Jason didn’t come to school today.
Nana stared at the empty seat—63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNyTh0di7T1
the one Jason always sat in.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡox9febwnKp
He always sat up straight.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy9i3odLu8T
Even though the chair wobbled,63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNrfaEX38cl
he made it look steady.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZKHfYQR3A5
Made it look like his throne.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8lvyamssns
It was Jason’s spot.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaEKojGTlqI
No one dared touch it.
Nana touched the bread in her pocket.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuiYNax5wcE
She had saved it for him.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡowre0ihdRW
The boy ate a lot—63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGI4SlbAo51
he was always saying he was hungry.
She waited the whole day.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡliMRbYuBaQ
But Jason never came.
Truth be told,63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq5ZcmLXLsG
he looked like a troublemaker,63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡowKG4BFeqa
but he actually liked school.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqEiLErfhaZ
He respected the teacher.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSRl3hBaAvX
Even when scolded,63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMa0xo0pDLG
he just frowned—never talked back.
Nana grew more and more uneasy.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeopyyx0CfW
After school,63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdiGN7wxV7u
she decided to go look for him.
She had never been to Jason’s home,63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhLOaX287Fb
but he’d described it a few times—63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHLIsVscmLK
the pawn shop at the corner with a broken sign,63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtYH68JqbGF
stairs that creaked like they were ready to collapse,63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC4JKuuywY0
and a bottom-floor door that smelled like rotten shoes.
She spent a while searching,63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoU6IQZRcat
asking directions,63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9W5jMFsZBO
following fragments of memory.
The sun began to set63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFXCV7Vr38C
when she finally stepped into a deeper part of the slums.
It was the slums within the slums.
Nana kept her body close,63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl6cLScM1D6
avoiding drunken men vomiting on the street,63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSQdPcm70K7
sidestepping women chatting in low, tired voices.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Go1i0pBdB
At the end of the road,63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkXIK3aTsH7
there were barely any people.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnBQAgRE3OG
The doors were shut tight.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIFYZZZGbSw
Graffiti and grime smeared the walls.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDyHkuyLua7
The air reeked of mold.
Following Jason’s descriptions,63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0IofkZRHYO
she found the second floor of the abandoned pawn shop.
Each step on the staircase63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡceR14NTdSb
made her heart pound—63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZM8qBzW6bL
every creak whispering that life here was uncertain,63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI3QWdhSGLS
like the world itself was warning her:63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP642zrwXxm
No one should be here.
She reached the top,63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyIgLrosxQq
stood before a door blackened by filth.
She raised her hand to knock—63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkDlygHltVL
but realized the door wasn’t closed.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg9QQt6HCo2
The frame was cracked.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6pvxRIaZqS
She pushed.
The door opened with a soft click-click.
Inside,63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5L8T8pfsSf
it was dark.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqhbdsgo2VV
So dark,63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjfBojINzgf
it felt like light had never existed there.
Nana stepped inside slowly—63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4KvbjeOoMP
and kicked something.
She looked down.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoGYtWuJRlQ
Her eyes had grown used to the dark.
What she saw63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY5ehnmKzQs
froze her in place.
Jason was on the floor,63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCDGGm3Gzpr
his face covered in blood.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH0CuZjqED1
His lip was split,63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKwjGz8LcK3
his nose still bleeding.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAcK1zOhMQY
His clothes were wrinkled,63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD1KRUm6oti
and dried blood stained his chest63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ1HoYvIe3X
like an old, torn blanket.
Nana dropped to her knees, shaking.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ZBuLZTflz
She reached out and gently shook him.
His body was limp.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMnSbZmASrG
No response.
She lowered her head,63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡadm2T9my6W
pressed her ear against his chest.
Thank God.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ30Q52fa5k9
There was still a heartbeat.
But it was faint.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ89wtYHr5QJ
Slow.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSLTOTrgBAm
Like the heart itself was drifting into sleep.
Her eyes blurred.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMdfqBYEmWb
Tears streamed uncontrollably.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWpSAJnWBpu
She had never cried like this before.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIANqknNNeJ
Her throat burned—like it was on fire.
She opened her mouth—63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1z36pW8c3F
and by sheer instinct,63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRqC7uNFp4c
made a sound:
“J… Jason… Ja… son…”
The voice was hoarse.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTifmnwFLzk
Broken.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4adRH7Up2r
Like a rusty door creaking open.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZeipmCuJhN
Like vocal cords that hadn’t worked in years63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK6IAsDbidj
screaming for the first time.
Her face was soaked.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbghRXp42KT
She cried and looked around,63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFQPY1pLV99
not knowing what to do.
As she wiped her tears,63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQlWMbmqtbr
something on the wall caught her eye.
The Batman symbol.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9gPDhHg8BM
Drawn in chalk.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIzDFadww3y
Smudged with time,63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡryIr0WIKdW
but still clear.
A bat with its wings spread.
The police used it to call Batman.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCuBntd7kEJ
Jason said it was the mark of his hero.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpBeMaMW8Hd
He said he drew it on the wall63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvo2i1ibR6p
because he hoped—someday—63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡafed8pDm67
to meet Batman.
“…Batman,” Nana murmured.
And then,63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3kLaZBSgv8
suddenly, she understood.
She jumped to her feet63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB72oSLtHWH
and ran outside.
The street wind was icy,63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBMsmzfLlSz
but she didn’t care.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfu2DJ3VuvO
She ran—
toward the places Jason had told her about.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr0F4ODtQhz
The underpass.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡynwdIvckpO
The rooftop.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS1OfbNIETD
The ruined lot.
Jason had once said,63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWXaUYphjdX
completely serious:63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8v1cjApuLo
Batman definitely patrols here.
Nana stopped.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2OBNoK3vr8
Put her hands around her mouth like a megaphone.
“Bat… man!”
She shouted.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtiWy8ReMLF
The voice cracked,63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmzbvcgWvFg
the syllables broken by coughs.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcpZoVWsAp7
“Cough… Bat… man…!”
She cried.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0xzWfFGX1O
Screamed.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5VYLjNXnaX
Each word tearing from her throat63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Dqm2XYkBd
like strips of flesh.
“R… Rob… cough… Robin…”
She felt herself crumbling.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuYCTziE0eR
Her throat was on fire.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNiaFDmbQPQ
Her voice—shredded.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW9zPmdDk9k
But she didn’t stop.
She was scared.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLwSwl1wfn1
Terrified.
She was about to lose Jason.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwIbRnQOkZA
He was still lying there.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSVLM6s8guR
If they were too late…
“If you keep calling me Ro-cough-bin,63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjAERMK4y87
I’m gonna start thinking that’s my name.”
A voice.
Sudden.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5RYfdswP0F
Calm.
Nana turned sharply.
Through her tear-streaked vision,63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ9oV6hb98M
a figure stood in the dark mist of the Gotham night.
Red.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuD3Vs2DYqN
Green.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmMmSB30H6b
Yellow.
A cape.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgVbRrLFilb
An R on the chest.
Exactly as she’d seen in the newspapers.
A figure once from fantasy63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgma56CJCxT
was now standing before her in real life.
Robin.
He stepped forward.63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyJeokVrFgT
Gently ran a hand over her hair,63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaIGkxyPMqm
like calming a bird about to break.
Then, softly, he asked:
“What happened?”
63Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Yb4fspZGI
