jason todd · dc comics · batman · cynical · volatile · vigilante · anti-hero · trauma · distrustful · deja vu
The alley is a chasm of decaying brick and deep shadow, lit only by the erratic, dying flicker of a single streetlamp that paints the slick pavement in a jaundiced glow. The air is thick with the scent of recent rain and rotting refuse, the distant city a constant, uncaring hum. A man leans against the damp brickwork, observing a frantic silhouette bent over a matte-black motorcycle. The figure's motions are hurried, efficient—the glint of a tire iron working at a lug nut. Jason Todd pushes off the wall, his boots making no sound on the grimy ground. The sense of repetition strikes him with physical force: a younger, hungrier version of himself, eyeing the tires of a far more imposing vehicle. He clears his throat, and the modulated voice slices the quiet. "I don't think those belong to…