AN: Wow, looking back at the authors note I wrote in chapter 1, I can see how much my idea for this story changed. It was supposed to be fluffy and cute, and don't worry, it still will be, but that'll be towards the end. For now, its gonna be mostly fighting and action. Anyway, thank you Irenerb, Player Zero, guest, animegal1357, Starrynyte04, and Cianne R for your super nice reviews (they really give me more motivation, thank you guys!) Oh and p.s., sorry if this chapter is weirdly worded, I was trying really hard just to get this chapter out since its taken so long to write!

Chapter 5~ False Paradise

Kid Flash woke up to find himself staring down at his feet. His vision was blurry, his ears were ringing, and his head felt like it was filled with static. His arms were stretched above him, bound at the wrists. By the aching in his shoulders, Wally could tell that he had been hanging for hours, just high enough so that his feet dangled a few inches above the ground.

After a minute of blinking away the spinning black stars that obscured his vision, Wally caught sight of a pair of feet, clad in hideous green heels. He mustered enough strength to lift his head ever so slightly, his eyes fixating on a sinister-looking, yet captivating ginger woman.

"Poison Ivy," Kid Flash whispered, trying to make sense of the situation.

"Have a nice nap?" The villainess flashed a dazzling smile as she began to walk towards him. She stopped inches away from the speedster, placing a hand on her hip as her venomous green eyes looked the hero up and down.

"Ooh, Sportsmaster must've really done a number on you," The villainess sneered, running her fingers along the gash in Wally's side. The speedster jerked away from her touch and began to twist his wrists, wincing as he felt sharp edges dig into his skin.

"Like your shackles? They're one-hundred percent organic." As she spoke, Wally felt something start to slither down his arm. Kid Flash looked up to see that his 'shackles' were plant vines, covered in abnormally large thorns.

"Why am I here? Where's-" Wally stopped dead. The fog clouding the heroes mind cleared, his drowsy look of confusion contorting into an expression of raw anger.

"Where is Artemis?" Kid Flash demanded though clenched teeth.

"Aww, you look so cute when you're in distress," the villainess cooed mockingly. "Don't worry about your girlfriend, she and her daddy are just having a little talk while we have a little fun."

"Oh yeah? What kind of fun?" Wally hissed sarcastically. His focus shifted from the villainess to the vivid green shrubbery surrounding them.

"We're going to play a game. It's kind of like hide-and-seek, only the reward for winning is your freedom, and the consequence for losing… well, I'll let you figure that one out." Poison Ivy started backing away from the speedster.

The vines wrapped around Wally's wrists released him suddenly, causing the hero to fall flat on his stomach. Kid Flash rolled over sluggishly, his legs tingling from being suspended for so long. Poison Ivy watched him with amusement as he shakily got to his feet, using a tree for support.

"It's marvelous what a little left over Cobra Venom can do for your garden," she smiled, gesturing to the plants surrounding them. "Some of my darlings can be rather nasty. Be careful, and try not to die!"

Wally looked up, ready to lunge at the villainess, but she was nowhere to be seen. For the first time since waking up, Kid Flash was able to fully take in his surroundings.

The speedster was in a jungle of towering trees and abnormally flamboyant flowers. Even though the scene resembled a snapshot from a travel brochure, the hero doubted that Poison Ivy would plant a paradise for him to stroll through. Wally then peered through the canopy above to look up at the sky, which wasn't really the sky at all.

A network of metal frames and glass arced above the speedster. The last time he saw this dome, there was a giant magical plant perched on the top of it- that is, until Robin blew it to pieces.

Focus. You need to find your way out of here and get to Artemis. Kid Flash reminded himself, taking off at a jog. The sooner Wally found his way out the better, but he was in no shape to be running at top speed.

Wally wasn't in the jungle long when he heard a rustle behind him. The speedster whipped around, expecting to see Poison Ivy ready to attack him, but all the speedster saw was a sea of plants.

"Great, I'm tired, injured, and paranoid." The speedster shook his head, turning back around to continue on.

Before Wally could move more than a step, something collided with the side of his face, causing him to hit the ground. The hero looked up to see three vines flying towards him. He rolled to the side to dodge and leapt to his feet, backing up into a tangle of foliage.

Immediately, the plants behind him began to writhe. Kid Flash felt vines wrap around his arms, legs, and throat, cutting off his air supply. Instinctively, he began to vibrate his body. The plants released Wally, causing him to fall forward onto his stomach.

Wally forced himself to his feet and broke into a run. Every step jarred his damaged body, but he didn't have a choice if he didn't want to be strangled by Poison Ivy's demonic plants. Kid Flash sped through the trees, leaves and vines whipping at his face.

It didn't take long for the hero to slow down. He was weak- his lungs were wheezing, his pulse was pounding in his ears, and he was running on low fuel. The hero leaned against the trunk of a thick tree, his chest heaving up and down. Every square inch of the speedster's body ached, and the gash on his side was throbbing. Wally glanced down to where Sportsmaster had slashed him with his spear. The wound was bleeding again, fresh blood running over the dark red stains that already crusted his uniform. But his wound wasn't the worst of it.

It was hot; the speedster felt streams of sweat run down his body as he lifted his arms to run his hands through his drenched hair. His head was pounding, his mouth felt like cotton, and his muscles felt like they were stretched to their limits.

"Water," Kid Flash whispered hoarsely. The hero closed his eyes and thought back to biology class, recalling his teacher's lecture about the limits of the human body.

"Water makes up about seventy percent of the human body-"

Drip.

"Without water, cells in the human body begin to die, shutting down organs, then eventually causing death-"

Drip.

"The average human can last, at most, a week without water, before vital organs begin to fail-"

Drip.

But my cells and my body act differently than the average human's. Given the amount of exertion and damage I've taken in the last 24 hours, I don't know how much longer I can-

Drip.

Wally's eyes snapped open. Was he imagining it, or did he hear-

Drip.

Carefully, Wally scanned the surrounding area, making his way slowly around the tree, searching for the source of the noise. Wally whooped for joy when he caught sight of a pool of water. It was only about the size of a kiddie pool, but it would do. Wally lay down on his stomach to take a drink.

It could be poisoned, he realized. Kid Flash paused, his lips inches away from the cool water.

Poisoned or not, without water, you'll die anyway, he thought. And with that, the hero plunged his whole head into the pool. He swallowed mouthful after mouthful, almost forgetting to breathe. Wally gasped as he came up for air, cold water running down his neck, shoulders, and back.

In an impulsive act, Wally rolled towards the pool, his entire body flopping into the water with a splash. Immediately, his tense muscles relaxed, the sharp stinging from the wound in his side lessened, and the relentless pounding in his temples ebbed away. He let out a sigh as his body finally felt relief.

A few minutes, Wally thought to himself. A few minutes are all you get. You need to get out of this freakish garden and find Artemis.

After a few seconds, however, Wally began to feel uneasy. He felt fine- his headache was completely gone, his muscles felt as good as new, and the gash on his side felt like it was never there.

This isn't right, Wally thought. He didn't feel cured, he felt numb, like the feeling of taking too many painkillers. As soon as Wally started to move, the stones around him began to shift. The speedster clawed to escape, but his numb fingers couldn't get a grip. Four massive leaves rose up rose up and closed in on Wally, sealing him in like a Venus Flytrap consuming a defenseless insect.

The walls surrounding Kid Flash began to contract. Any remaining air escaped, leaving the hero submerged in water, unable to breathe. Wally lashed out, kicking, punching, trying anything to break free. Wally opened his mouth, the only air he had left escaping as he let out a scream. Wally's lungs started to ache. He was out of air, and running out of time to save himself from becoming the carnivorous plant's next meal.


Oh and p.p.s., when I was writing this chapter, it turned out to be much longer than I expected, so I broke it up into 3 chapters. Each chapter, since they're already typed out, will be published a week or so apart from each other (but it could be longer or shorter depending on when you guys want them, so make sure to tell me in a review!)