Claire saw the shock in his face.
His pupils dilated, eyebrows shot up,9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZFmnmRXajR
like he’d just seen something that shouldn’t exist in this world.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPWIG8dVpfp
A mix of disbelief and worry twisted his expression—9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlJ4dr3tB1a
even his mouth twitched a little.
But she didn’t care what he saw.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMRHSPi9fSf
Claire’s heartbeat was still pounding from the quake.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAqk42kaCLQ
There was only one thing left in her mind:9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡflOace1yzg
Get out.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9dg0GLZaD7
Now.
She shoved his hands off, pulled herself free from his arms.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaNjyLB8h8e
It wasn’t graceful—9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTjXlypcdVo
she practically crashed out of that embrace,9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqUgqn1NsC4
her chest still rattling with leftover tremors.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcfuJ9tc01x
She didn’t care.
He said,
“Wait—”
It wasn’t loud.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWii1IDPL5X
It was quiet, pleading, instinctive.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmkwCoSgOHy
But to Claire, it sounded like some pointless prayer.
Wait, my ass, she thought.
She was furious now.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXcJhlXz7DI
She hadn’t come here to wait.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG0syWeDWYy
She wasn’t someone to be protected.
She stormed to the door.
Grabbed the handle.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAAk8O4Odbl
Yanked hard.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuI2gPMD6In
No finesse—just pure, animal panic.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYBaAhBqX1H
Like trying to tear open the edge of reality.
But it didn’t budge.
The door groaned—9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWYnlz2eyPX
a horrible creaking, like something was gummed up in the cracks.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIqBPnztcth
Claire didn’t believe it.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyupWnnIKyr
Used her other hand.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ33dU1zwK3
Pushed harder.
Every muscle in her body tensed.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKYZHCrdEfu
Shoulder against the door.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbBa6ZvWghm
Feet braced.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeokso1lSNe
She looked like a beast caged for too long—9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdG8j0GgjgC
and the only thing in her eyes was escape.
Still nothing.
She gritted her teeth.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE11kabV74i
Her palms reddened.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj10a9I3SJw
Her arms shook.
She was about to lose it.
Then the officer came up beside her.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpcww8eb47z
He didn’t say a word.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO6cMrrTSHv
Just reached for the handle, adding his strength to hers.
They pulled—together.
Their breathing was all over the place,9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhTdjwdHdc5
but their rhythm began to sync,9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIDuq9Oqr5W
two struggling bodies tugging in perfect time.
Then, finally—
A ding.
A clear chime rang out from the alert bell above the door,9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ37NDZ6NRED
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—9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡja1hcf0R6g
like a beast breaking out of its cage.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5t4n4mNPah
The world outside was chaotic,9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF7FOSoOnAf
but it still felt better than the warped, rattling room behind her.
Claire didn’t stop to breathe.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3JvFQlHZ9d
She ran.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIRrplscNss
Didn’t even wait to steady her steps—9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUAKGZVlvoP
her whole body was moving on instinct,9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnFvacL3sYQ
as if chasing something…9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3I3Vxs5kZT
or escaping it.
The street was full of confused people.
Someone yelling into a phone.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ937A2DYi9H
Someone staring at shattered glass.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFDD0obRicr
Someone gripping an umbrella, frozen in place.
Everyone trying to process what just happened—9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHt2XUlNVU7
but all their thoughts were trapped at street level.
No one looked up.
Claire felt that old, familiar loneliness wrap around her again.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVodd41JSp2
Even if the sky split in half,9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8491FjY3NL
no one would see it.
Only she knew it was there.
She stopped.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0hMxCMHhZs
Tilted her head back.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqQtsF9aNlH
Took a deep breath.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqveXdpUvBP
Closed her eyes.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZj4pyfQmFI
And shifted into the Observer.
The tear in the sky was leaking something—9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXKu9Tyu3nO
slow as syrup.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW3GCC0Pfoj
Something was dripping out.
Not a natural phenomenon.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzZMjXBBP2g
More like... something sick, pulling itself into shape.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡokhYDvQtXS
Sluggish.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxXYo762E9H
Inevitable.
Vile purple.
Thick like vomit.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLbNkcnzzfn
A cursed color.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAJev0oK3Rx
She could almost smell it—9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFzwLRoGRC5
metal, rot, humidity, chaos.
Some of the syrup had already reached the ground.
It was corroding the street.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0hd6rEnHy4
Smoke.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP7SqJxw9JF
Sludge.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCnUSYOfSrz
Tentacle-like forms.
People screamed.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjqGy61W5eb
Some still thought it was just a busted pipe.
One blob dangled just above Claire’s head.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡooQ79pgHPS
Not quite touching the ground—9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbMCtYVqs4z
it wavered in the air, like sniffing.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUKyjLFLF4z
Like it had chosen her.
She felt its attention.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPn9sXbxPZF
Knew it was watching.
She looked around.
The blue-eyed officer was also looking up—9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHL5qWQFSvy
trying to follow her gaze.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOAtCNceNOV
Confused.
He saw nothing.
Claire moved.
She snatched the gun from his waist.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS16Rfk8BeP
Aimed it skyward.
Fast.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz72DvI7FE6
Silent.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2E6pdVm6iZ
Her fingers moved like she'd rehearsed it a hundred times.
She felt him try to stop her,9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfl6rathJVC
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—9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzmFHeUG3Bp
Claire’s eyes were empty.
Just calm.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgRgyOHyUuV
And decision.
Too late.
She already had the gun
9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFBzyOIX4aq
She didn’t look back.
Just tightened her grip around the cold weight in her hand.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ432aHEVuXB
She knew this feeling.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7AiyRqY8r6
The weight of the gun.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJxl7mi2mfU
The click of the safety.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4JeCtTOec7
Exactly where the catch was.
Bad in strength?9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbRsyNMA6HB
Make it up in skill.
She’d long given up trying to win with brute force—9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrwa45q3pW8
but technique?9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuRWJh9TABe
Her technique never failed her.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhlPYwK1I7v
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.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZeKesdUPZL
Then Batman took one look at her and said,
“Add her.”
No one laughed.
Everyone knew what that meant.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW0Y6TEsXjb
It meant:9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4PJce0EuV6
“You’re not good enough—9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq8zIYWDbnd
but you might need to fight first.”
Those sessions nearly killed her.
Especially the first few.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXEu2NztiBZ
Batman just stood there and said coldly,
“If you can’t get through this,9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGKMfmxA0u9
this world isn’t yours to look at.”
She vomited on the mat.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3oieVh2xQi
Tore the skin off her palms.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS7aYyB2MyS
Blacked out once from getting slammed too hard.
And Batman?9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrxlUvyT6Fe
Didn’t flinch.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUrzAHltzyr
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—9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmh4f56RI1f
but perfect accuracy.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXPH4pDcdIn
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.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFy3H3fM4wf
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.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcEFwFRSn7K
But an hour in, Batman barked,
“Switch. Robin.”
Nightwing had been too gentle.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTLpxfwTH40
Too smiley.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGUd7Yl4wyD
Too… encouraging.
Claire almost thought she was in barista orientation.
Robin later said Nightwing had
“too many hand gestures,9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQsoPLO18xc
too much explaining,9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpF8BKvBSlm
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,9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwXKDTWVLRP
metal clicked.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzNQvolZ8n5
A sharp ka-clack9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ79xqlrrQqw
like her heart syncing into a new tempo.
The air thickened.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6QdhgFk9vU
Noise faded.
Claire closed her eyes.
Raised the gun.
And fired at the sludge hanging from the sky.
BANG.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ92m6qT78wF
and then Add to home screen.