The Court of Owls (Part 3)

Just as he was about to reach the wall, he twisted his body and performed a roll, swiftly moving away from the spot. This caused the short blade to miss, embedding itself deeply into the wall and becoming stuck.

But it wasn't over. Another assassin lunged at him, and simultaneously, the others closed in, surrounding him. At that moment, a female assassin wielding a long sword stepped forward and swung it down at his head. Seeing himself surrounded, Avery quickly seized the opportunity, stomping on the foot of one assassin behind him. In the midst of the chaos, he took a glance and saw that it was the young man who had guided him here. He grabbed the man's shoulder and swiftly kicked him forward, using him as a human shield.

"Thud!"

Several blades pierced the man's body as Avery used him to block the incoming attacks. Unlike the other fully armored assassins, the man in the suit was unable to withstand the damage from the weapons, and the blades easily cut through him.

At that moment, however, Avery didn't notice the blade that was approaching from behind. In a tricky angle, a dagger pierced his abdomen.

The strike was brutal, and Avery's face twitched in pain. Although his combat skills were decent, they weren't on the level of those who specialized in this field. He was strong compared to an average person, but against trained assassins, he was outclassed.

As the pain surged, he clenched his fist tightly and staggered a few steps, leaning against the wall for support. At that very moment, a long sword, glinting coldly, was placed against his neck. The blade was razor-sharp, and just a slight touch caused blood to seep from his skin, trailing down his neck.

"It seems your reputation is a bit exaggerated," the assassin said coldly, his voice tinged with mockery. "Unfortunately, there can only be one who walks in the darkness of Gotham. Goodbye, Batman."

Avery's gaze drifted past the assassin, and he saw the man he had used as a shield. The injuries on him were visibly healing, the wounds closing up as time passed.

Avery's eyes narrowed slightly, and he managed to utter one final question: "Who... are you?"

The assassin responded with a tone of cold superiority, "The Court of Owls."

With those words, the blade fell.

Meanwhile, at the Wayne Manor...

A group of similarly-dressed assassins silently infiltrated the mansion, searching for the last heir of the Wayne family. Their goal was to sever the last remaining thread of the Wayne bloodline, ensuring that the Court of Owls could replace the Wayne family as the shining symbol of Gotham, taking full control of the city.

What they didn't know was that, not long before they reached the manor, their presence had already been detected by the sharp-eyed owner. No matter how hard they searched, they couldn't find the two individuals who were supposed to be there.

One assassin opened the master bedroom and carefully searched the room. However, he found nothing. Just as he was about to leave and continue searching elsewhere, he opened the door, and a shadow, as dark as night, struck him down like a lightning bolt, knocking him to the ground.

"Ugh..."

The assassin tried to make a sound, but before he could, a pair of iron-like hands gripped his throat.

"Who sent you?"

A hoarse, deep voice rang out, and the shadow in front of him was none other than the Batman!

But the Batman shouldn't be here, should he? The timing of his appearance perfectly matched what they had expected. He was also on good terms with Bruce Wayne, which had provided him with substantial funding.

The Batman should be surrounded by the other assassins at the school by now! Why was there another Batman here?

The assassin had a faint inkling that they might have made a mistake, but this sudden flash of insight was quickly snuffed out by the choking grip on his neck. He refused to answer Batman's question and struggling desperately to break free.

It seemed that he had undergone systematic training.

Batman's eyes darkened. Realizing that the assassin wasn't likely to speak, he quickly knocked him unconscious with a well-placed punch. He then bound him with chains and tossed him aside, standing up and heading toward the door, prepared to deal with the other intruders.

"Master, exit your room and walk left. There's an intruder around the corner," came a familiar voice from the communicator.

"Batman is nothing special," the leader of the Talons muttered under his breath.

The leader sheathed his bloodstained long knife, flicking his wrist to shake off the long streak of blood that had stained the blade. He then reached out and grabbed the severed head, lifting it like a flag of victory and said to the other Talons behind him, "We can return and report now."

The Talons showed no emotion. Seeing that the mission was complete, they simply nodded to each other, preparing to leave the scene.

On the way out, one of the Talons picked up the unconscious Dick from the infirmary. Following orders, they planned to train this child, who carried the blood of the Talons, into another useful tool. They had to take Dick back with them.

The leader of the Talons walked ahead with the severed head in hand. After walking for a while, however, he realized that there was no sound of footsteps behind him, no sign that anyone was following. This meant that the others hadn't caught up yet!

Furrowing his brow, he turned around with a dark look on his face, only to find one of his companions, who wasn't wearing a helmet, staring at him with a fearful expression.

No! It was what was in his hands!

The leader's heart immediately tightened. He had already placed the killing knife back in its sheath, and in his hands, the only thing left was the severed head. As soon as he realized this, he hurriedly looked down at what was in his hands—and froze, his breath caught in his throat.

The head, still dripping with fresh blood, was glaring at him with empty, lifeless eyes. At the same time, the corners of its mouth twisted up in a sinister smile!