DC: A Cop in Gotham

Chapter 19: Posion Ivy and Mana, Plant and Water

Arkham Asylum houses Gotham City's most dangerous criminals. Yet for many of them, it's little more than a locked door. Its heavily secured cells are merely temporary shelters. At any moment, they can choose to check ou and escape.

Batman tirelessly returns escaped prisoners to Arkham, fully aware of its futility. He knows they'll escape again, and he knows many of them are beyond redemption. Yet, he remains steadfast in his no-kill principle, putting them back where they belong.

To him, these villains are merely maggots spawned by Gotham's rotting cesspool. Unless the cesspool itself is cleansed, the maggots will continue to thrive and multiply.

One such "maggot" is Poison Ivy, a prisoner of Arkham Asylum. While not as sadistic as Gotham's worst criminals, her unique ability to manipulate plants and her extremist environmentalist views make her a constant threat. To Ivy, humanity is nothing more than a plague destroying the natural world.

"We're just insects crawling across her forest," Damian muttered as he perched atop a massive tree, scanning the dense canopy for any sign of Dean.

From his vantage point, the horizon stretched into a verdant expanse, an endless wild forest where Gotham's urban landscape should have been.

Sliding down the tree, Damian approached Dick Grayson, who was groaning on the ground. "Stay still," Damian instructed, his voice steady. "Your left arm is dislocated. Bite down."

Before Dick could protest, Damian grabbed his arm and forcefully adjusted the joint with a sharp motion. Dick grimaced through the pain but immediately felt relief as his shoulder unlocked.

"I didn't know you could set bones," Dick remarked, flexing his arm cautiously.

Damian smirked faintly. "An old medicine doctor taught me. Didn't think I'd ever need to use it."

Dick raised an eyebrow, his suspicion evident. The idea of Ra's al Ghul, Damian's grandfather, teaching medical techniques for saving lives felt... unlikely.

"What happened? Where's Poison Ivy?" Dick asked as he stood up, surveying their surroundings.

"You were knocked out when you shielded me," Damian explained. "Dean drove Ivy off in your car, but she lost her target and went berserk. She released some kind of green energy, and when I blinked... this forest appeared."

Dick glanced down, noticing for the first time that the ground beneath his feet wasn't solid earth. It was a tangled mesh of roots, thick and impenetrable, covered in moss and sprouting dense plant life. Every patch of soil had been overtaken by this invasive greenery.

"This isn't Poison Ivy's usual style," Dick observed. "She's always been a schemer, using her powers to manipulate conflicts. Since when did she become a full-on brawler?"

Damian nodded in agreement. He'd encountered Poison Ivy alongside Batman before. If she'd possessed this kind of raw power then, both of them would've been overwhelmed.

"Whatever the case, we're not her priority right now," Damian pointed out. "She's after Dean and Manaphy. But this jungle..."

The canopy above blocked out nearly all sunlight, leaving only scattered beams to light the forest floor. The suffocating darkness, coupled with the oppressive silence, made the woods feel alive and ominous.

"Stay alert, Robin," Dick warned.

"Obviously," Damian retorted, rolling his eyes.

As the two moved cautiously through the underbrush, a vine silently uncoiled from the treetops above...

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Elsewhere in the forest, Dean found himself in a less-than-ideal situation. His borrowed luxury sports car was now lodged in the upper branches of a tree, five meters off the ground. The front wheels spun helplessly as the vehicle hung precariously over the jungle below.

Dean groaned, sitting on the hood of the car. "One minute I'm driving down a normal road, and the next, I'm in a tree. What's powering this car—Speed Force?"

He pulled out his phone, unsurprised to find zero signal bars. "Figures. We're out of the service area. Great."

"Manaphy, fly up and take a look," Dean instructed.

Manaphy chirped cheerfully before ascending into the canopy. Moments later, images from Manaphy's perspective appeared on Dean's communicator. Above the endless green jungle stretched a shimmering green dome, encasing them like a barrier.

"It's some kind of magical field," Dean muttered. "We're still in Gotham, but Poison Ivy's turned this area into her domain. These barriers usually work in a way where you can't get out, and no one can get in. The only way to break it is to deal with Ivy herself."

Realizing there was no time to waste, Dean abandoned the car. The Wayne family could afford to replace it. He grabbed Manaphy and began walking through the dense forest.

The forest gleamed with life, though none of it were friendly. Predatory plants snapped at him, their razor-sharp leaves slicing through the air.

Dean unsheathed Hoshikudaki, his katana, and cut through the vegetation with precision. Each strike carried the focused energy of his training, his blade slicing the carnivorous plants into pieces.

"Using Hoshikudaki to clear the way is very practical," Dean quipped, wiping sweat from his brow. The jungle's humidity was relentless, sapping his strength with every step.

Thankfully, Manaphy can produce fresh, cool water for him to drink, staying off dehydration.

"Are you sure this is the right direction?" Dean asked during a brief pause.

Manaphy nodded, its antennae twitching. "Mana, Mana!"

Dean sighed. "Alright, if you're sure. Let's move."

Manaphy had sensed a powerful life force deeper in the jungle, likely Poison Ivy herself. It wasn't long before the forest around them seemed to shift. Vines began moving of their own accord, reaching out like hands.

"She's awake," Dean muttered, tightening his grip on Hoshikudaki. "Whatever she's planning, this is our last chance to stop her."

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In the heart of the jungle, the dense foliage gave way to a clearing bathed in eerie green light. At its center stood a massive flower bud, its crimson petals glowing faintly. Suddenly, the bud unfurled, revealing Poison Ivy, who emerged in her reborn form.

Her skin shimmered with a pale green hue, and her fiery red hair flowed like vines. As her bare feet touched the ground, her lower body transformed, merging seamlessly with the earth beneath her.

She inhaled deeply, the entire forest trembling in response. Her connection to the jungle was absolute. The leaves rustled in unison with her breath, and every plant became an extension of her will.

"This power... it feels different," she whispered, her voice laced with awe. She was no longer merely Poison Ivy, she was the embodiment of the Green.

Her transformation wasn't random. Poison Ivy's powers originated from The Green, of The Parliaments, a primal force within the DC Universe that connected all plant life. This ancient power chose avatars—those who could protect and expand its influence.

For most of her life, Ivy had been a mere vessel, barely scratching the surface of her potential. But her encounter with Manaphy had changed everything. The Green had surged into her, empowering her beyond her wildest dreams.

"I see now," Ivy murmured, her glowing green eyes scanning the forest. "That child is the key. Manaphy, the embodiment of the ocean's life force. It belongs with the Green."

The forest whispered to her, guiding her attention to Manaphy's location.

Dean felt the shift immediately. The plants around him turned, their movements unnervingly synchronized. The oppressive silence was replaced by a low hum as vines and roots writhed toward him and Manaphy.

"She knows we're here," Dean muttered.

Manaphy clung tightly to him, its antennae quivering with fear.

From deep within the forest, Poison Ivy's voice echoed. "There's no need to run. I mean no harm, little one."

"Yeah, sure," Dean scoffed, gripping Hoshikudaki. "Because chasing us with killer plants is totally friendly."

The vines around them surged forward, wrapping around Manaphy. Dean acted quickly, slicing through them with a precise strike.

"Mana!" Manaphy cried out, its tiny body trembling.

"Don't listen to her," Dean reassured it. "We'll get out of this. Just stay close to me."

In her core sanctuary, Poison Ivy frowned. "The human is persistent," she muttered, her voice laced with irritation. "But he's irrelevant. It's you who I want, little one."

Stretching out her hand, Ivy summoned a large red flower that released a fine golden mist. The hypnotic spores spread through the air, carried by the jungle's breeze.

When the mist reached Manaphy, the small creature wobbled, its movements sluggish. It let out a faint cry before succumbing to the spores and falling unconscious.

The plants around them sprang to life, gently cradling Manaphy in a cocoon of wide green leaves and vines. Dean lunged to intercept, but the vines restrained him, holding him back as the cocoon was passed from one plant to the next.

"No!" Dean roared, struggling against the restraints.

The cocoon traveled swiftly through the forest, eventually reaching Poison Ivy. She cradled the sleeping Manaphy in her hands, a look of reverence on her face.

"So pure, so beautiful," she murmured, brushing a vine across Manaphy's face. "A being of water and life. You belong with the Green."

Manaphy stirred, its eyes fluttering open. The hypnotic spores hadn't fully subdued it, and the creature recoiled from Ivy's touch.

"Mana!" (Bad woman!)

Ivy chuckled, her tone soft but patronizing. "Don't be afraid. I'm here to protect you, not harm you. Humans can't understand what you truly are. They only want to exploit your power."

Manaphy glared at her, its small body trembling with defiance.

"Mana!" (Liar!)

Ivy extended her vines in an attempt to calm it. "You'll see, little one. When you embrace your destiny as the embodiment of the ocean, you'll understand. Plants and water are natural partners. Together, we'll restore balance to this broken world."

As the vines reached out, Manaphy's antennae twitched. With a sudden burst of energy, it spat out a red and white Poké Ball that it had hidden in its tentacles.

Poison Ivy blinked, caught off guard. "What—?"

The ball exploded in a flash of light, and Dean emerged, katana drawn and ready.

"Mana!" Manaphy cried.

"Secret Art: Sacred Sword!" Dean roared, unleashing a blindingly fast strike.

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