A few days later, on a quiet morning,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoCWb7xBY6E
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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsZjXMH4gbQ
“Nana… can I ask you something?”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnf8EZ7akwq
His tone softened further.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc2r0d0vCEx
“It’s about why you usually don’t speak.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpaIjYC1LKX
I remember… the first time we met,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPqW3obVEcc
you did make a sound. Didn’t you?”
Nana instinctively reached up,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSmyXHWIdlg
touching her throat like one would touch a wound that never properly healed.
She signed, slowly—20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIb149O9iDY
“My throat hurts when I speak. Feels like fire.”
Dick nodded, thoughtful.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5kfj4lQKjb
Then asked,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrATjjFUOiA
“Have you ever thought about…20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ZCUDlDvHG
seeing a doctor?20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfNRWZ4KITy
Maybe they can find the cause.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhXaDv5S2Tr
Maybe they can make it stop hurting.”
Nana paused.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrt9gxOqeyu
She lowered her head.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1O1JjxeIIH
Her fingers circled twice on her knees, then signed:20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYU3NSPQCbw
“Do I have to talk? I’m good at signing.”
Dick didn’t push.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9cUm9RCCBe
He shifted the angle instead.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNSNkHFucmD
His voice stayed warm.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR5QIykBpX9
“But don’t you ever want to…20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1pPDSPnPrE
talk to Jason with your voice?20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp90vUkiIg9
Laugh out loud with everyone?20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNgWEoOMHlx
Call someone’s name and have them hear it?”
That question—20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjVnjCKN6Kn
something changed in Nana’s expression.
She remembered yelling Jason’s name that day in the junkyard,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8TbtOgf1rc
her voice tearing through her throat like flames ripping skin.
She was in pain for three days after that.
She also remembered every time20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGJsIwNEL7H
she wanted to call out to Jason,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCFzbjxarGu
to answer Dick,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG0oNmdQD7P
to say “I’m here”—20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4imxvPdpcL
but never did.
She always stayed silent.
Dick noticed her hands had stopped.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLc9HeAWPSH
He waited.
Eventually,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡesJbNgZGnP
Nana looked up.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu6RVzpyroQ
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,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZcRXbzVnoX
Dick’s expression shifted.
The easy smile faded.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmsJvg0sDjU
He sat up straighter.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlKe5GBbXhr
His gaze sharpened—20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrJvurUhSQ1
the kind of look he wore when sensing something wrong on a mission.
Nana’s voice—20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZS7zuzs25t
this wasn’t just pain.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8VcPgIPPov
She wasn’t afraid of hurting.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrJL8TKXLoN
She was afraid of the voice itself.
Jason stared furiously at the sealed entrance of the Batcave.
Nana had been called away by Dick.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ93vdiFtrOR
Then taken inside.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvhqaOmn8VV
She was now with Batman and Alfred,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn07BHH2yzz
in a meeting Jason wasn’t allowed to join.
Not even a look from her.
Not even a glance.
He stood outside, yelling curses,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmYnmcktuXc
fists pounding the wall until his knuckles turned red and swollen.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjUR0CqJBRh
Then he slumped down,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa7Se2MuJpP
hugging his knees,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeZVCpqToeF
head buried.
“Nana…”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyBRfWRjFma
he whispered,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIHrHzqTuPa
like a spell.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ51uM9au3mC
He couldn’t do anything.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7r0NVukMOe
All he could do was say her name,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXErlIfsO4j
over and over in his head.
Inside the Batcave, the Batcave,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxM0jB7Fixp
Nana stood before a set of diagnostic monitors.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUi30qh8DXB
Her throat results were in.
The data was calm, clinical:
Laryngeal structure: normal.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡezxFAzbdmz
Vocal cords: no lesions, no inflammation.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnbngH4ptaL
Voice system: healthy.
Batman’s eyes were still sharp,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1akPhNCjsS
but there was a trace of confusion in them.
Dick turned to Nana with a gentle smile.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm4CGxHsL0r
“Nana…20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3KBmeRBwPt
would you be willing to tell us—20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlRVnuehqUR
other than the pain,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYhqBIdpXbw
what’s the real reason you don’t speak?”
Nana looked at him and nodded.
She raised her hands,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Jut4qqMN6
this time using standard ASL fingerspelling.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRH1HgJTZSR
But just after a few letters,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsaW3b45SSl
she paused.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwUXIeq20DU
Lowered her head.
Then looked back up20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiUW1JFXOOW
and signed:
“Can Jason come in too?”
The room fell silent for one second.
Alfred was the first to speak,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD8OhFe8Tmg
voice soft,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYirHCsf94k
with a gentle hint of suggestion.
“Master Bruce,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt529czxOYN
as you’re well aware…20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSPwWoy1IC9
those two care for each other deeply.”
Dick added,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaoMXqkYtmS
“I don’t think making someone feel left out is the right move.”
Batman hesitated.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8JA90NQOZd
Then nodded.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYLv8YjmAXK
The door opened.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ54ELJ8I96g
Jason jerked his head up.
Nana was standing there,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbMwfWIjLFT
smiling at him.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB7dgBm7PBo
Her eyes said:20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHB3nICoE6E
You can come in now.
He dashed forward.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdGkg9YyuIg
Didn’t care who was watching.
He threw his arms around her,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp2zGUohfiF
tight.
“Are you okay?”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwUYThq2x1V
he signed, fast and desperate.
Nana nodded,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMpdRyGY8xf
hugged him back.
When Jason was told her throat was medically fine—20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg8XqAMruPV
no physical issues whatsoever—20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡywgsjWhCDa
he froze.
Then immediately exploded20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtOeJPuf17N
into a flurry of hand gestures—20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYdczBQXA9R
not standard signing,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpYb8Vlucy6
but the encrypted shorthand the two of them had created—20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3b1Jwc9wzJ
a mess of symbols, flicks, and half-movements20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvyNe9h3Nv0
that only Nana understood.
Nana was startled.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ1nFRtrijv
She took two steps back,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl3cxuVCikb
then signed,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLS7e6u2Sgc
“I didn’t mean to hide it… I just…”
She brought her hands together in a soft please,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡErfFWC2ApV
like asking for forgiveness—20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUSHTzDw9tT
a familiar gesture that made Jason’s face darken with frustration.
He shook his head,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXmjGbpyyoN
signed something too fast for anyone else to follow,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5zbqXUmDo9
then crossed his arms.
Dick watched them quietly20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDbrisAPkEz
and couldn’t help translating in his mind:
“You’re in big trouble. I’m gonna deal with you later.”
But despite the message,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT7NQYzzV7z
Jason hadn’t moved away.
In fact,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ96ZCUK0Q9B
he stood closer now,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTEJxb9uz1I
as if ready to catch her the second she swayed.
Dick watched the air between them shift,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzsS88B73ZJ
and a slow smile curved his lips.
“What a beautiful bond.”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk1dAMsDdXr
he thought.
“Two wonderful kids.”
It wasn’t just a comment.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcxj3kTz7wA
It was a feeling.
A quiet certainty.
These two—20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRoyCIhM0l4
they were going far.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPGcHD9iVNk
