Sparks erupted as Hewkii and Garan clashed kolhii sticks, locking each other in place near the center of the field over the ball.
"I see Epena stepped up to fill my position," Hewkii said. "He would've been my pick too."
Garan shifted his grip slightly. "I hope you've made your peace, Hewkii. I aim to make this quick."
The Earth Toa ducked to one side, managing to slide past Hewkii and scoop up the ball. Hahli readied her shield as he approached, but suddenly her eyes went wide; realizing Hewkii wasn't chasing him, Garan reluctantly turned back, and stopped dead in his tracks as he saw the swarm of Skull Spiders rushing down from Ekimu's balcony. Epena, who stood in the goal just beneath, was attacked by one of the creatures before he could get away, his Kanohi clattering to the ground as it latched onto his face.
"What…?"
The sudden font of monsters lit an uproarious panic, one that spread through the crowd faster than wildfire. Those nearest the balcony were quickly seized by the spiders, while the rest scrambled desperately for the exit, the chittering tide steadily gaining on them. Thinking quickly, Hewkii struck the ground and willed flat-topped stone pillars to raise himself, Garan, and Hahli out of immediate danger. Most of the spiders ignored them, the few who braved the climb being swiftly dealt with.
"Where did these things come from?" Hahli asked.
Hewkii looked up to see Ekimu at the edge of his balcony, watching proceedings in total calmness. "I get the feeling our visiting lord stowed them in his luggage."
Garan beat back a spider with his kolhii stick, saying, "I told you nothing good would come of rebelling! If anything, you're just going to make things worse for the rest of us!"
"Should I have simply done nothing?"
"Well maybe if you hadn't been so hasty—" He stopped to repel more spiders. "Oh forget it! Let's just focus on getting out of here!"
Hahli drew her teleport pellet. She looked to Garan, then to Hewkii. "Should we…?"
Hewkii hesitated. "You go, Hahli. I'll catch up with you as soon as I can."
Nodding, Hahli crushed the pellet. Nothing happened. "Huh? But—"
"Hahli, behind you!"
She spun and bashed a spider with her hammer. "Why isn't it working?"
"The reason why isn't so important. We'll just have to find another way…"
A wave of elemental energy rippled over the field then, causing stone spikes to erupt and skewer many of the spiders. Dekar entered the arena, armed with kolhii stick and hunting knife, a cord wrapped tightly around his mask.
"Ah, Dekar!" Hewkii said. "I should've known he'd be prepared."
Hahli turned to the stands: most of the spectators had either escaped or fallen victim by now, but a few small pockets were managing to hold the spiders off. The nearest of these was a group of Agori with one Ga-Matoran taking on the brunt of the work, brandishing a broken railing. It was enough for now, but more and more spiders were converging on the group.
"Hewkii," Hahli said, "get me over to the stands."
"You sure?"
"I am! Hurry!"
Hewkii swung one arm to the side. The top portion of Hahli's pillar broke off and shot in that direction, slamming into the stands and half-melting into them. Hahli leapt forward instantly, sending out tall waves to wall the spiders off, and once she had joined the bystanders she folded the walls inward to create a churning sphere of water around them.
"Everyone alright?" she asked.
"Well...everyone here," said a Jungle Agori. "Thank you, Toa."
The Ga-Matoran fell back, chest heaving. "Whew...I'm really...not used...to the field…"
The Agori set a hand on her shoulder. "Take it easy, Gaaki."
"I know, Tarduk…"
Back in the arena, Garan turned to Ekimu. "Lord Ekimu, please! Isn't there another way? These creatures have already caused so much collateral damage, and show no sign of stopping! They're only putting the people in more danger!"
"They'll be fine," Ekimu said. "Skull Spiders are harmless on their own. If anything happens to them, it'll be because of Zaekura."
"Ah, so she's here already?" Hewkii said. "That raises my spirits!"
Garan kicked a spider back with a grunt. "But...Lord Ekimu!"
Ekimu turned away, disappearing farther back into his balcony. Hewkii said, "I don't think he's going to change his mind, Garan. We'd better get out of here."
Garan glared at him. "...I'll find my own way. If I let you help me, that'll only make me look suspicious."
"...Suit yourself."
Garan summoned a spike of earth through his pillar, cleaving it into four pieces that fell and crushed the spiders, flattening the end just before it reached him so he could stand upon it. The tendril of soil leaned to one side, depositing Garan on the edge of the stands before collapsing entirely; he continued to fight off the spiders there, now making his way towards another group of survivors.
"Looks like he'll take care of the rest," Hahli said. "Now we just need to find a way out..."
Gaaki grabbed her arm. "Toa, hold on. I work for a news service based not far from here—please, can you get us to our building?"
"What? There must be a safe place closer than that."
"Please, I need to get there!"
"Calm down, Gaaki," Tarduk said. "I'm sure someone still there is already reporting on the situation."
"But they don't know that Ekimu is the one that set these things loose!" Gaaki said. "The only ones with that information are being picked off one-by-one! We have to tell everyone, otherwise it'll just get covered up, and people will still blindly trust the Great Beings without knowing any better!"
Tarduk grunted quietly.
"Please," Gaaki said, turning back to Hahli. "It's my duty as a reporter to make sure people know the truth! I can't let this moment pass!"
Hahli said nothing at first, awestruck by the Matoran's conviction. As her thoughts came back into focus, she realized that she too could now feel a powerful sense of determination welling up from within.
Hewkii approached the water shield, waving to get Hahli's attention. "Garan and the other bystanders are gone. Dekar's cleared a path for us, but we'd better hurry. Once we're out, we can meet up with Zaekura and make it out of here."
Hahli took one more look back at Gaaki. "Not right away. I need to get this Matoran somewhere first."
"Uh...alright. You ready?"
Hahli nodded. As Hewkii reformed the stands into a ramp, Gaaki got to her feet and said, "Thank you, Toa. I promise this is important."
"Don't thank me quite yet," Hahli said. She led the group forward, carefully moving the water bubble with them. A few Skull Spiders leapt at it, most of them quickly washed away, though with coordinated effort they were able to disrupt the currents and come closer to making it through. When they reached Dekar, Hahli created a small opening, and both he and Hewkii slipped inside just before it closed back up.
"Keep moving," Dekar said. "I blew out one of the walls earlier—we can escape there. Zaekura's probably moving in from the north, so we'll head that way and rendezvous with her."
"Apparently we need to make a stop first," Hewkii said. "Where exactly are we going?"
"It's just a few blocks southeast," Gaaki said. "Won't take long at all."
Dekar blinked. "Are you joking? We need to act fast! There's no time to waste!"
"These two are reporters, Dekar," Hahli said. "They need to get to their building to let everyone know that Ekimu is behind the Skull Spiders."
"They can figure something else out! This place is already turning into a warzone—the best thing we can do is meet up with Zaekura so her forces can withdraw!"
Gaaki stepped forward. "No, we have to act now, before they have a chance to spin it! If Ekimu stays in control of the information here, then Civitas Magna will never know the reality of the situation!"
Dekar ground his teeth. They were coming upon the opening he had made now, through which could be seen the streets outside...until a veritable wall of Skull Spiders cut them off. The group came to an immediate halt. Hahli thought of turning around, but another surge of spiders was gaining from behind; with so many, she wasn't sure she could keep them all out, but it looked like they would need to take their chances one way or the other. Hewkii walled off both hordes, but they immediately began burrowing their way through the rock.
"I can get us outside," Hewkii said, "but they'll catch up to us pretty quick."
Hahli nodded. "I'll do what I can. If the shield fails, be ready to run for it."
She moved to step forward, but Dekar stopped her. "Let me out."
"Huh?"
"Just do it."
Hesitantly, Hahli complied. Stepping outside of the shield, Dekar said, "Hewkii, you just focus on moving everyone. I'll hold them off so they can't overwhelm Hahli."
"I can do that," Hewkii said. "We'll meet up with you and Zaekura shortly."
"When you meet up with Zaekura, just get going. You're the one Ekimu's really after—once you're gone, things will calm down, and I'll lay low until I can find my own way out."
"We can't leave you behind!" Hahli said.
"There's no time. I've escaped deadlier predators than this. Trust me, and get going."
Skull Spiders began popping out of the walls. Dekar threw his arms apart, making the entire chamber heave. The spiders were flung in every direction, and Hewkii formed a raised stone platform beneath the bubble, willing it to take off in the direction Gaaki had indicated. Hahli looked back to watch Dekar diving into the swarm.
"I'm sure he'll be fine," Hewkii said.
"...Right," Hahli said. "I have seen him endure worse. I'll trust him to make it out of here on his own."
Hewkii nodded, trying to believe that assurance would be enough.
The Glatorian forced himself up off the ground, surveying the chaos that had claimed Civitas Magna's shoreline. A small armada of ships had appeared out of nowhere, unloading platoons of standard Rahkshi, Rahkshi modified by Bitil, and Toa, taking the stationed guards by complete surprise and immediately claiming the upper hand. On the bow of the lead ship, Makuta Pridak stood tall, seaweed cloak swaying in the wind as he grinned at the unfolding violence.
"Is this all you have to offer me, Civitas Magna?" he said. "I'm disappointed! I wonder how many districts I'll have to conquer before you can manage to produce a worthy foe?"
The Glatorian ducked back down as a swirling portal sprang into being next to him. Brutaka stepped out of it, an amused look behind his mask. The towering Odinan slowly walked forward, saying, "Well now! We had our suspicions, but I didn't honestly think you'd show up in such force, Makuta."
Pridak cocked his head. "Hm? Pardon, but to who do I owe the pleasure?"
"My name is Brutaka. I hail from the isle of Odina."
Pridak's grin grew weaker. "Ah, Odina...the one place on the sea that I've been forbidden from making mine. Long have I loathed that wretched rock, and the scum who coat it." After a brief pause, his smile redoubled. "How fortuitous I should be given the chance to scrape away one such barnacle so soon."
The Makuta dropped his cloak and outstretched both arms, his servants delivering two curved blades made of red-stained ivory to his hands. As he came out to meet Brutaka, his foe said, "Hahaha! You're as brazen as I've heard! Try to make this interesting: it's so rare I get the chance to stretch my legs."
Pridak rushed forward in the blink of an eye. Brutaka parried his swords and punched, but the Makuta backed up just out of reach before making another attempt. He continued to make a series of quick slashes, Brutaka blocking each one, eventually feinting and making a thrust that narrowly missed Brutaka's face. Brutaka jabbed his knee at Pridak, forcing the Makuta back but not inflicting much damage.
"You're holding back," Brutaka said.
"Of course," Pridak said. "If you're as skilled as you seem to think you are, then it's only polite to fathom how deep that skill runs before finishing you."
"Hah! Polite? Don't you mean it'll let you better savor your victory?"
"Can't it be both?"
Pridak circled Brutaka, blades held wide as he searched for an opening. The Odinan reached behind his back and produced a throwing knife. Pridak knocked the weapon from the air, sending it spinning off into the distance, and Brutaka took the chance to move forward and slam down his immense sword. Pridak spun, using his blades to slightly redirect the attack and kicking Brutaka in the shoulder. With the blow hardened by Density Control and pulled in faster by Magnetism, Brutaka's arm went numb for a split-second; Pridak pushed his advantage by slashing Brutaka's back, ducking when he tried to counter, and then driving a hardened elbow into his chest with a small burst of Magnetism to repel him. Brutaka hit the ground hard, a stasis field going up around him a moment later. Pridak leapt at him. His attack, however, was blocked. The stasis field faded away before he had even left the ground, and Brutaka climbed back to his feet and pushed Pridak away.
"My, how interesting," Pridak said. "It's not everyday I find someone immune to stasis."
"Your usual tricks won't work on me," Brutaka said, electricity now enveloping his sword. "I was born to defeat Makuta."
Pridak parried his blow, exerting his own electric power to prevent the charge from traveling down his swords. "Is that what you think? And they say I'm arrogant!"
They continued to clash, Brutaka careful to direct Pridak before putting his extra size to use for a massive swing so as not to leave himself open. Pridak played along, narrowly dodging the finishing blow when Brutaka went for it, and swung in retaliation, only for Brutaka to sink into a portal and drop down from above.
"That's funny," Pridak said as he leapt clear, "I could have sworn teleportation wasn't working in this area."
"It isn't. Gateways, however, are not teleportation."
Pridak laughed. "You Odinans always do play by your own rules. How your beloved Keeper managed to convince the Great Beings to relinquish even one criminal is beyond me."
They rushed at each other, clashing swords a few times before Brutaka warped behind Pridak, narrowly missing his next swing. Pridak blinded his foe with a flash of light and attacked with both swords, but Brutaka used another gateway to retreat.
"So tell me! What was your crime? Was it something glorious, showing the Keeper vast hidden potential?"
Brutaka stood tall as his eyesight returned. "Heh heh...you make a mistake in assuming me to be the same as the other Odinans, Makuta. I joined my friend the Keeper of my own free will."
He stepped into another gateway. A small portal appeared next to Pridak, letting only Brutaka's sword through—he leapt back, only his Dodge powers saving him from being skewered as the sword was thrust through another portal behind him. He tried firing a light blast into the gateway, but it disappeared too quickly. Another opened above him, through which spilled a beam of raw energy, so Pridak activated his Limited Invulnerability and endured the attack.
"The more I learn about you, the more baffled I become," he said. "Perhaps it's best I put you down swiftly."
Brutaka's sword emerged from a portal just above Pridak, swinging down. Pridak only gestured. With this, an illusion crafted by his Light powers was dispelled, and behind him appeared a hulking four-armed creature covered in green scales and blue spines; he carried two swords, which he crossed above Pridak's head to block Brutaka's attack. Brutaka withdrew, forming a gateway a few feet off the ground through which he peered at Pridak and his creature.
"What is that?" Brutaka asked.
"That is Nocturn," Pridak said, "a pet project of mine. Say hello, Nocturn."
Nocturn glared at Brutaka, speaking in guttural tones that sounded like an unwell stomach. "...Hello."
"Would you like to guess what he used to be?"
Brutaka shook his head. "It doesn't matter to me."
He closed his gateway before opening a dozen more all around Pridak and Nocturn. His sword emerged from them randomly and rapidly, each stab parried by Nocturn, until finally Pridak thrust one hand out and exerted his Magnetism powers. Successfully predicting where Brutaka would next attack from, he pulled the Odinan halfway through his portal before he caught himself, bringing his sword up to block attacks from both foes.
"Nice try," he said.
Pridak grinned. Before Brutaka could react, a few thousand volts of electricity shot into him from below, paralyzing him long enough for Pridak to deal a vicious cut to his chest. Upon escaping, Brutaka exited a portal a short distance away, realizing that another being had been hidden by Pridak's power: a lanky green creature with pin-like talons, body lined with sparking spines and jaw flanked by large metallic mandibles.
"A Guillimor…" Brutaka said. "I didn't realize they could breathe air now."
"Ehlek is specially modified," Pridak said. "The species is really quite remarkable. Very resilient. They've served me well more often than not."
"Hm. I'm guessing that Nocturn of yours began as one of them."
"Precisely right. Well done."
Brutaka watched his foes carefully: Pridak remained still, with Nocturn reaching out around him defensively, Ehlek slowly crawling to one side before doubling back. "Three on one...hardly a fair fight."
Pridak laughed. "Fair? 'Fairness' only exists to benefit the weak—I have no need for such an excuse."
Brutaka's body began to glow. "Good...then you'll have no reason to complain when I kill you."
Summoning a gateway before himself, Brutaka plunged both hands into it and released a torrent of energy. Numerous small gateways appeared all around Pridak and his underlings to each spill out a small fragment of the larger beam—they were able to block and evade some of them, but not all, as evidenced by a small plume of antidermis now leaking from Pridak's shoulder. Brutaka then warped forward and sent Ehlek sprawling with the flat of his blade, grabbing Pridak by the neck and swinging him up into Nocturn's jaw. Pridak prepared to struggle free when he realized Brutaka's grip was growing stronger.
"A second wind?" Pridak said. "Your desperate death throes will hardly be enough to finish me."
He turned intangible to slip out of Brutaka's grasp, burning him with a Plasma attack as he backed away. Raising his swords, he moved to recall his lost antidermis, but none came. No, more than that: there was none there to be recalled in the first place. Pridak dodged one of Brutaka's energy blasts, now sizzling with even more power, and examined the Odinan's grin for a long time before finally realizing.
"Impossible," he murmured.
"I told you already," Brutaka said, electricity enveloping his sword. "I was born to defeat Makuta."
Even with his Dodge powers, Krika was having a hard time staying in the fight. Yarion's reckless attacks left only narrow openings, and Vamprah was waiting to strike at each of them. He had been able to avoid taking the full brunt of any one attack, but he was hardly a warrior—his stamina was already beginning to wane, and once that was gone, he knew it would be over very, very quickly.
"I have to say I'm shocked, Yarion," Krika said. "You always seemed a very reasonable sort, hardly the berserker type."
Yarion's attack stalled for just a moment. "I'm willing to do what must be done. Lord Ekimu has given me the means to defend the Great Beings' order...and I am grateful."
Krika turned to catch Vamprah as he swooped, wrestling to keep him on the ground. "You...rrrgh...were one I was expecting fairness from...not blind—gah—obedience! What happened, Yarion?"
Vamprah's Mask of Adaptation shimmered. His size increased slightly, giving him enough extra weight to pin Krika down. Using Elasticity, Krika was still able to wriggle free, but one of Vamprah's cyclones sent him flying. As he landed on the wall of a nearby building, he realized that Yarion's attack had stopped; carefully, he dropped down next to the other Makuta, trying to look as non-threatening as possible while still keeping an eye on Vamprah.
"You seem woefully out of sorts, if you don't mind me saying. Almost as if your heart just isn't in this fight. Why is that?"
The pitiful look Yarion gave him sent guilt ringing through Krika's hollow armor, completely dropping his guard and allowing Vamprah to punch a hole in his side with a plasma beam. Krika stumbled back, magnetizing nearby scrap to patch the wound, but Vamprah was on him instantly, wrapping his talons around his neck and trying to pry off his Kanohi. Gravity increased on Krika, making it even more difficult to keep Vamprah at bay. He looked back to Yarion, hesitating briefly but knowing that if he didn't push them harder, he was guaranteed to die.
"Aren't we...supposed to protect...the people? I've seen the footage...Vamprah attacking a Toa in the street...is that the future you want, Yarion? Is that what you're prepared to see Makuta become? See yourself...become...grk!"
Yarion looked down at what remained of their hands, welded to Ekimu's elemental blasters, caked in grime and soot. "I...I don't have a choice...I can't stand up to the Great Beings…"
Krika grunted. Spikes erupted from his chest, knocking Vamprah off but not managing to pierce his armor. Loosing a furious volley of light blasts, he shouted, "That's not true, Yarion! I used to think the same thing, but look at what Zaekura's already accomplished! And she's here now!"
Vines sprang from the ground to entangle Krika. They weren't able to hold him for long, but it was long enough for Vamprah to charge in and release a point-blank sonic attack. Dazed, Krika tried to pick himself up but failed, just barely able to make out Yarion raising their blasters.
"If there were ever a chance...it's now," Krika groaned. "You've endured to reach this moment. Don't let it—"
Vamprah stabbed a blade of light through his torso. Krika cried out, swiping at Vamprah but proving ineffective. As Vamprah reached for his Kanohi, Krika cursed his own weakness, preparing for the worst. Heat washed over him as a stream of fireballs knocked Vamprah away.
"Haah…my thanks…"
Still hesitating slightly, Yarion came forward and removed the blade still stuck in Krika. "Can...can she really do it? Fight back against the Great Beings?"
Krika smirked. "Shouldn't you have asked that a moment ago?"
Yarion shook their head and turned to Vamprah. "Even if she can't...I can't take it anymore. I'd rather die than keep living like this."
"I see. Well, worry not: you'll live at least a bit longer."
Krika picked himself up, mending his wounds as best he could. Now with Yarion at his side, he faced Vamprah again, the silent Makuta bristling as he observed the both of them.
"I think the two of us add up to one competent fighter, don't you? Time we turned the tables."
ADDENDUM:
-For all the crap I give the Barraki, I can't deny they're good-looking sets (except Kalmah), and I've always thought Ehlek looked the coolest. I haven't been sure what all species really exist here so I've mainly been sticking to the core ones, but we could use a little more variety, so I'm bringing in Ehlek's species...though, to keep things from getting as out of hand as in canon, I think it'll be best to have Nocturn be a member of that same species who's been mutated. I won't rule out the possibility of other Barraki appearing in a similar capacity, but honestly, I haven't quite determined just how much of Pridak's army we're going to see. Stay tuned, I guess. "Guillimor" is derived from "anguilliform", the order to which eels belong, and "moray", a common species of eel.
-Yeah I'm not sure the Olmak is supposed to work quite like that but whatever, it's cool and not technically breaking the rules so I'm gonna roll with it.
-So, I should probably come clean now. Initially, when Angonce came to Civitas Magna to confront Yarion about Carna's pardon and Zaekura's interview, I was planning to have Yarion be taken in and "recalibrated" into a more loyal Makuta. However, this basically would've been the same as killing the character off, and while seeing the effects of recalibration like that could've been quite interesting, I thought perhaps killing an original character off before they really have the chance to prove their worth might be the wrong move. It was a close call, but ultimately Yarion lived. I mean...they've had a pretty miserable time since then, but...they're alive...and not brainwashed. So that's good.
-Happy 810nicle Day! Updating today was a great plan, huh? :D …Well, maybe it wasn't exactly planned. Admittedly the first part of the delay was being totally engrossed in NEOTWEWY (love it), but then I got a cold from Hell that wiped me out for 4-ish days (glad that's over). Well, whatever, I do like how this timing worked out. I'm not even gonna try to put a timeframe on the next Section, though.
