Court of Owls Pt. 2

24 Hours Before You Die...

You reved up the engine on your bike as you rode it down the train tracks. You hit the gas even more as you kept the helicopter in your sights. You were honestly pissed at the people in the helicopter for a few reasons.

First, human trafficking. Beside the three men in that craft, there were about five girls bound and gagged in there.

Second, they tried to throw you into the harbor when you tried to stop them earlier at the docks. No one throws Batman.

You watched the helicopter lowered toward the tracks, to make the trade off in motion, you sped up and ended up right beside it before you slammed your fist through the window and grabbed the man closest to it.

You grabbed his collar and pulled him half way through the window while the other man began to panic. The pilot, didn't even budge.

Trafficker: He got Rolf! What are you doing, man? Get the hell away from him! Turn!

Pilot: Shut up! The Bat wants to play chicken, let's play chicken.

You looked ahead to see another train heading right towards you. You kept your hold on the man before you had, a very stupid, idea. You pushed the man back into the helicopter and sped up.

You popped a wheelie and gained even more speed before you lifted the bike up and landed in the roof of the train. You then turned it around so that you were facing the helicopter.

Pilot: He wouldn't.

You smiled as you reved up the enginge again and sped up toward the helicopter.

Rolf: Turn! TURN!

Pilot: I can't! The damn alley's too narrow!

As you sped toward the helicopter, your communication beeped.

Alfred: Sir? Commissioner Gordon has arrived at the morgue.

Y/N: Noted, Alfred.

Alfred: Shall I assume you won't be back for the autopsy? I can power down the...

Y/N: I'll be there.

Alfred: But, Sir. I have you all the way over on...

Y/N: Relax. This'll only take a moment.

You jumped off the bike and braced your arm as you slammed through the front window of the helicopter.--------You stood in the Batcave and looked at the holographic monitors around you. Even though you weren't in the GCPD mourge, you could see everything like it was there thanks to the new contacts you had. You could even see a holographic Jim Gordon there.

Jim: So what we have is a genuine mystery man.

Y/N: No name, paid in cash, no ping on his DNA.

Jim: No. At least he made for a good dartboard for someone.

You looked at the body and spotted something that caught your eye. Right near the ribs.

Y/N: Here. There's extensive scar tissue around the ribs and abdomen...calcification at his brow, side of his skull.

Jim: Huh. "Pulgilist's Beauty Marks". You think John Doe was a fighter in his glory days?

Y/N: Seems like it. He has more callous material around his palms and wrists than his knucles. Defensive scarring. I have something similar.

Jim: A trainer?

Y/N: Perhaps. There are scars along his forearms. Common injuries from swordplay.

Jim: So a high-end trainer. He's tough.

Y/N: The other guy was tougher.

Jim: And then there's the message...

Y/N: We can skip that for now.

Jim: I called the Manor. The kid turned down police detail for the next 24 hours. You keeping an eye on him?

Y/N: You can say that. Jim, his third molar. Right side. The scanners picking up an abnormal fracture. Check it out for me?

Jim looked around the room and found a small dentist mirror. He then placed it into John Doe's mouth and looked at the reflection.

Jim: Right wisdom tooth, got it. Huh...take a look.

You looked at the reflection and sighed.

Y/N: Same symbol as the knives. An Athenian Owl. It appeared on coins in ancient Greece. It was a symbol of wealth and power.

Jim pulled the mirror away and tossed it aside.

Jim: Beware the Court of Owls, that watches all the time, ruling Gotham from the shadowed perch, behind granite and lime. They watch you at at your hearth, the watch watch you in your bed, speak not a whisper of them, or...

Y/N: They'll send the Talon for your head. I know the nursery rhyme, Jim. The Court of Owls are just a legend.

Jim: To be blunt, so were you at one time.

Y/N: They don't exist.

Jim: And you know that because...

Y/N: I will say it.

Jim: Please don...

Y/N: I'm Batman.

Jim: Damnit. Well, whoever the killer is, he wants us to believe the ghost story. So what we've got was some kind of secret high-level bad-guy trainer, a killer who's even tougher than him, apparently out to get YN Wayne.

Y/N: And all we really know about either of them is that they have a thing for owls.

Jim: And the tissue beneath the victim's fingerlrints...forensics came back empty handed. Anything on your end?

You stood there for a moment.

Y/N: Noooooo.....no. Nothing. Nada. Zip. None. Zero. Just as lost as you are. I am looking into it though.

You heard footsteps enter the cave which told you that your guest was here.

Y/N: I'll let you know what I find, Jim. Keep me posted as well.

Jim: Will do. Good luck.

His hologram shut down but the body was still in view for you to further examine it. You heard the footsteps stop behind you.

Dick: So, Tim said you wanted to talk to me.

You turned around and saw Dick standing there. His badge was on his belt while he was dressed in a light blue dress shirt and a pair of loafers. He must've just gotten off of work then.

Y/N: Di..Ric. I'm glad you agreed to come.

Ric: Whoa. You installed a photogrammetric scanner in the city morgue?

You turned back to the body.

Y/N: Makes things easier.

Ric: No more sneaking in and out? I thought that was Batman's whole thing. Like the ventilation shaft and...

Y/N: This is John Doe. Your DNA was found under his fingernails.

Ric looked at the man and for a split second, you saw something in his eye. You didn't know what it was but, it was something he never had before.