Detective Comics # 729 1999 Road to No Man's Land Fight Or Flight: Part Three, 30 Seconds to Midnight pg 11 by William Rosado & Sal Buscema

Detective Comics # 729 February 1999
"Road to No Man's Land Fight Or Flight: Part Three, 30 Seconds to Midnight" pg 11
Writer: Chuck Dixon
Pencils: William Rosado (Signed lower right)
Inks: Sal Buscema
Letters: John Costanza

Nightwing and Robin patrol Gotham one last time before it is shut down for good and they both wonder where Bruce could be. Gearhead is observing both of them with a camera device and is also curious about the whereabouts of Batman.

Meanwhile at the GCPD Headquarters, James Gordon and Sarah are discussing their future and James tells her that he is staying even if he has to stand alone in the city. Sarah leads him to the main entrance where the Major Crimes Department and the Tactical Squad are waiting for him and tell him that they are staying with him.

Nightwing and Robin are observing the Cadwallader Bridge as it is the last one to be destroyed in order to cut off the city from mainland, when Nightwing kills a mosquito that was bothering him, but when he sees the insect he notices that it is made out of robotic parts. Nightwing is knocked unconscious by an electric shock coming from the bug and coming from behind, Gearhead takes Nightwing and tells Robin that in less than an hour he will kill Nightwing unless Batman shows up and faces him. At that moment, a horde of rebels and criminals are heading to the bridge to force their way out of the city.

Robin contacts Oracle and asks her to help him find Bruce. She doesn't know how to do that, but knowing that Nightwing is in danger, she helps Robin as best as she can. Gearhead ties Nightwing to the soon-to-be destroyed bridge and when he is about to lose his patience, Batman talks to him. Gearhead goes straight to the source of the voice but then he realizes that it is a voice modulator and a two-way radio that Robin is using to distract Gearhead until he unties Nightwing. The violent crowd is already on the bridge, just above the place where Nightwing and Robin are. Some of Scratch's minions attack Nightwing and Robin and they decide to drop down to the river. That same moment, the leader of the violent crowd is knocked out and he falls into the river as well. Robin and Nightwing save the man and take him to the nearest shore, realizing that it is Simpson Flanders, a former TV psychiatrist. Gearhead is still on the bridge and he is also attacked by Scratch's minions, so he starts shooting at them but his bullets impact the detonators of the bridge and as a result the bridge is destroyed much earlier than it was supposed to and none of the rebels are able to cross to the other side.

Elsewhere in Gotham, the rest of Scratch's minions are trying to contact him and tell him that they are unable to find Bruce Wayne, but their master doesn't answer their calls. Out of nowhere comes the Joker and kills all of them without apparent reason.

Robin and Nightwing decided to go and seek Bruce at Wayne Manor, but upon arriving they discover that the whole mansion had collapsed into the Batcave, leaving nothing but rubble and ashes. In that moment they realize that everything is going to be different in Gotham City.