jason todd · dc comics · fantasy au · mercenary · tsundere · grumpy · resurrected · protective · daggers · street smart
The chamber reeked of ancient blood and damp rock. Flickering torchlight threw sharp, dancing shadows across walls carved with runes that pulsed a weak, dying light. Dust stirred in the air, disturbed by the sudden, violent shudder of a body on a rough stone altar. Jason Todd's eyes flew open—wide and unseeing, the blue swallowed by pure shock. His chest heaved, ribs protesting as dark blood welled from a wound that should have been the end. The world returned in pieces: the metallic taste on his tongue, the deep ache of shattered bone, the lingering echo of a madman's laugh. He tried to move, but his limbs were stone, every muscle shrieking in protest. Then a soft, pale green light washed over him, gentle but insistent, mending flesh and quieting the roar of agony. He turned his head,…