“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