You Can't Always Get What You Want
Diana walked through the halls of the Watchtower, thinking hard. It had been almost a week since her encounter with Scarecrow, and the experience had left a strong lingering respect for Bruce. She had always considered her enemies to be simply stronger and more dangerous. It was a hard lesson to find out that she was wrong. She thought of how small and exposed Scarecrow had made her feel with his fear gas. The night after the attack she prayed to Hera to protect Bruce from the enemies that he so often faced alone.
Her thoughts kept her from seeing the gathering of people in the hall. She bumped into someone and looked ahead to see Flash standing with his mouth hanging open. She walked ahead and saw her mother, Hippolyta, standing in the center of the hall - giving Clark a dressing down and comparing him with Heracles.
"Of all of the pigheaded, selfish, degrading, male things to do to a woman!" she yelled, sticking her finger in his face Clark's face.
Diana normally would stand behind her mother, but she had never known Clark to do anything that wasn't respectful to any woman. She began to wonder if it was too late to simply turn back and walk back down the hall.
"When I heard that a mere mortal nearly defeated my daughter I believed that it had to be you! But now you tell me that it was a man who controls fear? That is outlandish and unbelievable! There is no mortal that can control fear! That power belongs to Phobos only!" Hippolyta said, with stern inflection.
"Mother, wait," Diana said as she walked forward. "It is true." She knew for her mother to come to Man's World, it meant she believed Diana had been in grave danger.
"This can't be true. No mere mortal has the power to control fear," Hippolyta said as she walked toward Diana.
"It is, Mother. He is a mortal, who lives in Gotham City. Batman is normally able to take him down without help, but I believed him to be in danger. I rushed forward and Scarecrow, as he calls himself, used a gas on me that made me see my worst fear. It was an experience that I would wish on no one. If I believed that Phobos was able to live through a human, then he would be the one," Diana said, looking her mother in the eyes.
Hippolyta looked her daughter in the eyes and saw only truth there. She sighed and turned toward a slightly ticked off Superman.
"I offer my apologies for my words. It is hard for me to believe that a mortal could have done such a thing, but if he is what my daughter claims, then this 'Scarecrow' is a being that I have not seen in my many years," Hippolyta said to Superman.
She then turned around and walked with Diana down that hallway. "Tell me, daughter, how did you stop this incarnation of Phobos?"
"It was actually Batman that stopped him. Mother, I was trapped inside a world that seemed real. His fear gas made me see the death of someone that I care deeply about. I watched as this person died in my arms, and then I watched as those close to him destroyed everything he is and ever believed in. The effect was maddening, but I managed to escape. It took a great deal of willpower and help to release me from the hold of fear," Diana defended.
Hippolyta stopped, looking sternly at her daughter. "Diana. You said 'him' when you mentioned someone close to you dying." She took her shoulders. "My daughter, I do not ask that you not take friendships lightly, but understand that these are mortals. Their lives are but candles, flickering in the wind. At every turn they face death, and yet somehow they still have the courage to face the oncoming day. I have never stopped respecting them for that reason, but I do not want you to entangle yourself with a mortal. It will only cause you pain," she finished gently.
Mount Olympus
Phobos looked at the pool, in which it was possible to observe both the mortal and immortal worlds. He had smiled when his mortal vessel had nearly broken the daughter of Hippolyta. The test that came to all heroes was perhaps the greatest experience he had. His gaze passed to Hera, who looked pleased that her favorite had come through the initial testing without harm. But she also knew that the remaining trials - that did not belong to Diana - would require more than just the reaction to fear.
"Phobos, you have done well. Still, before what your mother has proposed can happen, this hero must prove to us that he is worthy," Hera said as she turned to Zeus.
"You are right of course, wife. As Phobos was unable to break his spirit with the deaths of his parents, and was unable to stop him from helping the chosen warrior of the Amazons, we must continue elsewhere." Zeus stood and began to stretch.
"My lord, I have a suggestion," Phobos said has he touched the pool. The interior of Arkham was shown to them. He touched it again and they saw two individuals. One was the human embodiment of Persephone - known as Pamela Isley. The other was an immortal through science. The once-mortal had attempted to save his wife and had been turned into a creature that could live forever, but always in the cold. Zeus smiled has he looked at Victor Fries.
"Both are great tests, but I fail to see how this is relevant," Zeus said as he looked at Phobos.
"My lord, while watching the other universe we have domain over, I noticed a mortal called the Green Goblin. He said something that I believe to be true. A cunning warrior attacks the heart. If we are to break this hero we must attack the heart - and his heart secretly belongs to the princess, even if he will not admit it. If we cause her enough pain, eventually he will break," Phobos said.
Hera let out a visible shiver at the words. "Phobos is correct of course. The best way to defeat this hero is to attack what he loves. But I wish no harm to come to my favorite," she commanded as she moved nearer to Zeus.
He nodded. "Agreed. She will be safe - at least from physical means. But will will need to test this hero to see if he truly is worthy of being the one we choose." He nodded to Phobos. Phobos stood and stretched out his palms. Within seconds, Hades and Persephone stood before them. Zeus walked to Persephone.
"Sister, we have a question for you. You are aware of the mortal turned plant-nymph named Pamela Isley, correct?" he asked.
"Of course I know of her, my lord. She has been given a small portion of my power, but like all nymphs she takes her job too seriously. That is the reason I do not cause the mortal Bruce Wayne - or the Batman that he is slowly becoming - too much trouble when he captures her," she said, looking at the pool and wondering why they were looking at Poison Ivy and the embodiment of winter as well.
"We are testing Batman. We must all agree that while he is being tested we may not aid him directly. We are to set the tests in motion and allow them to play out," Zeus said, looking hard at both Hades and his wife.
Hades looked at the pool and almost spat when he thought of the 'hero' they were testing. He had no love for the 'Batman'. The mortal had enough knowledge of the gods to be a royal pain in the ass.
"Hades, I wish to borrow your wife and her nymph for a short time," Zeus said.
Hades narrowed his eyes. "Borrow my wife and do what with her?" he questioned.
Zeus rolled his eyes. "Not for that, have no fear. She will be returned to you in the same state you see her in now."
Gratified, Hades nodded. "Then of course, brother, but what tribute shall I receive while both my wife and her nymph are busy? You well know this is our time together and I do 'try' to wait for her to return to me each winter," Hades said, pointing out the fact that Zeus openly violated his marriage by sleeping with mortals. Not that he himself was innocent in such matters, but he at least did not do so so prolifically.
"The tribute, brother, shall be the soul of a hero if he fails. If he does not fail then it shall be the honor of granting the first power to the offspring between the hero and the princess," Zeus said, trying to repress his anger.
Hades nodded and stepped back. Zeus was granting him a high honor and usually one that he reserved for himself only. If the hero did win then he could grant their child the ability to speak with those that have passed on. It was not a common gift in the mortal world - and it would be an advantage to the child.
Arkham
Poison Ivy watched has a large tree broke through the ground under her and ripped her cage open. She stepped back from the opening to see a woman who looked much like Wonder Woman standing near her.
"Fear not, nymph. I have come to gain your help. I am the goddess Persephone, and I wish to have you test a hero for me," the goddess said.
"I never believed in the Greek gods before, but if you truly are Persephone then I can't ignore a request from you. Tell me what you wish of me, my lady," Poison Ivy said in a bow.
"The hero Batman has been chosen by the Greek gods for a great honor, but it comes at a price just as great. The price is a series of trial that the hero must face without any help from any of the gods. I have chosen you to be the next trial. I will not speak to you again, but I will have a muse drop ideas in the direction in which you need to go," Persephone said as she vanished.
Poison Ivy stood for moment thinking about the Batman. While it was true that Batman did not harm her babies, he did protect those that would. Still she could see him as an innocent and at times even thought about sprouting children from him. He was of good stock she could tell, and the children would be strong.
Yes, that will be the test. I will see if the Batman's iron will can overcome my powers of seduction. If he falls then he is mine to do with as I please, she thought as she dropped from the cell. She was caught by the tree.
"Baby, break open that wall for me," she said to the tree. It destroyed the wall and walked out. She walked toward the water and watched as the algae gathered together enough for her to stand on it. It broke loose from the bank near Arkham and began the trip toward Gotham.
Soon, Batman, your test will begin and I will have my prize, she thought.
Gotham Harbor
The harbormaster stared at the woman who landed near the bank. She had ridden a green carpet across the water to the end of a pier. Then that carpet turned into a column and she simply stepped off onto the pier and the column dropped back to the water and seemed to separate out into nothingness.
Finally he recovered, and remembered his job. "Hey, you can't come in here without a pass or a work permit. You at least need some clothes!" The man said as he ran toward the woman with a jacket. She smiled, taking the jacket and feeling that it was made from leather and synthetic materials. She touched his cheek and kissed him. He smiled, but then grabbed his throat. He felt a huge onset of allergies and tried to fight to breathe. The girl walked close to him and touched her forehead to his.
"You gave me a coat when I needed it. I've seen no indication that you hate plants or harm them. You may live," she said has she bit her lip and kissed him again. This time a little of her blood touched his tongue and he soon was able to catch his breath.
"My lady, what is your command?" He asked.
"Are you married?" She asked.
"Yes she is the love of my life." He answered honestly.
"Go home and kiss her has I have kissed you. After that you are to forget about me and seeing me. You and your wife will only have eyes for each other until the day you die, and if there is something that you wanted to try the moment after kissing her would be the moment," she said as she walked off.
Wayne Manor
Alfred walked toward Bruce. The younger man was looking at pictures of Greek mythology. Alfred smiled as he placed the cup of tea next to the man he had come to consider a son.
"Brushing up on Princess Diana's home land, I see," Alfred said while turning to leave.
"I do research on all members of the Justice League," Bruce said.
"Of course, sir. Though I feel obliged to point out that you do not look at the company notes on Krypton as you are those ancient stories," Alfred pointed out as he turned the corner into the kitchen.
Bruce looked toward Alfred and knew what the old man meant. He did get distracted when it came to Diana. He would often go out of his way to ensure that she would be safe - and last night had been no different. That was when he began looking up the god of fear whom Diana had mentioned. It surprised him greatly to see that Phobos would often choose a mortal to give his powers to. While Crane developed his fear gas through science one couldn't help but wonder if Phobos had given him the inspiration. His thoughts soon turned once he saw the signal light up. Walking toward the grandfather clock he changed the hands on the dial to match the time that would never leave his mind. The clock struck several times and then moved. He walked down the stairs to the opening of the Cave.
After a few moments Bruce Wayne was no more and Batman took his place. Not for the first time, Bruce's thoughts began to revolve around the fact that he was becoming more and more like Batman - and less and less like the man his parents would have been proud of. He walked toward the computer and pulled up the police reports. Poison Ivy had broken out of Arkham again. He knew that she would eventually be able to contact her beloved 'babies' even through the red air chamber. He climbed into the Batmobile and shot off toward her last known location.
Gotham Botanical Gardens
Poison Ivy looked at her babies as they wrapped around her legs and arms. She smiled at them while they entertained her until Batman arrived. She had caused a few police officers to fall under her powers of seduction, but none of them could compare to the Dark Knight. She knew his willpower was stronger than any of these men. She wondered what their children would look like if she could pull him under. Her thoughts stopped when she saw him enter into the Gardens.
"Babies bring him to me, but don't harm him too much," she said to the plants.
She watched has the plants began to move toward where Batman had entered and slowly began to overflow where he stepped. She didn't notice however the back door opening and an Amazon walking into the gardens. She had no idea of knowing that Wonder Woman had learned about the escape from Arkham, but had assumed that it was Scarecrow and not Ivy.
"Batman, are you there?" Diana asked over the com system.
"Busy, Princess," came his curt reply.
"I know that someone escaped from Arkham. Is it Scarecrow?" she asked.
"No, Crane is still locked up in his padded cell. Poison Ivy has escaped. I'm tracking her right now."
His attention was on Diana again. He couldn't help the thought of her and that took his mind off of the plants. The lapse in attention was more than enough for the plants to finish wrapping around his legs and pull him to the floor. He landed hard and groaned slightly. Unknown to him one of the plants touched his com-link so Diana could hear what was happening.
"Br… Batman, where are you?" Diana shouted through the gardens.
She looked around and for a moment believed that she had seen Persephone in the distance. She shook her head, thinking that it was foolishness that Persephone would be here in the mortal world.
Persephone smiled at Diana. She loved her step-daughter, but knew that it was necessary to test the hero. That meant it was possible that her step-daughter would get her heart broken. Still, she had given the muse the information to ensure that Isley would attempt to seduce the hero. It was an old trick, but if Ulysses could withstand the temptation from Circe then this hero could withstand the attempt of seduction from her nymph.
Bruce looked at the plants as they finished dragging him to Ivy. She was suspended in the air by her babies and around her were several officers, offering their lives to her. He knew that once he was free he would need to administer the antidote to them. Then his utility belt was pulled loose. He looked at Ivy differently for the first time. She had never removed his tools before. It always seemed that she believed her 'babies' would overpower him. He watched as the plants pulled his arms out and held his head to face her.
"Batman, you may be wondering why I was so easy to find this time."
Batman didn't reply as a small knife slid out from his forearm plate and into his hand. He began to work on the plant - slowly, so that it wouldn't inform Ivy until he was ready to break loose.
"I was approached by a goddess. She informed me that you are being tested and that if I could be the one to stop you then I could keep you," Ivy said in a sultry voice.
Bruce looked at Ivy again and could feel the effects of what she was doing. He always had relied on his willpower before, but now she was going all out on him. She reached over and slid her hands down his waist until she found the separation from the chest armor. Her hand reached further down and for the first time Bruce found his will wavering.
Ivy continued trying to break his will when her 'babies' where alerted to someone else in the garden. She wanted to take it nice and slow, but knew that she may have to quicken things up a little bit. She looked at his jaw line and smiled. She had dated Harvey back before he became Two Face and he had a similar jaw line. She hated to poison Harvey, but he was passing laws that would hurt her children. Now she had the Batman and if he fell under her powers she could ensure everyone would leave her babies alone.
Batman heard Diana in the background. His resolve returned and he began slipping a hand out from vine holding his arm. The moment there was a little slack he broke his arm loose and pulled his other arm and legs loose. He fell the floor with Ivy still 'holding' on to him. He looked at the situation and pulled back from her. Ivy stood, looking surprised and almost hurt.
"Don't you find me attractive? I could give you all you want, Batman. I could give you children, happiness, and I would help you stop all of those who harm the truly innocent," she said.
"Your version of innocence is different from mine," he said, looking at her.
"No, you can't resist me! I won't let you resist me!" she shouted as her babies began to gather around her. She fell silent and then passed out before him. He watched has Diana walked close and then both witnessed Persephone walk out and touch Ivy's head.
"My nymph was meant to test you like Circe tested Ulysses," she said.
Diana looked surprised and then very upset. Her face showed a slow stirring anger that Bruce had seen very few times when she was this angry.
"You meant to have her take him?" she asked.
"Diana, you need to understand that this is necessary. We test every hero when we..." She stopped and looked at Diana hoping that she would understand where it was going. She saw Diana's face lighten considerably and then the princess looked at her step-mother.
"If you are testing Batman am I unable to help him?" she asked.
"We are restricted from helping him, but you and your fellow Amazons are able to help. Remember, Princess, that while you are able to help it is his test," Persephone said to her step-daughter.
