Into the Hive

Chapter 11: Into the Hive

The team stood at the edge of the ridge, staring down at the hive. The glowing conduits pulsed faintly like veins, and the faint hum of energy filled the air.

Caden's sharp eyes scanned the structure below. He could feel movement within the shadows-the subtle flicker of shifting forms. Something was waiting for them.

"We go in cautious," he said in a low but firm voice. "The Proximars may be aware of us by now. I really don't think that they will allow us to enter unopposed."

Ava tightened her grasp on the shield generator. "So what is the plan of attack, charge in and hope for the best?"

"No," Caden said, his eyes unyielding. "We take out the conduits first. Without power, they are weak. Ava, your shield will be key. Mira, Darius, cover our six. I've got the rest."

"Still same as running in and hoping for the best, it's not like the proximars can't live without the energy" Ava muttered

"Of course, you will," Mira said under her breath, but checked her pistols with a readiness.

Darius let out a small sigh. "Guess we don't really have a choice, do we?"

"We always have a choice," Caden said starting his decent. "But this is the only one that gets us out alive, and the remaining choices kills us. Making good plans takes too much time"

The group followed, footsteps deliberately taken with a lot of care. The air grew thick and heavy with unnatural tension as they neared the hive.

A soft chittering noise rippled through the valley. Ava froze. "Do you hear that? "

"Keep going," Caden said calmly. "They may just be testing us, trying to scare us. Let it work on them."

The chittering grew louder until faint shapes could be seen materializing from the dark. Small Proximars scattered towards them, legs clicking against rock.

"Here we go," Darius muttered, raising his fist as his skin hardened and he grew bigger this time. "Hey, my ability improved" Darius said in surprise

"Stick to the plan," Caden ordered. "Keep them off me. I'll take out the conduits."

Ava flicked her shield on; the barrier shimmering into existence around them. The first wave of Proximars hit it, claws screeching against the energy.

Mira fired rapidly, her shots precise. "There's too many of them! Caden, whatever you're doing, do it fast!"

Caden said nothing. He slipped by the edge of Ava's shield. His maxed perception guided him, showing the weak points in the conduits and gaps in the enemy's formation.

A Proximar lunged at him, its claws swiping through the air. Caden ducked, his katana slicing upward in one smooth motion. The creature fell lifeless as he moved toward the first conduit.

"Shield's holding, but not for long!" Ava yelled out, strain clear in her voice.

Caden reached the conduit and swung with his blade; the sharp edge sliced through the pulsing energy vein. There was a sparkle of sparks and a faltering of the soft hum of the hive.

"One down," he called back-sounding so composed.

Mira threw him a sideways glance, wide-eyed. "How is he so calm right now?"

"Because he is not normal, let's just not waste our time comparing ourselves to him" Darius finally replied, sighing as he smashed another Proximar.

Caden moved on to the next conduit, his movements quick and resolute. The Proximars were becoming more aggressive by the second, their speed and strength of attack increasing, but Caden's speed was something they had no hope of catching up with, and his blade found its mark every time.

"Second conduit down," he said as the glow of the hive lowered further.

The Proximars screeched furiously, their movements becoming even more frenzied.

Whatever you're doing, Caden, I don't think it's working-it's making this proximar more angry! Ava yelled back.

Caden nodded, not leaving his attentive gaze from whatever it was he was doing. "One more."

The last one was the most guarded, larger Proximars barring the way. Caden didn't tarry. In an instant, he charged, his blade shimmering in the poor light. Every movement was calculated, every strike was precise.

The last conduit fell, and the hive's energy flickered and died. A deafening screech echoed from the Proximars before they retreated into the shadows.

"It's over," Caden said, sheathing his katana.

The group formed up, panting hard, but glad.

"You made that look too easy," Mira said, awe and irritation equally mixed in her voice.

"It was too easy. Be careful, the danger level just went up: the energy conduit here wasn't in the last hive." Caden replied simply.

Caden didn't say a word. He turned back to the horizon, his voice flat. "We gotta keep going, boys. This hive isn't clear till we take out whatever is inside."

With every step deeper in the hive, a bright, blue blinking light burst off the walls; heavy, unbearably oppressive scent swirled energy-thick air.

"Anyone else feel like we are walking into the belly of the beast?" Mira asked, her pistols at the ready.

"That's because we are," Caden said calmly, his eyes scanning the tunnel ahead, his perception already engaging with the subtle shifts in energy around them. "Stay close. The hive leader won't make this easy."

A low rumble of a growl echoed down the passageway, followed by scraping from a distance.

"Here we go again," Ava muttered, her psychic shield already humming to life.

The growl grew louder, and a few seconds later, two Vanguards appeared-much bigger than before, armored in their heavy exoskeletons covered with jagged plating that faintly sheened in the low light, their eyes glowing as they settled on them.

"More Vanguards," Darius said, flexing his shoulders. "Guess they didn't take a lesson or two from the previous bunch."

"They're different," Caden said. His voice was more analysis now. "Stronger. But not strong enough."

The first Vanguard lunged, claws flashing toward Ava's shield. She braced herself; the barrier absorbed the strike with ease.

"That's all it's got?".

Before the second Vanguard even had time to think about moving, Caden was off. In a blur of speed, he closed the distance, and his katana flashed in the dim light like a streak of pure light. One strike-clean and devastating-and the creature's head separated from its body. The Vanguard fell to the ground, dead, before it could even realize it was under attack.

Mira smirked, firing a shot at the first Vanguard just hard enough to keep its attention. "Show-off."

The second Vanguard snarled, whirling on Caden, but he was behind it by then. A single, deliberate blow severed its legs at the joints, and another slash cleaved through its body. The fight was over in a matter of seconds.

"Two down," Caden said, sheathing his blade. His face was as calm, nearly bored.

"Not even a warm-up," Darius grumbled, cracking his knuckles. "You could've left one for us, you know."

"No time for that," Caden said, his eyes narrowing as he stared down the tunnel. "The hive here is very different from the last one. These weren't here in the last hive."

Ava frowned. "Different how?

Caden nodded. "I don't know. But it doesn't matter. Whatever they throw at us, we'll handle it."

The team went forward with freshened confidence but yet still on their toes. Every deeper depth past the hive resulted in an added oppressive feeling that weighed on all of them; it began to pulse much faster now as if reacting to them.

As they entered the next chamber, the whole group came to a standstill. A wide room had the walls lined with several conduits radiating brighter luminescence than anything seen thus far, while at the middle of it there stood another Vanguard-very much different from others they had seen so far.

It was enormous compared with the others, its exoskeleton glinting with a metallic shine that pulsed with energy. Two pairs of eyes glowed bright and staring at them, the claws crackling with a soft, electrified hum.

Darius whistled softly. "Okay, now that's more like it."

"This one is different," Mira said, her voice low. " Far stronger."

"Still not strong enough," Caden said with disdain, stepping forward. He didn't draw his katana yet; his stance was relaxed. "Stay back. I'll handle it."

The Vanguard roared and charged at him with an uncanny burst of speed. But Caden didn't flinch. The moment it got close enough, in one swift movement, he unsheathed his katana and struck.

The first stroke chopped one of its claws off, and the second split its torso. Letting out a deafening screech, the creature fell, its energy flickering out.

Caden sheathed his blade and turned back to the group. "Let's move. This was just a distraction."

Ava shook her head, the ghost of a smile on her lips. "How do you make that look so easy?"

"Because it is," Caden said, as he'd already turned for the next tunnel.

"Great, so we're here just for moral support, I guess," Mira muttered from the rear.

Suddenly, this Vanguard which he thought was to be dead got up in almost no time while its injuries were healing in light speed and explosion of energy ran from his body sending the entire team flying off.

Now larger, the reincarnated body of the Vanguard teemed with arteries of pulsating energy. The force of its awakening sent the team flying across the chamber, pummeling them brutally against cold walls.

First to rise was Caden, who sprang nimbly to his feet. In his hand, his katana glowed with a light green hue; he had taken some energy stored in him and coated the katana with it to heighten its sharpness. "This thing's drawing power from the hive group itself. It's regenerating!"

Ava groaned, pulling herself up with a telekinetic push. "We noticed! I guess we know now why those energy conduits are here, but what do we do now?" She extended her mind, gripping nearby debris and flinging it toward the Vanguard. The shards collided with its reinforced body but barely left a scratch.

The Vanguard's claws extended, crackling with energy as it roared, lunging towards the now-getting-to-her-feet Mira.

"No, you don't!" Mira said, her eyes flashing sharp with that enticing glow. The Vanguard, mid-lunge, froze-a gravitational lock.

"I won't be able to hold much longer!" Mira yelled, her voice strained, as the Vanguard wrestled itself against her grasp.

"Enough," Caden said, already a blur of motion. He launched himself at the crippled beast, his katana flashing in deadly arcs toward its exposed joints.

The Vanguard was wild, thrashing about with wild energy that radiated in waves, pushing hard against Mira's control. "Caden, hurry!" she yelled, sweat beading on her brow.

Caden's sword bit deep into the Vanguard's leg, slicing across the limb. It stumbled, refused to fall, and then it just let out another deafening shriek. The pulsing energy around the creature surged high.

"It's building up to something big!" Ava warned, hands thrust outwards, her psychic shield strengthening to envelop them.

The Vanguard's glow-in-the-dark eyes locked onto Mira, and it seemed to realize that she was the cause of its containment. It released a burst of energy that punched through her gravitational grip on it, hurling her backwards.

"Not quite!" Darius roared, charging; his fists were now flecked with rock-hard, jagged scales bursting upon the monster's side in such a heaving blow, again retreated and clawing in one continuous movement that sent Darius sliding along the ground.

Caden saw his opening. In a flash of speed, he moved around behind the Vanguard and struck time after time, trying to tear it down faster than it was healing.

The beast roared again, its energy sputtering as fissures started to form across its shining exoskeleton.

"This is taking too long!" Ava yelled. Her eyes shone bright as she focused her telekinesis, clenching onto the Vanguard and yanking it down with all her might. "Caden, now!"

With one last surge of speed, Caden launched himself into the air, his katana shining as he put all his strength into a single,

**Radiant Strike, Full Strength** Caden said in his mind

It cut the vanguard's body in two.

The creature let out one final, agonized screech as it fell, before its energy disappeared into nothing.

The team just panted, the chamber darkening with them.

"Is it really down this time?" Mira asked, still shaking.

Caden nodded once, wiping his blade clean. "It won't get back up again."

Darius groaned, rubbing his shoulder. "I'm starting to think entering these hives is a death wish. That thing was ridiculous."

Ava lowered her shield, her hands shaking a little. "Since that wasn't the hive leader, I guess we're in trouble."

Caden glanced ahead into the tunnel. "That was just the beginning. The leader will be stronger."

Mira exhaled heavily, the glow of her eyes still fading as she regained her balance. "Of course it wouldn't be. Why would it ever go easy?"

Caden faced the group again, composed but grave. "This is why we're here. Take your rest if you feel that you need it, but we aren't stopping until this hive is done."