Claire saw the shock in his face.
His pupils dilated, eyebrows shot up,33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuG5xDONMID
like he’d just seen something that shouldn’t exist in this world.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7l8CtYya0v
A mix of disbelief and worry twisted his expression—33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU7DqWtlf6T
even his mouth twitched a little.
But she didn’t care what he saw.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZQ1YQYEqGJ
Claire’s heartbeat was still pounding from the quake.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXJ9Fjd8U87
There was only one thing left in her mind:33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMAN0Heqw7F
Get out.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJvcyWnvBj3
Now.
She shoved his hands off, pulled herself free from his arms.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡizoczYA997
It wasn’t graceful—33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaktLWD8zzc
she practically crashed out of that embrace,33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡagkYw8UCET
her chest still rattling with leftover tremors.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxwevwSU37T
She didn’t care.
He said,
“Wait—”
It wasn’t loud.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkt3fTRiRzn
It was quiet, pleading, instinctive.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpV4zvR7Fsd
But to Claire, it sounded like some pointless prayer.
Wait, my ass, she thought.
She was furious now.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8vTUWWB5qS
She hadn’t come here to wait.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS0fcu8kEqv
She wasn’t someone to be protected.
She stormed to the door.
Grabbed the handle.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡadTbRq69pc
Yanked hard.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNkiilInhl6
No finesse—just pure, animal panic.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8jh31bHiSV
Like trying to tear open the edge of reality.
But it didn’t budge.
The door groaned—33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsi42IfTeEi
a horrible creaking, like something was gummed up in the cracks.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMz9zDJmwfh
Claire didn’t believe it.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMaaPAMymDb
Used her other hand.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Num9eUaoo
Pushed harder.
Every muscle in her body tensed.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpbLnBIVwUI
Shoulder against the door.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCiFPHjzoaj
Feet braced.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLJSLAWNAml
She looked like a beast caged for too long—33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYCdCAMuauP
and the only thing in her eyes was escape.
Still nothing.
She gritted her teeth.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5yo2JxjkEY
Her palms reddened.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJhngDIihdU
Her arms shook.
She was about to lose it.
Then the officer came up beside her.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaqBYiJSKVN
He didn’t say a word.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkVhiOy2hNb
Just reached for the handle, adding his strength to hers.
They pulled—together.
Their breathing was all over the place,33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHRqQ1EYUM5
but their rhythm began to sync,33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ471QIN11bD
two struggling bodies tugging in perfect time.
Then, finally—
A ding.
A clear chime rang out from the alert bell above the door,33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsz1aQM28tx
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—33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRh68JBvsd4
like a beast breaking out of its cage.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcZuQ3pbKG1
The world outside was chaotic,33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWF7JIrFBgZ
but it still felt better than the warped, rattling room behind her.
Claire didn’t stop to breathe.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsZxwFNSUCS
She ran.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9OnzU0BJLV
Didn’t even wait to steady her steps—33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWDtiUCg3EE
her whole body was moving on instinct,33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6KfngUHzKX
as if chasing something…33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcZhEfeEOzq
or escaping it.
The street was full of confused people.
Someone yelling into a phone.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUL6Jv8TFhz
Someone staring at shattered glass.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBHaeG9SY6r
Someone gripping an umbrella, frozen in place.
Everyone trying to process what just happened—33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSSSeQc5C34
but all their thoughts were trapped at street level.
No one looked up.
Claire felt that old, familiar loneliness wrap around her again.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjBloXl5dxl
Even if the sky split in half,33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWupkoJWVkN
no one would see it.
Only she knew it was there.
She stopped.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr0nKddOfX3
Tilted her head back.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwvOF2sGCZb
Took a deep breath.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMBpSmgkZJA
Closed her eyes.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSA3S8f2iVl
And shifted into the Observer.
The tear in the sky was leaking something—33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvf8dTxmcHs
slow as syrup.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡESI8gjRExL
Something was dripping out.
Not a natural phenomenon.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoZwzPw3ATn
More like... something sick, pulling itself into shape.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlK9goAC5TX
Sluggish.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXs0ZOivYhA
Inevitable.
Vile purple.
Thick like vomit.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ahJTmz1p5
A cursed color.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEHg7yP7GjT
She could almost smell it—33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡth1cnbOxUZ
metal, rot, humidity, chaos.
Some of the syrup had already reached the ground.
It was corroding the street.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzFeWLTmpZH
Smoke.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLS8548ntUL
Sludge.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0l1urz5PJZ
Tentacle-like forms.
People screamed.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUtIW24sJXH
Some still thought it was just a busted pipe.
One blob dangled just above Claire’s head.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY2xbvK4TLb
Not quite touching the ground—33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwUIh1avBhO
it wavered in the air, like sniffing.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCVOs87KwCF
Like it had chosen her.
She felt its attention.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGs3lXwkZSO
Knew it was watching.
She looked around.
The blue-eyed officer was also looking up—33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm5JdCarI84
trying to follow her gaze.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5yQRH6ZY9P
Confused.
He saw nothing.
Claire moved.
She snatched the gun from his waist.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4kEtFR2UZ1
Aimed it skyward.
Fast.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzLf6CPgq5W
Silent.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrkgaropeYR
Her fingers moved like she'd rehearsed it a hundred times.
She felt him try to stop her,33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdddaCs6qhk
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—33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ57LklVIXbg
Claire’s eyes were empty.
Just calm.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM63utPlqMV
And decision.
Too late.
She already had the gun
33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9tdFAEOLzz
She didn’t look back.
Just tightened her grip around the cold weight in her hand.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQd8iweVrhe
She knew this feeling.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEsYCgZt7KP
The weight of the gun.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc1p28P8rbT
The click of the safety.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlpM4WN2hJ8
Exactly where the catch was.
Bad in strength?33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhezq5hCy6j
Make it up in skill.
She’d long given up trying to win with brute force—33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUEjFdKM39d
but technique?33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvwEQNJSPPT
Her technique never failed her.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡycoc7nS1QD
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.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMzRaNvMaNW
Then Batman took one look at her and said,
“Add her.”
No one laughed.
Everyone knew what that meant.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpmuJN4enZ3
It meant:33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjobDF0sH8l
“You’re not good enough—33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl6z41fRQ71
but you might need to fight first.”
Those sessions nearly killed her.
Especially the first few.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRk0GaI8B3J
Batman just stood there and said coldly,
“If you can’t get through this,33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwXpv1ieaza
this world isn’t yours to look at.”
She vomited on the mat.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2o97d7pm10
Tore the skin off her palms.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1xItL8k86W
Blacked out once from getting slammed too hard.
And Batman?33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtUu1auzmBj
Didn’t flinch.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd06N9I2IfX
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—33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwxG2GgaTm9
but perfect accuracy.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEpzkkwoivE
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.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHUkz8cdB6b
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.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSRbwaNGUBK
But an hour in, Batman barked,
“Switch. Robin.”
Nightwing had been too gentle.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR4zLmuby39
Too smiley.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI8Tk1NOyJm
Too… encouraging.
Claire almost thought she was in barista orientation.
Robin later said Nightwing had
“too many hand gestures,33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ922IlLmblE
too much explaining,33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkCnuuHRd8w
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,33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEsw0j4HZnX
metal clicked.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtGUOw1xLqp
A sharp ka-clack33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6PDxFtT0oz
like her heart syncing into a new tempo.
The air thickened.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfDGkOn9lNN
Noise faded.
Claire closed her eyes.
Raised the gun.
And fired at the sludge hanging from the sky.
BANG.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSPx5ZkhCsw
