"Ladies and gentlemen, it is my privilege- nay, my honor- to be here today kicking off another WONDERFUL day of The Games!" Hadrian's voice shouted over the speakers.
"That's right, Hadrian," Otto agreed as Jesse trotted along, a little ways in front of Facemeat, "and not just any day- but the final day of The Games! Are our competitors ready for the final challenge... the W-"
"It's the Walls!" Mevia interrupted.
"So," and Jesse glanced over her shoulder at Facemeat, "scared? Because it's okay if you are. No one will judge you for it."
Jesse sighed. "If I can handle wacko-Magnus, I'm pretty sure I can handle this." A flash of a memory of TNT flying everywhere made a small smile come over her face.
"Still got your sense of humor, I see," Facemeat said, crossing his arms, "cute."
Jesse struck a ridiculous pose, making Facemeat snicker. "Thanks, I try."
"Mevia, for those unfamiliar with 'The Walls', you wanna walk us through how it's played?" Hadrian asked his cyan-haired cohort.
"Sure thing, Hadrian. Teams start out separated in their own sections divided by the high inner walls. Each team has a short amount of time to gather materials, build defenses, and craft in their section, before 'The Walls' come down."
Jesse blinked. "Wait, I only see gravel and dirt in my section..."
And sure enough, Jesse's was probably the most barren section of all of the sections, with only dirt, gravel, and a crafting table in it.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Facemeat said in a rather mocking voice, "is that gonna be a problem?"
Jesse shrugged and pulled out her axe with her lower arm, twirling it in the air casually. "I guess not, since I still have this lovely weapon in my arsenal. And since I'm a spider hybrid. So I guess it's not too much of an issue..."
I think, she added mentally.
"Once the walls are down," Mevia continued, "it's every team for themselves!"
"So it's the Hunger Games," Jesse muttered flatly and a bit sharply, "good to know."
Hadrian chuckled a bit. "But is surviving 'The Walls' the end, Mevia?"
"No it is not Hadrian," Mevia said, sounding a little smug, "whichever team survives the free for all has to step onto the Winner's Platform in the center of the arena."
"Winner takes all!" Otto agreed.
"But let's not get ahead of ourselves, because that's only if the would-be winners can defeat-"
"Ouuuur gladiators!"
Facemeat shot Jesse a grin, which Jesse just rolled her eyes at. "So all the competitors better get to gathering materials because that clock! Is! Ticking!"
Jesse just sat down on a lump of dirt, twirling her axe in the air with her lower arms and playing cats cradle with the upper ones. Since there was only dirt and gravel in her section, she saw no point in trying to make anything.
"Hadrian," Otto spoke, making Jesse glance up slightly, still playing with her webs, "I can't help but notice that our newcomer, Jesse's, section has a disproportionate amount of dirt and gravel... and that she's not trying to mine any of it..."
"Yes, I suppose our newcomer Jesse has a plan! Or a deal."
"Hilarious!" Mevia chuckled.
Jesse considered pulling a Cassie-Rose and flipping the bird at them.
She decided against it. She began to drift off into thinking, before suddenly her eyes widened, she jumped to her feet, and she quickly stowed her axe away.
Mining parts of the floor away rapidly, leaving several holes, she built three spires, and then she flicked her wrists. "Alrighty," she hummed, feeling the familiar push of string and silk against her hands, "let's see what I can do here..."
And she got to work with her silk.
About five minutes later, Jesse pulled up one last knot and moved into position, perching on one of the thicker strings, waiting patiently.
"Ohhh, do you know what time it is? Ask me what time it is, Mevia," Hadrian said, casually.
"What time is it, Hadrian?" Mevia asked, standing up and walking to where Hadrian was standing.
"It's time for the walls to come down!"
Pulling out her axe, Jesse sat there and waited patiently as the sandy walls came thundering down.
"Oh, what's this?" Otto exclaimed, as several people gasped loudly, "looks like our newcomer has a couple tricks up her sleeve! Or should I say strings?"
Jesse smirked up at the Old Builders from where she was perched on top of her highly elaborate, complex web, which was flat and lay across three spires. Swinging back down to the ground, she twirled her axe casually and stood there patiently. "If you're going to come kill me, come kill me then," she called lazily.
"This should be interesting," Otto said.
"Very," Hadrian said, a bit more darkly, before picking up, once again like a sports announcer, "The competitors are like wild ocelots-"
Jesse smirked again; Lukas would not like that comparison.
"-sizing each other up, unmoving, before they go in for the kill."
Em turned to look at Jesse. Jesse stared back at her, her stomach doing a slow sort of backflip.
"Hey! Jesse!" Nell shouted, waving to the dark-haired spider hybrid. Jesse waved feebly back, and Jace bounced in place, glancing at Em to Jesse and back to Em again, looking both excited, warning, and highly nervous.
Em started walking towards Jesse, unsheathing an iron sword with a soft growl.
"Looks like the gladiator formerly known as Emily is preparing her attack!" Hadrian announced, his voice barely hiding his glee.
"What is this, Pokemon?" Jesse snapped back at the Old Builder.
"And Jesse, the newcomer, is just painfully unarmed and unprotected..."
"Am I really now," Jesse responded, with a roll of her green-and-red eyes.
"Em," Jace said, his bouncing slowing as he gave the former gladiator a stern look, "think about this carefully..."
"I have," Em said, gritting her teeth.
Jesse's lower arms let the axe drop to the ground calmly, as the spider hybrid crossed her upper arms. "Go ahead, Em," she said, calmly.
Em came stalking towards Jesse, sword in hand, a strange, unreadable expression on her face.
"Jesse isn't even trying to defend herself!" Otto declared, as if this was not already obvious.
Jesse crossed her arms and shut her eyes plainly, standing still, waiting for Em to hit her with the sword.
It didn't come.
Not all that surprised, Jesse opened her eyes to see Em holding the sword out to her, a small smile on her face.
"Thought I'd try giving that 'friends' thing a shot."
A/N: Heehee :3 I'm so, so, SO hyped up for the next two or three chapters that it's not even funny.
And then... well, then we have to talk about the plans for the future. (gazes distantly into the... well... distance.)
slaybombinya: Well it's not her biological dad... but yeah xD no problem
angelwings: Nope. It means 'power hungry people', for the most part.
LittleAngelbun: Heehee x3
NoItsBecky: Heehee xD
GuestPerson13: Fluff is the best part of any story xD
NinjaCat: No problem :) And agreed x3
Toni42: (evil grin, rubs hands together)
ChoyofBonk: I never mentioned that he didn't hear it... xD And no. No it can't.
RapidSammi: Oh dear. xD Glad you liked it!
x.X. A.L. X.x.
