A few days later, on a quiet morning,66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEyvtYk9Il0
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.66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxKfirpljwA
“Nana… can I ask you something?”66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1430HzWLcE
His tone softened further.66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKo55LNU2gi
“It’s about why you usually don’t speak.66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHf3qybcB8g
I remember… the first time we met,66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiw20dZffhQ
you did make a sound. Didn’t you?”
Nana instinctively reached up,66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfyiPpADtVy
touching her throat like one would touch a wound that never properly healed.
She signed, slowly—66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMsUQNKQDNy
“My throat hurts when I speak. Feels like fire.”
Dick nodded, thoughtful.66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwJE6NFRAPl
Then asked,66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvIrk41b9BY
“Have you ever thought about…66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiwxjqQe6qu
seeing a doctor?66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2nmac7vMpT
Maybe they can find the cause.66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYfIWn6bwNY
Maybe they can make it stop hurting.”
Nana paused.66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkYnqUanlmv
She lowered her head.66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpbQodpxhL7
Her fingers circled twice on her knees, then signed:66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAddeTnS209
“Do I have to talk? I’m good at signing.”
Dick didn’t push.66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq5mEO1QNwF
He shifted the angle instead.66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQdTaBKdmTJ
His voice stayed warm.66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBcwDjdi0DI
“But don’t you ever want to…66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtB5sH9qwt7
talk to Jason with your voice?66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqS3SqSa0hH
Laugh out loud with everyone?66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW52GAO6MrQ
Call someone’s name and have them hear it?”
That question—66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ30hARaClQc
something changed in Nana’s expression.
She remembered yelling Jason’s name that day in the junkyard,66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy4tBuS6Jqb
her voice tearing through her throat like flames ripping skin.
She was in pain for three days after that.
She also remembered every time66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Lkw83h3A5
she wanted to call out to Jason,66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZCXqVNZ7Cw
to answer Dick,66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUqoSeDN3de
to say “I’m here”—66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSD7rePkxOb
but never did.
She always stayed silent.
Dick noticed her hands had stopped.66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuDQvPAfLrq
He waited.
Eventually,66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbwVtoIzVYS
Nana looked up.66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuybbyuSKfz
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,66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlQoj7e7O4y
Dick’s expression shifted.
The easy smile faded.66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRQgBawezNc
He sat up straighter.66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEoXIQnunY1
His gaze sharpened—66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7H0x0NC4SA
the kind of look he wore when sensing something wrong on a mission.
Nana’s voice—66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2GG95PRfUO
this wasn’t just pain.66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4uQwD8omFg
She wasn’t afraid of hurting.66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3VkTz8quN7
She was afraid of the voice itself.
Jason stared furiously at the sealed entrance of the Batcave.
Nana had been called away by Dick.66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzXdOE1eIrl
Then taken inside.66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKkG3bmP585
She was now with Batman and Alfred,66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3twLmJES8D
in a meeting Jason wasn’t allowed to join.
Not even a look from her.
Not even a glance.
He stood outside, yelling curses,66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4QBRVgqIJ9
fists pounding the wall until his knuckles turned red and swollen.66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ80Ygw24iik
Then he slumped down,66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFPniaMWUhb
hugging his knees,66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6TzgeraFwD
head buried.
“Nana…”66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkPRrXrmeaP
he whispered,66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9IaiCxJBxA
like a spell.66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxa2r796Q9Z
He couldn’t do anything.66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXZvQkrhg3p
All he could do was say her name,66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtgMZ1YLsG9
over and over in his head.
Inside the Batcave, the Batcave,66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6EeY51S9fm
Nana stood before a set of diagnostic monitors.66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRRhuh1EclW
Her throat results were in.
The data was calm, clinical:
Laryngeal structure: normal.66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWcrbyQVKhe
Vocal cords: no lesions, no inflammation.66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Zvjmmm00J
Voice system: healthy.
Batman’s eyes were still sharp,66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1vKDe0J8uj
but there was a trace of confusion in them.
Dick turned to Nana with a gentle smile.66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbQ9UNZsW5K
“Nana…66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKmcbxyp9eA
would you be willing to tell us—66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaXLMnATwR3
other than the pain,66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh3Oim2QrBV
what’s the real reason you don’t speak?”
Nana looked at him and nodded.
She raised her hands,66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4GbmGHRIJp
this time using standard ASL fingerspelling.66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSI5Mmti6fR
But just after a few letters,66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLDwQoIHAbm
she paused.66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP0qtFEeaWd
Lowered her head.
Then looked back up66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡADeLnGY9K2
and signed:
“Can Jason come in too?”
The room fell silent for one second.
Alfred was the first to speak,66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3sHUcZYRfA
voice soft,66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf5IasnWn5a
with a gentle hint of suggestion.
“Master Bruce,66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfPqQDbBmVq
as you’re well aware…66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAtWLIXMpWo
those two care for each other deeply.”
Dick added,66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnlWX7NQfKV
“I don’t think making someone feel left out is the right move.”
Batman hesitated.66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2s0aTGkXDp
Then nodded.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGRxPXnYE5A
The door opened.66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpQEEXvsLX8
Jason jerked his head up.
Nana was standing there,66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL8LCsVEvVJ
smiling at him.66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQfbVoeBM3i
Her eyes said:66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ne1ILiheG
You can come in now.
He dashed forward.66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNJHUX7kAqG
Didn’t care who was watching.
He threw his arms around her,66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFbBX3ySrOg
tight.
“Are you okay?”66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5mEybrxDPW
he signed, fast and desperate.
Nana nodded,66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJGzrLGzAkX
hugged him back.
When Jason was told her throat was medically fine—66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3tKkrAuAUU
no physical issues whatsoever—66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi3BvmEEO63
he froze.
Then immediately exploded66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPwPHt9poQg
into a flurry of hand gestures—66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWgoJSvKJUy
not standard signing,66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeDMmS4jOrr
but the encrypted shorthand the two of them had created—66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHmqe6jIoLD
a mess of symbols, flicks, and half-movements66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrCD1v4GGT9
that only Nana understood.
Nana was startled.66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2x3RjBAxQo
She took two steps back,66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡocODTc68GC
then signed,66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk3BC6fvEzl
“I didn’t mean to hide it… I just…”
She brought her hands together in a soft please,66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEzcktdrUYv
like asking for forgiveness—66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi6vBNhnikU
a familiar gesture that made Jason’s face darken with frustration.
He shook his head,66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnDbYfTZciU
signed something too fast for anyone else to follow,66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMLI2HERuck
then crossed his arms.
Dick watched them quietly66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6aSBLxigAf
and couldn’t help translating in his mind:
“You’re in big trouble. I’m gonna deal with you later.”
But despite the message,66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjyAl6hEZGB
Jason hadn’t moved away.
In fact,66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡevsMEUsBcW
he stood closer now,66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmpJSUAkhGV
as if ready to catch her the second she swayed.
Dick watched the air between them shift,66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ifBdhwAg2
and a slow smile curved his lips.
“What a beautiful bond.”66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaQ8Grr0T9F
he thought.
“Two wonderful kids.”
It wasn’t just a comment.66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcfuDVlFMiO
It was a feeling.
A quiet certainty.
These two—66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYxizQ6vX6x
they were going far.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtJqUVAwpnV
