Ch.53: Pick Your Poison

Staring into the abyss, the sea of darkness takes its toll on Selina, feeling her body rebel against her, ignoring her commands. Once simple intakes of air becoming agony, making her realize just how much she takes for granted. The small act of lifting a finger became a chore of its own. Unable to move, however, the pain still persists, it doesn't stop. Her eyes are open but she's sees nothing that she knows. Visions of blurred figures run past her, resembling the appearance of the Grim Reaper, the Angel of Death.

Looking over her, the spectre comes closer and looks to be ready to take her, but one of Selina's deepest, darkest fear was where it would take her. She then thinks, her thoughts being the one thing that will listen to her. Looking back on herself, all her mistakes and all of her sins made that answer clear as day, she wasn't going to paradise. A truth that she couldn't help but find herself in agreement with, even if she would never admit it. Now Death was close enough for her to feel its ice-cold breath. Cold, she was cold. Freezing at the touch, like she was standing in the middle of a snowstorm.

In the midst's of the oncoming abyss, the Angel of Death just stares at her, not touching her nor coming closer, it just stares for what feels like an eternity. The Phantom merely whispers in the tongue of an impossible language the likes of nothing that Selina has ever heard or ever will again.

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Gotham, Upper West Side

Selina shrieks as she's violently ripped out of her slumber, grasping at her sides and is immediately seen to by Harleen who goes to comfort her, "Woah, easy there Cat. Yer fine." Selina works overtime to breathe now with a newfound gratitude for it. Still at her side, Harley holds her arms around Selina's shoulders, "Just take a moment, Blüd said you could take a while to get used to it," continued Harleen as she gets up from the other woman, "How are ya?"

Realizing that she was lying in a king-sized bed, Selina quickly removes herself from the sheets and glares at Harleen, "Where are the others?"

"Hmm?" playing with her right pigtail, Harleen ponders while she blows up a bubble of gum, "Blüddy and Tally are in the study-thin'. They're deciding on our next move."

"And they left me out?" hissed Selina, struggling to her feet and is assisted by the blonde.

Shrugging at Selina, Harley confirms as she pops the bubble of gum and returns to chewing it, "They wanted to leave ya to recover, heck none of us had the stones to say it out loud, but we all think that yer just a liability at the moment. That's why I'm here, Cat...to keep ya from doin' somethin' stupid."

Selina shakes out the hold from Harley, "Oh, really?" challenged the dark-haired woman who elbows the blonde's stomach. Bleating from the strike, Harleen falls back and holds her stomach, "How's that for *liability*? No one tells me what to do...especially you," retorts Selina as she goes to leave, "I'm not gonna let Ivy get away with this, she'll pay for what she did."

Back on her feet, Harleen glares at the back of Selina, "...Maybe Bruce would have been able to fight her if yer were actually there for him. Ever think of that?" Following Selina out into the hall, Harley dusts herself off and keeps her cold glance, "Perhaps ya should stop now before ya makes things even worse."

Grabbing onto the blonde's mismatched red and black jacket, Selina slams her against the wall and snarls, "At first I found your childish games endearing, but now...you're pissing me the hell off. I've had enough of your dumb-assery," she reaffirms her command over her by slamming her back against the wall, "You're not special...you're nothing. Bruce only keeps you around because he feels sorry for you, so learn your place and keep your mouth shut..."

Letting go of the blonde, Selina journeys towards the stairs that lead to the lower floors. Holding her chin up, Harley curves her lips into a grin, "Or maybe he's thinkin' of trading up Cat. - Not hard to do with a street rat like yourself...you can only go up from you. I bet that's why you feel so threatened by me."

Stopping in her tracks, Selina rolls her eyes, "If you think that I'm pathetic enough to get mad over such childish teasing, then you really are a joke...more pathetic than even I thought," returning on her path, Selina makes her way down the first few steps, "And as I told you before, Bruce tends to stay away from blondes now, he had a really bad experience with one."

"Funny, B-Man wasn't complainin' when I kissed him" taunts Harleen as she traces her thumb along her bottom lip, "My lips can be thanked for saving his life... my kiss with him literally brought him back from the dead, Kitty." Witnessing a look of anger retake the dark-haired woman, Harleen continues to push her game, "An' ya have to live the rest of your life... Every time ya kiss him, you'll be reminded that my lips were there, too," winking at Selina, the blue-eyed woman follows suit, "An' ya can't do anythin' bout it."

Joining her on the stairs, Harleen gets in front of her and walks down the steps.

Descending down alongside the blonde, Selina moves in to grab the woman's arm, "Don't you dare turn away from me! You do not get to talk to me like that and act as nothing happened!," securing her arm around Harley's arm in a tight hold, she stops the woman in her tracks, "Cut this shit out, now or I'll make you."

"Ummm...Nah, I'm good," chirped Harley as she pries at Selina's fingers to release her arm, "I'll do what I like, thank ya very much...like for example...tumble."

"Tumble?" Asked Selina as she's quickly answered by Harleen who grabs hold of her and throws both her and herself down the flight of wooden steps. The pair roll down the stairs, fighting against each other, "Harley! What do you think you're doing! Cut it out now! You have your mission!" Joker yelled in the blonde's ear while she and Selina continued their descent down to the lower floor and collide against the harsh wooden floor which was slightly eased by the ancient-looking rug that they land on.

Selina gasps, kicking away Harleen, "A-Are you out of your mind!? You could've killed us both!"

Harley moves onto her knees, holding her arm as she grits her teeth, "Think of it as payback for hittin' me, Kitty-cat!"

"ENOUGH!" yelled a woman's voice, familiar to the two. Geared up, Talia stands at the duo's front with a displeased look, "I care not for your grievances. End this squabble now!" ordered the Daughter of the Demon with an angered glance at the pair, taking sights on Selina, "I am pleased to see that your recovery has gone well, but do not think I will give you a break. Get up and come with me to the Study."

First, on her feet, Harleen points to Selina, "F-for the record, she started it."

"Silence! This is no time for childish games!" repeated Talia with a venomous tone towards the two women, "Batman has gone rogue, regardless of the reason behind it, a League of Shadows warrior is loose...we have no time to waste."

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Later.

"-And then he just left me in the alley, he probably thought the fall had killed me...and then I woke up here," explained Selina as she takes residence on the desk, looking at Talia and Blüd, "H-how am I alive right now? I could feel myself...dying..." her emerald eyes show short instances of weakness, trembling when she recounts her near-death experience, quickly flashing back to the lingering image of the black angel at her bedside, "I-I...Just don't know what to think."

Blüd speaks up, grabbing at his glasses, "When Miss Quinzel brought you to me, you could imagine my shock when she claimed it was Batman's doing. I know that I haven't been able to help you before, but I wasn't going to fail again- No, I couldn't. With my magical abilities still draining, I barely was able to heal your wounds...but..." spoke Blüd with his tone becoming unsure near the end. Selina picks up on the man's sudden shyness.

"But what?"

Jason looks directly at her, "There's something...strange with your body, Miss Kyle. Somehow, something in your past has...for lack of better words, changed you. Altering your very DNA structure, somehow your body had already begun healing wounds that a normal person wouldn't be capable of...," returning his glasses on, he continues, "If It wasn't for this anomaly...I fear my magic wouldn't have been strong enough to save your life."

Selina's eyes then widen, remembering a certain memory from her past.

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- Years Earlier -

Selina lies in the bed of the hospital room as Bruce and Alfred at at the end. Checking the younger man's hand and seeing him holding a seed, Alfred gives a look mistrust, "What's that?"

"Ivy said it could help Selina," answered Bruce unconvinced of his own words.

Keeping his disproving look, Alfred reinforces his displeasure of Bruce's actions, "And what, you trust her?"

"What choice do I have? sounding defeated, Bruce had no other options to turn to. This was his last and only resort.

"Listen, I want to help Selina as much as you, but Ivy is a maniacal cold-hearted killer, you know that don't you?"

"Give it to me" Selina stares at the two men, at her lowest point.

Walking towards her, Bruce looks over the fragile-state of her, "Selina...I have doubts."

"Bruce...I was willing to kill myself yesterday, nothing's changed since them...so if Ivy wants to kill me...she can have that..." making her own choice, Selina lifts herself up as Bruce presents the seed to her, giving her a look of uncertainty, looking to be regretting his plan. With no hesitation, Selina picks the seed out of Bruce's hand and eats it. Moments of silence past between them with Selina breaking the awkwardness, "I'm still here. I know that Ivy's lost her mind, but after her mom and dad died, she was just sleeping on the streets, and it was a cold winter...she started to get really sick..."

"I just took her under my wing, I guess...and she would know where to get food, where to get a roof over her head and after some time, she started to get some colour in her face...and I just kept checking in on her...almost every day. She might look old now, but she'll always be the little girl to me..." Selina thinks back to her time with Ivy, remembering all the good. It's all ended as she begins to shake violently and gasp, drawing Bruce to her side in a panic.

Flashing forward, Selina remembers herself standing on top of the roof of the same hospital with flashing green eyes.

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- The Present -

"I...Ivy...she..." questioning herself, Selina looks to Blüd for answers, "What does this mean? What am I?"

"I don't know I'm afraid" replied Blüd apologetically as he ruffles his hair, "My expertise falls in line with the occult, not the realm of science...what little I know is not possibly enough to understand. But I need to warn you...when magic and science are mixed...there tends to be...unforeseen consequences. That's why usually most people only expert in one rather than both."

"Well...that's ominous," commented Harley with a yawn, "Shouldn't we be focusing on B? Y'know...someone actually important."

Talia nods, looking back at Selina, "Quinzel is correct...mostly. We'll return to this matter another time, Selina. I promise you, but our main priority here is Bruce."

- Across Gotham, Gothcorp -

~ That's right...go my beautiful pet, go and bring the murderer of green to me ~

Poison Ivy watches from afar as Batman follows her commands, chasing down the next target through the upper floors of the building. Dropping his briefcase, the businessman sprints harder and becomes winded when he reaches the stairs that lead to the lower floors. Fighting for dear life as he desperately gasps for air, he's grabbed by Batman in a violent yank which ripped the collar of his jacket, "The cops are coming! They know that you're here, boy! Don't make this harder on yourself! I have the best lawyers money can buy!"

Lacking any acknowledgement of the man's cries, Batman throws him onto the ground and stands over him.

"Good work, darling...I knew I could count on you...," flirted Poison Ivy as she joins the vigilante and stares down at the man, taking pleasure in his suffering, "Mr Grayman, I would like to have a word with you" she lays her hand out flat as vines curl around her fingers, "How about we discuss that little project that you signed your name on? The one that is slaughtering all of my babies, does it ring any bells?"

"W-what? The police are coming for you two, I suggest that you play nice, otherwise I will come down on you..."

"Then please allow me to refresh your memory..." coming in close, Ivy lowers to her knees, "Does Granger Construction ring a bell? Like singing a contract that allowed them to destroy a preserved sight to build on top of it? Murdering numerous endangered plant life? The death of my babies is on your hands along with every one of you humans who were involved..."

"Granger Construction, yeah...I remember. Gothcorp bought the land ages ago, but could never do anything with it thanks to those damn laws. We were just going to let it be and sell it for scraps, but we ended up getting quite...the lucrative offer" recalled the downed man as he looks to the two, "I just signed the deed to the place, I never knew what Granger's people were gonna do it, honest!"

"Silence!" screamed Ivy, "How did Granger get approval for destroying the reserve? Who pulled the strings? Who signed my babies' death warrant? Who?," stretching her fingers out, she releases a small burst of green specks that fall over the man, "Who murdered my children!"

"W-W-Wayne Enterprise" exuded the man as he's forced to reveal the truth to, "...The board, Carlyle Joseph, he helped bribe the judges to overturn the preservation order. That's all I know, just enough to know it wouldn't come back to bite me."

"Unfortunately for you...it has," Ivy stands and lifts her palm, "Because of you...my babies were forced to suffer...so will you." Following her directions, the spores within the man begin to grow and puncture from his flesh causing the man to spasm in agony, torn apart by the green, "Suffer the pain that you caused them...endure it because there's more to come, so much more...and when we're done, you'll be nothing. I'll make sure of it...and then I'm paying Carlyle a visit..."

Meanwhile

Jason Blüd's Study

Leaning against the desk, Talia stands with her arms crossed, "So this is what we know: Batman is loose, controlled by Ivy and we need a way to stop him" flicking strands of hairs from her eyes, she turns to the woman beside her, Selina, "If what you said is accurate, then the witches' influence is too strong for Bruce to break free, which only leaves us with one alternative..."

"We have to fight him. Take him down without hurting him...along with having to worry about Ivy..." Selina continued on from Talia, throwing her own thoughts in the mix, "It won't be easy...were dealing with a Batman who is willing to kill without a second thought. I doubt I can be much help against that...animal..."

"Yeah, sucks doesn't it?" back to her antics, Harley blows up a bubble of gum and pops it, "But we can't be too down, gals. B means too much to me to just mope around do nothin'! I don't care if I have to risk my life, B-Man would do the same for me and he has over and over," holding her palm over her chest, Harley smiles, "There has to be a way to get through to him! An' I won't quit until I find it!"

"Wishful thinking" Talia shoots down, stretching out her legs, "There has to be a way to take Bruce down without resorting to a fight, a way that will make sure that none of us dies."

Raising her arm and waving, Harleen excitedly calls out, "Oh! I know! I know!" Magic! Just like what Blüddy did to ya, Kitty!," aiming her eyes on Selina, Harley grins, "He can just whack B-Man with that voodoo crap, and voila, no more mind-control!"

Standing at the fireplace, Jason is stood with his hands in his pockets, watching the flames, "That's not a possibility, I'm afraid. Even if my magical powers were still as powerful as they once were, we still do not understand Poison Ivy, nor her full potential. Without the context of that, utilizing the dark arts in such a manner could cause more damage to Bruce than it could help him," the fire continues to crackle, reflecting in the lens of the man's glasses, "It's too risky."

"N-no..." Harley comes down from her cheerful features and looks to the others in doubt, "Th-there has to be another way. There has to be."

"What if...there is? Talia suggests in an anxious tone which alerts the others to her troubled thoughts, "Maybe there is a way, but...it's... it's too dangerous, we can't take that chance..."

Intrigued by Talia's sudden reluctance, Selina becomes interested, "With what?"

Jason Blüd looks by to the Daughter of the demon, "You're talking about his suit's defibrillator, I assume." His suspicions were confirmed as the woman remained silent, "Such a device is used to restart one's heart, but if used on one that's already beating..."

"...It stops it...," nodded Talia, looking ashamed of even suggesting the idea, "It would take him out of the fight...hopefully until we defeat Ivy, then we can use it to restart his heart..."

"What? No. Absolutely not" protested Selina against the idea with clear disdain, "Will you listen to yourselves? *Stopping* his heart, you mean to kill him. Yeah, that's not happening. It's too dangerous to even think of" moving away from Talia, "The fact that you're even considering that is just...wrong."

Across from them, Harley shrugs as she thinks over the proposition, "Tally's right. I think it's our best move to save B."

"*Tally*? Talia looks displeased with being called by such a nickname, Letting her disapproval be known.

"What? A-re...no...you really are nuts if you think killing Bruce is in any way a solution that we should accept! I knew that you didn't care about him...," continuing to argue against the idea, Selina firms her position and makes her stance known to the others, "This is j-just wrong! All of you are wrong!"

"No, Kitty. Yer the one's wrong on this one," Harleen glares at Selina, giving all of her viciousness through her eyes, "B-Man means more to me than ya would ever understand, and I know what matters to him. I believe in him to be strong enough to hold on long enough for the plan to work! I trust him to do it. He can do it!"

"Enough of this," Blüd yells to quell the room, resuming when he was sure that it would remain quiet, "There's four of us, I suggest we put it to a vote. It is indeed a risky plan, but what choice do we have? Bruce is far too dangerous to be allowed to remain free in his current state."

"Fine! I'll say... that this is crazy! No." groaned Selina as she grits her teeth.

Harley was next to speak which drew ire from Selina, "This needs to happen. He'll pull through I know that he'll be able to hang on. I believe in him," she raised her hand, "That's what we do. We're his friends, it's our job to trust in him."

"It's the only possible way to detain him without needing to use a true lethal method to stop him, and beloved wouldn't want any blood on his hands. The last thing I want is for him to blame himself for the transgressions that witch would make him do. It's the only to save his body...and his soul," agreed Talia to the annoyance of Selina.

"Oh...okay...I see how it is..." Selina looks to the group is disbelief, giving them all the same look of betrayal, "You rather risk killing Bruce then going through the effort of finding another way? What if he doesn't pull through? What if he dies, you thought of that? What happens when his blood in on our hands?"

"We just have to have faith, Miss Kyle" Blüd tries to calm the dark-haired woman down with his words, "History is built upon tragedies, enough to overshadow most of the miracles, but they do happen. I've witnessed them happen. Whatever happens today, we cannot allow it to end with Bruce becoming a killer - we owe him that much. Well, I do at least."

"The Watchtower can access the Batsuit's functionalities. I'm headed there now," Talia informs the others, heading to leave, she is stopped by Selina who blocks her path, "I understand your hesitance, but what choice do we have? Believe me when I say that I do not get any pleasure from this, but we all know that I'm the only who can do it. I was raised to kill, this...this is just second nature for me" spoke Talia in a sombre tone that revealed all of her struggles, "You shouldn't have to be the one to press that switch...especially since we do not if Bruce will survive it."

Standing her ground, Selina leans forward into Talia's face to show that she means business, "Bruce would never do the same if it was one of us under Ivy's control. He wouldn't humour it for a second."

"Perhaps you are correct in your reasoning, Selina, but I for one know if I was ever brainwashed to kill an innocent person...I would hope that he would put me down before that could happen. Bruce is a better person than me-better than I ever could be. He couldn't live with that on his conscience...it would destroy him. He would make sure to stop himself before he could shed blood...that's why this choice has to be made," explains Talia, avoiding eye-contact with Selina, "No matter the reason behind it, Bruce would blame himself regardless...punish himself. I don't want that for him."

Blüd walks towards them and looks to Selina, "I know it feels like you've lost so much lately like the world seems to be against you. I know that you don't want to face the prospect of losing anyone else, but don't let this fear cloud your mind, Miss Kyle. Think about Bruce and what he would want...I know it's hard to go through with this, but you have to believe that he can pull through," leaving Selina's side, Jason joins Talia, "I'll come with you. I doubt that I would be much help on the battlefield."

"Of course, come. Selina and Harley, we'll need you on the ground," leaving the room, Talia walked alongside Jason, "We'll be able to track Bruce from the Watchtower, make sure that you're ready."

Harleen salutes Talia, "Aye, aye captain."

Minutes Earlier...

Elsewhere, Unknown

Overlooking the schematics of the Batsuit, Joker moved his fingers to drag the files that he seeks. He looks to the vital signs from the Batsuit, quickly gathering all the information that he needs, shown by the grin on his face, "Oh...I see... Ivy...you think that you're so clever, don't you? But you've made one vital mistake..." Joker then brings up the footage taken from Batman's cowl from earlier, selecting the moment where the Dark Knight drops Catwoman off the room, only to vanish from the scene.

"The Bats that I know would've checked for a body...but this time he didn't...ah, look at that..." glancing back to the vital signs, Joker notices a sudden increase in his heartbeat at the moment where the vigilante drops Catwoman, "*Tisk* *Tisk* Ivy... in your crude game of allowing my Bats to be conscious for it all, you've given him...one mighty weak spot. - Ivy can't make him do what he doesn't know. Since Bats was convinced that he had killed the Cat, Ivy's mind control couldn't force him to check if he had really finished her off..."

"Harley, listen to me and do not forget a single word...or you'll regret it, go along with this plan of theirs. Agree to use the defibrillator, make them all consider it. While they argue among themselves, I want you to try something else," listening through Harleen's earpiece, Joker hears every wood exchange between the group from Blüd Study, "You know Bats vulnerabilities more than anyone, he told them to you. Use them. Use them all to overstimulate his emotional state, enough to keep him distracted...stopping him then will become a simple task."

"Tal's right. I think it's our best move to save B."

"Good girl" Joker then hears the group erupt in his desired result, arguing with each other, "That should keep 'em bickering long enough to do what needs to be done, but first...what is that overgrown weed planning? Hmm..." searching through the recordings, the man who laughs stumbles upon a lead. Moving forward through the footage, he narrows down the vital piece that he needed. He then watches the moments of Batman and Ivy at Gothcorp, listening to every word spoken.

"So Ivy's on a lil' revenge quest, is she? How boring...very disappointing, but luckily...predictable. Her next target is obvious...but what should I do?," thought Joker as he masterminded with curving lips and an intense look as he rubs his gloved hands together, "Letting her be the one to make Bats break his rule...is something that I will absolutely not accept! That honour belongs to me and me alone, a lesson that dear Ivy will learn...mark my words..."

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Later.

Across Gotham, Watchtower

Cast in a blue hue from the light of the Batcomputer, Talia was quick to find the Batsuit's blueprints. From over her shoulder, Blüd watches her work, eyeing the schematics on the screen, "Pardon me if this comes across as audacious, but I was under the impression that the League wasn't big on tech, especially the kind that's as sophisticated as the likes of this," coming closer, Jason takes a sharper look at the plans as he folds his arms, "I've lived for nearly two millennia, yet mankind still has not reached its full potential, it makes you wonder what they''ll be capable of once we reach it."

"Indeed, I am not one to be fond of technology and Bruce's overdependence on it, but today is the day for the exception if there ever is to be one," her trained senses allowed her to catch every and all points of interest of the Batsuit, including the functions of the defibrillator, "My mind is highly trained, enough to remember everything that I see. I've learned enough from just watching Mr Fox work this machine. I may not be on par with him, but I know enough for...this..."

Feeling the daughter of the demon's trepidation, Jason was made aware of her inner turmoil. "Can you do it, Miss Al Ghul? I know that you told the others that you could, but live as long as I have, you'll eventually learn to tell when someone lies"

"Is that why you wanted to come? Because you doubted my word?" Asked Talia, already knowing the answer, "I couldn't let the others do it...in case beloved doesn't make it...I don't want them to bear such a burden upon them."

"Your concern is for Bruce hurting innocents, whilst mine is for the innocents who he would hurt," comparing their reasons, Blüd paces back and forth as he keeps his eyes on Talia, "At first glance, our apprehension towards this matter does seem like an apt comparison, however, our reasoning for so is anything but. Your doing this as an act of kindness towards Bruce and not as what it should be, stopping him. Your feelings for him are going to prevent you from making this call."

"You talk like this shouldn't be a hard call to make, well it is. - After everything he's done for this damn city, every sleepless night he endured for its ungrateful people, all the beatings that he took...and this could be how it ends...by the hands of his own friends. So no, I will make this call. Because it should be something that one should regret, that's why I'm here to make it. If Bruce dies tonight, it should be a tragedy and not just about *stopping him," Talia looks back to Blüd with a scowl.

"My, my, my...so it happens to be, a child of the Demon who's anything but...fascinating," uttering under his breath, Jason lifts his chin as he observes the woman, "Perhaps not all demons are monsters."

Looking at the map of Gotham, the heiress watches Batman's id move across it, "Catwoman. Quinzel, I have a read on Batman. GPS on the Batsuit is putting Batman's trajectory towards Wayne Tower. He's less than a mile out, move on it. I'll try to listen in on Bruce's end to get a reading on the situation. Over."

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"That's a copy, Tally" Harley replies as she and Catwoman stand on the ledge and look out to Wayne Tower, "Huh. Wonder what Red is plannin' in there? Wait...you don't think that she knows who B-Man is, do ya?"

"No. If she did she would have taunted me with it when we last talked, but still...she can't be planning anything good there, " instinctively going to grab her whip, she's reminded of its absence from her side, "Dammit." Taking notice of Catwoman's dilemma, Harleen reaches to her side. She then presents a Grapple gun to the other woman with a smirk.

Grabbing the device out of the blonde's hand, Catwoman glares at her before she takes a closer inspection of the gadget and spots a bat symbol on its side, "How the hell did you get your hands on one of Bruce's models?"

"As I said, Kitty,...B trusts me," winked Harley, showcasing a second grapple gun to Catwoman, "I'm not as mobile as you or him, so he thought these would give me a chance to step up my game. An' he even accounted for me being a complete klutz. Jealous?" repositioning her sledgehammer over her back, she aims her grapple gun at the next building across, "Oh, an' yer welcome." Shooting the hook out, Harleen is whisked away, leaving Selina on the ledge.

"What the hell's wrong with her? She's been even worse since I got back, what's going on with her?" thought Catwoman as she worked the grapple gun and pinpoints a ledge above her, "Am I the only one who can see that she's a psycho?"

Wayne Tower.

Carlyle Joseph sits at his desk as he sorts through the papers on his desk, "This is going to be a nightmare to deal with, if Wayne doesn't get his act together, Wayne Enterprise is as good as dead by next months. Thomas would be disgraced if he could see the harm that his son has done this company." Filing the paperwork together, he sorts them into a neat pile, "A Wayne built this empire, and another Wayne's on track to destroy it, typical."

Reaching to the PBX on his desk, Carlyle grabs the phone, "Lindell, where are the financial reports that I asked for? Lindell? Oh for crying out loud...can't anyone in this damn building do their job? No wonder this company is falling apart!" Leaving the confines of his office, Joseph heads out to the office area and finds the usually occupied desk empty, failing to notice the pool of blood at was at the bottom of it. He checks his watch, sighing as he looks back up, "Blasted woman. Her shift ends in a half-hour, was waiting too hard for her?"

His ears prick as he hears something from behind him. He looks back and does not find anything out of place, returning to his office when he was sure that there was nothing wrong. Walking back behind his desk, Carlyle once again reaches for the phone. From under the PBX, five thorn-covered vines grow from the seeds around it and wrap around his hand and draw several streams of crimson. The pain was enough to alert him to remove his hand before he even saw what had trapped him, however, his struggling just made the thorns dig deeper.

"AGH! What is this?"

"The first of many...painful things to come your way," a voice from his front alerts him. Looking up, Joseph sees Poison ivy amble his way with a smile, "Why don't you take a seat?" From behind, Batman grabs at his shoulder and shoves him down onto his chair. Looking at the vigilante with confusion, Carlyle screams when he feels the vines burrow into his hand with their thorns cutting through his inner muscle tissue. Screaming louder and louder with each passing second, Joseph stares at Ivy in fear.

"Just...a safety measure to insure that you don't try to run. A man like yourself should be well acquainted with strong-arming people" bending over, Ivy plants her palms on the desk and becomes eye-level with Carlyle, "You like my new toy? He's a keeper...that's for sure. I can have him break you. Make you suffer in way's that you can't even imagine. And all it takes is me to ask him to serve me, but...I hope that you're smarter than to let it come to that."

"O-of course. W-why are you here?"

Humming a soft tune, Ivy closes her eyes as she stretches her arm out and picks out one of sheets of paper from the ordered pile, "Oh, I think you already know the answer to that. Oh...would you look at that?," she lies out the sheet before Carlyle's eyes, "Lincoln State Park, such beautiful preservation of plant life...well it was...before you aided in destroying it! Endangered plants were forced into extinction, you helped perform genocide on my children...you even signed your work by name...a birdie told me that you bribed your way to its desecration"

"That's it? You're mad over some squashed plants? Young lady, no one is going to miss them, but people will be grateful for new homes that will be b-AGH...AGHGH!" tensing up in agony, Carlyle feels the vines forcing their way through his arm and the agonizing sensation of the thorns tearing their way through his muscles, "Oh god! ARGH!"

"I'll make you care, I'll make you feel for every single one of those *squashed plants, darling... would you please help me here," obeying her commands, Batman grabs Joseph by the hair and pulls his neck back. Manoeuvring herself onto the desk, Ivy lifts her palm and blows a cloud of spores into the man's face, "There, now you are going to be straight with me from now on, you have no choice. Tell me, why did you let my babies die? Why did you cause their suffering?"

"B-Because of Wayne, the company's bleeding money. I-I had no choice, but to...buy off those judges. We needed the money that would c-come from the new housing project. I knew people, like Granger and Grayman. We all came to terms that would benefit us all. Granger gets the contract to build the housing, Grayman gets a fat-stack of cash for his cooperation, and Wayne Enterprise gets to be the soul-tech distributor for the process. It was an all-around win for us all," explained Joseph unable to keep secrets from Ivy.

"You killed my babies...because you were missing a few bucks?... How dare you even breathe the air that they provide...," signalling her hand upward, Poison Ivy guides the vines that were under the man's skin to expand, reaching around to his chest and all the way through to his face, thorns slicing their way through his nervous system along the way to take him into a whole level of torture, "Filth. Filth the lot of you...you are all...filth...and the worst of you all...is billionaire boy...his company did this...he'll suffer the most."

"Darling...why don't you take this one? Cut him open..." instructed Ivy as she exhibits her glare with her mesmerizing green eyes, "End his existence. End all of him." Unable to fight against her whims, Batman secures his hold on Carlyle's hair and draws a Batarang to his neck. Looking closely at her new toy's hand, Ivy sees him fighting against her to the best of his ability. Though growing tired of the man's resistance to her, she couldn't help but find a small sum of amusement from his efforts, though futile she still found it slightly entertaining.

"Hmm? Continue to resist me as you desire, but you should know...much like a Dionaea muscipula, the more you fight against me, the more you fall into my grasp, the more I tighten around you," reaching forward and grabbing Batman's chin, Ivy grew her smirk wider, "I let your mind remain conscious for some amusement, but continuing to defy me will mean that I will eventually erase your mind, pet. All of your memories gone in an instant...you wouldn't want that now, would you? It would be so boring..."

Batman then shoves Poison Ivy out of the way, reaching his arm out and catching a thrown Sledgehammer from out of the air. Running her hand through her hair, Ivy looks towards the direction of the attack, eyes landing on two figures at the door to the room,"...You..."

"Speaking of being gone in an instant, get the hell away from him, Ivy," Hissed Catwoman as she bares her claws.

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Unknown

Joker continues to work the console, eyes locked on the events unfolding through the live-footage through Batman's cowl, "Oh look at what that witch is doing to my dear Bats. It's a travesty, an utter travesty...she nearly got him to slice the guy, but with no build-up? Ha! Boring. My Bats is too good for just a half-assed mind game like that."

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Ivy looks to Selina, eyeing her head from toe with a look of intrigue. Twirling her fingers, she instructs the vines to leave the confines of Carlyle's body and return to her palm, wrapping around her lime arm, "Oh poor Selina...you never did know what was good for you. Coming back to me like this? I'm almost sad that I'll have to kill you...almost." Signalling Batman with a snap of her fingers, Ivy gives a look of satisfaction as she watches her puppet follow her commands. Leaping over her, the vigilante locks gazes with Catwoman and Harley, "You shouldn't have come back."

"Woah...B-Man's actually a whole lot scarier...when we're the targets...," Harley gulps as she dives out of Batman's path, recalling her sledgehammer on the way. "Not gonna lie...this is givin' me...certain feelings, some of which I'm even surprised by." Holding her Sledgehammer above her, she blocks dual strikes from Batman's gauntlets. Lifting a knee, the vigilante kicks the blonde's stomach and knocks the wind out of her. Not wasting a moment, Batman grabs Harley by the pigtails and hurls her across the room.

Catwoman seizes the chance and makes a b-line towards Poison Ivy, "Hi, Ive...let's do some catching up..." hissed Selena as she swings with her claws at the villain. The redhaired seductress signals for Batman to return to her side. Catwoman sees a shadow move across the line of sight and is quickly stopped by the dark knight who blocks her path.

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Watchtower

With her hands ready on the trigger of the console, Talia watches the footage, feeling her fingers tremble over the thought of what she would be forced to do, she takes a moment to breathe. She opens her eyes and steadies her hand, "Give the word when ready" Standing at her six, Blüd observes Talia in silence.

"No. Not yet. We can take out Ivy before it has to come to that. I know that we can!"

"You've tried doing it your way earlier, Selina. It will not work. Give the command...it's the only way."

"Not happening! I will not have any part in this!"

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Unknown

Joker watches the same feed with an agape grin. Glancing to his side, he looks at the screen which shows the Batsuit's functions, "*Tisk* *Tisk* *Tisk* Such a valiant effort my dears, but I can't have you going along with this scheme of yours. This is a risk that I am not willing to let you take...I need my Bats alive."

Gliding his gloved hands across the screens, Joker's eyes narrow, "Harley. Begin the plan. Use everything that you know will slow Bats down. Make it look like instinct, then the others will pick up on it. They'll use it to their advantage, too."

"Now then..."

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Wayne Tower

Catwoman is thrown across the room with Batman following after her and tackling her into the wall. Selina gasps from the sudden force she was put in against the man's grip, "...B-...Listen to me. F-fight her. I know that y-you c-". From the side, Harley strikes Batman with her sledgehammer which sent the vigilante flying across the ground, "D-don't hurt him! You're gonna end up breaking his bones if you keep doing t-that" Selina heaves as she holds her sides.

"Well sometimes...ya gotta be cruel to be kind...and I'm all for that, Kitty" setting her sights back on the vigilante who was standing back up, she flails her sledgehammer and hurls it him which throws him back onto the floor, "Now. Do it now, Tally!"

"That's a copy"

Catwoman stumbles towards Harley and grabs at her arm to throw her off balance, "W-what? N-NO! Don't do it!". Watching the vigilante begin to return to his feet, Harleen lifts her wrist and recalls the sledgehammer to her side. While she moved to catch her weapon, her elbow collided against Catwoman's jaw, knocking the dark-haired woman off footing.

"Did you even consider what B-Man would want? Do ya think he would rather kill us than risk his own life to prevent such an outcome? I do. B is the kinda person who's selfless enough to want that! An' if ya don't get that, then you really don't understand him, Kitty" hanging the hammer over her shoulder, Harley stares at Batman, "Trust me. He's strong enough to survive it. We'll get him back once Ivy is down."

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Watchtower

- Moments Earlier -

"Now. Do it now, Tally!"

"...That's a copy," replied Talia as her fingers hover above the controls of the console, her voice shaking beneath the weight of the decision that she is now forced to make. Respiring one more time before she would secure the fate of the man who she loves, Talia firms her eyebrows and readies her index finger towards the prompt, "Forgive me." Before she could finish what she had started, the screen of the Batcomputer shifts from blue to bright red and locks her out with blaring sirens.

The whole room around them was now cast in a violent red hue which stirred Jason from his cavalier state. "What is the meaning of this, Miss Al Ghul?" inquired Blüd who rushes to the Batcomputer, "What happened?

"I-I...do not know. Somehow I have been expelled from the machine's network. We're locked out...and now...we cannot use our last resort," answered Talia as she stood idly, eyes widened as she's enveloped within the crimson cast of light, "This... we have no choice now... Batman must be taken down...for good."

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Wayne Tower

"Uh...why is B still standin'...?" slowly backing away, Harley aims her panic towards the masked vigilante who glares her way. From the sidelines, Catwoman leans against the wall of the office to lift herself up while keeping her eyes trained on Ivy and the Dark Knight.

"Get out. Get out of there now! Abort! Something's locked the Batcomputer's systems. You need to run, now!"

Seeing Batman approach them with Ivy stood behind, Harley and Catwoman look in terror, "Ohhh...happy now, Kitty? Bet yer really feelin' lucky."

Catwoman holds onto her shoulder as she Harley stay on the retreat, "Now? You want to talk shit now?"

Ivy gests with her hand to command the vines around her arm to sliver up to her shoulder, curving her lips into a grin as she watches the terror in the woman's eyes, "Ladies...it's been fun, but I'm growing tired of you, kill them. For real this time, pet." Alike a guard dog who's set of its leash, Batman makes his viciousness know, growling as he bolts towards Harley and Catwoman, grabbing Batarangs from his utility belt, "I think I'll use your corpses as compost for my babies, doesn't that sound delightful?"