The moonlight tonight was unusually bright. Underneath that tremendous pale moon, Wayne Tower stood like the last remaining giant at the verge of a shattered sky.
The lights of the distant Financial Harbour gradually dimmed. As the lights representing the city's prosperity faded, nothing but a host of flickering police lights and cold neon remained.
Tap, tap, tap.
As the sound of footfalls and the ticking of a clock gradually overlapped, Barbara suddenly had a realization. She breathed a sigh of relief the instant she saw that red figure when she turned to look.
She turned back to type on the keyboard, Robin stepped out from the shadows, Barbara asked without looking back: "You told him we wouldn't have reinforcements, right?"
Then she sighed to herself and said, "But who hasn't been innocent? I just hope he can hold on to that innocence until tomorrow morning."
Robin looked complex, he stood in the room looking at Barbara and said, "You didn't hear his call, did you?"
"I've had enough troubles already." Barbara's tone remained even, with only a hint more of anxiety than usual. Under these circumstances, that was already remarkably calm.
Without a word, Robin sighed. He turned to see the photo of Barbara and Nightwing on the shelf.
Barbara continued to work on the computer, saying, "Batman has already obtained a sample of the fear gas. He's likely delivered it to the Batcave, I am not confident Peter Parker will be able to study it. I may need to go back. What do you think?"
"He got another assist for the kid named Peter." Robin crossed his arms and said, "Or he made him trouble."
In the Batcave, Poison Ivy looked at Peter Parker and shook her head slightly, "Don't expect me to cooperate with you. Once Batman is gone, we're through."
"I'm afraid you will have to cooperate, ma'am, because you can't easily leave." Peter said, observing a test tube.
"Yes, Batcave's security is quite tight but I..."
Swish!
A shining Batman dart shaved off a lock of red hair from Poison Ivy's temple. She slowly turned her eyes to the side and saw a thin thread, twinkling faintly in the light, lightly swaying.
Poison Ivy stretched out her hand, several vines grew swiftly from the floor towards Peter. Peter jumped to the side, perched on the wall—he scurried to the ceiling like a spider, moving so swiftly that Poison Ivy didn't even have time to look up.
The next moment, a shadow fell on her back. A hand already wrapped around Poison Ivy's neck. She bit down on Peter's arm. Her saliva was poisonous—very poisonous.
"Plant toxin?"
Peter pulled his hand back and examined the rapidly darkening wound on his arm, Poison Ivy lifted her chin slightly and said, "Release me and I'll give you the antidote."
"I don't think it's necessary." Peter summoned his symbiote in his mind, its symbiotic factor quickly filtered out the toxin.
Peter picked up a test tube from the side and let a drop of the plant toxin fall into it. Poison Ivy widened her eyes and summoned back the drop into her body.
"Interesting little fellow." Poison Ivy raised her eyebrows at Peter and said, "Perhaps Batman has told you that I'm immune to fear toxin, hoping that you can study me, find a formula to counteract the fear gas, and that's why he brought me here."
"But I'm afraid I have to disappoint you. My immunity to the fear gas cannot be explained by science. Keeping me here is useless."
"I'm not studying you." Peter shook his head and said, "nor do I need the intel you mentioned. I just hope to make a deal with you."
"Why should I trade with you?"
"By coming here, it means you've agreed to the deal. Otherwise, you should be in a prison, in the Batcave prison. That would be more troublesome."
"It seems Batman has found a capable assistant this time. Did he mention what happened to the previous Robins?"
"I don't care about that." Peter stepped forward and said, "The reason I asked Batman to bring you here is because I've seen your information in the Bat Computer's database, that's why I could identify the plant toxin."
Poison Ivy frowned, she was growing more puzzled about the young man's intentions. Peter approached her and looked into her eyes, saying, "I just found a replay of Scarecrow's declaration."
"So what?"
"He said the city would be destroyed in 24 hours."
"He's a fool, but he can do it." Poison Ivy turned her head away and said, "Fortunately, plants aren't affected by his toxin. I couldn't care less about what he does."
"I think 24 hours is too long."
Poison Ivy looked at Peter with curiosity.
"I plan to destroy Gotham within two hours. This will require your assistance."
Poison Ivy's eyes widened.
"Peter, have you figured out the composition of the toxin?" Batman, still speeding down the road in the Batmobile, pressed the communications button, "Have you figured it out?"
"I've got some leads, Batman. By the way, I've prepared a gas mask for you, Robin will bring it to you. It can only partially resist the fear gas, so you won't enter panic immediately, and it can also slow down the effect of the fear gas in your body. However, the mask can't immunize you completely, so stay cautious."