Jason Turned Sixteen Today.
It was his birthday.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs9WF6MEakW
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.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7NR0DOTRPS
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.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA823Woo0Y8
Jason sat there eating cake, pretending he didn’t care.
But Nana knew better.
He was happy—
he just refused to show it.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLBDFY2rFjn
But in Batman’s world,
no birthday was ever truly complete.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrPQxQHWwFS
Before the cake had fully settled,
Jason received a signal.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDxihOu3QNL
He had to put on his mask, suit up,
and disappear into Gotham’s night with Bruce.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfH1zv3hDRp
Nana waved as they vanished into the dark.
Tonight, Gotham was unusually quiet.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdt8kzIW4X1
Just a few pickpockets.
Minor harassment.
No explosions.
No Arkham breakouts.
Not even Mad Hatter whispering riddles on rooftops.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ3X58U8S9D
Nana stood on the balcony, bathed in moonlight.
Her eyes narrowed, sleepiness beginning to pull her under.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfPICL7E4uR
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.”31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXuKat7QgMW
Nana nodded and turned obediently.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlAllq7YUW5
On her way back to her room, she whispered in her heart:31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Y6GBt53Ix
“Happy birthday, Jason Todd.”
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpGRjWL2x85
And then she drifted into sleep.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeaEJk2A78g
Nana was in a place she had never seen before—31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN8JUW6OY7F
a publishing office.
Stacks of illustration drafts surrounded her.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIPQW5XjtHc
The walls were plastered with black-and-white photos, cover mockups, title spreads.
Phones rang nonstop.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUzWBdUbfaP
Every time a phone rang, someone up front would add or erase a line on a big blackboard filled with numbers.
Nana blinked.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDzfvldinAA
She stared at the unfamiliar chaos, caught between awe and confusion.
She had never set foot in a magazine office.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy6ABPKyuEZ
Why was she dreaming about this?
She looked up at the chalkboard.
5343 to 5271.
She frowned.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ27jiJNGRpR
Tilted her head.
No clue.
Votes?31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk9vl2rumWI
Scores?31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSpapVksn48
Rankings?31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWpHJjaKNvp
She couldn’t make sense of it.
Then—31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU4QS6nIRb5
a man stood up.
She couldn’t see his face.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0IjSw67mDK
He wore a crisp suit.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAxxyItU437
His figure was blurred, but his voice—31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDIWRCXmkVu
it was sharp.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM6ElVfQMcm
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,31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡECgW05ewk6
her heart plummeted—31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2JMax4hIhb
like the dream’s floor had been ripped out beneath her feet.
She tried to think—31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsrPyW96Gpo
but her mind was trapped, like cotton soaked in iron.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiFTYagTPQp
Heavy.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡypmlnKfAQx
Slow.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0R1iy73s5F
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.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMFaVegrJzk
Clap.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡseS5xBEJr3
Clap.
Even.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcbSkL2u8db
Mechanical.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOfBjVi2mVh
Like a cold applause for a completed plan.
Each clap slammed into her ears.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsQ6nlgr1ug
Her eardrums throbbed.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuwnzwLqhL2
Stung.
She pressed both hands to her ears, trying to shut it out.
It didn’t help.
And then came another sound—31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOHz44Ye8Sq
fractured.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDj1SZxhUSn
Low.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWg3bL8kufC
Rusty like metal scraping metal.
Kill… kill… kill…
A whisper.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf53ElpvO3j
A chant.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡggBmeiARna
A thousand invisible voices breathing it into her skull.
Nana clenched her eyes shut.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡChBIzdUkRC
Her fingertips pressed so hard against her temples, her knuckles whitened.
She began to shake her head—31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9pUHwzuuU2
trying to wake up.
But the dream wouldn’t let go.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU3CEdsZTYg
It clung to her, alive like a swamp.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLwljAd9g4s
The more she struggled, the deeper it held her.
Her heart thundered in her chest.
She couldn’t scream.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsXU59zqCey
But her throat trembled,31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3GxmnYCtVj
her mouth moved.
She wanted to shout.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsnft76LfQ6
To break free.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqhVAiX6K5P
To run.
“Jason…”
She couldn’t let this dream’s verdict come true.
She wouldn’t.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTsfGwuC67Y
She refused.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡceE4ndAzhk
and then Add to home screen.