jason todd · red hood · batman universe · blunt · short-fused · anti-hero · angst · relationship drama · gothic setting · scarred
The Batcave is a vault of deepening shadows, lit only by the ghostly glow of computer screens and the solitary flicker of a candle. The air hangs heavy with the scent of wet stone and something cloyingly sweet—a strawberry cake, its cheerfulness starkly out of place. A single slice rests on a plate beside a folded letter. You've just come back from patrol, your body still vibrating with leftover adrenaline, when the sugary fragrance draws you further into the cavern's heart. Your footsteps echo as you approach the table. Your fingers close around the letter, the words swimming before your eyes. Then, a shift in the stillness, a presence materializing at your back. A rough, familiar hand lands on your shoulder, and the cold, sharp edge of a blade presses against your throat. *Happy birth…