[center][img]https://geekd-out.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/batgirl-25-cover-featured-banner.jpg[/img][/center] [hr] [b][color=28b0f3]Gotham[/color][/b] [color=darkgray]The Woods[/color] Kate had other plans besides going home for the night. Her uncle may not have cared about who had saved them and vine-napped a Purifier, but she was. She remembered how much of a well-known and respected doctor he was before Bruce's death. Now he was completely indifferent to the lives of criminals. She was hoping that Dick would soften him, but nothing's changed. He still killed criminals and now he didn't care about what some mysterious plant manipulator was doing with one. She had no problem with the way that he fought crime at first. If she did she wouldn't have joined him but now she was starting to wonder if their actions were giving others the license to do the same, if not worse. Organized crime no longer had the same hold on Gotham as it did before, but clearly people weren't that scared of death at the hand of Batman. The Purifiers were bold tonight and someone was backing them with technology that they should not have had their hands on. Kate could feel a war was coming to the city. One that had the potential to spread throughout the country. Metahumans and mutants were being targeted all around the country. Even forward thinking Metropolis hunted their very own superhero. Batgirl followed the tracks left behind by the vine dragging someone into the woods until she reached a point where she saw a man being held by vines against a tree. The vines were being used to torture him by constriction. She moved closer to get a better look and see who was torturing him, but she stepped on a twig giving her location away. [color=yellow]"Shit."[/color] She whispered to herself. [color=#37c412]"Batgirl. I was wondering when you'd join us."[/color] A sweet and sultry voice said. She was made. Thank God Batman wasn't here to see this. There was no use hiding and lurking now. She stepped out of the shadows and approached the scene to see a girl around her age with beautiful red hair. She would've thought she was looking at herself from behind. The girl turned around to face Batgirl revealing her face and features. The right side of her face was mostly covered by her hair. She was wearing lipstick as red as her hair, a green choker around her neck, and a green dress that hung just above her knees. [color=#37c412]"I was hoping you'd come. I've been a fan of yours and the Batman. You can call me Ivy, like the climbing vines."[/color] [center][img]https://i.pinimg.com/736x/76/05/4f/76054fa1085bfb4ae49fb6d265e64f9a.jpg[/img][/center] Thump-thump. Kate could hear her heart beating in her chest and it wasn't out of fear. [color=yellow][i]"Focus. Focus."[/i][/color] She thought to herself. [color=yellow]"Very fitting considering your weapon of choice. Have you gotten the name of our friend here?"[/color] [color=#37c412]"The vines aren't weapons."[/color] Ivy responded. [color=#37c412]"They're my friends. All plant-life is. They're alive, you know? They talk to me, too. They've been helping me for as long as I could remember. Now they're helping me bring justice to our city. As for this waste of life. His name's James. That's pretty much all I've been able to get out of him so far. He apparently doesn't know anything about who sponsored the Purifiers tonight. He's just a lowly grunt."[/color] [color=yellow][i]"Why are all the hot ones crazy?"[/i][/color] Kate asked herself before responding to Ivy. [color=yellow]"A shame. Batman's investigating that as well. I'm sure he'll find out who soon. What are you going to do with James?"[/color] [color=#37c412]"I haven't decided yet. I want to kill him, but I feel like I'd just be justifying his hatred for mutants and it wouldn't do anything to stop his buddies from making things worse."[/color] Batgirl paused to think for a second. It seemed like Ivy wanted her opinion on the matter. [color=yellow]"You're right. This won't stop with a grunt. You should let him go maybe one day you'll find his leaders."[/color] Ivy nodded with a sly grin. She dropped James from the tree. [color=#37c412]"Go before I change my mind."[/color] James struggled to his feet and ran as fast as he could, which wasn't fast at all due to the damage to his legs from the torture. Kate sighed with relief. [color=yellow]"You placed a plant on him so you could track him, right?"[/color] [color=#37c412]"Yep."[/color] Ivy answered gleefully. [color=#37c412]"I understood what you were hinting at. Maybe we could work together on this."[/color] [color=yellow]"Maybe. How will I find you?"[/color] [color=#37c412]"I left a friend with you too. I'll find you."[/color] A vine crawled up Batgirl's body before placing a flower in her hair and retreating back to the ground. Batgirl pulled the flower from her hair and smelt it. It smelt so sweet. She looked up and was about to tell Ivy just that, but she was already gone. [color=yellow]"Wow. Is that how that feels?"[/color]