Post by Talon on Jul 20, 2012 10:16:42 GMT -5
Beware the Court of Owls that watches all the time,
ruling Gotham from a shadow perch, behind granite and lime,
They watch you at your hearth, they watch you in your bed,
speak not a whispered word of them or they'll send the talon for your head.
ruling Gotham from a shadow perch, behind granite and lime,
They watch you at your hearth, they watch you in your bed,
speak not a whispered word of them or they'll send the talon for your head.
Failure was not an option, yet when they had attempted to take Gotham their owls had fallen prey to the bats. It was a rather unsuccessful and embarrassing turn for the Court that eventually led to the death of some of its core members. Such defeat however did not mean that the Court was truly finished. No instead of cowering up in fear of the Bat, the Court decided that tactics needed to be changed old habits died hard and the methods they utilized in the past needed to be updated. The times had changed and opposition such as the Batman and his affiliations were all moderately new.
Previously, enemies were humans who donned suits and ties and whose greatest asset were their wealth. Now Gotham and the entire world had individuals donning masks and possessing super powers that proved fatal to the Court of Owls and their efforts. The rules had changed and as such the court required new approaches in ensuring the world function in the way that was most convenient for them.
Just because of a few setbacks, the Owls were not necessarily out for the count. They after all were possibly the oldest criminal organization in the world. There was no chance at stopping them, they knew the oldest tips and tricks in the book. Their reign over Gotham would continue, and while their attempted takeover was a failure, the Court sought to set right the gears of the rest of the world.
Their operation was massive, the Court existed in all forms throughout the country, throughout the continent and throughout the world. Their Night of the Owls was merely a test, a simulation to understand what they were now up against. To determine who their knew enemies were, outside and inside their exclusive organization. Now that their loyalties were tested and sealed the Court could progress forward – with new knowledge.
Batman was not their only enemy; they learned that they would have many. Regardless, it was determined that their Talons were effective in the defeat and handling of the new superheroes. The Court could rest easy that their operations could be secured by their man made army. Strategy was changing, and the court decided that their mistake was to hunt their own enemies. A foolish step toward a downfall. After all, the owl merely stalked its prey and when the moment was right it struck. Allowing their enemies to come to them instead of the opposite would give them more room for preparation. Heroes were predictable, and in the time that the Court had been active they were well aware of how to anticipate opposition. They would now focus on staying on task, targeting those that threatened their power or hold on the world. It was important to maintain the proper track, otherwise they would see themselves fall again.
Their Talons that had suffered disposal were retrieved and put back to sleep. All failures in their own right, they could intend to not see the light for another few years again. The Court decided on reawakening a new group of Talons, ones that they hoped would produce far better results than their last.
The time to rise had come, the Court would return to their high perches and control the cities again.
* * *
Her eyes tore open and they bulged dangerously as her body rose from the silk woven bed. She rose, gasping sharply for air as if she had almost suffered from drowning and clawed at her throat in an attempt to reel in more air. This only last for about a minute as she realized that she had been forced out of hibernation. No matter the amount of times she was forced to rise, the effects were the same and as nauseating and painful as before. Chun He after all was well past her own days.
She rose slowly, her arms grasping onto the sides of her would be coffin and looked around, masked faces met her own and she looked down to stare at her paling grey legs. Little pocks and nicks riddled them and she recalled her last memory before she was put down. Her leg had been cleanly cut off from the midthigh and down when she was fatally injured and pushed onto train tracks. Chun He touched her right leg, right where it would have been missing but found no evidence of it ever being gone.
It was always like this, she would black out in combat and awaken again in a different time, sometimes in a different place and only the mask of owls to greet her. She was well aware that her awakening was not out of sympathy or regard for her well being. It was out of necessity. She was to be given tasks to perform, perhaps assassination, maybe sabotage, or maybe espionage. It was different every time, yet still all very much the same.
They beckoned her, telling her to rise from her slumber and be graced by their presence. She obediently followed their directions, slowly swinging her legs over the sides of her coffin and shakily pushing herself up and out. It was always a new sensation having the control over her body back and years of slumber made her weak and famished. Her stomach rumbled as she recalled that the last meal she had was well over 20 years ago.
She bowed slightly, signifying her respect to the Court and slowly kneeled down to one knee her head hanging low and her raven dark hair falling to the ground. It had grown quite long over the years and much like the rest of her would have to be managed.
They spoke to her, their digitalized and masked voices a bit surprising to her. Every time she awoke it was different, she recalled that several years ago in order to mask their voices they merely put cloths over their mouths. Now they were utilizing digitizers of some sort that distorted their voices beyond human recognition. The changes were great, but not enough to shock her into surprise. She was well aware of the fact that the world was constantly advancing.
“Talon, Chun He.” A voice began, she rose slowly, turning to the signal individual that spoke to her, “You have been reawakened for our bidding. We seek to proceed with the necessary plans for our new goal.”
It paused, and Chun He watched as the shifted slightly, “Our new objective… global domination over the world’s greatest cities. Our other Courts have been informed. Your first mission will start tonight.”
Chun He nodded, understanding her objective and the mission she would have to uphold. The Court of Owls had developed bigger dreams now. No longer would Gotham be their only playground… they sought manage and maintain the whole world. Her years of slumber were spent in the Owl’s hands on building their court, amassing a bigger organization that reached to the end of the world and back.
Their time had come now; they were to swoop into the night and capture their prey in a vice grip of razor sharp talons.