WARNING: The following will contain spoilers for both the game and its DLC. Read at your own risk!
The Hivesnax AU
is an ongoing Bugsnax fanfiction series on Archive Of Our Own written by kaytjohanna and illustrated by CrystalCosmic.
The story follows the Krew after the events of the game up until they get kidnapped by the Snakolytes. They're all imprisoned and tortured during the week long stay at the Snakolytes' hideout. Not much is known about why the Krew were specifically targeted or what their role ultimately is. All they do know is that they were captured for some "grand scheme" of the Snakolytes in an effort to bring about the rise of the "True Queen" of the Bugsnax.
Through a series of events, the True Queen is eventually revealed to be Budleguard aka "Buddy", the now ex-journalist of GNN. As such, it is now their responsibility to lead both grumpuskind and the bugsnax into a peaceful and harmonious society where they co-exist. Unfortunately, the Snakolytes will still prove to be a threat...
The series is still in-progress and often involves some pretty heavy subject matter, hence the trigger warnings at the beginning of most chapters. You should definitely heed them if you have any possible triggers.
This fan work contains the following tropes:
- Breather Episode: Aside from the beginning scene, where Filbo is shown being treated for acid burns on his paws, chapter 18 of "The Rise" is a brief respite from the torture everyone experiences and is mostly about Shellsy sharing a story from her youth to give everyone something to hope for in their dark days.
- Cold-Blooded Torture: The Snakolytes put the Krew through the ringer in the first story. Almost no one gets out physically unscathed.
- Eye Scream: Aftermath shows that Cromdo loses an eye to the Snakolytes.
- Foregone Conclusion: Because of the fairly out-of-order way the stories get updated, we know a lot of things that will happen before they actually do. Such as the torture the characters go through as well as the fact that Budleguard aka Buddy, the journalist from the first game, becomes the True Queen, which may or may not be what the Snakolytes planned for all along.
- Gory Discretion Shot: The torture that the characters are put through is never actually shown. It's merely alluded to, though we are shown the aftermath of what happens.
- Nothing Is Scarier: Going with Gory Discretion Shot above, the implications of what the characters go through are horrific, from losing eyes and tails, to being declawed, to being whipped and then to having their paws dunked in acid, everyone goes through something horrific in these stories! And we're never directly shown any of it.
- Poison Is Evil: Joolinan has long and sharp metallic claws with the added "bonus" of having an incredibly potent poison on them. And unfortunately, Wambus ends up getting a taste of it when he attacks her for what she did to Triffany, also losing a tusk in the process. He thankfully survives, but his face is forever scarred.
- Spiteful Spit: Triffany spits on Jamfoot's muzzle after he mocks her regarding her grandmother Bronica and her fate, which Triffany still doesn't know but Jamfoot does.
- Wham Episode: Chapter 20 of "The Rise" reveals what the Krew's role in the Snakolytes plan is. They're all going to be sacrificed to make way for a new Queen.
- Wham Line: "Ougular only heals bugsnax", said by Mama Mewon to Budleguard, a grumpus who was healed by said substance from what would've been fatal injuries.
