Dream Knight, Chapter 4. Here we will delve more deeply into the relationship between Bruce and Selina, and meet a new character. It could be construed as a crossover, but I think these characters are pretty important to each other's lives. There will also be a ninja fight, and we'll meet a version of Mr. Freeze.

Disclaimer: I do not own any DC characters.

Dream Knight

Chapter 4: Cryostasis

your slightest look easily will enclose me

though i have closed myself as fingers,

you open always petal by petal myself as Spring opens

(touching skilfully,mysteriously)her first rose

or if your wish to be close me,i and

my life will shut very beautifully,suddenly,

as when the heart of this flower imagines

the snow carefully everywhere descending;

- e. e. cummings,

"somewhere i have never travelled"

The wind makes a low howling sound as it blusters between the mountain peaks. It is a low, foreboding sound, but Bruce, the Dream Knight, is not afraid.

The night is coming, the second night since he and Selina have been in the mountains of the Northlands, with no sign of the mysterious exile, Ra's al-Ghul. The Northlands are vast and mostly impassable, and to seek one man within the crags, Bruce realizes, is nothing short of suicidal. Still he is not afraid.

Death, he thinks, would stop me thinking about Ivy.

He has struggled with the pain in the days since he was wrenched from paradise. Sometimes it is stronger, sometimes weaker, but it is always with him, and Ivy is there every time he closes his eyes.

Travelling with Selina has helped. Indeed, were it not for her company, Bruce knew he would not be able to go on. He is fascinated by her. There had been a moment, just after they had escaped from the forest, when he had felt she was opening up to him and finally told him her name, but now she is the professional again, and has consistently evaded his questions about her life. Luckily, he has been able to engage her in conversation about her fighting techniques. He learned that she had joined the League of Shadows in its previous, more benevolent incarnation, the Justice League, and had been trained by the martial arts masters of that group, including the Shadow King. From them she had learned discipline of the mind, body, and qi, and had been taught techniques which were very similar to the ones he used. Indeed, she was convinced that he had been a part of the Justice League himself, before he had lost his memory – a distinct possibility, he thinks, although their styles are different enough to make him sceptical.

Selina. He spends much of his time thinking about this complex, mysterious woman, especially since he can no longer summon the focus necessary for meditation, and since it is only when he is thinking of her that he is not thinking of Ivy. She is attractive, to be sure; he had seen her naked in the garden and had observed her graceful movements in the intimate dance of combat. But the thought of sexuality is a painful one, and his body still longs for Ivy's touch. Still, he is captivated by her, and finds himself anxious for her return as he walks alone down the mountain path.

Someone is approaching behind him, almost completely silent. He turns to face her.

"You were right," Selina tells him, falling in step beside him and catching her breath. "We are being followed. Three League assassins on horseback. They'll overtake us in ten minutes or less. Did you find a good place to set up an ambush?"

He shakes his head. "There's no cover anywhere here, but the path narrows just around the next bend. It's a steep drop, and the horses would only be able to go single file."

"They'll come at us on foot, then, rather than risk such an awkward charge," Selina muses. "If they've been tracking us, they'll know there are two of us. Still, even if there's no cover, we might be able to do an ambush of sorts." They follow the path as it bends around a steep cliff face, and the ground on the other side drops off into a deep ravine. The path is about a metre wide, but soon widens to a span of three metres, still with the steep mountainside on the right and a sharp drop on the left.

"Afraid of heights?" Bruce asks wryly as they leave their supply packs down the path.

"I always land on my feet," she replies, examining the mountainside. She pauses at a small cranny between two large rocks at the level of the path. "Here we are. You draw their attention; I'll hide in here and surprise them."

He regards the narrow cranny, and begins, "You can't…"
Then she is crouched between the rocks, completely motionless, her black armour looking like nothing if not a shadow. She faces him and grins.

"Sometimes the best place to hide is in plain sight. You're like a walking mirror; try to keep their attention focused on you."

He begins to protest at being used as a distraction, but hears the sound of approaching hooves and falls silent, drawing his largest boomerang.

The assassins ride around the bend, stopping before the narrowing path. They are clad all in black, wearing armour, heavy capes, and cowls with long horns that point upwards. They have the same scalloped gloves as Bruce and Selina, and are mounted upon jet-black horses. Something about their appearance resonates deeply within Bruce, calling to mind the great bat which haunts his dreams.

"You are the one called the Dream Knight," the lead assassin addresses him, his voice rough.

"I am," Bruce answers.

"The Shadow King has bid us to bring you to him. You may surrender to us, or else we will kill you and bring him your body, for he has no preference."

Calmly, he tells them, "I will meet your master, but not in chains."

"Then you will die," the assassin says, dismounting from his horse. He draws a pair of nunchaku from his belt and approaches with one in each hand, and his comrades do the same. Bruce advances toward the bottleneck of the pass, his boomerang in a defensive position, forcing the assassins to come at him in single file. He locks eyes with the lead assassin, who has been glancing behind him. He knows Selina is here somewhere, Bruce observes.

Almost before Bruce can react, the assassin strikes, his nunchaku whipping forward. Bruce deflects the unpredictable weapon with his gauntlet and holds his boomerang low in time to block the second attack, for which the first had been a distraction. The assassin draws back and Bruce moves forward, their movements and qi synchronized.

Bruce shifts his boomerang to his left hand. He is nearly ambidextrous, and briefly wonders whether this is a natural condition or the product of training. He feints, attempting to drive a wedge between the assassin and the mountainside so that the assassin's back is to the chasm. Sensing this, his opponent lunges at him with both nunchaku, and he raises his boomerang to block them. They wrap around his weapon, and the force of the assassin's attack brings him close enough to Bruce's face that he can feel his breath. The assassin shifts his weight suddenly, and Bruce seizes upon his moment of imbalance to push forward hard, attempting to force his opponent off the edge of the cliff.

Too late, Bruce realizes his mistake as the assassin drops low and throws Bruce, using the force of his push against him. He throws his weight to one side and narrowly manages to avoid being thrown off the mountain, landing in a crouch at the edge of the path. Unfortunately, he is now on the bottleneck with assassins on both sides. He focuses his thoughts and breathing as the second assassin strikes, and raises his arm at the last possible moment, catching his attacker's nunchaku on the scallops of his gauntlet. In one smooth movement, he pulls the nunchaku from the assassin's hand, catches one of the sections in his hand, and whirls around to parry an attack from the first assassin. Their nunchaku wrap around each other, and Bruce drops backwards, throwing the entangled nunchaku backwards at the second assassin, who deflects them into the ravine.

Not wasting a precious moment, Bruce leaps to his feet to face the first assassin, and slashes with his boomerang at the assassin's knees. The assassin leaps, dodging Bruce's attack, but Bruce is already charging forward. To avoid being run off the mountainside, the assassin catches Bruce and allows his momentum to carry him past. Bruce frees himself from the assassin's grip, now on the wider side of the path with all three assassins in the bottleneck once more.

"You are a skilled fighter," the assassin says, holding his remaining nunchaku with both hands in a defensive position. "But you are no match for the assassins of the League of Shadows."

"We'll see about that," Bruce replies, waiting for an opening to attack.

Suddenly, the assassin crouches, and the second assassin charges forward and vaults over him, flipping in mid-air and landing on his feet before Bruce. He backs away, ceding enough ground for the two assassins to stand side by side, and they approach him, spinning their nunchaku to drive him back even further. The third assassin waits behind them.

Just a little farther, Bruce thinks as he passes the rocks where Selina is waiting. The first assassin vaults over one of the rocks and lands behind Bruce, who is once again surrounded.

Trusting in Selina, Bruce charges at the first assassin, leaving himself open for an attack from behind. The second assassin attempts to take advantage of the opening, but as he comes at Bruce, Selina springs from her hiding place at the assassin, taking him completely by surprise and knocking him off the path. Bruce hears a scream, which is silenced by a sickening crunch.

The first assassin's eyes widen in surprise, and Bruce swings his boomerang forward. The assassin raises his arm, shielding it with the shafts of his nunchaku, and blocks it. Forcing the nunchaku to one side, Bruce raises his other arm and drives his elbow at the assassin's face. Hurriedly, the assassin blocks Bruce's attack with his forearm, and Bruce feels the splintering of his opponent's bone. The assassin does not flinch.

Out of the corner of his eye, Bruce sees Selina locked in combat with the third assassin. His moment of distraction allows his adversary an opportunity, and he drops his nunchaku and grabs at Bruce's face. Caught off guard, Bruce catches the assassin's arm, and the assassin drives his knee into Bruce's solar plexus. Stars erupt in his vision as he gasps for breath, struggling not to collapse under the pain. The assassin charges forward, and Bruce desperately drives his boomerang upwards through a soft spot in the assassin's armour beneath his breastplate and into his flesh. The assassin clutches the boomerang, drops to his knees, and falls onto the path.

Bruce leans against the side of the mountainside, winded. He sees Selina keeping the last assassin at bay using the greater range of her spiked whip. She seems to have already disarmed him, but is striking only at his limbs with her whip, confusing and frustrating her opponent and doubtless causing him a great deal of pain, although his face does not show it.

"What's the matter?" she taunts him. "Am I too much for you? Maybe your master should send a real warrior to kill me."

The assassin struggles to ward off the strikes of her whip, but to no avail. Sickened by this display of sadism, Bruce tries to call out to her to finish the job, but still can hardly breathe. He watches as the assassin attempts to charge him, and she coils the whip around his legs and pulls his feet out from under him. She springs at him, plunges her claw at his throat, and –

"Stop," comes a rich, authoritative voice from over Bruce's shoulder. Selina's blade is at the assassin's throat.

Bruce turns to see a tall man in a grey robe standing over the first assassin, who is still lying on the road, bleeding heavily. The man looks down at him and commands, "Rise."

Slowly, the assassin climbs to his feet, and his bleeding slows and stops. The stranger walks to Selina and beckons her, "Release him." Staring transfixed into his eyes, she obeys, and the assassin breathes deeply with relief. The first assassin helps his comrade to his feet, then turns to the stranger and says, "You healed me."

"No. You believed that you were healed, and you were healed," the stranger says. "Leave these mountains and do not return."

Bowing his head, the first assassin tells him, "We have failed, and have dishonoured the League of Shadows. Our lives are forfeit."

"Indeed," says the man in the robe. "Your lives have come to an end. Now you will begin new lives, lives of peace. You will find a new home somewhere on this island where you will not be recognized, and your master will think you are dead. And he will be right; three assassins of the League of Shadows died honourably here today."

They bow before him, then turn, mount their horses, and ride back from whence they came. The stranger turns to Bruce and Selina and asks them, "For what reason do you come to the Northlands?"

His breath returned, Bruce stands and says, "We seek the exile, Ra's al-Ghul."

The man removes his hood. He has short, jet-black hair, a strong, square jaw, and grey eyes from which Bruce cannot look away. He tells them, "You've found him."

"You're the one they call the Demon's Head?" Selina asks him, gaping.

"I am known by many names," he says. "That one was given to me as a curse by the Shadow King. But come quickly, the night is coming and you'll need shelter. There's a cave not far from here."

"If that is not your true name," Bruce asks, "what should we call you?"

"By my real name," the exile says, smiling a slightly lopsided grin. "Kal-el."

And the exile turns and walks down the path. Bruce and Selina take their packs and follow him. Selina turns to Bruce, but he does not meet her gaze.

***

They reach a plateau as the sun's last light dims. There are a series of caves in the cliff face on the far side, and Kal-el points to them and says, "I will find a suitable cave. See if you can find some firewood; you'll need the warmth."

He walks toward the caves, and Bruce crouches in front of a small mountain stream and cleans his bloodied combat boomerang. Selina sits beside him and asks, "What's wrong?"

He does not look at her. "I'm surprised by you, Selina."

"About the fight? Bruce, we were defending ourselves. They would have killed us."

He glares at her. "You went beyond that. You were toying with that man. I didn't think you were capable of that kind of cruelty."

"No?" Her green eyes flash with anger. "You don't know me very well, then."

"It seems that I don't." He returns to cleaning his boomerang.

She scowls. "Look, Bruce. I've been hunted by the League of Shadows for over two years now. Before that, I was in the dungeon of the Shadow King for almost a year. You'd weep if I told you about the things I experienced in there."

She is baiting him, and he knows it. "I see," he says. "So now you're going to cause the League as much pain as they caused you."

"How dare you judge me!" she growls. "You're an outsider. You have no idea about what the League is capable of. You just appeared one day and decided to fight the Shadow King! Who are you to pass judgement on me?"

Bruce clenches his jaw, marvelling at how efficiently she can cut him down. Just like in the garden, he thinks. She knows just what to say.

"Don't forget who you're dealing with," she continues after he says nothing. "I'm the Cat Woman, the scourge of Arkham. I'm a murderer."

He looks into her eyes again. "Yes," he says, "I forgot. You are a murderer. A murderer and a bully. I understand completely. You've been hurt, and now you dress all in black and wear a mask and go around terrorizing people. You want everyone to be afraid of you, to think you're so powerful, because you think that maybe," his voice wavers, "just maybe, if everyone around you thinks you're that strong, you might start believing it too."

Blinking back tears, she seizes him by the throat and forces him to the ground. He grabs her arm, trying to breathe, but her grip is tight.

"You aren't gathering firewood," Kal-el observes, standing above them and staring disapprovingly. Selina looks up at him sheepishly and releases Bruce, who gasps for air.

"Why don't you get it yourself?" Selina glowers.

The exile stoops down to a small, dry brush. He reaches to take it, and his hand passes through it.

A ghost, thinks Bruce. "I see."

"So you understand that I'm not the one who will need the fire."

Selina walks away quickly, not looking at Bruce. He gently touches his bruised throat and then begins gathering kindling in the settling darkness.

***

Soon, the fire is roaring, and its light casts shadows on the cave walls of Selina and Bruce, but eerily, not Kal-el. Selina caught a rabbit, and they roast its meat over the fire and eat it. She does not speak to Bruce, or even meet his eye.

Breaking the silence, Bruce says to Kal-el, "You said you were cursed by the Shadow King."

"Yes, you must be curious. I'll explain as best I can, starting at the beginning." He grins tightly. "You see, I am originally from a higher plane of reality. I first came to this world millennia ago as a child, when this island was home to a great and mighty city called Metropolis. I was raised among humans, who gave me the human name of Clark Kent."

The grey eyes seem so familiar to Bruce; he knows he has seen them before, perhaps before losing his memory. He says nothing, listening.

"I soon came to love humans and their ways," Kal-el continues. "I became the champion of Metropolis, defending the city from threats within and without. The humans gave me a second name then. They called me Superman, for my heritage gave me powers greater than any human. But my greatest power has no alien origins. It was the power of the truth; the power to touch the human heart, to inspire it to goodness and righteousness. This power was instilled in me by my human parents, and with it, I guarded and defended Metropolis throughout its golden age, all the while living another life as the human Clark Kent, who worked hard, laughed much, and fell in love with a human woman, Lois Lane.

"Unfortunately, the golden age could not endure. There arose within Metropolis a man who resented me and what I represented. Desiring to be the sole ruler of this island, he began to turn people against me, convincing them that they cannot truly be free while I imposed upon them my rules and morality. He was truly my antithesis; appealing to their pride, their arrogance, their lower natures, he slowly began to win over the population. Eventually, he turned Metropolis away from me. But in doing so, he also turned the people away from their ideals, their dreams, and their common humanity. I could only watch, helpless, as Metropolis began to die. And it was at this time that I also lost my beloved."

There is a great sadness in his face now, and he pauses for a moment, then continues, "Time brings all human things to an end, but it has no hold over me. During Metropolis's last days, I had grown desperate, trying to save it however I could. I did not always embody the highest ideals during that time. But after its fall, I began anew. I swore an oath never to use violence again, and began to wander this island, defending against barbarism in whatever way I could. Soon the human imagination began to flourish once more, and a new city was built. This city was Gotham, and in it I saw even greater potential than Metropolis. I had learned from my mistake of trying to be the sole guardian of Metropolis, and with the man who would become the Shadow King, I founded the Justice League, an organization of men and women dedicated to the high ideals I once embodied in Metropolis."

He looks at Selina, but she is staring at the shadows on the walls of the cave.

"But decay set in to Gotham faster than I had anticipated. There were those who sought to sow chaos and strife in Gotham, and many within the Justice League desired harsh punishment against these rogues. I argued that only the people of Gotham could reject and defeat them, and it was our duty to inspire them to do so, but many of my partners within the League were confident in their ability to defeat the evildoers themselves using violence and fear. And so they rejected me, and transformed the Justice League into the League of Shadows. And the self-proclaimed Shadow King placed a curse upon me. He was able to do this because he knew my true name, which gave him power over me. He stripped me of my powers, my reputation, and even my corporeal form. He exiled me to the Northlands, where my heart was encased in ice, held by the master of this realm, Grandfather Freeze. All of my deeds were forgotten, and the people suddenly knew me only as the Demon's Head, a liar and vagabond."

"They forgot you completely," Selina muses.

"Yes," he says. "Even you, Selina."

Bruce looks at the two. "You know each other?"

Selina says nothing. Kal-el tells him, "She doesn't remember, but I took her from the streets of Gotham to be trained as a member of the Justice League. She stood by me during the schism within the League, and was imprisoned by the Shadow King as punishment."

"I… I remember now," Selina says slowly. "There was me, and Diana, and Bartholomew and Harold, and the Shadow King imprisoned us all… I couldn't remember any of it…"

"The cruellest thing about the Shadow King's dungeon was forgetting that there was ever a time when you were free," Kal-el says, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"So you lost your memory, too?" Bruce asks Selina incredulously.

"Parts of it," Selina says. "I managed to escape, and it started coming back to me, but there were gaps… but I remember now. Superman taking me in, the Shadow King's mutiny, everything." She pauses, looks into his eyes. "That's why I was drawn to you, you know. You were a fellow amnesiac. But with you, it was total… you were a blank slate, and were capable of being anything. I wanted you to be the Dream Knight, to make sure that's what you'd become."

Struck by her directness, Bruce's mind races. "Could my memory loss be connected to the Shadow King's curse as well?"

Kal-el narrows his eyes. "Possibly. I have to admit, I don't recognize you at all, and I'm not familiar with the legend of the Dream Knight. If I had my powers of heightened perception, I might be able to tell you."

"The prophecy of the Dream Knight comes from the Oracle," he says. "She told me you would know how to defeat the Shadow King."

"Interesting. Unfortunately, my curse prevents me from speaking certain truths – the Shadow King knew my powers well."

"Is there any way to get your powers back?" Bruce asks.

"Yes. As I said, my heart was given to Grandfather Freeze; if it can be thawed, my powers will return."

"What exactly do you mean by that?" Bruce asks, mildly irritated.

Kal-el sighs. "I can't really explain any more clearly because of the curse – the Shadow King feared that if I could speak openly about such things, I would be able to convince passing travellers to help me recover my powers. However, I can take you to Grandfather Freeze. His fortress is less than a day's journey from here, and although I cannot enter it, I'm hopeful that you will be able to figure out what to do once you get there."

There is silence for a moment, then Bruce asks the question that has been on his mind since Arkham. "Who is the Shadow King?"

"He is darkness," Kal-el responds, staring into space. "He is a man who sought to use against evildoers their own subconscious fears – the night, the unknown, the supernatural. In doing so, he lost his own humanity to these forces, and made himself a living archetype, enslaved to the fears he sought to harness."

There is a long pause before Selina says, "We will defeat him. We will get your powers back from Grandfather Freeze, and you will help us defeat the Shadow King."

Bruce stares at her for a moment. After their altercation, he had not been sure whether she would continue with him, and it fills him with relief, but he does not allow his face to show it. "Yes," he says. "We will leave at dawn."

"Then get some rest," Kal-el tells them. "You will need it. Grandfather Freeze's fortress stands atop the highest mountain in the Northlands."

Of course, Bruce thinks. It can never be easy.

He removes his mask and armour, and spreads his bedroll on the softest part of the cave floor that he can find. His body aches from the day's fight, and it is only minutes before he begins to drift into unconsciousness.

"Bruce," Selina whispers. He opens his eyes, and she is there, crouched above him. She has removed her mask, and the dimming fire casts a glow upon her face. "Bruce, I'm so sorry about before… I lost control during the fight; I don't know what came over me. Bruce… I'm not a monster. Don't think I'm a monster."

He swallows. "We all have demons which drive us to do what we do. Selina, I need you. I can't go on without you."

She moves closer to him, and whispers, "Can I? I mean, it's cold, and I can't find any soft ground in this cave…"

"Of course," he says, trembling slightly despite himself. "Please." And she crawls onto his bedroll and lays on her side, facing away from him, and presses her body against his. He pulls his cape over them, and puts his arm around her. Her hair smells of dried sweat, which to Bruce is as sweet as the lilac scent of Ivy. Even through her armour, he can feel that she is warm, and her body moves gently with the rhythm of her breathing. He holds her close throughout the night, and her presence helps keep his mind free of the tendrils of the garden, and his dreams free of the gaze of the bat.

***

The next day is sunny, with relatively low wind, and they journey to the mountain Kal-el calls "Mount Solitude." With his help, they begin their ascent, travelling first up a glacial valley, then up a narrow ledge for a long while. With the aid of grappling hooks procured from Selina's bandit allies, they scale a series of rocky cliff faces, climbing ever higher. By midday, the weather turns for the worse, and a brief winter squall forces them into a mountain cave for nearly an hour, which affords them a small amount of rest.

Kal-el then guides them up the rest of the mountain amid a treacherous winter afternoon. The wind is fierce, and on more than one occasion Bruce and Selina are forced to huddle under his wind-repelling cape, waiting for it to die down so they can resume their climb. Bruce's muscles ache as they scramble across icy rocks, trudge through waist-deep snow, and scale sheer cliff faces.

By the end of the day, they reach the top of Mount Solitude. A crevasse splits the mountain's peak, and they venture within it. Inside, it is eerily silent, with the rock walls blocking the wind. One of the rock faces is made of a brilliant crystal which looks like nothing if not ice. In this cliff is the mouth of a cave.

"This is the entrance to the fortress," Kal-el tells them. "It was mine once, but now I cannot go inside. Be careful around Grandfather Freeze; he is both powerful and deeply troubled."

"What if we can't convince him to give you your heart back?" Bruce asks.

"Then I'll be forced to wander the Northlands forever, and you'll be on your own facing the Shadow King. And Freeze may be the ruler of this place, but he's also its prisoner. Trust me – it's in everybody's best interest for me to get my heart back. You just have to convince him of that."

Selina and Bruce look at each other, then Bruce says, "All right. I hope this works."

"Good luck," Kal-el says to them.

Bruce and Selina walk into the cave. The icy blue walls sparkle, reflecting the late afternoon sunlight inside the cave. There is a silence inside deeper than any Bruce has ever experienced.

"Magnificent," breathes Selina, her voice a reverential whisper, as they enter a vast, frigid chamber of crystal. Intricate, delicate formations protrude from the walls and ceiling, giving the impression of a room of glittering chandeliers. They stand on a wide area of level ground, which gives way in front of them to a deep, cavernous pit. It seems to Bruce that this entire side of the mountain's peak must be completely hollow, such is the size of this cave, and filled with the most beautiful crystals. In the back of the cave, sunlight streams in.

There is a crystal throne in front of the pit, with an old man in a pale blue robe sitting in it, facing them. He is covered with frost and icicles, and with one pale hand, he strokes a long, white beard that seems just as likely to be made of ice as hair. The man is bald, and his face is lined and craggy. Disturbingly, his eye sockets seem to be completely frozen over with opaque ice, making it impossible to tell if he is even aware of their presence. To his right is a large mass of frosted ice.

Bruce glances at Selina, then calls out, "Grandfather Frost!"

There is a crackling sound as the man shifts his position. In a crackling, brittle voice, he asks, "Who disturbs my tranquility?"

"The Dream Knight and the Cat Woman have come," Bruce says, his voice level. "We are here to retrieve the heart of Kal-el, which you possess."

Grandfather Freeze opens his mouth and breathes a gust of whiteness towards them. Bruce dives towards Selina, holding his cape in front of him as the cloud of bitter cold whips past. When it clears, he sees Selina frozen in place, turned away from Grandfather Freeze, her arm covering her face. Ice glitters on her armour, and her skin is pale and tinted blue.

"Selina!" he roars, then turns to Freeze. "What have you done?"

"I have saved her," he says, his voice devoid of emotion. "It is my gift to her and to you. I see that you have been given magical protection; it may have served you this time, but you cannot stand against my wrath. I know what you are trying to do, Dream Knight, and I will not allow it."

"Saved her?" Bruce shouts. "Saved her from what?"

"You are an agent of change, Dream Knight. You would change this world, and in doing so, you will lose it. Change will bring about the end of all things."

Bruce steps forward, still gripping his cape. More softly, he says, "What are you talking about?"

Crackling, Grandfather Freeze reaches over to the ice formation next to him. He wipes away the frost, and Bruce can see the silhouette of a person lying within. A woman.

"This is my beloved. I have saved her just as I saved your companion. Your way brings only death and non-being, but here in this fortress, in this land of eternal winter, they live eternally. I have conquered death, defeated time itself; how can you hope to stand before me?"

Realization flashes through Bruce's mind, and he whispers, "Time brings all human things to an end, but it has no hold over me."

"What did you say?" Grandfather Freeze demands.

"I will defeat you," Bruce declares, walking toward him, "because I know your true name."

"No," Grandfather Freeze says softly.

"You are Kal-el. You are an immortal, but you are also Clark Kent, and you loved this woman, and couldn't accept her mortality."

"I have conquered death, defeated time itself," Grandfather Freeze repeats quietly.

"No," Bruce says, standing just in front of the throne. The old man radiates cold. "She's frozen here, neither living nor dead. All you've done is delayed the inevitable."

Something glows red beneath the ice covering Freeze's eyes. He stands, breaking ice that froze him to his chair, flakes of frost falling from his robe and skin. He takes a step towards Bruce, who steps back cautiously, clutching his cape.

"I WILL NOT LET YOU TAKE HER FROM ME!" the superman roars, shattering the rest of the ice covering his body. Now he is young again, his face the same as the ghost's. His blue cloak billows, and in his grey eyes is a terrifying rage. Bruce backs swiftly away and silently recites a mantra, drawing his combat boomerang. With impossible speed, the corporeal Kal-el is upon him, knocking his boomerang from his hand. He seizes Bruce by his breastplate, lifts him above his head, and hurls him. Bruce slams shoulder-first into the wall by the entrance of the cave, blinding pain shooting through his body. Screaming, he realizes the bones in his left shoulder and arm have been shattered. He climbs to his feet in time to see Kal-el above him, his face twisted into a mask of rage. With an open palm, he strikes Bruce in the side of his face. His neck twists, and Bruce falls to the ground again, spitting out blood and teeth.

I am going to die, he thinks, sputtering and nearly blinded by pain. Kal-el lifts him again and slams him against the wall. Bruce feels his knee twist at an unnatural angle and cries in agony. Kal-el then hurls him again, and he lands on the floor near the pit. He looks up in time to see a red glow in Kal-el's eyes, and shields his face with his good hand as a blast of heat sears his skin.

He falls to the ground, and Kal-el lifts Bruce once more by the breastplate. They are face to face now, and Bruce, fighting unconsciousness, manages to sputter, "I still have the advantage."

"What?" Kal-el snarls. "You can't even stand!"

Each breath brings excruciating pain, but Bruce continues, "I have a power greater than any of yours. The power of the truth. You can't overcome it even if you kill me." He coughs violently, spewing blood onto Kal-el's robe.

"No!" exclaims Kal-el, hurling Bruce to the ground. Darkness swirls across his vision, and he collapses, no longer able to fight it.

***

"Brucie!"

His eyes flutter, and he looks up to see a purple-clad figure standing over him.

"Brucie, get up," the Joker says. "It's time to go."

Cringing with agony, he climbs to his knees. They are in the fortress, but it is different. It is darker, and the colours in the walls are swimming.

"What do you want, Joker?" he manages.

The Joker kneels and stares into his eyes. "Bruce," he says with a seriousness Bruce has never heard in his voice, "I've talked to Ivy. She thinks you've suffered enough, and she's willing to let you back into the garden."

"You're lying," Bruce growls.

"No! Look!" The Joker points to the entrance of the cave. There is a soothing green light emanating, and he can see Ivy standing there, looking more beautiful than ever, beckoning him to come to her.

"She'll heal you," the Joker whispers. "She misses you, Bruce. She wants you to come back, to live your life by her side."

"This is a trick!" But Ivy is so real, he thinks. He wants nothing more than to go to her, to let her nurse him back to health. His body screams to him in pain, and his soul reaches for her.

"It's no trick. Your work here is done, Bruce. Kal-el will do the rest! You've convinced him to! Please, Bruce, just go with her, for both our sakes."

He stares into the Joker's eyes for a long moment, then says, slowly, mournfully, "No."

The Joker kicks him in the side, saying, "You certainly are a glutton for punishment." The colours continue to spin, washing over him, and he slides again into unconsciousness.

***

"Stand, Dream Knight," Kal-el says, hoisting him to his feet.

Bruce feels a soothing energy washing from the superman's hands. It spreads throughout his body, easing his pain and repairing his injuries. He feels the bones coalescing in his arm and chest, his leg righting itself, his teeth growing back. Then Kal-el releases him, and Bruce stands on his own, testing his muscles, clenching and unclenching his hand.

Kal-el turns to face the frozen Selina, and his eyes glow. She stirs, and the frost drips off of her. She faces them, confusion in her eyes.

Then Kal-el bellows, "Enter!"

And the ghost Kal-el is there, standing beside Selina, facing his corporeal twin.

"What just happened?" Selina asks, looking between Bruce and the two Kal-els.

"The Dream Knight reminded me what it is to be truly human," the corporeal Kal-el tells her. Anticipating her next question, he explains, "My beloved Lois reached the end of her life just as Metropolis was dying. To save her and Metropolis was more than I alone could handle, so I came up with a desperate plan. In my greatest superhuman feat of all, I divided myself into two supermen: Superman, who would tend to the needs of humanity; and Clark Kent, who would try a desperate bid to save Lois. But in doing so, I deprived myself and my beloved of our humanity."

"And he figured all of this out!" the ghost adds. "I'm impressed."

"I wasn't totally sure of the details, but yes, I got the gist of it," Bruce says, allowing himself a brief glow of pride. "My first clue was when you told those assassins to leave the mountains; I'd been told that no one could leave the mountains without the permission of Grandfather Freeze. The rest just fell into place."

Both Kal-els are transfixed by the woman in the ice, and do not seem to be listening to him.

"Who is that?" Selina asks.

"Lois Lane," the ghost whispers. He turns to his double. "You know you need to let her go."

Swallowing hard, the other Kal-el bows his head. "I ask you only one thing: let me go with her."

The ghost nods. The two supermen face each other and put the palms of their hands together. A bright light shines between them. The corporeal Kal-el turns to the ice encasing Lois, and it begins to melt.

Bruce stands beside Selina, who watches the spectacle with a mixture of confusion and awe. The ghost says to them, "We have exchanged forms. The ghost Kal-el you knew is now occupying my body."

"Fascinating," Bruce whispers.

The ice melts, revealing an aged, white-haired woman lying on a bed of crystal. Her eyes flutter, and she whispers, "Clark."

"Lois," the ghost says, his voice trembling. "Lois, I'm so sorry… I couldn't stand to lose you…"

But her eyes are closed now, and she is perfectly still. Sobbing, the ghost reaches forward, and an ethereal hand reaches up from Lois' body and takes his. He lifts the ghostly woman to her feet and holds her in his arms.

"Thank you," she says, embracing him. She turns to Selina and Bruce. "Thank you all."

"Forgive me, Lois," the ghost Kal-el sobs.

"Shh, Clark," she whispers. "It's alright. Let's go."

Holding each other closely, the two ghosts fade to nothingness.

The remaining Kal-el stares into space, tears in his eyes. He finally says, "Come on, let's get out of here."

They follow him out of the cave. Breaking the silence, Bruce asks, "That other superman hadn't taken an oath of non-violence."

"No," Kal-el says. "And I am sorry about that."

Bruce runs his fingers along his teeth, ensuring that they are all there. "Are you still bound by that oath?"

"Yes. My oaths cannot be broken."

"Too bad."

They emerge onto the mountain peak. It is evening now, and in the distance, the lights of Gotham City are visible.

"You can't fly, can you?" Selina asks.

"Fly? No," Kal-el replies, "but I can leap over tall buildings."

"Then we should camp here tonight," Selina says. "Once we leave the Northlands, we can head for Gotham. I have a contact operating in and around Gotham, a merchant named Oswald Cobblepot. He's a scumbag, but he'll do anything for me. He can sneak us in."

"Very well," Kal-el nods. "I will go ahead to Gotham and attempt to make contact with some of my former allies. With any luck, we may be able to incite a rebellion against the Shadow King."

Bruce asks him, "How can I defeat the Shadow King?"

"It is the same with him as it is with me," Kal-el tells him. "You must learn his true name."

"I don't suppose you know what that is."

He grins. "If I knew that, I would defeat him myself."

Bruce looks at Selina with exasperation. Kal-el says, "Well, there is no time to lose. Godspeed to both of you; when you reach Gotham, I will be there to meet you."

They bid him farewell, and he leaps off the mountainside.

Staring into the distance, Bruce muses, "The main roads will be dangerous. The Shadow King wants us dead, and the assassins we faced in the mountains won't be the last. Is there any other way we can get to Gotham?"

She thinks for a moment. "There is the old Crane estate. It's an old farmyard, mostly overgrown now, and there was a road that ran through it. I'm not sure why, but the assassins never use it anymore."

"That's the road we'll take," Bruce affirms.

"Good," she says. "Now, can you please explain to me what happened in there?"

He smiles, explaining to her the details of his confrontation with the enraged superman as they make camp inside the crystal cave. He is soon overtaken by a wave of exhaustion, and is falling asleep within minutes.

As he drifts off, he stares at the empty crystal throne, and realizes that Ivy is gone from his thoughts.