Chapter 12:

The Grandmaster came to the facility again. He was looking for Delphinium. The girl was busy fidgeting over the new dead bodies they had gotten in. She was humming a tune as she did to hide the fact that she was not enjoying her work.

"Delphinium, I need you by my side tonight," the Grandmaster said.

"Why?" the girl asked.

"We're going to welcome Bruce Wayne tonight," he replied.

The girl raised a brow before smirking. "Fine…I'll be there," she said.

She went to change her clothes and fixed her mask. She got out to the conference room in a purple wrap dress. She was not really interested in what was going to happen. Bruce was already there. He was still unconscious. When he woke up, he looked around.

"Welcome, Mr. Wayne," the Grandmaster started.

"Not exactly a warm welcome," Bruce replied.

"If we wanted you dead, you wouldn't be here now," the leader said.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"The Grandmaster of the Court of Owls," the Grandmaster introduced himself.

Bruce muttered, "I would say the Court of Owls is merely a legend."

Delphinium exited the conference room, into another room. She ignored what the Grandmaster was about to discuss with Bruce Wayne. She knew it was not of importance to her. She called her trusted maids, Tiara, and Mana.

"Yes, Miss?" Tiara answered.

"Send a message to my sister. Tell her where to find Damian…" Delphinium ordered.

"As you wish, Miss. Shall we use the pigeon?" the maid asked.

"Use a different one, not the one that recognizes Damian," the girl replied.

"We don't have any more pigeons," Tiara replied, "So we will be sending one of your other pets."

"I'll allow it," Delphinium replied.

She sighed. Knowing her sister, the girl would be moping around by now. She knew about Damian's disappearance because Talon had been reporting about the boy to the Grandmaster. Daphne was not used to be alone too long when she is attached to someone. In this case, that someone is Damian.

The orange-haired girl stood in front of one of the windows in Damian's room. Four days ago, Damian had left the manor and never returned. It was like she was alone again, with Bruce investigating a new case and all. She refused to become Phoenix because she had lost her motivation after what Damian had said. However, she couldn't help her feelings of wanting to find the boy.

"Still waiting for him to return?" Dick came by.

"Yes…" Daphne replied, turning to look at him who was standing by the door.

"You know he won't be returning any sooner…" the man said.

Daphne nodded. "I do know…I just thought he might. It has been a while. It's not like him," the girl sighed.

Dick pulled the girl into a hug. "It's not your fault…you're just a kid. He's a kid too. Maybe he just needs some time to think by himself…" he calmed her.

"We've been together for almost half a year now. He's my responsibility and all…" the girl muttered.

They suddenly heard a purr when Dick was about to say something. Daphne and Dick turned towards the window. A white and gray cat was there. Daphne approached it. It was a bit cautious but it didn't run away. A note was tied around its neck. She held the cat in her arms and it purred lovingly to her. Dick took the time to untie the note.

"Hmm..? It directs to you," Dick said.

Daphne put the cat down. It immediately ran away through the same window.

"It's a message…about Master Damian. It says that he will be at the pub called The Garden," she muttered.

"You're not going there, are you? Bruce put me in charge of you," Dick asked the girl.

"I need to see him…" Daphne replied, shaking her head, "I want to see him…"

"Alright…I'll send you there," the young man complied.

Smiling, the girl nodded. She got ready to head out. They took his motorbike. He parked it far from the pub. Daphne saw two goons out in front of the entrance.

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" he asked the girl.

"I'll be fine. I'm good at this, you know that," the girl replied.

She got off the motorbike and casually strolled up to the two goons. They stopped her from entering. Dick watched her negotiate with them. They were smirking and nodding at what she was saying. They let her into the pub. He left her there, wishing her luck. Daphne got to the kitchen. The chefs and waiters were confused. They wondered how she got in.

"I'm the dancer he hired to entertain him tonight. Where do I change my clothes?" she asked which was an obvious lie.

Nobody saw through it. One of the waiters pointed her to the changing room. She nodded and rushed to lock herself in there. The changing room was actually the janitor's closet. She could live with that like always. She is the sneakiest person she knew after Delphinium. She heard some men laughing on the other side of the room. She listened to what they were talking about.

"I'm the evening's entertainment," Daphne widened her eyes at the sudden familiar voice.

She took that as a sign to enter the dining room. She ran out only to see the same assassin that had killed the Dollmaker, killing the men who were in the room. She caught sight of Damian, in his uniform, hiding in the smokescreen he made to dodge the gunshots. After getting rid of all the obstacles, they cornered the last man standing.

"I can pay you. More money than you've ever seen," the man, who went by the name Draco, said.

Robin kicked his stomach. "I don't give a damn about money," he said. He punched the man's head, saying, "What I care about is payback for the lives your drugs have ruined."

"Robin, no!" Daphne shouted, charging in at him before he could kick the man again.

"What the? You?" he stared at the girl on top of him.

"Yes, me!" the orange-haired replied.

"Robin, you have to finish him," the man in the owl mask said.

The boy pushed the weight on top of him to the side. He jumped onto the Draco's stomach. Given a knife by the man ordering him, Robin placed it at Draco's throat. He was hesitating. Daphne backed away, widening her eyes. She didn't realize that the man ordering Damian's every move, was observing her.

"We've found enough evidence to put him away for the rest of his life," Robin stated.

"Finish him," the masked man ordered again.

"He's already finished," the boy replied calmly.

"Hey." Draco turned to look at Robin, "Ain't you the Batman's brat?"

Robin stepped on his face. "Not anymore," he replied angrily.

Daphne stood there in disbelief. Why did the message lead her to Damian? She suddenly stepped in and grabbed his arm before he could go.

"This isn't like you…" she muttered, trying her best to look into his eyes through the mask.

"Then, you don't know me at all…" he replied coldly, pushing her hand away, "Leave me be."

"Have you forgotten about me? Was that one time that you were kind to me…a lie?" Daphne's voice cracked.

That moment at the dance flashed into the boy's mind. He gritted his teeth, glancing up at the crying girl. He remembered what Delphinium had told him on the same night.

"I'm going. Don't search for me," he muttered and left her there.

Daphne fell to her knees. She was shocked. Her phone started to ring, it was Dick. She rejected the call. She sent a text to Batman about where Robin had been. Then, she exited the building after reporting it to the State Police. Dick was waiting for her outside.

"You reported the place?" he asked her.

She nodded. "Yes. Thank you for coming to get me. Let's go back…" she muttered.

Not wanting to pressure her with more questions, Dick obeyed. They got back to the manor. Daphne locked herself in her room, changing into her uniform. She knew she was going against Bruce's rules but she wanted to convince Damian to come back. Once she was ready, she rushed out of the manor through her window.

The girl started to roam the city, searching for the trails Robin and the Talon had left. It wasn't easy for her, but she finally found them. They were on the roof, discussing the man that Robin was supposed to kill. Phoenix tried her best to hide her presence to keep on eavesdropping but Talon spotted her easily. He grabbed her arm and pulled her out to stand beside him. He ripped off her mask. She cringed as the talon glove scratched her face.

"Is this girl making you hesitate to kill too?" he asked Robin, gripping her right arm tighter with his talon glove.

Robin didn't answer but instead, he shouted, "Don't hurt her!"

"Oh, so she is…" the man muttered.

He put his other hand on her throat. She gulped. Robin didn't reply, staring at the girl. Batman made an appearance before Talon could strangle the girl. The owl masked man backed away, loosening his grip on the girl. Daphne flipped and kicked his chin. Then, she went straight to Batman. Talon fixed his jaw. Robin was still shocked to see Batman.

"How did you…?" he muttered.

"Not too hard to track, considering the bloody trail you two have left," Batman replied.

Robin turned to the orange haired girl. "You told him?!" he shouted angrily.

"This is where you choose sides once and for all," Talon said to Robin and then fled.

Batman rushed to follow him. Robin blocked his way. They started another tongue fight before Robin went out of the line and really did tick his father off. Daphne witnessed the fight between them. She was glad when Batman was able to constrain his son, but Robin freed himself. He was angry that he couldn't really give a hard blow, so he kept on fighting. They started to fall. Batman noticed a statue underneath them that they would probably hit. He covered for Robin. Daphne jumped down into the building too. She was going to stop the boy from stabbing his father, but he was actually hesitating too. Batman stood up after that. Daphne rushed to Robin to check his injury like she would always do.

"Now, let's go home," Batman said to him.

"My home isn't with you. It never was," the young boy muttered.

"Master Damian…" Daphne gasped at his words.

He pushed her hands away, took one glance at her and ran away. Daphne's motivation died again. Batman held her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" he asked her.

"I should be, shouldn't I?" Daphne asked, sadly looking up at him.

"You should go home. Dick is probably worried about you," he told the girl and patted her head once.

Daphne nodded. She dragged herself out of the old building they were in.

Delphinium sent out a pigeon to Dick. She had just witnessed Batman, entering the sewers towards where the hideout of the Court of Owls was. She wanted Nightwing to come get Batman for his own safety. The ritual would be beginning soon. She knew who Talon had chosen for his replacement, Robin. She wanted to make sure of Robin's choice, so she stood with everyone else in the court like always.

"Talon, introduce your protégé," the Grandmaster said.

Talon stepped forward. "It is an honor to present this boy to the Court. I've seen first-hand that he has greatness within him and grand destiny ahead," he said.

"What a speech…I hope Batman's alright…" Delphinium mumbled to herself.

She fixed her short hair and kept on listening. Her eyes were fixed on Robin, reading his every thought as if she could.

"But we must be certain of his loyalty," the leader of the Owls said.

Robin stepped forward and said, "You have my word."

"We are the Court of Owls and we require more than words. Your mask," the Grandmaster stated.

Delphinium saw the change in Robin's expression. She knew he didn't want to give his identity away. She, too, had to do so, in order to join the Court. After coaxing him over and over again, Robin gave in. He took off his mask.

"Idiot…" Delphinium sighed, shaking her head.

She exited the conference room because she could expect what would happen next. The Grandmaster of the Court of Owls is Samantha Vanaver and she knows Bruce as well as his soon-to-be ward, Damian. When she found out that Robin is actually Damian, of course, she would kill the boy, to bring Batman a.k.a Bruce Wayne down. Delphinium dialed a number on her phone.

"Hello?" the person on the other line said.

"I have a proposal for you. I'm going to need you to cooperate," she said.

"Who is this?" the person on the other line asked.

"I'm the person you thought you had killed along with Deathstroke," the girl replied confidently.

"Delphinium? What do you want?" the person on the line demanded.

After negotiating with the person she had called, she hid as she watched Talon killed each and every one of the members of the Court, including Samantha. Being as sneaky as always, the girl went back to where the caskets were held. She waited there a few minutes, sending texts to her two loyal maids.

Soon, Talon made an entrance with an unconscious Robin. He placed the boy in one of the empty caskets. Delphinium entered another room to keep herself well-hidden. A few minutes after that, Robin woke up. She listened to his conversation with Talon.

"You'll be safe here until I'm done," Talon said to the captive boy.

"You think you can stop him alone?" Robin replied.

"Who says I'm alone?" the man replied.

He freed all of the inhuman armies from the caskets and got them ready to ambush the manor. He left Robin, with the water running. Delphinium saw him leave. She huffed angrily because Talon had taken her experiments along with him.

"Is he trying to kill Damian?" she grunted.

"Miss, we've received your orders. Are you sure?" Tiara asked.

"Yes, you two are my trusted companions. Disguise yourself as the talons and protect my sister," Delphinium ordered the two maids of hers.

She heard Damian grunting. She watched as he tried to free himself from the casket.

"Get to the manor, NOW!" she ordered her maids.

"Understood," Tiara replied.

Daphne was still in Damian's room, staring at the sword on his bed. She was about to take it when Alfred came in with his usual expression, but she knew something was up. She followed the butler to where Bruce and Dick were. Alfred started to fidget on the screen in front of them. Talons had started to invade the manor.

"Red security grid up and active?" Dick asked the butler.

"Unless someone shut it down and didn't bother to tell us," Bruce said, glancing up at Alfred.

"Most unkind, sir…" Alfred muttered.

Daphne pulled on Dick's arm. She looked at him, confused. He held her hand before pushing it away and then, he patted her head.

"Take care of her, Alfred," Dick requested.

"I don't know if it's Bruce Wayne or Batman the Court's come for," Bruce said, pulling on his mask, "But either way, they're about to get a welcome they'll never forget."

"Please be careful," Daphne spoke up.

Batman placed his right hand on her head and said, "Stay safe."

Daphne stared as they exited the place. Alfred took the girl's hand to pull her to follow him. She pulled away and told him that she wanted to go get something in Damian's room. The butler nodded and reminded her to get to the Batcave as soon as she got what she wanted.

"Where are you…Master Damian…?" Daphne muttered.