Chapter Summaries

Steve found Bucky playing a game recreating the Howling Commandos’ battles and joined him for a two-player snow mountain raid. As the game recreated their old squad and mission, Steve understood how deeply Bucky cherished their lost years together.

• Bucky won a Sergeant Barnes plush for a child while playing a game based on his old battles.
• The game required two players, so Steve stepped forward and joined Bucky, taking the Captain America character.
• The game assigned Steve to lead the breakthrough while Bucky served as an assault marksman against Hydra’s defenses.
• The opening scene recreated the Howling Commandos and their plan to attack Hydra’s garrison in a snowy gorge.
• Steve recognized the squad members and realized the game was bringing Bucky back to the time they had lost.

Steve and Bucky cleared a difficult snowy game stage together, and the battle brought Bucky back memories of their shared past. They joined the others for dinner at the Amusement Park, where Bucky quietly appreciated the warmth of being together.

• Steve advanced behind his shield while Bucky covered their flanks and picked off enemies, and they repeatedly cleared the stage without mistakes.
• The snowy battlefield reminded Steve of serving beside Bucky, while Bucky recalled fragments of their past and the promise, "I'm with you till the end of the line."
• The children celebrated the heroes' plush prizes as Steve and Bucky finished playing and headed to the restaurant to meet the others.
• Bucky told Steve that he had remembered a few things, and Steve said that was wonderful.
• Steve and Bucky joined Tony, Bruce, Miaomiao, Clint, Natasha, and Doctor Banner for a meal, while Tony teased Clint and Doctor Banner reported that Hulk was hungry.

At the fireworks show, Miaomiao realized how happy she was with her new home and friends, and her tears became blue-violet pearls. Back at Avengers Tower, she gave her friends parting gifts and revealed that the music player was for Hulk.

• Miaomiao watched the fireworks with Bruce and shed pearls of happiness, which Bruce collected discreetly.
• After Peter returned to Queens, Miaomiao and the others went back to Avengers Tower, where Natasha said goodbye to her.
• Miaomiao gave Natasha Pearl Powder to remove her scars and gave Tony powder for his injured arm and some for Pepper.
• Miaomiao gave Steve and Bucky advice along with their gifts, then handed Clint his share of Pearl Powder.
• Miaomiao gave Doctor Banner Pearl Powder and explained that the music player she had brought was a gift for Hulk.

Miaomiao urged Doctor Banner and the others to see Hulk as a child who had never been taught, rather than only as a threat to suppress. Doctor Banner recognized his responsibility toward Hulk, and the group turned to the immediate challenge of calming the angry Hulk.

• Miaomiao gave Doctor Banner the music player and explained that Hulk needed guidance and care, not just restraint.
• Steve and Natasha admitted they had focused on controlling Hulk, while Bucky understood his anger from his own experience of being used as a weapon.
• Doctor Banner realized Hulk might see his attempts to cure or destroy him as attempts to kill him, and regretted never teaching him.
• Tony joked about whether Doctor Banner was Hulk's brother, father, or mother, easing the tension before stressing that they first needed to calm Hulk.

Miaomiao persuaded the Avengers to approach Hulk with patience, comfort, and gentle lessons instead of confrontation. Bruce drove her back to Gotham, put her to bed, and then headed for the Batcave.

• Miaomiao played calming music and explained that Hulk was frightened, lonely, and still developing, so the Avengers should earn his trust before teaching him.
• Tony and Doctor Banner agreed with Miaomiao’s plan to offer Hulk treats and cartoons, and Banner privately apologized to Hulk.
• Bruce drove the tired Miaomiao from Avengers Tower toward Gotham while Batman patrolled the city.
• Miaomiao fell asleep in the car, and Bruce carried her to bed at Wayne Manor and tucked her in.
• Bruce left Miaomiao’s room and headed to the Batcave.

At breakfast, Dick's brothers teased him for being exhausted after filling in as Batman, and he revealed he had barely slept while investigating disappearances in Blüdhaven. Miaomiao entered and, seeing his condition, asked whether he was hurt.

• Damian argued that he should take over as Batman, while Tim mocked his height and Bruce stopped their bickering.
• Alfred reminded the family to follow the new rule against bonding in the dining room and served caramel pudding.
• Jason questioned Dick about his exhaustion, and Dick explained he had been tracking a case in Blüdhaven and sleeping very little for a week.
• Tim said the disappearances had no clear connection or evidence linking them, while Dick insisted he could not stop searching for leads.
• Miaomiao arrived at breakfast, saw Dick's exhausted appearance, and asked what had happened to him.

Miaomiao helped Dick recognize how badly he needed rest, then enjoyed Alfred’s breakfast before sharing the gifts she had brought back from New York. She gave Damian the rare vintage game cartridge he had long searched for.

• Miaomiao used her spiritual power to temporarily revive Dick and warned him that he needed to rest.
• Bruce urged Dick to rest, prompting his sons to silently point out Bruce’s own habit of overworking.
• Dick agreed to take twenty-four hours off and went to his room to sleep.
• Miaomiao ate Alfred’s breakfast and asked where the large bag she had left in the car was.
• Miaomiao brought out her mermaid-silk bag of New York gifts and gave Damian the missing cartridge for his collection.

Miaomiao handed out gifts to the Bat Family, delighting them with thoughtful presents and treats. She then presented Bruce with his gift, leaving its contents unrevealed.

• Damian accepted a game cartridge from Miaomiao and admitted that the gift was not bad.
• Jason received a set of out-of-print first-edition Austen books and asked how Miaomiao had found them.
• Miaomiao gave Tim a tin of fragrant coffee beans, which he thanked her for.
• Alfred received a household robot from Stark, tried it out, and found that it could fetch a tea canister.
• Miaomiao gave Titus a bag of carefully chosen pet treats, and he happily ate one.
• Bruce waited for his gift, and Miaomiao handed it to him.

Miaomiao gave Bruce a handmade album documenting his public appearances, but its extensive collection of tabloid stories and photos about his playboy persona turned the gift into a source of family-wide laughter. Bruce reclaimed the album after Jason photographed it, while Miaomiao remained unaware of why everyone found it so embarrassing.

• Miaomiao handed Bruce a handmade, gilt-covered album she had created for him.
• Bruce opened the album and Jason laughed when he saw that it documented Bruce Wayne's public image as Gotham's playboy.
• Miaomiao explained that she had collected Bruce's appearances, outfits, social events, and media coverage from the previous year.
• Jason read aloud the tabloid headlines and laughed as Bruce's romantic scandals and Miaomiao's handwritten notes filled the album.
• Jason finished browsing and took photos, and Bruce snatched the album back while Tim, Damian, and Alfred reacted to the embarrassing gift.

Bruce realized Tony Stark had arranged for Miaomiao to learn about romance and objected that she was too innocent. After Tony argued that Bruce needed to prepare her for relationships, Bruce reconsidered as he remembered the Robins’ early romances and worried about Miaomiao being pursued.

• Bruce asked whether Tony Stark had put Miaomiao up to the romantic lesson, and Tony revealed himself through the little robot.
• Bruce told Tony not to expose Miaomiao to the subject, but Tony said she needed guidance before a boy could take advantage of her.
• Tony asked when Bruce’s boys had their first romances, leaving Bruce speechless as Jason and Tim guiltily avoided his gaze.
• Bruce recalled Tim’s relationship with Stephanie, Jason’s romance with Rosie, and Dick’s many romantic interests.
• Bruce decided Tony might be right about teaching Miaomiao early, while Tony enjoyed watching his reaction through the robot.

Tony teased Bruce about Miaomiao growing up and marrying, prompting Bruce to consider teaching her about romance and relationships. The chapter ended with Bruce deciding to discuss the matter with Tony after the party.

• Tony told Bruce that Miaomiao made him imagine having a daughter and that the thought of her being courted made him want to attack the boy.
• Bruce pointed out that Tony had never proposed to Pepper, and Tony reflected on his fears about marrying while living as Iron Man.
• Tony mocked Bruce about his bride running away at their wedding, and Bruce threatened to disconnect the robot and erase the records.
• Miaomiao worried that her present had upset Bruce, but Bruce reassured her that he was only surprised.
• Bruce decided Miaomiao needed to learn about romantic relationships and resolved to have a long talk with Tony.

Miaomiao planned to deliver gifts to her friends after returning to Wayne Manor, where her story about visiting an amusement park with Bruce stirred jealousy among his sons. As the family discussed turning Gotham’s abandoned amusement park into a safe place, Barbara called Miaomiao in a distressed voice.

• Miaomiao planned her gift deliveries and listed the friends and family she still needed to visit or mail presents to.
• Damian learned that Bruce had taken Miaomiao to an amusement park and demanded that Bruce take him there too.
• Bruce explained that Gotham’s amusement parks were unsafe, and Damian reluctantly accepted while insisting on a future trip.
• Miaomiao asked about the abandoned amusement park, and Jason and Tim said the cleanup and plans to make it safe were underway.
• Barbara called Miaomiao, her voice choked and trembling.

Barbara Gordon regained the ability to stand after the Pearl and Miaomiao’s spiritual power repaired the damage to her spine. She called Bruce and the others to share the miracle and thank Miaomiao.

• Barbara called Bruce and said she was standing again, stunning everyone at Wayne Manor.
• The chapter recalled how the Joker’s attack had shattered Barbara’s spine and ended her career as Batgirl, leading her to become Oracle.
• Barbara described how she first felt warmth in her leg, then gradually stood and moved her legs with difficulty.
• Commissioner Gordon thanked Miaomiao through the phone, overcome with emotion.
• Barbara explained that the Pearl and Miaomiao’s spiritual power had repaired her nerves and bones, surprising Bruce and the others.

Miaomiao explained that she had secretly used her pearls and spiritual power to help Barbara recover because she feared raising the family's hopes if the treatment failed. After Dick learned Barbara could stand again, he promised to do anything Miaomiao asked, and she said she had a request.

• Bruce asked Miaomiao whether she had been using pearls and spiritual power to help Barbara, and she admitted that she had.
• Miaomiao explained that she had quietly treated Barbara because she could not promise the effort would work and did not want the family to be disappointed.
• Miaomiao revealed that she began preparing the healing pearls on Christmas, when the family's love and company caused them to form naturally.
• Miaomiao said she had given the family pearls to ease their old injuries and had secretly channeled spiritual power to help Barbara's more severe injury.
• Bruce and Alfred thanked Miaomiao for her care, and she said helping her family become healthy made her happy.
• Dick woke up, learned that Barbara could stand again, hugged Miaomiao, and promised to do anything she asked; Miaomiao said she had a request.

Miaomiao learned about the mysterious disappearances Dick was investigating in Blüdhaven and offered to help. Tim revealed that seven people had been officially recorded as missing, while the true number could reach several dozen, leaving the case without a pattern, motive, or usable evidence.

• Miaomiao asked Tim and Jason about Dick’s investigation after Dick rushed off to see Barbara.
• Tim showed Miaomiao and Jason the files on seven missing people whose backgrounds had nothing in common and whose disappearance sites left no evidence.
• Tim explained that Blüdhaven officials had suppressed reports and that dozens of unexplained disappearances might have occurred over the past three months.
• Tim said he had followed the case because Blüdhaven was only twenty miles from Gotham and the perpetrator could strike there next.
• Jason warned that the apparently random abductions and lack of clues made the perpetrator especially difficult to stop.

Tim, Damian, and Jason concluded that the disappearances in Blüdhaven might be caused by a supernatural creature, possibly a vampire. They left Nightwing's investigation facing a threat that ordinary tracking and weapons might not uncover or stop.

• Tim told Miaomiao that Dick had exhausted the usual criminal leads while investigating the disappearances alone.
• Damian joined the discussion and argued that the killer was likely a metahuman or supernatural creature because the victims and crime scenes left no traces.
• Tim confirmed that Wayne Enterprises' detectors and tracking equipment had failed during the crimes, making a human culprit unlikely.
• Tim described Blüdhaven's old legend of blood-draining disappearances and an ancient vampire clan hidden in the harbor's mist.
• Damian said the cases resembled the legend, while Jason insisted vampires could be killed and recalled his magically empowered All-Caste Blades.

Jason revealed that his All-Caste blades could destroy supernatural creatures, while Bruce warned that the frequent disappearances in Blüdhaven suggested an abnormal vampire threat. Dick agreed to take Miaomiao with him to Blüdhaven after she insisted on helping investigate.

• Jason summoned his All-Caste blades and explained their power against creatures of darkness.
• Tim warned that more than one vampire might be involved, and Bruce said the frequent disappearances in Blüdhaven were abnormal.
• Dick returned late and prepared to leave for Blüdhaven, but Miaomiao blocked him and insisted on going along.
• Jason, Tim, and Bruce each supported Miaomiao's decision, citing her ability to fight and sense hidden clues.
• Dick gave in and told Miaomiao to get her helmet so she could accompany him.

Dick took Miaomiao to Blüdhaven after setting rules for her safety, then brought her to his modest apartment. He introduced her to landlady Clancy and his dog Hayley, leaving Miaomiao excited to meet the fluffy animal as Dick felt embarrassed by his cramped home.

• Dick let Miaomiao accompany him to Blüdhaven after she agreed to stay close, avoid danger, and keep away from vampires.
• Dick and Miaomiao rode through Blüdhaven and met Clancy, the landlady in his apartment building.
• Dick introduced Miaomiao to Hayley, his dog, when Hayley rushed to greet him at the apartment door.
• Dick showed Miaomiao his small, worn apartment and apologized that it was not more comfortable.

Dick introduced Miaomiao to Hayley, his three-legged dog and patrol partner, and explained how he had rescued and adopted her. The chapter left Dick reflecting on how grateful he was that Barbara had convinced him to keep Hayley.

• Miaomiao admired Hayley and asked Dick if she could pet her.
• Miaomiao noticed Hayley was missing a front leg, and Dick explained that she was likely born with the condition and had been abused by thugs before he rescued her.
• Dick recalled that Hayley had been wary of people and bitten him when he first tried to help her, but she gradually learned to trust him.
• Dick said he had considered taking Hayley to a shelter, but Barbara persuaded him to keep her because Hayley trusted him so deeply.
• Dick explained that Hayley became his patrol partner, Bitewing, using her sharp senses to help track criminals.
• Dick played with Hayley and said he was glad Barbara had stopped him from sending her away.

Dick showed Miaomiao his hidden Nightwing base and prepared to patrol Blüdhaven with her. They arrived at an old residential neighborhood where someone had disappeared.

• Dick opened the concealed room beside his apartment and showed Miaomiao his Nightwing equipment and surveillance setup.
• Dick changed into his Nightwing uniform while Miaomiao waited outside.
• Miaomiao revealed a matching blue-and-black outfit and asked to patrol with Dick.
• Dick warned Miaomiao to stay close and be cautious around possible vampires, and she promised to obey.
• Nightwing and Miaomiao leapt into the night and landed at the site of a disappearance in an old residential neighborhood.