Tim rushed over and started operating the machine.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmmHpyOWVxA
His fingertips trembled as he typed in the commands, failing the password twice before finally gaining access to the main control panel. His mind was a mess—he could barely hear the steady rhythm of heartbeats behind him. All his focus was on those rows of options he knew by heart.
He switched the machine to thawing mode.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV5UlioqrYN
As the options lit up before him, he didn’t hesitate to select “Initiate Thawing Process,” as if it were the only choice. He didn’t think about the consequences or the risks—her pulse had returned. That meant she should wake up. That belief was all he had.
But the machine's analysis showed: thawing would take six hours.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDKYAQuLrEm
A line of cold, emotionless text appeared at the center of the screen, like a slap to the face. He stared at it and frowned. It wasn’t “immediate.” It wasn’t “now.” It was six hours—an eternity.
Tim frowned. Six hours was far too long.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFcmxfRVQtt
He almost cursed. Six hours wasn’t a process—it was torture. He could take down dozens of enemies, crack hundreds of codes, but this kind of stillness, this wait, was unbearable.
Too long.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzVQYExhH08
He clenched his jaw and spun around. He couldn’t just stand there doing nothing—he needed to do something. His actions were a distraction, a way to suppress that overwhelming desire inside him.
He turned and strode across the Batcave, searching for what he needed.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkECksNRn1m
His steps were quick and purposeful, like he was carrying out a classified emergency mission. He didn’t say a word, but his movements made it clear: she’s going to wake up, and when she does, she won’t be cold, or in pain, or alone.
Heater. Blankets.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOoCm2nvcpj
He remembered those supplies were stored in the back storage room. Tim carried them out, sweating under the strain, beads of sweat gathering on his brow. His hands were so cold they trembled, but he didn’t stop.
He hauled everything into the room and turned the heater on.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Yj2DrpYGb
It roared to life with a low hum, warm air beginning to spread and slowly filling the morgue-like space. Tim cranked the temperature to its highest setting, as if trying to chase away the past two years of cold with heat.
The room quickly filled with warmth.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCGZBJn2a0l
Steam began to swirl through the air. The clash between cold and hot fogged the glass, and Tim stood in the mist like a figure out of a dream. But his expression wasn’t dreamy—it was alert and intense.
Tim stared at the person inside the cryo-pod, then reached out with trembling hands to press the button.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡij5RAAJAq1
His finger hovered above it for several seconds, as if it were a door that, once opened, could never be closed again. He took a deep breath—and finally pressed down.
The pod door opened slowly, releasing a rush of icy mist.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGYaJPNvm6g
At that moment, warm and cold collided like a crack forming between the human world and a dream. Fog churned and blurred the room, transforming it into something unreal.
Tim looked at the girl he hadn’t seen in two years.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Dig1zi8Mo
She lay there, lashes resting on unmoving lids, lips pale, hair clinging to her cheeks. He stood frozen, barely breathing, afraid to disturb the fragile silence.
He touched Nora’s golden hair.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0EDkzjxzoQ
It was cold, dotted with dew from the thawing process. Her hair was a little longer than he remembered, as if time had quietly left its mark on her while she slept. His fingertips trembled—he couldn’t tell if it was from nerves or pain.
Then, he took a deep breath and gently lifted her into his arms.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAf0hAZyc50
His arms circled her back and legs with reverent care. He could feel her body was still cold, her skin like that of a statue yet to awaken. She felt too light—or perhaps, he had simply forgotten what it was like to hold her.
Tim didn’t go far. He turned and sat down right next to the cryo-unit.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuIJQQt3s1O
He didn’t dare leave its side, as if she still needed the machine to survive. When he sat, he accidentally brushed against its edge—the cold metal grounding him back to reality. He adjusted his posture and let himself become another anchor she could lean on.
Holding Nora in his arms.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW1nWMZrBF8
She rested against his chest like an unawakened soul. He could feel her breathing—irregular, sustained only by the system—but she was here. She was really here.
He covered her with the blanket and let her rest against him.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ90Efg08v5n
That thick layer of fabric was the only barrier he could offer. He smoothed it over her, carefully wrapping even her feet, afraid that even the tiniest gap might let the cold in. He let her head rest on his shoulder, his arms still steady beneath her back.
So cold, Tim thought. Like holding a block of ice.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEZ6UqCzIaT
She had no body heat. Yet his heartbeat raced, as if trying to warm her with his own. The cold seeped into his skin, his bones, his blood—but he didn’t move.
Tim didn’t want to let go.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm0wgDaaO5y
Even when his fingers went numb, even when his knees began to ache, he didn’t loosen his grip. Because this was the first time in two years that he could truly hold her.
He didn’t know when she would wake.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGob7uv6tET
But right now, she was in his arms.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5VcsUOMTsN
And that was enough.
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsV5rjsF1e5
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Nora's first thought was—It's so hot!111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG38VKjCQ4h
Not just warm—hot, like her entire body had been thrown into warm water. Her brows furrowed slightly as her consciousness slowly floated upward from the depths, and every inch of her skin screamed in discomfort, as if someone had left her under the burning sun in the middle of a desert.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsfwIn1ROwT
What’s going on? Is my body actually being exposed to direct sunlight?
She tried to move, but even her eyelids felt like they were weighed down with lead. Her whole body was trapped between heat and heaviness, limbs stiff, mind foggy. All she had to prove she was still alive was that faint sensation of discomfort. And yet, rising alongside the heat, there was something else—a sense of safety.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1wf8I8eWTP
Not fear.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMDSgYr6wyg
Not war.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNWFQwvuKop
But—
Nora remembered her last memory.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtba4P1IP4d
She remembered stepping into that machine.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQJDdqnDYf4
She remembered the last thing she saw: a few familiar faces.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT4XgUIsGrl
Her family. Her home. The world she had spent her last life protecting.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxu0OAei75Q
She had forced herself to memorize their eyes, their farewells. And then—darkness.
So… did it work?111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ09OJmmiy7S
Something inside her flared to life.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrAgtnRQwsz
Does this mean the connection succeeded? Did my consciousness really return to Batman’s timeline?111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIC6telc1X3
Her heart began racing uncontrollably. A prophecy had come true—111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwWV08UF2lj
She was alive.
Just realizing this made Nora tremble.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaOz6gWpDLp
Her fingers wanted to move, her eyelids wanted to open, her lungs ached to draw in real air.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6LzVWG22fB
Her whole being strained, like a chrysalis about to burst.
She made her decision:111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLb5LoswoDJ
She would open her eyes.
Slowly, with effort, her will pushed forward like a stone rolling uphill. Her vision blurred, hazy, then slowly sharpened.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqmvp5NT5AV
The light stung, but she succeeded.
Green eyes slowly opened—111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9PJVxmkiNa
And Nora froze.
She didn’t see a ceiling.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLphg3SQ9xr
She didn’t see white lights.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV1cATYsMOL
The very first thing she saw—was him.
Tim’s face was resting against her left shoulder. His breathing was steady, eyes shut.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHegi3hCOL1
He had fallen asleep—right there—curled up beside her.
The first thing she saw was the person she missed the most.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXMQC2xLKG1
She held her breath, terrified that this would shatter if she blinked.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhnjX9VndVI
But he was real. Not a memory, not a dream, not a hallucination.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlFSywnOWqC
His warmth, the slight twitch of his eyelashes—111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIExS0uhiOL
All of it whispered: this is real.
Tim was leaning against her left shoulder, sound asleep.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAV669w5iJB
He looked exhausted.
He hadn’t noticed she’d woken. His breathing carried the weight of someone who’d finally collapsed after holding out too long. He’d only allowed himself to rest once he knew she was safe.
Nora stared at him.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjwUfWUrC1x
He looked thinner.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdINZaW7jCw
His jawline was sharper, his collarbones more pronounced. His hair was messy, like he hadn’t rested properly in ages.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnPmQjWXTkt
Has he even been eating?
He looked starved.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhwLupjwF0d
His cheeks were sunken, lips dry. 111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDBFQ1pSg5C
Those under-eye circles are massive… Has he even slept at all?
She almost chuckled.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDifZ5xMw6n
This guy… Has he not been sleeping?111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Zv8RMMAIG
Then she realized—
That heat I felt earlier wasn’t from the sun… it was him. He’s been holding me this whole time.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ45mF34eOqd
No wonder it was so warm. I was in his arms.
She glanced down. Her entire body was wrapped in a thick blanket, like a cocoon. Even her toes were snugly covered.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsdL2Lr6bgC
So that’s what I looked like… wrapped up like a little bundle.
She lifted one arm slightly, both amused and touched.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyJODbcr2PM
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCNtQvDhDIr
Her gaze softened.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTkcLr9R9ia
It was a wordless mix of gratitude and ache that welled up from reunion.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6BXP6gsHlo
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She slowly pulled her right hand free, wanting to touch the dark circles under his eyes.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡicCTdlkaCl
The motion was clumsy, but she pushed through the blanket and reached for his tired face, her fingers trembling—
And the moment she touched him, Tim flinched.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfAz22ltDQr
It was instinctive, like a wild animal startled in its sleep.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqzlBGvbjxi
His body jolted, brow furrowed, breath catching for a second—
Blue eyes slowly opened.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1QKOrhxniQ
Still dazed from sleep, his gaze was unfocused.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYxhmskdIDb
He blinked twice, clearly still halfway in a dream.
But she could feel it—his heartbeat surged in that moment.
There were a few seconds of confusion.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMQmlkOWb3T
Then his blue eyes slowly met her green ones.
In that moment, the whole world fell still.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3hOpiKtNnT
Just the two of them, blue and green locked in a gaze that spanned across time and death.
They stared.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ02CnWEWuB1
No words. No movement. Just a quiet confirmation—111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7GTKrkZ5jh
You're really back.
Then—111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEiEzMLEgjY
Nora smiled.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl3xrB4BmBL
Idiot, she thought fondly.
The corners of her eyes shimmered, but her smile was radiant.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf1PT3S7xxZ
She knew how long he had held on. How tired he must be.
There were a million things she wanted to say.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPfy2x5ONkK
But right now, she just wanted to do one thing.
Nora placed her right hand on the back of her boyfriend’s head.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Bfch3CT9e
She applied gentle pressure—firm, but soft.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡswFxK3xJtb
This was her choice. Her will.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmoMUQXebQc
She didn’t want to wait for anyone to speak first.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXQL9k8EVg2
She wanted to act.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmGQYeW941G
To tell him with her actions: I’m back. You’re here. We’re still us.
Their lips moved closer.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOmQEfUj8RV
Breaths mingled. Their noses almost touched.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtJooGoIYGw
His pupils widened in shock.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡobyioMQQta
But she closed her eyes, still smiling.
After two long years, they were finally together again.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQuqbpivptw
It began with this moment.111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFpdL0LLxgX
And this kiss.
111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkQaVZAfciJ
and then Add to home screen.