Claire didn’t want to open the window.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNTje6AfH28
Because outside—43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrYp5jLidZv
was Batman.
Batman.
The guy who made street dealers piss themselves on sight.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMlp9WnH3P1
The guy crime lords called their lawyers over.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoB1cfBi5hY
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.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgX7T1Ljk1N
His cape poured across the floor like spilled ink.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5lgCdc7ia9
The air grew heavier just by him being there.
And he didn’t come alone.
Of course not.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUOPcl7y01a
Behind him—43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwOQot3LDAo
Nightwing.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgJX3slYCpR
And the little gremlin, Robin.
You two bastards.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1QAtJWhS0S
Claire’s eyes went wide. Her mind screamed:43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsmY39La30q
You told on me?! You snitched to the Final Boss?!
But then she looked again.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43q3g2HaVK
Their faces were... weird.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcBNOOlRtVN
No smugness. No jokes.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIeCuO1sYQf
Robin looked sheepish. Guilty, even.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeoLge8mGJo
Nightwing was avoiding her gaze altogether.
Batman’s stare was sharp enough to slice through her spine.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkGhr74cdNo
When he finally spoke, the words hit like a church bell inside her skull.
“Claire. I need an explanation.”
Panic bloomed instantly.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJRLoAsKQFu
Gone was her usual snark.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKNcpqVSuCx
All she could manage was a shaky:43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLscdZzDLlT
“Explanation for... what?”
He didn’t move.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJmTX2dq3ww
Didn’t raise his voice.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlch0nMEcuw
But it was like gravity turned up a notch.
“Why did you know I was in the city.”
Her brain kicked into high gear.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ42GA7usJNP
Search the files. Find a lie.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAV1nIRusI1
Any lie.
Her mouth acted faster than her logic:
“I… I saw you. On the way back from church.”
Instant regret.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfKKwYnvLiw
Instant exposure.
Batman responded like he already had that line printed on a card.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRyXwgjt682
“That’s a lie. I didn’t pass that area. I need the truth.”
Still no yelling. Still no threats.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHxso5EBusf
But somehow she couldn’t breathe.
Goddamn Nightwing. Goddamn brat.
She briefly considered:43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU1ZIp3zjjS
If I lie down right now and fall asleep—can I just reset?43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcqFCh1Y8ci
Will the loop save me?43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡchPLeeDkET
Is that a thing?
Batman spoke again.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPUV0cCdEdW
Same words.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGvAs6EA7SP
Same calm tone.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDlEyyYJWWC
But this time, the weight behind them was unbearable.
“Miss. I need an explanation.”
Claire believed him.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1wmxFeLYIG
He could wait until sunrise if he had to.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDEyYqI0GxC
He'd ask until she broke.
She looked down.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwN61Pa15tj
Her fingers curled around the edge of the note she’d written earlier.
And a thought snapped through her mind:43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZr0PQaUIOw
It doesn’t matter. Tomorrow resets.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV6TbaPc0tu
They won’t remember anyway.
Her lips parted, slow and unsteady—43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSCOoSYSqvP
She was going to tell him.
The secret.
43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkqe2WPVPkL
Claire kept her head down.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjWaxCdCNaF
Her fingers dug into the seams of her jeans, knuckles white.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡthg0gANzhT
She knew—43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPGqzudXJh1
the moment she said it out loud, nothing would be the same.
But she was done.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0clQ4FqL3p
So. Goddamn. Done.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ELCTN9oQY
Every morning at five, waking to the same sky.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRQ5iYdxaOF
Same damn headlines on the radio.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDyown0fRnn
Same dough.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtWbKpwNe35
Same customers.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWNSI0zxFtu
Same stolen future—again and again and again.
“I’m stuck,” she said.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj4mluMekAa
“I’m stuck in today.”
Her heart punched her ribs like it wanted out.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI4vuoTicYC
She couldn’t bring herself to look at Batman.
He frowned.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD4SfVvUzZJ
Those famously unreadable eyes locked onto her like lasers.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMNdyVvsO4f
“What does that mean?”43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF0cA7YMB9z
His voice was low. Steady. Too steady.
Claire took a breath—43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFafh9W8VQz
No turning back.
“Every morning I wake up, and it’s today. This exact today.”43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlanrj8jB8h
Her words rushed out, all in one breath.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSmsYLb1W1F
“Five a.m., same morning show, same customers, same bagels, same goddamn newspaper—”43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4dr4LvpSug
She jabbed a finger at Robin.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOLMyEq9Sbd
“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—43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlipsiMYjoL
I’m the only one who remembers anything!”
The room went dead quiet.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsrfcA54Teb
Her confession hit the air like a grenade.
Claire’s pulse slammed in her ears, drowning everything else.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAjHieWdoGv
She wasn’t crying—43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5PCY2VL3VZ
but the burn behind her eyes told a different story.
And Batman—43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFSTxn0Xt0L
He looked at her.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbVKwQjHx2W
Really looked.
Not with suspicion.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEAKxZCng8v
Not interrogation.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA19VYDheOk
Not intimidation.
But with that expression people only get when they’re trying to figure out if the world is insane…43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsDJNiAP6Z4
or you are.
And then—he just stood there.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD2UQG9H7Pt
Silent.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdjeSe3ZEJw
Thinking.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Y43WUyrsd
For a full minute. Maybe two.
Nightwing and Robin stared like they’d just seen a ghost fart rainbows.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMjXnIhw1UA
Robin’s face was twisted—skeptical, but rattled.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSHdZzX7FEd
Nightwing looked like he wanted to say something, but shock had his tongue hostage.
Claire braced herself.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVXU2oobUp5
She expected Batman to dismiss her.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLgEVXTuBe9
Turn. Leave.
But then he said it:
“Claire,”43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcsBakJ9n75
“I believe you. For now.”
What?
“You need help. So do I.”
Robin’s jaw actually dropped.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt8ibLe8aBn
Nightwing blinked like the laws of physics had just rewritten themselves.
Batman—needing help?43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOlyPaki8ju
And from her?
Just some woman who looked like she’d barely made it off a bakery shift.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiZ6AGdsQmK
A woman claiming the day was on an infinite loop.
Claire’s mind went white.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXcpodcJdhB
She stared at the cowl like it was a portal to a dimension where none of this was supposed to happen.
43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd7HPRUaEwc
