A/N: No one has written anything like this yet. It’s obvious why. This is a story about Mr. Freeze from Batman (Arkham City to be specific) getting sucked into Equestria and becoming a Pony. No joke. And yes, this story IS about Freeze, Luthor is merely the means.
A/N: There are plenty of ponies this chapter, don’t worry, just bear with me.
Warning: Spoilers for Batman: Arkham City
“It. Is. Possible!”
In Metropolis a major scientific breakthrough had been made. Earth was known for bizarre events and impossible occurrences, from local meta-humans to Intergalactic Invasion to technology far before its time. However, despite all of these things, the Press Conference currently occurring at LexCorp took the cake.
Standing before the Podium before LexCorp Tower, Lex Luthor was triumphant. The world believed this triumph sprang from the great discovery he had personally made and the fame it would bring, but Luthor did not smile because of fame or fortune (both of which he already had) or even out of pride, but instead because he believed he had discovered an absolutely foolproof way to defeat his nemesis, Superman.
“Now, thanks to the work of LexCorps brilliant scientists, supported by my own work, we have created a fully functioning transdimensional portal.”
The silence of the crowd spoke for itself. The people of Earth had experienced time travel and space travel before, but this was beyond anything they had ever experienced. Until today, science had still been questioning whether parallel realities existed, and now all of a sudden they could travel to them?!
Finally the silence was broken by reporter Lois Lane of the Daily Planet. “So you’re telling us that we can now visit other Earth’s, other versions of ourselves,” she questioned.
“Oh, most certainly Ms. Lane” assured Luthor, “although I doubt that any of them are as handsome as me.”
The rest of the crowd laughed at his joke, but Lois kept pushing for answers. “What exactly will this mean for Earth, our Earth?”
Luthor grinned broadly. When he spoke again he did not direct his reply towards Lois Lane, but the entire crowd.
“This world is full of problems, such as medical problems and our planets own dwindling resources (not to mention those damned superhuman freaks). But now that we have access to parallel Earths our own resources will never run out, no disease will ever be incurable, if we lose a limb a new body perfectly suited for our specific needs can be provided(1).” He spread out his arms to show the enormity of what he had announced. “This is the end of crisis.”
As the crowd cheered he internally laughed at them. They actually believed such things. Luthor knew that the discovery he had made would not end crisis but just lead to another. Maybe even the Death of Superman.
This is why he had begun research in this particular are. If nothing in this universe had succeeded in killing Superman then he merely needed something from another. He could finally prove to this world that it was Man who should be praised, not some freakish alien.
……
As Luthor spoke of his discovery, radios and television sets broadcasted his voice across the planet and it was heard by many; wary vigilantes, greedy politicians, violent maniacs, and one misguided but good soul.
Deep within Arkham City a stolen radio set broadcasted the message, and a man dared to hope that this would bring him what he so desperately wanted.
‘“No disease will ever be incurable,’” repeated Victor Fries. “That’s all I would need to do, just go to another world and walk into the local pharmacy and I could finally be at peace.” He looked towards his frozen wife, Nora, and prayed this was real.
As he paced the room he pondered exactly what he would do. “Luthor cannot be trusted; he will merely attempt to use this precious resource in his obsessive crusade against Superman. I will have to take what he has, and soon.”
Things had been quiet in Arkham City lately, mostly due to the absence of Batman. He and the rest of the Justice League had left to deal with some off-planet situation, and with the few remaining guards of the prison city in hiding it was the perfect moment for a break out. He just needed a distraction.
……
“And why should I help you.”
Freeze had succeeded in infiltrating the Joker’s old lair, the Sionis Steel Mill, and was currently standing before the ruthless new leader of the Jokers gang, Harley Quinn.
Quinn had, until very recently, been the right-hand woman and girlfriend of the Joker himself. She had been known for being simple minded and completely obsessed with the Joker, and as soon as he had become sick she had become extremely defensive of him, showing an anger towards those that would hurt him that did not match with her personality. Now with the Joker dead she had become a ruthless gang leader and had quickly taken much of Arkham City through her new policy. Always kill. No prisoners, no interrogations, and not even a whisper of leaving the gang.
She was currently showing a now rare smile, happy to have someone she could blame for her lovers death standing ‘within range’. Freeze could easily kill her before she had time to even attempt to kill him, but right now he needed her help.
“Because right now I have the chance to save someone I love,” he replied. “Wouldn’t you try to do the same?”
For a second it seemed as though Harley was just going to order his death, and there was absolutely no way he could take down the enormous amount of thugs in the room. But then she sighed and looked at him with eyes that almost made him feel pity for her. Almost.
“Alright you lazy bastards,” she screamed to the room. “We’ve got a Prison Break tonight!”
As the thugs cheered Gotham shivered with an unexplainable fear, chaos was about to be unleashed (2).
……
“I will be back soon with what I need, and then you shall live again.”
Victor Fries gently caressed the block of ice that held his frozen wife, hoping to whatever gods might be out there that he was telling the truth. He prayed that whatever Luthor had discovered was already operational and that all he would need to do was bring it back and turn it on. Every second his Nora wasn’t next to him would be agony.
Far away he heard the noise of gunfire and fighting. “It appears Quinn has already begun her distraction.” With a look of sorrow on his face and weapons in hand, he went to war.
……
A few hours later, Freeze stepped over the frozen corpse of one of Luthor’s security guards and smashed his way through the door to the research level. “Too easy,” he thought. “All I have to do now is…” His thought was interrupted as he was slammed into the side of a wall. Forcing himself up, he looked towards his enemy.
A dozen LexBots (3) had streamed into the room, all ready for the kill. The one who had attacked him stepped forward and revealed a video output on his chest, one that showed Luthor gazing back at him.
“Freeze, I didn’t expect you of all people to try to steal my device,” he announced in a slightly surprised tone.
Freeze however, was ecstatic. So there is a device. All I need to do is fight a dozen LexBots and… His thoughts basically stopped there. How could he succeed?
“You won’t succeed Victor,” Luthor said, as if reading his thoughts. “I know why you’re here. You can’t save her.”
Nora, he thought, and suddenly his armored fist flew through the LexBots chest. One down, eleven to go. Not giving the rest of them time to react, he flew forward and knocked the head off another Bot. Half a second later his arm swung in a sweeping arc, firing his weapons and freezing every hostile in sight.
Without hesitation he ran as fast as he could through the doors, tearing and freezing his way through every obstacle he came across, until he had reached his goal.
Sitting on top of a lone table in an otherwise empty room stood a small, rounded device, no bigger than a baseball. He didn’t know how he knew he had found it, he just did. It was to him as if his destiny was engraved on the side, and it would not be too long before he realized what that had truly meant.
He took the device and was gone.
……
“Bruce, what’s wrong?”
On a planet far from Earth, the Justice League had completed their mission; the people of this distant planet had been saved. But not all were happy after this victory. The Caped Crusader himself, Batman, was currently entering his own space faring craft.
Batman turned towards his fellow League member, Diana Prince-Wonder Woman.
“Something’s wrong,” he replied.
“What do you mean,” she asked. “The people of this planet are safe, there’s nothing wrong.”
“There’s nothing wrong here maybe,” he shot back. “But there’s something wrong back at home, back at my home. I can feel it.”
“Well then I’m coming with you,” she said. “If you say something’s wrong, then I’m certain something’s wrong (3).”
“No,” he said, his tone showing clearly that there would be no argument. “You and the rest of the League are still needed here; I should be back in Gotham.”
Before she had time to say anything else, he closed the door and was off, desperately racing back to his city.
……
“With this device I shall end this once and for all,” declared Freeze lovingly as he stroked the capsule that held his own Sleeping Beauty. “Soon I will have a cure for you.”
In the centre of the room stood the device, now fully operational and currently opening a portal to a world without disease.
Suddenly Freeze was shook from his musing’s, along with the rest of the facility.
“What? An Earthquake?” gasped a surprised Freeze. “Impossible! I have devices set in place capable of detecting any natural disaster. I would have known this was coming!”
But despite his protests the room continued to shake, until finally the roof collapsed before him.
Freeze ran swiftly towards his wife, intent on getting her to safety, before finding himself slammed into a wall the second time that night.
He turned and saw that his attacker was none other than Lex Luthor, but this was not just some video camera image, this was the real thing.
“You thought you could steal from me,” he asked, practically growling. He was in a massive green exo-suit that towered over Freeze’s own, and currently had the twin laser-cannons mounted on his shoulders pointed straight at Freeze’s face.
“I need this device,” he yelled, firing the lasers.
Quickly, Freeze rolled out of the way and fired his own weapons at Lex’s armor. “So do I,” he spat back. Thinking quickly he began to use the same strategies he had used against Batman not a few weeks earlier. Firing his weapons he fired into the air, obscuring Lex’s natural sight. Lex acted just as quickly, scanning his environment for his enemy. His eyes quickly landed on his target.
“Bad move Victor.” He laughed as he fired his weapons, and then screamed as they exploded. They had been frozen solid and when he fired the energy had been trapped. Once again scanning his environment he discovered that all his equipment had been jammed. Fine, I’ll just have to hit him where it hurts.
……
Freeze hid in the shadows, planning his next move. Where is Luthor, he thought. Perhaps he is just too weak to continue, or perhaps he too is thinking of a strategy, or… Suddenly a terrifying thought came into his head. Nora.
He came out of hiding just in time to be slammed to the ground, the capsule holding his wife, now shattered, holding him down.
“This is what happens when you try to prevent my plans,” barked Luthor. “People die.”
It was true that Freeze was cold-blooded, but at that moment it felt as if his heart thawed, his cold sorrow transformed into burning rage. His mind was only capable of one thought at that moment. KILL LUTHOR.
Charging forward, he slammed into Luthor, sending him flying. Without hesitation he leaped onto Luthor like some kind of wild animal, his fists smashing into the glass screen protecting Luthor’s face, until finally he smashed through and began pummeling Luthor’s face, until finally his enemy collapsed into unconsciousness.
Pushing himself off the prone body he rushed over to his wife, only to discover that his worst fear had been realized. She was dead.
Screaming in agony, he failed to notice his most hated enemy awakening and fleeing the scene, nor did he notice the damaged portal fluxing and waving, until he heard a voice filled with grief.
“Victor, I’ll help you get her to the hospital.” Turning, he stared at Batman, the enemy he had fought so many times, and let the tears fall down his face.
“It is too late Batman,” he moaned. “You let me stay with her just a bit longer, and for that I thank you, but now she is gone forever.”
For a moment the two stood there in sorrow, reflecting on the horrors they had each experienced in their lives. This was until some obscure object flew past them, burst into thousands of tiny particles, and was sucked into the portal.
Suddenly hundreds of objects were being sucked towards the hole in space-time and the two men were struggling to not get sucked in themselves.
“Victor, we have to go, now!” Batman turned and ran to the nearest exit, before realizing that Freeze wasn’t following him. Running back into the room, he watched as Victor walked towards the portal.
“Victor, get out of here, that thing will tear you apart!” yelled Batman.
“I know,” mumbled Freeze, still walking towards the edge.
Realizing what Freeze wanted to do, Batman ran forward and tried to drag Freeze away, but was knocked by a sweep of his armored hand.
“Freeze, that thing will kill you!” Batman yelled desperately.
Freeze turned towards him and gazed with sad old eyes for a moment before saying. “Believe me, you’re the only one who cares.” And before Batman could reach him, Freeze leaped forward and prayed for death.
……
He did not receive it.
Instead he awoke in a clearing in the middle of the forest, with a pond lying at the centre, in front of his hooves.
Wait, hooves!
Sure enough, instead of an armored foot he was staring down at an armored hoof. Stepping forward he looked into the pond, and saw a strange face. Somehow, he had transformed into an almost cartoonish pony, with a snow white hide, and cold blue eyes, but no mane. All of his armor was still present, but had been altered to form around his new pony body (4).
Suddenly he was startled by a new sound coming from behind him, a small frightened whimper. He turned to see another pony, this one obviously female with a bright yellow hide and pink hair.
As he stared at her curiously, she slowly stepped forward. “Um…do you need help?”
His heart melted at that question. Such an innocent question, so kindly meant. Then his thoughts turned to darker matters as he looked towards the pond and judged it deep enough.
“No, I just need to be alone right now.” He walked towards the pond and prepared to sink towards the bottom, when he heard a nervous and slightly apprehensive giggle.
“Umm, if you don’t mind me saying it seems rather silly to go swimming in that suit…unless you want to, then that’s ok,” the pony was clearly trying to be as inoffensive and kind as she possibly could, as though desiring kinship with everything she thought.
As Freeze’s scientific brain made that conclusion about her actions he realized something. This pony, or whatever it was, was an improvement in every single way to the human mindset. Another reason to get this over with quickly, he didn’t want to remain and poison that pure heart.
“I enjoy wearing my armor at all times,” Freeze said carefully. These creatures would never understand my condition. “Could you please leave, I wish to be alone with my thoughts.”
“Oh, ok,” the pony said, concern still etched into her voice. “I’ll just…go.” Without another word the creature turned full circle and ran off.
……
“Pinkie, will you stop shaking for one second!” shouted Twilight, frustrated with her party loving friend.
“I’m sorry Twilight, I can’t stop it,” replied Pinkie Pie. “It’s my Pinkie sense, it’s telling me that there’s a big doozy coming, and I’ve got to get a welcoming party ready!”
“So somepony new is coming to Ponyville?” questioned Twilight, suddenly curious.
“Yeah,” shouted Pinkie excitedly. “And he’s going to arrive any…”
She was interrupted as a Pegasus Pony with a yellow hide and pink hair came barreling into the library.
“Pinkie, Twilight, I just saw!” she suddenly stopped, having realized she was shouting. “I…I just saw this strange pony in the Everfree Forest. He was wearing all this armor, and said he was going for a swim, but I think he was going to…”
They were interrupted yet again as Rainbow Dash; a light blue rainbow marred Pegasus Pony, smashed straight through the window.
“Rainbow, I just replaced that window!” shouted Twilight.
“Sorry everypony,” said Rainbow, speaking quickly. “This is an emergency, there’s a Salamander on its way towards Ponyville.”
Everypony present gasped. A Salamander was a huge creature; the width of 20 ponies, and its purpose in life seemed to be to bring fire and death to all it found.
Everyone immediately went into full panic mode. The citizens of Ponyville, used to running in terror and hiding within their homes, just did what always did and…ran in terror and hid within their homes.
As Rainbow Dash flew off to alert Applejack and Rarity, Twilight began searching the library for her young dragon assistant. Finally he found him still snuggled in the basket he slept in, having decided to take a rather long lie-in that morning.
“SPIKE, WAKE UP!” The baby dragon shot out of his bed having been rudely awakened. “Twilight, I was having this wonderful dream about me and Rarity…never mind, what do you need,” mumbled Spike as he blushed.
“This is an emergency!” shouted Twilight. “I need you to send a letter to the Princess informing her that…”
“Umm, Twilight,” Spike said, interrupting. “Don’t you remember that the Princess’s are off to Buckingham for a week?”
“Oh horse-apples.”
……
Victor Fries stood before the lake as he contemplated his future, still unaware of the panic going on in the nearby village. He stepped towards the water and prepared to sink to the bottom and never again arise, but something held him back.
“Oh my dear Nora, I tried so hard to bring you back to me.”
“You did your best.”
“No, I still failed,” he said, stuck in self-pity. Then he suddenly realized what he had just said, and what he had just heard. Looking up he saw the transparent form of his beautiful wife standing in front of him.
“Nora, how…” He was silenced as she put her hand upon his lips. “Do not question it my love,” she said, her voice radiating sadness. “I have truly passed on, but I could not go on to paradise without comforting you.”
She held his horse-like face up with her hands, letting their eyes meet. She smiled at him. “I know what you have done in your attempts to bring me back, and I forgive you for all the wrongs you have done, but can you forgive yourself.”
At her words Freeze thought of all the innocent lives he had ended. He thought he could hear their cries of terror within his head, before suddenly realizing those fearful screams were not coming from his head but a nearby populace, a small town perhaps.
“My love.” Nora had begun speaking again and he immediately turned towards her. “I am gone now but even in Paradise I would not be happy if you remained sad.”
“I love you, and always will,” he said. And then he went to be a hero.
“Find another my love,” spoke Nora as she cried tears of goodbye, tears that fell upon the pond. For thousands of years afterwards Equestria’s scientists would never be able to figure out why that pond never thawed.
……
Standing in front of the Ponyville Public Library were the Elements of Harmony. Applejack: Honesty, Rainbow Dash: Loyalty, Pinkie Pie: Laughter, Rarity: Generosity, Fluttershy: Kindness and Twilight Sparkle: Magic.
While her friends stood with at least a semblance of confidence, she was terrified they were going to lose. Normally, it was Fluttershy who would be frightened, yet some sense of safety seemed to have come over her.
Back to the point, Twilight was frightened because she understood that the Elements had an effect on the souls of their enemies, yet it was said that the Salamander had no soul, for good or evil.
Suddenly the ground shook as the sound of running came from the horizon. The beast emerged, looking like a wingless dragon, with spikes emerging from its back, and skin that literally breathed fire.
“Oh Celestia, I don’t think we can stop it!” cried Twilight suddenly, voicing her fears. “We can’t stop it!”
As they prepared to use the Elements, a massive clawed hand swung out and knocked them all into a nearby building. The building collapsed trapping them in the wreckage.
The Salamander moved towards them, its maw of a mouth opening as deadly fire prepared to cook its next meal.
A jet of flame erupted from its mouth…and then stopped in midair. Suddenly it fell, and cracked into millions of tiny shards. It had been frozen solid.
“BEAST! FIGHT ME!”
The Salamander turned to face its new enemy. An armored pony, with some kind of icy weapon in his hand.
“I am the Frostbitten Colt!” it yelled, declaring its new name. “And I shall turn your blood to ice.”
The enraged beast charged the Frostbitten Colt, who tossed something into the Salamanders gaping maw before rolling out of the way.
The beast spun around to face its enemy and let out a burst of flames…or at least tried. The gland that let him breathe fire had been frozen shut by the freeze grenade tossed into its mouth. As it charged again the Frostbitten Colt threw a second grenade with one hoof, freezing one of the Salamanders feet, while smashing its jaw with a second hoof. The beast lunged forward to swallow him, and he let it.
The Elements watched in horror as their savior was swallowed hole, until the Salamander started shaking. The beast had been triumphant for a mere few seconds before its flaming skin turned to ice and its lava-like heart was extinguished. It shattered, and in its place stood the Frostbitten Colt.
Not a second passed after the Elements escaped the wreckage, that Princess Celestia herself flew in, intent on saving her beloved student and her friends.
She appeared confused for a second, looking at the frozen corpse of the Salamander, before she smiled. “Thank-you Victor.”
Now it was the Frostbitten Colts turn to look confused. “You know who I am?”
“I know of all events within my lands, including new arrivals,” she explained. “As thanks, I would like to grant you a wish.”
Victor Fries considered it for a second before saying: “Send me home.”
“Why?” the Princess replied. Victor paused at this, understanding her question. His wife had wanted him to be happy, could he really be happy back on Earth.
“Very well,” he considered what he should say, and suddenly had a bizarre bout of inspiration that made him think himself mad. “I would like a home in this village and to become a legally recognized vigilante.”
Princess Celestia nodded. “As you wish. I do not know what you were back on your home world, but I do know that for what you have done here today, you’re past crimes are erased.”
He shook his head. “No they’re not. Not yet, but they will be.”
……
“Come on, come on!”
During the last few days Victor had been getting used to his new life in Ponyville. It was so very different from Earth, every living thing wanted to be friendly, it was a literal paradise. Sometimes he cried for the death of his wife, who would have loved this place, but he was slowly learning to live with his grief. He had become quite friendly with the other protectors of Equestria, the Elements of Harmony, especially Fluttershy.
He was currently being pushed along by the pink one, Pinkie Pie. She seemed desperate to get him to his new house as soon as possible.
Finally they had arrived and he was unceremoniously pushed inside.
It was welcoming party.
As the many inhabitants of Equestria surrounded him, showing the former villain their love and kindness, he wept for the happiness he knew he did not deserve and swore that as there was still breathe in his body this world would remain safe.
……
A/N: Victor Fries, aka Mr Freeze (now the Frostbitten Colt) will return. There will most likely be some Freeze/Fluttershy shipping and some more involvement from Dc Comics, but my main concentration will be to write the adventures of Friendship is Magic accompanied by Victor. Look for new chapters coming soon!
