“So, Master Bruce… this is the child who stole two of your Batmobile tires?”
A voice—aged, clear,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD34jbSWS0V
drifted from the shadows of the Batcave.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ65bl62vSRZ
It was impossible to tell whether it was surprised or amused.
Alfred stood there,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd1gTsYLTaS
holding a silver tray12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7pU9ajEJCr
with freshly brewed hot milks and two biscuits.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWcz9OkoA3r
His eyes fell on the boy,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUAmtSqm00v
who looked absolutely unrepentant—12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGHStzSYdXV
in fact, slightly proud.
Batman frowned,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ndNhgv7ap
his brow creasing into shadow.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ecaAVad4f
“The first time he did it, I was so pissed,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfkRRzfaDlX
I circled the block twice before daring to come back to the car.”
That first time—12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr2FFRsaB5v
he hadn’t even spoken.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaauyfR4BuP
Just grabbed the kids, one in each hand,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXmJlkaIyYn
and dropped them back near the church in the slums—12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTJU609bXR9
the safest place he could find.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDtAUHkS5wJ
He’d given them one warning:12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa6eeWYBa7S
“Don’t come near the Batmobile again.”
Jason hadn’t cried.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ9nqD08YVc
He looked angry.
Nana had kept her head down,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDtWZYnIy8x
but her hand had clung tightly to the back of Jason’s shirt.
They got no answers about Robin.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGMTMAJQwnW
Just that cold word “Go home,” left behind in the wind.
Three days later—12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5TPWaKgP5I
same place,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJWJXKYiEn7
same car.
This time,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT6DX6Cclfw
four wheels gone.
“Master Bruce,” Alfred said dryly,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdchRlAUn3i
“I sincerely believe that if this child turns to crime,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeHjGhEvsCz
we may never see your Batmobile’s tires again.”
“…Each of those wheels is taller than him.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd92alMX0zT
How did he even—”12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwsQOrwjR9G
Batman muttered,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUTXcHNkus0
somewhere between shock and disbelief.
Alfred calmly added,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKZnMIwWY1s
“He also recalibrated the tire pressure.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVSCWFKMA00
Perfectly balanced.”
This time,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhDfaNcg3AL
Batman was silent for a long moment,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOGLGtSk217
eyes on the two children.
Then he sighed.
He knew who they were.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWVNnSfNhM9
After dropping them off that night,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV3lM1xNZGy
he’d looked into it.
Jason Todd—12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx8lCae6fiH
no mother,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOddS4yKot8
an alcoholic and violent father,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCULpAVyoB2
currently missing.
Nana—12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVGrgYqh74A
from a crumbling orphanage,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRquCZmZrKv
records say she’s mute,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpTPuVGyLQ7
but she’d never had a diagnosis,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQCDFGbZPyF
never any treatment.
He knew what happened to kids like them—12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHQ14xyqN1d
especially without guardians.
Some of them needed just a little time12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3jBmIwPx5y
to walk the wrong path.
The pair standing before him now?
Definitely a “buy one, get one free” type.
One moved,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwTIwbFbmcw
the other followed.
Batman stood quietly for another few seconds.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHxXR4sDBcP
Then turned and said:
“They’ll stay.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcA9kFPPB8y
For now.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡss002ogwlP
Observation.”
Alfred gave a slight nod.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlSW6QChti8
Though he said nothing,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSN0cPUw8Zg
his expression seemed to say:12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGZ1n0jHlzJ
I thought so.
The children stayed still.
Jason’s eyes were still wary—12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEkwkPOaWn3
but also sparkled with something he couldn’t quite hide: excitement.
Nana stood quietly,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFNyAQcpYnk
her fingers nervously twisted behind her back,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPmNtynH3wH
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 children12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFh2dUTn53e
with the grace of someone serving nobility.
“You’ve both done well, children,” he said gently,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLK7trTlYQX
his voice as composed as ever.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEUVhMGEAx5
Then he added:12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRcJZ3vcpfo
“As for young Master Robin…12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx8dTuf6BtI
he is currently engaged in a temporary,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnYydusnrdV
emotionally-motivated… personal journey.”
Jason bit into a cookie,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1zIy5e3Hfc
frowning.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpiGhInOuxb
“…What does that mean?”
Nana tilted her head in confusion,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFtWDN1SRSH
signing: “Left?”12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTRn27iMDBO
Then “Robin?”
Alfred smiled,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgP7Wi1L7on
his hand gracefully folded across his wrist in a formal gesture.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6pkCVmx21r
“He has, shall we say…12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYfzP8xYTmr
run away from home.”
Both kids’ eyes went wide.
Then they looked at each other—12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlt0W6JkQe6
the same expression on their faces12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvkn18n9rA2
as if they’d just read that Gotham was going to have a week of sunshine.
Across the room,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡimsTwrUUCN
Batman sat in front of the computer,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPqtTjwXRXl
scrolling through city surveillance.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ35fkqsKcL
He gave a grumpy huff,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcJQv46BvnG
his silhouette full of quiet annoyance.
Alfred, mildly reproachful:12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtgqL50ps7W
“Master Bruce,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq72q2Q3btw
if you softened your tone just a little,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7K7kiW10Yi
I do believe the young master would return immediately.”
Batman didn’t reply.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUlhy2hEYji
His shoulders moved slightly,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8CXHDs3iXz
like he couldn’t even be bothered to argue.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1fg12mAhzB
Luckily, it was summer break.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdu42UEh2b7
The kids didn’t need to go to school.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjklWmtam2L
They were temporarily housed in Wayne Manor.
When Jason and Nana stepped out of the Batcave12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGkgWTSL6C1
and passed through the hidden passage to the upper floors,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOaCeCYPlUK
they both froze.
It was a world they had never seen.
An endless arching hallway,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYCxqBBnXeK
a chandelier hanging from the ceiling like a broken piece of starlight,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0RGOaXmQhO
soft Persian rugs underfoot,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7UoBUwHaAz
air scented with cedar and sun-warmed fabric.
Nana instinctively grabbed the back of Jason’s shirt,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ARQEzJCuQ
as if afraid she’d dirty the floor just by being there.
“Welcome to Wayne Manor, children,”12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnF8lczxxO9
Alfred said from behind them,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqO8YYsdCeA
his expression gentle.
They were led upstairs separately.
The hallway was wide enough12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHiB7dS8UFS
for three horses to race side by side.
Jason’s room had a private bathroom,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡInVDgAD1hv
a desk,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrXQgHPYjZi
and a leather chair so grand12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPeJ9rEDgKh
he didn’t dare sit in it at first.
When Alfred led Nana to hers,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5XVeAXarVT
he frowned slightly.
“Miss Nana, I must apologize.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡooN59kGVcK
This room is currently not quite suited for a young lady.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHgaKEYit9k
We didn’t have time to prepare,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxzGLzwGUfa
but in the future,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmRENsgopgn
I’ll see to a proper space just for you.”
Nana blushed,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVk6nvZIiul
waved her hands quickly,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSgV8wYv6F1
and signed: “This is already perfect.”
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm4bSsvmr34
That night,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCSNLfT8Xui
the hallway was quiet.
A small girl in new pajamas carefully turned her doorknob,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe2vFDB8KxD
peeked out,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp8bcxqdITq
then tiptoed across the hall.
She knocked twice.
The door opened.
Jason—also in pajamas,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYjbCeiHyj2
his hair a mess—12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU282FgKBtp
looked at her.
His eyes lit up.
They stared for a second,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡordazCzEAx
hands beginning to move.
“Too big. Can’t sleep.”
“Me too.”
Jason reached out,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzfymM7L2cB
took her hand,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNKSvOxCA4s
and led her in.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdRVOKw2bqq
Alfred stood in front of the monitor,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLRGJuJvURn
sipping his tea.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ6OLNqv2K6
His eyes landed on the two small figures on the screen.
He smiled,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjbydbHtr3T
his voice calm and unhurried:
“Master Bruce,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4PZBJcFYOA
those two children…12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz6csSrd6V8
they seem very close, don’t they?”
Batman said nothing.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYUnkC0y9xa
He stared at the monitor for a long time,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRAMYx3jqZ6
silent.
Inside the room,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡusLIHOCagR
the lights were off.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoDyb0s3VxE
Night draped itself over everything like soft silk.
Two children lay on the bed,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkqMU2LLFbk
heads resting together,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJpDUPkaUCg
hands moving in soft signs.
Today’s thoughts.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgli5DgRX8p
The Batmobile.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqd47ylKXYW
Alfred’s milk—it smelled better than church milk.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1DGLk374An
And…12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiY7M7kUfIW
the bed.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ4rbuvEPVB
It was way too soft.
Their hands slowly stopped.
Breathing slowed.
And soon,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrbybeJgMnQ
they both fell asleep quietly12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt5ORRcIV7n
beneath Gotham’s night.
Day Three.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOrlMnsqRf8
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.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2IbspazJmH
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—”12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG8ZSFelDSH
He paused, tilting his brows.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEFx0rerHis
“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.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPWF437JspD
“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.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWcYzUzJSfu
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.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpsbDdkcxMi
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.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8kL1uW6jXo
“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.”
ns216.73.216.12da2
