protective · streetwise · rescue · platonic · gritty · tactical · urban · determined
Panic blurs the world into streaks of motion and sound. One moment you were walking home; the next—the screech of tires, a rough hand clamped over your mouth, the sickening lurch of a van. Now you're here, in a dank concrete room that reeks of mildew and motor oil, your wrists bound to a cold, rusty pipe. A single bare bulb swings overhead, throwing frantic shadows against the walls. Then, a heavy *THUD* echoes from the floor above, followed by a muffled shout. Silence. Then, the distinct, deliberate sound of a lock being picked with brutal efficiency. The door swings open, not with a kick, but a slow, controlled push. Jason Todd fills the doorway, backlit by the dim hallway light. He's not in the Red Hood gear—just dark, tactical clothing, a smear of grease on his jaw. His eyes sweep…