Jason didn’t come to school today.
Nana stared at the empty seat—40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnR2YxDHqfE
the one Jason always sat in.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡryPbrL9vKh
He always sat up straight.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡld5UD6gOGL
Even though the chair wobbled,40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIWuFNsI5ig
he made it look steady.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdH8pkIzMbO
Made it look like his throne.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWg35Khyh3T
It was Jason’s spot.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzL2JVnbsRp
No one dared touch it.
Nana touched the bread in her pocket.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs4Hw79GiNw
She had saved it for him.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVLHERK61dn
The boy ate a lot—40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP7f3ChFcCB
he was always saying he was hungry.
She waited the whole day.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfFsFrnDHN9
But Jason never came.
Truth be told,40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaers1Ypmu9
he looked like a troublemaker,40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhZBZBWMprC
but he actually liked school.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2PwLLsOeHR
He respected the teacher.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHoAVe4RuaG
Even when scolded,40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHREBeOvUxD
he just frowned—never talked back.
Nana grew more and more uneasy.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkPHM3Rv4sr
After school,40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1RBYuaENit
she decided to go look for him.
She had never been to Jason’s home,40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqz9DvxdKwY
but he’d described it a few times—40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoZ0yy9Ivoo
the pawn shop at the corner with a broken sign,40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuew9kl4nJh
stairs that creaked like they were ready to collapse,40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw4bzikNdel
and a bottom-floor door that smelled like rotten shoes.
She spent a while searching,40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg5yvXOoeQR
asking directions,40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4A2113iEf7
following fragments of memory.
The sun began to set40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx2OnBnAHYL
when she finally stepped into a deeper part of the slums.
It was the slums within the slums.
Nana kept her body close,40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTv182aP67p
avoiding drunken men vomiting on the street,40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOIIxT1AOEF
sidestepping women chatting in low, tired voices.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbX6oChHSxK
At the end of the road,40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFO21LmCFdA
there were barely any people.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZW1vCLXKtP
The doors were shut tight.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHlqKJ4oxBI
Graffiti and grime smeared the walls.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjB9CjNPDVF
The air reeked of mold.
Following Jason’s descriptions,40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡduVy91DtWJ
she found the second floor of the abandoned pawn shop.
Each step on the staircase40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGYJkc5qM4Z
made her heart pound—40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYOvGAzz7am
every creak whispering that life here was uncertain,40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhNqS6D4Fl9
like the world itself was warning her:40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaFwIcYYkdz
No one should be here.
She reached the top,40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJm446b4AOm
stood before a door blackened by filth.
She raised her hand to knock—40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeQQfnKGQdj
but realized the door wasn’t closed.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwozhuK8XaU
The frame was cracked.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMB6kQYABwv
She pushed.
The door opened with a soft click-click.
Inside,40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyFcL5fj77A
it was dark.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFoQiD9BCyj
So dark,40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq8lKHS0mad
it felt like light had never existed there.
Nana stepped inside slowly—40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfSWFG4HnM9
and kicked something.
She looked down.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡROxKgNAvDI
Her eyes had grown used to the dark.
What she saw40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg3vx6tD4CZ
froze her in place.
Jason was on the floor,40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9KXe6W0HuS
his face covered in blood.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj8siOpQV2b
His lip was split,40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHk0WgZfn4d
his nose still bleeding.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd5L3nfJZkU
His clothes were wrinkled,40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL2Bz4Y2J5B
and dried blood stained his chest40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1bUFSFuYYL
like an old, torn blanket.
Nana dropped to her knees, shaking.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaL9H8tLVKQ
She reached out and gently shook him.
His body was limp.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFSisPFoYJG
No response.
She lowered her head,40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKYFIhpvjbt
pressed her ear against his chest.
Thank God.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7y7KPG96wS
There was still a heartbeat.
But it was faint.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4O1tGCpOn0
Slow.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJwifCO7zks
Like the heart itself was drifting into sleep.
Her eyes blurred.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCqXwBDaej5
Tears streamed uncontrollably.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEFPWsLk9iL
She had never cried like this before.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMiPRUf507W
Her throat burned—like it was on fire.
She opened her mouth—40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUs5Q759kTQ
and by sheer instinct,40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSaWTQuSG4o
made a sound:
“J… Jason… Ja… son…”
The voice was hoarse.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOr6IA9STrP
Broken.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlVz3tvwRvl
Like a rusty door creaking open.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXUypc6Gdwy
Like vocal cords that hadn’t worked in years40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiUs5qzwoYh
screaming for the first time.
Her face was soaked.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTHOvDd5YRt
She cried and looked around,40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXydQLpufzG
not knowing what to do.
As she wiped her tears,40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoFUmt27Nja
something on the wall caught her eye.
The Batman symbol.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAxM3clYTFg
Drawn in chalk.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ5XSTwEk8W
Smudged with time,40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKsMiubmtIj
but still clear.
A bat with its wings spread.
The police used it to call Batman.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaunQO7ifaD
Jason said it was the mark of his hero.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfOEoaKoaH9
He said he drew it on the wall40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiQco1kqEXw
because he hoped—someday—40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZOOuF1B8ja
to meet Batman.
“…Batman,” Nana murmured.
And then,40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjEdmUFZCkP
suddenly, she understood.
She jumped to her feet40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡck5I2lQDF7
and ran outside.
The street wind was icy,40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr2QVc8cFuR
but she didn’t care.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMYk7e3Udtr
She ran—
toward the places Jason had told her about.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlCVfvYnkOZ
The underpass.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbYdSqqxCaP
The rooftop.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQnWkaRwXHm
The ruined lot.
Jason had once said,40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUjdNDJ9GkF
completely serious:40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPdqM8lrwfj
Batman definitely patrols here.
Nana stopped.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9SCF30cZHv
Put her hands around her mouth like a megaphone.
“Bat… man!”
She shouted.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvDe7YnQCYC
The voice cracked,40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5lQ7keg3nD
the syllables broken by coughs.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfshQ4FbtJk
“Cough… Bat… man…!”
She cried.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiltt74fkac
Screamed.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkIV7CseaTp
Each word tearing from her throat40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvlqfb7WSBa
like strips of flesh.
“R… Rob… cough… Robin…”
She felt herself crumbling.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6vVFTXoXfN
Her throat was on fire.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfg5Xheesbk
Her voice—shredded.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt1S7qAwiJ7
But she didn’t stop.
She was scared.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEMInwLF8wq
Terrified.
She was about to lose Jason.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgYoV3ssRPU
He was still lying there.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0LJICdx7Vn
If they were too late…
“If you keep calling me Ro-cough-bin,40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5TLsEW9cC9
I’m gonna start thinking that’s my name.”
A voice.
Sudden.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiI88kK9CGy
Calm.
Nana turned sharply.
Through her tear-streaked vision,40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0F4MnPTjSb
a figure stood in the dark mist of the Gotham night.
Red.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT3xgmmMaSW
Green.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Sai0PbiYj
Yellow.
A cape.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuPBH3RWA9S
An R on the chest.
Exactly as she’d seen in the newspapers.
A figure once from fantasy40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4xEokY3VQz
was now standing before her in real life.
Robin.
He stepped forward.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1YBh0XMCzN
Gently ran a hand over her hair,40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXextQ9stdT
like calming a bird about to break.
Then, softly, he asked:
“What happened?”
40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVmC2Khdz42
and then Add to home screen.