Claire saw the shock in his face.
His pupils dilated, eyebrows shot up,34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVzXfzCCRPD
like he’d just seen something that shouldn’t exist in this world.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpO77EwFr9u
A mix of disbelief and worry twisted his expression—34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWUpGbTTmT0
even his mouth twitched a little.
But she didn’t care what he saw.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO3DOO4P9SQ
Claire’s heartbeat was still pounding from the quake.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlcRa7fKIcC
There was only one thing left in her mind:34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBTfrg7o8x5
Get out.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡllzEW2TpfR
Now.
She shoved his hands off, pulled herself free from his arms.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkI260GJnwK
It wasn’t graceful—34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ69J6MLbHDa
she practically crashed out of that embrace,34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF6CdfxpIV3
her chest still rattling with leftover tremors.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2eI8LPyClu
She didn’t care.
He said,
“Wait—”
It wasn’t loud.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZbU9Wu6mjj
It was quiet, pleading, instinctive.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuZhCdjYizJ
But to Claire, it sounded like some pointless prayer.
Wait, my ass, she thought.
She was furious now.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl0CkeJt9Wq
She hadn’t come here to wait.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqIuk1kAEvo
She wasn’t someone to be protected.
She stormed to the door.
Grabbed the handle.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZp7kL5CqnR
Yanked hard.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUVBTMBwW5W
No finesse—just pure, animal panic.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmIA0EAhnfa
Like trying to tear open the edge of reality.
But it didn’t budge.
The door groaned—34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhVGNnkL5gO
a horrible creaking, like something was gummed up in the cracks.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43hOH4BVEQ
Claire didn’t believe it.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn62oEfvI59
Used her other hand.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbyaAztdzRq
Pushed harder.
Every muscle in her body tensed.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡicXhNDcoLP
Shoulder against the door.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ06PwNe38p
Feet braced.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDbFhyHlakc
She looked like a beast caged for too long—34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDKr3gmqiEo
and the only thing in her eyes was escape.
Still nothing.
She gritted her teeth.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJtJfWopqdg
Her palms reddened.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW2BN5faBzm
Her arms shook.
She was about to lose it.
Then the officer came up beside her.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡII9l27mTMN
He didn’t say a word.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIGUTOxmiPU
Just reached for the handle, adding his strength to hers.
They pulled—together.
Their breathing was all over the place,34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEPktWoJqOa
but their rhythm began to sync,34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKKYAlC7rj1
two struggling bodies tugging in perfect time.
Then, finally—
A ding.
A clear chime rang out from the alert bell above the door,34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD3R7hrPTwu
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—34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2lMUhV7RSI
like a beast breaking out of its cage.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtT4OhCo8wo
The world outside was chaotic,34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGlN3ERXTM0
but it still felt better than the warped, rattling room behind her.
Claire didn’t stop to breathe.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzWDSrZfOxV
She ran.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpiIXtvKiyk
Didn’t even wait to steady her steps—34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjiuzKuGVXv
her whole body was moving on instinct,34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYuJHLcOuxT
as if chasing something…34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeuKlRkOJ4L
or escaping it.
The street was full of confused people.
Someone yelling into a phone.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB4GVtsjaxq
Someone staring at shattered glass.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcQzIhQYpbG
Someone gripping an umbrella, frozen in place.
Everyone trying to process what just happened—34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqwMYayazYp
but all their thoughts were trapped at street level.
No one looked up.
Claire felt that old, familiar loneliness wrap around her again.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQTWFVKbisg
Even if the sky split in half,34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmqKcSkreRV
no one would see it.
Only she knew it was there.
She stopped.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY6bD99vDYO
Tilted her head back.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8scC8fWnj9
Took a deep breath.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmsSZ96ZWQF
Closed her eyes.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBNOrTmAnuD
And shifted into the Observer.
The tear in the sky was leaking something—34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0IeyCiqhVq
slow as syrup.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6WQPUQ1jVP
Something was dripping out.
Not a natural phenomenon.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLcqyI2IfKQ
More like... something sick, pulling itself into shape.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO8RmlVKuIg
Sluggish.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQnN1dqtCH0
Inevitable.
Vile purple.
Thick like vomit.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtK3lMQTx4w
A cursed color.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGVxvhl55Hj
She could almost smell it—34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡibHZab9KIQ
metal, rot, humidity, chaos.
Some of the syrup had already reached the ground.
It was corroding the street.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnyhfg4FJhn
Smoke.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIlRM9kkGPx
Sludge.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkNFnHvzqRT
Tentacle-like forms.
People screamed.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFVGbscLsFz
Some still thought it was just a busted pipe.
One blob dangled just above Claire’s head.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡROzShf6DLd
Not quite touching the ground—34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwR6LAAgusx
it wavered in the air, like sniffing.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡed9DyW3FK7
Like it had chosen her.
She felt its attention.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZkgSpxZn21
Knew it was watching.
She looked around.
The blue-eyed officer was also looking up—34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ5Bt33UcVl
trying to follow her gaze.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbLagascQlo
Confused.
He saw nothing.
Claire moved.
She snatched the gun from his waist.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtx9ndzt6Yv
Aimed it skyward.
Fast.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCk0vKhZVZX
Silent.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJseY39ncWA
Her fingers moved like she'd rehearsed it a hundred times.
She felt him try to stop her,34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiPRCljQfHM
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—34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVcaaBbQcFt
Claire’s eyes were empty.
Just calm.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG6r6IOI1gW
And decision.
Too late.
She already had the gun
34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlYrtNhtANB
She didn’t look back.
Just tightened her grip around the cold weight in her hand.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX6cSN62fVV
She knew this feeling.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQDP7pHFYOr
The weight of the gun.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaGVpqtd5Yu
The click of the safety.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKFleVBUCuC
Exactly where the catch was.
Bad in strength?34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgc7QBUncqY
Make it up in skill.
She’d long given up trying to win with brute force—34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuhdgBeL2qo
but technique?34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMRIyFx7sFl
Her technique never failed her.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuXe1JMxJmm
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.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdBbNIChqda
Then Batman took one look at her and said,
“Add her.”
No one laughed.
Everyone knew what that meant.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLII4kzwt57
It meant:34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHUJHJizNxo
“You’re not good enough—34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvQ2uyH19fA
but you might need to fight first.”
Those sessions nearly killed her.
Especially the first few.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxZ83sfEk6c
Batman just stood there and said coldly,
“If you can’t get through this,34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt0yW8iyoIa
this world isn’t yours to look at.”
She vomited on the mat.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6llxDFyF8T
Tore the skin off her palms.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIiLqVJg48F
Blacked out once from getting slammed too hard.
And Batman?34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR60Y04wQH7
Didn’t flinch.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcAuLofyZZJ
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—34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcAD55cOfJc
but perfect accuracy.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSKWPE94QXr
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.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJifE3Yyh54
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.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjHaskIAc3t
But an hour in, Batman barked,
“Switch. Robin.”
Nightwing had been too gentle.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVFjBxXGScJ
Too smiley.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8LNDWMwWmj
Too… encouraging.
Claire almost thought she was in barista orientation.
Robin later said Nightwing had
“too many hand gestures,34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0DHWA6DGJo
too much explaining,34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY4LeENZ8tL
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,34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Z9CqvbTpa
metal clicked.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZh0YGmaAik
A sharp ka-clack34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPipaNQkoU0
like her heart syncing into a new tempo.
The air thickened.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIrtlncEAMD
Noise faded.
Claire closed her eyes.
Raised the gun.
And fired at the sludge hanging from the sky.
BANG.34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFu91etudUD
