17.2

Worm, Chapter 17.2 Summary

Krouse, carrying an unconscious Noelle, led his injured friends through a toppled building. Luke, his leg slashed, struggled with traction in socks. Marissa, the surest-footed, scouted ahead, visibly in shock from witnessing Chris’s death.

The Simurgh, after being pursued by Scion, reappeared, manipulating machinery with telekinesis. She had baited Scion away with a false image, continuing her work despite his ongoing attacks in the distance. The screaming in their heads intensified, a maddening, ever-shifting chorus.

As they reached the building’s edge, a daunting hundred-foot drop awaited them. Climbing down the exposed concrete and rebar was perilous, especially with Noelle. They opted to search for an escape route inside, breaking into another apartment.

Jess, knowledgeable about capes, explained the Simurgh’s history. Initially thought to be another Scion, she had devastated a city after a period of peaceful interaction. The details, however, she withheld, fearing they would be a distraction.

The Simurgh erected a barrier against incoming heroes, using snow to pummel them. A hero, Grandiose, was fatally injured. Krouse’s group found him impaled, his own side preparing to detonate his armband rather than let him live, exposed to the Simurgh’s influence for too long. He urged them to flee before the armband exploded, killing him.

They ran, witnessing Alexandria engage the Simurgh, who was now lifting the building they had escaped from, creating a protective maelstrom of debris. The screaming in their heads worsened, shifting between different sounds.

The Simurgh activated a circular device she had built, creating a portal that spewed debris, monsters, and even people into the city. One monster, a frog-like creature, attacked a fallen, mutated man. Another creature emitted a disorienting screech, causing Krouse’s group to vomit.

Noelle, still unconscious, mumbled about trying hard. Krouse urged her to stay awake as they continued their escape. They encountered another injured monster, who pleaded for their memories to dream again. Marissa, disturbed, ran ahead.

The ground shuddered with explosions. Scion returned, severing the portal with a beam. The tear in reality bled into the surrounding sky, revealing a different landscape. Scion unleashed a wave of energy that momentarily stilled everything, even the Simurgh’s song.

Scion drove the Simurgh into the ground. Krouse’s group, exhausted and desperate, discovered a chain-link fence topped with barbed wire blocking their path. Soldiers on the other side aimed guns at them. A loudspeaker announced a quarantine, warning them not to approach the fence or they would be shot. The screaming in Krouse’s head spiked with his alarm. They were trapped, with Noelle’s life hanging in the balance and the threat of the Simurgh’s influence looming.