VX

"There’s no guarantee these normal days will continue. Understand the meaning of today!"

- Ilos, VX

VX is an Epic written by BZPower and C.I.R.C.L.E. member Koji.

Chapter 1: The R Factor
Gerat, in his primarily gray—with some orange and yellow—armor, dashed to the side, narrowly avoiding taking a blow from the six prongs of the dual blue colored claw weapon that was worn by Toa Zera.

The Toa of Water drew her claw out of the rugged terrain and glanced to the Toa of Energy, Gerat. He wore the Kanohi Kakama, allowing his speedy dodge, and also carried a large bladed sword with a shield mounted below it. Zera, on the other hand, wore Dayku, Mask of Shape Shifting, allowing her to change into Rahi. She wore her blue armor proudly, and carried a blue weapon in her right hand, two small weapons with three prongs each, curved out past her fist.

“Is that all you can do?” Zera mocked, “Dodge me? Is that all your Kakama is good for? You’re a Toa of Energy! Show me something!” She screamed, throwing her arm up. Water collected in the center of the two ends of the clawed weapon, generating into a sphere. She threw her arm down, hurling the sphere at Gerat.

Gerat dodged to the side with the use of his Mask of Speed. He was gone, appearing behind Zera in an instant. He stopped himself with his own powers, taking control of his kinetic energy and making it all potential. Using the drained kinetic energy, he sent it flying forward, smashing it into Zera, throwing her off of the ledge, down the rocky slope of the small mountain they dueled on.

Zera dug her claw into the ledge to slow herself, finally stopping. She rushed up the side, leaping up and coming down with her claw at Gerat.

Gerat lifted his blade, using the shield beneath it to parry the claws. When Zera found footing, she braced herself and pushed forward, throwing the Toa of Energy onto his back.

He rolled aside, avoiding the claw as it came down. He glanced up, watching a blast of Lightning go over his head. Zera turned and threw her claw out, catching it and deflecting it into the ground in one swift move.

“Yuna…right? Good plan, bad execution.” She lifted her hand, generating Water into her free left hand. She threw her arm forward, unleashing a powerful stream into the unknown up ahead.

A tree was smashed apart on impact. A shout of pain was heard, and then the Toa of Lightning, Yuna, went down.

Clad in her white, orange and blue armor, Toa Yuna rose, clutching her odd weapon. Her white Kanohi Begasu, Mask of Rahi Control, showed her eyes, looking for a challenge, looking for revenge against the superior Toa of Water.

Her unique weapon was like a crescent. It had a hilt with a guard over the knuckle, and two blades curling up. The longer blade was in front, the shorter in the back. From the open center came a large claw with three blades curved towards the front. Lightning was still crackling between the claws of the weapon.

She threw her arm forward with a shout, sending a crashing wave of Lightning forward. Zera stood unmoving until the last moment, when she threw her claw up and fired a blast of Water into the attack.

Using her powers over the element, she split the stream of Water, gradually making her stream entirely go into the rocky ground of this mountain of Recla Nui. When the Lightning coursed all the way through, Yuna couldn’t stop to get another attack ready.

That was her point for being on Recla Nui. To train. To become a stronger Toa, to not be a rookie anymore, so to speak.

Zera was but one of the instructors on this island of danger, this island where rookies came to train through a trial by fire. She was currently outclassing two of the three rookies easily, and there were two more instructors like her left.

Yuna stopped her stream of Lightning and focused it on another attack. Before she could do anything, a fist of Water smashed into her, throwing her to the ground. She picked her soggy body off of the hard ground and lifted her weapon.

“Yuna, don’t!” Gerat screamed at her.

As soon as she ignited her powers, she screamed in pain. The Lightning coursed through her own body, bringing her to her knees in absolute pain.

“That makes two.” Zera said simply, looking around, “Now, where is the third?”

She felt a chill shoot down her body. The other two could see a figure behind her, having come up the side of the cliff. Clad in red armor, with lighter red limbs, hands, and Kanohi, he carried a sizeable sword with two smaller blades coming off of the sides, sloping down as if to protect his hand.

His left arm was thrown up and back, his legs brought up to his chest, his right arm which held the sword was out, but the blade was to the side, across his body, which was slightly angled towards Zera.

“There you are, Eiros.” She hissed, spinning around and throwing her claw up.

He had used his Miru to float himself up the side and get behind her. That was one of his favorite attacks, to float himself and then use his blade and style in an acrobatic manner that probably suited a Toa of Air more than a Toa of Fire.

He extended his legs as he came down, wildly slashing his sword out at Zera, who parried. As soon as he landed, he drew his sword all the way off of her claws, to his right, so his arm was fully extended. He drew it in and lunged forward, driving the sword for her chest.

She parried it down. He drew it back up and brought it to his body. He moved it quickly around himself in almost pointless movements of bending and twisting his arm, and by extension, sword, and plunged it forward again.

When she parried it again, he drew it to the side and span so he could go for another plunge, instead of a slash to return it to its normal position. He lunged forward, but she dodged back this time.

He leapt forward, slashing wildly before his body as he came down at her. He lunged forward, driving forward twice, but she was able to evade both attacks.

He span around, drew the sword up to his chest again upon the rotation, and plunged once more. This time it looked like he would get a blow in.

She parried with a stream of Water generated from her free left hand. She threw her arm out, throwing the sword aside with it, having caught it in the Water. She plunged her claw into his chest, causing him to scream in pain. Sparks flew from the impact of weapon on armor, darkening his armor at the impact point from the blow.

He hit the ground hard and stayed down, just like the other two rookies.

“Well, are they finished, Zera?”

The Toa of Water turned to watch two other figures approaching from the other side, having taken the path up the back of the small cliff. A Toa of Ice was in the lead, the one whom had spoken. He wore the Kanohi Doite, Mask of Sensory Aptitude, increasing his senses. He wore a scope on the left eye of the Kanohi for his own reasons. He wore primarily white armor, with some gray, and wore three claws on each wrist, on the outer side of the wrist, for very close quarter attacks.

The other Toa with him was in orange, white and yellow armor, wearing a yellow Kanohi Hau, Mask of Shielding. He carried a dagger with small teeth on the inside, curved out at the bottom. He was well armored, with claws and spikes on parts of his armor. He was a Toa of Brimstone, the leader of the three instructing Toa on Recla Nui.

“Get up.” Zera said simply to the three downed Toa. They each began to push themselves to their feet and swagger from their injuries.

“It’s my turn.” The Toa of Ice said, stepping forward, lifting his right arm to show the three curved claws on the outside of his wrist, “Now, let’s see if any of you can take me down, since you failed against Zera.”

Eiros used his sword for support as he rose. He looked to the Toa of Energy and the Toa of Lightning gathering behind him.

“I’ll take him down.” He clenched his fist, “My element will win me this!”

“Mine didn’t beat Zera.” Yuna pointed out.

“You were a fool.” Gerat said, berating her choice to use Lightning despite drenched at the time.

“Your bickering will make this simple.” The Toa of Ice said as the three continued to keep interest only in each other, in arguing over each other’s abilities and intelligence levels. “Now, let’s get this underway.”

He drew himself up, folding his arms across his chest. As he began to speak, he stepped forward with his left foot, dropping his arms, slightly lifting the left one up to show the claws, while drawing the right one back to his side, keeping it bent and up, ready for a punch, it would seem.

“The frozen master of Recla Nui! Toa Leros!”

The three looked up as he lunged forward. Eiros lifted his sword into a wild slash, drawing it back into his acrobatic fencing position. He plunged his weapon forward, but it was deflected by the left claws. Leros threw a punch into his face, taking him down.

As soon as he stepped through, Yuna was slashing the clawed end of her weapon down. He lifted his arm, parrying with his right claws. He gave her a quick punch to the gut with his left fist, and let her sink down.

Gerat appeared behind him, slashing back. He lifted his right arm up, using his claws on his right to parry. He span around, deflecting down with a less brutal attack. He went in for swift, but more graceful shots, using jabs and spins to avoid attacks.

When he got behind the Toa of Energy, however, he slashed him across the back with both claws, taking him down. Sparks flew from the impact, and his armor darkened where the slashes were made.

Eiros rose again and ran forward. He leapt with his right leading, slashing wildly with his weapon, trying to keep his chest covered with the constant movements. He ended by drawing back and plunging it forward.

Leros used his powers to raise a wall of Ice before them. The blade got stuck as the wall formed around it. Before Eiros could do anything, Leros leapt over it and came down behind him, giving him a chop with his right hand to the back of the neck, dropping Eiros.

Yuna leapt forward, driving her weapon at him. Leros span around, knocking it aside with a swipe of his left claws. He plunged the right in and slashed down her chest, taking her down with a rain of sparks from the impact, darkening her armor at the point of impact.

“Gerat, you want to try?” Leros questioned the Toa of Energy.

In a flash, Gerat was in front of Leros, slashing with his larger sword. Leros parried easily with both of his claws and stepped forward, kicking Gerat in the gut, knocking him back.

When he looked up, a large Ice spike was smashed into his chest, throwing him to the ground.

“Faster than you, Zera.” Leros said.

“I already weakened them.” Zera countered.

“It would have been the same regardless.” Leros said, looking to the Toa of Brimstone, “Your turn, Ilos.”

The Toa of Brimstone, Ilos, stepped forward. He kept his shortsword in his right hand, point down, allowing the tip to curve out away from his body.

He drew his left fist up to his face, tightening it. He threw it out to the side as he spoke, taking a step forward with his right foot and drawing his blade up across his chest.

“The master of the poisons of nature, fated to defend Recla Nui! Toa Ilos!”

Eiros rushed forward and leapt in at Ilos. He slashed wildly as he came down, and then rolled under Ilos’s slash. He came up behind his foe and lunged forward.

Ilos span around, twisted his sword around with his fingers, and then slashed to the side, disarming Eiros.

“What…?” The Toa of Fire muttered. He prepared to use his powers to attack, but took a kick to the gut and went down.

Ilos span around, catching Gerat’s sword as well as Yuna’s claw on his blade. He drew back and pushed forward, offsetting both of them.

He threw his left arm forward, unleashing a mist into the air. The two Toa backed away, afraid to get near, knowing it could be poison.

“You’re not done with me yet!” Eiros shouted as he rose. He generated a pulsating ball of flames into his hand. Flames charged and lined with Elemental Energy. He threw the attack forward, ignoring the mist.

Why would he be trying to kill them?

“Bad mistake.” Ilos said simply.

He activated his shield and stepped slightly to the side. The fireball carried forward, into the gas. Once they collided, the gas ignited. An explosion tore the ground apart and scattered the three rookies, while Ilos stood safe behind his shield.

“Done.” He said, looking to Zera, “Fastest time. I win.”

Eiros pushed himself up, panting, supporting his scorched body with his Sky Flame sword. He stumbled towards them, “That’s cheating!”

“Being a Toa is a life-or-death job.” Ilos said simply, “You made the wrong choice. Be fortunate it wasn’t actual poison, or more combustible.”

Gerat and Yuna stumbled over beside Eiros. The three instructors stood before them. Ilos spoke to them.

“You three failed to defeat any of us. You’re still new to the job, new to the island, so we’ll let it go. But you should at least be able to hit us! Try harder next time! Try new plans! Just improve in the meantime. Remember this. There’s no guarantee these normal days will continue. Understand the meaning of today!”

The three rookies looked amongst themselves, “It’s your fault.” Yuna told Eiros.

Gerat nodded, “If you hadn’t thrown that fireball!”

“It was all I could do!” Eiros shouted, “Look! I had no other options! I didn’t think he’d use poison or anything like that against us!”

“Think next time!” Yuna shouted. She turned her back on the others, “I’ll pass next time. I’ll actually do better. I’ll go one-on-one instead of three-on-one.”

Eiros was about to get back into the argument, to join Gerat and Yuna again, when he turned to look at the instructors, talking amongst each other, smiling, and even laughing.

The three of them bumped fists, as if it was natural for them to be friendly, to be friends. What was this?

They had been rivals in the battle against the rookies. They had been trying for the best times. They had been arguing to an extent. So now, why was this? Why were they laughing? Smiling? Talking? What was going on?

Could it be?

The three of them bumped fists, as Toa often did.

It was.

They were friends.

“Guys…” Eiros said.

“What?” Yuna questioned bitterly.

“Look.” He replied.

The other two looked at the instructors. At the ‘crashing wave of Recla Nui’, the ‘frozen master of Recla Nui’ and the ‘master of the poisons of nature, fated to defend Recla Nui’.

They were friends, despite being rivals, despite being argumentative sometimes.

“We should follow that example.” Eiros simply said.

Gerat nodded, “I agree. We shouldn’t be fighting…that’s why we lost. If we work together next time, we can work it all out.”

“We can go on to be on the same team, when our training is over.” Yuna said, “Instead of split ourselves, like we planned.”

Eiros nodded, “We can be rivals…but we have to be friends. We have to work together as well. We have to…or we aren’t going to win. Toa need to work together. A Toa is part of a team, not a lone wolf.”

The three nodded, and bumped fists.

(Rookie/Recla Nui)

Chapter 2: The X Discovery
Recla Nui, an island in the far south of the Matoran Universe. It had rocky terrain across much of the island, cliffs, some small forests, streams and other bodies of water. The jungles were dangerous, filled with dangerous Rahi and other threats, such as poisons in the form of plants. The rocky terrain made maneuvering difficult. The cliffs provided a sensation of entrapment. Even the waters weren’t safe, as they held their own hidden hazards.

Yet there were villages. Matoran still lived on the island. The villages were few and far-spread, to allow for some travel, at the least, to use different areas of the island meant for training, and to allow some comforts while it was happening. Perhaps someone was wounded? A village would surely help in an area like that.

But why would Matoran live there? There were always three Toa instructors on the island, rookies usually, and Seiza, but he didn’t do much. Not anymore.

The Matoran lived there for the joy of helping the Toa. For doing something new, for the pure sake of adventure, in some instances.

But even with Toa guardians, they had fears. The Toa were only at a single village at a time, for training purposes, such as fighting. Sometimes they would be spread, but that was rare. So what was the defense of the island, then? If there were no Toa, there were Matoran.

Trained Matoran warriors. Multiple Matoran undertook rigorous training to be able to fight, to defend the island. One such Matoran was Keris, a Ki-Matoran, in blue, white and gray armor. He carried a crystalline sword on his back as he patrolled the village he was stationed in on the western side of the island. The Toa were currently at the eastern village, using the cliffs.

Mere Matoran warriors couldn’t always defend the villages, they knew that. Another reason to be on Recla Nui was for Lava-Gems and the raw materials that could be obtained on the island.

Since Rahi were almost always a problem, and calling in Toa to help worked before Ilos and his partners arrived, that seemed obvious. Call in more Toa to protect the island, if Ilos’s team couldn’t be there. Have more widespread Toa.

Most Toa wanted little to do with Recla Nui. Toa Sewin had been very helpful in the past, but he was rumored deceased, so he couldn’t help. If they summoned him, were he alive, he would likely have stayed to help.

Ilos’s team could move quickly, but not quickly enough. That was a problem. Too big a problem, so a method was devised using Lava-Gems and natural resources.

Exo-Armor, walking armored suits similar to Exo-Toa were created. The Armor model was made for Matoran rather than Toa, however, allowing Matoran to become armored and more powerful, using new tools and weapons to defend their homes with.

Keris was the leader of a group in this village. He had nine men with him, all of whom used second generation armor, as opposed to his first generation. There were five other first generation suits on the island, the more powerful suits. The second generation was mass-produced, so to speak, but lacked power due to how hard it was to build them.

Squad leaders had the first generation suits. Keris in the western village, Kato in the east with Perto, and then Servix, Tyko and Leina were in the northern village.

Keris preferred to have the west to himself, he liked the west, and the men were loyal to him. If anyone else tried to help him lead, they wouldn’t get much done. Only Keris could lead these men into battle, due to their overwhelming respect for him.

“Keris!”

Keris turned, hearing the cries of another Matoran. This wasn’t one of his men, but rather, one of the villagers. Someone who needed help.

“What is it?” He asked the Po-Matoran who looked desperate.

“We need you!” The Po-Matoran shouted.

It was only then that Keris noticed that this Matoran was scorched, cut, and missing his right hand.

Keris took no questions. He rushed past the Matoran, who shouted to him once more, clutching his stub wrist, “The suits!”

Keris nodded as he ran. He could hear alarms being sounded through the village by other Matoran. Soon his men would be armored, and so would he. They would repel whatever this oncoming attack was, whoever, or whatever, did that to the Po-Matoran.

Keris rushed into a small hut that held his suit specifically. It was a bit taller than he was, and gray. It was open, with the back standing, and the front lowered to the ground. He stepped inside, hooking his feet into their proper controls. The chest closed, locking onto his armor.

He took grip of the arm controls, lifting the arms. More parts to the arms came down, enclosing his arms within the mechanical suit’s arms for protection. There was no head protection, only for the legs, arms, and torso.

The right arm of his suit had a drill-like tool mounted on it. It was capable of creating a small energy drill that would cut through opposition, while the left arm had a large, serrated blade mounted on the wrist.

Keris rushed out into the village, looking around. He could see the other nine similar suits approaching. Each looked similar to his, but they were a bit smaller, and had less armor. Their weapons were more basic, simply melee weapons, as opposed to anything with energy, like his drill had.

“Where’s the threat? What is the threat?” Keris questioned of his men.

“Ha! They don’t even know we’re here!”

“Now they do, you fool…”

“Just do your jobs.”

The ten Matoran looked to a ledge overlooking their village. They could see three figures standing there, watching them.

The first one to have spoken was in crimson armor. He had clawed feet, and spiked armor a bit farther up on his legs. He had simple, light armor on his chest. His right shoulder had a rounded piece of armor branching out in two directions, like a half-circle. Each ended in a spike. His right arm seemed shorter, but ended in a large double claw in place of a hand.

His left arm looked normal, but had a claw coming up at the very top of his arm, going back. He had spikes curling down his arm from that point to behind his arm. His arm itself was normal, but at the end, in place of a hand, he had a blade that pointed down, with a small bit of blade going up.

Behind each arm was a transparent wing, like an insect’s. His head was in a helm or a Kanohi, it was hard to tell. It was crimson, powerful looking, and had a horn going up the top center.

The second figure whom had spoken was clad in blue armor with some gray. He too had clawed feet, and thicker armor just above them. He also had spiked armor a little higher up, but he looked more normal than the other, despite the obvious insect-like qualities that he too possessed.

He had a gray torso, with a blue spiked piece of armor going down. Right next to it, on the right, going up behind his right shoulder, was a row of spikes. He had the similar blue armor on his right arm, at the top, near his shoulder. He had hands, unlike his fellow. He carried a large spear-like weapon in his right hand. His left held a curved up claw weapon. His left shoulder had a large spike coming off of it, going up at an angle.

His helm or mask, whatever it was, was blue, with a grid-like pattern on the left eye, and had a powerful look overall to it, like his crimson counterpart’s. He had a curved spike on the right top of it, curling up, and a sleek piece as its mirror, going up at an angle. Coming from behind it was a curved piece of horn that went over his head.

The final figure wore silver and gray armor. He had gray primarily, and wore silver over the top. His feet were gray, with silver overlaying the silver legs. He too had spiked armor a bit higher up. His torso had a few pieces of sleeker silver armor. His arms were gray and silver, and smaller than his fellow’s, less muscular. He had silver armor overlaying the gray, and had hands, that was a certain. His right hand held a wicked axe, with a multi-bladed piece going down, and two scythe-like blades above it, curling out instead of down.

He had a powerful looking silver helm or mask on as well, and blades could be seen on his back, curled in. Upon closer examination, these were folded wings, with the blades being the ends. He was avian, in an insectoid way. Perhaps he was a moth in form?

“We are the Eruo.” The silver figure, the leader, said simply, “You Matoran are in our way.”

“Eruo?” Keris shouted, “I know of them! They aren’t freaks like you lot!”

“Freaks? I’m hurt.” The silver figure mocked, “You see, we found something of great power within ourselves. The X-Force. A symbiotic genetic anomaly in only some. It allows us to become what we can be! What we are meant to be! It makes us invincible! And to make we Eruo invincible, it makes us into our insectoid forms, like our lowest class.”

He looked to the blue figure, “Drachius?”

“My pleasure...” Drachius answered, lowering his spear, “Die...”

Lightning gathered around the large spear blade—which looked more like a sword on a stick than anything—and fired, crackling with intense, deadly energy.

“Move!” Keris ordered, dodging to the side with his machine.

Before he knew it, he could see Drachius near them, two silver, rounded beetle-like wings spread from his back. He slid towards one of the men, slashing down with both hands on the shaft of his spear.

The man tried to parry with his blade, but wasn’t fast enough. He was slashed across the face, going down in death.

One man lost couldn’t stop them. Keris threw his arm out, “Attack!”

Two more moved in on Drachius. He dodged back, avoiding the two slashes. He backed into another, who grabbed his arms and held them out.

“Strong suits... I’ll give you that...” Drachius hissed, pulling his arms in front of himself, smashing the two suits into each other, “I’m stronger, thanks to my birthright…!”

He kicked one of them aside, plunging his claws in with the kick, damaging the internal workings of the suit. He drew his spear back, running the other Matoran through.

Keris rushed in, spinning his energy drill. He thrust it in, but Drachius parried with his claw blade. He pushed it out, throwing Keris’s right arm aside. He kicked Keris back, but didn’t get his claws dug inside, since another suit attacked first.

“Protecting your leader? Why throw your life away…?” Drachius questioned.

More and more men attacked, trying to bring down a single foe, seemingly forgetting two remained above. Keris moved back and looked up.

“Who are you?” He screamed.

The silver leader just watched, never speaking. His red comrade stood silently beside him, but clenched his large claw, as if anxious to fight.

Keris looked down. There were remains everywhere of both machine Exo-Armor and of Matoran. They had been slaughtered by this X-Force Eruo.

“Your turn…” Drachius said, walking towards Keris, Lightning crackling around the end of his spear.

Keris lifted his arms, ready to fight to the death. He had to at least buy time for the Matoran to get away, to get help from the other squads, from the Toa.

He had to do what he could to ensure the largest number survived. His comrades had known the dangers. He knew the dangers.

Any life to be lost that day would either be the Eruo, or the Matoran guardians.

Keris launched himself forward, shouting as he ran, lifting his blade high and drawing the drill back, getting ready to attack with both.

“It’s your turn to visit the next world…” Drachius said, in his unsettling way of drawing his words out.

Keris barely noticed the flash of red. Drachius felt it and span around, throwing his spear up and twisting it to the side.

The blade struck the shaft of the weapon. Drachius took a step back and span his weapon around, planting the rounded end into the dirt at his feet.

“Who are you…?” He hissed.

He drew his sword up to his face and slashed it to his right side. He drew into a stance with his left foot leading, and then turned his right wrist up and drew it up to his extended left arm. He threw his left arm out and extended his fingers while drawing his right arm up by his head, turning his wrist down again, pointing the blade forward.

As he did these motions, he spoke, creating his own title.

“The blazing inferno of Recla Nui! Toa Eiros!”

“Toa?” The silver figure hissed. He looked back, watching as more Toa rushed towards the scene.

The red figure turned around, grinning viciously, “Fun!” He laughed.

The figure of Toa Yuna came first. She lifted her weapon high, generating Lightning into the tip of it. She threw her arm down, casting it down from her ledge at Drachius.

Drachius lifted his spear and returned the attack, negating her blow with his own. He glanced to his right as Eiros launched himself at the Junker.

He drew his legs to his chest and cast his sword arm out. As soon as he landed he started to swing wildly and spin, using his acrobatic style of fencing. He would thrust and parry the occasional attacks that came back.

They clashed their weapons together, but neither could push past the other.

“You’re good.” Eiros hissed.

“You’re a rookie…” Drachius answered, “I have no interest in fighting you…”

“What are you?” He hissed, ignoring the insult.

“An X-Force Junker…” Drachius answered, kneeing Eiros in the chest. As the Toa of Fire stumbled back, the spear came down, slashing him across his chest. Eiros flipped and hit the ground hard, the spot of the wound now darker on his armor, sparks having just flown from the clash of steel on steel.

Eiros pushed himself up, panting. He glanced to the other Toa as they approached the ledge that Yuna was on, a decent distance away from the ledge with the other two Junkers. They were ready to help Eiros, hopefully.

He drew his sword up to his chest and turned to his stance again, ready for another go at Drachius.

“My name is Drachius, Toa…” He said.

“Eiros, as you heard.” Eiros answered. His left hand, which was up behind his head in his stance, started to gather power. He was going to unleash a massive blast in a small fireball, just like in training the other day against Ilos.

It was dangerous, but it could work very well here.

“Let’s go at this, then…” Drachius said, pointing the end of his spear at Eiros, gathering Lightning into it.

As soon as it fired, Yuna acted, drawing the Lightning to herself, absorbing it for Eiros’s sake. That was Eiros’s chance. He leapt forward, throwing himself with his Miru towards Drachius, gathering the fireball into his left hand.

The small sphere was ready. It was a compressed ball of flames, with darker, deeper energy lines pulsating over it, pure Elemental Energy, rather than flames.

The destructive force would be immense.

The crimson Junker watched, and then leapt off the ledge, floating with his wings towards Drachius. The silver figure, at the same time, turned to Ilos.

“Been a while, Ilos.” He said simply.

“…Monsth?” Ilos muttered in question, to which he received a nod.

Eiros threw his fireball at Drachius. The blue Junker turned just as his red counterpart stepped in front of him, just slightly, ready to take the blow instead, and then, impact.

(X-Force/Xenophobia)

Chapter 3: The B Doesn't Stop
As soon as the attack got anywhere close, it was just gone.

Eiros stood in shock as the red armored X-Junker laughed, “Did you really think that such an attack could work on me?” He threw his head back, laughing in his gruff laugh.

“Just what are you?” Eiros hissed.

“My name is Seriun.” The Junker hissed, “And your attack? It fell prey to my power!”

“What does that even mean?” Eiros shouted.

“You see, I can negate power.” Seriun sneered, “Nothing can touch me!”

“We’ll see!” Yuna screamed, throwing her arm down at him. He glanced up as the bolt of Lightning flew down from the ledge at him.

“Tell your apprentices that it’s useless.” The silver armored Monsth told Ilos.

“Never.” Ilos hissed.

The Lightning crackled through the air, and then, an arm’s length from Seriun, it vanished, seemingly striking an invisible bubble around the Junker and just stopping there, absorbed into nothing.

“You see now?” He shouted.

“I’ll defeat you.” Eiros hissed, running forward, throwing his sword out to his side as he ran.

“This will be fun!” Seriun laughed, taking a step forward. He pinched his claw open and closed, waiting for the challenge of the rookie Toa of Fire.

“Seriun, he’s mine…” Drachius said, putting his spear out in front of Seriun, “I started this, I’ll end this…”

Seriun looked almost disappointed, but then laughed and looked up at the ridge above, “I have five more Toa to play with! Take this one, Drachius. I’ll have my fun up there!”

Monsth looked to Ilos, and then to Seriun, “Seriun, we’re leaving for now.” Monsth said, “Drachius, finish up and then return.”

“Understood…” Drachius answered.

Monsth turned to leave, ignoring the five Toa ready to fight. Seriun walked up the path and joined Monsth, though shot one look back at the five Toa, as if wanting to tear into them, but he was too frightened of Monsth to do so.

“I won’t let them get away!” Gerat shouted, clenching his sword tightly in hand. He tightened the muscles in his legs, about to push off, when Ilos shouted a warning at the Toa of Energy.

Before Gerat could move, or hear the command, Monsth span around, throwing his axe into the air. He lifted his right hand to his mouth, and energy began to appear around the inside of his hand, shining out and reflecting on his armor.

He threw his arm forward, throwing the orange energy forward, smashing it into Gerat, taking him down.

“I told you…” Ilos muttered, helping Gerat to his feet.

“I’m sorry…” Gerat apologized.

“Forget it.” Ilos said, looking down, “We have to help Eiros.”

“You don’t think he can handle it alone?” Yuna demanded.

“Against an enemy of that power?” Leros, the Toa of Ice questioned, “No. He can’t win.”

A primal shriek was heard. Ilos looked around, “Leros?”

“On it.” Leros answered, using his scope to scan the surrounding areas, using his enhanced senses with his Doite to search. “Got it! North, one hundred bio!”

“Let’s move.” Ilos said, “We’ll leave Eiros here alone.”

“That’s not a good idea.” Zera said.

“I don’t trust that he can win.” Ilos admitted, “But we’re going to leave him here to face this fight alone. That Drachius…I don’t know him, but I know Monsth. From what I’ve seen, Eiros will be fine. I’m sure he’ll survive.”

“Let’s hope so.” Yuna said, “If he dies, I swear I’ll…”

Zera put her hand to Yuna’s back, “Move, rookie. No need to make empty threats.”

“Empty?”

“You don’t have the power to beat that Junker.” Zera said, “Now, let’s move!” She shouted at Yuna, who finally started to move on ahead.

Down below, Eiros finally reached his foe. He slashed his sword high, and then slammed it down. Drachius parried with the shaft of his weapon, taking his grip near the center, right near where the blade struck.

“You’re not very careful.” Eiros observed.

“I planned on where you would strike…” Drachius said, “I was fine…”

He kicked Eiros in the chest. As Eiros stumbled back, he looked up. Drachius leapt forward, skimming over the ground, using his wings to provide a small lift for himself. He slashed Eiros across the chest with his single handed spear. Sparks flew, and his armor darkened.

Drachius slashed his curved claw blade up across Eiros’s chest, causing more sparks and more dark patches to appear as he flipped around and hit the ground. He rolled aside as the blade of the spear plunged into the spot where his head had just been a moment ago.

Eiros came to his knees and charged a fireball into his left hand. This one was just a normal fireball, a decent size, not compressed for an explosive result, and not packed with raw Elemental Energy. He was going to watch what his foe would do.

He threw his arm forward, sending the flames hurtling at Drachius. Drachius lifted his weapon and slashed it down, splitting it in half. The two halves of the fireball struck to either side behind him, causing small explosions as the flames dispersed.

He cast his claw blade aside and took his spear in both hands. He ran forward, keeping the tip down. He span around, raising the tip high at the apex of his spin, and slammed it down.

Eiros lifted his sword to parry, and then stumbled back. He pushed back and dodged to the side. He leapt forward, plunging his sword.

Drachius parried with an electrically charged left hand. He pushed the sword back and drew his hand to his chest. Lightning began to crackle around it as he threw it out, smashing it into Eiros, throwing him aside, causing showers of sparks to fly from his armor as miniature explosions erupted on his body from the impact.

“I’m superior…” Drachius said, “Surrender and live…”

“Or fight and die?” Eiros questioned.

“Fight and I may kill you…”

“Funny, I was thinking the same!” Eiros shouted.

Drachius span his spear around in his hand and then slammed it down to parry Eiros’s weapon into the ground, “That makes no sense…you haven’t even touched me yet…how could you assume you can kill me if we keep fighting…?”

“Analytical?” Eiros questioned, “As I hoped. Focused, I’m sure.”

“What do you mean…?”

Eiros thrust his left hand forward, slamming a miniature ball of flames into Drachius’s chest. Drachius cried out and stumbled back, holding his scorched chest in his left hand, panting. He removed his hand, observing the darker spot on his armor.

“You made a mistake…” Drachius hissed.

“I was about to say the same.” Eiros replied.

“No…you made a mistake in wounding me…now I will kill you…”

“Your threat won’t scare me away.” Eiros said, drawing his stance back, putting his right foot forward, bending at the knee. He extended his left leg back. He drew his right arm in, holding his sword straight at Drachius. His left arm was out behind him, palm up.

“Die, you fool.” Drachius said, dropping his hissing, drawn out sentences.

“What?” Eiros muttered, suddenly shocked, overcome by such a simple thing as changing his speaking mannerisms.

Drachius lowered his spear to the ground. He took it in both hands and slashed it up in an arc, towards the sky above him.

A shockwave rippled forward, slamming into Eiros before he could react. He stumbled back, struggling to reclaim a stance. He could feel a cut going up the center of his armor, where the shockwave had struck him. Miniature explosions rocked his armor, causing sparks to fly and darker patches to appear.

He looked up as Drachius had closed the distance, holding his spear high. He slammed it down with all his power, matching the wound from the shockwave. The spear, however, was charged with Lightning, causing even more damage.

Eiros screamed in absolute pain as he was thrown back. He hit the ground and stopped moving. Most of his chest was darker in color because of his continual wounds. There was a visible cut going up the center of his chest armor from the dual attacks.

“It’s over.” Drachius said, walking away.

Ilos stopped and looked around the woods. He motioned for Leros and Yuna to move one way, and for Zera to move another. He told Gerat to stay with him.

“What do you think it is?” Gerat asked Ilos.

“I don’t know.” Ilos replied, “Just keep your sword ready.”

He and Gerat stopped and looked around the small clearing. It was obviously unnatural.

Ilos crouched down and examined the area. There were shattered tree remnants lying around, as well as marks from claws and the like in the ground.

“Rahi?” Gerat suggested.

“I don’t know…” Ilos replied, “The marks match up…but what’s the point?”

“A trap?” Gerat suggested.

“Rahi don’t lay traps.” Ilos answered, rising. He tightened his grip on his weapon, “Rahi are stupid beasts…”

“How stupid?” Gerat questioned, “Some are pretty intelligent.”

“But this intelligent? To clear something like this? To lead us here? To ambush us?”

“Ambush?”

“It’s obvious, kid.” Ilos answered, “When you’ve been here this long…it’s obvious.”

Silence.

“There!” Ilos shouted, pushing Gerat aside. He himself leapt forward as a black shape leapt out of the forest, slamming a stinger tail down where they had been standing a moment ago.

Ilos slid and span, facing this creature. He drew his shortsword up to his chest and ran forward, slashing in an upward direction at the black beast.

It was black and gray in color. It had two feet, black, with two toes each. It had black legs with some underlying gray. A gray torso was overlaid with a black piece of armor. It had gray arms, with some black, spiked armor higher up. In place of hands, it had a single curved claw on its left, and two curved claws on its right.

Near its hips it had pincers that made it seem almost like a scorpion. These small limbs were gray, tipped in a large, curved claw, like the ‘hands’ of the beast. They closed around his chest, opened again, and then slammed closed once more.

A large stinger tail was on its back, rising up tall. It was black and gray, ending in a similar hooked, curved blade. Its face was black and silver, elongated, with fangs coming down.

While it had the attributes of a scorpion, it was more like a beast than a single animal.

“What is that?” Gerat shouted, drawing his blade up.

“I don’t know…” Ilos replied, “Answer us! What are you?”

The creature kept in a partial crouch. It looked with burning red eyes to Ilos, “Jaga…” It hissed.

“Jaga?” Ilos questioned.

“Like a Nui-Jaga?” Gerat pondered.

The creature looked to Gerat when he spoke the Rahi name, “Nui-Jaga…X-Force…powerful…”

“Well, that answers that.” Gerat said, vanishing and appearing right in front of the beast thanks to his speed. He slammed his shield into its face and carried forward, dragging it towards Ilos.

Ilos dug his blade into its back as they reached him, and used his twisting momentum to throw the beast aside, causing it to roll and dig up the ground in an attempt to slow itself or stop.

It rose, “Battle…conflict…survival…fun…”

“Is this thing looking for fun in fighting?” Gerat questioned.

“Sometimes that’s all you can look for.” Ilos answered.

Gerat looked at him, “Is that what you look for? Just fun in fighting?”

“No, I fight for justice, for a purpose.” Ilos said, running forward. He slashed up, but Jaga used his double claws to beat it down. He drove the single claw up, causing Ilos to use his Hau to stop the attack. He reared his right leg back and slammed it as hard as he could into Jaga, knocking it a few steps back.

Gerat appeared in front of it, thanks to his Kakama. He stopped, drawing all of his kinetic energy away and throwing it forward in a pulse blast that tore up the ground. It slammed into Jaga, throwing it back into the woods, smashing trees down as its body was carried away.

“Should we pursue?” Gerat questioned.

“Of course we should! We can’t let it escape!” Ilos shouted, “You go! I’ll catch up in a moment!”

He span around, parrying as something silver dashed out of the forest. Gerat had to ignore it and do as ordered. He raced into the forest after the Jaga creature.

Ilos was fighting with a silver armored X-Rahi as well. That’s what it had to be. It couldn’t be something else.

It was bipedal and fully silver, with some gray. It had two toed feet in silver, with silver legs and spiked silver armor. It had some silver armor overlaying its gray chest, and had silver arms. Instead of hands, it had three claws on each. It had a vicious, sloped back head, with two crimson eyes, and a vicious maw. He could see a tail behind it, ending in spiked silver armor.

“What are you?” Ilos shouted.

Its tail batted the blade away. It slammed Ilos to the ground and looked closer, as if sniffing him. It observed him in its crimson eyes, regarding him for a few moments, and then drew back.

“Why?” Ilos questioned, rising as it got off of him.

The creature turned around, “The X-Force and Nature will me not to kill you.” It hissed in a rusty, rustling voice.

“What are you talking about?” Ilos demanded.

“Wolf only knows that Wolf cannot kill you.” The creature known as Wolf answered. It rushed off on all fours into the forest, disappearing as fast as it had come.

Ilos reclaimed his weapon and raced into the forest after Gerat. He glanced to his side, watching as the other three Toa had met up and were facing off against a third X-Rahi. This one was in lime green and black armor, modeled after a flying insect. It had pure black, thick legs, and a black and green torso, with green overlaying. It had shorter, stubbier green arms, ending in curved black and lime green claws with two claws per hand. Insectoid, almost see-through wings were on its back. It had a head with crimson eyes, black and lime green, with a stinger.

The creature flew high and came down, ‘kicking’ Yuna aside, despite having no feet. He flew at Leros, slashing him across the chest. From the impact came a small shower of sparks and Leros hit the ground, his armor darker.

He rose, throwing a blast of Ice at its back. It struck a wing, taking the creature into a tree. It struggled up with its wounded wing and turned.

“What are you?” Ilos demanded, pointing his blade at it.

“Rama…” It hissed in a voice like rustling leaves.

“So, we have Jaga, Wolf, and now Rama.” Ilos said, pointing his blade at it, “Three, at least, X-Rahi on this island.”

Two other figures appeared beside Rama. They all watched the Toa, who also watched, waiting for the first move to be made.

(Blaze/Battle)

Chapter 4: A C Problem
“What do you mean by ‘X-Rahi’?” Yuna questioned.

“You heard it mentioned by the Junker, right?” Ilos questioned.

“Of course I did. I just want to know what it means!” She exclaimed, “You seem to know, Ilos! None of us do!”

“I’d also like to know.” Gerat said, “I also heard it mentioned with the Rahi. This…X-Force. Just what is it? How do you know about it?”

“Yes, do tell, Ilos.” Leros, the Toa of Ice, said.

Zera nodded, also wanting to know.

“The X-Force is a symbiotic genetic anomaly in only some. It allows them to become what they could be.” Ilos said, “It changes them into powerful beasts, drawing forth the full power of their respective species.”

“How is it that you know of it?” Yuna questioned.

“I’ve been on this island for so long, I’ve heard things.” Ilos said, “Heard of carvings, of cryptic messages being heard by Matoran in the dead of night. The X-Force is something in lore, but as it turns out…exists.”

“Is that a good or bad thing, though?” Gerat questioned, eying up the Rahi, wondering who would strike first.

“Depends on who has it. The Eruo and the Rahi…no.” Ilos said.

“Isn’t it a bit of a coincidence?” Yuna questioned.

“I don’t believe in coincidence.” Ilos said.

Wolf lunged forward at that moment, drawing his silver claw back. Yuna stepped forward and slashed her weapon, deflecting the claw.

She gathered her powers of Lightning into her right hand and thrust it forward, smashing a condensed ball of her element into its chest, throwing it back.

Jaga leapt forward, slamming his stinger tail down. Leros dodged back and leapt forward, slashing its tail with his left wrist claws, and then slamming it in the chest with his right claws, slashing upwards towards the neck.

The creature stumbled back and looked up. Gerat leapt over Leros and slashed it across its chest, knocking it aside. Sparks flew from the impact of steel-on-steel.

Before Gerat could attack again, Rama smashed into him, smashing him into a tree. Gerat was about to use his powers to attack the X-Rahi’s kinetic energy, when the stinger plunged into his neck, causing him to lose all focus and scream in absolute pain.

“Gerat!” Yuna screamed, throwing her left arm forward in a gesture, not to use her Lightning, but to use her Begasu.

Ilos dodged an attack from Jaga and slashed back with his shortsword when he noticed what Yuna was doing. He shouted to her, but she didn’t hear in time.

Her Mask of Rahi Control lashed out at the mind of the X-Rahi. It didn’t seem to notice her attempted intrusion.

Wolf and Jaga did.

They got in the way of the two, attempting to allow the Begasu’s range to take them as well. When the three linked their minds in such a manner, Yuna fell to her knees, screaming.

She had felt this before. An overload of the Begasu. Too many minds, too many targets. Too much control to try to keep, which she ultimately failed at keeping.

This was different, though. The X-Rahi weren’t trying to overpower her mind. No, they were trying something else.

Yuna rose to her feet and looked to Zera, who had her claw ready. “Yuna, what?”

Yuna unleashed a blast of Lightning into Zera, dropping her. Ilos turned to subdue the controlled Yuna, but he too fell to her attack.

Yuna wasn’t controlling the Rahi. With their combined minds, they were controlling her.

“Hey kid, you alive?”

Eiros opened his eyes. He looked up at the brown and orange armored figure standing above him. This wasn’t a Matoran, it was a Toa.

“I see you’re alive. Well then…” He turned and started to walk away. Eiros pushed himself up and looked at the man. He had a dagger sheathed at the small of his back. He had fairly thin arms comparatively to the other Toa he knew. This Toa just looked…different. Not only in his actual appearance, but the feeling Eiros got off of him.

He wore a strange, elongated orange Kanohi mask. Eiros called out to him.

“Who are you? Are you another Toa here?”

He stopped and looked back, “I was a Toa, once.” He said.

“What do you mean?” Eiros asked, very confused.

“A Toa is a hero. I’m no hero.” The man said.

“Well…who are you?” Eiros questioned.

“Seiza.” He answered, “Formerly a Toa of Storms.”

“So…what was your job when you were a Toa?” Eiros questioned.

“That’s not important.” Seiza answered.

“Why are you here, if you’re not an active Toa?”

“Where else should I go? This place, far to the south, is the best. Nobody comes here except to train. There’s no real society here to get at me for not doing my ‘job’. This seems best.” Seiza answered.

“Where are you going?” Eiros asked.

“Why do you want to know, kid?” He questioned, taking a bit of a hostile tone. This tone obviously suited him far better than his other tone. Was this the way he always was? Hostile? Someone you didn’t want to be around? Someone that you hated talking to?

That was how Eiros felt at that moment. That was how he perceived this man, Seiza.

Eiros watched him go, and then stumbled to his feet. He walked as best he could, looking for any Matoran who could help him, or tell him what was going on.

“How am I alive…?” He muttered, shaking his head.

That blow should have killed him. It was Drachius's intent to kill him.

So how did he survive?

Gerat kicked the slumped body of Rama aside. He could see that the Ice dart only went a bit into the X-Rahi’s hide. He looked to the Toa of Ice, who was already engaging against Wolf, while Jaga and Yuna moved in on the downed Toa.

“Stop them!” Leros shouted, ducking a slash from the silver Rahi.

Gerat nodded and rushed at Jaga. He tackled the Rahi, taking him down. He span around, stopping instantly as he drained all of his kinetic energy, redirecting it out as a kinetic pulse at Yuna.

The Toa of Lightning didn’t see it coming. She cried out as she was taken down. Gerat doubted that she would be freed that easily, though.

He rushed to Ilos and helped him to his feet, “You ok?”

“I’m fine.” He pointed to the Toa of Water, “Get Zera on her feet. We need to think of a way to help free Yuna.”

Gerat nodded and rushed to Zera, helping her up. She rubbed the black spot on her chest where the bolt of Yuna’s Lightning power had struck her.

“You keep the Rahi at bay, I’ll deal with Yuna.” She said, lifting her claw menacingly.

“You’re going to overdo it.” Gerat accused.

“I’m just going to put a bubble of Water on her head to make her pass out.” Zera said, “Don’t worry.”

“She’ll drown, knowing your vicious side.” Gerat said, shaking his head, “Has to be another way.”

Ilos rushed over, parrying the stinger tail with his sword. He kicked Jaga away, “Pay attention!” He snapped at the two, “Look, I’ll deal with Yuna! You two just deal with Rahi!”

The two nodded at the direct order and rose, rushing after Jaga and Rama. Leros ducked the tail from Wolf as it crashed over his head.

Leros leapt forward, giving a quick jab. He drew his claw up, parrying the tail up, and then threw a punch with his left fist, knocking Wolf back once more.

He drew back his stance, drawing his left arm back and his right arm out, pointing the claws at Wolf, “Come on. Claw-on-claw.”

Wolf leapt forward, lifting its claws high. It slammed them down, forcing Leros to counter perfectly. Leros fell onto his back and slammed both feet into the X-Rahi’s chest, knocking it off of him, into a tree.

He rose and threw his right arm forward, sending a dart of Ice into Wolf’s shoulder, causing it to cry out.

“Wolf cannot kill Brimstone…Wolf can kill you!” It roared, lunging at Leros.

Leros ducked under the lunge and kicked Wolf in the chest, making the Rahi hit the ground. He leveled a longer Ice dart at Wolf’s throat, “Why can’t you kill our leader?” Leros demanded.

“Nature and the X-Force will me not to…” Wolf hissed.

“I’m surprised you’re intelligent enough to have proper speech, with some grammatical errors, obviously. But yet…what is this about nature?”

“The Will of Nature.” Wolf hissed.

“What is that?” Leros demanded.

Wolf kicked the Ice, shattering it. It picked itself up and lunged into Leros, biting his chest. The Toa of Ice cried out and slammed his knee into Wolf’s chest repeatedly until it finally let go of him.

He drew both arms back, charging both with crystalline Ice. He threw them both forward, sending freezing, crackling beams of Ice forward.

The beams smashed into Wolf, forcing the X-Rahi leader to stumble back. Its arms were frozen over, and now, its body was starting to freeze as well.

Leros dodged as Yuna unleashed a bolt of Lightning in his direction. She rushed over, despite Ilos’s best efforts to keep her in check. She slashed the Ice off of Wolf’s right side, allowing Wolf to free itself.

“Thank you…” Wolf hissed, lunging after Leros.

Yuna turned and slashed her weapon down, parrying Ilos’s into the ground. He followed up with a knee to her chest, knocking her back.

Gerat ducked the strike of Rama’s claw. He span around and slashed Rama in the back, forcing Rama to flip around in the air and come up into a ‘standing’ floating position.

Rama flew forward like this, sending kick after kick into Gerat. He kept focused, and then completely froze, unable to move at all.

He forced enough potential energy into his body, and drew enough kinetic away, that he was frozen where he stood. Unmovable.

Then, as it reared back for a claw to his face, he thrust both arms forward.

The vast amounts of stored potential energy erupted forward, smashing into Rama, throwing it to the ground. Its armor was cracked all over its body. It didn’t get back up.

Zera dodged to the side as Jaga slammed its tail at her. She lunged forward, slashing from her left shoulder to right hip out at the X-Rahi.

The claw slashed through its armor, causing a rain of sparks to fall, causing the Rahi to fall back.

“It’s over.” She said.

“What…fight…not…over…”

“The wound.” She said, “Deep enough cut for my job.”

“Job…?”

Jaga threw its head back and screamed, falling to its knees. Water sprayed out like a large crescent blade from the wound along its left side. The Water cut into its organics as well on the inside, causing massive wounds.

Jaga hit the ground and stayed down.

Leros kicked Wolf aside and ducked a swing of Yuna’s weapon. Ilos came up behind Yuna and kicked her in the back.

She span around, throwing a blast of Lightning forward.

His Hau activated, protecting him from the attack. He drew his arms back, focusing.

“If it’s not over, even with only one of the three Rahi standing, then I’ll have to end it myself.” Ilos said, throwing both arms forward.

Gas erupted from his hands. Yuna fired a bolt of Lightning into it, but it struck the shield again as he used his Hau.

As she tried to flee, Gerat robbed her of her kinetic energy, forcing her to stand still as the gas came to her.

Leros and Zera ducked the swings of Wolf’s claws. They both reared back and stood side-by-side.

“Should we tell this Rahi who it’s dealing with?” Zera questioned.

Leros nodded, “Yes, let’s.”

He drew himself up, folding his arms across his chest. As he began to speak, he stepped forward with his left foot, dropping his arms, slightly lifting the left one up to show the claws, while drawing the right one back to his side, keeping it bent and up, ready for a punch, it would seem.

“The frozen master of Recla Nui! Toa Leros!”

She drew her claw in front of her face and stepped back with her left foot. She slashed it down, trailing Water behind it. She slid her left foot forward to stand fully facing the front of her foe. She drew her left arm high, sending the Water up and around her arm like a spiral, and then brought it down, drawing her claw out in front of her body again.

“The crashing wave of Recla Nui! Toa Zera!”

Zera and Leros leapt forward, smashing their claws into Wolf’s chest. Sparks flew from the impact points, his armor darkened. He was thrown back, slamming into a tree, splintering and shattering it into wooden fragments.

The two Toa stood towards him, waiting for him to get up, but he didn’t.

They looked to Ilos, who had taken Yuna down with some of his gases. He looked to the others, “She’s down. We’ll have to hope that she’ll be freed from their control when she awakens.”

“And if she isn’t free?” Leros questioned.

“We’ll figure it out.” Ilos answered, “Now, we should return to the village to see to Eiros.”

Gerat slung Yuna over his shoulder and walked towards the others, waiting to leave.

The group of Toa headed away, heading towards the village.

“He got away.” Eiros told the others.

“The best thing is that you’re alive.” Ilos said, “That’s what counts.”

“But…”

“Don’t worry, Eiros.” Ilos told the Toa of Fire, “I honestly didn’t expect you to be able to defeat him.”

“Next time, I swear…”

“Eiros, I have some wisdom to impart on you.” Ilos said, “It would do you good to hear it.”

“Go ahead.” Eiros said, “But I do have one thing to ask. What…what happens when a Toa is no longer a hero? When…when he loses himself?”

“I’ll answer that, too.” Ilos said, clearing his throat.

“This job, it makes you into a weapon. Being a hero is only part of it. Do you understand it yet, Eiros? The powers, the job, it all makes you into a weapon.”

“A weapon…” Eiros muttered, wondering about Seiza. He was sure that this lesson was what he needed to be a Toa, and to understand Seiza.

(Control/Creature)

Chapter 5: Who the W Desires
“Your wounds?” Wolf hissed from the darkness of the cave. Sunlight was flittering in through the opening, casting some light onto the figure of Jaga before him, clutching his wound.

While the Toa may believe the Rahi to be ‘its’, rather than having gender, they did have gender. They were thinking, coherent beings. They weren’t animals with nothing but rage or destruction inside of them.

Wolf passed his hands over the damaged armor hide of his companion, “I will help.” Wolf said, “Let me get plants.”

“Thank…you…” Jaga said.

Wolf nodded, “Nature will help me.”

Wolf left the cave. Rama was leaning against the entrance, wounded as well, but not as badly. Wolf stopped and crouched next to him as well, “Your wounds?”

“Not…bad…”

Wolf nodded, “I help Jaga, then I help you.”

“Do…so…”

Wolf walked on his hind legs into the forest, looking around for what he would need to be able to help heal his friends, his comrades.

They were his friends. He wasn’t just their leader, he was their brother.

He was once a wolf type Rahi roaming the island, when he met a Nui-Jaga and a Nui-Rama. The scorpion Rahi attacked him, but he outmaneuvered the stinger tail and attacked. He leapt off of its tail to attack the winged insect. He brought the Nui-Rama down and returned his attention to the stronger scorpion that was the Nui-Jaga.

The Nui-Jaga stopped attacking him. The Nui-Rama flew around him, and then landed.

From that day on he was a leader of Rahi. The three of them survived together in an unlikely partnership. The Nui-Jaga was able to use his stinger tail to crush other Rahi, while the Nui-Rama would scout ahead and pick at foes with swift attacks.

The wolf, on the other hand, would wait, watch, and attack only when provoked, or when his new brethren were injured.

He may not have fought much, but he was the fiercest of them all. He would rip apart any foes who injured his friends. Rahi and Matoran alike.

Then they recently started to change. After awaking in the night one night, they found themselves changing beyond their control. Their forms regressed into smaller forms, lumps of armor and body parts, and then reformed into new limbs, new armor, new forms.

The transformation had been painful, but worth it. It allowed them to fight more as brethren than ever before.

They were the only three X-Rahi on the island. There were other wolves, other Nui-Jaga, other Nui-Rama. This cemented their brotherhood.

From the knowledge that they gained from the X-Force itself, only chosen few had it within themselves. That meant something.

Wolf stopped and glanced into the thicket at his right. He leapt inside, coming out into a small clearing, slamming his prey into a tree.

He had a Kane-Ra bull by its head. The tree splintered as it struck.

It was a smaller Kane-Ra. What did that mean? Was this one underdeveloped? Weak?

Whatever it was, it was small enough for him to easily handle with a single hand. It was slightly larger than him when he stood on his hind legs, but still smaller than most that he had seen.

It attacked him with its horns. He flipped onto its back and slashed it in the back of the neck. It gave a single cry before falling.

Wolf leapt off of the bull and continued walking until he found the greens he was looking for.

He started to pull them out of the ground, fully aware of the eyes on him. He turned around, watching two larger Kane-Ra approaching, climbing over the body of their friend.

Friend.

Wolf growled in a Rahi language.

The bulls growled back in response.

He had killed their friend. Their weaker friend whom they had still taken in as one of them. Other Kane-Ra disowned the weaker member, but these two friends took him in, allowing the three to survive together, instead of in a heard.

Wolf growled an apology that he was attacked first.

The bulls didn’t believe him.

Wolf questioned why.

The bulls replied that he was no Rahi.

Wolf questioned how he was able to talk to them, then.

The bulls didn’t know, but came down on him, rushing towards him with all their might and speed.

Wolf leapt over them, grabbing a branch with his free hand. He leapt off as they crashed into the tree, bringing it down. He landed on a thick, lower branch on another tree, and leapt off again, landing on the back of one of the Kane-Ra.

“Nature dictates that I kill you.” Wolf hissed, plunging his claw into the back of the neck of the beast.

It roared and collapsed.

Wolf leapt off and looked at the other bull. He shook his head.

“Nature tells me that you survive. I cannot harm you. I cannot go against the Will of Nature.”

Wolf turned to walk away. He knew full well that the Kane-Ra was bearing down on him, but he didn’t care.

He was commanded by Nature. Nature showed him where to get the plants for his friends. Nature always helped him.

Nature made him friends. Nature made him who he was today by granting him the powers of the X-Force.

Why would he go against the Will of Nature? He couldn’t oppose it, even if it meant that this bull would crush him. He only hoped that it would see Nature as well and obey it, and hoped that Nature would tell the bull not to kill him.

Wolf span around when the Kane-Ra cried out. He saw it just collapse for no apparent reason.

“What was that?” A voice questioned.

Wolf noticed a figure walking out of the woods, lowering his hand. Clad in his yellow, orange and white armor, he recognized the figure as one of the Toa from the day before.

“Nature told me not to kill him.” Wolf hissed, using the Kane-Ra’s proper gender instead of ‘it’, like the Toa commonly would use.

“You told me that ‘Nature’ wanted me to live, yesterday. I don’t get it.”

“Nature…it is all around us.” Wolf gestured out.

“I can see that. But you refer to ‘Nature’ as a being, or a mind, or something. I don’t get it.”

“Nature is a mind.” Wolf said, “The Will of Nature is what I believe in. Thanks to Nature, I have friends. I have brothers. I and my brothers have this X-Force ability. I obey Nature because of all that Nature has done for me.”

“How can you hear this ‘Nature’?” Ilos questioned.

“I just have an innate feeling.” Wolf replied.

“You’re very special, then.” Ilos said, looking at his hand, “You see…all I can do with nature is create poisons, create death. The powers of Brimstone do have a connection of sorts with nature…but not a good one. More like a vile, twisted connection. Your connection with what you refer to as ‘Nature’…I envy it.”

“Do you really?” Wolf hissed.

Ilos nodded, “I don’t see why ‘Nature’ would want me to live, considering what I do to nature.”

“Nature does not judge.” Wolf said.

“I can see that now.” Ilos said, “Wolf…is that your name?”

Wolf nodded, “My name, yes. Jaga is Jaga, and Rama is Rama.” He answered.

“That was easy to figure.” Ilos told him, shaking his head, “What I wanted to ask was…what is your intent? You have the X-Force. You have this form, this power…what are you planning on doing with it?”

“Surviving.” Wolf said.

“You don’t plan on killing?” Ilos questioned.

“Only if others hurt me or my friends.”

“Are you going to kill my people, then, since we fought yesterday? Since your men were wounded because of mine?”

“…no. The fault lies on us…we attacked first. Defense is admirable. You all defended your friends. I respect that this one time.”

“So…if we fight again…”

“We will come after you, instead of live peacefully.” Wolf said, holding up the greenery, “I have to tend to others.”

Ilos nodded, “Thank you.”

Wolf nodded, “Be careful. Don’t make me regret.”

“I won’t.”

As Wolf turned his back to leave, so did Ilos. Ilos felt good. The X-Rahi weren’t foes. As long as they stayed away from them and didn’t hurt them, the island had nothing to fear. Wolf seemed like he could keep his people in line. Ilos at least hoped he could, for the sake of the Matoran.

The X-Eruo were enough. He didn’t want to add three X-Rahi on top of that.

As Ilos passed a large tree, a figure stepped out of the other side, clad in a suit of silver, robotic looking armor, armed with a staff tipped with tridents. He had a serpent-type head, with glowing red eyes following the departing Wolf.

His eyes flashed with rage. He lifted his staff, aiming one of the ends at Wolf’s back.

Lightning flared out, contained in a single line without branching off, compressed instead of running freely.

The Chain Lightning attack slammed into Wolf’s back, causing him to drop the greenery and fall to the ground. He pushed himself up, keeping to his partial crouch. He turned around, only seeing Ilos walk away.

Moving to all fours, Wolf raced forward. He leapt over Ilos and span to face him, growling at him.

“We had a deal!” Wolf shouted in a bark.

“What? What happened?” Ilos questioned. He could see the dark patch from the impact on Wolf’s back, “What happened?”

“You attacked me!” Wolf shouted, opening his mouth as wide as he could. Power built up and was unleashed in miniature shockwaves.

The Power Scream smashed into Ilos, sending him flying back. He hit the ground hard and rolled away. He struggled to withdraw his shortsword from the sheath in the small of his back. He drew it and plunged it up as Wolf lunged atop him.

Wolf parried it aside with a claw, rolling away with it as he offset the balance of his own jump. He came to his hind legs and kept to a partial crouch, watching Ilos with his crimson, hate-riddled eyes.

“What hit you?” Ilos demanded, “I saw the wound!”

“You did!” Wolf screamed, unleashing another of his X-Force granted Power Screams.

Ilos threw his shield up this time, protecting himself with his Hau. He rushed forward and tackled Wolf into a tree, “I didn’t do anything! What did it feel like?”

“Burning! Powerful!” Wolf kneed him in the chest, knocking him back.

Ilos span and rolled, avoiding the claw that would have cut him through. He came up to his knees, “I’m a Toa of Brimstone! That sounds like Lightning!”

“You have a Toa of Lightning on your team!” Wolf shouted, “She hid! She attacked!”

“No!” Ilos screamed, “I’m alone!”

“We’ll see.” Wolf hissed, lunging forward. He slashed down, forcing Ilos to roll to the side. He came up and span his weapon around, slashing down with it.

Wolf parried with his other claws. He span around, throwing his tail at Ilos. Ilos used his Hau to parry, and then kicked his foe back.

“I don’t want to fight you!” Ilos shouted.

“I don’t want to fight you either! I must!” Wolf shouted back, unleashing another Power Scream.

Ilos rolled to the side and leapt forward, tackling his foe and kicking him into a tree. Wolf attacked again, but Ilos ducked and threw some gases behind himself, hoping to knock his foe out.

Wolf didn’t breathe it in. He leapt out of it and tackled Ilos into the same tree, smashing through the trunk with him.

“Nature and the X-Force tell me not to kill you…” Wolf hissed, putting his face, his vicious maw, right next to Ilos’s face, “I tempted…but won’t.”

“What will you do, then?” Ilos questioned.

“Cut you up.” Wolf hissed, “As long as you live, it doesn’t matter how bad I hurt you.”

Ilos slammed his head into Wolf’s head, knocking the Rahi back. He came to his feet and span his blade around, “If we have to fight, I’ll fight back!”

He drew his left fist up to his face, tightening it. He threw it out to the side as he spoke, taking a step forward with his right foot and drawing his blade up across his chest.

“The master of the poisons of nature, fated to defend Recla Nui! Toa Ilos!”

Wolf hissed, “Your little title? Your rollcall? Prepare yourself!” He lunged forward.

Ilos ducked and span around underneath Wolf. He came up and slashed upwards with his downward facing blade.

Wolf took the blow across his chest. Sparks flew from the impact. The wound darkened instantly. He slashed down this time, causing the same results.

He stayed in close, using swift, short strokes of his sword to maximize the damage to Wolf’s chest, to wound and ward off the X-Rahi.

He finished his attack with a kick to Wolf’s chest, sending him staggering back.

“You strong…not enough!” Wolf shouted, unleashing another Power Scream.

Ilos dodged to his right, but Wolf was there, waiting, using his superior speed to outmatch the Toa of Brimstone. He span around, slamming his tail into Ilos’s face, flipping him to the ground.

He stepped with his two toed right foot onto Ilos’s chest, bending the claws of his foot around his foe’s shoulder, keeping him pinned down.

“Do you want to do this?” Ilos shouted.

“I wish not to…but you broke deal…”

“Someone is playing us against each other! Wolf! Open your eyes!” Ilos shouted.

“I sorry. I must cut.” Wolf raised his claw menacingly.

“Don’t do this! Don’t act like a typical beast! You’re not! You’re superior to that!”

“Don’t trick. Won’t work.” Wolf hissed, lowering his claw for the strike.

Ilos unleashed his power. He sent a blast of acidic vapor up into Wolf’s face, making him cry out and stumble away. Ilos rose, took his blade up again, and slashed his foe once more, up across the chest with all the force he could.

The sparks that flew were larger. The wound was darker and longer than before.

Wolf fell to his knees and hit the ground.

Ilos sheathed his weapon, shaking his head, “I’m sorry I had to do that. We could have been allies…” He looked into the woods, wondering who had attacked Wolf.

“Please, forget me and help your friends.” Ilos said, dropping the greens next to Wolf for when he would wake.

(Wolf/Will)

Chapter 6: Coming to G
“Is it ok for us to let him go without doing anything?” The Ne-Matoran, Servix, questioned.

The blue and green armored Ota-Matoran, Perto, shrugged, “It’s Keris. He’s always going off like this, isn’t he? He never needs help.”

“Except this time it’s incredibly obvious that he does.” The black armored Onu-Matoran and second in command of the overall island’s Matoran defenses, the softer-spoken, less gruff Kato said. He had a habit of appearing uncharacteristic of his kinsmen, being more of a surface-dweller or a sky person, and speaking with less gruffness and interest in the underground or dark.

“I’ve served with him the longest.” Servix asserted, “I think we should help him!”

“I’ve served with him just as long.” A Le-Matoran in lime-green armor, Tyko, said, “He wouldn’t want our help.”

“His entire battalion was butchered.” The lone female, the Ga-Matoran, Leina, said, “That does a lot to a person’s mental state.”

“But it’s Keris!” Servix shouted, “He doesn’t need help!”

“You just don’t want to see your hero falter, is that it?” Kato questioned.

Servix lifted his spiked red and white sword, “What was that?” He demanded.

Perto stepped in front of Kato, wielding his shortsword and pointing it at the Ne-Matoran, “What’s that, Servix? You dare threaten my partner? My leader?”

“Hardly a leader.” Tyko muttered under his breath, “If anyone should lead the Sky Division, it should be me.”

“Too bad your Exo-Armor isn’t sky based, then.” Kato said, “Like it or not, I’m leading it, and Perto is my only subordinate in it. Sorry, Tyko.”

“Ok, this fighting isn’t getting us anywhere!” Leina snapped, “As much as I’d like to argue over this matter with you guys, I have to go and do some fighting, I hope.” She turned her back. She was always the type wanting to fight. Her first mission on the island as a leader was to fight a Nui-Rama swarm. She attacked the swarm before they attacked, harassing the Rahi into attacking, which they wouldn’t have otherwise. She was difficult sometimes, but got results.

Verbal combat, like this, wasn’t what she favored. She hated it. Her sarcastic second sentence was easy enough to spot by everyone else who knew her, so they let her leave, rather than keep her in a fight she didn’t want to be a part of. She did care for Keris’s wellbeing, but just didn’t care to argue over the matter.

“We should get going.” Kato said, “Perto!”

Perto nodded and rushed off alongside Kato towards their current destination, the northern village. Their suits would be waiting there for them. Patrol cycles by the guardians were shifted around, allowing the various leaders and squads to go to the various villages. This was a unique time where the Sky Division was actually together, instead of mixed with others. They were going to take advantage of it, especially since the X-Rahi had been spotted in that general area. They were waiting to fight as a duo for once.

The others started to leave their meeting place next to the lake towards the island’s center. They headed to their respective villages and squads, getting ready for their defensive duties.

Keris walked through the woods alone. He had his crystalline sword strapped across his back, ready to be drawn at any moment. He stuck to the well worn path towards his village where he would join with Kato and Perto in the north. Since his squad had been slaughtered by the X-Eruo, he had been joining other squads in the meantime, just to pass the time until a new squad could be raised for him.

Not that he wanted one.

Those men who were under his care, they were the best men he had known. They all believed undyingly in him, and would have done anything for him. They were some of the best fighters he knew, some of the best pilots of their machines he had ever seen.

It took years to get used to using the Exo-Armor, and these men were masters at it. It would possibly take years to build the suits, let alone train pilots. It could easily take a decade for Keris to have a new squad.

A new squad was needed now. No, rather, never needed. His old squad was needed now, since the X-Force threat was rampant in the form of the Eruo and the Rahi.

He couldn’t allow the Toa to do all the fighting. He had to pull his own weight and help the people of the island as much as he could. That was his duty as the main leader of the Exo-Armor guardian squads.

How could he abandon his duty? What next? His unity? What unity? He had nobody left. What was his destiny, then? Would that be abandoned too?

Or was his destiny to die with his partners? With his friends? His men?

He stopped. He could hear something.

A Rahi? Perhaps.

He continued to move. It would show itself soon enough.

He hoped it was an X-Eruo. Specifically the blue one. He wanted revenge. His blade hungered for that man. For the man that had destroyed his friends.

He was the survivor. It was his duty to become the avenger.

Revenge never solved much, but this time, it had to. He had to kill that Junker for the sake of everyone he cared about!

“What point is there in being a survivor if I can’t do anything?” He muttered to himself as he walked. He could still hear the sounds.

“Then be a survivor no longer.”

He span around, sword quickly in hand. He was facing a blue figure, but not the one he was expecting, not the one he was hoping.

This one was tall and powerful looking none the less. Blue and some gray armor. A blue, reptilian head with crimson eyes inset. A spine traveled down its back, but it was mechanical, housing something, it seemed.

It held a staff in both hands, tipped in curved claw blades on each side. The creature hissed, drawing back, getting ready to launch an attack at Keris.

“What are you?” Keris demanded.

“Rahkshi.” It replied, throwing one end of the staff forward in a swinging motion of its arm. Keris leapt aside just as the ground exploded where he had been, disintegrated into nothing.

“An X-Rahkshi, I imagine.” Keris muttered.

“Correct.” The creature hissed, “Gelt.”

“Keris.” The Ki-Matoran answered. He lifted his sword, “Now, I’ll make sure I kill you! I won’t let any more of you X-Force freaks run around on this island!”

“Freaks? That’s not nice, Matoran.” Gelt hissed, lifting the staff again, unleashing another Disintegration attack.

Keris rolled aside and tried to run forward, but couldn’t make his legs work. He was frozen, just as he had been on his way to the meeting. Earlier that morning, he had run into a Rahi, a Nui-Jaga. It had attacked, but he had been fast enough to survive. He attempted to kill it, but simply froze.

Why? Why had he frozen?

He had told himself the same thing in the morning as he had been saying to himself in his head as soon as this fight began.

“''If I die…I’ll be with them. I must avenge before I can rejoin!''”

Survivor’s guilt was getting to him. He wanted to die, but he first needed to take revenge on his foe, on the Junker. But after that, he would willingly die.

He was a survivor, and the more he told himself that, the worse his body got. He couldn’t move with the implication in his thoughts of being the survivor. The only one left.

The only man to escape being slaughtered.

“I have to come to grips with this…” He muttered, trying to force his legs to work. Gelt was rushing in at him, swinging his staff.

Keris managed to get his sword up in time to block. The shaft was too strong to cut through with a parry such as Keris’s, so he pushed back, finally able to move his legs as he stumbled.

Keris raced forward with deadly calm and reservation. He slashed at Gelt, but he leapt back to avoid taking a blow to his legs. He leapt forward, slamming his staff down.

Keris blocked with the flat of his sword. He pushed forward, kicking Gelt in the chest to knock him back. He drew his sword back and plunged it forward.

Gelt parried the sword down into the ground and slammed the other end into Keris’s face, knocking him to the ground. He looked up as a Disintegration attack came at him.

Keris rolled, avoiding the attack. A hole was now in the ground where he had just been. He pushed himself up and leapt forward, plunging his sword forward.

Gelt parried the sword and pushed it aside. He rolled into the trees and raced off.

“If you really want to kill me, Rahkshi, then come with me!” Keris shouted, “Or are you afraid of a Matoran?”

Gelt raced into the woods after Keris. Keris was planning something. He just needed to be faster, and hope things turned out for the best.

For his butchered squad he had to do this, despite putting the northern village in danger.

Keris suited up and walked out of the village, ignoring questions about what was happening. He simply told everyone to stay inside and wait for Kato and Perto to arrive. There were two squads stationed there, but they were told to wait with the others and protect them.

“There you are!” Gelt shouted, pushing away from a tree as he stumbled out of the brush. Keris stood opposing him, Exo-Armor ready.

“I’m going to kill you.” Keris hissed, “I swear it!”

He raced forward in his suit, sliding it forward with expert ease. Gelt was surprised at his capability of moving the machine so easily, so fluidly.

He ducked a swing of Gelt’s staff. He jammed his blade into Gelt’s chest and started it, using the serrated blade to vibrate cut into Gelt’s chest, causing him to scream out as his artificial sensors started to feel the pain.

When Keris pushed Gelt back, he saw why the Rahkshi had cried in pain.

He wasn’t just a Kraata in a suit of armor, evolved in some way; rather, the Kraata seemed to have melded with the armor. The spots on the inside of the armor that should have had circuitry and the like were replaced with some organics and organs.

“You…” Keris muttered.

“That’s right. I’m not just armor.” Gelt hissed, throwing another Disintegration attack forward.

If Keris dodged, it would carry at the village. He couldn’t let the village come under attack. He started his energy drill on his suit’s right arm and lifted it, using the spinning energy to catch the attack. The drill disintegrated as a result, but could be reproduced simply.

“Nice job.” Gelt hissed, rushing forward and swinging into Keris’s chest.

Keris and his suit stumbled back. He returned with a step forward and swing of his weapon, swinging the blade down at Gelt’s head.

Gelt parried with his staff and pushed back, knocking Keris a few steps back. Keris rushed forward and swung his right fist of the suit into Gelt’s face, offsetting him.

As Gelt regained his footing, Keris had another energy drill ready. He plunged it forward, going for the head.

He had his foe. He would claim the killing blow now.

The drill struck Gelt’s head, but passed through it.

“What is this?” Keris demanded, swinging his blade into Gelt’s body, only to meet the same result.

“I have more powers as an X-Rahkshi.” Gelt hissed, “Molecular Disruption is one of them!” He laughed. He stepped back, pulling out of the disrupted limbs. He returned Keris to normal and rushed forward, driving his shoulder into Keris, knocking him onto his back.

“I’ll give you this.” Gelt hissed, “For a Matoran, you are good. That suit is stronger than I expected. If we keep going without my powers, you’ll kill me. I can tell you that much. So, I needed to use these powers on you. As long as I win, that’s what matters.”

Keris tried to push himself back up, but didn’t count on the change he felt in his muscles as a result of the Molecular Disruption attack.

“Die.” Gelt hissed, lowering his staff, readying his Disintegration attack.

Water slammed into Gelt, throwing him to the ground. He rolled back to his feet and looked at his foe.

“Rise and flee.” A gender-neutral voice said.

Keris looked up to see a cloaked figure standing next to him. This figure was in a full cloak, with multiple colors of armor on hands and feet. A helmet was over a Kanohi mask.

He was certain it was a mask underneath.

This figure was no doubt a Toa.

“Who are you?” Gelt shouted.

“Who are you?” The Toa-figure questioned, “You are an X-Force gifted Rahkshi. An X-Rahkshi. I am an X-Toa.” The arm went up. The cloak closed at the wrists, showing only the multi-colored armor of the hands, “Now, flee, or I’ll kill you.”

“You think I would flee?” Gelt laughed, running forward.

“I warned you.” The X-Toa said simply, unleashing a blast of Water into Gelt.

Gelt hit the ground, some of his armor on the ground around him from the high pressure attack. When he came up again, he was surrounded by a prison of Fire.

“Multiple types of attacks, just like you.” The Toa said.

Gelt walked through the flames, turning his Molecular Disruption on himself. He raced forward, swinging his now physical staff forward.

The Toa caught it with ease and punched Gelt with the right hand, knocking him back. Now flames shot into his chest from the Toa’s left hand, while Water was blasted from the right, both slamming in on the same point.

“This X-Force has benefits.” The Toa said, “But only if you know how to use it. You seem to…but not well enough.”

Gelt hit the ground and rolled aside, losing grip of his staff. He struggled to his knees, glaring at his foe.

“I’ll kill you!” He screamed, taking his weapon up and rushing forward. He span it around and slashed it down, going in to slice the Toa’s throat.

The Toa caught the blade with his or her palm. The Toa pushed back and span around, driving a kick hard into the Rahkshi’s chest, throwing him aside.

“Still think that such a foolish attack can work?” The Toa questioned.

Gelt picked himself up. This time he didn’t attack. He backed away, keeping his eye on his foes, and vanished into the woods.

The Toa turned to Keris, “Good work. Next time I expect that you can win, as long as the next one doesn’t have Molecular Disruption.”

“Next one?” Keris questioned.

The Toa nodded, “I doubt that there’s only one X-Rahkshi here…”

“Who are you?” Keris asked.

The Toa walked away, but stopped before reaching the woods. “Next time…thank the person who saves your life.”

The Toa vanished from sight.

(Gelt/Grips)

Chapter 7: The Likelihood of Y
Yuna walked through the forest, her eyes darting around everywhere. She had heard reports that a Rahkshi, X-Rahkshi actually, had fled the northern village after being repelled by a Toa. She was searching for it, hoping to find traces and find where it was hiding.

It wasn’t an order. She just wanted to fight a Rahkshi and prove herself over the other two rookies. She wanted to improve her skills by defeating such a powerful opponent.

She wanted to silence another being of the X-Force as well.

She stopped when she heard a twig snap.

She span around, charging a bolt of Lightning into her weapon. She faced it forward, “Come out, whoever, whatever you are.”

A Matoran popped his head out of the brush. He was wielding a shortsword, dressed in green and blue armor, camouflaged.

“Perto?” Yuna questioned, lowering her weapon.

“Oh, Toa.” Perto replied, not knowing the trainee names, despite the trainees knowing the names of the Matoran leaders of the defense projects, “What are you doing here?”

“Hunting that Rahkshi.” Yuna replied.

“The one that fled an hour ago?” Perto questioned, “I’ve been looking, but nothing. No traces. No footprints…nothing.”

“How can that be?” She muttered.

“He had Molecular Disruption powers. Could easily have used those to hide his prints.” Perto offered as the most likely suggestion.

“Good point. No sense in leading the enemy back to a hideout.” Yuna nodded.

“Well then, are you going to continue the aimless search that I’ve already completed?” Perto questioned.

“No.” Yuna replied, “Not here, anyway. I’ll go and continue to look elsewhere. For their actual hideout…or base…or whatever you want to call it.”

“That’s even more foolish.” Perto said, “It’s a big island, Recla Nui. Too big for you to search solo.”

“It’s not that big.” Yuna said.

Perto shrugged, “Fine, it’s not. But there are a lot of mountainous areas and caves. Could be a very long time.”

“I’ll find him or them, soon.” Yuna said, “I know I can find someone fast if I put my mind on it.”

“You just think that.” Perto said, “Expect no help from any of us. We have an actual duty in protecting the villages.”

“What does that mean?” Yuna demanded.

“You should be training, learning.” Perto said, “That’s why rookies come to Recla Nui. To learn and become better Toa. You should be doing the same, not chasing some Rahkshi.”

“This island became infinitely more dangerous as of late.” Yuna reminded, “With these X-Force beings running around. I think it’s in everyone’s best interests if we find this Rahkshi soon.”

“Then what?” Perto questioned, “The Rahi? Eruo? More Rahkshi? That Rahkshi is but one of a potential many beings with the X-Force who are our enemy.”

“I’ll take care of it.” Yuna said.

Perto shrugged, walking past her, “Best of luck then…Toa.”

Yuna watched him walk away, and then went the way Perto had just come from, heading in a new direction towards the closest of the mountains.

She wanted to search the higher, rougher land. Any hideout would possibly be there. If that meant for Rahkshi, or Rahi, or even Eruo, she didn’t know. She was just sure that there would be something there.

She stopped and turned around, watching as two red eyes watched her from the brush. She lifted her weapon.

“Come on.” She said.

Wolf leapt out of the forest at her, clawing her shoulders and taking her down as he applied all of his body weight upon her. She struggled, rolling. She kneed him in the chest and pushed him away.

“I won’t fall to your control again.” She hissed, “I’m smart enough not to use the Begasu!”

“So be it…” Wolf hissed, leaping forward. He span around in the air, slamming his tail into Yuna, throwing her back, sending sparks flying from her armor on contact.

She rolled and threw a Lightning blast his way. Wolf dodged to the side and galloped forward, leaping up and coming down at her.

She rolled to the side and slammed a kick up, striking Wolf in the chest. He rolled away and opened his great maw, unleashing a Power Scream.

Yuna rolled aside and cast a Lightning bolt in his direction, causing the ground to be torn up, offsetting the X-Rahi.

When he could see again, he saw Yuna lifting her weapon, but not to strike.

With her weapon high, she slammed it down and twisted it sideways so the blade sections went over her body. She put her hand at the top of the central claw, and then twisted her weapon up, running her hand down the length of the claw. She slid her right leg back, drawing her weapon up at the side of her head, facing the point at Wolf.

“The flashing bolt of Recla Nui! Toa Yuna!”

“Very nice…” Wolf hissed, rushing forward. He leapt up, coming down and slashing her across the chest, causing sparks to fly from the contact, causing her armor to darken at the impact point.

She rolled away, throwing a Lightning blast in his direction. The blast missed.

He leapt forward, driving his claws to the ground, but she avoided it with another roll. She came back up and delivered a roundhouse kick to Wolf’s head, throwing him to the ground.

She generated Lightning around her body, holding it in her right hand, and along the claws of her weapon. She rushed forward, forming the right handed energy into claws made out of surging Lightning.

She slashed with the claws, but he dodged back. She slashed down with her weapon, releasing the contained Lightning with each swing, but he dodged, entirely expecting that to happen.

He backflipped away as she unleashed her claw as a stream of Lightning. It erupted forward, but Wolf ducked and opened his mouth, unleashing his Power Scream.

The attack slammed into Yuna, taking her down. She rolled away and stopped when she hit a tree.

“You aren’t that strong…Toa.” Wolf hissed, approaching her, “Nature tells me that I can kill you.” He lifted his right claws, “So I shall.”

Yuna struggled to get up, to fight back. She could try her Begasu, but if a single will could overcome it, she knew it would be Wolf’s will. But what choice did she have?

A figure leapt out, slashing down, causing sparks to fly from across Wolf’s chest. He stumbled back and cried out. The figure took more steps forward, swinging his arms, causing more and more sparks to fly out and for more armor to darken.

He drew himself up, folding his arms across his chest. As he began to speak, he stepped forward with his left foot, dropping his arms, slightly lifting the left one up to show the claws, while drawing the right one back to his side, keeping it bent and up, ready for a punch, it would seem.

“The frozen master of Recla Nui! Toa Leros!”

“Leros…thank you…” Yuna panted.

He glanced down at her, “Pick yourself up and get out of here.” He hissed, rushing forward. He slashed his left arm down, using the back end of the claws to push Wolf’s head down while simultaneously delivering a punch to it with his right fist, knocking the X-Rahi back.

As Wolf looked up, another fist connected, sending his head up. When it came down, a Power Scream was erupting from it.

Leros leapt back, throwing his arms out. A wall of Ice rose, catching the attack and reflecting it with its perfect surface, sending it right back into Wolf, throwing him to the ground.

“That’s how you do that.” Leros told Yuna. He looked back as Wolf picked himself up. He backed away and raced off.

“He left…” Yuna muttered.

“What happened?” Leros demanded, “You should have been able to take him! With only Power Scream and his agility, Lightning should have gotten him down in no time. If he was too agile,” he said, cutting her off as she tried to speak, “throw more at him. You should have won without me.”

“It’s…it’s the way I always fight!” She told him, “I’ve always fought Rahi that way! I’ve always won that way! I know Wolf is different, but still…”

“You fought the same way as always?” Leros questioned, shaking his head, “You literally always fight that way?”

“Other than training…or when there are others…yeah.” Yuna replied, “One-on-one…always…”

“That’s your problem.” Leros said.

“What do you mean?” Yuna asked.

“This isn’t yesterday. There is no more yesterday! Understand that, or you won’t find a tomorrow!” Leros shouted, “Adapt, use new techniques, strategies…or you are bound to end up a casualty of this island.”

“But…”

“I don’t care.” Leros said, “As one of my students, I expect you to change your fighting so that you can survive.”

“I’ll…I’ll try.” Yuna said.

“Good.” Leros said, walking past her, “Next time I expect you to win.”

She nodded, “I’ll do my best.”

He walked away, leaving her in the middle of the woods.

“What do you want, boy?” Seiza questioned, sitting in a darker hut in the eastern village, sitting at a bar, drinking down a bit of his mug.

Eiros looked at the drink, disgusted by it, disgusted by the very idea of putting something so vile into one’s own system. The drink Seiza had that was served in some places that required to be taken in orally, not absorbed. You would actually drink it, like a Rahi.

Some drank it for intoxicating effect. It was like Ethanum and Ambrosil in that way, but less dangerous, more legal. It made the drinker feel good, but lose some control of themselves. In some places such as Stelt it was used more commonly. It was odd seeing it on a Matoran settlement.

But Eiros expected it to be because of the dangers of the island. Sometimes someone just wanted to forget their worries of being at such a dangerous place.

“You want one?” Seiza questioned.

“No. Don’t touch the stuff myself.” Eiros replied.

“Fine.” Seiza said, drinking another gulp, “What do you want then? I assume since you didn’t come here for the drink; that you came to the bar to see me. So?”

“Who are you?” Eiros questioned.

“Vague question.” Seiza replied.

“No. You’re a Toa, but not a hero, as you said, or something like that. You must be on this island for a reason. Just…why?”

“Look kid, my past is of no concern to you.” Seiza said, drinking another down, “It’s of no concern to anyone, especially not some brat kid who thinks he can demand answers from me.”

“I’m not demanding anything!” Eiros snapped.

“You say that, but your eyes say you are.” Seiza said.

“You sure you’re not just seeing things from that drink?” Eiros questioned.

He slammed his mug down, “You want to go, kid?” He questioned, touching the dagger he wore on the small of his back.

“No.” Eiros said.

“Then get lost.” Seiza said, “I have no time for rookies, especially not ones like you.”

“What does that even mean?” Eiros demanded.

“You know what it means.” He replied, taking a drink.

Yuna walked towards the eastern village, hoping to find someone there. After what Leros had told her, she needed someone to talk to. Someone to train with.

Apparently Eiros was there, unless he had already left for another village. He would train with her, at least.

She stopped when she felt the crimson eyes on her again. So close to the end of the forest, so close to the village, and in this small clearing came the Wolf once more.

He crawled out on all fours, watching her. He came up to a crouching position, watching eagerly, opening and closing his mouth in preparation for an attack.

“You again?” Yuna questioned.

“This time no interference.” Wolf hissed.

“Are you going out of your way to fight me?” Yuna questioned, “To just fight in general?”

“You Toa broke the deal first…” Wolf hissed.

“Deal? What deal?”

“You know what deal!” Wolf shouted, “I got hit by Lightning! You were the one to attack me after the deal was struck!”

“What are you even talking about?” Yuna demanded.

Wolf leapt forward, slashing her across the chest, sending sparks flying and a dark spot where he had struck. He span around, kneeing her in the chest to knock her into a tree. He sent a punch, but she ducked. He splintered the spot with his fist.

She rolled aside, trying to think of a new strategy. What could she do with her Lightning? Leros suggested that she keep unleashing Lightning until he stopped, but that wasn’t her way.

She focused her Lightning into her right hand, forming it into a claw. She focused it between the blades of the claw on her weapon as well, getting ready to use the normal strategy.

“It’s what I always do. It’s what I always will do!” She shouted, “I don’t care about what you say, Leros. My yesterday will work for the future!”

Wolf opened his mouth and unleashed his Power Scream. She returned the attack with her right hand, firing off of her claw until nothing remained, neutralizing his attack when they met.

She leapt forward, swinging her weapon down. The Lightning darts struck around Wolf, two of them grazing him. He stumbled back and span around, swinging his tail out at her.

She ducked and kicked him in the side, knocking him aside. He laughed, grabbing her leg with his tail and yanking her forward.

She struggled, trying to focus, but couldn’t as a claw found its mark, sending sparks and a dark spot on her armor. She tried to unleash an attack, but just couldn’t.

Wolf span around, releasing Yuna. She stumbled away, getting ready for another attack, when she saw the reason he had stopped.

A Toa, wearing a cloak, with multi-colored armor for hands and feet. A helmet was worn over the Kanohi.

No indication of who it was, or even the gender.

“Depart now, Wolf.” A genderless voice said.

Wolf hissed, but then backed away. He glanced once at Yuna and lifted his arm at her, “Next we meet, Toa. I’ll kill you for breaking the alliance, as long as the Will of Nature allows me to do so.”

“I’ll remember that.” Yuna said, watching as Wolf rushed off.

She looked at the Toa. This Toa, one she couldn’t identify, as able to make Wolf flee by simply telling him to go.

Who was he or she?

“Who are you?” Yuna asked, but the Toa was gone.

(Yuna/Yesterday)

Chapter 8: Beyond U
“You rookies are really starting to annoy me.” Seiza muttered as Eiros took his seat again.

“I was halfway out of the village when I realized something.” Eiros said, “You…you have a reason for not leaving here. You may be a Toa who is no longer a hero…but there has to be another reason why you’re here.”

“No.” Seiza said.

“No what?”

“I’m here because I may be a Toa, but I’m no hero. This place in the far south, this place that has life only for the purpose of training other Toa…the only reason I’m here is because there is little society. Society proper wouldn’t want me, not with who I am…but this place will take me.” He took another drink of his alcohol.

“You see…I don’t buy that.” Eiros said, “There are other places, like Stelt, for instance.”

“I’d have to fight on Stelt.” Seiza replied, “No doubt about that. This place doesn’t require me to fight. Only to have money to buy my drink.”

“Where do you get money from?” Eiros questioned.

“What do you think I do on this island?” Seiza questioned back.

“Sit around and be rude?” Eiros guessed. He wasn’t making a joke, he was serious.

“I’ll let that slide.” Seiza said, taking a drink, “I fish.”

“You fish?” Eiros questioned.

“I help bring the food supply in.” Seiza replied, “I’m one of the better fishermen because of my strength from being a Toa. The Matoran are good…but I’m better at the job.”

“Can you honestly be happy by doing that?” Eiros questioned.

“Gets me my drink, so yeah.” Seiza replied.

“You have a sad life, Seiza.” Eiros said, rising.

“Some would call it a fulfilling life.” Seiza replied.

“You?”

“Of course.” He drank.

Eiros walked out. He had to meet with the others anyway. He didn’t want to spend more time than he had to with Seiza.

Wolf rushed through the woods. Something just felt wrong.

He had to get to his brothers. That was all he knew. Something was threatening them, or, about to. That’s what this overpowering feeling told him.

He stopped when he saw three figures ahead of him, near his cave. They turned upon his arrival. The lead figure in silver took a step towards him, “Ah, so you must be the leader of the X-Rahi.” He said.

“Who are you?” Wolf hissed.

“You can speak? Impressive what the X-Force can do.” The silver figure said again.

“It can do this too!” Wolf shouted, opening his mouth.

“Seriun.” The silver figure said.

The red figure stepped three steps closer and stood in front of the silver one. Nothing happened.

“I see you have a power there.” The being known as Seriun hissed, “Too bad. I can negate it.”

“What are you?” Wolf demanded.

“I am Emperor Monsth.” The silver figure said, “Leader of the X-Eruo. I am an X-Rges, these two are X-Junkers.”

“Seriun.” The crimson figure hissed.

“Drachius…” The blue figure said.

“Where are my brothers?” Wolf demanded.

“We haven’t done anything…yet.” Monsth said, “Now, Wolf, tell me something.”

“How do you know my name?” Wolf demanded.

“By looking at someone I can know who they are.” Monsth replied, “Now, Wolf, what is your plan here with these brothers of yours? What is it you want to do on this island?”

“What do you want to do?” Wolf hissed.

“Shall I?” Seriun questioned, clenching his claw.

“No.” Monsth said, “Please, answer and so will I.”

“I want to create a utopia.” Wolf hissed.

“A utopia?”

“For Rahi.”

“You essentially want to exterminate all other life in order for the Rahi to live freely?” Monsth questioned.

“I thought I could make deals with the Toa, but they broke the deal, the treaty.” Wolf hissed, “So we must kill all, now.”

“Make another deal.”

“The Brimstone one will break it!”

“Ilos broke it? Wow, not like him.” Monsth muttered.

“He didn’t. His Lightning Toa did.” Wolf hissed.

Monsth shrugged, “Probably saw him in danger and acted. But…” He lowered his axe, “I’m here because I have no other place to be. I had known about another Rges on Angelus Nui, but he’s long since dead, and his men scattered. I’m searching for others of my kind. One Rges and two Junkers can’t do too much alone…”

The trees were moving. Soon, yellow and red armored beings emerged, all of them wielding two curved blades. Insect in many ways, they were a head shorter than the Junkers and Monsth, but looked very muscular and powerful.

“By the way, I have a few of our men with us.” Monsth said, “They were always with me, but they get limited sometimes. A Rges should have more than forty men and two Junkers, even if the Junkers and Rges are X-Force powered…”

“Why call your men?” Wolf demanded.

“Attack.” Monsth breathed.

The Eruo rushed forward, swinging their weapons around at Wolf. He dodged quickly, using his superior agility to evade their strikes. He used his claws to slash a few of them, causing sparks to fly and armor to darken, but they didn’t go down.

“Very muscular.” Monsth reminded when Wolf couldn’t take any down.

Wolf cursed and opened his mouth, but nothing.

“Negation.” Seriun grinned.

Wolf leapt into the crowd, slamming two heads to the ground. He slammed his tail into a third being and span around, slashing across the chest. He kicked one behind him with his hardest mule kick, but still nothing.

“My men are stronger. You have great agility, but your strength lacks.” Monsth said, “Or is your strength a gift from the X-Force? A gift that is a power? A power being currently negated?”

Wolf roared and threw himself at Monsth. Monsth shook his head as the two Junkers attempted to attack.

He lifted his axe and slashed it down once, sending massive amounts of sparks flying, leaving a giant dark mark across Wolf’s body as it hit the ground.

“That will teach you to oppose me.” Monsth hissed.

“Should we go after the other Rahi…?” Drachius asked.

“No.” Monsth replied, “We’re pulling out. We made our mark, we’ll see what happens in the future.”

The three started to depart. The Eruo fled into the woods in various directions, knowing by instinct where to go, just not following.

Wolf watched them go, but could do nothing about it. He groaned in pain. He felt like he had been cut in half, but was still alive.

He wasn’t even cut. Monsth had held back enough not to cut, but enough to inflict a massive deal of pain.

“My utopia…my dream is gone…” Wolf muttered, realizing that they couldn’t defeat such foes. That their plans of utopia relied on being able to defeat all others.

The Eruo were too much.

The six Toa met in the western village, sitting in a sizeable hut that was vacated for the Toa to use.

“What are we going to discuss?” Eiros asked, being the last to arrive.

“We need to discuss our next plans.” Ilos said, “Both for training, your actual reasons for being here, and then for the X-Force problem you’ve been thrust into.”

“We’ve been thrust into?” Gerat questioned, “All of us were!”

“Only you three.” Ilos replied, “Coming like this, not leaving when you should have…staying and fighting the X-Force foes…that lies on you, not us.”

“Fine, so we decided to stay.” Eiros said, “We felt we needed to help.”

“And since you did, you must still train.” Ilos said, “We don’t know what else is on this island with the X-Force, and how many could be friend or foe. We need to get your training in soon, or we might all end up dead.”

“What have you decided, then?” Gerat questioned.

“You will go out and train starting tomorrow, with one instructor. You will learn what that instructor has to say. Fighting skills…” He motioned to Leros, “Elemental Powers…” He gestured to Zera, “And combat…” He motioned to himself, “One day will be devoted to learning what your teacher has to teach, then the next you’ll switch to the next teacher, and so on. Three rotations, three levels of difficulty and testing that must be done. Understood?”

The three rookies nodded.

“Good. Now, anything else?”

“I do have something to bring up.” Eiros said, “About this fight that we’re entering with the X-Force powered warriors…is it such a good idea?”

“You afraid?” Zera questioned.

“No! I’m just saying, is fighting the best option?”

“You’re pacifistic now?” Gerat questioned.

Eiros in reality didn’t want to become a warrior. While he did want to fight, he didn’t want to fight such a one-sided battle and be forced to abandon the Toa Code in an attempt to win. He didn’t want to be a Toa, but not a hero.

He didn’t want to be like Seiza.

“No, that’s not it…”

“I actually do agree a bit with him.” Leros said, “While all we can do is fight them, it isn’t the best way. But the problem is, they would fight each other to level each other, right? But how would they do that? We can’t trick them into it very easily without having to fight against them ourselves. This is just the easiest and best option.”

“I want to fight.” Zera said simply.

Gerat nodded, “As do I.”

“I want to prove myself to you three.” Yuna said, “I want to fight them!”

“Did you learn what I told you to?” Leros questioned, “What I told you to do this morning?”

“No…”

“Then you’re with me first.” Leros said, “You’ll learn, or you’ll die. That goes to all of you! Don’t get stuck in a pattern of how you fight. Fight with adapting styles, strategies. Or you will end up dead, most likely.”

“I tried to change…I couldn’t…” Yuna said.

“That’s no excuse. Try harder.” Leros said.

“Leros, with all due respect, can you leave the issue alone? It’s upsetting Yuna…and she’s not one to get upset.” Eiros said.

“Bad idea…” Gerat whispered.

As the team started to bicker amongst themselves over the current issues, Ilos sat and watched. He shook his head.

At least they weren’t a team.

The door opened and a Matoran raced in. He held a small tablet in hand which he passed to Ilos.

“Word of an attack?” He muttered. He looked up, “Rama and Jaga are attacking at the north. The team can’t defeat them. Go!”

“Understood!” Gerat said, rushing off with his Kakama.

“The rest of you go after him!” Ilos ordered, rising himself, “We have to move!”

The group rushed off, but were unable to match Gerat.

Gerat slid to a stop behind a hut. He watched as Rama and Jaga attacked the village. A few of the Exo-Armor suits fought them, but couldn’t win.

He raced back as far as he could, nearly back to the others, and then raced forward again. By the time he reached the village around thirty seconds later, he stopped, throwing all of his kinetic energy into an attack, slamming it into both X-Rahi.

They both slammed into the cliff behind them. As they picked themselves up, they approached, ready to attack and kill the Toa of Energy.

Gerat put his weapon out and then twisted it upsidedown. He passed his hand along the left side of the blade, and then put it sideways; keeping his hand running over what was now the top. He put it up and slashed it to his side, sliding his right leg back, keeping his weapon partially down, his shield resting against his leg, his blade in the dirt.

“The energizing wave of Recla Nui! Toa Gerat!”

The two X-Rahi rushed forward. Jaga lifted his stinger while Rama drew his claws back, flying right in at Gerat’s chest.

Gerat moved forward, lifting his weapon high and spinning around. He slashed down, ducking his head. Rama took the blade, but missed his slash. He hit the ground behind Gerat, wounded, but alive. Sparks rained down around Gerat’s feet.

As the stinger came down, Gerat lifted his shield up, parrying the stinger. He pushed back, pushing Jaga slightly back. He lepat forward, slashing his foe across the chest with the sword end of his weapon. He span around, lifting his weapon high and slashing down again.

The two blades at Jaga’s chest caught the blade, holding it still. As the tail went up again, Gerat started to use his powers. As it came down, he stopped it, just letting it hover a hair above his head. Then he focused the stolen kinetic energy into a punch into Jaga’s face, throwing him down.

Gerat shook his fist after the attack. He looked at the dark lines across his foe’s body from the blows he had gotten in. He could make another with his Kakama and Energy powers, but decided against it.

As Jaga leapt forward, he rolled under his foe and threw his arm forward. He blew up the ground that held potential energy, sending a spray of rocks up into Jaga’s face, disorienting him.

As he turned around, the sword slashed him across the chest from his left shoulder to right hip, casting sparks up, creating a dark wound.

Jaga rushed forward, but his tail was met by the shield. Gerat punched him twice quickly in the chest and then delivered a kick to send him back.

He took two steps forward, ending up right in front of Jaga thanks to his Kakama activating after said two steps. He would have gone farther, if not for cutting off his own kinetic energy.

All of it slammed into Jaga, sending him flying back. He smashed into a hut, bringing it down. Gerat didn’t mean to do that, but Jaga was down.

As the rest of the Toa arrived, the two Rahi rose and grouped up. Jaga glared back, “Next…we…kill...you…” He pointed to Gerat specifically and fled with Rama.

(Utopia/Unity)

Chapter 9: To Reach the Z
“You already have a great deal of experience with your powers of Energy, do you not?” Zera questioned as she and Gerat walked towards the lake near the center of the island.

He nodded, “A Kakama and a Toa of Energy? Deadly combination. As soon as I became a Toa, I blessed my fortune and started to practice nonstop. My elemental control is amazing.”

“I believe that. But don’t get too cocky.” Zera told him.

“So, yesterday you had Eiros. What did you think of his skills?” Gerat asked.

“Still viewing each other as rivals?” Zera asked.

“To an extent.”

“Well…he’s an odd one.”

“How so?”

“Eiros is either a genius of elemental control…or he completely lacks it.” Zera said.

“I don’t follow.”

“His pulsating lines of power inside of his compressed fireballs? That’s what I mean. Either he can’t focus his Elemental Energy, or he can and he does it intentionally as an extra punch. Genius, or no control.” She said.

“I think he can focus it properly.” Gerat put in, “I remember seeing him create just walls of Fire and the like…”

“That would imply he can control it.” Zera said, “Well, I’ll find out next session I have with him.”

They stood before the placid surface of the lake. Zera extended her arm, creating a sphere of Water between her hand and the surface.

“What do you want me to do?” Gerat questioned.

“Stop me.” She replied, spinning around and hurling a blade made of Water at Gerat.

Gerat knew what she wanted. She didn’t want him to use his blade to stop her, she wanted him to use his powers.

He threw his hand at the ground, causing it to explode as he targeted the potential energy. As shards of stone and earth flew up, he realized that the blade was going to cut it through.

He threw his arm forward once more, killing the kinetic energy behind the blade, stopping it.

“Good.” Zera said, “But not good enough.”

The blade continued to move forward as Zera exerted her control over the power of Water.

“You have to defeat my control with yours!” She shouted.

Gerat wasn’t sure if he could do that. Her power was too much. She was a veteran Toa compared to him. He may have learned control due to his Kakama being a powerful weapon with his element, but he wasn’t as good as her at outright control.

Was this what she even wanted? For all he knew, she wanted him to simply stop her. So stop her he would.

He threw his other hand forward, targeting her. He changed her potential energy of her standing there and made it kinetic, forcing her body into motion, essentially sliding it through the ground towards him.

“What are you doing?” She shouted, unleashing a blast of Water into his chest, taking him down. The blade sailed overhead, slamming into a tree, splitting it in half. It kept going until she killed her control.

“I tried to stop you.” He moaned.

“I said defeat my control with yours!” She snapped, “Not stop me by any means!”

“I’m sorry…”

Zera’s eyes darted up to the woods, and then down to Gerat. She walked towards him, holding her claw weapon down at him.

“Something approaches.” She mouthed, barely a whisper.

Ilos slashed back and forth with controlled swings of his weapon. Eiros parried each blow with his blade. He performed a backflip and landed away from the Toa of Brimstone. He leapt forward, taking himself to the air, folding his legs in.

He swung his sword out and landed right in front of Ilos. He thrust it forward once, and then twice. He drew it back, slid his lead right leg back, and pushed forward with a thrust again. He changed his thrust into a slice to the side, and then thrust it for Ilos’s feet.

Ilos dodged back. Eiros leapt forward, slashing wildly, keeping his left arm up behind his head, above it. He drew back and plunged once more, but Ilos parried with his blade head on.

“Your…what do you even call that style?” Ilos questioned.

“Acrobatic fencing.” Eiros replied, drawing his sword up and slashing it down, keeping it by his side.

“That style…when you see Leros tomorrow, I want you to show him that.”

“He teaches technique, he’ll see it.” Eiros said.

“I want a report from him. Be sure to show him.” Ilos said.

“No problem.”

“That’s just…such an odd way of fighting. It worked. I had no idea what to do…for all of five seconds.”

“What?”

“I’m not going to criticize, that’s Leros’s job. I’m going to say that it wasn’t effective enough. After I figured out that you take wild strikes, I figured out to keep my blade close and use shorter movements to parry. That’s not even counting my Hau…”

“Ok, I get it. You saw through it.”

“So did Drachius, apparently.” Ilos said.

“Please, don’t bring up that Junker.” Eiros said, touching his chest, feeling the spot the wound on his armor was that nearly killed him.

“You’ll have to face him again eventually.” Ilos said, “Remember that.”

“I know. I wait for that day. I want to face him again. I want to win!”

“Don’t get too overconfident.” Ilos warned.

Both men stopped. They could both feel something.

Leros and Yuna clashed. Leros was quickly overpowering Yuna, blocking her weapon with a single swing of his arm, using his claws on his wrist expertly each time, and occasionally giving her a backhand to show that he could strike her.

“I told you, find a new strategy!” He shouted.

“I can’t!” Yuna shouted back, “This is the only one that works for me!”

“If you can’t learn the new techniques I’m showing you, then you won’t become the Toa you came here to be!” Leros snapped.

“Then so be it. I’ll be a Toa my way!”

Leros walked towards her, “Why do you have so much apprehension about learning new styles? New techniques?”

“It’s because I’m so used to doing what I always do. It always works…well, almost always. If I start doing something new, I’m afraid that I won’t recall my normal way.”

“That’s a foolish excuse.” He said, shaking his head, “You have to learn better than that. Find a new way, or you will fall behind everyone else.”

“I get it…” She muttered, turning around, looking into the woods, “I get it…Leros. I will try harder…but I just can’t change instantly.”

“Then work on it. If you have to, work outside of training with us and then when you come back in three days, show me then.”

“I might have too…”

“If you can’t overcome it today, I expect it.” Leros told her.

Leros activated his Kanohi, and then shook his head.

“As I expected…”

“What?” Yuna questioned.

“We have a guest.” He said, “I hear him.”

Wolf crouched, watching Ilos and Eiros. He knew what he had to do. He knew why he was doing this.

It wasn’t for the Will of Nature this time. No. While Nature would want him to do this, for his plans of a utopia to come true, this wasn’t directly involved.

The Eruo stood in his way. They were much too powerful. So Wolf needed a way to get stronger. He needed a way to defeat the X-Eruo.

His zealousness had led him to creating a plan. His zealousness for a utopia, for becoming stronger. This new plan would help him with both. His zeal would not let him down.

If he was able to defeat the Toa. To become stronger by fighting and killing them, then he should be strong enough to defeat the Eruo, right? He believed as much. He got his brothers to go along with him when the Toa split up.

They were all going to become stronger, strong enough to defeat the X-Eruo. They would have to, or they would fall behind and end up dead.

It was survival of the fittest for them at this point.

Wolf rushed out of the brush and leapt forward, leaping down at Ilos and Eiros. Eiros span around, driving a kick into Wolf’s side, casting him into a tree.

Wolf rose and howled, sending his Power Scream rippling forward. Ilos pushed Eiros aside and threw up his shield. The Hau took the blow, keeping Ilos completely safe.

“Wolf, what are you doing?” Ilos demanded.

“I will kill you two! I will become strong enough to kill the Eruo!” He screamed, galloping forward on all fours at them.

Jaga rushed out of the trees, slamming his stinger tail down at Gerat. Gerat parried with his shield, but slid back, losing grip of his weapon. He hit the ground and rolled aside from the force that shot through his arm.

“Should have done something about that.” Zera hissed, leaping forward, slashing Jaga across the chest with her claw weapon. Sparks flew from the contact. A darker mark was left.

“I should have…” Gerat muttered.

Jaga pushed Zera aside and raced towards the downed Gerat. His tail was lifted high. He screamed out, “You wound us! I…kill you!”

Gerat realized the Rahi was talking about the other day, when he alone defeated both Jaga and Rama, and inflicted wounds on both of them to keep them downed. Jaga was after him for revenge.

Gerat pushed himself up, but Zera got between them, slashing from her left shoulder to right hip, slashing in an arc down Jaga’s body.

Before she could do anything, before the sparks even flew too far, his fist connected with her face, taking her down.

Rama flew at Leros and Yuna. While Yuna attempted to use her powers of Lightning to take the Rahi down, Leros threw an Ice shard.

The Rahi dodged each with ease and slashed Yuna with his claws, sending sparks flying, leaving dark trails down her body. She flipped around and hit the ground as a result of the blow.

Leros leapt up, slashing down with his claws across Rama’s chest. Rama hit the ground, sparks having flown. He pushed himself up and floated as a humanoid, flying forward and kicking Leros in the chest twice, and then stabbing him with the Rahi’s stinger.

Leros hit the ground after a knee to the head. He rolled aside, panting, trying to get Yuna to rise.

“We have to move.” He hissed, rushing away with her, “I could take him down…but this isn’t random. There’s no way it can be!”

“You don’t believe in the others?”

“I do…but we have to regroup. We should, for our best benefits.”

Eiros and Ilos had the same idea, and soon joined Gerat and Zera. Wolf pursued them, then took a kick from Gerat, throwing him into a tree.

Before too long had passed, Leros and Yuna appeared as well, throwing Rama aside with a double kick. The six Toa regrouped as the three X-Rahi regrouped.

“Eiros?” Ilos questioned.

“What?”

“We’re a team. We can’t be individuals any longer. Not if these forces are going to act as teams. We may be rookies and veterans…but no more. We are a single team now!”

Eiros nodded, knowing what to do. He drew his sword up to his face and slashed it to his right side. He drew into a stance with his left foot leading, and then turned his right wrist up and drew it up to his extended left arm. He threw his left arm out and extended his fingers while drawing his right arm up by his head, turning his wrist down again, pointing the blade forward.

“The blazing inferno of Recla Nui! Toa Eiros!”

With her weapon high, Yuna slammed it down and twisted it sideways so the blade sections went over her body. She put her hand at the top of the central claw, and then twisted her weapon up, running her hand down the length of the claw. She slid her right leg back, drawing her weapon up at the side of her head, facing the point at Wolf.

“The flashing bolt of Recla Nui! Toa Yuna!”

Gerat put his weapon out and then twisted it upsidedown. He passed his hand along the left side of the blade, and then put it sideways; keeping his hand running over what was now the top. He put it up and slashed it to his side, sliding his right leg back, keeping his weapon partially down, his shield resting against his leg, his blade in the dirt.

“The energizing wave of Recla Nui! Toa Gerat!”

Leros drew himself up, folding his arms across his chest. As he began to speak, he stepped forward with his left foot, dropping his arms, slightly lifting the left one up to show the claws, while drawing the right one back to his side, keeping it bent and up, ready for a punch, it would seem.

“The frozen master of Recla Nui! Toa Leros!”

Zera drew her claw in front of her face and stepped back with her left foot. She slashed it down, trailing Water behind it. She slid her left foot forward to stand fully facing the front of her foe. She drew her left arm high, sending the Water up and around her arm like a spiral, and then brought it down, drawing her claw out in front of her body again.

“The crashing wave of Recla Nui! Toa Zera!”

Ilos drew his left fist up to his face, tightening it. He threw it out to the side as he spoke, taking a step forward with his right foot and drawing his blade up across his chest.

“The master of the poisons of nature, fated to defend Recla Nui! Toa Ilos!”

“Together by Unity, fighting for Duty, preparing for Destiny, we are the Toa Recla!” Ilos shouted out.

The three Rahi backed away, then rushed forward.

It was swift. Zera ducked Jaga’s swing of his stinger. As he prepared another, Gerat stopped the swing. Zera swung her weapon across his chest again, just as she last had. Jaga threw his head back and gave a primal cry as Water scythed from the wound in an arc. He dropped.

Leros and Yuna rolled under the swings of Rama’s claws. They span around behind him. Leros created an Ice wall between the Toa and the single Rahi. Yuna pointed her weapon at the wall, unleashing Lightning which amplified through it, taking Rama down.

Eiros leapt over Wolf, slashing down his back. Ilos followed up with a single punch to his face, dropping him.

“Run.” Ilos said, pointing his weapon at Wolf’s face, “You saw our unity, so run.”

(Zenith/Zealousness)

Chapter 10: Seiza’s P
Eiros ran, darting past Matoran who fled in fear. There was something wrong. Very wrong.

Deadly wrong.

He stopped, almost being unable to continue moving, just feeling an overwhelming aura of power. Not of evil, just of power.

What was this?

Eiros stopped once he entered the northern village. He could see Exo-Armor lying on the ground, Matoran still inside, struggling to get their machines running again so they could fight.

Whatever this was, it even defeated Keris, Kato and Perto. Kato and Perto’s suits were even designed to fight from the sky. They had been shot down, it looked like.

Three commanders and around twenty normal men were defeated. What could have done this? Eiros knew that Keris was able to hold an X-Rahkshi at bay with relative ease, but this…this was just carnage.

Then he saw it. First he saw Seiza, the Toa of Storms, wielding his dagger point down. He was panting, tired, wounded.

Was he actually fighting? Did he do this?

No. He saw what was actually going on.

A being stood opposite of Seiza, giving a deadly grim grin. Clad in red and orange armor, this powerful, muscular, tall being was a Skakdi. A Skakdi of Fire.

Orange feet that weren’t clawed didn’t give him the typical Skakdi look. His spiked armor on his legs started to give him more of a vicious look. His sleeker leg and chest armor didn’t. His spiked arm armor and his clawed hands returned the vicious look. His spine had spikes coming off of the sides like blades, and even ended in a tail that had a claw tip, effectively giving him three hands.

He wasn’t a normal Skakdi.

X-Skakdi.

“Seiza!” Eiros shouted, running forward. He leapt forward, landing between the Skakdi and Seiza. The Skakdi was laughing, Seiza was panting.

Eiros drew his sword up to his face and slashed it to his right side. He drew into a stance with his left foot leading, and then turned his right wrist up and drew it up to his extended left arm. He threw his left arm out and extended his fingers while drawing his right arm up by his head, turning his wrist down again, pointing the blade forward.

“The blazing inferno of Recla Nui! Toa Eiros!”

“A new Toa?” The Skakdi laughed, “This will be fun!”

Before Eiros could do anything, a blast of Fire struck him, casting him aside. He looked up, watching smoke rise from the Skakdi’s hand.

Alone he had used his powers. Skakdi couldn’t do that.

“You really are an X-Skakdi, aren’t you?” Eiros questioned, pushing himself up, using his sword for support as he stayed on a knee.

He laughed, “You’re a rookie, aren’t you?”

“How would you guess that?”

“The last time I was here, I never saw a Toa of Fire.” He hissed, “Only five Toa. One of them didn’t make it.”

“Shut up!” Seiza screamed, pushing Eiros aside. He rushed forward, swinging wildly with his slashes. He span around, plunging his weapon back, but the Skakdi dodged.

That back plunge seemed to be Seiza’s only technique. His combat revolved around wild slashes. He never used the stab again. Just slashes.

The Skakdi deflected every few with his claws, seemingly taking no damage. If he did, he didn’t show it.

Seiza kicked him back two steps. He lifted his left hand and gave a shout, unleashing his powers of Storms.

Lightning erupted from his hand, slamming into the Skakdi. This was followed up by tornado-esque winds as he used powers to increase the wind, trying to draw the Skakdi in. As the Skakdi even attempted to create Fire, Seiza pelted him with torrential rain.

Lightning continued to lance forward, but none of it ever made contact with the Skakdi it seemed. He simply laughed.

“You know my powers, Toa of Storms! You can’t touch me!” He laughed.

Eiros watched as Seiza screamed and raced forward, into his own winds. He drew his weapon back, ready to slash it out at his foe’s throat.

“Seiza!” Eiros shouted, knowing that the move was foolhardy.

Eiros rushed forward, leaping up, hovering above the two of them. He cut the power of his Miru and came crashing down, plunging his sword down.

The Skakdi looked up and widened his eyes as he used his eye power.

Eiros screamed in pain and hit the ground inside, but wasn’t able to move. It was as if around half of his vitality had just been stolen, or he had just taken an attack that punched through his defenses, leaving him at around half his fighting prowess due to pain and lack of energy.

As Seiza slashed, the Skakdi caught the dagger. He drew his fist back, ready to use a Fire punch on Seiza.

“No!” Seiza screamed, “I won’t let you!”

Seiza’s Toltac, Mask of Deep Freeze, flashed with power. The pure cold slammed into the Skakdi, throwing him back, out of the range of Seiza’s powers.

“I didn’t expect that…” The Skakdi hissed, rising. Seiza was running forward, but Eiros was rising, ready to fight.

He rushed forward, despite his pain. He leapt up, coming down with faster speed, no longer using his Miru. He slashed between Seiza and the Skakdi, turning his blade and slashed, cutting the Skakdi across the chest.

As sparks flew and his armor darkened, the Skakdi took one step back and laughed, “Another time…Seiza.” He said, turning and walking away.

Eiros was ready, charging a fireball filled with vein-like lines of power as he released his Elemental Energy into his attack.

“Don’t bother.” Seiza hissed, “His third power is that he’s a black hole. Elements can’t touch him. My Toltac just surprised him.” He sheathed his dagger and walked away.

“Seiza…who is that guy?”

“Nobody.”

“Tell me what that was about.” Eiros insisted.

“No.”

“Seiza!”

“This isn’t your concern, kid.” Seiza said, walking past the defeated Matoran and returning to the bar he frequented.

Eiros watched him go, and then ran off to find someone else.

“What did you want to talk about?” Ilos questioned as the two Toa walked through the woods. It would be time to do their training, if Ilos hadn’t disbanded it.

The training was meant to get the rookies ready to move out on their own. But with the recent revelations that the zenith they chose to reach required a team, they abandoned titles such as ‘rookie’ and ‘teacher’ or ‘veteran’. They were now the Toa Recla. They would learn through combat with their more experienced comrades. With the new urgency, it wasn’t smart to be out in two-man squads like that, training and fighting each other, wasting their strength.

They were simply going to go through a trial by fire now.

“I wanted to ask you about Seiza.” Eiros simply said.

Ilos almost missed a step, but continued walking, “You met Seiza, did you?”

“Five days ago.” Eiros said, “Right after I was beat by Drachius. He kicked me while I was down, checking to be sure I was alive.”

“What do you want to know?”

“A Skakdi of Fire attacked the northern village today. He got Seiza really mad…Seiza fought him…”

“Skakdi of Fire…” Ilos muttered, more in shock than anything.

“What is it?”

“Toreq. I didn’t realize he was on the island anymore.”

“Who is this guy?” Eiros questioned.

“It was around three years ago…Seiza was one of the instructors, one of the veteran Toa here. He had a partner…another instructor…”

“…of magnetic force! Toa Silas!”

He drew his dagger into his right hand, holding it point down. He raised his left hand, brushing it off of his brow and casting his arm out to his side. He slid his left foot back, stepping forward with the right in order to slightly turn his body orientation. He lifted his dagger and flipped it point up, leveling the tip at his foe.

“The lord of the storms! Toa Seiza!”

Toreq laughed, “Come and get me!”

Waves pounded around them as they stood on a cliff overlooking a small beach that led to the ocean. Toreq laughed as Seiza and Silas attacked. Silas unleashed Magnetism in the form of balls of magnetic force. Seiza joined his partner, unleashing a burst of tunneled wind intertwined with Lightning from his Storm powers.

Toreq let the attacks strike. He absorbed them.

“Come on! That won’t work!” He laughed.

“Stay back.” Seiza told Silas. Silas nodded.

Seiza raced forward, spinning his dagger around. He ducked the punch from his foe and thrust his weapon forward, grazing his foe’s armor. He ducked and dodged another punch and stabbed him in the side, then pulled his weapon out and span around, ducking a punch.

“Stop moving like that! Fight me like a man!” Toreq shouted, unleashing his vision powers.

Seiza saw too late to react. He felt his armor move and then saw Silas rushing forward. The yank on his armor pulled him out of range of Toreq’s attack, thanks to Silas’s power.

Silas slid forward, about to attack. Toreq laughed and used his powers again, causing Silas to scream. He grabbed Silas’s head in his right hand and span around, throwing Silas over the side of the cliff, down onto the rocks in the water below.

“Silas!” Seiza screamed, his scream piercing the sky.

Seiza rushed forward, drawing his weapon back, point down, holding his fist up by the right side of his head. He was going to take a massive stab down.

Toreq caught his wrist and laughed. He kicked Seiza back and shook his head, “You’re no fun anymore. I thought the teachers could put up a better fight! You fight like a rookie!” He started away, ignoring Seiza.

As much as Seiza wanted to go after Toreq, he raced to the edge and leapt over the side, landing on the beach. He rushed over to Silas, cradling his fallen partner in his arms. The black and gray bundle of armor wasn’t moving.

“Silas…Silas…Silas!” He screamed again.

“Silas died.” Ilos told Eiros, “Seiza was scarred ever since. He left us, went on to do odd jobs. He’s fishing now, right? But he left being a Toa after Silas’s death. I can’t begin to imagine what Toreq’s return is doing to him…”

“He has the X-Force now.” Eiros simply said, walking away to see Seiza.

Eiros found Seiza standing on the cliff that Ilos said the fateful battle had happened on. He approached Seiza, who simply said, “Step no closer.”

“I know about Silas.” Eiros said.

“Nothing can bring my partner back.” Seiza said.

“So don’t destroy yourself fighting Toreq!”

“I have to!” Seiza screamed, turning to Eiros, “I had a duty! Silas and I were partners! We had each other’s backs! Now…now I’m alone. I failed in my duty…”

“You didn’t fail…”

“Silas is dead!” Seiza screamed, “Of course I failed!”

“What’s this?”

They both looked behind Eiros, watching as Toreq approached. He grinned viciously, “Come back to the place where we first met, Seiza?”

“Seiza…are you going to take your revenge?” Eiros questioned, backing away to reach the Toa of Storms, “Are you going to fight?”

“You don’t want me to. Why ask?”

“I think you’ll destroy yourself…but if you must, then fight. For Silas.” Eiros said.

Seiza drew his dagger and held it tightly, holding it point down. He was shaking.

“You don’t know how long I’ve waited for this…” His weapon fell, “But…but…but I can’t.” He fell to his knees, “I failed Silas…how can I take revenge? I couldn’t even mark this guy earlier! I…I can’t…I can’t fail Silas by dying the same way…”

Eiros looked down, shocked by Seiza’s choice. He cast his glance up to Toreq, who was approaching. Eiros slashed his sword to the side and raced forward, letting the blade trail out behind him.

“The blazing inferno of Recla Nui! Toa Eiros!” Eiros screamed, leaping forward, putting his sword out. He slashed it as he landed, and then span around as Toreq took a step back. Eiros connected his blow, sending a rain of sparks down. He slashed back up, forcing Toreq back a step.

“You have some fight in you!” Toreq laughed, “This will be fun!”

“Try me.” Eiros hissed, drawing his sword up to his face, “I’ll defeat you. For Seiza…and for Silas!” He screamed.

Seiza looked up. He was in too much fear to fight, but Eiros, who barely knew him, who knew only of Silas’s death, was ready to fight to the death for Seiza, for Silas’s memory.

Against a monster like Toreq.

“Who…who are you…Eiros…?” Seiza muttered, finally using the Toa’s name.

Eiros leapt forward, slashing. Toreq parried the blade down, but Eiros slashed back up and span around, taking a chop down at Toreq’s lower body.

Toreq parried and kicked Eiros back. Eiros slid back and raced forward, charging a fireball into his hand. He threw it at Toreq’s face as he slashed low.

The fireball connected, but sank into Toreq’s body as he used his elemental black hole natural ability. He kneed Eiros, knocking him back. He drew his right fist back, setting it ablaze. He punched Eiros, knocking him back.

Eiros shook his head, “I’m not going to lose!” He leapt forward, kicking Toreq in the chest. He followed up with many quick slashes, up and down and up again. He made a few connections, sending sparks flying on impact, leaving darker spots on the armor. He drew his sword back and plunged it forward, getting it past Toreq’s defenses, right into the Skakdi.

The blow sent Toreq flying back, sparks constantly flying from the blow. The large dark circle on his chest stood as testament to Eiros’s blow. To his determination. To his will to win.

To his will to avenge.

Toreq pushed himself back up and shook his head, “Fun…but another time.” He turned on his heel and walked away, “I’ll play with you later.”

Eiros watched him go, and then raced back to Seiza. Seiza looked at him, and then rose, sheathing his dagger. He walked away.

Alone. As always, alone.

(Past/Partner)

Chapter 11: End of the A
“You went against orders. How did you fare?”

Toreq shook his head, “Not too well, Kes.”

Kes, the second X-Skakdi. He was hunched, uncharacteristic of a Skakdi, with black, two clawed feet. He had green legs, with spiked armor above his knees. He had black spiked armor up his chest, with two large spikes, one on each side of his head from his chest. He had black spiked armor on his arms, leading to gray, thick, short and muscular arms. He had black and silver claws for hands, needing no weapon with how vicious they looked.

From his green head and perpetual grim grin came a gray spine, leading onto his arms with green armor. He had black on his spine farther down, and like his counterpart, also had a tail. This tail was a hooked blade, however. It wasn’t like a third arm, it was a weapon.

“Well, that’s disappointing. Did they overpower you?”

“Remember when I killed that Toa a few years back?” Kes nodded, “I met the partner. He tried to kill me, but couldn’t. A Toa of Fire, a rookie, jumped in and fought me. When I went after him the second time, the Fire brat intervened again. He did some damage, so I left.”

“Well then, we’ll just have to correct that, won’t we?” Kes questioned.

“What do you plan on doing?” Toreq asked.

Kes walked to the mouth of the cave, looking out at the ocean, “We’re going to attack. They can’t defeat us, not with our new powers. We’ll murder everyone on this island who opposes us, and then claim it as our own!”

“There are others out there with our powers.” Toreq hissed.

“Enough time outside and you figured that out?”

“It wasn’t hard. Beat a few heads in of those villagers with their little armor machines. They told me there are X-Rahi and X-Eruo, and even an X-Rahkshi out there.”

“Tell me Toreq, where’s your thrill of adventure?” Kes questioned, “We’ll kill them all! But first, the team protecting the island.”

“You want to go after the Toa first?”

“Of course.”

Toreq shrugged, “Sure, let’s do it.”

The two X-Skakdi departed from their cave, heading out for the hunt.

“What should we do, Queln?” Gelt hissed.

The silver armored X-Rahkshi, wielding a dual ended trident staff, with claws coming off of his shoulders to distinguish him as more important, as leader, turned. He looked at the blue X-Rahkshi.

“We’re going to attack. It is time that our identities are known.” He hissed. He looked with his silver reptilian head into the darkness, “Myers, Lami, Jurges, we depart!”

A crimson armored X-Rahkshi wielding a staff with curved scythe blades as the ends came out. Myers.

A white armored X-Rahkshi with white and red spiked blades at the end of his staff emerged. Lami.

A black armored X-Rahkshi with slim blades at the ends of his staff emerged. Jurges.

Fear. Anger. Hunger.

Gelt, with curved claws at the end of his staff.

Disintegration.

And Queln. The leader.

Chain Lightning.

It was he who disrupted the alliance of the X-Rahi and Toa. He would be the mastermind to bring down Recla Nui in the name of the X-Force and his kind.

The island would be home to the X-Rahkshi, and the game they allowed to survive for the thrill of the hunt.

The Toa Recla met in the forest in the center of the island. There was something very off about the situation on the entire island.

Perpetual silence.

It was as if even the Rahi were in too much fear to go about their normal days, so no sound was added by them to the area.

“I don’t like this.” Yuna muttered.

“It’s too…unnatural.” Ilos said simply.

Eiros had his Sky Flame sword out as he looked around, “I just feel…”

“Yeah.” Ilos said, not even letting Eiros finish. The feeling was unspoken and mutual.

“Good, you gathered.”

A silver being in serpentine, muscular armor walked into view. A Rahkshi.

An X-Rahkshi. Behind him came four more of his kind, each different in armor and staff.

“Do you like the gift I had my men here come up with?” Queln hissed.

“Who are you?” Ilos demanded.

“Queln. Leader of the X-Rahkshi.” He lowered his staff at Ilos, “Breaker of your deal with the X-Rahi!” He laughed, firing a bolt of Chain Lightning.

Yuna stepped forward, holding her right hand out. The energy sank into her hand in ripples, giving her power.

“Oh, right.” Queln said, drawing his staff back, “Well, you see, Myers and Lami here combined their powers of Fear and Anger.” He motioned to the red and white Rahkshi, “Together they create quite the effect, do they not?”

“That’s what’s wrong with the island?” Ilos questioned.

Queln nodded, “Now, let’s end this. I don’t want to wait to see your bodies fall. I want this island now!”

“Let’s stop them.” Ilos hissed.

Eiros drew his sword up to his face and slashed it to his right side. He drew into a stance with his left foot leading, and then turned his right wrist up and drew it up to his extended left arm. He threw his left arm out and extended his fingers while drawing his right arm up by his head, turning his wrist down again, pointing the blade forward.

“The blazing inferno of Recla Nui! Toa Eiros!”

With her weapon high, Yuna slammed it down and twisted it sideways so the blade sections went over her body. She put her hand at the top of the central claw, and then twisted her weapon up, running her hand down the length of the claw. She slid her right leg back, drawing her weapon up at the side of her head, facing the point at her foe.

“The flashing bolt of Recla Nui! Toa Yuna!”

Gerat put his weapon out and then twisted it upsidedown. He passed his hand along the left side of the blade, and then put it sideways; keeping his hand running over what was now the top. He put it up and slashed it to his side, sliding his right leg back, keeping his weapon partially down, his shield resting against his leg, his blade in the dirt.

“The energizing wave of Recla Nui! Toa Gerat!”

Leros drew himself up, folding his arms across his chest. As he began to speak, he stepped forward with his left foot, dropping his arms, slightly lifting the left one up to show the claws, while drawing the right one back to his side, keeping it bent and up, ready for a punch, it would seem.

“The frozen master of Recla Nui! Toa Leros!”

Zera drew her claw in front of her face and stepped back with her left foot. She slashed it down, trailing Water behind it. She slid her left foot forward to stand fully facing the front of her foe. She drew her left arm high, sending the Water up and around her arm like a spiral, and then brought it down, drawing her claw out in front of her body again.

“The crashing wave of Recla Nui! Toa Zera!”

He drew his left fist up to his face, tightening it. He threw it out to the side as he spoke, taking a step forward with his right foot and drawing his blade up across his chest.

“The master of the poisons of nature, fated to defend Recla Nui! Toa Ilos!”

“Together by Unity, fighting for Duty, preparing for Destiny, we are the Toa Recla!” Ilos shouted out.

The Rahkshi didn’t look impressed. Queln lowered his weapon.

“Attac…”

He hit the ground, a palm on the side of his head, claws curling around the outside. The massive weight of Kes slammed him into the ground. The Skakdi wasn’t done yet, he continued to run, continuing to plow the X-Rahkshi leader’s head into the ground, leaving a groove in the ground.

“Ha! You weak fool!” Kes laughed. He looked at the other Rahkshi, all of them ready to attack the Skakdi.

“I wouldn’t do that.” Toreq hissed as he approached the Rahkshi. He glanced at the Toa, “Oh, the kid again. Should we continue what we started earlier?”

Eiros pointed his blade at Toreq, “Yeah, we’ll finish this.”

Ilos shook his head, “Eiros, remain calm. We’ll handle this. Six of them, six of us. As long as that silver guy stays down.”

“Well then…” Kes hissed, overhearing Ilos, “How should we divide this up?” He glared at a few of the Rahkshi, “You Toa look like better fighters…”

Jurges pointed his staff at Kes, “Say that again!”

Kes grinned viciously. He turned to Ilos, “Well?”

Leros leapt forward, slamming a fist into Kes’s face. Kes stumbled back, shaking his head.

“I see you made a decis…”

A wall of Ice slammed into Kes, throwing him to the ground. As soon as the Ice vanished, withdrawn, Leros was lunging forward.

“I see the choice is made!” Kes laughed. He caught Leros’s fist, “Why attack like this?”

“I hate people like you.” Leros hissed, “I want to get rid of you as soon as I can.”

“Then I’ll take you on.” Kes chuckled. He lunged forward, grabbing Leros’s shoulders. He slammed the Toa of Ice into a tree, splintering it.

“Move.” Ilos hissed, rushing in at Toreq, despite Eiros’s desire to fight the X-Skakdi.

Eiros, Yuna and Gerat rushed forward, going in at Myers, Lami and Jurges, respectively. Zera rushed in at Gelt.

She ducked Gelt’s swing of his staff. She slashed her claw up, sending Gelt stumbling back, sparks flying from the impact. She leapt forward, slamming a blast of Water into Gelt, throwing him to the ground.

Gelt lifted his staff, ready to use his Molecular Disruption power. Before he could do anything, he took a slash from Zera’s claw, going down from his right shoulder to left hip.

He cried out as Water sprayed out in an arc, taking him down.

Eiros leapt forward, coming down at Myers. Myers blocked the blade with his staff and pushed back. He span it around, thrusting it forward, sending a ball of Plasma forward.

Eiros deflected it with the flat of his sword, sending it into the ground. He leapt forward, giving two wild thrusts, sending Myers stumbling back with the second attack, sending sparks flying and a dark patch emerged.

Myers attempted to use another Plasma attack, but Eiros rolled forward. He came up right in front of Myers, slashing forward, sending his foe flying back, leaving him downed.

“Seems the Rahkshi can’t handle not being machines.” Eiros muttered, looking at the organics beyond the cut.

Yuna leapt over Lami’s slash of his staff. She slashed him from behind, sending sparks flying off of his back. He stumbled forward and span around, taking a blast of Lightning into his chest, throwing him to the ground.

“These guys aren’t really that strong…” Yuna muttered.

Gerat dodged side-to-side as Jurges unleashed explosive bolts from his staff. Gerat was in front of Jurges, slamming his shield into his foe’s face.

Jurges slid back and span around, slamming his staff down. Gerat cried out as his strength was drained from mere contact.

“Time to end this…”

“No.” Gerat hissed, sending an explosive pulse forward, throwing Jurges back. Gerat rose, “Vibrated my molecules with my Kakama. Threw it all into you.” His foe remained down.

Kes laughed, floating around Leros, using his Gravity powers to make them both float. Leros shouted and threw his right arm out, sending Ice spikes forward. The lack of gravity took control of the Ice attack, making them float around.

“That won’t work!” Kes laughed, slamming his head into Leros, sending him stumbling back through their battlefield.

As Kes came down at Leros, he smiled, slashing his claw across his foe’s chest.

Nothing.

“Too weak!” Kes laughed, slamming his knee into Leros, sending him stumbling back. He flew at Leros again, but this time, Leros’s grin was even wider. “What? You think you can still get me?” Kes shouted.

“Yeah. This is it.” Leros said, drawing all of his Ice to him with his powers. The Ice shards behind Kes flew forward, burying themselves into his spine, causing him to scream in pain. Leros threw both arms forward, slamming spikes of Ice into Kes’s chest, causing them both to fall to the ground.

Toreq dodged a blow from Ilos. Ilos leapt forward, giving a shout. He slashed wildly, getting shot after shot in, sending sparks flying with each blow. He span around, delivering a side kick into Toreq, throwing him back.

“You’re good.” He hissed, rushing forward.

“I’m better than good.” He said, leaping forward, slamming both feet into his foe, sending him flying back. He span around, watching as Kes rushed him, despite his wounds.

“I won’t fall easily!” Kes shouted. His body erupted into Magma, living Magma. He rushed forward, “You can’t touch me!” He drew his fist back, “Die!”

Ilos watched him, and shook his head.

“Ok then.”

He threw his left hand forward. Water erupted from it, slamming into the living heat body of Kes. Kes cried out as the cold liquid struck him. He stumbled back, losing parts of his Magma body to his foe’s attacks.

The Toa stopped whatever they were doing. They watched as Ilos continued his attack.

“What?” Was the general question from each Toa.

Ilos span around, throwing a Water covered fist into Toreq’s face as the Skakdi tried to strike from behind. Toreq’s flaming body stopped, and then fell.

“This is certainly a surprise…” Kes hissed, rushing forward.

Ilos glanced to him and threw his right hand forward. A ball of gas flew forward. He quickly pivoted, snapping his left arm forward, snapping his fingers. Fire erupted forward, meeting the gas right before Kes reached that point.

The gas exploded, throwing Kes out of the area, burning down trees as he flew. He stayed down, his form fading back to normal.

He span around to Toreq, “You want me now?”

Toreq backed away, “You’re fun. Later.” He said, rushing away, ignoring Kes.

Queln was rising again from his faux defeat. He hadn’t taken enough damage to stay down, but stayed down to observe.

“An X-Toa.” He muttered, racing away, expecting the others to follow soon.

“You…?” Yuna questioned.

“Me.” Ilos nodded, “The act is over, I see. I am the X-Toa.”

(Act/Artifice)

Chapter 12: The Trap of D
Drachius overlooked the island from his position atop a cliff. The island covered in greenery which hid dangers. Dangers that would take life without remorse.

The Eruo were more than them. The Eruo would crush those who opposed them, but would show at least some emotion, but not remorse.

The thing that set the Eruo away from Rahi and the like was this fact. Rahi killed and fed for survival. Eruo did it to show their dominance. They did it for survival, yes, but to a lesser extent. They did it to win.

They would show joy, happiness, or contempt and anger. Any emotions that pertained would be shown.

Not for Rahi. The beasts had no such concepts.

That was why the Eruo were superior. Arguably anyone else was also superior, even the X-Rahi, since they did have intelligence. But this was different.

The Eruo were to win because they were so different. They were the dominant species in existence. That was what they believed, anyway.

The X-Force only allowed them to show that all the more. They were the one force on the island to yet be defeated in combat. They were the superior warriors of the X-Force.

He watched as some trees moved down below.

His plan was working.

He was like a spider sitting atop his own web. He was drawing his prey into the center, into where they would be devoured.

Soon, very soon, the Eruo would win.

“I promised you answers.” Ilos told the others, sitting in a hut that had been selected as their meeting place in the west. The owners had stepped out to allow them to use it, “I told you that in twenty four hours I would have answers. My time is up.”

“Let me begin.” Eiros said quickly, getting in first, “When did this happen?”

“Days ago.” Ilos answered. He looked to Yuna, “When I saved you, and I saved Keris before you…those were my first two times out as the X-Toa in my guise. I did it twice more to help Matoran from attacks by the X-Rahi, but they weren’t severe attacks by any means.”

“So, you only developed your powers a few days ago.” Zera said, “What about feeling the possibility of it within your body?”

“I never felt anything prior to suddenly having control over Fire, Water, and pure energy.” He said simply.

“Why disguise yourself? Why hide your identity when you saved us?” Yuna questioned.

“…I didn’t want to become your enemy.”

Those words hung in the air. The Toa Recla were to defend Recla Nui. They put aside their entire reasons for being on the island and joined together as one functional team. They decided to fight for justice, for the Matoran.

Their duty was to defeat those with the X-Force who terrorized the citizens of the island, who tried to kill them, who tried to make the island their own.

“We fight those who threaten the Matoran.” Eiros said simply.

“And I don’t.” Ilos said.

Eiros nodded. He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off.

“But what if I did become a threat? What if I accidently wounded someone with my new, less controlled powers? Would I be your enemy? Would you hunt me? Would you believe that I lost myself to the powers inside of me, and come after me?”

“The disguise didn’t help there.” Leros put in, “If a disguised X-Toa attacks and wounds Matoran, then we’re going to assume the disguise is there for a reason. We would have attacked. Revealing yourself would have saved you from that possibility.”

“We don’t know what would have happened in the heat of the moment.” Ilos simply said.

“So, now what?” Gerat questioned, “Do you lose your disguise for good? Fight with your full powers?”

“Yes.” Ilos said, “I’ll fight as who I am, and use the powers given to me to do so.”

A Matoran ran inside, panting. He looked up, “There’s something urgent!”

“What is it?” Ilos questioned.

“The Rahi out in the jungles…they’re going wild! Something’s going on!”

“Then we should go.” Ilos said, “Let’s move!”

The Toa looked around the jungle. Indeed, the Rahi were going wild. The Toa did what they could, but it wasn’t much.

Yuna tried to use her Kanohi Begasu to bring them under control. Zera used her Dayku to transform into the same species and tried to communicate, but got nowhere. Ilos tried using his gasses to at least knock them out. That was doing the most so far.

Gerat and Eiros looked around. The mouth of a large cave sat nearby. Noticeably there were no Rahi nearby, but tracks leading away from it.

“I think that’s something.” Gerat said, “I’ll go get the others.” He dashed off with his Kakama.

A few moments later the entire team was rushing towards Eiros. They looked into the cave, just as confused as Gerat and Eiros.

“Leros?” Ilos questioned.

He zoomed in with his scope, taking a look inside. He shook his head as he retracted his vision, “No. I don’t see anything.”

“Something in there has to be setting these Rahi off.” Zera said, “They were inside, something did this, they fled.”

“The tracks say that for sure.” Yuna stated.

“Then we’ll be careful and enter.” Ilos said, “Weapons, everyone!”

Everyone had their weapons ready. They entered into the darkness, instantly feeling something as being off. They just couldn’t place it.

As they got farther inside, they came into a larger chamber. Leros looked around, using his scope and his Doite's ability to increase his eyesight, allowing him to see a bit in the dark. He nodded to the wall, then tapped Eiros and pointed his hand at it, realizing that Eiros couldn’t see.

Eiros shot a bolt of Fire into the wall, striking a dead torch. When it came to life, light flooded the chamber. He threw two more Fire bolts out, igniting the other two dead torches he could see.

As soon as the light came in, they could hear footsteps. A chuckle.

“Nice of you to light it for us.”

It was Toreq. And by ‘us’, he had to mean he was with Kes.

The two X-Skakdi walked into the chamber, looking over the six Toa. The Toa were ready to fight, but waited.

There were the two ways inside. The way the Toa had come in, and the way the Skakdi had come in. No other ways.

“What an odd place to fight.” Kes hissed, “But it’ll do.” He pointed at Leros and Ilos, “Revenge time!” His body erupted into Magma.

Ilos stepped forward, “I’ll take him.” He said, sheathing his blade and flexing his fists, “Let’s see what I can do.”

“What’s this?” A new voice hissed.

They watched as from behind the Skakdi came the five X-Rahkshi.

“What? Them too?” Yuna questioned.

A blast erupted through the room. The Toa dodged to the side to avoid it. Kes laughed and threw his hand out, taking it in. His Magma body rippled, but remained intact.

From behind the Toa came the three X-Rahi. Wolf closed his mouth as they walked inside.

“Nature told me that something was wrong with my half-brothers.” Wolf hissed, referring to the normal Rahi outside, “I came to fix things for my utopia!”

“Now what?” Gerat muttered, “The Eruo going to get involved too?”

The walls dropped, sealing them all inside of the rock chamber; no way out unless they blasted their way out. There were enough gaps to bring air through, but not to escape without problems.

“If I had to guess, this was a plan by the Eruo to kill us.” Ilos said. He scanned the room, “All of their opposition. Drachius already showed that the Exo-Armor couldn’t work against them…”

“So they kill the guardians.” Eiros muttered, “Now what? Do we fight them all?”

Kes and Toreq walked forward, looking over their foes. Toreq pointed at the Rahi, “We already showed the Rahkshi our power. You lot…we haven’t seen you yet.”

Wolf growled at him and howled his Power Scream.

The attack struck Toreq, throwing him back. Power Scream may have been a Toa element, but Wolf’s attack wasn’t absorbed. Toreq’s powers were either limited, or Wolf could get around them possibly because of his being a Rahi, or the Power Scream functioning differently.

Toreq rose, “Fun.” He hissed. He looked to Kes, “Can we play with them first?”

Kes returned his body to normal, “Yes. We will.”

The two Skakdi rushed the Rahi. Wolf looked to his comrades, “Jaga, Rama, take one of them. I’ll take the other.”

“Which…one…?” Jaga questioned.

“Take the one I didn’t attack. I’ll take the one I hit.”

The two Rahi nodded and rushed forward. Jaga slammed his tail down into Kes’s face. As Kes stumbled back, Rama slashed his claws into his chest, barely doing any damage. He reared his head back and plunged it into Kes’s chest.

Kes immediately used his Gravity powers to throw Rama aside. As Jaga rushed him again, he used his vision power, disrupting Jaga’s molecular structure, leaving him paralyzed for nearly five seconds. Enough time for Kes to close the gap and punch his foe in the chest.

The claws on Jaga’s chest snapped closed on Kes’s fist. Kes cursed and slammed his head into Jaga’s, throwing the Rahi to the ground.

Wolf leapt over Toreq’s flaming fist. He landed behind and whipped his tail into his foe, making him stumble forward.

Toreq span around, using his vision powers. Wolf dodged the spot, slid, and rushed in at Toreq’s chest, slashing his claws into his foe.

Nothing.

The Skakdi were much too powerful, just like the Eruo before them. Wolf had no real way to fight them.

“Foolish beast!” Toreq laughed, kicking Wolf in the chest, throwing him across the room.

Kes threw Jaga aside with a sweep of his arm. He glanced to Toreq, who was once more fighting Wolf.

While the Skakdi and the Rahi fought each other, the Toa dueled against the Rahkshi. Queln and Ilos fought as leaders, while Yuna and Gerat teamed up against Jurges. Eiros fought Gelt, while Zera fought Lami, and Leros fought Myers.

Leros dodged each swing of Myers staff. Myers brought his weapon up, unleashing a Plasma ball at Leros.

Leros rolled aside and threw his arm out. An Ice bolt struck Myers in the side, running him through. He hit the ground, staying down.

“Rahkshi are supposed to be strong.” Leros muttered, “Yet they fall so easily…”

“Maybe they lost their abilities when they transformed. They aren’t used to being organic.” Eiros muttered, dodging a swing of Gelt’s staff. He drew his weapon back, slashed it side-to-side to distract his foe, and then plunged it forward.

The weapon made contact with Gelt’s chest, throwing him back. Sparks flew on contact. His armor darkened at the wound.

Gerat and Yuna rolled Jurges’s swing of his weapon. He rolled past them and span around, swinging his weapon out, sending explosive bolts flying forward, smashing into both Toa, sending them both flying back.

Gerat, as they flipped in the air, transferred the momentum, sending it rippling forward from the remains of the explosion’s dispersed energy. Jurges cried out and was thrown aside, smashing into the rock wall. Like the two Toa, he stayed down.

Zera dodged Lami’s slash. Lami glanced to her, unleashing Heat Vision. The blast struck Zera in the chest, throwing her back, leaving her darkened on impact.

She rose and threw her arm out. A Water scythe formed in the air, slamming into Lami. He fell back. By the time he looked up, Zera plunged her weapon into his chest, running him through, though he survived.

Ilos dodged Queln’s swings. They both span around, with Ilos spinning forward to attack, and Queln spinning back to avoid the approach. Ilos slashed up, but Queln parried down.

“Goodbye, Toa.” Queln hissed. His body began to pulsate as he attempted to send Ilos to another dimensional plane.

Ilos slashed Queln across the chest, sending him stumbling back. His attack was unleashed, sending energy streaming around the chamber, unchecked, destructive.

Myers looked up, taking the bolt as he rose, vanishing from the chamber.

Ilos looked at Queln as he stumbled away. He looked around, feeling the chamber.

“Radiation…” He muttered. He glanced to one of the exits and threw his arms out. Gas formed and then Fire ignited it, blowing the rocks away. He shouted to his team, “Radiation! Move out, now!”

The team left their battles, fleeing the cave as fast as they could. The Skakdi and Rahi continued to fight it out. The Rahkshi attempted to escape, leaving through the other exit.

Sparks flew from Drachius’s chest as he hit the ground, the axe hovering over his chest.

Monsth glared down at his strategist Junker. He hooked his axe to his waist, letting it hang down, blade towards the ground, handle where he could grip it.

“Drachius…” Monsth hissed.

“Emperor…what have I done to displease you…?” Drachius questioned, pushing himself back up. He held his blackened wound in his right hand.

Standing atop the cave system, Monsth glanced down, watching the various warriors flee from the cave. He looked back to Drachius, “One mustn’t use another’s forces against their own enemies. We must use our own power, our own men to destroy our enemies. Your plan of having them kill each other while you slowly poisoned them to death with your radiation is against what we should be doing.

“We should kill them with our own powers, our own abilities, our own manpower. Manipulating other forces into fighting each other isn’t our way. Our way is to prove our superiority through battle! To crush our foes under our own weapons!”

“That may be your way, Emperor… My way is the way of the strategist… Of the tactician… This is my way to kill our foes…” Drachius said.

“Your way is not the Eruo way.” Monsth simply said, shaking his head, “Now come along. We’ll deal with this in my way, in the proper Eruo way.”

Drachius nodded. He took up his weapon and plunged it into the ground to rise all the way. He withdrew his weapon, “I shall follow you, Emperor…”

“Then we’ll rendezvous with Seriun and begin the next stage of our attacks.” Monsth said, walking away. Drachius loyally followed behind his Emperor.

His deathtrap may have failed, but next time, the entire force of the Eruo would be upon the forces of Recla Nui.

(Death/Drachius)

Chapter 13: The F Cycle
“Alive…I’m alive…how can I be alive…?”

Myers picked himself up from the beach. He looked out to the ocean, questioning his own survival. The last thing he recalled was fighting alongside his brethren in a cave against the Toa, the X-Skakdi and the X-Rahi. Queln had released his power and it had gone out of control.

So why was Myers alive?

Queln’s power was dangerous. Left unchecked, like in the cave, it was one of the most dangerous powers that Myers knew of. Dimensional warping, always into another dimension, supposedly into a place of instant death.

So why was Myers still on Recla Nui? Why was he alive?

Or was he on another dimension’s version of Recla Nui?

Just what was going on?

He picked himself up and walked away from the beach, heading into the jungle. He didn’t stumble at all. He had no wounds, no weakness.

He was in perfect condition.

Why? How?

Or was he dead and in the next life? What was happening exactly?

When he came over a small ridge, he noticed something. He noticed damage he had seen before. Damage from previous battles between the factions of the X-Force.

It was exactly the same, down to the half melted trees from Magma attacks. This was either a universe where things were almost exactly the same, if not exactly, or this was his universe, and Queln’s attack hadn’t sent him away.

Or had it? Perhaps when he lost control, things changed. Perhaps he was simply teleported, his body broken down on a molecular level and his body rebuilt, repaired, healed.

He had heard of such things happening when Queln had ‘discussed’ his powers with their creator, with the Makuta whom had bore the five X-Rahkshi. The Makuta had a lot of information, and after giving out that information, was promptly executed by Queln’s powers.

Queln knew everything about his powers, but the others only knew some. They knew he had the powers to bridge dimensions in deadly ways with simple blasts of power, capable of tearing his foes apart with what appeared to simply be teleportation.

If he lost control, there was a small chance that the dimensional powers would lose their abilities, and would become nothing more than teleportation.

That must have been what happened. But the rewriting of molecules to create a healing effect? Myers ignored that part, simply pushing on.

Had he looked back at the beach, he would have noticed something black standing there, looking out at the ocean, unmoving, but alive in the worst possible way.

Kes pushed trees aside as he walked, snapping them off at the trunks. He had gotten separated from Toreq in the chaos of the escape from the cave. As soon as departures had been made, another battle had begun outside. A surprise attack from the Rahi and Rahkshi. The Toa had escaped battle, but the other factions had all battled.

He had no idea where Toreq was. Kes was making his way…he didn’t know where. He had no idea where he was.

A blast from Wolf’s Power Scream to his face had rattled his senses. He didn’t need to find Toreq anytime soon, he would be perfectly fine without Toreq, and Toreq fine without him. Neither needed each other.

But they needed to rendezvous and form new plans. There was a war going on, obviously, and they had to regroup. They had to form their new plans.

They had to crush their foes.

There were many who opposed them on the island. This wasn’t good. They simply had to regroup and reform. One Skakdi alone wouldn’t be able to win this entire war alone. The Skakdi, no matter how powerful, were at a distinct disadvantage in the entire scheme of things.

The Toa numbered five, and then an X-Toa.

The X-Rahkshi numbered five.

The X-Rahi numbered three.

The X-Eruo numbered three, and from what the Skakdi had spotted, had a small militia of their Eruo swarm class.

And finally the X-Skakdi numbered only two.

While the Skakdi were immensely powerful, they would lose alone against such numbers. If they could get each one alone and kill them that way, they stood a chance.

But why would all of them separate in such a way? There would be no advantage for the Skakdi, that was for sure.

Kes stopped. He rolled forward and threw his arm out, unleashing a rounded bolt of intense Gravity. The attack struck multiple trees as it flew, crashing into the figure whom had attacked him, bringing him down.

“Well, well, well. I thought you were dead.” Kes said.

Myers melted the trees away with a burst of Plasma. He rose, readying his third burst since meeting Kes, “I survived. I am a Rahkshi! I will survive!”

“Rahkshi are soldiers, nothing more. Expendable.” Kes said, “Isn’t that what the Makuta see you as?”

Myers had a distinct reptilian grin at all times, ever since he had met Kes. He lost it.

“Die you incompetent fool.”

Kes rolled, but nothing happened. Myers hadn’t attacked.

Then he looked at the ground. A crimson line was connecting him to Myers. He had rolled into Myers’s attack.

“What is this?” Kes hissed.

“Fear me.” Myers said.

Kes’s eyes widened. He realized what this was.

It was Myers’s power.

Kes’s body shook. He started to doubt himself, doubt his proven power. He started to become absolutely afraid of Myers, afraid of fighting.

How could he fight if he wasn’t even sure of his own powers? His mind instantly tricked itself, making him over think Myers’s powers. He started to imagine a whole slew of powers that Myers would never be able to have, and imagined him as having them all.

To him, at this very moment, Myers was the most deadly opponent he had ever seen.

“What? Too afraid to even move?” Myers hissed, charging a sphere of Plasma into the end of his staff. His Fear powers were proven, now it was time to see what Plasma would do to Kes.

He hurled the attack forward. The intense ionized gas slammed into Kes, causing him to scream and fall to his knees. He held his chest in both hands, screaming over the wound.

Myers approached him, leveling the tip of his scythe end to Kes’s throat. He looked into Kes’s eyes which were filled with fear.

“It’s time to die.”

The Toa had regrouped near the lake. They had simply run as fast as they could have—with the exception of Gerat since he didn’t use his Kakama—and had gotten away from the radiation, and from the constant fighting.

“Do you think any of them died back there?” Eiros asked, putting the question out in the air.

“I hope so.” Yuna replied.

“It’s wishful thinking, so I’m against it.” Leros said, “We should be grounded in fact. The Skakdi are fighting machines, but they need to live to fight. They wouldn’t ignore warnings such as the radiation. They would flee to fight again.”

“I agree with Leros.” Ilos said, “We have to assume that even the most combat ready of them fled to fight another day. We’ll have to plan that they all survived, form any new ideas around that.”

“What do you think was behind the radiation?” Gerat questioned.

“Do you even need to ask?” Zera muttered.

“What does that mean?” Gerat demanded.

“It means that it’s obvious.” Ilos said, cutting in, “It’s the foe that never appeared.”

“The Eruo?” Eiros questioned.

Ilos nodded, “It’s either them…or there’s something else on this island that we’ll have to fight. I’d prefer thinking it was the Eruo.”

“If they would have shown up, we might have ended it.” Gerat said, “We might have been able to level the field a bit.”

“I know what you mean.” Yuna said.

Zera had to agree, “If they had shown up, there would have been no reason to stop fighting, no radiation to stop us. We could have ended a good deal of them right then and there!”

“We’ll wait for fate to draw us together again.” Ilos simply said.

There was silence.

“Fate?” Eiros questioned.

“I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again.” Ilos said, “I don’t believe in coincidence. I have to believe that all of these X-Force occurrences, all on this same island, all within so short a time, is simply fate. Last I knew, Monsth wasn’t even on Recla Nui! He came back with the X-Force! That has to mean something.”

“How do you know Monsth, anyway?” Eiros questioned.

“That’s not important right now.” Ilos said, “But it was long ago that we first encountered each other, I can tell you that much. Monsth simply being here, this unimportant island, for seemingly no reason, has to be fate. He’s not here to kill me, or I’d have fought him by now. The fact that three Rahi have fallen to the X-Force as well seems to be more fate than coincidence, especially since they act so close.

“Then five Rahkshi, all of them working together, which seems indicative that they came from the same Makuta, appear? On top of that, Toreq hasn’t been seen since Silas’s death, but has returned now with another Skakdi? Both with the X-Force? I don’t like how this all adds up.

“There is no way this is coincidence. This is fate!”

“But why?” Leros questioned, “What’s fated to happen here?”

“Well…if we go out now, we can stop it.” Zera said simply, “Whatever fate has in store, we can circumvent it by eliminating some of them.”

“Toa aren’t killers.” Gerat said.

“We know that, but things are desperate.” Ilos simply said, “When you become advanced like us, then you realize that you can’t always follow the Toa Code. This island is in direct defiance of the Code. We have all killed in the past, and we’ll kill again if it means keeping the Matoran and anyone else safe. This island is much too dangerous to play by the rules. Learn that now, Gerat, Yuna, Eiros.”

“Do you expect us to kill?” Eiros questioned.

Ilos shook his head, “No, I don’t. I know it would go against your natures. I don’t expect it. Not unless you really change and fast, but that’s not going to happen.”

“So now what do we do?” Yuna questioned, changing the topic.

“We return to training.” Ilos said, “We rest up and patrol first, though. If nothing happens by day’s end, then we resume training. But with everyone riled up like this, we can’t discount the possibility of attack. I formed us as a team to prevent us from being split…but we need to split. Make a duo, and move out.”

Kes took a step back, and then another, and another. Each step was the direct result of a slash across the chest. Sparks flew from each blow, his armor darkened on each impact from Myers’s scything slashes.

Kes stumbled back, unable to overcome his fear. He knew now what was happening, his mind was at least working it out that he was under Myers’s control. No matter how powerful he had become with the X-Force, Myers couldn’t maintain his Fear powers by seeding them in a foe indefinitely. The ‘seed’ would only last so long.

Myers span around, slashing Kes again, flipping him to the ground. He cried out, and then took a stab down, sending sparks flying up. Kes screamed, breaking through the fear.

Myers realized he had lost his control and leapt back. He focused a ball of Plasma at each end of his weapon and swung both forward, hammering Kes as he rose.

Kes cried out, and then charged forward, his body now dripping Magma. He threw a punch, but Myers rolled under it. He was careful not to touch Kes, or he would lose a limb.

He threw a Plasma ball forward, but it did nothing on impact.

“You can’t defeat me!” Kes screamed, charging forward again.

Myers rolled once more and threw a Plasma bolt at Kes’s feet, tripping him up. He started to melt the ground as soon as his body hit it, unable to focus on not melting it. He could focus enough so that each step didn’t, but not enough to stop his entire body from doing what was natural.

While he was down, Myers unleashed his Fear powers again, this time straight from his staff, not from the ground. They weren’t diluted this time. They were unleashed at full.

Kes screamed out in absolute fear. He was starting to hallucinate things that caused his screams. Things that commanded him in his mind to drop his form to survive.

He obeyed, returning to normal.

Myers walked over now that it was safe. He stood on Kes’s back and lowered one end of his staff down, leveling the curved blade at Kes’s throat.

“It ends now.” Myers hissed, about to pull up and behead Kes.

“That’s enough.”

Myers cried out. It felt like he had just lost from one quarter to half of his energy and vitality. He stumbled back, panting, having lost control of his Fear powers.

Kes looked up, battered and unable to continue. His rage had been lost due to the Fear, and his wounds were getting the better of him.

“Toreq…”

Toreq looked down to Kes and pulled him up. He pushed Kes aside, “We have to go.” He hissed, “Start moving!”

Kes started to stumble away at Toreq’s orders. Toreq watched him go, and then turned to Myers.

“I don’t know how you survived, aren’t you supposed to be dead?”

“I should be, but fate smiled upon me.” Myers hissed in reply.

Toreq shook his head, “Fine then.” He turned, “Attack if you want. I would expect that you would attack, personally. I’m departing for now.”

Myers watched him go, but did nothing. He turned and started to run another way, searching for his brethren. He wanted to regroup, to learn how the battles had gone.

He was lucky enough to have survived. He needed to find the others, maybe even ambush the Skakdi if he found them fast enough.

Skakdi were powerful, but defeatable. Even Myers, who wasn’t the best fighter, was able to defeat an X-Skakdi who lived for nothing but combat.

As the two forces parted ways, something stood in the trees, watching them, silently, standing perfectly still. Black, tall, no features.

It pulsated. It had no armor, but was entirely organic.

It simply watched.

It was an omen.

(Fated/Fear)

Chapter 14: K’s Battle
“You don’t handle your superior in such a way!” Kes shouted, slamming Toreq’s arm away.

The crimson X-Skakdi glared at Kes. Toreq growled an answer, “You are only my superior in that you can prove your abilities as superior. You lost to a lower lifeform!”

“I was weakened.”

“So was the Rahkshi! And regardless, any Rahkshi should fall to a Skakdi!”

“Toreq, you’re treading on dangerous ground…” Kes threatened.

“No, you’re the one on dangerous ground. I might kill you myself for your insolence, for your weaknesses. That’s what we Skakdi do, right? We murder the weak. You’re weak.”

“I am strong!”

“Then prove it.”

“How?”

“Go and find someone powerful, someone that will be better off dead. Like the Rahkshi leader…only fitting that a loss to a Rahkshi leads you to a fight with the leader of the faction.”

“Where do you propose that I find him?” Kes hissed.

“That’s not my problem.” Toreq answered.

“Keris, are you sure you’re ok?” Servix asked.

The Ki-Matoran looked to the Ne-Matoran. He ignored him, looking back down at the ground from his log instead.

“What’s your problem?” Servix demanded.

Keris glared up at him, “Do you feel as powerless as I do?” He hissed in question.

“Powerless?” Servix asked.

He looked back down, “I couldn’t do anything to save my men from that onslaught. I didn’t just lose men, I lost friends. Then I couldn’t even defeat a Rahkshi! A Toa had to save me! Do you know how I feel, unable to defend my people? The people of this island?”

“We all have our wins and losses.” Servix said, “The Rahkshi was just a loss.”

“And the slaughter?” He shouted, “What do you call that? A ‘loss’?”

“No, that’s a tragedy.”

“I could do nothing to stop it…” Keris hissed, “All of those lives are still on my hands. It’s…it’s hitting me harder now, more than ever.”

“Why?”

“Today is the anniversary of my team coming together a decade ago. My proper team, my final team. I’ve had teams in the past, but none as trusted as those men I lost. I…I can’t take it…thinking about how long it’s been…about how they’re all gone…”

Servix sat down next to Keris with a sigh. He looked to his friend, “Look, we’ll do anything we can to help you. Would defeating the Eruo do anything?”

“It wouldn’t help. We can’t defeat them, anyway.”

“Don’t talk like that!”

“We’re just powerless Matoran.” Keris muttered, continuing on, “Even with our Exo-Armor, we aren’t in their league.”

“We can overcome that obstacle! We can defeat them!” Servix said.

“All it is is wishful thinking.” Keris said, “We’ll never be able to defeat them. My men can only be avenged if the Toa or another faction does it. And then it’s not really being avenged…it’s simply the nature of this island, of this battle.”

“Keris…you really have to try to come out of this. We’ll find a way!”

“What? Become Toa ourselves?” Keris questioned, half mocking Servix.

Servix had a desire to be a Toa someday, to help protect others. He didn’t really care for the Toa of Recla Nui, considering they were training, not defending.

He would be a proper guardian, if he ever became a Toa.

“There are ways…” He said.

“Like what?”

“Corps Stones.” Servix said, “They can allow a Matoran to transform into a Toa if they have the proper elemental Stone.”

“Where would you find one?” Keris questioned.

“A Duos Stone? Two Matoran into one Toa?”

“Again, where?”

“I’m throwing ideas out! We could win if we could find these powers!”

“That’s very wishful thinking. I’m completely against it.” Keris said.

Servix shook his head, “Look, I’m going to go get the others, and we’ll be back. We aren’t done yet, Keris.” Servix said as he rose.

Keris said nothing; he just remained seated as Servix left.

Kes stomped through the jungle, searching. He stopped and parted a branch, looking out at the silver figure moving stealthily through the jungle.

This was Queln. Only Queln, from what Kes knew, would be foolish enough to venture out alone on the island full of hostiles.

Kes waited as Queln moved forward. When Queln entered into the small pathway that Kes was on, Kes unleashed his Disruption Vision.

The attack slammed into Queln from behind. His molecular structure was being ruptured, causing up to five seconds of paralysis. Kes leapt forward at him, slashing his claws down Queln’s back from his right shoulder to left hip. The massive swing of Kes’s right arm was enough to nearly shatter Queln’s body.

Sparks flew from the impact. Queln’s armor darkened from the blow. He stumbled forward, rolled, and turned around, pushing himself up as he looked at his foe.

“Come on.” Kes hissed.

“The Skakdi leader?” Queln questioned.

“I am.”

Queln’s sly smile appeared.

“I heard Myers defeated you.”

“He may have, but I’ll defeat you and make things proper!”

“What does that mean?” Queln hissed, “Does that mean that by defeating me, you restore your own defeat? By defeating someone superior to the one who defeated you, does that mean you negate the loss and can gloat? It doesn’t work that way, Skakdi.”

Kes stood motionless, silent.

“Well? Nothing to say?”

“When we first met, one blow took you out.” Kes said, clenching his right fist, “I’ll do the same to you again. Did you like that?”

“Surprise is a good plan. I didn’t think a Skakdi could do it.” Queln admitted, “But I hope you realize I played dead for a bit.”

“Regardless, I’ll make you dead!” Kes shouted, running forward, drawing his right fist back for a blow.

Queln dodged back as the punch was thrown. As he slid, he lowered his staff, focusing power into the end of the trident tips. Chain Lightning flew forward, smashing into Kes, throwing him back, causing him to cry out.

His darkened armor was pinpointed at one position. That wound on the armor stood in testament to Queln’s accuracy, his condensed power.

“You’re not too bad…” Kes muttered. His body began to melt as he made it into Magma, “Not good enough to beat me, though.”

“Come, then.” Queln challenged, lowering his staff again, “This time I should send you away.”

“That won’t work.” He hissed, charging forward.

Queln didn’t unleash his dimensional abilities. He focused Chain Lightning into the tip of his weapon.

“I want a corpse.” Queln hissed, firing.

Keris looked up. Something was wrong.

A shadow fell over his body. It all happened in a split second, but to a soldier like Keris, it all played out in what seemed an eternity.

He was able to focus on the exact details of the situation, learn exactly what was happening, and react accordingly in the split second. His moves were flawless.

As soon as the shadow draped across his body, his right hand went for his hilt. He pushed off of the log, leaping forward, spinning around in the air. He performed a quick backflip from his position, landing on his feet, facing his foe, sword out and forward, already being plunged forward.

Seriun blocked the sword with his downward facing claw blade on his left hand. He chuckled, drawing his clawed right arm up to his body, pinching the two massive claws together.

“Nice dodge. Didn’t think Matoran were that fast.”

Keris’s eyes shot open.

It was the crimson Junker. He didn’t know the man’s name, but knew that he was one of the men responsible in some way for the death of his squad.

“I’ll kill you!” Keris screamed, rushing forward. He plunged his weapon into the gap of the claws, but Seriun was faster, closing his claw and stopping the blade.

“My name is Seriun. Names are important because when you meet your friends in the next life; you can tell them who it was that killed you.” Seriun whispered, “Your name?”

“Keris.” Keris hissed.

“Well, Keris, this is going to be a quick battle.” Seriun said, drawing his leg forward, ramming his knee into Keris, sending him flying back.

“Why me? Why now?” Keris hissed, then he shouted, “Why did I survive? Why not have finished me then?”

“Drachius was the one doing most of the killing. That Toa intervened, remember? I only just got bored, for now.” He said, pinching his claw again.

“I’ll be sure to kill you.” Keris hissed, “I’ll avenge them in some way!”

“No, you’ll join them. But you have a deathwish, don’t you? You want to possibly die and join them, right?”

“Shut up…” Keris muttered.

“If you die, you can say you failed, but your life with that hanging on your head, the deaths, that is, is gone. If you die, no more shame, since you won’t care anymore, because you’ll all be together…”

“Shut up!” Keris screamed, running forward. He slashed rapidly, wildly, but was never able to land a proper blow. Anything he did was parried or blocked.

“Come on Matoran!” Seriun shouted, slamming his foot as hard as he could into Keris, throwing him to the ground, “Come on!”

“Keris!”

Keris looked back. He could see a mechanical transport vehicle coming in, hovering over the ground. He could see four suits of Exo-Armor attached, three of them occupied by Servix, Tyko and Leina, the last one being his.

He saw two more suits hovering, flying higher and faster. He knew it was Kato and Perto in their Sky Division armor.

“You really think these suits can handle me?” Seriun hissed, “We already proved that these suits are nothing to the Eruo!”

“This time you have stronger foes.” Keris muttered, rushing for his machine. He hooked himself up as the others stepped off of the transport and made their way towards Seriun. When Keris’s suit was online, he also made his move.

Kato shot down. He had sleek, silver wings with a jet on the back of his black suit. His left arm had a downward facing hook blade, while his right had a clamp and a bayonet.

Leina’s suit was green. It was built for water travel, including air tanks on the suit itself. The right arm had a shield, while the left had scissor blades. There were jets across the armor for travel.

Perto’s suit was black, with two sleek silver wings. The left arm had a triple clawed blade coming up, while the right had a drill/shovel attachment.

Servix’s suit was silver. It had a crescent blade on the right arm, while it had a buzzsaw blade in a sleek design on the left. The back had a tail of sorts that could fire a cable for support.

Tyko had black armor. His right arm had a triple bladed spinning blade, while the left had a large blade that doubled as a buzzsaw.

“Let’s end this!” Keris shouted, charging forward.

Queln hit the ground and rolled, staying down. Kes stood over him, grinning viciously.

“It’s over!” He laughed, “Toreq! Is this good enough for you?” He turned his back, “A weak foe who can no longer fight…I don’t need to kill you.” He said, walking away.

Queln grinned. He rose, less wounded than his foe believed.

He lifted his staff and fired, striking Kes in the back of the head. Kes cried out and hit the ground. He had won, but it was all because Queln threw the fight to get a cheap shot off.

It was worth it.

Seriun ducked a swing of Keris’s arm. As the blade missed, he plunged his energy drill in. Seriun parried with his left claw blade, holding his foe back.

He glanced to his side. The triple spinning blade from Tyko came in at his left, while Leina’s scissor blades opened and came at his right.

Seriun fired a blast of Water forward, smashing it into Keris. As he fell back, Kato and Perto shot down, slashing at Seriun’s head with the bayonet and claw, respectively.

Seriun looked up, parrying as best as he could. Leina struck him on the side, pinching her blades into his chest. He cried out, and then he took the triple spinning blade’s slash to his other side, dropping him to a knee.

“You guys are fun…” He muttered.

Perto leapt at him from behind. He slashed his foe across the back with his triple claw, sending sparks flying. Seriun drew his head back, avoiding the attacks from the sky. He plunged a claw into Leina, and one into Tyko, knocking them both back. He span around, sending a blast of Water from his right claw into Servix, sending him flying back.

Keris leapt forward, slashing him with his large blade. Before the sparks even hit the ground, Seriun had his Water attack ready to plunge into Keris. He looked up, watching Kato’s bayonet plunging into his head.

Seriun’s helm was strong enough to withstand the attack. He simply stumbled back, able to use his natural strength to avoid a mortal wound. He took a blow from Keris and hit the ground.

The six surrounded him again. He rose, chuckling.

“Well, you six are fun…”

There were footsteps coming towards the group. Seriun glanced over his shoulder, “Seriun, stop playing around…”

“Monsth…” Seriun said. He looked back at the Matoran, “Well…I guess I have to stop this fight. It was fun, though.”

The six Matoran watched as he walked away with the silver armored Monsth. They didn’t let down their guards until well after the two had left sight.

“Keris, what happened exactly?” Kato questioned.

“…nothing.” Keris said, opening the front of his suit so he could step out.

“Keris, we’re concerned about you!” Tyko exclaimed.

“…I’m fine.” Keris said simply.

(Kes/Keris)

Chapter 15: The V Afterglow
A figure flew over the island of Recla Nui as a new day dawned. The clouds of the morning nearly obscured it from all to see. It was headed south.

A new day truly had arrived as this figure touched down in the treacherous mountains of the south. A cave awaited, with two others already inside.

If the figure had looked back, an organic, black, pulsating thing would have been seen, standing there. An omen of things to come.

“Welcome, Makuta Seraph.”

“Makuta Eish.” He nodded, then looked to the figure farther back, “Makuta Veix.”

“This is the first time we all meet, is it not?” Veix questioned.

“It is.” Eish confirmed.

Seraph walked into the darkness of the cave. Lights instantly came on, allowing all to see each other, allowing details of the small lab to be made out.

The three Makuta were all tall, muscular beings, with the exception of Eish, who was less muscular, to show off her feminine form.

Seraph was clad in black armor with flashes of red across himself, as if to show a little more personality, as well as violence. He had wings spreading out of his back, but they appeared skeletal, taking away from his muscular body. He carried no weapons, and he wore an unidentified Kanohi mask, which the other two knew was the Dividos, Mask of Division.

Eish was clad in white, black and silver armor. She was tall and somewhat shapely, having chosen a form that befit her status as a female Makuta. She had long, sloping silver armor on her arms, a draped back Kanohi mask which was identified as the Detyu, Mask of Depigmentation, and she carried a large double ended crescent staff in her right hand, while her left was covered by a claw weapon.

Veix was clad in blue and white armor, tall and muscular. He wore sloping shoulder pads, adding regality to his appearance. He had simple armor without much design or detail, just standard, thick yet workable armor. He carried a sword clipped to the small of his back, and wore a sleek black Kanohi mask, identified as the Vosveth, Mask of Puppetry.

“Now, shall we begin?” Veix questioned.

“Do you have it?” Eish questioned Seraph.

He nodded, “Yes, I have the data. I trust that you do as well.”

She nodded, “It was almost ruined, but that man who took the identity of ‘Joker’ did a great job. He may have been one of ours, but his acting was perfect.” She held up her right hand, showing a hump of stone with two rounded ends coming off of the top, as if forcefully fused together, “The explosion he set off didn’t quite destroy it, but it melted it together. The data is still there.” She turned it over, “Still some red and green chips of armor on it…” She muttered, cleaning off the remains of the users.

Seraph nodded, producing a single stone, “My Corps Stone experimenting went as planned. An Eruo invasion tried to deter it, but I got all of the data I required. It’s all stored here, sent via telepathic signals from every user to this hub, if you would, every so often.”

Veix nodded, “Excellent. The Duos Stone, the Corps Stones…all of this data…” He looked at both, taking in the sights. He went to the slab table and started to mix chemicals, “So close…”

“Can you do it quickly? I feel we’re almost overdue, or out of our league, here.” Eish said.

“I’m sure their scientists are better…but I can’t pass up this opportunity! I’ll be the one to open the Void!” Veix laughed, mixing and adding more chemicals. He took a stone with a deep blue hue. “This stone will isolate my Teleportation powers…” The stone pulsated in blue light, “And then…” The light transferred into the concoction.

Eish and Seraph set their Stones onto the table. Veix looked at them, and then back at the chemicals. He walked outside and threw the chemicals on the ground.

“Open!” He commanded, throwing his arm aside, unleashing his Shadow powers into it. The mixture was designed to act like a gate, connecting itself to him, and then becoming a proper gate through Veix, opening the Void.

His Shadow powers were the catalyst, opening a jagged hole in the ground. As soon as it opened, his body pulsated. He activated his Teleportation powers, but nothing happened to him. The hole, however, opened wider, and then closed. The sky above it split and pulsated, slowly opening.

“The Void!” He laughed, throwing his arms to it, “It opens!”

Eish and Seraph stood by his side. After years, their goal had been reached.

The opening of the Void for the Sleepers to emerge.

“Shall we report this?” Seraph questioned.

“Not yet…” Veix said, “Let us see what happens, first.”

Figures began to fall from the Void, onto the rocky landscape. They weren’t what was desired. But then came what was actually desired. Small particles, it appeared. In reality, they were Sleepers, weak and small, but powerful when used properly.

Veix threw his arm forward, drawing the Sleepers to him with his Vacuum powers. When they reached him, he contained them in a Stasis Field and sent it into the cave for the time being.

“What do we do about these…things?” Seraph questioned, looking at the humanoid figures rising. They were colorless, holding no weaponry. They were only vaguely humanoid, no real details on their bodies.

“We…” One tried to say. It looked to its fellow and then grabbed its head. The second one did the same. Both of them started to take on more detail, looking simply like inky black figures, but with detail, at the least, including smooth bodies and somewhat rounded heads.

“We are Memory Changers.” The second one said. More and more were affecting each other in that same way, becoming more detailed, “As we are remembered, we grow more powerful.”

“They’re…causing each other to remember each other?” Eish muttered, “So, they live up to the name.”

“Return to the Void!” Veix shouted, “You aren’t our concern at the moment!”

“No…” The first one said, “We will stay alive! We will remain here! You remember us, you can’t kill us!”

“We’ll see.” Seraph muttered.

The Memory Changers raced forward at the Makuta. They didn’t know the odds.

They tried to attack with arm blades, caused by their partners remembering that they had them, creating something that didn’t exist prior. They started to slash, but the Makuta were able to use Dodge powers to evade, and followed up with their Shadow attacks.

While they were blown away, it didn’t stop them. Any that died were restored, even if their partner was destroyed or killed, rather. The Makuta recalled killing them, thus causing them to return.

“Shall we make this swift?” Seraph hissed.

Eish and Veix nodded. All of them took to the air by using one of their powers in some form. Perhaps a Teleportation to teleport into the air, and descend. A Cyclone to lift themselves. Seraph floated up with his wings, however.

All of them went back-to-back, utilizing some form of power to create a crystalline barrier around their bodies. The Memory Changers watched, growing more powerful every moment.

When the crystal faded, each Makuta wore new armor. It was the same as before, but infinitely sleeker, smoother. More crystal-like, so to speak. There was no true way to describe it, other than the whites and blues shone, and the designs made them look like angelic beings.

Diamond energy wings formed from their backs, allowing them floatation. They held whatever weapons they had had prior. Eish had her staff and claw, Seraph had nothing, and Veix was just now drawing his crescent bladed sword.

The Makuta were swift and merciless, appearing and reappearing with pure speed alone. It wasn’t given naturally, neither was the armor.

It was a gift from their benefactors.

They darted in and out, using their advanced forms to cleave entire ‘squads’ in one move. When it was over, they regrouped, but watched the Memory Changers restore themselves, as if nothing had happened.

“How do we kill them?” Eish muttered.

Seraph grinned, “Easy.”

He threw his arms to his side, unleashing a Shadow Hand from his chest. It grabbed nearly ten of them, pulling them into his body. He instantly ejected some of his mass to allow for the new mass to enter. He fell to his knees, the minds weaker, but their powers strong.

“I remember absorbing them…” He muttered. He threw his head back and cried out. The Memory Changers expelled themselves from his body through their unique powers. He was now the weakest, having the least body left.

“Cover him!” Veix shouted at Eish. He moved forward, “Get him more mass somehow.” He threw his hand towards the gate, and looked at his Stasis Field that kept the Sleepers held. He looked back to the Memory Changers, and used his powers.

He took control of his own creation, the Void entrance. It was linked to him through his science work. He commanded it.

He started to close it, but instantly activated his Vacuum powers, sucking the Memory Changers in. He instantly sealed the Void, ending it.

“Even if we remember…you can’t escape.” Veix said, turning to the others. Their crystalline armor was gone, returned to normal. He walked to the others, “Ok, we should report in, then.”

A little farther to the south was a facility, hidden in the mountains. The large steel facility was the main purpose for the three Makuta to have gathered here, on this specific island. It wasn’t as if this was the only base, no, there were plenty more.

But currently Madam Director was visiting this one. They were to report directly to her.

The three Makuta walked down a sterile silver, steel hallway, ignoring the figures they passed. Some Matoran, some beings of other species, a decent amount of them Matoran-like. They stopped when they met an Onu-Matoran standing before them, hands clasped behind his back.

“I am Stiez.” He said, “The leader of this base. Are you here to see the Director?”

Eish nodded, “Take us to her.” She held up the Duos Stone. Seraph held up the Corps Stone data. Veix held up the Stasis Field of Sleepers.

“You opened the Void?” Stiez questioned, “Well, tell us the data and we’ll improve it.”

“Just be sure those Memory Changers don’t get out.” Veix muttered, setting the Field down with the stones. They followed Stiez into a secured room, having just left the room full of liquid filled tanks. The cries of beings could still be heard as they entered the shining, white executive’s room.

A black and white armored figure, slightly taller than a Matoran, sat there, looking over data before her. She had a sleek white Kanohi, and a mix of white and black across the rest of her body. She wore a large cape that obscured most of her body, adding to her signs of regality and status.

“Madam Director.” Eish simply said.

She looked up, “Ah! You’ve arrived!”

“We brought all of the required data.” Eish reported, “We also opened the Void and extracted some Sleepers. We have a warning; the Memory Changers aren’t pleased, and will try to escape. Very difficult to kill.”

“We can handle it. The Void Foundation, after all, is designed to deal with the Void in any matter. We know how to kill Memory Changers.” The Director said.

“Madam Director, shall we begin running tests on the data?” Stiez asked.

She nodded, “Run the data, report results.”

“Understood.” He said, departing.

“What are you planning, exactly?” Veix questioned. Eish hit him for his rude question.

“It’s no problem.” The Director told Eish, “We’re searching for hosts suitable of handling the Sleepers. Your collected data will allow us to work out Matoran transformations and similar situations. That’s the entire purpose.”

Silence, unsure of what to say to the Director.

“Any questions?” She asked.

“I have to ask…” Eish said, “The ‘Joker’…”

“He did his task. He knew he would die, but accepted it for his brethren.” The Director said, “Anything else?”

“That angel.” Seraph said.

“An experiment.” The Director confirmed, “His machine form, anyway…”

“Do you do that often?” Seraph questioned, “It was…interesting.”

“We do it time-to-time. When we need more competent warriors. It’s a simple matter, and it puts us ahead of the Brotherhood.” She said, “We also sent some others out, just like him. One should be on Cyril Nui, last I heard. The others are involved behind the scenes.”

“You stated one specific example. Why is that?” Veix questioned.

“His mind is…different. He wasn’t fully reprogrammed, but rather, he was allowed to depart. Another experiment, of sorts, to keep a recording on his Mistress. Her data is very interesting…but we’ve recently lost it. The scientists think she disabled it after learning about it.” The Director shrugged, “I’ll assume the same.”

“How does the battle go?” Eish asked.

“The game against the Brotherhood is interesting, to say the least. The Toa, our pawns, are moving as we want them to, but we need to send out our knights, soon.”

Seraph gestured to the other room, “All of those experiments?”

She nodded, “I came here because there was a lot going on at the moment. The X-Force is alive and well here, interestingly enough. But now, I want reports. Any information on my other pawns or knights?”

Seraph nodded, “I have information on three in total. The angel is gone, killed by a Junker. He did a lot of damage, though, so I have to thank him. The Illuminati remnants that I knew of were summoned to Angelus Nui via their rings, but they were killed. Two of them. I am unaware of any others.”

“The Illuminati is a lost cause.” The Director said, “It was an interesting subject matter at the time, but those experiments made them cocky. Causing their fall was one of the best decisions I made as Director.”

Seraph nodded, “And…” He tried to think, “Subject SW-093-B.”

The Director held up her hand to stop him. She closed her eyes, and then opened them, using her vast knowledge to pull out the information, “Sewin, Toa of Stone, correct?”

He nodded, “His transformations went as planned. He eventually reached Angelus Nui, but killed himself when the Toa Angelus intervened.”

She shrugged, “He was just a test, not a proper pawn anyway. We know, at least, that Visorak venom can be controlled with our Chemical 4479 to induce transformations under a specific stimulus, and can be compacted into Rhotuka or Kanoka.”

“Reminds me of the Dark Hunter Mutagen…” Eish said.

She looked to Eish, “I’ve heard the reports on that substance. They seem very similar. I wouldn’t be surprised if they came up with the same idea we did. Ours is more controlled, however. That’s the beauty of the Geleerde.”

“Are they aware of anything, yet?” Veix questioned.

She shook her head, “They are not yet aware that they are our pawns. They think they’re working for a better tomorrow. They are, but just in a different way.”

She rose. The Makuta walked out ahead of her. She rejoined Stiez outside, walking towards the exit.

“I have business at Sector 33X.” She said, “I’ll return here in a few days, when it’s finished.”

The three Makuta and Stiez stopped, saluted, and watched her depart.

(Vengeance/Void)

Chapter 16: The Fall of J
“What shall we do now?” Stiez questioned the Makuta.

“The current situation is certainly an interesting one.” Eish told him, “What plans does the V Foundation have for the X-Force?”

“Confidential.” Stiez answered.

“How go the battles, though?” Seraph questioned.

“The X-Force warriors are all at odds with one-another.” Stiez answered, “Their factions are locked in combat. The Toa are also fighting them. It’s chaos, when the fighting begins.”

Veix spoke, “Are they involved at this moment?”

Stiez checked a panel on the wall. It lit up, and then went to a display. It was monitoring various parts of the island. Finally they found what they were searching for. The Toa team, all six of them, fighting against three of the Rahkshi and one of the Skakdi.

“Interesting battle.” Veix mused, “What if we made it…more interesting?”

“What are you getting at?” Stiez questioned.

“Well…” He scratched his chin, “What if we made sure to see some…new results?”

“I still don’t follow.” Stiez muttered, “Talk straight!” He snapped.

Veix shrugged, “Fine. What if we were to help random warriors out there? Just to increase the difficulty of the battle?”

“I see what you’re getting at.” Stiez said, nodding, “I like that plan.”

Stiez and the Makuta moved into another room. Stiez began to utilize controls and knobs on the interface before him, clicking through screens with his finger.

“Ready.”

Gerat threw his arm forward. The ground around Queln’s feet exploded. The Rahkshi leader countered by throwing one end of his staff forward and unleashing Chain Lightning right at Gerat.

Yuna leapt in front of the attack, catching it in her weapon, absorbing the attack. She drew her arms back and cast them forward, sending a wider blast of Lightning hurtling forward.

Gelt rushed towards Queln and threw his staff forward, using his Molecular Disruption ability to save Queln’s body. The Lightning passed right through him.

Lami rushed at the lone Skakdi, Kes. He drew his head back and threw it forward as he unleashed his Heat Vision at the Gravity Skakdi.

Kes activated his power, turning his body into Magma. The Heat Vision did nothing to him. He stalked forward, and then rushed, throwing a punch at Lami, who ducked.

The white Rahkshi unleashed his power again, but again, nothing.

“That won’t work on me!” Kes shouted.

He was slammed in the side by a fist made of Water. He started to cool at the impact point. He pushed himself up, glaring at Zera, who approached with her claw held tightly in hand, and arm outstretched.

“You’ll pay for that.” Kes hissed.

“Try me.” Zera challenged, unleashing another fist of Water, slamming Kes into the ground again.

Queln span around, throwing Chain Lightning at Zera. She span around, saw it coming, and ducked. The blast slammed into Kes instead, who went down once more, having not seen it coming and having no defense as a result.

“Your body is an interesting trick.” Zera told Kes, “But you have to pay attention, or things that can’t be absorbed will just hammer you. You could have defended against that, couldn’t you?”

“Pure will would have made me strong enough.” Kes hissed.

“But Lightning can’t melt.” Zera mocked, “So it wouldn’t have done much, had you paid attention. You’d have taken a hit none-the-less.”

“Quiet!” He shouted, unleashing his Gravity powers. Zera was thrown into the air, and then flung into a tree, splintering it to shards.

Kes laughed and approached, clenching his Magma fist and chuckling.

Zera rose again, but swayed. As Kes rushed forward to punch, a blast of Water slammed into his side, taking him down.

“Thanks, Ilos.” Zera said.

Ilos rushed to her side and nodded. “Let’s double this.” He threw his arm out. She did the same. Both began to generate the powers of Water into their hands, ready to unleash Kes’s primary weakness into his body at once.

Queln was engaged with Eiros at the moment, while Gelt was facing Gerat, and Lami was now facing Yuna and Leros.

It looked like the Toa could win this fight.

Light flashed in the sky, and all of that changed.

Columns of light flew from the sky, slamming into the three Rahkshi and the Skakdi. The Toa kept back, stunned.

Had they just won?

No. The light wasn’t physical. It was energy, but it wasn’t dangerous. That soon became apparent.

“This power!” Kes screamed as he stalked at the two Toa he fought. He threw his left arm aside, unleashing a compressed wave of Gravity.

“Move!” Ilos shouted, pushing Zera aside. He leapt the other way, clearing the range of the attack.

The ground under the wave, as it flew, was crushed. Nothing would have survived.

Kes laughed and ran at Zera. He dropped his Magma form, returning to normal as he ran. She leapt forward, slashing him across the chest. Sparks flew, and the armor darkened, but nothing else happened.

Kes stood there, glaring down at her.

“Zera!” Ilos screamed, rushing towards her.

Zera was downed, unconscious, from Kes’s backhand to her face.

“This power…” Kes muttered, turning to Ilos. He backhanded, but the Toa of Brimstone rolled under the attack, reaching the downed Toa of Water.

“Zera…” He shook her, and then looked up at Kes, who was reading a punch. He rolled forward, holding Zera. He rose and rushed away with her in his arms. He set her down and span around, throwing both Fire and Water at Kes.

Kes walked forward, taking both hits as the elements continued to stream at him. He didn’t slow. He wasn’t taking any wounds from these attacks.

“How…?” Ilos muttered, “How can you be so powerful?” He shouted.

“Don’t ask me.” Kes answered, “I didn’t do this.”

“Then who did?” Ilos muttered.

Eiros rolled aside as Queln swung his power-enhanced staff. One touch would shock him, and then he would take a real blast of Chain Lightning, no doubt. He backed away, clutching his sword tight in hand.

Queln laughed and pointed one end of his staff forward. Chain Lightning flew much faster, much finer than before. This time it went for Eiros’s head.

Eiros rolled under it, just barely avoiding losing his head. He rose and span, slamming a kick into Queln’s chest, knocking him back.

“Do you think you can win anymore, Toa?” Queln hissed.

“No.” Eiros admitted, drawing his sword up, “I’m just going to try to hold you back for a while, until we figure out what that energy was.”

“I don’t know what it was.” Queln hissed, “But whatever it was, whoever sent it…obviously wants the Toa to fall!”

“We won’t fall.” Eiros hissed, “That’s not what happens to Toa.”

“It happens all the time.” Queln hissed, “Do you know how many Toa are in this world compared to the past? Hardly any at all! Grand armies of Toa used to stand, no doubt thousands strong! Now? Perhaps hundreds, if that. You have a lot to learn, Toa.”

Eiros rushed forward with a shout. He leapt up, tucking his legs up to his chest and swinging his sword out in his traditional attack.

“It’s over.” Queln said simply, firing a bolt of Chain Lightning into his chest. On impact, Eiros was thrown down. Sparks flew continually from his chest from the damage, from the electrical surge still crackling through his body. He stayed down.

Gelt ducked the swing of Gerat’s sword and swung his own staff forward, but Gerat ducked.

“Disintegration, then!” Gelt shouted, unleashing his destructive attack.

Gerat used his Kakama to get behind Gelt. He kicked his foe in the back, driving all of the momentum he could gather from his Kakama boost into the kick, sending Gelt crashing forward, but with no apparent damage.

“We’re very durable, it seems.” Gelt hissed, firing another bolt of Disintegration power.

Using his Kakama again, he dodged, appearing right behind Gelt. He slammed all of his force into Gelt, this time in the form of energy. Gelt was flung forward, but had no damage.

“You can’t wound me.” Gelt hissed.

“I’ll try!” Gerat shouted, appearing in front of him with his speed. He drove his sword up, going for the chin and up, hoping to pierce his foe’s head.

It passed right through.

“Molecular Disruption.” Gelt hissed. He stepped back, came out of it, and slammed the shaft of his staff into Gerat’s throat, dropping the Toa of Energy.

Lami dodged as Yuna and Leros both slashed at the same point. He laughed and threw his head forward, unleashing a blast of Heat Vision.

Leros threw his arm out, blocking it with a wall of Ice, hoping to deflect it.

His wall melted, and he took the shot to the chest.

Yuna leapt over the wall, throwing her arm down, unleashing a bolt of Lightning straight into Lami, but nothing happened.

“I can’t take damage like that.” The white Rahkshi hissed.

“Then how do we win?” Yuna demanded.

“You don’t!” He laughed.

“I can’t accept that.” Yuna hissed, rushing forward. She slashed as hard as she could, as fast as she could, but he continued to dodge. Any blows that were made sent sparks flying, darkened armor, but didn’t do any actual damage.

“You can’t win.” Lami said, gripping her wrist in his hand. He reared his head back and slammed it into hers, dropping her to the ground.

Leros leapt at Lami, throwing two Ice darts forward. Lami let the attacks strike, but nothing happened to him.

“Go down already.” He hissed, unleashing Heat Vision into Leros’s chest, taking him to the ground.

It was over for the Toa. None of them could damage these warriors. All they could do was regroup as they came to, or were aroused by active comrades. All they could do was flee to a safer location while the Rahkshi fought Kes.

“Just…just what happened today?” Yuna hissed.

They were under the cover of trees. Ilos turned to her, “We lost. Not only that…but justice fell today. We couldn’t stop them, because someone seems to have intervened.”

“Who?” Eiros questioned, “Who could possibly intervene like that?”

“I don’t know. But I intend on finding out, and restoring justice.” Ilos hissed.

“What have we here? A little Rahkshi all alone?”

Jurges, the black Rahkshi, turned around. He could see the powerful red armored Junker, Seriun, approaching through the trees.

Jurges turned to face him in the clearing. He had his powers of Hunger and his explosive bolts to fight with. He didn’t know what Seriun had, but he was sure he could win with his Hunger powers.

“Let’s get on with this.” Seriun said.

“You came searching me out.” Jurges commented, “Don’t make it sound like I’m ruining your day by coming to you.”

“You did ruin my day.” Seriun hissed, “I was running an errand, and you were in my way. So I have to kill you.”

“Errand?” Jurges questioned, “What kind of warrior runs an…errand?”

“One who serves in such a hierarchy as the Eruo do.” Seriun hissed, rushing forward, keeping partially crouched. He swung his left blade out and up, but Jurges dodged back and span around, kicking dirt up with one end of his staff.

Seriun shielded his eyes with his right arm. He lowered it and leapt forward, using his wings to glide. He thrust his claw forward, grabbing Jurges and pinning his arms to his sides.

“Fool!” Jurges laughed, using his Hunger powers.

Nothing.

“Did I not mention?” Seriun questioned.

“What?” Jurges spat.

“I negate powers.”

He slammed his head into Jurges’s and let go, letting Jurges fall back. He rolled aside and threw his staff forward, but no explosive bolts flew.

“Not out of range yet.” He hissed, rushing away as Seriun walked towards him slowly.

Jurges span around again, this time unleashing one of his bolts of power. It sailed through the air, right for Seriun’s head.

“At this range, I can dodge.” Seriun said, walking into the attack.

Nothing happened.

“Or I can wait for it to come close enough to be negated.”

“You can negate an active attack?” Jurges hissed, backing away. He glanced to a thick tree nearby and threw a bolt at it, sending the tree toppling down at Seriun.

The tree smashed into him, but it didn’t do anything to slow him.

“Nice try.” Seriun hissed, walking to a sizeable tree. He gripped it in his claw and sliced through the trunk in one clean swipe of his blade arm. He lifted it with his impressive strength, “Let me show you my try.”

He threw the tree forward, letting it smash into Jurges. The Rahkshi cried out and was smashed between that tree and another one. He groaned and hit the ground as soon as the projectile tree fell.

“Come on! Show me what the X-Force has done for you!” Seriun shouted, “Fight me directly!”

Jurges pushed himself up and swung his staff forward with a shout. Seriun cut it in one swing, landing the end on the ground.

Jurges cast the rest of his weapon aside and threw a punch, connecting with his foe’s face. Seriun laughed and took one step back so the fist wasn’t connected anymore.

“Nice try.” He plunged his blade through Jurges’s chest, watching the other end erupt through his foe’s back as he slouched over on it, “This is mine.”

He kicked Jurges off of his blade and walked closer to the corpse. He looked down and smashed his foot onto his upperbody, killing any chances the Kraata had of disconnecting and escaping, if it even could anymore.

“One X-Force being gone.” Seriun hissed, walking away to complete his errand for Emperor Monsth.

Jurges had fallen, just like justice.

(Justice/Jurges)

Chapter 17: Battle of M
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Monsth questioned, hoisting his axe onto his shoulder.

“My brethren are off fighting others.” The crimson Rahkshi, Myers, hissed, “I’m entering the melee.”

“I understand that.” Monsth said, “Admirable, to fight just like your brethren. But against me?” He questioned, putting strain on ‘me’.

“You’re nothing special.”

Monsth wanted to laugh.

“Of course I am. I am a Rges.”

“I’m a Rahkshi, so? We both have the X-Force, so…”

“So you think we’re equals?” Monsth was almost laughing at him, but kept composure up for the sake of his cold exterior, “We’re in completely different leagues, you and I.”

“I think otherwise.” Myers hissed.

“You really think you can kill me?”

“When I defeat you, the morale of the Eruo will be down, and…”

“Our morale will be down?” Monsth questioned, “No it won’t! We work for our common goal; we don’t care if one of us would lose. Even if it is the leader, it matters not.”

“How can you say that? Of course it matters!”

“The end is all that matters.” Monsth told the Rahkshi, “Beyond the end result, nothing matters to us.”

“To you lot, what is the end result?” Myers demanded.

“Why would I reveal that?” Monsth questioned.

Myers remained silent, staring across the rocky landscape at his silver armored foe.

“To my knowledge, Eruo are supposed to be insectoid warriors. You have those, I heard. Junkers are supposed to look…normal, so to speak. Rges are supposed to be larger, stronger, and have black and red spiked and horned armor.”

“What’s your point?” Monsth questioned.

“Your Eruo, from what I know, are normal. Your two Junkers, however, also look insectoid. I’ll chalk that up to the X-Force reverting them back into insectoid forms, encoded in their baseline genetics, considering the subspecies is fully insectoid like that. You, however…you’re no Rges!”

“What are you saying?” Monsth questioned.

“I’d believe you…a bit more, anyway, if you were black or red, or had spikes or horns somewhere on your body. But you’re silver!”

“What does that prove?”

“I assume that your comrades retained their colors?”

“Yes.”

“Then I should be able to assume that you also retained your color. You are a Junker! Aren’t you? A silver Junker! You’re masquerading as a Rges!”

“You really think so?” Monsth flatly questioned.

“Of course!”

“Then let me show…my power…”

He threw his hand forward, unleashing a wave of Fire. Myers dodged and threw a Plasma bolt forward from one end of his staff.

Monsth ducked and rolled forward, throwing his left hand forward again, unleashing a Shadow bolt.

Myers blocked it with one end of his staff and deflected it into the ground.

“That still proves nothing! It was X-Force gained!”

“I could drain the life force of one of my men.” Monsth said, “Those are the three powers of the Rges.”

“I’d still doubt it. Your color change is suspicious enough to make me stay in doubt.”

“Then let me show you my raw power.” Monsth said, lowering his axe for the first time.

“This will be good.” Myers hissed, throwing one end of his weapon forward, sending a Fear blast forward.

Monsth deflected it with the flat of his axe. He swung his arm aside, simultaneously spreading his wings wide. He rushed forward and lifted his legs up to his chest, floating just off the ground. He shot forward with great speed for Myers, turning the axe so it was ready to rip through his foe’s chest.

Myers threw both ends of his staff forward repeatedly, unleashing Plasma bolt after Plasma bolt. Monsth deflected each with a swing of his axe.

As soon as he reached his foe, he tilted his body up, flying straight up, kicking Myers in the face. He flipped around in the air, dropping straight down, holding his axe high in both hands. He came down, swinging at the crown of his foe’s head.

“That won’t work!” Myers shouted, firing Plasma straight up, in as condensed a stream as he could muster.

Monsth swung down early, cutting the blast in half as he descended. He landed right in front of Myers, remaining in a partial crouch. He took a single step forward, slamming the end of his axe head into Myers’s gut, sending him flying back from the blunt impact.

Myers rolled over the rocky terrain, eventually riding up a slope from his roll, which he came back down in a moment, landing right in front of Monsth’s feet.

“Are you ready to surrender?” Monsth questioned, “Or will a mortal wound suffice to drive the point home that I am not to be trifled with?”

“I won’t lose.” Myers hissed, pushing himself up. He swayed for a moment, and the moment that Monsth moved to strike, he leapt back.

He landed atop the slope and threw one end of his staff down, unleashing a Plasma bolt. The bolt exploded by Monsth’s feet, sending rocks spraying up around him. As soon as the associated dust faded, he saw another bolt, point blank, generating at his face.

Monsth tilted his head to the side, avoiding the Plasma powered plunge as it came in. He glanced into Myers’s hate filled eyes.

“You thought that could end it?” Monsth questioned, “I am your superior. A simple trick like that won’t work. I applaud you for the idea, though. You should have been smart enough to realize it won’t work, though, so you lose points there.”

“Just die!” Myers screamed, swinging his Plasma attack to the side.

Monsth ducked and rammed the end of his axe into Myers’s gut once again, sending him flying back. He walked forward, looking at the downed Rahkshi.

“The X-Force isn’t a toy. Use it properly.” Monsth said.

“Shut up!” Myers shouted, swinging another Plasma powered end forward.

Monsth dodged back and threw his axe into the air. He drew his right hand up to his open mouth, and then threw it forward, sending an orangish energy bolt flying forward.

The energy bolt smashed into Myers, throwing him back. He smashed into some rocks, sliding to the ground. His armor was blackened at the point of impact from such power. His armor was obviously scorched. His organics were burning on the inside from such intense power concentrated into a smaller vessel.

“I throw a nice chunk of power out.” Monsth said simply, “I compress it through my mouth, into my hand. The energy begins to give off heat, and attempts to expand outward, instead of remaining nice and compressed. I don’t allow it to, and as such, it remains compressed. It burns from the heat, and it takes down anything it hits from the sheer condensed power thrown into the attack. That is how you use the X-Force. Less obvious ways.”

“What do you mean?” Myers demanded.

“The actual power that I have is simply firing energy bolts.” Monsth revealed, “But I hate it. It’s too simple, too much of toying with the powers. I modified it, compressing the energy as I direct it not to a limb, but to my head, to my mouth.

“That compression then is released into my hand when I raise it. I don’t care for using it as a Power Scream type attack. I let it slide into the palm of my hand, and then I throw it forward, keeping it compressed with my self-control. By moving it farther through my body to make it into my mouth, it starts to grow hotter, gathering heat as it travels thanks to the compression factor, and the natural factors of the power itself.

“The result is a thrown energy projectile, so to speak. Intense heat causes burning, while the compression causes a massive damage attack, striking a wide radius, if need be. You see, the X-Force doesn’t have to be straight forward. Me throwing energy bolts would equate to your Plasma bolts. Make it different; don’t just keep using the same trick. Modify, show that you are something other than a mindless fool!”

“Mindless fool?” He roared, “I am a proud Rahkshi!”

“But what are Rahkshi? They are drones of the Makuta. Spawns of the Makuta. You were made to fight as a mindless tool, a weapon so that your Makuta master didn’t have to get involved in battle. You were given the wonders of the X-Force, so show that you are something more! Show that destiny, your destined duty, isn’t what you will continue to serve! Do something new!”

Myers shouted and raced forward, generating Plasma at both ends of his weapon. He rolled across the ground. Monsth noticed that one end of the staff was burning a line in the ground due to touching it. What was his plan?

As he came back to his feet, he span around, swinging the side that had been in contact with the ground up, and then slammed it down.

“Nice.” Monsth hissed.

He leapt back, grabbing his axe, which had since landed. He flipped himself into the air, landing his feet on the end of the handle of the weapon. He watched as the impact of his foe’s weapon shattered the ground, and a dust trail came down along with it.

“You were going to blind me with the dust that covered around your weapon, from running it through the ground.” Monsth observed, “Interesting. And I wouldn’t have been hit. You weren’t going to keep the Plasma attack coming, were you? Your true intent was to aim at the ground. I wouldn’t have gone far, since I never have with a dodge.

“You expected me to be maybe a step or two back, just out of range, but in range to mock properly. The dust was a distraction, possibly even to blind me, if you were lucky enough. But the impact would have sent shards of stone into me, stopping me for at least a few moments. Then you would use your Plasma to end it. Run me through, perhaps?”

“You’re good.” Myers hissed.

“Your plan is a step in the right direction.” Monsth said, leaping back, off of his weapon. He touched the hilt, about to draw his weapon out of the stone.

A Plasma bolt flew at him. He ducked. Myers rushed him, swinging, but Monsth dodged back to avoid the hit.

“Your weapon is mine.” Myers hissed, grabbing it with his left hand.

“You want to try my axe? The weapon doesn’t make the man, you know.” Monsth told him.

“I’ll still have the edge with two weapons!” Myers shouted, tightening his grip and pulling up.

Nothing. It was stuck.

“What’s wrong with this?” Myers shouted.

“Did you think I would carry a weak weapon around? As a Rges?” Monsth demanded, “I carry the strongest weapons. Weight is sometimes a byproduct, but it makes it only deadlier.”

“How can you even lift this thing?” Myers hissed.

“Simple. I have the muscle to do so.” Monsth stated matter-of-factly.

He punched Myers in the gut, throwing him back. Myers rolled across the rocks, smashing into them. He shattered some on impact with his body, sending fragments in every direction.

“Do you think you can still oppose me? Or do you want to flee with your hypothetical tail between your legs?” Monsth questioned.

“I won’t flee!” Myers screamed, rising, his body covered in dark marks from the impacts, and cracks, ranging from hairline to much thicker, thanks to the impacts.

“Admirable. I give you that.” Monsth said, “But it ends.”

“For you!” Myers screamed.

“You still think that?” Monsth questioned, “You haven’t touched me with a single attack.”

“Answer me one thing.” Myers hissed as he fell to his knees from the pain.

“What?”

“Your colors…”

“You want to know my colors?” Monsth questioned, “What a foolish question. But I will oblige. What do you want to know?”

“Why are you silver?” Myers hissed, “I still think you’re a Junker playing a role, but…”

“My men followed me when we were ordinary.” Monsth answered, “When we were ordinary members of the Eruo. They were Junkers, I was a Rges. They saw me transform. They know that I am a Rges.”

“How did all of you get this power?”

“Fate. Destiny.” Monsth answered.

“So, they have proof that you are a Rges.” Myers muttered.

“Hoped to turn them against me? Too bad.” Monsth said.

“You could be lying.”

“I’m not. Even if I were, you would never speak to my men.”

“Why?”

“You can’t speak without a head.”

“Just…what happened?”

“I was red and black, spiked and horned, as you would know. The X-Force made me smaller, compressed my power into this vessel, and as a result…I turned silver.”

“Is that true?”

“I don’t know. Nor do I care.” Monsth answered, “All I know was that I was red and black, then I was silver and changed. It was the transformation. Maybe my genetic code made me silver for some reason. My baseline DNA. I don’t know. No more than I know why my men became different forms than each other and me, and I became, obviously, a moth-like being.” He motioned to his wings, “The others have smaller wings, not actually for flight, but for gliding, mostly.”

“The X-Force…it is that mysterious.” Myers muttered.

“What did you hope to learn from the story?” Monsth demanded.

“I hoped I could transform again.” Myers hissed, clutching at the ground, “So that I could oppose you yet.”

“That would really be something.” Monsth said, “A last second transformation into a formidable foe.”

“It could happen.”

“Power doesn’t come from nowhere.” Monsth said.

They both looked up, watching as what they could tell was pure power flew through the sky, streaking towards another part of the island.

“My brethren are fighting over there.” Myers hissed.

“Seriun is running an errand in that area.” Monsth said to himself.

“Looks like you were wrong.” Myers hissed, “Power does come from nowhere.”

“That’s not nowhere.” Monsth said, “I’ll figure this out.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes.” Monsth said, walking towards his foe, lifting his axe to his shoulder.

“You’re going to kill me.” Myers hissed, trying to focus on an attack.

“Yes.” Monsth said again.

Myers pushed himself forward, shouting, generating Plasma into his hand for one last attack.

The axe came down, and the solid thud that was heard was Myers’s head hitting the rocks.

(Monsth/Myers)

Chapter 18: The O of the Foundation
Monsth walked over the rocky landscape, and immediately came to a crouch. He felt something. Something very off.

He glanced around the rocks, looking for anything out of place, anything that could tip him off. It was partially concealed, silver and steel. The opened areas, making it visible, was for the sake of someone being able to find it, Monsth figured.

Whoever was inside. They must not have expected someone else to find it, to stumble across this place. In such a treacherous area, there was no reason to suspect someone would find this place.

They were wrong. That energy, which Monsth was sure came from this place, made him investigate. Made him curious.

He had to get inside and get a look at this place, possibly for the sake of all of his planning. All of his work thus far.

He kept low, sliding down the side of the rocks, hiding behind boulders that were large enough every time he came to one. He glanced out, coming closer and closer every slide.

He was almost leveled with the sliding steel door that he could see. If he could reach it, he could force his way in. Unless he wanted to find another way. But that might be too dangerous. If whoever was inside was dangerous, breaking in in such an obvious manner as the roof would be problematic, even for someone was powerful as Monsth.

The front door was best, he decided.

He came down to equal footing and kept low, rushing for the door. He stopped and crouched behind the small wall that came out, creating a sort of porch before the door. He looked around, and then span into the doorway. He approached the door and ran his hand over it, feeling it.

It felt like he could just pull on one or both ends to open it. It didn’t feel like there was a security lock of any sort.

Monsth remained silent and plunged his fingers into the crease. He pulled both ways, opening it wide enough for himself to get inside. He picked up his axe, walked in, and set his axe down again so he could close the doors, leaving them open a slight crack so that escape would be easier. Too small for someone to notice without close examination, but enough for an escape.

He walked through the cold, sterile silver steel halls, looking around. There were side rooms, but for the most part, they were closed and sealed, it looked like. He continued onward, wary of security, of which he found none.

He stopped when the hall turned a corner. He glanced around the corner, seeing a room up ahead that was open, and then another turn. He moved slowly down the hall, trying to figure out what was happening in the open room.

He arrived at the corner and glanced around. Nobody, and another corner up ahead. He walked to the open door and crouched, peeking inside from the side.

Inside the room he could see control panels, tubes with green liquids inside, and inside of those tubes, he could see warriors and various species, hooked up so they could breathe, but suspended in the liquid.

He saw a few Matoran walking around, doing work on the tubes and those inhabiting them, such as checking vitals, it seemed. They went tube-to-tube, checking every one in turn, making modifications to some, and terminating at least two by cutting the air supply off of their suspended inhabitant, letting him remain unconscious and drown at the same time.

Monsth moved on, having seen enough here. He moved down to the next corner and turned around it, finding a large room up ahead, filled with various consoles, more tubing, and many more workers.

It didn’t seem to be the same type of room that he had just passed. This seemed to be for various projects all at once, not solely focusing on the tubes.

He could see a sealed room as well that felt important. He moved closer, watching an Onu-Matoran walking with purpose.

He looked at the man, using his powers to instantly know this Matoran’s name.

Stiez.

He, from what Monsth could gather from his power, was in charge of this base, but that was all he could learn. Monsth almost wanted to just burst inside and blow this man away with an energy bolt, but he didn’t. He restrained himself and decided to simply observe.

“Weapon.” The voice said coldly, almost like a serpent, “Now.” This time with more urgency and anger.

Monsth set his axe on the floor, remaining crouched by the doorway.

“Who are you? How did you find this place?”

“Makuta Eish, my name is Emperor Monsth.” Monsth said.

“How do you know my name?” The female Makuta hissed.

“My power.” Monsth answered.

“How did you find this place?” She demanded.

“Did you guys send those energy blasts into the sky?” Monsth questioned.

“You managed to follow them.” Eish said, “Good job. You won’t last long, Monsth.” She said, dropping his title. To the Makuta, none were Emperor. None were their superiors in such a title.

“I won’t last long?” Monsth chuckled, “I doubt that.”

“Do you dare think you can stand against a Makuta?” She demanded.

“The X-Force will let me.”

Monsth used a name drop, hoping it would save his life.

“X-Force?” She questioned, lowering her large double crescent weapon to her side. “We have something to talk about, then.”

“Why?”

“We’re somewhat interested in you lot.” She said, “Now, into the room.”

Monsth rose and walked inside, hands held up. Eish followed inside, her weapon strapped to her back, and Monsth’s axe in her right hand.

“Look what I found spying.” Eish said.

“Emperor Monsth.” Monsth said, addressing the room, “X-Force Rges of the Eruo of Recla Nui.”

The name drop again.

The Onu-Matoran approached, “The X-Force? Interesting. Strap him down, make sure his powers are nullified.” He said.

Two Matoran approached, both of them wearing white cloaks to obscure themselves for some reason. They grabbed him, and with some help from Eish, got him into another room.

“What’s going on?” Monsth questioned as they pulled him along.

“We need to learn about you.” Eish told him.

“I can tell you everything.” He said simply.

She chuckled, “Not like that, you fool.”

“You want to know about the X-Force. I know you can’t dissect me, since it isn’t something like that. So, what then?”

He saw a large table waiting up ahead. The Matoran and Eish forced him onto it and strapped him down, including his outspread wings. Once he was secure, the Matoran began to gather supplies, including a needle and some pads.

“What are those for?” He demanded.

“Data.” Eish answered.

The needle was injected straight into his organics. A burning fluid filled his body now, making him want to cry out, but he wouldn’t give the satisfaction.

Then the pads were placed. One on each leg, each arm, one on each wing, and two on his chest. They were wired together and then to a console.

“Begin testing.” She said.

The Matoran began to activate the panel, sending shocks rippling through his body. He cried out this time, despite his pride.

“All for data, Emperor.” She said mockingly.

As his screams continued, he used his powers. Somehow his X-Force was being scanned, targeted. That could give him an advantage.

He used his powers to tell who people were. That was a good power in some situations, but this made things so much better for that power now.

He spread it out through the room, through as much of the facility as he could reach. Now he was simply a ghost in the machine, literally. His power spread through the linked machines and consoles, allowing him to send his power through most of the facility.

Through this torture, at least he could learn. And as soon as it all came to him, he used the powers of the machines again to sort it in his brain.

Origins:

Established shortly after the creation of the Brotherhood of Makuta. This group remained hidden and in secret, only a few members strong. All they had was a pipe dream. To rid the world of the Makuta, whom they saw as radical departures from the rest of the Universe.

The world needed powerful warriors to keep things in check, but these people believed that the Makuta were overpowered and therefore could not be allowed to live. What would happen if they became corrupted somehow? They would be far too dangerous.

These members began to delve into the mysteries of the world around them, soon learning about pocket dimensions and the like. One such dimension they learned about was referred to as the Void, because that’s all it was. A black void, devoid of life.

But not in reality.

In reality, it did have life. Thriving life, living in the darkness, waiting for the Void to open. There were natural cracks, but these cracks were hardly large enough for many beings to escape at any one time. They had to wait, send few of themselves out at a time just to survive and try to live in the outside world, a world of light, as opposed to their world of perpetual darkness.

Eventually the members of this group began to believe that these beings were what was needed to defeat the Makuta. If little in their world could stop such powerhouses such as the Makuta, then they would need something unknown, like the beings of the Void.

Upon learning what they were, the group began to properly organize and search out those afflicted by the creatures identified as Sleepers. These Sleepers were small, like spores of a plant. They would latch onto a Matoran and wait long periods of time, finally hatching and infecting the Matoran, taking control over the body, imbuing it with greater power and abilities, all so the Sleeper could survive in this proper world.

Then they learned of the other creatures of the Void, primarily the Memory Changers, which were always dangerous and out of control, according to the Sleepers. They were not to be released if possible.

The group, taking on the name of the Void Foundation, or simply Foundation or V Foundation, began to recruit more members, scientists wherever they could, primarily. They began to build a base anywhere they could and began to research their cracks to the Void that were nearby.

Soon more Sleepers emerged, and they captured them, or their inhabitants, making them into experiments. It was hard to sacrifice what they wanted, but they had to in order to better understand matters. And then the Makuta rebelled.

Using this data, they gathered membership, using the unique and new data from the Sleepers in order to intrigue scientists and get them to join their ranks. They began to expand wherever they could, gathering any Matoran they could, any members of any other species, mostly Matoran-like if not Matoran themselves, since they would be easier to conceal and a grouping wouldn’t be suspicious.

Eventually the leader of the organization died, and a new Director took over. A Matoran-like woman who abandoned her name and took the title of Madam Director. She began to overhaul the Foundation with her resources, creating machines and mechanizations of any sort. Any warriors they had they modified with their science, using these loyal warriors to recruit others, or capture them and change them forcibly.

These ends worked to increase their power. Soon they discovered that not all of the Makuta were satisfied with what had happened, and they wanted to defect, if possible. Madam Director reached out to Makuta Eish, the primary Makuta of the group she had her eyes on, getting her to defect, and using her island resources for great objectives.

Using Doppel Nui, attacks were arranged by a Sleeper infected Matoran, and then ten years later, more attacks. In the meantime, she had her servant Epee get his hands on a Duos Stone, but fail to hold it. Though it didn’t matter, because the Stone remained on the island and eventually fell into Eish’s hands with the sacrifice of their terrorist and Epee.

Using Makuta Seraph, they were able to get their hands on a large quantity of Corps Stones. He spread these across his island after being coerced into joining by Eish. These Stones were destroyed in turn by the Toa team on the island. But enough data had been gathered overall.

Makuta Veix was drafted because of his love of science and the like. He couldn’t leave the group alone once he learned what they were about; opening the Void. He defected the Brotherhood in secret, just like Eish and Seraph, and joined for the sake of science.

Over the years, many others had been used. The Makuta had gathered beings for them to use, such as those defeated or killed, sometimes revived through use of artificial intelligence, sometimes brought back from the brink of death, restored, and remodeled as weapons.

Many others had also been used in another manner. The Foundation, after Madam Director came to power, began to expand itself into other organizations. The Foundation created the Illuminati and instilled their manipulated pawn into leadership. The weaponization of the members was from the Foundation, mostly as experimentation to verify if the process was stable enough for future use. The Illuminati were to do what damage they could, and be of use in the future.

They were unable to do too much against the Makuta, but at least did something. They gathered data on the Makuta prior to the joining of the three traitors. The Illuminati also remained a silent threat in the background, and any survivors would be of use in the near future.

The Geleerde Society was created by the Foundation as another offshoot. They work hand-in-hand, though, as opposed to the Illuminati, who knew nothing. The Geleerde search for scientists and creative minds, and let them work on whatever the Foundation gives them. If a new solution is needed for a problem, the Foundation would usually hand it over and allow these new minds to work on it, claiming it was for the good of the Universe, which it was, just in a different manner.

The Geleerde also began to develop new abilities in the minds of some, allowing these to become soldiers on some occasions, and learn of the Foundation. If they didn’t integrate, they were killed. Only the top members of the Geleerde know of the link and work between the two groups.

Bases exist on many islands, with each base having a base leader and their own forms of defense, from warriors to automations. The main goal has always been the opening of the Void and the creation of Sleeper soldiers, using the Duos and Corps Stone data to allow for maximal integration for the sake of limitless soldiers, along with the Foundation’s creations, to finally destroy the Brotherhood of Makuta.

Everyone is a pawn. The Foundation’s own are knights.

This is all a game to the Foundation, a game they know they will win. The Brotherhood aren’t even players, unaware of everything building against them in the background as they wage their war against the Dark Hunters and others.

Monsth snapped out of it as he was lowered from the table. He had gone over all of the data three times, trying to make sense of things.

He looked up to see Stiez, the Onu-Matoran head of the base. Stiez spoke simply.

“We want you to join us for the time. We shall provide backing to you. Will you join us?”

(Origin/Order)

Chapter 19: An End to T
Fire tore through the ground, forcing the Matoran to flee and roll aside. Keris was the first to rise with his weapon drawn. He raced forward, shouting as he rushed at the X-Skakdi.

Toreq watched him come, grinning viciously. He laughed and threw both hands forward, unleashing a tunnel of Fire that tore through the ground at the unsuspecting Ki-Matoran.

“Move!” He heard Leina shout. He could see her in her green Exo-Armor suit rushing in, blocking the flames with her suit’s arm.

“Leina…” Keris muttered.

“Just fight him! Forget me!” She snapped, spinning around, using her right arm shield to deflect while running in, getting ready with her scissor blades on her left.

Keris looked back. He could see Kato and Tyko were in their suits as well. Kato, the Onu-Matoran, was in his flight based suit, while Tyko was in his black suit, getting ready with his spinning blade on his right, and his large segmented blade on his left.

While the scissor blades from Leina distracted Toreq for a moment, Kato flew down, hammering the Skakdi at the crown of the head with his drill mounted on his right arm. The impact wasn’t hard enough to stop the rampaging warrior, though.

Tyko shouted and plunged his arm in, using his segmented blade to slash into his foe’s chest. He drew it back, cutting deeply into the armor, making the first actual wound on their foe.

Servix and Perto stood beside Keris, trying to urge him on, into his armor, rather than stand there and watch all of this happening. He was a squad leader. He was supposed to fight.

“Right.” He nodded, rushing off with them towards the waiting suits, sitting on the floating black transport vehicle. The three Matoran climbed into their suits and rushed in, with Keris and Servix running, and Perto flying.

“That won’t stop me.” He hissed, throwing Tyko back. He span, kicking Leina, throwing her suit aside like it was nothing. She slammed her head on the ground, knocking herself out.

Kato flew around, spinning as he tried to regain control. Once he had the control, he shot down, plunging his bayonet.

Toreq caught his foe’s arm and wrenched it aside, causing the Matoran to scream in pain. He hit the ground, his machine’s arm ripped and useless.

Servix leapt forward, using his crescent cutter and segmented blade in alternating slashes, none of which could strike the Skakdi.

Toreq leapt back and fired a bolt of Fire into the ground, sending it up to slam into Servix. The Ne-Matoran stumbled back, and then looked up to see a fist.

Perto flew down at that moment, swinging with his drill scoop. It caught Toreq on the side of the head, offsetting him and knocking him to the ground, rattling him.

“Don’t let up!” Keris shouted, running in. He drew his large blade back an slammed it down, using the cutting edge on Toreq’s chest.

The Skakdi kicked him back. He slid and rushed forward again, determined not to let up. They had their opponent on the ground. They couldn’t let up.

Not yet.

Not until he was dead.

He created an energy drill on his right arm’s weapon and plunged it down. Toreq caught the arm and kicked his foe back. He rose and threw a blast of Fire into Keris’s chest, spinning him to the ground with the glancing blow.

Perto dropped down again, using his triple blade to slash Toreq across the chest and catch his neck and shoulders in the hollows between the blades. He rocketed forward, carrying his foe with him towards an unknown destination.

It would only take Toreq a moment to break free, so they had to act quickly.

Servix shot his support line back, grabbing Keris’s armor with it. He used the powerful winch inside of his armor to draw Keris in, and then span, throwing Keris towards Perto. Keris rolled his suit, letting it take the damage for the sake of the attack.

If it didn’t work, there was no real hope, anyway.

He slid up to his knees and rose to his feet. He plunged his energy drill forward, right into Toreq’s back, causing the Skakdi to scream in pain.

“Got ya.” Keris hissed.

“You think so?” The Skakdi hissed.

He plunged his clawed hand back, tearing into the suit as if the armor was nothing. Keris had only one option.

He bailed, allowing the hand to plunge all the way through the suit at an awkward angle, rather than be skewered by the Skakdi’s might.

Perto kicked Toreq and floated back, trying to think of a plan, while Tyko got back to his feet with Servix and rushed in.

Kato was downed, his arm wrenched into pain induced unconsciousness. Leina unconscious from a blow to the head, and Keris’s suit gone.

Tyko swung his spinning blade for his foe’s throat. The Skakdi caught it and slammed his head into Tyko’s head, dropping him, ending his chances of fighting.

Perto and Servix both swung. The triple claw and the segmented blade swung in. The blade was vibrating, getting ready to cut.

Toreq caught one arm in each hand, holding the attacks back. He laughed, unleashing Fire into both of his foes, taking them down, melting parts of their joints into uselessness, preventing the armor from fighting again.

The two Matoran climbed out of their vehicles and lifted their weapons. Perto leveled his sword while Servix got his larger spiked blade ready.

“We can’t lose.” Perto said, “We are too proud to lose!”

“We have too many people to protect.” Servix said.

Kato picked himself out of his machine and drew his black sword, “I will stand against you until I die!”

Leina was pulling herself out, despite her throbbing head. She drew her large blade from her suit and held it forward, “I too shall fight until the end!”

Tyko and Keris were still down, but these four, despite their wounds, would continue to fight as long as they could breathe.

“Admirable.” Toerq hissed.

The four Matoran raced forward from all sides, slashing all at once.

Flames danced around Toreq’s body, throwing the Matoran aside, giving them severe burns across their chests.

“You can’t win, you fools!” He laughed.

Tyko raced forward, holding his bladed fist weapon. He leapt up and swung, cutting Toreq in the chest, sending sparks flying, creating a dark mark on impact.

“You cut me?” Toreq hissed.

“Anger. Rage. It give us power!” Tyko shouted.

Toreq felt a cut along his back. Keris was there with his crystalline blade in hand.

“The anger, the rage, it all leads into what a monster you are.” Keris said, “It gives us the will to fight! To know what we must do!”

“And what is that?” Toreq hissed.

“Defeat you.” Tyko answered, jumping up for another attack.

Toreq backhanded him, sending him to the ground.

Keris leapt forward, plunging his weapon. The tip caught Toreq in the back, but couldn’t plunge in deep enough.

“You’ll learn soon enough that Matoran, like all others, have a place in this world.” The Skakdi hissed.

Keris hit the ground as Fire slammed into him. The Skakdi turned around and stomped on his chest, causing him to scream in pain.

“You’ll learn that we Skakdi are conqueror, warriors! You Matoran are the exact opposite. Weak, frail, fools! Your place is to be subservient to us!”

Keris was breathing harder, fighting for air to enter his lungs.

“We are not the people you think we are.” He hissed back.

“You aren’t, are you? Well then, die.” He drew his fist back, focusing his Fire powers into it, getting ready to burn the Matoran to death.

Before the attack could be released, the Skakdi was thrown back, as if a pulse of energy had just struck him. He rolled away, and when he came to his knees, Lightning pounded the ground around him, followed up by an explosion caused by a fireball.

When the smoke cleared, he looked up, seeing that the Matoran had regrouped farther back. Beside them were three Toa.

“Toa of Fire, you again.” Toreq hissed, “We first met in battle. Now we’ll end this.”

Eiros shook his head, “No Toreq! If anyone dies, it’s you!”

“You think that three rookie Toa and a few Matoran can kill me? An X-Skakdi?” He roared with laughter, rising to his full height, “That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard today!”

“Come on guys.” Eiros said.

He drew his sword up to his face and slashed it to his right side. He drew into a stance with his left foot leading, and then turned his right wrist up and drew it up to his extended left arm. He threw his left arm out and extended his fingers while drawing his right arm up by his head, turning his wrist down again, pointing the blade forward.

“The blazing inferno of Recla Nui! Toa Eiros!”

With her weapon high, she slammed it down and twisted it sideways so the blade sections went over her body. She put her hand at the top of the central claw, and then twisted her weapon up, running her hand down the length of the claw. She slid her right leg back, drawing her weapon up at the side of her head, facing the point at Toreq.

“The flashing bolt of Recla Nui! Toa Yuna!”

Gerat put his weapon out and then twisted it upsidedown. He passed his hand along the left side of the blade, and then put it sideways; keeping his hand running over what was now the top. He put it up and slashed it to his side, sliding his right leg back, keeping his weapon partially down, his shield resting against his leg, his blade in the dirt.

“The energizing wave of Recla Nui! Toa Gerat!”

“Nice rollcall.” Toreq hissed, throwing his Fire forward.

Eiros rushed forward, absorbing it into his chest. He performed a front flip with the help of his Miru, carrying himself forward. He came up with his legs drawn up to his chest and his right arm thrown out. He slashed and landed, spinning around and slashing, but Toreq ducked the blade.

He drew his sword back and plunged it forward, giving the occasional slash as he drew back slightly. He slashed side to side, drew back, and plunged, but couldn’t make a useful connection. Toreq just batted the blade away most of the time.

“That all you can do?” He laughed.

Yuna rolled in behind Toreq and slashed him across the back with her triple claw weapon, causing him to cry out as he stumbled forward, away from the sparks created by contact of steel-on-steel, weapon on armor. He span around to face her, taking a face-full of Lightning.

As he stumbled back, he instantly stopped, all of his momentum taken from him. He cried out as a fist crashed into his face, sending him flying back.

Gerat rushed at him again, driving his sword down at his foe’s throat.

Toreq caught the blade and kicked Gerat in the gut, knocking him back. As he rolled aside, Eiros came leaping down, plunging his sword into the spot where the Skakdi had just been.

Toreq came up, focusing on Eiros. Yuna blasted him in the side, throwing him to the ground again.

“I won’t lose to you rookies!” He shouted as he rose. His eyes flashed with power, centered on Eiros.

Eiros hit the ground in absolute pain. He had just lost between a fourth and half of his energy and vitality. The vision power that this Skakdi had was absolutely agonizing.

Yuna leapt forward, slashing wildly, but couldn’t make a connection. Toreq slammed a burst of Fire into her chest to take her down.

Gerat rolled forward, slashing low across Toreq’s chest, sending sparks flying and leaving a dark mark behind. The Skakdi kicked him in the face, taking him down.

“See? You can’t win!” He shouted.

Eiros stumbled forward, “I can still fight, even with my power leveled like that, I can fight!”

“No, you can die. There’s a difference.” Toreq hissed, lifting his hand, lighting it on Fire, “I wonder how much you can absorb before it burns you down. Let’s find out!”

Before he could unleash his attack, Leina’s blade found its mark on his arm, slashing into his organics. He dropped his arm, firing at the ground instead on impulse.

“You dare to intervene?” He shouted.

Keris leapt forward, kicking him in the chest. It set him back a single step, but Tyko rolled forward, slashing his weapon into both of the Skakdi’s calves, dropping him to his knees.

Kato, Perto and Servix rushed forward, plunging their blades into his chest at the front and the two sides of his back. Sparks flew momentarily from each blow as the weapons cut through the armor, finding their mark in the organics.

Keris leveled his weapon at Toreq’s throat. He stared into the enraged eyes of the Skakdi, wondering what his thoughts were.

“Are you going to kill me?” He hissed.

“You could use your vision power to end it here.” Keris reminded.

“I didn’t think of that.” Toreq hissed, his eyes flashing.

Keris ducked, span on his heel, and slashed, throwing his arm wide.

Toreq’s body hit the ground, his throat slashed. He had lived for a split second, but had lost hold of his life.

Keris looked at the body with uncaring eyes. He sheathed his weapon on his back, “Let’s go.” He told the others, “We have to move. I’m sure his partner might be around here somewhere.”

The three Toa stumbled over, holding their wounds.

“You actually killed him…” Gerat said with amazement.

“I’m surprised he fell for an attack like that.” Yuna said bluntly.

“He didn’t think I, as a Matoran, would kill him. Or could kill him.” Keris explained, “But he doesn’t know about who I am.”

“Survivor’s guilt?” Eiros questioned.

“I have no remorse anymore.” Keris said simply.

“We’ll have to fix that.” Eiros said, “It’s not good to be that way.”

“It works, obviously.” Keris said back.

They all looked up, watching as the Toa of Storms, Seiza, approached. He was panting from his run to them.

“We have to go!” He shouted, “Something bad is happening!”

He saw Toreq on the ground, and a faint smile came to his lips.

“Where are the others?” Keris questioned Eiros.

“I don’t know.” He admitted.

Keris looked to Kato, “Let’s find them and regroup. The rest of you with these four.” Keris ordered, rushing off with Kato into the nearby woods.

Seiza led the others away, towards the mountains and a cave. All he knew was that something bad was happening. He had no idea what was underlying it all.

(Toreq/Torment)

Chapter 20: L’s Wrath
Leros looked around with his enhanced vision. It had been one day since the battle with the empowered X-Force warriors. One day of wondering what had happened, and what would happen next.

As it turned out, what happened next was just as bad, if not worse.

Things were starting.

The Rahkshi, with the exception of Jurges and Myers, both of whom were missing, attacked the villages. At the same time another village was attacked by the X-Rahi for unknown reasons, and then the team got split up when Kes launched a surprise attack.

Leros was with Zera and Ilos now. He didn’t know where the rookies were. But since he couldn’t get any ideas with his Kanohi, they had to be fairly far away, it seemed.

“Any luck?” Ilos asked.

Leros shook his head, “No, nothing.”

“That’s too bad.” Ilos said, “We need to regroup. We need to plan.”

“Things are getting bad.” Zera said, “Could they be dead?”

“Very possible.” Ilos said simply, hating to admit it, but it was a possibility. As the leader of the Toa Recla, he had to face that idea of reality, as much as it hurt to.

“What now?” Leros questioned.

“We keep moving.” Ilos said, “We need to regroup.”

The three Toa began to move through the thick tree cover. They had decided to lay low until they could figure out what was going on, and if they could locate the others with any ease at all. It was times like this that an Iden, or a Toa of Spirits would come in handy, Leros thought, when his powers wouldn’t work.

They finally found a path and moved quickly, yet cautiously. An enemy could be anywhere.

It seemed like war was breaking out on the island. They all had to be very careful to avoid falling into a trap and being forced to fight. They didn’t want a fight. Not now.

After a regroup, and after they were sure that the Matoran were ok, then they could fight. But with the Exo-Armor damaged in most villages from the initial surprise attacks, and the squad leaders missing, they weren’t going to be of much use. It fell to the Toa to handle fighting and protection on the entire island.

But with multiple factions, how were they going to do this? Especially now that their numbers were split as such?

They were entirely unaware of the eyes watching them move. A vicious smile, and then an attack.

They walked with Ilos in front, and the other two behind. Like a triangle, with Ilos as the center point. The ground between them began to warp and distort as intense Gravity focused at that very point, for this very plan of attack.

Leros noticed it and gave a shout. But it was too late.

The Gravity sphere exploded, sending the three Toa flying. Minimal points of Gravity clung to each of them, allowing Kes to manipulate them from his hiding place, sending them all flying in different directions, as far as he wanted, as long as his powers held up with range and size.

The Toa were effectively scattered, he decided. Now all he had to do was find Toreq and the other three Toa.

He stalked off, deciding that the others of the other factions could deal with these Toa on their own. They were probably unconscious, after all.

Easy prey for anything on the island.

Easy to remove the bulk of the forces guarding the island. Soon it would finally fall into the hands of one of the factions, for them to make their life on the island, if they so chose.

Kes really didn’t know why he wanted the island. All he really wanted to do was fight, and the X-Force warriors were a good challenge.

That was when he decided that when the Skakdi won and eliminated all opposition, they would sink the island, if sink was the proper word. Kes wasn’t sure, but he would do it, somehow. Perhaps an intense Gravity attack at the heart of the island?

He walked away, already chuckling with his plans of conquest filling his head.

Leros woke, his body in a tree. He was between two trees which had branches crisscrossing over the gap. He could feel sunlight on his body, warming him, exposing his wounds from the fall and whatever had happened.

He glanced down. He couldn’t see the path below, nor could he see ground. He was sure he wasn’t on the path anymore, and he was too thickly covered to see the ground.

He dug a hole by moving his elbow sideways, finally opening a hole so he could see down. Below was a small, unused trail. He recognized the area.

Then he saw movement. Quick darts back and forth, as if watching or looking for something. There was no doubt that this was a Rahkshi.

From the minimal light falling through the new hole, he could see that the armor was white. This was the Rahkshi of Anger, Lami.

Leros remained still. He didn’t want to fight. He was sure that he could. He was a Toa. It was one of his jobs, one of his duties. He just didn’t want to have to fight, not here, not in this situation or condition.

He was in pain. Too much pain to put up too effective of a fight. He could, but he would be bound to lose, he was sure.

More leaves fell from the hole, making it wider. Lami heard the fall, paying absolute attention to everything around him. Even so small a sound as a leaf landing and crackling was enough to set him off.

Leros had to respect that. As a wearer of the Kanohi Doite, he had to respect utilization of the senses, looking for anything small as a sign.

But this wasn’t time for admiration. This was time to think. He had to think only about his situation. If he didn’t do something quickly, his foe might see him because of the hole.

Or he could fall through. Obviously some more leaves were falling, he could feel. He could feel that he was less supported. It seemed that his hole had un-lodged more leaves, in turn un-lodging more, and so on.

This wasn’t good. He was in trouble here if they kept falling.

Leros stayed absolutely still, holding his breath. He waited.

Down below, Lami looked up, observing that spot. He saw a small bit of white armor. He tilted his head, his eyes began to glow with power and heat.

Leros decided that he had to do something. Using his Doite, he could hear the crackling from the Heat Vision preparing to fire. He rolled, plunging through the canopy of leaves, landing right beside Lami as the Heat Vision fired straight up.

Lami wasn’t expecting that move. Leros was swift, slashing with his left claw across Lami’s chest, sending the white Rahkshi spinning to the ground, sparks falling from the impact. When Lami rose, Leros confirmed that all three claws had struck home, due to the three marks along the chest.

Lami threw his staff forward, actually releasing it. Leros dodged the weapon and span around, kicking Lami in the chest, knocking him back.

As he reached for the weapon, Heat Vision smashed into his chest, throwing him into a tree. His armor was burned from the attack, leaving a smoldering black mark.

Leros threw his right arm forward, sending Ice darts flying forward. They cut into Lami along his shoulders and chest, keeping him away from his weapon.

Leros pushed himself up and leapt forward. He span around, slashing wildly with both claws. He was abandoning technique proper for the moment, deciding on feral as his best approach. He span around, drew both arms back, and plunged both forward as a punch, striking with both fists at once, sending Lami flying back into a tree.

He could see a lot of dark marks on Lami’s chest from the continual slashes. He knew he was doing his job, at least, and making contact continually.

“Toa…I’ll kill you!” Lami shouted, rushing forward. He rolled under Lami’s swing, took up his staff, and swung it around, catching Leros across the back with the spiked blade ends, sending Leros rolling forward, sparks having flown, dark marks across his back from the small individual points.

Leros rose, panting from the surprise attack, and the energy of having to use his feral attacks finally catching up with him. He stood, drawing in a deep breath, ready to continue.

He drew himself up, folding his arms across his chest. As he began to speak, he stepped forward with his left foot, dropping his arms, slightly lifting the left one up to show the claws, while drawing the right one back to his side, keeping it bent and up, ready for a punch, it would seem.

“The frozen master of Recla Nui! Toa Leros!”

“Nice. You stopped our fight just to pose and introduce yourself.” Lami mocked, “That’s going to get you killed someday.”

“It’s habit.” Leros said.

“A stupid habit.” Lami countered.

“How so? You think it’ll get us killed?”

“How is it practical?” Lami questioned.

Leros knew what he was doing. Stalling, trying to get some energy back. But it worked both ways. Leros allowed it to continue so he could regain some of his energy and strength as well.

“It…” Leros didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t think of a good reason, other than announcing to their foes who they were, and that they were the keepers of justice on their island.

Before he could decide to say that, Lami plunged one end of his weapon forward, unleashing his Anger powers. They slammed into Leros, causing him to cry out in rage.

He went low and raced forward. He flipped around, using his hands to support himself. He came up into a low crouch behind Lami and slashed him once in the back.

Lami stumbled forward. Sparks flew from the impact. He span around, unleashing Heat Vision, catching Leros in the shoulder, but not long enough to burn through.

The darkened armor smoldered on his shoulder. It really would have burned through. His chest wouldn’t have earlier since he was always cooling himself as a precaution. But the shoulder would have been different.

He was no longer cooling his body. He was focused solely on his anger, on fighting and defeating this Rahkshi with pure anger caused by the Rahkshi.

He rushed forward. The locked away, logical side of his mind knew what was happening. He knew he was going to lose like this. He was going to walk right into a trap, or something, and get himself beaten down pretty quickly.

The only way to win was to focus on a plan and stick to it. Pure rage wouldn’t get him anywhere. It would get him impaled on the end of that staff, he assumed.

He couldn’t do anything to stop what was happening. He had to do what the rage was telling him to. It was in control now.

He leapt forward, punching Lami in the face. Lami stumbled back and slashed back with one end of his staff, causing sparks to fly and a myriad of small cuts to appear in his armor as blackened streaks.

Leros cried out and punched Lami in the face, throwing him to the ground, making him lose his staff. Leros was never one for brute force, but right now, he liked it. After seeing Lami go down so easily, he liked it.

He laughed and generated Ice darts into his fingers. He threw them forward, striking Lami with only three of the eight. One in each leg, and one in his hip.

Lami focused his Heat Vision and released it once more, firing at Leros’s chest. Leros dodged to the side and rushed forward, pouncing on top of his foe. He laughed, enraged.

“You really think you can hurt me with cheap heat?” He laughed, punching three times in the face, “Do you think you can beat me period? Me? Me?” He shouted, laughing, continuing to punch.

His anger had become rage immediately. He acted with both.

Now it was getting the better of him, making him into some sort of maniac. His pure rage was controlling him, making him want to fight, driving him to fight and to hurt his foe.

The one whom had angered him.

The logical part of his brain assumed that Lami’s plan had just completely failed. He would be beat to death at this moment, if he didn’t do something or cut off the Anger powers. Lami probably saw an easy win, angering and enraging a logical fighter.

He had a good plan, but it failed him.

He punched Leros in the gut, knocking him back, causing the Toa of Ice to cough. He looked up and took a punch to the face, and then an uppercut to the gut.

Lami continued with the same fierceness, punching and beating him with every blow, making them all in the chest or face.

Now the logical part of Leros’s brain wondered if this was the plan, or a reaction to what had happened. To Leros’s angered side’s brawler style.

Lami kicked Leros in the gut, knocking him away.

Leros grabbed the staff that was right next to him. As Lami pounced, his eyes flaring for his Heat Vision, Leros rammed the weapon straight up, impaling Lami through the chest.

That didn’t stop the Rahkshi, who, based on his recent actions, had used his powers on himself. The attack still flew down at Leros’s face.

Leros punched Lami in the side of the face with his free hand, turning the blast away, cutting down a few trees instead. Leros was safe, and Lami was lying on the ground, dying from his wound from his own weapon.

Leros could suddenly think clearly again. The Anger had worn off. Did that mean Lami was dead, or just dying?

Leros looked at the Rahkshi. He didn’t like having to kill, but he wasn’t himself. He had no real choice but to do so, or he would be dead instead.

He had a duty on the island. A duty to protect it. This Rahkshi only wanted to kill and destroy for their own goals.

“I see you still live.” Leros said, “I imagine that your spiked blade really tore up your insides.”

Lami swore at him.

“I’ll let that slide, since you’re dying.” Leros said, rising, “I have no wishes to watch you slip away. I’m going now.”

Leros walked away, leaving Lami to lie, not to be found unless someone traversed the unused trails again.

Leros came out of the woods, soon finding Ilos and Zera standing before him. Ilos patted him on the shoulder, “See you took some damage.”

“White Rahkshi.” Leros said, “He used his Anger powers on me. My angered, enraged side killed him with his own weapon.”

“One less to worry about.” Zera said.

“I think we have even less than that.” Leros said, “We haven’t seen the others recently, have we?”

“Right.” Ilos said, “Red and black were missing earlier in that attack.”

“So, three dead?” Zera questioned.

“Let’s hope so.” Leros said.

“But who killed them?” Ilos questioned, “That’s what worries me. It’s obviously becoming more violent, but still…”

Leros turned, hearing something approach thanks to his Doite. He saw two Matoran rushing towards them. Keris and Kato, the squad leaders.

“Toa!” Keris shouted, panting and stopping before them, “Come quickly! We need to regroup, now! It’s urgent! The others are with Seiza and the other three. Toreq is dead. We have…”

“Slow down.” Ilos said, “Lead the way and tell us as we go.”

(Lami/Leros)

Chapter 21: Against the N
Seiza, Eiros, Yuna and Gerat led the four Matoran into a cave. It was a large one, providing adequate room for everyone, and a steep entrance to deter enemies from entering or looking inside.

Seiza slid to the ground, looking at the rock floor. The others sat more or less together, while Seiza sat alone. After a few silent moments, Eiros approached Seiza.

“What happened?” He questioned.

Seiza looked up, “I can only tell you so much. It’s odd. Not all of it makes sense. You see…I was in the village, in the bar, drinking…”

“Are you under the influence of that drink right now?” Eiros questioned.

He shook his head, “No. Anyway, I heard something outside, so I went out. That’s when I saw it. I saw the X-Rahi attacking the village, just laying waste to it for some reason. I couldn’t think of any reason they would. You see, they looked enraged, like it was revenge. That made no sense to me.

“I waited for the Exo-Armor to arrive, but none of it came to help. I heard Matoran saying that the suits were down, so I was forced to step in. I used a few tricks of my Storm powers to discourage them from attacking, but they were too enraged for anything to happen.

“They just continued to attack, using their natural tools, using their powers…it was chaos. I couldn’t stop them. I even hit the scorpion one with a blast of my Lightning right into his chest, and nothing. He didn’t even slow.

“Rage is fueling them, there’s no doubt about that.

“So, I did what I could to buy time…to let the Matoran escape. I think I was successful, and the village was abandoned. We lost it, but we saved as many lives as possible.”

“Are you saying there was a death toll?” Eiros questioned.

Seiza nodded, “A sizeable one, I figure, from the corpses I saw…”

Eiros threw himself to his feet in anger, “You mean you couldn’t stop Matoran from dying? You’re a Toa; you even tried to do your job then! What’s wrong with you?” He shouted, his voice booming through the cave, reverberating all around him as it bounced back.

“I did what I could.” Seiza hissed.

“What you could involved drinking, didn’t it?” Eiros demanded.

“That’s enough.” Gerat said, pushing himself between them, “Just calm down you two.”

Yuna walked over, “Seiza, just what is your side?”

“I did what I could.” He answered, “I thought that proper help was coming, not a former Toa being forced to…”

“Former Toa?” Yuna demanded, “You’re hardly a former Toa! You are a Toa! Being a Toa isn’t a job you can turn on and off. You’re a Toa, so do your job regardless!”

“You don’t understand anything…” Seiza hissed.

“I understand that after Silas died…”

“Don’t go there.” Seiza hissed as a threat.

“What? Sore subject? Well so are the Matoran deaths!”

“I did what I could!” Seiza shouted.

“It wasn’t good enough, can’t you see that?” She demanded.

“The people don’t want me as a Toa anymore, as a hero anymore. Can’t you understand that?” Seiza hissed.

“No.” Yuna said bluntly, “It’s not the people that don’t want you, or you wouldn’t still be on this island in the first place. You’re accepted, you work with the Matoran! No. It’s you who doesn’t want to be a hero anymore. It’s you! Not the Matoran, you!”

There was silence.

“I…”

“Are you going to say something about Silas?” She questioned, “Your partner is dead, get over it! I know it’s harsh to say, hard to hear, but you have to get over it! If you don’t, then you’re living in the past, unable to do anything with your life. You have to get over it!”

“How can I get over Silas’s death?” He demanded, “It should have been me! It should have been me to kill that monster Toreq, not you lot and the Matoran!” He shouted, “I should have been the avenger!”

“Toreq isn’t dead because of vengeance, but rather, because he attacked.” Perto said, walking over, “We had to defend the villages after he trashed the Exo-Armor of the others. We had to stop him. We had a duty to our fellow people. Understand that! It’s what you should also have!”

Seiza looked at the ground and remained silent for around three minutes before he finally spoke.

“I’m not perfect. If I was, Silas would be alive. I’m far from it. If I was any closer, I would have helped the village sooner. I’m a scarred man. I have my flaws, my sins, my demons of the past hanging over my head. That’s my excuse.”

Silence.

“But it shouldn’t be. I should have no excuses. I should have done what I could regardless of how I feel about things. I should have just fought, done what was right. I didn’t…because I was afraid. Afraid of failing again. The Rahi, enraged as they were, reminded me of my old enemy, Toreq. I…I was just afraid. I couldn’t fight at the moment, I couldn’t do anything.

“I’m sorry for the lives that were lost. I…I knew that I needed proper help. That the Matoran needed proper guardians, those who would fight for them more than I would or could. I knew that you Toa were the answer. I knew that you came here for training to become proper Toa and go your own ways, but you were stuck here now, in the middle of this conflict that shouldn’t involve you.

“I knew that since you were still here that you would be willing to help fight, to help to save the lives where I failed to. I knew I needed you guys. I knew you guys would be more accepted by the Matoran. From trainees looking to help others to full-fledged guardians of this island, an island that doesn’t have proper guardians, I knew you changed things. I knew the status quo was now different, and that was needed. It was completely needed.

“I knew that you were the ones who could help save the people. That’s why I fled to find you guys. I did what I could, I helped to evacuate, and then…then I fled.

“Forgive me for what I’ve done. Please. I realize that the person I am…or rather, was, up until now, wasn’t helping himself. He was fighting himself, fighting against his own duties, fighting against everything meant of him.

“Right now you made me realize this. I need to become who I once was. I need to be a proper Toa. I need to make things right.”

“They’re dead.” Leina said flatly from her spot farther back, “You can’t make things right.”

“I can fight in their memories.” Seiza answered, “I can pick up where I left off years ago. Without Silas, I can fight with you guys by my side. I can return to being a member of this group of Toa. Or rather, I can join this newly created team.”

Silence.

“I would like that.” Eiros said.

“You would?” Seiza asked, “You would willingly have me?”

“You really have changed.” Eiros answered, “I can feel that in you. And we’re in a desperate position right now with the attacks happening more frequently, not to mention something else is apparently involved.”

“What do you mean?”

“The last fight we were in ended with energy bursts powering our foes somehow.” Eiros explained, “Obviously we have bigger issues out there. We’ll need your help, Seiza.”

“Thank you.”

Eiros looked to Gerat and Yuna, “Well?”

Gerat nodded slowly, “I don’t know, but if what you say is true and coming from your heart, which I’m sure it is, then…” He held his hand out, “Welcome to the Toa Recla.”

Seiza took his hand and rose, shaking as he came up. He glanced to Yuna, who stood silently.

“We’re young Toa, but we’re in no way naive.” She told him, “Eiros and Gerat seem to be, though. But I’m not.”

“Yuna!” Gerat snapped.

Eiros shook his head, “Let her state her opinion and thoughts.”

“I don’t know you very well, but I don’t think you’ve changed as you say you have. I think you’re trying to appease us so that our verbal attacks and arguments stop. I think you’re lying.”

“I was once a nihilist.” Seiza said, “If I was still one, still how I was, I wouldn’t have cared about the Matoran deaths. I came to find you guys because they affected me. I couldn’t stand to see the bodies. If I was as I was, a nihilist, I wouldn’t have a problem. But I obviously do.”

“That’s not good enough for me.”

“What is good enough for you, then?” Seiza questioned.

“Just show us that you’ve changed. Show us in a way that we’ll know.” Yuna said, “Then and only then will I believe you.”

“How do I do that?” He questioned.

“Figure it out.” She replied.

“I’ll think of something.” He assured her.

“I doubt that.” Yuna replied.

A crash sounded through the cave. They looked to the entrance. It was still daylight. They had a few hours until nightfall.

Perto rushed to the lip of the cliff on which the cave sat and looked down. He looked back inside, “I don’t see anything.” He replied.

“Check on the top.” Leina told him.

He climbed up a few handholds and looked on top of the cave. Nothing.

As he climbed down, he missed the thing behind him, which leapt to the top of the cave as he walked back inside of it.

It was the black, pulsating, fleshy thing, standing there, just standing eerily. It was a good thing Perto hadn’t seen it, that it was out of range of view from the mouth of the cave.

Mass panic would have come. That wasn’t the thing’s point for being there.

Perto walked back inside, “Nothing.” He said, shrugging.

“Something made that sound.” Eiros said, walking out and looking down.

Nothing.

He turned around and took two steps forward. A crash, this time, right behind him.

“Eiros, move!” The two other rookies shouted.

“Move kid!” Seiza shouted at the same time.

Eiros felt something very bad. He glanced back, seeing the red armored body of Seriun standing there behind him, just standing, waiting to act.

“Seriun…” Eiros hissed.

“Toa.” Seriun said simply.

Eiros rolled forward and span around, throwing a blast of Fire forward. It crashed into the air right in front of Seriun, stopping.

“Forget my power?” He questioned.

“Negation?” Seiza guessed.

“Yeah. Within a range.” Eiros replied.

Seriun walked inside, making sure they couldn’t escape. He lifted his pincer claw, “I had an errand to run. Now that it’s done, I’m allowed to deal with whoever I find. You guys.”

“Errand?” Gerat questioned.

“I had to scare some Rahi.” He answered, “I battled them, scared them with my Water powers, and they fled into the village. Did a lot of damage.”

“You caused this?” Seiza shouted.

“I did.” He grinned, “I would rather have done it myself, but orders…” He shrugged.

Seiza threw his right hand forward, letting loose a blast of Lightning. It tore through the cave, flashing light sporadically on the walls. It lanced forward, smashing into the air right in front of Seriun, and then stopped.

“You know my powers.” Seriun said, “Why try?”

Seiza shouted and threw his arm out again, this time at the roof above Seriun. His powers were negated right before impact.

“So, range.” He hissed, firing at the floor. The negation cut it off. He moved the Lightning closer to himself, trying to spray rocks at an angle at Seriun, but not enough flew far enough. They did nothing.

He shouted and put both hands together, out forward. Wind tore through the cave, smashing into the spots around Seriun, stopping. The floor was ripped up by the powerful winds, but the spots around Seriun were fine. As he walked, the spots behind him started to be cut apart.

“I know his range.” Seiza said, “But I can’t do anything.” He put his hands out to his sides and let loose more powers, creating clouds to hide the Toa and Matoran from the Junker.

“Please.” Seriun muttered, “Child’s play.”

As he walked, the clouds vanished, removed by his power.

All of a sudden he heard something, and then the clouds were gone. There was a hole in the back wall, leading to a slope on the other side. The Matoran and Toa stood by it. Seiza’s hand burned with the aftermath of the Lightning attack.

“Trying to escape?” Seriun questioned.

“Go.” Seiza hissed, drawing his knife from the small of his back, holding it point down in his right hand.

“What about you?” Eiros questioned.

“Forget me! Go!” He shouted.

Eiros didn’t want to leave, but he climbed through with the others, escaping down the opposite slope.

“Come get me.” Seriun hissed.

Seiza ran forward, swinging wildly. He span his knife around and drove it up, but Seriun dodged his upperbody back. As the knife flipped around again, point down, Seiza span, slashing for Seriun’s throat, which missed.

He ran forward again, slashing down. Seriun drew back his bladed arm and slashed it forward. He cut Seiza’s right shoulder, causing him to cry out. The claw grabbed his arm next, pinching into it until both claw points exited on the opposite sides.

“Your arm is useless.” Seriun hissed, “What good is a swordsman without his sword arm?” He questioned.

“A brawler doesn’t need a single arm.” Seiza hissed, throwing a punch with his left fist. Seriun dodged his head and slashed his blade arm up, cutting him along the inside of the arm, causing him to cry and for his arm to drop to his side.

“You’re no brawler.” Seriun sneered.

Seiza cried out and swung his body, pivoting to swing his right arm back. He pivoted forward again, sending his right arm forward as a punch, striking Seriun first in the face with a lack of power due to his torn muscles, and then angled down, slashing him across the chest, leaving a faint cut.

“Good.” Seriun hissed, “You’re determined.”

“You’re a fighter by nature.” Seiza muttered, “But I can defeat you!”

“I think they’re in here!” Keris shouted, climbing up the slope. Kato, Ilos, Zera and Leros followed closely behind him and rushed into the cave where Keris assumed they had hid.

The first thing they saw, as the last beams of daylight went, was the destroyed ground. Ilos held out his hand, igniting it with his Fire powers. They walked inside, horrified by what they found.

Seiza. His arms out and limp, strung through the ceiling by cords. They were barely connected to his body anymore. He hang there, limp, lifeless, his throat slit and his legs cut in similar manners as his arms.

Seiza, Toa of Storms, his corpse was strung up like an animal.

(Negation/Nihilism)

Chapter 22: Q Begins
“Up ahead!” Leros shouted, running through the darkness with the others, pushing themselves over the rough terrain as they rushed for an overhanging slab of rock.

The three rookie Toa, Servix, Tyko, Leina and Perto all sat underneath the overhang. It was dark. No fire, no light. It was too dangerous to reveal their positions. Leros had found them with his scope on his Kanohi, and the powers of his Kanohi itself to boost his eyesight.

The six Toa and six Matoran finally regrouped under the overhang, with Leros keeping guard with his Kanohi. The other Toa spoke about what had just been happening.

“Seiza covered for us against Seriun.” Eiros said, “After fighting Toreq, we were too weak to fight Seriun ourselves.”

“I know about Toreq.” Ilos said, “Keris and Kato told me about that confrontation. Good to know that he’s dead.”

“Seiza found out, at least, before we had to abandon him.” Eiros said, “Is he…”

“Let’s put it out of mind for now.” Ilos said, dodging.

“He’s dead then.” Eiros said flatly.

“I never said that.” Ilos said.

“But by not telling us, you are telling us.” Gerat said, “He’s dead.”

“What happened?” Eiros pressed.

“He seems to have lost his fight against Seriun.” Ilos said, “We found him cut up at his arms, legs and neck. He was strung from the ceiling as if he were a prize Rahi kill, but without the dignity that would be there.”

“Seriun…” Eiros hissed, “I’ll kill him!”

“Keep your voice down!” Yuna hissed.

“Aren’t you mad too?” He demanded of her.

“I don’t have the connection you had.” Yuna said, “I still don’t think he changed.”

“He died to protect us.” Gerat said, “He changed.”

“I don’t believe it.”

“If dying to protect us wasn’t good enough, then what was?” Eiros demanded.

Yuna didn’t say anything.

“Why didn’t you just tell us? Did you want us to guess?” Gerat questioned.

“Would it make you fight harder, had I just shown up and announced Seiza’s death? Would it change anything?”

“Of course we would fight harder.” Eiros hissed.

“But would it be for the right reasons?” He questioned.

“Screw the right reasons!” Eiros shouted, his voice carrying over the barren, rocky landscape, “I don’t care if we would be angered and fight for the right reasons or not, because there’s only one thing we can do. Defeat the enemy X-Force bearers!”

“Eiros, calm down!” Zera hissed.

“No! If you don’t think that you can trust us to fight for the right reasons when so much is against us, if you think we need to obey the right reasons, then...”

“You’re becoming like Seiza.” Ilos said simply, stopping Eiros mid sentence.

“What?”

“This is how Seiza started.” Ilos told him, “You’re becoming like him.”

“What’s so wrong about that?” Eiros questioned.

“He ultimately lost sight of what it meant to be a Toa.” Ilos reminded, “Do you want to be like that? Someone with power, but not using it for the right reasons?”

“He was different.” Eiros said, “So what if my power, if my mind, isn’t aimed at doing what is morally correct by the standards of the Toa? As long as we solve the problem…”

“The end doesn’t always justify the means.” Keris said simply.

“What?” Eiros questioned.

“After the Eruo butchered my men, I went into a state of depression, not caring if I lived or died. Survivor’s guilt. I fought and fought, wanting to die, but wanting revenge as well against those Junkers. I ultimately came out of it because of these five comrades of mine. I still want to avenge them, but I’m not as I once was.

“Eiros, you’re using power, or you want to use power, to try to right the wrongs caused by the X-Force bearers. You don’t want to fight for the right cause of protecting the island and its people. You have to have that in your heart, or you will fail. If I hadn’t realized this in the fight with Toreq, I would be dead. I would have kept throwing myself at him until I could no longer move.”

“Point taken.” Eiros said.

“What does that mean?” Keris questioned.

“It means we’ll talk about it later, after things are sorted out.” Ilos said, “Now, we need to plan what we’re gong to do next. There have been some deaths of the enemy forces. Let’s figure that out.”

“I killed Lami, the Rahkshi of Anger.” Leros reported, his back still turned as he kept lookout.

“Toreq, the Skakdi of Fire is dead.” Keris said.

“We don’t know what’s become of Myers, the Rahkshi of Fear, or Jurges, the Rahkshi of Hunger.” Ilos said, “So assuming they’ve died by now, that leaves us with the three Eruo, Kes, two Rahkshi, and the three Rahi.”

“We can win.” Yuna said, “If they keep fighting. We’re down two Rahkshi, someone had to kill them, if they are dead. Let’s just hope the in-fighting keeps causing problems.”

“But Seriun said that he scared the Rahi into attacking the village.” Eiros mumbled, “That means the fights won’t be as clear-cut, if the Rahi primal mentality is used over the X-Force gifted minds.”

“That is correct.” Ilos said, “But we’ll figure this out.”

“What about that strange light that gave our foes more power?” Gerat questioned, “Did we ever figure that out?”

“No.” Ilos said, “I think that’s what we have to look into first.”

“So, our mission is to be put on hold while we go on some sort of quest to try to find it? The source?” Yuna questioned.

“Got a problem with that?” Zera questioned.

“No.” She replied, “But where do we even begin?”

“Well, based on the light’s location, it must have come from an area around here.” Ilos said, “If we begin to search the area in the morning, we’ll see what we can find.”

“Then the twelve of us camp here?” Eiros questioned.

Ilos nodded, “We’ll switch watches, and then we’ll begin searching.”

“Something’s coming!” Leros hissed.

There was silence as they waited, holding their breaths, everyone ready to act.

Soon Leros whispered again, “The Rahi!”

Wolf walked closer until they could make out his shape. His hands were up in a symbolic gesture of surrender. Jaga and Rama did the same.

“What are you three doing here?” Ilos questioned, walking closer.

“We tried to fight the insects.” Wolf hissed, “I tried to do what the Will of Nature wanted me to do, but I couldn’t stop them. They came at us again and caused our old instincts to take over. We killed the villagers when we didn’t want to do it.

“We came here because you tried to make a deal with us before. We tried to make peace before. let us try again, Toa.”

“You want to ally with us?” Ilos questioned.

“We can’t.” Yuna said.

Zera nodded, “Too risky, Ilos.”

“No.” Ilos told the two women, “They will join us. We will ally. We can trust them, I know we can! I’ve spoken with Wolf before, I know he can be trusted, he knows I can be trusted.”

“I know it was a Rahkshi that attacked to break our deal.” Wolf said, “Let us make it again.”

Ilos nodded, “Yes.” He held out his hand, “Wolf, you and your two comrades will be a welcome addition.”

“What do we do first?” Wolf questioned, unsure of what to do with the extended hand.

Ilos lowered it, “We’re camping here for the night. In the morning we’ll search for the source of this mysterious light that gave our opponents power in a fight earlier. We think that whatever did that might be the most important priority at the moment.”

“We saw it too.” Wolf hissed, “We’ll help find it, and help where we can.”

“Thank you.” Ilos said, “Now, let’s organize our watch for the night.”

Queln and Gelt stood together in a small clearing in the middle of dense woods. Gelt looked around, “I don’t like this.”

“It’s just the two of us now.” Queln hissed, “Get over it. We have to survive!”

“Fine, what is our plan?” Gelt questioned.

“We need to be swift and stealthy.” Queln told Gelt, “That is our only true chance of survival. We need to watch, wait for fighting to occur, and then ambush them, attack them. The Eruo and Toa are our true biggest foes.”

“Why not the Skakdi? They’ve proven powerful.” Gelt told Queln.

“One is dead. The other can fall easily with what our powers are.” Queln replied, “If it came down to two of us to win, we’re the best two.”

“Disintegration and dimension gates?” Gelt asked.

Queln nodded, “The best combination.”

“Where should we begin?” Gelt asked.

“We’ll begin by keeping low and moving through the darkness as we search for other targets. We should be able to find at least one foe soon, then we just trail it.”

“What if we’re found out?” Gelt questioned.

“We fight, obviously.” Queln replied, “Now, where should we begin?"

“You’re our leader.” Gelt said.

“We’ll begin in the center of the island and wait for any signs of anyone else.” Queln said, “But first, let’s take a sweep of the edge of the island.”

“The beach?” Gelt asked.

Queln nodded, “Let’s just have a look around. The Matoran may be requesting supplies or something to come in. More Toa may be coming to train here. We need to watch the landing area to make sure that we don’t have any…unwelcome surprises.”

“Of course.”

“You go first, I’ll meet up with you shortly.” Queln said, “There are two different landing zones, so I’ll take the one farther north.”

“You don’t want the closer destination?”

“No. I want to spy around there anyway, check the caves.” Queln replied, “Now, let’s go. If you get found by too many foes, don’t bother to fight. Use your powers on yourself and flee.”

“Understood.” Gelt replied, rushing off to the east while Queln headed to the north.

The six Toa, the six Matoran, and the three X-Rahi moved over the rocky landscape, searching for anything that might be of use. The various wounds that everyone had were tended to by Zera’s healing powers from her Water element.

Everyone carried their weapon drawn as a precaution, even the Matoran, who were going to be allowed to fight in any battle they came across. They moved in formation, with Ilos and Yuna in the lead, Leros just behind them to keep a lookout from a safer position, with Gerat and Zera at his sides. The Matoran were behind, with Eiros and the three Rahi filling in the spots around them.

They had all gone over battle plans. If they encountered an enemy, Lightning, Fire and Water would lash out from the first two Toa. Leros would check the area with his eyes and ears, and if there was no approaching enemies, he would fight if he got an opening. Zera and Gerat were to slow their foe, by any means, usually by Gerat’s powers. Eiros, the Matoran and Rahi were only to fight if absolutely necessary or if more foes came, in which case they would fight the other numbers, while the others stuck to the original plan.

They had started an hour ago, and had yet to find nothing, using the flittering morning light as their guide. They all stopped when Leros hissed at them.

“What is it?” Ilos questioned.

“I don’t know.” Leros replied, “Something up over that ridge and down.”

There was a sizable ridge in front of them that went down into a bowl shaped canyon and scooped back up on the other side. Whatever it was, it was out of sight at the moment.

“It’s approaching. Loud, comparatively.” Leros said.

“Single or multiple?” Ilos questioned.

Leros remained silent for a moment.

“Multiple, no doubt.”

“Estimate?” Ilos questioned.

“Unknown.” Leros replied.

The warriors took up their weapons and drew up into fighting stances, waiting.

As the first shafts of sunlight struck the beach, Gelt finally arrived. He descended through the twisting roots of the trees down onto the sandy terrain, walking down towards the small dock.

He looked out to sea, but couldn’t see anything. He glanced around the beach, seeing a small boat. Granted, he hadn’t been to the beach before, not this one since arriving, so he wasn’t sure if the boat was new or not.

If it was, they had a problem.

As he walked over to it, he glanced around, seeing nothing. He crouched by the boat, checking it. He couldn’t tell if it was new or old, or how long it had been there.

He rose. He decided to report it to Queln when they regrouped. He walked back up the path he had taken down, finally back on the solid ground. He hated walking on the shifting grains of sand.

Then he heard something, down on the beach. It was like breathing.

He looked down, seeing a black, organic, pulsating thing standing there, breathing heavily, looking out at the ocean. It had no visible features, barely having limbs, it seemed. Gelt turned to it quickly, wondering if this is what had come in the boat, if it was new.

He threw one end of his staff forward, unleashing his Disintegration powers. They flew forward, but nothing happened on impact. The creature seemed to shrug if off.

“What?” Gelt hissed, rushing down at it. He was going to do what he could. His powers could make it sink through the ground, or just lose its atomic structure, if he desired. He was going to see to it that this disgusting thing was gone.

He threw one end of his weapon forward, but nothing happened to it. Molecular Disruption didn’t work.

He leapt forward, “Take this, then!” He screamed, throwing one end of his staff forward, ready to impale the thing instead.

The thing looked at him, but it was hard to tell without it having eyes. It laughed. The black organics tore away, revealing a grinning, laughing mouth on an empty face.

It shot its arm up, extending it like a spear, impaling Gelt. The arm withdrew as the thing continued to laugh and pulsate. It left the corpse behind and walked into the water, just walking. Eventually, no more bubbles came up.

The omen of evil created by Queln’s tampering with dimensions was dead, but it left a mark.

(Queln/Quest)

Characters

 * Eiros
 * Gerat
 * Yuna
 * Zera
 * Leros
 * Ilos
 * Keris
 * Kato
 * Perto
 * Servix
 * Leina
 * Tyko
 * Seiza
 * Drachius
 * Monsth
 * Seriun
 * Rama
 * Jaga
 * Wolf
 * Gelt
 * Toreq
 * Silas (Flashback Only)
 * Kes
 * Queln
 * Lami
 * Myers
 * Jurges
 * An unknown black organic figure
 * Eish
 * Seraph
 * Veix
 * Linke (Not Mentioned By Name)
 * Recht (Not Mentioned By Name)
 * Stiez
 * Madam Director
 * Joker (Mentioned Only)
 * Angel (Mentioned Only)
 * Raxa (Not Mentioned By Name)
 * Sewin (Mentioned Only)
 * Epee (Mentioned Only)

Trivia

 * VX bridges gaps between Sanctus Epitaph, and The Double Saga, expanding plot holes introduced in both epics, as well as tying them into a single overarching theme through the introduction of the overlapping society, the Void Foundation.
 * This epic has a "Super Sentai" theme to its' characters and mannerisms, along with a few in-universe mechanics. These include "bleeding sparks", "impact darkening of armor", the roll call, and Eiros's "acrobatic fencing", based on Alata/GoseiRed of "Tensou Sentai Goseiger".