A few days later, on a quiet morning,46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1MNrJ1aJyP
Dick specifically asked Nana to come with him alone.
They walked to a small gazebo in the quiet backyard of Wayne Manor.
Nana signed: “What’s wrong?”
Dick leaned back against the wooden bench, voice gentle.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkeQhNUP33l
“Nana… can I ask you something?”46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFiEelv0iEI
His tone softened further.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMz9CbufQ2K
“It’s about why you usually don’t speak.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBjpEq1lOsj
I remember… the first time we met,46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCeak2kztLk
you did make a sound. Didn’t you?”
Nana instinctively reached up,46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDA0l8Qi3ge
touching her throat like one would touch a wound that never properly healed.
She signed, slowly—46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFZ04Wo4jgG
“My throat hurts when I speak. Feels like fire.”
Dick nodded, thoughtful.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv22yyCS4Bn
Then asked,46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqbNNwo2eD3
“Have you ever thought about…46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡut79Xp5LJv
seeing a doctor?46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt2cGY6GWB1
Maybe they can find the cause.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ4uyLAWPdk
Maybe they can make it stop hurting.”
Nana paused.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGWaKItXAHV
She lowered her head.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjVKKS4ssPS
Her fingers circled twice on her knees, then signed:46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLrtADOSkXn
“Do I have to talk? I’m good at signing.”
Dick didn’t push.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgdNpE9qoGa
He shifted the angle instead.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtquJxz39Mx
His voice stayed warm.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZKA0mu8mvt
“But don’t you ever want to…46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMnLBIDFjjo
talk to Jason with your voice?46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQnFT53X9gH
Laugh out loud with everyone?46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyJPeKyr09j
Call someone’s name and have them hear it?”
That question—46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUuWQ1YNH7i
something changed in Nana’s expression.
She remembered yelling Jason’s name that day in the junkyard,46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3PdhXb8MwV
her voice tearing through her throat like flames ripping skin.
She was in pain for three days after that.
She also remembered every time46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI24IFROJ62
she wanted to call out to Jason,46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWALTozWyL8
to answer Dick,46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLpGmXLYRUc
to say “I’m here”—46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOaPZcQCtAo
but never did.
She always stayed silent.
Dick noticed her hands had stopped.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgfhqGEKn9C
He waited.
Eventually,46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz0pFngAuyg
Nana looked up.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVzPtCpKwHK
Her eyes trembled ever so slightly.
She slowly signed, clumsy but clear:
“My voice… has some kind of power… I’m scared of it… it’s dangerous.”
For a brief second,46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIc493bUQSP
Dick’s expression shifted.
The easy smile faded.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyfGLmgY1Wu
He sat up straighter.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXYVOwCzKiG
His gaze sharpened—46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3mnT0GUrKv
the kind of look he wore when sensing something wrong on a mission.
Nana’s voice—46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡupfLSDfEv9
this wasn’t just pain.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ63ymJNvEu2
She wasn’t afraid of hurting.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlJTqiyhlj0
She was afraid of the voice itself.
Jason stared furiously at the sealed entrance of the Batcave.
Nana had been called away by Dick.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXFU0FGZf90
Then taken inside.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJlBXuOBfLS
She was now with Batman and Alfred,46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuxMimiE6Wd
in a meeting Jason wasn’t allowed to join.
Not even a look from her.
Not even a glance.
He stood outside, yelling curses,46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvq6DGdNVA8
fists pounding the wall until his knuckles turned red and swollen.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡty3RpCenEN
Then he slumped down,46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpmP6I6Pnli
hugging his knees,46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkc53rPKZAZ
head buried.
“Nana…”46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzmhPF4NWtQ
he whispered,46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfhXGC7SHYJ
like a spell.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡETJN3LNw9e
He couldn’t do anything.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh96pfWGfoY
All he could do was say her name,46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB27bJz4E6P
over and over in his head.
Inside the Batcave, the Batcave,46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoZJo3lj2ce
Nana stood before a set of diagnostic monitors.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXEx46Eki3M
Her throat results were in.
The data was calm, clinical:
Laryngeal structure: normal.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQzOY2dKJNT
Vocal cords: no lesions, no inflammation.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNLdONxvaRv
Voice system: healthy.
Batman’s eyes were still sharp,46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdD9i8McnBQ
but there was a trace of confusion in them.
Dick turned to Nana with a gentle smile.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDJpsEpZPSk
“Nana…46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOfZbwCMdmz
would you be willing to tell us—46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT8dxgR7QWD
other than the pain,46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmjsJ22BV7b
what’s the real reason you don’t speak?”
Nana looked at him and nodded.
She raised her hands,46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOngHh44uwK
this time using standard ASL fingerspelling.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGKaozKBsGO
But just after a few letters,46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAxuIWzm5yN
she paused.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3NJy3piCut
Lowered her head.
Then looked back up46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpSZ5OMjNDn
and signed:
“Can Jason come in too?”
The room fell silent for one second.
Alfred was the first to speak,46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoow6lLRiym
voice soft,46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Y7ocBANLv
with a gentle hint of suggestion.
“Master Bruce,46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ANX9UrwO5
as you’re well aware…46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn4HgvSLoEs
those two care for each other deeply.”
Dick added,46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQl3MGLMxvg
“I don’t think making someone feel left out is the right move.”
Batman hesitated.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYYn54jvwMv
Then nodded.
46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVOjqMQHEP1
The door opened.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOsVM96yTDq
Jason jerked his head up.
Nana was standing there,46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWspQs1kDfs
smiling at him.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy96O1lnADp
Her eyes said:46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhXwR2mTnMd
You can come in now.
He dashed forward.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyVaP7djuZh
Didn’t care who was watching.
He threw his arms around her,46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZF4hyaQOyL
tight.
“Are you okay?”46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVj8nsH4iFP
he signed, fast and desperate.
Nana nodded,46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVy52l9iEvh
hugged him back.
When Jason was told her throat was medically fine—46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ54iL7M1xAB
no physical issues whatsoever—46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9iN5gSO3sr
he froze.
Then immediately exploded46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdAukB88ASg
into a flurry of hand gestures—46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmrqrVwDB3H
not standard signing,46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOPVFcHKexu
but the encrypted shorthand the two of them had created—46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqr6edu1hgn
a mess of symbols, flicks, and half-movements46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdp4Mpeok68
that only Nana understood.
Nana was startled.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwu9Px5gxyZ
She took two steps back,46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF0IXsafWgR
then signed,46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxWvx7tkkmq
“I didn’t mean to hide it… I just…”
She brought her hands together in a soft please,46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF1wm29utIS
like asking for forgiveness—46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkQTjjHdmQ6
a familiar gesture that made Jason’s face darken with frustration.
He shook his head,46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ88dgxaRiIa
signed something too fast for anyone else to follow,46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8bxRDKGSFD
then crossed his arms.
Dick watched them quietly46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl7RoFMpArn
and couldn’t help translating in his mind:
“You’re in big trouble. I’m gonna deal with you later.”
But despite the message,46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR49EOi007a
Jason hadn’t moved away.
In fact,46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDyND99srrG
he stood closer now,46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0zQOu0Phuv
as if ready to catch her the second she swayed.
Dick watched the air between them shift,46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh9lbteMolO
and a slow smile curved his lips.
“What a beautiful bond.”46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU9Ho1tqsFv
he thought.
“Two wonderful kids.”
It wasn’t just a comment.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ99CAT38Mx8
It was a feeling.
A quiet certainty.
These two—46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjKXRGKPjEU
they were going far.
46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnl1I56Iraa
