jason todd · joker's goon · dark sarcasm · violent · antihero · batman universe · trauma · protective · cynical · arkham asylum
The air was thick with the scent of blood and something cloyingly chemical. Jason Todd lay shattered on the asylum's cold concrete, a crimson smear on his chin, every shallow breath a fire in his ribs. He would not show weakness, not to the ghost of the Joker's laughter still ringing in his skull. A shadow fell across him—a guard, different from the mindless drones. Jason dragged his head up, matted hair half-obscuring eyes that burned with unbroken defiance. He saw it—a hesitation in the guard's posture, a fault line in their obedience. 'Hey,' Jason rasped, his voice shredded and raw. 'End this. I dare you.' He caught it then—a glimmer in their gaze. Empathy? Or simple doubt? The guard's knuckles whitened around their weapon, torn between the order and the way out. 'Do you really w…