Hey guys, how are you?
I'm sorry for making you guys wait for so long again to post another chapter. I was busy as hell.
Honestly, producing this one was kinda hard. There were so many ideas that I didn't even know how to apply them right. But here it is. Thank you guys for waiting.
…..
Infamous smile: the castle is full of maids and making Ben chasing the sisters with Heatblast or Bigchill would put 'em in a crossfire. They will have their spotlights at the right moment.
ChimaTigon: I don't know if I could consider what's happening between Ben and Daniela as a pairing.
TomahawkESP: Good idea, bro. I was thinking of using Humongosaur instead.
….
So, let's go.
….
Oblivious to what is happening in the hall, the matriarch of Castle Dimitrescu was busy, enjoying a hot bath in what looked like a kind of circular small pool, in a specific place of that castle which was called Hall of Ablution. It would be a common everyday habit for most people, if it weren't for the fact of that small pool being full of… blood.
There were also four statues around it, two on each side, distinct from each other that, whoever saw them, would imagine that they symbolized something.
While the walls of that hall, repeated the same architectural pattern as the rest of some places of the castle.
She was with her face turned upwards, closed eyes, breathing deeply, while that blood covered and soaked her huge body up to the breast line.
And there was also a classic gramophone with a black vinyl record e being played on its turntable. From its sound horn, one of the best works of Bach was being played. The symphony was Toccata and Fugue in D Minor.
"At this point, they should already have brought the girl… and also the boything. I just hope they haven't harmed or killed him. Mother Miranda needs him. But… if she wanted him to do to him the same thing as the others in the village, why would she…" Alcina was wondering what were the intentions of her leader about the boy, when one of her maids called her.
-Milady. She said, making her boss open her golden eyes to look at the woman who avoided looking straight at her boss' eyes. Maybe for respect or fear.
- Say it, Anna. Alcina said, coldly.
- Lady Daniela ordered me to say that the boy is here. Anna said. Alcina grinned, before drinking a sip of wine… or at least… that's what it looked like.
- Hm. Say to my daughters that bring him to me. Alcina ordered.
- Yes, milady. Anna nodded, turned towards the door from where she entered. When she was about to leave that hall, her name was called.
-Wait, Anna. She stopped immediately, turning to look at her boss, who was getting up slowly to stand and take a large towel that was folded next to her. Anna avoided looking at that huge, pale and naked blood soaked body of hers.
Of course that wasn't something worthy of seeing. Her stomach churned and she tried her best not to show her feeling of disgust and repulsion.
All that blood, every drop, was drained from those that, some day, were her friends. Just like her, many other women were "requested" to work as maids at that castle and, and many of them had a fate worse than death itself. A damn little mistake…
Working and living there was an endless nightmare. And that cycle would repeat over and over again.
She wrapped herself in the towel, covering her body, leaving the small pool. Her soaked feet left blood footprints on the ground and someone would have to clean that shit.
-Y..Yes, Milady? Anna asked, still avoiding looking at that sad and disgusting figure.
A brief silence, and Alcina had a last sip of her drink before replying.
-I'll do it myself.
….
"Spidermonkey, huh? Let's see what this one does. And it looks more like a hybrid specimen than an alien". In his quarters, Karl was watching all that was happening at the castle, especially in the Great Hall.
Some time ago, he used the available materials that he had to build a mini-drone.
He wanted to make it look more like a small helicopter, consisting only of a four-blade propeller as well as a two-blade smaller one in its tail, a cockpit where an engine powered by a battery and a camera would be located, and two landing skids if it was necessary to land.
The engine didn't emit any acoustic noise and the camera had a built-in microphone and a speaker, so that he could see and hear anything the mini-drone could capture once it didn't go too far, as well as communicate through it.
Its maximum range was anywhere inside the borders of the village.
Picture and audio captured by an antenna connected in a 90s General Electric CRT Television.
He modified that old TV mechanism, making it transmit everything in an acceptable resolution.
He made it fly towards the castle and got in passing through an open window, using a PlayStation and its controller connected to the TV, so that he could operate it.
His vast knowledge in engineering and electronic equipment allowed him to pass the time using his skills building and creating anything he thought be useful.
He controlled the mini-drone, making it pass through an open window, and once inside the castle, he made it fly high near the roof, making it go unnoticed through the corridors, until it got into the Great Hall… where his partner and his "nieces" started a "bug war".
He saw and heard all their talk, Ben turned into the Arachnichimp, Bela and Cassandra trying to intimidate him, as well as Ben's surprise attack.
Karl was analyzing all that, and he knew that Ben would need more than a ninja-alien-ape if he actually wanted to have some chance. He even wondered why he didn't turn into that "walking chandelier", but he thought better about it and realized why.
No matter how strong and tough the Petrosapien looked like to be, Ben would never hit one of the sisters once Diamondhead wasn't that fast and agile.
In return, the sisters' fists and sickes wouldn't even tickle him thanks to its extremely durable crystal skin.
None of the sides would take advantage and nobody would get in anywhere.
When the ring bell sounded and the fight actually started, it seemed to be balanced.
The Great Hall was large, but too close to somebody who could move at high speeds like the sisters.
And because of this, they moved fast enough so that Ben, as Spidermonkey, could react and dodge the same way as he dodged bullets and laser shots.
The walls were high, but not that close to each other.
If Ben tried to jump from one onto another on the opposite side, they would catch, hit or even cut him.
So, he could only climb the walls up to the ceiling and use web vines to swing from one side of the hall to the other, and he needed to do that quickly or the sisters would score points in their game, which, with each passing second, got harder and harder to play.
Karl thought it would be better if he recorded that, pressing the Circle button, and a REC appeared on the TV screen.
It may be useful someday.
"He wouldn't have any problem with them if he'd come here last month. He wouldn't even need to use that watch. Well, if there is a walking chandelier inside that thing, maybe there is a… I dunno… something that brings that wonderful season back and turns that whorehouse into a giant medieval fridge. Seems crazy, but… Ah come on! All this shit isn't already crazy enough?! Let's just enjoy this." Karl thought.
….
"Man… It's getting sick… even for Spidermonkey." Ben knew that his Arachnichimp form maybe weren't enough to deal with two vampire bug-girls, who were pressing him too easily for somebody who seemed to have some issues with spiders. That if they actually had.
At least one of them made it clear.
Ben knew that trying to strike them straight was ineffective - he tried it-.
They could dematerialize into a swarm of flies on each attempt and it only would give them a break to attack.
The sisters didn't need to think a lot to realize that their opponent needed to lean on something or on a surface to jump and perform acrobatic movements in the air, as well as use his web vine to swing, as a being like that should do. However, he did that faster. Faster than most of their prey did.
In fact, none of their prey - humans mostly - did what that "spider-like freak" did. They didn't move like that and weren't that agile for obvious reasons.
And because of this, getting it/him did require more effort.
They began to move faster and faster. Enough so that Ben could only see dark figures in the corner of his four eyes as he heard that loud buzzing. He only knew which one was which by the laughter and the voices.
The blonde and the brunette were trying to strike and cut him. The sound of a metallic object meeting resistance and scratching a hard surface was audible as he ducked and dodged it when he was on a wall or on the ceiling.
That tag was getting dangerous and Spidermonkey was almost at its limit.
He even wondered where the hell was the redhead, but the situation was fucked-up enough with only two on his scruff.
Of course he didn't need a third.
The door was closed, but not locked.
Karl was lucky to make his mini-drone get in there in time and land in a spot where it couldn't be noticed while sisters were distracted by Ben and didn't hear the sound of the propeller. Even low, it could be heard by them thanks to their very sharp hearing. He could see a bluish figure literally running on the walls and jumping from one side to other as two blackish ones barely could be captured by the camera.
….
"They'll get you, brat." He thought, watching closely his partner barely evading their advances, apprehensive to say the least.
He knew his "nieces" very well and what they were capable of. "Just enough", as his partner had said, was something that Karl didn't know if he should trust in.
….
"What would that son of a bitch Simian do?" Although Ben knew how to use the Arachnichimp properly and had time enough to learn how to do it, it didn't mean he thought exactly like one. Maybe a true specimen would do something different.
"That's it! It's risky, but there ain't no other way. " A lit light bulb appeared above Ben's head. He didn't know what that infamous liar and cheater - hated by many folks from Undertown and even by other ones like him - would do, but he knew what that bastard does: lie and cheat.
Once Ben was facing bug-girls who didn't look like they were the kind of "people" who give a shit about rules.
Their hyena-like laughter and buzzing were enough to give him a damned headache and they didn't seem to get tired, unlike Ben, who had a quick flashback of when Sunder was chasing him in Bellwood, but at least he had so much space and Sunder's board glider and energized axe could be noticed when they came more easily.
Trying to get out of that hall and go somewhere else inside the castle would be the same thing as putting innocent maids in a crossfire - and that was the damn last thing we wanted it to happen. That if one of them didn't have the great idea of opening that fucking door - and the fault would be his own.
Ben pictured that introducing himself as someone who wouldn't be a good idea trying to take on, showing one of his transformations, would be enough to intimidate them though.
But no.
Unlike what they were used to see, that one was different. Interesting. Worthy of their attention and curiosity, although not in nice terms.
He chose to give them the benefit of the doubt using Spidermonkey. And now he had to choose between risking being knocked out or having one of his limbs cut off - although he still got his surprise element (Master Control) with him and could prevent that - and keeping up with that until he got tired and couldn't move anymore, which would be a redundancy.
It wasn't that bad for him. He was literally missing somebody trying to rip off his head anyway. What could he be complaining about, after all?
He was in the air when he saw at a glance a sickle coming towards his head, specifically his face. He barely ducked his head backwards to avoid that blade, making his hair swing up and a little lock of his blue hair being cutted. It would be seen in slow motion.
"Holy shit! This one was too close!" His eyes widened and his heart skipped a beat. That was noticed by the one who tried to cut his head off. She laughed and Ben recognized that voice. It was Cassandra.
-Don't stop moving, little monkey! She warded him sarcastically in a sing-song. That web ball must have driven her mad - and she actually was - even though she seemed to be having some fun. She - and the other two - had a fucked-up conception of having fun.
-I told you that it'd be fun! The blonde's hands were too close to catch the Arachnichimp's tail, but Ben wrapped himself in his limbs, tucking into a ball in the air, bringing his tail with him, keeping it far from Bela's malicious hands.
Those two advances were enough.
It was time to appeal the bluff.
"Here I go." Ben shot a web vine at the ceiling. He used it to swing and go up with a single pull, retracting it the same way as he shooted it. He reached the ceiling, resting his back against it and using the setae on his feet and hands' fingers like spiders use to walk on walls, waiting for one of them to advance against him.
As he predicted, in an instant, one of them went to him. He barely had time to take a breath.
A swarm of flies appeared in front of him, and a pair of gloved hands took form from it, grabbing his top open arms by the wrists, pinning him in the ceiling.
Immediately, the swarm morphed a half body from the waist up, as waist down was still a swarm.
She stared at Ben with a threatening smirk. Their faces a palm away from each other, her golden eyes on his four black-and-green ones.
-Tired, freakthing? I could tear you apart if I wanted to… And I do want it! Bela said venomously, her voice distorted by buzzing from the swarm behind her.
Ben struggled, trying to break free from that grip using his bottom arms to hit her stomach with fast fists, but they just passed through as she still pressed him against the ceiling, using not but her very and surprising strength without any effort. The "spider-like freak" didn't weigh as much as a human.
Ben almost felt like he was pinned on the wall by that Crabdozer again. But at least the bug-girl was prettier than the Pyronites' natural predator.
She could make her flies shape any limb of her humanoid body independently.
If she wanted to make them shape only hands, feet or head while the rest keeped being a swarm, she did, just like her sisters. And somehow, they apply this to clothes or other objects like their sickles.
Ben kept swinging his bottom arms until they passed through her stomach, but he couldn't pull them back.
She locked his arms in her swarm, in a way that his hands couldn't be seen inside of her abdomen once "solid" - for lack of a better word - but he still could feel them. His hands and… something else.
His eyes widened when he thought he was touching her entrails, even though she wasn't showing any sign of pain, or even discomfort.
She was perfectly fine. Her smirk when she saw his reaction confirmed that.
-Can't you see that this is useless? I feel no pain! She laughed, watching him struggling against her grip in his four arms. Even though his situation may be complicated, he took that as a lesson. And it wasn't just about their powers and abilities…
-Ew… Is that your guts?! I don't want a lesson about bug-bitches' anatomy… Ben couldn't finish his sentence. A metallic clatter from a blade that almost crashed against his forehead.
He tilted his head to the side just in time. And the blade came over and over again.
As if getting trapped in pinned on the ceiling by the blonde wasn't enough, the brunette started to play Knife Game using her sickle, breaking the rhythm, pretending to hit a side making him tilt his head from the side to side, as if she was trying to test the Arachnichimp's reflexes.
Her sickle went up and came crashing down harder and faster, in a way that the blade tip dug a hole in the concrete.
-Don't stop moving! Cassandra said as she swung her sickle at Ben's head, laughing in a sadistic delight with a psycho glare on her face. She was clearly intending to kill him… or just kidding in a sick way… It was confusing to say.
Just like her sister, her body was half morphed.
-Cass! Stop that! You're gonna kill him! Bela ordered her sister in a serious tone.
- Oh, of course! Didn't you see what this insolent bastard freak did?! Cassandra asked, pointing her index finger at Ben, pissed off by his surprise attack against her.
- Yes, I did. He reciprocated your last night's "welcome greeting" and hit you with the hardest punch that you've got in decades.
He did the same to me and I'm as angry as you are. Bela stopped to look at Ben.
-Now let's talk about your bad behavior. How could you have the audacity to even think about doing something like this? Hitting a lady's face? Your actions will cost you dearly, freakthing. She said, in a mix of disappointment, disgust and anger.
- I think "alienthing" sounds more appropriate. But ok, it's a common misconception. Plus, I ain't a gentleman with bad ladies. Ben smirked. Even though he wasn't in a good position to make jokes or something, that didn't stop him from doing it. A habit that he had since when he started his career as a hero, that, even dangerous, never killed him. And it wouldn't be that day that it'd happen.
-But we're not bad ladies, little boy. Bela giggled in a malicious tone, inducing her sister to do the same before continuing.
- We are just huntresses who love a good and funny hunt. She finished.
- Predators, I'd say. We hunt, kill and eat humans like you every fucking day. No matter how hard they try to run, fight or even surprise us. All of you, pathetic wretches, always fall. Cassandra chuckled, her sickle sharp tip almost touching his cheek near the eyes softly, as he avoided it tilting his head.
-However, you have raised the concept of surprise to a pretty high level. The highest so far. I won't deny that this is a really interesting trick or whatever. Not bad at all coming from a pathetic human. But even that won't save you from us. No, no, no… Bela said, smiling, shaking her head and looked aside, before looking at Ben's eyes again with a threatening smirk.
-That just makes you a worthy prey! She and her sister giggled like two hyenas.
- I haven't had so much fun in a while.
I don't know if I just cut open this shit freak just to look inside. It would look wonderful mounted in our hall. And of course I'll want a little souvenir!. Cassandra had a lot of bad things in store to do to Ben.
All that chat about hunting and fun in doing it, predators, prey and souvenirs reminded him about the Galaxy's Greatest Hunter , who had been a pain in the ass for a while with his damned "pet predators" coming from Nemetrix.
"Come on! This shit talk again? At least Khyber was more respectful. Ultimate Prey sounds so much better. And I know exactly what she wants as a souvenir." Ben thought.
-I guess you want my left arm with the watch to put it on your shelf, wall or whatever. Right? Ben asked casually, looking at Cassandra above him. She raised an eyebrow in confusion, and then a wide grin appeared in her face.
- I was thinking about taking your head. But, nothing stops me from taking both. Any more questions? The brunette asked him, their faces a bit close to each other, smirking at him showing her fangs.
- Yes. Do you two really wanna do that? You won't see another one like this anywhere. I mean, there are many others where this one came from, but it's a looooong trip 'till there. Plus, if you guys take some photos and post on Facebook or YouTube, you'd get a Nobel Prize for such a scientific discovery. Fame, money, paparazzi, spotlights, interviews in TV talk shows… It sounds better than having a guy's head mounted in a wall, doesn't it? Ben asked, as if was trying to persuade them to reconsider and leave all that happened aside.
It was not his intention. He just wanted to keep that talk along until he found a break to attack again. Bela looked aside, as if she was thinking about that "not-so-bad" idea, but it was far from convincing her.
-I don't think so, brat. I told you to turn back into your pathetic human form, but you disobeyed me and had the audacity to hit me in the face… and I won't let this slide. She replied in a threatening tone, frowning eyebrows in anger.
- Somebody had to strike first. Ben mocked, just to get a headbutt from the blonde woman right in his forehead, once her hands were busy pinning the "spider-like freak" against the ceiling.
That headbutt really did hurt- once his head was against the ceiling- showing a little bit of her strength, making him scream a loud "ouch" in pain.
- From now on, you just open your mouth to answer my questions. So, I suggest you watch your tongue. Bela warned, showing she was not playing around.
-Or not. My hands are free yet. Cassandra wanted to take part in that interrogation, as well as beat Ben if he didn't follow her sister's advice.
-You can start telling us what the actual fuck are you doing in our house. Bela said.
- Well, a guy turns into an alien using a watch right in front of you and kicks your face. The fucking answer for that wouldn't be any other but… He just wants to keep kickin'... Before Ben could finish his sentence, he got his face slapped hard by the brunette. She certified herself not to put too much strength in it so that she couldn't hurt him and stopped him from talking. But that slap really did burn.
"Not now. Not now." Ben muttered in his mind. He wanted to show his cards, but at the right moment.
-Come on, Bela! Make some more questions! Let's see how much beating this freakthing can take! Cassandra couldn't wait to beat him like that again.
-You just read my mind, sis! The next one is mine. Let's try again. What makes you think you could attack us and not face any consequence? Was that "monkey-freak" supposed to give you some chance? Do you have any idea who you're messing with? And… Bela took a look at that glowing green hourglass on that being's chest. The only thing that didn't look like to be natural or part of it, but was attached or connected in its body somehow.
That was the source of that boy's power.
The power of turning into who knows how many of what he called aliens could have "inside" it.
-What the hell is this thing? She asked.
- And think before you speak. Cassandra warned.
- Ok, one thing at a time. First, that's why I came here: attack you. You guys kill people and I do not like it at all. I wasn't sure if Spidermonkey would be enough. And look… It was not, which means it's time to change. And this? It 's just a gadget. Ben replied, grinning. The sisters looked at each other. That answer appeared to be convincing and even intriguing. What did he mean by "just a gadget"? That obviously was far more than. But they got the "time to change" thing.
That game was not over yet. Quite the opposite.
-Got it. You sneak into somebody else's house to pick a fight and think that turning into… aliens, freaks or whatever, will give you some chance against them.
That was not smart at all. But if you wanted a fight… Bela stopped, and Cassandra finished the sentence.
-You got one. And you're losing it. They giggled, celebrating a supposed victory as if they already had won, laughing at him like two hyenas. They thought he lost a fight that he triggered himself, but they had no idea what he had in store for them.
"Yeah, villains are villains, no matter the place." Ben thought.
-You said it's time to change, right? So, what are you waiting for? Bela asked, in a malicious tone.
- Better not. I didn't get enough of this one. Cassandra wanted to play some more, as long as that blue seven-limbed ape could resist.
- I'm gonna, but I am missing someone. She is a sweetheart and I don't want her to be left out. Where is Daniela? Ben asked in a casual way, even too much, as if having two of them pinning him and about to kill him was nothing. Out of it, he really wanted to know where she was.
- You have bigger problems to deal with, don't you think? Cassandra asked in a challenging tone.
- It's not for me, but for you. You guys will really need some reinforcement. Ben said, smirking, as if he wanted to excite them even more, and that's exactly what happened. They wanted to play some more, as well as him, and got that as if he was saying they were not capable enough to deal with whatever would come next.
- We are both more than capable of beating every ugly freak you turn into, little shit. Cassandra said, boldly.
- But we can comply with your request by giving some of your limbs to her as a souvenir. One of those arms, legs, head… this "gadget", or… Bela was looking at the Azmuth's legacy and got distracted for about two seconds, time enough for Ben to act. He didn't say anything, but just tried to do the same thing as he did to the brunette, splitting his jaw in half and spitting/shooting a web ball at her right in the face. But unlike what happened before, the web ball just passed through what was supposed to be her head, which dispersed in a small swarm of flies before they recompose again, bringing her face and her sharp-fanged smirk back.
-Nice try, but I'm not Cassandra. She said.
- Sorry? Cassandra understood that as a mockery coming from her sister.
- Which is not that bad. Ain't nothing personal, ok? Ben asked sarcastically, looking at the brunette, who did not like that joke at all. In fact, Bela made it and Ben just followed the cue and improvised.
- Same here. Cassandra swung her sickle with murderous intent to nail it in the Arachnichimp's head, but she, as well as her sister, seemed to have forgotten that his tail was free.
He pointed it and shooted a web vine that passed through a little space between his and Bela's half-morphed body, hitting and sticking in Cassandra's behind him, who barely could react at time.
The web vine retracted, bringing Cassandra's half-morphed body against the Bela's, making their heads crash into each other and grunt in pain, and at the same second, he spat a web ball in their faces making them stick together.
That made Bela let go of Ben's arms, and once free, he rolled aside as the web vine was still stuck in Cassandra's dress.
Now the three were falling, and during the fall, the sisters' hands were busy trying to push and get off each other, and Ben, in quick steps, walked on their now full-morphed bodies and wrapped them with that sticky web vine and spat more web balls all over them, until they got completely covered. And to finish, when they were a few meters from the ground, Ben shooted another web vine at the ceiling and stuck it in that web bag, which was swinging and squirming violently and muffled grunts could be heard from it.
The two bug-women now looked more like a web-made punch-bag.
It was possible to see their arms and legs moving through that dense and sticky web.
-Who is the predator now, huh? Once landed on one of the statues, Ben was looking at his masterpiece, smirking, and dangerously distracted. At least he wouldn't have to play Tom and Jerry with them again for a while.
- What kind of "spider-like freak" would I be if I let myself be caught by bug-bitches, right? Ben asked them as if they could hear him, but they just grunted and struggled inside of that web bag.
….
-Watch you back, Tennyson. Karl, who watched Ben being gotten and pinned against the ceiling and how he turned that game into his favor, saw that his partner was too cocky, who realized there was still that redhead he missed, but it was too late.
….
-And speaking of bug-bitch, where is… Ouch! If Ben was missing her, there she was. He got punched in the back of his head, harder than the blonde's headbutt and the brunette's slap, throwing him on the ground. This one was intended to hurt and could rip off a human's head easily.
-Fuck, this one really hur… WHOA!!! Ben felt his tail being grabbed, and the next thing was nothing but pain when she threw him against a wall, slamming hard with his back on it. He fell on the ground, too stunned by such a sudden attack.
He couldn't react, and that was what she wanted.
Ben raised his head to look at his aggressor, who bent a little to look closer with a smirk.
-Did you miss me? Daniela asked.
- From behind? Really? Ben murmured, even blaming himself for getting distracted in the battleground.
- And to think I was so nice to you early… tut, tut, tut. Daniela paused, shaking her head in disapproval, keeping her eyes on him.
- You even dared to attack me. Me! Your lovely host! Why did you have to do that? She said in a melancholic tone, as if she wanted to cry.
- Yeah, I did. And I am not done yet. He was getting up slowly, as if it was ready to fight again. At least it would be one against one.
- Hey, wait! We do not need to fight! Daniela said, making a "stop" gesture with the palms of her hands.
- Oh, don't worry about 'em. If I could pack those two, doing the same to you ain't gonna a problem! Ben pointed his tail and shooted a web vine at one of her feet, and retracted it in a hard pull, making her fall down on her back and yell a "WHOA" in scare. If she could attack from behind, he could attack from down.
A bit stunned by the fall and her eyes at the ceiling, the next thing she could see was that "spider-like freak" in the air and falling with its fist swinging to hit her face.
However, his fist passed through and hit the floor. She dispersed in a swarm of flies and started to fly around him in a circle.
Now, he couldn't hit her anyway, and she could make him listen to what she had to say.
-Why don't we try to get along? Daniela asked, her voice distorted by the buzzing.
- If you heard all the talk, you know very well why. Ben said, keeping his eyes on the swarm, waiting for some attack or charge against him.
- Got it. Someone would be jealous. So, what is that relationship between you and my Uncle? I don't think that's a nice pair. Daniela mocked. She assumed that something was up just by the fact that both of them had met each other.
That question caught Ben's attention, and made him think that the redhead ask her so-called uncle about his
- Business. Ben replied.
- What kind of business? Unlike her sisters, Daniela's questions were more pertinent.
- The kind of that's none of yours. Which didn't mean that Ben wanted to answer them.
- This is bad, 'cause I had a little message from my Uncle to you. It seems to be important. Daniela hummed. She wanted to blackmail him and extract any information from him she could, even though it was too much in so little time.
Ben and Karl had made a deal, but no plan, and that was exactly what they still had to discuss.
If Karl wanted to communicate, it had to be through something or somebody, but didn't expect that the messenger would be just one of those he was fighting.
As if it weren't enough, she wouldn't spit it out easily.
Ben assumed she wanted to negotiate.
He wouldn't attack and she would tell what he wanted to know, even though he found that kinda unlikely.
Certainly there would be more things in it.
-Ok, here is a thing: I stop attacking and you tell me what I want to know, huh? He asked.
- Oh, don't make me laugh! After what you did, I don't think that's a fair exchange. As Ben had assumed, she wouldn't make things easy.
- Well, I'm a "Hollywood Star". If you spit it out, I might give you an autograph. Ben said sarcastically, looking at his sides.
- Oh, I bet you are, but… What I really want from you is answers… and plus something else. Daniela giggled. Ben didn't need to ask what she wanted, once he already knew her needs… or wants… or both.
- What makes you think I'd give you my blood in exchange of two or three words? We just met, and it's kinda early to start something… I dunno… intimate. Ben had a point. Having his neck licked and nailed by the redhead's was inconceivable. That was an exchange, not a sacrifice.
She just laughed, as if he had told her a joke. He just looked at the swarm flying around as the laughter echoed throughout the hall.
- You really get things quick, huh? Silly, you just need to tell me what I want to know and then I tell you what you want to know. I talk to you and you talk to me. Nothing more and nothing less. Can we do it this way? Daniela asked, looking at that web-shooter blue monkey with her multiple eyes, waiting for an answer. And a few seconds later, the answer came.
-Fine. Ben sighed.
- That's it. Daniela manifested herself from her swarm in front of him. Unlike her sisters, she looked at Ben in his Arachnichimp form in a positive way.
She was too impressed to think of doing bad things to him.
It wasn't just what he had turned into, but the whole thing. He just slams in that watch, and then… BOOM! There it was!!!
A thing that he calls "alien" coming from who the fuck knows!
"Magic" was the only word she could think of to describe that… even though she could have seen something similar.
She took another look at the Arachnichimp, examining it in every detail, only to say:
-Damn, that's fucking crazy. She could enjoy every second satisfying her curiosity, once her sister couldn't disturb her. At least for a while.
- Yeah, you already said that. So, is it me first? Ben asked. The redhead nodded and he started.
- Well, I said that your Uncle and I still have to discuss business. There ain't anything official yet. We barely had time enough to talk 'cause there was a certain person looking for me. Ben's words appeared to be sincere, once Daniela's ears worked like a lie detector. The Arachnichimp's heartbeat was not racing.
When he said "certain person", he was referring to her.
-How did you know I was looking for you? Did he say it? Daniela was a little surprised knowing that Ben was kinda already waiting for her when they met.
-Um… new guy, new blood. Why wouldn't you? Ben asked, grinning. She just crossed her arms and she raised an eyebrow in response, as if it wasn't - and was not - convincing enough.
- No, he didn't. I attended a family gathering that I wasn't invited to, but I was the main subject of their talk for some reason. Ben said. That really made sense for her, explaining why she and sister came back home and didn't find their Mother last night. She was at yet another of the occasional meetings with the Lords.
Their Mother just said to bring him there because her boss wanted to keep him at her castle, without any suspicion that he could be any kind of threat. And after everything that happened until that moment, things were becoming clearer.
-You know what? I think I'm starting to understand why. She said in a serious tone.
- Why don't you think about that after you tell me what you Uncle… Ben started to talk, but he was interrupted by Daniela.
- Nuh uh, not so fast! It's just getting more and more interesting! Daniela wiggled her index finger, the more answers she got, the more answers she wanted.
- I'd worry about getting them out of there. They stopped struggling and will end up suffocating to death. Ben pointed his finger at that web-cocoon, where Bela and Cassandra were still stuck inside.
- Oh, you're talking about those two fucking egomaniac bitches? I think I should thank you for shutting them up once and for all! Daniela said, in an irritated tone.
- I don't think so. Someone would not like it at all. Ben said, looking aside, as if he wanted to tease the redhead, who seemed to have forgotten that someone could pass through those doors at any moment, and it could and couldn't be of the maids.
- Cut it off and just answer my FUCKIN… Her blood ran cold when she heard someone calling her and her sisters aloud. She went from irritated to scared in a second.
-Dammit. She cursed, looking at the door that would be open at any instant.
- Told you… Quick, follow my lead! Ben said.
- What?!
The sound of heavy footsteps could already be heard as the person got closer and closer to the door. The doorknobs turned and the doors opened.
Because she is too tall, she has to bend down to get through and enter the Great Hall, where her daughters and the boy-thing were supposed to be.
-There you are, my daugh… the Matriarch of the castle was surprised with a view that she definitely was not expecting.
She saw her eldest and middle daughters lying on the floor, apparently unconscious.
Stuck inside that web-cocoon, they wouldn't be able to breathe for a long time.
Trying to disperse in a swarm of flies to break free would only make it worse.
That trap was made to eliminate any chance of escape. They would only be freed if someone took them out of there, and that was what happened.
The youngest daughter, who was carrying a teenager boy in her arms, used her sickle to tear the web, so that her sisters fell down unconscious on the floor with some scraps of that web-cocoon all over them.
There were also spider webs on the walls and on the ceiling, and the "spider" should be really big to make webs that thick.
The boy seemed to have passed out, making the Matriarch think that her order of not harming the boy-thing the order was not taken seriously.
The youngest was the only one conscious enough to answer any question.
-Daniela Dimitrescu, what has happened here?! The tall woman asked, with a voice so deep that it makes the redhead bug-woman shiver.
"I'm fucked." She thought, looking at her Mother's face, where a mix of confusion and anger could be seen on it.
-Well… Um… We were… Trying to kill a… Spider … Daniela replied, but her last word needed a complement, which Ben had whispered so that only she could hear, making her look at him, who grinned and blinked at her. And that complement would be:
-Monkey.
…..