In DC universe as Batman

"They're coming."

The Plant Master stepped out from the cabin and walked toward the large bluestone slab outside. Nearby, Professor Goldblum and Poison Ivy were stationed at a makeshift table. The old professor wore a gas mask, working intently with vials of pale yellow fluid.

"I can feel it!" Ivy muttered, fingers dancing over a keyboard.

"They're getting closer."

She grabbed one of the vials, gave it a shake, stirred it with a glass rod, then quickly stored it in a case.

"Can you stop fidgeting like that? I need to concentrate," she snapped.

"We won't have access to any of this once we're in Louisiana. We have to synthesize more while we still can."

"Hurry up," the Plant Master said, voice low and rumbling, as he slumped onto a nearby stone. "They're almost here."

---

Later, at the Swamp

"We're here," Harley Quinn announced, pointing to a narrow log bridge stretched across the swamp. "Betcha Poison Ivy's base is right across that thing."

Robin led the charge, followed by Deadshot and the others. Batman hung back, giving Harley a long, unreadable look.

"Oh, really? Just cross this little bridge and there she is?" he asked flatly.

"Yup! That's the whole idea," Harley replied, nodding quickly.

Batman didn't break his stare.

"Uh… what? Why're you lookin' at me like that?"

*Stare—*

"Ha…ha?" she chuckled nervously.

Bruce just smirked and finally stepped onto the bridge. Harley let out a breath of relief, deliberately lagging behind.

In her mind, she counted.

3,2,1.

BOOM!

Massive vines and tree roots exploded up from beneath the swamp. The wooden bridge twisted and writhed like a serpent, tying the entire team.

"Damn it! What's going on?!" Deadshot shouted, already firing at the oncoming vines. He cut down several, but the shifting bridge threw him off balance and he was soon tangled and pinned.

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz...

Harley backflipped away from the chaos, landing gracefully on dry ground.

"Don't waste your energy, Count Vertigo!" she called. "I know your powers work best at close distance or when connected with tightly arranged molecules like in solids. But now? You're cut off from the swamp. Which is a good conductor of sound. At this distance, you can't do anything to me."

Lady Vic twisted through the air like a gymnast, dodging vines with uncanny precision. She teamed up with Cheshire Cat, their blades slashing vines apart—until the very ground beneath them betrayed them. The wood split open like blooming flowers. Roots seized their ankles and dragged them down.

"Why...why?!" Lady Vic screamed as she was hauled toward a massive tree. Its trunk cracked open like a demonic mouth.

"What the hell, Harley Quinn?!" Robin shouted, thrashing against his bonds. "I knew we couldn't trust you!" He sounded hysterical, his fingers inching toward a plastic explosive hidden behind his back.

Only Batman and Dogwelder remained eerily calm, allowing the vines to cocoon them like sacrificial offerings. The pale girl stared at Batman. No surprise. No fear. Just calm. Even Harley found that unsettling.

"Harley Quinn," Batman asked quietly, "what are you doing?"

"What am I doing?" Harley huffed. "I'm doing exactly what you wanted, dummy."

She smiled darkly.

"Because it's Thursday. And Thursdays? Thursdays are always crazy."

---

Poison Ivy and Plant Master finally arrived, having sensed their trap had been triggered.

"Harley?" Ivy blinked in disbelief.

Harley bounced toward her like a giddy schoolgirl, grinning ear to ear.

"Hiya, honeybun! Sorry for tagging along with the Bat, but I had to make them think I was on their side so I could lead them here. Into your awesome trap. Ta-da!"

Ivy stared, stunned.

Then Harley leaned in, her tone changing instantly.

"Pudding, please listen to me. Give up this plan. It's very, very , very unreliable. Don't turn us all into vegetables. Don't destroy the ecosystem. You're tampering with forces, you don't even understand yet. Please, I'll testify for you. I know you mean well. Just… stop. Even if you kill some people or have them eaten alive, you're still a good person. Padme, my sweet little tomato vine—please, please don't go through with it. Pleasegive up this plan."

"No!" Ivy recoiled, voice rising. "The Earth is dying, Harley! I'm not destroying it—I'm saving it! Saving it from the parasites feeding off it!"

Harley's shoulders slumped.

"I've lived with those parasites all my life. But we can prune them, shape them—like a gardener does. I dont want to do that, but i have to do it-- someone has to make the hand decision. "

"I don't want to do this," Ivy whispered. "But I have to—"

Harley let out a shaky breath, a single tear falling.

"Well. You can't blame a girl for trying."

She leapt backward. Two microcapsules flew from her fingers, landed on the tree, and exploded.

The colossal tree moaned and fell. Lady Vic and Deadshot broke free.

Poison Ivy blinked, stunned.

"Special herbicides," Harley said, flashing a guilty grin. "You gave them to me, remember? Back when we were still friends. Before the lollipop thing."

In a flash, Ivy lunged and choked her.

"I thought we were friends!"

"Red!" Harley gasped. "Friends don't let friends kill 8 billion people—!"

THWACK!

Ivy punched her. Square in the eye. Harley screeched.

"OW! Little Red, I'm helping you!"

They tackled each other in a flurry of kicks and punches.

"YAAH!"

The Plant Master charged.

Deadshot scrambled up, tossed two ice grenades—

"Wait," Batman commanded calmly.

"What now?!" Deadshot shouted.

The grenades exploded. Frost burst outward—but melted away almost instantly. The Plant Master remained unharmed.

Batman stepped forward.

"Wait. Do you remember what I said? Herbicide."

Before Deadshot could respond—it began to rain.

A soft, green-tinted drizzle fell across the battlefield.

Trees melted. Vines shriveled. Holes opened on the Plant Master's body as he screamed in agony.

Deadshot turned to Batman, eyes wide.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

Batman didn't flinch.

"Why even fight? I'm going to pour herbicide in this area. I'm making sure that even their farts smell like herbicide."

---

Somewhere else

My name is Bane.

Wherever my gravestone lies, I run toward it—breathless.

While I chase lightning, smother fires, and drain myself dry… Batman waits.

In the eye of this storm, he gathers strength.

He waits at the center. Calm. Focused.

Waiting to break me at the threshold of my own grave.

I should be chasing the puppet master, the dark figure pulling all the strings—Batman.

But to reach him, I must pass through the storm.

I am Bane. And I am about to go into action.

No time to rest.

No time to delay.