William Cobb stood in front of the Court. Their empty, masked faces stared blankly at him, but the former assassin was far too used to it to be bothered.
"The Grey Son of Gotham is beyond the Court's reach, Blood Swan." Cobb automatically straightened at the name; it was ingrained in him to respond.
"I am aware, Grandmaster." Cobb stated. A number of the Court shifted uneasily, soft whispers broke out, barely heard even with Cobb's enhanced hearing.
"We need a new Talon, Cobb." The Grandmaster said, sounding idly annoyed.
"Find one, Blood Swan." the Grandmaster ordered Cobb.
"Dismissed." Cobb bowed as he left.
...
Cobb paced and prowled the rooftops. He needed a child. One with potential, one with athleticism and grace, one who wouldn't be missed. The sky was darkening quickly, the last rays of sunlight fading to deepest black, strangled by the smog of the city. Cobb heard a soft scrabbling sound, like the gravel-crunching footsteps of someone small trying to be stealthy. A quiet click, and Cobb knew his picture had been taken.
"Come out, child." Cobb said lightly. He heard a squeak, and the child appeared. Dark hair and almost deathly pale skin, the boy had the unhealthy look of someone who had never been in the sunlight. He appeared to be about six. A child his age shouldn't be out in the Gotham nights.
"What is your name, child?" Cobb asked coolly. The boy pulled his camera closer, like a shield from the attention.
"Tim…" He whispered shyly. Cobb smiled encouragingly, kneeling down to match levels with the six-year-old.
"Where are your parents, Tim?" This boy could be the next Talon, of that Cobb was sure. Tim shrugged.
"Home," he said quietly, "They don't notice when I leave."
"Do you have a last name, Tim?"
"Drake. Tim Drake." This was perfect. The boy was neglected by his parents and was the offspring of one of the few families not under the Court's influence. The Drake child would become Talon, Cobb vowed.
"Little Duckling, do you want to come to a party with me?" Cobb asked, standing. Tim stepped forward, curiosity on his face.
"Will it be a fun party?" Cobb set his hand on Tim's shoulder. Tim peeked up at the man through his heavy bangs.
"I think you'll enjoy it. We play hide-and-seek most of the time." Tim's face lit up.
"I love hide-and-seek. I'm a champion." Tim said as he took Cobb's hand and allowed the ex-Talon to lead him down, down to the catacombs where the Court lurked, down to the labyrinth the boy would soon haunt, down to where even the stones whispered the rhyme every child in Gotham knows by heart…
"Beware the Court of Owls, that watches all the time,
Ruling Gotham from its shadowed perch behind cement and lime.
They watch you by your hearth, they watch you in your bed,
Speak not a whispered word of them or they'll send Talon for your head."
Upon hearing the rhyme, Tim drew closer to Cobb. Like all Gotham children, the boy had clearly heard the horror stories about the shadowy court that ruled their city with an iron fist, but Cobb couldn't care less. He presented the boy to the assembly.
"You have ordered, Grandmaster, and I have obeyed. Timothy Drake will be Talon." Masks betrayed nothing, but the Court displayed shock in their posture. The Grandmaster merely tilted their head.
"Very well, Blood Swan. You will train the boy to be a proper Talon." the Grandmaster decided. Tim clutched his camera tighter like a safety blanket, his knuckles turning white. He took a step back.
"I don't…" Tim whispered, "I don't want to hurt people…" Cobb, the only one who had heard the boy clearly, laughed.
"It's too late for that, boy." Cobb said, setting his hand on Tim's narrow shoulder.
"Tim." The boy said firmer, "My name's Tim."
"Not anymore, boy. You are the Black Mallard, and you will be Talon." the Grandmaster said, nodding at Cobb, giving him permission to begin the boy's conversion and training.
Cobb grabbed Black Mallard's wrist, yanking him towards a subtle door. Tim's camera clattered to the floor, pieces breaking free and bouncing across the marble tiles. Black Mallard struggled to free his wrist from his new trainer's grasp. Cobb stopped, roughly tugged Black Mallard closer and slapped him. Black Mallard went still, almost limp. Cobb led the silenced boy like a lamb to slaughter, through the door, into the labyrinthine halls. Cobb dragged Black Mallard into the laboratory, pushed him into the plexiglass chamber. Black Mallard strained against the older man, but Cobb closed the chamber and activated the sequence that would flood the vat with the electrum serum to begin Black Mallard's transformation into Talon.
The boy's panicked screams became gurgles as the liquid filled the container. Black Mallard choked and sputtered on the serum as it quickly replaced the air in the chamber. The boy stilled as the liquid filled his lungs. Cobb smirked in satisfaction.
"You are the Black Mallard, and you will be Talon." the Masked Man said with a nod in the direction of the man who had brought Tim here. Tim regret going with the man.
Tim's gray-haired companion grabbed Tim's wrist and yanked him to the side. Tim's camera was jarred from his hands. It clattered to the floor, pieces breaking free and bouncing across the marble tiles. Tim struggled to free his wrist from his captor's grasp. The man stopped, roughly tugged Tim closer and slapped him. Tim went still, almost limp, fighting back tears unsuccessfully. Tim obediently followed the man leading him with the resignation of a lamb being led to slaughter. Tim stumbled blindly as the man led him through a door Tim hadn't originally noticed and into the maze-like corridors. Silent sobs wracked Tim's small frame as he was half-dragged by his captor into some kind of lab.
The man pushed Tim. Off-balance, Tim fell into some kind of container. Tim strained against the older man, but he closed the chamber and pressed a few buttons. The chamber began to fill with an icy liquid that burned Tim's skin where it touched. Tim screamed. He was terrified. He didn't know how to swim in water, much less the acid that was lapping at his body. The vat filled faster and faster. Tim coughed and sputtered, the liquid burned his throat and lips as it quickly replaced the air in the chamber. Tim's vision grew blacker as he felt his lungs give out. He breathed out a stream of bubbles and breathed in pain. He succumbed to the darkness.
