Captain America: Gotham City

Chapter 11: Taken

It's been a few weeks since Steve had properly seen Harley, she had been busy with Poison Ivy and he hasn't been able to speak to her much other than the occasion hello and how are you on the stairway. Steve was sitting by the front door, waiting for Harley to arrive home. He did this every night to ensure she was home safely. Waiting here for an hour, he starts to wonder where she is. It's past midnight and she always walks through the door at 11:30pm. Steve wondered why it was the same time every night, but never questioned her. Deciding to stand up and open the door to find a dark empty staircase and whistling coming from an open window.

Steve runs up the stairs to Harley's apartment, knocking on the door, but there is no answer. This time he knocks louder and calls out, "Harley!" There was still no answer, he decides to take matters into his own hands and gets the hidden key that is in the grotesque mouth of the clown door knocker. Opening the door, he finds Ivy standing in the middle of the room, holding a note in her hand.

Steve walks through the door, "Why didn't you answer when I called?" She looks up at him with cold eyes, "You were calling for Harley, not me." Steve looks down at the floor not wanting to somehow annoy her further. He closes the door behind him and walks over to her, slowly. Ivy looks up at him again, holding the note out towards him, "If you are wondering where she is, I suggest you take a look at this." He takes the note from her hands.

Dear Guy who spends too much time with Harley

It has come to my interest that you and her have been spending A LOT of time together. If she is worth anything to you, I suggest you let her go. After all, it's for the best. I believe she is better off without you. Then again, I do enjoy confrontation.

I think you should come to Number 35 Warehouse in Gotham Harbor. I can't wait to see you, well, my men can't wait to see you. I have more important matters to attend to.

Yours Sincerely
J

Steve looks up at Ivy, "I'm going to get her back." He starts heading towards the door, when vines slowly crawls up his leg. It gets tighter and holds his foot in place, he turns to see Ivy staring at him in anger, "I will go, you have done enough damage!" Steve reaches down towards the vine wrapped around his ankle, he is about to rip it off, when another vine wraps around his wrist, pulling his arm upwards. Steve looks at Ivy, startled, "You are wasting time! I need to save her!" Ivy stops what she is doing and lowers her arms, "You like her!" Steve lowers his head, "Ugh.. maybe.. I.. I do.. I do like Harley." Ivy gives him a cold glare, "You are playing with fire! You have no idea who you are dealing with!" Steve tears the vines away from his wrist and ankle, "I don't care! I just want her back!" He slams the door behind him and runs to his apartment to get ready to save her.

Steve arrives at the Warehouse. Standing in front of the back door in the pouring rain, thinking of his plan of action. Suddenly, vines are growing over the entrance and a figure starts to walk towards him. He notices the fiery red hair, "What are you doing here Ivy?" She walks up next to him and turns towards the vine covered door, "Stopping you from making a stupid decision!" Steve looks at her with confusion, "I think I can handle myself." Ivy folds her arms in disgust, "I don't like this as much as you do, but behind this door are three armed men. It's almost like you want her harmed." He leans in close to Ivy's face, so they are barely touching, "I will do anything to protect her, but if we want her back alive as well maybe we should work together rather than you telling me what not to do." Ivy turns away in disgust, "Fine, but only for her sake." He nods and Ivy starts to remove the vines from the door.

Three men are sitting around a poker table when they hear a knock on the door. One of the men stands up and starts to head toward the door, another one calls out to him, "It could be the pizza we ordered!" The man starts to open the door and sees a man standing in a red, white and blue uniform with a shield that has a star in the middle of it, not taking his eyes of Steve he calls back to the others, "It's definitely not pizza!"

Steve lifts the shield up towards the man's head and smacks him in the forehead, knocking him out cold. Before the other men could call for help, vines started to cover their mouths and wrap around their throats, just enough to knock them unconscious. Steve walks in and looks up to see Ivy walking along the support beams in the roof. They nod to each other and head towards the room where Harley is being held. As they go from room to room, Steve takes out the main man, while Ivy uses her vines to silence the other guards.

Steve opens a door to find Harley tied to a chair in the middle of the room surrounded by six guards. Just as he begins to walk towards her, she notices him and beams a large grin, "You guys are in trouble now! He's going to get his wanger out!" Ivy jumps down from the wooden beams and stares at Steve in disgust, "You are a poor excuse for a human being!" Steve looks from Harley to Ivy before pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation , "It's my shield, ladies." Harley starts to giggle, "Yeah, but it goes wang whenever you hit someone with it, so it's your wanger!" Steve rolls his eyes while Ivy looks him up and down in disgust, "If you're quite done being disgusting?" Steve rolls his eyes and nods in agreement and raises his shield to get ready. Ivy raises her hands and vines start to come out of the ground, trapping two guards. Steve charges at two standing next to each other and swings the shield with his right arm, hitting them both in the face, knocking them out. Grabbing his shield as it returns back to him, he starts to charge at the last two, which begin to open fire with machine guns. He raises the shield to protect his body as he continues towards them. The shots are bouncing all over the place. He reaches the two men and foot swipes them, so they fall to the floor.

Steve and Ivy look at each other with concern, they are both thinking, that was two easy. Suddenly, a massive wrapped present falls from the roof and opens in front of them. A jack in the box came jumping out with a message on its forehead.

I'll see you soon.

Steve starts walking over to Harley when she tilts her head to one side and smiles, "Ya know Steve, while I'm tied up, I am completely at your mercy here, I mean you could do.. anything!" Steve sighs and starts to untie her. Harley notices no response, so tries again, "Wow! Most guys wouldn't pass on an opportunity like that, you are a hard man to please!" Ivy walks over to the jack in the box, not wanting to be part of the conversation. She grabs the message from the forehead and screws it up before they notice. Steve turns towards Ivy, "What does the jack in the box have to do with anything?" Harley and Ivy quickly look at one another and then back to Steve. Harley smiles, "Nothing you need to worry about, just some stupid joke!"