I tried to open my eyes.
But they just wouldn't.
They didn't let me.
My heart beat like a slow pendulum. Every breath felt inhaled through a straw. I couldn't feel anything—even as they crawled across my skin, their legs clicking and clattering. The ticking faded. Near death, even fear dried up like desert sand. All that remained was a husk, waiting for its energy to drain away.
Every so often, Small vibrations hummed—small tingles against my skin, now only vaguely covered in purple.
I want…
To go home…
Krista…
Mom…
Dad…
God…
I feel so cold.
The vibrations continued, echoing through the Hive's carcass, growing stronger at the swarm's outer shell.
Tom gazed upon the outer shell in furious confusion. He clenched his fist tight—fire collected in his palms. He cocked his fist back—
and thrust it forward, splaying his fingers.
The blast glided through the air, a leaping, flickering red ball of flowing gas whose shape fluttered, leaving a trail behind that danced before evaporating.
It closed in on the Hive, inches away from the shell.
Then—
Parted, dissipating across the glowing, purple aura around it.
"GHAAH! FUCK!"
Nothing he did fazed it. It didn't even retaliate—just watched. Waiting.
"So it was him, then."
The final piece clicked—too late. Tom had watched the other guy get swallowed: the glowing purple pulse leeched up its thick tendril, resistant to Tom's blast. It adapted, focusing its barrier to protect its prey. Now, the other guy was trapped in its core.
Urging him to hurry, A knot tightened in Tom's stomach. He didn't want to find out what would happen if he was too late.
But what could he do?
Even a godly being such as himself couldn't even dent it.
The alien ships fired—neither could they.
Air warped as the capital ship charged its laser. It slammed down on the Hive's body.
It burrowed in—past the layer of purple aura—deep into the Hive's body. Stopped. Within an instant, the spiders shifted, sealing the wound within seconds.
Tom's eyes darted between the Hive and the Alien superlaser. A thought seeped its way into his mind—an idea? A theory? Or just a desperate plea for something—anything—to work.
It didn't matter.
He had to try.
A prickling sensation ran down Tom's arm as energy gathered in his palm. He focused on his other hand, channelling the same power, and tried to bring them together. Like two magnets, they repelled each other. Tom persisted and forced them closer.
He groaned and growled.
"Come… on."
Sparks flew—currents shot up his arms.
"Work."
The two balls of light reached out to each other through the repelling force.
He pushed.
And pushed.
And pushed.
Then—
It happened.
They moulded into each other, forming a massive, writhing sphere of roaring red thunder.
Tom grinned fiercely.
"HA—HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"Oh, Tom. You beautiful bastard."
Locking eyes with the hive, which stared back blankly, Tom tensed his hands and began to reel it in. Every muscle fibre in his body burned as he resisted its powerful pull, straining to control the force in his hands.
"Bet you lot like your little laser beam, don't ya'?"
"Well…"
"I can do it too."
Tom threw his arms forward.
Glowing red lunged forward—screaming through the dusk air.
His palms burned red hot. But it felt great. As it washed over him, Tom let the heat scorch his body. He didn't care—his mind was clear, and it felt so good.
Slamming into the forcefield with a high-pitched yelp, the beam tore through it, burrowing into the Hive's carcass.
The alien ships didn't fire—they remained dead still, like they were watching.
How was that?! You like that?! Come on, tell me how much it hurts—give me a roar.
Tom released the heat—the beam dissipated.
Deep inside the Hive's shell, Tom's beam dug a massive crater. A smile curved on his lips. He realised the swarm was weaker inside, like a crab. If he could break past that layer… He glanced at the alien capital ship—
And a thought entered his mind.
What if they fired—
together?
A slow chuckle departed Tom's mouth.
The capital ship's dark grey hull glistened red as Tom approached suddenly. Thousands of small turrets lining the exterior locked onto him instantly. Tom didn't even give them a second glance. Instead, he ascended to the gigantic structure protruding from the centre of the ship. Reflecting off the glass, Tom tried to see inside. No use—the whole thing was blacked out.
He took a deep breath.
Then back out.
"Listen up, gimps!"
Tom began to gesture with his hands.
"You."
"Me"
"Fire"
"Together."
He paused for a moment and raised his thumb up towards his reflection. Whether it works or not, there was only one way to find out. Tom twisted in the air before gliding down beside the ship's hull. From the corner of his eye, he could see the turrets still painted on his head, following every slight move.
Tom snorted.
Suddenly, a strange sound began to rise. It sounded like a high-pitched vacuum hoover. Tom's eyes shot wide. Slowly, his head turned to the source of the sound. Light converged at the tip of the ship's giant railgun. Other ships lined up, forming an arc around a focal point in the Hive's shell.
A sharp exhale choked out as Tom's lips curled. It wasn't long before it turned into full-blown laughter.
Tingling wiggled down his arms once again as Tom reached for that feeling again. With a struggle, he forced the two balls of energy together, forming another giant plasma sphere.
He glanced up at the control tower, searching for a sign or response. Nothing happened. Tom wondered if they were waiting for him to make a move, then shrugged it off.
Well… whatever.
Tom launched the beam forward. After a moment, the capital ship followed. And within seconds, the Hive's exterior was bombarded with all kinds of artillery, pounding away at the forcefield.
The two beams converged, coiling towards the Hive.
Smashing against the Hive, the beams cut through swarms of spiders digging—
deeper,
and deeper,
and deeper.
Tom stopped—the ships followed.
Smoke poured off the Hive's carcass. As it flurried, it revealed the crater behind it, like a massive quarry; the beam had burrowed so deep that Tom couldn't see the bottom of it. Not wasting any time, he dived straight in.
Tom slammed into the Hive interior—arachnids scattered. His theory was spot on—it was weaker inside.
He burrowed his claws into Hive's guts, throwing wads of spiders and scrap metal behind him. All the while, the swarms behind him shifted, enclosing the exit.
No way back now.
He dug.
and dug.
Clawing away at the never-ending swarms of spiders.
When.
Will.
It.
End?
Tom's arms were screaming. His lungs roared. The digging slowed and slowed with every tear until eventually, he couldn't take it anymore. He stopped—hunched over onto a bed of spiders.
He panted heavily.
"How… big… is this thing?"
The Hive didn't stop. Spider legs pricked up his arms and legs. They ticked endlessly as they gathered, wrapping around his body.
"Fucking… spiders."
He heated up his whole body as the rage embraced him. The spiders' metal bodies sizzled as his aura smothered them.
Tom threw himself upright—the Hive offered little resistance.
He took a step forward.
And another.
Before discharging the heat in all directions.
The arachnids glowed a molten yellow.
Then evaporated completely.
The blast opened up a cavern around Tom; the spiders tried to shift, but the heat melted them instantly—he had time.
Why did he even bother trying to dig his way through before? It's as if for a moment he forgot he was a god.
He throws his palms forward and—
Blasts.
Blasts.
Blasts.
Roaring with fury with every blast.
The Hive crumpled to dust. The energy scorched a tunnel in front of him.
Tom launched forward, still blasting. He progressed deeper and deeper, much faster than before.
One blast left his palm.
The blast ripped through into an open chamber.
The red light illuminated the chamber before colliding against a faint purple glow buried within the darkness.
Tom narrowed his eyes.
Without hesitation, Tom dove forward into the dim chamber, surrounding himself with darkness.
It was obvious where the Hive was keeping the other guy hostage.
Four cable-like structures protruded from the walls and ceiling of the chamber. They were grotesque amalgamations of rubble, flesh, and folded metal securing the central structure—a sphere-shaped heart of alien scrap, pulsing purple.
Tom gazed, keeping the awe from moulding his face.
"There you are."
Then the core changed.
Suddenly, it began pulsing even brighter, emitting a loud, high-pitched groan that resonated throughout the chamber. Tom couldn't take his eyes off it. The purple light washed over the chamber like a crashing wave, and now the whole cavern glowed bright purple.
Tom frantically scanned the walls as they began to rumble.
Shapes formed in the walls, each solidifying into entities matching the purple core's shape and glow—Tom watches as the silhouettes drift lifelessly, analysing him.
But it didn't take long before they gained control of their bodies.
They turned to Tom, all six of them, drifting a few feet above the ground with their toes pointed straight down and bodies rigid. Their movements were purposeful and intense, as if they were ready to confront him at any moment.
Tom chuckled unsteadily.
"So… erm… yous like football?"
They didn't respond—not even a twitch.
Tom swallowed.
Meanwhile, beyond the Hive's walls, a cramped car barrelled down debris-covered roads. Himiko couldn't help but stare at the Hive, which loomed motionless in the distance.
"Dude, sit down, it's not going anywhere."
Kaoru said beside her.
"There's no way to know that, though."
"Yeah, but what's the point in worrying—there's nothing we can do."
Himiko turned to look at him.
"What if—"
The Hive screamed a deep, deafening roar.
Everyone's eyes shot backwards.
"What the hell was that?!"
Aiko yelled, shooting up in her seat.
"The Hive…"
"Well, what's it doing?"
Himiko didn't respond—she knew just as little as her. Instead, she stared, trying to figure out the answer herself.
The Hive lifted up higher into the air, glowing a faint purple. On its underside, the spiders shifted. A large circular structure began to form.
"Is that what I think it is?"
Kaoru asked, sneaking in beside the two.
Himiko opened her mouth, but the words wouldn't come.
The structure underneath radiated into life. Purple essence began to flow from it, forming a tight ball of energy that grew larger and larger.
"It is…" Kaoru continued, "It's—"
Himiko interjected instinctively.
"It's going to destroy the planet…"