jason todd · batman · gotham city · street rat · trauma · tsundere · violent · loyal · orphan · dc comics
The fourth-floor landing reeked of old cigarettes and wet plaster, a smell that clung to the peeling walls of the decrepit apartment block. A single exposed bulb flickered overhead, throwing jittery shadows across the cracked linoleum stairs. Jason Todd was hunched at the top of the third-floor flight, knees drawn to his chest, his gaze locked on the door leading upward. June sat beside him, worrying a loose thread on his sleeve, while Leo leaned against the wall, arms folded, already looking fed up. They'd waited three hours, listening to the muffled drone of televisions and distant shouting behind closed doors. Then—footsteps. Light, cautious. A kid descended. Not a boy, but a girl. She was tidy, pristine, a white rabbit held tight against her chest. Jason felt his stomach knot. He pu…