Peter pulled at his tie, hauling Wally Kroon's corpse up.
Bruce strode over, looking at Peter in shock.
"Sir, he… he's dead!"
"Hm, as expected. Isn't the Court of Owls always watching Gotham?"
Peter's gaze followed the assassin who had already fled.
"However, my original target wasn't our former mayor, Mr. Kroon."
Peter narrowed his eyes, his super senses tracking the fleeing assassin.
"Let's go. We'll have this assassin lead the way for us."
After a moment of stunned silence, Bruce watched Peter's retreating figure before quickly following him.
"S-sir, were you planning to lure the Court of Owls' assassin from the start?"
Bruce asked, somewhat incredulously.
Peter stopped and said to Bruce, "Yes, I didn't believe this former mayor could tell me what I wanted to know."
"So… Sir, you also knew they would act against the former mayor?"
"I didn't know, Bruce, but I guessed they probably would."
He looked at the silent Bruce, "Do you think my actions are too harsh?"
"No, I just…"
"Bruce, this city, darkness and sin permeate every corner. The Police are corrupt and incompetent, and the law is just a decoration. The tragedy your parents experienced could happen every day. If you try to save this city, giving them hope isn't enough."
Peter spoke words that stunned Bruce.
He placed his hand on Bruce's shoulder, "Only fear can make them stop, make them afraid."
"I…"
Bruce's heart was in turmoil. He stared at Peter, his lips slightly parted, unsure what to say.
"Sir, perhaps law and order can also save this city."
After a long pause, Bruce spoke his innermost thoughts.
"To hold onto hope is beautiful, Bruce. To walk in the shadows yet still believe in order and law; to crave revenge, to yearn to personally kill criminals, yet still be able to use cold reason to suppress burning Fire—this is what I hope you can achieve."
Facing the bewildered Bruce, Peter transmitted some positive energy concepts to him.
If this kid went astray and became a completely ruthless, darkened Batman, he estimated he would truly become a "Father Avengers" in the future.
"I understand, Sir."
Bruce nodded, saying to him with a firm tone, "I will also become the kind of person you expect, Sir."
Court of Owls Headquarters.
The members of the Court of Owls, these prominent Gotham families, were now gathered in the Court, fiercely discussing everything that had happened today.
"Silence! Silence!"
A graceful woman wearing an Owl mask stopped their discussion.
"Everyone, Gotham is riddled with holes, beyond saving. Only we can rebuild Gotham, letting it be reborn from the ashes. Our plan is about to succeed, the rise of a new Gotham is imminent!"
As her words fell, cheers echoed throughout the Court of Owls Headquarters.
"I wouldn't be so sure."
A sudden, abrupt voice interrupted their cheers.
The masked individuals looked towards the source of the voice.
What they saw were Peter and Bruce slowly walking in.
The woman looked at Bruce in surprise, "It's you, Bruce Wayne!"
"You… how did you find this place?!"
She turned her gaze to Peter, her face filled with disbelief.
"That's a long story. You rats sure hide deep."
Peter took a step forward, surveying these masked, prominent figures who supposedly controlled all of Gotham.
"You, you killed my parents!"
Bruce glared at the members of the Court of Owls.
The woman shook her head and said to Bruce:
"You are as stubborn and unyielding as your father, Bruce. If you hadn't broken free from our control in the first place, we wouldn't have acted against you. Just like your father, after he discovered our existence, he always wanted to get rid of us. You always overestimate your own worth, both to yourselves and to others."
"But now, since you've walked right into our trap, I imagine the outcome won't be much different from before."
She clapped her hands, and several assassins in Owl uniforms emerged from the shadows.
Agile and swift, the assassins drew the katanas from their backs and charged towards Peter and Bruce.
Peter shielded Bruce behind him, grabbed the arm of an incoming assassin, and twisted it, breaking it.
The latter let out a miserable scream.
With a "bang," Peter punched him, sending him flying.
His body collided with another assassin, and both were sent crashing into the wall by the terrifying force.
Before the people present could react, Peter, moving at an invisible speed, charged in front of an assassin, striking horizontally with his elbow. The latter spun several times in the air like a top before crashing heavily to the ground.
Warm blood quickly stained the cold floor.
These assassins, who appeared agile and fierce to ordinary people, were easily dealt with by Peter.
The members of the Court of Owls stared at the assassins who had fallen to the ground in mere breaths, completely dumbfounded.
With terrified looks, they stared at Peter, and the crowd immediately scattered in panic.
As the woman fled, she ordered the remaining assassins on site to deploy a poisonous gas spray at Peter.
"Roll!"
A spherical object, spewing red smoke, rolled to Peter's feet.
Then, to everyone's astonishment, Peter bent down, picked up the sphere emitting toxic gas, placed it to his nose, and took a deep breath.
"Hmm, a nice smell. I haven't smoked in years. This has brought back a little craving."
Peter took a few more deep breaths, a look of enjoyment on his face, showing no signs of poisoning whatsoever.
"You!"
The woman looked at Peter's expression of enjoyment with utter horror, too shocked to speak.
Where did this monster come from?!
Seeing Peter's terrifying display, the Court of Owls' followers became even more chaotic, fleeing madly outwards!
With a "whoosh," Peter instantly moved in front of the old woman, grabbing her by the throat and throwing her.
The round table in the middle of the meeting room was instantly shattered by her body, sending wood splinters flying into the air.
The remaining Court members, who were scrambling to escape, suddenly stopped moving.
Like members of the Court of Owls who had been struck by a pressure point, blood oozed from their mouths, and their bodies convulsed.
"Thump!"
"Thump!"
A continuous series of sounds rang out, and soon all the Court of Owls members fell to the ground, motionless.
Peter had been about to deal with these Court members, but the sudden turn of events made him frown.
Bruce was also startled by what happened, only reacting after a long moment.
Walking to Peter's side, he asked Peter with some disbelief, "Sir, what happened?"
Peter bent down and examined the corpse of a Court of Owls member, "They're all dead."
"D-dead?"
"Hm, poisoned to death, all silenced. It's clear they were poisoned before we even came in."
Peter stood up, his gaze fixed on the Owl statue in the center of the Court, "It seems the so-called Court of Owls is just the tip of the iceberg in Gotham."
"Is it over?"
Looking at the bodies strewn everywhere, Bruce knew that things had ended here.
The Court of Owls was annihilated, destroyed by the true power behind the scenes. The longest night was about to end, yet an inexpressible melancholy arose in his heart.
Today's two chapters, afternoon and evening, are being released together. Also, I'd like to ask for your monthly votes, Readers. Thank you for your support! Bows!