Chapter 12: The Killer Revealed

Tahve, Feli, and Saith ran down the streets towards the Capital Building. Saith had insisted that his hands should be shackled, but Tahve pointed out that he couldn't run very well in that situation.

"As long as we keep you in sight, this works," Tahve had said.

"Why do you suspect Ihrov?" Saith asked. "I thought you were after Suni for the murder."

"I was investigating her, for a time," Tahve said. "But I discovered some useful information. The murderer had stolen something of great value from a highly guarded location. It was impossible that Suni was behind it, so I tried to ignore her."

"But I guess I kind of dragged you back in," Feli said with a smile.

Tahve frowned. "Well, it would've been pretty bad if Saith and Suni charged in on us with that armor."

Saith looked glum. "I'm so sorry, I don't know what I was thinking."

"No, I do know what you were thinking," Tahve said seriously. "Somebody important to you needed your help, and you gave it to them freely. Unfortunately, Suni took advantage of you."

Seeing that Saith wasn't keen to discuss the topic, Feli quickly said, "But why is it Ihrov? I thought you didn't know which Toa it was."

"Well, Ihrov is the only one unaccounted for," Tahve said. "Gambar and Lanili were together, and they saw Bohriv on their way back. Rhagre was also on his own, but for a fairly legitimate reason. Supposedly, Ihrov and Pyrah were taking Saith to the front gates. But then Ihrov left Pyrah to finish it. I thought both Pyrah and Ihrov were together. Thus, unless multiple Toa were in on this together, none of them were unaccounted for at the time of the murder. Well, except Rhagre, but I guess I just trusted that he was being truthful. And given his actions tonight..." he paused, his voice starting to choke. "I think we can clear his name."

"Yet Ihrov didn't stay with Pyrah," Saith said. "But it seems odd that he would be able to slip past you and kill the Turaga."

"But the Turaga wasn't killed by a blow from a being," Tahve said. "There was a scroll in there; it was the stolen item, and it has some sort of power in it. When Nolox opened it, it killed him. I hate to say it, but after seeing Nolox die, I lost my head and ran off. It would've been easy for Ihrov to sneak in, take the scroll from the dead Turaga, and then leave."

"He planted a deadly scroll?" Feli asked, confused.

"I guess," Tahve said. "I remember seeing the scroll in with a box of confiscated Gang Matoran items, but Ihrov obviously put it there on his own. But I don't know why he targeted Nolox. He certainly disliked the Turaga, but he should've known his death would cause an island-wide investigation. Shouldn't he be worried that his ploy would be revealed?"

"Maybe he had a different motive," Feli suggested. "Although what would it be?"

"Whatever it is, we'll be able to stop him," Tahve said. "With Gambar and Lanili backing us up, we can confront him. And when the Makuta comes to demand his scroll back, we can hand him the correct Toa."

Saith froze in his tracks. "A Makuta!" he said. "You didn't mention a Makuta! If one of those fellows is involved, then this whole thing has already gone to Karzahni."

"That's why we need to get back before sunset," Tahve called back. "If we don't deliver the scroll to the Makuta, then he trashes the Capital Building and then the rest of the city. We haven't got much time left."

Five minutes later, the three of them rushed into the Capital Building. Tahve had been expecting to see Gambar waiting for him, but he guessed that the Toa was preoccupied elsewhere with preparations. Whatever the reason, Tahve had to find Gambar and tell him about Ihrov's secret.

However, the first person they met was Jalkal. Jalkal was not his usual self; he was jittery and nervous. He jumped as Tahve entered the building, and ran towards him. "Tahve, I'm so glad that you're back. I was so worried, I sent Gambar after you, but he recruited Rhagre before I could say anything and was off and..." He froze as he saw Saith.

"Don't worry," Tahve said. "Saith's all right. He was aiding Suni but... well, after Suni killed Rhagre, he changed sides and helped defeat her. Gambar should've brought her back already."

Jalkal only heard one part of Tahve's speech. "Wait, Rhagre's dead?"

"Yes, he died trying to protect us," Feli whispered.

"He died a true hero," Tahve said. "Unlike a certain Toa traitor here. Jalkal, we think that Ihrov is the guilty one. We need to find Gambar and Lanili, tell them, and contain Ihrov. And we don't have a lot of time to do it."

Jalkal nodded. "Yes, I have all the Guards on standby to evacuate if... if something begins to attack the Capital Building. But I haven't seen any of the Toa recently."

"Then we need to find them!" Tahve said, starting off down a hallway. "Come on, I can use all of your help." Jalkal, Feli, and Saith followed him.

The first room Tahve checked was the meeting room that the Toa usually occupied. Unfortunately, as he stepped inside, he found it completely empty. Worst, through the room's windows he could see the final rays of the sun. "We're running out of time!"

"If we don't find Ihrov soon, we'll be in a lot of trouble!" Feli added.

"Who's looking for me?" The four Matoran spun around to see Ihrov standing in the door, with an odd smirk on his mask.

Feli gasped and fell backwards, and Saith took a few steps back as well. Tahve did his best to hide his surprise, but it was Jalkal who recovered first. "Ihrov, we've been looking for the Toa everywhere," he said in his professional manner. "Do you know where they are?"

"Actually, I do," Ihrov said, stepping forward. He snapped his fingers and Pyrah appeared through a second door, trapping the Matoran in the room.

"More specifically, I meant Gambar and Lanili," Jalkal said, trying to ignore the hungry way Pyrah was looking at him.

"I know exactly where they are," Ihrov said. "But they're a little... tied up at the moment."

"What about Bohriv?" Tahve asked.

"He's over in that corner," Ihrov said, pointing to a tarp covered table. Confused, Jalkal walked over and pulled the tarp off. He fell back with a wild yell, and Feli shrieked. Bohriv's dead body had been shoved into the corner and covered up.

"You... you killed him!" Tahve accused.

"Well, I had a little help from Pyrah," Ihrov said. "He hadn't had a good fight in months in this city. Unfortunately, I couldn't let him incinerate Bohriv's body just yet. Have to remove his mask first."

Tahve acted instantly. He loaded his Kanoka launcher and fired it right at Ihrov. However, the Toa lifted up his hand and fired a strange substance, which coated the disc and disintegrated it before it even reached him.

"But... that was a Removes Poison disc!" Tahve said.

"I'm a Toa of Chemistry," Ihrov said with a shrug. "I know quite a few different mixtures, ranging from healing medicines to deadly acids. I just happened to know the exact formula to vaporize a Kanoka disc."

"Why are you doing this?" Feli screeched as the Matoran backed away from Ihrov. "Why kill all the Toa and Turaga."

"For conquest," Ihrov said. "As wonderful as Keli-Nui is, it has too many criminals running amok in it. As its glorious Toa leader, I would crack down on all forms of misbehavior, taking down the Matoran who dared disobey the law. Nolox and Rhagre would disagree with my tactics, so it was best that I remove them all first." He chuckled. "By the way, where is that headstrong Toa of Iron? I have just the right chemical to melt away his armor."

"Rhagre is dead!" Saith snapped. "Kill by a Matoran who was afraid the Toa were tyrants, just like what you're planning to be to this city."

"How fitting," Ihrov said. "In the end, Rhagre is killed by a pathetic city dweller. My only regret is that I didn't deliver the final blow myself."

Tahve lost his temper. "Rhagre was a real Toa, who believed in protecting the Matoran! You're the real pretender here. You're not in this for the Matoran; you're in this for the scroll!"

Ihrov's eyes gleamed. "Well, well, well," he started. "I've heard a lot about you recently, Matoran. 'Tahve's vowed to find the Turaga's murderer!' 'Tahve thinks he knows where Suni's hiding.' 'Tahve helped Rhagre take down the Gang Matoran.' Since you left the Guard, you've certainly been busy. If anybody was going to figure out that I was the culprit, I expected it to be you. However, I didn't expect you to know about the scroll."

"You have the Dedh-See scroll!" Tahve accused. "And you used it to murder Turaga Nolox!"

"I didn't intend for it to be a murder," Ihrov said. "You are so well informed, Tahve, but it seems like you don't know the whole story. Certainly you know about the value of the Dedh-See Scroll."

"I know you stole it!" Tahve shot.

"I certainly did," Ihrov said. "While the Turaga thought I was on a mission to take down the Gang Matoran, I actually left this land and traveled to Destral, the home island of the Brotherhood of Makuta. There I met up with another Toa of Plasma, and we stole the Dedh-See scroll. Then we returned here, and tried to discover the contents of the scroll. My partner tried the direct approach, and ended up setting off a defense system which killed him in his own mountain cave. After that, I knew that the Dedh-See scroll had better protection than just physical guardians."

"What is the Dedh-See Scroll?" Feli asked, genuinely curious.

"The Dedh-See scroll!" Ihrov repeated. "The Scroll of the Brotherhood. It holds their secrets and history. It tells how to gain the great powers they hold. And it tells how to destroy them once and for all. Think about it; with the Dedh-See in my possession, I would be able to defeat all Makuta with ease. The universe will be mine for the taking! Let the Gang Matoran and Toa squabble over who had control of this puny city. Once I know the contents of the scroll, then I could not only take this city, but everything else in this world. No Makuta could stand against me. Toa would either join me or fall before me. Matoran would have no choice but to follow my rule. Other beings would learn to obey me or suffer the consequences. Once I open the scroll, then everything will be mine."

Tahve couldn't help but grin. "So that's the motivation. You don't know how to open the scroll, and you can't achieve your dream without doing so. But... you thought Turaga Nolox could."

Ihrov nodded. "Very good, Tahve. I slipped the Dedh-See in with the confiscated items, hoping that the Turaga would look it over. Nolox, with all his wisdom, should've been able to find a way to open it and learn its contents. Once he played his part, I was ready to rush in and kill him, and claim my prize. Only the old fool opened it directly, and killed himself. It was no great loss, but then I had to resort to a much riskier method."

"Well, I hate to say this, but you're too late," Tahve snapped, while darkness crept through the room as the sun dipped below the horizon. "The Brotherhood knew you had come here, and they have a member arriving tonight to take you down. Initially, I was worried that he'd take down all the Toa in his search for the thief. But since you removed all the competition, it looks like it's just you and Pyrah against him. Too bad you don't know how to fight a Makuta yet."

The shadows were already condensing in the room, and Tahve had noticed this. But Ihrov just grinned. "I knew the Makuta was coming, Tahve. In fact, you could say I was counting on it."

He formed a chemical substance in his palm, and spun around and threw it. It struck the being that was emerging from the shadows, causing him to fall back in pain. But when Makuta Krika rose to his feet again, he was angry.

"You dare strike at a Makuta!" he roared. "Now I will turn you into dust, Toa."

"I wouldn't be so quick to make a threat, Makuta," Ihrov said, a green toxin now forming in his hands. "This mixture here is strong enough to dissolve protosteel, which just happens to be what your armor is made out of. And if you want to try and stop me, go ahead."

The Makuta paused, trying to summon one of his many mental powers to use against Ihrov, but nothing happened. He narrowed his eyes. "What's the meaning of this?"

"That first chemical neutralized your many powers," Ihrov explained. "Think about it, a powerless Makuta. It's quite funny. After all, I was able to kill the Dedh-See Makuta guard. You shouldn't be much more of a challenge."

"It seems you doubt my physical prowess," Krika growled.

"Naw, I just hope you're smart enough not to doubt mine," Ihrov said. "I throw this and your armor dissolved. Then my pal Pyrah here incinerates your antidermis self. Yes, of course I know about your highly evolved antidermis forms. I did my share of research before stealing the Dedh-See."

Krika paused. Tahve was not used to reading a Makuta's features, but it was clear that Krika was very angry. It wasn't often that a Makuta was tricked in such a way.

"Now, you'll do me an enormous favor," Ihrov said. He pulled a scroll of his back. Tahve instantly recognized it as the Dedh-See by the Brotherhood symbol embedded on it. "Would you mind opening this? Remember, if you refuse, you'll be dead within seconds."

Krika laughed harshly. "You expect me to open the Dedh-See scroll for you?"

"Yes, it's wonderfully ingenious," Ihrov said. "Since only a Makuta can open it, why not let a Makuta do so. Besides, you have no other choice. If there's one thing I know about Makuta, it's that you all value your own lives above everything else. So you'll agree to this. And even if you manage to hold out, there are other Makuta who will fall to the pressure."

Krika paused, thinking it over. Finally, he said, "Okay, I will open the scroll for you. But I promise this; you'll pay for this."

"That's what the losers always say," Ihrov said, handing the scrolls to the Makuta. Tahve was astonished. Krika had caved in to Ihrov's demand.

Krika lifted his hand, and wisps of green energy came from it and entered the scroll. The Dedh-See began to glow slightly, and then Krika removed his antidermis, and handed the scroll back to Ihrov. "Enjoy," he hissed.

Ihrov was unimpressed. "Like I'm going to fall for that trick, Makuta. Fortunately, I have four Matoran hostages to test this out on first." He turned and tossed the scroll to Tahve. "Open it, Guard, and suffer if it indeed kills you."

Tahve saw a slight gleam in Krika's eyes, and his mood dropped. Krika hadn't removed the protection around the scroll. He wasn't worried about Tahve's safety; he was worried that his deception would be discovered. And now Tahve had no choice but to open up the Dedh-See scroll and die.

He turned to the other Matoran. "Guys, it was nice knowing you. Feli... thanks for being such a great friend. It's meant a lot to me." His eyes betrayed the feelings he felt for her, and the feelings he felt for all his friends. But his time had come, and he was going to take it like a Guard. Slowly, his hands reached for the ends of the scroll.

Before Tahve could start, the glass window behind him shattered. The four Matoran dropped to the ground as a white figure flew over them. Pyrah tried to react, but the figure struck him with his lance. He swung his scythe, sending out a blast of poison towards Ihrov, but the Toa ducked just in time. Ihrov jumped up and kicked the being, sending him into the wall as the four Matoran scattered. Noting that the being was trapped in a corner, Ihrov released a poisonous gas that filled the air around the being, but he just laughed.

"You are not the only one who controls poisons, Ihrov," Kavihkli jeered. "I posses those powers too, as well as an immunity to them. You will not take me down so quickly with your poison."

Pyrah was already moving in to attack, but Krika was still in the room. Although powerless, the Makuta still possessed great strength. He swung an armored first and struck Pyrah full on, sending him into the wall before he could even try out his plasma powers. The second punch didn't just throw Pyrah into the wall; it threw him through the wall.

Ihrov and Kavihkli clashed. The Toa of Chemistry and poison-powered Dark Hunter were matched elementally and physically. Ihrov was quick and agile for a Toa, but Kavihkli was much more nimble. Ihrov tried to bring his daggers into play, but Kavihkli used his claws to parry them. The two of them were locked in combat, one which would only end when the other had fallen.

Tahve didn't want to wait and find out who the winner was. He still had the Dedh-See scroll in his hand, and he was going to do something about it. "Find someplace to hide," he shouted to Feli, Saith, and Jalkal as he got to his feet. "Get away from the battle. They won't follow you, because they'll be after me." He held up the scroll to reassure them.

Feli shook her head. "No, Tahve, it's too dangerous!"

"Rhagre risked his life for us, and now I'll do the same for you three," Tahve said. "Get out of here!" Not pausing to argue, he bolted, heading for the main entrance. He could hear the battle behind him, but he knew it was inevitable that Ihrov would break away and begin to pursue him. What he needed was a big head start.

Tahve was just running through the Capital Building's main doors when he ran into somebody. He got to his feet and recognized the green Kakama of the other Matoran. "Triki!"

"Oh, hey, Tahve-dude," Triki said. "Lookie, I was wondering if we wanted to go party-dance tonight, since the Gang Matoran turned out to be bad-no dudes."

"Gang Matoran," whispered Tahve, remembering something. There might be a way to lead Ihrov into a trap that could take down even a Toa. "Triki, I need you to do something. I need you to go find Feli and Saith. They're hiding in this building, because there's a big fight going on, with big, bad, no-party-fun guys."

"Uh, 'kay," Triki said, slightly confused.

"Triki, I just need you to do this for me," Tahve said urgently. "Tell Feli that she needs to go to Saith's place so she can prepare a trap." Quickly, he explained his plan to Triki in terms he would understand. "Now, you find Feli and tell her exactly that. You understand?"

Triki nodded. "Yeah, word for word," he said. "Is it okay if I slang-use while discussing?"

There was a crash down the hallway. Without answering Triki, Tahve shoved him into a side room. When Ihrov and Pyrah emerged in the hallway, they just saw the Ta-Matoran, holding a scroll up high.

"There he is!" Ihrov said, obviously very angry. The two had escaped from Kavihkli and Kriki, but not without injury. By the sounds of it, the Dark Hunter and Makuta weren't far behind.

Tahve gripped the scroll tightly and grinned. "You want it? Come and get it." Then he bolted.