Jason didn’t come to school today.
Nana stared at the empty seat—14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYcAZGCfBdP
the one Jason always sat in.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡePjM3twnXS
He always sat up straight.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9eIgvrO2b1
Even though the chair wobbled,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzfLIvmfL4i
he made it look steady.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhW5TeNv96u
Made it look like his throne.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTgoNmx548K
It was Jason’s spot.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqB1tFogyyS
No one dared touch it.
Nana touched the bread in her pocket.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡefHov5uwzb
She had saved it for him.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ70niFsxVUV
The boy ate a lot—14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTruXkEmO69
he was always saying he was hungry.
She waited the whole day.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfOdsQjwgmc
But Jason never came.
Truth be told,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7TICr1o011
he looked like a troublemaker,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk1hFXyLL8Q
but he actually liked school.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR7KcuFLhMi
He respected the teacher.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU7Aof3QmgU
Even when scolded,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpRH4F0n5Mc
he just frowned—never talked back.
Nana grew more and more uneasy.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB5twBJ0jAR
After school,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLNxRJ3yylR
she decided to go look for him.
She had never been to Jason’s home,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVCo6cUyFGb
but he’d described it a few times—14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡndjhfzeWpX
the pawn shop at the corner with a broken sign,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzqEM087kZh
stairs that creaked like they were ready to collapse,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiCqaxOsDgv
and a bottom-floor door that smelled like rotten shoes.
She spent a while searching,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO5lKRaFuXa
asking directions,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLsf4A4qAwc
following fragments of memory.
The sun began to set14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZFTkwY6JVo
when she finally stepped into a deeper part of the slums.
It was the slums within the slums.
Nana kept her body close,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXAdxVazqDo
avoiding drunken men vomiting on the street,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvtvHor86YF
sidestepping women chatting in low, tired voices.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZJwhorhKrX
At the end of the road,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqZQkozASLx
there were barely any people.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOP7AlcGan0
The doors were shut tight.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjHDUyf66C1
Graffiti and grime smeared the walls.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtyqAJSq5he
The air reeked of mold.
Following Jason’s descriptions,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAERv3VHKTG
she found the second floor of the abandoned pawn shop.
Each step on the staircase14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMLT4aQSQ4r
made her heart pound—14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfh3b3rYn2t
every creak whispering that life here was uncertain,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGRar2uw6oA
like the world itself was warning her:14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVbLx2yGXe9
No one should be here.
She reached the top,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr78AZSABKr
stood before a door blackened by filth.
She raised her hand to knock—14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡugQBsJHBM6
but realized the door wasn’t closed.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPFn2ksj7gf
The frame was cracked.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa0eGYexnBI
She pushed.
The door opened with a soft click-click.
Inside,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN5AQAOe0WY
it was dark.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxLZcKJQZVT
So dark,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6mRqDkXF8y
it felt like light had never existed there.
Nana stepped inside slowly—14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbby8vDcuEW
and kicked something.
She looked down.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcnbDImP7yq
Her eyes had grown used to the dark.
What she saw14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHzQUCOsRnS
froze her in place.
Jason was on the floor,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRRTnxQgMQ0
his face covered in blood.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnJSUwDSrad
His lip was split,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPhhHkozMRA
his nose still bleeding.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡubBbP2w9AL
His clothes were wrinkled,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxDFw9Nqbqc
and dried blood stained his chest14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCcluokzBDO
like an old, torn blanket.
Nana dropped to her knees, shaking.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVt6TNhuKAr
She reached out and gently shook him.
His body was limp.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDqSJHE6Pns
No response.
She lowered her head,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOBtB8Zabol
pressed her ear against his chest.
Thank God.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAdlXG8v7FW
There was still a heartbeat.
But it was faint.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqD0QF3SScw
Slow.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsDcyK8UDpE
Like the heart itself was drifting into sleep.
Her eyes blurred.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh4DVi5uxoy
Tears streamed uncontrollably.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE3xMzNkaT6
She had never cried like this before.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGWUJ4zhN9j
Her throat burned—like it was on fire.
She opened her mouth—14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq00rtWLvwj
and by sheer instinct,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkKnYic3uui
made a sound:
“J… Jason… Ja… son…”
The voice was hoarse.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8MJ50nk5MI
Broken.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡexihyon2xc
Like a rusty door creaking open.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFp1K3OMkwO
Like vocal cords that hadn’t worked in years14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYwG0JyXN2C
screaming for the first time.
Her face was soaked.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQZzFoQnoDQ
She cried and looked around,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMI25IqaTQ4
not knowing what to do.
As she wiped her tears,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNIMSbFCCLQ
something on the wall caught her eye.
The Batman symbol.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4zmfy9OJ8g
Drawn in chalk.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoNQ3Z24Q8q
Smudged with time,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1xgRIllXv8
but still clear.
A bat with its wings spread.
The police used it to call Batman.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ94PRLl3vv5
Jason said it was the mark of his hero.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0TP2venTqG
He said he drew it on the wall14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRP9dqfEzSb
because he hoped—someday—14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMZ0Ct1VBKL
to meet Batman.
“…Batman,” Nana murmured.
And then,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM8lCTjTV0D
suddenly, she understood.
She jumped to her feet14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3caejob86o
and ran outside.
The street wind was icy,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe3IaFPYJll
but she didn’t care.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFRoWA6kV6G
She ran—
toward the places Jason had told her about.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkmBSgjMxzX
The underpass.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdp2vf7TGbz
The rooftop.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5wkETA6l3F
The ruined lot.
Jason had once said,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKdb34JJQ01
completely serious:14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaMMYdSAZWn
Batman definitely patrols here.
Nana stopped.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTZDAuJd3fF
Put her hands around her mouth like a megaphone.
“Bat… man!”
She shouted.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAH2khBiLhY
The voice cracked,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc0JwKbSYeh
the syllables broken by coughs.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuciwsVVuCu
“Cough… Bat… man…!”
She cried.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡol8nY4sGvP
Screamed.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ99UAY7U56Q
Each word tearing from her throat14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRr7gFzsm7B
like strips of flesh.
“R… Rob… cough… Robin…”
She felt herself crumbling.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfaDUH4YtBf
Her throat was on fire.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYhpx81I2dP
Her voice—shredded.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu59bAIWMJD
But she didn’t stop.
She was scared.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ48kU1vIhYN
Terrified.
She was about to lose Jason.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡskpMgICxKh
He was still lying there.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXDE9wKzc0K
If they were too late…
“If you keep calling me Ro-cough-bin,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkhmqMgj49x
I’m gonna start thinking that’s my name.”
A voice.
Sudden.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8IPDzQbN1q
Calm.
Nana turned sharply.
Through her tear-streaked vision,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtkHaIQ048l
a figure stood in the dark mist of the Gotham night.
Red.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKzw7AdEeNo
Green.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNeJ3r5Piau
Yellow.
A cape.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡku3Icu9BQb
An R on the chest.
Exactly as she’d seen in the newspapers.
A figure once from fantasy14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpm7ONf8w1l
was now standing before her in real life.
Robin.
He stepped forward.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiaUgD6ehS4
Gently ran a hand over her hair,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxTFzlzf1T6
like calming a bird about to break.
Then, softly, he asked:
“What happened?”
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3IAUDojg6F
