Future State/The Caretaker

The Caretaker is a storyline featured in Batman: Urban Legends and loosely connects to Future State: Outsiders. Duke Thomas notably does not appear in this story, which instead focuses on the circumstances leading to the formation of the latest Outsiders team. The story follows Katana, Black Lightning, and Metamorpho as they face Shiori Yamashiro and the Yamashiro clan. It is written by Brandon Thomas and illustrated by Max Dunbar, and is covered in Batman: Urban Legends #1-3.

Plot
Issue #1

Black Lightning finds himself imprisoned in a tower in a forest somewhere in Japan. He calls out for Metamorpho, asking if he remembers what happened and how they got here. Metamorpho says be can't recall, believing it to be an aftereffects of some sort of spell. Black Lightning helps him recall what happened and catches him up to speed.

Earlier, in the afternoon, Black Lightning and Katana were in a speedboat fleeing from a gang of villains on Japanese waters. The lead assailant proclaims that they will make Tatsu pay for "her failure" and Black Lightning will share her fate for standing with her. The attackers begin to rain down magic arrows, which track and chase the duo. Katana and Black Lightning try to protect each other from the arrows as best they can and Katana apologizes to Jefferson for getting him into this situation. The villains then shoot a rocket launcher, which explodes in the air above Black Lightning and Katana and releases a strange gaseous cloud. The cloud forms claws and also vows to make Katana pay, and Black Lightning recognizes the cloud's voice to be Metamorpho's. He cannot quite remember what happened after that before ending up in this strange tower.

Metamorpho asks what happened to Katana, and Black Lightning simply says that she must be having a conversation with whoever is behind all of this. Jefferson, having been charging and storing up his energy this whole time, tells Rex he can get them out but it's gonna hurt. Rex tells him to do it and Jefferson proceeds to break them out of their tower prison by channeling his energy into the floor and walls; revealing the tower to actually be made of Metamorpho. Black Lightning then tells Metamorpho to wake up so then can pay their attackers back.

Issue #2

Black Lightning is dragging Metamorpho through a forest as he begins to wake up from Jefferson's shock. As he begins to come to, he starts to remember what happened leading up to getting captured. Seeing he's now awake, Jefferson drops Rex out of exhaustion and they discuss their next course of action. Jefferson tells Rex that, with the help of Batman, he had an implant put in all active duty Outsiders so they can track their vitals, location, and send out a distress beacon in the event any of them get captured. Jefferson checks Katana's implant and notes that her beacon went active ten minutes ago, indicating she is in serious danger. They follow the beacon and arrive outside before the building where Katana is being held. An army of demonic warriors stands between them and the entrance, and the duo spring into action fighting against the guards.

Inside, Katana is fighting off a horde of demonic sword wielding goons. while fighting she implores Shiori Yamashiro, her mother-in-law and the person behind all of this, to allow her to explain. Shiori emerges just as Katana is overwhelmed and subdued. Shiori tells Katana that she can see that she's still strong as ever, but she informs her that she is aware that her sword; demanding to know why her son Maseo’s soul no longer resides within the Soultaker. Tatsu tries to explain but Shiori is convinced that Maseo's soul isn't lost, but that it left her, due to a change in her. She believes Maseo's soul left to avoid the inevitable, when Tatsu moves on with someone else. To avenge her son, Shiro seeks to kill Black Lightning, who she believes to be the new object of Tatsu's affection, and then take the Soultaker to reclaim her son's lost soul herself.

Issue #3

Black Lightning and Metamorpho fighting demonic forces outside the building where Katana is being held by Shiori. Metamorpho divides himself and battles the horde of soldiers while Black Lightning battles Shiori's field lieutenant. Inside, Shiori and continue their conversation over tea as they battle in the astral plane. Shiori has spiked Katana’s tea with truth serum and interrogates her further. She asks Tatsu when she stopped loving her son, and when did she fell for the other man? Katana begins to sweat as she recalls her training with Black Lightning, where they share a particularly intimate moment. Nevertheless, she reaffirms to Shiori that she will always love Maseo, and while she does indeed love Jefferson too, she does so as a friend. that is where they are and that is where she will have it remain.

Outside, Black Lightning and Metamorpho defeat the Yamashiro forces and make their way into the building. They burst into Shiori's chambers to find Katana preparing to leave. She tells the Outsiders to stand down, the conflict is over. Shiori even congratulates Black Lightning and Metamorpho on surviving, as she hoped they'd be quite dead. As The Outsiders leave Shiori warns Katana that she has exactly one year to return Maseo's soul to it's rightful place. Afterwards, Katana treats Rex and Black Lightning to a meal. While at dinner, Black Lightning and Katana informs Metamorpho that they have been thinking of re-starting the Outsiders again; with themselves, Metamorpho, Duke Thomas and fifth spot that has yet to be filled.

Characters
Katana

Black Lightning

Metamorpho

Shiori Yamashiro

Duke Thomas

Continuity

 * This story focuses on Katana’s past.
 * Black Lightning mentions that the reason he had implants installed in The Outsiders is because their enemies have taken members before, likely referencing Duke's kidnapping at the hands of Ishmael in Batman & The Outsiders #7.
 * Despite the disbanding of the Outsiders under Batman, Katana and Black Lightning mention that they continued to train Duke Thomas.
 * Despite the disbanding of the Outsiders under Batman, Katana and Black Lightning mention that they continued to train Duke Thomas.