Claire saw the shock in his face.
His pupils dilated, eyebrows shot up,8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxvYXkPjKSK
like he’d just seen something that shouldn’t exist in this world.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmsbFEyUS9H
A mix of disbelief and worry twisted his expression—8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGDshIF7D45
even his mouth twitched a little.
But she didn’t care what he saw.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF2wv2OoPZl
Claire’s heartbeat was still pounding from the quake.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKH6TYbRpUP
There was only one thing left in her mind:8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtH8RaeZaiQ
Get out.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ530j0eNsxO
Now.
She shoved his hands off, pulled herself free from his arms.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡutpmn3CDwN
It wasn’t graceful—8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRjHz5WWDPG
she practically crashed out of that embrace,8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpSkDw0QePP
her chest still rattling with leftover tremors.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdHvjJWUsQX
She didn’t care.
He said,
“Wait—”
It wasn’t loud.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMLqXO3aXDs
It was quiet, pleading, instinctive.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbl9NLRZKQL
But to Claire, it sounded like some pointless prayer.
Wait, my ass, she thought.
She was furious now.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaKZD13yV3e
She hadn’t come here to wait.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrpPpiXASQD
She wasn’t someone to be protected.
She stormed to the door.
Grabbed the handle.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaeAFiNn8UI
Yanked hard.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡid4rP835YJ
No finesse—just pure, animal panic.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd5sxCl7T8s
Like trying to tear open the edge of reality.
But it didn’t budge.
The door groaned—8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU5MJHt8pki
a horrible creaking, like something was gummed up in the cracks.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnv5L96w3zS
Claire didn’t believe it.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡynwi3wmzPk
Used her other hand.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB5wrvYUoUP
Pushed harder.
Every muscle in her body tensed.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ10XNpsGj57
Shoulder against the door.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe59cFgoGPn
Feet braced.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVEYlkpZnPi
She looked like a beast caged for too long—8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiaa9LPgH0i
and the only thing in her eyes was escape.
Still nothing.
She gritted her teeth.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRLj5uwLszn
Her palms reddened.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBVLFbgI7pK
Her arms shook.
She was about to lose it.
Then the officer came up beside her.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpbglxqxh1u
He didn’t say a word.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm5dI09Nb1e
Just reached for the handle, adding his strength to hers.
They pulled—together.
Their breathing was all over the place,8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6bhiDowwo8
but their rhythm began to sync,8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQXNpP6Iayr
two struggling bodies tugging in perfect time.
Then, finally—
A ding.
A clear chime rang out from the alert bell above the door,8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRhP44agbsj
as if the universe had just issued permission to flee.
Claire could hear her own pulse echo in her ears.
The door opened.
Cold air blasted in—8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡER9P3IoXyj
like a beast breaking out of its cage.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3o75zO02u4
The world outside was chaotic,8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw3Jxs8aLJZ
but it still felt better than the warped, rattling room behind her.
Claire didn’t stop to breathe.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ymSFj6ij3
She ran.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMKRLEhfoV4
Didn’t even wait to steady her steps—8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuLUfpjsmiJ
her whole body was moving on instinct,8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5aAcNqrFbT
as if chasing something…8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVM4KzsVT61
or escaping it.
The street was full of confused people.
Someone yelling into a phone.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHEHpbhlymM
Someone staring at shattered glass.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmy52kUAXxe
Someone gripping an umbrella, frozen in place.
Everyone trying to process what just happened—8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6MSZyKuiIR
but all their thoughts were trapped at street level.
No one looked up.
Claire felt that old, familiar loneliness wrap around her again.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2gGg6YFA7U
Even if the sky split in half,8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGinRO4PfmW
no one would see it.
Only she knew it was there.
She stopped.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKC0tr07siT
Tilted her head back.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1oLQwofsgS
Took a deep breath.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Mc9jtYyYL
Closed her eyes.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNVi9n3qeoa
And shifted into the Observer.
The tear in the sky was leaking something—8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFeVyp1wQS7
slow as syrup.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX0hDimA3RO
Something was dripping out.
Not a natural phenomenon.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡazqOnTIBj0
More like... something sick, pulling itself into shape.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn2ZWrCZmTm
Sluggish.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbDYc6VQvj7
Inevitable.
Vile purple.
Thick like vomit.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDkQ4FBXRZY
A cursed color.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡglyE0CECp7
She could almost smell it—8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbgQu2ci9Nd
metal, rot, humidity, chaos.
Some of the syrup had already reached the ground.
It was corroding the street.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhQVbryfRuw
Smoke.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOqP9ozynx5
Sludge.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡByDXbURkfH
Tentacle-like forms.
People screamed.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9uvKWZQp9f
Some still thought it was just a busted pipe.
One blob dangled just above Claire’s head.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuf1dT84bgM
Not quite touching the ground—8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5XNn6FlSGS
it wavered in the air, like sniffing.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEx1tgs13K5
Like it had chosen her.
She felt its attention.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ0tS2KdOhD
Knew it was watching.
She looked around.
The blue-eyed officer was also looking up—8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNpcMvSues2
trying to follow her gaze.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKlR490KGEw
Confused.
He saw nothing.
Claire moved.
She snatched the gun from his waist.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8WtKVW6UYX
Aimed it skyward.
Fast.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIh93AXTKiu
Silent.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcEnvAqpK0J
Her fingers moved like she'd rehearsed it a hundred times.
She felt him try to stop her,8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCyj3Euds37
but it was too late.
She was already in position.
“Wait—!”
His voice cracked with panic.
He hadn’t expected her to actually do it.
His eyes were wide with fear.
But Claire—8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL35t1Ajhlr
Claire’s eyes were empty.
Just calm.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4e76YVCK3d
And decision.
Too late.
She already had the gun
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeOuMwYlz4w
She didn’t look back.
Just tightened her grip around the cold weight in her hand.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmVqWebR1Qp
She knew this feeling.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ77W7VgR4TF
The weight of the gun.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjzDgLj6rzF
The click of the safety.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMsuyvVKeKu
Exactly where the catch was.
Bad in strength?8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxe3gIKrMh6
Make it up in skill.
She’d long given up trying to win with brute force—8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvEVbW4sd6D
but technique?8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPzyAyL0M2w
Her technique never failed her.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXRd5yrfgbJ
Form, angle, purpose—everything precise.
She was, after all, the one Batman personally added to the emergency combat class.
Originally it was just a one-time workshop.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8slqISbIsR
Then Batman took one look at her and said,
“Add her.”
No one laughed.
Everyone knew what that meant.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8r9eof9zoT
It meant:8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIPo7tU50mN
“You’re not good enough—8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa9Kn1Y92xa
but you might need to fight first.”
Those sessions nearly killed her.
Especially the first few.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvuIRoX7vFn
Batman just stood there and said coldly,
“If you can’t get through this,8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2rzLNlOZD4
this world isn’t yours to look at.”
She vomited on the mat.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy36bylItgD
Tore the skin off her palms.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHrtz63pwSk
Blacked out once from getting slammed too hard.
And Batman?8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCACINkkek7
Didn’t flinch.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpI5jI5nLuJ
Just said,
“Get up. Again.”
She remembered thinking:
If I don’t get up, the world ends.
Her sparring partner?
Robin.
The kid had zero chill—8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxCrNlUIBMS
but perfect accuracy.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsm7Ji62ddq
Each correction hit like a needle to her reflexes.
He also taught her how to handle guns.
How to tell the difference between a threat and a survival shot.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR09vKPI1fa
How to know when it’s time.
He once told her,
“If you’re going to shoot—don’t hesitate.”
Technically, Nightwing was supposed to be her trainer.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP7nKCHiM06
But an hour in, Batman barked,
“Switch. Robin.”
Nightwing had been too gentle.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK4IuBlMlvl
Too smiley.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVKFasybSUE
Too… encouraging.
Claire almost thought she was in barista orientation.
Robin later said Nightwing had
“too many hand gestures,8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj4QJ55CptH
too much explaining,8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB0eXTzsfoD
and a face that made people want to trust him.”
Batman stood in the back, deadpan.
“Robin.”
So now—
Safety off. Chamber loaded.
Her fingers flicked,8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRjp5M76RzK
metal clicked.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrcf9koUBFw
A sharp ka-clack8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnPMwGc7qQV
like her heart syncing into a new tempo.
The air thickened.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2faqcqlGOm
Noise faded.
Claire closed her eyes.
Raised the gun.
And fired at the sludge hanging from the sky.
BANG.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgYU6fvW5NZ
and then Add to home screen.