Batwoman Annual #1

Issue Details

Synopsis

THIS BLOOD IS THICK CONCLUSION - BROTHERS AND SISTERS Having been tasked with discovering Batman's identity by Director Bones in exchange for the release of her sister Beth, Batwoman now attacks Batman, knowing that it isn't the right thing to do. Blood, however, is thicker than water.   Batman is, unfortunately, the better fighter, and he pins her to the ground, begging her to stop fighting him, and reminding that she is better than playing crony to the DEO. She responds that she is better than this, and fires a grapple line past his head, yanking down a heavy pile of debris on top of him. In his moment of weakness, Bones commands her to unmask him. As she leans in, she whispers that it wasn't her idea. Grabbing her by the wrist, Batman responds that he knows, and activates explosives in his Utility Belt, compromising the structure of the yacht they are on, and causing Director Bones to sink into the sea.   Meanwhile, Hawkfire has tracked down her cousin Beth in the DEO's safe house as a contingency, but upon finding her has quickly found herself cornered by agents. Hurriedly, she uncuffs Beth's wrists from one another, and warns her not to kill anyone.   Outside, the Murder of Crows wait for the girls to get to the rendezvous point for extraction. Fortunately, the girls soon arrive on the roof, and Bette hurries her cousin into the waiting chopper. Strangely, though, the DEO's agents are simply letting them escape without firing a shot. Ignoring it, they take off, only to have an electric pulse course through the chopper, rendering it immobile.   At home, Jake Kane loses the Crows' signal and resolves to finish this fight and rescue his daughters. His wife, Catherine is nervous about letting him go, but he won't be swayed.   Meanwhile, at GCPD Headquarters, Maggie Sawyer is at odds with Agent Chase, who has declared martial law on the city of Gotham. Smugly, Chase has Maggie and Harvey Bullock put in holding cells, so that they can't interfere.   Batwoman swims as best she can back toward Gotham Harbour, having been displaced from the Serpent's Wake. Unfortunately, Batman is still on her heels, unwilling to simply let her go. She kicks him away, trying to swim ahead, and get onto dry land. Struggling onto shore, Batman begs her to let him help her stop Director Bones. She responds that this is about family, and she doesn't have a choice. He claims that there is always a choice, but Kate responds by clubbing him over the head with a loose board until he falls unconscious. Unfortunately, she hadn't planned much further than that.   Back at the precinct, Harvey fakes a heart-attack, providing the necessary distraction for he and Maggie to take out their guards and escape.   Chase rendezvous with Bones, who is doing alright - despite feeling slighted by his father. However, Agent Asaf warns them both that the president himself has taken an interest in the activities of the DEO. If Bones' actions blow up in the DEO's faces, Bones alone will be the one who takes the hit. Uncomfortable, Chase doesn't know who to align herself with.   Kate, meanwhile has Batman tied up in her base. He wakes and notes that she didn't unmask him. She comments that she doesn't want to know. She had only tried because Bones has her sister. Batman reminds that Bones is notoriously untrustworthy, and they could come up with a better plan together. She is surprised when he stands, revealing that he had untied himself long ago. He had remained in place only because he knew she would come around. As they begin planning, they are interrupted by the arrival of Jake Kane. The colonel is speechless, and Batman explains that he intends to help get Beth back. Ten minutes later, they have come up with a plan that requires Kate to arrange an exchange with Bones.   At the old Gotham Ironworks Factory, Kate arrives with Batman tied and bound, and Bones demands that she hand him over. Kate withholds, demanding her other friends be released as well. Annoyed, Bones agrees - if she hands over Batman immediately. When she does, though, he turns on the lights and reveals that he has hung them up by their wrists like pigs in a slaughterhouse - albeit alive. With his part of the bargain paid, Bones reaches out to unmask the Batman and is surprised to see that the man under the mask is Jake Kane.   At that moment, the real Batman crashes through the roof with Nightwing and Batgirl at his side. Bones has his own men to defend him, and as they rush in, Agent Chase warns Batwoman that she didn't want any of this. Kate's response is unmerciful. After kicking Chase in the face, she rushes to Beth and unties her. Before she can get to Bette, though, a DEO agent does. Bones calls for his agents to kill everybody, but the fact that the prisoners are restrained gives the agents ethical problems - and gives Kate the time she needs to intervene and rescue Bette. Once free, Bette makes an impulsive leap at Bones, and Kate fears that he'll kill her. However, a bullet suddenly pierces through his skull, fired by agent Asaf.   Asaf explains that Bones had gone rogue, and it was necessary to take him down. By the time Batwoman recovers and assures that her friends are alright, Batman and his allies are long gone.   Later, a congressional hearing is held to determine whether the DEO should be dissolved. Agent Asaf pleads that the DEO should never have been placed in Bones' command. The man had thought Colonel Kane was his father, and went to Gotham using unmasking Batman as his cover for creating a ruse to blackmail Batwoman using Kane's daughter as leverage. In truth, Bones is not Kane's son. The director's actual father served in combat with Kane, and died before his birth. His mother died from contact with his extreme condition. The records of his parentage were sealed, and Bones assumed Kane was his father. Asaf explains that he is of sound mind, and plans to restore the DEO to former glory under his leadership. As for Kane, his daughter will go to an offshore treatment facility.   In the meantime, Kate sees her father and sister off as they head to the facility on her grandfather's private island together. He says a loving goodbye to Kate, and promises to look for Beth somewhere in the person who now believes she is Alice.   Bones remains alive, but in prison after sustaining severe brain trauma. His chances of recovery are unknown, with his condition. Agent Chase has decided to quit the DEO and become a private eye as a civilian. As Asaf finishes his testimony, he comments that Batwoman's relation to all of this remains unknown.   Later, Batwoman meets with Batman on a rooftop, and for the first time, agrees to go on patrol with him.