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Spider's Silk had spent half an hour tying fine string in between every pair of tree trunks she could find, putting large palm leaves over all the potholes she saw, and hanging buckets full of water on the lowest, wobbliest tree branches.

Now, she was hiding in a bush and admiring her handiwork. She was especially proud of the buckets. It wasn't the most original thing ever, but since she wasn't a Spica, she had to climb the trees herself and do it. There was something about working harder to do something that made her appreciate it even more, especially when someone fell for it.

Now, all she had to do was rest, wait for someone to come by, play the innocent bystander, and then, laugh so hard that she ran out of breath when they found out it was really her. It wasn't as much fun not to get caught. "What's the point of doing all that work if I don't get any credit?" she whispered, while she was still in the bushes.

Things went better than expected. Spider's Silk doubled over, fell on her back - fortunately she was sitting at the time, so she didn't fall far - and laughed uproariously. "Hahahaha! I can't believe it! This is wonderful! It's like a buy one-get one sale out there."

Once she calmed down, she headed out through the back of the bushes and made her way towards them. She remembered all the things she had set, so she didn't worry about accidentally setting any off. That would just be embarrassing, she thought.

She went to catlike one first. If she heard right, then his name was Ace. "Oh, dear! Oh, me! Oh, my! You're all soaking wet." She had a proper English accent. "I know it isn't much, but please take this." She offered him a lacy, black handkerchief. It was exactly what it looked like and there was no trickery in it at all. "You can dry yourself a bit with that. I'm really sorry I don't have something better."

Then, she gasped as if she had just heard something horrible. In actuality, she was acting. She just wanted an excuse to go check on that green one she saw fall into a pothole. Grant, was it? She untied her ribbon, bit down hard on one end, and dangled the other down to him. "Ih oo ant eh o, a ihs." She meant to say, "If you can't get out, grab this." She should've thought things through before sticking something in her mouth. She didn't think she sounded the least bit elegant now.

Spider's Silk had to bite her tongue and suck on her cheeks to stop from laughing at Ace's reaction. She thought he was hilarious.

After she tied the ribbon back into her hair, she told Grant, "You're welcome. It really was nothing." Then he headed over to the two of them and asked, "So, what just happened?"

Thank you, Capt. Obvious. Spider's Silk had to try hard not to burst out laughing at what Ace said.

"Oh, I see. I'm glad neither of you suffered any lasting damage. The way the weather if now, you should dry off in no time." A fan club? She couldn't see how Grant's looks would warrant such a thing, so she figured he must've had some skill. Is he a famous athlete somewhere or something? ...I mean, they don't make clubs just for being nice. Too bad, because I'd join one like that.

"Whoever did it is probably close by. It's probably someone smart." And beautiful. And in need of ego stroking. And... "What would you do if you found it? The prankster, I mean."

Despite Ace's disconcerting expression, Spider's Silk actually liked his idea. She grinned and said, "I'd do the same thing. Only I'd do even better. I'd one up them and rub their faces in it."

She was struck speechless by what Grant had said. Oh, my, he is so nice. I have to say something. I can't break character now. "...you're right."

After what Ace had just said, she wasn't expecting him to spring another trap. She also wasn't expecting Grant to take a hit for him.

She mentally narrated every sprung trap as if it were a move in a game. 2 hit!
3 Hit!
Super ultra mega combo!
Tatsunical!

"I'm here! I'm just going to do what I did before." After that, she dangled the ribbon for him. She did want to ask him what they were going to be late for, but she'd have to wait, because she wasn't in any condition to talk coherently now.

Now that Spider's Silk could get a better look at the situation, she saw what Grant meant. This was an unexpectedly bad outcome. It definitely went on her Top 10 List.

She couldn't see Ace from where she was, but she figured the guy would get concerned if three gladiers suddenly became just one. "Ace!" She'd have to explain the eavesdropping later. "I'm going in!"

She knew there was no use trying to fix things from afar this time, so she tied her ribbon back in her hair. She'd have to get down and dirty this time. She didn't have any problems with this. After all, only the poorest mischief makers would leave their victims to hang and dry.

"Hello, Grant. I'm Spider's Silk." She thought there was some irony in him asking her name at this very moment. And you're caught in my web. Her introduction would have to be short this time. She didn't want to leave him in there any longer than he had to be.

First, she scaled down the side of the pot hole. It was the fastest way down, but it left blisters. "This-This is nothing."

Then, she looked at the tangle of strings around Grant. Individually, they were easy enough to break, but together, they bound together, so ripping them apart was like tearing through a phone book. She silently counted the number of strings and located the weak spots of each one. "Okay, got it! You there, try not to move." It wasn't like she could tell him not to move at all. No one has that much control over his body. "The strings will just get tighter."

After that, she got ready to break the strings. "You'll probably fall once I get you loose. You won't fall far. I'm going to catch the buckets, so they don't fall on top of you, but I can't catch you all. Sorry."

Now, she was breaking them with her teeth...

Spider's Silk liked how he could manage to laugh, even in his situation. The whole point of this was to laugh, right? But she didn't think what was going on now was all that funny. Not now, anyway. A week from now, it'd probably be hilarious.

She broke the strings. Immediately afterward, she grabbed the buckets. The first two were easy to catch. The next ones were a bit trickier and she didn't so much catch them as she did allow them to land on her. The last one landed right over her head with a loud clang and since it was on her head now, it blinded her. She laughed nervously, "Heheheheheh!" This is definitely what, "Don't dish it out, if you can't take it." means.