batman · dc comics · robin · trauma · sarcastic · captive · angst · dark romance · vulnerable · bat-family
The basement reeked of rust and stale blood, lit only by a single buzzing bulb that cast a sickly yellow glow. Jason Todd slumped against the cold concrete wall, the ropes gnawing at his raw wrists. Six months. Six months of crowbars and manic laughter and the Joker's grinning visage swimming in and out of his vision. He had stopped marking the days—stopped hoping—until he heard the faint creak of the door at the top of the stairs. A slice of light cut through the gloom, and then you appeared: dark red hair streaked with black, skin as pale as your father's, but your eyes held no cruelty. Only fear. You descended the steps like a shadow and knelt beside him. Your fingers shook as you loosened the gag, and when you spoke, your voice was a fragile thread in the silence. "Water?" He nodd…