The Rulers From the Shadows

Robin pulls the communicator out of his ear and cracks it with ease, ceasing communication to the Batcave. He hops off his bike and walks towards an alley. He enters the alley and sneaks through it. He runs towards a factory that is called "Schott's Toys" and reaches a window. He touches it to see if it's locked and it isn't, so he opens it. He hops inside and pulls out a flashlight to see through the darkness.

"This factory has been shut down for three years. The kids started disappearing then. This has to be the place," said Tim.

Tim walks deeper into the darkness, using his flashlight to light the way. A rat scurried past him, but he isn't affected. He walks towards a door and opens it. Behind the door is stairs and he walks down them. He maneuvers his flashlight to look at a bloody table and some cages. He leans closer to the cages and a child presses his face to the bars. As Tim flashes his flashlight on more cages, more children press their faces to the bars.

"I found them. If they're here, that means that he is nearby," said Tim.

"Do you worry about the little ones? Don't. I love them more than anyone would ever," said Dollmaker.

Tim quickly turns around and sees the Dollmaker holding a bucket filled with a brown liquid. A creepy doll's face lies on his ugly face.

"Dollmaker?" asked Tim.

"Yes, that is my name. Did you come to join us? We would love to have more playmates," said Dollmaker.

"I didn't come here to play your disgusting games, Anton. I've come to take you down. You have terrorized the children of this town for too long," said Tim.

"I can't allow you to stop us from having fun. Adults are so mean," said Dollmaker.

"You're not a child anymore, Anton. Just walk on over and I won't hurt you too much," said Tim.

"I have helped these kids survive and I will make them even better. You won't stop us. Anton died when he was a little boy. The only thing left is me. The Dollmaker," said Dollmaker.

Dollmaker walks towards Tim and he pulls out a bo staff, ready to defend himself. Dollmaker doesn't attack the boy. He pulls a thick string hanging from the ceiling and small openings open around the factory. Small children wearing doll faces and only having strands of hair walk out.

"Monster. You'll pay for this," said Tim.

"Little ones, protect me as I protected you," said Dollmaker.

The little ones proceed to protect their friend. One of the little ones tries to stab Tim, but he moves out of the way. Another tries to jump on him, but he kicks him away. One with chainsaws attached to their hands swipes at Tim, but he easily dodges the swipes and headbutts the child to knock it out. The other little ones charge at Tim, but he is saved. Multiple explosives are thrown towards the children and explode in front of them. Tim looks up and sees Yin dropping from the ceiling. She lands next to him gracefully.

"Did Bruce send you here?" asked Tim.

"You seem disappointed. I was investigating a dead body before I was forced to come save you," said Yin.

"Aren't you the rookie here? I know what I'm doing," said Tim.

"You're still a kid. Don't get ahead of yourself," said Yin.

"I'm Robin. Not a regular kid," said Tim.

"Whatever, Drake. That's what they all say," said Yin.

"He's escaping. We have to get him before he hops town," said Tim.

"I'll deal with the kids. You go chase the killer," said Yin.

"Ok. Just don't hurt them too much. Maybe we can save them," said Tim.

"You're naive, Tim. That one has flamethrowers for hands. They're already gone," said Yin.

"Fine," said Tim.

"Go. I can deal with them," said Yin.

Tim runs towards the exit of the factory and the little ones try to stop him, but Yin throws a couple explosive Batarangs to blow them away. The little ones charge at Yin, but she either kicks or throws them at the wall. Tim makes his way outside and sees the serial killer run in the street. Tim chases him at top speed while the serial killer picks up speed once he turns his head.

"Stop running. Aren't you happy with your creations?" said Tim.

"You won't catch me! I'm too fast!" exclaimed Dollmaker.

"You can't run if you can't use your legs," said Tim.

Tim throws a Batarang at the serial killer's leg. The serial killer falls to the ground and grabs his leg in pain. He tries to pull the Batarang out, but Tim runs up to him and grabs him. He then knees him in the face and grabs him by his collar.

"You killed those children. Why!" said Tim.

"Some had to be sacrificed so the others could live," said Dollmaker.

"Your father abused and tortured you. You could have become strong and fought against stuff like this, but you're just as bad as him. I should kill you to make sure something like this never happens again, but that's not my style. I'm not a murder like you," said Tim.

"You don't understand. As dolls, no one can hurt them. They are invincible like little Supermen," said Dollmaker.

"You're sick. Arkham will love you. Probably more than your father ever did," said Tim.

Tim drops the serial killer and pulls out another earpiece. He sticks it in his ear and Bruce angrily starts to speak.

"What the hell is wrong with you? It's not safe out there, but you choose to disobey my orders. You're supposed to be smart, but you do something as dumb as this. What were you thinking?" said Bruce

"I got him," said Tim.

"You did?" asked Bruce.

"Yin swooped in to help, but I did most of the work," said Tim.

"Do you have him secured?" asked Bruce.

"Yes. He's right next to me," said Tim.

"I would say good work, but that would be letting you off the hook. You're going to get an earful once you get back here," said Bruce.

"And I will be ready for it," said Tim.

"Batman, out," said Bruce.

"Ok, crazy guy. Time to go to Arkham," said Tim.

Tim turns around, but Dollmaker is no longer laying on the cold ground. He is being held up by somebody and he is clenching at his chest where his heart is. The mysterious man drops the body as he pulls out his heart. Tim's face becomes a shocked one as he stares at the assassin.

"What did you do?" asked Tim.

"What had to be done. We can't be having scum like this on the streets," said the assassin.

"I was going to put him away," said Tim.

"And then what? He would break out again and continue making dolls out of children. He's a lost soul and just sent him back to his creator," said the assassin.

"Who are you?" asked Tim.

"A friend," said the assassin.

The assassin walks away and enters the darkness of the streets. Nothing is said or heard for a minute until Yin runs out of the factory and runs up to Tim. A little blood lies on her chest.

"Did you get him?" asked Yin.

"I had him, then somebody killed him," said Tim.

"Who?" asked Yin.

"I don't know, but he said that he was a friend," said Tim.

"New vigilante?" asked Yin.

"Hopefully not. We don't want to have another Jason incident," said Tim.

"He was a serial killer who targeted kids. If this new vigilante has the balls to kill this guy, then he must not be such a bad guy," said Yin.

"You shouldn't condone killing. It only corrupts you," said Tim.

"Kid, I've been a police officer for 12 years. If you have been doing my job for as long as me, you would be glad that there are people out there willing to do what needs to be done," said Yin.

An hour passes. Tim and Yin walk into the cave as Batman casually types on the Batcomputer. He turns around once they get close.

"You two got back quick. The trip to Arkham Asylum is usually twenty minutes from there. How did you get back so quickly?" said Bruce.

"A new vigilante in an owl mask dropped in and killed him," said Tim.

"What kind of mask was he wearing?" asked Bruce.

"An owl one," said Tim.

"We were attacked by an assassin that we believe was a Talon. A soldier for the Court of Owls," said Bruce.

"What's the Court of Owls?" asked Tim.

"Secret society that may rule the city from the shadows," said Bruce.

"If this guy is one of those zombie assassins, why would he kill the Dollmaker?" asked Yin.

"Maybe he has gone rogue or he could be trying to infiltrate us. We are the only thing stopping them from taking over Gotham," said Bruce.

"He seems cool. He could just be dressed up as an owl because he had a backstory similar to yours," said Tim.

"I doubt that. He seems to be specially trained and a killer, so he has to work for them," said Bruce.

"How do we deal with him?" asked Tim.

"Act like you want to be his ally. Use him so we can learn more about the court. We don't know what they're planning, but we have to figure it out. We can't let Gotham fall to them," said Bruce.

"What can we do now to prevent this from happening?" asked Yin.

"I sent Dick and Jordan to come find you, but Yin got there first, so they should currently be at the apartment of the murdered guy that Yin found a little while ago. Hopefully, they can find something," said Bruce.

On the Upper East Side, Jordan pulls a gadget out of his utility belt and places it on the door. The doorknob melts and the two former sidekicks enter the apartment. Jordan activates his Detective Vision and starts to scan the apartment.

"I bet that there is a secret entrance or hideout in this place," said Dick.

"Search for things that shouldn't be in here. We could use them as clues to find out what is going on in this city," said Jordan.

"Yeah. Yeah. I know," said Dick.

The two brothers search the apartment but find nothing. They search the bookshelves and desks and rooms but find nothing that can benefit their investigation. After spending a few more minutes searching, they regroup in the center of the apartment.

"Find anything?" asked Jordan.

"No. There may be nothing in here," said Dick.

"This guy was killed by a Talon. He has to have something to do with the Court. He isn't rich or famous," said Jordan.

"Or he could be a snitch," said Dick.

"Maybe, but it has to be something more sinister. Maybe it's not on this floor," said Jordan.

"This is just a six-story apartment building. How could he have two floors worth of apartment?" said Dick.

"The floor just seems fake. I'm cutting through it," said Jordan.

Jordan pulls out a laser gadget and takes off the lid. A laser shoots out and cuts a circle through the wooden floor. Jordan's assumption was correct and there is something under the apartment. Jordan and Dick hop down and enter the hideout. Workout gear, many owl posters, a large picture, and a Talon outfit are in the secret room.

"I knew that this guy was hiding something more sinister," said Jordan.

"So, he was a Talon or maybe a member of his family was," said Dick.

Jordan walks towards the large picture and starts to analyze it. In the picture, there are two women, two men, two children, all wearing owl masks. The picture is dated June of 1891.

"This must be a picture of his ancestors or his great grandparents. The Morris family must have been high-ranking members of the Court. The Morris family lost their wealth years ago due to the patriarch going to prison due to dealing with the mob. The Court must be destroying loose ends as their night to take over Gotham comes closer," said Jordan.

"I have an idea. Bruce, give us the addresses of all the buildings that the Morris family built in Gotham," said Dick.

"There are twenty in total. The most recent one was built in 2011," said Bruce.

"Let's head to the most recent one built. It will cost us less time and we can gain more info about what the Court is planning," said Jordan.

"To another nest, we go," said Dick.

Thirty minutes pass. Jordan and Dick hop off a roof and grapple to the large apartment building. Jordan pulls out a claw gadget and pulls off a vent. The two heroes quickly scurry through the vent and reach the apartment. Jordan opens the vent and they enter the apartment.

"Someone lives under here, so the hideout wouldn't be under us," said Dick.

"But, it could be behind that owl statue," said Jordan.

"Probably," said Dick.

Jordan and Dick walk towards the Owl Statue and look into its gold eyes. A red light shines in the statue and Jordan pulls off the head of the owl and taps the button. A secret door behind the statue slowly opens and reveals a more high-tech hideout.

"This is modern," said Jordan.

"Must be the most recent Talon's hideout," said Dick.

Jordan and Dick walk deeper into the hideout and see a large picture. Jordan walks up to it and sees the most recent Talon and six other members of the court. The picture dates June 2006.

"This guy has been around for ten years. He's been under our feet the whole time and we didn't know. How is this possible?" said Jordan.

"The court was just a fairytale until a couple hours ago. They're normal humans, but somehow more mystical than Constantine," said Dick.

"They've been plotting for years and we didn't even know. They could launch their plan at any time and we wouldn't be ready. We need to take down this Talon and then we can focus on the normal ones," said Jordan.

"No. No. No. The Court always watches and you both are the next targets that will be destroyed," said the voice.

"Where did that come from?" asked Jordan.

"That voice is giving me a bad feeling," said Dick.

"Goodbye and welcome to New Gotham," said the voice.

The entire room explodes and sends Dick and Jordan flying out of the apartment. As they fall out of the sky, Jordan grabs onto Dick and grapples to a neighboring building. Dick takes a deep breath after he exhales some smoke.

"Well, we should have seen that coming," said Dick.

"This was a trap. We're playing right into the hands of the Court and we just don't know it," said Jordan.

"So, the new Talon must be on our tail. What is he planning?" said Dick.

"He won't attack us with his own body. He still wants to get to Tim for some reason. For now, we return to the cave and prepare to deal with the Court. They will start doing more outrageous things as time ticks," said Jordan.

"They won't have Gotham. We'll just deal with them like everyone else," said Dick.

"The Court is a new threat that we have never dealt with before. They won't be as easy to take down like Joker or Freeze," said Jordan.

"But, we will deal with them. No matter how hard it is," said Dick.

"Don't get too optimistic. Optimism leads to overconfidence and overconfidence leads to defeat," said Jordan.

"You've gotten wise? Odd," said Dick.

"Time changes, Grayson. Gotham is eternal, but the coveted Batfamily may not," said Jordan.

From a rooftop a couple blocks away, the Talon watches them with a set of binoculars. He puts the trigger to the bomb in the hideout in his pocket and puts his binoculars away.

"Are they still alive?" asked the Court of Owls elite.

"Yes," said Talon.

"Then, deal with them," said the Court of Owls elite.

"No," said Talon.

"What?" asked the Court of Owls elite.

"They seem to be confused and frazzled. If I took them out now, it would be harder to complete our plan. Let them live and the Court will rule over Gotham from out of the shadows and I will have my successor," said Talon.