So sorry about the long wait for this story. It was basically done but I've been so busy with school and the holidays. So here's chapter 7.
It had been a week since Damian had left his brother and father. They would go around Gotham killing murderers, kidnappers, and druggies. Most of the killing was done by Talon, but Damian was the distraction. He wouldn't kill, but him being present was enough for Talon to throw his knifes at them killing them instantly. More than once Talon ordered Damian to kill one of the criminals but he never did. His father and brother were still deep in his head telling him not to. One night Damian had taken the night off because Talon said he needed to clear his head and meditate to get Batman out of his head before going out with him again. Talon had gone out alone secretly telling the Court what he knew of Robin and his heir. While trying to relax, Damian got a message.
Grayson: Hey
Damian: Don't talk to me.
Grayson: Where are you?
Damian: What did I just say idiot?!
Grayson: NO! Why did you leave us? Why did you leave me?!
Damian felt a little hurt after that message and responded without really thinking. He suddenly regretted what he wrote.
Damian: I'm sick of all fathers's crap! He's always telling me what to do and what not to do out there! I'm thirteen years old now! I don't need someone who thinks he's my father bossing me around and hiding me!
Grayson: …
Damian: Look. I didn't mean to snap at you. It's not your fault. I really can't talk to you right now.
Grayson: Alright I guess. Samantha's coming over again tonight anyway. She's so interested in me all of a sudden. It's kind of weird.
Damian: Don't let her in too much.
Grayson: Trust me I won't. See you soon I guess. Miss you.
Damian almost wrote 'Miss you' back but didn't and proceeded to delete all his messages from Dick. After that was done, he hid his phone and relaxed.
Back at the Manor
Dick put his phone down and laid further down on the window seat area in the living room. Dick slightly disappointed that he didn't get to talk to Damian just stared out the window. That's when Bruce came in.
"Hey chum. Guess what? Samantha actually had to cancel tonight so it's just you, me, and Alfred tonight."
"Great." Dick said with hardly any enthusiasm.
"Hey you okay?" Bruce said coming over to sit next to him.
"Yeah I'm okay."
"Are you sure? I know it must still be confusing with the court and everything."
"I'm not scared…as much."
"Do you think Alfred or I would ever let anything happen to you?"
"I know you won't. I'm still just so confused."
"So am I. But that's what the court wants you to feel. They want to be able to control you at your weakest point. You have to be strong to get through this Dick. We'll be here to help you along the way."
"Yeah; sure."
"Come on. Let's go downstairs. It's time to put an end to this." Bruce and Dick went down to the cave to the computer to do more research. He pulled out a tray with bones on them that looked old.
"What's this?" Dick asked examining the bones on the table.
"This is Alan Wayne, my great, great-grandfather." Dick's eyes went wide and slowly backed away from the bones.
"So…you keep your grandfather's bones down here too?"
"No, this is just for a special case."
"Mine?"
"Yup." Bruce said and took one of the bones and put it under the scanner.
"How is your grandfather connected to my…grandfather?"
"Well towards the end of his life, my grandfather suddenly had a great fear of birds."
"Why? There's nothing wrong with birds. They fly around the sky and sing their pretty songs and save Gotham City from evil." Dick said pretending to fly and fight invisible enemies.
"Well little robins do that but owls more specifically seemed to haunt him. They say it eventually drove him mad and he died because of it."
"That's odd."
"Exactly."
"But how does this relate to the court?"
"Remember how I got attacked last week at work?"
"Yeah, but I wish you didn't."
"So do I. But anyway, I have a theory that the court may have been what my grandfather was afraid of. I remember my father told me once that he kept saying that the owls were everywhere; even in his home. So maybe grandfather didn't die because of falling down a manhole; maybe the court got a hold of him because they had access wherever Grandfather went."
"That may have explained why he went mad. Wait; if that's true…couldn't they be here right now?" Dick asked looking around nervously.
"I've discovered every passageway in the whole house Dick. No one gets in here without my knowledge." Bruce said showing his phone that showed the security system was on.
"Good."
"Now I have to go on patrol real quick. I'll be back soon." Bruce said and called Alfred who was upstairs to come down to escort Dick upstairs. Even walking up to the house upstairs from the cave required Dick to be with someone.
"I really don't like being treated like a baby."
"I know. This is just temporary until I stop the court."
"And find Damian?"
"Yes. And find Damian."
"I hope he's alright."
"I'm sure he is." Bruce said now changing to Batman. That's when Alfred came down.
"Bye Bruce."
"Bye Dick. Alfred."
Break*Break*Break
Meanwhile Damian had almost had enough and followed Talon trying to get a clue at where he was going. He suddenly stopped on one of the roofs in the city.
"I know you're there Robin." He said and Damian now Robin came out.
"I just wanted to tell you that I've gathered enough evidence on Tuckers. With this he'll be in prison for life."
"And then just break out of jail using his lawyers just like every other time. You could have ended it right there. But he's still in your head isn't he; The Batman? He's like a father to you isn't he?"
"Something like that. He's one of the few people who's acted like a father to me."
"I know how it feels to not have a father in your life. I lost mine years ago and it tore our family up. Then the court found me and trained me. It was like having a real family again; One that listens to you and helps you when you need it most. I want to give what they gave me to you. Join me and the court. Together we can make Gotham safe again."
"I think you've done quite enough." Another voice said. The two looked where the voice was coming from and saw Batman.
"How did you…?"
"You aren't very hard to track considering the bloody trail you've left behind."
"It doesn't matter now. This is where you chose Robin; him, or me and the court. There's no turning back after this." Talon said and left the two. Batman started to go after him but was blocked by Robin.
"Out of my way Robin. We've got to stop him. You don't understand he's part of something big."
"He sees something in me that you never did; something that none of you saw in me."
"He's using you Robin to get to me; worse he's using you to get to Richard."
"Right. It's always about him isn't it? Grayson gets to go out as he pleases while I'm stuck at home trying to please you."
"You're really going back there?"
"No. This doesn't have to do with Grayson. It has to do with you! All of this has been about you!"
"I don't have time for this. Get out of the way and go home before…" Batman said and suddenly Robin blocked his way with a baterang.
"Or what?" Robin asked getting angry.
"Cobb's right about one thing. The choice you make tonight will define you for the rest of your life." Batman said and tried to grapple away when his line was cut by Robin. Now Damian let all his anger go and ran to attack his father. He tried to use some acrobatics that Dick had taught him but Batman countered almost every one. The fight eventually led to the two falling and throwing punches at each other. Batman was purposely going easy on him because this was still his son. Finally the two crashed into the Gotham Art Museum. Batman quickly grabbed Robin and pinned him to his chest seeing that they were falling towards a hard, clay statue. Batman got the most of the pain and Robin came up and started hitting him again. He then grabbed a sharp shard and raised it to stab his father.
"If this is what you want then do it!" Batman shouted. Robin immediately stopped and thought about Dick. What would he say if he saw his big brother about to kill their father? Not only that but he had a flashback of all the horrible things he did to Dick during his first few days at the manor; including how he had almost tried to stab himself with a similar looking shard all because of him. It had taken him forever to have his trust even after the brotherhood ceremony. He couldn't cause his brother any more pain. Robin shouted an angry howl, and slammed the shard down to his feet missing Batman completely.
"Now let's go home." Batman said after getting back up.
"My home isn't with you. It never was." Robin said and left without saying another word. This was his final choice. He was going to become Talon's protégée and take them down once he had their trust. Then he would leave Gotham forever never seeing or talking to his father or brother ever again. Yes he would still check up on him but never live at the manor again. Once he got back to Talon's apartment, there was a note.
-Glad you made the right choice. Be back later. Wait up for me. –T
Break*Break*Break
After his little 'fight' with Damian, Batman decided to check the sewage area where Alan Wayne's body was found.
"The sewers again sir?" Alfred asked who was listening back at the cave with Dick who was close to falling asleep.
"Seems like we're always up to our necks in sewage. This is just about where Alan Wayne's body was found. Based on the autopsy reports you sent me, the fall wasn't what killed him. He looked to have been tortured somehow."
"The owls?" Dick asked.
"Most likely. There's one section of the tunnels that have been shut down since the 1800s." Batman said and walked further into the sewer.
"Maybe that's why your grandfather said the owls were everywhere. They used the sewers and tunnels to follow him wherever he went just like you said Bruce."
"Right, hold on a sec." Batman said when he came to a wall that wasn't completely solid. He then got out his explosive gel and the wall exploded leading to another long tunnel. I've found some kind of corridor." Batman said but the line was starting to pick up static on the manor's side.
"Sir your transmission is breaking up!" Alfred said.
"There's some kind of Oder in here. It's sweet and moldy. Hang on…I found…" Batman said and suddenly the transmission was disconnected as well as Batman's detective vision. Dick gasped in part fear part nervousness. Alfred put a hand on his shoulder for comfort and wished Batman luck.
Meanwhile Batman walked to the end of the hall and came across a large meeting room surrounded by people wearing owl masks and Talon standing there at the podium.
"Welcome Batman. We've been expecting you."
"Where's Robin?"
"Not to worry he'll be fine with me. From what he told you earlier I see something in him that you don't. But never mind that. May I introduce you to the Court of Owls?" Talon said.
"You've been watching me."
"In the tunnels, in the streets, we are observing and recording your every move."
"Just as I suspected."
"Did you also suspect that those ancient sewers were filled with an odorless psychotropic gas that enters through the pours of your body and maws at the roots of the mind? Turning the mind inside out until it resembles nothing more than a labyrinth." Batman suddenly gasped as he started feeling very dizzy and his head started hurting very painfully. Suddenly the floor beneath him started to break and he starting falling hundreds of feet down.
When he finally woke up he had managed to dodge a giant owl that almost attacked him. His eyes were dark red and he felt exhausted and very dizzy. True to Talon's word, he was in a large labyrinth with no way out by the look of it.
"You think this will scare me?! I'll get out of here and put an end to this damn thing!" Batman shouted and proceeded forward. He wasn't sure how long exactly he had been going but he had to keep going. If not for stopping the court but Dick was counting on him. Damian was counting on him. He needed to protect them at all cost being one of the few things that kept him going. Finally he got to one portion of the labyrinth that had pictures of poor tortured souls that he guessed the court had managed to kill. Batman was almost exhausted and hungry that he almost let himself collapse until something that caught his eye; A picture of a tortured Alan Wayne. Then next to it were pictures of Bruce Wayne's life. From his birth, happy days spent with his parents, their murder, taking over as CEO of his company, the day he went to Haly's Circus and saw the death of two acrobats, going to the detention center and taking in a young six year old Dick Grayson as his ward, happy moments with him, and there even were a few pictures of him, Dick, and Damian together.
'Wait, how did they know about Damian? We've kept him secret for the past two years. The only people that knew about him besides the main family were Talia, the league, Selena, and…'
'Samantha.'
Bruce couldn't believe it. Yes he suspected Samantha's involvement once she started asking all these personal questions about Dick. 'Wait if Samantha's involved then Alfred won't suspect her suddenly turning up, claiming that she's waiting for me to get home, then she could kidnap him!' That was all the strength he needed to snap out of it and focus on getting out of here.
Break*Break*Break
Three days had passed since Robin had the fight with his father. When Talon had returned three days earlier, he had told Robin that the court was ready to accept him. The only main thing that he needed to do was show his loyalty to the court by giving up his identity. Damian thought long and hard about it and figured that since no one knew who he was, there was no harm in giving up his identity. He would just be some boy from the streets that no one cared about. Without hesitating he accepted and now they were standing before the court.
"Talon, introduce your protégée." The grandmaster said.
"It is my honor to present this boy to the court. I've seen firsthand what he can do. If he keeps this up he may have a great destiny ahead." Talon said.
"That may be so, but we must be certain of his loyalty." Grandmaster said and Robin came over and bowed his head.
"You have my word."
"We are the Court of Owls. We require more than words. Remove your mask and prove your loyalty." Robin hesitated for a minute but remembered that this was all for his brother. No one knew who he was. He then took off his mask revealing his green eyes to the court.
"The boy; it's Bruce Wayne's ward." Grandmaster said. Damian froze and his eyes went wide. How did they know about him? No one did.
"How did you…"
"That means Wayne is…Batman."
"What?!" Talon shouted. He had no idea that Wayne was Batman. Not only that, but his grandson was associated with the court's enemy.
"No! You're wrong! He's…" Damian shouted but suddenly a cage came out of the floor trapping him.
"This changes everything. This is how we destroy Batman for good! Break his heart and his will. We kill this boy and you take your grandson away from him forever."
"Grandmaster he's still in the labyrinth." A fellow member said.
"You don't know Wayne like I do. He's very resourceful and will find a way out. But he will come rushing back to us just to save his precious wards. Then after we despose of him, you're free to have your grandson."
"No."
"No? Isn't that what you wanted?"
"It was. Then I find out that he betrayed me. He betrayed us. He was in our grasp until Wayne took him in. Now he's aligned himself with our enemies. I'm disgraced by him. Nothing compares to the betrayal because he took everything I've sacrificed and made it worthless. I must end him."
"NO! Don't you dare touch him! If you so much as harm one hair on his head I'll murder you!"
"I'd like to see you try. I'll do as you say Grandmaster but first I would like to deal with my grandson."
"No. You handpicked this boy to be the next Talon. As you said yourself it is his destiny as the Gray Son of Gotham. We will not be getting rid of him so easily."
"I was the one that made him. I have every right to destroy him."
"You dare to disobey the Grandmaster?!"
"Yes, I do." He said and before anyone could move, Talon jumped up and killed the grandmaster by taking his heart out. The members of the court started running and those who weren't fast enough got a knife stick in their backs. After that was done, Talon turned his full attention to Damian who was reaching for his belt with all his might. He had blown it; now his brother was going to pay for his mistake. He had to get out and take him as far away from Gotham as he could. He didn't care if his father objected; no one was killing his brother. He would have to go through the best assassin in the world first.
"You lied to me. Batman was right!"
"Don't worry. I won't ask you to betray him any longer. I'll deal with Bruce Wayne and my disgrace for a grandson." Talon said and had slammed Damian's head hard against the cage knocking him out.
I can't believe I'm saying this guys but we only have two chapters left! This was really fun while it lasted and the next two chapters are probably going to be my favorite but bittersweet because it's ending. Hope you guys enjoyed it and see you in 2017!
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LaurenHardy13