The Night of Owls Pt. 1

You always believed that the best way to know the city if to stay close to the ground. That was a fact. This was your city and you took every measure to protect it. You did everything in your power to do so. While you were away on Justice Leauge business, you had Damien or Jason watch over it. Even Terry and Debra stepped up to pulled the extra weight.

You were supposed to help Kaldur take back Atlantis from Prince Orm in order to prevent an all out war between them and the surface world. You wondered how Bruce was able to do it. How he was able to protect both the world and world.

The city of Gotham that you fought to protect, that you almost died protecting, was a place you thought you knew well. You spent your time trying to figure out the city that you swore to protect. It's only been about a month when you first learned how wrong you were about it.

You could spend your whole life trying to understand Gotham, but you will never know a thing.

Here you were, 18 years old and still covered in bandages with a bad case of bed head and a thousand yard stare. You looked at the diagram of the city before you, the display that you and Terry had made to show the New Gotham Initiative. Things have somewhat turned around. For the time being, young heroes were able to operate openly.

Suddenly, the dark room was illuminated by the holograms on the display that showed the new buildings. You covered your eyes as they stung and Alfred hummed.

It was 7:01 PM.

Y/N: Shit it off, Alf. It hurts my eyes.

Alfred: If you wish, sir. Though you could use some more light. And rest. I'm sure Ms. Cain won't be too happy to see that you aren't asleep.

Y/N: Cassandra will understand. I just, I need to look at it.

Alfred looked at the table.

Alfred: The diagram, sir?

Y/N: The city. This is a toy model created by me while the real one operates behind my back. I've been an idiot. An absolute idiot, Alf. I refused to see what was in front of me and I almost paid the price for it.

You turned to the window to see the city across the water. The lights of a city you either loved or hated. You were here in this dark room instead of in a bed with the woman you loved. Thinking over everything you had learned.

The Owls were real, they were still in hiding.

Alfred: Perhaps you are. But you are still young. You brought Master Dick back to us. Master Tim is actually nearly done with his recover....

You and Alfred turned around at the noise. It was upstairs. The roof. Someone else was here. Someone uninvited.

Alfred: Sir...

Y/N: Someone's trying to get in. Get to the cave, I'll wake the others!

Alfred followed you out of the room.

Alfred: But sir...

Y/N: I have the ear piece and the lens. I'm connected to the Bat computer already.

Cassandra and Debra were suddenly awoken by the loud alarm in their rooms as you raced upstairs and Alfred rushed to the bedrooms to grab the others.

You came to a stop and looked around the top floor before you found the open window. The wind from outside caused the curtains to dance in the hall. Slowly, the revealed a figure standing there. A Talon.

Alfred: Sir, I have Ms. Quinn in the cave but Ms. Cain is in the manor. I have signals all over the manor but they're not making sense. There's no pulses.

Talon:

He lunged at you but you caught his arm and tossed him over your shoulder. You leaped back as he kicked up and tried to slice you with a knife hidden in his shoe. You fell against the wall and avoided another attack which stabbed into the wall. You grabbed a nearby vase and slammed it against his head which caused him to stumble back.

Talon:

You avoided his kick and punched up but he dodged it. He then tried to kick you again but you ducked down.

Talon:

Y/N: Yeah but, your moves went out of style about two hundred years ago.

You grabbed his leg and threw him over the banister and down three storys. He landed and you slowly regathered yourself. You turned around toward the dark room where you saw many more yellow eyes looking back at you.

Y/N: Alfred, I need positions.

Alfres: Sir, they're all over the manor. Hundreds of them. Everywhere. Get out of there!

You turned down the hall and broke out into a spirnt toward the window. You broke through it and swung yourself up onto the roof while threw Talons fell to the ground below. You ran along the roof before you were greeted with an elbow to your face. You fell down as one Talon stood over you.

Talon:

He lifted his blade but was stabbed in the back by an unseen object. He was then kicked away which sent him falling off the roof. You slowly looked up to find Cassandra standing there with her gear on.

Cassandra: Are you okay?

Y/N: Been better.

She helped you up as more Talon climbed to the roof with their weapons. The two of you stood back to back as they surrounded you.

Talon:

Talon:

Y/N: Funny thing, I was thinking the same thing.

You and Cassandra backed up to ghe chimney where you clicked the hidden button. The hatch opened and you both jumped into the chimey which closed behind you. The chute went through the manor and down into the cave below.

Stupid. You should have seen this coming. You should have been watching for this. You were slipping. You were getting to comfortable.

You landed in the cave with Cassandra where you looked around.

Y/N: Alfred?! Debra?!

Talon:

You and Cassandra turned to see a Talon standing there. His knives were out and he seemed to be snickering.

Talon:

He walked forward as you and Cassandra lifted up your fists, ready for a fight. Instead, the giant penny came crashing down upon him to revel Debra and Alfred. You and Cassandra turned to the two. Debra was in her gear.

Debra: I guess this thing is useful.

Alfred: Sir, they have invaded the Manor. Infiltrated the cave.

Y/N: I saw. We need to figure this out, now.

You noticed something on the Talon's wrist. You kneeled down and saw the computer on his arm. You opened it and took out a chip before you heard even more coming into the cave.

Alfred: To the armory! Run!The four of you rushed through the cave as the swarm of endless Talon began to chase you. You all entered the room and you and Alfred closed the doors which locked.

Talon:

You took this time to catch your breath as Alfred booted up the backup computer. Dick was tucked behind Alfred. Good. The Talon won't get him.

Alfred: I'm afraid he's right. Those doors won't hold forever.

You tossed him the chip and walked over to one of the display cases.

Y/N: Drop the temperature to sub zero. If we can't stop them, we can slow them down.

Alfred: But they will tear you apart during that time.

Debra and Cassandra watched as you opened one of the display cases. You had made a promise to yourself that you wouldn't put this suit on. You didn't deserve it yet. Despite times called for despite measures.

Y/N: Look into their data. Find out what they're planning. The three of us will get rid of them.

Debra: We will?

You took off the robe you were wearing which revealed your still injured body.

Cassandra: You still are not healed all the way.

Y/N: I doubt they care, Killer. I have to get out there and help you.

You pulled off the cowl from the display and looked at it.

Y/N: I'm ending this.

The Talon beat on the steel door with no pain at all.

Talon:

Talon:

Talon:

They began to back away as the steel doors began to open up. From the darkness, you stepped out.

Y/N: I'm really sick and tired of you and your Court. You can come after me all you want. You can hunt me down to the ends of the earth but you won't touch those I love. Now....

Y/N: Get the hell out of my house.