Court of Owls

"Looks like you folks need a ride."

The moment a child in a Robin costume said that to him, Jude instantly guessed his identity.

There was only one Batman—Bruce Wayne—but five Robins had served as his sidekicks over the years.

The first was Dick Grayson, who later became Nightwing. The second was Jason Todd, who was beaten to death by the Joker before returning from the dead as Red Hood, the second Robin.

The third Robin was Tim Drake, known as the most obedient Robin. After the Battle for the Cowl, he went solo as Red Robin. The fourth Robin was Stephanie Brown, the only female Robin and Tim Drake's girlfriend, who later became Batgirl.

The fifth Robin was the child standing before Jude: Damian Wayne, Bruce Wayne's biological son. His mother was Talia al Ghul, daughter of Ra's al Ghul.

The kid was more arrogant than his four predecessors, and naturally, he had died more times too. Batman had even stormed Apokolips for him, snatching him back from Darkseid's jaws.

Jude looked at the Batmobile before him. If nothing unexpected had happened, Bruce Wayne should have been sitting in the driver's seat.

"Dawn's almost here. Is it really okay to drive the Batmobile around so openly?"

Damian folded his arms and lifted his little chin. "It's precisely because dawn is coming that we need a fast vehicle. The Court is watching all this. They'll be back soon."

"So?"

"So you'd better get in. Batman has some questions for you."

"And if I say no?"

Damian grinned and clenched his fists. "Then I won't mind inviting you aboard."

Bridget looked irritably at the little brat before her. "You think you can fight, huh, kid?"

Damian's voice immediately darkened. "Don't call me kid. Even my mother and grandfather don't dare call me that."

"Is that so, kid? You put on a Robin costume and think you're a superhero? Is Batman trying to be funny?"

Damian narrowed his eyes. At some point, a Batarang had appeared in his hand, while flames began flickering from Bridget's fingertips.

"Robin!"

"Firefly!"

Jude and Bruce shouted at the same time. Then the door on the other side opened, and Batman's tall frame stepped out.

He extended a hand. "Batman. I don't think I need much of an introduction."

Jude shook his hand. "I don't have a codename. Just call me Herbert. So, Batman, what do you want with us?"

Bruce said in a deep voice, "Whatever the Court wants to do, I'll stop it. It wants you, so I'll make sure it's disappointed."

"In other words, you don't have your own agenda?"

"Of course I do. I need an explanation for what happened at Arkham."

Jude nodded. "That's more like it. Better to lay everything out in the open. But can your Batmobile fit five people?"

Robin gave a mocking snort. "Old man, don't underestimate the Bat Family."

As he spoke, he pressed a button. The sleek Batmobile immediately began to transform. Moments later, it had doubled in size. Forget five people—even ten would fit with room to spare.

"It'll be a little slower, but accommodating you won't be a problem."

Jude couldn't help sighing. "Now that's money power."

The Batmobile—or rather, the Bat van or Bat minibus now—didn't take the main roads. Instead, it wound along back roads toward the outskirts, reaching a country villa a little over ten minutes later.

"Come in. This can serve as a temporary shelter. The Court won't find us anytime soon."

Jude looked around and said hesitantly, "I wouldn't be so sure. For the Court of Owls, Gotham has almost no secrets. Unless, of course, you take us somewhere private."

Bruce paused, then took out his keys and asked as he unlocked the door, "Mr. Herbert, you seem to know a lot about the Court."

"I wouldn't say I know a lot. I just know some information. Interested in hearing it?"

Batman still spoke with the same tone of suspicion toward everything. "Why tell me?"

"Because they want to kill me and my friends. And while you belong to the darkness, you're at least a knight. The kind of big brother with spirit."

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend. I'm listening."

Jude walked to the liquor cabinet, pulled out a bottle of brandy, and downed half of it in one go. Only then did he begin, still wanting more. "The Court of Owls is an ancient legend that exists in Gotham. There's a nursery rhyme you must have heard."

"Beware the Court of Owls, that watches all the time."

"Ruling Gotham from a shadowy perch, behind granite and lime."

"They watch you at your hearth, they watch you in your bed."

"Speak not a whispered word of them, or they'll send the Talon for your head."

Ivy softly sang the rhyme. In Gotham, many people knew this terrifying nursery song.

"That's right. No one knows when the Court was born, but it definitely predates the Wayne family's roots in Gotham."

"Do you know Alan Wayne? He was the grandfather of Bruce Wayne, the current president of Wayne Group. He built half of Gotham City and laid the solid foundation for Wayne Group's power."

When Jude mentioned Alan Wayne, Bruce and Damian both felt their hearts skip a beat. They knew that name all too well.

"But in 1922, he died on the streets of Gotham City. He plunged headfirst into a sewer and drowned. They say he laughed like a madman without stopping before he died. Do you know why?"

Bruce did his best to remain calm and asked flatly, "The Court?"

"Bingo! Correct. Alan Wayne refused to obey the Court, so he had to be eliminated. A Talon injected him with a neurotoxin, causing him to die laughing."

"But Wayne Group didn't collapse as the Court had hoped. Bruce Wayne's father, Thomas Wayne, instead made it grow even stronger, until it became the foremost of Gotham's four great families—the ruler of Gotham by day."

Hearing that, Damian couldn't help asking, "Why by day?"

Jude drained the rest of the brandy and burst out laughing. "Silly child, because someone else rules the night!"

"From then on, the Court and Wayne Group began fighting for control of Gotham. The Court wanted Gotham to remain chaotic, while the Waynes wanted Gotham to be reborn. Their conflict grew more and more intense, until it finally led to that incident."

At that moment, no matter how hard Bruce tried to suppress his emotions, his hand still trembled slightly. Jude merely watched him with a smile.

The room fell silent for a time. After a while, Bruce finally asked in a hoarse voice, "What was that incident you mentioned?"

"Of course, Thomas Wayne and Martha Wayne being shot dead in an alley by an obscure mugger."

Bruce had already suppressed the turmoil in his heart. He asked calmly, "So the Wayne couple was killed by the Court too?"

To his surprise, Jude wagged a finger. "I don't know either."

The Court was about to make its appearance too.