"Soon our Talons will possess power beyond imagination!" the masked figure declared, his voice echoing through the underground chamber with fevered enthusiasm. Around him, other Court of Owls members shared his hunger for enhanced capabilities.
They were tantalizingly close to perfecting their artificial demon integration process. With just a little more time and resources, their enhanced assassins would become Gotham's ultimate nightmare – judge, jury, and executioner rolled into one unstoppable force.
The bound test subjects suspended throughout the laboratory represented people gathered from around the world, each one serving as experimental material in the Court's relentless pursuit of the perfect human-demon fusion. Every failure brought them closer to success, every screaming victim a step toward their ultimate goal.
"We're running low on demonic tissue samples," one of the researchers reported, pausing in his work on a partially transformed subject. "The current supply won't be sufficient to complete this phase of testing."
The lead researcher's frustration was palpable. He'd come too far to stop now, too close to breakthrough to accept material shortages as an excuse for delay.
"Activate the ritual sites," ordered one of the Court's inner circle, his owl mask gleaming in the laboratory's harsh lighting. "Every cell we have across the country is to begin demon summoning immediately. We need fresh materials, and we need them now."
A figure dressed as an elaborate owl bowed silently and withdrew to carry out the orders. Though based in Gotham, the Court of Owls had spent over a century placing members and sympathizers throughout America's power structures. Politicians, business leaders, law enforcement officials – all waiting for activation when the Court required their services.
Now those sleeper agents would awaken, conducting dark rituals in hidden locations across the nation. They would summon demons specifically to be captured and butchered for parts, feeding the Court's insatiable appetite for supernatural enhancement.
Meanwhile, at Wayne Manor...
The dining room buzzed with comfortable conversation as Bruce, Selina, Constantine, and Alfred gathered around the table laden with Alfred's expertly prepared meal. Marcus continued eating with obvious enjoyment, savoring flavors he'd missed during his month of intensive crafting work.
"Do you all understand how the Covenant system operates?" Marcus asked between bites of perfectly prepared beef.
The Covenant Incinerator and its associated technology represented far more than simple equipment. Marcus had integrated Orokin engineering principles with divine energy manipulation, creating a system that could theoretically grow stronger indefinitely as more people placed their faith in its protection.
"The beauty of this setup," Marcus continued, "is that your power will increase over time as the Incinerator Lanterns spread and gather more spiritual energy. If you're willing to put in the work, your capabilities could eventually exceed anything you can currently imagine."
Bruce nodded appreciatively, understanding both the gift and the responsibility Marcus had created. "The virtue requirements ensure that only worthy people can access the power, while the faith-gathering system means we're not dependent on limited resources."
"Exactly. But Bruce," Marcus's tone grew more serious, "I want you to be careful about over-relying on the ring's power. Use it as a last resort, not a first option."
The warning puzzled Bruce until Marcus elaborated.
"Your greatest strength has always been your strategic mind, your ability to outthink opponents who are physically superior. If you start defaulting to overwhelming force, you'll lose that edge. And someday you might face an enemy that raw power can't defeat."
The wisdom behind the advice became clear immediately. Bruce had spent twenty years developing his tactical abilities, learning to defeat opponents through preparation, intelligence, and careful planning. The Incinerator Ring could handle most threats through brute force, but that approach would atrophy his most valuable skills.
"I understand," Bruce said thoughtfully. "The ring is insurance against threats I can't handle conventionally, not a replacement for strategy and planning."
Marcus smiled approvingly. "The others can use their rings freely – they're not carrying the same strategic responsibilities you are. But you need to maintain the skills that make you truly dangerous."
Alfred listened to the exchange while unconsciously rotating his own ring around his finger. Unlike Bruce, he'd been given no restrictions on using the divine power. In fact, Marcus seemed to expect him to provide enhanced support whenever Bruce needed assistance.
Not that Bruce required much help these days. Between his own capabilities and Selina's partnership, most of Gotham's threats could be handled without additional backup. Alfred's enhanced abilities would only be necessary against truly extraordinary opponents.
As the meal concluded, Constantine rose and began gathering his belongings. "Time for me to get back to work. I've got a month's worth of demon sightings to investigate, and now I can actually do something about them."
His excitement was understandable. For years, Constantine had avoided using magic except in desperate circumstances, limiting himself to conventional exorcism tools to avoid paying supernatural prices. The Incinerator Ring gave him access to divine power without personal cost – a game-changing advantage for a professional demon hunter.
"Good hunting," Marcus said as Constantine prepared to leave. "Try to leave a few demons alive for questioning. We need to understand what the Court of Owls is planning."
After Constantine's departure, the manor settled into comfortable quiet. Bruce and Selina returned to their respective responsibilities, leaving Marcus alone with Alfred in the spacious living room.
"They've really grown up," Marcus observed, settling into a comfortable chair with a cup of tea. "Last time I saw them, they were children playing at being heroes. Now they're adults with real responsibilities."
Alfred smiled warmly, clearly pleased to discuss his charges' development. "The young master and Miss Selina have accomplished remarkable things over the past twenty years. Though I suspect the changes in Gotham have as much to do with your influence as their efforts."
"How so?"
"After you left, they spent ten years traveling the world, studying different fighting styles and investigative techniques. When they returned, they had the knowledge and equipment necessary to truly change Gotham's criminal landscape."
Alfred's pride in Bruce and Selina was obvious as he recounted their achievements. They'd systematically dismantled Gotham's most dangerous criminal organizations, sending murderers to prison and the mentally unstable to Arkham Asylum for treatment.
"The suits and weapons you provided made the difference," Alfred continued. "Without those advantages, they never could have survived their first encounters with enhanced criminals."
Marcus considered the ripple effects of his actions. A few months of training two children had apparently altered Gotham's entire trajectory, transforming one of America's most dangerous cities into something approaching normal urban life.
"I suppose I made quite an impression," Marcus mused.
"Indeed. Though I suspect Master Bruce's opponents haven't changed as much as the general criminal population. The truly dangerous ones don't rely solely on physical intimidation."
Alfred's observation was astute. While Marcus's training had given Bruce and Selina the tools to handle conventional threats, Gotham's most infamous villains operated through psychological manipulation, elaborate schemes, and intellectual challenges that couldn't be solved through superior firepower.
"Bruce faces enemies who attack the mind rather than the body," Marcus agreed. "Strategists and manipulators who force impossible choices, who find weaknesses in human nature and exploit them mercilessly."
The thought amused Marcus considerably. He'd read comics in other realities where Bruce's rogues gallery had been temporarily relocated to different cities, forcing other superheroes to deal with them. Even heroes with godlike powers had struggled against opponents designed to challenge Batman's specific skill set.
He remember one story where other heroes tried to cover Bruce's responsibilities for a single night. Despite having super-speed, flight, invulnerability, and energy projection, they barely managed to contain the chaos. Meanwhile, Bruce routinely handles those same threats while maintaining a day job, a social life, and physical training."
They continued their conversation as evening settled over Wayne Manor, teacher and caretaker sharing stories about the remarkable young people they'd both helped raise. Outside, Gotham began its nightly transformation as ordinary citizens retreated indoors and the city's hidden conflicts emerged from the shadows.
Soon Bruce and Selina would begin their patrol routes, ready to test their enhanced capabilities against whatever threats the Court of Owls might unleash. Constantine would be hunting demons across the country, gathering intelligence about the conspiracy's supernatural experiments.
But for now, Marcus was content to enjoy Alfred's company and reflect on how much his students had grown. They no longer needed constant guidance or protection – they'd become protectors in their own right, capable of facing challenges he might not always be present to handle.
The Covenant Incinerator represented his faith in their continued growth, a system designed to support them long after he'd moved on to other responsibilities. Whatever trials awaited Gotham, his students would be ready.