Good Teammate

The solvent derived from reed roots could kill any plant. As Adam reverted to his human form, he saw the once arrogant Plant master lying peacefully on the ground, fast asleep like a baby. "It's over," he declared. 

Everyone was physically and mentally exhausted. They gathered around the unconscious Poison Ivy, Harley tending to her with tears in her eyes. Despite showing no visible injuries, Harley fussed over her, applying bandages where none were needed. Deadshot and Cat stood together, catching their breath and carefully removing their protective suits stained with the green solvent. 

"This is ridiculous, Batman," Deadshot grumbled. "If you could just drown the place with that acid rain from the start, why didn't you?" "Even if we had to rescue the professor, we could've grabbed him and run, then hit the place with herbicide. Why bother with a direct confrontation?" 

He kept the rest of his complaints to himself. With anyone else, he would have cursed them out, 

but facing Batman, he held his tongue. Then, a realization struck him. 'Was Batman an idiot? Deadshot surveyed the surrounding swamp, now devoid of life. The double dose of herbicide had been devastating. If the saltwater solution had left any chance of survival, the reed root concoction had finished the job. Not even a tree made of iron could withstand such a potent poison. 

Poison Ivy was in a coma, knocked out cold by Plant master's blow. It seemed she wouldn't be waking up anytime soon. Everyone's attention was focused on Poison Ivy. 

Meanwhile, Adam's mind raced. "And for the moment, at least in this location, the Green is at its weakest." He seemingly turned towards Poison Ivy, but his eyes subtly scanned the others. Deadshot and Cat stood together, a distance away. Dogwelder sat on the ground, straightening his mangled limbs. Count Vertigo stood next to Poison Ivy, offering advice to Harley. "If you want to wake her up, I think you should—" 

'Could it be him?' Adam wondered. 'Could it be Count Vertigo? No... there was another possibility'. Adam turned slightly and spotted Ms. October emerging from the woods. The beautiful mercenary looked exhausted, her pale thighs marked with dark red welts. Her usually vibrant blue eyes were filled with fatigue, as if lamenting her unfortunate career choice. This woman, who had been mostly uninvolved in the battle, walked towards Adam and spotted the Plant master lying on the ground. 

"Well, well.. " She rushed over, her eyes cold as she glared at the unconscious villain. "You nearly tortured me to death, you disgusting, green, stinking pile of—". She kicked him repeatedly, each blow fueled by anger, while Adam observed impassively. The others were distracted by Harley Quinn's cries, but Deadshot kept his eyes on Poison Ivy, his hand inching towards his gun. 

"Disgusting! You make me sick!" Ms. October continued kicking Plant Master again and again. Once, twice, three times... 

Gurgle! 

One of the woman's beautiful eyes suddenly fell out, the ventricles of the eyeball were stretched out like a spider web, barely sticking to the eyeball. Half of her face collapsed like melting wax, revealing the putrid, dark red muscle beneath. Her legs contorted into sharp, insect-like appendages. Then, a voice erupted, no longer feminine and alluring, but a multi-layered, hysterical shriek, like a screech owl: "I want to—", "KILL YOU!!!" 

No one reacted to this horrifying transformation. Fangs erupted from the creature's mouth, tearing through the remaining human skin, as it lunged towards the motionless Plant master. This was the moment it had been waiting for, but then— 

ZAP! 

Sizzle! 

A massive electrical current surged through its body, forcing it to stumble back. "What's happening? You—" 

Whoosh! 

A cryogenic blast enveloped the creature, freezing the half of its body that had not yet attacked. Then, a fiery explosion erupted from its chest as white phosphorous ignited, turning the other half into a blazing inferno. The monster writhed and fell to the ground, rolling in agony. "Impossible! How? What's going on?" 

"Has anyone ever told you—never catch Batman's batarangs?" 

Amidst the flames and frost, the creature's dark eyes—no, the dead eyes of a corpse—locked onto the figure of Batman, who stood impassively. 

"If you can't even catch Batman's darts, how could you possibly handle the weapons he gave you?" Deadshot wanted to throw away every weapon he carried. The thought of running around with so many lethal devices made his legs tremble. No wonder Batman had insisted they all be armed to the teeth. Even Dogwelder and Count Vertigo, who weren't proficient with firearms, were forced to carry explosives and grenades under the guise of extra ammo. 

It was all a trap! He knew Batman had ulterior motives, but he never imagined this—they were teammates, weren't they? Was it really ethical to install self-destruct mechanisms on weapons given to your own team? Batman! You're prepared to kill your own allies! 

"Let's see... the surge gun." "Freezing grenades, mini flamethrower..." "Ah, and the ultrasonic rocket launcher." Adam snapped his fingers, and the rocket launcher on the creature's back exploded, the sonic blast tearing off half its face. 

"You fool. Didn't the weight of those weapons ever raise any suspicions?" "You noticed nothing. You're just as oblivious now. Why didn't you notice the carefully planted soybean seed?" 

Poison Ivy's eyes fluttered open.