19.1

Worm, Chapter 19.1 Summary:

Taylor was in a nightmare, where the school’s bell tolled with an echoing, unending deep tone. She couldn’t maintain her footing, felt blind, and experienced a familiar sensation of being perpetually off-balance. Tall figures shoved past her, their bags catching on her nose and causing it to bleed. As she staggered, someone walked into her as if she were invisible, knocking her down. Another person stepped on her hand, breaking something.

Emma, Madison, and Sophia were there, tormenting her. Every attempt she made to defend herself was punished, as if the universe was conspiring against her. She searched for a weapon, a tool, something she was supposed to have, but found nothing.

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Tattletale leaped back as Noelle lunged, catching the metal walkway, which pulled free as Noelle fell. Tattletale retreated into Coil’s room, a space designed with thick concrete walls and a doorway to nowhere, built after Coil learned about Noelle’s potential to go rogue. She gunned down a Grue clone that Noelle vomited out.

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Taylor, still in her nightmare, felt a breaking point. Protecting her brain became paramount. She stopped fighting back, curling into a ball. The assault became periodic kicks and stomps, accompanied by a familiar shame. Sophia approached with a noose, lifting Taylor off the ground. Madison opened a locker, and Sophia shoved Taylor inside, surrounded by a rancid smell and biting bugs.

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Tattletale cooked a grenade and tossed it at Noelle. The explosion was intense, with smoke and heat radiating outward. “Rachel! Now!” Tattletale shouted.

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Taylor, in the locker, felt her heart slow, her thoughts turning to slush as her life flashed before her in fragmented images. She felt disembodied, then could breathe again. The scene shifted to a factory with churning machinery, where Mannequin stood, sharpening his four three-foot blades. People from her territory, along with allies and family, hid in the shadows. Taylor assessed her tools: a gun, a knife, a baton, and her bugs.

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Tattletale handcuffed herself to a chain attached to a cluster of wires. Noelle’s tongue wrapped around her waist, but Tattletale shot it off. Bitch sent three of her largest dogs at Noelle, who absorbed them, her flesh stretching thin around their growing forms. Two figures emerged from behind Noelle: Regent and Skitter. Regent made Tattletale drop her gun, her hand snapping to her throat. The other Skitter commanded all bugs in the area to turn toward Rachel.

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Taylor called her bugs, but only a few responded, the heat killing most. Mannequin pointed at her dad. She shot at Mannequin, but with only one bullet, it barely fazed him. She charged with her knife and baton, but he ignored her, stabbing downward. She couldn’t look. Mannequin attacked her, his blade penetrating her armor. She screamed in rage, battering him to no avail. He crushed her in a bear hug. Her life flashed before her eyes, then she was in a flooded ruin, surrounded by desolation and signs of the S9. An explosion took the top off a building. She felt sick, her skin burning. Radiation? A plague? Cockroaches fled. “Where are you?” a filtered voice asked, followed by a girl’s giggle. Bonesaw, Bakuda, and Jack were close. The Nine were here. Taylor reached for the cockroaches.

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Noelle called for Regent, who reluctantly climbed her arm to a doorway leading to the cells, where Shatterbird was held. Tattletale was on the ground, with two Skitters and a Grue approaching. Rachel lay prone, Bastard shielding her from the bugs. The Skitters discussed their plan, with one mentioning Tattletale’s secrets and trigger event. Tattletale taunted them, saying they were already off-balance. Skitter One suggested turning the tables, messing with Tattletale’s head. Tattletale ordered Bentley to attack. Skitter Two was shattered by Bentley, while Skitter One bound him with silk. Tattletale shot Skitter One, but the bugs continued their work. Grue teleported Skitter One with his darkness. Heroes were on their way, Miss Militia leading them. Shatterbird appeared, pushing Regent’s limp body onto Noelle. Miss Militia opened the door, and Tattletale shouted, “Shut the door!” Shatterbird screamed, using her power.

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Taylor created swarm-clones with the cockroaches, but the Nine weren’t fooled. She ran, Night crippled her, and she was surrounded by the Nine, including Weld. She tried to warn him, but her words were mumbled. Weld grabbed her and carried her. She felt her power waking up, sensing the bugs and the surroundings. She saw Shatterbird, Noelle with absorbed dogs, Rachel, Tattletale, and Imp down. The heroes were losing momentum, focusing on saving their teammates. Her doppelgangers had complete control of her bugs. Skitter One talked to Weld, mentioning the bad things Taylor had done. Weld said he didn’t care, that they would take her into custody after this. Skitter One revealed that Taylor had murdered Weld’s boss, Thomas Calvert. Imp appeared and slashed Skitter One. Weld threw Taylor away from Noelle, then submerged himself in her, hacking his way through. Taylor drove Shatterbird away with her bugs and destroyed the bug clones. Miss Militia arrived, and Tattletale ordered Rachel to feed Noelle more dogs. The dogs attacked Noelle, getting stuck in her. Weld fought to emerge, throwing out Grue and a dog. Noelle vomited a stream of clones and a dog, which Bentley killed. Weld emerged with Grue and a dog. Tattletale asked Miss Militia for containment foam. Noelle got to her feet, vomiting more clones. Miss Militia used a flamethrower, but the heat and smoke were unsustainable. Noelle was about to spray again when bodies started dropping from her gut. Weld emerged, throwing out more clones and dogs. Noelle belly-flopped onto Weld, Grace, and a dismembered foot. Miss Militia fired a rocket launcher at Weld’s location. He emerged, throwing the others to safety. The group retreated up the staircase. Echidna was stuck, unable to fit through the door. The building shook as they escaped. Tattletale collapsed outside. Weld mentioned Vista was missing. Miss Militia asked about the containment foam, and Tattletale said they needed to buy time. Miss Militia grabbed Tattletale’s phone, preventing her from doing something drastic. Tattletale revealed a contingency plan: blowing up the base. Miss Militia input the code, and explosions rocked the building, causing it to collapse. The underground base imploded. Tattletale said they bought an hour, maybe a few. Grue noted that Noelle was stronger now. Tattletale admitted she didn’t have a solid plan, only ideas. Taylor had a few bad ideas too. Tattletale decided to seek healing. Taylor, Grue, and Regent were in bad shape. Weld and Miss Militia were talking, looking at Taylor. They knew about Thomas Calvert.