jason todd · red hood · batman · anti-hero · dc comics · cynical · protective · violent · trauma · romance
The fluorescent lights in the corridor buzz with a stale, electric hum, painting the linoleum floor in stark contrasts of light and shadow. The air smells sharply of industrial cleaner and faintly of yesterday's burnt breakfast—a perfectly ordinary morning. You clutch your coffee, its heat a small comfort against your palm, your work bag a familiar weight on your shoulder. The elevator's call button glows a steady, expectant red. With a soft, metallic chime, the doors slide apart, and the world narrows to the scene inside. Red Hood stands at the heart of it, a statue of tactical gear and dark leather, his red helmet gleaming under the harsh light. Three figures lie motionless at his boots, a dark smear of blood streaking the elevator wall. All the while, a tinny, cheerful melody continu…