“So, Master Bruce… this is the child who stole two of your Batmobile tires?”
A voice—aged, clear,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Q3UvhywzL
drifted from the shadows of the Batcave.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAgJdA4JuxI
It was impossible to tell whether it was surprised or amused.
Alfred stood there,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCyGUKqLi9o
holding a silver tray28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkNC5C1nc1X
with freshly brewed hot milks and two biscuits.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTR4N2CVxYI
His eyes fell on the boy,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx5yhcSHUgT
who looked absolutely unrepentant—28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMUO0NEL1bd
in fact, slightly proud.
Batman frowned,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Im4xiecH8
his brow creasing into shadow.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAelWekFLtz
“The first time he did it, I was so pissed,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiHiZjSFBNC
I circled the block twice before daring to come back to the car.”
That first time—28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡabgyU6PoDB
he hadn’t even spoken.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQOfMHAaFZt
Just grabbed the kids, one in each hand,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkEFdqKnSWq
and dropped them back near the church in the slums—28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEzVj4EfsMD
the safest place he could find.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7y3PQG7Qgd
He’d given them one warning:28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkxfqJDwsWt
“Don’t come near the Batmobile again.”
Jason hadn’t cried.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ48RmHgP2je
He looked angry.
Nana had kept her head down,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGENUf8OxCV
but her hand had clung tightly to the back of Jason’s shirt.
They got no answers about Robin.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeYYI4e3jh5
Just that cold word “Go home,” left behind in the wind.
Three days later—28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3fliyIy0mW
same place,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh5p7aBzUa5
same car.
This time,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr7CjCMihMe
four wheels gone.
“Master Bruce,” Alfred said dryly,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2fE1xqyd9U
“I sincerely believe that if this child turns to crime,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhkn1N3dguL
we may never see your Batmobile’s tires again.”
“…Each of those wheels is taller than him.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ2TouRoqUp
How did he even—”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqtFBFWlwD5
Batman muttered,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdKxWMJXyc6
somewhere between shock and disbelief.
Alfred calmly added,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDbpYdzZfCi
“He also recalibrated the tire pressure.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7npsqcBkD8
Perfectly balanced.”
This time,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7bRhBevRWH
Batman was silent for a long moment,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMK4g0YjWEp
eyes on the two children.
Then he sighed.
He knew who they were.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRY7uKdRFcr
After dropping them off that night,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡib1ZUn5vrM
he’d looked into it.
Jason Todd—28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4sriTAxRyf
no mother,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhL2yFL9MIh
an alcoholic and violent father,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8c1RXyfct8
currently missing.
Nana—28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH9nWkPys3C
from a crumbling orphanage,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkfTHkvhaOX
records say she’s mute,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNt4oRBadWA
but she’d never had a diagnosis,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAAFLlnQ5QO
never any treatment.
He knew what happened to kids like them—28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYVuOwK6N8z
especially without guardians.
Some of them needed just a little time28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3wASwJxBxB
to walk the wrong path.
The pair standing before him now?
Definitely a “buy one, get one free” type.
One moved,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwHKzJzvPHZ
the other followed.
Batman stood quietly for another few seconds.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvUm4zKH8cL
Then turned and said:
“They’ll stay.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8GJ9S3nl6J
For now.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzVsZIeIo7o
Observation.”
Alfred gave a slight nod.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAFwO3SDiS3
Though he said nothing,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaPdwE36aLe
his expression seemed to say:28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWWH2VFfeix
I thought so.
The children stayed still.
Jason’s eyes were still wary—28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyLiMODIRDt
but also sparkled with something he couldn’t quite hide: excitement.
Nana stood quietly,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAG2KZKnXJS
her fingers nervously twisted behind her back,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ16QJatbGh4
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 children28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5jOMgA3bXS
with the grace of someone serving nobility.
“You’ve both done well, children,” he said gently,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡynNZ9PQcuL
his voice as composed as ever.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrMMxLGpuWp
Then he added:28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiH221nlHOR
“As for young Master Robin…28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsCFXbVBl9o
he is currently engaged in a temporary,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzfAzjJR0hw
emotionally-motivated… personal journey.”
Jason bit into a cookie,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNPCCGnNby8
frowning.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWwZYW157L5
“…What does that mean?”
Nana tilted her head in confusion,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwa2bsVGgG9
signing: “Left?”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmSQKrmrcWt
Then “Robin?”
Alfred smiled,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYK62qvNQTr
his hand gracefully folded across his wrist in a formal gesture.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOV7uhx1eRN
“He has, shall we say…28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjOM4Fbfe5w
run away from home.”
Both kids’ eyes went wide.
Then they looked at each other—28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Z0a8bDmex
the same expression on their faces28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCXJUxvaK6o
as if they’d just read that Gotham was going to have a week of sunshine.
Across the room,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjYeoqTOihC
Batman sat in front of the computer,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8MTOYWvFji
scrolling through city surveillance.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRUnR93T0Xz
He gave a grumpy huff,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBuPnZqol2K
his silhouette full of quiet annoyance.
Alfred, mildly reproachful:28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfLyrXfYKgE
“Master Bruce,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqQrUPlCaWE
if you softened your tone just a little,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYJoM7Hgpu8
I do believe the young master would return immediately.”
Batman didn’t reply.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0xUQMFrgu7
His shoulders moved slightly,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTP3Le9V6Oz
like he couldn’t even be bothered to argue.
28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeOcImaYLtj
Luckily, it was summer break.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnw8QoYdcLc
The kids didn’t need to go to school.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxc1szhZfJW
They were temporarily housed in Wayne Manor.
When Jason and Nana stepped out of the Batcave28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2iony0jNvy
and passed through the hidden passage to the upper floors,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDWuUoIiMUe
they both froze.
It was a world they had never seen.
An endless arching hallway,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqFVzN96Cw3
a chandelier hanging from the ceiling like a broken piece of starlight,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgAJpFsScBh
soft Persian rugs underfoot,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡalJCd5oR2S
air scented with cedar and sun-warmed fabric.
Nana instinctively grabbed the back of Jason’s shirt,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA1ZQSM0cJo
as if afraid she’d dirty the floor just by being there.
“Welcome to Wayne Manor, children,”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡojuWYjfk2P
Alfred said from behind them,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfsM3R5YOCj
his expression gentle.
They were led upstairs separately.
The hallway was wide enough28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡStI8WfOBPn
for three horses to race side by side.
Jason’s room had a private bathroom,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP4eFO7gZRY
a desk,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlsr69GlGg3
and a leather chair so grand28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe4S5cIoW4s
he didn’t dare sit in it at first.
When Alfred led Nana to hers,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnPgQcYhJoE
he frowned slightly.
“Miss Nana, I must apologize.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8rLFo0MIFj
This room is currently not quite suited for a young lady.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkxGbGuG5m5
We didn’t have time to prepare,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJFUtAPJUKB
but in the future,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJbwM1nPqDU
I’ll see to a proper space just for you.”
Nana blushed,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiPG9aWzZ2C
waved her hands quickly,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8KWum9mnuw
and signed: “This is already perfect.”
28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrmJqUv0pv9
That night,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ905fHmBfwm
the hallway was quiet.
A small girl in new pajamas carefully turned her doorknob,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6cehgDlWYq
peeked out,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaqLXdruPpV
then tiptoed across the hall.
She knocked twice.
The door opened.
Jason—also in pajamas,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI5P5MwVeMS
his hair a mess—28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx2kSzwVQT3
looked at her.
His eyes lit up.
They stared for a second,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZT6xs7AQvl
hands beginning to move.
“Too big. Can’t sleep.”
“Me too.”
Jason reached out,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIHq237NWcN
took her hand,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyzTbvcsHS5
and led her in.
28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ84pbiCnIW2
Alfred stood in front of the monitor,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVDQxNseYdK
sipping his tea.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmQBEof3DI3
His eyes landed on the two small figures on the screen.
He smiled,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyiNSC4qnZU
his voice calm and unhurried:
“Master Bruce,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqzcCAOAgOy
those two children…28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgFBERpf6XJ
they seem very close, don’t they?”
Batman said nothing.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlQhkIEVYJO
He stared at the monitor for a long time,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNi8N8pLfTE
silent.
Inside the room,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL2m2bzhzh4
the lights were off.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvMkzOHnmQf
Night draped itself over everything like soft silk.
Two children lay on the bed,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAhFCL9i2ET
heads resting together,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGzQVYrhse7
hands moving in soft signs.
Today’s thoughts.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaaq2BjoZSP
The Batmobile.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG1UvZg7sAf
Alfred’s milk—it smelled better than church milk.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYqXIg7p0DP
And…28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvAFvhavR45
the bed.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhTqs4wHlyU
It was way too soft.
Their hands slowly stopped.
Breathing slowed.
And soon,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk8bHxK1R8E
they both fell asleep quietly28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlQKNmYUJUt
beneath Gotham’s night.
Day Three.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTUZ9xauBzP
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.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Z65UjWNDV
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—”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS9jryFXckD
He paused, tilting his brows.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡljmWy50Psj
“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.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKNBUObD50B
“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.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOpbBiJfYAJ
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.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM5py4ZlCfG
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.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8nxRUVJyry
“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.