Robin (Volume 3) Issue 5

"Circle of Darkness"
In Amsterdam, The Hammer's hitman Vidor recovers some discs from a contact in return for some negatives being used by the commissar to blackmail him with. Rather than exchange the negatives, Vidor simply kills him. In the Batcave, Tim Drake considers giving up his role as Robin, having been enrolled by his father in a school in Metropolis, and having disobeyed Batman's orders and taken up with The Huntress. Alfred tries to reassure him, but can't hide his own misgivings about Tim's activities. Even so, he takes Tim out in the van to meet with Huntress.

Robin explains to Huntress that the Russian gangsters they met had used their real names, and that they are involved in a patented method of creating counterfeit-proof currency for world-powers. This means that they planned to join with the Hammer in creating counterfeit currency that could pass for currencies belong to those countries who believe that they are safe from counterfeiting. Mr. Dzerchenko, who the KGBeast had murdered, was intended to print the counterfeit money. They check several printers across Gotham City for the counterfeiters, but turn up nothing.

Finally, they discover a suspicious operation, and sneak inside. However, they are watched from above by the Ghost Dragons. Robin notices that the money that the Hammer is printing doesn't appear to be a real currency, but they continue to talk about it as though it will be worth a fortune. He decides to stay on to investigate their real plan, until the KGBeast turns up carrying Huntress' unconscious body.

Using the sound of the printing presses as cover, Robin knocks out some of the goons, and attempts to alter the program that will produce the counterfeit currency. While searching for Huntress, he discovers that Ariana Dzerchenko is not dead, but has been put to work bagging heroin for the Hammer. He kills the lights in the plant, and makes his way to Ariana. Unfortunately, once he gets to her, Vidor and his men block their path to escape.

Individuals

 * Tim Drake
 * Huntress
 * Ariana Dzerchenko
 * Alfred Pennyworth
 * KGBeast

Locations

 * Gotham City
 * Batcave