly gifted Miss Isley. You do have some sharp eyes over there. Anyway, here are the weapons I designed." the boy said as he picked up a metallic contraption of some kind.

"Interesting...I must say you're quite the genius yourself."

Pamela inspected the gadgets in front of her. She nodded in approval as the boy started the introduction.

"Firstly, this little bangle here...Made of titanium, tinted with emerald. Titanium isn't quite the strongest metal but well we'll make do with its good strength to weight ratio. Now for how to use it...It projects these tiny darts here at an astounding speed...Just slightly slower than a pistol firing a bullet...Around six hundred feet per second or thereabouts. And it even reloads by itself upon pushing this trigger here. The darts are made of plant mass and are thus biodegradable. They are stronger than steel but very light which make them extremely lethal. There are different sizes and of course there are hollow darts for poisons...These larger darts over here are for injuring rather than poisoning and yeah, for the smaller hollow ones, you get the idea..."

Pamela picked up the miniature crossbow curiously, then looked at the darts arranged in rows in front of her.

"Can I test this?" Pamela asked as she tried on the lethal bangle.

The boy gave a quick nod and then waved for Pamela's attention before he continued.

"Next...Some Teflon-coated nails over here." the boy said as he held up a stick-on nail.

"You can decorate them in whatever way you want, although that's not all of course...These nails are hollow and contain minuscule capsules with hydrofluoric acid in them...So if you want to destroy any evidence in a jiffy, just apply pressure to the nails then break them. The nails are coated with Teflon both on the inside and outside to prevent the hydrofluoric acid from corroding the nails so just break them and the acid will seep out. There's a reasonable amount of hydrofluoric acid there so you'll have enough acid to corrode a weapon or maybe a hand...Oh yes! You'll need another cell implant...Calcium lactate gluconate I believe...In order to immunise yourself from the hydrofluoric acid."

"Interesting...An abrasive touch...I believe I can smear the acid on my fingers and I'll be fine?" Pamela asked excitedly.

"Certainly Miss Isley...Sorry if you think I'm intruding into your privacy but...What's gotten into you? You seem to have become...Deflated? No longer...the arrogant woman I knew..."

"I-I...I'm behaving like...Myself! This has always been me-" Pamela stopped midsentence.

She looked at the table surface, her reflection.

What have I become...I only wanted Nature to win the war against Man...To make the world a better place...But now...I...I...How? Is this me? Poisoning? I must be mad...No! I'm not the crazy one here...The humans are! Not me! Poisoning...Ha! They are the ones...polluting waters with those filthy poisons...clouding the skies with dangerous vapours...ridding the land of precious plants...Man harbours desire...and therein lies the problem...The insatiable desire which threatens to consume the whole of Mother Nature...I will stop them...Just like the toxicodendron radicans...Just like Poison Ivy...Just like me...

"I'm sorry Miss Isley, I never should have asked."

"Not at all...I finally...realized my roots..." Pamela replied icily.

"Glad to know that. We'll need to acquire some calcium gluconate." the boy said with a hint of unease in his voice.

"Before we start working together officially, I need to know about the proposition. Go on, entice me." Pamela said, voice turning fearfully sweet.

"Yes Miss Isley...The proposition...Here's the deal, I'm planning...revenge on some...old friends of mine...And I'll be needing your expertise in Botany to assist me in my plans. If you agree, I'll restore to you to your former glory or even more and after my little vengeance, perhaps I could help you in your environmental escapades in the future. So, interested?"

"Sealed...Our partnership...Sealed..." Pamela said gleefully as she looked around.

"Good...So, what are we waiting for? Let's get you powered up and I'll give you a tour of my place." the boy said as he offered Pamela an arm.

"The pleasure is mine." Pamela replied as she took his arm.

"Guo Xin...Are you sure moving back to Gotham was such a good idea?" the girl asked as she shook her head and flung her lustrous black hair backwards.

"Sweetie...You live here...And I wanna meet your parents. Besides, it would be great if we could live together and stuff. But first your parents' consent and probably after we're married..." the boy replied as he slid an arm around the girl comfortingly.

"Please Guo Xin, I'm stressed enough now to not think about marriage. My parents...Not to mention the murders...My murders..." the girl trailed off as she fought a sob.

"Come on now...We've gone through this...We'll forget the past okay? Start anew...Make amends! I'll do anything to make you feel better! And you must remember what you did was for the environment! And you were brilliant when you stopped the other poisonings! As for Mister Hayashi and his company...Well...Like I said, for the environment...So cheer up won't you?" the boy pleaded.

Haruko Takaharucho nodded, then smiled weakly. Guo Xin always had an optimistic point view and he never failed to cheer her up. Haruko was sixteen and had flawless skin that was free of any blemishes and quite the model figure. Her inky black waist-length hair was let down at the moment to exhibit its pristine lustre as it swayed from side to side. She had a pretty porcelain face with large sparkling eyes, a tiny nose and little sweet lips. She looked like something that came out from an anime or manga with a violet blouse and black mini-skirt.

"I'm glad you're by my side Guo Xin...I wouldn't know what to do without you...Without you...I wouldn't even be here...I would be poisoning even more people..." Haruko confessed, voice trembling.

Guo Xin smiled encouragingly at her. He didn't care about Haruko's past misdeeds. The only thing he cared about was her. He knew she had a good heart despite the crimes she had committed. After all, those crimes were in the name of Mother Nature. Haruko only wanted to save the environment.

I can't believe I've got such a great girlfriend...She's kind, good-natured and all...Not to mention good-looking...

Guo Xin himself at eighteen years old was quite the looker too. He was tall, muscular with a lean build and had long black hair that resulted in a slanted fringe at his forehead and a hairstyle that matched those of characters in Japanese cartoons. His face was long with intense black eyes and a prominent chin. He could consider modelling as a career alongside Haruko if not for the fact that he had to carry his father's legacy. He was even defined "cute" by those lovestruck girls at his school.

"So...Have you heard from your brother?" Guo Xin asked casually.

Haruko stiffened.

"No. Why do you ask?" she asked without emotion.

"No it's just...You know meeting your parents and all that family stuff...Don't tell me you've forgotten him..."

Haruko shot him a dirty look and snatched a copy of The Gotham Express from a newspaper stand and slammed a few coins onto it.

"My step-brother for your information! And in case you've forgotten, he almost caused my mother's death by severing ties with her and then running away from home! Not to mention he poisoned Dad! I tried playing nice! I begged him again and again to stay! So we could be one family again! But no, he even tried to poison me!" Haruko retorted, clearly exasperated.

Guo Xin was momentarily stunned at seeing his normally reserved girlfriend suddenly blow her top.

"Hey calm down...I was just asking. So...Have you heard from him?"

"Well no! What do you think? The next time he returns, he'll probably be trying to poison me with another of his devious creations!" Haruko shouted, causing a few passers-by to look curiously at the both of them.

Guo Xin looked around and smiled at the passers-by.

"Bad hair day! Sorry!" Guo Xin yelled to the passers-by and then turned back to Haruko.

"I guess it runs in the family huh?"

"What are you suggesting?" Haruko replied threateningly with a scowl.

"No! I mean the brains! Your parents are doctors...You're a chemist...And your brother...Something to do with genetics right? And all with very impressive degrees from Princeton, Harvard...Don't be mad okay? I'll stop probing if you're angry with me mentioning him"

Haruko took a deep breath and adjusted her hair.

"You're right...It does run in the family...A little too much...I'm sorry for overreacting...It's just, just that I feel responsible for him...Responsible for the state of my family now...And now meeting my parents...It's just too much..." Haruko replied with a sigh.

"It's all going to be fine love. Don't pressurize yourself too much. It's just visiting. It's not like your step-brother's going to come and poison you or something..."

"Yeah...I guess so..."

Haruko turned to the newspaper. The headlines were splashed across the first page in large type.

"POISON IVY KILLED IN GUARD SCUFFLE DURING VISIT! VISITOR MISSING BUT PRESUMED DEAD!"

"Looks like we spoke too soon Guo Xin...What are the chances that Poison Ivy dies in a guard scuffle...And that visitor..."

"I don't know...If Poison Ivy uses the same cell implant technology as you and you couldn't remove them all..."

"The asylum doctors wouldn't be able to as well...The imperfections would mean..."

Realization dawned on both of them.

"Poison Ivy retained some of her implants." Guo Xin said.

"Then it would be impossible that she died...It looks like...My step-brother's back in town..." Haruko said in a hushed whisper.

The laboratory attendant of the laboratories of Sandoz pharmaceuticals was giving one of the laboratories a final check to see if everything was in order and accounted for. Those checks of unspeakable tedium were what the attendant hated most about the job. They were the reason that the attendant had to stay past midnight before he could leave. This particular check was the source of his frustration as he walked to and fro the lab. He was about to check the last batch of chemicals when he heard two sharp knocks. The attendant was irritated and confused at the same time as he peered at the door.

Who can be bloody knocking at this bloody hour and how did whoever it is bloody get past security?

"Who's there?" the attendant called out.

"Poison."

"Poison?" the attendant asked in puzzlement.

The attendant was confused even further. He stopped his checking and moved towards the door. However, there was a small explosion at the door and then a bang as the door came crashing down. The attendant was thrown backwards by the force as he raised his arms across his face in reflex. A woman of incredible beauty dressed in a bright green suit walked into the laboratory followed by a teenager in overalls with a cap tilted in such a way that his face was covered.

"Good evening Mr. Baxter. We've come for a little something - Calcium gluconate. Now if you would kindly just get it for us." the boy said.

"What the heck? Who are you people? You can't just blow down a door down and request for chemicals!"

"Awww...But you answered wrongly...After I said 'Poison', you should have said 'Poison who?'. But you didn't...So I had to end my little joke...Don't you know 'knock knock who's there' jokes?" Pamela said in sing-song voice.

"I don't give a damn about your bloody jokes!"

"I fear I have to experiment Mr. Baxter." the boy said and the attendant's eyes widened in fear.

"What-What are you gonna do to me?"

Pamela did not answer him and neither did the boy. Pamela raised her arm and fired at the guard. The dart flew through the air and landed in the attendant's neck. The attendant gave an exclamation of pain before plucking out the dart and throwing it on the ground.

"What was that you...you fiends!" the guard shouted apprehensively.

"Just a recent creation of mine...Something...to turn you on...and off..." the boy replied devilishly.

"Oh, you added the anthrax?" Pamela asked, evident surprise on her face.

"Incorporated would be a better word. It was difficult but I got it eventually...And now...the show begins...You haven't seen its effects Pamela?"

"I was in the morgue...In any case you have forgotten..." Pamela answered dully.

"Doesn't really matter actually...You can see it now..." the boy said as he moved over to the attendant and started undressing him.

The tubocurarine started infiltrating the attendant's muscles as it did its paralysis job. At the same time, the boy's new and improved aphrodisiac started its work as arousal crept slowly over the attendant.

"I'm calling security!" the attendant yelled as he reached into his pocket for the walkie-talkie and pressed a red button.

The whole compound was suddenly filled with the sound of wailing sirens. A look of fear flickered over Pamela's face but the boy just stood beside her unfazed.

"The tubocurarine wasn't fast enough then...But you'll pay for that!" Pamela growled.

For a moment, Pamela actually looked nervous but it was not long before a her creased brow smoothened as she broke into a smile.

"I almost forgot...I'm Poison Ivy...Security...It doesn't really matter, does it?"

Just then, the two security guards armed with revolvers burst into the room, aiming their guns at Pamela and the boy. They looked at the fully-paralysed attendant lying motionless and stark naked by a table, then back at Pamela and the boy.

"What's going on here?" one of the guards asked.

"Aren't you that Poison Ivy? You're supposed to be dead!" the other exclaimed.

Pamela smiled at them. The boy stepped back as Pamela advanced towards the guards. She took out a bottle of perfume and gave herself a few quick sprays. She then stuck out her hands together.

"Arrest me! I've realised the err of my ways...I know I've done a lot of wrong in the past...But now I'm going to make up for it!" Pamela said with sheer determination.

"You better not try any tricks. I'm warning you!" One of the guards said while the other took out handcuffs.

The boy crouched over the laboratory attendant and applied some lip balm onto the attendant's lips.

This should free you up a little for distraction...And make sure that you keep silent...Not that you can speak in your current...sexual situation...Haha...

"Help! Help!" the boy screamed as the attendant started gasping heavily in between moans.

This diverted the attention of the two security guards as they looked at the commotion. They looked at the apparently flustered boy who was clutching the attendant. They looked at the guard who was in agony and then at his erection. They stood there for a few seconds before turning back to Pamela. They looked at Pamela angrily, guns aimed at her.

"What did you do!" one guard asked furiously.

"Oh nothing...Just added a little love to his life...Like my perfume?" Pamela asked.

"I've no time for games!" the other guard shouted as he held Pamela's hands, preparing to handcuff her.

"Now...You won't handcuff me..." Pamela said with a sneer.

The guard made a choking noise as he grabbed his neck. He clawed at his neck for a few seconds before he collapsed. The other guard just looked in shock. He turned back, about to pull the trigger of his gun before he collapsed as well. Suddenly, there was a primitive roar as the attendant ejaculated. The tepid liquid spurted out of the tip of the attendant's erection and landed on the guard's chest, dripping down slowly. The guard smiled weakly, gasping, before his head lolled over.

Pamela shrugged her shoulders and flashed a smile in the boy's direction.

"Well, I am to die for..." Pamela said, smiling evilly.

"So now what? I haven't got enough acid to destroy all the evidence." the boy said.

"I'll worry about that...Just get whatever chemicals we need and let me have a look at your bag of tricks." Pamela answered as she looked at the dead bodies in front of her, clearly amused.

The boy went around the laboratory, gathering the required chemicals while Pamela looked through the boy's rucksack for anything of use. Pamela got it in an instant.

"You know...When we used Caesium to blow up the door's hinges...You think we can use it to blow up the laboratory?" Pamela asked.

"Definitely...And we've got plenty of it since this is a laboratory!" the boy said brightly.

"Good. The more the merrier...Come on! Let's get to work! To blow this place up!" Pamela exclaimed with a laugh.

"But where do we get enough water? And to escape in time?" the boy enquired.

Pamela smiled, having thought of this earlier. She searched among the pile of the attendant's clothing and found a packet of cigarettes and a lighter.

"We'll use the sprinklers. I'll just need to start this pile of clothes burning and soon the smoke will get to the sprinklers...And by then, we'll be long gone...Haha!" Pamela replied.

"That. Is. Genius." the boy said, voice filled with admiration.

Soon, the Caesium was distributed accordingly and placed strategic locations. Pamela lighted the attendant's boxers and dropped them onto the other clothes. Pamela just laughed and exited the room.

"Fire in the hole!" the boy yelled as he hurried after Pamela.

2007-05-28T22:18:00.000+08:00

Sorry if this chapter is a little disturbing. Crossing my writing boundaries. And loving it. Viewer discretion advised!

Chapter 3

The boy stared, eyes never blinking as he dropped two more drops into the concoction. He could hear it hissing and saw fumes rising out of the beaker.

Now that should be about it. Just needs a little of this and that for the final touch...

The concoction consisted of the Atlas aphrodisiac, along with many other natural aphrodisiacs. Extracts from Turnera Diffusa, Piper Methysticum, Eryngium Maritimum...As for the final touch, modified strychnine from the Strychnos nux vomica and concentrated Atlas. The whole concoction had finally been perfected. So deadly...It only affected men but the boy had already been immunised by injecting himself with the last of the antidote. No doubt this was one of the most brilliant of the boy's creations, but also one of the sickest. No, most perverted would be the correct way to put it. So very interesting the boy thought. He had to test it though. The effects, known to him, were only hypothetical. He needed to see the real deal, a live specimen, though the specimen would not be alive for long. The boy laughed softly to himself. Ah, the irony of it...

"So, how's school?" Si Heng asked.

How does he look so great even when he's got spaghetti sauce all over his mouth and talking at the same time?

Debbie sighed as she looked on.

"Hello? Earth to Debbie?" Si Heng said, raising his voice a little as he waved his hands in front of her eyes.

"Er, yeah what?" Debbie's train of thoughts halted abruptly.

"Penny for your thoughts? You were like...In space?" Si Heng smiled.

"Oh nothing, just admiring the view."

Si Heng raised an eyebrow. The only scenery around them was the litter-laden road and a wilted potted plant beside their table.

"Uh huh...The view you say? What exactly?"

Debbie's face reddened slightly as she realised her wrong choice of words.

"Oh shutup and eat your food." Her face turned a deeper shade of red as she realised her second mistake.

"In case you haven't noticed...We've finished our food. What's wrong with you today?" A mixture of concern and amusement spread across Si Heng's face.

Debbie just stared downwards, pondering her next response just in case she made another blunder. Thankfully, the waiter came to collect the bill.

"Signore. La fattura, per favore." the waiter requested in Italian.

Debbie intervened, recognising this as her escape route.

"Sì! Sì! Qui..." Debbie answered in her rusty Italian as she fumbled with her wallet before producing a credit card.

"Grazie Signora!" The waiter replied as he accepted it and made payment through it before returning it.

Si Heng had always been impressed with Debbie's linguistic skills. Her English was best but the rest...Chinese, Italian, French, German, Korean...No doubt she was never good in any of the other languages she knew but comprehension to a conversational extent was enough. Then realisation hit him. He had just let a woman pay for his meal! What an outrage of his dignity! He looked up and raised his hand, in an attempt to stop the waiter. But he stopped in midair as he realised that he could not speak Italian. So this was not his element...Debbie was looking at him across the table, smiling as if she were enjoying every minute of his incapability of speech. Ah, she won this time but he would forestall her the next.

Debbie silently breathed a sigh of relief as she observed Si Heng. He seemed to have momentarily forgotten about her strange behaviour. Did he? Well at least he stopped probing. She would never have confessed to Si Heng or at least, not yet. She had to leave fast though before Si Heng regained track of the conversation.

"Erm I have to go now. Some Lester Gibe wants to see me regarding some advertising stuff."

"Haha. Gibe? What sort of last name is that? Gibe as in Mock? Now that's a good one. And what? Advertising? Whoa...Going global now are we? You go girl! I have to go soon anyway. Training in the evening and I've to study anyway. See you around."

"Yeah, see you around I guess."

Si Heng turned to leave. Debbie gazed after him until he became a tiny pinprick in the distance. She was actually keen to end their rendezvous earlier...She couldn't believe it...

I guess my fear of confession is far greater than I anticipated...

She had to confess one day anyway. This was what Chloe, her sole confidante told her. And deep down inside, she knew it.

Jack Stillmore looked at his watch. Eleven fifty. Great, his shift ended at midnight and there was approximately, ten minutes left. He shivered as he clutched his jacket closer to his body. Working in a morgue meant being subjected to a frigid climate. Not to mention he worked six days a week nine to five with Sundays off. He was grateful he had not turned into a human ice cube after his first week. He glanced downwards at his body.

What perfect physique...What chance does a little cold stand against me? Against my firm chest? Or my bulging abs?

Looking at himself always brought him warmth, a sense of accomplishment. He had sculpted his allegedly perfect physique by working out at the gym three times a day for two hours each time for a whole year after which he slackened. He now worked out for two hours every night to maintain his body and stay in shape. But the warmth a sense of accomplishment provided had its limits. He was working in a morgue. Although he worked at the reception counter, providing assistance to visitors and guarding the entrance to the rooms that held the corpses. He always carried a Beretta 92FS semi-automatic pistol with him in his jacket but he knew he would probably never use it. The entrance to the morgue itself was heavily guarded. Three government agents who were professional, armed and dangerous. Stringent security checks were conducted before anyone was admitted into the morgue and authorisation had to be acquired prior to the visit.

The doors swung open. The guard's head turned instinctively towards the stimulus. It was a boy. No, a teenager upon closer inspection. Jack was bewildered. A teenager was hardly the correct person to swagger in at this hour. Jack decided that the guards outside probably were skiving off the job or insane to allow this nobody to strut in. He walked around the counter and in front of the boy, cutting off his access to the rooms that harboured the corpses.

"Excuse me? May I have a look at your authorisation slip? And I'm afraid your visit will be delayed as i need to conduct further interrogation and checks."

"Oh yeah sure. Whatever." the boy said casually as he knelt down and set his bag on the floor.

The boy rummaged through his plethora of belongings before producing a legitimate-looking document. Jack gave a curt nod and reached out to take it. His hand made contact with the document, just as he felt a sharp pain at his wrist. He dropped the paper and withdrew his arm for closer observation. He noticed a tiny pinprick on the underside of his hand almost at his wrist. A drop of blood was gathering.

"Ooopsy. Shouldn't have left syringes lying around..." the boy said, smiling weakly.

"Why you little...What was that?" the guard shouted.

"Not too loud now, you might wake the dead...You'll join them soon anyway."

Instinct and reflex kicked in as soon as the guard's brain processed the words. The guard reached into his jacket for his pistol.

"Not so fast." the boy said as he struck out at the centre of the guard's throat with two fingers.

The guard lost all sensation immediately.

"Pressure points...Wondrous aren't they? Don't worry, this paralysis is only temporal. It'll buy me enough time to do this."

The boy reached downwards and scratched the guard's cheek in one swift motion, leaving a scarlet line behind. The edge of the nail had been laden with tubocurarine that the boy had secreted. He sucked his finger.

"Hmm, not quite sweet enough...Anyway..."

He pushed the guard lightly and there was a thud as the guard hit the floor. The guard's eyes widened as he made an inarticulate choking noise.

"Don't bother talking. Tubocurarine. It's a muscle relaxant. You notice that its effects take place very rapidly. First the external body...And finally, your intercostal muscles. But I haven't administered enough to kill you. You probably be in a state of paralysis for forty minutes...Now...This is the highlight of tonight..."

The boy traced the scarlet line on the guard's cheek where blood was starting to coagulate.

"You asked me what was in the syringe? That was my new and improved aphrodisiac. It is very potent...Shouldn't take long now before you...experience it...You're gonna love it..."

The guard gave a silent scream, fear evident in his eyes. The boy noticed this and gave a dangerously sweet smile.

"Oh don't worry. I'm sure this will be most pleasurable for...your kind..."

The guard's breathing started to hasten. His heartbeats getting more rapid. Blood was rushing to lower midsection. Adrenaline was pumping throughout his body. The boy frowned, then decided. He walked forward and dropped a drop of the tubocurarine antidote into the guard's wound on his face. The guard's body seemed to tense but still lay still. The guard blinked. He could move his mouth as well.

"I should at least give you the privilege of speech...Before you...ejaculate..."

"You fucking son of a bitch! Release me!" the guard yelled.

"Be silent or I have something here that will make you lose your voice!" the boy snapped irritably as he waved his middle finger threateningly.

"Fuck off and-"

The guard was cut off in midsentence. His mouth had turned dry. He started...to moan. The guard's penis, was enlarging at an alarming rate. The guard was sweating profusely. The guard was getting harder.

"Oh god...Fuck...Ahh..." the guard said as he looked down at his engorged shaft beneath his jeans.

"Hmm interesting..." the boy said as he observed his experimental subject.

"Are you enjoying this?" the boy enquired.

"Shit...Hell yeah...No! Stop it! Ahh..." the guard replied incoherently.

The boy smiled. Everything was going according to his hypothesis. As each second passed, the guard's penis would become even more erect, until it was erected at its fullest.

The guard couldn't take it. His phallus was so hard it was hurting. He needed an ejaculation badly.

"Please...I need to cum..." the guard moaned, breathing heavily.

"I'm afraid it won't be so easy...You see...I added an...extra ingredient to the concoction - strychnine. Mind you, not chemical X. Strychinie causes muscle contractions...And in this case, I modified it to affect your pubococcygeus muscle. In case you were wondering, that's the muscle that controls the release of urine and seminal fluid. Many think that it can only be used to hold back urine but since both semen and urine share the same passage, it can be used to hold back semen. It's just that when one feels like he's going to ejaculate, he doesn't stop. He wants...the pleasure. So how does this feel? You must feel terrible...Feeling very aroused...You feel like ejaculating...And yet you can't...But it'll be over soon, I promise." the boy replied, laughing evilly.

"Oh god...This is killing me...Help...Please..." the guard continued.

The boy moved forward and removed the guard's jeans and underwear. The guard relaxed a little.

"That feels better doesn't it? But my little aphrodisiac is diligent. Just wait."

The guard's naked member stood up erect to its fullest, emanating heat. And yet, the strychnine did its job. The guard screamed for mercy, for solace. He screamed for god, for sex.

"Lust dear...Is very powerful..." the boy strode over to the guard's side. He leaned down and poured the remaining antidote onto the guard's cheek.

The guard regained movement. He writhed on the ground as he used one of his hands for leverage to support himself. He wrapped his other hand around his enormous erection and started to masturbate. His breathing slowed as he gave a few groans of relief. The boy looked on, apparently very entertained. He laughed once again.

"I wouldn't have done that if I were you...Masturbation...Only quickens the effect of my aphrodisiac...Not long now..."

The guard was jolted out of his trance. He fumbled for his gun. But it was too late. The pubococcygeus muscle shattered and gave way. The guard screamed in agony and pleasure as a mixture of seminal fluid and blood shot out of the tip of his erection repeatedly in quick succession. He moaned and groaned as he continued ejaculating. He was exhausted as he slumped backwards, gasping for air as his penis started shrinking.

"How was that?" the boy asked teasingly.

"That...that was the best fucking cum of my life..."

"Dang! Wrong answer! That was the last!" the boy replied brightly.

With that, he emptied a cylinder of several black particles onto his palm and blew into the guard's face.

"Oh yeah, for your information, that was anthrax. Happy dying!" the boy exclaimed before entering the room for corpses.

The guard's expression turned into one of fear and then anger as he heard the boy's words. He wielded his pistol in his hand and stood up, still half-naked. He took two steps forward, attempting to venture into the other room to take the boy's life. Left, right, his legs moved before he started gasping and collapsed. He clutched his chest, massaging it in between gasps. He started crawling forward. He barely reached the doors before he bled to death internally.

The boy turned back and checked on the guard's corpse.

"Hmmm...I guess I'll have to fix the aphrodisiac...It doesn't kill...Well, I'll think of something. Ha...The need for sex...Ends one's life...Oh well, have to clean up."

The boy exited the morgue and dragged the bodies of the three government agents into the morgue. He walked to the reception counter and checked the records for Pamela Isley's name. He found it and proceeded on into the room with corpses. He found Pamela lying on a table in just a few minutes. He took a out a syringe from his pocket and injected the contents into Pamela Isley. She began to stir.

"Rise and shine. Miss Isley."

Pamela rubbed her eyes and rose.

"Took you long enough." she snapped.

"I need your help Miss Isley. There are four bodies I need to leave frozen here."

Pamela agreed grudgingly and the both of them carried the four bodies inside together.

"Someone will notice. You can't hide them forever." Pamela pointed out.

"You know very well this is a morgue Miss Isley. A morgue. There are so many corpses...It will be a very long time before anyone will ever find their bodies. Now heave."

Finally, the four bodies were hidden in storage compartments of negative twenty-five degrees Celsius. Four in hundreds in the morgue.The boy dusted his hands.

"All done. Now you'll have to come with me. I've designed a few weapons for you. And you will need your cell implants back."

"Weapons? And the cell implants. You know they're vulnerable. They can be broken down. And...I don't want to relive being poisoned by myself again..." Pamela said as she shuddered.

"Don't worry. Like you said, Mother Nature always evolves. She always does..."

2007-05-19T21:51:00.000+08:00

Chapter 2

"Debbie Homings, nice to meet you. And you are?"

"Lester Gibe, nice to meet you too."

Debbie Homings was pretty much the average 17 year old. With a golden brown tan, fine facial features, shoulder length hair and a body that was rather developed for her age, she looked stunning for her age. But she was currently dressed in a singlet and shorts that clung to her skin as she was drenched to the skin with sweat. That definitely made her seem less appealing. She wiped a bead of perspiration from her forehead and downed a whole bottle of mineral water in a matter of seconds.

"Yes? How may I help you?"

"Er well, like I've said, I'm Lester Gibe and I'm here to offer you an- I mean several advertising opportunities. I'm from Lancer Advertising Groups and quite a number of companies have contacted us to have you advertise for them. There's coke...Erm Macdonalds...Nike...And yeah, the list goes on. So? You think you've got time to spare for a cup of coffee while discussing your bright future?" Lester enquired, eyes gleaming and grinning like an idiot.

"Well-"

"Debbie! What are you doing over there? Prize presentation's starting soon!"

"Oh ok, coming! I'm so sorry Mr. Gibe but as you can see, I've got other matters to attend to at the moment."

"Certainly. No problem. I can wait. Er, at the stands yeah."

Debbie was running towards the podium as the commentator announced the results.

"And now, presenting to you, the champion and new record holder for this year's Annual Gotham Cross Country Competition, give a hand for Debbie Homings!"

Applause resounded across the whole stadium accompanied by loud cheering and a few cries of ecstasy. Debbie stood on top of the podium, fist wrapped tightly around the handle of her trophy, sides of her mouth slanted upwards to the extreme, forming a megawatt smile.

The uproar soon died down as people shuffled out of the stadium.

"Hello again Miss Homings. So shall we continue where we left off?"

"Yeah sure-"

She stopped instantly as someone caught her eye.

Si Heng! Great!

"I'm so sorry but I'm sort of busy suddenly. Bye!"

Debbie grabbed her bag and trophy and ran after the boy that was currently exiting the stadium.

"Si Heng! Wait up!"

"Huh- Oh hi Debbie! You did great! I was watching you and you were amazing!"

Debbie's heart skipped a beat and she blushed.

"Wow thanks. You're great too! Lunch?"

"Sure. Where do you want to go?"

"Anything as long as you're happy- I mean anywhere you like!"

Stupid hormonal activity! Don't ruin this! It's like the first time eating with just the two of us! Focus!

"Haha ok. Italian for you?"

"Fine by me."

The lens above them focused. And the optical fibres paved the way for the information until it was transferred via a wireless network. Ten miles away, green words appeared on the monitor of a computer.

Media feed received at 11.47 am.

Location: Gotham Contemporary Stadium

"Erm Mr. Guard? Could you come over? Aunt Pamela says she has something to show you." the boy said with a fake smile plastered across his face, voice several pitches higher than before.

"Huh? Uh sure."

The guard walked towards the table and the boy started to rub his hands together.

"Brrr...It's certainly freezing in here. Mr. Guard? Could you just clasp my hands? To make them warmer?" the boy asked.

"Go on Peter. Then I can show you," Pamela said.

The guard smiled then put the boys hands in his and breathed on them.

"That better?"

"Thank you!"

"Now now Peter...Don't you think it's getting a little hot in here?" Pamela asked, giving a little pout.

"What? Uh yeah maybe. Come to think of it...It really is hot." the guard said.

Impossible...The air-conditioners here are much stronger than normal air-conditioners...It's like...14 degrees Celsius...Why am I feeling so warm suddenly?

Suddenly, the guard found himself unable to keep his eyes off Pamela.

What a tight ass...Smooth skin...Those thighs so juicy...And the chest...Enormous...

"That would be enough Peter. No need to look at me now when you can look as much as you want later?" Pamela said in a seductive voice, batting her eyelashes suggestively.

The guard's lips were dry. He could only just look, look and look.

"Now now listen carefully...You will attempt to rape me when I give you the cue. When you hear the word "lecher".-

Rape? Wonderful...I would love to rape you Pamela...

-And then you will punch the boy when he tries to stop you. Then you will point your gun at the boy but you will not shoot. You fill pretend that there are no bullets and reload. Then, you point your gun at the boy again. When the other guards come in, you will shoot one of them. You will also shoot all the security cameras. Got it?" Pamela instructed.

"Yes..." the guard droned.

"Good...Follow my instructions and then I will fulfill your sexual desires. But first, you will now listen to my sad story, pretend to comfort me and then look lecherously at me. All instructions after I give "Begin" don't count. Begin." Pamela continued.

Finally...Sex with Pamela...

The boy smiled. Pamela was good. He started acting out his part. He looked down, expression downcast.

"I...I really have no other person to confide in Peter. This...This boy here is my only living relation...He came to told me...My parents...Are d...dead...Oh this is so dreadful...Oh Peter..." Pamela lamented, face in her hands with tears streaming down.

"Death is inevitable Pamela. Come on now...Don't be sad. We all have to move on, " the guard said with a concerned expression as he slid his arm around Pamela's waist, a lecherous look on his face.

"Peter...Thank you...But-Hey! Let go of me! Let go of me you lecher!"

"Oh no Pamela...I'm going to take you here and now...And I won't stop until you're screaming in pain and begging me to stop."

"Oh my god, no! Let go of me!"

Pamela pushed the guard away but to no avail. The boy looked horrified.

My turn now. Now now...What should I use to attempt to stop this pathetic creature...Coup de pied then...The circular kick...Ok position...

And the boy's leg struck out and slammed into the guard's side. The guard was thrown sideways by the impact and slammed into a wall.

"You will not treat Aunt Pamela this way!" the boy shouted.

"Go! Go get help!" Pamela screamed.

The guard turned and stood up. Who dared to interrupt his sex session with Pamela...He took out his pistol from the holster and aimed it at the boy. He tried to shoot but somehow he couldn't.

Must be out of bullets. Never mind...I'll reload and destroy the only living witness...Haha...Then I can rape Pamela in peace...

He reloaded and then fingered his pistol as the boy frantically knocked on the door leading outside. The guard raised his pistol, about to shoot at the boy when three armed guards burst into the room. The guard fired repeatedly and so did the other three. And the result was four dead guards lying on the floor and a few pieces of scrap metal that were once state-of-the-art security cameras.

Pamela surveyed the debris in front of her. Simply perfect.

"All done. Now what? I can't just escape. They'll know I ran away."

"Not unless you're dead with the guards," the boy replied.

"And how do you propose I die without actually dying?"

"You're the expert in this field Pamela, you should know...Plant extracts can induce death-like states in humans..."

"Yes, but you would need a very strong poison...And it's antidote...Proportions must be specific...But the components would be in different plants...Some man-made even...The cocktail would be impossible to concoct...The different genetics in the plants and components of man-made chemicals will mess up the proportions. Very unpredictable...It's impossible...Unless..."

"I cross-breed. I have a degree in Botany like you Pamela. Not only that, but also in Plant genetics, Biochemistry and Linguistics."

"Genetically-modified plants...Interesting...I never thought of that...But you must be only...15 or 16...Your intellect is far too great for your age..."

"That I'll explain in due time. But first, this serum. It'll make you look as if you had an heart attack and died. I'll then collect you at the morgue."

"How can I trust you?"

"You'll have to."

Pamela was doubtful but she had no other viable options at the moment.

"Very well. I'll see you in the morgue then."

"And I'll go report your death as well as the four other guards'."

Pamela drank the serum and collapsed soon after.

The boy adjusted Pamela's body position. He looked at the guards' bodies and his eyes burned with hatred.

This is only the beginning. Only the beginning...You have no idea what I have in store for you...It'll certainly be interesting...Si Heng and Debbie.

2007-05-17T16:51:00.000+08:00

Miscellaneous Chapter before Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Characters Bane, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, Joker and Penguin belong to DC Comics. Non-profit story.

The boy looked at the apparatus in front of him. Syringes, test tubes, flasks and beakers. He shook his head in disapproval as he continued searching. He approached the "Confiscated highly dangerous items" section. There was an arsenal of weapons in front of him. The boy finally smiled.

There were coils of pipes that led to a button with the universal mark of death, a skull and crossbones. That was a sign in front of it that read "Bane". The boy moved on to the next "exhibit". A checkered red and black suit with a jester's hat to match. A gun with an over-sized barrel. "Harley Quinn" the next sign read. Nope, not what the boy was looking for. A canister of green liquid labelled "Joker Venom". An electric joy buzzer and a deck of playing cards. The next sign read "Joker". Oh, what a joke...How very funny...The item on the next stand looked ordinary. A sleek, sable umbrella. The sign there read "Penguin". It still wasn't what he was looking for.

Finally, the last stand. Three test tube cases lay there, labelled "Torture and death", "Paralysis and amnesia" and "Aphrodisiacs and antidotes" respectively. A pair of gloves and a green costume that seemed to be made entirely of out plant material. The sign read "Poison Ivy". Excellent.

The boy walked to the table with the apparatus, smiling to himself as he picked up a syringe. He then made his way to the "Poison Ivy" section. He filled the syringe, starting with "Aphrodisiacs and antidotes" and injected himself with the contents. Simply brilliant he thought. It took him ten minutes to finish injecting the entire contents of all the test tubes. He then moved on to "Paralysis and amnesia". There were even more test tubes than the previous case in this one. It hurt more. The boy didn't really like injections. He usually performed injections on others, not himself. But it would be all worth it he told himself. He drew the contents of the last test tube, and injected himself with them.

The boy inhaled, and then exhaled deeply. The last case was the most important one. The slightest mistake could cost him his life. But the antidotes that were injected would protect him, wouldn't they? He picked up the syringe, and found himself looking at his reflection on the surface of the metallic test tube case. Was this really what he wanted? His reflection could enlighten him...There was Superbia no doubt. And Ira. But there was Invidia...Why? And Industria...He thought back...Laughter...The innocent kind...Smiles...Fun...Could he possibly...Turn-

No! His brow creased as his expression hardened. Derisive laughter...Filled with mirth....Smirks...Snide remarks...Trampling...Death. He couldn't. He had gone two far now...Two thirds of the injections. It was impossible to turn back...Was it? There was glisten in his eyes. They were moist. It didn't matter now, nothing did.

He filled the syringe and injected. He repeated the procedure, again and again, ignoring the pain as his mind focused on its sole mission. And at last he was done. He put the test tubes, some empty, back into their respective cases and pocketed the syringe. He was about to leave when something else caught his eye. A pile of notes on a table with the heading "Pamela Isley". He was intrigued but furious as well. Dr. Hugo Strange dared to look into Poison Ivy's files...And for that, he shall pay. He took the notes as well as he left the office.

The boy knocked on the door thrice. There was a heading on the door that read "Security Operations" Yes. This was it. All the security cameras, recorders and whatnot. The door opened and there stood a man in his forties, balding with a pot belly.

"Hello...I-I seemed to have gotten lost..." the boy stammered.

"What are you doing here! Visiting hours are long over!"

"I-I-"

The boy's lower lip trembled as he peered up at the security operations manager. The manager's eyes softened as he looked at the boy. He sighed.

"Ok. Give me your name and address and we'll get your parents down here to pick you up."

It was time for a test. A poisonous test.

"I don't have parents." the boy said with a steely glint in his eye.

"Huh?"

The boy took a deep breath, and blew into the manager's face. The manager blinked once, twice and collapsed.

"Sweet dreams."

2007-05-14T22:08:00.000+08:00

This essay dedicated to Yeo Yeo and Debbie. May they have a blissful future. I suggest you read "Batman - Green Dawn" by Scruffy-looking at www.fanfiction.net if you want to get a better idea.

Disclaimer: Character Poison Ivy/Pamela Lilian Isley belongs to DC Comics. Non-profit story.

Credits: Scruffy-looking for writing such a wonderful story so that I can continue. And DC Comics for event the best villain ever - Poison Ivy.

Chapter 1

"Miss Isley, you have a visitor."

Pamela Isley peered out of the window of her cell. Strange, she hardly had any visitors since the last batch who were government agents trying to coerce her into working for the CIA. Of course, they paid dearly with their lives. But the records showed that they had been shot dead by the asylum guards when they allegedly attempted to assault the patient Pamela Lilian Isley, also known as Poison Ivy. Then the guards shot each other dead over some unknown dispute and Pamela Isley had been the only living witness. The managers of Arkham Asylum were quite skeptical about Pamela Isley's account but it was the only one they had since there were no security cameras installed in that particular room where the alleged events took place. However, ever since that visit, security cameras had been installed and a guard had been posted there to overlook the visits. Apparently, the privilege of privacy had been taken.

There was a click as the key turned and the lock sprang open. The guard outside entered the pin number and the monitor flashed green and beeped. There was a grinding noise as the mechanism of the polycarbonate doors did their work. The transparent doors slid open, revealing a young woman of voluptuous beauty. The woman's appeal did not diminish despite the plain asylum uniform she was wearing. She had long, red, flowing hair and a curvacious figure to match. Last but not least, a face that could rival that of Aphrodite's. She could easily have been god's gift to men, an international supermodel would have been the appropriate job. However, she had both the brains and the looks. She was a biochemist and specialised in cells. She also held a botany degree and probably knew more about plants than anyone else in the world.

The guard stood beside the sliding doors, admiring Pamela Isley's curves every second he could.

God, she's one hot babe. I can't believe I was posted here when I thought it would be a bad thing...

"Good afternoon Peter. To what do I owe the honour of having a visitor?"

Was she even wearing any bra?

"Why you of course."

"Oh that's so sweet of you. But now, my visitor."

"Sure thing Miss Isley. This way please."

The guard approached another set of doors and keyed in a code beside them. They slid open amost instantly. Pamela entered the visiting room with Peter.

The visiting room was quite pathetic in size. Just 5m by 5m and 4m high. There was a small coffee table with teak chairs on either side and a fluorescent lamp hung from the ceiling above the table. There was also the security camera that spied from a corner of the ceiling. And there seated on one of the teak chairs was a teenager. Or at least he looked liked one. From his appearance, he looked as if he wasn't older than 14 or 15. Pamela strode to the table and sat. She scrutinised the boy in front of her and then turned her head towards Peter.

"And who might this be?"

Peter will still gazing at her.

Those legs...The thighs...Oh and that butt!

"Peter?"

"Y-Yeah?"

Crap! She's supposed to be mad! She's a lunatic! And a real sexy one at that...

"I asked who is this?"

"Er, yeah. This boy claims that...He has something to return to you. A locket or something."

"I see. Thank you."

Pamela turned her attention back to the boy while Peter turned his back to Pamela's chest.

"So? What's up? The CIA decided to send children to do their dirty work?"

"Au contrare Mademoiselle, I sent myself. And yes, I know about the CIA incident."

"What do you mean?" Pamela's eyes narrowed.

"There were no cameras installed during the last incident - that fed feed to Arkham. But I had my own cameras installed. You were most impressive Miss Isley."

"Impossible! There were no cameras I'm positive!"

"Quite possible in fact. And I doubt you'll be afraid of that being leaked out after you murdered so many other people. But looking at the current circumstances...This would most certainly amount to a death sentence don't you think? Then who would be left to protect Mother Nature's creations?"

"Are you threatening me? Me, Poison Ivy?" Pamela asked, her tone turning icy.

"I wouldn't dare Miss Isley. And that's Miss Isley not Ivy. You remember that you're pretty powerless now?"

Pamela was infuriated. She wasn't prepared for this as she was the last time with the CIA agents. But she could always prepare. Pamela raised the glass of water in front of her to her lips and took a sip. That would do nicely. The paralyzing agent would be secreted.

"Miss Isley, I suggest you do not try to do the same thing you did to the others. I am quite aware that some minute imperfections in your cell implants have caused you to retain the curare and Atlas implants."

A look of shock registered on Pamela's face. The boy leaned forward, voice dropping to a whisper.

"Please don't try them on me. I'm - you. Just like you."

Pamela was a genius and her brain processed this piece of information in a split second. Atlas was the aphrodisiac that Pamela's ex-company had created to crush its opponents. Atlas apparently, was at least 3 times more potent than Viagra. But the implant in Pamela's body was concentrated. Hence, a similar amount would be not at least 3 but 10 times more potent than Viagra. Curare on the other hand, was the general term for dart poisons. Among them, Pamela had chosen a very efficient and fast paralyzing agent. However, after the recent fiasco with the Batman, she had had most of her implants removed by the asylum doctors. Those that remained were those that had contained some minute imperfections that had prevented their protein shells from being broken down by the Batman's formula.

He knows about the curare and Atlas...Nevermind, he doesn't know about the Black Widow neurotoxic venom...

Pamela rubbed a thumb against her little finger until they became moist. Then she leaned forward as well.

"You know, I can also do this."

The boy smiled condescendingly as Pamela reached out and scratched the boy's hand with her nail.

"What-"

Pamela grinned as the boy flinched. However, the boy regained his composure in a matter of seconds. Pamela was astonished, but not for long as fury coursed through her veins.

"Neurotoxin. Clever. From the Lactrodectus Curacaviensis, also known as the Black Widow spider. This would be how you torture then. Interesting poison. It causes muscle contractions. Extremely painful but rarely causes death. Excellent for a sadist like you."

"Why you little-"

"Watch your tongue Miss Isley. I told you. I'm like you. I can't be poisoned."

"I know that! What do you take me for?" snapped Pamela.

"Very good. I have a proposition to make though Miss Isley. That has been the purpose of my visit the whole time."

"A proposition?"

"Yes. But in specifics only when we're alone."

"That should be easy - in the past. Now they're so strict that I can't even have any privacy. Although it's nice to have an old fool that's smitten by me...He just can't stop looking at me. But he will never agree to leaving both of us alone..."

"You certainly are endowed with...assets Miss Isley. Perhaps he will need more coaxing. Say, your little love mixture?"

Pamela's eyes widened with curiosity.

"You have my Atlas...mixture?"

"Why of course. I'll just need to give him a dose...And the rest is up to you pretty woman. That is if you ever want to get out of this place."

Pamela contemplated.

Looking at my current position...I'll be needing more than just a few lovesick guards to get out of here...And a few implants in my body won't do much good...I could always escape first and then...Yes. Get myself back to power first...The boy certainly is dangerous...But we'll see...The priority is to regain liberty...

"Very well. I'll do as you say and listen to your proposition. It better be a good one."

"It's an honour Miss Isley. But first, the guard."

"Yes, the guard." replied Pamela in a seductive voice as she eyed the guard and licked her lips.

Polevault

2007-05-08T21:13:00.000+08:00

Raconte tes projets d’avenir.
Comment sera ta vie dans 10 ans ?
Imagine : Où seras-tu ? Que feras-tu ? Comment vivras-tu ? etc.

Follow these instructions :
- use the futur tense learned in lesson 13 in Panorama ;
- write about personal life, professional life, family life, etc. ;
- the composition should be between 100 and 120 words long ;
- keep in mind what is expected from you (see also previous page).

The due date is 30 April 2007.
Dans dix ans, ...

The boy stared at the instructions on the document he printed out.

30 Avril...How convenient... So I missed the deadline...Oh well, I'll finish it...

And so equipped with his Panorama de la langue française, he started on the rédaction.

Dans dix ans, je serai un médicin...

...C'est tout.

He finished it in a mere thirty minutes. He reread it many times. It wasn't a flawless essay but still, it would do. Besides, it was three twenty. That meant he had to make his way to the bus stop if he wanted to catch the 156 bus.

Better early than late...I'll just run...

The boy raced all the way out of the school compound, admiring the resilient creepers that covered the surfaces of the pillars of the bridge that linked Nanyang Girl's High to his school as he crossed over to the other side. On the bridge, he had the best view. He looked to his left.

Good. No buses in the distance.

He looked the other direction.

No 156 buses leaving the bus stop. Bien.

He descended quickly and turned his eye to the bus stop. It was crowded as always no doubt.

But ah, what a coincidence! There's Sean from Monsieur Levet's class. That means I'm not late.

The boy reached the bus stop and exchanged greetings with Sean although one was in French and the other English. The boy sat down on a vacant seat near him. And now was the time to wait, to ponder, to converse with oneself. The boy started speaking, in his mind. It was always interesting to converse with his other self. This time, it was a discussion about the excuse for a late essay.

You could always say there was a competition, production...Event...Whatever!

Very good...What about the Projects Day Preliminaries 2?

Wonderful...But if they were to trace it back here?

They wouldn't.

But still...

Paranoia is overcoming you, my dear self.

Je suppose...Mais le professeur?

Pas un problème! Ton français! Utilisez-le!

Oui...Alors-

A face. A smile. A wave. Someone was waving at the boy. He was smiling. The boy broke out of his reverie and looked at that someone who was currently waving at him from behind the bus window. It was an Indian, not to be racist or anything. Two prominent teeth as compared to the others. The white contrasted well with the dark skin colour. Large, bright eyes with absurdly long eyelashes. Must be the genes. The edges of his mouth slanted upwards, forming a pulchritudinous smile. Yes, it was a smile. The boy could hardly believe it that he momentarily forgotten to identify that someone. Was that someone waving at him? At the same time, something at the back of the boy's mind was struggling, trying to break free of the bonds that kept it captive in its prison. It struggled further, creating a fissure in the boy's mind. The boy was jolted abruptly back to his senses.

Who's that? Wait, I remember...But not his name...He's...That boy from polevault. No...he isn't in polevault...He trained with us, with me...Yes...Indeed...But his name...

His name was just another fragment of the boy's suppressed memory of Polevault, just disposed of due to its alleged insignificance in the boy's opinion. The boy started to smile too as his expression changed from one of perplexity into one of recognition. The boy raised his hand to wave as well. It certainly was good to see someone affliated with Polevault previously waving and smiling at him with such enthusiasm. Very heartening indeed. As compared to the others...

Sean Lim Zi Qing - Still as depressing as ever...He makes me feel "extra"...I'm aware of this psychological warfare...But...he never fails to make me miserable in polevault...Ha...I seem like the psychological amateur now...

Fang Hui - He's just...On and off...He's fine generally but sometimes Sean's lackey...And that doesn't help, at all...Does the opposite actually...

Thomson and Xue An - Good...Still "hi"s me at least...

Roy and Jonathan - Smiles and all that stuff...Asks me about my current EP3...Quite ok...

Sir, his girlfriend and everyone else - Haven't really met them...I think I'll die of guilt or sometime...

The boy waved a few more times, smile still on his face. But the bus left, and so did his ex-comrade. The boy's smile faltered and his arm fell and went limp. It's polevault after all. The boy started to probe, deeper and deeper.

The bonds were weakening but the memory of Polevault showed no signs of tiring as it fought. Snap. Once, twice, thrice. But it was a five-tier security system. The memory, so condemned had been banished to "Arkham Asylum". The boy's incessant probing acted like some abrasive substance, gradually wearing down the fifth tier. And the fourth tier submitted. Snap. The fifth tier finally gave way. And the contents flowed out. Memory...In such a wondrous form...Neither gas nor liquid yet it appeared to be both...The memories were dissected, regrouped and then became the final product in the form of diary entries. The boy reviewed them one by one, not bothering to do any analysis.

Uncertainty...This series of tests...What was it for? Why the eight of us? And it went on, measurements taken...Jumps...Running...And then decison-making time...Ok...the other four disappeared...That leaves me, yuck Sean, Fang Hui and some other guy...Oh...This coach is real technical. Excellent Physics I presume...Inertia wow...Whee handstands!

The red track, the pit, matresses...Imposing...Apprehension gripped the boy as he walked to the pit with his pole. First jump...Ok just look at the others...One! Two! Great! That wasn't so difficult...

Four steps...6 steps...Hold the pole correctly...Hands straight...Raise the legs higher...Body posture...Blah blah...As boring as it is...A little fun I suppose...Love the matresses!

OMG! Gym is super fun! I love the cartwheels and the front rolls! And everything! But oopsy, it's about 7pm...But no matter...I love it!

I don't want to risk changing my French teacher because of polevault! And third language presides over EP3! I will not risk French for polevault!

Han caught me for not going training in March hols...But it's unfair...Sean and Fang Hui didn't go too...I'm in polevault so why should I go for Han's training? HATE TRACK!

I started going on Saturdays. It's not as taxing on Saturdays...But I don't like waking up that early...There's some new additions to the team...I've got juniors! Sean is constantly making fun of me in polevault...Whatever...

I really can't stand Sean...I feel so different from the others...Perhaps I don't belong here at all...Ah there's Sean jumping...Bleh...And it's stupid that Ang wants me to go on Tuesdays for his separate training...

Started casting rain spells and trying to hypnotise myself into oblivion or something. They're currently playing soccer and I'm not...I'm starting to hate this..."Even a Primary 5 can jump higher than you!" Sean at it again...What's that supposed to mean...Llama I don't care...Add French before it...Doesn't really matter...Gay me...Please, you've got to do better...But...I'm feel so "extra"...

June hols...Also a time I hate to go for polevault...Maybe it's because my holidays were never interrupted before...

Camp urgh...I already hate Track and now this? Due to unforeseen circumstances, I have managed to skip Monday and Tuesday of camp. Went early on Wednesday morning. Quite ok to fiddle with poles during their morning training. Then I went back to the class we reside in to read Village by the Sea while the others went LAN gaming...Sir and gang disappeared too...I'm left all by myself with two others playing PS...Night was gym which was SUPER FUN! Although quite taxing...Then we had dinner and I liked the drink. Red tea wasnt it? Then went to PE office...Slack...Explored...I watched television while sir went to some sport website. His girlfriend and another guy went youtube to watch some Chinese drama serial using my account...I then went to watch too until about 12 plus...Then back to class and they played PS...Not a conducive environment for sleeping...Released early on Thursday Hurrah!

Nationals coming...Have to train...But I'm positive I won't be attending any more camps...One day after I returned from the camp...I got a fever...

I'm rekindling my passion for polevault I guess...Sir asked if I was the one jumping...Haha...Can't believe I'm improving...I'm starting to like this!

Ang's catching me...Urgh...Please...

Nationals was a fiasco though Benjamin was excellent...I was unheighted...Oh well, don't think there will be a next year...

Chalet. Sort of...Bowling and I was practically stoning...I am the odd one out...I don't belong here...And Sean just adds salt to the wound...Actually salt does help the wound...But, you get my point. I didn't even stay, just left after sir's 1 hour plus "briefing". I really think I'm not a part of the team anymore...I'm so different from...all of them...I should just quit...

Getting my administrative matters done. I made an appointment with Mr. Hon.

In September hols, my parents-

The boy saw the bus, a pinprick in the distance but enlarging nevertheless. 156.

Reminiscing won't help. It's too late. The past can't be changed now.

Je sais...Mais j'ai aimé polevault...

Non! It's Sean's fault! And now...you can't turn back. Never, ever.

Oui. Allez. Levez-vous.

The boy stood up, a determined look on his face. He would stop thinking about Polevault. It was the past. He would banish the memories from whence they came once more, constructing a stronger security system. He would bind them with the strongest psychological fibres. Meditation, Hypnosis...Never would he so recklessly release those...Poignant memories...Never would he cause himself unnecessary emotional turmoil like this. It was pointless, meaningless, redundant. He would have to enhance himself. Meditation wasn't enough. He would have to peruse more information sponges...Only then would he be...Psychologically invincible...Immune to those simplest yet most effective assaults on the mind...

The boy wore a grim expression as he boarded the bus. The expression soon metamorphosed into a cheery facade. Now wasn't the time to ponder whether he still cared about Polevault. It was the time for elaborate planning. It was time, for revenge.

2007-05-04T16:55:00.000+08:00

This essay is fully copied and pasted from the essay I wrote yesterday in the form of comments in Guo Xin's friendster...I sort of got inspiration from his super background picture of his friendster profile. But...He insulted my poor piece of writing (Pun intended. This essay is one of my worst...) by deleting it...So...I have no choice but to make it public as promised. Voila!

I seriously don't think Lester composed that poem. So I shall make an attempt at writing - Your friendster background. For Practise! To English! And French! So sorry Mon Cheri, but I will use your name! An essay dedicated to L'amour...

A zephyr stirred and began its course, caressing the grounds of Miyazaki prefecture located on the island of Kyushu, Japan. And it continued, passing numerous little towns. Yamada, Kobayashi, Hyuga...And finally reached its destination - Takachiho. Nevetheless, it didn't stop. It glided on and eventually found its roost in a tiny park. And as if to welcome it, a flock of cranes rose into the air in a V-shaped formation, chorusing in unison as they paraded their grace. And there, the reflection of the amber sky, cast on the surface of the glistening lake. Trees and bushes shivered as the zephyr passed them. Mother Nature at her peak.

A pair. Humans. They stood, so very close they could see themselves in the other's eyes. The girl spoke.

“Guo Xin. I'm sorry. This won't work. I admit the ball was a blast. I enjoyed every single minute of it. Dinner, the dance, you. It was great...But now...We can't. You're the son of...Nevermind. We're at opposite ends. I love the environment, Mother Nature...But your father's company...It's the complete opposite...And, you're such a great guy...I don't deserve you at all...After all the crimes I've committed...The death of Hayashi-san, his company's destruction...It was me! Me Guo Xin! I planted the tetrodotoxin in Hayashi-san's fugu! The anthrax in his company headquarters! Me! And there's something else. I didn't steal those poisons. I am poison. I injected myself with them, using microbiology. They were meant to be cures but...It's too late. If circumstances were not what they were...I...I..."

The girl broke down; face distraught as tears cascaded down. The boy looked on at her, devoid of any facial expression.

“Please Guo Xin, just go.”

There was the solemn expression on the boy’s face.

“But…I-”

“Stay away from me! I’m poison! Anything I secrete! It’s all poisonous!” The girl screamed as the boy tried to move closer.

It hurt. It hurt so very much to see the girl like that. The boy’s face, one of the deepest hurt. A tear or two. But the boy suppressed it and smiled.

“No. You’re not poison. I am. I…I’m so sorry you feel this way. I…I don’t care. I really don’t. I don’t care if you poisoned Hayashi-san, or if you’re literally poisonous…I don’t give a damn about my father’s company! I just care about you. Just…I just want to be with you, here and now…I love you.”

The boy stepped forward, locking the girl in an embrace with his arms. The boy was so close. The girl could count his eyelashes. The girl looked up at the boy, eyes still wet as she rested her hands on the boy’s chest.

“Guo Xin…I…I’m sorry but this is the furthest I can go…Really I-”

And the boy kissed her. And for that mere 2 seconds, during that gentle kiss, both of them understood that sacred word – love. Soon, their passions soared as their tongues started to engage in forceful combat, adrenaline pumping through their bodies. But alas, it soon ended. And the boy of them stood there looking at each other, still breathless and panting from that previous kiss.

“You kissed me. I…My lips…The saliva…I told you anything I secrete was poisonous and that was Ricin…Ricin, the toxin found in Ricinus Communis, the Castor Oil plant…It’s one of the most potent plant poisons…But you-”

“Hush.”

Time seemed to stop momentarily as the both them stood there. The girl in the arms of the boy. They continued looking at each other, until the boy spoke.

“If only time would freeze now…We-”

“I wouldn't like that...The prospect of freezing here doing nothing...”

"Always the technical one huh?"

And the both of them laughed. They sat by the lake, gazing at the sun as it slowly descended and faded away.

The zephyr watched for a little longer and rose up into the skies, in pursuit of the other happy endings scattered across the globe.

That will be all...And that was kind of lousy right...I know...I'm not good at writing emotional stuff being quite the sadist myself...Oh well. I think I'll write another one in the weekend. With inspiration from Wednesday.

Title: Polevault

2007-04-30T21:54:00.001+08:00

Post in the form of an essay I completed in about 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Left...Right...Left...Right...
The movements so rigid...Indifferent...
Tick...Tock...Tick...Tock...
The clock, standing at its omnisicent roost, looked on.
Left...Right...Left...Right...
The feet continued, swinging themselves forward with great force at alternate intervals.
Tick...Tock...Tick...Tock...
Not long now...
Left...Right...Left...Right...
We can do it!
Tick...Tock...Tic-

And the sound of the 7.30 am bell resonated across the school compound.

Oh crap.

So much for being on time. The boy, so scrawny with a healthy tan, started strutting his way down the stairs. He had tufts of black wavy hair and an oval face so blemished. The two ebony eyes that glared, sparkled with a light of some sort, indicating complacence. Arms that stayed at the sides of his body, unnaturally immobile. Clad in a shirt that presented itself in a disgusting mixture of white, red and yellow and faded khaki shorts that seemed to have gone through much pain, the boy advanced. His legs, of average length with slightly developed calves and thighs, took much care not to trample on those innocent patches of green that creeped across the soil. The fingers were moving. Rising and falling in succession in an almost skeletal way. He passed a potted shrub, and feet never stopping, caressed its leaves and murmured to it incoherently.

A shout. The boy paused. Strange, it seemed mechanic.

A few more noises. Were they words? However audible those noises were, they were definitely inarticulate.

The boy had finally traced the sound to its source; a few speakers and an older boy standing at the microphone situated at the bottom of the terraces. He froze. Everyone froze, not just him. And the band commenced.

Another shout, more articulate this time but in an alien language. That was the insignia of liberty. Laughter awoke once more from its temporal slumber and roamed certain areas. The surroundings were polluted by noise once more as voices previously lost were found. The boy scrutinised his surroundings. No signs of familiarity. But there was an enemy in the midst of those heads. Ah, there...Monsieur Lim Jun Xiang. Sitting on the unfortunate but unexpectedly willing Jian Yi. Cute. The boy continued his scan. It wasn't long before he identified a vacant seat.

He sat, ignoring the moist seat surface covered with bits of soil and dirt. He looked around and contemplated.

Wei Ze- The tallest is the easiest to spot. Check.
Guo Xin- I guess he didn't come topless. Aw man. Check.
Jian Yi- That obnoxious bully...Though I'm not the victim...All in good time. Check.
Nicholas Sim and Danny Tan- Hardly significant. Check.
Si Heng- Hmmm...Is that a look of disgust or fear? Either way...Check.
Mur Fei- Didn't bring his English...Check.
Jun Xiang- My poisoning plans have to be postponed. How sad. Check.
Jun Xian- Still the same...Check.
Rui Jin- Playing Jian Yi's phone...Typical. Check.
Marcus- Forever smiling, retard. Check.
Dennis- I don't know to hate him or not. Check.
Cheong Keat- Same goes for him. Check.
Nicholas Koh- In a daze...Check.

He smiled. Alas, but that bane of society and advocate of filth was not presen-

"Heyyyyyy." That seductively disgusting voice, so torturous to hear, came from the one, the only living entity that would emit such evil - Josh.

The boy's head snapped back, only to see a great mass of blubber. The pig-like face round with eyes that depicted a sexually-deprived pervert with a grotesque button nose to match. The gargantuan mouth that spread to form that gengar-like grin. Sadistic? No, lecherous. The boy's eyes narrowed to slits and found themselves staring back at the track. The boy's mind was racing, heart palpitating at an insane rate. Excitement was engulfing him. And somehow, data was retrieved from one of the numerous folders in the boy's mind. Meditation. Yes, that was it. Memory started its job as the boy recited the words from some book read long ago. And slowly, the rate of the boy's heartbeat descended, thoughts of violence and hate dissipated, only to form two words in the boy's mind - Poison Ivy. His mind raced once more, summoning all information pertaining to Botany from the folders. Finally, a focus. Dieffenbachia. Plans started to formulate while knowledge applied itself. Plots were hatched as the boy's expression became one of glee. But first, one needed t-

The train of thoughts was broken. And worse, by some insignificant desire of cheering. The boy, however reluctant, stood to keep his image of the goody-two-shoes. Students started shouting themselves hoarse, clapping and stamping their feet. But the boy just mouthed words, not even bothering to make a sound. It finally ended. What wonderful news. The boy made a comment, voice dripping with venom and sarcasm. That was a grave mistake. Josh had overheard him and proceeded to insulting and humiliating the boy. The boy turned, affirmed the source of those nasty words, and shrank back to his silent demeanor.

And then, Guo Xin left. Oh dear. This registered in the boy's mind. He anticipated. And sure enough, more started to leave. It actually felt as if one could sit now, with one's personal space. But then Marcus stood. He spoke of tailing Guo Xin, the alleged symbol of coolness and vanity in his class. This piqued Wei Ze's interest. And off they went.

The boy watched them leave. He weighed his options. Made a mental note or two, and then followed. He was halfway up the terraces when he felt a tug.

Josh. That pig. He held on to the boy's bag. And as if there was some substance on the bag's surface that would trigger an aphrodisiacal effect, Josh's face had a lecherous look plastered on it. Taunting perhaps. That was the boy's interpretation. The distance between him and Josh wasn't that great but the distance between him and the two others was becoming greater as he stood there. He wasted no time. His hand straightened as his palm became rigid. The thumb curved downwards as the arm bent into a right angle, lying on a diagonal plane. The four other fingers aligned themselves as the whole hand tensed.

The boy struck out and hand made contact with face. Smack. Josh's glasses slipped. It was only a casual fling. However, other factors such as pent-up anger, frustration and hatred enhanced the strength of the blow. Josh's grip relinquished. The boy wasted no time once more, turning in a swift motion and ascended, in search of his targets.