I carefully opened the door to the lab and saw a nurse unconscious on the floor.
She was breathing but was unconscious.
Grabbing a pole used for IV drips, I set off searching for "adventures."
Suddenly, long vines wrapped around me from head to toe, leaving me unable to move.
"Well, well, looks like I've been discovered."
A calm voice sounded from someone interesting sitting at a computer, searching for something.
"It's nice to see such a beauty here. It's quite surprising to see the famous Poison Ivy in a hospital. What brings you here? Is your heart acting up? Nerves... Ahem, could you please... order your pets to loosen their grip?"
"Don't you dare order me around. What I'm doing here is none of your business!"
She snapped, sounding fierce but undeniably beautiful.
She was stunning with her exotic green skin, bright green eyes, long wavy red hair, symmetrical face, and a figure rivaled Harley's.
I wondered what her measurements were.
"Ding!"
[New Side Quest: Casanova 2.0!
Description: Prove to this misandrist that you are far better than her tentacles. Put her on the 'path to redemption'!
Rewards:
+ Variable
+1 Level Up
+20 AP]
[Failure or Refusal: Impotence]
[Do you want to accept the quest?]
[Yes/No.]
'Why am I not surprised?'
Meanwhile, Ivy calmly and leisurely scrolled through some data in the hospital's database.
"Hey! Lustful animal! Release me immediately from your tentacles, or I'll sue you for harassment!"
It's a shame I don't have a camera on hand.
I would have captured this great moment when she froze, her beautiful green eyes bulging in surprise.
She stopped her hands on the keyboard for a moment as she processed what I said.
I realized it wasn't the time to stop, so I continued:
"What?! The truth hurts your eyes? And don't look at me like I'm insane! You only want one thing. Instead of talking and getting to know each other better, how about going on a couple of dates? We could watch a movie together. I'd even sing you a few songs because I can and I love it. However, no, you had to wrap me up in your tentacles and inject me with your toxins."
"What toxins?"
Pamela asked in astonishment.
"I didn't inject you with anything."
"Yes, yes. Tell that to the lunatics. Then why do I look at you and awaken long-forgotten feelings that last surfaced in the academy? Why do you seem so beautiful to me that I can't organize my thoughts clearly? Huh?! If it weren't for the anger and resentment I feel for you shamelessly using me to satisfy your ego, I'd be drooling over you right now! Release me from your tentacles immediately, you pervert! Cough!"
The vines tightened around me, and Ivy stepped closer, clearly furious.
"What nonsense are you spouting?! It's you humans who are lustful and cruel. I'm alien to all these animalistic human emotions. I am not human!"
"You cough are… human… and you're proving that right now. You're going to kill me. You're angry and you want my blood. You are a HUMAN! You're just lying to yourself… cough…"
Ivy looked confused, and her plants slightly loosened their grip.
"Whether you want to admit it or not, you are human. Mutated DNA or not, you can't change that. We cannot change what we are. You just prove it with every action you take. You seduce men and women with your toxins, and you kill them. You destroy just like they do, and yet you refuse to accept yourself for who you are. You are a HUMAN! Do you want to say this is merely self-defense? You don't need to tell ME anything or prove anything. Consider this yourself and ask yourself: Am I really different from them?"
She flinched in fear, and I pressed on.
"I'm not judging you or anyone else. We don't know how to act and often create masks behind which we hide from our fellow beings. I like your image as a nature lover. It's not just an image, it's a way of life. You truly love nature. But, you also destroy it. Your actions only worsen the views of some individuals towards it. The residents of Gotham who have suffered from you or indirectly from your actions curse both you and nature. I've seen this before, and this is YOUR fault, not the fault of their "nature." Misunderstanding among people is not uncommon..."
That's when it all went downhill.
I had probably been talking for over an hour.
During that time, Poison Ivy's vines set me down gently, and unexpectedly, we found ourselves sitting together on a couch in the corner of the lab.
She was subdued but listened intently.
At the next turn of my lecture about how she was a bad girl, I accidentally brushed her shoulder and passed out.
Suddenly, a flood of messages from the system appeared:
[Error... you have received a massive dose of pheromones...]
[Error... the system is attempting to purge the pheromones...]
[Error... unknown organic toxins are attacking your cells...]
[Error... unknown new toxin has entered your body...]
[Poison Ivy's toxins have poisoned you.]
[The poisoner has given you an antidote. You now have immunity to her pheromones as well as all organic toxins.]
I opened my eyes and realized that I was restless, and I wouldn't lie if I said it was my agitated head resting on Ivy's soft and warm legs.
She looked worried, judging by her gaze.
"What happened?"
I asked her.
"I'm sorry, I accidentally poisoned you with my toxins... But I fixed it quickly. I don't want to hurt you..."
The system sent me new messages about increasing my relationship with her.
By the way, I think the same thing happened during my speech.
I wondered just how good my relationship with her was now.
"Not a big deal. It was my carelessness. You're not to blame, but the fact that you chose to fix it shows that you're not as bad as some think. You've chosen a path... of redemption, maybe... I don't know. In any case, it all depends more on you than on... m-m-m."
'To be honest, I didn't expect her to kiss me herself.'
Surprisingly, she kissed quite pleasantly and skillfully.
After a few seconds, she broke the kiss herself.
"You have no sense of discretion, Batman."
She muttered into the darkness.
Suddenly, out of the darkness came the ominous figure, whose presence made the atmosphere more intense.
"Let the guy go."
"I'm not holding him by force and my toxins don't affect him. I gave him immunity."
"That's true."
I confirmed her words.
"We had a rather nice conversation. She's quite peaceful if you talk to her instead of trying to pick a fight."
Batman scrutinized both of us with a strange look.
I couldn't decipher much through those white lenses but could sense it in my gut.
"Why are you here?"
"The head of this laboratory is quite... an not good person. He kidnapped my babies from a place that belonged to me and conducted experiments on them. I want to find out where they are."
"You're dangerous! You might cross the line."
"I need to save them! Bring them back!"
It seemed like a fight was about to break out.
I had to intervene.
"Hey, hey! There's no need for a fight. We'll let Batman handle the case since he's the best detective in the world, and you'll stay in a safe place. I'll be with you so you won't be too bored."
"She should be sent to Arkham because she escaped from there."
"Damn! Batman, are you aware that you have issues with socializing in society and relationships with women?"
At this, Poison Ivy let out a laugh.
"By the way, she..."
"I agree. If, of course, you truly help my children, Isaac will stay with me there."
She interrupted me unexpectedly.
"Alright. I'll take you to Arkham!"
The next three days were spent in Arkham with Ivy.
We discussed various topics a lot, but we never crossed the line.
By the way, I managed to complete all my tasks, and in the end:
[Quest Completed: Strange Sound]
[Rewards:
+2 Level Up
+500 relationship with Poison Ivy.]
"Ding!"
[Side Quest Completed: Casanova 2.0]
[Reward:
+Variable
+1 Level Up
+20 AP
+1000 relationship with Poison Ivy]
In addition, I received more notifications:
[+5 Talk No Jutsu]
[The "Womanizer" skill has been evolved to "Casanova".]
[+2 Casanova]
+1000 relationship with Gotham General Hospital.
+200 relationship with Batman.
[+2 Intitution]
As a result, I had the following status:
Name: Isaac Dinklage
Health: 410
Level: 9
Experience: 555/4500
Title: Hot Fuzz (Novice), Newcomer (Ordinary), Drunkard, Racist, Good Guy.
Attributes:
Strength: 45
Agility: 10
Endurance: 35
Intelligence: 19
Intuition: 29
Luck: 10
Attribute Points: 30
Features: Orphan, Lone Wolf, Sociopath, Alcoholic, Casanova, Racist
Skills:
Stealth - Level 1
Shooting - Level 3
Hand-to-Hand Combat - Level 9
Darts Mastery - Level 5
Special Skills:
Cooking - Level 3
Guitar - Level 8
Problem Solving - Level 16
Persuasion - Level 5
Casanova - Level 3
Chuck Norris Kick - Level 2
Accuracy - Level 4
Melee Weapon Mystery - Level 2
Troll - Level 1
Cheater Level 1
Talk No Jutsu - Level 10
"You are acting quite recklessly."
Batman reproached me with a frown.
"You are nobody in this city, yet you've already managed to stand out. I respect your bravery, but you are acting recklessly."
"Do you think I'm insane?"
"You act like a madman, but I don't think so. I don't understand you. However, I can only guess at the actual logic of your actions. Is it because of your parents?"
"Why do they even matter?"
"They both died in the line of duty. Your mother was a military surgeon, your father a Marine Corps colonel. They died during a terrorist attack in Boston. Actually, your mother died there. Your father was brought to New York, where he managed to talk to you before he died..."
Damn, I'm starting to fear him.
Issac's memory tells me that everything this mouse is saying is true. It all happened just like that.
"… there you talked with your father about something. What was it about?"
"It's personal."
It's difficult for me, even being a "stranger" in this body, to talk about that private conversation with my dying father and his advice.
"Maybe I'll tell you later."
"Alright. I'm not insisting but I advise you to don't take unnecessary risks. I understand you're a cop, and it's your duty to protect civilians, but you're putting yourself in unjustified danger."
"Is that about Ivy?"
I scoffed.
"And about her too. I shouldn't get involved in your personal life, but don't forget who she is. Maybe you'll change her, and I hope for that. But still, be more careful."
"Alright."
We arrived at the hospital, and my arm had almost healed already.
The hormones and Ivy's medications have probably worked wonders for my regeneration...
Batman called out to me as a farewell.
"Think about what I said!"
"I always think before I do something…"
I lied a little here… not much, but I still lied.
To be continued...