A/N Chapter nineteen at last! And it didn't take me three or months to shell it out!

So... I decided that I wanted to use a villain that wasn't the Joker or someone invented for the sole purpose of that single story. I was reluctant to use Poison Ivy at first, but then I figured, "What the heck?" and decided to use her anyways. I went with her New 52 appearance though. She can have sex appeal, but when she's wearing nothing more than just a few leaves... yeah, that's a bit much.

A very big thank you to all my very patient readers/reviewers!

The stench of flowers was overwhelming, almost nauseating. The foliage curled and writhed around Nightwing's ankles, pulsing with life.

Creepy.

But then again, so was nearly everything involving Pamela Isley, AKA Poison Ivy.

He brought a hand up to his Comm. "Geez, it's a jungle in here! What the hell is she cooking up?"

"Focus, Nightwing," his mentor's voice scolded him. "What do you see on your end?"

"Plants," Nightwing answered drily, wrinkling his nose in disgust. "Plants… everywhere. There's no sign of Ivy. You?"

"She hasn't made an appearance," Batman said and Dick frowned.

"Doesn't sound like her," he said.

"Because you don't know me, boy," a silky voice spoke.

Something curled around both his wrists. "Hey…" They tightened, dragging him back until his back slammed against the wall.

A woman stepped out of the darkness. Her red hair spilled down over her shoulders in rippling waves. Foliage and moss grew over her, covering parts of her black bodysuit and seemingly becoming a part of her.

"Ivy!" Dick snarled, twisting against the vines holding him.

They didn't give.

"It's nice to see you too." She smiled, twirling a lock of red hair playfully.

"I suppose it wouldn't do to tell you you'll never get away with this?"
Ivy sighed, looking slightly frustrated. "No."

"Figured. You don't seem like the type to listen anyways."

"Why do heroes always insist on being so cliche?"

"You don't like it?" Dick's eyes widened. "Geez, and I always thought cliches were charming."

Bruce's voice was in his ear, demanding to know what was going on.

Dick ignored him.

It wouldn't do to let Ivy know he wasn't here alone.

Though he figured she likely already knew or suspected the Batman was in the area.

She wasn't stupid after all.

Ivy frowned at him, decidedly unimpressed. "You're stalling," she stated.

"Stalling? Me?"

Without a word, Ivy stalked forward, plucking the two way radio from his ear.

"Hey!" Dick's protest fell on deaf ears.

"Batman, I presume?" She glanced up at Nightwing, one eyebrow arched as she rolled it between her fingers.

Dropping the device, she crushed it underfoot.

Placing her hand on his shoulder, she whispered into his ear, "Say hello to Batman for me."

And with that, she took a step back, cupping her hand to her mouth and blowing a fine mist of white powder towards his face.

"Nightwing?" Batman tried to reach his partner again.

He could hear Nightwing's voice. He was talking to Ivy, stalling her. Waiting for Bruce to show up like a hero and save the day.

Which he had every intention of doing.

Once he found out where they were.

"Batman, I presume."

He heard Ivy's voice, but she wasn't talking to him.

She was talking to Nightwing.

So she had found the device.

Then, the only sound that followed was static, indicating that it was offline.

Ivy had broken it.

Damn!

Batman clenched his fist, scanning for any sign of his protege and the supervillain.

There!

He finally had a visual.

Batman shot a grapple out, swinging down and crashing through the window.

Ivy started back, the vines recoiling from Dick and gathering themselves at her feet.

"Have fun," she told him, winking playfully.

And then Dick attacked him.

He was under her spell.

That left Bruce with the question of how to stop him without hurting him.

"Nightwing!"

He grunted as his son's fist collided with his jaw. He hadn't dodged.

The next time, he blocked.

"Dick, stop this," he ordered. Dick didn't seem to hear him. "I know you're in there. Damnit, Dick!"

Dick made another swing at him. Batman caught his wrist, twisting it behind him and slamming him up against the wall.

Nightwing grunted, struggling against the hold.

"Dick," Batman growled, using his son's first name. "Stop it! I know you're in there. You can snap out of this! You don't have to let her control you. You're stronger than this!"

Nightwing broke out of his hold, ducking under his arm and dodging around him.

His heel snapped out. The strike was aimed for Batman's back.

As it was, it glanced off his shoulder instead.

Bruce felt a sudden surge of pride take him by surprise.

Dick was fast. Even under Ivy's spell, he was fast.

He had always been quick on his feet.

And he was proud of him, proud of his skill, of the man he was becoming.

Which made fighting him particularly painful.

"Dick," Bruce said again, clenching his teeth. "Think of Jason. Think of Barbara. Fight this. Don't let her win."

He was using civilian names. It was breaking protocol, but it was a way to work through to him.

Yes, Dick was fast, Bruce reflected, when he took another hit, this one to the abdomen.

Damnit! He should have been more guarded, should have been watching himself more closely.

But this was Dick!

"I don't want to hurt you," he ground out.

That didn't seem to matter to Dick. He was lashing out with everything he had.

He needed to subdue him, get him back to the cave.

And the best way to do that…

"I don't want to hurt you, Dick," he repeated, holding his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "I'm not going to fight you."

Dick stopped where he was, pausing.

And then he lunged.

Batman narrowed his eyes beneath the cowl, stepping back and allowing Dick to miss him.

He caught his arm as he did so, using his momentum to spin him around and land him on his back.

He had him pinned.

With his heavier weight and larger body mass, he was certain he could keep him that way.

He just didn't want to.

Reaching into his belt, he withdrew a canister, spraying the contents into the boy's face.

It was enough to put the boy under. Enough for him to get him back to the cave.

Dick cracked first one eye open, then the other.

A face hovered directly above his.

"Bruce?"

"Dude!" It was Jason's voice, not Bruce's. "You totally got schooled by Ivy!"

Dick groaned, the loud tone causing his headache to kick up a notch. "Tone it down, would you?" he muttered.

He couldn't be sure, but he thought Jason might be smirking.

"Jason," Bruce called, sounding just as tired as Dick felt, "leave your brother alone."

Thank you, Dick thought silently. He had a splitting headache. He didn't want to deal with an unruly brother's teasing on top of all that.

"I'm just talking to him!" Jason protested, but at least it seemed like he had moved away.

A moment later, someone else took Jason's place at his side.

"Dick?"

It was Bruce.

He felt a heavy hand rest gently on his shoulder.

"How are you feeling?"

Dick decided now might be as good a time as any to open his eyes.

He cracked them open a tiny bit, before instantly shutting them against the light.

"Like my head was just caved in," he moaned.

He remembered bits and pieces. The flowers everywhere. The fight.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked finally.

Bruce snorted in what might have been a laugh. "You hurt me?" he asked.

"Hey." Even when his head felt like it was bashed in, Dick could still sound offended. "It can happen!"

Bruce patted his shoulder lightly.

"Keep dreaming, chum."

A/N When it comes to people under Poison Ivy's "spell," I've only ever seen it broken by:

a) using someone that the person loves

(e.g. Batman and Catwoman using Lois Lane to free Superman in Batman: Hush)

or

b) removing the plant growth from the person

(e.g. Catwoman clawing the vines off of Bruce in Batman: The Long Halloween)

So... yeah. Those are pretty much my only two sources. If I got something wrong, please feel free to correct me. I would appreciate it.

Until next time!