A bullet sliced through the air, its echo ringing inside the shooting booth.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFVRe9hAj3J
The sound was muffled slightly inside Tim’s earmuffs, but he still heard the sharp crack as the bullet hit the target dead center. He glanced at the screen showing the impact point—nearly a bullseye.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp4LUL71xLp
Not luck.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZZg6qRAQUO
It was the result of steady, ruthless precision honed through hours of practice.
Nora showed no extra emotion. She simply pulled back the slide and naturally slipped into her second aim, like breathing.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ4orTLnpDP
Her shoulders were relaxed, but her wrists were steady as stone.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsn9RZ6AtKE
The next bullet hit the upper left part of the target—a joint, a disabling zone. A combat-style shot.
Tim suddenly realized he had no idea what kind of training this woman had received.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCRNa1VtG24
Where had she learned this?159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHoO8ZpHgs2
This wasn’t the kind of accuracy one gets from just “a few times at the range.”159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQmRwZdwJsF
This was the kind born from fear and experience—an instinct forged in survival.
Before firing the third shot, she briefly pulled back her gaze and glanced at Tim.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIIoMjKJZbZ
“Can I change the distance?” she asked softly.
He nodded and adjusted the panel.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOWDhIfIYYz
The target slid further back.
It was only then that he realized—159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeJr3qyKHJ8
he’d been holding his breath.
Not out of shock.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX8gIrDEdIY
Out of caution.
And he didn’t like it.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ424HbeCDf3
That sense of unease—he never even felt it around actual villains.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuUpjQrQzQs
But around this supposed “civilian”?
From the moment he’d laid eyes on her, his body had been on edge.
But she wasn’t a villain.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZXo8ofhO2a
Not a spy.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrmKBTAPcs1
Not an assassin.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPvCdjwlW91
She was… a kindergarten teacher.
Then—159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTx1DlzhjMN
Bang.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQRQ1J5Hu5D
The third bullet fired.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ44usNu7RLD
Another dead-on hit, so clean it made his skin crawl.
Tim took a step back and leaned on the table, pretending to check the gun case.
But what he was really thinking was:159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡViYAc6EEVO
Who the hell is she?
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIOhc2ghUhC
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Dop2ZqikZ
Afterward, they cleaned the guns together and packed them back into the case.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM4DgvyFRSH
Spent casings rolled lightly across the table, making soft clinks—like the aftershocks of a quiet war.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXvwjmTVbMj
Tim picked up a cloth and began wiping down the barrel, each movement precise and cold, the rhythm of someone raised under the Bat's training.
Nora sat across from him.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjDJY5viwMA
Her shoulders had dropped slightly.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPpjI7xywbW
She was still gazing at the rifle she’d just used—almost like she was savoring it.
Then Tim noticed—159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡurvQHvYx0f
her hands were trembling.
Not shaking violently—159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFKqEuHBdz2
but the subtle, accumulated tremble of recoil and exhaustion.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxcP8izSCD9
The kind that creeps in after a long time shooting.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8PNhvOZFhn
Like a soldier finally unarmored.
Well, to be fair—159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrhl6foxJvy
she had been shooting for nearly three hours.
He saw traces of gunpowder still clinging to her fingertips.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi2bdBnnid9
Her skin glowed faintly warm with residual heat.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwM8jBrLeL9
But she hadn’t complained once.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaVBqYv4oVx
Hadn’t asked for a break.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWebA9sjYO5
As if this kind of fatigue had long been a part of her rhythm.
Good.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyly1lbQkxH
At least she’s still human.
Tim let out a breath quietly, as if reminding himself of that helped balance his perspective.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmE6DHJ2kpA
He couldn’t let suspicion cloud his judgment.
He’d only stepped up for a few rounds himself.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcsw1L90F9f
The scores were decent.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVQUzMMu14Y
But none of his shots had hit fatal zones.
And he knew exactly why.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8avYyYlBjd
It wasn’t a matter of skill.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ0Nd7p2x9d
It was a matter of training.
Batman’s rules were clear:159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2tPi3zoEW0
Subdue, don’t kill.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFexFQJhUIY
Be precise, but never lethal.
It was a philosophy.
Nora, though—her aim was different.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsskXwwlOGE
She wasn’t trained by Batman.
She was faster.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuzm147kPe2
More instinctual.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOWcVfewom7
And she liked aiming for the head.
Tim had noticed.
Not intentionally, perhaps.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY7GfiSokmn
But something in her subconscious always chose the direct hit, the clean strike, the no-loose-ends shot.
That…159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSxuD6nUchN
couldn’t be known by the rest of the Bat-family.
Tim’s mouth twitched.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡokECqk0bwb
If Bruce ever found out, he’d be watched—159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEdjHK29KkJ
drowned beneath that silent, disappointed stare.
Not everyone escapes Bruce’s morality.
He looked over at Nora, who was calmly oiling her gun.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQHKHgAAvqS
Her wrist moved naturally, fluid around the body of the weapon, every action muscle memory.
After a moment, he spoke.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8wnWFIcDjw
“Your aim’s really good.”
Nora didn’t look up.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVyuwlZPt7r
“Thanks. I used to have a lot of chances to practice,” she said evenly.
Tim’s lips parted slightly.
A lot of chances to practice...159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzzfBzkzkpB
Not something an average civilian would say so casually.
His mind raced through possible backgrounds and scenarios,159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM3s6f3aq36
but Nora didn’t offer any more.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOe3PA27Jtw
She just kept wiping.
Then—159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEgfDVzqoj2
she paused.
Cloth still in hand,159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo7M9amI3vG
her gaze drifted somewhere distant—159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6H03FxLbGZ
to a time he couldn’t see.
“Actually, guns aren’t my strong suit,” she said quietly.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbWQtKSQeV2
“I only used them for a short time.”
Tim held his breath.
That sentence didn’t sound like small talk.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuhKz6VOErz
It sounded like a confession—159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIbhfSWmlFz
like a smuggled thought sneaking out of a sealed memory.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVuqcJqH31B
Each word soaked with invisible weight.
Then she added—
“I spent most of my time… with archery.”
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdg6AT9JhFF
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjajomyLdtX
“Archery?” Tim raised an eyebrow. “So… you like archery?”
Nora gave him a glance but didn’t answer right away.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGtFeoxn5sx
Her fingers were still checking the gun bag’s clasps.
“Not really about liking or disliking,” she said simply.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3AXhj7lYl7
Her tone was neutral, like talking about breakfast options—plain, forgettable.
“It was more like… life demanded it, so I learned.”
She paused, then smiled softly at him.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeHhjXGGmp0
A gentle curve of the lips—159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMLrQZ27vU3
like wind brushing past leaves.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXG0w0Tgtpt
No ripples.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRYyS6yF2oS
But it lingered.
Then she turned away and put the arrows back,159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYaWptSTdx1
her tone a bit lighter:159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKNnn8Ac8yP
“I used to think—159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmxKuHLK5XT
if I ever quit teaching kindergarten,159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbyUcu9Ccia
maybe I’d become an archery coach.”
Tim didn’t answer.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdeUa1qp1dG
Just watched her back.
So that was… her career backup plan?
Or… was it her real passion?
She’d never listed anything about archery on her resume.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuwdgC6K04w
No competitions, no licenses, no training certificates.
How much was she still hiding?
He lowered his gaze to the safety goggles on the table,159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLhkx2O869m
and a more frustrating thought struck him.
If she did quit being a kindergarten teacher…159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY5cCzJO98D
Finn would absolutely lose it.
That kid basically lived for Nora.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJKzS5f0Knk
Declared he’d marry her eight times a day.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgFnU5D2UyF
Made weekend cards for her.
Tim rubbed his temples.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmEQsoJogjW
He could already hear Finn’s future wailing echoing through Wayne Manor—159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyzyLA23DRv
and then the inevitable call from Europe.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWcFLMyFXTe
“Tim! What the hell happened?!”159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWB3WAZVJEh
Leila’s voice, sharp and panicked.
…No.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6RghAlEB23
That backup plan could not happen too soon.
Tim was still calculating the feasibility of buying the entire kindergarten.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYHfyc5LdEZ
Shifting funds wouldn’t be a problem.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuwwgQrHuj2
The real issue was how to mask the motive so that neither Finn nor Bruce would catch on.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgeWMdP420Y
He had already mapped out a few potential shell company routes and plausible justifications—159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3nmOE6KC5R
until he heard someone call out:
“Mr. Drake.”
He turned his head.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3jSYGzOkgc
Nora had just placed the last rifle into the case, closing the lid with practiced ease.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYHEWQ3VkCR
After locking the latches, she gave her hands a quick clap—159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdvdp579GW1
as if marking the end of a ritual.
“Just call me Tim,” he replied reflexively, his voice unintentionally soft.
Nora gave a small nod, her expression unusually earnest.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUAZCNS7Mes
“Tim, thank you for inviting me today. I really enjoyed it.”
Her eyes still shimmered with leftover excitement—159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcgJWy3gmY3
so different from the cool, sharp precision she had while shooting.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0PPc2Pa1z3
This was human.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNVV5JFkj7x
This was joy.
“Let me buy you dinner,” she said. “I know a great Italian place.”
Tim froze.
For once, he wasn’t strategizing.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡen9nKac1aJ
He wasn’t analyzing risks.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt84WipjzjN
He wasn’t scanning for background intel.
He just… froze a little—159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡznXw9aDoYQ
and then nodded.
“Sure,” he said.
His voice wasn’t loud,159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUVp6QXIaq0
but the way the words landed felt like the quiet turning of a page—159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVIvs3LEB9E
a new chapter quietly unfolding.
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXwwu9ltN2V
and then Add to home screen.