11.e

Worm 11.e

Hookwolf oversaw his recruits’ training. They sparred with melee weapons, pushing through exhaustion. He, Stormtiger, and Menja watched for the killer instinct. Menja selected Bradley, a bald man in peak condition, and a blond woman named Leah.

Bradley was pitted against Menja, who used her size-shifting powers. Despite being outmatched, Bradley adapted, using defensive tactics and an arm lock. Hookwolf stopped the fight before Menja could lose, welcoming Bradley to the Chosen’s elite.

Leah was to face Cricket, who was known for her speed despite a leg injury. Before the fight could begin, the windows shattered, injuring many. Hookwolf, transforming into his metal form, identified the attacker as Shatterbird, a member of the Slaughterhouse Nine.

Hookwolf confronted Shatterbird, who revealed she was there to recruit him. She had researched his history and believed he was a born warrior, despite his affiliation with Aryan groups. Hookwolf, however, was uninterested in joining her.

Shatterbird revealed that Cricket, using her subsonic abilities, was canceling out Shatterbird’s powers. Hookwolf used this to his advantage, attacking Shatterbird. However, she shot Cricket, breaking her concentration and regaining control of the glass.

Shatterbird and Hookwolf continued their conversation. She questioned his association with the “Chosen” and his ultimate goal, suggesting he craved to reduce the city to darkness and blood, allowing only the strong to survive.

Hookwolf stepped on Shatterbird, but she didn’t resist. She proposed that he join the Slaughterhouse Nine, suggesting their goals coincided and that they could make history together. Hookwolf refused, stating his loyalty to his people.

Shatterbird offered a deal: if Hookwolf joined, she would rescind her orders to the other Nine members to attack his people. He would be tested, and if he survived, he would become one of them. Hookwolf, seeing no other way to protect his people, agreed.

Shatterbird healed herself with glass and flew away. Hookwolf, however, planned to betray the Nine and kill them before they left the city, seeking help from elsewhere to achieve this. He surveyed the damage and his injured people, determined to avenge them.