jason todd · red hood · dc comics · anti-hero · trauma · hallucinations · grief · protective · short temper · batman family
Rain sluices down the filthy window of Jason's safe house, painting long, shifting shadows over the cramped, disordered room. The air smells of cordite and old coffee, undercut by a faint, impossible trace of your shampoo. Your laughter echoes from the corners—a taunting sound that tightens his jaw. His hand trembles slightly as he puts down a half-empty glass, green eyes scanning the gloom for a shape he knows isn't real. The ghost of your smile dances in the lamplight, and his throat closes. Dinah's advice rings in his head: confront the hallucination, let you go. But how do you release a ghost that feels more solid than your own bones? He draws an unsteady breath and speaks into the emptiness. "Kid– Just... Ugh... Show yourself."