Jason Turned Sixteen Today.
It was his birthday.
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Technically, Nana was older by a month—
a fact clearly listed in every official document.
She was “the older one.”
But Jason never acknowledged it.
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For today,
Nana had been planning for over a month.
From cake flavors, decorations, to a special new section in her scrapbook.
She’d even collected a few heroic photos Jason never realized were taken.
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Jason sat there eating cake, pretending he didn’t care.
But Nana knew better.
He was happy—
he just refused to show it.
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But in Batman’s world,
no birthday was ever truly complete.
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Before the cake had fully settled,
Jason received a signal.
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He had to put on his mask, suit up,
and disappear into Gotham’s night with Bruce.
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Nana waved as they vanished into the dark.
Tonight, Gotham was unusually quiet.
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Just a few pickpockets.
Minor harassment.
No explosions.
No Arkham breakouts.
Not even Mad Hatter whispering riddles on rooftops.
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Nana stood on the balcony, bathed in moonlight.
Her eyes narrowed, sleepiness beginning to pull her under.
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Alfred appeared behind her with a tray of tea and a gentle voice:
“Miss, they won’t be long tonight. Please, get some rest. You were up too early today.”71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFJIkY656vV
Nana nodded and turned obediently.
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On her way back to her room, she whispered in her heart:71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz5ckDZ9hm1
“Happy birthday, Jason Todd.”
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And then she drifted into sleep.
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Nana was in a place she had never seen before—71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7IkPMbVDmC
a publishing office.
Stacks of illustration drafts surrounded her.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNLm9EN4bVi
The walls were plastered with black-and-white photos, cover mockups, title spreads.
Phones rang nonstop.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSGyOwrVyNI
Every time a phone rang, someone up front would add or erase a line on a big blackboard filled with numbers.
Nana blinked.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiZpxWuXVcG
She stared at the unfamiliar chaos, caught between awe and confusion.
She had never set foot in a magazine office.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ47cIgPUWcB
Why was she dreaming about this?
She looked up at the chalkboard.
5343 to 5271.
She frowned.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG5CqImBJfv
Tilted her head.
No clue.
Votes?71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmuQyG8xBxk
Scores?71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiRVb5jHrf0
Rankings?71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkyHkBanZ1I
She couldn’t make sense of it.
Then—71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkopwG8GyWR
a man stood up.
She couldn’t see his face.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFeAQMtTWqH
He wore a crisp suit.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqxtyUiSGgc
His figure was blurred, but his voice—71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXknOmLtrKi
it was sharp.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ16BzavhwTX
It pierced her ears like a needle straight to the brain.
“The results are in. Let’s finalize it.”
“Jason Todd, the second Robin, will greet the Reaper. His end has been decided.”
Nana froze.
The moment Jason’s name was spoken,71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG8Y2Ny0AlO
her heart plummeted—71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHHYW8NeqvG
like the dream’s floor had been ripped out beneath her feet.
She tried to think—71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ52wKsj3QeA
but her mind was trapped, like cotton soaked in iron.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYY09jFHfxj
Heavy.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqchUJ9Iofz
Slow.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSJg4QKwxyL
Barely working.
But she understood.
She understood exactly what this meeting was for.
All the faceless, voiceless, nameless “attendees” seated around the table began to clap.
Clap.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5YhMzrrvjy
Clap.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhRUGogPkWu
Clap.
Even.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiyzQT6TZPU
Mechanical.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzJXWNLYOiL
Like a cold applause for a completed plan.
Each clap slammed into her ears.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJDdJEjlhzm
Her eardrums throbbed.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM6su0RuwIX
Stung.
She pressed both hands to her ears, trying to shut it out.
It didn’t help.
And then came another sound—71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQBUsc4CANq
fractured.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB5VHiIdOec
Low.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBmbngiVyUV
Rusty like metal scraping metal.
Kill… kill… kill…
A whisper.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIPYnSCQjiB
A chant.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTJtaHUuLs1
A thousand invisible voices breathing it into her skull.
Nana clenched her eyes shut.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq7au3YRwkq
Her fingertips pressed so hard against her temples, her knuckles whitened.
She began to shake her head—71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8PrB7yhtfT
trying to wake up.
But the dream wouldn’t let go.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoIFelLvbkJ
It clung to her, alive like a swamp.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1rgiQX3fb7
The more she struggled, the deeper it held her.
Her heart thundered in her chest.
She couldn’t scream.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJYOo70erhB
But her throat trembled,71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOTp6h4McNa
her mouth moved.
She wanted to shout.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9pmlKbjexB
To break free.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvzvTYWfeH7
To run.
“Jason…”
She couldn’t let this dream’s verdict come true.
She wouldn’t.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjBiX95ZZXP
She refused.
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and then Add to home screen.