Tim rushed over and started operating the machine.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6bV56lGErm
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWVApV9WRoR
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwh6Jm4QPoG
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzb2ZpyNtwW
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyOd5MNWOHn
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCLRzmIF0Mq
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXkinokbA76
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrcsPOFn9h7
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡecCeQD1gNr
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ba1wCXEa5
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRF5ORd3K65
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiKs3g12GHh
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrHWjYjuhZF
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwIOo5POr3W
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZwEqwIIJJx
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKv5dYleILl
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8HwIIQ4yKs
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE7MrDYgPct
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgTgzsmZ7jg
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2HyP816OwW
But right now, she was in his arms.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiAX8YRc2SQ
And that was enough.
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBMaSmF8AfR
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLL6oAj47Up
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBCfjmXlbjU
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbBcQb8qAhP
Nora's first thought was—It's so hot!110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPxzQn6hYK7
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHgMnmSm1hm
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ334mZHgXvv
Not fear.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8vzBmb118A
Not war.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwnnTeGKJ06
But—
Nora remembered her last memory.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ36chvrfYR3
She remembered stepping into that machine.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfzHQFPv5q6
She remembered the last thing she saw: a few familiar faces.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUMWh6M3lCh
Her family. Her home. The world she had spent her last life protecting.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq4sL5hqNqS
She had forced herself to memorize their eyes, their farewells. And then—darkness.
So… did it work?110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMOHpkFL9lj
Something inside her flared to life.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi91mjXG59m
Does this mean the connection succeeded? Did my consciousness really return to Batman’s timeline?110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDwNGNTd6B2
Her heart began racing uncontrollably. A prophecy had come true—110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxcPDi0Xl0X
She was alive.
Just realizing this made Nora tremble.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlXDT5Soj2F
Her fingers wanted to move, her eyelids wanted to open, her lungs ached to draw in real air.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡruKSVrXpIS
Her whole being strained, like a chrysalis about to burst.
She made her decision:110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiNfGDCOXJ8
She would open her eyes.
Slowly, with effort, her will pushed forward like a stone rolling uphill. Her vision blurred, hazy, then slowly sharpened.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP7I3a0bxz4
The light stung, but she succeeded.
Green eyes slowly opened—110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeMpY9Pf8XV
And Nora froze.
She didn’t see a ceiling.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO2xvPfLADq
She didn’t see white lights.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGUDhswW0zK
The very first thing she saw—was him.
Tim’s face was resting against her left shoulder. His breathing was steady, eyes shut.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpBiQqiTWuJ
He had fallen asleep—right there—curled up beside her.
The first thing she saw was the person she missed the most.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFDkjF1PB1y
She held her breath, terrified that this would shatter if she blinked.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvkbxkkFLYz
But he was real. Not a memory, not a dream, not a hallucination.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJqbRQp9uBo
His warmth, the slight twitch of his eyelashes—110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVu6QEu14Wj
All of it whispered: this is real.
Tim was leaning against her left shoulder, sound asleep.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfnZWIBML3d
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaVsc3XXyxY
He looked thinner.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs0z7YiabXm
His jawline was sharper, his collarbones more pronounced. His hair was messy, like he hadn’t rested properly in ages.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlUvzh6GSaE
Has he even been eating?
He looked starved.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKpw61jDj6g
His cheeks were sunken, lips dry. 110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHzp4ezEjGg
Those under-eye circles are massive… Has he even slept at all?
She almost chuckled.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBmdVl4iwzP
This guy… Has he not been sleeping?110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLiNDVVs8IH
Then she realized—
That heat I felt earlier wasn’t from the sun… it was him. He’s been holding me this whole time.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhgBgsoqKAV
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXBTGbB6eZ6
So that’s what I looked like… wrapped up like a little bundle.
She lifted one arm slightly, both amused and touched.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1auB6RS0q6
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlxjAJiqDRJ
Her gaze softened.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWLxQygyhWD
It was a wordless mix of gratitude and ache that welled up from reunion.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTJm5AxZ92F
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi9pTYdy0hj
She slowly pulled her right hand free, wanting to touch the dark circles under his eyes.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIn99CAu86q
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWbhAfOIaqW
It was instinctive, like a wild animal startled in its sleep.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhnPJyC3sr4
His body jolted, brow furrowed, breath catching for a second—
Blue eyes slowly opened.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzXDQqha0GU
Still dazed from sleep, his gaze was unfocused.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ00LSXDS6pE
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjNHbbjNyHS
Then his blue eyes slowly met her green ones.
In that moment, the whole world fell still.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuPdHM6PJUJ
Just the two of them, blue and green locked in a gaze that spanned across time and death.
They stared.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeTwxMgaHKz
No words. No movement. Just a quiet confirmation—110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWZWR9lEDWL
You're really back.
Then—110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnAmowXqou7
Nora smiled.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡojUaTQsg0q
Idiot, she thought fondly.
The corners of her eyes shimmered, but her smile was radiant.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG7tA0Jm2GS
She knew how long he had held on. How tired he must be.
There were a million things she wanted to say.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxGuXdE4Ig9
But right now, she just wanted to do one thing.
Nora placed her right hand on the back of her boyfriend’s head.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcGKURW1FyO
She applied gentle pressure—firm, but soft.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5cqS5BQMD6
This was her choice. Her will.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhJbhf0xkZq
She didn’t want to wait for anyone to speak first.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3EL5wsyGe0
She wanted to act.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw1ZJvhqUEP
To tell him with her actions: I’m back. You’re here. We’re still us.
Their lips moved closer.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡynIYZBFZ8N
Breaths mingled. Their noses almost touched.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGdYTqG9TPC
His pupils widened in shock.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYKfJDffLcM
But she closed her eyes, still smiling.
After two long years, they were finally together again.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡErdJqWLKsh
It began with this moment.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQCIEJtqKB
And this kiss.
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNTp6sL6UuW
and then Add to home screen.