All encounters in this world are nothing but reunions in disguise, and so it is with the Talons and the residents of Gotham City.
Of course, there's the possibility of them living in the same building and not interfering with each other, or the Talons choosing to get rid of these ordinary people, as they usually would.
But just before they made their move, an unprecedented war of humanity's questioning in line with the Dark Forest Theory erupted within the building.
All employees in the building split into factions and engaged in a fierce fight- a struggle of power, money, interests, and morality, filled with lies, betrayal, legal and ethical debates, accusations and mockery, weeping and screaming, ceaseless darkness and panic spreading in the Iron Jungle at the city center.
So, logically, the Court of Owls, who are most eager to plunge this city into darkness and make everyone lose trust in each other, should now sit back and watch, or secretly push things forward from behind, waiting to see the shocked and pained expression on Batman's face when he finds out everything.
But in reality, it was the Owl himself who wore the mask of pain.
Because the above is their beautified version in words, the mundane name for this war is actually the Battle for the Bathroom.
After the Scientist Team in the lab discovered the constant attacks of the Joker Gang on ground transportation, they chose to transport the orange juice through the sewer using tree roots.
But Gotham's sewer is not some high-speed highway, after squeezing in thousands of alligators, there's no more space for tree roots.
Unfortunately, Gotham City Center is a traffic hub, and the same goes for the sewer, with tree roots frequently going in and out on this side, inevitably leading to blockage.
The consequence of the sewer's poor drainage is that the pressure built up in the pipes above is too high, and under cold weather, the pipes are prone to burst, and once they do, all toilets connected to this pipe can no longer be used normally.
The commercial district has a high flow of people, apart from employees working in office buildings, there are also many consumers and tourists, and all humans need to use the toilet.
What's worse, many of them have already consumed the orange juice containing psychedelic drugs, and anyone with common sense should know that the majority of nerve agents have a diuretic effect.
Overnight, the toilet seats in Gotham became a strategic resource. Five-Star General MacArthur once commented that if you can secure a seat in the office toilet during the busy lunch break, your entire department would cheer for you. If you can get a seat in the restaurant toilet downstairs, the whole company will be proud of you.
Some people might say, if you can't get a seat, why not just pee anywhere, right?
However, as always, while there are many cities without manners, only Gotham has become legendary. The spirit of competition is what Gotham champions. It doesn't matter how much I poop, as long as there's more in the toilet after I use it than there was after you used it, it's no different than me literally taking a dump on you.
So this war evolved to the point where it took a turn that not only the Owls couldn't understand but humans couldn't understand either.
If one were to sum it up, it would be Clark's former encounter with an old white man who claimed the public restroom urinals as his own - but now version 20 years advanced.
In the end, almost all the toilet seats in the office buildings on the commercial street had been removed and placed at the entrance of each department, displayed as military equipment.
Even the employees of the least important departments, seeing their department's entrance filled with toilet seats, would proudly puff out their chests.
Some might also wonder, what good are toilet seats without sewage pipes?
Although they were, in fact, useless, they were being used nonetheless. And so, the Owls utterly fell apart.
During this time, they tried physical threat and verbal persuasion, but it was all in vain.
They did not even attempt to kill a few people as a deterrent, as they understood that those who would resort to such extremes were not afraid of death.
Apart from the smell of feces flowing along the river, there really was no need to add the overwhelming stench of corpses.
The Court of Owls chose to change its strategy.
Little did they know, after bypassing the hard-to-conquer city streets, they ended up in the even less penetrable slums. Rather than choosing an easy place to train and level up, they headed straight for the boss lair.
The direction they entered the slums from was different from Clark's, they didn't come in from the broken side of the wall, but climbed over from the completed side.
And there's a good reason why Arkham City chose to build the wall on that side first. As soon as the Talons entered, they saw Chang Wei fighting Lafu, and he was Lafu.
If the suburbs and commercial districts of Gotham are considered preliminary tests for the city, then the slums should be considered the formal exam. The eastern part where Clark entered consists of the essay questions on the exam, while the southwestern side where the Court of Owls entered, assuming the examinee is Batman, has the invigilation team that could beat him up on the spot.
That's the place where the Joker, 80% of the Joker Gang's members, over 70% of Gotham's top-tier criminals, and the place where top rap artists originate from, reside.
This group of people can be described as talented and hardworking, holding up half of Gotham's criminal world with just a handful of people - the backbone of Gotham.
They weren't affected much by the mysterious substance in the plant toxin, or perhaps, there's simply no room left in their brains to accommodate the toxin.
So, this place still remains the simple and honest Gotham City, the dark and violent place the Court of Owls desire.
Indeed, these people were also wondering what on earth was going on outside, but because one side was blocked off by the wall from Arkham City and the other was in a riotous state, they remained sane and observant. At this moment, they desperately needed information from the outside.
Just then, the Talons climbed over the wall and came in, and the ensuing scenes could hardly be suitable for human viewership anymore.
The Court of Owls reacted quite quickly this time, abandoning their route after losing two Talons.
Although the Talons wouldn't divulge any essential information due to their brainwashing, their loss here was indeed a physical loss, far realer than the ones choked to death by sewage in the suburban attic. By the time they were found, all the pieces assembled would amount to just a heap.
The Owls looked around in confusion and realized that there was no place left for them in the vast Gotham. Looking down, the only refuge left was where they were perched now.
The Talons decided to go through the sewer—only to run into Superman within two hundred meters.
Clark had just descended from the sewer entrance and found himself face to face with the assassins who had just turned a corner.
One tends to get a hot head when facing Superman, literally speaking. Clark, provoked by these lunatics from Gotham, released a heat ray at the sight of some strange shadows.
The Talons turned to run. They didn't know Superman, but they clearly knew what kind of people would be entering the sewers at this time.
Clark also realized that something was off about this group. So he didn't chase them at full speed. Instead, he acted as if he was trying but failing to catch up, trailing far behind to see where these people were headed.
Normally, the Talons wouldn't run towards their home because they are assassins and had undergone strict brainwashing—they wouldn't betray their masters.
However, the horrific deaths of the Talons before made them not want to join the rank of casualties. They didn't want death to be their gift, so they decided to head straight for the Court of Owls meeting room.
The impact of the plant toxin was far greater than anyone had realized. After all, the weather control center atop Wayne Tower was a weather weapon. It wasn't as simple as no effects as long as you don't pass out—all were silently being driven towards madness.
As they ran, Clark chased. After a while, Clark realized that this place didn't look like a sewer at all—instead, it seemed more like a labyrinth of some human construction.
The Talons, meanwhile, swore at Clark in their heads. How could this jerk still not have gotten tired? They sprinted even harder.
Finally, the Court of Owls received a belated Christmas gift late in the winter—God of the World himself.
After pushing open the door to the meeting room, Clark did one thing. He threw a punch at every living being he saw.
There was no chance for an explanation; no chance even to make a sound. Clark had already thought along his run that their secretive behavior here itself was a crime. Capture first, talk later.
Just like that, the Court of Owls was rounded up by Superman.
But to the Court of Owls, this didn't mean much. They weren't scared of this big guy throwing them in jail because they were local elites—they would walk in one door and out the other in no time.
Even if their masks were peeled off, it wouldn't be an issue. Although they have public identities, no laws stipulate they can't have meetings in sewers. If Clark reveals their identities, they could sue him for false imprisonment and defamation.
That's why the members of the Court of Owls weren't panicking, cozying up against the wall of the meeting room, waiting to outsmart this yokel from Metropolis with their superior intellect.
Turned out, Clark not only appeared clumsy but was even clumsier than they imagined—he pulled out his phone to FaceTime Bruce Wayne.
The members of the Court of Owls shrieked sharply, but Clark ignored them.
He fiddled with his phone for a bit, then said: "Oh my, there's no signal here. Can't call anyone."
The Owls sighed with relief.
Ten minutes later, Clark threw the last of the Owls onto the top of Wayne Tower, pulled out his phone and dialed Bruce Wayne, pointing his camera at the group before him to communicate.
"Hey, Bruce, how's it going? Still enjoying the presidential life?"
"Wait, don't hang up. I've got something serious to tell you. There's a group of sneaky folks I found in your hometown, in a really big maze... Probably dining together, I'm not sure."
"Erm, I didn't say they were dining in the sewer, it's... Ok, ok, I know you're eating, but make sure to eat more."
Clark added silently, or else you wouldn't be able to eat after you see what's happening in Gotham.
Clark adjusted the camera angle of his phone, staring straight at the unmasked Owls.
The Owls noticed distinctly that President Wayne, neatly dressed, frowned as his eyes scanned over each of their faces.
Then, they heard Bruce say nonchalantly: "Probably some super criminals planning a scheme to overthrow Gotham. I usually leave matters like this to my Robin."
"Alright, but there are so many Robins, which one am I supposed to find?"
"No need to find, I'll send you his number. Just give him a call, and he'll figure out where you are."
Another ten minutes later, Peter Parker appeared at the top of Wayne Tower.