"What are you going to do to us?" Zander, the head of GothCorp's advisory board, shivered violently from the near freezing temperatures.

"Nothing," the captor responded flatly, casually tossing GothCorp's CEO on top of the other man as if he weighed nothing more than a puppy. Ferris Boyle held his tongue and rubbed his arm where the heavy metal plated hand had dragged him. Mr. Freeze left without another word, pulling the solid steel door behind him. The heavy clink of the lock resounded in the small room, followed by heavy footsteps heading down the hall.

"Oh God, he's going to kill us!" Zander tugged at the locked metal door. He threw his small frame into the door a few times, his shoulder striking with a hollow thud at each attempt. The door did not budge an inch.

"Shut up, Zander," Ferris snapped, pulling his meager jacket tighter around him as his teeth began to chatter. "He'll just come back. He likes to work when it's quiet." His voice quivered as he spoke. Zander rubbed the sore spot on his shoulder and wrapped his arms around himself for warmth.

"What do we do now?" Zander whispered, nervously tugging at his salt and pepper mustache.

"We hope to hell he's in a good mood. Best case scenario, he decides to freeze us solid and smash our bodies."

"How is that the best option?" Zander's voice rose shrilly. Ferris shot him a dirty look with his wide blue eyes.

"Better that than ending up his test subject. You know what he did to his wife, and he loved her." Zander gulped. He knew how the story went: Victor's wife became sick and he was embezzling from GothCorp to put her in suspended animation. That is, after he became deeply immersed in the previously best kept secret in GothCorp: the illegal weapons business.

"You know what he does to his test subjects? What he's trying to accomplish, right?" Ferris continued, his voice speeding up as the realization dawned on him. "He probably needs someone who is infected, like his wife. He'll want to run tests so he can find that mythical cure." By now, Ferris had worked himself up into a frenzy. He paced the small room running his fingers through the gray streaks at his temples.

"We'll be injected with all sorts of chemical concoctions, then studied and cut on. I'm sure he'll want a living autopsy! Then he'll –"

"Please stop!" Zander begged as he slid into a huddled position in the corner. He rubbed his arms quickly, trying to erase the needle pricks from the imaginary injection sites. Ferris bit his trembling lip, his eyes wide in panic.

"We have to get out of here!"

"How? We're no match for him," Zander exclaimed, forcing his voice to stay low. "We couldn't take him when we tried to ambush him earlier." Ferris joined him and they sat huddled together in the corner.

"We must have set off some sort of security feature when we broke in, so he knew we were coming, but now we can surprise him!" Ferris exclaimed.

"But he's too strong in his suit. I don't think he'll be switching to the smaller one now that he has us as prisoners."

"Yes, but supposedly he has not been into a lot of criminal activity recently."

"So?"

"So he won't be used to fighting," Ferris rolled his eyes, as if his point was as clear as day. "We'll be faster than him, and then over power him. As long as we can get past him, and recover our confiscated weapons, we can stop him. The Tasers are strong enough to shut down his suit. Then he'll just be a useless pile of metal. We can shatter the glass helmet and drag him outside. He'll be dead in minutes." Their eyes met and they sealed the plan with a nod.

Mr. Freeze's heavy footsteps could be heard in the hallway again. Knowing this would be their best and only opportunity, they crouched down, prepared to pounce as soon as the door opened an inch. Silence lasted for only a moment as the metal key slipped in the lock and released the clasp.

Mr. Freeze opened the door as Ferris lunged into him. The CEO was caught with ease and hurled back into Zander before the full attack was carried out. Mr. Freeze stood before the tangled mass of limbs unfazed. Throwing down two coats to the trembling men, he stared coldly at them, his face set behind the glowing red googles.

"I require a small blood sample. If one of you would like to volunteer, I'll be back in an hour. Until then, I don't have time to deal with the likes of you." He turned without reprimanding them for their failed attempt at escape. As soon as the lock was turned, both Ferris and Zander scrambled for a coat to preserve their body heat.

Nothing was said about their most recent failure. They merely sat in silence until some of the biting cold receded.

"I'm going to volunteer," Zander declared with his head turned to the floor.

"You won't be a hero, just dead," Ferris informed him, "Or slowly dying an excruciating death."

"Maybe he'll be generous if we cooperate." Ferris laughed in disbelief at the statement.

"Cooperate? You think he'll give you any credit for that? I tried to work with him before, but he just wanted too much," Ferris sneered.

Zander nodded. He knew they were doomed, he just regretted not thinking it through before he let Ferris talk him into breaking into Mr. Freeze's lair.

"When do you think he's coming back?" Zander ventured. He received a shrug in response, Ferris turning away from him. It took a few minutes to realize that he was dead to Ferris at this point. A sob rose in his chest before he could stop it. Zander pressed a hand to his mouth to hold back any other noise. He shoulders shook with silent sobs as he rocked his body, knees pulled against his chest. Glancing up, he saw an almost annoyed look on Ferris' face, but the CEO just ignored him, offering no comfort. Ferris too was huddled up in a corner, shaking more in fear than from the cold.

"I don't want to die," Zander moaned.

"Shut up," Ferris responded weakly, "Just . . . shut up!" His confidence was gone and he tried to make himself as small as possible. Their hearts nearly stopped in their chest when they heard their captor return.

The door was pulled open and Zander stared up at the metal clad figure which seemed even more imposing than before. Mr. Freeze stood tall, face neutral.

"I'll do it," Zander's voice quivered. Mr. Freeze turned to face him fully, expression unchanging and uncaring.

"Let's go," he stated simply, easily pulling Zander to his feet and towing him behind him. Ferris made a small noise as Zander disappeared through the door way and door was slammed closed, and locked once more.

The metal hand was firm in holding Zander's shoulder, not so tight that it hurt, but strong enough keep him from making a move against Mr. Freeze. They walked, Zander forced a few steps ahead of Mr. Freeze, towards the end of the hallway. Heart pounding, Zander could barely hear their own footsteps echoing in the hall.

Mr. Freeze pulled Zander to a stop and stepped beside him, opening the door. A blast of cold air struck Zander's face as he was pushed inside, the hand releasing him.

"There's a chair at my desk. You can sit there. Roll up the sleeve on either arm and don't touch anything," Mr. Freeze's tone changed just slightly to emphasize the last point. Zander nodded, his affirmation dying on his lips. He sat down and glanced around as Mr. Freeze prepared to draw blood. Zander's fingers shook as he rolled up his left sleeve past the elbow.

Mr. Freeze swabbed the area around the vein with alcohol. The trembling man turned away, as Mr. Freeze expertly began to draw blood. Zander squeezed his eyes closed, trying to calm himself as Mr. Freeze worked.

"I'm finished," Mr. Freeze cleaned the area and placed a small bandage on the wound.

"That's – That's it?" Zander caught sight of the single small vile of blood.

"I only required a small sample," Mr. Freeze responded, taking the sample to his work table a few steps away. "I need test samples at regular body temperature to make sure the formula will not be dangerous. Typically, Mr. Wayne will donate a few vials every few days, but he was too busy this week."

"You are welcome to wait here until I finish running this test, or wait with Mr. Boyle." Zander winced at the anger when Mr. Freeze mentioned Ferris.

"I – I'd like to wait here. That is, if you don't mind," Zander murmured. Mr. Freeze faced him and gave a quick nod before returning his attention to his work. Zander glanced around the lab. There were two state of the art computers, both from Wayne Enterprise which had been altered for Mr. Freeze's studies, one on the lab table and the other on the desk. Other than the lab table and desk, there was no other furniture. In the back corner was a slanted, covered tube with several generators and backup generators.

"Is that her?" Zander ventured, pointing towards the corner.

Without looking up, Mr. Freeze affirmed. Zander nodded and glanced at the contents of the desk. It contained mostly test results that he did not understand and a picture of a woman, whom he assumed was Nora.

"Your wife, she's beautiful," Zander mumbled. Mr. Freeze cast him a sideways glance, frowning.

"Oh, I didn't –" Zander halted midsentence, unsure what to say. Mr. Freeze just shook his head, but his shoulders seemed to hang a bit lower. He placed several drops of Zander's blood in petri dishes, adding a drop of other chemicals. Zander watched as Mr. Freeze hunched over the work table.

"Failure, again," Mr. Freeze admitted out loud, not used to having a listener. He turned to his left, typing into the computer the results. He muttered bits and pieces of his results out loud as he rapidly typed them in.

"I'm sorry," Zander said, unsure of himself.

"Don't be. I'm used to it."

"Is there . . . something I could do to help?"

"I could begin adjusting the saturation of the . . . I could begin another mixture," Mr. Freeze explained, "but I will not be able to leave it long enough to deal with you or Ferris for a few hours."

"What are you going to do with us? I mean, if you don't mind me asking."

"I'm turning your over to the police. I intend to prosecute Mr. Boyle for his crimes. His intention was to kill me, was it not?"

Zander swallowed hard. "Yes," he whispered. "He wanted you dead. I was his . . . accomplice," Zander decided that the truth would be better than trying to cover up his end. He did not know how much of his and Ferris' conversation Mr. Freeze could hear when they were locked in the cell.

"I knew it was only a matter of time before he attempted something of this nature. He's not one to let something go. Any favor he does for you, he expects it repaid ten-fold. My breakthroughs on his illegal weapons was not enough for his half-hearted attempts on researching Nora's ailment." Mr. Freeze turned to him, and Zander shrunk in the desk chair.

"To answer your question, I will be turning both of you in to the police for trespassing. Mr. Boyle I will be prosecuting for attempted murder. As for you, it will be up to the justice system. I presume Mr. Boyle pressured you into assisting in his wrongdoings, and I wish for him to atone for his crimes."

"I'm not expecting him to serve time for this small crime, but I intend to have it made a very public matter. GothCorp will suffer again for his illegal activities. I will have the press here before I turn both of you in."

"Thank you," Zander sighed, relieved that death was no longer hanging over his head. Mr. Freeze cocked an eyebrow at him in question.

"You know, for sparing our lives." Mr. Freeze snorted to that.

"Murdering you both would not put me any closer to finding a cure for Nora. It would only set me back with more legal matters. I do not kill. Yes, I have broken laws and hurt people that I should not have, but I do not kill." Zander shivered again, as Mr. Freeze's eyes seemed to burn even brighter beneath the glass helmet.

"I did not mean to imply you were a murderer," Zander apologized.

"I should not get so angry. The doctors at Arkham told me what Mr. Boyle has said about me. I've not seen the need to argue against his incorrect statements. He calls me a murderer for the accident he caused, I know. He calls me abusive, uncaring for others, terms I'd like to call him, but they too, solve nothing." The seething anger was clear in his face even if his voice revealed little. Mr. Freeze took a deep breath, the glass fogging up more than usual as he calmed himself.

"I suppose I should make the necessary arrangements before we leave our guest to contemplate any other inaccuracies," Mr. Freeze rose from his work table.

"He's terrified of what you'll do to him," Zander commented as Mr. Freeze walked to a telephone. "You could make him wait alone in the cell all night or . . ."

"Or what?"

Zander thought his idea through for a moment.

"Drug me."

"Drug you?"

"Yes!" Zander became excited. "Knock me out with something, and when you go to get him, drag me behind you. Maybe he'll be in too much shock to weasel his way out of this."

"Trust me," Mr. Freeze added darkly, "His money can get him out of anything, including a double homicide."

"It'd be amusing," Zander added hopefully. Mr. Freeze did not respond, but began dialing the Gotham Times tip line. He gave the address and only said he believed a story would be breaking. Next he called the non-emergency police line.

"I have two trespassers on my property that have been properly subdued . . . No, neither are dead. Please send someone to pick them up . . . One will be unconscious on his own accord." Zander grinned as Mr. Freeze hung up.

As Mr. Freeze again prepared equipment, Zander, having gathered courage, posed one last question.

"Did he hurt you? I mean, before the accident? Because you could bring that up against him, too. Make it a separate matter than the accident."

"The physical scars have healed. It'd be my word against his, and I have the criminal record." Zander began to speak again, but his sentence was cut short as he breathed in the anesthetics through the mask Mr. Freeze held securely over his mouth and nose. He sank into the cold metal arms, unconscious.

When Mr. Freeze banged on the door of his make shift holding cell, Ferris jumped to his feet, holding his arms up as if they would protect him. Mr. Freeze securely grabbed his arm and jerked him out of the room. He pinned Ferris' arm behind him, forcing him to walk forward. Small protests of pain fell from Ferris' mouth as he spluttered, begging to be released. Mr. Freeze tightened his grip and pushed him forward unmercifully, dragging the unconscious Zander behind him. They walked in this manner to the front door. Mr. Freeze paused when they reached the door.

"What are you going to do to me?" Ferris whimpered, the question having been on his mind for the last few hours that Zander had not been in the room.

"Let's just say that what I did to him," Mr. Freeze indicated Zander's unconscious body, "Isn't half as bad as what I'm about to do to you. Kneel down, now!" Ferris resisted at first, but fell on his knees hard when Mr. Freeze pulled him down. He cried out in pain as he struck the hard ground, but bit his lip to cut the cry short.

"Put your hands on your head," Mr. Freeze commanded as he stepped in front of Ferris. For once, Ferris did as he was told, starring up like a child into the depths of Mr. Freeze's helmet.

"Please . . . don't hurt me."

"Hurt you? Of course not. I don't dream of that every day. No," Mr. Freeze reflected flatly, "I'm too busy dreaming of my poor wife and how she begs to be back in a world of warmth. That is when I get the chance to dream. Destroying all of my research after you decided to ruin my life set me back quite a bit. Months of research gone in the blink of an eye." Mr. Freeze watched as Ferris tried to say something, but not a sound came out.

"This is what I have in store for you." He pulled open the door to flashing camera lights and a line of police cars.

"Put your hands up!" the closest officer yelled as Mr. Freeze stepped out, guns trained on him. Mr. Freeze complied willingly as Jim Gordon stepped forward against the protest of his fellow officers.

Mr. Freeze gestured back to the door where Ferris was seen kneeling and trembling, Zander lying next to him. Jim gave the command to round up the two inside as Mr. Freeze stepped out of the way. He said not a word as Ferris was handcuffed and marched past him.

A young officer hesitated in front of Mr. Freeze, finally asking for details, which he calmly provided. The press closed in, shouting questions of their own as they shot multiple photographs of Ferris and Zander being taken away. Mr. Freeze answered what he thought was appropriate before turning on his heel and disappearing inside.

"What happened to the second one?" a voice called out. Mr. Freeze easily spotted Batman with his heat sensor goggles.

"A practical joke, you might say. His name is Zander, head of the advisory board at GothCorp. He thought it would be amusing if we kept Ferris in suspense. He'll be telling the police the same thing. Please mind that it was his own accord."

"You're not one for jokes," Batman commented. "Did you do it to see the look of fear on his face?"

"Perhaps. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do." With that he marched back to his lab for another long night of research. Batman smirked before he too disappeared into the night.