Inside the Hive, 12:30 am EST

“It’s been hours and we haven’t found anything!” Bethany complained.

“Calm down Beth, these things take a while,” Jacob said, “You just need to be patient.”

Bethany reluctantly followed Jacob as he walked down another path. It had been two hours since they started their escapade, and Bethany had become tired of the endless walking inside the hive.

“I’m just tired of walking,” Bethany explained.

“Understandable,” Jacob said, “I’m really getting tired of it as well, but we are getting close, I can feel it.”

The duo continued to walk in the darkness of the hive, waiting and watching. Their footsteps echoing in the hallways as they reach another door but this time, it had a different symbol. Jacob closed his eyes and used his sense, watching the soundwaves travel through the air.

“There’s no one in here,” Jacob said.

“Really?” Bethany asked.

“Yeah, it’s too quiet.” Before Jacob could do anything, the door swung open, revealing a room that looked similar to a lounge. The person who opened the door was a blood bug, a white one. Jacob instantly felt a chill run down his spine. ‘A white one?’ he thought, ‘The queen is that strong?’

Bethany followed Jacob into the room, making sure to stay close behind him.

“Welcome!” Yelled a woman who was sitting on a couch, “Welcome to my home Space Walker. I have been expecting you. Here, take a seat.” Jacob and Bethany both sat across from the strange woman who was sitting in front of them. She was wearing a skiing tight dress that showed off her curves as well as a fur coat shrouding her body. She had long red hair that sparkled in the light, complementing her dark blue eyes.

“You must be the queen?” Jacob asked.

“Ooo, you guessed correctly. I was beginning to hope you would be scared and not release all of that killing intent.” Bethany looked over at Jacob and saw the aura coming off of him.

“Ya know, I’ve heard stories about you,” The queen said, “A man who never loses his prey, one of the Nerves, and a very good fighter. You killed 23 people in cold blood and were charged with second-degree murder. Never mind the fact that they were all B class and had very well-made weapons. In turn, you were drafted in the war for the hollow as your sentence where you became a killer known to many as Space Walker, but of course, you are not as talented as me.”

“There is a little saying,” Jacob said, “No matter how talented you are, people who have put in more effort than you will always win. You don’t know half of what happened in that cursed land. Do you know what Kodoku is?”

“I do not,” The queen said.

“It’s when you put a bunch of poisonous bugs inside a jar and let them kill each other, whichever bug is left is the most poisonous of all. I was dropped in a land full of nasty creatures and monsters told that I was to take care of myself. That land is the jar, and I was the lone bug.”

“J, the glasses are ready; I left them in your pocket,” said a sweet voice in Jacob’s ear. He reached into his pocket and pulled out some glasses. As soon as he put them on, his entire aura changed. The room almost became suffocating when Jacob reached over the table and grabbed the queen by her neck. “No tell me, how powerful would one become if he had to fight monsters stronger than you and your little army.” Jacob’s eyes started to glow a bright red, instilling fear into the queen. She tried to fight back, but none of her attacks were hitting him. It was almost like there was an invisible barrier between them. Jacob threw her into a wall that seemed to suck her into an invisible space. As soon as that happened, the entirety of the blood bugs inside the room collapsed.

“Why didn’t they attack you?” Bethany asked.

“Because they weren’t hers,” Jacob explained, “Someone else was controlling them behind the scenes.”

“We were supposed to capture her. What do we tell the chief now?”

“That we killed her. She was too dangerous and unstable, so we killed her.”

Bethany palmed her face and followed Jacob out of the hive.

<><><>

After the queen was thrown into the void, she woke up inside a room. The walls were plated in some sort of steel, blood-splattered along them. A door opened on the other side of the room and a woman walked inside. She was wearing a suit that dealers at a casino would wear. She also had a mask that was white and only had holes for the eyes. The mask had a symbol on the forehead, an “A” resting next to a spade, almost like a playing card

“You must be the next contestant,” the woman said.

“Contestant?”

“Yes, The Owner has put you in here to play the game. The rules are that if you can survive 15 waves, you are to be let go. If you can't, you die.” The woman disappeared behind another door, leaving the queen of the blood bug hive wallowing in fear and anguish. A bell rang as two doors opened, releasing little green men into the room. Hey looked at the queen and licked their lips. It was mealtime.

<><><>

Jacob walked out of the hive and saw the police chief clapping his hands. He was standing next to a man that Jacob had never seen before.

“Looks like you accomplished the task,” the chief said.

“Well, of course, it was easy!” Jacob said.

“Well good, it means you’re the right one for the job,”

“What job?” The mysterious man walked forward and outstretched his hand. “Hello, my name is Johnny Samson, Director of the Bureau’s American branch. I’m making a new division focused on the things that lurk in the dark. I want you to be the division leader Mr. Drill.”

“Who’s gonna be my team?” Jacob asked.

“Anyone from our selection.”

Jacob laughed.” You’re telling me I can’t choose who I want to join. If you want me so bad, let me choose.”

“Fine, you can choose whoever.”

Jacob smiled and shook Samson’s hand. “I will be happy working with you.”