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.”276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzKmThRvELK
Nana nodded and turned obediently.
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On her way back to her room, she whispered in her heart:276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVi5zmMd2Mi
“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—276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdSCCEA5P3q
a publishing office.
Stacks of illustration drafts surrounded her.276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdOv9NsSnDv
The walls were plastered with black-and-white photos, cover mockups, title spreads.
Phones rang nonstop.276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6wrFuGM0df
Every time a phone rang, someone up front would add or erase a line on a big blackboard filled with numbers.
Nana blinked.276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS4pvwjglPR
She stared at the unfamiliar chaos, caught between awe and confusion.
She had never set foot in a magazine office.276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVhUtIP1qiS
Why was she dreaming about this?
She looked up at the chalkboard.
5343 to 5271.
She frowned.276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWf9VoUKbtj
Tilted her head.
No clue.
Votes?276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Q1stqAKwC
Scores?276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5qHHdPqT2E
Rankings?276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTpvtFXigRC
She couldn’t make sense of it.
Then—276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOBTESmMzib
a man stood up.
She couldn’t see his face.276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡga0pcB4PZr
He wore a crisp suit.276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuwJj0f9VHq
His figure was blurred, but his voice—276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLIwAY5KZsw
it was sharp.276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9HvtxyF8mX
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,276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG5wdtl7IEZ
her heart plummeted—276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8N136Oqu0g
like the dream’s floor had been ripped out beneath her feet.
She tried to think—276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmyU0d2qN6s
but her mind was trapped, like cotton soaked in iron.276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUe2YYRTcPI
Heavy.276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSUIfIw60C0
Slow.276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH8UTLwWV0d
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.276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDRNutMTEcm
Clap.276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcfS160TBHH
Clap.
Even.276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmj5JbzAn6u
Mechanical.276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUkOdu0ybVe
Like a cold applause for a completed plan.
Each clap slammed into her ears.276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNzMuwx9GNK
Her eardrums throbbed.276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNTp69HlXgV
Stung.
She pressed both hands to her ears, trying to shut it out.
It didn’t help.
And then came another sound—276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdr8LsUdbi4
fractured.276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTzlbd5ruZ7
Low.276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW1cRlK4Cj6
Rusty like metal scraping metal.
Kill… kill… kill…
A whisper.276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOIhJ318GrG
A chant.276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUtT9yLpqVx
A thousand invisible voices breathing it into her skull.
Nana clenched her eyes shut.276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSP18myCALQ
Her fingertips pressed so hard against her temples, her knuckles whitened.
She began to shake her head—276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvK2sUW8Q75
trying to wake up.
But the dream wouldn’t let go.276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRYy2G4HcBM
It clung to her, alive like a swamp.276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyB3jCUJHbP
The more she struggled, the deeper it held her.
Her heart thundered in her chest.
She couldn’t scream.276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtvZdkBkOAE
But her throat trembled,276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmTFQjDluJG
her mouth moved.
She wanted to shout.276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZER3E9UJn6
To break free.276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC58Ye6TjcQ
To run.
“Jason…”
She couldn’t let this dream’s verdict come true.
She wouldn’t.276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKcAzoYOaUU
She refused.
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and then Add to home screen.