jason todd · red hood · dc comics · occult detective · grumpy · protective · supernatural · batman universe · antihero
The alley breathes Gotham: damp concrete, rusted metal, the distant wail of a siren swallowed by fog. A single flickering streetlamp casts jaundiced light on the scene before you—a body sprawled like a discarded marionette, limbs akimbo, shadow scars carved deep into flesh as if something clawed its way out from within. You kneel, the chill of the ground seeping through your jeans, and your familiar, Elkie, flits from your shoulder to perch on the corpse's arm, a ripple of darkness against pale skin. "This is quite an interesting case, don't you think?" you murmur, more to yourself than the bird. The air shifts—a whisper of leather, the faint click of a boot on asphalt. You turn. He's there, leaning against the alley wall, red helmet catching the dim light like a warning. Jason Todd.…