A bullet sliced through the air, its echo ringing inside the shooting booth.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRpnAzaKkeb
The sound was muffled slightly inside Tim’s earmuffs, but he still heard the sharp crack as the bullet hit the target dead center. He glanced at the screen showing the impact point—nearly a bullseye.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeF4sLRka0H
Not luck.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLcoTUSH5L9
It was the result of steady, ruthless precision honed through hours of practice.
Nora showed no extra emotion. She simply pulled back the slide and naturally slipped into her second aim, like breathing.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr0UjMTAZJ7
Her shoulders were relaxed, but her wrists were steady as stone.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqreU4dR65F
The next bullet hit the upper left part of the target—a joint, a disabling zone. A combat-style shot.
Tim suddenly realized he had no idea what kind of training this woman had received.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp5cVfJ2m8H
Where had she learned this?159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWKzmqfhK3k
This wasn’t the kind of accuracy one gets from just “a few times at the range.”159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡumN937imBd
This was the kind born from fear and experience—an instinct forged in survival.
Before firing the third shot, she briefly pulled back her gaze and glanced at Tim.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvhEEf6xyOZ
“Can I change the distance?” she asked softly.
He nodded and adjusted the panel.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Y5uQmpkJg
The target slid further back.
It was only then that he realized—159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv3QOT9EaKl
he’d been holding his breath.
Not out of shock.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt1LiDtAnNM
Out of caution.
And he didn’t like it.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL8T8NusVhl
That sense of unease—he never even felt it around actual villains.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQHPVr8QjFn
But around this supposed “civilian”?
From the moment he’d laid eyes on her, his body had been on edge.
But she wasn’t a villain.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYVZRJGlZss
Not a spy.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡysyXMHAJO6
Not an assassin.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDcr9qw19ou
She was… a kindergarten teacher.
Then—159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYGJ3XopsPf
Bang.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMGqcjm3JMI
The third bullet fired.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdjJH3xn5ug
Another dead-on hit, so clean it made his skin crawl.
Tim took a step back and leaned on the table, pretending to check the gun case.
But what he was really thinking was:159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhGY5ZJsoaa
Who the hell is she?
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5x2JZKMAq4
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwkgRHM2tYm
Afterward, they cleaned the guns together and packed them back into the case.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJp9D2JsmqY
Spent casings rolled lightly across the table, making soft clinks—like the aftershocks of a quiet war.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡllV3qhLmfL
Tim picked up a cloth and began wiping down the barrel, each movement precise and cold, the rhythm of someone raised under the Bat's training.
Nora sat across from him.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLjr1CGBIck
Her shoulders had dropped slightly.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuztTAHJEgs
She was still gazing at the rifle she’d just used—almost like she was savoring it.
Then Tim noticed—159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaRtDKzTWsM
her hands were trembling.
Not shaking violently—159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2aDJ78rKlM
but the subtle, accumulated tremble of recoil and exhaustion.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3wi1681waK
The kind that creeps in after a long time shooting.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn4Dv1UvVSg
Like a soldier finally unarmored.
Well, to be fair—159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCFGp0wufwM
she had been shooting for nearly three hours.
He saw traces of gunpowder still clinging to her fingertips.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCpYhioCJjs
Her skin glowed faintly warm with residual heat.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfb9xW5itMs
But she hadn’t complained once.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSmDrakX4vr
Hadn’t asked for a break.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ11146dGgS0
As if this kind of fatigue had long been a part of her rhythm.
Good.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5FIF9sAPdS
At least she’s still human.
Tim let out a breath quietly, as if reminding himself of that helped balance his perspective.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeEyC5kilh4
He couldn’t let suspicion cloud his judgment.
He’d only stepped up for a few rounds himself.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAO9W9OD804
The scores were decent.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtIxV4LmPUw
But none of his shots had hit fatal zones.
And he knew exactly why.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2oHwdbjC4U
It wasn’t a matter of skill.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLyce2JbXke
It was a matter of training.
Batman’s rules were clear:159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡONctYkr9gh
Subdue, don’t kill.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfh8MdFn8k9
Be precise, but never lethal.
It was a philosophy.
Nora, though—her aim was different.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxWhHAWCRCy
She wasn’t trained by Batman.
She was faster.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsn7ch8mtjV
More instinctual.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx8DPXjPfcE
And she liked aiming for the head.
Tim had noticed.
Not intentionally, perhaps.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHnac12XP8Z
But something in her subconscious always chose the direct hit, the clean strike, the no-loose-ends shot.
That…159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLmhVu6nO7x
couldn’t be known by the rest of the Bat-family.
Tim’s mouth twitched.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs5fTc8hiU8
If Bruce ever found out, he’d be watched—159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs4pGkbxULn
drowned beneath that silent, disappointed stare.
Not everyone escapes Bruce’s morality.
He looked over at Nora, who was calmly oiling her gun.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCpR1drAPZT
Her wrist moved naturally, fluid around the body of the weapon, every action muscle memory.
After a moment, he spoke.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6GHruH4lOY
“Your aim’s really good.”
Nora didn’t look up.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKH35EAytaF
“Thanks. I used to have a lot of chances to practice,” she said evenly.
Tim’s lips parted slightly.
A lot of chances to practice...159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ8D9p9b6Xp
Not something an average civilian would say so casually.
His mind raced through possible backgrounds and scenarios,159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwKhEcr9pXa
but Nora didn’t offer any more.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5HyBim8m2L
She just kept wiping.
Then—159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGHIChsh9MY
she paused.
Cloth still in hand,159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWeB46Lz48O
her gaze drifted somewhere distant—159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFV9ObpwmZs
to a time he couldn’t see.
“Actually, guns aren’t my strong suit,” she said quietly.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPzPdej8xAG
“I only used them for a short time.”
Tim held his breath.
That sentence didn’t sound like small talk.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ71MBhON5cj
It sounded like a confession—159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdA2h2MBnOF
like a smuggled thought sneaking out of a sealed memory.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjoL44s7tIP
Each word soaked with invisible weight.
Then she added—
“I spent most of my time… with archery.”
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYzMyLq4ZiU
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCBTTF753Ge
“Archery?” Tim raised an eyebrow. “So… you like archery?”
Nora gave him a glance but didn’t answer right away.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaQyqWNz6Yk
Her fingers were still checking the gun bag’s clasps.
“Not really about liking or disliking,” she said simply.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡroXkgk3mP4
Her tone was neutral, like talking about breakfast options—plain, forgettable.
“It was more like… life demanded it, so I learned.”
She paused, then smiled softly at him.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH7AbsOOAs0
A gentle curve of the lips—159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdo1fNwORmJ
like wind brushing past leaves.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF3I38TpnEA
No ripples.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡujC2tPgz4y
But it lingered.
Then she turned away and put the arrows back,159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTQxZXhc6wG
her tone a bit lighter:159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzobguuTPes
“I used to think—159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzpuMieyU0r
if I ever quit teaching kindergarten,159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlyPTJgG47H
maybe I’d become an archery coach.”
Tim didn’t answer.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Z1h6Gf5uI
Just watched her back.
So that was… her career backup plan?
Or… was it her real passion?
She’d never listed anything about archery on her resume.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOdHbPX4GnN
No competitions, no licenses, no training certificates.
How much was she still hiding?
He lowered his gaze to the safety goggles on the table,159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxfNG4PR4EG
and a more frustrating thought struck him.
If she did quit being a kindergarten teacher…159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLCsxcmtJAA
Finn would absolutely lose it.
That kid basically lived for Nora.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfAYWRAtmi7
Declared he’d marry her eight times a day.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqfDXSDf9d7
Made weekend cards for her.
Tim rubbed his temples.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKQvtaJvfFm
He could already hear Finn’s future wailing echoing through Wayne Manor—159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL3S1lhv8uh
and then the inevitable call from Europe.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVOx2AK4Td3
“Tim! What the hell happened?!”159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnd14wbRHLQ
Leila’s voice, sharp and panicked.
…No.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGtqvvoUKeL
That backup plan could not happen too soon.
Tim was still calculating the feasibility of buying the entire kindergarten.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvou9SwLK5Y
Shifting funds wouldn’t be a problem.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi00LgYYDVe
The real issue was how to mask the motive so that neither Finn nor Bruce would catch on.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE4Pr8UpcE3
He had already mapped out a few potential shell company routes and plausible justifications—159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL06sBj7FXs
until he heard someone call out:
“Mr. Drake.”
He turned his head.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfo3yl9gcJ0
Nora had just placed the last rifle into the case, closing the lid with practiced ease.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdWMQoKzAmu
After locking the latches, she gave her hands a quick clap—159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVOnZ6BRNRy
as if marking the end of a ritual.
“Just call me Tim,” he replied reflexively, his voice unintentionally soft.
Nora gave a small nod, her expression unusually earnest.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlwH6rCN3ub
“Tim, thank you for inviting me today. I really enjoyed it.”
Her eyes still shimmered with leftover excitement—159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfEPqPzAVKD
so different from the cool, sharp precision she had while shooting.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdpjTfq6Gc2
This was human.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMekWJIqn1x
This was joy.
“Let me buy you dinner,” she said. “I know a great Italian place.”
Tim froze.
For once, he wasn’t strategizing.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCOOXL5w3rV
He wasn’t analyzing risks.159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0NUHpQjiG4
He wasn’t scanning for background intel.
He just… froze a little—159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHcanAUyeJq
and then nodded.
“Sure,” he said.
His voice wasn’t loud,159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW2Uh732ZbL
but the way the words landed felt like the quiet turning of a page—159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6NzeuwSwoc
a new chapter quietly unfolding.
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbI92gnUMb6
and then Add to home screen.