SWARM SOVEREIGN

Taylor had been moving through the forest for what felt like hours, though without a clock or the ability to feel fatigue, she couldn’t be certain. Instead, she could feel the life teeming in the forest around her in a way that was both alien and exhilarating.

Her gelatinous body slid effortlessly over moss and roots, leaving no trace of her passage, and her new senses—enhanced by the beetle’s traits—kept her attuned to every rustle of leaves, every skitter of tiny legs. Every so often, she would absorb a stray pebble, a patch of dirt, or even the occasional insect to grow stronger, her form becoming increasingly refined.

It wasn’t long before her attention was drawn to a sound in the distance. It resonated in her awareness like a low vibration, faint but insistent, and stirred something deep inside her, a sensation she couldn’t quite place. She followed it instinctively, navigating the dense undergrowth until she came upon the source: a hive, nestled in the hollow of a rotting tree trunk.

Bees. Hundreds of them.

For a moment, she froze. She hadn’t seen anything like this since… Brockton Bay. Her mind flashed to her old swarm, the countless insects she had once commanded with ease. That power had been an extension of her, her defining strength in a world that had tried to break her.

Would it still work?

She reached out, not with a hand—she didn’t have one—but with her mind, probing at the hive. The bees buzzed around her, a living, chaotic mass. She could feel them now, not just as individuals but as a collective. Their tiny movements, their instincts, their purpose—it all pulsed at the edge of her consciousness.

Then something clicked.

Skill activated: Swarm Sovereign. Basic hive-mind control engaged.

The effect was immediate. The hum of the hive shifted, the buzzing synchronizing into a single, unified rhythm. The bees that had been flying erratically around the hive turned as one and hovered in place, their tiny bodies utterly obedient, waiting for her command.

Taylor felt a jolt of recognition and relief, as though reuniting with an old friend.

“Yes,” she thought, exhilarated. “This… this is mine.”

The connection wasn’t quite the same as before—it was broader and deeper than anything she’d experienced as a human. She could feel them. Not just their presence, but their thoughts—simple, instinctive, yet profoundly organized. Experimenting, she pushed a mental command, urging a few of them to leave the hive and fly toward her.

They obeyed without hesitation.

Taylor watched as the tiny insects landed on her gelatinous form, their legs sinking slightly into her surface. She could feel their movements as if they were part of her body. It was almost comforting—until she realized just how far her control could extend.

More bees poured out of the hive, swarming toward her in a coordinated wave. Taylor felt her awareness expand exponentially, each insect a new point of sensation in the growing web of her influence. The sheer scale of it overwhelmed her, her thoughts growing muddled as the hive’s collective instincts pressed against her own.

“Too much,” she muttered mentally, trying to focus. The swarm faltered, their movements growing erratic as her control wavered.

The buzzing in her mind became deafening. The bees were hers to command, but they still had their own instincts—urges to protect the hive, to forage, to obey their queen. She wasn’t just directing them; she was becoming them, her mind sinking into their alien way of thinking.

“Focus,”

Slowly, she began to push back against the tide, asserting her will over the swarm. The bees quieted, their movements steadying as she imposed order. It was exhausting in a way she hadn’t expected, but it worked.

Taylor exhaled—if she’d still had lungs, it would have been a shaky breath.

When she finally stabilized the connection, she realized she could feel the hive’s queen, deep within the hollow tree. The queen’s presence was a beacon, anchoring the hive’s collective will. Taylor hesitated for a moment before issuing a command.

The queen obeyed, emerging from the hive and crawling onto her gelatinous form. Taylor felt a strange sense of satisfaction—she wasn’t just controlling the hive; she had become its center.

As she experimented further, she realized her control wasn’t limited to the bees. Other insects in the forest began to respond to her presence: ants, beetles, even a cluster of flies buzzing nearby. The Swarm Sovereign ability was more expansive than she initially thought, reaching further and drawing more creatures into her influence.

But with that power came responsibility—and a question she couldn’t shake.

If she could control the insects, if she could become the hive, was she still Taylor Hebert? Or was she something else entirely now, something even more than a slime?

The thought brought an ache with it. The memory of Brockton Bay, of her team, of her father—they were still there, haunting her like shadows. And it lingered as she released the hive, letting the bees return to their natural rhythm. She slid away from the tree, her mind racing with possibilities. Her new body, her new powers—they weren’t just tools for survival. They were a chance to become something greater.

For the first time since her death, Taylor felt a spark of hope.

But as she moved deeper into the forest, she couldn’t ignore the growing sensation that something—or someone—was watching her.