47 CHAPTER 46: "Time To Let Go"

*Mr. Freeze, 25 Miles East of Gotham Harbor, Unknown Island

Standing in his lab, Freeze was working on yet another sequence of blood work in his attempts to cure his Nora.

Things had been awfully quiet in Gotham these days. Not that he was concerned with the city. Freeze only cared for one thing, and the means of reaching the end goal.

Save for occasional supply runs and delivering pain medication to James' aunt he stayed a day in and out in his lab. Running simulations, tests, and experiments with nothing to show for it. But he would never quit, he would never stop till he found a cure. It was both his curse and blessing he was doomed to suffer for.

Familiar footsteps sounded from behind him but he kept his gaze firmly on the computer screen.

"Hi Freeze," James said standing next to him.

Ignoring his young... partner, Freeze leaned over to look in a microscope watching the cells, waiting with bated breath to see if his concoction would bind with the cells. Such an event would be proof his current line of study was in the correct direction.

James sat on one of the stools near him, "...Any luck with your cure?"

Almost like a cursed omen, his computer beeped with a negative result. Watching in the microscope he could see the concoction fail to bind to the cells.

Leaning back Freeze closed his eyes, mentally forcing himself to count to 10. He looked over to finally look at James and was surprised to see him dressed very differently than he had seen him.

He was wrapped in a ragged dark grey cloak whose end reached down to his ankles in a torn manner, with a blue sash acting as a belt, thin grey pants, and gloves. A thin turban surrounded his head hiding his face with just his eyes poking through. A hood added the effect of a pitch-darkness that further obscured his head.

Freeze finally spoke, "No..."

He gave James another appraising look, "You look ridiculous."

The young man shrugged, "It is light and effective in hiding my identity. I used it on my recent job and liked it."

"It won't provide much protection, it is just some cloth after all." Freeze stood up and began putting vials used in his testing into the sink for decontamination.

"Perhaps," James conceded, "But I don't exactly need armor thanks to my healing do I?"

Freeze snorted, "Arrogance does not suit you, it has been proven you can still be incapacitated."

James also stood up and made his way to the sink. He turned on the water and began to empty and scrub the vials. A nice gesture Freeze thought as he began typing some of the failu... results of his recent experiment.

"Recent training has pushed my healing far past what it was," James said quietly while scrubbing some beakers.

"It seems to be getting much stronger. It is getting to the point where I could probably jump off the Sprang bridge and hobble away."

"Hmm, impressive, so it is ever-evolving," Freeze hummed, "What about your telekinesis?"

The vials and beakers soon began to hover as brushes and water likewise began to clean themselves. James stepped away nodding in satisfaction before sitting back down.

"My overall strength is somewhere around holding up a car, maybe two. Finesse I have made big strides in," he motioned toward the sink and the hovering items cleaning themselves.

"It is easier to control multiple items and finely control it. I think I am getting close to where it will be the same as if I used my hands."

Freeze merely nodded as he continued to type in his test results. The two of them lulled into a comfortable silence with only the sound of Freeze typing, the water running, and scrubbing glass.

After a few moments, the boy spoke.

"I visited Aunt Crystal... she doesn't want any more treatment..."

Freeze kept typing, "I will admit to being impressed she has lasted this long."

Leaning over he grabbed a clipboard with some additional notes and began typing them into his system.

"It is something I have seen with other patients," Freeze said quietly.

"Most who go through what your aunt did would have died from the shock alone. Whether on the way to the hospital or after waking up. The sheer amount of pain experienced has grown exponentially in no small part because her body is giving out and her mind has accepted such results."

Hitting enter on his computer, Freeze stood up and stared at his young partner.

"I did try to give her stronger doses of some of my medications but there is only so much such things can do. If the body is done then there is very little modern medicine can do to prevent the inevitable."

The floating beakers and vials had finished cleaning themselves and settled in a drying rack. James was looking away from that and staring at the vault doors that led to where Nora Freeze resided, carbon froze to buy more time for her condition.

Freeze noticing his attention that way nodded, "If you desire such I would be happy to do likewise for you aunt... you would need to pay for the containment unit."

James merely kept staring at where Nora resided. While his hood and mask kept his expression hidden, Freeze thought he could see a tear from the boy's eye.

"Does Nora dream?" James asked softly.

Freeze pondered the question, "Her brain waves suggest that such is an occasional occurrence but not common."

"Hmm," James hummed before standing up.

From his pocket, he took out a coin which he began to hover and weave around his fingers. A new way for him to fidget Freeze thought as he watched him carefully.

"She asked for it to end... to have no more pain... to let go," James muttered.

Looking up into Freeze's cold gaze he said, "Stop any treatments... I... I'll respect her wishes."

Freeze gave a nod, "If that is her and your wish then I will stop. I will notify you of our final payment for past medications and research."

Certainly, a cold way to respond to a young man telling his doctor to pull the plug. But both men knew each other well enough that that was just how Freeze was. He could be negotiated with, he could be a great ally, but the doctor would never be warm to another.

James returned the nod affirming acceptance of paying Freeze and began to make his way out of the lab.

"Wait," Freeze walked past James to a table with additional computers.

"Before you leave I believe it is important for you to see this."

Typing in his computer he pulled up a video feed. The angle was a wide downward look over Crystal's bed at St. Hope hospital.

Freeze wasn't sure but he thought he felt a chill go down his spine. The air grew thick as if the particles floating had been gripped by a wrathful force.

James voice stiffly said, "I trust you have a good reason to spy on my aunt."

"She is my patient under various medications," Freeze said calmly despite the feeling that he had a gun right against his head.

"I needed to watch her condition from afar as it was impossible for me to physically check in on her daily. I also hacked into the hospital alarms so I could trigger the nurses' alert if need be. All of which were necessary to accommodate the research and treatment I endeavored to give her."

James merely grunted, but it felt like the metaphorical gun to his head had lessened. Freeze did not know where the boy had gone, but his instincts screamed at him that he was much more dangerous then he was before.

'Maybe I shouldn't have brought this up,' Freeze thought as he rewind the feed to earlier in the day.

"I spotted an unexpected visitor asking your aunt some questions... questions about Krios," Freeze said.

James leaned over to view the screen closely. Freeze from the corner of his eyes nearly gasped in surprise. The boy's eyes had darkened to near-pure black pupils and seemed to be leaking dark tendrils of energy that silently crackled with rage.

On-screen a brown-haired and Latin-skinned woman appeared to be discussing if somewhat arguing something with Crystal...

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*Bruce Wayne, (Batman), Batcave

The Dark Knight sat in front of the bat computer with various files pulled up as he sorted through the web of espionage that hid the Light.

"So Deathstroke pulled through?" asked his Martian friend who stood behind him watching Batman sort his files.

"He did," Batman replied.

His journey to the middle of the desert and facing off against Deathstroke proved more fruitful than he could imagine. It irked him that he did not bring him and Krios in, but sometimes there were greater priorities.

It was a surprise for Batman to find Deathstroke very willing to accept his deal. At first he thought it was because the merc had little love for the Light, but based on the leads he gave that did not seem likely.

Deathstroke was very involved with the organization, perhaps even a chief lieutenant. It was the only way he could know all the details and hints he gave.

Which made Batman wonder, 'why did he give up such info so easily?'

The only reasonable conclusion he could come to was that it was only when he threatened Krios that the merc gave in. Why though? A powerful meta the young man might be, but nothing to the level that revealing secrets about the Light would justify. Who or what exactly was Krios to the mercenary?

Batman's mind drifted to the files Lucius Fox had gotten...

J'onn J'onzz looked at the Dark Knight with surprise in his eyes, "What is Ahnenerbe?"

Batman closed his eyes, reached up, and pinched the bridge of his nose. He had become too distracted and let his mind's defenses slip.

"I thought I told you I do not appreciate you in my mind J'onn?" He gave the telepath a pointed look.

"I am deeply sorry Bruce," J'onn held his hands up placatingly, "I usually have my telepathy reined in. But with your mental shields, I have always been able to relax such restraint."

Staring at him carefully J'onn continued, "It was as much a surprise for me as it was for you I was able to glean anything from your mind."

Batman gave J'onn a hard stare before grunting with what sounded like acceptance.

"Proof that I am more tired than I thought," Batman murmured as he redirected his attention back to the batcomputer.

He had been up at this point more than 72 hours and despite his ability to micro-nap he still needed a good sleep to fully recuperate. The trip to Africa, then fighting Slade, then returning to the States to attend a few league meetings followed by patrols of Gotham hadn't allowed him to rest. It was actually with relief that he returned to the Batcave this night to review his investigation into the Light as it was the last thing he needed to do before he could rest.

Cough cough

J'onn kept staring at the back of his head. He now could feel the telepath's mind tendrils reaching his mind. It was a thing that came so naturally to the Martians as it was their primary tool to communicate with one another. But he had learned along with many others that some techniques and skills could be used to completely block out the best of the Martian telepaths.

"Ahnenerbe is part of an investigation I have ongoing. I would appreciate it if you refrain from enquiring anymore into it." His tone was sharp and emphasized his unwillingness to discuss anything further.

"If the glimpse I saw in your mind is correct," J'onn said slowly, "This is something that the rest of the League should be made aware of."

Batman stayed silent, pondering the words of the Martian.

"No... not yet."

J'onn's stoic expression turns to concern, "You keep saying that... what is going on?"

Perhaps fate decided to give the Dark Knight a break as the batcomputer gave a loud alarm noise. In the bottom corner of the screen a pop-up that flashed red with words, 'Priority 1' flashed repeatedly on-screen.

Immediately, Batman clicked on the flashing screen which showed a bevy of information and a map of Gotham. The map zoomed in to hover over GCPD Major Crimes HQ, with another screen popping up to show available street cameras of the situation.

And what a situation it was...

The Major Crimes building was a large rectangle structure with an inverted pyramid style that was situated a block from GCPD Headquarters and City Hall. It was an imposing structure that used to serve as the GCPD general force HQ before that was moved to the new location closer to City Hall. The building was a massive boon, with 10 floors and 15,000 square feet to accommodate all Major Crimes, local FBI, and if rumors were true even an NSA listening post. Many critics of Major Crimes felt it was far too much of a resource to have been granted for what was a sub-department of the regular GCPD. Commissioner Gordon had to spend a considerable amount of political capital to maintain such a large resource.

And right now, that resource looked like half of it had collapsed and all of it was on fire...