Chapter Nine

The top floor of the fortress shuddered. Within the Shadowed One’s chamber, Takadox, still nursing the open gash where his eye had once been, sat atop the throne. For all his pain, he was grateful not to be in the action with the other Dark Hunters. But it seemed the action had followed him here.

Behind him, six mechanical turrets were primed, ready to face anything that should hope to harm the former Barraki. Loaded with a round of cordak missiles, the turrets aimed straight on at the floor.

But none were prepared for what happened as the rumbling finally came to a climax.

Takadox was thrown back, flying through the air as the Kardas Dragon emerged from the floor below. Metal tore and broke apart as the fearsome Rahi ripped through, fire erupting from its mouth. The ceiling was the next to be destroyed, the midday sun appearing with a ferocious crash.

At last landing on the platform, Takadox looked up, and for a brief moment locked eyes with Roodaka, riding atop the dragon. Each of the turrets fired, but none of their blows landed as the Kardas Dragon ripped through what was left of the ceiling, and flew off into the distance.

As the fortress settled to a stop, the former Barraki watched on in terror. He hadn’t seen a beast capable of such destruction since the Kanohi Dragon first rained terror on Metru Nui. But fortunately, this dragon had left the building, and was flying far, far away from him.

“That’s a problem,” he scoffed. “Just not mine.”

✴        ✴        ✴

The once silent halls of the Dark Hunter fortress were now abuzz with noise as a stampede of Rahi came charging through. Myriads of different species all ran for the top, eager to escape in a frenzy.

At the lead was the Krahka, now taking the form of a large Kikinalo, charging forward to lead the stampede to freedom. Atop her back, Hydraxon, Ahkmou, Gavla, and Metus held on for dear life. The motley crew was quick to catch up on each other’s affairs during the race to the top, yelling above the sounds of dozens of large Rahi.

“You staged a prison break?!” Gavla shouted, baffled.

“It wasn’t my idea,” Hydraxon replied, “I wasn’t in control at the time.”

“So, who’s in control now?” asked Metus.

The jailer paused for a moment. “I’m… not sure. We’ve agreed to the same task for some time now. I think we both have some kind of say.”

“Whatever,” Ahkmou spat. “Let’s get these Rahi home and return to camp.”

“No!” came the voice of the Krahka, “We need to make Roodaka and the Shadowed One pay. We’re going nowhere until we’ve avenged these Rahi.”

The Matoran turned to the jailer, expecting him to protest, but much to their surprise, he nodded. “It’s riskier than I’d like, but they need to go down.”

“What about Lariska?” asked Metus. “You said she abandoned you?”

“And I intend to find out why,” Hydraxon said.

As the Kikinalo-Krahka bounded through the doorway at the very top of the tower, the group was instantly sent into high alert as a volley of energy blasts struck the ground right beside the shapeshifter’s hooves. The swarm of Rahi poured into the vast, empty throne room, only for many of their numbers to be picked off one by one as the tall, lanky Hordika Dragons swooped through the air, grabbing small Rahi in their clutches.

At the center of the room, Takadox stood atop the towering platform, looking down upon the newcomers. “Hydraxon,” he snarled. “I see you’ve brought the Shadowed One’s zoo with you.”

The jailer scowled, hopping down from the Krahka’s back. “You idiot!” he shouted. “The fortress is soon to collapse, can’t you feel it?” He gestured to the gaping holes in both the floor and ceiling, marking the entry and exit pathway of the Kardas Dragon. “Stay here any longer, and we will share the same fate!”

“Your fate was to die,” Takadox snarled, narrowing his eye. “I saw to that, back in the Pit.”

Hydraxon shrugged. “I got better.”

Takadox grimaced. Reaching over, he activated a cordak turret, and fired off a round at the group beneath him. “I will be leaving this fortress alive,” he taunted, “but not before I finish the job I started all those years ago.” He chuckled, and reached an arm behind the throne. A block of protodermis collapsed to the floor, with a familiar crimson figure trapped inside.

“Malum?!” Metus cried in recognition.

“Ah, so you know him,” Takadox mused. “One of Bara Magna’s strongest warriors, defeated so quickly by my new master. Now you see, you have no hope of victory.”

Hydraxon scowled, and drew his blades. “Shut up, Takadox.”

✴        ✴        ✴

The Shadowed One stood proud in the observation deck, high above the desert he traveled over. Far below him, a massive fleet of vehicles roared across the sands, each manned by his legions of Dark Hunters. In the lead, Nektann and Strakk’s caravan blazed a trail, directing the armada towards their target, the Toa Nuva’s camp. As he watched the culmination of his planning charge across, he felt himself swelling with anticipation.

“You must be so proud of yourself,” Lariska spat, chained to the floor next to the Shadowed One. “All your dreams are finally coming true.”

The dark leader grinned devilishly. “You are lucky that I have allowed you to witness this moment. Do not test your luck with insolence.”

“Not insolence. Call it curiosity.” She did her best to turn over, and locked eyes with her former master. “So, you attack the Toa Nuva. What then? It seems awfully spontaneous, coming from you.”

He snarled, and placed a foot atop her head, pressing down ever so slightly. Beside him, the Recorder, Sentrakh, and Darkness lurked, watching what unfolded with unmoving expressions. If any of them felt any sympathy for their former comrade, they didn’t show it.

“Both you and Takadox underestimate me,” he hissed. “You think me to be mad, chasing after my aspirations like a frenzied Shallows Cat. How little you know…” Reaching his right arm to the control console of the airship, he procured a small box, engraved with the insignia of the Brotherhood of Makuta. Slowly opening it, he removed a glass vial from within. “You know what this is, of course.”

Lariska inhaled sharply. “Makuta Kojol’s virus.”

“Very good. My intent had been to use it to kill the Great Spirit, the same as Teridax had. My revenge would have been slow, a painful death over the course of hundreds of years.” He bit his lip. “But other forces… expedited the process. So here I am, still with one of these vials left, and I wonder, just what am I to do with it?”

“What, poison the planet itself? Destroy the very world we stand on?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” The Shadowed One smiled, an expression that sent a shiver down Lariska’s spine. “The Toa Nuva have made camp with their Turaga and a local clan of Agori. It will make for an… interesting demonstration of my power.”

Lariska balked. Her mind recalled echoes of the stories she had heard of Xia’s destruction, and the Shadowed One’s swift escape from the scene. Upon impact with the ground, the virus had torn through the city, ripping its citizens to shreds as easily as paper.

This was the kind of power the Shadowed One held. This was the strength to back up his ambition.

“So, you’ll waste your trump card on the Toa Nuva,” she said. “What then?”

“My army will rise to any occasion, but I suspect there won’t be much need for that. I’ll have destroyed the Matoran’s heroes. If they don’t wish the same destruction for themselves, they will submit to my power.”

“And if someone lets it slip that you only had the one virus?”

The Shadowed One’s smile grew cold. “No one who knows that will live.” He raised his staff, lifting up Lariska’s chin by its tip, before resting it on the ground once more. “You could’ve inherited your rule alongside me, Lariska. But you were just as greedy as me.” He chuckled. “So instead, you will see exactly what you’re missing out on… and then you will die.”

Lariska frowned, but said nothing for a moment. Then, she looked away from him. “Please, continue with this idiotic plan. Maybe then, I’ll finally be free of you.”

“You will be free of me,” he sneered, rising up to his feet. Taking the vial, he slipped it beneath one of his armor plates. “But not in the way you wish.” With that, he turned away from his captive, returning to his command chamber further away from the observation deck.

✴        ✴        ✴

Takadox’s plan was failing. Armed to the teeth with turrets and backed by a dozen Hordika Dragons, he had no doubt that the prison escapees would be no challenge for him. And yet, Hydraxon had managed to surprise him. The horde of loose Rahi had proved to be more of a difficulty than a distraction, for a Kane-Ra and a pair of Lohrak had even managed to take down a couple of the Hordika Dragons on their way out of the fortress. Krahka, a wild card all on her own, had taken down two turrets with her current form’s Rhotuka spinners.

Now, the battle was drawing to its end. Many of the Rahi were clearing out of the fortress, leaving the chamber almost empty once more. With the chatter of so many beasts at last silent, Takadox was now keenly aware of the sound of scraping metal behind him. Turning on a heel, he watched as the Ice Agori bent down over the sealed Malum, chiseling away at the block of protodermis. The former Barraki moved to stop him, only for the crimson warrior’s claw to suddenly swing out and catch Takadox by the ankle, sweeping him off of his feet.

“Weakling,” the exile roared as he at last emerged from the shattered protodermis. Shards of the seal dripped from the cracks in his armor as he slowly lumbered to his feet. “Your master was strong, I admit that. But you don’t even come close.” Malum’s hand shot forward, grabbing Takadox by the throat.

The warlord squirmed, desperately attempting to break away, but to no avail. Looking deep into Malum’s eyes, his remaining eye began to glow. “Y-you must… O-obey…” he muttered, desperately trying to summon whatever power of hypnosis he still had.

As the former Barraki spoke, Malum felt an uncontrollable rage overtake him, bubbling up from within. He hadn’t felt so angry before, not even when Prototype had attacked his cavern. No longer able to control himself, he swept his arm outward, flinging the squirming traitor away from him and plummeting down from the platform. Takadox screamed as he fell through the air, nothing to break his fall as he collapsed with the metal floor. The hypnosis broken, Malum blinked slowly, his mind returning to normal.

It took all of Takadox’s strength to raise his head, watching helplessly as the Krahka stomped out the remaining Hordika Dragons. His revenge should have been sweet, he knew, but now, he was once more stripped of the power he had come to know so well.

At last, the dust settled. The remaining Rahi had evacuated through the stairs outside the tower, the last Hordika Dragon crashed limp to the ground, and the cordak turrets crumpled over in rubble. All that remained was Takadox, lying helpless as the black and silver armored jailer walked up to him.

“You’ve seen better days, Takadox,” Hydraxon murmured, kneeling down to the former Barraki’s level. “Last time I saw you, you had two eyes.” When Takadox didn’t reply, his expression grew more stern. “You think I’m going to kill you, don’t you?”

Takadox groaned. “It would be the wise thing to do.”

Hydraxon frowned. “I might have, before today. But my time down there has made me wiser. I’ve seen how betrayal can tear apart even the strongest of alliances.” He dragged the former Barraki closer to him. “And you, Takadox, are the greatest traitor I know.”

Takadox paused for a moment. “You really think that’s all I’m good for…” he mumbled. Then, without warning, he swung a dagger forward at the jailer, only to be stopped by an armored hand grabbing him by the wrist.

Hydraxon growled as he yanked Takadox closer, before landing a boot in his opponent’s chest. Takadox collapsed to the ground once more, sliding closer to the hole in the ground as the jailer marched closer.

“You will… obey…” the former Barraki murmured weakly, his weapon clattering to the ground.

“I am an Order agent,” Hydraxon spat. “That won’t work on me.” He extended his wrist mounted blades toward his opponent, and stared fiercely. “Your nature is to betray your allies. No matter what, you would serve us better behind enemy lines than in a jail cell. You will return to the Dark Hunters, or to the Barraki, or whatever master you choose to serve next, and you will be their trusted ally. But when the time is right, I know I can count on you to do what you do best.”

Takadox gulped. Hydraxon needed no power of hypnosis for the message to be abundantly clear. The former Barraki had no choice but to oblige.

“Go,” the jailer said at last, and Takadox quickly ran for the door. Before long, there was no trace of the former Barraki. Hydraxon scoffed, and picked up the cast aside dagger from the ground.

The fortress shuddered once more, unstable from the Kardas Dragon’s damage. Malum landed on the floor with a thud, followed by Metus clambering down, and the group reformed quickly.

“I thought you had a zero tolerance policy?” Gavla asked.

“I used to,” Hydraxon said. “But he’s far more of a threat to his allies than he is to us.” As he spoke, he noticed a glowing blue zamor sphere resting in the corner of the room.

That was Lariska’s, Dekar’s voice echoed in his mind. What happened to her?

“Metus, was it?” the jailer asked, turning to the Ice Agori. “Go grab that sphere. Hang onto it.”

Metus frowned, but did what he was asked. “Okay. What is it?”

“No clue,” Hydraxon replied. “But I’m told it will come to aid us.” He turned to the group. “I believe introductions are in order.”

He looked to Malum, who was kneeling before a pair of Vorox corpses, silently paying his respects. Taking one of their pieces of armor from the ground, he placed it on his shoulder, repairing his own damaged armor. “I am not here to make friends,” he spat, slowly rising to his feet, “but you have freed me. I will not overlook the crimes your kind has done against my people, but for now, we share a common enemy.”

Hydraxon began to question what crimes he spoke of, before another tremor ran through the fortress. The floor shook unsteadily, threatening to give way at any moment.

“Not to rush, but we need to go,” Metus said urgently. “Now.”