16.8

Worm, Chapter 16.8 Summary

The mayoral debate begins in a less-than-full auditorium, the aftermath of recent disasters and Tattletale’s attack leaving the city without TV or phones. Skitter assesses the room, noting key figures like Director Piggot and recognizing Coil’s men assembling sniper rifles on the roof, preparing for a fight. Coil, accompanied by Circus and two unfamiliar parahumans, is now in the lobby.

Mayor Christner, looking haggard but determined, opens the debate, acknowledging the city’s dire situation. Councilman Grove criticizes Christner’s desire to restore the city to its past, highlighting the north end’s pre-Endbringer squalor and the impossibility of reviving the ship graveyard. He proposes using national and international recovery funds to rebuild, promising new housing, marketing, and a revived ferry service.

Skitter messages Coil through her bugs, demanding he stop, but he dismisses her. She contemplates attacking but hesitates, unsure of his plan and worried about her father’s safety. Leaving with her dad would mean leaving others behind and potentially breaking their fragile bond.

Councilor Padillo criticizes Christner’s association with the PRT’s recent failures, suggesting a mismanagement of resources. Coil and his team, including Circus, Über, and Leet, prepare to move. Skitter, torn between intervention and obedience, grips her father’s hand and stays put.

Coil’s group bursts into the auditorium, causing panic. Skitter and her father remain seated, hiding below their seats. Coil declares his intent to take over the city, citing the fires set to distract the heroes and the occupation of their headquarters. He reveals that Dinah, the mayor’s niece, is safe, along with any non-officials present.

Coil orders Circus to demonstrate their resolve. She throws knives, hitting all three candidates. As Coil addresses the cameras, outlining his plan to seize the city from the top down, Skitter sees the mayor is still alive, clinging to life. Her inaction feels like condoning the violence, but she remains hidden, unsure how to intervene.

Director Piggot confronts Coil, declaring his plan doomed. Circus throws a knife at her, but Weld intercepts it. The Wards, including Weld, Vista, Kid Win, Chariot, and Clockblocker, arrive, turning the tide. Skitter, filled with a strange hope, considers helping but realizes it’s too risky. A resounding victory for the Wards might expose her, while a loss for Coil could endanger her and her father.

The Wards gain the upper hand, subduing the soldiers. Weld reveals Chariot as a double agent working for Coil. As Skitter and her father near the stage, Coil’s group returns, Über shielding them from the Wards’ attacks. Coil presses a remote, and Kid Win’s armor begins to malfunction, emitting a high-pitched whine.

Leet shoots Vista and Clockblocker, while Kid Win takes down Leet. Weld dismantles Kid Win’s armor, revealing a bomb. The crowd panics as Coil’s team escapes, leaving the heroes with the rapidly escalating bomb. Kid Win and Weld teleport the bomb skyward, but it detonates in the lobby, where Coil is caught in the blast. The explosion throws Skitter into a world of white, pain engulfing her.