Tim rushed over and started operating the machine.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD3j905nVdj
His fingertips trembled as he typed in the commands, failing the password twice before finally gaining access to the main control panel. His mind was a mess—he could barely hear the steady rhythm of heartbeats behind him. All his focus was on those rows of options he knew by heart.
He switched the machine to thawing mode.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzFEQmbuIuG
As the options lit up before him, he didn’t hesitate to select “Initiate Thawing Process,” as if it were the only choice. He didn’t think about the consequences or the risks—her pulse had returned. That meant she should wake up. That belief was all he had.
But the machine's analysis showed: thawing would take six hours.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt9T9EYAhQv
A line of cold, emotionless text appeared at the center of the screen, like a slap to the face. He stared at it and frowned. It wasn’t “immediate.” It wasn’t “now.” It was six hours—an eternity.
Tim frowned. Six hours was far too long.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmIYxi1PPYU
He almost cursed. Six hours wasn’t a process—it was torture. He could take down dozens of enemies, crack hundreds of codes, but this kind of stillness, this wait, was unbearable.
Too long.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1tM0Eiu4FZ
He clenched his jaw and spun around. He couldn’t just stand there doing nothing—he needed to do something. His actions were a distraction, a way to suppress that overwhelming desire inside him.
He turned and strode across the Batcave, searching for what he needed.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHqoCzV9Duu
His steps were quick and purposeful, like he was carrying out a classified emergency mission. He didn’t say a word, but his movements made it clear: she’s going to wake up, and when she does, she won’t be cold, or in pain, or alone.
Heater. Blankets.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoWlCbaVo4r
He remembered those supplies were stored in the back storage room. Tim carried them out, sweating under the strain, beads of sweat gathering on his brow. His hands were so cold they trembled, but he didn’t stop.
He hauled everything into the room and turned the heater on.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvbL2d5ZBoR
It roared to life with a low hum, warm air beginning to spread and slowly filling the morgue-like space. Tim cranked the temperature to its highest setting, as if trying to chase away the past two years of cold with heat.
The room quickly filled with warmth.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡak752YbAab
Steam began to swirl through the air. The clash between cold and hot fogged the glass, and Tim stood in the mist like a figure out of a dream. But his expression wasn’t dreamy—it was alert and intense.
Tim stared at the person inside the cryo-pod, then reached out with trembling hands to press the button.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbGlxNQb0UQ
His finger hovered above it for several seconds, as if it were a door that, once opened, could never be closed again. He took a deep breath—and finally pressed down.
The pod door opened slowly, releasing a rush of icy mist.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe8xpO2e6mc
At that moment, warm and cold collided like a crack forming between the human world and a dream. Fog churned and blurred the room, transforming it into something unreal.
Tim looked at the girl he hadn’t seen in two years.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR9wA0lXZy5
She lay there, lashes resting on unmoving lids, lips pale, hair clinging to her cheeks. He stood frozen, barely breathing, afraid to disturb the fragile silence.
He touched Nora’s golden hair.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqHcQrID64a
It was cold, dotted with dew from the thawing process. Her hair was a little longer than he remembered, as if time had quietly left its mark on her while she slept. His fingertips trembled—he couldn’t tell if it was from nerves or pain.
Then, he took a deep breath and gently lifted her into his arms.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAuXugVVCpS
His arms circled her back and legs with reverent care. He could feel her body was still cold, her skin like that of a statue yet to awaken. She felt too light—or perhaps, he had simply forgotten what it was like to hold her.
Tim didn’t go far. He turned and sat down right next to the cryo-unit.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5sOzismxxf
He didn’t dare leave its side, as if she still needed the machine to survive. When he sat, he accidentally brushed against its edge—the cold metal grounding him back to reality. He adjusted his posture and let himself become another anchor she could lean on.
Holding Nora in his arms.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6nSiF0CvH9
She rested against his chest like an unawakened soul. He could feel her breathing—irregular, sustained only by the system—but she was here. She was really here.
He covered her with the blanket and let her rest against him.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiVm9IVRakg
That thick layer of fabric was the only barrier he could offer. He smoothed it over her, carefully wrapping even her feet, afraid that even the tiniest gap might let the cold in. He let her head rest on his shoulder, his arms still steady beneath her back.
So cold, Tim thought. Like holding a block of ice.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL0Ttio4i07
She had no body heat. Yet his heartbeat raced, as if trying to warm her with his own. The cold seeped into his skin, his bones, his blood—but he didn’t move.
Tim didn’t want to let go.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEImz72NOOl
Even when his fingers went numb, even when his knees began to ache, he didn’t loosen his grip. Because this was the first time in two years that he could truly hold her.
He didn’t know when she would wake.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxAR7xluCWG
But right now, she was in his arms.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMrnOYyWdlZ
And that was enough.
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjN9BZHNn32
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcrwdvJ0sUh
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS2Z0ks4yuI
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKviRNfUbB4
Nora's first thought was—It's so hot!71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9r77CnIexL
Not just warm—hot, like her entire body had been thrown into warm water. Her brows furrowed slightly as her consciousness slowly floated upward from the depths, and every inch of her skin screamed in discomfort, as if someone had left her under the burning sun in the middle of a desert.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7sdeoUAjOq
What’s going on? Is my body actually being exposed to direct sunlight?
She tried to move, but even her eyelids felt like they were weighed down with lead. Her whole body was trapped between heat and heaviness, limbs stiff, mind foggy. All she had to prove she was still alive was that faint sensation of discomfort. And yet, rising alongside the heat, there was something else—a sense of safety.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPSTJjJxUSR
Not fear.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVuJHOs3abL
Not war.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiX17O5HlOd
But—
Nora remembered her last memory.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGDM8d0SvSR
She remembered stepping into that machine.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡndK2LXRe3D
She remembered the last thing she saw: a few familiar faces.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVItnY1FqS2
Her family. Her home. The world she had spent her last life protecting.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxOpA5pzeiF
She had forced herself to memorize their eyes, their farewells. And then—darkness.
So… did it work?71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ0jMIqxxa0
Something inside her flared to life.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcelftv1AIR
Does this mean the connection succeeded? Did my consciousness really return to Batman’s timeline?71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLf2SG2i71w
Her heart began racing uncontrollably. A prophecy had come true—71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKhv152Lgm7
She was alive.
Just realizing this made Nora tremble.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm0OzgOPgDg
Her fingers wanted to move, her eyelids wanted to open, her lungs ached to draw in real air.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4MlZ8S9aSu
Her whole being strained, like a chrysalis about to burst.
She made her decision:71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv7WNO5yisU
She would open her eyes.
Slowly, with effort, her will pushed forward like a stone rolling uphill. Her vision blurred, hazy, then slowly sharpened.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeufpNFDrkj
The light stung, but she succeeded.
Green eyes slowly opened—71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ2dEggER6l
And Nora froze.
She didn’t see a ceiling.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXnRov0g3EI
She didn’t see white lights.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRqK7gifdmM
The very first thing she saw—was him.
Tim’s face was resting against her left shoulder. His breathing was steady, eyes shut.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWKJvV6kpo9
He had fallen asleep—right there—curled up beside her.
The first thing she saw was the person she missed the most.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIa4mJXvbYY
She held her breath, terrified that this would shatter if she blinked.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡICCHdZ3BgW
But he was real. Not a memory, not a dream, not a hallucination.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0i1lrx11eh
His warmth, the slight twitch of his eyelashes—71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPQqasdYrk6
All of it whispered: this is real.
Tim was leaning against her left shoulder, sound asleep.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKlGCS9PHEp
He looked exhausted.
He hadn’t noticed she’d woken. His breathing carried the weight of someone who’d finally collapsed after holding out too long. He’d only allowed himself to rest once he knew she was safe.
Nora stared at him.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0sli3WdfFU
He looked thinner.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ33xWnWgoSf
His jawline was sharper, his collarbones more pronounced. His hair was messy, like he hadn’t rested properly in ages.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjj4e2wg98L
Has he even been eating?
He looked starved.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb1dCRBXjxn
His cheeks were sunken, lips dry. 71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi5crojU6tA
Those under-eye circles are massive… Has he even slept at all?
She almost chuckled.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3MH7UceLf7
This guy… Has he not been sleeping?71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM5YGXYF9Iy
Then she realized—
That heat I felt earlier wasn’t from the sun… it was him. He’s been holding me this whole time.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhcvRi8qvzm
No wonder it was so warm. I was in his arms.
She glanced down. Her entire body was wrapped in a thick blanket, like a cocoon. Even her toes were snugly covered.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP1LnadAKtH
So that’s what I looked like… wrapped up like a little bundle.
She lifted one arm slightly, both amused and touched.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq44LqLqSy2
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ03Dp5Pn8xg
Her gaze softened.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNHH9cHlUXG
It was a wordless mix of gratitude and ache that welled up from reunion.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeKPhnG8FMm
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXDian3sfsw
She slowly pulled her right hand free, wanting to touch the dark circles under his eyes.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgt6eA6JmuS
The motion was clumsy, but she pushed through the blanket and reached for his tired face, her fingers trembling—
And the moment she touched him, Tim flinched.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKINnErHcfL
It was instinctive, like a wild animal startled in its sleep.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4NpqhT89gx
His body jolted, brow furrowed, breath catching for a second—
Blue eyes slowly opened.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIXcSy9CowD
Still dazed from sleep, his gaze was unfocused.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkSYKzDCuwS
He blinked twice, clearly still halfway in a dream.
But she could feel it—his heartbeat surged in that moment.
There were a few seconds of confusion.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBxFISQ4VOJ
Then his blue eyes slowly met her green ones.
In that moment, the whole world fell still.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡscrXNP7ve9
Just the two of them, blue and green locked in a gaze that spanned across time and death.
They stared.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFn1gPxxCCh
No words. No movement. Just a quiet confirmation—71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9hlLFSmvxM
You're really back.
Then—71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg5EEBFP89m
Nora smiled.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwJBcPCfHZa
Idiot, she thought fondly.
The corners of her eyes shimmered, but her smile was radiant.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡowj1RPFx9M
She knew how long he had held on. How tired he must be.
There were a million things she wanted to say.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjgK2FUl3R2
But right now, she just wanted to do one thing.
Nora placed her right hand on the back of her boyfriend’s head.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnCYa31lYP9
She applied gentle pressure—firm, but soft.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLL2lZcvP9E
This was her choice. Her will.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRQ5mzQ7IEP
She didn’t want to wait for anyone to speak first.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjpNTpyq9AZ
She wanted to act.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU5TZAEOBrV
To tell him with her actions: I’m back. You’re here. We’re still us.
Their lips moved closer.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMKV8VdGdDa
Breaths mingled. Their noses almost touched.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQDRn2w0cem
His pupils widened in shock.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzuWm28G6tl
But she closed her eyes, still smiling.
After two long years, they were finally together again.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnWVGYeulyw
It began with this moment.71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4rlwoYpPgA
And this kiss.
71Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLRkM53jLIa
and then Add to home screen.