Claire froze.16Please respect copyright.PENANAQfJ1vDknOO
A chill ran down her spine, as if someone had quietly pushed her into a pool of ice water. Her shoulders tensed. Her fingers trembled, just slightly.
“The rift is watching her.”
That sentence stabbed into her mind like a pin.
Not she was looking at it, but that… thing—whatever it was—was staring back.
Her stomach twisted.16Please respect copyright.PENANA4MQk9Zpb3T
The warmth of the soup she’d just had in the kitchen surged back up, stopped at her throat like it had second thoughts.16Please respect copyright.PENANAGCpXVW93Xx
The warmth was gone.16Please respect copyright.PENANAr9hn7lorF2
All that remained was an indescribable cold.
She had suspected it for a while now—that the rift didn’t just “appear” to her.
It let her see it.16Please respect copyright.PENANAroIeFQmElx
Like something pointing her out from a crowd and saying, you—look this way.
She swallowed, trying to stay calm.
But what caught her off guard… was that none of the three men denied what she said.
No one laughed.16Please respect copyright.PENANAv78H1v3tSv
No one exchanged that “okay, she’s crazy” look.16Please respect copyright.PENANA39gTyIrTMx
No one told her to calm down.16Please respect copyright.PENANAIMJkSmydET
No one gave her the “we’re just humoring you” smile.
There was no ridicule.16Please respect copyright.PENANAOlFV7kHsTP
No patronizing sympathy.16Please respect copyright.PENANAgLAOyGvfjo
Not even a subject change.
Instead—Batman looked like someone who had just found a missing puzzle piece.16Please respect copyright.PENANADtqEhgJsiI
His eyes stayed fixed on the rift she’d drawn, brows furrowed deep—like a question that had haunted him for a long time was finally starting to make sense.
Nightwing sat beside her, a hand resting on one knee, his body slightly leaning forward.16Please respect copyright.PENANAH3RsTUSOo5
He looked like he was holding himself back—not from disbelief, but from the urge to tell her, “This can’t be real,” just to keep her sane. But he didn’t say it.
His posture said enough:16Please respect copyright.PENANAnHlzmcW8ke
Suspicion.16Please respect copyright.PENANAfoXuvU9nDa
Anxiety.16Please respect copyright.PENANAaStybiBJRl
But more than anything—alertness.16Please respect copyright.PENANAysRLOKlaWu
Not toward her, but toward the possibility of something too dangerous to name.
Robin, meanwhile, had a hand to his chin, brows furrowed so tightly they looked carved in stone. He seemed stuck—trying to reconstruct something in his mind. Like some incomplete signal had lodged itself there, and he couldn’t decode it.
“If the rift is watching her,” Robin finally said, “does that mean it’ll come looking for her?”
The words dropped heavy.16Please respect copyright.PENANAHCiKDvrVhj
Even the wind seemed to hesitate.
It wasn’t a theory.16Please respect copyright.PENANADzTDaIMMjA
It was a warning.16Please respect copyright.PENANAvt5taj83Kz
We can’t let her face this alone.
Claire said nothing.16Please respect copyright.PENANAJ3aaSMcCpz
She wasn’t sure she could.
Her lips felt sealed shut.16Please respect copyright.PENANARq831VcN1H
Her throat was full of ice.
Then it hit her.16Please respect copyright.PENANA28ViCSHQfi
That in front of these people—saying there was a rift in the sky wasn’t delusion.16Please respect copyright.PENANA85VUi05zO3
It was… the start of an investigation.
This wasn’t a hallucination.16Please respect copyright.PENANAnk8XymgkDE
It was a threat assessment.
And that terrified her more.
Because if they were taking it seriously—16Please respect copyright.PENANAQATYj7uOWY
It meant the thing she saw might really exist.16Please respect copyright.PENANAFfh5sn9EJz
Not just in her head.16Please respect copyright.PENANAxtXv8Zavle
But somewhere, out there.
Batman looked up, his gaze heavy as iron.
“Claire,” he said, his voice firm and final,16Please respect copyright.PENANAXfTGMvUArU
“I’m taking you to the safe house.”
There was no room for discussion.
“You’ll need something to protect yourself.”
Not maybe.16Please respect copyright.PENANA181ksJyiqj
Not if.16Please respect copyright.PENANAFoYwrxzh8g
But definitely.
16Please respect copyright.PENANACdw9VMDg2X
Claire had expected the safehouse to be, well, a bit more Batman.16Please respect copyright.PENANAsFj1UO3V6y
You know—underground vault, biometric scans, a hidden elevator behind a sliding bookshelf. That kind of thing.
Because come on. It’s Batman. A little drama wouldn’t hurt.
But no. It was a regular apartment.16Please respect copyright.PENANALrcZXvwaVy
Third floor. No trapdoor. No secret codes.16Please respect copyright.PENANAYIaxaq45b8
Just a metal door and a creaky stairwell dim enough to make you wonder if the landlord forgot to change the lightbulb.16Please respect copyright.PENANAgHXk12q4mq
Claire frowned and followed the three men inside.
When all four of them squeezed into what looked like a barely furnished studio, her first reaction was:
“Wow. Depressing.”
White walls. Wooden floor. Two chairs, one table.16Please respect copyright.PENANAizg0xtZJe5
No couch.16Please respect copyright.PENANAHZCxqCENHn
No personality.
This wasn’t a safehouse.16Please respect copyright.PENANAiS6T4RTYco
This was a rental someone never bothered to decorate because they knew the rent was highway robbery.
Before she could finish the mental roast, Batman walked to the wall, reached for a light fixture—16Please respect copyright.PENANAjRmluoQEOR
Click.16Please respect copyright.PENANA88N94o8KFJ
A hidden door slid open, revealing a short staircase going down.
No dramatic music. No warning. Just—there.
Claire instinctively took a step back. Her heartbeat skipped.16Please respect copyright.PENANAmiwin2UWUf
“…Okay, that’s a little dramatic,” she muttered.
They filed down one by one.16Please respect copyright.PENANA8wZxPmAG4N
She was last. Eyes darting left and right like she’d stepped into sacred ground.
Then her foot touched the first step, and the world opened up.
Her eyes widened.
It wasn’t a damp basement.16Please respect copyright.PENANAOt6l8yTB75
It was an underground command center.16Please respect copyright.PENANAjfuO7TTqmb
High ceiling. Cold air. Monitors everywhere, blinking with graphs, maps, and strings of data that looked like alien stock reports.
Weapons lined the walls—some shaped like bat wings, others like mechanical scorpion tails.16Please respect copyright.PENANAiFGCswJtup
There was even something on the desk that looked suspiciously like it could fire lasers.16Please respect copyright.PENANAgAa9RMdDUi
A red light blinked on its side like it was deciding who to vaporize first.
Her throat went dry.
“All this stuff…” she whispered.16Please respect copyright.PENANAq3JLeis2cJ
“Definitely funded. Like, no-one’s-asking-for-receipts funded.”
One phrase popped into her mind—weaponized wealth.
Where did vigilantes get their money?
She used to think they were all about justice and grit, powered by passion and determination.
Now it felt more like… WayneTech’s unauthorized tech demo.
She muttered under her breath,
“So Bruce Wayne really is the sponsor. That tracks…”
She didn’t finish the thought.16Please respect copyright.PENANASKdFv4jyXw
Didn’t need to.16Please respect copyright.PENANAzvrHJmdbot
The dots were connecting themselves.
Standing in that room, a memory surfaced—16Please respect copyright.PENANAP8ffs9D7iB
her college years, back when she was on a full scholarship from the Wayne Foundation.
Every semester, like clockwork, a generous sum landed in her account.16Please respect copyright.PENANAP8WOWndHq3
Big enough that her friends from other departments would whisper things like, “Are you in some kind of secret athletic program?”
All she had to do was run.16Please respect copyright.PENANAdapfPmVO9X
Win.16Please respect copyright.PENANASFSNQdEoYb
Over and over.
Until that one race—16Please respect copyright.PENANA0ax0CC4AgN
The one her knee didn’t survive.16Please respect copyright.PENANA9uWbyltYDT
She never crossed the finish line.16Please respect copyright.PENANA65xOiuMTUp
But that race ended more than just the competition.16Please respect copyright.PENANAusLqKruqej
It cleaved her life into before and after.
Sometimes she still dreamed of running.16Please respect copyright.PENANAlc5LCYd6HL
Wind slicing past her ears.16Please respect copyright.PENANALEu0XO1K4b
Feet barely touching the track.
When she woke up, the memory was so vivid, she could still feel it in her legs.16Please respect copyright.PENANAffoP916Co5
The weightlessness.16Please respect copyright.PENANAknfpQaEfLt
The flight.
It felt like a message from a previous life.16Please respect copyright.PENANAfUptEkDZZL
A ghost of someone she used to be.
16Please respect copyright.PENANAZwrpfxBxC9
Claire had expected the safehouse to be, well, a bit more Batman.16Please respect copyright.PENANA59MGTuvYuB
You know—underground vault, biometric scans, a hidden elevator behind a sliding bookshelf. That kind of thing.
Because come on. It’s Batman. A little drama wouldn’t hurt.
But no. It was a regular apartment.16Please respect copyright.PENANAtHbrLhK4RV
Third floor. No trapdoor. No secret codes.16Please respect copyright.PENANAx7dI3u0OTc
Just a metal door and a creaky stairwell dim enough to make you wonder if the landlord forgot to change the lightbulb.16Please respect copyright.PENANApyH7PZNGAo
Claire frowned and followed the three men inside.
When all four of them squeezed into what looked like a barely furnished studio, her first reaction was:
“Wow. Depressing.”
White walls. Wooden floor. Two chairs, one table.16Please respect copyright.PENANAH5yDdbTRro
No couch.16Please respect copyright.PENANANvztPhHEzK
No personality.
This wasn’t a safehouse.16Please respect copyright.PENANAyVrEW68EMX
This was a rental someone never bothered to decorate because they knew the rent was highway robbery.
Before she could finish the mental roast, Batman walked to the wall, reached for a light fixture—16Please respect copyright.PENANAPOlGVkN1TE
Click.16Please respect copyright.PENANADj9O0ajlQS
A hidden door slid open, revealing a short staircase going down.
No dramatic music. No warning. Just—there.
Claire instinctively took a step back. Her heartbeat skipped.16Please respect copyright.PENANAxMKgTOtsxJ
“…Okay, that’s a little dramatic,” she muttered.
They filed down one by one.16Please respect copyright.PENANAVWfAkbMSMg
She was last. Eyes darting left and right like she’d stepped into sacred ground.
Then her foot touched the first step, and the world opened up.
Her eyes widened.
It wasn’t a damp basement.16Please respect copyright.PENANAIM6lC6rxvG
It was an underground command center.16Please respect copyright.PENANAGg0XeTn2Hb
High ceiling. Cold air. Monitors everywhere, blinking with graphs, maps, and strings of data that looked like alien stock reports.
Weapons lined the walls—some shaped like bat wings, others like mechanical scorpion tails.16Please respect copyright.PENANA612Bq1yA5r
There was even something on the desk that looked suspiciously like it could fire lasers.16Please respect copyright.PENANAdijN40sQlE
A red light blinked on its side like it was deciding who to vaporize first.
Her throat went dry.
“All this stuff…” she whispered.16Please respect copyright.PENANA6Q5yMUql3X
“Definitely funded. Like, no-one’s-asking-for-receipts funded.”
One phrase popped into her mind—weaponized wealth.
Where did vigilantes get their money?
She used to think they were all about justice and grit, powered by passion and determination.
Now it felt more like… WayneTech’s unauthorized tech demo.
She muttered under her breath,
“So Bruce Wayne really is the sponsor. That tracks…”
She didn’t finish the thought.16Please respect copyright.PENANAvXtDA6idtx
Didn’t need to.16Please respect copyright.PENANAk9h1GKYxQR
The dots were connecting themselves.
Standing in that room, a memory surfaced—16Please respect copyright.PENANAnGy1eIkLiP
her college years, back when she was on a full scholarship from the Wayne Foundation.
Every semester, like clockwork, a generous sum landed in her account.16Please respect copyright.PENANAJIbAWT9CXV
Big enough that her friends from other departments would whisper things like, “Are you in some kind of secret athletic program?”
All she had to do was run.16Please respect copyright.PENANACTZn9X55N4
Win.16Please respect copyright.PENANA9kqBaFv7Uh
Over and over.
Until that one race—16Please respect copyright.PENANAE11F0409Eb
The one her knee didn’t survive.16Please respect copyright.PENANAC4pwh86cIM
She never crossed the finish line.16Please respect copyright.PENANA0FZxGt1kSG
But that race ended more than just the competition.16Please respect copyright.PENANAuTDHII0661
It cleaved her life into before and after.
Sometimes she still dreamed of running.16Please respect copyright.PENANAlNdBdeneCY
Wind slicing past her ears.16Please respect copyright.PENANABPWLCQR2yu
Feet barely touching the track.
When she woke up, the memory was so vivid, she could still feel it in her legs.16Please respect copyright.PENANAipnVrHZxwc
The weightlessness.16Please respect copyright.PENANAXwhqyLtwgT
The flight.
It felt like a message from a previous life.16Please respect copyright.PENANAq1OAFS1O6L
A ghost of someone she used to be.
16Please respect copyright.PENANASYvfaDyO15
Batman sat down at the console, his long cape fanning out over the back of the chair.16Please respect copyright.PENANAgfISSvExpY
His fingers moved fast—sharp, precise, mechanical. One by one, the monitors lit up, as if some dormant beast had just awakened, stretching its limbs with a low digital growl.
Claire lagged a few steps behind.
She stood there, eyes scanning the room.16Please respect copyright.PENANAF3MphQyOmd
Was this really not some kind of secret weapons cache?16Please respect copyright.PENANADatfZG8mGb
Because honestly, it was giving serious classified-military-facility energy.
Metal-panel walls. Harsh fluorescent lighting. Devices whose functions she couldn’t begin to guess.16Please respect copyright.PENANAlQXgPjt6JF
There was even something that looked suspiciously like an operating table—which she immediately looked away from, because nope. No thanks. No curiosity here.
She was just about to poke at a black storage case labeled with a large “F”, when a voice—British, older, calm but gently concerned—spoke from the monitor.
“Sir, have you located Robin?”
Claire’s head snapped up.16Please respect copyright.PENANAfAQDeFNm7E
On screen was a sharply dressed older man in a suit that looked like it belonged in a vintage London magazine. A row of gleaming silver teapots lined the shelves behind him.
His eyes swept the screen—then paused.16Please respect copyright.PENANAnTfiF2yQuS
He blinked slightly as he spotted her standing in the corner.
“Sir… and this is?”
Batman didn’t look up. Still typing, still focused.16Please respect copyright.PENANAXeR9BGLOYD
But he answered steadily.
“This is Claire.”
Then, finally, he turned his head.
“Claire, explain yourself.”
Claire blinked.16Please respect copyright.PENANAccwPrbXbGq
Here we go again.
Was he training her public speaking, or just too lazy to do the intro?
She inhaled, dug her nails into her palm, and willed herself into composure.16Please respect copyright.PENANAisBqGLvbt5
She’d already told this story twice—once to Nightwing and Robin, then again to Batman himself. But the third time? Still sucked.
She cleared her throat.
“I’m Claire. I’ve been… stuck repeating the same day.16Please respect copyright.PENANAf2xTDWObZq
And tonight, I saw something in the sky.16Please respect copyright.PENANAlhmW8xRAzc
Like a crack. A rip.16Please respect copyright.PENANA5cp8Hhwk6m
Only I can see it. No one else can. But I know it’s there.16Please respect copyright.PENANAJyICNqA3sR
Because I can still see it even when I close my eyes.16Please respect copyright.PENANA1voHKyGYpj
It’s not a hallucination.”
Her voice was steady—maybe a bit too fast—but it held.
The man on the screen didn’t flinch. Didn’t smirk. Didn’t doubt.16Please respect copyright.PENANA1iubASBkk3
He simply gave a small, understanding nod.
Claire blinked again.16Please respect copyright.PENANApOswlQwMEz
She realized she’d been bracing for something—skepticism, sarcasm, at least a raised eyebrow.
But nothing came.
Silence settled around her.16Please respect copyright.PENANAPU10mdtMYM
Just the soft mechanical hum of the monitors at the edge of the room.
Well.16Please respect copyright.PENANAlmEcjlA1Sk
That was the third time.16Please respect copyright.PENANAASDOH9SKO8
Story delivered.
Can someone get me a glass of water now?16Please respect copyright.PENANAOcAcrLhWJT