User blog:BobTheDoctor27/Judgment Day: Preview

Hey guys!

So, this past week, I've been working primarily on one of the seven prologues for Judgment Day. Today I've made some ground-breaking progress and have completed the third prologue.

Since it's Rando07's Birthday today (and since I know how much Jman98 hates blogs), I resolved to post a little sneak peak of what I have in the form of a blog so you can read and enjoy all 5,323 words of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. :D

Enjoy!

Preview
Ko-Metru was silent. Not a single Ice Bat stirred in the all-encompassing darkness. This was, after all, The Quiet Metru.

The Knowledge Towers of Ko-Metru stood resolute in the all-encompassing darkness of the night sky. Even now the icy, eerie, hushed gusts of wind were muted.

Much had transpired in the Quiet Metru in recent months. Following the disaster in the rural township of Elysium just a few months previously, the Turaga High Council had come down hard on the city. Vahki now patrolled the city center regularly. But there was really no reason for it. Ko-Matoran were an orderly bunch and security was now suffering from being overmanned in relation to the threats that were being faced.

That being said, there were still plenty of regions that remained abandoned. During the war Metru Nui had been damaged, and there were entire blocks where shattered Knowledge Towers had toppled over. Wreckage still populated many derelict streets. Turaga Matoro had made a conscious effort to rebuild the island after the war. But since his death and the abrupt thrusting of government into the hands of Turaga Vilnius, the plans seemed to have been all but forgotten.

In one such forgotten alleyway, Toa Kualus stood gazing out at the city sprawled out before him. Metru Nui was vast and complex, a teeming and sometimes unstable amalgam of citizens from all walks of life. The disparity between rich and poor was conspicuous. The population boom during the war led to even closer and more problematic living situations. It was often a lonely, anonymous island where the tension between private and public often manifested itself in crime.

Ko-Metru was, at its heart, the same as any other city. It was a pulsating heart whose arteries stretched out through the various streets and byways of the region. The Matoran moving through the city, giving it life and vitality, were the same as blood rushing through arteries.

The Toa sighed inwardly to himself. When a situation got tough he found it was often best to just ponder his state of being. He was a semi-robotic, semi-organic, glorified maintenance worker in a planet-sized spaceship that flew around the universe with no clear direction. It really put the scale of his problems in perspective.

But no amount of words could change the aching in his chest. It had been nearly an entire year since he’d been impaled during the battle of the Turaga Tuyet Dam and, while he’d made a commendable recovery, there was no avoiding the fact that he was no longer the most able Mahi in the herd.

The sound of footfall bounced off of the shattered Knowledge Tower fragments that littered the ground. They were brisk steps that carried a resonating air of dignity with them. They slowed as the figure had to walk his way around the wreckage.

A blue and white-armored Skakdi came into view on the other end of the alleyway. He glanced at Kualus, stopped in his tracks, then edged closer. Thok was his name. He was a bigoted high-ranking member of a Matoran-hating Onu-Metru Skakdi mob, and he was none too happy about being in Ko-Metru. The Skakdi was sporting a ridiculous white fur coat.

Six months ago, Kualus would’ve claimed the Skakdi were crazy if they thought they could take on the Toa. But power had been slipping through the new Turaga’s fingers. Individuals had defied him and he hadn’t cracked down hard. The belief on the street was that Vilnius was weak, out of touch with the pulse of the city. Revolt had been on the cards for ages.

Thok and his fellow Skakdi mobsters were the start. More than a few of them had been arrested over the past few months, though they were a powerful force and Thok was a shrewd leader. They couldn’t start any kind of revolution on their own. But if other gangs rioted and the Toa’s forces were split, they might just pull it off.

The snobbish Skakdi cast an eye around the deserted landscape which had been appropriated for the meeting, taking in the jagged crystal and gaping holes in the remaining Knowledge Towers.

“I don’t think much of your interior decorating tastes,” he sneered.

“It’s as good a place as any,” nodded the Toa of Ice idly, before gesturing to one of the three chairs he’d laid out in a triangle. The Skakdi ignored him and continued to stare at the destruction.

“You’re sure that we’re safe?” he asked, nose in the air, eyes narrow.

“You’ve no enemies here,” replied Kualus – a ludicrous lie that nearly brought a smile to his lips.

“I should live to see the day,” chortled the mobster. He relaxed and finally took a chair. “Who are we waiting for?”

“A guy called Axonn.”

The Skakdi whistled as Kualus sat down heavily. “Should be interesting. I left two of my associates a block from here. If they don’t hear from me within ten minutes they’ll call it in and – ”

“All I’m waiting for is Axonn,” sighed the Mask of Rahi Control-wearer. “It wouldn’t be polite to start without him.”

Thok lapsed into silence, and concentrated on his fingernails. He was less nervous than Kualus, which irritated the former Toa Hagah considerably. He was playing a new game, in which maybe thousands of lives were at stake. The Skakdi cared only for himself. He was unhindered by the constraint of innocents. Kualus didn’t think like that. He would need to maintain the illusion that he did. Any kind of sentiment could be regarded as weakness.

''Tourik would’ve been a far better negotiator for this operation. ''

Axonn turned up four minutes later, drawn and ill-tempered. He stopped at the threshold of the archway and spotted Thok.

“What’s he doing here?” he frowned.

The armored giant was, of course, a newly-appointed member of the Metru Nui Law Enforcement, just like so many other former Order of Mata Nui agents or Dark Hunters left kicking after the war. He was in polished blue uniform and stuck out like a Le-Matoran in a Ga-Metru school.

“We need to clear the air with his people too,” explained the Toa of Ice simply. “The intention here is to find grounds for peaceful cohabitation between our factions.”

Axonn glared at Thok, who smiled back innocently, then leveled his gaze on Kualus. “I thought this was supposed to be one-on-one. I’ve no intention of discussing private affairs in front of that Piraka.”

Watch your mouth,” snarled the Skakdi sourly. “Else I shall teach you the true meaning of a Skakdi Smile in these parts.”

Axonn let loose a hollow laugh of a single syllable then turned to Kualus. “Is this the kind of character you want allied with your Toa team?”

“I don’t like it,” shrugged the former Toa Hagah, “but I’d rather talk with him than blunder into conflict. If you really want, I can see you one at a time, although I have the exact same thing to say to both of you. It would be a lot quicker and more diplomatic if we could behave rationally for these negotiations.”

The Rode-wearer hovered uncertainly.

“For Mata Nui’s sake, sit!” bristled Thok. “The overgrown-Matoran’s right – if we don’t talk today, Metru Nui will be in turmoil tomorrow. You’re meant to be the ones upholding the peace.”

“He has a point,” muttered Kualus icily. “The Metru Nui Law Enforcement is a whole cluster of brutes. They need to conform to regulation or all sense of civilized institution in Metru Nui crumbles. You must know what I’m talking about.”

Axonn glared from Skakdi to Toa. His sapphire Kanohi shone just a little bit brighter in the glimmer of the Twin Moons before he grunted then took the third chair, moving it a few bio away from Thok. The weak piece of wooden furniture looked as though it would crack under his weight, but the structure held. Regardless, he braved the chances. He had entered the negotiations. That was all that mattered.

“First, I want to make one thing clear,” murmured Kualus. He gazed steadily at Thok. “Call me an overgrown-Matoran again and I’ll gut you, regardless the consequences.”

The Skakdi opened his mouth to jeer, only to see the real intent in the former Toa Hagah’s eyes, and closed it. “Touchy, aren’t you?” he pouted.

Kualus faced Axonn. “Many thousands of years ago, I stood atop a piece of metal scaffolding, hammering away on a mechanism that was larger than the Coliseum. I remember pausing to catch my breath and marveling at the sight of the Matoran Universe taking shape. That was the first time I saw Mata Nui’s face; big, ominous, looming kio away. Taller than any building I had ever seen, scarier than the worst campfire story and five times as chilling. I remember lying awake some sleepless nights thinking about it. I knew that its sheer enormity would haunt me for years to come and that it undoubtedly had some kind of symbolic meaning that I wasn’t grasping. It didn’t dawn on me until the Universe was nearing completion that we were fabricating our own deity. We were literally building a false idol and dedicating our entire culture towards its maintenance.”

Axonn and Thok regarded the Toa of Ice questioningly.

“That’s the way I’ve lived my life since my earliest memories,” explained the Toa of Ice resolutely. “I followed orders, kept my head down and stayed quiet. That’s how I became leader of my Toa Hagah team. That’s how I survived the Battle of Xia. That’s how I became leader of the Toa Metru. I believe in Mata Nui’s existence and would gladly give my life to preserve the benevolent pilot of our bizarre, humanoid starship, but I don’t expect any miracles from him. This is not a world of divine justice. This is a constructed world, built from the ground upwards, complete with all manner of flaws and rust and defects and cracks.”

“You’re not wrong,” bristled Axonn bluntly, shifting in his seat uncomfortably.

“In order to survive this long I’ve had to leach off of those faults. I forsook virtue for my own personal liberty and I refuse to live with that stain upon my conscience any longer.”

The former Toa Hagah glanced upwards at the open skyline of Ko-Metru for long instant before bowing his head back down, content in the security of his companions.

“I was under the assumption that the war had been won and that things could only get better. But they’re not. I look around this island and I see an entire race on the brink of a second civil war. I see assassins and mercenaries selling their services amidst the ranks of Xian scum. I see decay and poverty and death. Our government is a shambles of poorly-coordinated, embittered Turaga. For Mata Nui’s sake, an Onu-Matoran is our Chronicler!”

Thok stifled an even broader smile.

“I too have sat back and hoped that the situation would remedy itself for too long,” stated Axonn gravely, shooting the Skakdi with a daunting glare. “But things have been left unchecked for too long. Vilnius doesn’t know what he’s doing. Not in the way that Matoro did.”

“On the contrary, I fear that Vilnius knows exactly what he’s doing,” shrugged Kualus. “The guy’s been in power for six months. In that time he’s spent a quarter of Metru Nui’s war budget manufacturing Vahki units and has launched a missile that nearly wiped out hundreds of civilian homes.”

“My tax-payer widgets at work,” grunted Thok coldly.

“These are some serious accusations coming from the leader of the Toa Metru,” murmured Axonn guardedly. “Are you seeking to stoke some kind of rebellion?”

“Simple. I want to distance the Toa from the Turaga. We’re not Vilnius’ hit squad. We seek to operate outside the realm of politics. That’s the way it should be. Otherwise we’re only one step above a unit of Bordakh.”

“Then command your team,” snapped the Skakdi. “Don’t come crawling to us for help.”

“Our resident Toa of Light would seem to think differently.”

Axonn stiffened in his seat. “I’ve heard stories about this guy. Some mystery new Toa you’ve added to your ranks. Some kind of combat specialist? What was his --?”

“This is pathetic,” interrupted the Skakdi of Ice. “How can this other Mask-wearing jerk call the shots if you’re in charge?”

“I am not exactly the leader of the Toa Metru,” chuckled the Toa of Ice dryly. “I serve as my team’s public face, the poster-figure of an ideal Toa. In truth, the Toa have taken a darker turn under the leadership of… said Toa of Light.”

“Does this Toa of Light have a name?”

“Toa Tollubo.”

Axonn cocked an eyebrow.

“You keep some risky partners,” whistled Thok.

“So why isn’t Toa Tollubo here then if you want to discuss an agreement on behalf of your Toa Team?” asked the Rode-wearer edgily. “Why aren’t we talking to him instead of a Toa Hagah poser?”

“Tollubo rarely concerns himself with such matters,” responded the weathered Toa of Ice. “This meeting isn’t exactly… licit.”

“Oh?” cooed the Skakdi, a dangerous twinkle in his greedy eyes. “Toa working behind each other’s’ backs? Scandalous!”

“Be silent,” snapped Axonn frostily.

The hulking former Order agent let out a long, uneasy breath and shook his head thoughtfully. Thok eyed him, smirking, then studied his fingers as if they were of far greater importance to him than the meeting.

“So you want to bolster the ranks of the Toa Metru in the hopes that it will disenfranchise your unit from affiliation with the Turaga?”

“I do indeed.”

“Then what kind of guarantee can you make us that your Toa Team won’t use the extra hands to organize a military coup and destabilize Metru Nui’s already frigid system of government?”

“Obviously I cannot speak on behalf of my associates,” shrugged Kualus idly. “But this is the time for change. The Toa need to be independent of the Turaga. There is trouble brewing on the horizon and, when it comes, we cannot be shackled down by our duties to the Turaga.”

“The longer we wait, the deeper Vilnius will root himself within the Toa Metru,” murmured Kualus.

“I must admit, I’m not entirely comfortable with drafting soldiers into a Toa Team,” grumbled Axonn. “This isn’t any kind of military state. It’s not the least bit civilized, not to mention the fact that we’d be directly undermining a commanding officer.”

The Mask of Rahi Control-wearer shook his head. “The normal rules don’t apply here.”

“What do you think?” grunted the Rode-wearer, redirecting his gaze at Thok. “Or do you plan to sit there all night, paring your nails?”

The Skakdi chuckled hollowly. “I never trusted a Toa before, but this one’s different. He wants to put a dent in Turaga Vilnius’ steel grip over Metru Nui. Our reasons are different, but so long as our aims are the same I’m willing to strike a deal.”

“And what do you want in return?” asked Kualus carefully, aware of the crafty, scheming nature of the Skadi before him.

“I want the dismissal of Vilnius’ foreign policy and a Skakdi in the Turaga High Council,” shrugged Thok. “That’s the only way my people will calm down. That Turaga has done more to damage relations between Metru Nui and my homeland in the past three months than the Brotherhood of Makuta managed in the same number of years.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” nodded the seasoned Toa, the bags under his eyes growing deeper in the darkness.

Thok tilted his head. “How about you, big fella?”

“The Metru Nui Law Enforcement is an elite division of the Order of Mata Nui’s most experienced warriors,” muttered Axonn. “Convincing them to abandon their pledge to law and order will be a tough sell, especially when I’m not fully convinced myself. But if there are going to be Skakdi in the ranks of the Toa Metru and if you give me your word as a Toa that Turaga Vilnius’ command would be disadvantageous for Metru Nui, then I will speak to my superior. I can’t make any promises, but I can definitely advise him in the right direction.”

“This is the birth of a New Metru Nui,” giggled Thok. “Centuries from now, we’ll be celebrated as the architects of lasting peace. And not a single Vortixx present.”

Kualus let his head fall back and smiled up at the sky through the holes in the roof. He had done it. An alliance had finally been reached. No longer could his fellow Toa cling to their old traditions and exist only to maintain the charade of a peaceful state. There was – of course – much work still to be done. He still needed to convince his own team that his actions were for the greater good, but he had time to play with. He could go on from here and…

The self-congratulation died prematurely as Kualus spotted a shadowy figure in the rafters. It was too dark to be sure, but his gut told him instantly who it was.

“No!” he snapped, springing to his feet frantically. Unarmed for the negotiations, the Toa was forced to clench his fists and call to existence a pillar of ice. Before the burst of elemental energy left his fingertips, however, the intruder was on the ground. He rolled away and rose fluidly, then turned and flashed a grin, a pair of luminous green eyes sparkling with twisted delight.

Kualus dived after him as Thok and Axonn struggled to their feet. The dark figure waited for him to close in and threw a lazy punch. The Toa of Ice ignored the half-hearted fist only to find that the fingers flew apart and dirt sprayed him his hand, catching the Toa’s eyes.

With the former Toa Hagah momentarily blinded, the stranger kicked him in the stomach, sending him crashing backwards. Having lived a long and taxing life in the line of duty, he was up again a mere four or five seconds later. But that was an eternity to a trained killer.

He took Thok first. The Skakdi had slipped out a knife and jabbed at the unwelcome newcomer, keeping his cool, using his free hand to grab his chair by the leg, utilizing it as a shield. The figure snorted and kicked the chair from Thok’s hand, leaving him open to attack on his left. The Skakdi seized the bait and drove his blade directly at his attacker’s heartlight. But the aggressor shimmied behind him, snuck a muscular arm around, grabbed Thok’s jaw, twisted his head back, snapped his neck, then dropped him to the floor, where he groaned. Alive but helpless.

Axonn roared in shock. Within seconds his massive hands began to glow with sweltering red energy. Without blinking, he fired five crimson bursts in quick succession, opting for volume over accuracy. The dark figure rolled across the floor, inches away from the energy bursts. They got closer each time but it was still like hitting a Ruki fish with a Kanoka. Kualus wiped the dirt from his beady eyes and started forwards, forming a sharp icy dagger in his hand. That was when the energy bursts stopped.

“Axonn?”

The Toa of Ice paused, eyes flicking between the Order agents and the strange figure lurking in the shadows behind him, who had come to a rest.

The Rode-wearer turned slowly and the blade sticking out of his chest came into view.

''It was Kualus’ original Toa Tool. ''

Sure enough, the familiar short spear-like instrument that he had wielded in his days before becoming a Toa Hagah was now plunged deep into the warrior’s chest. Its pure, unblemished surface now speckled with its first blood.

“Kualus?” he wheezed dully. “I think I’m dead…”

The Toa stared at him from the ground, appalled. Axonn’s mumbling, ineloquent fingers fell to his chest and grabbed at the hilt of his old Toa Tool. He pulled it out, grimaced, then dropped to his knees. “Dead,” he whispered, then collapsed.

Kualus scrambled across the floor like a Stone Rat, eased the fallen warriors’ fingers off of the Toa Tool then pressed the hulking hand to his chest, as if he could extend his heartbeat and return the old war-Rahi to life.

“I’m sorry, old friend,” he mumbled. “I didn’t mean for it to end like this.”

Kualus was dimly aware of the murderer working on Thok, finishing the unfortunate Skakdi off. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the dark figure rip at the screaming mobster’s face with his bare hand. The Toa turned away.

He didn’t think about revenge. It would be pointless. The swiftness with which the twisted aggressor had dispatched the three of them had been monumental. Even if he were still in his prime, engaging such an opponent would leave him on the receiving end of a whole world of pain. Thok and Axonn were dead. Any hopes of a peaceful alliance between their respective warring factions had been shattered. This was would be interpreted as an open act of war. It would be bitter and bloody.

Scantalous, as Thok had phrased it.

The sinister newcomer concluded his business with the Skakdi of Ice then stood, wiping his hands clean. “I would have liked to work on him longer,” he gurgled. “But time is of the essence.”

“Thode, you bastard,” hissed Kualus, not even looking at his once-brother. “Axonn was my friend.”

“That is why I killed him quickly. I am always thinking of you, brother mine.”

The former Toa Hagah closed his eyes, extracted his old Toa Tool and lay his hands over the hole in the warrior’s chest, covering it discreetly.

“You’ve pushed me too far this time. What makes you think I won’t fight to the death?”

“Actually, I rather think that you might,” answered the Toa of Plasma nonchalantly. “Part of me thrills at the prospect. It has been many months since I have tested my skills against a worthy opponent, and many years since I have clashed swords with an embittered member of our old Toa Team. But I cannot risk winning. Your position is a commodity that I am in need of to fit my schemes. I hope that you have enough sense not to force the issue, but if you attack, I shall meet your challenge the same way I met Gorta all those years ago.”

“Tell me why you did it.” Kualus’ fingers gripped the sullied handle of his old Toa Tool tightly. The edge was sharper than he recalled. Someone had been keeping it in good condition.

“I was hired,” shrugged Thode, tilting his head to admire his brother from a different angle. “This was the final clause in a bargain that I made some years ago. I am free now, to leave this place and torment the good people of the Matoran Universe as I please.”

“Was your client Turaga Vilnius?”

“My client paid well, so he shall remain anonymous.”

“But Vilnius seeks to enforce order in the streets of Metru Nui,” stammered Kualus. “How can he do that when word of this gets out?”

“The Turaga will not be harmed by my actions,” retorted the Toa of Plasma. “You are clever in your own merit, brother, but not clued-in. Turaga Bomonga has only to snap his shaking old fingers and every single Matoran news crew in Metru Nui starts printing Kualus in place of the word traitor. Matters such as this have a habit of being swept under the rug.”

“But this will have repercussions beyond even their foresight,” insisted the Toa of Ice, finally turning his head to glare at his former teammate.

“Come now, Kualusn Don’t make me spell it out for you,” Thode chuckled. “Logically, Vilnius wishes to run this shambolic island. He desires to change it to suit his image – not just Onu-Metru. So he has created an army of Vahki to help him achieve that fanciful aspiration. In conjunction with the Toa he has an entire military force at his disposal. But there is also the Metru Nui Law Enforcement splinter faction to consider, in addition to the threat posed by all these Skakdi gangs. Three different parties. A stand-off. But, now that Axonn and Thok have been disposed of, two of those blocs have been destabilized. Both divisions will send forces to retaliate against the other. With any luck, they will wipe each other out.”

“Leaving thousands of Matoran caught in the crossfire,” murmured the Toa of Ice, a cold truth dawning on him.

“Civil War in Metru Nui,” snickered Thode. “The titans will clash. I anticipate the splintered remnants of the Order of Mata Nui and Dark Hunters to prevail over a bunch of Skakdi anti-Semitics, though their losses will be great and the streets bloody.”

“By which point the Vahki will descend on the scene in full-force…”

“You take a while to catch on but move quickly when you do. Just like the old days.” The outlandish natural smile of Thode’s Kanohi Miru seemed to grin dangerously. “Of course, the best part is that this represents only on possible outcome of my actions here tonight. It is an opportunity for Vilnius to exploit, to swoop in and protect the Matoran with his army of Vahki and Toa. A chance to affirm his hold and be hailed as a hero once more. All because you decided to have a secret, revolutionary get-together with the lieutenants of both factions.”

Kualus said nothing. His gaze did not lift above the floor.

“Not even Vilnius would wait for that scenario,” he finally snapped. “The second he learnt that lives were in danger he would take action. He wouldn’t wait for a more opportune moment for his own personal glory.”

“Do you know that for a fact?” laughed the renegade Toa of Plasma. “I rather doubt he cares for the lives of a handful of Matoran foolish enough to get caught up in such a conflict. Life is a game, and Matoran are pieces on a board. That has always been your falling – you were never able to separate yourself from the common civilian cattle. It holds you back.”

“You know as well as I do that there aren’t just three players in this game,” snarled Kualus darkly.

“Indeed,” sighed Thode. “The elusive Cult of Darkness. Ever-present. Always lurking in the shadows and scraping together one failed scheme after another. Drawing power from the unknown.”

The Toa of Plasma clapped his hands together loudly, startling the Toa of Ice.

“Wake up, Toa Kualus! While you attempt to piece your forces together from renegades such as these, your true enemy amasses. This is not just the Cult of Darkness anymore. Personally, I refuse to buy into such hysteria, but it can no longer be doubted that the forces of villainy have amassed with brutal intent, the likes of which Vilnius is completely unprepared to combat. Mudro has bullets with each of your names inscribed on and, unlike Tollubo, I doubt you will be afforded such a lucky escape.”

“What would you do in my situation then… brother?” asked Kualus with a heavy sigh.

“I do not know what the future holds for you, Toa Hagah. But I imagine that you will not have seen the last of the Cult of Darkness. You might want to consider hitting the road with you dear old teammate.”

“Never.”

Now it was Thode’s turn to sigh. “Very well.”

The Toa of Plasma flexed his muscles then glanced at Thok’s discarded chair, genuine sorrow lurking in the dark circle of his left eye. After a long moment of uncharacteristic silence, he snaked an arm back over his shoulder. Kualus followed his fingers as the came back into view. The Miru-wearer swung his arm down and placed the contents of his pack down on the ground.

It was a neat row of three Toa Stones.

“What the hell is this?”

“My resignation,” stated the Toa of Plasma, iron in his voice. “Or my disguise. Or a sporting change. Or even an act of cowardice, depending on the eyes of the observer. It could be any number of interpretations. Primarily, it is a statement of fact: Not even I wish to be a Toa when the when the Golden Age of Metru Nui inevitably ends. We will be hunted down like vermin. If I adapt the guise of a humble, muddled old Turaga when the Brotherhood come knocking on my door, however, they may be more sympathetic.”

Kualus blinked in shock. “You would submit? Of all the players in this game, I would have expected you to fight.”

Thode smiled wearily. Only then did Kualus realize just how much his brother Toa had aged in the past 40,000 years. The infection that was festering around his eye was getting worse. Now he was struggling to keep it open.

“You can regard me however you wish, but I am still a Toa, regardless of how far I have fallen,” he responded cagily. “Even I have enemies whom I cannot hope to defeat. I am more useful to the Matoran if I am alive.”

''Silence. ''

“I offer you one chance to accompany me and leave this damned island,” added the Toa of Plasma.

Kualus shook his head, trying hard not to imagine the prospect of reuniting with his former teammate. “I’ll take my chances with the real Toa.”

The assassin winked at his old friend, then crouched, leaped, grabbed hold of a low-hanging rafter and pulled himself up into the darkness.

“Wait!” the Mask of Rahi Control-wearer yelled before his white and orange-armored accomplice vanished forever into the night. There was an itching in the back of his skull. He wasn’t sure what it meant, but he had a feeling that things weren’t as done-and-dusted as Thode thought. “Why are you in such a rush to leave?”

The first real smile in centuries crept onto Thode’s Kanohi Miru. “The stage is set for a performance. I must find my way to a spectators seat that is far enough away.”

With those cryptic final words, he slipped away, leaving Kualus alone with the two corpses, on the brink of a total disaster, but with the slightest glimmer of hope at the back of his mind.

“Well, that wasn’t half over-dramatic,” muttered the Toa of Ice to himself.

Attaching his old Toa Tool to his back, he leaned forwards and scooped up the first Toa Stone. It shone with a dull glow. The instant he touched it, a memory flashed before his eyes, both tangible and distant. Like a passing gust of wind. The image of Thode many years before he became a Toa swirled in his hazy mind. A noble and righteous Su-Matoran, who put his life on the line every morning to protect the ignorant citizens of their village.

''Where had he gone wrong? ''

Taking a deep breathe through gritted teeth, Kualus hurled the Toa Stone violently against the broken wall, where it shattered in a stifling display comparable to icy water being thrown at a target. The noise chilled him. Nobody had ever destroyed a Toa Stone in the history of the Matoran Universe as far as he was aware. But, then again, he was fully convinced that these weren’t Toa Stones.

They were Lightstones.

After the echoes of each smashed stone had been given a chance to echo and rebound through the silent city, Kualus decided that it was best to leave. Pushing regrets for Axonn and fears for the future from his thoughts, the Toa retreated to one of the darkened exit amist the remains of the structure, where he too was immersed in darkness, crunching over the broken shards with every step.