A few days later, on a quiet morning,67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5nJUXaSCnc
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.67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbBk8Rx5wlu
“Nana… can I ask you something?”67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFssqqYfNpb
His tone softened further.67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtswZE5U3JO
“It’s about why you usually don’t speak.67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3PqgLaz8nQ
I remember… the first time we met,67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwKypglLjWL
you did make a sound. Didn’t you?”
Nana instinctively reached up,67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5pYr24hfEm
touching her throat like one would touch a wound that never properly healed.
She signed, slowly—67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0pQeZVChM0
“My throat hurts when I speak. Feels like fire.”
Dick nodded, thoughtful.67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIHfXEfiz6r
Then asked,67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaWio7doswJ
“Have you ever thought about…67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvxXrFnzITx
seeing a doctor?67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNQDNmbTdEU
Maybe they can find the cause.67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcKPGdePtXw
Maybe they can make it stop hurting.”
Nana paused.67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRhf07OcyeD
She lowered her head.67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ88K32kQboS
Her fingers circled twice on her knees, then signed:67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ5fnpwWHpn
“Do I have to talk? I’m good at signing.”
Dick didn’t push.67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV7Rc4Pt3rn
He shifted the angle instead.67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrdRtqYqEhj
His voice stayed warm.67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ97jAuLwjFJ
“But don’t you ever want to…67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIMpDgKTUjL
talk to Jason with your voice?67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp0n8t837K5
Laugh out loud with everyone?67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCIxj9HCCiX
Call someone’s name and have them hear it?”
That question—67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcjiAyOMHcc
something changed in Nana’s expression.
She remembered yelling Jason’s name that day in the junkyard,67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡddSiCYPsEI
her voice tearing through her throat like flames ripping skin.
She was in pain for three days after that.
She also remembered every time67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZf1yZyITZV
she wanted to call out to Jason,67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSzXxxLP1lf
to answer Dick,67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWIcxrtLJ39
to say “I’m here”—67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhN0ijWgJaI
but never did.
She always stayed silent.
Dick noticed her hands had stopped.67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4xLq93mm0z
He waited.
Eventually,67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8sq75sNWvp
Nana looked up.67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjAgTr3B7s3
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,67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAa8Jyk5fK8
Dick’s expression shifted.
The easy smile faded.67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT9M8vzb1rC
He sat up straighter.67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVErwPXs88T
His gaze sharpened—67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLkCzu4IhYk
the kind of look he wore when sensing something wrong on a mission.
Nana’s voice—67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd98kZRyklz
this wasn’t just pain.67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQdBDUfyXzT
She wasn’t afraid of hurting.67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdLkTGS8oVb
She was afraid of the voice itself.
Jason stared furiously at the sealed entrance of the Batcave.
Nana had been called away by Dick.67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHO9FQ15QXY
Then taken inside.67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6o6z9OPG26
She was now with Batman and Alfred,67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpS0n9Mj88r
in a meeting Jason wasn’t allowed to join.
Not even a look from her.
Not even a glance.
He stood outside, yelling curses,67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOFgoI5j5Ex
fists pounding the wall until his knuckles turned red and swollen.67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMNp6CcTShh
Then he slumped down,67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNiLPOHTh1H
hugging his knees,67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx2mqQeXVPM
head buried.
“Nana…”67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFDxzqtH9zk
he whispered,67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqP3gB2Awph
like a spell.67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4QQNDi0sVD
He couldn’t do anything.67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz39u07AJXg
All he could do was say her name,67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQYAE1iLPSN
over and over in his head.
Inside the Batcave, the Batcave,67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmRx6GXmdpK
Nana stood before a set of diagnostic monitors.67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYSlSZL5plc
Her throat results were in.
The data was calm, clinical:
Laryngeal structure: normal.67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpjs1KUhdd1
Vocal cords: no lesions, no inflammation.67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMZ4zHZVJmc
Voice system: healthy.
Batman’s eyes were still sharp,67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIiL9oSuGhU
but there was a trace of confusion in them.
Dick turned to Nana with a gentle smile.67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrZKaoGSCS8
“Nana…67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrdPk1oLgPi
would you be willing to tell us—67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ29IKFaLraO
other than the pain,67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH1FUAA2fph
what’s the real reason you don’t speak?”
Nana looked at him and nodded.
She raised her hands,67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhCs3lzbfze
this time using standard ASL fingerspelling.67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrii8VyHTy3
But just after a few letters,67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0kmgdA3Thq
she paused.67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0tCmvhjyL3
Lowered her head.
Then looked back up67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPegDBHzRzZ
and signed:
“Can Jason come in too?”
The room fell silent for one second.
Alfred was the first to speak,67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHjoGcClYsx
voice soft,67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡponq9VnAP3
with a gentle hint of suggestion.
“Master Bruce,67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvHVLXMh5nH
as you’re well aware…67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSRqd22Gpyz
those two care for each other deeply.”
Dick added,67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9InNn5eNlY
“I don’t think making someone feel left out is the right move.”
Batman hesitated.67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzFFkMKR19e
Then nodded.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSkRWbF11ae
The door opened.67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZjQ2bHfmr6
Jason jerked his head up.
Nana was standing there,67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD6dcG0bTX1
smiling at him.67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcvhijIUXp7
Her eyes said:67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSqKrpZQhb3
You can come in now.
He dashed forward.67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi1qEqjXi7w
Didn’t care who was watching.
He threw his arms around her,67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp3mefp5V4K
tight.
“Are you okay?”67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuy6dTBgYQd
he signed, fast and desperate.
Nana nodded,67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEnqN4UfUlY
hugged him back.
When Jason was told her throat was medically fine—67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqJTXZ7IW43
no physical issues whatsoever—67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0oL8Kltn1X
he froze.
Then immediately exploded67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAHkQRsXgEu
into a flurry of hand gestures—67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKq6ZGSMQwk
not standard signing,67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv7ZaqNm7QP
but the encrypted shorthand the two of them had created—67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVL0ZQEuVaG
a mess of symbols, flicks, and half-movements67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMatcB4DPXx
that only Nana understood.
Nana was startled.67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOynf7ubcTK
She took two steps back,67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdFQqnGKQJF
then signed,67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7i0tF78yi2
“I didn’t mean to hide it… I just…”
She brought her hands together in a soft please,67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAVHENGO4Xt
like asking for forgiveness—67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt5TIVP7pCw
a familiar gesture that made Jason’s face darken with frustration.
He shook his head,67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGzYtA5OPrC
signed something too fast for anyone else to follow,67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrsnzpn17dQ
then crossed his arms.
Dick watched them quietly67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfI5YQZN8Ba
and couldn’t help translating in his mind:
“You’re in big trouble. I’m gonna deal with you later.”
But despite the message,67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJaHKev6OUy
Jason hadn’t moved away.
In fact,67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjGZhO5OdX7
he stood closer now,67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoujdwsMdwM
as if ready to catch her the second she swayed.
Dick watched the air between them shift,67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOtDuy4Tk7I
and a slow smile curved his lips.
“What a beautiful bond.”67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZb91a0RsqD
he thought.
“Two wonderful kids.”
It wasn’t just a comment.67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJFI4RoFCl7
It was a feeling.
A quiet certainty.
These two—67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0HSSYTzG53
they were going far.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTjZ6SauzLE
