5679/Court of Owls: The Fall of the Court

Court of Owls: The Fall of the Court
Date of Scene:	22 March 2021
Location:	The nest of the Court of Owls
Synopsis:	It's time. The Court of Owls /must/ fall. Months have been spent in preparation for this final act and this time Batman and his colleagues will be victorious.
Cast of Characters:	Strix, Dick Grayson, Bruce Wayne, Stephanie Brown, J'onn J'onzz, Kate Kane, Cassandra Cain

---

Strix has posed:
It's time. The Court has been a thorn in the side of the Bat Family for far too long, and now, armed with the information given to them by Strix they're ready to strike. It's 8:57 in the morning, and our heroes are gathered in an alley behind a bodega, having determined that this is the right spot for J'onn to take them down into the bowels of Gotham where the Court's lair would be. If their calculations are correct, then they should enter the facility in the boardroom.

Dick Grayson has posed:
Nightwing is in his heavier armor for this assault, black with dark blue highlights and armored gauntlets with built in launchers. His batons stick up out of the armored backpack that rides on his upper back.

Looking around at the assembled Bats, he nods, "Ok, so we're finally dealing with these people once and for all. J'onn will be phasing us down into their lair, then be remaining as backup should things go horribly wrong. Other than that, I think we've all got some cryo weaponry ready to go to take advantage of the Talons weakness. Cass will be entering by the actual elevator to try and draw some of their attention in the wrong direction. We go in, we head for that central hall where they keep the Talons in stasis and try to keep them from waking too many up."

Looking around the group, he asks, "Anyone have any additional info to add, or ideas to run with?"

Bruce Wayne has posed:
So, after months of frustration at the way the Court of Owls can simply drift back into the shadows, disappearing as if it never was at all, finally they are in a position to end the constant, looming threat that they pose to Gotham City. It has been a long time coming, with far too many delays and setbacks to leave him very happy with the situation.

Then again, when is Gotham's Dark Knight seemingly happy with anything at all? Why should the Court of Owls and it's machinations be any different?

Either way, there is a good chance that it will end tonight and they have put a plan in place that should certainly give themselves the best chance at achieving just that. Having put Nightwing in charge of overseeing this he is more then happy to let the first of his proteges take the reins, watching quietly. Not judging or assessing -- at least no more then he always does. But an unmistakable presence.

"We should take them by surprise, going in this way. It's difficult to imagine they will have prepared for this sort of entry," he notes quietly, still as characteristically grim as he always is when he dons the cape and cowl. "So hit them swiftly and quietly and we should be able to wrap this all up before they can hope to respond in their customary manner," he points out. Surprise can be a decisive ally -- one that they use well -- but it is not always the be all and end all. And if the Court gets to reply? Well, they know first hand how dangerously effective their Talons can be.

"And put a priority on preserving any records we spot, be they physical or computerized. I want this infection cleaned out and that means leaving no sleeper agents behind. We don't want them growing back in the shadows when this is all done."

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie Brown arrives, also wearing heavier armor. It's kind of like if Batgirl and a stealth fighter had a one night stand and she grabbed the wrong outfit on her way out the door. The armored plates are patterned at a multitude of angles to help deflect swords in particular.

"I feel like Iron Man," Batgirl says as she looks down at herself, turning an armor gloved hand over. The other hand is carrying an authentic Mr. Freeze gun. Except she's been modifying it so instead of taking a whole tank of coolant, it takes magazines of the freeze formula. The modifications themselves were rather interesting.

"Miss Stephanie, perhaps-"

"I got it Alfred."

"Really, Miss Stephanie it might-"

"On it like a boss."

"I'm afraid that is going to-"

*FWWSSHHHTT!*

"Ah... hang tight Alfred, I'll get you out. Anyone have a blow dryer?"

Batgirl slides the gun into a holster she's made on her back, the handle of it sticking up above her shoulder. She checks the other gear in her utility belt and garter. "Right," she agrees with Nightwing and Batman.

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
Look up in the sky, it's a bird, it's a Martian. Silently J'onn floats in to the join the others, dressed in his usual uniform of black, red X, nothing everyone hasn't already seen.

Moving up to stand near them, he looks each over and offers a nod to each, though he has no idea who they are, that part didn't matter because in that moment, he already knew them all on a completely different level.

Kate Kane has posed:
    Working in the morning was... New. She was no stranger to operating occasionally in the daylight hours, but Batwoman rarely makes an appearance before the dead of night, and what rest she does ever get is going to be in mourning over being awake and ready for combat several hours after the normal cutoff time for Batting.

    "It may be difficult to imagine, but we should imagine it anyways." Kate retorts, vocalizing something that, honestly, most of the others are probably trained to think already. Never be caught unawares. Expect the unexpected. It's the only way to survive.

    For the sixth time this morning, Kate checks the belt pouch that contains some mirrored, segmented spheres, the lines of which glow a pale blue every so often. Sluggish, she's been told. Should be enough of an advantage- and another card in their hand that shouldn't be expected.

    Batwoman, of course, already figures they're prepared in some way for what happens to their strongest agents when they're hit with cold.

    "On your mark." she calls over the comms- where exactly she /is/ however is known, likely, only to the Bat. And Stephanie, because it's very likely that Babs would have given her away in the typical denmother fashion.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
Most days, Orphan plans to travel light. She likes being unnoticeable and unnoticed, she goes out of her way to slip past people without an eye being batted, or a hair being raised. Most days she leaves home the fun stuff because she knows it's not going to be needed, and most days she's right. This is not most days.

When Orphan walks into the building that has the elevator, she walks past security without pause. The scanning toys in the office building light up; the scans come back with confusing afterimages that give away far too little of what she's got on her under the outfit, and for once her eyes aren't showing. She has on a new mask, black and glassy and featureless. She showed up with it, and the claws attached to her fingers - security starts to approach the girl as she hits the elevator buttons, but they back off in a hurry.

'Not paid enough for this' comes to mind.

Cassandra however knows that she has a greater enemy to fight. The elevator doors open, and she shudders. She enters, she inserts the coded key and waits.

She waits. It starts to drop, and she waits.

Oh lord. Musak.

Strix has posed:
The elevator drops for what seems like an eternity until it finally reaches the bottom. The doors swish open revealing a cavernous cave before Cass. The area is lit with sconces that line the walls of the cave as well as parallel lines of floor lamps embedded into the earth that lead to the labyrinth. So far there's no sign of any Talons to oppose her progress.

As for the group meeting up top, now that they're all gathered, it's time to make the plunge down into the earth, where at least a couple dozen Talons await them and who knows what else the Court might have in store for them.

Dick Grayson has posed:
Nightwing looks around, then goes onto comms <<Kate, join us, J'onn can't phase us in if you aren't with us.>> He moves over by J'onn, asking the man "You ready to get us down there? Soon as Kate is in reach, we'll be ready to go." He makes a final check of his equipment, waiting for all the Bats to gather together.

He checks the time, "Cass should be headed down the elevator now, so let's do this. I don't want her getting down there all alone. We want to hit the groud about the same time that elevator opens."

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Batgirl watches the Martian Manhunter floating down to join them. "That is -so- cool," she says softly as he lands. What transpires next is just in her head.

<< Dang he's cute for a Martian. Not that I know what Martians look like, really, so I can't actually make that a comparative can I? >>

<< Oh crap. He can probably hear this. >>

<< If you can hear this, really I didn't mean anything by it. I'm dating someone and... oh god don't think about that... puppies... cute puppies. Kites flying in the wind. White paper. Very white paper. Blank mind! >>

Batgirl clears her throat. "Ready," she says as she moves over, getting a batarang in hand, one carrying a payload.

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
J'onn says nothing about what he may or may not have 'heard' in people's minds. That would just be rude and yers of experience have taught him that human beings do not like being called out for what they are thinking... even if he wants to laugh.

Turnin his eyes now, he nods to Nightwing, "When all are gathered, I am ready. It will feel no different than walking, but the visual aspect may be disconcerting. I will need to touch one of you, and each of you will need to be in physical contact with each other. In this way, we will phase together."

Kate Kane has posed:
    Batwoman's frown deepens mildly. She'd been made aware of the plan, and to some degree, only trusted it so far. Still, it was a brilliant plan, and it made use of outside resources- even Kate has to admit that's a rarity. There's a momentary pause as she leaps from the nearby rooftop, obscured from both the street and the alleyway in part by other buildings.

    Soon enough, though, winging her way down using her cape, offering a twist and a turn this way and that to glide down to the street alongside the others. "That'll serve as a mark, then." she admits, taking a position on the periphery of the group- but within the range of the incoming likely-unsettling sensation of falling/floating through the stone to make their way to the den of villainy below.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
Planning and precision. Two hallmarks of their operations. At least when things are going right. When they have the chance to be proactive instead of merely reactive. Besides, even with the element of surprise every other advantage that they can mine from the situation only benefits them at the end of the day. So while he is a little less concerned about Orphan being left alone for a brief amunt of time down below, well, she is the distraction afterall. Attracting eyes to the other end of the complex is the idea.

It would just be better if if they don't have time to marshall all the Talons to send her way.

Stepping in close to the others, the Dark Knight dips his head slightly, an unspoken thanks offered up to the Martian Manhunter for his assistance. It's not often he asks afterall, even more rare that he involves outsiders in what he considers 'Gotham business'. But there was no denying that his assistance would much better insure that they could pull this off with a minimal chance of giving the Court any advance warning.

"Do it," he says quietly. Phasing isn't his favorite thing in the world. All that ground, sliding through? It's a little disturbing. Not that anyone would know based on Batman's expression of course.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
Down, down, down. Some form of scan passes over her as she hits a low level, and while Cass revels in the fact that she's likely now set off alarms all up and down the facility, she hates the fact that her toe is tapping just slightly along to the awful noise that's piped into these...things.

Thankfully it ends. The doors open and her eyes inside the helmet shift about, the armor hidden under her top light enough to let her move. She looks about, she tries to see what's going on.

She doesn't know how elevator timers work, and the door starts to close, assuming that she's already stepped out.

Diving forward, Cassandra grabs at the doors, almost ready to panic! What, a trap?? But her hands on the doors cause them to pause, then to open again. She steps out, avoiding the first trap, the doors will not hold her.

That was close.

No enemies. She'll get there. Though that song being stuck in her head has got to go.

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
J'onn J'onzz lays his hand on Batman's shoulder, because he is the one known and he doesn't want to go touching a stranger, especially the females. Better to let them be touched by men they already know.

Once everyone is in contact with one another, he takes a deep breath and concentrates, willing the energy from himself through those present. To anyone who might be looking, not that there is anyone, the group becomes semi-transparent then merely starts sinking into the earth.

He wasn't joking about seeing the decent, inch by inch as it is not precisely a fast process. Inches become feet, a little speed gained before he just knows they are reaching the final level when he slows back down and land on the floor in utter silence.

Strix has posed:
Now that all have been gathered, it's time to put the plan in motion. With J'onn's help all involved sink down through the pavement and into the earth. As J'onn had warned the travel is disconcerting if one isn't used to phasing through meters of solid matter. The journey feels like it takes hours to complete, the claustrophobic feeling only growing stronger until they finally pop out into the very heard of the Court's nest.

The boardroom is a lavish affair. The large mahogany desk set in the center of the room looks like it's as old as Gotham itself, well worn with age. Around the table are thirteen chairs, with the backs all ornately carved in an owl motif. The walls surrounding the room have portraits of people, presumably the board members of the Court past and present. What's unique about these paintings is that each person is wearing that stylized mask that is the calling card for the Court.

However the most surprising thing about the room is that it isn't uninhabited. Sitting at the head of the table, in a chair far more ornate and grand than the others is an ancient woman, wearing one of the Owl masks. The hunched figure is dressed like she's going to an Opera, an elegant red dress hanging off of her like a drape. For a younger woman it would be flattering but for the matron of the Court it's ill fitting and indulgent. In one hand is a glass of wine that she holds languidly between her fingers.

She seems surprised to see Bruce and his family descend from the ceiling, clearly not expecting this angle of attack. "Well," she croaks, "you've managed to surprise me, Bruce." She lifts her glass of wine as a toast to Batman's capability. "This once." Anything else she's about to say is interrupted by a fit of coughing that sounds almost painful.

Having avoided the most sinister of traps, Cassandra moves deeper into the cavern until she is face to face with the sheer blank white wall of the labyrinth. There's no obvious entrances to it, but if Strix's information is correct, there should be a hidden door not too far from here.

Dick Grayson has posed:
Nightwing looks around the room to see if there's anyone besides the old woman here. Raising his arm, he fires a tranq dart at her. There's simply no reason to waste time talking that might give her the chance to do something. If it works, he'll move to put zip-tie cuffs on her. If not, he's draw his batons and prepare for whatever happens next.

<<Batwoman, Batgirl, check the door and hallway, let's not linger here too long.>>

He looks to Batman to see if he recognizes this woman who obviously knows who he is.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
There is no reaction from the Dark Knight when he is referred to by name. Then again, there almost never is. A rock would give more reaction in truth. Is it a little disconcerting that the Court of Owls knows the truth of his identity? Perhaps. But it might not be a surprise, not with all the resources that they have at their disposal. Not with the cleverness that it must take to operate a shadowy cabal like this for decades. Centuries even.

"The Court of Owls is done. It's over," he says flatly, ignoring any other jabs as irrelevent for the moment. While Nightwing and the others spread out to secure the room, to prepare to push on deeper into the complex, the Dark Knight lingers for a moment, instead studying the sickly woman, eyes narrowed behind his mask. She might look too frail and too sick to be a danger, but he doesn't underestimate any of his foes. It's one of the reasons he's still doing this afterall these years. "Adele Mason," he says simply, playing her own game in return. "You're not looking so well," he adds, eyes flickering towards the glass of wine in her hand for a moment, consideringly.

He murmurs over the comms, << Have emergency personnel standing by topside. We have at least one person on site who is going to need medical attention," he say quietly

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Batgirl keeps the batarang with the freeze payload at the ready, and moves over to the doorway. She waits for Batwoman to get into position too, before cracking the door open. She reaches a tiny camera through the opening, lenses in her cowl dropping into place to view what it shows.

<< Hallway on the other side. Well lit. No sign of anyone else in it. >>

She keeps watch through the little camera until the others are ready to move, the camera feed available to any of them with appropriate equipment.

Kate Kane has posed:
    Were it not for Kate's history, she'd probably have tossed her dinner at the phasing process. It isn't that it is always unpleasant- but more that she'll never get used to it with how rarely- and happily so- she does it. Kate's job here is relatively simple. Priority one is keep Steph safe, primarily because that's the Babs Prerogative. The second is to do everything she can to destroy the Court- which, fairly, runs close in the race.

    "Follow along." Kate states, moving past Stephanie in the doorway, and facing any plausible traps on her own. Each step is silent and measured, with only slight pressure applied with each step at first so that she understands what she's stepping on. These traps are designed- if at all- for people like Bruce. Kate isn't necessarily a bad comparison, but even so, she knows that she is facing down the barrel of a larger gun than she feels she's ready for.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
See, this is when being the distraction is interesting. There's no reason to play nice. Orphan's fist slams into the white wall, testing it for openings. The tactical gloves take the impact; she can do this all day. Concrete would fall. Drywall or spackle would not slow her down. But knowing these guys, the labyrinth isn't meant for easy passage.

That's fine, she was mostly marking it. She moves along the wall, marking it every few feet as she goes.

Cassandra's secret door finding skill is a little primitive but damnably effective. And besides, she's trying to make noise.

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
J'onn J'onzz will moves with the group, hanging back from them but keeping an eye on what occurs in case he is needed. There is no telling what lies beyond the doors or what will happen, but he is ready to lend aid should it be needed.

Strix has posed:
Adele cackles at Batman, which turns into wheezing coughs. She pulls off her mask to dab at her blood flecked lips with a white handkerchief. "I'm dead," she tells him matter of factly. "But the Court will live on. It's secrets will die with me." She doesn't get much out after that as the tranq dart hits her squarely in her chest, sending her unconscious. Even unconscious it the rattling sound of her breath makes it questionable as to whether or not medical help will arrive in time to save her.

The hallway doesn't hold any surprises, really. It's just a well lit and lavish corridor leading to large double doors to the lab. According to Strix's map, this is where the heart of the operation is, where the Talons are kept in deep freeze, only to be thawed out when they're to be used.

When Batgirl uses her snake to peer into the room, she'll find a half a dozen Talons already thawed and ready. A couple of them are working on the rest of the coffins waking up. All in all, there's about a baker's dozen of the coffins, most of which look like they've been already opened. Doing a quick head count it can be determined that there are seven in the room bringing out four more Talons out of hibernation. Four are missing. Presumably one of them was for Strix who is sitting safely back in the safehouse, which leaves three out hunting Orphan.

It doesn't take long for Orphan to find the secret door. Strix had made sure that she knew all the secrets of the maze through her hand drawn pictures. The maze is silent as Orphan makes her way through it, and it isn't until she reaches a dead end (that has another secret door leading out of it) that she's finally ambushed.

Three Talons materialize out nowhere and immediately attack the young woman. Having fought Strix before Orphan will be intimately familiar with the fight styles that the Talons use, and it quickly becomes apparent to her that as talented an opponent as they are, their abilities are sub par when compared to her mute friend.

Dick Grayson has posed:
Nightwing take a moment to ziptie Adele despite her condition. You don't survive as a Bat without taking precautions in a world full of people with powers. Afterwards, he follows down the hallway to where the others wait, pulling his batons from his back. Looking to the others, he speaks quietly on comms, <<Let's do this. Open with cold weapons, then let's put them down. Waiting will just let more of them wake up.>>

He steps into the room, raises his arm and with a *PFFT* of compressed gas, fires a cold pellet at the nearest Talon, then charges in behind it, hitting the switches to electrify his batons as he moves to the attack. One baton goes high, the other low as he swings into the attack.

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
Waiting for Nightwing to finish whatever it was he was doing, J'onn moves to the old woman and lays his hand on her. <Batman, I will take this woman for medical assistance if that is alright with this group.> he says very quietly in all of their minds, then watches them for a response, though he will hear one in their minds regardless.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
Bravado? Perhaps, perhaps not. The Court has not managed to exist, to hide itself in the shadows possibly from the earliest days of Gotham's founding by relying on bravado alone. Or not being firm in it's convictions. Would it's inner most members sacrifice themselves for it's continuance? It's possible. While it would be nice to believe that greed alone drives them, it is doubtful that htey would have lasted anywhere near so long if that was the case.

Some would call him a fanatic. Perhaps rightfully so. But this would not be their first foe that they have dealt with that would deserve the same sort of moniker. Clearly Adele Mason is someone of some significance to the Court. Some might believe she deserves to die for all the harm she's done. But that's not really how the Dark Knight rolls.

There is not a great deal of time judging by her condition. Poisons, however, are something they have had to deal with all too often. It has required... certain solutions to deal with inviduals like Poison Ivy. Including universal antidotes. They won't always clear up all poisons, but it is usually effective at lessening the effects of the vast majority of them so the Dark Knight slips a small medkit out of one of his belt pouches, swiftly drawing out a needle and injecting it with a deliberate competence into the uncnscious woman's arm. Only once the antidote is administered does he turn to the other matters at hand. Will it work? That depends on the type of poison. But there is a much better chance that they will salvage her life -- and any information she might be trying to take to her grave -- then there was a minute ago.

<< That would be appreciated J'onn. She is suffering from some sort of serious poison. I've administered a universal antidote but the paramedics should try to identify it specifically. Then if you could check and see if Orphan requires any assitance, >> he mentally projects, well accustomed to such conveniences on League missions.

With that, the Dark Knight turns and begins to stalk deeper into the facility to lend his aid to the rest of the team.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Batgirl pulls back her snaking camera, giving hand signals that reveal how many are inside and on their feet, versus how many are not yet up. She moves out of the way to let Nightwing proceed first. A second batarang is pulled out, both held in the same hand as she waits for the others to be ready.

Once Nightwing goes in, Batgirl steps through the doorway, moving with a lethal grace. She clears the entrance for others to follow as she moves on the attack. The two batarangs with freeze gas payloads go flying as she prioritizes two of the Talons who are working on coffins, apparently trying to wake others. She doesn't wait for them to hit to begin following up, her bo staff telescoping open as she slides across a table in the room towards her hopefully slowed opponents.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
Orphan is having fun.

She got a hand on the first one, the claws scraping along her facemask. Once she has a hand on an enemy, she retracts that hand while the other lashes out, a pivoting motion that both pulls the enemy in and strikes them away. She feels ribs crack and barely hesitates, rolling to one side and slicing out with her legs to catch the landing feet of her attackers.

It's true, they aren't up to Strix's level. Orphan leaps and does a shoulder twist, sending one at the other, and suddenly all three enemies are trying to regroup. She does a mental checklist for injuries, but doesn't stop moving to accomplish it. That's rookie stuff.

And then she's running through the maze, having gotten the attention she wanted. The first engagement let her armor take the attacks. The next may not be so simple. Hopefully.

She ducks behind a turn just in time, thrown weapons hitting the wall where she was a moment before. The smile on her face is almost beatific. Hopefully they'll send some more.

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
J'onn J'onzz scoops the women up, already beginning to form the energies to both phase and to fly. <I will return to check on Orphan, but if you need me here, you have only to think it.>

With that, he shoots through the ceiling with the woman, up appears to be faster, at least when he is mostly by himself.

Kate Kane has posed:
    Kate lingers at the doorway only until she hears the others approaching at combat speed. Dick's dart flits past her in her peripheral vision, and she starts moving at breakneck pace as soon as aggression has become the name of the game. Her hand slips into her belt pouch, and clutches in her blood-red glove a few blue-silver orbs.

    These she flings ahead of her, using just enough strength to send them clattering and rolling to the floor before they burst like tide pods, erupting in terrific refrigerant as soon as they've come to a halt. This cloud of cold isn't likely to do much to the Bats, but it does drop the ambient temperature around the group of Talons that she's charging into well below freezing, and doubly is likely to coat the Talons in freezing liquid that only seems to lower its temperature further.

    Brutality is certainly a word that describes Batwoman's tactics. It's all vicious strikes with hardened knuckles, quick takedowns aiming to aggress still-brittle joints such as knees and elbows. She is indiscriminant- and wades into the crowd while using the freezing smog as temporary cover- it's nowhere near as good as a real smoke bomb, but it's just enough to blur her movements. Talons don't feel pain, right? That is probably good for them, if it's true.

Strix has posed:
It's rare that the Talons are surprised, but they were expecting the assault to come from the opposite direction, and for them to have enough time to revive all of their numbers. The cold pellet fired at the nearest Talon causes him to stagger backwards, the cold slowing down his reflexes enough that he's caught by the twin batons. The lower one takes out a knee while the upper knocks him to the floor.

Batgirl comes in next, tossing her batarangs. One hits its target, who was busy reviving a Talon, and then is knocked away by her bo staff. Batwoman's grenades fill the room with coolant, bringing down the ambient temperature to chill the room, splattering one of the Talons with it, causing him to leap back. But this is as much surprise as they're going to get, as the rest of the Talons quickly spring into action.

The three that are still at room temperature fight with coordinated precision, born from decades of training with each other. Anybody who's fought these before can attest to their skill and prowess and individually would give any of the Bat Family a challenge. As the temperature of the room drops, their movements become more and more sluggish, giving the team the advantage that they need over their skilled and regenerating opponents.

The injuries sustained by Orphan are quickly healed by the time they take off, running after her. Being more intimately familiar with the labyrinth, they split up, branching off left and right, with the third rushing around to head her off. They strike quickly, with coordinated precision, and may occasionally get a hit in, before occasionally backing off to leave an opening for Orphan to run. Clearly they're trying to heard her somewhere.

Dick Grayson has posed:
Nightwing whacks the Talon in the head with his baton delivering another jolt of electricity before moving in on the next Talon, going after one of the ones in Kate's cloud of refrigerant. He fires another cryo capsule at the one he's moving in on before he goes on the attack, batons flickering through an attack pattern.

With his enhanced armor, he's willing to take a hit or two to drop the opponent quickly, wanting to make sure the Talons don't get the chance to team up on any on of the Bats who are present.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
There is a metallic clang and sparks fly as a Talon's sword meets Batgirl's metal bo staff. The last time Stephanie was face to face with a Talon other than Strix, Barbara had ended up taking a sword through the chest saving her. That was many months and a LOT of training ago.

Batgirl's staff moves in a whirl about her, fending off the sword strikes from her two opponents. Though she might be their match now, certainly while the freeze batarangs have slowed them, there are two and they fight coordinated.

The battle ranges forward and back across the room as Batgirl avoids letting them get on either side of her. She slides across a coffin that is laying flat, swords striking where she was a split second later. She lands a few blows, but the Talons even if slowed by cold, don't seem to feel any pain.

Batgirl suddenly blitzes, catching a Talon off guard and knocking it over backwards. She blocks a thrust from the other and then grabs the Freeze Gun out of the holder on her back. At point blank range she aims it at the Talon's face and pulls the trigger. A blast of freeze liquid hits its face, and a second later Batgirl's foot strikes forward, knocking the Talon into an empty coffin. She slams the lid home and shoots the Freeze Gun to freeze the lid in place. Then she turns, jumping back to avoid the second Talon who is back on his feet.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
While he might be a man on a mission, the Dark Knight also is not one to ever take his eye off the big picture. They want to put an end to the Court entirely afterall and while he has no doubt that Strix has told them all she knows, that doesn't necessarily mean she knew everything of significance. The Talons, afterall, are the muscle for the Court and tools of violence are not often kept in the know. So any additional information that they can find, any files, any evidence of the other, secret members of the court, any information on other nests out there is found and gathered.

So even as he stalks through this underground lair he keeps an eye out for any papers, any signs of a records room, or computer terminals. Anything that they can mark and come back for later. It is easy to forget, but first and foremost they are detectives and information is the most valuable weapon they have at their disposal.

Still, it will not be long before Gotham's Dark Knight joins the others in his 'family', emerging into the vault where the others are already dealing with the surprised Talons. Like the others, he adds to the chill in the air, a half-dozen batarangs hurled in a dispersal pattern, sharp enough that they dig into walls, into the floor and roof as they begin radiating that all encompassing chill. Given enough time it might get cold enough to hinder even them, slow their reflexes. But the effect seems to be much slower then on the Talons themselves.

With a fixed intensity, Batman starts to trot, then moves at a full dash, hurling himself at the nearest of their foes not otherwise occupied, dropping his shoulder and simply using that momentum to slam them into the wall another half dozen steps or so beyond. There is nothing graceful or showy about his approach. He simply works to methodically, surgically take apart the Talon's defenses and put them down in the minimum amount of time possible.

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
Once outside, J'onn takes the woman to the nearest hospital, as he wasn't entirely certain about finding a paramedic or waiting for one to show up to some random location. Landing near the place, he slips into the body of the police officer he has uses, and takes the woman inside to get admitted. He explains about the poison, that an antidote search was needed and that one was already attempted, and gives his number as the contact for them to call. He warned that she is a criminal, and needs to be watched by security, and handcuffed to the bed as she was dangerous. There was nothing more he could do beyond that except hope that she would be alright, then he announced that he had to get back to the 'scene of the crime' to investigate, and headed out.

Back to himself, he lifts into the sky and heads back to the bases location. With any luck, Cass will not have needed his assistance and the extra time taken will not have lead to her being harmed.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
While J'Onn may be on his way, there are things going on on Orphan's end that would make a Spartan blush. The second assault, by healed Talons, is once again put off, one of them being put into a wall hard enough to cause even a Talon to take stock of their lives...

But while Orphan has learned about them, they have also learned about her. The Court's espionage on the Bat team is not inconsiderable, and they know that they can wear this one down in time. Slices from bladed weapons hit her hidden armor, on the first tries. Then they go past, into the sublayers left thin for flexibility and speed. They get caught in those, and other weapons are used. Even Cassandra can not fight three Talons without being hit.

Four. There are four of them. Then five. Cassandra's eyes narrow, as she ducks backward to avoid a slice meant to take her nose from her face. Wait, the facemask is gone? She didn't even notice them breaking it.

The space, so close. No more than five Talons can engage her at a time, so they sent exactly the right amount. No more, no less. This isn't the great distraction, it's a trap!

She rolls a hit from behind, leaving a bruise on her shoulder instead of the broken bone it could have been. She snaps the arm on the attacker with a motion, even she couldn't tell what it was that she did afterward.

And it heals, and they continue to attack.

Kate Kane has posed:
    Kate is taking the temperature of the room and the skill of their opponents into consideration. She doesn't let the fight end up anywhere that isn't already freezing- the point is to let the Talons come to them, to fight at the epicenter of her grenades, and to keep an eye on anyone they are trying to overwhelm.

    The strikes she's delivering are not meant to linger- but they are meant to debilitate- to take Talons out of the fight for as long as possible because they have to regenerate important bits. You can't fight if your knee doesn't bend the right way, or your arm is physicaly incapable of swinging for a moment or two.

    There is, however, a level of separation in her tactics from the others. She remembers hearing about Barbara's vicious injury. She is not going to let that slide. Swiftly, her lack of proper weaponry is rectified, as she produces a pair of batarangs, clutching them like knives in her fists and dropping into a low stance.

    The strikes are swift and meant to be effective- severing tendons and muscle groups with powerful blows that, she hopes, won't heal as quickly now that they're in the cold. "Everyone! Together!" she calls, before doing her best to make her way to Steph's side, as her charge is the most important- Dick and Bruce have more experience in this than anyone else, even her: They can do fine on their own for a time, but the message is clear. Don't get divided, don't fight alone. The only tactic the Talons have anymore may be numbers. Taking that into consideration is paramount.

Strix has posed:
In the boardroom, the only clues left behind are the portraits themselves. There isn't much to go on, there, since their faces are obscured by masks, but if one were to go by hairstyles and general face shape and match them with prominent members of Gotham history, Batman might be able to pin down who some of them would be. The real goldmine is the lab itself. As the rest of his colleagues keep the Talons busy, Bruce is able to find computers and documents throughout the room. It doesn't look like there's anything about the plans or history of the Court, but there is plenty here about the process of creating a Talon, from early techniques used, to the more sophisticated methods that have been used in the latter half of this century. Probably the most surprising and valuable find is the files for the individual Talons, which detail their history, name, and training regimen. This, no doubt, will offer a great glimpse into what the Court has had their fingers in in all this time.

J'onn's explanation that Alice is a dangerous criminal is met with a certain amount of incredulity. How could a woman so frail and sickly be such a menace. Still, since this is the Police they take her into custody and starts running a battery of tests. The ER doctor on staff tells J'onn that, considering her state, she probably wouldn't last long even if they /did/ cure the poison.

J'onn's descent into the labyrinth is well timed, as Orphan is quickly finding herself being overwhelmed by half a dozen Talons. As talented as she might be, she doesn't have the advantage of having slowed them down, and could use all the help she could get right now.

Meanwhile the fight in the lab is fast and furious. Despite having lowered reflexes and slower regeneration, the Talons are still a serious threat to contend with, being able to give as much as they are able to take. The battle seems to ebb and wane, in a constant tug of war before Batgirl brings out the big guns. Literally. The freeze gun seems to be the most effective method in dealing with the Talons that they have.

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
Flying back at speeds that might be considered dangerously fast, J'onn wastes no time in phasing to meld through the floors and earth once again. Using his mental connection to each Bat as a sort of homming device, he flies through the floor right behind Orphan, literally landing almost touching her. Even as he offers a bright 'You've lost' grin to the Talen's, he wraps his arm around her tightly and they both shoot through the ceiling at a rather hasty speed, see also, very, very, very fast. The Talon's would have no chance to react.

Still phasing, he moves then both through numerous walls, perhaps up a floor then back down, this time homming in on the mental pattern of Batman this time. She had done her part in distracting them, now she was safely away and regrouped with the others.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
With one Talon locked away, Batgirl takes a shot at another Talon, though it dodges the shot and the freeze gun is out of ammo for the moment. Batgirl lets it fall, hanging from a strap as she gets both hands back on her bo staff to fend off the Talon's attack.

More sparks fly as she moves to take Batwoman's back, helping parry blows meant for the other woman before the fight takes them back away from each other again. The sword stabs forward, sliding off of Batgirl's armor at first, before the blade finds an edge it manages to cut through, leaving a gash in Stephanie's arm.

She beats the sword aside and backs up. The Talon rushes forward, stabbing, and Batgirl takes a step as if to meet the Talon. Instead though she plants the bo staff and flips up into the air in the nick of time for the sword to pass beneath her. Like an abbreviated pole vault, she flips into the air and then comes down heel first on the top of the Talon's head. While painless and fast-healing, they still have brains, and that's one spanking concussion the Talon gets. It crumbles to the ground and Batgirl quickly contracts her staff, then slams another magazine into the Freeze Gun. She shoots the Talon, icing its arms to its sides and then turns. She has another three shots and makes them count, hitting her ally's adversaries, further chilling them and accumulating ice on swords, arms or legs to help.

Dick Grayson has posed:
Nightwing steps up his attack, slamming his batons home multiple times against the slowed Talon, each hit releasing a stunning jolt of electricity. WHen he drops this opponent, he moves to help with the remaining Talons, moving in from the side and spinning his batons through a complicated attack pattern to both distract and get through the assassin's guard.

He blocks a couple strikes aimed at him, then counterattacks, batons thudding home on the Talon to drop him to the ground.

Cassandra Cain has posed:
Cassandra lets herself be taken. She goes limp in J'onn's arms, putting up no kind of fight, but her mind is all kinds of weird as he contacts it. There's something a little odd, a little different. She thinks gratefully to him, but there are no words involved. In fact it's almost like thinking with a person with some form of brain damage.

Something, the thought she thinks at him is of a hug. Not of thanks, but of the action of thanking. No words, not even the ones that Stephanie has spent torturous hours teaching her. Yet she functions, and she is okay.

Bruce Wayne has posed:
The Dark Knight is a pretty big believer in not falling into the same tactics over and over again, to make good use of the advantages at hand -- and the weaknesses of any particular enemy as well. He can certainly operate quite capably on his own, but there is a whole assortment of reasons that he ultimately took on partners. But at least one of them is the fact that two or more people tend to be quite a bit more effective together.

Just don't ask him to admit that particular fact.

Of course Batwoman's suggestion is entirely practical and while the Dark Knight might look to pick off stragglers in the chaotic melee, he never strays far from his pack, always close enough to come to their aid, while also lingering close enough that they can provide it as well. It keeps the Talons from ganging up on any one of them, keeps them from lessening the disadvantages that they have from slowed reflexes and healing. Keeps them from leveraging their greater numbers to any real effect. And one by one they begin to go down, many frozen, others just put out of commision by the slow grind that the Bat Family is able to inflict upon them.

As those numbers thin, as the melee increasingly clears the Dark Knight finally straightens. "Secure those who aren't already," he says with a pointed glance towards that freeze gun. "I'll make sure that we have any useful info. I want to make sure we have a chance to go over it before we turn it over to Gordon," he says.

Just how much they come away from might very well depend on whether or not the poisoned woman survives. But they will have more then they had before. Even if the Court lives on.

It's not the end that he wanted. But it just might be enough to mark the beginning of the end.

Strix has posed:
The fight is intense between the Bat Family and the Talons. It started out with the opponents on equal footing, but as time went on, and the room's ambient temperature constantly dropping it was only a matter of time before they had managed to get the upper hand. Once Orphan and J'onn join the melee, the fight is all but over.

Today has been a successful day. No fatalities, except that of Alice Mason, who died in the hospital. A later autopsy would show that she had advanced stage four liver cancer, that had finally spread up into her lungs and other parts of her body. By all accounts she should have been dead for over a year, but considering the woman's disposition one can only assume that she had been hanging on by sheer spite alone. Deep investigation of her and her law firm will start to tell a tale of how involved they have been with all aspects of Gotham life, with threads of influence all over the place. A good detective can start to peace together the depth and scope of the Court's influence in the shaping of the city itself.

There were no fatalities of any of the Talons. Four were never awoken from their hibernation, and the rest are easily restrained once the ambient temperature of the room gets close to freezing. Batman is able to quickly assess the workings of the coffins, and they'll make great holding cells for the Talons, until they figure out what to do with them. Only the ones that were sent out to deal with Orphan seems to have gotten away.

Indeed all went according to plan, thanks to the skill and forethought all involved they were able to take down one of Gotham's greatest threats in one fell swoop. The information that the computers contain, plus the leads gained from Alice Mason's involvement show a greater picture of the machinations of the Court. However, not all is good news. There's indication that Gotham isn't the only city in which the Court has been active. Details are sketchy, but it seems that their claws run deep into America's history. The Court's have been dealt a serious blow, and odds are they won't be seen in Gotham for a good long while. Other cities, however? Only time will tell.