Two Months Later, at Night
The girl sat at the edge of the bed.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhlR8DrpoAa
Only a small lamp was on in the room, casting a soft, warm light.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGq6Cm0zCjj
She held the boy’s hand, gently applying ointment to his sore muscles,48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDQiMGL1uxZ
careful to avoid the bandage wrapped around his palm.
Jason didn’t speak.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe7RtuE0mrl
He lowered his head, letting her tend to him.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5BIFZLxCAK
But his eyes kept sneaking glances at her face.
That face, usually framed with a quiet smile,48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOorsGzH8Rl
was now furrowed with worry—48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk3FzBXYGOR
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,48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFIFBVxVoSt
Jason knocked on the heavy, solemn door of the Batcave—48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8CbHpxAg0O
for the first time, on his own.
He stood before Bruce and said,48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMPbqw5f1J5
voice steady and sincere:48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCtIAx7ozUQ
“I want to train. I want to be stronger. I want to… protect her.”
Batman didn’t respond right away.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu4uaXKPtkc
He just stared at the boy in silence for a long time.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSzxZBvuCBx
Then, finally—48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEZPJoDwW75
he nodded.
From that day forward,48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO5DI3FheRa
Jason began his training.
Real training.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTwQU1tN1SR
Not games.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKAXJEFBaXa
Not gym class.
Batman’s standard—48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRug7htNhk1
harsher even than what he gave to Robin.
Jason collapsed into bed every night,48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi7jWGXFO9G
waking up sore and bruised.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkWqHl4qUiJ
His hands grew calloused,48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS4tHOxh0Pr
his steps grew heavy.
But when he heard Nana’s voice at night,48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuCuVfYgIgB
softly calling his name,48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPbr0XgTWRp
while she gently rubbed ointment on his arms and said,48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8dn6ymfbYk
“It doesn’t hurt anymore.”
He smiled—48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDIh6o5bBqu
the kind that bloomed from deep inside the chest.
For pain like this,48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV8llfMk1TS
it was worth it.
Inside the Batcave
Dick flipped through the pages of Nana’s test results.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPnhWWalKE5
Each page deepened the crease between his brows.
He murmured under his breath:48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFgywqZ88qV
“This kid’s power… it’s no joke.”
So far, Batman had categorized her abilities into two main types:48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBO5lr78tZV
Command and Healing.
And “Command” branched further—48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡADspSjwrw6
into Action and Object subtypes.
Even in the earliest tests,48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAw5yOLKakW
those two alone had stunned the whole team.
The first time she was tested,48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvH6CWGWW2o
Nana spoke in a voice barely louder than a whisper:48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRxw9YGbq8n
“Stand up.”
The next second—48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu8Hg3crrgF
everyone in the room—48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡao3JlnHFst
Dick, Alfred, Jason, even Batman himself—48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvRtkHdAhrQ
stood up.
Not out of comprehension,48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4JTj6LPaeL
but reaction.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡReybtxsAfG
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:48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcSRJn0d2ql
“Give me the Bat symbol.”
Batman didn’t move.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0znkIjlpNe
But the emblem on his suit vanished—48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsOYuzw5dwl
and with a soft clink, fell to the floor at Nana’s feet.
The room fell dead silent.
Batman immediately began further testing—48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLauhc8thmN
on range, volume, and correlation with her throat pain index.
Then it happened—48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTSKJHUFOv8
the one test Dick personally stopped.
That day, Bruce calmly instructed:48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Znmbar2Lh
“Say something that would make the mouse’s eyes appear in front of you.”
Nana froze.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWNHMhckU1m
Her whole body trembled.
She slowly turned toward the white lab mouse on the table.
Her lips trembled.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEfs7QdGk1U
Her voice was a breeze through dry leaves:48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuq1xJhEFAi
“…Eyes… come…”
In the next instant—48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8scjhaVpqf
two small, blood-threaded eyeballs dropped to the floor.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHtax99KTtt
The mouse twitched twice, then lay still.
Nana clutched her throat,48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX6bhxWedx2
eyes shut tight, tears streaming down.
Dick rushed forward, grabbing her by the shoulders:48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsAyYTwLVHs
“Nana, that’s enough. Stop. Don’t say another word.”
Then he turned toward the eyes on the ground,48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAImh29eed8
his gaze sharp as ice.
He clenched his fists.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwxKRIYNv5W
A dark weight churned in his chest.
This wasn’t just a girl with a strange ability.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJmpeF5NGJV
This…48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUjp6dsnZNI
this could unbalance the entire city.
There was also healing.
That same voice—48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOQcwrG7vE1
which could command, demand, and destroy—48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdQTEsV5ZjY
also possessed the power to restore.
It became the only reassuring factor48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVYBK06IdgN
amid her terrifying potential.
One year later,48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5aUxGeWobp
Wayne Manor had quietly changed in many ways.
Bruce, with his meticulous—48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqQOJRjXjGm
some would say obsessive—testing,48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi7Lk2uOJTE
had established a vital rule:
“No command sentences.”
Batman instructed Nana firmly:48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9h9y6cIkSp
stick to objective statements and questions.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaEm7WFhuRE
Commands—even as simple as “sit down” or “pick up the gun”—48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSPpRC8jxDu
could lead to irreversible consequences.
Nana accepted this.
She began learning how to speak.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzxKoWBpDaL
Slowly.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgCKD8swvzq
Her voice was hoarse—48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmUjGBAo0iS
but it was hers.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmycZjrYdQb
Chosen by her own will.
And in all her spoken words,48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6uEMwPBYVJ
the one name she said most often48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV53m2JkXjs
remained the same:
“Jason.”
One night,48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaHQVUKz08A
Alfred woke her from a deep sleep.
Before she could fully react,48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡopjr62rEMR
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,48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLYBXRJJbgf
following him down to the Batcave.
That night,48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmBUXisoZ0B
she sat beside Bruce’s bed,48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3aIk1d3z2T
his arm covered in blood.
Her hands trembled as they gripped his arm.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡif6KZ00Tl1
She closed her eyes—48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu15tFGg5YL
and with a voice barely louder than the grave,48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8urn9qLdKI
she whispered again and again,48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoNBrg2c2Tz
like casting a spell:
“Heal… quickly… please… recover…”
From a distance,48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh9AmjRlgIR
Jason stood watching her.
And in his heart,48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn5eLnzixtW
something shifted.
48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCYfxzMblKX
