Alexander Knox was at the coffee machine of the Gotham Times' newsroom. As usual, he was putting in some late hours reviewing articles and photos from the city desk reporters and putting the finishing touches his own work. He knew that he didn't have to stay at the office long after everyone else had gone home but it was in his blood. The way Knox himself put it, he was a "lifer" newsman. Allie Knox went from William F. Carson College (one of the smaller, city-run colleges in Gotham) to the Gotham Globe before his diploma was even nailed to the wall of his home. He started out as a stringer, usually contributing articles and photos (Knox prided himself on his camerawork), covering everything from grocery openings to traffic accidents to fires. Later on, he was assigned to the metro beat and was just one of a thousand other reporters pounding the pavement in Gotham, scrapping for a story when he found what he called his true beat.

That beat was The Batman. Alexander Knox was one of the few reporters who dedicated himself to covering the exploits of Gotham City's unsung hero. Along the way, he crossed paths—and exchanged more than a few words—with the late Mayor Borg and Harvey Dent; Lieutenant Eckhardt, one of the dirtiest cops in Gotham P.D.; Carl Grissom, Antonio Rotelli, and a host of other mobsters; Detective Jim Gordon; and—most unforgettably—Vicky Vale, a freelance photographer who came to Gotham hoping to take a picture of the Bat herself. Knox found himself smiling as he thought about her, even though he lost Vicky to Bruce Wayne, the richest man in the city. To be fair, though, Wayne did help save the Times from going under when he persuaded one of his wealthy friends—a media mogul named Britt Reid—to buy the paper. Reid was apparently impressed by the fact that the Times was one of the few papers that wasn't being cowed by the Gotham mob and encouraged the entire staff to stay that independent and fearless.

Knox absently sipped at his beverage—and nearly dropped his cup when he saw the tall figure emerge from the shadows of his office.

"For crying out loud, can't you make an appointment or something?" he asked, putting down his cup and wiping the drops of coffee on his shirt with his handkerchief.

"Sorry about that," The Batman said. "Working late again?"

"Yeah," Knox said. "So are you. I guess you didn't come here to shoot the breeze, did you?"

The Batman shook his head slightly. "No. I wanted to ask if any of your reporters submitted a story regarding recent outbreaks of infectious diseases in Gotham, particularly the East End."

"An outbreak?" Knox rummaged around his desk. "One of the new guys—his name's Striker—has been covering city health issues, what with the water mains nearly being poisoned and those tainted cosmetics we had."

The Batman said nothing by way of comment. Knox was one of the few media people who knew the real story behind Ra's al Ghul's plot to destroy Gotham. He also played a key role in helping defuse a crisis that stemmed from large quantities of tainted beauty and health products that flooded Gotham City supermarkets. After The Batman cracked the chemical code of the contaminant found in the products (with Lucius Fox's help), he sent Knox a list of items that were lethal when used together. The Gotham Times not only got a scoop that day but helped save thousands of lives. City Hall and Gotham P.D. chose to give Knox credit for what Mayor Hill called "his timely assistance to his fellow citizens during a time of crisis" and ignored The Batman's efforts completely.

"Here we go." Knox handed The Batman a sheaf of papers. "Those are all from Striker."

The Batman skimmed the articles. One of the earliest was about a short-lived rash of cholera cases in the Narrows—nothing unusual since that was one of the places where the water mains were severely damaged during Ra's al Ghul's attempt to blanket the city with Jonathan Crane's fear toxin. The next one focused on an entire family living in an apartment in the East End that was wiped put by tuberculosis. The most recent article was an interview with Charlie Shreck regarding a rise in cases of infectious diseases admitted at Gotham Mercy. Something Charlie said caught The Batman's attention: "In most cases, it appears that an opportunistic infection is taking advantage of the victims' compromised immune systems."

Compromised immune systems...something there? The Batman wondered. "Would it be possible for me to have a copy of these articles?"

"Sure," Knox said. "I'll send them to you like I usually do." Like Dr. Thompkins, he was also in possession of a secure e-mail address that The Batman gave him after he helped him with the tainted-products case.

"Good." The Batman gave the articles back to Knox. "And I'd like to speak with Mr. Striker, if it's possible."

"Are you kidding me? He'll think he's died and gone to heaven. He's a fan of yours." Knox put the articles back in his inbox. "Is this for a case or something?"

"It might be," The Batman said. "Dr. Thompkins has several cases similar to the ones that were discussed in Striker's interview with Charlie Shreck."

"I'll let Striker know," Knox said. "Maybe he can get some more information from Dr. Thompkins."

"I spoke with her already but maybe he can get something else," The Batman agreed.

"Is this going to be as bad as what almost happened with the water? Or with those contaminated products?"

The Batman thought about it. Then he said: "We'll see."

"What are those?"

Selina looked up from her PC. Katherine stood behind her, looking at the images on her monitor. She'd uploaded them from her phone so that she could get a better look.

"You remember the lady who came here this afternoon, ma'am?" Katherine nodded. Selina tapped the screen. "She took me to a public cemetery in the East End. These graves belong to one family that all died from tuberculosis."

"Didn't they get any treatment?" Katherine asked. "I thought Dr. Thompkins' clinic was free."

"According to Patience, they did," Selina replied. "But it didn't work. The medicine might not have been as effective as Dr. Thompkins thought it was."

Katherine frowned. "Let me guess: Daggett BioIndustries was the source of the medicine."

"That's right, ma'am," Selina said.

"I suppose it's time we started looking in their direction, isn't it?" Katherine said. "Since Granddad funded their research, I think I've got every right to find out how every penny was spent."

"It's a start," Selina agreed. "We might be able to get samples of the drugs they distributed so that we can test them."

Katherine nodded. "Call their offices tomorrow and make an appointment, Selina. I want you to come with me if and when I can speak with Mr. Daggett."

"All right, ma'am." Selina smiled wryly. "If we don't find out what's going on, these free clinics that we're opening might be filled to capacity." The phone on her desk rang and she excused herself to answer it. "Hello?"

"Hi, sis," Maggie answered at the other end. "What time are you coming home? I'm making dinner."

Selina clapped a hand to her forehead and cursed herself for not telling Maggie she'd be working late. "Uh, I probably won't be home for dinner, Mags. I have some things to finish here—"

Katherine cut her off by activating the speaker: "Hello, Maggie? It's Katherine Kane."

"Good evening, Ms. Kane," Margaret said. "I hope you and Selina won't work too late."

"We won't," Katherine said. "Or she won't. She's on her way home."

"She is? Thank you, ma'am," Margaret told her. Then, rather shyly, she added: "You're welcome to join us for dinner, if you want."

"Uh, Mags, I think Ms Kane has other plans," Selina was saying but Katherine interjected: "I'd love to, Maggie. It's been a while since I last saw you. We'll be there in an hour and a half."

"All right, Ms. Kane. You two have a safe trip." With that, Maggie said goodbye.

"Listen, ma'am, about Mags," Selina began, "I'm sure she—"

"I'm sure she meant her invitation, Selina," Katherine said. "Look—we've been working late for the past couple of weeks anyway, even before this mystery with Daggett started. We can knock off early for tonight. It won't kill us. And I do want to see Maggie again."

"Well…" Selina still looked unsure. Katherine had never been to their apartment so she was worried that her housekeeping skills might not be up to par with what her boss was used to at her home. Then again, Maggie did like Katherine and considered her as her other older sister.

"All right, ma'am," she finally said. "Do you mind cats, though? We've got one at the apartment."

"You bought a cat?" Katherine asked.

"No…actually, Maggie brought it home," Selina explained. "It was a stray."

"Maggie really has a soft spot for strays, doesn't she?" Katherine remarked.

"Yeah," Selina agreed. "It comes with the territory, I guess."

Atop a building across HOPE WORKS, Talia watched as Katherine and Selina left. The listening equipment that Alpha gave her allowed her to eavesdrop on their conversation. As she prepared to tail her friend and her assistant, she made a mental note to ask Looker for whatever data she could find on Selina Kyle. Information was a weapon too, her father often told her, thus encouraging her more scholarly pursuits.

She ran across the roof and cast out a line to assist her in her leaping towards the next building. The ensemble she assembled from what she had at hand and what Alpha provided her with was indeed light; she only hoped that the armor that came with it was as strong as Alpha said it was.

Katherine's car turned right. Fortunately, Talia saw a tractor trailer moving in the same direction. There was no hesitation in every step she took as she leaped off the rooftop where she was and landed on the trailer. She flattened herself against the top of the trailer and hung onto whatever handholds were available. She felt the night breeze flowing past her and realized that she was feeling more than just a little exhilarated. It had been quite a while since she did something like this.

Star City…that's it, Talia thought. An old friend, Oliver Queen, asked for her help with a gang of toxic polluters that was trying to dump hazardous waste in Star City's harbor. Although Oliver emphasized that her job would be to collect evidence that could be used in court, Talia eventually got physically involved and demonstrated just how much her father taught her when it came to combat. Despite a rather lucrative offer to remain as Oliver's assistant, she declined since she felt she was needed elsewhere—and since she knew that she was becoming a source of friction between Oliver and his fiancée Dinah Lance. She did, however, promise to return for their wedding.

She raised her head slightly and checked the progress of Katherine's car. It was still in sight. Talia settled back down but remained alert. Briefly, she wondered where Bruce was. Back in his office, most likely, she thought. Or out on the town. It amazed her to find that she was a little upset at the second possibility. Was she starting to feel some sort of affection for Bruce? Her father's letters to her spoke well of him and, reading between the lines, she could sense that he was attempting to make a match between her and Gotham's favorite son. Knowing her father, such a match—no, more like a union would be consistent with his plan to take control of Gotham.

Still, she had to admit, there was much to like about Bruce. If only she had the luxury of turning her professional interest in him to something else…but that's neither here nor there, she told herself. Talia snapped her attention back to what she was doing just in time to notice that Katherine's car was about to move in the opposite direction of her own transport. She cast out a line and swung off the trailer onto a nearby edifice; then she scaled the wall using her grappling claws in order to continue following Katherine and Selina.

Jim Gordon leaned back in his chair as he finished reading the last of a small stack of reports on his desk. Bullock and the other detectives were having it easy lately, cleaning up some of the other cases that were left pending in the wake of The Joker's insanity. Bullock, in particular, was enjoying himself putting away some of the Maroni family members. Ramirez was helping him out with those arrests and, to her credit, Bullock's private comments about her to Gordon were largely positive.

He heard a noise outside his window and turned just in time to see something moving—or flapping—outside. He got up from his chair and left his office. Nobody else was around, which was good—although he had a feeling that his visitor had scouted Police Central carefully before making his presence known. When he got to the roof, he waited patiently until something came out of the shadows.

"What brings you here tonight?" Gordon asked The Batman.

"Something's going on in the East End," The Batman replied. "I thought it might be worth looking into."

"What is it?"

"Are you familiar with Dr. Leslie Thompkins?" The Batman asked.

Gordon nodded. "She used to run a free clinic in the Narrows but it got shut down when—what's his name?—Ra's al Ghul tried to poison the city. Now she has a clinic in the East End." The commissioner paused. "Is she in some kind of trouble?"

"She might be," The Batman said. "Her clinic admitted six patients who are suffering from a compromised immune system. And she's not the only one. Gotham Mercy had eight similar cases; Gotham General, five."

Gordon digested that information. Nineteen cases, all alike…his policeman's instincts pricked up; something was definitely not right there. "Did they all come from the East End?"

The Batman nodded. "That's affirmative. I checked."

"You think we should quarantine the area?"

"No. Not yet, anyway. The cause hasn't been isolated yet, although it's either a new viral strain capable of being passed on in different ways or it's a batch of defective medicine."

"Where's the medicine from?" Gordon asked.

"Daggett BioIndustries," The Batman answered.

"Roland Daggett…" Gordon was quiet for several moments. Roland Daggett was one of the city's legitimate businessmen but had his own share of skeletons in his closet Gotham P.D. hadn't been able to crack the door to that closet open just yet but Daggett was suspected of having been in with Max Shreck during the early days of his strong-arm schemes and of accepting cash from Carl Grissom, Carmine Falcone, and Sal Maroni for various favors he did for them.

"Daggett's got a shady background, I know," The Batman said. "But finding evidence against him hasn't been easy."

"Tell me about it," Gordon agreed. From what Gordon and his detectives could come up with, Daggett was apparently supplying covert mob clinics with medical supplies so that they wouldn't have to visit a hospital whenever the internecine warfare among the criminal organizations broke out or when they had encounters with Gotham P.D. Whenever he was accused of such activities, however, Daggett would vehemently deny involvement with the mob and declare that his trucks were being hijacked on an almost regular basis by the organizations' goons in order to get to his medical supplies. From there, he would then go on to rant about the corruption in Police Central itself and about how the mayor should be ashamed that one of the pillars of the community should have to be at the mercy of the criminal element that seemed to control the city. The mayor, being a major recipient of Daggett's money during fundraisers (especially while he was campaigning) would then order Gordon to provide more protection for Daggett and for all the businessmen who contributed to the development of Gotham. More than once, Bullock wondered loudly why the police themselves had to protect the city's biggest crooks.

"I suppose I can ask Ramirez to look into it," the commissioner said. "Bullock's got things under control, as far as taking care of Maroni's men is concerned."

"That's good," The Batman said noncommittally. He knew how much Bullock liked kicking Maroni while he was down and filling the jail cells with his men. "How's Ramirez holding up, by the way?" he asked, almost as an afterthought, although Gordon knew that he was keeping a close watch on her.

"Pretty well," Gordon replied. "Bullock says that she's been doing her job the way she's supposed to be doing it." He took off his glasses and wiped them with a handkerchief. "The way things are going, her reinstatement should only be a matter of time."

"That's good to know," was The Batman's only comment. "I'll let you know if I find out anything else."

Gordon nodded but said nothing. The Batman stepped off the roof and let the night wind carry him away from Police Central. The commissioner waited until he was out of sight before going back to his office.

By the time Katherine and Selina arrived, Maggie already had dinner waiting on the table.

"Hi, sis," Selina said, kissing her sister on the cheek. "Sorry if we're late. The boss insisted that we stop and bring something home."

"We brought dessert," Katherine said, handing Maggie a rather fancy box complete with a ribbon tied in a bow.

"Thank you, Ms. Kane," Maggie said. "You really shouldn't have bothered…"

Katherine smiled at the young woman. "It's no problem, Maggie. And I figured since you made dinner, dessert should at least be on us."

"That's very nice of you, Ms. Kane," Maggie said. "Would you like to wash up before we eat? The bathroom is down that hall."

Katherine thanked her and left the two sisters for a few moments. "Where's Isis?" Selina asked Maggie. The object of her question appeared silently from somewhere behind their couch. Isis walked with a regal grace that no human royalty could hope to match.

"Hey there, you." Selina bent down and stroked the cat on the head. "I hope you'll be on your best behavior. We've got a visitor tonight." Isis rubbed her cheek against Selina's finger and then appeared to nod in agreement. Then she disappeared again just as Katherine came out of the bathroom.

"I hope the bathroom wasn't too cramped," Selina said apologetically.

"Not at all," Katherine assured her. Selina excused herself and Maggie led her sister's boss to the kitchen.

Talia lowered her binoculars. Katherine and her assistant were sitting down to dinner (at that thought, her stomach purred softly but she ignored it). If this was simply a social visit, she thought her presence wouldn't be required. Perhaps it was time for her to return home and find something to eat. Traveling on one's stomach might be all well and good for an army but hunger was a potent enemy. Even her father's disciples weren't allowed to go hungry, though they didn't exactly have a banquet at the temple.

She was about to leave her perch on the roof closest to the Kyles' apartment building when she heard something land softly nearby. She crouched lower behind the vent and tried to determine the source of the noise. It might've been a stray animal but her instincts told her otherwise.

Footsteps, soft and stealthy, coming from her left—in that instant, Talia knew that there was another person on the roof. Silently, she cursed herself for not detecting their presence earlier. Whoever it was had to be good enough to move almost soundlessly, like the night breeze. And that meant only one person in Gotham.

Time to face him, Talia thought. She stood up and saw, less than a yard away, the person stalking her.

The Batman was as motionless as a statue but he radiated an air of intimidation that couldn't be denied. Talia looked him in the eye and tried to read his intentions. His control was admirable and he gave nothing away; so she decided to probe his defenses.

"Well, so the stories are true," she said. "The Batman isn't a figment of Gotham's imagination."

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" The Batman asked.

"To the point, I see," Talia replied. "I'm here to see what the city's been like since you appeared." She shrugged. "I must admit, it's been quiet."

The Batman said nothing but he advanced imperceptibly. Talia took a step back—and then bolted. She knew she would only be gaining a few minutes—or even a few seconds—at most but she had to get some distance between herself and her potential adversary. When she risked a glance behind her, however, Talia saw that the Bat was closing in much faster than she thought he was capable of doing.

Talia reacted swiftly: she slowed down and pivoted quickly but carefully. Her arm swung out and several shuriken went flying towards The Batman. Her target, however, was able to avoid most of them. She launched more shuriken, aiming low. The Batman leaped over the deadly metal stars, rolled and was about to rise but she was able to keep him pinned for a few seconds with another rain of throwing stars—just enough for her to move into position. When The Batman did rise, she caught him with a kick to the shoulder that sent him falling onto the concrete. He rolled rose and caught her next kick. He jerked her forward, disrupting her balance. Talia toppled over but quickly sprang to her feet into a defensive position. The Batman reached for something on his belt.

A gun, Talia's mind calmly told her. She prepared to dive out of the way; if it was a semi-automatic handgun, she had a chance to evade the shots. When she saw her adversary's finger squeeze the trigger, she moved.

It was no bullet, however—it was some kind of dart…no, a miniature spear that hooked itself to her outer garment. And there was a line attached to it. The Batman yanked the line backwards and she was pulled forward. Talia dug in her heels, trying to keep him from reeling her in like a fish.

The Batman activated something on his gun that allowed him to pull harder. Her feet were starting to move. Talia had grappled against larger, stronger opponents but she knew that her boots couldn't maintain their purchase on the concrete any longer.

Flow, she heard Lady Shiva say in her mind. Sometimes, you must flow with the tide of battle.

Talia relaxed and let the gun pull her forward…and then leaped towards her adversary. The Batman dropped the gun to ward off her assault. It didn't come. She landed a few feet away from him and quickly took out the knife that Alpha provided her with and dislodged the tip of the spear from her garment. By then the Bat was almost upon her. She rose and lashed out with the knife. Her opponent used his gauntlets to block the blade. Talia went low and caught him an elbow to the midsection. She followed it up with a well-timed forearm to the jaw. That bought her some much-needed time and space.

"Impressive," Talia said. "Very impressive—but now is not the time for us to clash. Let me thank you, though, for the opportunity you've given me." She spun and went off in a rush. The Batman followed her. This time, she decided not to let him get any closer. She dropped a small canister behind her that erupted into a burst of bright light. A quick look behind and she saw that The Batman had been momentarily distracted by the flare. Talia ran headlong towards the edge of the roof. Before the Bat could catch her, she jumped.

"Did you see that?" Selina asked, rising from her chair.

"What?" Katherine asked.

"I thought I saw something explode on that roof across the street." Selina went over to the kitchen window that could give her the best view. She scanned the rooftop but saw nothing that might indicate the cause of the explosion—if that's what it was.

Katherine and Maggie joined her. "Are you sure it was an explosion?" her sister asked. "Maybe we should call 911."

"Doesn't seem like there's a fire," Katherine remarked. "But maybe it would be better if we did. Where's your phone?" Maggie went with her to make the call. Selina tried to peer further out the window to find out what was happening. As she did, she seemed to see a shadow detach itself from one of the vents on the roof. Then it disappeared again—but not before she saw what looked like the outline of ...of a batwing?

The Batman, she told herself. It had to be him. But what was he doing out there? Was he watching over her and her two companions? That was a thought but she doubted it. Maybe he was just chasing a burglar or something like that.

She was shutting the window when Katherine and Maggie returned. "Gotham F.D. said they'd send a unit over to check it out," Katherine told her. "I phoned it in anonymously."

Selina nodded absently. Her thoughts, however, were on what she'd seen. Somehow, it made her feel a little better—a little safer­ knowing that The Batman was out there, looking after the city.