Tommy was running across the rooftops, his breathing ragged and heavy. Occasionally, he'd either grapple to the top of a higher building or glide to the top of a lower building but much of it was running.
He had learned how to properly traverse the rooftops of Gotham by now, knowing which set of buildings had the clearest rooftops and which were maddeningly broken up by air conditioners and fences. He wanted to work his way to the top of the Gotham State Building, the highest one in this section of town, because he knew that if he got there he could glide most of the way to the cliff that hid the secret Batcave and thus the portal itself.
To be truthful, Tommy had come a long way as Batman. He didn't compare to the man himself, obviously, and he probably didn't compare to Nightwing or even Red Robin, but he was doing alright for himself. It had happened continuously, gradually, and Tommy himself hadn't even noticed.
Before, he had trouble making his way across Gotham without missing with a grappling hook at least once, and actually finding buildings and streets was a difficult endeavor. Now he moved quickly and surely, and the city laid before him with all its secrets exposed.
Combat, too, had been greatly improved. Barbara Gordon had taught Tommy a lot in their relatively short training time, and Black Canary had laid out a great deal about the basics of tactics to him. A room of goons was no match for Tommy now and even superbeings like Silver Banshee had been bested.
But the biggest improvement in Tommy's time as Batman had been in fortitude. If Tommy had encountered a vast conspiracy to capture a portal that allowed one access to infinite universes 9 months ago, for example, Tommy probably would have dug a deep hole and hid there until everything had blown over. If he had just seen his friend and mentor blown up in an explosion, he probably would have cried. As it was, all Tommy could do was run.
Well, not only.
'Oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit,' Tommy thought as he ran. He was running on pure instinct, perhaps knowing that if he actually thought about his situation he would be paralyzed by fear. No, Tommy moved with the fevered movement of an animal, savagely pounding the rooftops with his heavy boots. He took a big leap off the top of a hospital and free fell for about 3 seconds, finally extending his cape and gliding safely to the building below.
'Oh shit oh shit oh shit,' Tommy thought. He was close to the Gotham State Building now, maybe 4 or 5 more rooftops, and once he was there he'd be at the secret Batcave with no trouble. He glanced around furtively, looking for attackers, but so far he had seen no one. He would have wondered if whoever had attacked Barbara would be after him next if he wasn't so busy being scared.
'Oh shit oh shiiiiiiit,' Tommy thought, his thought extended as he jumped from one rooftop to another. He was at the building next to the Gotham State Building, a high skyscraper of its own. The building seemed to have some sort of arboretum on its top floor and Tommy was running on the glass above it. He was halfway across the roof when he began to line up his shot with his grappling gun. He extended his hand and prepared to fire when-
"OH SHIIIII-" Tommy yelled as the glass beneath Tommy's feet suddenly shattered, dropping him into the arboretum below. Tommy landed with a thud. He wheezed as what little air was in his lungs was forced out. But Tommy was trained now and even as he landed he was already turning, searching for his attacker. He slipped batarangs in each hand and prepared to fight.
And then Tommy saw his attacker come around from behind a tree. The look on their face was angry and twisted. Tommy's shoulders slumped.
"I really don't have time for this, Ivy," Tommy said wearily.
***
Standing him front of Tommy, tall, busty and green, was Poison Ivy. Her bright red hair fell down past her shoulders, though some of it was currently fallen over the front of Ivy's face. She waved it away angrily with her hand, showing Tommy her snarl. The buxom beauty's chest was heaving, most likely from anger, but Tommy still was drawn to the rising and falling of Ivy's breasts as she breathed. A few scant leaves clung tightly to her body, covering the bare minimum they needed to.
"YOU!!" Ivy snapped angrily. Tommy backed up but the vines were already shooting from the ground, reaching for him. They grabbed Tommy's wrists and put him up against the wall, slamming him with full force. Tommy held tightly to the batarangs in his hands and tried to weighed whether he should use them or not.
"How DARE you!" Ivy spat at Tommy. She was clearly not pleased to see him. Tommy was not pleased to see that, inside this (presumably) rich asshole's rooftop arboretum, that Ivy had set up quite the little operation. Amid the tall ferns and short trees stood a variety of chemistry equipment. A large metal vat stood out as being remarkably plant-like. Tommy could tell instantly that Poison Ivy was up to no good.
"It's too late, Batman!" Ivy continued. "My plan is too far along for even you to meddle with it!"
"Huh?" Tommy said. He didn't even know Poison Ivy was still in Gotham, let alone planning something insidious.
"Oh, don't play dumb with me," Ivy said derisively. "I know you're here to stop me from selling my new formula to the highest bidder!"
Tommy was struck dumb for a moment.
"...You're absolutely right," He said finally. He wasn't sure what's going on but it seemed better to pretend that he did.
"Well I've already sold it!" Ivy said. "All that's needed now is for the winner to come pick it up. Soon the entire world will be under its thrall!"
Tommy was completely confused now, especially by the word "thrall." He debated cutting his vines now but he knew he needed to distract Ivy first. But how...
"Look, Ivy," Tommy began. "I was totally going to stop you but first I just need to go take care of one little thing. Why don't I just leave, take care of that real quick, and then run back here to stop you?"
Ivy was shocked and then actually laughed at the boldness of Tommy's request. "Like I'd ever let you go," She chuckled. "Especially not after what you did to me!"
Tommy thought for a moment. "Do you mean fucking you in the ass*, because honestly I was tied down so I don't know-"
*LBB, part 20
"Not that!" Ivy yelled, her green face turning a shade of red. "I mean this!"
Ivy walked over to her work bench and pulled up something on her computer. Tommy could only read the banner that read "Gotham Gazette" but he instantly knew what it was.