I have half a mind
to report you for grand theft auto.
I'd like to hear that call.
"Hello, police? My son
stole the Batmobile."
You find this amusing?
A little. I called and told you
to meet me up here, didn't I?
But what does a town
that was wiped out by floods...
...have to do with the children
that have gone missing in Gotham?
Maybe nothing.
But I found it a little odd that every
one of them owned toys made here.
You could have shared
the information a little sooner.
An alternate response might be,
"Good work, Robin."
But I guess I expect too much.
I'm still a mile out.
Don't do anything till I get there.
Word of honor, I won't do anything.
- Remember, Robin. Justice...
- Not vengeance.
The original owner of this place
was a man named Winslow Schott.
A psychopathic killer.
Sent to prison 12 years ago...
...by the testimony of his son
and primary victim, Anton.
The son eventually took
over the business...
...did a damn good job of it
until the floods came.
Hardly major news.
How do you...?
Oh, right. Your specialty.
Victimized...
...children.
You're worried about the little ones?
Don't be.
You see, I love them...
...more than you could ever know.
Schott?
Anton Schott died when he was a little boy.
When the monster took away his innocence.
I'm not Anton.
I am the Dollmaker.
And I've done everything in my power
to help the little ones survive...
...in this sad, cruel world.
Psychopath. You'll pay for this.
Protect me, children,
as I've protected you.
I can take care of myself.
An alternate response might be,
"Thanks, Batman."
But I guess I expect too much.
Robin, no.
You're safe now.
I swear to you.
You're safe.
There are dying children
in those cages back there.
Some had to sacrifice
so that the others could live.
Shut up.
As children they're
helpless, but as dolls...
As dolls no one can ever hurt them again.
No one can.
You want to know about helplessness?
Let me teach you.
Why won't you listen?
Why won't you understand?
I love them.
I love them. I...
Shut up, damn you, or
I'll tear your heart out.
Do you hear me? I'll tear it out.
Justice, not vengeance.
Don't doubt your instincts.
What have you done?
What have you done?
You think that I...?
After all these months together,
all I've taught you...
...you revert to the assassin
your grandfather wanted you to be.
I could have done it easily, but I didn't.
Out of respect for you.
State police are here.
There are more on the way.
Who did it?
Figure it out for yourself.
Robin.
My God, Alfred, that was exquisite.
Every ingredient fresh and organic.
Shipped in daily
from a farm Master Bruce owns.
You cook, you clean, you run the household.
I'm impressed.
You should have seen me in my days
upon the stage, Miss Vanaver.
My Falstaff was even better
than my coq au vin.
He's quite the character.
When I was little, I was...
Well, let's say I was a very serious child.
Unlike the zany madcap you are now?
Alfred's the only one
who could ever get me to laugh.
After three months together,
I like to think I can too.
You can, Samantha.
You do.
That and so much more.
- There's something I want to show you.
- Your bedroom, I'll bet.
It's still early. Come take a look at this.
- A new hobby?
- An old one, actually.
The care and feeding of Gotham City.
Hm. That's one of the things
that drew us together, wasn't it?
The Waynes and the Vanavers
have both spent generations...
...trying to make this city great.
My father had a saying:
"Tomorrow is one dream away."
Sentimental words, I know...
...but they stayed with me...
...even after my parents were killed.
Rather than focus on the demons, on the
darkness, on all that's wrong with Gotham...
...something I've been guilty of
for too many years...
...it's time to focus
on how exceptional this city is.
And how much better it can be...
...will be...
...tomorrow.
But before we can build it...
...we have to dream it.
And luckily, I have the imagination
and the capital to do both.
And all they write about
is the billionaire playboy.
Not to worry. He's here too.
Unh, I was reading.
I must've fallen asleep.
What's...? What's going on?
Oh, and who might this be?
I'm Damian.
- Bruce's...
- My ward.
Well, he will be soon.
That's twice you've surprised me tonight.
Damian's had a difficult life...
...and I don't want those vultures in
the press corps descending on him just yet.
So we've been...
Keeping me a secret.
Only until the paperwork is finalized.
Then we'll proudly announce
the newest addition to our family.
I should have told you, Samantha, but...
No, there's nothing to apologize for.
You take in this unfortunate child
and give him a chance at a better life.
You have to do it your way.
I respect that.
Damn. Emergency board meeting.
- Is everything all right?
- I'll tell them to reschedule.
No. No, you should go.
We'll have other nights.
I look forward to them. Mm.
Mm. And I look forward
to seeing more of you, Damian.
I'll call you tomorrow.
You were awake the whole time,
weren't you?
Not the whole time.
She's very attractive.
A hair pretentious.
- Definitely a little shallow, but...
- What are you reading?
I've been working my way through Dickens.
- What did I do wrong now?
- Nothing.
Fact is, I tore through Dickens
when I was just about your age.
You ever see the 1948 movie version,
directed by David Lean?
Ra's al Ghul wasn't much of a movie buff.
Well, I am.
- Alfred.
- Yes, sir?
Popcorn. Drenched in butter.
And open up the screening room.
I'd reconsider the butter, sir.
Terrible for the cholesterol.
You know what, Alfred?
Let's be daring tonight.
- As you wish, sir.
- Coming?
Okay, but I'm not sharing.
I want my own bowl.
I think we can afford it.
That's a little better.
That's a lot better.
You didn't really think
I'd let you sneak out again?
You've got me under surveillance?
- I thought we were making some progress.
- You show me a movie...
...and that gives you permission
to keep me a prisoner in my own house?
It's for your own protection.
Bad enough you won't let me out
in public as Damian.
The least you could do
is let Robin have a life.
If you were a little more
trustworthy, I would.
You've never trusted me.
Trust has to be earned, Damian.
That works both ways.
Accessing open file on Anton Schott...
...a.k.a. Dollmaker.
Dollmaker deceased.
Case closed.
If that had been me dead
in one of those cages...
...would you have killed him then?
We have to be better
than our baser instincts.
I'm sorry about sneaking
out the other night.
And the night before that?
Not so much.
We stopped the Dollmaker, didn't we?
I was raised to be the ultimate soldier...
...a master assassin.
Nothing out there can hurt me.
Underneath that hard shell...
...you're still just a boy.
If that were true, you wouldn't be
taking me out on the streets...
...hunting psychopathic murderers.
Those papers will be signed soon.
Everything will be different
then, you'll see.
- Where are you going?
- Out.
What about me?
I got you a sitter.
You're sloppy.
No, I'm uninterested.
Get interested.
I don't need to be trained
by some circus clown.
My grandfather taught me everything
I need to know about personal combat.
Well, I was trained by Bruce Wayne.
And every time they met,
he kicked Ra's al Ghul's ass.
Just like I'm kicking yours.
You really are a mass of ego, aren't you?
The pure and perfect Dick Grayson.
The first Robin. Unh.
Based on what I'm seeing,
I was the only Robin.
You're just some lost little orphan
he took pity on.
But I'm blood!
I'm his son.
You certainly are.
Beware the Court of Owls
That watches all the time
Gazing from the shadows
Behind cement and lime
They see you at the hearth
They see you in your bed
Take care, beware, or they will send...
A talon for your head
Is...? Is it true, Dad?
Is there really a secret group
of rich and powerful men...
...who rule the city from the shadows?
Who send their talon out to destroy anyone
who dares to even mention their existence?
Mm-hm.
Absolutely not.
Mm.
But what if it is?
It's just a story, Bruce.
There's no Court of Owls.
It's not real.
And even if it was...
...do you think we'd ever let anything bad
happen to you?
No. Never.
I promise.
Your mother and I will always be here
to protect you.
I believed it. I really did.
I thought it was the
Court that killed them.
And I made up my mind to find them...
...and make them pay for what they'd done.
I knew that Harbor House
was the Court's headquarters.
I watched them.
The richest men in Gotham,
the most powerful.
And if I searched long enough...
...I'd find proof.
And did you?
No, Alfred.
Dad was right.
It was just a story.
It was just a story.
We all look for meaning behind
the tragedies that befall us.
And sometimes the meaning is there.
But sometimes, Master Bruce...
...terrible things just happen.
No sinister plots. No secret societies.
They just happen.
I'm sorry, Kory, really,
but I'm stuck babysitting.
No, I'm not kidding. You're wearing what?
The red one? With the lace?
And the thong?
Please. Don't tell me any more.
Tomorrow night, I promise.
We'll...
Bruce is gonna bust a blood vessel.
Master Dick, it's Batman. He needs you.
Please don't hurt him.
You bastard.
No.
How about a dance, old lady?
Mind if I cut in?
Grab your husband and go.
Get up so I can hurt you some more.
Enough, man. We give up.
Who said surrender was an option?
What are you waiting for, Robin?
Men like this don't deserve to live.
I won't finish it for you this time.
The decision has to be yours.
Wait.
Who are you?
My name is Talon.
Come on.
What is this place?
Home.
You can speak freely here.
My respect for Batman
and all he's achieved is high.
But there are lines he won't cross.
Perhaps out of fear
or some misguided moral code.
There are no lines I won't cross
in order to reach my goal.
So you've come to Gotham to...
To do what Batman refuses to do.
Eradicate crime and criminals
once and for all.
No lines. No limits.
No rules.
You're saying the end
always justifies the means?
If the goal is a worthy one.
Who decides what's worthy?
That takes an exceptional human being.
Like you?
And you.
Keep it.
A gift.
Why me?
We're kindred spirits.
I've been watching you for some time.
I want you to join me.
And if I say no?
When you've made your decision,
use this to contact me.
It's not a tracking device.
Feel free to give it a thorough inspection.
I will.
Oh, and one last thing.
Don't tell him about me.
Not a word.
Where were you?
What happened to you? Are you okay?
You don't get to ask questions.
- Now, where the hell were you?
- Out.
Where?
Just out.
"Out" has suddenly become
a far more dangerous place.
What's this?
- That's mine.
- I don't think so.
So, what are you gonna do now,
build a dungeon and lock me up in it?
Despite what you may think,
I'm your father, Damian, not your jailer.
A biological accident
doesn't make you my father.
And it sure as hell
doesn't make me your son.
There's a school in Switzerland
run by a retired general...
...who knows far more than I do
about boys and discipline.
Try this again, that's where
you'll be spending the next year.
You really played me for a fool.
Not hard to do.
You know, I did my share of
sneaking out too back in the day.
Those things are out there, Dick.
If Batman's a target, so is he.
Then talk to him about it.
- He doesn't listen.
- But, Bruce, he's just...
He's not you, Dick.
Before I took you in,
you had loving parents.
You had a heart.
- And he doesn't?
- That's not what I mean.
Or is it? I don't know.
Maybe biological ties aren't enough
to make a man a father.
Or a boy a son.
I thought you upgraded the security wall.
I did.
I, uh...
I shut the outgoing system down, sir.
Why?
Master Damian said
he felt like a prisoner in his own home.
I thought if he tried to leave again and saw
that there was nothing keeping him here...
...that you did trust him, then...
Sometimes, you have to have
a little faith, sir.
Since when have I been a man of faith?
You did the right thing.
He'll be back.
He'd better be.
He'll get over it, won't he?
He never gets over anything.
Running a little late, Samantha,
but I should be there in 15 minutes.
I'm not a woman
who likes being kept waiting, Bruce.
But I'll make an exception for you.
Well, then, I'll do everything in my power
to make sure your patience is...
Hang on a minute, Sam.
Is something wrong?
I'm not sure.
Bruce?
I'll call you back.
What the hell is this?
An opportunity.
And one
you should be extremely grateful for.
Welcome, Mr. Wayne.
Not exactly a warm welcome.
If we'd wanted you dead,
you wouldn't be here now.
Who are you?
The Grandmaster of the Court of Owls.
I would say the Court of Owls
is merely a legend.
A legend we are, but one rooted in fact.
There was a time when the Court of Owls
stood behind every wall, in every shadow.
We whispered and Gotham trembled.
Not a leaf fell without our permission.
A golden age.
But all golden ages end.
A faction rose against us
that even our talons couldn't stop.
We were forced to retreat.
But we never surrendered.
- And now...
- You're back. Why?
Because we care, Mr. Wayne.
Just as our fathers and grandfathers
and great-grandfathers cared.
We are, and always have been, the sons
and daughters of Gotham's wealthiest.
We know far better than the rabble
what's best for our city.
In other words, you want to control Gotham.
How else to restore a city
that's spiraled into chaos?
That's become a cesspool, a charnel house?
A magnet for freaks, lunatics
and delusional vigilantes?
We have a vision of Gotham's future,
Mr. Wayne.
And so, we understand, do you.
We invite you to join your vision
to the Court's.
Together, we can raise Gotham City up
and return her to glory.
That deluded vigilante?
He's somewhat territorial about this city.
And not very fond of people like us.
How do you plan on dealing with him?
He's being dealt with even as we speak.
I can't say I'm not intrigued by the offer.
But I'd like some time to think it over.
Of course, Mr. Wayne.
But not too much time.
Sleep well.
Hey. Unh. Unh.
I sense a resistance in Wayne, Grandmaster.
He could present a problem,
as his forebears did.
No. He plays to the crowds
with his bleeding heart and grand gestures.
But it's all spectacle and ego.
At his core, Bruce Wayne is one of us.
I hope you're right.
In my experience,
the Grandmaster is rarely wrong.
Your confidence touches me, Talon.
How is it going with the boy?
He's taken the bait.
And your work here?
Progressing.
Bring that setting up.
Too cold and they'll shatter like glass.
Yes, Grandmaster.
Just imagine.
Some of these warriors
are over a hundred years old.
I envy them their immortality.
Envy? You saw what happened
to the talons at the museum.
They survived outside
the caskets for more than eight hours.
The group before that lasted only three.
And by studying our failures,
we've refined the resurrection process.
These men will be able to live for a full
day before returning for regeneration.
Immortality.
But only 24 hours at a time.
It certainly beats the alternative.
And when these indestructible warriors
rise, you'll be their general...
...and lead them in a war on Gotham
that will reclaim this city for the Court.
After I undergo the ritual
that will make me like them?
You'll die, yes...
...but you'll be reborn as
something miraculous.
One man's miracle
is another man's damnation.
We've trained you since you were a child...
...lifted you out of the gutter,
and you dare to...
Not a soulless thing, Talon.
A god.
A great destiny awaits you.
And I know you will willingly embrace it.
If that's what the Grandmaster wants.
So I put four bullets
in Big Frankie's head.
He never saw it coming.
I was 23 years old,
and with those four shots...
...I took control of all the crime families
in the east end.
By the time I was 30, I'd
taken half the city.
Heh. You got stones, Mr. Draco,
that's for sure.
Stones alone ain't enough, Gene.
You gotta have brains too.
And let me tell you...
...Big Frankie? He had brains.
All over the room.
Holy Jesus.
I might've croaked on
the spot if not for...
Who the hell are you?
I'm the evening's entertainment.
Can I get a volunteer from the audience?
I can pay you.
More money than you've ever seen.
I don't give a damn about money.
What I care about is payback.
- For the lives your drugs have ruined.
- Aah! Unh.
For the widows and orphans
left in your bloody wake.
You wanna help widows and orphans, punk,
go join the Salvation Army.
Finish him.
We found enough evidence
to put him away for the rest of his life.
Finish him.
He's already finished.
Hey.
Ain't you the Batman's brat?
Aah!
Not anymore.
I know you're there.
If you've got something to say, say it.
I just wanted to tell you
that I gathered up the evidence.
Draco's got an army of lawyers
that have kept him out of prison for years.
But we could have erased him
from the equation.
Three nights we've been out here together.
Three nights I've allowed the Batman
to come between us.
But no more.
Now is the time to step across that line,
become what you were born to be...
...or I promise you, I
will find someone else.
It's just... I have to be sure.
His voice is still in your head.
"Justice, not vengeance."
His voice is wrong.
He's like a father to you, isn't he?
You look up to him.
Far from it.
But, yes, I guess I do look up to him.
I had a Batman in my life.
He was a thief. A damn good one.
And from a very young age,
he made certain I was too.
I was his shadow. His echo.
I worshiped him.
And more than anything,
I wanted to please him.
And did you?
No.
No matter what I did, how hard I tried,
I was never good enough.
But what could I do?
Not long after that, I was recruited
by a secret society, the Court of Owls.
They took me in, raised me, trained me.
Gave me strength and purpose.
What they did for me, I want to do for you.
- You've done quite enough.
- How did you...?
Not too hard to track, considering
the bloody trail you two have left.
This is where you choose sides
once and for all.
- No.
- We've got to stop him.
You don't understand.
He's part of something bigger.
He's using you, Robin, to get to me.
Right. It's all about the great Batman.
Well, for your information,
he sees something in me that you don't.
I don't have time for this.
Now, get out of my way before...
Before what?
Talon's right about one thing.
The choice you make tonight
will define you for the rest of your life.
If this is what you want, then do it.
Do it.
Now, let's go home.
My home isn't with you.
It never was.
I thought this would relax you.
What can I say? I'm a born worrier.
Then I guess I'll have to relax you...
...mm...
...all over again.
Now, now.
You know better
than to disobey the Grandmaster.
We're not wearing masks now, Samantha.
People like us are always wearing masks.
What if the Court
doesn't go along with our plan?
It's a brilliant idea.
We have the perfect weapon
to destroy the Batman.
And me?
You'll have your wish.
You'll sit beside me on the Court.
My partner.
My love.
But I'm not one of you.
I'm just a nobody from the streets.
My father recruited you, trained you.
I've known you since we were children,
and I know there's greatness in you.
Maybe you do, but the rest of them...
Vanavers have
controlled the Court for generations.
Our word is law.
Since when do you believe in the law?
Only one law, my love.
My law.
The sewers again, sir?
Seems I'm always up to my neck in sewage
one way or another.
But this particular section
has been shut down since the 1800s.
Took some work to get in here, believe me.
But what about Master Damian?
He's a pawn in the Court's game.
This is only gonna end
when I take them down.
Hang on.
I've got something.
Signal is strongest right behind here.
Sir?
I've located a long corridor
that leads closer to the signal's source.
Your transmission is breaking up.
There's a faint aroma in the air.
Moldy, sweet.
Wait. I found...
Best of luck, sir.
Welcome, Batman, to the Court of Owls.
We've been expecting you.
You were watching me in the tunnels.
In the tunnels, on the streets.
We have eyes across Gotham,
observing and recording your every move.
As I suspected.
And did you also suspect...
...that those ancient sewers have been
flooded with an odorless psychotropic gas...
...that enters through
the pores of the skin...
...gnaws at the roots of the mind...
...turning the psyche back in on itself,
twisting and winding...
...until it resembles nothing
so much as a labyrinth?
Beware the Court of Owls
That watches all the time
Gazing from the shadows
Behind cement and lime
They see you at your hearth
They see you in your bed
Is this supposed to frighten me?
You think you're the
first ones to drug me...
...invade my mind?
I'll find my way through this.
And I'll bring this whole damn Court...
...crashing down around your...
That movie was great.
Take what you want...
...but don't hurt my family. Please.
No!
Do you understand now?
When you put on that mask...
...you became as much of a demon
as the men you claim to oppose.
You became one with the very forces
that killed your parents.
And worse...
...you spawned the greatest monster
Gotham City has ever seen.
Damian?
Who will grow in rage and hatred...
...tear the heart out of Gotham...
...then leave a trail of terrible
destruction across the world.
Damian, no.
I'm sorry.
I'm so sorry.
Damian, forgive me.
He's coming through, thank heavens.
Good thing I found him not far
from where his last transmission ended.
- How long have I been...?
- Seven hours.
Unh. Damian.
If those animals get their hands on him...
I've been out there, Bruce.
- There's no sign of him.
- I'll help you.
You're of no help to anyone
in your current state, sir.
You need to rest.
No. Don't you understand?
I have to find him.
He's my son.
My son.
Talon, introduce your protg.
It is an honor to present this boy
to the Court.
I've seen first-hand
that he has greatness within him...
...and a grand destiny ahead.
Perhaps that is so.
But we must be certain of his loyalty.
You have my word.
We are the Court of Owls
and we require more than words.
Your mask.
Robin?
So much for your loyalty.
Toss the brat back in the gutter
where you found him.
Wait.
Robin, we discussed this.
The boy.
Bruce Wayne's ward.
- How do you...?
- That means Wayne is...
Batman.
No. No, you're wrong. He...
This changes everything.
Imagine how deeply we can hurt the Batman.
Break his heart and his will
by killing this boy.
No. He's supposed
to take my place in the ritual.
- He's...
- You lied to me.
Batman was right.
- You were just using me to...
- Shut up. Shut up!
I swear to you
we'll find a replacement.
Now, kill him!
Yes, Grandmaster.
Do it!
Run.
What have you done?
I'm not one of you.
Never have been...
...never will be.
That boy and me...
...we crawled out of the same gutter.
Talon, my darling, forget them.
The two of us can...
The two of us?
Oh, my sweet Samantha.
Be honest.
You would have done the same to me.
I've just sacrificed
a world for you, Robin.
Now what will you sacrifice for me?
You're insane.
I won't ask you to betray him any further.
- But Bruce Wayne is a complication.
- Unh. Unh.
He has to be dealt with.
You'll be safe here till I'm done.
You think you can stop him alone?
Who says I'm alone?
Red security grid up and active?
Unless someone shut it down
and didn't bother to tell us.
Most unkind, sir.
I don't know if it's Bruce Wayne
or Batman the Court's come for.
But either way, they're about
to get a welcome they'll never forget.
What the hell are these things?
I'm not sure if they're actually alive...
...but I've seen first-hand
that they can be destroyed.
Activating panic room protocol.
Bruce, no.
End of the line, Bruce.
Or should I say Batman?
Where's Damian?
He belongs to me now.
Little bird gave you up.
We know all your dirty secrets.
You used him. Manipulated him.
If I did, you're the one
who made it so damn easy.
But not as easy as this is going to be.
Too many of those things
to fight without help.
Progress report, Alfred.
Soon, I hope.
Soon may not be good enough.
Pennyworth, this is Damian.
Master Damian? Where are you?
- How...?
- No questions, just listen.
The Talons can't function in subzero cold.
Alfred.
A few final adjustments, sir.
You see, I've received
some pertinent information from Master...
Open the damn doors.
You would have made a good Talon.
Now, I'm only gonna say this once,
you sons of bitches.
Get the hell out of my cave.
We've got to get to that utility core,
Master Bruce.
Game over.
You and the Court tried to take control
of my city and destroy my home...
...but worst of all, you
messed with my kid.
So this is gonna hurt
and I'm gonna enjoy it.
I've taken your boy.
- And now...
- No.
Damian, listen to me, he's not worth it.
Let him go.
Let him die.
Like you let your father die?
Stupid boy.
Damian, he'll never let you go.
For us to be free, he has to die.
The Wayne fortune will be ours.
The Owls, they'll never find us.
Tell him goodbye, Damian.
You filthy ingrate!
Everything I've done was for you,
and this is how you repay me?
Then so be it.
You could never replace Batman.
He's my father.
Don't doubt your instincts.
Aah! No.
Are you all right?
I'm proud of you.
Welcome home.
No.
I could have killed him.
Maybe I should have.
But you were in my head.
You wouldn't let me.
You, Talia, Ra's, you're all in here.
But where am I?
How can I ever be the son
you need me to be...
...when I don't even know who I am?
I have to go.
Damian.
- There's a school...
- In Switzerland.
Yeah, you told me about it.
No. No.
This is a monastery in the Himalayas.
I stayed there years ago...
...when I was lost, troubled.
And the monks helped me in ways
that proved to be very...
I don't need any help.
But maybe I will...
...later on.
I've got some packing to do.
Gotham P.D.'s collecting evidence
at the Court of Owls.
I suspected Samantha's involvement
early on.
S.T.A.R. Labs should have an analysis
of the talons' remains within the week.
He needs this time
to find his own place in the world.
He's a 10-year-old boy.
No. He just looks like one.
There's not another child on Earth
like Damian Wayne.
When the time is right,
Damian will be back.
And it won't be because I want him to,
it'll be because he wants to.
And if you're wrong, sir?
Sometimes, Alfred...
...you have to have a little faith.