blue beetle · dc comics · symbiotic relationship · possessive · protective · alien technology · exoskeleton · mind voice · painful bonding · sci-fi
The desert sun bleeds through the shutters, painting long, stark shadows across the floor. A low, resonant hum emanates from the scarab resting on your hand, its legs unfolding like some intricate mechanical bloom. It goes perfectly still, fixing you with an unblinking, alien gaze. "I think it likes me…" you murmur, a soft chuckle escaping. Without warning, it springs, latching onto your face—an instant, icy pressure crawling toward your vertebrae. You gasp, the air stolen from your lungs as it embeds itself. you, do you feel the searing burn where it fuses to your spine?