Chapter 14

"...You're predecessor saved me."

Terry, the new Batman, narrowed his eyes at the sudden revelation.

"It's true. In truth, I would not have done all this if he had not died. I can survive on my own and be satisfied with a simple life."

"Stealing from the wealthy and giving it to the poor? That's not what the previous Batman would have wanted."

"That's not the only thing we're doing." The mutant leader smiled and looked into Batman's eyes. "By doing that, we are preventing something evil to come back to power. The evil that Batman saved me from."

"What evil?"

"Have you heard of the court of owls?"

Batman widened his eyes.

"So you do know them. They're our targets. We hurt them by stealing away their power, which is their money."

The court of owls were once Batman's foes. They were a syndicate. A cult. An ancient organization that controlled Gotham from behind the shadows. They had people in every structure of Gotham. Their power and confidence came from their Talons. An army of assassins trained by the Court of owls.

"He saved you from them?" Terry asked.

"Yes. I was one of the kidnapped children to be trained as a Talon." He said as he looked at his hands that wore gloves. The mutant leader removed the gloves and revealed to Terry his sharp and pointed fingers.

The Talons were once children that were kidnapped from their families. They get mutated and become puppets for the court of owls. They're weapons.

"When Batman brought down the court of owls, I was 13 and the mutation process wasn't finished on me. That's why only my hands are like this." He wore the gloves again. "That was seventeen years ago now." He said with a wistful smile.

This was also the where the name of their gang came from. The Mutants.

"If my predecessor brought the court of owls down then-"

"Like me, some survived. They were the young of the court of owls. I have no doubt that the doctrine was already passed on to them."

"..." Speechless, Batman thought to himself.

The mutant leader nonchalantly plopped down at the wide couch and waited for Batman to finish contemplating.

Finished, Batman faced the mutant leader that smiled at him like the situation was amusing.

"If what you say is true," Batman said "Why don't you ally with us?"

"Us? You have a robin?"

"No. The Police."

The mutant leader jumped up. He glared at Batman as he drew near towards him until they're faces were about an inch away. Batman stepped back immediately. He got scared not because he was being attacked. It was more like a scolding was about to come.

"Do you think I would do this in the first place if I could trust the police?" The scolding did come from the mutant leader. He wasn't scared of Batman. It's as if he was talking to an equal.

Batman pushed him away. "I understand what you mean but when I said the police, I meant the commissioner."

"Hmmm. She does seem to be trustworthy. I understand that her father, the former police commissioner was also the previous Batman's ally. But I can't say the same for her subordinates. For all I know, she could very well be surrounded by them."

"That's what I'm trying to say. You'll both at least have another friend that you know can be trusted."

"...You mean two." The mutant leader brightly smiled and put his arm around Batman's shoulders to signify his approval.

"Yes," Batman gripped his arm and removed it from him "But don't get too familiar."

The mutant leader chuckled as Batman glared at him.

"Just promise me once we're done with this, you'll disband the mutants"

"... No."

"Why not? If you're mission is finished, what do you still need the gang for?"

"...They're not just that to me anymore." The mutant leader said with a melancholic smile. "When I started this gang, It was just a mere tool for me. But not anymore....They have become something close to a family to me. And like me, they all found somewhere they could belong to. A community that thrives by helping each other and their fellow poor man. Something that beautiful created by these disfigured hands that were designed for destruction. No. I cannot destroy that."

Terry closed his eyes. Him too didn't see the gang as a stepping stone like he once did when he was in it. But if they were to do the same things they do after this is finished, then nothing has changed. They'll just be replacing the people that they dethroned.

"But.."

Terry opened his eyes at the mutant leader's words.

"...I do promise that I'll try to reform them. I'll tell them the truth after we do this. I want them to know that those sins can be forgiven and that they can still change."

Terry faintly smiled with his worries all for naught.

"Good. Just remember that when this is over and you don't do what you just told me, then I will be your enemy."

"...Of course." The mutant leader smiled.

"Use this so we can contact each other. It can also be a distress signal. You can't trace our calls so don't even try it."

"Sure thing."

Batman gave him an earpiece.

Batman, went outside of the room and was met with hostile eyes. The kitchen was filled with the twelve men that got kicked out of the room because the mutant leader decided to talk with him first. They glared at him. It meant nothing but he was still irritated. Especially when he saw Don. So, he decided to play a prank on them. He activated the cloaking function again.

"What happened? Where'd he go?! " Batman, who was just in front of them, suddenly vanished.

He could see them panicking and that was enough for Terry to get back at them for throwing daggers with their eyes. He went out the door of the kitchen and then went out the main door before he flew up.

"LUCIUS. Conference call with Alfred and Commissioner Barbara."

-Calling Alfred and Barbara. (LUCIUS)

"I knew he wasn't someone evil." Terry muttered to himself with a satisfied smile as he waited for Alfred and Barbara to pick up.

-Hello? (Barbara)

-Yes? (Alfred)

"Guys, I have to tell you something. Barbara, I know you won't like this, but I've discovered something..."

Terry reported to them what he had learned through talking to the mutant leader.

-You're putting me in a dangerous spot, Terry. I'm the police commissioner. Me working with criminals doesn't make me any different with the rats that are in the headquarters. If our enemies find out about this, they'll do anything to expose it and use it as a reason to get me to resign from my position. (Barbara)

"I know. That's why I'll be your medium. You won't have to get yourself directly involved with them."

-I acknowledge Terry's discernment. As long as he thinks they are trustworthy. (Alfred)

"Thank you, Alfred."

But a response from Barbara has yet to come.

She was still organizing her thoughts about the matter.

Then Barbara broke her silence by heaving out a sigh.

-Look. Even if I'm not involved directly with them, the other side will still notice a pattern in our actions. So, if we're going to do this, we need to do it fast before they realize what hit them. (Barbara)

Terry smiled. He got the reply that he wanted.

"Aaaah! Somebody, help!"

A scream resonated from a street not far from where Terry was.

He narrowed his eyes and just said "I have to go now. We'll talk about it in detail later."

-Good luck. (Barbara)

-Take care. (Alfred)

The transmission stopped as soon as he flew to where the scream was.

A lady was lying on the floor.

"What happened?" Batman asked her.

She widened her eyes out of fright of the being that appeared but the rush of adrenaline helped her think faster and made her realize who it was.

"T-they took somebody away!"

She pointed at a car that was speeding away in the distance.

Terry had more questions but he saved it for later. Saving the person that got abducted was more urgent.

Batman flew and started to chase them. The car was ignoring all traffic rules as it passed by every stoplight, but that was not enough to lose the man chasing them.

Just moments later, Batman finally caught up to them. There were three men riding the car. The driver and the two men at the back. The driver and of the men at the backseat wore ski masks while the guy that was with them was wearing a frightened expression instead of a mask.

They all looked at Batman who was flying beside the car. The man wearing a mask at the backseat rolled down his windows. He put out his arm that was holding a gun.

Batman did not fret and just glared at the man that was about to make the biggest mistake of his life.

When he thought that the man was going to fire at him, he got ready to evade even though his suit can probably protect him perfectly. It was a result of his training to not underestimate anyone. But he thought wrong. The man raised his other hand towards his mask and partially removed it just enough to reveal his face to Batman.

"Hey!" He said then quickly put the mask back on.

It was...

"Mutant leader..." Batman narrowed his eyes at him.