13.08

Chapter 13.08 Summary (1067 words)

Riding in trucks towards Dolltown, Skitter, Tattletale, Trickster, and Sundancer were tense, each coping in their own way. Skitter, mentally cataloging their resources and worrying about their allies, felt a growing unease. The Travelers were keeping secrets, and their unity seemed fragile. She couldn’t shake off the doubts about Coil that Cherish had planted.

They stopped near their previous battle site, where they had captured Cherish. The Nine were now inside Dolltown, and Skitter hoped the prior fight had scared off most residents. Regent struggled to control a furious Shatterbird, who they were using as part of their plan. Tattletale pointed out a building where the Nine were hiding.

Skitter wanted to warn the civilians in the area, but Trickster argued against it, prioritizing Grue’s safety and the mission’s success. He claimed that taking out members of the Nine would save more people in the long run. Skitter disagreed, but Trickster asserted that it was her call if she was sure she wouldn’t compromise the plan.

Purity and the ENE Protectorate arrived, signaling the start of the operation. Shatterbird and Genesis, in a monstrous form, engaged Purity’s group, distracting them from the Nine’s real location. Skitter, knowing the Nine’s position, used her bugs to guide civilians away, urging them to flee.

She found Grue in an improvised cell, a walk-in freezer, but couldn’t reach him due to the intricate and horrifying modifications he had undergone. His body was splayed open, organs displayed, connected by exposed nerves throughout the room. Any attempt to enter would cause him immense pain.

Skitter insisted they try to save him, suggesting Bonesaw could reverse her work. Tattletale was skeptical, but Skitter refused to give up, even if it meant Grue had to endure more suffering. They tracked the Nine’s movements as they battled Purity’s forces. Jack used decoys—hostages surgically altered to resemble the Nine—to draw fire and create chaos.

Trickster teleported Skitter, Tattletale, Sundancer, and Ballistic inside the building, leaving Bitch behind to cover their retreat. They searched for Bonesaw, finding her in an exercise room. Tattletale and the others suddenly collapsed, paralyzed by darts Bonesaw had hidden in a corpse.

Skitter, immune due to her armor, confronted Bonesaw, who revealed she had also dosed the others with an unspecified substance. Bonesaw refused to help Grue, considering his state a work of art. Skitter attacked, but Bonesaw released a cloud of powder and mechanical spiders that subdued her.

Dragged to the dining hall where Grue was held, Skitter, Tattletale, Trickster, Sundancer, and Ballistic were stacked like logs. Bonesaw revealed she had also captured Imp. She crouched in front of Skitter, promising a “fun” time.

Skitter’s internal monologue throughout the chapter reveals her exhaustion, doubts, and determination. She grapples with the moral implications of their actions, the unreliability of her allies, and the horrific reality of Grue’s situation. Despite the overwhelming odds and the gruesome nature of their predicament, she clings to the hope of saving Grue and stopping the Nine.

The chapter ends with Skitter and her team captured, their plan in shambles, and their hopes pinned on a delusional and sadistic Bonesaw. The battle outside rages on, the Nine’s chaos spreading, and the fate of Grue, Skitter, and the others hanging precariously in the balance.