Trump Card

Inside the Invisible Batplane, Model: Heavy Tuxedo, a bomber variant of the Batplane, Alfred Pennyworth sat in the cockpit, lost in thought as he held a photograph. The photo depicted Thomas and Martha Wayne standing on the lawn of Robinson Park with a young Bruce. Little Bruce was lying excitedly on the grass, his parents crouched beside him with doting smiles. Alfred stood in the distance, a silent observer. 

He remembered that day vividly, when young Bruce had eagerly called out to him, asking him to bring over the delicious chocolate pie and sandwiches from the picnic basket.

"Beep beep... Batman calling Penny One."(Note: Penny One is Alfred's codename in the Bat-Family communication channel, his daughter being Penny Two.) 

"Go ahead, Batman," Alfred answered, snapping out of his reverie and pulling the microphone to his lips. "What can I do for you, sir?" 

"Are the M77 napalm bombs, concentrated herbicides, and cluster bombs ready?" Alfred couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness at the familiar question. 

"Penny One?" Batman's voice prompted again. Alfred composed himself. "They're ready, sir. Always ready," he replied in a low voice. "As soon as you give the order, I can drop them all." 

"..." 

A memory flashed through Alfred's mind: "Alfred! Alfred! Are the chocolate pie and chicken sandwiches ready?"

"Of course, young master! They're all ready for you. Just say the word, and you'll have a warm snack in no time!"

"Yay! Thank you, Alfred!" 

"Very good. Thank you, Alfred," Batman's voice echoed in the present, pulling Alfred back to reality. He heard Bruce sigh softly over the comms. "I don't want to resort to this, but we need to be prepared for any eventuality. Thank you for your dedication." 

"It's my duty, Batman." 

"It's my pleasure, Master Bruce," Alfred whispered to himself, a ghost of a smile on his face"I am... ready and waiting for your command," both Alfred and his memory of young Bruce echoed in his mind. 

Alfred's eyes fell on the red launch button. Whatever consequences it might bring, he thought, it would be better than Bruce returning to the Batcave broken and bloodied. Below, on the ravaged battlefield, Adam's face was grim. 

"Is that all you've got?" 

He had gone to great lengths to find Harley Quinn, certain she could sway Poison Ivy. Under normal circumstances, Poison Ivy's control over plants rivaled that of Plant master. With his mercenaries backing him up, defeating him should have been easy. But Poison Ivy's power had surpassed his expectations, nearly overwhelming Plant master. Yet, in her recklessness, she had approached him too closely and been felled by a single punch! 

Harley Quinn rushed over, cradling the unconscious Poison Ivy in her arms. Unlike plant master, enhanced by the Green, Poison Ivy's body remained vulnerable, like most magic users in the DC universe. Without their magic, they were fragile—the Joker had once nearly drowned Zatanna, one of the most powerful magic users, before she could utter a spell. 

This was the reality of DC's magic users. 

Adam knelt beside Poison Ivy. "Ivy, are you alright?" He admitted that for a moment, deep down, he had hoped the Alfred Protocol would activate, revealing a super-powered Batman from a parallel universe, ready to consume crisis energy and save the day. 

But alas, it was just a fantasy. The Alfred Protocol had no effect on the unconscious Poison Ivy. "Pamela, you're so foolish..." Plant master sneered at the fallen Poison Ivy. 

Tim Drake, aka Robin, approached Adam, "Batman... should I call Zatanna?" he asked in a 

hushed tone. "No," Adam replied, equally quietly. "It hasn't reached that point yet. We don't need to involve them." He lowered his voice further. "Quickly, get everyone into protective gear." 

"What about you? Who's going to handle Plant master?" 

"I will." 

"But you won't have time to suit up—"

"I'll help you," Cat interjected, her hand on the hilt of her samurai sword. She had already expended most of her freeze grenades. Dogwelder limped over to Adam's side, his limbs twisted but still functional. Deadshot gave him a strange look. The guy was hard to kill. 

Harley Quinn cradled Poison Ivy. "Does anyone have water? We need to get some into Red!"

"If you have any protective gear, bring it out now! We're running out of time!" Count Vertigo urged, prioritizing his own survival above all else. He hurried to Robin's side. "Quickly, get the suits!" 

"Do you think I don't exist?" Jason Woodrue's voice boomed. "Do you think your pathetic schemes can stand against the might of the Green?"

Adam breathed a sigh of relief. "Don't worry about me, Tim. Get them suited up first." 

Silver-white particles shimmered around Adam's body as everything seemed to slow down, even 

the dust in the air. His cold, vertical pupils met Plant master's dark golden eyes. 

"Roar!" 

The massive green dinosaur roared and lunged, teeth bared, creating an invisible shockwave in the air. 

Boom! 

Plant master raised his arms, and layers of giant plants surged forward again. Flames erupted from Adam's rear, propelling him high into the air with a liquid nitrogen blast. He crashed into the towering tree that had sprouted from the ground. The impact sent the dinosaur tumbling backward, rolling several times before landing dazed on the ground. 

"Those people..." Plant master's attention shifted to Deadshot and the others, scrambling to put on protective gear. "What are you planning? It can't be..." 

Then, he heard Adam's booming voice: "Penny One!" 

"Commence the Alfred Protocol!"