Chapter 368: A Battle of Wits!
The Grandmaster's Gambit
A person who rises to a leadership position is never a fool. Sir Black Hawk naturally grasped the underlying meaning of Delk's words: his goal was the position of leader.
Indeed, since Grandmaster Nightingale passed away, the third Grandmaster's throne had remained vacant. Years had passed without a suitable replacement, much to the displeasure of the higher echelons who had repeatedly suggested sending an outside replacement—a suggestion that was always refused.
The affairs of Gotham are not for outsiders to meddle with!
With these thoughts in mind, Sir Black Hawk's tone softened.
"If you truly succeed, I wouldn't mind giving you some support. It is, after all, time to select a third leader; that large chair cannot remain empty indefinitely."
Delk was delighted and bowed deeply.
"Sir Black Hawk, please provide me with a backup copy. I will give you a definitive answer by tomorrow noon at the latest."
"Good! Good! I hope you succeed."
Sir Black Hawk then ordered a copy of the power armor's core programming to be put onto a hard drive. Delk took the hard drive and immediately departed.
Watching him leave, Black Hawk's expression darkened.
The other Grandmaster silently appeared at the doorway.
"You trust him?"
"No."
"Then why give him the hard drive?"
Black Hawk sneered. "I want to see who is plotting against us. Also, what have you found out about last night's incident?"
"Nothing."
"How can that be?" Black Hawk's eyebrows rose, then quickly settled. He said with absolute certainty, "There must be clues."
"There are none. The traps were intact, and the surveillance cameras did not capture any outsiders. It was only William Cobb from beginning to end. He killed the three Talons at the stronghold. Whether he did anything to Delk is unclear."
Black Hawk was silent. After a moment, he suddenly asked,
"Could the two of them be collaborating?"
"Unlikely. William Cobb doesn't possess that kind of intelligence. He is a killer, and killers have their own modus operandi."
Black Hawk fell silent again. His colleague's reasoning was sound, and he couldn't refute it.
"Instead of worrying about Delk, we should focus our energy on William Cobb. The longer he is free, the more he remembers, and the greater the threat he poses to us. He must be eliminated quickly."
Black Hawk took a shallow breath and said indifferently,
"I've already thought of a way to deal with him."
"How?"
"Dick Grayson."
Cobb's Last Relative
Humans are social animals. For most, home is a refuge for the soul, and family is the warmest harbor. William Cobb was no exception.
As time passed, he recalled many things: his parents, friends, classmates, and his dearest wife and son.
He was abducted during World War II, when his son was only one year old. This meant that if his son were still alive, he would be a man in his eighties. The thought of this caused a dull ache in his heart.
Only after losing things do you learn to cherish them. Now, he only wanted news of his wife and son. If they were still alive, he just wanted to see them from afar.
After gaining his "Master's" permission, William Cobb embarked on a journey to find his family.
As if fate smiled upon him, he actually found something.
After his disappearance, his wife married an actor named Drake Grayson. His son was renamed Thor Grayson. His son's life was short, lasting only thirty-five years, but he had one child.
That child was John Grayson, who was renowned in the Gotham City Circus as a famous trapeze artist.
Unfortunately, fate was not kind to the Grayson family. Last year, due to an accident during a performance, John Grayson and his wife Mary tragically fell to their deaths, leaving behind only their thirteen-year-old son, Dick Grayson.
This meant that in the world, Dick Grayson was the only family William Cobb had left.
Upon discovering this, William Cobb could wait no longer. He had to meet the boy and do whatever he could for him.
Batman's Deduction
Inside Wayne Manor.
Alfred rushed into the bedroom.
"Master Wayne, I believe I've found the person you were looking for."
He took out a photograph and placed it on the table. The man in the picture had a distinctly chiseled face with high recognition, leaving an instant impression.
"John Grayson! The famous Gotham City acrobat."
Bruce slapped the table, delighted. "That's right, that's the face. It's so similar! No wonder he looked familiar; it was him!"
Alfred was confused.
"Based on the clues you provided, that Talon should be between forty and fifty years old. John Grayson was only in his thirties. They cannot be the same person. Furthermore, John Grayson died in an accident last year. The body is in the graveyard. I had someone check; the person in the coffin is indeed him." He paused and added,
"A similar appearance doesn't necessarily mean they are related. Perhaps it's a coincidence."
Bruce Wayne slowly shook his head. "I thought so too... look at this." He handed him a file. "Read this, and you'll understand."
Alfred opened the file and quickly scanned it.
The file contained information collected by Gotham City officials using all their resources regarding the Court of Owls, with a specific focus on the Talon unit. Do not underestimate the power of the government; even an agency known for its "incompetence" like the Gotham City Government can be formidable when it exerts its full force.
The file contained a lot of information, including the origins and background of the Court of Owls, as well as the abilities and training methods of the Talons. One could say everything about the Court was there, except for the core secrets.
After reading the file, Alfred's expression became extremely solemn.
Near-immortality!
Cold-blooded, emotionless killing puppets!
Superhuman strength and speed!
...
Monsters like this can be mass-produced!
Bruce said in a low voice,
"Most Talons are trained before the age of thirty, then they are frozen and only awakened when needed. A frozen Talon barely ages. Yet, the Talon I fought was clearly forty, or even fifty years old."
"What does that tell you?"
Alfred replied seriously, "It suggests that Talon has been deployed many times. His true age could potentially be a hundred years old." He then changed the subject.
"But basing your judgment solely on this is too rash, isn't it?" Alfred shook his head, puzzled by his young master's actions. "Even if he is related to the Grayson family, what difference does it make? It all happened decades ago."
Bruce stood up and walked to the window, quietly looking out at the repaired garden.
"The night before last, when the attack happened, do you know where Luke Shaw was?"
Alfred was stunned. "Is this related to him?"
"Whether it's related or not, I can't say yet. But I do know one thing: while I was fighting the Talon, there was a drone overhead. The owner of that drone was Luke Shaw."
"After the Talon fled, the drone also disappeared. Tell me, where did it go?"
Alfred's eyes widened. "Are you suggesting..."
Bruce gritted his teeth.
"I can guarantee that Talon is now in Luke Shaw's hands."
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