11.02

Chapter 11.2: Claiming Territory

Skitter rode in a military truck with eight of Coil’s workers, heading towards the Docks, an area ravaged by Leviathan. The truck was packed with supply crates, leaving little room for the occupants. Skitter, aiming to project authority, refrained from conversing with the workers, who were dressed in hazmat suits.

She focused on controlling her vast swarm of bugs, gathered from a wide area of the city, a larger swarm than she’d ever controlled before. As they drove around the perimeter of her intended territory, she directed her bugs inward, creating visible clouds and barriers, particularly around the southern end of the Boardwalk to keep her father away. She also used her bugs to survey the buildings within her range, counting the occupants and organizing them into groups.

Her bugs formed arrows on walls, guiding people towards the truck’s location where supplies were being unloaded. The scene attracted a crowd, including armed individuals and hungry civilians. Skitter, using her swarm to create a dramatic entrance, announced her claim over the territory. She declared herself different from other villain groups, offering supplies, protection, and order in exchange for obedience to her rules. She specifically targeted gangs like the Merchants and the Chosen, warning them against operating within her territory.

Skitter offered basic food rations, first aid supplies, and water filters to the crowd, promising more for those who worked for her. Despite some tension and a confrontation with an armed man, likely a Merchant, she managed to distribute the supplies without major incident. Battery, a hero, arrived but chose not to intervene, instead warning Skitter that she would be watching her closely.

After Battery left, Skitter addressed the remaining crowd, promising to provide for those who didn’t receive a box. She used ladybugs to track those individuals. A young woman approached Skitter, pleading for help in rescuing her brother, who had been taken by the Merchants.