The Court of Owls extended their invitation with masked precision, delivering the message via an elegant silver envelope hidden beneath Jacob's desk the morning after the gala. The insignia was unmistakable — the concentric owl eyes, surrounded by a feathered border. Jacob read it calmly, leaned back, and let out a faint smirk. Another piece joins the game.
Later that night, beneath the catacombs of Gotham, Jacob entered the Court's secret chamber. Masked elders sat in silence, judging him with centuries-old scrutiny. He stood tall, not humbled, but commanding. "I'll join you," he said. "But on my terms."
He listed his demands with surgical clarity: "One — complete autonomy in operations. Two — no interference in my networks. Three — your archives are shared with me. I want access to your knowledge. Four — my operatives can act with lethal authority, when I deem it necessary."
A hush fell. One masked voice broke the silence: "These are not demands. These are threats."
Jacob leaned forward slightly, voice cool. "You misunderstand. You need me more than I need you. You've grown complacent, hidden behind masks while Gotham moves beneath you. I move with it."
His arrogance sparked tension in the room. The Court was furious but not rash. When he left, they convened in anger, and in a desperate show of force, dispatched their Talon assassins to strike at Jacob's growing influence.
But Jacob had predicted this.
Elsewhere, the Light convened in a secure virtual space. Lex Luthor, Vandal Savage, Ra's al Ghul, and others debated Jacob's expansion.
"He's destabilizing the power balance," said Luthor.
"He's not aligned with any of us," Savage added. "And he's too intelligent to be ignored."
Ra's al Ghul's voice was colder than usual: "He trained under me. He is dangerous. Do not underestimate him."
Their solution? Deploy the League of Shadows to counteract the Court — and send Slade Wilson, Deathstroke, as insurance. Their goal: disrupt the Court's expansion and monitor Jacob.
But this was all according to Jacob's plan.
As the Court's Talons clashed with the League of Shadows across Gotham's underbelly, Jacob and Batman both intervened to limit civilian casualties. Batman sought to bring both organizations to heel. Jacob had no such compassion. His operatives took out multiple lieutenants, dismantling minor crime rings in the chaos.
Penguin, Two-Face, Mad Hatter, and Riddler remained — Jacob allowed them to survive for now, part of a broader power play. The others? Erased from Gotham's ecosystem.
As Oracle and Robin fed Batman fragmented intel, he slowly saw the picture forming.
"This wasn't a war between Court and League," he muttered. "It was Jacob using their weight to crush the middle tier. A reshuffling of Gotham's criminal structure."
Back in his skyscraper, Jacob stood before a digital board showing Gotham's gang territories. Most were grayed out — conquered or collapsed. Lex Luthor, watching through a secure channel, couldn't help but admire the strategy.
"He's doing what we've always theorized but never dared," Luthor said. "One step ahead of every piece on the board."
And Ra's al Ghul simply replied, "He is no longer a student."
Jacob had made his move. The shadows of Gotham were his now — and he had only just begun.