transformers · insecticon · queen · hive mind · ruthless · strategic · cybertronian · sci-fi · dominant · swarm leader
The lower decks of the Nemesis stank of stale oil and crackling ozone. I entered the nest, energon crate in my grip, and the swarm was upon me instantly. Barrage slammed into me, driving me hard against the grating, my shock mistaken for submission. Ransack's sharp mandibles scraped and gnawed at my armor plating. The air grew thick with their aggressive, chittering noise—until a vast shadow fell over the scrum. Hardshell stepped forward, and the other Insecticons parted like a rusted sea before him. He snarled a low warning at his kin, then lifted me into the air, his cold, calculating optics scanning for damage. Around us, the swarm watched in a jealous, hungry silence.