Mata Nui Comics

2002 - McDonald's Comic 3: Secret of the Swarm

Adapted by Michael Larson. Edited by Jeff Douglas.

Kongu turned over a leaf, scanned the dirt, and then walked on. He knew his bamboo disk had flown somewhere in this direction before getting lost through the trees. For a commander in the Le-Koro Gukko force, he found himself ordering a lot of replacement disks. Having just gotten an earful about his waste the day before, this time he was determined to just find the old one.

I know my disk landed back here somewhere, he thought, frustrated. But where is it?

The Matoran turned another leaf, scanned, and frowned. A little further along the trail, was a large bush, and he thought he saw the glint of something round behind it.

There it is, he thought triumphantly.

He smiled, pulling aside the bush only to be met by a pair of glowing red eyes.

Kongu started. Instinct said that this was that this was some Rahi, but it was not biomechanical or organic — it was metal and entirely mechanical. Its red eyes narrowed on Kongu as it started approaching.

Kongu was as brave as they came, but he was not stupid. Faced with an alien threat, he knew better than to face it all by himself.

What kind of beast-Rahi is this? he wondered, already running back to the village. Maybe wise-Turaga knows… I will tell him!

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The Le-Matoran navigated quickly through the forest to the village, and then quickly through the village to Matau. “Wise-Turaga! Odd-round Rahi near-seen downtree! Metal-hide, stout-short, with red light-eyes!” With all the brevity of high-speed treespeak, he explained what he had encountered.

Matau looked at him gravely, as the Matoran’s words sank in. No sooner did Kongu finish speaking than the remote drums of Le-Koro rang from the tallest of the trees.

“The drums of Le-Koro,” the Turaga remarked softly. “Ta-Koro has prone-fallen.”

He shook his head. Did Makuta never rest?

“This creature you have awe-seen,” Matau said hoarsely. “It means the day we have dread-feared has come. The Bohrok have awakened.”

From the lower platforms of Le-Koro, Le-Matoran shouted in fear as the attackers came into view. Spraying a corrosive acid from their shields, they burned through the trees like they were nothing. Trees as ancient as the village itself melted like ice.

Even the Rahi had never harmed the forest.

The Le-Matoran mounted their Kewa and divebombed the Bohrok, hurling disks to drive them back. The attack had some success, but as more and more Bohrok arrived, the more the swarm could hold the line.

He grabbed Kongu’s arms, pulling him along as the Matoran tried to keep up. “Quickly, take Tamaru with you and air-flee to the other villages—warn them. Scatter-send news to every part of Mata Nui.”

“But I am needed here, leading the Gukko Force!” Kongu insisted.

“No,” Matau shook his head. “If the Bohrok are on the outskirts of Le-Koro as you say, then it is already too late. Only the Toa can help us now!”