-Poison Ivy-

The smog filled sky of Gotham glared down upon its buildings, increasing its already menacing appearance. This was one of the many reasons I couldn't allow many of my precious plants to venture outside my greenhouse. The atmosphere was unhealthy for any plant that didn't originate in a large city and had not built up a tolerance. If only the earth were allowed to be as it should, green and full of life. Then my darling flora could be as free as they pleased. Unfortunately, this is not something that can accomplished overnight, but I like to think I've made some progress.

Of course, I could accomplish a lot more without the intervention of a certain costumed vigilante.

But tonight I wouldn't have to worry about Batman being a hinderance. I've timed my plan perfectly with a large scale heist, orchestrated by my dear old friend, Harvey Dent. It was all a stroke of luck really. I'd heard all about his plans from many sources in Gotham's shadier spots (although that's pretty much the entire city), and I seized the opportunity to do a little planning of my own. I'll have to thank him next time I see him. I'm certain he'd just die to know he assisted me. With so many people talking about it, I wouldn't be surprised if Batman himself is already aware. That's why I don't bother with henchmen. They can't keep their mouths shut. And I've got all the company I need.

Besides, Batman should be thanking me for the work I plan to do tonight. There's a certain rare plant that's caught my eye, and I must save it from destruction. The man who discovered it named it after himself, so I don't bother with it's real name. I prefer it's nickname: Lucifer's Lilac. A beautiful but deadly lavender flower with petals that, when treated properly, seem to shimmer. Apparently it can also be used to make hallucinogenic drugs, and one currently sits in a warehouse in Gotham. It makes me sick to think they plan on grinding up the poor petals, destroying any hope it has of finally getting to shine.

When I rescue the poor helpless thing, it'll be one less batch of drugs being sold on the streets in Gotham. Your welcome, Batman. The only downside to my plan is that the heist is taking place in the middle of the night (Harvey lacks imagination), so there will most likely be a bunch of goons within the warehouse. Hopefully I'll arrive in time to save my lonely lilac before those horrible fiends lay a finger on it. If not, I'll have to express my grief by slaughtering them all. I'm sure the police will understand. A woman scorned is a death sentence.

Smiling at my own mischievous thoughts, I began to make my way toward the door of my greenhouse. I stopped momentarily to grab my bag of lipsticks and pheromones, and to fix my hair. I've got to protect my reputation of being bad while looking good. Making sure my car keys were in the bag, I grasped the handle on the door only to feel something do the same around my leg. I looked down and was not surprised to find the source to be my Venus Flytrap. Well, that's what it used to be. Now it's grown so large it could probably trap a small car.

"Don't worry sweetie, mommy will be back later. And I'll bring a new friend too." I smiled and stroked the vine around my leg until it softly let go. I slipped out the door and locked it behind me, a cool breeze flowing through my hair. I checked the time: 11:14. By the time I get to the warehouse it should be around 11:45 and Batman should be plenty busy dealing with the disaster of Two Face. I'll dispose of whoever's inside, rescue the flower, and be on my way. Even if Batman isn't distracted, I have half a mind to think he wouldn't mind me taking down part of a drug ring.

I slip into my car, place my bag in the front seat, and apply one of my lipsticks just in case. Then I'm off, navigating Gotham's dark streets with the goal of flying under the radar. Although they may not be as savvy as Batman, the police could still pose a threat. On the bright side, I haven't done anything (majorly) illegal since I was released from Arkham, so there's no reason to arrest me on sight. But it would definitely arouse suspicion to see me out in the middle of the night, clad in my signature green outfit. I would have gone casual, but it doesn't give quite the same effect.

I catch a glimpse of the bat signal in my rear view mirror. Right on schedule.


-Nightwing-

When Bruce called and asked me to come back to Gotham, I was expecting him to say he missed me as his side kick and wanted to patrol together for old time sake. Wishful thinking on my part. Apparently he'd caught wind that there was going to be a massive heist tonight, and he and Tim were both going to be needed there. So that left me to patrol the rest of Gotham, which is a lot less interesting than it sounds. Especially if this heist is really as big as the rumors say. Whenever something like that goes down, all the available thugs and crooks scramble to get on the payroll of whoever's in charge. In all honesty, there probably wasn't going to be anybody left for me to watch out for. But he insisted on it, and I know better to argue with him.

I have to admit, it did feel kind of nice to be back. Jumping across the same rooftops from my days as Robin. All the familiar places. The distinct stench of the Gotham smog. The feeling of impending doom knowing that at any moment one of the several psychopaths that reside here could launch an attack. Ok, maybe these aren't all good things, but it's still nostalgic. I followed the last route I can remember Bruce and I taking. He always knew where the epicenters of crime would spring up, even if the location seemed unlikely. Although in Gotham, each street was just as likely to hold a gang of criminals as the next.

I continued bounding across rooftops, performing several acrobatic maneuvers along the way. You can take the boy out of the circus. The lack of a cape made things much easier. That was always something I'd wanted to change when I was Robin. That, and the addition of finger stripes. If you want something done right, you do it yourself. My costume was comfortable, aerodynamic, and, as I've been told, pleasing to the eye. No cape and no cowl, hardly any resemblance to Batman anymore. I like to think of myself as an innovator.

I briefly stopped in my trek across the city when I noticed the bat symbol being projected into the sky. Looks like the police didn't hear all the rumors and assumed Batman didn't know either. They were always one step behind. Darn shame. You could never say they didn't try. As shaky as their relationship with Bats can be at times, they really do count on him. It's a wonder anybody still lives here at all. Especially after the handsome adopted son of a billionaire, Dick Grayson, left Gotham months ago. Not like I went anywhere better.

Growing bored of the rooftops, I decided to slink down into an alleyway and continue to patrol on street level. The area had been known for prostitution and drug related crime, and things seemed awfully quiet. I found nothing out of the ordinary until a lone car slowly pulled up outside of a large warehouse. It was clear whoever it was did not want to be seen, pulling up on the side of the building away from any streetlights. My curiosity got the better of me and I made my over to the neighboring building for a closer look.

The car door opened, and out came a familiar figure. What's she doing here?