The Underground thug who had been knocked into the water during the ship raid found himself suffering from acute hypothermia. Batman found some of his clothes in a dumpster opposite of one of the city's FEAST shelters. From the shadows of the alleyway he spoke into the comms built into his mask. Robin, Batgirl and Alfred were all linked up to listen. "He ditched anything that could identify him as part of the gang. He didn't go to the hospital, to avoid drawing attention."
"So are you going to wait there until he comes out?" asked Barbara Gordon, AKA Batgirl.
"A nurse just sedated him, not sure we'll get much out of him for a while. I'll meet you and Robin at the rendezvous point." But as Bruce finished speaking he heard voices approaching. He ducked behind the dumpster. Five thugs, armed with crowbars and a couple of pistols approached the backdoor to the building opposite of FEAST. While one used bolt cutters to kill power and the alarms, the others went to work on the door.
"Quiet you guys, you want the cops to hear us?" The thug with the flashlight asked.
"Shut up, new guy, we know what we're doing" the one working on the door snapped. "Now keep watch, we don't want Spider-man showing up."
The new recruit thug who was acting as lookout shined his flashlight around to make sure no web slinging superheroes were hanging around. He was relieved to find the fire escapes above deserted, but bringing his light to ground level he saw the silhouette of a man dressed all in black, with two white eye slits and pointy bat ears. He reeled in fear, "the Batman!" He exclaimed to alert the others.
The other four armed guards acknowledged Batman but instead of cowering, they began to laugh. Batman stood there stoically "This is the guy you left Gotham to get away from?" Another thug asked.
The criminal with the flashlight began backing away. "I ain't done nothing Batman, this is all them" he cowered.
"Shut up," the leader of the gang said, punching his cowardly compatriot. He then turned to Batman, "and you, clear out of here before you get hurt. "
"Don't worry about me, I won't be the one getting hurt," Batman replied. At that moment the criminal with the flash light took off running away, still pinching his bloody nose from where his boss had slugged him. The two thugs with pistols pointed them at Batman but he flung a batarang and disarmed them both. The four remaining criminals were taken off guard but still felt confident in a fight, in truth, they had no chance of winning.
At this moment, completely oblivious to what was going on, Peter and Mary Jane were sitting at their favorite restaurant recounting the events of the evening. The gala had been called off, so they had not eaten dinner.
"I don't get it, why take Dr. Connors?" Peter asked with a sigh.
"Pete, it's not your fault, you were frozen to the deck just like the rest of us. Don't worry, we'll get him back" Mary Jane replied.
"You're right, Gwen said Captain Stacy has the entire police force searching for them" Peter added.
"Well I'm sure how much help this is, but I've been doing a little research and I found this. Mr. Freeze is actually Dr. Victor Fries" Mary Jane explained flipping around her laptop screen.
"Huh, it must have been pretty easy for him to pick his supervillain name."
"Actually he was once a promising research scientist. Until his wife Nora was diagnosed with a rare disease with no known cure. He cryogenically froze her until he could find a cure for her. However his employers discovered he was stealing from the company for his work. This led to an altercation where the cryogenics lab was destroyed where both Dr. Fries and his wife were lost in the fallout. Fries however returned calling himself Mr. Freeze and took revenge against his former employers." Mary Jane summarized the article.
"Kind of makes sense that he'd team up with Tinkerer. She lost her brother to a corrupt corporation and he lost his wife. But that still doesn't explain why they'd take Dr. Connors" Peter replied.
"Don't focus on the why right now Pete, just focus on finding them," MJ put her hand on his. They looked at each other with caring smiles.
The moment was then shattered by honking horns outside. They looked out the window as the fleeing crook crashed into a pile of trash cans avoiding cars, he had not even bothered to take off the ski-mask. The sound of ongoing fighting echoed from the alley across the street.
"Well, I guess we'll have to get that second burger to go" Peter said getting up.
"Be careful, tonight's been strange enough. I'll call you when I find something. Hopefully you'll be done before anything gets cold." She whispered before kissing his cheek.
The goons had been easily overwhelmed. Batman kept countering their punches and throwing them into each other. One tried to get him from behind but he blinded him with his cape and then was taken down last and then tied to the others to be left for the police. Feeling annoyed by the distraction, but happy he was there to prevent the break in, Batman turned to leave. He was just about to radio Alfred to call the police but a web snagged the back of his foot. Within an instant he was yanked upside down dangling from the fire escape; and staring at a blue and red masked figure.
"Well well, let me guess, you lost a Black Panther cosplay contest" Spider-man teased.
Batman did not react, instead he calmly asked "Spider-man I presume."
"Oh darn, and I was trying to keep a low profile," he replied sarcastically. "Now, you would be?"
"Batman" Batman replied before cutting himself free and dropping to his feet. "Now if you are done with joking we need to talk."
"Okay, but if this is you trying to lure me into a false sense of security before you attack, I promise it won't work" Spider Man replied with an air of sarcasm.
"I'm sure you're aware of Mr. Freeze's attack this evening."
"A friend of yours?" Spider-man accused.
Batman's eyes narrowed at the accusation. "He was on a transport train containing five different supercriminals from Gotham City that derailed three miles outside of the City. You'll be rid of me as soon as I find them."
"Well, while I appreciate your willingness to clean up your own mess. A little common courtesy to inform the local superhero would've been appropriate."
"Well now I have, and now we are wasting time."
"Take it easy, I'm just as anxious to find Freeze as you are, so any idea where he might be hiding?"
"Due to his condition, Mr. Freeze can only survive in a subzero climate. I came following one of the purple armored men who were working with him. Apparently one of your sidekicks knocked into the freezing water and he came here for treatment. He's under sedation so we won't get anything out of him tonight."
"Well then, I'll tell the police to question him when he wakes up and to pick up these folks that you so kindly gift wrapped," Spider-man said.
At the same time, Batman's sidekicks Batgirl and Robin were surveying the city from the roof of an apartment building. "I've always wanted to see New York City but I'd rather have spent the rest of winter break skiing!" Barbara said as she looked through her binoculars.
"Then let's find Mr. Freeze, rescue that kidnapped doctor and maybe you'll have time to go to the Central Park Zoo before we leave," Dick replied sarcastically.
"Ugh, I get it this is important" she had only been Batgirl for a few months at this point but Barb was already getting tired of Robin's snark. "There's no sign of them here, let's try a couple blocks over." She pulled out her grappling hook and launched it to the next roof over. As she let herself swing she thought about how quiet it was after so much excitement had happened just a few hours earlier. Her reflection was interrupted as she tackled out of the sky. Tumbling to the rooftop she was aiming for she threw off her attacker and got to her feet.
"Reinforced carbon fiber cable. Someone's got a good tech supplier, commented Gwen Stacy. She was not sure if the girl in the bat mask was friend or foe, but the purple of her outfit screamed Underground.
Batgirl did not talk and just threw a punch connecting with the Spider-Woman's cheek. She returned the punch, webbing Batgirl to the ground. Before she could say anything Robin appeared behind her and and whacked her down with his bow staff. Then as he was about to knock her unconscious an invisible force stopped his staff mid swing. Miles Morales appeared after approaching invisibly. The four teenaged superheroes continued in their rooftop blitz.
Fifteen minutes later, Dick and Barbara were webbed to the ground, Miles was recovering from the effects of a sonic batarang, and Gwen was trying to untangle Batgirl's cable from around her ankles. They all looked up as they saw Batman and Spider-man staring down at them. Even with Peter's face covered all four of them could tell their mentors were upset with them.
"Guys what is this? Did you even give them a chance to identify themselves?" Spider-man asked.
"Well I was going to but she immediately went into attack mode!" Gwen replied pointing to Batgirl.
"Hey you knocked me out of the sky!" Barb snapped, ripping her arm out of the webs.
"Well, she was being cautious, in case you hadn't heard we had to fight a metal snowman this evening and you happen to be wearing the same color as his Underground henchmen" Miles defended.
"Well next time don't go invisible! They call you Spider-man not chicken-man" Dick sassed. Miles looked at him angrily.
"Take it easy you guys, two heroes fighting each other has been done to death" Peter replied.
Batman began cutting Batgirl and Robin free. "What were you thinking?"
"I was just trying to," Barbara started.
"You weren't thinking! If you had just told her you weren't working with the enemies you could have prevented this," Batman said.
"Rookie error," Robin said to Batgirl. But then Batman turned his anger at him.
"But you are not a rookie, you knew better! And you are lucky this was all that happened!" Batman replied.
"Well they" Robin was about to stay 'started it' but Batman did not let him finish.
"Are this city's protectors, and we will show them respect."
Batgirl apologetically helped Miles untangle her cable from around Gwen's legs.
Peter meanwhile got a comms call and stepped away; it was Mary Jane. "MJ things are just getting crazier out here, we've found a visiting crime fighting team here chasing Mr. Freeze."
"The Batman?" Mary Jane asked.
"Yeah, how did you?"
"I've been digging into Gotham City trying to find info that can help us find Dr. Connors. Batman shows up a lot in these files."
"Nevermind, he says that Mr. Freeze, requires a subzero climate. Wherever he and the underground are hiding it's gonna be very cold," Peter replied.
"So the police reports suggested, I've already got three for you. There's the polar bear exhibit at the Central Park Zoo but it's probably not large enough for him and the Underground to hide unnoticed. The second is the old ice cream factory, but the best bet is a boathouse and yacht, it was purchased by a shell company from Gotham, and reports say they have been running massive power bills and accepting ice deliveries for months." Mary Jane explained.
"Thanks!" Peter replied then turned back to the others. Gwen and Miles were staring at Batman's sidekicks while Batman was examining a handheld computer. "Well since we're working together on this now, I've got a few possible hideouts for your chilly friend and his friends in the Underground."
"Hey who put you in charge?" Robin objected, before looking at Batman who shook his head.
"Lead the way," Batman said and the six of them headed for the old boathouse. It was rather dilapidated on the outside, but the lights were on inside.
"This place was bought out but someone called 'flightless limited' based out of Gotham. They've also been receiving a lot of deliveries including truckloads of ice. I'd say that close enough to a confession." He explained.
"We need a closer look," Batman said. "And someone needs to stay here and watch our backs" He turned to the four younger heroes looking for volunteers. Miles and Gwen whispered to each other. while Dick and Barb played rock paper scissors. After a moment, the girls remained behind to keep watch while the others moved to the rooftops opposite the boathouse.
Miles turned invisible and jumped across to see through the skyline. He started talking to himself, "ok, either Phin has changed the Underground's MO bigtime, or this is not the right place." He then called Peter through his earpiece, "this isn't a hideout, it's like a nightclub. There's plenty of sketchy people in here, but no frozen supervillains."
But before Peter could suggest the next place to look, Batman had grappled across and was opening the rooftop door for entry. Robin and Spider-man followed him across. "Hey do those bat ears work? They aren't here!" he said.
"No but Flightless Limited is, and if it's who I think it is, they'll know something" Batman disappeared inside.
The Spiders looked at Robin for an explanation. "Sorry, he does that a lot."
Peter followed, but Miles had asked, "How do you put up with him?"
Dick frowned, and thought about how to phrase his response, "my parents were murdered when I was 13, he took me in as his foster son."
Miles tensed, sorry he had asked, "I'm sorry I didn't know."
"It's ok, you had no way of knowing, that's one of the reasons for the secret identity" he replied trying to sound judgemental, and they headed inside.
Batman and Spider-Man were moving along the catwalk as the rave was in full swing below. Waitresses in tuxedos dresses were serving frozen cocktails to the patrons.
"Who are we looking for?" Spider-Man asked.
Before Batman could respond, a pair of bouncers approached them from either side. Miles and Robin jumped down ready to fight. Peter tried defusing "take it easy guys, we just washed these suits, and I'm sure you don't want to scare your customers away, it's hard to run a secret exclusive club with them."
"Then you get the heck out of here Spider-man and take your funny friends with you" snapped the main bouncer.
"We don't take orders from the hired help," Batman interjected. Spider-Man looked at him in surprise. "Tell your boss we want to talk!" Spider-man looked at him as if silently trying to say 'are you seriously trying to start a fight'?
The bouncer was about ready to try and eject the heroes when a voice called him off from the stairwell below. "Gentlemen, there's no need for violence."
The heroes looked over the railing to see a short man in tuxedo, top hat and umbrella; with an attractive woman on both sides of him. "Well well Bats, I had to wonder if you'd show up after the ice man pulled that stunt. But we've got a lot of arachnophobes here tonight so how about you and your spider-friends join me in my office" replied Oswald Cobblepot. Batman frowned but obliged and the other heroes reluctantly followed. Inside the office was a wall of custom umbrellas, several exotic birds resting on perks, and a refreshment table. "Make yourself at home, have a drink if you wish, or if you don't drink on duty, you gotta try the pizza here Bats, they don't lie when they say it's great."
"Don't mind if I do," Miles said lifting the box lid, reeling back at what was underneath. "Anchovies, seriously."
"Did you expect the Penguin to be a pepperoni and olives guy?" Robin asked.
"Wait…the Penguin?" Spider-man asked as the outfit and nickname finally clicked for him. "Oh please tell me you chose the nickname first and dress accordingly." Penguin held his anger but gritted his teeth.
"You know why we're here," Batman interjected, focusing on the short crime lord.
"Well you'll find my business dealings are all perfectly above board. And I'm sure you recall I came out of that last trial very well. Lack of evidence I believe it was, completely acquitted." Penguin smiled as he said that part. "But Gotham seemed a bit hostile so I took my talents to the Big Apple as many do. But you ain't here to catch up. Nah, you're here looking for the iceman."
"You bought this place using the name 'flightless limited'. You were clever enough that someone looking for you would figure it out. After the prisoner transport derailed, they'd need a place to lay low" Batman said.
Penguin grinned, "and you thought they'd patronize an old friend. Well I assure you I didn't give them anything illegal, like I did for you offered food and drink. I doubt a jury would lock me up for that. Freeze did stop by, but I didn't see him. He met with a girl who's been in a lot. She's young and smart, runs with the Underground I think, don't know what she'd want with old Freeze."
"That would be Phin, er I mean the Tinkerer" Miles replied.
"Points to you, Spider junior or whatever they call you," Penguin said pointing with his umbrella. "Regardless, you know as well as anyone Freeze's a man with one focus. If he's here, it's gotta be connected to Nora. He apparently had her smuggled here a while back."
"His wife, but she's dead, isn't she?" Spider-man replied.
"He recovered her body in its frozen state, since then his entire purpose has been a cure by any means necessary." Batman replied.
"And Dr. Connors is a brilliant biologist, he must think he can help him find a cure."
They moved to go knowing all they needed, but Penguin couldn't let them leave without one last mock. "Well aren't you gonna ask about the others?" Batman turned around at that point and walked right up the desk where Penguin stood, staring him down.
"Others?" Miles asked.
"There were five on that prisoner transport that I bet Batsy came to clean up after. I'm sure he wants to know where the rest of our illicit acquaintances went. But I wouldn't let them tell me, gotta keep my hands clean." Penguin pridefully snickered, and took a sip of his drink.
Outside, Batgirl and Spider-Gwen had sat in silence for the first ten minutes. Both of them were still a little sore at the other. Barb watched the best she could through her binoculars, waiting for any sign that the others needed help. It was so quiet they could hear a cell phone vibrating on mute. Gwen then realized it was her phone. She looked at Batgirl, while they were on the same side she did not fully trust the newcomer. Excusing herself, she climbed over the side and crawled around the corner and answered the call. "Hey Dad, what's up?" she answered. As she listened to her father, her Spider-sense picked up Batgirl moving over, presumably to eavesdrop on her.
Batgirl thought she had been stealthy but Spider-Gwen had clearly noticed her and her conversation was shortened. Admitting defeat she turned and looked at the boathouse where she saw many drunk partiers leaving through the side door. Her concentration was broken as Spider-Gwen jumped back to the rooftop. "Anything?" she asked.
"The people coming out of this place don't like criminals, it's more like a bunch of bachelor and bachelorette parties." Barb explained.
"Surprised you had time to notice," Gwen replied.
Barbara shrunk back in embarrassment. "I'm sorry."
"You can apologize on the way, the Underground just raided the ESU science building. Come one!" Gwen launched herself into the air and she started webbing down the street with Batgirl grappling behind her. She got close enough to hear Spider-Gwen alerting Spider-Man to the development via their comms.
"You have every right to not trust me, but Batman trusts you and your friends. And he doesn't trust easily. I was just trying to figure out why.' Batgirl continued her long apology. "I also know that was totally uncool listening to your call. But I was trying to be more aware of my surroundings." She had been trying to do what she thought Batman would have done. "I've only been doing this for a few months."
"It's ok. We've had some pretty sus allies before, so I can understand being cautious" Gwen replied she thought back to encounters with Black Cat and the Prowler. "Besides I remember when I first started, Spider-Man was super encouraging but wanted us to understand the responsibility. It's a lot of pressure."
They caught sight of four vehicles barreling out of the ESU parking lot with the police following behind. "Well, let's get to work," Batgirl said.
The others left the boathouse after failing to get anything else out of the Penguin. Batman was pushing buttons on his glove. Robin turned to the two Spiders and said, "race you guys there?"
"Haha, yeah good luck with that," Miles said before webbing the street light and launching down the street.
Peter waited just a moment, double checking with Gwen as to the direction the Underground was driving. He confirmed it with Batman but before he could launch himself he heard the rumbling of an approaching car. A massive black car with wide tires, fitted armor plating and fins that resembled bat wings rolled up. Peter laughed to himself as Batman and Robin got in, "they are gonna be so jealous." He launched after them swing above as they traversed the city.
In the lead truck, the Tinkerer was on video chat with Mr. Freeze. "Piece of cake, got all the chemicals and the equipment, everything on your list."
"Excellent, you and your associates have done well. As we agreed you will have access to my work when you return plus an extra bonus for your troops, provided they deliver everything damaged" Freeze replied.
"Relax, we just got to lose the law" but as she spoke, they heard two thuds on the roof of their van. "What the?"
The soldiers in the truck behind them opened fire at the roof. Her driver pulled out a pistol and was ready to roll down the window but Tinkerer grabbed their arm. "Just drive! Don't give the Spiders a way into the van.
The laser rifles missed Batgirl and Spider-Gwen just barely. The fact they were moving and shooting at moving targets made it especially difficult. Batgirl stabbed a batarang into the roof of the car. "I say we come back to this one!" she suggested. Gwen nodded in agreement and the duo lept to the car behind the lead car. One Underground soldier ended up with a face full of webbing while the other ended up disarmed by another batagrang.
Tinkerer looked in the rearview mirror; she recognized the spider-woman but the girl dressed like a bat surprised her. She thought about Mr. Freeze's rants about the danger posed by Gotham's protectors. Had they come to New York City to chase him. "Split up" she ordered via radio to her troops.
The other vehicles turned left and right respectfully. The one which turned right was blocked by the Batmobile. The clueless Underground troopers floored it, attempting to ram the car as if it were just another police vehicle. Batman simply pressed a button and an EMP gun extended above the wheel well and fired at them. The truck puttered to a stop. The four armed underground members disembarked as Batman and Robin ejected from the car. "Boss, there's a crazy guy dressed like a bat, and kid who well I'm not sure what he's supposed to be!" The trooper said on speaker phone. Mr. Freeze heard and a moment of shock stared at Tinkerer as if to say, you're about to see what I meant. The soldiers drew energy rods and charged the caped crusaders.
Peter and Mile's truck drove recklessly through the streets. The heroes spent most of the time moving civilians out of the way. Looking back at the trail of destruction Peter asked, "Who taught them how to drive, Rhino?" A ball of webbing launched into the axel, and it appeared to do no damage but in their next sharp right turn the wheel popped off. Miles webbed it so it would stop rolling while the rest of the truck skidded to the middle of an intersection. "Oh great, now Jameson's gonna get to do a story about us causing traffic jams."
One heavily armored trooper began firing at both Spiders at once so his comrades could escape. They had to pull off all of his armor before they could subdue him. After webbing him to a streetlight. They were about to go after the others but they saw the van Gwen and Barbara were fighting the Underground on top of. It barreled down the street. The driver hit the breaks and barely missed colliding with the overturned truck. The four heroes finished subduing the remaining Underground troops.
"Well I guess the street cleaners are gonna be a little upset with us too" Miles said as the four of them perched on a balcony overlooking the scene. The police and fire department quickly descended on the scene to tend to the civilians and take the Underground into custody. Batman and Robin landed behind them. Surprising Batgirl but the 3 Spider-heroes sensed their approach.
Batman looked at the two wrecked cars, after they had subdued their car without any damage. "Was that necessary?" he asked.
"Well they almost never just park their cars and give up," Spider-man replied.
Their debate was cut short as the cops approached to take the larger underground soldier away. After instructing his men to take him away, Police Captain George Stacy turned to the two super trios gesturing for them to talk. After Peter nodded and explained that it was ok and the six heroes landed in the alley where the Captain was waiting. He had salt and pepper hair and was wearing a heavy coat. "Thanks for the assist. ESU sent over a list of everything they took. Remarkably most of the equipment is undamaged" he looked at the overturned truck Miles and Peter had been chasing.
"Always happy to help Captain," Miles replied.
The Captain turned and introduced himself to Batman, who introduced his sidekicks. Peter made a mental note to ask where the name Robin came from. "We still lost the lead car in the confusion. Probably to where that maniac with the ice gun is hiding." Captain Stacy added.
"Well, they haven't totally gotten away yet" Batgirl said, holding up a GPS screen. The tracker in the batarang she had stabbed the roof of the van was still on and transmitting. Batman smiled approving of the technique.
"Alright!" Spider-Gwen said high-fiving Batgirl.
"It's near the Manhattan Bridge," Batgirl read.
"And so is the old ice cream factory," Spider-man declared, remembering the other option Mary Jane had given him as a possible hideout.
"I'll get back up here to take over, and have SWAT get ready," Captain Stacy added.
"We'll head over there and scope it out," Spider-Gwen added. As the other heroes started walking away, she checked to see that no one was watching and hugged her father. "Thanks for the heads up, you be careful!"
"You too," he whispered.
Gwen swung out of the alley to find Batgirl waiting on her. She was about to chastise her but saw the redheaded hero looked anxious to ask a question. "You okay?" Gwen ultimately asked.
"How did he react?" Barbara replied. Gwen was surprised by the question, Batgirl rephrased it, "your father, he knows you're a hero, I heard you greet him on the phone."
"He was scared for me, and he still worries; but he understands," she replied. She realized the rookie hero was probably asking because her own parents didn't know she had donned a mask to fight crime. "After we're done, I'll tell you more of the story."
They found the others waiting by the Batmobile. "Whoa you guys get a car?" Gwen reacted.
"Yup that's the Batmobile!" Robin replied.
"How come we don't have a Spider-mobile?" Miles asked Peter.
"Technically we don't need one?" Peter said.
As the two younger Spider-heroes stared at Batmobile, Batgirl looked at Batman as if to say. "It does seat six?'