18.7

Worm, Chapter 18.7 Summary:

Skitter, Grue, Tattletale, Regent, Tecton, and Grace gather near Noelle and Eidolon’s battleground. Skitter explains that “Cauldron”, the organization responsible for Noelle’s condition and monstrous capes (Case 53s), involved Coil. Noelle and Eidolon converse, revealing Coil’s involvement from the start. Eidolon suggests an alternative, prompting Noelle to admit she wants to die. Eidolon, too, confesses his fear of death, sensing Noelle isn’t alone.

Noelle produces clones, including Vista, Circus, Über, and Leet. Leet sets up a tinker-made gun behind Eidolon. The team debates intervention, with Tecton and Grace advocating trust in Eidolon, while Tattletale and Skitter express concern. Skitter compromises by drawing arrows to guide Eidolon to Leet, while the others prepare for a potential rescue.

Noelle admits she hopes to lose, her mind too muddled to give up. Leet prepares to fire, and Skitter tries to sabotage the gun with cockroaches. Leet fires, but the gun malfunctions due to Skitter’s sabotage, electrocuting Leet. Noelle orders her minions to attack, but Eidolon unleashes a powerful gravity-based attack, crushing most of the clones.

Tattletale realizes they inadvertently sent Imp to deal with Leet. Skitter reverses the arrows, warning Imp to retreat. Another gravity attack by Eidolon follows, and Noelle advances, seemingly immune to the pressure. Imp slits Leet’s throat, and Eidolon turns to attack him, but Imp is already there. Leet, in a dying act, pulls the gun’s power supply, causing a massive explosion.

Noelle, unfazed by the blast, scales a skyscraper. Eidolon follows, tearing a third of the building down with his gravity power, but Noelle continues her ascent, unfazed. The team reaches the explosion site, finding Imp injured but alive with a ruptured eardrum. Tattletale reveals that Noelle can create clones without constant contact, a short-duration ability after absorbing someone.

They head to the stairwell, discussing the ongoing fight. Eidolon uses gravity manipulation, flight, and a danger sense against Noelle, who employs a two-dimensional Vista to protect her clones. Eidolon avoids hitting civilians, possibly due to his danger sense. The team gets on Bentley and heads towards the battle.

Eidolon attacks himself with a gravity-slam, seemingly pointless. Noelle vomits up two clones: a Vista and a Leet. Skitter sends bugs after them, noticing a rat among the vomit, realizing Noelle can clone animals. She begins exterminating the rats.

Noelle attacks a group of evacuating civilians, absorbing them. She vomits out eighteen to twenty people, half mutated, and swallows the real Vista. Tattletale realizes Noelle is keeping the capes she creates clones of inside her. Noelle turns and runs.

The team decides to rescue the vomited people, clear away the clones, signal Eidolon, and chase Noelle. They find wasps, hornets, and cockroaches in the vomit, attacking people and bugs, uncontrollable by Skitter.