Hunters of Justice

by trestwho

Remnant has fallen, its cities captured and its greatest defenders defeated at the hands of the alien conqueror, Brainiac. In the aftermath of his victory, the people of Remnant's last hope lies in the hands of two teams of students, whisked away to another world. A world where Gods walk among them.

40. Toxic Pollination

Hunters of Justice (RWBY/DC)

Chapter 29: Toxic Pollination

"Poison Ivy took Jaune and Ren!"

As Pyrrha shouted into the comms, Batman felt his heart stop and his blood cool. His eyes went wide, and his fingers relaxed slightly in shock. In front of him, Robin had a much more pronounced expression on his face, which was combined with a look that screamed 'I told you this was a bad idea.' Almost immediately, though, Batman clenched his fists and began to speak.

"Where are you now?" he asked as he pressed a button on his gauntlet that brought the Batmobile to their location. At the same time, Robin was already calling Red Hood and Batgirl in order to notify them of this development.

"On an apartment building next to the restaurant!" Pyrrha answered. She sounded panicked, and Batman couldn't blame her in the slightest.

"Stay where you are, we're on our way," he ordered, moving his hand away from the side of his cowl just as the Batmobile roared alongside the now destroyed building. Rather than have it slow down, he remotely opened its canopy, allowing him and Robin to jump inside and drive away all in the same motion.

"I told you letting them go on that date was a bad idea!" Robin hissed, pressing buttons on his side of the cockpit as Batman raced through Robinson Park as fast as he could. Batman didn't say anything, but he found it impossible to argue otherwise. Shortly thereafter, the Batmobile exploded out of Robinson Park and onto a street, and almost immediately they saw evidence of Poison Ivy's involvement. A large tree curved across the street like a bridge, and several of the walls and windows were shattered by thick vegetation. Patrons were running as fast as they could away from the restaurant and crowding the street, and a few police officers were rushing inside to secure the premises.

Batman hit the brakes, and at the same time opened the canopy and unlatched their seatbelts. While the Batmobile skidded to a halt, Batman and Robin flew ahead with their inertia, bringing them to the rooftop of the apartment building where a frantic Pyrrha and Nora were waiting for them. An opened rocket-pod containing their costumes was nearby, and they had already changed.

"When I get my hands on her…!" Nora growled, pacing back and forth while clutching Magnhild to her chest as tightly as she could. So tightly, in fact, that he could almost swear that he heard metal groaning. Pyrrha was silent and looking at the Caped Crusader from behind her helmet, the white irises doing little to hide how panicked she was. At the same time, several metal pipes, air conditioning units, and even the blade of her sword were being shrouded in a black aura, warping in and out of their normal shape as her Semblance went haywire.

"Pyrrha, Nora, I need you both to calm down," he carefully insisted, raising his hand forward in a placating gesture. Both superheroines looked at him, then at each other before taking deep breaths. When they released them, they were noticeably calmer, but a veneer of rage still could be seen.

"Good. Now, what happened?" Batman asked.

"We were on our date," Pyrrha explained as quickly as she could. "It wasn't going as well as we planned so Nora and I stepped outside to get some air while Jaune and Ren went into the restroom. When we went back inside, the boys were at the bar chatting it up with a woman and a weird scent was in the air."

"Poison Ivy," Robin muttered just as the Batwing flew overhead, dropping off Red Hood and Batgirl who had been listening in the entire time. "She must have doused them before they could react in time."

"Why didn't it affect you two?" Red Hood asked, and Nora nodded.

"I thought it was her perfume, and so I tried playing dirty by dousing us in a strong perfume I brought," she explained. The veteran heroes thought it over for a minute, bringing their hands to their chins and humming.

"The chemicals of the perfume might've acted as a barrier, preventing Ivy's pheromones from affecting you two before you activated your Aura. Probably saved you," Robin pointed out. Nora nodded, but a frown was on her face.

"Yet I couldn't save Jaune and Ren from her…" she muttered, clenching her fist in such a way that promised nothing more than pain and suffering for the person responsible.

"Do you know where they went?" Pyrrha asked, and Batman nodded.

"ACE Chemicals, most likely," he said.

"I already notified the GCPD," Tim revealed from the Batcave, his voice sullen and filled with regret. "Goddammit, I am so—"

"It's not your fault," Pyrrha interrupted the Red Robin, but Robin wasn't ready to drop the subject.

"Why didn't you see her come in? You two, of all people, should've recognized her," he accused.

Rather than refute the accusation, Stephanie replied, "We didn't see her. Someone hacked into the restaurant's security cameras. All we saw was the boys go into the restroom and the girls step outside, then a loop was played after that. By the time we realized what was going on, Nora already pressed the panic button and it was too late."

Red Hood thought back to the compound he and Batgirl assaulted just prior and remembered the highly complex computer system they had uncovered. The one that had self-destructed when he tried to access it. His eyes went wide as did Batgirl's, and he had to bite back a curse.

"They were searching for them," he quietly said, clenching his fists. "Poison Ivy didn't want the people she already took. She wanted the superpowered teenagers who had just come to Gotham City. The ones who, in the span of a few days, took down Bane, Penguin, Black Mask, Mr. Freeze, and the Riddler. She wanted us to find out she was active so that we would divide ourselves searching for her, allowing Ivy the chance to corner them and bring them to her side."

As much as Batman and the others loathed to admit it, everything Red Hood said made sense. Expect for one thing, which Nora was happy to point out.

"How'd she know we were on a date, though?" she asked.

"I think I found something," Oracle answered, linking her network to their HUDs to show a security feed aimed at the front of a flower shop. Jaune and Ren were walking past it, then the door opened and a red-haired woman walked right into them only to fall onto the pavement. Although they couldn't hear anything that was said, the implications were obvious.

"Well, that explains it," Robin said. "She must've used her pheromones to mask herself, and when the date inevitably got mentioned, she saw the opportunity she was looking for."

"How'd she know it was them?" Pyrrha asked, focusing her attention on the Boy Wonder.

"I have something for that, too. Red Hood, you aren't going to like it," Oracle solemnly replied, then brought forth an image of a man who was apprehended by the GCPD at the Gotham Botanical Gardens just a few minutes ago. Red Hood felt his blood cool as he recognized the man immediately. It was the recruiter who had brought them inside Black Mask's rally, the one who had managed to escape police custody that night.

"She must've seduced him," Batman deduced, his voice low. "At the time, Ivy was probably fully intending to attack ACE Chemicals with her army, and was likely asking him for other 'recruits' when he pointed out you four. Isley is smart, so she'd put the dots together about how two teenagers were kicked out for being too nice, only for two unknown superheroes to attack not even a few minutes later."

"So she changed her plans, leading to this," Robin finished, clenching his fists. For a moment, everyone was silent, then Batman walked to the edge of the roof and looked towards the horizon in the general direction of ACE Chemicals.

"Spoiler, Red Robin, prep the emergency pods," he ordered. On the other end of the line, Tim and Stephanie remained silent, but a few moments later they saw a pair of orange lights streak towards their location. In the next second, two pods slammed into the roof right next to the pod that contained Nora's and Pyrrha's costumes. One was bulkier than the other, but only Batman walked towards them. He opened one which released a hiss of air and allowed for built-in shelves to slide out, which revealed several highly specific items.

"Put this on," Batman said, tossing Nora a pink rebreather that covered her entire face. Nora inspected it for a moment, then she nodded and slid it over her head. Batman, meanwhile, grabbed several canisters and strapped them to his utility belt and handed injectors of what was most assuredly antidotes meant for Jaune and Ren.

"Needles?" Pyrrha pointed out, and Batman nodded.

"The GCPD already tried using specialized antidotes on the men and women they apprehended. They didn't work, telling me that Ivy made a new combination," Oracle explained as Batman held up an injector of his own.

"This is a specialized cocktail of multiple antidotes that should work on Jaune and Ren, but I couldn't aerosolize it," Batman continued. "It has to be injected directly into the bloodstream for it to work."

Pyrrha and Nora nodded, then a thought sprang to mind. "Wait, their Aura. How are those needles going to get past their Aura?"

None of the Batfamily said anything, and a cool realization swept both girls at the same time.

"You can't be serious," Nora called out.

"I wish I wasn't," Batman replied.

"You want us to fight them?!"

"We may not have a choice," Batman pointed out, his protégés letting him take the reins. "You said it yourself, those needles aren't getting past their Aura. Not by themselves. If we want to save Jaune and Ren, we have to bring their Aura down by any means necessary."

Pyrrha and Nora stared at the Batman, who stared back with just as much intensity. After a moment, both girls clenched their fists and sighed, then looked back at him.

"Fine, but that doesn't mean I have to like it," Pyrrha said. Batman nodded, but before he could continue, Nora raised her palm.

"One thing. Jaune and Ren are our partners, our friends. Let us do it," she insisted. Without even wasting a second's thought, Batman nodded.

"Of course," he replied. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Pyrrha shot back, angrier at herself and the entire situation than Batman himself. "Let's just go save them."

With that, Pyrrha jumped off the roof to the street below. Nora shot the vigilantes a look then followed after her. One by one, the others got back into their vehicles and sped off towards the chemical plant, leaving Batman all alone as he pulled out one of the canisters he had brought over. None of the others knew what was in it, and he hoped he wouldn't have to use its contents. With any luck, Nora and Pyrrha would be enough to subdue Jaune and Ren without causing them too much harm, but if he had to use it, he would. There would obviously be consequences, but if the costs of not using them were greater, he'd gladly pay the price.

He kept that in mind as he opened the second pod containing the Armored Batsuit. After he donned it, he silently returned to the Batmobile, and didn't say a word as they drove off towards ACE Chemicals.

---

"All units, this is Commissioner Gordon. Be advised, Poison Ivy is en route to ACE Chemicals with Clayface, Doctor Psycho, King Shark, and two captured metahuman civilians," Gordon said into the comms as his squad car raced towards ACE Chemicals, their sirens blaring. They were just mopping up the rest of the detainees from the botanical gardens when his daughter, under the guise of Oracle, called in with an update. It was brief, but it was enough for him to order all available units to drop what they were doing and rush towards ACE Chemicals.

"Jim, what are we going to do?" Bullock asked as he drove the squad car carrying him and Montoya.

"We can't do lethal," Gordon replied, feeling a knot form in his stomach. Harvey wanted nothing more than to protest, but he knew his partner's true rationale. It wasn't that Gordon wanted to take them in alive due to simple morality. Superpowered or not, those were still innocent civilians caught in her grasp, and they couldn't risk accidentally fatally injuring them.

"Let's just hope Ivy's in a merciful mood," Bullock whispered, sharply turning down a corner as they neared their destination.

"Guys, we have a problem," Montoya called out. "The team that we sent to secure ACE's board of directors reported that they aren't there. Signs of a break in."

"Well, we already know where they're going," Gordon remarked. They then came into sight of the chemical plant, billowing stacks of black smoke illuminated by small blinking lights scattered around the facility. Bullock skidded the vehicle to a stop, then they all got out and took cover behind it as more and more police cars and armored vans rushed inside. Soon, the entire chemical camp was surrounded by heavily armed police officers, yet a veneer of nervousness could easily be seen behind their gas masks.

"Focus on Ivy. We put her down, and we might be able to free the hostages," Gordon advised, leveling his revolver against the hood of his car. The other officers nodded, taking position and covering as many angles as they could. Several tense minutes passed, but none of the officers made a sound. Only the reverberating whirl of police helicopters overhead could be heard, and it did nothing to calm Gordon's nerves.

"Hold up. Van approaching the front gate," the helicopter pilot announced, shining a spotlight onto it. Immediately, all guns were pointed at the vehicle, which stopped just outside with its headlights shining directly into Gordon's eyes. He didn't care, instead, reaching into his squad car and pulling out a megaphone.

"Isley, we know you're in there," Gordon announced, his voice amplified by the megaphone. "Come out with your hands up."

A moment passed, then the van's engine shut off and the back doors opened wide. A lone figure stepped out, prompting all weapons to point at them as they entered the light.

"My, all this for me?" Poison Ivy cooed, her hands mockingly raised above her head. "James, I'm flattered. You shouldn't have."

"Don't play coy with me, Pamela," Gordon replied. "We know why you're here and what ACE Chemicals did."

"Is that so?" Ivy said, raising an eyebrow and smirking. "Well then, it's a relief that the fine men and women in uniform care so much about Gotham's natural environment to step in, isn't it?"

"Had you not gone around kidnapping people, we would've arrested them already."

"Would you have even noticed had I not done anything?" Ivy accused. "Don't try to act all noble, Commissioner Gordon, then portray me as the bad guy here. I waited for you to act for weeks, and yet with all the resources at your disposal, you did nothing.

"But, of course, can't say I truly fault you," Ivy admitted. "Scarecrow did make a mess of things around here, so the GCPD was a little preoccupied to say the least. Still, I couldn't just sit back and watch as some of the last remaining preserves of nature in this godforsaken concrete jungle was purged, so I acted. How does that make me a monster?"

"If you knew something, you could've told us. We would've taken them in and put a stop to it," Gordon called out, but Poison Ivy only laughed in response.

"Oh, that's precious! Tell me, Commissioner. Had I told you anything, would you have even believed me? Judging by how tense you all are, I personally doubt it. Don't you see? I had no choice. Someone had to stop ACE Chemicals from dumping toxic waste into the water, and who better than me?"

"There's always a choice, Pamela," Gordon argued. "Right now, I'm offering you one. You have my word that ACE's board will be brought to justice, but you and your accomplices need to stand down. It'll make everything easier for you."

Poison Ivy merely looked amused at Gordon's offer and shook her head, her hands still raised.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Commissioner Gordon, but I have a counter offer. You and your men stand aside and let me tear this abominable place to the ground, and I won't put any of you in the hospital. Does that sound fair to you?"

Gordon frowned. "I'm afraid I can't do that, either."

"Pity. Oh well, can't say I didn't try."

Then, before Gordon or any of the officers could react, Ivy threw her hands forward. Large, thick roots shot out of the ground, shattering the concrete and slamming into the vehicles the police officers were taking cover behind. Several of them were knocked away, their guns thrown from their hands. Others, including Gordon, were able to dive away to safety, and when they stood up they noticed the rest of Ivy's crew was stepping out of the van.

"Open fire!" Gordon yelled, firing from the knee at the criminals. The rubber bullets were blocked by a hastily constructed wall of foliage, then a vine shot out from it and whipped him across the chest.

"Oof!" he grunted, rolling across the concrete before coming to a stop. Bullock was on him immediately, firing his shotgun at the advancing criminals while Montoya helped him to his feet. Above, they saw Doctor Psycho telepathically grab a pair of police snipers and slam them into each other, knocking them out cold while King Shark charged into a wall of gunfire. The rubber bullets buckled harmlessly against his thick, shark-like skin, and he grabbed one to hurl into a group, sending them sprawling against the ground.

Gordon then saw Clayface morph himself into a massive sphere of mud, and he rolled himself into a collection of officers that tried to get to safety. A few weren't so lucky, and the gelatinous mass rolled over and carried them into a wall.

"Sorry, gents!" Clayface apologized as he left the unconscious officers stuck to the wall. Gordon fired his revolver into his back, but the rounds did nothing more than create ripples across Clayface's body. The criminal's body shifted, the back becoming the front and vice versa, and a mocking smile spread across his face.

With one shake of his head, Clayface reared his fist back and punched forward, his arm extending straight towards the officers. Gordon deftly dodged, then threw a flashbang at the supervillain that exploded in his face.

"Ah! The shining light of justice hath blinded me!" Clayface shouted, clutching his face and stumbling around.

"Clayface! For God's sake, stop messing around!" Doctor Psycho yelled as he telepathically wrapped a pipe around a pair of police officers, only for him to recoil when Montoya fired her pistol into his back.

"Ah, you bitch!" he hissed, turning around and psychically grabbing her before hurling her against a thrown asunder police car with enough force to create a dent, knocking her out instantly.

"Renee!" Bullock yelled, turning to aim his shotgun at the criminal, only for an arm garbed in a black suit to grab it. He turned his head to see a young Asian man staring at him with blank green eyes. With the free arm, he punched Bullock in the gut, knocking the air from his lungs and sending him to his knees. The teenager then grabbed both ends of the shotgun and effortlessly folded it in half. He tossed the remains away, then hurled a kick into the detective's side, sending him flying back into the car's door. The glass shattered, and Bullock slipped into unconsciousness.

"Officers down! Officers down!" Gordon yelled into his comms as he and what remained of his officers retreated further into the chemical plant. The police helicopter tried to provide air support, but a large plant shot from the ground and grabbed hold of it, vines reaching inside and immobilizing it and its occupants. The officers on the ground fired their weapons at their attackers, but they were proving to be ineffective at best. At the same time, Gordon watched as the first teenager was joined by a young blond man, similarly garbed in a grey suit. To his surprise, both teenagers stepped in front of the criminals, not even flinching as the rubber bullets struck their bodies. Gordon could even swear that he saw a pink and white sheen cover their bodies like a force field.

Then, the pair moved. Far too fast for him to even react, they lunged towards an officer each and struck them in the chest. Ribs broke with loud pops as they were sent flying into the wall. With a series of expert moves, the pair punched and kicked the officers into submission, putting them down with one or two blows while tanking any attacks sent their way. Gordon could see that the Asian boy was moving with far more grace than his partner, but the blond's blows were stronger and he was reacting less to the hits that landed on him. Soon it was only Gordon left, and he fired the last of his revolver into the blond's back before it clicked empty.

Undeterred, Gordon threw the weapon then charged, trying to tackle the boy and bring him down, but the teenager barely even budged. Instead, he picked Gordon up by the throat and slammed him into the wall, the Asian boy joining him as they stared deeply into his eyes. Despite his precarious position, Gordon continued to punch and kick, trying to free himself, then he saw the Asian boy place his hand on the blond's shoulder. For a split second, the color drained from their bodies, and their blank expressions shifted to quiet despair. More importantly, he recognized the silent plea for help that they were sending, and knowing that this break in Ivy's control would only last for a moment, Gordon reached into his pocket and pulled out a small tracker that Batman had planted on him long ago. He slipped it into the blond's front pocket, and a faint look of gratitude formed on both boys before the color returned and they once again became expressionless.

Without saying a word, the blond threw Gordon to the side, slamming him against the wall of the staircase leading up to the front doors. He rolled down them, coming to a stop on the cold concrete that was promptly broken apart by roots that encased him. His vision went in and out, but he forced himself to stay conscious rather than succumb to it. He did, however, manage to make himself look the part, fooling the villains into thinking he was unconscious.

"I think that's all of them, Ivy," King Shark called out as he walked towards her with Psycho in tow. A now recovered Clayface did as well, and he looked around with a smile on his face. Psycho, meanwhile, scoffed and shook his head.

"What I don't understand is why you didn't let us kill them. Would've been so much easier if we could," he pointed out, rubbing his shoulder where Montoya had hit him. Either not noticing or not caring, Clayface slapped his hand on that exact same shoulder, and smiled while Doctor Psycho audibly gasped in pain.

"Why, good Doctor! It is quite simple! The GCPD, although woefully misguided, are not our enemies today! Indeed, our enemy is the most wicked of all! Corporate America," he dramatically regaled while shaking his fist.

"Right…" Psycho replied, slowly removing Clayface's hand from his body to walk away. He stood before the two captive teenagers and whistled appreciatively. "Gotta say though Ivy. I take it back when I said giving up the thirty plus guys we already got for them was a bad trade. These kids are tough. Shame we couldn't get the girls, though. They would've been fun."

The way the diminutive supervillain said that made Gordon scowl, as did the others. Before they could react, however, the blond kid abruptly punched Doctor Psycho on the cheek, sending him to the ground and leaving a nasty bruise.

"Gagh! Jesus!" Psycho cursed, picking himself back up while the other villains merely laughed. Angered, Psycho turned towards Ivy while pointing towards them. "Did you see that?!"

"Yes, I did," Ivy replied with a smile. She walked over and patted the boy on the cheek. "Good boy."

"'Good!' He punched me!"

"And if he hadn't, I was going to, you misogynistic troll," Ivy shot back, sending him a glare that sent him aback. After a moment, he grumbled.

"I'll go get the culprits," he said. Ivy nodded, and Gordon turned his gaze towards the parked van, where Doctor Psycho telepathically reached inside and grabbed the missing board of directors. They were bound and gagged, not even able to resist as the supervillain brought them closer and closer. Ivy smiled in a way that promised nothing but nature's wrath, and she turned around and sashayed towards the door.

"Jaune, Ren, if you dears could break down these doors?" she politely asked.

"Yes, Ivy," both boys replied, walking up to the gates and kicking them open with enough force to shatter the hinges.

"So polite! Psycho, you should take notes on how to be a proper gentleman from them," Ivy remarked as she walked inside, the apparently named Jaune and Ren walking alongside her. Doctor Psycho grumbled under his breath as he, King Shark, and Clayface carried the board members further inside and out of sight.

---

When Batman and the others finally arrived at ACE Chemicals, they immediately knew they were too late. Instead of an army of GCPD officers, they were greeted by their broken, unconscious bodies, all tied up in thick vines. Red Hood and Batgirl were already there, hovering over different officers and scanning them with a handheld tool. Next to them, sitting on the ground and nursing a nasty bruise over his eye, was Commissioner Gordon, a pile of cleaved vines next to him.

"Check them," he said, getting out of the Batmobile and immediately moving towards the nearest officer. Robin, Pyrrha, and Nora did the same, checking different officers' vitals and administering aid. Frustration coursed through Batman's veins and he clenched his fist. The only consolation they could find was that the officers were only unconscious. They would require stays in the hospital, some more extensively than others, but they'd live. Batman then moved over to Gordon, who stood up with a wince to look the Caped Crusader in the eye.

"How are they?" Gordon immediately asked.

"They'll live," Batman answered, and Gordon let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank Christ. God, what a mess," Gordon said, rubbing his forehead then running his fingers through his hair. "They destroyed us, Batman. We might as well have not even been here for all the good it did. I don't even know if using lethal instead would've made a difference."

Batman quickly figured why Gordon made that call, and he placed his hand on Gordon's uninjured shoulder in support. "You did the right thing, Jim. Don't blame yourself."

"Don't worry, I'm not. Just a little pissed off," Gordon admitted, then he glanced over at Pyrrha and Nora. Batman followed his gaze, and the Commissioner continued, "Those the two Jaune and Ren were with?"

"Yes," Batman answered.

"Figured. Doctor Psycho talked about them. Apparently, they wanted all four. But something tells me you already knew that."

Batman didn't reply, giving Gordon all he needed. He nodded, then reached into his pocket and said, "One more thing. Remember that tracker you slipped on me a while back? Well, not only did I find it, I managed to slip it to one of them."

"You gave it to them?" Pyrrha asked, having perked up to the conversation when her partner was mentioned. She also pointedly ignored the fact that Batman had apparently put a tracker on Gordon at some point, as did Nora while Batman's protégés could only sigh in exasperation.

"I did, yes," Gordon answered, turning his head to look at Pyrrha. "Whatever Ivy pumped into them, it wasn't enough. Not entirely, at least. They managed to resist a few times, once to silently urge me for help, and the other to punch Psycho in the face when he made a suggestive comment about you two."

"Which one did the punching?" Nora asked.

"Who's the blond one?"

"That would be Jaune."

"Then it was him."

"Good boy, Jaune," Nora replied, nodding in approval.

"They also got to ACE's board before we could secure them, then brought them here. I don't think I need to spell out what they're going to do."

Gordon was correct in his assessment, although they were more concerned about the status of their friends. Batman, meanwhile, inserted the tracker into his gauntlet and tapped a few keys on the holographic display. A moment later, a map of the chemical plant appeared on the corners of their HUDs.

"We are here," Batman pointed out, highlighting small icons of their insignias at the front entrance of ACE Chemicals. "Jaune, and presumably Ren, Poison Ivy, and the others, are here."

A single white dot blinked on the map as it moved along the hallways.

"Looks like they're going to the main vats," Red Hood pointed out. "If I was going to execute corrupt board members for harming the environment, that's where I'd do it. Give them a taste of their own medicine."

"Probably what Ivy's going for," Gordon replied, and the superheroes nodded. Batgirl then tapped on her holographic display projected from her gauntlet, highlighting a series of airducts and walkways that intersected on their path.

"Hmm, yes," Pyrrha motioned, tracing a path from their current position that intercepted the villains just before the main vat room. "If we hurry, we can cut them off here."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Nora insisted, bringing Magnhild to her chest in emphasis. Batman nodded in agreement, then he turned to Gordon who sat back down, wincing as his back brushed against the brick wall.

"As much as it pains me to admit it, I'm in no position to go with you," Gordon said. "Not yet, at least. You go on, I'll catch up later and call for backup."

Pyrrha nodded, then replied, "Stay safe, Commissioner."

"Wasn't planning on it," Gordon admitted. A small smile graced her's and Nora's lips, then the heroes looked up towards a grated air vent on the side of the building. Batman pulled out his Bat-Claw, fired a line onto it, then pulled as hard as he could. After a few moments, the grate gave way and fell to the ground with a clatter, allowing the superheroes to enter the narrow passageway unopposed. Batman, however, did not join them.

"My suit is too heavy, and I'll give away our position," he revealed. "I'll follow them through here. Attack when I give the signal."

"Yes, father," Robin replied, the radio cutting away as they went silent. Batman nodded, spying their movements through the walls and ceilings with his detective vision. He then heard a gruff cough coming from Gordon, and Batman turned around to see the Commissioner light up a cigarette then breathe out a cloud of white smoke.

Without saying a word, Batman ran off through the broken front doors of the chemical plant, his HUD highlighting mud-like residue that came from Clayface's footsteps. They created an easy trail for him to follow, as was the devastation they left in their wake. Thick sprouts of wood, vines, and other foliage were thrust through every wall, window, and doorway that the criminals had passed, and Batman could only sigh in disappointment. Although he genuinely sympathized with Ivy and her motivations, she cared little for the collateral damage and repercussions her plans left in their wake. More often than not, repercussions that put innocent people in danger, something he couldn't let happen. While he would definitely bring ACE's board to justice, he would not risk anyone's life to do it. She had to be stopped before it got to that point.

Finally, he neared the intersection point, and he crouched behind a wall and peeked out through the shattered remains of the doors. They opened to a large, open atrium with two floors. The second floor was more of a series of catwalks that lined the outer wall with a central bridge going longways across the chasm. His focus, however, was on the collection of individuals that huddled around a computer interface. King Shark was leaning over it, his massive fingers delicately interacting with its electronics as they tried to open the main doors.

"Tell me again why we can't just kick these down like we did the others?" Doctor Psycho impatiently asked, tapping his feet.

"Because, if we try to break in the old fashioned way, the security system will kick in and close all the vats. Making it nearly impossible to do what we want," King Shark answered.

"Hmmph," Psycho grunted, walking away while continuing to telepathically carry the board members, six in total, in the air over his head. Batman's HUD noted their heartbeats, and all were well over 140 bpm. They were terrified, as they had every right to be.

Pulling out a batarang, Batman started scanning the room to find anything he could use. At the same time, scattered around the various air vents that lined the ceiling, he saw the other superheroes readying themselves. He noted how agitated Nora in particular was, but was confident she'd be able to hold herself back.

"Relax, Psycho," Ivy insisted, idly checking her nails as she patiently waited.

"Well excuse me for wanting to hurry up and get the hell out of here before the freaking Bat shows up," he pointed out, and Ivy laughed.

"Oh, Psycho. You don't need to worry about that," Ivy said, then slowly turned her head towards the opened doorway. "He's already here."

Batman immediately broke from cover, throwing his batarang at Ivy which was intercepted by Ren's quick reflexes. The Mistralian boy deftly caught the projectile in between his fingers, while Ivy manipulated the plants around Batman to wrap themselves around him. He struggled, but quickly found himself immobilized. With a smile on her face, Ivy brought Batman towards her, while the other villains maneuvered to surround Batman from all sides.

"Hello, Batman," Ivy greeted.

"Pamela," Batman replied, his voice slightly muffled by the rebreather attached to his cowl. Rather than showing annoyance, she sashayed over to him and ran her finger across the insignia on his chest, all the while both stared into the other's eyes.

"Tell me, where are the others? I know they're here," Pamela asked.

"I'm taking you down on my own," Batman denied, completely unphased by his predicament, and Ivy chuckled.

"I doubt it, but at the same time, I can totally see you going that route. You always were the type of man to insist upon doing everything yourself." She smiled. "I feel the same way."

"We're nothing alike."

"You and I are more alike than you like to admit, and you know it," she insisted, pushing herself up on her toes while lowering Batman slightly. "I can see it in your eyes. You want these men brought to justice just as much as I do."

"Not at the risk of hurting innocent people," Batman declared, narrowing his eyes. "I know what you're planning to do. Killing ACE's board will not repair the damage they did. They need to stand trial."

"For men like them, a trial would be pointless," she insisted, but Batman frowned.

"Not in my eyes," Batman growled. Rather than be taken aback, Ivy merely laughed.

"This is what I like about you. Batman. You're so determined and strong-willed. It's a very attractive trait."

"Okay, do we need to go into another room or…?" Psycho cut in, audibly gagging. Ivy shot him a look, then sighed and stepped away.

"Alright, I've had my fun," she said. "Unfortunately, Batman, I do have work that desperately needs to be done."

She looked towards King Shark, who nodded and went back to the control panel. He pressed a few more keys, allowing Batman to look through the grated window into the infamous vat chamber where ACE brewed its products.

"You know, to be honest keeping those things open is a massive safety hazard," King Shark pointed out as he continued to type away.

"Yeah well, both Joker and Harley were born here, so frankly this place should've been shut down years ago. Don't bother protesting, Batman. You know I'm right," Ivy replied just the light above the door turned green. She prepared to move, but Batman interrupted her.

"Ivy," he called out, causing the supervillain to stop in her tracks and turn to face him. She tilted her head, more out of amusement than anything, and Batman furrowed his brow. "You're right. You and I are alike, but there's one key difference."

"Oh? And what might that be?" she asked, a flirtatious smile blossoming across her face.

"I keep my focus and don't get distracted."

She raised her eyebrow in surprise, then she saw the batarang Ren was still holding beep red. A moment later, it exploded into a cloud of smoke, obscuring their view and giving the signal for the others to engage.

"Give me back my man!" Nora shouted as she burst from the air duct, firing grenades from Magnhild towards Poison Ivy. Jaune reacted immediately, throwing himself before his captor and tanking the blow, rocking him back and sending him into a metal wall. Nora winced both from sympathy and regret, but she didn't have long to ruminate before a tree burst from a window and smacked her away like a fly.

Pyrrha and the others, however, were able to maneuver out of harm's way, the Crimson Guardian by using her Semblance on her armor to push herself out of the way while the others used their suits' built in gliders combined with grappling guns. At the same time, the Gothamites threw an array of batarangs towards the supervillains, many of them exploding into smoke and obscuring the room even further.

"God, I can't see shit!" Doctor Psycho cursed, trying to use his telekinesis to push the smoke away. There was too much, however, which allowed the heroes the opportunity to rejoin Batman on the ground. Red Hood fired his pistols into the smoke as Batgirl ran forward. She was able to strike Doctor Psycho a few times while King Shark absorbed the live rounds without even flinching as he hastily worked on the control pad, activating the ventilation system. Batgirl was then flung away by a thick vine as Clayface expanded himself like a shield, forcing Red Hood to stop firing. He grumbled, reloading his weapons before rejoining his team.

Robin cut the vines holding Batman hostage apart with his sword, and Batman landed on his knee before standing upright as the smoke was sucked into the ventilation. Once it was fully cleared, both groups of adversaries glared at each other, the heroes spreading themselves apart and aiming their weapons at the villains. The heroes were the picture of focused calm, while the villains shared slightly nervous looks among themselves.

Pyrrha and Nora, however, were focused on Jaune and Ren. Jaune had just pulled himself from the wall he was accidentally blasted into, joining Ren in safeguarding Poison Ivy from attack. The other villains were doing the same, but from the corner of their eye they saw King Shark type a few keys from behind his back. A moment later, the light above the safety doors leading to the chemical vats turned green and the doors themselves slid open. The heroes immediately knew what the villains were going to try and attempt, but before they could move to intervene, Clayface suddenly swung his arms while extending them, turning them into makeshift whips that forced the heroes to jump over or slide under.

"Ivy, go! We'll handle these ruffians!" Clayface shouted, focusing on Batman and Robin as he turned into a giant ball of mud and rolled towards them. They were able to dodge to the sides, and Clayface's momentum carried him forward and out through the wall and into an adjacent courtyard.

Batman and Robin ran after him while Poison Ivy immediately took off towards the opened door, Jaune and Ren staying with her to provide protection. Nora and Pyrrha gave chase, but King Shark charged them from the side and slammed them against the wall. The tiles were dented inward, the edges separating from the others from the force of the impact. At the same time, Ivy locked the door from her side, preventing anyone from coming after her, Jaune, or Ren.

"Now, I know you want to protect your friends, and I get that, but you ain't going in there. Not til we're done," King Shark growled, holding the girls up by the scruff of their necks and pining them in place. They struggled and kicked, but to their surprise it wasn't doing much. King Shark merely laughed.

"Girls, I can take on Aquaman. There's no—" King Shark was interrupted by Nora delivering a haymaker to the side of his head. He was stunned for a moment, giving Pyrrha enough time to use her Semblance on the metal sheeting around them. She threw them into the humanoid shark, forcing him to let go of the Remnantians and step back and shield himself with his massive arms. No longer being held up, Pyrrha and Nora fell to the ground, but they were able to land on their feet, quickly grab their weapons, and charge towards King Shark with mighty yells.

When they swung their weapons towards him, however, King Shark merely grabbed Miló by the blade and Magnhild by the shaft, then he glared at both of them with pitch black eyes.

"Okay, now I'm mad," he calmly said, then he roared at the top of his lungs before swinging them around and hurling them across the entire room. He charged forward, his heavy footsteps creating dents in the metal floor as Pyrrha and Nora flipped themselves in mid-air to land on their feet and slide to a stop. When they recovered, they too charged towards King Shark, meeting him head on.

At the same time, Red Hood and Batgirl ran around Doctor Psycho as he attempted to hit them with telekinetic blasts. Despite his diminutive and unimposing stature, they knew not to take him lightly. He normally took on Wonder Woman, and even she had trouble dealing with the raging misogynist from time to time. Speaking of, Red Hood couldn't help but notice that a slight majority of the attacks were being aimed straight towards his adoptive sister, and he growled in anger as he reloaded his pistols and began opening fire.

Using ripped away panels of metal as shields, Doctor Psycho managed to block the bullets then throw one of the panels towards Red Hood with a horizontal spin. Red Hood jump-flipped over it, firing two shots from his pistols as he landed on the ground. One of them went wide, but the other grazed Psycho's arm and caused a small squirt of red blood to fly out.

"Aagh!" Psycho screeched, turning to glare at Red Hood as the vigilante continued to charge at him. The supervillain prepared to counter, but then Batgirl managed to jump through the swirling shield of metal that surrounded Doctor Psycho and kick him in the head. He grunted in pain and surprise, then snarled at Batgirl as he telekinetically grabbed hold of her.

"You stupid bitch! Know your place!" Psycho hissed, then hurled her into Red Hood and sent both sprawling to the ground. They managed to recover quickly, however, and rested on their hands and feet before shooting each other a look.

"So, do you want him or can I…?" Red Hood asked. The silent look that Batgirl gave was enough of an answer for him, and he nodded in understanding. "Fair enough. Kick his ass."

Batgirl nodded, then together the two vigilantes charged towards Doctor Psycho as he ripped more metal sheets out of the ground and cackled maniacally.

Outside in the courtyard, Batman and Robin threw batarangs at Clayface as he engaged in combat with them. In contrast with his normally boisterous and jubilant personality, here Clayface was deadly serious, focusing on nothing more than taking the two heroes down. He was pulling out all the stops, extending himself in all directions to box Batman and Robin in, crush them with giant fists, or simply beat them to a pulp.

Unfortunately for the supervillain, Batman and Robin were proving to be far too mobile for him to hit. He shot an extended fist towards Robin, only for the Boy Wonder to dodge to the side and cleave it in two with his sword. The dismembered hand squirmed on the ground as Clayface retracted his arm, frowning in anger as Robin charged him with his sword reared back.

"Begone!" Clayface shouted as Robin got close, only for Robin to duck under his fist and swing his sword up his chest. The sharp blade split Clayface from the hip to the shoulder, with only a sliver of mud keeping it together. He looked upon himself in horror, then smirked knowingly as muddy tendrils shot into both halves of his body and pulled himself back together. At the same time, a river of mud flowed around Robin's foot as Clayface's body reassembled, and Robin narrowed his eyes as Clayface enlarged his hands and prepared to slam them together against him.

Suddenly, a pair of blue cylindric grenades were thrown into Clayface's chest. Robin immediately shot away as Clayface frantically tried to dig them out, but they exploded into a cloud of sub-zero gas. Clayface's upper right body and arm were frozen solid, the rest of his body going stiff and preventing him from stopping Batman and Robin as they converged onto him. Robin hacked off his arm with one swipe of his sword while Batman pummeled Clayface's chest. The frozen chunks shattered under the blows, freeing Clayface from the confines and allowing him to back away.

"Aaah, you fiends!" Clayface accused dramatically. "How dare you?!"

"You know why," Robin shot back, wiping away the mud from his sword while Batman pulled out another grenade. Clayface then roared in anger, enlarging his body into a massive sphere as he rolled towards him. As before, Batman and Robin dived to the side, but not before they each sprayed explosive gel onto the concrete where they stood. As Clayface rolled over it, the two heroes detonated the gel, sending chunks of Clayface's body spraying in all directions.

"Robin, now!" Batman yelled, tossing his freeze grenades into every chunk he could. Robin did the same, and before long the entire courtyard was covered in large, disparate chunks of ice. They were everywhere; on the walls, floors, benches and even a few plants. Each chunk contained a sliver of Clayface's body, and only when every spot of clay was frozen did they relax.

"Oh, well this is quite the conundrum," Clayface admitted as his partially frozen head sat alone in the middle of the courtyard, sitting right in the center of where the explosion went off. Robin walked up to him and picked up his head, glaring into it as Clayface gave a worried chuckle.

"…Please be careful. I'm afraid that in this state I'm quite—" Clayface started, only for Robin to drop the head without saying a word. The ice shattered, only this time Clayface couldn't help but let out a gasp of pain. "—fragile…"

"Robin, secure Clayface then rejoin me back inside," Batman said, turning around to run back into the chemical plant.

"Of course, father," Damian replied, freezing the reassembled head of Clayface despite his shouts of protest, then he ran back inside to rejoin his comrades. To his relief, the fight was mostly winding down. A satisfied Red Hood stood over a bola-tied Doctor Psycho as Batgirl repeatedly pummeled him. Knowing just who Doctor Psycho was, they let them be as they instead focused their attention on Nora and Pyrrha.

Unlike the others, their fight was still ongoing. It had spread to the upper floor of the room, King Shark's massive bulk causing the part of the walkway he was standing on to dangerously shift and groan. At the same time, Pyrrha and Nora were attacking him from both sides, alternatively hitting and shooting at him in an attempt to keep the humanoid shark distracted.

"Raagh!" Nora yelled, swinging Magnhild left and right into King Shark's head. He rolled with the blows, and on the return swing he grabbed the weapon with his teeth and ripped it from Nora's hands. He then punched her back with enough force to send her bouncing along the walkway, but before he could pursue her, Pyrrha jumped onto his back, aimed Miló at his gills, and repeatedly fired. He thrashed and roared in pain, trying to claw her off, but Pyrrha held on tightly to his dorsal fin and continued to fire. This allowed Nora time to grab Magnhild, then she activated her suit's built in batteries and sent electricity coursing through her body. The Pink Lightning could feel the power build in her muscles, and with one approving nod from Pyrrha, Nora charged towards King Shark just as the Crimson Guardian kicked off.

Not expecting the sudden shift, King Shark stumbled forward straight into Nora's path. He barely even had time to comprehend what was about to happen when Magnhild struck his jaw. A loud crack shot through the room as his teeth shattered. He was sent flying through the railing, splitting the connecting bridge apart as his body flipped through the air until he finally collided with the wall on the opposite side of the room. With a dull thud, he landed on his back, completely unconscious. Without missing a beat, Pyrrha used her Semblance on several guardrails, using them to wrap King Shark in tight binds from head to toe, completely immobilizing him.

Only the sound of Batgirl's fist striking Psycho's face could be heard now, alongside the occasional gasping of breath from the tired heroes. Then, with one final punch, Batgirl knocked Doctor Psycho out, and only then did she get off of him and back away. Red Hood was already at the control panel, his fingers dancing across the keys as he attempted to open the lock, but to no avail.

"Damn, she's locked it down. I can't get it open," he said, continuing to type away. Nora frowned, then noticed an electrical panel next to the door. She walked over to it and ripped it open, then grabbed hold of the power conduits and ripped them out. Sparks of electricity shot out, not even phasing Nora as the lights flickered on and off before the light above the door went out. She then placed her fingers along the seam and dug them in, the metal bending under her strength as she pulled it open with a loud squeal.

"There. Opened," she declared, walking off to the side and gesturing towards it. The other heroes stared at her in slight shock before Batman nodded in approval.

"Good work, Pink Lightning," Batman stated, then turned back to the others and gestured with his hand. "Crimson Guardian, with me. Red Hood, Robin, Batgirl, stay here and secure the suspects."

"Why are you calling them suspects? We know they did it," Nora pointed out, then Pyrrha leaned in and whispered.

"People are presumed innocent until proven guilty, Nora," Pyrrha pointed out. Nora shot her a look and prepared to argue, but then she gave it up and sighed. She had more important things to worry about, after all. Robin, Batgirl, and Red Hood, however, were not as accepting.

"Wait, hold up. Why are you taking them and not us?" Red Hood demanded with a hard glare, but Batman stared right back calmly.

"Poison Ivy, Jaune, and Ren are all Beta-ranked metahumans. None of you are properly equipped to handle them," he pointed out.

"Ooh, we're ranked Beta?" Nora asked, feeling a slight twinge of pride at the classification. There were five levels of metahuman classification on Earth, ranging from Epsilon, which were barely above street level, to Alphas, which were akin to gods and demi-gods. Of course, there were also the much rarer Omega ranked metahumans, which boasted Superman, Wonder Woman, and the Flash among their rank, but those were few and far between. To hear that they were ranked that highly felt good to the Huntresses, but none of Batman's protégés felt convinced.

"And you are?" Robin asked. Batman stared silently from behind his armored Batsuit's cowl, and slowly Robin conceded the point.

"Fine, but that doesn't mean I have to like it," he admitted.

"I sure as hell don't!" Red Hood protested. "In case you've forgotten, all of us have faced Ivy before. What makes this any different?"

Batman answered immediately, "Before, we didn't have to worry about leaving three Gamma-ranked metahumans unattended and risk their escape, especially when half the GCPD was rendered incapacitated."

Almost as though in response, they saw King Shark's head twitch as he slowly came back into consciousness. The heroes all looked at him, and Nora walked over to bash him in the head again to ensure he stayed knocked out. Red Hood looked at the captured villains then back at Batman before finally sighing in reluctant acceptance. Batman nodded, then looked at the two Huntresses.

"Let's move," he ordered, and together the three ran through the pried open door and into the vat chamber.

They could see the damage Poison Ivy had wrought as they travelled along the catwalk, following Jaune's tracker into the main boiler room. Thick vines and wooden trunks were sprouting through walls and metal grates, creating a sense that nature was finally reclaiming this place. It created a haunting atmosphere, especially as they eyed large colorful flowers that were forming on the plants themselves.

"Stay on your guard," Batman said as he reached into his utility belt and pulled out a string of grenades. He tossed them to Nora, then explained, "Herbicide grenades for Magnhild."

"Huh, you really do plan for everything, don't ya?" Nora replied, loading the grenades into her weapon one at a time.

The group then stopped as they noticed a large pink flower blocking the entrance into the boiler room. Without missing a beat, Nora stepped forward and chambered one of the herbicide grenades, then fired it into the heart of the plant. To her surprise, the plant shrieked in pain as it withered and died under the cloud of green gas. Around them, the other flowers they had passed moved agitatedly before turning their heads towards the heroes. Despite not having eyes, they could feel the animalistic and hungry glares they were receiving, then one by one the plants opened their petals, revealing razor sharp thorns that looked like teeth. A green fluid dripped from their maws which none of them could quite identify, but their attentions were focused on the freshly digested corpses that fell from them into the vats below. They didn't even have a chance to identify them as they disappeared into the multicolored pools with a loud splash, but they knew who they were.

Nora scowled, for a second not seeing green, but red, white, and black instead, then clenched her fist before firing the rest of her grenades into every plant she could. Like the first, they shrieked before shriveling up and dying, and only once every single one was dead did the heroes turn around and walk back towards the boiler.

"Nora," Pyrrha whispered as Batman pulled out a device to open the locked door, "you take Jaune. I'll take Ren."

"Why?" Nora asked, shifting Magnhild in her hands.

"We shouldn't make this any harder on ourselves than we have to," Pyrrha replied. Nora looked at her teammate for a moment, then nodded. Pyrrha was right, in more ways than one, but before she could ruminate further Batman managed to get the doors opened.

He stood back up and handed her another belt of herbicide grenades as they entered the room, which was now covered in a layer of vegetation from the floor to the roof. Several carnivorous flowers could be seen scattered along the walls and floor, the thickest forming along the main chamber. Sitting in front of it in a flower throne was Poison Ivy, her skin now tinted green from exertion of her powers. Jaune and Ren were standing next to her protectively, staring at their partners with impassive expressions.

"Hello, Batman," Poison Ivy greeted, angling her body to accentuate herself, then looked at Pyrrha and Nora. "Pyrrha and Nora, was it? I must say, these two boys of yours are quite the catch. They've proven to be fine gentlemen, and any girl would be lucky to have them all to their own. Makes me a little jealous."

"Find your own!" Nora shouted, aiming her weapon at Poison Ivy only for Ren to block her aim. Nora flinched; even with his Aura, she couldn't bring herself to just drench Ren in poison. She lowered the barrel in despair while sending her childhood love a pleading look, and Poison Ivy could only chuckle.

"I meant what I said before. I had every intention of giving them back once I was done. You don't need to worry about me stealing your boyfriends," Ivy admitted, then turned to focus on Pyrrha as she silently grasped Nora's shoulder and placed herself slightly in front of her distressed teammate.

"But, of course, I couldn't help but get a little curious about you all. So I asked, and they answered." Ivy paused then chuckled while shaking her head. "Well, mostly. Psycho attempted to use them to discover your identity, Batman, but they just ignored him, and you intervened before I could get any answers myself. Was it because Psycho was the one asking, or are they just that strong willed? At this point, it doesn't really matter, does it?"

"It does to us," Pyrrha refuted, her tone coldly calm and her expression unreadable behind her helmet. As Poison Ivy focused on the champion, Batman surreptitiously reached behind his back while scanning the room for anything of use. To his displeasure, he noticed that every fixture of metal beyond a certain size was covered in vegetation, which would restrict large-scale uses of Crimson Guardian's Semblance. It was the same for any sources of electrical power, so there was nothing for Pink Lightning to take advantage of, either.

"You've crossed more than one line tonight, murderer," Pyrrha pronounced, her words sharped and clipped. "I don't care about your reasons for doing this, and I'm not in the mood for any of the monologues or banter you villains love so much. This is your one chance. Give. Our friends. Back."

By the end of her demand, Pyrrha's teeth were grit into a near snarl behind her helmet's rebreather, but Ivy only chuckled.

"Oh, just 'friends,' is it? I'm guessing the date I crashed didn't pan out?" Ivy said. Pyrrha frowned, not just because of what the villain said, but also because of how she said it. Miló's blade warped and twisted for a second, and the light near her seemed to darken as the metal of the building groaned and shifted around them even under the vegetation holding it down. Then she breathed deeply and it all suddenly ceased. With a focused intensity to her eyes, she looked back up to Ivy's throne.

"No. Jaune isn't just my friend," Pyrrha admitted. "He's my best friend, you fucking bitch. And that's all I need him to be!"

Taking Pyrrha's uncharacteristically strong words as his cue, Batman hurled a pair of batarangs towards Poison Ivy. She ducked, and the batarangs embedded themselves into to the flower and unleashed an intense charge of electricity that caused the plants around them to shriek in pain. Ivy snarled in anger, then raised her arms back to direct a pair of arm-like vines from the flower she was sitting on as Jaune and Ren hopped over the vine-covered railing to take the battle straight to their partners. Batman, using his grappling gun, zipped over to close the distance against Poison Ivy only to hastily redirect himself as the vine arms shot towards him.

As much as it pained them to do it, Pyrrha and Nora rushed to give battle, actual battle, against Jaune and Ren. They traded blows; ones far stronger than they had ever given during one any of their many sparring sessions.

Nora intercepted Jaune as he rushed towards Pyrrha, slamming Magnhild into his chest and sending him hurtling back. Thinking to cure him immediately while he was dazed, she pounced on his prone form, rummaging for the antidote and raising it high while reinforcing the needle with her Aura as much as she could. She swung the injector down to his exposed neck, hoping that it would be enough to make it through his unfocused Aura just long enough to inject him. To her displeasure, the needle bounced off Jaune's skin thanks to his Aura not wavering like she expected. She frowned as she quickly pocketed it, but in doing so gave Jaune enough of an opening to put his feet under him and push up. Nora jumped from his back as he surged to his feet beneath her like one of the initiation launch pads, slipping back to open distance as he turned to face her.

She moved before he could, spinning her hammer in a circle to trip Jaune with its shaft, then swung it up and over to hammer it hard into his chest with enough force to rip apart the vegetation around them and form a small crater. The vines quickly reformed, however, and Jaune kipped-up to his feet faster than she anticipated. She frowned, seeing none of the clumsy goofball she called her friend and leader, but she forced those thoughts to the side as she charged towards him with a mighty yell.

At the same time, Pyrrha fought against Ren on the opposite side of the room. She was blocking his Aura-boosted strikes with the flat of her blade and the face of her shield. Although Pyrrha could feel the blows, they weren't doing much and she was able to counter effectively. She swiped with Miló and bashed forward with Akoúo̱, sending Ren's body reeling with each blow. Ren may be the single best martial artist among their two teams, but Pyrrha was still the best fighter of their entire class, and she was putting everything she had learned and experienced up until now into this fight. Not out of a sense of competition, or even a desire to stop wrongdoing. She only wanted to end the fight against Jaune and Ren as fast as possible, then she could focus her righteous wrath onto Poison Ivy. Part of her felt she might not be able to control herself, but the rest didn't care.

Turning Miló into a spear, she planted it against the ground and pole-vaulted into Ren, her kick sending him rolling back. He was able to land on his feet, however, only for Pyrrha to immediately throw Akoúo̱ into his gut. He caught it with his body, the air forcibly pushed out of his lungs, but when Pyrrha attempted to rush him with Miló raised backward for a stab, Ren shot his focused gaze into hers. In a fluid motion, one far faster than she expected, Ren dodged slightly to the side, causing Pyrrha's attack to miss entirely. She barely had time to register when Ren kneed her in the stomach. Spittle shot out, splattering against the inside of her rebreather, then Ren followed with a chop to the base of her neck. Her ears rang and her vision flashed, and before she knew it, Ren had jumped up to deliver three spin kicks in rapid succession. On the third, she flew back, slamming into a wall and sliding down.

When she recovered and got back to her feet, Ren was already charging at her. With a frown on her face, Pyrrha met him head on, but instead of her attacks managing to make contact, Ren was now nimbly dodging them at the last second, shooting quick jabs to her torso and joints. An attempted shield bash was met with a palm thrust to her elbow, throwing it off course and allowing him to follow up with an elbow to her face. A stab rotated away after he caught the blade between both hands, and with his momentum he kicked her head and sent her stumbling away. Pyrrha staggered, but barely had time to recover when Ren was on her, continuing his relentless assault.

Nora was also beginning to experience trouble. Her earlier observation of Jaune was proving to be accurate. In his mind-controlled state, there was none of the awkward klutz she knew and loved. Instead, it was only a calm, focused warrior utterly dedicated to putting her down, one that was able to tank her blows and keep on going. When she swung Magnhild wide, instead of dodging he merely braced himself, allowing the hammer to strike him in the chest directly. His body shifted and his feet dug into the overgrown floor, but to her shock he was able to remain standing instead of being sent flying. More importantly, he took advantage of her over-extended stance to grab Magnhild's shaft and punch as hard as he could into her diaphragm. The air was knocked out of her lungs as she was carried slightly upwards, her feet leaving the ground as Jaune then pulled Magnhild towards him. She was carried with it, and he clotheslined her and sent her flipping head over feet.

She landed on her stomach, bouncing a few times before settling. Nora barely had time to roll out of the way before Jaune attempted to jump-slam her, the force of his blow denting the metal. She backed away with a few heavy breaths, Jaune slowly turning around to glare at her with bright green eyes. Nora's breathing steadied, then she yelled as she ran towards Jaune with her hammer held high, swinging it down just as Jaune raised his arms above his head. The hammer struck them, the blow forming a dent beneath Jaune's feet, but if he cared about the pain he didn't show it as he followed it up with a powerful headbutt. Nora staggered back, then he tackled her and carried her straight into the metal wall. Jaune threw punch after punch within her guard, but she pulled her hammer's trigger and the blast of herbicide from its face allowed her to clip his temple with the back-spike despite the lack of leverage. The pause in his assault allowed her to collapse Magnhild back into her launcher, then angle it so that when she extended it again, the unfolding pommel went straight into his gut and shoved him back. She fell to the ground, her head a little dizzy, but otherwise she was fine.

It was then that Ren struck Pyrrha with an explosive palm strike, something he normally kept in reserve as a carefully applied finishing move to avoid wasting energy. In his current state, however, he was under no such restrictions, and Pyrrha's weapons were ripped from her hands as she slammed against the wall next to Nora.

"Guardian, this isn't working," Nora said, helping Pyrrha up as the two boys walked menacingly towards them.

"Ugh…I noticed," Pyrrha admitted, cursing herself for her blunder. In her effort to reduce the emotional pain of fighting their actual partners, or lover in Nora's case, she hadn't considered how bad the matchups actually were. Ren had no metal on him whatsoever, preventing her from using her Semblance to manipulate his attacks away from her like she normally did, and he was naturally nimble enough to both dodge her own attacks and strike where she couldn't defend. His knowledge of Aura-techniques far exceeded her own as well, which only added to the bursts of damage he could dish out, even if it wasn't sustainable.

Nora, in contrast, had unconsciously formed an image in her head of Jaune as the weakest among them. A friendly and dependable anchor for their team, yes, but still not really that much of a threat on his own. After spending months training with him constantly, both on Remnant then on Earth, not to mention all the training he had gotten with the other superheroes, however, Pyrrha knew that Jaune wasn't a pushover anymore. He wasn't the best, by any means, but he was now a competent fighter. The fighter with the largest Aura reserves among them. This allowed him to tank the blows from Nora that would've otherwise sent people flying, where he then took advantage of how open her fighting style left her.

"We're not getting anywhere like this," Pyrrha pointed out, frowning then shooting a look towards Nora. Nora looked back, then nodded in silent acknowledgement as they both knew what had to be done. They felt their hearts sink, but they had no choice. Pyrrha then used her Semblance on Miló and Akoúo̱ to recall them, and both she and Nora charged forwards to face the boys head on. They ran as well, but at the last second, they switched targets. Nora went after Ren while Pyrrha went after Jaune, which threw the boys off balance as they tried to adjust.

"Ren, I just want you to know, this is going to hurt me much more than it's going to hurt you," Nora insisted, meaning every word as she slammed Magnhild into Ren's chest. He was sent flying into a vine-covered wall, splintering some of the wood and falling to the ground with a hard clunk. Nora winced, and added, "I'm so sorry, Ren."

Pyrrha, meanwhile, focused on trying to subdue as fast as possible, taking full advantage of how much she knew of Jaune's fighting style and progress. Her chief concern wasn't necessarily Jaune managing to hurt her, but more her accidentally hurting him. This wasn't a spar, one that they could end whenever they chose. If she wanted to stop Jaune, she had to actually hurt him enough to where his Aura would get shattered, allowing them to administer the antidote and finally end this entire debacle. Unfortunately for her, Jaune's massive Aura reserves, normally something she appreciated, was proving difficult to break through even after all the punishment he took from Nora.

"Jaune, snap out of it!" Pyrrha begged, ducking under an overextended punch Jaune threw at her. In the back of her mind, she couldn't help but notice flaws in his form that they would have to correct later, but right now she was more focused on beating him without causing too much injury. His only response was to raise his foot to kick her, and she blocked it with her shield. The resulting blow sent vibrations traveling up her arm, and she grit her teeth in slight pain before slamming her shield's face into Jaune's chest, sending him back.

Batman, meanwhile, remained on the upper platform, fighting against Poison Ivy. It was proving to be almost an even match, Ivy matching Batman's gadgets and skill with prodigious use of summoned and manipulated plants, including a pair that were sprouting out of her flora suit's back that snapped at Batman every chance they could. She was swiping thick vines like whips into his armor, which could only do so much to block the blows. Each one hurt like Hell, but he powered through the pain to continue fighting against Poison Ivy.

He traded a few punches and kicks to her face and stomach, but she was able to use her plant-like extra appendages to push herself to safety. Not wanting her to get away, Batman threw a trio of batarangs towards Ivy, only for the plants to reach over her shoulders and bite them out of the air. They snapped them in half with their powerful jaws, and Ivy affectionately rubbed their chins while sending Batman a seductive look. The Caped Crusader wasn't fazed, however, as he shot a grapnel to the wall behind Poison Ivy to bring himself forward, where he delivered a powerful kick to her chest.

"Ooh!" Ivy grunted, rolling along her back to land on her feet, only to come face to face with a charging Batman. Rather than panic, Ivy used her plants to block his strikes, then manipulated the vines around Batman's feet to hold him in place. Using another pair she snared his arms, spreading him apart and preventing him from doing anything more and thrash futilely.

"Don't worry, Batman," Ivy said, reaching for the rebreather attached to Batman's face, "this will only take a second."

Just as she touched the rebreather, however, a shot of electricity traveled up her finger into the rest of her body. She shrieked in pain, giving Batman enough room to slide his gauntlet's blades against the vines like a saw. He didn't get very far, however, before Ivy attached other vines to his rebreather, then began to forcibly pry it off.

"Batman!" Pyrrha shouted in worry, eyeing Batman's precarious position from below. Jaune, however, was keeping her occupied and preventing her from coming to his aid. Nora was in the same position, dodging Ren's more focused and skillful blows while he dodged her heavy attacks with Magnhild. To Pyrrha's alarm, she noticed that Ren was trying to force her to back up into one of the carnivorous plants that lined the wall.

"Nora! The-!" Pyrrha began, ducking under another of Jaune's punches and countering with a headbutt.

"I know!" Nora replied, dodging to the side as Ren tried to kick her, followed by her grabbing the back of his black suit and hurling him around to throw halfway across the room. He bounced along the vegetation, breaking some of it, which immediately regrew thanks to Ivy's manipulation. Pyrrha then slammed the edge of her shield against Jaune's stomach, before throwing him over her shoulder into the ground hard enough that the air was audibly forced out his lungs. Rather than stay down, however, Jaune forced himself back up and continued to fight Pyrrha despite the obvious pain and discomfort he was in.

"It's like they don't even care!" Pyrrha shouted, bobbing and weaving through Jaune's attacks as Ren charged towards Nora. The Pink Lightning, watching Batman's predicament from the corner of her eye, quickly calculated a trajectory as she hit Ren like a golf ball, sending him into Jaune and making both collapse like ragdolls.

"Go help Batman! I got them!" Nora declared. Pyrrha nodded, then jumped up to the platform as Poison Ivy continued attempting to pry the rebreather off of Batman's face. The supervillain barely had time to register Pyrrha's presence as the Crimson Guardian slammed her shield across Ivy's face with enough force to send her skidding along the ground.

Ivy growled as she used her plants to push herself up, but Pyrrha was on her immediately. She swung Miló as fast as she could, hacking apart the hastily maneuvered plants with furious intent.

"Touched a nerve back there, didn't I?" Ivy asked, but Pyrrha didn't respond. Instead, when Ivy formed a wooden shield that encased her, Pyrrha thrust Miló into it. Ivy had to shift her body to the side at the last second, but the blade still manage to leave a gash along her side. She hissed in pain and shock, then formed a patch of medicinal plants over it before shooting a trunk of wood into Pyrrha that sent her flying away.

She didn't have time to celebrate, however, as suddenly a powerful blow struck her domed wooden shield, shattering it into thousands of tiny splinters. Magnhild continued its advance, slamming into Ivy's chest. A loud crack rang out as a few of Ivy's rips broke, and she screamed in pain before flying into a metal railing. It dented outward from the blow, and when she forced herself to her feet, pain shot through Ivy's chest. Nora continuing to advance, not caring in the slightest about Ivy's injuries. If anything, she hoped to add more. On the ground below, Pyrrha dueled against both Jaune and Ren, staying entirely on the defensive while waiting for Nora to finish.

Seeing this, Ivy suddenly felt a little nervous. She could feel the murderous intent in the Pink Lightning's gaze, her mask doing nothing to hide it. When Nora got close enough, she kicked towards her chest, but Nora calmly grabbed it and held her in place. She then held Magnhild near the hammerhead, then swung it directly into Ivy's knee.

"AAAGH!" Ivy screamed as the joint dislocated. She collapsed to the ground, clutching the wounded limb as Nora raised Magnhild up high with every intention of taking the violator out, one way or another. With a desperate sweep of her hand, Ivy ordered a nearby carnivorous plant to launch vines around her. They grabbed hold and attempted to drag her into its snapping horizontal jaws, but Nora was able to keep her balance. Instead, she turned around and fired a herbicide grenade into it, causing the flower to writhe and die. Ivy could feel the pain it was in, which was only compounded when Nora followed by firing into the rest of the scattered flowers around the room.

"No! You're killing them!" Ivy shouted, but Nora snarled as she whipped around to face her yet again.

"Your plants ate people!" she shouted, chambering her final grenade and aiming it right at Ivy's heart. Realizing what she was going to do, Ivy shot a thick wooden trunk through the metal wall and into Nora, sending her flying. The parabolic grenade that was fired at the same time went off course, harmlessly striking the roof and causing the vegetation around the impact to die. When she landed, Ren was immediately on her, forcing Nora to do battle with him once again as Ivy formed a wooden cast around her leg. She slowly stood back up, her stance wobbly and her vision slightly blurred, but she was able to keep herself focused as she limped back towards the still captive Batman, who was attempting to free himself. With a reinforcement of more vegetation, she held him still yet again and stared into his eyes.

"You're not going anywhere," she declared, finding satisfaction as Batman continued to resist. At the same time, however, she watched as Jaune and Ren fought their partners. Unlike the first round, the girls were clearly winning, and without outside intervention they would prevail and come right back for her. The open wound on her side and broken leg told her loud and clear that they didn't care about taking her in one piece, and so she lazily twirled her hand around and caused one of the plants near Pyrrha's feet to suddenly shoot out and wrap around her wrist.

"Wha-?!" Pyrrha said in shock, giving Jaune enough time to deliver a powerful haymaker across her jawline. Despite the helmet, she could feel how strong that blow was, and her head felt rattled as she was forcibly torn from the vine's grip and into an adjacent wall. Miló was left dangling in the vine's grasp, which receded up to the roof and out of her reach. Now armed only with Akoúo̱, Pyrrha defended herself against Jaune's relentless blows.

Nearby, Nora jabbed the bottom of Magnhild's shaft against Ren's stomach, doubling him over and allowing her to swing her hammer bottom-up to strike him in the jaw. He flew up, only for Nora to grab his foot then slam him back down. She saw his Aura flicker dangerously for a moment, and she allowed herself a chance to smile in the hope that this would be over soon, only for a thick vine to shoot out from the ground and into her chest. Another had wrapped around Magnhild at the same time, causing her to fly off without her weapon. As she collided with the roof and fell back down to the ground, more vines covered Magnhild completely, preventing her from getting it back. Ren was on the offensive immediately, jumping up to knee Nora in the chest before engaging in hand-to-hand, his blows augmented by his Aura.

With the tide turned for now, Ivy smiled in satisfaction before turning back towards Batman. The rebreather was now almost off, and more vines were immobilizing Batman's limbs and chest.

"There we go. That's it," she cooed, watching as more and more of Batman's skin was exposed. She was already filling the air with as much pheromones as she could, and Batman could only hold in his breath for so long before he could no longer fight the urge. With each breath he took, more and more of the pheromones entered his lungs, and once the rebreather was finally ripped off, there was nothing he could do to stop them from entering his system. Slowly, his attempts at resistance slowed, and Ivy took the opportunity walk over to him and grab both sides of his face.

"See? Much better," she whispered, leaning her face in and delivering a searing kiss. The last bit of resistance went away, and he went still as Ivy felt her pheromones take hold of his will. She backed away, waiting to see if he would try anything, and when he didn't she smiled victoriously. She loosened the vines holding him in place, planning to send him against his superpowered trainees, if only to cover her own escape, and for a moment the two simply stood apart from each other.

Then, much to her surprise, Batman suddenly delivered a headbutt to her. She reeled back, not expecting the blow, which Batman followed up with a series of punches then a roundhouse kick. The force sent her back and she sprawled against the ground, giving Batman enough time to reach into his pouch, pull out one of the antidote injectors and stab it into his hip. He grit his teeth as the serum entered his bloodstream, and once it was completely empty he pulled the syringe out and tossed it aside.

"How did you-?" Ivy wondered as she pushed herself off the ground, but Batman didn't give her the chance to recover as he was on her immediately. With an expertly thrown pair of batarangs, he severed the plants from her shoulders then threw a bola around her torso, pinning her arms to her sides. He followed with a rain of savage punches, pulling her close to keep her contained. When her head swiveled in a daze, Batman switched to her chest and stomach, and she felt the air being pushed out of her lungs with each strike. Then he stopped, causing her to collapse to her knees. She hazily looked back up at Batman, where he delivered one final kick to her head that sent her straight into unconsciousness.

Batman breathed heavily, feeling the antidote course through his veins as he struggled to power through the pheromones. A baser part of his mind was demanding that he assist her, but he forced himself not to through sheer strength of will. With Ivy unconscious, the plant life around them visibly recoiled and deflated slightly, but it was still there. More importantly, he could still hear and see JNPR fighting among each other.

Ivy's interference had proven to be enough. The battle was much more even now, with both sides landing powerful blows against the other. From the readout in his HUD, Batman could see the Aura levels each of them had. Jaune had the most, followed by Pyrrha, Nora, and finally Ren, but they were dropping fast. The boys showed no signs of stopping anytime soon. If anything, their ferocity only increased now that Ivy was defeated, with them shooting Batman murderous glares. Had they not been otherwise preoccupied, Batman had no doubt in his mind that they would try to attack him and probably others.

More importantly, it was becoming obvious now that the risk of severe injury, either to Jaune and Ren or Pyrrha and Nora, was rising, with a significant possibility of both occurring. He thought through every course of action, weighing the risk and reward. Were he to try and jump in himself, it was likely that his armor would be able to protect him, but that was no guarantee. It was already banged up and sparking in areas from his fight against Poison Ivy, and Jaune and Ren were both easily stronger than her in terms of physical strength. He could hope that Pyrrha and Nora would be able to eke out a win without hurting themselves or their partners, but with each passing second, that hope became fleeting. Jaune and Ren showed no signs of caring about how injured they were getting, and even if subconsciously, Nora and Pyrrha were not taking advantage of that and risking harm to their teammates. That left only one option in Batman's mind, and he cursed himself for having to resort to it.

"Pyrrha, Nora! Get back!" he yelled, pulling out a canister and priming it. The two girls shot their heads towards Batman in surprise, allowing Jaune and Ren to punch and kick them away with enough force to send them flying against the vegetation underneath Batman's platform. Keeping steady, Batman threw the canister to Jaune and Ren's feet, and both boys looked at it for a moment in confusion as the top burst open.

Rather than smoke or an explosion, something that neither Pyrrha nor Nora could describe flowed out. It reminded them of a gas yet they could swear that something was moving among it, making the gas look wavy. Almost like propane being released from a can. Jaune and Ren breathed the gas in, looking between themselves then Batman, Pyrrha, and Nora. They took a step, then their entire bodies began to violently twitch.

"What the-?" Nora whispered, watching as Jaune and Ren began to convulse on their feet. The boys' eyes went wide as their muscles twitched, and despite their obvious attempts to continue moving, they found themselves unable to. Pyrrha slowly stood up in confusion, then looked at her HUD where she saw Jaune's and Ren's Auras meters.

"Nora, their Aura!" Pyrrha shouted, catching Nora's attention. True to Pyrrha's word, Nora could see that the boys' Auras were rapidly decreasing. Flickers of white and pink surrounded their bodies before finally shattering, proving that what their suits' sensors were picking up wasn't an anomaly. At the same time, the convulsions finally stopped, and the boys fell to the ground in a heap. Seizing the chance, Pyrrha and Nora rushed to their partners, pulling out the antidotes they were given and stabbing the syringes into Jaune's and Ren's necks. They squeezed the trigger, pumping them full of antidote. Once both vials were empty, they took them out and pocketed the devices. Small trickles of blood flowed from the entry holes, which the girls quickly patched up with a bandage.

Only then did they allow themselves to breathe, falling to their rears and propping themselves up with their arms. They looked at each other, then at the expended canister that Batman had thrown. A dark, tense feeling filled their guts, and slowly Nora reached over to grab it. She held it to her face, then looked back up at a silent Batman.

"Bruce," Nora slowly began, "what is this?"

Batman said nothing for a moment, feeling Pyrrha's and Nora's stares bore into him. Finally, after the most intense silence Pyrrha and Nora had ever experienced, Batman began to speak.

"That was a canister of Aura Draining Nanites," he admitted. "They scan if an individual has an active Aura. If they do, they attack the body from the inside through the bloodstream, forcing Aura to be expended to fight them off. Once the Aura is drained, the nanites shut off and remain in the system inert for an hour. Any attempt at Aura regeneration during that time would result in them reactivating until they are flushed out through perspiration or urination. They weren't supposed to cause the body to convulse like that, though."

Pyrrha's and Nora's minds reeled from the information. They struggled to comprehend it, and Nora croaked out, "You couldn't have made those in the past two hours, could you?"

"No," Batman answered. Pyrrha's throat hitched, and a sense of betrayal began to take root.

"How long have you had those?" she asked, her eyes wide.

"I finished them a month ago."

---

November 14th, 10:30 PM (Eastern Standard Time)

United States of America, New Jersey

Gotham City

The ride back to the Batcave was unusually quiet. After securing Poison Ivy, King Shark, Doctor Psycho, and Clayface with GCPD reinforcements, the superheroes all left to return to the Batcave. Pyrrha and Nora had gone with Red Hood and Batgirl, taking with them Jaune's and Ren's unconscious bodies. Batman refused to say anything, instead focusing on guiding them back in a way that wouldn't lead anyone back to Wayne Manor. There were multiple routes he had and he always made sure to switch them up every time they were used.

"You did the right thing, father," Damian said, typing away at the data pad attached to the console before him. "If anything, you should have used them earlier."

"I know," Batman replied, but that did nothing to assuage the guilt that shot through his soul. Not because he made the contingency, but for the betrayed looks Pyrrha and Nora gave him. He didn't blame them. After all, if he was in their position, he'd feel the same way.

The rest of the ride went in silence, and they finally entered the Batcave through the secret waterfall entrance. The Batwing was already there, and Alfred, Tim, and Stephanie were tending to a bedridden Jaune and Ren. When Batman got out of the Batmobile alongside Damian, he spotted Pyrrha and Nora shoot him a look he couldn't quite describe, but that view was cut off as Jason stomped over to him.

"Bruce, you have pulled a lot of shit over the years, but this," he hissed, pointing at Jaune and Ren, "crosses so many lines I can't even fucking count."

Bruce said nothing for a moment, instead staring into Jason's enraged eyes before looking around the room. The others were staring at him, ranging from Tim's and Stephanie's anger to Alfred's unabashed disappointment. Bruce looked back at Jason and replied, "I know."

Without saying another word, Bruce walked over to his wall of Batsuits and removed the Armored Batsuit. He placed it back into its holding cell, then walked out of the Batcave to the hidden stairwell that led to his room. The others stared at his back, and when he disappeared they all looked at Pyrrha and Nora.

"Are you two okay?" Stephanie asked.

"We're fine, just…processing," Nora admitted, leaning against a guardrail.

"Right…" Stephanie looked around the room, having a silent conversation with her adoptive siblings, then added, "We'll…let you have the Batcave to yourself. I'll give you any updates on Jaune and Ren."

Pyrrha and Nora nodded, then Stephanie, Tim, Jason, and even Damian walked away. Tim and Stephanie pushed the beds they had laid Jaune and Ren on, and as they entered the elevator and went back up, Pyrrha and Nora were left alone with Alfred. The elderly butler sighed and rubbed his balding head.

"I suppose I should go back up there and tend to Jaune's and Ren's wounds," he said. "Do you girls need anything?"

"No, Alfred. Thank you," Pyrrha answered.

"Of course," Alfred said. He turned around, preparing to walk back up the stairwell that Bruce disappeared through, fully intending to give his master a piece of his mind, but he stopped. Slowly, he turned around and looked at the two Huntresses, then added, "For what it's worth, my sincerest apologies regarding what happened tonight."

He bowed towards them, and despite how they felt, Pyrrha and Nora couldn't help but smile in appreciation. Alfred understood, then he turned around and walked up the stairs.

Pyrrha and Nora were alone now, wearing their casual attire and remaining silent. Neither knew what to say, but at the same time knew that team RWBY would be arriving soon.

"What are we going to tell them?" Pyrrha asked. "They deserve to know."

"I don't even know where to begin," Nora admitted, a tone of seriousness that seemed uncharacteristic for the normally hyperactive and excitable girl. "How can I when I don't even know how I feel about this entire thing?"

Pyrrha understood exactly where Nora was coming from. On the one hand, Bruce had directly betrayed their trust and created something that could only be used against them. She had run it over through her head during the entire flight, and concluded that Batman must have been developing those nanites since they shared their Aura reading technology with the League, or at least shortly afterwards. Yet, at the same time, she couldn't deny that those nanites stopped Jaune and Ren. The boys, thanks to Ivy's pheromones, had lost any and all sense of self-preservation. Both of the girls were increasingly convinced as the fight wore on that they would have to up the ante if they wanted to save them, and they didn't know how hurt the boys would get if they did that. Those nanites prevented that from happening, and after a few hours of rest, Jaune and Ren would be fine. Physically, at least.

The two girls remained silent for the next half hour, neither knowing what to say when they heard the distinctive roar of a Javelin's jet turbine. They watched as the spacecraft flew down the tunnel, then it slowed to a stop and hovered over the landing pad. It touched down and allowed the underbelly entry ramp to touch down.

"Pyrrha, Nora!" Ruby called out as she walked towards them. The rest of RWBY followed after their leader, as did Green Arrow and Black Canary. A few other individuals that Pyrrha and Nora couldn't recognize were inside the Javelin, and Black Canary and Green Arrow shot the two girls sympathetic looks. Pyrrha and Nora figured they thought the date went bad, and in a sense they weren't incorrect. Behind Ruby, her team shook hands with the veteran superheroes and said their goodbyes. After a moment, Ruby realized what was happening and dashed back in a burst of petals. She vigorously shook the veteran heroes' hands, then the four girls stepped back as the landing ramp was pulled back up. The Javelin's engines whined as it hovered, then it turned around and flew off. When the sounds of the engines could no longer be heard, team RWBY turned back to face Pyrrha and Nora. If Ruby noticed their discomfort, as Blake appeared to, she didn't show it as instead the Red Reaper wrapped them in a hug.

"Hey, guys!" Ruby said as Pyrrha and Nora tightly returned the hug.

"Hello, Ruby. How was Blüdhaven?" Pyrrha asked, still wondering about how to tell her friends as Ruby wiggled her hand around.

"We got shot down almost immediately, then had to work alongside a group of supervillains working for Amanda Waller called Task Force X," Ruby revealed. "They called themselves the Suicide Squad, if that tells you anything. Trust me, if you see them, take them down. We destroyed the Grimm and arrested the League of Shadows operatives though, so mission accomplished, I guess."

"Their leader got away, unfortunately," Yang added with a frown. "Lady Shiva, Cassandra's mother. She's good, really good, so don't underestimate her. I doubt we've seen the last of her."

"We'll keep that in mind," Nora replied, glancing up at the elevator. From the look on Ruby's face, she was clearly beginning to suspect that something was wrong, but she quickly perked herself back up.

"So, how'd the date go?" Ruby asked, her voice filled with hope. Pyrrha and Nora looked at each other, then they both sighed and Nora allowed Pyrrha to take the lead.

"The date was…"she struggled to find the words, then settled on, "fine. But, despite what we tried, nothing clicked. It felt like any other time we ate out together as friends."

Ruby visibly deflated, and the rest of RWBY's faces fell.

"Oh Pyrrha, I'm so sorry," Weiss said, coming up to them to place her hand on her shoulder in a show of comfort. "Is there anything—"

"That wasn't the worst of it," Pyrrha interrupted. RWBY looked at them in concern and allowed Pyrrha to continue. She took a deep breath, then revealed, "During the date… It got crashed by Poison Ivy. By the time we realized what was going on, she already got Jaune and Ren."

RWBY gasped, their eyes going wide. Weiss and Ruby covered their mouths while Yang and Blake let theirs go slack.

"Oh my God, are they okay?!" Yang asked, her eyes flashing red. "Did you—"

"We got her, don't worry," Nora answered, tears beginning to form in her eyes. "But only after she executed ACE's board of directors. Ivy fed them to her plants then dumped their bodies into toxic chemicals. They were so mangled and digested; we were unable to recognize them. As for Jaune and Ren, they're upstairs in bed. Pyrrha and I…we had to fight them. As in actually fight them. It was like they didn't even recognize us."

RWBY was increasingly growing horrified. With tears in her eyes, Ruby wrapped Pyrrha and Nora in a fresh hug, which was again returned. The other girls joined in, and for several moments they just stood there, crying softly. Then they separated, everyone wiping a few tears from their eyes as they looked at each other again.

"Are they hurt?" Blake asked, the question hitting everyone like an arrow to the heart. When Pyrrha and Nora shook their heads, RWBY sighed in relief.

"How?" Weiss asked. Pyrrha and Nora looked at each other again. This was the moment they dreaded most, and they almost wished Bruce hadn't done what he did just so that they could avoid this entire thing. But he did, and even if it was for the right intentions and only directly affected them, team RWBY deserved to know.

"Bruce apparently had…" Nora paused to find the words. RWBY looked at her in concern, then Nora continued. "Bruce made nanites that could drain our Aura. He finished last month. After he subdued Poison Ivy, Jaune and Ren didn't stop, so he used it on them."

A tense, heavy silence fell over the girls. RWBY struggled to comprehend the bombshell laid at their feet, then Yang furrowed her brow and looked Pyrrha and Nora dead in the eye.

"He used what?"

[~][~]

Hello, everyone! Welcome to the latest chapter of Hunters of Justice! Special thanks to Jesse K and NaanContributor for all their help in bringing this chapter to life.

The Poison Ivy chapters are now at a close, and they had quite the explosive finish, to say the least. Next chapter's going to be...interesting, to say the least. I hope to have it done by the end of the month, as it will be much shorter.

Now, onto the Q&A:

KRUSA1: I appreciate the ideas, however please know that I do have my own plans in store for this story. Plans which will be revealed as time goes on that I don't intend to deviate from. I also do not intend to write a Marvel version of this story.

Chaldea: Yes, they do. As for Ozpin and the New Gods, you'll have to wait and see on that front.

Guest (1): Don't worry, we intend to show more Elseworlds.

Dracus6: As I mentioned earlier, romance isn't a primary part of this story, although there will be a few romantic sub-plots. But that is where they will lay: subplots. If you're expecting a romance story, you're not going to find it here.

The Viking Stranger: I probably won't be going down that route, but it's certainly an interesting concept.

Iron117Prime: Happy to have you wish us!

Guest (2): Thank you. That really means a lot.

cobranp19: It can certainly be interpreted that way, and had Beacon not falling, I 100% agree that Arkos would have happened. However, this isn't RWBY canon. This is Hunters of Justice, and it opened with Brainiac completely destroying the planet, thus sending the heroes down a completely new path. This tragedy caused them to evaluate their relationships a bit differently, and while Ren and Nora decided that they could no longer just sit back and not doing anything about it, Jaune basically crystalized his friendship with Pyrrha to the point where it nearly became impossible for him to see her in a different light. Which, unfortunately, meant our beloved Arkos couldn't sail. Now, that isn't to say it never will in the future, but for now they are friends and are perfectly happy being there. That was the big thing we wanted to emphasize. Jaune and Pyrrha, more than anything else, are friends, and they care more about that than lovers.

RandomName3064: Yep, I sunk Arkos, both for the reasons I mentioned above and also for another, simpler reason. Namely, Arkos has been done so, so, so many times. Especially with stories that have Pyrrha survive the Fall of Beacon. Don't get me wrong, it's a good ship with plenty of canon evidence to back it up, but there's only so many ways you can take it. Not to mention, it just not working despite their attempts otherwise is realistic. Sad, but realistic. I'm glad that you approve of what we did. To be honest, I was actually dreading the reaction to this development, but I'm glad to see that I've earned some goodwill with my audience.

And yes, Angry Pyrrha is Hyper-Focused Pyrrha.

Jackalope89: I wanted to include Kite Man, but I couldn't find a way to make him fit. I'm sorry.

JJsanoguel98: I'm intending to, don't worry

Notros: That comes later.

Jacob9594: Yep. It started because I wanted to have Ivy have some help, and with the Harley Quinn show having a relationship between those characters, I figured 'why not?' I have no regrets.

edinosaur25: Yep. Ivy may have sympathetic motivations, but she's not a good person. I wanted to emphasize that here.

D. : Yep, that date was a disaster, but not on any fault of their own.

Knight of Fate: You're going to find out next chapter.

NRF: There's a difference between repairing a lifeless moon and a formerly life-bearing planet. Remnant is well and truely dead, and it isn't coming back.

barrera2009: Yep, eventually.

Steelrain66: Yeah, that's what we were going for. It's sad, but at the same time it opens up so many possibilities. For both characters, and we intend to explore that.

That's it for this time. Let us know what you all think, and we'll see you all next time!