Two Months Later, at Night
The girl sat at the edge of the bed.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQza82075g3
Only a small lamp was on in the room, casting a soft, warm light.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdkmDdeUXVD
She held the boy’s hand, gently applying ointment to his sore muscles,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡybcIYPDktu
careful to avoid the bandage wrapped around his palm.
Jason didn’t speak.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOOBeFFrvn8
He lowered his head, letting her tend to him.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtPRhZ0KP86
But his eyes kept sneaking glances at her face.
That face, usually framed with a quiet smile,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9fnKVwgbYc
was now furrowed with worry—10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIguJQerpQ0
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,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtEF1L1z3Wt
Jason knocked on the heavy, solemn door of the Batcave—10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ94HhiQc4sQ
for the first time, on his own.
He stood before Bruce and said,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBzV67tDbUz
voice steady and sincere:10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2SNKvGUk4u
“I want to train. I want to be stronger. I want to… protect her.”
Batman didn’t respond right away.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFzbY1cRdm1
He just stared at the boy in silence for a long time.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡenIJBkyDmY
Then, finally—10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbjvhQqgXSR
he nodded.
From that day forward,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwLPjLSvTcD
Jason began his training.
Real training.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMz9LEoR9X2
Not games.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJlFPvh8zQC
Not gym class.
Batman’s standard—10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHo4uBpU1zc
harsher even than what he gave to Robin.
Jason collapsed into bed every night,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQKLL7h6eKA
waking up sore and bruised.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWhSN5oWfF7
His hands grew calloused,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPdmjdo5SC6
his steps grew heavy.
But when he heard Nana’s voice at night,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVKc3NXBarR
softly calling his name,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbg4OSeyuCY
while she gently rubbed ointment on his arms and said,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIOzkM6s6Mg
“It doesn’t hurt anymore.”
He smiled—10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzhCBenKNme
the kind that bloomed from deep inside the chest.
For pain like this,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCT1hB3Xzkp
it was worth it.
Inside the Batcave
Dick flipped through the pages of Nana’s test results.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5KQalelyzM
Each page deepened the crease between his brows.
He murmured under his breath:10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPAaGP0HXx2
“This kid’s power… it’s no joke.”
So far, Batman had categorized her abilities into two main types:10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡghZ9WiONGp
Command and Healing.
And “Command” branched further—10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvC9pqra5DW
into Action and Object subtypes.
Even in the earliest tests,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdc2ZzD2D5o
those two alone had stunned the whole team.
The first time she was tested,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgKeOTmGrTS
Nana spoke in a voice barely louder than a whisper:10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCOE8m9MNW0
“Stand up.”
The next second—10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2QzCETxsFd
everyone in the room—10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWUk3ibi6UH
Dick, Alfred, Jason, even Batman himself—10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcOD5Br5pjX
stood up.
Not out of comprehension,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt3PpgcuevT
but reaction.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡusZ4kwQafW
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:10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu7SdFEEIFq
“Give me the Bat symbol.”
Batman didn’t move.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRCiOao6Zze
But the emblem on his suit vanished—10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhiD8CR4hZB
and with a soft clink, fell to the floor at Nana’s feet.
The room fell dead silent.
Batman immediately began further testing—10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMEdqspue6Q
on range, volume, and correlation with her throat pain index.
Then it happened—10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXNPjLlMuVm
the one test Dick personally stopped.
That day, Bruce calmly instructed:10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8s6FQLtmX5
“Say something that would make the mouse’s eyes appear in front of you.”
Nana froze.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyvIyrjmxn2
Her whole body trembled.
She slowly turned toward the white lab mouse on the table.
Her lips trembled.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg9SA9GjozI
Her voice was a breeze through dry leaves:10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOryV2yPUrf
“…Eyes… come…”
In the next instant—10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡygnh1clgFv
two small, blood-threaded eyeballs dropped to the floor.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡil4zRQwk7s
The mouse twitched twice, then lay still.
Nana clutched her throat,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLHtZJrJa1t
eyes shut tight, tears streaming down.
Dick rushed forward, grabbing her by the shoulders:10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhmv8QSlLls
“Nana, that’s enough. Stop. Don’t say another word.”
Then he turned toward the eyes on the ground,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiTZMW8qWIA
his gaze sharp as ice.
He clenched his fists.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFB69nrxyMB
A dark weight churned in his chest.
This wasn’t just a girl with a strange ability.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsnjYJfAYHJ
This…10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgA61UmeoiW
this could unbalance the entire city.
There was also healing.
That same voice—10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqraSh6yxUg
which could command, demand, and destroy—10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlQbrodQPH5
also possessed the power to restore.
It became the only reassuring factor10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd4cc9DrOoK
amid her terrifying potential.
One year later,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡci2jLuLkmH
Wayne Manor had quietly changed in many ways.
Bruce, with his meticulous—10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcHjOuOpSic
some would say obsessive—testing,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrz38MxHskv
had established a vital rule:
“No command sentences.”
Batman instructed Nana firmly:10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm5PxlzAgjE
stick to objective statements and questions.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRYaMn9400O
Commands—even as simple as “sit down” or “pick up the gun”—10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMelxnC5VBH
could lead to irreversible consequences.
Nana accepted this.
She began learning how to speak.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOqPsyf4zeh
Slowly.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQjPa0K1M7d
Her voice was hoarse—10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKzPBmU70dM
but it was hers.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAZB2hyMVyY
Chosen by her own will.
And in all her spoken words,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVdkwbxWrd7
the one name she said most often10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ZyiZUXtrn
remained the same:
“Jason.”
One night,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBycC90Z2Px
Alfred woke her from a deep sleep.
Before she could fully react,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqgqFbiQji1
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,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkKEbDI7AxJ
following him down to the Batcave.
That night,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPD6hwrVANS
she sat beside Bruce’s bed,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJlY1Oi8KST
his arm covered in blood.
Her hands trembled as they gripped his arm.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp1Ho0c5BI7
She closed her eyes—10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjLRr4WWB5H
and with a voice barely louder than the grave,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjZqd4LmczC
she whispered again and again,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ8hrPuxvOG
like casting a spell:
“Heal… quickly… please… recover…”
From a distance,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDN2KFfJfgl
Jason stood watching her.
And in his heart,10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHqTtm10jFO
something shifted.
10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4oSxAPybZ8
