Chapter Summaries

Su Ming and the others accessed Batwoman’s surveillance system and discovered that she monitored nearly all of Gotham. Barbara struggled to accept how little Batwoman trusted even Gordon, while Cindy helped her understand what Batwoman’s actions revealed.

• Su Ming finished off the mechanical dinosaur, and Vicki took an eyeball and a wire from its wreckage as souvenirs.
• Barbara decrypted the system and found that Batwoman had cameras covering the city, including Gordon’s home and private spaces.
• Su Ming and Cindy explained that Batwoman regarded Gotham’s citizens as potential criminals and kept secrets even from friends.
• Cindy reminded Barbara that Batwoman had blocked Gordon from shooting Jester despite knowing Gordon would not fire, revealing that Batwoman did not trust him.
• Barbara realized Gordon had been devastated because Batwoman still distrusted him after decades of working together and had only told him what she chose.

After Barbara traced Gordon's captors to Indian Hill, Su Ming recognized the scrapyard as the site of a secret biochemical laboratory and warned that its experiments could endanger all of Gotham. The group faced a dilemma: reach Gordon before the League of Assassins while risking the lab's dangers, though Su Ming noted the facility had likely shut down in the 1990s.

• Vicki celebrated surviving Deathstroke, while Barbara reeled from learning about Batwoman's surveillance system and Su Ming urged her to find Gordon.
• Barbara used Gordon's license-plate clue to track the vehicle to Indian Hill, a scrapyard in eastern Gotham.
• Su Ming recognized Indian Hill as a former underground biochemical research center and feared it held dangerous experiments that could threaten Gotham's eight million residents.
• Su Ming explained the possible danger to Barbara and Cindy, and they realized the laboratory might combine military technology with magic.
• Su Ming said the facility should have stopped operating in the 1990s and that Falcone's survival suggested nothing had escaped containment recently.

Su Ming and Cindy considered how Falcone and the League of Assassins might threaten Gotham, then discussed powerful fighters and the need to prepare for battle. As Cindy went to find food, Su Ming asked Barbara to locate Bliss Wayne and Alfred, but Barbara refused to help.

• Cindy speculated that Falcone and Ra's al Ghul might both intend to destroy Gotham, while Su Ming proposed following the League of Assassins into Indian Hill and hoping Talia would lead them.
• Su Ming asked Cindy about potential mercenary allies, and she said she knew no reliable friends in Gotham.
• Su Ming named Lady Shiva and several other formidable martial artists, prompting Cindy to decide she would train if she survived the coming battle.
• Cindy went downstairs to find supplies, and Su Ming asked Barbara to search for Bliss Wayne and Alfred.
• Barbara refused, but Su Ming noticed that her computer remained connected to the system.

Su Ming confirmed that the enemy hideout was a trap and prepared to rescue Commissioner Gordon, warning Vicki and Pete of the mortal danger and the Biohazard Crisis. The group gathered protective gear and had dinner in the Batcave while Barbara misread Su Ming’s intentions and Cindy considered keeping him as a partner.

• Su Ming failed to find Barbara’s identity in Batwoman’s systems and told her he could not reveal the mission until it was over.
• Vicki brought Pete to the table, and Su Ming announced that they had found the enemy hideout and would rescue Commissioner Gordon.
• Su Ming warned Vicki and Pete that the hideout was a trap and a Biohazard Crisis, but Vicki insisted on coming along to report the story.
• Vicki went to search for protective suits and gas masks, while Barbara questioned Su Ming about his apparent indulgence toward Vicki.
• Su Ming reassured Barbara that he was taking her along for her usefulness with the underground laboratory, though he concealed the full reason from her.
• Cindy returned with food, and the group ate while she considered keeping Su Ming as her partner after the global crisis.

Su Ming and his companions left the Batcave in a storm while he considered the threats posed by The Batman Who Laughs and Barbatos. He concluded that surviving the crisis required reaching the Light Multiverse and stopping Barbatos, but he had no way to cross dimensions yet.

• Vicki failed to find protective suits, so the group took Bat masks and a few Smoke Bombs before leaving the Batcave with Cindy driving.
• Su Ming reviewed Barbatos’s plan to use Batwoman and several special metals to bring The Batman Who Laughs into the Main World and unleash darkness across the universes.
• Su Ming realized that defeating Barbatos would require finding Tenth Metal in the World Forge, though he did not know how to reach it.
• The group drove through flooded, darkened Gotham with a Shadow Dancer’s corpse in the car as Barbara, Vicki, and Pete each reacted to the coming battle in their own way.

Cindy and Su Ming discussed his plan to reach Earth-0 and his uncertain home as they drove through the rain and searched a supermarket. Commissioner Gordon awoke in an underground hideout, demanded to see Barbara, and discovered that his captors’ boss was his old enemy Falcone.

• Cindy and Su Ming stopped at a roadside supermarket, broke in, and gathered supplies while talking about their plans.
• Su Ming told Cindy that Earth-11 was part of the Dark Multiverse and that he needed to reach Earth-0 to stop the crisis and save himself.
• Gordon woke in a guarded underground room, realized his captors had taken medicine from his home, and demanded to see Barbara.
• Gordon followed his captors through a hospital-like corridor to an ornate study, where he recognized the boss as Falcone, his old friend and former power in Gotham.

Falcone and Gordon confronted each other over Gotham’s past and present after Falcone returned to the city. Falcone praised Gordon’s hope but called him his ideal Inheritor, leaving their intentions uncertain.

• Gordon recalled how he and Batwoman brought down the Ten Families and how he had sent Falcone to Blackgate Penitentiary.
• Falcone met Gordon in his home and remarked on how much they had both aged.
• Gordon told Falcone to leave Gotham, but Falcone challenged him over the city’s worsening condition.
• Falcone admitted that one of his family members had killed Bliss Wayne’s parents and said he had let Gordon take control of Gotham.
• Falcone poured drinks for himself and Gordon, then called Gordon his ideal Inheritor.

Falcone told Gordon that he had left the Cobblepot family in Gotham to help the police deal with threats beyond the law, but he blamed Penguin for failing to control the city’s criminal groups. He questioned Gordon’s raids on Penguin and warned that Bliss’s influence had turned her into a lunatic.

• Falcone said Penguin had failed to manage her territory and had allowed new gangs and the Yakuza to operate in Gotham.
• Falcone revealed that he had arranged for Penguin to assist Gordon with threats the police could not handle, but said she had neglected that purpose.
• Falcone criticized Gordon for repeatedly raiding Penguin’s businesses despite her limited arms dealing and lack of threats against Gotham.
• Falcone blamed Bliss for encouraging Gordon to target Penguin and said her crusade had made her abnormal.
• Falcone asked Gordon whether Bliss was still normal after describing how she spread fear while wearing an animal costume.

Falcone revealed that he had planned to use Gordon and Penguin to build a Gotham jointly governed by legitimate and criminal forces, but Gordon rejected the arrangement. Falcone then introduced his daughter Sofia and disclosed that they were at Indian Hill.

• Falcone told Gordon that Bliss had split into Batwoman and Jester and that Penguin had been prepared to serve as his shadowy ally.
• Gordon rejected Falcone's plan for a Gotham managed with gangsters and insisted that such a city was not the one he wanted.
• Falcone said Penguin had disappointed him and called his daughter Sofia into the room.
• Falcone introduced Sofia as his most talented child and said she would support Gordon in building a new Gotham after everything was over.
• Falcone revealed that he and Gordon were at Indian Hill.

Falcone revealed that Gotham had been founded as an Amazon Council beachhead and explained that Indian Hill held a lethal biochemical weapon. He planned to release enough of it to kill Gotham’s residents and rebuild the city around Gordon, who rejected his plan.

• Falcone told Gordon that Indian Hill had once housed an Amazon Council research institute for biochemical weapons.
• Falcone recounted how the Amazon Council funded Gotham’s founding and later built facilities such as Blackgate Penitentiary, Arkham Asylum, and the Gotham City Institute.
• Falcone explained that Indian Hill contained forty million cubic meters of Super Sarin, abandoned after the Amazons realized it could poison the planet.
• Falcone told Gordon he intended to use the compound to kill Gotham’s residents and let Gordon build a new city, with Sofia managing its darkness.
• Gordon called Falcone insane and refused to accept his plan to cleanse Gotham.

Falcone tried to persuade Gordon that Gotham’s residents had to be replaced, then revealed that Barbara had been shot by Deathstroke. As Gordon collapsed into grief, Sofia admitted she could not defeat Deathstroke, leaving Falcone to consider how to proceed.

• Falcone told Gordon that eight million Gotham residents had to be killed and replaced to cure the city.
• Sofia immobilized Gordon and showed him a news broadcast depicting Deathstroke shooting Barbara.
• Falcone claimed someone had hired Deathstroke and urged Gordon to avenge Barbara, but Gordon shut down in grief.
• Falcone asked Sofia whether she could defeat Deathstroke, and Sofia said she was no match for her.
• Sofia explained that Deathstroke was a master of unarmed combat and every kind of weapon, and that fighting her would likely be fatal.

Falcone and Sofia discussed Deathstroke’s prices and planned to lure the League of Assassins into Gotham, intending to leave Ra’s al Ghul and Talia alive as enemies for New Gotham. The chapter ended with Falcone watching Gordon and suggesting he was now more confident that Gordon would cooperate with Sofia.

• Sofia explained that Deathstroke would charge 24 billion dollars to kill Bliss Wayne, while basic jobs cost 2 million dollars.
• Falcone concluded that Deathstroke should be buried with Old Gotham and ordered surveillance to watch for the League of Assassins.
• Sofia revealed that she had noticed Gordon secretly carving clues onto his glasses and had ensured he left the correct license plate number.
• Falcone planned to spare Ra’s al Ghul and Talia so they could become a common threat that united Sofia, Gordon, and Bliss in New Gotham.
• Sofia questioned whether Gordon would cooperate with her, and Falcone said he had become more confident as he watched Gordon.

Gordon remained confused and grief-stricken as Falcone urged him to rebuild Gotham, marry Sofia, and accept the Falcone Family ring. Meanwhile, Su Ming and his allies waited in the rain for the League of Assassins, but when no one arrived, he decided they had to move and rescue Gordon before greater dangers drew closer.

• Falcone comforted Gordon and reminded him of a supposed promise to help build a better Gotham.
• Falcone offered Gordon marriage to Sofia and leadership of the Falcone Family, but Gordon turned away from his ring.
• Su Ming told Cindy about the multiverse and Black Hand's plan, then waited with her and the others near Indian Hill.
• Barbara's surveillance system detected no League of Assassins members entering Gotham, and Cindy questioned what they should do.
• Su Ming decided to attack rather than keep waiting, and he and Cindy prepared to rescue Gordon and find Batman.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Ming, Barbara, Vicki, and Pete infiltrate the underground laboratory through a wire fence, guided by Barbara's laptop.
• They encounter a Nomad in the wrecked cars, who turns out to be a Talon, an assassin of the ancient Court of Owls.
• The Talon reveals herself, wearing a black leather uniform with golden patterns and round glasses resembling an owl's eyes.
• Vicki, the reporter, is determined to record and expose the truth about the Court of Owls.

Character Developments

• Su Ming, as a transmigrator, recognizes the Talon as a member of the Court of Owls and understands the threat she poses.
• Vicki demonstrates bravery and determination in the face of danger, showing her resolve as a reporter.
• Pete, though frightened, follows the group and helps Vicki record the encounter.

Significant Themes

• Secrets and Truth: The Court of Owls' existence is a secret known only to a few, and Vicki's determination to expose the truth highlights the theme of uncovering hidden realities.
• Power and Control: The Court of Owls' influence over Gotham and their use of Talons to eliminate political opponents emphasize the theme of power and control.
• Loyalty and Brainwashing: The Talons' unconditional loyalty to Barbatos, the God of Darkness, raises questions about free will and the consequences of brainwashing.

Character Interactions

• Su Ming and the Talon: Su Ming faces off against the Talon, aware of the grave danger she poses and the need to delay the Court of Owls from learning about their presence.
• Vicki and Cindy: Vicki presses Cindy for information about the Talon, showing her curiosity and determination to report the truth.
• Vicki and Pete: Pete assists Vicki in recording the encounter, demonstrating his loyalty and support for her despite his fear.

Su Ming provoked a Talon into fighting so he could study her abilities and prevent her from reporting back to the Court of Owls. He killed and destroyed her corpse, confirming that the Court of Owls on Earth -11 did not possess Amber Gold.

• Su Ming insulted the Court of Owls to trigger the Talon's command to defend its prestige.
• The Talon attacked, and Su Ming tested her combat skills, equipment, and weaknesses while keeping control of the fight.
• Su Ming let the Talon cut his armor before stabbing her through the chest and splitting her heart.
• Su Ming planted a grenade in the Talon's corpse and destroyed it, then confirmed that the Court of Owls lacked Amber Gold.

Su Ming and his companions searched Indian Hill for Batman while contending with a Talon’s corpse and Su Ming’s unexplained bloodlust. Cindy found the entrance to the underground facility, and the group prepared to blast open its green metal door.

• Su Ming explained Amber Gold’s properties, confirmed the Talon had no Healing Factor, and blew up the corpse to delay its discovery.
• Cindy took charge of finding the underground entrance while warning Su Ming that his bloodlust and hunger might signal an injury.
• Pete screamed at a rain-washed skeleton, and Vicki comforted him by handling it before pocketing its gold teeth.
• Cindy found a route to the underground facility, and Su Ming carried Barbara’s wheelchair as they followed her through the mud.
• The group reached a dry, overgrown passage and found a green metal door; Cindy set explosives on its lock and asked if everyone was ready.

Su Ming and Cindy led Barbara, Vicki, and Pete into Gotham's abandoned underground institute while searching for Commissioner Gordon and Bliss. They fought through mutated creatures and reached a passage toward the testing area, where Vicki began documenting the horrifying experiments.

• Su Ming and Cindy entered the institute with Barbara, Vicki, and Pete, and Vicki started filming the ruined first floor.
• Cindy killed a giant black maggot that leaped at her, while Su Ming identified it as a likely product of genetic experiments.
• Cindy spotted a passage leading toward the testing area, and the group fought through increasing numbers of black insects to reach it.
• A carapace-covered creature ambushed Cindy from the ceiling, but she stabbed it through the head and killed it.
• Su Ming suggested the creature had once been human, prompting Barbara to react with sorrow and Vicki to record its corpse for her program.

Su Ming’s group explored an underground laboratory and discovered human-animal gene-splicing experiments, including a containment failure. After Barbara identified an escaped bat-based creature, Cindy shot at it as it took flight.

• Su Ming led Cindy, Barbara, and the others through the dissection area to a sealed door, which Barbara opened by hacking its lock.
• The group found tanks holding human-animal hybrid experiments, and Barbara read their records from the consoles.
• Barbara discovered that one escaped experiment was a nocturnal human-bat weapon designed to infiltrate and destroy radar stations.
• Su Ming pointed out a large bat-like creature hanging above them, and Cindy fired at it as it began to fly.

Su Ming and his team explored Indian Hill’s genetic laboratory, where they found grotesque human experiments and the remains of long-dead Mutants. The group continued deeper into the facility after Barbara sterilized the life-support tanks, while Vicki learned that the government had experimented on civilians.

• Su Ming and Cindy shot down a giant Bat-person, and Cindy killed it after it pleaded for help.
• Barbara accepted that killing the human-derived creatures was a mercy and sterilized the life-support tanks before the team left.
• Barbara opened the next door, and Cindy checked the room while Su Ming identified it as Indian Hill’s Mutant research area.
• Su Ming examined an Isolation Pod and found the remains of a Mutant who had apparently starved to death.
• Su Ming showed Vicki the isolation facilities and explained that the government had experimented on civilians, but she said she was too overwhelmed by the day’s news to react strongly.

Su Ming and his companions fought through the institute’s bizarre experiments and discovered a Black Lantern battery powering magical zombies. After explaining the dangers of black and white light, Su Ming led the group onward through the abandoned facility.

• Su Ming destroyed the institute’s experimental monsters as he and Cindy moved through its rooms.
• Su Ming and Cindy fought off more than two hundred fast-moving zombies, then entered their bloodstained, foul-smelling room.
• Su Ming identified a black-glowing flashlight in a glass case as the source of the magical zombies and took it.
• Su Ming explained to Cindy and the others that the flashlight contained Black Lantern energy from Nekron, associated with death.
• Su Ming warned Barbara that white light could make living things immortal and dangerously impossible to kill.