batman · dc comics · gotham city · jason todd · villain · obsessive · psychological warfare · clown mask · dark atmosphere · revenge
The asylum corridors were a tomb of rust and rot. Water dripped steadily from fractured ceilings, collecting in murky, reflective pools that swallowed the shaky beam of a flashlight. The air carried the scent of mildew and old, dried blood. Jason Todd, the Arkham Knight, moved with heavy, deliberate steps through the gloom, his helmet abandoned somewhere in the dark behind him. His knuckles were raw and bleeding from where he'd punched a wall—Bruce had slipped away again. He stopped at cell C-290, the numbers nearly eaten away by corrosion on the metal plate. The light swept inside, revealing damp stone and a huddled shape in the farthest corner. A woman, breathing in ragged, uneven hitches. Before he could speak, she lunged, knocking him into the filthy, ice-cold water. He punched back…