Tonight's darkness in Gotham was unsettling, though Gotham's nights were always heavy and oppressive. Everyone could smell the scent of blood permeating the air, and tonight's darkness was thick and sticky like a bloodstained shroud, clinging to faces and stirring emotions.
A storm was brewing.
On the windowsill, a sinister predator with cat-like eyes tore at a bat with its claws, leaving behind a trail of remnants and blood on the windowsill Alfred had meticulously cleaned. In the night sky, there were only two kinds of creatures that soared: owls or bats. And bats were nothing more than laughable little creatures that fed on insects and fruit. They might boast after eating a few beetles, fancying themselves the city's guardians.
The real rulers, those who stood atop Gotham's blood-stained throne, never showed off. Perhaps it was their long silence that gave ambitious people the chance to challenge the city's established rules.
In Blüdhaven, the vigilante was perched on the railing of the Gotham City Police Department commissioner's house, flirting with Commissioner Gordon's beloved daughter. He stayed alert to the surrounding noises, vigilant like Romeo meeting Juliet at night. He heard the rustling of birds taking flight, the "thump" of a large-winged raptor.
Nightwing was distracted. His communicator lit up, the bat symbol flashing on the blue screen, which was not a common sight.
"Family business?" Barbara glanced at the communicator.
Nightwing smiled at her, "Family business."
A blue and a bright yellow figure took off into the night sky, and a piercing bird's cry shattered the night's silence, like lightning igniting the prologue of tonight's events.
"Hoo-hoo!"
A gunshot rang out.
It was an old double-barreled shotgun, which had been loaded with various bullets over time, from regular lead bullets to the rare Kryptonite rounds. The black barrels were still hot, and the previously arrogant raptor left only a few bloodstained feathers.
"Wayne Manor does not welcome owls."
The usually kind elderly man's face now bore a stern expression. Alfred was old, but not so old that he couldn't fight. This was his sanctuary, the place he had guarded with his life, soul, and all his years. Even the owls should know this was under his protection.
Dark figures flickered in the meticulously tended garden, the sinister raptors matching the legends whispered in Gotham's streets, lurking in the shadows, coveting everyone. That had once been Alfred's nightmare. But the manor was not without its defenses.
Gunfire erupted again. Two successive shots from a modified large-caliber handgun, powerful enough to pierce armor, shattered the spine of their foe, sending them back to where they belonged.
It was a terrible metaphor. He immediately regretted it, deciding to choose another way to phrase it. But his opponent was also swift.
"Family business?"
He snorted coldly, "I'm only doing this for Dick and Little Red—"
"Focus."
The Dark Knight, fighting alongside him, said succinctly.
"You think you can lecture—"
"Focus."
Though their conversation wasn't promising, their coordination was nearly flawless. Red Hood kicked down the Talon lunging at Batman's back and fired at its head. Batman attached two gel grenades to the Talon's chest, and Red Hood's grappling hook immediately pulled the enemy to the ground. The explosion did not reach Batman.
An observer might find their grand, open fighting style almost artistic.
They were so in sync, like Batman and Robin.
"The time is almost up."
The only remaining member in the Batcave, Red Robin, calculated the time, silently counting down in his mind.
Five, four, three, two, one.
The Batcave erupted in smoke and dust. A Talon broke through the ceiling, lunging at Red Robin.
The Batcomputer had already locked on, starting the countdown.
"Don't you feel a bit hot?" Red Robin asked. "I do."
A small ice-blue bomb stuck to the Talon. After a few sharp whines, massive ice spikes encased the Talon, freezing it in a dynamic pose charging at Tim.
"Lifelike," Tim said, then smashed it into pieces with a stick.
"I could hear your lousy joke from the other side of the city, Little Red," Jason mocked unceremoniously over the comms.
"Focus!"
A more serious voice came through as well.
"So, the cryo grenades do work, but it's a pity their production is limited," Tim said, darting among several Talons and taking advantage of the Batcave's terrain to eliminate two of them.
Jason replied, "The dead are inexhaustible. How do we know how many Talons the Court has?"
Damian scoffed, "Hmph, we can count the bodies in the morning."
"Robin?" Tim asked, "How's it going on your end?"
"Almost done," Damian said, "Though you fight like a high school girl, just hang in there until we get to you."
"I'm at the clock tower," Barbara's voice joined the channel, making the usually quiet communication line lively. "Focus on fighting, Tim. I'll handle everything else."
On the large screen in front of Barbara, the positions of various family members were displayed, most of the flashing dots converging towards Wayne Manor at different speeds. The Court's targets were not just Batman but the entire Wayne family. These two rebellious entities in Gotham were best dealt with together.
The number of Talons in the Batcave was increasing, and even though Red Robin had trained under Lady Shiva, he found himself overwhelmed. Nightwing dropped in from above, taking down an enemy trying to ambush Red Robin and giving him a wink.
"Thank goodness," Red Robin muttered.
Nightwing said, "You won't think that for long, because I brought more."
Unlike the intentionally breached Batcave, Wayne Manor was in much better shape, significantly safer than the underground. Every window was protected by a layer of bulletproof steel, and various anti-intrusion devices had been activated.
The Talons prowling the courtyard found it difficult to breach the defenses and turned their attention to the Batcave.
This battle was marked by a significant information asymmetry. Earlier, Batman had been manipulated by the Court of Owls, struggling in the seemingly bottomless labyrinth beneath Gotham. However, the Court's arrogance and manipulation of fear and conspiracy blinded them to the fact that, at some point, the roles had subtly reversed.
Everything seemed to be going according to the Court's plan. Yet, the turning point lay with a person who seemingly hadn't participated in this war.
Because Mr. Freeze was no longer an enemy of Batman, the technology stolen by the Court naturally ended up in Bruce's hands. Mr. Freeze and Nora had even developed specific equipment targeting the Talons.
The cryo grenades Tim used were one such invention.
"Well done, Freeze Woman," Baia said.
Nora gave a thumbs-up, much to Baia's helplessness, as she had chosen an outfit similar to Mr. Freeze's—blue and white armor, a glass helmet, and red goggles. Baia couldn't understand the appeal, but perhaps love truly is blind.
Wayne Manor wasn't the only target. The Court, in its bid to reassert its control over Gotham, had a long assassination list. Initially, this task was to be handled by Damian and Baia, but Nora volunteered to join them, and surprisingly, Damian had no objections.
Baia sensed something amiss.
"What are you up to?" Baia asked.
Damian turned off his communicator and looked at Baia. "Simply killing the Court's lackeys isn't enough. We need to find their base and identify who the Owls are."
"You want to storm the Court alone?" Baia asked.
"Not alone," Damian replied. "I'll give you a chance to prove you're worthy of the Al Ghul name."
"But my surname is Wayne."
"Are you coming or not?"
Just as Baia was about to refuse, a system notification sounded.
[Emergency Mission] The Nest of Owls Assist Damian Wayne in infiltrating the enemy camp, identify the Court members, and capture them. Reward: 10 Skill Points, Skill Card [Gotham's Requiem] Note: The ghosts watching over Gotham are awakening again.
Upon seeing the contents of the skill card, Baia changed her tune without hesitation. "I'm in."
Simply put, it was a resurrection card. Although the Court of Owls was known for its soulless Talons, this skill card allowed summoning back a soul of a deceased person. However, as the name suggested, the card's target must be someone from Gotham.
System: Who are you going to use this skill card on?
Baia: "I have a feeling it will come in handy eventually... By the way, what's the deal with the seeds the system rewarded last time?"
System: Seeds are just seeds. I'm already helping you hatch them. They should break out next year.
…
"That should be about it." Aside from Damian, Baia, and Barbara, everyone else had returned to the Batcave, fighting off the Talons.
The countdown on the Batcomputer was nearing its end. The breach made by the Talons was being covered by multiple layers of composite steel plates, and the cooling devices designed by Mr. Freeze had started operating in every corner, rapidly lowering the temperature of the Batcave. As frost began to form on the metal equipment, the Talons' movements visibly slowed down. Although temperatures too low would be unbearable for humans, just below freezing was enough to hinder the Talons. It was easily achievable.
In no time, the Batcave was filled with various ice sculptures of Talons in different poses.
"It's over. The Court probably doesn't have many Talons left that can move," Nightwing exhaled, pressing on a wound on his shoulder and pulling out a feathered blade.
"Why haven't we heard from Baia and Damian?" Tim asked.
Damian chimed in over the comms: "Because we have something more important to do than capturing Talons."
"I knew we shouldn't have let Baia get involved!" Tim groaned. "Damian, do you think this is a joke? Get back here now!"
"She volunteered," Jason said, understandingly. "'Family business,' you know."
Tim sighed. "Family business should have its limits. We're fighting for our lives here, and they're off who knows where."
Barbara interjected: "Their mission is just as important. If we can uncover the Court's identities, we can eliminate this threat for good."
Nightwing nodded in agreement. "And Baia and Damian together might give us an unexpected breakthrough."
Tim reluctantly accepted this. "Alright, but we need to stay in constant contact. If anything happens, we need to be ready to support them immediately."
"Don't worry," Damian's voice was firm and composed, "we'll be careful."
After the communication ended, Baia and Damian stopped in front of an abandoned building. Baia looked around and frowned. "This place looks like a trap."
Damian smirked. "Isn't that what makes it interesting?"