INT. KORD INDUSTRIES - OLD INDUSTRIAL PARK - NIGHT
The warehouse erupts into a whirlwind of violence. Green Arrow unleashes a flurry of arrows, pinning Kord's men against the walls and machinery with startling precision. Black Canary, a blur of motion, moves with a graceful, deadly efficiency, her movements a symphony of kicks and punches.
She closes in on Dick, her fists a rapid-fire blur. He meets her attack, his Talon armor deflecting her blows, his movements a mirror of her own. They are two dancers in a brutal ballet, their bodies a blur of motion and steel.
As she lands a hard kick to his chest, he whispers into her ear, his voice a low, urgent murmur, "Did Oracle tell you the plan?"
Black Canary freezes for a split second, her eyes widening in surprise. The name, the code name, spoken by a Talon, a sworn enemy, a ghost from a criminal underworld, is a jarring, unsettling sound. But she quickly recovers, her face a mask of cold fury.
With a grunt of pure frustration, she headbutts him, a sharp, brutal blow that rocks him back on his heels. "How the hell do you know that name?" she snarls, her voice a low, dangerous growl.
He stumbles back, his mind reeling from the unexpected assault, the question a new, unsettling complication in a plan that was already falling apart. He has to get her to trust him. He has to get her to understand. He has to do it all before it's too late.
The warehouse is a storm of violence, a symphony of steel and flesh. Black Canary, her face a mask of furious concentration, unleashes her sonic scream, a powerful, invisible force that sends a shockwave of sound rippling through the air. The sound is a physical assault, a wave of pure force that throws Dick back a few feet, his Talon armor groaning under the pressure.
He stumbles, his mind reeling from the assault, his body on high alert. He knows he can't fight her. He knows he has to get her to listen.
"Come on, Grayson, we need to go!" Vinny shouts, his voice a frantic, desperate plea. He's already heading for the exit, leaving Dick to fend for himself.
Black Canary's head whips toward the voice, her eyes wide with surprise. "Grayson?" she says, the name a disbelieving whisper. She looks at the Talon, then at the sound of the voice, her mind reeling from the revelation.
Dick seizes the opportunity. He uses the moment of her confusion to lunge forward, his body a blur of motion. He lands a swift, brutal uppercut, a move designed to stun, not to kill. She stumbles back, her eyes wide with shock and confusion, and he uses the time to get away. He runs toward the exit, his mind a whirlwind of tactics and strategy. He knows he has to escape. He has to get to safety. He has to survive.
INT. COURT OF OWLS BASE – EVELYN'S PRIVATE STUDY – NIGHT
The air in the study is thick with the scent of expensive candles and aged paper. Evelyn sits behind her desk, a triumphant smile on her lips, her eyes fixed on the large, glowing map of Gotham. The rebellion was a success, her father was dead, and her reign was just beginning. The door opens and Sam and Pauline enter, their faces a mix of exhaustion and grim determination.
Evelyn looks up, her smile widening. "Did you get the girl?" she asks, her voice a low, triumphant purr.
Sam and Pauline exchange a look. "Yes," Sam says, his voice flat. "We got her."
"And?" Evelyn says, her eyes narrowing. "Did you find out who else he works for?"
Pauline steps forward, a grim look on his face. "We found out a lot, Evelyn," he says, his voice a low, dangerous growl. "For a librarian, she's a hell of a fighter. And we found this."
He pulls a small, clear plastic bag from his pocket. Inside is the pregnancy test, the two red lines a brutal, undeniable truth. Evelyn stares at it, her smile faltering. "What is this?" she asks, her voice a low, dangerous whisper.
"It's a pregnancy test," Sam says, his voice flat. "She's pregnant. With Grayson's child."
Evelyn stares at the test, her face a mask of shock and disbelief. Her mind, a brilliant machine of strategy and ambition, is short-circuiting. She had planned for everything. She had planned for betrayal. But she had not planned for this.
"And there's more," Pauline says, his voice a low, triumphant purr. "We went to the Belfry. We found her secret. And we found his."
He opens a file on his tablet, and the screen lights up with a picture of a black and yellow suit, a familiar bat symbol emblazoned on the chest. "She's a bat, Evelyn. She's Batgirl. And he's a bird. He's Nightwing. They're not just a couple. They're partners. And they work for Batman."
The air in the room is thick with a chilling silence. Evelyn stares at the tablet, her eyes wide with a cold, simmering fury. The betrayal, the lies, the sheer audacity of it all, is a physical assault, a violation of everything she stands for.
She had planned to use Dick as a pawn in her game, a tool to secure her reign. But he had been playing her from the start. He was a hero. A vigilante. An enemy.
She stands, her hands clenched into fists, her body trembling with a cold, quiet rage. The war had just begun, but she had already lost a crucial battle. The war with the Bat. And she was going to win.
The tension in the study is a palpable, living thing. Evelyn stands motionless, her body a coiled spring of cold fury. The revelation of Dick's identity and Barbara's pregnancy has shattered her calm, and now she is a storm of silent rage. She looks at Pauline and Sam, her eyes burning with an icy fire.
"Is there anything else?" she asks, her voice a low, dangerous whisper that barely cuts through the silence.
Pauline, still shaken by Evelyn's fury, nods. "No," he says, his voice a low, defeated growl. "Except... I burned down the Belfry."
The words hang in the air, a final, brutal blow. Evelyn's composure, a mask of cold, calculating calm, shatters completely. She moves with a swift, predatory grace, her hand a blur as it connects with Pauline's face, the sharp, stinging slap echoing through the room.
"You idiot!" she screams, her voice a raw, unhinged shriek. "Now the Bats will know! Now they'll know something is wrong! You just gave them a reason to come after us! A reason to come after me!"
Pauline stumbles back, his hand on his stinging cheek. "But... they would have known something was wrong anyway," he stammers, his voice full of a desperate, panicked energy. "When she didn't show up. They would have known something was wrong."
"That would have given us time!" Evelyn shouts, her voice a raw, unhinged shriek. "Time to prepare! Time to deal with Grayson! But now, they'll know! They'll know we have her! They'll know he's a spy! You just ruined everything!"
She turns away from them, her body trembling with a cold, quiet rage. She walks toward the door, her movements a blur of furious energy. She stops, her hand on the doorknob, and looks at them over her shoulder, her eyes burning with a new, terrifying resolve.
"I'm going to talk to the prisoner," she says, her voice a low, dangerous growl. "Don't disturb me until I come back. Understand?"
Sam and Pauline stand there, motionless, their faces a mask of shock and fear. They have never seen Evelyn like this. They have never seen her so unhinged, so furious, so terrifying. They nod, a silent, terrified obedience. She is a new queen, a new Grandmaster, and she is going to war.
INT. COURT OF OWLS BASE – DUNGEON CELL – NIGHT
The air is cold and damp, the stone walls of the dungeon cell slick with condensation. Barbara, still bound and gagged, lies on a cold slab of stone, her body a silent, helpless heap. The light from a single, flickering torch in the hallway casts long, dancing shadows on the walls, a cruel mockery of the world outside.
The heavy iron door groans open, and Evelyn enters the cell, her silhouette a dark, menacing figure against the flickering light. She closes the door behind her, the sound a low, resonant thud that echoes through the small space. She stands over Barbara, her face a mask of cold, triumphant fury. She reaches down and, with a brutal, unceremonious yank, tears the gag from Barbara's mouth.
Barbara gasps, a raw, painful sound, her throat dry and sore. She looks up at Evelyn, her eyes filled with a fierce, defiant light.
"Who are you?" Barbara says, her voice a low, raspy whisper.
Evelyn's lips curl into a cold, dangerous smile. "That's a good question," she says, her voice a low, triumphant purr. "But the real question is... who are you? The hero? The vigilante? The librarian? Or... the mother?"
Barbara's eyes widen, a flicker of fear in their depths. She looks at Evelyn, her mind reeling, her heart pounding in her chest. The game has changed. The rules have been broken. And she is going to war.
INT. KORD INDUSTRIES – OLD INDUSTRIAL PARK – NIGHT
The warehouse is a storm of chaos and violence. Dick and Vinny run for their lives, their footsteps echoing through the cavernous space as they race toward the exit. The sounds of battle rage behind them, a symphony of steel and flesh.
"We need to go!" Vinny shouts, his voice a frantic, desperate plea. "Now!"
Dick, his Talon armor a blur of motion, doesn't reply. He just runs, his mind a whirlwind of tactics and strategy. He knows they're close. He knows he has to escape. He has to get away.
He sees the exit, a sliver of light in the darkness, and he pushes himself harder, his legs pumping, his lungs burning. He is so close. He is almost there.
Suddenly, a flurry of arrows whiz past his head, embedding themselves in the wall beside him. He flinches, his heart pounding in his chest. Green Arrow and Black Canary are right behind them, their movements a blur of furious energy.
"Don't let them get away!" Green Arrow shouts, his voice a low, commanding growl.
Black Canary, a silent, deadly shadow, unleashes a sonic scream, a powerful, invisible force that sends a shockwave of sound rippling through the air. The sound is a physical assault, a wave of pure force that throws Dick back a few feet, his Talon armor groaning under the pressure.
He stumbles, his mind reeling from the assault, but he doesn't stop. He gets to his feet and runs, his body a mask of cold, unreadable calm. He makes it to the car, and Vinny starts the engine, the tires screeching as they speed away.
He looks in the rearview mirror, his eyes a cold, hard gaze that promises nothing but violence. They are a blur of green and black, two heroes who just missed their chance. They are too late.
The warehouse is silent once more, save for the hum of the remaining machinery and the steady drip of rain. Green Arrow and Black Canary stand in the center of the room, surrounded by the defeated thugs and the scattered debris of their battle. They look at the broken skylight, then at the empty road where Dick's car disappeared.
"A Talon," Green Arrow says, his voice a low, disbelieving growl. "A Talon in Star City. What the hell is going on?"
Black Canary, her face a mask of confusion, looks at him. "He knew my name, Ollie. He knew Oracle's name. And he called me... 'Dinah.'" She shakes her head, her mind reeling. "A Talon shouldn't know that name. No one should know that name."
Green Arrow looks at her, his eyes narrowed in thought. He draws an arrow from his quiver and looks at it, a grim expression on his face. "Something's not right," he says, his voice a low, dangerous whisper. "The Court of Owls... they don't operate outside of Gotham. And they certainly don't operate in Star City."
He looks at Black Canary, his mind made up. "We need to contact Batman. He needs to know what's going on. He needs to know that the Court of Owls is here."
INT. COURT OF OWLS BASE – DUNGEON CELL – NIGHT
The dungeon is a place of cold, damp silence, broken only by the low hum of Evelyn's voice and the soft rustle of her dress as she circles Barbara. The air is thick with the scent of fear and old stone.
"Where is it, Barbara?" Evelyn asks, her voice a low, dangerous purr. "Where is the Batcave? Is it under the manor? The gardens? The old stables?"
Barbara, her hands and feet still bound, glares at her, her eyes a fierce, defiant light in the flickering torchlight. "Go to hell," she says, her voice a low, raw whisper.
A cold, humorless smile plays on Evelyn's lips. "Tough," she says, a dangerous glint in her eyes. "I like that in a woman. But I wonder... how tough are you? How much can you take before you break?"
Evelyn moves with a swift, predatory grace, her hand a blur as it pulls a small, silver knife from her pocket. The blade glints in the flickering torchlight, a sharp, cruel sliver of light. She presses the point of the knife against Barbara's belly, a cold, hard threat against the life growing inside her.
Barbara's eyes widen, a flicker of pure, unadulterated terror in their depths. She looks at the knife, then at Evelyn, her mind a whirlwind of fear and desperation. The threat is not just to her, but to the life she is carrying, a life she has fought so hard to protect.
"I'm going to ask you one more time, Barbara," Evelyn says, her voice a low, venomous growl. "Where is the Batcave? Tell me, or I swear to God, I will end this little life before it even begins. And your hero... he won't even know what he lost."
The blade presses harder, a sharp, cold point of a question. Barbara's breath catches in her throat, her mind a whirlwind of fear, her heart a frantic drumbeat of terror. She looks at Evelyn, her eyes filled with a new, terrifying resolve.
The dungeon is silent, the only sound the soft, rhythmic drip of water against the cold stone. Evelyn stands over Barbara, the cold point of the knife pressed against her belly, a cruel, cold threat. Barbara's eyes are wide with a fierce, defiant light, her mind a whirlwind of fear and desperation.
Just then, the sharp, shrill ring of Evelyn's phone shatters the silence. She pulls the sleek, black device from her pocket, her eyes never leaving Barbara's. The caller ID reads "Grayson."
A cold, triumphant smile plays on Evelyn's lips. She holds the phone up, a silent, taunting display for Barbara to see. She leans down and, with a brutal, unceremonious yank, shoves the gag back into Barbara's mouth.
She answers the call, her voice a low, honeyed purr. "Hello, Grayson."
"Evelyn," Dick's voice crackles through the phone, a low, urgent murmur. "The meeting went bust. We ran into some... complications. I'm on my way back to Gotham."
Evelyn's smile widens into a cold, triumphant grin. "Don't bother," she says, her voice a low, dangerous whisper. "I have a better plan for you. Head to the art museum. Meet up with Sam. I have a new assignment for you."
She hangs up the phone, her eyes fixed on Barbara's. She kneels down, her face inches from Barbara's. "He thinks he's playing a game," she says, her voice a low, venomous growl. "But he's not. I am. And the game has just begun."
INT. COURT OF OWLS BASE – EVELYN'S PRIVATE STUDY – NIGHT
Evelyn's face is a mask of cold fury as she re-enters her study. The phone call with Dick has only intensified her rage. She looks at Sam and Pauline, her eyes burning with an icy fire.
"Sam," she says, her voice a low, dangerous growl. "Head to the museum. Wait for Grayson to arrive. Let Vinny know the plan. He's to stay with you until the mission is complete."
Sam nods, his face a mask of grim determination. He knows what he has to do. He knows what's at stake.
Evelyn turns to Pauline, a cruel, triumphant smile on her lips. "Pauline," she says, her voice a low, venomous purr. "Take the girl to the abandoned amusement park. The one where Nightwing nearly killed the Joker. It's time for a little... family reunion."
Pauline's eyes widen, a flicker of shock in their depths. He knows the place. It's a place of trauma, of pain, of old ghosts. It's the perfect place to break a man.
He nods, his face a mask of cold, unwavering resolve. "Consider it done," he says, his voice a low, gravelly whisper.
Evelyn watches them go, her smile widening into a cold, triumphant grin. She is a new queen, a new Grandmaster, and she is going to war. And she is going to win.