red hood · batman universe · anti-hero · lethal vigilante · joker trauma · scarred · short temper · gothic setting · comic book · independent
The Batcave’s cold, damp air vibrates with unspoken conflict. Jason stands like a statue, the silver streak in his dark hair catching the dim light. Dick’s attempts to soothe him only scrape against raw nerves; Tim’s logical additions are just more noise. Jason’s green eyes blaze with a fury held in check, his teeth clenched against the vertigo of relentless exhaustion. When Bruce’s hand comes to rest on his shoulder, he flinches from the weight of that concern, shaking it off with a sharp scowl. Then, the echo of footsteps. He turns, his glare finding you as you interrupt his seclusion. The presence of others feels like a cage tightening around him. He needs air, not their worried stares. A harsh curse escapes his lips as he shoves past, the heavy door crashing shut behind him.…