Jason didn’t come to school today.
Nana stared at the empty seat—11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyWDnCLuIMA
the one Jason always sat in.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcHpoO40GTY
He always sat up straight.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpdJpMy2alE
Even though the chair wobbled,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeUL4wb3XIj
he made it look steady.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZIDTGmjJlS
Made it look like his throne.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSbP3zZhsDS
It was Jason’s spot.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBX6VCD4Qjd
No one dared touch it.
Nana touched the bread in her pocket.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyNcsiWr6AI
She had saved it for him.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjojOoEq2jv
The boy ate a lot—11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTEKlFdhKcy
he was always saying he was hungry.
She waited the whole day.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJBiqQ7j4bX
But Jason never came.
Truth be told,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLo1ZgrOfXh
he looked like a troublemaker,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqOl7GJfyYH
but he actually liked school.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpUECzBV99z
He respected the teacher.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0qrcB4DXT7
Even when scolded,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8bYcJoHXLi
he just frowned—never talked back.
Nana grew more and more uneasy.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzGJVA3SXOw
After school,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ17vrKm8b45
she decided to go look for him.
She had never been to Jason’s home,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpriMnvztKj
but he’d described it a few times—11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡky4yZW4FaM
the pawn shop at the corner with a broken sign,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaci0mmIjBP
stairs that creaked like they were ready to collapse,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBSZln8tydQ
and a bottom-floor door that smelled like rotten shoes.
She spent a while searching,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL5JzawNd25
asking directions,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPi70Bqn4yO
following fragments of memory.
The sun began to set11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8rIg8LS1AG
when she finally stepped into a deeper part of the slums.
It was the slums within the slums.
Nana kept her body close,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIT6KXlvDZr
avoiding drunken men vomiting on the street,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXCLXmBjfOC
sidestepping women chatting in low, tired voices.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXvvb0jXzbj
At the end of the road,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWSbNT9nBkN
there were barely any people.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgXh7xWhXDa
The doors were shut tight.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC9zucj59zd
Graffiti and grime smeared the walls.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE5Kn9C9AYw
The air reeked of mold.
Following Jason’s descriptions,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKrRThovvLj
she found the second floor of the abandoned pawn shop.
Each step on the staircase11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt4KKALX0gd
made her heart pound—11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1CTXj75ain
every creak whispering that life here was uncertain,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaftTT0oDw8
like the world itself was warning her:11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ55zT2VidVI
No one should be here.
She reached the top,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP8pgB7Kppr
stood before a door blackened by filth.
She raised her hand to knock—11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJmGaWsWzL2
but realized the door wasn’t closed.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2L6PR4stLE
The frame was cracked.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMbR3tGoFBh
She pushed.
The door opened with a soft click-click.
Inside,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSFnBvugJRX
it was dark.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzibHjbWLJQ
So dark,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwNzkpwBttf
it felt like light had never existed there.
Nana stepped inside slowly—11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3V5ILazGsM
and kicked something.
She looked down.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvQTMFDXZSk
Her eyes had grown used to the dark.
What she saw11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPyjjP38MVv
froze her in place.
Jason was on the floor,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRu5H2fyBYY
his face covered in blood.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrJiLRn6s7U
His lip was split,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ0i0Ja4JOA
his nose still bleeding.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuhgRShhmDa
His clothes were wrinkled,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP1PnCcNwAU
and dried blood stained his chest11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg0m9uVqDYn
like an old, torn blanket.
Nana dropped to her knees, shaking.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSb4W9luKCl
She reached out and gently shook him.
His body was limp.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv0D7YDuIKI
No response.
She lowered her head,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9LTZdB0AG6
pressed her ear against his chest.
Thank God.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmoO4NhBSZn
There was still a heartbeat.
But it was faint.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1AyGco4G7P
Slow.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTXFUH8ON50
Like the heart itself was drifting into sleep.
Her eyes blurred.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRYsGuvkqzM
Tears streamed uncontrollably.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsxNXBlkyam
She had never cried like this before.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXD8F8kh7us
Her throat burned—like it was on fire.
She opened her mouth—11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0bSIcfM8LG
and by sheer instinct,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5DEULY4sVS
made a sound:
“J… Jason… Ja… son…”
The voice was hoarse.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBVgHGPBfzW
Broken.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS8juDbcrcA
Like a rusty door creaking open.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4JJyFMGq3r
Like vocal cords that hadn’t worked in years11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCdFcp3UnYT
screaming for the first time.
Her face was soaked.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Z3FDF9NDO
She cried and looked around,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3WkKbCsyiL
not knowing what to do.
As she wiped her tears,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoGXcvTYcAi
something on the wall caught her eye.
The Batman symbol.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdADfKR47q2
Drawn in chalk.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkPcCWpGILR
Smudged with time,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgFyKG9NAiz
but still clear.
A bat with its wings spread.
The police used it to call Batman.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvcqb0iCvCB
Jason said it was the mark of his hero.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcky3w4ugJc
He said he drew it on the wall11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrFzUc1RRTJ
because he hoped—someday—11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI4Wv3nLdj4
to meet Batman.
“…Batman,” Nana murmured.
And then,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxMQJeembnN
suddenly, she understood.
She jumped to her feet11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7UKNC0I3tG
and ran outside.
The street wind was icy,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBqMd9UGKWN
but she didn’t care.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLToeqcCICr
She ran—
toward the places Jason had told her about.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpapZDQoHwt
The underpass.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzqke51grKr
The rooftop.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB36phtKiQF
The ruined lot.
Jason had once said,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgIe2un5ztF
completely serious:11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIsBwYdoFAV
Batman definitely patrols here.
Nana stopped.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl2Bsv9KxHr
Put her hands around her mouth like a megaphone.
“Bat… man!”
She shouted.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRUPjD00es8
The voice cracked,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5h1k5b1b2j
the syllables broken by coughs.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO4EQrKcPUL
“Cough… Bat… man…!”
She cried.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHhgr1sQzIf
Screamed.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3NMU0wOwgR
Each word tearing from her throat11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ6PWPVlbh9
like strips of flesh.
“R… Rob… cough… Robin…”
She felt herself crumbling.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqw2l0En1vT
Her throat was on fire.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwXxOKpKjSG
Her voice—shredded.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtawlx0R7fT
But she didn’t stop.
She was scared.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb9CFIq98BL
Terrified.
She was about to lose Jason.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKzbT0SBneb
He was still lying there.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjzW5AiwTys
If they were too late…
“If you keep calling me Ro-cough-bin,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWSdkumqsFw
I’m gonna start thinking that’s my name.”
A voice.
Sudden.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡInNWWwxBvK
Calm.
Nana turned sharply.
Through her tear-streaked vision,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLfrNBRA13Y
a figure stood in the dark mist of the Gotham night.
Red.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyCg4TucAE9
Green.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDHQglJGGTh
Yellow.
A cape.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhvziA7wb0a
An R on the chest.
Exactly as she’d seen in the newspapers.
A figure once from fantasy11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXc2PRTGGgF
was now standing before her in real life.
Robin.
He stepped forward.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc4ZWlj59jz
Gently ran a hand over her hair,11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1cvNgZ5yrc
like calming a bird about to break.
Then, softly, he asked:
“What happened?”
11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡll75cil8Gi
