As Batman reads the letter, the story backtracks to a drug deal being broken up by the Black Spider. He makes short work of the participants and demands that the dealer tell him the name of their supplier, shoving the man's face in heroin. Soon after the confession, Batman shows up and demands Black Spider to stop. They begin battling and debate the differences and similarities of their vigilance. Black Spider quickly escapes atop a train before the story changes focus to the previously seen deceased woman, Linda Morrel.

Black Spider enters the window of the apartment to find Linda, his girlfriend, shooting up. In a fit of rage, tells her that he killed her dealer and pleads for her to realize her actions. Finally, their son Mikey becomes upset and interrupts the fight.

Back at the drug deal scene, the participants are being taken away by police and ambulances. Batman and Commissioner Gordon begin discussing the recent increase in drug usage and overdoses in Gotham. Batman then reveals his knowledge on a new connection supplied by Colombian producers. He decides to find Black Spider in order to learn more, and during his travels, Batman begins considered the words said to him by Black Spider: "Anything that eases pain is addictive." He then questions whether or not his crusade is, in fact, an addiction.

Focus shifts to a drug warehouse, where the supervisors are discussing the recent bust at the hands of Black Spider. For her devotion, they decide to "reward" Black Spider's girlfriend with a higher quality heroin.

Back at Linda's apartment, a street clothed Eric Needham is lecturing her about the toll that drugs are taking on her and their son, Mikey. The boyt becomes angered and shouts at Eric, silencing him. Linda then forces Eric to take his costume and leave. Just as Eric exits the apartment building, a dealer waiting outside makes his entrance.

Back in costume, the Black Spider makes his way into a broken window and pries open floor boards, revealing a surplus of various weapons. He then makes his way back to the apartment with the weapons to find both Linda and Mikey dead. He sees the needle in Linda's arm and presumes the sugar on his son's cereal was heroin. As a teary eyed Black Spider begins writing his letter, Batman is in the Batcave discovering the whereabouts of Black Spider's son. With his assortment of weapons, Black Spider leaves the window only moments before Batman arrives to recreate the opening scene of the story.

Black Spider arrives at the drug factory and wastes no time sniping out the guards of the front entrance. But men quickly pour out of the factory and open fire on Black Spider, creating a frenzy of violence. After being shot several times, Black Spider is drug into the factory where the top supervisor decides to shoot him up with heroin. Just before injection, a Batarang knocks the syringe out of the man's hand, and Batman begins his assault. To Batman's surprise, Black Spider shouts "No!" and rams him through a window to the outside. Black Spider then opens his shirt, revealing that he's wired with plastiques. From outside, Batman watches the building explode as the flaming mask of Black Spider falls to the ground.