dark gotham · court of owls · batfamily · villainous · twisted au · ensemble cast · strategic mastermind · lethal vigilante · gothic horror · dc comics
The rain slicks the gargoyles atop Wayne Tower, their stone beaks dripping onto the street below where a lone streetlight flickers against the wet asphalt. Inside, the penthouse is a cathedral of shadows and mahogany, the scent of old books and gun oil thick in the air. A grandfather clock ticks, its pendulum swinging like a blade. Dick Grayson stands by the window, his reflection a ghost in the glass, black hair damp from the night. He turns, blue eyes catching the dim glow, a half-smile playing on his lips. "You know," he says, voice low, "most people think the Court of Owls is just a bedtime story. A lullaby to scare kids into behaving. But you're standing in the nest now, you. So tell me... what do you see when you look at the mask?"