A look into the mind of William Cobb during his brief imprisonment in the Batcave. Because even undead assassins should be able to get their thoughts down.

Set during the end of Batman #7 and Nightwing #7 (Take your pick. They both have the same ending.) but I have tried to show the batshit insanity that was Cobb during Nightwing #9, as well as the back story from that issue. Cos lets face it, Cobb has serious class and family issues.

Disclaimer: I do not own Batman. If I did, I wouldn't have allowed half the things which have happened in the reboot so far. However, I would keep the Court of Owls story line.

My body is on fire, a burning freeze slicing through my veins. My skin is like the pin prick of a thousand needles; my insides are being torn apart by the movements I cannot make. My eyes are pinned open, my mouth sealed shut. I can see you in this state of living death. I can feel you. I can feel all that you do to me. I am pain and anger and hatred.

You should have killed me when you had the chance.

The Batman. That is what you called yourself. A 'hero' of Gotham. How dare you claim that! How dare you try to show the city the black and white. How dare you ignore the grey.

You remove your mask. You think you are safe here in your cave. You are never safe from me….

Bruce Wayne. I might have known. Only one man can be as bold, as ignorant as you Bruce.

Burton Crowne once told me, this city is like a chess game. Only two sides, white and black, rich and poor, powerful and powerless. In his mind, he was white and I was black. His words were my driving force, my motivation to see the grey.

But you Bruce, you claim to be the grey, to see both sides equally but I know the truth. You are white. You and your ancestors before you. Yes, I killed Alan Wayne. I dragged him down to the gutter, tore his mind to pieces and made him as black as I once was. And only after that did I take mercy on him and kill him.

You continue your work, unaware that as you work, I plan your demise.

A voice floats through the darkness, a new comer arrives. He uses your real name, like he thinks he knows you.

Finally, he steps into my view. He is young. Almost a child in red and black. A clone of yourself. A trainee. A weakness.

I ignore your mutterings as the two of you stand before me, speaking of me as if I were dead. I listen half-heartedly. Your mutterings mean nothing. At least, it would have, had you not admitted the truth.

"His name is Cobb. William Cobb." You say to your young companion, as if it should mean something to the boy.

The boy is confused.

"He is your great-grandfather."

If I could feel the emotion, I am sure I would be as surprised as the boy looks. He stutters, trying to make sense of everything even as I work to try and understand how this has happened. But of course, I know. I know of the Talon lost.

The boy is getting angry. You call him Dick, short for Richard I believe. You try to calm him down but I can see the anger, the hurt. This is not the first time you have hurt him, is it Bruce? You, almost as emotionless as me and yet you break. You strike out at him. The Court is a hard master, but they never strike their faithful servants for no reason.

Richard crumples. Anger rolls through my body. This is my heir. Mine. Not yours. How dare you strike him.

He gasps, unsure how to react before finally, he folds. He trusts you and is willing to listen. So I listen too…

Very good Bruce. You have worked it out. Worked out what you took from us.

The Grey Son of Gotham, destined to keep order between the black and white. And you took him from us.

For that you must pay with your life. The Court sentenced Bruce Wayne to die for your role in trying to change this city. The Court sentenced Batman to die because you are a block in our way. But now I sentence you to die for a different reason. I sentence you to die because you killed my family. You took something the Court spent years moulding and twisted it into yourself.

You had better hope my brethren find you before I get out. They will simply destroy you. I will make you suffer…..

Richard is leaving, off to do whatever you bid him do, like the faithful dog you trained him to be. But Richard is not a dog. No. He was born to fly. He was born a bird.

I think back about all I have learnt since waking. I know you have others. A group of little bats waiting in the wings. I know what you call them. And I know what you call my heir.

Nightwing.

How poetic. Did you think it up for him? Is this another form of control? Do you realise the irony?

Bats spread their wings only at night. But you forget Bruce, another animal flies in the dark.

You turn to leave. Leave me here. You fool.

Even now, I can feel them. My brethren are descending upon you. Soon they will be here for your blood. Can you fight them all off Bruce? We are predators and you are prey. We will EAT you Bruce. And while my brethren pick your bones clean, I will go and meet my heir.

I will see how well you have taught him, see if he is good enough to follow his true destiny. And he will accept it. I will make sure of that. The Court has no desire for an idealistic servant and neither do I. If Richard proves to be too difficult, I will destroy him like I will destroy you.

Do not worry Bruce. Soon the damage you inflicted will be corrected. When you are dead and the one you took from us is returned to his rightful place.

Soon, you will be nothing more than a legend spoken in the darkness.

The Batman who fell to the Court of Owls.

Beware the Court of Owls, that watches all the time, ruling Gotham from a shadowed perch, behind granite and lime. They watch you in your heath, they watch you in your bed, speak not a whispered word of them, or they'll send the Talon for your head.