CHAPTER FOUR: CITY OF CRYME

Helena was desperately trying to get the collapsing buildings free of victims, but there were only certain things she could do. A man trapped on the third floor of a blazing apartment building hollered for help from his fire escape. Huntress could see clear as day the thing was seconds from giving way and ripping out from the building. Running as fast as she could she threw her cable over a building next to it and swung high into the air to grab him just as the fire escape tumbled.

"I gotcha."

"Oh thank god."

Moving him down to a fire rescue unit she dropped him off and made sure he received medical attention. Nightwing was tumbled down three flights of stairs before he grabbed a nearby banister and pulled himself to a stop. He looked up and watched as a figure dressed in a single piece white jumpsuit that fit tight to his body exposing his athletic physique, and a featureless white mask covering every part of his face. Grabbing him by the collar he was thrown out of the burning buildings window and out came the white figure; several police stopped and stared, but soon pointed their weapons at him.

"Get down the ground with your hands"

Thin metallic dagger-like projectiles struck the chest's of the four officers pointing weapons at him. Still without even uttering a sound and darted off into the night disappearing just as mysteriously as he had appeared. Huntress came over to Dick and helped him to his feet; with a small rag she wiped his bloody nose.

"What in God's name was that?"

"I… I don't know, but whoever whatever it was it made me look below amateur level in martial arts, I couldn't land a single blow in the ten minutes we were fighting; I barely caught a glimpse of him as he struck me."

"Do you think it could be Little Boy?"

"No… this was defiantly a man, his voice though I think I've heard before." Pausing shortly Nightwing spoke contently. "Alright lets finish here and then we can do a little research."

Gotham Station

The abandoned train station was eerie at night; huge layers of icy fog thickened the air around it, a single train lay docked in the station, the fog seemed to pour from within. Robin hated the cold, but it was quite obvious who's abode this was; Victor Freeze. As he turned the corner of his eye and revealed Catwoman running across the top of the empty rail cars, the large door slide open revealing Freeze. His large dark and light blue containment suit and the ovular head casing weren't intimidating. But the glowing red eyes; were all Robin could see at this point and all he could hear was the bone chilling voice of Mr. Freeze.

"Young Boy Wonder; you come here without your mentor? A grave mistake indeed for I have gone toe to toe with Batman and you are"

Robin abruptly and harshly cut him off. "Where's Oracle?"

Laughing cruelly and cold as he always did, Freeze pulled his large Freeze gun from his side and pointed it directly in Robin's face not a few feet in front of him. With great speed Robin dropped low and at the same time cart wheeled to try and knock the gun out he failed, but she didn't. Looking with a smirk grin on his face Robin saw it within the ice covered rail car was Nora Freeze with a Bat-Bomb stuck to it. With a slicker of her wrist Catwoman's whip tossed his gun several yards away.

"Turn around Freeze."

Spinning fully he turned and watched in horror as the red light beeped away her wife's life second by second. Pausing and contemplating he turned back to Robin. "I don't know where she is."

"You're lying." Catwoman said snidely.

"Believe me my dear I wouldn't waste my time with your secretary; there are bigger things at this moment."

"You know something?" Robin said suddenly attentive.

"More than could imagine. But as I was going to say I have learned from my recent fights with Batman, that often it comes to a stand still. So I decided to end that flaw within our relationship and I suppose you two with be my test subjects."

Robin looked at Freeze both quizzically and balefully. "What are you talking about… what no… she would die from my bat-bomb you can't."

"No my young Boy Wonder it's circuitry would malfunction and turn to dust within milliseconds; and both she and I are protected from the effects… of my bomb."

Smashing a fist against his chest the meter at his abdomen redlined and cracked and as Robin and Catwoman dashed for cover a hail of icicles and snow exploded all around them as Robin began to see his breath. Jumping behind a rail car he could only hope Catwoman had gotten to safety. As the ice and snow began to settle Robin shivered slightly and stood up from behind his shield which would have shattered if hit. He saw Freeze running into his iced over freighter car; naked and without his suit most likely from the rupture he had just caused. As the train began to spark to life Robin propelled himself at the opening door as it slowly crept close.

"Don't you ever learn Freeze? The good guy always wins."

"Don't you ever give up your false idealistic crusade against crime? Boy only a fool would follow Batman into the hells he brings only upon himself. You can't eliminate crime to do that you need to eliminate thought and it's just not a possibility."

Although he wasn't paying much attention Freeze's words hit him rough, but he tended to his business as the train fired to life and began moving. Before Robin could get entirely in though one of Freeze's goons dressed in a massive brown furred parka pulled him out and the train jetted off into the distance. Twisting his legs sideways he loosened the thug's grip and hopped to his feet. As he went in to finish the goon Catwoman's whip wrapped around his throat and yanked him to the ground hard.

"What happened?" She spoke softly.

"Ahh, he got away. That guy pulled me off before I could get to him."

"Welcome boy blunder there's only one place that trained goes. Gotham Bridge. And unless that train can float he isn't going anywhere anytime soon, so let's get over there."

Before they could leave however the instinctive sound of a single warning shot barked in the echo's of the now empty train station or so Robin and Catwoman had thought. They turned to see a well mannered man with short black hair and dark black lips dress in a matching black suit, with a green undershirt unbuttoned down three fasteners. Robin could see a black tattoo in the shape of a question mark on the side of the man's face.

"Nice look Nigma. How much did it cost ya?" Robin spoke arrogantly as he looked around to see the small group of armed men moving around him and Catwoman.

He turned around when he heard the mundane Al Capone-like voice. "Yous two and yer' friends got us another gang war goin', dis' hole thing is probably yous guys faults."

Robin turned to see the Ventriloquist and Scarface standing behind him, Scarface was holding a tommy-gun and waving it every few seconds as he ranted. Robin's greater attention was turned to the Riddler.

"So Eddie I asked you a question. Gonna answer? Or run and hid like you always do?" Robin was purposely trying to anger him, he could only hope it work.

"It would be Edward; Robin. Edward Nashton. Of course you may call me Edward. And no I won't fall your futile attempts to anger me will not work, you are petty and I am above you. Now you will be reunited with the Oracle soon, when you die at my hands like she did."

"You… what? No, no your lying."

"If only I were Robin, if only I were."

Gotham Docks

The enigmatic solid white figure met up on the docks with Mr. Freeze in his new containment suit, along with the Penguin and Bane.

"Things are going perfect. Bane you must get into position, and so must you Oswald; I have made our heroes and heroines aware of my presence and have possibly taken one out in the process. Now we must enact Act Two."

Turning to the white figure, Penguin wiped his bifocal with a small clothe to which he stuffed in his coat pocket. "Act Two do you say? No what pray tell is that?"

"Communications."

Wayne Tech Enterprises

An older black man sat at the head of a large meeting table within the Wayne Enterprises Head Board Room. Several other older men sat there as well, each of them reviewing the reports, charts and piles of file folders in front of them. A man on the farthest corner looked up and following did the rest of the board as a young intern burst through the door.

"Mr. Fox. Our communications satellite has been lost from orbit."

"What!" Lucious said in an angered manner.

"I don't know either sir. Communications al over the city are going down, other than hard lines no one can speak with one another other than in person. I can't explain it sir."

"Well me must launch another satellite then." Said one of the board members questionably.

"No it would take months to get clearance from the government otherwise they'd shot it down before it got near it's position. We must find some other way and fast. I want a full explanation to present to Mister Wayne with the close of the day."