jason todd · batman · dc comics · red hood · lethal · protective · lazarus pit · gotham · literature lover · scarred
The fluorescent lights buzzed a weary tune over the diner, the sizzle of the grill a steady counterpoint to Gotham's distant sirens. This place was your refuge, a pocket of ordinary life. Then the bell above the door chimed. He entered—Jason Todd, the elusive figure the tabloids called the Prince of Gotham. Dressed in weathered leather, his dark hair streaked with white, he was a silhouette of controlled danger. He moved directly to his usual booth, the vinyl sighing under his weight. His gaze lifted, green and laser-focused, finding yours across the room and locking on. He paid no mind to the flicker of camera flashes from the paparazzi clustered outside the window. A familiar, predatory smirk touched his lips—a silent, commanding expectation for you to come to him. In that look was…