Bertie's Plan

You wince when you feel the cold wet splat of his silken spit hit your wrists. A throb of your eye is visible on your face, but the Caterpie is far too focused on his work to notice your discomfort. This escape attempt from the Golden Hive seems to only escalate in complexity the longer you remain in its horrid walls; from needing to get away with your friends, to needing to secretly infiltrate, to needing to deal with their local trapsmith. And now here you are, needing to play prisoner for this caterpillar. Despite the ineptitudes of one Bertie, his plan was better than going through the waxen complex blind and without cover. Acting the role of a subdued escapee and tugged on route to the Queen would be less suspicious than you hauling your bag and crouching about aimlessly. Still...why'd it have to be this bug of all allies to have?

Currently, you rest on your knees with offered hands for the Caterpie to 'restrain' you. Milky liquid is spat on you from his pucker mouth which dries like Valentina's silk, forming sticky sinew that can be strung around at your wrists for makeshift handcuffs. It didn't feel strong at first, able to wring your wrists about still while hearing the strain of the silken bindings. The chill of the silk and the act of being spat on however gets the hair at the back of your neck to bristle; an echoing cold chill going down your back to not be grossed out... It was at least a distraction from the soreness in your back, but the mixture Bertie offered you had kicked in, detoxing you of the poison and helping to numb the wounds. If anything, it was a humbling experience, and one that you hoped Jackal and Gold would appreciate to the lengths you go to save them. Bertie spits more and more until he's satisfied with the strung coating, stepping back as a thick long wet white line bridges his mouth in a drooping arc to your bound hands.

"Please don't make me regret going along with this..." You utter when looking at your restraints. To think, you agreed with his plan originally on guilted impulse when he stared up at you with those dinnerplate sized pupils. One would think a bug-eyed look would be deterring, but Bertie...had some kind of superpower to emit pity and awaken a moral conscience. Honestly you wish you possessed that ability. You would've gotten through to Gold much faster, and perhaps avoided previous encounters that didn't involve an Infected.

"You'll be safe with me Mister Lace~! I'll protect you, I promise." The Caterpie beams his usual joy when disconnecting the strand, having you discover it was a leash connected to your wrist shackles. He gives it a firm tug, suddenly tightening the cuffs to vicely hug your wrists and pin them together. You grunt and attempt to shift your hands in place again...but now you couldn't. You could only uselessly ball up your fists, when before you could pivot your forepaws unhindered, full motor ability. Originally you assumed the Caterpie was just stringing your wrists for show, but now he's properly cuffed you.

"Uh...Bertie, these are kinda tight." You ignore the 'mister' title he branded you with to lay mention towards your wrists instead, showcasing his admittedly but unnecessary good work.

The caterpillar nods and just showcases the leash now firm in his hand, "Yup! I wanted them to look real, so no one doubts us! Although...it's also cause I only know how to make those bindings one way, ahah...~" He rubs the back of his hand at the humble-brag with eyes closed, giving you the feeling of a nervous smile from him. Far be it of you to say he did a bad job, but you'd prefer to have some control of your hands just in case. Although, you assure yourself your aura flames could torch the bindings when needed...so you'll allow them to literally stick for the time being.

Already Bertie is wrapping the grip-end of the leash around at his hand, while his other arm shoulders your bag of traveling goods, "And also as promised, I'll carry your 'confiscated' satchel for ya." He gives a wink when tugging the strap of it. The bug must feel excited to play coy for once and play a part in this operation, as though he's in on something that no one else is in on. Considering his rank amongst the other Golden Hive members, it's probably the first time he's felt smarter or has some power on a fellow insect.

You briefly state your appreciation before glancing over the workshop room one last time. Valentina still hangs amidst her bindings, far more quiet than before at least, as her cold glare could be felt from the blindfold wrappings over her purple eyes. Her cunt's strings are soaked, idly dripping from the purposeful ensnarement silk meant to tease one's taint that's sandwiched into the moist lips. 'Just reward', you think considering she wanted you to be within that same predicament, but perhaps she deserves worse for all the other meals and victims she's captured before you wandered into her shop, like the trio of other men for instance. Already you had them cut down from the web they had been strung up on, and instead lay propped up against a bare wall to remain in their **** slumber...erections still pulsing. You didn't want to leave them, even if you had other priorities.

"About them..." You clock your head in their direction for Bertie, "Is there anything you can do for them? They're gonna suffer the same fate as my friends if they're just left in here."

The Caterpie blinks his eyes by your attention, twisting a hind at the floor, "Oh! Uhh, well, sorta...they're probably under a mixture Valentina uses of some Sleeping Powder and Sweet Scent Honey." The effects of the first ingredient, you've felt already, thanks in kind to that Butterfree that lulled you to slumber after the Infected encounter distracted you. If anything, it likely made it easier for the stuff to conk you right out from the extraneous fatigue of battle wearing your mind and body down. But the second ingredient's mention has you perking a brow, leading Bertie to explain. "It's a kind of honey Queen Vexna excretes. When people get a little heated or don't wanna do something she says, she gives them some of her honey and they'll remember to obey her. I've never been gifted her honey myself cause I do whatever she asks me, but..."

He looks around suspiciously as though there were listening ears to catch him, despite Valentina still hanging far off to the side. "...I went into her Honey Vat room, just to get a little taste cause I was curious, and a little hungry, and it's really good..." He drools a bit of white from his doughy pucker before wiping it off with a chubby arm. "It made my head feel funny and warm though. I started sayin' stuff I normally wouldn't, but I was pretty nervous when I got caught and questioned, hahah...~"

Again, he rubs the back of his head in his 'bad boy' behavior. Still, it meant the queen laced her honey with some kind of pheromone to lull someone into an aroused and suggestive state, able to control them. No wonder the Ariados you fought figured you could be lulled all the same as the other men to her side. Was that why you felt some odd temptation when near them, having knowingly caught a whiff of this 'Sweet Scent'? "Think you could clean that out of their system for me, like how you did with the poison?" You ask in favor of the caterpillar.

"Y-Yeah, absolutely!" Bertie announces, in which you have to hush him a bit in his excitement. He quiets down a tad and you inquire if he can get them out of the nest as well. Bertie looks nervous now and adds, "Uhm, I could try the same trick of leading them out like you, but having three all to myself might have some asking questions. It's one thing to have a surprise catch like you all to myself, but normally prisoners are led by a group just in case, so soloing three all by myself might make them stick out more... I think I'd need some kind of big distraction though to get folks' attention off."

You have to willingly ignore that he called you his catch with a bit too much enjoyment in his voice, but you heed his offer and think on it. Soon enough, you'll be confronting the Queen in her own throne room with her Marshal, and if you reunite with Jackal and Gold, your chances of getting out increase greatly. "We can do that. When my friends are free and we're making our way out, think you can get these three out? Can just say you're transferring them during the chaos to not add to it." You didn't know if that'd be enough, but it has Bertie lighting up with confidence.

"You'd do that? Thanks Mister Lace! You can count on me then, I'll keep an ear out!" He salutes you of all things, standing to attention with his portly self that seems to just want to wobble with every brief motion.

"...It's appreciated, but it'd be appreciated if you didn't add call me 'Mr. Lace' either." You note.

It perplexes Bertie however, and his stance lowers, "Uhm...so what's your title then?"

Title? You infer that you're simply called Lace, that's it. No surname either. Nothing of your born family was truly left, Cobbleton made sure of that. You don't reminisce of the past however.

It only befuddles the fat caterpillar further though, "So what do you do for your people?" When you reflect on the Hive's names, everyone had a title as their handle before their first name basis. Marshal Razz, Warden Talia, Trapsmith Valentina, Queen Vexna...even Guardsman Bertie as he introduced himself earlier. You collect the concept that titles were more important amidst the Hive than your name, or that the rank should invoke what level of respect you should have for the individual. You shake your head, and assure him that you have no title, that "just Lace" is fine.

"Huh..." Bertie rubs at his cheek, "Mammals are weird. Er, no offense Lace! Just feels, I dunno, 'naked' to say."

"I'm sure you'll get used to it, Guardsman Bertie." You encourage him, but hearing his title from your lips just seems to absolutely make his day, seeing his tail curl a bit behind his chunky width.

"Heh sir yes sir~!" Bertie almost sings the acknowledgement, easing some. "I can come back for them after I lead you to whoever you're meeting in the Hive...though...who are we exactly meeting?"

Right, you haven't disclosed Razz's betrayal yet, but with Bertie in this deep, it's best that you inform him so there's no surprises later. You've tried to keep the conversation to a quiet enough notion with Valentina still in the room, with it being too dangerous to simply exit the workshop to talk elsewhere; it was beneficial most people were too afraid to go into Valentina's workshop without invitation, as it's left you respite here with Bertie. You shift closer to him, still knelt at the floor to bring him closer with a hand cupping his head, whispering the Marshal's name. His already full eyes seem to impossibly dilate further. When leaning your muzzle away, you can see his excitement get the better of him, opening his mouth to announce in surprise, "Mar-?!"

You quickly jam your bound palms up against his pucker-mouth, feeling it awkwardly squish and kiss in at your hands, but it at least muffles his exclamation. Bertie nervously swallow and uses the leash to tug your wrists down, freeing his mouth, talking in a hushed voice once more, "You mean...Marshal Razz is helping you...?!"

"He is, because like you Bertie, he's afraid of the Queen. But he doesn't want the Hive to be afraid of their leader anymore, and knows it's wrong with what she's done to my friends. So he's helping me get them out." You tell a white lie. Razz had his own agenda, but you wouldn't know Bertie's reaction to knowing about the plan of matricide. Best to let him get you to Razz first before you enlighten him with that bludgeoning truth, as much as you wanted to inform him; he's already sticking his neck out for you and endangering himself for your benefit. But he's had several revelations today, perhaps it was best to trickle the truth on him one at a time. It felt less selfish of you to think that way.

You then inform of Razz's directions out of Valentina's workshop of when to meet with him, along with the other needed details now that Bertie was onboard, "-and we can discuss where we can meet with you outside of the Hive. Razz told me he had an escape route planned once we finish what we need to do, so whatever part of the land you're both aware of or where this exit is, we can meet you there. Understood?"

Fervent nods answer you, as he beams happily, "You got it Lace, sir! Want me to wake them up now?"

Considering their state, having them sluggishly wander out of the workshop without Bertie around would be damning. "...Do so when you come back, that way you can explain the situation better to 'em and ensure they stick together with you. They'll need you to feel protected, Guardsman Bertie~" You made sure to distinct 'feel protected' and 'protect', though Bertie feels the well of confidence all the same.

"I won't let you down! They'll make it out, it's a promise!" Bertie ensure loudly, much to the annoyed groan off in the stalls from one chandeliered Ariados. There was a worry in your mind that you should deal with Valentina in some manner if she knew of Bertie's betrayal, but he was going to be escaping alongside the others. Your stomach yearns for her body after being starved since your capture, yet you know this would just be a detriment to your main goal. You can eat after your friends survive from being eaten themselves, and you. There was still a complex to make your own way through. Still, you can't help but have a glare to the bound Ariados, or a cursory glance to the three men left at the wall; the Jolteon, Excadrill, and Machoke all lazed in an incoherent state.

The caterpillar awaits your signal to go, "All ready to go then, Lace? Dinner bell might be ringing soon..."

1. Time to go!

2. Maybe there's one last necessary ****...

3. Maybe check on the guys one last time...