[CENTER][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/9PGM5Xe.png[/IMG][/CENTER] [B]Gotham City, Precinct 27 Gordon's Office 3:40 PM[/B] [color=f7941d]"Barbara, honey, I already told you that I'm perfectly capable of getting my own lunch."[/color] Captain Gordon held an ice pack to his bandaged head as his wheelchair-bound daughter made her way into his office with a bag of fresh food. She laughed off her father's unnecessary concern, given that she had only gone across the street to one of Jim's favorite eateries to purchase it. [color=ce5399]"And I already told you that you're [i]so[/i] not right now. And that I wanted to do it anyway. Besides, you're not the only one who was hungry, so eat up, silly."[/color] Placing the wrapped Pastrami sandwich on his desk, knowing full well that he couldn't turn down the offer of his favorite type of sandwich while running on empty since the early morning hours, Barbara gave him a satisfied smile as he sighed and reached for it. He gave her a look, unwrapping the sandwich and immediately taking a bite. He started to fake frustration as she began to chuckle at the bits of bread already visible in his mustache, playfully sticking out his tongue in order to gross her out. He smiled aswell as she recoiled, returning to the file that he had been overlooking whenever she came in. [color=f7941d]"Fine, fine. You win, young lady. What do I owe you?"[/color] [color=ce5399]"Oh, stop with that. You know that I love splurging on you whenever I'm given the chance."[/color] Gordon paused. [color=f7941d]"And you used my credit card, didn't you?"[/color] Barbara shrugged, knowing that he had her dead to rights. [color=ce5399]"There's that, too."[/color] Gordon shook his head, trying to hide another smile. [color=f7941d]"I swear, you're as mischievous as your mother was."[/color] The truth was that despite his overbearing nature to do everything for [i]her[/i] since she had lost the ability to use her legs, he was the one in need of help right now. The doctors at Gotham General had flatly told him that he'd suffered some considerable head trauma following his violent encounter with The Batman last week, and being ever the stubborn bull, Jim had only taken a leave of absence to heal that had lasted a whole three days. Which was ridiculous, given he was supposed to remain off of active duty for three [i]weeks[/i], but as Barbara had tried to remind him of that this morning, Jim had given her the stock response of 'a police captain doesn't get a sick leave in Gotham'. The big baby hadn't even been taking his medications the way they were prescribed, which was why she had taken the liberty of hiding them inside of his sandwich. So Barbara figured that if she couldn't keep him bedridden at home, the least she could do was keep an eye on him at work to ensure that he didn't do anything too strenuous. Which she had a convenient excuse for, given that the Captain's daughter had spent the last few weeks volunteering at the Precinct as a data entry clerk, put in charge of re-organizing the very long and out of date criminal database. It was a synch for a tech wizard like her to do, and she intentionally took her time, given how few hours the library were giving her towards college credits. She didn't know what she wanted to be yet, given that her handicap didn't exactly lend itself to a wide variety of careers, but Barbara knew she wanted to do something with her life beyond staying at home and still getting used to the idea of having to take an hour out of her morning just to be able to get into the shower. Wheeling herself over to her own makeshift desk, which sat in the right corner of the room and was just out of the way enough not to interfere with police business, Barbara began logging into the GCPD database with her own credentials. The username being 'DominoedDaredoll99', based off of the nickname she was given whenever she had been a gymnast in High School. [color=ce5399]"Dad,"[/color], she began. [color=ce5399]"I know you've already said that you don't want me to be a cop..."[/color] [color=f7941d]"Mmm-hmm."[/color], the Captain replied. [color=f7941d]"And my mind isn't going to change on that anytime soon."[/color] [color=ce5399]"I know. And I totally get it, I really do. But I was wondering... what if I did something like this all of the time instead? You know, help out with the technical side of things. Become a receptionist, or even a dispatcher. The stuff that wouldn't really put me out on the field."[/color] [img]https://i.imgur.com/zotAG5s.png[/img] Gordon looked up at his daughter, who sheepishly looked back towards the computer screen. He knew that a police job meant alot to her, and that she had wanted to follow in his footsteps ever since she was nine. He had already been leery of the prospect before, but following her injury and the countless months of physical therapy it took just for her to be able to function in a wheelchair, there was no doubt in his mind that he was never going to allow her to be out there as one of the officers. But a desk job? Gordon wondered to himself if that'd really be the best alternative. [color=f7941d]"I'd have to give it some serious thought. Frankly, if it were up to me, you wouldn't be able to set within ten miles of any precinct in the city. Gotham's only getting more dangerous each day, honey, and the crazies that we're pulling in off of the street are only getting more bizarre. Sometimes, even being in the building is a hazard."[/color], he admitted. [color=f7941d]"Just the other week, we picked up a perp that claimed he had [i]ten eyes[/i] on his fingers and could see through solid material despite being legally blind. The eyes ended up being tattoos and he was diagnosed to be a violent schizophrenic by the people at Arkham, but the point stands. We're living in troubling times, because there was a second where people believed he might be telling the truth. Because there might actually come a day when someone is brought in who can do something like that."[/color] Barbara raised an eyebrow at Jim's story. [color=ce5399]"Well first of all, your Terrible Ten-Eyed Man sounds like a real winner in the championships of crazy, and I feel sorry for the people that're gonna have to stick tranquilizers in his rear for the rest of his life."[/color], she flatly joked. [color=ce5399]"But that's just one instance of danger, dad. And I know that you guys bring in violent criminals on a regular basis. I've seen it more times than I can count already. I'm aware of the risks, but I just want to help. And you made sure that I can take care of myself, remember? That was your first rule, whenever I got put in the chair. I'm a Gordon, and Gordons never stay down. We get back up, no matter what."[/color] The Captain smiled, reminded of his own personal credo. [color=f7941d]"I know. And your bravery is very commendable, I'll give you that. So just let me think about it, okay? I'm not giving it a complete 'no', so there's no need to try and butter me up over it."[/color] Barbara gave herself a victorious fist pump. [color=f7941d]"Granted, it'd help my decision a whole lot if you started going to physical therapy more often..."[/color] The fist pump ended there, with Barbara shooting her father an immediate glare. [color=ce5399]"That's just mean."[/color] Gordon smirked, downing a bit of coffee. [color=f7941d]"Those are my terms, young lady. Take them or leave them."[/color] Mulling it over, Barbara finally nodded. [color=ce5399]"I'll do what I can. I just get so bored with it, you know? They want me to go at [i]their[/i] pace, but I'm making progress way beyond anything they want to teach me."[/color] Pointing to the bandage wrapped around his head, the Captain gave her an empathetic look. [color=f7941d]"See? And that's exactly how I feel about this. The doctors tell you one thing, but you know yourself better than they do. You know your own damn limitations. And I wasn't just gonna sit in bed for most of the month and let this department get run into the ground."[/color] Barbara smiled. [color=ce5399]"That's entirely different. You're just old and stubborn."[/color] Jim scoffed. [color=f7941d]"Okay, stubborn, I'll give you. But old? That just cuts to the core. I should ground you right here and now for insinuating such a thing..."[/color] Their playful banter as father and daughter was cut short as the door to Gordon's office swung open. Duke Thomas frantically entered, giving Barbara a cursory nod as he approached the Captain's desk. The two had formed something of a friendship over the years, given that they had studied in the same fields. Captain Gordon leaned forward, giving his daughter a look that read as 'Can you give us a moment?', prompting her to immediately begin to wheel herself out. As the door closed behind her, Thomas produced his cellphone and slid it forward so that the Jim could take a look. [color=fcf69b]"Captain, I have no goddamn idea how this hasn't ended up on dispatch, but we've got a major situation happening at the fashion show downtown. Some dude in a giant suit of armor broke into the place and, get this. He's freezing off all of the entrances."[/color] Gordon gave the young police consultant a perplexed look at that declaration, pressing play on an attached video displayed on the phone. It confirmed everything that Thomas had described, despite it's sheer unbelievability. A man wearing armor and a thick dome atop his head was firing a cannon that shot out beams of light. The walls, the stage, and the ceiling around him were quickly building up with thick sheets of ice, and people were fleeing in terror. The video itself was tilted, obviously filmed through someone's phone. [color=f7941d]"Where the hell did this video come from?"[/color] Thomas narrowed his eyes. [color=fcf69b]"Youtube. And it's live, Jim. This is happening right now."[/color] Immediately standing upright from his chair, Gordon angrily handed the phone back to Thomas. [color=f7941d]"Why the hell haven't any of us been alerted?! Nothing's come up through emergency calls from the scene?! News outlets, anything?!"[/color] Duke raised his hands in equal amounts of confusion. [color=fcf69b]"That's just it! Nobody's gotten this! Not Central, not the Commissioner, nobody! I literally just caught it on my Facebook feed! Montoya's checking the local channels, but as best I can tell, nobody's been able to report on this at all. All of the feeds covering the fashion show went dead just before the attack happened and it makes absolutely no sense! It's like there's been a network-wide lockout!"[/color] [color=f7941d]"Goddammit..."[/color] Immediately rushing to grab his gun, Gordon pointed to Duke and spoke in a tone that commanded attention. [color=f7941d]"I'm grabbing Renee and heading to my car. Get as many of our people out there as you can. I know we're down some men after last week, so call in a few of those favors you have with the other precincts if you have to. We need all eyes on this yesterday, you understand?!"[/color] Duke nodded as he spun around and ran out of the room. [color=fcf69b]"Already on it!"[/color] Barbara remained outside the entrance to the office, looking towards her father with worry as he grabbed his coat and swung it around himself. Sometimes the early morning hours could be chillier than most, and torrential rain showers in Gotham were a constant, so Jim had brought it out of habit. But the sun was shining outside and it was the middle of the afternoon. Why in the hell did he need it now? [color=ce5399]"Dad?"[/color] Rushing past his desk, Gordon paused as he approached his daughter and placed a hand on her shoulder. [color=f7941d]"I have to go, Barbara. There's some madman attacking the fashion show downtown. Using an... ice gun, or something. I don't know. I'll tell you about it when I get back."[/color] Barbara looked up at him, her eyes clear pleading with him not to go. [color=ce5399]"But dad, in your condition..."[/color] [color=f7941d]"I'll be fine, I promise. I won't even set a foot inside the building. But my people need me to guide them through this, so I can't just stay here and let the tactical unit take charge."[/color] Giving his pride and joy a kiss on the forehead, Gordon smiled as he turned around. [color=f7941d]"I love you, kiddo."[/color] [color=ce5399]"I love you too."[/color], Barbara muttered, half-heartedly accepting that he had to go. [color=ce5399]"But please be careful. Don't do anything stupid..."[/color] In the back of her mind, Barbara knew something wasn't right about any of this. Nobody had been alerted about an open attack from a psychopath in a refrigeration suit? That didn't make even the slightest bit of sense. Looking towards her computer as she wheeled back into the office, she began to think to herself. [color=ce5399]"Wonder if the department needs any help."[/color] [B]Gotham City, Snyder Stadium Starling Fashion Show 3:45 PM[/B] [b][color=6ecff6]"For every minute that I am not reunited with my bride, ten of you will be frozen solid and shattered as though you were made of glass. I do not make these demands lightly. You will bring me my Nora or you will die."[/color][/b] [img]https://i.imgur.com/HqRW6ZH.png[/img] Hiding myself among the rafters high above the stadium, I finally get into a position that gives me some idea of what I'm working with and switch the lenses of my cowl from standard to thermal. There had been no prior warning of any of this through the radio or television networks, and the police bands remained entirely silent. The only reason I knew anything was going on was due to the fact that I had arrived on the scene as Bruce Wayne and saw a thick block of ice standing between the crowd outside and the people inside. The windows atop the stadium's exterior were also coated, making my makeshift entrance through the roof particularly challenging to accomplish. But I knew I had to act if the police weren't aware that this was happening. Normally, I reserve the suit and utilize it strictly for the night night hours. It helps keep me hidden from sight and adds to the mystique of The Batman being a creature of supernatural origin. But I didn't hesitate to park the car in a nearby alleyway and suit up in response to this. Mercifully, I scaled the wall and made it to the stadium's rooftop fast enough not to be spotted by onlookers. But nothing could've prepared me for [i]this[/i]. The man standing just a few feet below is wearing an array of high-density tactical armor that, just by looking at it, I can tell was shopped in from a few different sources. Stark Industries, Lexcorp, Osborn Technologies, Queen Consolidated. Even a bit of Waynetech. The mystery man managed to create an armor out of different parts from each company and workshop them into a cohesive unit that houses some kind of inner-refrigeration device. I can't tell if that makes him a metahuman, given that his ability to render anything frozen solid seems to be technologically based. But he is rather brilliant if he fashioned the suit and the cannon himself, making it impossible for me to go into this underestimating him. Even worse, a few of the patrons of the event came prepared with their own ordinance and started to fire upon the attacker whenever I was making my way inside. Likely to be mob-connected. But each bullet only seemed to bounce off of the man's suit, and they were each frozen to death for their troubles. The man even went as far to make an example of them by smashing their frozen corpses, indicating that the suit is not only bulletproof, but greatly increases his natural strength. So whoever this man is, metahuman or not, he's more than a formidable opponent. I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing. Something like this is completely unprecedented, and people are being put in the crosshairs of an attack that's of a nature completely foreign to any possible strategic maneuver. But I'm not going to say that this isn't a unique opportunity to test my skills at improvisation, given that this man seems to be out of his mind in demanding the presence of a person that clearly isn't here. This only ends when he's taken down, and not a second before. [b][color=DimGray]"Ace. Cut the power to the lights. I need to ensure that our mystery opponent can't see what he's doing."[/color][/b] [color=fff200][B]Accessing the electrical grid now, Mr. Wayne.[/B][/color] Within seconds, everything goes dark, causing people to panic even more than previously. The only light sources are coming from the attacker's suit itself, given that parts of his armor are emanating a neon blue coolant and he's wearing some type of specialized goggles that glow with a red fury. Have to hope that they're not giving him some sort of night-vision capabilities as I fire a grapnel and swing down, seizing my opening to attack. Striking at the man's large and thickly armored exoskeleton with the bottom of both boots, I backflip off of him as he turns in my direction and fires off a stray blast from his cannon. The blast itself is radiant and lights up the room with a particularly bright luminescence, revealing my position before I can react. [b][color=DimGray]"ENOUGH!"[/color][/b] [IMG]https://i.imgur.com/bBK9eyU.png[/IMG] I go in for a direct punch, and my fist hits against the armor as though it were nothing. The impact against my hand actually causes me to double back in pain, forcing me to roll forward and clutch it before I can be rendered the human equivalent of an ice sculpture. The man takes a step forward, the metal of his armor stomping against the floor. He clearly didn't anticipate that I'd be here, but he doesn't seem particularly phased either way. I ready a series of batarangs and throw them towards his suit, hoping to nick a few weak points. But he fires a light mist ahead of him and I watch as my own weapons are turned to ice. They each shatter upon impact, dealing out no damage whatsoever. I narrow my eyes, angrily cursing this doomed approach. Might've even already broken something in the process. [b][color=6ecff6]"I have heard of you. They call you The Batman in the press. By all accounts, you consider yourself an administrator of justice. But you should not have tried to interfere."[/color][/b] Reading another blast from his cannon, I somersault to the side of the stage and dodge it, watching the area where I just stood build up with thick, frozen spikes. He readies the cannon again, and I dive off of the stage, ignoring the immense pain coming off of my injured hand aswell as any impending vertigo from my concussion. [b][color=6ecff6]"Perhaps it would be best if we were both to be a name basis. By those who have been unfortunate to cross my path in the past, I am called Mr. Freeze. Though you will come to know me as death itself."[/color][/b] Grabbing a nearby fire extinguisher, I spin and toss it at him with my good hand, knowing that he'll fire again. The extinguisher explodes, temporarily causing him to reel back in surprise. [b][color=DimGray]"I don't give a damn [i]who[/i] you are. You're not going to hurt these people."[/color][/b] Leaping into the air, I fire out another grapple line and swing towards him at an even faster velocity. He sees this, and rather than attempt to fire upon me another time with his cannon, uses the brunt of the weapon to knock me out of the air. I go flying back into a large billboard to the right of the stage, advertising the fashion show. As I try and get back up, already feeling weakened from both the injuries sustained last week and the trauma of whatever damage was just done to my hand, I can hear people starting to scream for an entirely different reason. To the crowd, they're not just being attacked by Freeze. They're being attacked by the murderous Batman, who's still accused of taking a shot at Harvey Dent. And then my mind reels even harder as I start to realize that I personally ensured someone else's appearance here tonight, making it my responsibility that they're in the very clear and present danger. Looking out towards the crowd, I spot her trying to help Thomas Elliot to his feet after having apparently fallen. My eyes widen, realizing that she's open to attack at any moment, should Freeze choose to fire on the crowd for my intrusion. [b][color=DimGray]"Selina..."[/color][/b] Producing the Utility Gun, I fire a few smoke pellets in Freeze's general direction in order to more effectively blind him. He fires out a few stray blasts of his ice cannon, but is otherwise rendered disoriented. Utilizing the opportunity, I leap into the air and extend my cape, gliding over the pedestrians running in terror from both Freeze's attack and what they perceive as my own. Immediately landing infront of a shocked Selina as she helps Elliot to his feet, I wrap my arm around her waist and fire a grapple line into the air. [b][color=DimGray]"Ma'am. Keep your head down."[/color][/b] She nods, too overwhelmed by my presence to say anything. Having met Bruce Wayne plenty of times, it's odd to see her reaction to me in the suit. Probably terrified that I singled her out at all, given how random it must seem. But I won't allow her to die just because I called her to this place in the event of a personal emergency. Ascending quickly, I get Selina to the rafters and secured, pointing out the entrance that I made for myself in the far distance. [b][color=DimGray]"There's an exit over there that should be safe. Climb out of here and inform the authorities of what's happening. No one's been alerted to this, and I need someone who's seen what's happening to prepare the cops."[/color][/b] Turning my back to Selina as she nods, I prepare to leap back down and engage Freeze once again. [b][color=a187be]"Certainly..."[/color][/b] [I][B]BLAM![/B][/I] To my shock, the back of my head is struck with an incredible amount of force as I'm knocked from the rafters. Falling down, my descent threatens to hit the crowd below, and I look up to see Selina holding a smoking pistol that she had hidden on her person. She... shot me in the back of the head. The bullet's probably sticking out of the kevlar plate that miraculously saved my life. And she looks to be taking another shot, by the way that she's aiming. The shock of seeing a woman that I consider a close personal friend suddenly brandishing a weapon to try and kill me is more than I could've ever predicted. Selina's never let on that she conceals a gun. Nor is it in her character, given that she's tried to distance herself as much from her father's operations as much as possible whenever I've talked to her about it. So being openly attacked by her is something of a betrayal, given that I had been led to believe that she was entirely non-violent. Though I guess that she could simply be seeking retribution on Harvey's part... Doesn't matter right now. I need to stay focused. Stop my own fall before I land on someone and potentially cause even further injury. Throwing out another line to the other side of the rafters, I tug on it as hard as I can to propel myself into another swing. It works, and I manage to avoid colliding with anyone, arching myself into the air and landing on a nearby platform. [I][B]BLAM![/B][/I] A second bullet grazes off of the area near where I just stepped, prompting me to glare upwards. Not only is Selina a damn good shot, but very clearly a practiced one. If I didn't know this about her and could be taken off of my guard so easily, what else has she been hiding from me? Does she work for the Five Families? Has she been in league with her father all this time? [b][color=a187be]"You idiots, he's right there! Kill both of them and you'll get twice the bounty!"[/color][/b] I look upon the crowd and find that a few more are still armed, having not made the mistake of firing upon Freeze earlier whenever it became clear that he was wearing bulletproof armor. Stumbling through the darkness, they nevertheless act with a sense of immediacy in response to Selina's order. It all but answers the question for me, making me realize that I never truly knew the woman at all. Of course, there's also the matter of Mr. Freeze. [b][color=6ecff6]"Enough of this. You waste my time with these meaningless distractions."[/color][/b] Before I can intervene, I'm horrified to watch as Freeze opens fire on the armed members of the Five Families and renders them each frozen solid in one swift motion. I could have jumped infront of that blast, sparing their lives, but he moved too quickly for me to even react until it was too late. [b][color=DimGray]"NO!"[/color][/b] Freeze stares back at me, his face void of emotion as he turns the cannon on me. [b][color=6ecff6]"Yes."[/color][/b] Gritting my teeth and growling back at him, enraged, I lunge forward without thinking... Inevitably opening myself to the exact same fate as them. [b][color=6ecff6]"Do not struggle. Allow the brittle, cold touch of the grave to embrace you as a comfort, Batman."[/color][/b] [IMG]https://i.imgur.com/cthff02.png[/IMG] My entire body goes numb as the sensation overpowers me. [b][color=6ecff6]"That is what all self-appointed administrators of justice deserve."[/color][/b]