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.

*

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!

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.

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.

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.

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?

`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.