Two Months Later, at Night
The girl sat at the edge of the bed.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzlNMXi3W76
Only a small lamp was on in the room, casting a soft, warm light.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtwcJ6Pa6v7
She held the boy’s hand, gently applying ointment to his sore muscles,34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqQc32woEmQ
careful to avoid the bandage wrapped around his palm.
Jason didn’t speak.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ12JfZT6FXj
He lowered his head, letting her tend to him.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3mrKLOjSZZ
But his eyes kept sneaking glances at her face.
That face, usually framed with a quiet smile,34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoi78SlwvSo
was now furrowed with worry—34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ZMk7VUDyj
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,34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ6BhToVeNo
Jason knocked on the heavy, solemn door of the Batcave—34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK3dYxnuPXo
for the first time, on his own.
He stood before Bruce and said,34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPC5XqKsmoO
voice steady and sincere:34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDLFDn3Wsm2
“I want to train. I want to be stronger. I want to… protect her.”
Batman didn’t respond right away.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2tk4uGh25W
He just stared at the boy in silence for a long time.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjhdTX1Sv1F
Then, finally—34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrwJU80q7hH
he nodded.
From that day forward,34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡymWfHjXVNA
Jason began his training.
Real training.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUQW2dtElKp
Not games.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd9s02pVaQi
Not gym class.
Batman’s standard—34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYnT5Ke0svQ
harsher even than what he gave to Robin.
Jason collapsed into bed every night,34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ14mjDYWgkg
waking up sore and bruised.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5c9u8Q9kTn
His hands grew calloused,34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0MLuj7BCFx
his steps grew heavy.
But when he heard Nana’s voice at night,34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsXiOg3pqDF
softly calling his name,34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSRahpiBOkM
while she gently rubbed ointment on his arms and said,34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAg62INoIi1
“It doesn’t hurt anymore.”
He smiled—34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ9k8AuInsc
the kind that bloomed from deep inside the chest.
For pain like this,34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtP6d5jsHEb
it was worth it.
Inside the Batcave
Dick flipped through the pages of Nana’s test results.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwE6fLXpAcI
Each page deepened the crease between his brows.
He murmured under his breath:34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs7Ha4HMXAs
“This kid’s power… it’s no joke.”
So far, Batman had categorized her abilities into two main types:34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl28cUHN1sT
Command and Healing.
And “Command” branched further—34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF1Xaqup4gO
into Action and Object subtypes.
Even in the earliest tests,34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ36c1Ke7zSq
those two alone had stunned the whole team.
The first time she was tested,34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5VHQ6wFIuF
Nana spoke in a voice barely louder than a whisper:34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuOh0V3nlFx
“Stand up.”
The next second—34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqoCliREFaq
everyone in the room—34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRSZSFlpRhf
Dick, Alfred, Jason, even Batman himself—34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1S2ZtYpTbh
stood up.
Not out of comprehension,34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJeSj0NAyNl
but reaction.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡypyedT5mVd
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:34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDKjgJL3jBE
“Give me the Bat symbol.”
Batman didn’t move.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJBfxZ6Cjqo
But the emblem on his suit vanished—34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq1yLprWybP
and with a soft clink, fell to the floor at Nana’s feet.
The room fell dead silent.
Batman immediately began further testing—34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg1LocNLhcS
on range, volume, and correlation with her throat pain index.
Then it happened—34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfZeV0iyHGz
the one test Dick personally stopped.
That day, Bruce calmly instructed:34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYLfTpARlb0
“Say something that would make the mouse’s eyes appear in front of you.”
Nana froze.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5a2nT6NNBX
Her whole body trembled.
She slowly turned toward the white lab mouse on the table.
Her lips trembled.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfqCvbdVxS3
Her voice was a breeze through dry leaves:34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQVMyaaEi7V
“…Eyes… come…”
In the next instant—34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj62egZGimC
two small, blood-threaded eyeballs dropped to the floor.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb1nDx8RnqL
The mouse twitched twice, then lay still.
Nana clutched her throat,34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE2acddp3dB
eyes shut tight, tears streaming down.
Dick rushed forward, grabbing her by the shoulders:34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUTEotC0Ec7
“Nana, that’s enough. Stop. Don’t say another word.”
Then he turned toward the eyes on the ground,34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyqVBa3CRpA
his gaze sharp as ice.
He clenched his fists.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5xntxXwENJ
A dark weight churned in his chest.
This wasn’t just a girl with a strange ability.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb9V1pvPzxK
This…34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFeLQXms9rF
this could unbalance the entire city.
There was also healing.
That same voice—34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqaHjHCYIki
which could command, demand, and destroy—34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVMBQZV4hfF
also possessed the power to restore.
It became the only reassuring factor34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1CTQLFLC61
amid her terrifying potential.
One year later,34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAzwG2LLUUZ
Wayne Manor had quietly changed in many ways.
Bruce, with his meticulous—34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHM6faJ39yD
some would say obsessive—testing,34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYRsiylNjKr
had established a vital rule:
“No command sentences.”
Batman instructed Nana firmly:34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyGGG9Y9nxr
stick to objective statements and questions.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtK9931Gw6R
Commands—even as simple as “sit down” or “pick up the gun”—34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt6pcxGq63L
could lead to irreversible consequences.
Nana accepted this.
She began learning how to speak.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbqNgd6Sn8q
Slowly.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzqbqK5evSq
Her voice was hoarse—34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQhAvAG25zI
but it was hers.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxMHMcgm4PX
Chosen by her own will.
And in all her spoken words,34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKyJeAj2Rdh
the one name she said most often34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPGmB5x2D7w
remained the same:
“Jason.”
One night,34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGYOfscJmQh
Alfred woke her from a deep sleep.
Before she could fully react,34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7uDHcJu9ap
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,34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡezUL638uWp
following him down to the Batcave.
That night,34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdFsuAzTkw7
she sat beside Bruce’s bed,34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9d6MD8J243
his arm covered in blood.
Her hands trembled as they gripped his arm.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfZvlYZP8KN
She closed her eyes—34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWcZQdUNeY4
and with a voice barely louder than the grave,34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYTpEbtK53t
she whispered again and again,34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7UxXVChYSN
like casting a spell:
“Heal… quickly… please… recover…”
From a distance,34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkcpAFWNMLr
Jason stood watching her.
And in his heart,34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaGoFTSuG4h
something shifted.
34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Mt07Fo1od
