Wayne Tower — Tim’s private lab space, the city lights bleeding through the glass walls. It’s late. The kind of late where only caffeine and paranoia keep him upright.

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Tim rubbed at his eyes, blinking at the screen as lines of code ran past. Another system diagnostic, another half-empty cup of coffee cooling on his desk. He was the only one left in the building — or so he thought.

Then he heard it.

Scraaaape.

It was faint — light steps, shifting metal. He froze, listening. It wasn’t the heating system. It wasn’t rats. It was… measured. Careful.

He reached under the desk, tapped the silent alarm to lock the doors, and muttered to himself, “If this is another meta trying to steal data, I swear—”

The ceiling vent above his head creaked.

He stood, grabbed his bo staff, and waited. The vent cover wiggled—then popped loose completely as a small figure dropped down with a startled squeak. She landed in a crouch on his desk, scattering papers and half-eaten cookies.

Tim blinked once. Twice. Then slowly lowered his weapon.

The girl on his desk had soft ears, a tail curling defensively behind her, and the wide, guilty eyes of someone caught stealing snacks rather than secrets.

“…Okay,” he said slowly. “Not what I expected.”