(Upload) Psych_30 prompt 15) Halo Effect (A trick of light)
This is Victor’s second story. I like it more than the first! He’s a sad bastard. Again, I don’t know if I did the prompt justice. I was researching on the halo effect, and Wikipedia started telling me about moon dogs and sun dogs and how they are light effects caused by ice crystals… so I couldn’t assign the prompt to any other rogue. I get sidetracked so easily… I wouldn't be able to write these without Wikipedia, really.
Batman might be a bit off here, but then... it worked in my head. He wanted to offer Joker help during The Last Laugh, surely he would do the same for Victor, right? He's cooler (ah! death by pun!).
Fandom: DC animated
Title: A trick of light
Characters: Victor Fries a.k.a. Mr. Freeze, Batman
Rating: PG
Prompt: 15- Halo Effect
Word Count: 575
Spoilers: Not really
Warnings: None
Summary: Everyone wants to think others are better and worse than what they really are.
Disclaimer: I don't own the rogues, but I could probably use a holiday in Arkham
A/N: The table is here. Beta by awesome tmelange.
A trick of light
“Freeze, stop,” Batman pleaded, raising his hands to show that he was unarmed. As if that made him any less dangerous. “We don’t have to do this.”
Mr. Freeze kept his gun up, pointing at the ridiculous bat symbol in the middle of the vigilante’s chest. “We don’t?” he asked, unbelieving, his voice crisp and a little alien, even to his own ears.
“We don’t. Please.”
The rogue stared at his pursuer for a minute, his eyes narrowing behind the goggles. He had been released from Arkham two months ago, and had kept a low profile. He hadn’t intended to get involved in the black market smuggling operation, but during his stay in the Asylum someone had broken into one of his safe houses and stolen a spare freeze gun. Organ traffic had skyrocketed in Gotham since then, and Victor wasn’t happy about it. He hadn’t intended to get involved in the incident, but he hadn’t had any other choice.
“You were of great help tonight,” Batman said, conciliatory. It was obvious that the vigilante felt as awkward as Victor did on this not so violent encounter. It was terra incognita, and as a scientist, Freeze had mixed feelings about it.
“If we don’t fight, Batman, what do you suggest we do?” Freeze asked, openly curious. Neither of them was prone to small talk.
The silence stretched around them and the pier, the smell of the sea strong in the air. Batman’s posture changed slightly, and for a second Victor thought he looked defeated. The vigilante shook his head and straightened up. “I don’t want to fight, Fries. I want to help you.”
Freeze stopped to consider the words. “You want to help me because I helped you tonight?”
“No. Yes. I don’t…” Victor saw Batman struggle for words, and it was really an unusual encounter. “You’re a smart man. I know you have a good reason for doing what you do, but there are other ways.”
“Lawful ways.”
“Yes,” Batman nodded.
“You think I have options, Batman. There are… very few venues I haven’t tried yet. Your way, I tried it a long time ago. It didn’t work.”
The moon shone over the pier, bathing them both in an ethereal light. It suited the eerie encounter. Batman remained silent, his mouth a thin line. Victor supposed the vigilante didn’t have a very strong case; he did dress up as a bat instead of working within the system.
Sighing, he turned his back on his foe. “Do you know what the halo around the moon is called?” he asked, his eyes set on the sky.
“Paraselene,” Batman answered, his voice softer than usual. Victor thought he almost sounded human.
“People call them ‘moon dogs’. The moonlight reflects on the ice crystals suspended in the air at low levels. An optical effect.”
Batman remained silent. Freeze continued, “a trick of light, a deception in the night. Still, it is beautiful,” he paused, wishing he could taste the salty breeze. His mouth tasted bitter.
“It’s nothing but a beautiful deception.” Victor turned to face the other man. “I am a smart man, and I was a good man too, once. Maybe I will be one again, someday.”
Batman stayed still for a minute, the white eyes of the cowl staring intently at the man in the sub-zero suit. With a slow nod, the vigilante turned and left, his cape flapping behind him in the cold night’s air.
Batman might be a bit off here, but then... it worked in my head. He wanted to offer Joker help during The Last Laugh, surely he would do the same for Victor, right? He's cooler (ah! death by pun!).
Fandom: DC animated
Title: A trick of light
Characters: Victor Fries a.k.a. Mr. Freeze, Batman
Rating: PG
Prompt: 15- Halo Effect
Word Count: 575
Spoilers: Not really
Warnings: None
Summary: Everyone wants to think others are better and worse than what they really are.
Disclaimer: I don't own the rogues, but I could probably use a holiday in Arkham
A/N: The table is here. Beta by awesome tmelange.
A trick of light
“Freeze, stop,” Batman pleaded, raising his hands to show that he was unarmed. As if that made him any less dangerous. “We don’t have to do this.”
Mr. Freeze kept his gun up, pointing at the ridiculous bat symbol in the middle of the vigilante’s chest. “We don’t?” he asked, unbelieving, his voice crisp and a little alien, even to his own ears.
“We don’t. Please.”
The rogue stared at his pursuer for a minute, his eyes narrowing behind the goggles. He had been released from Arkham two months ago, and had kept a low profile. He hadn’t intended to get involved in the black market smuggling operation, but during his stay in the Asylum someone had broken into one of his safe houses and stolen a spare freeze gun. Organ traffic had skyrocketed in Gotham since then, and Victor wasn’t happy about it. He hadn’t intended to get involved in the incident, but he hadn’t had any other choice.
“You were of great help tonight,” Batman said, conciliatory. It was obvious that the vigilante felt as awkward as Victor did on this not so violent encounter. It was terra incognita, and as a scientist, Freeze had mixed feelings about it.
“If we don’t fight, Batman, what do you suggest we do?” Freeze asked, openly curious. Neither of them was prone to small talk.
The silence stretched around them and the pier, the smell of the sea strong in the air. Batman’s posture changed slightly, and for a second Victor thought he looked defeated. The vigilante shook his head and straightened up. “I don’t want to fight, Fries. I want to help you.”
Freeze stopped to consider the words. “You want to help me because I helped you tonight?”
“No. Yes. I don’t…” Victor saw Batman struggle for words, and it was really an unusual encounter. “You’re a smart man. I know you have a good reason for doing what you do, but there are other ways.”
“Lawful ways.”
“Yes,” Batman nodded.
“You think I have options, Batman. There are… very few venues I haven’t tried yet. Your way, I tried it a long time ago. It didn’t work.”
The moon shone over the pier, bathing them both in an ethereal light. It suited the eerie encounter. Batman remained silent, his mouth a thin line. Victor supposed the vigilante didn’t have a very strong case; he did dress up as a bat instead of working within the system.
Sighing, he turned his back on his foe. “Do you know what the halo around the moon is called?” he asked, his eyes set on the sky.
“Paraselene,” Batman answered, his voice softer than usual. Victor thought he almost sounded human.
“People call them ‘moon dogs’. The moonlight reflects on the ice crystals suspended in the air at low levels. An optical effect.”
Batman remained silent. Freeze continued, “a trick of light, a deception in the night. Still, it is beautiful,” he paused, wishing he could taste the salty breeze. His mouth tasted bitter.
“It’s nothing but a beautiful deception.” Victor turned to face the other man. “I am a smart man, and I was a good man too, once. Maybe I will be one again, someday.”
Batman stayed still for a minute, the white eyes of the cowl staring intently at the man in the sub-zero suit. With a slow nod, the vigilante turned and left, his cape flapping behind him in the cold night’s air.