The Court of Owls; Family of the Cowl – Silent Night
/
Chapter 3: Party Guests Have Secrets to Share
/
The grandfather clock's resounding echo effect a ways past the Bat's secret alcove below Wayne Manor, hung in the air as the chimes to a New Years Eve' bash. Jay and Tim with Al padded along down through the walls, while Alfred carefully excused himself quietly, to see to the guests who were readily munching on meats and grains from the local area. Wayne had convinced his associates and family to set aside their differences and partake in the feast, but it wasn't all fun and games for the host of tonight's setting. Bruce intently looked over the footage that Oracle had collected from the cameras hidden, block to block outside the museum. She'd even gotten a perfect shot at Tim's incidental fall; he'd been hit, but all that came from Jason's level of sympathy was a snicker by how ridiculous his brother looked in the image.
"A, turkey??? You didn't tell us you'd joined the parade, Timmy! Holy unsettling events to that…I…sniff…ha-ha!" Wild laughter that was a nuisance to the others was a clap on the shoulder, that was soon abated by Bruce's grumbling voice… so, Jay took it upon himself to stay quiet the rest of their talk. Lest they wake the bats in their roost up above who had heard far too much complaining all evening.
"So, we can scan me over? That was…unbelievable!" Tim threw up his hands, exasperated as his suit was certainly in need of a touch up. Sweat plastered to his brow, perhaps he had a grudge against hi brother again, still? Bruce grunted below his chin.
"I can see that." Bruce leaned over the dash of the bat computer and wondered what Tim had been doing all night…besides the good doctor having turned his son into a flightless national bird, willingly walking the streets back to his home…on foot? And his being escorted by his least favorite robin…Minus Stephanie back in another place.
"Jason; set up the lab equipment. Tim? I'm just going to check your blood for now but you have to not breathe a word of this to anyone. Not even –
"Cass, Alf and…. Well, me. But… Dick and co are the only ones, besides Selina who don't yet." Jason counted off of his fingers the possible faces and names that were aware that Tim had not just been a "chicken." He'd lived through the experience.
"So? Question, Timmy?" Jay grinned and threw an arm behind to lope over Tim's neck. Making his younger brother very nervous. Jay hinted with a funny look. "What did you do to, you know…that –
"Oh my god! Bruce!" Tim yanked the jokester's arm off and huffed, puffing and stomping towards the elevator while making sure to give Jay a rather peeved glare for the damned humiliation he'd suffered. The jokester just wiped a fake tear from his eye before the giggling had finally left him.
When both bat and outlaw were left in the same room together, all hell might very well have broken loose. Had it not been for some loose lipped mercenaries in steel masks getting in the way of their party tonight…
"How…he got in?? Undetected?" Jay's jaw dropped as wide as it could go. "He said to watch out for Mr. Cox. The executive I've known from Wayne Industries since I helped bring the company back from ruin in –
"Gotcha, but Death was at your window?? And he didn't freak you out…Um, are you like aware of the man's M.O?"
Bruce turned back to the image of Man Bat fighting two of his team members in the city streets, in the rain. "I do, and he's not likely to vanish in only one night. In fact, I have a job for you."
Jay raised a brow as he leaned into the table that Tim was supposed to have stayed on to get his blood drawn. So much for turkey – boy finding some peace of mind. "What? Am I getting paid too? You know I don't guard people like you or, you know." He shrugged and Bruce nodded. "It's Dick and Kori. I know Deathstroke can't be anywhere near them, yet he may try to speak to your brother about…anything he can to turn the clocks ahead. To stir up trouble, because he's been given the right to do so."
"That prophecy jargon? Aren't we over that since way, way back, Bruce?" Jay grumbled, finding fault in the reason he was being dealt this "body guard" card. "And Dick is practically immortal now, right? We still haven't found a way to change him back."
"And we maybe never will." With Roku's influence protecting Dick from any bodily or mentally debilitating harm, this could have been enough to let it well alone. Bruce didn't trust his gut. His fear was overridden by what was written in the damned book.
/
"He's staying the week and I've offered the same hospitably to his wife and child." Bruce told Jason from the computer's view. "Slade can't touch them and this way, I can re – run the labs on Dick's condition to make sure that nothing has further developed since then." He spoke distantly, as if to himself while Jay pondered the thought of guarding his brother's family. "What's with the kid?" He finally asked the bat. "She looks more like Rachel than her mom."
He meant Raven of the Titans. Rachel Roth was her human name given to her by her parents before Trigon showed up. As Jay nibbled his lower lip in deep enough though, Bruce furrowed his brows and was intent on discovering what else his "guests" had to hide from this worried detective upstairs.
"Ava is, connected to the prophecy Isa told us all about." Bruce said." "She's apparently going to help the "golden dawn" when it comes into the world, and Kori will be the one to have that child. Just like the dragon's son and his partner in their past…" Thinking to all of the script written about red lords and dead kingdoms, Bruce wanted to keep an open mind to his ward's plight. As did Slade, which posed a bigger dilemma for the bat to combat in the meanwhile. Jay had to be ever vigilant with Deathstroke poking his face in and out of Gotham's many side streets and passageways. He wouldn't stop until his role had ended and…it was Roku always tugging him to finish. They were both, no. All of them, were bound to the dragon's late promise to return and govern their home world back into chaos's strong grip.
"Golden, is he gonna be a blonde? That is just a biblical interpretation, Bruce." Jay frowned, sighing as he finally wanted to do something morally decent for once before December hit. There was no way he was being a goody - goody beside the bat clan. Too many memories…
"Fine, if you need a guard dog, I 'll bite. But you owe me an early x – mas delivery. Dick is….he's gotten to be a more paranoid dweeb thanks to that witch and her fairy tale ending."
"We need to let it all play out." Bruce stood up and shut down the monitors to rest. He wasn't in costume, but Jay looked ready to hit the road in his biker get up.
"Should I just go, can we start the clock?"
"That would be fine; report to me if you notice anything suspicious taking place. We'll call it your holiday bonus." Bruce smirked at his son, who flashed the man an even cheekier grin for good measure.
"You'll be wishing Tim had gone in my place, old man. That means I'm staying till next month! Hah!"
/
The only trouble was that the owl horned freak had been there, but unseen by anyone but Jay, Bruce and Cassandra. Slade had to not have been the only face they'd tried to erase tonight.
This would become a disaster, so he'd wait. Not act up until it was time to resurface as the dark knight in the flesh…
/
Cassandra went out to get a gulp of air before she saw a figure leaning up against the back wall of the courtyard balcony. She snorted and put a hand to her hip. "Why aren't you gone yet?" She didn't like Wilson for good reason, but this wasn't him. Not the real him to her. It looked like Slade, but…was he not there to her? Why did he seem to mask his emotions better than she'd already learned from her family of assassins? She eyed him over as he laxly ignored her scathing history with him. All in the past, for now. "Not in contact with your mother these days? She really wanted you to take over the family business…But that's not why I stayed." He responded while looking around cautiously. "You should get back inside, little girl. It's not safe to wander the night all on your own. Not while the hunters prowl this city."
"Hunters…is this a threat –
She felt a hand clasp over her mouth, just before her enemy came charging to cut its arm from its body. A strange blue blood splattered onto her outfit and down her side, as the kidnapper fell into a wounded heap, sputtering its dying message quickly.
"th….they return……r…eeeyy……ss…oon….." Slade did not waste a beat as he stabbed the goggled freak with one of his shorter sais, aiming to behead it in the process. Cass flinched and looked at the mess, then at how ruthlessly he'd been taken down by another serious killer. "I need to get inside. You're all in grave danger." He said to the ex – assassin and adopted child of Wayne's. She nodded, not able to find the words to reject him from the party's events at all now….since she had some cleaning up to do.
/
Tim saw how Selina wouldn't take her eyes off of Mr. Cox, as if he had a gun under the table. Yet she only faked a smile here or made a waving gesture and a giggle to show how tame this kitty could be off the clock. She'd decided to go to the bat's side since she'd always cared for Bruce in a way no one else saw. Dick was still helping Ava to cool off. The rain had slowed so they returned for more of that big bird and plenty of soft, fluffy rolls. Ava gobbled up a modest amount, while her mother stuck to a more balanced spread for the both of them, once she saw how hungry Ava had gotten in that hour alone. "You must not stuff your face like a "glorthorlaugh." The woman teased her child and helped by giving the girl more green things to consume. "Peas? What about squish – squash?"
The crowd at the table chuckled and some laughed at how adorable the pronunciation for the girl was. As if this were their entertainment for being such patient guests, by that time Bruce had joined them to grace the crowd with his presence.
"A toast!" Mr. Cox stood up beside his wife and smiled at the man of honor. "Good friends and to this beautif -……tif……gunn…gugh!"
Ava's eyes were shielded by her mom's slim fingers as Kori took the child from the room. Mr. Cox's throat was speared through as his wife nearly fainted in her seat. The guests were in a panic, but the terrible intruders did not rush to keep them here long. A mystified Dick Grayson stayed put, while Starfire made sure not to fight while still a few months from having twins. A larger group of goggled killers in black and greys stepped out of the backdrop. Cloaked by the suits they'd acquired; this was a problem. Slade and Cass were forced to wrench open the wide door as the guests scuttled to get by, leaving the Robins, Orphan, Bruce, Dick in his casual attire, and Slade to face the worst news they didn't have to be thankful for.
"Talons." Bruce growled, while Slade only got out his staff. "Aren't you glad I didn't have you face them alone?" Slade wasn't questioning his reason for staying silent. His job right now was a personal endeavor. No Addie or Rose, so his schedule had the male free to do as he'd decided.
Jay shouted out at the older merc, "Why didn't you say shit like this would –
"We are here to retrieve our brother!" The talon's head in charge stepped forth, interrupting the red – blooded ex – crime fighter. The Talon's leader made sure to speak up as his gloved hand splayed out to reach the group, catching them off guard. "I am the one who shall bring him, our long-awaited ally to our leaders, and all of Gotham shall pay for casting aside this warning left….by the Court of Owls. We seek now, the Gray – Son of Gotham. And the very one who shall help to lead this city to greatness once again!!"
/
Gray son….grey???
Tim gulped and took out his birdarangs. "Bruce? Friends of yours?" He got ready to hold his stance, but Bruce put up a palm. "We don't have him. This is a family gathering." Slade whipped his head to seek out the ward, the very first. His eye dipped as Dick nodded reluctantly to his least favorite enemy in – person.
"If you should withhold his whereabouts from us, we shall only persist." The talon head replied with a warning too vivid to match. Slade tapped his staff with his gloved hand, letting Cass know his plan via morse. Dick understood also, but played the hostage like his allies. He was….that? It was a long time ago…
Slade gripped at his gun, while the back of Dick's neck had a clawed set of Talon's fingers freely ready to pull him into their throws. "I blew that spy's head off when you were sneaking about inside, by the way…" Slade reminded the baddies of his encounter in the yard with Cassandra. He cocked his pistol and didn't blink. " Drop those claws or I'll gladly do the same to you as I did your very, dead comrade."
"Slade…" Dick gritted his teeth, confused by how this night had just brought up such unpleasant memories for everyone close to them. " Right."
Dick tugged the owl masked killer's extended arm as it came forth - the Talon now twirled round and exposed at its back, shot forwards as Slade took the shot to hit the inhumane abomination right in the back in its twisted spine before Dick could lose an eye, as Grayson's bewildered and undeserving shield. The lesser – Talon's useless, dying sputters of a losing mind and conscious effort slipped from Dick's hands as he let it fall at his feet. The other Talons looked back in awe, some deeply offended by the attempt. Others, impressed. That ticked both bat and assassin rogue off something fierce.
"We know. He is in this room and there will be no escape….make sure to face us with honor next time, Bruce Wayne. The Gray – Son shall revolt! This city will once again belong to the Court…" With smoke bombs in the air, the birds of prey vanished from the room, leaving Dick to fall to his knees in a brief period of shock. Slade put his toys away, hoping that he'd get a chance to speak with the clan elsewhere. "It was inevitable, but I think your guests should go up to their rooms." He suggested somewhat sympathetically, while Bruce hated to agree with Wilson that the Manor was still the safest place in all of Gotham right now.
/
"Order! Order!!" Down below those city streets, a sacred gathering was being held among the forgotten. The many rows and columns of populated seats sat surrounding the room, in a Roman senate style circle as the faces of those who'd gone hunting for answers from the above, had returned with even better news.
Highest at their perch, a leader spoke aloud for all to take in and listen close. "The Court shall now see if the Gray – Son's ancestor has fulfilled his part of our contract." A blonde woman in elegant wears in a white barn owl mask that covered every known crease on her face, stood at the highest podium. Down below, a brunette without a mask on, in a suit of an assassin's armor of black and gold, took to the stand to be questioned. The room was silenced as this honored ally was ready to relay all he knew to his brothers and sisters of Gotham.
"Head Talon to the Court of Owls for these many, generations...William Cobb; as the great grand – father of our current target, what have you to say about the matter done, tonight?"
Cobb; the further reason for Wayne's unease around his family, especially the one they'd come to take. Yet had failed to procure. He didn't mull over the loss, now that Wayne was well aware of what the court wished to claim, the Talons wouldn't hold back to save his grandchild from a life still left and unfulfilled by HIS legacy. The Court's ambitions; for he had once ben a piece of their circle, and so would too remain, the Gray – son of Gotham City.
/