Four years ago, he really hadn’t been legal.
He’d just turned nineteen, barely starting to find balance between nightly patrols and his daytime identity.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1MNmiERhgj
His face still held traces of youth, and his voice hadn’t quite steadied the way it had now.
But how did Nora know?
Tim mulled it over.
She wasn’t a “research-type” writer—not the kind who cross-referenced dates or analyzed timelines.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJpZaxnnVTl
Most of her work leaned romantic, even fantastical. Not logic-heavy at all.
Did she deduce it from photos?
From height ratios? Facial bone structure?152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPToetJBUmf
Uniform updates? Timeline of field appearances?
He ran through a few technical explanations—152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsfjCPndapH
but none of them quite fit.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4aJtUUUsjR
She didn’t come off as someone who calculated.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVI4k0byf7f
She was more like someone whose instinct hit so close to the truth, it made your scalp tingle.
Tim kept thinking.
His thoughts wouldn’t settle—152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0NlMvlcj2g
like a jigsaw puzzle halfway done: some pieces jammed, others suddenly clicking together.
Wait.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH55XrH8zmI
He was an adult now.
Would Nora… know?
Would she, one random morning with her coffee, suddenly realize—
that the character she once refused to write because “he’s a kid”152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhmPgkdhQVH
was now… of age?
Would she start writing about him?
He wasn’t curious about the content—152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEJtxFpIBPa
No, this was just… a professional assessment.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8p26II62G7
Yes, a risk projection, not personal interest.
And if she did start writing…152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXgl0NA1ljo
that would mean she’d been keeping an eye on him.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDpDZ8RUEdF
Wouldn’t it?
Wait—no. Stop.
I should go to bed.
Tim loudly told himself:152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf4tcFojpxt
It’s 3:42 A.M.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGAFt2cucSY
I’ve already reviewed thirty-eight anonymous files today.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ9FIY0T3GH
If I don’t sleep now, I’ll misread intel tomorrow.
Why am I even wondering if Nora would start writing fanfic about me?152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF5wrVpm7pQ
Why do I… care?
No. This was professional anxiety.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9OegvM8dN5
Part of Bat-Family information security protocols.
Yes.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbC5jPnly7P
Sleep. No more browsing.
Tim slammed the laptop shut—152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzgamxBz6yJ
as if slamming the door on temptation itself.
The chair creaked behind him as he stood,152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVexR9wvBEe
feeling like someone who’d spent the entire night being silently stared at.
No one can know about this.
He walked toward the door, steps slow—152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMd5tDC5FjS
each one suppressing the mental image rising uninvited to the surface.
Finn’s future bride candidate…
was a top-tier Batman erotica author.
And not just any writer—152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡczPkZt53PI
the kind who casually wrote things like,152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk56ZDMAV3D
“He’s a kid. I don’t want to commit a crime.”
Just thinking about it made Tim feel like breaking into pieces.
If Damian ever found out—152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyWRzqRd2f8
the kid would probably laugh himself breathless, then go ask Bruce:152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK6jrHla0xK
“So… what do you think of Finn’s teacher writing fanfic about you and… yourself?”
No.
This had to be buried in the night.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo57czO4sK1
No one in the Bat-Family could ever know.
152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEKEe5fGSW8
152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwX4DNMUvCS
Tim shoved the whole thing to the back of his mind.
Like stashing a bizarre dream into a folder marked152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWh5yusRLVD
“Low Risk / No Action”152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVuriwKxWD1
and quietly minimizing the window.
Looking back, he figured maybe he’d overreacted a bit to those green eyes.
That day she stood up and scanned him?152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbIvN6iitlI
Maybe it had just been a teacher’s instinct.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhoVwWX25Gm
Maybe he had just been wound too tight.
At least now he knew her biggest secret.
He honestly hadn’t expected that inside her computer,152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9MNeREMWD1
there weren’t blueprints for bombs, or surveillance tapes—
but instead—152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLpYASrhg3C
the entire archive of a legendary Batman fanfiction author.
A legendary Batman fanfiction author.
Just thinking those words gave him a mild headache.
Who would’ve guessed someone like that was hiding in a kindergarten?
Blonde hair. Green eyes.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwue0tpZy33
Gentle smile.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKWvnXc014N
Painstaking lesson plans.
And then at night, under an anonymous handle,152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpY82pb71wz
she’d write Nightwing until the man couldn’t breathe.
Still, Tim decided—he had to keep monitoring her.
It was a precaution. A professional assessment.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡab73ImyRmp
Lack of malicious intent didn’t mean lack of risk.
The better she was at writing…152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWzqK57KTAa
the more likely she might one day write something too accurate.
So he checked her system.
Installed a barely-there monitoring script—152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlVCSynVvBp
so subtle it wouldn’t interfere with daily use.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyC8bWO8xoD
It would only trigger if specific keywords were typed.
If anything questionable showed up,152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqn7sFMdw84
Tim would be notified first.
Not automatically blocked.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl4QlZVRZhR
He’d assess it himself.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf4v08Vi3Bw
A baseline courtesy—to respect creative freedom.
This should be enough, he thought.
Leaning back in his chair,152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN8B1vL967R
he wrapped up the day’s backup logs152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYruOu5Zl3F
and turned to other vigilante data reports.
But unfortunately…152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb0krqWxx4g
Tim relaxed too soon.
Some things only happen right when you think you’re safe.
Like an alarm that hasn’t gone off in ages—152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1qC1GVujBp
only to explode in the middle of dead silence.
152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuDMWkE4JdW
One week later—
Tim’s computer lit up in warning.
Not a regular alert.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdNuTrsRqUg
It was one of his high-priority personal triggers.
It popped from the corner of his screen—152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡic8lzZmg4s
flashing red.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvL7kD42DM8
Loud system ping.
Tim reacted instantly.
Fingers darted to the trackpad on reflex.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSE1xnQZlQ7
Eyes locked on the window as it expanded.
The monitored user had typed flagged keywords:
gun. black market. bullets.
Tim’s breath caught.
He stared at the words—152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6W6Y1nWLja
blank for a second—then rapidly expanded the full input log.
Nora Virell152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSiVmWXgxuL
Search time: 11:42 P.M.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMq81eAcp0H
Device: Personal computer.
Entered queries:
- “Where to buy bullets in Gotham right now”152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTfaXlQM6pP
152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡorcKpA0nJK - “Black market weapon price list”152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnqKLcHkwaS
152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIVbBoEo29B - “Handgun usage tutorial”152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡozRcCFa3Zi
152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvMSdz0YLv4
Tim stared at the screen—152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfffwzBTzf6
and felt his chest begin to tighten.
Tim was thinking.
He didn’t jump to conclusions.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVY7R9NfHPe
Not right away.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJDJju7Y8FR
Like always, he mentally arranged all the possible explanations in rapid succession.
He tried to reason it out—152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl7GMYXmHdT
because reason was the only shield he trusted when facing the unknown.
Could it be for a story?
He’d seen plenty of creators do research for plot accuracy.
Maybe she was writing a scene about a vigilante infiltrating the black market.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHOzfdWduv8
Maybe a character was trying to stop an arms deal.
Something like that.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1yvaBUKZn5
Trying to recreate that sense of danger.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtv9pBKW4Yb
Or exploring a character’s discomfort with firearms—how they reacted to pulling the trigger.
He’d read those kinds of stories before.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡybNGLQJYU6
Some of them were frighteningly realistic.
But unfortunately—Nora proved him wrong.
She wasn’t just skimming scenarios.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFRFupQg3ac
She wasn’t just dipping in and out.
She was seriously browsing.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw70tWSQeuv
Spending over thirty seconds per page.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAFSmLGDKot
Even bookmarking a few of them.
She was looking at firearm weights, manufacturing years, and production companies.
Her search terms included:
- “Glock old vs new model differences”152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkm5iZWoT9K
152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEyyCbkGVV4 - “Small caliber vs large caliber”152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5c9cqETUQK
152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9fmOq3tgLR - “Civilian vs law enforcement firearm pricing”152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡexFrmGTmqL
152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwSI1M2369p
Those weren’t things a character needed to know.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ACf2Gtx2K
They were the kind of details a gun user would want to understand.
Which meant—
Nora was already familiar.
This wasn’t her first time researching this.
She wasn’t gathering info for fiction.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsJk8MeX4oM
She was evaluating—152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu2FAylfWOF
like someone deciding whether a specific gun was worth owning.
What does she need a gun for?
The question echoed in Tim’s head.
Not just surprise anymore—152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyeXWiE1qET
a rising, sharp anxiety began flooding in.
She’s a teacher. Finn’s teacher.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHgWymjPOk7
She works in a kindergarten.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuMypY8fTIU
Teaches kids to draw, tells them stories, shows them how to say “I’m sorry.”
What would she need a gun for?
For protection?152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQVfLdhszMZ
For something else?
Where did she learn it?152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoJaDV0PXTY
Has she been trained?152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡICIH1cFjIT
Does she know how to use one?152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjzMJ1J2a6M
Would she use it on someone?
Tim couldn’t let this go.
This wasn’t about artistic freedom.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDAEUpahD8v
This wasn’t just a passing curiosity.
This was a potential armed individual demonstrating suspicious behavior.
He needed to understand her threat level—152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqzknm0CNMg
and eliminate any possible risk.
That didn’t mean punishment.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtG4k5y6DRm
But it did mean removing danger—152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcIXv5GC1qo
before it ever had the chance to grow teeth.
Tim moved his fingers.
The keyboard’s backlight flickered faintly as the windows expanded again—152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcXWbuhrZAQ
reconnecting to Nora’s online activity log.
His fingers hovered above the shortcut keys tied to his rapid-execution programs.
He had made up his mind.
His gaze was cold.152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMEIDnwYAVP
His tone unspoken.
This time—he was going to find out, personally.
What the hell is she planning?
152Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUHMItbRMOA
and then Add to home screen.