“So, Master Bruce… this is the child who stole two of your Batmobile tires?”
A voice—aged, clear,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkdFBF4qDUQ
drifted from the shadows of the Batcave.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Z3iicMi2O
It was impossible to tell whether it was surprised or amused.
Alfred stood there,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRAEobb44tC
holding a silver tray11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0IBvvoWOCV
with freshly brewed hot milks and two biscuits.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG7elM0gCsA
His eyes fell on the boy,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS54BCGmOGd
who looked absolutely unrepentant—11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC4zN9KhIZW
in fact, slightly proud.
Batman frowned,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvOxOZpT5FU
his brow creasing into shadow.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJjBb9l3JyR
“The first time he did it, I was so pissed,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDrTlslLquB
I circled the block twice before daring to come back to the car.”
That first time—11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGWvdiEbzdM
he hadn’t even spoken.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyJBw33FtaS
Just grabbed the kids, one in each hand,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMUKXNmt8XJ
and dropped them back near the church in the slums—11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLPIgGfkpnr
the safest place he could find.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRvFHht5MuS
He’d given them one warning:11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrWT4kXv6VC
“Don’t come near the Batmobile again.”
Jason hadn’t cried.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1jtYYOUuT7
He looked angry.
Nana had kept her head down,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFpCzj21TRh
but her hand had clung tightly to the back of Jason’s shirt.
They got no answers about Robin.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRNp6ZqSe2o
Just that cold word “Go home,” left behind in the wind.
Three days later—11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ15oxEjafEN
same place,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaF2vmT5uuv
same car.
This time,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBIklterlFa
four wheels gone.
“Master Bruce,” Alfred said dryly,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAnmqOBwjOZ
“I sincerely believe that if this child turns to crime,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqLYSr6sor5
we may never see your Batmobile’s tires again.”
“…Each of those wheels is taller than him.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4wNXjDhgEc
How did he even—”11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzhpL7FKiKn
Batman muttered,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwT1htG2OWa
somewhere between shock and disbelief.
Alfred calmly added,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCsIjC6htkv
“He also recalibrated the tire pressure.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡujYR5PIyxw
Perfectly balanced.”
This time,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQDfTgEzrn1
Batman was silent for a long moment,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEfGUKw1xyI
eyes on the two children.
Then he sighed.
He knew who they were.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlTcyfcAfgQ
After dropping them off that night,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8isjvU9H96
he’d looked into it.
Jason Todd—11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKKiPYTi78U
no mother,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAyG3TNeDGv
an alcoholic and violent father,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9JbkJOjp2v
currently missing.
Nana—11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKzAFgcjcn6
from a crumbling orphanage,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKFAcLPBr1W
records say she’s mute,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCM1hEBFs0T
but she’d never had a diagnosis,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ510T1qfom8
never any treatment.
He knew what happened to kids like them—11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7KngRVRKAq
especially without guardians.
Some of them needed just a little time11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ057Jed2wnP
to walk the wrong path.
The pair standing before him now?
Definitely a “buy one, get one free” type.
One moved,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzySUNy6yKP
the other followed.
Batman stood quietly for another few seconds.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjsuFqKSfHo
Then turned and said:
“They’ll stay.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpdAEOqmgOf
For now.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3BQs3BUUu3
Observation.”
Alfred gave a slight nod.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9tNUaynhsU
Though he said nothing,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDM99jSDt5s
his expression seemed to say:11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7vQCaeVrwV
I thought so.
The children stayed still.
Jason’s eyes were still wary—11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM05jFi88ZS
but also sparkled with something he couldn’t quite hide: excitement.
Nana stood quietly,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWupKNBOUz7
her fingers nervously twisted behind her back,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfPZMNSuNzT
but her gaze never left the vast machines and glowing lights around them.
Batman looked at them.
If a kid could steal four tires off the Batmobile just because he was worried about Robin…
Maybe he deserved a chance.
Alfred placed the cookies and warm milk in front of the two children11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGbGe7BPb0c
with the grace of someone serving nobility.
“You’ve both done well, children,” he said gently,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeNOpVxMDVl
his voice as composed as ever.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQtFd1OolyF
Then he added:11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ53ofV7CCzW
“As for young Master Robin…11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqvVhAc1wFA
he is currently engaged in a temporary,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmZ69Bv3Su9
emotionally-motivated… personal journey.”
Jason bit into a cookie,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ553W3zSnYo
frowning.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp9UVjfPCI9
“…What does that mean?”
Nana tilted her head in confusion,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi4ccg7m4Ka
signing: “Left?”11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGWtQuUTo3M
Then “Robin?”
Alfred smiled,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlkeNKbX3GP
his hand gracefully folded across his wrist in a formal gesture.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC8ycQ98WYe
“He has, shall we say…11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTeFndbJflh
run away from home.”
Both kids’ eyes went wide.
Then they looked at each other—11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj8IOUDdjBO
the same expression on their faces11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQRRlXnXnEY
as if they’d just read that Gotham was going to have a week of sunshine.
Across the room,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKLidfAKFAO
Batman sat in front of the computer,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡahjqjrVzQY
scrolling through city surveillance.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMzNoACDZwh
He gave a grumpy huff,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQlph2jdgma
his silhouette full of quiet annoyance.
Alfred, mildly reproachful:11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSX7cuSIspo
“Master Bruce,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdeJMaUAIZw
if you softened your tone just a little,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJaMPkn2CUK
I do believe the young master would return immediately.”
Batman didn’t reply.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmARKeDmlSc
His shoulders moved slightly,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjdaKUArA8O
like he couldn’t even be bothered to argue.
11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8m7aMa6exB
Luckily, it was summer break.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRJoexwZDdv
The kids didn’t need to go to school.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7CyAEZpgPO
They were temporarily housed in Wayne Manor.
When Jason and Nana stepped out of the Batcave11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7llYoUwM52
and passed through the hidden passage to the upper floors,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYxF5UGBM63
they both froze.
It was a world they had never seen.
An endless arching hallway,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmUU6eAn24G
a chandelier hanging from the ceiling like a broken piece of starlight,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM5occgSZEZ
soft Persian rugs underfoot,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeOv1K2jK9A
air scented with cedar and sun-warmed fabric.
Nana instinctively grabbed the back of Jason’s shirt,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDRfPx5XFIo
as if afraid she’d dirty the floor just by being there.
“Welcome to Wayne Manor, children,”11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmHauW3qANb
Alfred said from behind them,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmoC2OEFvZy
his expression gentle.
They were led upstairs separately.
The hallway was wide enough11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG6FLjeNTKL
for three horses to race side by side.
Jason’s room had a private bathroom,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxYtQpdM6hF
a desk,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6rDo9tOiWw
and a leather chair so grand11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQv4LyhPpkw
he didn’t dare sit in it at first.
When Alfred led Nana to hers,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvnos7EcPYX
he frowned slightly.
“Miss Nana, I must apologize.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvWmBh9PlEV
This room is currently not quite suited for a young lady.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8pR4RDKMKg
We didn’t have time to prepare,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0kIn4Lt2D8
but in the future,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpcFFy1BTH5
I’ll see to a proper space just for you.”
Nana blushed,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTbzdhFy0oF
waved her hands quickly,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw4rYKooscB
and signed: “This is already perfect.”
11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4TxnL7uEqk
That night,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrbCeIGWVde
the hallway was quiet.
A small girl in new pajamas carefully turned her doorknob,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9DfMPGxqlu
peeked out,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFyQWYEycco
then tiptoed across the hall.
She knocked twice.
The door opened.
Jason—also in pajamas,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzpJPs8W5du
his hair a mess—11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLTIRiVR1Q2
looked at her.
His eyes lit up.
They stared for a second,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfohs1AZamF
hands beginning to move.
“Too big. Can’t sleep.”
“Me too.”
Jason reached out,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpPoWogKWje
took her hand,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY7JuFCkAsG
and led her in.
11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEii2a2ID1O
Alfred stood in front of the monitor,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNqeabv3Ubj
sipping his tea.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsBn2xowx2r
His eyes landed on the two small figures on the screen.
He smiled,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7sLrsU57ba
his voice calm and unhurried:
“Master Bruce,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKDjs2e47XQ
those two children…11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0u11LTuJMt
they seem very close, don’t they?”
Batman said nothing.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLBc5CgnCKX
He stared at the monitor for a long time,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV3RYH6NC0a
silent.
Inside the room,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoEqt4kVWGo
the lights were off.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ZRo85D3zO
Night draped itself over everything like soft silk.
Two children lay on the bed,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtWnnkCtnuT
heads resting together,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOqr91T2CEk
hands moving in soft signs.
Today’s thoughts.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4XqKEHCKYX
The Batmobile.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFArF6tRD6K
Alfred’s milk—it smelled better than church milk.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0sBb85fJu3
And…11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1IYfl1IOG4
the bed.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7TSJlRnYD0
It was way too soft.
Their hands slowly stopped.
Breathing slowed.
And soon,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡamo1KGQpqW
they both fell asleep quietly11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7VK0nH9OYn
beneath Gotham’s night.
Day Three.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcLo1K3YqmX
Morning sunlight poured into the grand study of Wayne Manor. A soft carpet lay beneath the tall windows, and by the window stood an old wooden desk with two thick-cushioned chairs—just enough for two children to sit side by side.
Jason and Nana had come here early. Ever since they discovered this room, filled with what felt like the knowledge of the entire world, they had been excitedly darting through the shelves—leaping from stories of knights to dinosaur encyclopedias, flipping from plant guides to Sherlock Holmes, like two owls who’d just found a secret treasure trove.
Now they sat quietly by the window, each immersed in their own book.
Alfred had placed some black tea and cookies on the desk. The warmth filled the room. Sunlight fell across their profiles, and the children would occasionally point out fun sentences or pictures to one another before diving back into their pages. It was a rare moment of peace.
Alfred watched them with deep satisfaction and whispered to Bruce beside him, “Such a tranquil moment, sir. They’re both good children—I’ve always believed that children who love to read never turn out bad.”
Batman didn’t respond immediately. His gaze lifted from the reports in front of him and lingered on the two small silhouettes at the far end of the study.
There was hesitation in his eyes.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡACgrT8XcWY
He had seen too many villains who loved to read.
Just then, a door creaked open softly.
Footsteps entered, familiar yet out of sync with the calm rhythm of the mansion—full of youthful energy.
Alfred’s face lit up with a rare smile. He turned and said, “Master Dick, you’ve finally returned.”
“Of course, Alfred,” the voice was warm and light, straddling the line between a boy and a young man—like a spring breeze in the afternoon. “I missed you. And when I heard we had two new members at home, I had to rush back. Otherwise, Bruce would give them a hard time again.”
The two children in the study poked their heads out at the sound.
A tall teenager stood in the doorway, eyes gentle, a friendly smile on his lips. His gaze landed on them immediately—soft and calm—as he slowly walked over.
“These must be Jason and Nana, right? I’m Dick. Just call me Dick. Welcome—”11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYAPgxziSmQ
He paused, tilting his brows.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUCg31OBvEm
“Wait a minute... Aren’t you the girl who was crying at the junkyard that night?”
Dick stepped a little closer, trying to recall the blurry scene from that late night. It was that voice, that desperate scream of “Robin” that had pulled him across the city.
Nana stared at him blankly, eyes filled with confusion and uncertainty.
That’s when Jason instinctively stepped forward, like a wall against the wind, subtly nudging the girl behind him.
Dick noticed the motion and let out a laugh.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLqKFADpAsh
“Oh right—I forgot to mention. I’m Robin. Nice to meet you.”
As he chuckled, he extended a hand to the girl.
Nana blinked, and her eyes suddenly sparkled.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh2mbU2PvO6
She didn’t say a word, just reached out from behind Jason’s right shoulder and gently took Dick’s hand, her face glowing in a way Jason had never seen before.
Jason stood beside them, watching the historic handshake between one tall person and one small one, his expression unreadable.
He muttered internally.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgO1u61DhCV
And in his mind, he drew a giant red X over the title “Robin.”
On Dick’s third day back home, he began to get a sense of the daily rhythm shared by the new additions to the household.
He noticed that Nana barely spoke and communicated mostly through sign language. Jason would occasionally supplement with simple questions or emotions—but most of the time, he used sign too. Their coordination was so smooth it was like watching a well-rehearsed pair of dancers.
But something even funnier happened.
One morning, Dick, feeling eager, headed to the library and grabbed a copy of Beginner’s Guide to Sign Language. He decided to teach himself a bit and surprise Jason later by showing off.
He memorized all 26 letters and even practiced three times in front of the mirror.
But when he finally gathered the courage to talk to Nana, he stared in confusion at what she signed—it didn’t match the book at all!
Puzzled, Dick turned to Jason for answers.
Jason shrugged and replied matter-of-factly, “We made up our own system. It’s faster that way. Plus, we change it every two weeks so no one can crack it.”
Dick was stunned for a second—then burst into laughter.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNMjSUTuEik
“So basically... this is your version of kids’ secret code? What are you two now, an underground intel network?”
Their encrypted communication reminded him of Bruce’s face whenever he encountered unreadable ciphers.
“Well, you know...” Dick grinned and added playfully, “Batman hates codes he can’t break.”
ns216.73.216.203da2
