Claire didn’t want to open the window.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtaQm0rIB0t
Because outside—62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVKubRPsrCN
was Batman.
Batman.
The guy who made street dealers piss themselves on sight.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVMFU4rdqgb
The guy crime lords called their lawyers over.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDbA5936Oks
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.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1VMLS1BqlG
His cape poured across the floor like spilled ink.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCJQTnfJMG3
The air grew heavier just by him being there.
And he didn’t come alone.
Of course not.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Zxg5pDvNg
Behind him—62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbNGYmlwDLX
Nightwing.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1krFvEIHpk
And the little gremlin, Robin.
You two bastards.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6vDrj39LTO
Claire’s eyes went wide. Her mind screamed:62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡATncsFIxvf
You told on me?! You snitched to the Final Boss?!
But then she looked again.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhKLfOiDH6T
Their faces were... weird.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFzLIPpdyul
No smugness. No jokes.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkVdlgelH8e
Robin looked sheepish. Guilty, even.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhQQ37ae4Vb
Nightwing was avoiding her gaze altogether.
Batman’s stare was sharp enough to slice through her spine.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2lBkcTvXuP
When he finally spoke, the words hit like a church bell inside her skull.
“Claire. I need an explanation.”
Panic bloomed instantly.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtkX5tYa8CS
Gone was her usual snark.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlepvLS6jvt
All she could manage was a shaky:62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmGSjbghOif
“Explanation for... what?”
He didn’t move.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡETK2iCKI82
Didn’t raise his voice.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwxwJuPF1iZ
But it was like gravity turned up a notch.
“Why did you know I was in the city.”
Her brain kicked into high gear.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVhMGgyPT5v
Search the files. Find a lie.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiLQWotDm6L
Any lie.
Her mouth acted faster than her logic:
“I… I saw you. On the way back from church.”
Instant regret.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8OuthMPynI
Instant exposure.
Batman responded like he already had that line printed on a card.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9QnwoRZfNX
“That’s a lie. I didn’t pass that area. I need the truth.”
Still no yelling. Still no threats.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo3t4GRmtUg
But somehow she couldn’t breathe.
Goddamn Nightwing. Goddamn brat.
She briefly considered:62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXGfFoOEaR4
If I lie down right now and fall asleep—can I just reset?62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCXKydKbxxB
Will the loop save me?62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX8X2jC0trt
Is that a thing?
Batman spoke again.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ml3l6vpnG
Same words.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPYxOmNpBaZ
Same calm tone.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8iZOcDtimV
But this time, the weight behind them was unbearable.
“Miss. I need an explanation.”
Claire believed him.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8cnVFkjAw4
He could wait until sunrise if he had to.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQeMV8rV92t
He'd ask until she broke.
She looked down.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvuneJFhfWj
Her fingers curled around the edge of the note she’d written earlier.
And a thought snapped through her mind:62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLMFLx99puC
It doesn’t matter. Tomorrow resets.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdDqMtPPcaC
They won’t remember anyway.
Her lips parted, slow and unsteady—62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDodt7wMZ5R
She was going to tell him.
The secret.
62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv4hvekw0gS
Claire kept her head down.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWkRqFuxkpC
Her fingers dug into the seams of her jeans, knuckles white.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMpbKLX6wnW
She knew—62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyqoywmMDnp
the moment she said it out loud, nothing would be the same.
But she was done.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkbKyvgsUO8
So. Goddamn. Done.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHOyGcP05j1
Every morning at five, waking to the same sky.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwyBUtF6zO8
Same damn headlines on the radio.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡipQONyRA6D
Same dough.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaZDR5XR9lz
Same customers.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWaa80kCKqi
Same stolen future—again and again and again.
“I’m stuck,” she said.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr0mCDseom3
“I’m stuck in today.”
Her heart punched her ribs like it wanted out.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxHHzzYbQFQ
She couldn’t bring herself to look at Batman.
He frowned.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡem7YOxdAbZ
Those famously unreadable eyes locked onto her like lasers.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdIithWbdE8
“What does that mean?”62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAhJpvwitbT
His voice was low. Steady. Too steady.
Claire took a breath—62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZaLsIdAHWT
No turning back.
“Every morning I wake up, and it’s today. This exact today.”62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkeaYuXS7pu
Her words rushed out, all in one breath.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ankd4RMCu
“Five a.m., same morning show, same customers, same bagels, same goddamn newspaper—”62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn5yoRSHjuc
She jabbed a finger at Robin.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡczT5Q5R3nZ
“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—62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR2MO4q2IX9
I’m the only one who remembers anything!”
The room went dead quiet.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqFdabAXQgk
Her confession hit the air like a grenade.
Claire’s pulse slammed in her ears, drowning everything else.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpw4PWB75vc
She wasn’t crying—62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl8RYSAix4X
but the burn behind her eyes told a different story.
And Batman—62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIBvkFWYx6w
He looked at her.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPEbOYKmz69
Really looked.
Not with suspicion.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡepPHxQu6ln
Not interrogation.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqgeTR9ivOg
Not intimidation.
But with that expression people only get when they’re trying to figure out if the world is insane…62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJEUkpDR75P
or you are.
And then—he just stood there.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtSZtdsZLHs
Silent.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡetzwUXELpY
Thinking.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIOOJquPizG
For a full minute. Maybe two.
Nightwing and Robin stared like they’d just seen a ghost fart rainbows.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeU1bSJmMw5
Robin’s face was twisted—skeptical, but rattled.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ17qaIfwgl8
Nightwing looked like he wanted to say something, but shock had his tongue hostage.
Claire braced herself.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFLPYmjpbAk
She expected Batman to dismiss her.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvPXc0iZFTf
Turn. Leave.
But then he said it:
“Claire,”62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsUTsbz2eaV
“I believe you. For now.”
What?
“You need help. So do I.”
Robin’s jaw actually dropped.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI1Ti7TGUOR
Nightwing blinked like the laws of physics had just rewritten themselves.
Batman—needing help?62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpYBpx1UJaD
And from her?
Just some woman who looked like she’d barely made it off a bakery shift.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4FSjLkKGnt
A woman claiming the day was on an infinite loop.
Claire’s mind went white.62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ33poKL3ioK
She stared at the cowl like it was a portal to a dimension where none of this was supposed to happen.
62Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyYnRJt7zTZ
