Poison Ivy remembered clearly that she was still a prisoner in Arkham Asylum.
Among the inmates were familiar faces, figures who had once dominated Gotham, including Calendar Man, Riddler, and Scarecrow. Since Homelander rose as the de facto ruler of the nation, every villain in Gotham, whether empowered by mutation or intellect, had been rounded up and locked away in Arkham. Others were sent to Blackgate Penitentiary.
Rumor held that Penguin, due to some personal tie with Homelander, had been transferred to Blackgate for ideological reeducation. His crime was supplying illegal weapons and restricted substances to a rebel faction. He had attempted to flee before his capture, but failed. Stories circulating among inmates claimed Blackgate was far harsher than Arkham, with brutal methods of discipline.
Compared to that, Arkham felt almost lenient. Poison Ivy found a small measure of relief in that.
Still, her hatred for Homelander burned fiercely. He was the one who stripped her of everything, even the smallest connection to nature. No plants, no soil, not even a discarded apple core. For someone bound so deeply to the Green, the deprivation was suffocating.
Hatred, however, was not the only emotion she felt.
There was fear.
Homelander had once crushed every superhero in the country through sheer power. None dared challenge him. Gotham's villains had been swept away by his black-clad enforcers, enhanced soldiers deployed with ruthless efficiency. Heroes who resisted were imprisoned or killed. Most of the superhuman community had bowed before him.
Worse still, his reputation continued to grow. His victories against alien threats had turned public opinion in his favor. To the world, he was not a tyrant, but a savior.
That combination of fear and hatred defined Poison Ivy's view of him.
Now, watching Adrian unleash Heat Vision and send members of Batman's resistance flying, she felt that same oppressive force firsthand. The sheer presence he carried pressed down on everything around him.
She looked upward.
Two even more terrifying beings clashed in the sky, their power rivaling Homelander's. The battlefield felt unreal, overwhelming in every direction.
She steadied herself with a slow breath.
"Well," she muttered, glancing toward the towering figure before her, "it seems someone dropped me straight into a war zone, and neither side looks forgiving."
The creature in front of her radiated the essence of plant life, dense and ancient. To her, he felt like kin, something rooted in the same force she drew from.
But Swamp Thing did not share that sentiment.
He lowered his gaze, his voice heavy and resonant. "Whoever sent you believes you can stop me. They are mistaken."
A vine shot forward instantly, cutting through the air toward her.
Poison Ivy reacted without hesitation, summoning nearby vegetation to intercept the attack. The collision rang out with a sharp, explosive crack. The plants shattered and scattered, and the impact hurled her backward.
She hit the ground hard, pain flaring across her back, but forced herself upright immediately.
This was not a fight she could afford to lose.
Swamp Thing attacked again, his vines striking with relentless force. She narrowly dodged as one slammed into the ground where she had stood, the shockwave sending her tumbling through the air. She twisted midair and summoned vines to catch herself.
If he could control plants, so could she.
Her vines surged forward, wrapping around him from all sides, coiling like living restraints. They bound his limbs, tightening at his joints, restricting his movement with calculated precision.
"You and I both understand how terrifying nature can be," she said, standing atop a thick vine that rose like a serpent beneath her feet.
Her breathing was steady, her tone edged with irritation. "I do not appreciate that kind of introduction."
Swamp Thing remained composed despite the restraints.
With a sudden surge of force, his arm tore free, ripping through the vines. At the same time, sharp leaves burst outward, slicing through the rest of her bindings. The vines fell apart in seconds.
He stepped forward.
The ground trembled as if stirred by a living force. A massive vine erupted from the earth and struck upward, catching Poison Ivy beneath the chin before she could react. The blow launched her into the air.
Another vine followed, rising to intercept her midflight.
Her vision blurred from the impact, her body momentarily unresponsive. But the plants around her moved instinctively, shielding her from the follow up strike. The collision shattered the incoming mass of wood, debris scattering outward in a violent burst.
She regained control, summoning a vine to steady herself.
A bruise had already formed along her jaw.
She exhaled sharply. "You are stronger than you look, big guy. But you are not the only one who can influence plants. Haven't you noticed? Your control is not as smooth anymore. That is because I am interfering."
A faint smile curved her lips.
"And controlling plants is not my only ability."
The air itself carried her next weapon.
Toxins.
Invisible and deadly.
She had already released them.
"Do you feel it?" she asked, watching him closely. "A slight itch, perhaps?"
Swamp Thing took a step forward, acknowledging the sensation.
She continued, her confidence growing. "You have been exposed to a toxin derived from the silver needle tree. Microscopic needles, invisible to the eye, carrying a powerful neurotoxin. It bypasses defenses, enters through respiration, and spreads rapidly. It will paralyze you while burning through your body."
Her vines hovered near him, ready to strike.
"You are already poisoned."
There was a trace of satisfaction in her expression.
"I once used this on someone named Hurley. His last words described it perfectly. It feels like being burned by acid while electricity tears through your nerves."
She lifted her fingers to her lips, brushing them lightly before extending her hand toward him in a mock gesture of finality.
Swamp Thing felt the toxin.
He understood its effect on ordinary life.
But he was not ordinary.
He was the embodiment of the Green itself.
The toxin was nothing more than a plant's secretion to him, insignificant within the vast network of life he governed.
"You do not understand what you are facing," he said.
The ground responded instantly.
Thick roots burst upward, coiling around Poison Ivy and binding her tightly before she could react.
Elsewhere on the battlefield, only Adrian, Batman, and Clark Kent remained standing.
Oliver, inhabiting Shazam's body, had ambushed Wonder Woman and Flash, only to be struck down by Adrian and reverted into a powerless boy. Adrian showed no hesitation, even against an ally's vessel.
Constantine lay on the ground, too exhausted to move. He watched the chaos unfold, from the clash above to the battle between Swamp Thing and Poison Ivy. His gaze drifted toward Batman.
He already knew how this would end.
Adrian gripped Batman by the front of his suit, lifting him slightly.
"Where is my sister?" he demanded.
Batman said nothing, his breath ragged.
Adrian pressed a finger against his chest.
A sharp crack followed.
Batman's body tensed as the pain surged through him.
"I will break a rib every time I ask, Bruce," Adrian said coldly. "Let us see which gives out first, your bones or your silence."
Batman forced out a strained reply. "Not over yet."
A faint smirk touched Adrian's lips.
"I admire the resolve."
He pressed down again.
The second break drew a harsher reaction, a suppressed groan escaping despite Batman's control.
"But resolve will not save you."
Adrian raised his hand for a third strike.
Before he could act, Clark grabbed his wrist.
"Stop, Adrian."
Adrian turned, irritation flashing across his face. "Why?"
Clark shook his head, his expression heavy.
"Too many people have suffered already. On both sides. This has gone far enough."
The battle had spiraled beyond anything he anticipated. What began as a controlled confrontation had turned into chaos, with shifting alliances and overwhelming forces. From Sinestro's actions to the intervention of Doctor Fate, to the arrival of Trigon and Trickster, and now Swamp Thing, everything had escalated beyond control.
And it all seemed to culminate with Shazam's betrayal, though Clark did not yet understand the truth behind it.
===
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