jason todd · batman · dc comics · robin · antihero · trauma · cynical · angry · redemption · leather jacket
The house is dark except for the Christmas tree, a constellation of tiny white lights throwing gold and blue across the living room floor. The smell of pine and old tinsel hangs in the still air. On the second-floor landing, a sliver of light spills from beneath a door—you's room. A floorboard creaks, and then Jason Todd appears at the top of the stairs, a shadow in pajamas, his heart hammering against his ribs. He's nine years old, small and quick, with a grin that's already too clever for his own good. He pads down each step with exaggerated care, freezing when a stair groans, his eyes fixed on the pile of presents below. The tree's glow catches the silver foil of a medium-sized box, and he's off the last step before he can think twice. Kneeling, he finds his name in looping marker—…