Claire didn’t want to open the window.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHMRiuZ0DNX
Because outside—324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOeYsrShI6S
was Batman.
Batman.
The guy who made street dealers piss themselves on sight.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQdRwQ4yR1R
The guy crime lords called their lawyers over.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp3su1eR2Gi
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.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6LA8kOFIT8
His cape poured across the floor like spilled ink.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7VY08irQ1J
The air grew heavier just by him being there.
And he didn’t come alone.
Of course not.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR4OxFwLIGm
Behind him—324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYvODvifGpO
Nightwing.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8dooTIa7F4
And the little gremlin, Robin.
You two bastards.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ZS5tbIKCI
Claire’s eyes went wide. Her mind screamed:324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp1AedLSY2f
You told on me?! You snitched to the Final Boss?!
But then she looked again.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnZcZXaIHbl
Their faces were... weird.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv6IV8LRDLU
No smugness. No jokes.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Vg1bbNIqt
Robin looked sheepish. Guilty, even.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKPjK6Rjgy8
Nightwing was avoiding her gaze altogether.
Batman’s stare was sharp enough to slice through her spine.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCtKBrIEdOs
When he finally spoke, the words hit like a church bell inside her skull.
“Claire. I need an explanation.”
Panic bloomed instantly.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiWoQIp3YrL
Gone was her usual snark.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkxfzha0tkP
All she could manage was a shaky:324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBT5bxw8Sup
“Explanation for... what?”
He didn’t move.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ch4Jl9O3K
Didn’t raise his voice.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPxvPklnDoz
But it was like gravity turned up a notch.
“Why did you know I was in the city.”
Her brain kicked into high gear.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdB8LyFq1J5
Search the files. Find a lie.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuY5TfhYQFU
Any lie.
Her mouth acted faster than her logic:
“I… I saw you. On the way back from church.”
Instant regret.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJPiWQdF1Wd
Instant exposure.
Batman responded like he already had that line printed on a card.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoa3Ki7Bfn9
“That’s a lie. I didn’t pass that area. I need the truth.”
Still no yelling. Still no threats.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVIhV78siEX
But somehow she couldn’t breathe.
Goddamn Nightwing. Goddamn brat.
She briefly considered:324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUMarR3BKk8
If I lie down right now and fall asleep—can I just reset?324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3j141PZU27
Will the loop save me?324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9SnWAmXH1D
Is that a thing?
Batman spoke again.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡenFluil3Vi
Same words.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL5ula8iKfZ
Same calm tone.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiTdNV1SByA
But this time, the weight behind them was unbearable.
“Miss. I need an explanation.”
Claire believed him.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCISiO7vMx6
He could wait until sunrise if he had to.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxraldKozDt
He'd ask until she broke.
She looked down.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZOWHABpVLD
Her fingers curled around the edge of the note she’d written earlier.
And a thought snapped through her mind:324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRTtIpXjKB8
It doesn’t matter. Tomorrow resets.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgQ9xfl1P3L
They won’t remember anyway.
Her lips parted, slow and unsteady—324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4IKg6sadIH
She was going to tell him.
The secret.
324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqRd9rcZOOt
Claire kept her head down.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo33B9XC8an
Her fingers dug into the seams of her jeans, knuckles white.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbuupl371Hx
She knew—324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYqPODWJqFL
the moment she said it out loud, nothing would be the same.
But she was done.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnmvYyMqCyo
So. Goddamn. Done.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlNUVjnhpv2
Every morning at five, waking to the same sky.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZXiptKzfRm
Same damn headlines on the radio.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5KIWrUxjRF
Same dough.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIPhxA5Wu0G
Same customers.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBouc7MXEeV
Same stolen future—again and again and again.
“I’m stuck,” she said.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGXw3oG9L4O
“I’m stuck in today.”
Her heart punched her ribs like it wanted out.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5az44GZwgK
She couldn’t bring herself to look at Batman.
He frowned.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDroWITyG4y
Those famously unreadable eyes locked onto her like lasers.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH7vrkb9DEh
“What does that mean?”324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdgvenesvgn
His voice was low. Steady. Too steady.
Claire took a breath—324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGFXHelkdnc
No turning back.
“Every morning I wake up, and it’s today. This exact today.”324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTvKCjAEleT
Her words rushed out, all in one breath.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF2ySKf2iuo
“Five a.m., same morning show, same customers, same bagels, same goddamn newspaper—”324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKBSRvNywt8
She jabbed a finger at Robin.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3UYjZtjYx7
“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—324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZnJsOkxQ2l
I’m the only one who remembers anything!”
The room went dead quiet.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjcC2ya3APo
Her confession hit the air like a grenade.
Claire’s pulse slammed in her ears, drowning everything else.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt8F6muKLTA
She wasn’t crying—324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUiI8FwwmCc
but the burn behind her eyes told a different story.
And Batman—324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEUFWCBZQrd
He looked at her.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbrFAeByCVZ
Really looked.
Not with suspicion.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaNCme12L4d
Not interrogation.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwi5IyJhqHs
Not intimidation.
But with that expression people only get when they’re trying to figure out if the world is insane…324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFAI7yZPGLC
or you are.
And then—he just stood there.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFOxKP4Hb83
Silent.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8lEbvg3J3Z
Thinking.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlB4PH65pBb
For a full minute. Maybe two.
Nightwing and Robin stared like they’d just seen a ghost fart rainbows.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXFz81CgIJZ
Robin’s face was twisted—skeptical, but rattled.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrOQwVjDd8v
Nightwing looked like he wanted to say something, but shock had his tongue hostage.
Claire braced herself.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpgARlvO2Wp
She expected Batman to dismiss her.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO7ZG4nbncN
Turn. Leave.
But then he said it:
“Claire,”324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUxA3PsHUyG
“I believe you. For now.”
What?
“You need help. So do I.”
Robin’s jaw actually dropped.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyLG1DB3DGq
Nightwing blinked like the laws of physics had just rewritten themselves.
Batman—needing help?324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK2ffRUehmh
And from her?
Just some woman who looked like she’d barely made it off a bakery shift.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd2qT30zZSG
A woman claiming the day was on an infinite loop.
Claire’s mind went white.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdv4xVHoTCw
She stared at the cowl like it was a portal to a dimension where none of this was supposed to happen.
324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTujY0NClQE
and then Add to home screen.