The first to arrive in the cabin was Dick Grayson. Prior to the war with Apokalips, Dick had been splitting his time between New York, San Francisco, and Bludhaven, running several branches of the Titans, a team of young heroes he formed several years ago. Following Darkseid's invasion, Dick (as Nightwing) had been spending much more time in Gotham and working alongside Batman and his team. Any lingering tensions between Dick and his former mentor from years before had long since been patched up, and Dick was more than happy to assist with the post-war efforts in Gotham. It had been a welcome change of pace for the original Boy Wonder following the destructive conflict with Darkseid's forces. Tragically, the war with Apokalips claimed the life of Dick's fiancée, Princess Koriand'r of the planet Tamaran, also known as Starfire, a longtime member of the Titans.
Following Dick was Barbara Gordon, the former Batgirl who had been retired from active duty for many years, following a life-threatening shooting from the Joker that had left her paralyzed from the waist down. Over the past year, Barbara had been utilizing cutting-edge medical technology to regain the use of her legs, eventually regaining the ability to walk. Thanks to years of her incredible athleticism and training, as well as the help of her teammates, Barbara was managed to rebuild her lower-body strength. Still, Barbara had no desire to put on the cape and cowl once more to join the team in the field, preferring to retain the alias of Oracle and be the Bat-Family's official information broker. Like Dick, Barbara too was mourning the loss of a love interest; she had been engaged to Jason Bard, a GCPD detective and a former combat-wounded member of the United States Marine Corps. Babs and Jason had met while in rehab for their respective injuries, and had eventually fallen in love, and had gotten engaged in the year prior. Tragically, Jason Bard lost his life in the line of duty while working a case investigating domestic terrorism, prior to the Apokalips War.
After activating the cabin's power generator and opening the locked door, Dick and Babs entered the cabin, turning the lights on and getting settled.
"Bruce always kept these places around in case all hell broke loose," Dick observed, "We never really had to use them back in the day though."
"No, we didn't," Barbara agreed, "He sounded pretty shaken up I talked to him."
"So did your Dad at the crime scenes," Dick remarked, "I've never seen either of them like this."
"Ever since he started with the Justice League, Bruce always would talk about what would happen if we were ever found out," Barbara reminded her longtime teammate, "Especially once you started running with the Titans…no offense."
"None taken," Dick replied, "As long as I've known him, he's always been two steps in front of everyone and everything. Something rattled him about the murders at City Hall, and that breakout at Arkham too."
"He wouldn't have had us meet him here unless it was serious," Barbara observed, "I'm worried about my Dad; if someone knows about us and is after Bruce, I'm worried he could be targeted next."
"Does your Dad know that Bruce is Batman, or that you were Batgirl?" Dick asked, "Honestly, with all the years they've known each other, I'd be shocked if he didn't at least suspect something."
"Two words: plausible deniability," Barbara replied, "I'm sure my Dad suspects something, but he's never indicated it. Not to me, anyway."
"I'm sure Bruce is watching him closely," Dick said, "As close as we can anyway, without bringing him here and blowing our cover."
Opening the front door and joining them was Tim Drake, the current Robin, followed by the team's newest recruits: Stephanie Brown (AKA The Spoiler), the estranged daughter of low-level criminal Arthur "The Cluemaster" Brown, as well as Cassandra Cain (AKA Orphan), daughter of assassins David Cain and Sandra Wu-San (AKA Lady Shiva). Her mother, Lady Shiva, was one of the deadliest martial artists on the planet, and her father, David had been a bodyguard for Ra's al Ghul, training his daughter to become a living weapon; instead of being able to read, write, or speak, Cass had been able to read body language, enabling her to become a formidable fighter. Although she was mute, Cass was able to communicate through sign language. Both Stephanie and Cassandra had escaped from dysfunctional, abusive families, but sought refuge with the Bat-Family, both being trained extensively by Bruce, Barbara, and Tim.
"Guys, what the hell is going on?" Tim asked, as he and the girls walked in, looking concerned. "We can't get a hold of Bruce or Alfred either."
"Bruce must have had a good reason for sending us all here," Barbara theorized, "The GPS on his cargo van is saying that he's on his way. Alfred and Selina are probably with him."
"What about Leslie and Lucius?" Tim asked, referring to Dr. Leslie Thompkins, a longtime friend of the Wayne family, as well as Lucius Fox, CEO of Wayne Enterprises and the Gotham Knights' unofficial supplier of weapons, vehicles, and other technology.
"Leslie is visiting her family in Metropolis," Dick answered, "Lucius has his family home for Thanksgiving. First one all together since his son Luke returned from deployment. So far, that's all we know."
The conversation came to a halt when the group overheard the sound of a new vehicle pulling in. In the front door walked Bruce, albeit without the two guests the rest of his team was expecting. Dick recognized Talia immediately; during his tenure as Robin, Dick was kidnapped by Ra's al Ghul as part of a twisted plot to recruit Bruce to his cause.
"What the hell is she doing here?" Dick immediately exclaimed, dumbfounded to see the daughter of one of the most dangerous terrorists in the world standing next to his mentor.
"Hello, Richard. My goodness, you have grown and matured quite nicely," Talia flirtatiously quipped, before surveying the rest of the team in front of her, "Some of you I recognize, although we haven't all formally met." Cassandra glared at Talia; as a child, her father had worked for and trained with the League of Shadows on many occasions.
"This is Talia al Ghul," Bruce interrupted, explaining Talia's presence, "I brought her in because her father is missing. She's confirmed that the League of Shadows is behind the murders at City Hall and the breakout at Arkham. They also broke into the mansion and took Alfred and Selina." The team gasped in horror; amazed that anyone would be able to bypass the state-of-the-art security systems surrounding Wayne Manor and the Batcave.
"The same way they kidnapped me all those years ago," Dick remarked, referring to their first encounter with Ra's al Ghul, "You really expect us to believe that she's not behind this? And now she's in one of your safe houses?!" The conversation suddenly came to a halt when Damian walked into the room, staying close to his mother with a defensive posture and glaring at Dick.
"Bite your tongue, Grayson," Damian warned, "If my mother wanted it, you'd all be dead already." Dick and the rest of the team were absolutely dumbfounded at this little boy who spoke with more eloquence and intensity that most adults they knew.
"Woah, wait a minute..." Dick said, looking at Damian and looking at Bruce, then at Talia, then back at Damian. Dick and the rest of the team were in total shock as they realized who this boy was.
"Everyone, this is Damian...he's my son," Bruce said, trying to break the news as tactfully as possible, "Apparently Talia had more than one surprise for us tonight."
The team was in complete disbelief. Tim and Stephanie had no prior experience or interaction with Talia or her father before, while Dick and Barbara were the most taken aback.
"I knew it," Dick muttered under his breath to Barbara, "I knew he and Talia had something going on back in the day!"
"Cass, did you know about this?" Stephanie asked Cassandra, who shrugged her shoulders and gave her response in sign language.
When I trained with Talia, I knew she had a son, Cass signed, But I didn't know who the father was.
"Uh, hi...I'm Tim," Tim awkwardly attempted to break the tension, by offering a friendly handshake. Damian, far from being in a friendly mood, merely stood and stared at Tim in contempt, refusing to shake his hand.
Breaking up the awkwardness of the introduction, Bruce's phone began to ring. Looking at the number on the caller ID, Bruce immediately recognized it as one of the emergency lines he kept for Lucius Fox. The rest of the room quieted immediately as Bruce answered, putting it on speaker.
"Lucius, what's wrong? Are you safe?" Bruce asked, doing his best to remain calm.
"Mr. Wayne? This is Luke Fox, I'm Lucius's son," the other voice replied, "I don't know if you remember me..."
"Yes, Luke, of course," Bruce replied, "I'm glad you're back home for the holiday. Thank you for your service! We're all very proud of what you have done."
"Thank you, sir. Unfortunately, I have some terrible news," Luke replied, growing emotional, "My father's been kidnapped. Someone broke into his house took him."
"Have you called the police?" Bruce asked, growing concerned.
"Yes, sir, absolutely," Luke replied, "The police said there was a note behind, but they didn't say what the demands were or what was said on it."
"Luke, I'm so sorry," Bruce replied, "But I have to ask; how did you get this number?"
"I got an encrypted message sent to my phone," Luke explained, "My father's security system sent me explicit instructions on what to do in case something ever happened to him. The directions led me to a secret lock-box with a burner phone, instructions to call this number, and blueprints for a series of experimental tech that was off the books...but apparently with Batman in mind. That's all I know so far. I haven't told the police about this, but there must be a reason my father would send this to me. Is there something you'd like to tell me, Mr. Wayne?"
Bruce took a pause. Lucius had been one of his closest allies for years; his disappearance, along with Alfred's and Selina's could not be a coincidence. There was no mistaking it now, he was being targeted. Bruce also noticed countless notifications, missed calls, and texts from his personal assistants, contacts in the local press, and the police.
"Luke, I promise I will explain everything to you this afternoon," Bruce said, "For now, I need you to stay with your family and make sure they are safe. Meet me at Wayne Tower tomorrow. I'll need to give a press conference. We are going to do everything in our power to find your father and bring him back home."
After hanging up, Bruce addressed his team.
"It's been a long night, and there are plenty of rooms here. You should all get some rest," Bruce suggested, as he began making a list of people to call. The sun had been rising and they had all been up all night, "Bruce Wayne needs to make a few statements to the press and the police."
"Are you sure about this?" Barbara asked, "Going out there in the public when people are after you. Not Batman, but you?"
"It's a risk, but it's necessary," Bruce said, "Besides Barbara, your father has been trying to give me a call. The police are going to need a statement from me, and probably all of you eventually. At least this way, I can keep an eye on your father, and make sure he's safe for the time being."
"What about them?" Dick asked, motioning to Talia and Damian.
"Like it or not, they're part of this now too," Bruce replied, "The safest place for them is here until we can figure out our next move."
"I can help you, Father," Damian offered eagerly, "No one knows more about the League and their methods than Mother and I."
"Absolutely not," Bruce insisted, "I need you to stay with your mother and the others until I say so."
"Listen to your father, Damian," Talia concurred. Damian huffed in frustration at being treated like a child.
"You all might as well get some rest," Bruce suggested, as he began to walk out the door, "I'm going to check the mansion and try to check for any clues before the police arrive. I'll be in touch as soon as I find out more. Barbara, you should probably call your father; Tim, same for you and your parents, so they're not worried. Until then, I'll need you all to stay put; radio silent. We need to keep this as contained as possible until we know exactly what we're up against."
After Bruce walked out and closed the door behind him, Damian was still frustrated.
"He could be walking into a trap, Mother," Damian pleaded, "He shouldn't be going out there alone!"
"Your father is very wise and resourceful, Damian," Talia explained, "This is Gotham City; this is his world, not ours. One way or another, he will find your Grandfather." Talia then looked at Cass, who still gave her a disapproving look.
"You would not dare look at me that way during our training sessions all those years ago, child," Talia said, growing stern, "Were it not for your new master, I would happily teach you another lesson in respect."
Cass began to angrily approach Talia before Tim and Stephanie got between the two, attempting to diffuse a potentially hostile situation.
"Hi, Miss...al Ghul?" Stephanie said, nervously trying to introduce herself, "I'm Stephanie, I'm still relatively new to all this, but you seem like you're genuinely here to help, and I just want to say that I, for one, very much appreciate any help. It's obvious that we all want to help rescue the people we care about, and we're really not looking for any trouble here."
"You're right, Steph," Babs piped in, "Bruce is right too, we're all pretty exhausted right now and should get some rest. Something tells me we're going to need it very soon."
"There's still one question that needs to be asked, and I think I know the answer already," Tim interjected, "Talia, if you didn't give that order to the League, and if Ra's is missing, who do you think could be behind it? Bruce said he saw photos of Bane at Arkham, but can we be sure he's the one behind it? Who else would have the resources, the knowledge of Gotham's criminal underworld as well as our secret identities, the ability to infiltrate both Arkham Asylum and the Batcave, and the motive to target Bruce specifically?"
"Jason Todd might," Talia suggested, matter-of-factly, "He has held a grudge against Bruce for not killing the Joker when he had the chance. And he wishes to eliminate Gotham's most dangerous, psychotic criminals, partially based on his experiences during his tenure as Robin."
"But to kidnap Alfred, Selina, and Lucius? That's crossing a line, even for him," Barbara said, "Jason may not be Bruce's biggest fan right now, but he loved Alfred. He was one of us."
"Ra's brought him back using the Lazarus Pits," Dick began, "Did Jason join the League?"
"Not officially," Talia answered, "We healed his injuries and trained him; we gave him the tools to build a new life, but he never expressed interest in joining the League of Shadows. After he came back to Gotham last year, he never returned to us. Ironically, had he joined with us, we would have given him what he wanted the most."
"What do you mean?" Stephanie asked, "What does he want?"
"The death of the Joker," Talia stated, "My father has had that madman detained for the past year, imprisoned in one of our dungeons, kept in a semi-comatose state thanks to a cocktail of medications."
"You've had the Joker imprisoned for a year?!" Dick asked, "Why would Ra's keep the Joker alive?"
"I do not know, I only found out about this days ago," Talia answered, "I know my father has imprisoned his enemies before, but I was not aware that the Joker was one of them. During the war with Apokalips, the prison had been destroyed. It's possible the Joker could have been killed then."
"We should be so lucky," Barbara scoffed, "Even if what you're saying is true, that means the Joker could be alive out there somewhere. Based on what we found at City Hall and Arkham, he's got to be connected to this somehow. He might even be behind it."
"If he is, I doubt he's working alone," Dick suggested, "Jason wouldn't have let him live, and there's no way Joker could be controlling the League of Shadows. He's persuasive, but he's not that persuasive."
"There is another possible suspect," Damian piped in, displaying several articles and photos on a tablet he carried with him, "Lex Luthor might have the resources, cunning, and motive to manipulate the Joker, Todd, Bane, and even my grandfather in order to cause chaos in Gotham."
The rest of the team paused, and looked at Damian. At first, they didn't consider the Luthor factor, but Damian continued to explain his theory.
"During the Apokalips War, Luthor and several other metahumans, mercenaries, and enemies of the Justice League agreed to work together with the rest of Earth's defenders in exchange for their freedom, or at least reduced sentences," the boy explained, "It's possible that Luthor could have deduced Father's secret identity, assuming he had not already done so before, and may be targeting Gotham as a means to distract Batman while he has a larger plan for the rest of the Justice League, Justice Society, the Titans, etc."
"That…actually makes sense," Tim said, dumbfounded and shocked that he didn't consider that possibility himself, "But even so, we still need to find who has Alfred, Selina, and Lucius."
"At this point, we need to focus and stick to the plan," Dick agreed, "Even if Lex Luthor is somehow connected to this, he can wait. We need to let Bruce handle his business with the press and the cops tomorrow, then we make our next move."
"I don't need to sleep," Damian insisted, "There's still more work to be done." With that, the young assassin-turned-detective left for another room, tablet in hand, continuing to do more research.
"Yep, that's Bruce's kid, alright," Dick quipped, "No DNA test required!"
The rest of the team got settled and decided to rest and recuperate as best they could. Possibly the most personal battle of their entire lives was imminent. The Gotham Knights and their unlikely allies in Talia and Damian knew they had to be ready for war.