Chapter 14: The great escape
Chapter 14: The great escape
“Where is he?”, Lhikuta shouted. “You can’t keep your defence up forever.”
He walked around in the hall and finally stopped in front of the little blue Matoran, who was chained to the wall.
“I … I’ve said it”, she sobbed, “I don’t know. He could be everywhere. Even deep down in Karda Nui.”
“And tell me, why should we believe you?” We’ve been lied to so often just because you stupid Guardians believed that so we won’t be able to find the next of you …” He grabbed her chin. “Be reasonable, little one, or do you want us to do the same things we’ve done to all of your kind before they died? They had at least the pleasure of death. But we can’t kill you. You and the Toa are our last informants.”
“You’d better believe her. Not even a radar would have known where I am”, a voice echoed through the hall. Not a second later smoke with a slightly violet touch appeared in the middle of the room. “Sometimes here, sometimes there, sometimes everywhere”, Tupua said grinning at them.
“Reikuta, get him!”, Lhikuta shouted but just the same second the Spectre vanished in violet smoke again and appeared near the door.
“Don’t worry, this time I’ll keep it fair.” He turned around and ran away, Reikuta close behind.
“Now you see, what this has brought to you, little one. Nothing, absolutely nothing. The last Guardian will be caught in no time and then …”
Lhikuta was interrupted.
“You should search friends who aren’t that incapable. Just knocked him out in no time.”
“You little …” Lhikuta activated his staff but Tupua vanished again.
“Well, this time you can’t escape, Matoran”, the creature hissed, “Cause this time the fight is really fair.”
And he teleported himself out of the hall too.
“Man, an action like this from a guy who told us to quickdodge all the enemies, and now he isn’t groundpath himself at all.”
“Lewa, stop treespeaking. We haven’t enough time to look for a dictionary.”
Tahu wanted to enter the room after Lewa.
“No, stop, don’t come in!”, Sasha shouted.
“Don’t be afraid, girl”, Tahu tried to calm her down. “We’re Toa. You know, the good ones.”
“But if more than one Toa is in there, the alarms would go off.”
The ruby Toa immediately took back his step. “Okay, Lewa, you’re in. Now get her out. Quickly and carefully.”
“How shall I open these chains?”
“Your Katana should be strong enough.”
It was a bit of hard work but his weapon finally cut the chains into pieces.
“Now come. I hope Tupua will find to us later on.”
They were just on their half way out when purple smoke shot out of the floor and the Spectre stormed over to them.
“You both alright?”
“Yeah, I…”, Sasha started, but suddenly the loudness of a siren filled the room.
“What’s up? I thought this thing would only start if two Toa are in here”, Gali shouted but was nearly drowned out.
“I don’t know”, Sasha shouted back, “The Ikuta must have activated it somehow.”
In just a few seconds the corridors were filled with Nektann of every kind.
“We won’t make it through”, Onua doubted, “Nut just because we have two wounded with us…”
Tahu clenched his teeth. “We have to try… Ready your weapons.”
~~~***~~~
Kopaka charged at a Master Nektann, weapons drawn, and brought them down only to strike nothing but the metal floor. The Nektann had jumped away just in time, much to the Toa’s dismay.
That fight would be as hard as Tupua told.
He attacked again and this time he slammed his sword into the creature’s back but the Nektann sent an electric shock through the weapon and through Kopaka’s body, causing the icy Toa to cry out in pain.
“Kopaka!” Tahu ran over only to be struck down from a Guard’s energy beam from behind.
Pohatu and Onua had enough problems on their own but at least they had no Master Nektann to fight against.
A Combat Nektann came flying from behind but was caught up by Onua’s Quake Brakers. Steel striking steel. From that clash it was easy to see who was superior in brute strength, as the creature could attest after being thrown onto his back with what seemed to be a simple push from the Toa.
In this room made all out of steel their elemental powers of earth and stone didn’t work so they had to fight with only their weapons and their own strength.
They also had a bit of help from Rui. He was still too weak to use his elemental attacks but at least he could use his sword to push the enemies as far back as necessary.
All in all they had a better fight then the others who had a real Guard and Master Nektann invasion.
All Tupua did was building up shields around himself and Sasha and only fired a more or less effective energy beam against the Nektann if they started attacking the shields but the Toa had no time tow wonder why this strongest of all Matoran just used his weakest attacks.
Gali parred the strike from a shot harpoon with her axes and fired a wall of water through the lines of enemies but it just caused that they were pushed back a little and were not really harmed. A Guard’s beam drove her back.
With a roar, a jet of flame was sent against the attackers but pushed the enemies just as far back that the ruby Toa got enough time to help his icy friend back on his feet. This seemed hopeless from the beginning but they still didn’t want to give up that soon.
“Lewa! Watch out!”, Gali yelled, but too late. A harpoon struck the emerald Toa into his left side and pulled him back. He was slammed against a wall and bit back a groan as the back of his head connected with it. A grimace set his features as he felt a slick, wet substance slide down the back of his neck.
The Debuff Nektann pulled him into the other direction now causing him to be thrown to the floor. Lewa rolled onto his stomach and tried to get up but he was in too much pain. He collapsed back onto the ground. A Master Nektann moved on for the kill.
“Lewa!” A sudden kick and the yellow Nektann was flying against the wall. Pohatu took up his fallen friend. “You alright?”
“I … don’t … it … it hurt …”, Lewa fought to stay conscious but failed.
“All of you! Get close to me! Quick!”, Tupua yelled.
The Toa didn’t understand why but tried their best to get over to him. Luckily they weren’t too wide splitted up.
“Great, and now?”, Tahu shouted, “Now we’re still trapped in the middle of this room.”
A sudden violet flame that shot out of the floor just a few centimetres away from his face made him shut up.
Just within a split second they all were surrounded by violet and black flames which disappeared as fast as they had come. But now the Toa found themselves in a complete different room. The room with the teleportation gate.
“If you can do that with us all, why haven’t you done it earlier?”, Tahu asked, nearly fire burning in this eyes.
“Because I wanted to spare my energy for an emergency”, Tupua panted. “I can teleport so many people just over a short distance. Could have been possible that we’ve landed somewhere between the Nektann. And I can teleport so many of you only once, and then I need several minutes to regain my powers. I’ve seen that you’ve fought very well and got on your feet real fast after they got you down … but then that with Lewa happened …”
“Guys?”, Gali’s voice trembled, “I hear something crawling. They’re swarming out into the other rooms.”
“Support the wounded and run!”, the ruby Toa shouted.
~~~***~~~
“Isn’t it very risky to rush through Ta-Aro and the Black Valley without cover?”, Pohatu panted.
“No”, Tupua’s eyes shot around, “It seems like most of them are in the power station now. It’s possible that we meet single ones but a single Nektann, even if it is a Master Nektann, is no threat to us any more after I’ve seen what you can do with your feet.”
Pohatu blushed slightly and waved it off. “Nothing special. Everyone could do that after years of Koli training.”
“Wait a minute … that just came to my mind right now … Potaka said that they bring all Matoran slaves in there. Why haven’t we seen anyone of them?”, Onua asked between.
“Well, I think, they must have brought them elsewhere at the moment”, Tupua presumed, “But don’t have a clue where and why.”
“What if the Piraka or the Ikuta are out here?”, Gali threw in.
“Hopefully the Ikuta are still somewhere in the station”, Kopaka answered, “And for the Piraka, well, we have met none of them until now and we can just hope that they are out on a mission or something else.”
They had finally reached the gap between the rocks. Now only the Black Valley, a part of the grasslands and a part of the jungle lay before them. It would take some time to pass through all those landscapes but at least Ta-Aro was left behind.
“I think, I can try it again”, the Demon said. “I got enough energy now. Maybe I can make it to the edge of the jungle.”
Onua patted on his shoulder. “Then do your best, pal.”
