22Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, they are from the DC universe. YL, TT, JL, ect.
Besides Datura, I did make that up; just not Barbara clearly! She is also DC/ of course you all already know that because you are smart cookies;)
So if you haven't already read the first part of this story please do! It is called "Call me Datura" but if you can't be bothered and just want to break my heart and catch up... then just read the last chapter of it as it has a little summary;)
Note: I am from Australia so some of the spelling here like "realise" is actually how we spell it here... I know that some words might annoy you guys but please bare with me:P Although some of it is really spelling mistakes because I struggle/ just don't notice until it is too late! haha (yeah I am probably not going to take my chapters down to fix them... sorry x) But I got a beta-reader! So this chapter should be a bit better for you all! :)
Please review and let me know your thoughts! This next chapter is going to surprise some of you a little... but don't worry guys, I don't do anything without a purpose. It might not be clear now but it will be at the end of the story. Also chapter 1 &2 are on the other doc... it is because I wasn't sure if I was going to split it or not and now I decided I would but didn't want to delete that so I could convince you to come to this one;) I am still new to this... forgive me *puppy dog eyes*
Datura: Fight For Control
Chapter 3
Mount Justice: Thursday, 1 pm
Nightwing stood in front of a screen, monitoring current missions taking place. Miss Martian was leading a team in Europe investigating a possible threat from Klarion. Guardian was leading another one in Happy Harbor where there was a break in to another biochemical facility. That was the fifth one in five weeks. Both cases were wrapping up now and the teams should be making their way back to the cave.
A sudden, but common breeze enters the room as Kid Flash comes to a stop behind Nightwing.
"Hey man, how's it going?" Wally asks, hoping to finally corner his friend into a conversation. It had been four weeks since the incident with Ivy, and they had not had the chance to talk in private. Dick had ignored his attempts to talk and had only responded to conversations about current cases. But now both cases were wrapping up and he knew for a fact that Batman had ordered Nightwing to take the night off tonight. He may have been eavesdropping on a conversation between them in the office earlier this morning, but would deny it if asked.
"Good. Both teams have everything under control and should be on their way back soon." Nightwing responds without turning around. Instead he moves to sit in front of the main computer and brings up the missing-mutant-girls case. He has gone through his notes a million times now. But feels less-guilt knowing that he is using every spare minute towards figuring out where they are, and then figuring out how to reverse the effects of the 'tank'.
"Cool. And you?" Wally responds moving to lean on the office desk beside him.
"Fine."
"Okay… well how about hanging out tonight? And before you say no, I know you have the night off. And I know how important the case is, believe me I would kill to have her back too, but you need a break."
Nightwing barely acknowledges his friend's attempts to break through to him. He could not be bothered with a heart-to-heart at the moment; it felt pointless, a waste of time. An alarm saved him from replying to the red-head. It was a new case that required their attention. Nightwing pulls up the information reading it aloud to his teammate.
"The report says that there is a strange woman tearing up Bluehaven, shooting green bolts. I am going to check it out. I am taking Beast Boy with me, you coming?"
"Yeah I guess." Wally replies feeling annoyed at Nightwing, yet again, for ignoring his questions.
Bluehaven: 1:30 pm
"I was going to say where do you think she is but…" Beast Boy points towards a pissed-off woman holding a car over her head with bound hands. They watch as she throws it towards a moving bus. If they weren't so stunned they would be impressed. They race towards the woman to intervene, however, someone had already beaten them to it. A man wearing a grey-hoodie catches the car before it was able to do any real damage. He swings the car right back at the woman. She flies out of the way, and then hits him with a green beam from her eyes. He drops the car and falls backwards. He tore away what was left of his grey hoodie exposing a half-machine, half-man before he continued with the fight.
"Okay… You don't see that every day. What do you want us to do?" Kid Flash states.
"Wait." A female voice spoke before Nightwing had a chance to reply. All three heroes turn around to find a figure hidden behind a dark purple cloak.
Curiously eyeing the woman Beast Boy spoke, "Who the hell are you?"
"It doesn't matter. That girl, she isn't a threat, she is just afraid. Attacking her isn't going to help. I just thought I should tell you..." She said looking at Nightwing, sensing he was in charge.
"How do you know?" Nightwing responds, looking back up at the orange woman racing towards the half-machine, half-man. Her hands were still bound which leads him to suspect this mystery woman before him might be right.
"I can sense emotions… I just know." He nods in acknowledgment and decides to trust her advice.
"Okay, new plan. Beast Boy you distract the man, gaining his attention, to speak some reason into him. Kid Flash you check the area for civilians and get them out of here. I'm going to try talking to the orange woman." They nod and move into action. Nightwing turns to the mystery woman wanting to thank her before racing off, however she had already disappeared.
Beast Boy lands in front of the dark-skinned man transforming from a bird back into a green-skinned teen.
"What the fuck…" The man said aiming a sonic blast towards Beast Boy.
"Whoa! Stop! I'm friendly!" Beast Boy yells gaining the guy's attention.
"Get out of my way boy-or-whatever you are before you get hurt. I am trying to stop this alien from hurting anyone."
"Ouch I'm human with a slight DNA mutation, but that isn't the point. You need to stop! We have this under control, she is just afraid so we are trying to talk her down, but we need you to stop attacking her for a minute." The man looks down at Beast Boy then over at Nightwing blocking and dodging punches from the woman.
"Talking?" He replies with a raised eye-brow. Beast Boy gives him a half-awkward smile and replies.
"Okay, we almost have it under control. Nightwing has got this. Have faith."
"That's Nightwing? I heard he used to be Robin back in the day. Is that true?" Beast Boy nods in confirmation.
"I'm Beast Boy by the way. You?"
"Cyborg."
"Sick name dude!" Beast Boy grins.
Meanwhile Nightwing dodges another green beam.
"Wait, listen I can help. We aren't here to fight you, but you need to calm down!" He puts up his hands to show that he isn't a threat.
The woman's eyes were glowing bright green, ready to throw another attack. She studied the man before her, wondering why he was yet to throw a punch. She noticed everyone had been standing still for a while now. She still could not understand a word they were saying. Her heart was thumping hard, she was not sure if she should fly away, attack or try to communicate. She had been running for so long now, her bones were beginning to ache; she just wanted to find safety among this world. She wanted to rest, wanted to finally stop running.
Nightwing let out a breath when the woman had finally stopped fighting. He slowly took out a pick to unlock her cuffs, showing her to communicate that he was trying to help her out. She still looked pissed, so he kept his distance, letting her decide the next move.
She moved closer extending her arms allowing him to un-cuff her. Relief past through her once she felt the breeze on her arms. Nightwing tried to talk to her again, but all she heard was strange sounds. She slowly moved towards him, keeping her guard up in case this was a trap. He resisted the urge to raise his arms in defence as the woman came closer to him; he had to trust that the mystery woman was right and that this woman was no threat. She was a few centimetres taller than him, only wearing a skimpy purple bathing suit, which barely left anything to the imagination. He admits she was one of the most beautiful creatures he has laid his eyes on. His heart hurts a bit when the sight of her fiery-red hair reminds him of a sorely missed friend. The memory of his missing friend distracts him and allows him to be caught off guard as the orange woman steals a kiss on his lips.
He pushes her back but it was too late, she had what she needed. It was the way in which her people were able to learn the language of other worlds.
"That is better." She states.
Chapter 4
Mount Justice: 4 pm
Nightwing stormed into the sick bay after being notified that Guardian's team was attacked after he had ended contact with them. Mal Duncan, AKA Guardian was lying on a bed currently passed-out with both hands bound to either side of the bed rails.
"What happened? Is everyone alright?" He asks addressing the team moving to stand by a bruised Bumblebee, AKA Karen Beecher, and Impulse, AKA Bart Allen, whose bruises had already healed due to his powers as a speedster.
Everyone was hesitant to reply; Blue Beetle, AKA Jaime Reyes, looks to Cassie Sandsmark, AKA Wonder Girl, hoping that she would do the honour.
"Fine. Okay… So we were wrapping up, not finding much. The video feed was scrambled just like all the other crime-scenes. Just as we get outside, Blue Beetle hears movement around the corner; Guardian was the closest so he went to check it out with Impulse. Next thing we knew we were surrounded by a bunch of… Ivy's clones. Blue Beetle, Bumblebee and I go to fight them, but they had already managed to… well infect Impulse and Guardian with their mind-control, ordering them to attack us! We had to let them escape with the chemicals to get these two under control. It was difficult but we got them under control with little damage. Impulse's powers meant that the mind-control chemical wore off sooner than Guardian's…we had to knock him out; which is why he is tied up; we don't know how long it will last." Wonder Girl recalls.
"You did the right thing. I am just glad you are all relativity alright. How many clones were there?" Nightwing asks just like he would any other case.
"I believe there were seven." She replied.
"That means we were right. They have been recruiting. Girls from lower parts of Gotham have been going missing. Reports suggest a woman with… well a woman has been saving girls from predators, killing the men with a kiss and then kidnapping the girls. I just didn't expect them to be moving outside of Gotham for chemicals, but I guess it makes perfect sense. Who would expect that, when no girls have been taken outside of Gotham." Nightwing states.
The room goes quiet. There is a massive elephant in the room but no one wants to address it, and it wasn't Beast Boy. The fact was that woman was not just a "woman". It was not just another one of Ivy's clones; it was one of their own who had been mutated into something unrecognisable; someone who had been killing men in service of Poison Ivy.
"Fine. I am going to have to say it." Robin appears from around the corner. He had entered the mountain moments before hand; deciding to listen in on the conversation but not wanting to contribute to it just yet.
He continued, "Was she there? Was Batgirl there?"
"Datura. Batgirl wouldn't do those things." Nightwing was quick to correct him. He didn't want those acts committed associated with Batgirl's good name. He wasn't sure if it was easier to call her by that name, but saying who it really was acts as a constant reminder that she wasn't the girl he once knew. He knew he had to disassociate those girls now from who they used to be if he had any chance of defeating Ivy.
"Yes... She was leading them. She barely acknowledged us…it was… awful." Cassie replied.
Unknown location: Poison Ivy's hideout
"Mother, we have all the chemicals we need to refill the Tank to create more seedlings and only one more mission to get the rest of the chemicals for your plan. We just need more girls now; our numbers are still too low if we are going to achieve your vision of a new world."
"Good work Datura. Take a team out tonight and take as many girls as you can find." Poison Ivy replies to the woman. She was pleased with the progress they were making. If she had not lucked out on capturing Barbara then she wasn't sure she would have made it this far along her plan. Her memory had been mostly destroyed or suppressed, Ivy wasn't completely sure of what happened to the girl. Barbara was able to remember her fighting skills, was able to hack into computers and systems that Ivy would have never considered before. All her skills had become useful in Ivy's plan, and now she had come to rely on Barbara to be her right-hand woman. However Barbara had been holding onto her secrets so tight that when the chemicals changed her body it caused her to suppress any memory of Barbara or Batgirl. She wasn't able to recognise either as being her, so she called herself Datura, after the poisonous flower which flowed through her veins.
"I'm not sure if that is a good idea. It seems someone has picked up on our pattern. It won't be long until Batman figures it out too and these girls aren't trained to deal with him and his team. My guess, he has probably already figured it out and is now waiting. He was close the other night to discovering me, but I managed to escape with the Red Hood. Not to mention the mishap at Happy Harbor Bio-lab." Ivy studies Datura closely, she knew now to take her suggestions seriously; she knew what she was talking about, even if Datura didn't know how she knew.
"Then what do you suggest?"
"After I ditched the Red Hood, I decided to do some digging, to find another way we could get what we want, as I knew that Red Hood would sell me out to the Batman if he had to. He doesn't like other people killing in his domain without permission, and we don't need to draw any more attention to ourselves by having another run in with him. Anyways, long story short I heard about a shipment of girls aged 13 to 20 coming in tomorrow from the bay. There is a possibility of running into Batman and the Hood if they know about it too, but if we play it smart, wait to see if it is clear then go all in, then I think we have a chance of getting more than enough. Then the next night I will lead another attack on the last bio-chemical facility, while Iris gets the girls ready. They shouldn't expect another attack so soon."
Ivy smiles, it was a good plan. If it all went well she would be able to fulfil her plan by the end of the week.
Friday, 6:30 pm
Dick's POV
I decided to leave the base early for once. I hate to admit it but maybe I do need a night off. With everything that has happened, I think I better catch up on some sleep before my mind goes to mush. I didn't go back to the manor and I wasn't about to stay at Mount Justice tonight; I need to get away from everything and everyone. The only place I knew I could go without being disturbed was Barbara's apartment. I had a key and I knew she wouldn't mind. I mean it wasn't like she was using it at the moment anyways.
I walk into the building giving small smiles of greeting to the familiar faces I pass on the way up to the apartment. I have met quite a few people from the parties in this building but don't know them well enough to have to make small talk. They give me sympathetic smiles back knowing that I was retreating to Barbara's apartment and that she wouldn't be there. I guess it does look pathetic, but I would rather look pathetic in front of these people than dealing with the looks I get from the team. It is like they are just counting down the minutes until I crack or spill my heart out. But that wasn't going to happen, because there is nothing to spill due to the fact that this is just a temporary stage in our weird lives. Sure it looks bad now but if I was going to keep any sort of sanity I had to stay positive. Barbara would be back in no time, most likely being very pissed off and then perhaps stressed from being behind in her studies. I could see it now, her stress eating in front of her laptop just like she did whenever she fell behind due to a mission. Thinking about food makes me wonder when was the last time I ate? I briefly remember having some toast in the morning, then a lot of coffee, maybe an apple. Maybe I should double back to the shops and cook something...or I could order pizza. Yeah pizza sounds good.
Out of instinct I go to knock onto her apartment door but stopped myself after realising how stupid that was. I unlock the door and I am immediately on alert at the sight of light coming from the apartment; someone was here.
I hear a click of a gun, instantly my body prepares to disable the figure but I stop myself at the sight of James Gordon, Barbara's father.
"Oh, Dick sorry. Instinct, you know. How did you get in?" He says as he puts away his gun.
"That's fine. I have a key…You know what, I will get going, sorry." I say feeling awkward. I didn't think he would be here. I haven't spoken to him for a few weeks, not since our confrontation. Poison Ivy gave away Barbara's secret about being Batgirl, he had figured out the rest after that. The cat was out of the bag, well I guess in this case the Bat and Birds. He was angry to say the least, he couldn't believe she got into this life by herself. He thought I persuaded her into it. I tried to explain otherwise, but it really wasn't my place. I guess it is a pretty big coincidence.
"No. Stay. Actually I wanted to talk to you. Take a seat." He said siting down at the head of a medium sized rectangle table in the corner of the room. The black table was big enough to fit six people; I decide to sit two seats away from him. I suddenly felt like a little kid being told off by an adult. It wouldn't be the first time growing up that I was told off by him, although normally his daughter would be right next to me getting the worst of it.
"I noticed you paid the rent for the next few months. And the backpack full of men's clothes in the bedroom. Is there something else you two forgot to tell me?" Jim asks curiously.
"Oh yeah, no! Not what you think, she was just so excited about getting this place that I didn't want her losing it. And with her…well you know, I just needed somewhere to… well honestly, I am not really sure. I just figured she wouldn't mind me… looking after the place."
"I understand; I miss her too. Being here feels like maybe she isn't that… thing." Jim says looking out the big window facing the city. I feel a lump forming in my throat, sitting here talking to her Dad is a little too real for my liking. I am beginning to think that my previous 'positive' thinking was really just me in denial. Now here with her father it was beginning to feel as if we had already lost her permanently. Had we? Would this not just be a phase in our lives? Just a really horrible memory that we could just forget about, or was this just what is was. Was Barbara really gone and Datura was her replacement?
"Anyways, I wanted to say thank you for covering up for the Batgirl thing. I don't know how you did it but that replacement looked and sounded exactly like the real Batgirl. If I didn't know any better now I would have thought it was her and not Barbara." He said turning his gaze back to me. Word had got out that the commission's daughter was Batgirl and that her lack of appearance since Barbara's disappearance proved it; Jim almost lost his job because of it. We had Miss Martian disguise as Batgirl as she has the ability to transform into anything or anyone she desires. She made a brief public appearance saying the rumours weren't true and that she was just good at staying out of the stoplight.
"No worries, it is what we do. She's family to us." I was going to say more, I was going to explain the whole Batgirl-situation to him, but it wasn't my situation to explain.
"I know that now. I am sorry for the other night. I know my daughter well enough to know that she is going to do what she is going to do. So it wasn't fair of me to blame her being Batgirl on you."
This conversation wasn't getting any more comfortable. I appreciate the acknowledgment that I had nothing to do with Barbara's choice in becoming a vigilantly, but I wasn't sure how much longer I could talk about her. I was over tired and over-thinking things and it was becoming too much to handle.
"Ha, yeah that's Barbara she is determined to say the least. But thanks… I get it though. I can't say I was exactly the most supportive when Batgirl made her first appearance, even less excited when I found out who she was. But now I can't separate them. Batgirl is an important member of the team, a big part of who Barbara is…she's…well when she gets back she will tell you all about it." I really couldn't go on, talking about her hurt, it made me realise just how affected I was from this all. I could feel a black hole forming within my heart; I worry that maybe it might take a permanent form.
"That would be an interesting conversation...Anyways don't let me dropping by stop you from staying here; I know she would appreciate someone keeping an eye on the place." Jim says getting up from the table, he also looks like he could use some rest. He makes his way to the door, saying he was going to retire for the night. I get up too, walking him out, before he goes he says once last thing.
"You know she is lucky to have you looking out for her. I can see you really do care for her." He gives me a sad-smile, looking at me as if knowing something I don't. I really hated that, it seems that a lot of people have been giving me that look lately, I felt out of the loop, like I was missing something completely obvious.
PLEASE REVIEW ;D Pretty please? x
Also I just found that line thing... life is much better with it haha
And don't worry this is still going to be a Dick/Babs story line. I know it seems like a lot of characters but they aren't going to be the focus. They are setting up for the future. Also to show that although something bad happens, that life never stops moving. Old and new people may come and go, and that no matter what happens we can't just ignore that. It doesn't make it good or bad, sometimes it just is. It is just how we choose to deal with it that defines us.
But on that note I promise the story is going to be more focused next chapter and you won't have to wait too long before everything is revealed.
But if you can guess where this is going or how you would like to see it go, I would LOVE to hear your thoughts! I am always interested in how people view the same thing different ways:) Hey, who says your way isn't better anyways?:D x
Thank you Saphire122 for reading over this work and checking for all the silly errors I made:D