Chapter 5
Batman and Batgirl pulled up to Arkham Asylum in the Batmobile. Luckily the Batmobile was untouched by the assassins. It was after hours, so the doctors had already gone home, the patients however were another matter. The guards wouldn't be too hard to avoid. Batman and Batgirl entered the Asylum. There were a few unnamed patients in their cells in straight jackets, men and women. The men as Batgirl walked by, whistled at her and shouted "I want you baby!"
"In your dreams." she said through grit teeth.
"Ignore them." Batman said, as cold as ever.
They entered the ward where all of Batman's most dangerous villains were held. He had no doubt that he would see the Joker or Two-Face here, but the only one he was looking for was Freeze.
"Hey Batsy, you never come and see me, you need to get out of that cave more." followed by a maniacal laughter.
"Joker, how's the knee?" said Batman, half mocking the Joker.
Joker seemed surprised by this. "You told a joke? Ha! This made my day! The knee's fine by the way!"
"There's hope for him yet, puddin'." said Harley, Joker's girlfriend from an across cell.
"Leave him alone." Batgirl said angrily.
"Or you'll do what?" said Harley.
"By the way, how's the ankle I broke for ya?" said Batgirl, smiling.
"Oh, it's uh…." said Harley, dumbfounded.
"Forget them, Batgirl. Let's go." said Batman, unconcerned.
"Do come back for more visits soon!" said the Joker then he laughed like a maniac again.
"Hmph!" said Batgirl, put out.
Along the way they passed several others. Scarecrow, Poison Ivy and Two-Face to name a few. Batman paused a bit when he saw Two-Face, but Batgirl feeling sorry for Batman egged him forward with her hand on his shoulder. Then finally they reached Mr. Freeze's cell. Freeze now nothing, but a head sat there with no emotion or expression on his face. As a result of his accident, it finally made Freeze nothing, but a head and his wife Nora, the only living being in the world he ever cared for had left him.
"Freeze, we need your help." said Batman, trying to hide his sorrow for Freeze.
"You come to me Batman?" said Freeze, his face as emotionless as ever.
"Yes, it's about Ra's Al Ghul."
"Ra's Al Ghul? I remember him. He used me; I could never be his heir as you told me and I have no desire of it. I can no longer be anything, but all I can do now is watch the hours of my life go by." said Freeze.
"Can you tell me where they are hiding; I'm sure though Talia must have shown you something of Ra's future plans."
"What makes you think I care what happens; I know the man's desire. He wants to rid all of Earth of mankind. I don't care what happens to me or anyone else."
"What about Nora?" said Batgirl, also trying to hid sorrow.
"Nora." his face began to show some sorrow. "You dare bring her into this?" he said snapping at Batman and Batgirl.
"Ra's dares to end her life." said Batman. "I know you claim you have no emotion. But you still do care for her. Don't do this to help me or Batgirl. Do this to help Nora. If I stop Ra's, I will save her along with everyone else."
Freeze's face turned from sorrow to emotionless yet again, but he found the words to say. "Very well, I will help you. But I'm doing this to save Nora, not you two or anyone else."
"Thank you." said Batgirl, as she sighed with relief.
"Do not bother me with thanks, for I can no longer feel the pleasure of being thanked." said Freeze.
"Freeze, can you tell us where Ra's may be at the moment?"
"Last I heard, he was hiding in a desert over in Phoenix, Arizona. But Talia told me, they were building a base on an uncharted island in the New Jersey shore."
"Thanks Freeze. Although she may not know it, you've saved Nora's life again along with everyone else. There is hope for you." said Batman.
"Get out." said Freeze.
Batman and Batgirl turned to leave. Instead of going back the way they came, they turned the other way as they were sure the guards were possibly alerted of their presence. But they had left too late for guards had been coming the way they came; Batman grabbed Batgirl by her wrist and went into an empty closet. It wasn't Batman's style but it was the best thing to do at the time. One of the guards voice boomed down the hall.
"I thought I saw two people go down here!"
Batgirl gasped, Batman clapped a hand over her mouth.
"Goddamn it! Where did they go?" he snarled and turned to Mr. Freeze. "Freeze, you must have seen two people, where did they go?!"
Batman and Batgirl's hearts both sank.
"No, I don't believe anyone was here. You may have just seen a shadow. After all Jerry, I doubt anyone would want to come see insane criminals after hours."
"Yes, I suppose so." said Jerry, he turned and left. Batman and Batgirl slowly emerged from the closet.
"That was close." said Batgirl, she turned and looked. "There's our way out." She pointed to an exit.
Back at the Batcave, Batgirl was working on the computer with trying to confirm Ra's location in the desert.
"Well, from what I've gotten is that Ra's has a base over in the desert, it's about 20 miles from where the Arizona Cardinals play. It's disguised as a regular factory though."
"I didn't even know a football team played in the desert. I'll go to the desert and check it out; you pack your bags and act as though you're heading to the beach in New Jersey as if you're on vacation. It would look too suspicious if Batgirl showed up, but take your costume with you. If what Freeze says is true then you will need it. You're going to have a much better time than I will, I can tell you that." said Batman.
Batgirl wanted to laugh, but she resisted.
"Alright, then when do I leave?"
"We both leave first thing tomorrow, I want you to go home and rest first, and you've got a long drive ahead of you."
"But how can I get a hotel reservation tomorrow."
Batman looked at her. "Bruce Wayne can make sure of it."
"Oh, yeah." said Batgirl, not believing she forgot about that.