Claire didn’t want to open the window.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5yJsMwK56i
Because outside—20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5S3IcpZN6A
was Batman.
Batman.
The guy who made street dealers piss themselves on sight.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbqvk3olP6m
The guy crime lords called their lawyers over.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7tCA7NZQuM
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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQZFSZus7Qq
His cape poured across the floor like spilled ink.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKqaZnFCwwd
The air grew heavier just by him being there.
And he didn’t come alone.
Of course not.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBHo09N8mYs
Behind him—20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGZMNnXWzIE
Nightwing.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZpdHCWb3Co
And the little gremlin, Robin.
You two bastards.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGIEgzMI6CS
Claire’s eyes went wide. Her mind screamed:20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCHOe8SLjPx
You told on me?! You snitched to the Final Boss?!
But then she looked again.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbjkjpcjIwD
Their faces were... weird.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIkPRW88GPA
No smugness. No jokes.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ89GS9Z84rq
Robin looked sheepish. Guilty, even.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3PKQ43W6k0
Nightwing was avoiding her gaze altogether.
Batman’s stare was sharp enough to slice through her spine.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYj1igfaloZ
When he finally spoke, the words hit like a church bell inside her skull.
“Claire. I need an explanation.”
Panic bloomed instantly.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPoWiXph0Jy
Gone was her usual snark.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtDOCgEUaSu
All she could manage was a shaky:20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv4PUV1ITur
“Explanation for... what?”
He didn’t move.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyQtCwULPgv
Didn’t raise his voice.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTzZFWbB53M
But it was like gravity turned up a notch.
“Why did you know I was in the city.”
Her brain kicked into high gear.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP38EZ0oI0d
Search the files. Find a lie.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf7WuF7sKxb
Any lie.
Her mouth acted faster than her logic:
“I… I saw you. On the way back from church.”
Instant regret.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡugkyRRBEc7
Instant exposure.
Batman responded like he already had that line printed on a card.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoDRj8PVpqc
“That’s a lie. I didn’t pass that area. I need the truth.”
Still no yelling. Still no threats.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRMrNFhvIas
But somehow she couldn’t breathe.
Goddamn Nightwing. Goddamn brat.
She briefly considered:20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo42ZJn0oJF
If I lie down right now and fall asleep—can I just reset?20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ9FgoMCw2S
Will the loop save me?20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYA61KLgHmz
Is that a thing?
Batman spoke again.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCVAusWotvJ
Same words.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRgfyrLVDa8
Same calm tone.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1YLHyPtPYl
But this time, the weight behind them was unbearable.
“Miss. I need an explanation.”
Claire believed him.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2LnoG486uE
He could wait until sunrise if he had to.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBMwzbXuTPS
He'd ask until she broke.
She looked down.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYqMtNU56Ke
Her fingers curled around the edge of the note she’d written earlier.
And a thought snapped through her mind:20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSRGVHiYvW9
It doesn’t matter. Tomorrow resets.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOLMqUfyiow
They won’t remember anyway.
Her lips parted, slow and unsteady—20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ1icjOnHCJ
She was going to tell him.
The secret.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwJ2iDBDbH7
Claire kept her head down.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQkeqZn4HnC
Her fingers dug into the seams of her jeans, knuckles white.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyLEErKj7S5
She knew—20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvfuGtao98G
the moment she said it out loud, nothing would be the same.
But she was done.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDwVkKLPxuz
So. Goddamn. Done.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4iiykfUlkp
Every morning at five, waking to the same sky.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtbs1P9Nt8k
Same damn headlines on the radio.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH7CEf4ofUu
Same dough.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSRNEnWBoOn
Same customers.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKqja8Baqg5
Same stolen future—again and again and again.
“I’m stuck,” she said.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrufLZVbzUb
“I’m stuck in today.”
Her heart punched her ribs like it wanted out.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjqYDyZUxaR
She couldn’t bring herself to look at Batman.
He frowned.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU9PnehXWex
Those famously unreadable eyes locked onto her like lasers.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU7LXznmo4t
“What does that mean?”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpuk3YOGQUs
His voice was low. Steady. Too steady.
Claire took a breath—20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhTI6x9mdVg
No turning back.
“Every morning I wake up, and it’s today. This exact today.”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgKdN3XRByb
Her words rushed out, all in one breath.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5nz7VDSJbx
“Five a.m., same morning show, same customers, same bagels, same goddamn newspaper—”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN5WmKIY5IN
She jabbed a finger at Robin.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkFM0cyGoSV
“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—20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8IAVynri6D
I’m the only one who remembers anything!”
The room went dead quiet.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ17092R4awd
Her confession hit the air like a grenade.
Claire’s pulse slammed in her ears, drowning everything else.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHtdBafcqTK
She wasn’t crying—20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpXIt0IlqPt
but the burn behind her eyes told a different story.
And Batman—20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9xTQq75dZz
He looked at her.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDlmpVJjm8p
Really looked.
Not with suspicion.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Uz61VoTaj
Not interrogation.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUoUBq3Tsey
Not intimidation.
But with that expression people only get when they’re trying to figure out if the world is insane…20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpuwOckHaJV
or you are.
And then—he just stood there.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7V6gII4vxt
Silent.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu8HFMq92VE
Thinking.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOjWchSVoz9
For a full minute. Maybe two.
Nightwing and Robin stared like they’d just seen a ghost fart rainbows.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh3A236gPIg
Robin’s face was twisted—skeptical, but rattled.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnjfSjHKrjW
Nightwing looked like he wanted to say something, but shock had his tongue hostage.
Claire braced herself.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH3FF7DCM52
She expected Batman to dismiss her.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvXyIUCtfvx
Turn. Leave.
But then he said it:
“Claire,”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD0873rQY7t
“I believe you. For now.”
What?
“You need help. So do I.”
Robin’s jaw actually dropped.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGfsRyWevlw
Nightwing blinked like the laws of physics had just rewritten themselves.
Batman—needing help?20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ87Qq6l2lnv
And from her?
Just some woman who looked like she’d barely made it off a bakery shift.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsM7RRQ6wCz
A woman claiming the day was on an infinite loop.
Claire’s mind went white.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGGABcBQW6I
She stared at the cowl like it was a portal to a dimension where none of this was supposed to happen.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq7Aus2R0sI
and then Add to home screen.