Claire saw the shock in his face.
His pupils dilated, eyebrows shot up,65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJIb4IsuLlX
like he’d just seen something that shouldn’t exist in this world.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx73V1tFRoN
A mix of disbelief and worry twisted his expression—65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqJ62Cti6wN
even his mouth twitched a little.
But she didn’t care what he saw.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡURvicQ7d4t
Claire’s heartbeat was still pounding from the quake.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQWrrpxzpDJ
There was only one thing left in her mind:65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkrYYUO1262
Get out.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8W3ujv7kIe
Now.
She shoved his hands off, pulled herself free from his arms.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjXLSVveTaF
It wasn’t graceful—65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAVygN3bO0a
she practically crashed out of that embrace,65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwO0hc7VQev
her chest still rattling with leftover tremors.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx6sZvM12xj
She didn’t care.
He said,
“Wait—”
It wasn’t loud.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjF8hFUuILL
It was quiet, pleading, instinctive.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxpujoDw769
But to Claire, it sounded like some pointless prayer.
Wait, my ass, she thought.
She was furious now.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVgbXLHshwT
She hadn’t come here to wait.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwEed0wHlH9
She wasn’t someone to be protected.
She stormed to the door.
Grabbed the handle.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPxHPwGp4Og
Yanked hard.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbSP3OmTFnC
No finesse—just pure, animal panic.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbzVEIKBrkg
Like trying to tear open the edge of reality.
But it didn’t budge.
The door groaned—65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbrBo8gthk9
a horrible creaking, like something was gummed up in the cracks.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhBhLdKFyd5
Claire didn’t believe it.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ZD2Zq6Ha0
Used her other hand.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXmLdI5dX4j
Pushed harder.
Every muscle in her body tensed.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyufEHS8Jse
Shoulder against the door.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwNE4fpC5YE
Feet braced.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwIFChiR3ML
She looked like a beast caged for too long—65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPLS8vaEKIs
and the only thing in her eyes was escape.
Still nothing.
She gritted her teeth.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF7oF81S7g0
Her palms reddened.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBVwNSk32Iu
Her arms shook.
She was about to lose it.
Then the officer came up beside her.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjg5u425dhQ
He didn’t say a word.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf3ZAulkHOd
Just reached for the handle, adding his strength to hers.
They pulled—together.
Their breathing was all over the place,65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcbSbQTuMYv
but their rhythm began to sync,65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeNzz4n3Qlp
two struggling bodies tugging in perfect time.
Then, finally—
A ding.
A clear chime rang out from the alert bell above the door,65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmZLJueP8OW
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—65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEUGljvH4fF
like a beast breaking out of its cage.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBd87noOUF7
The world outside was chaotic,65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVNIZRG2AKX
but it still felt better than the warped, rattling room behind her.
Claire didn’t stop to breathe.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdB6fthBnjM
She ran.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmdHEKgMTQU
Didn’t even wait to steady her steps—65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvjWR8iFtAl
her whole body was moving on instinct,65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGZhDTWRYho
as if chasing something…65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0OnghBGyTs
or escaping it.
The street was full of confused people.
Someone yelling into a phone.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIw2CIlXP3r
Someone staring at shattered glass.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3KSBGs1IXR
Someone gripping an umbrella, frozen in place.
Everyone trying to process what just happened—65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFav9850kNE
but all their thoughts were trapped at street level.
No one looked up.
Claire felt that old, familiar loneliness wrap around her again.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡotXTxSF4QF
Even if the sky split in half,65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTHMBF0f87K
no one would see it.
Only she knew it was there.
She stopped.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs98debubjl
Tilted her head back.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGQlf5vz5wy
Took a deep breath.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8PE0Del9rD
Closed her eyes.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡizbONTDbGR
And shifted into the Observer.
The tear in the sky was leaking something—65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6qjRlJkRax
slow as syrup.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcMPOD5Abck
Something was dripping out.
Not a natural phenomenon.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ20CWA9G8E
More like... something sick, pulling itself into shape.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB2DBb0HXnZ
Sluggish.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVf14CRxn8O
Inevitable.
Vile purple.
Thick like vomit.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkEzVk0WV8J
A cursed color.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD00z4kdmtc
She could almost smell it—65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7SYX0ZE9mb
metal, rot, humidity, chaos.
Some of the syrup had already reached the ground.
It was corroding the street.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVlRH7hgOF2
Smoke.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWghUZg4ufh
Sludge.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB4p2Y0R7PU
Tentacle-like forms.
People screamed.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuLuVM8cyGm
Some still thought it was just a busted pipe.
One blob dangled just above Claire’s head.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwlbAbiJtFA
Not quite touching the ground—65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrYtaT0wghR
it wavered in the air, like sniffing.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDXapzDudwa
Like it had chosen her.
She felt its attention.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡagyEmhASSf
Knew it was watching.
She looked around.
The blue-eyed officer was also looking up—65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMQ9ZBNwr4p
trying to follow her gaze.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf1YJdshXs6
Confused.
He saw nothing.
Claire moved.
She snatched the gun from his waist.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiazxJC1MfB
Aimed it skyward.
Fast.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRmKHLvtoEd
Silent.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcKklTlPr8c
Her fingers moved like she'd rehearsed it a hundred times.
She felt him try to stop her,65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJtCgnpBvuQ
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—65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjBAbbV2lT5
Claire’s eyes were empty.
Just calm.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡro46nvjaiJ
And decision.
Too late.
She already had the gun
65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaNgBFCzPYo
She didn’t look back.
Just tightened her grip around the cold weight in her hand.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEFLZzeiOUv
She knew this feeling.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiVFv3WGwo2
The weight of the gun.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRQlKA3wbRf
The click of the safety.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSEnvbzN7vE
Exactly where the catch was.
Bad in strength?65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9mWYgP03ei
Make it up in skill.
She’d long given up trying to win with brute force—65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOKCMS0oIH5
but technique?65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeZ0B2cazaV
Her technique never failed her.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTgvxNqgifK
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.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxxcTgAflqV
Then Batman took one look at her and said,
“Add her.”
No one laughed.
Everyone knew what that meant.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnE8OjDrmQc
It meant:65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF7AefffVsx
“You’re not good enough—65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKFijXxwwD5
but you might need to fight first.”
Those sessions nearly killed her.
Especially the first few.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO8c8HPxD3p
Batman just stood there and said coldly,
“If you can’t get through this,65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLk2xgIlkbt
this world isn’t yours to look at.”
She vomited on the mat.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYj0Aq25nA2
Tore the skin off her palms.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRK7CyysNlY
Blacked out once from getting slammed too hard.
And Batman?65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOb3Zgvbz8a
Didn’t flinch.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAIX98nxjLz
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—65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKLJLvVHjX0
but perfect accuracy.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqXXFy0Xt6F
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.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDdF81AiVeI
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.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8358EecURT
But an hour in, Batman barked,
“Switch. Robin.”
Nightwing had been too gentle.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD11DM4qYoZ
Too smiley.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOn3nvFulW2
Too… encouraging.
Claire almost thought she was in barista orientation.
Robin later said Nightwing had
“too many hand gestures,65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7sQW4zLEjI
too much explaining,65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY2FjFd6Bpl
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,65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5BBXttPOuO
metal clicked.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡixuOKfBRqe
A sharp ka-clack65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm9rIv98bQN
like her heart syncing into a new tempo.
The air thickened.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFSAf2UjzY0
Noise faded.
Claire closed her eyes.
Raised the gun.
And fired at the sludge hanging from the sky.
BANG.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUFRxjDlitO
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