He then shifted his gaze to Gotham. Red Hood had already clashed with the local Court of Owls and began to cleanse the city's crime in his own way, putting Gotham City's gangs in precarious positions.
The Court of Owls was pursuing and intercepting Red Hood, yet their leader, Talon Dick, was unreachable.
He and Batman were at Wayne Manor, examining the evidence collected by Outsider regarding Owlman's murder of the Graysons.
Dane wondered what Outsider's intention was with this move, but he thought that Outsider might also harbor a desire to manipulate Owlman.
He just didn't understand how much Dick Grayson truly mattered to Owlman.
Dane didn't know how much he mattered to Owlman, but he knew Dick's importance to Batman... Gotham, Wayne Manor old mansion.
Dick stared at the evidence before him in silence—the photos, the files, and the clues left by Outsider's personal involvement, all were there.
Why Talon could never find the killer, why the Court of Owls could never grasp the clues, why his own investigation always encountered various difficulties.
He had originally thought those were simply due to the passage of time, making it difficult to preserve evidence and clues.
Now it seemed the problem was actually very simple: because the perpetrator was Owlman.
"Why?" Dick murmured.
"Because of you." Batman stood silently behind him.
Dick turned his head; no expression could be seen on the owl-like cowl.
"Me?"
"He needs a talent he can absolutely trust. Who is more trustworthy than a child he raised with his own hands?"
Take Batman, for example; every child he adopted was extraordinary.
Although these children sometimes opposed him, at critical moments, every one of them was reliable. Even the universally despised Damian never equivocated when faced with major issues of right and wrong.
Owlman had similar needs, and as an ordinary man, an ordinary man entrenched in a nest of supervillains like the Syndicate, he even more desperately needed someone he could absolutely trust to hold down his home front in Gotham City, providing him with backup support.
"~So... you're saying my parents died because Owlman valued my talent, because he thought he could absolutely trust me?"
As Dick spoke, an incandescent rage began to burn uncontrollably within him.
"Don't let anger cloud your judgment, Dick; it won't help." Batman reminded him.
Dick suddenly asked, "Then what about you? What is your purpose?"
Without waiting for Batman to answer, Dick provided his own: "You want to deal with Owlman, don't you? So you want to find a breakthrough through me, to dismantle their power from within the enemy. A very clever approach, you're almost as smart as Owlman..."
"So, why are you targeting Owlman? Personal vendetta? Or... are you also eyeing this city?"
Don't let Gotham's appearance fool you; there are quite a few villains who like it here. For the vast majority of criminals, it's an absolute paradise for illicit gains.
The Court of Owls is already the most orderly force here, so it's hard to define Owlman as just a criminal; he does maintain order here to some extent.
Even the worst order is a million times better than chaotic anarchy, and Talon believed this, which is why he willingly assisted Owlman.
"But this is wrong. Gotham shouldn't be like this; it can be much better." Batman said, as always, "The people here also deserve a much better life."
Although Batman's tone showed no fluctuation, Dick could feel the fervent emotion hidden behind his words, almost making Dick believe him.
But everything he had seen and heard throughout his life rationally reminded him that it was impossible.
This is Gotham at its best; it cannot get any better.
Gotham, this city, is never in heaven, nor among humans; it merely finds a relatively less terrible spot in the abyss of hell, nothing more.
"You must be a Gothamite, but you also must not be a Gothamite," Dick said.
If he wasn't a Gothamite, he couldn't have such deep affection for this city; if he was a Gothamite, he couldn't hold even a glimmer of hope for such a city.
"Sometimes, we need a little faith, Dick. Do you have faith?"
"I've snapped more necks than I've seen sunny days in Gotham. I am a Talon, Owlman's Talon. Talons have no faith of their own..."
"But now you can choose, Dick. You don't have to be a Talon. You can be yourself."
Dick was a bit surprised: "I thought you wanted to recruit me?"
"I don't have to do that. You said I am dismantling your power from within."
"Did I fail?"
After a moment of silence, Dick shook his head again: "Of course not. You succeeded. After knowing the truth, I can no longer work for Owlman with a clear conscience.
I'm just a little curious, you sound like you want to transform this city. How exactly do you plan to do it?"
"I will do it my way. If you are still in this city, you will know." With that, Batman turned and headed east.
Dick called out to him: "Wait! Who exactly are you?"
Batman turned his head: "I. Am. Batman."
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