The familiar underground meeting room.
Compared to last night's opulence, the overhead chandeliers were switched off today, making the room somewhat dim.
In the darkness, a man wearing a suit and a mask, with a gold pin on his chest, was pacing anxiously. He said to his companion, "Something's wrong!"
"It's been a day and a night, and no Talon has returned."
"I'm afraid..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but he believed his companion understood his meaning.
"Indeed."
The gray-haired man sitting in the chair sighed. "Notify the members to relocate."
The Court of Owls had survived since its inception due to its caution and prudence.
The Talon assassins had likely failed their mission, which caused a sense of urgency to rise within them.
"Right away."
The standing man walked towards the exit, pressing the door lock lightly.
"Click."
The heavy, explosion-proof door opened, and he stepped out with his right leg.
But, in the man's vision, a bloodied head suddenly loomed large.
The headless head slammed into the man's face. The solid skull shattered the mask, then with a whistling sound and immense force, smashed into the man's forehead.
Bang!
A dull sound echoed in the secret room. The man sitting in the chair was clearly startled by the sudden noise.
He scrambled to his feet, looking towards the exit.
Then, he saw the most terrifying scene of his life.
Two heads collided with each other, pushed by a large hand. The immense force crushed both skulls, as if a pig's head had been crushed in a hydraulic press.
The man's companion's brain burst, and indescribable matter splattered across the walls.
Only a headless corpse remained, flying out and slamming into the wall, convulsing wildly. But it quickly became still, flopping onto the floor.
"Hoo… hoo…"
Tension and fear accelerated the Court of Owls' leader's heartbeat and breathing.
He could hardly believe it. What kind of power could crush a head so completely?!
He saw the metal gate being violently pushed open. With just a light push from that hand, the iron door was sent flying like a cannonball, smashing deep cracks into the opposite wall.
A mocking voice rang out, "Headshot!"
The arm retreated back into the darkness.
"Clang… clang."
The sound of armor clashing echoed as dozens of fully armed Assassin League warriors filed in.
They stood in a silent circle, surrounding the entire conference room.
Then, the owner of those arms slowly emerged from the dark passage.
Golden hair combined with a handsome face, and most importantly, the black samurai attire, gave him a dark and gloomy aura.
The masked man stared, dumbfounded, at the young man who swaggered out. He saw the young man laugh and say, "To be honest, this godforsaken place is really hard to find."
Who knows what the guy who designed Gotham's underground transportation pipelines was thinking. The city's sewage treatment system was even wider and more complex than Gotham itself.
Gino stood at the entrance with his hands behind his back. A brown-haired beauty quickly stood beside him. The woman had a malicious smile on her face and was staring with interest at the only person in the hall who wasn't one of them, the court's leader.
"Tsk tsk, the Court of Owls." Gino looked at the guy standing still. He casually glanced at an Assassin, who immediately understood and stepped forward, tearing off the guy's mask to reveal an old face filled with fear.
The old guy looked like he'd lived a life of luxury; his hands clearly had no calluses.
"You... you're Gino Luthor."
The old man rasped, then looked around at the assassins, a bitter expression on his face. "So the Assassin League is backing you. No wonder you dared to oppose us, the Court of Owls."
"The Assassin League is backing me?" Gino chuckled, glancing at Talia. "You tell him the truth."
Talia, expressionless, said to the old man, "Mr. Gino is backing us."
The assassins she brought were all her loyal subordinates, so she wasn't worried about them informing Ra's al Ghul.
Moreover, Talia was hoping to use Gino's power to overthrow Ra's al Ghul and be a dutiful daughter.
"You..." The old man's words caught in his throat, but soon, knowing he was doomed, a look of madness flashed across his face. "Even if you kill me, what then? The Court of Owls will just replace me."
"Is that so?"
Hearing the old man's words, Gino's face showed a hint of mockery.
"What kind of Hydra speech is that? Cut off one head and you still have nine, huh?"
The young man didn't intend to kill the old man just yet. Gino simply snapped his fingers.
The next second, two assassins slowly entered the hall, each carrying a sack.
"Thud."
Gino effortlessly tossed the heavy object, which required two people to lift, onto the conference table.
Gino drew a sharp katana from a warrior's waist and said without looking at the old man, "Open it and take a look. I want you to understand how you're going to die."
A shadow of gloom flashed across the old man's heart. He tremblingly reached out, as if the sack contained not just anything, but his countdown to death.
"Rattle!"
As the sack opened, the old man's vision went black when he saw what was inside.
"Pfft!"
Before he could even speak, a katana pierced the old man's heart, killing him instantly.
"Thud."
The lifeless body slowly fell to the cold floor. A samurai quickly stepped forward to search the corpse's clothing.
Gino sat down on a chair, discarding the bloodied blade in his hand.
Talia glanced at the surrounding samurai and waved her hand, signaling them to disperse and search the hideout.
The samurai left the meeting room, leaving only Gino and Talia at the large round table.
"Heh."
Talia chuckled softly, her eyes darting around. She quickly walked over to Gino and sat down on his lap, her shapely rear meeting his leg.
"What's the meaning of this?" Gino's expression remained neutral as he silently surveyed Talia's warrior attire.
"This organization called the Court of Owls... they must have some treasures, right?"
Talia's eyes became seductive as she reached up and hooked her arm around Gino's neck. Ever since her previous attempt to seduce Gino with her beauty had failed, she'd spent considerable time training with Tina, and her skills had improved significantly. At the very least, she knew to occasionally shift her weight, giving Gino a little... stimulus.
"So?"
Gino didn't answer her question. He knew Talia's personality: ambitious but incompetent. He was curious to see what she was planning.
"So, can I take a look at what valuable things the Court of Owls has?"
Talia wasn't a fool. She knew that the Court of Owls, which could interest Gino, must possess some valuable treasures.
"After all I've done for you, can you do this for me?" Talia played the part of the damsel, abandoning her usual queenly demeanor.
"Of course."
To Talia's surprise, Gino agreed without hesitation, which pleased her.
"We're friends, aren't we?" Gino smiled and gently put his arm around Talia's slender waist.
Of course, it wasn't because the old man Gino was kind. He still had use for this woman.
So, he'd give her some benefits first.
------------------------
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