Claire didn’t want to open the window.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOsdip4T3r9
Because outside—103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCp4YNTjCJZ
was Batman.
Batman.
The guy who made street dealers piss themselves on sight.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4C8EpYrMCO
The guy crime lords called their lawyers over.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDjehZGeng4
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.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡykOnjnWr6M
His cape poured across the floor like spilled ink.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjgtk8V5Z0z
The air grew heavier just by him being there.
And he didn’t come alone.
Of course not.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRBlT0pPUSU
Behind him—103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2zm9mbFSAG
Nightwing.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZdXSmxFjbf
And the little gremlin, Robin.
You two bastards.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdnmfXhE0Lc
Claire’s eyes went wide. Her mind screamed:103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTth0rV68kU
You told on me?! You snitched to the Final Boss?!
But then she looked again.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡefznPf8oWx
Their faces were... weird.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzvAEpYjdMl
No smugness. No jokes.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjt4qQQwlaO
Robin looked sheepish. Guilty, even.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIA1XoxBx6a
Nightwing was avoiding her gaze altogether.
Batman’s stare was sharp enough to slice through her spine.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeNSiJCF6ZW
When he finally spoke, the words hit like a church bell inside her skull.
“Claire. I need an explanation.”
Panic bloomed instantly.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡefoVeE9QCv
Gone was her usual snark.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrgceLADBwL
All she could manage was a shaky:103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLWkvSEX66v
“Explanation for... what?”
He didn’t move.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmjrOCXIcW7
Didn’t raise his voice.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡciCipCmqNk
But it was like gravity turned up a notch.
“Why did you know I was in the city.”
Her brain kicked into high gear.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoIxkW2MvCj
Search the files. Find a lie.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ28VFXc8Up4
Any lie.
Her mouth acted faster than her logic:
“I… I saw you. On the way back from church.”
Instant regret.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ901dR0wMQO
Instant exposure.
Batman responded like he already had that line printed on a card.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡibOUB6rrEo
“That’s a lie. I didn’t pass that area. I need the truth.”
Still no yelling. Still no threats.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGO3jkoafoT
But somehow she couldn’t breathe.
Goddamn Nightwing. Goddamn brat.
She briefly considered:103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVEhu1W3OwV
If I lie down right now and fall asleep—can I just reset?103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpAd7yxsb44
Will the loop save me?103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoCi8lj8Zf8
Is that a thing?
Batman spoke again.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7FFqoGUb2g
Same words.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFOcK8k7GkA
Same calm tone.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhkL0WBVtlw
But this time, the weight behind them was unbearable.
“Miss. I need an explanation.”
Claire believed him.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVINSIoCWRP
He could wait until sunrise if he had to.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf6n46UXVzi
He'd ask until she broke.
She looked down.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyROMDk5BYm
Her fingers curled around the edge of the note she’d written earlier.
And a thought snapped through her mind:103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKwONBgqDLf
It doesn’t matter. Tomorrow resets.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU8gKk7oggY
They won’t remember anyway.
Her lips parted, slow and unsteady—103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡthX3L9GQhG
She was going to tell him.
The secret.
103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu7tvop6KvD
Claire kept her head down.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUCMBEt9bbJ
Her fingers dug into the seams of her jeans, knuckles white.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTEQaFuA95o
She knew—103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpLwAA9YxMn
the moment she said it out loud, nothing would be the same.
But she was done.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeDF9emLseN
So. Goddamn. Done.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoASGk9dXr9
Every morning at five, waking to the same sky.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSui9bEH8Wc
Same damn headlines on the radio.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡan4A0KBrVr
Same dough.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHY7u9BPKbB
Same customers.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ34gEy4Bi00
Same stolen future—again and again and again.
“I’m stuck,” she said.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFrtIr0HlUl
“I’m stuck in today.”
Her heart punched her ribs like it wanted out.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrfuD3h0xbQ
She couldn’t bring herself to look at Batman.
He frowned.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmhdBMRAGij
Those famously unreadable eyes locked onto her like lasers.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUdDxHoOmTF
“What does that mean?”103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwx7iXYeGY7
His voice was low. Steady. Too steady.
Claire took a breath—103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU5T6GVXbgz
No turning back.
“Every morning I wake up, and it’s today. This exact today.”103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqfAbGU9hJP
Her words rushed out, all in one breath.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvEuPG1CZTw
“Five a.m., same morning show, same customers, same bagels, same goddamn newspaper—”103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdlTDcJKMkE
She jabbed a finger at Robin.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCROxXzctuV
“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—103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡczViUOiHvv
I’m the only one who remembers anything!”
The room went dead quiet.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3YhGpGlMMB
Her confession hit the air like a grenade.
Claire’s pulse slammed in her ears, drowning everything else.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfHlxtHNlOr
She wasn’t crying—103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUwBd1dftw1
but the burn behind her eyes told a different story.
And Batman—103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrEIM6sT3rV
He looked at her.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5IrJdpjL61
Really looked.
Not with suspicion.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRv9r3vWqbx
Not interrogation.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcIATpIwz62
Not intimidation.
But with that expression people only get when they’re trying to figure out if the world is insane…103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM7oL5hu4O7
or you are.
And then—he just stood there.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZiCOxr1P32
Silent.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtzfymszGQH
Thinking.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0c1BBuJdPi
For a full minute. Maybe two.
Nightwing and Robin stared like they’d just seen a ghost fart rainbows.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBkRgxdlGBP
Robin’s face was twisted—skeptical, but rattled.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSqkKjFGb0m
Nightwing looked like he wanted to say something, but shock had his tongue hostage.
Claire braced herself.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtifkx557Zv
She expected Batman to dismiss her.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuTVkkZVbV8
Turn. Leave.
But then he said it:
“Claire,”103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtRUJUWG0VI
“I believe you. For now.”
What?
“You need help. So do I.”
Robin’s jaw actually dropped.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJompNQdWfc
Nightwing blinked like the laws of physics had just rewritten themselves.
Batman—needing help?103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQx6Dw9zWeb
And from her?
Just some woman who looked like she’d barely made it off a bakery shift.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5U9vvMXEwa
A woman claiming the day was on an infinite loop.
Claire’s mind went white.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgoSidFfOhu
She stared at the cowl like it was a portal to a dimension where none of this was supposed to happen.
103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ57BTAfENVe
and then Add to home screen.