Disclaimer: I do not own BIONICLE, but I do own all OCs in this chapter. Well, apart from a guest appearance and some guest mentioning.

Chapter 7: For Freedom, We Rise

Date: Right where CH6 ended.

Location: Unknown mountain region, Fieldus Magna…

"No."

"What do you mean 'no'!?"

The conversation in question was taking place within an old cavern, slowly losing its battle with time. Here and there, machinery was scattered across the numerous workbenches. Drawings-or rather, blueprints- were carved across every inch of the cave. A number of beings were present, among them a few Makuta. One was clan in a variety of greens and wore a horned reptilian-like Kanohi. He had a long tail, which ended with a pair of pincers. His purple eyes scanned his brothers, though none of them were from his reality. Another was orange-and-black, a scrawny figure with a gasmask and paranoid orange-red eyes. The final one of the group was a bronze-black figure, around the size of the green one. Unlike him, though, he lacked a tail and barely had a face. Rather, much of the later was covered in spikes, covering the faint glow of his acid-green eyes. Strapped to his back was a massive axe, its blade tipped in a sickening brick-red. Behind the trio was a crowd of lesser beings, servants obliviously.

The Makuta before them, though, was a titan among ants. He was clan in black-and-silver, with hints of ash-grey. His right hand was clawed, whereas his entire lower-left arm was a mechanical gauntlet. Attached to the latter were large cannon-like barrels, similar to ones found on firearms. Tubes ran from his mask into what appeared to be fin-like structures on his back. What struck the newcomers were the long rods emerging from the native's torso. At first glance, they were cannons. In reality, though, they were something completely different. They weren't weapons, but rather extra heartlights. It was apparent that they were being used as a power source, given the glow they were emitting. Before the outsiders was The Corrupted King, The Mad Metalwork, the former emperor of this world. Before them was Makuta Hydroxanoid.

He turned to the bronze one, who dared to question him. "Funny, I was unaware that 'No' had multiple meanings." He said with a demonic smirk.

Ghjis growled, balling up his talons into fists. The green one stepped forward, placing a hand on his (half-) brother's shoulder. The brute starred in disbelief, then calmed down. His anger didn't fade away fully, but at less neither one tried to start a fight.

"I am well aware of that," said the tailed one. "But I do not understand your reasoning for the refusal."

The former tyrant laughed. He gestured his guests toward the cavern's opening, guiding them there. As they entered the light of day, they saw the world in its magnificence. They saw a massive city, far into the distance. It easily put Metru-Nui to shame. Mountains were reaching into the clouds, deserts as vast as oceans. A jungle roared from miles away. The machinist gazed down from his cliff, hands behind his back. The party couldn't help but stand in awe at the sight.

"Do you see this, 'dear brothers'?" Inquired the black titan, motioning one hand toward the planet. "Bottomless seas, vast deserts, mountains breaching the atmosphere, grand cities, Matoran tribes scattered across every corner of this world. Teridax may be content with twiddling his fingers while the universe around him evolves, but I'm not. I wasn't going to sit there and watch everything rot."

He turned to his visitors. "When I first set sights on this place, I knew that it ripe for the taking. I severed all ties to my 'brothers' and built an empire here. Using the inhabitants as templates, I forged an army of constructs. And with them, I conquered this planet with ease."

""And what an impressive job you have done," Said a new voice, dripping with sarcasm. "Being able to reign for over a few years. Who knew time could go by so quickly?"

Everyone turned to the new face. It was once of the minions, a purple-and-yellow entity.

"But, like every empire, it fell," Continued the henchman. "Toppled by but a few beings. In your case, it would a ragtag team of Toa. The Elemental Warriors, was it?" He flashed a devilish grin at the Makuta. It would be his last mistake.

The fallen king spun around and fired his blaster at the fool. He was blown to smithereens. The other grunts jumped, yelping at the sudden change in the atmosphere. Some opened fire on him, in fear and in rage. Hydroxanoid grabbed one by the neck, crushing his skull between his robotic fingers. He then used his other, organic one to pull his sword towards him. He spun around, creating a tornado of blood, gore, and mayhem. By the time he stopped, only those that were smart enough to stay out of the fight were left standing.

Hydroxanoid smirked. "Would anyone else like to fill in his shoes?"

The minions gulped, stepping back further. Ghjis looked like he was going to blow a fuse. The tyrant placed his weapon on a sheath attached to his back. He turned his gaze back to his visitors.

"Does it look I need your help now?" He asked. "I can handle a few Toa on my own."

Xociv stepped forward, quivering in his armor. "But what of the other inhabitants? The Mind Reaper, the Toa Fieldus, the Whi-"

"Are but mere obstacles!" Interrupted the host. "And like any, can easily be torn down."

Nzavokh stepped pass the cowardly scientist. "Brother, there are extremely power forces beyond this cavern. Going out there alone would surely result in suicide. With our resources, you could-"

"Fail," The other snorted. "Flesh rots, idiot. It ages, needs sleep and fuel. It questions your orders, and above all, can easily rebel. With machinery, however, you have no need for such worries. I do not need an army of fleshbags spreading filth upon my empire."

He turned his back towards them, staring down at the world beyond.

"Leave. There is nothing here for you. And if any of you attempt to claim this land," He pointed his weapon at them, sending Xociv in a maddened frenzy of fright. Ghjis growled, drawing out his axe. Nzavokh, though, held his hand.

"If that is your wish, very well then." He donned his Olmak and opened a way back to his 'home.'

"Come brothers," he said. "We're returning to base."

One by one, everyone left. Only Ghjis remained.

You're making a mistake, brother. He mouthed as he went through the portal.

The Mad Metalwork grinned, flashing a wolfish look back at him. As the last visitor vanished, he made his way to the cavern's entrance. He clutched his organic claw.

Soon… He reminded himself. Very soon….


Meanwhile, back on Unoyr…

The odd team of humans (and Turaga) traveled further into the prison, deeper into the belly of the beast. And as they got closer to their destination, they encountered more and more security. It became obvious that direct combat was suicidal. The team was forced to resort to stealth. 047 stood close to Lisfek, like a hound to his master. Masterson and the purple one used their powers sparingly to distract the guards, diverting their attention long enough to slip pass them.

It took longer than they expected, but in the end, they arrived. At first glance, they stood before a cluster of steam and clockwork. At the other side of the chamber was a massive machine of some form, ridiculed with levers, chains, and so much more. Somewhere within that jumble was the release.

Lisfek sighed. If he still had access to his power over Iron, he might've been able to locate the switch. But alas, fate is a cruel mistress. Now he's stuck with some alien entities, and his teammates are doing Mata-Nui knows what without him. How he cursed that cowardly Makuta for all of this.

He reflected on his life for the past few years. How had he gotten into this mess? He blamed Juleva for all of this. Blasted Akilini-Head alerted the Brotherhood to their presence with that loud mouth of his. And while the Toa of Air and the rest of the team managed to escape, Lisfek was ensnared by a Visorak's paralysis Rhatoka. Instead of being executed, though, he was reduced to little more than some labrat.

Because of his control over Iron, the Brotherhood considered him a great threat to their plans (and themselves, in particular). They cut off most of his power over Iron, to the point where all he could manipulate was silver. As a precaution, he was drained of his Toa Power, transforming him into a Turaga. No longer seen as a threat, they sent him here to rot. Now here he is, fighting alongside foreigners of some strange world. Fate always did have an odd sense of humor.

He suddenly snapped back into reality when he heard one of them screaming. They weren't screams of terror, though. Rather, they were scream of joy. He noticed that the machinery had turned its wheels and cogs for a few seconds. He could've sworn that he heard a hundred other sounds beneath it. His theory was proven when they persisted after the device shutdown. He could hear fires scorching the guards, lightning crackling in the air, winds roaring in the distance. Those kind of sounds would've horrified most Toa…

…but then again, he was no longer a Toa.

Something comes crashing through the room, nearly crushing the group. It was a massive ball of ice, containing a frozen grunt inside. But when they peered out the window, though, they found that it was not a being of Ice that threw it. Rather, it was a massive construct with fiery-orange optics. The behemoth was clan in an ash-grey, silver, and ebony, with hints of orange. It was armed with a clawed fist and what appeared to be a rocket launcher, the latter of which was aimed right at them.

Even if the tongue he spoke was alien to his rescuers, the tone in his voice was universal: "GET DOWN!"

Everybody dropped to the floor, covering their heads as the missile flew over them. Even when it collided with the wall behind them, however, the shockwaves managed to toss them into the storm below. H47 landed right beside a white-armored corpse, the flesh beneath the armor charred. Judging from the looks of it, he was electrocuted to death. And right now, they were his killer's next targets.

The drone tossed its last opponent aside, his neck bent in an awkward position. The robotic titan turned its head toward the Toa-like figures and Turaga, scanning them. It recognized the Turaga from Xociv's failed experiments. The Toa though, - no, humans- were Tridax's handiwork. It also made out what appeared to be a Matoran hiding behind them as well. Something clicked within it upon these revelations…

Purge Protocol reinitiated… Eliminate all test subjects…

The Exo-Toa opened fire, the crew scattering like insects as they dodged the missile. The African launched some miniature boulders at the drone, though it only smashed them with its fist. The girl made a mad dash toward the construct, flashing a knife at its leg. The blade snapped off when it hit the armor. Her eyes practically popped out when that happened, and nearly lost her head when the mech spun around.

The Ba-Toa-er, human, whatever- turned toward the Turaga. "The hell is that thing!?" He screamed.

There was a brief chatter between the alien and German. "Exo-Toa," Said the lad. "They're automated suits of armor. Something like our world's idea of mech-suits."

"There an off switch to them?" The Pakari-bearer snapped.

The old one merely shrugged. No translation was needed to guess the answer. Before the orange-eyed one could make a comment, he noticed something.

"Hang on, where's the kid?"

The Tryna-bearer spotted something above. There, crouching on top of a ledge in the shadows, was a Matoran. Or, what he assumed, was the being posing as one. How he managed to get up there was beyond his guess. Before he could make a sound, the little leapt from the ledge and right on top of the drone. He madly stabbed at the machine's neck, but to no avail. The mech grabbed him and brought him to its faceplate. Just as the machine was analyzing him, though, something collided with one of its optics.

Turning toward the side, it spotted the Turaga glaring at it. His staff, though, was absent. Before it could investigate further, it felt some pressure on its right arm. The Matoran landed in the arms of the being of Stone, just narrowly dodging a kick from the robot. A sharp thing brushed against its back, and it noticed the one of The Green wielding a whip of thorns.

The Mech fired a missile, but the green one dodged it with ease. It kept firing, but only met with the same results. Ultimately, it decided that he wasn't worth the trouble, and set its sights on the Matoran and African. Wait… this Matoran has an unusually high concentration of organic tissue. The mech scanned him further…

And realized that it wasn't a Matoran. It was one of the Homo sapiens. In fact, it was the first of the abducted. And if it recalled, Tridax specially stated that he wanted Subject H1 alive and intact. This revelation has just made things… complicated.

Quickly, the robot changed targets and aimed at the blonde and Turaga instead. The female was able to grab the elder as she leapt, dodging the rocket. The German launched a swarm of vines at the drone, wrapping themselves around its cannon. Unfortunately, he didn't grab the other arm, and was surprised to see it extend and launch itself right into his chest. The punch sent him flying across the chamber, his body skidding into the wall headfirst. The impact knocked him out cold.

The Exo-Toa felt something leapt at its backside again. This time, it was something around the size of a Toa. Before it got the chance to move its arms, though, it felt another pressure. This one, though, was tugging on its torso. It turned to see the purple one, straining with his arms. It felt the hatch to its cockpit opening up, and its head folded back. It realized what the humans were up to, but it was already too late. One crept into the seat and deactivated the autopilot. The last thing it recalled before shutdown was the ceiling coming into view.

The purple-armored man fell to his knees, barely able to keep his head up. The blond ran toward 47, trying to wake him. The Turaga was searching for his staff, glancing around the room. The child was helping the African out of the fallen mech. That fight practically drained the life out of him. Was this what Toa go through? The old one came to him, offering a metallic hand. The man didn't have to think twice. As he was raised back onto his feet, he could hear the chick berate the kid.

"What in the world were you thinking!? You could've broken your neck from that height!"

He chuckled under his breath. Kids will be kids. Personally, he was glad that there's still a kid under that armor. He noticed the African near the German, the latter leaning on the former's shoulder. The alien spoke in his native tongue, with the lad's mask glowing as he did so.

"Lisfek says 'not bad… for extraterrestrial odd-jobs,'" Said the college kid, holding his head.

"I'd say the same to him," chuckled the purple one. Sometime occurred to him. "Wait, can't we use that Exo-Toa ourselves?"

The group looked at him, then the Turaga. One brief word between him and his translator later; "Perhaps, assuming that any of us have the knowledge," The latter replied.

Nobody spoke up after that. Not very surprising, considering that they all spent their time behind oppressive bars. What did surprise them however, was the sudden surge they felt. It wasn't an electrical one, though, or even a real one. Rather, it was like a tidal wave just crashed into their brains. And that wave brought some rather interesting information. Specially, information on the Exo-Toa. Everybody shock their heads, though the message still loomed within the backs of their minds. For a brief moment, a cloud of blue and gold was visible, though the image quickly faded.

"Did everybody just have a déjà vu moment?" Inquired H37.

Everybody nodded.

"What the hell was that?" The purple one asked next.

"I don't 'what' is the real question," H514 replied. "I think the real question is 'who'."

The mask of the translator glowed after that. "We might have a guardian angle on our side." He replied smiling.

The Pakari-bearer climbed into the mech as the words left the lad's mouth. "Yeah, well, I'll be sure to thank the dude when we get outta here."

The hatch closed on him as he said that. Steam hissed and slithered out of various places on the machine. With gears grinding and an electronic 'hum', the drone rose back onto its feet.

"Alright, you lead the way," The new pilot said, his voice escaping the steel plating. "And I'll smash anything ya like."

The blond smiled, and complied to her friend's response. If any of them could see the outside world right now, they would've noticed a blue-and-gold figure hidden within a cavern not far from their current position. From here, their guardian angel could see the harbor and the main gate. From here, she could see the numerous ships of the Brotherhood. From here, she could cleave the path to freedom for them.

Jismal kept focusing on their team, seeing the past and present through their eyes. She could see the memories the Makuta hidden from them. The purple's name was Derrick Grey, the German's Felix Bartholomäus. She saw the burning house of the Winters, Masterson fighting in this island's arena. She couldn't see most of the child's past, though. What she did see, however, were his years in her world. And those memories made her shutter.

She was forced to break the connection when she heard something. Returning to the physical world, she noticed a portal of someform at the harbor. Immerging from it were a trio of figures. One was a hulking bronze entity, another was a similar-sized emerald titan. The final one was a cowardly figure, eyes darting from one place to the next. Behind them was a small group of other figures, likely bodyguards. She instantly recognized them as Makuta, and realized that they heading toward the fortress.

A word came up in her mind. It wasn't of her native Matoran tongue, though. Rather, it belonged to one of the many others the Homo sapiens bore.

Oh crap.


AN: So, here it is at last. First, the guest character.

The Makuta on Fieldus Magna is Hydroxanoid, belonging to my friend, HyperShadow623. Fieldus Magna is a location within his storyline. Also belonging to him are the mentioned: The Elemental Warriors, The Toa Fieldus, The Mind Reaper, and Azrael (His title's "The White Death" among most folk, but Hydroxanoid cut off Xociv before he could finish his sentence.) If you want to see these characters of his, visit his MOCPages and Flickr pages.

Second, Custom BIONICLE Wiki: Been hanging around there for a while, so I decided to add profiles for some of this story's characters there. Ghjis, Yagvi, Xociv, Lanous, Jismal, and Nzavokh so far. Sculdar and Mgahlr might have theirs in the future. Frekaz also has his images on there.

It might take a while for the next chapter to come, but when it does, well… :3