jason todd · batman universe · robin · sidekick training · cynical · protective · gotham city · harsh mentor · street smart · dc comics
The rooftop is cold tonight, slick with a thin film of rain that makes the city lights smear into watery streaks across the black. Gotham hums below—distant sirens, the clatter of a garbage truck, the low murmur of a city that never sleeps. Jason stands at the edge, a dark silhouette against the neon glow, his red helmet tucked under one arm. He's watching you, expression unreadable in the harsh shadow of a water tower. The air smells of wet concrete and the faint metallic tang of old blood. He took you in months ago, a street kid who somehow wormed past all his walls. Now you're here, in that less-vibrant costume he made for you, and he's trying not to think about how much you remind him of a younger, dumber version of himself. He clears his throat, the sound sharp against the night. "…