A few days later, on a quiet morning,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi2kfjZm671
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.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8PxwT5dETX
“Nana… can I ask you something?”15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqZCfL9S2La
His tone softened further.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlwP39jkyCG
“It’s about why you usually don’t speak.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGiRM1ciBuQ
I remember… the first time we met,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLV56kmQ5Ga
you did make a sound. Didn’t you?”
Nana instinctively reached up,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9O4IyWUQ5k
touching her throat like one would touch a wound that never properly healed.
She signed, slowly—15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaFPYKl5JeG
“My throat hurts when I speak. Feels like fire.”
Dick nodded, thoughtful.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrREkXzNHLf
Then asked,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUZm83J6pKs
“Have you ever thought about…15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhQe6ZRDqCF
seeing a doctor?15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfrS0lN3RxG
Maybe they can find the cause.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdgNYBMrm8Y
Maybe they can make it stop hurting.”
Nana paused.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzWJhQnHEK1
She lowered her head.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAV0QV1DRyD
Her fingers circled twice on her knees, then signed:15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh63ehLQWtx
“Do I have to talk? I’m good at signing.”
Dick didn’t push.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW56kNnU5Pz
He shifted the angle instead.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZub44eooqJ
His voice stayed warm.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrnDnBvyLrq
“But don’t you ever want to…15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGsAIW6YtY7
talk to Jason with your voice?15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb4OuHOQ5hA
Laugh out loud with everyone?15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5uLdHfg75B
Call someone’s name and have them hear it?”
That question—15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpgS0WEW7JI
something changed in Nana’s expression.
She remembered yelling Jason’s name that day in the junkyard,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRTBBU3YDBs
her voice tearing through her throat like flames ripping skin.
She was in pain for three days after that.
She also remembered every time15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHt7J7mef3F
she wanted to call out to Jason,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS15v5x6WiU
to answer Dick,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnNebQvbOPq
to say “I’m here”—15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ95iSXojCWi
but never did.
She always stayed silent.
Dick noticed her hands had stopped.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUayITm1xBX
He waited.
Eventually,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2amSpTL3Jy
Nana looked up.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj1ifcSUkqX
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,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSbWu486c6g
Dick’s expression shifted.
The easy smile faded.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0DBl7qGfpY
He sat up straighter.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZL7uiy8id
His gaze sharpened—15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyOFsfmJPgG
the kind of look he wore when sensing something wrong on a mission.
Nana’s voice—15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLOaiDRlu3k
this wasn’t just pain.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEDyDc8kXQL
She wasn’t afraid of hurting.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJpJvlzYOMq
She was afraid of the voice itself.
Jason stared furiously at the sealed entrance of the Batcave.
Nana had been called away by Dick.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVzNtwxG2ME
Then taken inside.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLz6OqTVyTv
She was now with Batman and Alfred,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNW1IyuSnWj
in a meeting Jason wasn’t allowed to join.
Not even a look from her.
Not even a glance.
He stood outside, yelling curses,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyrUEJRbapZ
fists pounding the wall until his knuckles turned red and swollen.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBL8CI8Inbr
Then he slumped down,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrkGPKnycWU
hugging his knees,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdWChczt8VI
head buried.
“Nana…”15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwFxN9XA7AF
he whispered,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6cAhvRYovf
like a spell.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZVwjs27TuU
He couldn’t do anything.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo08AIF2NMB
All he could do was say her name,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPjqZDQATar
over and over in his head.
Inside the Batcave, the Batcave,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1hZylFqvhu
Nana stood before a set of diagnostic monitors.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJV0sDP6TXF
Her throat results were in.
The data was calm, clinical:
Laryngeal structure: normal.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡae2IaGx7J7
Vocal cords: no lesions, no inflammation.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8kX5H0ieve
Voice system: healthy.
Batman’s eyes were still sharp,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRh2LbXBLTM
but there was a trace of confusion in them.
Dick turned to Nana with a gentle smile.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4gSvNWaU5N
“Nana…15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEqJvzGqhsp
would you be willing to tell us—15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiYFzgMVB2Z
other than the pain,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwRHloIYm70
what’s the real reason you don’t speak?”
Nana looked at him and nodded.
She raised her hands,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwF8XulI5nJ
this time using standard ASL fingerspelling.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡceuhHkGUA0
But just after a few letters,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo6LVWNhBE4
she paused.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU9TYsXaTLT
Lowered her head.
Then looked back up15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ71qTlQpDE
and signed:
“Can Jason come in too?”
The room fell silent for one second.
Alfred was the first to speak,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZcPXdmB3oB
voice soft,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK2hTUg9e7e
with a gentle hint of suggestion.
“Master Bruce,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEC8d0G9NQZ
as you’re well aware…15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9UukZcX0Fr
those two care for each other deeply.”
Dick added,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbbbm1ZV2wg
“I don’t think making someone feel left out is the right move.”
Batman hesitated.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡipi8QEj6IE
Then nodded.
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfDOKUkEwZ3
The door opened.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtDp03gHFQa
Jason jerked his head up.
Nana was standing there,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdIQyk4hJQD
smiling at him.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe0kIWx49wH
Her eyes said:15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡid6MTusQKo
You can come in now.
He dashed forward.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2nkU35vRu5
Didn’t care who was watching.
He threw his arms around her,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡluf4ZmXjQf
tight.
“Are you okay?”15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFcxLaWlYhD
he signed, fast and desperate.
Nana nodded,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg8V6HCQCPi
hugged him back.
When Jason was told her throat was medically fine—15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL5lGS2RgY2
no physical issues whatsoever—15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiXkr3wtNZ0
he froze.
Then immediately exploded15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrCijYKCbdJ
into a flurry of hand gestures—15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcBTSJcY3h8
not standard signing,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLV7K6xu00d
but the encrypted shorthand the two of them had created—15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDrnSPLSLfx
a mess of symbols, flicks, and half-movements15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDQ2QO3w7TS
that only Nana understood.
Nana was startled.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiY48S0Xk4r
She took two steps back,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIrXhTeJBVY
then signed,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiBIqqZooPk
“I didn’t mean to hide it… I just…”
She brought her hands together in a soft please,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxVk1tTfU5L
like asking for forgiveness—15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2hWbUMS5tV
a familiar gesture that made Jason’s face darken with frustration.
He shook his head,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAWIFOYyXpB
signed something too fast for anyone else to follow,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLjeMbpCw6O
then crossed his arms.
Dick watched them quietly15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ46NVsRaKOf
and couldn’t help translating in his mind:
“You’re in big trouble. I’m gonna deal with you later.”
But despite the message,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyjC2ertEIc
Jason hadn’t moved away.
In fact,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKSq76sap4D
he stood closer now,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmouvSY1cuG
as if ready to catch her the second she swayed.
Dick watched the air between them shift,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ13ySEvjgtR
and a slow smile curved his lips.
“What a beautiful bond.”15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡykvGQrmsPX
he thought.
“Two wonderful kids.”
It wasn’t just a comment.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyuc9PDCKMk
It was a feeling.
A quiet certainty.
These two—15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWRCiJW1NMk
they were going far.
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvzKLmdCwA3
and then Add to home screen.