It's Raining (Spider) Men

Dalia was going to get a talking to when she got home. Might even get grounded, who knew. But it didn't matter; she needed to be alone.
School had been better since her stay in juvie only in the sense that no one was actively bullying her anymore. Now instead, hardly anyone spoke to her, and the only looks she got from anyone were ones of disgust and fear.

And to make matters worse, her sisters were receiving the same treatment.

How she found herself out in the woods was kind of a mystery. Dalia hadn't really intended to go here. She just wanted to be somewhere where no one else was for a while. Just let out all her frustration and anger and maybe go home and not be in a funk.

She stopped at one point and just screamed and slashed away at the trunk of a tree with her claws. Squirrels and birds scattered at the outburst, but when it was over Dalia felt no better. So she moved further in, just wandering in hopes of maybe clearing her head.

She smelled the blood before she heard or saw anything. There was a lot. Then her ears picked up the sound of a voice. A man's voice?
"If you are here to finish it, make it quick."

Make what quick? Dalia asked herself the question even as her mind formed the answer. Death. Someone was dying. Her heartbeat quickened.

Dalia felt her steps lightening as she moved towards the sound of the voice. Using shadows as best as she could to navigate unseen, unheard. She hoped. Her curiosity overpowered any fear she had that told her to run home.

Finding the place, Dalia skittered up into a tree and maneuvered herself as stealthily as she could into the branches. And looked down. Her gasp probably have her away, if he hadn't already heard her approach.

It was another Arachne demon, but different. First of all, it was definitely a man. His human skin was jet black and his hair was like silver silk. His spider body was covered in hair, like a real spider.

And gods, he was massive. Dalia's mind went to Nasci, the only other bug demon she had seen with comparable size. The fear decided in that moment to take over, but instead of letting her run it froze the spiderling in place. Wouldn't let her take her eyes off the spider in front of her. Eventually, she worked up the courage to say something.

"I'm not going to hurt you. D-do you want some help?"

Matriarchy. Home Cavern. None of what this Arachne was saying made any sense. Dalia skittered down the tree a bit, still wary. He looked severely injured, but that could be a trick. Like how Mal tricked Nasci into thinking the centipede had beaten her.

He was also asking her what he should do. She really didn't understand. But then again, some books on spiders she had read mentioned that female spiders were the dominant of the species, usually bigger and stronger than the males. Neither of those things applied to Dalia though. She didn't even think the 'bigger' would apply to Mama.

"Just... don't move," she said, testing her luck. "I'm going to look at your injuries."

As she skittered closer, her back legs and pedipalps working together to bring silk into her hands, Dalia found her courage.
"I don't care. If it'll take them a few hours to heal, you'll still bleed out by then. Idiot adults. Always getting yourselves hurt."

She approached, her eyes scanning his wounds. They were bad, but she knew from what Mama had told her that she should focus on the ones on his abdomen first. That part didn't have veins, so blood would just leak out like punching a hole in a bottle.
Dalia spun her web into a gauze, alternating the sticky threads with the non-adhesive to make a bandage of sorts. She pulled it tight across one of the wounds, closing it as best she could.

She continued working like this, her hands busying themselves with her silk and her jaw set intent on her task.
She didn't bother messing with the shrapnel in his torso. She was afraid of removing it, lest it make him bleed even more. Why did she even care? She didn't know this man. He was nothing to her. Mama wouldn't bother with him. She'd probably eat him. Mal wouldn't either, she would just leave.

But Dalia couldn't. Something in her made her want to help him. He probably didn't deserve these wounds. Then again, maybe he did.
Either way, she continued to work, ignoring anything he might have said until she was finished. Stepping back, the spiderling admired her work and was content.

"How does that feel? Any better? At least you won't bleed out now."

Dalia frowned and shook her head in confusion. This guy kept using words she had no idea about, and it was frustrating her more than anything.
"I don't know what a Home Cavern is. Are you sure you didn't hit your head?"

Without really bothering to ask, Dalia reached up and grabbed his head. He was low enough for that much, at least. Though, she had no idea what a head injury looked like and couldn't really be sure about it.

"Are you from Grandpa Odie's Hell?"

Dalia frowned and released Drex's head. She skittered away from him a bit, confused even more. It only lasted a second though as her brain put together the information.
"You're not from this planet!"

Her exclamation was one of immense certainty, and also very loud. Any birds and small creatures that had remained in the area scattered at the sudden outburst.
It was the only thing that made sense to her. Malara apparently hadn't known about Mama's hell when she first arrived.

She blinked, lost in her own thoughts momentarily as she pondered his next question. "Well there's the school. They know a lot of stuff. I could show you where it is, if you can even walk."