Escape
Screams echoed around them as Walter carrying M.A.R.C. and Jones using Prejudice as support ran through crowds of overgrown insects. Jones gripped the makeshift handle made out of his under suit on Prejudice’s armour as they ran. Buildings quickly became covered in white string as more insect people stuck in them, the spiders leapt at them sinking their fangs into the innocent insects. The forest of red leaves outside the city grew closer as they continued to run through the streets.
Faint sounds of cracking sediment and wood paired with the distorted screaming made everything so bad it was overwhelming. The cracking of wood and sediment from working termites grew, making one of the buildings in front of them begin to fall.
“Watch out!” Walter shouted as he dug his heels into the ground. Prejudice skids forward as she stops letting out two ear piercing barks. Two machine guns quickly unfolded as they showered bullets into the building making debris and dust fly everywhere. They coughed as the dust surrounded them and filled their eyes. Jones patted the dogs back as he squinted to see her.
“Good girl.” As the dust cleared above them Walter looked up, noticing about a dozen jumping spiders on the remaining building to their left.
“Run! To the right!” He bolted through the cloud of dust ahead of them, Prejudice pulling Jones with her.
They coughed and frantically blinked as thuds of spiders hitting the ground surrounded them.
“We’re dead! We are so fucking dead!” Jones shouted as more thudding sounded around them.
“Stop screaming! You're gonna attract more!”
“Why don’t you stop!” The sound of air being cut through as Walter, Jones and Prejudice are yanked off the ground. A piece of debris flies into Jones mouth, making him choke on it as he cuts through the dust and is pulled above it.
He glances up, noticing wide soft white wings block the suns from his face. Prejudice is being held in the creature's upper arms, carefully secured. Walter clutched the remaining pieces of M.A.R.C. in his arms, a few pieces falling as he desperately tried to grab them with his feet before disappearing into the cloud of dust. Jones glances behind him watching the dozens of spiders watch them fly away.
“Where are you taking us?” Walter pitched over the wind, almost screaming to be heard. Distorted chirping cut the wind like a knife as it responded. His face contorted to confusion. Jones looked up at the creature as they flew over the forest, its mouth closed after it spoke.Taking a closer look wide aviator goggles covered its eyes preventing it from collecting any wind in its eyes. As they flew over trees a big tree began to emerge on the horizon. It matched the rest of the trees with white bark and crimson red leaves except for its size it had something different than the rest, a house.
Integrated into the tree was a tree house with red wood walls and a decent sized landing pad, almost invisible red wood pieces stuck to the bark of the tree like small steps. As they flew closer the creature lifted them into the air almost like to toss them.
“Brace yourself!” At the same moment they were tossed forward rolling on the floor of the house, Walter rolls before turning the roll into one knee holding M.A.R.C. in his left arm to slow right down. Jones doesn't stop rolling and hits the other end of the house with a thud. The creature sets Prejudice on the landing before landing gracefully behind her, as soon as Prejudice touched the floor she ran to Jones licking his face.
“I’m alive, I’m alive! Calm down.” He sat up scratching her head as he leaned against the wall. Walter stood up, holding the pieces of M.A.R.C. as the moth walked towards him, grabbing the pieces out of his arms.
“What are you doing with him?” He followed the seven food moths to a small table in the corner of the room. Abdomens of what looks like mutant fireflies hung from the slanted ceiling shining over the table. Papers and books in foreign writing scattered the table. It swiped it off making everything thud and clatter onto the floor. It dropped the pieces of M.A.R.C. on the table then pulled out a basket of woven moth string, which held rusted tools, screws, wires and metal. The distorted chirping echoed from its delayed mouth as they set the basket on the table next to the pieces.
“I think they want you to fix him.” Walter turned to Jones still leaning against the wall, Prejudice sat between his legs wagging her tail as he pet her.
“I wonder why it wants him fixed so badly?” He turned back to the table shifting the pieces around. “I can’t fix him yet. I’m missing circuits and a lot of metal.” He turned back around looking at his robotic leg. “I have an idea.” Jones followed his gaze.
“No. You are not taking my leg.” He grabbed the leg which was only held together by a few wires. Walter walked away from his desk to Jones, setting a hand on his shoulder.
“I can make you a better leg. I need to get M.A.R.C. working so I have the blueprint for it anyways. While I’m fixing him I can also put a translator in him. Maybe we can find out why it wants us here.” He pointed a thumb over his shoulder to the moth, making it cock its head at him. Jones let out a sigh letting his robotic leg clunk against the ground.
“Fine. But the next one better be cooler.” Walter kneeled down gently pushing Prejudice out of the way.
“I'll make sure that happens.” Walter carefully pulled up what remained of Jones’ pant leg, getting a look at where the leg was attached and metal met skin. Two small buttons on each side of his thigh stuck out from the metal. Walter carefully pressed both at the same time making the leg pop off, he carefully pulled the leg away from the thigh exposing wires connected to each other. Taking his time Walter disconnected each wire before standing up and taking the leg back to the desk.
Prejudice made her way back over, giving him a small lick on his red face, snapping him out of his trance.
“I’m good, buddy.” He scratched behind her ear as he looked up at the moth creature who was watching Walter carefully take apart the robotic leg. “So… moth guy, moth girl,” The moth creature turns to Jones as he shifts on the floor. “Moth person, what’chu planning to do with us?” It walks towards him, distorted chirping coming from its mouth. The chirping continues as it leans over Jones looking down at him. It leans in closer, the chirping becoming more distorted as it swiftly grabbed the hem of his shirt, lifting him off the ground. Prejudice sprung off the ground to her feet letting out a deep growl at the creature. Its chirping immediately stopped as it carefully set Jones on the ground, giving him a small pat of the head before stepping back.
Prejudice steps in front of him as the anthropomorphic moth holds up its four small nubs for hands still backing up. Jones’ eyes widen as he watches Prejudice’s hair stand up through the metal of D.I.N.A.A.. Walter spun around at the more loud growling seeing the scene before him.
“Hey!” He runs over to Prejudice pulling her back. “What the hell happened?” He turned and looked at Jones, still holding Prejudice back as the moth taunted her.
“I just asked it why we are here, it started chirping at me than picked me up! Prejudice made it put me down!” Prejudice kept squirming in Walter’s arm growling at the creature.
“Prejudice! Stop it!” Walter shouts at her, shoving her back. She stops growling and walks back to Jones, sitting in between his legs while keeping her eyes on the moth. Walter walked up to the moth slightly bowing his head. “I am so sorry for the behavior of our dog, she can be very…” He turns to Jones and Prejudice, with her still snarling at the moth as Jones struggles to keep her calm.
“Possessive.”
The moth dropped its arms as its distorted chirping sounded again, but one word. One word that wasn't chirping, but just as distorted echoed in Jones’ head. Fenrir. More chirping followed as it led Walter back to the table. Jones looked down at Prejudices’s tail which curled up beside her body. Why does that word sound familiar?
Hours passed, Walter stood by the desk finally fixing M.A.R.C. after taking apart the leg. So much time had passed that the three suns that loomed over the sky had gone, making him have to work under the light of the abdomens of the mutated fireflies. Jones looked at him as he worked before looking down to Prejudice who had fallen asleep in his legs with her head on his real knee facing to the nest-like bed where the moth creature is curled up using its wings as a blanket. He rubbed her head as she slept on him slowly wagging her tail in her sleep. He turned back to Walter who slammed his fist on the desk, shocking Prejudice up.
“Shh, it's okay, back to sleep.” He rubbed her head as she laid her head back down onto his knee with a deep sigh. “You should take a break.” He chirps, making Walter jump. “You’ve been at this for hours. Take a break.” Walter leans over the desk and rubs his eyebrows.
“I need to get him finished.”
“And you will, but if you can barely keep your eyes open you won’t be able to do shit.” He turned to Jones who was still sitting on the ground.
“Since when did you get so smart?” He walked over sitting down beside him.
“Since I fought a fire breathing worm, and a fifty foot tall pregnant spider.” Walter let out a scoff as he set a hand on Jones’ shoulder. Jones smiled at him, his face a bit red as he looked at Walter.
“Don’t forget the mantis. Speaking of that, I forgot to tell you.” Jones throws his hands in the air. “You whooped that thing's ass!” Walter let out a laugh as Jones exaggerated his arms making his metal nub leg hit the wood floor.
“You really are something man.” Walter slapped Jones’ shoulder making him drop his arms to his lap. When his laughter died down he let out a sigh still keeping his hand on Jones’ shoulder.
“I hate to ruin the mood but what are we gonna do?” Walter confused, looks at Jones before it clicks and turns to look at his own legs.
“I have no clue. I’ll need to see the damage of The Daredevil to see what to do.” Keeping his hand on Jones’ shoulder he turned to Prejudice asleep on Jones’ leg.
“You should get some sleep. You look tired.” Jones set his arm around Walter, rubbing his shoulder.
“I guess…” He let out a yawn as he lent forward, laying his head on Prejudice’s body. “Night buddy.” Jones set his hand on Walter’s shoulder slightly rubbing it.
“Night”