8.08

Brockton Bay’s memorial to the fallen was a stark obelisk of black marble and stainless steel, etched with names of heroes and villains alike, standing atop Captain’s Hill. A somber reminder of the recent devastation. Skitter, still reeling from the events and revelations of the Leviathan battle, visited the memorial, a mix of emotions swirling within her.

Gallant was among the dead, a sobering realization for Skitter. Iron Falcon’s name was there too, a boy she’d helped during the battle, his death a confusing mix of disappointment and sadness. The cool, damp air mirrored the chill within her as she traced the crudely etched names of Bitch’s deceased dogs on the monument’s base.

Lisa, dressed warmly, found Skitter at the memorial. They were surviving, but the question was, were they okay? Lisa knew about Skitter’s intended betrayal. “I’m so sorry,” she said, taking responsibility for her manipulations. She’d known since before they met, a revelation that shocked Skitter.

They walked to the railing, overlooking the ravaged city. Lisa broke her silence, “No more secrets.” She explained about a man named Coil, he can run two realities in parallel, making choices in each, then collapsing one, effectively choosing the outcome he desires. This, she revealed, was how they’d survived some encounters. The bank robbery, the fundraiser, even the fight with the Empire Eighty-Eight, Coil had manipulated events, sometimes saving them, sometimes sacrificing one version of them for a better outcome.

The encounter with Lung, where Skitter had first met the Undersiders, had been a carefully orchestrated event. Coil had manipulated events in two realities, leading to a confrontation where Skitter had initially attacked both Lung and the Undersiders. In that reality, Lung had been too strong, and by the time Skitter realized she needed to work with the Undersiders, it was too late. Lisa, escaping, had informed Coil, who then warned Lisa in the current reality about a junior hero in the area.

Lisa had hoped Skitter was a Ward who would deal with Lung without their involvement. Skitter attacked Lung alone, and Lisa’s plan worked. Grue mistook Skitter for a villain, and Lisa, intrigued, played along, recruiting her. “It’s my fault,” Lisa admitted, apologizing again.

Skitter, despite everything, felt a strange gratitude. “If it happened again,” she said, “I’d still want to be part of the group.” But things needed to be different: Dinah, her dad, the revelations after the Leviathan battle.

Lisa suggested Skitter go home, face her dad, but Skitter wasn’t ready. She was angry, hurt, and going home meant returning to the way things were, which she couldn’t do. She’d turned down the Wards, the Birdcage was out of the question, and she didn’t know what to do.

“Maybe,” Lisa suggested, “what you really want is to come back.” But the others wouldn’t budge on the Dinah issue, and Skitter would have to make concessions, accept being Coil’s ‘pet’, and give up her stubbornness.

“Never,” Skitter said.

Lisa offered to talk, to help Skitter sort things out, but Skitter had made a decision. Staring at the monument, a goal crystallized in her mind. She had to change things, be better than Armsmaster, Sophia, Coil, and all the others.

“Does this plan feature the Undersiders?” Lisa asked.

Skitter gave her answer.