The battlefield descended into a chaotic melee. The once formidable Talons, weakened by Mr. Freeze's frigid blasts, were overwhelmed by the combined might of Gotham's villains.
As time wore on, the tide of battle turned decisively. The ground became littered with broken, twisted Talon bodies, their once-proud forms reduced to scraps.
Scarecrow, sensing defeat, attempted to flee, only to find himself face-to-face with Batman. "The nuclear weapon, Crane," Batman said, his voice cold and unwavering.
Snap!
Bane broke the neck of the last Talon in sight, and the Joker sauntered over, a wide grin on his face.
Bane didn't attack, instead looking at Adam with a mocking glint in his eyes.
"What?" Adam asked, lifting Scarecrow by the neck. "Don't play coy, Crane. You know you stole the nuclear weapon from Cobblepot."
"Ha! Nuclear weapon? What are you talking about?" Scarecrow feigned ignorance.
Then, his eyes widened in a grotesque parody of realization. "Oh, I see. So that's what this is all about! Hahahaha!"
His laughter was manic, unnerving. The Joker watched, gnawing on his lip.
Penguin, standing nearby, felt his blood run cold. "You..." He rushed towards Scarecrow, grabbing at his coat.
"Don't joke with me, Crane! You didn't actually steal my nuke, did you?"
A terrible realization dawned on him.
"There are only a few with the motive and means to steal the nuke," Penguin muttered, a cold sweat breaking out on his brow. "If it wasn't Scarecrow."
He recalled the arms deal with Bane scheduled for tonight. A chilling coincidence.
And then, there was the matter of Mayor Hill. Penguin had contacted Scarecrow days ago, offering to deliver the mayor, but Scarecrow had stalled, insisting on tonight's timing.
Penguin's phone rang. He answered with a sinking heart.
On the other end, chaos reigned. Gunfire, explosions, and the frantic shouts of his men filled his ears.
"Boss! They're robbing us! Not paying for the weapons!"
Rage surged through Penguin. It all clicked into place. Bane hadn't just stolen his nuke, he'd used him to orchestrate this entire scheme, acquiring a wealth of weapons and information for free.
"Yes," I stole the nuclear bomb."
Bane smirked. "Where should I begin?"
He turned to Lincoln March, the white-masked figure still stubbornly clinging to the holographic call despite the carnage displayed on his screen.
The figure noticed Bane's gaze. "Foolish, Bane. You'll regret this."
"The most expensive private residence in Gotham," Bane began, "worth fifty-eight million dollars. The top three floors belong to the renowned Pavos Hotel. The patriarch of the Pavos family, Joseph, resides there with his wife, Maria."
The figure behind the mask finally stood up, his voice trembling with rage. "How do you know my address? My identity? I've never— How dare you—"
Adam tuned out the predictable threats. He'd heard them countless times before.
Bane remained silent, his gaze fixed on Lincoln March, on the chilling shadow cast by his arm armor.
The shadow of a dead man.
Bane blew gently on his fingers.
Whoosh!
"Traitor! You will—"
Boom!
A violent explosion engulfed the screen, cutting off the owl-masked figure's transmission.
Bane calmly tapped his earpiece. "Bird, did you get it done?"
"Dead as a doornail, boss. No problems here," the voice on the other end crackled.
Bane spread his arms wide, a triumphant grin on his face.
"Impressive," Adam commented. "You orchestrated all of this, didn't you, Bane?"
"The Court supplied you with electrum, maybe even funding? And you turned around and murdered their leaders. You planned this entire night."
"And I'd wager there's more to it. You likely have a list of the other Court members' true identities, ready to eliminate them one by one."
Adam couldn't help but admire Bane's ruthless efficiency.
"Oh, and poor Penguin. Not only did you steal from him, you also used him. Scarecrow worked for you for free, then became your scapegoat to lure me into this fight."
"And you calmly hid the nuclear bomb. Now that the Court and Scarecrow are out of the picture, you can use it to hold the entire city, even the country, hostage. You'll have complete control over Gotham."
Adam paused, his voice hardening. "Everything's going according to plan, isn't it? You must feel invincible right now."
Bane stiffened, mentally reviewing his meticulous plan. Had he missed anything? What could Batman possibly know that he hadn't accounted for?
"You anticipated everything I could throw at you, Bane. Even just now, on the Batwing, you were trying to hack in and eavesdrop on my conversation with Robin."
"But..."
"The more intricate the scheme, the more likely it is to unravel. The more complex the machine, the more susceptible it is to a single, unexpected pebble."
Adam's voice was calm, yet filled with a steely resolve. "All it takes is one person who operates beyond your calculations."
Crash!
"Did you ever consider," Adam continued, "that I might have my own agents infiltrating your operation? Stealing from Penguin, eliminating Court members according to your list, leaving the nuclear bomb vulnerable?"
"Did you really believe I'd sit idly by while you enacted your grand scheme?"
Lincoln March silently lowered his arms, joining Adam's side.
Bane's eyes narrowed, his gaze locked on March. An unforeseen player, a Court of Owls member aligned with Batman. How had he infiltrated their ranks?
"Did it ever occur to you," Adam pressed, "that I allowed your plan to unfold simply to pinpoint the location of your nuclear bomb?"
Bane's phone rang. He answered, a scowl forming on his face.
"Enemies breached our defenses. They're after the package you entrusted to us."
"It can't be stolen. That's—" Bane began, but the voice on the other end cut him off.
"It's gone, Bane. Taken."
"Damn it!" Bane roared. "How could you fail to stop them? I left ample manpower—"
"They're Talons, Bane. Court of Owls Talons, enhanced with your venom. They're unstoppable!"
"So, the most important point, Bane," Adam said, his voice low and menacing, "is that this is Batman's city."
He leaned in, his eyes gleaming. "This is Batman's turf."