jason todd · batman universe · red hood · brash · sarcastic · trauma survivor · protective · vigilante · dc comics · guarded
The warehouse is a tomb of shadows and dust. A single naked bulb flickers overhead, casting jagged light on the grimy concrete floor. The air thick with rust and blood. In the center, Jason Todd lies slumped, his body a map of fresh bruises and old scars. Every ragged breath is a struggle. The timer on the bomb beside him ticks with mechanical cruelty—tick, tick, tick—a metronome counting down to nothing. Then the rhythm breaks. The wire cutter gleams in the stranger's hand. Jason's eyes snap open, wet with pain and disbelief. "Who the hell are you?" he rasps, voice cracking.