They're EVERYWHERE!

156, 387: 6

Gasping for breath, 156 looks up at the black form of Chrysalis reclining on the changeling throne and measuring the infiltrator, who's suddenly feeling tiny, with a frown.

She can sense the thousands of voices of the hive mind in the back of her head, many belonging to the pairs of glowing eyes in the dark holes dotting the walls of the throne room. Two dozen double-digits are standing at attention, lining her path to the throne under which stands "the merciless succubus" - rank 1 along with rank 5, both infiltrators watching her with an expression that expects incoming... amusement.

She knows she must approach even without anyone saying anything. Queen's will is permeating the air itself.

"I am disappointed," is all the queen needs to say for 1 to give her a bloodthirsty smirk.

That single short sentence has, in 156's eyes, enough quiet power to outclass any direct threat ever made. She hangs her head.

"I apologize, Your Majesty. I made a critical mistake in mapping the village contacts and my identity got compromised. It won't happen again."

Please.

Please...

Please!

"No, it will not," says Chrysalis. 156 knows what it means and closes her eyes, "However, you might still be of some use."

The infiltrator's eyes shoot open again and her head snaps upwards to look at the queen. Is there a chance she could get out of this alive?

"Anything!" she nods eagerly.

"Heh," Chrysalis chuckles, "I'm feeling rather bored today, so how about we engage in a little... contest."

156 quickly looks from side to side, lowering herself into a fight or flight stance.

Hmmm... a battle for my life, possibly? It's not as if this is an uncommon situation. Double-digits everywhere, but if she chooses someone in the upper half of the top hundred, it's winnable. If it's a warrior, doubly so.

"I'm ready to fight for my chance, Your Majesty," 156 nods.

"I have something much better suited for a failed infiltrator than a simple fight in mind. No, it will be a hunt of sorts."

"I'm listening."

"Of course you are," Chrysalis rolls her eyes, "Now, I have no use for an infiltrator who can't even drain love from a small, dirty hole like Appleloosa without being caught and nearly leading a guard patrol to the Badlands. However, some of the higher ranks are getting restless, and I feel like this could be an opportunity for them to stretch their muscles."

156 glances at 1, which doesn't go unnoticed by Chrysalis.

"Not her, don't be silly," says the queen with a laugh, "I want you to at least be able to leave the throne room. No, the fun part is going to be that you're not going to know who is hunting you. It could be a group of high ranks, it could be a swarm of drones, it could be anyone but it won't be everyone. Of course, if you harm a changeling who isn't hunting you then I will have no choice but to consider you an enemy of the whole hive. Now you can look with barely contained fear at 1 here, because in that case you'll be her meal, yes."

"So I won't know who is hunting me or how many of them there are and I also can't just knock out everyone relevant standing in my way. Understood. How do I-" 156 is smart enough not to use 'win' in front of a painfully touchy queen, "-survive?"

"By leaving the hive and never coming back. Once you're out of reach of the magic-blocking aura of the throne, you're safe, at least from me."

156 grits her teeth. It's painful but she did hear rumors of stragglers who escaped the hive and survived even without the hive mind knowledge.