Okay guys, this is Brickmaster7946's Paradox 2 from the Lego forums. I haven't done the bold parts like I did last time with Paradox, only here and at the very end of the story will you see these.
After the incident at Nexus Tower, the Faction Leaders decide that security in Nexus Tower must be increased. A directive was made: All Maelstrom on nearby worlds must be destroyed.
Doctor Overbuild told Vanda that the broken portal in the Paradox room would be her next mission. He gave her a data file on the world, called Ryol III. The Nexus Force didn't know much about the surface, except it was a snowy world. Hael Storm said that his explorers didn't find much Maelstrom on the world, except a few Stromlings and some sort of landing ship.
Before Vanda left the map room, Trek Furino ran up to her.
"Hey," he called. "I owe you a debt. Shooting a Faction Leader isn't something I'm proud of."
Vanda turned to look at him. "You were infected," she said. "You weren't yourself. It wasn't you shooting at us." She turned and continued walking.
"I know, but even if it wasn't me," Trek persisted, walking after her. "I owe you a debt."
Vanda turned around again. "Fine. What could you do for me?"
"Well, I heard you're going to Ryol III. I was in the exploration squad that first went there. I could help you on your mission."
Vanda thought for a moment. "Fine," she said. "We're going tomorrow. Come to the portal in the Paradox room."
The next day, Vanda was up early and standing at the portal, Meyer at her side. Thenso and Extreme came through the portal and walked up to them.
"Well," Thenso said. "Another mission, eh?"
"It appears so," Meyer said uncertainly. "We're going to Ryol Three. Lots of snow, lots of cold, but not much Maelstrom, according to the Venture League explorers."
"I was hoping for Maelstrom," Extreme said, disappointed. "I like using my Wormholer."
They were interrupted as Trek Furino came into the room.
"Hello," he said. "Let's go."
They turned and jumped into the portal. They fell through the very fibre of space, warping through a thin tube of unreal energy.
"A wormhole," Meyer thought. "Amazing."
Extreme seemed to have the same idea. He looked at his Wormholer, then fired our a few shots. Each impacted with the side of the tube, creating other branches that expanded out to other worlds.
After a few more seconds, the tube ended abruptly and they tumbled out onto the ground. It was snow. They stood up and brushed off the snow. Then they looked around.
There wasn't much to see. Just snow and a grey sky. It was snowing lightly, and the snow was packed hard in the ground. They were surrounded by tall, snowy mountains, and there was a narrow pathway just ahead of them. Everyone looked at Vanda.
"It's our best bet," she said. "Let's go."
They walked through the narrow pathway. The walls were solid, but for some reason Meyer expected they could collapse at any time, but they made it through safely.
They emerged onto a large, flat plain. It was about 500 metres in diameter, and there was nothing but snow lying everywhere. There was sheer cliff around the edge of the area, and a large tunnel through one.
"Ah," Trek said. "I remember this. We landed here. Bleak Plains, we named it. We carved that tunnel."
"Let's go then," Vanda said. They walked the plain and walked through the tunnel.
It had metal supports holding up the snow-covered rock, but they looked strained and cracked, which Trek found strange. It had only been a few weeks.
As they reached the centre of the tunnel, Vanda stopped. "Wait," she said. "Overbuild called this world, "a new world of Maelstrom". Trek, I thought you said there wasn't much Maelstrom here."
"There isn't," Trek said.
"Erm," Thenso called from the end of the tunnel. "I think you'll find you're wrong."
Vanda walked up to him. "Uh oh."
The next area was a lake covered in thick ice. The water below was frozen beyond repair. Around the edge, the snow dropped off down into abyss.
But the figures roaming the area were the problem: minifigures with ripped exploration clothing, a skeletal leg, ribs showing, and a scythe-like arm. Their heads were purple, with blazing yellow eyes. Their hair was purple, and thick. And all around floated purple smoke: they were Stromlings.
They retreated back into the shadows.
"How is this possible?" Trek said. "The Maelstrom couldn't have multiplied this fast, could it?"
"Apparently it has," Thenso said. "And those are no normal Stromlings. They gloe brighter."
"Then I name them Stromling Elites," Vanda said. "and right now we've got to smash some."
"Right," Extreme said. "Let's move in." And with that he jumped up and began shooting down Maelstrom.
"So quick to rush into battle," Meyer heard Thenso mutter. "He'll get smashed some day."
The Stromling Elites turned and charged. In addition to their traditional sword slices, they kicked at the minifigures. In a few minutes the group had made it across the ice and to the entrance of a cave.
With Extreme and Trek defending, Thenso, Meyer and Vanda dug a deep trench in the snow. They climbed out and retreated to the entrance of the cave.
One of the Stromling Elites tried to jump the gap, but fell short. It fell into the trench, and hit the bottom. It stood and tried scrabbling back up, but couldn't do it.
A Stromling Elite at the head eyed the minifigures with some intelligence. It's face flashed a look of hate, then it turned and led the rest back onto the ice.
"We need to name that place," Trek said as they began walking into the cave. They entered a long, rock tunnel. "In the tradition of Venture League."
"Well, what do you want to name it, then?" Meyer asked.
"Icy Field," Trek said after a moment of thought. "After the ice and the icy looks those Stromlings gave us."
After much walking, the group reached a larger area in the cave.
"Hey, I just remembered," Trek said. "We set up some mechs here. Like, big, four-legged things with huge cannons on top."
"It would be very bad if those were corrupted..." Thenso drifted off as there was the clanking of metal from the darkness behind them.
"Run," Vanda said. "Run!"
They dived away as a huge explosion scorched the spot they were just standing in. Then a huge vehicle marched out of the shadows.
It was twelve feet tall, and plated in heavy armor. A six-barrelled gun sat on the each side. It's body was held above the ground by four massive legs like tree trunks, which were also padded with armor. On top, a turret sat, and protruding from the front was a five-foot long tube: a mortar cannon.
"This is very bad," Trek said. "Very, very bad."
The huge mech targeted Trek, hiding behind a rock, and began firing it's machineguns. Bullets clanged against the rock, splitting it straight down the middle. Trek jumped out of the way to avoid being smashed.
Hiding behind a larger rock, Vanda, Thenso and Meyer stayed down.
"What is that thing?" Vanda hissed.
"Mech of some sort," Meyer replied. "I guess it did get corrupted."
"Brilliant," Thenso grumbled, then jumped out of the cover and did something rash: he yelled, "Hey! Over here!" and fired a blast from his wand.
The bolt hit the mech's armored hull, barely putting a scratch in it. Instead of distracting the mech from Trek, the turret simply rotated, the machineguns still shooting at Trek, and fired an explosive shell at Thenso's cover.
"Move!" Meyer yelled. He jumped up and pulled Vanda away as the rock exploded into deadly shrapnel.
Thenso ran in a line towards Trek. When he reached him, instead of pulling him into cover, he stood right in the way of the deadly bullets.
"No!" Trek yelled, but it was too late. The bullets were millimetres from Thenso... and then they met a wave of energy.
Thenso had created a clap of Dark Thunder. The bullets were stopped, and then flung back at the huge mech. Most of the bullets clanged against the machine's armor, but some flew back into the machineguns.
The guns coughed and spluttered for a few seconds, then black smoke poured out. Then the smoke was replaced by blazing red fire, and the guns exploded. Maelstrom smoke began slowly floating out of the holes where the guns used to be.
The mech wasn't looking so good. It's armor had dents are holes in it, and wisps of smoke and Maelstrom gas were leaking out. The machine wobbled about on suddenly unstable legs, it's cannon shooting at random spots on the walls.
Before the minifigures could finish it off, it fired a bit too close to itself. It fell off balance, and collapsed on it's side. It's cannon continued firing, and it knocked itself upside-down.
Then there was a cruching sound and the mech's seemingly invulnerable armor was crushed into a pancake by the mech's weight.
For a few seconds, the minifigures stood staring at the machine's ruined carcass.
"Well," Thenso said with finality. "That was effective."
"Quite," Vanda agreed. "Well, you destroyed that mech and saved us. You should name this cave."
"Oh, brilliant," Thenso said sarcastically. "I've always wanted to name a cave. How about Mech Caverns?"
Trek shurgged. "Sounds good to me."
Extreme stood up from a pile of dust and brushed himself off. "Oh, hey. I sort of fell over when the mech shot at us. What's that pile of metal lying in the centre of the cave?"
"The mech."
"Oh."
They wandered further down the cave. They reached a labyrinth of tunnels going in every direction. Wind howled like a thousand wolves through the eerie darkness.
"Which way?" Extreme said.
"I don't know," Trek said. "I remember... let's go left."
They went down the left tunnel, and went through series of bends and intersections. They followed left every time, and ended up emerging into light. As their vision cleared, they saw a place that the Darkitect had completely overtaken. Stromling Elites stood everywhere, and several mechs were clambering up pillars and cliffs. Maestrom gas was heavy on the ground, and purple splodges were in the snow. Immense drops fell off one edge of the huge plateau, and cliffs surrounded the other sides. Snow covered everything. The mechs, which Vanda named Corrupted Mechs, left huge purple footprints in the snow.
"I think we should try to avoid this place," Meyer whispered.
"No," Vanda said. "We must see if there is anything else here. Any other Maelstrom. We must find weaknesses for them if there is."
"Erm," Thenso said. "Ok..."
They walked out onto the plateau, dodging Stromling Elites. After several minutes, the ground rumbled.
"What's that?" Trek asked.
Then a huge monster erupted in front of them.
Trek saw it's glowing eyes, and knew they were doomed.
It was huge, for one thing: ten meters tall. It resembled a worm. It had thick, white-grey skin. Half of it's body was underground, and its head was a mound of skin. It had glowing, red eyes. It bared it's teeth, and the minifigures saw hundreds of 3-inch fangs dripping with acid and poison.
It roared into the air, and then slammed it's head down towards the group. They ran out of the way as the monster's head smashed snow and ice where they'd been a moment before.
It ripped it's head out and eyed the group with plotting. It gnashed it's teeth, then dived - right at Extreme.
He raised his Wormholer and began firing, but the creature's skin was too thick. It picked him up in it's huge jaws and his Wormholer fell to the ground. Then the monster gnashed it's head sideways and released Extreme.
He was tossed out of it's mouth, and through the air. Falling towards the edge of the planet, he tried to activate his jetpack, but it sparked and cuaght fire.
Then Extreme fell off the edge, and into deep space.
Well, that's it for this chapter. This time I won't post the link for the original story, instead just search Google or something for "Paradox 2: Battle on Ryol.