“So, Master Bruce… this is the child who stole two of your Batmobile tires?”
A voice—aged, clear,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjKWKEje3Jx
drifted from the shadows of the Batcave.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSAgQOCn2xo
It was impossible to tell whether it was surprised or amused.
Alfred stood there,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrj58zlT8vE
holding a silver tray28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL348HogptF
with freshly brewed hot milks and two biscuits.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc0znL595Cp
His eyes fell on the boy,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAnVgovfvWZ
who looked absolutely unrepentant—28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡolxYAaslrH
in fact, slightly proud.
Batman frowned,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtHnqpbCuqD
his brow creasing into shadow.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyrELNkCbxD
“The first time he did it, I was so pissed,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡckp6559xvF
I circled the block twice before daring to come back to the car.”
That first time—28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDaNX57456L
he hadn’t even spoken.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2l4bWM5gVn
Just grabbed the kids, one in each hand,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡab1BqggAGG
and dropped them back near the church in the slums—28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDolHDVeZn6
the safest place he could find.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuGTdn2EBjh
He’d given them one warning:28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOqckr83Kur
“Don’t come near the Batmobile again.”
Jason hadn’t cried.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGR37Q03lNn
He looked angry.
Nana had kept her head down,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHsZxb7LG7z
but her hand had clung tightly to the back of Jason’s shirt.
They got no answers about Robin.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrSjzCfINBV
Just that cold word “Go home,” left behind in the wind.
Three days later—28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9GlAT7QZEg
same place,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD02sV9XbjA
same car.
This time,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp6tg36282b
four wheels gone.
“Master Bruce,” Alfred said dryly,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8i60vlo1ls
“I sincerely believe that if this child turns to crime,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEBqxL1vbkd
we may never see your Batmobile’s tires again.”
“…Each of those wheels is taller than him.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzPYquLwsoe
How did he even—”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe4hzvpFfeA
Batman muttered,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkwFDuF1VpD
somewhere between shock and disbelief.
Alfred calmly added,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM7bGmaN26d
“He also recalibrated the tire pressure.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡebVEm4OZW4
Perfectly balanced.”
This time,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnpveQ7QsoS
Batman was silent for a long moment,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSNfBbU3Vdx
eyes on the two children.
Then he sighed.
He knew who they were.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgSelmYY06G
After dropping them off that night,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNmC6SnvHiG
he’d looked into it.
Jason Todd—28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWSxOGoKPxX
no mother,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4DKbKc6sTE
an alcoholic and violent father,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUBGSRRx4gp
currently missing.
Nana—28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtTwgV4XlTZ
from a crumbling orphanage,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOb865sGDnw
records say she’s mute,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp2pqijBQcE
but she’d never had a diagnosis,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdl14v0h3xr
never any treatment.
He knew what happened to kids like them—28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAJPMhH1k6s
especially without guardians.
Some of them needed just a little time28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd1xtbJ0VE9
to walk the wrong path.
The pair standing before him now?
Definitely a “buy one, get one free” type.
One moved,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyavI7MH5E2
the other followed.
Batman stood quietly for another few seconds.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLQ2ybVluQF
Then turned and said:
“They’ll stay.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtdyNGnKFGu
For now.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkMr5dmcpb5
Observation.”
Alfred gave a slight nod.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxGYUOLTAdV
Though he said nothing,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU5cmhxd5Zc
his expression seemed to say:28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZxNA2bAlP0
I thought so.
The children stayed still.
Jason’s eyes were still wary—28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCkk605zrMX
but also sparkled with something he couldn’t quite hide: excitement.
Nana stood quietly,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa1oVR1aG3e
her fingers nervously twisted behind her back,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSus01ayZLo
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1fgIYgJKen
with the grace of someone serving nobility.
“You’ve both done well, children,” he said gently,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡih8OZMemBj
his voice as composed as ever.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSANIdGhUf8
Then he added:28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGfdljCv9c1
“As for young Master Robin…28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVlUHAKAzwp
he is currently engaged in a temporary,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH3vEjCkR6z
emotionally-motivated… personal journey.”
Jason bit into a cookie,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgp1jBJhkzx
frowning.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0P8uXtvx57
“…What does that mean?”
Nana tilted her head in confusion,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdGOmekZV40
signing: “Left?”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAZxFHDd6sY
Then “Robin?”
Alfred smiled,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp1zAPPfuNw
his hand gracefully folded across his wrist in a formal gesture.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcVc0jKWzWR
“He has, shall we say…28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvPuVmxE8zG
run away from home.”
Both kids’ eyes went wide.
Then they looked at each other—28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcfw8e8vhGA
the same expression on their faces28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0hehabggWv
as if they’d just read that Gotham was going to have a week of sunshine.
Across the room,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSjcmefsf6Q
Batman sat in front of the computer,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Q8Ts1nbBP
scrolling through city surveillance.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjcXIQMaZlY
He gave a grumpy huff,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ASNy62uqP
his silhouette full of quiet annoyance.
Alfred, mildly reproachful:28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQumeH0roKm
“Master Bruce,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfhLNWu0rRG
if you softened your tone just a little,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx1ucbbMxHH
I do believe the young master would return immediately.”
Batman didn’t reply.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIPiQJX3KlP
His shoulders moved slightly,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjb2Czl4pyr
like he couldn’t even be bothered to argue.
28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpMW6NNPpoH
Luckily, it was summer break.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcYryW03cud
The kids didn’t need to go to school.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbKy42JZWGJ
They were temporarily housed in Wayne Manor.
When Jason and Nana stepped out of the Batcave28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2uW4OUUvNa
and passed through the hidden passage to the upper floors,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAFDI2euLsv
they both froze.
It was a world they had never seen.
An endless arching hallway,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMvZ1KbUR6p
a chandelier hanging from the ceiling like a broken piece of starlight,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBHD8FZ98wt
soft Persian rugs underfoot,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuOdWIrxekA
air scented with cedar and sun-warmed fabric.
Nana instinctively grabbed the back of Jason’s shirt,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfwmQZcEhSy
as if afraid she’d dirty the floor just by being there.
“Welcome to Wayne Manor, children,”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtp2TwVDxO3
Alfred said from behind them,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡruuMFFzsgA
his expression gentle.
They were led upstairs separately.
The hallway was wide enough28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy8bbVL9PWn
for three horses to race side by side.
Jason’s room had a private bathroom,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpkyDPkUsmN
a desk,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXVMP7OLwck
and a leather chair so grand28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5o3gxyhVf4
he didn’t dare sit in it at first.
When Alfred led Nana to hers,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkmxgFMLhAN
he frowned slightly.
“Miss Nana, I must apologize.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyeEawf1z8X
This room is currently not quite suited for a young lady.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb9N5oUMzHb
We didn’t have time to prepare,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJhnsBpVgJN
but in the future,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡofP0MCdYAe
I’ll see to a proper space just for you.”
Nana blushed,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzGPLQ99oaw
waved her hands quickly,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMVAZF6s2Wf
and signed: “This is already perfect.”
28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaUn4SOAJX8
That night,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6VZPgV4SYU
the hallway was quiet.
A small girl in new pajamas carefully turned her doorknob,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaiK8ApQPii
peeked out,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv6svnQnwU9
then tiptoed across the hall.
She knocked twice.
The door opened.
Jason—also in pajamas,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxyptFxSToe
his hair a mess—28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdC5ldYnz6T
looked at her.
His eyes lit up.
They stared for a second,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3qenqAPsgL
hands beginning to move.
“Too big. Can’t sleep.”
“Me too.”
Jason reached out,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAryEmmHq7M
took her hand,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZPnSkl62sM
and led her in.
28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyLo1BOwYFj
Alfred stood in front of the monitor,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTwKsP8hYGU
sipping his tea.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMbJLynW0u6
His eyes landed on the two small figures on the screen.
He smiled,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe0hOR8LoKn
his voice calm and unhurried:
“Master Bruce,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVobfNzbtHJ
those two children…28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5CYhuCfXq5
they seem very close, don’t they?”
Batman said nothing.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ2IwPB4eJQ
He stared at the monitor for a long time,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡckmin9tJXj
silent.
Inside the room,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIaWQVqKmAe
the lights were off.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMBgNmdV1mR
Night draped itself over everything like soft silk.
Two children lay on the bed,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGL4qqVEO7U
heads resting together,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxJ5Tf3TCFS
hands moving in soft signs.
Today’s thoughts.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbG44oX7Uyz
The Batmobile.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUtjJ5pCvMH
Alfred’s milk—it smelled better than church milk.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdktnKIGdNp
And…28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡExLuCEyuzW
the bed.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsdZvJDaN4H
It was way too soft.
Their hands slowly stopped.
Breathing slowed.
And soon,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡihcb0yBxVy
they both fell asleep quietly28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡny9t7EYke7
beneath Gotham’s night.
Day Three.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwNMLtpJ2aY
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ18i6XSAlCR
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7IYXNhMPzS
He paused, tilting his brows.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaoj6Ir30Bm
“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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMuN0xXXMGC
“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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB6oRB6O8y0
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ5TijNOf1C
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmQRtbNjYSW
“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.