In the Hive's interior, the walls pulsed dimly. Beneath layers of robotic spiders, metal plates rasped, creating a bone-chilling gnawing sound. The entire cavern around Tom breathed.
Ahead, near the pulsating purple core, the silhouettes stared motionless. No mouths, no eyes—just two dents. Horrific. Purple aura flowed around them like mist. They hovered, still, unmoving. They seemed to be waiting. Maybe even wasting time.
Tom's hand trembled.
But that won't do; he can't be weak here. What kind of coward comes this far just to fall apart?
If Tom did that…
He'd just prove his dad right.
He clenched his fist until pain screamed through it.
Tom searched the space. Maybe fighting wasn't needed. They protected the core. If he could reach it quickly, he might avoid them. The only question: would they allow it?
Only one way to find out.
Tom dashed forward.
The silhouettes snapped into guard as one. Their effort was futile. Tom darted between them, straight to the core just meters behind.
The silhouettes twisted their bodies in unison, clicking as they turned to face Tom. He desperately clawed at the core's shell, fingers searching for weakness.
But it was futile.
A field of flowing purple energy surrounded the core, just like the other entity's aura. Impenetrable.
Maybe if he tried to blast—
Sinewy appendages coiled around Tom from behind, pinning him. Hot pain sparked where the grip tightened around his ribs. His heart pounded fierce and wild in his chest as fear prickled against his skin, sweat chilling on his forehead. The silhouettes gripped tightly. Their stench, blood and scorched metal, filled his nostrils. Of course, they wouldn't just let him into the core—if he could.
In perfect sync, they yanked him back, flinging him against the far wall with a crash.
As Tom dragged himself from the crater, spiders rained down like debris.
Shaking off spiders, Tom looked up. The silhouettes reformed around the core, eyes fixed on him.
"Is that your daddy?"
Silence.
Tom snorted.
Then moved.
Closing in on his first target, Tom swung.
Blocked.
The silhouette countered—fired a punch straight into Tom's face.
In a swift motion, he weaved under the punch, before swinging a right hook into the being's jaw.
With incredible force, the silhouette barrelled into another—the two crashing into the wall.
Two down, three to go.
Except they didn't care. The silhouettes moved without hesitation. No glances. No signals. One stepped left. The others followed, surrounding Tom in perfect synchronicity.
Like limbs attached to the same nervous system.
They orbited rapidly. Closing in. Faster now.
Then stopped.
Clicking from behind.
A silhouetted cocked its fist back for a punch.
Tom didn't hesitate.
He spun—kicked the silhouette mid-punch with a force that sent it straight into the cavern wall.
As Tom stopped spinning, another wrapped its arms around him, locking his arms at either side.
"Cheap," Tom grunted.
The other remaining silhouette manoeuvred in front of him.
Tom's eyes narrowed—core tensened.
The Silhouette ploughed its fists into Tom's core.
Again,
and again,
and again.
"You punch…" Tom winced; each strike sent a sharp pain throughout his body, "…like a bitch."
The silhouette froze for a moment.
Then cocked its fist back.
Just as the opportunity arose, as the silhouette launched his fist forward, Tom threw his head forward—threw his legs back.
He spun. The one who was gripping his back followed.
Unable to stop, the fist made contact with the silhouette's back. Its grip on Tom loosened.
Focusing energy into his back, he shot the two remaining silhouettes into the cavern walls.
"Shit…" Tom panted heavily, chest expanding violently, "They're pretty weak on their own. I just can't let them jump me—"
YOU DON'T…
HAVE TIME…
"It's you—"
ABSORB…
IT…
"Absorb it?" Tom looked around. Then to the glowing core in the centre. It shot a pulse of purple energy across the cavern—the same energy it stole from him, "So… that's how it keeps getting stronger?" He muttered to himself.
"But how do I—?"
Emerging from the walls, another silhouette flung itself at Tom.
Tom weaved.
"Will yous fuck off?"
Unfurling his arm, energy converged in the palm of his hand. Then fired at the silhouette.
Molten spider corpses splashed onto the walls.
More clicking ensued. Eyes darting across the walls frantically, Tom noticed that more silhouettes were forming—much more.
He needed to move.
Launching himself back at the core, he tried once more to plunge his hands into the core. But to no avail. It resisted him.
"Now what?" Tom yelled to the heavens, "…Hello?"
Just like every other time the voice is needed, it doesn't respond.
"Useless. Fucking—"
Too late, the silhouettes reached him. They wrapped themselves around him, trying with all their might to force Tom away from the core. But Tom fought back, clinging desperately to the core.
They squeezed tightly on his limbs, so tight that the muscle fibres almost burst.
Click
Scratching at his flesh, their claws dug deep.
Click
His whole body screamed in agony.
Click
Tom clenched his teeth and felt out the core. He swept the field with his hand. No weakness. No different sensation.
But then the silhouettes stopped.
Silence.
Tom felt no resistance.
No clawing,
nor squeezing.
Slowly, Tom looked around. The cavern pulsed quietly. The silhouettes surrounding him clung tightly, scent still thick with blood and burnt metal. It didn't hurt, it just—
Tom shuffled.
Nothing budged.
What the hell were they doing? Weren't they trying to stop him from entering the core?
He shuffled again—more forceful this time.
Nothing.
Shuffle.
Shuffle.
Shuffle.
Nothing.
Not even an inch.
Tom's mind scrambled.
"What the hell is going on?!"
There was a sensation in his hands. One he didn't feel previously. It just suddenly—
It tugged.
"What the fuck?"
The feeling in his hand moved up his arms. Like an octopus wrapping its tentacle around his forearms, suckers planting themselves firmly.
It felt like he was being pulled in.
Not forcefully…
but—
"It's trying to absorb me—whilst holding me still!"
Tom pulled.
Pulled hard.
Desperate to free his hands from the core.
But it was too late—
He was already firmly in its clutches.
"No…" His voice came out hollow, "…After all this…"
"Useless."
"That's your son, you can't speak to him like—"
"That's no son of mine! That failure's got nothin' to do with me!"
"No…" Tom ground his teeth, the chattering reverberating across the cavern, "…Failure?"
"Fuck off."
Tom felt something inside, invisible hands reaching down his arms and towards the core. He embraced them. Closing his eyes, he forced the unseen hands deeper, stroking what felt like a ball in his mind.
He grasped it.
Warmth flowed up his arms as he pulled it towards him. A warmth that flowed up his arms; up to his chest; down his legs; across his cheeks. Massaging every muscle with soothing grace. Heating up slowly—
until it started to burn.
Burn red hot.
It scraped.
Tom screamed in anguish as what felt like molten glass flooded through his veins.
The core fought back, pulling the invisible hand back down his arms. The scorching pan slowly cooled down, easing back into the warm, soothing sensation from earlier.
"NO!"
Tom tore the hand back up, lighting his insides ablaze.
"AGHHHHGHH!"
The silhouettes clenched tighter.
"Get… Off… Me…"
In bright pillars of light, energy shot out from Tom, carving through the cavern's walls. The silhouettes were impaled and sliced into pieces. Glowing bright gold, their bodies began to melt from the contact with Tom's scorching body.
Tom glowed a roaring golden-red.
The energy field around the core faded as Tom absorbed it. The core now stood vulnerable.
Tom released the invisible hand and burrowed his own into the core. Chunks of metal slid with ease as he tore through the shell. However, as Tom dug, the core regenerated—the Hive was putting everything it had into defending itself from Tom's onslaught.
"Stop. Fuckin'. Regenerating!"
Ploughing his hand deep into the core, the spiders melted around him. The silhouettes fought back in desperation, punching Tom, hands melting into molten mush with each strike.
Wading through flesh, wire and metal, Tom burrowed deeper. Then—
He felt an arm.
"Is that him?" He yelled as he stroked the arm, feeling small hairs. "…No way."
Wrapping his fingers around the arm, Tom yanks it from the core in a swift move. The core offered little resistance, allowing Tom to free the other entity with ease.
Tom held the youth in his arms. He was as pale as a ghost. As thin as a twig. Tom placed his cheek to the boy's mouth. His breathing was slow and shallow.
"You look like shit, bro," Tom whispered to the unconscious boy.
Carefully, Tom placed his palm on the youth's chest. As it resonated, Tom replicated the feeling from earlier, but in reverse: pushing the invisible hand into the boy's chest. As the energy flowed into him, the youth's complexion regained colour, and his body regained strength. Purple aura slowly expanded from his chest, eventually enveloping his whole body, before fading back into him.
As the excess energy flowed from Tom's body, the feeling of molten glass streaming through his veins was now a painful memory.
The youth's face remained peaceful for a moment, only slight twitches betrayed his deathly complexion. Then—
Coughing violently, the boy jolted into life. Chest expanding, he breathed in and out with quick, forceful gasps. His eyes shot open and he darted across the Hive's interior, ignoring Tom completely.
"Hey," Tom said to him bluntly, but the youth ignored it, still searching frantically—breathing heavily.
Tom smacked the boy's face with a small bit of force—the boy locked eyes with him.
"W-what happened—where am I?" The boy yelled with confusion, "That clicking it…" He placed his hands to his ears. Tom grabbed them.
"You got sucked up by the Hive, dude," Tom stated with a small smile on his face, "Tell you what, you looked like fuckin' shit, bro." He tried to hold back the laughter, releasing small snorts from his nose.
The kid's brows relaxed, but one raised slightly, "We're still… in it… You went inside it to get me?"
"Yep, and you owe me one now. But that don't matter now. You're the core, innit?"
"…Yeah." He whispered as he rose from Tom's arms. He placed a foot on the floor—it buckled. Throwing both arms out, he regained balance. Tom held a hand over his mouth as he laughed.
"What's so funny?"
"You look… like a fuckin' idiot." He burst into laughter.
"I'm sure you'd act the same if you'd just been half eaten by a giant swarm of spiders."
"Probably, but I've not."
Tom let out his last bit of laughter. George stared at him deadpan. Letting out one last sigh of laughter, wiping the tears from his eyes, he spoke, "Right then, the core."
The boy raised his hand slowly, "It's in my—"
He froze—The colour drained from his already pale face.
Tom's brow rose slightly "Well…? Your hand?"
His eyes flicked across the back of his hand once.
Then again.
Faster this time.
"…No," the boy mumbled.
Tom frowned, "What?"
Still staring at his hand, the boy's breathing shortened.
"…It's gone."
"The fuck you mean it's gone? You're the core."
"I wasn't the core—the core was in my hand. Now it's… gone."
Tom's eyes narrowed. Not wasting another second, he lunged at the core.
"Whoa, what are you doing?"
"Findin' that core, you div."
"Div?"
Tom turned to face him, "Stop pissing about and dig."
Not saying another word, the boy dove toward the core and drove both hands into the mass again.
Metal screeched.
Spiders scattered across the cavern walls as the two tore deeper into the Hive.
Above them, the colossal body shuddered.
The city watched.
Heart beating out of her chest, Himiko couldn't take her eyes off it. Blood rolled down her chin—a result of her subconsciously biting her lip.
A hand placed softly on her shoulder, snapping her out of her trance.
"You alright?" Kaoru asked softly.
She wiped the blood from her chin with a wince. "…Yeah."
Kaoru looked at the blood on her hand, brows angled with concern.
"You sure—"
"Look! Is it stopping?" Aiko cut in, pointing at the Hive.
Eyes narrowing, Himiko scanned the swarm's exterior. The Hive hovered still over the city. The light on the bottom of the weapon still glowed vividly. Charging. "What? I don't see anything."
"I think I know what you're talking about, Aiko." Kaoru declared as he leaned in beside Himiko, pointing to the side of the Hive.
Himiko squinted. Then opened, brow raising with it. Spiders leaked off in swarms, drifting up into the atmosphere.
"You see it?" Aiko asked.
"Yeah… they're… leaving. But why—what's going on?"
"Could be the entities," Kaoru suggested, with a faint smile on his face.
"Yeah, they must be beating it," Aiko concurred.
"But the weapon or whatever that is on the bottom is still charging, though. Maybe it's planning its retreat."
"So cynical, Mimi."
In the Hive, Tom plunged his arm deeper into the mass. Spiders split around it in writhing layers, clicking and skittering over each other as his hand carved through them. Behind him, the spiders closed their exit. "Jesus Christ," he grunted, "How big is this thing?"
Beside him, the youth tore through a section with both hands. "If we keep digging, we'll—"
The cavern suddenly lurched.
Both of them froze.
The walls shifted.
But it didn't attack—
It just moved.
The spiders around them began peeling away from the centre in waves, backing off deeper into the Hive. The boy looked around sharply. "…What the hell's going on?"
Tom looked at the boy with furrowed brows. "Did you hit the core or somet, by any chance?"
The kid shook his head immediately. "Nope. Just spider, after spider, after spider."
"Same." Tom ripped another handful free. "Not seen owt glowin' or pulsatin'."
The cavern widened again. Layers peeled outward like flesh. Then Tom saw it.
Movement.
A small sphere made of tightly compact spiders drifted through the opening. Glowing softly beneath layers of moving spiders, purple energy pulsed through it like a heartbeat.
Tom's eyes widened, "Oi! Over there!" He pointed instantly. "Grab it—quick!"
Both launched forward.
Fast.
The sphere darted towards the wall. The two followed behind.
Suddenly, metal arms wrapped around Tom's own, cold and ticking. The silhouettes. He was slammed to the ground. Hard. Others piled on, suffocating him. Only his head remained free from the swarm. He looked around, the other entity was also behing held down by the silhouettes. Up ahead—
The core continued drifting towards the wall.
Closer.
Closer.
"NO!" Tom writhed.
It touched the wall.
Then submerged deeper into the Hive.
Tom snarled.
He can't fail.
The silhouettes tightened around him.
Not after everything he's done.
"GET…"
His aura flickered violently.
"He's no son of mine."
"The FUCK…"
Heat exploded outward.
"You're not fit to bear the Kent name."
"OFF ME!"
BOOM
The silhouettes shattered apart under the blast and smashed into the cavern walls.
Tom shot forward immediately.
Hands clawing through layers of spiders.
Digging.
Tearing.
Ripping chunks free.
The silhouettes loosened their grip around the youth, as if their job was over. "You got it?!" the boy yelled.
Tom shoved deeper.
More spiders.
More metal.
Nothing.
"ARGHH—FUCK—"
He tore another section apart.
"No…"
Silence.
"…It's gone."
There was a moment of bittersweet silence. Until the Hive began to rumble. The walls crumbled apart around them as the spiders separated into drifting swarms. Entire sections of the cavern dissolved away into empty air.
The youth floated nearby, breathing heavily. "…Looks like it's retreating."
Tom stared upward. "…Yeah."
The clicking slowly faded as the Hive pulled itself apart.
For the first time since entering the thing—
silence.
Almost.
The boy rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "…Th-thanks for saving me, by the way."
Tom shrugged lazily. "Nah. No worries."
Hands on his hips, the boy looked around the collapsing cavern. "…I guess we did it?"
Frowning, Tom looked over to the youth. "What d'you mean?"
"Well…" The kid hesitated. "If it's retreating… then maybe it's scared we'll beat it eventually."
Tom snorted quietly. "Maybe." He looked up toward the fading swarms. "Until it comes back bigger, stronger and eats the world."
The boy didn't laugh. Instead, his eyes hardened slightly. "Then we'll just have to get stronger, won't we?"
The moment he looked in his, Tom fought for his life not to laugh. The boy's face was so serious. For a second, Tom couldn't tell if he was taking the piss. Then Tom burst out laughing through his nose. "Oh, man… You Yanks, eh?"
The youth's lips curled up slightly.
Tom drifted toward him slowly as the Hive continued collapsing around them. "We're a team now, you and me." He held out his hand.
"My name's Tom."
The boy grabbed it.
"George."
Tom grinned. "Pleasure to meet you. I hope this—"
A beam tore through the cavern in an instant.
Tom reacted instinctively.
He shoved George out of the way, darting the opposite direction. The remains of the Hive evaporated where it passed.
George stared wide-eyed. "What the hell was that?!"
Tom turned. The capital ship loomed above the city, through the dissipating swarm. Massive. It was watching, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. But they missed.
They should've just retreated.
Tom's face twisted instantly.
"Those little shits."
Another cannon began charging.
"We fix their mess, and this is how they thank us."
George slowly floated upright.
"Technically, we haven't fixed it yet—"
"Technically, if yer mam had wheels, she'd be a bike."
George blinked once.
Then looked away, trying not to laugh.
Tom grinned.
"Shurrup, man. We've got bigger fish to fry than technicalities."
George looked back toward the fleet.
Then toward Tom.
"…Guess this is our first job as a team."
Tom barked a laugh.
"Ha! No."
His aura ignited brighter.
"Whoever destroys the most ships wins."
Then he launched left.
George's eyes widened.
"Oh, this isn't my first time!"
Purple exploded around him as he shot in the opposite direction.
"I'm gonna smoke you!"