Plot

In flashback, we learn the story of how Jason became estranged from Batman, found his way to Dr. Crane, and the tragic turn of events that transformed him into Red Hood.

Three months in the past, Jason returns to Gotham, turns against Bruce, seeks out Jonathan Crane for an anti-fear gas, and together Jason and Crane conspire to spread terror via Red Hood and give a terrorized Gotham a new savior to turn to.—Gislef

Crane approaches Jason as he kneels by a stream in the forest, looking at his reflection in the water. The criminal assures Jason that they won, but Jason tells Crane that Nightwing won't stop after Hawk's death. Jason warns that dick know everything and tells Crane to inform him of his plan. Crane tells Jason that he needs to be afraid of Dick, and Jason insists that he's not afraid of Dick. The villain tells Jason that he is afraid, and he should hold onto the fear and use it.

When Jason repeats his demand, Crane tells him that the plan is to immerse the citizens of Gotham into a world of fear and terror, with no one to protect them, and then they swoop in and be the answer to their fear. He holds up the inhaler, and Jason takes a whiff of the "happy juice".

3 Months Ago

In the manor study, Jason hears a voice calling to him and backs away in fear. He runs out into the hallway and through the manor, voice calling his name and laughing at him. He goes into his room, and a figure comes up behind him and aims a gun at him. He shoots Jason, who falls back on his bed. The figure, a woman, comes in and stands over Jason, and looks down on him as he dies.

Bruce wakes a sleeping Jason up, and tells Jason that he's safe and home. Jason wakes up gasping and insists that he's fine, and Bruce points out that he was screaming. He points out that Jason has been having the same dreams for the last few weeks, and asks if his ward is okay. Jason says that people have bad dreams and it's not a "thing". Bruce asks Jason to see his old friend. Dr. Leslie Thompkins, a psychologist. He explains that Leslie knows all about him, and the work they do. Jason says that it's not going to happen, and Bruce tells Jason that he's not going to be Robin until Thompkins says that Jason is okay.

Jason goes to an Internet café and meets with his friend Molly Jensen, who is waiting for him. Molly notices that Jason hasn't been sleeping well, and tells him that Diego Martinez from the shelter went missing. Rumor is that Joker has a dude on the street taking in strays, and the cops don't care about people like Diego. Jason tells Molly that Batman will take care of it, and Molly says that Batman only protects rich people.

Molly mentions San Francisco where Jason was living until recently, and Jason says that living there was a mistake, and Gotham is where he needs to be. She points out that Jason has been different since he got back, like something happened to him in San Francisco. Jason claims that he was bored so he left, and gets the location of Joker's man from Molly. He suggests that they go see if the man is there, take some photos, and show them to the cops. Molly figures that Jason is looking for trouble.

Jason and Molly go to the address and spot the man. Jason takes a photo of him and runs him through facial recognition. The man's name is Pete Hawkins, and he's been in and out of Blackgate according to Bruce's database that Jason accesses via his phone.

At Jason's suggestion, they go over to talk to Hawkins where Hawkins is talking to a teenage girl. Hawkins talks to the couple privately, and asks if they have a problem. Hawkins says that the girl is old enough to make her own choices, and Jason says that they hate clowns. Jason asks Hawkins about Diego, and Hawkins claims he doesn't. Molly tells Jason that they should go, and Hawkins draws a gun on Jason and then beats him as Jason remembers fighting Deathstroke in San Francisco and freezes up.

Hawkins kicks Jason, and Molly yells at him to stop. The thug gives Jason one more kick and walks away. Molly goes to Jason and he yells at her to get off of him. Jason insists that he's fine and yells at Molly to go away from him.

Jason meets with Leslie in her study and he talks about how his parents were killed and he spent three years in foster homes. He admits that he's probably fucked up and admits that he's off his game, and tells Leslie to give him a pill to alter his mood. Jason notes a class photo of Leslie with Crane, and she explains that Crane wasn't Scarecrow when she knew him, but a brilliant graduate student obsessed with fear. Crane was Leslie's friend... until he tried to kill her.

Leslie explains that Crane poisoned her with his gas, blaming her for betraying him when she found out about his experiments. Jason asks what Crane's fear gas was like, and says that it was as close to Hell as someone can get when they're alive. Bruce saved her, and she still has nightmares about it. Jason wonders how she can be a therapist, and Leslie says that she's honest.

The therapist asks Jason what his truth is, and what his worst fear is. Jason jokingly says that it's being stuck with her, talking about his stuff. Leslie realizes that he's avoiding, and says that she'll see him the next day at his appointment. Jason is surprised that they're done, and leaves.

At the Batcave, Jason looks at Bruce's trophies and takes a vial of Crane's fear gas. Bruce comes in and Jason puts the vial back before Bruce sees it. Jason says that his session with Thompkins went okay, and Bruce figures that Leslie told Jason about her encounter with Scarecrow. Bruce says that Leslie was lucky to survive her encounter. He then tells Jason that he has a conference call with Jason about Luthor, and Jason says that he'll be fine on his own and will make his own supper.

Bruce notices that Jason is injured, and Jason says that he took a spill on his bike. Jason tells Bruce that his suit is locked up and he's benched like Bruce said. Bruce says that he's proud of Jason for seeing Leslie and calls him "son". Jason notices, and Bruce confirms what he said and that it was no accident.

At his next session with Leslie, Jason does word association with her. He responds "Bruce" when Leslie says "father". She asks Jason if he was afraid when he faced Hawkins, saying that Robin is supposed to fearless. Jason says that he can't be afraid, and Bruce takes it all away when he loses faith in someone. He tells Leslie that his life is no good without Robin, and Leslie asks him if Molly knows he's Robin. Jason says that Molly doesn't, and Leslie points out that Molly likes Jason because Jason is a real person while Robin is a construct made by a crimefighting vigilante who has a borderline personality disorder.

Leslie asks if Jason is afraid of not being the projection of that disorder, and tells Jason that he'll survive fine without a costume. She says that she'll tell Bruce whatever Jason wants her to, and asks Jason what he wants. Jason says that he wants to feel better, and Leslie suggests that they keep talking. She assures him if he wants to be Robin, that's great. Jason agrees to meet with Leslie again and thanks her, and Leslie tells him to thank himself because he's doing the work.

As Jason goes, Leslie tells him that just because he's afraid doesn't mean that he's broken. She leaves Jason to go, and Bruce pulls up to pick up Jason. He takes Jason to Crime Alley, where Bruce's parents were killed. Jason realizes where he is, and Bruce says that made sense in his life left when his parents were killed.

Bruce tells Jason that everything he has done is to help him, and Jason says that he knows. Jason says that he needed to be pushed into Robin, and Bruce thinks that Gotham is alive and wants them to destroy themselves. He says that he won't lose Jason to Gotham on top of all the other people he's lost, and Jason tells Bruce that he won't. Bruce tells Jason that he doesn't want him to be Robin, and that it's his decision and didn't talk to Leslie. Jason doesn't believe Bruce, and says that he went to Leslie and she helped him out. Bruce says that Jason doesn't need to wear a costume to be his son, and Jason figures that Bruce thinks he's weak and always has.

Jason lashes out at Bruce, saying that he keeps giving Dick more and more, and asks what's so bad about him that Bruce doesn't do that with him. Bruce says that it isn't Jason's fault, and Jason begs Bruce not to give up on him. Bruce says that he never will, but he's made his choice. He invites Jason to come with him when he goes to London on business, and Jason says that Bruce is wrong about him and he'll prove it. With that, Jason walks away from Bruce.

That night, Leslie is eating at home when Jason calls her and insists on doing word association. When she asks where he is, Jason yells at her that she's a liar and hangs up. He goes into Arkham and confronts Crane, says that he's working with the GCPD, but Crane doesn't believe him.

Jason says that he knows Crane created the fear gas, and wants Crane to make something that gets rid of fear. Crane wonders why he should help Jason, and Jason holds up the vial he took from Batman. Crane figures out that Jason is Robin, and Jason offers him information on Bruce in return for Crane's help. In response, Crane says he he'll want to know everything about Batman, and he wants Robin to bring him out. Jason agrees.

The next day, Jason rents a garage and goes to work reverse-engineering Crane's fear gas formula. He finally succeeds and goes back to Crane, and says that he doesn't feel anything. Crane says that they need to test it on Batman's most fearsome enemy.

Three days later, Jason locates Joker, calls Bruce, and Bruce tells Jason to stand down. Taking the gas, Robin goes to the abandoned amusement park and Joker beats his skull in.

When the news gets out, the guards at Arkham secure the prisoners. Later the morgue, Cyrus Beake takes Jason's body, takes it to a Lazarus Pit beneath the city, and puts it in. Jason comes back to life and emerges from it, and Beake takes him to Arkham and Crane. Crane tells Jason to stay calm, and he had Jason brought back to life. He explains that Ra's left a Pit in Gotham that Batman didn't know about. Crane gives Jason a dose of the anti-fear gas, Crane then lights a joint, dances, and says that Gotham ain't seen nothing yet.

Jason suits up as Red Hood, and Crane tells him that he's going to give Gotham what it needs with no guilt or fear. Red Hood will be Gotham's mirror, showing they are.

Red Hood tracks down Hawkins, terrorizes him, and demands to know where Diego is. When Red Hood slides Hawkins a gun, Hawkins picks it up and Red Hood tells him that if he shoots him, Hawkins will go free. When Hawkins shoots, Red Hood easily avoids his shots and laughs. When Hawkins runs out of shots, Red Hood beats him, puts a gun to Hawkins' head, and tells Hawkins to tell all his friends about him. He shoots Hawkins dead and says that he'll tell them himself.

Molly is sleeping in her room, and wakes up when she hears the door open. Red Hood is there with Diego, and Red Hood tells Diego that Molly is one of the good ones. Molly sends Diego to the kitchen, and Red Hood tells her that he would never hurt her. Molly realizes that it's Jason, and he says that he's not Jason anymore. Red Hood just wanted to tell Molly that everything would be all right, and he's going to collect from the city for what it owes them.

Molly tells Jason that he needs help, and admits that she's still trying to save him. Jason tells her that it's going to be worse before it gets better, and leaves.