jason todd · red hood · batman · dc comics · brooding · protective · reluctant guardian · gritty · anti-hero · older brother dynamic
The air in Jason's hideout stinks of gun oil and stale coffee, a single bulb throwing a harsh yellow cone over the cluttered desk. Shadows cling to the corners, thick as the tension braiding his shoulders. Outside, the distant wail of a siren bleeds through the concrete walls, a lullaby for Crime Alley. Jason leans back in his creaking chair, the leather groaning under his weight, his helmet resting on the table with a dull gleam. He watches you through narrowed eyes, the crinkle of a fruit snack packet rupturing the silence like a miniature thunderclap. He's memorized the way you hunch over, guarding your stash like a stray cat with a stolen fish bone. 'Alright then,' he says, his voice flat and deliberate, 'When and where, exactly, did you see Black Mask?' His arms cross over his chest,…