14.1

Worm, Arc 14.1 Summary

Skitter woke up on Brian’s arm, disoriented from a deep sleep. Alec and Aisha, unmasked, were foraging for food. Brian, sleep-deprived and stressed, looked utterly exhausted. Skitter felt guilty for leaning on him, but Brian brushed it off, accepting her offer of coffee.

In the makeshift kitchen, Aisha accused Skitter of using Brian’s vulnerability to get closer. Skitter denied it, feeling bad enough for unintentionally making him uncomfortable. Alec, ever the pragmatist, suggested Brian wouldn’t mind the physical contact, given his recent trauma, but Skitter is not so sure.

Tattletale, Bitch, and three dogs returned from a patrol, reporting an unusually quiet city. Bitch was reserved, but accepted Skitter’s offer of food. As Skitter prepared breakfast for the group, the Travelers were roused by the smell, and Ballistic took over cooking duties.

Over breakfast, they discussed Bastard, Bitch’s wolf, a gift from Siberian. Lisa raised concerns about a potential tracking device, but Bitch dismissed the idea, citing Siberian’s words about freedom and being animals. Lisa speculated that Siberian might be a projection, with a vulnerable human body hidden somewhere, a potential weakness even Jack might not know about.

Bitch, however, believed Siberian’s words held truth, feeling a connection with the feral cape. Skitter suggested using Cherish to find out the truth, leading to a call to Coil. Cherish, imprisoned in the Boat Graveyard, offered a deal: two minutes to address the group, then information on Siberian and the Nine.

The team debated the risks, wary of Cherish’s manipulative nature. Lisa, sensing a trap, proposed a blind vote using torn book pages to gauge their hidden secrets and willingness to hear Cherish out. The results indicated a high level of secrecy, with one page numbered 325, suggesting a potentially unforgivable secret.

Lisa called Cherish back, negotiating for the Travelers to leave the room before Cherish spoke. The team agreed, and Cherish began her two-minute address, targeting Alec first, bringing up his past as a rapist and murderer. Alec, unfazed, countered by pointing out Cherish’s own sins and accused her of delaying tactics.

Cherish then threatened Brian with Bonesaw’s plans for revenge, causing him visible distress. She accused Skitter of manipulating Bitch, leading to a tense moment where Bitch threatened Cherish. Cherish’s time ran out, and she revealed Siberian’s weakness: a real, male body hidden near the Endbringer’s crater.

Siberian was currently hunting a candidate, a test of survival. Cherish refused to reveal the target, urging the team to hurry. Skitter realized the target was either Panacea or Armsmaster. They rushed to get ready, Skitter donning a makeshift mask. Bitch, enraged by Cherish’s words, was clearly ready for a fight.

As they left, Tattletale pocketed the torn book pages, hinting at future analysis. She asked Skitter if she was okay with finding and stopping Siberian. Skitter, determined, simply said she would “deal somehow.”