Todd was digging through the trash bin,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM87wloLLGd
pulling out a few newspapers—23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaIWDqi6G27
but they were too damaged.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxLxtYNlMTr
He tossed them back in and kept looking.
The paper was damp, some pages blackened at the corners.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEqPrMo68fp
Others had mystery stains—maybe sauce, maybe shoe prints.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMhbV7QF6eR
Todd frowned as he searched,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcQkV3wftU8
his fingers long since used to the grime.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTpCmaCCaff
What mattered was whether the paper was still readable.
The girl watched for a few seconds, then joined in.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjPhzhHrEae
Her movements were much gentler than his.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfTzlJYX26K
She carefully shifted the piles of paper,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE3aZaIu9rv
her fingertips avoiding the soggy spots and torn edges.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpOraBk2ZXB
Then she found one that was mostly intact and handed it to him.
Jason looked down—23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsaPN3BzOKG
pretty clean.
He grinned,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6YHsxgsPVq
like a little pirate who’d just uncovered a treasure map.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgh3iBSD38m
He spread the newspaper out fast,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtG7WYHS6Sa
and when he saw the big photo inside,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡktPm30Y4Uz
his whole face lit up.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ABq3Usw5Q
His blue eyes sparkled with excitement.
“Nana, come look! This is Robin—he’s so cool!”
Earlier, Jason had asked if it was okay to call her that.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBMPDCQyqHw
And when he said the name “Nana,”23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUVFto3ruih
she’d nodded.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0jSPISHi6a
No sound,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkypBb9mNBk
but it felt like… agreement.
The girl leaned in,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtEigCDw2GV
eyes focused on the image of the masked boy.
In the photo, the teen was leaping from a rooftop, gripping a rope,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl9mmYQaSlv
mouth tilted in a smile—23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjV1TL0ruA1
a smile with no fear,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡytCikzhJCn
as if gravity didn’t apply to him.
Jason was thrilled.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnsTOnVuupa
He read the article out loud,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY7u1MPcsvC
his voice muttering like he was trying to memorize it.
When he finished,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxGjabn9Tib
he looked up and saw the girl still staring at the picture,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ85DYLcU2Nn
eyes unmoving.
“You know Robin, right?” Jason asked, hesitant.
She shook her head.
“What?” His eyes went wide.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpokMH6qKoL
“You don’t? Do you know Batman then?”
The girl paused,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl00Pb4ccao
then raised her hands—23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu472u2XTHa
pressed the wrists together,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1CRKLhSqCl
moved her palms up and down like wings.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC9F0RtePLH
Then tilted her head at Jason.
Jason blinked.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSEwzA5dljE
He actually understood her.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe8LgyKj9OU
She meant “bat.”23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡShAW5R3NAa
Yeah—she knew bats,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaVfZIwJBAf
but not Batman.
“What kind of Gotham kid are you?” he muttered.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg8JOsAo3XA
“Who doesn’t know Batman or Robin?”
He stood up,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4vJqF0SGww
like something had just ignited inside him.
“Alright then.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj5NJzaMiDq
Today, I’ll teach you what Gotham pride really means!”
So, next to a broken junkyard,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJnvuFpQeSk
a boy spent hours explaining.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5twaN99VlX
He talked with his hands,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqsseZMomEt
pointed at photos,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxMc6aWi5sS
and described those heroes23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyjADKSp2uH
like they were friends he’d actually met.
He told her how Batman snuck into criminal hideouts.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8YruFQSM4N
How Robin jumped from the sky and beat up bad guys.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg4LvLYIC3u
How Gotham’s nights weren’t as scary23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWmdmCt9KNc
because of those two shadows.
Jason’s voice grew louder,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFjW3hc3diI
like he was reciting a hymn—23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡshsNGIYMlr
a secret anthem only he could sing.
Finally, he wrapped it up with a clear, confident summary:
“So basically, Robin is Batman’s partner.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6yb3NWkCyV
They protect people.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsFEvKajUPG
They make sure the bad guys end up in jail.”
The girl nodded.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvV2ZA36DMP
She looked at the photo again,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKnGMC2qzSF
pointed to it,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6vMU2x4jek
then moved her hands—23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJcNZ4fAbZK
one high, one low—opening and closing,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrpXocKPRuj
then pointed at Jason.
Jason watched,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXj0WFjatIL
and got it.
“No one knows who Robin really is, Nana,”23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfC87smWEgm
he said in a hushed tone,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtxzrJZYlSA
like sharing a secret.
I’m skinny. Small. I don’t even know what I’ll eat for dinner.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI8lLr8hidT
I’m like a rat in the sewer. Batman wouldn’t even look at me.
Then Nana looked at him,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrvcGb8iDis
and raised one hand over his head,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvXccGpjFEB
as if measuring his height.
Jason glanced up,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2o0gtD6IVs
saw how little space there was between her hand and his head.
He laughed a little,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOQ0gBFb53e
then looked away.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg2RqmBLmGH
“…Thanks, Nana.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4rShRPeuYy
But Robin’s someone else. I’m not him.”
His voice had a pinch of bitterness,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1AskAbOUCv
a bit of tough-boy bravado.
Wind whistled through the cracks in the rusty tin sheets,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡapwl5Ry7kR
rustling the edge of the newspaper.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk1EbXkZKay
It fluttered like a bird trying to fly,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmWoTwPPK2g
but nailed to the ground.
As the two kids grew closer,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe74UN7i1r8
they began to share more and more of their world.
At school, no one dared to mess with Jason—23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsNsvSSrFUk
he was known as the most vicious fighter when pushed.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVVktR5bpiJ
And with Nana always beside him,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMcZ49VJay2
no one really wanted to bother her either.
Jason even went to the library23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTBO27lbIme
and borrowed a beginner’s sign language book.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡah9wK7HaNV
He specifically asked the librarian if it was the easiest one—23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPKIjJZuVne
said it was for a “friend” to learn.
He practiced the signs,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy5zyX7W8mL
made Nana do them with him.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3IMulZWcD3
Paper and pencil were slow,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5tKuKBK0JZ
and hard to come by.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqXxKF5C2tG
You didn’t often find writing supplies in trash heaps.
Something happened when Nana saw the book.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1CWrl5e66N
Her mouth opened slightly,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPFj7sJzQ61
her eyes widened round.
“What?” Jason teased.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS9s5xgpezw
“You’re not about to tell me you can actually talk, are you?”
His tone was half joking,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYdDmg5c3F4
half hoping.
But he’d already looked down,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnbZrKzQ0zy
flipping to the first page.
He didn’t really catch the look on her face.
Nana looked guilty.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4vaVV977ND
Her lips moved just a little—23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCzBpcvdD3R
then slowly closed again.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtziIMUVnJn
It was like she tried to speak,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ56bsYrhrVz
but swallowed it back.
Jason noticed nothing.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6DZJ1WTCzX
He simply handed the book to her.
“First page’s about greetings. Pretty easy.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMWjJNAIChW
Let’s try it together.”
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxGAfzTvG7Y
One day, the church was holding a funeral.
The two kids sat across the street, watching.
The weather had been freezing lately—23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY3oZQpsV3P
cold like Gotham’s night had fallen from the sky and refused to leave.
Many homeless people had died from the cold.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr9vL6Bvq5R
The bodies lined the sidewalks,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMjvw31G8b0
covered in simple cloths,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuBDZv5jwKn
waiting to be taken to the public graveyard.
The two kids weren’t scared at all.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡorPNpPzG3i
They’d seen this kind of thing plenty of times—23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0utbg5xgOH
worse, even.
They didn’t watch in fear.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOg9CYPkjxj
More like quiet observers.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoWqwgNQjoD
Like watching pigeons scavenge crumbs in the street.
Then they saw a nun.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUXfMUoFgW3
She was holding a large bundle of white lilies.
One by one,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSM3Uw4iJHY
she placed a flower on each chest.
The row of white flowers looked like a final, unified symbol for the dead.
Jason watched carefully.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4hQXoiRRFr
From the way the nun approached,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUURAwFkbgD
to how she placed each flower,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR7bdMyDNQW
to the way she gently straightened the edges of the cloth.
Nana watched too.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡee0Ci29JWo
Then turned and pointed at her own chest.
Jason shook his head,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI7iGssONL0
then started signing.
His fingers moved slightly faster than usual—23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ32MFucoMeM
there was a hint of emotion23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ZOZiXAxUy
he didn’t normally show.
“Don’t you think…23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUY4uuqUPoA
it’s kind of nice, having a flower after you die?”
He traced the shape of a blooming flower in the air,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbU8fds11QB
then tapped his chest again.
“Even if the dead can’t know,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzwRBCfWxsh
it means someone remembered23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡACHu4oMWay
you once lived.”
The girl looked down.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoMk0tAgNHB
Thought for a second.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8g3mmtp6cf
Then signed something back.
Jason’s face froze.
“Thanks,” he signed back, a bit forcefully.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlnrDhVcaaQ
“Thanks for remembering to bring me a flower.”
He gritted his teeth.
Idiot.
The girl pressed her lips together,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ24cz34elIH
and quickly signed back:23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEshUWErjbH
“You’re welcome.”
Jason snorted through his nose,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkpa7LkWMbG
like he didn’t want to show he cared—23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk5onUQ9LHs
but still kept signing:
“Then I don’t want lilies.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqFHc1ZMPS5
I want white roses.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXIUdExqo6e
I like white roses.”
His fingers slowly drew the spiral of a rose,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyEo3ihZDH7
carefully,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcrWcLbGiX7
deliberately—23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT4iq89YDR2
as if a real flower was blooming from his hand.
Pure white.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1frRFPGUFY
Without thorns.
