Chapter 164: Chapter 162: The Scapegoat
Tim finally relaxed after leaving the Batcave without anyone following him.
Although confronting the truth face-to-face was risky, it was worth the gamble considering the safety of everyone involved.
However, he had confirmed a few things.
This uncle knew Bruce, and Batman was not missing.
The Court of Owls was real, and the two Wayne families were fake.
Barbara was in the enemy's hands, but they did not seem to have malicious intent.
But why did they want them to deal with the Court of Owls? That remained unclear.
Tim frowned, deep in thought.
There was too little information, and the clues were insufficient.
Soon, they reached the surface.
"Tim, what's going on?" Dick asked, concerned.
"I'm fine, just working on the next plan," Tim replied, not revealing his suspicions. Although he didn't know his uncle's true intentions, for now, they would follow his plan and take it step by step.
Inside the Batcave, Chino also withdrew his mental focus, the symbol of Professor X glowing faintly on his chest.
"Red, your little pudding has flopped. Want to join me in some fun?" Harley grinned, inviting Pamela.
"Who said it flopped? A true strategist, even if exposed, as long as the enemy follows my plan, it's not an issue," Chino replied confidently.
He had underestimated these Robins.
Red Robin, who had deduced Batman's true identity at thirteen, was just as sharp as Bruce in terms of intelligence.
It was normal for a spur-of-the-moment plan to have minor flaws.
The dark streets of Gotham were shrouded in night, with everything veiled in shadows.
Dick and the others moved cautiously through the sewers, the damp air and unpleasant odors filling the atmosphere.
What their uncle said was too vague, so they had to rely on their experience and reasoning to narrow down the most likely places to search.
"How much longer do we have to search? What if he's just lying to us?" Jason complained impatiently after over an hour of fruitless searching.
"Calm down, Jason. We have one more place to check, then we're done," Tim said.
"Ugh, where else?" Jason exhaled, his mood still on edge after the adrenaline rush from the enhancement serum.
"The place where Allen Wayne died," Tim's voice echoed in the sewer.
The group quickened their pace, the sludge beneath their feet splashing as they soon arrived at their destination.
It was a vast space, dry on the surface, and compared to the damp, muddy sewers, it resembled a carefully crafted secret room.
Standing there, each of them felt a strong sense of foreboding—this was the place.
"Be careful, split up and search," Dick whispered.
The group scattered, meticulously checking every corner. Not long after…
"Everyone, come over here. I found something," Oliver's voice called. He was tapping against the wall, his expression serious.
The sound was slightly different from the rest of the surroundings, and if his enhanced senses weren't heightened after the serum, he might not have noticed it.
"Move aside," Jason shouted, charging at the wall with his shoulder, unleashing a powerful force that instantly shattered it.
"That was reckless, Jason," Dick frowned, his displeasure evident.
"Otherwise, should we wait for you to slowly find a trap? The enemy's already long gone," Jason retorted dismissively.
Afterward, Jason holstered his gun and quickly began surveying the surroundings.
He wasn't just being reckless; he was more focused on catching the enemy off guard.
What appeared before them was a huge white maze.
In a dark room, a faint candlelight flickered.
Numerous individuals wearing white masks gathered around a chair, the air heavy with an almost suffocating silence.
"Who used the Talons without approval? I hope they come forward," the elderly figure at the head of the table spoke in a grim tone.
Yet, all he received was a deathly silence in response.
"Using the Talons without a meeting—everyone knows the consequences. If you speak up now, I can show leniency, but otherwise, all of you will be punished."
The elder's tone grew harsher, his eyes flashing with cold malice.
Everyone trembled involuntarily.
"My lord, please believe us, we would never do such a thing," one person stammered, his voice trembling.
"Could it have been the Talon itself? Without our serum, they'd be corpses. Someone better step up or we'll all be dragged down," another murmured.
"Quiet..." the elder commanded.
The members of the Court of Owls began arguing amongst themselves, each one hoping to avoid the blame and shift it to someone else—looking for a scapegoat to take the fall.
The so-called punishment for using the Talons without permission was to be thrown into the White Maze for three days without food, hunted by the Talons. If they survived, they would be freed.
But these men were high-ranking officials, the elite of Gotham—such torture was beyond their endurance.
None of them would survive a day in the White Maze.
Using the Talons without permission wasn't an unheard-of matter—it had happened before, and they had always covered for each other. The unwritten rules had worked for years.
But this time was different. Members of the Court of Owls had arrived, investigating the one hundred Batmans.
The moment they arrived, a Talon had been killed, nearly exposing the legend of the Court.
This plunged the entire Court into panic and chaos, terrified of angering the Council and losing everything.
The elder watched the commotion, a flicker of cold indifference in his eyes.
From the shadows behind him, several large figures emerged, as though ready to pounce at any moment.
"Wait, my lord, give us some time. We will find the real culprit. The most pressing matter is the one hundred Batmans; he's destabilizing the Court's power," one of the members of the Council said, his voice trembling with urgency.
The elder remained silent for a moment before coldly responding, "…I'm giving you one day."
The figures in the shadows faded, and the Court members breathed a sigh of relief. They knew this was the elder's greatest leniency. Now they had to resolve the matter quickly.
They had already abandoned the idea of finding the true culprit. One day wasn't enough; searching for the truth was a hopeless task.
But finding a scapegoat was still within reach.
Several of the lowest-ranking Owls in the room bowed their heads in despair.
They knew they were likely to be the ones pushed forward to take the fall, yet they had no strength to resist. They could only silently pray that the misfortune wouldn't fall on them.
Quote:"When chaos reigns, the search for a scapegoat begins."
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