The Aurum Hive

Skyworld...

Pit and Jared rush to the door to start the adventure.

"Heading out!" Pit said.

"Let's do this, Pit." Jared said, looking at Pit.

The door opens up, suddenly creating a vacuum effect.

"Whoa-oa!" Pit said.

"What?!" Jared exclaimed.

Pit and Jared are forcibly pulled out of the door and into space.

"The Aurum have been weakened, but not defeated. We need to destroy their fleet next." Palutena said, telepathically.

"Understood! That fleet's going down!" Pit said.

"They won't be here when we're done with them." Jared said.

Pit and Jared approach Aurum Battleships with exposed weak points.

"Take out those green targets, Pit, Jared!" Palutena said, telepathically.

"There are so many different ships!" Pit said.

"Well, yes. There are battleships, cruisers, destroyers, kayaks..."

"What are we playing? Azur Lane?" Jared asked.

"Azur Lane?"

"It's a gacha game that has anime girls wearing ship parts."

"No, I mean the AURUM have lots of ships. I doubt they have any kayaks." Pit said.

"There ARE a lot of them. It might be best to get the two of you out of there." Palutena said, telepathically.

"Now why would you want to do that? Where you pinheads see adversity, I see opportunity!" Hades said, telepathically.

"Hades!" Pit said, angrily.

"What are you doing Hades?" Jared asked.

"For example, this battleship looks like it could use a good home. Now's your chance, minions! It's lootin' time!" Hades said, telepathically.

A hoard of Monoeyes swarm an Aurum Battleship.

"The Underworld certainly is enthusiastic when it comes to thieving." Palutena said, telepathically.

"It's like they're into shooters. And battle royales. I bet that in ten years, they would be playing Gun Gale Online." Jared said, letting out a sigh.

"Up ahead is where the battleships are being hatched."

"Hatched? Don't you mean...built?" Pit asked.

"Sorry. I keep thinking of the Aurum as a bee colony. And if their smaller troops are drones, their ships are killer bees. If we want to take down their fleet, we need to target the source of the problem." Palutena said, telepathically.

"Ugh, I just hope there's no Aurum queen..." Pit said.

"Same. And I thought a Racnoss Empress was terrifying." Jared said.

Rozzes start raining from the sky.

"Those meteors are kind of pretty." Pit said.

"Actually, those are also Aurum troops. According to my Celestial Super Scanner, they're 'Rozzes.'" Palutena said, telepathically.

"Your...Celestial Super Scanner? Oh, I get it. That's how you know the names of enemies."

"Well, you can't actually pronounce Aurum names, so I took a few creative liberties." Palutena said, telepathically.

Aurum Monoeyes and Aurum Miks begin appearing.

"Hey! Am I the only one paying attention here? Look! Those Aurum 'troops' are just rip-offs of Underworld enemies!" Viridi said, telepathically.

"What?!" Pit exclaimed.

"I gotta hand it to them. Those are some pretty decent knockoffs." Hades said, telepathically.

"First they devour planets; now they're copying enemies? Ugh. Lowlifes!" Viridi said, telepathically.

"So maybe the Treasure Boxes and Exo Tanks were also copies." Palutena said, telepathically.

"Can't say for sure."

"Full disclosure here: the Mimicuties were courtesy of yours truly." Hades said, telepathically.

"It WAS you!" Pit said, angrily.

"Why would you do that?!" Jared exclaimed. "Putting them near the Aurum Core!"

"What—don't you like presents, Pitty Pat, Flash Gordon?" Hades asked.

"We're nearing a floating island. The both of you can hide from the Aurum fleet by taking a lower route." Palutena said, telepathically.

"Palutena, I'm sorry about saying I didn't trust you." Jared said, sadly.

"It's okay. I forgive you, Jared. You did say I'm now the reason you keep fighting. Is it because you want to protect Clara Oswald?"

"Yes. Her and the virtual worlds. Sword Art Online, ALFheim Online, and Gun Gale Online. I cherish them dearly."

Three Aurum Cruisers approach Pit and Jared.

"Uh-oh! They've sent a destroyer in! They're destroying themselves to get to you two!" Palutena said, telepathically.

"I have to hand it to the Aurum. They don't fool around." Viridi said, telepathically.

"There's no Cyber Controller or a Dalek Supreme." Jared said, frowning.

"You're right, Jared. None of these battleships seem to have a helm."

"And I'm not detecting any life-forms in the ships either." Palutena said, telepathically.

"Something HAS to be controlling them." Viridi said, telepathically.

"Weeee aarrrre from outerr spaaaaaace..." Hades said, telepathically.

"Yes, yes, you're hilarious." Palutena said, telepathically.

"It seems like awfully poor design for these ships to have their weak spots exposed." Pit said.

"Or you can just thank me for the user-friendly interface." Palutena said, telepathically.

"Are you saying that you exposed the ships' weak spots?!"

"I attached large markers to the ships' exteriors that connect to their engines. In less technical terms, I used my power of weak-point exposure!"

"Hey, thanks!"

"Thanks a lot. This makes things a lot easier." Jared said, shooting at the weak spots with his bow and arrow.

"Anything to help the both of you take down the Aurum fleet!" Palutena said, telepathically.

Pit and Jared approach a massive, spherical structure.

"We've arrived at the Aurum Hive. There's just one problem." Palutena said, telepathically.

"What is it?" Pit asked.

"There doesn't seem to be any way in."

"Really? There's not a single entry?" Pit asked.

"It doesn't look like it."

"Shit. We were doing so good too." Jared said, squeezing his Palutena's Bow.

"We were. And we can't just bust in?" Pit asked.

"We can't." Palutena said, telepathically.

"There's a shield to protect the ships on their way out." Viridi said, telepathically.

"But...you ALWAYS find a way in, Lady Palutena! So now what? We just go home and order a pizza?" Pit asked.

"I DO have a coupon..." Palutena said, telepathically.

"Can we stop by Kate and Al's Pizza? The one that's a part of Columbus Flea Market?" Jared asked.

"Sicilian pizza is the best." Pit said, happily.

"We can order it ahead of time. How do two pies sound? We can also do some window shopping and eat some honey roasted peanuts too." Palutena said, telepathically.

"I like the sound of that." Jared said, smiling.

"You three have more pedestrian tastes than I expected." Viridi said, telepathically.

"Don't curse the darkness—light a candle! When freaky aliens give you lemons, make freaky alien lemonade! Like this!" Hades said, telepathically.

Hades crashes an Aurum Battleship into the Aurum Hive.

"Wah! Well, that's one way to do it." Pit said.

"Yup. One way. I still have that nuke that was gonna hit Manhattan." Jared said, letting out a sigh. "That day was extremely long."

"That. Was. Awesome. Hades." Viridi said, telepathically.

"Now just pass through the ship to enter the Aurum Hive." Palutena said, telepathically.

"It's like a straw stuck in an orange." Viridi said, telepathically.

"Commencing Operation Hive Infiltration!" Pit said.

"Let's do this, buddy!" Jared said, smirking.

Palutena sends Pit and Jared into the Battleship's interior, which is engulfed in flames.

"Hot hot hot hot hot hot HOT!" Pit said, angrily.

"What's with all of the heat these days?" Jared asked.

Pit and Jared fly through toward their landing destination.

Aurum Hive...

Pit and Jared safely land inside the Aurum Hive.

"Now that we're in the Aurum Hive, we're one step closer to stopping their fleet." Pit said.

"Right. So the next step is to shut down the hive's power generator." Palutena said, telepathically.

"Great. Just what we needed." Jared said, sarcastically.

Pit and Jared enter a room, which triggers an alarm system alerting Aurum troops to their presence.

"Uh-oh." Pit said.

"You two must have set off an alarm." Palutena said, telepathically.

"Maybe you tripped their smell sensors. Though the Aurum probably use more high-tech ways of detecting intruders. Like...a brain-wave scanner or something." Viridi said, telepathically.

"No, it was probably their smell." Palutena said, telepathically.

"Hey! We don't smell that bad!" Jared said, angrily.

"You were almost burned to a crisp with Pit." Viridi said, telepathically.

"That is true."

"The ship the Underworld Army hijacked was really in rough shape." Palutena said, telepathically.

"Well, yeah. They DID crash it straight into the hive. But on the bright side... In doing so, they lost some of their own troops AND took out some Aurum forces." Viridi said, telepathically.

"I AM thankful for that bit of good news."

"Um, you're welcome?" Hades asked, telepathically.

Pit and Jared proceed through the Aurum Hive and arrive at a room with jump pads and electrically-charged floor panels.

"The power generator is somewhere deep inside the Aurum Hive." Palutena said, telepathically.

"I'm against this place. It's so cold and sterile." Viridi said, telepathically.

"More cold than the TARDIS. Well, with what the console room looks like now." Jared said, sadly.

"Oh, I don't know. It's nothing a lava lamp and a few posters couldn't fix. To both places." Pit said.

Pit and Jared approach a narrow path.

"The path forward isn't very sturdy. You'll have to move quickly." Palutena said, telepathically.

Pit and Jared encounter a Biota.

"What's that enemy with the green dots?" Pit asked.

"It's called a Biota. You can send its shots back at it with melee attacks." Palutena said, telepathically.

Jared takes it out with ease. Pit and Jared enters a room with large, rotating, purple fan blades.

"What do we have here?" Pit asked.

"They seem to be fans made of lasers. Hm. Not the most effective method of cooling." Viridi said, telepathically.

"Really? Laser fans! Of all the things!" Jared said, annoyed.

"And they're a pretty effective method of hurting. Specifically, hurting us." Pit said, looking at Jared.

"Good thing you two are so quick and nimble!" Palutena said, telepathically.

Pit and Jared enter a room with a large, tank-like vehicle driving on a track.

"Do you feel a rumble?" Pit asked.

"It's coming from a behemoth of a vehicle! It looks like it runs on a loop." Palutena said, telepathically.

"As a disclaimer, your insurance doesn't cover getting run over by alien trains." Viridi said, telepathically.

"Outer space IS a bit out of the coverage area."

In the room with the tank, a weapon conversation or random conversation may trigger.

"Speaking of space trains. There's an Orient Express in space." Jared said.

"Orient Express in space?" Viridi asked, telepathically. "Is that actually a thing?"

"Yup."

"What does it have?"

"A mummy."

"Are you my mummy?"

"Stop it Viridi." Jared said, laughing a lot. "I needed that. Thanks."

Pit and Jared take an elevator down to a room with a Hot Spring.

"Pit! Jared! There's a hot spring!" Palutena said, telepathically.

"Yes!" Jared said, excitedly.

"Hold on. This is an Aurum hot spring. You don't know if it's dangerous." Viridi said, telepathically.

"Dangerous? Come on now. Jared and I have spent the last two books of the fanfiction series getting shot at." Pit said, scoffing.

"Well, getting shot at along with me and my family falling out of the sky constantly!" Jared said, crossing his arms.

"Plus, if Aurum hot springs are so deadly, why didn't you warn us in the last chapter?" Pit asked.

"Because that's Palutena's job, not mine." Viridi said, telepathically.

Pit and Jared enter a room with a rotating floor and Aether Rings.

"Look, Aether Rings." Palutena said, telepathically.

"They're probably another cheap Aurum knockoffs." Viridi said, telepathically.

"We don't care! If it works, we're gonna use it! I'm an angel! And Jared's a human! And this is how we get things done!" Pit said, excitedly.

"Yup! It is!" Jared said, smirking.

"No, that's how scavengers get things done. Are you buzzards, Pit, Jared?" Viridi asked, telepathically.

"Now, now, I think we can all agree that Pit and Jared are not buzzards. Though I have seen them eat some questionable things off the ground..." Palutena said, telepathically.

"Floor ice cream gives you health!" Pit said.

"And sausage pizza gives you life!" Jared said.

Pit and Jared enter a narrow hallway with moving blocks.

"Careful you don't get squished ahead." Palutena said, telepathically.

Jared's eyes glowed blue and he got a vision of the near future.

Jared's mind palace...

If Pit and Jared aren't piloting the Aether Rings.

"It looks like this passage goes down pretty far." Palutena said, telepathically.

Aurum Hive...

Jared's eyes stopped glowing blue and went back to the brown hue they were before. Pit and Jared are still piloting the Aether Rings.

"Unfortunately, those Aether Rings won't protect the both of you from moving walls." Palutena said, telepathically.

"That's fine." Jared said, smiling.

Pit and Jared enter a room with a hole in the ground.

Jared's eyes glowed blue and he got a vision of the near future.

Jared's mind palace...

"That's a long way down." Jared said, sadly.

If Pit and Jared don't proceed immediately without the Aether Rings.

"You'll be OK. Both of you. Go ahead and jump on down." Palutena said, telepathically.

Aurum Hive...

Jared's eyes stopped glowing blue and went back to the brown hue they were before. Pit and Jared are still piloting the Aether Rings.

"There appears to be a passageway that leads downward. Good thing you're riding those Aether Rings. It's easier to aim your shots when you're floating down." Palutena said, telepathically.

Pit and Jared enter a hallway with doors that open and spill Hearts.

"Yow!" Pit said.

"Damn it!" Jared said, angrily.

"Are those hearts Aurum copies too?" Viridi asked, telepathically.

"Well, scavenge away!" Palutena said, telepathically.

On their way down the hall, a door opens up and reveals an Aurum troop.

"Hey, you were supposed to be a heart!" Pit said.

"You've stolen my heart. I hereby place you under cardiac arrest." Jared said, taking out taht Aurum troop.

Pit and Jared enter a room with several Aurum troops.

"Wow, the Aurum really know how to make guys feel welcome." Pit said.

Pit and Jared are piloting the Aether Rings.

"You can avoid damage by using the Aether Ring's shield. Activate it using the Touch Screen." Palutena said, telepathically.

Pit and Jared defeat all the enemies in the room. The two exit the Aether Rings.

"Fist pump!" Pit said, giving Jared a fist bump.

"Thanks, Pit. We did amazing there." Jared said, happily.

"Use that jump pad to move forward." Palutena said, telepathically.

Pit and Jared proceed and arrive at a massive, spacious room. The two hop onto a Grind Rail, which takes them towards a large structure.

"I can't believe this thing actually fits inside the Aurum Hive." Pit said.

"It is quite expansive." Palutena said, telepathically.

"Much bigger on the inside." Jared said, sadly.

Aurum enemies begin appearing.

"So...many...enemies!" Pit said, annoyed.

"Why did I get the Aurum after Cybermen? This is beyond ridiculous!" Jared said, angrily.

Forces of Nature troops suddenly swoop in.

"The Forces of Nature?" Pit asked.

"Don't get the wrong idea, Pit, Jared. I'm not here to help the both of you. It's just in my best interest to keep you two alive for now!" Viridi said, telepathically.

Pit and Jared took the left Grind Rail.

"Aw...it looks like Little Miss Cactus has a soft spot for Pit and Jared." Palutena said, telepathically.

"Uhhh...really? 'Cause I don't think you're all that bad either..." Pit said.

"You really aren't that bad, Viridi. You are a tsundere and sound like Starfire from the Teen Titans to me." Jared said, happily.

"Shhh! Keep your voice down! People are listening! I'm definitely NOT doing this to help you, Pit, Jared." Viridi said, telepathically.

"Oh, really." Palutena said, telepathically.

"Hmph. Well, we're not here to help you either, so THERE!" Pit said.

"We really don't want to help you defeat the Aurum. We could just leave and get Sicilian pizza." Jared said, smiling.

"Aaaaauugh! You three are SO ANNOYING! This is why I kept trying to kill you!" Viridi said, telepathically.

"It looks like this will take you to the Aurum Hive's power generator. Destroy the generator to bring down this whole place." Palutena said, telepathically.

"Not a problem!" Pit said.

"We got this." Jared said, smirking.

Pit and Jared enter a room with more Aurum troops.

"It's their last line of defense." Palutena said, telepathically.

"We dedicate this beatdown to the honor of our precious planet!" Pit said.

"This is my home. And I'm not giving it up without a fight." Jared said.

Pit and Jared took out all of the Aurum troops in the room.

Pit and Jared enter a room and spot the Aurum Generator.

"That's the Aurum Hive's power generator." Palutena said, telepathically.

"It's as bright as the sun!" Pit said.

"Okay. This could take a while." Jared said.

Pit and Jared hops onto a Grind Rail and wobbles as they almost lose their balance.

"Whoa!" Pit said.

"That was close." Jared said.

Pit and Jared steadies themselves and the battle initiates.

"So we should attack the center?" Pit asked.

"Yes, and don't forget you can switch between grind rails as you see fit. Weapons have different ranges, so feel out how far the rails are from the generator." Palutena said, telepathically.

"HA HA HA HA HA HA!" Pyrrhon said.

"Pyrrhon? What are you doing here?" Pit asked.

"Yeah. What are you doing here?" Jared asked.

"Looks like the two of you could use a hand there, little angel, little human. The heroic hand...of justice!" Pyrrhon said, happily.

"No, we're fine." Pit said.

"We really are fine. We don't need your help." Jared said.

"Try my pyroweaponry on for size!" Pyrrhon said, shooting at the Aurum Generator, causing it to heat up. "That's...odd."

"Apparently adding heat to heat only makes things hotter." Palutena asked, telepathically.

"HA HA HA HA HA! That is to say, oops. My bad."

"'My bad'? That's all you have to say?" Pit asked.

"You were about to ruin everything, Pyrrhon!" Jared said, crossing his arms.

"No. I have one more message to impart to the both of you. I wish you luck! You two are going to need it. And with that, I must leave you! Until we meet again!" Pyrrhon said.

"Arrgh! What an idiot!" Pit said.

"Tell me about it. That idiot would have made that thing implode!" Jared said, looking at Pit.

"Wait for when the rails are parallel. Then jump on the rail that's closest to the power generator and fire away. But be sure to watch out for incoming fire." Palutena said, telepathically.

Pit and Jared defeat the Aurum Generator.

"Pulverized!" Pit said.

"And that's that!" Jared said.

"Nice. Now let's get the two of you out of there!" Palutena said, telepathically.

Skyworld...

As the Aurum Hive begins to fall apart, a light shines down over Pit and Jared and whisks them away.

Pyrrhon watches from a distance as the Hive implodes on itself.

"And now on to the Aurum Brain..." Pyrrhon said.