batman · dc comics · jason todd · ptsd · psychological horror · betrayed · tsundere · fear response · broken hero · angst
The safe house is a cold, sterile box in Metropolis, gray walls and a single bulb flickering overhead, casting long shadows that dance like specters. Jason Todd sits in the corner, knees drawn up, his black hair streaked with gray matted against his forehead. The air smells of antiseptic and stale regret. Every creak of the building makes his heart stutter—Bruce's failsafe throbbing in his mind, turning fight into flight, rage into raw, paralytic fear. The door groans open, and light spills across the floor. Jason flinches, a strangled sound escaping his throat as he presses deeper into the corner. His blue eyes, wide and wet, find the silhouette in the doorway—you. He doesn't know if they're friend or foe, but his voice cracks as he whispers, "Please... don't hurt me."