Sneaking back into Gotham Industrial was easy for the most part since the upper levels had been wrecked by Freeze during his attack. Batman landed in the men's bathroom, barely making any noise as he landed on his feet.
He then took out his communicator to speak with Batgirl. "All right, I'm inside."
"Great, there should be three main data hubs. If you can deactivate the lock on each of them I can try and hack Evers' files." Batgirl said before ending the call.
Batman exited the bathroom and walked down the hallway to a large automated door at the end. The door opened and Batman stepped inside, coming upon a large room split into three by three glass walls with a sliding door. Each one had a large computer built into the wall. As soon as Batman entered the door closed but Batman heard the distinct sound of it locking.
Batman took out his communicator to contact Batgirl. "The door just locked itself behind me. What's going on?"
"You didn't trip security. It must have been someone else." Batgirl answered.
And Batman knew who it was. "Freeze."
"You think he's back? Then you don't have much time." Batgirl warned.
"How do we unlock the doors?" Batman asked.
"Evers should have the security codes in his files. I won't be able to get you out of there until you unlock the data hubs." Batgirl said then gasped. "Oh no."
"What is it?"
"You're right, it's Freeze. His goons have planted freeze bombs all over the facility. You don't have much time." Batgirl said alarmingly.
"We have to stop him before he gets his hands on Evers. Monitor the security camera and try to find Evers for me. I'll finish unlocking the data hubs." Batman said, ending the call.
He then rushed over to the first computer and opened it to reveal a series of red, blue and yellow wired circuits. He noticed a particular glowing along one of the blue lines and worked to connect each blue line until he reached the final.
That was the first hub.
"All right, I got the first one." Batgirl said over the communicator. "Two more."
Batman closed the computer and headed to the door, entering the middle room of the lab and quickly opened the next hub. This time it was the yellow wires that needed connecting and were slightly more complicated as he carefully but quickly connected them all.
"Second one's done. One more."
Batman walked over to the door that slid open for him, allowing him access to the third and final hub. This time the wires were red and more complicated than the last two hubs combined.
But not enough to stop Batman.
"Okay, I'm downloading Isaac's files now." Batgirl said once he was done. "There, the door's unlocked. Get out of there, Batman!"
Batman didn't need to be told twice as he turned to the door…
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
Only for the bombs placed by Freeze's thugs to go off, causing explosions all over the basement of Gotham Industrial, causing Batman to jump out the window. Over the edge was an open gap near a power generator that would have fried him if he touched it. He fell, spotting another level and managed to grab onto the ledge just in time and saving himself from falling to his death, pulling into what appeared to be a cryogenic chamber.
He pulled out his communicator to check with Batgirl who immediately asked the obvious question. "Batman, are you all right?"
"I'm fine." He answered simply. "What do you have on Evers?"
"He just entered his cold storage vault, carrying some kind of disk." Batgirl answered, having monitored the cameras as Batman had asked. "He must have hidden himself inside."
"In cold storage?" The Dark Knight questioned.
"Yeah, he's out of the icebox and into the arctic. If you don't get there soon, he'll freeze to death." Batgirl answered.
To say nothing of what would happen if Mr. Freeze found him.
Ending the call, Batman looked around to see water had flooded the cryogenic chamber room, where wires electrified the pool and dangerous gas leaked from the ceiling. Obviously a part of Isaac's security but still not enough, especially for Batman who demonstrated why as he hopped across the cryogenic chambers to the other side where he found switch which he flipped, cutting the power. Once the water was no longer electrified he found the other switch back near where he had landed but now he could walk through the water to switch where he then shut off the gas. With the security system shut down he headed to the door and stepped out into a small hallway where he took out his communicator.
"What can you tell me about the disk Evers was carrying?" He asked, checking for any more information.
"It's marked as personal research. Could be a useful source of information." Batgirl answered.
Batman considered that, agreeing with Batgirl's theory.
"Batman, it looks like the information we got from the data hubs was entirely financial. You'll need to find that disk. It might be the only thing we'll find out anything about Promethium." Batgirl advised.
Ending the call, Batman headed to the automated door which opened as soon as the motion sensors detected him. He came out into a hallway with two Ice Maidens patrolling it who immediately shot at him. He quickly subdued and cuffed them before ending to the last doorway at the end of the hall. As soon as he did he heard the communicator beep which he immediately answered.
"Batman, I've got some news on Evers." Batgirl immediately said.
"The source of his money?" Batman guessed.
"It may be. It's a strange story. He stopped getting federal funding about a year ago. Promethium could be an invaluable medicine for the cryogenically frozen but it's far too unstable." Batgirl began.
"Unstable? How?" Batman asked.
"I'm not sure but unstable enough for the government to think it's dangerous. Here's where it gets interesting: after that every rise in Evers' budget followed a successful bank job by the Joker." Batgirl continued.
That was very interesting. "Joker was funding Promethium research?"
"He's done stranger things." Batgirl simply said.
"Not without a punch." Batman said, feeling that this was just a small piece in whatever puzzle he felt was starting to show. "Keep me updated."
"Right. You need to find Evers and that disk. And quickly, Mr. Freeze is getting close." Batgirl said before the call ended.
After ending his conversation with Batgirl Batman headed to the next door and came into an iced-over room. The freeze bombs had done their work, leaving the entire underground complex frozen. Batman had to work on busting through ice barricades and patrolling Ice Maidens. He made his way through one frozen room and into another, ending with a glide down a frozen elevator shaft.
At the bottom of the elevator shaft he got a chilly reception from two Ice Maidens. After battling them and knocking them out he noticed one of them drop a key card which was likely the key for the laboratory Evers was hiding in. He picked it up and walked over to the door behind the desk. The Dark Knight strolled down the small hall to the door, placing the key card into the computer which accepted it and opened the door.
Batman entered the cold chamber, seeing the many glass tubes being transported along the ceiling and the power chamber held in a large oval glass tank.
The only thing missing was the man who owned this lab.
"Isaac?" Batman called out, seeing the room was completely deserted and quickly pulled out his communicator. "Isaac Evers vanished. Check the security cameras."
"Sure. Did he leave that computer disk behind?" Batgirl asked.
Batman walked a few feet forward before stopping and kneeling down, spotting a disk. He picked it up, looked it over and then placed it in his utility belt…
Just in time for a cold hand to grab him by the neck and lift him off his feet. Batman grunted, staring down into the red rimmed eyes of Mr. Freeze who threw him right into a main computer of the power station. Batman was dazed for a second as Mr. Freeze picked up a large glass container, holding it over his head.
"Where is Isaac Evers?" The cold-themed villain demanded, his entire being radiating rage despite looking as calm and detached as ever.
This was a cold, silent and murderous anger which made him even more dangerous.
"Isaac's gone." Batman said truthfully, believing Evers must have had a secret escape which explained why he entered this cold storage room in the first place.
Not pleased with the answer Freeze hurled the container at Batman who rolled out of the way. The container slammed into the computer, spilling a cold liquid across the floor as the Dark Knight faced his foe.
"It seems the good doctor was making bad medicine." Mr. Freeze dryly commented.
It was extremely fortunate that Evers was not here.
"Since Mr. Evers is not here, I will have to teach you the cost of hope, Batman. I will crush you like a child's dreams and shatter your frozen body like glass." Mr. Freeze said as he approached the Dark Knight, having now chosen to use him as the outlet for his rage.
Batman knew from experience that fighting Mr. Freeze head on was tantamount to suicide. His sub-zero suit granted him superhuman strength and durability to the point Batman couldn't even leave a dent on it. In addition to that, Freeze's suit which was completely robotic but guided by his human intelligence allowed him to have fast reflexes to the point the Dark Knight couldn't even sneak up on him.
So Batman relied on the most dangerous weapon in his arsenal: his intelligence.
Batman took as Mr. Freeze fired his ice gun, attempting to freeze him. When he missed, Freeze resorted to firing razor sharp ice shards at the Dark Knight who through a series of objects up at the cryogenic tanks overhead.
"You are going to a cold, dark place, Batman." Freeze said, following after the caped crusader with slow but cold resolve.
Batman said nothing as he dodged the incoming ice projectiles and pulled out a detonator with a flashing red button.
He pressed it…
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
The charges he had placed on the tanks overhead exploded and came crashing down on Freeze who grunted from each hit. His suit was able to protect him from any fatal damage…
But not the glass dome around his head.
"Huh?" Freeze's eyes widened as the cracks formed around the dome and cold air started to leak out. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH! THE BURNING! THE BURNING!"
Despite being in a cold storage vault it wasn't cold enough for him to survive in and if something wasn't done fast Mr. Freeze would die.
He held up his freeze gun, staring at it for a split second and then tossed it at Batman. "HELP ME!"
Batman rushed forward, catching the gun and then fired. The ice beam froze Freeze's head and the rest of his body, immobilizing him and saving his life. Batman frowned as he dropped the freeze gun with mild distain he had for all guns. From inside the ice statue, Freeze stared with calm resignation at the Dark Knight who bested and saved him.
Xxx
This Mr. Freeze arc is dedicated to the memory of Michael Ansara, the voice actor of Mr. Freeze for Batman: The Animated Series.