BIONICLE: Faux - Conclusion

FAUX: CONCLUSION

  Roodaka stayed close to the shadows with her pet mutation, watching as Hydraxon battled the five Dark Hunters. Spinner was already out for the count, having been encased in ice caused by a Kanoka disk Gatherer had fired at Hydraxon and missed. Feraka, the Skakdi of Iron, had gone into a rage, charging at the jailer only to miss each and every time. Eventually, Triglax had gotten fed up with her and knocked her out with a Rhotuka spinner before going after Hydraxon himself, while he was locked in combat with Vanisher.

She narrowed her eyes as she regarded Triglax’s current form with disdain. Although it had been over a thousand years, she remembered the Rahi Keetongu well, having battled him during the final clash between the Visorak Horde and the Toa Hordika. While he had been useful in getting rid of that fool Sidorak, he was not a creature Roodaka was keen on seeing ever again, even if it was simply a form being used by a shape-shifting Dark Hunter.

Triglax charged at Hydraxon, spinning the rotating shields that Keetongu was known to wield. At the last minute, Vanisher teleported away, giving Triglax the opening he needed to strike Hydraxon with his weapon. The jailer grunted as he fell to his knees, and Triglax hit him again to bring him down to the ground, before pinning him in place with his foot.

Roodaka smiled to herself as she stepped out again from the shadows. She had definitely gotten her money’s worth by hiring these Dark Hunters. She had worried that her history of having been a double agent between them and the Brotherhood of Makuta during their war would have caused some friction between them (let alone them trying to kill her), but with the Shadowed One missing in action and the new world being as it was, a select few of them were at least willing to let bygones be bygones so long as it meant employment.

As she began to circle around the defeated Hydraxon, she raised her Rhotuka launcher and prepared to generate a new spinner. She was still torn between mutating the jailer and outright killing him. She supposed it wouldn’t hurt to do one before doing the other.

“A valiant effort,” she said to her fallen foe. “But unfortunately, I’m afraid the fun must come to an end.”

Roodaka raised her launcher and was about to fire the Rhotuka when suddenly the mutated Defilak lunged at her, landing atop of her back. The Vortixx cried out in surprise as she fired the spinner, which missed Hydraxon and instead hit Triglax. The Dark Hunter let out a sound of agony as the effects of the spinner began to twist and mutate his form, giving Hydraxon the window he needed to get out from under his foot and shove him to the ground. He then charged towards Roodaka, colliding into her and tackling her to the ground along with Defilak.

While the mutated Le-Matoran managed to roll away, Hydraxon kept Roodaka pinned to the ground as he pressed the barrel of his Cordak Blaster against her head.

“There are two ways you can get out of this,” the jailer growled. “My way, or the hard way. Only one ends with your continued existence.”

Roodaka snarled as she tried to wrest herself free from Hydraxon’s hold to no avail. Finally, she gave up and let her body go slack. “Fine. You win.”

Hydraxon grabbed the arm that had her Rhotuka launcher and forced her to aim it at Defilak. “Undo his mutation. Now. Or you’ll be going back to New Atero in a tub of pieces.”

Roodaka continued to glare at him as she fired her Rhotuka. Within seconds, the hideous green creature was transformed back into a Le-Matoran. Defilak patted himself down and felt his mask before letting out a sigh of relief.

“Thank Mata Nui. I never want to go through that again.”

“Right.” Hydraxon started to rise to his feet and pull Roodaka up along with him. “Now, how are we going to—”

What happened next was a blur. Out of nowhere, Vanisher materialized beside Hydraxon and struck him with his spear, causing him to lose his grip on Roodaka. Before he could retaliate, a portal started to open in the ground beneath them and Hydraxon nearly fell in before his reflexes took a hold and he backflipped out of its width, making sure to grab Defilak so that the Le-Matoran did not plummet as well. The two of them then watched as Roodaka fell into the portal, with Vanisher pulling in the frozen Spinner, the mutated Triglax, and the other two Dark Hunters. He then spared a glance at Hydraxon and Defilak, offering them a sardonic wave before flying into the portal as well. Then it closed and all was quiet.

For a long time, Hydraxon and Defilak simply stood there in silence, staring at the spot where their enemies had once been, unsure as to how to process what had just happened. Eventually, Defilak let his gaze wander and his eyes eventually fell on the crashed Axalara.

“I don’t suppose we can quick-fix that to get us flying anytime soon,” he murmured.

“You do have a way with machines,” Hydraxon replied. “I’m sure you can think of something.”

Defilak nodded before doing a double take and looking up at the larger being in surprise. “Wait. How do you know that about me?”

Hydraxon looked down at the Le-Matoran, and for the first time in forever, offered a genuine smile.

“We have a lot to catch up on… old friend.”

*  *  *

“Are you sure about this?”

“I’m sure,” Dekar said. He sat on the shore of his homeland, a distant memory now yet nonetheless comforting in the nostalgia it gave him. In the distance, he could hear Sarda and Idris bantering while Defilak tried to barter with a customer.

“There is no turning back now.” Sitting beside him was the black and silver form of Hydraxon, staring out at the silvery sea. “The decision you have made will be final.”

“I know.” Dekar laid back on the sand, resting his head on his arms. “I never make a decision that I think I will regret.”

Hydraxon glanced at him. “Even when you tried to destroy the Mask of Life?”

“I meant what I said.”

Hydraxon continued to stare at him before shrugging his shoulders. “So be it. Your destiny is what you chose to make of it.”

“It’s not about destiny for me,” Dekar said. “It’s about doing what I feel is right.”

“The two may not be as mutually exclusive as you may think.”

Dekar considered those words for a moment. “Maybe,” he finally said. “I suppose we’ll just have to find that out for ourselves.”

Smiling to himself, Dekar closed his eyes and welcomed the sleep that came.

*  *  *

“So… what do we name-call you now? Hydraxon? Dekar?” Defilak paused for a moment. “Dekar-Hydraxon? Please don’t pick that one.”

“I think I’ll stick with Hydraxon for now,” the former Po-Matoran replied. “My memories as Dekar are still… foggy at best. I’m still going to need time to find myself… but I think I’m off to a good start.”

The two of them walked through what stood so far of New Atero, still in the long process of construction. Among the mixed crowds of Matoran and Agori, a Ga-Matoran came running out, followed closely by an Onu-Matoran. Kyrehx was the first to reach Defilak as she pulled the Le-Matoran into a hug.

“Defilak! Thank the Great Spirit, you’re safe!” She then pulled away and looked up at Hydraxon. “Thank you so much for rescuing him and the others. I promise you that I’ll make sure you’re paid the rest of what was promised.”

Hydraxon shook his head. “There’s no need for that, Kyrehx. The debt has already been repaid in full.”

The Ga-Matoran blinked in surprise. “Wait… how do you know my name? I never gave it to you….”

Defilak chuckled. “Kyrehx, Gar, you two are in for quite the story. We’ll need to quick-find Sarda and the others so we can tell them as well.”

Gar frowned as he looked between the Le-Matoran and his tall companion. “Tell us what?”

Defilak smiled. “That we’ve found an old friend.”

*  *  *

“Where am I?” Roodaka scrambled in the darkness, looking for answers. “Where have you taken me?”

Only silence answered her demands. She caught a glimpse of Vanisher as he teleported around the chamber and she went after him, following the traces of energy he left behind. She eventually reached a wide stone chamber that was lit only by torches hanging on the wall. She scanned the room and her eyes eventually landed on a vacant throne placed at the other side of the room. She then looked just to the left of the throne and saw a very familiar, very loathsome face.

“You,” she growled.

Vezon raised a hand and waved weakly. She expected him to offer some pithy remark but the half-Skakdi was silent, uncharacteristically subdued. It was then she realized that he was actually chained up the wall, with minimal range for movement. Before Roodaka could figure out what he was doing in such a condition, she heard another voice come from behind her—one that was also familiar as well as the last thing she wanted to hear.

“Do you like what I have done to the place so far?”

Roodaka whirled around to see the Shadowed One, leader of the Dark Hunters, standing before her. At his side was his loyal servant Sentrakh while in the shadows above lurked the one known as Darkness.

“I’ll admit, it’s not much,” the Shadowed One went on. “But I’ve always considered myself something of a minimalist.” He nodded to the chained-up Vezon. “I have made a few… decorations, of course.”

At that moment, Vanisher appeared at his side and dropped to one side, bowing his head. The Shadowed One smirked as he bid the hunter to rise.

“You have done well, Vanisher. For so long, I had suspected you of being an agent of the Brotherhood like Roodaka here, but you have since proven your worth by bringing her to me.”

Roodaka scowled. “It makes no difference, for there is no Brotherhood for him to be loyal to anymore.”

The Shadowed One shrugged. “Perhaps. Which is all the more reason for you to swear your undying loyalty to me.”

Roodaka narrowed her eyes, keeping her eyes on the Shadowed One while she weighed her options. She had no idea where she was, so there was little chance she would be able to escape… and that was without accounting for the fact that either the Shadowed One or one of his minions would catch her before she could even leave the room.

Instead, she decided to stall by asking questions. “What exactly is it you have planned here? World domination?”

The Shadowed One smiled. “Something like that. Although Vezon here has given me access to something I’ve never had access to before. Something even I could never dream of.”

“Enough riddles, old man,” Roodaka snarled. “Just tell me what you’re going on about.”

The Shadowed One chuckled. “Why tell you when I can show you? Vezon, if you would.”

The half-Skakdi let out a sigh and suddenly a portal materialized right beside Roodaka, startling her. Gazing into the rift, she saw a world that was similar to this one in some ways, yet different in others. Makuta clad in white and gold armor were locked in combat with Toa of Shadows. Rahkshi defended innocent citizens from raving mad Matoran. Visorak and Bohrok fought side by side as they dealt with the organic Agori and Glatorian.

It did not take her long to recognize this power as that of the Kanohi Olmak, the Mask of Dimensional Gates. She had seen it before when Brutaka had used it to threaten Spiriah during their search for Makuta Miserix. How Vezon had gotten access to such power was beyond her, and she doubted the Shadowed One would be willing to divulge it.

Still, even as she pieced together what it was the Shadowed One was getting at by having access to this kind of power, she realized she now had an out for herself as well, provided she could get to Vezon before anyone could suspect her. But that would take time and planning, and in order to buy herself that time, she needed to earn the Shadowed One’s trust, an uphill battle in and of itself.

Turning back to the leader of the Dark Hunters, she squared her shoulders and met his gaze evenly. “You are mad if you think you’ll be able to conquer this world… let alone multiple.”

“Perhaps.” The Shadowed One grinned. “But sometimes, madness can be a formidable weapon. All you need to do is what your enemy least expects you to.”

Roodaka glanced back at the open portal and the chaos raging beyond it. Then, she dropped down to one knee, mimicking Vanisher as she bowed her head in obeisance. As she uttered words swearing fealty that rang hollow only to her, she vowed to herself that she would find a way to attain this newfound power that the Shadowed One had found. Then, and only then, would she finally be unstoppable… and the whole world would bow to her.

Thus swore Roodaka.