I waited with bated breath for an explanation. The girl deftly emptied the flask, drawing out all the mysterious substance with a small medical syringe. Her focused gaze sent an unpleasant chill down my spine.
"Ivy, what do you want to inject me with? Will it make me feel better? Or will it make me feel better but I'll want more?"
The girl, once again carefully examining her creation, exhaled deeply. "I hope I calculated everything correctly," she muttered under her breath, obviously not intending to be heard. "Alex... I don't know if you'll want this or trust me, but this is the only solution I could come up with."
"What exactly did you do?"
"My blood contains not only toxins, but also antibodies to every poison in existence... Well, almost all of them. I just thought that if I could isolate the meta-gene responsible for immunity from my DNA and find a way to implant it into another…"
"Are you saying you've created a universal antidote?" I asked, not hiding my frank admiration.
"Not quite. I couldn't isolate the immune system separately... So I had to study the entire meta-gene."
"So this is…"
"An exact copy of the composition that turned me into Poison Ivy," Isley confirmed. "Well, not quite. It's a somewhat simplified version. Although I wouldn't mind sharing all my powers with you, but believe me... As I recently realized: having a poisonous body isn't always a good thing."
"But why didn't you tell me anything from the start?"
"I wasn't entirely sure I'd even be able to carry out my plan."
"You could have asked Kavita to help you. You know, she would be more than happy to help with the research."
"That's out of the question," she completely cut off even the thought. "Alex, when I said that I would gladly share my gift with you, I meant only you and no one else. I can't let anyone study my DNA. It may sound selfish, but I do not intend to lose my individuality. I am unique, and this feeling of superiority gives me an all-encompassing feeling of euphoria. That is why I developed this serum in only a single copy," she pointed to the syringe with the meta-gene.
"And even then, only a simplified version…" she reminded me. "Perhaps I value my exclusivity too much."
"So what kind of changes will my body exactly go through?"
"I don't know…" Pamela carefully tapped the syringe with her fingers, slowly released the air bubbles and…froze. Her face expressed fear. It was fear before the jump.
Same as a person who has climbed the tallest skyscraper with complete determination, enthusiastically securing his gear and, in anticipation of the upcoming free fall, has come to the edge of the abyss and then changes his mind.
His senses become heightened, his brain signals a hypothetically dangerous situation and pictures the worst possible outcome.
"Moreover, I'm not even sure that all this will work," she began to show hesitation. "Maybe I shouldn't have started all this. I think we should wait with this. It's too dangerous. We need to conduct additional experiments…"
"No, that's unnecessary," I stopped Pamela, who was about to remove the serum. "I'll take it now."
"No! That was a stupid mistake. I just gave in to my emotions… It's not ready yet. Please, Alex, give me a little more time," the dryad said pleadingly.
"Ivy, everything will be fine. Trust me."
"How can you know that?"
"If there was even the slightest danger, my intuition would immediately tell me. And right now it's like it's asking me to hurry and master the meta-gene. I feel an irresistible urge..."
"But what if you're wrong? You shouldn't always trust your gut instinct."
"Listen, if there was even the slightest possibility of your formula harming me, I would refuse it. It may seem like all I think about is becoming even stronger, regardless of the attendant dangers... But that's not true, I'm not that desperate. Ivy, please do as you originally planned."
Pamela was silent. It seemed two opposing thoughts were vying for supremacy in her head. On the one hand, she didn't want to take such a big risk. Even after conducting all the necessary research, Isley wasn't absolutely sure of the success of her development. If she'd made a mistake in even one calculation and synthesized the formula incorrectly, it's scary to imagine what the experiment would lead to. But if she succeeded, she would not only be able to rid herself of the fear of harming me, but also possibly save me from future dangers.
Who knows, perhaps unknown madmen would want to deal with me by mixing a deadly poison into my food. If everything worked out, then in the future I wouldn't have to worry about the possibility of such an outcome.
Ivy took a deep breath, and her gaze, previously in chaotic confusion, gained clarity. Apparently, she made a decision.
"I agree. Back then, in the Arkham Asylum, I believed you. I will believe you this time too. But I ask you, please... don't destroy my faith."
"I promise," I put my arm around the girl's shoulders. "So, shall we get started right now?"
"Maybe we should call Kavita? In case of unforeseen situations, the presence of two doctors will significantly increase the chances of a favorable outcome."
"No need. Especially since in that case, you'll have to provide her with all the materials on your secret research. She won't leave you alone that easily," I noted in a cheerful tone, wanting to lighten the oppressive atmosphere.
"If it saves your life, I'm ready to make this sacrifice," Pamela declared with a feigned serious face, but nevertheless listened to me and didn't call her friend.
"So, what now? You're just going to give me an injection?" I asked, wanting to know more about the procedure that awaited me.
"Almost... Only not one injection, but 43. And they need to be done at the same time," the doctor enlightened me, pointing the sharp end of the needle at me threateningly. "The thing is, a person has 43 pairs of nerves: 12 pairs of cranial and 31 pairs of spinal. We need to administer an injection and completely change your central nervous system. As soon as the brain and spinal cord undergo the transformation procedure, the peripheral nervous system will begin to change as well."
"...I don't understand anything, but I'm very interested. And how are we going to manage to administer forty-three injections at the same time?"
"I'll take care of that. Take off your outerwear: it will get in the way."
I obediently followed all the doctor's instructions and began to wait for further instructions.
"Stand still and do not move under any circumstances. Absolute precision is required in this matter. The slightest mistake could lead to irreversible consequences... And yes, it might hurt a little. But since you're our super soldier, you have to endure everything," she gave me a gentle smile that didn't correspond at all with the cruel words.
A living vine, writhing like a snake, crawled toward me. Its strong stems, twisting in a spiral, slid over my legs, arms, fingers, and then, it seemed, in less than a couple of seconds, I was entwined with it from head to toe. And then, slowly, measuring every millimeter, it began to bind my body in an iron vice, unhurriedly digging its stems into my skin.
I was completely immobilized by the green monster and thought it was going to strangle me. But finally, the plant froze, awaiting further instructions from its mistress.
If not for my trust in Ivy, I would have already pulled this abomination off myself. But I clearly remembered: I was not to move from my place, not even an iota.
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