Disclaimer: I DO NOT in any form or fashion own these characters. All credit goes directly to DC entertainment and comics. They are the owners not me, I'm in no shape or form making any money from this story. Alright, let's get on with the show.
Hey all, welcome back to Batman Beyond Volume 2. I told you that I would be back with another chapter and you would not have to wait a couple of years for it. I hope everyone enjoyed the last chapter because he we are diving headfirst into the next one. Please continue to read, review and of course ENJOY!
Chapter 4: The Court of Owls part 4
Somewhere Underground
"It is time for your head to be collected Batman."
"COME AND GET IT!" Batman yelled.
The lights went out and they attacked.
Batman dove shoulder first into the first Talon that reached him. He grunted when felt a knife slice through the armor in his back and catch his flesh. It was pitch black and he couldn't see a thing but he could hear, their feet, their hands and their weapons.
Batman grabbed the Talon in front of him by the waist and torqued him to the left and into another Talon that was coming from behind him. He heard at least two or three of them go down. They were in a tight corridor so his only hope was to use their numbers against them. The lights flickered on for a second giving him enough time to use his fins to block two knives aimed for his heart but he felt a kick to his thigh that sent him to a knee.
He growled and fought his way up and back-handed the Talon that struck him. He felt a bit of satisfaction when he felt the yellow lens crack and break, however he felt another stab from a blade in the side. The lights flicked off plunging them back into darkness.
'Old man, if you can hear me, I need some help. I don't really care where it comes from but I need it.' Batman thought to himself as he continued to fight the Talons in spite of their numbers.
The lights suddenly flicked on and stayed on but the Talons suddenly seized as a they were bombarded with an electrical current. He didn't have time to dwell on it because his Detective mode activated and the vision was briefly obscured by dozens of zeroes and ones in a very specific order and sequence before clearing. It surprised him but he adjusted quickly.
Batman quickly surveyed the area trying to find a way out while the Talons were distracted. He was on his feet and dashing down the corridor, letting his vision guide him.
"Prophet are you there, this is Batman." He said.
KZZZZZ "I hear you Master McGinnis, Prophet is currently unavailable." KZZZZ
"Yinn! Thank God, I'm in trouble and I need a way out. I don't know where I am or how long I got before my communications go out. Is there anyway you can find some sort of structural bearings around me from the bat-cave?"
KZZZZ "Give me a moment." KZZZZZ
Batman came to stop once he was in the open area again and the green question mark illuminated everything. He could see the inner outlines of the question mark and saw that a dozen of power lines fed directly into it.
The lights around him changed again to that of infrared.
"SYSTEM BREACH! KILL THE BATMAN! KILL THE BATMAN!"
Batman narrowed his eyes and looked up to see more talons descending from above. He flicked his wrist and threw a couple of batarangs. A few were deflected but some hit their mark, as they landed, they were upon him. He blocked and punched and moved however he could but they were quick and well trained.
KZZZZZ "Master McGinnis if you can hear me you are someone underground near the southside of Neo-Gotham. There is a weakened structural pipeline that you can blow that will lead to an old drainage system." KZZZZZZ
Batman gritted his teeth as he felt another slice go through his armor but he ignored the pain and grabbed the Talon by the face and headbutted him. He then flipped him over his shoulder and to the ground.
"Show me!" Batman shouted over the line.
He lifted his arm and absorbed the throwing stars that were aimed for his head, he held in a gasp as he felt the pain radiating up his arm. They were slowly blood letting him; he was getting tired and sloppy. He swayed a bit and felt a bit of joy as the detective mode around him began to show him a path to the weakened structural point that Yinn had mentioned.
The Dark Knight of Tomorrow reached into one of the pockets and he tossed down some smoke pellets that filled the open area obscuring the Talon's vision. He then dashed towards the path that had been laid out for him. It took him pass the green Question mark and as he passed, he heard one last riddle from the Riddler.
"Riddle me this, Riddle me that what's an Owl compared to a bat!"
Batman continued until he came to a corridor that he had not been down before. He ran until he came to the weakened structural point. He reached towards his utility belt and he removed several bat-bombs and some plastic gel; piling onto his point of escape he took a step back and flicked his wrist producing a beep batarang.
"NO! THE BATMAN MUST NOT ESCAPE!" came shout.
Batman threw the beeping batarang.
KAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM! Came the sound of the explosion that rocked the entire Court of Owls nest.
The entire floor caved inwards and Batman felt the insane pull of gravity as he fell down the immense hole. He tried to spread his wings but they were ripped and his arm was on fire and so the best he could do was awkwardly roll in the air and continue to let gravity dictate his descent. He fell for what felt like forever in a sea of nothingness but the large metal pipe coming towards him proved otherwise.
BAM!
"ACK!" he cried out.
Batman hit several more metal pipes before falling into a rapidly draining sewage water system. The sudden splash of dirty freezing cold water was enough to send a jolt to his system and get his adrenaline flowing again. He flailed against the current trying to figure out where he was and where he was going but another pipe came into view and smacked him in the head rendering him unconscious. The Dark Knight of tomorrow went limp as the current carried him down and further into the sewage system but away from the Court of Owls.
Wayne-Manor
Commissioner Barbara Gordon-Young opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was the familiar ceiling of Wayne Manor. The last thing she remember was talking to Batman and then nothing. She rubbed her neck and she felt a bruise.
'Pressure points.' She thought to herself, 'That damn kid.'
Barbara threw the covers off her, grunting in pain as she felt the bandages around her chest and waist. She was banged up good but she would not let that stop her, the city was burning and she had no idea where Sam or Carrie were nor did she have any idea was the acting Commissioner was doing. She needed to regain control and that control started now.
She grabbed her clothes and she began to dress. And as she dressed, she imagined what her father the late great Commissioner Jim Gordon would say or do in a situation like this, because lord knows there had been many in the past. She strapped her dual gun belt around her back. It felt heavy.
"It's always been heavy baby girl, from the first day to the last day I strapped those guns on."
Barbara looked to her right to see a vision of her father, Jim Gordon, standing next to the window looking out towards Neo-Gotham. He was dressed like her, and they were even around the same age. He was tall, proud, and his badge gleamed in the moonlight a bit even though it was snowing.
"It's only getting heavier Dad. It's always something with this city." she replied.
"And that's why they have us baby-girl, to handle the weight and bear whatever comes. It is who we are and it is what we do." He said solemnly.
"Duty calls." She said.
"Duty calls." He replied
Barbara blinked and he was gone, she smiled a bit and released a sigh because the weight was just a little lighter. She saw a flash of something outside the window. She focused her hearing and she could hear soft taps coming from up above. She could hear their feat crunching against the snow. They were trained but not trained well enough.
"Mrs. Young."
Barbara turned to see Yinn standing at the door.
"Yinn." She said
"I am pleased to see you up and I know this may not be the best time but they are here." He said.
"The Court of Owls, I imagine." She replied.
"Yes, they have the entire Manor surrounded and I am sure they are either here to kill you or Master Wayne." He said calmly.
Barbara chuckled.
"Where is that brat now?" she asked.
"In the cave resting, the poison is really taking a toll on him but the blood of his father flows strong and keeps him defiant." He said.
"Any good news?" she asked, while reaching for one of her guns and cocking it.
"I finally made contact with Master McGinnis, he's been missing for three days and he has finally escaped but his signal was lost somewhere around the southside of Gotham."
"So, Batman is back in play, that's some comfort but who knows what state that kid is in and he's not going to get here fast enough to help us so, we are on our own."
Barbara swiftly made her way out of the room and Yinn fell in line next to her. She knew Wayne Manor like the back of her hand and even though it had been years since she'd been inside, she knew Bruce would not have made any changes, especially when it came to a lockdown protocol.
"I am assuming you have a plan?" asked Yinn.
"Right now, the plan is to survive until we can figure out some way to fight back against these crazy fanatics. They got the drop on us but we're not out just yet."
Barbara and Yinn made it to the large open living room where the portrait of Bruce and his parents were present and looking over everything. There were several more flashes across the windows and several more crunches against the snow. They were aware of the Owls but not afraid. She reached a bookcase and just as she placed her hand on one of the books, the Court of Owls smashed through the windows and into the living room foyer letting the cold air and snow.
CRASHHHH! CRASH! CRASHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Came the sound of them bursting into the mansion. They poured in from all over, all armed to the teeth with their eyes glowing and their weapons glinting in the moonlight. Barbara smirked as she saw all of them and she pulled on the book.
"Lockdown! Identity confirmation Barbara Gordon, Sigma-Alpha-Ro 457342!" she shouted.
DEEETTT! "Identity confirmed, lockdown in progress."
The Talon assassins all turned see fortified metal doors lowering down over the broken windows effectively trapping them all inside. Barbara pulled the hammer back on her gun and she balled up her fist. Yinn cracked his necked and put up his fists.
"You ready?" she asked.
"Always." Yinn replied.
"Are you f*** gonna stand there or are you gonna fight!" she yelled.
The Talons charged at the two of them and they met them in the middle. Yinn was a flurry was of swift kick and backfists, while Barbara was with pinpoint precision with her gun and if any got too close, she dealt with them with her own kicks and punches.
The two old veterans worked in tandem as the Talons tried their best to kill them. Barbara ducked under a knife that was thrown and came up and fired a shot that nailed her attacker in the neck. She then lifted her arm and blocked an overhead strike; she then grabbed and twisted his wrist and flipped him over and stomped on his goggles.
Yinn elbowed a Talon in the throat and then he chopped another in the face. He was a whirlwind, continuously moving trying to stay a step ahead of the number of attackers.
"We're outnumbered." He said.
"SUPRRESANT FIRE!" Barbara shouted.
The Commissioner grabbed Yinn by the back of his gi and ushered him towards the back end of the foyer that would take them towards the library. Yinn spotted several turrets emerge from the floor and take aim.
"Suppressing fire." Came the automated voice.
The Talons were bombard with thick medium sized pellets that dented their armor and knocked them to the ground.
Library
Barbara and Yinn reached the library and took a moment to catch their breath.
"My word, I've been living here for three years and never knew about any of these protocols." Said Yinn.
"I'm surprised they still work honestly, but old school suppressants are not going to stop these psychos." Barbara replied.
"I'm open to suggestions." Yinn replied.
The two of them suddenly looked up and that's when they spotted about four talons descending from up above. They both dove to the side and took their defensive stances and continued to fight for their lives. All the while they were fighting Barbara could not help but think about Sam and Carrie, she was worried about them but currently she could not help she could only pray that they found somewhere safe to hide until morning.
Elsewhere: Buddy's Gym Time
Dick and Brian dropped down inside the dusty and old gym that was in a central location of Neo-Gotham City.
"What are we doing here?" Brian asked.
Dick moved through the old equipment, the dust and few old screws on the ground until he reached the far side wall. He wiped away some dust and placed his hand on the wall.
"Identity confirm, Nightwing, 24503." He said.
DEETT! Came the sound.
Brian watched with mild curiosity as the back wall struggled for a moment to move inward and then back before revealing a computer with a few blurry screens. Dick reached towards the gauntlet on his wrist and he pulled out a wire and inserted it into one of the old sockets. A blue holographic screen then appeared between the two of them and an entire map of Neo-Gotham city shined brightly.
"Brain welcome to one of my old stomping grounds back when I was Nightwing. All this stuff in here is old and out of date but right now we need a quick-fast sitrep on the situation." He said.
"You mean we can't just look outside and see. When we rode in here there were a couple of buildings on fire." Brian replied while taking off his domino mask.
"Smoke and mirrors my friend, those fires are all aimed at keeping the police and fire departments busy, while the so-called Court of Owls go about their business of attacking their true targets." Dick replied.
Dick raised his hands and began to manipulate the image of Neo-Gotham city around him. He shifted through the city until he came to Wayne Manor. He eyed the Manor suspiciously before he touched his gauntlet and began to type into a holographic keyboard that appeared.
"What are you doing?" Brian asked.
"Hacking into an old Wayne Manor signal, and it looks like the Manor is under lockdown which was initiated by Barbara. So, she's at the Mansion with Damian, under lockdown. Well that means the Court of Owls knows who they are and are attacking them right now."
Brian nodded his head.
"I guess that makes sense, she is the Commissioner right, they need to take her out. And Damian Wayne, he's part of the Wayne legacy right, the Batman, so they definitely need to take him out."
"And if they're after the Commissioner, then they're definitely after Mayor Young. The million-dollar question though is where is the so-called New Batman." Said Dick.
"Maybe the Court has him." Brain offered.
"Maybe." Dick murmured with a thoughtful look on his face.
Brian heaved a heavy sigh and placed his domino mask back over his face.
"So, what's the plan?" he asked.
Dick typed into the keypad on his gauntlet and he brought up a broadcast of City Hall, where there was a new report playing, saying that the Mayor is missing.
"I'm going to Wayne Manor to help Barbara and you will go find the Mayor and secure him. We cannot let the Court of Owls kill him."
"Where do I start looking for someone that is missing in a city this big?" Brian asked.
"I'm sending a link to your mask; it looks like the Mayor was last seen fleeing from assassins in a limo. I have the tags and I am sending out a ping to every camera in Neo-Gotham. The ping should re-route to your mask and you will be able to track where he went."
Nightwing nodded his head and he headed towards the window.
"Hey kid."
"Yeah?"
"Be careful."
"You too old man." He replied with a smirk.
"After you secure the Mayor, call me."
Nightwing nodded his head before he jumped out the window. Dick watched him go before disconnecting himself from the old network. He placed his own silver mask back over his face.
'Damian, Barbara, hold on help is on the way.' He thought to himself.
Streets of Neo-Gotham
Several NGCPD police cars came to a screeching halt in the thick snow, and from one of the cars, out stepped Detective Montoya Bullock. She threw open the door, coked her gun and she let loose several laser bullets at the Talons that were setting fire to one of the Wayne Foundation financial buildings.
"F****!" she shouted.
The other NGCPD officers followed her lead fired upon the terrorist that were wreaking havoc upon the city
The talons paid them little mind as they continued their duties. One of them threw several knives and throwing stars at them which gave them some cover. The police continued their assault, hitting a few of them but not doing enough to stop the explosion that came next.
KABOOOOOOOOOOOMMMM! went the sound of the explosion followed by the building going up in flames.
Montoya said a dozen and one curse words as she watched the building burn, even with all the falling snow the building burned. She reached for her radio to call in the fire when another loud crash caught her attention. The Detective looked up to see a limo bash through the side of the burning building, heading right for her and the other officers.
"TAKE COVER!" she shouted as she dove out of the way.
The limo came crashing down hard, it skidded along the snowy road until it hit a police car which made it finally come to a complete stop. Montoya peeled herself out of the snow and she turned towards the limo that was falling apart, and leaking gasoline.
She and the other officers rushed towards the vehicle just as the door fell off the hinges revealing Carrie Kelly, Mayor Sam Young and several of his aides.
"Mayor Young?" said Detective Bullock.
"Detective you have to help us right now there are some crazy bird themed assassins after all of us!" shouted Jackson, the Mayor's aide.
"Have you spoken to the Commissioner, my wife?" The Mayor interjected.
Detective Bullock helped him up to his feet, along with Carrie and led them away from the leaking gas.
"No. We have not had any contact with Commissioner Gordon but acting Commissioner Yindel is taking point on the situation. I'll get her on the line now." She said.
Carrie limped towards the sidewalk and she slowly sat down in the snow and she stared at the 'adults' in front of her. She could not believe her luck. She had come back to Gotham and the Youngs because she needed a place to regroup, a place that felt safe and in spite of all of the rules and uptight structure that that they represented they always felt safe, however right now was a different story.
'In hindsight maybe I should have stuck with dad on the road. And boy do I need a cigarette.' She thought to herself.
She briefly thought about her father and the circumstances that led her back to Barbara and Sam but her musings were interrupted by the sight several figures gliding through the snowy night sky. The fire from the Wayne financial building illuminated their wings, their weapons and the slightly yellow tint from their goggles.
"Oh no! INCOMING!" she screamed.
"Commissioner Yindel, I'm with Mayor Young, he literally came crashing down into me." Said Montoya over her cell phone.
Sam, took the phone from Montoya
"Commissioner Yindel."
"Sir, thank God. I sent some units to City Hall but you were already gone."
"Listen to me, you have my explicit permission to do whatever you need to get this city under control and stop the Court of Owls. They have already killed several members of my cabinet and they are hunting us right now. Call in the National Guard, whoever you need."
"Finally and thank you sir." She said.
"INCOMING!" came a shout.
Sam, Montoya and the rest looked to Carrie who was pointing to the sky. They saw the Court of Owls descending upon them.
"There is no escape Mayor YOUNG!"
"AWW SH** FORM UP! PROTECT THE MAYOR!" Montoya shouted.
The Detective raised her weapon and she began to unload on the Talons that were heading right for them. The leader of the small group was a bit taller than the others and he landed with a thud. He was swift and managed to dodge a few of the lasers, but some of them hit his armor denting it but he was singular in his focus.
Montoya could see the distance closing and so she grabbed the Mayor by the shoulder and started to lead him away.
"This is the part where we start running sir." She said.
"CARRIE COME ON!" Sam shouted.
"GIVE US SOME COVER BOYS!"
The gathered officers moved to make a barrier between the fleeing Mayor, and his aids and the Court of Owl assassins. The Owls landed and they charged forward at the officers who did their best to stall them but they were no match for the lethally skilled assassins. The lead Talon slashed one of the officers across the chest, blood splashed across his face but he did not care, his only focus was Mayor Young.
"Make sure no one follows." He said.
The other talons nodded their heads in response. He started after his prey, his footsteps crunching in the snow, echoing in the night.
Streets of Neo-Gotham
"OUT OF THE F****** WAY! CLEAR A PATH!" shouted Monotya.
POWW! POWW! Came the sound of her letting of a few rounds into the air and scarring some of the people on the streets out of her way.
Montoya continued to usher the Mayor and the small group forward all the while looking behind her trying to at least lay eyes upon her pursuers. She gritted her teeth as she saw the hulking assassin rush around the corner.
"Damn it! KEEP MOVING!" she shouted while letting off a few rounds at him.
Sam grabbed Carrie by the arm and they darted down an empty alleyway.
"No, we need to go the other way." Said Carrie.
Sam came to a stop once he realize that it was a dead end. He whipped around just as Montoya came to a stop and said a loud curse.
"Everyone stay behind me." She said.
The Detective let out a breath of cold air as she quickly reloaded her weapon and cocked it back just as the Talon assassin appeared at the end of the alleyway.
"This is not the way I saw today going." She said to herself
"As I said before Mayor Young, the Court of Owls has requested your head and I will deliver."
Montoya fired her weapon however the Talon dodged the gun fire and his armor protected him from any ricochet. He removed a knife from his waist and he threw it. The knife imbedded itself in Montoya's forearm causing her to drop her gun.
She grimaced as blood flowed freely down her arm.
"There is no escape!"
VROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM! Came a loud sound over the Alleyway. Everyone looked up to see a motorcycle flying into view and straight for the Talon. The motorcycle struck the Talon full force and sent him flying back and to the ground. The armor absorbed a lot of the impact but parts of it broke apart and chipped away.
Nightwing deftly landed in the snow, right in the spot between the downed Talon and the Mayor.
"HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA!" said Carrie.
He turned to them.
"When I say run, I want you all to run and get as far away as possible." He said.
"Who the hell are you?" Montoya demanded.
"Call me Nightwing." He said.
Nightwing turned to the Talon who was rising to his feet, looking a bit worse for wear but no less intimidating. He curled his fist and brass knuckles appeared out of the slots on his fists and they gave off a few electric sparks.
The two stared at each other for a moment, cold air blowing between them, before they wordlessly charged at the other. The Talon came with an overhead slash from one of his knives, Nightwing blocked it and tagged him twice across the face with his electrified fists. The Talon was stunned but only briefly because he came around with another overhead slash that managed to nick his opponent across the chin.
Nightwing, using his agility flipped over him and punched him twice in the left kidney and then swept him off his feet.
"RUN!" he shouted.
Detective Montoya with her good arm grabbed the Mayor and shoved him along the narrow exit that Nightwing had created for them to pass through.
The Talon was on his feet in a matter of seconds and he whipped around and back-fisted Nightwing in the face and then kicked him hard in the chest. He then lunged at him with his knives.
Nightwing crossed his arms in front of his chest which activated the mini energy shield for his forearms. The Talon was a flurry of knife strikes but each strike was blocked by Nightwing's energy shield. He went low but his opponent was skilled and lifted his foot and then kicked him in the face.
"ARGH! I Do not have time for this! Who are you?" The talon demanded.
"I'm the guy standing between you and them." Nightwing replied.
The Talon looked passed Nightwing to see his prey disappearing around the corner.
"NO!" he shouted.
The talon reached towards his belt and he threw down several smoke pellets that clouded the area in smoke. He narrowed his eyes as his goggles switched to infrared. He saw his opponent and he charged forward with the intent of stabbing him in the heart; however just as he neared Nightwing again jumped over him.
The Talon then felt a thick wire wrap around his torso, his arms and legs; he then felt himself being yanked upwards and out of the smoke. He hit the edge of a fire-escape where he hung there. He tried to break his bonds but the wire was magnetized and attached to the metal of his armor.
"The Court of Owls won't be killing the Mayor tonight." Said Nightwing.
The young vigilante threw a wave at the Talon before taking off in the direction The Mayor and his crew went, leaving the Talon there in agonizing defeat.
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" he shouted.
Wayne Manor- Bat-Cave
Damian Wayne slowly let his eyes open and to his relief his vision was not blurry. The potent poison that flowed through his system was being slightly kept at bay by the anti-toxins that he had crafted and injected into himself. As he laid there trying his best to understand his surroundings an alarm began to come into focus. He turned his head to the bat-computer and he saw a message flashing across the screen.
The message said: BREACH! LOCKDOWN MODE IN EFFECT!
Damian let out a groan as he quickly realized that the Court of Owls were making their move on the manor. They already knew who they truly were and the legacy they represent and so now they had deemed it time to eliminate them.
CLANG! Came a loud sound.
Damian rose from the bed that he was on and he looked around the empty cave.
"Yinn." He said.
He narrowed his eyes when nothing but silence answered him. It was quiet, a bit too quiet for his liking. He listened and he couldn't even hear the bats that usually let out the occasional squeal.
"Sonuva bitch!" he said to himself.
Damian groaned as he got off the bed, but he immediately fell to the ground. He was weak, too weak for the moment to fight however many assassins that were inside the cave. He took a moment and he forced himself to his feet. He swayed only for a second before continuing deeper into the bat-cave.
He could hear them, now that he was focused and his mind was starting to somewhat clear, he could hear them. They were trained well but not trained in the ways that his Grandfather and mother taught him.
'I estimated about forty-five, give or take one or two.' He thought to himself as he descended a flight of steps that led to a platform that had a door with a large bat symbol in the middle. Damian looked at the bat-symbol and he smirked a bit, 'Let's see if there are any old tricks you have left to show me father.'
He placed his hand on the pad that was to the left of him. It scanned his palm and then let out a loud beep.
"Identity confirmed." Said the computer.
The Bat-symbol parted allowing him to step inside; the doors closed shut behind him.
The Talons emerged from their hiding spots inside the bat-cave. They swiftly rushed past the bat-computer, the bed that their prey had been laying upon and towards the steps. The assassins descended the steps and ran towards the platform where they came to stop in front of the door with the bat-symbol.
One of the Talons stepped forward and held out his arms and from the gauntlets on his forearm several mini-bombs fired and attached to the door. He was about to blow the door open when the bat-symbol began to split open.
The forty something plus group of Talons stared ahead at the seven-foot-tall anti-Superman Bat-Mecha suit, that had a glowing yellow bat-symbol in the middle of the chest.
"Okay you sons of bitches, GET THE HELL OUT OF MY HOUSE!" came Damian's voice through the suit.
He lunged and backhanded a Talon in the face launching the assassin in the air and over the platform and to the darkness below. He turned and swept his arm in a wide arc smacking against several talons and knocking them back and towards the edge of the platform they were on.
He felt a talon jump on him and jam a knife in the neck portion of the mechanical suit but the knife snapped in half. Damian grabbed the offender and slammed him down to the ground and then threw him away.
"WHO'S NEXT!" he shouted.
The remaining talons sheathed their knives before removing their swords from their sheaths and inching closer.
Inside the suit
Damian coughed, splashing a few specs of blood on the screen in front of him, but he paid it no mind. He would not let the Court of Owls be the end of him nor would he let them infiltrate his home without a fight to the bitter end. And so, he put a smile on his face as the adrenaline of anticipation of a fight began to flood his system.
Bat-Cave
The Talons surrounded the Bat-Mecha suit and they all lunged at the same time. Damian slammed his fist together and unleashed a sonic vibration that blew them all away. They flipped in the air and threw out several shurikens that were attached to wires.
The shurikens wrapped around the Bat-Mecha suit's arms, and legs, an electrical current flowed through the wires and into the mechanical suit. The suit absorbed the electrical current and directed back at the Talons who were connected to the wires.
Damian raised his hands again getting ready to deliver another sonic vibration when he noticed that the wires attached to the shurikens suddenly retracted, and they gave off a synchronized beep before exploding.
BOOOOOOOOOM!
Damian grunted in pain as his head slammed into the screen and then to the back as the mechanical suit he was wearing went bouncing backwards from the strong explosion. He tried to rise to his feet when one of the Talons pressed the remote to the explosive attached to the door he came out of.
KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The force of the explosion sent the mechanical suit bouncing along the platform again along with debris from the door. After coming to a stop with the part of the bat-symbol from the door on top of him Damian could hear laughing, followed by the sound of feet slowly walking towards him.
"Poor little Damian Wayne. I expected more of a fight from the son of the Batman and the Demon's Daughter."
Damian felt someone step onto the broken bat-symbol that was on top of him. He narrowed his eyes because through the viewing screen he could see a different looking Talon staring down at him; this one was taller than the others, he had a white mask with glowing yellow eyes, a grey and black color scheme for his suit that was armed to the teeth with weapons. He unsheathed his sword which was much thicker and broader than the others and there was a symbol at the edge of the blade, that he recognized.
"No." Damian whispered to himself.
"But then again the poison that is slowly eating away you may have something to do with this pitiful performance. Did you really think a suit of armor could save you from me? I have waited for this moment for years, and this time nothing will not stop me from cutting your f****** head off!" The Talon shouted.
He brought the broadsword down unto the chest of the old mechanical suit of armor. The blade pierced the metal and Damian had to shift so the sword would not puncture his lung.
The Talon pulled his sword out of the chest and when he didn't see any blood, he let out a chuckle.
"I missed." He said, "Oh well, I guess I'll have to try again won't I."
"Who are you?" Damian demanded.
The Talon hesitated his thrust when he heard the question. He stared down at his prey for a moment before raising his sword once again.
"Who am I? I'm your brother Damian, and there can only be one heir to the Wayne family name." He said.
VROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM! Came the loud sound of a motorcycle.
The white masked Talon looked up to see a motorcycle heading straight for him. He flipped backwards just as it pass by the spot he was standing and tumbled across the platform and right into two Talons standing at the edge of the platform they were on.
THUD! Came the sound of another person landing on the broken bat-symbol. Damian for a moment was surprised to see the person staring down at him.
"Dick?" he questioned.
"What the hell are you doing on the ground, catching your second wind?" he asked with a smirk.
Dick looked at the gathered Talons but his eyes fell on who he assumed to be the leader, the one with the white mask.
"Dick Grayson. I have to say we weren't expecting you but you are on the list. Your head will be a find addition to the Court of Owls mantle." He said.
"Sorry friend but I'm still using my head, so I can't really part with it right now." Dick replied.
"Ugh, your banter still needs work Grayson." Said Damian.
"Will you shut up and get up off your ass." Said Dick.
The Talons began to inch closer their weapons gleaming in the light. A small rumble was heard as Damian began to rise to his feet. The two didn't take their eyes from the white masked Talon even as they turned slightly and found themselves standing back to back.
"Just like old times." Said Dick with a smirk
The white masked Talon pointed his sword.
"KILL THEM!" he shouted.
The Talons charged at the former Dynamic Duo with the intent to kill.
End Chapter: Read and Review: Hey there readers it's Nomad88 back with the closing comments. Whooo what a chapter right, and what a revelation there at the end. Do trust I'll go into the history of the Court of Owls and Damian's connection to them.
Also, the Court of Owls arc is a pretty long arc filled with twist, turns and a crap ton of action. I'm not done with this mysterious and chaotic group that is terrorizing Neo-Gotham.
The next chapter is filled with balls to the wall action, as the Court of Owls continue to cull Gotham of those that are unworthy. Also, we dive, just a bit into the history of the Court of Owls, or at least one of its members.
This is Nomad88 saying later….
Next up: The Court of Owls part 5
Summary: The history of one of the members of the Court of Owls explained as well as his connection to Damian Wayne. Batman starts a movement in the southside to stand against the Court of Owls. Nightwing continues to protect Mayor Young. Barbara and Yinn continue to fight off the Owls inside the Mansion, and the return of the Dynamic Duo, Dick Grayson and Damian Wayne. Be there!