24.2

Worm, Chapter 24.2 Summary:

Alexandria, seemingly back from the dead, engaged Behemoth in a fierce battle. Her blows, though lacking wind-up, had a profound impact, shattering the ground around the Endbringer. Behemoth, previously moving with the indifference of a force of nature, now focused on Alexandria as a tangible threat.

Their fight was a dance of immense power but minimal damage. Alexandria circled, striking when Behemoth was distracted, her blows sometimes forcing him to stumble. It was a reprieve for the others, a slight reduction in the destruction, but no guarantee of victory.

Weaver, observing the battle, questioned Alexandria’s cautiousness. Was she truly Alexandria, or a convincing fake? Was she more afraid after Weaver’s attack on her?

Meanwhile, the Undersiders struggled to untangle their sled’s chains. A brief, tense conversation revealed the strain they were under, with Regent and Imp using humor to cope, while Grue tried to maintain order.

Behemoth, in the distance, fashioned a superheated projectile from melted metal and hurled it into the sky. A second projectile was destroyed by distant capes before it could reach its target.

Weaver rejoined the Undersiders as they moved again, scouting ahead and ensuring their path was clear. Behemoth, now glowing white with radiation, stampeded forward. Weaver ordered Grue to use his darkness to shield them from the radiation, but communication was difficult due to the noise and the darkness itself.

A sudden shift in the occupants of the sled led to a near-accident, but Weaver managed to save a man from falling off. A shockwave, followed by the appearance of an ethereal cape, forced Weaver to take cover. Behemoth unleashed shockwave after shockwave, buying himself a reprieve from the heroes’ assault.

They encountered a group of locals, some armed, who demanded the sleds. Weaver, pressed for time, agreed to leave the sleds with them, directing the Wards to stay and help while the Undersiders continued on.

Defiant contacted Weaver, confirming that Alexandria was indeed gone from PRT custody and advising them to stay out of her way. He also warned that Behemoth was approaching the first perimeter.

They reached a squat building, an apparent hiding place for the locals, and descended into an underground corridor. The locals were revealed to be ‘cold’ capes, members of the underworld, an ominous realization given their unknown motives.

The armband’s communication with Grue deteriorated due to the electromagnetic radiation and the depth of their descent. They navigated deeper into the underground, encountering a cape-made tunnel, a fact Tecton almost revealed, much to Weaver’s concern.

They reached an underground living space, crowded with people. Cat’s Eyes, the leader of the cold capes, refused to help fight Behemoth, stating that their duty was to fight a subtle war.

A woman in a suit, a known Cauldron operative, appeared, speaking to Cat’s Eyes in a foreign language. She was revealed to be the one who had taken Pretender, a dangerous cape.

The woman, a precog of incredible skill, engaged Weaver and the Wards in a brief but decisive fight. She effortlessly countered their attacks, demonstrating a power that allowed her to see the paths to victory and carry them out without fail.

She revealed that they were approaching an endgame, the end of the world, and that major players were making their moves. Alexandria’s reappearance was part of someone’s ploy.

Portals opened, and the cold capes began to evacuate through them, to an unknown location. The woman in the suit confirmed that they were being taken as soldiers for Cauldron’s purposes.

Despite Weaver’s attempts to stop her, the woman and the cold capes escaped through the portals. Weaver, realizing the futility of fighting her, ordered the Wards to find vehicles and return to the surface.

The situation had worsened in their absence. New Delhi was further leveled, and the smoke had cleared due to the intense fires. Behemoth was now surrounded by Grue’s darkness, a pillar extending to the sky.

They passed clusters of dead capes and destroyed defenses, a grim reminder of the cost of the battle. Weaver contacted the armband for a status update, learning that Chevalier was out of action, Rime was in command, and Legend was out of commission. Scion’s intervention was estimated to be some time away.

Tattletale was also out of commission, and two other Undersiders, Parian and Grue, were injured. Behemoth, despite the damage he had sustained, continued his relentless advance.

The Wards engaged, using their powers to create obstacles and assist the wounded. The battle hinged on a foreign cape creating explosive polygons that slowed time, but Behemoth targeted him, and the polygons disappeared.

Behemoth broke into a run, striking out at defenses and thinkers. The chapter ends with the grim realization that there might be no path to victory against the Endbringers, and the battle continuing to rage on.