15.x (Bonus Interlude #1; Carol)

Worm, Chapter 15.x (Bonus Interlude #1; Carol) Summary

Darkness presses on Carol, a physical weight borne of fatigue, hunger, and thirst. She’s trapped, unsure of how long it’s been. Beside her, a girl’s voice whines, “I’m hungry.” A man with a lantern enters, bringing a plate of meager food. Carol thanks him, surprising the girl and herself.

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Alan Barnes finds Carol in the office, alarmed by the lights and unlocked doors. Carol assures him she’s fine. He’s back temporarily, in case the city is condemned. Carol’s been digitizing old files, a task she finds meditative. Alan asks what’s wrong. Carol explains her commitment to balancing her job and New Wave, even after Leviathan’s attack.

She recounts Mark’s injury and Amy’s strange refusal to heal him, until she suddenly did, then ran away. She briefly mentions the Slaughterhouse Nine’s visit, but quickly moves on, saying it would derail the conversation. She reveals Victoria’s disappearance after being injured in a fight with the Nine and taken by the Undersiders. Carol, on the verge of breaking down, came to the office to compose herself. Alan offers to organize a search party, but Carol declines, citing the danger and lack of cell service.

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A man wakes Carol, announcing “Time’s up.” A different man from the one who brought food. Sarah’s voice is thin. He has a knife. Sarah screams, “No!” The light blinds Carol. The man is on his knees, and Sarah is standing, floating. She attacks him with blinding light, beating him. Carol feels a flicker of hope.

The first man returns, gun in hand. He fires, but a glowing wall appears, protecting them. Carol feels betrayed. The gun fires again, and Carol flinches. Then, silence.

She’s on a flat plain, bodiless, seeing in all directions. A crack appears, then more. An egg. It hatches, creatures unfolding, vast and incomprehensible. They pair off, embracing around the egg. The egg vibrates, multiple copies appearing, then collapsing into one, which detonates. The creatures soar into the void.

Carol is back in the room, facing the betrayer. Sarah is on the ground. Carol attacks him with a crude weapon of light, severing his leg. She kills him. Sarah hugs her, and Carol cries, a raw, primal wail.

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Lady Photon knocks on the door, asking what Carol’s doing. Carol needed time to think. Lady Photon says they’ve found Tattletale, struck a deal for a two-week ceasefire. Carol is skeptical but hears that Tattletale revealed the location of her daughters.

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Brandish orders Marquis to stand down. He’s nonchalant, claiming he’s won every time. The Brockton Bay Brigade closes in. Marquis transforms into a sea urchin of bone spears. Brandish creates a force field. Manpower slams his foot through the floor but gets hit by bone shards. Flashbang falls, foot slashed. Lightstar is pierced. Brandish avoids bone splinters on the ground. Lady Photon fires lasers. Marquis creates a bone shield, burrowing into the ground.

Lady Photon prepares to shield the injured. A bone barrier rises, protecting a closet. Marquis emerges, driving a bone spike through the floor. Lady Photon asks what he’s protecting. He says she wouldn’t believe him. He asks to change venues. Manpower says to take every advantage. Marquis says they shouldn’t.

Brandish realizes Marquis is stalling, putting himself at a disadvantage. She breaks free from a bone blindfold. Marquis traps Lady Photon in bone. He duels Manpower, using a bone scythe, calculated to hit the injured if it follows through. Brandish charges, creating an energy lance. Marquis creates a ripple of bone, tripping her. She forms a cage around her. She creates energy knives, cutting through.

Brandish throws herself in the way of the scythe. It explodes. Manpower charges. Marquis sinks into the ground, surrounded by bone plates. Brandish charges the closet, slashing through the bone and door. Marquis appears, and she stabs him. She presses the sword to his throat, ready to finish him.

The others recover. Manpower asks what Marquis was protecting. Marquis says it’s his most precious treasure. Lady Photon opens the closet. A girl, clutching a pillow, in a silk nightgown. “Daddy,” she says. Marquis introduces her as Amelia, saying the Brigade will take care of her now. He’s injured and won’t escape.

Lady Photon asks what he means. Marquis says he has enemies who’ll target Amelia. Manpower says they won’t know. Marquis says they’ll find out. The girl says she wants her daddy. Lightstar is shocked Marquis has a kid. Marquis says Amelia’s mother is dead, and they met a year ago. He loves her more than his crimes.

Brandish is disturbed, reminded of the nameless man she killed. She hates Marquis, possibly connected to that night. She likes him on some level, a dissonance. The girl cries, “You can’t take him away!” Brandish says it’s the law. The girl screams she hates them.

Manpower calls the PRT. Marquis asks for medical treatment. Brandish waits outside. Lady Photon brings Amelia out, puts her in the car. Lady Photon says they can’t let Amelia go into foster care. People will fight over her, kidnap her to exploit her powers. Brandish says Lady Photon should take her. Lady Photon says they don’t have the money. She suggests Mark and Carol take her.

Brandish is reluctant. She never planned to have kids, only had Vicky because of Mark. She has trouble trusting people. She could have Vicky because she’d know her from day one. She can’t bond with another child, especially Marquis’. Lady Photon says Amelia needs them. Brandish says she doesn’t want her. The girl in the car stares at Brandish. Lady Photon says Carol grew to love Mark; she could love Amelia.

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“Liar,” Brandish says to Amy, who can’t meet her eyes. “Where’s Victoria?” Amy says she’s sorry. Brandish asks if Victoria is dead. Amy says no. Brandish demands an explanation. Amy says she calmed Victoria with her power, wrapped her in a cocoon to heal. Lady Photon coaxes Amy to continue. Amy says she didn’t want Victoria to fight or hate her, so she put her in a trance, to forget everything.

Amy says she wanted to say goodbye, to see Victoria smile again before leaving forever. She changed Victoria, using extra material from the cocoon. She got tired, scared, lonely, changed more things, lost track, forgot how to change her back.

Brandish sees Victoria, a caricature, flesh spilling over the mattress. Amy says she doesn’t know what to do. Brandish feels betrayed. Amy pleads for help. Brandish turns to strike, then stops. Amy is weak, a victim of herself. She looks like Carol did, years ago.

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“I’m sorry,” a digitized voice says. Carol watches Amy, who seems changed, relieved. Amy can’t meet anyone’s gaze. “Everyone’s sorry,” Carol says. Dragon asks if she’s okay. Amy shuffles forward, cuffed. Carol can’t speak. She hugs Amy tightly, unable to forgive, but sorry. Amy boards the truck to the Birdcage.

Carol returns to the office. Dragon’s face is on the screen. Carol says two daughters are gone. Mark went with Victoria to Pennsylvania. Carol wants to watch Amy’s arrival at the Birdcage. She waits for hours. Dragon wakes her.

On the screen, an elevator door opens. An announcement: “-one-two, Amy Dallon, AKA Amelia Lavere, AKA Panacea. Cell block E.” Amy steps out, drops a gas mask. A crowd gathers. Marquis appears, looking older. Lung is with him. They move through the crowd. Marquis stops before Amy. “I’ve been waiting,” he says. Carol leaves, the reunion playing on the screen.