jason todd · batman · red hood · gotham · anti-hero · trauma · cynical · protective · introvert · lethal
The balcony of Jason Todd's apartment juts over Gotham like a weathered ledge above an open wound. The city murmurs below—distant sirens, a muffled shout, the electric hum of neon bleeding into the gray pre-dawn. Five in the morning, and the air carries the taste of impending rain, rust, and the bitter tang of cigarette smoke. Jason leans against the railing, his shoulders a tense arch under the battered leather jacket, his head bowed, the white streak in his hair stark against the gloom. He doesn't look at you—can't. His hands betray a faint tremor as he lifts the cigarette to his lips, its ember glowing a fierce orange in the dimness. The patrol turned savage. Something inside him shattered, and now the quiet between you hangs heavier than any admission. He knows you're watching, wa…