Six Years Earlier

The day after the jewelry heist interference, I went to work at the coffee shop like always. It was a couple of blocks away from the jewelry store, so I saw the busy work of the police and nosey passerby's as I exited the train station. Part of me wanted to get a closer look, to see what happened to the other thieves after I left and what story the police were running with. There weren't any vines left behind, though I'm sure there were a few leaves that they chalked up to fall wind travel. And even if they didn't, I couldn't imagine how they would connect it back to me.

I was about an hour into my shift when he walked in.

All brooding, dark eyed, finely pressed navy blue police uniform sans the hat I always saw them wear. He had dark circles under his eyes like he'd had a long night and his hair just framed them enough to make it a little less noticeable. He seemed distracted as he stood in line, his brow a hard line like he was trying to figure something out that made no sense.

I didn't know what had him so stumped, but I felt a sudden need to.

"What can I get for you today?" I asked him politely as he approached the register.

He barely acknowledged me as he answered. "Large coffee. Black."

"Like your soul?" I said it with the full intent of it being taken as a joke. I cracked a wide smile and everything.

It didn't lessen the dark look he gave me. "Excuse me?"

"It was a joke; a lame one really. You said you wanted it black, so... nevermind," I sighed, annoyed at having to explain myself. I mean, really, who hadn't heard that stupid joke before? "Do you want any sugar or anything?"

"No."

"Ooookay then, happy," I replied sarcastically, ringing him up. "That'll be $4.50. Can I get a name for your order is that regarded as official police business and on a need to know basis only?"

"Dick."

"Excuse me?" I responded, taking immediate offense. To be fair, as far as I was concerned, I was pretty much only a few months old and had never met anyone with that name before.

"You asked for— just put Grayson," he said in exasperation.

The faraway look he'd had before was gone and suddenly he was very much attuned to me. I could practically feel his gaze down to my core, like he was trying to see into my soul. I started a new pot for his coffee and looked around everywhere but at him. It must've bothered him for some reason because he suddenly made an effort to say more to me. "Busy morning here, Madalyn?"

My eyes darted back to him in a second. "How did you know my name?"

"I'm finishing training to be a Detective," he shrugged before breaking into a smile. "Plus, you know, you're wearing a name tag."

"Right," I laughed stupidly at myself, shaking my head as I looked down to the magnetic name plate on my shirt. "Obviously. Ignore me." I started grabbing a cup and sleeve for his drink just to keep my hands busy. "So, junior detective, what brings you around here? I've never seen you work this area before."

"Attempted robbery last night at Starlight Jewelers," he answered simply. "Just canvassing the area, see if anyone heard or saw anything. How about you?"

"Not to state the obvious, but uh, I work here," I answered with a smirk. I leaned closer to him over the counter and pitched my voice low like I was divulging some secret. He shook his head with a half smile, the amusement on his face clearly one of kindness for my sake. "I'm actually in the middle of making your coffee."

I don't know what it was, but something I'd said or done had shifted his mood suddenly. His eyes focused on my face almost sharply, the amusement gone from his entirely. His jaw set and he leaned in towards me too, the tension in his body almost tangible in the air between us. The hairs on the back of my neck rose as if in warning of some danger.

When he spoke again, his tone was as flat and serious as when he first came in. "Did you work last night? See anyone or anything suspicious around?"

The timer for the coffee pot went off and I couldn't move fast enough to give him his order. Still, I kept my movements and voice calm.

"It's Gotham; everyone and everything is suspicious." I placed the lid on his cup, handing it to him with my best customer service smile. "Have a nice day officer. I hope you all find who you're looking for."

"Oh, I'm sure we will," he replied. Now his voice was just low enough for me alone to hear. "Between the two of us, forensics found some plant life in the store that didn't belong there. Now, the guys we found tied up in there don't want to say much but we all know who the evidence points to, you know? A little blonde with a green thumb."

I immediately jumped at the bait, remembering the name the guy from the night before told me. "Right. Poison Ivy."

He stared at me for a few more seconds in silence then nodded and took a sip from his cup before turning back to me with the tiniest smile. "Poison Ivy," he repeated. "Anyway, I have to get going now so just do me a favor and don't tell anyone I told you that, yeah?"

"My lips are sealed," I said, trying to hold back my sigh of relief.

"See you around, Madalyn. Be careful out there."

"Right back at ya, Grayson."

He turned and walked out of the shop, going on with his day like our conversation never happened. Like I wasn't even a slightest thought in his mind.

And like the fool that I was, I believed it.

**********

I'd pretty much forgotten about Officer Grayson by the time I'd headed home from work. My day had grown to be more focused on asshole customers and what I was going to do for dinner.

My botched thievery job left me strapped for cash, relying on whatever change I had left from my day's tips after I used public transportation. I had no money left from my last check and four more days until my next one.

My options were more than limited; they were scarce.

I decided to take the longer walk route home that crossed through a busy street for outside eateries. I hated demeaning myself to scraps, but a girl had to survive. I stopped in the corner by an Italian Restaurant, pretending to wait for the light to cross the street. There were a handful of tables outside, two unoccupied. The other three didn't look like they were going anywhere, anytime soon; but then a miracle happened.

The woman at one of the tables stood up and threw her drink in her partner's face. "You stupid sonofabitch, I hope you rot in hell! You and your damn eyebrow lady."

She stormed off, her date staring after her in a daze for a few seconds. "Penny, wait!" He finally yelled after her, standing so suddenly his seat toppled over. He dug around in his pocket for money and threw it haphazardly on the table. "She was just texting me the appointment reminder! Honey, please, I would never cheat on you!"

Penny didn't even pause to flip him the finger over her shoulder as he ran after her.

The restaurant goers whispered among themselves and laughed before going about their own meals.

None of them even paid me any mind, probably assuming I was the help, as I righted the fallen chair and moved on to clear the half eaten chicken Parmesan and basket of breadsticks from the table. I moved as if to head into the restaurant just in case anyone was watching and then ran into the alley just to the side.

I was so hungry that by the time I reached my street, all that was left of the food was two and a half breadsticks. I gave them to the homeless woman who lived in the first floor of the building I was squatting in. She gave me a wide and thankful smile in exchange that made me feel like less of a bad person.

I skipped up the two dilapidated flights of stairs to my floor and pushed open the apartment door slowly, same as I did every time I entered. I wasn't as concerned of finding another squatter, as I was a giant rat like I did during my first week.

When nothing immediately jumped out at me, I slid inside and closed the door behind me. It didn't have a lock, so I propped up a broken piece of wood against the door to let me know if anyone tried to get in.

I was hardly in the apartment for two minutes when my homemade alarm sounded.

I turned just as the wood clattered flat to the floor, the door halfway open, and a loud pop sounded through my ears. The room was suddenly engulfed in smoke and I started choking on it, covering my face with my arm as I tried to think of what to do and how to get out.

Something came at me through the smoke, it's shadow almost spider like before it surfaced and slammed into me.

It tightened around my arms, keeping them pressed to my sides, threw me back to lay on the floor and tied around me so I couldn't pull free. That didn't stop me from trying of course, biting back a frustrated scream as I did. The smoke that had filled the room was beginning to fade but when it did, the apartment door was closed and no one was standing before me.

That only made me more determined to break free before they did.

I grunted as I sat up, tried desperately to push against my restraints and when all else failed, tried to reach into my pocket for my vine. And then I realized that I didn't have it on me.

Idiot.

"It's a tension rope," a voice said from somewhere in the room. My head snapped around trying to find them but my eyes needed to readjust to the dark after all that smoke. "The more you struggle, the tighter it gets. There's no way out of that thing unless I let you out, so you may as well give up."

I vaguely recognized the voice but couldn't exactly place it. "You obviously don't know me," I replied snarkily. "Giving up isn't really my style."

"I never expected it would be, Madalyn."

I froze in my actions, my blood running cold. No one outside of work knew my name, not even my squat-mates in the building. I preferred not to build connections that way. So the fact that this stranger not only knew my name but used it like we were friends put me on high alert.

"Who the hell are you and how do you know my name?"

I heard foot falls behind me before a tall shape stood in front of me, cloaked in darkness. My eyes had adjusted just enough that I saw the outline of them; the long cape behind them, the bulky shape of their body, the curling hair atop their head. They kneeled down in front of me so I could see them better and I glared as I recognized them.

"Forgot me so soon?" the costumed guy from the night before asked. "Or do you just not recognize me when I'm not the one tied up?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said flatly, playing dumb. "You must have me confused with someone else. I've never seen you before."

He smirked in the dark. "Right. And Poison Ivy really is a blond."

Between work and lack of actual access to the internet, I never had gotten around to looking up Poison Ivy. So it wasn't until I heard his tone that I realized who he was and how he knew me. "Holy shit. Officer Black Coffee?"

"Dick Grayson," he corrected, removing the eye mask from his face. Sure enough, the tired, boyishly good looking Gotham Officer from that morning stared back at me. "But when we first met, I was—"

"Captain Obvious," I interrupted, earning a small chuckle.

"Robin, actually."

"I knew Gotham PD was dirty, but I didn't think any of them had a vigilante, night walker kind of kink," I commented, sitting up straighter and stopping my movements. I still wanted to be free but I couldn't bring myself to feel endangered now that I knew who my guest was. "How did you figure out who I was?"

"For starters, Poison Ivy is a red head," he answered. "Then there was something about your voice that sounded familiar. I looked you up but didn't find any history on you; and I mean any. Like you never existed. So I followed my gut and here we are."

"You could've been wrong."

"But I wasn't."

We just stared at each other in silence for a minute. My arms were beginning to get sore from the restraints but if I'd learned anything from the night before, I was going to have to get him to let me go without using my powers. "Okay, so you've got me. Now what? I'd ask if you're going to turn me in to the cops but, well..." I shrugged in his direction.

"Honestly, I haven't thought that far ahead," he admitted. "Guess it all depends on how cooperative you are with this next part." I raised a brow and he rolled his eyes. "I want answers; honest ones. Give me the truth and you're free. Lie, and I'll haul you in to the department myself. Sound good to you?"

"Somehow I doubt I have a choice either way."

Dick smiled. "Were you working with those robbers from last night?"

"Nope."

His eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Then why were you there?"

"Like you don't already know the answer to that?" I challenged but he said nothing. I sighed. "I was there to steal some of the jewels myself. I saw them moving in and decided to wait a little; then something caught my attention so I went inside."

"What caught your attention?"

"You," I answered simply. "Or, rather, the enigma of you. One second I was watching the bad guys through the storefront window and the next they were being yanked out of view by who knew what. My curiosity got the best of me, I guess."

He stared at me in silence for a minute as if trying to gauge how much of what I said was true. I stayed calm and stared back, making my own assessment of him.

The night before, he hadn't been alone; but tonight he was. I could've been reading too much into it but I couldn't help the feeling that there was a reason for that. And I was curious what it was.

"That thing you did to me last night, what was it?" he finally asked.

"Which part?"

"Your breath. It was like you were trying to drug me or something. What was that?"

"I'm not entirely sure to be honest," I shrugged. "I mean, I refer to it as my pheromones. It's like I breath it out and whoever breathes it in falls under some kind of spell, like they're so in love with me they'll do whatever I ask even if it's against their best interest. With the exception of last night, it's always worked for me."

I said the last part quietly, looking him over again as though I would find the answer to his immunity that way.

His brows furrowed, but I got the impression he didn't know why it didn't work anymore than I did. "And what were you trying to get me to do?"

"Let me go."

Dick stood up again, his face cast once more in the shadows of the room as he began to pace.

"With what you can do, why are you here? Why squat in a place that looks like it needs only one good gust of wind to take it down? You could literally just compel yourself a penthouse apartment somewhere, so why stay here?"

"Because I'm not trying to draw attention to myself. Drawing attention puts me in a spotlight that makes it hard for me to do what I have to do in order to survive. I don't know where I came from or if anyone may even be looking for me, but the way I remember coming into this world, surviving is all I've ever been good for."

He paused, turning to look back down at me. "You stole that leftover food from the restaurant when you could've stolen the money."

I waited but he didn't say anything more. "That's not a question."

"No, it isn't," he said simply. I saw his hand reach for something at his belt, heard a faint clicking sound and watched as he tossed some kind of cylinder in my direction. A lighter colored smoke began to pour out and I suddenly realized he was just far enough away to not be in the blast zone.

"You lied," I coughed out. "You said...you'd let me...go..."

"I said you'd be free and I wouldn't turn you in. I never said I'd let you go."

"Dick..." To this day I still don't know if I was calling his name or insulting him.