The Batmobile roared down the streets of Gotham, its motor growling through the darkness. George Wayne, his huge frame barely contained by the vehicle, scowled at the road ahead.

"Goddamn plants," he muttered, his voice laced with TDK's menace.

"Focus, George," TDK whispered in his mind. "Ivy's not playing games this time."

The Reading System flashed, analyzing patterns of destruction across the city. George's black eyes narrowed. "EcoTech. Of course it's EcoTech."

The car screeched to a stop in front of a smoldering facility. George stepped out, his scarred face set in a grim line. The Batman suit, black and gray with its yellow-outlined emblem, seemed to drink in all the darkness around him.

"Talk to me," he growled at a trembling security guard.

"It… it was like the plants came alive, man. They just… they ate everything."

The mind of George was a blur with Luthor's intellect merged with his. "Play the security tapes. Now."

The guard stumbled to work controls. George loomed over him, frustration oozing from his towering, muscular form. "Hurry the fuck up."

The screens flickered to life. George watched, his enhanced skills from Lady Shiva allowing him to catch every nuance. Ivy's face, twisted with rage, flashed across the monitor.

"Rewind," he barked. "There. What's that in her hand?"

The guard squinted. "Looks like… a vial?"

George's eyes widened. "She's weaponizing something new," TDK mused. "Clever girl."

"I need a sample," George declared. "Now."

They moved through the facility & George's mind whirred. The Reading System absorbed every detail, every scrap of information.

"Sir," the guard called, pointing to a withered plant. "Is that…?"

George knelt, examining the dead vegetation. "It's not natural. Whatever Ivy's using, it's killing her own creations."

"A sacrifice play," TDK chuckled. "She's desperate."

George stood, towering over the guard. "I need everything you have on EcoTech's latest projects. Every goddamn detail."

The guard nodded frantically. "Y-yes, sir. Right away."

George waited, his black eyes scanned the destruction. The scar across his eye twitched. "What the hell are you planning, Ivy?" he muttered.

The Reading System hummed, piecing together the puzzle. George's lips curled into a snarl. "Oh, you clever bitch."

"She's not just targeting EcoTech," TDK whispered. "She's creating a new ecosystem."

George nodded, his face a mask of grim purpose. "And we're going to stop her. No matter the cost."

* * *

The Batmobile screeched to a halt on the grassy verge next to the unnatural, dense forest, and George Wayne unfolded himself from the vehicle, the heavy figure, with cold, black eyes, studying the scene.

"Fuck me," he muttered. "It's like Jurassic Park meets Little Shop of Horrors."

"She's outdone herself," TDK chuckled in his mind. "Better watch your step."

Enhanced by the Reading System, George felt his senses pick up on movement within the dense foliage. His eyes narrowed onto humanoid shapes moving among the trees.

"Plant people. Because why the hell not?" he growled, his muscles flexing beneath the black and grey suit.

He waded through the undergrowth noiselessly, his mind racing as Luthor's intellect combined with his own immense store of knowledge. The Reading System was working out the significance of every leaf and twig, forming a mental map of Ivy's new world.

A voice he knew very well rang out suddenly. "Oh, Batman! You came!" Poison Ivy emerged from a cluster of oversized flowers, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "I knew you'd find me."

George tensed, his scarred face set into a grim line. "Playtime's over, Ivy. This ends now."

Ivy's laugh was like tinkling bells. "Oh, but it's just beginning, my dark knight. Look around you. Isn't it beautiful?"

Her plant creations closed in on her. Humanlike, they moved. George's gaze flicked from one to another as he analyzed all the potential threats.

"Beautiful?" he spat. "It's a fucking nightmare. You're destroying the city's ecosystem."

Ivy smiled again, broader this time. "To make something better. Something... perfect." Her eyes swept over George's hulking physique. "Just like you, Batman. You're the perfect specimen."

George felt a shiver run down his spine. "She wants to study you," TDK whispered. "Use you to improve her creations."

"I'm flattered," George deadpanned, his voice rife with sarcasm. "But I'm not here to be your lab rat, Ivy."

Ivy edged toward him, her plant people moving in perfect sync. "Oh, but think of the possibilities, Batman. With your strength, your intelligence, we could forge a new world order."

George's mind was racing as the Reading System analyzed every word, every movement. "Sorry, sweetheart. I'm not interested in your little science experiment."

Ivy's face hardened. "Then I have no choice." She lifted her hand, and the plant people charged.

George's lips curled into a snarl. "Bring it on, you overgrown weeds." His fists clenched, Lady Shiva's skills coursing through his veins.

The first plant creature reached him but George's massive frame exploded into action. His fist connected with a sickening crunch, green ichor spraying.

"You can't stop progress, Batman!" Ivy shouted over the melee.

George's black eyes locked onto hers, something of TDK's madness glinting in their depths. "Watch me," he growled, plowing through her creations with terrifying efficiency.

George's monstrous frame moved with deadly accuracy—every strike was a symphony of mayhem and destruction. His black eyes coldly swept the battlefield, his face merciless, scanning it as plant creatures fell before him.

"Is that all you've got, Ivy?" he growled, his voice laced with TDK's menace. "I've seen tougher dandelions."

A vine-like creature launched itself at him. His hand flicked out, snatching it in mid-air. With a sickening crunch, he crushed its pseudo-skull.

"Nice move," TDK chuckled in his mind. "Show these weeds who's boss."

"Shut up," George muttered, spinning to face three more attackers.

His body arced with grace inhuman. One of the creatures was sent flying by a roundhouse kick. Another had its chest crushed by an elbow strike. The third met its end through a brutal headbutt.

Ivy's voice rang out, tinged with frustration. "How are you doing this? They're perfect!"

George sneered, his scarred face twisting. "Perfect? They're fucking kindling."

He leaped, and his muscular body sailed through the air. Landing amidst a group of the plant-men. Fists and feet flew, and each impact punctuated with bursts of green ichor.

"Goddamn Mortal Kombat bullshit," George spat, tearing a creature in half.

The Reading System whirred in his mind, analyzing patterns, predicting attacks. George moved like liquid, fluid but unstoppable. Plant creatures fell like dominoes, unable to match his inhuman skill.

"You're enjoying this," TDK observed.

George didn't reply. He was too busy fighting. One of the larger creatures charged at him. George met it head-on. He wrapped his massive arms around its trunk-like body. He roared as he lifted it above his head and then slammed it to the ground.

"Timber, motherfucker."

When the last creature had fallen, George stood amongst the carnage, his chest heaving. His black and grey suit was splattered with green, the yellow-outlined bat symbol barely visible.

Ivy gawked at him, an expression of mingled awe and fear on her face. "What... what are you?"

George's lips twisted into a cold smile, TDK's influence obvious in his words. "I'm the goddamn Batman."

But then Ivy smirked. "Oh, Batman. You're so… predictable."

George narrowed his eyes. "The fuck you talking about?"

Before he could do anything, vines exploded from the ground, wrapping around his legs, arms, then torso. Tying him up, the Dark Knight found himself completely bound within seconds.

"Shit!" George roared, muscles straining against the organic bonds. "How the—"

Ivy came closer, sauntering now, her earlier fear replaced with almost gleeful triumph. "You were so focused on the show you missed the real threat. Tsk, tsk."

George's mind raced as the Reading System analyzed frantically. "She played us," TDK chuckled in his head. "Gotta admit, that's pretty good."

"Quiet," George snarled, equally to TDK and to Ivy. He flexed his considerable strength, but the tentacles held firm.

Ivy traced a finger along his jaw, her touch nauseatingly sweet. "Such power, such intellect. and yet, so easily ensnared."

George's black eyes were set aflame. "I'll break free, Ivy. And when I do—"

"You'll what?" Ivy interrupted, her voice mocking. "Punch your way out? That's your answer to everything, isn't it?"

The vines began to squeeze harder, making George let out a grunt of pain. His Kung Fu skills, his Lady Shiva–level abilities, all totally useless against this insidious trap.

"Fuck… you…" he spat through gritted teeth.

Ivy laughed, the sound grating on George's ears. "Oh, my dark knight. We're just getting started."

The vines continued to tighten and George's mind raced for a solution. But for once, with all that stolen knowledge and abilities, he found himself truly stuck.

The Reading System churned, analyzing every angle. "She's serious, kid. Time to switch gears," TDK's voice echoed. George swallowed his rage, words choking out without their usual bite. "Ivy… wait. Just… what the hell do you really want?"

Ivy's eyes narrowed, suspicion clear. "Since when does the big, bad Bat care?"

"Since you're about to turn me into a fucking science project," George growled, then caught himself. "Look, I'm asking. No bullshit."

Ivy hesitated but spoke, the passion rising. "I want a world that gives a damn about nature. Where green isn't just something to pave over or poison."

George nodded slowly, his scarred face unreadable. "And this... this is how you think you'll get it? Experimenting on me?"

"They won't listen any other way!" Ivy snapped.

"Or maybe they'll just fear nature more," George countered. "You're smart, Ivy. Brilliant, even. But this? This is fucking short-sighted."

Ivy's resolve wavered. George pressed on, his tone losing some of its menace. "You want change? Fine. But use that big brain. Killing me won't solve jack shit."

"They need to understand." Ivy started.

"Then make them," George interrupted. "Not with fear. With knowledge. Show them why it matters." He paused, then added with a hint of his usual growl, "And if they still don't get it… maybe I'll look the other way next time you decide to get rough."

Silence stretched. Then, slowly, the vines loosened. Ivy's eyes were hard. "If you're playing me, Batman…"

George's lips curled into a cold smile. "Wouldn't dream of it. Now, let's talk about greening this city… without the body count."

The vines slunk off him, leaving him to unfold his hulking frame from the misshapen curve he had fallen against. He stood, muscles tense, prepared for any sudden move. But truly, he kept his non-existing word and didn't attack. Couldn't, even if he wanted to. Damn vines were too quick.

"Okay…Ivy," he snarled, his black eyes fixed onto her. "You've got my attention. Let's hear it. Your story. From the beginning."

Ivy's eyes flashed with…interest, a mix of suspicion and eagerness. "You really want to know, Batman? Or is this just another one of your games?"

"No games," George replied, his voice carrying that trace of TDK's menace. "Just talk."

Ivy paced, but it was a fluid motion—almost hypnotic. "It started with an experiment. Groundbreaking stuff. We were going to change the world."

George's mind raced, the Reading System analyzing every word, every gesture. "Something's off here, kid," TDK whispered.

"Go on," George prompted, his pockmarked face unreadable.

"But it went wrong. So terribly wrong," Ivy continued, her voice rising. "The chemicals, the toxins… they changed me. Made me something… more."

Ivy spoke, describing her metamorphosis in vivid, almost loving detail, George felt a chill run down his spine. The Reading System was throwing up cardinal warnings left and right. This wasn't passion. This was…

"Fucking hell," George muttered under his breath.

"Now you're getting it," TDK chuckled darkly.

Ivy rambled on, her eyes wild, her gestures becoming more erratic. "Don't you see, Batman? I'm not a victim. I'm evolution. Nature's revenge!"

George's mind raced. How the hell was he supposed to reason with this? She wasn't just misguided. She was batshit insane.

"Ivy," he began, trying to keep his voice level, "You're talking about wiping out humanity. You get that, right?"

The laugh that came back was utterly chilling. "Humanity had its chance. Now it's our turn."

George tensed, realizing just how deep this rabbit hole went. "Ah, well, kid," TDK's voice echoed "in his head, looks like we've got our work cut out for us."

"Yeah," George muttered, his black eyes never leaving Ivy's manic gaze. "No shit."

All of a sudden, his massive frame suddenly ensnared once more by Ivy's vines. "Dammit, Ivy," he growled, black eyes flashing. "We were having a fucking conversation."

Ivy's laughter was musical, dangerous. She slinked toward him, each movement a hypnotic dance. "Oh, Batman," she purred, "Did you really think words would be enough?"

George's mind raced, the Reading System working overtime. But something was. off. His body was reacting in ways he hadn't foreseen. "Careful, kid," TDK's voice echoed, "She's not just plants and crazy. She's…"

"Intoxicating," George muttered, his tone thick with a tension he'd never felt before.

Ivy pressed closer, overwhelming him with her scent. "That's right, big man," she whispered, her finger tracing his jaw. "You're starting to see things my way, aren't you?"

George's breath hitched. "This isn't… fuck," he cursed, fighting vines and his suddenly rebellious body. "What did you do to me?"

Ivy's smile was predatory. "Nothing you don't want, Batman. I'm just... helping nature take its course."

"Concentrate, damn it!" TDK's voice was sharp, cutting into the miasma of his thoughts. But George was finding it harder and harder to think straight. Ivy was a vision, dangerous, alluring. And he couldn't shut down that inappropriate, stupid little part of himself that was nearly turned on.

"Shit," George snapped, his voice a mix of anger and something darker. "This isn't. I can't."

Ivy leaned in, her lips brushing his ear. "Oh, but you can, Batman. And you will." Her fingers etched a path around his cowl.

The Reading System screamed warnings through George's thought processes, but fell to the background against the heady scent of Ivy. "Kid, you are playing with fire," TDK's voice echoed, caution lacing it…but was that amusement?

"Stop… fighting it," Ivy purred, her body pressed against his. "Let nature take its course."

George's resistance crumbled, piece by agonizing piece. His hulking form shook, caught between desire and duty. "Ivy," he rasped, "This doesn't change anything. You're still…"

"Shh," she whispered, silencing him with a finger to his lips. "Words are meaningless now, Batman. Feel."

He did. The night blurred into a haze of sensation and surrender. Come dawn, George found himself tangled in vines and regret, Ivy's form curled against his.

"What now?" he growled, his voice hoarse from the aftermath of their encounter.

Ivy's smile was enigmatic. "Now, Batman? Now we see if you're truly as adaptable as they say."

George narrowed his black eyes, the influence of TDK coloring his words. "This changes nothing, Ivy. And everything. Fuck."

He rose, muscles rippling beneath scars old and new, George knew the game had changed. The Reading System hummed with new data, new possibilities. But at what cost?

"Well, kid," TDK chuckled darkly, "Looks like you've got a whole new set of problems now."

"Yeah," George muttered, eyeing Ivy warily. "No shit."

But then his black eyes flashed with anger and something more. "Goddamn it, Ivy," he growled, the words dripping TDK's menace. "You've fucked everything up. Made me… feel things."

Ivy's laugh was husky, deadly. "Oh, poor Batman. Caught in my web, are we?"

George's mind was racing as the Reading System cataloged every nuance of her expression. He thought of Lois, Barda, Selina, Vicki, Shiva... a collection he'd kept hidden. Now Ivy threatened to join their ranks.

"Shit," he muttered, running a hand along his jawline. Unlike everyone else, he kept his cowl. Ivy was never shown to be trustworthy but that could change. "I can't just toss you in Arkham now. But I can't let you keep causing chaos either."

Ivy pressed closer, her scent intoxicating. "So what's your plan, big man?"

George narrowed his eyes, something sparking there. "You want to save the planet? Fine. Do it your way: Use those powers of yours for something good. End world hunger. Cure diseases. Keep experimenting, but on my terms."

"And what do I get out of this arrangement?" Ivy purred, trailing a finger along his scarred chest.

"Freedom," George rasped. "A chance to actually make a difference. And…" he hesitated, feeling strangely like the words were foreign on his tongue, "me. Sort of."

Ivy's eyes seemed to grow wide. "Are you proposing, Batman?"

"Don't get ahead of yourself," he growled. "It's an arrangement. Nothing more."

But even as he said it, George knew it was a lie. Ivy had wormed her way in, just like the others. Another complication in his already fucked-up life.

"Fine," Ivy said, a predator's smile playing on her lips. "I accept your terms, Batman. For now."

George pulled her close, the kiss bruising and desperate. They broke apart, he muttered, "This doesn't mean I trust you. With anything."

Ivy laughed. "I wouldn't have it any other way, darling."

With the dawn that now finally took over Gotham, George's mind took off racing like the light of all the possibilities. Ivy could be the key to resolving so many global issues. At what cost to his sanity, though?

"Well, kid", TDK's voice laughed in his head, "Looks like you've got yourself one hell of a garden to tend now."
"Fuck off," George growled, but there was no real venom in it. He watched Ivy slink away, knowing full well this was just the beginning of a dangerous new chapter.