A few days later, on a quiet morning,44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxdMyc7BBEx
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.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkOOWGFcuk2
“Nana… can I ask you something?”44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhMg984kp8M
His tone softened further.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnJgIbUXamO
“It’s about why you usually don’t speak.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzliHwJmEXZ
I remember… the first time we met,44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZaEQxsgd2t
you did make a sound. Didn’t you?”
Nana instinctively reached up,44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDWkYS4Wc1J
touching her throat like one would touch a wound that never properly healed.
She signed, slowly—44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDOKlol1ieh
“My throat hurts when I speak. Feels like fire.”
Dick nodded, thoughtful.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF42QW4mJiW
Then asked,44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7RC9M1W5A1
“Have you ever thought about…44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkfn33hv0di
seeing a doctor?44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡggl7ShTVAY
Maybe they can find the cause.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡakws1mXecI
Maybe they can make it stop hurting.”
Nana paused.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWlwn5u1WM9
She lowered her head.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgOS71wyS5v
Her fingers circled twice on her knees, then signed:44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYNPGQFVt0w
“Do I have to talk? I’m good at signing.”
Dick didn’t push.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaljlAindDo
He shifted the angle instead.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbnMUQpgQVg
His voice stayed warm.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbgsZcT7KYS
“But don’t you ever want to…44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqaBJqhzA7r
talk to Jason with your voice?44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUZRNXuNcXW
Laugh out loud with everyone?44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSMWnyXyhNz
Call someone’s name and have them hear it?”
That question—44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNOZEaNk2L6
something changed in Nana’s expression.
She remembered yelling Jason’s name that day in the junkyard,44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEZTaYesq1I
her voice tearing through her throat like flames ripping skin.
She was in pain for three days after that.
She also remembered every time44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK4kGFUGAfr
she wanted to call out to Jason,44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTrUubVPIs8
to answer Dick,44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW0wdXTFagu
to say “I’m here”—44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7BNdpZA0y5
but never did.
She always stayed silent.
Dick noticed her hands had stopped.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaXd2nPcCz7
He waited.
Eventually,44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdKJ26q8aca
Nana looked up.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTyk6oyIrIU
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,44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWikRookxtP
Dick’s expression shifted.
The easy smile faded.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ByRFuIMf6
He sat up straighter.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFlg2uzJF2H
His gaze sharpened—44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAnNGJecVuC
the kind of look he wore when sensing something wrong on a mission.
Nana’s voice—44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnT7oWqmvnn
this wasn’t just pain.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxx1Hp7qmfJ
She wasn’t afraid of hurting.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdrqW2q0ww1
She was afraid of the voice itself.
Jason stared furiously at the sealed entrance of the Batcave.
Nana had been called away by Dick.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1sGv4LsnNa
Then taken inside.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPwjN6mgYoD
She was now with Batman and Alfred,44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEmHBOxmFtK
in a meeting Jason wasn’t allowed to join.
Not even a look from her.
Not even a glance.
He stood outside, yelling curses,44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjn6ngT4eE9
fists pounding the wall until his knuckles turned red and swollen.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmhFAyyDgzL
Then he slumped down,44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYtyq5tWFTO
hugging his knees,44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBy8BbX553w
head buried.
“Nana…”44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJFmVc5GutL
he whispered,44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcGMxf5rVzI
like a spell.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ369os8d3aJ
He couldn’t do anything.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡogWqar1ZSq
All he could do was say her name,44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3psWgWK1Ar
over and over in his head.
Inside the Batcave, the Batcave,44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlhBTeNPyyg
Nana stood before a set of diagnostic monitors.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQgbQ7qFkq9
Her throat results were in.
The data was calm, clinical:
Laryngeal structure: normal.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvvq1Q52syV
Vocal cords: no lesions, no inflammation.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAgtOLhipy7
Voice system: healthy.
Batman’s eyes were still sharp,44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjvsDZFHwLM
but there was a trace of confusion in them.
Dick turned to Nana with a gentle smile.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVb5lTSmBqn
“Nana…44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN1okwaxvqt
would you be willing to tell us—44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuCO0TaKlE5
other than the pain,44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIF1x8ersGy
what’s the real reason you don’t speak?”
Nana looked at him and nodded.
She raised her hands,44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLiAJyz89rT
this time using standard ASL fingerspelling.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkKtD8wB9oD
But just after a few letters,44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBZlbgCTDY8
she paused.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv9tsb5rHO6
Lowered her head.
Then looked back up44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8g84iP8SsF
and signed:
“Can Jason come in too?”
The room fell silent for one second.
Alfred was the first to speak,44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkdofkvGTf6
voice soft,44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSYIHDVUDYV
with a gentle hint of suggestion.
“Master Bruce,44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF7ue7zQ2Gk
as you’re well aware…44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh5f8incv9M
those two care for each other deeply.”
Dick added,44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzQSRoUh4T3
“I don’t think making someone feel left out is the right move.”
Batman hesitated.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGki9tFSDVV
Then nodded.
44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVdfCGN5q9Q
The door opened.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLEiKyYGYVG
Jason jerked his head up.
Nana was standing there,44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRgNqYgQD8m
smiling at him.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmdmJ9tSfih
Her eyes said:44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEZQXRV0iwQ
You can come in now.
He dashed forward.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ64l36Os9RK
Didn’t care who was watching.
He threw his arms around her,44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp1tUAwfo7s
tight.
“Are you okay?”44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ09XdZUg3MY
he signed, fast and desperate.
Nana nodded,44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmXP73uC1Q9
hugged him back.
When Jason was told her throat was medically fine—44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT24pt6I2FF
no physical issues whatsoever—44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6862ZNymnO
he froze.
Then immediately exploded44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXkJcYqtmhA
into a flurry of hand gestures—44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡphT58mukgz
not standard signing,44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmkM2KVFLnY
but the encrypted shorthand the two of them had created—44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJHpiOmPCIZ
a mess of symbols, flicks, and half-movements44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqIlhcLfX6m
that only Nana understood.
Nana was startled.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp9UHTSkoRu
She took two steps back,44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqwXkaluElr
then signed,44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR1PWftYDJ2
“I didn’t mean to hide it… I just…”
She brought her hands together in a soft please,44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuicWwD5JhK
like asking for forgiveness—44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFQfIy4v4mg
a familiar gesture that made Jason’s face darken with frustration.
He shook his head,44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjiFyz2rwVS
signed something too fast for anyone else to follow,44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDhHcnJkq2i
then crossed his arms.
Dick watched them quietly44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL8qPUFFDBO
and couldn’t help translating in his mind:
“You’re in big trouble. I’m gonna deal with you later.”
But despite the message,44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡprWhgYz532
Jason hadn’t moved away.
In fact,44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSi53oaYC6g
he stood closer now,44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIvYMxYose2
as if ready to catch her the second she swayed.
Dick watched the air between them shift,44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwDSuKShvD0
and a slow smile curved his lips.
“What a beautiful bond.”44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW12g9IoHmA
he thought.
“Two wonderful kids.”
It wasn’t just a comment.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1clXaqXtTl
It was a feeling.
A quiet certainty.
These two—44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBdtMT6IxoY
they were going far.
44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgqax4iUcxI
and then Add to home screen.