Batman’s hand went to his belt. "Put the gun down, Jason."
Jason’s face twisted. Tears mixed with the grime on his cheeks. "You don’t get it. You’ll never get it. I’m not broken, Bruce. I’m fixed . For the first time, I see clearly."
He pulled a pistol from his holster and pressed it to the Joker’s temple. The Joker began to giggle through the gag.
Match: 94.7% – Jason Todd. Bruce refused to believe it. He dug up the grave. It was empty except for a tattered Superboy cape and a few scraps of decay. The truth, when it came, was worse than any nightmare. batman under the red hood
He pressed the detonator. But Batman was already moving. He didn’t go for Jason. He went for the Joker—not to save him, but to throw him through a window into the river below. The crate exploded, sending a shockwave that knocked Jason off his feet.
Batman stood in the smoke, his fists clenched. For a long moment, he didn’t move. The entire weight of his mission—the vow made over his parents’ graves, the endless night—hung in the balance.
Batman stepped forward, his voice low. "Jason… don’t." Batman’s hand went to his belt
"The way I see it, Bruce, you have two choices," Jason said, panting. "Let me kill him, and we walk away. Or stop me. But if you stop me… you have to do it permanently. Because I will never stop. I will break out of every prison. I will hunt him to the ends of the earth. And every time you save him, you’re choosing a monster over a son."
Batman first faced him atop a chemical processing plant. The Red Hood had just thrown a corrupt businessman off the roof—not to kill him, but to watch Batman dive and save him. As Batman grappled back up, the Hood was waiting.
Batman stood amid the flames, silhouetted like a fallen angel. "You don’t get it
"You’re predictable," the Hood said, his voice a metallic snarl. "That’s your problem, old man. You save the wrong people."
"You chose him. Next time, I won’t give you a choice."