Poison Ivy glanced once over her shoulder at Superman, Kara Zor-El, and Arthur, and smiled. "You don’t have to threaten me with your presence like that," she said, almost lazily. "I’m not one of your enemies."

Her eyes sharpened slightly as she turned back to the growth overtaking Gotham.

"...Just watch."

She stepped forward.

And the moment her bare foot touched the cracked ground, everything changed.

The roots that had been writhing, expanding, devouring the city... slowed, all at once.

Ivy raised one hand and her fingers curled slightly.

And the veins responded, they contracted with unnatural obedience. The green glow dimmed, fading like dying embers as the massive roots began to retract into the earth they had violated.

The sound was eerie, a deep, organic shifting, like something enormous being pulled back beneath the surface, more and more of it followed.

The towering vines that had coiled around buildings loosened, their grip slackening before they shrank, withered, and dissolved into harmless dust that scattered into the air. The toxic haze that had choked entire districts thinned rapidly, drawn inward, siphoned back through the network of roots like poison being drained from a wound.

Ivy’s other hand lifted now.

Her eyes glowed.

"This... is nothing," she murmured, almost to herself.

The ground rippled outward from her position.

Every vein, every tendril every unnatural growth collapsed.

The massive roots sank back beneath Gotham’s surface, leaving behind only cracked streets and broken concrete where they had once been. The green glow vanished completely, replaced by something far more natural.

Clean air.

Within minutes, the suffocating toxin was gone, replaced by cold, clean air that swept through the city.

Silence followed.

Ivy exhaled slowly.

Her hands lowered.

"...There," she said softly.

And then, her knees buckled.

The shift was subtle, the strength that had held her upright moments ago drained all at once, her body swaying as the sheer scale of what she had just done caught up to her.

Before she could fall, Arthur was there.

He caught her effortlessly, one arm steadying her before she hit the ground.

For a brief moment, Ivy looked genuinely surprised.

Then she let out a quiet breath, her head tilting slightly as she steadied herself against him.

"...Well," she muttered, "that took more out of me than I expected..."

Arthur didn’t let go until he was certain she could stand.

"Your help is appreciated, Ivy." he said simply.

Ivy looked at him for a moment, studying his face as if comparing it to everything she had heard.

Then she smiled faintly.

"...How refreshing, I might do this often if I get to be held by you like this."

Kara shot her a look after that.

Ivy’s tone softened just a little.

"It seems the rumors about you are... exaggerated."

Arthur’s lips curved slightly.

"I wouldn’t say that."

Before Ivy could respond,

Kara Zor-El didn’t even try to hide the look she gave Ivy, eyes narrowing just a fraction before she stepped forward.

"Alright," she said, a little too quickly, "that’s enough standing around. You look like you’re about to pass out."

Ivy raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?"

But before she could say anything else, Kara had already lifted her off the ground.

Effortlessly.

"Hey!" Ivy started, more surprised than anything.

"I’ll take her," Kara said, already rising into the air. "She helped out, so I’m making sure she is okay.."

Arthur watched her go, a small smile on his face.

"I’ll join you in a minute," Kara added over her shoulder, before shooting off into the sky.

There was a brief pause.

Then Superman let out a laugh he was holding.

"You know," he said, glancing at Arthur, "we might have another reason to celebrate tonight."

Arthur exhaled softly, eyes following Kara’s disappearing figure.

"You noticed," he said. "I mean, of course you did."

Clark smiled.

"It’s a great news."

Arthur shook his head slightly, still smiling.

"It’s all too strange," he admitted. "Even to me."

Clark looked back toward the city, then at him again.

"We should all get together," he said. "After this, somewhere quieter maybe."

Arthur didn’t hesitate.

"My place is not exactly within the City," he said. "Tonight seems fine, I think George can handle extra guests."

Clark nodded.

"Alright then."

A few steps away, Robin stood there, watching this entire exchange with a look that could only be described as deeply confused.

He opened his mouth.

Closed it.

Then just... shook his head slightly.

"...I’m not even going to ask."

.

.

.

By the time they returned to the site where the Gate had once stood

The battlefield had changed, the monstrous roots were gone.

The suffocating haze had vanished, Clean air moved through Gotham again, except for the massive number of monster corpses laying around.

Hunters who had been bracing themselves for another wave of horrors slowly lowered their weapons, their eyes scanning the city as realization set in.

"...It’s really gone now," one of them muttered.

"All of it..."

Another dropped to one knee, breathing hard.

"The toxin... I can breathe again..."

Across the field, more voices rose.

Confusion turned to disbelief.

Disbelief turned to relief.

"...We made it..."

"No.." another corrected, glancing toward the sky where Arthur and the League stood. "It wouldn’t have been possible without..."

Above them, members of the Justice League hovered or stood among the ruins, taking in the same realization.

Martian Manhunter closed his eyes briefly, sensing the absence of the corruption that had once spread beneath the city.

"It’s really over," he said quietly.

Clark stepped forward slightly, his voice carrying across the field, loud and clear.

"It’s over."

That was all it took.

Hunters who had been holding on purely by willpower let themselves fall where they stood, some dropping to the ground entirely, others collapsing onto rubble with exhausted laughter. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

"...We actually survived that..."

"Holy hell..."

"I thought we were done for..."

Even some of the highest-ranked among them, S-rank hunters who had faced countless gates, sat heads lowered, bodies trembling from the aftermath.

"We survived that massive army of monsters..." one said, almost in disbelief.

Around them, League members exchanged glances, subtle nods of relief.

A sudden shift in the air drew everyone’s attention upward.

One of Arthur’s shadows descended, Bellion landing lightly nearby.

Resting casually on his shoulder, was Raven.

She didn’t move immediately, her gaze already fixed on Arthur as he turned toward her.

"...Hey," she said.

Arthur’s expression softened.

"Hey."

She pushed off Bellion’s shoulder without warning, drifting toward him like a shadow.

And then, she wrapped her arms around him.

Arthur barely had time to react before she pulled him into a firm embrace, when she pulled back slightly, her eyes met his, and before he could say anything she kissed him.

A kiss that carried everything she hadn’t said since he left.

When she finally pulled away, her hand lingered lightly against his chest.

"Really?" she said softly with a smile. "You send a shadow for me... instead of coming yourself?"

Arthur exhaled, with an almost sheepish look crossing his face.

"Kara was in serious trouble..."

She silenced him instantly.

Another quick kiss.

"Silly monarch of shadows," she murmured, her forehead resting briefly against his. "Don’t bother explaining."

Her smile softened.

"I’m just glad you’re back."

Her gaze drifted over him then, taking in the longer hair, the subtle changes.

"I like the new look, by the way."

Arthur let out a quiet breath.

"Blame the time I spent there."

.

.

.

High above Gotham, far beyond the immediate reach of claws and poison and collapsing structures, the helicopters hovered, they were witnesses to something no one had truly been prepared to understand.

Inside one of the lead news choppers, a cameraman leaned forward, his lens fixed on the devastation below, for a long second, he didn’t speak. He just kept filming, trying to capture everything at once, the ruined streets, the broken skyline, the dead monsters.

"...Is it... over?" he muttered, almost to himself.

Beside him, the reporter adjusted his headset, eyes wide as he scanned the scene unfolding beneath them.

"I.." he hesitated, swallowing, "it... it looks like it."

The feed cut live.

And across screens around the world, the image of Gotham filled every frame.

The city was barely recognizable.

Entire streets had been torn apart, asphalt ripped open like paper. Buildings stood fractured, some collapsed entirely, others leaning at impossible angles. The scars of battle stretched across every visible district, impact craters, scorched marks, and deep gouges where something massive had moved through.

And everywhere, bodies of monsters, In the thousands, and even human hunters among them.

Massive wolves, grotesque insectoid creatures, twisted humanoid beasts, all of them lifeless now, scattered across the city like the aftermath of something apocalyptic.

The camera panned slowly.

"...Dear God..." the reporter whispered, his voice still going out live despite the lack of polish. "The scale of this... I don’t think anyone could have imagined something like this."

Another helicopter drifted closer, its own crew speaking over their broadcast.

"We’re looking at what remains of the largest Gate event ever recorded," a second reporter said, her voice strained. "The gate itself... is gone. Completely gone, we confirmed that."

She leaned slightly forward, pointing as the camera zoomed.

"And the plant growth that overtook large portions of Gotham, it’s disappeared as well, entirely."

The cameraman zoomed further.

Where towering roots and toxic vines had once spread, there was now only ruined ground. Cracked earth and broken streets. No trace of the suffocating green corruption that had threatened to consume the entire city and beyond.

"How is that even possible..." someone whispered off-mic.

No one answered.

Because none of them had an answer.

Then the camera shifted again, catching something across the battlefield.

"...Wait," the cameraman said, his voice sharpening. "Zoom in...there!"

The lens focused.

And the figures became clear.

Shadows, hundreds of them moving across the battlefield, finishing what remained of the monsters who managed to slip through the defenders.

"...They’re back," the first reporter said, his voice rising slightly. "Those shadow creatures... we’ve seen them before, during the space zombies incident, during the Metropolis attack..."

The camera tracked them as they moved with terrifying efficiency, cutting down anything that still twitched with life.

"They’re even helping the injured hunters," the second reporter added quickly.

Then the camera lifted again, catching figures in the sky.

Two streaks of red and blue.

"They’re showing footage from earlier," the producer’s voice crackled through the headset. "Roll it... roll it now."

The live feed shifted briefly, replaying moments captured minutes before.

Superman and Kara Zor-El clashing against beings that had fought back.

Explosions mid-air. Shockwaves tearing through buildings. Movements that were too fast for the camera to properly follow.

"...We still don’t know who, or what they were fighting," the reporter said, voice tight with awe. "But whatever it was... I’m glad our heroes dealt with it."

The footage cut back to present.

And then, the camera found him.

Hovering in the sky, calm amid the aftermath.

Ashen hair moving slightly in the wind.

A presence that felt... heavier than everything around it.

"...There!" the cameraman breathed. "That’s him again!"

The reporter didn’t even try to hide the shift in his tone.

"The same individual reported during multiple incidents... the so-called ’Man of shadows.’"

The lens zoomed in carefully.

He stood among them now, speaking with the Justice League. With Superman himself.

"...We still don’t have a confirmed identity," the reporter continued, slipping back into his role. "But based on everything we’ve witnessed... his involvement appears to be decisive in ending this conflict."

Below, the last of the monsters fell.

For a moment, no one in the helicopter spoke, no one on the broadcast did either.

Because there was nothing left to interrupt the realization settling in.

The reporter adjusted his headset again, drawing in a slow breath.

Then he leaned slightly toward the camera.

"Ladies and gentlemen..."

He paused, glancing once more at the ruined city below, the fallen monsters, the heroes still standing.

"I believe... the war is truly over."

A faint, almost disbelieving smile touched his lips.

"With our victory."

/-\

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