𝐌𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐌𝐄 𝐔𝐏, ronance

𝟏𝟏. 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞 𝗠𝗘

Nancy's apartment was a chaotic blend of scattered notes, tangled thoughts, and the lingering aftermath of the Sentinel's intrusion.

Guilt tugged at Nancy's consciousness like an insistent voice, whispering accusations of negligence.

The broken voice inside her head was cold, like the breeze over a frozen ocean—

"You got too close to Jonathan, and he paid the price. You couldn't protect him, so what makes you think you can protect her?"

As it echoed in the back of her head, the ache in her chest festered like an open wound.

She reached for Robin's jacket that hung delicately over the back of a chair as if it was patiently waiting for its owner to return.

Nancy's touch lingered on the fabric as if it would awaken her from this nightmare. The material had once brought a sense of comfort and safety.

Now, it carried the weight of an absence so paralysing that Nancy could hardly breathe.

The scent of Robin lingered on the sleeves and collar— the toast she had made, the last cigarette she lit, and the tea from a morning that seemed to have been ages ago.

Tears made their escape from her eyes as a surge of memories flooded through her.

The stolen glances flashed across her mind, and the fights echoed in the back of her head.

She felt their first kiss, the silent plea for understanding and forgiveness.

She heard the crash of the vase against the wall and could smell the toast sitting outside her door.

She could feel Robin's head against her chest as she slept and see the glint in her eyes when she talked about the things that interested her.

She could feel Robin's arms around her as she cried into her shoulder that night at the quarry— the night she began to fall in love.

A steel resolve built inside her as she slipped on the jacket, Robin's scent calming her as if she were standing beside her.

Robin was counting on her, and Nancy wasn't about to abandon the person who meant everything to her.

The spectre of doubt lingered, but as she shoved the recorder, notebook, and torch into her bag, the flame of determination burned bright inside her.

Nancy's shoulders bore the weight of a promise she intended to keep no matter the challenges that lay ahead.

"You and me, always."

The door creaked open, and with each step into the night, the fear of losing Robin haunted her every heartbeat.

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Robin woke to the biting cold of a damp floor, disoriented and groggy. The sting of the blow she had received lingered, a persistent ache that matched the dull lighting of the room.

"Jesus, you people really can pack a punch," she groaned, reaching for her head.

She let out a sharp cry of pain as cold metal bit into her wrists and the realisation that she was handcuffed set in.