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Peja's Wonderful World of Makebelieve Import
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2020-11-04
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The Vacation

Summary:

In the jungles of Peru, the fight for survival heightened his senses. Now, Detective James Ellison is a SENTINEL in the fight for justice. Seeing before others see. Sensing what others can't. An ever-vigilant watchman in the war against crime.

Young Bruce Wayne saw his parents murdered before his very eyes. Now he uses his vast wealth and superior intellect to avenge their deaths, fighting crime as THE BATMAN.

NOTE: Sentinel and related characters are tm and (c) Pet Fly Productions. No infringement of copyright is intended.

NOTE: Batman and related characters are tm and (c) DC Comics. No infringement of copyright is intended. Batman created by Bob Kane

Work Text:

It was another hard day of work in Cascade, and Detective James Ellison came home to find his partner/associate/whatever he wants to call him today Blair Sandburg with a huge smile on his face. As always, this upset Jim, because he knew something was going to happen that he wouldn't like. He kept thinking about why these kinds of things keep happening to him as Blair began to speak.

"Jim, we're going on vacation," Blair said.

"Chief, what in the hell are you talking about?"

"Man, I scored these killer tickets to Gotham City and there's a huge police convention there when we arrive. I asked Simon about it and he said it was fine because he was going to it too."

"Look, we talked about this before," Jim began. "Every time we try to take a vacation, something always comes up and we never can go." There was a short pause before he added, "AND you know I hate vacations."

"This is Gotham, though, Jim. I used to study there at Gotham University, so I know my way around. I even asked Simon if you could have some time off and he authorized you for a week of leave."

After hearing this, Jim was irate. He was almost screaming when he said, "Chief, I can't believe you would do this kind of shit to me! We're going to see Simon right now and get this fixed. I am not taking a damn vacation. Get over it!"

"Jim," Blair began, "this is exactly why I wanted to go. All we do is fight and work. It's like we're married. We need some fun."

"Sandburg, this is how our relationship works. We fight and we work. In fact, I remember fighting with you the first time I ever saw you. It's kind of like marriage, and if we're married, then we're in huge trouble, because I've been getting some action on the side. Now are you going to see Simon and apologize or what?"

"All I wanted to do was go on vacation," Blair replied rather solemnly. He knew that he lost the fight, but on the bright side, maybe Simon would help this situation out.

The ride to the police station was rather uneventful. Life in Cascade actually seemed quiet at this time, which is unusual for such a bustling city. When they arrived at the station, Simon, who was getting ready to go home himself, greeted them.

"Ellison," Simon said, "get your bags packed. We're going to Gotham."

"What the hell," Jim replied, looking at Blair. "Is there some kind of grand conspiracy to get me out of town?"

"Look, Sandburg explained everything to me. In fact, I was going to the convention anyway, and the idea of showing you off just sweetens the deal. Now you're either going to go on vacation or I will suspend you and then there will be no excuses. Got it?"

"Simon," Jim began, "you can't expect me to-"

"I EXPECT YOU TO GO ON THIS GODDAMN VACATION AND HAVE SOME FUN!" Simon's yelling could be heard throughout the precinct. Everyone jumped as if their lives depended on it.

"Fine," Jim replied, "Isn't Gotham under reconstruction though?"

"Yes it is, but Gotham is showing the world it can go on even after an event like the No Man's Land."

As they exited the building Blair said, "I guess this isn't the time to say I already packed your bags?"

The only response from Jim was a cold glare. It was one of those looks that could cut through steel and it made Blair cringe a little bit. Nonetheless, Blair lost the first battle, but won the war. They were going on vacation to Gotham City.

The plane ride was so tense going to Gotham. You could cut it with the proverbial knife, if you wanted to use that clichÃ…½. Jim sat patiently, watching a movie and having a snack. Blair kept looking at Jim, as if something was going to change and Jim was going to have fun. It was rare for Jim to have fun in such a situation, but it didn't deter Sandburg. All he wanted was a nice vacation, which now seemed impossible. Simon sat in his chair, with that grin on his face. It was a grin that was all too familiar to the other two Cascade men in the plane.

Jim also couldn't help but think of The Batman. He knew of Batman's existence, and he knew he was beaten pretty badly the last time they met. Jim thought that it would be great if he caught him, beat him, and turned him in on his own turf. Then the thought went to why The Batman existed and why he has such young partners. Robin couldn't be more than sixteen, and Jim would never take on someone so young for a partner. Then he thought of the major age difference between himself and Blair and thought that maybe it wasn't so insane to take on someone so much younger for a partner.

Gotham City itself had gone through a lot also, Jim thought to himself. They had to endure a plague, an earthquake, and worse. The government closed off Gotham from the rest of the world, an event both the government and media called "No Man's Land." Ellison just couldn't imagine the horror of Gotham City following that year of hell. As with any city, Gotham was a work in progress, but following all of that, Gotham would most likely be a work in progress for the next few decades. Granted a lot was done, thanks in part to Lex Luthor's and Bruce Wayne's industries, but the amount of work left made Cascade's construction look like a walk in the park.

Blair's thoughts went to the people there, normal for someone with such a humanitarian background as he. Basically starving for a year wasn't exactly on Blair's list, although he did starve for a few days spending time with one of the tribes in Africa. Well, maybe it was South America; Blair didn't exactly remember this one very well, which was odd for him. It was a rite of passage to survive the starvation and receive "the vision of manhood." While Blair did the rite and had the vision, the vision itself strangely looked like Jim. It was almost as if they were destined for each other, like-well, like Batman and Robin. They were a team, no matter how many times Jim protested the thought.

The plane landed at Archie Goodwin International Airport. When they arrived in Gotham City, a face Simon instantly recognized greeted them.

"Well, well," Simon began, "if it isn't Jim Gordon. I heard you retired."

"It's true," Gordon replied. "You know, they always said in Chicago, 'That damn Banks will retire first and it'll be in a coffin.' Well, I showed them. I retired first."

"You know him," Blair asked.

"Yeah, we used to work together in Chicago years ago," Simon replied.

Jim Gordon quickly added, "Years ago, when we both had a lot less gray hair. So where are you staying?"

"The cheapest place possible," Banks said. "Where the hell else do you expect?"

"Hang on a minute," Gordon said, as he went to the phone. Nobody knew what to expect, not even Ellison. Jim didn't turn on his enhanced hearing, though, because he wanted to be surprised also. When Gordon came back, he was smiling.

"Whoa," Simon said, "I know that grin anywhere. What five star hotel are we staying at?"

"I'm not that good, Banks. Remember, I'm retired now. I did get you guys a room at the Aventine."

"The Aventine? Isn't that the casino," Blair asked.

With that question, Ellison knew he lost his associate to the machines and the tables and the other forms of gambling. Of course, he would want Jim to help him play the odds. Even worse, he'd want Jim to "help" by using his enhanced senses to turn the tables in Sandburg's favor. It would be sneaky. It would be underhanded. It would be the exact thing Blair Sandburg would want him to do. Jim thought to himself that sometimes Blair was just too predictable.

When they got into the hotel, Jim Ellison started the newest argument. "Chief, give me the credit card."

"What for, man?"

"We all know you're going to go gambling and I don't want you using the credit card to gamble. We'll go bankrupt if you do."

"Look, Jim, I know what I'm doing. I'd be stupid to use that card for gambling."

"Everyone says that, Chief," Jim replied. "Just give me the damn card."

"This is one of the things I just hate. You do nothing but treat me like a child, man. I am an adult and I can make my own decisions." Blair's voice kept getting louder and louder, as if he was getting angry with Ellison.

"Don't you dare yell at me like that. Just give me the damn card so we can both know you won't use it."

"No, I won't." With that comment, Blair exited the room and went down to the casino area. Jim for some reason couldn't pick out Blair's breathing using his senses like he used to be able to. He found it odd, but he knew that somehow Sandburg would come back in one piece.

Jim went to bed that night, but Blair still hadn't come back to the room. He was worried to death, but the need for sleep overtook him and he fell on the bed. His dreams were filled with images of Blair. His partner was lost in a city larger than Cascade, maybe even out cold. Even worse, he could be in the hands of someone like The Joker, being tortured simply because the psychotic clown wanted to torture that day. The shock of that image woke Jim up. It was also about the time he heard a knock on the door. At three o'clock AM, Jim looked through the peephole and discovered Simon on the other side. He opened the door.

"Jim, we need to go to the morgue," Simon said with a look of terror in his eyes.

The ride to the morgue was filled with tension as Jim had an idea of what to expect. He still couldn't believe the thought as he entered the door and went to the morgue slabs. The chill was in the air and in Jim's mind as the drawer opened to reveal a gruesome sight.

"No, it...it can't be," Jim said, horrified. Lying down on the slab was the lifeless body of Blair Sandburg.

"That's Mr. Sandburg," Simon said, trying to hide his emotions.

"That's all we need," Detective Renee Montoya said. "We're not sure how he died just yet. Rest assured his killer will be brought to justice."

"It can't be him," Jim kept repeating to himself.

"Jim, it's him. It's Blair. He's dead."

"Simon it isn't him. IT ISN'T HIM, GODAMMIT!!!"

"JIM," Simon said, shaking Ellison's body, "get a hold of your self. Detective, my name is Simon Banks and this is James Ellison. We're both with the Cascade Police Department. We'll offer any help we can."

"Thanks for the offer," Montoya began, "but as you know, you were too close to him."

"And being too close to someone only eliminates you from investigating the murder."

"Exactly, Mr. Banks," Renee replied. "We'd like to also question the two of you ASAP."

"What for," Jim asked.

"Because as of right now, you two are the prime suspects." Detective Montoya's remarks sent a chill down Ellison's spine. How could he be accused of killing Blair? They've been together for what seemed like an eternity now. Nevertheless, he had to submit to questioning.

It was the standard round of questions. Where were you tonight? What did you do with Sandburg before he was killed? Kinds of questions neither Jim nor Simon wanted to answer, even though they had nothing to hide. Still, they answered them and both interviews ended with "I wouldn't try to leave town if I were you." Not quite intimidation, because there were no repercussions if they did leave, but it was intimidating. From the interview, Jim went back to the hotel room and collapsed, half of it due to depression over Blair's death, and half of it due to sheer exhaustion. He didn't wake up until the night came back.

That night, Jim received a phone call. Considering he was out of town, there shouldn't be any way someone from Cascade would call him at the hotel. He answered the phone reluctantly.

"Mr. Ellison, this is Oracle," the strange voice said. The voice itself sounded like it was from a male. "You need to get on the roof immediately. Your assistance is required."

"Look, I don't want to be bothered by any of this shit."

"Mr. Ellison, it is imperative that you report to the roof immediately."

"I'm not playing any games you-"

"Look, do you want to know who killed Blair Sandburg or not?!" That sentence sent a chill down Jim's spine, the second one today. "Get on the roof, now."

Detective Ellison went up to the roof to find someone that he had a passing familiarity toward. It wasn't The Batman, though, much to Jim's chagrin. He really wanted a rematch with the Dark Knight, especially after he was beaten down by the "cape" the first time they met. It was Robin on the rooftop. Again, the thought raced through Jim's head about having teenage partners.

"I guess the big boss isn't available," Ellison said.

"Robin listen up," came a voice over Robin's earpiece; it was The Batman. Robin cocked his head in order to hear a little better. "By now, Jim is using his enhanced senses to listen to me, so I will address him directly via your earpiece. We will be going to the morgue and when we get there, Jim will utilize his enhanced senses to view the body and we will try and determine the cause of death. Jim, as you examine the body, leave no detail out. After that, your job is done. Any questions?"

"What if I did kill him and am trying to cover up now," Ellison smartly asked.

"Jim, don't be an idiot," Batman began. "I've been keeping you under surveillance since you arrived in Gotham. Take a good look at your remote, and you'll find a mic. Look at the picture on the wall and there's a micro cam. You were in your room the entire time and couldn't do it."

"I guess I'll have to take a closer look when I get back to the room," was all that the Cascade detective could say.

"Are we ready yet," Robin asked.

"Now that the macho bravado is over, yes we are," Batman replied through the earpiece. "Take him to the morgue."

The ride to the morgue was fast and smooth in the Redbird, Robin's main form of transportation. When they arrived, they had to sneak in through some of the higher windows. Of course, it was easy for the both of them. Robin was trained by the best, and Jim certainly had enough training on how to get into a building undetected in the Army. When they arrived in the morgue, Jim directed Robin to the proper drawer that held Blair's lifeless body. Robin stood guard while The Batman spoke through the earpiece.

"Jim, scan the body first as closely as possible. We're looking for anything, from strangulation to hypothermia. Look carefully and don't worry about guards. Robin is there to take care of that."

"You got it 'Bats,'" Jim said as he began the scan. It had to be the single most terrible thing Jim ever did, simply because it was hard to hide the emotion of Blair being dead. The scan didn't note anything peculiar in the head, as Jim noted out loud.

"Wait a minute," Ellison said as he went to the neck. "There's no scar on the neck."

"Explain," the Dark Knight said.

"Sandburg has a small scar on his neck, almost invisible. It came from an auto wreck years ago, but it isn't there. This can't be him." Jim breathed a heavy sigh of relief with that comment.

"So we know it isn't him. That now leaves us with the question of who the hell this guy is," Batman said.

"Yes it does, and why am I smelling flowers," Jim replied.

"Ivy," Robin quickly said. "Bats, we need some major guns if this is going where I think it is."

"Get out of the room, Jim. I'm on my way."

"No way. I'm staying," Ellison said.

Batman was unable to give an answer back, as the once lifeless body of Blair Sandburg sprang to life and turned a mysterious shade of green. Jim went up to this creature that looks like his partner, but was batted away. Robin was then able to get the creature's attention with the use of his insignia dart. The monster worked his way to Robin at a fast pace, and it was met with a few well-placed darts from the teenager. The monster was unstoppable or so it seemed. Robin threw a small explosive to Jim.

"Get that on this thing," Robin said, keeping the monster's attention.

Jim complied and was able to get the explosive on the monster. Robin set off a detonator in his belt and the monster exploded, sending assorted plant parts throughout the morgue.

"We need to get out of here," Robin said quickly.

"I know. Don't treat me like a child," Jim replied.

Neither Robin nor Ellison had any time to engage in an argument. The entire mission was in jeopardy now with the destruction of the plant beast. The two men got out of the room and went through their entrance window only about ten seconds before a guard came racing in to see what happened. The man in the mask took Jim back to the Aventine.

As Jim got out of the car, he looked at Robin and said, "Same time tomorrow?"

"No," Robin replied. "You may be a cop, but we can't risk your life in this mission. Sorry."

"You tell your boss to get his ass here tomorrow night. I'm through playing games," Jim replied.

The rage in his face was overwhelming as he stormed back into the hotel and back to his room. The first thing Jim did was look for the electronic surveillance devices in his room. He found the one in his remote, the one that recorded his voice. He scanned the painting for the micro camera, but wasn't able to find it. He thought about using his advanced vision to find it, but there wasn't any point. He knew the Batman would simply break in and place another set in the room.

When he looked at the clock, he noticed it was four in the morning. Exhausted, he went to sleep, knowing he would continue his own, personal investigation when he woke up. As he went to sleep though, he knew Blair was somehow safe. It was almost instinctive, like they shared two halves of the same brain.

Sometime around noon, Jim heard a knock on his door. At first, he didn't realize anyone was even there; he felt like death warmed over and looked the part also. He was able to flop out of bed and climb to his feet, still exhausted from his work last night.

"Hang on," Jim said, slowly making his way to the door. He opened it to find Simon Banks on the other side.

"Jim, I talked to Gordon today. He said Blair's body is gone."

"I know," Jim replied. "I was there last night."

"Jim you didn't-"

"Simon, it wasn't for that. I was recruited by our resident friend for the investigation."

"Resident friend?"

"Batman. Well, it wasn't him, but it was his partner."

"Jim, what the hell happened?"

"I went to the morgue with Batman's little kid partner and-"

"He employs a child?"

"That isn't the point. I scanned the body and it turns out it wasn't Sandburg's body at all. I smelled flowers and then this body came back to life as some kind of monster. We had to destroy it."

"Great, so we have no evidence for this crime."

"Simon, we didn't have a choice in this. It was either the plant monster or us."

"I understand the situation. You just have to understand what is going to happen. If you were seen there, you know what will happen."

"I know, but we weren't seen. Trust me, this Bat-troupe is good at not being seen. Almost makes me wish I could do that."

"Jim, after the last time we ran into him, I don't want you like that." Simon obviously remembered the time Batman was in Cascade. He scared Simon a little, which isn't a good thing. Policemen weren't supposed to be scared.

"Simon, if it's all right with you, I'm going to head to bed. I didn't get back until early this morning."

"Sure thing, Jim. I'm going to hit some of the convention."

The door shut and Jim crashed in the bed again. He almost didn't make it, thinking instead of taking the couch. Several hours later, he woke up to find a strange woman in the room. She was a woman with blonde hair and a charm around her neck in a bird shape. He faked being asleep to try and listen in, turning on his advanced hearing.

"He's kind of cute, you know," the blonde said. "You sure I can't take him home?"

"Negative, Canary," came a female voice from a communication link. "The boss said to just keep an eye on him and make sure he's all right. Remember he has enhanced senses, so make sure not to use a real name."

"Of course, Oracle," the woman, now known as Black Canary replied.

"So is this Oracle person a man or a woman," Jim asked, getting up from the bed. "I heard two different voices now."

"I have many voices, Jim," Oracle replied through the communication link. She was confident that Ellison was still listening in. "Canary here has a present for you. When you're needed, we'll give you a call. In the meantime, why not try some table games. I'm really fond of slot machine one four eight. In fact, I think you'll be very lucky on slot machine one four eight."

Black Canary gave Ellison a small communication link, giving him temporary access to Oracle. It was small and was made to be worn around the neck. Oracle knew that an earpiece wouldn't be able to work with Jim, as she might contact him while he used his enhanced hearing, driving him temporarily deaf.

"So what am I supposed to do with this thing," Jim asked.

"Well, I still think you should hit those slots, especially one four eight," Oracle replied, continuing to use a female voice.

"You know I hate gambling," Jim replied.

"How odd. You know it would be easy to win at cards with those senses of yours."

"I don't do that, Oracle. Sandburg would want me to do it, but I wouldn't."

Jim started to head out the door. He took one last look at the Black Canary before heading down to the ground floor.

"It's too bad," the Canary started. "I could have kept a much better watch of you at my place. You'd have some fun too."

"Canary," Oracle said over the communication link.

"I know. I have to get to Russia for another assignment."

"Exactly, now if you'll excuse Mr. Ellison, he needs to hit the slots."

Jim went downstairs to the gambling floor. It was packed with people, spending their lives and their moneys at the casino. He went to the slot machine and put in a quarter. The lever got pulled and a whir of spinning lights and symbols happened. He wondered why this one particular interested Oracle, and he soon found out. He hit the jackpot, money pouring out the machine.

"Thought you might like something good for a change," Oracle said over the link. "I can engineer that one machine to win any time I want it to."

"I can't keep this if the game was rigged."

"Jim, the games are rigged from the start to favor the house and I don't like to lose."

"Well, I don't like to lose either," Jim said, using a nearby bucket to catch his winnings. He won over one thousand dollars for his little gambling adventure, and thought to himself that Blair would have to hear every single detail.

"By the way, we're fairly certain that Poison Ivy is behind the kidnapping."

"I've only heard reports about her. Some kind of plant girl?"

"In a manner of speaking, Jim, yes. The boss needs some help. Care to lend a hand?"

"'The boss,' huh? He's still supposed to meet me tonight unless he backed out to do something more important."

"Oh yeah, about that. You can head to your room now."

Jim went back to his room. It was about seven o'clock in the evening now and the sun had almost set over Gotham City. He entered the room to find it pitch black.

"You did this the last time. Step out," Jim ordered.

The Batman emerged, almost as if he just melted away from the shadows. He almost preferred it that way, as a way to scare everyone and distract them from the fact they were dealing with a man instead of a monstrous urban legend.

"Jim, you're needed to help with Poison Ivy," the cowled man began. "Chances are, your enhanced senses will be able to identify non-native plants that only Ivy would have."

"So you're going to use me like a bloodhound," Jim asked.

"Not quite. In fact, I've come to respect you and your work. Given the right time and training, you'd make a good addition to the team."

"I guess I'll take that as a compliment. Now how am I supposed to figure out these scents?"

"I have several samples in the car. I also have voice samples of Ivy for your hearing. I hope you'll be able to utilize more than one sense at a time in order to find her and Blair Sandburg. It would be a lot more efficient than me taking to the streets to acquire information."

"Sandburg's voice I can recognize easily."

"True, but with both voice samples, we can take into account Blair being restrained or Ivy not talking. Will you be able to assist me in this?"

"I don't approve of your methods and I'll be-"

"Ellison, what you think of my methods is irrelevant. First off, we're not in Cascade. Secondly, I don't care what anyone thinks of me. I get the job done and then I go home. So are you going with me or not?"

"When you say it like that, let's go," Jim said coldly. He almost sounded as cold as Batman with that statement. He did know that Batman would most likely be the key to getting Sandburg back and in one piece. Perhaps once this is over, he can take down the big, scary Batman and unmask him. Perhaps...

They got into the Batmobile and started around Gotham City. Jim began by listening to the voice samples from Poison Ivy and getting scent samples from Batman's sample case. The entire time he was acquiring the samples, Batman was on the communications relays with Oracle.

"Make sure one of the squad is within five minutes of our location at all times."

"You know, I've only been doing this for how long," Oracle said over the link. "You know I have most of your precautions in place unless you've done different contingencies yet again."

"They won't be in place for another week."

"You're kidding me, right?"

"Oracle, I don't kid. Just make sure everything is in place."

"I've got Robin, Nightwing, and Batgirl at the ready. If needed, I can get Huntress."

"Leave Huntress out of it. You know what I think of her."

"At some point you have to give her a chance. I was even able to forgive her after her Batgirl stunt."

"I did during No Man's Land. It didn't work, remember?" Batman shut off his communication link after that comment. He knew Jim would need his enhanced senses for tracking Ivy and Sandburg down.

On the other side of the car, Ellison finished acquiring the samples and began working his hearing and smell senses at the same time. It was something he didn't like doing, because it took an extreme amount of concentration to do it. Jim felt like it distracted him from the moment at hand. Also, the possibility exists of him not being able to shut it off once he was done. Blair would be there to snap him out of it, but this time, Blair wasn't there.

"Wait, I think I've got something," Jim said as they went through TriCorner. "Go around the block."

The Batman complied with that request and sent the car around the block. There was still spray painted tags from the No Man's Land every so often, marking this as police territory or "Blue Boys." Batman almost had a feeling of nostalgia as they kept going through TriCorner.

"Right about," Jim began and held off until he was sure of the location, "here!"

The car came to a screeching halt outside of an older building. Of course older meant the building was from before the quake. It seemed to survive pretty well and only needed minor repairs after the No Man's Land. Truly a miracle after what happened to most of the other buildings in Gotham City.

"They've got to be in that building. I can hear Ivy and smell the plants."

"Let's go in," Batman replied.

The two men entered the building. It was lit, almost too well lit for a hideout, or at least that was how Jim felt about it. He took point with Batman following close behind. The Batman figured it would be easier for Ellison to just take the turns without telling him. Also, the need to remain silent while in the building was imperative.

They worked their way around the halls and walls of the complex going up, down, and all around. Jim took a left, and then a right, with Batman following him. After a while down this area, Jim stopped at a door and said, "In there. They have to be in there."

Batman took the point position now as he opened the door. It was a nice sized room, with a skylight to let light in. It was truly the perfect place for Poison Ivy. A nice place for her to grow her plants and be left alone. Jim glanced off to the side and found Sandburg, tied up in a corner.

"Chief," Jim said, heading over to the corner in an attempt to untie him. Before Batman could warn him, the place seemed to spring to life, vines coming down to tie up Ellison. Batman launched several Batarangs to cut the vines while Jim tried to avoid the thorns from the vines. He managed to avoid the barbs somehow and the Batarangs hit their mark. Ellison was free and untied Sandburg.

"Jim," Blair said after his gag was removed, "thank god you're here."

"It's all right, Chief. We'll get you out of here."

Almost as if she were cued to enter, Poison Ivy came in. Two guards of some kind of plant-like origin flanked her, looking stronger than an average human being and at least twice as resilient. Then they all heard a noise coming from the skylight. Robin came crashing through the skylight, knowing his boss would need some assistance in taking care of the plant beasts and Ivy.

"Get Sandburg out of here," Batman said. "We'll take care of Ivy."

"No," Jim said, charging at Poison Ivy. It was a big mistake as the two plant guards immediately restrained him. Batman threw incendiary charges at the plants, small enough to catch them on fire, but not large enough to harm anything other than the plants. It was too late, though, as Ivy gave Jim a kiss.

The poisons coursed throughout Ellison's body and nobody was quite sure of what would happen to Jim. Ivy's body was essentially a poison factory and a kiss could mean anything from death to total mind control. Robin instinctively threw a line at Ivy, restraining her long enough for Batman to get her tied up. It was still too late for Jim, though, as everyone in the room soon knew what Ivy was up to.

"It isn't you, dear," Icy said to Batman as he tied her up, "but he'll do. Attack."

Jim went into a rage toward anything that moved and wasn't Ivy. The first target was Batman. It made one wonder if his hatred of Batman made him charge or if he was just the first one Jim saw. They began their dance around the flames of the plant beasts.

"Put out the fires and keep an eye on Ivy," Batman began. "I'll keep Ellison busy."

Robin and Sandburg grabbed the nearest fire extinguishers and started to work them over the flaming plant beasts before the fires got out of control. The entire time they were doing that, Robin kept Ivy in the corner of his peripheral vision, knowing he would never hear the end of it if she escaped.

Batman and Ellison were in the middle of their fight, with no assistance coming until the fires were out. Unfortunately for Batman, it didn't start out right, as Jim landed a punch in the gut. Batman thought to himself that it hurt more than a normal punch should. He realized that something in the toxin must have also been pumping up his adrenaline levels to an extreme level. Unfortunately, Batman caught another shot across his face.

Batman was doing everything he could to block Jim's shots. He knew Ellison wasn't in control of his body and mind and tried his best not to hurt Jim. After several more blocks and one kick from Ellison to his thigh, he saw the fires were done.

"Get something over here," Batman barked.

Robin went over to his utility belt and pulled out a small vial, which he attached to a gun-shaped syringe. He handed it over to Sandburg, and told him, "Get this in Ellison. It'll knock him out."

Blair complied, trying to get behind Ellison. The Batman saw what Sandburg was trying to do and knew it was possible to restrain Ellison now. He took out a flash grenade and threw it down on the ground. Jim reacted to it, almost as if his enhanced senses were working in conjunction with his adrenaline levels. From there, Blair rushed up behind Jim and administered the liquid. Ellison felt groggy for a while and passed out several seconds later.

From this point, Robin took out what appeared to be another vial from his belt and injected Jim with it. It was the antidote to Ivy's poisons, given to him by Batman as a precautionary measure. He made sure there were several antidotes available to his team, for everything from Ivy's toxins to Joker Venom and everything in-between. The four men then went into hiding while the police department came in and took Ivy back to Arkham Asylum.

Sometime in the morning, Ellison woke up in the hotel. He was greeted by Sandburg's smiling face, almost as if Blair was at his side the entire time, just waiting for him to wake up.

"Chief, get the hell out of my face."

"Sorry, Jim. He said you'd be out for a while and I needed to be here just in case."

"In case of what? I'm sure the big, bad Batman thought of everything."

"In any event," Simon said, entering the room, "there's a police convention that you two haven't even gotten into yet. Let's go."

The three men went off to the convention, happy that the nightmare was over. It was also the last day of the convention and the three men went home to Cascade, knowing that city has its fair share of insane freaks to take down. Cascade was also in need of its protector, and quite frankly, Jim missed being back at his own place in Cascade.

Later that night, Batman greeted Oracle in her base of operations.

"Barbara, you know you forgot to get that communicator back from Ellison."

"Who says I forgot?"

THE END