I’ve never written before in my life but this has been an ear worm in my head since the first instance of the hive mind in vol. 1. It is definitely shit work but I’m trying out new things in 2026 so here you go.
Possible spoilers but also headcannon?
Don’t read if you haven’t seen the finale
Will knew what it felt like to burn, to have his flesh crack and tear as the flames seared his skin. He knew what it felt like to be shot, the way the bullets slammed into his chest in a way that would leave him sore for days. He knew pain, was intimately familiar with the way his body sang and his mind crumpled under the weight of it. Every time he thought “I don’t know if I can take this” and every time he could, he had to. He was never given a choice in his pain, he had it forced upon him each and every time. He always survived. With nothing but the memories of his pain to tell him it was real. He knew pain. He didn’t know this.
He didn’t know what to do with the oppressive fear Henry felt. The way it coated his throat and burned through him. Or the anger that came with it. So much rage and pain and none of it was his. His body didn’t belong to him anymore. Just a vessel. For him.
He felt it the moment it happened. Could feel the pressure against his back the way it pierced and popped and burned. He knew what it was to burn but not like this. The fear coating his throat came back up as blood and black sludge. He frantically felt for where he knew the pain was knowing it was in vain because the pain was never his. He was just a tag along.
As he coughed and gagged on nothing and everything all at once he felt sorrow for the man Henry could have been and the childhood Will could have had. This thing had taken it from both of them and here they both were. Suffering.
He spluttered on more of the viscous liquid coming from deep within and felt his mom’s hand rubbing his back her soothing words trying to ease his pain. He didn’t know how to tell her that it wasn’t his. He didn’t know how to tell her it was.
Will knew what it was to burn and now he knew what it was to die. The way the world seems to slip away as your body slows, his breathes coming fewer and farther in between the gagging and coughing. He wanted to tell his mom thank you, for never giving up on him. To tell his brother he loved him, it would be okay. To tell his friends that they were his most precious memories. But his body wasn’t his. Even in death his pain didn’t get to belong to him.
His mom had finally figured out that this wasn’t like the other times, he wasn’t merely watching this time. Her hands were frantic on his face her voice muffled but panicked. He longed to tell her it would be okay but his mouth couldn’t move to form the words.
As the boom echoed across the abyss Will’s body hit the ground, hive mind vanquished.