Batman Beyond Cold Vengeance Part 1 By: L.R. Lasky It was snowing, he noted, as he looked out the window. The snow, the cold, he was forever confined to it. Yet he still took pleasure when he saw it. He was watching “The Gotham News” for some reason. He was relaxed, as much as he could be. His life had been ruined twice over, and he could never be normal. He was immortal now, and had gained much knowledge for the price. One time, he had completely lost his body. Now, he had it back, in part due to Derek Powers and cloning. He had been promised a full, real, normal life. Only to be betrayed. Like a fool, he thought bitterly. He had trusted them, believed in them, like a fool. And had been betrayed. He had reverted back to his original state, where he needed cold to survive. He wondered how long his body would remain, until it too was gone, and he was to be left like he had been. He stood up when he saw the news. Derek Powers, making a new deal using his advanced cloning and disease curing techniques. He actually shouted “Liar! Deciever! You should be crushed, frozen, the life drained from your hellish body!” Then he calmed, and sat back down on his couch. He threw the remote at the tv as soon as Powers started speaking, breaking it. He stood up, angry. He was able to breathe without his suit, as long as he was in his home. He had rigged it that way, had made it so. Yet he was still imprisoned, for all eternity. Thanks to the monster, the demon. He needed to be soothed, calmed, needed it desperately. He walked over to a hologram projector. He smiled as he turned it on. A fully three dimensional image of Nora appeared, her looking like an angel. He smiled, tears forming in his eyes. “My dear angel.....my Nora....” He said. He went, and delicately touched the image with his fingers, his hand going through it. More tears appeared in his eyes. “You are lost to me, forever.” He looked at the image, and talked to it still, as if it could hear him. “I love you, Nora. I always will. I hope you have found the peace that has been forever denied to me.” He sighed and looked away. “All I have is vengeance.” He said. He looked coldly at an image of Derek Powers. “Vengeance.” Terry and Dana were at a party, dancing, along with many others. Loud music played, and the dances were fast, furious. Such was the current style. Dana and Terry, however, danced slowly, savoring every moment. They knew it would not last long, however much they wanted it to. Then, Terry’s phone rang. “Terry...” Dana pleaded. He frowned as the phone rang again. “You don’t understand, Dana.” The phone rang again. “Like hell I don’t,” she said. Terry sighed as she turned away, and answered it on the next ring. “Terry?” An aged voice asked. Terry replied, almost in a whisper “Yeah. What’s up?” Bruce told him “South Gotham, the warehouse on seventh, crime in progress.” “Okay, in a moment.” Terry said. He had to deal with Dana, he knew he had to. She would not take much more of this. “Now!” Bruce shouted. Terry sighed, and hairs on his neck actually stood up. Bruce was terrifying, when angered. He imagined him in his prime, wearing the Batman costume, screaming, and he shuddered. “Fine,” Terry said. “But this is my life you are screwing up.” “Our life, now.” Terry went to protest, but the other end disconnected. He sighed, and shut his phone off. “Leaving?” Dana asked him, not even bothering to turn around. He could tell that she was deeply hurt. “Dana...” He said, reaching out to her. She turned around, pushed his arm away and yelled at him. “I will not understand this! So don’t even try to tell me I have to!” Others stopped and looked at them. Terry did not know what to do. “I.....I have to go,” he said. Dana laughed, a mean laugh. “What else is new?” she asked, coldly. He went to kiss her, but she pushed him away. “Don’t touch me!” she yelled, screamed, at him. “I’m sorry, Dana. I have to go....I’m so sorry....” He left, not hearing the last thing she said. “I love you, Terry.” Batman flew threw the night, leaping from building to building, as he had recently found he loved to do. Bruce had said that he would, and he right, as always. Batman came to the warehouse, and looked down to see seven men, dressed in enhancement armor. Batman had seen it before, on display, but had never encountered it. The Batman suit was a modified version of the original prototype armor, and now....now the current armor might just be as good, if not better, than his suit, despite the improvements. Batman shuddered at the thought. Seven of them, all with the armor, when one could possibly be enough. He had to act, he knew he did. The Batman was not one to back down, to cower. And these were criminals, he could not, despite his fears, do nothing. He flew into action, jumping off the building and landing on the ground. “Batman!” One of them exclaimed. He gave them a menacing look. “Give it up.” He said. One laughed at him. Laughed! This could be trouble, he thought. He leapt in the air, barely avoiding lazer fire. However, two of the men leapt as well, catching him with their fists several times before landing on their feet as he fell on his back. He barely avoided more fighting, as he backflipped off the ground, landing on his feet. “You should give up, child.” One of them said. Batman roared, and charged at one, tackling him, and beating him, before leaping off, avoiding an attack. However one caught him in the air, attacking. Batman kept himself up, blocking, before launching a kick. The armored thug fell to the ground by the force, not feeling the pain. Damn it, Batman thought. He was in trouble. “Bruce...” He called over the radio, begging for help. “Get out of there.” Bruce told him. He was shocked. “What?” “Just do it!” Bruce shouted. Batman knew this was serious, if Bruce was this worried. He did not have time, as one of his enemies tackled him and punched him. He threw the man off him and wiped the blood from his chin. He attacked furiously at his enemy. Kicks and punches were thrown at a furious speed, too fast for Batman to even keep up with. He was winning now! Winning! They were being driven back, he could tell. He was winning. He smiled with slight satisfaction. Then it came. He barely even saw it. One of them grabbed a familiar looking ice gun, and fired. He leapt out of the way, trying to avoid it, but that was in vain. Ice slammed into him, throwing him to the ground, pinning him, freezing him. The thugs laughed at him, and he nearly screamed in anger. He was confused, and was losing his consciousness fast. He moaned with pain, and the last thing he heard before passing out was their laughter. In his frozen hideout, Freeze sat, waiting. His men would do well, he knew. He had trained them, had supplied them with weapons and power enough to defeat even Batman. They would do well. He heard a door open, and turned to see what it was. His men entered, the equipment with them. He smiled, actually smiled. “You have done well.” he said. The leader of his group smiled at him. “Is this enough, boss?” Freeze answered “Yes.” The leader sighed, relieved. “Did you have any trouble?” Freeze asked, curious. The leader shook his head. “We encountered the Bat.” Freeze knew they would. “I suspected such.” he said. “How did you fare?” The leader grinned. “We kicked his ass.” Freeze stood from his “throne” and hit the young man in the face, sending him back. “Never use such profanity.” The man nodded, partly terrified. Fear, Freeze thought. He would never feel that emotion again, he did not believe. It had been taken from him. Twice. But he would have his revenge. Oh yes, he would have his revenge. It would a cold vengeance. “Terry!” He heard a voce shout, waking him. He looked up at the light sky, and shut his eyes. He did not remember what had happened. “Terry!” Bruce shouted again. “I’m okay...” He said, over the radio. A hand grabbed him. “Glad to hear it.” He opened his eyes, to see Bruce, standing over him. They were where he had passed out, and he had to wonder how long he had been there, and why. Then he did. The gang, the thugs, they had defeated him. Strange, he thought. That they did not kill him. When he had regained himself completely, Bruce asked him “What happened?” Batman shrugged. “They had a weapon, caught me by surprise.” Bruce looked at him, curious. “What kind of weapon?” he asked, worried. “A freeze gun.” Bruce was shocked. “What’s wrong?” Terry said, now with his mask removed. Bruce just looked at him. He thought for a few minutes, and then it hit him. “No.” he said. Bruce replied “How can you be sure?” Terry answered “I saw him die.” Bruce raised an eyebrow. “Did you? Did you really?” Terry shrugged. “And even if not....why....” Bruce answered. “Revenge is all he has.”