Spinning the Family Web
The spider lept towards Jones, he ducked as dust clouded behind him. He spun around, squinting through the upturned dirt as the jumping spider got to its feet, staring him down.
“Okay… Okay… I can do this. Last time I faced a giant insect I almost died, but I got it this time…” Jones readied his sword and shield watching the spider as it stared at him before leaping forward again. “Nope! I don’t got it!” He ducked again as the spider flew over him crashing into the wall, cracking it on impact.
The insects screamed as the walls they stood on cracked and trembled before cheering as the spider got up. Jones looked past the spider getting a glimpse of the cracked wall.
“Fuck yea.” He muttered, bolting to the otherside of the arena away from the spider. “Over here you overgrown insect!” Slamming of metal on metal sounded around the arena as he banged his sword on the shield. The spider shook before leaping forward. Jones swerved to the side narrowly avoiding it and ran back to the cracked wall. Quickly running his hand over the crack. “This is gonna take a while.”
The crowd roared as the spider leapt up behind him, its shadow casting on the cracked wall making Jones spin around. “Shit!” Swiftly he curled into a ball making the spider fly over his head crashing into the wall and sending dust everywhere. He crawled out from behind the spider, yanking out his shield from underneath before bolting back to the otherside of the arena. He coughed as the dust kicked up into his mouth and eyes. Squinting, he looked through the dust trying to spot the spider.
“Where are you, you freak of nature…” Seconds passed as he carefully walked forwards, the shield covering his chest as he struggled to see through the dust. Once he got to what felt like the middle of the arena he stood still. “Here spidey, spidey, spidey…” He held his shield up higher as he slowly spun around. More time passes as his adrenaline slowly dies down before immediately rising again at the sound of a small rock click behind him. He spun around as the rock bounced on the ground to his feet, clanking against his robotic leg. Looking up he put his left hand over D.I.N.A.A. on his right, still holding up the shield with said right arm.
Slowly and carefully he took a step over the rock, the dirt crunching beneath his boot as it touched the upturned ground. Right as his foot touched the ground he flew backwards onto the dirt, his back letting out numerous cracks. He groaned as he looked past his shield staring into the salivating mouth of the spider. The spider pressed against the shield forcing it down, Jones moved his hand that was on D.I.N.A.A. to the back of the shield, pushing back.
“Get… off… me…” He strained his elbows shaking, about to give out. Bending his legs to his chest he used his feet to push up the shield, allowing his elbows to get a rest. The spider put more pressure on the shield and quickly he put his arm back on the shield. “Ooh fuck…” He winced as the weight affected his knee., yanking his right arm off the shield he bit the side of D.I.N.A.A., its face lit up before fading again. He bent his knees using his other hand to slap D.I.N.A.A.’s face as he used his forearm to hold up the shield. “WHY WON'T YOU WORK?!” He yelled. D.I.N.A.A. beeped and began to flash. After three D.I.N.A.A.’s face opened revealing metal sheets as they quickly covered Jones’ body. The sheets expanded over his body, coating him in silver armor. His shield, moving closer to his body due to the weight of the spider, began to crush his leg. The metal in his robotic leg began to bend, exposing wires.
“I said…” He pushed back, the metal in his leg bending more exposing more wires as little electric shocks shot out of the pre-exposed wires. “Get off ME!” The shield cracked from the pressure of the spider and the force of his robotic leg, with and extra push from the leg the spider flew across the arena smashing into the wall. Insects screamed as the stands they stood on crumbled beneath their feet. Some flew up into the air while others ran towards stairs staggered between the stands.
Dust filled the arena with only visible tiny sparks through the cloud of dust. Jones coughed as he sat up, smashed bits of his once shield coated the metal armor as the fanned the dust out of his face. He looked down at his robotic leg, bent to the side in an unhuman way with wires sticking out from all angles.
“Well shit… that's not good…” He rolled over to this side and pushed himself off the ground onto his remaining foot. Tripping a bit he stood on his left foot letting his robot leg drag behind him. Limping over to the caved in wall the now dead spider laid on the ground, buried in what once was the wall. Jones stuck up his middle finger flipping off the spider as he slowly climbed up the pile of rubble. At the top of the rubble he looked down at the chaos of overly large insects flying or running away from the building. Halfway through the pile of rubble a small opening for a hallway stood out which was lined with cells.
He slowly made his way down the pile to the hallway. Looking through the hole he shifted blocks of rock out of the way. “Walter are you in there?!” Seconds passed before a very faint, barely audible ‘yes’ was heard. He shoved more rocks out of the way slowly making him slide forward before barreling into the hole and closing off behind him.
“Well shit…” Stumbling to his feet he stood up, the sparks of his leg being the only light in the hallway. Picking up his pace he limped faster. “Walter, I'm coming!” He passed cells after cells, the hallway growing more and more familiar. Picking up speed he ran past Walter’s cell.
“What the fuck Jones!” He screamed holding Prejudice in his arms.
“Shit passed it.” He spun around limping back to the cell. “You know how you pass a channel on the TV you are looking for?” Walter glared at him as Jones fiddled with the lock, noticing the metal coating on his body.
“Now is not the time , wait you used D.I.N.A.A.! Nice now you wont get hurt!” His gaze followed down to his robot leg, still bent out of shape with now a multitude of scratches and more busted up metal. “What the fuck did you do to your leg!?” Jones looked down at his leg noticing all the new scratches.
“Oh yea forgot about that!” He picked up the leg, leaning on the wall with his hand for support as he swung the nub that was his leg making the robot leg go flying. It flew through the air bashing against the lock on the cell door. Walter's face dropped as the door swung open. Jones dropped his leg to the floor making a loud clang as it hit the floor.
“After you.” He used his hand showing Walter out of the cell.
“It took me… so long to make that leg…” He walked out of the cell still holding Prejudice staring at the robotic leg.
“Well thanks to said leg I’m alive. Now! Let’s go grab our robot!” Jones pointed down the hall as he limped forward.
“You’re gonna drive me insane from all these injuries.”
“What can I say? I get into trouble.” He shrugged as he kept walking.
“That’s something you shouldn’t be proud of.” Jones shrugged again as he kept walking. Soon Jones stopped turning to a cell with a table and dismembered M.A.R.C.. He picked up his leg again swinging it at the lock, making it creak open again.
“They really need to fix these doors.” He grabbed Prejudice from Walter as he ran into the cell and picked up M.A.R.C.’s pieces.
“My poor son…”
“I’m just gonna ignore that.” Jones spun around and began to walk back the way they came before he stopped. “Wait, shit. We are stuck.” Walter wallked out of the cell carrying all his pieces.
“What the fuck do you mean we are stuck!?”
“Well… getting in I kinda had to climb through a pile of rubble so…” Walter’s mouth dropped in shock.
“If we get out of here I’m gonna kill you.”
“Deserved. Uhh… let's just walk forward?” He shifted Prejudice in his arms as he walked past Walter. Minutes passed as they walked, at the end of the cell lined hallway the light of the suns began to show. They glanced at each other as Jones began running to the end of the hall. Faint distorted screams were heard from the outside world.
“Jones, wait!” Walter shouted.
“What? We are almost out!” Jones turned around and began to walking backwards towards the end of the hall
“Don’t you hear the screaming?” Jones paused and listened to the distorted screaming. He shrugged, shifted Prejudice in his arms again.
“I don't hear anything.” Walter rolled his eyes as he walked past Jones.
“There's screaming out there.” He walked to the end of the hallway sticking out M.A.R.C.s head at the end of the hall, angling it so he could see the reflection. Jones walked behind him, sticking his head out from behind the wall. Huge baby jumping spiders scattered all over the place, leaping onto the small buildings and crashing other insects to the ground. His eyes widened as he held Prejudice tighter in his arms and taking a few steps back.
“Oooh shit… It was pregnant…” Walter pulled M.A.R.C.’s head back and looked at Jones.
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“So um… Long story short I fought a huge spider, ended up killing it, and now its babies have come for my head…” Walter stared at Jones in shock.
“You were gone for an hour! Is that why your leg is busted up and covered in dirt!?” Jones looked down at his robotic leg which was now bent backwards, still dragging on the ground.
“It felt like thirty minutes, and I didnt mean to break it!” He raised his hands in defense balancing Prejudice on his forearms. Walter set M.A.R.C. on the ground and took a deep breath.
“There is no way we are getting out of here with your busted leg, carrying M.A.R.C. and Prejudice. And no chance we are gonna out run those jumping spiders.” Jones looked at Walter as he slid down the wall, his head in his hands. He looked down around before letting out a sigh. He limped over to Walter, setting Prejudice on the ground beside Walter’s feet. Leaning against the wall he slowly eased himself to the floor.
“I’m not good with all this… gushy shit… so uhh…” Jones scanned the ground around him picking up a small shiny rock. “This rock is my uhh… favorite rock. Yea, my favorite rock. And I want you to have it now.” He weirdly smiled as he held the rock out in his hand. Walter looked up from his hands, his eyes red. He looked at the rock in Jones’ hand before Jones tossed it, making it bounce off the opposing wall. “Yea you're right, I just found the rock. Uhh what else can I do…?”
Jones looked around him as Walter looked at Prejudice at his feet. He reached out and petted the dog's hair back. Slowly she lifted her head up and softly licked his hand.
“Holy shit… Jones.” Jones, ranting to himself, stopped at Walter’s cracky voice. He looked down at Walters hand noticing Prejudice licking it.
“My baby! You're alive!” He leaned forward hugging the dog, her tail began to wag and Walter looked at D.I.N.A.A. still on Jones’ wrist.
“I have an idea. I'll need D.I.N.A.A. and a piece of your undersuit.”