ULTIMATE BIONICLE

Chapter 18: Re-Enforcements

It had been a month since the battle between all different sides took place. The Toa Nuva and Nuhvok have been searching for Vorak; the one they had all agreed as the largest threat to Matoran life. They had not returned to their villages since the incident, as to not attract Vorak to those areas.

The Panrahk monster had seldom been seen since the incident. Only during its relentless attack on the four remaining Rahkshi, whose bodies have disappeared, had it actually fought anybody. However, the Toa Nuva had often seen it watching from a distance. Watching as if it were waiting for something to happen, or making sure nothing would.

The Toa Metru had struggled over the past month to retain their freedom. Lost, and not sure how to act, they had done nothing but run away. The Vahki grew impatient. Normally it would not be so hard for them to track something down. After all, it was their specialty. But Mata Nui was foreign land, and much larger than Metru Nui.

The Vahki weren't the only ones growing impatient. They had maintained contact with Turaga Dume; and he was not happy at all. He had expected the Toa Metru back within a week or two. As a result, much to the protest of the Vahki, reinforcements were sent and were on their way.

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The Toa Metru and four Matoran were resting in the Tiro Canyon of Po-Wahi. They had just narrowly escaped capture from the strangely desperate Vahki. Nuju sat on a rock with his elbow's rested on his knees, and his chin resting on his palms. Matau was keeping watch in the air above the canyon. Onewa sat against the rock wall, while on the opposite side Whenua stood leaning. Vakama paced back and forth, while the four Matoran sat worried in a circle.

"How long can we keep this up?" Onewa asked. Vakama stopped, turning towards the stone Toa.

"As long as we can I guess." Vakama said unconfidently. "So then you just expect us to just keep running?" Nuju said defiantly, "Forever? Just running like scared little Rahi while Nokama rots in a hell unknown to us?" Whenua let out a deep sigh.

"Maybe we shouldn't have come here at all." Vakama said, lowering his head shamefully.

"What was your plan when we came here Vakama?" Nuju said, getting to his feet, "Was it your plan for us to just keep running like this? Did you even consider anything? We were not told this was a haven. We were told there were enemies here! And you decided to lead us here anyways! How do we even know they are enemies! They have not searched for us for a month. We attacked them first. If anything we're their enemy!"

"Enough!" Vakama yelled, "You think I enjoy being the successor to Lhikan? It's a real pain to lead all of you. But I do it out of obligation."

"What 'obligation'?" Nuju said scowled. "I know he was your friend, but Lhikan was killed years before we ever became Toa! We stumbled upon the Toa stones by chance. I don't know if it were by destiny, or just dumb luck. What destiny do we have anyway? Sure we defeated the Morbuzakh, but that was just a stupid plant that was wrecking everything. We don't have a destiny. We're just Matoran who got lucky, and ended up chest high in Rahi droppings. Sometimes…I think it would just be easier to be what everyone says we are; …evil…"

Vakama was speechless as a result of what Nuju had said. Onewa let out a disgruntled sigh. Whenua unfolded his arms and stepped forward, looking back and forth at his three comrades.

"So this is it? We've got one Toa captured, two that look as though they are about to keel over and give up, and I don't know what the hell your last comment was about Nuju, but you all need to shut up!" Whenua's expression was angered. "Sure, I've questioned our destiny once or twice. But we got in this situation together and I'll be damned if we're just going to abandon our pride and give up! You want something to do besides run? How about we worry a little more about the poor soul that is locked away somewhere on Metru Nui right now! Nokama has been there for a month now! We have no idea the pain she could be going through right now, and you're complaining about fighting five Vahki! For all we know…" Whenua paused and closed his eyes, "…for all we know she could be dead by now. And I don't know about any of you, but I would face every Vahki in Metru Nui or even get captured just to see her safe again!" Whenua let out an enraged shout and smashed one of his earth-shock drills into the stone wall. He looked back at the others, panting from his outburst. He then stormed off down the canyon.

Matau landed among them. "What's all the fuss about?" He said looking at all of them. "Never mind Matau," Vakama said, with an expression of deep thought, "I think things are alright now."

Whenua sat on a fairly large boulder, around a bend in the canyon so that he was out of sight from the other Toa Metru. He stared at the floor, making frustrated grunting noises to himself. He heard footsteps approaching him. He turned his head downward to see Onewa standing there.

"What's up Onewa?" Whenua asked. Onewa sat on the ground next to the boulder. "Though I haven't known Vakama for quite as long as I have you, I still know him very well. And one thing I learned about him is his reluctance to ever give up on a goal. Whenever he worked on a mask, he would dedicate himself day in and day out until it was total perfection. He hasn't given up on being a Toa; he just is unclear of what he should do. What would you do if you had to lead an entire team without a set goal, on an unknown island, with more enemies than you have ever known?"

Whenua chuckled to himself, "I wouldn't." The remark made Onewa laugh as well. "He's just trying to make things work for the whole team. He doesn't want to risk all of us getting captured, because then we'd all be in trouble. Don't worry though. Vakama has a way of figuring things out. Just give him time. Besides, I think your little speech may have jump started his motivation." Onewa concluded.

Whenua smiled down at his friend. "Thanks. The only thing is if….she was….well…if she was here…I'd have no problem. But when I think about what could be happening to her…" Whenua's eyes filled with a burning rage, like a dark green flame.

"We're all upset about her current situation. But don't worry my friend; she is more than capable of handling herself. She is a very strong Toa. But what's really bothering you about it?" Onewa wondered. Whenua jumped off of the boulder. "Never mind, it's not important." He said as he headed back to the other Toa Metru.

Onewa raised his eyebrow in confusion as he watched Whenua walk away. He then widened his eyes in realization, "Is that why…? It couldn't be could it?" Onewa wondered to himself.

Whenua walked around the bend, back to the other Toa Metru and the four Matoran. Tehutti ran up to him upon noticing his return. "I thought you left again!" He shouted.

Whenua looked down at him. The silence made Tehutti uncomfortable. "Don't worry about it." Whenua said dryly. He then continued walking.

"Where's Onewa?" Vakama asked. Whenua turned around in confusion. "I don't know. I thought he was right behind me."

Suddenly Onewa came sprinting around the bend at full speed. "RUN!" He yelled desperately. A trail of Kanoka disks were hitting the ground and exploding behind him as he ran. The rest of the group bolted in the same direction as Onewa.

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Po-Wahi was not just plain, flat desert. Many extraordinary rock formations, shaped and smoothed out from the desert wind, stood as pinnacles in this wasteland. High atop one of these natural marvels lounged the infamous Vorak.

He yawned lazily. "This boredom is killing me. All this freedom is losing its edge. Then again, I've never really known anything else." Vorak sat up and started to ponder. What was his true purpose here? What events had lead up to his creation, and who had created him? Or was he a greater being who manifested itself. These questions rained through his mind like a monsoon.

He always enjoyed killing Matoran and stealing their life energy, but Vorak was not stupid. If he continued to do so at his leisure, then there would soon be no more Matoran to kill. These Toa Nuva did however, provide entertainment very often, but he had not seen a trace of them in a few days.

Vorak's gazed trailed off into the distance. "There's that Panrahk thing again, just…standing there. Maybe if I attacked it…" Vorak sat there staring. The wind blew silently and Vorak didn't make a sound. He was in a trance like state. He shook his head and snapped out of it. "That…was…weird. No, maybe I won't attack it. What would be the point?" He said to himself.

Vorak sat in a meditative position. "Looks like I'm going to have to relieve myself of this boredom on my own." Vorak bowed his head, shut his eyes and focused. "There, I sense those Toa Metru…and Vahki," He guided his sense elsewhere, "What is this? This power…it is massive! Wait…there's two!" As he felt this power, his ability suddenly set off a warning.

Vorak quickly turned around, just in time to grab hold of one of Onua's chainsaws. Onua thrust down his other chainsaw. Vorak caught it with his other hand. "Come on now you can do better than that!" Vorak yelled. He kicked Onua in the face, doing a back flip as he did so. Vorak plummeted from the formation and onto the desert terrain below.

Landing on his feet, he started sprinting across the desert. "Just a little further." He thought to himself.

Suddenly out from behind a boulder came Pohatu, who started chasing him. Vorak looked back; the stone Toa was gaining on him quickly. Pohatu was then only feet away from Vorak. He lifted one of his weapons, getting ready to stab it into Vorak when he got close enough.

Unexpectedly, Vorak skidded to a screeching halt, and Pohatu continued running forward, since he could not slow down his momentum. Vorak held out his hand and brought Pohatu back with his telekinesis. "When do you Toa ever learn? I can't be beaten!" Vorak flung Pohatu up into the air, and then fired a bunch of shadow blasts up at him.

Vorak turned around and took a few steps forward. Suddenly a geyser of water burst forth from the ground, sending him high into the air. Lewa flew at lightning speed and gave Vorak a cross-slash in the air with his two air-katana. Vorak grasped his bleeding gut as he plummeted back to the ground below.

He hit the ground with a crash. He got to his knees and removed his hands to examine his wound. The bleeding had already stopped. Vorak looked up, failing to have realized that Kopaka and Tahu were seconds away from blasting him with fire and ice. He leapt into the air at the last second, the blast just missing him. Landing just over them he started sprinting off into the desert again.

Vorak ran until he was inside the mouth of a canyon. He looked back; no sign of the Toa Nuva could be seen as of yet.

Vorak's attention suddenly turned to the top of the canyon. Whenua yelled as he was knocked off the top. He hit the ground and quickly rolled out of the way, as Rorzakh stabbed his weapon in the ground a split second after Whenua had moved. Rorzakh slashed with his left hand, which was a silver coloured claw. It cut through Whenua's chest; drawing blood. "Why won't you die!" Rorzakh yelled in rage.

Rorzakh ran at Whenua. Whenua fell back and caught him with both feet, and lifting him up, Whenua kicked him backwards into the side of the canyon. Whenua then dashed at Rorzakh and tackled him further into the rock face.

Vakama could be seen fighting Nuurakh on top of the canyon, along with Onewa fighting Zadakh. Matau glided off the top, and Vorzakh jumped onto his back, making him fall. Orkham fired a Kanoka disk at him from the edge of the canyon. It knocked Vorzakh off; but they still both plummeted to the ground below.

Nuju then fell off the canyon as well; fighting Keerakh on the way down. Ehrye fired a Kanoka disk from atop, but Keerakh caught it in his mouth and fired it back. Ehrye jumped out of the way as the disk destroyed part of the ledge.

The ground under Vorak's feet crumbled and cracked. The ground caved in and Vorak fell. Immediately he was caught with and uppercut by Nuhvok, and he was sent flying back out of the hole. Nuhvok and the seven Toa Nuva then climbed out after him.

They cornered Vorak against a wall. Vorak was about to attack when something large landed in front of him with a loud thump. It was the mysteriously changed Panrahk once again. He unleashed his wrath upon the Toa Nuva. First he kicked Nuhvok away with ease, and then swung his large claw; knocking Tahu, Pohatu and Kopaka away and knocking them out against the canyon wall.

Panrahk then picked up Gali with his large claw. She kicked him in the arm as hard as she could again and again, but to no avail. He smashed her into the ground with his monstrous arm and then kicked her away.

Onua slashed at Panrahk with his chainsaw, but it seemed to have no affect. Panrahk punched Onua away with his non-clawed left hand. Lewa managed to use this opportunity to stab Panrahk in the shoulder. He roared from the pain as his shoulder started to bleed. He grabbed Lewa and plunged his two large claws into his gut.

Takanuva stood speechless as he stared at the monstrosity that was Panrahk. "How could he take them out so easily?" he thought, "There hasn't been someone that strong since…" Panrahk looked over at Takanuva. He couldn't tell, but Takanuva could've sworn it had a challenging smirk on its face. As if it was saving its fight with him. Panrahk then left as quickly as he had come. Takanuva quickly ran over to Lewa and gave him a Bulla berry so that he would not bleed to death.

Whenua swung his drills, smashing them into Rorzakh's face each time. His thoughts of Nokama in her cell motivated him to fight harder than he ever had before. Rorzakh stabbed forward with his weapon, hitting Whenua in the chest and pinning him to the ground. Rorzakh started to put pressure on his staff, slowly driving it into Whenua's chest. "GGGGAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" Whenua screamed in pain.

"Just be thankful that you're not in the prison, Toa. It's a lot worse there." Rorzakh said with a devious smirk. Whenua's eyes filled with resentment and rage. He gritted his teeth together as he flexed his chest and started to resist the staff. He let go of his drills and grabbed the end of it and started to push up against it. Whenua was grunting angrily from the strain. Slowly the staff started to rise and he got to his knees, then to his feet; still holding onto the end. He kicked the end of one of his drill, make it flip into the air and he caught it. Letting go of the staff, he caused Rorzakh to fall forward. Whenua wrapped his left arm around Rorzakh's neck; getting him in a head lock. The drill which was in his other hand started to spin. Whenua started pushing it against the back of Rorzakh's neck. It slowly started to dig in. "I'll show you pain!" Whenua yelled angrily.

Unknown to Whenua was that a being was slowly walking down the canyon wall behind him. A small click noise was made as its feet dug into the rock. It made it to the ground and stood behind Whenua, overshadowing him. It reached down and snatched Whenua off of Rorzakh, the edges of its pincher like hand digging into him. Whenua struggled but could not escape. He gazed in astonishment at the sight of the massive creature grasping him.

Rorzakh fell forward panting. He rubbed the back of his now bleeding neck. "What stopped him…?" Rorzakh wondered. He turned around and his eyes widened angrily. "No! I almost had him! You have no right to interfere!"

"It looks like he had you, Rorzakh." The creature said contemptuously. "And I have every right to interfere; otherwise I would not be here would I? Besides, there are new interests that Dume wants protected. But still, it looks like he had you beat." The creature scoffed. "Never send a Vahki to do a Dark Hunter's job." Nidhiki said.