Claire didn’t want to open the window.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT2OSwgLw6t
Because outside—61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5GWYuAdHaj
was Batman.
Batman.
The guy who made street dealers piss themselves on sight.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0njwqxKTSx
The guy crime lords called their lawyers over.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXpcy8Dbk3C
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.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyOupqbwVej
His cape poured across the floor like spilled ink.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbNHackrc6q
The air grew heavier just by him being there.
And he didn’t come alone.
Of course not.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1zfzzaanQS
Behind him—61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOnsi4zY6UC
Nightwing.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡamPe2XOk4c
And the little gremlin, Robin.
You two bastards.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw5IwjatNbs
Claire’s eyes went wide. Her mind screamed:61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWwZZH4ss9g
You told on me?! You snitched to the Final Boss?!
But then she looked again.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKNCwPZTEWp
Their faces were... weird.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMmQn82w8TS
No smugness. No jokes.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyDcYYwPzWe
Robin looked sheepish. Guilty, even.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7mGdKlJ08Z
Nightwing was avoiding her gaze altogether.
Batman’s stare was sharp enough to slice through her spine.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMsZeTLDTxn
When he finally spoke, the words hit like a church bell inside her skull.
“Claire. I need an explanation.”
Panic bloomed instantly.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYQqBCoObLn
Gone was her usual snark.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPGFl2tbJQ0
All she could manage was a shaky:61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTLcxtGgACc
“Explanation for... what?”
He didn’t move.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHfGIuBkGz0
Didn’t raise his voice.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjnXaWx5SCb
But it was like gravity turned up a notch.
“Why did you know I was in the city.”
Her brain kicked into high gear.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsHCAwFGLz7
Search the files. Find a lie.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeDByNF4nFs
Any lie.
Her mouth acted faster than her logic:
“I… I saw you. On the way back from church.”
Instant regret.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDQOtMAbnjI
Instant exposure.
Batman responded like he already had that line printed on a card.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxQPPlmNJZk
“That’s a lie. I didn’t pass that area. I need the truth.”
Still no yelling. Still no threats.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdrEDd5xAhk
But somehow she couldn’t breathe.
Goddamn Nightwing. Goddamn brat.
She briefly considered:61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp7dicMw3jg
If I lie down right now and fall asleep—can I just reset?61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQOQEZrRHiG
Will the loop save me?61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBkjyPIjpgC
Is that a thing?
Batman spoke again.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDdelzeQE2P
Same words.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPx9vY40VVu
Same calm tone.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNitx7nhm5b
But this time, the weight behind them was unbearable.
“Miss. I need an explanation.”
Claire believed him.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIOvdkVzww0
He could wait until sunrise if he had to.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5a8oTcwDUl
He'd ask until she broke.
She looked down.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjjBnGMyNxy
Her fingers curled around the edge of the note she’d written earlier.
And a thought snapped through her mind:61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFvyo7NLQ3b
It doesn’t matter. Tomorrow resets.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3GDH3FdOha
They won’t remember anyway.
Her lips parted, slow and unsteady—61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgi8qCJ1JUi
She was going to tell him.
The secret.
61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhiOUxM6Xuw
Claire kept her head down.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnnIFbc2v9R
Her fingers dug into the seams of her jeans, knuckles white.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAkf6OEeAU5
She knew—61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr07HN5KuY0
the moment she said it out loud, nothing would be the same.
But she was done.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9geLbXB8TV
So. Goddamn. Done.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmy21JdXEcM
Every morning at five, waking to the same sky.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlbvxwkVa3h
Same damn headlines on the radio.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpTJpPiv7nW
Same dough.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3L8LI37IbD
Same customers.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu6qbQhaW1h
Same stolen future—again and again and again.
“I’m stuck,” she said.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp0eVbHruSU
“I’m stuck in today.”
Her heart punched her ribs like it wanted out.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVxLOBUFKQu
She couldn’t bring herself to look at Batman.
He frowned.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq5tt3WcSWT
Those famously unreadable eyes locked onto her like lasers.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPvnlTSRTmy
“What does that mean?”61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIa3dmmQg6S
His voice was low. Steady. Too steady.
Claire took a breath—61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHNw7UnTBcF
No turning back.
“Every morning I wake up, and it’s today. This exact today.”61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV2Ok0gAVG7
Her words rushed out, all in one breath.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoNkxB168vq
“Five a.m., same morning show, same customers, same bagels, same goddamn newspaper—”61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi61BKuZFDp
She jabbed a finger at Robin.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSHHa8qeKK6
“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—61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd6B0BKqG70
I’m the only one who remembers anything!”
The room went dead quiet.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1XHaYkPwAe
Her confession hit the air like a grenade.
Claire’s pulse slammed in her ears, drowning everything else.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5iH9myzIEg
She wasn’t crying—61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoM3ox5kf5R
but the burn behind her eyes told a different story.
And Batman—61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4iuQlsTPqY
He looked at her.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXbo5BLvr16
Really looked.
Not with suspicion.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC5ZGa1JyUA
Not interrogation.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfXBmE1wap1
Not intimidation.
But with that expression people only get when they’re trying to figure out if the world is insane…61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqBrVEeahcg
or you are.
And then—he just stood there.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX8Pbin1wbY
Silent.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp4UmVSqi94
Thinking.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5vNHYVJ4hW
For a full minute. Maybe two.
Nightwing and Robin stared like they’d just seen a ghost fart rainbows.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaIfoYD7Qcz
Robin’s face was twisted—skeptical, but rattled.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgjYucUlpli
Nightwing looked like he wanted to say something, but shock had his tongue hostage.
Claire braced herself.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHc61fztgXF
She expected Batman to dismiss her.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrus9Nq2cUt
Turn. Leave.
But then he said it:
“Claire,”61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3se7jd7TuS
“I believe you. For now.”
What?
“You need help. So do I.”
Robin’s jaw actually dropped.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIhY5tCa9SK
Nightwing blinked like the laws of physics had just rewritten themselves.
Batman—needing help?61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu9aWSGvPj5
And from her?
Just some woman who looked like she’d barely made it off a bakery shift.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu5UJ5cwWSA
A woman claiming the day was on an infinite loop.
Claire’s mind went white.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyr0xZ2mAQ6
She stared at the cowl like it was a portal to a dimension where none of this was supposed to happen.
61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU3xfY5pbZq
and then Add to home screen.