Four years ago, he really hadn’t been legal.
He’d just turned nineteen, barely starting to find balance between nightly patrols and his daytime identity.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsQbXnaFQUM
His face still held traces of youth, and his voice hadn’t quite steadied the way it had now.
But how did Nora know?
Tim mulled it over.
She wasn’t a “research-type” writer—not the kind who cross-referenced dates or analyzed timelines.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWooAYlRGp0
Most of her work leaned romantic, even fantastical. Not logic-heavy at all.
Did she deduce it from photos?
From height ratios? Facial bone structure?217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDII5vvzWEW
Uniform updates? Timeline of field appearances?
He ran through a few technical explanations—217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFLP4PyBC0O
but none of them quite fit.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡME5D5qc5bg
She didn’t come off as someone who calculated.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZHKBtPB37L
She was more like someone whose instinct hit so close to the truth, it made your scalp tingle.
Tim kept thinking.
His thoughts wouldn’t settle—217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRfCdl8FgT5
like a jigsaw puzzle halfway done: some pieces jammed, others suddenly clicking together.
Wait.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCR5ekjpuTN
He was an adult now.
Would Nora… know?
Would she, one random morning with her coffee, suddenly realize—
that the character she once refused to write because “he’s a kid”217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAEvkopSxfX
was now… of age?
Would she start writing about him?
He wasn’t curious about the content—217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4JRRQUva49
No, this was just… a professional assessment.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm0tWVYy8p1
Yes, a risk projection, not personal interest.
And if she did start writing…217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Sna6XfGTD
that would mean she’d been keeping an eye on him.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLlkVCugh9x
Wouldn’t it?
Wait—no. Stop.
I should go to bed.
Tim loudly told himself:217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1L0o2MWa9A
It’s 3:42 A.M.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHKf6DOW5Rp
I’ve already reviewed thirty-eight anonymous files today.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0iDimiXcz9
If I don’t sleep now, I’ll misread intel tomorrow.
Why am I even wondering if Nora would start writing fanfic about me?217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrlGPK6VLlw
Why do I… care?
No. This was professional anxiety.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFWnqlWG4ct
Part of Bat-Family information security protocols.
Yes.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2PPHzjnh3c
Sleep. No more browsing.
Tim slammed the laptop shut—217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFWPj1mskLa
as if slamming the door on temptation itself.
The chair creaked behind him as he stood,217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2nB6VDJX1E
feeling like someone who’d spent the entire night being silently stared at.
No one can know about this.
He walked toward the door, steps slow—217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkaLSLPtuhI
each one suppressing the mental image rising uninvited to the surface.
Finn’s future bride candidate…
was a top-tier Batman erotica author.
And not just any writer—217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ31YIYCbZFT
the kind who casually wrote things like,217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTnG2S63u6g
“He’s a kid. I don’t want to commit a crime.”
Just thinking about it made Tim feel like breaking into pieces.
If Damian ever found out—217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPqquXgktI0
the kid would probably laugh himself breathless, then go ask Bruce:217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgRc9aTh64h
“So… what do you think of Finn’s teacher writing fanfic about you and… yourself?”
No.
This had to be buried in the night.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡggFnUuuhe9
No one in the Bat-Family could ever know.
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3uNbfMpnhU
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMQVD9Q65tL
Tim shoved the whole thing to the back of his mind.
Like stashing a bizarre dream into a folder marked217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpbOxRJP2qD
“Low Risk / No Action”217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2aQq4OtYVz
and quietly minimizing the window.
Looking back, he figured maybe he’d overreacted a bit to those green eyes.
That day she stood up and scanned him?217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwvdDmA0CWl
Maybe it had just been a teacher’s instinct.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZoHkhsHrGJ
Maybe he had just been wound too tight.
At least now he knew her biggest secret.
He honestly hadn’t expected that inside her computer,217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKGl6FE28nc
there weren’t blueprints for bombs, or surveillance tapes—
but instead—217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIngK3cHZ5g
the entire archive of a legendary Batman fanfiction author.
A legendary Batman fanfiction author.
Just thinking those words gave him a mild headache.
Who would’ve guessed someone like that was hiding in a kindergarten?
Blonde hair. Green eyes.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmRWe5u6Rum
Gentle smile.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ65WfpzwfEF
Painstaking lesson plans.
And then at night, under an anonymous handle,217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6bJRSUNyyj
she’d write Nightwing until the man couldn’t breathe.
Still, Tim decided—he had to keep monitoring her.
It was a precaution. A professional assessment.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZP0Xujz17Z
Lack of malicious intent didn’t mean lack of risk.
The better she was at writing…217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsoX3mYCs6H
the more likely she might one day write something too accurate.
So he checked her system.
Installed a barely-there monitoring script—217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7v5WM9THO9
so subtle it wouldn’t interfere with daily use.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsSxdvNcqgy
It would only trigger if specific keywords were typed.
If anything questionable showed up,217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfp59joIxXk
Tim would be notified first.
Not automatically blocked.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlUzp4V1pDV
He’d assess it himself.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfhYqZCsZ2Q
A baseline courtesy—to respect creative freedom.
This should be enough, he thought.
Leaning back in his chair,217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ljSZxOPJs
he wrapped up the day’s backup logs217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzmPxhx8yRt
and turned to other vigilante data reports.
But unfortunately…217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcJQY3X2SAv
Tim relaxed too soon.
Some things only happen right when you think you’re safe.
Like an alarm that hasn’t gone off in ages—217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKXn5L8LmvF
only to explode in the middle of dead silence.
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmkQkJ0hgf2
One week later—
Tim’s computer lit up in warning.
Not a regular alert.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ37yIseIgqG
It was one of his high-priority personal triggers.
It popped from the corner of his screen—217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgQJcFhtA8F
flashing red.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8hApoVPxNT
Loud system ping.
Tim reacted instantly.
Fingers darted to the trackpad on reflex.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj7xOwvPTmb
Eyes locked on the window as it expanded.
The monitored user had typed flagged keywords:
gun. black market. bullets.
Tim’s breath caught.
He stared at the words—217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdIrUX0IHr4
blank for a second—then rapidly expanded the full input log.
Nora Virell217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4RBph0iBER
Search time: 11:42 P.M.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQnaH1Fyiwd
Device: Personal computer.
Entered queries:
- “Where to buy bullets in Gotham right now”217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM69eS1DQBB
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWZUECeu0fL - “Black market weapon price list”217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIFDlcqT6qI
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpRpTXseU2t - “Handgun usage tutorial”217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbg15MTU0hj
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz3LiZzbIfd
Tim stared at the screen—217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpFlvVSkhrl
and felt his chest begin to tighten.
Tim was thinking.
He didn’t jump to conclusions.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs6j2SyYW1T
Not right away.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN7OBsJSuiT
Like always, he mentally arranged all the possible explanations in rapid succession.
He tried to reason it out—217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbXWsxENFaF
because reason was the only shield he trusted when facing the unknown.
Could it be for a story?
He’d seen plenty of creators do research for plot accuracy.
Maybe she was writing a scene about a vigilante infiltrating the black market.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwjEXtVtKwO
Maybe a character was trying to stop an arms deal.
Something like that.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbFyfU4vy97
Trying to recreate that sense of danger.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3eG1dCUZ8R
Or exploring a character’s discomfort with firearms—how they reacted to pulling the trigger.
He’d read those kinds of stories before.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg2QjhgO8jV
Some of them were frighteningly realistic.
But unfortunately—Nora proved him wrong.
She wasn’t just skimming scenarios.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMih5jsazrv
She wasn’t just dipping in and out.
She was seriously browsing.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYKOH5nFntO
Spending over thirty seconds per page.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXtDKCtMuE2
Even bookmarking a few of them.
She was looking at firearm weights, manufacturing years, and production companies.
Her search terms included:
- “Glock old vs new model differences”217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWUjo2fujtQ
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBPCIOg5AM0 - “Small caliber vs large caliber”217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ha9aVhyfi
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrcfNgtp1fW - “Civilian vs law enforcement firearm pricing”217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVXgj0CTBDk
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx02S6w38qx
Those weren’t things a character needed to know.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiIjemRf3lj
They were the kind of details a gun user would want to understand.
Which meant—
Nora was already familiar.
This wasn’t her first time researching this.
She wasn’t gathering info for fiction.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtjZ0Xj5ewq
She was evaluating—217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSWHDYzMJYU
like someone deciding whether a specific gun was worth owning.
What does she need a gun for?
The question echoed in Tim’s head.
Not just surprise anymore—217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSt9aTBJbb4
a rising, sharp anxiety began flooding in.
She’s a teacher. Finn’s teacher.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCsmFTsZAFo
She works in a kindergarten.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXJn5BRQT1U
Teaches kids to draw, tells them stories, shows them how to say “I’m sorry.”
What would she need a gun for?
For protection?217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTg8FugzFNQ
For something else?
Where did she learn it?217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvvccrR5O9t
Has she been trained?217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRCV6tYRV0H
Does she know how to use one?217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEzMIyEv5p9
Would she use it on someone?
Tim couldn’t let this go.
This wasn’t about artistic freedom.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyhgE36gnPk
This wasn’t just a passing curiosity.
This was a potential armed individual demonstrating suspicious behavior.
He needed to understand her threat level—217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0EOhB20FMx
and eliminate any possible risk.
That didn’t mean punishment.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLKaUVcOu1t
But it did mean removing danger—217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJNX9cU2OIv
before it ever had the chance to grow teeth.
Tim moved his fingers.
The keyboard’s backlight flickered faintly as the windows expanded again—217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmxBpswq71N
reconnecting to Nora’s online activity log.
His fingers hovered above the shortcut keys tied to his rapid-execution programs.
He had made up his mind.
His gaze was cold.217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv6F0p7BvlP
His tone unspoken.
This time—he was going to find out, personally.
What the hell is she planning?
217Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzQTGBpKDvX
and then Add to home screen.