INTERLUDE

Batman rarely allowed himself the luxury of distraction. But as the Batwing ascended into the cold, unforgiving skies, he couldn’t stop his mind from drifting back to Gotham. It was his city, his responsibility—a burden he had carried for years. Tonight, though, Gotham would have to manage without him.

A Justice League crisis had forced his hand—an otherworldly threat that had demanded his attention and that of the other members for the past few months. He couldn’t ignore it; the stakes were too high. Yet he knew the timing wasn’t a coincidence. Ra’s al Ghul always struck when Batman’s attention was divided. It was a calculated move, one that Batman had to counter by trusting the Bat-family to handle Gotham in his absence.

As Gotham’s skyline blurred beneath the roaring turbines of the Batwing, his mind replayed the conversations from earlier that evening.

. . . . .

“Penguin is ramping up his arms dealing in the Narrows,” Nightwing had said, leaning against the batcomputer’s console. “I can handle it, but it’ll take time to untangle the web of buyers he’s pulling into Gotham.”

“Do it,” Batman had replied. “We need to cut off his supply lines before they intersect further with Black Mask’s operation.”

“Speaking of Black Mask,” Red Robin had chimed in from where he stood beside Bruce. “He’s got a lot of hired muscle moving through the East End. I’ll keep them occupied.” The last part was said with a smirk that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“See that you do,” Batman had warned, his tone brooking no argument.

“And me?” Batgirl had asked, crossing her arms. “What’s my assignment?”

“Coordinate with Nightwing. We need eyes on the financial records Penguin’s using to cover his tracks. If we can cripple his cash flow, it’ll slow him down.”

“And what about Damian?” Red Robin had asked. “And…her?” He hadn’t said the Swarm Queen’s name, but the implication was clear.

Batman had paused, for just a moment. “They’re going after Ra’s.” His tone was clipped, final. “Damian knows the League better than anyone, and she…” He chose his words carefully. “She’s proven capable.”

“Capable only goes so far in our line of work, Bruce,” Tim countered.

Batman’s jaw tightened. “She’ll get the job done. And I’ll be monitoring their progress.”

. . . . .

Now, as the Batwing hurtled toward its destination, Batman felt the weight of his decisions. Delegating was necessary, but it didn’t make it easier. Damian, for all his skill and training, was still his son. He could handle himself against the League—Batman had trained him to—but Ra’s was a different story. And then there was the Swarm Queen. Her resourcefulness and determination reminded him of himself, but her methods were unpredictable. He could only hope Damian’s discipline would temper her recklessness.

Still, he couldn’t shake the gnawing doubt. Gotham was fragile, its balance precarious. Ra’s al Ghul knew that. The League of Assassins thrived on exploiting weakness, on turning cities against themselves.

Batman adjusted the controls, his grip firm, his focus sharpening. He would handle the Justice League crisis, but his mind would remain in Gotham. If Ra’s thought he could exploit Bruce’s absence, he was mistaken. The Bat-family was more than capable of holding the line.

And if they weren’t… Batman would find a way to remind the League of Assassins why Gotham was his city. He always did.