After sneaking away from his overbearing mother so that he could go to summer camp with Bruce Wayne, the two boys sit floating idly in a lake where Tommy confesses his father's abusive behavior. Tommy says that because of his father's erratic and violent tendencies, he was forced to maneuver around his father like a chess piece - always staying one step ahead.

His plans seem to have failed this time as his mother arrives at the camp, raving and screaming that her son be returned to her immediately. As he comes ashore, the scarred woman reminds her only son of all the horrible things that could happen to him in such dangerous places like summer camp. Annoyed and embarrassed, Tommy lashes out and beats up a fellow camper when he makes fun of Tommy for being a momma's boy. This violent outburst ends him up in children's counseling where he meets a young intern by the name of Jonathan Crane (aka Scarecrow).

Still wearing his mother's jade pendant, Tommy continues to practice murdering Bruce Wayne, going so far as to begin dressing up some of his drugged up hospital "staff members" only to execute them.

Hush leaves the hospital to spy on Selina Kyle who encounters Zatanna on the streets of Gotham, pretending to be a Three Card Monte street hustler. While managing to outsmart Zatanna's shuffle at every turn, the two discuss their relationships with Bruce. Zatanna tells Catwoman that there is nothing between her and the Dark Knight. The magician then urges Catwoman that if she has something she wants to say to Bruce - she should do it as soon as she can.

The two women's meeting serves to confirm to Hush that things going according to plan. Hush radios his mentor - Scarecrow - and gives him the go ahead to continue. After infiltrating the Gotham's Children's Hospital, Scarecrow abducts a young boy in the middle of the night and prepares to give him a dosage of fear toxin.