James made a decision. Pulled out Batman's communicator.
"I'm going for Ivy. Civilians are scattered. Can't evacuate them all before the plants overrun the area."
"Negative. Wait for my arrival."
"Don't have time."
James didn't wait for a response. He sprinted toward the center of the park where Ivy had positioned herself on a massive mutated oak tree.
Plant creatures swarmed toward him. He fought through them. Used thermite grenades liberally. The park was becoming an inferno of burning vegetation.
He reached the base of Ivy's tree. Looked up. She stood fifty feet above, surrounded by flowering vines. Her skin had a green tint. Her hair was deep red. She looked down at him with a mixture of curiosity and contempt.
"Another man come to challenge me," Ivy called down. "Don't you people ever learn? This is my domain now. Humanity has poisoned the Earth long enough. It's time for nature to reclaim what was stolen."
"I get the environmental message," James called back. "But terrorizing innocent people isn't going to solve climate change."
"Innocent?" Ivy laughed. "There are no innocent humans. Every one of you consumes. Pollutes. Destroys. You're a plague on this planet."
"Some of us are trying to do better."
"Not good enough. Not fast enough." Ivy gestured. Vines shot down toward James like spears.
He dodged. The vines punched holes in the ground. He threw a thermite grenade upward. It exploded near Ivy's position.
She shielded herself with plant matter. The thermite burned away her defenses but didn't reach her.
"Fire won't work, little man. I've prepared for that."
More vines came. James fought them off. Cut through them with his heated batons. But there were too many. They wrapped around his legs. His arms. Lifting him off the ground.
Ivy smiled. "Now you're mine."
The vines tightened. Crushing. James's enhanced durability let him resist, but he couldn't break free. His strength wasn't enough against this much plant matter.
Then pheromones hit him. Ivy's chemical manipulation washing over him. Trying to take control of his mind.
James felt his thoughts getting fuzzy. His resistance weakening. Ivy's voice became soothing. Attractive. Maybe she was right. Maybe humanity did deserve to be judged.
"AEGIS, help," he managed to gasp out.
"Chemical analysis indicates pheromone attack. Deploying countermeasure."
A sharp pain lanced through James's neck. AEGIS had triggered an emergency stimulant injection built into his suit. Adrenaline and a cocktail of chemicals designed to counteract mind-altering substances.
The fog cleared. James's head snapped back to clarity.
"Nice try," he growled.
He stopped trying to break the vines through strength. Instead, used technique. Twisted his body using leverage. Found the weak points where different vines intersected. Applied pressure at the right angles.
The vines loosened enough. He slipped free and dropped to the ground.
Ivy's expression shifted to surprise. "How did you resist?"
"Better living through chemistry."
*Swish!*
A batarang flew past James and hit the tree trunk near Ivy. Exploded in a burst of weed killer foam.
Ivy screamed as the chemical touched her plants. Batman swooped in from above. Cape spread. Landing between James and the plant controller.
"You're late," James said.
"You're reckless," Batman countered.
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