Jason didn’t come to school today.
Nana stared at the empty seat—15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkT7PCKZtjB
the one Jason always sat in.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHwBXmd3Otv
He always sat up straight.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0snSISEy5B
Even though the chair wobbled,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRouA2MLTaZ
he made it look steady.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKolq921N6I
Made it look like his throne.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTCcBERr5Ew
It was Jason’s spot.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJJhEUWcIQN
No one dared touch it.
Nana touched the bread in her pocket.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoOVCJkck3j
She had saved it for him.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeja9k8zp54
The boy ate a lot—15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt1AORONkkm
he was always saying he was hungry.
She waited the whole day.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡspdQNaoEks
But Jason never came.
Truth be told,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP1DYkxaCrR
he looked like a troublemaker,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTyJ6pu4E4n
but he actually liked school.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9y59NRZOXJ
He respected the teacher.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcAgFEpb7km
Even when scolded,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE4Kb313Cqd
he just frowned—never talked back.
Nana grew more and more uneasy.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqM1kUg5alX
After school,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBYd8A8hU7L
she decided to go look for him.
She had never been to Jason’s home,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlVc1vqDBE4
but he’d described it a few times—15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡge0F8hbclL
the pawn shop at the corner with a broken sign,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWPMMrPDUtk
stairs that creaked like they were ready to collapse,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMg3HbKcqj2
and a bottom-floor door that smelled like rotten shoes.
She spent a while searching,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcTEOYuAVfv
asking directions,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAh3Tl5LTXw
following fragments of memory.
The sun began to set15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKHpfnojQxM
when she finally stepped into a deeper part of the slums.
It was the slums within the slums.
Nana kept her body close,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKzKItXtbeE
avoiding drunken men vomiting on the street,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUTS39ZS0Ng
sidestepping women chatting in low, tired voices.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYdxXGmKs2l
At the end of the road,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQHkwQtx16a
there were barely any people.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCZI2MZhpm3
The doors were shut tight.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbk8b3vSR6L
Graffiti and grime smeared the walls.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbAAN1T8gw1
The air reeked of mold.
Following Jason’s descriptions,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0GAktx2YEB
she found the second floor of the abandoned pawn shop.
Each step on the staircase15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxPWW4SVyAU
made her heart pound—15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡja6J0ShRyi
every creak whispering that life here was uncertain,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDL4zM8tB3M
like the world itself was warning her:15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBWTjeVLE9F
No one should be here.
She reached the top,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpJA3OZqesC
stood before a door blackened by filth.
She raised her hand to knock—15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLXAtWl5ihb
but realized the door wasn’t closed.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUYFgrbwmO8
The frame was cracked.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjzn3lTTr5Q
She pushed.
The door opened with a soft click-click.
Inside,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqT3zFiCOM9
it was dark.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXACBk6LWAi
So dark,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlT0cUYqt8o
it felt like light had never existed there.
Nana stepped inside slowly—15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg4oEVpfcx9
and kicked something.
She looked down.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrkm8Fept9I
Her eyes had grown used to the dark.
What she saw15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSzuZaFl6db
froze her in place.
Jason was on the floor,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeTiFFk2ljm
his face covered in blood.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtoBYYhasak
His lip was split,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbyEYsdOSae
his nose still bleeding.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYZWb4J3tS2
His clothes were wrinkled,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOsvH6H6ETN
and dried blood stained his chest15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGJphyxKNv2
like an old, torn blanket.
Nana dropped to her knees, shaking.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGWKi8w57mf
She reached out and gently shook him.
His body was limp.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHUfyiyinad
No response.
She lowered her head,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKyfAMk9BXT
pressed her ear against his chest.
Thank God.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ15p8zSJ38m
There was still a heartbeat.
But it was faint.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqt1fNEpnCH
Slow.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIybixFqyPJ
Like the heart itself was drifting into sleep.
Her eyes blurred.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaBTzVfmjUO
Tears streamed uncontrollably.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4BUP2dzixQ
She had never cried like this before.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ9U55DQPGA
Her throat burned—like it was on fire.
She opened her mouth—15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7XyQViPhK4
and by sheer instinct,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQGfU8OpFgI
made a sound:
“J… Jason… Ja… son…”
The voice was hoarse.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQdxmzohDs3
Broken.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2m2V3VjWIn
Like a rusty door creaking open.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN3Oq4vpGNH
Like vocal cords that hadn’t worked in years15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwhB5iFrfX4
screaming for the first time.
Her face was soaked.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiVE3yzSxUT
She cried and looked around,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIIcrdLlk1s
not knowing what to do.
As she wiped her tears,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuEn2024nfz
something on the wall caught her eye.
The Batman symbol.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYI4LomdHQy
Drawn in chalk.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAdgrCS7woX
Smudged with time,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKjV4yF9s2v
but still clear.
A bat with its wings spread.
The police used it to call Batman.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA85TUaHtP9
Jason said it was the mark of his hero.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Ikv9vI00b
He said he drew it on the wall15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOo4tTSaTeo
because he hoped—someday—15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDB5z0v7DjY
to meet Batman.
“…Batman,” Nana murmured.
And then,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBEe2DmzB3W
suddenly, she understood.
She jumped to her feet15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAQHLUz55ZS
and ran outside.
The street wind was icy,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDgfR3oDErb
but she didn’t care.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCY7V6tj8a0
She ran—
toward the places Jason had told her about.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm2SmTkJlXI
The underpass.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbM3Z4mpi6g
The rooftop.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbnD6cRdy5f
The ruined lot.
Jason had once said,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNlpzfRQzs4
completely serious:15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz22Ozq0fAW
Batman definitely patrols here.
Nana stopped.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7rjzCqAhMM
Put her hands around her mouth like a megaphone.
“Bat… man!”
She shouted.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMzl0Knrx5E
The voice cracked,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvcB9TZUiH3
the syllables broken by coughs.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKEh4HdZ2DA
“Cough… Bat… man…!”
She cried.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ94wrLrXgZS
Screamed.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU8zTqz0OnQ
Each word tearing from her throat15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOI30Mhc2Wd
like strips of flesh.
“R… Rob… cough… Robin…”
She felt herself crumbling.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWDH8QGc97x
Her throat was on fire.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR7oj09hVtV
Her voice—shredded.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9RYN69szh0
But she didn’t stop.
She was scared.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfpGNcKFvmc
Terrified.
She was about to lose Jason.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSIFhVp098q
He was still lying there.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv6CwUM5fsL
If they were too late…
“If you keep calling me Ro-cough-bin,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBNcbCbiwyg
I’m gonna start thinking that’s my name.”
A voice.
Sudden.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8eXMaBYESX
Calm.
Nana turned sharply.
Through her tear-streaked vision,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡllgOW4hN6h
a figure stood in the dark mist of the Gotham night.
Red.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0AbGKzgkfr
Green.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbScrYHLRR9
Yellow.
A cape.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrMNeHqwH3N
An R on the chest.
Exactly as she’d seen in the newspapers.
A figure once from fantasy15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbl0BdhWfB9
was now standing before her in real life.
Robin.
He stepped forward.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzOEn1hVF9x
Gently ran a hand over her hair,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPP4VBUforq
like calming a bird about to break.
Then, softly, he asked:
“What happened?”
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJKfG6gs3lL
