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+ | The Reckoners go to Brigand's old house in order to regroup and shelter from Raven patrols. Languish cooperates, knowing that Lifeforce would kill him if he is found. The Reckoners decides to rest for the night. The next morning, Languish asks about Hershel's missing leg, and the others explain the game to him. Languish considers for a moment, and guesses that Hershel got trapped and had to cut it off himself. Wade says that it’s impossible, saying that nobody is that hardcore. |
=== Chapter 47 === |
=== Chapter 47 === |
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:''Thirteen years ago'' |
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| − | 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 |
+ | 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 forty 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, temporarily 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. Things go awry and they are discovered by the enemy, 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 is now encased in steel, completely trapping him. Knowing that he has to make it to safety, Hershel cuts off his own leg to escape. |
=== Chapter 48 === |
=== Chapter 48 === |
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Revisión del 03:09 13 sep 2021
This page contains a chapter by chapter summary of Lux. We hope this summary will make it easier to find specific areas of the book, as well as providing a quick plot refresher for anyone who doesn't want to take the time to reread the entire book.
Prologue
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 12 of the 17 Reckoners fighting in Texas have died.
Part 1
Chapter 1
- Characters
- Summary
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 the Bucket Book. The Fathom Radar alerts the two of Lux's arrival, and they go to the roof where their gear is waiting.
Chapter 2
- Characters
- Summary
Jax and Hershel prepare to execute the plan, marveling at the sheer size of the city of Lux. The five reckoners are waiting in small groups around the city. Hershal and Brigand 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 easily. Jax gets on his motorcycle - equipped with a motivator that will let it drive in thin air - and takes off towards Wingflare. Jax convinces the gang to send the second volley of rockets to distract Wingflare. The reckoners detonate the drones buried in the underside of Lux, making tons of rock fall and breaking the city in half. 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 Brigand has been gravely injured.
Chapter 3
- Characters
- Jax (point of view)
- Dan
- Lovestruck
- Atlas Butler
- Prof
- Summary
- Seven years ago
A young Jax is visiting his brother Dan at his school, and they go out to breakfast. In the middle of their meal, Lovestruck appears. Jax runs to 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 Houston, then reveals that it 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 reveals that he wants to help others.
Chapter 4
- Characters
- Summary
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 tries to dissuade Jax from being a hero, but Jax is determined.
Chapter 5
- Characters
- Summary
Jax and Prof arrive in Newcastle and meet Zeff. Prof convinces 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.
Chapter 6
- Characters
- Summary
Zeff puts Jax back on the post, asking why he decided to come to the Coop while there. Jax says he doesn't know. In response, Zeff drives Jax out into the countryside and leaves him there, saying that he will bring Jax back once he has a satisfactory reason to be at the Coop. Jax decides that for him, being a hero isn't about having nice things, but about protecting the nice things not for himself, but for others. When Zeff comes back, he is satisfied with this answer, and shows Jax the supply cache, where there is a small motivator workshop. Zeff introduces Jax to the concept of Motivators. Jax is enamored and wants to work on them right away, but Zeff says that the prerequisite for working on them is reading dozens of texts on cell biology and microbiology.
Chapter 7
- Characters
- Summary
Jax describes his early training at the Coop, including "no-flinch" games that feel more like torture than training. Zeff explains that the fundamentals of being an assassin are not flashy skills like being able to shoot or use a sword, but more subtle ones, like being able to sit in a bush for days without moving. Jax asks to start training with a sword, and Zeff decides to teach him martial arts instead. Jax describes the other forms of training he undergoes, and his isolation among the much older trainees. Paige arrives at the Coop, and Zeff introduces her and Jax. Zeff antagonizes both Paige and Jax by describing how each of their families were murdered by Epics. Realizing that both Paige and Jax care more about other people than themselves, Zeff decides that any time one of them makes a mistake, the other will bear the punishment. Zeff starts training Jax in swordplay.
Chapter 8
- Characters
- Summary
Jax and Paige stay up late and sneak out to the coop's motivator workshop. Jax shows off what he has been able to figure out so far, and explains that he learned about motivators by reading dozens of textbooks. They talk about the other motivators Jax has made. Jax proceeds to recount his time at the Coop, training-montage style. One day, Jax strikes back at Zeff out of frustration, claiming that he has blocked the requisite 100,000 times. Zeff tells Jax that he broke rule 3 - You Are Weak - and gives him more time on the post. Zeff returns Shiloh to Jax that night.
Chapter 9
- Characters
- Summary
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 and object, then reverse the motivator and teleport it back, without the object disintegrating.
Jax and Paige get word that Prof is visiting the Coop, but Zeff says that he is too embarrassed to show them to Prof and locks them in the kitchen. At Paige's suggestion, Jax escapes the kitchen through the ventilation duct and gets one of their motivators. The motivator, Sonic Snare, allows Jax to hear conversations in other areas of the Coop. He overhears Zeff talking about him to Prof. Zeff speaks highly of Jax, praising his determination and skill. Later, Zeff figures out that they had spied on the meeting, but is impressed rather than angry.
Chapter 10
- Characters
- Summary
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.
Chapter 11
- Characters
- Jax (point of view)
- Dean Knighthawk
- Zeff
- The Californian
- Wooden Soul
- Mitosis
- Summary
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, 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.
Chapter 12
- Characters
- Summary
While driving to Arlington, Abigail calls Zeff on his mobile. Gunshots and explosions sound from the line, and Abigail reports that they are being overwhelmed by soldiers from Lux, called Ravens. She says that they aren’t dying, regenerating limbs and are essentially immortal. Zeff and Jax drive quickly for Arlington, and see Lux, the floating city, up ahead. Abigail calls, telling them that Lux is leaving and that only a few Reckoners have survived the attack. Suddenly, the city of Lux changes its course, and inexplicably begins following their truck. They ditch the truck, grabbing weapons and equipment and heading into the city. Ravens spread out through the city, searching for them. Zeff gets shot during a chase, and collapses to the ground. The wound is bad, and Zeff demands that Jax leave him. Wingflare arrives, and lifts an entire hotel with her telekinesis. Jax doesnt want to leave Zeff, but Zeff activates Boomerang on Jax’s wrist, simultaneously smashing it. Trapped in a nearby building, Jax watches the scene play out. Wingflare demands that Zeff run. She says that if he runs fast enough, she’ll let him live. He stands against her, defiant, and refuses to run. He tells Jax over radio that “We don’t play their games.” Wingflare drops the hotel on Zeff, killing him. Jax escapes, calls Abigail, informs her of Zeff’s death, then finds the truck and drives to meet up with them.
Chapter 13
- Characters
- Summary
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 Brigand. They decide that despite their apparent lack of assets, they should keep going. Brigand expresses doubt, but the other three agree to keep fighting, and Brigand eventually agrees.
Chapter 14
- Characters
- Summary
They arrive back at the Coop, which seems silent and empty. Jax shows them the different motivators, and displays his skill at throwing his sword. Hershel shows Jax his Bucket book, where he lists things he wants to do before he dies. Jax adds to the list, joining in the game. Jax shows them the disassembled fathom motivator, which can scan areas and create a 3D image of it. Abigail later shows Jax a propaganda flyer, which tells people about the wondrous paradise of Lux. It says which cities Lux will be stopping at, and that it will drop ladders. Supposedly, Lux allows people to climb the ladders up into the city to live there in a paradise. Jax says that he needs a good tech expert to help him map out Lux. Hershel mentions Wade, who is a brilliant but young hacker who has been living in a bunker by himself the past few years. Abigail and Hershel express doubt about his fighting skill, but Jax offers to train Wade in basic combat skills. Wade joins them at The Coop a while later.
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 Scorchnotes. Soon after, they learn that Lux will be arriving in Galviston in a week.
Chapter 15
- Characters
- Summary
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 Brigand is badly inured by shrapnel and that they need to prep the med kits. Brigand and Abigail arrive, and Brigand’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, Brigand says he doesn’t blame Jax. Back at the Coop, Jax and Wade start working together on the Mitosis motivator.
A few days later Abigail talks to Jax, and says that she forgives him for what he did in Galveston, though she tells him to be more careful. Afterwards, the Reckoners have a meeting and survey Lux using schematics provided by their fathom radar. They figure out that there’s another Epic on Lux controlling the weather. Jax says that he and Wade could build a motivator from Wingflare’s DNA to allow them to take control of the city’s movements. To take control however, they need to hook the motivator up to Lux’s power grid in order to get enough power. Jax shows them how he plans to deal with Lifeforce. Jax shows them how he reversed the powers of Mitosis using coilers, making a unique motivator. Mitosis' power had been the ability to make copies of himself. The coilers make it so that the motivator reduces copies. Jax shows them that using the mitosis motivator on a singular object causes that object to cease to exist.
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 Scorchnotes. 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.
Chapter 16
- Characters
- Summary
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. Brigand 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.
Chapter 17
- Characters
- Summary
Thousands of hopefuls wait for Lux in the town of Sweetwater, Texas. As the Reckoners wait, they discuss what they think is up there. Brigand 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’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.
Chapter 18
- Characters
- Summary
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 Scorchnotes. 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 Scorchnotes. 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. Brigand tells Hershel that now he has to lick Brigand'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.
The Raven follows them inside, closing the door and locking it. Panicking, Jax and the others attack the Raven. The Raven pulls out a gun, leveling it at Abigail's head and yells for them to stop. The Raven takes off the helmet, revealing Paige's face.
Chapter 19
- Characters
- Summary
Jax, shocked and overjoyed, hugs Paige. She has grown more confident in the last six months, and seems more grown up. Abigail hugs Paige, and asks how she survived. Paige recounts how she had been lying next to a van when Wingflare dropped the concrete slab on her. The concrete cracked and folded around her, leaving a small pocket of space. She found her way out of the rubble, and defeated a Raven in close-quarters combat using his own knife. The other ravens gathered around as Paige killed him over and over. Lifeforce was impressed by her fighting skill, and granted her a place among his Ravens, and she advanced through the ranks quickly.
Paige leads them downstairs to a basement, which Paige has transformed into a temporary base of operations, complete with weapons, equipment, and computers. Paige says she has learned to cook, and tells them to rest and settle in. Paige asks how Hershel lost his leg, and she is introduced to their guessing game about it. She and the others all make lasagna together, and they enjoy a delicious meal before discussing the plan.
Chapter 20
- Characters
- Summary
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 Brigand to help Jax with the power grid when the time comes. They set the day of the attack to be in seven days.
Chapter 21
- Characters
- Summary
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 Brigand. Jax attemps to tranquilize the man, but when he misses, Brigand's dart flies true and knocks the guard unconscious. Jax and Brigand 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 Brigand. They ended 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 Brigand got into an argument about which wires to cut. Brigand 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 Brigand's boomerang watch is destroyed in the ensuing chaos. Jax tries to bring Brigand 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 Brigand to the Ravens as they make their escape.
Chapter 22
- Characters
- Summary
They hurriedly leave the Raven tunnels, and none of them speak as they work back at base. Jax wants to rescue Brigand, but they don’t know where he is. They use the boomerang’s signature frequency to send a message to Brigand using morse code. After an entire night of waiting, they finally get a response. Brigand 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 Brigand, 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. Brigand walks forward to stand next to Lifeforce, revealing that he betrayed them. Lifeforce makes Brigand a Raven, healing his disfigured face and other wounds. Brigand says he was afraid of dying, so he made a deal with Lifeforce. Lifeforce explains that because of Brigand’s warning, he had Languish negate the mitosis motivator’s powers.
Jax wants to duel Brigand, 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.
Part 2
Chapter 23
- Characters
- Summary
Lifeforce talks to Jax alone. Lifeforce talks to Jax about Fabergé Eggs, a type of valuable bejeweled egg from Russia. Lifeforce tries to convince Jax to join him, telling him how great Lux is and how Jax could make a difference. Lifeforce then allows Jax to shoot him multiple times with a handgun. Lifeforce says that Jax has just taken an innocent life. Lifeforce leads Jax down a corridor and into a series of tunnels, filled with green tubes. Each tube contains a person, awake, but held in place by restraints.
Lifeforce reveals that whenever he or anyone else heals from a wound, that same wound is inflicted on one of the people in the tubes. This means that every time Jax has killed a Raven, he has actually killed one of the prisoners in the tubes. When he had shot Lifeforce just earlier, Jax had killed several innocents. Jax is horrified, realizing how many innocent lives he has taken. Lifeforce shows Jax his friends, who are also locked inside similar tubes. Lifeforce draws a handgun and shoots himself in the head, and the bullet wound appears in Abigail’s head. She dies in the tube as Lifeforce gets back to his feet. Lifeforce gets Jax into one of the tubes by threatening himself, then leaves, leaving Jax locked inside.
Chapter 24
- Characters
- Summary
Jax, inside his glass tube, works to temporarily fix his boomerang watch. He gets it to work, teleporting out of his chamber sucessfully. A Raven passes on patrol, and Jax counts to see how often he passes. Jax teleports out and knocks the Raven unconscious, then frees the other Reckoners. Wade hacks into the security cameras to see where the Raven patrols are. Though Hershel suggests leaving the city, Jax convinces him and the others to keep fighting. Suddenly, Wade drops to the ground, and his wrist starts splitting open as Lifeforce heals himself. Jax leans over him, trying to help, when suddenly and mysteriously the wound stops, then transfers to a different prisoner and kills her.
Chapter 25
- Characters
- Lifeforce (point of view)
- Perrick
- Shiversting (mentioned only)
- Liquidine (mentioned only)
- Summary
Lifeforce enters Perrick’s lab, which holds several Epic tissue samples and other research. Perrick 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 Perrick praises his intelligence and explains the reversed Mitosis motivator to Lifeforce. It is revealed that Lifeforce and Perrick 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 Liquidine. Perrick injects Lifeforce with a serum, and Lifeforce fuses the new hand to his arm. Lifeforce uses Liquidine’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.
Chapter 26
- Characters
- Summary
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’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. Perrick hiding in one of the cabinets. Hershel punches Perrick 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 Perrick with them.
Chapter 27
- Characters
- Summary
They arrive at the ladder drop point, and Jax demands that Perrick explain Languish’s weakness. He threatens to drop Perrick off the edge of Lux, saying that Lifeforce’s healing range can only extend so far. Perrick reveals that Languish thinks he can’t dampen Lifeforce, and that this is why Languish has never revolted against him. Perrick says that their efforts are futile, and that Languish will never help them. Angry because Perrick caused Zeff’s death, Jax drops Perrick over the edge. Paige grabs Perrick 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 Perrick three-quarters of the way down on the ladder, saying that if he’s strong, he can climb back up.
Chapter 28
- Characters
- Brigand (point of view)
- Summary
Brigand 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, Brigand is only looking out for himself.
Chapter 29
- Characters
- Summary
The Reckoners find themselves an empty house to hide in, and they shower and change clothes. Jax and Paige talk about the city, and Wade tells them that the Wingflare motivator will be connected soon. Using both equipment from the recovered scorchnotes and components from the electronics in the house, Jax starts making a motivator out of Glimmer’s DNA. He hooks it up to an electric mixer. The whisks move incredibly fast, turning red hot, and it causes the carpet to catch fire. After Jax puts out the fire, Paige comes over to him. She presents him with Shiloah, which she had welded back together. Paige helps him with the Glimmer motivator, but after several failed attempts they decide that Glimmer’s power is too unstable. Wade announces that he’s ready, and can now move the city. He has initial success, but then Languish dampens the motivator and Wingflare takes back control of the city. Jax decides that they need to deal with Languish before they can do anything else.
Chapter 30
- Characters
- Summary
The Reckoners decide to kidnap Languish. While Wade works on analyzing Languish’s security detail, Hershel gives Jax Perrick’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.
Chapter 31
- Characters
- Summary
Late at night, the Reckoners ride their motorcycles to a three-story Wells Fargo building near Languish’s hotel, and Hershel and Paige plant charges on the other side of the hotel. They set up a ramp facing towards the hotel, and Hershel gives Jax the precise speed he has to drive his motorcycle to make it through the target window. They use the planted explosives to distract the Ravens, and Paige shoots the window repeatedly to weaken it, using the explosions to hide the gunshots. Jax drives off the ramp on his motorcycle, and crashes through the window and lands in the hallway beyond. A Raven comes up the stairs to check on Languish, and after a brief struggle Jax subdues them. After using a grenade to slow down the other Ravens, Jax breaks into Languish’s room and knocks him unconscious. He ties Languish to his back and uses another ramp to get back to the others, Languish in tow. Using a zip line leading down to the street, the Reckoners escape into the night.
Chapter 32
- Characters
- Summary
Lifeforce summons Brigand to his throne room, and angrily informs him that Languish has been kidnapped by his fellow Reckoners. Brigand begs and pleads, and Lifeforce regards him with distaste. Lifeforce tells Brigand that he needs his help, then leads Brigand to a room in his laboratory, called the Chrysalis Hollows. The room is filled with small chambers, with frosted glass walls. He gives Brigand a chamber, and ushers him inside. Lifeforce takes a syringe from a case and injects its contents into Brigand’s neck. Lifeforce begins counting the seconds inside his head. After about a minute, Brigand 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’s corpse in the chamber.
Chapter 33
- Characters
- Summary
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 Veera. Veera 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 Veera 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.
Chapter 34
- Characters
- Summary
Jax works on the glimmer motivator, about to give up. Paige suggests a modification that will temper its power a bit. Using her modification, Jax hooks the glimmer device up to sonic snare. When he turns it on, it shoots out a supercharged blast of sound waves, pulverizing a large chunk of the ground. Jax decides to name it shock wave. The other Reckoners come to investigate, when suddenly Languish cries out. Cuts start appearing on Languish’s arm, spelling out the words “Traitor”, and “Come back now while there is still forgiveness”. Languish quickly grabs the new supercharged motivator, and blasts the nearby wall apart. He runs, the other Reckoners temporarily distracted by the blast. Languish starts firing his gun into the air, yelling and shouting that he’s not a traitor. Knowing that Ravens are going to arrive soon, the Reckoners quickly pack up their gear. Jax looks for the vial with Languish’s blood sample, but it had been smashed by the shock wave. Wingflare arrives, and the Reckoners hide, watching from a distance. Wingflare accuses Languish of being a traitor, and lifts Languish into the air and starts stretching his arms and legs with her powers. Languish dampens her powers, and Wingflare falls. Lux shudders, Wingflare’s grip weakened. Languish negates Wingflare’s powers completely, and Lux begins to descend.
Chapter 35
- Characters
- Summary
Jax rushes out into the open and tries to convince Languish to stop dampening Wingflare, as soon Lux is going to fall completely. Languish refuses, saying that he won’t be a slave anymore. Jax punches him in the face, knocking him to the ground. Wingflare gets her powers back as Languish drops. She flies away, powers restored, and Lux stops falling. Jax tells the others that he’s going after Wingflare, and tells Wade to re-establish the connection to the Wingflare motivator. Jax shows them the shockwave motivator, and says that breaking Wingflare’s bones with it should engage her weakness and allow him to kill her. They arrive at the edge of Lux, where Wingflare’s compound is. It consists of about a dozen state capitol buildings, which float a long ways out from the edge of Lux. In addition to the capitol buildings is the White House, where Wingflare lives. Trails of floating stones create bridges leading to each of the buildings, and since they are still miles above the earth, a fall means instant death. Jax and Paige decide to go forward despite the danger.
Chapter 36
- Characters
- Summary
Jax follows Paige across the floating stone bridges, and the stones get gradually smaller as they go. Paige has been across each bridge twice before, and she guides Jax along. The stones even harder, and they begin slanting, so they have to jump from stone to stone without pausing. They get across the final stretch of stones, and Jax’s time on the post back at the Coop turns out to be useful. Finally across, they enter the Arkansas Capitol building.
Chapter 37
- Characters
- Summary
Jax and Paige study the White House, which has no steps leading to it. They use curtains and sheets to create a rope, planning to use it to swing out, then use a grappling hook to get to the White House. As they prepare, the building shakes, and turns. They rush outside, and a straight path leads to the White House, providing an easy way across. Though Wingflare knows their location, they head forward since they have no other choice. Shockwave at the ready, Jax and Paige step inside to face Wingflare.
Chapter 38
- Characters
- Summary
Inside, the White House has been completely redecorated, many things splattered with red paint. Wingflare appears, and Jax tries to shot the shockwave at her, but she uses her powers to pin his arms in place. Paige tries to attack her, but to no avail. Wingflare toys with them, disappearing from sight and keeping them in suspense. She separate the two of them, and Jax frantically tries to find Paige. Wingflare rearranges the rooms as Jax goes through them, keeping him in an endless loop. Wingflare appears, surrounding Jax with hundreds of floating knives.
Wingflare leads him to the old Oval Office, where three platters sit on the table, each one with a cover. Paige is there, and Wingflare announces that they are going to play a game. Wingflare tells them that she is deathly allergic to pine nuts, and that it’s her weakness. Wingflare tells Jax that each plate contains a piece of licorice. One piece is ordinary licorice, one is laced with pine sap, and one is laced with a lethal poison. She says that each of them must eat one of the pieces of licorice, and that Jax can choose who gets which.
Jax says she’s lying about her weakness, saying that it’s actually broke bones. Wingflare is initially shocked, and her grip on Jax loosens, allowing him to free his arms and fire the shockwave through her. It breaks her bones, but she heals, her powers still working. She takes back control of Jax, then demands that he picks a platter. She reveals that she has found the Wingflare motivator, and she destroys it. Jax realizes that Wingflare is hiding something, and figures out her weakness, which is people not playing games with her. Jax doesn’t pick a platter, refusing to play her game. Wingflare becomes enraged, and her weakness activates. Jax shoots Wingflare in the head, and Wingflare is unable to stop the bullet.
Chapter 39
- Characters
- Summary
Paige and Jax try to save Wingflare from death, Jax realizing his mistake. They fail, and Wingflare dies. The White House, and Lux, begin to fall.
Part 3
Chapter 40
- Characters
- Lifeforce (point of view)
- Summary
Lifeforce contemplates one of the paintings in his palace, 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 sudden tremors and radios a Raven, who doesn’t know what’s going on. Later a Raven arrives and tells him of the confrontation between Wingflare and Languish. Languish becomes enraged, and contemplates violently dismembering the Raven. Instead, he destroys the painting, 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 lab.
Chapter 41
- Characters
- Lifeforce (point of view)
- Summary
Lifeforce enters his lab, and discovers that the Reckoners have kidnapped Perrick. The city shakes again, and Lifeforce opens Wingflare’s drawer. For two hours, Lifeforce experiments with the DNA, desperately working. Lux starts to fall in earnest. Lifeforce grabs three syringes with Wingflare’s modified DNA, then injects all three into himself. The injections work, and Lifeforce uses Wingflare’s power, grabbing hold of Lux as it falls.
Chapter 42
- Characters
- Summary
Jax and Paige run from the White House as it falls, and break out through a window. Jax uses a coiler from Paige’s pocket and applies it to the glimmer motivator. He rewires the boomerang watch, boosting its power to transport two people. Jax uses the reversed glimmer motivator to make himself and Paige fall incredibly slowly. The motivator soon overheats, and Jax is forced to turn it off as Lux draws level with them, still a long distance away. Jax uses the shockwave gun to fire backwards, launching them towards Lux. They are still too far away, but Jax uses the boomerang watch to teleport them the remaining distance to Lux, and they haul themselves up, back in the city at last.
Chapter 43
- Characters
- Summary
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 Lux 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 motivator. Jax comes 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 lake house.
Chapter 44
- Characters
- Summary
Lifeforce visits Veera 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 temporarily causes his concentration to waver, and Lux drops slightly. Despite Lifeforce’s annoyance, Cloudbreaker insists on meeting with him. Lifeforce sends her to a bunker, saying he’ll meet with her later. He hangs up, and sees that Veera is smiling, and knows she is hoping that he will ultimately fail.
Chapter 45
- Characters
- Summary
Languish is in his lakeside house, preparing to flee the city. He no longer trusts any of the people or groups in the city, 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 Reckoners arrive and stop him. Languish tells the Reckoners that Lifeforce killed Brigand, and the Reckoners have mixed reactions to the news.
Chapter 46
- Characters
- Summary
The Reckoners go to Brigand's old house in order to regroup and shelter from Raven patrols. Languish cooperates, knowing that Lifeforce would kill him if he is found. The Reckoners decides to rest for the night. The next morning, Languish asks about Hershel's missing leg, and the others explain the game to him. Languish considers for a moment, and guesses that Hershel got trapped and had to cut it off himself. Wade says that it’s impossible, saying that nobody is that hardcore.
Chapter 47
- Characters
- Summary
- Thirteen years ago
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 forty 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, temporarily 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. Things go awry and they are discovered by the enemy, 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 is now encased in steel, completely trapping him. Knowing that he has to make it to safety, Hershel cuts off his own leg to escape.
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
- Characters
- Summary
The gang, riding Martha, approach Lifeforce's palace. Languish offers his help in exchange for the promise that the gang help him rescue Veera 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 Veera and kill Lifeforce.
Chapter 55
- Characters
- Summary
Jax, Paige and Languish enter the undefended entrance in search of Veera. Paige and Jax confess their feelings to one another, then Languish finds Veera's cell. Jax recognises Veera as Lovestruck. Paige manages to talk him out of killing 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 transfers his wounds to Paige as Jax is trapped beneath a previously thrown steel door. Jax realizes that Lifeforce's weakness is silver, preventing him from using either of his powers on Jax. Paige realizes that the hilt of Shiloh contains a motivator with a silver conduit, and stabs the blade the rest of the way into Lifeforce's chest. Paige suddenly suffers from a wound which seems to come from the Raven initiation ceremony. Before dying, Lifeforce stabs a syringe into Paige.
Chapter 56
- Characters
- Summary
Lux falls slowly into the Gulf of Mexico. Paige does not die from her injury, theorizing that Lifeforce died before the injury could fully return. Hershel and Wade survive, and the whole gang visits a surviving ice cream store. Paige faints, and the gang brings her to Doc Slush, a reckoner 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.
Epilogue
- Characters
- Summary
Paige wakes up to Jax by her bedside. She feels wrong in some way that is alien, though she feels otherwise in perfect health. She has vicious, mean thoughts about Jax and other reckoners, and hears a voice in her head similar to the voice Lifeforce has 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.