Infestation 11.5

Infestation 11.5 is the fifth chapter of Infestation. A party thrown by drug Merchants proves as disgusting as suspected. Taylor meets an old classmate. Skidmark makes a speech: “Superpowers in a can!”

Synopsis
The group enters the mall and gets their red wristbands. Jaw knocks out one of the doormen because he wouldn't let gay people in. As they move further in, Lisa buys some ecstasy and gives some sugar pills to herself, Taylor, and Brooks for appearances. Jaw and Brooks split off from the group to go search for Bryce.

The rest of the group arrives at a show consisting of women trying on and modelling clothes without any privacy to undress. A teenage girl in the group was obviously not there willingly and Taylor wanted to help her. After a brief argument, Lisa instructs Minor on how to save her and get out. He goes up on stage, picks her up, and throws money and pills into the crowd. The group heads to a hallway where bathrooms used to be to calm the girl down. Lisa tells her she's safe and Taylor is the only reason they rescued her. The girl recognizes Taylor from Winslow High as the "locker girl". Taylor has an outburst and yells at her for not helping when she was in trouble. The girl's attempt to apologize is interrupted by Brooks returning with news of them finding Bryce.

They return to Jaw to find Bryce sitting free with a girl. Taylor quickly realizes that he had joined up with the Merchants. Lisa begins to get his story by taunting him. When he doesn't seem remorseful, Lisa tells him that the Merchants hurt Sierra and that she's in ICU.

The conversation is interrupted by Skidmark starting the event. He creates a ring with his powers and announces that they were going to have an anything goes fight with a prize for the last five standing. Lisa figures out that he's trying to get people to have trigger events so he can have more parahumans on his team. The prize he announces for the final five are canisters of chemicals to give superpowers.