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Red Hood, emerges as a new crime lord and creates terrorist attacks in Gotham. Dick calls in the rest of the Titans for help. A showdown between Red Hood and the Titans leads to a shocking revelation.

A new crime boss, Red Hood, tells the Gotham crime bosses to pay him 3% for "protection". When Bruce leaves Gotham, Dick calls in the Titans to help him deal with crime and they find themselves pitted against Red Hood as begins a reign of terror against the city that turns Barbara against Dick.—Gislef

In Gotham City, mob bosses meet and wonder which one of them called them there. They've heard that Joker is dead and figures Batman doesn't do it because Batman doesn't kill. A bag drops down on the table from above, and a voice from the shadows tells them to open up. They have their underlings shoot up into the rafters, and the voice repeats the order. The speaker kills one underling and pulls up another on a grapple line, kills the other underlings, and then drops down.

The intruder, Red Hood, steps into the light and tells them to open the bag. One of the bosses, Valeska, does, and takes out a man's head. Red Hood tells the bosses that all their number twos' heads are in there, then says that Batman is gone and he "retired" him. He tells them that he'll take care of cops and any superheroes that come after them, but it will cost them 3% of what they make.

When one boss goes for his gun, Red Hood shoots him dead. The other bosses toss their guns on the table, and Red Hood asks if there are any more questions.

In DC, one police officer Tod questions his partner--Hank in disguise--about his background, since the latter showed up recently out of nowhere. Hank says that he used to be a "big red bird", and Tod figures that Hank is joking. They get a call on a purse-snatcher and ride to the scene. Dove is there and knocks the man out. Hank arrives first, and greets Dove and invites her to lunch. She already has a lunch date, and says that she'll be around if Hank needs her.

At the Gotham City police department, Dick comes in and hears officers listening to a TV newscast about Joker's death, and he was beaten to death at Arkham. Dick talks to Barbara, who is putting an APB out on Batman. Barbara tells Dick that Bruce's jet touched off the night before and then disappeared. Dick tells Barbara what happened, and told Dick to be a "better Batman".

Barbara wonders if Dick is considering it, and warns Dick that it's crazy trying to step into his "father"'s shoes. Dick insists that he isn't going to go around Gotham swinging a crowbar, and he's bringing in the Titans.

A day later the Titans arrive, and Jason watches a newscast about their arrival.

At Wayne Manor, the Titans meet in the Batcave and Dick thanks them for coming on short notice. He warns them that Gotham breeds a special class of criminal, and people die there. Dawn says that they're Dick's family and they'd never let him do it alone. Dick says that word is out that Batman is gone, and tells them to ge4t some food and rest because it will be a long night.

Barbara calls Dick in, and tells him that a marketing exec, Ann Williams, brought in a note from someone saying that they need to talk to Nightwing. In the video they have of her, Williams puts on a red hood and Dick points out that Joker started out his career wearing one. He wonders if it's related. In the video of a building from earlier, Williams drops a bag with a bomb

After donning his costume, Nightwing goes to the interrogation room where Williams is being held. He asks her if the red hood she was wearing earlier has something to do with Joker, but Williams doesn't say anything. She shows Nightwing a phone number cut into her arm, and Barbara behind a one-way mirror calls the number.

Williams moans in pain and the veins on her arm stand out. Nightwing tells Barbara to hang up, and Williams breaks her own neck and dies. Later, Dick meets with Barbara in her office , and Barbara tells him that they found Williams' daughter wandering around the bus station, also wearing a red hood. She told the police that some strange man wearing a mask snatched her out of bed. Dick figures that the kidnapped used the child to coerce Williams, and Barbara figures the man is a terrorist and wants to create chaos.

Barbara tells Dick that the toxicology report showed that Williams had a subdermal delivery system implanted that delivered the poison that contributed to Williams' death. Dick figures the killer has a science background with mental health issues, and Barbara says that they've been using a profiler who has gotten them good results, but Dick isn't going to like it: Jonathan Crane, aka Scarecrow. She explains that Crane is in Arkham and has been helping them on the side. When Dick objects, Barbara says that it was Bruce's idea. Dick reluctantly agrees.

At the manor, Kory looks around and finds Dick's room. As she looks at Dick's written vow that he'll never give into fear, Kory again has a vision of herself on a gurney.

Conner and Gar are in Bruce's study. Gar is looking around, thrilled to be in the house where Batman lived, while Conner makes a sandwich. Kory walks through in, talking to no one in an alien language. After she leaves, Conner and Gar go after her. She blasts them and Conner deflects it with his super breath. Kory snaps out of her fugue and wonders where she is.

Justin is in San Francisco and Kory calls him. He knows she's in Gotham and Kory says that she's had a couple of strange episodes and doesn't know what caused them. Justin figures that there's something wrong in her subconscious, and tells her to call him again if it happens again, or even it doesn't.

Dick goes to Arkham and meets with Crane, who is in a cell in his own wing. Crane asks for weed in return for his help, saying that it helps his brain slow down. Dick describes what happened to Williams, and Crane knows that Batman has left Gotham. Dick gives Crane some weed, and Crane says that the subcutaneous delivery system was original, but too clever.

Crane knows Dick as the kid that Bruce took in after Dick's parents died. Dick refuses to be baited, and they talk about Williams. Crane suggests that Williams' killer knows who Nightwing is and has a jealousy complex, and maybe has a background in military construction. Dick is unimpressed and starts to leave, and Crane says that it's the Bird's Opening from chess. The king is moved in the shadows, while the pawns are sent to be destroyed so the king can advance. Crane says that the note was written on a page from a chess manual, and it's the killer's opening move.

At the Batcave, Dick works out the chess moves on a computer, looking at the combinations. Kory and Dawn look on, and Dick figures that it's all connected to bird names. There are five such streets in Gotham.

As Dick compares the chess combinations to addresses on the streets, Hank comes in. Dawn talk to Hank privately and complains that he showed up without calling ahead. He points out that Dawn didn't tell him where she was going, and she says that "the rules" are they do their separate things. Dawn reminds Hank that she wants to suit up and he doesn't, and she didn't object to him coming to DC because they both have roots there.

Hank admits that being Hawk and not being with Dawn sucked, and asks if she's planning on going back to DC. Dawn admits that she doesn't know, and Hank insists that if she's going to Dove in Gotham, he's going to Hawk. An exasperated Dawn says that they should go, and they have work to do.

The Titans check out the bird streets, and Dick figures that they're too late. Barbara calls Dick and tells him that they have a bank robbery in progress with four armed men who are all wearing red hoods

That night, Nightwing, Starfire, Hawk, and Dove go to the bank and Barbara tells Nightwing that the robbers have hostage but won't talk to the police. Nightwing figures that it's not a robbery and tells Barbara to have her men pull back. He figures the robbers are parents whose children are being held hostage to force their behavior, and he can go in and talk to them. Gar and Conner are looking for the children. Barbara reluctantly agrees.

The robbers are robbing the bank, and one of them checks the time and tells another one to do it. As one robber prepares to shoot a clerk, the heroes come in and Nightwing says that they know what's going on., and they're going to find their children and return them.

Gar, Conner, and Krypto are searching a parking garage and find the children tied up in a van. They report to Nightwing that they found the kids, and Nightwing tells the robbers. Gar finds the parents tied up in another nearby van and tells Nightwing, as the robbers remove their masks and say that it isn't over. One of them tosses a grenade at the heroes, and it explodes. The police go in, guns drawn. Nightwing and the others wake up inside the bank.

Later, Barbara tell Dick that the robbers walked out with the stolen money, making a clean escape. Dick says that they got played and apologizes, and figures that what happened is exactly what the killer wanted: mistrust between Barbara and the Titans. Barbara insists that the police will handle it, and says that her standing down for Dick wasn't professional. She says that it's a police matter and leaves.

At the manor, Hank in the kitchen eating. Dick comes in and points out that Hank is eating Krypto's food, and Hank puts it back. When Dick tells him what happened with Barbara, Hank says that the break-up and work together thing isn't for amateurs. Dick insists that there's nothing going on between him and Barbara, but Hank isn't convinced. When Dick says that he disappointed Barbara and Bruce wouldn't have fallen for the trick, Hank commiserates. Dick tells Hank that Bruce asked him to stay, and Hank says that it's a little weird.

Hank admits that it was good to be back in costume, and Dick goes to check on Kory. Before Dick goes, Hank tells him that whoever they're going up against is going down and the Titans will do it, so he tells Dick to cheer up. Dick agrees and goes.

In the Batcave, Gar and Kory play chess, while Conner disinterestedly sits nearby. Gar figures that Kory is playing mind games with him, and that Bird's Opening is the key. Conner is reading a book on chess and mentions the section about how Bobby Fisher took out his own fillings. Gar picks up on it, figures that Fisher did was a defensive move, and works out how Bird's opponent beat him. He plays out the defensive moves, as Dick comes in. Bird's opponent has the same name a group that used to make explosives, and he gets the location of the Hobbs Powder Building from the computer. A 911 just came in from the building, of someone seeing a man with a gun screaming, going into the building, taking a woman with him, and had a red hood on. Dick figures that it's a bogus call and their opponent is luring the police into a trap, and Barbara won't take his calls.

As the police drive to the building, they hit a tire trap that blows out their tires. Beast Boy and Starfire take out the guard outside the building, and Conner stops the guard as he tries to run. Hawk and Dove take out two more guards inside, and Nightwing goes in. Red Hood throws a smoke grenade at Nightwing and asks what took him so long, and Red Hood says that his guards were expendable just like the Titans.

Red Hood opens fire on Nightwing, who takes cover. The villain says that Gotham is his now, and Nightwing should just surrender because he's outmanned and outgunned. Nightwing blinds Red Hood with a charge from one of his escrima sticks, and attacks the villain with another. Evenly matched, they fight hand-to-hang and Nightwing manages to break open his opponent's reinforced hood... revealing that he's Jason Todd.

Jason says that Nightwing will be hearing a lot of his new name from now on. He shoots at Nightwing, who dodges and takes cover. The shooting stops, and when Nightwing comes out he discovers that Red Hood is gone.