It stood there.
Watching.
Purple glow emanating across its body, leaking into every crack and crevice—even those eerie eye holes; filling them like liquid fire in a dried-up lake.
An audience of aliens and humans watched with bated breath—fear and intrigue melded into one.
Who was going to make the first move?
The Hive decided.
It moved.
We locked.
Hands against hands—
shoulders grinding—
bodies colliding mid-air.
It pushed forward, clenching tightly on my hands.
I felt it.
That same pulling sensation from before—
but deeper now.
Hungrier.
It wanted my power.
Below, the floor shook. An alien shuttle descended through the smoke, engines screaming as it lowered toward the courtyard.
The aliens broke formation.
Started running.
Boarding.
They were trying to escape.
"HIMIKO—"
"No!" her voice cut through everything. "They're getting away!"
The swarm cinched its grip.
I couldn't move.
The engines fired up.
Couldn't—
The shuttle lifted into the air.
No.
I forced one arm free.
Twisted.
Aimed—
Fired.
A pulse of violet tore through the air—
hit the shuttle.
Dead centre.
The engine screamed—stuttered—before inevitably failing. The ship veered sideways, then the other way, then back. Until it clipped a building—
then—
CRASH.
It tore straight into a hotel block, glass and steel collapsing inward as fire bloomed from the impact.
Good.
One less problem.
I turned—
"Himiko—get them out of here. Take the students. I'll clear the camps."
She clapped back—
"But like I said—"
No time to argue.
The swarm moved.
Fast.
Its hand wrapped around my throat. Then—within an instant—
I was flying.
Up—
spinning—
air ripping past my ears.
I threw every bit of force in my body upwards—toward the sky. The wind slapped against my chest.
I stopped.
Stabilised.
And looked down.
All around me were Alien camps. Mazes of black metal sheets lined up like old medieval castles, except modernised—lined with glowing lights and sleek external finishes. Encircling the campus. However, there was more than that: human camps. Fighting—against them.
I knew what I had to do.
I raised my hand—
Fired.
One.
Two.
Three.
Purple bursts tore through the nearest encampments—structures folding, shields collapsing. Debris splintered along with bodies.
Then I looked back down.
The Hive stood there.
Waiting.
Ignoring everyone around it—who just stood, weapons raised, ready to react to every inch it moves.
So you're waiting for me—yeah?
I accepted the challenge, shooting straight towards it.
They met me.
We hit the ground together—
and followed through.
Concrete shattered beneath us as we drove through foundations deep below the streets. Burrowing deeper and deeper into the dark.
I didn't stop punching.
Again—
Again—
Again—
Each strike cracking through the swarm—
forcing it apart. Except with every punch, it just kept reforming.
Every time…
Always reforming.
Exploding out of the ground, we burst back up. Debris launched into the air with violent velocity. We soared through the skies, fighting the wind resistance that desperately pushed us back.
I grabbed the monstrosity.
Threw it.
Hard.
It flew—
My chest tightened; our tussle had awakened a horrific ability within the creature.
It stopped.
Mid-air.
…It learned.
The spiders shifted as they pulsed—glowed purple.
Just like me.
It hovered.
Balanced.
Controlled.
I couldn't help but stare.
"…You're—you're not just a hive of spiders… are you?"
The thought came fast.
Sharp.
Clear.
It was made.
Made for me.
To steal—
or destroy.
My fists clenched—a feeling deep inside me began to brew.
I looked past it.
Grossaint—the streets that have become my home.
Ruined.
Barren.
Bodies—
scattered—
broken—
forgotten.
Those same streets that were once saturated with life were now swarming with hideous monsters. Who had no other intention than to wreak havoc. Murdering civilians and soldiers who were fighting for their lives, dying.
And for what?
What was the point?
All this…
Death…
Destruction…
And for what?
The feeling within grew.
Larger—
Larger—
A fire that couldn't be controlled—
Couldn't be stopped.
It was too late to.
My body moved on its own.
Shot forward.
The Hive raised its guard.
Too late.
My fist connected.
BOOM.
It slammed down, into an alien camp—
the ground fractured—
lifted—
soldiers, artillery, everything, ripped into the air from the shockwave.
I followed.
Crashed down on top of it.
Straddled it.
And hit it.
Again.
Again.
Again—
No rhythm.
No control.
A desperate plight to free the fury that had gained a thorough control over my body and mind.
But it wouldn't stop.
I hit.
and hit.
Until its lifeless metallic arm wrapped around my wrist, stopping me dead in my tracks.
Then surged—lifted up in an instant.
Before its fist connected with my face.
I flew.
Through the courtyard—
straight into a camp.
Sandbags exploded, metal fortifications bent.
Soldiers sprinted. They moved like robots into pre-decided formations—above, beside, behind—surrounding me. However—
"IT'S HIM—!"
"PURPLE—!"
Cheers.
They were cheering.
For me.
My stomach twisted.
No.
Not here.
I pushed off—
back into the air.
I had only a second to realise it—the Hive was already coming.
We collided.
Mid-air.
Fists met.
Impact after impact—
shockwaves rippling outward.
I grabbed its throat—
its arm—
locked it down.
It grabbed me back.
Then—
It changed. Its body softened—melted. The spiders shifted as one. They crawled from the unit to my hand, then up my arm—down my back and chest. Their cold metallic frames tickled along my skin.
Get off!
I wriggled—
Get off!
Shuffled—
Get off!
Jolted.
But it was all for nothing—too late—my body was already ensnared in its trap. It had wrapped around me. Head to toe, outlined by small black metallic arachnids, moving as one unit.
Tightening.
I felt like a lonely soul in a cramped coffin. The world was cut out—replaced by the never-ending ticks of the spiders and the pitch-black void that engulfed my vision.
Their claws sank into me.
Draining.
Consuming.
Everywhere.
Not just my arms—
my chest—
my head—
Everything.
"GET OFF!"
The heat that covered every inch of me—the source of this power—was going cold. My legs, arms, everything was going numb—succumbing to the will…
of the Hive…
No…
I can't let that happen—
won't let that happen.
I dropped—pure instinct.
Slammed into another alien camp.
Hard.
The earth shook—the soldiers rose at once.
Guns raised instantly.
They fired.
Rounds hit—
evaporated.
Didn't matter.
The Hive tightened.
Still draining.
Still taking.
Fine.
You want it?
Take it.
I pulled everything inward—to the core of my being.
Every last piece.
Compressed it.
My body burned.
Hot—
Boiling—
like I was splitting apart from the inside—atom by atom.
The world dimmed—
then…
After a moment of painful silence…
flared.
Blinding.
White-purple.
The aliens covered their eyes.
Screamed.
I let it go.
Everything.
All at once.
The blast erupted.
The Hive tore apart—
the camp vanished—
and the shockwave rolled outward—
across the city—
through buildings—
through streets—
And passed through Himiko.
purple—
warm—
Grossaint went dark.
She heard a bloodcurdling scream. No—more than one—there were two. Kaoru and Aiko.
Kaoru dropped.
Aiko collapsed beside him—
writhing.
Miko convulsed on the ground, still unconscious. Krista rushed to her—rolled her onto her side.
Himiko's eyes widened.
"What's happening—?!"
Kaoru gasped.
"It's—burning—inside—"
Before unloading his guts onto the tiled floor.
Then—
just as fast—
it stopped…
Silence.
Himiko turned to look at Miko, and the sight she saw caught her breath.
The wounds—
gone.
The blood—
Gone—
Krista's voice came from behind her.
Quiet.
Uncertain.
"…It must've been…"
She paused—looked at us—then looked forward.
"Him…"
Silence. Fire flickered. Smoke drifted. Thuds pounded as rubble fell, echoing. My throat felt dry—a scratching pain enveloped it.
I dropped to my knees.
What have I done? I gazed upon the crater of my creation. In the distance, the city lights fell dim.
Was that my doing?
The light that wrapped my flesh flickered in patches, revealing the human underneath. Sparks danced across my arms. My breathing was coarse—Uneven.
Too much.
That was—
too much.
The fighting. The absorbing—I think the Hive took just about everything I had.
I heard rustling—crumbling. Large chunks of debris began to move.
Crawling out of the ruins, figures rose up, surrounding me. Weapons raised. But they kept their distance.
Shaking.
Afraid.
I lifted my hand—
swung it.
A wave of violet tore through them—
Bodies flew.
They all opened fire at once.
Rounds hit—
burned out on contact.
I raised one foot, planting it on the ground.
They kept shooting.
I lifted—
slow—
heavy.
They didn't stop.
So I answered.
One blast—
gone.
Another—
gone.
Again—
again—
again—
They didn't stop.
Neither did I.
I spun—
arm wide—
energy coiling around me—
then released—
A full arc.
Everything around me—
wiped clean.
Silence again.
Then—
One.
More.
Alien—
broke from the ruins and ran straight at me. It wielded a baton in its hand. I couldn't see the look on its face behind the shiny black mask. But I can't imagine it's anything pleasant.
It stopped—
swung.
I caught it by the neck—the baton landed on my arm. The electrical current tickled the aura around me.
I lifted it.
It struggled.
Hit me—
again—
again—
again—
Pointless.
I saw myself reflected in the helmet. One eye was human, the other glowing purple and enveloped in purple flame. But both were deformed—twisted—wrong.
I looked like a monster.
Full of fury. The violence inside me leaked out of my eyes and the way my face folded in on itself out of anger.
The alien kept hitting me.
Desperate.
My heart felt hollow the moment I could hear its voice on the inside.
I heard it crying.
Muffled.
Broken.
My hand trembled. Through the reflection, I saw the wrinkles on my face unfold.
I let go.
It fell.
Scrambled back.
We just…
looked at each other.
A moment of painful silence
Until I heard it—that…
sound…
again.
Ticking.
From above.
No.
Everywhere.
Small spiders cut through the sky. They swirled in the air, forming a large cloud that engulfed the twilight sky.
Pitch black.
I heard the sound of thunder—a pillar dropped, slamming down to the ground—
on the alien.
"NO—!"
I reached out—
Too late.
The swarm lifted.
Nothing left.
Not even blood.
Gone.
I stared.
The swarm spiralled upward—
tightening—
forming—
Then—
A hole tore through it.
Clean.
Precise.
The twilight sky broke through.
Something shot down fast.
It was a being—a muscular figure wrapped in red. It was like me, except its aura was far more violent. The aura swirled like roaring flame, juxtaposing my gentle waves. It was like the figure was the living embodiment of anger in itself.
It looked down at me, with glowing red eyes. Drifting slowly towards me until it stopped, hovering in the air.
And I knew.
This wasn't over.