Claire didn’t want to open the window.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgHmCKh9hyu
Because outside—54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGnRadVsBPy
was Batman.
Batman.
The guy who made street dealers piss themselves on sight.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYd9BbQgvCx
The guy crime lords called their lawyers over.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvAyWaUfiu6
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.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSeEiN7bl7x
His cape poured across the floor like spilled ink.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpnl1sHqdTz
The air grew heavier just by him being there.
And he didn’t come alone.
Of course not.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeBvQ86KVat
Behind him—54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBip6KJRaAY
Nightwing.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbGTS9oknFR
And the little gremlin, Robin.
You two bastards.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWL4LHlgM6K
Claire’s eyes went wide. Her mind screamed:54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡefNgGGhA6I
You told on me?! You snitched to the Final Boss?!
But then she looked again.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP9aZFT4F97
Their faces were... weird.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOT9OpBvhbr
No smugness. No jokes.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0tIIPpJffh
Robin looked sheepish. Guilty, even.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuiszKADO5Z
Nightwing was avoiding her gaze altogether.
Batman’s stare was sharp enough to slice through her spine.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgsaJmelWrW
When he finally spoke, the words hit like a church bell inside her skull.
“Claire. I need an explanation.”
Panic bloomed instantly.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsdjBl6Zdie
Gone was her usual snark.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrWtV07EPoE
All she could manage was a shaky:54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTcPY0ljsRL
“Explanation for... what?”
He didn’t move.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡusUCdllNjL
Didn’t raise his voice.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3sfzOxr7c1
But it was like gravity turned up a notch.
“Why did you know I was in the city.”
Her brain kicked into high gear.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5bsO6GvfET
Search the files. Find a lie.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3vZLkgn8IL
Any lie.
Her mouth acted faster than her logic:
“I… I saw you. On the way back from church.”
Instant regret.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvCbcImAK5y
Instant exposure.
Batman responded like he already had that line printed on a card.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5vG94sgu1H
“That’s a lie. I didn’t pass that area. I need the truth.”
Still no yelling. Still no threats.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGZysxCSUxR
But somehow she couldn’t breathe.
Goddamn Nightwing. Goddamn brat.
She briefly considered:54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmCTaujYrTL
If I lie down right now and fall asleep—can I just reset?54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQCfwmJM62s
Will the loop save me?54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqf4Rp5rYkl
Is that a thing?
Batman spoke again.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡClZm6yT3Ap
Same words.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeFDjhfba6W
Same calm tone.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhROMbZoUaI
But this time, the weight behind them was unbearable.
“Miss. I need an explanation.”
Claire believed him.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡufchAlAf9j
He could wait until sunrise if he had to.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡji6SsdH4IF
He'd ask until she broke.
She looked down.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡel9goE7Xc9
Her fingers curled around the edge of the note she’d written earlier.
And a thought snapped through her mind:54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpfD2GIRKbv
It doesn’t matter. Tomorrow resets.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxs0bPSRfSk
They won’t remember anyway.
Her lips parted, slow and unsteady—54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWMZQbyYooo
She was going to tell him.
The secret.
54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBJZXKbkop8
Claire kept her head down.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWsVI8ewMmP
Her fingers dug into the seams of her jeans, knuckles white.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡln6jA8uizR
She knew—54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHAKW4TXqDG
the moment she said it out loud, nothing would be the same.
But she was done.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6tGpds34OH
So. Goddamn. Done.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhd0oUpHX79
Every morning at five, waking to the same sky.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0b6TB6jdgc
Same damn headlines on the radio.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnJHhUFwRea
Same dough.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTlk5Nl9XgB
Same customers.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD9f9tRJI8Q
Same stolen future—again and again and again.
“I’m stuck,” she said.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkMGr8rpbp9
“I’m stuck in today.”
Her heart punched her ribs like it wanted out.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9TTetOXQfX
She couldn’t bring herself to look at Batman.
He frowned.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG4PWJCWVXb
Those famously unreadable eyes locked onto her like lasers.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡor58DAhCI5
“What does that mean?”54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbltYCvnqy9
His voice was low. Steady. Too steady.
Claire took a breath—54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmmfEdulcrl
No turning back.
“Every morning I wake up, and it’s today. This exact today.”54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡemrjNwAY3J
Her words rushed out, all in one breath.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWL0PPn5HS3
“Five a.m., same morning show, same customers, same bagels, same goddamn newspaper—”54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnO8BgdXequ
She jabbed a finger at Robin.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvqQjRGaRkU
“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—54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6aHtVTBqpN
I’m the only one who remembers anything!”
The room went dead quiet.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiQFaU8s3uj
Her confession hit the air like a grenade.
Claire’s pulse slammed in her ears, drowning everything else.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwZDenPLkpV
She wasn’t crying—54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp92HE926Kh
but the burn behind her eyes told a different story.
And Batman—54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeyV3zkuO6M
He looked at her.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYo9W8VrTla
Really looked.
Not with suspicion.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqUMbQD1wwr
Not interrogation.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdLuewMzb07
Not intimidation.
But with that expression people only get when they’re trying to figure out if the world is insane…54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZhda1zSUoz
or you are.
And then—he just stood there.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo0MJSBdFI2
Silent.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDGt5mMIzQL
Thinking.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡljP1IuR75K
For a full minute. Maybe two.
Nightwing and Robin stared like they’d just seen a ghost fart rainbows.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8pwEMODl8X
Robin’s face was twisted—skeptical, but rattled.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP8Tnmi5OyI
Nightwing looked like he wanted to say something, but shock had his tongue hostage.
Claire braced herself.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGrLABWcfSs
She expected Batman to dismiss her.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGGSNvra31N
Turn. Leave.
But then he said it:
“Claire,”54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJPRkp2oPWy
“I believe you. For now.”
What?
“You need help. So do I.”
Robin’s jaw actually dropped.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwSY72qkc3s
Nightwing blinked like the laws of physics had just rewritten themselves.
Batman—needing help?54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYEvCEtiV9u
And from her?
Just some woman who looked like she’d barely made it off a bakery shift.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJCAHOOX3Jt
A woman claiming the day was on an infinite loop.
Claire’s mind went white.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTW7sX94FjO
She stared at the cowl like it was a portal to a dimension where none of this was supposed to happen.
54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6KvKNxCCXR
