Tag: batman

Batman and Robin ran out the door to find the Krynoid, having gotten bigger, thrashing its other tendrils at them. They got closer to the Krynoid as it was ready to open its maw, then stabbed their pyro-batarangs into the Krynoid. It roared in pain, then the batarangs fired their flame jets, forcing the Krynoid to release Ivy as it thrashed in pain. Everyone then left the cottage.

“THIS WAY!” called Ivy. She led the way to a gate that led outside the botanical gardens. Batman pressed a button on his gauntlet just as the sprinkler system kicked in. The Batmobile arrived and opened all its doors.

“Come on! To the Batcave!” called Batman. Everyone jumped into the Batmobile. The doors shut and Batman hit the gas. The Batmobile sped through the streets of Gotham as Batman pressed a few buttons on the console. “Oracle, connect me to Commissioner Gordon!” he said.

“Batman?! Thank goodness you’re alright!” sighed Oracle. “We lost radio contact the instant you went into the botanical gardens! Right then, Commissioner Gordon, you said? Just a sec!” The call then went through.

“Batman?!” asked Gordon once he accepted the call. “Isn’t this too early for you to call me?!”

“The situation’s bad, Commissioner,” replied Batman. “Ivy successfully cultivated the Krynoid! It’s taking over the botanical gardens!”

“Right then, we’ll set up a perimeter and monitor the situation.”

“Negative!” replied the Doctor. “You need to evacuate everyone within a mile of the botanical gardens!”

“Doctor?” asked Gordon. “What do you mean?”

“The Krynoid has the same telepathic connection to plants as Ivy does,” explained the Doctor. “It stabbed her in the back, so we’re temporary allies for now.”

“Ah, Mother Nature can’t handle an alien plant, huh?” asked Gordon.

“I heard that!” called Ivy.

“I was kind of hoping you would!” retorted Gordon.

“Is now really the time?!” argued William.

“William’s right,” said the Doctor. “By my reckoning, Gotham has about five hours before the Krynoid reaches primary germination.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” asked Gordon.

“It’s gonna spread its seeds and make baby Krynoids,” explained Harley. Everyone looked at her, except Ivy. “…What?! I’m dating a plant lady! Don’t you think I’d learn some plant stuff?!”

“For once, Commissioner,” sighed Ivy, “I’m helping Batman make some weedkiller.”

“Meanwhile, Commissioner, you need to evacuate everyone within a mile of the botanical gardens,” said Batman. “Don’t take no for an answer, not even from the mayor.”

“Hold on, you’re asking me to boss the mayor around for his safety?” asked Gordon. He then chuckled. “Oh, my birthday came early! All right, Batman. Be safe. Gordon out.” The call ended just as the Batmobile entered the Batcave. Everyone jumped out and the Doctor led the way to the TARDIS.

“…Under normal circumstances,” purred Catwoman, “that would be nice and snug.”

“Not as snug as you think, Catwoman,” replied the Doctor. “Ivy, Batman, inside.”

“We can’t all fit in there!” protested Ivy.

“Oh yes, we can,” countered Batman as he and the Doctor pulled Ivy inside.

“WHAT THE-?!” yelped Ivy. The doors shut, leaving William, Catwoman, Robin, and Harley in the cave.

“…What are we gonna do to put the weedkiller in the Krynoid?” asked Harley.

“Ah, I had no idea we were entertaining a criminal and the woman beguiling Batman,” remarked a certain butler’s voice. Alfred had arrived.

“Hey, Alfie!” called Harley. “How’s the ol’ butler life?”

“I’ve asked you numerous times to refrain from calling that, Dr. Quinzel,” remarked Alfred. “Where, pray tell, is Batman?”

“In the TARDIS,” replied Robin. “He, the Doctor, and Poison Ivy are making an herbicide for the Krynoid.”

“…I’m rather surprised to hear that Dr. Isley, of all people, wishes to destroy a plant. I presume it betrayed her once it reached the adult stage?”

“You’re right on the money, Alfred,” confirmed William.

“How long have we got?”

“About five hours, according to the Doctor.”

“I see,” muttered Alfred grimly.

---

The Doctor administered what she and her team synthesized onto a slide with a Krynoid tissue sample. She then looked at the slide through a microscope. “…Aha!” she said. “Take a look.” Ivy looked into the microscope.

“…The cell walls are breaking down and spilling chloroplasts,” she said.

“With them outside the cells,” remarked Batman, “the plant would starve. And without the cell walls…”

“Vegetable soup,” summarized the Doctor. “But we’ll need to deploy a large amount of this stuff.”

“Batman, would the Batplane work?” asked Ivy.

“If the missile it’s carrying has a big enough payload,” replied Batman.

“We’ve only got four hours left,” said the Doctor. “You prep the Batplane, I’ll synthesize more.”

---

Making enough of the herbicide took three hours. The Doctor and William loaded the herbicide into a missile, then Batman and Robin loaded the missile onto the Batplane. Batman began the launch sequence as every cleared out of the launchpad. The Batplane then roared to life and flew out of the cave.

---

The Krynoid had gotten big enough to break through the upper windows of the botanical gardens. That was just what Batman needed for a sighting run. The Batplane’s computer then beeped. “Batman to Batcave, target locked,” he said.

“You’ve only got one shot, Batman!” reminded the Doctor. “It’s sure to defend itself!”

“I know the risks,” said Batman. Just then, giant trees grew. Batman dodged and aimed at the Krynoid. The computer beeped again, then Batman fired! The missile flew towards the Krynoid and struck true! More trees grew in retaliation, swinging their branches at the Batplane…then the Krynoid stumbled!

“…Weakness!” it cried. “WEAKNESS!” One of its tendrils then fell off!

“It’s working, Doctor!” called Batman. More of the Krynoid’s tendrils fell as the trees shriveled and died.

“Batman, Commissioner Gordon on the line for you!” called Oracle.

“Put him through!” replied Batman.

“Batman, what the hell was in that missile?!” called Gordon. “That monster’s coming apart at the seams!”

“Commissioner, I suggest you pull your men back!” replied Batman. “Because there’s going to be a terrible mess!”

---

On the ground, Gordon wasted no time. “You heard the man! Evacuate! Go! Go! Go!” He and his forces ran from the gardens as the Krynoid crashed all around them. The fall generated a lot of dust that obscured the whole thing. Everyone waited until the dust settled. Once it did, all that remained of the botanical gardens was a pool of green sludge and the smell of overcooked vegetables.

---

There were all sorts of press conferences from the mayor all the way down to Gordon telling the public about the events. In those conferences, they explained that the perpetrators, Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn, were arrested and thrown into Arkham. As Bruce, Damian, Catwoman now in her civilian identity of Selina Kyle, and Alfred were watching the conferences. “What rubbish!” grumbled Alfred. “Telling the public about alien plants! They’re quite clearly not ready!”

“I dunno,” remarked Bruce, “they already know about Superman and where he came from. …Speaking of aliens, Doctor, do you think we’ll see the Krynoid again?” The Doctor and William were idly standing by, enjoying tea.

“Mr. Wayne,” replied the Doctor, “I’ve gotten into contact with the Galactic Floral Society and Krynoids are still a tough subject to study. A lot of researchers still go missing.”

“Still, that herbicide should be given to the Justice League,” said William. “Maybe Superman’s fortress has something in its libraries about Krynoids.”

“I wouldn’t put it past Clark to have an entry on Krynoids,” muttered Selina.

“In any event, we have to go,” said the Doctor as she finished her tea.

“Already, Miss Doctor?” asked Alfred.

“Time waits for no Time Lord,” replied the Doctor. “William, how would you feel about taking a trip to Florana?”

“…Animal, vegetable, or mineral?” asked William.

“A planet-wide beach paradise,” explained the Doctor. “The bubbles in the sea are effervescent! You can’t sink in it, no matter how far out you are!”

“Fun in the sun, huh?” mused William. “…I could do with that! The plants there aren’t carnivorous, are they?”

“Nope! Strictly autotrophs!”

“Then what are we waiting for?!”

“Bruce? Any of your family want to come with us?”

“…I think I’m good,” replied Bruce.

“Same here,” agreed Selina. “I’ll keep to Earth, thank you.”

“And I’d rather not get lost in your TARDIS again,” supplied Damian.

“Alfred?” asked William.

“…I’d be delighted,” replied Alfred, “but, unfortunately, I already have a holiday booked. I’m aware your vehicle is time-travel capable, but I’d rather not run the risk.”

“All right then. Just thought we’d ask,” replied the Doctor. “Come along, William!”

---

The Doctor and William had changed for their new destination. “My first new planet!” said William as he packed the sunscreen.

“You’ll love Florana!” replied the Doctor as she checked her new swimsuit in the mirror. “Air like a magic potion! I feel centuries younger after a good holiday there!”

“Centuries?” asked William. “You Time Lords live that long?”

“Millenia, if we’re lucky!” The time rotor then stopped as the TARDIS made that familiar thud that indicated an arrival. “AHA! We’ve landed!” The Doctor dashed to the door! “Now, let’s-!” No sooner did she open the door than wind threw snow and cold air into the TARDIS. “GOOD GRIEF!” That was too cold, even for a Time Lord! She shut the door immediately.

“That didn’t sound like fun in the sun,” snarked William as the Doctor checked the console.

“That doesn’t make sense,” she muttered. “I know I set the controls for Florana! …Oh…Oh, very funny, dear!”

“Doctor?”

“The TARDIS brought us to Telos, an ice world. It’s her idea of being funny.”

“Oh, ha ha!” William said to the TARDIS console. It just beeped as if it were laughing.

The Krynoid threw Harley through the one-way mirror, right into the hallway where the Doctor and her group were trying to get away from a snarling Elizabeth. “Harley!” called Batman. Harley picked herself up and pointed into the observation ward.

“That thing in there! Ophelia!” she said.

“Ophelia! Ophelia!” replied the Doctor angrily. “That’s not Ophelia anymore! That’s a monster!” Speaking of the former human, the Krynoid lumbered through the broken window. It then used Elizabeth to attack! The Doctor, her group, and Harley kept dodging the blows from Elizabeth and the Krynoid.

“Harley, where’s the incinerator?!” demanded William.

“There isn’t one!” replied Harley. “The fire risk was too great!”

“We have to find Ivy!” urged Batman. “Where is she?!”

“In the throne room!” revealed Harley. “Talking to Councilman Hartmann and Selina!”

“Catwoman’s here?!” yelped Robin.

“Come on!” called Harley. She led everyone through a door. They shut it behind them and barricaded it before resuming their run to the throne room.

---

“Dr. Isley,” said a portly man as he paced the throne room, “you promised that my ecological plan would come to fruition! Catwoman here told me about what you’ve done with Dr. Henderson! What do you intend to do, make us all plant men?!”

“Councilman Hartmann, wouldn’t it be better?” asked Ivy. “We’d produce our own food. No need for the pollution of factory farming. No need for fakey foods with additives. All we’d need is water and sunlight.”

“Pamela, using an alien plant,” argued a woman in a full bodysuit themed after a cat, the infamous Catwoman, “can’t possibly be a good idea! What would the Green say?”

“The Green will come around to-!” Ivy was interrupted when Harley brought the heroes into the throne room. “Harley, what are you doing?!”

“And now that winged nut’s involved!” complained Hartmann.

“Councilman,” assured Batman, “I’m trying to undo Ivy’s mistake!”

“I’ve made no-!” argued Ivy.

“You did!” replied Harley. “Ophelia’s not Ophelia anymore! She’s an it! A monster! It’s got control over Elizabeth! The ropes couldn’t hold it!”

“You mean that horror’s roaming around here?!” asked Hartmann.

“It could take over all plant life at any minute!” warned the Doctor. “Councilman, we must get out of here!”

“Relax, all of you,” assured Ivy. “It’s a plant. I can commune with it.” She placed her fingers on her temples and shut her eyes, just for dramatic effect as she tried to talk to the Krynoid.

“Ivy, it’s an alien intelligence!” the Doctor retorted. “You won’t be able to-!” Ivy then clutched her head in pain and cried out.

“PAMELA!” yelped Harley. The Doctor put her own fingers on Ivy’s temples and concentrated hard. Ivy then collapsed to the floor, panting heavily, along with the Doctor.

“Doctor!” called William as he rushed to help her. She accepted the help and was pulled back to her feet while Harley helped Ivy.

“…A grotesque parody of a plant!” panted Ivy. “That’s what the Krynoid called me! It lied to me! I nurtured it and it spits in my-!”

“Poison Ivy,” interrupted the Doctor, “the Krynoid is dangerous, lethal! It will lie to achieve its goals of killing all animal life! …Thankfully, I blocked your connection to it, but you’ll need to wrestle its control over plants to keep us alive.”

“This is insane!” protested Hartmann as he headed to the door.

“Councilman, where are you going?!” called Batman.

“To get help!” replied Hartmann.

“Hartmann, we’re in the Botanical Gardens!” argued Ivy. “That thing can control plants like I can! We need to-!”

“YOU need to keep the crazy down, lady!” interrupted Hartmann. “This has gone too far!”

“Listen to her! You won’t make it to any gate!” urged Batman. Hartmann then pulled out a gun.

“We’ll see!” he said before leaving the throne room.

“Hartmann!” called the Doctor. “HARTMANN, STOP!” She then growled. “Typical, gun-obsessed-! Why aren’t all Americans like William here?!

“Come on, we’d better stop him!” called Ivy.

“You made that monster!” argued Robin. “Why should we-!”

“Because I finally admit that you people are right!” interrupted Ivy. “And we all have to work together to kill that weed!”

“We have to find Hartmann quickly!” urged the Doctor. Everyone then rushed out of the throne room.

---

Hartmann ran through the maze that was the botanical gardens. “Dammit, all the plants look the same!” he complained. He rounded a corner and gasped! In front of him was a seven and a half foot tall mass of green that was moving towards him! Ivy’s plants at least had some recognizable features, this one didn’t! Its anatomy was undefined with no discernable front or back. It was bulky and covered in tendrils and vines, some of which ended in Venus Flytrap mouths. It lumbered towards Hartmann. “Whatever you are, stop or I fire!” warned the Councilman. The new plant paid him no heed and continued shuffling towards him! Hartmann fired, but the bullets simply bounced off the plant! Hartmann stumbled backwards and tripped over some root! One of the plant’s tendrils then grabbed him and dragged him into a maw! He screamed, attracting the attention of the Doctor and her group. They rounded the corner to see the plant chomping down on the Councilman!

“That’s an adult Krynoid?!” yelped William. Batman wasted no time! He threw a particularly sharp batarang at the Krynoid. It buried itself into the plant, causing it to roar in pain.

“THIS WAY!” called Ivy. The group ran with an angry Krynoid running after them a few seconds after getting the batarang out.

---

Ivy led everyone into a small cottage at the edge of the botanical gardens. Charlotte and Adelaide were in there. “Mistress!” called Adelaide.

“Mistress, are you all right?!” asked Charlotte. “We lost contact with Elizabeth and-!” She then spotted Batman. “What are you doing here?! I thought you’d be compost by now!”

“Charlotte, was it?” interjected the Doctor. “With that Krynoid outside, we’ll ALL be compost. …How are you not-?”

“Emergency procedures I taught them,” replied Ivy. “If telepathic communication is compromised, like an alien intelligence taking over, all sentient plants have to silence the hive.”

“What about Elizabeth?!” asked Adelaide worriedly.

“We’ll save her,” promised the Doctor. “But we have a weed that-!” Speaking of the alien weed, one of the Krynoid’s tendrils burst through the cottage window and thrashed around, looking for prey! Robin drew his sword and stabbed outside where the tendril connected with the plant. The Krynoid roared in pain again. The Doctor then called out to the Krynoid. “You don’t scare us, Ophelia!” she called. “If you’re in there!”

“The human host, once known as Ophelia,” came a distorted version of Ophelia’s voice, “is now part of us. You may try and escape, but you cannot stop us, Doctor.”

“It’s the Krynoid!” realized Catwoman.

“Hear this; humans and false plant,” said the Krynoid, “surrender the Doctor, Batman, and Poison Ivy to us. Your lives will be spared. You have until daybreak.” The rattling of the Krynoid unnerved everyone.

“…Heck of a Valentine’s day, huh Ives?” muttered Harley.

“Doctor, how big will that thing get?” asked William.

“Oh, ranging from St. Paul’s Cathedral to the Burj Kalifa,” replied the Doctor.

“…Ivy can stay,” muttered Adelaide, “but Batman and the Doctor…”

“…I quite agree, sister!” said Charlotte.

“No one’s throwing anyone to the Krynoid!” argued Ivy.

“Why not?!” countered Charlotte. “If it wants those two-!”

“It asked for all three! Even then, I doubt it would make any difference!” interrupted Ivy. “It’s going to kill all animals and corrupt you and your sisters, so why spare us unless it wants sport?!”

“She’s right,” mused the Doctor. “By daybreak, the Krynoid will be big enough to turn this cottage into rubble.”

“Well, we can’t stay here!” protested Harley. “We gotta get out of here! There ain’t no stuff to make Krynoid-killer here!”

“…Not here, no,” replied Batman. “But the Batcave has a blue box that can.”

“The TARDIS laboratory!” realized William.

“And we still have that Krynoid tissue sample there!” recalled the Doctor.

“A tissue sample from a Krynoid consuming its host!” argued Robin.

“The DNA is still the same,” replied the Doctor. “Ivy, is there a back way out?”

“No,” answered Ivy. “I made this cottage into a bunker.”

“We’re going to need some sort of distraction at daybreak,” muttered the Doctor.

“…Would a pyro-batarang suffice?” asked Batman.

“…You’ve got a batarang that can generate fire?” asked the Doctor.

“Two, actually.”

“Two might actually be enough.”

“Ivy, just so I know, when will the fire suppression system kick in?” asked Batman.

“About a minute,” replied Ivy.

“Then some plants will be scorched,” muttered the Doctor.

“…Really wish you didn’t say that.”

---

Daybreak arrived and everyone prepared to escape. Batman and Robin opened the cottage’s upstairs window to better aim at the Krynoid. “…Doctor, we’ve got a problem,” Batman called downstairs.

“What is it?” asked the Doctor.

“The Krynoid’s gone.”

“WHAT?!” The Doctor charged upstairs to see that Batman was right. “…Where could it have lumbered off to?!” she hissed. That was when they heard a scream! Everyone rushed downstairs to see Ivy being pulled through the window by the Krynoid’s tendril as Harley, William, and Catwoman were trying to free her!

The Doctor, Batman, and Robin got William to a relatively safer part of Ivy’s base. They then checked him over. “I’m all right, guys!” protested William. “The pod was still closed by the time Ivy lost control of the vines.”

“That’s good to know,” replied the Doctor. “Though I can’t say I enjoyed that scream.”

“You don’t think-?” asked Robin.

“The pod found a new Krynoid host,” growled Batman.

“I certainly hope not,” muttered the Doctor.

---

Ophelia was going into convulsions as her skin looked like it was covered in green hives! “M-My whole body-!” she said as she shook. “L-Look at my arm!”

“Incredible!” said Ivy as she examined the arm. “The rate of growth is astounding!”

“G-Get me a doctor!” pleaded Ophelia.

“What doctor can undo this?” asked Ivy. “Don’t worry, my sweet. We’ll care for you here.”

“Pamela, for pity’s sake!” begged Ophelia. “Help me!”

“Charlotte, help me get Ophelia to the observation ward,” directed Ivy. Charlotte obeyed, growing tendrils to help Ivy support Ophelia as they walked out of the room. “Harley, take care of anyone of Batman’s group trying to get in. No need for high security now.”

“You got it, Red!” replied Harley.

---

“Batman, you come with me,” directed the Doctor. “Robin, get William to safety.”

“And where, pray tell, is safe?” asked William.

“Out of the Botanical Gardens, I presume,” remarked Robin.

“Get him more than a mile away,” said the Doctor. “Because if that pod DID find a host, the Krynoid will be able to control plants within a mile of here.”

“Got it. Selina’s apartment should be safe,” said Robin.

“What about you and Batman?” asked William.

“We’re going to see if the Doctor’s fears are right,” replied Batman.

“Doctor, please be wrong!” urged Robin.

“Believe me, I hope I’m wrong too. Now GO!” urged the Doctor. Robin took William by the hand and they both ran. The Doctor grabbed an axe lying nearby.

“Doctor, what do you intend to do with that thing?” asked Batman. “You’re not a natural killer. I’ve seen your martial arts.”

“You’re right, I’m not a natural killer,” replied the Doctor, “but they don’t know that.” They returned to the lab. Batman counted down from three, then they burst into the room. “NOBODY MOVE!” shouted the Doctor. …It looked empty. Batman and the Doctor glanced around the room…then Batman spotted something.

“Doctor!” he said as he pointed out the open seed pod.

“Oh no,” shuddered the Doctor.

“Looks like Ives got a new recruit!” came Harley Quinn’s voice. She jumped from the ceiling.

“…Who?” asked the Doctor.

“Dr. Ophelia Henderson,” replied Harley. “Looked like the plant likes a leggy blonde!”

“Harley, that plant is consuming her as we speak!” urged the Doctor. “We must find a cure for her!”

“See, Red and I put a lot of effort into getting that pod and we want to see the results!” said Harley. “So be a good little girl, Doc, and beat it! And take your bat and birds with you!”

“Harley, you don’t know the kind of monster Ophelia is becoming!” argued Batman. “We can’t leave until she’s cured!”

---

As Robin and William made their way to the gate, they heard footsteps. “Quick! Over here!” hissed Robin as he dragged William to a corner. They then poked their heads out to see Ivy and Charlotte bringing Ophelia to a room. Robin saw the color of her skin and shut his eyes as he remembered what happened with the first pod. “…The pod opened,” he said.

“…That’s what Ezar looked like when the pod grabbed him?” asked William.

“Yes,” confirmed Robin.

“Then the Doctor’s worst fears are confirmed,” sighed William. “We can’t leave her and Batman.”

“I can’t, but YOU can!” hissed Robin.

“Not a chance, kiddo,” replied William. “If I can escape a Norse god and an Eastern-European dictator, I can help the Doctor find a cure for that poor woman. We both have to stay.”

“…I’ll ask about the details for the Norse god later,” remarked Robin. “Much as I hate to admit it, you’re right. We need to help Father and the Doctor.”

“Now, where would they be?” mused William

---

In the observation room, Ophelia’s transformation had progressed to having foliage growing all over her body like Ezar. She was tied to a table by ropes. “Wh-What’s happening?!” asked Ophelia.

“Don’t panic, my dear,” soothed Ivy. “I was just as scared when I was shedding my original animal form.”

“…No! No, you can’t keep me here!” begged Ophelia. “I need a hospital!”

“Don’t be absurd. We’ll look after you here. Now, there’s recording equipment to monitor the transformation and food will be given to you.”

“Charlotte!” Ophelia begged the giant talking rose. “Charlotte, this is murder and you know it! Get me to a hospital! Please!”

“Mistress Ivy knows what’s best in this situation,” replied Charlotte. “It’s for your own good.” The giant mobile rose and her creator then departed.

“Ivy! POISON IVY!” wailed Ophelia uselessly.

---

Robin and William were about to abandon their hiding place when Ivy and Charlotte left the room. They went back under cover and listened to the conversation. “What if Ophelia’s right, Mistress?” asked Charlotte. “About how dangerous this all is?”

“Don’t worry, Sweet Charlotte,” soothed Ivy as she stroked the rose. “I’ve taken all the proper precautions.” At that moment, Harley arrived. “Ah! Harleen!” said Ivy as she pulled the clown girl into a hug. “I take it you have prisoners?”

“Bat-brain and the Doc are in the composting room right now,” replied Harley. “They’re watching the composting plants before I put them in. Want me to start the…recycling experiment?”

“Not just yet,” replied Ivy. “We need Robin and Dr. Davies in the same room as them. For now, let’s go see if they understand their current situation.” She followed Harley to the composting room as Charlotte headed off to do other business.

“…We gotta get in there,” muttered William.

“…Why?” asked Robin. “Shouldn’t we find Father and the Doctor?”

“So where’s the composting room?” asked William. “That’s where Harley said they are, yes?”

“…Ah, ask Ophelia so we can quickly bring the Doctor to her and try and cure her.”

“Exactly. Let’s see if we need a key.” The two then approached the room’s door and tested it. …It opened easily.

“…I think Ivy would want anyone getting too close to the door to be killed by that horror she’s cultivating,” remarked Robin.

“Let’s hope it’s still human, mentally,” replied William. The two entered the room and heard a groan. They saw Ophelia fastened to her table with meat nearby. Ophelia slowly opened her eyes and saw them.

“…You should be glad,” she mumbled. “This could have been you.”

“…Ophelia, was it?” asked William. “I’m Dr. William Davies. Robin and I know of someone who can try and cure you, but she’s a prisoner in an area known as the composting room. If you can tell us where it is, we can bring this woman to you.”

“…You promise?” asked Ophelia.

“On my very soul,” replied William.

“…It’s in the southern area of the gardens,” revealed Ophelia. “Go straight out this room through that door behind me, then take a left. It’s the third door from the right of the southern gate. Hurry! I can feel this stuff eating me alive!”

“Keep fighting!” urged Robin. “We’ll cure you in time!” He and William went through the door.

“…So tired,” sighed Ophelia. “I’m so…so tired.” She then shut her eyes. …Her last, fatal mistake.

---

William and Robin followed Ophelia’s directions and heard a grinding noise. “That’s gotta be the room!” said William. Robin kicked it open and saw Batman and the Doctor restrained as various plants chopped up the food waste and…fresh bodies, turning it into fresh soil.

“Father!” said Robin. Batman and the Doctor turned to see the two.

“We told you to get out of here!” hissed the Doctor as Robin and William undid the bonds.

“We can’t, Doctor,” replied William. “Not when Ophelia needs us!”

“We know where she is!” urged Robin. “We have to hurry!”

“…Right, lead on,” directed the Doctor, knowing that time was of the essence. Robin and William led the way. The group soon arrived, only to find Elizabeth blocking the way.

“Well, well, well,” purred the talking giant rose. “So the criminals return to the scene of the crime.”

“Elizabeth, get out of the way!” urged Batman. “Ivy’s letting Ophelia turn into a monster!”

“A monster that will need fresh nitrogen,” replied Elizabeth. “Did you know your bodies are the richest source of the stuff? She’ll need it to be further nurtured.”

“Nurtured?” asked the Doctor fearfully. ‘You don’t mean to say you’ve been feeding her?!” Elizabeth was about to reply…then her petal-made mouth slowly dropped its smile, looking like someone in a trance. The lips then curled into an animalistic snarl. “Oh no! We’re too late!” whispered the Doctor fearfully.

---

“He’s so nasty, treating her rough!” sang Harley when she came by with the next meal. “Smacking her round and acting real-!” Harley stopped when a vaguely humanoid limb grabbed her by the throat and hoisted her up! The Doctor was right, they were too late! Ophelia was now a Krynoid in its vaguely humanoid state!

Batman, Damian in his Robin suit, the Doctor, and William arrived at the scene as Commissioner Gordon and other police officers combed over the area. “All this over a seed pod,” grunted Gordon. “I knew Poison Ivy was crazy, but-.”

“Commissioner,” interrupted the Doctor, “I don’t think either you or she knows how much danger Gotham, nay, EARTH is in now.”

“Given that the only human she cares about is Harley, I think I can guess.”

“If what I saw from the old pod is any indication,” remarked Batman, “not even Harley is safe from what Ivy’s got, despite Ivy’s love for her.”

“We’ll have to find her quickly, Batman,” said William.

“We have a potential site,” revealed Gordon. “Oracle found evidence of plant buildup around the old Gotham Park in Old Town. We sent some people to investigate the area, and their body-cam footage caught Ivy and Harley making their base there.”

“…And the people you sent to investigate?” asked the Doctor. Gordon rubbed his face in regret.

“I…I had to tell their families…” he began.

“I think I can piece together what happened to them,” muttered the Doctor.

“We have to stop them,” said William.

“You two wait with the Commissioner,” Batman said to the Doctor and William.

“Batman, with all due respect, we’re going with you,” replied the Doctor.

“Doctor-!” protested Gordon.

“My dad was a sexist man, I’ll freely admit, Commissioner Gordon,” interrupted William, “but he taught me to defer to the experts on matters I don’t understand. The fact remains that the Doctor is the expert on Krynoids here, and facts don’t exactly require belief to be true. We’re going.”

---

The pod was in a makeshift laboratory with Poison Ivy and other scientists working. It was made from plants Ivy grew. Two giant rose blossoms the size of a dog and with vines for locomotion stood by. Harley then came into the lab. “Hey, Pam-a-lamb!” she said. “How’s the baby?”

“I managed to establish contact with it,” replied Ivy. “There’s definitely an intelligence in that thing.”

“Shame it don’t talk, unlike Charlotte and Adelaide over there.” Harley gestured to the giant roses.

“Mistress Ivy,” said one of the giant roses through petals forming a mouth in the center, a butter-yellow one named Charlotte, “are you sure this is a good idea?”

“I have to side with my sister here,” said the other rose, a white one named Adelaide. “I can feel that thing’s intelligence and-!”

“It will come around to our way of thinking,” soothed Ivy as she stroked the two roses like one does with a cat. Another giant rose then arrived, this one being a pink one. “Dorothy?” asked Ivy. “What is it?”

“It’s Batman, Mistress!” explained the new rose. “He, Robin, and two strangers just strolled in as if they own the place!”

“What?!” snarled Ivy. “He’s never been this bold! Sound the alarm!”

---

“We’re REALLY doing this?” Robin asked the Doctor.

“Just act like you own the place,” replied the Doctor. “Nothing gets you to the head of the operation faster. Then be an absolute madlad when it comes to identification.” That was when women and plants surrounded them. “Aha! Now watch this!” One of the women then approached the group. “All right, I suppose you want to see my identification,” the Doctor said to the woman. “Well, I haven’t got it.” The woman opened her mouth to speak. “Nor am I telling you my name!” interjected the Doctor. “Now you just tell Poison Ivy that my friends and I want to speak to her about the Krynoid seed pod she stole!” The woman blinked in surprise. “…Well, don’t just stand there arguing with me, woman!” The woman then picked up a phone.

---

“She called the seed pod by name?” asked Ivy.

“That’s right, ma’am,” confirmed the woman over the line.

“I thought only you figured out the plant’s name, Red,” said Harley.

“I rather think this woman may have met Krynoids before,” mused Ivy. “Meaning she’s not as human as she seems. …Send her and her group to me.”

---

The Doctor and her group were escorted to Ivy’s makeshift throne room. Several plants made a chair for Ivy and Harley to sit in. “A green Queen, hm?” asked the Doctor.

“A rather flippant title,” replied Ivy as she rose from the throne, “but not without foundation, Miss…?”

“Oh, I’m known as the Doctor. And this is my associate, Dr. William Davies.”

“A pleasure,” muttered William.

“Oh! And this is Bat-.”

“Yes, thank you,” interrupted Ivy. “Harley and I are quite well acquainted with Batman and the vigilantes that work under him. You, Doctor, are more of a mystery to me. How do you know about the Krynoid?”

“Oh, I used to be president of the Galactic Floral Society,” replied the Doctor. “Researchers looking to study the Krynoid found the topic a rather difficult one.”

“They keep going missing, hm?” guessed Ivy.

“…You draw the correct conclusions and are still blind to the dangers,” remarked the Doctor. “That thing is endemic…no, LETHAL to Earth!”

“You speak as though animals are a necessary part of Earth,” remarked Ivy. “There’s only one animal that I would see protected, and that’s Harley.”

“Dr. Isley, please listen!” urged Robin. “Batman and I have seen that thing in action! It converted one of my students into a Krynoid! That thing nearly killed us!”

“And animals like you and me ARE necessary to the world,” argued the Doctor.

“They’re parasites and I have shed that parasitic self!” snapped Ivy.

“You know, I do have to ask,” said Harley, “will I still be an animal?”

“Ooh, the girlfriend angle! That’s right! She’d-!”

“Not as long as I’m around. …However, Harley, if you DO want to shed your animal self, I can arrange for your…evolution. Through the methods that evolved me, not through the Krynoid.”

“That’s all I need to know, babe!” giggled Harley.

“…You know, Doctor, the scientist in me can’t help but try and observe the process,” mused Ivy. Vines then restrained the group. “Let’s see…no, not the Doctor. …Not Batman. …Dr. Davies, on the other hand…”

“Fat chance!” replied William. The vines restraining the Doctor, Batman, and Robin then yanked them away from William. Ivy then released her pheromones.

“Are you sure you don’t want to evolve?” asked Ivy. “For me, handsome?”

“…Like I said, fat chance!” retorted William. “And your perfume, a very lovely scent, I might add, won’t work!”

“Oh, for-! Batman, did you immunize him?!” complained Ivy.

“I wasn’t going to take any chances!” replied Batman.

“Let him go and let us destroy that pod!” demanded the Doctor.

“No on both counts, Doctor. I WILL cultivate the Krynoid!” Ivy snapped her fingers. William’s vine dragged him underground as Ivy and Harley sat in the chair, following William.

“Ivy! IVY!” shouted the Doctor.

“Father, please tell me you have a defoliant!” said Robin.

“I have vinegar,” replied Batman.

“A biodegradable one,” remarked the Doctor. “Where?”

“Third belt compartment from the hip,” answered Batman.

---

The vine and chair surfaced and deposited their passengers into the lab where the seed pod rested. One of the botanists arrived. “Dr. Isley!” she said. “It’s the pod! It’s gotten bigger!”

“I thought I felt a surge of vitality somewhere,” purred Ivy. “Now, William, are you sure you won’t help little ol’ me?”

“Save your helpless Southern damsel act, you weed in Mother Nature’s Garden!” snapped William. “You can’t make me!”

“What an uncooperative man,” replied Ivy, bristling at being called a weed. “I am the very avatar of Mother Nature herself! …All right, if you won’t help me willingly…” vines then yanked William over to the table where the seed pod was and pinned his arm to it! “You’ll help me like so!”

“Ooh, this is gonna be fun!” giggled Harley.

“Not for me, you crazy!” protested William.

“I don’t know, I think this little experiment will-!” Ivy then clutched her head in pain.

“RED!” yelped Harley.

“…B-Batman’s escaped!” growled Ivy. She turned to her roses. “Get them! They must not reach this area!” The pod then twitched, as if it were gonna open! “Perfect! Ophelia, get some clamps!” she ordered the botanist.

“No, no!” gulped Ophelia. “This is inhuman!”

“I don’t care!” replied Ivy. “I want to see what happens when the Krynoid touches human flesh!”

---

The Doctor, Batman, and Robin had to fight their way through Ivy’s forces. “You’d hit a lady?!” protested a guard woman.

“Man, woman, irrelevant when the person’s a criminal,” replied Batman as he fought her. The Doctor had to fight another guard woman.

“I’ve heard of flower power,” she remarked, “but this is ridiculous.”

“What about girl power?!” argued the woman.

“Batman’s comments are still relevant here.” The Doctor jabbed her pointer and ring finger into the woman’s collarbone, paralyzing her for a moment before dashing off to find a lighter and an aerosol can. “…Well, when in America,” she muttered. She flicked the lighter open and sprayed the contents of the can. As expected, a jet of flame erupted and burned the plants blocking access to Poison Ivy’s lab. The sudden noise and heat caused Ivy to look behind her and lose her concentration on the vines restraining William. Willaim seized his opportunity and ran to the Doctor, knocking the table over.

“…What will you do now, Doctor?” asked Ivy.

“Win as usual,” replied the Doctor. She and her group then ran.

“FLOWER GUARD! STOP THOSE-!”

“AAAHHH!” screamed Ophelia. “M-MY LEG! MY LEG!” The pod had burst open and a shoot latched onto her leg, fusing itself to her skin!

“So how do we cure him, Doctor?” asked William.

“Therein lies the problem,” replied the Doctor. “No cure exists. We’d have to design a cure that destroys the plant cells and reconstitutes the animal cells. A blood sample won’t cut it, we’d need uninfected flesh.”

“…I think Damian might have accidentally provided that,” remarked Bruce.

“How’s that?” asked the Doctor.

“Well, during Ezar’s attempt, Damian cut off his finger before he woke up the pod. We’ve kept it in cold storage.”

“That may very well work, provided there’s no damage to the cells,” said the Doctor.

“There’s plenty of insulation, there won’t be any ice damage,” said Alfred. “Master Bruce’s paranoia ensured that.”

“Vigilance, not paranoia,” argued Bruce.

“We’ll discuss that later,” said William. “Doctor, do you even have anything that might help in that regard?”

“In the TARDIS laboratory, yes,” said the Doctor. “Speaking of which, where’s that box I told you to bring, Bruce?”

“Jason said he, Stephanie, and Dick brought it into the garage,” replied Bruce. “This way.” He led the Doctor and William into the garage and there was the TARDIS.

“Perfect,” said the Doctor. “William, how good of a surgeon are you?”

“I’ll have to be a great one,” replied William.

“Good enough. With me. Bruce, bring the finger and see if you can get a tissue sample from Ezar. We’ll need a control group.”

“Right,” confirmed Bruce. He wasted no time. He briefly opened Ezar’s pod, got the tissue sample, and left. …Unbeknownst to him, Ezar opened an eye…or was it Ezar anymore?

---

The Doctor led William to the TARDIS laboratory once Bruce and Alfred came in with the tissue sample and finger. “My god!” breathed Alfred.

“We can gawk at how the TARDIS breaks our understanding of the laws of geometry six ways to Sunday later,” replied William, going full doctor mode.

“Yes, priorities, good man,” said the Doctor. “This way.” She led everyone to a room filled with all sorts of gadgets and chemicals.

“TARDIS lab?” asked William.

“Yes, and it’s here we need to try and find a cure before Ezar is totally consumed and the Krynoid breaks out.”

“Doctor, you said you just came from 2025, why not-?” asked Batman.

“Travel back in time,” interrupted the Doctor as she got machines up and running, “and stop Ezar from getting infected? Well, several laws of time prevent me from messing with established history for a start and those laws spawn from the simple fact that doing that is the messiest of quick fixes that just create paradoxes out across time and space.”

“It’s that much of a minefield?” asked William as he brought out various chemicals and drugs.

“Minefield doesn’t begin to describe the nature of time,” replied the Doctor as she got cell samples ready. “The point is that we must tread very…very carefully.”

---

A young boy with Arabic features walked by the medical ward and looked at the door. Mentally, he was kicking himself. He trained Ezar during his time in the League of Assassins, he clearly failed as a teacher. As he berated himself, he heard some sort of noise. …It almost sounded like breathing, but it was too rattly for human breathing and it was coming…from the medical ward! “Ezar?!” asked the boy. He opened the door and a monster stood in the door! It was made of plant material and had tendrils where the hands should be. The boy briefly saw the remains of the pod Ezar was in before the creature wrapped its tendrils around his neck. The boy broke out of the creature’s grip and ran to the TARDIS.

---

Inside the lab, the Doctor and William worked tirelessly to try and develop a cure. “Still negative results,” remarked William.

“Let’s try a combination of-!”

“FATHER! ALFRED!” came a voice. Bruce and Alfred looked up.

“Damian?!” asked Bruce.

“I don’t like the sound of that,” William muttered to the Doctor.

“Come on,” said the Doctor. “We better go see what he wants.” She led everyone out of the lab.

---

“So many corridors in such a tiny box!” complained the boy, Damian, as he ran through the TARDIS. “They all look the same! FATHER! ALFRED!”

“YES!” called Bruce as he and his group rounded a corner. “Yes, Damian? What is it?”

“It’s Ezar! He’s fully changed!” explained Damian. “That plant stuff-!” A crashing noise then interrupted him.

“Console room!” whispered the Doctor. “That thing’s broken in!”

---

The Doctor was correct. The creature formerly known as Ezar was in the console room, steadying itself and reveling in the warmth. It then felt a presence similar to itself, but less mobile. “OI!” came the Doctor’s voice. She and her group entered the console room.

“Oh my god!” gasped William. “That’s a Krynoid?!”

“It’s a grotesque parody of the human form!” said Alfred. The Krynoid then lumbered towards Alfred. Bruce grappled with the mobile plant and kicked it away. The Krynoid stumbled and went down a corridor.

“It’s heading for the TARDIS Conservatory!” said the Doctor. “Quick! We have to lead it to the incinerator!”

“You mean kill him?!” protested Batman.

“Father has a no-kill rule!” argued Damian.

“Laudable in combat against humans, I’m sure,” replied the Doctor as she led the chase, “but that’s not a human being anymore! COME ON, YOU LOT!”

---

The Krynoid was lost, there were no two ways about it. It needed to find the Conservatory so it could rally its green brethren against the animal scum! The plants must win! But these wretched artificial corridors all looked the same! It was like it was lost in a maze! It then heard a high-pitched whistle! An animal! It turned to see the Doctor. “Ezar, if you’re in there, please listen to me!” No! Ezar is gone! It will consume this animal! The Krynoid clumsily swung its arm, but the Doctor ducked. Damian then appeared and kicked it into a room. Bruce shut the door and the lock engaged. The Doctor typed in a command on the control console outside the door and bright light filled the room. Everyone could see the shadow of the Krynoid thrashing around before falling. The light then died and a message appeared on the console.

“Incineration of contaminant complete,” it read. “Safe temperatures in 30 minutes.”

“…It’s ashes now,” sighed the Doctor.

“…Ezar was my student,” remarked Damian. “This mistake was his, but I failed to properly teach him to pay attention to his surroundings.”

“You did what you could, young man,” replied the Doctor. “But that’s only half the trouble. Mr. Wayne, you said your company had two pods and that Poison Ivy attempted to steal one.”

“That’s right,” remarked Bruce. “The scientists under my employ believe that the pods are grouped in pairs for maximum survival.”

“Your scientists have drawn a frighteningly correct conclusion.”

“So what would this Poison Ivy want with the second pod?” asked William.

“Control over the adult plant, I would believe,” replied Alfred. “She’s become plant-like and can control plants.”

“The Krynoid would be a magnificent weapon in her arsenal,” agreed Bruce.

“If she wins the mental battle,” remarked the Doctor darkly.

“I think it best I tell my employees,” said Bruce, “that the USDA deems that pod to be an invasive species that must be destroyed before it spreads.”

“Do you have herbicides?” asked the Doctor.

“We can whip one up or just toss it into our incinerator,” replied Bruce.

“Good man.”

---

“But Mr. Wayne, our research isn’t conclusive!” protested the head botanist of Wayne Enterprises as Bruce spoke to her. “…There’s no way the USDA can draw that kind of-! …Oh, all right. We’ll destroy the pod at once. …Goodbye.” She hung up.

“Did I hear that right, Dr. Channing?!” protested a botanist under her employ as he stood up. “We have to destroy that pod?!”

“The USDA thinks it’s an invasive species,” replied Dr. Channing. “Mr. Wayne’s ordered us to destroy it before it spreads seeds that would destroy the Eastern Seaboard within decades.”

“He doesn’t like any member of the current administration!”

“Nevertheless, our orders stand. We can’t waste time making an herbicide from scratch.” Dr. Channing turned to two other botanists. “You two, get the incinerator fired up.”

“Gee, Ms. C,” remarked one of the botanists, “if you’re sure.”

“…Ms. C?” asked Dr. Channing. “Dr. Kasey?”

“No, Dr. Quinzel!” replied the botanist as she threw off her lab coat to reveal Harley Quinn! She turned to her friend. “I’ll hold them off, Red!”

“Good luck, Babe,” replied the other botanist as she threw her coat off to reveal Poison Ivy!

“HEY!” shouted Dr. Channing. She grabbed Ivy as her coworker went after Harley. Ivy then kissed Channing and a pink mist surrounded the two. Channing relaxed and released Ivy.

“Now, sweetheart,” cooed Ivy, “where’s the pod?”

“…Over in…that room…Mistress,” sighed Channing happily as she pointed out a room. It was locked with a steel door. Ivy snapped her fingers and vines grew from the ground, tearing the door off its hinges. On the other side of the door was a walk-in freezer. The seed pod was covered in ice thanks to the temperatures. Ivy commanded a vine to grow, grab the pod, and bring it to her. The pod, still frozen, was placed in Ivy’s hands just as the sound of sirens filled the air. Ivy smirked with satisfaction.

It was a dark, gloomy night in the city. People were scurrying back to their homes, trying to get away from the criminals that infested the city. A woman was trying to get home and made the rookie error of going down an alley. Three muggers then jumped out of the shadows. “Eep!” yelped the woman.

“All right, lady!” said the lead mugger. “Give us your purse and no one gets hurt!”

“You COULD resist,” chuckled a second lustfully.

“Keep your mind on business!” snapped the lead mugger. “We’ll play with her later!”

“No! Please! You can’t!” begged the woman.

“Oh, can’t we?” chuckled the last mugger. He was about to say something when a strange noise filled the air. They looked around to see the TARDIS fade into view. “What the?!” asked the third mugger. William stepped out of the TARDIS followed by the Doctor. His face contorted into one of disgust.

“Ugh! That’s an alley smell!” he gagged. “I thought you said we were going to New New York!”

“Well, I guess I put in the wrong coordinates,” muttered the Doctor. She then saw the muggers. “…I see we’re still in 21^st century America. Eastern Seaboard City?”

“A whole selection!” chuckled the second mugger. “Always wanted to play with a man as well!”

“Oh, yuck! My cousin and his husband would tear you apart for setting back their work like that!” complained William.

“Yeah, well, you won’t be telling him anything!” snapped the lead mugger. “Not unless you hand over all your money!”

“And if we don’t, what will you do?” asked the Doctor, pretty sure of the answer already.

“Then we’re gonna have to cut that pretty face of yours! And hers!” The third mugger held his knife to the woman’s throat.

“…All right, come on, try and cut my face,” challenged the Doctor. She wasn’t gonna do that 60’s sitcom woman routine, not after trying it in Latveria. The lead mugger and his lustful friend rushed at the Doctor and William while the third kept the poor woman as his hostage. The Doctor dodged the lead mugger’s knife attacks, then jabbed her pointer and middle fingers into his shoulder. His knife arm then went limp as his hand involuntarily opened, releasing the knife.

“What the f-?!” The Doctor then vaulted him over her head into the second mugger. The second mugger’s lustful face fell as he grabbed a pipe. He swung and the Doctor moved behind him. The Doctor then chopped her hand into the back of his neck, knocking him out.

“NOT ONE STEP!” warned the last mugger as he pressed the blade of his knife closer to the lady’s neck.

“No! Please!” begged the woman. That was when something fell from the rooftops and released smoke.

“WHAT THE F-?!” yelped the mugger. Something wrapped around his arm and yanked him up the fire escape. He looked around.

“I thought you said mugging was for sissies,” rasped a voice. The mugger peed his pants as he looked up to see a man looming over him. The man wore a black suit, a black cape, a cowl with pointy ears, and a bat symbol on his chest.

“B-B-B-B…BATMAN!” he screamed. “NO! PLEASE! I AIN’T GOT A CHOICE! MY PARENTS-!”

“The Wayne Foundation is taking care of their medical bills,” rasped Batman. “You, on the other hand, need to check into the charities listed under the Wayne Foundation…after you and your friends serve your time.” He knocked out the mugger, then jumped into the alley, checking on the woman. William was tending to the muggers’ injuries while they were unconscious.

“Batman,” sighed the woman happily, “I don’t know where you came from, but I’m really grateful!”

“What were you doing in this alley in the first place?” asked Batman.

“I was trying to get home,” explained the woman. “I’m from Metropolis and I thought the alleys would get me there faster.”

“Not in Gotham. What’s your address?”

“224 27^th street, apartment 22.”

“Good apartments under a good landlord,” said Batman. “The quickest way to 27^th street is to go down this street all the way to where it intersects with General Boulevard. After that, head three blocks down and turn right on 27^th street.”

“Thank you, Batman!” said the woman as she dashed past the Doctor and William. “And thanks, you two!” she said once she turned down the street.

“Batman?” asked William. “So we’re in Gotham?”

“Late 2020’s, if I’m smelling the air right,” remarked the Doctor.

“Are you time-travelers?” asked Batman.

“…Well, I am, but I don’t know if I successfully took Dr. Davies here to a new time,” replied the Doctor.

“Well, this is 2027.”

“And I came from 2025,” remarked William. “Well, you were right, Doctor. You CAN travel in time. …I just expected flying cars.”

“Not yet,” said the Doctor. “Well, Batman, I’m the Doctor, and this is my friend, Dr. William Davies.”

“Are you both medically trained?” asked Batman.

“I have a medical degree, yes,” replied William.

“I have a few other degrees as well as a medical one,” said the Doctor. “Though not from this planet and time.

“You better come with me then,” said Batman.

“…You’re very accepting of my claims,” remarked the Doctor.

“My best friend is Superman. Perhaps you’ve heard of his old world?”

“Krypton? Yes, I have.”

“I guess being friends with aliens DOES change a human’s perspective, Doctor,” said William.

“Oh, being friends with humans changes the perspective of non-humans, I assure you,” said the Doctor. “Batman, is there a way you can have my box over there taken with you?”

“…I’ll have it dropped off in the Batcave,” replied Batman. He made a few calls, then pressed buttons on his gauntlet. A black, bat-themed, tank-like car then arrived.

“The Batmobile!” whispered William. Batman opened the Batmobile, letting the Doctor and William enter first before he took the wheel. The Batmobile then sped off.

---

The Batmobile entered a cave inside a hill a stately manor sat on. “…That’s Wayne Manor,” remarked William. “…You’re not-?”

“Billionaire Bruce Wayne,” replied Batman as he took off his cowl to reveal a man with neatly trimmed black hair.

“…So you beat up poor people-?”

“I do not just beat up poor people,” replied Bruce Wayne. “I make sure they get the resources needed to escape their lives of desperation thanks to the charities under the Wayne Foundation umbrella.” The Batmobile then stopped on a landing bay. A butler then arrived, looking panicked.

“Master Bruce, I-!” The butler spotted the Doctor and William. “…I…do apologize, I was unaware we were having guests.”

“They say they’re doctors, Alfred,” replied Bruce. “They might help the poor man in the medical ward. What’s wrong?”

“It’s our patient! The infection is spreading!”

“Let me see,” directed the Doctor.

“This way,” said Alred as he led everyone to the medical ward. Inside was a capsule big enough for a human to rest in. The Doctor’s eyes widened in horror as she saw the man’s face! It looked like it was covered in foliage!

“No!” she whispered. “…Bruce Wayne, where did you find the pod?!”

“You’ve seen this before?” asked Bruce.

“Twice. Both times caused catastrophic endings for the patient. Pod! NOW!” Bruce wasted no time in showing the Doctor the opened remains of a large seed pod. There was a specific juncture where something snapped off. “…Where?” asked the Doctor. “Where did it come from?”

“From a caper with Poison Ivy,” replied Bruce, “an eco-terrorist that’s become plant-like and with control over plants.”

“How did she know about this?” asked the Doctor.

“Wayne-tech’s bio-science division found two of them a year ago. We’ve kept them in the freezer and moved them to different sites. Poison Ivy intercepted one move and tried to steal the pod last night, but Robin and I secured it and took it here. Then a student of Robin’s, Ezar, he infiltrated the Batcave and tried to kill Damian, destroying the freezer pod and giving the seed pod enough time to germinate and open. The shoot then grabbed Ezar’s face and fused with him. Damian tried destroying the shoot, but it proved to be too strong for his sword. Now we’ve been keeping Ezar here to try and cure him.”

“I’ll do what I can,” said the Doctor, “but I can’t say I like his chances now. Let’s see how far along the infection is.” Bruce activated lights for the pod and stepped back when he saw that the whole body was covered in foliage.

“Good grief!” breathed Alfred. “It wasn’t like that this morning!”

“Odd, that stage should have taken an hour,” remarked the Doctor.

“Then the cooling function,” said Batman, “must be doing something right.”

“Doctor, is this all part of that particular plant’s life cycle?” asked William.

“Regrettably, yes,” confirmed the Doctor. “Ezar here is turning into a Krynoid.”

“And what will happen when Ezar reaches the adult Krynoid stage?” William had a distinct feeling it would be nasty for everyone.

“Well, on most planets, animals eat vegetation, yes?” asked the Doctor. “The tables are turned on planets where the Krynoid is established.”

“…You mean a rose garden-?”

“Would spill your blood in an instant.”