A few days later, on a quiet morning,68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQskUjayDP
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.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxBnVBzlXIw
“Nana… can I ask you something?”68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp9OvWOLZgz
His tone softened further.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsGlnQiHcig
“It’s about why you usually don’t speak.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzG2bvJJGTP
I remember… the first time we met,68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgWjL2yOaxo
you did make a sound. Didn’t you?”
Nana instinctively reached up,68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlupn5FfVkI
touching her throat like one would touch a wound that never properly healed.
She signed, slowly—68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCxmv4fkP5u
“My throat hurts when I speak. Feels like fire.”
Dick nodded, thoughtful.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6PeYpABYrL
Then asked,68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDPuaaCSFuP
“Have you ever thought about…68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCqvHlZLd4s
seeing a doctor?68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCYA5NLgNyJ
Maybe they can find the cause.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4e8RxfOLI8
Maybe they can make it stop hurting.”
Nana paused.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4TkpcWViXN
She lowered her head.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSIf1E6GnU8
Her fingers circled twice on her knees, then signed:68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkKqkgOP5uT
“Do I have to talk? I’m good at signing.”
Dick didn’t push.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtKRAeqcWQT
He shifted the angle instead.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4OfvQZTsme
His voice stayed warm.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9oCsCaOttd
“But don’t you ever want to…68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUnSGXhncgG
talk to Jason with your voice?68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu91ZwrH3qg
Laugh out loud with everyone?68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHMeNRPUoJG
Call someone’s name and have them hear it?”
That question—68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBZWS7886UR
something changed in Nana’s expression.
She remembered yelling Jason’s name that day in the junkyard,68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5REgDu9Yhq
her voice tearing through her throat like flames ripping skin.
She was in pain for three days after that.
She also remembered every time68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5e7NsyH9AF
she wanted to call out to Jason,68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDviet2LXJz
to answer Dick,68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBerBC91fPs
to say “I’m here”—68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv0kMjEk6KY
but never did.
She always stayed silent.
Dick noticed her hands had stopped.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjkq3XWXl4H
He waited.
Eventually,68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa4IRcNMFYq
Nana looked up.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ9iFPoxxUA
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,68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB62IFG2Ovm
Dick’s expression shifted.
The easy smile faded.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEeyBKL5XMw
He sat up straighter.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbA0lXn3WDW
His gaze sharpened—68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcuUazG3vKm
the kind of look he wore when sensing something wrong on a mission.
Nana’s voice—68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc7SRoZXn1U
this wasn’t just pain.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPGSej9hndZ
She wasn’t afraid of hurting.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5SG0swVduQ
She was afraid of the voice itself.
Jason stared furiously at the sealed entrance of the Batcave.
Nana had been called away by Dick.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqU8pKm1wx6
Then taken inside.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZAGG6yRJu
She was now with Batman and Alfred,68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmIkyVv393m
in a meeting Jason wasn’t allowed to join.
Not even a look from her.
Not even a glance.
He stood outside, yelling curses,68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLRklo4pnVe
fists pounding the wall until his knuckles turned red and swollen.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡful5wqUAgy
Then he slumped down,68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiHqVjho4AY
hugging his knees,68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiB71nR7pSx
head buried.
“Nana…”68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJTvdMQ9XRN
he whispered,68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZJnziFtOzw
like a spell.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW5G9LEGrlw
He couldn’t do anything.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyq9G80vmCY
All he could do was say her name,68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfkHvCd5Lrq
over and over in his head.
Inside the Batcave, the Batcave,68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrjfTsZMMqk
Nana stood before a set of diagnostic monitors.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNXCjmklaGo
Her throat results were in.
The data was calm, clinical:
Laryngeal structure: normal.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQFCxi1z4oM
Vocal cords: no lesions, no inflammation.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK15Q68tmoF
Voice system: healthy.
Batman’s eyes were still sharp,68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡufY3ALSzS5
but there was a trace of confusion in them.
Dick turned to Nana with a gentle smile.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ47eiDY5O7I
“Nana…68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoygl4H8ZLQ
would you be willing to tell us—68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGjFvRi1E17
other than the pain,68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbSZQoGHnyx
what’s the real reason you don’t speak?”
Nana looked at him and nodded.
She raised her hands,68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEPYyxtRLqu
this time using standard ASL fingerspelling.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1p2cMq9bn9
But just after a few letters,68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzieW9Bn9lk
she paused.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ76qNiWkiRI
Lowered her head.
Then looked back up68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTGBcBQkbGI
and signed:
“Can Jason come in too?”
The room fell silent for one second.
Alfred was the first to speak,68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjAZqu8mj7l
voice soft,68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN1CEQiPubq
with a gentle hint of suggestion.
“Master Bruce,68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcxN6FMWpgJ
as you’re well aware…68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGLX07pxjfp
those two care for each other deeply.”
Dick added,68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyjAKLjMJKP
“I don’t think making someone feel left out is the right move.”
Batman hesitated.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfa5pyOamwU
Then nodded.
68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt3YH8tXAoD
The door opened.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRhHOcQ3t3E
Jason jerked his head up.
Nana was standing there,68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3iK210ngmB
smiling at him.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwKvk1jruqG
Her eyes said:68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh9K537NeJS
You can come in now.
He dashed forward.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx8lULOPKYV
Didn’t care who was watching.
He threw his arms around her,68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1W31UXtpRh
tight.
“Are you okay?”68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs4VEAw3m1M
he signed, fast and desperate.
Nana nodded,68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbtawtDyyLU
hugged him back.
When Jason was told her throat was medically fine—68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8nFHpZpmyl
no physical issues whatsoever—68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq32R0gQ9gt
he froze.
Then immediately exploded68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkltRtKOgJw
into a flurry of hand gestures—68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMu1yjLMvo0
not standard signing,68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡieijvDcv0i
but the encrypted shorthand the two of them had created—68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZbuakmuctS
a mess of symbols, flicks, and half-movements68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsF591WpEHN
that only Nana understood.
Nana was startled.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuz7Esqs69G
She took two steps back,68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwtkYF3CeLR
then signed,68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoYKO6re2Qq
“I didn’t mean to hide it… I just…”
She brought her hands together in a soft please,68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxvcWPqAppb
like asking for forgiveness—68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqaGQM1MSSE
a familiar gesture that made Jason’s face darken with frustration.
He shook his head,68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLZovMDutQ3
signed something too fast for anyone else to follow,68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Tlf4t9z2p
then crossed his arms.
Dick watched them quietly68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5VP1Sb2cU3
and couldn’t help translating in his mind:
“You’re in big trouble. I’m gonna deal with you later.”
But despite the message,68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9qolQe3tEc
Jason hadn’t moved away.
In fact,68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXXRmDFZdUt
he stood closer now,68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8mSnCsSAhM
as if ready to catch her the second she swayed.
Dick watched the air between them shift,68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiGf9drqxhl
and a slow smile curved his lips.
“What a beautiful bond.”68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkkM1esXv9E
he thought.
“Two wonderful kids.”
It wasn’t just a comment.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzaGcypAQ5S
It was a feeling.
A quiet certainty.
These two—68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtdmkhT2fM6
they were going far.
68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsJqibYxeEs
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