Nora was dreaming.
It had been so long since she last dreamed of the past—so long, in fact, that she’d wondered if she’d gone numb.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ02rmijNE3p
Had she become so cold that even her subconscious had stopped reminding her of what once was?143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI5jeq1wU0G
All those memories, all those past lives, seemed to have been swallowed whole by time, leaving nothing behind.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCiLR28n7b0
She had tried to recall, but couldn't even grasp a single image.
But this time, the dream came in perfect clarity.
She was driving again.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzRMnOa23AM
The engine purred beneath her, the road stretched endlessly ahead—no destination, no end in sight.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEeVRrxQfwT
There was nothing visible beyond the horizon.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxFNOKPgDYb
Only a gut instinct urging her: keep driving, don’t stop.
“You have to make it safely,”143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrB7ENGKhLV
That sentence echoed in her mind over and over.
Her hands trembled constantly, but she didn’t feel pain.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSCdRZcS360
Not because she was numb—143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFfWVXuMEFN
But because she hadn’t felt pain in so long, her body had learned to suppress it, to function as a machine made for movement alone.
She blinked several times.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcWM4imUU3E
Her vision blurred, like fog clouding the windshield, but she knew—143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡua8NKYCcaO
She still couldn’t stop.
She turned her head.
In the passenger seat, a group of small children sat quietly.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ61S1GFdldA
They were silent, like blades of grass waiting for dawn.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsDyR1gpMeo
Their faces felt familiar, but indistinct.
“Yes… the children…” she struggled to think.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjVP3ssVIyX
“My mission is to transport the children… a whole van of children.”
The thought surfaced from the deepest part of her mind.
She tried to grip the wheel tighter.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb3kC6sCzUb
The steering wheel pressed into her palms so hard they felt like splitting open.
She didn’t know where the van was heading.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2aCTX3yqln
But she knew one thing—
Almost there.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAhQsardrgE
Almost there.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡls8ZD2U52I
She told herself, like soothing a frightened child.
Then, she clenched her teeth.
And in the next moment—143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqm0YG2rUgJ
She realized her canines…143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyy8jBa8hZt
Were growing longer.
The air in the dream turned cold.
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3CGuStp1PO
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyredOOHwKo
Three days later.
Tim sat in the Batcave, surrounded by rows of surveillance monitors.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTwQOC8VDgx
Voices buzzed through his headset as the patrol team reported in from all over the city.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9DZ3SsCKeZ
Calmly, he toggled between camera feeds, issuing instructions through the comms, helping coordinate tonight’s patrol routes.
He flagged anomalies in each zone, then reassigned coverage areas to different team members.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEvfC7RHYT2
His tone was steady, mechanical, precise.
“East docks are unusually quiet. Nightwing, swing by for a check.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoqCVX2m2hN
Red Hood, your area’s clear. Move north.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoO8CWqEM8o
Batman, repeating the update: patrol the route from City Hall to the hospital again. That zone was compromised two nights ago.”
Batman’s voice came through on the other end—143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoZy12dgWC0
Harsh. Cold.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlYB1aCxfsv
Like the silent storm that followed a crisis.
Tim knew Bruce was angry.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1U4pRSfPwj
Correction: the entire Wayne family was furious.
Nightwing was so mad he nearly stormed back to Gotham to physically confront someone.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiGBA1BSEfh
Jason had already destroyed three motorcycle helmets during his patrols.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8VPgfdUbol
Bruce said nothing—143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU6sg5tiV9e
Which was worse.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcRT8KjNgC6
He’d started a full internal audit of every education facility in Gotham,143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDL8HJgcMNq
and if he uncovered the origin of the culprits, it was likely the entire criminal syndicate would disappear overnight.
As for Tim—143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWO7QVYx8dy
All he could do was stay calm and maintain command.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz8ihQHnbay
It felt like the only thing left within his control.
He remembered that day—143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf418JF8ini
When Nora said she’d been shot, her voice so casual it sounded like a joke.
Then he got into the driver’s seat.
As he drove, he glanced sideways—143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv7Wnzvjwo5
Nora was crouched near the door, wrapping one of his emergency tourniquets tightly around her waist.
The wound was on her side, just above the hip.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGBvyBrmm1E
Not fatal, but it had to hurt.
Tim noticed: there wasn’t as much blood as he’d feared. That gave him a sliver of relief.
But before he could ask anything,143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAYAnzqWezz
Nora had already walked to the back of the van, smiling as she asked the kids:
“Want to play a car-counting game?”
She said if they saw more than twenty cars go by, that meant they were almost home.
Tim nearly turned to stare at her.
But the kids believed her.
He thought: Finn only just learned to count to ten...
As he drove, he watched her from the mirror—143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvpYuwEKwQv
Her body visibly trembling from pain, but her face still smiling, comforting those frightened little souls.
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5F3K3ATfrg
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1a1kvvygB5
Tim managed to drive the van full of shaken children back into the city, straight to Gotham Central Police Station.
He had rehearsed it all in his head.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIOgJfb1zZM
Once they reached city limits, the logistics would kick into place—143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy6my7M8Vhl
Precise. Coordinated. Mechanical.
And indeed, it unfolded exactly as he planned:
Media outlets had already been contacted.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAeAOVrpI75
Press conference times, speaker order, and statements were all pre-arranged.
The kindergarten had dispatched staff to receive the children, calm parents, and liaise with officials.
Batcave support was at full throttle—143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnrFJdsGVyb
Surveillance data was backed up and sent to the police.
The hospital had opened emergency lanes in advance.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrg490xeGSR
The two teachers were immediately transferred upon arrival.
Everything unfolded according to Tim’s “perfect exit strategy.”
He personally announced that the main suspect and accomplices had been captured in the outskirts.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJjitWBHlFW
To support that claim, Tim had Robin rush to the scene—143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsBAJeZGDz0
And they did, in fact, find unconscious criminals and leftover evidence.
He played the part flawlessly.
Outside the police station, parents had already gathered.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnorkQ6KFey
When they saw their children return safe, the cries that erupted were like a tsunami.
Kids threw themselves at their parents, sobbing uncontrollably.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUdlvvGTGCJ
One louder than the next—143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfzWv5aKSmb
Even Tim nearly lost control of his own emotions.
Thankfully, he had already arranged human barricades and visual shields.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiPDsm6gYf6
Not a single child’s crying face was caught by media cameras.
As for Finn’s parents—Jason and Lyla—143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJIVpBlQIGR
They were abroad and couldn’t return for at least two more days.
So Bruce came himself to pick up Finn.
The moment those tear-filled blue eyes spotted his grandfather,143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ45pNACcwb8
he leapt forward like a tiny animal finally dropping its defenses,143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGmteIgoc9s
and clung to Bruce’s neck with everything he had.
For once, Bruce was at a loss for words.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwmsLfIYzHN
All he could say was: “It’s okay. Grandpa’s here.”
The two teachers were transported safely to the hospital.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwr3pcW1ZZ6
Initial checks showed one had simply passed out from shock and would be fine after rest.
But just as Tim was still deep in post-crisis coordination at the station,143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyIbLXhi7Gd
a call came through the hospital’s secure line—
Nora’s injury was far worse than they had initially thought.
The bullet had entered through her side, struck bone, then ricocheted, causing extensive internal damage.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡebIMC1j4N3
The doctor described it as a “small-scale explosion” inside her body.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1RIV1zp1tq
Bleeding was severe and difficult to control.
The initial surgery couldn’t fix everything.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRpI4p69BBT
They had to stabilize her first, then proceed in phases.
The operation stretched across three days.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdr94Mduk8Z
Two surgical teams rotated.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhsXqWEI8K0
Experts from general surgery, trauma, neurology, and orthopedics were brought in.
And now—143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYSu7kyqhcE
Tim sat on a bench outside the police station.
He closed his tablet.
Tilted his head back.
And stared at the gray, heavy sky.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg8QUmWXaFT
Speechless for a very, very long time.
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAUblUdUV65
and then Add to home screen.