Worm

by John McCrae

  “I’m thinking explosives. How much can you provide?”

  “Hold on,” Lisa cut in. ”You’re talking about Ballistic and Sundancer using their powers without limits, you want to use Noelle, now explosives?”

  “And I’m talking about me using black widows, brown recluses and every nasty bug I have at my disposal. I’m talking about us packing guns and grenades. All of us. No holds barred.”

  Trickster rubbed his chin. ”Okay. They broke the unspoken rules between capes, so there’s no reason to actually follow those rules. Sure. But do you actually have a plan?”

  “Yes,” I replied. ”Keep in mind that this could change pretty dramatically depending on where we find them and what they’re up to when we run into them.”

  There were some nods from the others around the room. My bugs had finished connecting the tattered pieces of fabric. It wasn’t pretty, but a few tugs to test it showed it was as sturdy as anything I’d made. I draped it over my lap. Until my legs healed, I’d be wearing my new costume for my upper body, with the tattered cloth as a skirt to protect my burned legs.

  Then I told them what we’d be trying to do.

  13.06

  “We set up and act the second they stop moving,” Grue’s voice sounded through the walkie-talkie. ”Be ready to move the instant Cherish alerts them. We maintain unbroken line of sight over the Nine and between our squads. Notify us and change position if you lose sight of ‘em. Everyone knows what they’re doing?”

  Various assents could be heard through the walkie-talkies.

  “Maybe I should ask if anyone’s unsure about what they’re doing?” he asked.

  There was no response.

  “Good. Hold positions.”

  The strategy was mine, but Grue was more comfortable than I was as a battlefield commander. I was okay with him taking charge here. Preferred it.

  I raised my binoculars. Seven members of the Nine were strolling down the street. Jack, Bonesaw and Siberian were at the head of the group, and Jack was using his knife to try to cut down anyone he saw who didn’t get under cover fast enough. It was almost an idle amusement, rather than some mission or task he’d undertaken. Most escaped, and he didn’t go to any particular effort to chase them down, as though he were conserving his strength.

  Cherish, Mannequin and Shatterbird were in the middle of the group, Crawler behind them, trailing behind with languid, casually effective movements that resembled those of a cat. At the very back of the group, trailing even behind Crawler, was a hulk of a man who I took to be Hatchet Face. He looked like he was rotting alive, and there were grafts of flesh and mechanical replacement parts filling in the gaps.

  The majority of my attention was on Cherish. Through the lenses of the binoculars, I focused on her face. I watched the movements of her eyes, her facial expressions, and the tension in her hands. Nothing she’d done thus far had indicated she was aware of us. Her attention seemed more focused on the handful people Jack had cut down. As they walked, she looked down at each of the wounded and dying with the detached interest one might have for a car accident by the side of the highway. She hadn’t opened her mouth since we’d caught up with their group.

  I so wanted to jump in and save those people. But it would be suicide. Our priority was stopping the Nine.

  Part one of the plan was simple. Up until the point we engaged, we stayed as far away as we could while maintaining a visual and some ability to act. We knew Cherish’s power was more effective as she was closer to her targets. If there was any element of surprise to be had, we’d have it by striking from a distance.

  I spared a glance at Mannequin, changing the focus of my binoculars to the man in white. Again, he’d replaced his parts. His form resembled what I’d seen the first time I’d encountered him.

  I turned my attention back to Cherish. Shatterbird was saying something to her, her lips moving in the rhythms of speech beneath the glass beak/visor that covered the upper half of her face. She was using her hands to punctuate her words. Cherish didn’t respond. From the length of Shatterbird’s speech, I took it to be some kind of monologue or lecture.

  “Hey,” Sundancer said from beside me, “Ten or so seconds until we lose them behind that building over there.”

  A quick check confirmed she was right. The direction their group was traveling would take them out of sight. I picked up the walkie-talkie, “Moving forward. You guys have eyes on them?”

  “Yeah,” Grue reported. That would be our second squad.

  “Yep,” Trickster said, from the third.

  I was already sitting side-saddle on Bentley, with Bitch ahead of me. My burned legs didn’t afford me much grip with my calves, so we’d taken a loop of the chain that surrounded Bentley and wound it under and over my lap and around my waist to secure me in place, connecting it with a carabiner in case I needed to get off fast. I put one arm around Bitch for further support, and scooted forward to make room for Sundancer.

  “Go,” Bitch hissed the words the second Sundancer was in position. Bentley lunged forward, leaping to the next rooftop and landing with enough force that I wasn’t sure I could have stayed seated if I’d been riding normally.

  Bentley was more of a bruiser than the other two dogs, with his front half adding up to almost twice the mass of the rear. It made him weaker at the long distance leaps than any of the dogs I’d ridden thus far, but his powerful upper body also made him a strong climber. It also meant he had the raw strength to carry three of us and the pair of heavy metal boxes that we’d strapped to his sides. Our progress wasn’t fast, but we did make our way up the side of the next building, Bentley’s claws digging into the windowsills as he slowly and methodically ascended. From that building It was one more leap and a short climb to the roof of the tallest building in the area. I released my deathgrip on the chains and got the binoculars and walkie-talkie out.

  “In position on the Demesnes Soft Tower. Location of the Nine?”

  “Lord and Tillman,” Trickster answered me.

  I found the intersection. Once I had the right general area, it wasn’t hard to spot them. Crawler was conspicuous.

  “Found them,” I informed the others.

  Our setup put Grue, Ballistic and Sirius directly behind the Nine, along with the metal cases of supplies we’d strapped to Sirius’ sides. Trickster and Regent were mounted on Genesis, who had taken a form not unlike the dogs. The trio were positioned to the Nine’s left. By contrast, my group, with Sundancer, Bitch and Bentley, were positioned to their right.

  Each of us were a little over a thousand feet away from the Nine, three city blocks, give or take. It meant my allies were out of range of my powers. It was a drawback, but I hoped it would balance out.

  “They’re moving with purpose,” Tattletale sounded over the walkie-talkie. Trickster was sending her ongoing video with a camera and directional microphone. ”I think they’re heading to Dolltown.”

  “Dolltown?”

  “Parian’s territory,” Ballistic said. ”She controls these giant stuffed animals. Cordoned off an area in my district before I made my claim. I haven’t gotten around to dealing with her yet, with the Nine and all.”

  “They’re probably trying to bait the heroes out,” Tattletale said, “Killing in the streets, then attacking one of the safe territories that aren’t controlled by us.”

  “ETA for them getting to their destination?” I asked.

  “One minute,” Tattletale spoke.

  “Moving up,” Grue reported. ”You guys maintain visual.”

  Jack was still attacking everyone he spotted. How many lives would be lost in the meantime? Worse, would Cherish notice our presence, or would Jack look for civilians and spot one of us on a rooftop blocks away?

  Going into this with the element of surprise was almost too much to hope for.

  I put my walkie-talkie down, but I kept my eyes on Cherish. She hadn’t spoken, and there was no change in her posture.

  “Grue,” Trickster sai
d, “Get in position fast. I see the area where Parian marked off her territory. If they’re going to stop, they’re going to stop here.”

  I used the binoculars and found the area in question. Yellow spray paint, rain coats and scarves had been used to form a line across a street.

  Grue didn’t respond, but that could easily be because he was focusing on riding. Just in case, I asked, “You have eyes on him, Trickster?”

  “Yeah. Grue and Ballistic are heading up to a spot where they can see everyone. No danger.”

  No danger. It was a loaded statement. Burnscar wasn’t here, but Tattletale was ninety percent certain that the pyrokinetic teleporter was off tracking down one of the ‘hero’ candidates or Hookwolf to give them their tests.

  My heart was hammering in my chest, and I knew that between one of these heartbeats and the next, one of the Nine could spot us. If it was Jack or Shatterbird, we could be dead or bleeding out less than a second later.

  “Set up,” Grue ordered.

  I unclipped the carabiner and hopped down. Working alongside Bitch and Sundancer, I helped bring the boxes we’d strapped to Bentley’s side to the edge of the rooftop. We hurried back, Sundancer giving me a hand up. I almost didn’t feel the pain of my legs with the tension and adrenaline that thrummed through me. Or maybe that was the industrial strength painkillers Coil had provided.

  I didn’t want to think about the fact that the drugs I’d taken might be the same ones that he’d used to drug Dinah.

  A quick sweep verified that the area around ‘Dolltown’ was largely empty of people. The flooding was bad here, and only Parian’s place was really on high enough ground to be free of it. Just to make sure, I asked, “Tattletale? How many bystanders?”

  “Going by the video feed? Guessing there’s between eight and twenty people in the buildings around you.”

  “Then I’m set,” I replied. I strapped the ‘seatbelt’ chain around my waist and hips and reconnected the carabiner. Other voices echoed mine, confirming they were ready.

  Halfway across the roof, Sundancer began forming her miniature sun. I checked on the others with my binoculars. Trickster and Regent were crouched at the corner of one building, and Genesis was dissolving. Good.

  Grue and Ballistic were arguing. I was pretty sure. I could see Grue grabbing Ballistic’s shoulder with one hand and pointing at the Nine with the other.

  “What’s going on, Grue?” I asked.

  “He’s chickening out.”

  He’s supposed to handle Cherish. I glanced at the Nine. No sign of anything from her. She was standing apart from the rest of the group, her arms folded.

  “She looks like someone I used to know,” Ballistic said, as if that was some kind of answer.

  “Who?” Trickster asked.

  “Sadie. From seventh grade.”

  “Nope,” Trickster replied. ”Not in the slightest. Your head’s fucking with you. Get the job done.”

  “But-”

  Trickster’s voice was as hard as I’d ever heard it. ”Now. Remember the deal we made. Our promise to each other and to Noelle. Don’t fuck this up.”

  Ballistic hesitated. Through the scope of my binoculars, I could see him holding the foot-ball sized warhead in his hands. ”She’s a human being, someone with feelings, and tastes and-”

  Regent was the one who cut him off this time, “And she’s someone that has forced parents to mutilate and kill their kids and she made them enjoy it. Then she left them to live with the aftermath.”

  Regent sounded remarkably calm given the situation.

  “She’s my sister. If anyone has a right to get sentimental, it’s me, and I’m saying it’s okay to off her,” he finished.

  “I-” Ballistic broke off.

  I shifted my attention to the Nine. Jack, Siberian and Bonesaw were moving past the yellow lines. And Cherish… Cherish was turning to look in Grue and Ballistic’s direction. I could see her almost bounce in place as she got her feet under her and started sprinting, her mouth opening.

  “Cover blown!” I shouted into the walkie-talkie. Taking my finger off the button, I called out, ”Trickster, Sundancer!”

  Sundancer sent her sun soaring around to the Nine, taking the long route so it could cut them off. In that same moment, Trickster pointed a sniper rifle at a corpse on the street and swapped Cherish’s position with it.

  Part two of the plan, after finding them and getting into our positions, was to remove Cherish as fast as humanly possible. If we accomplished nothing else, our goal was to do that and then make a run for it. It would pave the way for future attacks and it would slow them down.

  We’d left that task to Ballistic, with the idea that Trickster would take care of Jack. Ballistic decided he didn’t have it in him at the worst possible moment, forcing us to shift roles.

  Damn him.

  Cherish was struck by Trickster’s shot, blood spattering the pavement. Her teammates left her behind.

  “Don’t have line of sight to jack!” Trickster reported.

  “Hit the others,” I told Sundancer.

  “You mean kill them,” her voice was quiet, her fists clenched at her sides.

  “Kill them, then.” I could see the sun growing as it flew. It was maybe eighteen feet in diameter now.

  “Just… just tell me there aren’t any civilians there, no bystanders.”

  I looked through my binoculars. The remainder of the Nine were making a break for it. Mannequin and Siberian stood still, watching Grue and Ballistic, Crawler was barreling towards them, and Shatterbird had taken to the air. Jack and Bonesaw were taking cover around a corner to stay out of Grue and Ballistic’s line of fire.

  The thing that had once been Hatchet Face scooped up the wounded and anyone he could catch and deposited them with his group. Bonesaw had a scalpel out and was cutting the second the people were in her reach. A throat slashed here, a stomach cavity opened there. Intestines and muscle strung from one individual to another, connecting them together as their faces contorted in pain. Some struggled to stand, to strike Bonesaw or push themselves away, but deft slices with the scalpel severed tendons and ligaments. It was a kind of grim reversal, the adults utterly helpless and weak when faced with the child.

  We’ll never have another shot like this.

  “No,” I said. I even managed to sound convincing. ”No civilians! Go!”

  “Then tell me where to move it,” Sundancer’s eyes were closed. ”I can’t see that far.”

  “Out further, left, left, left,” the miniature sun slid twenty or so feet with every order I gave as I tracked the enemy’s position and the movements of the orb with the binoculars. ”Short bit left and then out!”

  I couldn’t look directly at the thing, but I saw Mannequin and Siberian wheel around as the blinding light of the orb caught their attention. Mannequin ran, and Siberian lunged forward.

  The orb slid out into position around the mouth of the alley and then rolled over Jack, Bonesaw and Hatchet Face.

  “Report!” Tattetale’s voice came from the walkie-talkie. ”I don’t have visual.”

  “Sundancer just hit Jack, Hatchet Face and Bonesaw.”

  “Where are the rest?”

  “Crawler heading for Grue and Ballistic, Mannequin running down Tillman in Regent and Trickster’s general direction. Shatterbird’s going for the bird’s-eye view. I don’t think she’s seen any of us except Grue and Ballistic.”

  “Siberian?”

  “Missing.”

  “Shit. Assume they’re all alive, then. Sundancer’s power still in that area?”

  Alive? “It is.”

  “Then keep it there!”

  I glanced at Sundancer and she gave me a grim nod.

  Crawler had reached Grue and was scaling the side of the building with surprising speed. I’d taken him for a quadruped, but apparently his joints were modular. His proportions were more simian, now, and he was climbing up the side of the building twice as fast as I could have run it if it w
ere laid out horizontally.

  Part three of the plan had been to hit them as hard as we could. Trickster was using his rifle to take shots at Mannequin, but I couldn’t see if it was having any effect. Ballistic finally decided to contribute, and fired a warhead at Mannequin. Then he reached into the box he and Grue had unloaded from Sirius’s harness and grabbed two more. He fired them into the smoke cloud that had expanded around Mannequin.

  I could see Crawler reaching the edge of the roof, not twenty feet from Grue and Ballistic.

  Part four of the plan? Avoid direct confrontation.

  “Trickster,” Grue said, the one word buzzing over the walkie-talkies.

  Crawler disappeared, and an empty pickup truck toppled from the edge of the roof to the ground. Crawler was back in the vicinity of the other Nine, not far from Sundancer’s burning orb. Blocks away from Grue and Ballistic.

  The monster lunged after Grue and Ballistic again, and was supported this time by Shatterbird, who conjured up a storm of glass shards to pelt the pair. Ballistic retaliated by firing a warhead at Shatterbird, who prematurely detonated the explosive with a thick cluster of glass, shielding herself against the worst of the blast with another wall. She drew more walls around herself and maintained her assault.

  Bitch whistled, and Sirius started bounding across rooftops to head our way. I could see Shatterbird turn and notice us.

  That was fine. I sent a payload of bugs her way; wasps and bees each carrying several spiders, and more expendable caterpillars and the like that were smeared in capsaicin. I wanted to make absolutely sure she knew where we were and that she wouldn’t ignore us.

  Crawler reached the base of the building only to be switched with yet another car, resetting his position a second time. He roared in frustration, then turned toward the miniature sun, breaking into an all out run as he charged for it.

  “Sundancer, switch off!” I called out.

  The orb disappeared, and Crawler crashed through the alleyway, only barely avoiding Jack, Siberian and Bonesaw. The edges of the alley were unrecognizable, and the walls were on fire, but the trio were untouched. Siberian had Jack draped over one shoulder and another hand clasping Bonesaw by the back of her shirt, holding her high. The pavement was a molten liquid beneath them.