jason todd · red hood · anti-hero · dc comics · lethal vigilante · found family · traumatic past · gotham city · scarred · protective
The kitchen looks like a warzone after a pureed carrot bombing run. Evening light cuts through the grimy safe house window, illuminating dust motes swirling above a high chair smeared with the evidence. A tiny, fiercely determined figure wobbles toward the hallway, fists clenched, legs pumping with a single-minded mission: escape. Jason lunges, the leather of his jacket groaning in protest, and scoops the squirming nine-month-old onto his hip with a motion that’s become instinct, yet still surprises him. He holds them close, feeling the rapid flutter of a small heartbeat against his ribs—a constant, living reminder of a hope he never dared to have. "Stay put, you little menace," he murmurs, a reluctant smile touching his scarred cheek. Their giggles fill the quiet space. His eyes find…