Chapter 15 – Striking Back
Gotham was in turmoil. The Court of Owls had finally removed their mask, unleashing chaos across the city in a desperate attempt to maintain control. The Talons weren't just targeting Ibrahim anymore. Judges, prosecutors, and police officers who had dared to challenge the city's corrupt elite were now in their crosshairs.
But Ibrahim wasn't going to run.
He was going to fight.
Gordon slammed on the brakes as they arrived at the GCPD headquarters. The building was on lockdown, officers barricading the entrance while gunfire echoed from the streets. A group of Talons had already engaged the police, moving with inhuman precision.
"We're losing officers fast!" a sergeant shouted as he fired from behind a patrol car. "They don't go down!"
Ibrahim analyzed the situation, his system highlighting weak points in the Talons' armor.
[Recommended Countermeasure: Target Joint Sections & Use High-Impact Blunt Force.]
Gordon reloaded his pistol. "What's the plan, Al-Farooq? These things don't die easy."
Ibrahim stepped forward. "We don't need to kill them. We just need to stall them long enough."
Before Gordon could ask what he meant, Ibrahim sent a command to Lex Legis.
[Executing Protocol: Emergency Injunction.]
Across Gotham, digital billboards lit up with a single message:
"Public Emergency Hearing – The Court of Owls Trial Begins at Midnight."
Live feeds of the Court's financial records, bribery logs, and secret dealings started broadcasting to every news station. Whistleblowers and former associates of the Court were given immediate legal protection under emergency law.
Ibrahim had just forced the Court into the public eye.
"This isn't just my fight anymore," Ibrahim said as he looked at Gordon. "Now the whole city knows the truth. They can't silence me without proving me right."
The Talons hesitated, as if awaiting new orders.
And that's when the police counterattack began.
Gordon smirked. "You just turned their own fear against them."
Ibrahim nodded. "Justice isn't about winning in the dark. It's about making sure the guilty can't hide in it."
The war had just begun.
But for the first time, it was a war the Court of Owls couldn't control.
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