5.10

The protagonist, Skitter, makes an emergency call reporting multiple injuries at a warehouse, caused during a fight against the ABB gang. She informs the dispatcher that Lung, the gang leader, is temporarily incapacitated but will soon recover. She also mentions another parahuman, Oni Lee, who fled after being injured.

Skitter and her teammates, Sundancer and Bitch, retreat to their rendezvous point where they meet up with Newter, another parahuman they had rescued earlier, and one of Coil’s soldiers who is a trained medic. Newter, despite his injuries, is surprisingly well, thanks to his unique biology. He reveals that Skitter’s swarm of roaches had moved a stash of the ABB’s money, which she offers to her companions as a bonus.

They discuss their escape routes. Newter and Labyrinth, a parahuman with reality-warping powers, decide to use the sewer system, while Coil’s men have their own transport. Labyrinth demonstrates her powers by transforming a section of the road into a white marble staircase leading into the sewer.

Bitch offers Skitter a ride on her mutated dog, Brutus. As they ride, Skitter reflects on the fight and enjoys the sensation of the wind in her hair. They stop at a deserted beach, where Bitch orders her dogs to return home through a storm drain. Skitter realizes she needs to change out of her costume but has no spare clothes. Bitch points out bruises on Skitter’s body from Lung’s attack. Bitch lends Skitter her jacket, and they walk back to their hideout in an awkward silence.

Back at the loft, Skitter tries to understand Bitch’s behavior. She offers Bitch all the money they recovered in exchange for an honest answer about whether Skitter had sounded sarcastic earlier. Bitch accepts, but only replies “Dunno”. Skitter retreats to her room, reflecting on her conversation with Newter about Labyrinth’s mental state.

The rest of their team returns, and Skitter learns more about Bitch from Lisa (Tattletale). Lisa reveals that Bitch’s powers have altered her brain, making her exceptionally good at reading body language, especially canine, but severely hindering her ability to understand human social cues. This explains Bitch’s often hostile and erratic behavior. She’s not a sociopath, but her brain struggles to interpret basic human interactions. Her reliance on canine behavior is a coping mechanism.

Lisa makes it clear that Bitch must never learn this truth, as it could devastate her. Bitch believes her difficult upbringing is the sole cause of her social issues. Discovering that the same power that connects her to her dogs is also the source of her social struggles would be too much for her to handle. Skitter agrees to keep the secret, realizing that Bitch’s social difficulties far surpass her own. She ponders the similarities between Bitch and an illiterate student who masked his disability with disruptive behavior. The chapter ends with Skitter grappling with this new understanding of her teammate.