Chapter Summaries

The officers held a funeral for Bastian, honoring the rat who had helped stop Black Mask’s plot. Meanwhile, Catwoman revealed that she had sabotaged Roman Sionis’s operation and killed him by dropping him into the water.

• Li Jie and the Eastern District officers honored Bastian with a funeral, and Otis placed a handmade medal on the coffin.
• Bob arranged for Bastian’s death benefit and warned Li Jie to keep the memorial quiet around Chief Barnes.
• Harleen Quinzel arrived to provide counseling and asked Li Jie to stop attracting clients with macaroni.
• Catwoman confronted the wounded Roman Sionis and revealed that she had fed his plans to the police and Batman and bribed one of his mercenary squads to leave.
• Roman tried to shoot Catwoman, but she caught him with her whip and dropped him from the dockside building into the sea.

Li Jie attended a Central Headquarters meeting where Chief Barnes praised the officers who fought at Wayne Tower, then accused several departments of failures and challenged Li Jie over his unregistered anti-materiel rifle. Li Jie admitted using it and turned Barnes’s scrutiny back on him, asking why he had watched the battle from a tower instead of fighting alongside his officers.

• Li Jie and Bob discussed Barnes’s background at the Ethics Office and speculated that the meeting about Black Mask would bring trouble.
• Barnes opened the meeting with a moment of silence for the seventeen officers killed at Wayne Tower and praised several units and individuals.
• Barnes criticized Arthur Brown’s West District officers for staying far from the fighting and questioned James Gordon about Falcone’s armed force having better equipment than the police.
• Barnes declared his intention to destroy the Falcone Family and accused some police departments of enabling it.
• Barnes confronted Li Jie over his use of an unregistered Hungarian 14.5-millimeter anti-materiel rifle and demanded an explanation.
• Li Jie admitted Barnes had seen him fire the weapon, then accused Barnes of hiding in a tower while rank-and-file officers fought and died.

Li Jie and Bob clashed with Chief Barnes after Li Jie challenged him over an unauthorized weapon, and Barnes accused the East End precinct of misconduct and corruption. Bob and Li Jie left the meeting and decided to investigate Barnes’s backers, help him confront Falcone, and identify disloyal officers in their precinct.

• Li Jie questioned Chief Barnes about the unauthorized weapon, and Bob tried to calm the meeting by calling it a misunderstanding.
• Barnes accused Bob of covering up violations, mishandling precinct funds, and cooperating with Falcone’s associates.
• Bob rejected Barnes’s accusations and stormed out of the meeting, followed by Li Jie.
• Bob cooled off in his office as Li Jie suggested finding out who had put Barnes in power.
• Li Jie rejected killing Barnes and proposed helping him take on Falcone by creating an opportunity to expose the crime boss’s power.
• Li Jie warned Bob to identify loyal officers and traitors because Barnes knew too much about them.

Li Jie pressured Oswald Cobblepot to help bring Barnes and Carmine Falcone into conflict, arguing that their mutual weakening could let Cobblepot rise in Gotham. Cobblepot agreed to pass Falcone information to Barnes, though he could not control what Barnes did with it.

• Li Jie visited Cobblepot at the Iceberg Lounge and told him that Barnes had made bringing down Carmine Falcone his top priority.
• Cobblepot revealed that he already knew about Barnes's announcement and correctly guessed that Li Jie wanted him to steer Barnes against Falcone.
• Li Jie argued that Cobblepot could benefit if Barnes and Falcone crippled each other, leaving him room to gain power.
• Li Jie threatened to expose Cobblepot's ambitions and embezzlement to Falcone if Cobblepot refused to cooperate.
• Cobblepot agreed to get information about Falcone into Barnes's hands, while warning that he could not control Barnes's actions.
• After Li Jie left, Cobblepot watched the city and considered whether the conflict could bring him opportunity and a brighter future.

James Gordon led a GCPD raid on a drug-smuggling operation at Berth Seven using suspiciously precise anonymous intelligence, and the police seized heroin and captured or killed Falcone associates. The operation ended as a major victory for Chief Barnes, while Gordon remained uneasy about who had supplied the information and why.

• Chief Barnes ordered James Gordon to act on anonymous intelligence about a Falcone drug shipment despite Gordon's doubts that it might be a trap.
• Gordon and the officers waited at Berth Seven until fishing boats arrived and began unloading packages.
• Gordon ordered the police to surround the smugglers, and a brief firefight ended with five criminals dead, four arrested, and several officers slightly injured.
• The police found more than fifty kilos of high-purity heroin and identified several suspects as members of Falcone's organization.
• Chief Barnes praised Gordon and celebrated the raid, while Gordon kept his suspicions about the intelligence to himself.

After the dock raid won public praise for Chief Barnes and Detective Gordon, Li Jie told Bob that the operation was only the beginning and discussed new donations from Bruce Wayne. In his laboratory, Hugo Strange abandoned one unstable experiment and made Batman his new research target, ordering his staff to gather information and biological samples.

• Newspapers praised Barnes and Gordon for seizing drugs and defeating armed criminals at the docks, while Barnes celebrated the public support.
• Li Jie told Bob the raid had moved quickly and that they should wait for Falcone's response, then mentioned Bruce Wayne wanted to continue donating.
• Barnes assured Gordon that the dock raid had been a genuine victory and persuaded him that pursuing Falcone was justified even if someone had provoked the conflict.
• Hugo Strange reviewed Number One's instability and Maroni's demand for his investment back, then decided the experiment was not worth continuing in its current form.
• Strange watched footage of Batman and declared him the ideal subject for his research, ordering Sanchi to monitor Batman and collect any biological traces he left behind.

Carmine Falcone used Victor Zsasz to threaten Congressman Hamilton into undermining Chief Barnes, but Barnes rejected Mayor O'Brien's pressure and vowed to continue the crackdown. At the East End Police Department, Internal Affairs arrived to investigate Li Jie and the precinct, putting Li Jie under scrutiny.

• Falcone's lawyer publicly denied that the illegal goods seized at the docks were connected to Falcone and accused the police of a smear campaign.
• Victor Zsasz threatened Hamilton and gave him three days to make Barnes leave; Hamilton then sought dirt on Barnes and arranged to meet Rupert Thorne.
• Mayor O'Brien urged Barnes to ease off Falcone, but Barnes refused and said the operations would continue.
• Li Jie and Bob McGinnis discussed Barnes's knowledge of the East End and suspected that Fleck was the only person who could have revealed what happened after his dismissal.
• Renee Montoya arrived with Internal Affairs officers to investigate Li Jie and the East End Police Department, and warned Li Jie that she would try to build a case against him.

Falcone's attempt to cripple Gotham's docks with a strike failed when workers stayed away, revealing that his control over the city was crumbling. He ordered Victor Zsasz to target Chief Barnes, while Li Jie and Wilson joked around at the police station as Crispus Alan reviewed documents.

• Falcone ordered his lieutenants to shut down the docks, freight terminals, and Industrial District plants in response to Barnes's police crackdown.
• Vincent tried to rally dockworkers to strike, but most stayed away, the promised Falcone enforcers never appeared, and the workers dispersed when police arrived.
• Victor Zsasz reported the failed strike, and Falcone recognized that his organization had lost its former influence.
• Falcone ordered Victor Zsasz to find Chief Barnes and leave him crippled rather than kill him.
• Li Jie and Wilson bet that Wilson could anger Crispus Alan, but Wilson failed and paid Li Jie twenty dollars.

Li Jie suggested that Gordon use Oswald Cobblepot as an information source to investigate the anonymous tips targeting Falcone, but Gordon refused to cooperate with a mob boss. Meanwhile, Renee Montoya and Chris P. A. S. struggled to find grounds for action in their audit of Li Jie and the Eastern District Precinct, and decided to submit the inconclusive reports to the Chief.

• Gordon told Li Jie that anonymous tips had been guiding police to Falcone's assets, and he feared someone was manipulating the department.
• Li Jie named Oswald Cobblepot as a possible source, but Gordon rejected any help or deal with a mob boss.
• Montoya and Chris P. A. S. found questionable spending at the Eastern District Precinct but no clear evidence that Li Jie had taken extra income.
• Montoya said Li Jie claimed he had found the regulation-violating gun by the roadside and had documented its entry into the evidence room.
• Montoya and Chris P. A. S. decided to omit a conclusion from their audit and give the reports to the Chief.

Li Jie discovered Victor Zsasz attacking Chief Barnes and faced a choice between saving him and exposing the Eastern District Precinct to Internal Affairs. Li Jie fired but missed, Zsasz killed Barnes, and Li Jie was left to report the assault while wondering whether he had wanted to miss.

• Internal Affairs investigators told Li Jie they had found violations and were taking their reports to the Chief.
• Nygma showed Li Jie footage of Victor Zsasz near Central Headquarters, and Li Jie ordered Nygma to track Barnes before rushing to Cherry Lane with Otis.
• Li Jie found Zsasz beating Barnes, while Barnes accused Li Jie of colluding with Falcone and Zsasz offered to leave if Li Jie shot him.
• Li Jie hesitated over the consequences of intervening, then drew his Colt M1911 and fired at Zsasz.
• Li Jie's bullet missed, and Zsasz struck Barnes in the head, killing him before disappearing into the alley.
• Li Jie called dispatch to report Barnes's critical condition and sat in the rain, questioning whether he had deliberately missed.

Li Jie faced questions from Gordon and Bob after Barnes was left in a persistent vegetative state, and admitted he had hesitated to save him. Bob eased Li Jie's guilt, warned him about the dangers of manipulating Gotham's factions, and arranged a psychological assessment to protect him from suspicion.

• Gordon arrived at the alley and sent Barnes to the hospital while Li Jie claimed Victor Zsasz had attacked him and escaped.
• A few days later, officials announced that Barnes had suffered irreversible brain damage and was in a persistent vegetative state.
• Bob confronted Li Jie about his role in Barnes's attack, and Li Jie admitted he had hesitated after Barnes mentioned an Internal Affairs audit.
• Bob invented a story about Barnes's past crimes, then revealed it was a lie and urged Li Jie not to let uncertainty about right and wrong control him.
• Bob warned Li Jie that his schemes had helped set Barnes and The Roman against each other, and Li Jie suspected Cobblepot had manipulated him.
• Bob requested a psychological assessment for Li Jie and told him to act grief-stricken and numb during the evaluation.

Li Jie received orders from Bob to arrest Victor Zsasz and set out with James Gordon, while Gordon tested him about Chief Barnes’s death. They focused on capturing Zsasz and weakening Falcone’s hold over Gotham.

• Nygma reassured Li Jie about Barnes’s death, then contacted the IRS about Cobblepot.
• Bob gave Li Jie a court-issued warrant to arrest Victor Zsasz and explained that the operation could help the East End gain influence if it succeeded.
• Bob told Li Jie to notify Gordon and request support from Central Headquarters before confronting Falcone.
• In the patrol van, Gordon questioned Li Jie about the Cherry Lane shooting, but Li Jie calmly admitted he had failed to save Barnes.
• Li Jie and Gordon agreed to focus on arresting Zsasz, with Li Jie arguing that capturing Falcone’s bodyguard would expose the weakness of Falcone’s empire.

Police surrounded Falcone Manor to arrest Victor Zsasz, and Carmine Falcone offered to surrender his empire in exchange for Zsasz’s freedom. Li Jie challenged Zsasz to a duel but shot him when he reached for a gun, leaving Falcone’s power in Gotham on the verge of collapse.

• James Gordon demanded that Victor Zsasz surrender and rejected Carmine Falcone’s offer to leave Gotham in exchange for Zsasz’s freedom.
• Li Jie stepped into the open and challenged Zsasz to a one-on-one fight, with Zsasz’s surrender as the stakes.
• Zsasz and Li Jie drew guns; Li Jie shot Zsasz in the shoulder, then killed him with a shot to the face.
• Gordon announced that Zsasz had been shot dead while resisting arrest and ordered officers to remove his body.
• Gordon asked Li Jie why he had missed his chance on Cherry Lane, and Li Jie joked that the audience had been too small and the pressure too high.

Cobblepot ambushed Falcone as he tried to leave Gotham, but Sofia Falcone returned and rescued her father. After Cobblepot fled, IRS agents began inspecting the Iceberg Lounge.

• Falcone's convoy was blocked by Cobblepot and his armed men as Falcone tried to leave Gotham.
• Cobblepot demanded Falcone's briefcase and ordered his men to kill Falcone's loyalists, leaving Falcone alone.
• Sofia Falcone and her gunmen intervened, wounded Cobblepot, and drove him and his remaining men away.
• Sofia reunited with Falcone and promised to find him a place to rest and handle the rest in time.
• Cobblepot returned to the Iceberg Lounge and found IRS agents searching the premises.

Li Jie visited the hospitalized Nathaniel Barnes with Bob, then received a month of leave after Victor Fries offered a donation to the precinct in his name. As Bruce Wayne prepared to return to fighting crime and Li Jie set out on a road trip, Gotham’s power vacuum remained unsettled.

• Li Jie and Bob visited Nathaniel Barnes in intensive care and offered condolences and a donation to his wife.
• Bob told Li Jie that Victor Fries planned to donate a million dollars to the precinct in Li Jie's name and granted him a month of administrative leave.
• Alfred told Bruce Wayne that Oswald Cobblepot had inherited Falcone's power, and Bruce ordered his physical therapy accelerated so he could help fill Gotham's vacuum.
• Li Jie loaded his belongings into the Cherokee and reminded Wilson to keep Dr. Quizzle away from Nygma while he was gone.
• Li Jie drove off without choosing a destination, planning to follow the road wherever it led.

Li Jie returned to Gotham after vacation and caught up with Bob and Nygma on changes at the precinct and recent developments. He learned Bruce Wayne was hosting a banquet and courting Gianna Hudson, while unexplained mental breakdowns continued among police officers.

• Li Jie returned to the Eastern District Precinct, where officers applauded him, and Bob explained that Oswald Cobblepot had donated $500,000.
• Bob told Li Jie that Alan Wiggins had been promoted, Sarah Essen had become Chief, Gordon was leading two units, and the precinct’s new building was opening.
• Li Jie discovered that the new building’s ground floor housed businesses run by officers, including Bronnie’s Burger King drive-through.
• Nygma told Li Jie he had halted his harassment campaign against Oswald Cobblepot and reported continuing mental breakdowns among officers after the Wayne Tower operation.
• Nygma said Bruce Wayne was hosting a banquet and growing close to Gianna Hudson, prompting Li Jie to joke about her hygiene.

Li Jie returned to patrol in Gotham and learned that Edward Nygma had solved his Batman riddle in a wildly mistaken way. When Li Jie and Wilson entered the East End, Wilson announced that the man who defeated Victor Zsasz was back, and the neighborhood’s hostile crowds quickly gave way.

• Li Jie met Wilson outside the precinct and agreed to patrol after Wilson offered to buy him breakfast.
• Edward Nygma told Li Jie that he had solved the riddle about Batman’s exposed lower face, and Li Jie praised his answer while discouraging him from making a plan against Batman.
• Wilson laughed at Li Jie’s riddle until Li Jie’s silence made him wonder whether his own joke had been racist.
• Wilson blasted an announcement that the East End Sheriff who defeated Victor Zsasz was back on patrol.
• The East End thugs lowered their weapons and cleared the road as Li Jie and Wilson drove through, and Wilson called Li Jie badass.

Li Jie and Wilson responded to an explosion at St. Anthony's Church and found an unconscious girl, dissolving monsters, and a shrinking purple portal. They fought off the creatures as a demon tried to force its way through, then heard an ambulance arrive.

• Li Jie and Wilson drove to St. Anthony's Church after dispatch reported an explosion.
• They entered the deserted church and found an unconscious girl beside a crater, monster corpses, and a shrinking purple vortex.
• A clawed demon and more monsters emerged from the portal, and Li Jie and Wilson opened fire.
• The portal collapsed, pulling the half-emerged demon back as Li Jie and Wilson killed the remaining monsters.
• Li Jie reloaded and checked the fallen creatures while Wilson caught his breath and an ambulance siren sounded outside.

Li Jie and Wilson stopped two assassins disguised as medics from taking Raven, and Batman drove off the surviving attacker. At the hospital, Raven revealed that she had fled her father and warned that her existence would bring more pursuers and destruction.

• Two disguised medics tried to seize the unconscious girl, but Li Jie recognized their suspicious behavior and confronted them.
• The medics attacked Li Jie and Wilson; Li Jie killed one, while the other escaped into a smoke cloud before Batman intercepted him.
• Li Jie and Wilson questioned the girl after she woke in the hospital, and she gave her name as Raven.
• Raven said she had fled her father, who controlled darkness, and identified Azarath as her destroyed home.
• Raven warned that her existence would bring more pursuers until she was taken back or everything was destroyed, while Li Jie and Wilson insisted they would try to protect her.

Li Jie visited Metropolis and met with Clark Kent, then deduced that Clark was Superman and warned him that his secret identity might not be as safe as he believed. Clark pleaded for his loved ones’ protection, and Li Jie promised discretion in exchange for a nice dinner reservation.

• Li Jie drove from Gotham into sunny Metropolis and marveled at the city’s atmosphere.
• Li Jie visited Clark at the Daily Planet and invited him and Whelan to dinner, learning that Lois was away and Clark had a relative visiting.
• Clark awkwardly suggested that Superman could help Li Jie if he faced danger, and Li Jie guessed that Clark was Superman.
• Li Jie warned Clark that his frequent reports on Superman could make others suspicious, and Clark worried that his secret could endanger his family and friends.
• Li Jie assured Clark he would keep quiet and asked him to book a nice restaurant for dinner.