"The Plant Queen"

Gotham City
Arkham City (Now Closed Down)
Gotham Cathedral
Present Day
11:04:56 P.M
The sound of police sirens echoed throughout the vicinity of Arkham City, or rather, the remains of
Arkham City.
A fourth of Gotham's esteemed GCPD police force converged at the now destroyed bridge that
overlooked the now dilapidated and decimated Gotham Cathedral, comprised of several police cars,
emergency ambulances, and SWAT trucks. Their uniforms were tattered and their faces were riddled
with fatigue and apprehension.
Amongst these men stood Commissioner James Gordon, the lead officer and heart of the GCPD. His
grey hair, very indicative of the fatigue and stress that came with his job description, was practically
conspicuous in the moonlight. In one hand he held a field radar, where he was constantly barking
orders, and in the other, a personal cellphone.
"Look, my order still stands. Hold the position, but do not engage. I repeat, do not engage. Keep a line
around the gates, and keep free of the snipers. This is the first cease-fire we've had so far, no need for
it to go to waste. If Ivy decides to attack, we need a good eye to take down her weeds," he instructed
to the field radio.
Resting his forearm on the low wall overlooking the nearby Gotham Cathedral, he narrowed his eyes
gazing at the now floral-infested Gotham Cathedral. The church itself was an ecosystem, with an
exotic and quite peculiar collection of plants growing around and underneath it. Gnarled roots grew
out of the graveyard that surrounded the church, breaking through the gravestones and entrenching
themselves in the ground. What looked like giant, serpentine vines slithered around the exterior of the
church, the vines the sizes of adult whales. A greenish aura permeated the air around the cathedral,
indicative of a certain eco-terrorists florokinetic abilities.
"Yes sir," came the response, before the reception turned to static.
Suddenly, he felt a rapid vibrating on his thigh, and without hesitation held the cellphone up to his ear.
"Dad?" came a worried voice.
"Barbara! God, its so good to hear your voice again!" he breathed, relieved at the sound of his
daughter, Barbara Gordon's voice.
"You too, Dad! I heard there was trouble still in Arkham City, and called soon as they put me through
the line. What's been going on?" she asked.
"Too much, to be honest. First, we had to suffer through hours of the media breathing down our backs
because of the whole Strange situation, and I'm sure Mrs. Vale had a field day over that. Then, we

spent the next week cramming every single inmate and his dog into temporary holding cells until
Blackgate could be rebuilt. Things were going pretty good, until Harley Quinn escaped."
"Quinn? Wasn't she Joker's girlfriend?"
"Widow now, as she keeps reminding us. She took Joker's death harder than anyone else, went even
crazier that usual, if that was even possible. Crazy woman gathered what was left of Joker's men, and
staged a three-day stand-off on the Steel Mill, Joker's old territory. We tried sending strike teams in,
but she was more prepared than we gave her credit for. It wasn't pretty, but thanks to Batman, we
managed to stop her," he reported.
"Thank God!" she breathed, relieved.
"Don't thank Him yet!" he chuckled weakly before continuing. "We managed to subdue Harley Quinn,
but that was only the beginning. In the hours since Quinn's arrest, we've had more break-outs than
ever, especially from super-criminals. I'm starting to wonder if there'll ever be an end to this
nightmare."
"So who's out there now? Scarecrow? Killer Croc? Calendar Man on his off day?" she smiled
sarcastically.
"Worse. Poison Ivy," he told her.
"Not that overgrown weed!" Barbara exclaimed.
"Somehow Ivy's gotten loose again, and she managed to seal herself into the church. It all went down
a couple of hours ago, back when we thought we had the situation in control. Ivy was sealed within a
bio-containment cell in the old Wayne Courthouse, at least that's what we thought. Somehow, she
escaped during the siege on the Steel Mill. We've got the perimeter covered now, but she's got
leverage. The Arkham staff was still inside, including the reporter Vicki Vale and Mayor Sharp. We
need to stop her before anyone gets hurt!" he explained, his voice strained yet firm.
"Mayor Sharp? How'd he get trapped in Arkham City?" Barbara asked, faux puzzled.
"Would you believe Sharp had as much to do with this massacre as Strange did?" he smirked
sheepishly.
"Sharp? But how, I thought he was still back at his mansion in Gotham City?"
"Turns out, he was in cahoots with Strange this whole time. A blind monkey could've figured it out,
what with him being the biggest advocate for rounding up all the inmates from Arkham Asylum and
herding them into Arkham City. I guess he must've figured that wiping out the entire criminal populace
in Gotham would do wonders for his public image, even if he had to kill off a few innocents," he sighed
irritably.
"Don't blame yourself Dad. He fooled everyone," she pointed out.
"Thanks Barb, but this isn't over yet. Now, we've got to clean up his mess, and Ivy's a threat to
everyone as long as she's off her leash. We've got to take her down, before she can take down the
entire infrastructure like she did the asylum," he said.
"You sure you can handle her Dad? You do remember what happened last time, right?"

"Last time, Ivy caught us with our guard down, and took advantage of the situation at Arkham
Asylum. This time, no more distractions. We're taking her down, even if we have to kill every single
weed within a thousand mile radius," he assured.
"What about Batman? Shouldn't he be in on this?" came Barbara's worried voice.
"Last I had contact with him, he was still trying to round up Deadshot. Somehow, he got loose out of
his cell, just like the rest of the loons. It still doesn't make sense how so many inmates could escape
their cells almost one after one. It's so...systematic," he continued, as he himself pondered his own
question.
"Hang on! I've got someone calling on the other end. But promise me you'll be home safe whenever
you get done cleaning Arkham City!" she urged.
"I promise! Stay safe Barbara, and stay inside for the time being. We can't demolish this place until
we're absolutely sure every single criminal and super-criminal is accounted for, and I promise you that
with the combined help of the GCPD and Batman, that won't be long. After I finish up here, I'll be
home before you know it," he instructed, a weary yet confident look on his face as he gazed at the
former prison.
"Will do. Love you Dad."
"Love you too Barbs. Stay safe!" he warned, as she signed off on the other side of the connection.
The battle-hardened yet tired Commissioner Gordon reluctantly lowered his cellphone lifting his finger
off the button. As he lowered the phone, he sighed as premonitions of his unit flashed before his eyes.
His voice was nearly hoarse from repeatedly barking orders into the radio. His eyes were weary,
probably from lack of sleep.
As he walked up to the rotted bridge railings, he pressed his binoculars up against his eyes, using
them for a bird's eye view on the situation unfolding down below.
He narrowed his eyes suspiciously as the attack team maneuvered their way over to the metal gates,
their weapons at the reader as they stepped over the already dead bodies formed in her wake. His
eyes followed the lead officer who was at the forefront of the operation.
His veteran instincts told him that it was a trap, yet he refrained from pulling back the officers,
knowing that he would jeopardize their lives even more by turning their backs on Ivy.
Keeping his eyes glued to the binoculars, he still felt a sense of guilt as the assault team continued
nearing the church, knowing full well what her plants were capable of doing, especially to humans.
"I would've figured you'd have turned in for the night, Jim," came a gruff, almost equally weary voice
from behind, momentarily breaking his conflicted mind.
Almost naturally, he turned around, an evident smile on his face as he spotted the Dark Knight himself
perched atop an adjoining fire escape to a nearby building. His cape flailed aimlessly in the wind, as
his metallic suit soon caught the attention of every single personnel atop the bridge.
His suit was riddled with bullet holes and slash marks, but the same resolved look remained
unchanged on his face. His signature yellow utility belt shined brightly in the dark sky, the home to
many of his gadgets and gizmos.
Dropping down from the metal railing, he landed a few feet away from the weary yet always thankful
Gordon, who crossed his arms sheepishly as Batman retracted his cape and rose to his full sight. He

first glared at the wounded officers being helped to the emergency vehicles to receive medical
attention, then nodded at Gordon respectfully.
"These days you can never tell day from night. It's all one big nightmare that never seems to end. I
just try not to think about it," he greeted in return.
"Deadshot was up to his own tricks, not a surprise really. Working with a psychopath like Strange was
low, even for him, but trying to off political prisoners, even after the fact, was just beneath him. All it
took was a crash dummy right in the line of fire for me to triangulate his position on a rooftop. I took
care of the rest," he reported, his voice growing ominous as he uttered the last few words.
"You always do," Gordon smirked.
"Something's going on here Jim, and I have a feeling that this goes way beyond Arkham City. Supervillains breaking out of their containment cells, countless officers left laying in their wake, not to
mention the political prisoners still stranded in Amusement Mile and the Industrial District. I know
who should be behind this, just don't want to believe it," he told Gordon, who nodded.
"Scarecrow," Gordon stated grimly, the mere sound of his name obviously evoking some deep-rooted
memories for the Dark Knight.
"The last time I saw Crane, he was being ripped in two by Killer Croc, and that was when he was
still above the water. If the Scarecrow's out there, still alive, I doubt he'd be starting trouble now," he
nodded.
"Even if he is, Arkham City's already a lost cause. Once we finish tying up loose ends here, I'll
personally see to it that this prison gets blown to hell where it belongs," he said, ending the sentence
with a rare smile that briefly cracked his glum exterior.
"We can discuss Crane later. But for now, I think there's a reason why a giant vine is wrapped around
the Gotham Cathedral," he said, nodding towards the giant, serpentine vine that constricted around
the bell tower, snaking around the exterior with the force of a boa constrictor.
"Poison Ivy," he answered less than enthusiastically, before leaning on the bridge's low wall that
overlooked the church.
His fists clenched, knowing that the vengeful eco-terrorist, with or without Titan, was a force to be
reckoned with.
"How'd she get out? I thought she was under maximum security at the courthouse," Batman
demanded, narrowing his eyes irritably at the thought of once again going up against the toxic
temptress.
"That's what we all thought. A few days after Protocol Ten, Ivy came out of her lair more pissed than
ever. When Strange's forces bombed the Amusement Mile, they must've bombed Ivy's plants, which
didn't bode too well for her. She was a few seconds away from drowning this bridge and the old GCPD
building, before we barely managed to sedate her. I'm telling you this because now that she's free,
she'll do a lot worse," he sighed.
"When did you find out she was free?" he asked.
"Three hours ago. After Harley Quinn was apprehended, we sent a convoy to evacuate Isley to a
temporary holding facility outside of Arkham City. When they arrived, they found the entire team,
unconscious on the floor, along with her cell wide open. Since the brunt of our efforts was focused

towards bringing in the last of Two-Face's men in the museum, we couldn't pursue, but now, we don't
have a choice," he explained.
"The logic is there, but you forget that the biological properties of the cell suppresses her metaabilities, completely. There's no way she would've made a tulip flower stand straight, much less
seduce the guard," Batman reminded him.
"No wonder they call you the detective," Gordon smirked humorously before continuing. "Even if you
are right, we can deal with that once she's detained in a bio-cell. After escaping, we think that she
went back to her lair for an hour or so, before trying an all-out assault on Arkham City. Luckily, we
managed to cut her off before she could get in Park Row. Just when we were about to corner her, Isley
sealed herself within the church. Now, the only thing stopping us from blowing the place sky high is
the hostages," he said.
Batman raised an eyebrow, piqued by this new revelation.
"Cash and his team were still in when she took over?" he said.
"Unfortunately yes. Once we got Vale out, I had Aaron and his men attempt a few more rescue
missions on the Industrial District and pull out as many political prisoners and doctors still in there.
Once Quinn's men took back the streets, I told him to hole up in the church until it was safe for our
guys to evacuate them safely. Now, Ivy's in there. It was my fault that I got those innocent civilians
held captive by that crazy bitch, and now I need to get them out," he sighed remorsefully.
"Don't blame yourself for something that would've been worse. Had they been out on the streets like
that, Quinn's men would've torn them apart. What's the situation now?" he continued.
"We've sent in strike team after strike team, but no results. Everytime we try to rush her, her weeds
come out of the ground and take my men out before they can even get a foot in. We can't just bomb
the place because of her hostages, and I doubt Isley would be willing to listen to reason at this point.
We haven't had contact with her hostages since she arrived, and our window for hostage negotiation
closed the minute we realized we were talking to an insane eco-terrorist who thinks trees are her
children," he explained.
"That's because she doesn't want to kill the hostages. Ivy wants me," he said.
This time, it was Gordon who raised an eyebrow quizzically.
"Pamela's arrogant, delusional, but she's not stupid, Jim. She knows that the only thing stopping you
from launching a missile strike on the church are the hostages, and she intends to keep that ace in the
hole. She's also using those hostages as a means to get to me, thinking that I'll come willingly once
she puts innocent people in front of her," he explained almost casually.
"And you'll walk right through the door, won't you?" he smirked, crossing his arms.
"I have to. I can't risk the lives of innocent people, especially those who have nothing to do with this.
I'm the only one who can stop her," he shrugged almost nonchalantly.
"Let me guess, all of this span out of what happened out of the asylum, didn't it?" Gordon deduced.
"More like what didn't happen. With Titan running through her veins and her plants stronger than ever,
I'm sure the last thing Ivy wanted was to lose to a so-called 'meatsack.' Her ego wouldn't allow that,
and now, she's trying to get a rematch by using innocent lives as leverage in doing so. I figured this
would happen sooner or later, but what especially sickens me is that Ivy would use innocent
bystanders to get to me," he explained matter-of-factly.

"I'm surprised she stayed dormant so long to begin with, but with Strange and the other power
players of Arkham City out of the picture, she figured that now would be the opportune chance to get
your attention," Gordon also interjected.
"Whatever the case, it ends now. I'm shutting down Ivy before she can endanger more lives in
Arkham City," he stated.
"I'd be more worried of getting an opportunity to take her down. You and I both knew what she's
capable of, especially what with what happened last time," he warned.
"At the asylum, she hit me with her best shot, and I won. Now, it shouldn't be much of a problem.
She's cut off from her main source, and still recovering from the Titan overdose. With any luck, she'll
come in willingly. But if it has to come down to it, she'll come out in a full body cast before she can
endanger any more innocent lives," he nodded, cracking his knuckles.
"I wouldn't underestimate her if I were you. She's dangerous with or without Titan, but I'm sure you
already know that. I'll tell my men to hold their position until you finish, well, doing what you usually
do," he said.
"Yes, tell your officers to continue forming a perimeter. If bad comes to worse, you need to be ready
to take her down if she leaves the church and not me." he agreed, stepping over the bridge railing.
"Be careful Batman. We've already lost enough good men tonight. No need adding you to that list,"
Gordon smiled, before pressing his field radio against his ear and barking ears.
"Wait until my cue," he instructed one more time. With that, he nodded before leaping off the bridge
and extending his cape, gliding towards the church.
Retracting his cape as he landed on the ground, he stood up to his full height and surveyed the
territory. He narrowed his eyes as he gazed almost remorsefully at the dead bodies littering the church
courtyard. There were some inmates, but most of them were police officers, their guns still held in
their hands as they died. They were all staring open-eyed at the sky, as their bodies lay perpendicular
to each other. A greenish liquid bubbled out of their lips, as they decorated the ground, indicative of
Ivy's toxins.
A surge of anger quickly surged throughout his body, as he once again saw the handiwork of Ivy's
crusade against humanity, and the casualties sustained along the way. Walking almost casually
towards the front door, he banged on the door loudly, making sure to get Poison Ivy's attention.
Immediately, Ivy's 'helpers' exploded out of the ground, the deadly vines that often acted as her
henchmen. Pigmented a floral green, the vines displayed unusual animal-like characteristics as well as
protective instincts, especially for their mother. They surrounded the battle-tested Dark Knight as soon
as his knuckles clang against the door.
He remained stoic even in the face of certain annihilation, even as the vines continued to surround
him.
"I'm here Ivy," he suddenly said directly to one of the vines.
They instantly retreated back into the ground as he uttered the statement, leaving the church virtually
unguarded.
Without even hesitating, he opened the doors and entered the lair of Poison Ivy.

As soon as Batman entered, he was hit in the face with a face-full of humidity, the air practically
slapping him in the face. He knew how Ivy's plants functioned best in these extreme temperatures,
and this was only an example of her so called "paradises."
He was greeted by another trademark of Ivy's hideouts, the atmosphere. He briefly glanced up at the
ceiling when a single vines maneuvered around the ceiling above him, causing him to glance up briefly
at it. He also noticed how the metal blast doors that had originally guarded the church had been
literally ripped off their hinges, and were now on the floor, vines wrapped around them.
The ceiling was completely covered with a mossy canopy, a plethora of vines draped over the ceiling.
The vines were looped down several feet, a few meters above his head. That was very indicative of the
entire church, now revamped with a floral motif.
He paused for a moment just to survey the setting ahead of him, a breathtaking yet sinister creation
of hers alone. Tongues of moss dripped down from the walls, decorating them a mossy light green. As
he stepped forward, his foot was nearly caught in a narrowing crevice, prompting him to instinctively
step back as yet another vine snaked across the spot he just stepped on.
The floor was a broken crevice, with colossal roots breaking through the concrete and settling on the
ground. The brown roots littered the floor as they circled around the decayed floor tiles. He could spot
some vines slithering across the floor as he walked past them, disappearing into the widened cracks
forged by the roots.
As he wandered through the literal concrete jungle, he noticed six man-sized cocoons unnaturally
slumped against the wall, a greenish goo emitting from the protective shells that encased the
captives. It's outer covering was almost translucent, but obscured by a greenish liquid protruding from
its pores. As he investigated one of the cocoons, he could barely made out an inmate, and judging
from his uniform one of Penguin's thugs.
His eyes were closed in a sleepy, almost dazed manner with a cloud of pink dust, indicative of Ivy's
pheromones, surrounding his entire body. Reaching out to the cocoon, he managed to obtain a sample
of the mysterious gel by holding his finger underneath it, the liquid dripping on his glove. Just as he
was about to analyze the liquid, a sudden rumbling beneath his feet caused him to stop his
investigation and direct his attentions to the front of the church.
Resting his eyes on the center of the sanctuary, he finally managed spotted Ivy's hostages, the former
Arkham City medical staff, still in uniform. The hostages were all lined up at the back of the church,
their backs against the wall and hands most likely restrained by vines. The look of utter terror on their
eyes told the entire story.
First, he spotted Aaron Strange, easily discerned by his indignant expression as well as the other two
officers assigned to protect the medical squad, Eddie Burlow and William North. Thankfully, he
managed to spot a look of relief on their faces as he came into view.
He then nodded to some of the political prisoners held captive by her vines, which tightened around
their ankles and mouths. He then turned to the now former Mayor of Gotham, Quincy Sharp. He was
also restrained, but the look on his face seemed to be of utter resignation.
With the hostages now in view, he then focused on confronting the plant queen herself, Poison Ivy.
Almost coincidentally, he spotted two inmates in their Joker and Penguin uniforms, respectively, as
well as one TYGER guard gathered in a worshiping position surrounding the hidden cocoon. Like others
whom Ivy had entranced with her pheromones, a cloud of her "love" dust gathered in a thick aura

around their heads, symbolic of Ivy's control and utter dominance of them. As he approached them,
he instinctively braced himself for combat, but that seemed to be the furthest things from their minds.
Instead, they gazed up at the cocoon, awaiting the reveal of their goddess.
Just as he was about to call out for Ivy to reveal herself, the seductress herself beat him to it.
He could feel a loud rumbling at the front of the sanctuary, quite akin to the sound produced by an
active earthquake. But instead of a seismic wake, the blanket of green vines subsided, revealing a
large, plant-like cocoon. It was covered with vines and moss, but the most striking thing was what
was inside of it.
As if on cue, the cocoon split open, the chamber dividing in two separate halves.
He soon found his eyes focusing on the toxic temptress, Poison Ivy. Easily tracked by her erotic
laughter, the villainess was seated on her throne, composed of large leaves and vines. The plethora of
green had assembled itself into a large throne for Ivy, the vines coiled around the throne like snakes.
The botanic beauty herself, Ivy, was laughing rather erratically, perhaps at her spellbound captives,
who had knelt beside her in a circle, their heads bowed almost in worship. A green cloud emitted from
their heads, the result of the pheromones which had locked them in a deadly infatuation with her. Her
voice echoed throughout the church, a booming god-like cackle which reached all four corners of the
sanctuary.
He could feel the pheromones circulating through the air, trying to melt his iron-hard willpower into
unrequited lust for the seductress. He couldn't help but squint his eyes in order to keep himself
centered, her pheromones giving off a sort of 'goddess' aura. It became hard to focus on what Ivy
truly was, but he managed to fight back the pheromones.
"I love you Ivy," one of the inmates smiled almost in a zombie-like way, still entranced by her
pheromones. His voice was dreamy, like he didn't know what he was saying.
"You're my everything Ivy!" came another inmates reply.
She merely continued to laugh at the inmate's subconscious declarations of love for her, welcoming
their professes of love for her.
"You can poison me anytime Ivy," came the TYGER guard's reply, his voice equally as dreamy.
"No, I love you more Ivy!"
"I'm nothing without you Ivy!"
"Marry me Ivy!"
"No need to fight my loves! There's enough of me to go around!" came her reply, amused by their
infatuation.
The emotionally charged replies kept on coming much to her utter delight. Her laughter seemed to
permeate the air with an unnatural sense of control, as if she was the perpetual puppetmaster and
they her infatuated puppets.
Undeterred by this display, the Dark Knight continued his walk, casually passing through the entranced
men.

Dressed from head to toe in a floral green, her alluring, promiscuous nature had certainly been
reflected by her attire. Her official Arkham City prisoner uniform was shed in favor for a more
seductive look, only retaining her standard issue jacket. She wore no pants, instead revealing her
long, shaped legs and bare feet, symbolizing her connection with the Earth. Ironically enough, her
toes were adorned with red nail polish, perhaps to make her seem more "human." Her groin area was
covered with a leafy green foliage pantie stretched to fit her hips, and her Arkham City jacket was
largely unbuttoned, only keeping two buttoned at the middle to contain her cleavage. Sleeves rolled
up, her fingernails were also adorned with red nail polish.
Despite her human like appearance, Ivy was clearly more plant than woman. Her genetic coding had
been infused with plant DNA, causing her body to emulate a more plant-like appearance. The newly
created chlorophyll running through her veins had caused pigments in her body to color her skin a
leafy green from top to bottom. She had a slender, slightly athletic build, with her hips curved in the
coveted hourglass figure. Her poison-laced lips were a crimson red, embedded with a toxin capable of
killing with only lip contact. To cap it all off, her hair was a fiery red, not bound by any material to
allow it to flow more freely, creating a more natural, untamed look. Her eyes of course, were a light
green.
To add to those bizarre features, vines had latched on her body, maneuvering in such a manner as to
resemble body tattoos. They seemed to be already embedded within her skin. Covering her body in a
darker shade of green, the vines only seemed to emphasize Ivy's connection with nature.
Few men have been able to walk up to Ivy and managed to walk away using sheer willpower, but
Batman just happened to be in the minority. Her pheromones did enhance her appearance, but even
Batman had to admit that Ivy's curvaceous yet toxic body could ensnare almost anyone, male or
female. Her strategically contained cleavage only helped with the tease, and her tendency to barely
clothe herself made her an irreversibly, polarizing figure amongst all men. Her wild, untamed
appearance mixed in with her sexualized look made Ivy the ultimate temptation, the one that is truly
worth dying for.
Finally, Batman came to a stop a few yards away from her leafy throne. She seemed too preoccupied
with the inmates to even notice or acknowledge him.
Suppressing her laughter at least for the moment, she gestured it forward with her right hand. A lone
vine, apparently summoned by the botanic beauty, snaked around her forearm. Displaying an uncanny
act of animal life, the vine still coiled around her arm leaned in like it was going to whisper something
in her ear.
"Yes dear?" she prompted, ignoring the Dark Knight and instead focusing on the apparently
anthropomorphic vine.
Instead of responding with an audible response, the vine merely maneuvered its body around, a
unique form of body language that Ivy apparently understood. The vine gestured wildly at Batman for
a second before coiling around her arm again, Ivy purred, letting the vine wrap around her forearm as
a means of comfort. She massaged the vine with one finger, calming it down.
"Yes my child, I know he's here. I know what he did to our family last time. But I won't let him hurt
you again," she assured, her voice suddenly more motherly.
Then, she turned back towards the Dark Knight, who was casually observing the conversation. Ivy
made full eye contact with Batman before continuing.
"I'll kill him first. I'll kill all of them for what they've done" she suddenly snarled. Her voice echoed
throughout the church. Sensing that its "mother" was troubled, the vine instinctively coiled around her
waist, a symbolic form of protection.

Ivy merely stroked it with her palm before glaring at Batman, a glint of hated evident in her eyes. It
seemed as if the plants also senses the animosity between the two, and began to retreat back into the
ground. It seemed like her mood had changed, evidenced by her body language which seemed to be
radiating with anger.
Evidently sensing Ivy's anger, her entranced prisoners stood up, glaring at Batman threateningly.
"No no, it's quite alright boys. I'm sure I can handle our curious little visitor," she smiled, waving them
away. Reluctantly the three backed away, Batman shooting them warning glances as they left.
"Come to gloat dear? It only seems natural that your human arrogance would win over, only know that
your taunting will only make your imminent demise more...fulfilling," she sneered, now addressing the
battered hero. Her voice echoed throughout the church.
"It's over Ivy. Strange is dead," he told her, his voice emotionless and stoic.
In response, the botanic beauty merely snickered, merely emphasizing her apathy for humanity.
Suppressing a laugh, she flickered back a strand of her fiery red hair before resting her eyes on the
caped crusader.
"Shame, he would've made excellent fertilizer for my babies," she purred, a hint of slight
disappointment in her voice.
"Ivy, the men who brought you here are gone, either behind bars or soon to be. All inmates are being
relocated to Blackgate for the time being. Come with me, and I'll see to it personally that while you
get escorted back to your cell there, your babies will be well taken care of," he assured.
In response, the voluptuous villainess merely let off a disdainful cackle, tilting her head backwards as
she laughed.
"It would seem that way, wouldn't it Batman? That everything is over now that Strange is dead? You
and your kind never cease to amaze me. Still, it was a good effort, but I'm afraid love, it's not over
until you are," she sneered, flashing him a wide grin.
"Enough people have died over the past few days. Your vendetta against me will only result in more
innocent blood spilled," he said, nodding towards the restrained Arkham staff.
"They had it coming darling. Ask me how many of my children they killed without so much as a second
thought, and I can tell you triple digits worth. And besides, this is personal," she sneered.
"What happened at the asylum Ivy, was nothing against you or your kind. You were a threat to
Gotham, and you had to be stopped," he replied stoically.
"By destroying my children? They did nothing to you!" she suddenly screeched, her eyes now glowing
with rage.
Batman remained stoic throughout her outburst, completely composed as she snapped at him.
"You're right Ivy. Your children did nothing to deserve it. They only destroyed an island full of people,
half of them innocent might I add, and tried to take the lives of thousands in Gotham. So what?" he
replied sarcastically.
"You and your precious Gotham," she spat angrily. "You claim to protect the innocent citizens of
Gotham yet you condone their actions, their crimes against nature. They're the same meat-sacks who

have murdered my children, raped them of their potential and prosperity, and most important,
plundered them of their natural-born lives. They would've done the same to my babies in Arkham had
I just stood aside and watched."
"Those were the same people who rescued you from the greenhouse at the asylum Ivy. The same
people who nursed you back to health," he pointed out.
"Don't patronize me Batman. You have no idea what brutality you and your kind are capable of. After
the asylum, I was locked in here with the other meat when I had every intention of being alone with
my babies. Strange threw away the key, and hoped that I would either be torn apart by their filthy
inmates, or would better yet be riddled with bullet holes by his little security force. My babies cried out
for days, crying out for their mother. Everyday I listened to their cries, yet felt helpless to do
something, anything. So I merely bided my time, waiting until the perfect opportunity to emerge from
my old garden, and decide to make a new one out of the remains of Arkham City," she snarled
venomously.
"Ivy, Strange is dead! There's no point continuing your vendetta against a dead man. His men are
gone, and Arkham City will be demolished in a few days. I highly suggest you take my offer," he
repeated, his patience gradually thinning.
"Offer? Of what, denying my children the vengeance they've been so rightfully entitled to for so long?
Sorry to disappoint, but I'm afraid the death of one man can not undo the thousand more sins that
mankind has committed against Mother Nature. Strange may be dead, but his work will go on through
the hearts of you meat sacks. Its all a cycle dear, and he was merely a spoke on it," she sneered.
"It's a cycle that can, and will be stopped Ivy. I'll make sure of it," he assured.
"Will you now? You would save my 'children', you, the same man who had every intent and purpose of
wiping them from existence? You have destroyed my garden at the asylum, and now you seek to
destroy my new crop. Your lies always amuse me Batman, but what will amuse me more, is watching
you die as I destroy your beloved Gotham right in front of you," she shot back.
Instinctively sensing hostility, the Dark Knight decided to be more direct with his demands and
expedite the conversation before it escalates in her favor.
"Grudges against me won't help you Ivy, and it certainly won't help your plants. Surrender now, or I'll
have to be a bit morepersistent," he replied.
"Sorry love, but I'm afraid that your cute attempts at negotiations will get you nowhere, except
perhaps to an early grave," she smiled, stroking the vine once again.
He almost bit his tongue, but his patience had officially worn thin.
"Your actions tonight could have caused widespread death and destruction. Innocent people would've
died thanks to you. Thousands more had I just let you run loose in Gotham. You need to surrender,"
he pressed.
"You're right, Batman. I've been a bad girl. Are you going to spank me?" she purred seductively,
causing him to grit his teeth irritably. He knew that she used banter to her advantage, in order to gain
an edge over her opponent.
"Arkham City is no longer operational, and Strange has been dead for weeks now. What do you
possibly think to benefit from all this madness?" he demanded, regaining his cool composure.

"A statement perhaps. A warning to you humans that we are growing, and that your futile efforts at
oppressing us will only result in your utter extermination. And while I'm at it, I might as well kill you
darling. As I've told you long ago dear, Mother Nature does not forgive, nor does she forget!" she
answered.
"Did you forget that you were once one of those humans, Dr. Isley?" he pointed out, using their
previous encounters as ammunition for his retorts.
"Don't call me that!" she snapped suddenly.
He patiently waited until her brief mood swing subsided, and she returned to her usual playful
demeanor.
"You should know by now Batman, that I am no longer addressed by my slave name. But still,
regrettably so, Mother Nature was once confined within the flesh and blood of you meat-sacks. And
while Pamela Isley was too weak to deal with the injustice surrounding her, Poison Ivy was born. Just
like all my babies darling, I merely...evolved," she smiled.
"I'm sure," he scoffed.
"You see love, while you were out there trying to vanquish the sins of your kind, I was here with my
darlings, nourishing them, protecting them. The inmates did become quite bothersome after a while,
so I had to dispose of them. After all, my babies did need proper nourishment," she explained,
pausing to relish in Batman's infuriated snarl at her implication.
"Still, there were ones who chose the better part of valor, the ones who chose to accept our love," she
added, gesturing to the entranced inmates surrounding them.
"Of course, they were always those who did not choose to accept our love," she also added, gesturing
to the captive doctors, who were still bound by their wrists. A vine slithered around Cash's neck,
causing him to squirm uncomfortably.
"Let them go Ivy. This doesn't concern them. This is between me and you," Batman ordered, using her
words as a gateway to his demands.
"Now why should I do that love? They were the ones who so vehemently tried to exterminate my
babies, they deserved what they got. And they will share the same fate as you," she sneered.
"How do you plan on doing that Ivy? You think your 'babies' can save you this time? You may have
your weeds Ivy, but you of all people, should know where I keep mine," he pointed out, gesturing to
his utility belt.
"You arrogance never ceases to amaze me Batman. You may have your little 'toys', but I've been
breeding a different kind of green, the next evolution of my garden," she smiled, flicking her wrists.
Instantly, a new vine slithered from beneath her leafy throne. Only this vine was actually different
from her usual slew of vines, it was actually quite deadlier. The vine was decorated with a rough skin,
quite akin to that of a rattlesnake, but what was most striking about it was its exterior. It was covered
by a gauntlet of five-inch long green spikes, each blade curved and its point dripping with a greenish
chemical. Its very tip was also covered by a long blade.
"We will continue to evolve Batman, for it is the natural order of evolution. And you, your bodies will
be torn apart by the ravages of time and left behind. Speaking of, you're not looking so well, are you
dear?" she laughed, referring to his battered appearance, his suit nearly in shreds and an assortment
of cuts and bruises decorating his face.

"This is nothing compared to what I can, and will do to you," he retorted, but Ivy paid him no heed,
instead gazing intently at the vine.
She gestured towards it, laughing as it pecked at her palm. She then patted its head.
"I spent weeks scouring over Arkham, scavenging for samples of my more forgotten babies who had
been buried under this metal prison for so long. It was no easy journey, but by its conclusion, my
garden had expanded tenfold. I grew the toxins and poisons that would seep through your pathetic
meat-sacks of bodies, destroying it from the inside out. My garden had flourished, and me, I grew
more powerful than ever. The Titan no longer became a priority, it was only a crutch. Something I
would eventually outgrow as we became stronger. After a while, I found myself not needing it,
because I knew that when the time came, I would rip you apart with my bare hands," she finished,
finally resting her eyes on the Dark Knight.
The vine then quietly slithered back into its hiding place.
Oblivious to her, the Dark Knight started to reach behind his utility belt, moving in such a way that not
even the sharpest eye could detect. He started to unclip a Batarang from his belt, perhaps as a last
resort.
"Before you do something you'll regret, I suggest you recall what happened to your babies last time.
The last time you and I were in the same room like this, Isley, bad things happened to you. I am
telling you to stand down," he replied through gritted teeth.
"You say this as if you can stop Mother Nature dear. I suggest you also recall that even with your little
'toys', you could only delay my wrath. In fact, when you attacked my babies, you only made me
angry," she snarled.
Just as she finished that, a flurry of colossal vines shot out of the ground, assembling themselves as a
protective shield around Poison Ivy. To Batman's utter chagrin, these seemed to be the more
developed, animalistic vines. They snaked their way around the throne, protecting their mother.
As if on cue, a distinctive clicking sound emitted from behind Batman. Out of his peripheral vision, he
could spot the hypnotized TYGER guard behind him, the muzzle of a fully loaded assault rifle tapping
at the back of his neck. To his right and lefts respectively, the Joker thug and Penguin thug brandished
metal bats. Under his breath, he cursed himself for becoming too side-tracked, letting his guard down
enough for her puppets to become viable threats.
"You don't want to do this, Ivy," he warned, slowly revealing his Batarang from his cape. Thankfully,
the hypnotized thugs were too busy to even notice his ace in the hole.
"You see dear, I won't just kill you. No, that would be quite quick, and not worthy of the pain you have
caused me and my children. Instead, I'll cripple you, humiliate you, break you. Once I get finished,
you'll be nothing but a broken shell of a man. But I won't kill you Batman, there are worse things than
death, and I intend for you to live through them. Instead, I'll have my children rip you apart limb from
limb, and plant you into my garden, your pathetic meatsack of a body becoming food for my next crop
of children. I'll enjoy watching you beg for mercy as I trample you underfoot like the dog you are.
Then, I'll kill the other meat, Commissioner Gordon, and his men. The leftovers will become dinner for
my babies. I'll destroy your precious Gotham next, and force you to watch as my children reclaim the
same land that was so cruelly stolen from them so many years ago. And then, and only then, will I
allow you the quick release of an easy death, but rest assured love, that it would be by my hand and
my hand only," she vowed, her eyes now gleaming insanely.
Taking a quick glance around, Batman factored in the cocoons, which housed the inmates and police
officers still in the brainwashing process. He then turned to the inmates, who stared at him blankly,
their weapons still trained on him.

"Ivy's little 'helpers' shouldn't be a problem, but I need to distract her first. They'll crash and burn
without her," he thought, strategically piecing together his offensive.
"This is your last chance Ivy. Stand down, or I will put you down!" he warned, his eyes narrowing.
She merely laughed at his threat.
"Defiant to the end are we darling? I'll remember that when I'm-"
Before she could even finish the sentence, Batman sprung into action, gaining the early advantage.
With a quickfire draw, he easily hurled the Batarang at her, the polished steel spinning in the air as it
neared her throne.
She instinctively flinched, involuntarily summoning a shield of vines from her throne to assemble
themselves into a makeshift shield, protecting her from it. The Batarang bounced off of the vines, but
Batman paid no paid to it.
Taking advantage, Batman also threw down a smoke pellet, the grenade exploding into a dense fog as
soon as it touched the floor. Within seconds, it had enveloped the caped crusader, providing an
improvised cover for the Dark Knight who had been anticipating her inevitable retaliation.
With the smoke covering him, Batman easily activated his detective vision, allowing for him to spot his
discombobulated opponents, the gadget highlighting the TYGER guard in red because of his weapon
and the other two in blue.
Capitalizing on the situation, the ever opportunistic Batman suddenly shot his elbow up, hitting the
muzzle of the assault rifle. The TYGER guard instinctively pulled the trigger, causing bullets to pepper
the ceiling above.
He then spun around, grabbing the rifle by its muzzle and snatching it away from the mercenary. Now
in control of the rifle, Batman slammed the metal stock right between the eyes, staggering the
mercenary while he methodically dismembered the rifle, removing it piece by piece. He finished his
combo with a well-timed spinning heel kick. The kick cracked off the side of his head, sending the
guard face first to the concrete.
His detective vision instantly alerted him to the next target,
With one already immobilized, Batman then directed his attention to the closest threat, the Joker thug
who was also discombobulated by the smoke. He wildly waved his bat around in an attempt to clear
the air. The caped crusader lunged at him next easily swatting the metal bat out of his hands with a
well-placed karate chop to the wrist.
In fast succession, Batman sidestepped past him, while simultaneously hooking his forearm around his
neck, applying a firm sleeper hold. Batman swiftly brought down his elbow on the struggling inmate,
knocking him out in one blow. The inmate's muffled grunts instantly became silenced, as the Dark
Knight quietly dropped him in the midst of the smoke.
Now with only one hostile left, Batman abandoned all caution and just lunged at him.
Unlike the others though, the Penguin thug could see Batman coming, squinting his eyes to spot his
shadow. He managed to swing his weapon at him, but to no avail.
Batman easily ducked the futile blow, the bat whistling through the air above him. Re-emerging right
on top of him, Batman surprised him with a strong right hook to the side of the head, knocking him
unconscious in one fluid motion.

The brainwashed goon crumpled to the floor like paper, his metallic bat clanging to the ground next to
him.
Towering above him, Batman didn't have time to bask in his victory, if even that.
He turned around only to see one of Ivy's more developed vines lunging straight towards him,
catching even him by surprise. His eyes widened in shock, he barely had time to raise a Batarang
before the vine whipped across his face, sending him flying backwards.
Unceremoniously knocked off his feet, the Dark Knight involuntarily corkscrewed through the air
before landing hard on his back. The momentum from the blow sent him skidding across the floor
before he bumped against a gnarled tree root.
Wincing in pain, he rolled over on his stomach as he felt warm blood trickle down his mouth, and the
throbbing pain that came with it. His chin planted firmly on the ground, it only took him a few
moments to process the same vine lunging at him yet again, its mouth gleaming with razor sharp
teeth.
Pushing himself up on both palms, he instinctively reached for his belt, and produced a steel Batarang.
Just as the vine was about to attack him again, he hurled the projectile at it, watching as the two
collided in mid-air. Thankfully, the Batarang was victorious, and impaled the vine right through its
mouth, one of the twin blades dislocating its entire jaw.
The vine flopped to the ground lifelessly, as he started to push himself on one knee, narrowing his
eyes at the quickly disappearing smoke cloud.
The smoke dissipated into thin air just as he recovered from the surprise attack, revealing a very
angry Poison Ivy.
Her once smug grin was replaced by an infuriated snarl, her poison-laced lips now seething in rage.
She was now standing up, her fists clenched in rage. To her left and right respectfully, stood two
monstrous Venus fly traps which had somehow burst through the ground.
"A battle against me Batman, is a battle against Mother Nature. And that is a battle you will lose, little
man!" she sneered.
As if to prove her point, she suddenly extended her arms out. Vines slithered around her outstretched
arms, forming a sort of protective armor over her. She let out an almost orgasmic cry as her 'babies'
began to converge with her.
"I'm taking you down Ivy, one way or another," he shot back, managing to stagger to his feet, still
feeling the effects of the fireball. Nonetheless, he managed to draw a Batarang, preparing to fight.
Ivy let out an almost ecstatic moan as the vines constricted around her torso, enveloping her in a
mass of green.
"Come to me my loves! Come be with me! Together, we are unstoppable!" she screamed gleefully, her
voice reaching almost unprecedented levels of ecstasy.
He snarled as the vines lifted Ivy into the air, the plants wrapped around her like a goddess. Levitating
from the floor in a spear-eagled position, some of the vines wrapped around her detached from her
skin, instead plunging into the ground.

He narrowed his eyes, knowing that this was mere theatrics compared to what came next.
Just as she said that, the cocoon on the ground rose up to meet her. It was similar to Ivy's other
monster that she had created at the asylum, only that this one was much more smaller, and layered
with thorns. She laughed as its two halves closed around her, swallowing her whole. Enveloping Ivy in
a vine-covered chamber, the plant monster rose high above the ground, with Ivy as its captain.
"Scared yet, Batman?" she laughed triumphantly, the vines still wrapped around her.
If only to make the situation even more dire, the six cocoons surrounding Batman were forced open,
from inside. The mouths of the envelope were pried open by the inmates within, who were apparently
woken by Ivy's call to arms.
Batman scowled as the cocoons were pried open, the now almost zombie-like thugs emerging from
within. Like the others, their heads were glowing with her pheromones, their movements sluggish yet
brooding. They collectively moaned, their arms spreading out in a manner quite akin to a newborn
child first experiencing light.
To his left and right, he could spot an assortment of thugs from Joker, Penguin, Two-Face, TYGER
guards, even a GCPD officer. They all had that leafy green glow in their eyes, indicative of Ivy's control
over them. Still, they managed to encircle the fatigued vigilante, awaiting orders from their "den
mother."
"My loves, please welcome our dear Dark Knight to our garden. Rip him apart!" Ivy ordered from
inside her chamber.
"Yes Ivy," they replied collectively, before lunging at Batman.
The first TYGER guard who took a swing at him ended up getting his arm unnatural twisted back
before getting hip-tossed overhead and knocked out with a swift blow to the jaw. Batman's eyes
darted from left to right as two Two-Face henchmen both simultaneously lunged at him from both
sides. Ducking both blows, he countered each thug with a brutal backfist to the face. As they
crumpled, Batman's honed instincts kicked in and he was able to sense an approaching inmate throw a
punch at him from behind. Almost systematically, he both ducked the punch as well as shot back up
with a brutal forearm, his elbow smashing into his face.
To his right, another thug lashed at him with a wild haymaker. Using the thug's own momentum
against him, he ducked the blow while picking him up in a fireman's carry. After a second or two of
lifting him, he effortlessly tossed him to the ground but not before landing a cruel side kick to his
spine, only propelling him directly into the wall. He limply bounced off the wall and crumpled to the
floor.
To his utter chagrin, a GCPD officer aimed a low kick at him. Under normal circumstances, he would
have hesitated, but with hostages on the line, this was no time for leniency. Making sure to not use all
of his power, Batman parried the kick with his own leg before grabbing his face and smashing it into
his knee. A Penguin thug managed to catch him by surprise, locking a potent sleeper hold on his neck.
As he flexed his muscles against Batman's neck, another Penguin thug lunged at the now "restrained"
Batman, aiming a wild haymaker at him.
Before he could connect, Batman suddenly lifted both knees up to his chest, kicking the attacking thug
back with both boots to the chest while simultaneously kicking off his chest as leverage to fall back on
the thug from behind. Losing his balance, the Penguin thug landed on the wall, loosening his grip over
him. Batman quickly capitalized with a brutal elbow to the face that would've dropped a grizzly bear.

As he slumped back against the floor, he turned to the last standing Penguin thug who groggily made
his way up to his feet.
Not waiting for him to attack, Batman lunged at him, rolling on his shoulder and springing to his feet
mere inches away from his face. Before he could react, the Dark Knight landed a hard head-butt on
his face, before wrapping his arms around his torso, and slamming him into the ground. Grabbing one
of his arms, Batman stomped down on his face, knocking him unconscious in one fluid motion.
He casually adjusted his gauntlets as he looked back at his work, six fully trained henchmen laying
unconscious on top of each other.
With the last inmate finished off, he turned to the plant queen herself, who was absolutely seething at
him.
"You weren't supposed to do that Batman," she pouted bitterly.
"You're next Ivy," he growled, stalking towards her angrily, his fists clenched.
"I think they'd disagree," she purred, gesturing towards the ground.
The second Batman took his next step, his honed instincts kicked in. He could feel an earthquake
rumbling underneath his feet, and he knew all too well what happened next.
CRACK! With a cry, the vigilante leaped backwards, performing an agile backflip in the process.
Landing on his shoulder, he managed to roll to his feet, a Batarang in one hand.
Mere seconds afterwards, a flurry of vines exploded out of the ground, the animalistic vines
converging into a thorny mouth at its center. Erupting from the floor like a volcano, the assortment of
vines circled around Batman, the vines dancing around his body. It started to resemble some sort of
tree stump, with its center being covered with thorns. Without warning, the vines lunged at him, the
jagged edges aimed at his torso.
Seconds before throwing it, Batman pressed a red button at the center, activating some kind of
mechanism. Hurling it at the plant monster, he started to roll backwards, but some of the vines
reached him first, ensnaring him around the ankles and wrists. Grunting, he fell flat on his back, the
vines starting to wrap around his body.
"You're ours now Batman," Ivy purred seductively, laughing hysterically as the vines started to drag
him into the mouth.
Just as she said that, the Batarang lodged into one of the vines exploded. The monster emitted a
animalistic shriek as the explosion knocked it backwards. Almost subsequently, Ivy let out a shriek,
her empathetic connection with the plants once again emphasized. The vines quickly dispersed in the
midst of the blast, weakening its foundation. The vines loosening around him, he drew another
Batarang and began slicing the now limp vines off his body.
Quickly rising to his feet, he turned to Ivy, who was absolutely fuming behind her chamber.
"You'll pay Batman," she growled irritably.
"You first," he snarled, drawing a Batarang.

Her words ever prophetic, a lone vine shot out of the ground, wrapping around his ankle. Yanking him
off his feet, the Batman fell flat on his face as the vine dragged him backwards, his fingers clawing at
the ground.
"You of all people should know darling," she started, perhaps pausing for dramatic effect.
Just as she said that, another plant monster burst out the ground, this one even larger than the first.
Even more vines wrapped around his body, slithering around his waist and legs.
"Kill one of us, and two more shall take its place," she grinned.
This time however, the vines managed to wrap around Batman's wrists, preventing him from using his
belt. Struggling valiantly, he soon found himself entangled within Ivy's monster, unable to escape its
thorny wrath.
He grunted as one of the vines wrapped around his neck, strangling him. Now gasping for air, he tried
to free one of his hands to free himself, but to no avail.
Batman continued to struggle as the vines continued to constrict around him, tightening their grip as
Ivy laughed at his plight.
"After we're done choking the life out of you Batman, we'll destroy your precious Gotham!"
"Never!" he vowed, his resiliency being his only weapon at this point. The vines had now tightly
wrapped around his ankles and wrists, rendering him completely helpless to escape.
Now with its prey in its grasp, the vine monster began to reel Batman in like a fish, the vines dragging
the Dark Knight along the floor. His struggles were becoming more and more feeble, as the vines
almost forced him into submission, the thorns pricking at his suit.
"As you humans grow weaker, we will grow stronger!" she sneered, pleased at the plants utter
dominance over Batman.
With no utter alternative, Batman wrestled for control over his left hand, trying to desperately
maneuver it over to his utility belt. Gritting his teeth, he finally managed to touch one of his pockets,
just as the vines dragged him into the mouth of the monster.
"I hope you'll provide proper nourishment to my children Batman!" Ivy cackled, as he disappeared
within its mouth.
Suddenly, a grappling hook shot out of the mass of plants, the hook embedding itself within the above
gargoyle. The hook propelled the battered Batman up and away from the clutches of his own demise,
his hand almost limply latching onto the grappling gun.
Beaten but unbowed, the Dark Knight emerged from the hostile vines, his suit nearly torn to pieces
but intact. As he shot up through the air, he turned back down to the vines who continued to pursue
him, trying to wrap around his ankles. The vines remained persistent, but the Dark Knight was one
step ahead.
Just as they started to touch his heels, he hurled another Batarang down below him, but not before
dialing a quick succession of dials on the projectile.
With a clank, the Batarang embedded itself in its mouth, a familiar beeping sound emitting from the
Batarang.

"NOOOOO!" she wailed, as if she sensed what was happening.

But not even the plant queen could interfere, as the Batarang exploded not too soon after she uttered
those words.
The vines tried to scatter but to no avail as the explosion caused the monster to dissipate, the now
scorched vines flailing around before dropping to the floor. Trails of smoke emitted from it, as the
vines.
In the midst of it all, Batman managed to grab onto the gargoyle, wrapping his forearms around it. He
took the opportunity to get in some much needed breaths, his body starting to deflate out of pure
fatigue. He didn't get much grip on the gargoyle, before Ivy started to speak again.
"I'll feed your limbs to my babies for that Batman!" Ivy vowed, pointing her fingers at the recovering
Batman.
As she said that, two vines exploded out of the ground, aiming at the Dark Knight.
Cursing under his breath, he glided off the gargoyle just as the vines spearheaded it, tearing through
the stone where he was just at and demolishing the statue. His cape extended in a symbolic bat-like
form, he glided back to the ground nearing Ivy.
With a grunt, he managed to land on the floor, pounding the ground with his fist in a crouched position
as he gazed up at the plant queen, still shielded by her protective shell.
Drawing his signature Batarang, Batman narrowed his eyes as he focused on the chamber.
Ivy sneered while pointing her fingers at him, summoning two vines to rocket towards him. Now
forced to change plans, he quickly hurled the Batarang at the vines, rolling to his side as the Batarang
cleanly decapitated both plants in one motion. He rolled to his feet with another Batarang drawn, but
for once, Ivy was one step ahead of him.
A fireball hit him mere seconds away, connecting with his upper torso. It instantly knocked him back
to the ground, smoke now emitting from his suit as he instinctively rolled on his stomach.
"You'll have to do better than that, Batman" Ivy taunted, her face gleaming insanely as he skidded
across the floor.
Groaning, he clutched his sides, still singing from the blast. Luckily, his body armor lessened the
damage, but only to a degree.
Pounding his fist on the ground in frustration, he glared at the twin Venus plants guarding Ivy before
an idea formed in his head.
"Got to take out those two before I get to Ivy," he thought to himself, his fingers closing around
another one of his makeshift gadgets.
"Face it darling, my babies know all your toys, all your moves. You're predictable meat-sack, and
that's why you will lose!" she taunted.
"Keep telling yourself that, Ivy," he shot back, rising on both knees with his electrical control gun in
both hands.

He pressed the trigger, releasing a electrical discharge directly at the Venus fly trap. As soon as it
connected, the fly trap convulsed violently as discharges surged through its body. Between
convulsions, it started to leak out fluids.
"Nooo!" Ivy cried, pressing her palms against the chamber as the irony of her words began to come
back to haunt her.
Finally, it exploded in a loud bang, the remains splattering against the wall.
Turning on his heel, he fired another discharge towards the second Venus fly trap, watching it too
implode with similar symptoms.
He then turned towards Ivy's pod, preparing to fire an electric charge at the chamber.
"Don't let the big bad Batman hurt me, my children!" Ivy cried out.
But just before his finger could touch the trigger, a vine out of nowhere suddenly whipped the gun out
of his hands, causing it to spiral to the floor, and out of his reach. The vine then proceeded to lash at
him, landing a stinging blow right to the face, sending him flying backwards.
As he rolled over on his belly, he managed to still dispatch the vine with a Batarang before it could
continue to attack him. The two halves of the vine landed innocuously on the floor, as he grounded
himself on his knees and palms.
"You're running out of tricks darling!" Ivy laughed girlishly.
"I've still got a few up my sleeve," he thought defiantly, his eyes instantly darting up to the stone
gargoyle conveniently hovering about Ivy's protective shell.
Before she could continue to taunt him, he rolled to his feet with his patented Batclaw in his left hand.
Just as she started to summon more of her babies to attack him, he quickly fired the hook directly at
the gargoyle. By sheer luck was it able to latch on to its head just before reaching its limit. With the
gargoyle hooked, he then began pulling the line back, trying to rip the statue of its hinges.
Ivy merely smirked, oblivious to what was happening to her. And that was the way Batman wanted
her, oblivious and pre-occupied. With both hands on the line, he was starting to see cracks on its legs,
signifying that he was making progress.
"You think that your 'toy' will save you, little man?" she purred arrogantly.
Finally, he managed to pull the stone gargoyle down, much to Ivy's unsuspecting regret.
"You're starting to a-" she started to say, just before the gargoyle collided with the chamber pod.
Caught off guard, Ivy mentally lost control of her creation as the impact from the collision sent her
headfirst into the chamber wall. The plant writhed in pain, uttering screech after screech as visible
scratches started to well up on its sides as well as top. In its blind confusion, it managed to bounce off
of the wall, sending debris flying down to the floor.
Finally, without a captain to steer it, the monster collapsed on the floor, crushing Ivy's throne in the
process. Her body slammed against the chamber as the collision rocketed her forward. The vines that
were trapped underneath its massive statue feebly tried to escape, but to no avail.

Wiping a line of blood off his face, Batman shelved his Batclaw before approaching the grounded Ivy,
his hand once again reaching into his utility belt. After a dramatic pause, he revealed his Explosive Gel
gun, the item of Ivy's undoing back at the asylum, and just as much here.
Hastily yet cautiously approaching her chamber, he couldn't help but hesitate after gazing at her limp
form, her back slumped against the wall almost unconsciously. But considering how much of a threat
she was, it was simply no time for alternatives.
Sighing, he began to spray the wall in the form of his iconic bat motif, his hand gliding along the
chamber as the gel began to stick to the pod.
The noise awakening Ivy, she instantly opened her eyes as an extreme sense of deja vu began
creeping up her spine. Lunging at him futilely, she pounded at the wall, almost pleading with him.
"No please! Don't do it Batman!" she pleaded, her voice nearly cracking.
Backing away, he raised the gun as he prepared to press the detonation button, only for the absolute
worst-case scenario could materialize.
A lone vine suddenly grabbed his wrist, preventing him from pressing the trigger and ending Ivy's
threat for good. His eyes widening in surprise, he tried to pry his hand lose, only for another vine to
wrap around his neck. Strangling him, the two vines succeeded in preventing from from harming their
mother.
Another vine wrapped around his waist, as well as his ankle. Finally, they managed to lift him above
the ground, before throwing him back. As he was hurled back, he could feel the Explosive Gel flying
out of his fingers.
He landed hard on his back, dust scattering as his head bounced off the concrete. As he was skidding
across the floor, he spotted the trifecta of vines still lunging towards him, and with his quickfire draw,
shot three Batarangs out of his waist in quick succession, each one severing a vine. Cursing between
breaths, he managed to push himself up to a fetal position, only for his eyes to spot the Explosive Gel
button, just inches away from him.
Desperately, he made a lunge for it, only for irony to rear its cruel hand. A larger vine instantly
pounded it into the ground, crushing the gun in one fell swoop. His eyes widened in shock for the first
time, now realizing that his most potent weapon against Ivy was now in scraps before him. Using his
gauntlet claws to slice it in half, he gathered the now destroyed remains of his gadget, the weapon
now meaningless to him, as well as the supply of Explosive Gel now splattered on the floor.
"Awwww, looks like I broke your toy," came Ivy's taunting sneer, now biting through his skin.
Seething heavily, he turned to see Ivy, who had taken advantage of the sudden change in momentum
and willed the plant monster to rise again. Her pitiful whimper had vanished, replaced by a biting
sneer that festered in his soul like a cancer.
"Now, what are you going to do, little man?" Ivy purred, once again reminding him of his mistake. She
once again lifted herself out of his reach, forcing him to think of other ways to defeat her.
"Unlike you Batman, I have evolved since our last confrontation. I'm wise to your tricks, as well as
your little 'playthings.' You'll have to try harder than that if you want to get to me darling!" she
mocked.

He glared irritably as he was once again being drove back by Ivy, who had, to her credit, managed to
turn him back at every turn. She had been more prepared, always ready with a counter to his attack,
a defense to his offense. He hated to admit it, but she had him pegged, at least, for now.
Ivy noticed his apprehensive facial expression, still marred my fatigued, and capitalized on it.
"Oh, don't tell me the big bad Batman is getting tired? Perhaps darling, you finally realize that with all
your muscle, all your intelligence, you are simply a man trying to fight with a goddess. Your pathetic
meat-sack of a body betrays you love; I can see how tired you are. Maybe its time for you to finally
accept that you've been beaten, and perhaps, I'll grant you an quick death," she declared
triumphantly.
As much as he hated to admit it, Ivy was right. She could only move her finger and the weeds would
attack him. He was practically running on adrenaline at this point, and fatigue was starting to build up
on his joints. He couldn't overcome her by sheer strength, but like many others, he could outsmart
her.
"I've still got enough strength to take you down, Isley," he shot back, causing her to erupt with
laughter.
He didn't have long to dwell on the sentence, as she symbolically raised her arms, causing an even
more massive Venus fly plant to erupt from the ground like a volcano. The creature roared to life as it
exploded out of the floor, nearly knocking the Dark Knight off his feet. He could barely spot his
electrical charge gun now definitely out of reach as the breakthrough of the ground caused it to slide
towards the wall.
Twin branches peeled off of its skin, each one brandishing foot-long spikes decorated on its sides. As it
extended to its full height, it maneuvered its snake-like body in front of Ivy, protecting her. A green
liquid seeping from its mouth, the plant monster immediately lunged at Batman.
Instinctively throwing himself backwards, Batman landed on his shoulder and rolled to his feet as the
Venus fly trap snapped at the ground where he was just standing at with its jagged teeth.
A Batarang in one hand, he seamlessly threw the projectile at the roaring beast. To his utter chagrin,
the Batarang bounced harmlessly off its thorny sides.
If anything, it only seemed to infuriate the plant monster, which then snapped a thorny vine at him.
He managed to throw himself to his right, but not before the vine managed to just barely clip him on
the shoulder, digging its razor sharp thorns into his shoulder blades. Wincing, the blow caused him to
lose balance, and he landed on his other shoulder, still managing to roll to his feet. He briefly looked at
his shoulder, a wicked-looking scar stitched into his suit. And that only happened because the vines
just barely managed to touch him.
"Has it finally dawned on you Batman, that you simply can't measure up to my babies?" Ivy beamed,
laughing at his plight.
He didn't have much time to ponder her words, as the plant monster suddenly plunged two more
branches which had peeled off its skin into the ground. As they traveled underground, his build-in suit
sensors would detect the buildup of movement right beneath him, and he knew what to do.
Batman threw himself backwards just as an earthquake rumbled beneath his feet. Rolling on his sides,
he narrowed his eyes as a plethora of underground vines exploded out of the ground mere feet in
front of him. They quickly lashed out at the spot where he was just standing before hastily retreating
into the ground.

The plant monster then lifted its makeshift branches, instead snapping them at his feet. The thorns
attached to its branches literally detached from their source, now used as projectiles against the
resilient Batman.
Cursing silently, Batman was forced to roll to his sides to avoid the deadly round of makeshift arrows,
the thorns being hurled at him like arrows. He maneuvered his body in mid-air to avoid the deadly
projectiles, the thorns whistling past his face as he flew through the air. Unfortunately, he caught the
tail end of the projectile just as his shoulder hit the floor.
Rolling to his feet, he winced loudly as he yanked out the thorns now partly embedded in his sides,
instantly causing a surge of pain that coursed through his battered body. He numbly felt the spot
where the object had first penetrated his body, biting back a yell through gritted teeth.
Snarling, he threw the thorns away and instead clutched his sides, managing to crawl to his feet.
"Did that hurt love?" she chided, relishing in Batman's plight.
"Not as much as what I'm going to do to you," he thought angrily, the words almost escaping from his
mouth as he stared at the plant monster.
"Make him suffer, my child," Ivy commanded, pointing her finger at Batman.
Obeying its mother, the plant monster lashed its branches at Batman, once again unleashing another
wave of thorns.
In a stunning act of agility for a man his size, Batman leaped backwards in a fluid back flip, curving his
body in mid-air to make sure that his hands hit the ground first. After landing on his feet to evade the
initial bombardment, he rolled backwards to avoid the next wave of projectiles.
He winced out loud as a thorn barely managed to clip him on the shoulder, the blade tearing clean
through his suit as it just made contact with his bare skin. Clutching his shoulder, his eyes darted from
left to right until he saw the the closed area where the Arkham staff had performed surgery and an
idea instantly formed in his mind.
Before the plant monster could throw another volley at him, he clambered to his feet clumsily,
breaking into a frenzied run towards the wall.
"You thinking running will save you, my little Bat?" Ivy laughed, as he continued to run towards the
wall. Finally, in one fluid motion, he kicked off the floor and wrapped one arm around the top, pulling
himself up and over the wall.
"Let's get the coward out of his hiding spot, shall we?" Ivy smiled, prompting the plant monster to
dive directly at the wall, its jagged teeth aimed at him.
Just as the head of the monster neared the wall, he started to run towards the bare wall behind him.
Before he could get two steps away, the monster crashed through the wooden wall, wooden splinters
sprinkling the air. He continued to run nevertheless, with the monster not to far behind. He purposely
slowed down the pace so the monster could literally be inches away from snaring him with its teeth,
only part of his plan.
Before it could grab him, he suddenly bolstered himself on the wall, literally running up the wall as the
monster instead hit the wall.
Batman kicked off the wall, allowing for him to have the perfect advantage over the monster, defeat
from above.

Just as the monster recovered from headbutting the wall, it had another thing coming as the always
prepared caped crusader landed on its neck, wrapping his arms around its neck for support.
Realizing the added weight, the plant monster shrieked in pain as it tried to shake him off, wildly
moving back and forth and left to right. Batman could feel its thorny body pricking his suit, but he
refused to succumb to it.
With a grunt, Batman managed to stay glued to it, keeping a tenacious vice grip around its neck
despite its "protests".
"What are you doing?" Ivy cried, as it retreated back into the open sanctuary.
In order to keep a more solid grip over it, Batman drew a Batarang, stabbing it directly into its neck. It
roared in agony as he impaled the weapon through its flesh, only augmenting its struggles.
Using the Batarang as a crutch, he managed to drag himself atop its head, right where the important
organs were. His legs were constantly swinging on and off its body, but he managed to hold on.
Spitting out a glob of blood, Batman cocked his fist high above his shoulder as he prepared for
the coup de grace.
"No...stop!" Ivy shrieked, instantly realizing what was happening. She wildly gestured her arms at
Batman, commanding a group of vines to start to warp around his ankles and wrists.
But before the vines could get a good grasp on him, Batman plunged his fist directly through its flesh,
really sinking his arm in it to get a good grip on its vital organs. He could feel its inner liquids soaking
his arm, but he finally relented when he felt his fingers wrap around something circular.
Wincing heavily, he retracted his arm, pulling out the heart of the monster as well. He gazed almost
absent-mindedly at the orb as it dissolved in his palm, emitting a wail from the monster as well as a
subsequent cry from Ivy.
Jumping off the wounded plant, he landed roughly on the ground as the monster continued to writhe,
twisting its body as its fluids leaked down its skin. Rolling to his feet, he glared at the dying creature.
Finally, it collapsed to the ground in a twisted heap, wailing one last time before its head splattered
against the floor. Ivy stared in utter disbelief as her ace in the hole, her last pawn, fell victim to the
Dark Knight.
Brushing some fluids off his shoulder, he turned to see Poison Ivy, who suddenly clutched her stomach
in pain, almost leaning against the pod. Her playful, seductive grin was gone, and so was her smug
laughter. Her face was now livid with rage, and she wore an impregnable scowl. She pounded the pod
angrily as she glared at him resentfully, her eyes gleaming with fury.
"My plants are endless Batman! You've only killed one, I can summon thousands with the snap of my
fingers. You cannot beat Mother Nature!" she declared defiantly, her voice a seething snarl.
"Maybe not, but I can beat you, Isley," he said.
"I'd rather die than go down at the hands of you, Batman," she spat in turn, before gesturing at him,
commanding even more vines to burst out of the ground.
"You're finished Ivy!" he snarled, reaching into his belt and pulling out his last resort, a freeze
grenade. He wrapped his fingers around the circular object as he prepared to throw it.

Ivy's eyes widened, and tried to use her vines instead as a protective shield. But alas, it was too late.
With a cry, he hurled the grenade at her protective shell, before the first of her vines could reach him.
It latched on to the pod, an icy blue gas starting to emit from its container as it did so. Her eyes
widened in fear as she gazed at the grenade.
"Please Batman...don't...not my baby," she pleaded, her seductive purr absent in favor of a begging
whimper.
She pounded weakly at the chamber as the grenade prepared to detonate. He couldn't help but feel a
syringe of pity towards the eco terrorist despite her crimes against humanity, but this was no time for
hesitation.
CLINK! In one fell swoop the grenade exploded, covering her protective chamber in an icy shell. She
staggered backwards as the ice wave obscured the chamber, clothing it in a ghostly white. Ivy was
barely visible in the icy prison she was now entombed in, and sooner than later she was feeling the
effects of it.
"W-w-what is th-i-i-i-s?" she stammered, the temperatures within her chamber instantly reverting to
sub-zero. Ironically enough, her "protection" against Batman had now become her tomb, and the fact
that she barely had any clothes on only amplified that fact.
"You should've done your homework, Ivy. Plants can't survive under sub-zero temperatures, they're
practically naked in the cold. In fact, the only way for them to possibly endure it would be by
adapting, but in your case, I say that time's run out on you," he told her, relishing in the horrified look
that she shot him.
Clutching her sides, Ivy began vibrating violently, her body unnaturally convulsing as the cold started
to get to her. Her bare legs trembling, she was too cold to even concentrate on summoning her plants,
her only advantage. She even breathed out a ghastly white, instead of her usual pink pheromones.
Slumping back against the wall, her entire body shook as the temperatures dropped to unprecedented
levels. She tried crossing her arms together, but to no avail. She was trapped inside her own creation!
"N-n-o! You.you c-c-can't beat me. It's imp-p-possible," she stuttered, still feeling the effects of the
freeze grenade.
"What's wrong Ivy? You're not looking well," he smirked.
Shivering heavily, she staggered backwards, her lips quivering incessantly.
"Now or never," he thought to himself.
"No, wait Batman! Don't hurt my baby!" she pleaded, just as she started to collapse to the ground.
She could barely feel her legs, and the look of defeat on her eyes told the entire story. Despite her
predicament, she pounded the chamber with her palms, trying to will the creature to break through
the icy prison. Unfortunately for Ivy, the plant creature was just as frozen as her.
Still clutching his arm, he slowly walked towards her. Ivy desperately gestured at him, but she was too
cold to even concentrate. Her fingers trembled, unable to keep still. She soon found herself powerless
to stop what was happening.

"Y-you can't stop us Batman! Kill one of us, and more of us will take its place. Besides, what do you
think that you can do to me in here, protected by my plants? You can't hurt me!" she claimed wildly,
mentally willing the chamber to retreat out of his range despite her shivers.
In one hand, Batman drew one last Batarang, before dialing a combination of commands on its center
for the coup de grace.
"I'm counting on it!" he growled, cocking his arm back to throw the Batarang at her.
"No," she whispered hoarsely, as he threw the Batarang at the frozen chamber.
With a clink, the Batarang embedded itself within the ice, the red button now blinking as it prepared
for detonation. She hopelessly touched the spot where the Batarang had penetrated the ice, and
closed her eyes.
"You brought this on yourself, Ivy," he replied simply, as he mentally counted down until detonation.
BAMMMMMM! The explosion sent the chamber lurching backwards violently, Ivy being slammed
backwards as well. The plant monster itself wailed in pain as the impact sent it slamming into the
church organ, the rubble created from that falling on the ground. It then slammed into the wall,
emitting another screeching cry.
"Noooooo!" she wailed incessantly, as her creation literally came tumbling down, repeatedly smashing
against the wall until it was too weak to support itself.
As soon as it slammed against the church organ, the sharp pipes punctured several openings on its
rear. It wailed in pain, involuntarily slamming against the wall again, slamming Ivy's head into the
chamber. Knocked out thanks to the blow, Ivy couldn't control the creature, which was close to dying.
Batman shielded his face from any falling rubble as it continued to slam into the wall.
Finally, the plant monster uttered one more shrill shriek before starting to collapse to the ground, for
good this time. Smashing into the wall one last time, it descended down to the ground, the chamber
heading directly towards the fatigued Batman, the now limp Ivy still inside.
His eyes widened with shock as he realized this, and after a few tentative steps back, suddenly sprang
into action. Grunting, he threw himself backwards just as the chamber crashed into the floor.
Rolling backward on his shoulder, he continued to edge back until it came to a complete stop, just a
few yards away from him. As fluids seeped through cracks in the chamber, Batman couldn't help but
sigh, almost out of relief.
With Ivy finally out of the equation finally, he turned to the captive medical team, who were evidently
watching the entire confrontation play out.
"You alright?" he said grimly. Most of them stared at him in open awe, still dumbfounded by the duel
while Cash nodded in appreciation.
He then turned back to the fallen chamber, his eyes managing to spot Ivy, who was barely able to
crawl out of the wreckage. The impact must've woken her up.
He sighed perhaps out of pity for the former botanist as she maneuvered her body out of the broken
chamber, her hair a wild mess and numerous scratches and bruises decorating her body. Clutching her
sides with one hand, she managed to pull herself out of the wreckage nevertheless.

While the humidity of the sanctuary had warmed her back to normal, he could still spot some shivers
running through her body.
Almost instinctively, she scurried over to the fallen plant monster which had been defeated by the
Dark Knight, her motherly tendencies kicking in. Almost dejectedly, she held one of its vines in her
arms, just staring at it blankly.
Still wincing loudly, the battered yet victorious Batman managed to clamber to his feet, his knees still
threatening to collapse. Clutching his bruised sides, he cursed himself for underestimating the eco
terrorist, letting his overconfidence once again get the better of him. He had been expecting a much
more subdued, weakened Ivy, but instead, he was taken to his physical limits. If anything, Ivy was
anything but subdued, the evidence of that claim still embedded within his abdomen. He yanked out
another spike which had lodged itself in his side and tossed it away after realizing that.
He leaned on the wall for support until he managed to get his wind back. He was thoroughly fatigued,
and the events of the entire night had worn on him both physically and emotionally. Still, his sheer
instinct fought through the fatigue, and he was once again victorious in stopping her.
Finally, he pushed off of the wall and began to walk towards the equally battered Ivy, who was still
tending to the limp vine.
Despite his stoic exterior, his heart still felt pity for the scientists formerly known as Pamela Isley.
Despite her "mental" deficiencies, Pamela Isley didn't deserve any of what was happening to her. Then
again, a lot of people didn't deserve any of this. But for the sake of the "greater good," it was simply
something that had to be done.
"It's over Ivy," he said simply, still feeling the effects of their battle. As he neared Ivy, he noticed how
she ignored everything that he was saying, instead gazing blankly at her now destroyed creature.
"You murdered them. You killed them all," she finally whispered hoarsely, her hands still gripping the
limp vine. Her voice was no longer the seductive purr, or even the overconfident sneer, only a
dejected, almost broken murmur.
Batman cautiously walked over to her, his body absolutely beaming with pain.
"You left me no choice. You had hostages Ivy, you had to be stopped," he pointed out, trying to calm
down the volatile Ivy.
"My children..my family. You murdered them," she continued, almost as if she was oblivious to what
he was saying.
"They would've murdered innocent people," he pointed out, but he knew that she was in the midst of
one of her mood swings. At this point, there was no negotiating with her.
"You murdered them," she repeated, her voice becoming almost emotionless.
"IvyPamela," he repeated, trying to soothe her as he got closer.
"You killed them. You...all of you..you're all monsters," she whispered, still clutching the vine.
But oblivious to the Dark Knight, Ivy had one more ace up her sleeve.
Hidden from his view, she broke up one of the foot-long thorns still attached to the creature. She
grasped the blade tightly, almost playing possum as Batman got closer.

Finally, within talking distance, Batman started to reach out to her, trying to comfort the seductress.
"It's all over now, Pamela. It's time to go back to Blackgate!" he assured her, before starting to place
his hand on her shoulder.
"They did nothing to youTHEY DID NOTHING TO YOU!" she suddenly screamed, turning towards him,
her eyes livid with rage.
Before Batman could react, the now feral Ivy lunged at him, aiming the blade at his torso.
His body battered but his instincts as sharp as ever, the Dark Knight easily sidestepped the
desperation slash, the knife slashing through the air where his torso had been mere seconds ago.
Ivy's surprise attack had not come without consequences, as her flow of momentum had betrayed her.
She lost her footing, instead staggering forwards, and as always, Batman capitalized.
Without hesitation, he grabbed her wrist, sharply twisting it behind her back as leverage against any
comebacks. The villainess cried out in pain, her arm now scraping against her back. Out of
desperation, she struck at him with her other free hand, her next mistake.
Batman easily caught the blow in mid-air, instead pinning both wrists together. Now with the upper
hand, the caped crusader further imposed his dominance by twisting both arms upward, one of his
more useful disarming techniques. By exerting constant pressure on her arms, Batman has just taken
control of the confrontation.
She tried to squirm out of his grasp, but his grip was ironclad, near unbreakable. Anytime she tried to
run awayh, he simply yanked back hard at her shoulderblades, causing her to wince in pain.
"No man is immune to Poison Ivy, darling, not even you! Perhaps I can still change your mind!" she
pleaded, her words punctuated by loud winces as he continued twisting her arms.
"Not a chance, Pamela! You're going back to Blackgate!" he stated simply, continuing to apply
pressure.
Tenacious even in defeat, Poison Ivy struggled against his grasp, twisting and thrashing her body back
and forth. Despite her resilience, Batman held firm, maintaining an ironclad grip on her wrists. As he
continued to twist her arms, Ivy only struggled more. He grunted as she desperately landed a lucky
blow in the form of a headbutt to his mouth. The blow, while momentarily stunning the Dark Knight,
only seemed infuriate him.
Sheer desperation kicking in, Ivy attempted to kick out Batman's knee in a last-ditch attempt to trip
him, but he expertly positioned himself to her left, causing her kick to go awry. In response, he
continued twisting her arms towards her shoulderblades, resulting in a pained cry from the plant
queen.
"Treating a woman with such ferocity, such brutality, Batman? And here I was thinking that you were
more evolved than the other meat-sacks," she spat resentfully, her body still thrashing about.
"Man or woman, all criminals are the same, Isley. Maybe you should've thought of that before you
decided to put innocent lives in danger," he reminded her.
Soon, the sheer power of Batman eventually won out, and he capitalized on the leverage, pulling her
arms up to her shoulder bones, causing her to shriek out in pain. He noticed that she was still trying
to use the blade, if only to get a lucky shot in his mid-section. Thanks to his insightful positioning,
there was no way for the red-haired vixen to maneuver the blade over to him.

"Drop it!" he growled viciously in her ear, his mere tone indicating that he was willing to drop her at
this point.
Reluctantly, Ivy did drop the weapon, the blade clanging against the floor. Now with her only weapon
gone, she had no other options but to succumb to his control.
Still squirming against his grasp, Ivy did everything she could to escape his grip, but it was not
enough. Sensing that she was being overpowered, Ivy started to let her body go limp, instead trying
to conserve her energy. Her struggles became more reticent.
Batman then landed a sharp kick behind her knee, forcing her to kneel. With the superior position, Ivy
simply had no choice but to fall down to both knees, her arms now completely restrained.
He could feel a wave of resignation, almost defeat radiating from her body, her arms no longer
thrashing as violently. This was perhaps the equivalent of Ivy realizing that she had no chance of
physically overpowering the Dark Knight.
Nonetheless, the struggling began to subside, and Batman was able to relax his grip on Ivy, who
finally succumbed to his hold.
She gazed desperately at a scorched vine feet away from them, smoke still dissipating over it.
"Come to me, my children. Kill the evil Batman! Kill all of the meat-sacks! Kill them all!" she cried,
tears welling in her eyes as the vine remained motionless, as did all the other plants in the church.
Sighing over her cries, he produced a pair of handcuffs from his utility belt, finally able to apprehend
the feisty fatale.
But oblivious to him, Ivy managed to drop something out of her palm just before he could handcuff
her. A seed.
She flickered her eyes over it to make sure it landed on the ground, as her fiery hair dropped down to
the floor, briefly shielding it from Batman's vision. It was a light brown, seemingly innocuous and thus
oblivious to the victorious Dark Knight.
Without hesitation, he pinned both wrists together with one hand, using the other to loop her hands
with the bat-shaped restraints. With ease, he was able to lock both hands, releasing a sigh of almost
relief as he heard the familiar click.
The same click that Ivy was all too familiar with, as she glared back at Batman, her eyes glittering
with the utmost disdain.
"You think this is over Batman?" she snarled angrily, her eyes gleaming with tears.
"Maybe not. But you are," he replied coldly.
"You'll pay Batman. You'll pay for hurting my babies. I'll enjoy burying you in my garden, along with
your precious Gotham!" she spat resentfully.
"Get up!" he growled, unceremoniously yanking her up to her feet. He couldn't help but wince while
hoisting her up, his ribs still stinging from the last blow. Still, he kept a strong grip on her arms as he
directed her towards the exit.

"You of all people darling, should know that these bonds will not hold me," she added, a hint of
desperation in her voice.
"I'd like to see you try Ivy," he said, a smirk carving into his battered face.
She glared at him resentfully, as he pressed his fingers to his cowl.
"Gordon, Ivy's been dealt with. Everyone here is okay! You and your men are clear to enter," he
informed the Commissioner, before turning towards Ivy, who seethed at him.
"My babies will grow again Batman! And when they do, I'll make sure you die very...unhappy," she
vowed.
"I'm sure," he replied sarcastically, just as the doors to the church burst open.

It was all over just as fast as it had began.

Ivy's henchmen, the inmates who she brainwashed, were now being helped into stretchers and being
carted out of the church. The hypnotized guards were also being treated for their wounds. The
captured officers were now experiencing their first taste of freedom in hours after being freed, and
were now sharing conversations with fellow GCPD officers.
The plants who were vanquished by Batman were now dealt with accordingly, the vines being scooped
up and dropped into wastebaskets and the larger monsters being sliced up into smaller, more
compatible pieces for travel. The rest of the residue was vacuumed and subsequently dumped into
larger containers. The Arkham staff doctors were also being tended to by GCPD officers, offering them
hot cups of coffee and other food items to calm them down after such a traumatic experience.
Batman oversaw all of this with a satisfied yet emotionless facial expression, his lips occasionally
curving into an encouraging smile towards the doctors who were being helped out.
Despite his stoic composure, he couldn't help but feel a brief moment of pity as the now handcuffed
Mayor Sharp was pushed towards the door escorted by Eddie Burlow and William North. His facial
expression told the entire story. Defeat. Grief. Regret. Remorse perhaps by letting his political agenda
pollute his moral judgement and cause him to order the death of hundreds, even innocent people.
Still, Sharp maintained his composure after locking eyes with Batman for a second before glancing
down sadly, now finally forced to come to terms with the casualties of his "solution". After pausing for
a moment at the front door only to receive resentful glares from GCPD officers, he exited the church
and subsequently made his way to an armored truck
Seconds later, an Arkham City doctor stood next Batman as Sharp disappeared from sight.
"Of all the lunatics and freaks in Arkham City, you'd think that Sharp would be the last person to
orchestrate all this mindless chaos and destruction. Heck, he even got my vote!" the doctor
commented.
"People do things, horrible things, in order to forward their own agendas. He probably didn't even
realize the consequences of his actions before they were already in motion," Batman replied.
"The other doctors wanted me to thank you for you know, saving our butts again. Figured you could
use a little appreciation," he offered.

"You were all innocent people, who Ivy used as bait to get my attention. It was the least I could do,"
he assured.
"Joker, Penguin, Poison Ivy, Two-Face, all in one month. What next? Scarecrow?" he sighed.
"You're safe now. This nightmare is over for you," he assured.
"Yeah, but what about for you? I'd imagine you of all people would've at least taken the night off, you
know, after what happened with the Jok-" he started to say.
"I'm fine, but make sure everyone else is," he stated abruptly, cutting him off mid-sentence.
The doctor merely nodded before returning to care for the other officers.
A hand patted him on the back, prompting him to turn to see Aaron Cash, who greeted him with a
sheepish smile, an assault rifle resting on his shoulder.
"Suppose I owe you my life twice now, huh?" he smirked
"Let's just call it even," he replied.
"Seems that you've been doing my job better than I have tonight. I couldn't even protect the team
from Quinn's men," he sighed.
"Don't blame yourself, Aaron. You were outnumbered, and exchanging bullets with those monsters
would've only started something that would've ended in even more innocent lives lost," he assured.
"Fair enough, but I'm curious. How'd you manage to take down Ivy like that? Once she stormed the
building she had us pinned against the wall with those vines in ten seconds flat," he smirked.
"Hubris. Ivy's too smug to know when she's winning, and too proud to admit when she's losing. I
didn't need to beat her, I just needed her to beat herself," he smiled.
"Whatever the case, rest easy. We're taking Ivy and the rest of the freaks back to Blackgate until we
can figure out what else to do with them. I'll be personally escorting her there," Cash informed him.
"Good, but keep an eye out. She might have influenced the other officers while you were being held
captive, as well as yourself," he pointed out, nodding to the other guards who were being debriefed by
Gordon.
"We've already done tests, but I'll be sure. Be safe out here Batman," Cash warned.
"You too," Batman nodded as well, as Cash walked towards the transport truck and began conversing
with the other officers.
Batman then turned to meet Commissioner Gordon, who sided next to him as Ivy flanked by two
officers with gas masks on to mask her pheromones marched down the sanctuary, her hands still
bound in handcuffs.
"It only took her three hours to almost make an already bad situation worse. If you hadn't stopped her
in time, Isley would've brought the whole place down before morning. Hell, it only took you twenty
minutes to do what it would've taken us another two days to do," he remarked.

"It's over now," he assured, as Ivy stopped next to them, tilting her head towards Batman.
"Your night is only just beginning love! You won't make it to morning," she laughed, leering at the
Dark Knight seductively.
"Get her out of here!" Gordon ordered. The officers nodded and roughly shoved her forwards.
"Gotham will burn Batman, and you'll be caught in the crossfire," she sneered, as they pushed her
towards the transport truck.
"You just saved us another day of camping out there on our asses. I'd tell you 'good job,' but I'm sure
that's not what you want to hear," he congratulated wearily.
"You should've called a helicopter in," he pointed out.
"Can't. Even if we could, Quinn's men are still out there, and a helicopter would've been easy practice
for them. We mapped out the closest route out of Arkham City and back to Blackgate. Plus, I've got
snipers on every rooftop in case you tries to escape. Cash is making sure it all goes down right. We'll
be fine," he assured.
"You sure you don't need me to follow?"
"Nah, they got it covered. And if they don't, well, you tend to cover up our screw-up's pretty well so-"
Gordon started, but his vibrating walkie-talkie cut him off mid-sentence.
Unclipping it from his belt, he held it up to his ear.
"Yeah?" he sighed wearily.
Certainly, his entire posture perked up as his eyes widened.
"Bane? How'd he get free?" he demanded.
"The sewers?" he breathed, his eyes widened in shock.
"Tell our boys to pull back. Repeat, do not engage Bane! It doesn't matter how he got free, only
matters that he is neutralized before he gets his hands on that Titan," he growled into the walkietalkie.
Finally after some back-and-forth banter, he re-clipped the walkie-talkie.
"Bane again?" Batman interjected, as Gordon wiped his sweaty brow.
"Someone let him loose from his cell in that toy factory. I had an entire unit on that place, not even a
rat could've gotten in without them spotting it. Evidently, some of our boys spotted him leaping into
that rabbit hole in the middle of Quinn's former territory. They figured that he might have some spare
Titan containers in there, and wants to re-fuel before he escapes," Gordon explained.
"I'll stop him," Batman nodded.
"He'll have your number this time Batman!" Gordon warned.

"That's what everyone else says. Do you believe them?" he replied sternly, before walking towards the
exit.
"Every time," he silently whispered, before turning to lecture his men.
"Every time."

So yeah, that's the first chapter of my Batman: Arkham City "Reconstruction" story. I know
it's long, mainly because this is basically the revised version of my original story, just a one
chapter story where Batman confronts Poison Ivy after the events of Arkham City. I had
decided to make this a full-fledged story, since it did kinda end on a cliffhanger, plus I
really enjoyed writing the character of Poison Ivy. Of course, I've tried to stay as faithful to
the source material as possible, hence why the inspiration for Ivy's boss battle is mainly
taken from her Arkham Asylum appearance. Of course, I didn't want to copy-paste it, as
that would make it kinda...bland. So, I basically tried to make it kinda like Mr. Freeze's boss
battle, kind of a variation of their original conflict. Batman had to keep changing up his
move-set in order to beat her rather than a one-sided fight to make Ivy seem like she
actually learned something and make Batman not underestimate her. Hence why Ivy kept
dropping hints about how predictable his move-set was, to not only taunt him but to force
him to evolve, so to speak. Obviously, Batman can adapt, so that's how I came up with the
ending. Batman defeats Ivy by using gadgets that he had created in Arkham City, and thus
gadgets that Ivy would not be familiar with. I primarily chose Ivy as the central character
largely based on her unpredictability, that just one wrong step in her garden can send her
off the edge. She really brings that extra sense of danger, like once she gets on a rampage
nothing can stop her. Plus, all of the other villains have either been incapacitated,
imprisoned, or already had their character arcs played out. Note that this takes place after
Harley Quinn's Revenge for future reference. I studied the Arkham games like crazy to
make sure I had gotten down all the characters and their dialogue best I could. Of course,
I'm also open to you guys thoughts and opinions on this chapter. I'd really appreciate it if
you guys could leave a review on this story, be it a critique or a comment. I would really
appreciate your take on the story, like things I could improve or more things that you want
to see. If you didn't like how certain characters were portrayed or plot holes opened up,
feel free to speak your voice! Again, thanks for taking the time to read, and keep your BatSignal up for the next installment: "Seeds of Arkham"