Six months after the defeat of the Court of Owls,[N 1]Batwoman intercepts a crowd of criminals in Gotham City that includes Electrocutioner, Tusk, Firefly, Killer Moth, and others. When a fight ensues, Batman arrives. They are confronted by the apparent leader of the criminals, a masked man calling himself "Heretic", who reminds Batman of his vision of Damian Wayne as Batman. Alongside his subordinate Onyx, Heretic detonates explosives planted within the facility. Batman flings Batwoman to safety and apparently dies in the explosion.
Two weeks later, a concerned Alfred Pennyworth sends a distress signal to Nightwing. Meanwhile at a monastery in the Himalayas, Bruce's twelve-year-old son Damian Wayne watches a news report of Batman's disappearance and sets out to return to Gotham. Batwoman's civilian alter-ego Kate Kane meets with her father Jacob Kane explaining she feels responsible for Batman's apparent death. In the past, Katherine was traumatized by an incident in which her sister Elizabeth and mother Gabrielle were abducted, held for ransom, and eventually killed when her father attempted to rescue them, with her being the sole survivor. After time in the military, she became a promiscuous drunkard whom Batman saved from street thugs, which motivated her to become Batwoman.
Batman apparently resurfaces and is quickly noticed by Robin and Katherine. Both of them intercept Batman and deduce that it is Nightwing wearing an older version of the Batsuit. They begin their own investigations into the Heretic, unconvinced that Bruce is truly dead. The Heretic and his henchmen attack Wayne Enterprises, forcing Lucius Fox to open the way into the vault by threatening his son Luke. Though Nightwing and Damian arrive, they are unable to prevent the Heretic from escaping with Wayne technology, and Lucius is injured. Before they leave, the Heretic kills Electrocutioner when he is about to kill Robin.
The Heretic returns to his headquarters where it is revealed that he is working for Damian's mother Talia al Ghul.[N 2] They are holding Bruce prisoner and the Mad Hatter is slowly trying to brainwash him. The Heretic breaks into the Batcave and kidnaps Damian, revealing himself as a clone of Damian created by a genetics program run by Ra's al Ghul and the League of Shadows. He wishes to have Damian's memories and personality to feel like a real person, but Talia arrives and kills him for defying her orders. Nightwing and Batwoman then arrive, having located Damian through a tracker in his costume. They are joined by Luke, clad in an exosuit designed by his father and styling himself as Batwing. The three rescue Bruce and Damian, but Talia and most of her henchmen escape.
A week passes and Bruce seems to have recovered, though he remains adamant that Katherine and Luke should not be involved. After Katherine is forced to fight her father after he suddenly attacks her for no reason, Dick realizes that Bruce is still under the effects of the Mad Hatter's mind control. Luke realizes that the League of Shadows are planning to brainwash world leaders at a tech summit held by Bruce.
As the brainwashing takes place, Nightwing, Robin, Batwoman, Alfred, and Batwing arrive and fight Talia and her henchmen. During the fight, the Calculator is killed, interrupting the mind control and killing the Mad Hatter in the process as well. Bruce, still brainwashed, defeats Nightwing. Talia orders him to kill Nightwing and Damian, but thanks to a speech Nightwing gave, Bruce resists the brainwashing. Incensed, Talia escapes in a vessel only for Onyx to confront and attack her to avenge Heretic's death. The vessel crashes and explodes, with the two being presumed dead. Bruce is later seen comforting Damian over Talia's supposed death. Alfred remarks to Dick that despite Talia's madness, she was still Damian's mother.
As the Bat-Signal shines in Gotham City, Batwoman, Batwing, and Nightwing meet Batman and Robin on top of the police station for their nightly patrol, the former two now officially part of the team. When everyone arrives, they notice a robbery in progress down the street being committed by the Penguin, and head off to stop him. On a nearby building, Batgirl observes the group and prepares to join the pursuit.[N 3]
