14.9

Worm, Arc 14.9 Summary

Tattletale checks if Skitter’s powers are still working and confirms her short-term memory is intact. They agree to stay close to avoid losing track of each other due to the miasma’s effects. Skitter uses her bugs to scout, noticing the pervasive red mist and the unsettling feeling it creates. They realize they’re being followed and prepare to confront their pursuer.

Skitter sets up bug decoys to confuse their follower. Grue suggests they investigate the person, while Skitter argues they can’t be sure who they’re dealing with in the miasma. Tattletale insists the person is a threat, using her power to confirm. They decide to bind the follower with silk.

The follower, a woman with a mask, is caught. Tattletale identifies her as a Slaughterhouse Nine member, prepared for the miasma. Skitter hesitates to kill her, feeling uncertain. Grue and Tattletale push for lethal action, but Skitter refuses, wanting to prioritize finding a cure or the Nine.

Grue questions Skitter’s loyalty, bringing up a past event where she almost killed Siberian. Skitter argues the current situation is different, feeling uneasy about the ease of capturing a Nine member. Grue and Tattletale pressure her further, but she stands firm, prioritizing her gut feeling over their insistence.

Grue expresses his disappointment, suggesting Skitter doesn’t care about the team or him. He claims he’s in love with her but can’t trust her, calling her a traitor. Skitter, feeling increasingly uncomfortable, hides her gun and agrees to leave the woman behind.

As they move on, Tattletale uses her power to ensure the woman isn’t following. Skitter lies, saying the woman is out of range while secretly tracking her. They try to contact Coil for help finding Cherish, who can lead them to Panacea.

The woman breaks free, but Skitter keeps it to herself, gauging Tattletale’s power. Coil answers, discussing the agnosia-inducing mist and the need for Panacea. They negotiate with Cherish, who reveals Panacea’s location: Arcadia High. Cherish also delivers a cryptic message in Latin: “Si Jack effugit civitatem, mundus terminabitur.”

Skitter realizes Cherish was using double-speak, communicating with Grue and Tattletale, who are actually Jack Slash and Bonesaw. Cherish revealed her location and the message about Jack ending the world if he leaves Brockton Bay. Skitter, now aware of the deception, acts quickly, using Bonesaw as a shield against Jack’s knife attack.

Bonesaw throws vials at Skitter, creating a black smoke that joins the red mist. Jack admits he considered Skitter for the Nine but finds her too easy to manipulate. He slashes Skitter’s gun out of her hand. Skitter gathers her bugs, but Bonesaw counters with a white smoke that kills them.

Jack and Bonesaw flee towards Arcadia High. Skitter, unable to catch them due to the noxious clouds and lack of allies, calls Atlas for help. Mechanical spiders approach, further complicating the situation. Skitter realizes she’s outmatched, with minimal information on her opponents while they counter her powers effectively.

Skitter, now focused on damage control, takes to the air with Atlas, giving chase, but knowing the odds are stacked against her. She’s lost the element of surprise, her allies are enemies, and she’s facing a superior force with limited resources and information.