A bullet sliced through the air, its echo ringing inside the shooting booth.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡARP2kGSshv
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.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaQ4uZ46WTR
Not luck.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnCi3Kq1r5s
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.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEoo2WP0SNW
Her shoulders were relaxed, but her wrists were steady as stone.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwOwb9sZoxJ
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.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡprEhkH9DWZ
Where had she learned this?160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvwo0mujwDT
This wasn’t the kind of accuracy one gets from just “a few times at the range.”160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDEFbDYa699
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.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd2INumGzbc
“Can I change the distance?” she asked softly.
He nodded and adjusted the panel.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYmYZpbFrvd
The target slid further back.
It was only then that he realized—160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxFc2PhbftW
he’d been holding his breath.
Not out of shock.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsNfnMcI1W5
Out of caution.
And he didn’t like it.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwMRQEUL3an
That sense of unease—he never even felt it around actual villains.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfhePdHNect
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.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZnyRQE0OxC
Not a spy.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmiO8SedtgP
Not an assassin.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyfnaCCoxVS
She was… a kindergarten teacher.
Then—160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7OZ0yETyo8
Bang.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfKV6kIi4mt
The third bullet fired.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3YWsJBzKgV
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:160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRI0YKgsVHI
Who the hell is she?
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGzuTcxyKrL
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZdaBKBJYn7
Afterward, they cleaned the guns together and packed them back into the case.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZeAEEaDxdr
Spent casings rolled lightly across the table, making soft clinks—like the aftershocks of a quiet war.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxcpTZqG1xl
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.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡErv3QcABr3
Her shoulders had dropped slightly.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUvYG8XRyt9
She was still gazing at the rifle she’d just used—almost like she was savoring it.
Then Tim noticed—160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBYHom1wWRJ
her hands were trembling.
Not shaking violently—160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv0uaueNuW4
but the subtle, accumulated tremble of recoil and exhaustion.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2CGQu2VuRz
The kind that creeps in after a long time shooting.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtHORTMSyCG
Like a soldier finally unarmored.
Well, to be fair—160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZSEyrI1MDI
she had been shooting for nearly three hours.
He saw traces of gunpowder still clinging to her fingertips.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlYKuE7KaDe
Her skin glowed faintly warm with residual heat.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRA3GEVWFN1
But she hadn’t complained once.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz8wI15vPY3
Hadn’t asked for a break.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAO6cki6xUt
As if this kind of fatigue had long been a part of her rhythm.
Good.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmhix39Xff2
At least she’s still human.
Tim let out a breath quietly, as if reminding himself of that helped balance his perspective.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEOMfN5omNm
He couldn’t let suspicion cloud his judgment.
He’d only stepped up for a few rounds himself.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQunw9hm2m8
The scores were decent.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtxprknHAqq
But none of his shots had hit fatal zones.
And he knew exactly why.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxfAyKQLnLS
It wasn’t a matter of skill.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG4HgW5A344
It was a matter of training.
Batman’s rules were clear:160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0sePE6uGss
Subdue, don’t kill.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGlq0EY0eUB
Be precise, but never lethal.
It was a philosophy.
Nora, though—her aim was different.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzpTmMEo7xQ
She wasn’t trained by Batman.
She was faster.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmFlnXPBCUW
More instinctual.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyQOdBiWqv3
And she liked aiming for the head.
Tim had noticed.
Not intentionally, perhaps.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGgzsHIdIBX
But something in her subconscious always chose the direct hit, the clean strike, the no-loose-ends shot.
That…160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaMPzEXddBI
couldn’t be known by the rest of the Bat-family.
Tim’s mouth twitched.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡloHSsJ37dw
If Bruce ever found out, he’d be watched—160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡijgcSy5tGW
drowned beneath that silent, disappointed stare.
Not everyone escapes Bruce’s morality.
He looked over at Nora, who was calmly oiling her gun.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbUoWLA7qaK
Her wrist moved naturally, fluid around the body of the weapon, every action muscle memory.
After a moment, he spoke.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzR0FalbWbU
“Your aim’s really good.”
Nora didn’t look up.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB0IrpUl3Xu
“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...160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtde1G4FJpL
Not something an average civilian would say so casually.
His mind raced through possible backgrounds and scenarios,160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrnAcWSsXxD
but Nora didn’t offer any more.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXB56XDA6ZY
She just kept wiping.
Then—160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhYLvTaDlhX
she paused.
Cloth still in hand,160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZjRzA5iml
her gaze drifted somewhere distant—160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzlZffnHD6x
to a time he couldn’t see.
“Actually, guns aren’t my strong suit,” she said quietly.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkSwRhYwhCi
“I only used them for a short time.”
Tim held his breath.
That sentence didn’t sound like small talk.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDvXxaqwAIh
It sounded like a confession—160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg5FMAFGhmi
like a smuggled thought sneaking out of a sealed memory.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrCYMpftcxl
Each word soaked with invisible weight.
Then she added—
“I spent most of my time… with archery.”
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFveicbn1Ry
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBAjK9XOMg7
“Archery?” Tim raised an eyebrow. “So… you like archery?”
Nora gave him a glance but didn’t answer right away.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwP6Yh1im3t
Her fingers were still checking the gun bag’s clasps.
“Not really about liking or disliking,” she said simply.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu8N95HcMfc
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.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIw5BMGqBLc
A gentle curve of the lips—160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz5u0jEpmPY
like wind brushing past leaves.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvtkmIKXUkT
No ripples.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsb6B9JI5LK
But it lingered.
Then she turned away and put the arrows back,160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFUQBEAyEn3
her tone a bit lighter:160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0m10dOBDOQ
“I used to think—160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxR8z9i5hOA
if I ever quit teaching kindergarten,160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFUabbmTwLA
maybe I’d become an archery coach.”
Tim didn’t answer.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5vedxrwmLa
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.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzfDmbpThoP
No competitions, no licenses, no training certificates.
How much was she still hiding?
He lowered his gaze to the safety goggles on the table,160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBvNUiw93xx
and a more frustrating thought struck him.
If she did quit being a kindergarten teacher…160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb9A3FIWTAL
Finn would absolutely lose it.
That kid basically lived for Nora.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj5u3HOyWdt
Declared he’d marry her eight times a day.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡObkXoHISSG
Made weekend cards for her.
Tim rubbed his temples.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaYSTgdNcrt
He could already hear Finn’s future wailing echoing through Wayne Manor—160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt2hU7zRnj0
and then the inevitable call from Europe.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI5g9V9G45l
“Tim! What the hell happened?!”160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiFwz0mSQKR
Leila’s voice, sharp and panicked.
…No.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHXWzD81Gdy
That backup plan could not happen too soon.
Tim was still calculating the feasibility of buying the entire kindergarten.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmk1YFdjdcq
Shifting funds wouldn’t be a problem.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXuUGhGe2Hg
The real issue was how to mask the motive so that neither Finn nor Bruce would catch on.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT9TvbKGIbe
He had already mapped out a few potential shell company routes and plausible justifications—160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9fttvCGfRr
until he heard someone call out:
“Mr. Drake.”
He turned his head.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvHKbFSQJLn
Nora had just placed the last rifle into the case, closing the lid with practiced ease.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXta1Kf7dMN
After locking the latches, she gave her hands a quick clap—160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsYhqOVMtCm
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.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIq5tDr3hWK
“Tim, thank you for inviting me today. I really enjoyed it.”
Her eyes still shimmered with leftover excitement—160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4m2JzKqDEr
so different from the cool, sharp precision she had while shooting.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3PsVleakvF
This was human.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡffXsorNS7s
This was joy.
“Let me buy you dinner,” she said. “I know a great Italian place.”
Tim froze.
For once, he wasn’t strategizing.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1c6Lc152br
He wasn’t analyzing risks.160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWpxRp9WUR3
He wasn’t scanning for background intel.
He just… froze a little—160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTH0XHbj3wO
and then nodded.
“Sure,” he said.
His voice wasn’t loud,160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDvdPJwYbYg
but the way the words landed felt like the quiet turning of a page—160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLJJmIfg058
a new chapter quietly unfolding.
160Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3CHridYED1
and then Add to home screen.