Tim rushed over and started operating the machine.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdqkDJHsqYP
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.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5icuHfhtL6
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.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTam3O9G4tc
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.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7n6zSeyFow
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.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpRA2PHdIMN
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.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWKOr5p1fPu
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.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkMbNv4psOF
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.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfw1O1UpQiR
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.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBYICXpkHo6
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.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKprXryC9VW
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.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡefqqMcwRPE
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.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8WAAczWCuq
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.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfKh6dZtdJ5
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.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjodeRmwBbE
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.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfhLWyHytrG
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.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZBT9dV9GCN
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.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw4mGi7Oj9a
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.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiVVselKCPE
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.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIQDqm3lXZI
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.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCEZnL1WAgv
But right now, she was in his arms.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSI6tKx6X84
And that was enough.
107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmt2zeVammd
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Nora's first thought was—It's so hot!107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ550SjILkcC
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.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7nkf2juVje
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.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsOqwybcpB0
Not fear.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡySg23xjfrI
Not war.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUvLCgE5RHD
But—
Nora remembered her last memory.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCnD87N7nEb
She remembered stepping into that machine.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3UHIXI97AZ
She remembered the last thing she saw: a few familiar faces.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNo3xU9LjZC
Her family. Her home. The world she had spent her last life protecting.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcRW1L0aWJB
She had forced herself to memorize their eyes, their farewells. And then—darkness.
So… did it work?107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF0eM6XD6d6
Something inside her flared to life.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡds5RTpfI7E
Does this mean the connection succeeded? Did my consciousness really return to Batman’s timeline?107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2BcnlMcui4
Her heart began racing uncontrollably. A prophecy had come true—107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0itwM6K6Nl
She was alive.
Just realizing this made Nora tremble.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXuIpRv0hZE
Her fingers wanted to move, her eyelids wanted to open, her lungs ached to draw in real air.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXiUe3a0dvY
Her whole being strained, like a chrysalis about to burst.
She made her decision:107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8kmKCUe7su
She would open her eyes.
Slowly, with effort, her will pushed forward like a stone rolling uphill. Her vision blurred, hazy, then slowly sharpened.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvSKARW65ek
The light stung, but she succeeded.
Green eyes slowly opened—107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNuYlPnrsJJ
And Nora froze.
She didn’t see a ceiling.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGan1ZdtNZZ
She didn’t see white lights.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdEzn18VUtq
The very first thing she saw—was him.
Tim’s face was resting against her left shoulder. His breathing was steady, eyes shut.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpwXiueHb9h
He had fallen asleep—right there—curled up beside her.
The first thing she saw was the person she missed the most.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuAoBrhbBrz
She held her breath, terrified that this would shatter if she blinked.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0LQmvkchp5
But he was real. Not a memory, not a dream, not a hallucination.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡflOSlJi2C6
His warmth, the slight twitch of his eyelashes—107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoKYGcBdpXP
All of it whispered: this is real.
Tim was leaning against her left shoulder, sound asleep.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmcSPv18Bet
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.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1erSsMB4f2
He looked thinner.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQJiEZ8ybYc
His jawline was sharper, his collarbones more pronounced. His hair was messy, like he hadn’t rested properly in ages.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5z3cEh2TS8
Has he even been eating?
He looked starved.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtfPVLeicKX
His cheeks were sunken, lips dry. 107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeYz0KjxWwc
Those under-eye circles are massive… Has he even slept at all?
She almost chuckled.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj2lgQ5ZFNQ
This guy… Has he not been sleeping?107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡId2IKn4yCb
Then she realized—
That heat I felt earlier wasn’t from the sun… it was him. He’s been holding me this whole time.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpgW4mIZCt6
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.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKY0AkjlJf6
So that’s what I looked like… wrapped up like a little bundle.
She lifted one arm slightly, both amused and touched.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGBY1Iwg336
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Her gaze softened.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5eU7qosT5X
It was a wordless mix of gratitude and ache that welled up from reunion.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWfQjDcO7wi
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She slowly pulled her right hand free, wanting to touch the dark circles under his eyes.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiUSDpN73kp
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.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMgz39UPOHr
It was instinctive, like a wild animal startled in its sleep.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI7z2obKKEO
His body jolted, brow furrowed, breath catching for a second—
Blue eyes slowly opened.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeHgLaMYyrq
Still dazed from sleep, his gaze was unfocused.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPHTJ6pDwEe
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.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfFa8ekMQzj
Then his blue eyes slowly met her green ones.
In that moment, the whole world fell still.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGRLPakdEQI
Just the two of them, blue and green locked in a gaze that spanned across time and death.
They stared.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3mscNqOjbv
No words. No movement. Just a quiet confirmation—107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj15hl7YJtt
You're really back.
Then—107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMNoEbh3j4Y
Nora smiled.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9e78cJ4UDO
Idiot, she thought fondly.
The corners of her eyes shimmered, but her smile was radiant.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyTv6l1Kgwn
She knew how long he had held on. How tired he must be.
There were a million things she wanted to say.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVXFBQctRWn
But right now, she just wanted to do one thing.
Nora placed her right hand on the back of her boyfriend’s head.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy3RRdXtoHJ
She applied gentle pressure—firm, but soft.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXxoq0ZwimJ
This was her choice. Her will.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQbIjXrDDdo
She didn’t want to wait for anyone to speak first.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOxEXEr3ILI
She wanted to act.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9VfTKjGCtP
To tell him with her actions: I’m back. You’re here. We’re still us.
Their lips moved closer.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoAMA2wUVoY
Breaths mingled. Their noses almost touched.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyY6k0r977o
His pupils widened in shock.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD1dgBZWL4g
But she closed her eyes, still smiling.
After two long years, they were finally together again.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4UvliY0lDC
It began with this moment.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRNa65nPadh
And this kiss.
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and then Add to home screen.