Professor Fear III

Chapter 60

There was a heavy silence in the library as the 'day' came to a close - that being, the thick orange gas cloud becoming less illuminated.
Edward and Joker were the only rogues who had left the library briefly to attend to their projects in Gotham. The others, especially Ivy, enjoyed their slow day in the library.

Jonathan and Daria did not come back until it was dark outside and most of everyone was asleep. After tiptoeing into the quiet room, Daria joined Harley who drowsily beckoned her to join the moss-bed Ivy had made.
Jonathan was not yet tired, he made his way over to Edward, who was still awake and leafing through a large book that could easily bludgeon someone with one swing.

"People are getting bored. I'm missing my work." Edward began admitting before Jonathan had even sat himself cross-legged on the floor.

"I know," Jonathan acknowledged. Watching the city rebuild itself would be a fascinating observational feat in-itself. He was excited for it all. However, the past week had taught him about how the other rogues thrived. "Everyone should be patient. I can already see the clouds getting thinner."

"Is there some, like, big aerosol trip killer?" The girl that Jervis had been with asked. She had pulled herself over to Jonathan and Edward's conversation from her previous place on the floor. She felt much better after Ivy gave her the drug, but her muscles were hardly ready to acclimatise to movement again.
"Trip Killer," Edward chuckled. "I'm sure Ivy and I could cook something up,"
"I'm insulted by your lack of including me, the maker of the beautiful chaos that you are planning to poison," Jonathan put a hand over his heart, feigning pain.
"Poison," Edward chuckled again. "Poisoning a poison sounds quite exciting."
"I have devised an antidote, of course." Jonathan insisted. "I have parameters in place if things were not to go as I pleased. I'd say the toxin has three days left over Gotham."
Edward looked into his friend's stern expression. Edward imagined he had used the expression often when a teacher. Underneath the cold gaze, Edward could see that Jonathan wanted respect and understanding from his friend. After all, Joker had accomplished quite a few weeklong terrorising of Gotham over the years but people had not challenged him – or, if they had, they weren't around anymore.

Edward went to see if Ivy was awake. On his way to finding her he noticed Jervis sleeping on a table and Joker sleeping precariously on a vine. Edward felt it was the first time he'd seen The Joker sleeping - or imitating sleeping.

Ivy's eyes fluttered open as soon as Edward approached her.
"I talked to Jonathan -" began Edward.
"Wait it out and let Scarecrow have his big break?" Ivy interrupted, raising herself so she was laying with her head on her hand. Her long red hair had maintained its soft wavy cherry-red cascade, unphased by having been slept on.
"Yes."

"Heard it through the grapevine," Ivy smirked. "Like I've said already, it suits me. No horrible men in Gotham polluting the environment and my plants are thriving. I think tomorrow I'll grow a large tree that has been caged under Gotham city hall."
"Uh, as long as you aren't ruining the work Jervis and I spent lots of time on. Joker nearly destroyed it. I claim city hall."
Ivy paused for a moment, then sighed and nodded in agreement.

Edward grinned. "I'm liking this current situation a bit more. I'll make sure to liberate lots of lab equipment before people start coming to their senses again. Maybe Jervis and I could take over a build a bear so that kids – and some adults of course - create the strangest of toys."
Edward wondered when the consumerism of Gotham would resume after the toxin had departed. Capitalism rarely took a moment to pause so he assumed it would be not long after Gothamites had awoken from their nightmares.

Ivy playfully slapped him with a rubber fig leaf which, in Edward's mind, came from out of nowhere. Ivy's 'bed' was surrounded by a vertical ring of numerous different plant species.

"Sleep first?" Ivy asked.
"Sleep first." Edward agreed. He looked over to Jonathan, caught his attention and imitated sleeping on his hands. Jonathan nodded in understanding.

"There's space here," Ivy gestured to the moss-bed she had made for herself. Edward took off his blazer jacket and found his space next to Ivy and the two friends hugged each other tightly to sleep.