CHAPTER 7: ONE OF THE HIVE
Squeak and Arlene arrived at the Marinara Falls near the lava delta on the east side of Pooka-Nui. Squeak and Arlene saw Garfield bathing in the very hot liquid, which was actually made of lasagna protodermis.
"Garfield!" called Squeak.
"Stay away! I am too dangerous for anybody!" cried Garfield.
"Believe in yourself, Garfield," said Arlene. "You are a great hero!"
"You must escape this great mental facade. You are not who the Spider brain deems!" said Squeak.
"You are correct… but I… must destroy everything that is… unclean!" Garfield jumped out of the lava and attacked Squeak and Arlene with his mighty sword. He bested them effortlessly. It was almost as if the Spider brain granted him higher strength.
"Garfield, no…" groaned Squeak. He fell defeated.
Garfield raised his sword high above Squeak. "I am sorry, brother… But I must appease our queens…"
Arlene blasted Garfield with a forceful shot of pink heart energy. He fell over and hit his head on a rock, knocking him out.
"Quick! Rip the parasite off!" called Squeak.
Arlene ran over, but could not get the brain off because it burnt her fingers harshly. Garfield awakened in the process and grabbed the Toa by the neck.
"You are making me sick!" Garfield droned in a more despicable tone. He was long-gone now.
"Garfield! No! Remember who you are!" cried Squeak.
"I am who I am now! Who I was no longer matters…" Garfield shouted horrifyingly.
"So, you are willing to cast out all sense of destiny?" said Squeak weakly.
Garfield gasped and released his hold of Arlene. He spiraled out of control and firmly grasped his face. With a swift flick of the wrist, he ripped the Spider brain from his face and cast it into the Marinara Falls.
"I'm back," Garfield panted. He helped Squeak up. "I am very apologetic for the terrible things I have done to promote violence across Pooka-Nui." Garfield stared up at the cloudy skies.
"None of that matters now. We need to defeat the Spiders," said Arlene.
"We're just glad now we have a fighting chance," said Squeak. "And a clue on how to defeat the hordes once and for all."
"What say you?" asked Garfield.
"You said something about 'the queens'. If we find them, then we'll be able to uproot the source of these monsters," said Squeak with high intelligence.
"Very good, Squeak," said Garfield with his hands on his hips. "I was thinking the very same thing. That is because my mind has been irreparably linked to the hivemind. I know exactly where the queens dwell. Let us go there and commence swift justice."
"Here, you will need this," said Squeak as he handed Garfield his original mask.
"Thank you very much, Brother," said Garfield. He placed his mask back on and the resurgence of orange flowed across his armour.