“So, Master Bruce… this is the child who stole two of your Batmobile tires?”
A voice—aged, clear,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVW5fEoo4cg
drifted from the shadows of the Batcave.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYPVY1IRd1w
It was impossible to tell whether it was surprised or amused.
Alfred stood there,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVtAMgmP7US
holding a silver tray25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCCseZjqWaQ
with freshly brewed hot milks and two biscuits.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwR1lcHgRuI
His eyes fell on the boy,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS9pg1Ffpub
who looked absolutely unrepentant—25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc9XFWV4Wag
in fact, slightly proud.
Batman frowned,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgPDwLmuS6u
his brow creasing into shadow.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTCKMbwRqoY
“The first time he did it, I was so pissed,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ9ffPSqwlW
I circled the block twice before daring to come back to the car.”
That first time—25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1AywonRgcF
he hadn’t even spoken.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJXQDO5koKU
Just grabbed the kids, one in each hand,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjK0hZESB2N
and dropped them back near the church in the slums—25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZcJHVBonq
the safest place he could find.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb6CuPxkktP
He’d given them one warning:25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtvp2SCF4zG
“Don’t come near the Batmobile again.”
Jason hadn’t cried.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIg1K0iNGCI
He looked angry.
Nana had kept her head down,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD3467PeP5N
but her hand had clung tightly to the back of Jason’s shirt.
They got no answers about Robin.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ02Bzh4BZEX
Just that cold word “Go home,” left behind in the wind.
Three days later—25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ize1WAtuS
same place,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz2V3TxOG5H
same car.
This time,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeIv2YhSjSV
four wheels gone.
“Master Bruce,” Alfred said dryly,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡML2PWvNN9X
“I sincerely believe that if this child turns to crime,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrmWjXYVaGP
we may never see your Batmobile’s tires again.”
“…Each of those wheels is taller than him.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUFif18oni0
How did he even—”25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1oS9Rb3uEI
Batman muttered,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQAJuLaXoog
somewhere between shock and disbelief.
Alfred calmly added,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH6dPBKyhOa
“He also recalibrated the tire pressure.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI0bQAwkNgZ
Perfectly balanced.”
This time,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSAu6icbICW
Batman was silent for a long moment,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXih364ClfR
eyes on the two children.
Then he sighed.
He knew who they were.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ66t5MeXZvV
After dropping them off that night,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHkO5KJLmbR
he’d looked into it.
Jason Todd—25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC4rVbtqb1J
no mother,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFL8bwUYtOo
an alcoholic and violent father,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf6TQ79VECw
currently missing.
Nana—25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDudHTUQJel
from a crumbling orphanage,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjev8LCFJF9
records say she’s mute,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGJSMKiWANN
but she’d never had a diagnosis,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpK2gJhxn1z
never any treatment.
He knew what happened to kids like them—25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhj6TGP6h7L
especially without guardians.
Some of them needed just a little time25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYGxqKzN6Tb
to walk the wrong path.
The pair standing before him now?
Definitely a “buy one, get one free” type.
One moved,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC9SNE3LjHL
the other followed.
Batman stood quietly for another few seconds.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx0svS9jhEf
Then turned and said:
“They’ll stay.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWRbEGiPCPX
For now.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq6IfuZudLr
Observation.”
Alfred gave a slight nod.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAEd8dOExxN
Though he said nothing,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCRLvegUVwO
his expression seemed to say:25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQpNVJV5Iqw
I thought so.
The children stayed still.
Jason’s eyes were still wary—25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5h5ospYTxe
but also sparkled with something he couldn’t quite hide: excitement.
Nana stood quietly,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV2zThxAXx4
her fingers nervously twisted behind her back,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHUQQFN5yUU
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 children25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2zbwNlbMUa
with the grace of someone serving nobility.
“You’ve both done well, children,” he said gently,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVmYIuTK0Fz
his voice as composed as ever.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcdxJGwc0Wq
Then he added:25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZOUowAWDWp
“As for young Master Robin…25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoAHfJMsnW3
he is currently engaged in a temporary,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYhQb2qShRC
emotionally-motivated… personal journey.”
Jason bit into a cookie,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQYggYbeP0H
frowning.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf6M4RVc36I
“…What does that mean?”
Nana tilted her head in confusion,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXA1dH38Ej9
signing: “Left?”25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBTPPFGRbkA
Then “Robin?”
Alfred smiled,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7lXj4hvO90
his hand gracefully folded across his wrist in a formal gesture.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHvj0JlqLFa
“He has, shall we say…25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHSDuHhHtTW
run away from home.”
Both kids’ eyes went wide.
Then they looked at each other—25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBvs5G69hEi
the same expression on their faces25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWHTywL5nRZ
as if they’d just read that Gotham was going to have a week of sunshine.
Across the room,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW3rcAoOZxe
Batman sat in front of the computer,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU2SSdjJjX9
scrolling through city surveillance.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa0hSrZXIoq
He gave a grumpy huff,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5EBBK6wAOO
his silhouette full of quiet annoyance.
Alfred, mildly reproachful:25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs4wqaE28hH
“Master Bruce,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5XTBuo4BB5
if you softened your tone just a little,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWb2AOpSOf7
I do believe the young master would return immediately.”
Batman didn’t reply.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Xj1incyhF
His shoulders moved slightly,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDr0CXtqyaJ
like he couldn’t even be bothered to argue.
25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoqUq93FM9f
Luckily, it was summer break.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV11GQJB2Yv
The kids didn’t need to go to school.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoe8KQ6Afp0
They were temporarily housed in Wayne Manor.
When Jason and Nana stepped out of the Batcave25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡClTJAHbgnz
and passed through the hidden passage to the upper floors,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡip6n8Ho4ZI
they both froze.
It was a world they had never seen.
An endless arching hallway,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCEAbz4sdr7
a chandelier hanging from the ceiling like a broken piece of starlight,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5uMW038KIg
soft Persian rugs underfoot,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQiKuJcXIMx
air scented with cedar and sun-warmed fabric.
Nana instinctively grabbed the back of Jason’s shirt,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyQkObiUVlx
as if afraid she’d dirty the floor just by being there.
“Welcome to Wayne Manor, children,”25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxazydly9JD
Alfred said from behind them,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSmPPQUGQxp
his expression gentle.
They were led upstairs separately.
The hallway was wide enough25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqFygGT3HPq
for three horses to race side by side.
Jason’s room had a private bathroom,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpSRKI30JFm
a desk,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBv62dBtGN7
and a leather chair so grand25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ36vdQby69n
he didn’t dare sit in it at first.
When Alfred led Nana to hers,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiOJWcewIJS
he frowned slightly.
“Miss Nana, I must apologize.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaeLoOkC9Kc
This room is currently not quite suited for a young lady.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJIBq5kWjAO
We didn’t have time to prepare,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfUWnQemiqC
but in the future,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuiMiyVzZpP
I’ll see to a proper space just for you.”
Nana blushed,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTHAUC0lzc6
waved her hands quickly,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRVopwWIQRM
and signed: “This is already perfect.”
25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvu8qf8eAbu
That night,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡadmylxYAeV
the hallway was quiet.
A small girl in new pajamas carefully turned her doorknob,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOzPGIa940W
peeked out,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ6iU6Vf8nT
then tiptoed across the hall.
She knocked twice.
The door opened.
Jason—also in pajamas,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlBVky9aEN0
his hair a mess—25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpKSqtMApWP
looked at her.
His eyes lit up.
They stared for a second,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpXyL5d1EWz
hands beginning to move.
“Too big. Can’t sleep.”
“Me too.”
Jason reached out,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSU9bdo7vE9
took her hand,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGwmhYMPgRt
and led her in.
25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7rz6v2LpKm
Alfred stood in front of the monitor,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSzd1ZKV9Yl
sipping his tea.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlFsqk6nCnL
His eyes landed on the two small figures on the screen.
He smiled,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2VNFaGUk3W
his voice calm and unhurried:
“Master Bruce,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMJ88xjbLk8
those two children…25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRyrRQU37jZ
they seem very close, don’t they?”
Batman said nothing.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl7VKWNzln5
He stared at the monitor for a long time,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlIeoiuaqrB
silent.
Inside the room,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp4n8t1axRq
the lights were off.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyHqdd3FPAG
Night draped itself over everything like soft silk.
Two children lay on the bed,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡalfYaaMpaZ
heads resting together,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAyBu8uhkoZ
hands moving in soft signs.
Today’s thoughts.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsOjOew5crU
The Batmobile.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxXtpeuS6Fr
Alfred’s milk—it smelled better than church milk.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ2lEVP7bm3
And…25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtDQYJVZClb
the bed.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU8AeRwthag
It was way too soft.
Their hands slowly stopped.
Breathing slowed.
And soon,25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwfdDvCLUjU
they both fell asleep quietly25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8tsAGZLOOV
beneath Gotham’s night.
Day Three.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk1i6EQLX3r
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.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6832jpL1gE
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—”25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHaIbfLROoF
He paused, tilting his brows.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDKdTTpDbJr
“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.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1icsg4EIEU
“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.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJGCueU9oxh
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.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT7MVViMOrS
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.25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7JVzoj0m17
“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.”
ns216.73.216.116da2
and then Add to home screen.