Claire saw the shock in his face.
His pupils dilated, eyebrows shot up,105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8bRfnpGb5I
like he’d just seen something that shouldn’t exist in this world.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKctwyx1zj8
A mix of disbelief and worry twisted his expression—105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl8UhlE9z9T
even his mouth twitched a little.
But she didn’t care what he saw.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0cJWLWqm7T
Claire’s heartbeat was still pounding from the quake.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFRNjHZ8uA2
There was only one thing left in her mind:105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD0l0Atp17k
Get out.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwSXYoM4noJ
Now.
She shoved his hands off, pulled herself free from his arms.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRQWdZPBQYG
It wasn’t graceful—105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgwO5lGwpJ7
she practically crashed out of that embrace,105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLhw5VxeCaD
her chest still rattling with leftover tremors.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgNWD3hcZx7
She didn’t care.
He said,
“Wait—”
It wasn’t loud.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeDtxwDUrJa
It was quiet, pleading, instinctive.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYwiK4t37fs
But to Claire, it sounded like some pointless prayer.
Wait, my ass, she thought.
She was furious now.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVfEEVwZ0K0
She hadn’t come here to wait.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWOP0sBpA0W
She wasn’t someone to be protected.
She stormed to the door.
Grabbed the handle.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvevxeTeJxz
Yanked hard.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk6oOEP5BsI
No finesse—just pure, animal panic.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSyStussyzw
Like trying to tear open the edge of reality.
But it didn’t budge.
The door groaned—105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡors5gOcrQE
a horrible creaking, like something was gummed up in the cracks.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmOjTGssLbD
Claire didn’t believe it.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnxvB3Kxpar
Used her other hand.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrvRCIGrSub
Pushed harder.
Every muscle in her body tensed.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzNEZLrWihP
Shoulder against the door.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsW77tS5hAi
Feet braced.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoHPGBqd9v2
She looked like a beast caged for too long—105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUKgzR6YiOC
and the only thing in her eyes was escape.
Still nothing.
She gritted her teeth.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvJr8uVHfVG
Her palms reddened.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI0aypf8rG2
Her arms shook.
She was about to lose it.
Then the officer came up beside her.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz8mpA0iVt7
He didn’t say a word.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLxjn1R7Nz5
Just reached for the handle, adding his strength to hers.
They pulled—together.
Their breathing was all over the place,105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpXQ0iYn2zI
but their rhythm began to sync,105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw2mGdJ8nMC
two struggling bodies tugging in perfect time.
Then, finally—
A ding.
A clear chime rang out from the alert bell above the door,105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeGjuG489e3
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—105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnF3WNoAnR4
like a beast breaking out of its cage.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl913OxWpG9
The world outside was chaotic,105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAcrihwsJqS
but it still felt better than the warped, rattling room behind her.
Claire didn’t stop to breathe.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSiqLHz08fd
She ran.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkMg1kbXySb
Didn’t even wait to steady her steps—105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTJ7KPYNFJQ
her whole body was moving on instinct,105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMHunsHjfB3
as if chasing something…105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiygWAZUdhh
or escaping it.
The street was full of confused people.
Someone yelling into a phone.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOgKCXNMnY0
Someone staring at shattered glass.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4BdHksR7Vo
Someone gripping an umbrella, frozen in place.
Everyone trying to process what just happened—105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtNcfwjZSGA
but all their thoughts were trapped at street level.
No one looked up.
Claire felt that old, familiar loneliness wrap around her again.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6oAKRSHViZ
Even if the sky split in half,105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡihgbAMyCmy
no one would see it.
Only she knew it was there.
She stopped.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdBIu3ATtCn
Tilted her head back.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG7UcLxWfPu
Took a deep breath.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxFz9xMo7Jd
Closed her eyes.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUbnrYqDlyx
And shifted into the Observer.
The tear in the sky was leaking something—105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLWLox5gaDy
slow as syrup.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwJp3xAuwkG
Something was dripping out.
Not a natural phenomenon.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYuoZvGwdX2
More like... something sick, pulling itself into shape.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCH9S5Px9mt
Sluggish.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ZtqmBY3xN
Inevitable.
Vile purple.
Thick like vomit.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Jg6LpnbDA
A cursed color.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiNQ3TCG1IZ
She could almost smell it—105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNlUcZF79p6
metal, rot, humidity, chaos.
Some of the syrup had already reached the ground.
It was corroding the street.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUwPD4nDQGo
Smoke.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNcNg6dRLHg
Sludge.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRCNjV5MiFF
Tentacle-like forms.
People screamed.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMLwUWFdUvm
Some still thought it was just a busted pipe.
One blob dangled just above Claire’s head.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr8lwzQsriw
Not quite touching the ground—105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeV06YFipav
it wavered in the air, like sniffing.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpkfl37z0ZR
Like it had chosen her.
She felt its attention.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQYKxGdfPv6
Knew it was watching.
She looked around.
The blue-eyed officer was also looking up—105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjUfNzPqgea
trying to follow her gaze.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIMf1LXgxsZ
Confused.
He saw nothing.
Claire moved.
She snatched the gun from his waist.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡimUunHZJmg
Aimed it skyward.
Fast.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkk1CQcvuC9
Silent.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡizAPk7IjOK
Her fingers moved like she'd rehearsed it a hundred times.
She felt him try to stop her,105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLSpuY2VcOt
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—105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2veNVGcHRA
Claire’s eyes were empty.
Just calm.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqd4OfkYb2V
And decision.
Too late.
She already had the gun
105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4FWdflrZmQ
She didn’t look back.
Just tightened her grip around the cold weight in her hand.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyTw38HWKaP
She knew this feeling.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8SnzV6eaOf
The weight of the gun.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCTUbf3LzlB
The click of the safety.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9XH2tyWsfo
Exactly where the catch was.
Bad in strength?105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxibsQTEssu
Make it up in skill.
She’d long given up trying to win with brute force—105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3uG1PhhnQO
but technique?105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFo80UDb6L3
Her technique never failed her.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ai4S0gAT1
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.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrXc9pp1X9b
Then Batman took one look at her and said,
“Add her.”
No one laughed.
Everyone knew what that meant.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH1y8RfXgJ8
It meant:105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCpKknuWwBq
“You’re not good enough—105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN67mbg2o9q
but you might need to fight first.”
Those sessions nearly killed her.
Especially the first few.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ07D9vztcXs
Batman just stood there and said coldly,
“If you can’t get through this,105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtjey4A5bUA
this world isn’t yours to look at.”
She vomited on the mat.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa9B9s9SAz0
Tore the skin off her palms.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡevdmayWMs0
Blacked out once from getting slammed too hard.
And Batman?105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzshw5J99E0
Didn’t flinch.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiv1qRVpDDk
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—105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf7ZEybcBv9
but perfect accuracy.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ3KuEFfxaR
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.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXsgLFFl25C
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.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4poqj8JNf6
But an hour in, Batman barked,
“Switch. Robin.”
Nightwing had been too gentle.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡulepZtV6a1
Too smiley.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkeq1kRQ2Kz
Too… encouraging.
Claire almost thought she was in barista orientation.
Robin later said Nightwing had
“too many hand gestures,105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL8Ek2eci9u
too much explaining,105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXOJR2mgV0k
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,105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzllq8Wf6Sm
metal clicked.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV6epNjb3FL
A sharp ka-clack105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhx4qlkpAgn
like her heart syncing into a new tempo.
The air thickened.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiXtdBpiqWS
Noise faded.
Claire closed her eyes.
Raised the gun.
And fired at the sludge hanging from the sky.
BANG.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkuzQoSZ3PI
and then Add to home screen.