Like I said, I'm back for another today.

3rd POV

"This shipment was meant for the Black Mask, I doubt you're behind this. Who do you work for?" Batman asks the three. Nightwing hangs back near the truck, watching the interrogation.

"I swear, we don't work for anybody, this was our gig, all our idea," one says.

Batman waits a beat before turning to Nightwing. "Let it go."

"Right." Nightwing presses a button and allows the metal corpse of Amazo fall straight to the three handcuffed crooks.

"I'll talk! I'll talk just stop!" The android is lifted up and Batman walks closer. "The Red Hood, we're working for the Red Hood. We didn't have any choice, he's gonna-" The man cries out and slumps forward. He's followed by his companions. Batman and Nightwing take cover.

"The shots came from the rooftop, a sniper," Nightwing states. Batman looks at the corpses. "A good one," Nightwing adds, seeing Batman's gaze.

Batman steps out and looks at the rooftop with binoculars. They zoom in on a shadowy figure stowing his sniper and sprinting away.

"See him?"

"Yeah." Batman calls his jet and it releases a rope for him to hold onto.

"Hey wait!" Nightwing yells as he pursues the shooter. "Right.." Nightwing turns to the others, "and I've got them."

Batman pulls into the cockpit and follows the figure on the rooftops. Then he jumps down and gets into a blue car. Batman continues chase through the streets, even through a tunnel filled with cars. He shoots a grappling hook at the car and it pulls him out of the tunnel.

Batman pulls back, forcing the front wheels of the car to come off the road. The driver releases the cover of the car, bringing Batman right back to square one. The car leads him to an abandoned warehouse and crashes through the front entrance. Batman deploys and free falls to the roof.

Crashing through the skylights, he crouches to absorb the impact. He looks around to see no one else. There are vats of red hot liquid below him. He sees the blue car, post collision course with one of the vats. He turns to his right and sees a silver 'T' in the guard rail one walk way over. The rest of the metal is rusted, but that one cross section is new.

It was from his encounter with the Joker, before he was the Joker. He was the original Red Hood. He was so close to cuffing him. He tried to take the big red helmet off, but tripped and fell into one of the vats. Next thing he knew, there was a pale and crazy creep running around with a thing against bats; One in particular.

Batman, who is now standing next to the spot it happened, senses someone is watching him. He looks up to his right, seeing a man in a leather jacket and red helmet pointing a gun at him. "Hard to forget that night, huh?" The new Red Hood asks, "In a way, Batman, this was the site of your first big failure. Maybe your greatest. ..But certainly not your last, right?"

Batman narrows his eyes at him, smarting from the mention of his late sidekick.

"Ahh, memories," Red Hood says casually. Before Batman can say anything, he points the gun at the car and it bursts into flames. Batman protects himself from the blast, but Red Hood escapes. Batman chases after him, using his bat grappling hook to reach his level.

The car explodes more and it tears through the walkway just in front of the Dark Knight. He starts to fall to the red liquid, so he fires his grappling hook.

His boots skim across the surface before he's pulled to safety. The liquid below him catches fire and shoots him into the air. He rolls and watches the inferno, looking for the Red Hood.

But he's gone, and Batman knows he hasn't see the last of him yet.

Batman's first encounter with Red Hood.

Lucy will be in the next chapter, I'm sure. But I need a night off. Two chapters (even if one is short) is enough for one day.

Plus.. I have homework.

~CtW