Brutaka pushed aside a pile of rubble and struggled to his feet. Around him, Spiriah and Roodaka were using shadow energy to blast themselves free. Vezon and Lariska were nowhere to be seen. He glanced back toward the now blocked tunnel entrance. A few blasts of power would no doubt clear away the pile of rocks and stones, but Takadox would be long gone by now. There would be time to settle with him later.

"I've got him!"

Brutaka turned to see Lariska holding a squirming Vezon by the throat. "I caught him sneaking down a side tunnel," the Dark Hunter said. "Unfortunately, an idiot this stupid could never manage a successful escape."

"Let us track down that traitor," snarled Roodaka. "I want Takadox's shattered body beneath my heel."

"We're here to do a job," Brutaka replied. "We keep moving. All of us," he added, looking hard at Vezon, who smiled, though he was still gripped by Lariska.

The tunnel proved to be far more than a mere pathway. It opened upon a vast underground cavern spanned by a narrow bridge made of fibrous protodermis. Down below, the floor was littered with a massive tangle of what looked like dead branches intertwined with each other. Deep channels had been carved into the walls by lava flows over the centuries. Strange flying Rahi hung from the ceiling, their six eyes blinking slowly at the sight of intruders into their realm.

"Remind me not to let Makuta Krika arrange for my next pleasure trip," muttered Spiriah.

"This whole island is volcanic," said Brutaka. "Minor eruptions over the years, but nothing major. Tahu and Kopaka, members of the Toa Nuva team, are supposed to have taken care of the problem. Otherwise, we would probably be fried by now."

"No Carapar, no Takadox," said Vezon in a sing-song voice. "Who will go next? Spiriah the Sullen? Brutaka the Boorish? Vezon the Vanquisher? Or Lariska—"

The female Dark Hunter whipped out a dagger and flung it into the stone right at Vezon's feet. The mad half-Skakdi turned to her, smiling, and said, "Or Lariska, the wise, wonderful, and gloriously homicidal."

Brutaka led the way across the bridge. At the far side, light spilled through a narrow opening. The symbol of the Brotherhood of Makuta was seared into the stone beside that portal. Someone—maybe Krika, maybe Miserix—had marked their path, so long ago.

"What are we going to do with this legendary Makuta when we find him?" asked Roodaka. "What makes you think he will help the likes of you?"

"Miserix hates the Brotherhood for turning on him," Brutaka replied. "He would ally with Matoran and an Ussal crab if it would get him revenge on his fellow Makuta."

"And so what will he be for you?" Roodaka pressed. "A general? A hero? A symbol around which to rally resistance to the Brotherhood?"

Brutaka shook his head. "Nothing quite so grand. He'll be a weapon, like a Rhotuka launcher or a ghost blaster. And we're going to aim him right at the Makuta fortress on Destral."

Roodaka smiled. "And who, might I ask…are 'we'?"

Brutaka smiled back, the grin of a Kavinika about to feast. "Now, now…what you don't know won't cut you in two and dump you off this bridge."

"I hear something," said Lariska. "Up ahead…it might be a voice…or the rumble of the volcano."

"I hear something too," supported Vezon.

"Shut up," replied Roodaka.

"And I see something as well," Vezon continued. "But since you aren't interested…"

"We're not," Roodaka snapped.

"Personally, I always find my comments and observations most interesting," Vezon rambled on. "You haven't truly lived until you have seen the world through the eyes of madness. Why, half the time I don't know if what I see is what's really there, or what I wish was there…or what I pray, I beg, I plead is not."

"Why did we bring him again?" said Spiriah.

"He breaks up the monotony," said Lariska. "That's it."

"I'd like to break something much more satisfying," hissed Roodaka. "I hear Skakdi make a most appealing sound when you snap them into pieces."

"But, since you seem to have no interest," Vezon continued, utterly disregarding his teammates' comments. "Well, then, I won't tell you that the floor is moving. You can find out on your own."

"The floor is…?" Brutaka repeated. He looked down. Far below, the tangled growth of dead branches had indeed begun to shift. The reason why rapidly became clear: they weren't branches at all, but the twisted limbs of thousands of crimson insects, now disentangling themselves from each other. Apparently, it was time to wake up and they were ready for their morning meal.

Swifter than anyone could have predicted, they began to swarm up the walls of the canyon on every side. In an instant, they had blocked the openings on both ends of the bridge. The surrounding rock was now gone, buried beneath a skittering sea of red and thousands of unblinking, predatory eyes.

"No, no, no," said Vezon, shaking his head. "Too late to apologize. Much, much too late."

X X X

The final attack in the sky began with lightning and shadow. Five Makuta—Antroz, Vamprah, Chirox, Mutran, and Icarax—and three Kra-Matoran riders dove down toward the last surviving village of Karda Nui, spreading darkness as they traveled until it hung like a fog over the dwellings of the Av-Matoran. Even the glow of the lightvines could be seen only dimly. Then the shroud of shadow was split by forked lightning fired by Icarax and Mutran, which struck the roofs of the Matoran dwellings.

At this point, those two Makuta split off from the rest. Antroz, Chirox, and Vamprah, along with their shadow Matoran, kept on straight for the village. Their job was to use powers that would affect a wide area to keep the Toa Nuva and Matoran penned in their shelter. As Antroz summoned a violent storm, Vamprah and Chirox blanketed the village with alternating sonic attacks and destructive cyclones. Within a few minutes, virtually no buildings were left standing. Even the lightvine barriers were shredded by the assault leaving nothing to bar the way of the Makuta.

Only the underground shelter of the Av-Matoran remained, and that would not last for long. As Mutran used plasma to melt the exposed roof, Icarax tore the hatch off its hinges. In a matter of moments, it would all be over.

Icarax walked confidently down into the hatch, ready for anything the Toa Nuva might hurl at him—anything, that is, except what he found. "There's no one here!" he roared, turning back to the other Makuta. "It's empty!" Mutran went to check for himself. He almost shoved Icarax aside, before reminding himself how unhealthy that might be.

A moment later, he emerged from the shelter, as puzzled as Icarax was enraged. "He's right. They're gone."

"Gone where? The swamp?" wondered Antroz, circling high above the ruined village. "Or have they abandoned Karda Nui completely?"

It was Gavla who spotted part of the answer. Perched atop Vamprah, she flew over one of the captured villages, seated atop another fallen stalactite. Her keen eyes spotted Kra-Matoran bound with lightvines. Alarmed, she told Vamprah of her find, and the two flew down to investigate.

The first shadow Matoran freed told the tale. "The Toa Nuva…they struck so fast…said they were going to wait here for your attack."

"Are they still here?" asked Gavla.

The dark Matoran shook his head. "No. As soon as they saw you heading for the light village, they flew off, up there." He pointed in the direction the Makuta had come.

"The caves?" said Gavla. Vamprah struck a nearby outcropping of rock, shattering it. Then he held up one of the pieces. Gavla immediately understood his message. "The third keystone! While we're here, they and their pathetic Matoran are stealing it."

Vamprah vaulted into the sky, Gavla barely hanging on. Quickly, he gathered the other Makuta and they bolted back for their cavern base. They were halfway there when massive stone missiles began to drop from the ceiling, one almost impaling Mutran.

"Hey, down there," Pohatu Nuva called from above, even as he wrenched another huge stalactite loose from the cave roof. "This place has really gone to Karzahni since we were here in the old days. Thought it could use a good cleaning up—starting with you."

Antroz fired a blast of laser vision at the sound of Pohatu's voice. Kirop's warning of what was about to happen came too late. Kopaka Nuva rocketed in front of Pohatu, catching the vision blast on an ice shield and reflecting it back. The beams punched straight through the armor on Antroz's shoulder, allowing his precious energy to start leaking out.

Snarling, Chirox, with Kirop acting as his rider, flew toward Pohatu. They had almost reached him when Lewa Nuva suddenly swooped down from his perch on the ceiling, firing his Skyblaster. The sphere of light struck Kirop, knocking him off Chirox's back. Startled, Chirox slowed for just a second. But it was long enough for Pohatu to bring the stalactite down on him like a club, sending Chirox spiraling down toward the swamp.

Lewa Nuva's smile of triumph was short-lived. He spotted two Av-Matoran flying from the cave, eager to join the fight. He shouted for them to go back, but it was too late. Icarax trapped them inside a powerful cyclone and then directed it toward the wall.

The Toa Nuva recognized Icarax, but never had the time to mention it in the battle. Icarax was a Makuta they had crossed paths with in their preparations of coming to Karda Nui. They had sought him out and fought him for the possession of the Staff of Artakha…and lost. Thankfully, the Order of Mata Nui was able to recover the Staff, just the same. But Icarax had been a fierce warrior, one they couldn't hope to defeat with half their team, let alone all of it.

"Do something!" shouted Tanma, flying close to Lewa. "They'll be killed!" he said, pointing at the cyclone.

Lewa concentrated, creating a whirlwind of his own in the path of Icarax's. The two collided, the Toa's funnel setting up a counterforce that kept Icarax's cyclone from advancing. Shrugging, Icarax suddenly made his vanish, sending the two Matoran inside plummeting toward the swamp.

Kopaka and Solek flew after them. The Toa Nuva of Ice caught one with a chain made of ice, while Solek created a small scoop made of light to snag the other. Unfortunately, the rescue left them vulnerable to attack, and Mutran didn't miss the opportunity. His power scream ripped through their minds, forcing them to flee or fall.

Antroz was back in the fight now, swooping down toward the shaken Kopaka. His armored hand crackled as he built up his shattering power. One touch, and the Toa of Ice's armor would be fragments.

Pohatu spotted the danger. He hefted the stalactite like a spear and threw it at Antroz. It struck the Makuta with a glancing blow, knocking him off course. By the time he righted himself, Pohatu and Photok were on him. They flew in ever-tightening circles around him at incredible speed, Pohatu striking him on each pass, delivering a thousand blows in a matter of seconds.

Hovering nearby, Icarax smiled. It was good to see Antroz getting pounded. Served him right for not wiping out the Av-Matoran a long time ago. Still, as fun as this was, it was best not to let the Toa Nuva start thinking they could possibly win. Focusing his gravity power, he made Pohatu and Photok too heavy to speed, too heavy to fly, and sent them both falling like stones. Antroz plummeted as well. I guess I forgot not to include my fellow Makuta as a target, Icarax said to himself, smiling. I suppose after several millennia, your memory begins to go.

X X X

"Stop resisting, Tahu," Krika counseled, walking closer on the spikes of his four legs. "You are already doomed. Perhaps we can commiserate upon that."

Tahu's mind raced even as his body's energy faded away. He had managed to figure out what was happening to him. Krika drained energy from his victims. If there was no one nearby, he took it from the environment. That explained the temperature drops that accompanied his appearances. Now Tahu just needed to figure out a way to stop him. Temperature… heat…cold…that's the key, he thought. Wherever he goes, the air turns cold…if that's what he's used to…maybe I should serve up a little baked Makuta.

Flame was beyond his abilities just then, but Tahu could still generate heat. He suddenly rolled onto his side with his shield's face on the ground and poured what remained of his energy into the surface, willing the soil and water to grow searingly hot until the mud was boiling. "Keep talking. You've let me build up my power again—now let's see if you can take the heat!"

Krika gave out a cry of pain and then turned intangible. He drifted above the seething cauldron that a moment before had been just a mere spot of soft ground in a vast swamp.

Tahu didn't care that Krika had escaped. All that mattered to him was that the drain on his energy had stopped. Maybe it was the burns, maybe it was changing to his ghostly form, but Krika's mealtime was over.

The Toa of Fire glanced up and saw more good news. Onua and Gali were on their way. "Onua! Gali! You're just in time." True, they had two vicious-looking creatures on their tails, but the sight of his two teammates was still the best thing he had ever seen. Tahu absorbed the heat of the ground back into himself long enough for Onua and Gali to land. Krika floated above the three of them while Onua's pursuers circled like Nui-Rama wasps. Tahu forced himself to rise and use his mask power to throw a shield around the three Toa Nuva. "I see you brought company," he said to Onua.

"It couldn't be helped. Gali has been weakened, and you don't look too well yourself."

"My shield will take a few blasts, and then…" Tahu replied.

"Looks like we make our stand here," the Toa of Earth said, just as the Makuta attacked. Blasts of shadow came from the claws of Gorast, Bitil, and Krika. Tahu's Hau Nuva went to work, surrounding the Toa with a protective force field.

"My Mask of Shielding will protect us for now—but if help doesn't arrive from somewhere soon, this could be the end of the Toa Nuva." His eyes were suddenly drawn to something in the sky. "Wait, what's that?"

Onua turned to look and noted that all three Makuta were doing the same. What they had spotted was another Makuta, Chirox, plummeting from the sky. He obviously wasn't in control of his flight. Onua guessed he had been on the receiving end of a solid blow from one of the three Toa Nuva battling in the skies above…probably Pohatu Nuva, if he had to take a guess.

Gorast, Bitil, and Krika reacted immediately, flying or floating to intercept their brother. It seemed the perfect time to make an escape, although with Tahu and Gali both low on energy, Onua wasn't sure how far they would get.

"This way," said a small voice off to the left. "Come this way, now." Onua saw that the voice came from an Av-Matoran. The figure was beckoning to the Toa through some swamp foliage. "I can take you to safety," the Matoran said.

The Toa Nuva of Earth knew that it might be a trap, but at this point, he had to take a chance. Tahu nodded his assent, and the three heroes followed the Matoran deeper into the swamp. They ended up in a small clearing surrounded by lightvines, the plants the Matoran of Karda Nui used as protection against the Makuta. Natural light producers, the vines were painful for the masters of shadow to come near. But what struck the three Toa was what lay on the ground—the bodies of at least a dozen Matoran, all apparently in the midst of some strange transformation.

Onua started to rush toward the fallen villagers, but the Matoran who guided them there blocked him. "Don't interfere. It's their time, just as it will soon be mine."

"Their time? For what?" said Gali, pushing past Onua and the Matoran. She rushed to the nearest villager. What she saw made her gasp and take a step back. The Av-Matoran's body was changing before her eyes. Muscle tissue and lung tissue were dissolving, being replaced by metallic protodermis. The shape of the body was changing too, becoming bigger and broader, even as the normal features of a Matoran rapidly disappeared. But that wasn't what shocked Gali and the other Toa Nuva. No, it was that they recognized all too well what the Av-Matoran were transforming into. "Bohrok," whispered the Toa of Water, shaken to her core. "By the Great Beings, they are turning into Bohrok!"