EDITED CHAPTER! UPDATED CHAPTER!

UPDATE 2013: This chapter has been edited after my long hiatus. After re-familiarizing myself with the plot, new ideas popped into the mind and decided to explore. The essence of the story is THE SAME, but scenes have been re-imaged and dialogue improved to make this a more cohesive story. Hope you like the changes.

Author's Note: After another few months of abscence, I come back to the writing realm. Tired and humbled. Sorry I had to go for so long, guys. I really didn't want to and I'm not trying to make excuses, but I had a crappy few months in a row. No AC at home, no AC in the car, no car for a while, very sick pet, crappy co-workers, crappy clients, well you get the point. It just drags. Then in the middle of all this unfortunate series of events I realize one thing. Writing makes the load a lot lighter. So I started writing, pushing hard one word at a time up the hill, even if I didnt feel like writing much, and a miracle happened. The Fairy Godmother of Muses hit me hard in the head with her hammer (yeah, and it's as big as Thor's, guys). And finally, my prose had a purpose. I think I got it back guys. Not only that...now I can't stop. No more crappy days, just the joy of sharing a little of me with perfect strangers, all for the love of the Clown. So getting the momentum running, here is another chapter for your enjoyment.

I still lack a Beta, so please feel free to point out where I have erred (politely, please) and if somebody wants to hop in and help, your assistance will be greatly appreciated. Betas always have a special place in a writer's heart.

One last thing, watch for more stories coming. Now I can't stop the ball from running downhill...

DISCLAIMER 1: Batman and all related characters belong only to DC COMICS. I don't get any money from this.

DISCLAIMER 2: Some scences contain MATURE LANGUAGE and SITUATIONS, and sometimes GRAPHIC SEXUAL SITUATIONS will be depicted. Reader's discretion is adviced.

Chapter 21: Angel at the Gates of Hell

High above the roof top of the Gotham Gazette building, Robin stood on top of the large Atlas statue's head staring at the city underneath him. Everything seemed quite and safe, but he knew that could change in the blink of an eye, so was the nature of this city. A city as unpredictable as Bruce had become after the Joker's ordeal. He felt he didn't know the man anymore.

The wind blew hard on his face, the cold cutting through his exposed skin. He wrapped himself around with his cape, hoping the tough fabric was as good keeping the cold away as it was keeping off the bullets. This might be a long wait before he needed to get into action. Time he could use to think and there was a lot to think about. Tim felt a change in pitch of the wind, then a soft thud behind him. He extended his shaft and turned around ready for action, when he saw Dick kneeling over the building's AC unit.

"Hey relax, little bro…" Nightwing said jumping off the unit to meet Robin. "It's just me."

"What are you doing here?"

"Change of scenery. Bludhaven has been calm these past few days and thought I'd come back and visit. Have not heard from Bruce in a while and I see he's not in patrol with you tonight. Everything OK?"

"No." Robin said as he relaxed. With a swift pull, he wrapped the cape around him again and he returned to his post in heavy steps. He pulled a miniature notebook from his belt and started sifting through his pages. "Bruce has not being the same after the Joker incident."

"Really? That's not like Bruce."

"Tell me about it, Dick. I'm really concerned. Bruce has just not being the same, not talking much and keeping a lot to himself. He still has not said anything of what happened with Joker. I think that Clown did something to him, something real bad."

"There might not be much to tell, Tim. The Clown probably tried to torture him and the details are too gruesome to share." Nightwing shared as he sat on the ledge of the roof beside Robin. "I wouldn't blame him if he wanted to keep those to himself."

"No, this is more than that. He has not donned the suit in days, and I don't think he's interested at all in putting it back on. I think he's afraid of something, maybe Joker."

"Now wait, Tim. Batman is not afraid of anything and definitely not afraid of Joker." Nightwing said with determination. He knew for a fact that fear, was not a word in the Detective's vocabulary.

"Dick, are you going to tell me that Bruce will fall prisoner of the Clown and will not even try to escape more than once in three weeks? There's something really wrong with that picture."

"I know Bruce and he must've had his reasons. Have you thought that his stay assured the children's safety?"

Tim nodded. "Could be, but if Joker found a way to bring down the Batman this city is in trouble."

"The Clown defeat Batman? Don't make me laugh. Bruce just needs time to recover from what that psycho did to him, and he will be the same man we know." Nighwing stood beside his friend. "And don't forget, no one has heard of Joker for days either."

"But he's still out there." Tim sighed. "Probably getting ready for his next deadly show, because he knows the Batman will not face him. That's why we have to find that son of a bitch and put it back where he belongs. Whatever that maniac did, I will undo it. He'll pay for it."

"Is that why you're up here, hoping he will show up?"

"It's gonna happen sometime. Joker can't stop being Joker. He will show up, but in the meantime the rest of the city could use some cleaning. Crime doesn't stop."

"And the notebook? Clues on Joker's whereabouts?"

Tim smiled. "Have a Humanities test tomorrow. Just reviewing."

Far away, a rumble was heard followed by screaming and yelling. Someone called for help in the night. Tim put away the notebook and readied his grappler.

"Need a hand on this one?"

Tim smiled. "That's always welcomed, bro…thanks."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Gordon was reading his report when he heard a rustle, and when he looked up he saw the dark silhouette of the Caped Crusader standing mere feet from his desk. The Commissioner looked at the open window on his office as he adjusted his glasses to look attentively at the nightly visitor. He wasn't able to contain a subtle smile under his moustache.

"I'm really glad to see you again." Gordon said simply as he set down the file he was reading and reclined on his chair. "The city has lost his mind."

"I know. It's time to let the city know Batman is back. Maybe that will help bring some sanity."

"Do you feel up to the task?" Gordon said leaning back on his chair. "What Joker did to you—"

"Has healed." Batman quickly prompted as he walked slowly towards the window. He stopped and looked outside with and tried to remain calmed. He couldn't let those old memories to get him out of focusing in his mission.

"You alright? You sound...I don't know... different."

Batman made a short pause and then glanced back at his old friend. "Nothing's changed. This is still my city and I will still look after her."

"I'm glad to hear that. You probably want an update. First of all, the governor had authorized the use of the National Guard to restore the order, so don't be surprised to see some military vehicles in the streets."

"Already found two on my way here. We will need all the hands we can get to keep the peace."

"Also the governor wants to set a curfew in the city and extend Marshall Law until the violence can be contained."

"A little dramatic at the moment, but that might prove to be a useful move too. Keeping the innocent off the streets will save lives."

"Yes, and you might also want to know that Fries and Crane were released from Arkham."

"Released?"

Gordon twiddled his pen over the table. "In a manner of speaking, yes. There was a revolt inside the Asylum and all hell broke loose, but security said they were able to contain it and locked everybody in their cells. When they ran a headcount, Victor and Jonathan were missing. It's obvious there was somebody helping them from inside. More inmates might be involved."

"Any idea of who might have helped them?"

"No, but we suspect it might be related to an escape from Blackgate two days before. Over a dozen prisoners were able to get out. We got some back, but half of the escaped prisoners are still lose. And guess what, all of them had worked for the Black Mask at one time or another."

"So did Fries for some time, but Black Mask is dead. Someone must be trying to reorganize the remnants of his empire amidst all this chaos."

"We're suspecting the same thing, but so far, we have not being able to get a breakthrough as to who is taking over Sionis' territory. Nobody is talking. The National Guard has posts set at both the Asylum and Blackgate in case someone else tries to check out."

"I will need-." Batman started to say when Gordon opened a drawer beside him and retrieved a large brown folder that he handed to the Knight.

"A copy of the file on the case," Gordon said as the Detective started to shift through the folder that was a summary of the case up to now. He looked up to meet the Commissioner's gaze, eyes glinting with a combination or relief and joy while a soft smile peeked from under his graying moustache."I knew you would. God…I'm so glad to see you back."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Barbara wheeled herself to the virtual screen on the wall. From there she accessed her friends' files and with the touch of a finger, she opened the Huntress icon.

"Yes, Oracle?"

"Anything to report tonight?"

"Not really. The night has been really calmed and those leads you had me check…The two guys I found did not work for Sionis. No one knew anything. Maybe we need to focus on Crane instead. He will be buying large quantities of raw material to make his fear gas and I'm nearby one of his hideouts."

"Yes, but Mr. Freeze will require some very specialized equipment to keep his cold suit operational. His purchases will be easier to track."

"Whichever. I just think that this thing on Blackgate's is not going to get us anywhere."

"I already asked some friends that know about cryogenics. They might tell me if anybody has been making some large purchases and maybe we'll have some more leads," Barbara said when she noted the Batcave's logo flash on the bottom of the screen. "I'll call you with an update. In the meantime keep your eyes open, that was old Black Mask territory."

"Sure, Oracle. Helena out."

Barbara inactivated Huntress' connection and opened the Batcave link. "Oracle here."

"Barbara, hope I'm not interrupting anything important." Batman answered on the other side of the line.

"Bruce? God, it has being ages. How you doing?" She responded as a window opened with the Detective's masked face as he sat on the batmobile. "And you're back to working, I see."

"Crime doesn't rest. I need a favor. Gordon updated me on the escapes from Blackgate and Arkham and I need to use your resources to find out who has been buying cryogenic equipment recently."

"Already working on it. The suit they had for Fries at Arkham has a very limited energy supply. He will need to make changes to it fast if he wants to keep cool."

"Exactly. Have you been able to find anything?"

"Not yet, but I'm asking around. Everybody is keeping a tight lid on the subject, but I'll keep you posted."

"Sure, I'll do a round nearby some of Fries' old hideouts in case he went back for supplies. Let me know as soon as you get something."

"Yes, Bruce. Take care."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

The night was cold and silent, like a cemetery. Batman, stood on top of the large apartment building and felt the breeze nip at the skin under his mask. This was probably one of the coldest nights he had been in patrol or maybe he had just been too long hiding in the warmth of the mansion avoiding the dangers of the streets. The Detective was alone tonight, but he preferred it that way. He wasn't ready to share the load of work with Tim yet, not like this. He needed to feel useful once more. Many days have been wasted at the mansion, sulking in thoughts of self doubt that were not helping anybody, and he felt his senses had dulled under the prolonged inactivity. The city needed him and he needed the city as he needed to breathe. Searching on Fries' old hideouts will be a good start, and maybe they could lead to something more challenging than the scattered evidence that he and the police had to work with.

Batman heard a commotion not too far away from his location. He knew that the area was frequented by gangs and one of Victor's hideouts was nearby. Maybe he will get lucky tonight. He jumped the edge of the building extending the cape that allowed him to glide gently over three other buildings until he landed on top of an old abandoned parking building and scanned the ground below.

A dozen men from two rival gangs, the Patriots and the Wild Dogs were arguing in an alley when he got the glint of metal reflecting the lights from the street lights. This argument was about to turn deadly. He threw his batarang to the armed gang members effectively disarming them and jumped over the rail gliding silently to finally land in the middle of the altercation. Two of the Wild Dogs, armed with knives, tried to jump on him when in a swift exchange of jabs and kicks, the detective neutralized his attackers that were left moaning on the ground.

"It's Batman…RUUUUUN!" One of the Patriots yelled to his gang friends when everybody in the alley started a frenzied retreat. Every one of those men knew who the Batman was, but the warning came in late as Batman pulled two 'bolos' and tossed them at the feet of gang members trying to leave the scene. The two men hit the ground with their head making a cracking sound on the pavement and another two tripped over some old trash cans. One Wildog tried to sneak up on the Knight only to find his nose bleeding when the Detective turned an angry fist against him.

He got ready to hit the man and end it all, when another of the Wild Dogs crept behind him with a two by four. Batman didn't see it coming, but he got hit with a wood plank with enough strength made him lose his balance for a moment and four more Wild Dogs used the opportunity to change the tide of the fight by jumping on him. Batman felt a jolt of electricity at the base of his neck…a taser. And a powerful one to that effect that made him lose control of his muscles and the thugs forced him down on his knees. Though he didn't lose consciousness, the armor could not dissipate the full effect of the one hundred fifty thousand volts of the weapon. He felt drained of energy and had to do something fast or the gang member's advantage will prove lethal.

He then heard a loud crack, like thunder coming from behind him and one of the thugs screamed in pain as he hit the ground. Another Wild Dog fell on his back when something black and very fast, hit him on the face. Batman tried to see around him, but he was still slightly dazed by the jolt and everything was happening too fast.

"Get her!" One of the Wild Dogs yelled, as two of the thugs on the Detective left to fight something on the shadowy corner of the alley. That was the edge he needed. With a growl Batman raised from the floor lifting with him the two reminder gang members. Finding strength deep inside him, he quickly exchanged punches with the thugs and quickly rendered them unconscious. The Detective turned around to see one of the Wild Dogs aiming a gun at him, when from the blackness of the night, a whip entangled itself around the thug's firing arm and pulled him down with enough force to dislocate an elbow. The Wild Dog screamed as he held his arm. Batman kicked him hard in his mid section and the man landed over bins on a nearby dumpster. The thug panted hard as he tried to get back on his feet when a dark figure pirouetted towards him and with both fists hammered the thug's head against the metal bin. The Wild Dog slid down with a groan and didn't move anymore.

"Take this, you piece of filth!" Bruce heard the figure say in angry voice. He recognized the timber of that voice. "You messed up with the wrong cat tonight."

"Catwoman." Bruce said walking over the figure in black leather. He could see her eyes through her goggles, when she turned aggressively towards him. Batman lifted both hands in front of him. "Hey, it's me."

Catwoman's muscles relaxed under the tight leather outfit. This man did not mean her harm. She brushed some dust off her costume and ran both hands sensually down her hips then walked slowly to a corner and retrieved her whip by gently rolling it around her arm.

"You shouldn't be out here if you can't play with the big leagues, handsome." She finally said. Her voice softer, and gentler than he could remember.

"I had everything under control."

"Sure you did, sweetie." Catwoman purred teasingly looking around as she walked over to one of the thugs that started to wake up and moan. With a swift kick she silenced the gang member. "If that's what you want to believe..."

"I said I had everything under-." Batman started to say when Catwoman walked over the Detective and slapped him. "Hey!"

"You could at least say 'thank you' after I saved your skin. Surely Mrs. Batman showed you some manners." She responded with a perverse smile and running a delicate finger along the Detective's chin before she started to walk among the unconscious gang members. "And do you have one of those plastic things to wrap their hands with? They are going to start waking up any time soon, you know?"

Bruce pulled a bundle of hand ties and shared them with her. Both started to tie the thugs together; the silence between them growing tense by the minute as they worked fast between the thugs.

"Thank you." The Batman finally said almost to a whisper when he was done with his ties.

"What? Did you say something?" Catwoman answered with a smile. The Batman sneered. "Don't mention it. Now tell me, what are you doing in the middle of this mess, when you are obviously out of shape? You could have gotten yourself killed."

"I'm in the middle of an investigation…"

"And you wanted to commit suicide while doing your job. Commendable, love."

"What?" Batman spat out as he finished tying the last of the gang members.

"It was a joke, dear," Catwoman said as she finished tying her last thug. She cleaned her hands on her uniform. "Now be a sweetheart and call your cop friends to pick up the trash, eh?"

Batman retrieved his communicator and gave the location and condition of the incident to the police department and they dispatched a few patrols to the alley. He then returned to the young beautiful woman that was now staring at him with the goggles on top of her head. Those beautiful blue-green eyes stared back at him tenderly.

"I …I might have underestimated them a little bit." The Detective responded dryly.

"A little? Oh God. Say, wouldn't you like to talk in a little more…private place? Let the best man win, shall we?" She said pointing to a roof not far from the scene of the brawl. Bruce looked up in the direction she had pointed and when he looked back at her, she had already disappeared from view. She'd always being quick, the best thief in the world and the sneakiest. Bruce fired a grappler to the building Catwoman had indicated and started to climb. On top of the roof, the feline femme fatale waited for him over the rail, staring at him amusingly.

"You didn't waste your time sneaking away." Bruce said jumping over the building's rail and onto the roof with a slight grunt. "Like always."

"And you're still huffing and puffing after the climb. Do you need me to pull the oxygen tank now?"

"That's not funny, Selina."

"Sorry, but it's just that I find it hard to believe you'll be out in the streets knowing you're not up to the task. I know you Bats, you're a perfectionist. And tonight…well, tonight was scary. What's going on, Bruce?"

"I just needed to get out and investigate some leads. And I thought I could handle a gang of thugs."

"I know you, dear. What's bothering your little detective head?" Selina walked over to the Knight and leaned over purring softly by the Batman's ear. "You can tell lovely Selina about it."

"Nothing." Bruce answered sharply as he walked away from her. "I just wanted to get back into action. I was…restless."

"But back into action without completely recovering your shape…."

"Selina please!"

"Ok, Ok. Jeez. You're in a lousy mood tonight." Catwoman responded pushing back the hood of her costume and running a hand over her short ebony hair.

"I just…I thought they would be more intelligent than to pick a fight with me."

"The Patriots were terrified and left the moment they saw you, but the Wild Dogs felt lucky tonight and went in for the kill."

"The Wild Dogs are not locals." Batman said looking in the distance as reds and blues flashed down the street. "And they are far from their territory. I wonder what might have brought them here..."

"An opportunity to expand, what else? We didn't have a Batman for a while and in they almost took you down tonight."

"I'm not an amateur, Selina," Batman sneered. "I've been doing this for a long time."

"Hey, calm down. I know you do, but what happened down there-Are you all right?" She moved closer to take a glimpse of the eyes behind the mask. Those usually told her much more than the man wearing them dared to share. The blue orbs glinted with anger, a fury that was brewing from deep inside.

"I'm fine. You don't understand. I have been defeated by my enemy, kept locked up in a cage for three weeks and I know I'm better than that. This city needs me."

Catwoman rolled her eyes. Suddenly everything was making sense. "Sooo…THAT'S what it is. You're a little upset that the clown overpowered you, and you needed to use all that stored testosterone in the alley, to prove you're up to the task. Bad choice, love, 'cause hormones don't let you think straight."

"Stop, Selina!" He barked. "I was careless with Joker. It was a very serious mistake that risked the life of innocent children. This city needs to be assured that I'm here, strong and vigilant, to guarantee her safety."

"I don't think they doubt your determination, sweetheart. I think it is you who needed to prove yourself you still have it."

"Nonsense." He barked angrily at her and looked away. He knew she was reading him like a book.

"The Clown won a round, so what? In the end, he will lose the fight. That is the way it always is. Sometimes WE ARE HUMAN…you know." She said smacking the Detectives forehead playfully as she started to walk away.

"It's a little more complicated than that." Bruce responded looking down to the alley where the police cars had started to arrive.

"Really? How complicated?" She purred as she walked over to meet the Detective. She looked into his eyes again in search of the key to what was troubling the Knight. The silence was a confirmation that something was not right. "You're keeping something."

"I'm not hiding anything and I have a lot of things to do. There have been escapes in Arkham and Blackgate I need to tend to." Batman turned around and walked over to the edge of the roof. From where he was standing, he could see that the police loading the thugs into vans. "And the Wild Dogs are still too far from home, I don't like that."

Catwoman walked over him and threw her arms around the broad armored chest. Even through the black protective covering of his costume she could feel his warmth, like a lifeline trying to hold onto her soul. Fond memories of the past inundated his brain, memories of joys long gone.

"Bruce, I worry about you. Why don't you want to open up? Go ahead, tell me what's bothering you," she said holding the Knight's face between her hands. "You can count on me for anything, you know that, right?"

"Yes."

"Is there anything you want to tell me, and I mean, really…anything?"

Batman looked into her dark almond shaped eyes that had softened and almost pleaded him to open up to the truth of his heart. The truth was that he was not ready. Batman didn't speak about his feelings and definitely not while in a case. Such was the lonely world of the Dark Knight. A world that he needed to accept no matter how empty and lonely it made him feel.

"You…you heard of Fries and Crane, right?"

Selina sighed. She expected to break through that barrier within the Detective and dig deep into what was really bothering him. Instead, he was back into the investigative mode and the wall between them just got reinforced. She was not going to get through to him now.

"Yes. Both escaped from Arkham a few days ago, but I've heard that was only half the job." She said pushing away from him. "They say out there that someone big is recruiting criminals and not just anybody. It's a club by invitation only, and some of Gotham's worst have already received an invitation."

"Do you know who is recruiting and who has received an invitation?"

Selina shook her head. "No one knows for sure. It's a very elite group a. I've been trying to find out myself, without much luck. Heard rumors that Cobblepot might have been invited, maybe even Dent, but the information is scarce and to a point…disturbing, because it's uniting former enemies and all this is happening in Black Mask's territory."

"Black mask is dead, Selina. This is someone new."

"I know he's dead. I was the one that put the bullet on his head, remember? It's just that someone trying to reconstruct his empire, just makes me feel like…like history is about to repeat itself." She said looking away into the distance. A cold breeze blew across the roof, and through her hair. She shivered, and held herself tight. The look on her face was the one of someone that had not been able to conquer all the demons of the past. She then smiled nervously." And I need to know why they're not considering me for the club. I can be a mean bitch, but at the same time…so sophisticated. Definite material for this club." She looked at him mischievously. "Don't you agree?"

"Of course." He smiled. "I was hoping Fries would need a new suit after his escape."

"And that he might have tried retrieving some pieces of equipment from his old hideouts. That's why you're here right, to check one of them?"

"Victor kept a makeshift laboratory at the old ice cream factory downtown. I could use a hand to check it out." Batman responded with a very small smile. This was more of a tease than a plea. "That way you can keep an eye on me."

Selina frowned. "I'm not your sidekick, Bruce."

"No, you're my friend."

Selina sighed, and vapor escaped her parted plump lips. She put her hood back on and secured her goggles over her eyes in and slowly walked to the roof's edge. "And we could've been so much more…pity."

The Knight approached her and held her tenderly to meet her eyes. God…he had forgotten how much he missed those aquamarine eyes. "Please, Selina. I can't afford to add anymore regrets to this costume. I need to get this city back, and I don't think I can do it alone. I trust you with my life. Do you want to help me?"

She caressed the black Knight's armor and looked into the sea blue eyes staring down at her with such a passion that she could feel herself drawn to them irresistibly. History was trying to catch up with her indeed. Tiptoeing slightly, she kissed him in the lips, and the warmth of his lips fed her hungry and lonely heart. For a moment she wondered why they couldn't be together like she knew their bodies yearned to be. The world was a strange place, and even stranger was this city of turmoil and madness, where lovers were forced to leave apart and evil always had a way to come together to cause pain.

"Sure I will, love. I want to know who is messing around in my city." She said crouching slightly as she got ready to leave.

"You're city…?"

"You forgot your history lessons, eh Bruce? Cats ruled the world beside pharaohs. I don't want to rule the world…but I will settle for a city with a bat for a champion."

"I think that is a compliment…no?"

Selina smiled. "Hmm, maybe. Let's go…the last one to get to the factory is a wet dog."

In a daring move, Catwoman threw herself off the roof disappearing into the darkness of the alley below. Batman smiled as he pulled his bat-grappler and fired the hook towards a nearby building. Using his inertia, he jumped and glided down to start the chase.

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Jonathan Crane's eyes opened wide and he looked at his watch on a shaky wrist. It was a little over two in the morning. He never had problems sleeping at night since he was a child, when the nights were plagued by scary nightmares, but the latest succession of events had left him paranoid about his current status of freedom. He didn't know who had arranged for his release from Arkham or why, and not knowing what he was in for, made him nervous. Fear, the very thing he wanted to be able to control his entire life by studying its effects in not so voluntary patients, was starting to gain on him and those fears would soon turn into nightmares…again.

Victor Fries, on the hand, had been good keeping his cool. It was maybe his cryogenic metabolism or knowledge he refused to share, but Mr. Freeze seemed to be a few steps ahead of him and he hated it. That added to the fact that he didn't trust the scientist one bit, especially when he had this creepy obsession with a dead woman which made Crane feel uncomfortable. He didn't want to share an apartment with the man and his wife's ghost. The other reason he was having a hard time sleeping tonight was the fact that Fries kept the apartment temperature constantly below 50 degrees. No matter how many comforters he threw over himself, Crane felt his body shivering uncontrollably from the cold.

Jonathan felt the urgency to use the bathroom, one of the many that had already interrupted his sleep cycle tonight and this cold wasn't going to allow him hold until the morning. He had to get up…in this temperature. The Doctor dreaded the thought as he jumped of the bed and headed to the door at a hasty pace, wrapped in a blue and gray comforter. He stopped in the hall and saw icicles formed along the hall, where the walls joined the ceiling. The carpet by the wall was wet and stained and the hall had a humid musky odor. He looked at the thermostat in the hall that had been opened and connected by frosty cables to a piece of equipment he didn't recognize on the floor.

Crane then saw the light on in Fries room. He frowned as the cold forced him to rush into the bathroom. After he relieved himself he walked back to the scientist's room, tightly wrapped in the comforter, and banged on the door. No answer. He tried the doorknob and noticed that the door was unlocked. With a slow twist, he opened the door and let himself in noticing Fries sitting at the edge of the bed and cables extending from his frigid suit to a myriad of electronic instruments as he checked several parameters in a computer monitor.

"Usually Dr. Crane, when someone does not respond to the door is either because they are not home or they don't want to be bothered." Fries said without even physically acknowledging the man at the door. "Make your pick and close the door behind you."

"If you didn't want to be bothered, you should have locked the door, popsicle." Crane responded as vapor escaped between his words. The temperature inside this room must be at least ten degrees lower than in the hall.

Fries sighed. "Charming as always, Jonathan. Insults are the resource of the desperate and those that have no real arguments or any real intelligence."

"Screw you and your philosophy class! I just came here to ask you to put that fucking thermostat in a more livable temperature…like I don't know… 75 degrees? You have ice forming on the ceiling and this is the third time I have to get out of bed to pee."

"I have no interest in your bodily functions, Crane, and you better not touch that thermostat or I will kill you. Do we have an understanding?"

"Don't threaten me, Fries, unless you wanna taste my latest fear concoction. Look at this," Crane said pointing to the vapor coming out of his nose. "I didn't ask to be your roommate, but the least you could do is have some consideration for those living under the same roof with you."

"But…I have," Fries retorted matter-of-factly, noticing the thin man resting against the door frame in his room shivering. "I could've made the room a lot cooler. I work better at temperatures reaching 0 and so far, I've been able to keep it around forty, for your convenience."

"Gee, thanks, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm about to pee ice cubes." Crane said as he tightened the comforter around him and reclined against the door. "Why do you need the apartment this cold, anyways?"

"So I can save the resources of this suit until I can find a more reliable and long lasting energy supply to keep it functional." Freeze responded as he calmly turned back to the large monitor beside him.

"Don't you have another suit hidden somewhere else you could use? This is ridiculous."

"I do, but at the request of our hosts, we should not reach any of our old hideouts for now. Didn't they ask you to do the same thing?"

"Yeah, yeah…and you seem OK with the idea, don't you? I personally don't like the idea of staying away from my hideouts. There is no place like home. Do you know who let us out of the Asylum?"

Fries turned towards the psychiatrist and stared at him amusingly. "Of course I know, Dr. Crane. You have not figured this out yet?"

"No…" Crane responded with a bewildered look in his face.

"For someone who claims to be an expert in human behavior, you disappoint me. It is so obvious…"

"You're not going to tell me, are you?"

"Why should I when I'm enjoying standing ahead of your game. That just confirms how incompetent you are, and that is a sight I would not miss for the world."

"Jerk…" Crane retorted acidly.

"You'll meet him tomorrow, and then you'll ask yourself…'how could I have been so stupid', and then I will remind you that you were born stupid."

"I don't have to listen to you anymore, you egotistical, self centered ice cube," the psychiatrist said as he left the room slamming the door behind him.

Victor smiled as he returned to his work on the suit. "Good night, Dr. Crane. Hope you die in your sleep…painfully."