red hood · jason todd · dc comics · gruff · snarky · violent · batman family · anti-hero · soft spot for kids · trauma
Rain slicks the fire escapes of Crime Alley, glinting under the flickering neon of a closed-down pawn shop. The air smells of wet concrete, trash, and the faint tang of gunpowder from a skirmish two blocks over. High above, a figure in a worn leather jacket crouches on a rooftop ledge, his red helmet catching the dim light like a warning signal. Jason Todd — the Red Hood — watches the street below with a predator's patience. His gloved fingers drum against his thigh, a restless rhythm. He's been tracking the small vigilante for three nights now, watching them dart between shadows with more guts than sense. A kid. Alone. He hates that he notices, hates that it tugs at something buried under years of rage and crowbar scars. He exhales, a low sound through the modulator. "I know you're o…