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[Bonesborough Market]

Many citizens of the Boiling Isles were out and about, either buying stuff at the market or selling their products to customers to earn a living.

As the exchange of snails were being passed King made his way through the crowds of people as fast as his little feet could take him as he did his best to try to find Eda. But that was easier said than done since Eda always set up her stand for human stuff at a different location every day so the coven guards wouldn't be able to track her down!

"Eda! Eda? Eda...EDA!"exclaimed King with joy as he finally found who he was looking for after feeling like he had searched the market for eternity!

So he began running towards a stand where a woman with thick white hair, pale skin, pointy ears, and wearing a non-sleeve red dress that was torn at the end was trying to sell something to a customer that she personally calls suckers when no one's around. She was Edalyn Clawthorne, better known as Eda the Owl Lady!

Eda meanwhile was trying to sell a customer a back scratcher by claiming it was some kind of human magical wand...

"Are you sure this is a wand made in the human world?"asked the customer as he wasn't sure.

"Phss... I'm telling you this is a multi-purpose one. It can you scratch your back, it can get those stuff on a high shelf that you have a hard time reaching, it can pick up something you're too lazy to bend over to pickup for. This is a multi-purpose human one from the human world, I guarantee it."said Eda as the guy look convinced as he gave over his snails as she gave him the back scratcher.

"Pleasure doing business."said Eda as the customer walked away with the back scratcher scratching his back with it as he walked off, ironically using it for its original purpose.

"Sucker..."whispered Eda to herself that she was counting the snails when King ran up to her stand.

"King you finally came back with my Apple blood?"asked Eda before noticing that King was empty-handed.

"I know I was supposed to get your Apple blood but this is important. Some mercenary is after Luz!"said King, geting Eda's attention.

"What Mercenary?!"asked Eda with concern as soon as King mentioned that he was after her student.

"I don't know his name as he never once spoke it, but you can't miss him even a mile away!"said King as he began to think back on the description from the quick glance he got.

"He was tall... at least over six feet tall, he was covered head to toe in black armor, with a cape and everything...um...Oh! He also kind of reminded me of Bat Queen."said King as he began to think back on everything he could remember of the "mercenary"

"Hmm... never heard of this one before, must be from a different part of the Boiling Isles."said Eda as she knew of every shady character who lived in Bonesborough but this was the first time she's heard of this black armored mercenary.

"Hmm.. I'm going to need a lot more than that, anything else you can remember about him King?"inquired Eda as she needed more to go on.

"Well... he had this intimidating mask over his face like that guy over there...! Oh my gosh that's the guy!"exclaimed King as he saw Batman a few meters away from Eda's stand, looking like he was looking for something.

"So that's Mr bad mercenary huh."said Eda as she can tell from his physique that he was a tough customer.

"What should we do?!"asked King as he looked like he was really scared.

"I would normally try to take this guy head on, but I don't know who he's working for. We don't know who sent him or if there are others working with him so the best course of action is a tactical retreat."said Eda as she wasn't stupid as you don't get to become the most wanted fugitive on the Boiling Isles and constantly elude capture if you were an idiot.

"Eda I'm sure you can take him on."said King as Eda didn't earn her title for nothing.

"Yeah but we don't know if he's working alone or if he's working with a bunch of people. Plus we don't know who hired him so even if we take this guy down, whoever hired him could send more. So the best course of action right now is to get away from here and figure out who that guy is working for."said Eda as she activated her magic by drawing a circle causing all of her human stuff to fit into a sack before she call out Owlbert.

"Come on Owlbert, we need to do a tactical retreat."said Eda as the Palisman transformed into his staff form as Eda and King hopped on and begin to fly away from the market.

'Just as planned.' thought Batman is he purposely allowed King and Eda to spot him so that they would retreat.

As most people who retreat usually go to their foxhole, or somewhere they feel comfortable and safe. In their case there's only one place Batman was sure they would go to that they would surely feel safe and comfortable in, The Owl House!

'Now just lead me to your base of operations.' thought Batman as he looked at the tracking device that was still on King that was leading him right to where Luz has been staying the whole time as he began following them from a great distance so they would never know that he was following them.

-=O=-

[The Owl House]

"Phew...we finally made it."said King as he let out a sigh of relief as he and Eda got off of Owlbert and proceeded to head towards the owl house.

"Hey guys! I wasn't expecting you to come home so early!"said the owl shaped door ornament known as Hooty.

In reality he was a house demon who falls under the class bug demon! Hooty is the guardian of the Owl House, in charge of making sure that no one who is not welcome is allowed anywhere near the premises!

"Not now Hooty! Is Luz home yet?"asked Eda as she looked around to see if the mercenary was anywhere near.

"No she's still at school..."said Hooty as he wondered what was going on.

"Well she should be okay there. Ever since the incident with the basilisk Bump has the titted security like crazy at the school so Luz should be okay."said King who knew this personally as he tried to go into the school once after the whole incident and Bump quickly kicked him out.

"Yeah... say what you want about the old geezer but he does care about his students."said Eda who let out a sigh of relief.

"Um guys, what is going on?"asked Hooty as he didn't understand anything that was going on as no one has explained themselves yet.

"Hooty did some guy covered head to toe in black armor come around here?"asked King as Hooty began to ponder.

"Nooo... I did see a few bugs and a griffin, but no guy covered head to toe in black armor."said Hooty much to the relief of Eda and King.

"Good... now if you see anyone who matches that description make sure they don't set one foot in the house."ordered Eda as she and King walked through the door.

"Can do!"said a chipper Hotty as he began to look around for anyone who was covered head to tell in black armor.

Unknown to the residents of the Owl House, Batman had seen them the whole time from a safe distance from a nearby cliff where he was covered in foliage and watching them with a pair of high-powered binoculars.

'It's a good thing the batmobile landed around here.' thought Batman is he discovered the batmobile on his way to the Owl House and pulled out a camouflage blanket from the trunk before taking his position.

Batman could stake out the house for hours until his daughter came back as he needed very little sleep and he could put his mind and what snipers called a bubble, a zen mode like state of focus as he could stay awake for 3 days in the same spot without having to move and only very so little having to go to the bathroom.

But as he began his stakeout he couldn't help but wonder how exactly he was going to talk to Luz?

Camila never told her who her father was and he hasn't been there her whole fourteen years of life, so how exactly was he going to talk to her?

He couldn't just say hey I'm your dad I'm also billionaire philanthropist Bruce Wayne and the world's greatest detective Batman...

Batman has dealt with all kinds of cases but when it comes to family, those are usually the most complicated.

After all there was the time his Butler / Father figure Alfred Pennyworth was kidnapped by the Penguin and almost killed!

He wasn't on the right state of mind that he usually would have been thanks to the fact that someone close to him was about to get hurt and was only through sheer luck that he and Alfred got out of that one!

Then he could still remember when the Joker killed Jason Todd, the second Robin.

It took every ounce of mental strength Bruce had inside himself to not kill that monster for what he did to Jason! He knew did the Joker wanted him to kill him and that if he did that he would win! And that was the last thing he wanted!

Now Jason was resurrected by the Lazarus Pit and was now going under the moniker Red Hood, a vicious vigilante who won't hesitate to kill the scum of the Earth! They have talked time and time again but it was clear that their relationship would never be the same again.

'How exactly am I going to talk to Luz? She's only a child so telling her that I'm her father would no doubt cause her untold confusion in anguish as she wondered why I wasn't in her life and why her mother kept the true identity of her father a secret for her whole life. I can't put her through that, I can't hurt anyone else close to me anymore. Unfortunately Wayne blood runs through her veins and Waynes seem to be cursed with untold misfortune... I won't allow her to be hurt... she's my daughter so I'll protect her with every ounce of strength in my body and mind!' thought Batman as he went back into the bubble and continued his observation of the Owl House!

Meanwhile Luz was wondering what she was going to do after volunteering herself to act as Grom Queen in Amity's place!

"Okay... I think I jumped the gun again."said Luz as she wondered how she was going to face the creature known as Grom, the creature that can become your worst fear!