Detective Comics #968

Issue Details

Synopsis

A LONELY PLACE OF LIVING, CONCLUSION Over the Atlantic Ocean, on Colony Airship Alpha, Ulysses Hadrian Armstrong is registering a formal complaint to Colonel Kane (Batwoman's father). As the Brother Eye takes control of his airship, Armostrong decides that, although the colonel will probably kill him for this, he'll use the opportunity to see what his "toys" can do.  Meanwhile, in the Batcave, future Tim Drake is fighting Batman and the Robins. Although he seems to be able to defend himself, he's starting to be called back to his timeline, realizing he has little time to do what he must. Confronting Batman, he discourages him by telling him he knows he doesn't sleep at night for fear of having made each of his pupils more broken than when he found them, and as he asks him to tell him he's wrong, he electrocutes him, taking him out. Having defeated Batman and with time running out, future Tim orders Brother Eye to take care of the others while he goes to the Belfry to kill Batwoman. Brother Eye complies, activating all of Batman's Bat-mobiles and using them to harm the Robins.   At the Belfry, Batwing realizes the Colony Drone Fleet is about to attack them. Batwoman seems to be safe in her high-security cell, but suddenly Brother Eye disactivates it, as the bombing begins.   At the Bat-cave, future Tim is about to enter the transportation system to the Belfry. Red Robin gets to him, only to realize he wanted that all along. Meanwhile, future Tim continues to fight against the hypertime trying to force him back to his timeline. In a final attempt at convincing Red Robin of his good will, future Tim explains to him that only through these actions he has a chance to live a normal, happy life, without the ridiculous capes and responsibilities he put on himself. Red Robin can't stand idle in front of his actions, though, so future Tim knocks him unconscious with a neck chop.   At the Belfry, the members of the Bat-family there are trying to survive the attack, when future Tim arrives and cages himself and Batwoman at the center of the stage with an energy shield activated by Brother Eye. Future Tim accuses Batwoman of ruining everything and he tells her that, while she sounds so confident all the time, she has no idea what she's doing. Suddenly, Red Robin comes in, as the shield shatters: the computers in the Belfry don't comply to Brother Eye because they were re-built by Batwing, so he can keep the system down for at least ten minutes, more time than future Tim has before he's redirected to his timeline. Weakened by the hypertime force, he's easily overcome by present Tim and Batwoman. In a last attempt to end it all, future Tim orders Brother Eye to bring the whole building down with the Drone Fleet, but Batman, Robin, Nightwing and Red Hood arrive in time, piloting older models that are not computer controlled, to counter-attack.   As final words, Red Robin tells future Tim that life doesn't have to be lonely, and that it can be whatever people make of it. Future Tim doesn't seem to be persuaded, though: crying, he advises Tim to hold on tight to every moment he has left, because everything will be over much sooner than he thinks; then he disappears, taken back to his timeline.   Red Robin stands amongst the ruins of the Belfry, as Nightwing asks what happened, receiving no answer.