Case File 1231-2: A Cold, Cold Case

A Cold, Cold Case (designated Case File 1231-2) was an event that occurred during the New Year's Eve incident, that resulted in the transformation of Doctor Victor Fries into the cryogenic supervillain Mr. Freeze.

Before Cold, Cold Heart Incident
At some point before New Year's Eve and possibly Christmas Eve, a cryogenics researcher employed at GothCorp, Victor Fries, discovered that his wife, Nora Fries, had come down with Huntington's Chorea, a degenerative disease. Unwilling to let his wife die, Fries, in desperation, placed his wife under cryogenic stasis, and begged his employer, GothCorp CEO Ferris Boyle, into giving him funding to help him find a cure. Boyle agreed to Fries' request, although under the condition that he help develop his illegal cryogenic weapons program. As time went on, including the development and testing of the first cryo-weapon prototype, however, Fries did not get any results regarding the funding for a cure. He then demanded for Boyle to show the results, with Boyle claiming the disease was incurable, and as such he can't produce results overnight. This eventually devolved into a heated argument with Fries threatening to cease research if he doesn't supply the current stats, with Boyle, after calling his threats empty, stating there is nothing to report and that he continue with the research. Secretly, however, Boyle had no intention of actually pursuing the research, as he cared more about how Fries actually managed to successfully put Nora into cryostasis. eventually, Fries wised up to Boyle's false promise, and proceeded to do the research himself with the funding meant for cryogenic weapons. Eventually, Boyle found out about Fries' decision, and, angry at his disobeying orders, led several guards into the research lab and, armed with a gun, ordered for several personnel to retrieve Nora's cryostasis pod as well as two guards to restrain Fries while he proceeds to beat him, including pistol-whipping him. During the struggle, with Fries fending off his attackers, a prototype cannon was knocked over and proceeded to fire a round, instantly flash-freezing one of the guards. The resulting blast also ruptured a cryofluid container nearby. Boyle instantly fled, and was knocked back by the shockwave, also losing his gun, but he managed to escape unscathed, and ordered for the lab to be quarantined. Fries and the remaining guard, however, were not as lucky, as they were exposed to the cryovapors, thus altering their body metabolism to such an extent that they can't survive outside sub-zero environments. The guard, unaware of his new condition, then knocked Fries down onto the ground and left the room. However, upon leaving the room, he ended up collapsing and dying from heat-stroke, as Fries watched. Realizing he cannot leave the room in his current condition, he then fashioned himself a mechanical suit made of various prototypes to allow himself to survive in environments that aren't sub-zero temperatures. He then proceeded to come up with a plan to both rescue Nora Fries, as well as exact revenge against his former employer for ruining his life.

Cold, Cold Heart Incident
Fries later managed to deduce the portion of GothCorp that his wife was being held at. However, as she was kept under lockdown under all but Boyle's clearance level, he ultimately resolved to retrieve Boyle, allying himself with the crime lord known as Penguin and his gang to locate and abduct Boyle and then bring him to the room Nora was held at, promising to give him cryogenic weapons that GothCorp had been developing, presumably also supplying them with some to a Penguin-aligned dealer as proof of his claim.

On New Year's Eve, they ultimately tracked Boyle to Wayne Manor, who was present to present his humanitarian of the year award. Despite some setbacks, they managed to successfully abduct Boyle, and forced him back to GothCorp, although Penguin and Mr. Freeze eventually turned against each other when Penguin implied that he was more interested in getting the weapons than saving Nora, with Freeze also sealing the area with a thick barricade of ice from overloading the coolant tanks to deter pursuit from Batman (while also briefly hinting at his tragic past).

Batman eventually located the lab that Freeze, back when he was Victor Fries, was using to retrieve a superorganic fuel source for a cryodrill to bypass the barrier, and noticed that things were off for it to be an accident, namely that the deceased security guard had the same blue coloration as Mr. Freeze himself. He then scanned the guard and noted the oddity of his dying from heat stroke despite the room itself being room temperature. He then noticed that the chemical residue suggested he had come out of the lab. After entering the lab. He then noticed signs of a struggle, as well as evidence that Fries watched the guard die and built the suit from various prototypes. He then noticed that a guard was frozen, and initially thought the guard had been frozen by a ruptured cryofluid tank, but then realized that the guard had actually been frozen by a cryocannon that had been knocked over during the struggle. He also noticed gun residue and deduced a third man had been present who had assaulted Fries, before fleeing the scene. After locating his handgun, he then analysed it and learned that not only was the handgun used to assault Fries, but the one who used the gun had been none other than Ferris Boyle. He then noticed gurney tracks that were preserved, causing Batman to deduce that the accident had occurred mere moments after it was moved. He then analyzed the computer the gurney had been located at, and learned that it was used to research Huntington's Chorea, and that the subject had been Fries' own wife, thus causing him to deduce what had happened. Batman, having initially felt intense disgust to Freeze for his earlier actions, then developed a newfound sympathy upon learning that his actions had been out of desperation to save his wife, and also developed a newfound disgust towards Ferris Boyle. He then had his manservant, Alfred Pennyworth, submit the evidence he had collected to the GCPD.

Batman ultimately subdued both Freeze and Boyle, while also promising the former that he can grant him justice, even if he can't give him peace. Freeze and Boyle were then arrested alongside Penguin.

Casefile details (at Fries' lab)
Batman: There's more going on here than a simple accident - this security guard's skin has the same blue coloration as Mr. Freeze's. I should set up a crime scene.

Tissue analysis of security guard. "Deceased Male Tissue Analysis Brain: Neuron degeneration System analysis: Vascular Hypoxia Lung Analysis: Edema and Hemmorhage Cause of death: Heat stroke"

- Tissue analysis scan results for the security guard

Batman: Data analysis indicates that he died from heat stroke, but the control room doesn't show signs of overheating.

Footprint scan of security guard

Batman: This is some kind of crystallized chemical residue. Traces lead back to the lab.

Scan of stain on the floor at the end of the chemical trail "Trace evidence Crystallized residue Type: Glycerol (17.3%) Other ingredient: Unknown compounds (72.2%) Possible cause: Result of Struggle"

- trace evidence results of the starting point of the guard's footprint trail.

Batman: Two men struggled. One of them ran out of the lab - that would be the dead security guard I found.

Scan of handprints on the window "Trace evidence Fingerprint Analysis Name: Victor Fries Occupation: Cryogenicist Employer: GothCorp"

- Fingerprint analysis on the window

Batman: These palm prints are a match for Victor Fries. He must have watched the security guard die.

Scan of components near the table "Trace evidence Physical Analysis Evidence 1: Enviro-Suit components Evidence 2: Cryocoolant residue Evidence 3: Prototype weapon parts Evidence 4: Hydraulic fluid"

- Physical analysis scan results of components

Batman: Freeze scavenged what he needed from various prototypes to build himself a supercooled survival suit.

Scan of ruptured tank "Pressure Vessel Cryofluid Container Material Analysis: Reinforced steel Cause of Deformation: Internal rupture"

- Pressure Vessel scan results for ruptured tank

Batman: Extreme pressure built up inside the tank when ice sealed these outtakes. It appears this guard was frozen by the cryovapors from the resulting explosion.

Note: this unlocks the following clues below

Scan of flash-frozen guard "Male GothCorp Security Guard Status: Deceased Shoe Size: 9 Victim Weight: 80 kg Cause of death: Hypothermia"

- scan results of the frozen guard

Batman: The evidence suggests the guard was frozen before the tank's rupture - perhaps by Freeze's cryocannon. These DNA traces are a match for Victor Fries. Spatter analysis suggest a blunt impact- someone assaulted Fries with a weapon. The cannon was knocked over and fired. When the tank exploded, it released a plume of cryochemicals. The plume enveloped Fries and the guard, but the shockwave knocked the assailant clear. I need to find that weapon - it may have evidence I can use to identify the assailant.

Scan of discarded handgun

"Trace Analysis Physical analysis Blood DNA Match: Victor Fries (98.5%) Fingerprint Analysis: Ferris Boyle"

- Trace analysis results of discarded handgun

Batman: DNA analysis confirms the gun was used to bludgeon Victor Fries. And fingerprint analysis shows... Ferris Boyle? It was Ferris.

Scan of gurney tracks

"Trace Evidence Physical analysis Type: Wheel treads Origin: Wheel Chair or Gurney State: Flash-Frozen Chemical Analysis: Cryofluid"

- Scan results of torn fabric near the window

Batman: Something was wheeled through this fluid - possibly a gurney. The fluid must have frozen almost immediately for these tracks to have been preserved.

Scan of computer the Gurney was at/Conclusion

Casefile details (after scanning the computer the Gurney was at)
Note, additional details are given during the cutscene in the background where Batman gives a summation of what happened at the lab RECOVERING DATA

TERMINAL DISEASE DETECTED: HUNTINGTON'S CHOREA

HUNTINGTON'S DISEASE (HD) IS AN INHERITED DISEASE THAT CAUSES CERTAIN NERVE CELLS IN THE BRAIN TO WASTE AWAY. PEOPLE ARE BORN WITH THE DEFECTIVE GENE, BUT SYMPTOMS USUALLY DON'T APPEAR UNTIL MIDDLE AGE. EARLY SYMPTOMS OF HD MAY INCLUDE UNCONTROLLED MOVEMENTS, CLUMSINESS OR BALANCE PROBLEMS. LATER, HD CAN TAKE AWAY THE ABILITY TO WALK, TALK, OR SWALLOW. SOME PEOPLE STOP RECOGNIZING FAMILY MEMBERS. OTHERS ARE AWARE OF THEIR ENVIRONMENT AND ARE ABLE TO EXPRESS EMOTIONS.

IF DSLOW DOWN OR STOP THE DISEASE RECOGNIZING FAMILY MEMBERS.

NORA FRIES TEST SUBJECT 000756.009 LAST NAME FRIES FIRST NAME NORA DIAGNOSIS HUNTINGTON'S CHOREA PROGRESS TERMINAL TREATMENT SUSPENDED CRYOGENIC COMA PENDING FURTHER TREATMENT OPTIONS

Various cryoweapon blueprints and text appear

VICTOR FRIES EM004--FB

...ONGOING RESEARCH UNLESS YOU '''SHOW ME NORA'S LATEST TEST RESULTS. THE FIRST PROTOTYPE CRYO-WEAPON I DESIGNED''' IS ALREADY IN PRODUCTION YET YOU CONTINUE TO DELAY...

...NO CHOICE. UNTIL I SEE PROGRESS ON NORA'S CONDITION, MY OWN '''RESEARCH WILL CEASE. IF YOU WANT NEW CRYO-WEAPONS''' THEN I TRUST YOU WILL FULFILL THE TERMS OF OUR BARGAIN. ELSE I WILL BE FORCED...

FERRIS BOYLE EM010--VF ...MAKING PROGRESS. BUT YOU UNDERSTAND, THIS IS AN '''INCURABLE DISEASE. YOU CAN'T EXPECT US TO SHOW RESULTS OVERNIGHT'''. YOUR JOB IS TO CONTINUE TO PRODUCE THE TECHNOLOGY AS PER OUR AGREEMENT...

...YOUR EMPTY THREATS. I CANNOT CONTROL THE PACE OF THE RESEARCH. I PROMISE THAT YOU WILL RECEIVE REPORTS AS SOON AS I GET THEM. BUT FOR NOW, THERE IS NOTHING TO REPORT. I SUGGEST YOU CONTINUE...

Trivia

 * A Cold, Cold Case is one of only two casefile events in the DLC story Cold, Cold Heart, the only other being Officer on Ice. Both casefiles are mandatory to completing the story.