Two Months Later, at Night
The girl sat at the edge of the bed.285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSTkhvoTKfh
Only a small lamp was on in the room, casting a soft, warm light.285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk5FPCCq69Y
She held the boy’s hand, gently applying ointment to his sore muscles,285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtpCgSqJpZa
careful to avoid the bandage wrapped around his palm.
Jason didn’t speak.285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu9Muc2oG5S
He lowered his head, letting her tend to him.285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwNc6sKW37K
But his eyes kept sneaking glances at her face.
That face, usually framed with a quiet smile,285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJLyubLJPqK
was now furrowed with worry—285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTwEv0fZ2sc
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,285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfCqgewvzZ8
Jason knocked on the heavy, solemn door of the Batcave—285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0I5FVeD5Ka
for the first time, on his own.
He stood before Bruce and said,285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmqUuEVZ32l
voice steady and sincere:285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPL2mOSCEgE
“I want to train. I want to be stronger. I want to… protect her.”
Batman didn’t respond right away.285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBnbiTFDn4N
He just stared at the boy in silence for a long time.285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5zCNywwWhK
Then, finally—285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM6zoUeTNRf
he nodded.
From that day forward,285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiMkcV9IXTc
Jason began his training.
Real training.285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWWzKMo3MbM
Not games.285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeGNEk8r5O8
Not gym class.
Batman’s standard—285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE98T3bcXgd
harsher even than what he gave to Robin.
Jason collapsed into bed every night,285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdrIhl1nD5t
waking up sore and bruised.285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVTugWerMf2
His hands grew calloused,285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJLenJ3cneV
his steps grew heavy.
But when he heard Nana’s voice at night,285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWWOD3J3F0s
softly calling his name,285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKsESqg2oSu
while she gently rubbed ointment on his arms and said,285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1luNZAIbwd
“It doesn’t hurt anymore.”
He smiled—285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAJXcGpakza
the kind that bloomed from deep inside the chest.
For pain like this,285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXu0oHWKNFS
it was worth it.
Inside the Batcave
Dick flipped through the pages of Nana’s test results.285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwElbHD6BYV
Each page deepened the crease between his brows.
He murmured under his breath:285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhFn8tGYg7o
“This kid’s power… it’s no joke.”
So far, Batman had categorized her abilities into two main types:285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSRK2G6EGMz
Command and Healing.
And “Command” branched further—285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNRff3N7TLD
into Action and Object subtypes.
Even in the earliest tests,285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ZqH7fWCbS
those two alone had stunned the whole team.
The first time she was tested,285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGfjG40TS8c
Nana spoke in a voice barely louder than a whisper:285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC3pjMEn8eT
“Stand up.”
The next second—285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz6KDATif6F
everyone in the room—285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzFrFI3sDWt
Dick, Alfred, Jason, even Batman himself—285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuT2wimRZcR
stood up.
Not out of comprehension,285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl5rCEVsEQ9
but reaction.285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4e4E3U0KFf
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:285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjCDE68tWzy
“Give me the Bat symbol.”
Batman didn’t move.285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYgCo0ya3j3
But the emblem on his suit vanished—285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkCiPR4W8LV
and with a soft clink, fell to the floor at Nana’s feet.
The room fell dead silent.
Batman immediately began further testing—285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrNUREohvbJ
on range, volume, and correlation with her throat pain index.
Then it happened—285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHdFAEliCgI
the one test Dick personally stopped.
That day, Bruce calmly instructed:285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEUuWU1GceO
“Say something that would make the mouse’s eyes appear in front of you.”
Nana froze.285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXEaFlqGaAW
Her whole body trembled.
She slowly turned toward the white lab mouse on the table.
Her lips trembled.285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB3XFWwIZnm
Her voice was a breeze through dry leaves:285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIkpk4Owua2
“…Eyes… come…”
In the next instant—285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHACcwV4QAT
two small, blood-threaded eyeballs dropped to the floor.285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaCfN5ki3s7
The mouse twitched twice, then lay still.
Nana clutched her throat,285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9LblmBAOBI
eyes shut tight, tears streaming down.
Dick rushed forward, grabbing her by the shoulders:285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw3xE52n1u8
“Nana, that’s enough. Stop. Don’t say another word.”
Then he turned toward the eyes on the ground,285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡheBxvvgnUp
his gaze sharp as ice.
He clenched his fists.285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOq5tI0Ns4D
A dark weight churned in his chest.
This wasn’t just a girl with a strange ability.285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHbH93r2U2X
This…285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFKAnmRulD7
this could unbalance the entire city.
There was also healing.
That same voice—285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl5RCyYjiKH
which could command, demand, and destroy—285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLA8A57WxZc
also possessed the power to restore.
It became the only reassuring factor285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZuEdrPOBTm
amid her terrifying potential.
One year later,285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz03YTLzWb9
Wayne Manor had quietly changed in many ways.
Bruce, with his meticulous—285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNQSykKIsIs
some would say obsessive—testing,285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1nz6NkDKS8
had established a vital rule:
“No command sentences.”
Batman instructed Nana firmly:285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoYXdhY5X1k
stick to objective statements and questions.285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqIQ8oWuXAr
Commands—even as simple as “sit down” or “pick up the gun”—285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZCI5jFwliK
could lead to irreversible consequences.
Nana accepted this.
She began learning how to speak.285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr1nbIilF9R
Slowly.285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKhuWTv7VQR
Her voice was hoarse—285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgMGnzDWEpk
but it was hers.285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYg0QmKuYsZ
Chosen by her own will.
And in all her spoken words,285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC0NNu47VGT
the one name she said most often285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEC8OYhLvlA
remained the same:
“Jason.”
One night,285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJsUSbca3E1
Alfred woke her from a deep sleep.
Before she could fully react,285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ37fC9rrLpA
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,285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3CXi16iw1w
following him down to the Batcave.
That night,285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxUY6THv094
she sat beside Bruce’s bed,285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsVHvNcu2IZ
his arm covered in blood.
Her hands trembled as they gripped his arm.285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8UQjUYshUn
She closed her eyes—285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnz0KfMDgVh
and with a voice barely louder than the grave,285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBirrV8W0PT
she whispered again and again,285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPV0oxadkJ6
like casting a spell:
“Heal… quickly… please… recover…”
From a distance,285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2BrpP1og1h
Jason stood watching her.
And in his heart,285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCC2BtUzc3m
something shifted.
285Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0B0iMU7bev
and then Add to home screen.