[center][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/868848204068814850/870771342335701032/victor.png[/img][/center][indent][sub][color=white][b]SEASON ONE[/b][/color][color=lightblue] Sensation & Wonder[/color][/sub][sup][right][b][color=white]Springtime for Mr. Freeze #3[/color][/b][color=lightblue] Just Desserts[/color][/right][/sup][/indent][indent][indent][indent][hr][/indent][/indent][/indent][indent][color=white][sub][b]Super Secret Lair[/b][/sub][/color][/indent]
Mr. Freeze considered himself many things. A husband. A scientist. A pioneer. A crook. Supervillain. But a caretaker? Now that was an entirely new feeling he was unused to. How strange life rewarded him for his last night's adventure. Indeed, he thought he would never see her again but Gotham was seldom idle in spawning killers and thieves. All it took was a full day for the woman to return to his secret lair but this time, with her daughter in tow. Apparently, there was a murder at her apartment that took place at sunset. A couple was slain in cold blood; the pregnant wife with multiple stab wounds on the belly. What savagery. 

[color=lightblue]"Yet, I fail to see why I have to accommodate [i]your[/i] child."[/color] Victor gritted his teeth. He had worn his ice suit just for this encounter as the mother's jacket was too light to enter even the first area of his frozen base. [color=lightblue]Have you forgotten who you are converting with?![/color]

[right][color=aqua]"Of course not,"[/color] she sigh. Even with the makeup on, Victor could spot the years of stress wrinkling her youthful face. [color==aqua]"That's why I'm here.[/color][/right]

[color=lightblue]"Do I have to spell it out for you?!"[/color] he said rhetorically, [color=lightblue]"Is there no one else that can substitute your role?"[/color]

[right][color=aqua]"No..."[/color] The woman shook her head. To her credit, she was acting braver than most men under his burning red gaze. [color=aqua]No one else..."[/color][/right]

[color=lightblue]"Not your own parents?"[/color]
[right][color=aqua]"Out of state..."[/color][/right]
[color=lightblue]"Any companions or babysitters?"[/color]
[right][color=aqua]"Unreliable..."[/color][/right]
[color=lightblue]"Surely a husband? A Boy-?!"[/color]
[right][color=aqua]"SHUT UP!"[/color] The woman struggled to hold back a single tear rolling down her cheek. [color=aqua]"Please...let's not talk about that."[/color][/right]

Taken back by his own rudeness, Victor can only go silent at the landmine he just triggered. He can already see Nora's disappointed look. Her downcast eyes looking upon him with anger towards his own selfishness. 

[i][color=lightblue]What would you have me do, my love? What would you have done? I cannot be the Batman and pursue this wretched animal! I cannot stand vigilant over her apartment! My duty is to you, Nora! No one else! NO ONE! So what must be done? What can be done?![/color][/i]

[color=coral]"It's okay, mommy!"[/color] The daughter hugged her hurting mother, causing Mr. Freeze to return to reality. [color=coral]"You don't have to cry! I'll be a brave girl! I can keep the front door locked until you get back! The bad guy can't breakthrough!"[/color]

[i][color=lightblue]You can't be serious, Nora! I just can't...[/color][/i] 

[color=lightblue]"Wait!"[/color] Victor addressed the woman just when she was about to turn away. [color=lightblue]"Why me? Why does it have to be me?[/color]

[right][color=aqua]"You saved my livelihood."[/color][/right]

[color=lightblue]"I'm a thief."[/color]

[right][color=aqua]"Not a killer."[/color][/right]

[color=lightblue]"I'm an outcast."[/color]

[right][color=aqua]"Not a recluse."[/color][/right]

[color=lightblue]"I'm a villain."[/color]

[right][color=aqua]"Not a cruel one."[/color][/right]

[color=lightblue]"I'm not Batman!"[/color]

[right][color=aqua]"You don't have to be one."[/color][/right]

With a grunt of defeat, Mr. Freeze extended his gloved hand towards the little girl. [color=lightblue]"Just ONE night shift, understand?!"[/color] 

[color=aqua]"Agreed."[/color] she smiled before kneeling down to be at eye level with her child. [color=aqua]"Mommy will pick you up after I'm done with work, alright?"[/color]

[color=coral]"Yes, mommy!"[/color]The little girl nodded, prompting a hug and a kiss on the forehead. 

[color=aqua]"Don't let her eat too much ice cream and here's a bag of food for her dinner"[/color]

[color=lightblue]"Wasn't planning on it."[/color] He coldly snarked as he took the plastic sack. Already in his mind, Victor conjured up ways to shove his freeze ray so far up the Penguin's ass he'll sneeze out ice cubes. [color=lightblue]"Young one, let's head back inside."[/color] Hopefully that coat of hers is warm enough for his lifestyle. He'll also have to make sure to have his henchmen hide their vices. Yes, don't want bad influence imparted on her mind.[hr]
[color=pink]"And that's why President Calvin Ellis is secretly Superman!"[/color] A goon handed a tabloid magazine to the little girl, letting her see the pictures of the US president and Superman side by side. 

After 10 minutes of a situational update among his crew, Mr. Freeze was already regretting letting them socialize with the child. 

[color=lightblue]"What garbage are you teaching her now?"[/color] The supervillain snatched the magazine out of the girl's hands and examined it for himself.

Same ears. Same nose. Same skin tone. Same haircut. Same earlobe. Same pupil color. The tabloid even went as far as to compare the teeth whenever the President and Superman smiled. Side by side, they were nigh indistinguishable. It's almost as if...

[color=lightblue]"You actually believe in this conspiracy?!"[/color] Victor fumed, his stare alone chastizing the henchman [color=lightblue]"I expected better from you! You shame yourself for falling foolishly to such idiotic ideas."[/color]

[color=coral]"But they look so similar!"[/color] The daughter protested. 

[color=lightblue]"It's just a coincidence. Superman will not handicap himself with the burden of the Oval Office. And that's final!"[/color] Mr. Freeze tore up the magazine and tossed it into the trash. [color=lightblue]"Find something productive to do or go take a nap!"[/color]

[color=coral]"You're so mean, mister!"[/color] she pouted when she saw how small his employee felt, staring down at the floor. 

Returning to his office, Victor went back to his planning. It's already time for a heist to secure more funding but there was only one problem: finding an unspoiled bank. From what his men have told him, almost all the banks, jewelry stores, and museums have been compromised in one way or another. His fellow 'evildoers" and mundane competitors have not been idle while he was locked up. Looks like the man has to search for more unconventional ways to secure money.

Robbing the Cobblepots? As much as he would like to humble the obese don, even the Penguin has a sense of honor that he cannot deny. Robbing the Waynes? Stealing the treasury of Wayne Enterprises? Kidnapping Bruce Wayne himself for a ransom? Doable on paper. That multi-billionaire playboy only knows how to spend extravagantly and attract women like flies to meat. 

How life can be cruel sometimes. Victor almost pities the head of House Wayne. Nora may be in an ice capsule but their love will be stronger than any of Bruce Wayne's conquests. Perhaps it's time to part the fool from his money.