Between the Black and Grey (Starlight Brigade AU)

14 - Being Chased

A foul stench filled Sung's nose as the spider's face was inches from his. Its pink eyes burned into him, angry and large, and he could feel claws digging into his sides. He reached out weakly to try and grab his torch. A potential weapon, but it was just out of his reach and he wasn't strong enough to push the spider off of him.

Upon seeing him reach out the spider grabbed his arm with a clawed limb and twisted it away. Sung's eyes began to water from the pain. His breath came quick but he didn't dare scream. Despite that, the spider's fang filled mouth curled up into a cruel and pleasured sneer seeing his fear. A tongue a sickly shade of pink made itself known and swiped slowly along its black lips hungrily. Was it going to eat him? Did it do the same to the other mechanic, #69?

Sung never got the answer to that question; all at once the spider's head jerked to the side. In an instant it let Sung go, spinning around to face a very terrified looking Nad, holding up his hard hat which Sung put together he'd hit the spider on the head with. He took a few scared steps back.

The spider matched him, snarling a raspy and strangely wet sound. Sung managed to shuffle across the floor slightly and grabbed his discarded torch finally. He had no strength to actually attack the spider, but maybe he could distract it to get it away from Nad.

"Hey! Stay away from him!" he called weakly, waving the torch in the air uselessly from his pained position on the floor.

The spider turned its head and tilted its head in confusion at the pitiful sight. Then, an ugly laugh left its mouth before it plainly ignored Sung's pleas to continue to stalk towards Nad. The boy was pressed against the wall at this point. He held the hat at his chest like a shield, but even that wouldn't protect him.

Sung felt his heart pounding and made the effort to stand. Before he could do anything, however, another dark shape suddenly emerged from the shadows. The spider barely had time to react before it was flung to the side, away from Nad.

Sung saw Brian's blue eyes shining in the darkness as he positioned himself in front of Nad. The mute took a protective stance, but his first hit apparently hadn't been enough and the spider came scuttling back. It roared desperately, reaching out with its claws to try and get to Nad. It no longer seemed interested in Sung whatsoever, and Brian was simply in the way. What did it want?

Brian struggled as the spider all but tackled him, and Sung thought he might get overpowered. Something else glinted in the torchlight, however, and a high pitched scream of agony echoed through the halls. The spider recoiled, scrambling back away from them. Sung slowly pointed his torch, and stared wide eyed at the hilt of a kitchen knife sticking out of its black bony chest.

It breathed heavily, rasping in painful gasps as it tried to pull the weapon free. Then, when that failed, the spider's limbs started to convulse and it collapsed suddenly. None of them moved, watching in stunned confusion as it writhed on the floor. The four middle limbs started to twitch violently. Another hoarse scream left the spider's throat and Sung saw the limbs begin to recede, folding up and disappearing into the flesh to only leave four limbs on show. Two arms and two legs.

Everything fell silent. Slowly the spider, though Sung wasn't so sure what it really was anymore, sat up, pushing itself up to stand unsteadily. It braced a hand against the wall, which was when Sung noticed it was wearing gloves, and gasped.

"Yzus...?" he muttered in disbelief.

Judging by the way its pink eyes snapped to him, Sung guessed he was right. She didn't speak, only continued to pant before taking a deep breath and once again trying to pull the blade free. This time it budged, and with a final cry she threw it to the ground and clutched at the wound. She looked over the three of them, and then without a word turned on her heels and ran - or stumbled, since she still wasn't the steadiest on two legs. Sung stared at the bloodied knife on the floor. For once he was glad that Brian had a fascination with the things, otherwise who knows what would have happened to them.