Jason didn’t come to school today.
Nana stared at the empty seat—19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkMfXSjMVEA
the one Jason always sat in.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDHeveSsg5U
He always sat up straight.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKJAHz46v0B
Even though the chair wobbled,19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyAUjN2Ft4W
he made it look steady.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9wOLLi3NcI
Made it look like his throne.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs5QTCWjmO7
It was Jason’s spot.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXey8dyF0kQ
No one dared touch it.
Nana touched the bread in her pocket.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY0bnyTFBUm
She had saved it for him.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFam8KPiu22
The boy ate a lot—19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvahsB9W4Gf
he was always saying he was hungry.
She waited the whole day.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaJlroWXELq
But Jason never came.
Truth be told,19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeW0V4UbIwY
he looked like a troublemaker,19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfj81xoM1F1
but he actually liked school.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBEaBUzjULE
He respected the teacher.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyJjqQfYqOc
Even when scolded,19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Q6BR727Qy
he just frowned—never talked back.
Nana grew more and more uneasy.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS4ypKwSwnN
After school,19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm27RzKJ1qD
she decided to go look for him.
She had never been to Jason’s home,19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRLbiGyw7rN
but he’d described it a few times—19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsguYm3sGXC
the pawn shop at the corner with a broken sign,19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX6YkjTMSDq
stairs that creaked like they were ready to collapse,19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4H4UeopJHZ
and a bottom-floor door that smelled like rotten shoes.
She spent a while searching,19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRJyOoNKegt
asking directions,19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2SGGI7pWZR
following fragments of memory.
The sun began to set19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6YfiKA1CDX
when she finally stepped into a deeper part of the slums.
It was the slums within the slums.
Nana kept her body close,19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrrvPqHKOm9
avoiding drunken men vomiting on the street,19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZnu2kA7Gdu
sidestepping women chatting in low, tired voices.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl1cuTEBCtz
At the end of the road,19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEKCABUnRkc
there were barely any people.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgDpFDEnnGY
The doors were shut tight.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1uM6MDNmw3
Graffiti and grime smeared the walls.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs5pNZF7288
The air reeked of mold.
Following Jason’s descriptions,19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIUNNYttmPJ
she found the second floor of the abandoned pawn shop.
Each step on the staircase19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgQ4stz28wc
made her heart pound—19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjoIhyBo9uz
every creak whispering that life here was uncertain,19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqKhQF2jqqA
like the world itself was warning her:19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ64ubOIHXXO
No one should be here.
She reached the top,19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuk3Cq9dp4g
stood before a door blackened by filth.
She raised her hand to knock—19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdWXkLYE3pZ
but realized the door wasn’t closed.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6VHV4rxCue
The frame was cracked.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbbxTnVJmmo
She pushed.
The door opened with a soft click-click.
Inside,19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpBgjqWxIPs
it was dark.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzycTImpgmw
So dark,19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJB5fZsgBvD
it felt like light had never existed there.
Nana stepped inside slowly—19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPLoucUoVgZ
and kicked something.
She looked down.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuCBVlI3NQl
Her eyes had grown used to the dark.
What she saw19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡslHbGeZdn6
froze her in place.
Jason was on the floor,19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡadFkauWfQQ
his face covered in blood.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYQno35gKL6
His lip was split,19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJkg1OMXQmf
his nose still bleeding.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVxOtTV46LM
His clothes were wrinkled,19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdO9tqhUuaZ
and dried blood stained his chest19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWHxoqv9LW5
like an old, torn blanket.
Nana dropped to her knees, shaking.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ73gSyEA0lY
She reached out and gently shook him.
His body was limp.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBX0YvOMENm
No response.
She lowered her head,19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO8kCkvlwt3
pressed her ear against his chest.
Thank God.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeLRUNrAKFV
There was still a heartbeat.
But it was faint.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtX0RSGIEvj
Slow.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQNxA72FIGf
Like the heart itself was drifting into sleep.
Her eyes blurred.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2zNqyQBh5m
Tears streamed uncontrollably.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMJg6ku7Waz
She had never cried like this before.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVr036fu9UG
Her throat burned—like it was on fire.
She opened her mouth—19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4cU74oHwoQ
and by sheer instinct,19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwHJToK5HxW
made a sound:
“J… Jason… Ja… son…”
The voice was hoarse.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxMS9xrmGqr
Broken.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWWj66lmp9I
Like a rusty door creaking open.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFlw7gIP7No
Like vocal cords that hadn’t worked in years19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZDD78TtBGM
screaming for the first time.
Her face was soaked.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9sV4YMRa2B
She cried and looked around,19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB6KhwolJZF
not knowing what to do.
As she wiped her tears,19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCyAovFC8PB
something on the wall caught her eye.
The Batman symbol.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsCbGZ0MK6o
Drawn in chalk.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBNYrzjLzsZ
Smudged with time,19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaZQ2OtDIOe
but still clear.
A bat with its wings spread.
The police used it to call Batman.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTowqDyXaVc
Jason said it was the mark of his hero.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7c57MPhrBT
He said he drew it on the wall19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHhYtAxNmf6
because he hoped—someday—19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVG0iifevDz
to meet Batman.
“…Batman,” Nana murmured.
And then,19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfo22Fm4f3g
suddenly, she understood.
She jumped to her feet19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlKdTl59PQ0
and ran outside.
The street wind was icy,19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLulYNQFtOc
but she didn’t care.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡll8M59VnWr
She ran—
toward the places Jason had told her about.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0zIfg2kLEk
The underpass.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlsUjhKN9uv
The rooftop.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzNsL17fNCD
The ruined lot.
Jason had once said,19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdtCqA9NyjU
completely serious:19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQWbHdpBP2L
Batman definitely patrols here.
Nana stopped.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTkD6k9yuU6
Put her hands around her mouth like a megaphone.
“Bat… man!”
She shouted.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6af3XFGHOI
The voice cracked,19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3kQrCe5CSy
the syllables broken by coughs.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuOq5sAgjwC
“Cough… Bat… man…!”
She cried.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOHmbkFEOzV
Screamed.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi9nwwqAVXS
Each word tearing from her throat19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLUkZgvPhPF
like strips of flesh.
“R… Rob… cough… Robin…”
She felt herself crumbling.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl4VxN1AqTJ
Her throat was on fire.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgdufqinIaT
Her voice—shredded.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqeckvK9Z38
But she didn’t stop.
She was scared.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzbjDfp7azu
Terrified.
She was about to lose Jason.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIBajB6TwvK
He was still lying there.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxE8R3IHOQx
If they were too late…
“If you keep calling me Ro-cough-bin,19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiOwCHLjDsk
I’m gonna start thinking that’s my name.”
A voice.
Sudden.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxTwUOpjkbj
Calm.
Nana turned sharply.
Through her tear-streaked vision,19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3XnY5iia7Q
a figure stood in the dark mist of the Gotham night.
Red.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPsEtBOdVwL
Green.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZosyU64sRE
Yellow.
A cape.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAIcFtnC5C1
An R on the chest.
Exactly as she’d seen in the newspapers.
A figure once from fantasy19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq4UcwplpXt
was now standing before her in real life.
Robin.
He stepped forward.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6920wT9tsL
Gently ran a hand over her hair,19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDAgi0ZsjMN
like calming a bird about to break.
Then, softly, he asked:
“What happened?”
19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaiuZkj9MAI
