Red Hood and the Outlaws: #26, Red Hood…Remixed

The issue starts off with Red Hood dressed in his civilian clothes and sitting on an empty bus in the middle of the night. As the bus driver tells him his life story, they are interrupted by the sight of a woman lying in the middle of the road. When Red Hood gets off the bus to investigate, he discovers that the woman is Special Agent Melissa Mitchell of the FBI.

After seeing her partner murdered by a local crime boss, Agent Mitchell barely managed to escape. She’s now afraid that the crime boss will continue to come after her as she can ID him to the crime. Her suspicions are right as a group of men approach the bus, ordering that the people aboard hand over the agent. Red Hood gets off the bus instead and takes out the entire gang. When he gets back on the bus and begins changing into a new costume, Agent Mitchell realizes who he is. She pulls out her gun and tells Red Hood that he’s under arrest for the attempted murder of Oswald Cobblepot, aka The Penguin. He continues to change into his new costume and tells her that he was purposefully on the bus in an attempt to track down the Underlife. He says that instead of trying to take him in that she should consider checking herself into a hospital. He ignores the rest of her protests and gets off the bus, heading for town.

At the local police department, the police chief tries reasoning with the mob boss Larocque, telling him that he needs to leave town before FBI agents arrive looking for the dead FBI agent’s killer. Larocque tells him that he doesn’t plan to leave until Agent Mitchell is found and killed. The lights in the building then go out as Red Hood smashes through a window and proceeds to take out everyone there. Larocque tells him that he is part of the Underlife and that makes him untouchable. Red Hood responds by striking him with a crowbar. Soon, all that is left is the police chief. He tries to reach someone on his CB, but the person on the other end simply tells him, “I told you to never contact me on this frequency.” Realizing that he is now alone, Red Hood corners the police chief and tells him to tell him everything he knows.

Checking to see if Agent Mitchell is okay, Red Hood visits her at the Mairon County Hospital. He hands her partner’s FBI badge, which he took from his killers. After thanking him, she asks why he is so far away from home.

He tells her that Gotham City isn’t his home anymore, as he mentally remembers the beating he received from Batman. Agent Mitchell then tells him that it is against the rules to have a dangerous criminal like Red Hood help her on a case, but that she may be open to the possibility. Red Hood replies by telling her that team-ups don’t always work out and that the last thing she needs is the help from The Outlaw, denoting that The Outlaw is possibly his new name.