Chapter 2

"It's quite the heavy burden on my shoulders" Rosie took a deep breath, not to lose her temper and just… choke that greedy flea with a spiderweb noose around his non existant neck.

"But it's worth it. I would carry that burden until my last breath, understood?!"

PT had never seen the black widow so angered, wow, that beetle surely had made his way in her heart if she got so angry about his insults. Not a surprise, Rosie was the "mom friend" of the group. Technically, this time was his fault since he was in charge and he should've check the state of everything, the ropes were actually worn out and maybe things would've gone better if he had replaced them first.

"Alright, alright. I got it. Not entirely your fault" PT groaned "We need better ropes anyway, should've checked, my bad. You happy now? Good, now scram"

Rosie huffed, walking out of his office to join the others, she needed a drink and a moment of quiet

"It's a miracle, you'll never believe it! PT admitted it was partially his fault if the ropes snapped-" she looked around, her eyes glancing in every direction "Where's Dim?"

"Don't ask us! Thought he was going to meet you" Francis raised his tiny arms, they were just waiting for them all to join, Heimlich then joined, he looked alerted as well.

"Tuck und Roll vanished too! Vhere are zhey?"

Rosie sprinted to the small "tent" where she usually slept on the ceiling while Dim nested himself on a big ball of cotton, much of an improvement from that cage, but it was empty. Maybe he was still sad? He needed some time alone?

"Did you hear him flying?" she asked, worry starting to creep up her heart

"He looked fine when he stood up to meet you" Gypsy too was getting nervous, he had even shared a laugh at Slim's joke. Maybe the twins wanted to cheer him up someway.

Their thoughts were immediately cut by screams and distant thuds that echoed around the area, they all could feel the ground vibrating under them.

But Rosie had no time to ask what that was, her boy was out there and she had to bring him back home, so, despite the others, she ventured in the grass.

…

"Burden"

Dim's voice grumbled that word that broke his heart.

Rosie thought him as a burden? It couldn't be, she was always so kind, she wasn't scared of him. But he had ruined the show and PT scolded her badly for his mistake.

Also, he couldn't let the pill bugs crack on the ground, they were part of the group, they were friends. What was he supposed to do?

"Dim?" Tuck and Roll's voices made him raise his head, his eyes swollen with tears, the twins looked at each other, then back at him and tried to ask what was wrong.

"Can't understand" He huffed, turning around "Leave"

The twins instead rolled in front of his face, repeating the question in their gibberish, more determined this time.

"Leave" the beetle narrowed his eyes, he wasn't in the mood, nothing would make him smile this time. He was still wounded deeply in his heart. At the new request, he snarled at them "LEAVE"

Tuck and Roll got seriously startled and jumped back, was he the same cheerful beetle who always covered them when they pulled pranks on the others? Something bad had happened but they didn't know what. Dim's expression turned to regret one second after "Didn't mean to… Sorry."

The twins knew what "sorry" meant, they weren't actually bugs to hold grudges, so they just went to give him pats on his horn.

"It's ok" They both said, at least something they could speak to make him feel better. However, the ground shook beneath them again, blood drained from their faces

"Tweet tweet?!" Roll panicked, hiding in Dim's shell

"Don't know...! Stay still" that was one of the days when he thanked that he was blue in color so birds couldn't see well in the night.

There was a thud, another, they came extremely closer, and then there was a light pointing at the ground.

"That will do!" A loud voice came from above, it hurt a lot to hear, his antennae felt like exploding, Tuck ran for his life, calling them over.

Ok, this time he didn't need to understand what Tuck was saying, he just ran for it, but then something closed on him and everything went dark.

Dim felt everything twisting around, Roll fell off his shell and clung to him while calling for his brother.

...

"Rosie wait up! We don't know what could be out there!" Slim panted behind the stubborn and concerned spider who was climbing up a small plant to see better

"Dim might be in danger! I have to find him! It could be a bird… or… or a lizard! Or a… a… aaaaahhh-" She got pale, couldn't end the sentence.

"What is it?" Manny flew up to her level only to copy her exact face, everyone soon had the same horrified expression

"H… h…"

"HUMAAAAAAAN!" Tuck's voice screamed from not too far from them, there was a colossal human towering above them, holding a box in their hands.

"Tuck! Where's your brother?! WHERE'S DIM"

Tuck didn't know how to communicate, from panic and language barrier, he made a rectangle shape while crying his brother's name, Rosie screamed and immediately jumped down, running as fast as she could on her six slender legs.

"No! NO! GIVE ME BACK MY DIM! PLEASE!" But her voice couldn't be heard, she spun a web that latched to the human's shoes , not to lose them in the process. But when they started walking, the silk cut, resulting in the spider lady falling on the ground, immediately reached by the others.

She bursted in tears as she saw them walking away while the rest of the troupe hugged her tightly, Tuck also cried desperately. He needed his brother, he wanted him back, he was nothing without Roll.

"My Dim… My boy…" she wailed, clinging to Gypsy who was crying as much as her, only to wipe her tears and secure her arms around her waist "We're going to get them back" the moth said with her eyes narrowed

"It's a human! They splat bugs!" Slim trembled in terror.

"We stick together no matter what! You said it" The moth firmly spread her wings, she had made her decision

"Tuck, hold onto me, Rosie, you get Slim. Manny, dear, you and Francis get Heimlich, i know he's heavy but this is a rescue mission"

PT and the circus had to wait, they immediately took off, following the huge figure in the distance.

They were a team. They were a family, they wouldn't let anyone behind.