21.2

Worm, Chapter 21.2 Summary:

Atlas, Skitter’s giant beetle, is faltering. Bugs, being hyper-efficient, don’t have the same ability to push past their limits as humans do. Acknowledging Atlas’s fatigue, Skitter asks Rachel for a ride on one of her dogs. She explains that Atlas hasn’t fully recovered since the Echidna fight, and she hasn’t found the perfect diet to keep him in peak condition.

Tattletale, ever the analyst, wonders about the significance of Atlas’s name. Skitter explains that he’s a giant Hercules beetle, and Atlas, the titan who carries the world, seemed like a fitting upgrade. The analogy to Skitter’s own burdens isn’t lost on Tattletale, but Skitter brushes it off, rejecting psychoanalysis in favor of action. She’s tired of the “unfathomable, stupid calls” made by authority figures and the heroes like Armsmaster, Kaiser, Purity, Miss Militia, Piggot, and even Dragon. She just wants to find someone who’s on the same page, someone who understands basic concepts like keeping the peace and making sure everyone is safe.

Tattletale points out that people in power, like Tagg and Piggot, have to care about appearances. They need to maintain the Protectorate’s image, even if it means breaking the unwritten rules. Skitter’s actions are important to them because they care about appearances. The PRT is struggling, losing members, and they see Skitter’s takeover of the city as a threat to their stability. They attacked the school not just to bloody Skitter’s nose, but to reassure the world that they’re still relevant.

Skitter is still incredulous that they would break the rules and endanger kids, but Tattletale explains that they had numbers from Dinah saying Skitter wouldn’t do anything disastrous. They’re planning to twist the narrative in the media and keep chipping away at Skitter’s forces.

Rachel, ever practical, offers Skitter one of her dogs, Radley, a Boston terrier, to ride. Skitter accepts, promising to take care of him. She rides Radley through the city, enjoying the sensation of movement and the wind in her hair. She wants to see Dinah but knows it’s a bad idea. She avoids her dad, not wanting to face the media and the Protectorate presence.

With no destination, Skitter and Radley run until Radley shows signs of fatigue. Skitter dismounts and walks him, Atlas flying overhead. She’s frustrated with Tagg and the recent conversation, and she doesn’t want to return to her territory and face her underlings’ questions. She will soon be Skitter again, with everyone she interacts with for a long time.

Skitter finds herself at a cemetery, scaling the wall and entering the grounds. She sits by a headstone and starts talking to her deceased mother, Annette Rose Hebert. She apologizes for not visiting sooner and expresses her frustration and shame about recent events.

She explains to her mother that she’s become a supervillain, a crime lord, but tries to justify it by saying she’s saved lives and fought powerful threats. She admits to killing a man and hurting innocent people, but struggles to feel remorse. She reveals that Dinah, the girl she saved, turned on her, but she understands why and doesn’t blame her.

Skitter shows her mother the two notes Dinah left her: “Cut ties” and “I’m sorry.” She believes Dinah’s actions were necessary for the greater good and might be crucial for Skitter’s survival. Skitter believes that she has to be heartless and do something that her parents wouldn’t approve of, in order to be in the right place at the right time for what’s coming.

A groundskeeper approaches, and Skitter says she’ll leave. He offers her tea and paper, which she accepts. She writes a long letter to her father, explaining her actions and apologizing. She leaves the letter in an upside-down vase by her mother’s headstone.

Skitter thanks her mother for listening and says she’ll be busy, so it might be a while before she visits again. She leaves the cemetery with Radley, having made a difficult decision and found a new direction. She is no longer lost or frustrated, and she has penned an explanation for her father.