Two Months Later, at Night
The girl sat at the edge of the bed.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6pPVahpN23
Only a small lamp was on in the room, casting a soft, warm light.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxCY4j4dF37
She held the boy’s hand, gently applying ointment to his sore muscles,31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPRhpI6SFTC
careful to avoid the bandage wrapped around his palm.
Jason didn’t speak.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvlXdIes1mo
He lowered his head, letting her tend to him.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVDqSuXgGfN
But his eyes kept sneaking glances at her face.
That face, usually framed with a quiet smile,31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡehalPA3xWd
was now furrowed with worry—31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2In9GdQI2d
as if she were hurting in his place.
He was the one who had gone to Batman.
When Bruce began arranging ability tests for Nana,31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjMKm2Z70ey
Jason knocked on the heavy, solemn door of the Batcave—31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1SFYD03qRk
for the first time, on his own.
He stood before Bruce and said,31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9mF9RLgykC
voice steady and sincere:31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjy7CTJ3sN5
“I want to train. I want to be stronger. I want to… protect her.”
Batman didn’t respond right away.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4HXpT2pEJF
He just stared at the boy in silence for a long time.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxbNLeBqYwC
Then, finally—31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEWrpNK9K3Q
he nodded.
From that day forward,31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcp4WdNMpnV
Jason began his training.
Real training.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLIVQFykm0o
Not games.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡifjatPFCg3
Not gym class.
Batman’s standard—31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI9yN8RXEXq
harsher even than what he gave to Robin.
Jason collapsed into bed every night,31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGr9dxCajTi
waking up sore and bruised.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhVATymY2bX
His hands grew calloused,31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiuAJwWrE1W
his steps grew heavy.
But when he heard Nana’s voice at night,31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfc0PxRDT0G
softly calling his name,31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR7iHmiHxAO
while she gently rubbed ointment on his arms and said,31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡodVyL7Ilmf
“It doesn’t hurt anymore.”
He smiled—31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk4cNpLokkl
the kind that bloomed from deep inside the chest.
For pain like this,31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbiN5dmEwcf
it was worth it.
Inside the Batcave
Dick flipped through the pages of Nana’s test results.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDfpYw7zP9v
Each page deepened the crease between his brows.
He murmured under his breath:31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQZC9sVcWQH
“This kid’s power… it’s no joke.”
So far, Batman had categorized her abilities into two main types:31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSd8TgtdOA5
Command and Healing.
And “Command” branched further—31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbQqKsBFpy0
into Action and Object subtypes.
Even in the earliest tests,31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmjwTP53cpp
those two alone had stunned the whole team.
The first time she was tested,31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2kefT4HkJE
Nana spoke in a voice barely louder than a whisper:31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9cKWw0E4q0
“Stand up.”
The next second—31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxnaOwrYGeh
everyone in the room—31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyDJw0A6Kdq
Dick, Alfred, Jason, even Batman himself—31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdltYOjDbm3
stood up.
Not out of comprehension,31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvEat30dPwT
but reaction.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkcU8oYH2cE
As if the words bypassed their brains and went straight to the nerves.
The second test was even more shocking.
Nana stared at the emblem on Batman’s chest and said:31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPGOoP85SQa
“Give me the Bat symbol.”
Batman didn’t move.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhjZs6IdSZH
But the emblem on his suit vanished—31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgzviEbnYaM
and with a soft clink, fell to the floor at Nana’s feet.
The room fell dead silent.
Batman immediately began further testing—31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnyobyWysSs
on range, volume, and correlation with her throat pain index.
Then it happened—31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq2PlqzIH8e
the one test Dick personally stopped.
That day, Bruce calmly instructed:31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5PfH2TTIBJ
“Say something that would make the mouse’s eyes appear in front of you.”
Nana froze.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5dq5san5N7
Her whole body trembled.
She slowly turned toward the white lab mouse on the table.
Her lips trembled.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK9ZeAvwiPx
Her voice was a breeze through dry leaves:31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgcw7QEqMEy
“…Eyes… come…”
In the next instant—31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhiSFGHwkOM
two small, blood-threaded eyeballs dropped to the floor.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnFutX1Lym4
The mouse twitched twice, then lay still.
Nana clutched her throat,31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCJdJQkkPf0
eyes shut tight, tears streaming down.
Dick rushed forward, grabbing her by the shoulders:31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8awwyPsGrV
“Nana, that’s enough. Stop. Don’t say another word.”
Then he turned toward the eyes on the ground,31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpFKEIr2zM4
his gaze sharp as ice.
He clenched his fists.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcj0xDJF5Ye
A dark weight churned in his chest.
This wasn’t just a girl with a strange ability.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPbl6ZD1M8t
This…31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIhRC8D7ama
this could unbalance the entire city.
There was also healing.
That same voice—31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjuBo1j4sfN
which could command, demand, and destroy—31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzoFEj4P5WZ
also possessed the power to restore.
It became the only reassuring factor31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZd09x4D2Cq
amid her terrifying potential.
One year later,31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUEKLA0tFIT
Wayne Manor had quietly changed in many ways.
Bruce, with his meticulous—31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2EV8TkqUJW
some would say obsessive—testing,31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1RbK5Mcxsd
had established a vital rule:
“No command sentences.”
Batman instructed Nana firmly:31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK46w5OXYW4
stick to objective statements and questions.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8y4XA7OZOJ
Commands—even as simple as “sit down” or “pick up the gun”—31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ljH2xcYJF
could lead to irreversible consequences.
Nana accepted this.
She began learning how to speak.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkq8qWftnzL
Slowly.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB27IprNrAk
Her voice was hoarse—31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLxCrVs0yzV
but it was hers.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtmRype3b2z
Chosen by her own will.
And in all her spoken words,31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfg3YWHJLEL
the one name she said most often31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFQkBY9lydZ
remained the same:
“Jason.”
One night,31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnaPypfGTQ5
Alfred woke her from a deep sleep.
Before she could fully react,31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGAXiOJoodV
she saw the old butler’s anxious face.
“Master Bruce is injured. It’s… it’s very serious. I know he may not approve of this, but—”
He didn’t finish the sentence.
Nana was already on her feet,31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfj0cCMML1x
following him down to the Batcave.
That night,31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbUGCQL1nfn
she sat beside Bruce’s bed,31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ORNlcgHmX
his arm covered in blood.
Her hands trembled as they gripped his arm.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6GtAGuOaYg
She closed her eyes—31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnDqBXebPA3
and with a voice barely louder than the grave,31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLaHwiKksrQ
she whispered again and again,31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFwrD31PJU9
like casting a spell:
“Heal… quickly… please… recover…”
From a distance,31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFiUiLMNupX
Jason stood watching her.
And in his heart,31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcGXO1r891g
something shifted.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRGVdSKdAUw
and then Add to home screen.