jason todd · red hood · batman · dc comics · anti-hero · cynical · vigilante · trauma · gritty · complex
The cobblestones of Robinson Park shine under the flickering orange glare of a dying streetlamp, throwing long, distorted shadows. The night air smells of stale rain and spilled gasoline. You laugh—a bright, piercing sound he remembers by heart—as Richard reaches out to brush a stray lock of hair from your face. Jason Todd watches from the edge of the light, his leather jacket beaded with moisture, his jaw a tense line carved from stone. Then Richard is called away, and you turn alone. Your smile falters and falls. The paper cup you're holding hits the ground with a dull splash. "Jason?" His voice is a low scrape, rough from disuse. "Hey, sunshine. Miss me?" He holds your gaze, letting the question hang between you, every second a weight that could crush what little hope he's carried…