Cold, Cold Heart (Part 2)
Gotham Undergrounds
Bruce walks through the boiling tunnels, dressed in the disguise of the goons. He walks in a way that mimics the two guards from earlier, copying their care-free postures. As an added detail, he even carries the gun that was previously held by one of them. Just the idea of carrying such a weapon absolutely, disgusted him, made him feel ashamed of himself. But he knew for this to work, that he would need to be as convincing as possible, and in a way, being distraught by himself is a good indicator that he was doing a more than decent job at his charade.
The protective material covering his body, helped him when it came to the heat. Normally at such high temperatures, he would be struck by the humility of the air, however, thanks to the material, he found his body regulated and able to move without feeling the effects of the current heat, "I really need to get some of this material for the Batsuit..." he says under his breath as he turns a corner, stopping when he spots another goon heading his way.
"Hey, where's the other one? Doncha tell me dat you lot are slackin' off?" the masked man stops Bruce by tapping his armoured hand on his chest, "Hey douchebag! I'm talkin' to you! Firefly was clear, two pairs of eyes trained on the prisoner at all times!"
He could take him out with ease, but this deep in, he couldn't risk alerting the others to his presence. Bruce nods, "Aye, doncha go bitchin' at me, It's not my fault dat my partner had the chilly last night! He's been on the crapper for hours, ya get me? It was real nasty when I left, I don't even wanna think 'bout that now, capeesh?" Bruce replies, attempting his best street-wise tone. The henchman tilts his head and lifts his arm up, waving.
"Fine. Fine. Fine. Just get your ass to the prisoner" the guard shoves past Bruce, "Looks like we need to reassign someone to guard duties with you..." he then leaves.
Bruce continues onward, heading down the hallway. He walks into the room at the end of the hall and spots the prize: Nora Fries, in her incubation tube. She was frozen and covered in frost. Her eyes were closed like she was in a deep state of peace. Bruce walks towards the cryotube, reaching behind him and taking the device that was given to him by Freeze. He looks for the slot for the device, spotting it at the front. He pushes the device into the slot.
As a result, a new burst of cold air gasses the frozen woman inside the tube.
{- Power fully restored, now at 100% -}
Bruce taps the side of his helmet, "Lucius, I reached Nora and implanted the device. The cryotube's power has been fully restored..., Lucius? Lucius, do you read?" Bruce winces as a sharp high-pitch hiss comes from the communicator. He takes the earpiece off his ear, "Dammit, you've got to be kidding me."
"No... you're going to burn..." a voice bellows from behind Bruce. He turns to see Firefly standing before him along with several of her guards. Firefly grins as she aims her flamethrower at him, "Next time you wanna try acting smart, try knowing how to speak like a street kid! Let me guess... it's you... Batman?, she chuckles "Figured Selina would tell you 'bout our secret place... but since you're here for the icicle, Freeze musta sent you..."
"Do you really want to do this? I'm in a hurry, so don't expect me to play nicely..." his words bring a wider smirk to Firefly's lips.
"I also figured that you would use that material to protect yourself from my flames...too bad...they don't work with my new toys..." Firefly pulls the trigger and sprays a burst of blue flames at Bruce. He moves out of the way of the flames that left scorch marks on the ground, "That's right, feel the burn!" she sprays the flames at the Dark Knight once again. Bruce rips off the material, to showcase the Batsuit. Batman makes a play to move at two of the henchmen.
With a wind-up, he kicks one of the men to the ground. He then grabs the second guy's arm and throws him over his shoulder and onto the floor. He then makes a break for the exit to the room, running out and barely avoiding another burst of blue flames from Firefly, "After him!"
Batman sprints through the hallway, "Connection to the Bunker is severed, my gadgets won't respond. Something must have happened to the Bat-Computer's terminal" Batman stops as he then sees Freeze storm towards him, accompanied by his small militia, "Freeze?"
"- Batman, how fortuitous... just the man that I was looking for, I thank you for leading me to my dear Nora, I am eternally grateful…" Victor Fries fires his cold gun at the Dark Knight. Batman evades it by clinging tightly to the right wall, "- Please refrain from making this even more difficult than it already is -"
"Well, what do ya know... Frosty is here too... just my day, both Batman and the snowman..." Firefly and her crew march up as they ready their flamethrowers, "Ha! Ya thought you could trust Freeze? Us criminals only look out for numero uno!" Firefly laughs, "Been waiting to do this a long time!" she sends bursts of blue-hued flames at Freeze who cancels it out with a blast of his cold gun. Mr Freeze and his men march towards Firefly and her crew with Batman in the middle of them.
Black boots sprint across the ground, moving behind cover, Batman keeps himself out of sight as a blue streak of flames burst out, barely avoiding him, "I'm going to melt you, snowman! You are going to be a pile of water when I'm finished with you!" a gruff feminine voice calls out, followed by another burst of blue flames The vortex of sapphire flames were countered by a strike of ice-cold winds, both cancelling the other out. Heavy footsteps come from the other end, along with a robotic tuned male voice.
" - I do not think so, Cretan. I will show no mercy for this transgression of yours - " Mr Freeze stands in front of several of his suited henchmen. Victor Fries, a pale man with snow-white hair and cold-as-ice blue eyes. The man was decked out in a protective reinforced suit to shield himself from the outside world, red goggles and a reinforced helmet with a glass visor. He appears to be holding an oversized tech-heavy gun with two barrels, each glowing blue at their end. The cold gun had a wire in it that also connects to a small container on the man's back. Cold air slowly trails off both the man and the weapon.
"Come get it!" Firefly retorts, completely covered in a chainmail suit with armoured plating, a hood, mask and red vizor with a honeycomb pattern and with fuel two fuel tanks placed on her back. Bridget holds a flamethrower, similar in size to Freeze's cold gun, but leaner and less well made. Behind her were her crew who wear similar attire to her without being nearly as sophisticated. She aims her weapon at Freeze and he aims his gun at her. They both unleash their elements, blue flames and absolute-zero ice.
Batman leans further away to avoid the feedback of the harsh elements, "We had a deal, Victor!"
"- Apologies, Batman...I have altered our arrangements..., - " the ice-man's robotic voice echoes through the narrow hallway, "- We both know that this could be our only outcome -," Freeze let loose another round of his cold gun. Firefly does the same with her flame thrower.
"Back off, Jack frost! I'm getting him! He's going to burn!" both fire and ice clash again, a violent shockwave that sends the whole hallway in both ice and burn marks all around. The Dark Knight's vision looks to his hand that was now iced to the ground, along with his forearm. His glowing white eyes look out from the cover as he hears the footsteps of Freeze, being able to tell by their power. He reaches into his utility belt and pulls out one of his Batarangs.
The footsteps come closer.
Batman triggers the Batarang, causing the gaps between its armour to flash orange. He holds it firmly against his iced-over hand, smoke emits from the gadget and the ice slowly melts away. The vigilante looks to his left, seeing Mr Freeze now facing with his cold gun aimed at him, "- Futile, Batman; your little toys will make no difference! Strange will eventually locate both me and Nora, thus a trade is necessary to ensure my lovely Nora's life... I promise this is not personal -"
"I should've known that you were using me. You put a tracker in the device that you gave me, didn't you?" Batman snarls.
"- Not quite. That would entail that I would have been aware of your arrival beforehand, most of my tech all emit a signal that is only locatable by my suit -" Victor lifts the cold gun, "- Something was interfering with the cryotube's signal, preventing me from tracking it. Once I saw the same interference block the power source's signal, I was left with where Nora was. You coming to me was no more than a fortuitous coincidence, I simply made the best of what I had at hand -"
The heated Batarang breaks the icy-holds, Batman snappily rolls out of the way of the cold gun's blast. The Dark Knight kneels, reaching behind his back. He throws down a small pile of smoke pellets to conceal himself. Mr Freeze wrists the eye-pieces of his goggles, " - Very good, Batman. However, you are not the only one with fancy toys -", Freeze's vision changes to heat-vision, spotting the vigilante running down the hall from him, "- Your body will betray you, Dark Knight -"
Bat-Bunker
"Where did that creature go?" Lee panics.
"The hell should I know? It's pitch black!" Selina kneels down and looks through her backpack, feeling for her helmet, "C'mon, c'mon...where are you... ah!" she takes out her Catwoman helmet and wears it. She drops the goggles over her eyes. She is then granted with night-vision, though with a low field of view. The entire world now was limited to a green filter that barely shows what was in front of her. Selina spots Lee who was standing around a metre away from her, she was clumsily reaching out to try and feel something to guide her.
Selina tip-toes to Lee, whispering to her, "Lee. Behind you, grab my hand..." she reaches out her hand. Lee turns, confused as she reaches to grab her hand. Selina firms her grip around the older woman and guides her along, "Lucius?" she whispers, turning to see if the man was behind her, "Lucius, can you hear me? Lucius," Selina walks through the floor, still guiding Lee behind her. Selina looks behind one of the desks and sees Lucius who was hiding behind it, the man was wearing his own pair of night-vision goggles.
They both look at each other.
Selina goes to speak but is stopped by Lucius who presses his index finger against his lips to try and shush her. Lucius lifts his head towards the ceiling, which Selina follows. Her heart sunk when she saw Man-Bat above, clinging to the ceiling. The beast spasms as it looks around the darkness, drooling heavily. It shrieks in a high-pitched tone, it then violently throws its head down to be looking at Lucius, Lee and Selina. The creature drops down, mere steps away from the trio.
Man-Bat arches upward and swipes at Selina. She grabs her whip from the side, moves out of the way of its claws. She then throws the whip around Man-Bat's right hand. Selina slides under the creature, tying the whip around its other hand. The creature hisses as it tries to take off with its wings but is unable due to the constriction of its limbs. In a primal rage, Man-Bat repeatedly snaps with its jaws, trying to bite Selina. She pulls herself back each time to avoid its fangs.
Selina then moves behind Man-Bat and whip around its neck, pulling down on the whip, she forces Man-Bat's snout and hands to bash together, next she brings the rest of the whip's length around the creature's snout, bindings its hands to its face. Man-Bat struggles, trying to break free of the binds, hissing, biting, screeching, it shakes its head and body, but Selina keeps her hold around the handle of the whip to keep all of it in place.
"W-What's happening?!" Lee asks, still a victim to the darkness.
Lucius grabs Lee's shoulders and pulls her back and away from the creature, "Easy now. It's just me!" Lucius takes a pair of night-vision goggles and slides them over Lee's head. The older woman shakes as she then sees the sight in front of her.
"Lucius! Do something, I can't hold him for much longer!" Selina strains, pulling down harder on the whip and pushing her right foot on Man-Bat's back, "LUCIUS!?" Lucius scampers through the dark, using the little amount of vision given to him by the goggles. After brushing off a few close calls, he found himself at one of the display cases that were broken, scattered across the floor. Lucius steps over broken shards of glass and locates the pile of equipment. He drops to his knees and rushes through the lot to find something useful.
"WHAT'S TAKING SO LONG!?" Selina winces as she feels her hold on the whip loosening the more Man-Bat fights against her.
"With the Bat-Cave's network offline, most of the gadgets are useless on this end!" Lucius replies as he throws the gadgets away.
"Wait? Does that mean Bruce can't use the gadgets on his end either?" Lee yells.
"No, his end should be good. The Batsuit is equipped with a failsafe if the network is ever to go offline! Communications will be own form him too though!" Lucius grabs a flashbang from the pile of debris. He turns to Man-Bat, he pulls his arm back, "Selina, Lee - CLOSE YOUR EYES!" he throws the device directly at the creature. Lee ducks behind debris from one of the desks, while Selina still retains her grip on Man-Bat who was still struggling against her.
Man-Bat spits the device and shuts its eyes.
The Flashbang explodes, throwing the whole room in a blinding white light and a high-pitched screech that quickly wore out its welcome. Selina screams, throwing her hold on the whip away and covering her eyes. In the ruckus, Man-Bat chews through the whip and breaks free of the bind. Lucius reopens his eyes, spotting the creature was unphased, "W-What? That worked before... don't tell me... is it...learning?" he backs away. Man-Bat snaps around to confront the still blinded Selina.
With a screech, the creature slashes her arm with its claws. Selina groans as she instinctively holds her wound. Man-Bat then kicks back, throwing its arms up and taking off upward. Selina falls down on her back, feeling her hand coated in blood from her cuts. Taking a single moment to regain her composure, she reaches for her whip across from her. Man-Bat rams back down and pins her to the ground, drooling over her. Before she could even make sense of the situation, the creature lunges forward and sinks its fangs into her shoulder.
"Agh!" Selina grunts, punching the creature to get it off of her.
"SELINA!" Lee rises.
Man-Bat is thrown off of Selina when several Shurikens were thrown into its back. A hooded female figure jumps over one of the piles of debris as they make their way towards Man-Bat. Nyssa grabs one of the blades from her back and slashes the creature, kicking it away from her afterwards. She slides on the ground, using her blade to swipe Man-Bat's feet which took it off balance, she then grabs the creature by the ears and plunges the tip of her blade into its throat.
Man-Bat squirms, spasming its wings and screeching as Nyssa continues to push her sword deeper down its throat. She stops when she sees the creature falls unconscious, falling to the ground. She stomps on the beasts head as she swings her sword away, spattering all of the blood on it across the floor. Her eyes look down, seeing herself now standing over the reverted Kirk Langstrum. She gives an amused smile as she slides her blade back into its holster.
"What's going on?" Lee and Lucius both look over to the direction of noise with their night-vision goggles. Their eyes stumble across the unconscious Langstrum, but no one else. Lee stumbles over to Selina and helps her up, "Nice work, Selina. That was unbelievable..." Lee remarks as she assists Selina to walk. Selina holds her hand over her shoulder tightly.
"-W-wasn't me. Maybe Bruce?" Selina frailly stumbles.
Lucius kneels down to Langstrum and picks at one of the Shurikens, "No. Bruce wouldn't use these... their too deadly for him to feel comfortable using..." he stands, heading towards what left was of the Bat-Computer, "I'll try to get some light in here. Getting the power back online is the main priority, without it, we can't even leave."
"We'll work on getting Kirk restrained," Selina replies.
"Absolutely not, Selina. You need to take it easy. I have it handled" Lee leads Selina towards the stairs that lead towards the exit of the bunker. She gently sets her down, "Wait here. This is not up for discussion," Lee rubs Selina's shoulders, "Stay here and take a breather. I'm asking you as both a doctor and a friend, understood?"
Selina scoffs as she sets her hand over the wound on her shoulder, "Yeah-yeah. I got it."
"Your arm..." Lee leans over to get a better look at the scratch marks, seeing the slow flow of blood dripping from the claw marks, "D-Did it get you? Those marks...look bad. I better see to them first..." Lee lifts up the bottom of her dress and rips off a stand, she then wraps it around Selina's arm, "The medical supplies in here will be impossible to find without light. I'm afraid that this will have to do for now...hang in there..." Lee knots the strand of her dress around Selina's forearm.
"I'm fine, Lee-ah!" Selina tenses when Lee pulls the makeshift bandage tightly, securing it around her arm.
"Hey!" Lucius calls out from the other side of the lair, "I think I almost got the light back on!"
Gotham Undergrounds
" - I have figured you for many things, dark night, but a coward was not one of them. Show yourself..." Mr Freeze walks into the room that held Nora's cryotube, "- This is not personal, it is just a means to an end. I will not let any harm come to me precious Nora... -" Freeze stops, realizing that Nora was no longer in the cryotube. At that very moment, Freeze lifts his cold gun, " - Nora! -"
"Victor..."
Mr Freeze snappily turns, aiming his weapon at the vigilante that stood before him, " - What have you done, Batman? Where is my Nora -."
"I think it will be for the best for you to hear it from her..."
"- What? -"
From behind the vigilante, Nora Fries walks out. Pale skin, blue eyes and her hair is still frozen over, "Is it true, Victor? Is what he said the truth... am I not... the real Nora?" she quivers.
"- W-what... has he told you, Nora? -" Mr Freeze lowers his weapon when he sees Nora walk to him.
"Is. It. True?" Nora asks again, more desperate in her tone, more scared and confused, "Am I just a lab experiment...? Am I even real?" she comes into arms-length with Victor. her eyes watering.
" - You are real to me, Nora... that is what matters... -" he reaches out brushes the woman's cheek, "I love you. I need you... you were always the best part of me, my humanity... without you, there is no Victor Fries, only Freeze..."
"I'm dying, right Victor...? Just like the real Nora..."
"You. Are. Nora." Freeze wipes the tears from under the woman's eyes, "You are the woman who I fell in love with, you are the woman that I adore, the most beautiful rose in the summer fields... - ," Nora holds her hand over Victor's, " - I cannot bear to see such a beautiful creature as you rot again, you are too amazing to die in such... an unfair way. You deserve a full life, but I cannot even give you that... I'm trying to save you... I have to. You are my humanity, my redemption... you have always been there to show me the light... -"
"Even the most beautiful rose eventually loses all of its petals... I am wrong, Victor. I shouldn't even be alive... I shouldn't even exist... I'm not Nora..."
" No! Don't say such things... you are the woman that I love... you are my other half... I don't care if you're not her, I need you... you have her eyes, her face, her voice. You have the same look in your eyes, the same as Nora once had, the look of horror when she saw what I have become. That look, I once feared it but now, I am wise enough to realize it was not a look of anger, simply disappointment. I will not fail you again, I promise... but I need you to light the path..."
"...Victor... all this time, this obsession to be my saviour has only destroyed you and what you stood for. You were once a great man... I have her memories, all of them. I remember our wedding, our first date... even those picnics... but... those aren't my memories..." Nora cries as she hugs Victor and cries into his shoulder, "Those are the memories of a dead woman... one that my face belonged to. I will never escape the fact that I am a lie..."
Batman stands in silence. His ears prick when he hears the sounds of footsteps coming from behind. Firefly barges into the room and lifts her flamethrower "Ah! There you are! I'm going to burn you all ali-" Batman hurls a Batarang at the corner of the room, it ricochets off the wall and hits Firefly's helmet. The villainess is knocked to the ground, the Batarang returns back to Batman and he sets it back into his utility belt.
" - Together, we make those memories real... you are not a lie. You are the proof of how amazing Nora was... just give me a chance to show you that this can work...-," Nora moves from Victor and nods.
"Fine..., but first, our friend needs our help. He came to you for help, Victor. You have me back, now it's your turn to help him, please...? You want your humanity back? This should be as a good start as any...," Nora steps aside. Mr Freeze nods as he and Nora hold their hands together. Mr Freeze looks over to Batman.
" - Even after I betrayed you, you still reunited me with Nora... I am forever in your debt, Dark Knight... forgive me..."
"I need that cure, Victor. After that, I'll leave you two be. As long as you promise to keep to yourself..."
" - Thank you, Batman -" Freeze lifts his head.
"Don't worry about it; I didn't do it for you, Victor"
Bat-Bunker
The bunker was still a mess, cluttered with broken equipment and display cases, however, the light had returned, although unstable and flickering. Selina sits at the Bat-Computer beside Lucius, she has a bandaged over neck and shoulder, along with her arm. Lee joins the two, "Langstrum is secured and dosed up enough to keep down several elephants, several very large elephants that is..." she walks behind Selina's chair, "Lucius... can you give us a moment?"
"Yeah, that's fine. Checking out the elevator was next on my list" Lucius leaves their side and heads across the lair.
Selina turns to Lee, holding her shoulder "Lee... that thing bit me... does that me-"
"No" Lee smiles, "I already checked your blood, there was already enough on the floor to choose from. Your system is normal. Back at Gotham General, the people would've turned by now," she folds her arms, "You know, it's kinda funny. I have never seen you get ill before, Selina"
"Yeah. I haven't even had a temperature ever since Ivy gave me that seed. I don't even get motion sick anymore, probably thanks to Ivy, that creature couldn't infect me... still hurts like hell though..." Selina clenches her arm, "Remind me to get my shots, will you?"
"Huh, I wonder how Bruce's doing? I hope he had an easier night than we did" Lee takes a deep breath, "I don't know what time is it, but I got a gut feeling that I'm late back to Jim at Elliot Memorial. Aw, he's going to be mad..."
"I'll go back with you if he sees the state that I'm in; he might forgive you" Selina replies.
"Lie to him even more? A lot of good that has been doing recently..." Lee sighs, "Jim and I barely talk anymore, and when we do... I have to lie to his face. It hardly feels like we're even married anymore..." her eyes glance down to her wedding ring, "Is this what Bruce has to do every day?"
"No. Bruce doesn't lie about being Batman. He lies about being Bruce. That's the man who he is."
Storage Warehouse
Mr Freeze stands at his workbench, watching the still in motion centrifuge. Nora is off to the side, covered in several layers of clothes. Gloves, boots, jeans, several tops and a leather jacket that has a fur collar. She wears a scarf wrapped around her neck that covers her mouth and nose, along with a winter cap. Batman stands the furthest back. The centrifuge finishes spinning and Freeze takes out the test tub, " - It is done -," he wraps his fingers around the tube.
"How sure are you that will cure Langstrum?"
" - You misunderstand, Batman. This is not a cure, that would entail months of research. This vial will not eliminate the virus from his body, rather it will make him and the virus itself asymptomatic. Technically speaking, the virus will still be in his blood and will be just as infectious, however, all symptoms relating to it will be eliminated. It will be harmless - Victor walks over to Batman and hands the vial over to him " - This is us now even, Batman -"
"Not quite, Freeze," Batman reaches behind his back. He takes out a vial of green bubbling liquid and hands it to Victor while he takes the first vial from him, "Nora isn't the first clone that I've come across. I used... to know another and they used this heal themselves. He would want me to give this to you," Mr Freeze takes the green vial and examines it while Batman slots the test tube into his utility belt.
" - Fascinating. Will this cure my Nora? - "
"No, but it will buy her time, if used accordingly... it will give her an extra few months. Take care, Victor," Batman turns and begins to walk away.
"Wait!" Nora speaks up as she comes closer to Victor. Batman turns back to face the two, "Batman? D-do you have someone special in your life? like a wife or girlfriend?"
Batman remains silent.
Nora nods, "Yeah, I know that it's none of my business, sorry. But I need to tell you, whoever they are to you... if you always try to be their saviour, you're eventually become the thing that'll destroy them. Just try to remember, you'll need to be saved sometimes too..."
" - She is right, Batman. I was once a good man trying to save the world, just like you. Don't put all the weight on yourself... -" Victor agrees.
"Not here to save the world; there are already enough guys to do that."
" - If that is what you believe. Nora, we must prepare ourselves to leave this city -" he and Nora take each other's hands.
"Where are we going, Victor? Gotham has always been our home... it's like a whole other world out there...," Nora asks nervously.
" - Perhaps, It may be one where we can be happy - " Victor and Nora both nod.
"That sounds...perfect," Nora turns back Batman, "Thank you for saving us..."
"Don't thank me; I didn't save you."
Nora smiles, "I hope that one day, you'll understand that there is more than one way to save someone. What we have may not last forever, but we'll have it for the rest of our lives. And I wouldn't want it any other way..."
" - Farewell, Batman - " Mr Freeze too holds a smile. Batman grabs his grapple launcher and fires it, launching him up. Now alone, Victor and Nora look at each other, both their eyes were watering. Nora hugs him and cries. Victor holds his hands around her and strokes her hair, "- Nora? -"
"I'm scared, Victor."
" - As am I -" Mr Freeze shuts his eyes, " - If we are serious about this, there will be no going back -"
"-B-but we can't go forward either if we aren't... this- this is our only path..."
" - The future is scary, we never know what will become of us, but at this very moment... I'm with you. Let's not fear what is to happen, but enjoy today, then take it from there... -" Freeze removes his helmet. Nora looks up and smiles.
"There's the man who I loved..." she and Victor kiss.
Bat-Bunker
Batman rides in on the Batcycle, pressing his foot down on the breaks once he reaches the podium. He kicks off the vehicle and hurries up to the metal stairs and his greeted by Lucius, Lee and Selina. He then sees the state of the bunker along with the Bat-Computer. He pulls down his cowl and makes his way to the three, "W-What happened?"
"You left us with a murderous monster... what did you expect was going to happen?" Selina still holds on the bandages, "Just tell me that you got the cure..."
"Yeah" Bruce runs over to the Medical Bay and finds Langstrum more securely tied down. He picks up a syringe needle and empties the vial into it. He grabs the man's wrist and injects it into his veins. Lee and Selina join him by Langstrum, "Are you..." Bruce spots Selina's wounds.
"I'm fine, Bruce. I've been through worse... what about Firefly and Freeze?"
Bruce crosses his arms, "Firefly and her crew should be making a home out of cells in the G.C.P.D, Freeze is..."
"Is what?" Selina asks.
"I doubt that we'll be seeing him again," Bruce answers.
"W-Wait... you let him go? Bruce... he's a murderer..." Lee interrupts, "He has killed dozens of people...how could you even think of-"
"As I said... I doubt we'll him again. It may not be much, but it's enough for him and Nora..."
"Nora?" Lucius questions, "Oh... she out of the cryo-chamber? But won't that mean that she'll... oh..."
Selina stands beside Bruce, "Are you sure that you made the right call?"
"No. I may end up regretting it later but for now... I guaranteed fewer headaches," Bruce answers as he turns to Lee, "Check on Robert's vitals. If it's all good, then we can take him to Elliot Memorial and he can finally get his life back."
"On it" Lee moves around the table to take a new sample of Langstrum's blood.
"He bit me..." Selina groans as she turns to Bruce, "Heck, I don't even let you do that to me" she jokes.
"Bruce!" Lucius gets Bruce's attention, "We have a problem. Well, several if I'm being honest. The Bat-computer's systems are down, this whole Bunker is barely holding on. The elevator only has enough power for a single trip. I'm sorry to tell you this, but this place is a lost cause. After we leave, the only way to get back here is through the Batcave's tunnel system..."
"Okay. You guys take the elevator, I'll ride the Batcycle back to the Batcave and try to get things working on that end. Take Langstrum to the hospital."
"And worse news: we found this..." Lucius passes Bruce several Shurikens, "When Langstrum went all monstrous, someone managed to get in here and take him out. Even though the system was down and entry should have been impossible... my original thought was that is was Talia, but whoever it was didn't want us to find out who they were...you might want to look into this..."
"Nyssa," Bruce thinks to himself before he speaks up, "I'll look into it when I can."
Lee returns to the three, "I don't know what Freeze did, but I am close to naming it a miracle. Robert's blood...is completely clean. I'll take him to Elliot Memorial ASAP!"
"Take Selina and Lucius with you. I doubt you can carry Langstrum by yourself. I'll finish things here" Bruce suggests.
Selina raises her eyebrows, "Lucius and Lee have that covered. I can come with you too-"
"That may be true but you need to have those wounds looked at. Take it easy you three," Bruce cuts her off.
"You too, Bruce" Lucius smiles.
Later.
Wayne Tower
- Bruce's Office -
Bruce sits behind his desk, deep in thought. He faces the windows facing outward into the city that he fought to protect. Legs crossed, index finger against his temple, he remains in silence as he sees the early hours of the moring seep in through the darkness of night. The bright hue of the twilight hours fights off the night, the city is brought into a new era of light, though for only so long until the night would take over once again. Although Bruce had been awake for over a day, his eyes tirelessly watch the outside world.
His thoughts run back to earlier in the night:
- But I need to tell you, whoever they are to you... if you always try to be their saviour, you're eventually become the thing that'll destroy them. Just try to remember, you'll need to be saved sometimes too... -
Then like a gentle snowflake falling from the heavens, a white-thorn rose descends down, passing below the window. Like a leaf being blown by a gentle breeze. Bruce's eyes widen, he recognizes the rose. He grasps the arms of his chair, leaning forward, "Aljamal Alqati" his eyes narrow.
- The Roof of Wayne Tower -
Bruce steps out onto the roof, the early hours of day bask him. He looks to the ledge of the roof, there stood a man dressed in red. Vandal Savage stands, his back turned to Bruce, The immortal holds out his hands, looking down over the city. His lips curve once he becomes aware of Bruce's presence, "Gilgamesh was called a god and a man; Enkidu was an animal and a man. Funny isn't it? Even since mankind's inception, they craved immortality... in some twisted way, I have become that of which they've desired to ascend to..."
Bruce steps closer, "You're forgetting something about that story..."
"Oh?" Vandal Savage turns his head, his long hair being blown by the breeze, "And just what might that be, child?"
"Gilgamesh fails" Bruce walks closer, "He's left as just a regular guy at the end..."
Vandal Savage lifts his head up and holds his hands behind his back, "Is that what you believe, naïve child? Well, then I must ask you this: Do you believe that I am talking about myself, Alwatwat? There are many ways to become immortalized. In the body, in the soul... in legend..." the immortal smirks, "At the end of his journey, Gilgamesh was humbled. A once kind soul grieved with the pain of a great loss... he travelled the world for what he desired..."
"Last time we've talked, you said something about there being a battle for this world? Just what the hell did you mean by that?" Bruce coldly glares.
"Ah yes..." Vandal Savage turns, stepping off from the ledge to become equal to Bruce, "You seek answers, rightfully so," he reaches behind his back and pulls out his Mother Box, "Though history would have us be enemies, I rather see us as kindred spirits. I. Am. Not. Your. Enemy. For if I was, you would already be dead a thousand times over by now..."
"What do you want with me?" Bruce comes closer, "Just what the hell do you want with me!?"
"I do not have such selfish human desires as *wants*. I do not *want* anything from you... no, my friend. This matter far outreaches human nature, because whether you deny it or not, deep down you are privy to the truth. The truth that you have been trying to hide from yourself... fight it all you desire, you know it to be true," Vandal Savage holds up the Mother Box.
"...And just what would that *truth* be?" Bruce keeps his glare.
"Come. Come and see for yourself... allow me to show you just what this crusade of yours will accomplish..." the Mother Box glows, surrounding the two in a bright flash of light, bleaching the whole surrounding area. Bruce's eyes widen as he hurries to look around him. Surrounding him was a city on fire, a red sky and screams coming from all around. Vandal Savage tilts his head.
They both appeared to be standing on the ground, far below on the streets. Bruce's eyes widen, spotting dust and bones all around, "Look. Not just with your eyes but your soul too," Vandal than blurs in a white streak behind Bruce. He grabs the back of Bruce's head and forces his eyes to look in the direction that he desired. The vigilante's eyes tremble, his heart sinks and he feels as his whole body suddenly become cold. From not too far in the distance, Bruce is greeted with a sight of horror.
There were seven makeshift gravestones: One that had a pole planted in the ground along with a red torn cape, one that holds the House of El crest. The second: A broken blade and lasso. The third: A lightning symbol logo attached to the leftovers of disintegrated red material. The fourth: A green ring that was heavily damaged. The fifth: A mace that is surrounded by a pile of bloodied feathers. The sixth: a blue torn cape covered in ashes. The seventh and final one: A dirtied skeleton under a torn variation of a Batsuit.
"W-What is t-this? WHERE THE HELL AM I?!" Bruce screams, breaking free from Vandal's grip. The vigilante rushes forward, nearly tripping over.
Savage scoffs, "You are not asking the right questions. Put simply, this is not a matter of *where* you are...but *when* you are. My child, what you see before you are no more than what is to become of both you and your allies. This...is your grave. The outcome of your crusade." Vandal looks up into the sky, "Beautiful, isn't it? Death... a fate that we all share, mostly... mankind celebrates the will to live, yet are equally quick to fear the mere notion of accepting their demise..."
Bruce turns, glaring, "Kinda funny coming from you. You are the poster boy of denying death..."
"No... how wrong you are. Fate, destiny, Kismet, whichever you preferer... is all of ours' for the reaper to one day come knocking. I may live forever, but time is vast. No one truly escapes it clutches...it shall always find a way to claim you, that is its will..." Vandal smirks, "...And when that moment comes...I will be ready, as I have already accepted the inevitable, tell me something, have you done just that too?"
"I plan to be around for a lot longer, to take down guys like you. I don't care what you are planning...I will stop you, hear me!" Bruce yells.
Vandal points up, leading Bruce's gaze to follow. The vigilante shakes once he sees a large planet in the sky, covered in flames and surrounded by a storm of demonic beasts, red lightning strikes down and ash falls down upon them, "To stop me now would be to set this day in motion. Without me, this world is doomed, along with all of its people... face it, you will fail this world. But I shall not. Humanity will survive...though they will need to adapt...if they are to fight off the looming threat...Apokolips"
"W-what..."
"A world of heroes this was, yet look at how it turned out... deny it all you want, everyone has... a dark side. Without a world where darkness can prosper, light can never truly shine. Good and evil, such childish nonsense. How can there possibly be any heroes or villains in a world where this will happen? Doesn't matter who you save or hurt...this is the ultimate outcome, thus no one truly makes a difference..."
"Whatever it takes... I'll stop you..." Bruce warns.
"That remains to be seen, farewell for now... we'll see each other again soo enough. But if you want answers, then go to the island of the gods. Your destiny awaits..." the Mother Box in Vandal's hand flashes, once again blinding the whole area. Once Bruce regained his vision, he finds himself alone on the roof. Vandal was nowhere in sight. Bruce is then fully embraced by the sun and the early hours of the morning. Then, a single raindrop his down on his cheek, then followed by another, and another. Soon he was being drenched in the rain, but he stands in place, still keeping his eyes to the city.
"Island of the gods?"
- Across the City -
Barbara's Apartment
Barbara Kean stands outside the bathroom, knocking on it, "Selina? Are you alright in there? You've been in there for a while..." she waits for a response and does eventually get one.
"Washing my hair! Be out in a minute...!" Selina's muffled voice calls out from the bathroom.
"No, it's fine. I was just worried about you. Take all the time that you need," Barbara then leaves. From inside, Selina sits at the top the Bathtub, legs crossed and tears in her eyes. She was visibly shaking as she looks at her hand. In her hand, she held a pregnancy test with a positive result. She covers her mouth as she watches in silence.
Meanwhile
- New Jersey, Gotham City -
Gotham Train Station
"The last stop is right ahead, please remain seated until we have ceased movement, for both yours and other passengers' safety, remain seated. The stop will be accompanied by a Checkmate ID check, please follow all instructions when asked, have the required ID ready. Your compliance will ensure a quicker process, thank you" the conductor's voice announces across all the carriages. Once the train made its destination, the doors opened with the passengers exiting in a some-what organized line.
Several Checkmate commanders approach the people, one at each line, "Listen up and listen good. IDs ready to show, this will take as long as has to or it can be as quick as you want it to be. That all depends on you, got me? We'll give you the clear when we are happy with what we have seen!" the leading soldier calls out to the people. However, the was still one more passenger on the train. A woman walks out, arms by her side as she observes the scene.
She has long black loose hair with a fringe separated into three even sections, just above her blue eyes. She wears a white corset with black trimmings around the top and arms, fishnet arm gloves, black leather pants and knee-high boots. She also wears an above waist-length leather jacket starting from her chest with shoulder-length sleeves. She has a black choker with a pentagram emblem at the front. She wears a black belt angled around her waist and black nail polish.
She walks across the platform, ignoring the order to line up. She stops when she is intercepted by a Checkmate commander, "Stop right there!"
"Is there a problem, Officer?" she asks with a small smile.
"Damn right there's a problem. Get in line-" the man goes silent when the woman's eyes glow purple. He moves out of her way, "You're cleared. Welcome to Gotham...". The dark-haired woman continues on her way until she walks out into the streets of the city. She slides one hand on her hip, her hair is blown by the gentle winds. The buckle of her belt in the shape of a curled Z, "This is Gotham, huh? I think that I'm going to like it here..."
And that's the second part of Cold, Cold Heart. Thanks for reading.