Jason didn’t come to school today.
Nana stared at the empty seat—18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8RvosxBPiE
the one Jason always sat in.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnnYMl4L7bK
He always sat up straight.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQSUBjS5feJ
Even though the chair wobbled,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMpDZY2AC5O
he made it look steady.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡppRYmZjhQu
Made it look like his throne.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8mokssVDNR
It was Jason’s spot.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS7eBIbfEqS
No one dared touch it.
Nana touched the bread in her pocket.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdQNYtVQYZJ
She had saved it for him.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfsXH7aDjIZ
The boy ate a lot—18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4CwuyS4W8G
he was always saying he was hungry.
She waited the whole day.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtZa0WDIO5g
But Jason never came.
Truth be told,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaqHtxA5qdX
he looked like a troublemaker,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmIGhpQTro3
but he actually liked school.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhEwrOwsVcq
He respected the teacher.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡopttfMbVFG
Even when scolded,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmtJO3NqqAL
he just frowned—never talked back.
Nana grew more and more uneasy.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPpYyGG6MJI
After school,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXQix9AJkzk
she decided to go look for him.
She had never been to Jason’s home,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNDApz3fAuy
but he’d described it a few times—18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Xac5eSAw7
the pawn shop at the corner with a broken sign,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlVN2SsMqOb
stairs that creaked like they were ready to collapse,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡazBKAsy2Jw
and a bottom-floor door that smelled like rotten shoes.
She spent a while searching,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNR1jsBbfur
asking directions,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYdzWCiN4nZ
following fragments of memory.
The sun began to set18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXN81JFhVMm
when she finally stepped into a deeper part of the slums.
It was the slums within the slums.
Nana kept her body close,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdlKkJlBkDy
avoiding drunken men vomiting on the street,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAqe2LARTp0
sidestepping women chatting in low, tired voices.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9voKKoi12L
At the end of the road,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFL2CcAIdVm
there were barely any people.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDkKFs7HTDp
The doors were shut tight.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ50zrPrBb39
Graffiti and grime smeared the walls.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAsHzmtOW4l
The air reeked of mold.
Following Jason’s descriptions,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDPu2YdzUDz
she found the second floor of the abandoned pawn shop.
Each step on the staircase18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQPEHBCBU5u
made her heart pound—18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU2gRRu1Ftw
every creak whispering that life here was uncertain,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡABtuwOpdNN
like the world itself was warning her:18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdrQVREAFvL
No one should be here.
She reached the top,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE7PN7Wvqhj
stood before a door blackened by filth.
She raised her hand to knock—18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm4ORPWDAGE
but realized the door wasn’t closed.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4w9l0xQDRa
The frame was cracked.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVw72p4eO77
She pushed.
The door opened with a soft click-click.
Inside,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGeXzYWeDgT
it was dark.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyE0c7251uT
So dark,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoHS9DQkavA
it felt like light had never existed there.
Nana stepped inside slowly—18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRf719ocA6s
and kicked something.
She looked down.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJqpklVJDHQ
Her eyes had grown used to the dark.
What she saw18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa4hzmZUcdz
froze her in place.
Jason was on the floor,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTlIUhO2Qns
his face covered in blood.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7gc1q63P3f
His lip was split,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6paKUTL2LX
his nose still bleeding.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2j4C5zixzd
His clothes were wrinkled,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKFcjsXMaoE
and dried blood stained his chest18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0OexWgGqra
like an old, torn blanket.
Nana dropped to her knees, shaking.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfBQY1LXmKF
She reached out and gently shook him.
His body was limp.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnyka7BJ1Ts
No response.
She lowered her head,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiHUKmBJOtz
pressed her ear against his chest.
Thank God.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiL5bgxQY6Z
There was still a heartbeat.
But it was faint.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMjnx6nYob0
Slow.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQRBV8rvnWm
Like the heart itself was drifting into sleep.
Her eyes blurred.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzizytQEUgE
Tears streamed uncontrollably.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzxNTU6thQq
She had never cried like this before.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbxu3mpGzUO
Her throat burned—like it was on fire.
She opened her mouth—18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEu9KP1H6wI
and by sheer instinct,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtkiPAVBzHB
made a sound:
“J… Jason… Ja… son…”
The voice was hoarse.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkWSJbUmLYU
Broken.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGwlWnw7VfI
Like a rusty door creaking open.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3eqYNK95T5
Like vocal cords that hadn’t worked in years18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrc3wBfuuKU
screaming for the first time.
Her face was soaked.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVWectVaIon
She cried and looked around,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkIIkxu0aw0
not knowing what to do.
As she wiped her tears,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkfJ5gYpJ9P
something on the wall caught her eye.
The Batman symbol.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTnyadULgvd
Drawn in chalk.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy5xJshSVkX
Smudged with time,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkW2fPpifyY
but still clear.
A bat with its wings spread.
The police used it to call Batman.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3PlxnGKbip
Jason said it was the mark of his hero.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCqTn2DGxbR
He said he drew it on the wall18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsYCYcwG3OC
because he hoped—someday—18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNFE9JBMkLh
to meet Batman.
“…Batman,” Nana murmured.
And then,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJJNRFTjszC
suddenly, she understood.
She jumped to her feet18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLIomkpZoxr
and ran outside.
The street wind was icy,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE9LRyi8bGB
but she didn’t care.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgpvTSheqbt
She ran—
toward the places Jason had told her about.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg900dQlowO
The underpass.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW7pf9XY9Q9
The rooftop.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlPq2iPoZCN
The ruined lot.
Jason had once said,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWgcafX5wlR
completely serious:18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA9YgZp6TFB
Batman definitely patrols here.
Nana stopped.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBUcR6o1i9J
Put her hands around her mouth like a megaphone.
“Bat… man!”
She shouted.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyjVlyNDuDu
The voice cracked,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVFQFaORsNP
the syllables broken by coughs.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvEYsmOwbRq
“Cough… Bat… man…!”
She cried.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNuMxKX7uV5
Screamed.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDNd9CLf5xm
Each word tearing from her throat18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyw9UykRtbw
like strips of flesh.
“R… Rob… cough… Robin…”
She felt herself crumbling.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVsNNOAkL4G
Her throat was on fire.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzSCKipsJFa
Her voice—shredded.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK1I9K88kmi
But she didn’t stop.
She was scared.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnGzrkZhsxm
Terrified.
She was about to lose Jason.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpLVlpVq4Xc
He was still lying there.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMw3and1CeR
If they were too late…
“If you keep calling me Ro-cough-bin,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXXBJtVal6F
I’m gonna start thinking that’s my name.”
A voice.
Sudden.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxoLMfFD9sd
Calm.
Nana turned sharply.
Through her tear-streaked vision,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUduPGBwvaV
a figure stood in the dark mist of the Gotham night.
Red.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCMrr76LpWX
Green.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB3KUFJmYoH
Yellow.
A cape.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjBG8lnFKqL
An R on the chest.
Exactly as she’d seen in the newspapers.
A figure once from fantasy18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpqxSGXi0WY
was now standing before her in real life.
Robin.
He stepped forward.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW1V58d3L9k
Gently ran a hand over her hair,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrCqN8SVTHn
like calming a bird about to break.
Then, softly, he asked:
“What happened?”
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDW3aC90FpQ
and then Add to home screen.