*This story is the third of the Arkham series. Each part functions as a stand-alone with its own plot-line and they do not need to be read together (although please feel free to do so). This part takes place shortly after A Matter of Family (before Arkham Asylum), using the same characters and plot-line as the series, up until the start of the story obviously. I tried to keep the characters' physical aspects and personalities as close to their video game versions as possible. Please note that this is purely a work of fantasy/parody. All characters and settings are property of DC Comics.*
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Barbara landed softly on the metal rooftop, her body trained to be as silent as possible. Crouching, she moved towards a skylight of the abandoned laboratory, and slowly peered over the edge of the window. She saw just who she was looking for, but, hoping for a more covert entrance, she sought out a different window. Barbara looked down into a hallway and didn't see anybody, but activated her Detective Vision and scanned the hall just in case. Having confirmed the area to be void of any unexpected visitors, she noiselessly lifted open the window and dropped down to the tile floor.
Barbara's heart raced as she crept down the corridor. It was her first big solo job that Bruce had assigned her. Barbara's performance in taking down Joker and Harley alongside Robin had levied her favor, so when Poison Ivy popped up on Batman's radar again, Barbara pleaded to be given the case, which she was rewarded with.
Barbara was slightly annoyed by how long she had been restrained as a sidekick to Tim or Bruce, so she was determined to prove herself worthy of the trust she had now gained. As silently as she possibly could, Barbara turned a corner and, feeling her way along the wall, made her way to the threshold of her intended room.
She re-activated her Detective Vision and looked through the wall. The blue skeletal figure was busy at work on a counter. Barbara looked around the room, noting various chest-high countertops that could work as cover for a silent approach. What Barbara failed to notice, however, was the thick vine on the ceiling of the room.
Believing the room to be clear, Barbara snuck through the doorway and crouched behind one of the counters. She crept along, hidden by the counter, moving herself closer to the other body in the room. When her cover came to an end, Barbara silently rolled over to another counter, now only 15 feet from the target.
Barbara began to hear quiet mumblings, which she couldn't quite discern. Looking through the counter with her Detective Vision, she saw the person bend down further over the counter, and Barbara decided that her moment had come.
She sprang out from the counter and whisked a Batarang from her belt in a near seamless motion. Just as she was moving her arm forward to release it, she felt a heavy presence grab on to her wrist. Barbara immediately recognized it as a vine, and cursed herself for being so stupid as to not check the room for vines.
Thinking quickly, she dropped the Batarang and caught it in her other hand, and sliced through the vine seamlessly, freeing her from its grasp. Barbara stumbled, her back now turned to where the figure was. Caught off guard, Barbara was unprepared for the blow that struck her in the back of the head.
Spinning around, Batgirl blindly threw a strike that caught her assailant in the stomach, before following that up with a kick to the knee, buckling her opponent to the ground. Before Barbara could inflict any more pain, a vine wrapped itself around her left foot and yanked Barbara off her feet, giving her head quite the bruise when it collided with the ground. Barbara, now very dazed, was pulled by the vine across the tile floor of the lab before feeling another grasp her by the neck, and three more grab her remaining unrestrained limbs. Barbara was now held suspended, spread-eagle, in the air by the vines, unable to escape. She cursed herself again for not checking for plants.
Poison Ivy walked towards her captured prey and stood just before her. Barbara's tall 5'11" frame allowed her to still look down on Poison Ivy, a feeling Ivy was unused to from another woman, being 5'8" herself. "Well, well, well. I'm disappointed. Seems like the big, bad Bat didn't think I was worthy of his full attention, so he sent out one of his little pets. I have to admit, you've got a powerful strike for a girl," Ivy said.
"Trust me, you haven't felt the last of my wrath yet," Barbara commented.
Ivy sighed. "So I suppose you're here to stop my evil plans. How predictable. You petty humans can't accept that Mother Nature will win out no matter how hard you push against her. It's really a shame that I will have to kill you now; it would have been fun seeing you slowly die with the rest of your foul race, all eradicated by my masterful ingenuity!" Ivy continued.
Sensing an opportunity to prey on the typical narcissism of super-villains, Barbara cut in, "Oh, I'm sure your plans were so great! And that's why Batman didn't deem you enough of a threat to even make an appearance on his own! You're just a second-rate villain trying who's trying to play themselves up!"
"Silence, you foul-mouthed bitch! My plan is more magnificent than any of the Clown freak's silly little jokes, or the midget's gadgets, or that weird crocodile's brute strength! When my toxin is deployed at the gala in a few days, I will control all of Gotham's most powerful figures. From there, I will build large-scale distribution centers without any restrictions, and the entire city and eventually world will be transformed into the glorious plants of Mother Nature!" Ivy retorted in a over-dramatic and grandiose tone.
Batgirl had gotten what she had needed. She was more than a little disappointed at how cookie-cutter Ivy's plan was, but that made it all the easier to stop. Ivy spun around and moved to her desk, planting her hands down, "You and all of your other Bat-pests won't bother me anymore, and the world can return to the way it should be!"
Batgirl took this as her opportunity while Ivy wasn't looking. She had discreetly activated a blade in her arm while Ivy was droning on, and now jerked her arm forward, slicing the vine holding her left wrist. Within moments, Barbara had completely freed herself. Ivy collapsed down on the desk, feeling the pain of her babies, allowing Batgirl to lunge at her from behind.
Barbara swept Ivy down to the ground from behind and kneed her in the chest, knocking the wind out of Ivy. Barbara grabbed her shoulders and lifted her back up onto her feet. With Ivy now leaning back against the desk, Batgirl cocked her head back and started to thrust forward in a head-butt motion, but Ivy, physically outmatched, had one last trick up her sleeve.
Just before Barbara swung her armored head towards her own, Ivy lurched forward and planted her full, bright red lips on Barbara's. Barbara immediately stopped, letting go of Ivy and stumbling backwards. She didn't feel anything immediately, but began to feel a force inside her brain compelling her to relent. Bruce had injected her with an antidote to the sample of Ivy's toxin he had, but Barbara realized Ivy must have made a more powerful variant.
Pooling all of the will that she had in her, Barbara yelled out and came at Ivy again. The villainess saw the attack coming and dodged. Barbara's attack whiffed and she smashed her fist against the metal counter in the follow-through. She cried out in pain and leaned back against the counter, momentarily out of action.
The break in Batgirl's attacks allowed Ivy enough time to bring in more vines, and Barbara immediately found herself returned to the starfish position, this time with vines twice as thick and clogging her blade to prevent an easy escape.
"Seems like the little bitch has some fight in her. You know, I really like that. Now, let's pop off that mask and see who is hiding underneath."
Barbara's heart froze. She knew Ivy wouldn't recognize her, but perhaps she would be photographed or Ivy would show her in her captured state to the press. Her secret identity was the most valuable thing Barbara had, and she needed to protect it at all costs, but was now left powerless to do so.