Diferencia entre revisiones de «Resumen:Lux»

The narrator describes the world of the Reckoners, including how Epics came to be and how the Reckoners rose to fight them. They tell us that 12twelve of the 17seventeen Reckoners fighting in Texas have died.

Jax and Hershel are gambling over a snickers bar in [[Galveston]]. Jax wins, but then cuts the bar in half and splits it with Hershel. Jax claims entry #97 from thetheir [[Bucket Book]], saying that he’s slain a bear without bullet or blade. The Fathom Radar alerts the two of [[Lux (city)|Lux]]'s arrival, and they go to the roof where their gear is waiting.

*[[Abigail (Reckoner)|AbigailCasey]]

*[[BrigandBriggen]]

Jax and Hershel prepare to execute the plan, marveling at the sheer size of the city of Lux. The five reckonersReckoners are waiting in small groups around the city. Hershal and BrigandBriggen launch groups of drones designed to burrow into the underside of Lux and lay explosives in the tunnels there. Wingflare descends, alongside hundreds of Ravens. Because Lifeforce does not descend alongside his army, Abigail calls for the group to stand down and retreat. Jax protests, unsuccessfully, then launches Hershel's missiles against orders. The missiles bury the Ravens in rubble, but Wingflare lifts the rubble off them easily. Jax gets on his motorcycle - equipped with a motivator that will let it drive inacross thinempty air - and takes off towards Wingflare. Jax convinces the gangothers to send the second volley of rockets to distract Wingflare. The reckonersReckoners detonate the drones buried in the underside of Lux, makingcracking tonsthe ofcity rockin fallhalf and breakingmaking thehundreds cityof inlarge halfrocks fall. Jax is almost crushed by a massive rock, but it is caught by Wingflare, who attempts to put Lux back together. Jax jumps onto a drone and flies towards Wingflare. He tries to attack her with his sword, but fails and is grabbed by Wingflare telekinetically. Abigail shoots Wingflare and Jax manages to get away while she is distracted. Jax reveals that he managed to cut some hair off of Wingflare. The team regroups at the rendezvous point, though BrigandBriggen has been gravely injured.

A young Jax is visiting his older brother Dan atfor hisspring schoolbreak, and they go out to breakfast. In the middle of their meal, Lovestruck appears, an Epic whose kisses reverse the blood flow of her target. Jax runs totowards Lovestruck, not sensing the danger and Dan follows. Lovestruck blows a kiss towards Dan, killing him. The police appear and drive off Lovestruck. A team of paramedics show up and attempt to help Dan, but are powerless to help. Jax stays by Dan's body for hours before Prof arrives. Prof offers to drive Jax back to his family in Houston. When Jax says that all of his family lives in Houston, thenProf revealssadly tells him that itHouston has been destroyed by Obliteration, and all of Jax's family with it. Prof lets Jax stay the night, then offers to take Jax to stay with some friends in New York. Jax accepts. They visit Dan's apartment once before departing, and Jax recovers Dan's sword. In the car, Prof tells Jax about the Reckoners, and Jax revealstells him that he wants to help others.

* [[Jax (Reckoners)|Jax]] (point of view)

* [[Prof]]

Jax wakes up in Prof's car. Prof reveals that instead of going to New York, they are going to the Coop because Prof has decided that Jax is a perfect candidate for Reckoner training. Prof trieswarns toJax dissuadethat Jaxthe fromgoing beingwill abe herolong and difficult, but Jax is determined.

Jax and Prof arrive in Newcastle and meet Zeff. Prof convinces him to take Jax to the Coop despite his young age, saying that a younger recruit could be more loyal, and that kids learn more easily. Prof leaves, and Jax goes with Zeff to the Coop. Zeff explains the rules of the Coop, and when Jax fails to comply, Zeff sentences him to two hours on the post. Jax falls off continuously, which only extends his sentence on the post. Zeff lets Jax off at sunset, then they enter the Coop. Zeff shows Jax to his room, and takes Shiloh, saying that Jax won't get it back until he knows how to use it.

*[[BrigandBriggen]]

Two years pass, and Zeff has taught Jax and Paige stealth, acrobatics, observation, and firearms. Paige is revealed to be a much better shot than Jax, and her confidence grows as a result of her success. Zeff starts having Jax and Paige train in close quarters combat with older Reckoners. Jax does horribly against the older kids, and Zeff often has him outnumbered or otherwise disadvantaged. He let Jax and Paige fight side by side together, though they sometimes had to fight up to seven enemies at once. Over the course of several nights, Jax and Paige invent what they called a coiler, which reverses the effects of motivators. They test it out on a water magnet motivator, and the water is forced away from the device instead of being drawn towards it. Jax uses this to fix a motivator made from the DNA of an Epic called Slingshot, who had teleportation powers. Before, teleporting an object would cause the object's molecules to disassemble because of the instability. With the coilers however, Jax is able to teleport andan object, then reverse the motivator and teleport it back, without the object disintegrating.

*[[Abigail (Reckoner)|AbigailCasey]]

Jax wakes up to find Prof outside his door, who remarks on how Jax has changed. Zeff reveals that he has known about Jax's work with the motivators, as well as Jax's stealing of supplies for his work. Reckoners gather at the coop, and Prof tells them about Lux. He says that many Epics and groups of Epics have stood against Lux, but all have been defeated, but they don't know why. While everyone else was tasked with going to Arlington with Abigail, but Prof asks Jax and Zeff to go to El Paso to meet with Knighthawk. Knighthawk had set up a mobile lab there, since El Paso was where a large Epic battle against Lux had occurred. Afterwards, Jax talked to Paige, who was packing to go to Arlington. Jax wishes he could tell her about his true feelings for her, but doesn't.

*[[PerrickParik|The Californian]]

*[[The Wooden Soul]]

Early in the morning, Jax and Zeff leave for El Paso and arrive there a few hours later. The former battlefield is filled with drones and mechanical clean-up crews. They enter a temporary building and meet Knighthawk and his motivator-operated manequin, the Wooden Soul. Also in the room is a man who Knighhawk simply calls “The Californian”, who says he is a California Reckoner. Knighthawk says that they have been doing experiments on the DNA of Mitosis. Knighthawk tells Jax about fathom, a motivator he is working on but is having trouble with. Jax tells Knighthawk about his similar work on Sonic Snare, unwittingly revealing important information about motivators. Knighthawk leaves to go work on the motivator, asking Zeff to come with him. Alone with Jax, The Californian discusses channeling Epic powers through the human body instead of motivators, a highly theoretical process. Again, Jax reveals more important information to him. Afterward, Zeff is furious at Jax, reprimanding him for revealing secrets, and telling him to be more careful. Zeff says that whoever the Californian is, he is not a Reckoner. Zeff reveals that he stole the Mitosis DNA sample from the Californian’s things, and they quickly leave El Paso and start driving to Arlington.

*[[Abigail (Reckoner)|AbigailCasey]]

*[[BrigandBriggen]]

*[[Abigail (Reckoner)|AbigailCasey]]

Jax meets up with the surviving Texas Reckoners, led by Abigail. Abigail gently informs Jax that Paige is dead, killed when Wingflare dropped a section of road on her. Abigail tries to contact Prof, but he doesn’t respond. She is unable to contact any other Reckoners, leaving the Texas Reckoners as just four members: Abigail, Jax, Hershel, and BrigandBriggen. They decide that despite their apparent lack of assets, they should keep going. BrigandBriggen expresses doubt, but the other three agree to keep fighting, and BrigandBriggen eventually agrees.

*[[BrigandBriggen]]

*[[Abigail (Reckoner)|AbigailCasey]]

Over the next several months, Jax trains Wade, as well as studying Lux, both from afar and with the fathom motivator. They discover that people climbing into the city are not immediately killed after reaching the top, disproving one of their previous theories. Jax tests his reversal coilers on different motivators, wondering what reversing fathom would do. He tests it on a can that he puts on a table, and the can bursts into flames and is consumed. Upon furthur inspection, Jax realizes that the motivator had turned the can into a two dimensional outline on the table, which Jax was unable to wipe away. Jax fires at the 2D can with the reversal coilers off, and the table itself catches fire and burns up, leaving the 3D can in the middle of the ashes, back to its original state. Jax shows it to the others, and they realize they can use fathom to smuggle weapons and equipment into Lux, by hiding them on slips of paper which they decide to call Scorchnotesscorchnotes. Soon after, they learn that Lux will be arriving in Galviston in a week.

*[[BrigandBriggen]]

*[[Abigail (Reckoner)|AbigailCasey]]

Back in the present, after the events in Galveston, Jax sits on the beach with Hershel and watches the city burn in the distance. Abigail calls, telling them that BrigandBriggen is badly inured by shrapnel and that they need to prep the med kits. BrigandBriggen and Abigail arrive, and Brigand’sBriggen’s face is horribly disfigured and damaged by the shrapnel and fire. Despite the fact that his injury was caused by Jax recklessly firing rockets without permission, BrigandBriggen says he doesn’t blame Jax. Back at the Coop, Jax and Wade start working together on the Mitosis motivator.

Abigail lays out a plan for their infiltration of Lux. They will enter Lux the next time it stops at a town to let people in, hiding their gear using Scorchnotesscorchnotes. Then, they will hook up the Wingflare motivator to the power grid, allowing Wade to pilot the city to the ground. Lastly, they will use the coiled mitosis motivator to kill Lifeforce.

*[[BrigandBriggen]]

*[[Abigail (Reckoner)|AbigailCasey]]

Over the next several months, the Texas Reckoners prepare for the day of the infiltration. They hide in an apartment building nearby, waiting for Wade to come back. He arrives with multiple pizzas, having hacked into the delivery database of an Epic’s personal pizzeria. As they feast, they all discuss what they would do if they could spend an entire day doing anything with anyone. Hershel says he would want to spend a day at the zoo with his mom. Wade says he would get back a video game he had once lost and play it again. Jax says he would spend the day with his older brother, eating waffles and tinkering with old musket parts. BrigandBriggen says he would spend the day grilling steaks and drinking wine. Abigail says she would spend the day with her daughter, Sophie, whom she neglected because of a busy job and who was killed by an Epic.

*[[BrigandBriggen]]

*[[Abigail (Reckoner)|AbigailCasey]]

Thousands of hopefuls wait for Lux in the town of Sweetwater, Texas. As the Reckoners wait, they discuss what they think is up there. BrigandBriggen is hopeful, and believes that Lux is actually a paradise, just as its flyers claim. Hershel and Jax, however, think that it’s all a lie and that it’s as awful as everywhere else. Hershel says that if Lux turns out to be all full of ponies and campfire songs, he will lick Brigand’sBriggen’s boots clean. As Lux approaches, Wade is assigned to be the first up the ladder. As the ladders drop, people mob around them and some start fighting to be the first ones up. Jax uses the martial arts skills that Zeff had taught him and defends the ladder against the other people, letting the other Reckoners get up onto the ladder. Jax hurries up the ladder, and once the Reckoners get high enough, they start using repelling gear to ensure they don’t fall.

*[[BrigandBriggen]]

*[[Abigail (Reckoner)|AbigailCasey]]

Jax and the rest of the team are two miles above the earth, still climbing the ladders. Up that high, it is freezing and windy. They climb up into a thick cluster of black clouds, obscuring their vision. An hour later, they reach the top, emerging into sunlight. They are greeted by two Ravens, who welcome them to the city, though their voices are distorted by a voice modulator in their helmets. they are ushered into a processing room, where at least a hundred Ravens wait in formation. Ravens come forward and begin searching them, though all their weapons are hidden in Scorchnotesscorchnotes. The Ravens take any metal objects away from them. They scan their bags, which detects something in the packs. The Ravens confiscate the bags, and Jax worries that the scanners are detecting the Epic DNA in the Scorchnotesscorchnotes. As Hershel is searched the Ravens unsure what do do about his metal leg, a Raven lieutenant with three red stripes is watching at Jax from across the room, their face obscured by the helmet. The new Raven walks over, and tells the other Ravens that he will personally escort the newcomers to their home. Seeing the three red rank stripes, the other Ravens obey. The lieutenant leads the Reckoners out of the processing room and into the sunlight again.

They stand on a hill, gazing down at a real carnival down below, complete with carnival games, cotton candy, and a Ferris wheel. BrigandBriggen tells Hershel that now he has to lick BrigandBriggen's boots, per their earlier deal. Rows of houses are laid out in neat neighborhood, and Jax is shocked and discomforted that Lux actually is a paradise like its flyers claimed. Jax feels conflicted, knowing that he is here to end this paradise. They enter a suburb, and the Raven lieutenant leads them into their new house, which is clean and pristine.

*[[BrigandBriggen]]

*[[Abigail (Reckoner)|AbigailCasey]]

*[[BrigandBriggen]]

*[[Abigail (Reckoner)|AbigailCasey]]

Paige tells the others about the four Epics in Lux: Lifeforce, Languish, Cloudbreaker, and Wingflare. She says she doesn't know much about Lifeforce, as he is secretive. Jax explains their plan to Paige, as well as summarizing what has happened since Arlington. Paige tells them that the power grid is underground, along with the Raven tunnels. They look at the tunnel blueprints, and find a storage closet thirty-five feet away from the power grid. They realize that they can get into the storage closet, then dig five feet through the rock, using a reversed sonic snare to keep them from being heard. Then, they would be close enough to use the boomerang watches to teleport in an out of the room, and be able to work for thirty seconds at a time. Paige says she can get them into the storage closet through the ventilation system. Abigail assigns BrigandBriggen to help Jax with the power grid when the time comes. They set the day of the attack to be in seven days.

*[[BrigandBriggen]]

*[[Abigail (Reckoner)|AbigailCasey]]

The team works on different aspects of their plan, then head out when the time comes. They board the Alyssa after crossing the pond in paddle boats. Wade secures an antenna to the outside of the ship, then they all head inside. The team proceeds via a series of air ducts, activating the sound envelope to cover their progress. They break through a locked door using a hand buzzsaw, still unheard by Ravens thanks to the reversed sonic snare, proceeding into a the supply room from which they will teleport. Hershel blows dozens of holes in the wall using explosive charges. Wade hacks the security camera to mask their movements and provide information, and Jax goes in to eliminate the single security guard with BrigandBriggen. Jax attemps to tranquilize the man, but when he misses, BrigandBriggen's dart flies true and knocks the guard unconscious. Jax and BrigandBriggen return to the supply closet before the boomerang watch kills them, and they return to the power grid room with tools. They run into an issue when the wires are laid out differently than expected, leading to tensions between Jax and BrigandBriggen. They endedend up having to jump back and forth hundreds of times over the next few hours, making only slow progress on the system. The slow progress and several errors make tensions mount even higher. Eventually, Jax and BrigandBriggen gotget into an argument about which wires to cut. BrigandBriggen wins the argument, but they cut the wrong ones, causing an error. An alarm suddenly begins blaring. They complete the sabotage work just as the Ravens arrive, and BrigandBriggen's boomerang watch is destroyed in the ensuing chaos. Jax tries to bring BrigandBriggen back with him using his own boomerang watch, but Raven bullets and the boomerang time limit prevent him from doing so. They are forced to abandon BrigandBriggen to the Ravens as they make their escape.

*[[BrigandBriggen]]

*[[Abigail (Reckoner)|AbigailCasey]]

They hurriedly leave the Raven tunnels, and none of them speak as they work back at base. Jax wants to rescue BrigandBriggen, but they don’t know where he is. They use the boomerang’s signature frequency to send a message to BrigandBriggen using morse code. After an entire night of waiting, they finally get a response. BrigandBriggen sends a signal back, telling them he’s in the palace and that they need to come fast and bring mitosis. Paige gets them into Lifeforce’s palace, and they soon find BrigandBriggen, who has escaped his captors but is wounded. They all enter Lifeforce’s throne room, where everything is dipped in gold. Lifeforce greets them calmly, and walks down to them. Jax charges his sword with mitosis, then throws it, sinking the sword into Lifeforce’s chest. Lifeforce drops to the floor, but he doesn’t dissapear as he’s supposed to. Life gets to his feet, then gives a signal. Hundreds of Ravens pour into the room, leveling weapons at the Reckoners. BrigandBriggen walks forward to stand next to Lifeforce, revealing that he betrayed them. Lifeforce makes BrigandBriggen a Raven, healing his disfigured face and other wounds. BrigandBriggen says he was afraid of dying, so he made a deal with Lifeforce. Lifeforce explains that because of Brigand’sBriggen’s warning, he had Languish negate the mitosis motivator’s powers.

Jax wants to duel BrigandBriggen, but Lifeforce offers to fight him instead. Lifeforce tells Languish via radio to stand down, leaving him vulnerable. Jax charges Lifeforce and attacks, having initial success against the Epic. Jax charges up mitosis and presses it against his neck, and Lifeforce starts to fade. Mitosis overheats, then breaks, leaving Lifeforce still alive. Lifeforce defeats Jax aided by a sudden burst of strength, and shatters Shiloh into multiple pieces. With no other choice, the Reckoners surrender. Ravens take the others away, and Jax is sent to a room to talk with Lifeforce alone.

*[[Abigail (Reckoner)|AbigailCasey]]

*[[PerrickParik]]

*[[LiquidineLiquidyne]] (mentioned only)

Lifeforce enters Perrick’sParik’s lab, which holds several Epic tissue samples and other research. PerrickParik greets Lifeforce, and they discuss the broken remnants of Jax’s sword, which Lifeforce shattered using the stolen Epic powers of Shiversting. They discuss Jax, and PerrickParik praises his intelligence and explains the reversed Mitosis motivator to Lifeforce. It is revealed that Lifeforce and PerrickParik have been experimenting to give Lifeforce powers from other Epics. Lifeforce cuts off his hand, replacing it with the severed hand of the dead Epic LiquidineLiquidyne. PerrickParik injects Lifeforce with a serum, and Lifeforce fuses the new hand to his arm. Lifeforce uses Liquidine’sLiquidyne’s power, and melts a book using the power. Then the hand itself melts, leaving Lifeforce unable to use the power. Lifeforce attempts to heal his hand, and the healing stops halfway through. Lifeforce tries using a different prisoner to heal, and this time his hand heals successfully. Lifeforce, worried, cuts himself on the arm, and it heals normally. Troubled, Lifeforce leaves the lab.

*[[PerrickParik]]

As Wade works on planning their route, the others discuss what to do with the prisoners in the tubes. They set out through the tunnels under the palace, following Wade’s route. They enter Perrick’sParik’s lab where their equipment is. There are several drawers, each one labeled with an Epic’s name. With Wade’s help, they retrieve their items and scorchnotes from a compartment. Wade opens one of the Epic drawers for Jax, and inside are blood samples, files, and a severed finger. Jax takes one of the samples, then has Wade open Languish’s drawer, which is packed with DNA samples and files. His file says his weakness is “knowledge”. Wade reports that the Ravens have damaged the Wingflare motivator’s antenna, and that they’ll have to be on Lux to control its movements. They realize that they’ll have to go down with the city. They hear a noise, and they discover Dr. PerrickParik hiding in one of the cabinets. Hershel punches PerrickParik in the face, and Paige reminds Hershel that he’s harming the prisoners in the tubes. They grab the files on both Wingflare and Cloudbreaker, then hurry towards the ladder station, carrying PerrickParik with them.

*[[PerrickParik]]

They arrive at the ladder drop point, and Jax demands that PerrickParik explain Languish’s weakness. He threatens to drop PerrickParik off the edge of Lux, saying that Lifeforce’s healing range can only extend so far. PerrickParik reveals that Languish thinks he can’t dampen Lifeforce, and that this is why Languish has never revolted against him. PerrickParik says that their efforts are futile, and that Languish will never help them. Angry because PerrickParik caused Zeff’s death, Jax drops PerrickParik over the edge. Paige grabs PerrickParik just in time, hauling him back up. Paige says that they aren’t murderers, and shouldn’t kill him. At Hershel’s suggestion, they end up lowering PerrickParik three-quarters of the way down on the ladder, saying that if he’s strong, he can climb back up.

*[[BrigandBriggen]] (point of view)

BrigandBriggen is in his new fancy house on Lux, but he feels guilty about betraying his friends. He grills a steak - a rarity in the world of Epics - but fails to fully enjoy it due to visions of the past, and of the friends that he betrayed. He repeats the phrase "You made your choice". Ultimately, he vomits up the steak, and realizes that he is worse than Lifeforce: For while Lifeforce is building something good in Lux, BrigandBriggen is only looking out for himself.

The Reckoners decide to kidnap Languish. While Wade works on analyzing Languish’s security detail, Hershel gives Jax Perrick’sParik’s files on Wingflare, which is largely made up of journal entries from Wingflare’s childhood. He finds out that Wingflare has a disease that makes her bones brittle and breakable, and was very sheltered from anything that could be dangerous to her. Hershel and Jake deduce that her weakness is her brittle bones, and that breaking her bones would enable them to kill her. Using the fathom motivator, they survey Languish’s compound, which is a heavily guarded hotel. After a lot of discussion, Jax decides that the only way to get in is to drive a motorcycle off a ramp in a nearby building and through one of the hotel windows.

*[[BrigandBriggen]]

Lifeforce summons BrigandBriggen to his throne room, and angrily informs him that Languish has been kidnapped by his fellow Reckoners. BrigandBriggen begs and pleads, and Lifeforce regards him with distaste. Lifeforce tells BrigandBriggen that he needs his help, then leads BrigandBriggen to a room in his laboratory, called the Chrysalis Hollows. The room is filled with small chambers, with frosted glass walls. He gives BrigandBriggen a chamber, and ushers him inside. Lifeforce takes a syringe from a case and injects its contents into Brigand’sBriggen’s neck. Lifeforce begins counting the seconds inside his head. After about a minute, BrigandBriggen begins to grow panicked, and starts frantically scratching himself. He screams, saying that there is something inside of him, demanding that Lifeforce get it out. He collapses into madness, then dies moments later. Disappointed, Lifeforce jots down the results of the experiment and leaves Brigand’sBriggen’s corpse in the chamber.

Back at their base, Jax takes a sample of Languish’s blood and begins making a motivator. Languish wakes up, staying calm and asking for a glass of water. Hershel tries using intimidation, but to little effect. Languish talks about his luxurious life, and asks why he’d want to help them destroy that life. At Jax’s urging, Languish recounts Lifeforce’s history. He and Lifeforce had been good friends before Calamity, and were also good friends with a girl named VeeraVera. VeeraVera and Lifeforce started dating, and Lifeforce eventually proposed. He couldn’t afford to buy her a diamond ring, so he got her a silver one instead. She was offended and broke up with him, shortly before he became an Epic. Languish says that VeeraVera did not escape Lifeforce’s wrath in one piece. Languish tells them that Lifeforce has been experimenting with Epic DNA, trying to give himself the powers of other Epics.

Paige and Jax try to save Wingflare from death, even after havingJax justrealizing shothis hermistake. They fail, and Wingflare dies. The whiteWhite houseHouse, and Lux, beginsbegin to fall.

*[[Lifeforce]] (point of view)

Lifeforce admirescontemplates one of the wealthpaintings ofin his homepalace, mentally comparing Lux to Rome: a perfect city amidst the horrible outside. He mentally compares the Reckoners to a colony of beetles, chewing away at his achievement. Lifeforce feels thesudden tremors and callsradios hisa guardRaven, who watchdoesn’t himknow upwhat’s going on. Later a Raven arrives and tells him of the fightconfrontation between LanguishWingflare and WingflareLanguish. InLifeforce hisbecomes angerenraged, and contemplates violently dismembering the Raven. Instead, he destroys histhe ownpainting, slashing through each person in the painting over and over with a knife. Lifeforce orders the Ravens to find Languish and Wingflare, then leaves for his artlab.

*[[Hershel]] (point of view)

Hershel and Wade feel the effects of Lux beginning to fall. Hershel contemplates his rapidly approaching death and greets it calmly, thinking that at least many Epics will die. Hershel begins to tell the story of how he lost his leg, but then luxLux suddenly stops falling, interrupting him. Not knowing what is going on, Wade decides that the two will follow Jax and Paige towards Wingflare's residence. They come across Jax and Paige lying near the edge, and exchange information about the Wingflare Motivatormotivator. Jax realizescomes to the conclusion that Lifeforce has gained Wingflare's Epic powers. The team decides that Languish is their only chance to defeat Lifeforce, and go looking for him at his secondlake house.

*[[Lifeforce]] (point of view)

Lifeforce visits VeeraVera in her gilded prison down in the tunnels. He thinks about how he is punishing her: torture by constant starvation. He receives a call telling him that Wingflare’s compound is gone. Moments later he gets another call, telling him that Cloudbreaker wants to speak with him. Lifeforce's anger about being disturbed, intemporarily additioncauses his concentration to hiswaver, frustrationand aboutLux Veera'sdrops changeslightly. intoDespite Lifeforce’s annoyance, Cloudbreaker insists on meeting with him. Lifeforce sends her to a near-emotionlessbunker, saying he’ll meet with her later. He hangs huskup, interruptsand hissees concentrationthat Vera is smiling, and Luxknows dropsshe slightlyis hoping that he will ultimately fail.

*[[Languish]] (point of view)

Languish is in his lakeside house, preparing to flee the city. He no longer trusts any of the people or groups onin the islandcity, and determines that he would be safest away from Lux. He packs clothes and a gun, thinking about his future and wishing he could taste Lux’s delicious food once more. Right as Languish is about to leave, the reckonersReckoners appeararrive and stop him. Languish tells the reckonersReckoners that Lifeforce killed BrigandBriggen, and the Reckoners have mixed reactions to the news.

The reckonersReckoners go to BrigandBriggen's old house in order to regroup and shelter from ravenRaven patrols. Languish cooperates, knowing that Lifeforce would kill him if he is found. The gangReckoners decides to rest for the night. The next morning, Languish asks about Hershel's missing leg, unofficiallyand inductingthe himselfothers intoexplain the ganggame to him. Languish considers for a moment, offering up his candy bar as the price of his guess. He guesses that Hershel got trapped and had to cut it off himself. Wade says that it’s impossible, saying that nobody is that hardcore.

*[[MickelsMikels]]

Hershel talks about his time in the special forces. He receives last-minute orders to go to Siberia shortly after returning from Egypt. He travels to Russia by plane, thinking about the thrill of combat; being shot at, and surviving by the skin of his teeth. Hershel and his team drop 40forty klicks from their objective - a satellite station - and begin walking there. While en route, Calamity becomes brighter, and starts to pulse. Specialist Jackson, a young member of the squad, convulses and falls into a coma, stallingtemporarily halting the mission. When Jackson wakes up, he has a flippant attitude, saying that he no longer talks orders from anyone. Disturbed,Hershel's team continues their mission, walking to the objective. TheyThings botchgo awry and they are discovered by the jobenemy, but Specialist Jackson uses his new Epic powers to kill the soldiers that come out to defend the station. He destroys the station the process. Jackson attacks a member of the squad, and in retaliation the entire squad fires back. He kills them all except Hershel, the only one who hadn't fired at him, then destroys what remained of the station. Hershel gets trapped in the debris created by the explosion, which has been inexplicably turned into steel. His leg wasis now encased in steel, andcompletely intrapping thehim. end,Knowing that he was forcedhas to cutmake it to safety, Hershel cuts off his own leg to escape.

The gang, riding Martha, approach Lifeforce's palace as the cold gets worse. Languish offers his help in exchange for the promise that the gang help him rescue VeeraVera in return. The gang decides that Martha isn't suitable for the task of storming the palace - there are too many defenders - but Languish reveals that there is an unguarded entrance. The gang splits up, with Hershel and Wade staying behind to assault the front gates and hack, respectively, and Paige, Jax, and Languish going in to save VeeraVera and kill Lifeforce.

*[[Lovestruck|VeeraVera]]

Jax, Paige and Languish enter the undefended entrance in search of VeeraVera. Paige andconfesses Jax confess theirher feelings tofor one anotherJax, then Languish finds VeeraVera's cell. Jax recognises VeeraVera as Lovestruck. Paige manages to talk him out of killing her, and they free her. Lifeforce makes an appearance, and he and Languish engage in a battle of powers: Languish dampening Lifeforce's healing abilities while simultaneously dampening the healing that Lifeforce gifted him. Ravens come and assist Lifeforce, and Page and Jax fight them off. Languish dies to an old injury and Lifeforce regains control of the city. Jax manages to use Boomerang and Shiloh to stab Lifeforce, but Lifeforce still has access to his healing. Lifeforce transfersuses hisWingflare’s woundspowers to Paige astrap Jax is trapped beneath a previously thrown steel door and begins transferring his wound to Paige. Jax realizes that Lifeforce's weakness is silver, preventing him from using either of his powers on Jax because of Dan’s silver class ring. Paige realizes that the hilt of Shiloh contains a motivator with a silver conduit made from the ring, and stabs the blade the rest of the way into Lifeforce's chest. Paige suddenly suffers from a wound which seems to comecame from the Raven initiation ceremony. Before dying, Lifeforce stabs a syringe into Paige and injects a serum into her.

Lux falls slowly drifts into the Gulf of Mexico. Paige does not die from her injury, theorizingand the others theorize that Lifeforce died before the injury could fully return. Hershel and Wade survive, and the whole ganggroup visits a surviving ice cream store. Paige abruptly faints, and the gang brings her to Doc Slush, a reckonerReckoner doctor based in Louisiana. Many of the Lux inhabitants decide to stay in Lux, not having many good alternatives. After several weeks, Paige has still not awakened, and Calamity vanishes from the sky.

Paige wakes up toafter a two week coma, Jax by her bedside. She feels wrong, inand someis wayunable thatto isdetermine alienwhy, though she feels otherwise in perfect health. She has vicious, mean thoughts about Jax and other reckonersReckoners, and hears athe same voice in her head similar to the voicethat Lifeforce hashad been hearing in his. The voice calls her a blank canvas and promises to make a masterpiece out of her. The voice identifies itself as the demon who was living in Lifeforce: something other than man.

{{summaries|stubdone}}