The Court of Owls - Family of the Cowl - Silent Night

by Inkblot24

Following the years of the Grayson clan; right before the birth of a Chosen Child, the family of the cowl gathers at Wayne's Manor to bond during the holidays, yet find more than they'd originally bargained for. When a familiar, secret organization leaps at the chance to take over Gotham City, will the proud bat - family remain standing? Find out! Silent Night in Gotham; starts.

7. Chapter 7

The Court of Owls – Family of the Cowl – Silent Night

/

Chapter 7: Barreling Through December

/

"December 21st…." An echo broke the silence. Richard's head was dragged upwards as his bloodshot gaze realized what was happening. He'd been taken with Jay, Cass, Tim…. all targeted by….

Dick looked up in astonishment at who's face was smirking back. "William Cobb…" Dick GRUNTED and reserved the right to spit on this Talon's decorated uniform.

"Welcome home, great- great grandson." The unmasked perpetrator grinned with a glinting set of green eyes focused on his own flesh and blood. "You knew that this day would be coming." A drop of water in the background meant that they had to be underground somewhere, still in the city. "You worked through the tunnels…" Dick's eyes met the floor in disbelief, then he looked out in front of him, avoiding Cobb's fixated stare. " That's why Deathstroke found your trail leading to this, stateside drive –

"Those projects were built to house the wealthiest of Gotham's elite." Cobb spoke airily with a tone in mockery to the finest homes in the city that money could buy. He had grown up heer in poverty a hundred more years ago, had an illegitimate kid with the head of the Co'rt's wealthiest, and had been given his rank through a skull crushing process. All to remain alive for this very night.

"Still don't believe that Mr. Wayne was once a part of what we had to offer?" Dick refused to answer the question. By coercion, had the Court NOT been dismissed by Thomas and Martha Wayne, sure. Yet Dick knew Bruce; he'd never become like these glorified murderers. Nor would the true Wayne family. They prided their good work above all else. The people had to -

"You have a family now…how touching." The Talon dug its claws into the male captive's scalp. Dick realized that a bundle of fine, taught wires were carefully holding him up. A torture method Slade might prefer to the white padded room. "Though, how long will they support you? Your mind wanders back to what you can do, what you were born to succeed- and I saw it," William's face lit up. "You attacked Mr. Wayne like some red eyed demon!! –

Oh no…Dick looked away, yet William pulled his grandson back to not detest that gaze any longer. "You have the ability from some intervention, maybe. It was vivid and so much so that you will not forget the oath. I will bring back your feral self, wi-

"It wasn't me." Dick interrupted the merc's monologue with a dignified huff. * "I was in danger, possessed by some being from another universe. That was never me hurting anyone –

"Don't be so uptight and modest…" Smiled the raving figure in his ten-ton armor. His face hadn't aged a day and that worried Dick something dreadful. Near shoulder length brown hair lay to his ears as Cobb came close. Those green eyes as focused as any hunters.' He brushed a hand over Dick's cheek, tugging it lightly with a chuckle. "The Court is waiting to be introduced to the real you; the real heir who will one day hold the keys to this city. To Gotham's continued stability by our hands…. Yet you must understand however…" The tug on his great great grandchild's jaw grew tighter as the hand slid to catch Richard by the throat. Adams apple bobbing, Dick tried to still wriggle free, though found that he could not.

"I made sure to give us both some privacy," William continued, "And after all, you were Nightwing in Blud. A sister in crime waves only secondary to its mother, Gotham." That was true. Nightwing was ruthless and freed of Batman since the swap. It had Slade even respecting h -

Dick came round with his racing thoughts.

"I don't have what you want. Tell the Court that Gotham won't fall. The Batman –

"And, clan." Cobb frowned, letting go of the male's throat. Dick coughed out to catch his breath again. Damned animal…

"Yet, you are no longer one of them." Cobb stole Dick's attention from the ebony's coughing bouts.

"You let Nightwing take a long rest, just like you are going to do…once the transforma –

~ I wouldn't do that. ~ Cobb blinked and turned around.

Instead of hearing Roku's shadow, he saw a face that made Dick think he'd been dreaming all along.

"Who is this?"

Midnighter snorted and pulled out his weapons. "I know they're hiding here, but we have nothin' to hide from you though, freak!!"

Batman, Midnighter. They both appeared to drag their massive cowls about as Talons rose through the room like terra cotta warriors from the dust.

"Keep them busy! We have what we came for." Cobb pulled out a compressor gun and took Richard's arm in hand. Bruce barreled after, but the Talons were more in number. They needed –

"Yeeehaw!!"

Babs.

/

She swung out so hard into the ground but it never shattered. Babs was not Oracle yet. She had one more year to lose her head or legs, (let's roll with it.)

"Bat – what?"

Babs tossed a flash bang as it went off. The Talons splayed back to avoid this light in their eyes, most displeased.

"Argh! Attack them!" A second trooper of the talon army pointed for his squad to hurt and knock out the clan at least. Cobb took to his quick escape, noting the tunnels from memory, dragging Dick over his shoulder with a super – human strength that only immortals of his kind possessed.

Richard wasn't too old. His blood was a fine specimen to work with. Cobb had agreed to this arrangement, and in exchange, the Court's wealthiest daughter would be suited to marry this near - inflicted mortal, marked by Cobb's heritage in all forms.

Only one issue though…the child that came with him and his alien wife. They had to go, or the bloodline would remain impure. (The project for making talons is all super science and plain bad news. I'd say dangerously controversial.)

/

Jason looked over his shoulder at the Talons guarding the way out. Had he been so lucky, a head of one owl faced freak was pounded as Tim jumped in his binds right beside poor Cass. Actually, she'd saved one rang up her sleeve for good measure.

"We can't wait around –

"Who says you would be?"

Jay's hackles rose at that fearsome voice.

"Did Bruce send your ass on a rescue mission?"

"Did you forget to protect Grayson, Todd?" The man cocked his head as two Talon's lifeless forms dropped at the merc's feet with a splatter.

"Just get us free and we can make up for lost time." Tim negotiated, thinking himself right enough to win over DS's word.

"Right." Slade nodded, modesty not his option of choice. Tim was kept upright by Cass as Jay made his way up to the exit with Slade to cut down some big birds from their way upstairs….

Wait…

"Where are we?"

"You really wanna know?"

Slade opened the door and showed them the manor from that point. "Richard was swept off with by Cobb, Batman confirmed it."

"No! You…. why didn't they take us too! "Tim shouted at his dilemma. "Bruce isn't going to be able to look that –

"Midnighter and Batgirl are with him, and Starfire decided to keep her lover close."

"Kori?" Cass raised a brow and dusted herself off. "We were locked up in the cellar so that a Talon could get to Dick. What else don't we know, DS?"

"Ehem, or should we, is the question." Jay scowled at the other older merc.

"Look; Cobb was under our radar, hoping to strike quickly. We already had an idea of that, Batman however took to keeping a tracker on your sibling, and Kori with Midnighte AND that flying Rodent have only to keep those hunters cornered until they squeal on their secret location under the city. Happy?"

"Under."

"Gotham." Tim gulped.

"Like the rats they've always been." Sneered Slade as he swiped his blade of that blue blood from the immortal freak's lifeless forms, happy to know nothing was left on it. Water to glue.

"What about –

"Alfred and Selina are fine." Slade sighed and took a quick seat in the den, just wanting to rest his eye shut for these kids to quit yapping up a storm already…

"How? You knew they'd be able to find the manor; secret tunnels? How long did you guess that, dumb – stroke –

"Jason! Cool it!" Tim dragged the hot-headed ex – Robin back with a somewhat violent yank of his jacket backwards. "No, you dopes. Bruce screwed up! He used Dick – head as bait to lure out those nosy owls, didn't you??"

"How could you tell –

"AARGH!! You put us up to this! What is your deal!!? He's the Great Grandson of that psycho! They want to make him INTO a Talon –

"Not, like you think, Todd." Slade put up a palm in defense of his actions. "Bruce tracked him, kept an eye on the Court even AFTER they made it to their new lair when it went to a dead end. I think something else is at work, and it may have to do with what your oblivious Nightwing refuses to share with his family…"

Tim gulped again. "You, sound like you know everything there is to know…" Tim's eyes narrowed on the merc in that cushy lounge.

"I know enough to say, that as a Talon, he won't get far. Tha thing you thought you saw? It was a shadow, of a being not from our world. Todd knows, Red X can tell you plenty."

Jay's mouth went slack as his bro and sis turned to meet him. Eyes speculatively pinned onto the elder's back. He turned to them and bit his lip, shoulders sagging as he spoke of "Roku" and Dick's promise to the dragon. That he'd not leave until a new Prophecy fixed the former "Chosen Power Sourced hero" as it would – that Slade was the only one the being wanted to turn Dick from his heroic ways in order to bring his possessor to their world again. To be "let out of its lamp."

"A, wish? And a prophecy?"

Cass couldn't understand why Nightwing had left Blud, or why he had gone at all.

"Cobb saw his performance in the past and probably thinks Dick has some control over that power to manipulate at will. Yet your poor brother's captor will be sad to see that shadow is not a toy, it has a purpose. And should that purpose be, changed in any way whatsoever, it will eradicate the one responsible for tampering with its, host."

"He's going to kill Cobb??" Tim exclaimed, earning a glare from Cass's direction.

"Unless, we stop the Court's plan to tame the beast, the dragon will take matters into its own hands." Slade ended his explanation and let the kids talk among themselves as he recovered in silence for a few moments.

/

Jay bit his lip and left to the room to think. If Slade was right, then if the dragon was moving his brother like a puppet, then Dick would kill. He'd kill, but the dragon would have the pleasure of watching as this reality fell to pieces.

/

Bruce dug around for a switch, a mechanism that could open the wall up but no. Cobb had escaped without a trace.

Babs checked for any conscious Talon drones, but saw only heads dismembered as she backed away into the back of Midnighter.

"Yo, ah…. we took em all out, hah?" She tried to make small talk, but he wasn't interested. "You fight super well…ah, do you know the Batman –

"I fought his kids; Dick an' Todd." The bigger male moved past her, not caring if he was being a light rude to a veteran of the Bat clan.

"Ok, then I'll just check over there…. thanks…" She frowned and went to see if the wall opposite the one from where they'd been standing….

A small etching of words were scratched up. Babs curiously looked over the hidden panel and pressed down. Nothing. She tried to see if the plate came off. Nope, so then…she had an idea.

"Midnight? I think I found something." Knew her force could pop it, but why waste a good set of fingers on a piece of, junk? He was for hire and Bats wouldn't mind if she borrowed his clientele.

The brooding older male lumbered over and crossed his arms above the sneaky red – head. "Got a gauntlet to spare?" She asked rather sweetly, earning a grunt and a groan from the supposed bad guy.

He let his palm hit the panel as he grumbled in her ear. "It's Midnighter. Get it right, Gingie."

She let that one slide as a wall off in Bat's corner slid up.

"Good job, Barbara… You too." He nodded to the merc in black as they set off down the spooky tunnel leading to the center of all of Gotham City.

/

"And yet…"

Slade wondered if they'd figure it out. He wasn't just aware of Cobb's plan. Three years of having joined the organization known as The Light, he'd gotten inside of the group to actually know its members. In fact, that was why he wanted Grayson to make the pact with Roku. If he got to Roku and promised to get Grayson in gear as a cold-blooded killer, maybe the red king would keep him in his good graces. No end of the world would come to Slade's doors step. He was just here to speed the process along.

The ruling elite's adult daughter was expecting Cobb to deliver, yet Slade could pull some strinhgs far better than that undead underling.

He'd make them think it was all a part of the plan. Batman sure didn't trust him, so why should anyone else? That was why Selina was reporting to Bruce the coming and goings. To keep Slade as second best.

And after the Talons had been silenced, Slade would have what he'd come to this city to recruit.

And the dragon would thank him entirely for easing the kid into a role he was built for.

All he had to do was kill Cobb in cold blood, and Roku would finally get his wish.

/

Ok ,so continued from These new years arc in future part one. Dick stayed as Nightwing away from his kids later because Slade and Roku basically pushed him to run off and hide from the Dragon's influence. Later, in the snippets collection, Slade makes Dick into a super soldier with he serum and his blood which is masked by the kid as just a tumor from the procedure into Galactic Eros arc. So, Kori is sticking round but is Ava safe from the Talons? Do read on and find out! Stay curious! If Dick kills the other merc, he will free Roku and Slade will finally have his just deserts – or so he thinks!