Hired Hand

Hired Hand is a story written by.

Story
''CLANG! CLANG!''

Footsteps echoed around a factory on Xia. A lone figure strode down the hallway. His body was in a bright red and orangish color, his mask was an intimidating Mask of Scavenging, and he carried a Cordak blaster.

He kept looking left and right, as if watching. He suddenly made a left turn. Two Vortixx walked by, babbling among themselves. He reached out and, before they could make a noise, hit a single spot on their left arms. Both of them slumped to the floor. The figure continued.

"I want them sent now!" a Vortixx cried. "With that bandit hanging around, we can't afford to lose these Energy extraction rifles! They're for the Brotherhood!" He turned around and strode into his office. He moved in...

Closer...Closer... Through his scope, the figure watched. His long, straight rifle was aimed at the Vortixx. ''Almost there... Now!''

BANG! The rifle went off, sending a slug out and into the Vortixx torso.

"Need to work on my aim," the red figure said, his mask activated. He grabbed the Vortixx identification, taking off.

Target One: The Turaga of Southern Island Zempad
Job Information

Client: Makuta Krika

Target: Turaga Meltz, of Zempad

Status: Dead or Alive, preferably alive.

Weapons needed: Electrified dagger, Air katana, Rhotuka launching shield, Zamor launcher, black Zamor.

Rondem did not know why a Makuta would want a Turaga of a pitiful southern Island, but he was paying good money. Well, not money; more like a new Brotherhood weapon.

The Turaga was here already, and the Zamor Launcher and sphere were already out. He aimed carefully, firing dead at the Turaga. The Zamor passed through, tagging him. Rondem could follow him anywhere now. There were Toa, of course, but Krika offered currency for every Toa that got in Rondem's way too, so he'd take care of them.

He pulled out his shield. He had taken it from a Toa who... no longer needed it. Two Toa, two Rhotuka, two seconds before they'd raise an alarm. He had that easy. He charged his first Rhotuka. He called forth a Kanohi Sanok, not that he needed it. Call it... reassurance.

He fired. His spinner, with the power to overwhelm and kill a Tahtorak with a hit, flew toward the Toa. It hit...

Two down, Rondem thought. He clicked in his razor-sharp air katana. They were copies of Toa tools he had seen, just like many other weapons Rondem used. He glided down, landed in front of the Turaga. He fired his spinner. As he expected, a Matoran leapt in front of it, taking the blow. Fool. He was already dead. He pulled out his dagger and threw it at the Turaga. It hit his arm.

"You missed, assassin." the Turaga said.

"Not exactly." Rondem countered as the electrical pulse fused his mechanical parts and burned his organics. He wasn't dead, not yet, anyway... but Destral and Krika might actually be worse.

Back at Destral, Rondem was getting paid.

"First, 1,000 for two Toa dead. And now...." Krika pulled out a small weapon. It looked like a rifle and a base in one, but not powerful enough to do anything. "It's called a Hagah. I know you think it doesn't look good, but..." he planted it in the ground and pulled a trigger. A small bolt, no larger than the space between Rondem's eyes, shot out. It hit the wall...or at least, up until about two seconds ago, there was a wall. Now it was a few bricks on the ground. Half of the other walls had been blown away as well.

"I'll take it," Rondem said.

Chapter One
Ocea Magna, home of the Great Beings

Two robed figures strode down a hallway.

"I'm just saying, why do we divide jobs into different categories? Monitor, Builder, Mechanic, Creator, Leader..." the larger of the two said.

"I don't know," the smaller replied. Both swept their hoods back. One, the smaller, was light built, thin, wiry, and looked weak. The larger was powerfully built, muscles peeking out from his robe, with wide shoulders. "I'm just saying, Sebin, we should be helping. I mean, you're a Monitor, I'm a Creator. Why does that matter?"

"Head creator, Magalai," Sebin said. "I mean, a monitor just looks at the graphs and charts, along with the monitoring spy stuff."

"It's not spy stuff, and you know it. It's important," Magalai replied.

He and Sebin were good friends. Magalai was small, and even teased at the Learning Center, so Sebin had been a bodyguard-like figure. He was 200,000 years older than Magalai, and not nearly as smart. That's why he had been assigned to Moniter.

"I'm just... Oh, no," he finished.

"What?" Sebin asked.

"We're late for Physical Education! Coach will kill us!" They hurried off.

Gym class, Learning Center, 5th Period

"Today we will play dodgeball," the Coach said.

"I hate dodgeball," Sebin said.

"Whoo! I love it!" Magalai answered.

They lined up. Sebin, as always, was chosen first, Magalai last. "Well, kept my record," Magalai said.

"What record?" Sebin asked.

"I've gone 327 times picked last!" Magalai said.

The Coach blew the whistle, and the game started. Sebin grabbed a ball and hurled it. The "no powers" rule meant he just used natural strength. Nonetheless, it slammed into a rival. He walked off. Magalai dodged and generally tried not to get hit.

"Throw a ball, or at least catch!" a Great Being on the sidelines said. Sebin and Magalai were the only ones left.

"I'll try!" Magalai grabbed a ball. He threw it. "Hufff..." It hit the ground three feet before the target. "This is embarrassing," he said.

Sebin grabbed a ball. He hit Magalai's target.

"Throw it!" he said. A ball hit him.

"Out!" the coach called.

"Uh-oh." Magalai gulped. He moved left, bent back, dodged, jumped, ducked....

"Go anywhere!" The Coach called.

"AAAAH!" WHOOO.... POW! POW! POW!

BEEP BEEP BEEP! Sebin's communicator went off. "Uh, Magalai? Might want to see this...."

Target Two: A Toa of Plasma on Megarzla Nui
Job Information

Client: Makuta Teridax

Target: A Toa

Status: Dead

Weapons needed: Bamboo disk, Air launcher

Rondem crept slowly through the building. He moved silently....

"Stop, vandal," a voice said.

"I'm far from a vandal, Toa." Rondem replied. He flipped over his enemy, landing behind him. His air launcher, modified to shoot ammonia, a toxic gas, slammed into a Kanohi Hau's shield.

"Oh, come on!" Rondem said.

The Toa turned, flail at the ready. He swung. Rondem backflipped over it, grabbing and yanking the chain. The Toa stumbled, off balance. Rondem suddenly gasped as the chain turned into plasma.

"Nice trick I have," The Toa said. "Turns into solid plasma." He whipped it around. Rondem jumped away and grabbed the nearest weapon.

"Kolhii stick!" he said. Well, he'd make it work. The Toa swung again. Rondem charged the stick with shadow, then blocked. Then he attacked, but found himself parried. They fought back and forth, deadly chains getting close to killing and a stick ready to beat something. One of them finally hit the other.

Rondem stumbled back. "Ow," he said.

The Toa pressed his advantage. Rondem suddenly straightened out, launching countless spheres of ammonia. At the same time, he knocked Kolhii balls into his opponent's guard while hurling the bamboo disk. The spheres and balls did their job, taking the Toa down. Rondem activated his Mask of Scavenging. The disk....it cracked open his mace! He retrieved a strange sphere from inside it. Immediately, power flooded his being. Lightning crackling around him, and he realized he was floating. "Oh, yes. This is good."

Chapter Two
"This is not good." Magalai said.

"I thought so." Sebin said. "A being with the power of a Great Being... this is bad."

"It's Rondem." Magalai said.

"Who?" Sebin asked.

"My... prototype for the Toa. I designed him to be the ultimate specimen, agile, dexterous, long-lived, strong, fast... but he rebelled," Magalai answered.

"Does he have elemental powers?" asked another Great Being. He was their leader, named Brifus, and he was flanked by the Mechanic Heremus.

"Yes. He controls fire," Magalai answered. He seemed to be contemplating something. "Heremus, can I have one of your Baterra?"

"What for?" asked Heremus.

"A hunch. I'll have Bohrok, but I need a single Baterra. Just do it." Magalai snapped.

"Okay, give him one, Heremus. Magalai, you take Heremus and one other Great Being with you," Brifus said.

"Sebin, come on. Let's move out!" Maglai called. He opened an interdimensional portal and walked into the Matoran Universe.

"Hi, Rondem. Remember me?" Magalai asked.

"Yes," Rondem said. "And so do they."

A reptilian hiss came from all around. Glowing red eyes peered out of the thick darkness.

"We have another problem, guys," Maglaia said. "Zyglak!"

The darkness mounted all around, swallowing the stars. Magalai could feel shadow creeping over him. "Let's get this on with. Heremus, Sebin, stop the darkness! If it reaches Metru, Karda, and Megarzla Nui...."

"We're on it," Heremus said. He and Sebin flew off.

"Bohrok, assault the Zyglak!" Magalai called. The ground exploded, sending thousands of Bohrok and Bohrok Va onto the streets. Bohrok-Kal even mounted awakenings, and Vovohk dehydration blasts teamed with Tahnok-Kal lightning to begin tearing through the ranks of the Zyglak. A single silver-colored "Bohrok" was lurking in the shadows, waiting, waiting....

Magalai threw off his cloak, leaving his thin undercloak. "Why do you have to take it off? You can easily fight with it on." Rondem asked.

"Effect. Isn't it scary? You know, I've found intimidation a very good weapon. Did you know I programmed no fear into you? Silly me. Also..." Magalai continued his drone.

"Shut up!" Rondem cried.

"No way. Also, the molecular cohesion between Helryx's molecules was simpler to biocompound the resulting monymer into polymers to form a complex protenoid structure between..." Magalai activated one of his many powers. His formerly annoying din became a sonic attack, penetrating Rondem's brain.

"Shut... UPPPPP!" Rondem cried, shoving with a frying lightning attack that left Magalai stunned. His din stopped.

"Ouch," he said. He immediately followed up with a devastating gravity attack that Rondem blocked by making him a water breather. Great Being powers could be shared with others.

He summoned a Rahi. "Hmm... I believe that the.... Tahtorak should do it," he said.

He walked forward. "Whulp..." He tripped over his shoelace. He bounced back up. "Rahi Control should do it." He used speed to rocket back into the battle, using a plasma ball to try and fry Rondem. Rondem flung a Cordak bolt at him. Magalai exploded it before it got near. Rondem launched in again, throwing levitation bolts. Magalai was forced to retreat after a hail of aging fields caused slight harm to his body. "I have a cut! I'm losing blood!" he cried. Rondem moved in.... Magalai slammed his fist up with the Strength power, activating his Stealth and Translation powers. He spoke ancient languages that Rondem instantly understood. He simply told him false things about his Bohrok. His Baterra should strike right about now.

A blade lanced out. Ronem flipped it into Magalai's arm. Magalai's healing powers brought it back up. He used his Incomprehension powers to knock out Rondem's communications, but Rondem had used a powerful Accuracy attack, hurling everything he could get his hands on at Magalai. Magalai activated his shielding powers, using Biomechanics to slow down Rondem, but the fight continued....

Target Three: Magalai
Job Information:

Target: Magalai, a Great Being, and if possible Heremus and Sebin.

Client: Myself

Status: Dead completely

Weapons Needed: EVERYTHING, AND POWERS

Rondem had just activated his speed powers, then activated all his abilities to hide. He activated Concealment, Stealth, Intangibility, and finally his new disappear abilities, creating a horrible suck of life. Silence kept him stealthy and he slipped behind a wall. His Jamming powers were keeping Magalai at bay. That being had activated his Truth, Detection, and Sonar abilities, searching for Rondem, but he couldn't keep them going. A Psionic attack wasn't even finding Rondem.

Rondem silently slipped out. His target was right there! He struck, sending waves of Plasma, Magma, and Fire on Magalai, coupled with a desperate Ice and Water attack. Electricity and Magnetism, along with Iron, sent Magalai down, while Psionics, Stone, Earth, and Plantlife sought to hold him down. An Air and Vacuum attack sent Magalai reeling, then Sonics and Acid knocked him down for good. He could tell his enemy was activating a new power, one that sent his spirit soaring... but that didn't matter now. Rondem activated a Shadow dagger, blending Light with it. It was such a strain to mantain, cancelling each other out, but it destroyed everything it touched. He plunged it into Magalai's back. A Dimensional Gate opened, and Magalai's spirit floated through it...but that was okay. He now could not do anything.

Rondem checked the breathing of Magalai. Nothing.

He checked his heartlight... Wait. He had no heartlight, but Rondem detected something akin to it. Muscle, beating like a heartlight, inside Magalai's torso. Well, his....Heart was not beating any longer.

Finally, scanning with X-Ray Vision, Sensory Aptidude, and Scavenging, he checked. Nothing was working.

"Finally, Magalai — the Great Being — is DEAD!" Rondem crooned.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?!?"

Rondem turned around to see two crazed beings racing toward. Both wore robes like the one Magalai wore, only both were slightly different. (He could not know, but that was how Great Beings distinguished one another while wearing robes.) One, the larger, slammed into him, evidently using Strength. He held him down while the other, about the same size as Magalai, blasted him with energy. It was a Great Being power: Even Rondem couldn't use it. Finally, servos and muscles straining, he threw the robed figure off of him. He quickly used his explosion power to force back the two figures. "Who are you?" he asked.

"I am Sebin, Magalai's friend and a Monitor." the larger, the one that had been holding him down, replied.

"I am Heremus, a Mechanic, and a million years younger than Magalai." the other said.

"Interesting. Oh, well, I am afraid that you, too, will have to die." Rondem said wistfully.

"Wait. Magalai once explained some things to me." Sebin began. "Did anyone tell you exactly what kind of powers we have? You, Rondem, only have so many. I noticed you can't use energy, pure and refined — How many others can't you use? You see, with our Creation, Iron, Magnetism, and Plantlife powers..." A huge weapon, made of metal and wood, popped up in front of Rondem. "We can create anything we want." The weapon disappeared.

Heremus picked up where Sebin left off. "We control fundamental forces. Destiny is one of ours." He suddenly pushed into Rondem's mind, and his destiny changed — Rondem could feel it. "Another is Time. If I want, I can make you age past death... or regress past creation. I can age half of you, and destroy the other. I can stop time around you, or speed it to the point your mind will crack. I can send you anywhere into the timestream." To prove his point, he aged Rondem a couple thousand years.

Sebin sneered. "But Creation is nothing compared to Destiny. Destiny is nothing compared to Time. And Time is nothing compared to Life. If I want, I can kill you. I can create life from nothing, I can take life from anything. And right now..." Both Great Beings were encompassed in a glow, and Rondem felt his life force slipping away.

"You are not worthy of life," Sebin finished. Rondem continued dying, heartlight slowing, and breathing falling. Finally, they stopped.

Chapter Three
Magalai strode inside the hallway. He had found the "Nexus of All Dimensions" when he went through the portal. He had found himself in a hallway, starch white, with no windows. An open door was directly behind him, leading to his body in his own dimension. Another door, ornate in design, stood at the other end. He walked over and threw it open.

He strode through, ending in a spherical chamber. Six ornate doors, exactly like the one he had come out of, branched off. Other doors, simple wooden ones, simply broke up the other doors. Magalai was looking at some. "City of Silver Pocket Dimension..."

He had found the simple doors led directly into pocket dimensions, while the ornate doors led into hallways that led to alternate realities. Each one was labeled. His door was labeled "The Magalai Tales." Another was labeled "Dark Mirror." Yet another was called "The Melding." Each door into that dimension opened to himself or his body, depending.

He had no doubts that if he moved through, he would seize control of that body. Whether or not he would receive memories, he did not know, and did not want to find out. He had found that this chamber was the "BIONICLE Universe" and that he could go into that Mainstream Reality as well. But this was new...A Trapdoor, saying "Mainstream Reality: Earth" was set in the floor. he climbed through.

Immediately, he found himself in a huge chamber, with other groups of alternate realities inside them, and one single, gold plated, giant doors. They read "Earth" in bold letters. He threw them open and plunged in...