The Universe's Mixer

It had taken some arranging to get the opera house to himself for the night. Especially with the upcoming season. But at last Erik presented him with a handful of choices, and Eric took the one that most pleased him.

As he had said, he did all the decorating himself. It didn't take him long at all, considering the speed at which he could work. It would take him less time for it all to come down. Nobody would ever know they'd been in there, except for the ones that were in on it. He had dinner for Baba arranged in the box that he'd been loaned, sitting under a sterling silver dome was a robust steak and some rare vegetables. Eric had picked an expensive red wine to go along with it. The table was small, but it would suit her needs.

He had been given a violinist and a dancer, as he had asked. There would be only music as she ate, so she didn't have to worry about missing anything, and then a bit of a show.

The fairy lights created a tunnel from the front door all the way to the box, only the floor was bare of them. He had taken care to not mess with any fixtures or put holes in Erik's walls, he doubted that the man would like that even a little. But he'd managed to do what he'd planned despite the detour of no nails or stick pins. Eric had laid down thick black velvet along the path's floor.

He waited just outside the opera house for his wife. He'd left a note on her pillow saying only find me. Eric knew that she could do so without any hints or directions. He didn't want to tip his hand too soon.

Dinah hadn't given much thought to Poison Ivy lately. The botanist turned eco-terrorist seemed to have disappeared from the City ages ago. After the phone call she received from Lindsey, it would seem that Ivy had left destruction in her wake. She would need to speak to Lindsey's client to be certain, but it certainly sounded like Ivy's M.O. The victim had been cutting down a tree near the park when River had killed him.

Dinah regretted the man's death, but she also didn't want to see someone go down for a crime that she'd committed under Ivy's influence. She would hate to see two lives ruined because of Ivy's skewed morals.

She'd had Lindsey arrange the meeting and at the scheduled time, made her way to the hotel that River was supposed to be staying in. She checked in with the front desk and got directions to the room in question. Once she got the approval, she headed upstairs and knocked on the door.