Batgirl to Batman

While tendrils formed cocoons around Charlie, Wally’s **** body was lifted off the ground. Unlike Charlie's, Wally’s treatment was far from gentle. The tendrils wound tightly multiple times around his torso and then once powerfully around his neck like a boa constrictor. Even Wally’s **** face looked uncomfortable.

“Wally!” Charlie called out in panic.

_The gall on that man! _thought Babs.

“This is Batgirl to Batman, come in!” Babs shouted into her earpiece over the sound of the computers exploding from around them. “Wonder Woman is compromised. I repeat Wonder Woman is compromised by Charlie. His powers affect all meta-humans. I repeat, his power affects all meta-humans.”

Barbara Gordon had been a crime fighter for over a decade at this point, but she never had such visceral panic. This was the lowest point in her career. Poison Ivy held her friend’s life in hand, so her first instinct was to rush into battle and save him. But she had a greater duty to the League.

There was no doubt in her mind that Ivy was compromised by Charlie’s pheromone. And if Diana or M’Gann had sunk so low as to create more pawns via indiscriminate pheromone introduction… then the kiddy gloves were off. Operationally speaking, whether the order came from Diana or Charlie doesn't really matter. Charlie’s angels are going on full offensive and consolidating their advantage.

Furthermore, using Ivy meant that the compromised heroes will never break cover. Surely, Poison Ivy figured out Charlie’s control over the Kryptonians and kidnap him for her own purposes. After all, she just need to kiss Charlie, put him under her control, and she’d have the Kryptonians at her beck and call. Everything Charlie and the rogue Kryptons did after today can be laid squarely on the feet of a known criminal.

In one possible scenario, Babs imagined loyalist JLA needlessly investigating Lex’s **** for weeks, prioritizing a seemingly larger threat closer to home. All while the compromised members tried and 'failed' to find Ivy, and Charlie would continue to compromise more metahumans quietly. Within a month, the difference in power would be insurmountable. A checkmate, plain and simple.

As a matter of fact, the WWCBD rule (What would compromised Batgirl do?) states that in the worst ending to the worst case scenario, with difference in power that large, she will put a hit on each loyalist members all at once like some ending montage to the Godfather. Not everyone is a shitty as compromised Batgirl, but that's not a risk she's willing to take.

With the computers around them trashed to bits, Batgirl, Nightwing, and Flash are the only three people who knew that Charlie’s powers can affect all metahuman. Babs' intel is the only thing that can prevent the Charlie situation from spiralling out of control. That information must reach the Justice League at any cost. Even at the cost of her own life.

In fact, the window to warn the League is rapidly closing. If Babs’ working theory is correct, and she hope to God she’s wrong, it wouldn’t be long before Supergirl and Powergirl show up. Two poor souls escaping prison in the confusion of Lex’s ****, only to be caught in Ivy’s trap.

“Batman, come in. Charlie’s power affects all metahumans including Wonder Woman and Miss Martian. Batman, do you copy?” Babs said. She released the record button on her speaker and set her communication to repeat transmit.

For the moment, Batman’s replies were nothing but grating static. Nails on chalkboard. Babs could see Nightwing dashing forward rushing to fight off the tendrils and save Wally. He threw countless batarang at Ivy. She deflected most, but a few grazed her torso and thighs drawing blood.

Seconds crept by as Babs waited for Batman’s reply. Hoping against hope that her mentor received her message. She had a sinking vacuum in her stomach that seemed to suck the air out of her lung. Her knees wobbled, but she willed them to stand straight. She fidget again with her smoke bomb pouch, picking up each bomb and juggling them between her fingers. Even the weight of the bomb seemed off. They were heavier than usual. For a second, she even thought someone tampered with them.

She focused her attention on Nightwing. He’d fought through worst situation in their career together, but she had never seen him fight this fiercely, defiantly. She felt ashamed for the doubt in her mind. They were both Bruce’s apprentice and will surpass him as the greatest detective and crimefighter on Earth. Together they have more than enough firepower to beat back a single Batman villain.

Babs dodged a clump of tendrils trying to wrap itself around her. She dived behind a row of equipment closets. In one swift motion, she kicked a few of them open, grabbed a pair of gas masks off the floor and threw one to Nightwing.

“Copy… work. …interference… network.” Batgirl’s earpiece sprung to life once more. Despite the horrible static in her ear, a wide smile bloomed across her face. “Good work… on my way. Repeat… I’m… way to Superman.”

Babs looked at Dick and saw him clutching his earpiece. He heard Batman too. With the message reaching Batman and Ivy’s poison neutralized, it was finally time to recover Wally and go on an offensive of their own.

She honestly couldn’t fight while constantly worrying about her friend. It also doesn’t hurt her calculus that Wally was the strongest in a fight among the three of them. Still, Batgirl had no way to cut out Ivy’s tendrils out without making herself a sitting target.

Batgirl and Nightwing have fought alongside each other for countless battle and the moment her eyes met his, they knew exactly what had to be done. She had to attack Charlie and distract Ivy.