"Will you stop squirming already? I'm trying to help you!"

"I don't need help, I need answers!" The scaly, fish-like woman sighed as she and Kopaka stared at each other for several seconds. Her expression showed her weariness with Kopaka's lack of co-operation, whilst the Toa of Ice was simply irritated with the lack of information that he had. He'd been arguing with her for several minutes now, and his patience was waning. Why wouldn't she answer his questions? Now that he could think clearly, he had more questions that had to be answered, and he wasn't about to take no for an answer. The woman sighed, fixing her light orange, fish-like eyes on his face.

"Kopaka, son of Kualas," She addressed, her tone calm but very serious. "Being caught the way you were, let alone hitting the wall at the speed you did, could have caused damage, or at least whip lash. You can ask as many questions as you want later, but for now can you please just co-operate with me? The longer you make a fuss, the longer it will take for me to access the damage." The Toa of Ice frowned.

"But what about Lewa? And how did you know who my dad was? Just who are you?" She shook her head disapprovingly at his questioning. Brushing her sea blue hair out of her eyes with a few of her webbed fingers, she responded.

"Lewa is still struggling with the venom. I can't give you a definite answer about him. As for your father, even if I didn't know him as well as I do, your appearance gives it away. Now will you please settle down?" Reluctantly, the pale teenager nodded. "Thank you. Honestly, you're worse than Pouks or Bomonga about this… and don't even ask who they are. You've asked too many questions as it is."

"Wait, who's…" Before he could finish talking, the mutant woman had not only pushed a piece of what looked like some sort of fruit into his mouth, but had also taken a light, yet firm grip on his head. Too caught off guard by this action to really know what to do, Kopaka stared at her with alarm. Seeming satisfied with the result, she let go of his head and started to look him over, saying as she did so.

"Now eat your fruit and hush up. It's rude to talk with your mouth full." The Toa of Ice nearly choked on it as he tried to argue, and the 'fish woman' added. "And dangerous too, going by the sound you just made." Face red and eyes watering because of choking, there was very little the humiliated teenager could do without being scolded, or having more food pushed into his mouth. Irritated and un-amused, Kopaka finally gave up questioning her, and sat where he was, eyes closed and, once he'd swallowed the fruit, a scowl on his face. The mutant, however, simply tittered in amusement and said as she continued checking him for damage.

"You scowl just like your father. If I hadn't seen him just a few minutes before I met you, I'd almost think someone had made him a teenager again." Kopaka just snorted indignantly, causing the woman to giggle quietly.

"Mhm… Just like your father. You can stop pouting now, I'm finished. You can go anywhere in here, just don't go outside." Opening his eyes and glaring at her somewhat, he asked coldly.

"Or what, you'll cram more fruit down my throat? I need to find the others, not be treated like a four year old with a poor mental capacity." The woman's expression changed within a matter of moments. Going from amused to somewhat angry, she said harshly, her tone irritable and less than impressed.

"Or you'll be taken by the Visorak, mutated, and end up looking like the others. You could even end up like Vakama and the rest of his team. Now are you satisfied, or did you have more to complain about?" Before Kopaka could respond, the feathered, blue-eyed man entered the room, walked over, and put a hand on the woman's shoulder.

"Gaaki, you're getting worked up again. Go and rest for a little while. I can finish things up in here."

"But…" She started, though she shook her head and sighed. "Fine…if you need a break let me know." The man gave a slight nod to his companion as she left, and then turned his gaze back to Kopaka.

"Please try not to upset her. She's been a bit stressful as of late. She hasn't seen a close friend of hers for a long while now." Sitting down on the chair in front of Kopaka's, he looked the Toa Mata over before commenting. "You've grown up well Kopaka, despite what happened." The teen nodded slightly.

"Yeah, I guess so. No parents, no siblings…just a group of people I didn't know." He rolled his eyes. "Why do you care? It's not like you can change anything that happened." The mutated man sighed.

"But I can help change the future." His gaze fell to the locket that hung at Kopaka's neck, and he smiled.

"I remember the day I gave that to your mother." He said gently. "It was my parting gift to her before we dropped all contact with each other." Kopaka blinked, looking at his locket with curiosity. Lifting it and opening it, he looked at the two pictures, his gaze quickly falling to the image of his parents, namely his father. Those eyes were staring at him, and when he looked up, he realized why the mutant's eyes looked the way they did…

It was because they were exactly the same. Barely able to understand what he had just discovered, he asked shakily, his voice barely louder than a whisper. "…Dad?" The mutant's eyes betrayed the smile he wore beneath his face cover.

"Yes Kopaka?" The teen swallowed. He could hardly believe it. He had finally located his father, and yet the only question he could come up with seemed so unfitting. However, with no other questions to ask, it was all he could say.

"What happened to you?" Kualas sighed quietly.

"Teridax and Roodaka happened." He explained. "My comrades were sceptical when I warned them about Teridax turning on us. We walked right into a trap." He glanced down at the floor, shaking his head sadly. "We were handed over to Roodaka and were experimented on. It was lucky that we even managed to escape that night. Iruni nearly died, Gaaki twisted her ankle… but here we are now, and by what I can see, will evermore be Rahaga…Roodaka's triumph, and the Toa Hagah's failure." Kopaka thought over what he had just been told. That brought up another question the Toa Mata wanted an answer for.

"Who is Roodaka?" Kualas hesitated before giving a response.

"Roodaka is the reason the Visorak are here." He explained. "And as far as I know, she's trying to find a key of some sort. I never really heard what the key was, but it's something she can use to bring back the Master of Shadows." He paused to let this information sink into his son's mind, and then continued. "So far she doesn't know where the key is…rather, the six pieces of it. But judging by your expression you very well might." Kopaka's expression had turned to one of shock and horror by now, and his pale face had almost gone as white as his hair.

"I… I don't know where they all are…but two of us are here already." Kualas paused, slightly curious and surprised at the response.

"Teridax was trapped in a Toa Seal?" He asked. "…and you were part of it?" The teenager nodded.

"My whole team was… the Toa Mata are the six pieces, but… can't any Toa group break a Seal, as long as the elements match up?"

"Yes, but as far as I know, she only has one element. One that is willing in any case. Now do you understand the danger of leaving the forge on your own? It's only a matter of time before the other five Toa Metru snap and fall under her control." That was when a familiar voice spoke, sounding irritable.

"Well thanks for the happy-luck vote of high-confidence." Kopaka and Kualas both turned to look at the one who had spoken. His hair was incredibly messy, chin-length, and lime green, his eyes yellow and hawk-like, with green feathers framing them like a peculiar mask. A large, exotic looking crest of orange feathers rah through his hair from his forehead to the back, looking like a Mohawk of sorts. The lower half of his face and his torso seemed to still be normal, along with his arms, though his hands were covered with yellow scales, his fingers tipped with long and sharp looking talons. A long, green and orange, feathery tail could be seen as well, and the lower halves of his legs now resembled those of a hawk or falcon, taloned feet and all, covered in yellow scales.

Presently, he was wearing a dusty, pine green muscle shirt, and black jean shorts that at some point had been full length jeans. Barely visible because of his hair, two gold, hoop-like earrings, small in size, were visible in the cartilage of his left ear, and three similar ones could be seen in the cartilage of his right.

Kopaka stared at the figure for a while, dumbstruck at the changes, though he finally found his voice.

"T-Toa Matau?"