Jason didn’t come to school today.
Nana stared at the empty seat—82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjF5n0WsjUe
the one Jason always sat in.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw7sv44q16n
He always sat up straight.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdwHnFC92uE
Even though the chair wobbled,82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLdJotW3Emn
he made it look steady.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC4YEaaA0Zl
Made it look like his throne.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn6uspeloZe
It was Jason’s spot.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE68FL2VMCp
No one dared touch it.
Nana touched the bread in her pocket.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2GfKZ4KGv3
She had saved it for him.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUvbxizWD1x
The boy ate a lot—82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI6gxfH300L
he was always saying he was hungry.
She waited the whole day.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWMDG5Bu1P8
But Jason never came.
Truth be told,82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3CfVD4a6v1
he looked like a troublemaker,82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMQBbE8furf
but he actually liked school.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7iTDEg4k5H
He respected the teacher.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlfZ76t2PWX
Even when scolded,82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPia7Wmm4Te
he just frowned—never talked back.
Nana grew more and more uneasy.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC8cSmEYpYg
After school,82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfoFV7FqQcn
she decided to go look for him.
She had never been to Jason’s home,82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbLnEcNFLnM
but he’d described it a few times—82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbX0bCVJa27
the pawn shop at the corner with a broken sign,82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6dD5vnulm1
stairs that creaked like they were ready to collapse,82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsppXYQJhHj
and a bottom-floor door that smelled like rotten shoes.
She spent a while searching,82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXv9sStOhUZ
asking directions,82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuaufXxunjG
following fragments of memory.
The sun began to set82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiWr7TLzM3t
when she finally stepped into a deeper part of the slums.
It was the slums within the slums.
Nana kept her body close,82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUUyWCixPcX
avoiding drunken men vomiting on the street,82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGMHogUHR1q
sidestepping women chatting in low, tired voices.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQtzBc2Mw5D
At the end of the road,82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj1Rq3awbjJ
there were barely any people.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTUpcEZ4TZ1
The doors were shut tight.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡELYkKALwFT
Graffiti and grime smeared the walls.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0UAX5Ou2m4
The air reeked of mold.
Following Jason’s descriptions,82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7TNqM9rHCx
she found the second floor of the abandoned pawn shop.
Each step on the staircase82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKMf9iKz2i8
made her heart pound—82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh09onOYgTM
every creak whispering that life here was uncertain,82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡROgSPFmgBp
like the world itself was warning her:82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlD6KUVZe7x
No one should be here.
She reached the top,82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuZwCcARAcB
stood before a door blackened by filth.
She raised her hand to knock—82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDk2BtzJxFF
but realized the door wasn’t closed.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXvQgGH9hdj
The frame was cracked.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY1qya4qGRp
She pushed.
The door opened with a soft click-click.
Inside,82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3adh91kT4V
it was dark.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡho2MjRNt4d
So dark,82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz7MVlu6879
it felt like light had never existed there.
Nana stepped inside slowly—82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJyuHe34b9N
and kicked something.
She looked down.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn8Y0zP0YBy
Her eyes had grown used to the dark.
What she saw82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMNIvOTCduj
froze her in place.
Jason was on the floor,82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXj4WvwcSLL
his face covered in blood.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9lRVcSM1lt
His lip was split,82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ53lrLf7vUe
his nose still bleeding.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzmLi0OZRZc
His clothes were wrinkled,82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQnxlNibZNW
and dried blood stained his chest82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNo3e9WUDjM
like an old, torn blanket.
Nana dropped to her knees, shaking.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK9Es6xmfKy
She reached out and gently shook him.
His body was limp.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWfOqudRLBF
No response.
She lowered her head,82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjB53hxPIxp
pressed her ear against his chest.
Thank God.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxwazqS4CPw
There was still a heartbeat.
But it was faint.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ69wrASvRPY
Slow.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0KBGlPTJMX
Like the heart itself was drifting into sleep.
Her eyes blurred.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhNkrcflZDc
Tears streamed uncontrollably.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxvRcxH43k4
She had never cried like this before.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbrtvEWXgTk
Her throat burned—like it was on fire.
She opened her mouth—82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtNCnSNQ0we
and by sheer instinct,82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyITImhBn9b
made a sound:
“J… Jason… Ja… son…”
The voice was hoarse.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdXWZNAzRpl
Broken.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIjbECV3Xsx
Like a rusty door creaking open.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOdNlGvhy5F
Like vocal cords that hadn’t worked in years82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKMuZ0YeAl0
screaming for the first time.
Her face was soaked.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb4CFWoi1mt
She cried and looked around,82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3rGpFofZkH
not knowing what to do.
As she wiped her tears,82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJZ4xSbW2Ix
something on the wall caught her eye.
The Batman symbol.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyc3KKT2UZg
Drawn in chalk.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ZqWy8O43l
Smudged with time,82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX0N5tdbK3K
but still clear.
A bat with its wings spread.
The police used it to call Batman.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkbatf0mQpo
Jason said it was the mark of his hero.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFe9B0gG2hM
He said he drew it on the wall82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxKt7HIJsMB
because he hoped—someday—82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtN1M4Rbm3m
to meet Batman.
“…Batman,” Nana murmured.
And then,82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAm6bYl8Ngm
suddenly, she understood.
She jumped to her feet82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ81jFnyuGa6
and ran outside.
The street wind was icy,82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9iQuwE7YLq
but she didn’t care.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7DrXrCzMWV
She ran—
toward the places Jason had told her about.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlOWBc27hi0
The underpass.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkKELiiE0dq
The rooftop.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ6YwqhaE70
The ruined lot.
Jason had once said,82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡznkApsWBhv
completely serious:82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrKBhnBIw3C
Batman definitely patrols here.
Nana stopped.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQLXtaYByw
Put her hands around her mouth like a megaphone.
“Bat… man!”
She shouted.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPIuc5QpCre
The voice cracked,82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWtzib8sTsm
the syllables broken by coughs.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrtd7OFq8vv
“Cough… Bat… man…!”
She cried.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtCKmuyQg7I
Screamed.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡljyKUknmvz
Each word tearing from her throat82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdFtoZgSUfo
like strips of flesh.
“R… Rob… cough… Robin…”
She felt herself crumbling.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq0Gsfo8GFr
Her throat was on fire.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeIknFX0SSw
Her voice—shredded.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8GYVBQyqvD
But she didn’t stop.
She was scared.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ49xrGlh6ix
Terrified.
She was about to lose Jason.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4GT9UIkKdg
He was still lying there.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ02qolVfPE1
If they were too late…
“If you keep calling me Ro-cough-bin,82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡccVJ7jEYGN
I’m gonna start thinking that’s my name.”
A voice.
Sudden.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEwuHRH1apa
Calm.
Nana turned sharply.
Through her tear-streaked vision,82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1TfoWJ9yKe
a figure stood in the dark mist of the Gotham night.
Red.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡExIBOeZFLM
Green.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMRdWDyL7Fj
Yellow.
A cape.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf5uyIGrqz9
An R on the chest.
Exactly as she’d seen in the newspapers.
A figure once from fantasy82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCs17VtTuz6
was now standing before her in real life.
Robin.
He stepped forward.82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8lE3VBWeHu
Gently ran a hand over her hair,82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9386fu7XP7
like calming a bird about to break.
Then, softly, he asked:
“What happened?”
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhpCZ0E3yvO
and then Add to home screen.