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-Rahii’?” 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)

Characters
]]
 * Eiros
 * Gerat
 * Yuna
 * Zera
 * Leros
 * Ilos
 * Keris
 * Kato
 * Perto
 * Servix
 * Leina
 * Tyko
 * Seiza
 * Drachius
 * Monsth
 * Seriun
 * Rama
 * Jaga
 * Wolf
 * [[Gelt|Gelt

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.
 * 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".