An Icy Beginning

by Arkham Master

Nearly two decades after seeing his parents killed, Bruce Wayne becomes the vigilante known as Batman to show the people of Gotham City that it doesn't belong to criminals. Meanwhile, a vengeful villain known as Mr. Freeze emerges to kidnap Bruce's old friend, Ferris Boyle for revenge as well as to save his dying wife. Will Batman save the day or will he be put on ice?

13. Chapter 13: The XE Suit

Chapter 13: The XE Suit

Batman was making his further into the building and the further he got, the colder it also got. He then entered a huge lab with greenhouses in it that was crawling with thugs with guns. He saw right below him, a criminal was holding a hostage at gunpoint. "You told us you were the boss, so why so shy all of a sudden? Huh? What happened to that spirit of sharing?", the guy with the gun asked. "I, I'm cooperating! I'm cooperating!", the hostage begged. "I know, I know. But, we all got jobs. And my job is to shoot you if I don't think you're telling me the truth.", he said. "I told you there are no weapons here. It's just plants, tissue research.", the guard said. "Hmm. Then I don't get what Freeze is after in here if it's not weapons.", the guy with the gun said to himself. "So, you believe me?", the guard asked. "You know what? I do, but to be honest, I just love doing my job!", the goon said as he got his gun ready to fire. "No! Please, no!", the guard begged in fear for his life. Then Batman dropped in and quickly took the guy out. This alerted the other armed men in the room and they went over to investigate. Batman said to the guard. "Get yourself a safe place to hide. Hurry!". The guard did exactly that and found a safe space where he wouldn't be found. Batman then grappled up and out of sight before they got there. "Oh, no! It's the Bat! He's here!", one guy said sounding scared. "Come on, guys! He's just one guy in a costume! Let's find him and kill him!", another guy said. But Batman eventually ended up taking them all out one by one. Once they were all knocked out, he went over to check on the hostage. "Are you okay?", Batman asked. "Holy crap! I didn't think you were real! You just saved my life!", the guard said. "Do you know where they took your boss?", he asked. "Mr. Boyle? I saw that guy with the glass dome take him to the Propellent Research Wing. I have codes to get in there if you need them.", he said. "I will. Get out of the building and head home.", he told him. "I will. And thanks again. Not just for me. For Gotham.", the guard said. He gave Batman the codes and immediately left. Batman then made his way to the Propellent Research Wing to rescue his friend. He went into a room where he saw Ferris Boyle surrounded by a bunch more thugs in parkas. The thugs looked around and saw Batman and immediately started attacking him. Batman was able to knock all of them out with very little difficulty. "Are you alright?", Batman asked Boyle once it was safe. "Yeah. Thanks for coming back for me. We have to get out of here! This guy's insane!", Boyle said sounding terrified. "First, let me get you out of here, and then I'll come back for him.", Batman said. Boyle then looked even more scared as he looked behind Batman and said, "Watch out!". Batman then looked behind him and saw Freeze menacingly towering over him. He then grabbed Batman by the throat and held him up off the ground with one hand. Batman was having trouble breathing while Freeze was choking him. "I warned you not to follow me!", Freeze said as he threw Batman to the side. Batman easily landed on his feet and angrily looked at Freeze. "I don't want to hurt you, but I will if you continue to meddle in my affairs.", Freeze threatened Batman. Freeze then held Boyle at gunpoint with his cannon pointed at him. "I'll give you one chance to let him go!", Batman said as he was walking towards them both. "Threats are meaningless to a man who has lost everything!", Freeze said rather coldly. Freeze then used his cannon to create a huge ice wall that separated Freeze and Boyle from Batman. Freeze then pushed Boyle forward into the next room. Batman had to find some way to break through this ice. He heard one goon groan signaling that he was still conscious. He then picked the goon up off the ground with one hand and began interrogating him. "What's Freeze after? Why does he need Boyle?", Batman angrily asked. "Uh, Boyle's got codes to something Freeze wants. I think it's some kind of weapon or something. Look, if you want to break through this ice, I heard that GothCorp has some kind of drill, a cryodrill in the cryogenics lab.", the goon admitted. "Thanks.", Batman said as he knocked him out cold. Batman then started to make his way to the lab, but was stopped when the room before the lab was clouded in cryovapor. If he breathed that in, he would die. "Damn.", Batman said to himself. Batman then got an incoming call from Alfred and he answered it. "Sir, did you rescue Ferris yet?", Alfred asked. "Not yet. I ran into some complications. Freeze created a huge ice wall that kept me from rescuing Ferris and the only way to get through it is by using this cryodrill in the cryogenics lab, but that's blocked off by cryovapor and I'm not sure how I'm going to get past that.", Batman explained. "Well, you're actually in luck, sir. Due to the frosty situations you're encountering tonight, I thought the XE suit that Mr. Fox made you would aid you tonight. I put the finishing touches on it and it's ready to go. I can have the Batwing drop it off at your location.", Alfred said. "That would be perfect. Thank you. I'm on my way out now.", Batman said as he got off the intercom. Batman then made his way out of the building and onto a rooftop right next to GothCorp. "Suit deployment inbound, sir.", Alfred said. The Batwing then flew above Batman in the skies and dropped a container with a bat symbol on it. Batman then opened it up and it revealed the now completed XE suit. Batman then put it on and was now ready for whatever cool-related danger he would be in for on this adventure. "The Thermal Gloves should help you deal with most ice you encounter, Master Bruce, and the suit will provide protection from cold and cryovapor. I just hope its bulk won't slow you down.", Alfred said. "Lucius told me that the honeycomb structure insulates against extreme cold without increasing weight. It won't slow me down a bit.", Batman said. "Glad to hear it.", Alfred said. "Again, thank you for this, Alfred.", he said. "Of course, sir. Good luck.", Alfred said and then went off. Batman then jumped off the rooftop and glided safely to the ground. He then made his way back inside the building to get to that lab.