Timothy Drake was a familiar face in Gotham's headlines—this year’s 23-year-old rising golden bachelor.
He always appeared perfectly composed in front of the cameras.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIuSoyKDjuy
The click of his leather shoes on the sidewalk was clean and crisp, and the clasp on his briefcase was always shut just right.
No matter what reporters asked, he stayed calm.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCoKTDw2iyv
About company strategy, about the direction of the conglomerate, about long-term vision—he never said the wrong thing.
But all the articles mentioned one thing:101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ3OR9E0aoI
He always arrived alone, and left alone.
As if he was born to be someone who didn’t need companionship.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBvNOFliOsH
Not only was he the heir of the Drake Group, long operating across Europe,101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzV0c3MDTSH
he was once under the guardianship of Gotham’s richest man—Bruce Wayne.
That relationship was never publicly explained in full.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMMoZySAMJm
But in a few blurry old newspaper clippings, the two were photographed appearing in public together.
A young boy stood beside a man in black, his head lowered, looking at his own shadow.
The public only knew he was the “genius chosen by Mr. Wayne,”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2SrhoeUKrp
but few ever asked what kind of void he had been chosen to fill.
Unfortunately, no media outlet had ever caught him showing any romantic interaction with a woman.
There were a few times paparazzi mistook a female assistant walking into a building with him for a new girlfriend,101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoCOv02iVRt
but Tim personally spoke out to clarify.
He said: “Please don’t use someone’s professionalism and hard work as material for gossip.”
That statement circulated online for days—101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtXRzd7O2Ss
calm, sharp, and impossible to argue with.
Today, our President Drake had a new mission: to pick up his adorable little nephew.
A pink star was marked on his schedule—rumor had it he’d put it there himself.
Alfred joked that this was the first time in his life Tim had ever left the house on time for something other than a board meeting—101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsVK0IcmFYV
and it was to go to a kindergarten.
Tim merely replied calmly, “It’s an urgent task. Punctuality is the baseline.”
Finn was the child of his adopted sister and second brother, Jason Todd.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ6HVTWNfOY
And yes, the family tree was a mess.
Even Tim didn’t really want to explain it—101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡntXozMLR1j
probably only Alfred could make sense of the legal and blood ties woven into it.
But to him, Finn was simply family.
The kid had a sharp tongue, moved fast, loved to interrupt, was clingy, loved to draw—and was frankly terrible at it.
But in that moment when Finn ran up and hugged his leg,101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVuO6ujvSFE
Tim always found himself thinking: This kid matters.
Today, both parents were busy—Leila had a concert, and Jason was tracking down the mastermind behind a smuggling ring—101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcpmbtSoTdW
so the mission fell to Tim, the kid’s uncle.
He said nothing, just rolled up his shirt sleeves,101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZza2OX3yqz
left his office in a high-rise, and headed toward the address Alfred had prepared.
He knew this wasn’t just “picking up a kid.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN0mhuoJX1a
This was stepping into the world they had all tried to keep separate.
To be honest, Finn really was an adorable kid—full of energy.
Since he was three, he would leap off the couch, declare “I just defeated you!” to Jason,101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9cOJokeKCR
then bounce back up to land another kick for good measure.
He loved drawing, even though he couldn’t draw a proper square.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnAJ5KV25Y1
He loved asking “why,” and would interrupt you with the next “why” before you could answer the first.
Bruce had given one order: Finn was to have a normal childhood.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4TSPiUvwHp
No one in the family was allowed to let the boy know about their secret identities.
But Tim was certain—soon enough, four-year-old Finn would figure out that something was off.
After all, not every house had hidden skylights on the roof.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjnZ8kYYGeO
Not every uncle, aunt, or older cousin disappeared like clockwork in the middle of the night.
And not every kid drew a shadowy figure with wings spread wide,101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ83H5kPs8Vd
perched on the edge of a high-rise building.
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One thing about Finn always left people half-laughing, half-helpless.
Every single day, Finn went around announcing,101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKha2wVxI8y
“When I grow up, I’m going to marry Miss Nora!”
It didn’t matter if he was eating, drawing, or even napping—101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0dSR0eFA2L
he’d suddenly declare it like it was some grand historical mission.
One time after nap time, he even told a classmate,101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvnoMjt2G4B
“I dreamed about the wedding, but Miss Nora hasn’t said yes yet.”
Tim had never met this “Miss Nora.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzsmg02dHSC
He’d only heard the name a few times from Finn at home, but hadn’t given it much thought.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtg58EtHO2Z
After all, it wasn’t unusual for a kid to be fond of their teacher.
But apparently, the kid’s entire sketchbook was filled with drawings titled:101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡda7Vdac2FE
“Me and Teacher Got Married.”
There were cakes, rings, and even one page with a veiled figure riding a dinosaur.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1wPlcy1Zpc
Tim had seen one of them—and went completely silent.
Nora Virell. Tim had looked her up.
Her background was perfectly ordinary. Normal parents, graduated with a degree in education,101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE7ZA6vFUgA
and started working at the kindergarten right after school.
A clean, traceable record.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3w2GntoL3i
No red flags, no suspicious social media, no odd financial activity, no name changes,101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbMlSpBfHAg
no history on the black market—which was saying something in a city like Gotham.
By all accounts, she was just a teacher.
But she did have striking blonde hair and bright green eyes.
In the photo, her long curls were slightly tousled, and her smile tilted with a playful curve.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJVlpzR2A6k
Her gaze sparkled—like she was always ready to say,101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKxzS2bGEEq
“Alright then, let’s play.”
Maybe that was what drew Finn to her.
Children were particularly sensitive to colors—101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2SEHfvz6c1
blonde hair and green eyes probably looked to him like someone straight out of a fairy tale.
He even asked Bruce how to win a girl’s heart.
Tim rolled his eyes.
He’d been reading the newspaper at the breakfast table across from them.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrTczpZe9cM
Bruce, on the other hand, had looked like he’d just swallowed a whole cup of bitter tea—101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2T1iyzILpt
clearly unprepared for that kind of question.
Tim had told himself silently,101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBEqf7FsQ5H
He’s four.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzChvtYSpDH
Still, he remembered the name: Nora Virell.
Following Bruce’s instructions, he went to pick Finn up after school.
That afternoon’s meetings and document reviews had been cleanly crossed off his schedule—101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡruT08JF0ty
this time slot had been reserved just for this.
When the time came, he left the office.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡARcwhSl65J
It felt less like an errand, more like a quiet reconnaissance mission.
The kindergarten was much cleaner than he’d expected.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWHoRFgaN1S
The kids inside were playing games while waiting for their parents.
The walls were covered with colorful cardstock and stickers, and the air smelled faintly of hand soap.
A few children sat in a circle, piecing together a puzzle.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxyuXsAYg5H
One of them suddenly burst into high-pitched laughter.
Tim found the front desk teacher.
She was checking the roster, and when she looked up and saw him, her expression froze for a second.
The young teacher looked stunned—101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGm9VRrE7pp
probably unsure who this sharp-dressed, serious-looking man was.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD9NNWhOO0K
People who came to pick up kids usually didn’t carry this kind of aura.
Tim gave his name and showed the parent authorization form.
His movements were precise, his voice steady and calm—101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOo9DPw3inT
like someone handing over an official document.
It couldn’t be helped.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtxSuvcPi3s
Gotham wasn’t exactly known for its safety.
This city had no shortage of missing persons and strange kidnapping cases.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4KLPGDYN7t
Even kids weren’t immune.
Especially kids like Finn—101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAexlCeQ4MG
born into a family always skirting the edge of danger.
The teacher suddenly became very enthusiastic, personally leading Tim toward the classroom.
Her voice picked up speed, her smile widened—101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRmnUybiYbi
clearly realizing this man wasn’t just anyone.
Tim had seen this before.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBxb61hGxiu
Rich, single men always attracted attention.
He didn’t react.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr2AyA9XthF
He just followed quietly, glancing at the lesson plans and class photos on the walls as they walked.
The children were all smiling brightly.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGi9Qc2CplQ
In one photo, Finn stood center stage, dressed like a lion.
They reached Finn’s classroom.
The room was softly lit; the lights weren’t turned off yet.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwzHkDgtN46
A few kids were still putting up drawings on the wall.
As soon as Finn saw him, he jumped up and ran over.
His little feet pounded like he had his own personal drumbeat.
“Uncle! Uncle!”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVmjXkPP8IK
He ran up and hugged Tim’s leg tight.
His body was warm and slightly sweaty.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo460z1XEaj
His small arms clung tight.
Tim ruffled Finn’s hair. It was damp—he must’ve been running around just before.
His bangs stuck to his forehead, and the skin behind his ears was red from all the activity.
Tim crouched down to help him with his backpack.
The zipper got stuck for a second.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlMwWaSCl8D
He didn’t say anything, just adjusted it quietly.
Finn was chattering nonstop—101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKdxUYGlf5H
something about Miss Nora wearing a red dress,101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtU9o7uWymx
Miss Nora saying his drawing improved,101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMRKDcbu4U4
Miss Nora drinking coffee but still not napping.
“Uncle, I want to introduce you to my future bride!”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiZRrifQLvX
Finn said with determined excitement, dragging Tim toward the corner of the classroom.
A woman was crouched there, putting toys away.
Her movements were unhurried, carefully aligning wooden blocks one by one back into their box.
“Miss Nora! Look! This is my uncle!”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqUPeBl75sT
Finn’s voice sounded like he was introducing a brand-new toy.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8qfpBJLFsZ
He was so excited, his grin nearly touched his ears.
A woman looked up.
Her motion was unhurried but deliberate—101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVU1PDRAMLd
as if she’d already heard the whole conversation,101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9jIKAm9j5z
and had simply been waiting for her cue to enter.
Her green eyes gleamed like polished jade as she looked up.
She didn’t flinch, didn’t rush to smile.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhM7VDgf0Qs
She simply looked—calmly—at the man standing at the door in a black suit.
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And for the first time, Tim laid eyes on the blonde teacher named Nora.
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and then Add to home screen.