The police drive to Ace Chemicals when the alarms go off. Jim and Harvey go in and wonder everyone is, and Jim warns the officers that Victor was spotted entering the building 20 minutes ago, and he's extremely dangerous. They go in find cops frozen solid. Continuing on, the officers find another guard impaled by icicles, and a badge belonging to a missing night janitor. They confirm that a canister of liquid helium is gone, and another frozen corpse is there with the words "Free my wife" written in the ice.
At Wayne Manor, Bruce ushers Leslie into his study after she asks to talk to him. Leslie explains that Alfred wanted her to speak to Bruce about any trauma that he's hiding. Bruce insists that he's fine, and Leslie points out that he was abducted and nearly died. When she wonders how he felt, Bruce says that he felt alive. He wonders if Leslie thinks that he's abnormal, and she admits that he's unusual. When Bruce feels that he has a second chance at life, Leslie asks what he plans to do with it and Bruce says that his plans remain unchanged: he's going to find the man who killed his parents. Leslie warns him against obsession, and Bruce insists that he'll find the killer. He says that once he finds the culprit, he'll let the law take its course. Leslie doesn't believe him, and Bruce suggests that they talk again because he's found their conversation clarifying.
At the station, Barnes refuses to free Nora. He figures that Victor will come after them when they refuse to free Nora, and they'll be ready for him. Jim confirms that Nora is in a holding cell, and Leslie has warned that if Nora doesn't move to a hospital soon then she could die. Barnes figures that they can take Nora to Arkham where they have a full ER facility, and capture Victor without endangering civilians. Harvey points out that Arkham is an insane asylum, but admits that he doesn't have any better plans.
Jim breaks the news to Leslie, who points out that they're using Nora as bait. He points out that they can't use Gotham General, and insists that Nora will be perfectly safe. Leslie insists on going with her patient, and threatens to scream if Jim doesn't give in. After a moment, he leaves.
In the Indian Hill lab, Hugo tells Ethel that he failed to extract Mr. Freeze's serum from one of his victims but failed. Ethel says that the GCPD wants to transfer Nora to Arkham, and Hugo figures that Victor is trying to save his wife and will come there. As one of Hugo's "patients clutches at the window, screaming, Hugo tells Ethel that they have to prepare.
Victor parks his van on the waterfront and hears a radio report about Nora being taken to Arkham. He complains to the tied and gagged janitor, and figures that it's a trap. He then goes out to the water and tosses in a canister of liquid helium. The water freezes and Victor watches as the ice spreads toward Gotham.
At Arkham, the orderlies chain Oswald to a chair. Ethel assures him that Hugo knows what is going on, and explains that Oswald will be the face of their rehabilitation program. When Oswald refuses, Ethel laughs and puts a bit in his mouth, and then puts an electro-treatment helmet on Oswald's head. He calms down after a moment and Ethel increases the voltage.
Later, Oswald wakes up in the ward room in group therapy with no idea of how he got there. He laughs, figuring that it was a dream. Ethel comes over and asks if there's a problem, and tells Oswald that he should participate. He agrees and she tells Oswald to play duck and goose. After a moment, Oswald starts flapping his arms, pretending to be a goose.
Jim, Harvey, and their men bring Oswald in and see Oswald. Hugo comes over and says that Oswald is on a mild sedative. He has Ethel take Leslie and Nora to the infirmary, and Jim tells Hugo that they'll set up by the main gate. Once the detectives leave, Hugo looks at Oswald.
Ethel takes Leslie and Nora to the infirmary where Barbara is unconscious. Leslie says that there's no problem at all.
Jim has Pinkney lock up the gate and place obstacles to prevent Victor from reaching the main building. The orderlies take Oswald past and he calls to Jim, begging for help. Jim calls them over and talks to Oswald alone. Oswald says that they're mentally torturing him, and Jim reminds him that he plead insanity. As the orderlies drag Oswald away, he yells that Jim killed Galavant. In his office, Hugo watches Oswald screaming.
At Wayne Manor, Bruce is sparring in his father's cave. Alfred comes in and Bruce points out that if he had told his butler what he and Selina had played, he would have stopped them. The butler says that he took him to the city because Bruce was in no mental condition to catch a killer, and asks him if they're in it together or not. Bruce says that they are, and Alfred shows him a file that he got from the GCPD on anyone named Malone that could have murdered the Waynes. He hands over the file and says that the killer goes by the nickname "Matches." Alfred then asks Bruce what he would do next if he was in charge, and Bruce wonders why he didn't get the information from Jim. The butler repeats his question, and Bruce says that he's going to kill him. Alfred says that he will stop him, and he will kill Matches, not Bruce. He makes Bruce promise and leaves.
Leslie looks at the comatose Barbara and calls her bitch. Nora wakes up and asks where she is, and Leslie tells her not to exert herself. She explains what is happening, and Nora figures that the police are scared of Victor. Nora insists that Victor isn't an evil man, and saving her outweighs the evil of his actions. She says that she could have saved him, and blames herself for not doing anything. Leslie says that she knows what it's like to close one's eyes to a person that they love. Nora figures that Victor is coming for her, and notices that Leslie is pregnant. She talks about how she always wanted a girl, and tells Leslie that she shouldn't be there.
As Jim and Harvey wait outside, Jim figures that Victor will come soon. They open fire as the van crashes through the gate and crashes into a bus. When Jim opens the door, he discovers that the janitor's hands are frozen to the steering wheel. The alarms go off and the officers run in.
A costumed Mr. Freeze shatters the wall of the asylum and breaks in.
Jim receives word of Mr. Freeze and heads for the infirmary. Two officers close in on Mr. Freeze's location, but he kills them with an ice grenade. He steps over them, yelling for Nora.
As Jim and his men make their way through the hallways, Hugo closes one gate behind them. Jim runs and gets through the gate ahead just before that gate can slam close.
Mr. Freeze arrives at the infirmary and prepares to blast open the door. However, Hugo opens the doors ahead of him by remote. The open gates lead to the treatment room, and Hugo talks to Freeze over the intercom. He offers him a way out of his situation, and asks what Freeze plans to do once he rescues Nora. Hugo points out a set of keys for a waiting vehicle, and offers them in return for one cartridge of his cryonic formula. Freeze considers and then makes the exchange, and Hugo sends Ethel to get the cartridge.
Jim reaches the infirmary and warns Leslie that Freeze is coming. Leslie says that they'll have to take Nora with them. Jim turns and Freeze blasts the gun from his hand. The villain insists that he's saving Nora's and will turn himself in once he's done what he has to. Leslie warns that Nora might move if they die, and Freeze tells her to push the wheelchair. Jim volunteers, but Leslie says that Nora is her patient and insists. Nora begs Freeze not to do it, but her husband orders Jim into a closet and freezes the door shut behind him.
Ethel returns to Hugo's office and gives him the cartridge.
Leslie and Freeze take Nora out, while Jim breaks the door open and calls to Leslie. He runs after them but can only watch as they drive away.
Hugo contacts Harvey and the others over the intercom, and claims that the cold has shorted the wiring. He has Ethel store the cartridge and then opens the gate. They go to the ward room where Jim is questioning the janitor without success. He figures that Freeze is heading home without his equipment, which was never taken into evidence.
At the Fries home, Victor prepares to freeze Nora. Leslie asks how he'll take care of Nora if he's in prison, and Victor figures that the city will keep her safe because of the law. Nora begs Victor to let her die, and if she does wake up then he'll be in prison. Victor insists that he'll be there when she wakes up, and insists that there's always hope. Nora agrees and asks for her first anniversary necklace up on the nightstand. Once he leaves, Leslie says that she's not going to leave without Nora. Nora asks for some water and Leslie goes to get it. Once she does, Nora replaces the cartridge in the gun that Victor left her with one from his failed experiments. When Leslie comes back, Nora begs her to tell them that Victor isn't a bad man. She saw the man that Victor was becoming but did nothing because she loved her. Nora figures that Leslie knows what that's like, and thanks her for her kindness.
Victor comes back with the necklace and puts it around Nora's neck. She says that she loves him and says not to blame himself. Victor has Leslie stand back and then uses his freeze gun on Nora.
Selina sneaks up on Bruce in his study, but he says that he can feel the breeze. He says that he invited her to ask a favor, and shows her the file on Matches. Bruce asks Selina to get him a gun, and says that Alfred doesn't know about it. Selina wonders how Bruce is going to do it, and Bruce explains that Matches killed his parents. She warns that he doesn't know what he's asking, and tells him that he'll never be the same. Bruce says that's what he's counting on.
The police arrive at the Fries home and Jim has the officers set up a perimeter while he goes inside.
Victor watches as Nora cracks and shatters, and he sees the switched cartridge in her hand. Harvey calls over the bullhorn for Victor to surrender, and he asks Leslie to go tell the police that he'll surrender. Leslie says that Nora loved Victor very much and goes, and Victor turns off the lights. He then plugs his suit into his freezing unit and screams in agony as he freezes. Jim comes down and finds Victor and Nora, dead.
Later at home, Leslie gets up out of bed and tells Jim that she can't sleep. Jim says that Hugo called and said that Victor died in the Arkham infirmary, and says that he wishes Leslie hadn't gone and put their baby at risk. Leslie says that Jim is the one who put them at risk, and figures that Jim is lying to her about how Galavan died. She's angry that he lied to her, and Jim turns and walks out.
At Arkham, Oswald receives another session. Hugo and Ethel watch, and Hugo says that there is no such thing as a hopeless case. He then goes to the frozen lab where Victor is waking up. Hugo says that his corpse is legally in the Arkham morgue, but Victor is at Indian Hill. Victor recognizes Hugo's voice from earlier, and Hugo explains that Victor absorbed his formula through repeated exposure and his body changed at the molecular level. The formula lowered his core body temperature and Victor can only survive in temperatures below zero. They've modified his suit so he can walk freely. Hugo tells Victor to rest because they have a project in mind for him. When Victor says that he should have died with Nora, Hugo tells him that death is a new beginning. Hugo then goes another cell holding bodies in liquid-filled cylinders.
Written by Gadfly on Mar 8, 2016