The Flower Ball

Gotham botanical gardens a hanging banner reads "GOTHAM CHARITY BALL". The event is filled with Gotham's elite surrounded by a jungle motif with men in loin cloths, drummers on high platforms, and a selection of beautiful women on stage ready to be auctioned to the highest bidder. Batman and Robin are front and center on the stage, the lily in the line up of girls catches Bruce's eye only it's not her it's Pamela, suddenly the vision was gone, he couldn't get her out of his mind he couldn't put his finger on why, certainly not her drab fashion sense, the mousy hair or thick rimmed glasses she hides behind, he couldn't put his finger on it but he wanted her so badly he could taste it. Dick interupts Bruce's train of thought by asking "Do you think Freeze will take the bait?", "He'll be here" replies Bruce.

The MC approaches the stage with Gossip Gerty "Ladies and Gentlemen. Gossip Gerty of Good Morning Gotham and I welcome you to the gem of the evening." Two armed guards emerge bearing a palette upon which hangs a silver necklace supporting a perfect, grapefruit sized diamond. Gerty turns to the crowd "The famed Heart of Isis, on loan from the Collection of my close, personal friend Bruce Wayne." The MC gestures and several woman step forward dressed as flowers, each more strikingly gorgeous than the next. The MC turns to the crowd "Tonight, on auction, an opportunity to dine with one of our fabulous flowers, the famed diamond draped around her neck", Gerty chirps "Ooo, look at all these luscious lovelies. let's start the bidding." A shout from the crowd "Ten thousand for Chrysanthemum." Another "Twenty thousand for Lilac." While the third man shouts " Thirty thousand for Rose" two people in magenta gorilla suits begin to climb to the top of the platforms at the back, the first one clearing the path throwing dancers off their podiums while the second takes their spot Gerty shouts to the crowd "Boys, please. Show some gusto."

Suddenly the music changes and a spotlight hits the gorilla on the center podium, it begins to dance and twirl it's arms and removes a paw revealing a delicately manicured green nailed hand it stretches across and pulls the other paw, the two hands reach for the head and slowly lift revealing the most beautiful face any of them had ever seen, she flutters her lashes as members of the crowd gasp...there was exasperated gasps from the models on the stage this was their night and suddenly this woman had stolen their thunder and boy had she, even Batman and Robin were transfixed, the woman lifts her right hand opens it flat in front of her face puckers her lips and blows, waves of purple love dust spiral into the crowd, if they weren't smitten before now every man in the room was in love, she turned around letting the rest of the gorilla costume drop revealing a skin tight one piece made of leaves, gorgeous green leggings, flowing red hair, she swayed her hips to the music as the she finished her strip tease giving everyone an ample look at her curves she turned and winked at the crowd everyman in the room thought it was just for them, suddenly she lifts her arms holding them out and dives off the podium only to be caught by a sea of adoring men in loin cloths, she caresses the cheek of one them as he kneels down as do the rest forming a bridge of men's backs, she glides across by them effortlessly towards center stage locking eyes with Batman and Robin the entire way.

Robin reaches out his hand to help her up and she stands between the two of them as the MC approaches stumbling over his words "And...you are?, "Poison" she replies..."Poison Ivy" she turns to Batman blows a stream of love dust in his face "Mmmm, Why not send junior to bed early, I've got some wild oats to sow, besides I don't like my men...premature" she rubs his chest "I've always loved the suit on you, I wonder how it would look on your bedroom floor...next to mine" Ivy quickly turns now to Robin leaving Batman with his thoughts, she offers the other hand. She blows another volley of dust into Robin's face. "On the other hand, youth does have its advantages. Endurance...Stamina..." Robin moves closer dreamy eyed, Ivy smiles "Why settle for second place? Robin is a sidekick, a junior partner. If we were a team, you'd be the star. Forget the geriatric bat. Come, join me, my garden needs tending." Robin tries to get closer but Ivy moves away towards the stupified MC taking his microphone "I'll take it from here pal" Ivy approaches the security guards and the diamond "A little help boys?" They hurriedly place it around her neck, Batman and Robin don't seem to mind the fact she's taken a diamond worth $250,000.

Ivy addresses the crowd "Some lucky boy's about to hit the honey pot. I'll include an evening of my company for the winner. I'll bring everything you see here. Plus everything you don't." (She looks at Batman and Robin) And for the right offer I'll bring my imagination" she puts down the mic. A shout from the crowd "$50,000", another "$100,000", "$500,000" Ivy smiles and blows an exaggerated kiss to the crowd, the models are in disbelief at the prices being thrown around suddenly "$1 Million" Ivy turns to her right it's Batman, "$2 Million", she turns to her left it's Robin , "$3 million, you don't have the money" shouts Batman, "$4 Million, I'll borrow it from you" replies Robin, Ivy grabs the mic scoffs at them "Now you boys aren't going to start fighting over little old me are you?" "$5 Million" he draws a battarang, Ivy smiles thinking how easy she's come between them, "$6 Million" Robin reaches for a Red Bird, Ivy eggs them both on anticipating the fight when out of nowhere the doors smash open and Freeze bursts in, in his truck with his entourage he begins turning everyone to ice with his gun.

Batman and Robin act quickly hurling the weapons they were holding and taking out 2 of Freezes goons, everyone flees the stage except Ivy watching the scene unfold as Batman is fighting several goons, Robin knocks one down turns and catches Ivy's eye distracted for only a second he's taken down with a punch to the face by Freeze who approaches Ivy, "Let me guess Vine Lady? Plant Girl? Ms Moss?" Ivy smiles blowing Love dust into his face it dances around his helmet "Pheromone dust..." Says Freeze, Ivy's face drops "Designed to heat a man's blood...it doesn't work on the cold hearted, now if you please the diamond" Ivy thrusts her chest out "If you insist" Freeze rips the diamond away and jumps down back into his truck. Ivy smiling slinks away backstage, Robin has fought his way to the stage and is frantically looking for Ivy he follows the smell of the love dust through the curtain but there's no-one there "IVY" he shouts suddenly more love dust as a slender hand grabs his shoulder, he spins around "I had to make sure you were ok", Ivy snaps "Well, he stole my diamond but I'm still in one piece if that's what you're asking, but you can see that for yourself", Robin looks her up and down as she continues "I'm more worried about you, you took a nasty knock, I'd say put some ice on it but but the irony would be lost on you" she caresses his the mark left by Freeze on his cheek, Robin looks up, Ivy moves into an embrace and kisses him softly she pulls away, Robin is still trying to pull back for more, Ivy looks at him and pushes his face away "You don't start at the top floor with me Robin, why don't you save me again some other time" as she saunters away, "THERE YOU ARE FREEZE GOT AWAY" shouts Batman, Robin looks back and then at Ivy again but she's gone.

Batman and Robin tell Commissioner Gordon he's got 11 minutes to thaw the people as they run out of the building. Next we see a giant statue that stands amidst Gotham's sky-scrapers. Freeze in his Ice Truck, two Crony Trucks behind him, they race up the interconnecting bridges that crisscross Gotham's skyline. Gothamites veer their cars off the roadway in his path as Freeze spots the statue. He reaches for his dashboard. He hits a flashing gun-shaped button on the dash. A giant freeze-gun atop the truck fires freezing the neck of the giant figure causing it to explode in a storm of ice. Freeze's truck swerves off the road, leaping through the hole in the statue's neck and racing onto its shoulder. His Crony trucks follow, all racing away down the statue's arm.

The Batmobile and Redbird follow in close pursuit, blowing through the hole in the statue's neck. The Freeze vehicles are heading towards the hand of the statue. Batman hits a button flashing schematics of the various trajectories of the Freeze vehicles and their imminent jumps from the hand, over the abyss of the city, to the lower rooftops beyond. Batman shouts over the intercom "Pull back. You can't make the jump.","I can make it." Replies Robin. The Batmobile is shooting down the arm, the Redbird close behind again Batman shouts "Pull back." "I can make it" Shouts Robin as he shoots a wheelie, overtaking the Batmobile. Batman looks at his control panel "Redbird control codes" Schematics for the Redbird flash. "Disable engine" Robin's engine warning-light goes on. The motor begins to DIE. The abyss is coming up fast. Robin side-grounds the bike, skidding.

Freeze and his cronies split towards the separate fingers of the statue's hand . SUPER-THRUSTERS fire and Freeze's truck clears the jump, landing on the sloping roof on the other side of the abyss his Crony Trucks follow, taking different fingers, flying into the air towards the rooftops beyond. Not high enough as one of the Crony trucks smashes into an elevated billboard, the other exploding into the opposing building. Freeze's truck hits the roof of a nearby building, breaks screeching, spinning 180 degrees, his freeze gun now pointing back over the abyss.

Back the statue hand The Redbird slides dangerously close to the end of the finger and the abyss below, finally coming to a halt as the Batmobile rockets its engine and roars past, flying over the chasm. Robin stands on the fingertip, shouting his rage into the night. Back on the rooftop the Batmobile soars over the abyss towards Freeze's truck. Inside Freeze's truck he looks at his dash and says "It's a cold town." he hits the flashing gun-shaped button on the dash. The freeze-gun FIRES its deadly blast, hitting the Batmobile. Robin can only watch as the flying Batmobile begins to ice over from Freeze's cryonic blast. Inside the batmobile the controls are frozen. A monitor flashes: SYSTEMS FAILURE. The windscreen is covering with ice and the Batmobile is falling across the abyss like frozen sculpture. Suddenly the windscreen EXPLODES as Batman is catapulted through the glass like a torpedo, flying into the air high above the busy city.

The frozen Batmobile drops to the safety of the rooftops on the other side of the abyss. Batman flips, angling down whipping his cape open like the wings of a giant dark angel, riding the urban winds in a racing glide towards Freeze's truck below. The shadow of the bat falls over the open cab of Freeze's truck. Batman, cape extended, soars directly over the cab he smashes through the glass driver's dome, wrenching Freeze out of the cab, taking him hi out with a single punch Batman lands standing in the moonlight, a stunned Freeze rolling out of his cape, diamond still in hand as Batman looks at him "I'm putting you on ice."