BIONICLE Mask of Destiny
2004 - BIONICLE Comic 20: Struggle in the Sky

Metru Nui Comics

2004 - BIONICLE Comic 20: Struggle in the Sky

Adapted by Michael Larson. Edited by Jeff Douglas.

Above a Le-Metru section with a broken chute and components of Vahki below, two dark figures surveyed their surroundings. The lean, green-armored insectoid frowned.

I am a Dark Hunter, he thought. My friends call me Nidhiki… or they would, if I had any friends.

Nidhiki glanced to his side, seeing his partner’s eyes trace the paths far below on the ground. We came to Metru Nui for our favorite sport: Toa hunting. Capturing Toa Lhikan was too easy. But these Toa Metru… they are going to make us work.

The Dark Hunter moved over to get a better view of the area. The closest building was an airship hangar bay. That could offer hiding, escape, or shelter, and seemed the most likely place an escapee would go.

Almost on cue, Nidhiki’s head swiveled at the sound of an aircraft taking off. Nidhiki’s eyes narrowed.

Even as the loud airship turned away to leave, Krekka was still focused on the ground below, completely missing what Nidhiki had seen. This should have been expected—Krekka was a Dark Hunter known for his strength, if not his intelligence. He wasn’t the brightest lightstone in Metru Nui, but was strong enough to crumble a Knowledge Tower with one blow. “I don’t see them anywhere down there,” Krekka told his partner.

“Then try looking up,” Nidhiki gestured.

Krekka did so, his gaze fixing on the ship. The hulking, ape-like being wasn’t sure why Nidhiki was so concerned with it, though. He looked confused at Nidhiki.

“I smell Toa on that ship.” Nidhiki hissed. “Scared Toa. The best kind.” He couldn’t really smell them, of course—he wasn’t some Rahi—but he knew how Toa thought.

And right now, he knew they were thinking they had made a clean escape.

He curled his legs and arms into his flight mode. Krekka did the same, and the two shot off in pursuit.

✴        ✴        ✴

“As soon as we land, we head underground and make our way through the Archives,” Vakama was saying.

Matau sighed. “Oh, underground. Dark. Nasty. Sounds like a happy-plan.”

“What about the Vahki?” Nokama asked.

“With a little luck, we’ll be gone before they know we’re there,” Vakama answered, even as a long stun staff came swinging out of the darkness right at him.

Nokama’s eyes widened. “Nuurakh!” she shouted, firing a stream of water. The elemental attack hit the Vahki, knocking it loose from its sideways perch on the cargo.

“There’s our ‘little luck,’” Matau muttered, “all of it bad!” He pointed among the transport equipment where more Vahki stirred. “More of them!” he warned.

Two more jumped down and landed on the same level as the Toa, while the last two began firing stun blasts from above. Nokama flipped out of the way and Vakama rolled behind cover, while Matau fixed his aero slicers in place on his back as wings and took to the air. The Vahki on the floor began to pursue while the others higher up took aim.

As Matau flew overhead, he asked, “Don’t you have more dark-serious things to do? Like watching for loitering Lava Eels?”

The Nuurakh below launched a spray of blasts from their Stun Staffs in response. Matau retracted his wings and flipped forward in the air to dodge, mumbling, “Well, ask a Vahki question, get a Vahki answer…”

Nokama dodged another stun blast from the Vahki above, but that brought her close to the soldiers on the ground. Surprised, but not out of ideas, the Toa of Water slung her flexible hydro blades around a tall piece of cargo. She threw it at the two oncoming mechanoids, knocking both of them back against the wall. Turning quickly to face another Nuurakh, she asked, “You realize that fighting Vahki makes us the outlaws Dume says we are?”

“Hm… maybe we can be legendary Toa-villains, then,” Matau offered, creating a tornado that threw the two Vahki snipers from their perches. One crashed into a crate, breaking, while the other managed to convert into flight mode.

Vakama rounded the corner of a cargo pile only to find himself face-to-face with a Vahki. Instinctively, he raised his hands “We’re not your enemy!” he tried pleading. “We didn’t kidnap Toa Lhikan, we’re trying to save him! We can help each other!”

The Vahki answered him by loading a Kanoka disk and taking aim.

But before it could fire, a large crate slammed into it, destroying the Nuurakh. Matau shot by overhead. “They’re much easier to reason with in small pieces.”

The Vahki were defeated, but the Toa only had seconds to rest before the next sound rang out. It started as a low metallic groaning, then a percussive bang of sound. The three Toa looked up to see a hole torn in the hull of the craft, with a familiar insectoid being leaning in.

“Sorry for the interruption, little Toa,” Nidhiki snarled, “but I never could wait to open my presents.”

Matau and Nokama were just as thrown off guard as the Toa of Fire. He had described this being in a vision, as an adversary to avoid during their search for the Matoran and for the Great Disks. Now, here he was, in the flesh and armor.

But Vakama had an even stronger reaction than they. “You!” he cried. “The one who captured Toa Lhikan!”

Nidhiki jumped from the hole he had made to a metallic supporting scaffold. Behind him, Krekka crawled in as well.

“Yes, and he begged for mercy, little flame, just like you will,” Nidhiki grinned, his claws snapping open and shut delightfully. It was another use of his knowledge of Toa. First rule of Toa hunting: get them angry. It makes them careless. Overconfidence must come with the Kanohi.

Liar!” Vakama roared, triggering his rocket pack.

Nokama reached after him, but the Toa of Fire was already zooming to where the two Dark Hunters lay in wait. But Krekka batted him away, firing a freeze-disk from his shoulder-mounted Kanoka launcher. “Cool off, Toa.”

Vakama could not escape. The disk struck him dead-center, freezing a coating of ice several inches thick around him. Within moments, Vakama’s momentum reversed, and he began to plummet back down to the floor.

Nidhiki grinned. Once he hits the ground, even a Po-Matoran couldn’t put him together again.

Nokama’s eyes widened. “Catch him, Matau! If he falls, he’ll shatter!”

But Matau was already on the move, springing back into the air with such speed he became hard to follow. He reached for his Toa-brother and caught him with a grunt. “Got him!” he called down to Nokama, his hands managing to find purchase on the cumbersome, slippery Vakama.

“But can you keep him?” Nidhiki asked, charging and unleashing an energy web. “Or are you just a Matoran in Toa armor?”

The web projectile hit Matau dead-on, who was unable to avoid it. His wings were knocked out of place, and the two began to fall. Matau grunted hard as the dark energies coursed through his limbs with pain. But angled himself in midair, to put himself between the Toa of Fire and the floor. I have to twist so I take the hard-fall, or Vakama is doomed!

Nidhiki looked on, amused. Despite this, there was a sense of urgency in the back of his mind.

We will need to finish this quickly. No doubt our “friend” at the Coliseum is growing impatient… I have no doubt that flying Rahi bait of his is reporting on our progress.

He threw a glance at his partner in crime.

After we finish with the Toa, Krekka and I will have to discuss Nivawk’s future. I wonder how Dume’s little pet would look mounted on my wall?

✴        ✴        ✴

Turaga Dume looked out over the city from the tower of the Coliseum. Beside him stood a Vahki Zadakh as a bodyguard, with a Vahki Rorzakh behind them as a messenger. The suns were beginning to darken and set over the City of Legends, casting long shadows and a vibrant red tint to cover the city.

“The time is drawing near,” the elder of the city thought aloud.

Dume glanced up to the darkening sky, resolve burning in his aged eyes and hunched form. “And still three Toa plague me with their interference. They cannot be allowed to block the destiny of the Matoran.” The Turaga turned to look at the order enforcer. “You know what to do,” Dume said. “They will attempt to free their friends. They must not succeed.”

The Zadakh nodded once, then left. Dume turned back to survey Metru Nui’s iconic skyline again. It was a gorgeous sight, from the forges, to the chutes, to the towers, to the sculptures. But among those elements, he spotted something that was not part of Metru Nui: a lean, agile flying Rahi.

“Nivawk returns, with good news, I trust,” Dume murmured to himself.

The hawkish Rahi glided to a landing next to Dume where it delivered its signals in flaps, trills, and squawks. It was a code only the two of them knew, not that there was anyone around to see or hear. Nivawk relayed everything it had seen—the Toa’s fight against the Vahki, their struggle on the chute, and, most recently, the Dark Hunters forcing their way onto the airship in pursuit.

Dume listened until Nivawk finished. He rubbed his mask in thought before saying, “Return to the airship, and make sure the Dark Hunters succeed.” He brought his staff down hard, striking the floor of the Coliseum. “And see to it that security is doubled where at the prison of the other three. For the sake of all Matoran, the Toa Metru must fall!”

Nivawk squawked in reply, then took to the skies again, flying fast in the direction of Le-Metru.

✴        ✴        ✴

“Owwww!”

Matau’s cry resounded through the airship as he hit the ground, only to be then smashed by Vakama’s ice block. Shoving Vakama off of him, he managed to get on all fours.

Nidhiki frowned at the sight. “Smash the Toa of Fire into fragments,” he ordered Krekka. “I will deal with Nokama.”

“Fun,” Krekka growled, jumping off the metal. He landed ungracefully with a large crash, advancing on Matau and Vakama.

Up above, Nidhiki made his way along a catwalk to get a better angle on Nokama. Snapping his large pincers in anticipation, he charged an energy net. “Time to end this, Toa of Water!” he hissed down, launching three sizzling bolts at his target.

Nokama ducked underneath the first, dove and rolled to avoid the second and finished by slicing the third apart with her tools. Then she spun again, hurling one of her hydroblades in Nidhiki’s direction. “I agree!” she called.

The tool’s sharp-edged head flew straight through the air, its flexible cable trailing behind. Nidhiki scoffed, for despite the Toa of Water’s best efforts, she had been unable to hurl it high enough to strike him. The hydroblade arced short of his position. “Ha! You missed, little Matoran!” he taunted.

Nokama smiled grimly. “I’m not a Matoran. I’m a Toa.” The flying Toa tool kept on course, shearing through the supports of Nidhiki’s catwalk. “And I never miss.”

The entire walkway slanted forward before cracking and leaning to the ground far below.

“No!” Nidhiki cried, tumbling over the ledge. The metal’s own weight, now unevenly supported, tore in half as the Dark Hunter landed with a thud. Pieces of the catwalk and support rained down on top of him.

Matau, meanwhile, was trading blows with Krekka, who was lashing out with deadly haymaker punches. As the Toa of Air flipped away, Krekka lumbered forward. “Stand still, Toa!” he grunted. “Quicker that way.”

As this was happening, cracks were forming along the surface of Vakama’s ice block. With a roar, the block shattered into tiny ice fragments, and the Toa of Fire sat upright. Finally managed to generate enough heat to free myself… he thought.

Vakama looked around at the scene to see where his efforts were most needed. Nokama had the advantage over Nidhiki, who was still pinned beneath the rubble. However, a shout of triumph rang up from where Krekka and Matau were dueling.

Nokama is fine. Vakama decided. But Matau is in trouble.

Krekka fired a Kanoka disk from his launcher. Matau ducked underneath at the last second, letting it fly harmlessly overhead.

“No fair! You moved!” Krekka bellowed, stomping the ground with both feet.

“Noticed that, did you?” Matau muttered.

A fist slammed against one of the cargo boxes, making a loud CRACK. Krekka whirled, startled.

“You kidnap a Toa, threaten Matoran, and try to harm us—and you dare talk about what’s ‘fair’?” Disk already loaded, Vakama fired his launcher at the surprised Krekka. “Take a trip, Dark Hunter!

The The Le-Metru disk flew straight, true, and fast. As soon as it contacted Krekka’s form, he warped out of view in a mix of blue, purple, and red light. Matau ran over to Vakama. “You teleported him… but to where?”

Vakama turned away, shrugging. “I don’t know,” he replied.

✴        ✴        ✴

Krekka was confused.

That happened a lot, admittedly. It was hard enough to keep up with the complicated world as it was, let alone when reality changes in an instant. One moment, he was safe in an airship, the next, he was right under the airship, nearly sixty bios above the ground.

He wasn’t there very long, though. In fact, it was only about four seconds before he was plunging back to the earth. And as he smashed clean through four levels of a brick Ta-Metru foundry, only one thought rang through his head.

Hate Toa.

✴        ✴        ✴

Well, that was… unexpected, Nidhiki thought.

Vakama and Matau took their positions at Nokama’s side.

From under his pile of rubble, Nidhiki stared up at them, malice and rage blazing in his humiliation. “I see you have spirit, little Toa,” he spat. “I hate spirit.”

But the Toa made no move to restrain him. “We will settle with you later, after we have freed Toa Lhikan,” Nokama said coldly.

Nidhiki smiled, laughing a sinister chortle. The rubble pile exploded outward as he stood free once more. Stalking between the Toa and the doorframe, he sneered. “And how do you propose to leave here? Do you think you can go through me?”

Instead, Vakama and Matau grabbed Nokama’s arms. “Actually…” Vakama began, as he placed his disk launcher on his back. Matau placed his aero slicers on his.

“We were thinking…” Nokama continued, smiling.

“Over you!” Matau finished. The two on either side of Nokama took off, propelled by Vakama’s tool and aided by Matau’s. Nidhiki swiped at them with his claws, but missed. By the time he loaded a Kanoka, the three were already through the hole in the airship and gliding toward the earth below.

“Let’s go!” Vakama proclaimed. “Toa Lhikan is waiting!”

✴        ✴        ✴

Nidhiki entered his flight mode and rode up to the hold in the hull. His eyes trailed after the Toa until they were lost from view. I could pursue them, he thought.

He glanced to the earth far below, where he thought he could distantly hear the pained moans of his partner.

But better to find Krekka, he decided, smiling. He looked again in the direction the Toa had gone. After all, I know where they are going. And I can get there first.

Then his eyes fell on something else, and his smile disappeared. A small, winged silhouette could be observed, hovering in the air, looking in his direction. Upon meeting his gaze, it turned back from the spectacle and flew off in the direction of the Coliseum.

Nidhiki scowled. Fly home, creature, he thought grimly. Tell your master one battle was lost… But the war is far from over.