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"Divided": In the tunnels beneath Arkham Asylum, some inmates affected by the black magic of Deacon Blackfire run afoul of Killer Croc, who is annoyed that they are impeding his progress in finding his kidnapped followers.

Quote1 I've survived everything this god-forsaken city has thrown at me since I got here, and you think I'm gonna freak because of "Batgirl"? Quote2
Jason Bard

Batman Eternal #27 is an issue of the series Batman Eternal (Volume 1) with a cover date of December, 2014. It was published on October 8, 2014.

Synopsis for "Divided"

In the tunnels beneath Arkham Asylum, some inmates affected by the black magic of Deacon Blackfire run afoul of Killer Croc, who is annoyed that they are impeding his progress in finding his kidnapped followers.

Elsewhere, Jason Bard heads to his car at the end of his day, and when the shadow of the bat is cast over him, he assumes that Batman has come to confront him about his part in the conspiracy to take Gotham City. Instead, he finds that Batgirl has come for him, and she is even angrier with him than Batman.

In the West Cauldron neighbourhood, the girl Jade McKillen - one of Killer Croc's former followers and an heir to the McKillen Crime Family - is delivered by Gotham Child Services to her uncle Drago Ibanescu, a rare animal collector who recently made an enemy of his former business partner Tiger Shark. On top of the bad news that he now has a child to take care of, Ibanescu receives worse news when he learns that Batman and Catwoman have attacked his employees in the East Side train tunnels, looking for information on Hush, whom Batman believes is making Ibanescu a pawn. However, he learns instead that all of the second-tier gangs are at war, and there are no big jobs to be had. Wherever Hush's weapons and troops are coming from, it isn't the East End or the Harbor.

Meanwhile, at the offices of Gotham Child Services, Killer Croc makes a violent entrance, startling Dr. Leslie Thompkins, and demanding that Jade be returned to him so that he can give her the things he never got. Leslie admits that Jade has been returned to the Ibanescu family, and Waylon responds that he is her only family now.

Batman reports back to Julia Pennyworth, admitting that the bust left him with more questions than before - like how the rival Whisper gang knew about Ibanescu's drop location in the tunnels in the first place. Grinning, Catwoman admits that she told them, and sneaks off before Batman can stop her. He catches up to her quickly, and warns that she can't simply cause chaos by playing the gangs against each other to settle personal vendettas against Ibanescu and his business partner Louis Ferryman, making it harder to find his targets. Grumpily, Selina reminds that he has his own vendettas, and that the chaos is not her doing. She is merely taking advantage of it. Batman tries to explain that working together is paramount, but she responds that she works alone, and prefers it that way.

Meanwhile, at the Moffat Building, Drago pays a visit to Ferryman, hoping to make a peace offering by giving over Jade to him, given the value that her family name places on her. On top of that, he points out that Jade happens to know where they can both find Catwoman - against whom both have a personal vendetta.

On her way home, Catwoman encuonters a stray cat, and uses it as a sounding board for her feelings, coming to the conclusion that perhaps she should re-evaluate her approach to her relationship with Batman. She could either find the Batcave and apologize - or play hard to get. Considering the cat a worthy confidante, she decides to take him home.

Killer Croc enters the Happy Hands massage parlour in the east end, which he is well aware is a business front for Dragos Ibanescu. He grabs the woman behind the reception counter and demands to know where Jade is being kept.

Driving in the Batmobile, Batman is teased by Julia about his romantic failure with Catwoman, attempting to offer unwanted advice. He is distracted, though, when Flamingo's motorcycle skids past him - exactly as a nearby Stephanie Brown has planned. Batman makes a hurried u-turn and catches up to his prey, running him down, and sending the assassin flying from his bike. From her hiding spot, Stephanie comments that she could set her watch by Batman's timing. When he steps out to apprehend Flamingo, Batman discovers a note addressed to him attached to the madman's coat. It is signed "The Spoiler", and explains that thanks to a social media hashtag, called #battracker, it had become possible for her to predict his next appearance - which is how she got him to save her from Flamingo.

Hanging by his ankles from the scaffolding of a skyscraper, Jason Bard wakes suddenly when a splash of water is dumped in his face. Angrily, Batgirl complains that despite evidence exonerating Jim Gordon, the former commissioner is still in prison, because Jason is suppressing it. Smirking, Jason responds that he has nothing to fear from her or the city. Grimly, Batgirl responds that he should fear the street, as she releases the rope holding him up, and lets him drop.

Back at her apartment, Catwoman is surprised to hear the sound of her stereo turned on without her knowing it, and finds Jade waiting in her living room. Tearfully, Jade apologizes as she reveals that she was forced to lead Ferryman to this location, and Catwoman is in danger.

Appearing in "Divided"

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