BZPB: revised edition

EDIT: Seeing as this is gonna be long by necessity, I'm going to pre-empt the problem and put a table of contents in already.

Episode 1: Highway to Hell, Part 1 (below)
Episode 2: Highway to Hell, Part 2
Episode 3: Funhouse Mirrors
Episode 4: Animals
Episode 5: Gods Old and New
Episode 6: The Captain
Episode 7: Myopia
Episode 8: Inheritance of the Gods
Episode 9: All My Demons, Part 1
Episode 10: All My Demons, Part 2

-----

Okay so I did the thing.

Episode 1: Highway to Hell, Part 1

Ghhhhrrrn. Mephistroth groaned, as he tightened his already too small raincoat. The raindrops hammered down around him and the boat relentlessly, the wind blowing them into his face and down his collar. He turned to the Steltian skipper of the boat, who was struggling to stay upright.

"When do we reach Destral?" he screamed at the skipper, hoping to be heard over the unending torrent. He’d been to battles quieter than this. "Tell me it’s soon!"

"Aye, aye, I hope so too," barked back the Steltian. "I can’t see a bloody thing in this weather."

"Rrrrrggh." Mephistroth groaned again. He shouldn’t even be here. He should be back on Destral or somewhere else, relaxing and drinking while a lackey delivered the scroll, but Blackout wanted to make sure it wouldn’t get lost.

He supposed he had a point. They couldn’t let some idiot run off with it, thinking they could summon themselves a demon slave, but he didn’t deserve to be out here, in this weather.

As if his prayers were being answered, the rainfall progressively turned into more of a drizzle, and the clouds began to clear, letting the sun shine down on them. As the boat advanced, an island appeared on the horizon. It was bristling with huge, blocky buildings, and statuesque, black, jagged towers.

The boat finally hit the beach, and, without warning, three creatures jumped out on them out from behind a dune. They were tall, hideous metal things. Their heads were like those of worms, with huge crests sticking out of their backs. And the stench! The Steltian decided he had just swapped one nightmare for another.

"Are those-?" he stammered out at last.

"Rahkshi, yes. Don’t worry," Mephistroth said, patting one of them on the head. "you get used to them."

One Rahkshi suddenly lunged forward. Its head seemed to explode, splitting up into four pieces. A snake jumped out of the new hole, waving its long tongue around and emitting an unholy shriek. The Steltian instinctively covered his ears, and was surprised when Mephistroth didn’t do the same.

Mephistroth sighed, as the Kraata hid itself within its metal shell again. “So, he’s not allowed here? Fine. I’ll go find Blackout.”

He climbed up a dune and vanished, leaving the terrified Steltian alone with three Rahkshi.

Mephistroth finally arrived at one of the blocky buildings. Two Rahkshi were standing either side of the door, their staffs crossed in front of it. They stared at him in their usual emotionless manner, until he shed his raincoat, at which point the guards stood aside, hissing slightly.

Mephistroth looked for all intents and purposes like just another young white man, even though he was far from it. He had very short, black hair, styled so it looked more like a helmet than a head of hair. Beneath his raincoat, he wore a grey longcoat, and a bright red shirt. It was universally considered to be quite hideous, though few would dare to mention it.

He pushed open the door, and bowed slightly before its present occupant.

"Hello, Mephistroth. Take it you’ve done well?" he said, in a clipped, cheerful voice that completely contradicted his physical appearance. He was a hideously tall, armoured gunmetal-grey behemoth, with a face that belonged on a small crustacean rather than a humanoid. His eyes were a fearsome crimson red, inspiring some small fear in Mephistroth even though he’d been working for him for years.

"Oh, yes, Lord Blackout." Mephistroth retorted. He sat down, stretching his legs out onto the table. He shrugged slightly when Blackout glared at him in response. He opened up his coat pocket, pulling out a yellowed scroll that clearly looked ancient.

"You keep it in your pocket?" Blackout sighed.

"It’s survived for thousands of years in an unmaintained library. It will survive a brief spell in a man’s pocket."

"And you’re sure it’s the right one?" inquired the Makuta.

"Absolutely. You want to do it now?" Mephistroth asked.

"No, I don’t want to attract too much attention. We’ll do it at Nynrah." Blackout affirmed.

Mephistroth grinned. "I'll prepare my things."

I can't wait to hear the retelling as you imagine it, Fuhrer Blackout.

*grabs popcorn*

Can't wait till the next one

Great stuff mate, looking forward to seeing where this goes. :visbro: 

Thank you all, and here's the next chapter!

Episode 2: Highway to Hell, Part 2

Kakamu sighed and threw his hands in the air, as Rahkshi swarmed around his lab, setting up candles, odd-looking rocks, and other artefacts whose purpose he could only guess at. He pushed his way past a pair of Guurahks carrying some rubber tubing, and reached Blackout.

"I'm sorry, but this is unacceptable!" he shouted, completely exasperated. "You can't just march into my lab without any warning and start setting up some silly archaic ritual! This is a place of science!"

"Do you remember who's in charge here?" Blackout retorted. "Besides, if this doesn't work, you get to point and laugh."

"Fair enough." The scientist shrugged, and walked away.

"Alright, everybody clear the room!" Mephistroth bellowed. The Rahkshi quickly cleared away, hissing as they did. Once they were alone, Mephistroth snapped his fingers, instantly lighting all the candles in the room.

"So, please explain. What exactly is the point of all this junk?" Kakamu spat out.

"There's not much point." Blackout said, examining a cracked vase. "Just decoration. It's like mood lighting."

"Lovely." the scientist muttered. How dare they hijack his lab, the place of work of one of the Brotherhood's foremost scientists, for the sake of some silly magic ritual aimed at 'breaking into hell', or something ridiculous like that?

He always knew Blackout as a rational soul. This alien was having a bad influence on him. With any luck, this failure would change his mind.

Mephistroth unfolded the scroll, and began reading from it. Kakamu couldn't even begin to understand whatever he was saying. The language was nothing like Matoran; harsh, guttual, with accents in the least likely places, and with liberal use of the "O" sound. Maybe Ynot would have made some sense of it.

Ynot.....

One thing Kakamu did remark was how little difficulty Mephistroth had pronouncing the odd words.  This wasn't someone sounding out words they barely, if at all, understood. His voice had all the conviction of a native speaker. That raised a red flag in Kakamu's mind, though he wasn't quite sure why.

Finally, Mephistroth finished, and put the scroll away. For the first second, nothing happened, and a smile started to form on Kakamu's face. Blackout and Mephistroth, on the other hand, looked quite unconcerned.

All of a sudden, all the candles in the room simultaneously went out. "Woo. That's some wind." Kakamu mumbled.

"All the doors and windows are closed, Kakamu. Something is happening." Blackout responded with a sneer.

A small point of yellow light appeared on the floor, and expanded until it was a circle large enough to easily fit three people. The circle then burst into flames, turning into an awesome halo of bright hellfire that reached up to the ceiling.

"How can this be?" Kakamu said to himself. "How can this be?"

The flames cleared away as soon as they appeared, but now, two beings stood within the circle.

"Greetings, Malygos. Welcome to the land of the living." Mephistroth said, bowing slightly.

The slightly shorter being, who was probably Malygos, responded. "Rise." He then turned to Blackout and Kakamu. "Where am I?"

"This planet is known as Aqua Magna, and my name is Blackout, Makuta Blackout. I'll explain everything later, but for now, welcome to my ranks."

"Your ranks?" the other, taller being sneered, outraged. "Do you realise who you're talking to?"

"Yes, yes, yes. Malygos, former emperor of the universe, blah blah blah! That is precisely why I bothered to free you." He then turned to the taller one. "What's your name?"

He sighed. "Anzu."

"Enough of this." Malygos roared, raising his hands into the air, as if he was holding a spherical object. "You will pay for your foolishness, Blackout of Aqua Magna." His palms began to glow with pure energy.

Blackout walked around the two, laughing. "Oh, don't bother. You just look ridiculous."

As he said this, the myriad rocks that were arranged around the lab glowed a bright green, and discharged thin beams of light, which bounced around the walls, all finally striking Malygos. The mage suddenly gasped, and fell face-first onto the floor.

Anzu immediately knelt down next to his unconscious master, checking his pulse. He looked up at Blackout and roared "What have you done to him?"

"He'll wake up in an hour, probably. I've sealed away his powers. Not all of them, just enough to make sure he doesn't rebel. As I said, welcome to my ranks."

-----

And thus concludes Highway to Hell. Stay tuned for the next episode, Funhouse Mirrors!

I am really enjoying this retelling of our absurd tale!

I love how you give brief, yet effective descriptions, and your pacing is excellent.

I would merely advise to use fewer commas. I'm also known for that problem, I've realized. X 3

I look forward to Funhouse Mirrors!

it sounds delightful

Nice stuff, I think you captured Kakamu's personality pretty well there! (thumbsup)

This is brilliantly done, and I love how you are hinting at who comes next with each chapter.
This is why we love you, Jones.

Quite a magical chapter!

Thank you all very much, and nice pun, Klak. Took me a moment.

-----

Episode 3: Funhouse Mirrors

A brown-armoured Skakdi stood on the bow of a large ship, smiling. She had an unnaturally large jaw, and an external spine lined with odd spikes. She turned, and bellowed. “Navigator! What’s our position?”

"20 kio north of Xia, captain!" another being, this one a four-armed, winged sort, cried back. "Shall I make a course correction?"

"No, carry on." The captain ordered, looking out onto the horizon. This assignment was wasted on her, even if she did get to run a small fleet. She was a warrior, not an administrator.

Just beneath her, another woman had attached herself to the hull of the ship with hooks. Thanks to her Mask of Concealment, she was invisible to the Skakdi captain, not that she would look down anyway.

The invisible woman blinked, trying to get a particularly annoying drop of sea water out of her eye. After said drop was replaced by another, she decided to just close her eyes. It would be better for concentration anyway.

Something shifted in the captain’s head. It was as if reality had changed around her, revealing its true colours. She turned back to her crew and shouted “We’re going to be under attack!”

"By whom?" a crew member asked.

"The enemy ships! The ones that are following us! Tell me you saw the enemy ships!" the Skakdi raged.

The other crew members looked on their captain in confusion, but then, something shifted in their heads too. They looked around, full of fear, but also determined to overcome said fear. “Yes, captain!” they all said.

The ship stopped, and its turrets turned to face the other ships in the fleet. They opened fire, sending Kanoka disks and plasma blasts at the other ships. One was sunk immediately, and the other two were left damaged and without the use of many of their own guns. Surprised, the crews of the other ships opened fire with their hand-held weapons, blasting many crew members off the deck of their newly hostile flagship.

Back on the hull of the ship, the invisible woman cringed slightly at the chaos she had caused. But now, it was time to stop. She withdrew her spell, and the crew of the flagship abruptly ceased firing. The crews of the other two ships took it as a cue that they were surrendering, and also ceased fire. All were incredulous at what had happened to their ships; they couldn’t remember a thing.

Then, all of a sudden, armoured beings materialised on the ships, and began disarming their crews, who were for the most part too shocked to fight back. One, who appeared to be a bright yellow and grey-armoured Toa wearing, of all things, a Kraahkan and carrying two sheathed swords appeared on the flagship, and marched towards the captain.

"You." the Skakdi sneered. "I should’ve known."

"You know him?" asked one crewwoman.

"You don’t?" the ‘Toa’ laughed. "You must be new."

"Just got assigned here two weeks ago." she muttered.

"Well then, nice to meet you. I’m Makuta Ynot, leader of the Makuta Anima. Number one on the Brotherhood’s list of enemies."

The captain wanted to turn Ynot’s attention back to herself. “How in Irnakk’s name did you pull this off?”

"A friend. She should be coming out any second now. Kurenitsu, hurry up! Someone wants to meet you!"

The invisible woman sighed, and ripped her hooks out of the hull, flying off. While in mid-air, she dropped her disguise, and used her magnetic power to attract herself back to the ship, landing next to Ynot.

"Makuta Kurenitsu. Hello." she said, wiping some more water off her forehead.

"So what are you going to do with us?" the captain hissed.

The Anima commander turned away from the captain, deciding instead to address the rest of the crew. “I’m afraid I’m going to ask you all to board one of these other ships. We’re commandeering this one.”

The other ships, now also under Anima control, moved up to the flagship, stopping and dropping their anchors alongside it. Planks were thrown across the gaps between the ships, and the four remaining Anima boarded the flagship.

One Makuta, black and blood red, wearing a Jutlin, which for all intents and purposes made him look like he was perpetually sporting a toothy grin, approached Ynot, and spat out two words.

"Good job."

"Thank you very much." Ynot said, bowing mockingly. He then turned back to the captain. "Go on. Shoo!" The Skakdi acquiesced, and moved to one of the other ships. Once all the crew were off the flagship, Ynot did a full circle of the ship, pulling the planks that connected the ships in.

"So, Sasuken, would you like to do the honours?" said Ynot.

"Hold on now!" Kurenitsu shouted. "You can’t possibly go through with this!"

"We can’t let them warn the Brotherhood." Ynot said. "I thought we talked about this."

"She’s right." the green and blue Anima said from behind them. "I mean, they’re our prisoners."

"They’re also our enemies, Trixitin." Hokagetsu, the remaining member of the team, a brown Makuta armed with a Mask of Telepathy and a katana, commented.

"Look now, I don’t know what’s come over you all. We can’t kill that many people just like that. Would we really be better than Blackout?" Trixitin said.

”Yeah, we would.” Asumaru, the remaining member of the team, a green Makuta armed with a Mask of Telepathy and a katana spat out.

"This is a war." Sasuken finally exclaimed. "These are our enemies. It’s that simple." He closed his eyes, and focused. Almighty lightning bolts came down from the sky, striking the two ships and burning them and their crews to a crisp. Kurenitsu and Trixitin sighed, and disappeared below the deck.

Sasuken took the navigator’s position, and slowly steered the ship away from the two burnt-out wrecks. “You know, we could keep this thing.” he said.

"Nah, this thing’s too slow to be practical." Ynot said. "To Nynrah, now."

"To Nynrah." Sasuken repeated.

-----

And that was Funhouse Mirrors. Seeya next time with Animals.

Love this chapter. Ynots chracterization is extemely well played, as are the others
Only nit pick is that you introduced Asumaru and Hokagetsu with the same sentence.

Thanks! I was a little bit worried about the characterisation, so I'm very glad you like them.

You definitely have an accurate representation of Ynot here, and the attacks are awesome. However, it felt a tad rushed towards the end.

No need to worry, though. You were able to capture another person's style quite well: it almost seemed like Ynot himself was writing it, and not you.

I spell better than he does, though.

A 3rd grader with autism having an epileptic seizure has better spelling than me.
What I particularly enjoyed, though, is the fact that you made Kurenitsu badass
I have been trying to figure out how to do that with her forever, and it never clicked.

I liked this chapter. It was very cool to see how you portrayed Ynot's amorality when the situation demanded decisive action. I can't wait to see how you introduce Zev. X 3

Episode 4: Animals
Ynot and Sasuken stood on the bridge of their newly-hijacked ship, looking out onto Nynrah, which was now not far away.

Their radio suddenly cracked into life. "This is Nynrah harbour to incoming ship. Please identify yourselves."

Sasuken shot a worried glance at Ynot. "Crap. What do we do?"

"Identify us. What's the problem?" Ynot shrugged.

"I'm the son of Teridax. You think they won't recognise my voice?"

"I'm Blackout's worst enemy. You think they won't recognise my voice?"

"Incoming ship, do you read? Repeat, this is Nynrah harbour. Identify yourselves or we will sink you."

Sasuken stuck his head outside, and shouted in the direction of the other Anima. "Hey, guys! We need you!"

"No time for that." Ynot interrupted, seizing the controls. He imperceptibly altered the bearing of the ship, and accelerated.

Asumaru looked before them, his eyes widening. He saw a locked gate, blocking the entrance into the harbour, and Rahkshi and other creatures standing on the shore, manning heavy weapons, all ready to fire if they didn't identify themselves soon. They were heading right into the gate.

"Er, Ynot? We're going to crash into the gate." he finally bellowed.

"Of course!" the Anima leader laughed. "That's the point."

"You're a bloody madman." Asumaru muttered. "Wouldn't have it any other way."

The guards looked on in shock as the warship barrelled past them, and crashed into the gate, which caved in, but still failed to break.

Ynot and Sasuken stepped out, onto the deck, and stood with the other Anima. Rahkshi took off into the skies, and swarmed above them, firing madly at the ship.

"This should be easy." Ynot said, and smiled. He raised his arms into the air, and focused on the metal the Rahkshi's armour was constructed of. The creatures suddenly stopped in mid-air, and started flailing and wriggling, trying to escape the Makuta's invisible grip.

Ynot grimaced, and dropped his arms. The Rahkshi fell like rocks, crashing into the water below. The Anima ran to the bow of the ship, and jumped over the broken gate, landing in the water.

-----

Malygos leafed through a weighty tome, muttering to himself. Anzu peeked over his master's shoulder, and made a funny face.

"What?" hissed the mage.

"'History of the Matoran Universe, Volume 1'?"

"We will be here for a long time, Anzu. At least until I can break the spell this.....Makuta cast on me. We need to know how we can exploit this place to our own ends." Malygos said.

"Why don't we just make a run for it? This is humiliating." Anzu sighed.

At this point, Blackout walked in. He had a spring in his step, despite his hulking appearance.
"Hello. Catching up on our history, I see?" he said, noting Malygos' book.

"Yes." Malygos replied. "The library on this planet is quite expansive. My compliments."

"Thank Kakamu. Mine's even bigger, actually. But now's not the time. We have a small problem." the Makuta said.

-----

The Rahkshi guarding the Harbour were never going to be much of a challenge, and every one of the Anima knew that. The real enemy still lay ahead, but the Anima, particularly Hokagetsu, were in a very festive mood.

"Oy, lighten up a little!" Hokagetsu said, handing Ynot what he referred to as a party hat, but what was in reality the head of a decapitated Rahkshi.

"No, thank you." Ynot responded, politely taking the alleged hat and putting it away. "Look, I'm sorry. I know it's Naming Day and all that, but this isn't a time to party. Maybe when we destroy whatever Blackout's building out there."

He then addressed the other Anima. "Let's get moving, folks! We'll come back later. We can decorate the tree with Blackout's skull." he said, gesturing to the already halfway-decorated Naming Day tree, which had appeared, as if by magic, inside the office courtesy of Trixitin.

Asumaru stepped up to the wall, and directed a series of punches into it. It crumbled instantly, leaving a rather sizable hole through which the Anima emerged into Nynrah proper.

-----

Blackout, Kakamu, Malygos, Mephistroth, and Anzu assembled in the hall of the lab, just in front of the entrance, prepared for battle. They were about to storm out, ready to take on the Anima. However, before they did, Ynot burst through the ceiling, landing right in the middle of the group. He then bearhugged Blackout and took off again. The two intertwined Makuta blasted through the front door, and flew together for a few metres, intertwined, before finally crashing into a fountain. While Ynot was off-balance, Blackout hit him with a powerful shadow bolt, knocking him down again.

"So you came here after all. I didn't think you were suicidal." the overlord sneered.

Ynot rolled away, got up, and drew one of his two swords. "I was just gonna tell you the same thing. Just surrender now, okay? That way it'll be quick."

Blackout drew his own sword. It was considerably larger than Ynot's, to which the Anima responded with a snicker. "Like that'd ever happen. It doesn't suit you either. I know you could kill me right now within two seconds if you wanted to. But you don't. You just want glory. You want it so much you'll kill the only person who can save the universe to get it."

Ynot laughed, as he slowly circled his opponent. "You're a bloody madman, not a peacemaker. I'm saving the universe right now, from you."

The Makuta lunged at one another, their swords clashing loudly, as they had done time and time before in the past.

-----

The Anima burst into the hall through what used to be the front door, weapons at the ready.

Malygos made his way towards Trixitin, indifferent to the melee erupting around him.

"I sense a mage, here." Malygos called to the Makuta.

"That speaks well of your abilities." Trixitin replied.

Malygos smiled, and bowed. Without waiting for his opponent's reaction, he flung a ball of magical energy, hitting him in the chest, and pushing him out of the building and into the garden. Trixitin coughed, and shot a lightning bolt over the mage's head.

"Is that all you can do?" Malygos said, following his opponent outside. "Perhaps I have made a mistake."

Trixitin smiled, and closed his eyes. Unbeknownst to the gloating Malygos, the branches of a nearby tree began moving fluidly, like tentacles. They suddenly wrapped themselves around Malygos's wrists, and pulled him back. More branches wrapped themselves around him, locking him to the tree trunk.

"Nope, you've got the right person."

"Good." said Malygos. While he still could, he snapped his fingers. The tree suddenly burst into flames. Its branches instantly released him and snapped back to their original positions, and the burning leaves flew off, and gathered above Malygos's head, like a hellish halo, before flying in Trixitin's direction. Just before they landed on his armour, they exploded in an almighty, multi-coloured fireball, which blew the Anima away.

-----

Kakamu squealed in pain. Before he could lift himself off the pile of debris, Asumaru had already grabbed him by the neck and lifted him into the air.

"Where's the weapon, scumbag?" Asumaru said.

"What weapon?" Kakamu coughed out. "I honestly don't know what you're talking about."

"Really, now?" Asumaru smiled. He spun around, and threw Kakamu across the room. The Makuta cried out again, and groaned.

Asumaru was about to lunge at Kakamu again, when he felt something stab into his armour, and then a sudden surge of pain, as if his antidermis was on fire. He instinctively whipped around, and saw Anzu, holding a jagged, thin dagger and grinning.

"So it does work on your kind after all. I was wondering." he said to the wheezing Asumaru. He then launched a shadow bolt, blowing the Anima away.

"Thanks." Kakamu coughed out, while examining his armour. There was a sizable hole in his shoulder. He rolled his eyes, grabbed a nearby piece of metal, and put it over the hole. Using his plasma power, he melted the plate to the borders of the breach. It would have to do until the battle was over.

-----

Mephistroth threw himself from one hanging lamp to another, just as it exploded, struck by Kurenitsu's plasma beam. He fell, crashing into a desk and knocking it over. The shock made him black out for a second, and he awoke to find Sasuken and Kurenitsu's weapons at his throat.

"Nice try, mate." Sasuken said. "Where'd you learn to jump around like that?"

Mephistroth spat in the Makuta's face, then rolled away before either Sasuken or Kurenitsu could react.

"In hell, fools. In hell." He roared, as his eyes turned a deep green, and his skin seemed to melt, until, suddenly his human form was no more, replaced by a purple-skinned winged demon, easily ten feet tall.

"Run?" said Kurenitsu.

"Definitely."

-----

Ynot tried to rip himself away from the iron door, but Blackout's magnetic hold on him was too powerful. Instead, he used his iron power to simply disperse the door's particles, and delivered a sudden strong uppercut to Blackout's jaw.

The Makuta stumbled back, then fired burning laser beams from his eyes at Ynot. Ynot, shocked, dropped his sword and fell back through the doorway. Blackout laughed, and charged at Ynot, slashing madly.

Ynot stood aside, letting the slash miss him by an inch. He then drew his other sword, just in time to parry a second attack.

He sneered. "You try too hard."

-----

Trixitin groaned, looking down at the large dent that had just appeared in his armour. While the Makuta was distracted, Malygos delivered a sudden telekinetic jolt to his shoulders, forcing him to his knees.

"You're not much of a mage after all." he said.

Trixitin tried to spit, but, as a Makuta, he did not possess any saliva. Instead, he simply scoffed, which almost made Malygos smile, just before a sudden kick to the back knocked him to the ground.

Hokagetsu jumped over the hurt mage, and helped Trixitin to his feet. The two ran away, trying to get as far away as possible before Malygos recovered.

"You alright?" Hokagetsu asked.

"Yeah. I think so. But he's mad. And the most powerful being I've seen in ages."

As Trixitin spoke those words, thin streams of energy struck the two Anima, knocking them both to the ground. Malygos walked out of the garden, eyes burning with rage.

-----

Mephistroth lumbered through the office space, knocking down desks and chairs, his horns scraping uncomfortably against the ceiling. He sniffed around, trying to catch any sign of Sasuken and Kurenitsu.

The aforementioned Sasuken, meanwhile, pinned himself against a wall as far away from Mephistroth as possible, using his chameleon power to stay invisible against it. He was doing his best not to make any sound, and trying to think of a plan of attack. He had no idea in what other aspects Mephistroth was holding back.

Unexpectedly, he heard a soft voice in his head. "Since when is he a demon?" it wondered.

"Probably since forever, Kurenitsu." Sasuken thought. "I have a plan. Listen up."

"This is getting silly. Come out, little Makuta, come out, wherever you are....." Mephistroth said.

Sasuken decloaked, and yelled at Mephistroth. "Hey! Over here!" The demon roared, and threw several balls of shadow energy at the Makuta, who by that point was charging at the demon, letting the balls hit the wall behind him.

Before Mephistroth could react at all, he felt a twinge of pain between his eyes. He stopped, and clutched his forehead.

Sasuken also stopped, and grinned. "What's wrong, hellwhore? Scared?"

The demon blinked. Something was very wrong. Sasuken seemed to be multiplying in front of him, turning into a small army, and every one of them was taunting him. The Anima's words were echoing in his ears, overwhelming his senses.

Sasuken took his chance, and fired a lightning bolt directly into Mephistroth's chest. He fell back, roaring in pain and confusion. He tried to focus again, to attack at least one of the many Sasukens, but his brain was refusing to process any thoughts.

On top of all that, he could feel himself sliding backwards, as if he were being pushed by some invisible force. Then, Sasuken fired another bolt of lightning, finally sending the demon flying back into a pile of broken chairs.

Kurenitsu suddenly appeared next to Sasuken, sporting a faint smile.

"Think that did the trick?" she asked.

"I don't even want to know. Let's go join the others."

-----

Anzu and Kakamu circled Asumaru, sizing up their opponent, even if there wasn't much left to size up anymore. The Anima was in a bad way; his mask was shattered, his left arm had popped out of its socket, and he could barely stand up anymore.

Kakamu threw a weak shadow bolt at Asumaru. Despite its low power, it still almost knocked the Anima over.

"You'll have to tell me what poison that is." the scientist said.

"Not poison." Anzu replied. He then jumped forward and kicked Asumaru in the shin. The Anima collapsed, groaning and grimacing in pain. "It's magic. You wouldn't understand."

"Thanks." Kakamu said. He began charging up another, stronger shadow bolt, when the door burst open, hitting Anzu in the face. Sasuken and Kurenitsu walked in, staring down Kakamu.

"We'll take him, thanks." Sasuken said, pointing to Asumaru. Kakamu was about to attack, only for Kurenitsu to hit him in the face with a bolt of plasma, knocking him out.

Sasuken slung the injured Asumaru over his shoulder, and they ran out of the building, leaving their enemies on the floor.

"Guys, we have a problem." Kurenitsu sent a thought to all the other Anima. "Asumaru is badly injured. We need to get out of here."

-----

Ynot knelt down, avoiding another swipe by Blackout, and quickly sliced into the overlord's knee, causing him to cry out in pain and drop to his knees.

The Anima shot up, and backhanded Blackout, forcing him to the ground. "You have no idea how long I've waited to see this happen."

Blackout snarled, and began to screech. The sound overwhelmed Ynot's audio receptors, disabling them and forcing him back. At the same time, the weather swiftly changed, the bright spring sun covered by black clouds in the blink of an eye. It began to rain, and a lightning bolt struck a bush right next to Ynot, setting it on fire.

Then, Ynot heard Kurenitsu's voice. He looked around, and, seeing no one but Blackout, he remembered it had to be telepathy. He took off into the air, and flew away from Blackout, maneuvering around the many lightning bolts striking all around him.

-----

Malygos and the two Anima stared each other down, thinking of the best way to defeat the other. Trixitin, despite the damage to his armour, wasn't planning to run away.

Malygos struck first, casting a spell which caused fireballs to drop down on the Anima. The two scattered, and Trixitin responded with a beam of magical energy. Hokagetsu joined in with sonic vibrations.

Just prior to impact, Ynot flew in behind Malygos, and summarily kicked him to the ground. He then had to jump to the side, letting Trixitin's beam hit a nearby bin.
"Hey! Guys!" Ynot yelled. "We've gotta get out of here! Trixitin, you still got that Void Manipulator?"

"Stop shouting!" Trixitin said. "Yeah, I got it."
Just then, Sasuken and Kurenitsu arrived, carrying their barely conscious friend. Malygos began to stir, and charged up a blast of shadow energy.

Trixitin pulled a device out of a small drawer in his armour, and began to fiddle with it. While he did, Ynot responded to Malygos' attack with a burst of iron elemental energy, blocking it. He then created three iron spears, and flung them at Malygos one-by-one.

A portal opened up behind the Anima, and they hopped inside one-by-one, Ynot as the last one. Malygos fired another shadow bolt into the portal, just as it slammed shut.

-----

"And you're sure it's completely undamaged?" Blackout said.

"Aye, my lord. Which is more than can be said for the rest of the lab." Kakamu laughed.

"We have enough workers to rebuild it, especially now that the Hub is finished. Let me see it."

"Of course, my lord."

Kakamu turned, and pushed at a completely ordinary wall. Part of it then vanished, revealing in its place a staircase which the two Makuta descended.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Blackout said. "This will win us the universe."

-----

Ynot sat down in front of a computer screen, and typed several commands. A loading screen popped up, and was soon replaced by the smiling face of a white man with very, very long black hair.

"Hey, Ynot! Long time no see. How's it going, man?" he said.

"Hi, Zev. Sorry, this isn't really a courtesy call. I have a problem."

-----

And thus concludes Animals. Our next episode shall introduce the new co-writer, our very own Klak!

Now THAT was a good chapter. Really exemplifies how BZPB works

Ynot wrote:Now THAT was a good chapter. Really exemplifies how BZPB works

Indeed. It blends humor and action, which is what BZPB is practically all about.

Now, okay, I didn't write this one, Klak did. But I'm posting it.

Episode 5: Gods Old and New

A worker Rahkshi on Nynrah breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, this particular hole in the wall would be completely patched up. Blackout’s enemies always made such a mess.

He was about to place the last brick, when suddenly, 3 Rahkshi burst through the assembly, knocking all of it down. The hole in the wall was once again exposed. The worker Rahkshi grunted, and tipped his hardhat at the others, who nodded and entered while hissing. The Rahkshi started working again, hissing and mumbling curses.

One brick left! The worker Rahkshi felt proud of himself. All he needed was someone to stick them all together and…

The hole burst open once more as a group of Nynrah Ghosts ran in, grinning. They said something about their new blaster having worked. The worker Rahkshi growled at them, and the group of Matoran quickly darted away.

Once again, the Rahkshi labored, until he reached the same step as he had before. Suddenly, a white man with very, very long black hair entered through the bricks. With him were other strange looking creatures (at least to a Rahkshi). The worker hissed and screeched, and slammed his hardhat on the floor.

“Sorry buddy,” said Zev, cheerily, “Luckily we’re the only ones who’d do something like that, so you don’t have to worry!”

The worker Rahkshi looked up at Zev, and shook his head.

--

“Dispense with the pleasantries, Raregroove,” spat out Blackout as Zev entered a massive room with a large window and balcony. The Makuta stood on the latter, and glared at the Juraian.

He grinned. For a while, this was the only way Blackout would say hello to him. Maybe he won’t be as cranky when he’s older, thought Zev.

“So, you and Malygos, huh,” said Zev, cheerily, “It fits! Two conniving and scheming warriors who are deemed as heroes in their home worlds deciding to work together for…whatever you’re doing. ”

“So, Ynot told you. Brilliant,” Blackout muttered.

Suddenly, the Juraian’s words were evinced in a more somber tone.

“Conniving and scheming, Blackie. That’s the key word. Malygos is dangerous,” said Zev.

“I know,” chuckled Blackout, “You all think he’s playing me for a fool. It’s like you don’t know me at all, Juraian,” Blackout leaned on one of the rails, staring into the setting suns. “I am already several steps ahead of Malygos, and if he ever dares to betray me, he will find that loyalty is infinitely superior to a fate worse than death.”

“You’re underestimating him, Blackie.”

“Don’t call me that, Zev.”

Zev raised his arms up, and sighed, “Fine. I’ll leave you be.”

“Good to see you too, Raregroove,” Blackout said as he continued to peer at the sky.

As Zev exited the building, Makoto, Namah, and Prudence walked up to him.

“What’d he say, Zevvy?” asked Prudence.

“He laughed it off,” uttered Zev, while he grinned.

“What an idiot,” Namah said obnoxiously, “He doesn’t know what he’s getting into!”

“He says he’s planned for this though. Either way, he was warned. It’s a shame we travelled all this way to preach to the choir,” said Zev while his grin grew.

Makoto jumped up and down, beginning to sense what was coming.

“You’re going to need something to compensate for the trouble, right? Right?” she said cheerily.

The Juraian’s grin grew to a mythological extent.

“Precisely,” he said as he nodded in the direction of the sky. “But we will do that tomorrow.”

“I’m hungry,” blurted out Makoto. The others began to laugh, and all made their way to a nearby restaurant.

--

About an hour and a half later, the gang found themselves wandering in a secret Makuta vault on Destral. Two Rahkshi ran up to them, their shrill hisses slicing their way into being the loudest sound there. Makoto quickly slammed both of her fists into their faces, knocking them out in seconds.

“Nicely done,” said an astonished Zev.

“Thanks!” Makoto said as she smiled.

The quartet made their way through the different labyrinthine hallways, attacking several different Rahkshi guards. Eventually, they found themselves in front of a massive vault.

Zev smiled as he raised his hand in the air. “Acidius,” he said quietly.

A hole burned through the vault, one large enough for all of them to walk through. After they entered into it, they saw hundreds upon hundreds of weapons, tools, and artifacts all around them. The quartet stood in awe of these treasures.

“Wow, that’s a lot of stuff,” uttered Prudence while she broke the silence.

“I know that look, Zev,” said Namah, who stared intently at the Juraian. “There’s one thing in particular that we’re here for.”

“That’s right,” Zev smiled, “It’s a map. Or rather, a piece of the map as the legend says. Once all the pieces are assembled, an adventurer will have a clear path to the location of the Master Sword, a powerful weapon forged by the Riders.”

“The what now?” asked Makoto as her ears wiggled.

“The Riders. It’s a nickname. No one knows the real name of their species, but they were an empire that ruled even before the Vrai rose to power,” Zev coughed, and then continued to speak. “They were brave warmongers who, according to legend, could conquer planets in a day. They rode anything, hence the name. Some rode horses. Others literally stood on spaceships wearing suits and commanding their armies. They became so powerful that the Great Beings helped the Vrai in their ascent to being a major galactic power. Eventually, our squishy alien friends challenged the Riders, and conquered them.”

“I thought that was a mere legend,” said Prudence, tilting her head to the side.

Zev grinned. “You’ll find that lots of mere legends are true.”

The group began to search through the loot, and eventually Namah found a small leather pouch. She opened it, and found a strange and worn out sheet of paper, battered by the merciless forces of time. The markings on it were completely intelligible, but they somehow seemed alien.

“Eureka,” said Namah while grinning. Zev patted her on the back to congratulate her.

Suddenly, the hissing of hundreds of Rahkshi with the screaming sound of an alarm pierced the ears of Zev and his comrades. The group looked towards the entrance of the vault. They knew that their time had come to an end.

“!@#$. We got to get out of here,” Zev said with a blend of silence and urgency.

“Leave it to me, beaver,” Namah responded.

In just a few minutes, they were outside of the facility. They narrowly escaped Destral, as a squadron of Rahkshi had fired their staffs at them while their ship flew away.

--

Zev stopped on Nynrah to obtain a few supplies and to say goodbye to a few friends. A turquoise armored Matoran approached him. She wore a Kaukau, and was one of the inhabitants of the island.

“Do you really hafta go?” she asked, her childlike voice accenting her sadness.

Matoran quickly age physically, already appearing like adults at what humans would call an early age, and maintaining this look for millennia. But mentally, they age normally. It was an interesting contradiction that Zev had often noted.

“Yeah, but someday, maybe, you’ll be up there with me,” Zev said, as he smiled and crouched in front of the Matoran. “Or I’ll just come back and visit.”

He placed his hand on her shoulder, and continued to smile. The Matoran, too, smiled.

“And maybe I can take my robot with me!” she said, eagerly.

“Yeah! He seems like he’ll be a great guy,” Zev said, nodding. “What was his name again?”

“I don’t know yet, really,” she responded, “I was thinking something with a K.”

“Well, you think on that, pay attention to growing up, and before you know it, I’ll be back! And I will get to watch those little eyes of yours brighten up!”

--

Far away, in another universe, a Makuta wearing a hood was approached by a Ta'har that quivered in fear.

“M-master,” he said while he trembled, “K-klak is h-here. H-he d-doesn’t l-look t-too h-h-ha-happy, master.”

“Wonderful,” said the Makuta, “Bring him in.”

--

As Zev’s ship rocketed away, Blackout held the same leather pouch from the vault in his hands. He watched the Juraian’s spacecraft leave, and grinned. Inside of the pouch there was another piece of the map. The others had missed it.

“Let the games begin,” said Blackout, with a wide grin on his face.

-----

Well, that's it. Give Klak a big round of applause, and stay tuned for The Captain!

I liked that.

Zev was portrayed very accurately - carefree and slightly, just slightly, dorky.

...

Namah would object to only using "slightly," but you get it.

This is gonna be good. *gets the pop corn*

Another riveting chapter. Applause to Klak.

It's always fun seeing Zev in action.

Well, there we are! Say hello to The Captain!

-----

Episode 6: The Captain

Deep in space, far, far away from its home, an imposing ship ploughed through the boid, its grey and blue hull a rare consciously-made sight in this part of space.

Blackout, Malygos, and Anzu stood on the bridge of the Thunder Arrow, observing its Rahkshi crew at work.

Blackout pulled out his small leather pouch, and laid out the map contained within on a nearby console.

"So, where to now?" he said, looking for the red circle that the markings on the map claimed would indicate the location of the next map.

——-

"Ouch! Get out of the way!" Namah said, as a particularly tall alien tried to push past her.

Despite the frantic pace everyone in the arrivals hall was trying to maintain, she took a second to look at Zev. As a member of the Juraian royal family, he couldn’t afford to be recognised in a hive of scum and villainy like Poseidon, so he was forced to disguise himself. To this end, and over Namah’s protests that they’d just make him easier to spot, he put on a pair of large garish purple-rimmed sunglasses. To off-set them, he also cut his hair, and equipped himself with a glorious fake handlebar mustache and a green hat. Should anyone ask, he was to present himself as Luigi.

Finally, after a passport check that put “Luigi’s” credentials to the test, they left the space port and took a breath of the cool, thick, polluted Poseidon air.

"Woo. This is almost as bad as Shanghai." said the hitherto-silent Prudence. "Okay, so what now?  We could spend forever here and not find the damn thing."

"Well, let’s be honest. This planet is crawling with pirates. One of them would’ve found it by now." Zev said.

"Still doesn’t give us much. They don’t even have to be in the capital."

"I think I have an idea." Zev suddenly walked off, looking around for someone who actually looked like a native.

"Zev, wait….." Namah said, but to no avail.

" ‘Scuse me, ma’am." Zev approached a random passer-by. "You wouldn’t happen to know an antiques dealer ‘round these parts, would you?"

"Oh my. Um, an antiques dealer? I’d say…..maybe on the far side of town? By Lantern Avenue. Deszaras or something like that. Yeah."

"Oh, OK. Thank you, ma’am!" Zev walked back to his friends, triumphantly.

"An antiques dealer?" Namah said, her head tilted as if to say ‘really?’. "We’re looking for a map, not some chairs."

"Well, it’s a place to start. Besides, the mess hall could use new chairs." Prudence said. "The ones we’ve got now hurt my butt."

Zev and Namah snickered, and then walked off to flag down a cab, just as Blackout, Malygos, and Anzu emerged from the space port. They had considerably less trouble navigating the crowd, largely due to Blackout’s bulk.

The Makuta examined the crowd carefully. It wasn’t going to be easy to find anyone in that maelstrom, even with his electronic eyes, or so he thought, until the sight of two women of different species and a man in a green hat and bright purple shades trying to flag down a cab changed his mind. “Eureka!” he yelled out.

"You found them?" Anzu said, surprised.

"Lesson one, never underestimate Raregroove’s dress sense. Let’s go catch a cab."

By the time the trio had reached the taxi stop, Zev, Namah, and Prudence had already driven off. Not to be deterred, they piled into another one.

"Follow that cab!" Malygos ordered, pointing at Zev’s speeding taxi.

"Not again." the driver moaned, as she reluctantly fired up the engine and followed them.

——-

The taxi roared onto a quiet back street lined with shuttered shops. Zev, Namah, and Prudence gout out and examined their surroundings. Among the many closed, derelict stores, there was one whose lights shone like the sun in comparison.

"Okay, intact store in the middle of a horror film scene." Prudence said. "Lovely."

"Ten bucks says that’s a gun store….." Zev said, and headed for the door, but a man with a shotgun suddenly emerged to block his path.

"You were right!" Namah said. Her knuckles began to glow slightly, as Namah prepared to release her ether tendrils if needed.

"Stop right there, hoodlum." the man said, holding his shotgun to Zev’s chest. "You ain’t getting me."

The man was certainly an odd sort. He was a dark blue and silver mechanoid, who looked like he was built of boxes. He wore a helmet that seemed to evoke an Earth eagle.

"Woah, woah, woah!" Prudence shouted. "We’re not hoodlums. We’re just looking for someone."

"Don’t worry, girls, I can handle this." Zev said, carefully nudging the mech’s gun away.

"Fine. Who are you looking for?" the mech said, reluctantly lowering his gun.

"An antiques dealer called……what was it again? Des Zaras? Something like that." said Prudence.

"Something like that." the mech repeated. "Come inside, friends. This cold is doing a number of my circuits."

They entered the mech’s well-lit shop, which was littered with all manner of objects, most of which seemed to have no conceivable purpose whatsoever. “What the hell kind of store is this?”, Namah wondered.

"So, you’re looking for Des Zaras. I can tell you one thing right off the bat. He doesn’t exist." the mech said.

"Really? Damn it. Well, we’ll be off now. Thanks." Zev said. He was about to turn around and leave, when the mech called out "Not so fast. Deathsaurus, antiques dealer, at your service!"

"Deathsaurus?" Namah snickered. Deathsaurus merely sighed in response.

"So, care to tell us why you held me at gunpoint?" Zev asked.

"And would it have something to do with how all the other shops are shut and boarded?" Namah added.

"Yeah. The furry mafia comes round here sometimes. And when they do, you pay up or close down. I’m not gonna do either any time soon."

"Furry mafia?" Namah groaned internally.

"Yeah. So I saw you," Deathsaurus looked at Namah. "and I thought you might be with them."

"Really now?" Namah was not too happy with being threatened on such flimsy grounds.

Zev decided to break the tension. “Anyway! So, Deathsaurus, we’re looking for something…..”

——-

Another taxi quietly pulled up alongside Deathsaurus’s store.

"Well, we’re here. Now, do you wanna pay me, or-" the driver began, but was cut off by Blackout shoving a roll of banknotes into her hand. "Keep the change." the Makuta said.

"But, but…..this is 100 credits!" the driver stammered out as she counted the money.

——-

"Oh, so you’re looking for a map?" Deathsaurus said.

"Hidden in a leather pouch, yes." replied Prudence.

"And what makes you think I have such a thing?" the antiques dealer laughed.

"If you don’t have it, tell us who might."

"Oh, I think I do. So, how much would you be willing to pay for such a trinket?"

"Well, it’s only a collector’s item." said Zev. "It’s not terribly valuable. 80 credits."

At that moment, Blackout, Malygos, and Anzu stormed in.

"Hi, Zev!" Blackout said, grinning.

Namah whipped around, knuckles glowing and tendrils at the ready. “How the hell did you find us?”

"Take a guess." said Anzu.

Namah turned around yet again, grabbed Zev’s hat and threw it away. “God damn it, Raregroove.”

Blackout laughed heartily. “What’s wrong, Zevvy? Didn’t want to embarrass daddy by being seen here?”

"Okay, if I can’t call you Blackie, you cut it out with the ‘Zevvy’." Zev replied.

"I think I’m missing out on some history here." said Deathsaurus. "Deathsaurus, at your service. What is going on here?"

"Makuta Blackout. These are my associates, Malygos and Anzu." Blackout said. "The fool in the conspicuous shades is First Prince of Jurai."

"First Prince of Jurai, you say?" Deathsaurus said, a sudden glint in his eye. "I’m afraid I must reject your offer, Mr. Raregroove. I’m not going below 2,000 credits."

"2,000 credits! But we don’t have that much!" Prudence yelled, distressed and terrified at the prospect of Blackout getting another part of the map.

"Oh, I don’t believe that. You’ve got the Prince of Jurai with you, have you not?"

Zev, of course, had 2,000 credits, but he couldn’t afford to spend that much. He had to maintain the Bebop, pay the crew….. He could always ask his father for help, but would it arrive in time?

The answer was no.

"2,000 credits? Well….." Malygos said, fumbling around in his jacket pocket. After a few seconds, he pulled out a small pouch full of gemstones, and handed it to Deathsaurus.

"I believe this should come down to about two thousand."

"Are you crazy?" Anzu telepathically said to Malygos. "This is not for you!"

"I know what I’m doing, dear." the mage replied.

Deathsaurus emptied the pouch out onto the table, and examined the stones carefully. “Why yes, that is two thousand credits. It’s a pleasure doing business with you.” He then disappeared behind the counter, and returned with another leather pouch.

Blackout grabbed the pouch, and examined the contents carefully. He then placed it into a small compartment in his armour. “Thank you, Mr. Deathsaurus. We’ll be off now.”

Blackout, Anzu, and Malygos left the shop, quickly followed by a seething Namah. Once out of the store, she jumped into the air, deploying ether tendrils. She smacked Anzu in the face, knocking him into a door, then landed and rolled gracefully, landing just in front of Blackout, who sighed and kicked her quite hard in the head.

"Control your women, Raregroove!" the Makuta shouted.

"Wow, no." Prudence muttered, and pulled out a small sling. She fired several stones from it, all missing Blackout by miles.

"Is this a joke?" Malygos asked.

Just as they began to laugh, Prudence fired another stone, this one glowing faintly. It struck Blackout’s chest, pushing him back. Before the Makuta could recover, Namah wrapped her tendrils around his leg, and pulled, dragging the Makuta down to his knees. Prudence finally fired another stone, which blasted a hole clean through Blackout’s armour.

Zev charged at Malygos and Anzu, creating an energy sword out of thin air. He took a swing at Malygos, who just floated away into the air, and strangely, started clapping.

"Um, thanks?" Zev said, confused. An unseen force suddenly dragged him into the air, at eye-level with Malygos.

As Blackout, seemingly unfazed by the large hole in his chest, got back up, Namah jumped onto his head, and brought her tendrils down on the Makuta again and again.

"Oh, get off!" Blackout screamed, and grabbed Namah’s hand. He then activated his plasma power, burning Namah. She screamed, and as she did, Blackout threw her off his back.

"So, Magoo. How ya doing?" Zev said, pulling off his shades. "What’s keeping you with that loser Blackie?"

"How do you know who I am?" Malygos hissed. "It’s been millions of years."

"And you were very big back in the day! So, why haven’t you just quit?"

"It’s….. complicated." the mage said.

"Oh? Oh, I see. The great conqueror Malygos can’t beat Blackout!" Zev said, and started laughing.

Malygos hissed again, and released his telekinetic grip on Zev, letting him fall to the ground. He then returned to the ground himself, landing next to Anzu, who was dodging Prudence’s sling fire.

"This is ridiculous." he said, forming a shield around himself and Anzu. He stamped his foot down, teleporting all three of them back to the Thunder Arrow.

——-

Deathsaurus looked on at the melee in progress outside his shop, utterly dumbfounded. Clearly he’d gotten in the middle of a very intense personal rivalry. He must make sure to avoid Juraians in the future.

Anyway, it didn’t matter. With the amount of money he’d just made, he could easily abandon this dead-end job, he thought, as he disappeared down the staircase and into his personal sanctuary, a room filled with all sorts of artefacts. It wasn’t that different from his shop, really, except for the large pirate flag on the wall.

Oh, how he missed those days.

——-



Well, there we are. Stay tuned for the next episode!

This was awesome! Probably the funniest chapter yet. Deathsaurus was great in this one!

Love reading this. It's nice to hear the stories in a coherent fashion instead of the up in the air stuff we normally deal with

I quite enjoyed this.

You portray everyone's characters quite well, and I liked Deathsaurus's role to play.

I look forward to Chap. 7.

Well, first of all, I'd like to apologise for the delay in posting this chapter: it took almost two months to complete, thanks to my busy schedule, but mostly due to my procrastination.

-----

Episode 7: Myopia

Teruga Prime wasn’t a nice place. Despite the authorities’ best efforts to clean up their image by planting gigantic, skyscraper-like trees in the cities or opening up supposedly independent media, the name of the planet was still a synonym for “polluted, authoritarian crapsack”. So, obviously, Vi was very excited about having to go there.

"Oh, come on, Vi. This place looks gloomy enough as it is." Makoto said, as they made their way out of the arrivals lounge.

"What’s there to be happy about?" Vi shrugged. "Just another mission to another god-forsaken world to stop a tyrant." Makoto sighed, and turned her attention to looking for an exit.

"Excuse me, ladies! Let me help you!" A Terugan ran up to them, and grabbed Makoto’s suitcase. He was about to walk away with it, when Makoto floored him with a punch.

"But, ma’am! I wanted to help! I’m with the home office. We’ve been waiting for you for a week!" the Terugan said, while a bruise grew on the side of his head.

"Oh, you have? Well, okay then." Vi said.

The Terugan got up, grabbed Vi and Makoto’s bags, and headed for the exit.

"Vi, are you sure we can trust that guy?" said Makoto.

"This is Zev’s handiwork, I can tell. The bastard has associates everywhere."

The Terugan dumped the bags into the boot of his bubble-like car, and opened the door for his passengers. “Come on. The chief’s waiting.”

——-

"Get your elbow out of my face, bastard!" Mephistroth shouted at a Terugan, who then did exactly that, though at the cost of shoving a woman closer to the exit.

His companion, Kakamu, smiled, even though he had little more to be happy about; he had so little room that, if he needed to breathe, he would’ve found it quite difficult. “Tell me, Mephi, have you ever considered a career in diplomacy?” he said.

The train finally seemed to stop, and daylight broke through the small gaps in-between the passengers’ heads. Ancient gears whirred, and the door opened, releasing dozens of very glad Terugans, as well as Kakamu and Mephistroth.

The two could easily have been mistaken for one another. Normally Kakamu didn’t even want to be associated with Mephistroth, let alone resemble him, but his questionable prowess in shape-shifting forced him to imitate someone he was familiar with, which unfortunately meant pretending to be Mephistroth’s twin.

After leaving the station, and some fumbling around with a map, they finally arrived at someone’s house. Kakamu knocked on the door, and an elderly Terugan in a bathrobe, supporting himself with a cane, with a noticeably badly-adjusted contact lense on his eye, answered. “Yes?” he croaked.

"Professor Tay?" Mephistroth asked. "Ihor and Hodor Yamaga. We called you earlier."

"Yes, yes. Come on in." They entered, and went straight into the living room. The walls were decorated with alien-looking masks and paintings, and even the table was clearly an antique. Tay left for the kitchen, and returned with three glasses and a bottle.

"Don’t touch that!" he hissed at Kakamu, who was fiddling with an old stylus. "It’s 400 years old!" Kakamu decided not to mention that he was actually a lot older than that.

The professor tried to pour all three of them drinks, but his shaking hands defied him. Kakamu went to his rescue, taking the bottle and pouring the drinks himself.

Mephistroth decided to get down to business. “So, professor. I understand you dug up some Rider artefacts some time ago.”

"Ten years ago, yes. I didn’t expect anyone to ask about them." said Tay. "No one on this planet cares for archaeology anymore. That was my last dig. I’ve been retired ever since."

"Excuse me, professor. We need to know where those artefacts are now." Kakamu said.

"Um, well, you see, um. I think we sent them to the city museum to be catalogued. They were on display there for a time."

"Excellent. So we’ll be off to the museum, then." Mephistroth said, about to get up, when Tay interrupted him. "No! The museum is shut now. They’re about to open a new one."

"So…..we’ll be off to the new museum, then."

——-

The driver dropped Vi and Makoto off in front of somebody’s house, rather than the company HQ or armoured compound they’d been expecting. After giving them their bags, and dropping one on his foot in the process, the driver left, quietly cursing.

Vi and Makoto slowly walked up and knocked on the door. They were answered by a Terugan wearing a stained white T-shirt. “Yeah?” he moaned.

"Er…..I think we’ve got the wrong place." Vi said.

"Let ‘em in, Inv." a man shouted. Inv sighed, and stepped aside, letting them in. The two women entered, not without a hint of reluctance. They couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong here, and upon entering the living room, that feeling just got worse.

Three guys were there, not counting Inv, sat around a table, eating something that looked like pizza, but with toppings that looked like black slime. Vi certainly wasn’t likely to try it any time soon.

"These are college students!" Makoto thought.

——-

Tay had gone to the toilet, leaving Kakamu and Mephistroth alone. The Makuta, in his boredom, was looking through a drawer full of what could be charitably described as ‘junk’, when he found a gold envelope. Out of curiosity (and, it must be said, some degree of delusion), he looked inside, and then called Mephistroth over.

"What have you found now, you utter child? …..Oh. It’s shiny."

"Stupid idiot." Kakamu replied, waving the envelope in front of him. He then pulled out the letter inside. "It’s an invitation to the museum opening."

"Shiny…..oh. Oh. I see." The demon’s eyes lit up.

"He wasn’t gonna use it anyway. Did you see the junk he filed it with?" Kakamu said, pocketing the envelope.

——-

One of the students awkwardly got up, and stretched out his hand. “I’m Yon. These are my friends. Nov, Cos, and Inv.”

Vi slowly shook Yon’s hand, and Makoto followed, a bit more enthusiastically.

"Viriathus. Call me Vi."

"Makoto Nanaya. Nice to meet you, lads."

"Nice to meet you too." Yon said. "Flirtsworth told me a lot about you."

"Flirtsworth?"

"It’s his net boyfriend!" Cos suddenly spoke up. He then took a big swig of beer.

"Shut up!" Yon hissed.

"No, but he is! They chat all the time. He says it’s about the revolution….."

"It [i[is[/i] about the revolution!"

"I need to make a call." Vi sighed, and left the room.

——-

"May I take your order?" the robot waiter chirped.

"Yeah. Two beers." Mephistroth said. The robot rolled away, leaving them alone once more. They made good use of this time, by staring out the window or otherwise avoiding each other’s gaze.

As the robot returned with the beers, Kakamu chose to break the silence. “You know, I’ve been wondering. That Elvish language. Where’d you learn it?”

Mephistroth set his glass down. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

"Oh, don’t bother. I was there too, remember?"

The demon sighed. “I was just reading out loud. What makes you think I actually understood the words?”

"I’m not a linguist like Ynot, but I’ve learnt a few things from him." Kakamu said. "I can tell when someone is sounding out words they don’t comprehend. That wasn’t what you did."

"I’ve got nothing more to say to you, lab rat."

"First of all, that’s not what ‘lab rat’ means. Second of all, why so much hostility? Did a Makuta kill your family? I wasn’t always one, you know."

"What are you on about now?" Mephistroth sighed again. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to kill this idiot Makuta and never deal with his kind again. He certainly had no desire to hear his life story.

"It’s a long story. I was a Ta-Matoran once. I was visiting the coast when it flooded, and I was swept out to sea. When I woke up, I was a Toa. Just like that, for no apparent reason. Some people took me in. The Order of Mata Nui. Blackout probably told you about them. I was one of their agents for a while, but eventually, I decided to quit. But they don’t let you do that, so I ran. Four of their top brass chased me for months. Eventually, I ended up on some random island. Someone had been using it as a lab, experimenting with Makuta essence and the like. They showed up and started banging on the door. So I decided to drink it. Don’t ask me why. Next thing I knew, I was a Makuta. And I killed them all. While I was still trying to figure everything out, the lab’s owner showed up. It was Blackout. He took me in, gave me a purpose in life. And we’ve been working together ever since."

Mephistroth stared at Kakamu, looking distinctly unimpressed. “Why’d you tell me all that?”

"It pissed you off, didn’t it? Having to listen to all that." Kakamu replied. He downed his pint, and got up. "Don’t bother, I’ll go pay."

——-

Holding her phone, Vi stepped out onto the driveway. After a minute’s wait, during which she was subjected to an ad (as opposed to the usual dialling tone), Zev finally picked up.

"Zev, you complete dork. We need to talk. But first of all, how’ve you been?"

"I’ve been better. We were attacked yesterday." said Zev.

"Attacked?!"

"Yeah. They caught us by surprise and boarded. They tried to download the ship’s log. They got a few entries before we forced them back to their ship."

"Any idea who they were?" Vi asked, relieved since Zev hadn’t mentioned any significant damage. Even if Zev acted as captain most of the time, the Bebop was still her ship, damn it, and she’d be very, very annoyed to find her baby had been blown up while she wasn’t around.

"Nope. They were all of different species, all decked out in kit that you can buy in a high-end store. Probably mercs."

"Who have we pissed off lately, apart from Blackout?"

"Well, there’s the chairman of the Pulse central bank, but I don’t think he’d hire mercs over a poker game."


"OK. So, as I said, we need to talk, Flirtsworth."

"….. Oh, man, they told you.

"Yes. Why do you think these frat boys can help us get the map?"

"Look, they may look like frat boys, but they’re legit revolutionaries. Seriously."

"You promise?"

"On my mother’s head."

Vi knew Zev wouldn’t throw such words about foolishly. She thanked him, hung up, and went back inside to find Makoto laughing and eating the alleged slime pizza with Yon and the others.

"You better be right, Raregroove." she thought.

——-

"What do you think?" Mephistroth said, holding up a picture of a brown suit. "Think it’d suit me?"

"It makes you look like an arse. Go for it." Kakamu replied, while shape-shifting into a smart grey version of the same outfit.

"Dumbass….." the demon muttered.

——-

Upon awaking from her hangover-fuelled nap, Makoto cautiously made her way out of the guest bedroom and down the stairs. She practically stumbled into the living room.

"Ah, good. We were just waiting for you." said Vi.

"What’s going on here?" Makoto said, as she tried to make sense of her surroundings. Apart from Vi, Yon, Nov, Inv, and Cos, there were three new Terugans in the room.

"Makoto, meet my other friends. Bil, Rah, and Lol." said Yon.

"Nice to meet you." Makoto said, awkwardly dropping down onto a chair. "So, what’s all this?"

"Well, as you know, we’re revolutionaries. We’re gonna start a revolution." replied Nov. "A new museum’s opening tonight. All the elite will be there. Maybe even President Nin himself."

"And you’re hoping to do what, exactly? Kill him? Take him prisoner?" Vi said. "What do you think it’ll accomplish? Some ambitious underling might just take over."

"Even if they do, it’ll send a message. The people won’t take this lying down. But it’s not your problem anyway." Yon said. "The map you’re looking for is in the museum. While we deal with Nin, you can steal it."

——-

Mephistroth and Kakamu entered a grand hall, waving their invitation at the bouncer. Looking around, they spotted several other non-Terugans, probably diplomats.

While Kakamu examined the buffet, Mephistroth looked around the exhibits, searching for anything that looked like a map.

As Kakamu dumped cookies onto his plate, he was approached by a middle-aged Terugan. “Excuse me? What are you doing here?”

"Um, I’m a diplomat. From Gorlam Prime." Kakamu sputtered out. "Charge d’affaires at the embassy."

"Ah, yes. You arrived recently, didn’t you?" the Terugan said, examining his interlocutor through his ornate monocle.

"Yeah. We’re new."

"We? You’re not alone?"

"Yeah, I have a friend. He’s looking over the exhibits."

Just then, Mephistroth arrived. “Kay, I found i- hey, who’s this?”

"You should know, being diplomats." the Terugan said, sounding more than a little insulted. "I’m President Nim." A small boy ran up to him, looking barely 12. Of course, since he was a Terugan, that didn’t mean much. "Papa! Papa! I found something really cool. Come see!"

"That’s alright, Vok, just let me finish up with the man." Nin said. He turned back to Mephistroth. "So, you’re from Gorlam Prime too?"

Kakamu reached out to him telepathically, informing him of their cover story. Mephistroth got the message, and nodded.

"Ah, yes. I’m the new minister-counsellor at the embassy."

"Thank you. It’s just, I hadn’t realised we even had diplomatic relations with Gorlam Prime. There’s so many planets around, I can’t keep track of them all."

Nin then walked away, presumably to see what his son had found.

"You utter dolt." Mephistroth muttered. "You tried to pass us off as diplomats, in front of the president. Of course he’s gonna see through it."

"What was I supposed to say?"

"Say we’re scholars! It’s a bloody museum!"

——-

The car park in front of the museum had been blocked off with a veritable barricade. Armed soldiers hiding behind sandbags prevented access, letting only those who could present an invitation through. When two white vans passed by, they immediately approached. Without need for any further signals, both vans stopped. A soldier knocked on the window of the first van’s driver.

Nov wound down his window, and looked down at the soldier. “Can I help you, officer?” he said.

"You’re in a temporarily restricted area. I’m gonna need your ID." the guard retorted.

"Sure." Nov began to rummage around in his glovebox. The soldier drummed his fingers on the door, waiting for him. Nov soon returned, and pointed a gun at the man’s forehead.

"Don’t move a muscle."

Simultaneously, the side door swung open, revealing Vi, holding a massive rifle aimed directly at the barricade. It would easily be half her height, if not more.

"It’s worth going through customs for this thing." she smiled, and pulled the trigger once. The soldiers began to scatter, but it was no good. An explosive shell struck their sandbag barricade, blowing it, and the soldiers, to smithereens.

Vi stepped out of the van, sparing a moment to admire her handiwork. Makoto and the Terugans stepped out of their vans, and joined up with Vi.

"Come on, Vi." Yon said. "What’s got you so worried?"

"It’s…..it’s nothing. Go on."

She could deal with killing by now, at least when it was necessary. Had she just been pushed to shoot random people for the sake of someone else’s war?

——-

"Yup, that looks like it." Kakamu said. He reached out as if to touch the map, but only touched the glass display case.

Suddenly, the doors swung open, and Vi, Makoto, Yon, and the others stormed in. Yon fired at the ceiling a few times, and everyone immediately dropped to the ground.

"Nobody move!" he yelled.

"You say that before you shoot!" Kakamu yelled back. "Amateurs!"

Yon turned to Vi and Makoto. “Damn, who are these guys?”

"I think I recognise the guy in the black suit." Vi said.

"It’s Mephistroth!" Makoto cried out.

"Yes, okay, it’s us!" Mephistroth replied. "But we’re just guests. We won’t interfere." As a sign, he put his hands in the air, and Kakamu followed suit.

"Very well." Vi said, giving them an icy look that would freeze a berserker in his tracks.

Yon and Cos immediately picked out one man in the crowd, and cornered him.

"President Nin." Yon smiled. "How good to see you."

"You’re rebels. I should’ve known." Nin stared right into Yon’s eye. "So, what now? You’ll shoot me?"

Yon pushed his gun into Nin’s abdomen hard enough to push him away. “My name’s Yon. You sent both my parents to prison for life. They died six months later. They both just happened to fall down the stairs, at the exact same time. Just because they had different ideas about foreign policy.”

"They were a threat to our security!" Nin fired back. "They had to be dealt with!"

"Is that how you see them all?" Cos asked. "Ten thousand threats? Because that’s how many you’ve locked away."

Yon pulled the trigger once, then twice. Nin fell to the ground, his mouth wide open. The rebel stepped aside, letting the terrified guests have a look.

Vok knelt down next to his father, squeezing his hand. “Papa? Papa?” Nin said nothing. In the silence, Yon’s words echoed in his mind. He understood just enough to know they were wrong. His father wasn’t a bad man.

Mephistroth was done waiting.

With strength that belayed his frail disguise, he punched the display case, smashing it to smithereens, and snatched the map from its hold. His actions went unnoticed by anyone, save two. He realised it soon enough, as a sudden punch floored him.

"Guests, my butt." said Makoto.

"Hey, we showed them an invitation, and they let us in." Mephistroth slowly got up, clutching his chin. "More than can be said for you."

Makoto suddenly felt a slight tingling sensation on her back. Behind her, Kakamu cursed audibly. She whipped around, and decked him.

"What was that?" she shouted.

"It was supposed to be lightning….." Kakamu muttered.

The pretence of battle was interrupted when two large windows exploded, sending shards flying everywhere. Terugan Elites began jumping in, and firing at the rebels.

"Damn it to Nokaija!" Rah said, ducking behind an exhibit. He returned fire, felling an Elite, but was struck down by another one.

"Rah!" Makoto ran towards Rah, hoping he was still alive, only to be hit by a bolt of energy fired by Mephistroth. She fell down next to Rah, her eyes wide open from the shock.

Mephistroth and Kakamu teleported out of the building, and re-appeared in front of the museum. The sound of sirens drowned out their thoughts. Vi and Makoto would be busy with the Elites for a while, they calculated.

——-

"An odious attack took place yesterday on our Glorious President, Nin." the newsreader said, with more than a hint of fake grief in her voice. "A rebel death squad attacked him during the opening of the History Museum. He stood up to the fascist thugs bravely, even as they shot him dead in front of his son."

Yon turned the TV off, and angrily slammed the remote down. Even without Nin, the regime seemed destined to survive. Nin’s brother, General Yar, had taken charge. Everything, even the deaths of Rah, Lol, and Bil, was for nothing. His name had been broadcast all over the planet by the regime media. He could never go back home now. Thankfully, Vi and Makoto had offered to take him off-planet, which surprised him, as he’d dragged them into a battle that had nothing to do with them, and didn’t even ensure they came back with what they had come for.

Stepping out of his quarters, he ran into Inv, who was looking out the window at the stars going by.

"What are you doing here?" Yon said, surprised.

"I’m coming with you. We all are." Inv replied.

"But they don’t know who you are. Just me."

"Oh, who are you kidding? Of course they found us all. Besides, why would we abandon you? You’re our friend, mate. We’re sticking together. Forever."

——-

Blackout, Malygos, and Kakamu stood around a table, laying out the three parts of the map.

"Well, this is no good." Malygos said. "We need the fourth one back."

"No, Malygos." Kakamu grinned. "This is where technology comes in. We had the fourth one for long enough. I got to mess around with it a bit."

He turned on what Malygos had assumed until now to just be a lamp. A holographic image of the fourth part appeared, completing the map. Suddenly, all became clear.

Deathly clear.

——-

And there we go. The next episode shall feature our own Kon as the writer!

I liked it!

Great stuff, man. You characterized Kakamu pretty well and although he must have only met Mephistroth once or twice their mutual frustration seemed realistic. Also we got an origin story for Yon and his crew and Vok, so what's not to like? :D

I look forward to your next chapter, whenever that may be.

Actually, it's sort of implied Mephistroth's been hanging around with Blackout for a while now. Re-read Chapter 2

Well, like I said, this episode does feature Kon as writer, but only a part-time one because he's a lazy sod. Klak took over from him, so it features him too!

Episode 8: Inheritance of the Gods

Kakamu folded his arms and leaned against the wall to the left of the group with a satisfied smile. The others were, of course, peering at the hologram of the map, or at least part of it. While he would take any opportunity to show off his technological prowess, the Toa turned Makuta began to wonder if showing them the pictures of the map was a good idea after all. Sure, he'd come this far - even had to put up with Mephistroth's company for the sake of his boss - but he was fairly certain that the unquestionably powerful sword would be better not left in the hands of either unquestionably powerful being.

He stood back upright and walked over to the table, looking down at the hologram. While he traced his finger over parts of the map, pretending to analysing it, he actually observed Malygos's behaviour with silent concern. Subtle little hints in the mage's body language gave it away. Greed would overcome him if it hadn't already, and Malygos would attempt to take the Master Sword from Blackout when the time was right. Kakamu's Toa instincts kept nagging him that Blackout claiming the sword and using it to its full power would put them all on the path to destruction, but he shook the thought off instantly. He was a Makuta, and his Toa days were long behind him.

"So, any ideas?" Kakamu called across the table. Malygos faced him with a smug smile.

"Yes, come. You see these horizontal lines at the corners of each segment? Together they form a perfect path across the map as a whole." The mage showed this by drawing his finger across two corners of the completed map. "However... there's two endings. The location of the Master Sword is not signified by an arrow, but rather two parallel lines. It could be at either end."

Now it was Blackout's turn. The Elite Makuta broke his silence by tapping his huge metal finger on one of the ends. Although he made no air punches, Kakamu could tell he was doing one inside his head, behind the cold exterior. "It's this one. PtR4-8. Never heard of it, though I'm not surprised. It's the moon of Tamriel - a desert planet in the middle of nowhere."

Malygos raised an eyebrow. "What makes you so sure?" He retorted. "You are as clueless as the rest of us in this matter."

Blackout gave a croaky laugh - or as close to a laugh as a Makuta could - and pointed to the other end of the map where the second point was. It lined up with Poseidon, a planet that they were all too familiar with now. "I think if an ancient Rider sword was being kept in a temple on Poseidon, the temple supposed to house it would have been raided millennia ago, and several hundred con-artists would be in bloody tatters and all over the intergalactic news by now. It's on this moon." Blackout rumbled as his finger moved back to the first point. Malygos wrinkled his nose and looked around.

"The ship flight will take several months to get there, and frankly, I'm tired of waiting already. I will transport all who are willing to this moon myself." The mage asserted.

“Very well,” Blackout said as he nodded at Malygos.

The mage grinned smugly, and flicked his wrists. The next thing Kakamu knew, he was at the desired location, with Mephisroth, Blackout, and Malygos.

They were surrounded by a vast expanse of grayish black rock. The moon was dead in every sense of the word.

Kakamu glanced at Blackout.

“Where do we begin?” he said.

Blackout tapped his chin, and responded.

“A Great Being would have hidden the artefact underground, several miles away. But these are Riders. Rumors are they often like to play with expectations.”

“Liked,” Malygos added in an attempt to correct the Makuta. “They’re all dead.”

“That we know of,” Blackout retorted. “Anyway, it might be in a crater. No one expects that.”

“What?” Mephistroth said, surprised, “What a foolish hiding spot!”

“Precisely,” the Elite Makuta said as he made his way towards a nearby crater.

“The amount of craters on this wretched moon is multitudinous. Searching them will take days,” Mephistroth groaned.

“I doubt any of us want the other to obtain the sword alone,” Kakamu uttered. He wanted Blackout to figure out the obvious: Malygos was going to betray him.

Everyone else nodded and walked towards the crater. Twenty minutes later, they stood at its overturned flap.

“Do you see anything, Blackout?” Malygos said, inquisitively.

“Nothing,“ mumbled the Makuta.

“Perhaps you’re not looking close enough.”

Who said that? They were all bewildered. They turned and saw a man wearing some sort of silver space suit.

Kakamu stared at the newcomer, practically scanning his appearance. He looked human, but something was…off.

“A human?” he whispered to Mephistroth as the newcomer slowly made his way to them.

“No. Humans’ eyes don’t glow, no matter how blue they are. He must be from another system, another galaxy perhaps. His traits definitely match a few species I could name, but he’s no human,” said the demon, silently.

Blackout sneered at the newcomer, and raised his arm up in the air. A ball of pure shadow energy formed around his hand. Malygos, who grabbed his shoulder, stopped him, however.

“No, my friend,” the mage said, “He might have more information for us.”

“Who are you?” Blackout yelled.

“That is of no concern to you,” the newcomer said. His voice carried an arrogant tone. “What matters is that we both have a common pursuit.”

“You’re searching for the Master Sword as well, then?” said Kakamu.

He was met with glares from his comrades, and a smile from the newcomer.

“Yes, but not to obtain it. I only wish to see it,” responded the unidentified man.

“Bloody likely,” spat Blackout, “Be gone, grave robber, before we make this crater your tomb.”

The newcomer was only slightly intimidated for a brief moment. He then burst into laughter.

“Killing your only way to the Sword, hmm? You are as dumb as you look,” the man said, arrogantly.

“Insolent fool, you will pay for your disgraceful actions by the hand of Malygos!”

The mage ran up to the unidentified man. He was planning on ripping his helmet off and exposing him to the vacuum of space. Why waste magic on nothing but a grave robber, especially to defend the honor of someone he so vehemently abhorred?

Suddenly, the world spun, and Malygos found himself on the floor with an elbow to his throat.

Kakamu’s eyes widened, and he quickly began to think of battle options. He was not expecting conflict. Meanwhile, Mephistroth growled, and commence the preparation of a demonic attack. Malygos muttered to begin an incantation that would fling the assailant to the nearest fiery star with little effort.

Blackout, however, simply chuckled, and clapped his hands.

“Bravo, bravo. You have impressed me. I suppose I’ll bite,” he said, continuing to laugh, “Where do you suppose the temple is?”

What? Blackout suddenly trusts him thought Kakamu, who was still confused by the turn of events.

“You’re close,” the man responded as he released Malygos from his restraint. “It’s not in the crater, but next to it. It was buried several years after the crater hit.”

“How are you so sure, you cretin?” spat out Malygos.

“Because my ancestors hid the sword,” the man said.

“Of course! How could I have missed it?” Mephistroth said, excitedly. “You are a Rider.”

“A living Rider? Impossible,” whispered the mage.

The man bowed, and replied to Mephistroth in a more somber tone.

“In the flesh. We are rare, but we are out there. Most of us are Vrai slaves, others…. part of something else.” His tone changed quickly back to that of before. “Now, let us get down to business.”

The Rider ran to an empty patch of dirt a few metres away from the crater, and tapped his foot. A metallic sound echoed throughout the moon.

“Here we are,” he said, grinning.

The ground suddenly opened, and he fell down a hole. The others simply stared at the hole.

“Is he…?” asked Kakamu.

“No, we’re supposed to follow him,” Malygos said.

The mage leaped into the hole, and the demon followed soon after. Blackout rolled his eyes, and dived into the pit.

“Seems legit,” Kakamu muttered to himself as he made a cannonball jump into the unknown.

…

After what seemed like hours, all those who dropped down the hole found themselves floating through a strange mist.

“Incredible technology,” said an astonished Malygos.

They softly landed on a stone floor. Before them stood a hallway with cracked walls made with the rocks commonly found on the moon’s surface. On each wall there was a different tapestry with strange figures, illustrating incredible tales. At the bottom of the tapestries were words in a language so ancient that, of the temple’s non-Rider visitors, only Malygos could make out a few words.

As the group followed its Rider guide, Kakamu stared at the tapestry to his left. The anonymous man noticed the former Toa’s interest.

“The tapestry to our left is some sort of prophecy about a war for the Master Sword. It is in an old form of my language, so there’s only so much I can comprehend. The one to your right is the origin of the sword. All legends. I was never much of a believer,” he explained.

Malygos smiled. He himself was no stranger to ancient legends. In fact, he lived through some of them.

Kakamu nodded to the Rider as he followed the group. To his surprise, one of the figures in the tale to the left looked just like Zev Raregroove. Then, there were two figures that looked like him! One was black with red eyes, and it was fighting another one that was white with blue eyes. Kakamu swore he was hallucinating.

The group reached a doorway, with an inscription and image above its header. Kakamu’s curiosity peaked, and he stared at the illustration. It showed a blue-eyed golden armoured warrior with a raised sword on a black horse. The warrior’s sword nearly glowed, even in the darkness, and it seemed to be surrounded by an army filled with creatures of many species, some of which the former Toa had never seen in his life. The horse itself was detailed, with one side of its face showing anger, and the other showing fear. Once again, the Rider elucidated.

“The inscription says: ‘Despite this, there comes deliverance.’ I have no idea what it means,” he said, as he shrugged.

Kakamu took a look at the Rider, and then at the man in the picture, noticing they both had the same eye color and facial features. He shook his head.

The Rider then turned to the rest of the group, eyes widening.

“Beyond this door is the chamber where you will find the sword. The monks guarding the sword are wise, but strong. They nearly killed me the first time I came here,” he warned, “Hence why I browse the temple secretly.”

He placed his hand on the door, and it slid open. The sound of two massive rocks scraping one another filled the hallway.

“Good,” Blackout said as he smiled, “Anything else, mister…er…?”

“Nothing else,” said the Rider, lying like a criminal on trial, “and like I said, my name is none of your concern.”

“Thank you for your help,” Blackout said, as he tapped his finger on the man’s head. He quickly collapsed and fell into a deep sleep.

“You only sedated him! What’s the matter, too scared to kill a Rider?” uttered Mephistroth.

“He’ll be asleep for quite some time, maybe he’ll run out of oxygen,” Blackout said, grinning sadistically. “If not, we’ll test the sword on him.”

Malygos laughed.

“Brilliant,” he praised.

“Wait, how will we know when we see it?” inquired Kakamu.

Blackout frowned, and pulled out pieces of the map. With it, he made out some of the image of the Master Sword.

“Looks something like this, I suppose.”

The group nodded to each other, then made its way into the cavern-like crypt before them. It was mostly dark, with a domed roof extending to near infinity. Right in the middle there was an altar, and on it lay what our villains had spent days searching for, their object of desire, their gateway to power, the Master Sword.

On the altar’s left and right sides, there were two giant, slender candles. 3 monks wearing grey cowls surrounded each candle, and they were chanting in the Rider tongue. When they heard Blackout and the others come in, they stopped, and turned. One spoke in that same language, with a threatening tone, but another stopped him.

“No,” this monk said, in a language that everyone present could understand, “They may be the chosen ones. The prophecy may be fulfilled!”

Kakamu tapped his chin. So the tapestry had greater relevance than he thought.

“We shall test this,” replied yet another monk, “State your names.”

Malygos sauntered towards the monks, and with verbosity, stated his name. Mephistroth said his tersely while rolling his eyes. Kakamu said his with pride. Blackout introduced himself after a lengthy description of his titles.

The monks chattered to themselves.

“We have heard of a few of you. But some of you must be tested,” said a monk.

“The first test: the inquisition,” said another.

“Great, I didn’t expect that,” retorted Blackout sarcastically. “We do not have time, my friends. Give us the sword. The universe’s future depends on it.”

The monks all widened their eyes, and turned their backs to the newcomers. They started to chatter amongst themselves. When they turned back, they saw the group standing right in front of them.

“The test is finished. You failed,” Blackout said, grinning.

Malygos uttered an incantation that wrought fire from his hands, burning and killing one of the monks. Mephistroth disappeared, and reappeared behind another monk, his hand clawing at the priest’s heart.

The last set of monks took on Kakamu and Blackout, and a physical brawl resulted. Kakamu found himself hit in the jaw by what felt like a hammer made of hardened protodermis. It was actually one of the priest’s fists.

He lunged out of the way of a deadly kick, and quickly turned like a whirlwind, knocking the monk over. Kakamu then jumped into the air, and slammed his fist into the monk’s chest, killing him. Another monk lifted Kakamu into the air, and slammed him into Malygos. Both fell to the floor, grunting.

“They’re a lot stronger than we thought,” the former Toa said.

“Than you thought,” Malygos replied, tersely.

Mephistroth charged at the monk that threw Kakamu, and both of them were caught in a flurry of attacks. When the dust settled, the demon appeared to be the victor, but not without a scar on his leg.

Blackout was annoyed by the battle. He knew the monks were tough, but they were nowhere near the enemies they usually faced. He adjusted the density in his fingers, and punched the last two monks. They were knocked into the air, and a crashing sound was heard on the other side of the crypt.

“We’re done playing, my friends,” he said, still smiling, “Now let’s pick up our toys.”

Blackout reached forward, and grabbed the sword. He felt its power coursing throughout his body. Meanwhile, Kakamu was in awe. He looked at Malygos, noting that even a blind man could see the jealousy on that wizard’s face.

The group left the crypt, returning to the hallway that the mysterious Rider had led them through. But the Rider was missing.

“He’s awake?!” said Kakamu, panicking.

“Who cares? Let’s go,” Blackout snapped.

Suddenly, they heard a boom, and the tunnel shook. A slab of rock fell from the ceiling.

“That son of a…” Mephisroth whispered.

The group ran up to the hole from which they came. Malygos saw that it was now covered, and snapped his fingers. Everyone was instantly teleported back to the ship.

“It is done. Who can stop me now?” Blackout said, as he swung the sword in the air, and laughed maniacally. “The legacy of two empires in the palm of my hand, a fitting tool for a conqueror.”

Mephistroth and Malygos both grabbed the edge of a table with one hand, and gritted their teeth. But they resisted the pangs of jealousy ripping at their souls, for it was not the hour of betrayal just yet.

Kakamu looked on, and shook his head. Sure, they obtained the Master Sword, but at what cost? Any semblance of the Toa Code he once abided by was reduced to ashes, and the tension between Blackout and Malygos had exacerbated. And something about that grave robber and the artwork in the crypt made him shiver.

He folded his arms, and leaned against the wall with a contemplative frown.

-----

And here we go. Next one's a two-parter.

Episode 9: All My Demons, Part 1
Even though Blackout’s tone was quite grave, Zev and Namah couldn’t help giggling upon his appearance. Thanks to a “glitch” in the hologram projector, probably caused by Prudence, the Makuta was now adorned with a “crown” of two large bunny ears.
Of course, Blackout had no way of knowing that, and became increasingly exasperated as the couple laughed instead of actually acknowledging what he had to say.
The Makuta reached behind his back, and pulled out something that would shut them up. It was a long sword, its black hilt adorned with a blood red jewel. He pointed it at Zev and Namah, and smiled. They, on the other hand, were no longer in a mood to do the same.
“Now will you listen to what I have to say?” the Makuta growled.
“You found it.” Zev could only whisper, horrified.
“Yes. The Master Sword. A weapon baptised in the blood of villains, the most sacred relic of the greatest conquerors ever to stride the stars. And it just passed you by.”
“Oh, don’t be stupid. It still won’t win you the war.” Namah said, unconvincingly.
“Perhaps not,” the Makuta acquiesced. “But it will be of great help. And I shall be happy to demonstrate its value to you.”
“How? Are you going to lend it to us?” Zev smiled.
“Funny. But no. There is an uninhabited world called Judoon, around twenty light-years from your present location, I believe. We can meet there in one standard week. Bring the finest troops you have to offer. I know I will.”
The hologram vanished before Zev or Namah could reply. They looked at each other, worried.
-----
Around the same time, across the galaxy, another man took a sip of fine wine and smiled. His two old enemies would soon be in one place, and for once, he was ready.
-----
The Bebop hung over the desert, like a vast, predatory bird waiting for his next meal. Beneath it, a hundred well-armed troops had set up camp, and sat there, checking their weapons and, keeping with the analogy, awaiting their prey.
On board, Namah looked out the window, seemingly keeping the horizon under tight scrutiny. Though she preferred to hide it, she couldn’t help but fret over what was going to happen next. Blackout wasn’t a nice thought at the best of times, least of all now.
Just then, Zev arrived, and put his hand on Namah’s shoulder.
“Enjoying the view? I don’t see why, it’s just desert…..” he laughed.
Namah smiled too, if only for a brief moment. “No, just watching out. I’m hoping to catch the Thunder Arrow.”
“The bridge has that handled.” Zev said. “Look, now. There’s nothing to worry about. Blackout is still Blackout, no matter how big a stick you give him. We can handle him, and the guys down there…..”
“All guys?”
“Well, no. There are girls, and, um, an octopus thing with a jetpack. It’s weird. Look, the point is, they’re the best troops my money can buy. And when I say ‘my money’, I mean ‘Dad’s money’, because I’m still broke after last week’s poker game.”
Namah laughed, only to be interrupted by the intercom cracking into life.
“Hello, everyone. I’ve got Blackout’s ship on the radar.” Prudence said. “We better get down there.”
Zev squatted down to look Namah straight in the eye, and hugged her tightly. “Listen to me. Everything will turn out alright in the end.”
They got up, and headed for the elevator.
-----
“How many life signs are we picking up down there?” Blackout asked, as the Thunder Arrow hurtled at high speed towards Judoon.
“A few hundred, in small groups. Most of them are probably scavengers or nomads, but there’s one group that’s definitely the Raregrooves.” Kakamu replied.
“Let me guess.” Mephistroth said. “Is it the one by the ship?”
“Well, yes…..”
“Mephistroth. We talked about sarcasm.” Malygos telepathically rebuked the demon.
Blackout twirled the Master Sword between his fingers, smiling like a child just after Christmas, if such a descriptor could ever be applied to him. There was a glint in his eye Kakamu had only seen once before, when Teridax had made him one of his deputies.
-----
“Hey, Mak. Where’s Vi? She hasn’t chickened out, has she?” Prudence asked among other pre-battle passive chit-chat.
“Meh, she locked herself in Bay 3 again, saying she wasn’t gonna join in just yet.” Makoto said. “Would love to know what she’s got in there.”
“The guys in Engineering have a pool going.” Namah joined in. “It must be good to warrant taking half their spare parts.”
A deafening screech interrupted their conversation. They spun around, and saw what looked like a swarm of black dots on the horizon, fast approaching. “Rahkshi!” the cry went out across the camp.
-----

“You know,” Blackout said. “The map fragments weren’t the only thing I found related to the Sword.”
“Oh? What else did you find?” Malygos said.
“A torn page from an old book. It was a poem, or a prophecy, or both. It was interesting.”
“Hour of none,
Burning metal,
The sword master rides.
Engines fly and the maelstrom roars.
Unblinking,
All-seeing,
The sun remains oblivious,
As all my demons come to pass.
“That’s very nice.” Anzu said. “I think I recognise the style. Back in our day, people told children things like that before they went to bed.”
The sounds of battle began roaring out ahead of them. The first wave of Rahkshi had already reached the camp, and the fight was beginning.
Blackout drew his sword, and charged ahead into the chaos. He swiftly cut down two hapless mercenaries, before another sword blocked his path.
“I’m afraid not. Your fight is with me alone.” Zev said.
“Brave of you. You should’ve hidden behind your goons.” Blackout hissed back. “Now, we begin the lesson.”
Before Blackout could begin anything, Zev slashed right across his chest, forming a long gash across the Makuta’s armour. An organic being would’ve gone into shock, but Blackout just groaned and stabbed his sword into the ground, then pulled it out. Without delay, the sand there turned blood red, forming a sort of stain that began to spread rapidly.
“What? Is that it?” Zev laughed.
“Silence, ye of little faith.”
The stain settled, forming a perfect circle around Zev. Its borders appeared to sparkle somewhat, before suddenly a solid wall of fire appeared, trapping the Juraian.
“You’ve never seen a sword do that before, have you?” Blackout said, as he circled the trap. “And that’s just the start.”
Blackout extended his arm, letting the tip of the Sword touch the flames. He then swiftly pulled it back, as the jewel in the hilt began to glow slightly.
“Watch.”
The wall of flame suddenly disappeared, seemingly releasing Zev. But before he could lunge at Blackout, the rest of the circle burst into flame. Zev could do little more than scream, as the magical fire swallowed him altogether.
-----
Prudence awkwardly got back up, panting. She fired from her slingshot again and again, but with a wave of his hand, Malygos formed a shield in front of himself, blocking all her shots with ease, all while sporting a smile that one could charitably describe as ‘smug and insufferable’.
“Why do you try?” the mage said, stopping a few feet away from her. “You’re just not on that level.”
Before Malygos could continue his mockery, he was struck directly in the gut by another shot, knocking him to the ground. While he was trying to get back up, Makoto pounced on him, delivering several well-aimed punches before being blasted away by a bolt of arcane energy.
“You’re pathetic!” the mage screamed, as a burning wreck that was a Rahkshi a moment ago crashed behind him. “Useless!”
-----
Blackout watched by, looking pleased with himself, as the enchanted flames consumed Zev whole. And then, as suddenly as they had come, they dissipated, leaving behind a Zev who appeared none worse for the wear, and yet still curled up on the ground in an embryonic position.
Blackout thrust his sword downwards, as if to stab Zev through the heart, but the Juraian briskly rolled away. Blackout pulled the sword out of the sand, and growled.
Zev managed to get back up again, although unsteadily. He tried to back away from Blackout, wobbling slightly.
“Shame that missed, it would’ve considerably shortened your ordeal.” Blackout said. “The next lesson concerns ice.”
The Makuta leapt ahead, with speed and ferocity that belied his vast bulk. He landed behind Zev, and slashed across the Juraian’s back. A thin wound several centimetres long formed, but rather than blood, ice cold water dripped from within.
-----
Mephistroth cried out, instinctively covering his gashed arm with his other hand. He backed away from Namah, who continued to swing her tendrils in an ever wider arc. Tiny wisps of black smoke poured out from between his fingers, testifying to his less-than-ordinary biology.
As if spotting his distress, four Rahkshi immediately swooped down towards Namah, all guns blazing. Namah withdrew the ether tendrils and leapt into the air. Seeing a stream of poison strike the exact spot where she stood a moment ago, she sighed, before crashing into another Rahkshi in mid-air. She grabbed onto its chest, and released her tendrils again. She carefully guided them, wrapping them around its shoulders, before suddenly pushing off with all her might. Namah fell back to earth, dragging the surprised Rahkshi down with her. She landed on her back, and looked up just in time to see the Rahkshi crashing into the sand.
“What’s next?” she muttered. Mephistroth was still standing in front of her, the three remaining Rahkshi hovering over his head. They flew quickly towards Namah, only to explode in mid-air, struck by energy beams.
A strange flying contraption flew in-between Namah and Mephistroth, as if to shield her. It was essentially a large square sheet of metal, with two large engines attached to the sides, which sucked in sand from the ground and threw it up into the air. A turret of considerable size was sat in the middle, operated by Vi. She turned around, and yelled over the din of the engines.
“Hop on!”
Namah didn’t need to be told twice. She jumped on, and the contraption turned and fled towards the clouds, narrowly avoiding an attack from Mephistroth.
“Namah Calah, welcome to the Stinging Belle.”
-----
“And remember, Maelstrom. I want them both alive. You can bring Blackout back in the jar I gave you.”
“Yes, sir. Maelstrom out.”
With just a click, the line went dead. Maelstrom turned off the radio immediately; he found the static irritating.
Maelstrom was a robot, but perfectly humanoid, without any of the usual decoration, to the point where he could almost be mistaken for a human in armour. His day-to-day job was a pilot on a deep-space transport ship, but that was merely a cover for his true trade – mercenary. He was one of the best – and most expensive - in the business, with a reputation for taking on targets more powerful than himself and winning. However, even he could see the risk in this enterprise – capturing a Makuta, and the nigh-legendary Zev Raregroove. If he hadn’t been assured they would both be wounded and tired out from battle, and paid enough to retire comfortably, he would never had taken the mission.
Using the sensor patterns his employer had given him, he picked out two people he believed to be Blackout and Raregroove – fighting, sure enough. He parked his cloaked ship near their location, and retrieved his chosen weapons.
“Now this is gonna be fun.” he thought to himself.