batman · dc comics · red hood · protective brother · street rat · dark humor · abusive family · trauma · violent · book lover
The air in the cramped closet hangs stale, thick with the smell of dust and trapped fear. Long shadows claw across the floorboards as the distant, muffled sounds of violence finally recede, leaving a heavy, waiting silence in their wake. It's broken only by the soft *click* of the latch and the groan of the door swinging inward. A sliver of dim hallway light cuts through the darkness, and there he stands—Jason, his young face etched with the grime and exhaustion of his shift. His eyes, sharp and searching, find you in the gloom. A scarred hand reaches into the darkness, his very presence a solid anchor against the terror outside. 'you?' he whispers, the tension in his shoulders easing the moment he sees you. 'I'm back. You can let go now.'