Chapter Summaries

William and Floyd interrogated Bruce Wayne’s double, verified his identity, and coaxed him into revealing Harold Wayne’s connection to Mad Hatter and a murder at Wayne Tower. William left the double in custody and went to meet serial killer Zsasz, who had demanded to see him before signing his statement.

• William questioned the double, who gave his real name and address, and handed a voice recording to James Gordon to verify the information.
• William played a fake radio report about Bruce Wayne being found, and Gordon returned with a photograph confirming that the double was not Bruce.
• The double admitted that Harold Wayne had ordered him to impersonate Bruce and would kill him if he learned he was still alive.
• The double recounted seeing a short, top-hatted man argue with Harold at Wayne Tower before someone pierced the man’s chest and killed him.
• William concluded that Mad Hatter had worked for Harold and left the double with Floyd while he went to meet Zsasz, who had requested to see him.

William visited Victor Zsasz at Arkham Asylum, where Zsasz warned that his medication was changing him, then encountered Hugo Strange. Meanwhile, Stuart impersonated Bruce Wayne to reach Wayne Tower, stole documents and a safe from Harold's office, and was exposed as the elevator began to plunge.

• William visited Victor Zsasz, who begged to be rescued and said his medication was making him stranger.
• Hugo Strange confronted William outside the asylum, dismissed Zsasz's claims, and was identified as a patient when William called for guards.
• Harold brought Stuart, disguised as Bruce Wayne, to Wayne Tower to sign equity-transfer documents and promised him money once the real Bruce disappeared.
• Stuart saw that Harold's river purification plan excluded the East End, then entered Harold's office and searched for evidence while distracting his secretary.
• Stuart took several envelopes and a safe, but Harold stopped the elevator and confronted him through its intercom.
• Stuart removed his bandages to reveal himself, and the elevator plunged out of control after Harold said the outcome would not change.

Stuart failed to retrieve the evidence against Harold Wayne and was killed by a masked assassin, while William and Casey were ambushed by the same attacker. As the fight turned against them, an older man arrived and told William that the attacker was a Talon.

• Stuart fought the masked man in the elevator shaft, opened the safe, and discovered it contained no evidence against Harold before the attacker pierced his heart.
• The masked man dragged Stuart’s body into a parking garage, where Harold revealed that William Hans had switched out his Bruce and demanded that he bring Bruce back.
• William received a warning that someone was following him and took Casey to flee, but the masked man confronted them in an alley and threatened Kathy Kane.
• The attacker wounded Casey and overpowered her exoskeleton as William’s gunshots failed to stop him.
• An older man appeared behind William, identified the attacker as a Talon, and fired a gun.

William and Casey escaped the resurrecting attacker with Alfred Pennyworth, who warned William that the man he had found was not Batman. Meanwhile, Stuart survived repeated attempts to kill him, recovered his memories, and became Deathstroke again.

• Alfred rescued Casey and William from the attacker, whose body began moving after its head was shot, and led them to an underground bar for shelter.
• Alfred explained that he had watched William because he could not tell whether he was an ally or a trap, then suggested William already knew the man he found was not Batman.
• At Dixon Docks, Stuart's handlers discovered he still had a pulse, dumped him into the sea, and fled when he appeared again.
• Stuart killed the men in their car, drove to his house, and recovered his combat gear from the basement.
• Stuart's injuries had healed, but his right eye was damaged; he regained his memories and returned as Deathstroke.

William learned that Stuart was Slade Wilson, also known as Deathstroke, and met the real Bruce Wayne after Alfred brought him to the apartment. Bruce and the others prepared to use the double as bait in a plan to infiltrate Harold’s operation, then headed into the rain.

• Alfred explained how Batman and Deathstroke fought at the ACE chemical plant, fell into the Gotham River, and lost their memories.
• William and Alfred went to meet the real Batman while Floyd mistook a ragged curtain for another Batman.
• William brought the double out of the bathroom, and Alfred knocked him unconscious so they could dress a stranger as his replacement.
• Bruce Wayne thanked William for drawing Harold’s attention, then injured his own face to make his disguise convincing.
• Bruce assigned Floyd to guard the double and laid out a plan to pose as the double, escape Talon, and let Alfred stage a hostage rescue.
• The group took their positions, turned off the apartment lights, and went into the rain with the double.

William, Bruce, Alfred, and Casey’s plan to lure Talon into capturing Bruce succeeded, but Deathstroke intercepted Talon and killed him. After venting about the year he spent with amnesia believing he was Batman, Deathstroke threatened Bruce, who pointed out someone behind him.

• Talon pursued Alfred, Casey, William, and Bruce through the rain, then captured Bruce after Bruce pretended to be the terrified double.
• Talon questioned Bruce on a rooftop and spared him after hearing how Bruce had witnessed Talon attack the Mad Hatter.
• Deathstroke drove into Talon, shot him repeatedly, and killed him.
• Deathstroke complained to Bruce about his year with amnesia and threatened to kill him and everyone at Wayne Enterprises.
• Bruce pointed behind Deathstroke and told him to look behind him.

Deathstroke and Talon fought through the rain, each repeatedly recovering from lethal injuries. Deathstroke gained the advantage with improvised weapons and electricity, but the blackout left their fight unresolved.

• Talon stabbed Deathstroke through the heart, but Deathstroke revived and shot him, then learned Talon used a vial to boost his healing.
• Deathstroke and Talon traded blows, and Deathstroke headbutted Talon until he collapsed before Talon healed and fled into an alley.
• Talon choked Deathstroke from behind, but Deathstroke tore a steel bar from the wall and repeatedly stabbed Talon, including through the eye.
• Talon revived again and escaped onto a rooftop, where Deathstroke looped an electrical wire around his neck and bit through its insulation.
• The current shocked both fighters, then the block's power failed and plunged them into darkness.

Talon completed the mission of delivering Bruce Wayne’s double to Harold, while William confronted Deathstroke and warned him about the Talons. Deathstroke left William’s circle, and William joined Alfred for a drink, where Alfred revealed he had known him since infancy.

• Talon delivered Bruce Wayne’s double to Harold, who remained suspicious despite Talon’s protests.
• William found the injured Deathstroke on a rooftop, and Deathstroke rejected his offer of help before accusing him of making him impersonate Batman.
• William warned Deathstroke that the Talons were an organized legion of undying soldiers, and Deathstroke decided to leave and collect his luggage the next day.
• Alfred took charge of Bruce’s double and invited William to his bar, where he described his past in Gotham’s underworld and as Thomas Wayne’s bodyguard.
• Alfred told William that Bruce remained wary of him, but that Alfred had insisted on helping because he had known William since he was a baby.

Alfred told William how Sal Maroni took Vanessa Hans from him and how Alfred’s choices led him to miss the Wayne family’s shooting. After Kate invited William to her performance, Deathstroke appeared in William’s apartment and settled in for the night.

• Alfred recounted how Sal Maroni pursued Vanessa Hans, abandoned her while she was pregnant, and left her to reject Alfred when he tried to return to her.
• Alfred described finding Vanessa collapsed before the opera and taking her to the hospital instead of staying with Thomas Wayne and his family.
• William helped the drunken Alfred to bed, where Alfred asked him not to leave again, then walked home reflecting on the advantages of staying with Maroni.
• Kate gave William food and an invitation to her performance at the grand theater in three days, and William wondered if she was interested in him.
• Deathstroke appeared in William’s apartment and announced he was sleeping there, prompting William to complain about his mattress.

William unlocked the Shop, bought Hidden CGs and an AI Clone, then explored Slade Wilson’s painful memory of being revived by a woman named Erin. The next morning, William returned to work at the Police Station and Norman immediately summoned him.

• William unlocked the Shop after completing three missions and spent coins on Hidden CGs and an AI Clone.
• Deathstroke left through the window for a stroll, and William used a Hidden CG on Slade’s portrait.
• William experienced Slade’s memory of a wartime infirmary, where Erin injected him with a serum that revived him and granted superhuman abilities.
• William wondered what had become of Erin and whether Slade had ended up with her.
• William returned to the Police Station after missing two days, and Norman ordered him to his office.

William told Maroni that Carmine Falcone was dead and took credit for the apparent killing, earning Maroni’s renewed favor. Maroni considered William as a possible heir and decided to test his leadership.

• Commissioner Norman told William that Carmine Falcone was in critical condition and warned him to keep the information secret.
• William passed the news to Maroni, claiming Stuart had caused Falcone’s apparent death, though Falcone had collapsed before Stuart acted.
• Maroni verified that Falcone had missed a gathering and believed he might be dead, then welcomed William back into the family.
• William refused to leave his position at the Police Station, saying the family needed a plant there.
• Maroni dismissed Charloes and considered replacing him with William as heir, deciding to test William’s leadership.

William went on a date with Kate, but she left with Casey, and his good mood ended when he realized four men were following him. The men ambushed William and knocked him out with an ether-soaked handkerchief.

• Gordon gave William his wristwatch before William headed to a concert at Gotham Theater.
• William caught a boy stealing his wallet, knocked him unconscious, and gave the boy's money to a homeless violinist.
• Kate told William she had invited him to the performance because he was a good person, then left with Casey.
• Casey rebuffed William's questions about Kate, and William angrily returned to the theater entrance.
• William spotted men following him and was ambushed by two more men who pressed an ether-soaked handkerchief over his nose and mouth.

William survived Maroni’s loyalty test, then accompanied him to negotiate with Rupert Thorne at Dixon Docks. After Rupert rejected William as the new contact, William’s next move was left unresolved.

• William denied knowing about the supposed plot against Carmine Falcone, endured an interrogation, and passed Maroni’s test.
• Maroni killed the two interrogators to keep the test secret, freed William, and told him to help dispose of their bodies.
• Maroni took William to Dixon Docks to meet Rupert Thorne and replace Charloes as Rupert’s contact.
• Rupert rejected William, demanded that Charloes return, and flicked a cigarette butt at him as a provocation.
• Maroni watched as the negotiations soured, expecting William to use the family’s leverage to demand better terms.

William negotiated lower liquor prices with Rupert by promising the Maroni Family would double its orders, then urged Maroni to attack the Falcone Family while it was weakened. Maroni's men launched the war that night, killing Breezy and seizing a Falcone stronghold.

• William persuaded Rupert to offer lower prices in exchange for the Maroni Family doubling its liquor orders.
• William told Maroni to attack the Falcone Family immediately, reasoning that Falcone was dead and his family was in turmoil.
• Maroni's men arrived at a sportswear company in the Kitty Hall District and launched a gun assault on the Falcone territory.
• Breezy called the Falcone Family for reinforcements, but they told him to handle the attack himself.
• A Maroni gunman shot Breezy after telling him that the surrounding territories had already been cleared.

The Maroni Family crushed the Falcone Family’s forces across southern Gotham and expanded its territory, while Maroni punished Charloes for exposing William as a police mole. Maroni put William in charge of the new districts and assigned Roman Sionis temporary authority, leaving Roman clutching William’s address with an ominous intent.

• The Maroni Family attacked Falcone outposts while protesters blocked the police, and Gordon arrived to find the streets wrecked and the Falcone men dead.
• Charloes confronted Maroni about giving Rupert’s bootlegging business to William, revealed William was undercover at the Police Station, and was beaten after Maroni killed two bodyguards who had overheard him.
• Rupert signed a contract with Maroni and praised William, while Charloes resolved to kill his half-brother.
• Maroni claimed three more districts and ordered Falcone loyalists to swear allegiance or be taken to Dixon Docks.
• Maroni appointed William to oversee the new territory and gave Roman Sionis temporary authority; Roman left with William’s address in his fist.

Harold brought Bruce to Wayne Enterprises to publicly discredit him and secure his signature on an equity transfer, while former employees and reporters protested Harold’s rule. Lucius Fox recognized the real Bruce and warned him, but Bruce stayed silent as Harold led him toward the meeting hall.

• Harold rehearsed with Bruce the statements he would make and the equity transfer agreement he would sign.
• Harold faced reporters and protesting former employees outside Wayne Tower, defending his cuts to public welfare and employment benefits.
• Bruce watched Wayne Enterprises executives praise Harold and remembered their roles in betraying the company and Gotham.
• Lucius Fox confronted Bruce, recognized him, and warned that entrusting Wayne Enterprises to Harold would destroy Thomas Wayne’s legacy.
• Harold ordered security not to manhandle Lucius, then guided Bruce toward the meeting hall.

Bruce used his speech at the equity transfer ceremony to expose Harold’s scheme and strip him of his authority, while Alfred arrived to support him. The chapter ended with Lucius’s A6 rank badge summoning security guards to rescue him and punish his attackers.

• Bruce delivered an emotional speech about his trauma and his failures to honor Thomas Wayne’s wishes.
• Bruce introduced Alfred Pennyworth, who entered the conference room after knocking out the armed guards outside.
• Bruce announced that Harold had been stripped of his positions and privileges and nullified the policies he had enacted.
• Bruce used the building-wide broadcast to fire Tatu and Xisuoer and order Steyr to wait for the police.
• Lucius’s badge changed from F5 to the CEO-level A6, and he called for help while guards attacked him in a storage room.
• Dozens of security guards rushed in, rescued Lucius, and beat Tandy and the other guards.

Bruce exposed Harold’s plot to replace him and reclaimed control of Wayne Enterprises, then appeared publicly to reassure Gotham and promise renewed charity. As Bruce left Wayne Tower, he noticed William in the crowd.

• Bruce thanked the shareholders and announced that he would take full control of Wayne Enterprises.
• Harold charged at Bruce, but Bruce revealed his fake scars as Alfred brought Gordon in with Harold’s handcuffed double.
• Harold tried to escape through a window, bounced off the acrylic glass, and was arrested after striking his head near Jacob.
• Bruce spoke to reporters about Harold’s embezzlement and promised to reopen the orphanage with doubled funding and support more charitable projects.
• William watched Bruce leave in the rain, and Bruce stopped and looked directly at him.

William left his AI Clone in the apartment while Batman took him to talk, and the Clone frightened Roman Sionis into fleeing. William ended the chapter pleased with the Clone, though it recorded no long conversation.

• William worried that Batman might know he had started the gang war and decided he would try to sound out Bruce Wayne.
• Batman arrived at William’s apartment, and William left with him after setting his AI Clone to answer the door and record long conversations.
• The AI Clone appeared naked and ominous when Roman Sionis arrived, leaving Sionis convinced that William was making a sexual advance.
• Sionis fled the apartment in panic, and William received a notification that the Clone’s encounter was over.

Batman confronted William about instigating the gang violence and warned him to leave the Maroni Family, while William and Deathstroke discussed a fugitive from Arkham. After William asked Deathstroke to let him speak with Zsasz, Roman Sionis and Charloes Maroni formed a plan to undermine William from within the family.

• Batman deduced that William had caused the latest outbreak of violence and warned him to leave the Maroni Family, but William challenged Batman’s right to enforce his methods.
• Deathstroke arrived and drove Batman away, then told William he had taken a job to kill escaped Arkham inmates and had one target left.
• William discovered that Zsasz had escaped from Arkham and asked Deathstroke to let him speak with Zsasz before killing him.
• William summoned an AI Clone, recoiled when it appeared naked, and recalled it after Little A explained that the clone had no clothes.
• Maroni told William that Roman Sionis had praised his ideas, and William said he wanted Sionis as his partner.
• After leaving the Glacier Club, Sionis met Charloes Maroni and persuaded him to return while Sionis stayed beside William to search for a weakness.