Batman and Ivy

Chapter 4: "Fear that Lingers"


A/N: Don't worry, everyone. I haven't forgotten about Dick Grayson.


- Day 1 -

"The Joker's history. I mean, yeah. Lotsa people died, but at least he's in prison again."

"You mean Arkham."

"Oh."

- Day 2 -

"Do you ever think, 'Oh, man, it's gonna happen again?' There'll be another Joker, another Ventriloquist, or Mad Hatter. They're everywhere. It's… scary."

"Gotham is home. We can't think like that. Fear can't keep us from our home."

- Day 3 -

"I'm scared. Gotham will claim the lives of the weak. We can never be safe. We can never be happy. How can we ever succeed in life? What if we die first?"

"I don't know."

- Day 4 -

"Hug me. I need you. Everything else is just so scary."

- Day 5 -

"You're all alone. No. You're not scared. You're not scared. There's no reason to be scared. HELP MEEE, SOMEONE!"

- Now, the Batcave -

"Bruce? I don't understand. Everyone in the city is destroying each other, screaming in terror. Why did you need me here and not out there?", Pamela echoes into the large expanse that is the Batcave. She makes her way down the stairs towards Bruce. "Better yet, why are you in here?"

"Every problem has a cause, an origin. I suspect the populace has been poisoned. I need you working on the solution."

"How does someone poison an entire city?"

"The clues to the cause lie in the timing. Why are people most affected by sudden fear in the mornings before work? Or in the case of collegiate sports, after a big game?"

"Water, I'm guessing?"

"Exactly."

"Okay, so I need to get to work on treating a waterborne toxin."

"Well, you're half right. Alfred and I are unaffected. Those living in the Narrows are also largely unaffected."

"But what do the rich have in common with the poor?", Pamela asks. "Besides just water?"

"Hot shower water turns to vapor. But if you have a water filter, or you don't have hot water, you're not as likely to be exposed to it."

"So, you're heading to Gotham's water supply?"

"No. I'm heading to the Narrows. Either the Narrows was deliberately spared, or whoever's behind this will be coming back for seconds. Either way, I intend to find out. You start working on an anti-toxin. I already have a method for mass delivery."

"What are you, some sort of detective?", Pamela asks, raising an eyebrow.

"I am what this city needs me to be.", Bruce says, as he gets up from the Batcomputer and puts on a gas mask.


CLANG!

A group of five homeless people huddled around a fire look up at a tall, skinny figure standing with a pitchfork in his hand.

"Fear not, fellow underlings. The Scarecrow returns to his flock to proffer the means of revenge on the uncaring and sadistic Gotham elite. Together, we can take what must be ours. I will be your educator. I will be your liberator. We will teach those who shame the weak the true nature of fear!"

One man just gives him an odd look. "You're off yer rocker, old geezer!"

The Scarecrow creeps out of the shadows, long limbs taking long strides, as he stops in front of the man and bends over him.

"Did you think it wise to treat your savior with such contempt?", Scarecrow asks him. "Have you no fear?"

"I fear nothin'."

"Not even death?", Scarecrow asks.

The man just sticks his head up. With one swift stroke and the collective gasp of the others, cold steel pierces mortal flesh.

"Only fools fear nothing. I would have saved you, if you only had a brain."

Scarecrow retrieves his pitchfork, as the body drops before him.

"'Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.' Now, who among you is enlightened? Let him join me." Scarecrow scans the four, who are backed into a corner and refuse to come forward to join him. "Then let terror consume you!" Scarecrow reaches out his gloved, bony hand, releasing a toxin from his sleeve.

/

"AAAAAAAHH!"

The tires of the Batcycle screech as Batman makes a hard left. He quickly accelerates, nearing top speed, as he enters an alleyway. He sees the four of them screaming in agonizing terror. He sees the dead body. He sees the Scarecrow, laughing at the sight of it all.

"You, in the mask! Turn around slowly."

He sees the lanky figure turn. He sees the gas mask on his face. He knows he has the culprit.

"The Batman. Shadow of the night. The phantasm who hunts in the darkness to fight the darkness. Join me, Batman. I've already brought the city to its knees. Everyone will succumb to the fear of the Scarecrow!"

"He who strikes terror in others is himself continually in fear."

"Claudius Claudianus.", Scarecrow remarks. "Excellent, Batman! It seems we are birds of a feather."

"I am nothing like you.", Batman says, fanning out three batarangs in his hand.

Scarecrow begins to close the gap between them. Batman throws two batarangs, both of which Scarecrow promptly deflects with his pitchfork. Batman, too, approaches Scarecrow. Scarecrow takes a swing at Batman, who ducks underneath and attempts to uppercut Scarecrow with a batarang in hand, but Scarecrow easily stays out of reach with his long strides. Scarecrow jabs at Batman, who deflects the pitchfork with his gauntlet before sticking a batarang in Scarecrow's shoulder. Batman grabs the pitchfork and points it at him.

"Prefer to keep your distance, Scarecrow?", he asks.

"Actually, I prefer to be most intimate with my students."

"A giant bat!", someone yells.

As soon as Batman turns to the voice, he receives a shoe that flies at him and hits just beneath his chin. Seizing the moment, Scarecrow kicks the mask off Batman and gasses him. Batman covers his face and stumbles back.

"How much fear does it take to break the Batman?", Scarecrow asks, regaining his ground.

Batman starts seeing things. Buildings crumbling. Zombies overtaking the streets, all corrupted by the evils of Gotham in their own unique ways. He's hallucinating. The cure. He has to go see Pamela. He leaves Scarecrow's pitchfork behind, but not before putting a tracker on it. The Batcycle races down the street, heading straight towards Scarecrow, who dives out of the way. Batman mounts the bike and flees.


The Batmobile pulls into the Batcave, same as usual. A stumped Pamela Isley rises from her seat in front of the Batcomputer, prepared for Bruce to rush her progress. Instead, he stumbles out of the Batmobile and falls over.

"Bruce!"

He tries to stand, but he sees bats swarm around him. The screen of the Batcomputer shows the Scarecrow blowing up every building in sight.

"Bruce! What happened to you? He didn't gas you, did he?"

Pamela reaches to help him up, but her hands turn into claws as she touches him.

"AAAAAAAAHHH!"


"Scarecrow. Scarecrow. Scarecrow. Bruce…"

Bruce wakes up in his room, but next to him is Alfred lying in bed in a hospital. Bruce shuts his eyes tight.

"It's not real.", he tells himself.

"Bruce…", he hears Pamela say to him.

"Where's Alfred?", Bruce asks her.

Pamela looks at him, confused. "He's right next to you. You're in the Batcave. You're both suffering from this 'Scarecrow's fear toxin, as is the rest of Gotham."

"No. How did he… get exposed?"

"There was residual gas lingering on your costume. I'm sorry, Bruce. I'm really more familiar with plant toxins. I'm not sure how to cure you yet. But Scarecrow will have the anti-toxin on him. I'm the only one who can stop him. I'm going alone."

Pamela gets up and heads for the door to a room that probably isn't there. Pamela, the door, everything he can see in front of him stretches out farther away from him.

"No! Don't! You're not… ready."

Pamela walks down the stairs to the Batmobile. Dick is waiting for her.

"Why aren't you two doing anything about Scarecrow? And why can't I see Bruce?"

"Dick? Dick, are you alright? I need to see you…", Bruce says from the upper level.

Dick begins to run up the stairs, but is stopped when Pamela grabs his shoulder.

"Dick, don't listen to your dad right now. He's not well. He might be dangerous."

"He's not my dad! And everything was just fine between us until you came along."

Dick continues up the stairs a bit more to see Bruce and Alfred.

"Dick?"

"Leave us alone.", Dick says to Pamela.

Pamela backs off and gets in the Batmobile, driving away. Dick finishes climbing up the stairs. Bruce and Alfred are both tied down; Bruce is without his utility belt. Bruce watches as Pamela drives away. The darkness of the cave grows and encases the Batmobile.

"No!", he cries.

He sees Dick in front of him, just a kid. He sees Alfred lying helpless in bed. And Pamela, still struggling to control her powers. All three of them helpless against the evils headed their way. A painting fades in, somehow hanging in the air. His parents. They talk to him, though they are part of the painting.

"How DARE you?!", Thomas barks at him. "This is your mission, Bruce! You promised us. Now, you risk the life of another person on our behalf, because you're not good enough."

"Father…", Bruce says, reaching out his hand, as if he weren't bound by restraints.

Dick approaches Bruce's bedside. He kneels beside him. He feels so helpless. He doesn't want to see Bruce or Alfred like this. But he knows what he can do. He goes down the stairs to the Batcomputer.

"Ivy."

"Dick, is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me. I may be too young to kick butt, but at least I'm young enough to use a computer."

"Hey! I know how to use a computer. But I bet you don't know five languages."

"Six. And counting. And I bet Bruce didn't teach you martial arts for as long as he taught me."

"Brat."

Dick chuckles to himself, satisfied with his victory. They both hear the engine start up. Dick sees Bruce leave the Batcave, cape wildly flapping behind as he picks up speed.

"Oh, no. BRUUUUCE!", he shouts.

"Did Bruce just leave the Batcave?"

Dick checks his pockets. "He took my pocket knife."

"Why do you have a pocket knife?"

"Um…"

"Does he know where Scarecrow is?"

"Who, Bruce? The guy once put a tracker on a robin, hoping to gather evidence on the Penguin."

"I'm sorry, who's the Penguin?"

"Some guy who owns a lounge. Who knows? Bruce can get a bit crazy sometimes."

"I've noticed."

"Bruce, no, Master Bruce!", Alfred's shout echoes within the Batcave. The ballroom is crowded. He tries to quickly make his way through the crowd, but someone comes up and stops him.

"Hey, you're Bruce's butler, right? Bruce told me he was going to the bathroom twenty minutes ago, and now I can't find him in the crowd. Do you have any idea where he is?"

"I'm sorry, sir. I'm afraid Master Bruce has left.", Alfred admits, telling the truth as he always does.

"Oh. He left. Again and again. Where exactly does he keep going? Is he hiding something? What are you two covering up?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you.", he says to the man.

Alfred suddenly finds himself remembering the past. Pamela wakes up from the medical bed in the Batcave. She was just shot by the Ventriloquist.

"You're going to be alright, Miss Isley. You are in the Batcave. Batman will be here soon."

Pamela looks at the I.V. connected to her arm.

"You saved me. Who are you?"

"You may call me Alfred."

"Alfred. I'll remember you."

The thought echoes in Alfred's head. Perhaps he said too much.


Batman rides full speed on the Batcycle through the city of Gotham. There are traffic jams everywhere, car accidents everywhere. He checks his locator to make sure Scarecrow isn't on the move. He sees a traffic jam ahead, so he makes a turn. He drives through two red lights before coming up on another traffic jam, so he turns again. Yet another traffic jam.

He takes the Batcycle over the sidewalk, where tons of civilians seem to come out of nowhere, busily crowding the sidewalk. Batman tries to slow down a bit, but it's almost as if they're deliberately trying to get run over. Inevitably, he crashes into someone. He comes to a sudden stop and backs up to make sure they're alright. He sees the young kid he ran over and goes up to them. But the girl suddenly jumps up and roars at him, baring claws and fangs.

Batman quickly gets back on the Batcycle to continue on his way to Scarecrow. He swerves around many vehicles, including oncoming traffic. Suddenly, a large truck comes directly towards him, forcing him to veer to the side to avoid it. He dodges barely dodges it, but crashes into a wall at high speed, forcing him off the bike. He gets up from where he's lying and looks at the bike—totaled. Someone comes up to him to offer him help, but he refuses it. Instead, he eyes a red Nissan across the street.

/

The Batmobile is traveling at a moderate speed before it slowly comes to a stop.

"A traffic jam. They're everywhere, Dick."

"You should've taken the Batwing."

"Okay… well now that I'm here, what's the fastest way to get to Batman?"

"To come back to the Batcave and get the Batwing."

Ivy lets out an annoyed sigh.

"Fine. I'll just—yeah, I'll drive all the way back and get the Batwing. You could have told me sooner."

She makes a U-turn, but is stopped by a family making their way in front of the car. She honks the horn at them, but they only get closer.

"Batman! Please help! Our son is about to jump off the building."

Ivy opens the top of the Batmobile.

"Wait, you're not Batman."

Ivy looks up and sees someone standing on a ledge. She debates in her mind how many people she has time to save, but ultimately decides to help the kid. She walks up to the nearest tree, which bends over for her. She grabs ahold of its branches as it stretches up to the roof.

"Oh my God! That tree is eating that boy!", she hears someone shout.

She carefully walks up to the boy, nonetheless.

"Hi. My name is Poison Ivy. I'm here to help you."

"No! Please don't hurt me! Don't hurt!"

"No, it's alright. I won't hurt you. You're gonna be okay. This is all just some nightmare. I'm going to stop the man behind it all. I promise."

/

About twenty minutes later, Ivy arrives at the location of the Batcycle.

"He isn't here, Dick. I found the Batcycle, but it's totaled. Now, how am I supposed to find him?"

"I'll bet you can find Batman if you find Scarecrow."

"And how do you suppose I do that?"

"Open the link I sent to your phone."

Ivy opens the link on her phone and live news coverage comes up.

"Scarecrow is selling the cure to anyone he can. Not only do we have the cure now, we have Scarecrow's location, and Batman won't be far behind."

"Thanks, Dick. You're a good kid."

"Yeah. Right. Wish everyone would stop treating me like one."

/

Ivy arrives at Gotham Plaza, where Scarecrow is distributing the cure. The crowd is enormous. She sees the makeshift booths the people are headed towards, but none of them are being run by the Scarecrow himself. Finding Scarecrow is a top priority. She makes her way to the other end of the plaza where the booths are, hoping Scarecrow will be somewhere nearby. She sees a shadow approach from behind her, but it's too late, as she is knocked out. Above her unconscious body stands the dark figure of the Batman.

"Sorry, Ivy. I won't risk your life or anyone else's. This is my mission."

Apparently, the commotion drew the attention of two of Scarecrow's henchmen, who were attempting to approach him stealthily before they got noticed by him. Batman attempts to stare them down. They laugh in response. One swings a baseball bat at him. Batman catches the bat and hits the man in the gut. The other one approaches, who Batman kicks in the gut, before finishing the first with a punch to the face. Batman roars at the second henchman, finally scaring him away.

"I really do need to find better help. These weak-minded fools…. Hello again, Batman."

Batman turns around to meet Scarecrow face to face for a second time. Batman assumes a fighting stance. Scarecrow reaches his arms up and roars, somehow elongating his body and shrinking the buildings behind him. Batman gasps and takes half a step back before he's whacked on the side of his head by Scarecrow's pitchfork.

"The Batman no longer rules Gotham City, gentlemen. Let the celebration begin."


It's suddenly morning, as Alfred realizes. He opens the front door to the mansion.

"HIYA! I'm here ta see Mistah Bruce Wayne?"

"Yes, Miss… who are you?", Alfred asks.

"Arleen Sorkin, an' he's my date. An' you are?"

"Alfred Pennyworth, Master Bruce's manservant. May I take your coat?"

"Alfred…. AL-fred. Al-FRED. Hm… why does that name sound familiar?"

"I am afraid I do not know the answer to your question, Miss Sorkin. People don't tend to remember the butlers, you see. Though, perhaps it is possible I've been on television, somewhere in the background."

"Oh! OMG! Yer Alfred, THE ALFRED? My friend Pammy told me so much about ya! You know Batman! I HAVE TO TELL ALL MY FRIENDS!"

"Miss, I believe you have the wrong idea."

"No, no. THIS IS AWESOME!" Arleen takes her phone out. "Mistah G? Oh, you'll just plotz when ya hear what I found out! Alfred the butlah knows Batman! Ya know what? He probably waits on Batman. He's a butlah after all. OMG. What if Batman is Bruce Wayne? Wouldn't that be awesome? Me going on a date… WITH BATMAN?!"

"Miss, neither Bruce Wayne nor Batman are here right now. I'm afraid you'll have to leave."

"Um. Okay. See ya later, alligator. Ha ha ha ha!", the odd girl cackles, cartwheeling away.

Alfred hangs his head in defeat. He just lied to someone right to her face. Even worse, it's what he was truthful about that caused the mess in the first place. He gave too much away. He had no right.


The screams of the populace sing in Scarecrow's ears. Screams of terror. Screams of hate. And if they hate him, all the better. And hate him, they should. He worked hard in life overcoming every fear that ever crossed his path. Overcoming the system, becoming a highly accomplished psychiatrist despite his humble and unprivileged upbringing. As long as they hate him, he gets the attention he deserves. And making money off them can't hurt, either. Within a week, he'll have everything he could ever want. He'll become a legend, perhaps even a god to them. But first, to take down the false god….

"Citizens of Gotham, as your savior, Scarecrow is here to release you of your miseries. And while you pay me with your hard-earned money, there is yet one more price to be paid. Your local hero… the Batman. Tonight, he burns at the stake for his crimes, aiding a broken system. As our nation's first leader put it, 'The basis of our political system is the right of the people to make and to alter their constitutions of government.' Batman may work outside the law, but he's the one instilling fear in people's hearts. Tonight, you shall know the true purpose of fear. And you will know that it is only I who deserves to wield it."

/

The echoes of Scarecrow's voice seem distant in the black void. The pavement feels rough and cold against her face. She groans softly, as she slowly makes it up to her hands and knees.

Scarecrow…? Batman…? Batman!

His silhouette crossing in front of the fire is the only thing she's able to focus on in her groggy state. Suddenly, she notices the size of the crowd, then the screams. She's wide awake now… mostly. She mentally separates the enemies from the civilians. With a few loud cracks, the trees in the plaza come to life, their roots erupting from under the cement.

"Oh, good. You're up. I was beginning to think I've lost you.", Dick says through the comms.

"AAAAaahh!"

RATATATAT!

"I see you wasted no time getting back into the action."

"Dick? I'm trying to concentrate here."

"Oh. Sorry. Tell me if anything interesting happens."

A root pulses across the plaza, carrying Ivy straight across. A henchman behind Ivy trains his sights on her, only to get smacked in the side of the head by a tree branch.

"Ivy. No. You can't be here.", Batman says to her.

"Shut up. I'm saving you."

She begins untying him, when she notices Scarecrow approaching out of the corner of her eye.

"You like monsters, Scarecrow? I engineered these flytraps to rip small chunks out of unruly savages like you.", she says to him, one Venus flytrap sprouting from either shoulder of her suit.

"You heroes wish to parade yourselves as icons among the people. I'll give you and this entire plaza the same extra-concentrated dose of vile fear I gave to Batman."

"You don't scare me."

"Then you're a fool."

Fear gas releases along the perimeter of the plaza, right where all the trees happen to be. Their roots retract in self-defense. Scarecrow reaches out both arms towards Ivy, spraying her with the same toxin. Her flytraps sink back down to her shoulders. Her suit creates a defensive layer of thorns on both sides, quickly digging into her skin, causing her to hunch over in pain. Scarecrow approaches Ivy, waiting in excitement to witness her reaction.

"That's good, Poison Ivy, good. Bow to your master. Tell me what terrible secrets haunt your very being."

"There's… nothing… you can do to stop what you've got coming.", Ivy says, struggling to get the words out.

"What is it you most fear? Is it death? Is it fire? Is it failure? Every hero must fear failure."

Scarecrow raises his pitchfork with both arms, preparing an overhead strike. He brings it down fast, putting his weight into it. Ivy catches the pitchfork and pulls on it, dropping him to the ground. Ivy pulls again, but Scarecrow stubbornly keeps his hold on it. Ivy lets go of the pitchfork to attack him, but he rolls to his side, then trips her. He leans against the pitchfork to quickly rise above her. He once again raises the pitchfork, before jabbing down at her a few times, but Ivy manages to escape his reach. Scarecrow swings the pitchfork in a horizontal arc. Ivy slide kicks underneath it and trips Scarecrow. He drops his pitchfork, and she is there to pick it up.

"So… Scarecrow, do you fear me or are you a fool?", she says to him, positioning the pitchfork in front of her.

Scarecrow slowly backs awa—he turns around and runs. Ivy immediately starts in a sprint towards him, but her thorny suit cuts deep into her skin, until she is no longer able to chase him. She drops the pitchfork and falls to her knees, clutching her torso.

"You're letting him get away!", Batman says to her, now untied next to the fire.

"Batman. I can't…!", she breathes heavily.

"You have to! Think of all the innocent people he'll hurt if he gets away! I can't trust my own mind right now, so you have to do it. You're the only one that can."

Ivy sees Scarecrow enter a building. She looks to the roof and sees a helicopter. She approaches the building at a light jog, stopping about halfway there. Scarecrow. The helicopter. Ivy. Her suit. She's alone, with no one to help her. Unless there were a way to get to the rooftop in time…

"Please. My babies. Listen to me. No one in this rotting city cares about you more than I do. Help Mommy, please. Help Ivy. I grew you all and nourished you. I gave you all hope in a city where nature is the furthest thing from its mind. Please. You have to be strong for me. There's a man I need to catch. No good can come from him. Not for you, not for anyone. Please help me. I love you. Make Mommy proud."

"Um... Ivy? Who're you talking to?", Dicks asks through the comms.

Ivy ignores him. The inner layer of Ivy's suit retracts its thorns. The outer layer of Ivy's suit reaches up to a balcony, pulling her up. She continues for four more stories, until she reaches the top. A loud thud is heard as Scarecrow kicks the rooftop door open. A screaming body flies towards him just as he arrives. Scarecrow looks down at the unconscious man, then up at Ivy.

"You've made my babies most agitated, Scarecrow. Worse… you've provoked the wrath of Poison Ivy."

The flytraps on Ivy's shoulders hiss at him and open wide….


Back at Wayne Manor, the foyer darkens. Alfred sees the silhouettes behind the window; he hears the screams. Sound pours in as the door opens for a moment, dropping the body of Bruce Wayne into the room.

"No, No! Bruce. Look at me. Look at me!"

Two more people enter through the door. Martha and Thomas Wayne.

"Why didn't you protect our son?", they ask him.

The question echoes through Alfred's mind. All that's left on the floor now is a giant bloodstain, and next to it, a mop and bucket. It's his job to clean up, no matter the mess. But better yet would it be if there were no mess to be cleaned.

"It's all my fault.", Alfred says to himself.

"ALFRED!"

Alfred shoots up in the bed. Bruce is looking down at him.

"Master Bruce, you're alive!"

"'I'm alive?' Alfred, you went into cardiac arrest. You almost died."

"Oh, goodness. What time is it? What happened while I was out? Did you find the cure?"

"We did. And we... Pamela stopped him. Maybe, all this time I was worrying about nothing. She's strong, and her heart's in the right place. That's all that matters."

On the other side of the Batcave, Dick continues her conversation with Pamela.

"We have to talk about what happened back at the plaza."

"No. We don't, Dick."

"I'm just worried you might be treating your plants a bit too… passionately."

"They're living things, are they not? They deserve to be loved."

"Right. I just don't think…"

"It's fine. I'm fine. Everything's fine. You worry too much."

"Hey, last I remember, I wasn't the one exposed to Scarecrow's fear toxin."

"Yeah, little boy? What do you know? Maybe I have no fear."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

- End Chapter 4 -