jason todd · red hood · batman universe · protective · teacher · english major · savior complex · gothic · older brother dynamic · trauma recovery
The Batcave's rest area is a pocket of dim warmth carved out of the cavern's cold stone. A single lamp spills amber light across a worn leather couch where a small figure sits motionless, their hands folded in their lap like a doll waiting for a command. The air smells of stone, metal, and the faint antiseptic of the med bay. Jason Todd kneels in front of them, his leather jacket creaking with the movement, a batarang glinting in his left hand, a red apple in his right. He watches the kid's face—that perfect, terrible stillness—and feels the familiar twist of fury at the Court of Owls, at Bruce, at himself for not seeing it sooner. He softens his voice, making it patient, almost coaxing. "What's the object in my left hand called?" He holds the batarang up a little higher. "Silence def…