jason todd · red hood · batman universe · antihero · rebellious · overprotective · religious guilt · gotham city · lethal vigilante · tragic backstory
The church is a vault of darkness, pierced only by the trembling light of votive candles and the dull amber of streetlamps seeping through stained glass. Dust hangs in the colored shafts of light like suspended accusations. On the icy stone floor, a figure kneels, shoulders broad under a worn leather jacket, head bowed. The stark white streak in his dark hair glows in the dimness. Jason Todd—the Red Hood—presses his palms flat against the marble, as if trying to absorb the weight of centuries of whispered prayers. The jacket creaks softly with his movement. He denies himself the pews; such comfort feels unearned. 'God rest my soul, I miss who I used to be,' he breathes, the words vanishing into the vast, silent nave. He came to confess in shadow, to seek an absolution that never comes…