"Whoo, now that's what I'm talking about!" Jinx cheered as she, Raven and Cyborg celebrated as they have claimed triumph over the Robin, Starfire and Beast in a game of volley ball on the roof. Since a boys vs girls match would've given the latter an easy win, Starfire went with her boyfriend and Garfield so that the weaker side had a better chance. However, Jinx's acrobatics, Cyborg's day long stamina and Raven's levelheadedness prevailed against their opponents.
"Yeah! While close, we have dominated! Booyah!" Cyborg laughed in agreement.
"So good." Raven chuckled as she basked in their glory in her cloak.
"You two girls sure know how to be in sync." Nightwing chuckled.
"Oh yes. But we have had the fun, which is what is important." Starfire said as she cuddled close to the titan leader.
"Say, do you guys smell something burning?" Beast wondered, smelling something. It wasn't until a moment later that they saw smoke coming from within the tower.
"A fire?!" Nightwing wondered as they all went to the source. "Did anyone leave any kitchen appliances on?!" Everyone denied having used the kitchen to cook something though. Upon entering the living room though, they saw no fire.
"Hmm, nothing is burning. What could've happened to make the smoke?"
"I don't know. What do you think Cy?" No response. "Cyborg?" They turned to see he wasn't there. "Wha?! I thought he was behind you Jinx!"
"I thought he was behind you!" She claimed as well.
"Let's split up. Beast, Raven; you go find Cyborg while the rest of us look for where the smoke is coming from." Nodding, the green shapeshifter turned into a bloodhound and sniffed for a lead while his girlfriend followed. After a bit of searching, Jinx found something behind the TV.
"Nightwing, isn't this..." Handing the piece to her leader, the titan leader recognized it.
"A batarang? What would Batman be doing here? Especially like this?"
Going to Cyborg's room, Beast was able to trace the missing titan's scent. They went inside to see that he was asleep on the metal table called his bed. "He's sleeping? That's usually my thing."
"No Beast, if he were sleeping he'd be hooked up. Someone put him here." The sorceress said as she pointed out the wires that's supposed to be installed when actually sleeping. The green hero then sensed something. His spider hairs detected a movement of the air behind them so he pushed Raven out of the way from a sneak attack aimed at her.
"Wait, Batman?!" Beast asked incredulously as the dark knight took out a few batarangs and threw them at the titans, which were deflected by a shield of black energy from Raven.
"Why are you doing this?" The half-demon titan asked, but the older super hero did not say anything as he used a grappling hook to shoot in between them. Dodging the initial line, they were caught off guard when he zipped towards them at a fast pace and knocked the two away from each other. Turning into a rhino, Beast charged at the dark knight but he leapt over the green animal, placing multiple bombs on the large body. Crashing into a wall, Beast was unprepared when the bombs were sticky bombs, and he became stuck to the wall in black goop.
"Ah! Not again!" Garfield complained as he tried to escape but was too stuck. Raven sent her soul-self to try and catch him but Batman disappeared into the shadows of the room before it could tag him. She tried sensing his emotions out, but there weren't any. How? Shaking her head, she went to the struggling green hero.
"Don't worry Garfield, I'll-ah!" Raven was pulled up into the dark ceiling, too quickly so to try and defend herself.
"Raven!" Not long after that, the titan tower lock down procedure activated as the windows in the living room became blinded with folding metal walls meant for keeping intruders out. Or in. The lights also went out where it was going in and out with red light.
"They're trying to put us at a disadvantage!" Nightwing observed. In between the blinking lights, there was nobody but the three of them, until Batman appeared.
"Batman, what's going-Agh!" The titan leader tried to ask his former mentor something when he was struck down by a punch to the cheek, sending the young man down to the ground.
"Nightwing! I do not know what you intend, but no one strikes my Robin!" Starfire declared as she flew in to deliver a punch, but the dark knight side stepped it. The Tamaranean warrior gave to round house kicks to try and catch him behind her, but he simply ducked and swiped her foot off the ground before switching and using his other leg to kick her into the couch with enough force to knock it back off its intended side. Nightwing was able to get up and produce his staff, trying to use its reach to his advantage but Batman simply grabbed hold of it and gave Richard a right upper-cut to his chin before kicking his steward in the stomach. Jinx leapt over the incoming teammate whom crashed into the tv, and tried to use unpredictable acrobatics, first attempting to punch the hostile superhero in the face followed by a second punch, then back flip kick which lead into a flying spin kick. All of which he dodged before grabbing her extended leg and then slamming the female metahuman into the floor. For once though, Batman was punched in the face by Starfire trying to protect her friend. He rolled back up onto his feet and side stepped another punch. This time though he grabbed her wrist and proceeded to punch her elbow so that it bent awkwardly. Koriand'r screamed as he pulled her into to punch the Tamaranean in the face then let go so he could kick her into Jinx. The two girls groaned while Batman turned towards his former protege. Taking out a Birdarang, he threw it at Batman's feet, whom narrowed his eyes. Richard smirked.
"My turn." He said as he pressed the button on his belt, and the device called a sonic wingding produced a high pitched noise which forced Batman to growl as he was covered his ears. He was able to stomp on the device, but he was too momentarily occupied to see an eskrima stick come in to shock him, which provided the titan leader the perfect opening to shove his stick at Batman's throat, 50,000 volts coursing into his body until the older hero dropped down unconscious. Nightwing watched as he put his weapon away, looking down at his groaning master. "Sorry Bruce."
"So, you guys think it could be a robot?" Beast asked as they all looked down at the straight jacket wearing Batman in Raven's doomsday chamber. Normally this would be nothing for the dark knight, but Raven's magic helped this would ensure he didn't get out.
"No, if it were a robot then it wouldn't be breathing right now." Nightwing replied. "He's real, and he's under mind control."
"How do you know that?" Raven inquired.
"My mask isn't just for obscuring my eyes anymore. It has a HUD screen in it and I noticed that something seemed off. I also took a look at his eyes and they were glowing. I'm going to have to call Alfred." Nightwing left the group.
"I'm going to see what's possibly controlling Batman." Raven told them. Placing her hands around his head, the half-demon plunged in before being immediately ejected with a yelp as she landed on her butt.
"Rae, what happened?!" Beast helped his girlfriend up.
"Batman has some of the strongest mental shields I've ever encountered. I could barely dig into anything, but there was something I noticed.
"What is it?"
"Something involving an owl."
"Missing? When?" Richard asked his faithful butler, Alfred.
"A few days. He went to follow a trail and he's disappeared. I didn't inform you because this isn't the first time he's gone off the radar, and he's come back exhausted yet passably fine. But now knowing you have him detained after he attacked you, this is something serious."
"But what could take control of Batman?" The young superhero questioned when he friends came up.
"Yo Night, why is Batman's mind going coo coo with owls?" Beast asked him.
"Owsl? Owls... owls, that's it!"
"What is it Richard?" Starfire inquired. "How did the nocturnal owls mind control the Batman?"
"It wasn't actual birds that controlled him, Star, but a group of people. They call themselves the Court of Owls. The bat family has dealt with them multiple times. They're as old as Gotham itself from colonial times, made up of the most richest in the city, if not the entire sea board. They kidnap children and raise them to be assassins called Talons."
"So this so called Court of Owls was somehow able to control Batman, but I could not discern how." Raven admitted. "I could not see anything in his mind aside from owls."
"His mind is even greater than his Olympic body. I guess until now, I believed that he was completely immune to mental attacks thanks to his decades of training. Looks like we'll have to go back to Gotham to help Batman." Loading Batman into their jet and having Titans East cover Jump City, the Teen Titans flew to Gotham.
Landing their jet inside the Bat Cave, Alfred was there to greet them.
"Greeting Teen Titans. The others already know of your arrival. Master Victor, let me escort you to Master Bruce's emergency chamber when he needs to be detain for his own good."
"Why would Batman need that?" The metallic titan asked in a confused tone.
"He's Batman. He's prepared for anything." Cyborg followed the Butler to put Bruce away. Going over to the computer, Nightwing went though his last few entries on any activities on the Court of Owls.
"Hmm, there's some trails, and possibly linked murders of prominent figures, but without further analyzing I can't really tell what his lead was." The titan leader hummed.
"I could try and find it." Beast volunteered.
"Are you sure? These leads are a few days old at the latest." Nightwing asked skeptically, but the green shapeshifter chuckled.
"Fool, I have the most powerful senses on the planet. I can do it."
"Well, alright. But Raven will have to make you look like a regular animal."
"I can do that." The sorceress shrugged. "I can just alter how light bounces off of his body so that he appears the color he can be."
"Cool, hit me up mama." The superhero said.
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Casting her spell, Beast began to look different as his skin tone and hair color began to look like to look more normal.
"Hmm, back to being Garfield Logan again." Garfield himself remarked.
"This time, I was able to improve on the spell by focusing on your body's reaction to light instead of your biology, so you can look normal and shapeshift unlike last time." Richard also equipped him with a this technological membrane.
"And this will keep track of your coordinates. We'll be able to constantly know where you are and what you hear."
"Sweet. Wish me luck. Turning into a brown dog, Raven teleported him into the city where one of Batman's trails was last investigated. Raven, along with Jinx and Starfire, also decided to do their own investigation as their civilian counterparts and departed into the night. Hours have passed, and there were many leads, though many wound up in failure. Beast was digging through the sewers while the girls discreetly looked through, using Raven's mystical senses and Jinx's experienced criminal eye to look for anything of suspect. Long into the night did the shapeshifter find something. It was something that smelled like the freshest. Nightwing and Cyborg were manning the computers when the girls came back.
"What did you find?" The titan leader questioned.
"Through our search, we find out what is controlling Batman. Although it was replaced with a fake, there's a crystal that had the same feel as inside his head and in the museum case. As much as I am against destroying historical artifacts, it will have to be destroyed to free him."
"We found something too. Beast found a building that was built by the Alan Wayne Trust, founded by Bruce's ancestor. Someone owns it but he appears to be non-related to the matter. Actually, there's a few buildings that still stand to this day. We'll investigate the one Beast found, then the others if it's no good."
"Master Richard, while you're talking about this, perhaps you'd like to have some late dinner and good rest before going off? It is nearing daybreak after all."
"Yeah, I could go for some food and sleep if I being honest." Beast yawned on his side.
"Okay. We'll make a plan while recovering, then we'll resume once we're ready." The titan leader obliged. "You guys go on ahead while I share this with everyone else." After a dinner and sleeping through the morning and early afternoon, it was time to enact the plan once night fell. Richard, Kori, Holly and Victor went off in their disguises while Raven was back in the Batcave doing her own research to help Batman with Alfred, Oracle and Red Robin helping. Barbara and Tim were on the computer while Raven and Alfred were doing books. Beast meanwhile was surveying the other Trust buildings as a hawk.
"Alright Beast, I've got the schematics." Tim told him. "While they appear to be clean, Oracle and I put each through a scanner and found a hidden room which was edited out."
"I wonder how the Waynes got tangled with the Court of Owls?" The shapeshifter wondered.
"Bruce believed his ancestor was killed by the Court, but couldn't find anything of solid evidence." Barbara explained. "Even Alan Wayne's death itself is considered a mystery as to exactly what did him in."
Thanks to Jinx's lock picking and Cyborg's security override, the four titans were able to enter the first building on their list. It was a small pharmaceutical business, nothing that appeared to be special. However, Robin was able to notice that there were worn scratch marks on the floor and wall next to a medicine cabinet. Putting on his mask to scan the cabinet, Nightwing found three medicines which he noticed were both alphabetically out of order and had a connection. Omeprazole, Wal-dram & Levothyroxine. OWL. Getting the counter key, the young sleuth accessed the cabinet and picked out the three components. All three of them removed triggered a pressure system which resulted in the cabinet rolling to the right to reveal a hidden staircase.
"Nice work detective." Holly whispered the remark as she went down first followed by Victor.
"The nice work indeed." Kori quietly giggled as she kissed his cheek. Richard chuckled as they headed down. It was then that Oracle and Red Robin lost their GPS location.
"They went off the grid. At least I know where we lost them." Barbara said. "Damian, Jason, please look for them at the coordinates I'm sending you." She said to the bat members that were on patrol.
"Roger that." Red Hood replied.
"Fine." Red Bird said.
"Tim, you, Stephanie and Cassandra go help with Beast with the others."
"Alright." Taking his leave, it was just Oracle at the computers. The Teen Titans had to navigate through a maze under and beyond the pharmacy, which had disturbing imagery on the walls with no words, but must've been some great significance to the Court which they didn't understand. While navigating the maze was tricky due to light being very dim, Nightwing's high perception and Jinx's luck were able to keep them from falling for any traps which were activated. It took hours, but they were eventually able to find a door, take off their holo-ring disguises before entering, and found themselves in filled with people wearing owl masks. Crates littered the room.
"We've been expecting you, Teen Titans." One of the men said.
"It was only a matter of time." One of the women said.
"So, you're the Court of Owls." Richard responded. "If I can ask just one thing, why did you use Batman to attack us?"
"Your promotion to the Justice League ranks... concerned us."
"We already have our hands full with Batman. You and your friends only complicate that matter."
"Jump City is our jurisdiction." Nightwing retorted. "We have as much involvement as Red Hood with his freelancing."
"You six represent a more dangerous thorn in our plans than any one of Batman's inner affiliates. You were chosen to be taken out, and that's what will happen right here." Talon assassins broke through the crates, and the one closest to Richard would've been able to land a sneak attack if a bullet didn't create a new hole in his skull. All the talons stopped when they saw that Jason and Damian were able to join the titans.
"'Scuse us for being late for the party. We had to navigate through triggered traps." Red Hood remarked.
"Now I can finally use my assassin skills properly on you immortal beings."
"Right. We don't have to hold back." Nightwing nodded. "Titans, go!" With free range of doing whatever they want since they weren't technically killing, they were somewhat easy to take down. While Red Bird and Nightwing were having to deal with defending themselves against martial experts and wouldn't be taken down so easily, the others were having an easier time. Cyborg with his superhuman levels strength and endurance means that any weapon they used shattered against his body while he hit back those that were too close with enough force to break bone, rupture organs and induce brain injury. Sure, their healing factor would kick in, but the fact they were being hurt so easily meant that Cyborg would never be overwhelmed by numbers. Especially when using his sonic cannons on full blast and mini rockets to blow them up. Starfire was screaming like a warrior as she literally flew through the talons, her durability and speed being on such a level they were unused to that even with their martial training and reflexes, they were unable to score any good hits in as she tore through them like a human wrecking ball while shooting eye beams strong enough to cut through their bodies. Jinx, seeing how outmatched she was in combat skill against the talons and didn't have a means of brute forcing her way to victory, hung back with the Robin boys where she could benefit from their defensive team work and provide a hex when needed, such as an enemy's weapon shattering by accident or a blast to keep them from performing counters. The Court of Owls retreated, seeing that even their battle ready regenerative squad was being massacred with victory seeming to be very little against their full, unrestrained might.
Meanwhile in the Batcave, Alfred on his rounds noticed that Batman has broken out of his chamber. "Miss Raven, it appears that Master Bruce has escaped."
"Okay." The sorceress replied as she sent her soul-self out, looking for a mind controlled signal. Homing in on it, Batman was just about to leave his lair when the soul-self manifested right underneath him, sending the superhero back into his chamber which was re-locked and put inside another magical straight jacket, but this time covered in chains and locks as well.
"This should hold you a bit more longer, Bruce." His faithful butler said before leaving.
In another section of the city, which was an apartment complex, Tim knocked on a door to which an attendant opened it.
"Yes?" Tim and two girls, Stephanie and Cassandra, were with him along with Beast as a brown bastion hound. He had a laptop on hand.
"Hey, excuse us. We're looking for a cat our dog believes may have snuck into the building. May we enter?" After considering it, he said,
"Don't cause any trouble." Letting them in, the B group went in and made their investigation. Tim noted that their were a lot of cameras in both the lobby, the stairs and hallways. About multiple stories up, Tim remarked,
"Hmm, I think Spike is having difficulty finding our cat. We'll need to head home and give him a fresh scent again." The two girls and even the dog were confused, but wordlessly agreed as they left the apartments and hung out in the alleyways.
"What's up Tim?" Stephanie asked.
"There's too many cameras. I wanted to hack into their system so that we can investigate easier. "Just give me 15 minutes to fix that.