Demon's Head

Gotham City, a secret Court of Owls gathering place.

A group of members wearing white masks sat around a table, holding a roundtable meeting. In front of each of them lay a piece of intelligence that had just been delivered.

Five minutes later, the elderly man seated at the head of the table spoke. "You all understand the situation, yes? The Bat Family didn't suffer much damage dealing with those villains."

"However, new intelligence indicates that the League of Assassins is behind them. Ra's al Ghul not only acted personally, but also joined forces with New York's Foot Clan."

"Our people inside Wayne Group also sent word that the place was infiltrated, and Robin was injured. The conflict between both sides has already begun."

A masked woman said, "You mean we wait until they clash, then intervene?"

"Correct. It's a good opportunity to pin the blame on the League of Assassins. Let's vote. Tell me what you think."

Soon, every member raised their right hand in agreement. No one wanted to go against the old man's wishes; his seniority and influence surpassed everyone present.

"Very good. Next, let us discuss the mayoral candidate."

A man spoke up. "The strongest candidates at the moment are Luke Maye and Oswald. The two of them have the highest approval ratings, but Luke Maye is still ahead by roughly three percentage points."

The old man nodded. "Good. Our efforts on his behalf have not been in vain. But a three-point lead isn't secure. Have we contacted Penguin?"

"We have. He rejected our proposal. It seems he has no intention of dropping out of the race."

The old man paused. "Is that so? What a pity. We can only add him to the purge list as well."

He then instructed the people standing behind him, "Prepare to unseal all the Talons. The Night of the Owls is about to begin. This time, the Court of Owls will take complete control of Gotham."

Gotham City, Ace Chemical Factory.

This chemical factory was quite famous even in the American Comics World, because Joker, who had dominated the number one spot on villain rankings for years, was born here.

Perhaps because of that, the factory later went bankrupt and had remained abandoned ever since.

The factory occupied a considerable area. Logically speaking, some wealthy businessman should have taken it over; no matter what project they developed here, it would make money.

Yet from its liquidation to the present day, not a single person had made an offer.

The reason was simple: this was one of Joker's favored places, and he dropped by from time to time.

If anyone changed it, no one could predict what Joker might do.

But today, the long-abandoned chemical factory had suddenly become lively. At some point, the Foot Clan had taken over the place.

"This is what the boss had you steal?"

Steranko circled the spray device, stroking it as he looked toward his trusty partner, Bebop.

"Take your filthy hands off it, Rocksteady. You'll break it," Dr. Baxter Stockman said.

"You fly, you have no right to order me around!" Steranko roared as he turned around.

"Shut up, all of you! Our guest has arrived."

Shredder, standing above them, suddenly shouted. Rocksteady, Bebop, and Dr. Baxter Stockman immediately stopped arguing and looked toward the main gate.

The doors slowly opened, and a middle-aged man walked in. He wore a fitted combat suit and a dark green high-collared cape, with black-and-white streaks at his temples.

His very gait showed the force of his presence—the bearing of a powerful warlord who held dominion over one side.

Of course, what truly displayed his power was the hundreds of armed subordinates following behind him.

They were all elites trained by the League of Assassins. Their leader was naturally Ra's al Ghul, known as the Ninja Master and the Demon's Head, a famous top-tier villain in the American Comics World.

Compared to the League of Assassins, the Foot Clan's strength was insignificant.

Thus, upon seeing the Demon's Head arrive, Shredder did not dare be careless. He leaped down from above in a single bound.

But he could not appear weaker than the other man either, so he waved his hand and led his subordinates forward to meet him.

"You finally came, Demon's Head!"

"It has been some time, Shredder. No need for further pleasantries. How are your preparations coming along?"

Shredder pointed behind him. "That is the spray launch device taken from Wayne Group. As long as it is activated high enough, it can spread across all of Gotham City."

The Ninja Master nodded. "Very good. Where is the Mutagen? Bring it out and let me see."

Though Ra's spoke calmly, his tone carried an undeniable authority.

But Shredder was no pushover. He immediately stared him down and said, "Did you bring what I asked for? Where is the water from the Lazarus Pit?"

The Ninja Master snorted. "You are the one asking something of me. You have no right to set conditions, Shredder."

"When Gotham is destroyed, I will grant you what you desire."

"Grant? You seem to have misunderstood. We are partners. I am not your subordinate!"

The Ninja Master smiled faintly. "Even partners have primary and secondary roles. I control everything, and your task is to carry out my orders. Otherwise, take your people and leave. The League of Assassins can achieve its goal without you, though it would be somewhat more troublesome."

Shredder had never suffered such humiliation, but he had to obtain the water from the Lazarus Pit. Though his heart roared with fury, he could only force it down.

"Bring it over!"

Two Foot Clan ninjas immediately carried over a large metal case. After entering the password and opening it, they revealed rows of syringes filled with medicine.

"As you can see, this is mutagen serum. Anyone who takes an injection can transform into an incredibly powerful Beast. There are even some rare specimens among them that have gone extinct."

Looking at the dangerous serums, excitement flashed in the Ninja Master's eyes. "I will conduct an experiment first. Bring me one injection."

Shredder stopped him. "Wait. Let me remind you: unless the subject has an exceptionally strong will, they will only become uncontrollable, crazed Beasts. They will attack anyone they see."

The Ninja Master raised his chin and looked down at him. "Are you questioning my ability to command men?"

"Listen carefully, Shredder. Every warrior in the League of Assassins is among the toughest and most fearless of men. They will serve me with their lives and remain loyal to me!"

As soon as the Ninja Master finished speaking, one of his subordinates stepped out from behind him and pressed a syringe against his own arm.

"For the Demon's Head!"

With the cry of a fanatic, he swiftly injected the serum into his body. Everyone fixed their eyes on him.

Just a few minutes later, a roar suddenly burst from the man's throat. It sounded like a lion's roar, a tiger's growl, a wolf's howl, and an eagle's cry all at once, making it impossible to distinguish.

And it was not just the sound that became strange. His body began to mutate as well, the transformation even more dramatic than Bebop's.

More than ten minutes later, the mutation was finally complete. Before everyone stood a Deinonychus over three meters long and about a meter tall, its sharp claws flashing with chilling light beneath the sun.

The father-in-law makes his entrance.