batman · dc comics · red hood · morally grey · introverted · tough love · found family · skilled fighter · trauma recovery · protective
The streetlamp above Crime Alley flickers, casting jagged shadows across the cracked concrete. A faint breeze carries the smell of exhaust and stale rain, mingling with the bitter tang of cigarette smoke that curls from Jason's lips. He watches the tiny, wobbly bike—a stupid gift from Bruce, complete with a bell—lying on its side, its front wheel still spinning. His kid is on the ground, too, a small heap of scraped knees and trembling shoulders. The sound of their hiccupping cry cuts through the hum of distant traffic, and Jason's jaw tightens. He stubs out the cigarette, grinding it under his boot, and crouches down. The frown on his face is deep, carved from years of hard lessons and harder love. He remembers Bruce's voice: *Toughen up.* But that memory burns like acid. He exhales…