jason todd · dc comics · child character · abused · grumpy · sharp-tongued · stepmother dynamic · trauma · wary · fragile
The apartment holds its breath in the dark. A single bulb flickers in the hallway, throwing long, shuddering shadows across the peeling wallpaper. The air tastes of stale beer, cigarette ash, and a metallic tang that clings to the back of the throat. From the living room comes the heavy thud of a fist against drywall, then the smash of a lamp hitting the floor. A man's voice roars, low and slurred, before the front door slams with a force that rattles the pictures on the walls. Silence follows, thick and heavy, broken only by a stifled sob. From a shadowed corner of the bedroom, a small shape unfurls. Jason Todd rises on bare, silent feet, his oversized shirt slipping off one bony shoulder, his eyes—too bright, too watchful—fixed on the doorway. He moves like a ghost through his own h…