The spider lifted away rapidly, missing the hex bolt by centimeters and leaving behind in the smell of scorched hair from its prickly forearms. Swinging on its thread, it leapt into the trees and left the web to drift, empty and airily, back down towards the Scarlet Witch, and the spider's huge body disappeared with unsettling ease into the camouflage of the canopy. It didn't even make a sound.
Down on the ground, where it was even more unnaturally still except for the acid that had fallen from above slowly eating its way through the moss, dirt and stone. It sizzled and added a sharp, bitter edge to the already suffocating smell in the air. Behind Alex, another snake slithered, slowly working its way around the trunk of the tree behind his head and flicking its tongue out to taste his hair before it gave a hiss that sounded unnervingly like a laugh.