Even if it was always chaotic, the Bug City wasn't changing much. Always the same bugs over and over again, flying places and scuttling over the walls of the wooden boxes.
The only change in town were the ones of the group of Circus bugs coming now and then, bringing new colors in that place, they usually came in Summer and left in Autumn to move somewhere rainless, they took a Winter break and resumed their tour in Spring from city to city.
Their act was... decent, people went there just to see something new that wasn't the same stuff, especially since the Flaming Death act that attracted more bugs.
However, among the brown and yellow colors of the city, a spark of white once came: a ball of white fluff with two big green eyes, belonging to a Puss Moth, female, started to sit in a rather trafficked street, asking for money while playing a sort of guitar made out of wood and probably spider silk. She always sat in the same spot, playing and singing songs in a strong scottish accent and using a couple mid air tricks to impress the people and get enough coins to get by.
The circus bugs often passed by, always sparing a couple coins for that white fluffy moth but never having any real interaction with her. Only a couple smiles or a "Hey, take these" and a heartfelt "Thank ye!" From her.
The very first situation was when the two Pill Bugs who spoke in unknown gibberish were running like crazy from the angered ringmaster. The Moth didn't really like that flea, he was a greedy idiot, so she gladly used her wings as a hideout for them.
"Hey, You!"
"What is it?" The white moth answered, playing innocent with the angry flea
"Have you seen two pill bugs? Slightly taller than me, one of them has a single eyebrow"
"Aye, they went down the road and then turned right"
The flea was too busy and too angry to check behind the messy fluff where the two snickering bugs were hiding, but she noticed he was soaked wet. As soon as he was out of the way, she let them come out
"Yer a couple rascals, Aye?"
They replied in an unknown language, making her drop her smile "Eeehhhh... Ah didn't get any o' what ye said. Anyway, least ah could do fer the folk who always spare a couple coins"
Soon enough, another of the troupe, the Black Widow, came in to tell them about stopping with pranks. Apparently they had dropped a bucket of water on the ringmaster on purpose and ran away because they got caught, her tone was like the one of a mother scolding her children.
"Oh, it's you, did they disturb you?"
"Nae, ah just saved them from the Flea's anger" she puffed up her fluff with a wink and a brief chuckle. The Spider sighed, rolling her eyes. It wasn't actually her business but it was better for PT to roam around for a while and get dry with natural summer heat to cool off.
"Alright, alright..." She tossed her a couple more coins than usual "For the disturb..."
"Arty. Call me Arty, Miss...?"
"It's Rosie, and these guys are Tuck and Roll"
Arty waved them Good Evening as she put the coins in a little pouch made of leaves and counted what she had, smiling in relief
"It's more than what ah owe them everyday, maybe ah can actually eat, tonight..."
Rosie turned around "What did you say?" She asked with concern, Arty cleared her throat, waving it off "Nothing! Nothing! It's ok!"
"You sure?"
"Aye! It's ok, really"
Rosie wasn't convinced, she went to her with her hands on her hips, pouting. Now that she looked at her, under all that fluff, she was scrawny and looked like she hadn't ate in days. And... she had a bruise on a leg.
Spider Momma instinct: ACTIVATED.
"We're going to Bennett's this evening, wanna come? Dinner it's on us"
The Moth jawdropped "Nae, really, ah can get by. Really, yer boss isn't the type tae pay you much, ah assume. And ah have tae do something..."
"You do this urgent thing, and then you can find us outside. We'll put a bit of each one's money to get you a proper meal" Rosie smiled warmly at the musician girl, which blushed sheepishly, thanking her at least three times.
She rushed away in the deepest part of the city, in a dark alley.
"Hello? Anybody here?"
A cold hand posed on her shoulder and her fur stiffened, she looked up at a massive, grinning hornet
"Hey there, you came back before than usual, Artemisia"
"Don't call me Artemisia, Flytrap. Ah hate me full name" she huffed, opening up her pouch to pour all the money in his already opened hand. The hornet looked made the coins tingle in his palm as he let out an approving sound.
"I see you had luck today. You almost cover two day's money you owe me, almost" He put it all away, under her gaze. She hoped she would keep something to buy some food the next day.
"But... listen, Flytrap, ah do me best, could ah keep at least two coins fer once? Ah brought ye more than ah owe ye"
The bigger bug smirked "There's still my club if you want to work honestly. A pretty face like yourself, as a waitress, could make you thrice the amount"
Arty backed away, that club was not a nice place. Dangerous bugs came there and both the band and the dancers were mistreated. The hornet shrugged "Your loss. Tomorrow I want the usual"
"Even if ah brought ye almost the double??"
He gripped her wrists, eyes staring coldly and she could see the sting poking out from his abdomen. "The. Usual." He repeated in a chilling tone, she dared not to say anything else and she looked down submissively. Flytrap patted her head "Good girl. Now get off my sight"
Arty ran away back in the streets, her stomach groaning with hunger. Maybe she could really accept the Black Widow's invitation.
And so she flew outside of the city where she saw the group of bugs talking together.
"Uhm... Hi...!" Arty smiled shyly and waved, Rosie rushed happily to get her hand and drag her to meet the rest of the circus. She knew them already but she never knew their names, they got to introduce themselves. The clowns were the ladybug Francis, the stick bug Slim and the Caterpillar Heimlich. There were also a group of acrobat ants and a pudgy grasshopper named Molt, but the boss called him Tiny, who worked as a strongman. The mantis and the other moth were a married couple and were named Manny and Gypsy, and the Rhinoceros Beetle was actually Rosie's adopted son, named Dim. Despite being an adult, he was actually very childlike, she did not ask intrusive questions because it wasn't her business.
"Well, thank ye fer inviting me..."
"You did bought something for the next days, right? Oh heavens, what a pretty face you have! I wish I had a daughter like you" Gypsy had immediately cupped her cheeks in full candy aunt mode, Arty blushed tomato level red.
"Eheh... Aye, ah went shopping" she blatantly lied, not wanting to make this pretty and kind lady worried...
"Remember, kid, tonight is on us, take whatever you want" Francis patted her back. They seemed to have mutually agreed together, not all bugs were that kind. Maybe because they were all sorta outcasted, freaks in the eyes of society.
Tuck and Roll suddenly took her hands and dragged her to Dim, who lowered himself to let her up.
"Nae really, ah can walk, this is too much"
"Nah-Uh" the beetle said in a low but gentle voice "Fluffy Miss help little friends. Fluffy Miss is now friend with Mama, so Fluffy Miss is Dim's friend. Dim strong, Dim carry Fluffy Miss"
"Ah got a name, it's Art... emisia... Please call me Arty. Ah hate me full name"
"Arrr-tee... Yeah. Much better" Dim thought that her parents really wanted to condemn her to a life of bullying with that name, he then walked next to Rosie as they moved into the city. The white moth was still completely dumbfounded by that treatment, mostly because she hadn't been treated nicely in a lot. The twins kept on poking her soft wing fur, speaking in their language, she giggled with a little snort, they were little rascals but they were cute.
"Ah can't make anythin out o' what yer sayin... But somethin tells me ye like me fur. Am Ah right?"
"Soft!" They said in unison "Ah know it's soft, ah grew wi' that"
Manny then interrupted the chat to get to know her a little more "Where are you from, my dear? Your accent is definitely not from here"
"Oh, a'm from Scotland! It's a funny story, a'll tell ye once at the bar, because it's long"
"Ooooh, finally! Another European bug!" Heimlich peeped behind them while she thumbed up "Awriiiiight!" She giggled to herself, feeling more at ease now.
As they promised, they payed everything she ordered, enough to have her stomach filled. Rosie was right, she hadn't ate in a lot. She was malnourished and couldn't take her eyes off that bruise on her leg.
"Ok, now will you tell us your story?" Slim said after a drink
"Ok, so, here ah am, a Puss Moth caterpillar in an apple plantation. Life is great, ah climb up trees and eat leaves" she took a bite of a raspberry piece "When someday, the apple ah was nestled inside tae eat is picked. Ah frantically jump out o' me hideout and land in an apple crate"
"More food for you! Ja!" Heimlich chimed, dreamily.
Arty pouted "And the crate is brought on a human vehicle"
"Oh..."
"So a'm brought far away from me home, luckily ah got enough food tae survive. But then the crate is getting sealed wi' plastic stuff. Before them humans can spot me, ah crawl up in another crate wi' glass bottles, the next thing... Dark. And lots of noise"
Dim slightly cowered, having some sort of bad deja vu, Rosie gently patted his horn with a motherly smile
"Scary..."
"Ah was scared, big lad. When ah crawled up ah found out ah was in this huge storage. There wasn't much light, but ah had tae survive. So ah bit away the plastic and ate apples, then ah drank that thing in the glass from time tae time for lots of hours"
She chugged a whole drop of grain liquor "And that's how ah learned tae get through hangovers. Apple cider's great by the way"
This moth girl had an iron stomach for sure, they were all looking at her, amazed and shocked. She finished that story telling them she had to go through metamorphosis in that storage and then flew away as soon as she saw light. In a foreign country, all alone.
"Didn't know how tae get back home. And ah heard I was in America, so ah had tae figure out. Aaaand ah couldn't definitely get back. So... had to work it out"
"How did ya learn to play guitar?" Francis asked, after drinking
"By lookin' at a homeless man playin'. Ah built me own guitar and... well, learned alone"
She shrugged, while they all exchanged worried look. Finally Rosie addressed the problem straight away "What happened to your leg?"
Arty's fur stiffened, her jaws clenched as she chewed slowly and hid her legs.
"Hit a thorn"
"Listen, we're not going to hurt you. You can trust us, did something happen?" The Spider insisted.
"... Flytrap. He's boss o' a club in the darkest part o' city. He's... not a patient bug"
Gypsy gasped loudly as she covered her mouth in shock, Rosie sighed an "I knew it"
"Do you work for this... Flytrap fellow?" Manny inquired, feeling already disgusted at the thought of hurting a young girl like that. Barbaric and horrifying. "He's a stinger insect, right? What kind of?"
"Hornet..."
She saw the others wincing and hissing at the idea of being stung by a hornet. How did she still walk? How long did he keep her under his thumb? Why couldn't she go away?
"He just injects enough venom fer me tae have me leg swollen fer a couple days. Then ah can walk again"
She felt Dim's huge form rubbing against her side with a loud purring sound "You no deserve"
He was right, she didn't... but that hornet made her think she did after she was desperate enough to steal from his club. And there she was now, having to endure pain whenever she messed up or didn't bring enough money.
"Oh boy. I'm having a deja vu" Molt sighed, rubbing his head "Uuuugh, my brother didn't have a sting, but he surely wasn't the nicest bug. He abused me too and threatened me countless times." The grasshopper gave her a sympathetic look "I completely understand you, kid. It's never easy"
"Where do you sleep?" Rosie then asked, a hand on Arty's back wing fur.
"Streets... Flytrap offered tae let me sleep in but. A'm scared"
SUPREME MOM INSTINCT: ACTIVATED.
"Dim, is it ok if you get a roommate tonight?" She asked, much to his happiness. He nodded eagerly at the thought while Arty blushed again "Nae, this, ah can't!"
"You're not spending this night on the streets. We'll deal with PT, don't worry about it!"
And so, Arty was carefully hidden in Dim's shell as they approached the circus. She stayed still all the time, also because Rosie told her he was extremely ticklish and her fluff could send him in hysterics.
But finally, they were in Rosie and Dim's room. The Black Widow often slept on the ceiling in her web, but given the good weather, she would sleep outside while leaving the other two in, not before using her web to make a hammock for the girl.
"Yer Mammy is nice. She raised ye good"
Dim just chuckled to himself, he didn't talk much, but Rosie was confident enough he would help the girl get more at ease and have a friend to support her.
They had smiled at each other while she played in the streets, never spoke, but he wanted to be his friend after knowing all the story.
Arty didn't know where tae start, he was like a big kid in an adult body.
"Does Rosie tell ye bedtime stories?"
Dim nodded "Do you know?" Arty flashed a big smile "Plenty. Ah got a funny one"
She started telling a story about a black cat asking a hunter for shelter from the rain. Since black cats are unjustly mistaken for bad luck, the hunter planned to have his dogs kill it and eat it. The cat asked to have them tied, which the hunter didn't do, only kept them on leash waiting for the cat to go to sleep.
But as the cat was getting dry, the fur stiffened and it started growing unnaturally, bigger and bigger it became, until the dogs cowered behind their master.
Under the fur coat hid a good looking woman, who was a witch. Now, witches aren't necessarily evil, they know a lot of nature stuff, and they get bad reputations.
The hunter had apologized and tried to get on her good side but the Witch snapped her fingers and now the man was a black cat who was immediately chased outside in the rain by the dogs.
"And so that bad man spent the night up a tree shivering from rain and the Witch spent the night knitting by the fireplace"
Arty concluded while Dim was giggling happily for the good story. It was a new one and it was funny, and she was happy he had liked it.
"Awright, guess it's bedtime now" she hopped on her hammock "Oh boy... ah haven't got a roommate fer a lot. Well, ah lived wi' me brothers and sisters fer a while..."
"You miss?" He asked while nestling himself in the cotton. Arty shrugged "Sometimes, Aye. Ah miss the apple plantation ah come from, but, ah haven't seen much more..."
"Hmm" The blue beetle pondered "Mama told no tell you but... She wants you with us"
"Eh??? Already??"
Dim nodded "If you show PT you can do something for circus, he keep you in. Then we go together everywhere!"
He smiled widely, nudging her "You free from bad hornet. If he comes... Dim roars. Scare bad hornet away" he playfully growled in a very animalistic way, she giggled in response at how pure hearted he was.
"Heh, so a'm gonna be yer forever roommate and tell ye stories, Aye?"
"Yes!"
Arty smirked mischievously "Having sleepovers wi' me as roommate means going tae endure pillow fights... And...~"
She darted to tickle his neck playfully, of course the beetle burst out laughing loudly, he lost balance and flipped over, allowing the Moth to purposely ruffle her fur and scratch on his green abdomen.
"STOP THA-HAHA-T!" He wheezed between laughter before trapping her in a six legged, very tight hug. She let out an "OOF!" as he held her tight and took deep breaths.
"You... Lucky Dim got no hands" He panted, still smiling though "Hehe, you little rascal like Tuck and Roll"
"Heh- Nae wonder ah befriended them first"
Despite the break, he wanted to give her some payback, though, she was shorter than his abdomen and it allowed his back legs to reach her little moth feet and use the tiny protuberances on his own to stroke them and also the sensitive wings.
Arty let out a loud "EEEEEP" before kicking and wriggling to get away. The beetle grinned wide
"Oho, you gonna get it now!" he grinned as the white moth giggled uncontrollably, trying to suppress laughter. But to no use.
"Tickle tickle tickle~" Dim hummed, at long last he could fight back. Not that he didn't like tickle fights, he liked when Rosie playfully did it.
"A'M SORRY! PLEASE CUT IT OUT!"
"Can't hear you~" Dim snickered as the girl had tears in his eyes from all the laughing.
"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, SHUT IT!!!"
Francis's angry voice made them fall silent, Arty panted, still giggling faintly before pinching his cheek "So a'm the rascal? Really?"
Dim just stuck his tongue out and held her close while giggling with that deep voice.
"... Can we sleep like this?" She asked "Tomorrow a'll flip ye over, ah promise"
Dim just purred and held her close, nodding before tilting his neck back and close his eyes.
Arty cuddled up against the beetle, feeling safe for once and in a hug that reminded her the ones she shared with her siblings back in Scotland.
Soon she was asleep, thinking she could fix that mess she had endured for too long. She didn't have a roof above her head, she didn't have any friends. She had always been kind to other bugs because, well, she was, and she needed the money to survive Flytrap.
But this time... Maybe she could live a more decent life.
A simple act of kindness from those performers gave her some hope.
In the early morning, PT was discussing already with the troupe "We do not play Good Samaritans! If I had to hire any homeless bug we would be broke!"
"Oh come on! She needs help, and she needs it now before she ends up killed" Francis told him about the Hornet keeping her trapped and abusing her
"Not my problem! If she's good at something, I'll consider it. If not, she'll have to deal with it"
Arty had already woke up and slid off Dim's abdomen, stretching her joints and wings, only when he woke up, she helped him back on his legs.
"Morning" He grumbled a little while stretching and yawning
"Mornin', where's everyone?" She said poking her head outside before yelping as the Flea jumped in front of her, inspecting her.
"You. Come with me"
Arty obediently followed, PT kept on checking her out, not particularly impressed. She was a moth like many others, and didn't have Gypsy's intricate wing pattern. Only white and black dots. That sting's bruise, however, made him think that Rosie told the truth and it was not just trying to get someone to do other's job.
"They said you play, I already have someone who plays instruments. So on that level, you're no use to me"
The moth ruffled her fur with anxiety as PT led her into the tent. She was immediately assaulted by the foul stench of not so clean flies all gathered in one place.
"Do ye even clean this place? Really, it could use some fresh air and cleaning"
PT cocked an eyebrow "Do you want to clean up?"
Arty mimicked rolling up sleeves "Listen here, Mr Flea. A've been verbally and physically abused by an usurer hornet fer like... a year"
She looked PT dead in the eyes "Ah would rather clean up this tent twice than be threatened tae be stung to death if ah didn't bring enough money"
The flea pondered a little, even if she had no talent, they missed someone to help clean up "Alright, kid. Let's see what you can do. Start wherever you want. The tools are this way"
Arty sighed with relief as he was giving her a chance, he would give her an hour to see how much she could do in that tent.
She began filling buckets with dew, get a broom and start dusting everywhere. Took away the seats and then started washing them and let them dry. Flying there and there she fixed things and cleaned up, and most importantly, she let air in to help everything dry faster and change air.
The others occasionally looked at her working diligently, encouraging her with smiles. Even if they wanted to help her, PT kept on eyeing them to prevent them to interfere, it was her test to see if she could work there.
Arty was fine with it, she was used to do every by herself, she was working for her freedom.
"TIME'S UP! Let's see what you did"
PT inspected all of the tent, finding out that all the dust had disappeared the seats and most of the stuff was shining and clean, the ropes for the trapeze were fixed and the air was definitely better.
"Well, I gotta say. This tent is big and you cleaned up half of it in an hour... you're pretty fast indeed, yet you did a good job"
"Soooo, a'm in?"
"Do you have a contract with that Flytrap guy?"
Arty hissed with a sad nod "Yes, he made me sign one"
This complicated everything, but as a businessman, he knew a couple tricks. "Listen here, kid, I want you to tell me everything about this guy. Then get back on the streets and make as much money as you can. Leave old PT Flea deal with the burocracy"
Arty obeyed, grabbing her guitar and flying to her usual place, PT gathered everyone, saying that he would get the girl but the contract she made with Flytrap prevented him to do so.
BUT he knew a way.
That hornet was a a bug who loved challenges and to gamble, interesting.
"Ok guys, listen here. I have a plan, I have to go alone. Then I will come back to instruct you about what to do"
The flea had to enter the lion's den. Why was he even doing it? Ugh, why did they always drag him into this stupid nonsense?
Anyway.
The club opened up at night, and it wasn't a nice place, even for him.
But Arty had all the rights to be terrified, that hornet was huge and didn't look exactly the friendly type.
"We're still closed, come back this evening"
"I'm here to discuss about the moth girl. You know who."
Flytrap cocked an eyebrow, smirking deviously "Artemisia? Did she cause some trouble to you?
"On the contrary, she gained my respect by cleaning up my workplace. I could use an extra help"
Flytrap snickered to himself, she thought she could escape him. How cute. "She belongs to me, I have a contract to prove it"
"But she begs for money on the streets, she doesn't work here"
"I didn't specify how she would work for me. She's mine, now scram before I kick your abdomen out of my property"
PT cleared his throat "How about a little game between us, Mr Flytrap. A wager. For the girl"
Flytrap's eyes sparkled, now certainly more interested "You won't let it go, eh? Let's hear"
"If she can earn more money in a whole day, night included, than what you can earn in a night, she'll work for me and you'll have to tear that contract"
Flytrap laughed, amused by how stupid this flea was, but certainly he was one who liked games, so he added his conditions "And if she doesn't, she stays. And you'll hand me one of your female employees. I've seen them around, pick one of them, doesn't matter"
"What?!?" PT felt utterly disgusted. Even he had standards and wasn't a creep like this guy. Ugh, that kid had the patience of a saint.
"Guess you'll tear their contract then. Deal?"
PT grumbled, shaking hands. Rosie was one of his less worst employees, also because Dim was attached to her and without her he wouldn't act or he'd go mad.
Manny wouldn't allow anything like that to happen to his wife...
He had to think of something quickly. How to sabotage things in his favor.
He then saw Arty playing with the Pill Bug twins doing acrobatics following the rhythm to try and make her more money. It sorta helped but it was still too little.
PT pondered a little before smiling to himself.
"Hey, you two, come here!"
The twins rolled to their boss, hoping they would understand.
"You want to help her, right?"
They nodded, he gestured them to come and hide behind a trash can. "Flytrap works there"
The twins already snarled angrily, he was the one hurting their new partner in crime.
"You're free to prank him. Go wild. Break havoc. Do this for your friend"
Free to prank someone?? Was that heaven? They immediately rubbed hands together as they quietly sneaked in the shadows to find a way in. PT smirked to himself, this would have made them gain some time and allow Arty a better chance to get free AND allow him to keep Rosie.
Once they sneaked in from a convenient, the pill bugs began stealing random stuff that looked important, careful not to be caught, they were small and rolled quietly. Then they looked at the bar with all the stored drinks behind, carefully pulled away one of the rocks enough so that even the smallest motion could have it all smashed.
Band's instruments? Either stolen or sabotaged, the storage? They took their time to move the boxes and containers, even mixing random stuff to make the drinks disgusting.
Once they thought it was enough, they sneaked back from where they came from, meeting PT back in the street
"Done!" They chimed as he nodded, finally he could put their chaotic nature into something useful.
"Let's hope for the better"
Arty kept on playing for all day and evening. Her fingers were sore but she felt like she was playing for her dear life. Unaware of the chaos that was happening into Flytrap's club.
"What do you mean you can't find the list?!"
"Boss, really! I don't know where it is! I always put it in the same place!"
The hornet growled as the line outside of the club was getting longer and more impatient.
Finally, the list came out so that they could check the reserved seats.
But unfortunately the music that welcomed them was absolutely off key due to damaged instruments.
The clients were obviously disappointed, some of them already threatened to leave.
"Nono, really, it's just some technical difficulties, come get a drink!" Flytrap smiled but gave the barman a look that meant "Get to work now or you're dead"
The poor bug quickly started taking bottles, not noticing the precarious balance. A couple nudges sent the shelves falling down and all the drinks spilled on the floor.
"YOU IDIOT!" The hornet barked, looking at the huge mess and noticing that some guests already started to leave and telling the others in line what had happened.
No. No no no, this couldn't be happening.
He immediately went in the storage, finding everything was messed up and it took a solid five minutes to find the replacements.
The barman began mixing drinks and served them.
Everything was going well now. Nothing could go wrong.
"PFFFFT! EW! That's disgusting!" A client spat out the drink, making Flytrap go pale in the face. Now what?!
"I only get first quality stuff! How dare you!"
"Try it yourself! Tastes like rat poison!"
Flytrap sipped the drink, immediately grimacing at the foul taste, he spat it too, completely dumbfounded by how this could have happened. Now all the clients were leaving and he had to beg them to come back. He had a reputation and he couldn't lose his property to a flea.
He had to beg people to come in, while Arty kept on playing despite her sore digits and legs for all that dancing. The circus bugs passed by, throwing her money as they went to Bennett's, PT gestured her to keep calm, everything was under control, he knew his employees. And those two little scoundrels always did a good job at what they were good at.
Midnight came, and Arty was counting money, it was a nice sum, slightly more than the usual, thanks to what the circus actors spared her.
When she went back, she looked at a very distressed Flytrap, yelling at his own employees how incompetent they were
"... Nope!"
She made a run for it, she didn't want to deal with an angry hornet. She would wait for the next day, sleeping with her money close to her in her usual spot.
Morning came, and she finally took courage to go talk to Flytrap. She found him arguing with PT, about him sabotaging his work somehow, things that PT denied
"How could I get here? I was working last night! I couldn't just barge in!"
"Boss? What's going on?" Arty interrupted, the hornet immediately grabbed her by the wrist and tore her pouch from her. It was filled with coins.
"You... You little ungrateful piece of trash! Is this how you repay me?!"
Arty didn't know what was going on, she just struggled back to get away from his grip.
"You earned literally nothing last night. She did her job. I win the wager" PT folded his arms smugly
"You two conspired against me. And I hate cheaters!"
His sting poked out like a knife, ready to pierce though PT. "You should have followed my advice, Artemisia, now look at what you make me do.
"Me name... is Arty" She stood in between PT and the Hornet "And ah would rather be a janitor than spending another night as yer possession!"
Flytrap gritted his teeth, ready to strike and kill her too, he couldn't let this slip anymore. However, he felt something restraining him, something sticky and strong had attached to his sting and was pulling it back. He turned to see a female Black Widow, enraged.
"Get away from them or I swear to God I will tear your sting off your abdomen!" She bared her teeth, hissing.
"Do I have to kill you too?" The next thing Flytrap heard after threatening the spider, was an ear piercing roar and something massive charging into him. Then he was slapped by tiny hands and a bigger green hand, kicked by something pointy, something wood-like knocked him in the head, he got punched in the face and in the stomachs and finally something squishy but heavy as a boulder jumped on his form and made him gasp for air.
"Ah yes, Arty, meet your new future colleagues"
He pulled out a contract and a pen, which she immediately signed with a huge smile. The Twins rolled at PT, holding her old contract they found inside so that the flea could tear it in pieces before the exhausted and astonished hornet.
"I guess we can leave now, guys"
They all moved away from the alley and then they grabbed Arty and immediately ran like crazy, they were leaving for real and moving in another city, they had already packed up to avoid any possible trouble.
Arty sat on top of the caravan with the non-fliers while Dim showed his amazing strength by pulling everything up, followed by the other fliers
"Kid, you got guts. I appreciated that, you didn't have to stand between me and that buffoon"
"Ah had tae! Ye literally saved me life!"
"I expect you to work hard, because these guys literally begged me!"
Rosie patted her head, smiling motherly at her "Welcome to the family, Arty. I know your biological family is far away... but. This isn't perfect, but we support each other. If you want-"
She was interrupted by the white moth's arms holding her "Thank ye..."
Rosie patted her back, smiling again "And now it's four"
Tuck and Roll lifted her up and tossed on top of Dim's back before reaching her and hug both her sides.
"Sister!" They exclaimed excitedly, she smiled wide as she gave them a playful squeeze and then held Dim's head, planting a big kiss on his head.
"Is it ok tae call ye Bro?"
"Can Dim call you Sis?"
"Absolutely. HEY! Who wants tae hear some decent music?" She took her guitar, standing up and playing and singing her heart out to thank her new friends.
Her family.