Claire didn’t want to open the window.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1QxUsPU3ir
Because outside—44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNqmgP37NHT
was Batman.
Batman.
The guy who made street dealers piss themselves on sight.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ROLsdKbWd
The guy crime lords called their lawyers over.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQFi05d2te5
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.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡALJMIZWZlN
His cape poured across the floor like spilled ink.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6iH7rUUj04
The air grew heavier just by him being there.
And he didn’t come alone.
Of course not.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0FXxZpvcrK
Behind him—44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXDF2QYLAsZ
Nightwing.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa2LkVLM5t2
And the little gremlin, Robin.
You two bastards.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp7kRxOxsgq
Claire’s eyes went wide. Her mind screamed:44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9zsaNnjmds
You told on me?! You snitched to the Final Boss?!
But then she looked again.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4J1Wc0SPNV
Their faces were... weird.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJRlRv7arC0
No smugness. No jokes.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW3Bu9aRZVG
Robin looked sheepish. Guilty, even.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVAhXifCixn
Nightwing was avoiding her gaze altogether.
Batman’s stare was sharp enough to slice through her spine.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUiTZGO3dgL
When he finally spoke, the words hit like a church bell inside her skull.
“Claire. I need an explanation.”
Panic bloomed instantly.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuQ0yPNCqmq
Gone was her usual snark.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwX2lqTARcQ
All she could manage was a shaky:44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgKQAPpYjs6
“Explanation for... what?”
He didn’t move.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcLVHAK7JTs
Didn’t raise his voice.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV8a4SKtZ6p
But it was like gravity turned up a notch.
“Why did you know I was in the city.”
Her brain kicked into high gear.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL2ioIFHUQN
Search the files. Find a lie.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaeJwfwYcCT
Any lie.
Her mouth acted faster than her logic:
“I… I saw you. On the way back from church.”
Instant regret.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjLVQYcZrk7
Instant exposure.
Batman responded like he already had that line printed on a card.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSUjU0LICIX
“That’s a lie. I didn’t pass that area. I need the truth.”
Still no yelling. Still no threats.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuZ71F3bf1T
But somehow she couldn’t breathe.
Goddamn Nightwing. Goddamn brat.
She briefly considered:44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfLTf13Kg8y
If I lie down right now and fall asleep—can I just reset?44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBtxkPylYQz
Will the loop save me?44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTeXSeuLaYV
Is that a thing?
Batman spoke again.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5fxrgta0lE
Same words.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw7i74FX1dN
Same calm tone.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXZ7hve2hVA
But this time, the weight behind them was unbearable.
“Miss. I need an explanation.”
Claire believed him.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNXkb6rruGy
He could wait until sunrise if he had to.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpSbTb0xQgg
He'd ask until she broke.
She looked down.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtdBkRGPNqG
Her fingers curled around the edge of the note she’d written earlier.
And a thought snapped through her mind:44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8SA0dzSPA7
It doesn’t matter. Tomorrow resets.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc9BnFL27Mg
They won’t remember anyway.
Her lips parted, slow and unsteady—44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkF4lKcMwH8
She was going to tell him.
The secret.
44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgIjHn0SDfZ
Claire kept her head down.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡplGd7flHzz
Her fingers dug into the seams of her jeans, knuckles white.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡskkk0IiUD8
She knew—44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUEy9RjJKxe
the moment she said it out loud, nothing would be the same.
But she was done.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS2alTsaB8S
So. Goddamn. Done.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBrLDB1kxfN
Every morning at five, waking to the same sky.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRIOEHCYlrr
Same damn headlines on the radio.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRPssY60C42
Same dough.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq5YWfWZmTb
Same customers.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ29hpdSGtyx
Same stolen future—again and again and again.
“I’m stuck,” she said.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyPQ9tXHAOH
“I’m stuck in today.”
Her heart punched her ribs like it wanted out.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVH1OPe7p4z
She couldn’t bring herself to look at Batman.
He frowned.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoox7D4c50u
Those famously unreadable eyes locked onto her like lasers.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKGcRzMxGLO
“What does that mean?”44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡydeAsdwODJ
His voice was low. Steady. Too steady.
Claire took a breath—44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTYLAMY4Kuv
No turning back.
“Every morning I wake up, and it’s today. This exact today.”44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOnuFWnMXG1
Her words rushed out, all in one breath.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3OtVZ7Iqw5
“Five a.m., same morning show, same customers, same bagels, same goddamn newspaper—”44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRw5heCMLEL
She jabbed a finger at Robin.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx4JTeyYZPy
“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—44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmYzgxExjwr
I’m the only one who remembers anything!”
The room went dead quiet.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5mgKI5Rbtq
Her confession hit the air like a grenade.
Claire’s pulse slammed in her ears, drowning everything else.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdOzc6oAqoC
She wasn’t crying—44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk8ZmJESnd2
but the burn behind her eyes told a different story.
And Batman—44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrNlDHT1wmM
He looked at her.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSMMRCCGlAe
Really looked.
Not with suspicion.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsh0Ky5VUm5
Not interrogation.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhE4BUvBS0s
Not intimidation.
But with that expression people only get when they’re trying to figure out if the world is insane…44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnh5OkYHGe9
or you are.
And then—he just stood there.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmrS2Hxtrna
Silent.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXVQinHxE2q
Thinking.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡczOEiQ0d6g
For a full minute. Maybe two.
Nightwing and Robin stared like they’d just seen a ghost fart rainbows.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9KYsq2uipW
Robin’s face was twisted—skeptical, but rattled.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBQk1zmEQds
Nightwing looked like he wanted to say something, but shock had his tongue hostage.
Claire braced herself.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYCeVL8z0wP
She expected Batman to dismiss her.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVDWvDovPGw
Turn. Leave.
But then he said it:
“Claire,”44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOTOhokavlk
“I believe you. For now.”
What?
“You need help. So do I.”
Robin’s jaw actually dropped.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi4QlLNc9hv
Nightwing blinked like the laws of physics had just rewritten themselves.
Batman—needing help?44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtgFasnTkXm
And from her?
Just some woman who looked like she’d barely made it off a bakery shift.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2GVripfGcx
A woman claiming the day was on an infinite loop.
Claire’s mind went white.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsy5hxwE6Wv
She stared at the cowl like it was a portal to a dimension where none of this was supposed to happen.
44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp17Wpmmm1l
