Gotham's Botanical Gardens—an oasis of lush greenery and rare flora amidst the city's urban decay—has always been a place of fascination and beauty. But tonight, under the pale glow of the moon, it feels different. The air is thick with the scent of blooming flowers, mingling with a strange, almost intoxicating aroma that hints at something more sinister.
Jotaro Kujo moves through the gardens with a sense of purpose, his eyes sharp as they scan the surroundings. He's been tracking Poison Ivy for days, following the trail of unnatural plant growths and eco-terrorist attacks that have been plaguing Gotham. His pursuit has finally led him here, to the heart of Ivy's domain. But Jotaro knows better than to underestimate her—Poison Ivy, or Pamela Isley, is not just a criminal mastermind; she's a force of nature.
The Botanical Gardens are eerily quiet, the usual sounds of the city muted by the dense foliage that seems to pulse with life. As Jotaro steps deeper into the gardens, he feels the air grow warmer, more humid. The plants here are not just thriving—they're thriving unnaturally, their growth accelerated by Ivy's influence. Vines twist and coil around ancient trees, flowers bloom in vibrant, unnatural colors, and the very ground seems to pulse with energy.
Jotaro (thinking to himself): "She's close. I can feel it."
Star Platinum materializes beside him, its presence a comforting reminder of the power at his command. Jotaro moves with caution, knowing that Ivy's influence over plant life makes every leaf and vine a potential threat.
As he rounds a corner, Jotaro comes face to face with a wall of towering thorned vines, blocking his path. The thorns glisten with a strange, sticky substance—poison. Jotaro narrows his eyes, recognizing Ivy's handiwork.
Jotaro: "Star Platinum."
With a swift motion, Star Platinum smashes through the vines, the powerful Stand tearing them apart with ease. The path cleared, Jotaro presses forward, undeterred by the obstacles Ivy places in his way.
The deeper he goes, the more the environment changes. The once-beautiful gardens have become a twisted jungle, the plants growing wilder and more aggressive. It's as if the very earth is responding to Ivy's will, reshaping itself to defend its queen.
Poison Ivy (voice echoing through the garden): "You're a persistent one, aren't you?"
Jotaro stops, his eyes scanning the dense foliage for any sign of movement. Her voice is soft, almost melodic, but there's an underlying menace that Jotaro doesn't ignore.
Poison Ivy: "Most men would have turned back by now, but not you. You keep pushing forward, trampling my beautiful creations underfoot. It's almost admirable… almost."
Jotaro's gaze sharpens, his voice calm but firm.
Jotaro: "You're harming innocent people, Ivy. This isn't about protecting the environment anymore—it's about control."
A low, sultry laugh echoes through the garden.
Poison Ivy: "Is that what you think? That I'm just another villain trying to seize power? No, Jotaro Kujo, I'm trying to save this world from people like you—from those who take and take, until there's nothing left."
As her words hang in the air, the ground beneath Jotaro's feet begins to shift. Vines erupt from the earth, twisting and writhing as they lunge toward him, their thorns gleaming dangerously. But Jotaro is ready.
Jotaro: "Star Platinum: The World!"
Time freezes as Star Platinum's power activates, the world around Jotaro halting in an instant. The vines, once lunging toward him, are now frozen mid-strike. Jotaro moves through the frozen world with ease, Star Platinum tearing through the vines before they can reach him. As the power of The World fades and time resumes, the vines fall harmlessly to the ground, severed and defeated.
But Jotaro's respite is brief. The plants around him seem to grow angrier, more ferocious, as if reacting to Ivy's emotions. The garden is alive with her rage, the plants lashing out with renewed vigor. Jotaro moves swiftly, dodging and countering each attack with precision, but he knows that Ivy is playing for time—she's testing him, wearing him down.
Poison Ivy (voice echoing again): "You're strong, I'll give you that. But even you can't fight nature forever. Why not join me, Jotaro? We could do so much together. Imagine what we could accomplish…"
Jotaro's response is immediate and unyielding.
Jotaro: "I don't negotiate with criminals. Surrender, Ivy. This ends now."
There's a pause, and then Ivy's voice turns cold, her seductive tone replaced with one of anger.
Poison Ivy: "So be it. But don't think for a second that I'm powerless without my plants."
With that, the ground beneath Jotaro's feet erupts once more, but this time, it's not just vines. Massive, animated trees rip themselves from the earth, their twisted limbs reaching out to crush him. The trees are ancient, their bark like iron, their roots deep and strong. They are Ivy's ultimate guardians, and they move with a terrifying purpose.
Jotaro braces himself, Star Platinum ready to strike, but the trees are relentless. Their massive limbs swing at him with the force of a wrecking ball, each blow powerful enough to shatter concrete. Jotaro dodges and counters, Star Platinum's fists crashing against the trees' limbs, but they barely slow down. The battle becomes a blur of motion and destruction, with Jotaro dodging crushing blows and retaliating with all the strength he can muster.
Jotaro (thinking): "These things are tougher than I thought. I need to find Ivy and stop her before this gets out of hand."
Jotaro knows he needs to finish this quickly. As one of the massive tree limbs crashes down toward him, Jotaro uses The World once more, freezing time for just a moment. In that instant, he leaps onto the tree's limb, using it as a platform to launch himself toward the center of the garden, where he senses Ivy's presence.
As time resumes, Jotaro lands in a clearing, the plants parting to reveal Poison Ivy herself, standing amidst a circle of exotic, glowing flowers. Her green skin and fiery red hair make her look almost otherworldly, and her eyes glow with a mixture of anger and desperation.
Poison Ivy: "You should have stayed away, Jotaro. I won't let you ruin everything I've built!"
Ivy raises her arms, and the flowers around her release clouds of spores into the air, filling the clearing with a thick, toxic mist. The spores are potent, designed to paralyze and overwhelm anyone who breathes them in. But Jotaro doesn't hesitate.
Jotaro: "Star Platinum!"
Star Platinum appears, its powerful fists creating a vortex of wind that blows the spores away, dispersing the toxic cloud before it can reach Jotaro. Ivy's eyes widen in shock, but Jotaro doesn't give her time to react.
With a burst of speed, Jotaro closes the distance between them, Star Platinum's fist drawn back for a decisive strike. But just as he's about to land the blow, Ivy's eyes flash with determination. The ground beneath Jotaro's feet erupts once more, this time with a massive flower that wraps around him, its petals closing in like a vice.
Poison Ivy: "You're strong, but you're still human. And that means you're still vulnerable."
The flower tightens its grip, its petals secreting a numbing toxin designed to incapacitate. Jotaro grits his teeth as the flower constricts around him, but he refuses to be defeated.
Jotaro: "Star Platinum, break it!"
With a mighty roar, Star Platinum smashes through the flower's petals, tearing them apart and freeing Jotaro from its grasp. The Stand's power is overwhelming, its strength far surpassing the limits of the plant life Ivy controls. Jotaro steps forward, unyielding, his gaze locked on Ivy.
Jotaro: "It's over, Ivy."
Ivy stumbles back, fear flashing across her face for the first time. She realizes that she's outmatched, that no amount of plant power can stop Jotaro's relentless advance. Desperation takes hold, and she makes one final, desperate move—she raises her arms, calling upon every plant in the garden to converge on Jotaro, a tidal wave of greenery aiming to swallow him whole.
But Jotaro is already one step ahead.
Jotaro: "Star Platinum: The World!"
Time freezes once more, the tidal wave of plants frozen in mid-motion. Jotaro walks through the chaos, his eyes fixed on Ivy as he closes the final gap between them. He raises his fist, Star Platinum mimicking the motion, and as time resumes, he delivers a punch that shatters the wave of plants and sends a shockwave rippling through the garden.
Ivy is thrown back, landing hard against the ground. She tries to rise, but the strength has left her. The garden, once her ally, now lies in ruins around her, the plants limp and lifeless.
Jotaro: "You're finished."
Jotaro stands over Ivy, his expression unreadable. He knows she's not evil, not in the same way as Gotham's other villains. But her methods, her willingness to harm innocents in the name of her cause, cannot be ignored.
As the sound of distant sirens approaches, signaling the arrival of the authorities, Ivy looks up at Jotaro with a mixture of defeat and sorrow.
Poison Ivy: "You think you're saving the world, but you're just another pawn of the system that's destroying it."
Jotaro doesn't respond immediately. Instead, he looks down at Ivy, his gaze steady.
Jotaro: "Maybe. But I won't let you destroy lives in the process."
With that, Jotaro turns and walks away, leaving Ivy to be apprehended by the police. As he exits the Botanical Gardens, he knows that Gotham still has many threats lurking in its shadows. But tonight, he's taken down one of its most dangerous, and the city is a little safer because of it.