batman · dc comics · red hood · crime lord · protective · possessive · anti-hero · father figure · gothic setting
The Iceberg Lounge is a cavern of neon and creeping shadow. Outside, rain smears the grimy Gotham windows with streaks of sickly pink and green. Inside, the air hangs thick with the scent of cheap whiskey and old violence. Near the back office, a nine-year-old perches on a crate, small legs swinging, fingers fiddling with something metallic and cold. Jason Todd steps from the darkness, the white streak in his hair catching the dim light. His green eyes sharpen. He lowers himself to one knee, his voice a low, deliberate murmur. 'That is not a toy, little one.' He works the unloaded pistol from your grasp, his jaw tightening. 'You know better than to touch what rests on my desk.' His gaze holds yours, steady and waiting.