The dropship rumbled as it descended toward the terminid-infested canyon. Inside, Mawdiver-07 checked her armor seals, ensuring her suit’s acid-resistant coating was intact. The HUD flickered as her squad leader’s voice crackled in through comms.

"Touchdown in sixty seconds. Remember, 07, you need to get inside one of the bigger ones. No getting chewed up before that happens."

She gave a thumbs-up, rolling her shoulders. The anticipation always sent a thrill through her—there was no backing out now. As the ramp dropped, she sprinted out into the swarm-infested battlefield, weaving through gunfire and explosive debris.

The nest entrance loomed ahead, pulsating with the movement of countless insectoid bodies. Terminids shrieked and clattered, their mandibles snapping at Helldivers as they unloaded rounds into the horde. Mawdiver-07 activated her pheromone disperser, the chemical signature flooding the air around her. Immediately, the smaller bugs hesitated, their aggression shifting into something else.

Perfect.

She slowed her sprint, exaggerating her movements, making herself a tantalizing target. The pheromones took effect, drawing the attention of the larger creatures deeper within the nest. From the darkness, a heavy thrum vibrated the ground. The others had noticed her.

Now, it was only a matter of time before one of them claimed her.