Dick Grayson

Chapter 17

Zoology 101

Only minutes have passed and I still feel like I'm dead. Yes, that would be nice if that were true right now, but nope, here I am. Still alive. And still living in the same degrees as a popsicle stick. It's a negative feeling, I know, but what can I say? ever since I started this gig with the "all mighty" Batman it's been nothing but a "Gauntlet" of challenges. Some times I wonder if this is all just some sort of test. Other times I just think of ways to increase my death rate. At first I thought I could bite my tongue off, but my whole jaw was frozen solid by that time. Next I figured I could itch my veins with my nails long and hard enough to start a drainage, but to my surprise, my hands where numb. I have had other ideas, but my brain freezes are stopping me from rethinking them. Maybe I'll just sit here and wait until I freeze over. After all, that's pretty much all that I can do at this point. Right?

"Love me cancerously...da da da dadada..."

"Shut that off! I thought I said if I heard that radio on again I would turn up the ice and blow you to another Ice Age. Just like I did to all the others in this Zoo."

"Sorry boss we'll turn it off right no-ah."

"Hm?...ack Nothing but imbeciles. I swear."

Hm, now there's something that I can work with. It's not like I'll be alive long enough for him to kill me any ways right?. I've got nothing to loose that I haven't already lost, after all.

"You know it would be better to just freeze them now and save money right? After all, that's all you villains really care about. Right?"

Mr. Freeze turns his head toward me as he pointed his short and slender freeze gun to my face. Freeze was surprised to see that I didn't even flinch or look away as I just sat there as I had been throughout my kidnapping.

"Your just a child and yet you look and act nothing like your age. Why is that?"

"How should I know? maybe it's just a new thing. Kind of like a new language except with moods and actions instead."

"Hm. For once, there is someone who see's difference as an evolution. How can this be?"

"I don't know the answer to that either. I guess it takes a kidnapping to find that which you have been searching for all your life."

"Ah, that would be true if only I hadn't already found that person. A lass it was lost, just like all other valued treasures."

"Oh, so now we're talking about lost loves right? What happened with her? did you not have the courage to speak up to her or what?"

Suddenly as I began my own little interrogation of my kidnapper, I couldn't help but to sense a feeling of loss, but at the same time a sense of relaxation. Maybe a release, knowing that I was definitely zero threat to him or his dastardly plans of taking the city as hostage.

"Oh no, nothing like that. Believe it or not, but I was once a normal man who lived a normal life. With a normal wife. She meant everything to me, but then..."god" took her from me. He changed the weather to cold and stole my wife's health. She is still alive, but only because I have used that coldness to my advantage and hold her in this realm of the living...but you, a mere child would understand very little about loss. Am I correct?"

I starred to the side for a brief moment, but then turned my attention back to Freeze.

"Actually. I know what you mean too well. I mean the feeling of loss and desperation. A deep desperation to find something that could cover that blackened hole in ones heart. Yes I am a child and I shouldn't know these feelings and things, but Gotham City has a way of morphing it's citizens to having an early look of how life actually works."

Freeze only shakes his head in what seemed like empathy for me, but only for a second because only moments late a strange and creepy laugh filled the cold air. I'm not even sure if it's humanly possible to laugh that loud in this kind of temperature, but anyway it seems it is since he continued his laugh for a good five minutes or so. After a short time stops laughing and says something else besides Hah hah.

"Oh Freeze! my good old buddy old pal. I see that you caught yourself exactly what we needed for our plan?"

Freeze jumps to his feet and points his gun to the clown who wouldn't stop laughing after his short little sentence. As soon as Freeze leaped to his feet, the laughing man stepped slowly into the light, revealing himself to be the notorious and disgrace to all clowns everywhere. Joker. With him here, the feelings quickly changed to uncertainly uncertainty and pure confusion. A most dangerous combination to ever having the privilege of feeling.

"What do you mean we? I don't even know you."

"Ohhhhh! but you will Freeze. You will. Trust me. For you see I can help you. I can help you out a lot, like only a personal friend could or maybe even a relative. Not as much as you wife, but still, like a distant cousin or a wacky uncle."

"What can you possible help me with? I already have things running according to plan."

"Oh really? and have you already calculated the Bat heading this way and kicking you out of the Zoo? Hm? because he already knows where you are and is heading here as we speak."

"What! that's impossible. I made sure to carefully plan everything so that he would be busy with my devices."

"Ah, but you made a mistake already, friend. You kidnapped his little buddy, and the City is not worth his little life."

"Maybe your right. But what do you think I should do? This boy apparently knows nothing useful about the bat. And there's very little use for him anymore."

"Oh yes, information. How about you let me spend some quality time with the youngster while you prepare to take on the ever dreadful Dark Knight. Hm? maybe that could be my service to you. Not to mention, I brought along some other help."

Joker points his thumb back, toward two men who stood in the elevator, waiting.

"I call them tweedle dee and tweedle doo. One does the deeds and the other does the do's. If you catch my meaning."

Joker laughs like only a moron could and quickly rushes to me.

"Wait. I would like to know what makes you think you can get anything from him when I certainly could not?"

"Simple answer to that my icey friend. I'm not afraid to...make a child laugh. Not to be rude or everything, but you don't seem to be a man who likes to laugh much, do you?"

Freeze only nodded his head and turned away. He then waved a hand in the air to Joker.

"Fine. I don't need to know your techniques, but just keep the boy occupied and I'll accept your help with defeating that bat and the police. And if your lying about anything. I will have your head in a ice chamber. Just like my wife."

"Oh you got it pal!. I'll take REAL good care of the young one."

Something about him tells me that I should both be scared and afraid, even though both words are the same. So just what word am I truly looking for then? Oh yeahhhhh, now I remember it. It's Terrified. The one word that I just love to say when I'm happy and frozen. Wow, and guess what, I'm both right now. Sort of anyway. Or at least I was.

"We're going to have so much fun together, you and I. Let's just see if we can "Put A Smile On That Face of Yours. Ahhahahahahahahahahaahahahahahaahaaaaaa!"

Meanwhile: Ten Miles From The Gotham Zoo

Batman was swinging down roof to roof since his vehicle was in disrepair. As he did so, the sound of the police sounded to be getting closer and moving faster to the Zoo. For the first time, Batman was feeling a sense of desperation and tiredness as he tried to concentrate on stopping Freeze from doing any damage to the City. At the same time wishing and praying that Dick was alright. As he gained closer to this destination he couldn't help but to grunt. This being one of the ways that he could let out some steam and thoughts so that he couldn't have to keep everything in. After all, he had no one else to speak to. That is, besides Dick who had only started to help Batman be more like his alter ego, Bruce. About five miles down the road, Batman stopped and took out his binoculars. He then pressed on his communicator and wired his call directly to the Batcave where Alfred was presently sitting and waiting for any type of command or chat.

"Alfred. I'll need another vehicle to be waiting for me once I leave the Zoo tonight. I would really like to use a heavy duty but fast mobile for this one."

"Oh yes sir. I think now would be the best time for one of your old toys from when you first started...maybe the second racing vehicle you purchased from your active duty as the Batman?"

"I was thinking the same thing Alfred. Send it right away."

"Yes sir. I will do. But in the meantime, how are you holding sir?"

"Hm? What do you mean by that?"

"Oh it's just that with Dick being kidnapped, I would think that heart of yours would take some slaps. Has it, or has it not?"

"Ehem...let's just say that I don't have time to feel or think about those kind of things. After all I am Batman."

"Yes, but even the Batman has feelings and a life."

"Oh he does, but just not as much of it as he would like. Batman out."

Batman shut the link down and continued his journey to the Zoo with a smile now on his face. Why might he be smiling though? no one can be sure, but perhaps just hearing that someone understands how he works and cares has brought up this sudden face movement. Then again, he just might, just might be insane like everyone believes him to be.

No one can dance with the devil in the pale white moon like only the Batman can, so why should anyone care if he's both fearless and crazy? It shouldn't, is the real answer. As a Joker always says," Why So Serious?" when we could all be like the brave and bold Batman and live fearless while dealing with issues that can truly save one or save a million. After all, anyone can rule the world with god like powers, but it takes a true man to rule with a fist made of pure flesh and bone.

"Difference is evolution and evolution is only the beginning to life anew."

J.S.

Authors Note: Yup, I just made up that quote, so share it with the world! Also, please excuse the long wait. I had a lot of things to work on lately, but hopefully i'll be able to add a new chapter soon. After all, I only wrote this chapter for the movie that is titled Batman: The Dark Knight. It's out today, so stop reading now and GO watch it! I mean the whole world is already watching, so why aren't you?J to the S or A.K.A The Darkest Nightwing.

P.S. Enjoy the Movie! also, this is a tribute to one of the best Jokers ever!: HEATH LEDGER! May he win that Oscar and Rest in Peace.