Chapter 378: Luke and the Court of Owls!
The Ambush of the Owls
With Luke's entry into the field, the tide of battle fundamentally shifted.
At the Gotham City East Precinct, Commissioner Jim Gordon's former loyalist and current precinct commander, Hank, was a target of the Court of Owls.
When a Talon led four loyalist soldiers in MAX power armor into the building, they were met not by panicking officers, but by four heavy machine guns. Bullets rained down like a storm.
Muzzle flashes lit up the entire floor, and the tat-tat-tat of gunfire was relentless, shattering glass, pillars, and walls.
The five attackers had no time to react and were instantly swallowed by the hail of bullets. The MAX had formidable defense, but it could not withstand this kind of continuous barrage. It would have been one thing if they were ordinary rifle rounds, but the police were using 12.7mm spiral armor-piercing rounds—ammunition designed to take out heavy tanks.
The four loyalist soldiers collapsed instantly without making a sound. Their armor was shredded, not a single part intact. The Talon struggled violently, but riddled with bullets, he couldn't perform any effective moves and was quickly trussed up by the police with chains.
After all the attackers were down, a visibly excited Hank emerged from the back, pulled out his phone, and called Jim Gordon.
"We're done here. Where next?"
The Court in Disarray
Similar ambushes unfolded in different areas. By exploiting the privileged intelligence, Jim Gordon caught the Court of Owls completely off guard, neutralizing over thirty loyalist soldiers in just half an hour.
By the time Sir Black Hawk realized what was happening, the situation was already out of control. Nearly half of the eighty-plus loyalist soldiers had been lost, and the rest were being cornered by the police. Furthermore, there was even worse news.
According to intelligence from their secret agents, there was a group of mysterious, unknown men assisting the police. They wore brown power armor and were exceptionally formidable in combat; in one-on-one engagements, the loyalist soldiers were completely outmatched.
Hearing this, Sir Black Hawk slumped into his chair, utterly defeated.
"Luke Shaw!" he roared like a mad beast.
"How dare you fool me!"
"That bastard!"
Bang!
The stone tabletop shattered under his fist. Sir Black Hawk rose sharply, shouting fiercely,
"Notify all loyalist soldiers: Ditch the power armor and return to the underground labyrinth in small groups! Have the Talons guard all exits, and kill anyone who tries to enter, no exceptions!"
His aide didn't dare hesitate and quickly left the office. With the command issued, the entire Court instantly erupted. The "high and mighty" old nobles looked at each other, seeing only shock and panic in their eyes.
No one had anticipated this outcome. The supposedly decisive assault was completely controlled by the enemy, and personnel losses were devastating. The loyalist soldiers were one thing, but the Talons were painful to lose. Each Talon was an exceptional warrior, incredibly difficult to train, requiring not only massive manpower and resources but also, most crucially, Dionesium.
Dionesium was a priceless treasure, possessing miraculous, near-resurrective powers that money couldn't buy. The Court of Owls had existed for hundreds of years yet only possessed forty-six Talons, not because of a lack of candidates, but because of the scarcity of Dionesium.
A fearful atmosphere spread through the hall. Every member was preoccupied. Their families had served the Court for generations, becoming one with it. If the Court fell, they would all be ruined.
Then, someone suddenly asked,
"How did the police know about the raid? Was there a leak?"
The hall fell into an eerie silence. A leak was certain; otherwise, how would the police have received advance notice? But who the source was remained unclear.
"There's something else I don't understand," an old man said bitterly. "How did those simpleton police know the movements of the loyalist soldiers? Who gave them the information?"
"A traitor!"
"There must be a traitor among us! The traitor's rank must be high, or they couldn't have known the operational deployment!"
At his words, all eyes shifted backward simultaneously. Four men stood there. They held the equivalent rank of deacons within the Court and possessed the greatest power outside the Grandmasters. They were the four who had jointly devised the operational deployment.
Since there was a problem, the fault must lie with them.
Daggers of suspicion were cast toward them, and the four men's faces instantly paled.
"Which of you is the traitor?" someone roared, charging forward. "Speak! Who is the traitor? Is it you? Or you?"
The men being pointed at instinctively backed away, trying to argue but unable to utter a word. The more they stayed silent, the angrier the crowd became, the fury escalating until it neared the edge of chaos.
Delk, whose conscience was troubled, stood nervously aside. Seeing the situation spiral out of control, he grit his teeth and rushed forward.
"Stop hitting him! Stop, I said! You, stop it!"
Bang!
Delk kicked one man to the ground, shouting loudly,
"Can everyone please calm down? This isn't as simple as you think. If they were truly traitors, they would have long since fled. Why would they remain here in the labyrinth?"
"There must be a misunderstanding. Give them a chance, and give yourselves a chance."
"We are the Court of Owls, a lineage spanning centuries. Everyone here is a person of status and distinction, a superior individual. How can we resort to fighting like common street thugs over unproven suspicion?"
At his final words, the scene calmed down, and everyone recovered their composure from their rage. The four accused men looked at Delk gratefully; without him, they might have been beaten to death.
"He is right!" Sir Black Hawk, dressed in a black suit, entered the hall. His gaze swept over everyone, landing on each face. "The Court of Owls pursues not only family and legacy but also personal refinement. Every member is an elite, a cut above the rest. No matter the trouble, even if the sky falls, we have the ability to solve it."
"Remember, everyone, we are the Owls, the masters of the night."
The members looked at each other, apologized to the four men, and returned to their places.
Sir Black Hawk walked to the throne and said with a tone of deep pain,
"I have investigated tonight's events. The culprit behind all of this is not these four. It is Luke Shaw! That damned Asian. From the beginning, he knew the location of the power armor, yet he remained silent. He deceived the police, the FBI, the City Government, and us."
"He hid behind the scenes like a viper, using dirty, despicable tactics to steal profit. He intends to use the Court of Owls as a stepping stone to climb to greater heights."
"Luke Shaw is our enemy, an enemy to the death!"
"As long as he lives, the Owls will never have peace."
"Regardless of what happens next, you must remember this: Luke Shaw made fools of us and destroyed our system and tradition. He must die!"
Before he could finish, a man ran in, staggering.
"Bad news! The northern entrance has been found by the police!"
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