Robin's initial lunge forward ended with his metallic weapon smashing through the carriage window instead of Selina's head.

Maneuvering out of the way just in time, she waited for an opening as he twirled back around to meet her.

He only made it a step forward before the master thief cracked the horse whip at his face.

Jerking back to avoid the leather cackle, he countered by raising his forearm, letting the black lash instead snare around his gauntlet.

Then, with a forceful tug he yanked Kyle towards him, readying his bo arm for attack at the same time.

Arching her back, Selina rolled with the forward momentum and simply dropped down to avoid his arcing bo staff.

Sliding underneath his armpit, she shot one leg out and caught him just behind the knee.

Falling down into a partial kneel, he quickly twirled around only to be greeted by a spinning heel kick that landed plush on his mouth.

Still a far cry from her best, Selina Kyle nevertheless straightened her stance as the bewitched Boy Wonder clutched his jawline sorely, certainly not expecting this much vitality from the brunette at this point.

Measuring him up again, she launched another kick his way, her booted heel soundly connecting- but just not where she had intended.

Perking back up, Robin caught her foot mid-strike in his hand and countered with a sharp jab of his staff connecting directly in her solar plexus.

Stumbling back, Selina was now the one forced on the defensive as he lashed at her with a series of thrusts and stabs, each trained movement of his weapon growing closer and closer to her just barely evading figure.

Finally, with a grunt of exertion, he managed to pin her against the vine-infested wall with his staff, the metallic shaft pressed firmly against her throat as he attempted to choke her into submission.

Grinding her teeth together as she felt the cold yet all too familiar metal against her neck, Selina lashed out with a desperate elbow only for her move to have little if any impact on Robin.

His snarling expression just inches away from her straining one, she found himself wincing as the metallic weapon began to bend around her windpipe, severely restricting her head movement.

Left with no alternative, the cat burglar frantically thrusted her knee up between his legs, finally registering an audible grunt from the young hero as the top of her boot found his groin.

Instinctively taking a step back as she hit paydirt, he provided just enough space for her to bring her knees up to her chest and kick him away utilizing every ounce of her still present lower body strength.

Brandishing her archaic whip yet again, Selina cracked it at him yet again.

Ducking its initial arc through the air, he intercepted her second attempt with his bo staff, his counter already fully formulated in his trained mind.

Waiting until the leathery end had coiled around his staff, he then yanked forward, pivoting on his hip to expedite the process with the raven-haired woman once again taken for a ride.

His back partially to her, he waited until she was within range before hooking his forearm underneath her armpit and lifting her into the air.

Grunting slightly, he then slammed her down to the ground in an improvised judo throw, one that certainly threw Selina Kyle for a loop.

Landing hard on her back, the tenacious woman struggled to clear the stars in her head as the Boy Wonder brandished the blunt end of his staff above her menacingly.

Her vision cleared just as he brought it down, forcing a split second response from the cat burglar.

Moving purely on instinct, she rolled over on her belly as the staff drilled into the pavement, granting her a half-moment's respite to respond accordingly.

Before he could try again, however, she lashed out with a desperate kick right between his eyes, momentarily stunning the vigilante.

Thinking fast, she then wrapped the leathery end of the whip around his unprotected ankle, and yanked back hard.

Knocked offbalance, the hooded vigilante fell rather stiffly on his sides allowing Selina to quickly clamber back up to her feet.

"Just so we're clear…" Panting slightly until she fully regained her breath, she growled at him resentfully, "This is for all the expensive shit you broke in my apartment."

And on that note, she launched a retributive kick directly into his armored torso, eliciting an audible oomph as the toe of her boot connected.

Rearing her foot back again, she started to deliver another punt kick only to suddenly shriek out in pain as the ever-opportunistic Robin landed a rather brutal mule kick at her wounded leg.

Crumpling down to the ground with a pained grimace etching across her fatigued features, she clutched at her still throbbing flesh as the Boy Wonder rolled away to create some distance.

Audible winces were briefly exchanged between the two as they both took time to fully recover, Robin naturally being the first to pull himself back up.

Twirling his staff around in one hand, he waited until she had finally returned to full standing before going on the offensive yet again.

Sensing his charging attack, Selina jerked back instinctively to dodge his first metallic slash and retaliated with a thrusting side kick of her own.

He easily parried her kick with the staff before burying the blunt end of the weapon directly in her unprotected side.

Grabbing at her belly, the cat burglar started to look up only to be smacked soundly across the face with the staff.

Her head snapped to the side as the blow fully reverberated throughout her battered frame, allowing Robin to take his time wrapping his staff around the base of her neck to keep her anchored to him.

In quick succession, he thrusted a savage knee directly into her midriff before grabbing her by her collar and sending her careening into the nearby brick wall.

Hitting the moss-covered surface hard with her right shoulder mainly absorbing the impact, the feline fatale felt her grip over the bullwhip begin to loosen up.

She didn't have much time to contemplate another strategy, as the thudding of his footsteps quickly approached.

Eyes bulging in sudden realization, Selina just had enough time to throw herself to the side before his gloved fist impacted the spot her head had just occupied a second earlier.

Removing his hand angrily, there was now a visible indent where he had struck the dilapidated brick.

Scrambling up to her feet, a look of complete exasperation crossed her face as she continued to will herself up to full standing despite her bodily protests.

Turning towards her slowly, he spoke to the woman in a surprisingly calm cadence despite his visibly incensed body language, "You can't beat me, Selina. I belong to a greater force now, one that your feeble human mind can't hope to comprehend."

Rolling her eyes, she scoffed in response, "God, she's got you hooked on that whole 'trees are our friends' routine too, huh? I swear, that woman rehearses those lines in the mirror or something."

"Poison Ivy opened my eyes to a greater world, and within it I found peace, true peace. Unlike you, I am wide awake." Extending his staff again, he leveled it at her. "I can help you find peace too."

Smirking, she uncoiled the whip, "Thanks for the offer, kid, but I don't think I'm ready for the eternal nap just yet. But, your boss, on the other hand..."

Taking her verbal bait, Robin immediately exploded into action.

Swinging his staff in an overhead arc, he just barely missed slicing into her neck, something that certainly relieved the weary fatale who was purely moving on instinct at this point.

He then aimed another upwards slash that again just barely missed her catsuit, giving the brunette only a splitsecond to breathe before he came at her again.

Ducking underneath his third attack, she sprang back up just on his blindside and detonated a powerful side kick right between his shoulderblades, propelling him forwards.

Flicking the horse whip out to the side, she was just about to wrap it around his unprotected neck when Robin suddenly twirled around making a swiping motion with his free hand.

A second later, Selina barely had time to register the searing pain in her shoulder as one of Robin's shurikens grazed her suit, the second one hitting her wrist and knocking the whip out of her grasp.

Clutching at the now torn and crimson-laced fabric, she bit back a pained yelp as he stalked towards her with malicious intent in both eyes.

Limping back cautiously with every aggressive step he took, the master thief cursed under her breath as she soon sensed a wall behind her.

Forced to assume a defensive stance with her hooded opponent quickly entering into striking range, Selina did what any other cornered cat would do, and lashed out.

"Hah!" With a defiant cry, she launched a roundhouse his way, one that was just as easily deflected with a mere flick of his wrist.

Twirling around on the redirected momentum, she performed a jumpspin kick that Robin also blocked with his staff.

Running on fumes at this point, she aimed another thrust kick at his sternum that was quickly caught before reaching its intended target.

Holding on to her ankle with his free hand, he retaliated with a metallic slap right across her grimacing face, his bo staff nearly decapitating the thief as it fully connected against her jawline.

A million thoughts ran through the head of Selina Kyle as she crumpled back to the ground again, but only one in particular stood out: Ouch.

Standing tall, the Boy Wonder wore a look of pure disgust as he regarded her writhing, wounded form.

"Weak," he growled, kneeling down next to her and grabbing a fistful of her raven hair.

Tugging upwards, he forcefully dragged the barely responsive Kyle back up to her feet just long enough to savagely sink his fist into her solar plexus.

Collapsing down on her knees, she audibly gasped for air as he continued to taunt her, "Pathetic."

Grabbing her by the base of her neck, he hoisted her back up again while preparing for yet another strike.

Rearing back his staff as he stared angrily into her groggy, almost glazed over eyes, Robin whispered at her intently, "I am going to enjoy- ugh!"

Before he could finish his sentence, Selina suddenly snapped her head forwards, catching him with a violent blur of a headbutt that sent the vigilante reeling back.

Still struggling on teetering legs, she still managed to taunt him, "You talk too much."

Tasting crimson on his lips, Robin growled his displeasure and wielding the staff with both hands, rushed her again.

By gut instinct, she was able to sidestep his initial thrust, but only by sheer experience was she able to grab on to the metallic shaft before he fully retracted it back.

Pivoting on her boot heel, she caught him with a spinning heel kick that partially snapped his head to the side.

With the other leg, she swung up upwards and caught his wrist with her heel, knocking his patented bo staff out of his hands and clattering noisily to the floor.

Taking a step back, Robin took a moment to adjust his jaw as she snapped a hook kick at him in quick succession.

Ducking underneath her swinging leg, he surged forwards before she could re-center herself and tucked his head underneath her outstretched forearm.

Grabbing her by the throat with his free arm, he lifted her off the ground and then, just like all things that go up….

Oomph! Selina let out an audible grunt as he slammed her right back down, eliciting a sickening thud as her back hit the earthly floor.

Still maintaining his grip over her neck, Robin shifted into a kneeling position as the dazed and disoriented woman writhed painfully underneath him.

Feeling his gloved fingers close in around her trachea, she could do little else but wince in pain as he kept her pinned down with one hand, while the other hand was raised menacingly above his shoulder.

His emerald eyes burned into her straining expression intensely as he forcibly held her down, just about to deliver the final coup de grace.

But Selina Kyle had other plans.

With one last desperate cry, she suddenly brought her legs forward and snapped them around his neck.

Lifting her hips off the floor, she crossed her ankles around the base of his neck, and with every last ounce of strength still present in her legs, squeezed.

Within a split-second, Robin's eyes shot wide open in realization as he immediately recognized the maneuver, but unfortunately for him that was just as long as it took Selina to tighten her impromptu headscissors into an even tighter triangle.

Grunting against her inner thighs, he trashed and twisted against her grip like a feral animal, even increasing the pressure on her throat to divert her focus.

But bloody and battered as Selina may have been, she was most certainly not beaten just yet.

Ignoring his frantic clawing on her thighs as best she could, the cat burglar merely cranked the pressure up to eleven, even stretching a hand out to pull on her right ankle for added leverage.

Kicking up a storm behind him with her hands wildly scratching and clawing at his pulsing thighs, Robin was certainly doing everything he could to break free.

But by the same token, Selina was doing everything she could to keep him trapped in her desperate vice.

Still keeping his fingers closed in around her exposed neck, Robin in his frantic state switched strategies and instead sank his fist directly into her solar plexus yet again.

Grunting out in response, Kyle fought back the blossoming pain in her midsection and only further tightened her grip over him.

Wincing loudly, the hooded hero attempted to punch her again, before suddenly faltering mid-motion.

Still squeezing with every ounce of power and venom that her leg muscles could still muster, the brunette glowered up at him almost out of desperation.

And instead of the emerald fire that had dominated his eyes for so long, there was now a glassy, almost distant glimmer in them.

Before Selina could properly read his expression, Robin's body finally succumbed to her crushing headscissors.

With one last grunt, he collapsed down to the floor, his cape figure now sprawled limply out in front of her.

Feeling his neck muscles finally slacken up against her thighs, Selina gave a look of half disbelief and half relief as her adversary's head rolled to the side.

The ever wary Kyle gave him one last squeeze for good measure, her cautionary move met with an unsettling yet nonetheless very reassuring silence from the Boy Wonder.

Slowly untangling her legs out from underneath his now prone body, she maintained close eye contact whilst dragging her battered and beaten body across the earthly floor.

Despite hurting with every movement she took, Selina managed to pull herself up to full standing and staggered to a safe distance.

"Kid hits hard," she grumbled to herself, clutching her near tenderized ribs as she briefly rested against a vine-wrapped light pole.

Breathing in between winces, her desperate gaze eventually locked on to the vine tunnel.

Regaining at least half of her bearings, the master thief casted one last scrutinizing glare at the still downed hero before pushing off the pole and limping towards the apparent exit.

Fighting the lingering pain in her hurt leg, Kyle mentally fueled her physically drained body with thoughts of some of the many, many things she intended to do to her former partner-in-crime.

She also made a note to come back and burn every last plant in this underground city, and finally put Arkham City behind her for good.

In the middle of a particularly graphic thought involving Ivy and sharp objects, she turned back towards her fallen opponent one last time.

Expecting more of the same, Selina glanced down at the dirt floor- only this time absent of the Boy Wonder!

The sudden realization hit her only a split-second later, and upon twirling back around...

"Uuuggghhh…" Robin's gloved fist blasted her square in the face, sending her reeling backwards in a dazed stupor.

Nearly tripping over her feet as she tumbled to the ground, Selina just barely managed to catch herself on all fours before fully faceplanting.

Sans his signature staff, Robin almost casually cracked his neck as if nothing she had just done to him previously had any visible effect on him.

Feeling the warm blood trickling down her lip yet again, she smirked up at him, "Cute magic trick. Did Daddy teach you that?"

His hooded glare immediately intensified at the mere mention of his mentor's name. "Batman made me weak, stopped me from unlocking my true potential. Ivy freed me from those chains. I'm a changed man, a better man through her."

"Oh, I definitely see the change," she told him sarcastically, slowly clambering up to her feet before his seething expression.

With nothing else to lose, she continued to taunt him, "You went from the Bat's little errand boy to Pamela's own personal bitch."

Her insult was immediately met by another devastating right hook from the Boy Wonder, one that she just barely ducked by the torn fabric of her catsuit.

Summoning a desperate burst of energy, she shot up underneath his armpit and made a frenzied run towards the exit.

Feeling the humid air caress his knuckles instead, Robin instinctive twirled back around and grabbed her by the hair before she could get more than a few steps away from him.

Forcibly arching her back towards him, he started to slam another fist into the base of her neck only to be stopped by another desperation move.

Sensing his nearing fist, Selina turned on her heel and caught him with a swift roundhouse, her booted foot connecting just enough to send him reeling back.

Teetering back and forth on her own grogginess, the feline fatale somewhat steadied her stance as Robin finally took a knee, her move seemingly affecting him more than his grimace was letting on.

Lining him up for another kick, she took a quick breath before surging forward….

…...only to be knocked back down in a dazed heap just a second later by the hooded hero.

Exploding into action just as she entered range, the Boy Wonder nearly took her head off with ferocious forearm right to her unsuspecting face.

Landing on her neck, Selina frantically fought back the stars clouding up her vision as Robin now stood above her, his fists clenched and his teeth gritted together.

"Get up," he growled, his impatient tone certainly reflected in his body language as he circled around the struggling Selina like a predator looming over its wounded prey, just waiting for the perfect opening to sink its teeth into.

Wincing heavily, she could only writhe in response as he continued seething at her, his anger seemingly translating to the veins in his slightly bruised face now glowing bright green.

His emotions getting the better of him, Robin reached down, and, grabbing a handful of her now disheveled raven locks, forcibly jerked her back up off the ground.

With sadistic relish, he thrusted another savage knee into her bruised and battered midsection, enjoying the pained whimper that came out of her mouth as a result.

Her hands now limply hugging his sides, Selina felt her knees buckle as she slumped forward against his waist.

With one hand, he firmly cupped her drooping chin and brought her groggy eyes before his piercing emerald gaze.

"You know, I'm glad you tried to escape. What I did to you in the apartment was just a taste. This-" Leaning in so she could feel his vengeful breath against her bloody nose, Robin hissed at her, "This is what you deserve."

And with that, he grabbed her by the shoulder and almost dismissively flung her to the side.

Rolling against the dirt floor, the cat burglar could only wince and groan as he briefly retraced his steps to finally retrieve his fallen staff.

Expertly twirling the metallic weapon around with sinister intentions forming in his eyes, he then started back towards her.

Sensing his impending footsteps, Selina peeled whatever was left of her face off the floor and, still clutching her stomach, tried to stagger up to her feet.

And almost immediately, she collapsed back then with her hurt leg giving out from the sudden spike of searing pain.

"Don't waste your energy, Selina," he taunted the struggling cat burglar. "You'll only embarrass yourself again."

Smirking at his words, she mocked him weakly, "Says the bird boy with body armor who still can't put down a one-legged woman."

In response, he simply sneered at her, "Arms or legs? Any preference on what I break first?"

Cracking his neck in sadistic anticipation, Robin was nearly upon her when she finally spoke out, "Well, before you do all that…"

Ignoring her, he was just about to strike her down yet again when Selina finally produced a rather familiar-looking device, one that she had quietly procured from his utility belt just seconds earlier.

Mustering up a sly grin, she brandished his metallic Snap Flash detonator before his rapidly realizing expression.

Tilting her head to the side quizzically, she asked him almost innocently, "What's this do?"

Before he could answer that, she pressed the trigger, activating one of the circular Snap Flash still attached to his belt.

Instinctively looking down to disarm it, Robin was just a split-second too slow as the device went off right in his face!

"Aaaarrgghh!" Attempting to shield his face with one arm, the Boy Wonder nonetheless cried out in surprise as the blinding flash lit up his visual field.

Forced to endure his own medicine, Robin instinctively lurched back as the disorienting effects of the Snap Flash, especially at point-blank range, continued to dominate his vision.

After what seemed like an hour in darkness, the slightly discombobulated vigilante finally managed to shake it off.

Lashing out with his staff in a defensive arc, he managed to squint free of his starry vision only to growl in frustration.

The ever-elusive Selina Kyle had almost completely disappeared into thin air, leaving only a few drops of her blood on the dirt floor.

Finally reorienting himself, Robin instinctively activated his Detective Mode to track the feline fatale's movements.

Highlighting his immediate surroundings in a shallow blue layout, he first zeroed on the crimson blotches of blood tainting the floor now in place of her body.

"You can run…" Switching to his Evidence Scanner, he homed in on one of the crimson samples still on the ground.

Craning his head to the left, he followed her forensic trail across the street with observant eyes and a seething fury that was growing more and more volatile by the second.

Rounding a light pole, he warily entered another dark alleyway with the wounded woman still nowhere to be seen.

Stepping over and around the teeming vines and mutated flora, Robin eventually ended up reaching a dead end.

Finding nothing but further frustration with Selina's trail seemingly disappearing up into thin air, the Boy Wonder twirled back around and stalked back towards the street.

Switching off his Detective Vision, Robin was nearly back into the open area when he suddenly felt something wet drip down on his shoulder.

Pausing mid-movement, he turned to examine the crimson liquid on his cape only for the corner of his eye to pick up the feline shadow hovering above him just a split-second too late.

Still clutching her lacerated shoulder with one hand, Selina Kyle dropped down from her perched position between the two stores right on top of him!

Landing just barely on his shoulders, she took a moment to steady herself before snapping her thighs together around his unsuspecting neck in another crushing headscissors.

The hooded hero's surprise and indignation was immediately replaced by a growing wave of desperation as he felt her athletic thighs tighten and tighten.

Her unkempt raven locks barely obscured the almost feral glint in her eyes as she continued choking him, her legs eventually forming a destructive triangle grip around his bulging and bruised throat.

Audibly gagging with her left calf now compressed against his windpipe, Robin tried in vain to knock her off with his staff only to be punished by yet another merciless squeeze of her thigh muscles.

His frantic clawing at her legs was equally fruitless, as Kyle was simply not to be denied.

Mustering up just enough strength to stagger in front of a store window, the Boy Wonder quickly found his expression to be rapidly fading in the reflecting mirror as she continued cranking up the pressure to an almost unbearable degree.

Teetering left to right on legs threatening to buckle at any moment, he only managed to take a few wobbly steps forward before an eerie darkness began to creep up on him.

"Just fall already," she almost screamed in her mind, feeling his bodily protests growing more and more sluggish with every excruciating second in her desperate vice.

And not a second later, he did fall, at least down to one knee.

Hearing his patented metallic staff finally clang down to the floor, Selina didn't ease up on her headscissors, but at least was confident that her seemingly relentless foe would finally succumb sooner or la-

"Nggghh..." Thrown off her train of thought, Selina was caught off-guard when the previously kneeling Boy Wonder suddenly shot back up to his feet with her still on top of him.

Somehow operating on an almost superhuman level of resilience, Robin instinctively threw himself backwards before she could adjust.

A pained grunt escaped Selina's lips as the back of her head smacked noisily against the glass window, throwing her already dazed and worn down mind for yet another disorienting loop.

Grabbing on to her calves, the Boy Wonder took a few steps forward before slamming her backfirst into the window again, this time creating visibly cracks in the glassy reflection.

Determined not to give in, she gritted her teeth through the growing cloud of pure agony in her temple and kept on squeezing, prompting Robin to slam her against the glass again.

And again.

Upon the fifth slam, however, Selina's body finally gave.

Sensing her limbs slackening, Robin allowed himself to fall down as Selina practically collapsed on top of him.

Tasting the dirt floor for what seemed like the hundredth time, the brunette let out an agonizing groan, but didn't, or rather couldn't, get back up.

Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for her opponent, who slowly lifted his head from underneath her now limp legs and willed himself back up.

His body was battered, his energy near drained, but his pure resilience and loyalty to the plant queen, was truly indomitable.

Picking up his bo staff, he limped back over to the prone and near motionless Selina Kyle.

Bearing down on her with his emerald gaze, he planted a cruel knee down against the small of her back.

Wincing loudly as his kneecap nearly bent her vertebrae, Selina instinctively pushed herself off the floor allowing the Boy Wonder to coil his staff around her neck.

A sadistic grin grew on both corners of his blood-stained lips as he started to wrench back on the staff, mercilessly choking her.

Futilely scratching at his steel gauntlets, Selina was almost completely defenseless as her world began to darken around her.

More cruel than anything else, the last thing she could fully make out in her rapidly dimming vision was the exit to this hellish place, its fading proximity taunting her as Robin continued torturing her feminine frame.

It was all too much. He was too much.

"Oh Selina…"

As soon as her voice graced both of their ears, the pain stopped, at least for now.

Sauntering into view like an elegant supermodel down her own nature-filled runway, Poison Ivy wore a look of pure bemusement as her mere presence seemingly roused the entire city to life.

Immediately relinquishing his hold, Robin obediently stood to attention before his approaching mistress.

Stopping just inches away from her former partner's grimacing expression, the redheaded vixen feigning disappointment while cocking a playful grin, "I leave you alone for just ten minutes, and look how much trouble you got yourself in."

Still recovering from her near asphyxia, Selina could only glower up at her with every last bit of hate and womanly fury she could still muster.

"I apologize it took so long to deal with her, mistress," Robin dutifully told the redhead, glancing down at the prone woman irritably, "She put up more of a fight than I had anticipated."

"The end result was never in doubt, lover," Ivy assured her hooded protector, affectionately cupping his chin. "Did she suffer?"

"Not nearly enough," he responded simply, his emerald eyes desperately seeking her approval.

Wiping the blood from his lower lip, she took a cursory glance at the beaten Selina Kyle before telling him, "There'll be time for that later. Is everything else ready?"

"Done as you've requested," he nodded.

Her venomous lips curled into a satisfied smile as her dainty hand glided up and down his cheek. "You truly are a wonder, aren't you darling? My own little knight in shining armor…"

"I live to serve you, Ivy. Always." Gently taking her hand, he reverently pressed his lips against her knuckles, much to her delight.

"Then, perhaps when this is all done, you can serve me in other ways," she added with a particularly lecherous purr, her own emerald eyes gleaming mischievously as her lips sought out his obedient mouth.

But before she could do so….

"You know…" Groaning as she somehow willed herself off the floor, Selina mocked them both, "I was fine with getting my ass kicked by the big guy's pet teenager, but just listening to you 'lovebirds' flirt is actual torture."

Diverting her attention back towards the fallen feline, Ivy's sultry lips immediately twisted into an irritable scowl.

Sensing his mistress' discontent, Robin vowed to her, "I can end her right now."

Before he could make a move, however, the plant queen held up her hand against his chest.

"No…" Her tone firm yet somewhat reluctant, Ivy then reminded him, "I want him to watch."

Nodding in understanding, Robin sheathed his bo staff as Poison Ivy calmly knelt down in front of the battered brunette.

"Robin really did do a number on you, didn't he Selina?" Ivy observed coldly.

Smirking despite it all, she taunted her back, "Get a good look, Red. This is what your future looks like."

Merely chuckling in response, the redhead stood back up and instructed the Boy Wonder, "When she wakes up, don't let her leave your sight. My newest crop can take no further interruptions."

And as the plant queen then sauntered away, Selina barely had time to register her final words before Robin's boot suddenly came crashing down on her head, rendering her world pitch black.