EIGHTEEN

March 2007, Gotham City.

(MC's POV)

"My master now knows of our relationship, and he's very displeased with me." Sandra says as we walked along the streets of Gotham city. Yes we got weird looks as we walked, I believe it is mostly because of my fame as the owner of Merchant Industry. I couldn't care about that right now though, because of what my lover just said.

"Fuck!, so Ra's al ghul is aware of my existence as a person. Please tell me he doesn't know I'm the green goblin." I say, hoping her reply will convey my wishes. And like a genie she grants it,

"No he doesn't know about that. Although I do not know why you even bother hiding it so much anymore, it's not as if every hero in the justice league and every high class villain in Gotham doesn't know already. Especially after the stunt you're late siblings played in case they lost to you, by spreading the message." I close my eyes and sigh at her words. She then continues speaking,

"Anyway, I came here to tell you that we need to end this relationship. It's been really great, but it is so unhealthy and I just can't continue." I nod my head and agree,

"Yes I agree. Circe also explained to me why the entire relationship even started. Just that was already unhealthy to begin with." I stop and turn to face her with my hand outstretched for a handshake.

"Friends?" I ask, she smiles and accepts the handshake as she says,

"Friends." We speak for a few more minutes about other things, before we arrive at where our cars were parked waiting for us. Entering our cars, we gave each other that final glance you see characters give themselves in movies, and depart to our different destinations.

As I drive off towards my home, I remember something Sandra had mentioned. The fact that my identity as the green goblin used to be a secret, until my siblings even I death fucked up. Seriously those guys are relentless.

The exposure of my secret has indeed caused me some problems. For instance, the invitation I received from the court of owls last month. Let us go on a little flashback.

...

(FLASHBACK)

Rebuilt Iceberg lounge, Gotham City.

I just got the news of my secret identity as the green goblin being exposed. Selina told me that she got it from Bruce Wayne that the penguin was making threats on my mother. Therefore, I decided to come pay him a visit to try and smoothing things out. I also went properly armed incase I would need to smoothing his skull in the process.

After we met, talks opened and of course he tried to lay subtle threats on my mother's life. The thing is that I do not accept threats to my mother's life, I can accept threats to Selina but my mother raised me from birth and I'm not a very patient person when she's involved. So, just like I predicted I would need to do, I smoothened his chubby fat nose on his chubby fat face.

I would later learn that day that he died from the excessive blood loss after receiving no immediate attention for the injury. Yeah, I might have needed to kill some guards just so no one could testify to seeing me enter his office. I did not mean to kill him though, I'm as much of a victim as he is. A victim of circumstances.

I went back up to where the bar is situated to get a drink. I was just halfway through the bottle when an old flame of mine walked over and took the seat beside me. Being the gentleman I am, I decided to say hello,

"Katherine Powers, it's been a while since I saw you love." She smiled then cocked her head to the side so she could look directly at me without turning on her seat. She then pretended to have not seen me before she came here and replied,

"Oh Raymond, I didn't see you there. How have you been, no one is sure ever since you left school to go run your multimillion dollar death machine, you call a company." I chuckled at her words, it's not like she was wrong after all. I still decided to correct her one mistake.

"Multibillion dollar companies love. Using the word million for me is a gross underestimation of my wealth." She takes a drink of whatever it was she ordered and asked,

"Are we cocky now Pearson?" I shrugged and replied,

"Why shouldn't I be cocky, I'm not living the dream, I'm the dream. Anyway, why are you here Katherine?" She stumbles a bit at my question, before gathering herself and replied,

"I didn't come here for anything other than a drink, but if you're implying that I came here to meet you then you're wrong. How could I have known that you would be h..." I had heard enough so I cut in between her words,

"You've gotten better at lying Katherine, the simple technique of lying by omission is doing wonders for your tongue. You said you came to the lounge for a drink, and that wasn't a lie. You also said you couldn't have known that I would be here, and that is true. But there are literally 20 free seats around this bar, and I am not willing to accept that it is pure coincidence that you ended up sitting beside me. Then, you just had to pretend that you didn't see me, out of self pride. I do not blame you though, you're a few years too young to beat me at the manipulation game. I will ask one last time, what do you want from me?" She sat red in the face for a few seconds, before exhaling deeply and spoke,

"Raymond, what do you know about the court of owls?" I quickly gave my reply, not bothering to mince my words,

"They are a powerful group of people, known to have preyed over Gotham for centuries, that is what they mean to most. But to me, they are nothing but another nuisance in my life. Another stepping stone before I achieve my ultimate grandeur." She looked shocked by my words, obviously not expecting my reply to be so condescending of the court.

"Uhm, well the court is inviting you to join us and together we can be..." Ok enough of this crap, I have bigger fish to fry.

"No. Tell your court that I reject your invitation. I have much more serious problems than a cult formed by rich pricks of Gotham city." After saying that, I got off my seat and left the building.

That was the last I heard of the court of owls, until...

(PRESENT)

Pearson Manor, Bristol County, Gotham City.

I arrive to a more silent than usual manor and that set the alarm bells off. The guards at the entrance, I find dead on the ground. Around the technological protections I made for the house, I find the corpse of what I believe to be talons of the court of owls. Their bodies split apart into numerous pieces by lasers hidden in the walls.

Seeing all this, I rush to my mother's room to check if she's alright. All I find is Kitrina alive but unconscious, and a piece of paper on the bed. I turn the paper around to view the contents and there written boldly in the middle are the words,

'THE COURT DOES NOT ACCEPT REJECTION'

Underneath the writing is a owl's head printed on it. I crumple the paper, anger running through me hotly. I'm still trying to understand how they got into the building in the first place. The level of protection laid by Circe are impossible for them to break. So how did they get in and why now?.

Wait, of course that's the answer. Circe already promised me that there would be consequences for my actions. That bitch, how was any of it my fault. But I suppose she doesn't care anyway, that is how gods act. Whatever isn't a god is beneath them and nothing, not even the false affection she says she has for me is going to ever change that.

They've taken my mother and killed everyone except Kitrina in the building. I'm really not sure where to start from, but I will overcome this just like every other one that has come against me. And I know one thing for sure, when I'm done the court of owls will cease to exist completely.