Winter here never ended. It was as if the city itself had lost its sun. You walked through the empty streets, your boots buried in the snow, a piercing wind blowing in your face. Starfire walked behind you, but not the one you knew. Her gaze wandered over the dead landscape, full of confusion and pain. She was a stranger here. Just like you once were, on the first day after everything collapsed.

You had changed. The mirrors, if they had survived, would hardly recognize you. Your hair was longer, darker, scorched in places by the cold and time. Your face was stern, covered in scars and bruises from years gone by. Your gaze had become sharp, wary, no longer had that naive spark. Your costume had changed, too - practical, hand-repaired hundreds of times, with reinforced plates and a cape to hide in the snow. You had become a survivor, a warrior of this world, and not who you used to be.

“Are you sure he’s there?” — Starfire asked cautiously, her voice shaking with cold and fear.

“I’m sure,” — you answered shortly.

You came out to an old warehouse, almost completely covered in snow. It looked like ruins, but you knew it was just a mask. There was a hatch under one of the containers. You had found it a long time ago, but only now had you decided to go in.

The metal creaked as you pulled the lid back. The stairs led down into the darkness. It smelled of iron and burning. You went down first, Starfire right behind you.

The sensors lit up below, soft electric light spilling onto the concrete walls. You felt your heart beat faster. This place was both foreign and familiar.

And then he appeared.

Nightwing stepped out of the shadows. His figure seemed even more massive than you remembered. The blue bird symbol on his chest shimmered in the light of the lamps. His hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and his face, hidden by a mask, remained impassive. He froze when he saw you.

“...Y/N?” — His voice was low, hoarse, as if he didn’t believe himself.

He took a step, then another. And suddenly his gaze slid over your shoulder, to where Starfire stood.

He froze. His eyes widened. He was silent for a few seconds, his breathing ragged. And only then did he whisper.

"No... This... can't be."

Starfire, still not fully understanding what was happening, took a step forward.

"You... Nightwing? I... I came from another time. She found me... saved me."

You felt his gaze fall on you - full of questions, doubts, but also hope, which he was afraid to let in.