One creature had the tentacles of a carnivean. The coils tightened around one of Arachne’s legs. She almost lashed out. It wouldn’t do to become injured so early. Especially not with Genoa watching.
The creature didn’t have half the strength of a real carnivean. It wasn’t something to laugh at, but a real carnivean would have had her leg twisted off before she could react.
Arachne tugged and pulled the tangled leg. The human body it was attached to lost balance and stumbled right into Arachne’s waiting legs. An audible squelch as her legs sunk into its chest sent feelings of euphoria throughout Arachne.
She immediately turned on the next closest creature. One behind her went flying as she turned. Arachne paid it no mind as it bowled through a group.
The one closest to her looked
Two nail-studded arms ended in sharp, metallic claws. Two heavy springs anchored the arms to the bloated chest. Getting caught between the arms would easily end Arachne.
Arachne circled around.
It followed. The thing’s waist was something like a turntable. It staggered forwards on mechanical imitations of Arachne’s spider legs. Poor imitations, but she wasn’t about to tell Keeper that.
Arachne jumped. High. If it leaned back and snapped its arms shut around her in the right spot, she could easily lose her entire abdomen.
Unable to spin in mid-air, Arachne lashed out with one of her rear legs the moment she landed.
The sound of metal scraping on itself was followed by a sharp sense of pain.
Her leg was off. Again.
She intended to pierce its skull. That had failed. Arachne spun in place–something that was always more difficult when lacking limbs.
Her leg stuck to the nails jutting out of one arm. The thing was already cranking its arms back out to reset the trap.
It shouldn’t have been able to rotate that fast. Something to do with the human torso?
Nothing to do about it now. Arachne wasn’t going to give it the chance to reset.
Arachne charged forwards, gripping the two extended claws with her own before they could spread far enough apart. Keeping them pressed together would have been an exercise in futility had it still had the doll body. As it was now, it was still a strain.
There was a delightful crunch from somewhere inside the bloated torso. A gear tore out the back of the human and went flying through the air. All tension in the arms disappeared as the springs snapped them back together again.
Arachne reached forwards and crushed the human skull without resistance. It slumped as the mechanical legs gave out.
Behind the Keeper’s doll, another creature had crumpled to the ground. A gear stuck out of its head like a circular saw blade. Arachne took a moment to admire the good luck before she heard a cry.
“Arachne!”
Checking for unseen attackers before turning towards Genoa, Arachne was pleased to find herself given a wide berth.
Genoa stood in the entryway to the Rickenbacker. Two creatures had been impaled by massive spikes made out of the brickwork.
“I’m sealing the door whether or not you’re inside.”
Arachne frowned at the two skewered creatures. Had she not landed on one or two, she would be tied with Genoa. That was simply unacceptable.
Pushing down her ire, Arachne ran towards the dormitory. She shrunk down into her humanoid form as she did so. Walking with only seven legs was somewhat irksome. Still, she left all her remaining legs fully extended and ready for anything.
The moment she crossed the threshold into the Rickenbacker, a heavy wall extended straight into the sky. It stopped just shy of the roof.
At Arachne’s glance, Genoa gave a shrug. “It will keep us from getting surrounded,” she said. “We can clear everything ahead of us and not have to worry about things slipping around our back.”
“Fair enough,” Arachne said. Her grin widened as she spotted her first prey.
The last month or two had really been
— — —
As soon as all natural light vanished from the lobby, Genoa sprinted towards the staircase.
“Where are you going?”
Genoa stopped and turned back to the source of the modulated voice. It didn’t sound real. Like the demon was trying to mimic proper tones and inflections she had heard from humans. Unsuccessfully.
No one else ever mentioned it. Nobody jumped when the demon spoke or when she turned eight red eyes in their direction. Even the twitching limbs jutting out of her backside would have gone ignored by everyone else. They had all gotten used to her.
