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Chapter 369: Court of Owls
The next day, Kara arrived at the Starr Company. Her otherworldly counterpart showed her every laboratory, all the facilities, and their accomplishments. Then, she spent some time learning how such a massive conglomerate operated.
Until today, this was a completely foreign domain for Kara, but it wasn't a big problem. Her super-reading ability and super-brain allowed her to master any subject in ten minutes; understanding the workings of a business empire wasn't even the most difficult subject she had ever studied.
After explaining all this, Karen officially gifted the company she had founded to this younger version of herself.
She and Helena planned to stay in this world for a few more days. On one hand, after handing the company over to Kara, she needed to stay and observe for a few days to ensure there were no issues. On the other hand, she still had several parties to attend.
Although she was always thinking about returning home, she also knew that once she went back, it would likely mean returning to the battlefield. Who knows what Earth-2 has become now. As soon as they returned, they might have to inherit the positions of their deceased fathers and face the invincible Apokoliptian Army. And all the humans on the planet would be targets placed between the two warring sides.
Helena wasn't very enthusiastic about returning. For Helena, everyone she cared about was already gone. She wasn't sure if that world could still be called home. In fact, she felt it wouldn't be so bad to just stay here; she didn't necessarily have to fight desperately for a world where she had no one.
But since Karen wanted to go back, she had no objections.
Just a few days into her new role, Kara, with the astonishing learning ability of a Kryptonian and the House of El's adaptability to new environments, quickly accepted her new identity. Her initial constant worry about messing things up gradually gave way to enjoyment.
"I bought an arcade on Corleone Street, and a movie theater seven hundred meters away."
Kara said excitedly to Orin Vale during dinner that day.
"If there's anything you guys want, just let me know. I can buy anything. Oh, right, does our shop need a renovation? How about I buy the shop next door and turn it into a KTV!"
Orin Vale showed no interest and offered no opinion. So she put down her knife and fork, grabbed Orin Vale's arm, and swayed it back and forth. "Please, please? I promise it won't interfere with my daily studies! I'll just go sing occasionally, and besides, we'll have more options for future parties!"
Orin Vale looked at Kara hanging off his arm and smiled slightly. "It's your money. Naturally, you can spend it however you want."
"So you agree?" Kara's face lit up with a smile. "Yay! I'll start preparing tomorrow..."
The Old Wizard said, "I heard there's a new oven coming out next month. The ads say it has new features..."
"Alright, I'll buy one." Kara waved her hand magnanimously, giving her approval.
"Meow, meow, meow!" Stryker held a crumpled flyer for new-flavored cat food in his mouth, which he'd gotten from who-knows-where.
"I'll buy it all," Kara said very generously.
"Eek!" The little monkey Titano hung from the ceiling, gesturing with his hands and feet, wanting a two-meter-tall Teddy Bear.
"No problem," Kara said with a chuckle.
Only two days after taking over the company from Power Girl, she was already getting used to her new identity as a rich woman.
"Oh, right, how about I buy Kal's Daily Planet too!" Kara's eyes lit up, thinking she'd had a brilliant idea. "Wouldn't that make it more convenient for Kal to devote his time to League affairs in the future?"
"That's an idea, but you're a little too slow."
Orin Vale cut a piece of steak and said unhurriedly.
"Batman has already bought it."
"Oh, okay." The ahoge on Kara's head drooped again.
She knew clearly that when it came to the Power of Money, she was still a newbie. Her mere Fortune 500 company was nothing compared to a conceptual behemoth like Wayne Enterprises.
If her current level was Money Force Third Dan, then Batman was already a Money Emperor.
"Speaking of which, I haven't heard any news about that Bat these past two days," the Old Wizard muttered.
The Old Wizard, having integrated into modern times, not only surfed the web looking for scantily clad goddesses but also occasionally paid attention to current events.
"Oh, I heard from Helena that there are signs of a new power emerging in Gotham recently. Called something... Court of Owls or whatever?" Kara tilted her head. "But I wasn't really listening. Batman seems to be investigating it. Helena originally wanted to help him, but she left because she was busy with preparations to return to their Earth. But it should be fine. He's Batman, after all. I don't think there's anything he can't handle."
Orin Vale didn't speak, but he pondered for a moment.
The Court of Owls, huh...
According to Gotham's First Encounter Kill law, it was really hard to say if Batman could handle it. At least in the Batman series, the Court of Owls was a relatively high-level villain group. Normally, he would have to suffer a bit.
But that was Batman's own problem. Anyway, it was just a matter of taking a beating and shedding some blood. In the end, the problem would always be solved...
Maybe?
Batman had indeed begun to notice the existence of the Court of Owls.
As his investigation deepened, he discovered that the roots of this organization ran much deeper than he had initially imagined. Some of the strongholds he found could be traced back to the nineteenth century, to the time when his ancestors built this city.
Gotham's tallest buildings were almost all built with the support of Batman's grandfather, Alan Wayne. However, for a man who had dedicated his life to building Gotham, Alan Wayne's end was undoubtedly a nightmare for the city.
In his later years, he was diagnosed as mentally unstable, always muttering things like "Owl" or "They're coming." In the end, he lost his footing and fell into the sewers, drowning in the filthiest, darkest corner of the city he had built.
Centuries later, Batman, his descendant, dug up his remains. He used modern technology to perform a new autopsy on Alan Wayne. He discovered the cause of death was not drowning, but numerous throwing knife wounds. The traces left on the bones precisely matched the throwing knives marked with an owl emblem that he had recently found in cases in Gotham.
There was some other residue on the bones, a powder similar to metamorphic rock. But the Gotham sewers are constructed almost entirely of granite. This anomalous dust caught the attention of the world's greatest detective, leading him to a specific area within the sewer system.
He found the source and discovered a strange section within that sewer system. But he was too focused on investigating the rock to notice a shadow figure silently approaching from behind.
Normally, it should be impossible for anyone to approach him from behind, but this time was different.
Because this attacker had no breath and no heartbeat.
By the time he realized something was wrong, a powerful hand had already seized his throat. It was a strength and speed that no human could possibly possess. Batman struggled to punch back, but he only felt himself being violently slammed against the wall.
All the lights went out, and everything plunged into darkness. The brick structure behind him shattered. He crashed through the wall, falling, falling into the dark void...
A dull thud. He slammed hard onto the ground. Before he could get up, a blinding spotlight shone down on him.
Batman raised his head and quickly realized he was in some kind of vast labyrinth.
A hoarse voice echoed in the air.
"Batman, welcome to... our Labyrinth!"
(end of chapter)
The next day, Kara arrived at the Starr Company. Her otherworldly counterpart showed her every laboratory, all the facilities, and their accomplishments. Then, she spent some time learning how such a massive conglomerate operated.
Until today, this was a completely foreign domain for Kara, but it wasn't a big problem. Her super-reading ability and super-brain allowed her to master any subject in ten minutes; understanding the workings of a business empire wasn't even the most difficult subject she had ever studied.
After explaining all this, Karen officially gifted the company she had founded to this younger version of herself.
She and Helena planned to stay in this world for a few more days. On one hand, after handing the company over to Kara, she needed to stay and observe for a few days to ensure there were no issues. On the other hand, she still had several parties to attend.
Although she was always thinking about returning home, she also knew that once she went back, it would likely mean returning to the battlefield. Who knows what Earth-2 has become now. As soon as they returned, they might have to inherit the positions of their deceased fathers and face the invincible Apokoliptian Army. And all the humans on the planet would be targets placed between the two warring sides.
Helena wasn't very enthusiastic about returning. For Helena, everyone she cared about was already gone. She wasn't sure if that world could still be called home. In fact, she felt it wouldn't be so bad to just stay here; she didn't necessarily have to fight desperately for a world where she had no one.
But since Karen wanted to go back, she had no objections.
Just a few days into her new role, Kara, with the astonishing learning ability of a Kryptonian and the House of El's adaptability to new environments, quickly accepted her new identity. Her initial constant worry about messing things up gradually gave way to enjoyment.
"I bought an arcade on Corleone Street, and a movie theater seven hundred meters away."
Kara said excitedly to Orin Vale during dinner that day.
"If there's anything you guys want, just let me know. I can buy anything. Oh, right, does our shop need a renovation? How about I buy the shop next door and turn it into a KTV!"
Orin Vale showed no interest and offered no opinion. So she put down her knife and fork, grabbed Orin Vale's arm, and swayed it back and forth. "Please, please? I promise it won't interfere with my daily studies! I'll just go sing occasionally, and besides, we'll have more options for future parties!"
Orin Vale looked at Kara hanging off his arm and smiled slightly. "It's your money. Naturally, you can spend it however you want."
"So you agree?" Kara's face lit up with a smile. "Yay! I'll start preparing tomorrow..."
The Old Wizard said, "I heard there's a new oven coming out next month. The ads say it has new features..."
"Alright, I'll buy one." Kara waved her hand magnanimously, giving her approval.
"Meow, meow, meow!" Stryker held a crumpled flyer for new-flavored cat food in his mouth, which he'd gotten from who-knows-where.
"I'll buy it all," Kara said very generously.
"Eek!" The little monkey Titano hung from the ceiling, gesturing with his hands and feet, wanting a two-meter-tall Teddy Bear.
"No problem," Kara said with a chuckle.
Only two days after taking over the company from Power Girl, she was already getting used to her new identity as a rich woman.
"Oh, right, how about I buy Kal's Daily Planet too!" Kara's eyes lit up, thinking she'd had a brilliant idea. "Wouldn't that make it more convenient for Kal to devote his time to League affairs in the future?"
"That's an idea, but you're a little too slow."
Orin Vale cut a piece of steak and said unhurriedly.
"Batman has already bought it."
"Oh, okay." The ahoge on Kara's head drooped again.
She knew clearly that when it came to the Power of Money, she was still a newbie. Her mere Fortune 500 company was nothing compared to a conceptual behemoth like Wayne Enterprises.
If her current level was Money Force Third Dan, then Batman was already a Money Emperor.
"Speaking of which, I haven't heard any news about that Bat these past two days," the Old Wizard muttered.
The Old Wizard, having integrated into modern times, not only surfed the web looking for scantily clad goddesses but also occasionally paid attention to current events.
"Oh, I heard from Helena that there are signs of a new power emerging in Gotham recently. Called something... Court of Owls or whatever?" Kara tilted her head. "But I wasn't really listening. Batman seems to be investigating it. Helena originally wanted to help him, but she left because she was busy with preparations to return to their Earth. But it should be fine. He's Batman, after all. I don't think there's anything he can't handle."
Orin Vale didn't speak, but he pondered for a moment.
The Court of Owls, huh...
According to Gotham's First Encounter Kill law, it was really hard to say if Batman could handle it. At least in the Batman series, the Court of Owls was a relatively high-level villain group. Normally, he would have to suffer a bit.
But that was Batman's own problem. Anyway, it was just a matter of taking a beating and shedding some blood. In the end, the problem would always be solved...
Maybe?
Batman had indeed begun to notice the existence of the Court of Owls.
As his investigation deepened, he discovered that the roots of this organization ran much deeper than he had initially imagined. Some of the strongholds he found could be traced back to the nineteenth century, to the time when his ancestors built this city.
Gotham's tallest buildings were almost all built with the support of Batman's grandfather, Alan Wayne. However, for a man who had dedicated his life to building Gotham, Alan Wayne's end was undoubtedly a nightmare for the city.
In his later years, he was diagnosed as mentally unstable, always muttering things like "Owl" or "They're coming." In the end, he lost his footing and fell into the sewers, drowning in the filthiest, darkest corner of the city he had built.
Centuries later, Batman, his descendant, dug up his remains. He used modern technology to perform a new autopsy on Alan Wayne. He discovered the cause of death was not drowning, but numerous throwing knife wounds. The traces left on the bones precisely matched the throwing knives marked with an owl emblem that he had recently found in cases in Gotham.
There was some other residue on the bones, a powder similar to metamorphic rock. But the Gotham sewers are constructed almost entirely of granite. This anomalous dust caught the attention of the world's greatest detective, leading him to a specific area within the sewer system.
He found the source and discovered a strange section within that sewer system. But he was too focused on investigating the rock to notice a shadow figure silently approaching from behind.
Normally, it should be impossible for anyone to approach him from behind, but this time was different.
Because this attacker had no breath and no heartbeat.
By the time he realized something was wrong, a powerful hand had already seized his throat. It was a strength and speed that no human could possibly possess. Batman struggled to punch back, but he only felt himself being violently slammed against the wall.
All the lights went out, and everything plunged into darkness. The brick structure behind him shattered. He crashed through the wall, falling, falling into the dark void...
A dull thud. He slammed hard onto the ground. Before he could get up, a blinding spotlight shone down on him.
Batman raised his head and quickly realized he was in some kind of vast labyrinth.
A hoarse voice echoed in the air.
"Batman, welcome to... our Labyrinth!"
(end of chapter)
