A/N: Here is another chapter based on a Batman Beyond episode.

Sorry for the delay. I've been so busy with work and personal problems that I haven't touched the computer I use to write in about a week. I also didn't have a good idea how to make the things in this chapter come together well, despite having something to base it off of.

I also have been having great progress with my Code Gundam: Wings of Rebellion story idea. Don't worry, I'll finish this story before I start writing that one, I'm just saying I now have a much better idea on how the story should go. Though I am stuck with a certain aspect. I don't know if I should have the Wing Zero retain the ZERO System, as that's what made it truly unique among the Gundams in my opinion, or if Lelouch's new Geass should basically act like the ZERO System, I would call it 'Absolute Victory'? What do you guys think?

I do not own Persona 5 or Batman Beyond. They are works of Atlus and Warner Brothers Animation.

Along one of the many docks of Nippon-Gotham, a figure clad in black walked along the edge of the dock and leaned over the water. The figure then pulled out a scanner and waved it over the water. It began clicking loudly as the figure brought a hand to one of his long pointy ears.

"You hear that?" Batman asked his predecessor. "We can poach an egg in this water." He joked, referring to the radiation levels he was scanning.

The Batcave

"That must be where they're loading the radioactive waste before dumping it out into the sea." Bruce deduced as he observed the radioactive measurements on the Batcomputer.

The pair had been following this crime for a few days now. They had gotten the tip off the Bat-site, the app Mishima made, that someone witnessed what looked like illegal dumping of dangerous chemicals into the river. While Bruce was skeptical about using a website made by a highschool student to get information, Ren had wanted to test it out. And it looked like it was paying off.

"How come I can't go out." Whined Morgana as he stood next to Bruce, sulking slightly.

Bruce turned to the young amnestic boy. "We talked about this." Bruce said, his voice stern. "Until both you and Amamiya are ready, you aren't to go out there. And besides, I still need to finish making your suit." Bruce then turned back to the computer as Morgana sulked.

They've had this conversation multiple times, and each time, Morgana had just gotten more impatient. He had spent hours in the training room, more so than Ren at least, so how come he didn't get to go out there.

As Batman stood back up, he then heard the noise of a truck backing up and turned to see what must've been the gangsters' ride. Quickly making himself scares, he hid behind a wall of scaffolding as the truck pulled up to the edge of the dock.

The man who appeared to be the ringleader got out as the loading lift in the back descended with a group of people in high-tech waste disposal uniforms, each holding long grabbers to pick up the chemicals from a safe distance.

The ringleader looked at his watch before he glanced upward and saw the approaching boat that would be carrying the chemicals and smiled. Right on time. The man snapped his and two of the men dressed in protection gear walked to the edge of the dock.

Batman eyed the boat with interest as he saw the ones in protective gear carefully maneuver the chemicals onto the boat. He then pressed a button on his utility belt and activated the cloaking system. He then moved and grabbed a nearby crane and pulled it down as he descended.

The captain of the boat held a cup of coffee in his hand as he glanced down at his watch in the other. "Make it snappy." He ordered impatiently. "We got 20 minutes before the next harbor patrol shows up. He was about to take a sip of his coffee when a bola wrapped around his body, causing him to fall to the deck of the boat with a surprised yelp.

The ringleader looked around frantically for the culprit as Batman, still cloaked, ran above him and leapt down to a pair of waste disposers on the boat. He landed in front of one, and grabbed his grabber with both hands.

"Hey!" The man said, surprised as he saw no one in front of him. Batman took advantage as he then used the grabber as a catapult to throw the man into his companion. They collided as they then dropped the chemical tank they were holding and then crashed into ones they had previously loaded on the boat.

Batman then used the grabber to pick up a canister and threw it towards the ringleader who had pulled out a gun. Pulled the trigger, but misfires when the canister hit him, causing him to slump against a wall.

One of the disposers charged with his grabber and swung it downward to where he thought Batman was, due to him holding one of the grabbers. Batman easily dodged and used the grabber he was holding to trip the man up.

The driver of the truck looked in concern as he then gunned the gas and began to drive off at high speeds, causing the disposer still in the truck to fall out. As the truck drove off, the hook Batman grabbed earlier, hooked onto the back wheels of the truck, quickly began to run out of line.

When it did, it gave a violent tug that tore off the back wheels and caused the car to jump as it then began to drag across the ground with chemicals flying out of the back. The driver struggled to regain control of the vehicle, but it was too late as when he attempted to make a sharp turn, he ended up hitting a lamp post, denting it, with the side of the truck, which also ended up knocking him out.

Seeing as there were no more criminals, Batman dropped the grabber and disabled his cloaking system. He then walked over to the ringleader who began to come to, rubbing his head with a groan. He then gasped as he felt a pair of claws grab him by the shirt and lifted him up then slam him against the wall.

"Who hired you?" Batman demanded, raising a fist and threatening to punch him.

"Think I'd tell you?" The man said, seemingly not intimidated. Batman gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes as he pulled back his fist for a punch. He stopped however when he noticed what looked like a phone sticking out of his suit.

He grabbed the phone as he then threw the man to the side, yelling as he went flying. Batman then dialed the first number he say and held it up to his ear.

Inside an office building, a man leaned over and whispered something in another's ear. When he was done, the man who was listening spoke up. "Mr. Shido, it's been a long night. My clients would like to go back to their hotel and rest a little to think about your offer."

Masayoshi Shido held hands together as he sat across from them. "Ladies and gentleman, Project Yaldabaoth will guarantee the safety of Nippon-Gotham citizens. If you all choose to invest in it, I'll give you all a hefty amount of the money the people of this city use to buy it. Leave this room and I withdraw that option." Shido said as he gaged their reactions. They then went back to whispering among themselves again.

Shido's phone then began to ring. Shido spun around in his chair and brought the device to his ear. "Shido." He said without thinking.

"Amazing the numbers people put on their speed dial." A voice came that caused Shido's eyes to widen and his mouth gape open.

"Just wanted you to know that tonight's boat ride has been canceled. Though your goons are still going up the river." Batman mocked with a smirk as he looked toward the ascending hook that lifted the captured goons in a net and held them for the police.

"Wish you could join them." He finished as he then ended the call.

When the call ended, Shido was livid as his eyes narrowed and he began to crush the phone in his hands. He knew who that just had to be. The so-called new Batman. He along with other Gothamites have heard reports of a new Batman in the city, but he had dismissed them as some cosplayer trying to be a hero.

But in the weeks since he first appeared, he's been causing one problem after another for Shido and his organization. If this keeps up, public opinion about Shido would start to plummet. He had considered using him, but it was too soon to reveal his trump cards. Perhaps he could turn to his other benefactor for help.

"My friends, perhaps you're right." Shido spoke up as he turned to the potential investors. "It is an ungodly hour. We can continue negotiations tomorrow, when we are regressed." He said, barely keeping his anger in check as he left the office. The investors merely looked confused.

"Have things gotten so desperate for you to come and see me, Masayoshi?" Kunikazu Okumura, CEO of Wayne-Okumura, asked with a teasing smile as the politician sat in front of him.

"Don't test me Okumura!" Shido warned, his irritation clearly showing on his face. "I'm not in the mood for such nonsense. We have a problem."

"The new Batman I presume?" Okumura suggested, and the look on Shido's face at that name confirmed it. "I thought you had him under control? What happened? You lose track of your toys?"

"It's not him." Shido's answer shocked Okumura. "Whoever this new Batman is, he's not what we had planned in order to make Project Yaldabaoth happen. He's not just some idiot middle-aged man trying to be a hero. He's going after our organization, dismantling it piece-by-piece. Soon, everything will be brought to light. We need to-"

SLAM!

The sound of Okumura slamming the desk stopped Shido from finishing his sentence. "'We'? This is your problem Shido!" Okumura stated as he pointed a finger at the politician. "I provide you with the necessary funds for your campaign and any resources you need from my company to keep our organization running. And in return, you deal with any problems that may come up to try and destroy us! Does Batman scare you so much that you make me want to solve the problem for you, you spineless coward!?"

Shido was silent as he merely glared at Okumura, completely calm. He then asked, "Have you had your eyes checked recently?"

The sudden change in topic caught Okumura off guard. Why would he need to get his eyes checked? He then looked in a reflection of a tablet, and gasped. They were slightly cracked, a green neon glow coming from them. He quickly reached into his desk and pulled out a pair of shades that covered his eyes.

"You'll want to be careful with that temper Kunikazu. You never know who could be watching, to see you for who you truly are." Shido advised in the same tone Okumura greeted him with when he entered the office. He then stood up from his chair and made his way to the exit. "Take this as further incentive to rid ourselves of the Batman. If he continues to cause us problems like this, the stress you accumulate will ruin you." And with that, he left the office.

Okumura sat in his chair, trying to calm himself from the anger before he shed any more of his skin. After a few moments, he finally did so and stood up to head down to the secret lab to get his skin fixed.

However, he was met with an unexpected obstacle when he opened the door to exit his office: his only daughter and current heir to the company, Haru Okumura.

"Haru?! What are you doing here?!" The elder Okumura asked. Wasn't she supposed to be on a date with her fiance? Something Sugimura?

Haru looked down in shame for a moment before she spoke up. "I cannot marry that man, father!" Haru proclaimed, causing Okumura to sigh internally, this wasn't the first time they had this conversation. But it seems no matter how many times he stressed the importance of this arranged marriage to her, she didn't seem to listen or worse, care.

"We've been over this dear. In order for us to finally enter politics, you need to be married to that politician's son. All the other influential politicians either have daughters, or their sons are already married. My word is final!" Okumura explained again, though like the other times, he doubted she would listen. But he didn't have time to make sure the lecture stuck. "I'm busy at the moment. We'll discuss this after school tomorrow."

He moved past her to go down the hall but Haru reached out and grabbed his hand. "Father!" Haru cried. Okumura's anger flared as the skin surrounding his hand started to burn Haru's hand, causing her to retract her hand from his.

Okumura brought the burning hand up to his chest and took several deep breaths to calm himself. He couldn't let Haru find out who he really was. If she did, there was no telling what she would do.

"I said, we'll talk about this in the morning." Okumura said as he moved down the hall, missing the look of despair on his daughter's face as tears flowed down her cheeks.

Okumura sat in an examination chair with a sensory screen running up and down his body. The fake skin had already been mostly burned off his body.

"It's useless. Barely lasts a day anymore." Okumura complained as he pushed the scanner to the side in anger. "What do I pay you people for?!" He shouted as he tore off the skin on his chest to reveal a green glowing skeleton body underneath.

It happened a few years ago. During a business deal to transport nerve gas to a foreign terrorist group to make more money. Mr. Okumura was overseeing the delivery along with his wife when it happened.

Some freak dressed like Batman had messed with the exchange causing everyone in the area to be exposed to the gas. The accident cost Okumura his money, his wife, and his humanity. Apparently he had been contaminated by the nerve gas and had begun releasing dangerous levels of radiation.

To keep up appearances, he had his top scientists develop artificial skin to shield others from his radiation and keep up his appearances. He would have to reapply the skin every so often to make sure he didn't reveal what had happened to him. But now it seems to prove less and less effective.

"It's not the skin sir." One of the scientists corrected as Okumura tore off more of the fake skin. "The radiation you're admitting is getting stronger."

"Is that supposed to pacify me?!" He asked as he grabbed the doctor by the shirt and was prepared to melt his face off.

"Mr. Okumura, I have a suggestion." A female voice spoke up, causing the three to love over in her direction. She was a woman that seemed to be in her mid thirties or late twenties, librarian style glasses and her brown hair seemed to glow green from the light Okumura was generating.

"Who are you?" Okumura asked irritably.

"She's new here Mr. Okumura." One of the male researchers explained, his tone slightly nervous. "She really shouldn't-"

"I'm Doctor Lake." The woman interrupted as she moved to take her glasses off. "Stephanie Lake."

"What's this suggestion of yours?" Okumura asked, willing to try anything to keep this side of him from being exposed to the public.

"I could use your baseline DNA to build you a new body. Then transfer your neural patterns into it." Dr. Lake explained.

"Dr. Lake, it's not your place to-"

"A new body?" Okumura said in awe. He could have a brand new body, free of this radiation. And if he was, then he would be free from Shido's blackmail.

"Theoretically it should work." Dr. Lake said as she put her glasses back on. "Of course, I would want to test the process first on someone who also has systematically damaged DNA."

"You have someone in mind?" Okumura asked, already knowing the answer.

A door opened and illuminated a dark room that Dr. Lake entered. The room was filled with different kinds of machinery and technology, all for one specimen. Or more accurately, the head of one specimen.

"Take a good look, doctor." The head said from a glass containment unit as Dr. Lake approached it. "I've been like this for nearly 50 years and I haven't aged one day. I have become what many men have dreamed of… an immortal." While it seemed like he was boasting about his situation, he was anything but pleased. "And yet, there hasn't been a day, an hour, a minute I haven't thought about death. I'm obsessed with it, even now."

"What if I said I could give you life?" Dr. Lake asked as she approached him. "A normal life." The head scoffed in disbelief. "Victor, an incredible mind like yours deserves a body."

The head, now identified as Victor Fries, AKA Mr. Freeze, now held a face of hope and desperation instead of disbelief and anger a moment ago.

Some time later, an artificial body was laid out on an examination table, being observed by multiple machines and heart monitors. The head of Mr. Freeze rested next to the body on a podium to keep him upright. A pair of wires attached to his head to transmit his brain waves.

"Dr. Lake and I have taken every precaution, Victor." Okumura said, pleased that this was getting underway. The faster this worked, the faster he would be out of Shido's debt. "Let me assure you."

"Save your breath." Victor stopped him. "I am neither afraid nor capable of being comforted by your banal words." Okumura scowled as he walked away from the head.

"Remember, there might be some momentary discomfort." Dr. Lake warned as she then moved to the consuel and activated the machine.

The tentacles on Victor's head began whirring and sparking with electricity. Victor then howled in pain as his head felt like it was splitting in two.

His eyes then shot open and he gasped. The bright lights blinded him momentarily as he used his hands to shield his eyes. However, he stopped when he noticed he had hands and began to look around in surprise, able to move his head.

"Welcome back to the land of the living." Okumura said as he and Dr. Lake observed him as he got out of bed and moved toward the window.

Dr. Lake then began to stand up, concerned. "I don't think you should-" She was stopped when Okumura grabbed her arm and held her back.

"Let's see what he can do." He said, smiling as he looked at Victor, with Dr. Lake also looked concerned.

As Victor placed his hand on the window, he felt a sensation that was eerily familiar, yet entirely foreign to him in this way.

"Cold." He said with a smile, happy to feel the sensation on the outside of his body instead of in him after so long. Both Dr. Lake and Okumura smiled, pleased with the results. "It feels… cold."

The Next Day

As the final bell rang, Shujin Academy's students began to be let out and head on to either home or club activities.

"Hey guys!" Ren called to his friends Ann and Ryuji. "You guys got time to grab a fizz or something?" He asked, hoping to spend some time with them before Bruce called.

"I'm down for that!" Ryuji said excitedly. Ann looked behind the pair of boys and held a sad smile.

"We do, but you don't." At their confused glances, Ann pointed down the steps of the Academy and the boys followed her finger. There at the base of the steps stood Bruce, along with Morgana and Ace, who beckoned him to come with a bark.

"Looks like your keeper's here, Renren." Ryuji said. Ren frowned in disappointment. Morgana then ran up the steps of the school.

"Hurry up frizzy hair!" Morgana shouted, despite only being a couple feet away from Ren. He then quickly turned his attention to Ann and bowed. "Lady Ann, it is a pleasure to see you once again!"

Despite knowing the kid for about a week now, Ann looked baffled by Morgana's massive crush on her, and how he approached it. It was certainly unlike any sort of crush someone's had on her before.

Ren had told Ann and Ryuji that Bruce Wayne had adopted Morgana when he shared the situation with the elder man. Both seemed rather hesitant to believe that a mid seventy year old man could look after a kid that was only around twelve years old. However, it seemed like Morgana was happy living with the older man, after all, he got to live in a huge mansion with a rich and famous person after all.

Ryuji chuckled slightly. "Bet you he just came here to see ogle Ann." He whispered to Ren, though Morgana clearly heard it.

"Shouldn't blond apes like you not know how to speak." Morgana shot back, causing Ryuji's blood to boil.

"Oh you asking for it, huh pipsqueak!"

"I'm begging for it you oaf!"

"Alright stop it!" Ren said as he got between the two and held them back. The last thing he needed was for Ryuji and Morgana to murder each other on school ground.

After calming both of them down, Ren said bye to his friends and walked away with Bruce, Ace, and Morgana. Bruce pulled out his phone and pulled up a recent news video that he then showed to Ren. Ren took the device and watched the broadcast.

Okumura, the CEO of Wayne-Okumura, was holding a press conference, and a stranger Ren had never seen before stood behind him. "Victor Fries has paid his debt to society and now with the help of the great medical minds of Wayne-Okumura he's returned to a normal life." Okumura then gestured to the man behind him.

Ren put the phone down as he processed the information, if he remembered correctly, Victor Fries was the real name of the supervillain Mr. Freeze, who Bruce himself had fought multiple times as the Batman of the past.

"When was this on?" He asked.

"This morning." Bruce answered as Ren turned back to the video.

"My fervent hope is that the technology used to help Victor will serve to help millions more." Okumura said as he placed a hand on Victor's shoulder, giving off the impression that he had that hope. The screen then shut off and Ren handed the phone back to Bruce.

"I want you and Morgana to follow Fries." Bruce ordered as he placed the phone back in his jacket. "Don't let him out of your sight."

"Why?" Ren asked.

"I'm with Ren Mr. Wayne." Morgana said as he looked up at Bruce. "I mean, I'm happy to finally be out there as Robin!" His tone made it obvious how excited he was. "But why are you having us follow around some old popsicle man?"

"I don't trust him." Bruce said, signifying that it was reason enough for them to do as he said as he began to walk away.

"Okumura or Fries?" Ren asked.

"Neither." Bruce answered as he looked back at them.

At one of Nippon-Gotham's multiple train stops, over three dozen passengers waited eagerly for the train that was approaching. They were so engrossed in their own world that they didn't even notice a black cat was leaning over the edge of the station, fiddling with a crumpled piece of paper.

The cat would have been run over by the train if not for the timely intervention of one individual who saved the cat's life. Citizens looked in awe as the newly returned Victor Fries held the cat in his arms.

"Molly!" A little girl cried as she ran to pick up her cat, who Victor handed to her with a smile on his face. Dr. Lake, who accompanied Victor, grabbed his arm and the two entered the train with a smile.

Observing the two from a distance, the new Batman and Robin, the latter wearing his new suit for the first time, watched them.

"There's a menace to society." Batman said sarcastically, referring to Fries' rescue of that girl's cat.

"Ace might agree with you." Robin said.

As Fries and Dr. Lake entered the Nippon-Gotham Cemetery, Batman and Robin followed by vaulting over the stone wall.

The two doctors continued to walk through the graves before they stopped in front of one, with Fries walking ahead of the woman as he stared down at the headstone.

Batman and Robin peaked their heads out behind a stone angel statue and observed them. The former then zoomed in with his cowl to read the name of the tombstone they were looking at. His eyes widened as he read the name.

"'Victor Fries'?" Batman uttered in confusion. Why would this guy be visiting his own grave site? He then extended his fingers and activated the enhanced sound recorder on his suit to pick up their conversation.

"How fitting that that diseased skull of mine should be buried like this." Fries said.

"Frankly, I couldn't think of anything else to do with it." Dr. Lake explained as she looked toward him.

"It was the right thing." Fries assured her as they looked back to the grave.

"It symbolizes the end of a life…" Fries began before he stared into Dr. Lake's eyes "... and the beginning of a new one."

Batman deactivated the audio receptors and stood back up, intending to leave. It didn't feel right to him, spying on Fries like this. Even if he had done bad things in the past, it looked as if he wanted to change and be better, and that made him okay in Ren's book.

Just as he was about to tell Robin they were leaving, the boy whispered to him. "Psst! Batman, look over there." He pointed over to a tree urgently as Batman followed his finger.

A silhouette moved to hide themselves behind a tree a few meters off to the side of them. It seems they weren't the only ones following Fries. Batman then zoomed in with his lenses and saw that it was a man dressed in black uniform with a mask. He held a gun and had it pointed at Fries.

Seeing the emanate danger, Batman sprang into action as he fired his boosters. The laser light trailed across Fries back before stopping at his head. As the assailant pulled the trigger, Batman tackled both Fries and Dr. Lake to the ground, saving them as the bullets that flew. The trio tumbled across the ground as they attempted to dodge the bullets.

"Stay down!" Batman ordered as he pulled out several Batarangs and threw them at the assailant, they hit the ground and exploded in a cloud of smoke, covering the shooter's vision. He kept firing despite the blinded vision and coughing violently.

He stopped however when Robin appeared out of nowhere and delivered a drop kick to the shooter's face. The impact sent him rolling across the ground and hitting a gravestone. He got up and began to run away, but not before Robin threw a bola around the man's legs, causing him to trip and fall, smashing a pair of flowers that stood in front of a grave.

He raised his head and glared only to look in fear as Batman and Robin overshadowed him, the former glaring while the latter had a smirk on his face, crossing his arms.

"No! No! He's gotta die! The monster's gotta die!" The man pleaded as Batman moved and tore off the shooter's mask. Underneath was a middle-aged man, bald with grey hairs on the side of his head with wrinkles, his face carried disbelief. "How could you save him, after what he did?" The man asked as he then looked down with sorrow. "What he did to me."

At this time, Fries and Dr. Lake began to approach the trio. Having heard the man's rambling, Fries asked with concern and regret, "What did I do?"

"You destroyed my life, my family… years ago. Gone, frozen forever." The man said as he looked down in depression, both from the memories and his failed attempt to kill the man responsible.

"We'll let the police take care of him." Batman said as he turned to Fries.

"No." Fries said as he shook his head, his voice filled with regret. "I've done enough damage to this man." He then kneeled down and undid the binding on his legs. When he finished, the man looked up at Fries in awe.

"No words can express my sorrow for the pain I've caused you." Fries said genuinely looking away briefly before coming back to face him. "I beg your forgiveness. It was another life. Though that's hardly an excuse. I can only promise you this: I will do the best I can to make reparations to you and everyone I've ever hurt."

The man stood up from the ground, saying nothing as he glared at Fries. He then turned and walked away. Batman turned and looked at Fries in awe at his words. He sounded so genuine and determined to make up for the wrongs he committed.

Later that day, Fries went on the air to make a statement to the people of Nippon-Gotham. He declared that he would be creating a charitable organization dedicated to fixing the lives he ruined during his time as Mr. Freeze.

"I'm calling it the Nora Fries Foundation, named after my former wife." Fries explained to an anchor woman sitting across from him.

"And you intend to fund it yourself?" The woman asked, curious to know how a former supervillain who is in a new body would be able to fund such an organization.

"Before I went to prison, my legitimate earnings were put in a blind trust." Fries revealed. "After all these years, it comes to quite a significant sum."

"A half-billion I hear. That's some charity." The woman said.

"Not charity." Fries corrected.

Batcave

"Justice."

Bruce then turned off the screen. "More like blood money." Bruce said, his tone angry as he stood up from his chair.

"Come on, can't you cut him a little slack?" Ren said as he took a sip from some coffee he brewed earlier. He frowned in dissatisfaction as he glanced at brown liquid. Sojiro had been teaching him how to make, according to him anyway, the perfect cup of coffee, saying that such skills would be needed in an assistant to someone as famous as Bruce Wayne. So far, Ren hadn't been able to come close to Sojiro's level of coffee, and don't get him started on his curry.

"I have to agree with Ren Mr. Wayne." Morgana spoke up. "He just seems like a nice guy who's trying to get his house in order."

Bruce then glanced at an old profile of Mr. Freeze on one of the Batcomputer's monitors. He then glanced back at the two. "It's a cold draft that blows through that house." He warned as he walked further into the cave.

Ren frowned as he put down his beverage and walked toward Bruce. "I don't get you Bruce. Shouldn't you be thrilled by this?" Ren asked. "One of your former nemesis is making a conscious effort to change and fix the damage he's done, and you're not even giving him the chance! You're just judging him by what he did in the past and holding onto that bias against him, despite the fact he's not the person you think he is!"

Bruce was silent for a long moment as he turned to face Ren. When he spoke, his response caught Ren off guard. "Are we still talking about Fries?"

Ren blinked as he looked in confusion at the older man. "What's that supposed to mean?" He asked.

"Being judged by past actions whether you did them or not, not seeing you for who you really are, being labeled a criminal, leaving you isolated and alone." Bruce said as he walked up and loomed over Ren. "Sounds familiar, doesn't it?"

Ren's eyes widened slightly before they narrowed. "This has got nothing to do with me!" He denied.

"It has everything to do with you." Bruce countered as his own eyes narrowed and looked down at Ren. "You're clouding your judgement because of your own experiences that you can't see Fries for who he really is. And that is making you compromised."

"Well I'm not the only one judging someone because of my experiences." Ren fired back as he glared at Bruce. The Batmen of past and future continued to glare at each other, refusing to back down.

Finally, Ren scoffed as he turned and walked away from Bruce. "Just remember." Bruce spoke up, causing Ren to stop. "You never did the things they say about you. But Freeze has done more than what others could possibly say about him."

"That's a wrap!" The producer said the crew began to get to work.

"Good job Victor." The Anchor woman said as the make-up artist came up to her.

"Thank you." Fries said as he then began to sweat profoundly and tug at the collar of his shirt. "It's a little warm in here." He commented as he moved to leave the studio.

"It's the lights," The woman told him as she busied herself with getting ready for her next broadcast. "And they say we don't work hard for our money."

Fries stepped out of the news studio and began to make his way across a bridge, still sweating profusely. He then removed his long coat to cool down a bit. It didn't help at all, so he then stripped off his blue jacket and continued to walk, despite sweating even more.

Feeling exhausted from the heat, he then sat down on a nearby bench and took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat off his brow. It didn't do much for him as sweat droplets fell from his head and hit the ground.

Something was wrong. He could feel it.

At the Wayne-Okumura main research facility, Fries, now in his underwear, was sitting in an isolated room. The temperature read the room as 35 degrees Fahrenheit. And he was still sweating all over his body.

Outside the room, Dr. Lake was on the phone with Okumura. "No doubt about it. He's reverting." She said, her tone grave.

"Why? How?" Okumura asked, his tone irritated. "Don't you know what this means to me?"

"There must be some kind of mnemonic agent within the DNA." Dr. Lake theorized, believing that Fries' DNA was trying to remember the body when he was Mr. Freeze.

"If only we could biopsy his organs at this stage." Okumura voiced.

"That might be doable." She could tell that her words caused Okumura to smile.

Back in the room where Fries was sweating up a storm, Dr. Lake walked over to the side of the wall and pressed one of two buttons. A glass shielding then came down in front of Fries, trapping him in the room.

"Stephanie?' Fries said as he stood up and pressed himself against the glass. "Stephanie!" He shouted in shock as he saw her turn the temperature control knob up. The room temperature began to rise to dangerous levels for him.

"What are you doing?!" Fries asked as he pressed harder against the glass. "No! Please! Open the door!" He begged. His eyes then began to roll over and his throat became dry, causing his voice to become horse. "Please. Please." He then fell backwards and collapsed on the ground, struggling to breath and stay alive in, what felt like to him, this blistering heat.

He then reached out toward Dr. Lake as if pleading one last time for her to help him. But she just stood there, watching as he slowly began to die from overheating. Seeing that she had abandoned him, Fries crumpled and gaver up all hope.

Or at least, that's what it looked like.

He then grabbed the bed and threw it into the glass panel, breaking it! The flying bed knocked Dr. Lake to the ground. The scientist groaned as she looked up in terror as Fries loomed over her, terrified that he would kill her. He merely glared down at her before he exited the lab and disappeared into the city.

"Even if he ran away like you heard, it doesn't mean he's gonna come back." Batman said as he staked out Wayne-Okumura laboratories, waiting for Fries to return. They had heard reports that Victor Fries was spotted leaving the lab in only his undergarments, like a crook fleeing the scene of a crime.

"He'll be back, count on it." Bruce assured. "He lives for revenge."

"Not the Victor Fries I met." Batman countered.

"Yeah, he seemed like a nice guy." Morgana said from the other end, who was ordered to stay behind in the Batcave because it was too dangerous.

"What you two met was a ghost."

The elevator doors to the lower labs opened, allowing Okumura, Dr. Lake, and the two other scientists to step out. "Security's checked every meat locker, deep freeze, and cryogenic plant in town." Dr. Lake reported. "No sign of him."

The two scientists that accompanied them looked nervously at each other before one of them spoke up. "We never should have started this."

"Sometimes you find the wrong answers before you find the right ones. That's what science is all about." Dr. Lake told them as she turned back to Okumura. "And anyway, if he's still hiding in Nippon-Gotham, he's fried."

"What makes you so sure?" Okumura asked, skeptic.

"We're having a heat wave Mr. Okumura. Today it hit 85." She said with a smirk, knowing he wouldn't be able to survive this heat.

Suddenly, the whole building began to shake violently as if it alone was the sole building in Nippon-Gotham to face an earthquake. "What's-what's going on?" One of the other scientists said nervously.

"Where's this shaking coming from?" Okumura asked out loud, knowing this couldn't be a natural quake as he moved to an exit. He gasped when he lost balance from all the shaking.

Suddenly, giant ice spears shot up from the ground in the room! The other two scientists yelled in fear as they began to run for their lives. Okumura and Dr. Lake also began to run away in the opposite direction from them.

Giant ice spears suddenly sprang up all over the facility in a trail, penetrating the roof leading to the outside.

Batman gasped as he saw the sudden appearance of ice, before he frowned in sadness and disappointment. "Oh Fries." He said, knowing it had to be him behind this. He jumped from the wall he was perched on and flew down to the facility.

Okumura and Dr. Lake continued to sprint through the half-frozen facility, narrowly avoiding large spikes of ice that kept popping up at random. When they finally neared the exit, a giant ice wall stopped them in their path and caused them to fall to the ground.

They looked in fear to see that, emerging from a could of ice, was the newly returned Mr. Freeze, now in a bulky, futuristic version of his cryo suit. He cut off the ice beams on his hands and loomed over the frightened pair of scientists.

"Freeze?!" Okumura yelled in disbelief at the sight before him. "But… how?" How did Freeze get a hold of such an advanced cryosuit?

"It's something I've kept in cold storage." Freeze answered. Dr. Lake then rose and began running away with Okumura right behind her. Freeze then shot a cryo blast in Okumura's direction, freezing the floor, causing him to slip and hit a block of ice.

"You've got this all wrong." Okumura said, trying to find an excuse to keep him alive.

"Do I?" Freeze asked rhetorically as he readied himself to freeze Okumura.

"Victor, don't do it!" Freeze looked to the source of the voice to see Dr. Lake walked toward him. "Please." She begged.

Okumura took this as his opportunity and ran. Freeze didn't let him get far as he shot a beam of ice at his back. Okumura shouted as his whole body began to be covered in ice. In less than five seconds, the CEO of Wayne-Okumura was completely frozen.

Dr. Lake looked in horror as she then backed away from Freeze as he walked over to her. "We were only trying to help you." She tried to reason with him

"Remember, there might be some momentary discomfort." Freeze said, calling back to her own words of warning when he transferred his consciousness into a new body. He then shot a blast of ice at her.

The last sound she uttered was that of her dying scream as she was sealed into an icy tomb.

As Freeze then exited the building, he was met with a dozen of Wayne-Okumura security forces. They opened fire on the supervillain. Their weapons did little to no damage toward Freeze as he then fired his cryo beams that trapped them in a pyramid of ice.

A security car then came charging at Freeze, but he fired a beam of ice that ended up trapping the driver and the whole car in an iceberg. He then glared at the driver before walking away to destroy more of this forsaken facility.

Back inside the facility, the ice that had trapped Okumura began to melt away before it suddenly exploded. And in the mist from the explosion, a glowing green skull could be seen.

Freeze then entered the main power center of the facility and began freezing the door to seal himself in. He then walked over to the main counsel and set the power core to overload.

He then caught a familiar shadow overlooking him. "There's enough energy here to destroy the whole compound, Batman." He told the reincarnation of his old foe as he turned to face him. "I suggest you find a way out."

"Fries, think." Batman pleaded, trying to reason with the madman. "This can't be what you want. You'll only cause more pain, more suffering."

"No, I'll end it." Freeze corrected. "When this goes, I go, too." He then fired a cryo beam at Batman, who lept from his perch to dodge. Freeze then fired more blasts of ice as Batman continued to run and dodge all the attacks.

One of Freeze's blasts ended up collapsing a catwalk down onto him, but he was able to blast it away. Batman then leapt from the remaining catwalk and prepared to throw a Batarang at Freeze. However, Freeze was faster as he shot a beam of ice toward the Dark Knight.

When Freeze was done, Batman's whole body, save for his head, was encased in ice. He struggled to break free, grunting and straining himself, but so far no effort.

"You had your chance." Freeze told him.

"As did you." A third voice said. Freeze turned to the source and was met with a glowing hand of radiation that caused his suit to burn from the contact. A green glowing skeleton man in torn up business clothes pressed harder against Freeze's suit, causing it to malfunction and melt at his touch.

"You feel it, don't you?" The glowing man asked rhetorically, taunting Freeze. "Right through your suit. The heat is on, Victor."

Batman's eyes widened in worry for Freeze as he struggled to break free from this ice. "Ren," Bruce's voice came from the comm, "I can't maintain the video link. What's happening?" Batman didn't answer right away as he finally managed to free one of his arms.

Freeze tried to strike back by raising one of his arms, but the glowing man grabbed the arm and began to melt it too. "And behold, I shall be a blight upon the land and everything I touch shall wither and die." The man said as he prepared to finish Freeze off.

But Batman managed to deliver a flying kick, sending the glowing man flying. Freeze collapsed to the ground, his suit badly damaged.

"Batman." The glowing man said as he leaned back on a railing, melting it.

"And who are you, sunshine?" Batman asked, standing up and ready to pounce. The glowing man brought up his hand and created a radioactive orb in his hands as he thought about it for a moment.

"Blight will do." The newly identified Blight said as he threw the orb at Batman. The orb hit him in the eyes, blinding him temporarily as Blight then tackled him to the ground.

Batcave

The Batsuit sensors on the Batcomputer began beeping in emergency as Bruce and Morgana looked in worry at this sight.

"What's happening?! What's going on?!" Morgana said, worried for Ren's safety. With the video link still dead, they couldn't tell what was happening.

Bruce didn't answer the kid as he then contacted Ren. "Ren, there's something hot in that room."

Blight had wrapped his hands around Batman's head and pushed him against the wall.

"Ugh! No kidding!" Batman said as he reached behind him and grabbed Blight by the shoulders. Using his enhanced strength from the suit, he then flung the radioactive monster off his body and toward a pipe.

The pipe burst as Blight hit it, only to land on the ground as if nothing had happened. Batman then leapt down to join in, not noticing Mr. Freeze was looming behind him, barely keeping himself upright. He groaned as he opened up the consul on his gauntlet and pressed multiple commands.

Blight began to throw orbs at Batman, the Dark Knight barely being able to dodge them, before closing the distance and using his shoulders as a launching boost. He then ducked behind some cover as he contacted Bruce.

"This guy," He began, almost unsure of how to describe it. "He's like a walking meltdown."

"Keep your distance." Bruce warned. "The suit will give you some protection. But it's not designed for such high levels of radiation."

"I gotta help him!" Morgana said as he moved to grab his suit but Bruce stopped him before he could get too far.

"No!" He said, and his tone meant it was final. "Your suit is still just a prototype. It won't be able to give you any protection at all!"

"But I can't just leave him!" Morgana argued.

"It's okay Morgana." Ren's voice came from the computer.

"I got this." He told them as he closed down the communication. 'I hope.' He thought to himself as he drew a Batarang. He then lept out from his hiding place, managing to dodge a radiation orb.

He then threw the Batarang at Blight, the rope at the end wrapping around the walking wasteland. Batman tried to pull, but Blight seemed to be much stronger as he grabbed the line and pulled the dark Knight toward himself. He then unleashed a surge of radiation that melted the cable and sent it traveling down till it hit shocked Batman, sending him crashing through a railing and into a wall.

As Batman groaned and tried to stand up, Blight stood over him. "You only got a tan that time Batman." He said as giant orbs of radiation formed in both his hands. "Here comes the real burn."

"Blight!"

Said monster turned to see Freeze aim his arm at him and fire a powerful blast of ice that sent him flying out of the facility and into the pond of a nearby park.

Freeze collapsed to his hands and knees and struggled to breath. Batman jumped down from and moved to try and help him.

"Stay where you are." Freeze warned and Batman stopped in his tracks. He looked as if he was about to say something but a sudden creaking noise cut him off. He looked around to see the whole structure began to shake and giant shards of ice began to break apart and fall onto the ground.

"You gotta get out of here Freeze. The whole place is gonna go!" Batman warned, hoping he would listen to reason and save himself.

"Believe me…" Freeze said, trying to get the words out. "You're the only one who cares." Batman looked down in regret, knowing that there was truth in that statement.

More ice shards began falling, some on electrical equipment and pipes, causing them to explode.

Despite not being able to see what was happening in the facility, Bruce and Morgana could tell from the suit's sensors and outside footage that the lab was collapsing.

"Ren! Get out of there! Now!" Bruce ordered.

More ice shards fell and explosions went off as Freeze created a wall of ice separating him and Batman.

"Fries no!" Batman shouted as he tried to get through the wall and saw that Freeze had entirely given up. Ice shards fell all around Freeze's side of the compound, obscuring him from Batman's view.

Batman's eyes widened in shock and horror, but he wasn't able to stay like that for long as more ice began falling along with the scaffolding. He narrowly managed to avoid one before he decided then and there that he had to leave. He then made his way to the exit Freeze created when he shot Blight out of the building.

The whole lab began to collapse as it came crumbling down. From the growing smoke and dust from the crumbling facility emerged Batman, wings extended as he flew to safety.

BOOM

And just in time, because that building went up in smoke in a brilliant display of fireworks. Batman landed on the roof of a building and observed the scene as Wayne-Okumura Security forces arrived on the scene to try and control the fire.

In the park, a Wayne-Okumura drop ship touched down in a clearing where Blight was standing, waiting for them.

The loading ramp opened and a worker came out and greeted the man. "Mr. Okumura, we used an infrared scan to find you." The officer explained as He got out of the way so Blight could enter. "Not that you would have been hard to spot without it." He tried an attempt at humor.

Another officer walked up to him and held out some blankets. "We also brought these, just in case you were cold." He said innocently. Okumura's skull eyes narrowed at the comment.

"You are idiots." He insulted as he stormed past them.

As the sun began to rise over Nippon-Gotham, signifying the beginning of a new day, a trail of ascending smoke could be seen from all over the city. It was especially visible to a trio of onlookers who watched the scene as more fire engines drove to stop the fire.

"With all his injuries and that cracked helmet…" Ren began before he trailed off, almost afraid to admit the reality of the situation. But he found the strength to do so. "No way he got out."

"It could have been worse." Bruce said as he stood alongside Ren, observing the scene. "He would have blown up the whole compound like he intended, and killed hundreds." He finished with a side glance to Ren, almost as if saying 'I told you so'.

But Ren didn't have the strength to fight back. After all, how could he, when Bruce was right. "Guess, you were right about Fries all along." He admitted as he looked toward Bruce with a disappointed look on his face.

Bruce then looked back at the scene before he admitted. "We both were." He said no more as he turned and walked away from the scene, Morgana following close behind. Ren continued to look at the rising smoke before speaking again.

"And you were right about the other thing too." Ren admitted, causing Bruce and Morgana to stop, the latter looking at him while the former still looked ahead. "I did see myself in Fries. So I thought, hoped, that maybe he could change, be better than who he was in the past. But it clouded my judgement. I let it get too personal. I'm sorry."

He squeezed his eyes shut and braced himself for the lecture he would be getting from Bruce, but surprisingly, none came. Instead, he felt a gentle hand touch his back, he turned and looked in surprise to see Bruce looking at him with concern.

"Just learn from it." Bruce said as he put his hand down and walked away again. "And if you're worried you may end up like Freeze, don't. Because unlike him, you're not alone." And with that, Bruce left without another word.

Ren stared at Bruce with amazement, before smiling and following after him and Morgana.

The Next Day

News of Freeze's action was revealed the next day. The support he managed to build for himself crumbled. Also, his legitimate earnings were absorbed by Wayne-Okumura, saying that they will confiscate the funds and use them to improve lives in the city. Just more PR garbage.

But Ren didn't listen to any of that garbage. He knew the truth, and while it may be tragic, he was glad to know Fries wasn't the monster everyone thought he was.

Which was why he stood above the gravestone titled 'Victor Fries'. While he doubted his actual body was in the coffin, he still wanted to pay his respect. So he gently placed a pot of white flowers down in front of the tomb stone before bringing his hands together into a prayer.

'May you find the peace in this rest, that you never did in life.' Ren said in his mind before he closed the prayer and stood up and turned around to leave, only to be met with a sight he certainly wasn't expecting.

"Madam President?!"

Makoto flushed in embarrassment when she realized he had caught her red handed. "D-don't get the wrong idea!" She stammered, trying to come up with an excuse. "I wasn't spying on you! I just came here to pay my respects to my family when I caught sight of you." She then held up the bouquet of flowers she had in her hands before she bowed. "I'm sorry! Please forgive my rudeness!"

Ren stared at her in bewilderment for a moment before he ended up sighing. "It's fine, no harm no foul." He said as he waved her off. "I'm here for the same reason you are anyway."

As Makoto rose from her apologetic bow, she looked at him with pity. "You also have family buried here? Are you here to pay your respects to them?"

Ren scratched the back of his head. "Well… yes and no." At Makoto's confused look, he explained. "My family is buried here and I do come to pay respects to them every now and then. But I didn't come here to pay respect to them today."

As he stepped out of the way to reveal the name of the tombstone he was standing over, Makoto couldn't help but gasp at the name. Victor Fries, as in Mr. Freeze?! She like, all of Nippon-Gotham's citizens had woken up that morning to the news that the former supervillain had terrorized a Wayne-Okumura research facility and died in an explosion. Why was Ren paying respects to such a person?

"Because I saw a bit of myself in him." Ren answered Makoto's unspoken question, being able to tell from the expression on her face what she was thinking. "He was judged solely on what he did in the past, whether it was true or not. No one ever took the initiative to really get to know him. And…" He trailed off as he looked towards the flowers. "I definitely know I would want someone to leave flowers at my grave."

Makoto could tell from the look in Ren's eyes that this was a serious concern for him. He was worried that when he died, no one would miss him.

Makoto then walked up to the grave and kneeled down in front of the tombstone and placed a flower from her bouquet in front of the stone. She then brought her hands together and said a prayer.

When she finished, she stood up and looked over at Ren, who stared at her in awe. This caused her to blush. "I-I just thought that Mr. Fries wouldn't mind one more flower. Do you think he would?" She asked nervously.

Ren then smiled. "No, I'm sure he would like that." He said, which caused Makoto to smile. They stood in silence like that for a long time, neither of them uttering a single word. Finally after a long moment, Ren cleared his throat. "I should get going. I wouldn't want to keep you from paying your respect." He said awkwardly. Why couldn't he have the confidence he had as Batman when he was talking with her? "See you later Madam President."

With that, he turned and walked away. He didn't even get five steps in before she called him. "Amamiya!" He stopped and turned to face her. Her brow was bent as she contemplated over her next words. After a moment, she decided to speak up. "You don't have to call me Madam President if you don't want to."

Ren's eyes widened as he then asked, "Well what would you like me to call you then?"

"You can call me Makoto if you'd like." She answered, blushing at the implications. Ren stared at her for a moment before he smirked.

"Alright, but on one condition." He said, his voice sounding mock serious as he pointed at her. "You have to call me Ren."

Makoto blushed as she was suddenly put on the spot, and Ren couldn't help but smile and chuckle at how cut she was. After he and Makoto calmed down, the latter spoke. "Sure thing… Ren" She said, trying out his name.

Ren quickly decided he liked how she said his name. "See you at school… Makoto." He waved goodbye and left.

When he was out of sight, Makoto quickly let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. When he said her name, her heart wouldn't stop beating. But, she quickly decided that it wasn't a bad feeling. After all, if her heart was racing, it must have meant she was healthy and getting enough exercise, right?

But soon, that fluttery feeling in her stomach was replaced with guilt as she looked down in shame. 'What am I doing?' She asked herself as a recent memory came to her mind.

Flashback

"You think that the new Batman from the rumors is connected to the school?" Makoto asked Kobayakawa as she stood before him in his office after having been calling in after school.

"His first target was one of our faculty members, Kamoshida." Kobayakawa began explaining. "It would only make sense that someone from this Academy would be responsible for his assault and arrest, whether they be a teacher, a custodian, or even a student. Now I can't let Shujin fall under any more scandals, that's why I want you to take care of this." He then handed her a folder that she took and began flipping through. "That contains a list of all the people that had a grudge against Kamoshida. I want you to investigate to find out who is responsible for this."

As Makoto looked through the folder, she had noticed that Ren Amamiya, the infamous transfer student, and the person who helped her with the Jokerz on her birthday, was the prime suspect, along with Ryuji Sakamato and Ann Takamaki.

"Sir, why are you making me handle this?" She asked. She was already busy with entrance exams and student council business as is. She didn't need another burden on that top of all that.

Kobayakawa smirked. "Well, I could just keep your letter of recommendation here." He threatened, surprising Makoto. "It would be a shame that if it ever got lost or discarded, meaning all the hard approval you worked so hard to get would go down the drain."

Makoto gritted her teeth. This man… This was one of the many times Makoto had wanted to unleash her Aikido training in full on the fat principal, but she couldn't because that would get her into too much trouble, which in turn would bring trouble to her sister. And she couldn't afford to be anymore of a burden to her than she already was.

"Very well." Makoto relented. "I'll look into it and report what I find out."

Flashback end

As Makoto looked back in the direction Ren walked off to, she could only pray with all her heart that he had nothing to do with this new Batman.

A/N: But he has everything to do with it.

Again everyone, sorry for the late chapter. I hope this makes up for it.

I have to say, I had a bit of a challenge writing this one, despite having a source material I could easily turn to for help and ideas. Mainly because I had to come up with a reason why Okumura would want Freeze repaired. And that was because at the moment, Okumura is being blackmailed by Shido to use his company to further the latter's ambitions. Now this doesn't mean Okumura is innocent, he's plenty crooked as is, but he's under the thumb of Shido, because if anyone ever found out about his secret, he would be ruined.

Another thing that was challenging was making sure Ren felt some connection or similarity to Fries. Both of them are judged by actions of the past, though one is false while the other is true. And underneath those accusations, both are so much more than what others say they are. I figured that they would make a good foil for each other. Hope i did a good job of showing that.

Next chapter will hopefully be posted sooner than this one. And we'll be introducing a new member to the mission. Here's a preview.

An Outlaw's Comeback:

When Ryuji's house is attacked by Jokerz, Ren learns of a secret from Ryuji's past that could either bring them closer together, or tear them apart.

Stay safe out there everybody!