Chapter 93: Night of the Owls

There was silence when I saw the dagger flying at my neck through the window that Batman had just broken through to enter the room. 

The sound of Barbara's scream could be heard slightly through the door followed by the sounds of fighting and other people screaming.

"Damn it..." 

Commissioner Gordon drew his pistol from its holster, and the next second the window shattered completely, and a figure flew in...

"Freeze, or I'll open fire..."

Jim said, but another dagger flew towards him, and I blocked it and threw it back at the "Talon." 

Talons were deadly fighters loyal only to the Court of Owls. Apparently they had decided to get rid of all of us today.

"Jim, cover Harvey."

I said, and my armor enveloped me. 

The Talon didn't stand still and attacked me, but I skillfully dodged all his attempts to hit me, and then Shinoa distracted him with a strike while holding back.

Then, I delivered a blow to his chest. The Talon's body crashed through the wall of the room and disappeared into the dust.

"What the hell was that just now? Barbara!"

Jim inquired with quite concern, and then his eyes widened in horror as he rushed towards the corridor.

"His clothing resembled an owl..." 

Harvey whispered.

"Yes, apparently the Court of Owls is not just a nursery rhyme, and here, it's just in case..."

I created a pistol with alchemy and handed it to him, but it seemed to him that I had drawn it from my holster.

"Thanks..."

Harvey nodded and expertly checked the magazine.

"Shinoa."

I glanced at Shinoa, and she nodded. 

We had discussed a similar scenario in which she would have to restrain herself from killing these assassins with just one not particularly strong blow.

Meanwhile, Batman was fighting with some guy whose costume resembled the one who attacked us in the room. 

Only this one was a more experienced fighter by the fact that he was giving Bartman a hard time.

"Bang!" 

"Bang!"

It sounded like gunshots, and Jim hit one of the assassins, but there were more than two of them.

"That's why this city needs the death penalty." 

I stepped out of the hole made by the recent assassins and immediately fired a repulsor at him as he began to rise. 

He hit the wall again with a loud crunch, and his body went limp. After my armor had fully covered me, a helmet appeared and put a shield over my face.

"Let's play with the owl enthusiasts." 

I said, now drawing the attention of the Talons who were about to attack Batman. 

There were four of them now, not counting the one I knocked out earlier. 

Jim had wounded one, and Barbara had cleverly attacked another... but not effectively enough. 

That's why Talon was about to finish her off with his dagger, but an energy blast from the repulsors on my hands hit him in the chest. 

Then I aimed at the most skilled of them, but he dodged the shot and disappeared around the corner of the corridor.

"Shinoa, help Barbara and Jim."

I yelled and attacked the three Talons, who had already identified me as the biggest threat here, not Batman... and that was a mistake. 

They ignored the injured Batman, but he threw a Batarang with a powerful electric shocker at them to knock them out.

I punched the third in the face, hearing a loud crunch as his neck snapped...

"It looks like I overdid it." 

I said as he collapsed to the floor while blood gushed from his mouth and the back of his head after the fall.

"What are you doing?!"

Batman yelled when he noticed me about to finish off the other two Talons and threw a Batarang at me that simply bounced off my armor.

"What? I'm just making sure they don't get up when we let our guard down."

"You may have already killed one... that's enough."

Batman stood up to his full height with his injuries and tried to intimidate me.

"It's called self-defense, Bats. In the heat of battle, you can't keep track of everything..."

I casually said, walking past him. 

"Where's the one you were fighting?"

My helmet retracted in my armor while I revealed my face to everyone.

"Luthor..."

Batman gritted his teeth.

"Yes? No thank you for saving you from behind? What else can I expect from someone like you... Commissioner, are you okay?"

I approached the man who was embracing his daughter.

"Yes, thank you. If it weren't for you... Barbara means everything to me, you understand?" 

Jim's eyes showed sincere gratitude.

"Dad..."

Barbara felt awkward in such a situation.

"Daddy's girl, huh?" 

Shinoa chuckled.

"What's going on?!" 

The doctor shouted and judging by his badge, he was the chief of the hospital.

"There was an attack."

Jim said it firmly, and the doctor decided to keep quiet, which was the right decision in such a situation. 

"They deliberately attacked Batman, Anthony, Harvey, and me... We need to check on the other important figures in Gotham."

"We're not done yet..."

Batman said, looking at me especially at my armor and the Talon's body.

"We're done. Do something useful for once instead of criticizing those who saved your butt. There might be more of these freaks nearby..."

I glanced at their bodies.

"I'll call the mayor and get in touch with him." 

Harvey finally spoke up.

"Stop... How did you..."

Seeing Dent miraculously healed, the doctor stood there with his mouth open at a loss for words.

"Anthony-kun."

Shinoa tugged at my shoulder and showed me something on her phone. 

There was a report from Gotham where someone had written on one of the walls in the city center that Bruce Wayne would die tonight along with anyone who followed him. 

"They're escalating things."

"Damn, call Wayne too. He needs protection."

Jim snapped to attention.

"I'll take care of it." 

Batman himself said he was still under the mask and quickly left while casting one last glance at me. 

He also managed to check and run the Talons' faces through the database... but, as expected there was nothing on them.

"You stay here, and then you're going home, understood?" 

I heard Jim's words directed at Barbara. 

"This isn't the time for childish games, Barbara. There are people dying and those who were once considered fairy tales in this city are attacking... I need a break."

It didn't take ten minutes before the hospital was sealed off by the police to protect Harvey, who still needed to rest... but he ignored it because of the emergency situation.

"Is this armor yours?"

Harvey tapped his finger on my armor.

 "And thanks for the help."

"You're welcome, it wasn't difficult. And yes, I created experimental nanobot armor... by the way, are these Batman's bugs?"

I took two bugs off myself. 

"He's a litterbug... What about the mayor?"

"He's not picking up..."

Harvey said it gloomily, realizing it wasn't a good sign. 

"And I think you're right, Gotham needs to change."

Harvey touched the left side of his face which had recently been disfigured by acid. 

"And we need to get rid of the filth..."

"Yeah, just be careful not to start seeing filth in everything living, and you'd better find yourself a girlfriend who can fix you up by screwing your brains out... among other things."

I smirked and slapped him on the shoulder. 

"Alright, I'll head home. Let me know if anything comes up."

Cortana was monitoring Batman's movements and all the strangely dressed individuals in the city—there were quite a few of them. 

She had already infiltrated the Court of Owls.

One of them had brought Cortana's "virus" into their network, so I knew all their targets, Anthony Luthor, Bruce, Wayne Harvey Dent, and James Gordon. 

There were also forty other targets from various circles in Gotham, and tonight was called the "Night of the Owls."

In the Batcave, some interesting events were happening... The Court of Owls had located it and sent their Talons there, but Batman arrived just in time to save Alfred. 

However, he started taking hits, and not even his helper "Robin" could help him. He was still a teenager and several years younger than Shinoa.

Luckily, they were using ancient martial arts, or else he might have been in real trouble.

"We need to help our not-so-law-abiding buddy."

I said this while opening a portal to the Iceberg Lounge, where one of the Talons had already appeared and was currently breaking through Penguin's Henchmen. 

Interestingly, there was another intriguing person there.

"Should I come too?"

Shinoa asked, already dressed in her suit.

"No, you're coming here."

I opened another portal nearby. 

"Detective Gordon is nearby. You'll help them if needed."

"Administrator-kun, you owe me a reward later."

Shinoa stuck her tongue out at me and jumped into the portal.

"Annoying girl..."

I entered the first portal and managed to grab Talon's blade before he could end Penguin's life.

"W-who are you?"

He saw me in the dark suit.

"It's not your concern. Oh, if you had been less helpful, I would've killed you..."

I nudged him aside slightly and focused on the Talon, who had backed away, leaving the blade clutched in my hand. 

"Who do we have here? Ephraim Newhouse, oh, an old man born in the seventeenth century..."

"Who are you?"

He sounded again.

"Oh, it's my first time talking to one of you. I'm the one who'll end the Night of Owls and rid this city of these annoying birds. Kitty, do you need something here?"

I glanced into the dark corner where a young woman in a latex cat suit was hiding.

"Oh, I've been noticed... but you boys keep fighting, I won't bother you."

Catwoman reassured, seductively arching her back.

"A cat thief?"

I tilted my head to dodge a strong punch that punched through the wall behind me. 

Then, I headbutted him straight in the spot where his nose should have been. 

There was a noise, and he flew out of the window he had broken while hanging upside down with his head down and no longer moving.

"You!" 

Penguin recognized her and managed to reach for his gun while pointing it at her in fear.

"Penguins lose a lot of feathers when they go through molting."

I said, and Penguin's eyes glazed over. 

"Well, she chose the code words..."

"What's wrong with him?"

Catwoman quickly distanced herself from the possibility of being killed.

"It's not your concern, and too much curiosity killed the cat." 

I told her while pulling the Talon out of the window... and then I broke his neck, which made Catwoman stare at me in fear.

"What do you want here?"

"The dagger..."

Catwoman pointed to the dagger on the table.

"Take it and get lost, or you'll get a different milk instead of actual milk."

"Hm..." 

Catwoman grimaced for a moment, then hurried to grab the dagger and headed for the exit. 

My gaze lingered on the Penguin.

"Alright, keep doing what you're doing, and no serious crimes."

I told him and then teleported to Shinoa. 

She had already started broadcasting in the chat to show she was beating up other Talons on the rooftop.

They were sent to eliminate Harvey and Jim, but she intercepted them. 

There was also another redhead on the roof with them.

"Having fun?"

I asked while appearing on the rooftop next to Barbara which startled her greatly, and she jumped away in fright.

"Well, not really. They're weaklings."

Shinoa gave her assessment, though at the moment her hair and face weren't visible, and her voice was slightly altered due to the suit.

"I see..."

I approached the fallen Talons and lifted them up, then opened their masks. 

"They're not in the American data system."

"You're the Night Huntress!"

Barbara exclaimed behind us while pointing at Shinoa. 

"And your moves seemed vaguely familiar... Shinoa?"

"Oops..."

She slipped in her mouth.

"Oh..." 

I covered my face with my hand. 

"Maybe I should erase her memory?" 

I asked more as a thought out loud.

"Hey, I don't need my memory erased! So, if you're Shinoa... then you're Anthony Luthor?... a billionaire-hero in Gotham... wow."

Barbara seemed astonished.

"Sometimes it's dangerous to be too clever." 

 I took off my mask and looked at her.

"So, I'm right!"

Barbara seemed genuinely pleased.

"What are you even doing on the rooftop of this building? Your father's the one they're trying to kill here."

"I heard the sounds of battle and rushed over."

Barbara shrugged. 

"Are you working with Batman?"

"No, that bat's emo-mug works solo... but he's acquired a child sidekick recently... should I report that he's exploiting child labor?" 

I mused thoughtfully.

"She's a Batman fan... I'd say she's obsessed with him. She talked my ear off about him at the university."

Shinoa voiced her opinion. 

"I have encountered him on a few occasions, and I must admit that he appears to be a jerk and remember what he said in the hallway?"

"Girl, don't meddle in grown-up affairs. Your action was foolish and shortsighted because they could have killed you." 

Barbara clearly mimicked Batman's words. 

"It was unpleasant to hear from an idol... but I enjoyed saving people! I saved the doctor from possible death and my father!"

"And almost got yourself killed if it weren't for me."

I added, causing her to lower her gaze.

"Shinoa is the same age as me. Why can she be the Night Huntress, but I can't?"

Barbara asked in a loud voice, clearly upset about this injustice.

"Because I'm the sexy Night Huntress..."

Shinoa arched her back, emphasizing her chest... hidden by the costume, but it was evident that she had a feminine figure. 

"And I have superpowers and a sugar daddy who makes high-tech suits."

"Shinoa, please try not to put down the moment all the time. She's a metahuman and she's several times stronger than an average person and can defend herself especially since I provide her with my latest technologies... whereas you can afford a hastily made suit that won't protect you from a knife."

"That hurt..." 

Barbara pouted with her gaze towards Shinoa expressing obvious envy.

"Alright, we still need to deal with the Court of Owls... If you want to help with that, I'm not against it. You say you're confident in your abilities, right?"

I asked her with a smile. 

Barbara looked at me with eyes full of surprise and froze, not knowing exactly what to say.

...

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