#[Frayed and Grayed - Knox - Huntsman]

[funnel-webbed-au]

Stitches / Landslide

Tag List: @skellebonez, @caxycreations

Riley's Notes: I'm back on my bullshit with Syntax being an emotional wreck and Huntsman and/or Sydney being there to ground him. Their bond is everything to me as is Nezha and Yang Jian's.

Syntax winced as he put a little too much weight on his bad leg, then stopped to sit down. The spider couldn't help but sigh as he recalled when his cousin had stitched up the grievous wound. He swore softly, rolling his pants leg up so he could see the still-healing wound beneath it, which was still accosting him. That would be one hell of a gnarly scar when all was said and done.

The sound of uneven, unsteady footsteps stopped the spider's heart as if the sound had killed him. The spider coated his claws in caustic venom, determined to survive whatever came next. There was no way in Hell he was going to let Stella-

It wasn't Stella.

He breathed a deep sigh of relief as the owner of those unsteady feet came into view. The black haired spider that had entered his lair had less of a distant glaze in his eyes than what Syntax was used to seeing. The younger spider tilted his head, raising an eyebrow as he did so.

"What brings you-" The tech spider stopped. He had to; Sydney had crossed the room in a heartbeat, staring at Syntax with an unblinking gaze. He couldn't tell for sure if the larger spider was lucid, and his racing heart didn't intend to do him any favors.

It was then that Syntax saw Huntsman. He nearly leapt out of his own skin at the sight of his cousin. One moment he wasn't there; the next, he was. It was freaky how quickly and effectively Huntsman could move, a stark contrast to how jittery and uneven Sydney's movements could be.

Pierre couldn't help but tense up as he returned his attention to the funnel web spider in front of him. Reality felt like tar as the tech spider felt the funnel web spider wrap his claws and arms around him in a hug, a gesture of love, of support. One sorely needed by Pierre.

Huntsman only smiled, releasing a soft huff as he watched Sydney give the comfort he could to the younger spider, and for once, Syntax wasn't shaking in the slightest. As he wrapped his metal claws around Sydney in return, the four eyed spider blinked, then smiled, almost as if a vestige of the gentle, yet chaotic person he'd used to be was still there.

Maybe Nezha was still in there.

Pierre relaxed, gripping onto the other spider, listening to the soft, reassuring purrs that emanated from him. Part of him was still there.

Part of the beautiful person that Lian loved to talk about.

[funnel-webbed-au]

The Fools/The Family

Syntax dropped his pencil as the robot that carried his claws attached itself to his back. A soft, guttural hiss escaped the half-spider as he bore his fangs, then wiped a bead of sweat off of his cheek. The pain from when the needles slid in never ceased to catch him off guard, no matter how many times he endured it. As the scientist sighed, he couldn't help but remember the first time those needles had slid in and penetrated his spinal column, binding and readjusting part of it so violently that it knocked him out for a few minutes.

The ironic part was that it was his machine. Perhaps he should have seen the signs, her megalomania being the largest red flag. He was too trusting, even now as the cynical, walled-off individual he'd become over the years. Syntax hissed.

He'd been a fool. Her fool.

That thought alone had him pacing in his laboratory before he barked an order at the AI to scramble the passwords of his blast doors. The sigh of relief that came to him afterwards would have been audible to anyone within a car's length of him.

Syntax leaned against one of his walls, then slid down it until he landed in a small heap, legs pulled against his chest ever so gently. He couldn't aggravate the scars there, after all. That sting wasn't something he could forget.

It felt like his mind was full of static. For all he knew, it likely was. The buzz in his ears reminded him of flies that hadn't been caught yet, of ambient voices who said too much for him to parse what they were saying, what they meant.

Why had he trusted her? He should have known she would use him, like they always do. It's always his talent that's important and never him. He was sick of it, but it wasn't like there was anything he could do, or so he thought. His claws curled around himself, ready for a cocoon. He needed a nap anyway, and maybe he could sleep off this dread, sleep off this grief.

He was interrupted by Maratus's monotone voice as the artificial intelligence spoke, penetrating the silence and giving him much needed reprieve from his own demons. Right, yes, he had more important things to worry about than anyone else's opinions. They didn't matter, they shouldn't matter.

"Huntsman has deposited a bowl of pho on the gift table outside." Maratus announced, and the thought of a hot meal brought Syntax to his feet. As he unlocked the blast door that separated his lab from the rest of the nest, and the world at large, the scent of beef hit him like a ton of bricks... and he couldn't help but smile.

[Flashback.] Huntsman knocked on the blast door to Syntax's lab. The spider hadn't come out for dinner, which had the stronger spider antsy. Syntax almost never missed dinner. When the door opened, the larger spider entered slowly, carefully. He didn't want to mess up anything that the scientist had left out; he knew he'd get an earful for that at best.

Huntsman paused. Why was Mac lying there like that? He was curled up and uncomfortable, and those tears looked like they'd recently started. Hunter sighed and went to kneel in front of his sibling, then chose his words carefully. Sure, he did care... but he didn't want the other spider to know that. He'd never believe in his sincerity. Both of them were closed off, and justifiably so.

"What do you want for dinner, Mac?" Hunter spoke softly, his voice barely above a whisper in the quiet of Syntax's lab. He'd seen the signs. The other spider had been shivering ever so slightly, goggles over his eyes in case any bright lights came on unannounced. Hunter knew how Mac reacted to too much going on at once.

The younger spider sighed softly, then reached for his tablet so he could pull up an old photo. A dinner long past, but something Hunter could definitely make if he decided to. He likely would, for the other's sake.

"Pho. Got it. You just sit tight here, Mac. I'll return with food in the next hour... it's lucky I saved so much spare broth, eh?" Huntsman chucked gently as he ruffled Mac's hair.

[End of flashback.]

"Send one of the robots to deliver one of the stuffed toys I sewed last week. Make sure to leave a note on it, Maratus." Syntax instructed the AI of his workshop lab, and soon enough, the letter and the plush were sent to Huntsman.

A soft smile distorted the former lumberjack's face as he read the note attached to the small plush. It was a sweet note, truly, but the colors of the plush spider were what really got him: Jade, amethyst, gray, and black. Both of their colors.

"Syntax, you sap." Hunter chuckled as he took the plush to bed with him... one of his most closely guarded secrets. He had several similar plushies in his room, and never went to bed without one of them. The last words he spoke before he fell asleep were almost too quiet for himself to hear... and yet...

"...you're a good kid, Mac."

[funnel-webbed-au]

Through the pits of Hell, Together

Tag List: @skellebonez (Huntsman and Syntax bit. Figured you'd want to see this.)

Riley's Notes: Additional content warning not in the tags: Syntax passes out from blood loss. Also, this is a vent drop. Some of the things that happen with the spiders will have parallels to some bullshit I'm going through right now. What little sense of stability I had imploded on 6/11/23 and I am very out of sorts. The blog might go on another hiatus while I deal with the isolation and with moving out.

The clock ticked by, every sound, painful and agonizing as Syntax sat, contemplating the information he'd discovered from his exploratory genetic testing. He'd discovered something that had truly broken him, and it wasn't just that he'd once used to be human.

No.

The spider he'd treated so harshly was the last blood relative he had contact with now, and that fact only contributed to the sense of isolation that was gnawing at him. He leaned against the wall of his workshop, long after Maratus had put his lab into power save mode. This knowledge truly had him in a chokehold, unable to forget it, unable to fully process it, either.

Mac turned as the blast doors to his lab were unlocked, and the spider he'd been thinking about so intensely crossed the threshold into his living space. As the larger spider approached, Syntax curled up, desperately wanting to hide from everything and everyone... and especially to hide the marks on his body.

No such luck.

Huntsman kneeled down in front of the younger spider, shivering with dread. The blood dripping from those wounds dug a pit in his stomach. Those injuries would need stitches, and he knew from experience that the younger spider was more of a danger to himself than anyone else. It made Knox glad that he'd brought a first aid kit with him, along with the supplies he'd need for stitches.

"Mac. Mac, stay with me, damn you, nerd." Knox shook his cousin, his junior by fifteen years, until the younger spider opened his eyes before the blood loss could knock him out. A soft croak came from the younger, shorter spider as he fully registered the presence of the last blood relative he had contact with.

"Hunter...?"

Pierre didn't know what to think anymore, and he didn't have the strength to fight, either. He hardly moved, even as Knox jammed the local anesthetics he had around the lab into three places along Syntax's leg.

Was he Syntax? Was he Pierre?

Who even was he then, and who was he now?

Was there even a difference...?

Pierre didn't feel the needle going through his skin while Knox stitched up the horrific gashes on his calf and thigh. He could hardly hear his cousin's voice, either, even as his consciousness faded in and out.

At least he wasn't bleeding out in the cramped silence of his private workshop.

~ ~ ~

Pierre woke up in his bed, connected to an IV filled with a deep green liquid mingled in with shining neon green flecks. He raised his free hand to his forehead, then winced from the harsh light above. He reached around, and somehow, quickly found his goggles, then slid them on over his eyes. The relief from his migraine was immediate, and it drew a sigh of relief from the small spider.

"You scared me, kid."

Huntsman's deep, gruff voice, filled with exhaustion and relief alike, pierced Syntax's usually cold heart. The elder spider had been crying, hadn't he? Syntax sat up, then craned his neck to see Knox covering his face with one of those huge, scarred hands.

"...you scared me... kid..."

The way Hunter's voice cracked, then broke the second time keyed him in all too well. Maverick had been crying, and the fact both surprised Pierre and gave him hope. The 5'8 spider tapped the edges of his bed, shaking somewhat, then swallowed and spoke.

"...Hunter, have you been..." He didn't even have the courage to finish his statement. Sometimes, though, he didn't need to. The bond between them had already been established long before Pierre had discovered their genetic connection.

"...what does it look like..." Maverick allowed his cousin to catch a glimpse of the tears dripping down, even though his voice was begrudging about it. The spider shivered before the tension in his shoulders completely gave out, resulting in a dramatic slump. The relief was immeasurable.

His cousin was alive. He hadn't been too late.

"...I'm... I'm sorry, Hunter... I... learned something that made it nigh impossible to live with what I'd done on Estelle's behalf. We're related, Hunter. By blood. You're my older cousin, Maverick Braddock... I... I never got to meet you until Stella got us, and now, we're stuck here because of me-"

As Pierre dug his nails into his forearms, he soon felt Maverick grasp is upper arms to stop him. Maverick's jade eyes were still misty with tears, and the younger spider could only sigh as he relaxed his assaults on his own skin.

Knox sighed.

"Kid, you thought you were gonna get out in one piece, that's the only reason why I thought you'd help her before she got you. Now, though, we're in this together, for both better, and for worse... and we have to make the most of that."

Syntax swallowed hard. It would take a miracle for the older spider to trust him, that much he was sure of, but there had to be something he could do to help. For now, though, he simply watched the IV drip replenish his life.

It was then that he noticed the needle in his cousin's arm.

They were in this together, come hell or high water, the deepest caverns to the highest mountains.

"...I'll... keep that in mind. Thank you, Knox." For once, Pierre's voice wavered.

He didn't mind.

[funnel-webbed-au]

A Night Out

Lian snickered as her partner stepped out of the limousine she'd hired. Sometimes there were perks to the fact that both of them had big stakes in separate companies, and tonight, she was flexing some of the yuan she received as an allowance from her father.

Unfortunately for Syntax, the bright lights of the paparazzi's cameras triggered a migraine, and his obsessive thoughts only grew worse due to how exposed he was to all of the other individuals there. He couldn't exactly be called a person, not after what Estelle had done to him. Sadly, it wasn't going to be easy for him to shut down the spiral, but he knew that some alcohol might take the edge off... or maybe the chill of some ice water would do the trick.

"Oh, come on, you silly bug. They're not going to bite you. If anyone bites, it's you and your cousin, not all of these wonderful people here to greet us... and, well, maybe me, too. I bite. You learned that last night." Lian snickered as her words made her partner blush, then took his hand and dragged him into the restaurant.

The intricate chandeliers gave away the fact that it was a higher-end venue, and suddenly, Pierre felt underdressed for the occasion. He was just in his usual lab uniform, nothing particularly appealing to anyone who might be there, much less his own partner. He knew he had to change or else all Hell would break loose. He'd never be able to stop thinking about it, and it might keep him awake.

It didn't take long for Lian to notice, and she pointed to where the restrooms were so that the arachnid could go change into the emergency outfit that he had with him. He exhaled with relief, then disappeared, out of sight, out of mind. The beautiful ruby dress he'd brought with him sure looked good in the mirror. The way it sparkled and glittered from the embroidery on it would shock and awe, he hoped. One final glance at the spider emblem on the halter neck top, and Pierre relaxed.

Maybe he was a monster, but at least he was a beautiful one... and at least he wasn't the only one here.

As Pierre added the finishing touches to his winged eyeliner, just as his brother-at-heart had taught him, he paused periodically to examine his handiwork. It didn't look half bad, actually, and for once, he didn't stress over it as much as he normally did. A smile crept over his face, and although his sharp fangs still drew some discomfort, it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. This was him, this was his body, like it or not... and one day, he knew he'd come to love it.

The moment he stepped out into the lights of the dining hall, Lian's jaw dropped, which drew a scoff from the spider she'd arrived alongside.

"What, spider got your tongue? You're drooling, orchid." The toothy smirk on the spider's face had Lian in a chokehold. Gods, he was such a pretty boy, such a wonderful little spider. She loved the way her boy wore that dress, as it hugged his subtle curves. When her pink eyes finally returning back to him, the same color spread to her cheeks as a dreamy sigh escaped her.

"A spider certainly had my tongue. You're ravishing, dear, I should take you dress shopping." The soft purrs emanating from the Deity only emphasized how completely and utterly starstruck he'd left her, and as he sat down and crossed his legs, she couldn't look at her menu. She was too busy looking at him.

Maverick's arrival wasn't as loud or as sudden as usual, and neither was he wearing any denim for once, despite it being his favorite material. The larger of the two spiders had come with his beloved partner in tow at his side, and the height difference between them was almost comical from how dramatic it was.

"Well, well, well. Look who finally showed up to the party. I see you brought your boyfriend with you, Knox. How scandalous." For once, it was the elder of the two spiders who blushed from the teasing, which drew laughter from the tech spider. While Syntax only smiled, Huntsman dusted himself off, forcing his blush down with a soft huff and a soft flurry of German swears. It was all his partner could do to calm him down, but as the group united at the table Lian had reserved for them, she buckled up for the teasing she knew would ensue.

She danced the night away in his arms, in Syntax, no, Pierre's, arms. One hand on her waist, the other taking her by her other hand, all while the two larger Demons they'd come with simply held each other while the music played overhead. They were nice, nights like these, and as the younger spider spun his mantis around, he was finally sure.

Pierre had come to love her. Sure, it had taken several years to cement the relationship and fully convince him, but Lian had been patient. She'd been kind, she'd been gentle, she'd been generous, and he intended to continue repaying her in turn.

Until reality's lights burned out.