//------------------------------// // Rebuilding // Story: Cinematic Adventures: Batman Begins // by extremeenigma02 //------------------------------// The next morning, following the fear gas attack upon Gotham and the death of Ra’s Al Ghul, construction crews were busy clearing the debris of Wayne Enterprises. Heading the operation was none other than Lucius Fox, wearing a white hard hat. Just then, Mr. Earle arrived on the site and stalked toward Lucius with a livid expression. Lucius saw his approach and tapped the hard hat he wore on his head. “This is a hard hat area,” He warned. “What are you doing here, Fox?” Earle demanded angrily, ignoring the warning. “I seem to remember firing you.” Lucius nodded with a gesture toward the clean-up operation. “Might be something to do with my new job as head of Wayne Enterprises,” He answered. “Didn’t you get the memo?” “Apparently he didn’t.” The two men turned to their side seeing John Wycliffe approaching them. Much like Lucius, he also wore a hard hat and three-piece suit. “You really should get a hard hat Bill,” John warned Earle. “Wouldn’t want you to get hurt or have someone throw you out.” Earle ignored him, glaring outright toward Lucius. “Whose authority?” He demanded furiously. Instead of answering, Lucius and John pointed toward a familiar Rolls Royce that was idling nearby, and Earle stormed toward it. Lucius and John both quietly smiled before resuming their work. Reaching the car, Earle banged on the window until Bruce Wayne rolled it down with an inquiring look. “Yes?” “You think you have authority to decide who runs this company, Bruce?” Earle demanded loudly. “It is my company,” Bruce reminded him. “Not anymore,” Earle countered smugly. “Wayne Enterprises went public a week ago—” “And I bought most of the shares,” Bruce interrupted. “A controlling interest in fact. Through various charitable foundations, trusts and so forth. Look, it’s all a bit technical, but the important thing is… my company’s future is secure.” Earle just stared at the young man in shock as he stepped out of the Rolls Royce. “Oh, I nearly forgot,” Bruce remembered. “I do have one more surprise for you, Mr. Earle. Or rather, theydo.” Bruce pointed behind Earle and the older man turned around to see the Mane Six and Spike, in their human forms, walking towards them with a few police officers in tow. “This is him, officer,” Twilight pointed to Earle. “What is the meaning of this?” Earle asked confused. The two cops approached Earle, one of them snatched his hands and placed handcuffs on him. “William Earle, you’re under arrest,” The cop spoke, tightening the cuffs. “What?!” Earle exclaimed in shock. “On what charges?!” “For conspiring with a terrorist organization,” The officer responded. “And orchestrating the murders of Thomas and Martha Wayne.” “This is outrageous!” Earle shouted. “I’ve been a loyal member of Wayne Enterprises for years.” “And you’ve also been the Grandmaster of the Court of Owls as well,” Twilight argued. Earle just stared at her, the torches of confusion burning greatly in his eyes. “What on Earth are you talking about?” he asked. Twilight procured from behind her back a series of snapshots and copies of incriminating documents found in Earle’s offices. “We found these documents on your personal computer in which you and a few others plotted the murders of the Wayne’s,” Twilight explained. “You broke into my office?!” Earle exclaimed angrily. “Don’t go tryin’ tah change the subject!” Applejack snapped. “Y’all wanted the Wayne’s outta the way so you could take the company public and make a small fortune off the sale.” “So you and your cohorts paid a desperate man to commit murder,” Rarity added. “With the Wayne’s gone, their business would fall into your hands.” “But you needed to cover your tracks,” Spike continued. “So you and the other Court members blew the whistle on Joe Chill and arranged to have him locked up in Arkham Asylum on insanity watch.” “You knew nobody would believe an insane man committed for murder,” Fluttershy added. “You, Mr. Earle, are a very, very bad man,” Pinkie said disappointed. “And to think I was actually considering making you a cake out of kindness and friendship.” Earle wasn’t even given an opportunity to speak, as he was dragged away to a nearby police car while reading the man’s rights. “You have the right to remain silent,” The officer read. “If you give up this right, anything you say can and willbe used against you in a court of law.” The officers loaded Earle into the back of the car and began to drive off into Gotham. Bruce and the rest of the group watched with satisfaction as the police car disappeared from sight. “I’ve been waiting to see that happen since we got back,” Bruce smiled. “Now with the Grandmaster of the Court locked up, it’s sure to throw a wrench in their plans for the future,” Twilight declared happily. Bruce nodded in agreement before hopping back into the car. He nodded to Alfred, and they drove off back towards Wayne Manor. This left the Mane Six and Spike standing on the sidewalk. The sound of someone approaching caused them to turn just as Sonata Dusk cautiously walked towards them. Her head was bowed in shame, she fumbled with her long hair nervously. The group crossed their arms and looked at her skeptically but still gave her a chance to speak. “I know you have no reason to trust me, especially after all the things I’ve done,” Sonata spoke shamefully. “I just wanted to let you all know… I’m sorry. I’ve done horrible things, caused so much chaos and pain, and for what? All for the love of those who never loved me back. I know that’s no excuse for my actions, and I’m not asking for forgiveness. I just want you to know I regret what I’ve done to you and all of Equestria. So I’ll leave you all alone. You’ll never see or hear from me again.” Sonata just turned and started to walk away slowly until… “Wait!” Sonata Dusk slowly turned back just as Twilight herself walked towards her. The princess stopped before the siren girl with a serious look on her face. “You’re right… you have done horrible things in the past,” Twilight spoke honestly. “I can’t say we can just bury that under the carpet, nor can I promise forgiveness is going to be easy.” Sonata nodded slowly, as if she already expected that. But then, to her surprise, a warm smile formed on Twilight’s face. Kindness itself made its way especially in her eyes. “However… you stepped up and did the right thing when it really mattered,” She said appreciatively. “You stood against your own sisters just to help us. Because of that, we’re all alive right now. As far as I’m concerned, you’ve earned at least ‘one’ chance at redemption.” She extended her hand for Sonata to shake. The blue siren stared at her and her outstretched hand in shock. And she thought to herself, even after all she did in the past, before her was a pony offering her a chance to redeem herself. Which was more than when she and her family were initially banished from Equestria entirely. But never once did she think anything like this would happen for her. With a smile on her face and a tear in her eye, Sonata Dusk reached out and grasped Twilight’s hand. They both shook on it before eventually pulling away as the rest of the group came up alongside them. “What do you guys think?” Twilight asked them. “Are you okay with this?” “Well… she did save our hides,” Applejack smiled. “Any pony willin’ tah risk their lives fer us, ah’d say they deserve a chance.” “I’ll be honest, I hated her guts a while back,” Rainbow spoke honestly. “But now when I look at her, I guess I don’t quite wanna kick her in the head that much.” “That’s… a start,” Twilight said awkwardly. “Darling, I wouldn’t be the Element of Generosity if I was unable to offer some pony a second chance,” Rarity nodded. “After what you’ve done for us, you’ve more than earned it.” “I’ve always believed any pony can change if shown a little kindness,” Fluttershy said. “If Discord can change thanks to kindness, I’m confident in Sonata.” Sonata turned nervously toward Spike, who pondered over it for a moment. But without so much a word, he merely nodded his head silently with a tiny smile. Maybe he wasn’t quite so sure about Sonata, but he’d give her a chance anyway. Just to hear such words from the other Elements, Sonata cracked a small smile. “I guess all that’s left for me is deciding what I should do now,” Sonata told them. “I can’t very well go back to the Dark Order, not after what I did to my sisters. I don’t really wanna go back there anyway… but I can’t stay in Gotham either.” “Well, there’s a simple answer to that,” Pinkie smiled happily. “You should come back to Ponyville with us. I’ll throw you the biggest welcome party you’ve ever seen. There’ll be cake, balloons, streamers pinatas, games, and all around fun, fun, fun!” “For realsies?” She asked surprised. “You sure you’re okay with this?” “Of course!” Twilight nodded. “Granted, we’d have to arrange some living quarters for you, and find you a job so you can support yourself. But what better place to start fresh than in Ponyville? I learned about the magic of friendship there, and it will help teach you as well.” Sonata could feel a single tear of joy rolling down her cheek, as she smiled with a nod of her head in approval. With her decision made, Twilight smiled in return and used her magic to teleport them back to Wayne Manor. For now, there was one last thing to do before returning to Equestria. <> As Alfred drove Bruce back to Wayne Manor in the Rolls Royce, both men were discussing the morning’s newspaper. The paper had a large picture and article about Batman spread across the front page. “Batman may have made the front page,” Alfred announced. “But Bruce Wayne got pushed to page 8.” Bruce took the newspaper, opened to page 8, and chuckled at the title: ‘Drunken Billionaire burns down house’ And located underneath the title was a black-and-white photo featuring the ruins of Wayne Manor. “Well, the important news is on the front page, and that’s what matters,” Bruce stated. “And as for what they say about me, our home won’t be in ruins forever.” Alfred nodded, knowing this young charge was absolutely right. <> Meanwhile, across the city, a very irate Black Mask burst into the penthouse office. He was soaking wet after being hurled through the air by that plant and had to swim across the Gotham river to get to shore. Thankfully, when he got there, he was fortunate that some of his crew were able to recover him and get him to safety. However, at this moment, none of them felt particularly safe as Black Mask roared in anger. “SON OF A BITCH!!!” He flipped a nearby table over, causing everything in and on it to crash to the floor. The thugs who escorted their boss stood back waiting for his anger to subside. “I can’t believe I trusted the word of that stupid plant bitch!” He growled. “I swear, when I get my hands on her again, I’ll tear her freaking heart out!” “What about the Bat, boss?” One thug asked nervously. “I’ll kill him too!” Black Mask yelled. “Him and those four legged freaks of his.” Black Mask trudged towards the giant window that looked over Gotham and stared out toward the scarred city. One of the thugs slowly approached with great hesitation. “What should we do now, boss?” He asked. Black Mask just stood silent for a moment as he contemplated his next move. Just then, an idea came to his head so good he released a low chuckle. “First things first, we raise the stakes,” He declared. “I was originally going to offer a million dollars to whoever killed the Bat and his little freaks, but now I’m raising it to fifty million. Fifty million to anyone who kills the Bat and his friends, but if they make that plant bitch suffer, I’ll double it. Spread the message out to every scumbag in the city!” The thugs nodded in agreement, leaving the office to get to work on their boss’s requests. Black Mask turned back to look out the window with a smirk on his unmasked face. He knew raising the bounty on the Bat and the Power Ponies meant that there would be killers of all sorts wanting to claim it. By raising the price, the number was surely going to go up. One way or another, he was going to make sure the Bat and those Power Ponies were dead. <> Later that same day, Alfred was supervising the workers, who were sifting through the smoking ruins of what was once Wayne Manor. He nodded to Rachel the moment she arrived, directing her to what was left of the backyard. She was glad she wore her traditional boots as she picked her way through the smoking remnants of the greenhouse and found Bruce Wayne, who was hammering a board across the disused well. The remainder of the Mane Six and Spike did their best to help Bruce with the work. Bruce looked up having heard her coming thanks to the soot-stained broken glass on the ground. She nodded to her, then turned back to the well. “Do you remember the day I fell?” Rachel nodded, remembering that day all too clearly. “Of course,” She recalled. “I was so scared for you. I’ve spent a lot of time being scared for you.” “Rachel… I’m—” Bruce began. “No, Bruce,” She interrupted. “I’m sorry. The day Chill died – I said terrible things…” “True things,” Bruce added. “Justice is about more than revenge.” “I never stopped thinking about you,” She admitted, smiling slightly. “About us… when I heard you were back… I started to hope—” She was cut off when Bruce kissed her, and she returned the kiss for a moment before pulling back with a regretful expression. “Then I found out about your mask,” She said. “Batman’s just a symbol, Rachel,” Bruce assured her. Rachel shook her head and gently brushed his face with her fingers. “This is your mask,” She explained. “Your real face is the one criminals now fear. The man I loved… the man who vanished… never came back at all. But maybe he’s still out there somewhere. Maybe one day, when Gotham no longer needs Batman, I’ll see him again.” This gave Bruce hope as he glanced at the newly covered well. “As I sat there, I knew… I could sense it,” He muttered. “What?” Rachel asked. He looked back at her, taking her hand. “That things would never be the same.” Once the well was completely sealed up, Bruce and Rachel walked together through the ruins. “Well, you proved me wrong,” Rachel smiled, shaking her head. “About what?” Ben inquired. “Your father would be proud of you,” Rachel responded. “Just as I am.” She started to walk away while Bruce crouched down and dug through the debris until he pulled out his father’s stethoscope; she stopped in her tracks, then turned back. “What will you do?” She asked, referring to the manor. Bruce glanced at the ruins, what little remained of his home, then turned back toward her. “I’m going to rebuild it just the way it was,” He spoke honestly, with purpose. “Brick for brick.” Rachel nodded, then walked off. For a moment, Bruce stared after her wistfully until Alfred approached. When they together, they walked side-by-side through the smoking ruins. “Just the way it was, sir?” The older man asked. “Yes, why?” He asked. “I thought we might take the opportunity of making some improvements to the foundation,” Alfred suggested. Bruce quickly caught on to what his old friend meant. “In the southeast corner?” He guessed. “Precisely, sir,” Alfred nodded, smiling. Just then, a gust of wind picked up and the Equestrians turned their eyes from their work to the crystal portal back to Equestria opening up. The Mane Six, Spike, and Sonata all looked at it with smiles on their faces. “Guess it’s time to go,” Twilight said. They all turned back around as Bruce, Alfred, and even Rachel made their way to their side. They all looked upon their equine friends with smiles on their faces. “Well, what can I say?” Bruce smirked. “It’s sure been one hell of an adventure.” “Ya got that right, sugar cube,” Applejack nodded. “Busting up bad guys, driving tanks, and meeting awesome new friends,” Rainbow listed. “This epic adventure is just another Tuesday for us.” “I haven’t exactly gotten to know you all very well,” Rachel smiled regretfully. “Still, I’m thankful to have met you and for keeping Bruce safe.” “Don’t worry about that, darling,” Rarity assured her. “I have a feeling we’ll be back here again in the future.” “Oh totally, come the sequel you’ll have plenty of times to get to know us,” Pinkie smiled. “Hear it’s quite a crowd favorite.” “Anyways… as long as there’s plenty of crime here to solve, we’ll be back,” Spike assured. “If any of you ever find yourselves in Gotham again, just know you’re always welcome to Wayne Manor,” Alfred smiled at them. “Could you give my thanks to Detective Gordon again?” Sonata asked hopefully. “He’s a good man; Gotham needs more people like him.” “No problem,” Rachel assured. “I’ll be sure to tell him. I promise.” The Mane Six, Spike, and Sonata all turned back toward the portal. But before they took a step, Twilight turned toward Sonata, who still retained a sad look on her face… a painfully worried expression to boot. “What’s wrong?” Twilight asked, concerned. “It’s just… I don’t know if I’ll truly be welcome in Ponyville,” Sonata admitted. “I’m not exactly a ponyafter all.” “Pony or not… you’re one of us now Sonata Dusk,” Twilight assured. “Let no pony tell you any different.” Nodding with a light smile, Sonata slowly took her footsteps through the portal until she was fully enveloped by the light. One by one, the remainder of the Equestrians followed Sonata through the portal until all that remained was Twilight Sparkle and Spike. Together they turned back. Not just toward the friends they were leaving behind, but the very world of Gotham itself. “You know… Gotham may still be a city of crime, but there’s some parts about it that are nice,” Spike spoke. “Least you and Bruce finally took care of those Al Ghuls. Now that they’re both out of the picture, we won’t have to worry about them anymore. Right, Twi?” But of course, Twilight Sparkle didn’t quite answer the question. Silently, she looked out toward the distance… and she couldn’t help but reminisce about her last encounter with one particular Al Ghul. <> “You did not save this city, Twilight Sparkle,” Duscan spoke under his breath. “You just delayed the inevitable.” “If there are consequences,” Twilight declared, turning toward him. “My friends and I will be ready for what’s coming.” Duscan did not answer with any witty remark… nor did he turn to acknowledge the princess. Again acting in defiance, he stubbornly kept his gaze toward the smoldering mess before him. “I know what you’re thinking, princess,” Duscan spoke, breaking the silence. “You’ve hungered for this all your life. You won’t get a better shot than this; how right you should kill with magic.” Indeed, Twilight Sparkle slowly turned toward Duscan and it was true that she could see he was in no position to get away. The Masked Matterhorn may have had limits, but as an alicorn princess… there was no question Twilight Sparkle was powerful. All she’d need was one clear shot, right toward Duscan’s exposed head, and it would be the end of it. But instead, as she conjured a heavy glow of her horn and Duscan anticipated his end… she instead used her magic to explode the ice prison encasing him and he fell forward, so weak he could barely catch himself. “Get out of here,” Twilight Sparkle ordered. “Clear out of here!” “Don’t think freeing me will make any difference,” Duscan warned. “The League knew we’d never go home after this mission; we declared ourselves dead. I had a destiny; I was to die in that blaze with my father and my fellow assassins. But you… you cheated me out of it! What you want, you stole it. I can never forgive you; you’re no worse than man.” “… You are wrong, Duscan. Always have been wrong. I am only a mare who sees a free man now, there are no conditions… no bargains… no petitions. You’ve lost today; you now have a chance to move on.” “I didn’t lose… you’ve just prolonged your doom.” With what strength Duscan mustered, he slowly picked himself upon his feet and for a moment he stood inches from the alicorn princess. But since he was in no shape for a fight, he slowly stepped away from the alicorn toward the very edge of the roof they stood on. For a moment, he stood there eyeing the horizon where an unknown destination was waiting. But he knew somehow he couldn’t go back to the life you had before. “Our paths will cross again Twilight,” Duscan spoke, barely looking back. “You dishonored my legacy, saving my life… twice. I won’t share the same mercy when we meet in combat; when I’m through with you, no one will ‘ever’ remember you.” “Maybe…” Twilight slowly nodded. “But when everyone finds out that you’re alive once again, because I saved you… they will ‘never’ let you forget it.” Duscan only glared toward Twilight Sparkle, who merely looked back with a calm expression. She held her footing as Duscan turned from the mare entirely, then jumped his way off the roof to make his escape. While the princess had no idea if she did the right thing, even holding to the slightest hope that Duscan could change, she did not pursue him… she did not call out for him to stop. As far as she was concerned… their battle was already over and what happened next… that was in his hands now… <> “Twi?” Spike spoke. “Twilight?” Twilight stirred herself back to reality, as her attention returned to Spike. The dragon teen was a tad confused over how quiet his friend was. “You heard what I said?” Spike asked. “… The Al Ghuls are gone, Spike,” Twilight reassured. “We have no reason to worry about them, anymore.” With that settled, Twilight Sparkle and Spike finally merged through the portal and the doorway slowly closed shut behind them. Without doubt, the pair along with all their friends were so thankfully to finally return to their families in Equestria. Only now, they were bringing a new addition to their motley little family… someone new to teach about the ways of friendship, no matter how long it takes. None of them took notice, however, of a lone figure watching from the bushes. The figure that of a man wearing an Arkham Asylum jumpsuit, staring toward the space where the crystal portal once stood. A man with large, crazy eyes… eyes that never blinked once… the eyes… of a killer… <> A few nights later… A new sign appeared in the sky above Gotham City… a bat symbol beamed onto the clouds by way of a spotlight that sat on the roof of the police station. A bat-shaped metal stencil was bolted to the spotlight. Standing nearby, Gordon sipped coffee from a Styrofoam cup when a rapping sound on metal drew his attention. He turned and saw the dark knight standing on the other side of the spotlight, nodding toward it. “Nice,” Batman said. “Couldn’t find any mob bosses to strap to the light,” Gordon replied. Soon as he finished his coffee and crushed the cup, Gordon turned the spotlight off. The two men now stood staring at each other in the darkness. “Well, sergeant?” The Dark Knight asked. “It’s lieutenant, now,” Gordon corrected him. “Commissioner Loeb had to promote me, and he had to disband the task force hunting you. Amazing what saving a city can do for your image.” While caught off guard by the promotion, nevertheless the Batman was pleased just the same. “Then things are better,” Batman nodded. “You’ve started something,” He confirmed. “Bent cops are running scared; hope on the streets…” He trailed off thoughtfully, recalling how quickly Flass had resigned after the incident in the Narrows. “But?” The Dark Knight inquired. “But there’s a lot of weirdness out there right now,” Gordon explained. “The Narrows is lost… we still haven’t picked up Crane or half the inmates of Arkham that he freed…” “We will,” Batman promised. “Gotham will return to normal.” “Will it?” Gordon asked, skeptically. “What about escalation?” “Escalation?” Batman echoed. “We start carrying semiautomatics,” Gordon explained. “They buy automatics… we start wearing Kevlar, theybuy armor-piercing rounds…” The Dark Knight nodded, getting the idea, but he could sense there was something else going on. “And?” “I never said thank you,” Gordon told him. The Dark Knight looked back at him, his cloak billowing around him with the lights of Gotham lighting the night sky. “And you’ll never have to.” He then dropped from the rooftop, gliding across the night wind. Gordon couldn’t help but smile. While he didn’t know what the future held for Gotham City, nor did he know what other sinister forces bumped in the night. But he did know one thing: The Dark Knight was on the job. <> Back at Arkham Asylum, the doctors and guards started getting things back in place as they locked up the few escaped inmates. Work was starting up as usual for one doctor in particular, Dr. Harleen Quinzel. Even after nearly being killed a few short days ago, Quinzel was back on duty. Suffice to say, many doctors, guards, and even the other staff were extremely shocked to find the Doctor walking through the front doors of the asylum after such a short absence. “Dr. Quinzel!” The receptionist gasped. “Good morning, Melissa,” Dr. Quinzel greeted kindly. “Another day on the grind, wouldn’t you say?” “Are you sure you should be back so soon, Dr. Quinzel?” Melissa asked skeptically. “After all, you nearly died a few days ago. I wouldn’t blame you if you stayed away a while longer.” “Nah, I’m alright now,” Dr. Quinzel assured her. “Honestly, sitting around at home gets really boring, really quickly. I figured it’s best to get back to work as soon as possible. “Alright,” She relented, sighing. “If you’re sure.” “So… who do you got for me to look into today?” Harleen asked. “Now that you mention it, a new one came in recently,” Melissa informed her, handing the file. “Quite the rap sheet on this one. Armed robbery, arson, torture, the list goes on. He’s got a little taste for the theatrics, like you.” “I’ll get right to work then,” Dr. Quinzel smiled. She proceeded to make her way down the halls with her heels clicking on the floor the whole way. Eventually, she wound up outside a maximum security cell where her current patient was held. She nodded to the guard on duty to let her in. The guard unlocked the door, which slowly opened wide enough for the doctor to enter. As she entered, she noticed it was a rather dark room with only a single lightbulb illuminating the area. She noticed her patient lying on a cot in the corner where the light wasn’t reaching all that much. This way, she couldn’t quite see her patient. But nevertheless, she walked inside and sat on the one chair set up in the midst of the room. She grabbed her pen off her clipboard and immediately went to work. “Good morning, my name is Dr. Harleen Quinzel,” She greeted. “But you can just call me Harley, everyone else does. So why don’t we get started today by telling me why you’re here.” The many lying in the corner slowly turned his head to look at the doctor. Just enough for her to see a large red smirk across his ghost-white face. “Well… I guess you could say that everything started with one… bad… day…” <> Across the city, at Wycliffe Industries, John Wycliffe entered the offices of his business. He worked his way toward the direction of his own office. Along the way, he passed his receptionist, Tessa Richards, who gave her boss a smile upon seeing him. “Good day, Mr. Wycliffe,” She greeted. “What brings you in today? I thought you were on vacation with your family. “Indeed, I am,” John nodded. “Unfortunately, I have an important meeting to attend to till then. I should be in and out quickly.” “Very well, sir,” Tessa nodded. “I hope you have a great vacation.” John merely nodded in response as he entered his office and closed the door behind him. Walking toward the large window in his office, he looked out toward Gotham. After all that has happened recently, this city was never going to be the same again. There was so much to rebuild, many criminals to round up, and so much damage to fix. Nonetheless, even between the chaos and destruction, Gotham still prevailed and showcased its might. A small smile formed on John’s face as he turned around and pressed a small red button under his desk. Doing so opened a tiny secret compartment along the office wall, opening it up to reveal the Grandmasters golden owl mask. John approached the mask and lifted it up before placing it over his face. Closing the compartment, the Grandmaster walked toward a bookcase in the corner. Reaching out, he grasped a single book in the dead center of the shelf and gave a pull. The book came out partially, activating a hidden switch that opened another wall and revealed a hidden elevator. Entering the elevator, the Grandmaster pushed a button to close the doors. The elevator began to plummet downward leading the man to God only knows where. Eventually, the elevator came to a halt and the doors opened to a dark passageway. He proceeded to cross the dark corridor before eventually coming to a set of large oak doors. When he pushed them open, he walked out into the Court of Owls’ meeting chamber where all the members sat. He made his way over and took his seat at the throne at the head of the table. “Members of the Court, our plans have worked perfectly,” The Grandmaster announced. “William Earle has been taken into custody under the presumption of leading this Court.” He turned his head toward Joseph and Maria Powers, who sat beside him wearing their masks. “You’ve done well planting evidence to condemn Earle,” He commented. “Now Bruce Wayne and his friends trust me completely.” “Your deception is a work of genius, Grandmaster,” Joseph praised. “Now that they trust you, it will only make it easier to put our plans back in motion.” “I do have one question,” Maria added. “What is our next course of action?” The Grandmaster folded his hands in front of his golden mask, showing off his ring which displayed the symbol of the Court as he contemplated what comes next. “Gotham must still face judgment,” He spoke. “Ra’s Al Ghul and the League of Shadows are no more. Their ambition blinded them to just how far they had fallen. We must succeed where they have failed.” He leaned forward to address all the Court members in attendance. “It is high time we unleashed them unto the Earth.” Every member of the Court began to look about, breaking out into murmurs of uncertainty. “Are you quite certain the time is right, sir?” Another member asked. “Indeed,” The Grandmaster nodded. “Are they ready?” “They are,” Another member nodded. “Follow me, I will show you.” The Court member and the Grandmaster stood up from their seats and made their way down another corridor. Pushing open another set of doors, they ventured into a giant dark chamber filled from floor to ceiling with thousands of cryogenic pods. The Grandmaster stepped forward toward the control panel, where he flipped a few switches and pulled a lever. Doing so caused all the pods in the room to simultaneously open, slowly. From within the pods, thousands of twisted and demented creatures arose from within. All of them resembled reanimated corpses garbed in dark clothing, wearing strange owl-like cowls over their heads. The Grandmaster watched in satisfaction, as their newly awoken weapons, the Talons, arose from their pods. Many of them screeched and moved about in pure animalistic fashion until many of them stood at attention before the Grandmaster. “Our personal instruments of destruction are ready,” He commented. “At long last, Judgment Day has come to Gotham… and then, the world will know our true power.” The End