Claire saw the shock in his face.
His pupils dilated, eyebrows shot up,296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7SySMUeuOv
like he’d just seen something that shouldn’t exist in this world.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLvR9W7S18j
A mix of disbelief and worry twisted his expression—296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuNsb46AyBl
even his mouth twitched a little.
But she didn’t care what he saw.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ37G0nmTTc
Claire’s heartbeat was still pounding from the quake.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuRLPOiNvi1
There was only one thing left in her mind:296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXdMtgUN5pS
Get out.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjqIZe2iB4w
Now.
She shoved his hands off, pulled herself free from his arms.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡedjsbWdVzz
It wasn’t graceful—296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZfkcGgbAuN
she practically crashed out of that embrace,296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOYYXM3UzCj
her chest still rattling with leftover tremors.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7brd4KPCjv
She didn’t care.
He said,
“Wait—”
It wasn’t loud.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaT2SbYf5W3
It was quiet, pleading, instinctive.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvQzkwcd64Z
But to Claire, it sounded like some pointless prayer.
Wait, my ass, she thought.
She was furious now.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQbPfNRoLeJ
She hadn’t come here to wait.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuSZjoG3YT1
She wasn’t someone to be protected.
She stormed to the door.
Grabbed the handle.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ZIFgXMgv7
Yanked hard.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPtUSlXb9M1
No finesse—just pure, animal panic.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXfGTbHWKA3
Like trying to tear open the edge of reality.
But it didn’t budge.
The door groaned—296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYu021TU1jr
a horrible creaking, like something was gummed up in the cracks.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMpkGhYzShS
Claire didn’t believe it.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5uO3obWHqh
Used her other hand.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLLk7JM2iXd
Pushed harder.
Every muscle in her body tensed.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7FOAI73wdj
Shoulder against the door.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHRz2mGJAae
Feet braced.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeihPUrxn8q
She looked like a beast caged for too long—296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvgMfnyDe0V
and the only thing in her eyes was escape.
Still nothing.
She gritted her teeth.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVTfwM9YY8j
Her palms reddened.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVFGbOtkI7o
Her arms shook.
She was about to lose it.
Then the officer came up beside her.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡapglEMgVww
He didn’t say a word.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMkGP7ccnAW
Just reached for the handle, adding his strength to hers.
They pulled—together.
Their breathing was all over the place,296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5HE7pcFLfU
but their rhythm began to sync,296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuZCJDoKtXQ
two struggling bodies tugging in perfect time.
Then, finally—
A ding.
A clear chime rang out from the alert bell above the door,296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrsP0yFqXi7
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—296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJPjfl28ZhZ
like a beast breaking out of its cage.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhO5pc7DL3R
The world outside was chaotic,296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxU9vymkitK
but it still felt better than the warped, rattling room behind her.
Claire didn’t stop to breathe.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHfVPxi0qXV
She ran.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡapU2Gtziro
Didn’t even wait to steady her steps—296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvIGfT69f2U
her whole body was moving on instinct,296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3eJTzohQbw
as if chasing something…296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNJ62glvNY0
or escaping it.
The street was full of confused people.
Someone yelling into a phone.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSD6lHkQJdg
Someone staring at shattered glass.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp2A6VfCtus
Someone gripping an umbrella, frozen in place.
Everyone trying to process what just happened—296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwjHGLtvN1b
but all their thoughts were trapped at street level.
No one looked up.
Claire felt that old, familiar loneliness wrap around her again.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtXF3nAGs4B
Even if the sky split in half,296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr4vENqt8kh
no one would see it.
Only she knew it was there.
She stopped.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0gB57bPs3y
Tilted her head back.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTiMzzEgu1f
Took a deep breath.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq66HHiJX9B
Closed her eyes.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaoHrV66wSE
And shifted into the Observer.
The tear in the sky was leaking something—296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWsf350nuet
slow as syrup.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHzSyi21mqp
Something was dripping out.
Not a natural phenomenon.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcYk2Gaj6nD
More like... something sick, pulling itself into shape.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMFcxx767qE
Sluggish.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTEbDJp6sjU
Inevitable.
Vile purple.
Thick like vomit.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7NrS5tUggg
A cursed color.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdqq954lyWe
She could almost smell it—296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1bzrZyzWzd
metal, rot, humidity, chaos.
Some of the syrup had already reached the ground.
It was corroding the street.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcpP8c9qHfe
Smoke.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfpyy6HXrQK
Sludge.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1BeLFAfSp1
Tentacle-like forms.
People screamed.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡenHXN4hmaa
Some still thought it was just a busted pipe.
One blob dangled just above Claire’s head.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb6ilvmXu0W
Not quite touching the ground—296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM2R258Ew9R
it wavered in the air, like sniffing.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7tXfx27G1y
Like it had chosen her.
She felt its attention.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJi6te6g83S
Knew it was watching.
She looked around.
The blue-eyed officer was also looking up—296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1tFaheyt1k
trying to follow her gaze.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK35YiGkOc9
Confused.
He saw nothing.
Claire moved.
She snatched the gun from his waist.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzq3Nrz0r6i
Aimed it skyward.
Fast.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbzZSHJyrIT
Silent.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwZm56C8YwP
Her fingers moved like she'd rehearsed it a hundred times.
She felt him try to stop her,296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgoVkTM7hot
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—296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQDcUKhO01P
Claire’s eyes were empty.
Just calm.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡchpB3eV1ug
And decision.
Too late.
She already had the gun
296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL3yRD2g6D8
She didn’t look back.
Just tightened her grip around the cold weight in her hand.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLcbixlIFAl
She knew this feeling.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCr95r3kyiF
The weight of the gun.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpmlcvJZgdF
The click of the safety.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy2w23MrOjQ
Exactly where the catch was.
Bad in strength?296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeRXjgJOSqu
Make it up in skill.
She’d long given up trying to win with brute force—296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1KsTZS6EPn
but technique?296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzlf2sS3LTu
Her technique never failed her.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnIPQorcM8k
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE8JduBkVT6
Then Batman took one look at her and said,
“Add her.”
No one laughed.
Everyone knew what that meant.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWjcjvH4hmO
It meant:296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXo1E7ICjv2
“You’re not good enough—296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNp3rpdvoRx
but you might need to fight first.”
Those sessions nearly killed her.
Especially the first few.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIxEWtLGlgo
Batman just stood there and said coldly,
“If you can’t get through this,296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWXxtIzsTUG
this world isn’t yours to look at.”
She vomited on the mat.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2EOdEvWZ0X
Tore the skin off her palms.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwF1NmiFzfF
Blacked out once from getting slammed too hard.
And Batman?296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEfW8aJZUAf
Didn’t flinch.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgdpQrOMc9S
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—296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCJBJLdp62j
but perfect accuracy.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTz26sBtNm3
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡechpGfjoib
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.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJtkg32jQUX
But an hour in, Batman barked,
“Switch. Robin.”
Nightwing had been too gentle.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCGjbnDAmat
Too smiley.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFGzpdvlGFO
Too… encouraging.
Claire almost thought she was in barista orientation.
Robin later said Nightwing had
“too many hand gestures,296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbhyaZM41B5
too much explaining,296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs9f3xqPK5n
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,296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXvGPqAbqH4
metal clicked.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzWn08hU6Vd
A sharp ka-clack296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl1ujfMS28s
like her heart syncing into a new tempo.
The air thickened.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiGPT8WtOlV
Noise faded.
Claire closed her eyes.
Raised the gun.
And fired at the sludge hanging from the sky.
BANG.296Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLdoGNEnJri
and then Add to home screen.