Disclaimer: Batman, his rogue's gallery, supporting cast, and all affiliating characters are owned by DC Comics, which is a Time-Warner Company. For improving my skills as a writer and for your and my entertainment I'm merely borrowing them for this mystery story.
Note 1: This is an AU fic and takes place outside of the current continuity.
BATMAN: SALVATION
By Mimick
Crime Alley…The apartment building that Brittanie checked into was a low rent slime house. It wasn't the type of place young women like her should stay at. Batman adjusted the calibrations of the lens in his mask while he searched the place. A misty wind came from the apartment on the far end whose door was open just a crack. Batman closed his cape as he walked along the slushy carpet to see what was inside. As soon as he pushed the door fully open, he saw the dead corpse of Brittanie Westhold on the ground. Her skin was a deathly shade of blue. The dark knight looked around noticing the ice that was melting off the furniture and appliances in the apartment. There were only three people capable of doing this and Batman knew that Icicle and Captain Cold never ventured into Gotham.
"Freeze…" Batman scowled as he said that.
Victor Fries had long been forgotten since his wife's health was restored and he was locked up. How he could have escaped the special containment unit that Wayne Tech made for him. Batman started to go over to examine Westhold's corpse when his headset crackled.
"Master Bruce, a dispatch was put out for your sighting in Crime Alley. The special crimes unit will be there in ten minutes."
"I'll be long gone before they arrive. I just need to get something."
"Do hurry sir."
"I will Alfred. Batman out."
Batman looked over Brittanie's corpse and recalibrated his lens again to see if there was anything on her body that could give him a clue as to why Freeze killed her or where Freeze might have gone from here. He found a piece of sludge on Brittanie's dress and took a pair of tweezers from his belt and picked the piece of sludge up and placed it inside of the evidence bag he got out. The wail of the approaching sirens caused him to shoot up and race to the fire escape that lead out back. Once he made it down the steps, the canopy of the Batmobile opened and Batman jumped inside and sped off.
A switch of the button on the dash allowed the caped crusader to listen in on the police bands and see what was being said regarding him and the case.
"This is Gibbs to all available units. This is an official order from the mayor. Upon sight, the Batman is to be shot down. I repeat shoot upon sight."
Batman flipped off the police band as he drove down the dirt road that lead to the batcave. His brilliant mind was trying to piece together how Mr. Freeze fit into all of this. None of it was making any sense. As the batmobile pulled into the cave and drove onto the turntable, Batman got out and made his way up the stairs towards the large computer. He noticed that Batgirl was there typing away at some kind of program.
"Find anything?" he asked.
"Nope, not yet."
"Pull up the file on Mister Freeze." Batman pulled his cape closed as Batgirl typed in Freeze's name.
"Hrm."
"What is it?"
"It seems he was released from his cryo-prison early."
Batman narrowed his eyes at the signature that signed the release and turned on his heel as he headed back to the batmobile.
"What is it what's wrong?"
"It says Mayor Hill signed that release form, yet that was not his signature. It was a forgery."
"Really?" Batgirl looked closely at the signature then back at Batman, "How do you know?"
"Hill always writes incursive and makes his H's more fancy. This signature was written in fine print and lacks the fanciness that Hill prides himself on."
"I never noticed that."
"Then you haven't been paying attention to my lessons."
Batgirl looked at the forged signature then back at where Batman was, but he and the batmobile was gone.
---
Miller Harbor…The men rushed about as they prepared for their guest's arrival. The leader of the red rooks ran a hand across his baldhead and looked at all of the counterfeit money they had on board. It was a shame that it wasn't real money, but it would serve their purpose. Mister Freeze came up the steel ramp with his modified suit. His eyes were hidden behind the red lenses of his goggles and he looked at large stacks of cash that was piled up to twelve feet high.
"Is this the money that you spoke of?"
"Nyet my friend. This is nothing but dummy money. Your payment is right inside of the cabin."
The leader of the red rooks opened the hatch and let Mister Freeze inside. Once he was inside, the leader shut the door and it locked automatically. Freeze tried to use his muscle enhancers to break down the door, but it did no good. The door wouldn't budge. He pulled out his cryogenic freeze gun and aimed at the door when suddenly the room was being filled with some type of gas. Freeze noticed the glass helmet he wore was melting due to the exposure to the approaching gas.
"Acid," He breathed as he aimed his freeze gun at the door and fired.
On the outside of the cabin, Boris leaned close to the door hoping to hear the pitiful screams of Mister Freeze when suddenly the door collapsed on top of him and his hands were burned by acid that flowed out from the cabin. Mister Freeze had made it twenty steps after knocking the door down and fell to one knee. His hands went to his exposed face, as he couldn't breath in the humid air and he clutched his throat as he started to choke.
---
Blackgate Prison…
Batman stalked the Meta cell area where most of the Meta criminals were kept. Because of Freeze's unique physiology, it was decided by the board of directors for Arkam Asylum that he be moved here for safer keeping while they rebuilt some of the older wings. Batman looked at the cells of Livewire, Dr. Polaris, Clayface, Killer Croc, and finally the cell where Mister Freeze had been placed. The masked manhunter's eyes narrowed. A hand gripped Batman's shoulder and he looked at the hand darkly. The guard removed his hand and stood back away from Batman taking in the menacing look of the world's greatest detective.
"Y-your not supposed to be here." The man's voice was barely above a whisper. It was clear he was scared witless.
Batman took a step forward and the guard clumsily fell backwards onto his back. The look on Batman's face made him even more afraid of when he first found him as the dark knight picked him up and slammed him into the railing.
"Who authorized Freeze's release!"
The guard stammered as he spoke, "M-Mayor Hill."
"Try again!" Batman dangled the guard over the railing and this time the guard lost control of his bowel movement.
"It was Boris, Boris Yankachoff."
Batman pulled the guard back over the railing, "Where can I find this Boris!"
The guard's eyes widened at the stare that the caped crusader was giving him. He felt like he was going to become faint, but Batman shook when he started to in order to keep him awake.
"Miller Harbor…" the guard then fainted.
Batman let go of the guard and by the time the other guards had arrived, the dark knight was long gone.
---
The Batcave…
The comm. link between the batmobile and the cave flickered to life and Batgirl rushed over with a towel dangling from her shoulders. She had just spent an hour work out in the training area of the cave when she saw the light flicker on. She ran over and clicked the intercom button.
"Yes?"
"Batgirl, meet me at Miller Harbor."
The transmission ended and Babs grabbed her cape and cowl and put them on as she raced to her motorbike to meet Batman at the harbor.
---
Miller Harbor…
Freeze wheezed as the red rooks stood over him. His coolant was nearly depleted and it was continuing to get harder for him to breath. He tried to get an emergency unit from his leg compartment, but one of the rooks snatched it.
"Nyet my friend. This is where you say Do svi danya," Boris said as he stood over Freeze.
A batarang sailed through the air and struck the rook member who had taken the emergency cooling unit in the hand. The rooks turned to see Batman and Batgirl standing in the shadows.
"Give up."
"Nyet. Kill him," Boris said.
Batman and Batgirl let their opponents make the first move by coming at them. Once they got close, the dark knight and his partner assailed them with a flurry of moves that sent them all spiraling to the floor unconscious. Boris continued to stand there with knife drawn from holster on his side. Batman motioned Batgirl to stay back and he leapt forward kicking Boris in the jaw, punched him in the ribs, and tossed him onto his head. The dark knight delivered a punch to make sure Boris stayed down. After that was done, Batman walked over to Freeze and installed the emergency coolant unit.
"Why did you work for them?" The dark knight asked.
"I…have nothing left."
Batman looked to Batgirl who was finishing tying the goons up and he pressed a button concealed in his buckle. After a few minutes, the batmobile arrived and Batman got inside.
"Is it over?" Batgirl ventured.
"Not quite, we still have to round up the Fake Melton and the rest of the gang."
Batman turned as a rook member came out of the cabin, saw the dark knight, and tried to run away. Batman threw bolas around the man's legs, walked over, and picked him off the ground.
"Where's the fake Melton?"
"I don't know."
Batman took the rook member and dangled him over the railing. The man's eyes went wide and he started to scream as Batman let him drop a couple of inches before pulling the rope taut.
"Tell me what I want to know."
"I-I can't."
"Then you drop."
Batman let some slack on the rope and the man fell. As he fell, he screamed, but abruptly stopped when he stood a mere couple of feet from the water.
"Talk!"
"The docks, man. The docks. Warehouse twelve A. They got Gordon and the Mayor there as well, just please don't drop me!"
Batman looked at Batgirl and a look of worry crossed her face. She raced to her bike and took off. Batman tried to call her back, but she wouldn't listen so he hauled the man back up and tied him down before he went after her.
---
Dixon Docks…
Gordon continued to hang from the chain centered in the middle of the warehouse. He was burned, cut, and bruised, but he still managed to show his defiance. The fake Melton slapped him as two of his own men brought the Mayor in bound and gagged.
"Well, I hate to cut this short and run, but I have a whole lot of real estate I am about to inherit, and I don't want to be late."
Batgirl crashed through the window from above and landed on the fake Melton. The two men who dragged in the Mayor tried to use him as a hostage, but Batman came up behind them and punched them both out.
"T-took you long enough."
"Sorry, traffic was murder," Batman said as he used a portable torch to cut Gordon down.
"Thank god you two got here. Now I want these men arrested and Gordon it looks I might have been wrong about Batman and most importantly you as well. How would you like your old job back?"
Gordon sighed as he leaned on Batman, "I'll need some vacation first. My whole body hurts like hell."
"Done, and thank you Batman, Batgirl for all you have done."
Batman nodded as he helped Gordon outside where a just arriving ambulance was pulling in.