A few days later, on a quiet morning,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFqkDIMJW78
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.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVEmITR6f3R
“Nana… can I ask you something?”14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡse54IgfpJs
His tone softened further.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJXkqsH0ZEj
“It’s about why you usually don’t speak.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFBJ0NZhz7s
I remember… the first time we met,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXkEjm1U2Iw
you did make a sound. Didn’t you?”
Nana instinctively reached up,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMmfqs6jGiI
touching her throat like one would touch a wound that never properly healed.
She signed, slowly—14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqoECCvIiwA
“My throat hurts when I speak. Feels like fire.”
Dick nodded, thoughtful.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7xYr40X4t5
Then asked,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrbe7IGgWvT
“Have you ever thought about…14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡafX8I7caP7
seeing a doctor?14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpxXLNAfQaS
Maybe they can find the cause.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4JqP31DEy3
Maybe they can make it stop hurting.”
Nana paused.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9V4fwKl5pH
She lowered her head.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtGrcrF5gXc
Her fingers circled twice on her knees, then signed:14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmXg7TIcm0f
“Do I have to talk? I’m good at signing.”
Dick didn’t push.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvdQBoZYw6p
He shifted the angle instead.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOBf5EZsl3n
His voice stayed warm.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlEP7sSLG3H
“But don’t you ever want to…14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6JcZgeDmK2
talk to Jason with your voice?14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1A5AFFvgBz
Laugh out loud with everyone?14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh5mU2Cmcwe
Call someone’s name and have them hear it?”
That question—14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfL4xN5ChWF
something changed in Nana’s expression.
She remembered yelling Jason’s name that day in the junkyard,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtx9Od5uGqz
her voice tearing through her throat like flames ripping skin.
She was in pain for three days after that.
She also remembered every time14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj8zWKLwGvb
she wanted to call out to Jason,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvncZHlQYW6
to answer Dick,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXuBcOODytE
to say “I’m here”—14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtcYjYAhevP
but never did.
She always stayed silent.
Dick noticed her hands had stopped.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8bKOezTmpP
He waited.
Eventually,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSnwHTsASL7
Nana looked up.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV7VYom3BTR
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,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4moeWdzyoa
Dick’s expression shifted.
The easy smile faded.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZBj857jgvh
He sat up straighter.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiKddOZaZyF
His gaze sharpened—14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkG3s4mbNvN
the kind of look he wore when sensing something wrong on a mission.
Nana’s voice—14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3eNfXiE9ME
this wasn’t just pain.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2v1reISexy
She wasn’t afraid of hurting.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJrImiDRW71
She was afraid of the voice itself.
Jason stared furiously at the sealed entrance of the Batcave.
Nana had been called away by Dick.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOANeVPxUkn
Then taken inside.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC5sfQzoEhf
She was now with Batman and Alfred,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡolH8stF0yj
in a meeting Jason wasn’t allowed to join.
Not even a look from her.
Not even a glance.
He stood outside, yelling curses,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs7vpNGusWY
fists pounding the wall until his knuckles turned red and swollen.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJkNS4WJVYD
Then he slumped down,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNwCMxgzIiM
hugging his knees,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLEhZuEggXt
head buried.
“Nana…”14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf9UhFQZNPh
he whispered,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzDr6CJ5H26
like a spell.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSfLXtiIcWO
He couldn’t do anything.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFukw5vzyfG
All he could do was say her name,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxt13leH9S3
over and over in his head.
Inside the Batcave, the Batcave,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgX3isdX14V
Nana stood before a set of diagnostic monitors.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8EqSUTz832
Her throat results were in.
The data was calm, clinical:
Laryngeal structure: normal.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmbH9xweZKV
Vocal cords: no lesions, no inflammation.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuZzwsjifJG
Voice system: healthy.
Batman’s eyes were still sharp,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPgSfLWmDVu
but there was a trace of confusion in them.
Dick turned to Nana with a gentle smile.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXfyl4xIDNb
“Nana…14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZXDsafWAIa
would you be willing to tell us—14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKNYmPEzdPe
other than the pain,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdMqHOlOpFP
what’s the real reason you don’t speak?”
Nana looked at him and nodded.
She raised her hands,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO7KOiasEql
this time using standard ASL fingerspelling.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ15FqolHRtZ
But just after a few letters,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVBHwWguFWs
she paused.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHw7dJyCfij
Lowered her head.
Then looked back up14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKhG3BgLM1v
and signed:
“Can Jason come in too?”
The room fell silent for one second.
Alfred was the first to speak,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ54f2O0nHct
voice soft,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmschno18eC
with a gentle hint of suggestion.
“Master Bruce,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOpOPTquSFu
as you’re well aware…14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLlxlU0Q2fK
those two care for each other deeply.”
Dick added,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNCkScYE6uf
“I don’t think making someone feel left out is the right move.”
Batman hesitated.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVOpBMLGiCc
Then nodded.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTuKPwaL8Fj
The door opened.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlBqlGW0jOt
Jason jerked his head up.
Nana was standing there,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiEx5Gj3OHH
smiling at him.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLcJlChIDEN
Her eyes said:14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsy2zQP1vB4
You can come in now.
He dashed forward.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVnVUZ2wAvs
Didn’t care who was watching.
He threw his arms around her,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSTH5U2v6Bg
tight.
“Are you okay?”14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZeHIOR2aJ
he signed, fast and desperate.
Nana nodded,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyHBmL4XwBq
hugged him back.
When Jason was told her throat was medically fine—14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKbdT0BZjYj
no physical issues whatsoever—14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPbQZUpB1Oj
he froze.
Then immediately exploded14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4utFh0wh9D
into a flurry of hand gestures—14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPH75Dx3F34
not standard signing,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlH2AWf0Z8R
but the encrypted shorthand the two of them had created—14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHkNQTyXUnM
a mess of symbols, flicks, and half-movements14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNlHp9UjX8d
that only Nana understood.
Nana was startled.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8DiPenmQZz
She took two steps back,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY6kMpYhtZZ
then signed,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIk7Zl3Erl8
“I didn’t mean to hide it… I just…”
She brought her hands together in a soft please,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4IxX0T9wB4
like asking for forgiveness—14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpLVvfhRhuX
a familiar gesture that made Jason’s face darken with frustration.
He shook his head,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRGihbVdrmH
signed something too fast for anyone else to follow,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDLzOj2wE2x
then crossed his arms.
Dick watched them quietly14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrHxHNWiTtt
and couldn’t help translating in his mind:
“You’re in big trouble. I’m gonna deal with you later.”
But despite the message,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuRXMBHepHc
Jason hadn’t moved away.
In fact,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIpbuRWZfTD
he stood closer now,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTRrf1fuvFM
as if ready to catch her the second she swayed.
Dick watched the air between them shift,14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeXqa5TAoSH
and a slow smile curved his lips.
“What a beautiful bond.”14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKJR4bn2iSH
he thought.
“Two wonderful kids.”
It wasn’t just a comment.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrLzMFHx5WL
It was a feeling.
A quiet certainty.
These two—14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4wxTR51HpB
they were going far.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEaTgY2eqfY
