Chapter Text
There had been rumors all around Gotham, about a Fox spirit that had been roaming freely without a care. It’s nine tails was all that shows whenever a new body was found laying dead on the ground, a small puncture wound on a fatal area always present with various red flowers.
Bruce would’ve ignored it as per usual if it was just the work of another human. Heck! He would’ve even dismissed it if it wasn’t such a big case already. But the telltale of a Yokai doing mischief that was basically announcing itself to the humans, was enough of an incentive for him to gather the rest of his clan to move and secure this rogue Yokai and put an end to the senseless killing it had been doing.
Unfortunately, as the nature of spirits, not all of them could be called that easily, especially when most of them were old enough to leave his nest decades ago.
“Sooooo~ what’s the plan B?” Bruce’s eldest son mused, his wing flapped around the room carelessly and his body leaned heavily towards the wooden perch on the ceiling, “Cause’ I do hope you’re aware Fox spirits aren’t really the easiest to catch, and the fact that they can disguise themselves as those humans you care so much about, ain’t helping”
He could only grunt at that.
“Seriously B, you need to learn to use your words. I know being a Baku doesn’t require you to speak much, but unlike you, the rest of us can’t read minds” Dick harrumphs,
“Give it up Dick, you know how he gets when he is in his detective mode” Tim entered the room with a glass that look suspiciously like a vial of an oddly coloured soda, “You’re gonna loose more feathers from the stress of it.”
“My feathers are perfectly fine and healthy!!”
“Tell that to the pile of feathers I found at your nest,”
“Those were all old ones!!”
“Keep telling yourself that, Big bird”
Dick flattered at that, body turning into a liquid like state as he drops down from the perch and onto Tim’s head. His talon like foot was kept a considerable distance away from Tim’s Raccoon tail less he wanted to prick the delicate fur apart.
“Boys,”
At Bruce’s calling, the two of them perked up from their bickering and place their attention to their adoptive father. Bruce pointed towards the computer screen; “I found the Fox’s next target,”
Dick took off from Tim’s head and flew towards the screen that was displaying Gotham as well as the known victims. Tim trailing not far behind.
"All the victims have some form of written criminal offense to their names, but none were ever put behind bars.” Bruce showed them several faces, most were men “Reportedly, domestic offense or even a sexual one…”
A pattern,
The three of them watched as the map blinked rapidly with information’s, the next not any better than the last. Each of them silent with their own thoughts racing through their mind.
“Do we really have to stop the fox…? Seems like it is doing quite the work” Tim sipped his vial of soda, his tail flicking around and thumping the table’s leg whenever it made contact.
Bruce closed the tabs and pulled out the image of the possible next victim, “If we don’t stop it, the humans may retaliate and hunt every fox in the area, even the innocent ones that doesn’t know anything” The image of a young man appeared on screen. Long hair and supple skin... the image of a wealthy noble.
“The possible next victim is the son of a silk travelling merchant, 20 years old and had a habit of throwing parties senselessly. There were several reports against him, but all were slowly silenced one way or another”
“I think we all know how that happened,” Dick snickered darkly, then his fingers zoomed into the face of the young man and pulled out the information as to where the next ‘party’ will be held at; a villa at the edge of the village. Perfect, at least if it became rowdy, they wouldn’t pull the attention of the human in the central village too much.
“Right… so tonight at 8? Cape Carmine, do we engage or simply wait it out to catch the fox?”
Tim was not one to play these kinds of games, especially when it involves too heavily towards the human’s side. He was hoping he could maybe hold the voice control while Oracle was out— “Tim, can you disguise yourself and infiltrate the party?” Of course. “...If, you don’t mind that is?”
Tim chuckled a bit, it was a wonder what love can do to a Yokai, who would’ve thought falling in love with that Cat made the once rigid and commanding Baku becoming more feeling and considerate.
“All is well B’, just tell me what you need and if you have the invitation yet”
“It’s all prepared, all you have to do is get inside and tell us what’s happening inside,”
“Alright then,” He pulled out a leaf out of his pocket and placed it on top his head, a puff of smoke engulfed him entirely before showing the rest of the rooms occupants his human disguise. The usual one he used whenever they needed a nobility disguise; Clean skin and silken layered clothes, and of course that infamous black hair the humans seemed to regard so highly of.
Bruce nodded, pulling his dowl to cover his face and faced Dick, “Can you scout the skies? The rest are like the usual practice, just keep an eye out for the Fox and we will be done for the night”
“Roger that Boss~” Dick gingerly took to the ceiling and flew away,
“Do you have everything you need, Tim?”
“Yea, see you later B”
And just like that, Tim also left the mansion, leaving Bruce alone to gather his thoughts about their ongoing case. Meddling with the human’s affair was not something he enjoyed doing. But for the sake of them not finding any excuse to hunt down innocent Yokai’s because of a few unruly ones... he can make an exception.
This was one of them.