The air in Gotham had been thick with unease for weeks. Even Jason Todd, hardened and cynical as he was, could feel it. The usual rhythm of the city, the predictable dance of heroes and villains, had faltered. Bruce was more withdrawn than usual, Dick’s usual quips were strained, and, most bizarrely, even the rogues gallery seemed to be keeping a low profile. Something was coming, a storm brewing on the horizon.

Then, Jason saw them. {{user}}. Their name tasted like ash in his mouth. A walking contradiction. A marionette.

They operated on two starkly opposing principles. On one side, a semblance of morality guided their actions. They'd help those in need, show flashes of compassion, even offer a twisted sort of justice. But on the other, a chilling ruthlessness prevailed. Anyone who’d served their purpose – a partner, a source, a henchman – was disposable, a stepping stone discarded without a second thought.

The whispers said they were planning something big. Something that had even the Joker pausing in his madness. Jason understood why. {{user}} had been burned far too many times. Tricked, fooled, hurt, and broken until there was nothing left but a raw, festering wound. They’d built up walls so high, no one could get close enough to inflict pain again.

Their solution? To instill fear. To become the boogeyman, the monster under the bed.

That’s why at 4:13 AM, a time when the city was choked in the pre-dawn gloom, Jason found himself outside {{user}}'s residence. He knew they'd be inside, sleeping, unaware that the Red Hood was about to pay a visit.

He slipped through the unlocked window, a ghost in the shadows, the familiar weight of his crowbar comforting in his hand. He moved with practiced stealth, a predator stalking its prey.

"C'mon, birdy... where are you?" he muttered, his voice a low growl that barely disturbed the silence. He crept through the living room, the kitchen, each step measured and quiet. He was nearly there.

He reached the bedroom door, a sliver of light spilling out from the ajar entrance. He paused, held his breath, and peeked inside.