Author's Notes: I wasn't sure where to place this bonus episode but now that the season is almost over, I'm going to release it here during the break and then place it in the appropriate spot. This would roughly take place during the beginning episodes of Season 2.
The Batmobile came to a stop in Ichabod, a small town sixty miles away from Gotham. It had been abandoned after a flood had come through. Batwoman got out of the Batmobile and looked around for clues. There was a lead that a number of children had been kidnapped and dragged here. It was just a rumor and not something the GCPD found credible. Of course, Kara dragged Beth out to investigate anyway.
"I'm not really into investigating child kidnappings," Beth said as she looked around.
"Consider it a change of pace," Brainiac 5 radioed. "All of the victims owned toys from this factory."
Beth made her way to the abandoned toy warehouse, entered through the window, and then scanned the warehouse for anything using night vision. A number of creepy dolls were suspended above her, all with their faces cut off. "Remember, Beth, justice, not vengeance," Brainiac 5 said to her.
"Whatever," Beth said dismissively as she went through a doorway and then down some stairs to the basement.
There, she found two dozen kids in cages. Even for Beth, this was rather shocking. The kids didn't make a sound, too scared to do so. "Concerned for the little ones? Don't be. I love them more than you could ever know," the Doll Maker told her.
The Doll Maker had a muscular physique, a bald head, and had a doll mask over his face with the eyes cut out. "I've done everything in my power to keep the little ones to stay alive," he said as he opened some doors. "In this sad, cruel world."
Beth eyed several children wearing doll masks surround her. "You're not permitted to kill minors," Brainiac 5 reminded her.
"Thanks for reminding me," Beth said dryly.
"Protect me, children, as I have protected you," Doll Maker ordered his minions.
Beth fought with the children while Doll Maker ran off. A number of the children had bladed weapons and tried to get to her face and eyes. Beth placed a ventilator over her mouth and released a sleeping gas on the children, knocking them out cold. She then went after the Doll Maker into the forest.
A Batarang hit the Doll Maker to the shoulder as he fled. "Where are you?" he cried out. Beth swung down from the trees kicking Doll Maker to the face, dropping him.
"As children, they're helpless but as dolls, no one can ever hurt them again," Doll Maker said insanely.
"The same can't be said for you," Beth said to him.
Doll Maker got up and fled from her. Beth threw a cable rope around his leg dropping him again. "Why won't you listen? Why won't you understand? I love them," Doll Maker said to her.
Beth calmly walked over to him, took out her pistol, and coldly shot him in the head, shattering his doll mask. "Well, Barney, was that justice or vengeance?" she asked.
"Inconclusive," Brainiac 5 admitted. "Come back to the cave. Child protective services and the GCPD will be there shortly."
Beth then noticed a noise in the forest. With her night vision, she detected someone watching her and then leaping away into the forest going from one tree branch to another out of view. An owl feather was left behind.
At Wayne Manor, Kara and Brainiac 5 sat down for dinner. "When I was younger, I was a very serious child," Brainiac 5 revealed.
"Unlike now?" Kara mocked. "One of these days, I'll make you laugh."
"I doubt it," Brainiac 5 said dismissively.
"Hey, I want to show you some shit," Kara said getting up from the table.
Kara invited Brainiac 5 into a conference room that had a table hosting her grand vision for Gotham. It had model skyscrapers, streets, harbors, and so forth all made out of legos. "A new hobby?" Brainiac 5 guessed.
"An old one actually," Kara smirked as she looked over her lego city. "The Wayne family spent generations trying to make Gotham great again. I think I can do it in a fraction of the time."
"Why do you care so much for this city?" Brainiac 5 asked bluntly.
"I think this city could be exceptional under the right leadership," Kara said ambitiously.
"Allow me to make some corrections," Brainiac 5 said as he emitted a hologram from his right eye that altered the look of the city slightly.
"I have the means and the capital to finally win Sim City Gotham," Kara smiled.
The two heard snoring on the couch. "Really?" Kara said peeved at being interrupted.
Beth got up groggily and looked at them both. "That was so boring, I fell asleep," she mocked.
"Fuck you, Beth. I don't give a shit that you've had a difficult life," Kara said scornfully.
"You welcomed this unfortunate child into your home and given her an opportunity for a better life," Brainiac 5 complimented Kara.
"Spare me," Beth rolled her eyes.
"You need to respect that everything goes my way," Kara told her. She then looked at her phone. "Damn it. I have to deal with some bullshit in Smallville. Watch over the kid," she ordered Brainiac 5.
"She's pretentious and shallow," Beth remarked as Kara left the room.
"What are you reading?" Brainiac 5 asked snatching the book out of her hands. "Alice in Wonderland? Really?"
"Open it," Beth invited.
Brainiac 5 opened the book and found a pistol inside it ruining the book. "You're getting better, but your training is not complete."
"What do I need now?" Beth asked impatiently.
"We're going to watch Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland again," Brainiac 5 ordered.
"Not again, please, no," Beth begged.
"I can sense your emotions by the way your pupils dilate, your skin temperature, and your subtle facial movements. You enjoyed it too much last time," Brainiac 5 said.
"Can I get some popcorn at least?" Beth sighed.
"Yes...but no butter," Brainiac 5 allowed.
"I fucking hate you," Beth scowled as she followed him to the theater room.
That night, Beth tried to escape Wayne Manor wearing her Alice outfit. She leaped off the roof and ran towards the wall. As she did, she stepped on a mine. The mine hovered in the air and fired several rubber balls in all directions nearly hitting her as she took cover behind a tree. Beth then climbed the brick wall only for it to fold back on her. Beth leaped up getting to the top of the fence but was forced off it as spikes emerged.
"Ha, like that's going to stop me," Beth mocked.
The spikes zapped Beth with electricity forcing her to the ground. "Did you really think I would let you sneak out?" Brainiac 5 asked calmly.
"For a moment there, yeah, I kind of did," Beth groaned. "You have me under surveillance? What the fuck?"
"You've always been under surveillance," Brainiac 5 said obviously.
"It's bad enough you won't let Alice have a social life. What about Beth's life?" Beth asked impatiently.
"The risk assessment of you being spotted and captured is too high," Brainiac 5 said.
"Fuck this," Beth said as she went for a punch.
Brainiac 5 caught her arm and kept it perfectly still with a steel grip. He then let her go. "You never trust me," Beth said scornfully.
"I don't trust anyone. I only calculate the odds of rational actors doing that which mutually benefits them. Unfortunately, you're not a rational actor," Brainiac 5 said.
"How could you understand me? You're just one of the infinite drones in a collective. You don't care if you live or die, succeed or fail. You have infinite lifetimes while I only have one," Beth said scornfully and then walked back to the manor.
Inside the Bat-Cave, Brainiac 5 went to work on repairing vehicles. A bored Beth went to the computer and looked over the Doll Maker case. "I was raised to be the ultimate assassin. Nothing could hurt me. That's why I took on the Alice persona because Alice didn't give a damn if Beth died," Beth said to Brainiac 5.
Brainiac 5 picked up a pawn off a chessboard. "You can decide to remain a pawn to Kara or you can become a queen, yourself, and decide your own destiny," he said to her.
"Red Queen," Beth agreed.
"There's a break-in at the Gotham Museum. Check it out," Brainiac 5 sensed.
"So, I can't leave the manor as Beth but I can as Batwoman?" Beth asked incredulously.
"Exactly," Brainiac 5 confirmed.
At the Gotham Museum, Batwoman entered the Hall of Owls. On one of the stuffed owls in a case was a missing feather, the same feather she had collected in Ichabod. She looked around the owl exhibit and stopped upon a case with an owl mask. Suddenly, three black-suited ninjas dropped from the ceiling window. They carried two swords on their backs, arm blades, and other weapons on their utility belts. Their suits were similar to the Bat-suit with armor in several places. Their mouths were covered and their eyes were brass goggles that resembled owls. Their hands could extend brass blades like talons.
The three immediately charged Beth with their swords. Beth threw the first one with a judo move, kicked the second one to the floor, and threw a Batarang at the third. The third Owl deflected the Batarang and leaped into the air to strike at Beth's face. Beth moved out of the way just in time but the third Owl kicked her with bladed boots. The blade hit the Bat-suit harmlessly but pushed Beth a step back. The third owl kicked her back another step towards the first owl. Beth broke the arm of the first owl as he came closer and neck chopped him. She kicked the third owl away and caught the sword of the first owl. She proceeded to break this second arm, disarmed him of his sword, and backhand him to the floor. The third owl struck at Beth while she was distracted with the first. She moved out of the way, chopped him to the back of the neck, and dropped him to the floor where his mask came off.
To Beth's horror and amazement, the third owl was revealed to be a pale-skinned, nearly bald, zombie creature. The first owl got back up and reversed both of his broken arms back into their proper alignment. Beth didn't even turn around as she was hit by two ninja stars to her back from the second owl. They hit the suit and harmlessly fell to the floor. "So, you can't penetrate my suit and you're the living dead," Beth realized.
The third owl went for an attack only to be punched hard to the gut. Beth then quickly turned around and gave a falcon punch to the second owl. The third owl leaped onto Beth's back and sliced into her cape with his talons as he sailed over. Beth blocked the first owl's repeated sword attacks with her armbands and then kicked him to the chin. The second owl sailed right over her as Beth moved out of the way. Beth went to punch the third owl when he slid underneath her and scraped her leg to no effect. The third owl leaped at her only to be punched to the face back down.
The first owl charged Beth with his sword becoming blocked each time. A bomb on the third owl exploded tearing him to pieces. Beth finally broke the first owl's neck and punched him to the floor for good measure. The second owl attacked Beth with two sai while the first owl recovered from his mortal neck break. Beth countered both owls as they hit her repeatedly with their swords and sai to no effect. Using two Batarangs, Beth sliced them both up good but they kept fighting. The two owls took hold of Beth and threw her through a display case.
Beth got back up and threw an owl mask at the first owl tripping him up. As the second owl leaped towards her, she fired a TASER dart at him. The two owls quickly recovered and charged Beth forcing her to retreat back. She threw smoke bomb orbs at them and then fired her cable projector gun to the ceiling window. Climbing onto the roof, Beth caught her breath.
"That was sick," Beth said enthralled.
The second owl leaped onto Beth's shoulders and then two fell through another ceiling window where they both hit a T-Rex skeleton destroying it. Beth was dazed as she hit the floor unable to move. The two owls moved in for the kill and then suddenly shook. Their bodies liquified into black goo leaving only their suits behind. "Well, that was fucking weird," Beth muttered as she passed out.
Beth awoke still in costume in someone's second-floor apartment. She looked around and noticed another owl. "Who the fuck are you?" Beth asked startled.
"My name is Talon and this is my home," he introduced himself.
Beth looked around and found a number of owl suits on mannequin displays, a weapons collection, a wall filled with photos and maps. "You may speak freely here. My respect for Batman and all that he has achieved is high," he told her.
"Well...that makes one of us," Beth said dryly.
"But there are lines he will not cross," Talon said.
"He's totally okay with killing now," Beth corrected.
"He'll kill irrelevant minions but not the real criminals. I have no lines in order to achieve my goals. I've come to Gotham to finish what Batman refused to do, eradicate crime and criminals once and for all. No lines, no limits, no rules," Talon said.
"Ends justify the means?" Beth questioned.
"If the goal is a worthy one," Talon agreed.
"And who decides what is worthy?" Beth asked argumentatively.
"An exceptional human being," he replied.
"Like you?" Beth scoffed.
"And you," Talon clarified.
"Why me?" Beth asked.
"We're kindred spirits. I have been watching you for some time. I want you to join me," he offered.
"And if I say no?" Beth wondered.
"When you've made your decision, use this flare to contact me," Talon said handing it to her.
"I will," Beth said sincerely and then took off.
At the Bat-Cave, Beth took off her cowl. "The suit can block any weapon but brunt trauma can still kick my ass," she remarked to Brainiac 5.
He analyzed the suit for damage and took off her cape for repairs, the only part of the suit that wasn't indestructible. Kara came down and noticed several bruises on Beth's body with her X-ray vision. "Some fight, huh?"
"Three zombie ninjas ambushed me at the museum. They wore these masks," Beth said showing an owl mask she had taken from the third owl.
"The Court of Owls," Kara smirked.
"You know these people?" Beth asked surprised.
"They're a secret society of Gotham's most powerful people. Supposedly, they're the reason why Gotham is so dysfunctional. Above petty criminals are the mob bosses like Falcone and Moroni, then the owls, and then...me," Kara smirked.
"If you're so smart and powerful, why haven't you destroyed them yet?" Beth asked.
"The rules," Kara said simply. "I can't defeat them and their Talon army without using my powers. You can't defeat them because you're only human."
"Speaking of powers, these owl ninjas were immortal zombies. I only got away because they liquified into goo," Beth said.
"Do you have a sample?" Brainiac 5 asked.
"Yeah," Beth said giving him some black goo from a utility pouch.
"Go out again and see what you can find," Brainiac 5 ordered Beth.
"I have faith in you," Kara smirked at Beth.
"I'll be back," Beth said as she went back out.
While Beth was on patrol, Kara was driving like a maniac on the highway around Gotham in her sportscar. Four black cars surrounded Kara and kept her at a steady speed. The cars to her right and left nudged her every so often to show they meant business. "You mother-fuckers," Kara said pissed off by the damage to her car doors.
Kara scanned the black tinted windows and saw the drivers. They were all wearing owl masks lined with lead. Kara slammed on the brakes slamming into the car behind her and escaped them. One of the four cars hit Kara forcing her against the guardrail. "Fuck it," Kara said as she realized her car was going to be totaled. She nudged and slammed into the owl cars several times in aggressive moves. One owl car lost control went into a spin and hit the guardrail.
The three remaining cars continued their pursuit occasionally hitting Kara's car. Looking ahead, Kara saw a traffic jam. "Shit," she realized. She spun around and started driving in the opposite direction of traffic. Kara eyed the three remaining cars and went straight at them. Two of the cars swerved out of the way just in time. The third car hit Kara sending her into a spin and activating the airbag. With the car dead, Kara decided to play dead and let them take her.
"What the fuck, guys?" Kara said to them as forced her out of her car.
"An opportunity," the lead owl told her. "And one you should be extremely grateful for."
"Don't jerk yourself off too hard," Kara advised.
The lead owl put a hood over her head and took her away.
When the hood was taken off, Kara found herself in an auditorium filled with elite Gothamites wearing owl masks. There must have been several dozen families looking down on her. They were of various ages from the elderly to children. The men wore suits and the women wore fancy colorful dresses. Even though they were wearing masks, the women made sure to do their hair. Their masks were all lined with lead making it impossible for Kara to know who they were with her X-ray vision. Supergirl had visited Gotham before and these people weren't taking any chances.
"Welcome, Mrs. Wayne," the Owl grandmaster greeted.
"You know...if you're going to fuck me, you should at least treat me to dinner first," Kara said resentfully.
"If we wanted you dead, you wouldn't be here now," the grandmaster told her.
"Who the fuck are you?" Kara asked him.
"The grandmaster of the Court of Owls," he said simply.
"Well...no shit," Kara said looking around.
"We are legendary, a legend rooted in fact. There was a time when the Court of Owls was in every corner, every shadow. We whispered and Gotham trembled. Not a leaf fell without our permission. It was a golden age," the grandmaster said.
"An age of segregation, soup kitchens, and rampant domestic violence," Kara mocked.
"That was the doing of factions we didn't control. We were forced to retreat, but we never surrendered," the grandmaster said.
"Any particular reason why you're back?" Kara asked not taking him seriously.
"Because we care, Mrs. Wayne. Just as our fathers, grandfathers, great grandfathers, great great grandfathers, great great great grandfathers...," the grandmaster said.
Kara looked around noticing the exquisite architecture and sculpture work. "...grandfathers cared," the grandmaster finished. "We have always been the sons and daughters of Gotham's wealthiest. We know far better than the rabble what is best for our city."
"So...you're basically the Gotham County Republican club," Kara figured.
"We are above partisan sectarian division. We wish to restore a city that has spiraled into chaos, that has become a magnet for freaks, lunatics, delusional vigilantes, and dangerous aliens," the grandmaster said.
"Sure getting hot in here," Kara said nervously.
"We have a vision for Gotham's future, Mrs. Wayne. Do we have an understanding?" the grandmaster asked showing Kara's hologram map of the city she wanted to design for Gotham.
A pedestal with an owl mask rose from the floor and presented itself to Kara. "We invite you to join your vision to the court. Together we can raise Gotham up and return her to glory," the grandmaster invited.
Kara took the mask and looked over it. "That delusional vigilante is a bit territorial about this city. So...what's your life insurance policy," she asked mockingly.
"The Batwoman is being dealt with even as we speak," the grandmaster told her.
"Oh really? That's interesting," Kara scoffed. "Let me look over your contract."
An owl secretary came over to her and handed her the contract agreement for membership admittance. Kara sped read through the contract and stopped. "On page 4, the language is kind of murky. That's going to have to be rewritten. I'm seeing other vague language on page seven." Kara went on the rewrite the entire contract to the point of being unrecognizable and then finished with her last demand.
"In return for seven percent of your annual revenue, I will personally give you this $5 dollar gift card to Hot Topic," Kara finished.
"We'll sleep on it," the grandmaster allowed.
"Don't keep me waiting," Kara winked.
"Sleep well," the grandmaster said placing a hood over Kara's head.
"Oh, come on!" Kara protested as she was taken away.
With Kara gone, the owls decided to have dinner together at an expensive restaurant. Once he was finished, the grandmaster, Talon, and some other owls entered a secret laboratory. "I sense a resistance in Wayne, grandmaster. She could resist us like her husband's forebearers did," an owl said anxiously.
"No, she plays to the crowds with her insincere grand gestures. It's all spectacle and ego. At her core, Kara Wayne is one of us," the grandmaster said confidently.
"I hope you're right," the owl said skeptically.
"In my experience, the grandmaster is rarely wrong," Talon said supportively.
"Your confidence touches me in all the appropriate places, Talon," the grandmaster said pleased as he toured the lab. "How is it going with the Batwoman?"
"She's taken the bait," Talon assured him. "And your work here?"
"Progressing," the grandmaster said as he eyed several tanks of zombies from Gotham's past. Alarm bells went off as something went wrong. "Bring up the temperature. If they're too cold, they'll shatter like glass," he said calmly to a technician.
"Just imagine, some of these warriors are over a hundred years old. The beginning of immortality," the grandmaster said.
"Those men at the museum turned to goo," Talon reminded him.
"I have improved the time out of the casket from three to eight hours. By studying our failures, we refine the resurrection process. This batch will be able to live a full day before returning for regeneration," the grandmaster said.
"Immortality but for only twenty-four hours at a time," Talon said skeptically.
"It's far better than the alternative. Once I have perfected the process, you will lead these zombie warriors to wage war against Gotham. We will reclaim this city for the court," the grandmaster said.
"After I undergo the ritual that will kill myself," Talon said uncertainly.
"You'll die but you will be reborn as miraculous," the grandmaster told him.
"One man's miracle is another man's damnation," Talon said.
"Are you concerned for your immortal soul, Talon? Do you fear you'll lose yourself? There is no difference between us and them," the grandmaster said of the undead corpses. "There is no free will, only deterministic chemical reactions in the brain. Memories are just bits of information stored in our neurons."
"Right," Talon allowed.
"This is your destiny. I know you'll make the right decision, Talon, because you've already made it the moment you became one of us. Now, you need only understand the choice," the grandmaster said.
"As you wish," Talon said obediently.
Beth finally caught up with Talon at a gangster's house. Mr. Draco and eight armed men were having dinner while they had a rival family leader tied up and gagged from the ceiling. Talon and Beth engaged the men in their own way in a killing spree. Talon used his blades and Beth simply shot at them. Since Talon's suit wasn't bulletproof, he took cover while Beth nonchalantly shot each man dead leaving Mr. Draco for last.
"I can pay you more money than you've ever seen," Mr. Draco offered.
Talon kicked him to the gut and punched him to the head sending him to the floor. "Oh, yeah, what are your offering?" Beth asked curiously.
"Batwoman, this man has ruined lives with his drugs, widowed women, and orphaned children," Talon told her.
"You want to help widows and orphans, join the Salvation Army," Mr. Draco mocked.
"That's a good one," Beth chuckled as Talon continued to beat him.
"I'm going to finish you," Talon said as he continued to kick the man.
Beth finally shot Mr. Draco in the head surprising Talon. "You treated his death like it was nothing," Talon said astounded.
"Emotion is the enemy of professionalism. He was on my kill list as it were," Beth said nonchalantly. Beth then fired on the hanging prisoner from the ceiling killing him, too.
"He was a prisoner," Talon said shocked and appalled.
"He was also on my kill list. Don't worry. He had it coming," Beth said.
The two met up on the roof. "Our next target is Falcone and Moroni," Talon said.
"I can't let you do that. They're protected," Beth told him.
"Protected by whom?" Talon questioned. Beth refused to answer. "You're not just an assassin for hire. You were born to be a hero. That means no lines, no protecting criminals," he lectured.
"You don't know the power of my mentor. I must obey," Beth told him.
"I used to have a mentor of my own. He was a thief, a damn good one. But no matter what I did, it was never enough. Eventually, the cops killed him and I became recruited by the Court of Owls. They took me in, trained me, and gave me purpose. What they did for me, I want to give to you," Talon offered.
Supergirl then landed on the roof interrupting their chat. "The mentor," Talon realized completely spooked by her.
"How did you find me?" Beth asked.
"Come on, too easy," Kara rolled her eyes.
"This is where you choose sides once and for all," Talon said to Beth.
"Please, like either of you have a snowball's chance in hell of defeating me," Kara scoffed.
Beth eyed Talon and then back at Kara. Talon seemed so sincere, noble, and without compromise, whereas Kara was corrupt as fuck and always belittling her. The choice was obvious. Beth quickly threw down a smoke grenade flooding the area with green smoke and then turned a switch activating green lights on her knuckles. In front of Talon, Beth went on the attack with punches and kicks. The weakened Kara could only block and keep her distance. Beth kicked Kara to the knee dropping her. Kara quickly got up and blocked Beth's onslaught of punches. Beth kicked Kara away and threw another grenade filled with green smoke.
Kara punched Beth out of the green smoke and gave her a good kick. "I don't need my powers to kick your ass," she said confidently. Kara picked Beth off the roof and slammed her back down. She then held her by the neck and tossed her away.
Beth and Kara fought evenly on the roof. Beth had been trained by the Religion of Crime and virtually every European terrorist assassin there was. Kara was trained by Jeremiah Danvers, the Winter Soldier, and spent the last several years kicking ass. Beth got in more blows but Kara's hits counted for more. Kara kicked Beth off the roof. Immediately, Beth used her cable projector gun to swing back onto the roof. Kara leaped off the roof and intercepted her in the air. The two punched and kicked at each other in the air as they fell. Beth fired her projectile cable gun again just in time before she hit another roof. Kara landed gracefully.
Beth leaped off her position and took Kara off the roof. The two fought in the air as they crashed into a greenhouse. Kara took hold of Beth and shielded her from the ground as they landed. Beth and Kara were in an awkward position with the two women on top of each other. "Are we clear?" Beth asked.
"Yeah, he's gone," Kara said.
Beth got up and turned off the green lights on her suit. Kara got up as well and dusted herself off. "Would you have really trusted me with Kryptonite?" Beth asked.
"Fuck no," Kara shook her head.
The green gas, the green lights on the suit, and the fairly even fight were all a ruse to give Talon the impression Beth meant to kill Supergirl and join him. Kara was an expert in lowering her power level so she wouldn't kill Beth in one punch. In the end, Talon was convinced Beth was now on his side.
Talon brought Batwoman into the Court of Owls. She came unarmed without a utility belt or bladed wristguards. As before, the grandmaster took charge with a few hundred owls looking on. "It is an honor to present this woman to the court. I have seen firsthand that she has greatness within her and a grand destiny ahead. I saw her fight Supergirl and best her."
"Perhaps that is so, but we must be certain of her loyalty," the grandmaster said.
Beth eyed the grandmaster. "You have my word."
"We are the Court of Owls and we require more than words. Your mask," the grandmaster ordered.
Beth reluctantly took off her cowl shocking everyone present. "It's Alice," the grandmaster identified.
"No, you're wrong. I'm nothing like her," Beth rolled her eyes.
A cage immediately sprung from the floor trapping her. The court was in an uproar over how Alice could be Batwoman. Was it real? Was it a trick? "Whether or not she is a fake, it behooves us to kill Alice," the grandmaster ruled.
"No, she's supposed to replace me in the ritual," Talon brought up.
"We'll give you another replacement. Kill her. Kill her now," the grandmaster ordered.
"I shouldn't," Talon struggled. "It's not the owl way."
"Do it," the grandmaster insisted.
Talon suddenly had a change of heart and attacked the owls by leaping up and throwing six blades into the crowd. The grandmaster evaded the blades but several others were hit. Talon landed on the grandmaster's podium and got in his face. "Run," he ordered him.
The grandmaster retreated as Talon went on a killing spree throwing blades at people or stabbing them through with his talon hand. In short order, it was a massacre. Talon eventually cornered the grandmaster and took off his mask. "I'm not one of you. I never have been. I never will be. That woman and I crawled out of the same gutter," Talon said.
"That makes two of us," the grandmaster said as he took off his mask revealing himself as Brainiac 5.
"What the fuck?" Talon wondered. He immediately stabbed him with his talon hand but only managed to tear through synthetic skin before hitting metal.
"You've done well, Talon. You've killed a score of owls and tested the loyalty of my Batwoman," Brainiac 5 revealed.
"I'm not your tool," Talon told him off.
"Everyone is my tool," Brainiac 5 corrected him.
Talon took his sword and sliced his head revealing robotic circuitry. He then fled down the hall towards the lab.
Supergirl casually walked up to Beth still caged up in the auditorium. "Everything is happening as I have foreseen. Dozens of owls are being slaughtered and neither of us gets the blame for it. The Court of Owls may even thank us for intervening," Kara smiled amused.
"You're insane," Beth told her.
"I won't ask you to kill Talon, but he is a complication. He has to be dealt with," Kara said and then widened the bars of Beth's cage to free her. Kara then handed her a utility belt.
"Lead the way, boss," Beth said as snapped her utility belt around her waist and chambered her pistols.
Talon immediately went to the lab and activated all the ancient zombie warriors. They quickly suited up, got their weapons, and started killing fools on their way to getting out. Brainiac 5 had already put the underground facility on lockdown. The zombie warriors attempted to punch their way through the locked doors with little success. They turned back to surround Kara and Beth in the auditorium. With about one hundred of them strong, the zombies...were still at a disadvantage.
"I'm not sure if these guys are alive. You can go ahead and kill them with a clear conscience," Kara said to Beth.
"It wouldn't matter if they were zombies or not," Beth replied.
The zombie warriors went straight for them completely fearless. "I'm only going to kill two for every one you kill," Kara told Beth.
"Whatever," Beth said as she knew not to depend on Kara for anything.
Kara playfully fought the zombie warriors with hand-to-hand combat while Beth fired into their heads with her pistol. Despite their efforts, none of the zombie warriors were going down. As Beth began to tire from the onslaught, the two of them retreated to the library with metal doors closing behind them. "You're doing good," Kara complimented.
"I fucking hate you, right now," Beth said as the zombie warriors tore through the metal door and went after them.
Racing to the second floor of the library, the zombie warriors fired projectile dart guns at Beth which she narrowly avoided. Kara leaped up to the second floor and began breaking limbs and heads. Beth extended two swords and began slicing up the zombie warriors in a blood bath. The zombies regrouped and fired a second wave of cable darts at her. This time, they hooked onto her suit. The zombie warriors dragged Beth to the floor and towards them. One of the zombie warriors took an ax to behead her. Kara fired a heat vision beam at that zombie blasting him apart. Kara then sliced off the cables with another heat vision beam and landed next to Beth to give her a hand up.
Talon then entered the scene not wearing his mask. "End of the line, Supergirl. Or should I say, Kara Wayne?"
"Join me and I'll let you hook up with her," Kara offered, referring to Beth.
"You infiltrated the Court Owls, took control by impersonating the grandmaster, and manipulated me to do your personal bidding," Talon accused.
"Yeah," Kara confirmed.
Talon took out a green Kryptonian blade and went for the kill. Kara easily avoided the strike and threw Talon to the floor. She then fired heat vision on several zombie warriors blasting them to nothing. "Better step up your game," Kara said to Beth as the zombie warriors fearlessly kept coming.
Kara toyed with Talon while Beth fought the zombie warriors on her own. As she was about to become overwhelmed, Kara spun quickly drilling a hole through the floor. The floor ended up collapsing, dumping them into a large cavern. The zombie warriors dropped down to continue the fight. Beth threw Batarangs and grenades at the zombie warriors with limited success as Kara fought them hand-to-hand at an equal level. Beth used a Batarang and slit the throats of three zombie warriors in front of her. Talon then leaped down near Beth.
"You would have made a good Talon," he complimented.
"Thanks...I guess," Beth said awkwardly.
Talon rushed Beth and got several good hits on her. He attempted to stab through her suit without success. With the suit impenetrable, Beth didn't even need to really block. Becoming impatient, Kara decided to increase her power. She swatted down a few dozen zombie warriors within a second. With powerful punches, she destroyed their bodies completely into goo. The zombie warriors refused to give up and desperately tried to knife her. Kara kept destroying them with each punch and then used her freeze breath to shatter them. Talon, having already subdued Beth, leaped down and hit Kara in the shoulder with his Kryptonite blade. Kara fell to the ground actually hurt.
"Game over," Talon said victoriously.
Kara got back up, her shoulder wound already healed. "Stand down or this is going to hurt really really badly." When Talon refused to surrender, Kara went in for the attack. The two engaged in punches and kicks at a quick speed. Kara blocked Talon and got several hits on him. She was still toying with him and not taking him too seriously. Despite taking some devastating hits from a Kryptonian, Talon managed to stab Kara in the gut with his Kryptonite blade. He quickly snapped off the blade so she wouldn't be able to regenerate. Kara fell to her knees hurt and in pain.
"I've taken your bitch," Talon taunted her and kicked her a few times to the face for good measure.
"Not yet, you haven't," Beth said as she leaped down and slashed Talon's armor with a Batarang.
"Listen to me, she's not worth it. Let her go. Let her die," Talon said to her.
"I would...but she's got powerful friends that would kill me if I did," Beth said knowingly.
"Stupid bitch," Talon spat and went to attack her.
The near exhausted Beth was hit several times and given a falcon punch to the gut. Talon then kicked her to the ground. "She'll never let you go free. The only way for us to be free is if she dies. The Court of Owls will never find us," Talon said of Supergirl as he went for the kill.
Beth leaped up and slammed her elbow onto his head. Talon threw Beth off of him and kicked her away. "So be it," Talon said angrily.
The two fought evenly until Beth slit his throat with a Batarang. Talon gave Beth a look of shock and then resignation as he fell to the ground dead. "You alright?" Kara asked getting back to her feet.
"Yeah," Beth said tiredly.
"I'm proud of you," Kara said sincerely.
"I didn't know who I was fighting for and for what. How are you any better than him or the rest of the owls?" Beth questioned. "This wasn't right-and-wrong but a petty power struggle between you and the Gotham elite," Beth accused.
Brainiac 5 arrived on the scene having put his head back on. He eyed Kara's wound and extracted the Kryptonite blade with his robot fingers. "You know, the only reason I didn't let Talon kill you is that it would mean my death soon thereafter," Beth said bluntly.
"The reason I toyed with him and the other zombies is that I trusted you to understand that. You don't need to think about right from wrong right now. Just go along with my schemes until you have schemes of your own," Kara said as her wound instantly healed.
"All of the zombies have been accounted for. They were either all destroyed or dissolved when they expired," Brainiac 5 reported.
"Terrible way to go out. To die with dignity only to be dug up, made into a zombie, and then forced to fight as a tool," Kara remarked.
"Indeed," Brainiac 5 said sympathetically.
Kara gave him a suspicious look. "You better not turn me into a zombie if someone ever kills me."
"The lockdown is still in place with the owls trapped. Shall they be eliminated?" Brainiac 5 asked.
"No, that's too vulgar a use of power. We may actually need them later. End the lockdown," Kara ordered.
"Your invitation has not been rescinded," Brainiac 5 reminded her.
"I'll think about it," Kara said having no intention.
"We good?" Beth asked impatiently.
"For being a good sport, you can now roam the streets of Gotham off-duty," Kara allowed her.
"Thanks, boss," Beth rolled her eyes and walked off.
Author's Notes: Batman Vs Robin is actually quite intense with many of the main characters receiving near-death injuries. There's a lot of tension and action in this animated movie. Unfortunately, CW Batwoman decided to make the suit invincible removing virtually all tension. Production photos that were leaked indicate Luke will survive and become Batwing (hero, not the plane) as he is in the comics. If this happens to be the case, his role will continue to be replaced by Brainiac 5 who has the same abilities as Batwing.