Claire didn’t want to open the window.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMekNkynXqm
Because outside—42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK1JzmgZ2qf
was Batman.
Batman.
The guy who made street dealers piss themselves on sight.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyqPKEn1LKA
The guy crime lords called their lawyers over.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvRRzRMkSAb
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.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuynqWP43pU
His cape poured across the floor like spilled ink.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrNUDvOssZs
The air grew heavier just by him being there.
And he didn’t come alone.
Of course not.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHaT7PDU1Uy
Behind him—42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡppvad2Hky5
Nightwing.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHJWQsIe69G
And the little gremlin, Robin.
You two bastards.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaJTTsZum5p
Claire’s eyes went wide. Her mind screamed:42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCCeyyTRQVb
You told on me?! You snitched to the Final Boss?!
But then she looked again.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5gQZ95yoIm
Their faces were... weird.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRabOxYJEf5
No smugness. No jokes.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvytYfKjSDU
Robin looked sheepish. Guilty, even.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQlxPAyxooO
Nightwing was avoiding her gaze altogether.
Batman’s stare was sharp enough to slice through her spine.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeAnM498QTN
When he finally spoke, the words hit like a church bell inside her skull.
“Claire. I need an explanation.”
Panic bloomed instantly.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwRqCsbECgU
Gone was her usual snark.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFctn3p1wTp
All she could manage was a shaky:42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAKum9TVxpX
“Explanation for... what?”
He didn’t move.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXhV79qVS0K
Didn’t raise his voice.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpMx99Vjzgw
But it was like gravity turned up a notch.
“Why did you know I was in the city.”
Her brain kicked into high gear.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKsMkk4kbEA
Search the files. Find a lie.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡftiBzOPa4q
Any lie.
Her mouth acted faster than her logic:
“I… I saw you. On the way back from church.”
Instant regret.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeVmdCFXRAW
Instant exposure.
Batman responded like he already had that line printed on a card.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvDICcawfEb
“That’s a lie. I didn’t pass that area. I need the truth.”
Still no yelling. Still no threats.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpH7BnitYDP
But somehow she couldn’t breathe.
Goddamn Nightwing. Goddamn brat.
She briefly considered:42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaMbkdmOuWx
If I lie down right now and fall asleep—can I just reset?42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNLAdZBVuwP
Will the loop save me?42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGM38B1vLuQ
Is that a thing?
Batman spoke again.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzLg3tSE8E4
Same words.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4rzlAkfQj8
Same calm tone.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlQ47iIHO7V
But this time, the weight behind them was unbearable.
“Miss. I need an explanation.”
Claire believed him.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvKSsE1IIU8
He could wait until sunrise if he had to.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM4g9q1Zy9L
He'd ask until she broke.
She looked down.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Rw9weSnzM
Her fingers curled around the edge of the note she’d written earlier.
And a thought snapped through her mind:42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4HFFMvDIat
It doesn’t matter. Tomorrow resets.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdOJXLGXobO
They won’t remember anyway.
Her lips parted, slow and unsteady—42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHs9xKbAtw3
She was going to tell him.
The secret.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrhIPqnrouw
Claire kept her head down.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjwsxQTm3OX
Her fingers dug into the seams of her jeans, knuckles white.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡup9ZdNMGy4
She knew—42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfCngJb7GlY
the moment she said it out loud, nothing would be the same.
But she was done.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjlWBF1pGOk
So. Goddamn. Done.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3JZPbpArEZ
Every morning at five, waking to the same sky.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkzmo6pQlSL
Same damn headlines on the radio.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw43xVsa2qW
Same dough.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmcRxNDXRy1
Same customers.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGvhfNeGb4a
Same stolen future—again and again and again.
“I’m stuck,” she said.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvaxlDORBSQ
“I’m stuck in today.”
Her heart punched her ribs like it wanted out.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSQkIKccJxl
She couldn’t bring herself to look at Batman.
He frowned.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRT6awwjjIt
Those famously unreadable eyes locked onto her like lasers.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHY8szSl8XH
“What does that mean?”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3LRPCnoXSK
His voice was low. Steady. Too steady.
Claire took a breath—42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa39UlskFd2
No turning back.
“Every morning I wake up, and it’s today. This exact today.”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXxMF8ys2rP
Her words rushed out, all in one breath.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxYzIfCClEO
“Five a.m., same morning show, same customers, same bagels, same goddamn newspaper—”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0OksdRemQE
She jabbed a finger at Robin.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5iafwcOd87
“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—42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5rHhAymduP
I’m the only one who remembers anything!”
The room went dead quiet.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpJ38LUgsH2
Her confession hit the air like a grenade.
Claire’s pulse slammed in her ears, drowning everything else.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwqaVhgeZrJ
She wasn’t crying—42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjytRJOukB4
but the burn behind her eyes told a different story.
And Batman—42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtOGhTzQO15
He looked at her.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhMSKiukUqM
Really looked.
Not with suspicion.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCkmHahsUsn
Not interrogation.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp6KaqXFNYE
Not intimidation.
But with that expression people only get when they’re trying to figure out if the world is insane…42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5EjaVP7dFP
or you are.
And then—he just stood there.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbaXpIy9USX
Silent.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtt21Olze6L
Thinking.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXfMLF9LpAt
For a full minute. Maybe two.
Nightwing and Robin stared like they’d just seen a ghost fart rainbows.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR3vB1hKt2b
Robin’s face was twisted—skeptical, but rattled.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZRSwH0RRPr
Nightwing looked like he wanted to say something, but shock had his tongue hostage.
Claire braced herself.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFnYLphau3c
She expected Batman to dismiss her.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZcPBQ4bZ8L
Turn. Leave.
But then he said it:
“Claire,”42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡic8f2D5qGd
“I believe you. For now.”
What?
“You need help. So do I.”
Robin’s jaw actually dropped.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ1LvhcJXFK
Nightwing blinked like the laws of physics had just rewritten themselves.
Batman—needing help?42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrNCMOjDTbQ
And from her?
Just some woman who looked like she’d barely made it off a bakery shift.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQajY2NgJpg
A woman claiming the day was on an infinite loop.
Claire’s mind went white.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡItJnAH0suO
She stared at the cowl like it was a portal to a dimension where none of this was supposed to happen.
42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡENO5BIU8U0
and then Add to home screen.