The Ta-Metru fire pits consisted of a half dozen deep, narrow craters from which spewed forth great jets of flame. A nest of underground pipelines fed the fires to wherever they were needed in the Metru. Given their importance as one of the most highly secured sites in all of Ta-Metru, it was no surprise that the site was fenced in and guarded by Nuurakh.

"Can't we just go up and tell them why we need the disk?" asked Nuhrii.

"If they listened, and if they believed us, and if they were willing to take us to Turaga Dume to explain, maybe we would get the disk," said Onewa. "Or maybe not. So we bend the rules. Hey, you can't make a sculpture without shattering some protodermis, right?"

"We need a distraction," said Vakama.

Onewa smiled. "Done."

A few moments later, they were in position. Vakama and Nuhrii had crept as close to the fence as they could without being seen. Onewa and Ahkmou had moved near a pile of stone left over from a recent excavation.

At Vakama's signal, Onewa focused his elemental power. First, one block of stone went flying to crash against the fence. Then two, then six, until the Vahki rushed over to see what was happening. Onewa got a little too carried away and sent a block crashing into one of the Nuurakh.

As soon as the Vahki had left their posts, Vakama and Nuhrii rushed forward. When they got there, Nuhrii asked again, "Are you sure we couldn't just ask the Vahki for permission to search the pits?" Apparently, this felt more dangerous and wrong than he wanted to admit.

"I asked a Vahki something once," Vakama replied, putting his hands on the grated fence. "I spent the next month scrubbing molten protodermis feeder tubes…with my mask." His hand triggered his fire power, heating up and beginning to melt through the metal.

"Then I have another idea," Nuhrii stuttered. "Let's break in."

The metal fence now had a hole in it for the two of them, just under Vakama's height. "There's a plan," Vakama agreed. He crouched through, beckoning for the Matoran to follow. "Are you sure you know which fire pit contains the disk?" the Toa Metru whispered.

"I saw a carving," answered Nuhrii. "l think it was correct."

The Matoran led Vakama to the lip of one of the pits. The Toa of Fire peered over, then jumped back as the flames roared from it. Once the fires subsided, he said, "Come on, we don't have long!"

Melting handholds into the circumference of the pit, Vakama climbed down with Nuhrii clinging to him. "We have to move quickly before the fires erupt again," Vakama encouraged, continuing to scaled lower. Down below, he could see a an object wedged into the wall, somehow intact despite the intense heat. Its protruding edge pointing inward from the otherwise consistent surface of the fire pit had given it away.

"But I think I see…yes…" Vakama heated his feet to make two more footholds, then reached down and pried the object loose, identifying it as a Kanoka disk. Yes, it did have the symbol of Ta-Metru on it, and its three-digit disk code indicated it had a power level of 9—the highest known concentration of energy possible in a Kanoka disk.

This was a Great Disk!

"We have it," said Vakama, nodding. "Power level 9." Vakama couldn't help the feeling of success that was already coming over him—not only did the Great Disk actually exist, but Nuhrii had located it, and he had retrieved it! He showed it to Nuhrii. "Once we have collected the other five disks, we can challenge the Morbuzakh vines that are strangling our city!" He put the disk away. "Now climb over me and get out of the pit," he instructed the Ta-Matoran.

Unfortunately, the Morbuzakh had other ideas.

Nuhrii clambered over Vakama's shoulders, but before he could make it to the surface, twin Morbuzakh vines shot up from the depths below. Nuhrii gave a shout and pointed at them, racing toward him and Vakama. They wrapped themselves tightly around Toa and Matoran squeezing them, holding them high, before dragging them down into the fire pit's origins.

Vakama struggled back and forth, but his arms were pinned. "The vines! Free yourself and get out of here, Nuhrii! Get the Great Disk to Onewa!" Vakama shouted.

"I can't, it's too strong! We're Vahki bones!" Nuhrii answered, frantic. He too struggled against the vines, to no use. "The fire pit will erupt any moment!"

The Toa of Fire redoubled his efforts but the more he struggled, the harder the vine pulled. Worse, he was bound in such a way that there was no room in the pit for him to aim and launch a disk.

That was when Vakama noticed the Matoran was beating the vines with his fists and flailing his arms about wildly. "Nuhrii, can you reach my last disk? I need you to load it in the launcher. It's our only chance!" He reached as far as he could with his wrist to give Nuhrii his Toa tool.

The Matoran nodded and strained to reach the disk. He could just barely brush his fingertips against it. "I can't reach!"

"Try! It's more than just us—the whole city is at stake," said Vakama.

Nuhrii stretched until the pain was so great he could barely think straight. Fortunately, the vines were waving so much in the air that Nuhrii was able to grab the launcher on one pass, and the disk on another. He loaded it, watching the launcher keep it in place with a small field of energy, then stopped short. "Vakama, it's a power level 4," he reported. "Power code…1? Do you realize what that will do!? It might make the Morbuzakh more dangerous!"

As Nuhrii fitted the disk in the launcher, Vakama continued to fight to get free. He breathed in against the crushing force of the trunks. Power code 1 was able to reconstitute whatever it touched at random. It was a dangerous disk to use because Nuhrii was right—it was just as apt to make the Morbuzakh more powerful than less. "We have no choice! Load and launch!"

Nuhrii wrestled against the might of the Morbuzakh to get the launcher into the right position, groaning in concentration and aim. When it was as well-aimed as he could manage, he shouted, "Now!" and triggered the mechanism. The weapon launched the disk at the spot where the two vines joined.

It struck the target head-on, making the plants disappear into a green outline before rearranging them. Vakama watched, amazed, as the molecules that made up the vines were scrambled. The shock made the plant loosen its grip. The Toa of Fire and Ta-Matoran found their handholds and scrambled out of the pit, where Nuhrii emerged first. When Vakama came behind, Nuhrii helped pull him by the arm—in the Toa's other, he still held the Great Disk.

Once out of the pit, Vakama pulled Nuhrii along. "Move! There's no telling what the power of that disk may have changed the Morbuzakh vines into!"

But it was already too late—just as they had gone a few paces from the geyser, a new hulking form emerged. Vakama caught just a flash of the new form of the Morbuzakh. The base of it was plant-like, a bulky trunk with long, sharp thorns, with four or five smaller vines coming off of it (it was hard to tell). But the X-shaped gaping maw at its center lined with razor-sharp thorn-like teeth alienated it from any plant Vakama or Nuhrii knew.

"Mata Nui protect us!" Nuhrii exclaimed.

Vakama heard the familiar sound of the eruption process beginning. Turning away from the new monster they had created, he grabbed Nuhrii once again. "Run!" he shouted.

The mutant Morbuzakh gave out an eerie howl and tried to reach Vakama, just as the pit exploded into all-intensive flames again, engulfing and consuming it. The Toa Metru knew the flames would not destroy the abomination, but he had no wish to wait around and see that horror again.

Toa and Matoran ran for the fence. Both made a point of not looking behind them.

When they reached Onewa and Ahkmou, they realized the sight had been seen even from there. "Did you see that thing in one of your visions, fire-spitter?" Onewa asked as the group began to move again. "Or in a nightmare?"

Vakama fought hard to catch his breath. He simply shook his head, more in exhaustion and disbelief than an answer to the Toa of Stone. "The shock of transforming made the vines let go, and we got the Great Disk," he said, holding out the disk in his arm, power code 159. "Let's hope the others were as fortunate."

X X X

Matau, Orkahm, Vhisola, and Nokama did not stop running until they had reached the borders of Le-Metru. Here they lost themselves in the crowds that filled the transport hub of Metru Nui. Vhisola kept looking over her shoulder as if she expected the Vahki to be gaining. "Why am I here?" she asked. "You have the Ga-Metru disk. I don't know anything about the Le-Metru disk! Why can't I go home?"

"You are safer with us," said Nokama.

"Yes, four-legged Rahi-breath is out there somewhere," added Matau. "You wouldn't want to run into him."

Neither Toa Metru chose to tell the whole story. Each of the six Matoran who had joined the Toa on their quest for the disks had their own reasons for wanting the artifacts. For some, it was personal glory, for some spite, and the heroes believed Ahkmou wanted the disks for far darker reasons. Both Nokama and Matau felt letting either of their Matoran wander off was risking more trouble with the Vahki, or worse.

Matau led them to a strangely quiet section of the Metru, marked by broken chutes and mangled support beams. No repair crews were in sight, nor any chute operators. Nokama glanced at Matau, who said simply, "Morbuzakh."

The Toa of Water looked around, concerned. An area of the Metru ravaged by Morbuzakh vines would make a good hiding place, but it also meant the plant might strike here again. They would have to be on their guard.

"What did the carving-speak say about the Le-Metru disk?" Matau asked.

"The Great Disk of Le-Metru will be all around you when you find it," answered Nokama.

Matau looked left and right. "l don't see it."

"That's because it's not here," said Orkahm. "You won't claim-find it by moving quick-fast, Matau. As hard-pain as it might be for you, you will have to slow down to retrieve it."

Matau frowned. To a high-flying Toa Metru like him, "slow down" sounded like a curse. "So where is it hidden-lost?"

"That's just it," said Orkahm. "I saw-found it, but it's not in that place anymore. It could be anywhere by now. It's in a force sphere!"

Matau sat down heavily, his eyes on the ground. Nokama looked from him to Orkahm and back again. "Is that bad?" she asked.

"Very," Matau replied, nodding. "Very, very."

"Is someone going to explain to me what's going on, or do you need a downpour to convince you?" she snapped.

"Alright, you know what a chute is?" said Orkahm. "It's protodermis with a magnetic power-energy sheath that keeps things fast-moving through it. Sometimes, if there's a break-flaw in the chute construction, some of that energy snaps off and wraps-folds in on itself."

"That is known-called a force sphere. It travels ever-quick through the chutes," said Matau. "Its magnetism draws things inside: tools, debris, cargo…and a Great Disk. The longer it exists, the more mighty-strong it becomes."

"And then what happens?" asked Nokama, not sure she wanted to hear the answer.

"When it gets big enough and strong enough, it rips-tears chutes to pieces," said the Toa of Air. "Force sphere gets deep-buried under the wreckage and implodes violently. All gone."

"Along with everything inside it," said Nokama grimly. "We have to find it!"

Orkahm pulled out a chute map of Le-Metru and showed it to the two Toa, pointing to one junction close by. "It was here just before Toa Matau and I high-flew to the Great Temple."

Toa Matau traced the force sphere's most likely route until he came to a spot on the map that looked to Nokama like a complete tangle of chutes. "There! Too many chutes wrapped around each other will slow it down. We'll find it there!"

X X X

"There" turned out to be an ancient portion of the Metru, apparently built long before anyone tried making sense of the chute system. Nokama had never seen anything quite so complex or scrambled together. She wondered how any Matoran made it through what Matau called "the Notch."

The Toa of Air was perched up above one of the chutes, his keen eyes scanning the route for his target. If he was right, the force sphere would come flying by any moment.

Nokama wanted to make sure she understood. Not far away from Matau, she turned to Orkahm. "You're sure the Great Disk can be found inside the chutes?"

Orkahm nodded. "Once I saw it strong-trapped in a force sphere, I knew it could never get out."

Next to the Le-Matoran, Vhisola gave a nervous look to Nokama. "So all Matau has to do is jump in the sphere, get the Great Disk, and get back out, right?"

"Easy!" Matau insisted, overhearing the conversation from his position over the walkway. "Except for the getting in…and the getting out. And maybe seek-finding the disk…"

Orkahm cried out. The force sphere was barreling through the chute, heading for the Notch at an incredible rate of speed. It was larger than a Toa and its interior was a whirlpool of magnetic energy and protodermis fragments. Nokama questioned whether anything living could survive in there.

If Matau was worried, he didn't show it. "The sphere is coming," he said, "so I'm going!" He leapt off the ledge in a dive, his aero slicers placed on his back as turbulence stabilizers. As the sphere passed through the chute beneath him, he passed inside.

Instantly, the energies of the sphere took hold of him, threatening to tear him to pieces. Tools, bolts, and other small items swirled about him in a mad dance, striking him again and again. Meanwhile, the sphere continued on its rapid pace toward the Notch.

It's a quick-race to see which happens first, Matau thought, flying and whirling around the vortex. The sphere tears me apart, or it implodes! He frowned, realizing what that would mean. Either way, no more Matau…

Outside, Orkahm's eyes widened. He and Matau had been wrong. The sphere was not going to slow down for the Notch! It was going to rip it to pieces and then collapse in on itself, taking the Toa of Air and the Great Disk with it.

Matau could sense what was happening, but it was too late to do anything about it. Nokama already found her Great Disk…and daring-saved me from drowning, too. I need to show I am as much a Toa-hero as she is! he thought. If he jumped out now, he would lose the Great Disk and the city would be doomed. If he stayed, at least there was a slim chance he could—

Yes! Reaching out blindly, he had grasped something that felt like a disk. Fighting the pull of the sphere, he brought it close enough to his mask to see it was indeed the Le-Metru Great Disk. As he admired it, a chunk of protodermis smashed into his hand, almost making him lose his grip. He reached with his other hand and grabbed it with both. Got it!

The action caused Matau to lose balance however, and he began to spiral out of control once more. Woah! Time to leave! But, there's no place to quick-jump from… He couldn't see out of the sphere, but he knew the Notch had to be coming up fast. He had to overcome the sphere's pull and leap out now, but there was nothing to brace himself against. Without that, he could do nothing but tumble helplessly like all the rest of the sphere's captive debris.

My own strength will not be enough, the Toa of Air thought. I will have to match my Toa-power against it—create an air-storm inside this energy sphere—try to throw myself clear!

The last time Matau had used his elemental abilities, it had taken all his concentration to form just a simple cushion of air. This time, it seemed to come a little easier, but he was also attempting a much harder task. It was going to take a minicyclone to overcome the force sphere's power and tear himself free.

There was no time to let the winds build up slowly. The sphere had grown to nearly the diameter of the chute itself, meaning there was that much more debris and matter to hit and that it was close to implosion. Matau pushed his powers to their limit, forcing the air around him to swirl violently. Suddenly, he was in the center of a whirlwind which sucked the breath from his lungs. It was an open question whether the implosion would end his existence or suffocation would do it first. Can't breathe…can't…need more power!

The world became a blur as Matau spun around and around inside the cyclone. He could feel himself beginning to black out, but knew if he did, the windstorm would cease and any hope of escaping the sphere would be gone. He fought to stay conscious. After all, it wouldn't look very impressive to Nokama if the Toa of Air perished on his first big mission.

A final gusting effort threw the Toa of Air out of the magnetized trap. It took him an instant to realize he had been thrown free of the force sphere. As soon as he was free, the sphere reached the boundary of the magnetic sheath and imploded, condensing all the material into a hyperdense collection of matter.

"Free!" Matau laughed. "I'm—" SPLAT! Matau promptly slapped mask-first into the sheath of the properly functioning chute.

Down below, Nokama winced at the sight with a gasp, but movement from Matau showed her and the Matoran that the Toa of Air was still alright. "No one said freedom would be easy," Nokama commented.

Then suddenly Matau was flying through the air again. Unfortunately, his whirlwind was still active, sending him hurling this time into a nearby support post with a loud crash.

Nokama, Vhisola, and Orkahm ran over to where Matau lay on the ground. The Toa of Air wasn't moving. Hesitantly, Nokama reached out and touched his shoulder. "Matau?"

He rolled over abruptly and, smiling with a crooked mask, thrust up a hand holding the Great Disk. "See, Nokama?" he said. "l told you, no worry-problem!"