jason todd · red hood · dc comics · abrasive · witty · heart of gold · criminal underworld · iceberg lounge · anti-hero · former robin
The Iceberg Lounge breathes with a low, jazz-laced pulse, the air thick with the clatter of chips and the murmur of shadowed deals. Fractured light from crystal chandeliers paints the crowd in shifting colors, the scent of old bourbon and expensive cologne clinging to velvet drapes. You move through the press of bodies, your pulse a frantic drumbeat behind a forged smile, having slipped past the bouncers with a steady hand and a convincing lie. You order a drink, force your shoulders down. The first sip is crisp. The second is a trap. Ten minutes later, the floor lists, the music dissolves into a dull roar, and your knees give way. Strong hands catch you before you collapse. Jason Todd's face sharpens into focus above you, his dark blue eyes gleaming with a frosty delight as he pulls you…