Chapter Summaries

Dick completed his transformation into a vampire and killed Pandora immediately afterward, becoming the new lord of the Shadow Attendants. His memories and emotions were growing distant as he asked where to find the Blood Queen, Mary Seward.

• Melinda handed Dick over to Pandora, who completed the vampire transformation by draining his blood and injecting her venom.
• As the ritual ended and Pandora lowered her guard, Dick stabbed her through the heart with a wooden spike.
• The Shadow Attendants recognized Dick’s immense new power and bowed to him as their new lord.
• Dick struggled to distinguish his memories of Miaomiao from a dream and felt his human emotions fading.
• Dick asked Melinda where the Blood Queen, Mary, was.

Dick Grayson sought peace between the Blood Clan and humans, but Queen Mary’s attempt to kill him drove him to embrace his vampiric nature and seize control of the Blüdhaven Blood Clan. As Ghost King Nightwing, he united the vampires and turned his gaze toward a greater ambition.

• Dick Grayson took control of the Shadow Attendants and planned to meet Queen Mary to negotiate peace and bring the radicals under royal order.
• Queen Mary feared Dick’s power and ordered a relentless attempt on his life when he came to her palace.
• Dick abandoned his remaining hope for peace and fully accepted his identity as a vampire lord.
• Dick trapped and killed Blood Queen Mary, taking her bloodline authority and awakening royal Blood Clan abilities.
• Dick became the sole king of Blüdhaven’s Blood Clan and subdued or destroyed vampire factions around the world.
• Ghost King Nightwing became the Blood Clan Sovereign and turned his attention toward a further goal.

Dick woke from a nightmare in which he became Ghost King Nightwing and sought to turn his former allies into vampires. He and Barbara concluded that the experience might have been another world's Nightwing’s real memories, while Miaomiao suspected Dick had been trapped in an illusion.

• In the dream, Ghost King Nightwing reflected on his conflicting desires and planned to target Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, while avoiding Batman’s suspicion.
• Dick woke in his Blüdhaven apartment beside Barbara and Miaomiao, relieved to find his heartbeat and warmth had returned.
• Dick told Barbara and Miaomiao about the nightmare and suggested it showed a parallel world where he had become a vampire.
• Barbara said Dick’s body had grown cold, with nearly absent breathing, heartbeat, and pulse while he slept.
• Barbara theorized that alternate versions of Dick could share experiences, and Miaomiao said Dick seemed trapped in a dreamlike illusion.

Dick returned to Wayne Manor with Barbara and Miaomiao to tell Bruce that Miaomiao had stopped his transformation into a vampire and killed Pandora. The family learned that Melinda had become a vampire and inherited leadership of the Shadow Attendants, leaving them stunned by Miaomiao’s role in Pandora’s death.

• Dick, Barbara, and Miaomiao went to Wayne Manor after Barbara warned that spacetime might still repair the changed future.
• Alfred welcomed Dick, and Bruce, Jason, and Tim gathered in the Batcave to hear what had happened.
• Dick explained that Melinda had contacted him about vampires in Blüdhaven and that Pandora had tried to capture and turn him.
• Tim and Jason realized Pandora had known Dick was Nightwing, and Dick revealed that Melinda had become a vampire by choice.
• Dick said Alice Hale of the Cullen family had foreseen his fate and alerted Miaomiao, who interrupted the transformation ritual.
• Dick reported that Miaomiao killed Pandora and that Melinda succeeded Pandora as lord of the Shadow Attendants, prompting the family to stare at Miaomiao.

Dick recounted a dream in which Miaomiao was absent and he became a vampire who sought to turn the world into a vampire kingdom. His account ended with Batman and the Justice League facing a carefully concealed threat from the dream version of Dick.

• Dick explained that without Miaomiao, he had been turned by Pandora, killed her, and become the new vampire lord.
• Dick said he had turned Green Lantern and planned to block out sunlight and keep humans as vampire livestock.
• Dick described killing members of the Legion of Doom and seeking Andrew, who possessed something that could break the vampire curse.
• Andrew went to Wayne Manor, left Alfred half a vial of Serum and a letter, then was captured and killed by Green Lantern after meeting Zan.
• Dick said the dream version of himself ordered the deaths of everyone who might have encountered Andrew and sowed distrust among the Justice League.

Dick recounted how Bruce tested the Bat Family for vampirism and described the vampires’ efforts to infiltrate the heroes and turn them against one another. The chapter ended with Green Lantern and the newly turned Wonder Woman gathering the other superheroes and accusing Batman of killing The Flash.

• Bruce gathered the Bat Family in sunlight, gave them Alfred’s holy water tea, and had them hold blessed crosses before revealing his vampire-killing equipment.
• Dick revealed that his vampire counterpart had imprisoned Starfire and used her blood to hide his vampiric traits; Barbara reported that Dick’s tests showed no obvious abnormalities.
• Dick recounted how Green Lantern killed The Flash and used the death to sow suspicion among the Justice League, while vampire thralls turned heroes and villains across Gotham and elsewhere.
• Green Arrow, Black Canary, and Arsenal worked to identify which heroes had been turned, while Damian and Black Canary fought after finding Penguin’s body.
• Wonder Woman used the Lasso of Truth on Green Lantern, but he hypnotized and turned her after shielding himself with Green Lantern energy.
• Green Lantern and the turned Wonder Woman gathered the superheroes other than Batman and claimed they had evidence that Batman had murdered The Flash.

Dick recounted a dream in which vampires infiltrated the Justice League and Batman’s allies, while Miaomiao worried that Bruce had been hurt. The Bat Family’s plan to capture Wonder Woman and Green Lantern left Alfred poised to reveal their real trump card.

• Dick explained how Barbara found evidence linking Mary Shakleton to Blood Queen Mary, while Jason and Cassandra wounded Grodd but let him escape.
• Dick described Batman and Green Arrow fighting after mistaking each other for vampires, then learning that the Justice League had turned against Batman.
• Wonder Woman revealed her vampire form, and Tim and Damian helped Batman escape before he destroyed the Batcave; the survivors regrouped at the Safehouse.
• Batman lured Wonder Woman into the Sunlight Lamp’s light and restrained her, but Green Lantern used his ring to bind the others.
• Batman revealed that Alfred, the overlooked noncombatant, was their true trump card against Green Lantern.

Dick recounted how the Vampire King killed Bruce in a parallel universe, terrifying Miaomiao and the Bat Family. Bruce reassured Miaomiao that they could change their future, and the family began considering how to prevent the disasters Dick described.

• Alfred severed Green Lantern's ring-wearing hand, and Green Arrow killed Green Lantern beneath the Sunlight Lamp.
• Barbara found Joker dead, and the Bat Family realized the Vampire King was one of their own before Dick's parallel-universe self punched through Bruce's chest.
• Miaomiao broke a plate and panicked, but Bruce and the others reassured her that Dick's account came from another timeline and that they could change their future.
• Bruce concluded that Dick had experienced a projection of a real parallel universe and said they could prepare for the threats it revealed.
• Jason asked what had happened to him in the universe where Dick became the Vampire King.

Dick recounted a parallel world where he turned members of the Bat-family into vampires and war broke out between vampires and humans. Bruce, Barbara, and Tim documented his answers to prepare for the dangers that might still threaten them.

• Dick explained that his counterpart killed Bruce and Tim, turned Damian into a vampire, and tried unsuccessfully to turn Jason.
• Dick said Damian retained some of his will, escaped, and later helped the human resistance, while Alfred, Cassandra, and Green Arrow fled.
• Dick described how Superman destroyed the White House and Firestorm burned forests, blotting out the sun and allowing vampires to dominate the world.
• Tim and Barbara challenged Dick's apparent enthusiasm about vampire rule, and Miaomiao reassured him that she would stop him if he transformed.
• Bruce questioned Dick about the vampire war, its factions, abilities, weaknesses, and resistance, while Barbara and Tim recorded and organized the details.
• Jason noted that Dick's dream had not mentioned the Avengers.

Dick realized his dream of Ghost King Nightwing’s vampire war had omitted the Avengers, mutants, and other heroes, while Bruce and the others considered how their world had more defenses. The group left the Batcave for dinner, only to face an angry Damian, who demanded to know why no one had told him about their discussions.

• Dick recognized that many powerful heroes and factions in his world had been absent from his dream of the vampire war.
• Jason and Tim noted that their world had more allies than the dream world, while Tim warned that the threat could still overwhelm them.
• Bruce reassured Dick that he was not facing the danger alone, and Jason teased Bruce for comforting him.
• Miaomiao arrived with Titus to summon everyone to dinner, and the group left the Batcave.
• Damian confronted Bruce and the others for discussing the danger all day without telling him.

Damian completed his overdue homework, apologized to Miss Susie, and waited through her lecture to regain his communicator and night patrol privileges. When he returned home, he found the family gathered without him and confronted Bruce, suspecting they had excluded him because he was too young or because of his ties to the League of Assassins.

• Damian's teacher, Miss Susie, reported his missing homework to Bruce, who confiscated Damian's communicator and barred him from night patrol until he finished the assignment and apologized.
• Damian recalled how Miss Susie had previously rejected his bribes and threats, scolded Bruce over his parenting, and refused a promotion offered through his donations.
• Damian completed his homework, apologized to Miss Susie, and listened to her warn him not to become detached from the world because of his intelligence.
• Damian returned home expecting to resume night patrol, but found everyone gathered in the study without him.
• Damian confronted Bruce and asked whether his family had excluded him because he was too young, too hotheaded, or unworthy as the Demon's Head.

Damian confronted Bruce and the others for keeping him out of their discussions, then learned Dick’s dream showed a possible future in which vampires took over. After hearing how his future self resisted the Ghost King, Damian proudly affirmed his independence, while Bruce felt reassured and wondered if Miaomiao was old enough to start school.

• Damian accused Bruce and the others of shutting him out, and Miaomiao revealed they had been discussing how he acted after being turned.
• Alfred called everyone to dinner, and Dick promised to explain everything afterward.
• Dick and Barbara told Damian that Dick’s dream showed a future where vampires served Ghost King Nightwing and Bruce prepared to defend against them.
• Damian learned his future self had been turned by Dick but resisted the Ghost King and survived on animal blood, prompting him to boast that he was the future Batman.
• Bruce reflected on Damian’s difficult upbringing, felt reassured by his son’s resolve, and wondered whether Miaomiao should start school.

Bruce discussed sending Miaomiao to school now that she could control her transformations, explaining that she needed to experience ordinary life beyond her unusual circle of friends. Miaomiao agreed to attend Anders Preparatory Academy with Tim and Damian.

• Bruce praised Miaomiao for controlling her powers after difficult trips and asked whether she could adjust to school.
• Jason joked that Miaomiao might be tricked at school, while Damian and Tim argued over their grades and ages.
• Bruce explained that Miaomiao needed to meet ordinary people because most of her friends were superheroes, supervillains, vampires, or metahumans.
• Bruce described Gotham's private and public schools and said Miaomiao could attend Anders Preparatory Academy with Tim and Damian.
• Miaomiao agreed to go to school with Tim and Damian.

Bruce explained to Alfred that he wanted Miaomiao to attend Gotham Academy so she could learn to value human life and build connections beyond the mortal Wayne family. He feared that her long lifespan and merfolk nature could leave her detached from humanity after everyone she loved was gone.

• Alfred asked Bruce whether Miaomiao's recent decision to send her to school was really about her tail.
• Bruce told Alfred that Miaomiao had killed Pandora to save Dick and worried that she might grow accustomed to killing, as Damian once had.
• Bruce explained that Miaomiao saw humans as a different kind and followed the family's restraints because she loved them, but could become a catastrophe if those bonds broke.
• Bruce revealed that Miaomiao was already over fifty and feared that her mortal family would eventually die, leaving her without ties to the human world.
• Bruce said he wanted Miaomiao to make friends at Gotham Academy, experience ordinary teenage life, and learn how precious life was.

Miaomiao prepared for her first day at Anders Preparatory Academy while the Wayne family gave her advice and warned her about school. After Alfred brought her to the gates, curious students whispered about her adoption, leaving Miaomiao aware that they saw her as “Miaomiao Wayne.”

• Alfred helped Miaomiao get ready and reassured her about attending a human school for the first time.
• Bruce, Damian, Tim, and Jason offered Miaomiao warnings and advice before she left, with Damian telling her to seek Tim’s help if needed.
• Alfred drove Miaomiao, Tim, and Damian to Anders Preparatory Academy, where the boys waited as she got out of the car.
• Students recognized the Wayne car and whispered about Miaomiao’s adoption as she entered the school grounds.
• Miaomiao moved closer to Alfred and realized the students’ attention came from her connection to the Wayne family.

Miaomiao began her first day at Anders Academy, where Alfred helped her complete the transfer and Mrs. Samuel introduced her to the class. She was left to take the empty seat by the window as her classmates whispered about her connection to Bruce Wayne.

• Alfred reassured Miaomiao about the rumors and accompanied her to the administrative office while Tim and Damian went to their classes.
• Alfred settled Miaomiao's transfer arrangements with Mrs. Samuel, then reminded her she could contact the manor if she needed help.
• Mrs. Samuel brought Miaomiao into the classroom and introduced her as a new student.
• Miaomiao told the class it was her first day ever attending school, prompting whispers about her Wayne surname and adoption.
• Mrs. Samuel directed Miaomiao to the empty desk by the window and told her that her textbooks would arrive shortly.

Miaomiao met Lia Chen, who welcomed her and explained her family’s ties to the Kanes and Waynes. When John Elliot mocked Miaomiao’s adoption and background, Lia stood up for her, and Miaomiao answered with an insult that enraged him.

• Miaomiao sat beside Lia Chen, who introduced herself and welcomed her to class.
• Lia told Miaomiao that her mother was Belle Kane, a relative of the main Kane family, but that her family lived modestly and stayed out of Kane affairs.
• John Elliot and his friends questioned Miaomiao about her adoption and mocked her as an unwanted charity case.
• Lia defended Miaomiao, and John belittled Lia for not bearing the Kane surname.
• Miaomiao said she had never heard of John or his family and apologized for forgetting his name.
• John slammed his fist onto the desk, threatened Miaomiao, and called her a savage; Miaomiao replied that he looked like an unevolved monkey.

Seraphina Dumas defended Miaomiao Wayne from John Elliott, but Miaomiao struggled to follow her first math lesson at the school. John then maneuvered the teacher into calling on Miaomiao to solve a problem, leaving her stunned and unable to understand it.

• Seraphina Dumas rebuffed John Elliott and told him to call her Dumas, then defended Miaomiao against his insults.
• Lia explained to Miaomiao what the cheerleading squad was and offered to take her to a practice.
• John returned to his seat when the teacher began class, while Miaomiao quickly became lost in the unfamiliar math lesson.
• John suggested that the teacher call on Miaomiao to solve a problem, and the teacher asked her to come to the board.
• Miaomiao stared at the formulas, unable to understand the problem or how to solve it.

Miaomiao learned what electives were after Lia discovered she had never attended school before. Lia hurried her to Latin class, where Miaomiao arrived just as the bell rang.

• John Elliott tried to get Mr. Smith to call on Miaomiao, but Seraphina Dumas volunteered to solve the problem instead.
• After class, Lia asked Miaomiao which elective she had chosen, and Miaomiao admitted she had never been to school.
• Miaomiao explained that Bruce and the others had taught her at home, and Lia wondered whether she had once lived alone on an island.
• Lia explained electives while rushing Miaomiao through the crowded halls to Latin class.
• Lia and Miaomiao reached the classroom just as the bell rang.

New transfer student Miaomiao Wayne attended a Latin class with Lia and questioned why they needed to study a language no one spoke every day. After Mrs. Paget explained Latin’s value in understanding the past, Miaomiao showed an aptitude for it, and Mrs. Paget invited her to consider the class as an elective.

• Lia brought Miaomiao Wayne to Mrs. Paget’s Latin class, and Mrs. Paget excused Lia’s lateness because she had been helping a new student.
• Mrs. Paget assigned the students to translate a passage in groups, while Miaomiao sat with a blank worksheet because she had never studied Latin.
• When Mrs. Paget asked for Miaomiao’s thoughts, Miaomiao said she did not understand the passage and questioned the need to learn Latin if it was not used for everyday communication.
• Mrs. Paget explained that Latin preserved the traces of past civilizations, and Miaomiao understood the idea and correctly wrote down several words and grammatical forms.
• Mrs. Paget told Lia to lend Miaomiao introductory handouts and suggested Miaomiao could try Latin as an elective.