Jason Turned Sixteen Today.
It was his birthday.
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Technically, Nana was older by a month—
a fact clearly listed in every official document.
She was “the older one.”
But Jason never acknowledged it.
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For today,
Nana had been planning for over a month.
From cake flavors, decorations, to a special new section in her scrapbook.
She’d even collected a few heroic photos Jason never realized were taken.
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Jason sat there eating cake, pretending he didn’t care.
But Nana knew better.
He was happy—
he just refused to show it.
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But in Batman’s world,
no birthday was ever truly complete.
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Before the cake had fully settled,
Jason received a signal.
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He had to put on his mask, suit up,
and disappear into Gotham’s night with Bruce.
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Nana waved as they vanished into the dark.
Tonight, Gotham was unusually quiet.
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Just a few pickpockets.
Minor harassment.
No explosions.
No Arkham breakouts.
Not even Mad Hatter whispering riddles on rooftops.
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Nana stood on the balcony, bathed in moonlight.
Her eyes narrowed, sleepiness beginning to pull her under.
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Alfred appeared behind her with a tray of tea and a gentle voice:
“Miss, they won’t be long tonight. Please, get some rest. You were up too early today.”43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmaMZAEyeA7
Nana nodded and turned obediently.
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On her way back to her room, she whispered in her heart:43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEnj39ypCpH
“Happy birthday, Jason Todd.”
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And then she drifted into sleep.
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Nana was in a place she had never seen before—43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdJrpwjcMO1
a publishing office.
Stacks of illustration drafts surrounded her.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnIwKq7CEZ2
The walls were plastered with black-and-white photos, cover mockups, title spreads.
Phones rang nonstop.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtchNFulBra
Every time a phone rang, someone up front would add or erase a line on a big blackboard filled with numbers.
Nana blinked.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkbPHGJoVhM
She stared at the unfamiliar chaos, caught between awe and confusion.
She had never set foot in a magazine office.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoUc66B8G3A
Why was she dreaming about this?
She looked up at the chalkboard.
5343 to 5271.
She frowned.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk5uIOXVLTw
Tilted her head.
No clue.
Votes?43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJNDFnnjp97
Scores?43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhOzyJ9APd5
Rankings?43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn3DmzFuPXg
She couldn’t make sense of it.
Then—43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoIfeTFD9Zo
a man stood up.
She couldn’t see his face.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvsgf5Cw1Mk
He wore a crisp suit.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEC28Bj6nqh
His figure was blurred, but his voice—43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Hdag3ca9J
it was sharp.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ffv2nItRr
It pierced her ears like a needle straight to the brain.
“The results are in. Let’s finalize it.”
“Jason Todd, the second Robin, will greet the Reaper. His end has been decided.”
Nana froze.
The moment Jason’s name was spoken,43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB4F5TD9ekp
her heart plummeted—43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLvyQquXR1m
like the dream’s floor had been ripped out beneath her feet.
She tried to think—43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKm8QfjoM4m
but her mind was trapped, like cotton soaked in iron.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBteENmdraz
Heavy.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTw5rkTBupU
Slow.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUOA825iUcO
Barely working.
But she understood.
She understood exactly what this meeting was for.
All the faceless, voiceless, nameless “attendees” seated around the table began to clap.
Clap.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFXZyHdFYB0
Clap.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5UX9bEgKEo
Clap.
Even.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVfjzKjQbMN
Mechanical.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlgGaeFtEcc
Like a cold applause for a completed plan.
Each clap slammed into her ears.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtZMsHVi36Z
Her eardrums throbbed.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ50EUUV2Qw4
Stung.
She pressed both hands to her ears, trying to shut it out.
It didn’t help.
And then came another sound—43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBiZT2yjEoc
fractured.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvvWfNv1QwH
Low.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZT4GCda0VZ
Rusty like metal scraping metal.
Kill… kill… kill…
A whisper.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡanMkpDD9ps
A chant.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDUtjB24F4i
A thousand invisible voices breathing it into her skull.
Nana clenched her eyes shut.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2oNdFVh5Ps
Her fingertips pressed so hard against her temples, her knuckles whitened.
She began to shake her head—43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAMo2QS80qb
trying to wake up.
But the dream wouldn’t let go.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDcNEQgPezS
It clung to her, alive like a swamp.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwiXKsqL36l
The more she struggled, the deeper it held her.
Her heart thundered in her chest.
She couldn’t scream.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEnUW4yMgm3
But her throat trembled,43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUeymLVfJnS
her mouth moved.
She wanted to shout.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQrVfutmHQC
To break free.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYLjlFAEjXW
To run.
“Jason…”
She couldn’t let this dream’s verdict come true.
She wouldn’t.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGaTkwUTpgV
She refused.
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