Far out in the Arctic Ocean, a Coast Guard helicopter touched down upon the back of a heavily damaged and deserted cargo ship. Two Coast Guardsmen, armed with flashlights, jumped onto the deck of the ship to inspect it. They were baffled over the sight of the entire deck filled with massive holes.
Exchanging an uneasy look with his partner, one of the men shined his light upon the nearest massive hole.
<>
At Wayne Enterprises, Mr. Early was at his desk when an executive arrived with a troubled expression.
“Sir, we have a situation.”
“What kind of situation?” Earle asked.
Earle had already received word that Judge Faden was under investigation and wouldn’t be taking any new cases for a while, which meant his own plans of keeping Wayne Enterprises out of Bruce’s hands was currently behind schedule, and he was already in a foul mood.
“Coast guard picked up one of our cargo ships last night,” He reported uneasily. “Heavily damaged. Crew missing, probably dead.”
A frown formed along Earle’s face, followed by a trace of concern around the edges.
“What happened?” He asked.
“The ship was carrying a prototype weapon,” The executive explained. “A microwave emitter…”
<>
An industrial machine the size of a small van sat in a cargo bay, overlooked by two security guards.
“It’s designed for desert warfare – it uses focused microwaves to vaporize the enemy’s water supply…”
Suddenly, something grabbed the security guards from behind, their necks snapped, and then two men approached the machine and turned it on.
“Looks like someone fired it up…”
“What caused the damage?”
The two men braced themselves against the machine as it shuddered, emitting energy in a single wave.
“The expansion of water in steam creates an enormous pressure wave…”
Soon, the pipes exploded, belching steam all over the ship… sailors were tossed around by exploding pipes and drains…
<>
“It looks like someone fired it up at sea,” The executive concluded. “Judging from the damage to the ship and cargo.”
To suggest Earle was floored by the news was the understatement of the century.
“Where’s the weapon?” He asked.
“It’s missing…” The executive shifted uneasily.
‘Good lord,’ Earle thought. He could only imagine just who’d want the weapon and why they’d turn it on while in a ship of all places.
<>
Later that night, in downtown Gotham, a million-dollar Bugatti Veyron pulled up along the valet station at one of the fancy hotels. A long white limousine pulled up behind the car just as Bruce Wayne, impeccably tailored in a black tuxedo, stepped out of his car along with two beautiful women. From the driver side of the limo, the valet scrambled to the back door and opened the door, revealing the Mane Six and Spike. Once again, they assumed their human forms and dressed much like their Canterlot City counterparts.
The girls and Spike stared in awe at the fancy car, which Bruce and his lady friends stepped out of.
“Now that’s a nice car,” Rainbow commented with a smile.
“You should see my other one,” Bruce smirked.
“Think you can lend me one?”
Bruce merely chuckled in response before leading everyone inside the restaurant. As they walked in, Twilight Sparkle positioned a fetching beret in her hair.
“What a lovely accessory, darling,” Rarity commented. “It truly brings out your features rather well.”
“It’s not for appearances, Rarity,” Twilight told her. “I had Bruce hook up a miniature microphone in it.”
“Why would ya need tah do that?” Applejack asked.
“Bruce said this Court of Owls is made up of Gotham’s elite,” Twilight answered. “Surely there’s bound to be hundreds of Gotham’s wealthiest people here tonight and a few are bound to be members. Wearing this allows us to pick up any hidden dialect that might be spoken while we’re here.”
“That’s… actually not a bad idea,” Rainbow nodded slowly.
Inside the hotel restaurant, tables were positioned around a decorative infinity pool, and Earle was seated at one of the tables along with his wife, the Wycliffe’s, and other guests. He saw Bruce enter with the blondes on his arms and the Mane Six and Spike following close behind. Fighting back a sigh, he waved the young man over to join them.
“Bruce, so nice of you to join us,” Earle said through a fake smile. “And I see you’ve brought some friends.”
“Indeed, I have,” Bruce smiled, gesturing to the two girls.
“I meant your other friends,” Earle emphasized, motioning to the Equestrians. “The ‘younger’ ones.”
“Oh right, where are my manners?” Bruce feigned idiocy. “Everyone, these are some transfer students Alfred and I have taken in. This is Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Spike.”
The Mane Six and Spike waved casually toward everyone at the table.
“Lovely to meet you all,” Twilight greeted.
“Charmed, I’m sure,” Rarity bowed her head.
“Sup!” Rainbow spoke casually.
This received a stiff jab in the ribs by Rarity, who glared at her friend for her uncouth response.
“Again with the jabbing!” Rainbow whispered harshly. “You keep this up, I’ll end up with cracked ribs.”
“This doesn’t seem like much of a fancy shindig,” Pinkie Pie spoke disappointed. “Where’s the pinata? Where are the streamers? Does anyone here even know how to play ‘Pin the Tail on the Donkey’?”
Everyone at the table merely looked at the pink party pony turned girl as though she just said the most ridiculous statement they’ve ever heard. This caused Rarity to hide her face in shame and embarrassment, while Spike merely shook his head.
“This is gonna be a long night,” He sighed.
<>
A few hours later…
The table was littered with bottles and empty plates. Eventually, the conversation turned to a discussion over an incident involving the mysterious Batman.
“At least he’s getting something done,” One of the female guests said.
To which the husband of said guest released a heavy sigh.
“Bruce, help me out here,” He begged.
Bruce merely turned from the blondes as they stood and walked over the pool.
“A guy who dressed up like a bat clearly has issues,” Bruce responded with a smile.
“Totally bonkers!” Pinkie piped in. “He sounds as crazy as me when I get really hyped on the sweets. Which happens very often, so I know exactly what I’m talking about. In fact, I think this calls for a pick me up!”
Pinkie proceeded to reach into her hair and pulled out a box of assorted chocolates, which she dumped the entirety into her waiting mouth. Everyone at the table, especially her friends, just watched without uttering a single word as though they haven’t a clue what to say. Eventually, someone pulled the conversation back to focus.
“But he put Falcone behind bars,” The female guest pointed out.
“And now the cops are trying to bring him in,” Her husband pointed out. “So what does that tell you?”
“They’re jealous?” His wife suggested.
“From what I’ve heard, the commissioner is rather infuriated with this Batman character,” John remarked, while Julia sniffed slightly.
From the sidelines, the others watched with disapproval as one of the blondes slipped off her dress and lowered herself into the pool, quickly followed by her giggling companion. Bruce repressed a laugh at everyone’s expression, while maintaining focus on John’s choice of words.
“If he’s so benevolent, why hide his face?”
“Maybe he’s protecting the people he cares about from reprisals,” The female guest suggested.
There was some general agreement to this statement when the Maitre’d approached with an annoyed expression.
“Sir,” He informed Bruce. “The pool is for decoration, and your friends do not have swim wear.”
Bruce merely glanced toward the pool, where his dates were currently swimming and drawing looks from the various guests. To which a smirk spread along his face.
“Well, they’re European.”
The Maitre’d scowled, clearly unamused.
“I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
He became exasperated further when the young man pulled out a checkbook and started to write one out.
“It’s not a question of money.”
Now grinning, Bruce turned to Earle while writing out an amount of money on a check.
“Mr. Earle, I’m buying this hotel,” He informed the older man.
This drew a mixture of reactions from everyone at the table. Julia was indignant, John chuckled with the other guests, Earle nodded patiently, and the Maitre’d was dumbstruck.
“Will you please broker a deal?”
“Of course,” Earle answered.
Pleased, Bruce returned his attention to the stunned man.
“And I’m making some new rules for the pool area,” He added.
One of the blondes called to him and he stood, went over, and let them pull him backward into the water with a laugh. Earle shook his head and turned away to continue the conversation about the Batman, Fluttershy overhearing him suggesting the guy needed a straitjacket and the female guess stating he deserved a medal. The rest of the Equestrians watched with shock over the actions of the young Bruce Wayne.
“For a billionaire, Bruce sure doesn’t showcase much class,” Rarity commented.
“You left out the whole ‘playboy’ part of that statement,” Rainbow remarked.
Meanwhile, Twilight wasn’t paying much attention to what was going on. For at this moment, she had finally picked up a matter of interest through her microphone concerning a man and a woman standing off in the corner.
“And you are positive the day of reckoning is upon us?” The woman asked. “Gotham hasn’t faced judgment since the late 1800’s.”
“Our orders are quite clear,” The man responded. “The Grandmaster wishes for us to meet tonight. We are to give a list of those we wish to be spared when the reaping begins.”
“Then let us waste no more time.”
The couple proceeded to depart from the restaurant area toward the entryway of the hotel. Twilight knew if they were aiming to uncover some information on the Court of Owls, they couldn’t lose the trail. Quickly, she picked herself up and turned toward the rest of her friends.
“I think it’s time we head back for the mansion,” She told them. “After all, we have much work to do.”
She gestured with her eyes toward the doors, and everyone looked over to the couple making their way into view. Getting the idea, they quickly got up and addressed everyone at the table.
“It was quite nice to meet you all,” Rarity said kindly.
“Likewise,” Earle responded. “Do promise me you’ll keep a close eye on Bruce while you’re with him.”
“Can do partner,” Applejack nodded. “We’ll be on him like mud on a pig.”
Once again, Rarity rolled her eyes and sighed at the response before she started to walk away. The rest of the group followed behind her as they started for the restaurant exit. Before they left, they stopped near the pool where Bruce was still inside with his lady friends.
“Um Bruce, we’re just heading out for the mansion,” Fluttershy said. “If that’s alright with you, that is.”
Bruce paused for a moment and looked toward his friends through his sopping wet hair.
“Oh yeah sure,” He nodded. “I’ll meet you guys back there later. Just tell the driver to take you back or wherever you’d like to go.”
With that settled, Bruce returned his attention to whatever he was doing, while the Mane Six and Spike went off to follow the mysterious couple. Wherever it is they were going, surely it was meant to provide some form of answers to questions building in their heads.
<>
A while later, Bruce and the Blondes, now sporting some white hotel robes, left the hotel and were waiting for the valet, who pulled up in the Bugatti. Rachel, wearing a black dress with a black shawl and black heels, walked into the hotel for a dinner date. She stopped at the sight of her childhood friend, now soaking wet.
“Bruce?”
Surprised, Bruce turned and smiled when he saw her.
“Rachel.”
Rachel raised her eyebrows at Bruce, who was still damp.
“I’d heard you were back,” She commented with a faint smile. “What are you doing?”
“Just… swimming,” Bruce responded with a shrug. “It’s good to see you.”
“It’s good to see you too,” Rachel nodded. “So where have you been all these years?”
“Oh, kind of all over, you know?” Bruce shrugged.
“I missed you – you were gone a long time,” Rachel told him.
“I know, did you…?” Bruce started, then cleared his throat. “I mean, how are things… for you?”
“The same,” Rachel answered. “The job’s getting worse.”
‘Not for long.’
“Can’t change the world on your own,” Bruce remarked.
“What choice do I have?” Rachel asked honestly. “You’re too busy… swimming.”
Bruce winced slightly at the jab.
“Rachel, all this… it’s not all I am, inside I’m… different.”
Oh, how he wanted so much to tell her that he was the Batman everyone was talking about. But he also knew ‘why’ he couldn’t… at least, not yet. Just then, one of the blondes called out from the front seat of the car.
“Come on, Bruce! We have some more hotels we want you to buy!”
Rachel glanced toward the blondes, then faced her friend sadly.
“Bruce, deep down, you may be the same great little kid you used to be…” She sighed. “But it’s not who you are underneath… it’s what you do that defines you.”
She walked into the hotel, leaving Bruce to watch her sadly. He wished there was more he could say to show Rachel there’s so little she knew; yet, he didn’t have the words… he just couldn’t.
<>
The Mane Six and Spike, dressed in their Power Pony costumes, used their newly gained skills from training with the League to sneak stealthily through the hotel halls in pursuit of the mysterious couple. They followed through the foundation’s many halls until eventually they arrived outside the Ballroom. The couple stopped outside the room for a moment, looking over their shoulders to make sure they weren’t followed. When they saw no one, they both reached behind themselves and pulled out white owl masks which they placed over their faces before entering the ballroom and closed the doors behind them.
The Power Ponies and Humdrum, watching from the shadows, slunk silently across the hall to the Ballroom doors and stopped just outside. The Masked Matterhorn silently counted to ‘three’ with her fingers before they burst into the room, ready for a fight. Which made it even more bizarre when they saw… nobody, not a soul in the room. It was entirely empty; some would suggest deserted.
“What the hay?!” Zapp said confused. “Where’d they go?”
“That doesn’t seem possible!” Radiance shook her head. “There aren’t any other doors in this room; there’s no way two people can just disappear that quickly.”
“There’s something in here that can tell us where they went,” The Masked Matterhorn said. “Every pony take a look around, and if you find anything out of the ordinary, send a signal.”
The entire group began to scour the room for anything that could possibly tell them where the two people went. They looked up and down the entire room, but so far couldn’t find anything.
“Ain’t nothin’ here, Twi,” Mistress Marevelous called out.
“There has to be,” The Masked Matterhorn said. “I’m sure of it.”
Humdrum looked off into the corner and noticed something off. There was a marble statue of an owl, but the head was facing the wrong direction. Slowly, he walked over to it and reached out to touch it.
*WHAM!!!*
“Ow!”
All of a sudden, Humdrum felt a sharp prick in the back of his neck and reached out to find out what hit him. Something stuck out along that very spot, and when he pulled it out it appeared to be some sort of blow dart.
“Yeow!”
“Ouchie!”
“What the hay?!”
“Holy mother of Tirek!”
Humdrum looked up seeing the others pulling darts out of themselves too.
“What in the name of Celestia is—what in—wah-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba…”
Humdrum’s lip started to swell up while everyone else stumbled about, feeling extremely dizzy and tired. Within a minute, the entire group fell to the ground and passed out from whatever those drugs injected them with. Out of the shadows stepped a number of men in suits and white skull masks. They looked down upon the fallen Equestrian heroes, unsure of what to make of them.
“What should we do with them?” One Court member asked.
“We should kill them now,” Another suggested.
“No, we must allow the Grandmaster to decide their fate,” Another member announced.
One member of the Court approached the statue and turned its head back toward the direction it was meant to face. The room shook slightly as a hidden staircase lowered down into the floor, revealing a large medieval-looking iron door.
The members of the Court picked up the Mane Six and Spike one-by-one before carrying them down the stairs and through the iron gate off towards Celestia only knows where.
<>
The next day, at the county jail, Dr. Crane, with briefcase in hand, was buzzed through a set of thick steel-and-glass doors. As always, Chrysalis followed by his side and together they walked inside where an officer greeted them.
“Dr. Crane, thanks for coming down.”
“Not at all,” Crane spoke politely. “So, he cut his wrists?”
The prison official nodded.
“Probably looking for an insanity plea,” She guessed. “But if anything happened…”
“Of course, better safe than sorry,” Crane nodded.
Falcone waited for Crane in a white interview room, where his wrists were bandaged. He smirked when the psychiatrist and the Changeling Queen in disguise entered.
“A suicide attempt, Carmine?” Chrysalis spoke up. “How unlike you. Here I thought you were a crime lord, not a coward.”
“Dr. Crane, it’s all too much, the walls are closing in, blah, blah, blah!” He rattled up, grimacing. “Couple more days of this food, it’ll be true.”
Crane placed his briefcase on the table and sat down, unfazed by Falcone’s performance.
“What do you want?” He asked, cutting to the point.
Falcone took this hint, his face going hard.
“I wanna know how you’re gonna convince me to keep my mouth shut.”
“I could always kill you,” Chrysalis threatened. “That would certainly keep you quiet forever.”
“Easy my dear,” Crane gestured politely, facing Falcone. “About what? You don’t know anything.”
“I know you wouldn’t want the cops taking a closer look at the drugs they seized,” Falcone spoke slyly, with a smirk. “Odds are, they’ll be asking the CEO of Wycliffe Industries to examine the drugs since he’s a big supporter and sponsor of their anti-drug task force and rehab program. I know about your experiments on the inmates at your nuthouse.”
As he spoke, Crane’s eyes narrowed almost as though he were sizing him up.
“I don’t get into business with someone without finding out their dirty secrets. Those goons you hired… I own the muscle in this town. I’ve been smuggling your stuff in for months, so whatever he’s got planned, it’s big. And I want in.”
Crane studied the crime boss thoughtfully for a moment, then sighed.
“I already know what he’ll say… that we should kill you.”
“Let me do it,” Chrysalis offered. “I could make it either painful… or very painful.”
Glaring with contempt, Falcone leaned forward.
“Even he can’t touch me in here,” He declared. “Not in my town.”
Crane shrugged, popping the locks on his briefcase, and then removed his glasses. He looked toward Chrysalis with an almost sinister look.
“Let’s see if that practice you’ve been doing has paid off,” He suggested.
“With pleasure,” Chrysalis smirked wickedly.
Crane then looked back at Falcone, as he reached inside the case.
“Would you like to see my mask?”
Crane proceeded to pull out a burlap sack with eye holes cut into it, and twine stitching for a mouth.
“I use it in my experiments,” He explained. “I’m probably not very frightening to a guy like you, but these crazies… they can’t stand it…”
Falcone stared at him, warily and uneasily of where this was going. Crane placed the mask over his face and reached back into his briefcase.
“When did the nut take over the nut house—” He began.
*WHUMP!!!*
A cloud of white smoke shot out of the briefcase and into his face. Coughing, he pushed his chair back, surprised, and then began screaming when he locked eyes with Crane’s mask. Lizard tongues flicked out of the holes in his mask, as he stood and leaned toward the terrified crime boss.
“They scream and cry…” Crane growled. “… As much as you’re doing now.”
Falcone kept screaming as the eyes and mouth of Crane’s mask burst into flames. Chrysalis’ eyes turned dark green, her fangs elongated, and soon her human form melted away into that of her true Changeling form. She opened her mouth widely and began to suck the fear Falcone was experiencing, feeling herself grow more and more powerful. Once she’d gotten the full taste of fear, she reverted back to her regular human form as she could feel the power emulating deep within her.
“Hmm… so it’s true,” She smiled wickedly. “Fear is far more satisfying than love.”
<>
Barely a minute later, Chrysalis and Crane emerged, his briefcase in hand. Falcone’s screams echoed from within the room, as the man turned to the startled prison official.
“Oh, he’s not faking,” He confirmed. “Not that one.”
To which the official nodded gravely.
“I’ll talk to the judge, see if I can get him moved to the secure wing at Arkham,” He continued. “I can’t treat him here.”
With that settled, he and Chrysalis quickly left while Falcone’s screams echoed throughout the halls.
<>
At Wycliffe Industries, John was going over the results of the drugs that’d been tested. He hadn’t gotten far when one of his assistants approached.
“Yes?” He asked.
“There’s a Sergeant Jim Gordon here to see you, sir.”
“Send him in,” John said, studying the results. “This can’t be right…”
Goron entered the office and cleared his throat.
“Mr. Wycliffe?”
John looked up from the lab results and nodded, shaking the cop’s hand.
“Gordon, good to see you since the commissioner isn’t interested,” He said.
“Loeb has a different approach to what he considers to be ‘important’,” Gordon said, nodding to the papers. “Are those the results from the drugs we seized at the docks last night?”
“They are,” John confirmed. “And while most of the drugs are the typical ones Falcone brings in, there’s something else as well.”
“What’s that?” Gordon asked.
“Unfortunately, that’s where me and the technicians in my research labs are stumped,” He admitted. “Whatever it is, the chemical compound seemed to hint that it’s some kind of hallucinogenic, based on what I know about such chemicals… this could be a nasty one.”
“How nasty?” Gordon frowned.
“I say bad enough to induce a heart attack or even a fatal stroke in less than a minute,” John responded. “Of course, it’ll depend on the dosage, and how the person is exposed to it.”
To which Gordon didn’t like the sound of it.
“Will you let me know anything else that you find out about this hallucinogenic chemical?” He requested.
“I will,” John promised. “There’s a few more tests my people are currently running, and the results should be in soon.”
“Thanks.”
<>
Later that night, Gordon was at his apartment, where his pregnant wife, Barbara, was trying to get their two-year old, Jim Jr., to eat. He kissed her, picked up the trash, and headed outside. Thunder rumbled overhead as Gordon stepped out onto the fire escape, to put the trash into the trashcan and put the lid back on.
“Storm’s coming,” A raspy voice said.
Startled, Gordon looked up, spotting the Batman, who was crouched just above him on the fire escape.
“The scum’s getting jumpy because you stood up to Falcone,” Gordon told him.
“It’s a start,” The Dark Knight declared. “Your partner was at the docks with Falcone.”
To which Gordon rolled his eyes, unsurprised by the claim.
“He moonlights as a low-level enforcer.”
“They were splitting the shipment in two,” the Batman informed. “Only half were going to the dealers.”
Now this was news to the cop himself.
“Why? What about the other half? Unless…”
“Unless what?” The Dark Knight questioned.
“I went to Wycliffe Industries earlier to see John Wycliffe, who’s overseeing the testing of the drugs from the docks, and he found something strange,” Gordon explained. “Wycliffe isn’t sure, but he says it looked to be a hallucinogenic chemical compound of some kind.”
Batman considered this discovery with keen interest.
“Flass knows,” He observed.
Gordon shook his head even if he knew that was probably true.
“He won’t talk.”
“He’ll talk to me,” Batman said confidently.
“Commissioner Loeb set up a massive task force to catch you,” Gordon warned the Dark Knight. “He thinks you’re dangerous.”
Of course, Batman didn’t seem surprised by this at all.
“What do you think?”
“I think you’re trying to help,” Gordon said.
He turned away for only a brief moment, then when he looked back… the Dark Knight disappeared.
“But I’ve been wrong before.”
‘I just hope that I’m not wrong this time,’ a thought passed as Gordon proceeded back into his apartment. Batman watched him from a nearby rooftop till the cop disappeared. He tapped the side of his cowl and radioed back to Alfred, who was listening from Wayne Manor.
“I heard everything clear as day, Master Bruce,” Alfred said. “If what Mr. Gordon says is true, this compound could prove to be quite dangerous to anyone exposed.”
“I need to find Flass,” Batman replied. “He was there the night Falcone and Sionis were going to collect the drugs. He’ll know more about it.”
“Be careful, sir. With this city wide manhunt, traversing about the city will be difficult.”
“I’ll be fine, Alfred,” Batman assured. “Have you found any sign of them yet?”
“I’m afraid not, sir. The limousine driver said they never got back in the car and the hotel staff hasn’t seem them at all since they walked out of the restaurant last night. I have no idea where they are, but I do hope they’re alright.”
Bruce put an end to the communication and proceeded with his nightly patrol. He was worried about the Mane Six and Spike the moment he came home the other night, only to find out they never returned. He tried looking for them, but so far all efforts have proven fruitless. He could only hope that wherever they were, they could handle themselves until he found them.
<>
Groaning in pain, the brilliant lavender eyes beneath the mask of the Matterhorn slowly blinked open as she tried to adjust to a bright light shining upon her. When she tried to sit up, she quickly found her movements were rather restricted. Soon as her vision came in full, she noticed that she and the remainder of her friends were chained down to a large circular table in the midst of some chamber. Seated all around were an assortment of men, women, and even children, all wearing white owl masks.
The Masked Matterhorn looked on, shocked and in fear, as the entire Court of Owls gazed upon her, and her friends chained to the table. She attempted to use her magic to free herself and the others, only to find she couldn’t do it. Not for lack of trying, but because her magic had simply failed her. As she struggled to free them all, her friends eventually awoke and slowly came to realize their situation.
“What the hay’s going on here?” Zapp asked confused.
“Where are we?” Humdrum asked confused. “Who’re these people?”
“Scary birds…” Filly Second shuddered.
“Ugh! My magic isn’t working!” Radiance panicked.
“Mah strength ain’t working neither,” Mistress Marevelous groaned, pulling the chains.
“Twilight, w-w-what’s h-happening?” Saddle Rager shook in fear.
“I don’t know,” The Masked Matterhorn answered fearfully.
A low chuckle made the entire group face the head of the table where a man dressed in a three-piece ivory suit and wearing a golden owl mask sat in a throne. The Grandmaster of the Court of Owls stood up as he eyed the Equestrians.
“Of course you do,” He spoke lowly. “You seek answers into the Court of Owls. Well look no further, for here we are.”
Once again, The Masked Matterhorn tried using her magic to free herself. But even as she felt a spark, the magic completely fizzled out in seconds. Another chuckle emanated from beneath the Grandmaster’s mask.
“Try all you’d like, but your magic won’t work… Twilight Sparkle.”
Twilight and the others froze upon hearing her name called out.
“How do you know my name?” She asked.
“I know all about you and your friends,” The Grandmaster replied. “That’s why your chains are made of a special metal that counteracts all your powers. You’re as helpless as puppy dogs in a pound.”
“Just wait till I’m out of these chains, creep!” Rainbow growled. “I’ll hit you so hard it’ll make the first Court of Owls dizzy!”
“Idle threats mean nothing to us,” The Grandmaster replied simply. “The Court of Owls has watched over Gotham City since its first founding. Our mission has been to ensure the city’s future by whatever means necessary.”
“Even if that means murderin’ the innocent, corruptin’ the system, and spewin’ lies?” Applejack asked.
“Indeed,” The Grandmaster nodded. “Though while Gotham’s continuation remains our goal, our priority is far greater than that. We are part of something much bigger than Gotham itself could ever hope to be.”
“And what exactly is that?” Rarity frowned.
The Grandmaster merely sat back in his thrown, his hands pressed together.
“The complete and utter destruction of magic itself,” He answered.
This puzzle the Equestrians greatly, shocked them even.
“What do you mean by destroying the magic?” Twilight asked confused.
“Do you truly believe you’re the first magical beings to end up in this world?” The Grandmaster asked. “Magic has done its damage to this world for centuries. It’s people like us, or rather people all over the world, with similar visions that have kept the magic at bay.”
“So what’re you going to do to us?” Spike asked. “Kill us?”
To which, once again, the Grandmaster released a chuckle.
“Eventually little dragon,” He nodded. “But first, the world must see how dangerous and destructive your kind truly are. Judgment Day is upon Gotham City at last, and your kind will serve as the executioners, whether you want to or not.”
“Our kind?!” Rainbow growled. “I’ll make you eat those words you—”
One snap of The Grandmaster’s fingers and the other Court members quickly rose up with blow dart guns in hand. They quickly fired toward the group before they could react and within another moment, they were out cold.
“What shall we do now, sir?” One member asked.
“Return them to Wayne Manor,” The Grandmaster answered. “Soon enough, the reckoning will come to Gotham. As their kind lay waste to this city, we commence with the purge of Gotham and rebuild from its ashes.”
A few members proceeded to unshackle the Mane Six and Spike, dragging them from their meeting chamber as the rest watched on silently and sinisterly.
<>
It was pouring rain, Flass was currently at a falafel stand, where the vendor piled the fixings for the corrupt cop. He helped himself to a couple banknotes, ignoring the protest from the vendor as he walked away. He walked down a dark street, stuffing the falafel into his mouth as the rain soaked him to the bone. Suddenly, he was yanked from the pavement and pulled up between two buildings while his food landed on the pavement below.
Screaming for his life, Flass found himself face-to-face with the Batman himself, the rain pouring off his cowl. The corrupt officer was so terrified he barely noticed the cord wrapped around Flass’ ankle held tightly in the Batman’s grip.
“Where were the other drugs going?” Batman demanded.
“I don’t know!” Flass gasped, scared. “I swear to God—”
“Swear to me!” Batman snarled.
He dropped Flass three flights down on the wire before yanking the terrified man back up.
“I never knew… never…” Flass whispered frantically. “Shipments went to some guy for a couple of days before they went to the dealers.”
If Batman’s suspicions were true, that probably meant John was right about the hallucinogenic chemicals. But the detective needed to make sure.
“Why?” Batman growled.
“There was something else in the drugs,” He whispered. “Something hidden.”
“What?”
“I don’t know – I never went to the drop-off!” Flass cried. “It’s in the Narrows – cops only go there in force…”
“Do I look like a cop?” The Dark Knight growled.
He proceeded to drop Flass, who screamed mid-fall to the ground. His descent slowed until the terrified cop was less than a foot above the pavement. Then the cord suddenly released, dropping the overweight jerk onto his face. The man whispered in response, as the cold rain soaked into his clothes along with what little remained of his food… which he now laid atop of.
<>
A cargo ship arrived at the docks, as Finch walked through the canyons of shipping containers along with two men. He checked the tags with a flashlight until he stopped upon one.
“This is the one I’m talking about,” Finch frowned.
“What’s your problem with it?” One dock employee asked.
“It shouldn’t exist,” Finch snapped. “This ship left Singapore with 246 containers and arrived with 247. I’m guessing there’s something I’m not supposed to find in there.”
“Listen, counselor… we know the way things work in this town,” One of the dock employees spoke. “You and me… we don’t want to know what’s in Mr. Falcone’s crate.
“Things are working different,” Finch scowled. “Open it.”
The dock employees shrugged, hauled the doors open, and Finch peeked inside, finding an industrial machine the size of a small van. Frowning, he ran his flashlight over it and picked out the Wayne Enterprises label on the side.
“What the hell is this thing?”
Behind the D.A., the first dock employee raised a silenced gun and fired; the second dock guy proceeded to drag the body into the container.
<>
Meanwhile, located in the midst of the Gotham river, there was an island called the Narrows. A ramshackle labyrinth of crumbling public housing, makeshift additions growing like fungus around the insane asylum; a wall city slick with rain. Batman landed on the rooftop of one of many housing projects and dropped onto one of the fire escapes.
He climbed slightly along the wall, window to window, until he stopped at one. He pulled a small black optic from his utility belt, extending it into a tiny periscope, and then angled it to look in the window across the way.
The Dark Knight could see a darken apartment, where the furniture was stacked around the walls, and in the center was a large pile of stuffed rabbits. Just then, a window near his perch opened and accompanied by the noise of raised anger, a little boy climbed onto the fire escape, rested his arms on the railing, and stared out toward the Narrows.
Batman peered at the boy and made a small noise, getting the kid’s attention. When the boy looked over, his eyes went wide the moment he saw the Dark Knight, who put a finger to his lips to indicate silence.
“It’s you, isn’t it?” The boy whispered, nodding to the apartment ahead. “You’re here to get that guy? They already took him. To the hospital.”
The boy pointed toward Arkham Asylum, where without question whomever Batman was looking for was already there.
“Get your ass back in here!” A female voice screamed.
Reluctantly, the boy turned to go back inside… but stopped. He turned back toward the Dark Knight.
“The other kids won’t believe me.”
Batman cocked his head slightly, then handed the kid the optic. The boy’s face lit up the moment he took it and, after smiling broadly, climbed back inside. The Dark Knight swung across to the other apartment, opened the window, and climbed inside.
<>
Once inside, Batman picked up one of the rabbits from the pile. He discovered it’d been split open, all its contents removed. Noises from the hallway caught his attention, and he melted into the shadows.
Moments later, the door to the place opened and Crane entered with two thugs, indicating all the toys.
“Get rid of all traces.”
“Better torch the whole place,” One of the thugs suggested.
Crane nodded when he noticed rain splattering off the sill of the open window and onto the floor.
‘Why is that window open?’.
Crane went over to investigate while one of the thugs began pouring gasoline onto the toys. His partner prepared a couple of Molotov cocktails. The first thug kept pouring gasoline all around, then went into the bathroom. After he shut the door, he set the container on the toilet tank, and was lifting the lid to relieve himself when he noticed something in the cracked mirror. Then, before he could react, Batman smashed his face directly into the glass.
<>
Hearing a crash from the bathroom, the second thug turned, holding a lit Molotov cocktail. Suddenly, a cord wrapped around the bottle and yanked it into the shadows, where the flame was quickly extinguished. The thug stared into the shadows uneasily when Batman launched himself out of the bathroom and smashed him to the ground before the thug could pull out his gun.
With the thug knocked out, the Dark Knight stood and turned to face Crane, who now wore his mask and the Batman ended up getting a face full of white powder. Gasping and choking, Batman stagged toward the doctor, lost his balance, and fell to the floor. He looked up toward Crane who’s eyes started flaming, his limbs elongated, and the monster spun like a dervish.
Crane picked up one of the bottles and smashed it over Batman’s head, stunning him while his armor was covered and soaked in gasoline. As the Dark Knight struggled to reach the window, now chased by bats, Crane picked up the lighter and flicked it open.
“Do you want my opinion?” Crane asked, his voice muffled. “You need to lighten up.”
As the Dark Knight turned to face him, Crane tossed the lighter forward bursting Batman into flames. Still in the grips of a hallucination, the flaming bat spun and leapt desperately at the window
<>
*SMASH!*
Seconds later, the flaming dark knight crashed through the window, falling through the air. He managed to deploy one wing, which caused him to spiral downward until it hooked a railing, slowing him just enough that he landed on the wet ground with a loud thump and sizzle.
Groaning in pain, Batman rolled around until the flames were completely out leaving his batsuit a smoldering mess. Ignoring the curious looks of the people on the street, he picked himself up and lurched into an alley; he raised his grapple gun, fired toward the enclosed roof, rode it up, and punched his way through wire and metal.
The Dark Knight crawled onto the roof and rolled onto his back, staring up at the skyscrapers of Gotham itself. The rain blurred his vision as he continued to face assault by various images of his parents’ death over and over again, along with hundreds of bats in the air. Fumbling at his belt, he pulled out a tiny phony and gasped hoarsely into it.
“Alfred?! Alfred?! Help!”
<>
An unknown amount of time later…
Batman was curled up in the backseat of the Rolls with Alfred driving. Occasionally, the butler glanced up at the rear-view mirror at his charge, who was flinching against the invisible antagonists.
“Blood!” Batman cried, surrounded by bats. “Alfred?! Blood! A sample – take a sa – sample – poisoned…”
And just like that, the Batman slipped into unconsciousness as the images continued to overwhelm him. Alfred may not have entirely known what his master was talking about, but he knew for certain he needed to act fast unless he risked losing another Wayne. An outcome of which he refused to let happen.