Claire saw the shock in his face.
His pupils dilated, eyebrows shot up,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIFlBcd5A5v
like he’d just seen something that shouldn’t exist in this world.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxa9D93Hc69
A mix of disbelief and worry twisted his expression—15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1vGFOWnh5A
even his mouth twitched a little.
But she didn’t care what he saw.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaQghlKGO1v
Claire’s heartbeat was still pounding from the quake.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhMTFolx9E9
There was only one thing left in her mind:15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpQbqxGoSmG
Get out.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKcsasmh1jW
Now.
She shoved his hands off, pulled herself free from his arms.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcki70s1eWc
It wasn’t graceful—15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc8xvHQ0dy7
she practically crashed out of that embrace,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMeq7GuBKd2
her chest still rattling with leftover tremors.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQK6zhseSPp
She didn’t care.
He said,
“Wait—”
It wasn’t loud.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLT267NJorU
It was quiet, pleading, instinctive.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2g3iZr8M9D
But to Claire, it sounded like some pointless prayer.
Wait, my ass, she thought.
She was furious now.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjXPa02GgWM
She hadn’t come here to wait.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2z0DzSGMfj
She wasn’t someone to be protected.
She stormed to the door.
Grabbed the handle.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKdH4EdlH8T
Yanked hard.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY71eeuj4py
No finesse—just pure, animal panic.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1dWipBSMdR
Like trying to tear open the edge of reality.
But it didn’t budge.
The door groaned—15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8l4TA9pwgM
a horrible creaking, like something was gummed up in the cracks.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ElfyIlif1
Claire didn’t believe it.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHB1eo697ZY
Used her other hand.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDTP5ioJHUm
Pushed harder.
Every muscle in her body tensed.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGAXveh56RG
Shoulder against the door.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5rgPgUk2aj
Feet braced.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxiMy8cJmOw
She looked like a beast caged for too long—15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCpHargYlNh
and the only thing in her eyes was escape.
Still nothing.
She gritted her teeth.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuvJGGpOmGU
Her palms reddened.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjzA6RbarQQ
Her arms shook.
She was about to lose it.
Then the officer came up beside her.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0SF14g4KDO
He didn’t say a word.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAwSvnWIVSW
Just reached for the handle, adding his strength to hers.
They pulled—together.
Their breathing was all over the place,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWmMHbMPGSf
but their rhythm began to sync,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSRaYUkjPr8
two struggling bodies tugging in perfect time.
Then, finally—
A ding.
A clear chime rang out from the alert bell above the door,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw0zoIimB1N
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—15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq3MPWIr35s
like a beast breaking out of its cage.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZNzGxmRnVO
The world outside was chaotic,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYOYJ7X9BI1
but it still felt better than the warped, rattling room behind her.
Claire didn’t stop to breathe.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOUjELm2Cm7
She ran.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6nvsbE2AG9
Didn’t even wait to steady her steps—15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSpn7QvitKJ
her whole body was moving on instinct,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2KNJAk1kMO
as if chasing something…15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNI4Pn0KNz7
or escaping it.
The street was full of confused people.
Someone yelling into a phone.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFcJwzLqUcC
Someone staring at shattered glass.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwZgxRteeHG
Someone gripping an umbrella, frozen in place.
Everyone trying to process what just happened—15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJlNDSzpSh7
but all their thoughts were trapped at street level.
No one looked up.
Claire felt that old, familiar loneliness wrap around her again.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOu7EvcPRor
Even if the sky split in half,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJn1BdTa5ea
no one would see it.
Only she knew it was there.
She stopped.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkj0XpHwB9c
Tilted her head back.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3syj8oyurr
Took a deep breath.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8FFa7tJe3O
Closed her eyes.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3nndrkkfzL
And shifted into the Observer.
The tear in the sky was leaking something—15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx8cumwrEnz
slow as syrup.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ953Nv7rtcP
Something was dripping out.
Not a natural phenomenon.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYsJQF0vjeF
More like... something sick, pulling itself into shape.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaqTGt6gxid
Sluggish.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5thfGzbUth
Inevitable.
Vile purple.
Thick like vomit.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdb40SX7SKy
A cursed color.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhJ9333pt9v
She could almost smell it—15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBM0SXBg0Yj
metal, rot, humidity, chaos.
Some of the syrup had already reached the ground.
It was corroding the street.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOCVx5aff2X
Smoke.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp2TSEYDpp6
Sludge.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡabMrCwMqB2
Tentacle-like forms.
People screamed.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcW1cnTjQxm
Some still thought it was just a busted pipe.
One blob dangled just above Claire’s head.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM5FHAupCdi
Not quite touching the ground—15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhbfA53LsFq
it wavered in the air, like sniffing.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKbv5QL4OzL
Like it had chosen her.
She felt its attention.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEiq2QbPBdl
Knew it was watching.
She looked around.
The blue-eyed officer was also looking up—15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEAZtmO0zzf
trying to follow her gaze.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYjSsf8cIs8
Confused.
He saw nothing.
Claire moved.
She snatched the gun from his waist.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXGIYrWlyTa
Aimed it skyward.
Fast.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuFvgWlelSB
Silent.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTazJW5lYR9
Her fingers moved like she'd rehearsed it a hundred times.
She felt him try to stop her,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWxOx3oKRfB
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—15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQQS2pwxDqY
Claire’s eyes were empty.
Just calm.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrXxjrDufhD
And decision.
Too late.
She already had the gun
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYlnKjDClHp
She didn’t look back.
Just tightened her grip around the cold weight in her hand.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxNxVFaM4JA
She knew this feeling.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxF0kOQz6CB
The weight of the gun.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV06bBbi3iS
The click of the safety.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDRdyxin5lt
Exactly where the catch was.
Bad in strength?15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhGD6BC7tVm
Make it up in skill.
She’d long given up trying to win with brute force—15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjUTQP9T7sc
but technique?15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzcV9ZlB5km
Her technique never failed her.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBq645AUGM5
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.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqxFcHopcVL
Then Batman took one look at her and said,
“Add her.”
No one laughed.
Everyone knew what that meant.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZBPQZfPAje
It meant:15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFLj2i1T5G1
“You’re not good enough—15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZTKYGuI0zZ
but you might need to fight first.”
Those sessions nearly killed her.
Especially the first few.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqZapXlJfHq
Batman just stood there and said coldly,
“If you can’t get through this,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAiDeFojuNX
this world isn’t yours to look at.”
She vomited on the mat.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoMlEysE3iy
Tore the skin off her palms.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDBrdkiFKYH
Blacked out once from getting slammed too hard.
And Batman?15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡErPAVmtm1T
Didn’t flinch.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVG8eSzJPtW
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—15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡABAk5VMTEY
but perfect accuracy.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiQAwUSNY33
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.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFDeVbUqTok
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.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡql49mRvBYL
But an hour in, Batman barked,
“Switch. Robin.”
Nightwing had been too gentle.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYngMfSPhXX
Too smiley.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjawpiUQuMR
Too… encouraging.
Claire almost thought she was in barista orientation.
Robin later said Nightwing had
“too many hand gestures,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEQOxYChE8A
too much explaining,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm0qJ97bSJ6
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,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2mVH7wY8ha
metal clicked.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡduL3EtoWHO
A sharp ka-clack15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKfWMoO9vNg
like her heart syncing into a new tempo.
The air thickened.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBwlKM98rxH
Noise faded.
Claire closed her eyes.
Raised the gun.
And fired at the sludge hanging from the sky.
BANG.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFay746pQ2D
