The first to step up was Damian.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5D29BH63Je
No surprise there—he was always the first to charge in, like a little lion perpetually on alert.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmo0aD0FaPn
No one dared compete for his spot. Not that they could win anyway.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKYyB5agOeQ
He stood tall, shoulders slightly raised, like he was preparing to face some grand cosmic trial between good and evil.
Damian raised his right hand and said, “I’m Damian…”153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZRo1Mq9rKy
His tone, as always, was firm and proud.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbrTLleNB2M
To him, this wasn’t a self-introduction—it was more like a courteous declaration before a battle.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡla1ciUVq0H
But this time, he didn’t finish the sentence.
Because Claire’s purple tendril reached out and pinched his cheek.
Damian froze, utterly caught off guard.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT2O3HVzzxl
Like a child. Then, his entire face turned red.
It was a strike with zero warning.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7LqwxNHGU6
The tendril seemed to move with a will of its own—gentle, affectionate, and entirely unbothered—pinching his cheek as if it were the most natural thing in the world.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHFlK1Jx2CH
The son of an assassin, the Robin, the tactical genius, the prodigy swordsman—153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhY7dO8awKw
Reduced to a preschooler getting his cheeks squished.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw1HBeGiCfF
Damian stiffened, like he’d been cursed. His face flushed involuntarily, and that sense of humiliation surged like fire, scorching from his ears upward.
Damian yelled, “You woman—how dare you—I'll ki—”
His voice cracked.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH6ql5rXYQS
Not his usual threats—this was a full-on, dignity-shattered screech.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV47LMgf6oN
He raised his hand, ready to fight, voice nearly tripping over itself.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ZXMyWpnTh
His rage echoed through the Batcave.
153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7V8v3U3rbb
Behind him, Jason burst out laughing and grabbed Damian in a headlock.
Jason was laughing so hard his stomach hurt.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6JMyGLADFY
He wasn’t just watching the chaos—he was relishing it.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwJPb5Ur50H
He stepped forward, hooked his arm around Damian like a sack of potatoes, and gave him a little shake, pulling him closer.
“Calm down, little porcupine. Gonna flip the table over one cheek pinch?”
Jason flashed a cocky grin. “Nice one, Claire. I’m Jason—”
He offered his signature half-smirk, voice laced with teasing charm.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY3uuy46xnC
He was never one to take formalities seriously—especially in situations like this.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡABm1YNr35L
No one was more at ease in chaos than Jason Todd.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBhxz4Ts0ki
But he’d vastly overestimated himself.
He didn’t finish his sentence either.
Claire’s tendril struck again—this time targeting his cheek.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaZDEWxuCVo
Jason Todd—the man who’d gone through hell and back—had his face pinched, right in front of everyone.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvAebu6Ohx5
Even Damian, still held in his arms, looked up in shock.
This time, it was faster, more accurate—like the tendril had already calculated its target and trajectory.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoRiExmXun7
It locked onto Jason’s cheek with military precision and squished.
Jason froze for a second.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLylFf8suqt
Then his whole face crumpled—not from pain, but from pure disbelief.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGN9SfiCw0B
Not even dying and coming back had felt this humiliating.
Damian stared up at him in stunned awe.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZ7NUAIEsk
His eyes clearly screamed: “So even YOU have your days.”
The Batcave instantly dissolved into chaos.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOj99P0AZHK
Everyone scrambled to stop Jason from shooting Claire.
Jason was muttering furiously, one hand already on his holster.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF9uzPtV8YE
Tim, Steph, and Cass all rushed to restrain him.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxwxub85vjJ
Leila was off to the side, frantically signing something along the lines of, “Are you f**ing insane?”*
Dick, barely hiding a smirk, stepped in and grabbed Jason’s shoulder.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUVVmNFMgrv
“Please. You can’t point a gun at her tendrils. That’s just—weird.”
153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0jO0YmhEiQ
They finally managed to calm the two down, though the aftermath wasn’t pretty.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvq97qTd4ZH
Damian stood off to the side, red as a tomato, arms crossed, fuming.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ3cmLW95KR
Jason tugged his cap down to shadow his face, mouth twitching in a silent vow of vengeance.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Yo3SGuQwh
The two of them stood like twin statues of simmering rage, glaring daggers at Claire.
The cheek-squished duo stepped aside, ready to enjoy the next show.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡId5eXDq9zi
Their thirst for revenge fully ignited.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWKA1P4I8Uh
They turned their eyes to the rest of the line, waiting to witness the next victim of tendril justice.
Next up was Tim.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQqi4YhXHxc
He swallowed.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK0ZUESpbnT
He was confident he wouldn’t be mad if he got pinched. Really.
He walked forward with light steps, forcing a smile.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuUjrt4EBRm
I’m rational. I won’t lose it like those two. Absolutely not, he told himself.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRnB3eRefLa
Still, he tugged at his collar and glanced nervously at the two previous victims. Just in case.
“Hello. I’m Tim Drake.”153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZQAOfyu0Di
His voice was steady, polite.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfd8dzqGY4w
He deliberately kept his tone calm, like he was addressing an alien ambassador.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTrSdV4gurN
He even used the word “hello,” which proved just how tense he was.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR3jj1hwvq2
This was harder than writing a fifty-page intel report.
Claire stared at him for a long time.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTu4lLbKsGu
Really, a long time.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCGwwYP8YH0
Long enough that Tim’s smile started to cramp.
It was a strange kind of gaze—like she was looking straight through him… or deciding whether to strike.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrNDQJ7rhNo
Tim’s smile had long since shifted from genuine to frozen, the muscles in his face twitching with effort.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡreS4R2oV0h
In his mind, he was chanting: Don’t pinch me. Please… I swear I won’t be mad… but please, just don’t…
And then—153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnpuCICFjwM
A purple tendril reached out and patted his head.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg3TW66ScmU
Just a pat.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8zRKjBYCXG
Like someone gently soothing a child.
The touch was soft, like feathers brushing through hair.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8EVVfJMlcY
Tim froze—not from fear, but disbelief.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPKjhngEqCH
Is this… comfort mode?153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5OTrIpIjKO
He suddenly wondered if he’d just been silently categorized as someone who needed protection.
Claire paused a moment, then conjured something from thin air—a small violet pouch—153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLurygpOWID
and handed it to him.
The pouch had strange geometric patterns on it, shimmering faintly.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjkagvqqFJa
Everyone held their breath.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcQhks6HZVl
No one knew what it was, but—at least it wasn’t a face-pinching attack.
“Uh… is this a gift?” Tim asked.
He accepted the pouch. The instant his fingers touched it, he felt a peculiar warmth.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4gVBflfBZa
He weighed it slightly in his hand, brain already running calculations about dimensional materials—153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5H0cgCP9mF
but outwardly, he wore his usual harmless expression.
Claire nodded.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhoNobSjk4V
It was the smallest of nods, like a breeze rippling across a lake.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpUZcAqWNzM
But it was enough to shift the whole mood from tension to confusion.
Everyone just stared as Tim walked off with the pouch.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyjuYy628oU
The entire line of vigilantes collectively widened their eyes.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Ut53ZTu56
Some had their mouths open and forgot to close them.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡurRNyVUDIk
Others tried to speak but failed.
Just moments ago this had been a tentacle battleground, and now it was suddenly “Good Boy Gets a Prize” time?153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡId6GFxotW7
Jason’s face was practically screaming “Not fair,”153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKxVop70aup
while Damian immediately snapped: “I told you. There’s something wrong with this woman.”
Batman moved even faster.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWj3CWfFEv5
The purple pouch was immediately confiscated for examination.
It was almost reflexive.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3jN6qVdQwe
His gloved hand snatched it away the moment Tim took his third step.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡae3tM5zDxh
Smooth, clean, surgical.
“For safety,” Batman said. Just that. No discussion.
Tim’s eye twitched slightly, but he said nothing.153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡarGWATioGL
He simply pulled his hand back and thought, Should’ve seen that coming.
153Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDRQAkjfh7c
and then Add to home screen.