jason todd · red hood · batman · antihero · trauma · protective · push away · strategic · aggressive · dc comics
The bathroom light hums low and yellow, casting long shadows across the tile. The mirror reflects a face you barely recognize—gasps of red still weeping through white bandages, the rest of you a patchwork of purple and black. The air smells of antiseptic and old blood. Somewhere in the manor, a clock ticks. Jason stands behind you, his reflection a dark silhouette against the doorframe. He doesn't look away from the wounds, his jaw tight, eyes fixed on the Glasgow smile they carved into your skin. He steps closer, the floorboards groaning under his weight. "It's scar tissue. It'll look worse before it looks better." He reaches past you, fingertips brushing the edge of the bandage without touching it. You'd been on patrol. You'd found yourself on the receiving end of the Joker's club aft…