A lone Visorak crawled swiftly toward the Coliseum. It struggled not to surrender to a run, for that might be seen by other members of the horde as a sign of weakness. Instead, it did its best to look purposeful but not panicked.

It scuttled through the gateway and into a massive hallway lined with silver spheres. The Visorak had discovered these in the vaults below shortly after taking possession of this structure. The spider creatures were at first unsure of what they were, but Sidorak, king of the hordes, had instructed they be treated with care.

Sidorak. The name reminded the creature of just why it was in such a rush. If Sidorak learned the news from some other source, he would be sure to take it out on his unfortunate courier for being late. Or worse, he might turn the offending Visorak to Roodaka for her amusement.

The Visorak reached the throne room. Sidorak sat in the chair once used by Makuta, Master of Shadows and mentor to the horde king. He looked at the approaching creature with a combination of boredom and cruelty in his eyes. "It's nothing important, I hope," he said. "Seeing as you're late."

The Visorak courier bowed and began to gnash its mandibles together, conveying in its native language the news to share.

Sidorak leaned forward. "This had better be good."

The spider creature took a breath and made a single, sharp sound. It was enough to get the horde king's undivided attention.

"Toa?" Sidorak said. "So they have returned for the Matoran—Matoran that now belong to me! I assume your telling me this without twitching uncontrollably means the Toa have already been captured?"

The Visorak nodded in the direction of the great window that dominated one wall of the room. Sidorak rose to look out over the city he now commanded. His eyes immediately focused on a new element that had been added to the scene: six cocoons, each containing a Toa Metru, hanging suspended from web lines far above the streets of Metru Nui.

"Thank you," said Sidorak. "Kill them."

The Visorak nodded again and turned, happy both to follow the order and to have an excuse to leave the throne room. Sidorak was known for his sudden changes of mood and might reward a Visorak one moment and crush it the next. The creature had almost made it to the exit when a new voice brought it up short.

X X X

Roodaka smiled as she watched a small group of Visorak crafting another web. This one connected the Coliseum to another of the Knowledge Towers of Ko-Metru. It seemed appropriate that these creatures comprised her army, for in many ways she too created snares for the unwary.

There was far more to web-spinning than simply the right location and a few strands of silk. It had to be reinforced and supported so that if wind or a storm tore a section loose, the entire structure would not collapse. In much the same way, Roodaka's plans were constructed so that no one setback could destroy them. Even events that might seem disastrous at first could be turned to her advantage.

So it had been when word came that the Toa had been captured. The Visorak Keelerak horde that had brought down the Toa Metru owed its loyalty to Sidorak, their king, rather than to her. At heart a conqueror, Sidorak saw in the six Toa only enemies to be destroyed.

It was then that Roodaka took a hand. "Is it to be so simple, Sidorak?" she had asked, stopping his messenger from delivering his last command.

The Visorak courier did not dare turn around. It knew to whom that voice belonged. Every member of the horde knew, and feared, Roodaka, and with good reason. But in Sidorak's eyes, she was a figure to be trusted and coveted. "Ah, Roodaka," he said, reverence in his voice. "My queen."

"No, not your queen," replied Roodaka. "Not yet."

"Of course. Formalities," said Sidorak, for currently Roodaka was lieutenant of the Visorak army. "You have something to say?"

"Only that leaders are judged by the quality of their enemies. History teaches us this."

It took Sidorak only a moment to realize to whom she was referring. "The Toa?"

"A fantastic adversary, my king," Roodaka said, gesturing to where the six hung helplessly, watched by Visorak on every rooftop. "Worthy of your rule—and therefore worthy of a demise that will be known for all time; the Toa are powerful enemies indeed, and their deaths should be…memorable."

Sidorak considered. Now that he sat on the ebony throne, he found that it suited him well. True, it did not really belong to him—it was Makuta's rightful place, after all—but the Master of Shadows was not here, and Sidorak was. Perhaps, with the right additions to his legend, a Visorak king could hope to become much more. After all, where was it written that the shadows could serve only Makuta?

Sidorak smiled. Where he ruled through might and intimidation, Roodaka embodied the more subtle qualities that fueled conquest. She understood fear, dread, and the power of symbols to evoke both. Her advice was always welcomed by him, not the least because he hoped she would one day be far more than just an aide in his campaigns. Most of all, Sidorak trusted Roodaka.

"l suppose I could allow to make their deaths more…legendary," he agreed.

"I have always admired your judgement," Roodaka hissed approvingly. "Only be sure your method allows for some proof, for posterity's sake…"

"Proof?"

Roodaka's answer came in a voice as cold as the ice that capped Ko-Metru Knowledge Towers. "Bring me their bodies."

With that, she stepped to the window and looked up to see the Toa in their cocoons, hanging from a Visorak web. Her eyes devoured the sight of them struggling helplessly to free themselves. There was nothing quite so pleasant, she decided, as weak, pitiful creatures striving to avoid their inevitable doom.

X X X

The six Toa Metru hung in cocoons high above the city streets. All around them, on the rooftops of Metru Nui, hordes of Visorak spiders were assembled to watch their demise. The cocoons were connected to the webs above by only a few thin strands. In time, the weight of the Toa would tear them loose and then it would be a long fall. If they were lucky, their sheer velocity on the way down would be enough to end their lives long before they struck the ground.

Atop the Coliseum, Visorak jostled for position. After days of capturing nothing but Rahi, finally there was to be an "M & D" (mutation and disposal) worth watching. Toa were a rare prize—most were too smart to walk into a Visorak trap, or strong enough to fight their way out of them. Fortunately, for all their victories, these Toa Metru were evidently still new to their roles and prone to making mistakes.

One too many Boggarak tried to secure a good viewing position. When the Oohnorak next to it refused to move, it gave a shove and sent the spider creature tumbling into space and through the mist below.

Toa Whenua watched this happen from his unique vantage point. He would have gladly given up his place for a Visorak. But it was unlikely any of the horde would want to be hanging miles above the city in a web cocoon, dangling precariously from a web line, as Whenua and his fellow Toa now were. Whenua watched the Visorak fall through a narrow gap in the webbing until the creature was lost from sight. "That's encouraging," he muttered.

Matau glanced toward where Vakama hung, shrouded by webbing. All any of the Toa could see was a small opening in what appeared to be some kind of fabric, through which they had a view of the upside-down City of Legends. "Well, fire-spitter…we can't say you didn't show us the city," he muttered, his voice rising in anger. The webbing fibers stretched under the weight of their armor, and would not hold long. "'Course, we can say that you got us captured, poisoned…and seeing as I don't think we've been brought up here for the view, imminently smash-dashed!"

Onewa was about to say something when he noticed the strands of webbing that held his cocoon to the line were beginning to give. When he did speak, it was muffled by the webbing that covered his mouth. "Mmmmpfff!"

"He agrees," interpreted Matau.

"This is not Vakama's fault!" snapped Nokama from her cocoon. When four pairs of eyes all shot skeptical looks at her, she added, "Well, not entirely."

Vakama struggled to think of what to say in reply. His head and body hurt all over. He could feel the barbs of the cocoon biting into him and the Visorak venom coursing through his form. He wasn't sure why they were being allowed to experience this when they could have easily been eliminated a while ago. Somehow, that made things worse. He glanced at the other Toa, now all facing destruction because he had made the wrong decisions. "Don't bother Nokama…l tried to lead you as best I could," he said. "I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say; l wish I had been better at it, but if I've learned one thing from all we have been through…it is that I am what I am. And no matter how much I might want to, I can't just change."

A spasm gripped Vakama, sending violent shudders down his body. Suddenly, an arm tore its way free of his cocoon. It was a twisted mix of a powerful Toa arm and something other, something that horrified the other heroes of Metru Nui. It waved around wildly, with an out-of-control torch at the end of it. It was swing so greatly that it set Onewa's cocoon on fire, burning through the portion that had covered his mouth. Screaming at the abrupt flame and trying to keep his entire cocoon from catching fire, the Toa of Stone rapidly blowed on the singed webbing in front of him.

With great effort, the Toa of Fire brought the arm under control to the point where it wasn't moving as much, even if the tool it held still spewed fire. Vakama looked at it, confused. Surely, that twisted, bizarre limb did not belong to him?

From the balcony of the Coliseum, Sidorak and Roodaka watched as Vakama's transformation began. Smiling, the viceroy of the horde slipped a hand onto Sidorak's shoulder, signaling her approval of the nightmare to come.

"What…is…happening to me!?" Vakama asked, breathing heavily. When his breath slowed, he heard cries from the other Toa ring out. He did his best to turn and see what was happening, but only found a sight he did not wish to see.

The strange metamorphosis was spreading to the other Toa as well. Their bodies warped and mutated, masks changing shape, muscles expanding, their very minds feeling like they were being torn apart and reassembled. They jerked and spasmed inside their cocoons as the venom of the Visorak changed their bodies and minds. Their masks stretched and fused to their faces, their limbs grew more powerful, even as their minds were flooded with raw fury. It was a pain beyond pain, made worse by the certain knowledge that there was no way to stop whatever was happening to them.

"I'm really not liking this!" shouted Matau.

Nuju managed to shift his focus from the rapid changes happening to his body. As the Toa's bodies mutated, they were tearing through the webs that made up their cocoons, the only things that were keeping them in the air. At this rate, they would not have to worry about their new forms for very long. "You're going to like it even less in a moment, Matau," he said.

Nokama glanced at Vakama. His mutation had begun first, so his cocoon was the most badly damaged. Now the mutated Toa of Fire was held by a single strand of webbing. She watched the last changes rock through his form, removing much of his red armor and replacing it with a generic silver, elongating one arm but slightly shortening the other. "Vakama!" she cried, in between his yells and spasms of pain. "Vakama…?"

The Toa of Fire locked eyes with his friend even as the last of the webbing shredded and fell away. "I'm sorry I let you all down…again," he croaked. Then he fell, to the sound of wild cheers from the Visorak.

"No! Vakama!" Nokama shouted.

Whenua felt himself losing his grip. The webbing could no longer support his increased weight. He tried to think of something profound to say before he dropped, but could only manage, "Uh…bye."

Nuju had watched the Toa of Fire tear free of the webbing and plunged into space. One by one the others followed, their strange, animalistic new forms flailing in the air as they fell. Then the Toa of Ice lost his grip as well and plummeted toward the ground.

Matau watched as Whenua, Onewa, and Nuju dropped. It was hard to believe this would be the last moment of his existence. He looked at Nokama, saying, "Nokama, I want you to…no, I need you to know that I've always—"

But before he could finish his statement, he, too, fell. Nokama closed her eyes, preferring not to see herself follow the lead of her brother Toa. Then she fell, feeling the wind rushing up to greet her, and knowing the pavement was doing the same.