24.4

Worm, Chapter 24.4 Summary:

Phir Sē, calm amidst the chaos, sips water, eyes glued to screens displaying Behemoth’s relentless advance towards India Gate. A staggered defense, parahumans sacrificing themselves to buy time, their efforts growing weaker with each wave.

Weaver, seeking an alliance, cautiously probes Phir Sē about his organization’s methods, drawing parallels to her past. Phir Sē, weary from three sleepless nights preparing for the Endbringer’s arrival, allows the conversation, a distraction from the impending doom. He acknowledges her points about the importance of information and communication, especially in a covert operation.

On the screens, Eidolon strikes Behemoth into a grid of wires set by Clockblocker. The Endbringer, adapting, redirects Alexandria’s momentum, sending her crashing into the ground. The grid falls, signaling a hero’s likely demise.

Weaver proposes communication with the defending heroes, a desperate attempt to unite against a common enemy. Phir Sē, jaded by a decade of fighting, expresses his lack of faith in humanity. He coldly states his willingness to sacrifice an entire city for a one-in-three chance to kill Behemoth, even if it means killing innocents and people he cares for. He reveals he has made such sacrifices before, letting his wife and sons die to ensure a monster’s demise.

Particulate, aiming a disintegration gun at Phir Sē’s ‘time bomb’, plans to disable it. Weaver, in a split-second decision, pulls the gun off-target with a thread, saving Phir Sē. The teleporter intervenes, disarming Particulate.

Weaver, reflecting on her actions, realizes she may have subconsciously set up the situation to gain Phir Sē’s favor. She cuts the threads binding him, a symbolic gesture of trust. Phir Sē, aware of her manipulation, acknowledges her craftiness. He agrees to let her work with the heroes, giving her fifteen minutes or until the defense crumbles, whichever comes first.

Teleported to the battlefield, Weaver, amidst the smoke and chaos, finds the situation dire. Behemoth, shrouded in smoke, looms close. Her bugs are gone, communication is down, and the air is thick with acrid smoke, making it hard to breathe. Capes are being picked off by lightning strikes.

Ligeia, creating a massive water portal, a last-ditch defense, is struck by lightning and falls. Tecton leads a staggered retreat with injured capes. Grace, bitter, reveals that Rime is dead, Prism is injured, and Revel, their leader, has been zapped, leaving the chain of command in chaos. Scion has vanished, seemingly avoiding the fight.

Weaver reveals Behemoth’s target: an Endbringer-killing energy weapon, a ‘time bomb’ with the potential to destroy a continent. Hope flickers, then fades as they realize the grim reality of the situation. Annex, hidden in Weaver’s costume, emerges, ready to help.

They find the Undersiders fighting alongside Citrine. Grue is in the hospital, mentally scarred. Revel, who absorbs energy, might be alive, but Regent is doubtful. The Yàngbǎn, a group of Chinese nationalist capes, are nearby, their powers amplifying Weaver’s.

Revel, found with Dispatch and Exalt, is barely conscious. Exalt, the interim leader, is hesitant to act on Weaver’s information about the ‘time bomb’. Weaver, frustrated by the delay, decides to act on her own.

She approaches the Yàngbǎn, who are initially hostile. Exalt reveals they attempted to assassinate Chevalier, but they claim a traitor was among them. Desperate, they agree to help, chanting “Shì de!” in unison.

The ragtag group assembles: the Yàngbǎn, Exalt, a dazed Revel, Dispatch, the Chicago Wards, the Undersiders, Citrine, and Weaver. Behemoth is dangerously close, his kill aura within reach. Weaver communicates with Phir Sē, urging him to wait.

The Yàngbǎn open fire, their powers amplified, but it’s not enough. Behemoth’s lightning decimates their ranks. Dispatch’s time-slowing power provides brief respite. Imp, shielded by a shrinking wall, is targeted by Behemoth. Citrine’s forcefield protects her from lightning, but not from fire.

Regent sacrifices himself, drawing Behemoth’s attack. Imp, devastated, is saved by Weaver’s flight pack. Eidolon creates a forcefield, buying them time. Weaver, in a huddle with Dispatch’s time bubble, formulates a plan with the remaining capes.

They emerge from the bubble, their plan in motion. Golem creates metal hands, while Weaver’s swarm gathers power lines. Rachel, with Annex’s help, stretches a chain between two dogs, coated by Foil’s power to cut through anything.

The dogs, with the chain, successfully trip Behemoth, but it’s not enough. Exalt’s wind attack stumbles the Endbringer, and Rachel maneuvers the dogs to strike again, this time at the knee. Behemoth falls, one leg severed.

Eidolon creates a cylindrical forcefield around Behemoth, as Phir Sē activates his ‘time bomb’. A plume of light engulfs the Endbringer. Imp, satisfied, declares, “That’ll do.”

The light fades, revealing Behemoth’s skeletal form, severely damaged but still alive, still healing. He continues his advance towards Phir Sē. Weaver, heartbroken and angry, orders a retreat. She asks Phir Sē to have faith one more time, in their conversation, and let her have this small victory.