Bruce found himself sitting in a car between Gotham's two most dangerous women, and had a child sitting on his lap. Questions were shooting through his head at millions of miles per second. How did they get past the guards? Where had they gotten a child? Was the child a hostage? Was he a willing participant? Who was he? If he was a hostage, apprehending him would be a decently difficult affair, however, the same could be said if he was willing.

Ivy hadn't attempted to keep a child near her since The Earthquake and yet now she was actively committing crimes alongside a child that couldn't have been more than six years old. Come to think of it, the child possessed a deep green shade of eye color, similar to Ivy's. Could this have been some kind of experimental test tube child? Or was it actually a child Ivy had kidnapped?

He couldn't ask these questions now. With toxins in his system, speaking was difficult, and his mind was somewhat foggy. He had no control over his body, he would just have to sweat whatever was still in him, out of him. So he strained himself, trying to force sweat out of himself as time continued on. Ivy and Harley leaned over and mockingly hugged up to the much taller man. Harley cackled, and Ivy flirtily whispered in his ear,

"I hope you're enjoying yourself, Mister Wayne," she cooed, "You get to give my darling boy a wonderful Christmas to remember forever! Say hello to Bruce Wayne, Percy."

Percy, that was his name. The name clicked a memory in Bruce that made his mind less cloudy. A few weeks ago a child had gone missing from an orphanage after causing thousands of dollars worth of water damage. That child's name was Percy Jackson. This had to have been the same kid. Bruce's hunch was that he had escaped the orphanage and gained the sympathy and liking of Poison Ivy or Harley.

It was likely Ivy, based on how she spoke of him, how she held his hand. The young boy had spent a full month and a half alongside Gotham's cruel goddess of nature, wrestling him away from Ivy was not going to go easily. She would rather die than give over her loved one to authority that would keep them away from her. Bruce had hoped that taking care of a child would bring Pamela back, make her rational again… but it was clear that even with a child, she would still seek thrills alongside them.

Granted, this wasn't a bank robbery or anything that required guns. This was simply a criminal shopping trip to give the child a good holiday. Unfortunately, it was looking like Bruce's holiday wasn't going to go so peachy keen. He was sure that anything taken from his account could be replaced in a single day, but it was still a nuisance that criminals were running free with his credit cards.

"Hi, Mister Wayne!" Percy greeted, turning around and standing so he could look into the tall man's eyes, "You don't look very happy. Harley says you should cheer up more cause it's Christmas!"

Bruce could see the two criminals rubbing off on him. It made him worried and even sickened him. Knowing he would have to forcefully try to remove the child from them didn't make him happy, but he knew that it would be better for the child in the end.

"I bet you're wondering where we got him, eh Brucie?" Ivy whispered, never taking her eyes off of Percy, "Why Gotham's most dangerous women are parading a child around?"

Bruce couldn't respond, so he just stared ahead as he internally struggled against the toxin.

"From the depths of this twisted and horrific city, one can find some beautiful seeds," Ivy continued, "Sometimes damaged by the awful environment that surrounds them. Abuse, neglect, malnourishment… but, a little sun and water can help little seedlings bloom."

Her metaphor wasn't hard to look behind and decipher. The child was taken off the street like a homeless, hurt puppy. And now there was no safe way of actually removing the child without a struggle. That would have to be focused on later. For now, he had to get mobile again, escape, and change back into Batman. He knew it was a good idea to wear the Batsuit beneath the formal wear today…

"And now Harley and I have our own little sprout to tend to," Ivy smiled, "He'll be a good man, I know it."

It was in times like these Bruce was sure that he was speaking to Pamela Isley. At one time, a respected, kind, and lovely botanist. Now, a mutated genocidal plant-human hybrid, never able to truly reform and become Pamela again. She was off her rocker, yet she was also not delusional. She had a goal and she wanted to complete it, but the needs of a human still wore at her.

The maternal role to a male and human child indicated that she still held humanity. Celebrating Christmas, being close friends with Harley Quinn, it all pointed to Pamela being in there, somewhere. Changed but there, the chance at redemption always softly tugging at her. It made Bruce long for the chance to bring her back. He truly did want the people in Arkham to be redeemed, to become who they once were no matter how badly they had regressed.

Even those as cruel and genocidal as The Joker. Even those as cold and unfeeling as Victor Freis. Even those as twisted as Harvey Dent. He wanted them to become better people, to go back to the way they were before. With their talents, they could HELP the people of Gotham, yet they insisted on working for their own twisted means.

"Oh! We're here!" Harley squealed, bouncing in her seat, "I'll race you to the shoe department Red!"

Ivy tisked, and waggled her finger at the clown.

"Not yet, Harley, we're celebrating Percy's first REAL Christmas," Ivy told her, "We can shop for shoes after Percy gets his fill."

Bruce knew that this was going to absolutely drain him for everything he had…

And drain him it did, though fortunately, the effects began to wear off after the first hundred thousand dollars we're down the drain. Bruce was forced to follow along quietly, while Percy gleefully rushed throughout the department store, snatching up just about everything he had ever seen on TV but was never able to get. Harley helped him do that, while Ivy went and picked out some new clothes for the boy.

"Look kiddo! Piano's!" Harley cheered, as the group stepped out from an elevator. They had been shopping for about two hours now, Percy getting everything he had wanted before he bashfully found Harley and Ivy two things he thought they would like. The women had been so moved that they nearly crushed him in a hug as a result. Bruce, meanwhile, was being dragged behind while lifting a massive amount of heavy bags and boxes. He was strained, but best of all, he was sweating.

His head felt clearer, and he was slowly beginning to stop himself. Soon he'd be able to get out, in a moment maybe.

"Can we get some?" Percy asked, innocently pointing towards them. Ivy smiled at the boy and shrugged.

"I don't see why not," she cooed to the boy. The shock that came with the idea that he would purchase not one, but MULTIPLE pianos's was enough to shock Bruce out of his stupor. He slowed down walking, and Ivy quickly took notice, turning her head to look at him before frowning, saying, "Step lively, Bruce."

Bruce growled and managed to force himself to stop walking, looking over at the women and discarding the packages with a loud clang.

"I've had...just about enough of this…" he snarled, shaking his head as the movement began to return to his legs, arms and even his fingers. Harley's signature smile also disappeared, replaced with a similar frown.

"I think the stuff is wearin' off Red," Harley said distastefully. Ivy shrugged and took some lipstick out of her back pocket, handing it over to Harley who gleefully took part in opening it and rubbing it on her lips.

"Give him another shot," Ivy commanded, reaching down and taking Percy's hand in caution. Harley grinned and took a few strides towards Bruce, her lips coated black.

"Right-a-rooney! Gimme some sugar, baby…" Harley said malevolently. Bruce shook his head and began to take steps backward, away from Harley. He had seen an Elevator shaft little ways behind him, if he could just, get there-

Oh, he misjudged his distance. He was already on top of it. The warning sign clanged against the back of his knee and forced Bruce to lose his balance. He let out a cry of fake fear, and immediately tumbled heels over head down the elevator shaft, into the void below. Harley gasped, running up to the elevator shaft and shouting, "Ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod!"

Ivy and Percy ran up behind her and looked down the shaft in worry, Harley groaning, "We...we killed him…"

Percy looked confused, so he reached up and tugged on Harley and Ivy's hands.

"But Mommy, and Miss Harley, you said you were gonna do it anyway!" he told them earnestly. Ivy and Harley grinned when they looked down, letting out a slight giggle.

"We know Percy," Ivy explained, "We were just playing a game is all."

Harley twirled away, humming, "We got his credit cards, so what's to worry?"

The trio laughed and left the shaft, giggling to them. It was at this point Bruce had decided that they were not suitable guardians in the slightest. Any hope he had for them had been slain when they had pushed Bruce down the elevator shaft. He needed to stop them, now.