A few days later, on a quiet morning,94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt5PuQsBYlO
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.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEdvnjWIllS
“Nana… can I ask you something?”94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqLLaq5TRoB
His tone softened further.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHxt1PBR2LL
“It’s about why you usually don’t speak.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIjCyQQqhfU
I remember… the first time we met,94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkhFce7zqkG
you did make a sound. Didn’t you?”
Nana instinctively reached up,94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡecz7oGtMVu
touching her throat like one would touch a wound that never properly healed.
She signed, slowly—94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQHzqZxmmZm
“My throat hurts when I speak. Feels like fire.”
Dick nodded, thoughtful.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxryvV3PlFv
Then asked,94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnU0W8h5hvc
“Have you ever thought about…94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCUgCS51cxl
seeing a doctor?94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPYhijkXGIk
Maybe they can find the cause.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK4cb5nclzY
Maybe they can make it stop hurting.”
Nana paused.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTxEGBQdLoS
She lowered her head.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzbSpVNItRo
Her fingers circled twice on her knees, then signed:94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXLTeVkkaZ4
“Do I have to talk? I’m good at signing.”
Dick didn’t push.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLlit6I29gD
He shifted the angle instead.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWwHRhXi6zA
His voice stayed warm.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ12duNwOifX
“But don’t you ever want to…94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh8uQiVrJFH
talk to Jason with your voice?94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9BQkfxJabh
Laugh out loud with everyone?94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsOs3M72nVt
Call someone’s name and have them hear it?”
That question—94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzRWtmgonwf
something changed in Nana’s expression.
She remembered yelling Jason’s name that day in the junkyard,94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX9QOVHuB6h
her voice tearing through her throat like flames ripping skin.
She was in pain for three days after that.
She also remembered every time94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDJp4IrWN66
she wanted to call out to Jason,94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWmxbHherqX
to answer Dick,94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1gw0Gr3qDK
to say “I’m here”—94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaEPW124tSu
but never did.
She always stayed silent.
Dick noticed her hands had stopped.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9cvSesmUAg
He waited.
Eventually,94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHuvuBqgOmn
Nana looked up.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡisEmcGD9CA
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,94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiNbpVzQBv8
Dick’s expression shifted.
The easy smile faded.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcPrj2PWeyq
He sat up straighter.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkbD95luOLo
His gaze sharpened—94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD7gwD3cQl9
the kind of look he wore when sensing something wrong on a mission.
Nana’s voice—94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxnhAH9CbnF
this wasn’t just pain.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡADmusnwU7h
She wasn’t afraid of hurting.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡffIXnihuGZ
She was afraid of the voice itself.
Jason stared furiously at the sealed entrance of the Batcave.
Nana had been called away by Dick.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSC4wg3gXdR
Then taken inside.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpZwJf75wRA
She was now with Batman and Alfred,94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeTLjhejgwT
in a meeting Jason wasn’t allowed to join.
Not even a look from her.
Not even a glance.
He stood outside, yelling curses,94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7A8UTeRsTK
fists pounding the wall until his knuckles turned red and swollen.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpWxHgJYPsN
Then he slumped down,94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ13Mf3o78J1
hugging his knees,94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb1EW1S1ey8
head buried.
“Nana…”94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY8ObdIDZCG
he whispered,94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVSHJ1xZaL8
like a spell.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe6Wi7OATdh
He couldn’t do anything.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡezhjGD5JFr
All he could do was say her name,94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBpDQGE89ja
over and over in his head.
Inside the Batcave, the Batcave,94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOzU4xorKyh
Nana stood before a set of diagnostic monitors.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ44zAPWNbvq
Her throat results were in.
The data was calm, clinical:
Laryngeal structure: normal.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVEO4xcY51t
Vocal cords: no lesions, no inflammation.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIaBpU8pE64
Voice system: healthy.
Batman’s eyes were still sharp,94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwV45AnPzb8
but there was a trace of confusion in them.
Dick turned to Nana with a gentle smile.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡob9KoANveC
“Nana…94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhoeWBpEuhf
would you be willing to tell us—94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhQIKGRZqes
other than the pain,94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrldTq8LrSD
what’s the real reason you don’t speak?”
Nana looked at him and nodded.
She raised her hands,94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXRQJjixEqG
this time using standard ASL fingerspelling.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7VmglUcDSy
But just after a few letters,94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNYNIMzoqvT
she paused.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNFu7HgLIuU
Lowered her head.
Then looked back up94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOr9OGd8hCW
and signed:
“Can Jason come in too?”
The room fell silent for one second.
Alfred was the first to speak,94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQHmT7Zh0DI
voice soft,94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4cVkpJhEsj
with a gentle hint of suggestion.
“Master Bruce,94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq7lKpGaHSl
as you’re well aware…94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpVlmE8wTX6
those two care for each other deeply.”
Dick added,94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlnuGCePLl6
“I don’t think making someone feel left out is the right move.”
Batman hesitated.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0fmYR6lg20
Then nodded.
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuxPBhqAYCk
The door opened.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkp3uKK9HI2
Jason jerked his head up.
Nana was standing there,94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUFLcf5sq4q
smiling at him.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB9YwkqbTbi
Her eyes said:94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBd1yrJfq0a
You can come in now.
He dashed forward.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡupXZco4l32
Didn’t care who was watching.
He threw his arms around her,94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhV8c07RLcX
tight.
“Are you okay?”94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUzO8molTEZ
he signed, fast and desperate.
Nana nodded,94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZIpRRwxEFm
hugged him back.
When Jason was told her throat was medically fine—94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtDOMNrZ6IG
no physical issues whatsoever—94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLHig7hLD6e
he froze.
Then immediately exploded94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5MiOHvsDh0
into a flurry of hand gestures—94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ15rrcuuTV7
not standard signing,94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJgvgbxQLL8
but the encrypted shorthand the two of them had created—94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2APCIWNkvt
a mess of symbols, flicks, and half-movements94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrcAlnWAj3G
that only Nana understood.
Nana was startled.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyBmVIaJ4R6
She took two steps back,94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwZY8zvt0nB
then signed,94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgSyAleAd0W
“I didn’t mean to hide it… I just…”
She brought her hands together in a soft please,94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNhjsHL5mkq
like asking for forgiveness—94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡybu2k37YMw
a familiar gesture that made Jason’s face darken with frustration.
He shook his head,94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdOlgGmVvVG
signed something too fast for anyone else to follow,94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWPbbcAgDXQ
then crossed his arms.
Dick watched them quietly94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2AhrUEmczn
and couldn’t help translating in his mind:
“You’re in big trouble. I’m gonna deal with you later.”
But despite the message,94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMBkzjUHoF3
Jason hadn’t moved away.
In fact,94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnXvj9shL24
he stood closer now,94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSBTxgY7ZRC
as if ready to catch her the second she swayed.
Dick watched the air between them shift,94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwcNBUriXAN
and a slow smile curved his lips.
“What a beautiful bond.”94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzlBjALzfYa
he thought.
“Two wonderful kids.”
It wasn’t just a comment.94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMwGcmJFGe3
It was a feeling.
A quiet certainty.
These two—94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFQfRFo6ZVG
they were going far.
94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfpMKc8Y2tT
and then Add to home screen.