Two Months Later, at Night
The girl sat at the edge of the bed.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ46iKqpIivy
Only a small lamp was on in the room, casting a soft, warm light.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMmf4to1mUM
She held the boy’s hand, gently applying ointment to his sore muscles,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0wrRFe8MhJ
careful to avoid the bandage wrapped around his palm.
Jason didn’t speak.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq2PoJwxWfR
He lowered his head, letting her tend to him.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYdKlyOMdrb
But his eyes kept sneaking glances at her face.
That face, usually framed with a quiet smile,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs4ro3vhPEc
was now furrowed with worry—28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg51YSBMQWH
as if she were hurting in his place.
He was the one who had gone to Batman.
When Bruce began arranging ability tests for Nana,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVFvM4D7sWE
Jason knocked on the heavy, solemn door of the Batcave—28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVMS81iTVQO
for the first time, on his own.
He stood before Bruce and said,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx0Iies6xJ6
voice steady and sincere:28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmTzVfNOhCr
“I want to train. I want to be stronger. I want to… protect her.”
Batman didn’t respond right away.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCv9ey1mNTC
He just stared at the boy in silence for a long time.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4IJ6OJ43oa
Then, finally—28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKUKtlkS7OF
he nodded.
From that day forward,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmetpgan2P5
Jason began his training.
Real training.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcFAfqL4qVi
Not games.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5it3NGJPn2
Not gym class.
Batman’s standard—28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWCHHMxERFP
harsher even than what he gave to Robin.
Jason collapsed into bed every night,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡluu3lu8MNP
waking up sore and bruised.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1sB7s0ZYwO
His hands grew calloused,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgKTSAwtV4O
his steps grew heavy.
But when he heard Nana’s voice at night,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXOv2aU2eRt
softly calling his name,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3I9j4bUjUY
while she gently rubbed ointment on his arms and said,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJRFrxuj7K0
“It doesn’t hurt anymore.”
He smiled—28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ23zWa3eYdL
the kind that bloomed from deep inside the chest.
For pain like this,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7FZniW2ucJ
it was worth it.
Inside the Batcave
Dick flipped through the pages of Nana’s test results.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj4Vz6OGttH
Each page deepened the crease between his brows.
He murmured under his breath:28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcElzEtNQ3I
“This kid’s power… it’s no joke.”
So far, Batman had categorized her abilities into two main types:28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnoG11xLyFK
Command and Healing.
And “Command” branched further—28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjMTf2szFDm
into Action and Object subtypes.
Even in the earliest tests,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkGhk1ts5t1
those two alone had stunned the whole team.
The first time she was tested,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPzIwCHHYTy
Nana spoke in a voice barely louder than a whisper:28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV3cONGKMmT
“Stand up.”
The next second—28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQTQ4cqSUJ4
everyone in the room—28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDEUKQQu7Ri
Dick, Alfred, Jason, even Batman himself—28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy9xWJCwHai
stood up.
Not out of comprehension,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6pHythmXsX
but reaction.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2heYvUXev8
As if the words bypassed their brains and went straight to the nerves.
The second test was even more shocking.
Nana stared at the emblem on Batman’s chest and said:28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2fowBvLloe
“Give me the Bat symbol.”
Batman didn’t move.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhn98bt1nvE
But the emblem on his suit vanished—28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLMoGfGsTHp
and with a soft clink, fell to the floor at Nana’s feet.
The room fell dead silent.
Batman immediately began further testing—28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVRB6HnKHFY
on range, volume, and correlation with her throat pain index.
Then it happened—28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1uCpgb5ofo
the one test Dick personally stopped.
That day, Bruce calmly instructed:28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEMUtxUYsdE
“Say something that would make the mouse’s eyes appear in front of you.”
Nana froze.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA8hDkU2sOA
Her whole body trembled.
She slowly turned toward the white lab mouse on the table.
Her lips trembled.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlAyWAk16LC
Her voice was a breeze through dry leaves:28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs5Ff4MOkdV
“…Eyes… come…”
In the next instant—28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvM36toUoAZ
two small, blood-threaded eyeballs dropped to the floor.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNQ1jXOsgNU
The mouse twitched twice, then lay still.
Nana clutched her throat,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU0sr1mCBPP
eyes shut tight, tears streaming down.
Dick rushed forward, grabbing her by the shoulders:28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡygnz6d8GbB
“Nana, that’s enough. Stop. Don’t say another word.”
Then he turned toward the eyes on the ground,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqhyk1dvRAh
his gaze sharp as ice.
He clenched his fists.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡva5E2AjvbE
A dark weight churned in his chest.
This wasn’t just a girl with a strange ability.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk0DJRHnZyD
This…28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRET8hbScmK
this could unbalance the entire city.
There was also healing.
That same voice—28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjjEE9L52yj
which could command, demand, and destroy—28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYY1H8iRur0
also possessed the power to restore.
It became the only reassuring factor28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG6fDcekvOq
amid her terrifying potential.
One year later,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3pla4ii5Bk
Wayne Manor had quietly changed in many ways.
Bruce, with his meticulous—28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV2pGCgBhpF
some would say obsessive—testing,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZSYvpkqfvc
had established a vital rule:
“No command sentences.”
Batman instructed Nana firmly:28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPK39o3y9vH
stick to objective statements and questions.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmgdMJB42Eb
Commands—even as simple as “sit down” or “pick up the gun”—28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ45GSjKXNA7
could lead to irreversible consequences.
Nana accepted this.
She began learning how to speak.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXgYkNxXur8
Slowly.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrcDKgj2Ev7
Her voice was hoarse—28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8naglwsn2U
but it was hers.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg6vfkJ4BkF
Chosen by her own will.
And in all her spoken words,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEFrIRKH2h0
the one name she said most often28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2glxM7EVze
remained the same:
“Jason.”
One night,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzTl5z9Gf5F
Alfred woke her from a deep sleep.
Before she could fully react,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy61CvEwikz
she saw the old butler’s anxious face.
“Master Bruce is injured. It’s… it’s very serious. I know he may not approve of this, but—”
He didn’t finish the sentence.
Nana was already on her feet,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzd31zYORt8
following him down to the Batcave.
That night,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUmgqU6aNrp
she sat beside Bruce’s bed,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIgLJgOS3fN
his arm covered in blood.
Her hands trembled as they gripped his arm.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL2P6zx6zOS
She closed her eyes—28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡERKCPXUOej
and with a voice barely louder than the grave,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGXrJDRQiSC
she whispered again and again,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPnGP2pbNKP
like casting a spell:
“Heal… quickly… please… recover…”
From a distance,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS7QZpi0Es1
Jason stood watching her.
And in his heart,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSdUMFq061u
something shifted.
28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ7uqKdLT8F
