Identity Exposed

"It's Talons!"

Seeing the two corpses soaking in the water, Firefly and Poison Ivy cried out at the same time. The battle outside Gotham City had left a deep impression on them.

So even though the two Talons before them had their heads blown apart, their distinctive Owl Suits made their identities obvious at a glance.

"You're saying they're both Talons? Two people sharing one name?" Huntress Helena Bertinelli asked in confusion.

"No. Talon is a codename. They're all assassins the Court of Owls has trained since childhood. Their real identities ceased to exist long ago."

"And what is this Court of Owls? Please, I only left Gotham for a while, and suddenly there are all these things I don't understand."

Black Canary patted her partner on the shoulder. "You were born and raised in Gotham. Have you forgotten that nursery rhyme? I grew up in Star City, but even I've heard of it."

Huntress frowned. "So what does that mean? Don't tell me the nursery rhyme came true. That's absurd."

Nightwing said helplessly, "I'm afraid you'll be disappointed, because the Court of Owls has really appeared."

Gotham City, an old castle, one of the Court of Owls' gathering places.

Smash!

An expensive vase shattered on the floor. Anyone with an eye for such things could tell that it was ancient porcelain from a mysterious Eastern land. It had stood the test of time and would have been worth tens of millions on the market—truly priceless.

But no one cared, because something far more important had them agitated.

"Why did this happen? Where did those monsters come from? Why did they attack the Talons? I need an explanation—a perfect explanation."

Once the old man's anger had subsided somewhat, a masked woman seated in the middle of the long table spoke. "According to our intelligence, these monsters should be experimental subjects created by the League of Assassins and the Foot Clan. They may have been intended to deal with the Bat Family, but we don't know why they entered the city."

"The League of Assassins and the Foot Clan created something so dangerous. Why wasn't it investigated in advance? Ms. Katherine, your negligence led to the failure of the Night of the Owls."

Hearing the accusation directed at her, the woman clenched her fists. You're the one who made the decision. If you hadn't wanted to launch the Night of the Owls while the Bat Family was tied down, how could things have turned out like this?

When something goes wrong, I'm the one who has to take the blame. Don't you know intelligence gathering takes time? And circumstances can change in an instant. That requires a grasp of the overall situation, not merely judgment based on a report.

But those thoughts remained just that—thoughts. She certainly could not say them aloud. The old man's family wielded far more power than hers.

After berating her and calming his anger, the old man continued, "Wells, explain the current situation. Let everyone know exactly how great our losses are."

The masked man seated lower down to the old man's left nodded. "For this operation, we deployed a total of 133 Talons. Sixty-seven were killed... or could not be recovered. Fifteen were recovered. At present, fifty-one still retain combat capability."

"Among the targets on the list, twenty-five were successfully assassinated, including Councilman Reinhardt, Prosecutor Hygeia, Shell Group chairman Jerion, Leonard Family head Simmons Leonard..."

"Nineteen assassination attempts failed, including Wayne Group president Bruce Wayne, Penguin Oswald, Kane Group president Reeve Kane, Grand Justice Fatilme..."

When Wells finished, some people beneath their masks frowned while others smiled. Although the overall operation had not succeeded, they had still eliminated more than half their targets. Quite a few among them could profit from it; the only difference was how much they stood to gain.

For example, Shell Group was a pharmaceutical company. After this incident, its stock price would surely plummet. Some of the Owl families focused on pharmaceuticals could take the opportunity to step in and acquire it, gaining assets worth tens or even hundreds of billions of dollars.

As for families uninvolved in the pharmaceutical industry, even if they intervened, all they would get would be scraps. Naturally, they were unhappy.

Only the collapse of conglomerates like Wayne and Kane could fill everyone's bellies.

"You've all heard it. We lost half our combat strength, yet the results we gained were less than half of what we expected. The most crucial targets survived, and they will certainly be twice as cautious now. Assassinating them again will be even more difficult."

Wells raised a hand. "There is one more special matter concerning Bruce Wayne that needs to be explained."

Every member of the Court turned their gaze toward him.

"According to footage sent back by the Talons, after arriving at Wayne Manor, they did not find Bruce. However, they discovered something else interesting."

"It was a hidden passage leading directly beneath Wayne Manor, and underground, they found... a Batsuit."

At the mention of the Batsuit, every Court member froze for a moment before starting to whisper among themselves. This was unexpected, explosive news.

"You're saying Bruce Wayne is that bat?"

Wells shook his head. "We cannot be certain yet. The footage sent back by the Talons contained only one image. The rest was likely interfered with and cut off."

"So, it is possible that Bruce Wayne is Batman. It is also possible that Batman secretly built his nest beneath Wayne Manor."

The Court members once again broke into small discussions. At that moment, they were no different from a group of gossiping market aunties.

"I know Bruce Wayne well. He's nothing but a playboy who chases skirts. I can accept that he's impressive in bed, but impressive out of bed too? I find that impossible."

"Why is it impossible? Don't forget, Bruce Wayne disappeared for more than a decade. No one knows where he went or what he experienced. Perhaps that was what made him stronger."

"Speaking of which, I wonder if you noticed that when Bruce Wayne returned to Gotham, Batman appeared as well. That may be evidence."

Another Owl spoke up. "And Batman has high-tech equipment like the Batmobile, Batcycle, and Batplane. He often blows them up and destroys them after using them. That requires enormous financial resources—far beyond what an ordinary person can afford."

"Quiet! Mind your manners!"

Looking at the chaotic scene, the old man slammed his palm against the table. "This is extremely important information. Even if Bruce Wayne is not Batman, he is very likely an accomplice who provides him with technical and financial support."

"Wells, you will investigate this matter thoroughly. Within one week, I want a definite answer."

"I'll get it done!"

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