8.05

Brockton Bay is under siege. The city is being torn apart, its defenders scattered. Lady Photon and Laserdream, bearing the weight of recent loss, arrive on the scene, their faces etched with a grief that mirrors the narrator’s own past trauma. They quickly assess the situation, and Laserdream, the more agile of the two, takes to the skies carrying the narrator, a villain known as Skitter.

Skitter, despite her villainous affiliation, finds herself an unlikely ally in this desperate hour. Her power, a form of enhanced sensory perception, allows her to track the movements of the monstrous Leviathan, the entity responsible for the city’s devastation. She relays this information to Laserdream, guiding their flight through the ravaged streets.

The city below is a tableau of destruction. Buildings are shattered, roads are ripped apart, and fires rage unchecked. The two fly over familiar landmarks, now reduced to rubble, and Skitter’s anxiety mounts as she realizes the potential danger to her father, who might be trapped in one of the city’s overcrowded shelters.

They arrive at a battle where several heroes and villains are engaged with Leviathan. Parian, a hero with the power to animate fabric, creates monstrous constructs to distract the beast. Hookwolf, a villain capable of transforming into a mass of blades, and Browbeat, a hero with enhanced strength, also join the fray. Despite their efforts, Leviathan proves too powerful. Browbeat is killed, and Parian is critically injured.

Shadow Stalker and Flechette, two young heroes, attempt to exploit Leviathan’s vulnerability, but Shadow Stalker is crushed by Hookwolf’s transformed body, which Leviathan hurls at her. Another hero, Brandish, is also killed in the onslaught.

Skitter, armed with Armsmaster’s Halberd, a weapon capable of disintegrating matter, seeks a hero strong enough to wield it effectively. Meanwhile, the battle rages on, and the defenders gain a temporary advantage, but Skitter knows it’s a fleeting victory. Leviathan, whenever cornered, unleashes devastating attacks that reshape the battlefield.

As if on cue, Leviathan triggers a massive sinkhole, swallowing a large section of the city. Skitter is caught in the resulting flood and nearly drowns but is saved by Laserdream. They seek refuge on a rooftop, but the structure collapses, forcing them to take flight again.

They learn of a compromised shelter and rush to assist. The shelter, located beneath a library, is partially flooded, and its entrance is blocked. Laserdream and another hero work to clear the debris while Skitter, unable to help physically, provides what little aid she can with her power.

They manage to open the shelter, and the survivors begin to evacuate. Skitter searches for her father among them but is interrupted by the sudden arrival of Leviathan. The creature bursts into the shelter, trapping the remaining civilians inside.

Laserdream is downed, and the two heroes present are killed. Skitter, driven by a sense of grim justice, decides to confront Leviathan, leaving her teacher, Mr. Gladly, to his fate. She retrieves the Halberd and attacks Leviathan from behind, exploiting his injured tail.

The attack is a success, but Leviathan retaliates, and Skitter is thrown out of the shelter, paralyzed from the waist down. She lies in the water, on the brink of drowning, when Bitch, a villain with the power to enhance dogs, arrives with her pack.

Bitch’s dogs attack Leviathan, but they are no match for the beast. One by one, they are killed. Scion, the world’s most powerful hero, finally arrives. He effortlessly repels Leviathan’s attacks and drives the creature back with blasts of golden energy.

Eidolon, another powerful hero, assists Scion, and together they force Leviathan to retreat. Scion pursues the creature, leaving the remaining defenders behind. A teleporter arrives to evacuate Laserdream, leaving Skitter in Bitch’s care.

They are transported to a makeshift hospital, where Skitter is treated for her injuries. However, her status as a villain is quickly discovered, and she is manacled to her bed, left alone and helpless. The chapter ends with Skitter’s fate uncertain, her hope dwindling as she grapples with the consequences of her choices and the harsh reality of a world besieged by monsters.