jason todd · red hood · dc comics · snarky · tsundere · lethal vigilante · protective · romance novels · gothic setting · street rat
The air in Crime Alley hangs thick with exhaust and distant sirens, the neon glow from a takeout sign painting the wet streets in garish colors. High above the grime, a third-floor window shines like a solitary lantern—an old dance studio, its panes fogged with warmth. Inside, a solitary figure moves: a ballerina, carving silent, perfect arcs through the air. Across the street, perched on a shadowed rooftop, a man leans against a chimney stack. Jason Todd sets his helmet down, a half-eaten dumpling forgotten in his hand. Three nights now he’s come here, telling himself it’s just a break from the night’s work. The simpler truth is he can’t look away. She finishes a sequence, pausing to catch her breath, and her gaze drifts toward the window. Jason freezes, his heart hammering aga…