Claire didn’t want to open the window.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSi77TI1hhq
Because outside—53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSFo3fZZ2Q6
was Batman.
Batman.
The guy who made street dealers piss themselves on sight.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQq1LDtwKGm
The guy crime lords called their lawyers over.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9bpFOZAcF0
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.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4HP5Tl3SGV
His cape poured across the floor like spilled ink.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO4cGCVDs8k
The air grew heavier just by him being there.
And he didn’t come alone.
Of course not.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzhCTiaLhpG
Behind him—53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3AlYgh2Ow2
Nightwing.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ61NcFduNQz
And the little gremlin, Robin.
You two bastards.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4IJ0qTtSgx
Claire’s eyes went wide. Her mind screamed:53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFRnwuCzkw4
You told on me?! You snitched to the Final Boss?!
But then she looked again.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyzXS7bnE4q
Their faces were... weird.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCWfowTVRis
No smugness. No jokes.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA1v3PtyiAy
Robin looked sheepish. Guilty, even.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡun8f1hRF7y
Nightwing was avoiding her gaze altogether.
Batman’s stare was sharp enough to slice through her spine.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh5Gbn9UEvj
When he finally spoke, the words hit like a church bell inside her skull.
“Claire. I need an explanation.”
Panic bloomed instantly.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5fD8NIeUfr
Gone was her usual snark.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5tgahXV6KM
All she could manage was a shaky:53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrVJs5fdcQC
“Explanation for... what?”
He didn’t move.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYsEFlaPqNf
Didn’t raise his voice.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNuq0xI8Vxd
But it was like gravity turned up a notch.
“Why did you know I was in the city.”
Her brain kicked into high gear.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvCdmiZjHXC
Search the files. Find a lie.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiXrCIYXWkJ
Any lie.
Her mouth acted faster than her logic:
“I… I saw you. On the way back from church.”
Instant regret.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9m4U4HnIOf
Instant exposure.
Batman responded like he already had that line printed on a card.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8P9wMFqH4b
“That’s a lie. I didn’t pass that area. I need the truth.”
Still no yelling. Still no threats.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW1RENgygFi
But somehow she couldn’t breathe.
Goddamn Nightwing. Goddamn brat.
She briefly considered:53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkQyFleWGxk
If I lie down right now and fall asleep—can I just reset?53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡicjK59OgNQ
Will the loop save me?53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFLMyS1AAnO
Is that a thing?
Batman spoke again.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhGDoKrbQ3f
Same words.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4amHJSJ6xq
Same calm tone.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3XVlf48RcQ
But this time, the weight behind them was unbearable.
“Miss. I need an explanation.”
Claire believed him.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTBtfmYxuE0
He could wait until sunrise if he had to.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAzyh4Tr0E0
He'd ask until she broke.
She looked down.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4fZm2B33fb
Her fingers curled around the edge of the note she’d written earlier.
And a thought snapped through her mind:53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9npbHdb4JZ
It doesn’t matter. Tomorrow resets.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKG7v5gf6UH
They won’t remember anyway.
Her lips parted, slow and unsteady—53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGg5zWqTq1V
She was going to tell him.
The secret.
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGvBAz3iuS0
Claire kept her head down.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjKJ792yuSn
Her fingers dug into the seams of her jeans, knuckles white.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS90hENjCPl
She knew—53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv1A0NOpX0m
the moment she said it out loud, nothing would be the same.
But she was done.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQy4CiPi9ut
So. Goddamn. Done.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOeJjLSupfl
Every morning at five, waking to the same sky.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZUx5sNB5jA
Same damn headlines on the radio.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe5lgagNwMA
Same dough.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP33cm946Pp
Same customers.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxr0cAgfB1M
Same stolen future—again and again and again.
“I’m stuck,” she said.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJmsp7ZSYQX
“I’m stuck in today.”
Her heart punched her ribs like it wanted out.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0kmPJbw59b
She couldn’t bring herself to look at Batman.
He frowned.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmG7dZCMlVR
Those famously unreadable eyes locked onto her like lasers.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡne0pBaFMi0
“What does that mean?”53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBIj6x5JtZs
His voice was low. Steady. Too steady.
Claire took a breath—53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcaHLu3moXe
No turning back.
“Every morning I wake up, and it’s today. This exact today.”53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmPgUVojmtR
Her words rushed out, all in one breath.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcnvsB6kiSS
“Five a.m., same morning show, same customers, same bagels, same goddamn newspaper—”53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxAyuoOEOL0
She jabbed a finger at Robin.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9fXYr7xnyj
“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—53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4lQb7pnJIA
I’m the only one who remembers anything!”
The room went dead quiet.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIJ7hyza6xj
Her confession hit the air like a grenade.
Claire’s pulse slammed in her ears, drowning everything else.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgUD381FsJh
She wasn’t crying—53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK6QTVq5Dl0
but the burn behind her eyes told a different story.
And Batman—53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXe5UFHFDZ6
He looked at her.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUgyqOAPlqc
Really looked.
Not with suspicion.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ8w7TGpUPg
Not interrogation.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe0g3rCczNo
Not intimidation.
But with that expression people only get when they’re trying to figure out if the world is insane…53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCv6cgEvLyi
or you are.
And then—he just stood there.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhr6dfrAAtJ
Silent.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9oJMib1qzT
Thinking.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUy9dYgMMfg
For a full minute. Maybe two.
Nightwing and Robin stared like they’d just seen a ghost fart rainbows.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡavflJDBFM6
Robin’s face was twisted—skeptical, but rattled.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfnziBuykGh
Nightwing looked like he wanted to say something, but shock had his tongue hostage.
Claire braced herself.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxc15Pvh3rN
She expected Batman to dismiss her.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMBhXubmlvf
Turn. Leave.
But then he said it:
“Claire,”53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtroXAYB3Qh
“I believe you. For now.”
What?
“You need help. So do I.”
Robin’s jaw actually dropped.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKpcSF6eJLl
Nightwing blinked like the laws of physics had just rewritten themselves.
Batman—needing help?53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjhccW3Eprj
And from her?
Just some woman who looked like she’d barely made it off a bakery shift.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbQllKzyl3c
A woman claiming the day was on an infinite loop.
Claire’s mind went white.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhfc2GUiusM
She stared at the cowl like it was a portal to a dimension where none of this was supposed to happen.
53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhhNnQBFZMG
