Rose in the Rough [Ivy]

[Deleted]

Where better to hide a rose than amongst the dirt? More precisely the refuge of products from Gotham's inconsiderate ways; the mountainous collection of forgotten toxic waste barrels consolidated in a single overflowing dump. You would believe that such a person as Poison Ivy would avoid such places as these at all costs, although like Ra's often finds himself in high society circles garbed in many a guise, it is befitting that she chooses such a place to call home. The decayed barrels, each filled with an affront against nature itself, man's gift to the world, ready to choke the beauty from the land itself. For people who find solace in the natural order of life outside of Man this toxic waste that Ra's stood before summarised all that was wrong with Humanity's apparent stewardship of their surrounding eco system. Her living amongst this industrial monstrosity can only fuel her determination to see an end to this abhorrent disregard for the Earth.

But the Head of the Demon was not frequenting this location to pay Dr. Isley compliements, quite the contrary, it was vengance that was etched on his aged mind. With a firm upper cut from his blade Ra's was able to slash the lock off the chain link entrance to the Dump, pushing the gate open with a tap of his palm. A rusted lock and a lack of vehicle marks on the sun dried ground convinced him that this particular area had not been in use for a number of years, a relic of a corrupt deal between corrupt buissinessmen and corrupt politicans from a bygone age. Now the insane swelled the streets not the corrupt. The brown leather trenchcoat he wore would provide little protection from toxic fumes but it wasn't his main concern, the task before him was what garned him a level of concern. It had been a month since his Mountain home had been invaded by the self proclaimed mother of nature, as she stole the key ingredient to Doctor Crane's fear chemical, the blue poppy that grew under the League's watchful eye. Of course Ra's was on bussiness when it occured and upon his return to the defeated citadel he executed ten of the survivors personally, providing the others ample encourgagement to find the one responsible.

How she came to know about the plant was insignificant, no doubt her extensive knowledge on botany gave her the ability to decipher the toxin's inner material. However that interested Ra's greatly, the fact that she was able to work with the good Doctor's work to such a degree, opening a plethora of possibilites. Killing her would send a message but such opertunities that this opens are too good to allow personal feelings to interfere with, but the only problem was how to persuade Ivy to agree to this debt of service, her arrogance was notoriously feverent. Situated in the centre of the compound sat the lonely house which now operated as her hideout, her hidden sanctum which paled in comparison to his own. All it took to find her was patience, with a handful of operatives positioned across Gotham at locations known to be frequented by her. With in a week she appeared at the Iceberg Lounge and it was only a simple matter of tailing her to this disused section of the City next to the Docks.

Sheathing his scimitar into a holster on his belt, he continued through the valleys and hills of illuminous barrels, eached marked with a faded warning label. The fumes didn't bother him too much, use of the Pits had hardened him to unnatrual scents and smells along ago. As he walked to the front door, extending his fist for a good knock he weighed up the chances that she already knew that he was there but evidently her concern was of no concern to him, if he had wanted to remain undected he wouldn't be knocking. And so he knocked.

[Pamela Isley - Poison Ivy]

Though Poison Ivy can only feel complete disgust for the very fact that such a place even exists, she's grown accustomed to it. After all, it suits her purposes quite well - nobody else in their right mind would want to spend any amount of time here, for their health if nothing else. And since the environment doesn't harm her in the least, why not take advantage of that? Having endured the pain of losing a garden before, she'll do everything she can to avoid it ever happening again, and that includes locating it in the last place anyone else would want to be. And it also includes making sure that nobody finds out about it - it's location is known only to her, Harley, and the occasional test subject who never leaves this place alive.

So when her plants suddenly alert her that there's something on the premises, she immediately goes into high alert. It could be Harley, but her best friend has only ever entered the dumb the same way she does. The other possibility is that it's someone unaware of her presence who is here for other reasons - strange, but not impossible. However, as her plants continue to report the location of the intruder, they indicate that this person is making a beeline for large shack that she calls her home - not something that someone who is unaware of her is likely to do, as she keeps all signs of life around the place to an absolute minimum.

It's the knock on the door that finally confirms all her suspicions. Harley is the type to simply barge in, and other people don't knock on doors if they don't think someone might answer. And that also means that whoever it is isn't welcome at all. Only she and Harley are welcome, and those here on strictly dump related business are tolerated, but absolutely nobody else is permitted at all. Still, she knows better than to be too hasty...

"Who is it?" she calls out sweetly, her sing-song question emanating from deep within the shack, though it's small enough and the walls are thin enough that the words aren't too muffled to be understood if she's loud enough. Meanwhile, she lets her mind touch upon the plants that are near this unwelcome visitor, simply making sure that they're ready for action, if needed. There's far more of them than there appears to be - many are underground, while others she designed to look somewhat sickly on purpose so that they'd fit into their surroundings.

[Deleted]

Before his knock was answered with a voice Ra's had a few moments to prepare himself for the meeting as he began to mentally run through the various ways in which their conversation, if it gets to that stage, could go. That's if she doesn't just lash out on sight, which there was a strong probability of. Of course he was sure in his abilities to hold his own in a fight, but that assertion was always based on the logic that he would be fighting a mortal man, not a woman with control of the Earth beneath his very feet. If only he had brought a herbicide with him. Idealistically she would at least wait and hear what he has to say first before making a lunge for him, but Ra's had idea how to persuade a person such as Ivy, some one who thinks through their ego.

Any random courier could have been sent to speak with her, any mouth of the Demon, but hopefully she's not too much of a self warped knave to realize the importance the League must place in her if its leader himself has come to deal. "The man you stole from. The owner of the home that you desecrated. I am Ra's al Ghul and I am here to make you an offer that shouldn't be refused." For it was the best one she was likely to receive, after all Ra's was not known for his forgiving nature. In fact the only reason that he hadn't sanctioned her execution was that he was well aware that her death would give them little more than a feeling of personal satisfaction. However Ra's was able to see the possibility amongst the rubble and that is why he currently stood, his knee high boots caked in mud, outside of a shed in a dismal toxic dump.

"Many of my associates called for your termination however I belayed such an order with the belief that given the oppertunity a Woman such as yourself could be worked with for the greater good once petty arguements such as this could be side stepped." Whether or not Ra's actually believed what he was saying was irrelevant, he was decided upon the fact that he wanted her and he was going to achieve this goal through many method, even diplomacy. "We may have our differences but our goals aren't too disimilar, we both want to save this World from the tyranny of Man's crimes. I would like to help you in this matter." Her wallowing in high society decadence was sickening and the fact that she was a woman was still laughable but Ra's could not deny the power that she held, a power that could be influenced given the right opertunity.

[Pamela Isley - Poison Ivy]

Still deciding what sort of reception her 'guest' deserves, Poison Ivy listens very, very carefully to the answer to her question. That she stole from him is ambiguous - she's stolen from a lot of people. That his house was desecrated gets a roll of her eyes - oh please, so dramatic! But she recognizes the name that he gives readily enough as the one that led her to the flower on the mountain, which has now taken its place as one of her most prized possessions.

Of course, her first instinct is that he would be here for a fight - his men proved to a bit of a challenge to defeat, but that was simply because they were more difficult than she's used to. They'd still failed completely to stop her, it just required a little more effort than she'd been expecting. But as she doesn't sense any other men in the entire area of the dump, he appears to be alone, and even if he's the best of all of them she doesn't suspect that he'd be that difficult to take care of. So has he come here to die, then? The sheer amount of arrogance in his voice seems to indicate as much.

Though as he goes on to speak of why he's decided not to kill her - the very idea of which causes her to roll her eyes, because if his men couldn't when she stole the flower what makes him think that he can do so, and alone at that? - she begins to sense that perhaps he's not here to fight. That doesn't mean that there isn't very likely going to be one anyway, but it does mean that it doesn't need to happen immediately. So as he continues to ramble on about the idea of working with her - oh, she's very sure that he'd love to work with her, who wouldn't? - she quietly moves through the house and to the front door.

Opening it, the expression on her face could only be described as 'very unimpressed' as her too-green eyes quickly scan over him. "I neither want, nor do I need your help," she states, but she leaves the door open as she turns from it and she sounds amused as she adds, "But if you'd like to try and convince me otherwise, you may desecrate my home with your prescence." Though the amusement isn't simply because of her own words, but because of the fact that he probably expected her to be wearing something when she answered the door. But he came over uninvited when she wasn't expecting any company, so if he has a problem with what she isn't wearing, that's just too bad. She's in incredible and very feminine shape in addition to being an extremely confident woman, so she's hardly embarrassed to be seen in such a state even if she wouldn't wander around in public like this.

If he isn't too distracted to notice, through the open door he'd see a small room that seems to function as most of the essential main living areas of a home - there's a small kitchen area with a table and two chairs, and your standard couch-plus-TV setup with a bookcase for good measure. All of the furniture and appliances are quite worn - undoubtedly second-hand, but still serviceable and not so far gone that they look to be in imminent danger of falling apart. They're simply no longer pretty anymore and outdated - for example, the television looks like it may be twenty years old.

[Deleted]

Once he had finished speaking, Ra's turned from the door to give a glance to the landscape stretched out behind him, a sight which stretched out as far as his eyes could see though the peeks of canisters blocked out any distant view. Placing his palms onto his lapels, grasping the rough leather with his bony fingers, he looked up to the night sky, at the blinking red tail light of a helicopter fleeting in front of the onyx canvas. The moment of waiting was quickly interrupted by the sound of approaching foot steps on creaking wooden planks, bare footed if he wasn't mistaken, a very deft sound but one his senses picked up none the less. As he pivoted on his boot heel to the rusted screech of the door's lock being shifted, he gave a quick glance to the flickering dull orange bulb perched above the door frame, as it provided the only immediate source of lighting.

Arms still placed on his jackets breast, an eyebrow rose on Ra's' furrowed head as he placed his gaze upon the one known as Poison Ivy, a fitting title for the seemingly irresistible woman. A blank expression shot back at her bottomless eyes as his own failed to peek down below her neck, it was a sight he had grown accustomed to, though he was well aware of the effect it could have upon a more eager man. "Now that the pleasantries are over, may we begin?" Normally he would have shook her hand but if what he was told about her, and so far she'd lived up to expectation, Ra's knew that she would not return the gesture. Abruptly brushing past her, he quickly rubbed his feet on the step up to the entrance, removing most of the mud that stuck to his heel, a common courtesy in any event.

"Not a very charming establishment but I'm sure it does the job, better than most on the run can afford." Walking through to the modestly maintained living room, his nostrils noticed that the stench from the waste outside remained trapped beyond the confines of her shack, which would make their conversation far more enjoyable. A simple television, something which Ra's had never owned. He wasn't impressed by them eighty years ago and he still found them a mind dulling experience. Running his finger over the television monitor, his pacing quickly took him to the book shelf where he ran his hand over the collection of reading materials rested against one another before he shifted his focus back towards Ivy.

Of course he had seen images of her before, film taken from security cameras, even her shots from her arrests at the GCPD station. But in the flesh, or whatever her body was now made of, she was all that Ra's had expected and more. Bountiful crimson locks dropped onto a lustful body, a goddess of the female figure with a face that could melt ice, if a man allowed her. "I won't lie, you have a particular set of skills which I require, skills which few others posses. Accept my gracious offer and you can name your price."

[Pamela Isley - Poison Ivy]

Closing the door behind the man when he enters, Poison Ivy doesn't seem to be at all bothered by his inspection of her small abode - instead of bothering to watch him she wanders over to the kitchen area, where she seats herself on the countertop. Which is a notably easy move for her to make, no more difficult than it would be to sit down in a chair, suggesting that she's quite athletic.

Crossing her legs so that they dangle over the edge, she frowns at the implications of his commentary on the quality of her home. "There's no need to be insulting. Money is no object to me - I could afford a palace if I wanted it. But why should I? Who is there to impress? My plants hardly have a sense of aesthetics. What I have perfectly meets my needs and anything more than that would be a waste," she explains, a note of superiority in her voice. After all, if he truly cared about the world then he'd see it as she does. Of course... if he were to look at her wardrobe, which is in another room, he'd notice that she's not satisfied with the mere basics in everything. But looking absolutely stunning is a need in her eyes, not some selfish desire.

When he runs his finger over the television monitor, he'd find a slight layer of dust on it. That's partly just because the dump isn't exactly a clean place so the dust tends to accumulate easily, but it's even more of an indication that the television isn't very much cared about and probably seldom used. The small bookshelf holds a number of books as well as DVDs - the books are largely non-fiction, most of them quite advanced, mostly on various scientific subjects but most especially toxicology, botany, genetics, and such. But there's also a number on various environmental topics such as global warming, extinction, and such, also very advanced. One, quite a bit larger than the others, is a thick collection of photos of highly endangered plants. The DVDs are all documentaries, and not surprisingly they're all on the subjects of either nature or the environment. And all of these also have that very thin layer of dust, suggesting that they've not been touched recently either.

Her expression turns amused at his words after he finishes his inspection. "I'm sure that I do," she replies, "But I have my doubts that you have anything that I want. Like I said, I have everything that I need, and as you can see my needs are minimal." And she's pretty sure that she's stolen the one thing that he did have that she would want.

[Deleted]

Detaching the hanging sword from his side for comfort reasons, Ra's al Ghul places the scabbard held blade down across his lap, firmly grasping the golden embalmed pommel in case their meeting became a notch less cordial. His gaze follows her movements, watching her slide up onto the bench in one swift movement while a part of him is glad that she had the deceny to cross her legs. "It wasn't an insult, merely an observation. But you are currently in hiding, are you not?" Or at least what she believed hiding consisted of, though not everyone is as good at finding people as the League is, even if they usually only find people with the intent of later killing them. Ra's hadn't decided whether that would be the fate for Dr. Isley. If she were to attack him now, how would she do it he pondered. Judging attack patterns was the first step to defeating your opponent and Ra's had researched her recent altercations, examined her tactics before he actually met her just in case. Currently he judged his chance of victory to be too slight for his liking as his only hope would be to remove the head of the snake before it had the chance to call on its allies.

"Your needs may be minimal, but I expect that your desires are far more exponential but I could be wrong, maybe living in a toxic waste is exactly the type of life that you desire to lead. Some how I doubt that though, I'd wager that someone who reads all those kind of books has far more ambition than simply sliding into memory." Toxicology, botany, the study of the natural world, Isley was infatuated with the Earth itself which means that she knew what had to be done to secure its future only she had yet to do so as was apparent by the toxic dump surrounding them. Before he took the mantle of Head of the Demon, Ra's too was a man of science, a follower of what would later be classified as chemistry, an understanding which allowed him to harness the regenerative abilities found in the Lazarus element.

"Spare me your prattling, I don't want to hear how you can achieve everything on your own as judging from your past you can not. You stole from me because you weren't powerful enough without my flower, you took a piece of the puzzle and now believe it completed. I only desire to give you the finished product, nothing more. Consider it your debt for past disgressions." He judged it best to get straight to the point, there was no need to dance around the subject as he wasn't there to make an alliance, only to provide apparent donation. Ra's believed that Gotham required shaking to its very core to the extent that even the word crime is verbally spat upon and loathed, but to achieve this first crime must come close to winning so that people accept that changes must be made to ensure their own continued dominance over anarchy.

[Pamela Isley - Poison Ivy]

Poison Ivy hardly crosses her legs in order to be modest, but because she's a lady. That the crossing of legs ever once became a thing that ladies do because ladies are supposed to be modest is besides the point. In fact, the might as well have been wearing a very elegant evening gown for how she holds herself, she's so at ease about her appearance. "I am, but what am I hiding from?" she answers enigmatically, her expression unbothered.

She'd be a difficult person to prepare to face in combat, even with quite a bit of information about her recent altercations to assist. The vast majority of those she's killed lately died from her trademark kiss of death - a remarkably quick-acting poison on the lips being all that was required. But clearly she has other methods - recently she seems to have gained the ability to produce vines seemingly out of nowhere, which are able to wrap her opponents in their strangling grip within seconds.

But she used yet another technique when she stole the flower. Somehow she was able to sense the location of the men who had been sent after her, and she picked them off one by one. But she didn't kill them. No, she was somehow able to quickly bend them to her will, sending them back toward the fortress where they attacked their companions until they were killed - not always before they managed to kill someone.

Her eyes narrow when at first it sounds like he's accusing her of having no more ambition than to stay where she is, but her anger and annoyance are somewhat averted when he also expresses his doubts about that being the case. "Yes," she says simply, indicating that his wager is correct. She may not have touched her books recently, but that's only because she hasn't needed to - so much of the information she knows by heart and so much of it is so basic compared to what she now knows that it's becoming more and more useless to keep them except for an occasional review of the basics.

Though the last bit of what he says doesn't go over nearly so well - so many assumptions, all of them wrong! In fact, when he's finished she suddenly laughs - a deep, feminine chuckle of short duration. "It would be foolish to judge me based upon my past - I have grown considerably as of late. There is simply no comparison between my strength today and that of a year ago, or even over the past few months. Strength that I've yet to fully use, which means that nobody except for myself has even the slightest idea what I'm now capable of," she replies, laughing again before she adds, "But none of my strength comes from 'your' flower. Of what use is it to me to cause fear? My specialty is arousing the passions of men - making them afraid would spoil the mood."

But now she straightens slightly and the amusement disappears from her features as she adds, "And I didn't steal anything from you. I rescued it. I will rescue all of them before I'm through with you." Though she can be a difficult woman to read even at the best of times, there's nothing but complete seriousness in her manner and expressions - her too-green eyes are now staring at him, a hint of disgust in them.

[Deleted]

"All that power and you're still living here? If you're as powerful as you claim to be you'd have little difficulty occupying any residency you deemed fit. Furthermore as soon as I knocked on your door you would have killed me in a half beat, as surely someone with your impressive strengths would have no need to listen to bargains or deals." There was little point trying to argue with someone certified by the state as being mental impaired, especially when that person is brimming with narcissistic tendencies to the extent that she appeared to be. If she is mother nature then she can only realistically love herself as it was clear that man was her greatest foe which only leaves women and herself. But still it was in his nature to defend his opinion, Ra's wasn't known for his mild mannered approach when it came to debates, nor was he notorious for respecting the opinions of others he deemed below himself.

Arching forward in the creased leather chair, hands placed firmly together in a praying positioned albeit pointed forward towards the ground between his leg, he made use of the pause, running his eyes up her legs towards her face. Of course he was a man like any other, though the Lazarus pits may have affected his mental ability in drastic ways, it only amplified his more base desires, mainly the anger that increasingly burned with in him. Six hundred years of practice had tamed these primal urges to a degree, yet even behind his cold exterior, behind the dead eyes, they waited for the opportunity to be released. But for now he felt nothing, even as he watched her every movement, which were obviously being accentuated, she wanted to distract him, why else would she be wearing nothing?

"Perhaps you're just waiting for the perfect opportunity, which is all that I am offering. In return you can have the poppies, but of course you could take them if you wanted." His tone wasn't sarcastic, it ringed with honesty in fact, she'd already shown that she could over power his assassins if she had the element of surprise on her side. "I am here for your help Doctor, because you know that the waste doesn't just end at the boundaries of this Dump, you know that it infects ever corner of this once beautiful world which means that our mutual dislike for one another can wait another day." Though he would never admit it they were both very alike in their goals, it was only in their methods that they differ. Six hundred years of enforcing his own justice had indoctrinated Ra's to believe that he above any mortal law, that the League was true in its crusade, meaning that everyone else automatically falls below them. And as he can only trust his own group, anyone else trying to make a difference will be branded as a criminal until proven other wise. "You have wronged me and I'm willing to forget that because of the possibility that can be born from such an alliance, the greater good which can be achieved. And if you don't believe in taking whatever opportunity to fight back against the filth of humanity then maybe I was wrong about you." 

[Pamela Isley - Poison Ivy]

"You're right, I could live anywhere I want - so clearly, I live here because this is where I want to live," Poison Ivy, sounding a bit bored. Did she not basically tell him so earlier in the conversation? She does hate repeating herself, but he doesn't seem to have understood it the first time. Then again, maybe expecting him to understand is asking too much - he's a man after all. So why does she even try? She doesn't bother to add that she could have killed him too, but has simply chosen not to so far, since that would be implied and if he's too stupid to notice that then he get what he deserves if that becomes important for him to know later.

The rest of what he says she finds more annoying than anything, though that emotion only lightly touches her face. He does like to hear himself talk, doesn't he? Clearly none of it is anything she's all that interested in hearing - in fact, the last part causes her to scoff, "I've wronged you? I have done no such thing! It is you who is in the wrong - you are the one who thinks nothing of removing countless rare and delicate flowers from their home, only to give them to Crane so that he can pointlessly cause people to hallucinate. And you do this in the name of the greater good? There is no good in it at all!" Her eyes lower in derision at him, "And you think that I want to remove them all from the mountain? Don't be ridiculous! They've grown there for millenia - it is their home. You are the trespasser - if anything is to be removed from the mountain, it isn't them. They ought to be able to grow there unmolested."

Scoffing again, she adds, "And especially if that's a prime example of how you intend to save the world, I can't imagine what possible help you could be to me - you're so much a part of the problem yourself that I question if you're actually honest about your intentions. On the other hand, I'm sure I'd be extremely helpful to you, but why should I?" Shifting forward slightly, she stares at him in a challenging manner - as if daring him to do something about her words while clearly doubting his ability to do anything.

[Deleted]

"My giving of the flower to Dr. Crane was as much a symbolic move as it was practical, a sign of nature being the key to the toppling of mankind's strangle hold. You may well criticize and patronize my methods as you sit and do little but I have been saving this World before even your great great grandfather decided to have sexual relationships." As his voice rose so did he, standing up from his seating position, sword in hand. The finely balanced weapon was not held in a threatening manner yet he wanted to show that at a moments notice it be leveled to her throat if need be. Taking a step closer to her, the floor boards creaked under the weight of his firmly pressed boot, a rarity for a man who made a living of walking in shadows, meaning that a light step is a must.

At this range, he had little doubt that she could make any threatening movements in time if he decided to lash out, his sword would be down upon her swan like neck in a heart beat. But that would defeat the purpose of his being there. "Those flowers serve a great cause, their sacrifice will ensure the preservation of nature as a whole. They've done more than you ever will my Dear, for your hatred of man blinds you and thus corrupts you. Humanity is a part of nature, albeit one which requires a firm hand." Stopping at the end of the bench that she pertly sat herself upon, within range of reaching her with the sword yet not too close, Ra's rested himself on the table top, cupping his hands together thoughtfully. "The flower will give him his serum which will bring mankind to its knees. I apologize for my attempts to save this World I love, next time I'll consult you on how best to act. The Master asking the Novice for advice."

Scoffing, Ra's pushed off from the counter, shaking his head lightly as he turned his back to her, pacing to the far wall nonchalantly. "I am part of the problem? You are the criminal, which defines you as a leach on Society's attempts to improve and grow, you are the weight hanging from it's leg." Pivoting on his heel to face her, he now stood in the middle of the room next to the television covered with year's worth of accumulated dust. "You are new to this game, you've seen others play it before you and you want to try it. You win a game, you loose a game, you think that'll you improve given enough time. But now you've flipped the board, scattered the pieces in anger." Stroking his beard, he shot her a piercing glance, observing any twitches in her facial features. If he could make her unsettled then perhaps she'd be more likely to listen.

"Now I'll ask you to shut your mouth and listen as I give you the best offer you're ever likely to hear but of course it's your choice, you can continue fooling yourself or you can join the established protectorate. What I have planned will change the face of this City forever and all it requires is the lighting of a match. If you won't be willing to help then I can find another."

[Pamela Isley - Poison Ivy]

When he explains somewhat of how long he's been saving the world, Poison Ivy's eyebrow lifts. "So long, and you're not finished yet?" she asks. Though she's not actually questioning his age - while it's possible that he's lying, it's also possible that he's telling the truth. She knows more than most that it's indeed possible to live for so long, if you know how.

It's around this time that he might begin to notice the vines. They all seem to be originating from the room currently furthest away from them, though each takes their own path as they slowly grow toward Poison Ivy. Well, 'slowly' when compared to, for example, the pace of someone walking or something like that, but extremely fast for a plant. Several grow into the room from beneath the doorway, while a few others appear out of the small cracks in the ceiling and walls - one even makes an appearance coming out of a knothole in the floorboard. Suddenly some of the apparent cosmetic defects of the room prove to have a purpose.

But Poison Ivy herself appears to be quite relaxed as she watches him get up and pace, never mind that he's holding a sword and seems to want her to remember that. She's certainly listening to what he's saying quite carefully, but based on her expressions it's not being very well received - most of what he's saying causes her to silently scoff, while his apparent faith in Crane gets a roll of her eyes. When he proceeds to insult her, her expressions become at once scornful and outright contemptuous.

"I'm a criminal?" she asks, "Only according to a cruel, corrupt, and heartless society that has no respect for anything but it's own excesses. To follow the laws of man is to believe in man's rightness and superiority - to be, as I said, a part of the problem. There is, in reality, only one law to follow - the laws of nature. Something that you obviously know nothing about, for all your supposed ancient wisdom. You don't want to save the world, you want to control it, but though man flatters itself able to control nature it never has and it never will. You are nothing more or less than yet another master of men.

"And all you're offering me is a leash, so that you may drag me along on your failed trip to nowhere - never mind that you'd never be able to control or contain me. And nowhere is exactly where you're going - if your current lack of success isn't proof enough of that, your ridiculous belief in the abilities of Crane is more than enough. The man is a fool, and a weakling - left behind in the menagerie of more capable people who have and who continue to make themselves known to the world. Of course, it's not surprising that you're unaware of that - it's so hard for an old man to keep up with the times, isn't it? But you don't have to worry - you can continue to play your little games while I take care of everything for you," she says easily, her tone becoming quite patronizing at the end.

[Deleted]

Foul aromas filtered to her nose as she noticed the traces of her father before her. Why this location was not the foremost thought on her mind. Why her prior meeting had ran late, and now found her flitting through an abandoned wasteland, in rather formal dress, was another.

It was like the stories she had heard of the West, whitewashed and bleached to perfection as to not scare children. She had grown as a child with these 'fairy-tales' as well, comparing and contrasting the basic soul of the writing, and noting how different cultures, different peoples challenged and changed such notions to fill a child's head with. So as the night slowly blossomed, she hoisted the layers of fabric from being soiled by the tainted earth, and wordlessly followed the trails that spoke of the Demon.

Her Father had been irate pacing through here. His steps were hurried, and no doubt that meant he was aggravated. Tracking was a skill she had picked up easily, through not as swiftly as gauging the Great Demon's moods. Pursing her lips she continued on, a misplaced Disney heroine trekking through a corner Wasteland. Perhaps she would be a verdant Cinderella, in her green dress among the lands, in search of a small shack instead of a man. But she was in search of a man, and a woman. The woman moreso interested her, considering the words whispered to her had said her research had progressed. The man? Well, that man was and would always be her father, someone who had been there her entire life. Pausing before taking another step-barefoot, as to not ruin the heels she has hooked around a finger, she listens. It's a faint rustling, like wind on sands before midnight. A sound that most would not recognize, but to her ears, it speaks of life. Of fertile grounds, and her goal.

A left, and walking further among the toxic barrels and errata bring her to the abode of one she knows is Poison Ivy, nee Doctor Pamela Isley. The woman does have a knack for monikers, and purpose in her home, as well, as Talia is able to see the greenery shifting toward the center of the dilapidated building. Shifting her hold on her formal gown, she's able to free up a hand to lightly knock at the door. She's going to be a sight to see once granted entrance; Emerald chiffon and lace, hair formally placed, shoes in her hand, a worn leather bag bisecting her bodice and torso from right shoulder to left. Perhaps she is the fairy godmother this time, granting gifts and wishes.

[Deleted]

"You place far too much worth on your own existence, my sadly mistaken Poison Ivy. You are a romantic, a woman psychologically disturbed from a life of pervading the course of nature and order and you can be replaced. Wronged by a man you have been left with a bitter after taste, though if you truly spoke for the Earth you would understand that Humanity has as much a share of it as any other species, no more, no less. However you chose to ignore that, branding yourself with the pretentious title of 'Mother Earth'. The difference between you and I is that I have earned my position, you're here through chance and accident." It is true that he sought to control Humanity, it was the only realistic way to preserve the natural balance of things. Humanity would endure the League of Assassins, or at least a select few would be preserved. "Your way is the easy path and that is not what I'm after."

Diplomacy was evidently not his strongest suit, which could be put down to his age old believe that its his way or the high way. A life time of bowing and agreement had left him alien to alternate opinions, as for so long no one would have dared speak to the Head of the Demon in such an offensive manner. This doesn't mean that he avoided honesty, in fact quite the opposite, it's just often his opinion was the correct one though most arguments were held between himself and his lieutenants who knew better than to defy him. Looking down he only just noticed the clenched fist held around the black ribbon wrapped hilt of the katana, releasing his grasp slightly as he allowed himself a moment to gather himself. As his own life had stretched for so many eons the vast majority of Humanity were nothing more than children in his eyes and such a perspective had left him with the view that he was their father, there to protect and if need be punish them.

It was obvious that Ivy would not give in to his demand, but that could be just down to the delivery of the message not the actual offer, so Ra's was sure to make use of all the assets at his disposal to seal the deal with the effeminate flora. Before he had arrived at the toxic Wasteland, Ra's was sure to inform his closest ally, his own daughter Talia of his plan to involve Ivy in their mission to force Gotham into a frenzy. She made the suggestion that she would be available for back up if negotiations went south, or if he did not contact her within a certain allotted time which had since passed. Timing is everything for an assassin, it the abusing of an opportunity which means the difference between failure and success. Moving past her towards the door they came in through, his trench coat ends lightly bouncing off the top of his mud covered boots, Ra's grabbed the handle and opened it with the expectation that she would be there waiting for him. Tag in. 

[Pamela Isley - Poison Ivy]

The longer he speaks, the more difficulty Poison Ivy has in suppressing a roll of her eyes. Finally she's unable to do it all, and thus it becomes blatantly obvious that she feels nothing but contempt for what he's saying. And when he's finally finished she simply states, "You think you know me so very well, yet you have no idea how I think and no idea how I feel." Okay, so perhaps he was correct on a point or two, even though she won't admit it, but he's making far too many assumptions about her - both now and earlier in the conversation. Even if she had the slightest desire to collaborate with someone to achieve mutual goals, he's quite possibly the last person she would ever want to work with.

She's about to say more when something else catches her attention - someone else is headed their way. A woman, if she's not terribly mistaken, following nearly the exact same route though perhaps a bit slower. That she's aware of someone's arrival is quite obvious because she turns to look right at her front door. But she doesn't bother to get up to see who it is, as the unpleasant man she's be arguing with seems to be aware of this arrival as well and is already heading to the door to answer it himself. So she simply remains seated on the counter - it's not even a full ten feet from the doorway so she's sure to see whoever it is the moment the door is opened.

And when it is, a flicker of surprise travels across Poison Ivy's face. Mostly because she certainly wasn't expecting someone so spectacularly dressed, as if straight from a formal affair. "Well, now I really feel under-dressed," she comments, as her conversation with Ra's al Ghul has put her in just the right sort of mood for such sarcasm. She doesn't show either any concern or much interest in this new arrival, as she's gathered that they're together. Perhaps she's supposed to be intimidated now that there's two of them? If so, it's not working. Instead, if anything, the expression on her face is one of very mild annoyance as she simply waits to see what, if anything, this will add to the situation.