Detective Comics (Detective Comics Vol. 3 #967)

A LONELY PLACE OF LIVING, CHAPTER 3

In the Batcave, Batman (Bruce Wayne) is re-watching over and over again Tim Drake's last moments, to try and understand where he disappeared. Alfred asks him to go get some sleep, but Bruce wants to spend another couple of hours researching because he feels he failed his role as one of the best detectives in the world. Suddenly, though, Red Robin's distress beacon activates right in Gotham. Bruce whooshes with the Batmobile to a hospital where Tim had the strength to go after being electrocuted by future-Tim Drake. As the doctors manage to revive him with a defibrillator, Bruce enters the room in his civilian clothing, asking them to leave. Left alone, Tim immediately warns Bruce that Batwoman is in imminent danger. In a bar, Kate (Batwoman) is discussing with her cousin Bette about the possibility of entering the Bat-family, as the latter sees how good it did to the former. When her phone activates with the Bat-signal, Kate dismisses Bette, telling her to keep training for now. At the Belfry, Kate joins Batman, Batwing, Clayface, Azrael and Orphan in greeting the return of Red Robin from his apparent death. Tim briefs everyone about the menace of his future self, and why he's doing it, while also asking whether Spoiler is going to get there soon.

Coming home from a night out as Spoiler, Stephanie Brown charges her phone and starts listening to the news, when future Tim Drake appears from the shadows telling her he's sorry and that he'll make everything right. Then, before she can realize what happened, he disappears. Back to the Belfry, Batwoman is put in a high-security cage to prevent any harm coming to her from future Tim Drake. Red Robin discusses with Batman about what future Tim said about this past reality being slightly but relevantly different from the one he knew. Batman asks Tim where would he go if he was in such a situation and the answer is... Wayne Manor.

Future Tim Drake greets Alfred in the greenhouse, while he's farming blue roses. After hugging him, Alfred is startled by Tim's words, namely his intention to do "something really terrible" to change the future, when members of the Bat-family (Nightwing, Red Hood, Robin and the dog Titus) appear, ready to confront him. Future Tim seems very confident in his abilities and he apparently overcomes them, crashing with them in the Bat-cave. Here, he also finds Batman and Red Robin, who got there after realizing where future Tim would go. Future Tim doesn't seem able to defeat Batman AND the Robins alone at the same time, but that was never his intention all along. He explains he got to Wayne Manor because the Bat-computer is connected to a half-built program designed by Bruce and essential to the creation of his future. Batman seems distressed hearing this, as future Tim activates the program: the "Brother Eye" is now online.