Mustard is one of the fastest-germinating plants on Earth.
Its seeds, tiny enough to slip past the naked eye in small numbers. Normally it takes three to five days for it to sprout under optimal conditions. While for Other common species it takes about seven days at best.
However when driven by unnatural factor, like magic —
Three to five days becomes...
0.3 seconds.
As the last freeze grenade detonated across the creature's chest, Poison Ivy rose slowly from the rubble, her arms outstretched like a priestess.
Then the ground erupted.
Green vines burst from the earth rapidly. Within a heartbeat, they seized the shrieking monster in vines of sharp thorns.
Harley let out a wail behind her.
"Red, you liar! You're so mean! I was really scared, you know! Waaaaa!"
Ivy didn't answer.
Bruce gave her a nod—brief, acknowledging.
He was a familiar with the rot in the comics.
The Rot—Decay—was no mere biological anomaly. It was a magical, primordial force of nature. A dark elemental force, bound to the balance of nature itself. And in Gotham's grim theater of war, only magic could truly hold back magic.
Of course scientific forces had their place. These magical creatures weren't immune to scientific weapons. Herbicides could fell forests. Chemicals could kill gods especially if those gods happened to be made of chlorophyll.
Even Plant Masters bent the knee before engineered destruction.
Magical entities also feel helpless towards structured science. Like when Barbara Gordon had once injected the Man-Bat serum into her artery, the Red had to give her it's powers although reluctantly.
(Swamp thing new 52 volume 5 issue #15)
Magic breaks its own rules.
Which is why Bruce chose mustard seeds—and slipped them quietly into the soil and asked Ivy to feign unconsciousness, through micro earpod only seconds earlier.
---
The creature writhed against the vines, its skin beginning to crack apart.
"Damn the Green and that cursed woman—"
The words choked halfway up its throat.
Lady Vic's once-beautiful shell slowly peeled away. Skin fell off like scales, revealing a carcass of rotting flesh - blackened, stinking and riddled with parasites. Only the surface shined, polished like a mannequin's flesh. Underneath it was pure decay.
"The Parliament of Decay will not forgive you. The Rot will consume your world. Anton Arcane shall rise, and I—one of the Three Hunters—will—"
"Spare me the theatrics,"* Bruce cut in flatly. "You sound like a high school drama reject trying to quote Macbeth.... Actually not even they are this corny."
"You dare mock the Rot? We are—"
"—a primal force representing death and decay ," Bruce finished dryly. "One of the three forces of nature, others being Green and Red."
"And the rot's been quite active in recent decades trying to overturn the other forces and be the only supreme. I've have already done my homework."
The monster went silent in shock.
What? Is the rot so well known now? That every third grade guy in black knows about it?
Bruce'svoice turned slightly, growing cold.
"What I haven't figured out is how you managed to kill the Swamp Thing? Wasn't it immortal as long as the green exists?"
The creature stilled.
Its lips twitched, eyes narrowing as if finally registering the seriousness in Bruce's tone.
Poison Ivy stepped forward, vines still holding the creature inches from the ground.
"Heh. I don't know. And even if I did—I wouldn't tell you."
Ivy leaned in.
"I will be back. The Rot always comes back. And when it does—"
CRACK.
The vines contracted with lethal force. The creature's skull shattered like glass.
"So much nonsense," Ivy muttered, disgusted.
Unfortunately The rot itself represented ''death''. For its creations ,the word 'death' didnt exist at all.
From the pile of torn flesh, the corpse twitched.
The monster gurgled, half-formed jaws spasming.
" Remember, I... I am one of the Rotlings. When the Rot gains strength again... I will return—"
The vines didn't wait for a cue.
Ivy used her powers and immediately crushed it.
At which point its flesh collapsed. Bones splintered. And with a puff of black spores rose— the body turned to ash, then nothing.
Silence.
Poison Ivy took a long breath. Her eyes wandered with sadness to the ground—where the herbicide had left soil scorched and roots ruined.
She knelt, brushing her fingers across a burnt petal. It disintegrated on contact.
"When you sprayed them with poison... I nearly lost it," she whispered. "But the Rot was worse. I understand why you did it. And this time... I forgive you."
Her hand lingered on the withered flower.
"But I'm still sorry—for them."
"About the Swamp Thing—" Bruce started.
Ivy cut him off.
"Later, Batman."Her voice was heavy. "We'll talk later. Its not like i know much anyway."
BOOM.
A loud clatter snapped Bruce's head around.
Across the field, his soldiers—mercenaries, criminals, some barely allies—were dropping their weapons.
Even Deadshot had stripped himself clean—discarding every gadget, every toy, even the surge gun he'd sworn he'd marry if it had a pulse.
It now lay in the mud , while the man who promised to love it forever stood nearby, looking away from it.
Bruce looked at them with disapproval.
"This is a contingency, not a betrayal," he barked. "A failsafe. A plan B."
"What bad intentions could I possibly have?"
(Yeah, what bad intentions could batman have?)
He rolled his eyes.
"You're overreacting and making unnecessary fuss.All of you. Pick up your weapons. Or you won't be paid."
With flick of the cash system, and their gear reloaded, rearmed, reappeared on them.
The battlefield returned to readiness—scorched, shaken, but intact.
Poison Ivy returned to her work—restoring greenery with slow, methodical sorrow. The Plant Master lay dead.
The earth was quiet once again. And the immediate war was over.
Bruce finally exhaled.
Maybe this really is the end.
Maybe.
Now... where the hell is Gordon?
---
Elsewhere
"ROAR!"
The scream ruptured the air like a thunderclap.
Venom doesn't work like normal drugs. It's not a single chemical. It's a cocktail—a vicious concoction of greatly enhanced male hormones, highly addictive anabolic steroids, and a variety of neurostimulants. Designed not for healing, but for dominance.
Bane's subordinate zomie constructed a circulatory system just for him. It helped the venom to pump through his veins like molten iron, constantly feeding his strength in endless cycles.
CNS stimulants enhanced his strength and energy while the mysterious X-factor within him suppressed the explosive energy in a controlled manner achieving a perfect balance making his strength and stamina almost endless.
But just if, what if the dosage ever exceeded what his internal regulator—his mysterious X-Factor—could suppress...
Then the system would collapse into chaos.
Muscles would rupture, then regrow stronger. Ligaments would tear, only to fuse together into unnatural cords. And worse—his brain would burn with overactivity, suppressing higher logic and inflating base instinct.
The result?
A monster without reason.
"Where is Batman? Tell me."
The soldier looked up at the six meters tall, all rage, muscle and venom-fueled monstrosity.
The soldier pissed himself. Literally.
Behind Bane, bodies littered the battlefield like crushed ants. Tanks were twisted metal husks. Blood streamed in gutters. Limbs dangled from wires.
"Please... Don't kill me. Please..... " The soldier sobbed in fear and begged for mercy.
"Then tell me. Where is Batman?" Bane asked again while slowly tightening his squeeze with the last of his sanity.
"Batman is... handling the scientist rescue. Gordon told us—"
Bane paused.
A flash of rationality returned to his bloodshot eyes.
Yes...
That was the plan. I think.
He slowly put The soldier down. The soldier almost jumped in happiness and turned around to run.
But then—snap.
He twisted the soldier's head off clean.
He slammed the soldier's head against his just to make sure the idiot wasn't still living.
Then he turned to leave.
And that's when it fell.
Ssssssssssssssssss—BOOM!
A missile landed nearby—filled with Joker's poisonous laughing gas.
It burst open, spraying the air with toxic madness.
Bane paused.
Then, slowly—
—he smiled.
That wide, terrible, sunny grin.
"Hehehehehe...oh! Batsy? hehehehe...Where are you? Hahahaha..."