The Green and The Blue

Chapter VI: Tides of Battle

   Despite being Wonder Woman's main enemy, Poison Ivy had also come to be a common adversary of Cheetah. Both Ivy and Cheetah in the past had vowed to protect their elemental forces of nature, these being the Green and the Red. Despite still loving the Green, Ivy wasn't hell bent on killing or enslaving all of humanity to save it anymore. Yet, Cheetah had not yet changed. Granted, she was the avatar of the Goddess of the Hunt. Now, the two had even more conflicting ideations than before Ivy's change to partial sanity.

   "Ivy, if you join us, we can restore both the Green and the Red to their primal perfection", Cheetah proposed. Ivy did consider it. She loved the green. Yet, she began to understand why humans played a vital role in protecting the green. Reaching out her clawed hand in a symbol of alliance, Cheetah once again asked. "Humans ruin this world, Pamela. We can change that". Dr. Isley began to reach her hand up, knowing that was her same viewpoint in a past life. But she had changed. She dropped her hand. "Cheetah, your opinion is biased". Cheetah retracted her hand and snarled, not wanting to accept loss. "Then I'll cut you down". Wonder woman stepped forward. "Your quarrel is with me creature!". Cheetah growled and pounced at the princess of the Amazons. The two began a tussle, working their way away from the group. King Shark jolted forward. "King Shark wants Atlantis". The King of Atlantis stepped forward and summoned his Trident. "This trident says otherwise!" Batman walked next to Aquaman. "Arthur, Harley and I can take on King Shark. Poison and you can take on Black Manta". Arthur smiled, "Sounds like a plan, Batman". The King of Atlantis grabbed his suit and pulled it off, revealing his armor underneath. Ivy looked over, "Did you know they were going to make a pit stop here?". Arthur scratched his head. "No Dr. Isley". "Then why did you... wait, did you wear that because of me?!". The King of Atlantis was flustered at how fast he was read. "Look, if a King doesn't take precautions, then he doesn't care for his Kingdom. It's not that I didn't trust you, I just wasn't sure". Ivy lifted an eyebrow, "...right".

   The two turned to face their black adversary closing in. The manta themed villain approached. "Two individuals who can control the elements of the earth. Killing you will be a treat". Arthur brought forward his trident. "Leave Atlantis, you've been warned". Black Manta snickered. "Why would I leave when we're just getting started". Without a second to notice, the dark mercenary dropped to his knees and shot a red plasma beam at the duo. As if he was expecting it, Aquaman lifted his trident up and spun it fast, absorbing the attack altogether. He then turned to Ivy. "We've got this", Aquaman said encouragingly. Ivy laughed internally. "So giddy", she thought. Aquaman threw his trident at Black Manta. Quickly reacting, the mercenary slid to the slide, dodging the attack. Bursting through the floor, a collection of sea kelp wrapped around the villain's feet, catching him off guard. While under disadvantage from Ivy's snare, Aquaman came in with his trident to deliver a blow. Quickly, Black Manta raised his armored arm to block the attack, then turned to burn through the luscious snare with his plasma beam. Freeing himself, Black Manta turned and slashed one of his short swords at the King. Aquaman rolled back to dodge the attack. Reaching up, Black Manta pressed a button. Ivy reached up to summon a thorned appendage of seaweed. After a few seconds of nothing happening, Dr. Isley knew something wasn't right. "It's his telepathic scrambler. Our mental connection with our elemental forces will be temporarily subdued", Aquaman explained. "Damn". Black Manta laughed, "this'll put you more on my level. You'll be easier to kill without your connection to the green and the blue". Ivy snickered, "That's debatable". Touching her fingers to her skin, Ivy summoned a rhytidome layer over her skin. Black Manta ran at Ivy, then lunged his knives at her. Lifting her armored forearms up, Dr. Isley blocked her adversary's attack. Pamela looked back at Aquaman, who was just staring at her. "Waterboy! Snap out of it. I need your help". Ivy figured he had remembered she did the same thing fighting him; perhaps that's why he was dazed. Aquaman rushed forward towards Ivy, then dropped his trident low. "Behind you!" Aquaman yelled. Pamela dashed back just in time for Aquaman to slash his trident up, catching Manta off guard, and breaking a piece of his facial armor off. The Black adversary flew back, hit a pillar, then stumbled to his knees. Presumably defeated, Aquaman extended a hand towards Ivy.

   "Great work, partner!", he said with a cheeky smile. Ivy scoffed, "we are not partners yet, hun", leaving the waterboy on red. Aquaman's smile dropped. "Well, what was that we just went through?". "He was going to try to harm you and take Atlantis, while he was going to harm me. That was merely an intersection of a common goal", Ivy retorted. "Agree to disagree", Aquaman said frankly. As they both turned to look at Black Manta, a beam of red plasma came shooting forward, hitting Aquaman in the upper chest. Ivy gasped at seeing her helpful acquaintance fall to the ground. She then turned to see Black Manta preparing another load. "Your next", he said coldly. In order to beat him without Aquaman or the assistance of her plants, Ivy knew she would need to get up close and personal with the black mercenary. Upon seeing the hole delivered by Aquaman in Manta's helmet around his face, Ivy knew what she needed to do. Using a technique Harley taught her, Ivy waited for the plasma blast to initiate. Upon firing, Ivy dropped to the ground and slid to her opponent, dodging the plasma blast. Then using the extra momentum, flung herself in a spinning cartwheel towards Black Manta. Before he had time to grab his swords, Ivy braced herself, reached forward and grabbed his helmet. Then bringing him in close, she locked lips to deliver a poisonous kiss.

   Black Manta flew back, spitting on his way. "What did you do?!", he yelled in a frantic panic. "I just kissed you, sweetie", mocked Ivy. The black adversary began to cough and fell to the ground. "You won't get away with this", he cursed with the last of his breathe before passing out. Batman ran up beside Poison Ivy. "What did you do?!", questioned the dark knight. "A kiss, Bats. That's all". Batman turned to look coldly at Pamela. "Your kiss is not a normal kiss, Dr. Isley. We do not kill". Ivy laughed and turned around. "Please, don't get down to the books with me. Besides, it wasn't enough to kill. Just maybe some short-term paralysis". Poison Ivy turned around and laughed again, "Aren't you fine with traumatic brain injuries". Batman huffed and turned around to return to Harley. Ivy turned to see Harl holding a fish to King Shark. Harley always had a ploy up her sleeve to get the better hand. Batman walked to King Shark to put him in cuffs while Harley turned to her friend. "Hey Red, stopped Black fishie?". She then made a fish pucker face, "let me guess. Wid a kiss??". Ivy smiled, "Yes, Harl". Harley turned to look behind Ivy, "What happened to Water boy?". Ivy turned to see Aquaman still on the floor unconscious. "Shit", she cursed and ran to his side. Looking at him, she noticed a bad scalding burn on his upper chest. "Medic!", she yelled. A guard, upon hearing her call ran to get medical assistance.

   In the meantime, Ivy summoned a seed from her skin. Harley ran up and crouched beside her. "What's that Red?", she asked. "It's a seed for Aquatic Moss. It has anti-inflammatory and anti-infection properties". Dropping it on the ground, Ivy put her hand over it and caused it to grow exponentially to the size of her palm. She then began dabbing it on Aquaman's wound. From the ground, Ivy summoned Seaweed appendages and began wrapping them around the moss. Hearing footsteps, she turned to see two guards coming with a stretcher. She took a step back and allowed them to take their King. "Do you think he'll be fine", asked Harley. Ivy laughed, "He's an Atlantean, of course he'll be fine. Just got the wind knocked out of him". Harl snickered, "Why are you so nice all of dah sudden?". Ivy smiled at Harl, then looked back at the two guards carrying the King, inexplicably avoiding the question. Harl tisked, "leave everyone on red, why don't cha". Watching the stretcher disappear behind a hallway, Ivy and Harley noticed a guard approaching. Upon reaching them, he spoke, "Dr. Isley and Dr. Quinzel. We thank you for helping in the protection of the city of Atlantis". Harl giggled, "It was nothin' pal". He continued, "You are free to stay, get refreshed, and indulge in a meal provided by the Court's kitchen". Ivy and Harley turned to face each other, non-vocally communicating with facial expressions. Batman stepped forward. "Dr. Isley and Dr. Quinzel. You both proved vital in today's victory. It would be desirable to have you at the banquet". Harl looked back at Ivy, seemingly already having decided. Red sighed. Harley squealed, "We would love to go Bats!". The three Gotham citizens and the guard began walking in the direction towards the royal kitchen. Dr. Isley became nervous, knowing dinner would most likely be more of an interrogation and political discussion rather than a friendly feast. 

End Notes

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