CHAPTER ELEVEN: DUELING TITANS

Kopaka walked into the sacred grove known as the Kini-Nui. Gali was slightly behind him, and Akopi had decided to accompany him. Lewa, who had found their ragtag party halfway to the Kini, decided to tag along after Gali briefed him.

He looked around for Tahu, but found no trace of him. Deciding to wait, he leaned against one of the thick trees that ringed the sacred glen and closed his eye. Gali had seen this posture before – Kopaka was focusing all his energy into one part of his body so that he could use it to maximum efficiency. She shivered slightly – Tahu had better watch out.

"So you came, Brother Toa," boomed Tahu from across the arena. Accompanying him were Onua and Pohatu, and a Ta-Matoran Kopaka could not recognize. "Are you ready to meet the Great Spirit?"

Kopaka tossed his shield on the ground, opting to fight with only the spear unless things got nasty. "Are we here to fight or talk?" he asked, crouching into a fighting stance. Tahu drew his Fire Swords, smiling grimly around his Hau. "The one thing I always liked about fighting you, brother, is that you got right to the point."

Kopaka shrugged, "At least my existence has one."

Tahu snarled, "I'm going to tear you into more pieces than I can count!"

Lewa snickered and yelled over to him, "What'll that be? Two? Three?"

Tahu made an extremely rude hand sign toward the Toa of Air, and then settled back into his fighting pose. "On three, then?" called Lewa.

"Fair," was the unanimous response from both Toa.

"One…"

Kopaka tensed up, remembering exactly how much of an advantage his enemy would have over him because his leg was broken.

"…Two…"

Tahu adjusted his grip on his Fire Swords. That arrogant frost-bastard was going to die here – tonight. Gali was his and his alone.

"…Two and a half…"

Both Toa shot Lewa a venomous glance, causing him to raise his hands in defeat, "Fine… Three…"

Both Toa seemed to have the same idea, switching to their Kakama Mask of Speed and rushing forward. Kopaka's spear came up with blinding speed, blocking one of Tahu's flaming swords, and he danced out of reach of the other. He thrust at his foe, but Tahu's blade parried the tip away. They both danced backward, eyeing the other carefully. The two combatants began to circle the center of the Kini-Nui carefully. Never once did Tahu's orange eyes leave Kopaka's ice-blue one.

Again, they rushed each other, this time both switching to their Pakari Mask of Strength. They clashed together, seeking to overpower the other. It seemed, for a moment, that Tahu was going to bring his swords down and cleave his foe in half. Kopaka, however, had other ideas. He rolled sideways, bringing the flat of his spear to bear and smacking it across Tahu's shoulder blades, causing the red Toa to collapse forward from his momentum.

"Ass," he growled, standing up, and Kopaka smiled slightly behind his mask. "Tsk, watch your language. A lady is present."

He barely had time to change to his Hau before the great Fire Swords cleaved his head in half. He shook his head in distaste. "You'll have to do better than that."

Tahu used the Kakama again, moving fast enough to create illusionary copies of himself. Kopaka's eyes watched the ghostly figures, trying to find the real one. It was then that he thought of a solution, and held the spear out toward the ankles of the figures.

Tahu, moving as fast as he was, tried to stop… but couldn't. His feet collided with the spear, sending him flying into Pohatu.

Kopaka smirked as his fallen brothers extricated themselves from each other and faced him. "I didn't kidnap Gali, Tahu," said Kopaka, turning to leave, "She came to see if I was alright."

Gali's hands flew to her mouth, "Tahu! NO!"

Kopaka turned around, the flaming sword biting into his arm as he raised it to deflect the slash. He drew his arm back, preventing the blade from sawing his forearm in half. Damn that hurts.

"So…" he said, eyeing the bleeding wound, "You want to play dirty?"