Child of the Forest in the Ocean

Prologue

A child's face swiveled back and forth, his emerald eyes scanning the room. They took in the waist high shelves lining the walls. Each one filled with the boy's favorite books, or toys. His mother sent filled his button nose as he watched her pace back and forth before his crib, her long red hair obscuring part of her face. Her white gown dragged along the floor like the veil of a Queen.

"Mama?" the boy questioned his head cocked to one side.

The woman paused in her pacing, slipping the long polished stick in her hand into the pocket of her robes. She knelt before the crib, her emerald eyes staring into her child's. "It's alright Harry. Mum is just playing a little game. Everything's going to be all right we Potters are strong."

She ran a hand through his hair, "I love you baby."

Suddenly, a small explosion sounded from downstairs, sending a minor tremor through the house.

"Lily, it's him take Harry and go."

For just a moment, Lily froze, James's words reverberating in her head. With wide eyes, she stared at her son. Stealing her features, she scooped Harry up in her arms, balancing him on her hip with the ease of long practice.

Slipping her hand into the pocket of her robes, she wrapped her slender fingers around her wand. Spinning on her heel, she waited for the sensation of being squeezed through a tube, but nothing happened.

Cursing, she set Harry back down in the crib as sounds of fighting echoed up from downstairs. Furniture breaking shook the floor mingling with the sound of breaking China.

"Mama," Harry whimpered.

Lily flashed her son a strained smile, sweeping her crimson hair out of her face. "It's alright baby, daddy is just having a little fun with uncle Sirius."

Harry's eyes lit up, sparkling like emeralds.

"Uncle Pad-foo?"

The young mother grimaced. Guilt crawled inside her from lying to her son, especially knowing this could be her last time seeing him.

Cupping his face in her hands, Lily forced another smile. "You can play with uncle Pad foo tomorrow," she told her son, glancing down at the half finished runes carved into the floor on the left side of the crib.

Harry's bottom lip poked out, quivering in the way only a child's could, "Want Pad-foo now."

Ignoring her son, Lily pulled out her wand, just as the battle downstairs stopped. Choking back a sob, her heart hammered in her ribs as she struggled to finish the runes.

She was halfway done with the circle that would encompass the crib. She could feel the power of the earth, the power of the very lay lines that ran through Godric's hollow coursing through her body.

The door to the nursery exploded inward, sending bits of shrapnel flying. Pausing in her rune work, Lily raised her wand.

A blue translucent dome shimmered into existence around her and her son. The slivers of wood pinged off of it, settling in a messy semicircle around her.

A man strode into the room, wood dust covering his dark suit and wavy brown hair. His red eyes locked onto Lily, a brown eyebrow raised.

"Fast reflexes and powerful magic with good looks to boot. It's no wonder Severus likes you so much."

Lily's eyes widened, the sound of Harry's screaming behind her momentarily drowned out.

"Severus," she whispered.

The man inclined his head, an amused smile twitching the lips of his handsome face.

"That's right, when he found out the prophecy he told me about it. It didn't take me long to figure out it involved you. He begged me to let you live. I really didn't understand why," red eyes flicked around the room, "until now."

He stopped a foot from her. "Stand aside girl. I'm not here for you."

"Go to hell, Voldemort."

"Actually that's what I'm trying to bring here, but for that one more innocent needs to die," his eyes flicked to Harry, causing Lily to move in front of her son.

"I'm not letting you kill my son."

"You don't have a choice."

With a flick of his hand, Lord Voldemort sent Lily slamming into the floor hard enough to knock her unconscious. Lily's head bounced off the floor, causing one of the splinters littering it to cut her temple.

A fat drop of blood dripped onto the runes obscured by the splinters, causing them to glow a bright green. Tendrils of green energy wrapped around Lily, pulling her into the wood, through the house, and deep into the earth.

Voldemort saw none of this. His eyes focused on the small child glaring up at him with tear filled emerald eyes.

"It's nothing personal, kid. You're just a means to an end."

A green bolt shot from Voldemort's finger, it slammed into Harry's forehead dropping him lifeless to the floor of his crib. The moment Harry died, the energy left inside the runes exploded, vaporizing the house and everyone in it.

With an inhuman screech, Voldemort, the greatest Dark Lord in a century vanished in a flash of forest green light.

Chapter 1

Harry Isley bolted up in his bed, his dark blue sheets falling off his broad shouldered muscular frame. His Emerald eyes scanned the room, his heart hammering in his chest as the phantom pains of that green light faded from his body.

With a groan, he rubbed the palms of his hands over his eyes.

"Again with the dream."

He lay back on his bed, one hand resting on his forehead.

Twisting his head, he stared at the clock on his bedside table. Its bright red numbers told him it was 5:30 AM.

"Looks like I'm not getting any more sleep tonight."

With a flick of his hand, the lamp on his bedside table turned on with a click. He glanced down at his bed sheets, vines clung loosely to the bed, as if the earth itself was trying to comfort him. Reaching out with his mind, he slowly pushed them away.

Reluctantly, they slithered back across the floor, sliding into the three flowerpots sitting beneath the two windows of his room.

Throwing back the covers, Harry swung his feet out of bed, shivering slightly as his bare feet touched the cool wood.

Rising, Harry flicked his hand again.

The pillows hovered above the bed, while the sheets stretch themselves taught. As the last wrinkle disappeared the pillows dropped side-by-side onto the bed.

Florescent lights clicked on as he moved throughout the room, reflecting off the wide screen TV mounted on the wall. Stopping before the TV, he open the dresser sitting beneath it, rummaging through it he pulled out a pair of jeans.

Pulling them on, he stared at his reflection his hair was a mess, but it's not like Selena would care. His mother asked her to train him in self-defense, not give him fashion tips.

Slipping on a dark blue T-shirt, Harry grabbed his black leather wallet from the dresser and made his way over to the window. Removing the hook like latch that held the iron window shut, he pushed it open.

The sounds of Gotham could be heard far below. Car horns honked even at this early hour, the voices of a couple arguing across the street filled his ears. The scent of the garbage piled up along the street filled his nose, mingling with the scent of stale cigarette smoke.

Coughing, Harry stepped out onto the iron fire escape slick from last night's rain. He ran a hand along the metal. Water seeped into his skin, clearing the scent of garbage and smoke from his lungs, replacing it with the smell of cool fresh rain.

Descending the fire escape, Harry stared up at the sky, his feet clanging against the metal with each step. This had been the third night this week he'd had the dream, the twelfth night this month.

It felt so real, more like a memory than a dream.

Stepping onto the sidewalk, he paused. Could it have been a memory, could this be the reason his mother was so protective. For the first seven years of his life, his mother taught him everything she knew. Sure it was interesting. Sure because of her teachings he was able to get his high school diploma along with four other degrees by the time he was thirteen.

"It was like his mother was afraid of losing him, could the dream be part of that fear?"

Shaking his head, he started down the streets to Bruno's gym.

Heck if it wasn't for the fact that his mom disappeared for two weeks and some goons tried to break into the apartment she wouldn't even be letting him take self-defense lessons with Selena.

Selena Kyle known to the world as Catwoman was in Harry's opinion one of the best hand-to-hand combat trainers you could ask for. She was patient, and when she was teaching her student, she wanted to make sure he understood what she was saying.

In Harry's opinion, it was worth those goons breaking into the apartment. Even if he took care of them with some well-placed vines, he couldn't have made the progress he had in the past two years without Selena.

He stopped before a pair of glass doors, the big yellow letters above the doors reading, Bruno's gym were reflected in the puddles of water behind him.

Pushing open the door, he stepped inside, the smell of leather and sweat filling his nose. Grunts and the clink, clink, of weights on metal echoed throughout the room.

His shoulders relaxed. His worries about his dream, and his mother's weird behavior throughout his life faded to the back of his mind in the familiar atmosphere.

Nodding to the receptionist sitting behind a large U-shaped desk, he strode forward his white tennis shoes with their dark blue designs gliding across the thin gray carpet. Familiar faces greeted him with hey, or grunts to which he nodded back.

Stopping beside a wall of metal lockers, Harry kicked off his shoes, rolling his socks up inside them.

Placing his shoes inside the small cube, he shut the door with a click, making sure to pocket the key.

Bruno's was a nice place, with good people, but that did not necessarily mean people wouldn't steal your shoes.

Pushing open a pair of metal doors, he stepped into a large open room. Punching bags lined the walls along with chin up bars. Ropes dangled from the ceiling, and coils of rope sat equally spaced apart from one another throughout the room.

Dumbbells and their rack of weights leaned against the wall, wooden benches in front of them.

Stepping onto the large blue mat in the center of the room, Harry did a split, wincing at the pull at the back of his thighs and his groin area. Ignoring the pain, he leaned to the right touching his foot before leaning to the left and doing the same.

Leaning forward, he placed both hands in front of him shifting his weight until he picked himself up on his hands.

Slowly, he began to do push-ups. Occasionally, his body would wobble as he fought to keep his balance, but he managed to get twelve before falling sideways and hitting the mat with a loud thwack.

"It's good to see you're keeping up with the exercises even when I'm not around."

Harry turned.

Selena Kyle walked towards him her green eyes, a shade darker than his own, scanned him up and down. She stopped before him, water dripping from her short dark hair.

Leaning her arms back, she let her jacket slide off her shoulders. It fell onto the mat with a wet plop. Kicking her dark high hills off, she slid her shoes and jacket backwards with a quick kick of her foot. The items slid across the mat, and clattered to the concrete floor.

Grabbing her right elbow with her left hand she stretched her slender arm across her black tank top. Her shiny pointed fingernails flashing in the florescent lights above them.

After repeating the process with her left arm, she dropped her hands to the hips of her dark jeans and leaned backwards.

"Are you ready to do this?"

"Same rules as always?"

"That's right, no magic no plants. Everything else goes."

Harry shot forward, lashing out with a fast punch.

Selena fell backwards, a smile spreading across her ruby red lips. Her toes hit the underside of Harry's wrist throwing him off balance.

She rolled to her feet and charged forward, her arms out to her sides, her fingers bent like claws. She swiped at Harry, her nails cutting thin slashes in his shirt.

Harry thrust a palm at her face, Selena leaned back, dodging the palm, but missed Harry's other hand slamming into the elbow joint of her other arm. Instantly, her arm went numb the blood flow in that limb temporarily disturbed.

Selena backed away, massaging her arm with her working hand.

"Good, it's nice to see you haven't lost your skill since the last time we met."

Stepping forward, Harry ran his finger down the inside of Selena's arm. In his mind he could feel the blood flow returned to normal.

He stepped back as Selena raised her arm flexing her fingers experimentally.

She launched herself forward. Spinning on her left leg, her right went up for a roundhouse kick.

Harry wrapped his arms around her leg, picking her up off the floor. She slammed her free foot into Harry's body over and over again, throwing him off balance.

Feeling himself falling backwards, Harry twisted his body, slinging Selena across the mat. He landed on his side with a loud smack.

Rolling to his feet, he took a boxers stance, sliding one foot forward, he slid the other back, balancing on his toes.

Selena hit the mat rolling, Coming up in a crouch, her arms spread out at her sides, fingers bent into claws. Slowly, a smile spread across her face.

"Well done."

"You could've just been going easy on me."

Selena's lips twisted.

"I don't go easy on anyone, sweetie."

Pulling out his shirt, Harry eyed the three claw marks in it.

"You're right. What was I thinking?"

"So," Harry began as they made their way off the mat, "I heard Catwoman robbed a bank in Italy. Took several million in diamonds."

Selena bent down and picked her cotton black jacket up off the floor. With a gesture, Harry pulled the water from the fabric absorbing it into his own body.

"Thanks," but let's not talk about work," she glanced at him her green eyes twinkling, "but I will say the woman has good taste."

Snorting, Harry pushed the door open that led to the front of the gym.

Selena leaned against the locker as Harry slipped his shoes on, her eyes scanning the exercise machines. She looked back at Harry as he straightened up. "So, how is your mom?"

"Well, you know same old same old, but at least she hasn't gone back to Arkham, or Bell Reeve."

"Hey," Selena grabbed his shoulder and turned him to face her, "if that ever happens, you and I will break her out, I promise."

"Thanks Selena," Harry muttered looking away.

"Hey," Selena turned him to look at her, "your mom loves you more than anyone else in the world. She's not going to do anything that would jeopardize her not being there for you."

She leaned forward, placing her ruby red lips on his forehead. She drew back a soft smile on her face, "And I love you too. You're like the nephew I never had."

Harry wrapped her in a hug. He pulled her close, her chin rested on his shoulder. After a moment, they pulled away giving each other a soft smile. "Does this mean I can call you auntie?"

Laughing, Selena punched him in the arm, "Sure, but only when were alone, or with your mother."

Glancing at the clock above the glass double doors, Selena turned back to Harry, "Well, I've got to go, I've got a Middle Eastern buyer the will pay good money for some trinkets in his rivals collection."

They walked out together, the rain had stopped, but water dripped steadily from the sign of the gym. They walked a few blocks, their footsteps reverberating off the sidewalk.

When they came to a crosswalk, Selena glanced at Harry. "Are you going to be okay?"

Harry's lips twitched upwards. "You are my teacher, what do you think?"

Laughing softly, Selena turned and began walking down the sidewalk, waving a slender hand over her shoulder.

When the light turned green, Harry walked across the street. By the time he made it back up the fire escape the sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon, painting the sky a brilliant pinkish orange.

Stepping into his room, he latched the window behind him with a click.

Gliding across the room, he slipped out of his clothes, dropping them in a basket near his bathroom door. Stepping inside the bathroom, he stared at himself in the mirror.

He was five foot eleven with tan skin, wide shoulders, and defined muscle. However, what drew most people's attention were his emerald eyes.

Shaking his head, he stepped into the shower. Turning the water on hot, he let it cascade over his body. His mind drifted back to the dream and the green light that filled his body with phantom pain.

"This is it," he said, lathering his body with soap, "I have to talk to mom about the dream, it's too vivid not to have a basis in reality."

Rinsing the soap off his body, he stepped out of the shower, wrapping a blue towel around his waist. Two quick swipes of a comb flattened his tangled black hair.

Slipping out of the bathroom he dropped the towel and pulled on a purple T-shirt with a big gray G on the left breast pocket.

Buttoning his jeans he glanced around the room. The floor was clean, its dark wooden surface shining with streaks of morning sunlight. A fan overhead created a soft breeze throughout the room, sending the leaves of the flowers dancing.

Two windows made of iron with small glass squares set into them took up the right and left wall.

Three plants sat under each window, growing taller in the morning sunlight. Stepping closer he knelt beside the plants of the window that led out to the fire escape.

He gently cupped one of the flowers bell-shaped white bulbs and took in its sweet scent. This flower was called Lily of the Valley, it usually didn't bloom until March, but thankfully he had inherited his mother's green thumb.

Rising to his feet, he took in the other flowers hydrangeas, 17th-century tulip bulbs, which will only growing now because of his power with the green, and his most prized possession the Juliet rose.

Each one of these flowers helped support him and his mother. They would grow them for a while, then once they felt that they were big enough, vibrant enough, or fragrant enough they would sell them anonymously to interested buyers for enormous amounts of money.

Although honestly, he thought most of their buyers wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a yellow rose and a daisy. Most of them just wanted something to brag about to their rich friends, they had no idea how much work it took to cultivate these rare beauties, but he supposed it was better than what his mother used to do to get money.

Raising flowers was a whole lot better than robbing banks, and it didn't carry mandatory prison time if you were caught.

Shaking his head, Harry pulled the water out of his shoes. He stared at it for a moment, suspended in the air like liquid snakes. "I know where I got my Chlorokinesis from, but I would like to know where I inherited my mastery of water from."

Pulling the water into his body, Harry snatched his shoes up off the floor, grabbed a pair of socks from his dresser, and left his room.

Off to his left was the living room with a large 50 inch TV sitting in front of a white E shaped leather couch. Green pillows accented the couch and the two chairs sitting at either end. Tall lamps made of dark green metal stood at the back of the couch, their white shade aglow.

From a window on the far wall of the living room, you could just make out Gotham Harbor. A sliver of the ocean shimmered a bright orange in the morning light.

On his right, his mother moved across the dark green tile decorating the kitchen like a ballerina dancer, using the stainless steel appliances with practiced grace.

Sliding into a seat at the circular table in the center of the kitchen, he leaned on the table with his hands clasped together, watching his mom cook.

A dark green vine with leaves decorating its length danced through the air to Pamela Isley, known to the world as Poison Ivy. She turned stroking the vine gently as it deposited a tomato in her hand.

"Good morning darling," she said flashing him a smile of white teeth as she began dicing the tomato for his omelet. "how are you? how did your training with Selena go?"

"You should know, you had every tree, bush, and flower watching me all the way to and from Bruno's gym."

Ivy sighed in exasperation, "Harry, you know I just worry about you."

Harry leaned back in his chair. "Yeah, that's something I want to talk to you about. Here lately I've been having a dream," Ivy froze, "you're in it, of course you don't have as much fascination for green, but your wielding a stick.

Then this man busts into the room, he hits me with a green light that sends pain through my body even after I wake up."

Flipping the omelet onto a plate, Pamela removed a fork from a nearby drawer. She slowly turned around. In two steps she was before the table. She slid the plate across to her son before sitting down, her hands clasped together on the dark wooden surface.

"I hoped this day would never come," she muttered looking down at her hands, "I hoped after everything you wouldn't remember."

Ignoring the omelet in front of him, Harry kept his eyes locked on to his mother. "What are you talking about?"

Pamela looked up at her son with a haunted look in her eyes that sent a chill through his body. "Once upon a time I was known as Lily Potter, and the dream you've been having is of your death."