The movie might have played it for laughs. In reality, just looking at the townspeople separated from their families was enough to show this was pure tragedy.
Bella gently comforted Natasha, who was finally showing a rare moment of vulnerability. Not far away, Samantha was just as distressed—but the beautiful sheriff still stepped forward with unwavering resolve.
"Everyone—listen up! I've contacted the state government and the National Guard. For now, we need to save ourselves!"
Her voice was like oil splashed onto a hot pan. Instantly ignited the crowd.
"We want an explanation!"
"What's going on? Someone tell us!"
"Sheriff, my child is still at home!"
Now that they were temporarily safe, the townspeople shouted louder and louder. Venting fear through anger and noise.
Deputy Pete and Charlie were busy counting weapons and ammunition.
Far too many spiders outside. This was a mall—a massive commercial building, not a fortress. Bound to be weak points. If the spiders broke through even one, everyone inside was doomed.
"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, I'm here... I'm right here..." Charlie was scared too. Everything had happened too suddenly. He'd only wanted to go on a date. Somehow it had turned into a life-or-death chase with giant spiders.
Now he was just pretending to be brave for his daughter.
You're scared? Your legs are the ones shaking—don't blame me!
Bella had seen worse. Death couldn't kill her. An alligator couldn't kill her. A swarm of spiders was nothing.
She cut Charlie off mid-ramble. "We've still got a big fight coming. Tell me—what gun fits me, and how do I use it?"
Firearms were the best way to deal with giant spiders. Bella didn't have a gun license. Even if she did, it would only apply in Washington State. Bringing a registered firearm into Arizona was illegal—but in a crisis like this, U.S. law could take a back seat.
She needed to make her abilities look legitimate. Whitewash them.
Strictly speaking, Charlie was the sheriff of Forks, Washington. No law enforcement authority or gun privileges in Arizona either. But this was not the time to worry about that.
"You want to learn guns?" Charlie's first instinct was to refuse. Firearms were dangerous, especially for girls. But Bella's serious expression made him hesitate.
"...Alright. For women, a handgun usually fits best. Prosperity Town doesn't have many options, but I'll explain what we've got..." Charlie began going over the basics.
Honestly, the best weapon for me would be a Gatling gun...
Bella only half-listened. Natasha leaned in as well.
Charlie hesitated. Glanced toward Samantha. When she nodded, he continued.
Teaching wasn't his strong suit. Explanation was scattered and rough.
Fortunately, shooting was easy to learn and hard to master. As long as Bella and Natasha could hit something, it was enough.
Two minutes of instruction. The rest was live practice.
Under normal circumstances, they'd need to pay for a shooting range. Now? No need. Outside was full of targets.
Charlie led them to the second floor of the mall. Almost felt like taking kids out hunting. His voice gradually steadied. "Don't rush. To shoot accurately, you need proper practice. For you girls, the first step is—"
Before he finished, Bella fired.
A spider more than ten meters away had its eye blown apart. Black fluid splattered everywhere.
Luck. Definitely luck.
But before Charlie could recover, Natasha fired as well. Another spider's eye burst open.
Two kids with this kind of talent? His composure cracked.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gunshots echoed without pause.
The town's firearms were old and poorly maintained, but still modern weapons. Basic accuracy was acceptable.
Bella had secretly practiced for half a month. It paid off. Combined with her enhanced strength and eyesight, as long as she wasn't forced to move or fire rapidly, she could reliably kill one spider per shot.
Hit rate climbed to nearly eighty percent. As she grew more familiar with the weapon and its ballistics, it kept rising.
Bella's skill came from effort. Bullets earned through practice. Natasha, however, was something else entirely.
First time ever touching a gun. Yet the gap in talent between people could be terrifying.
With nothing but an ordinary human body, Natasha's accuracy matched Bella's—and her firing rhythm was even faster.
It felt like a twisted shooting game. Bella fired one shot, Natasha followed with another, wiping out every spider that came within twenty meters of the mall entrance.
Charlie wanted to tell them not to waste ammunition. When he saw their hit rate, the words stuck in his throat.
"A big one's coming! Charlie! Get people—now!" Bella's eyesight was sharper than theirs. She spotted a spider the size of a bus slowly crawling into view.
"That's a tarantula!" Natasha's biology class finally proved useful. She recognized it from its features.
"Doesn't matter what it is—just kill it!"
Charlie instinctively ran for the stairs to gather help. Bella tossed aside the pistol and grabbed the rifle.
Forget military-grade M16s—no way this town had one. Prosperity Town owned exactly one rifle: an ancient semi-automatic AR-15.
Natasha wasn't strong enough to handle a rifle. Bella took it.
She pressed the stock to her shoulder and fired. Stance far from textbook.
Pulled the trigger repeatedly, but recoil was stronger than expected and distance greater. First two shots missed completely. Only the third grazed the tarantula's leg.
"Aim better!" Natasha kept firing her Glock, but a service pistol's effective range was limited. Talent meant nothing if the weapon couldn't reach.
Bella steadied her breathing. Semi-automatic rifle suited her—one pull, one bullet.
She adjusted her angle. Gradually adapted to the recoil.
Shot after shot, she blew out two of the tarantula's simple eyes and shattered one of its front legs. Thick, paste-like blood sprayed everywhere. Yet its vitality was terrifying. Even after taking multiple hits, it charged straight into the iron gate.
BOOM!
Deafening crash.
The heavy gate dented inward instantly. Two razor-sharp legs stabbed into the warped metal, carving open a half-meter-wide, one-meter-high opening in barely two seconds.
The barrier was breached.
For the survivors of Prosperity Town, the nightmare they feared most had become reality.