//------------------------------// // Face To Face To Face // Story: Batmare Triumphant // by SuperPinkBrony12 //------------------------------// "Two more members of a gang working for the mysterious crime boss Two Face were found tied up outside the First Equestrian National Bank, earlier this morning." a news report was being broadcasted over the radio. A mare in a gray cylinder suit was the only one listening to it, as she sat upon a throne made of solid ice. "Still no description exists of the mysterious vigilante that has captured the public's attention." the broadcast went on "The questions that remain in the minds of Equestria's citizens are 'Who is this unknown hero?' 'Is this the return of the seemingly absent Batmare?' and 'Will this figure be able to stop the likes of Two Face?'. That concludes our breaking news, and now for the weather." The mare listening to the broadcast had heard enough, and angrily silenced the radio with a blast of ice from her ray gun. "Why is the public so fascinated with the likes of Batmare, Two Face, and this new public menace?" she complained to herself "Are my own actions really so mundane? Or is society too ignorant to notice what I have planned?" Using her magic, she pulled out a familiar tiny glass cylinder. She gazed lovingly at the pony that spun and danced around in the unending snow. "Rest well my dearly departed Shadow Mist." Miss. Freeze said to the figure "Soon, I shall have avenged your untimely death at the hooves of that monster." Setting the glass cylinder back down, Miss. Freeze decided to take the time to read up on the news. She was hopeful at least the papers wouldn't be filled with article after article about Two Face, Batmare, or someone else entirely. "If I read one more article about The Joker, I am going to personally head to Canterlot Asylum and find out what it is that makes him so popular. I just hope his madness isn't contagious." Upon opening The Ponyville Express the first article that greeted Miss. Freeze's eyes was one that would've made her blood boil, if such a thing were still possible. The headline read "Clean Up Continues After Dynamic Duo Thwarts Frosty Thugs: Batmare and Robin praised for stopping Miss. Freeze's attack on Ponyville." "What madness is this?! I did not order an attack!" Miss. Freeze shouted furiously, crumpling the paper in her hooves as she read on about how some of her hench ponies had acted behind her back. Apparently, some ponies needed to be reminded just who was in charge. In a matter of seconds, all of the masked hockey players had gathered in front of Miss. Freeze. A few seemed worried, but most of them showed no signs of being even the least concerned. "I can tell you are all curious as to why I have called you here." Miss. Freeze said seriously, as she eyed each and every one of the ponies whose faces were obscured by the masks they wore. "Lately, it has come to my attention that some of you have sought to keep a secret from me. A secret that you assumed I would never notice." "Come now boss, surely you don't think we'd ever betray you. Right?" one of the players asked nervously. "Maybe, but I believe that there are some things I did not make abundently clear when I recruited you." Miss. Freeze replied, her red goggles glaring at the player that had just asked the question. "When you join my cause, you swear loyalty to me and only me. Any attempts to defy my authority or work behind my back, are not so easily ignored. Neither are they readily forgiven." No one dared to say anything. "If there is anyone who here who has anything they wish to say, speak now." Miss. Freeze continued, pointing her gun at each of the hockey players. Not one of them said anything however. "So, you all wish to deny that you have ever betrayed me? You all wish to claim that you are innocent and know nothing?" The players nodded. "Well if such is the case, there's only one thing to do." Miss. Freeze replied "I will need a volunteer to step forward, for a personal demonstration." Plucking up courage, the masked goalie said in his gruff voice "I shall be your volunteer, your excellency. Let me just say that it has been an honor to fight by your side all this time." "I'm sure it has." Miss. Freeze stated. Then, without hesitation, she turned her ray gun on the masked goalie. The masked goalie was shocked, as were his associates. "Why are you doing this to me?" he demanded to know, as he felt his body being frozen solid. Miss. Freeze didn't say anything, until she stopped firing the ray gun. By this point, the only part of the masked goalie not covered in ice was his head. "You are serving as an example, of what happens to those who attempt to doublecross me." Miss. Freeze explained "Now, you are paying the price for your incomptence and refusal to admit the truth." "I didn't do anything!" the masked goalie protested "I truly and sincerely don't know what happened!" "Really?" Miss. Freeze asked, pointing her ray gun at the masked goalie's face "I would seriously reconsider that thinking. You are trying to hide something, and it would be wise if you told me what it is." "Alright, alright! We sold out!" the masked goalie explained. "To who?!" Miss. Freeze demanded. "We never met face to face, honest!" the masked goalie said, shivering from the ice that surrounded his body "He just sent us a letter with instructions, and told us that if we followed them to the letter, we'd get paid! We were suppose to serve as a distraction, but we were never told why!" "Thank you for finally telling me the truth." Miss. Freeze said with a straight face, then she walked away. "Hey! You're not just gonna leave him like that, are you boss?!" one of the hockey players asked, as some of the other players tried to thaw out the masked goalie. "Forget about him! He should not have attacked Ponyville behind my back just to earn a few bits." Miss. Freeze said coldly. "But, he's one of us." another hockey player expressed. "Then if you'd like to share his fate, I shall be glad to arrange it." Miss. Freeze replied, pointing her ray gun at the remaining players "If however, you wish to survive, then you will walk away and leave this stallion to his fate. I will free him from his icy prison when I believe he has fufilled his purpose. For now though, I shall leave him as he is to serve as a reminder to you all. Do not attempt to defy my authority again, or you won't live to regret it." The masked goalie simply watched, as his fellow associates turned their backs on him. Leaving him to shiver mercessily from the ice. All he could do was hope to be thawed out in the near future. Now, given the choice, he'd rather be locked away in a jail cell. At least then, he would be warm. Miss. Freeze sighed, as she looked at the equipment her henchponies had stolen from Canter Corp. in the past week. "I guess the old saying is true 'Good help is so hard to find these days.'" She complained to herself. "You want help? I might be able to provide you with it." a stallion with a gruff voice said. "Who are you? Show yourself at once!" Miss. Freeze demanded. "Of course, who I am to disagree with a former princess?" the stallion replied. Emerging from the shadows was a stallion clad in a suit that was half white, and half black. He had a tommy gun in one hoof, and a bit in the other. The right side of his face looked normal, which seemed to match the white half of the tuxedo. But the left side of his face looked horribly disfigured and seemed like something straight out of a horror movie, matching the black half of the tuxedo all too well. "So, now Equestria's most promising district attorney has decided to grace me with his prescence." Miss. Freeze stated "But why have you come here? Something tells me that you do not intend to arrest me." "That may have been what weak minded Fancy Pants' idea, but luckily for the both of us that pony is no longer around." the stallion explained "Now, there is only Two Face." "I see. So you're that new crime boss I've heard so much about. I am delighted to meet you." Miss. Freeze said, bowing to her visitor. "The pleasure is all mine." Two Face replied with a smile "But enough small talk, I have a proposition for you. You want help, right?" "Yes I do. But how can you help me?" Miss. Freeze asked with concern. "I know how to keep your subordinates in line. You don't get to my level of sucess without knowing what strings to pull and what buttons to push." Two Face explained. "In return, I want access to that technology you stole from Canter Corp." "And why should I agree to such a thing? What reason could you possibly have for wanting to join forces with me?" Miss. Freeze asked "Considering what has just happened, I am weary of who I decide to trust." "We share a common foe. Canter Corp. is clearly hiding something, and with your icy powers and my highly skilled associates, it will only be a matter of time until we find out what it is." Two Face replied, smiling sincerely. "And what word do I have that you will not betray as others have sought to do?" Miss. Freeze asked suspiciously "What proof do I have of your trust and sincerity?" "My word as a crime boss of course. If there's one thing I will always be no matter what, it is a stallion of my word." Two Face stated "So, are you interested in working with your's truly? Or would you rather go it alone? It's your choice." "I accept your terms, on one condition." Miss. Freeze said, after a moment of consideration. "Typical, everypony has their price. Name yours." Two Face insisted. "I am not motivated by something as petty as money, I have a personal vendetta to pursue." Miss. Freeze scoffed "My condition is simple, I shall call the shots around here. If you have a problem with my authority, then I suggest you leave now. This is the only way I can ensure you will not double cross me." "Well, your proposal sounds interesting. But I'm feeling a bit 'conflicted' on the terms." Two Face explained "So I'm gonna solve it the old fashioned way, with a coin toss. If it lands heads, we have a deal. But if it lands tails, then we are enemies to the bitter end." "Then I hope, for your sake, that it does not turn up tails." Miss. Freeze warned. "The only one who can control that now is lady luck herself." Two Face replied, and used his magic to toss a bit into the air. When it came back down, Two Face caught it with his magic and looked at it. Time seemed to slow to a halt, as he looked carefully at the gold coin. "Well, it seems today is your lucky day." he said at last "It's heads." "Then, it pleases me to welcome you into my ranks." Miss. Freeze said with a smile "Together, we shall destroy anything and everything that gets in our way." "Including that pesky Batmare." Two Face added "In fact, I've already devised a foolproof scheme that will make sure she's out of the picture for good."