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Chapter 9: Team Work, More or Less...
Sirens were blaring. The flashing of red and blue police lights colored the area. Shouts and the occasional burst of gunfire sounded, adding to the sense of unease and danger. Yes, life, it seemed, had returned largely to normal in Gotham City. Or, as normal as the most crime-ridden city in America got. If anything, the peace and quiet that ensued in the wake of Brainiac's failed invasion had felt even more unnerving to the citizens of Gotham; both criminal and civilian alike.
But tonight was different. Both Blackgate Prison and Arkham Asylum had experienced massive break-outs. The two seemed to be unrelated, but it was too much of a coincidence that the two facilities that housed some of the most dangerous criminals in the country would both experience riots on the same nights. But the cause of these incidents could wait.
Right now, the Gotham City Police Department was in way over their heads. Even with the combined efforts of the GCPD and SWAT, the criminals, many of which were super-powered, were quickly outnumbering them. Both facilities were relatively removed from the populace of Gotham. Arkham was located on an island in the bay, so the bridge was raised. Simple fix, right? Keep the escaped inmates trapped on the island, and use helicopters to drop SWAT teams in to subdue the patients. Simple, right? Or, it would have been, if Poison Ivy hadn't unleashed a massive towering plant that kept swiping at helicopters that flew to close to the island; effectively keeping law enforcement from getting to the Asylum to rescue the staff.
At the same time, the prisoners had over-taken Blackgate Prison. Blackgate was located just on the outskirts of Gotham. There were no super-powered criminals at Blackgate, with the exception of Mr Freeze and Bane. Also located there were Penguin, Deadshot, and other regular criminals from around the country that had no special powers. And these criminals were dangerous enough as it stood.
The man placed in charge of coordinating the efforts of containing these riots was James Gordon, Commissioner of the GCPD. Out of anyone, he was the man who had the most experience with these types of events. Stubborn, hard-nosed, and widely known through GCPD as the only man who could hold his own in a glaring contest with Batman, Gordon was the best man for the job. And right now, he was nearly pulling his hair out.
This was too much to place on one man's shoulders. Corruption within the GCPD, getting into a fistfight with Joker or Two Face, pulling the trigger if need be, all of these things Jim Gordon could deal with. But he had his limits. As he stood on the roof of GCPD, he heaved a heavy sigh. The rain was pouring, which made lighting a cigarette out of the question. 'Great,' he thought to himself. 'Just great.' As he listened to the other end of his cell phone, he said, "I want you to lock all of the doors and windows to our apartment, then lock yourself in the bathroom until I get back. Just like we practiced. Stay safe, Barbara."
God, he wished for the good old days. Back when he was a young detective, taking on corruption and crime in Gotham with his old partner, Harvey Bullock, at his side. Back when Penguin hadn't made a name for himself, yet. Back when Harvey Dent was a hot-headed lawyer. Back when there was no Joker, no Killer Croc, no Ivy. Back when the worst he had to deal was Don Falcone, Fish Mooney, or Sal Maroni. But those days were long over. Now, Gordon had a 15 year old daughter, Barbara, to care for. Now, he needed to get his head in the game, and get to work on reclaiming his city from the criminal scum that now threatened it more than ever.
And to do that, he needed help. Putting his phone back on his belt, Gordon walked over to a large spotlight. Pulling the lever, which sparked wildly. The large light glared to life, shooting the Bat-signal into the sky. "It's a little late for that," came a quiet voice behind him. Whirling around, Jim nearly jumped out of his skin. Batman was standing behind him. "Told you I'd beat you to the punch, one day," Batman said dryly. Chuckling despite himself, Gordon crossed his arms.
"Took you long enough," Gordon quipped. He didn't trust Batman, fully. But the guy had saved his daughter and the city more than once. But he still thought the Bat was crazy for wearing that mask.
"I have Robin and Batgirl in Chinatown," Batman said, wasting no time. "Their helping with your units round up the rioters, as well as Two-Face's gang. I'm heading to the Asylum. Thankfully, it seems most of the major threats are still trapped on the island. For now."
"Why?"Gordon asked. "That seems... unusual for them. You'd think they'd be scrambling to find a way off."
Batman turned to the railing on the roof, looking out over the bay to the small island. Even from shore, one could see the massive plants sprouting from the botanical gardens, moving back and forth slowly. "Ivy hasn't been out of her cell in a long time," Batman said. "She's stretching her limbs. Joker won't leave right away; he's right at home. Quinn, too. Croc and Scarecrow will have a harder time getting off; they stand out too much to not be noticed."
"Is Ivy helping them?" Gordon asked.
Batman shook his head once. "I doubt it," the Dark Knight said. "She won't help anyone other than herself; save perhaps Harley." It was true. Harley and Ivy were usually joined at the hip when Harley was apart from Joker. Batman suspected there was more to Ivy and Harley's relationship than just friends or partners in crime.
"Wait," Gordon said. "If your going to the Asylum, and with Batgirl and Robin downtown, what about Blackgate? My men can't get that place under control by themselves if their stretched so thin, and you can't be in two places at once."
"That's why I called in backup," Batman answered.
A red blur suddenly sped past them, trailing... lighting? The Flash had arrived! At the same moment, Hawkgirl, Danny Phantom, Wonder Woman and Martian Manhunter, and Superman flew beside them before landing on the roof. "Told you I could beat everyone else here," Flash bragged, grinning widely.
Superman stepped forward to shake hands with Gordon. "Commissioner Gordon, the Justice League is at your disposal," he said. "We're here to help in any way we can."
"Uh, right. Thanks," Jim muttered. He wasn't used to dealing with any of these other heroes. Batman was a vaguely known quantity. He had no powers, but the rest of them did, and that set him on edge a little. But he knew from their reputations as well as what happened with the invasion that they were the good guys.
"Here's the plan," Batman said. "Superman, Flash, Hawkgirl and Manhunter are going to quell the rioting in Blackgate prison. Wonder Woman, Phantom and myself are going to Arkham Asylum to get it under control and restore order. We're all to remain in contact via our ear com-links. Understood?"
"Hey, Bats," Phantom smirked, his eyes glowing brightly. "As Lantern would say, we got this. Come on, guys. Let's show Batman how fast we can tame Gotham!" The others turned their attention back to Batman.
"Just go," the Caped Crusader growled.
A trail of snow and ice was coating one of the outer walls of Blackgate Prison. Several of the law enforcement officers had their rifles raised. They had orders from Gordon to not allow anyone to leave the prison. The ice was only more disconcerting. A rush of wind came from behind them. A red lightning bolt sped past and ran over the wall. "What the hell was that?" asked one of the officers.
"The cavalry," came the answer from behind them. Superman flew over head, and landed between the ice and the police officers. "Get your men back," the Man of Steel ordered. "The Justice League is here to help." Over head, Hawkgirl and Manhunter flew over the wall to help Flash. A large crack in the wall appeared. Sharing a concerned look with her troops, the sergeant in charge ordered her men to stand back.
Walking towards the wall, Superman had already used his X-Ray vision on the wall. He knew what was coming. "Here we go," Superman said softly. The ice coated wall shattered, and out stepped none other than Bane himself. Helicopters over head shone their search lights on the two. "Bane, I assume," Superman said, his red cape flowing behind him. "I'm giving you this one chance. Surrender."
Bane chuckled. "Ah, you must be the so-called Superman," he said, his deep voice rumbled. The man flexed his muscles and tore the prison jacket from his body. A dark smile came from under his mask. "I have waited a long time to break the Man of Steel."
"Don't count on it," Superman said, clenching his fists. The two charged each other head on. They collided and caused a small shockwave. Superman and Bane locked up.
"First the Bat, now you," Bane snarled. Superman responded by headbutting Bane square in the jaw, sending him reeling.
"I think you'll find I'm a little harder to break," Superman said.
Meanwhile, inside the prison, Mr Freeze looked on as he saw Superman and Bane go at it through the hole in the wall Bane had created. Bane was powerful, but he was not bullet proof. The plan was to work together to escape. Freeze had frozen the wall of the prison to make it brittle enough for Bane to shatter, but Superman suddenly appearing had not been counted on. "Superman," Freeze murmured. "This is going to be... interesting."
"More than you know," came Martian Manhunter's voice from behind Freeze. "Surrender peacefully, and you will not be harmed." Freeze's answer was to send a blast of ice at the Martian, who merely turned intangible. "Your attacks are in vain, Freeze," J'onn said, his voice monotone. "I can sense your thoughts. And they dwell on your wife, Nora. Your criminal actions, no matter the reason, bring you no closer to a cure for her." Freeze gave no response, and simply continued to fire his ice weapon. Saddened at not being able to get through to the wayward man, Manhunter continued to dodge the attacks.
Elsewhere inside, near the cafeteria, Flash was quickly and easily rounding up the rioting criminals. No sweat! As he rounded a corner, he collided head long into a steel pipe that came from the shadows. Laying on the ground, he rubbed his head as his vision slowly came back to him. His hyper-metabolism allowed him to heal at incredible speeds, but being struck in the forehead by a metal pipe still hurt!
"Well, well, boys," said a cackling voice with a distinctive Cockney accent. "Would ya lookie what we 'ave 'ere. Looks like one of them do-gooders in tights! Now, what might you be doin' so far from Central City?" Flash blacked out after another shot to the head. Before darkness took hold, he thought, 'This is going to be a long night...'
Flying over the roof of the prison, Hawkgirl was searching the prison yard for her first victim, er, rather... Well, you know what? Screw it. Victim it is. Strangely, the yard was empty. 'Odd,' she thought, before her vision caught a glimmer in the corner of her eye. 'Laser sight!' As fast as her reflexes were, she wasn't faster than a bullet. A lone sniper from a stairwell had grazed her wing, causing her to yell in pain, and fall to the yard bellow.
Groaning, she felt her wing bleed, and the fall likely broke it, as well. Cursing under her breath, she rose to her feet, and scanned the rooftop above her for signs of the sniper. Instead, her ears picked up a distinctive shing! of metal scraping. Deftly bringing up her mace, she deflected several small throwing stars. Stepping out of the shadows was a man wearing armor and an orange and black mask that totally covered his face, save for one eye.
"Well, I guess Deadshot is good for something, after all," the man said. "You must be one of the Hawks. I usually don't kill wounded birds for sport, but I'll make the exception." He brandished a long, deadly katana.
Hawkgirl casually twirled her mace in response. "My wing might be hurt, but I don't need to fly to kick your ass," she warned. "You aren't dressed like a prisoner. Who are you?"
The man observed her for a moment, before seemingly recognizing her as a seasoned warrior. Something to be respected. "They call me Deathstroke," the man answered. "If you must know, my client hired me to bust him and the rest of his goons out if he ever got thrown in here. He payed in advance, so I'm professionally obligated to fulfill my end of the deal."
"So, a mercenary. And the riot was a distraction," Hawkgirl said, as they began to circle one another. She could tell from the way he moved that this Deathstroke was a professional. This was going to be a challenge. Good. She liked a challenge. Tired of talking, she made the first move, and lashed out with her mace, as Deathstroke dodged her swing. He followed up with a deadly slash with his blade at her neck. Hawkgirl rolled with the swing, the blade catching a bit of her red hair.
"You move pretty good with those wings," Deathstroke commented. He could always respect talent and skill. Hawkgirl gave a feral smile. Instead of answering with words, she continued to swing with her mace, forcing Deathstroke to go on the defensive, something he was not used to. Her mace eventually caught his sword, and her strength sent Deathstroke flying back. Landing on his feet, he threw a smoke pellet on the ground and disappeared. Hawkgirl narrowed her eyes. The hunt was on, but who was the prey?
"So this is the legendary Arkhan Asylum?" Danny wondered aloud. He, Wonder Woman and Batman had eventually made it to the island, but not without difficulty. In order to get past Ivy's plants, Phantom had turned them intangible. Once on the grounds, they immediately noticed the many insane inmates wandering around. However, at the sight of Batman, they quickly scattered. "I think they recognize you," Phantom commented.
"We need to get inside the main building, and find any surviving staff," Batman said. "Ivy can wait for the moment. I'm more concerned about someone like Joker on the loose."
As they quickly made their way to the central building, Danny felt an unusual shiver run through him. He had been getting odd chills at random times the last few days. Shaking the feeling away, he glanced at Wonder Woman, who had a sad look on her face. "What's wrong?" he asked.
She was looking at the stumbling, rambling people wandering around, some of them still in straight jackets. "It's sad to see these poor people's minds in such disrepair," she said. "Surely there are more humane treatments for them other than locking them away?"
Batman's frown deepened at the statement. "There are," he said. "But sometimes, they grow immune to traditional treatments. Others, no known method of treatment can help. These are the more violent and unstable patients. They need to be restrained to keep them from hurting themselves or other people."
They approached the main building, but the doors were locked. Batman looked at Danny and nodded. Phantom turned invisible and phased through the door. Once inside, he didn't see anyone. He unlocked the door and Batman and Wonder Woman entered. "Looks like a nasty tornado tore through here," Danny said. There were papers thrown about, chairs turned over, typical bad-things-went-down stuff.
Batman pulled out a device from his belt. "Cash, this is Batman, do you copy?" he spoke into the device.
"Batman," came the reply. The man on the other end sounded stressed and angry. "Where the hell you been? Arkham's gone to the dogs. Ivy got out of her containment cell, and things went south. The other inmates took advantage of the chaos."
"Slow down, Cash," Batman said. "Where are you?"
Static filled the silence for a moment. "We're hold up in the Medical Wing," came the reply. "Not sure how much longer we can hold out. Not with someone like Joker or Croc on the loose."
"Leave Joker to me," Batman said. "I've brought back-up. I'm sending them your way. Fill them in. They'll escort you and the other guards and the medical staff to safety. Once Joker's out of the picture, we can handle the rest." Batman then turned to Danny and Wonder Woman. "Get to the med wing," he said. He pointed down the hallway. "Follow the lines; you can't miss it. And watch your backs. Some of these patients are extremely-"
"Dangerous? Oh, ho-ho, Batsy! You always did have a way with words!" Joker's voice came over the intercom. "Ooh, and you brought friends! Good! The more the merrier! Hey... I know that white hair anywhere! You're that ghost brat! Aww, why do you have to bring such party-poopers, Bats? The kid's no fun at all! Why, he's worse than those two caped teens you have jumping over rooftops. Still, at least this one doesn't dress like a rodent!"
"Joker," Batman growled. "You won't get away with this."
"Of course not," came Joker's reply. "I'm not counting on this being any different than usual! You really have a low opinion of me, these days! Ha! I'm counting on you locking me up again! Just so I can escape, and our little game can start all over again! But there's no reason Harley and I can't have our fun and chaos in the mean- Hey, where did that ghost kid go? And Wonder Legs is gone, too!"
Batman over his shoulder. Phantom and Wonder Woman had vanished. Good. They must be headed to the med wing. "Joker," Batman growled. "I'm coming for you."
The only response was Joker's howling laughter over the intercoms.
Flash awoke with a start. He suddenly realized he was tied to a chair. Nice... Turns out the little fat guy called the Penguin had a mean swing. Who knew? Speaking of Napoleon Junior... "Well, well," the crime boss sneered. "Looks like you heal up nice and quick, huh?" He chuckled, picking up his lead pipe and inspected it.
Flash glared at the man. "You know, I thought you were one of the smarter ones here in Gotham," Flash said. "Given everything that's happening, I'm surprised you haven't taken my little nap as a cue to get out of here."
"Ah, don't worry 'bout that," Penguin said. "Normally, me an' my boys would 'ave left by now. But in case you didn't notice, there's a bloody war goin' on out there! Not to mention all your friends are outside. We'll leave. But only once things calm down. In the mean time, I'll make things a little easier by killin' you!" Penguin swung the pipe, but something caught it in mid air!
Martian Manhunter appeared behind Penguin and pulled the pipe from his hand. "I think not," he calmly said. "If Mr Freeze was no match for me, how do you think you would you fare, Mr Cobblepot?" Flash took the opportunity to untie himself in a blur, and quickly knock out Penguins men.
Seeing he was out-gunned, Penguin quickly changed his tune from cocky to cowardly. "No, no, please! Wait! I- I surrender! Don't hurt me!" he begged.
Flash and J'onn shared a glance, before Flash buzzed around Penguin and his men, quickly leaving them tied up together with the same rope that he himself had been tied up with only a moment before. Flash grinned at J'onn, who merely nodded in return. The two headed off down the hallways together to finish the job. "Where are the others?" Flash asked. Manhunter's eyes flashed orange for a moment, before replying, "Superman has Bane subdued, but Hawkgirl is wounded. We should hurry."
Batman ran through the hallways of Arkham Asylum, easily subduing any escaped patients in his way. Occasionally, Joker would spew his nonsense over the intercoms, trying to distract his foe. But Batman knew the Asylum inside and out, just like Joker. And knowing Joker, he knew right where the clown would be. At the top of the facility. The large spire rooftop. A few years earlier, Joker had escaped, and attempted to jump off the tall structure, while holding onto a captured nurse. Joker's reasoning was that Batman couldn't catch them both at the same time. That hadn't stopped the Dark Knight from trying.
It was a night that still haunted Batman. It was when he was only a year or so into his career as a crime fighter; still woefully inexperienced. He had failed that night. He dove off the roof after them. He had hooked his grapple line at the roof and locked it to his belt. He caught the two, but his line hadn't been able to take all three of their weight. They all plummeted to the ground with a sickening thud. Batman had snapped his arm and collar bone in two places and dislocated his right knee. Joker shattered his pelvis and left leg. The nurse hadn't been so lucky; her neck snapped on impact, killing her instantly.
"Ooh, ho-ho, getting closer, old friend," came Joker's voice. "Wait until you see what I have cooked up tonight. I guarantee it's going to be a killer. Just like old times! An anniversary, if you will. Hahahaha!"
Phantom and Wonder Woman had reached the Medical Wing of Arkham and Arron Cash, head of security at the Asylum, had explained that Poison Ivy had caused the breakout. She had pretended to fall ill, appearing to pass out in her containment cell. Once her cell doors had opened for doctors to check her, she struck. She killed two guards, the doctor, and crippled the nurse. Once she was out of containment, Hell itself had broken loose. Her plants tore through part of the building, which had in turn damaged the electrical grid and one of the back-up generators. This unlocked the electric cells for many of the patients.
Long story short, the guards were overwhelmed by Ivy's plants and the escaped inmates. After escorting the medical staff and injured people to safety, Danny and Wonder Woman set to work rounding up the inmates. Danny was on edge. They hadn't encountered any of the big names like Croc or Scarecrow. Yet. Occasionally, Joker would mouth off over the intercom. The two stumbled, suddenly, as a large quake shook the island.
"Phantom, Wonder Woman," Batman spoke over the communicators. "The rest of the inmates can wait. I need you two to find Poison Ivy, and stop her. Her plants are causing too much damage to the island as they grow. I'm closing in on Joker. I'll join you shortly. Knowing Ivy, she's in the botanical gardens. Stop her!"
As the two heroes quickly ran out of the main building, Wonder Woman asked, "Who is this Poison Ivy? By the Gods! If she can control nature herself, she must indeed be dangerous."
Danny shrugged. "I don't know, really," he said. "All I know is she can control plants and men with her spores, or something." As they rounded a corner, they found the entrance to the gardens blocked off by, you guessed it, giant plants. The pair looked at one another. "Do you want to take this, or should I?" Danny asked. Wonder Woman smirked, drew her blade, and began hacking away at the plants, clearing a path. As she cut, they thought they heard a scream of pain.
"My babies! How dare you!? You pathetic meat sacks will pay!" came a loud voice from seemingly everywhere. Poison Ivy was communicating through the plants. Grabbing Diana's shoulder, Danny instinctively turned them intangible, and flew them through the rushing vines. Soon, they found themselves in the center of the botanical gardens. The entire place was over-run in plants of every kind possible. Even some that weren't normally in nature. These were large, mutated plants. Deadly, yet beautiful. That was the only way to describe them.
They looked around, warily. Poison Ivy was no where to be seen. "Show yourself," Wonder Woman called. As if in response, the ground rumbled.
"You will regret coming here," Poison Ivy's voice called through her plants. A massive rose rose from the ground, and unfurled before them. A green-skinned woman with bright red hair and matching lips sat at the center of the giant flower. Her emerald skin was covered in small vines and leaves. She wore no clothing, save for an orange shirt with the "Arkham" logo on it. Poison Ivy gazed at the two intruders with faint rage in her eyes.
"What do you two want?" she asked, her voice low and seductive. "I usually don't get any fools crossing me outside of the Batman and his two little goons." She stroked the rose she sat in, looking at it as though it were the most beautiful thing on the planet. "Then again, it really doesn't matter. Neither of you can stop me. My children are hungry, and you two might make a decent meal for them. Well, maybe not the scrawny one."
"Hey!" Danny complained at being called scrawny.
Wonder Woman stepped forward and raised her blade. "Sister, your plants are destroying this island," she said, her voice steady. "If you don't stop, every person here will die!"
Ivy scoffed at Wonder Woman's statement. "Good," Ivy spat. "Humanity is a scourge, and it's long past due that nature reclaims her world."
Phantom rolled his eyes at the statement. "And I thought Vlad was a fruitloop," he muttered. "Listen, lady! We just want to put you back in your cell. Don't make me go all weed-whacker on your green butt!"
Ivy sneered at Phantom's comment. A large thorny vine smacked Danny in the head from behind. "Ow!" he yelped.
Ivy leaned forward scowling. "Watch your tongue," she warned him. Turning back to Wonder Woman, she said, "And as for you, I've had just about enough of your disapproving gaze."
Several massive vines suddenly grabbed Diana, who simply tore through them like paper. Ivy winced, and Wonder Woman flew at her opponent. A mutant venus flytrap grabbed Wonder Woman, engulfing her, and pulling her back down. Danny was about to assist Diana, when another odd chill stopped him cold. 'Again?' he thought as it quickly passed. Shaking his head, Phantom shot a green ecto beam at Poison Ivy, catching her off guard. She yelled in pain.
"Hmm, stronger than I thought," she sneered. A small smirk fell over her face. "Maybe I could use you, after all." The gardens were suddenly flooded with a strange pink mist. Danny felt very woozy all of the sudden. He wobbled on his feet, unsteady. He looked up to see Poison Ivy standing before him, a seductive look on her face. "Strong, aren't we?" she said, her voice sounding more... sexy? "I can fix that." She cupped one side of Danny's face with one hand. "All it takes is one little kiss."
Hawkgirl had searched high and low through the prison, beating the living crap out of any prisoner she came across. Or, in some cases, scaring the living crap out of them. She was a fearsome sight to behold in regular lighting, but in the dark red emergency lights, she must have appeared down right terrifying. Batman had told them that the criminals in Gotham were superstitious and cowardly.
Despite her efforts, however, she found no sign of Deathstroke. She cursed both him and herself. The coward had ran, and she had let him get away. She snarled, and slammed her mace into the wall in anger, causing a large crater. If only she hadn't let that sniper on the roof get a bead on her! If only-
"You shouldn't blame yourself," came a steady voice behind her. She whirled to see Martian Manhunter behind her. "I do not sense Deathstroke in the prison. Whatever he had come here to do, he must have completed his work and gone. He is a mercenary. The risk of staying to fight you or get arrested was not worth the reward, apparently."
Hawkgirl sighed in frustration. "Coward," she muttered.
J'onn looked at her damaged wing with worry. "You are hurt. We should get you medical attention," he said to her. "The prison has been retaken by the officers. The major criminals inside have been detained, and order is being restored. There is nothing more for us here. I-" He suddenly stopped, his eyes glowing, worry coating his features.
Hawkgirl waved her hand in front of his face. "What is it?" she asked.
"I sense Phantom and Wonder Woman are in danger," he replied.
Batman burst onto the roof of the Asylum to find Joker standing there in his torn straight jacket, holding a gun and grinning. His smirk seemed... darker than before. More evil, if such a thing were possible. "Well, look who decided to show up," Joker clucked. "My, my. Having fun on your little play date with your friends in tights?" Batman said nothing, and began moving towards his enemy. "Ah, ah, ah," said Joker, aiming his gun at Batman. "One more step, or she gets it."
Batman froze. "Before who gets it, Joker?"
Joker stepped aside to reveal none other than Harley Quinn standing at the edge of the roof. Harley was disheveled and paler than usual and her red and black hair was disheveled. She had a fearful look in her eyes. Genuine fear. Something had changed between her and Joker. Something bad. Joker aimed the gun at her without taking his eyes off Batman. "M- Mistah J?" she whimpered.
"Joker, stop this. Now," Batman warned, his voice like a glacier.
Joker laughed at the threat. "Just like old times, eh, Batsy? Remind you of... that night?" he crowed.
Harley whimpered, slightly. "P-Puddn', you know I don't like heights, right?" she stated, softly.
Joker cocked the gun aimed at her, still looking at Batman. "Quiet, Harley," he said. "Don't ruin the fun. Besides, no one likes a third wheel."
Batman scowled at his most hated enemy. This was a new Joker. A darker, more deadly Joker. He had to keep on his toes. He tensed every muscle in his body, ready to pounce at a moments notice.
Harley clearly noticed this change, as well. "Y-You still l-love me, right, sweety?" she asked, softly.
Joker turned his head to look at her. "Oh, Harley," he sneered, his voice oozing cruelty. "Now, when have I ever said I loved you?" He then began chuckling darkly.
Everything then happened at once, seemingly in slow motion. Batman leaped toward Joker, his fist heading for him, while Joker's finger pulled the trigger. The sound of Batman's fist connecting with Joker's skull sounded at the same time his gun fired. Joker fell unconscious, and Batman looked at Harley wobble at the edge, and tumble off. Wasting no time he launched himself after her. He reached her in mid-air, and grappled safely to the ground below.
He noticed the blood soaking through her Arkham clothing, near her shoulder. She was still alive. Barely. Harley had tears falling from her eyes, and moved her mouth, whispering something. Batman leaned in closely. "H-He's not my old Mistah J, anymore..." she whimpered, before passing out.
Batman put a finger to his ear. "Flash, get to the Asylum. Now," he said. Within a second, Flash rushed in front of them, panting softly.
"She's been shot," Batman explained. "Get her to a hospital. Hurry." Flash nodded, and scooped Harley in his arms, and they sped away. Batman looked to the botanical gardens, and noticed a faint red glow through what few windows he could see. 'Great,' he thought.
"All it takes is one little kiss," Ivy said softly, leaning towards Danny. Ivy then flinched violently, and whirled around to see Wonder Woman standing behind her, covered in slime, and clutching the dead toothed plant in her hands. "You just won't die, will you?" Ivy spat. Danny just stood there, feeling oddly light-headed. He knew he should be helping Diana, but why did he also feel like he should be helping Ivy?
Wonder Woman drew her blade, and advanced on Ivy, who didn't budge. Before Diana's blade could reach Ivy, several more vines appeared, only this time, they wrapped themselves around Danny! Wonder Woman halted her swing. "Try anything, and your friend dies," Ivy said, coldly.
Diana scowled at her enemy. "You are a cruel witch," Wonder Woman sneered.
Ivy ignored the comment, and turned to Phantom. "I admit, I'm curious as to why my spores haven't fully taken him over," she said. "It's as if he's only partly under my control, but the other half remains untouched." Suddenly, the glass roof above them shattered, and Batman glided in, throwing several ice grenades at the vines holding Danny; causing them to shatter. Ivy cried out in response, as if she herself were in pain. Wonder Woman seized the opportunity to grab Ivy with her glowing lasso.
Looking over to Batman, who was wearing a filter mask over his mouth and nose. "Ivy's spores can render males helpless to her will," he explained. He pulled out a small vile filled with blue fluid from his belt. "This should counter-act the effects." He pulled the cap, and waved the vile under Danny's nose.
Almost instantly, Phantom flinched back. "UUGGHH," he gagged. "That smells horrible! It's worse than old gym socks mixed with skunk!"
"I know, but it works," Batman said.
The Dark Knight turned to Ivy, who looked disgusted. "You do realized this rope does nothing but hold me," she said. "I'm still in control! Nature always wins!" The ground began to shake violently, as more massive vines sprung from the ground. "Hell, I am nature!"
Ivy then wretched violently, before shrieking in pain.
Outside, Green Lantern was using his power ring to mow down the mess of plant life infesting the island with several large light-construct saws! Reinforcements had arrived! Manhunter had summoned Green Lantern and Power Girl to Gotham after sensing how powerful Ivy had become, and the danger she was putting Phantom and Wonder Woman in.
Superman and Power Girl were outside as well, using their heat vision. As quickly as Ivy could summon more plants, the members of the Justice League were tearing them down. "Good thing J'onn is in telepathic contact with all of us," Superman commented. "Otherwise, you and Power Girl would still be in Civic City."
Lantern shrugged. "I don't know," he said, tearing another plant put by it's roots. "It still creeps me out, a little. Him being able to read out minds."
Power Girl burned down more plants with his heat vision. "Really, Lantern?" he asked. "You work alongside a speedster, five aliens; two of whom have wings, a ghost, an Amazon, a man dressed as a bat, and you have a ring that is fueled by willpower, yet simple telepathy creeps you out?"
Inside the gardens, Ivy fell to her knees, practically sobbing. "Please, make them stop!" she begged. "I give up! My babies are dying! Just make them stop! Can't you hear their cries of pain?!"
"Honestly, no I don't," Danny said, shrugging. "I'm not much of a gardener." Soon, all of the renegade plants had been removed, and Ivy and the rest of the Arkham patients had been subdued. Law enforcement was finally taking control of the city again. As dawn approached, the Justice League had once more gathered on the roof of the GCPD. Hawkman had come with Lantern and Power Girl, but only to help his wife. No one was quite sure how to medically treat a Thanagarian other than the two of them. Shortly, he had bandaged her wing, though she wouldn't be flying easily for a time.
Batman walked outside to join his fellow League members. He had just spoken to Gordon, who gave him a report on what they had found. Batman explained that Deathstroke was likely hired by a gangster named Roman Sionis, also known as Black Mask. Sionis and several of his men had escaped during the Blackgate breakout. The sniper that shot Hawkgirl was indeed Deadshot, who had also escaped during the chaos. Bane and Freeze, as well as Penguin, were also in custody. Killer Croc and Scarecrow were also at large, having escaped the Asylum through the sewers, which explained why they were no where to be found in the Asylum.
Poison Ivy was back in her isolation tank in Arkham, and was likely to receive several life sentences to be carried out in the Asylum. Joker was once more in custody, as well; safely locked away. Harley Quinn was receiving medical treatment for her bullet wound. It would take time, and she had lost a lot of blood, but she would live. What would become of her once she had recovered was anyone's guess. As for the Asylum itself, it was damaged severely, but with a generous donation from Wayne Enterprises, it would soon be operational once more. And with tighter security.
"I'd say we did pretty well, tonight," Danny said. Flash and Superman nodded.
Batman narrowed his eyes. "Not well enough," he growled. "Several major criminals are now on the loose, and a great deal of damage was caused. This was no victory from where I stand. Still, that being said, none of us are dead. That's progress, I suppose." No one could argue with that.