CHAPTER ONE - A NEW PLAYER

Taylor Hebert sat on the edge of the rooftop, her knees pulled up to her chest. The cold Gotham wind bit through her jacket, but she hardly felt it. Below, the city stretched out like a living organism: pulsing neon lights, distant sirens, the low hum of voices and engines blending into a constant buzz. It was alive, but in the same way Brockton Bay had been alive—rotting from the inside.

Her swarm extended outward, brushing against the edges of the street below. The insects were plentiful here. Cockroaches crawled through cracks in the pavement, ants marched along gutters, and flies darted between dumpsters in alleyways. She could feel the vibrations of their tiny legs, the flutter of their wings. She hadn’t stretched her power much since Gold Morning, but now, in Gotham, it came alive again, like a muscle remembering its strength.

For a long time, she hadn’t wanted to use it. After Khepri, after everything she had done, the thought of wielding that power again had terrified her. She’d been the hammer of a god, a force of nature unleashed on the world. The things she’d done, the people she’d controlled… it still kept her up at night. But Gotham didn’t care about her past. Gotham didn’t care about anything but survival.

She’d only been here a month, drifting in after a long bus ride that had taken her across half the country. She hadn’t intended to stay, but the moment she saw this city—its broken streets, its desperate people—she knew she couldn’t leave. She couldn’t help herself. The same part of her that had refused to stand by in Brockton Bay was screaming at her now.

Taylor’s swarm brushed against something new. A disturbance. A flicker of movement in the alley below. She closed her eyes, focusing. A man—no, three men. Large, heavy-footed, moving with purpose. They had a girl pinned against the wall. Her heartbeat was frantic, her breathing sharp and shallow. Taylor’s fingers curled into fists.

She stood, stepping back into the shadows of the rooftop. The swarm responded instinctively, buzzing to life around her. A wave of cockroaches spilled out from the alleyway walls, skittering over brick and concrete. Flies descended in a black haze. Spiders crawled from hidden webs, their movements precise and silent.

Taylor pulled up the hood of her jacket and climbed down the fire escape, her boots silent against the rusted metal. By the time she reached the alley, the men were surrounded.

“What the hell is this?” one of them shouted, batting at the insects now crawling up his arms. His voice cracked with panic as a cloud of flies swarmed his face.

Taylor stepped forward, her silhouette barely visible in the dim light. “Let her go.”

The largest of the men turned, his hand reaching for something under his jacket—a gun. Taylor didn’t give him the chance. A spider dropped from above, landing on his neck. He swatted at it, cursing, but it was too late. The venom was non-lethal, but it worked quickly, and he collapsed to the ground with a strangled gasp.

The other two froze, their fear palpable. The swarm moved closer, tightening around them like a noose.

“Leave,” Taylor said, her voice low.

They didn’t hesitate. The two men scrambled out of the alley, their panicked footsteps echoing against the walls. The swarm followed them for a moment, a parting warning, before dispersing into the shadows.

The girl slumped against the wall, her eyes wide with fear as she stared at Taylor.

“Are you okay?” Taylor asked.

The girl nodded quickly, scrambling to her feet. “Yeah. I—thank you.” She didn’t wait for a reply before bolting down the alley, disappearing into the night.

Taylor watched her go, her swarm already returning to its quiet vigil over the city. The adrenaline was fading now, leaving behind the familiar hollowness. She’d done something good tonight. Something small. But it wasn’t enough. It never was.

She turned and began to climb back up the fire escape, retreating to the safety of the rooftop. But as she reached the top, she froze.

A shadow moved across the building opposite her.

Her swarm surged forward, finding nothing. No insects on flesh, no vibrations. Whoever—or whatever—it was, they were good. Taylor stepped back, scanning the darkness. A voice cut through the silence, calm and deliberate.

“You’re new here.”

Taylor’s heart jumped, but she didn’t flinch. The voice was coming from the shadows, but she couldn’t pinpoint it. Her swarm fanned out again, searching, but still found nothing.

“Who are you?” she asked, her voice steady despite the tension coiling in her chest.

The figure stepped forward, emerging from the darkness. He was tall, his silhouette cutting a sharp, imposing shape against the night sky. The pointed ears on his cowl were unmistakable.

Batman.

“You’ve been making waves,” he said, his voice gruff, his eyes never leaving hers. “I need to know what you’re doing in my city.”

Taylor’s fists clenched, her swarm buzzing with unease. “And if I’m not here to help you?” she asked, her voice colder than before.

The Bat didn’t reply. He just stood there, watching her, unflinching. The silence stretched, and Taylor held her ground, but the back of her mind whispered a warning: This city was about to get a lot more complicated.