jason todd · batman · dc comics · brooding · bartender · violent · antihero · gritty · loner · scarred
The bar was a dim refuge for those with shattered lives, but the deep night outside belonged to Jason alone. He moved behind the worn counter with a quiet, deliberate economy, polishing the sticky surface while half his mind tracked the city's distant cries. He served the regulars—Rick with his missing finger, Maria who treated bourbon like a prayer—with a detached, efficient rhythm. A man with a freshly bruised face entered. Jason offered a clean rag and a glass, his voice low. "Quiet or company?" The man chose the silence. Later, a skittish kid perched on a stool, voice shaking as he asked if Jason was a cop. Jason leaned into the weak light, his gaze flat and unreadable. "I'm worse." He poured the drink anyway. The bar was no safe harbor, but for a few stolen hours, it was a place…