Court of Owls Pt. 1

You stood there in the darker part of the room as the CSI unit took pictures and evidence from the scene in front of you. It was a disturbing one, that was for sure. Bullock was out on the fire escape yelling at the rookies down in the street.

Bullock: No, you rank stooges, prop the weather tarp first!

He then turned back inside.

Bullock: Raindrops. Evidence. No match. Geek, they grew them stupid nowadays.

Y/N: Talk to me, Harvey. What am I looking at here?

The body on the wall was kept in place with 28 knives while he was stripped of all clothing. Bald, shaved eyebrows, and blood everywhere. His eyes were even gouged out.

Bullock: The landlord found him on a routine rent run. He went by the name Sam Strigs, but when we ran it, turned out to be a phony. Guy has no credible I.D. in the apartment. Nothing in his prints. He paid for everything in cash a true blue John Doe.

Y/N: Jesus.

Unlike with Jim, you didn't feel the need to be the same Batman around Harvey. He already knew you were one of the underaged heroes. No point in hiding it.

Bullock: I don't exactly feel comfortable with you seeing this but, you are the Batman now. Evidence points to a T.O.D. five, maybe six days ago. When someone decided to use him as a human dart board. Thing us, whoever did it missed every one of John Doe's major arteries...on purpose. Meaning they wanted to hurt him very badly for a long, long time.

You looked at the body and examined the knives.

Y/N: Antique throwing knives. Professional grade. The grooves are filled with mercury for steadier flight. Who ever our killer is, they're an expert.

Bullock: You thinking Deadshot? Roulette?

Y/N: Deadshot uses guns and has been MIA for the last year. Roulette was found dead near Metropolis about a month ago. I'm gonna take one of these.

You pulled out a knife from the body while Harvey just stood there.

Harvey: Hell, it ain't like we're going to run out. Make anything of the symbol?

You looked at the knife to examine it. On the handle was a golden symbol engraved in it.

Y/N: It's an owl.

Bullock: Har har. I meant, do you think it has anything with the old wives' tale about the C....

Y/N: I get it, Harvey. It's an old Gotham fairy tale. Even the original Batman didn't believe it. Neither does anyone else.

Harvey watched you for a moment as you contiued to scan the body.

Bullock: I thought kids like stories like that.

Y/N: 1. I'm 17. 2. I'm Batman. What makes you think I enjoy that kind of stuff?

Bullock: Just, I dunno. I don't have kids. I have no idea what you brats are into these days.

You just smiled at his underlying humor.

Y/N: Run DNA analysis. Looks like skin beneath the victim's fingernails. Possibly the killer's.

You pulled out a small metal rod from your belt and scrapped out some from the fingernail. You then placed it into the small hole in your glove that ran the scan to the batcave. You put the metal rod back into your belt and suddenly caught a wiff of something.

You sniffed around before you ended up in another room with half finished paintings all around. You walked over to the only completed piece and stopped. You grabbed the painting and took it off the wall. The smell was even stronger.

Bullock: What? Why did you do that?

Y/N: Give me your cigar.

Bullock: Aren't you a bit too young to...

Y/N: Bullock, please.

Bullock rolled his eyes and handed you his cigar.

Bullock: Wanna tell me what you're doing?

Y/N: That smell is linseed oil. A common paint thinner. Not something out of the blue considering his hobbies, but the intensity is too strong.

Bullock: So he spilled some?

Y/N: Not quite.

You placed the cigar onto the wall which erupted into flames. You took a step back as Harvey looked at the wall in awe.

Y/N: He was leaving one final message. A warning. Before he was murdered.

On the wall, in a blazing flame, was the message.

Bullock: Y/N Wayne Will Die Tomorrow. Well, our John Doe wasn't any Nostradamus, that's for sure. I'm just saying, if our time of death for him was a week ago, the "tomorrow" he thought would be the kid's last day already came and went. So Wayne's in the clear.

You looked at the message a bit more. Sure, people have tried to kill you before but that was as Batman. Who would want to kill Y/N Wayne?

Y/N: Unless John Doe knew when he'd found. You said the landlord was making a routine run. I assume he...

Bullock: Always came on the second Friday of the month. So it's possible our victim knew he was going to die, knew he was going to be found today, and so left a warning that whoever killed him would be coming after Wayne next. The to the killer I say good luck. That kid is under the same protection as Bruce Wayne is. Almost makes you feel bad for the guy.

You turned around and looked at him. You both then started to walk out of the room as the fire died down.

Y/N: Almost?

Bullock: I know the other guy was good friends with Wayne. Maybe you are to but you and I both know guys like Wayne, they don't get how the city works the way we do. The kid was raised by the streets and yet he's saying all this Gotham "is" and "was" and "will be" like he has a clue. No offense kid but, the youngsters should stay out of things they don't understand.

There was suddenly a ringing in your ear.

Y/N: Right. Let me take this call.

You tapped the ear com.

Y/N: Talk to me.

Alfred: I, I have the results. I have bad news, Master Y/N.

Y/N: Who is it?

Alfred: It's.....It's Master Grayson, sir. The DNA came back as a perfect match.

You were shocked, to say the least. Dick was in Blüdhaven as Ric the last time you heard. He had no memory of who he was. How could he be committing murders in Gotham?

Bullock: Look, I didn't mean to knock on you, kid. I'm just saying my view is, when it comes to Gotham, you don't know it, brother. It knows you. And tge moment you think otherwise, the moment you get too comfortable, that's when it stabs you right in the back. Because above everything else, Gotham is a mystery.

That it was. But if Dick was somehow involved, this was a family matter. That also meant, you needed to let everyone know about it as soon as possible.

Y/N: Do your job while I investigate this on my end. Contact me if you learn anything new.

Bullock: Where are you off to?

Y/N: I need to call a family meeting.-----------Damien: What?!

You were in the Batcave now with everyone standing around. You and Alfred told them everything you had figured out regarding Dick's DNA. You ran it three times while Tim ran it for a fourth. The results were the same.

Helena: So, Dick's a killer now?

Barbara: No. His DNA was under the victim's fingernails. That's not saying he's the killer. Just that he had contact with the guy.

Y/N: Right. However, Dick is still on the suspect list. I'll need to get into contact with him but until then, everyone is to stay away from him.

Damien: To think Richard would be the one to turn.

Jason: I know, right? I thought I would be wanted for murder first.

You shook your head and looked at the cowl on the counter. You picked it up and pulled it on as you headed toward the batmobile.

Stephanie: What are you doing?

Y/N: Going back on patrol. The night is still young.

Cassandra watched you walk past her and everyone looked at each other. You stopped and looked at them confused.

Y/N: What?

Tim: It's just, you really fell into this Batman thing.

Terry: A little too much. When was the last full night of sleep you had?

Y/N: The night of the banquet.

Debra: That's good. Like, two nights ago. Better than what I've gotten.

Terry: That's not the point I'm making here.

Jason: I think I get it.

He stepped forward.

Jason: You're becoming Bruce. You're really becoming Batman. I mean, this is the Cou...

Y/N: It's not. They don't exist.

Tim: As far as we know. Maybe you should step back on this one. Me and Barbara can...

Y/N: No. They're coming for me so I'll take care of it.

Everyone suddenly looked at you worried before you realized what you had said.

Stephanie: What do you mean, they're coming for you?

You sighed.

Y/N: The message on the wall at the crime scene. It said Y/N Wayne Will Die Tomorrow. That means, I have less than 24 hours to solve this mystery.

You then turned back toward the batmobile.

Y/N: And I will. And I'll show you that there's no such thing as the Court of Owls.