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.”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBHsjg68OJn
Nana nodded and turned obediently.
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On her way back to her room, she whispered in her heart:18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi7NYeDIy3G
“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—18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZj05TgViPC
a publishing office.
Stacks of illustration drafts surrounded her.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiNyu6ee3mS
The walls were plastered with black-and-white photos, cover mockups, title spreads.
Phones rang nonstop.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY0axwU29Am
Every time a phone rang, someone up front would add or erase a line on a big blackboard filled with numbers.
Nana blinked.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlpkIGmYydc
She stared at the unfamiliar chaos, caught between awe and confusion.
She had never set foot in a magazine office.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoqVVOfueeR
Why was she dreaming about this?
She looked up at the chalkboard.
5343 to 5271.
She frowned.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEKv82Ou0CC
Tilted her head.
No clue.
Votes?18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJgCFdebtbb
Scores?18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡghAKbehOBf
Rankings?18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe5xDHFm469
She couldn’t make sense of it.
Then—18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrgzcHPEQg6
a man stood up.
She couldn’t see his face.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSKub1hVXEe
He wore a crisp suit.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjWTtekcshO
His figure was blurred, but his voice—18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu7aIJrjcnS
it was sharp.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ62G7JQmJSN
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,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZUM5OJaxUp
her heart plummeted—18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY5GIVlLrDQ
like the dream’s floor had been ripped out beneath her feet.
She tried to think—18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIwwAVRcjk0
but her mind was trapped, like cotton soaked in iron.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSZACtsY2H7
Heavy.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6jEDlDWsmH
Slow.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaglju6j6q1
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.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjMWGHnWL7j
Clap.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwMd69nnkAe
Clap.
Even.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6SLr24IwCJ
Mechanical.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR62h4Qxbbb
Like a cold applause for a completed plan.
Each clap slammed into her ears.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt7e4DiLedT
Her eardrums throbbed.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9eXLbFcfRI
Stung.
She pressed both hands to her ears, trying to shut it out.
It didn’t help.
And then came another sound—18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEFmMgkld6N
fractured.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuI4FQhb4dO
Low.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCl2XwHu6aC
Rusty like metal scraping metal.
Kill… kill… kill…
A whisper.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9wfR6ofM8n
A chant.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMjC3WjtbaU
A thousand invisible voices breathing it into her skull.
Nana clenched her eyes shut.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1rTkv4RIvh
Her fingertips pressed so hard against her temples, her knuckles whitened.
She began to shake her head—18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡen0KLfV1iC
trying to wake up.
But the dream wouldn’t let go.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsT2dzvytfA
It clung to her, alive like a swamp.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX5TgvmGRKx
The more she struggled, the deeper it held her.
Her heart thundered in her chest.
She couldn’t scream.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgkMNWy2aRx
But her throat trembled,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyc38yeZFj4
her mouth moved.
She wanted to shout.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡABAjFKmkxS
To break free.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmeMF6nelqA
To run.
“Jason…”
She couldn’t let this dream’s verdict come true.
She wouldn’t.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr6P5BKv7Yt
She refused.
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