SporkoBug — Roleplayer Guild

Front Office, Silverside
Mentions: Ezra, the Doctor || Interactions: Eagle, Puddle, Webb (in collaboration with @flux@Yankee@SporkoBug)

The first half of the day had been a lot. Like a lot a lot. Three years stationed in Nocturnia, and though there had been plenty of instances of violence, none of it had even come close to this single week so far. Eagle sighed.

He putzed around the Silver Canary’s office, trying to see if there was anything interesting, or notable, or that would give him a little more insight into the man. Assuming this whole disappearance thing turned out alright, he had his own mission now, and there wouldn’t be a better time to really look around.

So far he had found nothing. There was an expensive looking desk with an expensive looking ergonomic chair, an expensive looking laptop (that he hadn’t even attempted to get into), two ashtrays (why the hell did someone need two?), a couple of seats for guests, a closet, a VERY expensive looking plush leather couch, and a small potted plant. It was alive, and one of the few bits of greenery he’d seen around the area. There was nothing personal that Eagle could find.

He pushed the door open to leave, nearly bumping into someone else who had raised their hand to knock.

“You! Eagle! I’ve been looking for you - that kid you said to keep an eye out for just entered Silverside. Looks like they’re heading here, but they could just pass on by.”

“Understood, thanks!” he said, taking a print out from the man and slipping around them and out toward the office’s front. He went right out, through the gallery to the street. He shoved the paper into his pocket, figuring it was just a printed copy of what he’d just been told.

A few minutes later and Eagle spotted him, more easily than he’d expected to. He raised one arm to wave, cupping a hand around his mouth and calling, “hey! Uh, Webb? Webb!”

Webb wasn’t hard to spot, he wasn’t too focused on his normal ‘hiding in plain sight’. He seemed to be spiraling; he didn’t hear Eagle to start with.
Hide, run. Death follows; find safe spot. Hole in ground? Building too dangerous, people will attack building. Underground too dangerous; that’s where the beasts roam. Hide, run… Run, hide, run-

Webb almost ran into Eagle as he was calling out to him, the spiderling looking him over quickly - Someone he knew, good. New friend! Trustworthy? Yes, friend. Friend help.
He immediately moved to hug Eagle with all four of his arms, he closed his eyes for a moment and shivered against the male.

”Fighting!” He squeaked, his ears flattened slightly, ”Not built for fighting, big monsters! Danger, no want squish.”

Eagle caught the boy, surprise passing over his face. "Hey, hey, it's okay," he said, not really knowing what else to say at the moment.

Fighting, big monsters, danger, so Webb had likely been in Riverbend right up until fleeing. With Silverside being right next door, it was impossible not to know what was going on over there even if the canaries didn’t make knowing their business. Nocturnia was truly hellish, Eagle thought absently, as he knelt down to Webb's level.

The spiderling was genuinely scared, and not for the first time Eagle saw that Webb was not the evil agent that some were making him out to be. He really was just a kid that probably had no idea what he had gotten himself into.

"It's gonna be alright, you're safe," he said, petting Webb's head before his hands dropped to the spiderling's shoulders, making sure his grip was steady and comforting. It had been years since he'd seen his daughter in person, having to settle for photos and videos that got through to his phone, but his dad voice still slipped through when he spoke like it was second nature. "Take a few deep breaths, kiddo. You're okay."

When the boy calmed a little he asked, "can you tell me what happened?"

Webb seemed to start to calm down as Eagle spoke to him, pet him and comforted him. He did as he was told, taking a few deeper breaths before he breathed out a big sigh, his ears flattening as he was asked what happened.

“Riverbend dangerous.” Webb said, “Was napping after looking, like Griffon asked. Slept full night; accident.” Weeb winced slightly, he wasn’t supposed to sleep the entire night out in the ‘wilds’ now that he had a house, but he was pretty tired after everything.
“Woke to yelling, big booms.” Webb moved his arms to mimic an explosion, “Scary man, bird mask; big monsters!” He shivered at the mention of monsters, wanting to huddle around Eagle at the mere mention of it.

“Lots of people! Guns, bullets. Scary, not made for fight. Need to hide.” Webb almost grumbled, moving to rub at his face with his upper arms. He also had to admit, he was getting a bit hungry; he hadn’t stopped back at home for a bite since he fell asleep, and he practically scrambled out of there as soon as everything started to rear its head.

Eagle hesitated before saying anything else, thinking of what the best course of action was here. Everything Webb was saying lined up with the reports coming in from across the river still. He had promised to call the others when Webb arrived, but he didn't really want them to scare Webb any further. He was also dubious about letting Webb into the office, but... he figured if someone was watching him it would be alright, even if it turned out the kid was just really, really good at acting.

"It's okay, you're not in Riverbend anymore. Silverside is safe," Eagle said eventually. He offered Webb a smile that he hoped was reassuring, but it didn't even feel genuine on his own face what with how much chaos was going on today. "Want to come inside? Would that help you calm down more?"

Webbs’ ears perked slightly as Eagle spoke after a moment of silence, he looked to Eagle and gave a weak smile to attempt to match his. He nodded slightly at the mention of going inside.
“Would help me calm.” Webb agreed quietly, “Ended up sleeping on roof. Forgot to get food.” He mumbled, more as a dig at himself in mild anger; the fur on his ears prickling slightly before he let out a sigh.

“Silverside won’t get fight?” Webb asked after a moment, waiting to be led into the office. He instinctively turned to look the way he had came and gave a small wince as he could hear another explosion going off; but he wasn’t sure if it was a bomb or an RPG - whatever it was, it scared the poor thing.

Eagle steered Webb inside, away from the not-so-distant fighting. At the very least they were in the center of Silverside, even more unlikely to see any conflict than the rest of the district.

"You didn't eat? Okay, come on," the man said as he guided Webb back in and to the break room. There was a fridge and pantry there, and though the selection wasn't incredible it was a lot better than what Eagle himself had been able to get in Yellow Brick. A few people gave Webb strange looks, but otherwise let the two of them go about their business.

Eagle pulled out a chair for Webb and opened a cabinet, rummaging around it to find something for the kid to eat. He talked as he did. "About Silverside - I don't think we'll get a fight here, no. This place is... super rich. It's even nicer than some cities on the outside. And I'm told every rich guy that lives here has his own mini army, so I doubt anything will happen here."

For now, at least. As the gangs got bigger there would be no telling what they'd do. Eagle resisted sighing, and then something else occurred to him.

"Uh... What do you eat? Can you eat crackers or..."

Webb followed without any hesitation, he relaxed a little as he went through the doors; the idea of having a ceiling above him made him feel a bit more secure, plus being out of the elements was helping his worries.

He felt the eyes on him, his ears pricked up as he thought he heard whispers before Eagle told him that Silverside was safe.
“It doesn’t have many plants though.” Webb said almost absentmindedly, “It’s Rich, but not in the good ways.” 

Can't argue with that, Eagle thought.

Webb’s ears pricked up at the idea of crackers and the question about what he eats.
“I can eat most things you can! I like chicken, ham.” He explained as he thought, “I like crackers!” he grinned happily, wagging his thorax.

Webb looked around the area for a moment, his ears twitching as he tried to focus on everything around him; but his stomach rumbled, cutting into his concentration from everything around him.
Mm. Will need to eat before searching. He thought to himself, feeling his mandibles press against his cheeks slightly.

Well then it would have to be crackers, they didn't have a deli after all. Oh, wait, but they did have the leftover pulled pork from the dinner catering last night. Eagle returned to the table and sat down, pushing a few packages of cheese and peanut butter crackers towards Webb, and a little tub of the shredded pork.

"Hopefully this will hold you over for now," he said. He took his phone out, sending a message to Swift and Griffon. Both women were out at the moment, following up on leads, and he didn't actually have Darter's contact. Probably for the best, that one.

Now what to do with Webb. The man seriously doubted that he was a malicious actor in everything, or even anything, that had happened. But if Swift assumed that he was involved somehow, then he probably was. She was sharp.

"I have some more questions for you when you're ready," Eagle said. His tone was serious, but not hard. Finding out the truth from Webb might just be as easy as asking for it.

Webbs’ eyes lit up at the cheese and crackers, as well as the pork. His ears pricked up as he moved to gently take the food, starting with the pork; and started to eat it - As much as he was trying to hide how hungry he was, he was still wolfing the food down.
It didn’t take long for him to have finished the pork before he started on the cheese and crackers, before he perked up as Eagle spoke to him.

“I can answer questions.” He said with a small nod, nibbling on a piece of cheese as he waited for Eagle to start asking. Webb wasn’t sure what Eagle wanted to know - He didn’t know too much after all, but if he was helping by answering, he’d be more than happy to do so.

There was a brief moment of silence as Eagle considered how to phrase things. In the end he wasn't an interrogator or anything though, so he just leveled with the kid. "Are you working for anyone else besides Canary right now?"

Webb listened as Eagle sat in silence before he spoke, he hesitated as he bit down on the cracker he had and chewed; lifting his head with his ears pricked up and checked that no one else was around him and Eagle before he turned back to finish the cracker.
“I’m not suppose to tell.” Webb said softly, moving to grab another cracker with cheese, “But also looking for things for…” he hesitated, trying to remember the name. “Midnight Man!” He said with a proud smile.

“Not a fighter, planted bug-friends to ‘listen’ to things.” Webb said before eating the cracker in his hands, giving Eagle time to think before he swallowed and continued. “He asked look into Riverbend; Griffon also asked look into Riverbend! Two birds, one scone; I think.” Webbs’ ears flattened sideways for a moment, “Didn’t find much for either. Then napped in Riverbend, nap went to night-sleep. Then monsters; and now here!” Webb raised his hands up in a way to motion to everything.

“Good have many friends! Webb like his many friends.”

Eagle let out a breath, running a hand through his hair. Welp, that was that. Swift was right. But it was obvious that Webb wasn't acting in bad faith; he was likely ignorant to the Midnight Man's designs. Not that Eagle himself was much better in that regard.

"Got it. Okay. So we're all friends," Eagle said, trying to find a way to word this. "And your friend Midnight Man asked you to bring bugs here?"

Webb nodded at his words as he chomped down on more cheese and crackers.

After the confirmation, Eagle leaned back and took an apple from a basket on the counter, pushing that toward Webb as well. "You know, some of your friends aren't friends with each other. So if you accidentally hurt one of your friends because of something Midnight Man asked you to do... you wouldn't like that, right?"

Webbs’ eyes widened at the apple, moving to grab it with his hands before he went to take a large bite from it, his mandibles showing for a moment before he bit down on the apple. He looked to Eagle as he chewed on the slightly larger than expected bite, taking in his words as he furrowed his brow ever so slightly, his upper eyes flexing their pupils.

“I wouldn’t hurt friends… But if accident I would try to make up.” Webb said after he swallowed his mouthful, “I…” he hesitated, trying to think of the right words to say. His ears flattened as he narrowed his eyes as he stared to the table; He was often annoyed by his limited common vocabulary, and really wished Viv was here currently.
“Sorry, hard to common speak sometimes.” He said as he looked to Eagle, “Do not think, Midnight Man would… Ask me hurt friends.” Webb continued, his fingers tapping slightly on the apple as he continued to think of the right words.

“Webb not.. Harmful? Not fighter, not harm…er? Mainly watch, talk bugs. Can show Eagle bugs!” He seemed to cheer up on the idea of showing Eagle the bugs he brought in. “Bugs don’t listen common much, but good for details! Remember people, not talks.” He explained awkwardly.

"Don't worry, I get it. You don't wanna hurt anybody," Eagle said. It was pretty much as he assumed then. He pulled out his phone again and updated the girls - the confirmation of Webb's connection to the Midnight Man, and Webb's own situation. It was a little hard to navigate, but at the same time it wasn't the worst case.

"If you want to keep being friends with, uh, us," he started somewhat awkwardly, "make sure you tell us everything, okay? No secrets. And yeah, definitely show me those bugs."

If only so that he could clear them out later. He wasn't looking forward to that.

Eagle pushed up from the table. "You can bring the food with you. C'mon, let's find them."

Webb nodded at the mention of telling them everything, “Do I need to tell that Midnight Man gave me house?” He asked as he stood up, he flattened his ears at the idea of showing the bugs, he could read it on Eagle’s face that things might not work out for them.

“I can get rid of bugs.” Webb said softly, “I not bring many. I can get rid of them.” He stood slowly, taking the apple with him, since the pulled pork was finished and the apple was better than the cheese and crackers.
He stood slowly as he went to follow Eagle before he paused for a moment.

“Will Griffon and Swift be angry at me?” He asked after a moment, flattening his ears back in worry. “I don’t want to be kill-squished.”

"They might be, but if you're honest with them like you were with me then they'll forgive you," he replied. He was pretty sure neither woman would hurt the kid given the truth of his circumstance though. "Let's get your bug friends out of here first, and I'll explain everything to them. You're not in trouble." Right now, at least.

Webb took Eagle into an empty office, pointing to the bookcase before moving to grab a small moth in his hands. “Have one other here somewhere.” He said as he moved to the window to try and nudge it open to let the moth go outside, without talking to them. He did the same with a slightly bigger moth near the desk, before he closed the window and started to lead Eagle towards the bathrooms to get the silverfish.

Eagle followed Webb along until pointing into another conference room. The man wandered over, looking in to find two men sleeping in very different states. Donkey wore his backpack, using it to sit upright and had his arms rested over his machine gun still atop his chest, peacefully passed out but seemingly ready to react the moment an alarm sounded. Snaptrap curled up in a nest built halfway around himself of guns, gear and grenades, backpack as a pillow as he snored, a weapon available no matter which direction he happened to grab flailing out of sleep.

As Eagle moved to flick the light on for a better look Puddle spoke up. “Leave it off. Let them sleep.”

Webb flinched at the sudden voice, he could see perfectly fine in the dark and wasn’t expecting a voice from the sleeping figures.

Eyes moving to the other corner found Puddle, sitting on the ground with one leg up and the other laid on the ground. Hands ready on his lowered braced rifle with a magazine loaded but fingers nowhere near the trigger. His face looked grey, sockets black with stress and fatigue. A hand moved up to wipe something from his eyes before he blinked at Webb. A smile of all things, however subtle, came to Puddle’s face in observing Webb. “Heh. Something new every day. How long you been around here little buddy?” He looked back to Eagle expecting an order. “You need me for something?”

Poor man looked awful. Eagle could relate somewhat - he was sure he'd looked similar after that television broadcast. The memory came unbidden, bringing a rush of residual feelings that passed over Eagle's face for a moment. He tried pushing it down.

"No, we're just doing a bug sweep," Eagle said. After a beat he grimaced. "Pun not intended."

Webb stepped behind Eagle instinctively when Puddle spoke to him, flattening his ears against his hair slightly before he looked between Eagle and Puddle, but Eagle seemed to be okay with the other male.

He admittedly didn’t understand where the pun was, that’s exactly what they were doing, a sweep for bugs.
He poked his head out from behind Eagle as he was talked to, “Couple day?” He looked to Eagle as if he would know the answer, before he nodded to himself before looking over to Puddle again, “Two days.”

"How are you holding up?" Eagle asked the Akula after a moment.

Webb looked around the room instinctively as Eagle spoke to the Akula; unaware of what the men in the room had seen. His ears twitched slightly, moving to one of the walls and pressed his head against the wall for a moment, furrowing his brow.
“You not mine.” He said quietly, more to himself than anything before he narrowed his eyes.

As Webb walked closer to the bug next to Snaptrap a light shuffling of a man readjusting was heard. Snaptrap’s eyes glinted open slowly before he froze, taking in the massive spider before him. He stayed still, eyes unblinking, mouth slightly agape, hand ready to dart for a grenade to find out if this was a nightmare or to escape whatever fate one would meet being confronted by a giant spider. Instead a single inaudible word. “Nope.” Before rolling over, trying to get back to sleep.
Webbs’ ears twitched at the word, inaudible for most but he could hear the exhale of air. He didn’t look down to Snaptrap, simply paying attention to the wall for a moment.

Puddle kept his focus on Eagle. “Yeah. Cooked.” He sat before realising the rifle in his hands, gently bouncing it. “We feel safe, know you guys are good, just after what we saw underground.” He looked at Snaptrap and Donkey, Puddle’s voice a little more quiet. “Someone should watch over them. Just in case.” His sunken eyes closed and snapped open again, trying to shake the fatigue to maintain his vigil.

He chuckled. “You know it’s funny. I’ve only known them for a couple days. Not even a week. And already I’d fight and die for them. I don’t know if it’s because of the shock of it all or this is just how the whole brothers in arms thing goes, but I’d die for them.” Puddle’s face scrunched up slightly. “That much met expectations I guess. I thought it’d be different though. The fighting.”

Puddle’s eyes seemed to become distant. “You know, me and Dave. We were so proud when Antonio said we were going from runners to gunners that day. We’d been running meds and supplies for awhile but weren’t expecting to be taken into the elite for a long, long time. We were just trying to make a difference, and Antonio says guess what boys? It’s your time, and put a rifle in Dave’s hands and mine.”

Puddle’s face shone with pride, soon falling as the recount went on. “But that’s what we were. Boys. Not men. Not yet. Donkey tried to get us to go home, and dumb kids we were, we said no so we could get shot at.” Puddle laughed. “Shit, we were excited to get shot at.”

His eyes went dark now. “Then before we knew it we were at the door. That moment when you realise there’s a whole lot of people ready to kill you on the other side of it. What do you do?” He paused. “I just, fucking ran. I don’t know when or how it happened but there was a man in front of me. I clenched my gun, and he dropped.”

Puddle raised a hand as a finger gun. “Man. Trigger. Dead. I killed someone, just because he happened to be there. Then when we left I found Dave. You’d think at that point I would’ve realised the truth of it. That it was me or that man. But.”

He shook his head. “It wasn’t until we got back I just started rambling to Donkey. He just listened, when I finished he said ‘and that’s a real war story. You know it’s a real one because they’re all shit stories’. Then we just went back on living, like it was another day.”

Puddle put his rifle aside. “I thought it’d be obvious. Kill or be killed. That it’d come naturally. That it’d feel right. The only part of that I found to be true was kill, or be killed. No room for mercy or humanity. No glory or righteousness. Just monkeys screaming till one paints the wall with the other.”

He looked at Donkey and Snaptrap again. “Fighting for them though, getting them home. Not letting what happened to Dave happen to them. Pulling the trigger is as easy as breathing.”

Puddle came back to the moment. “Do you know what that’s like? Am I making sense?”

Eagle listened to Puddle's words respectfully, keeping half an eye on Webb like he would on a wandering child. At some point he had crossed his arms and leaned lightly against the door frame.

"Yeah. A lot of sense," Eagle told him.

He wondered how old Puddle was; the story, everything from the eagerness to put training into action to the sad realization of what fire fights were actually like sounded much too similar to the graduation from boot camp cadet to enlisted soldier. He had noted how militaristic the Akulas seemed to be while running drills with them earlier too. Kind of made it harder to maintain the "us and them" mentality that Eagle had been trying to keep up since seeing it weakened after ending up in Silverside.

"You face hell together and it doesn't matter if you've known someone for an hour or a lifetime. They become your brothers." And sometimes it seemed like hell was happening somewhere everyday in Nocturnia. "I had the same thing until-"

He stopped himself. It was still a raw nerve. Instead he said, "wish I could say the rest of it gets better. But at least you know you're fighting for something bigger than yourself, and you're keeping your brothers and sisters alive. They're lucky to have you, but I'm sure they feel the same way too anyway."

Puddle’s head bounced gently in acknowledgement. Eagle seemed far more acquainted with what he was rambling about despite the man only appearing only five years older than Puddle. He could only imagine how old Eagle thought he was considering how he looked right now. 

Puddle tried to find words, something that would make it ok, or at least make sense. Instead he just let Eagle’s response digest, eventually finding something to say to show he was listening. “I’m sorry.” 

Puddle’s eyes eventually reached Eagle’s. “And thank you. I’m sure they thought the same of you. Hell I’m sure I will.” Puddle caught himself. “I mean, I hope not. Not because I don’t think you’re- I mean I hope you don’t have to go through that again. You know what I mean.” Puddle lifted his hand to rub his mouth. He really needed some sleep, but his nerves promised that wasn’t happening anytime soon.

Eagle let out a puff of breath. "I got it," he promised. "If you need someone watching your back while you watch theirs, I'll probably be here all night."

He would have offered to take watch starting right then if he hadn't felt movement at his side.

Webbs’ ears pricked back up when he heard the word ‘Underground’, he shivered before he pulled away from the wall and returned quietly back to Eagle’s side, looking to Puddle.
“You went underground?” He asked with a tilt of his head. Stars, just saying the word caused Webbs’ thorax twitch in fear; his hands getting slightly clammy as he twitched his clawed fingers.

Puddle turned to Webb. “Yeah. Not deep. Just under streetside. Why?”

The Underground was [i]never[i] good, at least from what Webb knew; he’d originally woken up under there, it felt wrong there, oh so horribly wrong. He felt like he was always watched there, as if there were eyes hidden in the darkness - Silent, watching eyes, tied to no mouth to whisper. A different feeling to being watched by fellow bugs, they at least whispered to him if he wanted to talk to them.
Webb closed all four of his eyes as a visible shudder seemed to shake his entire body from the memories of the underground.

“Underground bad.” Webb said, more as a sigh to himself then to any words spoken to him, “Beasts lurk underground…”

What was left of Puddle’s energy allowed him to thrust a thumb in Webb’s direction while looking at Eagle. “Is he ok?”

Eagle blinked down at Webb, putting another comforting hand on his shoulder. "That where they came from?"

Webb looked to Eagle as he asked his question, giving a small nod. “Underground makes Monsters.” He said with a shudder slightly, “Birdman makes monsters.”

Puddle squinted his eyes, trying to force synapses to fire through his brain fog. “Monsters? I mean we talk a lot of shi-” Puddle looked at Webb. “A lot of nonsense. Stuff about boogiemen and monster closets. People going too deep and never coming back.” His eyes went a little wider with realization. “Please tell me those campfire stories aren’t real little buddy.”

Webb tilted his head slightly, he wasn’t sure what a campfire was, he didn’t understand what this ‘boogiemen’ were, or… What a closet was - admittedly.
But he gave a small frown before he spoke. “The underground takes people, the birdman twists people.” He said quietly, “Monsters of underground in Riverbend currently.” He glanced to Eagle as he said so before he shivered.

“Don’t want to ever go back down. The darkness want Webb for something, Webb feel it.”

Puddle just sighed, too tired to feel worry or fear. He glanced over to Webb, watching the little spider and how he guarded himself as he spoke. A slow blink. He could do something about this. He reached into his backpack to retrieve a suppressor almost the length of his forearm. Weary hands slowly wound the flash hider off before twisting the thread of the suppressor onto the rifle. 

Afterward he grabbed a handful of magazines and boxes of ammo, laid them out before him, and started pressing bullets into the clips, speaking as the rounds clicked into place. “You don’t need to be scared of the dark little buddy. Not while there's still Akulas around.” He seemed almost in a trance, fingers feeding round after round, filling chest pouches with loaded mags. “You saw a lot of them down there? Darkness, or something, try to take you?”

Yeah, at this point, why wouldn't there be a monster-making birdman in the sewers? Eagle asked himself. He really shouldn't keep getting surprised at the kind of horrors that showed up in this city.

He looked back at Puddle, hoping the man's actions were more for catharsis than anything, because, "you're not going to go back down for monster hunting, are you?"

Puddle stopped for a second, eyes focussed on Eagle before a shrug. “Not doing anything else right now.” He started loading bullets again. “I’ll just sit on the border, bring a friend with me, give Rada a call.”

Eagle didn't think it was the best plan, but he wasn't about to mother hen the guy. Now that drills were finished it might even be another good distraction from the whole zombie thing for Puddle. If he wouldn't be alone then all the better.

"Just stay safe man," he said, rubbing at the back of his head. Then Eagle glanced back at Webb. "See, you got people looking out for you. Just don't, uh, follow him."

Webb listened to the men as they spoke, tilting his head slightly at the idea of a monster hunt. Webb watched as Puddle seemed to get weapons ready, before Eagle spoke to him.
Webb didn’t answer for a moment as he moved to slightly kneel down and gently moved to put his hands - all four of them - on top of one of Puddles.
“Please no hunting.” He said, a slight pleading tone to his voice, “Would like you stay upside. Don’t want to lose new friend.” Webbs’ ears flattened back before he looked up to Eagle.

“Not planning underground any soon.” He shook his head with a shiver, “Want to stay upside, where safe, where friends.”

Renewed purpose and determination brought some life back to Puddle, a nod of confirmation to Eagle. “Not planning anything wild. Just some time on the range, really scope out what we’re facing. If things are as bad as they sound, well, someone should teach that friend of mine how to shoot.”

Puddle then shouldered his pack, checking everything was where it should be in every pouch before picking up his rifle. Instead of moving for the door he hesitated at Webb’s words, then walked to the little spider, kneeling down so he was closer to eye level with Webb. Puddle’s words were soft. “I’d really, really like to stay little buddy. I really would. But things are a bit of a mess right now.”

He tilted his head, eyes looking aside. “One day it’ll be ok again, or at least as ok as Nocturnia gets, but right now some people have to go to work so the upside here stays safe. You just promise me one thing.” He paused to get Webbs full attention. “You just focus on being a kid. That’s all you need to do, all you need to be, and to do that you just need to not do stupid things getting caught in silly fights like me.” He chuckled briefly to himself, then his eyes fell on Webb again. “Can you promise me that little buddy?”

Webb hesitated as he listened to Puddle as he spoke to him, he gave a small nod. “Not get fights.” He repeated quietly, “Promise.”

Puddle gave Webb a gentle slap on the shoulder. “Glad to hear it.” He stood and walked toward the door again speaking to Eagle. “Not my place to say but it might be worth converting a room for him. Seems like a good egg. Somewhere safe around people he trusts might just even give him something close to a normal life.” Puddle shrugged. “ I don't know, would just be nice to do some good without having to kill for it. Little things, yeah?” He walked past Eagle. “If you need me you've got my frequency. Stay safe lads.”

Eagle watched Puddle go until he'd turned a corner. Then he looked back at Donkey and Snaptrap, before finally settling his eyes on Webb. He had to agree with Puddle; if it was up to him, he'd pull the poor kid out of all this business completely. Right now, Webb was caught dangerously between a couple of different factions. He could only imagine what might have happened to the spiderling if Griffon or Darter had been here instead of him when Webb arrived.

Eagle still didn't have a lot of pull with the canaries, but he'd bring it up with them another time. He still had a few things to do, and the others probably would not appreciate the suggestion of housing a Dark Ace agent at the moment.

Holding in a sigh, Eagle ushered Webb out and away from the room. Clover's other two men could keep resting, and if they awoke before Puddle got back he'd tell them what happened.

"Alright Webb, you ever need a place to lay low just come find me, okay?" he told the boy. If the office didn't end up working out, he had a pretty sweet hotel room Webb could crash in. "When you go back to that house the Midnight Man gave you... just, be careful."

Eagle stopped, kneeling down to be on Webb's level before he said his next piece. "Sometimes people tell you they're your friend when they really aren't, just to get something out of you. The Midnight Man? He might be like that. Don't trust him blindly. Actually, you probably shouldn't trust anybody blindly."

Not even us, he thought, giving Webb a weak smile. He stood back up. "You can stick around and eat as much as you want for now though."

Webb didn’t fight Eagle as he ushered him along, he listened to Eagle as he spoke about needing to lay low to come find him. Webb patted his own pockets for a moment before he lifted out his phone and offered it to Eagle.
“Put number, will text if need help?” He asked with a small smile, “Will careful, normally alway careful.” He nodded with a soft smile.

The mention of not trusting blindly caused his ears to flatten slightly, “Have been hurt before, trying not trust everyone blindly.” He admitted before he gave a small shudder.
“If need, or want, hang out. Please call, will happy to hang!”
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