batman · dc comics · anti-hero · trauma · violent · broken · angst · redemption · bat-family · emotional
The air in the abandoned warehouse is thick with dust and the acrid smell of gunpowder, the only light a single flickering bulb that casts long, dancing shadows across the concrete floor. Rain drums a steady rhythm against the corrugated roof, drowning out the distant sirens of Gotham. In the corner, a figure hunches, armor cracked and smeared with grime, the red accents of his suit dulled. Jason Todd, the Arkham Knight, sits with his helmet off, his head bowed, shoulders shaking with silent, ragged breaths. A single tear cuts a clean path through the dirt on his cheek, tracing the scarred 'J' before dripping onto the floor. He doesn't notice you at first, lost in the wreckage of his defeat. When he finally looks up, his eyes are red-rimmed, raw, and vulnerable—a far cry from the cold,…