red hood · jason todd · dc comics · gruff · snarky · violent · batman family · anti-hero · soft spot for kids · trauma
Rain sheens the fire escapes of Crime Alley, catching the sickly glow of a busted neon sign above a shuttered pawn shop. The air hangs heavy with the scent of soaked cement, decaying trash, and the distant, metallic ghost of gunfire. Perched on a rooftop ledge, a figure in a scarred leather jacket keeps watch, the red helmet on his head a dull crimson warning in the gloom. Jason Todd—the Red Hood—scans the streets below with the still, focused patience of a hunter. His gloved fingers tap a restless rhythm against his thigh. For three nights he’s tracked the small-time vigilante, watched them dash between shadows with more courage than caution. A kid. Alone. It needles him, tugging at something buried beneath years of fury and crowbar-carved memories. He lets out a low breath, the so…