Claire didn’t want to open the window.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOI8ZSaKHC3
Because outside—64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡplbmnH4kES
was Batman.
Batman.
The guy who made street dealers piss themselves on sight.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdKwUI6Frpy
The guy crime lords called their lawyers over.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIzlI40avbS
The walking trauma of every Gotham kid’s childhood.
And now, that shadow was standing on her balcony.
Claire swallowed hard. Her hand trembled slightly, but she still reached for the latch and pulled the window open.
Batman stepped inside like he brought the night with him.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyLMJN5jQIr
His cape poured across the floor like spilled ink.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlHcHoOP6gH
The air grew heavier just by him being there.
And he didn’t come alone.
Of course not.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlhVP4W4emK
Behind him—64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEL06sGexa3
Nightwing.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvqyice51mf
And the little gremlin, Robin.
You two bastards.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡscLEceRDcP
Claire’s eyes went wide. Her mind screamed:64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXDCAfea6uy
You told on me?! You snitched to the Final Boss?!
But then she looked again.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdrZrxjutTL
Their faces were... weird.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKZT6iLlzkV
No smugness. No jokes.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpqtUjj62Nm
Robin looked sheepish. Guilty, even.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTmP5BHg2ir
Nightwing was avoiding her gaze altogether.
Batman’s stare was sharp enough to slice through her spine.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCYCtOmoRXE
When he finally spoke, the words hit like a church bell inside her skull.
“Claire. I need an explanation.”
Panic bloomed instantly.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoLOkYCI0l4
Gone was her usual snark.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJEmoMUF70C
All she could manage was a shaky:64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTZIcA5fKFi
“Explanation for... what?”
He didn’t move.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL5DeVTFbdF
Didn’t raise his voice.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb0JGsu6OVH
But it was like gravity turned up a notch.
“Why did you know I was in the city.”
Her brain kicked into high gear.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXwQEqoxAOU
Search the files. Find a lie.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaWUFJdbJ8l
Any lie.
Her mouth acted faster than her logic:
“I… I saw you. On the way back from church.”
Instant regret.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6PLDXPdXbj
Instant exposure.
Batman responded like he already had that line printed on a card.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh5pefcORoh
“That’s a lie. I didn’t pass that area. I need the truth.”
Still no yelling. Still no threats.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ67k5s36VxJ
But somehow she couldn’t breathe.
Goddamn Nightwing. Goddamn brat.
She briefly considered:64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKqn9vlCM8U
If I lie down right now and fall asleep—can I just reset?64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZphbMCbS1X
Will the loop save me?64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡofgeBKs1Nj
Is that a thing?
Batman spoke again.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR2iUVfxs0N
Same words.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKSksyYfz6e
Same calm tone.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡemFPujJ1qc
But this time, the weight behind them was unbearable.
“Miss. I need an explanation.”
Claire believed him.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡijuZAmhYJt
He could wait until sunrise if he had to.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLxVt11Xy0t
He'd ask until she broke.
She looked down.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWbFO54YX2X
Her fingers curled around the edge of the note she’d written earlier.
And a thought snapped through her mind:64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTfAtflDek9
It doesn’t matter. Tomorrow resets.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhUCC6nW4wK
They won’t remember anyway.
Her lips parted, slow and unsteady—64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ03RgnAGnaO
She was going to tell him.
The secret.
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrXjzQd4gQB
Claire kept her head down.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEAr0niBu4e
Her fingers dug into the seams of her jeans, knuckles white.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLArkzrQJ2R
She knew—64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkEzYSTbLvA
the moment she said it out loud, nothing would be the same.
But she was done.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGPaCvoCr1n
So. Goddamn. Done.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPz5RAM7lm4
Every morning at five, waking to the same sky.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡshHJ1q0Euo
Same damn headlines on the radio.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzoTEU0YERK
Same dough.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkUdfQccWHA
Same customers.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDk2ZCVbi0x
Same stolen future—again and again and again.
“I’m stuck,” she said.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrhDlUgYkvl
“I’m stuck in today.”
Her heart punched her ribs like it wanted out.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0zYGHi1wC1
She couldn’t bring herself to look at Batman.
He frowned.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGVotcNgT3r
Those famously unreadable eyes locked onto her like lasers.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0yypExLBSz
“What does that mean?”64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsbF113AhyQ
His voice was low. Steady. Too steady.
Claire took a breath—64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4IdHwqE2LF
No turning back.
“Every morning I wake up, and it’s today. This exact today.”64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJAJSBmP9BZ
Her words rushed out, all in one breath.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡegrHLxTEEM
“Five a.m., same morning show, same customers, same bagels, same goddamn newspaper—”64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF9Oa4OT0Nm
She jabbed a finger at Robin.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwP8Cex0CQ2
“And him. He ate my sushi. Yesterday. Which is still today. They went to meet you right after.”
Her voice was rising, cracking.
“I’m the only one who remembers this day—fuck—64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiiF32vHond
I’m the only one who remembers anything!”
The room went dead quiet.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAbSxBwrKU0
Her confession hit the air like a grenade.
Claire’s pulse slammed in her ears, drowning everything else.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvnyV5Zb47g
She wasn’t crying—64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKuSPlcNyKg
but the burn behind her eyes told a different story.
And Batman—64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrZqMJCzYTB
He looked at her.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLQWB7Yd5zA
Really looked.
Not with suspicion.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZU1iPyae4L
Not interrogation.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPJg9Lek1x8
Not intimidation.
But with that expression people only get when they’re trying to figure out if the world is insane…64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO1AkcpIUg2
or you are.
And then—he just stood there.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLZtrCjSMkJ
Silent.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhFtlg1p5OA
Thinking.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK5qMMFgHax
For a full minute. Maybe two.
Nightwing and Robin stared like they’d just seen a ghost fart rainbows.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSMcOgkl2zd
Robin’s face was twisted—skeptical, but rattled.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGKls0bkMLp
Nightwing looked like he wanted to say something, but shock had his tongue hostage.
Claire braced herself.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2EDcwCwKqo
She expected Batman to dismiss her.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ491mFNtgsB
Turn. Leave.
But then he said it:
“Claire,”64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdg0Y7Uc8xN
“I believe you. For now.”
What?
“You need help. So do I.”
Robin’s jaw actually dropped.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUlL5GgZb4j
Nightwing blinked like the laws of physics had just rewritten themselves.
Batman—needing help?64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqMdolZU1Vr
And from her?
Just some woman who looked like she’d barely made it off a bakery shift.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ5zKkG29dJ
A woman claiming the day was on an infinite loop.
Claire’s mind went white.64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡik9ZRtAX9u
She stared at the cowl like it was a portal to a dimension where none of this was supposed to happen.
64Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv53uE2EFq0
