(Writers note: some scenes in this chapter will be a little bit darker than what this story usually is, but my editors felt it would make things more effective. So… you’ve been warned?
Zaktan sorted through the papers on his desk with utmost care, metallic claws gingerly pulling the pages free of their stacks and reading through them. The only illumination in his self appointed office was the light of the lamp sitting upon the everfree oak surface. The office was small, containing very little aside from a few chairs, his desk, and a few filing cabinets. True, he had a much bigger workspace in the Ruuma Nui, but it had always been too noisy there, with Piraka coming and going as they pleased. Here, it was quiet, allowing the emerald skakdi to better focus on sorting through paperwork.
Zaktan chuckled at the name they had chosen for a moment, reminded of good times. The Great Lounge. Thok had come up with that one, figuring that naming it something as simple as the ‘Piraka Lounge’, as Hakann had suggested, would raise more than a few eyebrows from those few executive ponies who were allowed in that section of the facility. At least it was in a language nopony would be able to translate.
Zaktan’s grin grew a bit, stamping a paper with his approval. A small shop in Griffsdale Harbor has sent this, requesting that they be allowed to sell Zakaz Industry goods. He would have the stand-in CEO meet with them to make a proper deal. The shop, Griffonia Goodbits, would prosper greatly from this deal. Most of the profits would, of course, return to Zakaz Industries, but with its position in Griffonia’s central Harbor town, he doubted that would be much of a problem.
As he gently put the paper to the side, briefly wishing Avak would create some device to move the fragile paper for him, a knock came at the door.
Zaktan scowled, the only Skakdi able to do so due to his unique situation. He scattered a minor portion of his mass, hundreds of protodites floating under the doorway to check who was behind the door. He grunted in irritation when he saw it was Thok.
“Enter,” He called, recalling his mass and moving his papers to the side. The white skakdi wouldn’t be coming to his isolated office if it wasn’t a Piraka issue.
“Good evening, Zaktan.” Thok said, slipping past the doorway even as he opened it. “Lovely place you have here. Disturbingly bare. Dark as a Makuta’s soul. It suits you.”
“Just tell me what the problem is.” Zaktan snapped, his crimson eyes shining in the darkness. “I got sick of your ‘pleasantries’ after you froze that village’s water supply.”
“Oh, come now, boss. It’s not like anypony was injured.” Thok mockingly put a claw to his chest, rolling his eyes. “In fact, that village Turaga-“
“Mayor, Thok.” Zaktan hissed. “This is not the Bionicle universe. Just because you got turned into a Skakdi doesn’t mean you should use words from a toy line.”
“…right.” Thok said after a moment. “Regardless, I’m getting sidetracked.” He tossed a letter to the Piraka leader’s desk. “Apparently some chumps called the Tunnel Dogs kidnapped one of our own.”
Zaktan froze as he went to pick up the letter, processing what Thok just said. “…kidnapped? A Piraka?” He gave Thok a look that clearly asked about his mental state. “As if some measly ponies could defeat, let alone hold, one of us hostage.”
“That’s what I thought too, but they provided a few pictures.” Zaktan opened up the letter, and sure enough, a couple photographs fell to the wooden desk. He looked through them. None of the photographs showed the actual face of the skakdi in question, nor showed any color aside from the colors being dark. Metallic claws bound by magestone bindings, and a clawed foot twisted in the wrong direction.
“They want a million bits.” Thok continued, picking at his teeth with his finger, “And demand to meet us in the Manehatten ruins, within the next three days.”
“The claim is absurd.” Zaktan hissed, tossing the letter to the table. “This… evidence is lacking. Have any of the others reported back yet?”
“No. Hakann and Vezok…” he winced when he saw Zaktan’s eyes narrow, “…haven’t returned yet, and Avak and Reidak are likely still traveling to their destination. We can’t get any confirmation from either group on whether one is missing.”
“Right…” Zaktan rose, shifting past his desk as protodites from all over the office and nearby areas gathered to him, his triblade forming in his claw. “We will simply have to deal with these insects ourselves.” He gave Thok a look. “I will handle the… negotiations, and you will serve as my added muscle. Once we have confirmed their claims, it will be a simple thing to ensure they won’t be bothering us again. Go gather your tools.”
Thok gave a slow nod, before walking out of the cramped office, leaving the emerald Skakdi alone. He had a few things to take care of before he could leave the facility.
Sebaste grunted as he set down a 100 pound weight he had been lifting in the castle gym. Wiping the sweat from his face with a towel, he looked around and sighed. “What I wouldn’t give to see some of my old friends again…” he muttered. “And to stop having those blasted nightmares….”
Slotting the weight back in its storage space, he then donned his helmet, his armor forming around him as soon as the helmet touched his head. “Well, better check on the others. Hopefully Alexia’s gotten a better hang on her…. What the?!” he yelped as a portal opened beneath him. Within seconds, he had vanished as the portal swallowed him and closed.
Sebaste soon felt solid ground once again, as he slammed into the floor and sprawled out onto the floor. The night sky shone above him, a brilliant spectacle of shining stars blocked only by a destroyed ceiling, chunks of what he thought may have been stone or concrete barely held up by their pillars.
“Where the hell am I…?!” He muttered, taking a look at his surroundings. He almost immediately found himself meeting the irritable crimson eyes of a face only a mother could love.
“Of course…” the familiar emerald face hissed, his voice like hundreds of snakes hissing through a bad microphone as his grin turned into a scowl. Not naturally, it was as if the very molecules of his face shifted independently. “The token I grabbed just had to be yours.”
“Zaktan. Been awhile since I’ve seen your green mug.” Sebaste growled. “To what do I owe the pleasure of being summoned for?”
“…tch” The Skakdi stood up, turning his spiky back to Sebaste. “I wanted a bodyguard, but I doubt you could handle such a job without rubbing your self righteous visor into matters it doesn’t belong in!”
“Try me. I’ve had to do some dirty jobs myself after I was redisplaced.” Sebaste retorted.
After several seconds of quiet buzzing from the emerald Skakdi, he shifted, the protodites that made up his body deforming and reforming until his wide grin replaced the back of his head. “Very well. But I’ll be watching your every move.”
Sebaste shuddered. “That gave me fucking ‘The Thing’ vibes right there.”
“Good.” Zaktan’s shorter arm suddenly burst forward in a buzzing green cloud, condensing around Sebaste’s arm and hauling him forcibly to his feet. “Now, since you’ll be working for me, we’re doing this my way.” The green Skakdi- or whatever he was- leaned close, so his crimson eyes reflected across The Spartan’s visor. “That means, not a single casualty.”
“I usually try to avoid casualties anyways, so you won’t have to worry about that.” Sebaste replied. He then raised an eyebrow. “I’m actually surprised that you don’t want any casualties. I thought you and your group didn't really care about body counts.”
“Those monsters in those worthless wars might not have, but not us.” Zaktan hissed. “Despite my… everything, I am still a human being on the inside.” The skakdi’s eyes narrowed. “We swore off killing.”
Sebaste frowned thoughtfully at this piece of info. “So what exactly do you need me to do?” he asked “You mentioned a bodyguard, but who am I guarding exactly?”
“You are to protect Thok and myself.” Zaktan replied, flicking his claws. “We got a letter declaring that one of our own was kidnapped. The pictures are not one hundred percent proof, but if these pathetic pony criminals actually have someone capable of subduing one of us, your job is to keep them from doing that.” He waved for Sebaste to follow him.
The Spartan hesitantly followed, his curiosity piqued. “Who was the one that got kidnapped?” he asked.
“We don’t know.” Zaktan shrugged. Sebaste found that particular action quite disturbing. “Which is why we’re skeptical of their legitimacy. All they showed us were a few pictures of a few body parts. A hand and a foot.”
“What color were they?”
“Pictures were in black and white, but the color of the armor was dark.” Zaktan turned a corner, leaving the decrepit building as Sebaste followed. “We can’t confirm with the other Piraka, because they’re still out on their own missions.”
Sebaste was silent after that, the Spartan mulling over what he had learned.. The two of them soon came across Thok, who had been sitting on a price of what had once been a clothes store, the chunk of rock still bearing what was left of a tuxedo under Thok’s legs.. When the white Piraka caught sight of Sebaste, he gave Zaktan an incredulous look.
“Really? Out of all the displaced we had tokens for, you grabbed his?” Thok asked, and Zaktan just groaned in irritation. “Do you realize he could very well jeopardize this whole mission?”
“Yes, I have recognized the error I made, and should he try anything you’ll be free to freeze him solid.” Zaktan growled, a brief flash of his laser vision charring the rock black between Thok’s feet. “Get a move on.”
“Nice to see you too…” Sebaste grumbled, an DMR forming in his hands as he followed behind them. “So where exactly are we meeting these goons?” He could see a bustling city to his north, skyscrapers still alight with what he guessed were ponies going to and from their jobs even in the middle of the night, the city coming to an abrupt end only a few miles away from them. Ruined buildings dotted the landscape from there, with pillars of stone rising vertically through where the Spartan assumed several buildings had once stood. To his southwest, far in the distance, he could spot the ever familiar sight of Canterlot mountain. And to his east was the ocean, though he could not see it.
“Probably those stone towers.” Zaktan replied, pointing towards the pillars he had spotted. “The letter only said ‘in the Manehatten Ruins’, so either they find us, or they expected us to be able to find them.”
“Ponies really are incapable.” Thok grumbled, his ice pick flipping in his grip. “Can’t even give good directions.”
“At least you don’t have to deal with the Canterlot nobles here.” Sebaste said. “They couldn’t take directions even if it bit them on their high nosed arse.”
He noticed Zaktan physically flinched at that, and Thok winced as he leaned over to Sebaste, who was thankful he couldn’t smell the skakdi’s breath through his helmet. “Best not mention Canterlot right now, if you want to keep on Zack’s good graces. We just had a huge operation blow up in our faces over there, and he’s not happy about it.”
“Noted. Didn’t think it would be a sensitive topic for you guys.” Sebaste said as he shouldered his weapon. The trio walked in silence, as the stone pillars soon loomed over them, like divine spears hurled to the ground by an angry god.
“So, boss, what’s the plan when this kidnapped Piraka turns out to be a lie?” Thok asked, his unnerving grin growing wider as he held up his ice pick, and flipped it over to the launcher side. “We gonna teach em not to mess with us? I’m sure they’d love to feel a bit of frostbite.”
“No.” Zaktan hissed before Sebaste could say anything. “At most we’ll force them to surrender, and have our good friend here turn them over to Manehatten police.” He gestured to the Spartan.
Sebaste grinned under his helmet. “Now that I’d be happy to do.”
Thok gave Zaktan an irritated snort, before lowering his weapon. “You really ought to cut back a bit on all that mercy, Boss.” He grumbled, giving Sebaste an annoyed look despite his grin. “If we don’t teach these lesser crime groups a lesson, how’re we going to keep them from trying us again? Or do you plan to let the worthless excuse of a police force solve all our problems for us?”
In the blink of an eye, Zaktan had whirled around, his crimson eyes glowing brightly as twin beams shot out from them, striking Thok in his left knee and sending him tumbling to the rubble with a pained gasp.
“We will not be like them!” Zaktan growled, gripping Thok by the neck and dragging him up till they were eye to eye. “You incompetent morons let all that violence in that goddamn war get to your head, and now look at you! Craving the violent option at every accursed opportunity!” He locked eyes with the struggling Thok.
That was a mistake.
Thok’s spellbinder vision took effect almost immediately, sending the trillions of protodites that made up Zaktan’s body sprawling to the ground in a green cloud, and causing Thok to fall back to the floor in a pained heap alongside him.
A single shot then cracked out through the air, causing both to flinch, at least in the case of Thok and look at Sebaste, the muzzle of his DMR smoking as he lowered it from the upraised position he had it in. “We all made mistakes during those wars, and some of us are still paying the price of it.” The Spartan snarled. “But right now, we have one of your fellow Piraka to retrieve, and your bickering isn’t gonna help him return. So put aside your argument and let’s finish this Faust damned mission.”
Thok glared at him as Zaktan slowly began to reform, the mass of microscopic organisms slowly returning to emerald and gold colors. “Right…” the white Skakdi growled, before pulling himself up and, after an unsteady moment when he stood on his injured leg, resumed walking.
“Urgh…” Zaktan groaned, stumbling to his own feet, his features still half complete. “Ridiculous… power…” He muttered, his one fully formed eye blinking to shake off the dizziness.
“You okay, Zaktan?” Sebaste asked.
“No… I was a puddle of disorganized bugs because I wanted to be…” the emerald Piraka slurred, his voice sounding like it came from his leg rather than his mouth as it dripped with sarcasm. “I’ll be good in a moment…”
“Take your time.” The Spartan said.
“Rrrgh…” Zaktan growled irritably, and after a few seconds, the buzzing wisps of protodites still floating free from him solidified. “That wretch… come on.” Zaktan resumed walking, passing under the shadow of one of the massive pillars.
Shaking his head, Sebaste followed, his guard up as he walked through the ruins. He began to softly whistle a song to himself, one he had heard back before he had been displaced.
The trio found the meeting place in a destroyed shopping mall, the glass dome that had made up the center’s ceiling scattered across the concrete when Nuparu had decided to bring an earthy spike up through it. The large walkways were dominated by shadow, save for the moonlight that still shone past the spear of rock that had tried to impale Zaktan during the fight more than a year ago.
The emerald skakdi had heard their voices as they passed, and he scattered his essence to scout them out, the protodites almost imperceptible to the naked eye when they weren’t bunched up in a green cloud.
Zaktan could count four of them lounging in the moonlight, and they all looked about as tough as a colt dressed up like a gang member on Nightmare Night. He mentally smirked at the thought, recalling the memory of the last time the Warden of Dreams had tried to use his dreams for information.
A brief meeting with Zaktan’s mental interpretation of Irnakk, the destructive creature that plagued the nightmares of all Skakdi, had stopped those intrusions well before the Princess of the Night could learn anything besides fear.
He refocused on the ponies he was observing, irritated at how often his mind wandered when spread out like this.
The tallest of the ponies had dull tan fur, disturbingly reminding the Skakdi of human skin. His crimson mane was pulled into a spiked pattern behind his head, which revealed scars that Zaktan honestly doubted were real, if he could see them from so far away. And… by his displacer, was that really a leather jacket wrapped around his barrel? Where had they even gotten the material for that?
Letting the disturbing thought lie, Zaktan turned his attention to the others of the laughably small group, considering they were expecting to meet with Piraka. The other three were about as comically unintimidating as the first, their clashing coats making them look more like a punk rock band than a gang of wannabe criminals. He could count maybe two blades in total among them, and neither were sheathed on the side of the unicorn!
Zaktan had almost dismissed the whole notion of this absurd venture, preparing to return to the others and tell them to just leave, when he noticed an odd figure kneeling in the darkness behind them. The eyes of a million microscopic protodites widened when they recognized the clawed feet of a Skakdi, the metallic black legs just barely uncovered by the fabric covering the rest of him. By the Displacer, had they really managed to capture Reidak?!
The Skakdi was bound, at least as far as Zaktan could tell, with a black cloak covering the entirety of his body save for his legs. Zaktan could see him moving, but it was mostly just swaying from side to side, with the head occasionally turning about under the blanket. Some kind of hypnosis perhaps? Zaktan knew very little else that could allow anyone to capture the overly violent Skakdi.
Quietly, the emerald Skakdi retreated, reforming himself in front of his comrades from the legs up. “Well well, they really do have a Skakdi in there.” Zaktan grumbled, unable to keep the astonishment from his own face.
“This does beg the question on how this lot even got their hooves on him…” Sebaste commented. “If I remember my Bionicle lore correctly, weren’t Piraka extremely tough to capture let alone bring down? ”
“Indeed.” Thok nodded, looking over at the spartan. “It should be impossible for mere ponies to be able to take down one of us. Like ants trying to bring down an elephant.” He turned back to Zaktan. “Did you figure out which of our compatriots it was?”
“Yes… though it only adds to the confusion.” Zaktan grumbled, holding up his left arm. The protodites pooled forward from his arm, thinning out the appendage while constructing a visage of the black and gold Skakdi. “Somehow, these ponies managed to capture Reidak.”
Thok gave him a shocked look. “Impossible.” He breathed, shaking his head. “You’re sure?”
“As in ‘big, black and can take an entire mountain to the face without a scratch’ Reidak?” Sebaste asked incredulously. “How’d they even manage to pull that off?!”
“As if we’d know.” Zaktan said. “Now, we’ll go in there, and we’ll be polite for the time being. I don’t want whatever they used on Reidak to be used on us. So for our safety’s sake, please do not start going gun crazy on them, you two.” He growled at Thok in particular. “I would prefer it if we can figure out what happened before we fight them.”
“You won’t have to worry about me. I’m honestly curious as to what happened to him myself.” Sebaste assured.
Zaktan gave him an odd look, but turned to glare at Thok, who merely shrugged in response. “Yeah, yeah.” He grumbled, waving his hand dismissively. “I promise I won’t freeze any of them without due cause.”
“…good.” Zaktan growled, eyeing the white skakdi for a moment before walking through the shattered glass doors of the mall.
The trio met the group of ponies after a few minutes of walking, Zaktan strutting confidently into the light as the ponies all shot up into what the emerald Piraka assumed were pre-planned positions. “Greetings… gentlecolts. I’m sure you’re aware of why we’re here?”
The lead stallion, the one with the possibly fake scars and spiked mane, nodded, annoyingly confident despite facing one of Zaktan’s best sadistic grins. “You bet we do.” He had an equally annoying accent that reminded Zaktan of his family’s visit to New York, back in his old world. It also seemed he was chewing on… was that bubblegum?“But uh, I don’t see a big ol’ bag o bits with ya, so that makes me wonder what kinda trick you three are tryin’ to pull.” He gave Sebaste an analytical look, before smirking. “You don’t think this tin can over here’ll beat us up for ya, right?”
If the Spartan felt any insult from the comment, he didn't show it. His response was to shift slightly as his weapon morphed from a DMR to a massive two handed hammer which he then slung over his shoulder. Other than that, he didn't respond. The pony raised a confident eyebrow, but said nothing of it.
“We decided that it would be best to see for ourselves who you managed to capture, before bringing forth any possible payment” Zaktan replied, giving a glance over to the supposedly hidden and bagged skakdi in the shadows. “It is almost unheard of, after all, for ponies to be able to defeat a Piraka.”
“Yeah, and it’s even less heard of to get a deal goin when one side doesn’t cough up the dough.” The lead pony replied, stepping up to Zaktan and giving him an irritated look. “I’m not willin’ to hoof over yer pal, unless you bring me the bits. I woulda thought the big bad leader of the Piraka woulda known how simple business works, but I guess all ya’ll Piraka got rocks for brains, like the one we caught.”
“And we are not stupid enough to simply believe such an absurd claim, Pony.” Thok spoke up, and Zaktan noted the irritation on his face. To others, it would be difficult to tell, given the permanent grin and all, but Skakdi could make minute changes to their features, and that was enough if you knew what to look for. “I mean, really, did you expect us to believe that you, of all ponies, managed to defeat a skakdi?” He shook his head in disbelief. “Now, why don’t you go ahead and provide real proof, otherwise we’ll simply walk out and forget that this ever happened.”
The pony had lost his smug composure, irritation evident on his muzzle as he gave a brief glance skywards. “Right. Ya want proof? Then you can meet tha boss.”
“The boss?” Zaktan asked, “I would have expected the boss to have been you, despite your looks.”
“Eh, I don’t know, he has more of a lieutenant vibe than a boss vibe.” Sebaste commented. “But that does beg the question. If he’s not the boss, then who’s their commander?”
“That would be me, Displaced.” A cold, feminine voice said, sounding as if from above them. The trio looked back to the ruined skylight, and only then did they notice a shadowy figure perched upon the pillar of rock, several meters above. Her voice had been quiet, yet they had heard it as if it came from right next to their ears.
“And just who are you, then?” Zaktan asked, his tri-blade forming in his left hand. The apparent female descended, wings extending from her arms. Instead of falling, she glided down, landing gracefully between the trio of displaced and pony thugs.
Now that they were up close, they got a much better look at her.
She was clearly human, clad in a simple black dress with minimal pieces of strangely shaped silver armor. A black choker with an amber orb helped connect the sleeves and dress together, while her silver hair was set in a bun with a black hairband with two strands hanging in front of her face. “Hmm…” She paused, her glowing crimson eyes looking between the three of them. “Well, I suppose my reputation would not reach this place.” She spread her arms out and gave a polite bow in greeting. “You may call me Chir, Piraka. And I desire something only you can give.”
“What, so you don’t want a million bits?” Thok asked, confused. “Any bank in Canterlot would have that much, at least.”
“No, my desires are not so basic.” Chir replied, her cold eyes turning to the white skakdi. Sebaste noticed the ponies behind her looking at each other in confusion, their leader apparently just as confused as them. “I am… something of a scientist, you see. And your world possesses quite the unique set of specimens that I would simply love to dissect.”
“And that would be…?” Sebaste asked, his mind starting to piece together a few clues as to who this ‘Chir’ actually was.
“A few years ago, these two, along with their companions, encountered a team of Toa.” Chir said, and Zaktan turned his head back to her sharply. “In this fight, they sealed the team behind a mostly impenetrable barrier of Protodermis.”
“Yes, We did.” Zaktan nodded slowly, noticing the leader of the thugs approaching Chir. “They were intending on usurping Celestia as the ruler of this place, and we stopped them.” He frowned, which was quite disturbing on a Skakdi since they normally could not make such an expression. “What, you want us to-“
“Hey, uh, boss… we’re still getting our million bits, right?” The spiky-haired pony asked, pressing a hoof against her dress.
“Oh, I promised you I would reward you for bringing them here, did I not?” Chir gave him an icy smile, her hand gently caressing the pony. “I’m afraid I do not have such an extravagant amount of this world’s currency on hand, but…” her grin went wide, crimson eyes practically glowing with glee. The pony’s ears flopped behind his head as he tried to pull away from her hand, but found himself unable to move. “Perhaps instead, I can elevate you to something of worth, instead of a meaningless waste of life.”
Her fingernails dug into the side of his cheek before he could refuse, and green liquids flooded into his body from them. She pulled away to much shouting from the other ponies, but it was soon silenced by the screaming.
“What in god's name…” Zaktan breathed, taking an involuntary step as the pony’s body began to contort and bend in unnatural angles. He sensed rather than saw that Thok and Sebaste had done the same.
“Wh-whutsh… happenin…?!” The pony tried to speak, but soon had his hooves to his throat as he choked on something. He fell backwards as twin bony pincers burst from his mouth, his eyes wide and bloodshot as bone spikes burst out all across his body, tearing through flesh as it was pulled taut by the sudden extension and twisting of his legs.
As the unfortunate soul’s agonizing transformation continued, Zaktan turned away in disgust, unable to watch any more. He then saw that Chir was watching in utter fascination, a notepad suddenly in her hands as she scribbled away at it. The other two ponies had run by now, abandoning their leader to his fate with screams of terror that echoed through the empty mall.
Zaktan heard something behind him, and shifted one of his eyes around to see that Thok had placed a claw on Sebaste’s weapon, keeping it lowered as he shook his head slowly.
A few horrific minutes later, the transformation was complete. The creature’s body sat lower to the ground, a bony carapace covered in spikes dominating much of its upper back, while the fur that had once dominated its body was now relegated to its spindly, blade-like legs and underbelly. Twin gargantuan pincers extended from its jaw, which was filled with rows of shark-like teeth that were covered in a visceral green fluid, which dropped to the floor and sizzled every now and then. It’s eyes were comically small compared to its body, sunken in on either side of a jagged, horn-like protrusion in its carapace as they looked left and right, searching for something.
“Oh my, what a lovely little specimen you turned out to be~!” Chir clapped her hands excitedly, stuffing the notepad under her dress to approach the monstrosity. It hissed and gargled as she approached, but once she laid a hand upon its bony exterior it immediately calmed, as if under a trance.
“Yes, I want you to free them for me.” Chir answered Zaktan’s earlier, unfinished question, not looking away from her new creation as she studied it’s form. “I shall release your friend back to you, and you will do this for me. A fair deal, wouldn’t you say?”
“Just what are you? You look human, but I’m getting the sense you’re something else entirely...” Sebaste said.
“Hm…” Chir gave him another look over, looking much less interested than she had been while looking at her new monster. “Very astute for one of your kind.” She said after a moment. I am a Matron Lord, though before we claimed that title for ourselves, my sisters and I were… Makuta.” She smiled in satisfaction as Thok and Zaktan physically flinched, stepping backwards as they reappraised her.
“A… a Makuta?!” Thok asked, bewilderment and growing terror in his normally snarky and sarcastic voice. “You’re… a…”
“Yes.” Chir nodded, her eyes shining brighter. “One of the most powerful species in existence. You may bow, grovel, or whatever you feel best suits the situation.” She waved her hand dismissively at the notion. “Or don’t. You are fellow displaced, after all. I at least consider you somewhat above the worthless masses of these worlds.”
“Great… bad enough there’s a Teridax running around, now we have a goddamn Brotherhood… or would it be Sisterhood in this case?” Sebaste muttered under his breath. Aloud he asked, “How do we know we can fully trust you?”
“Because, Displaced, I have no reason to break this deal.” Chir replied, sitting up from her best and approaching them. Zaktan and Thok backed away slightly. “Surely, you know how powerful my sisters and I are. I could just take each of these fools myself, and steal their power to free the Toa myself.” She smiled, tilting her head and letting her bangs fall in front of her face. If she wasn’t capable of butchering them all with ease, and that her eyes did not glow, she’d almost look cute. “I am simply being generous to a group of fellow displaced, that’s all.”
There was a tense silence from the Spartan as he weighed his options. “Very well.” he said, holstering his weapon.
“…now then, Miss Chir…” Zaktan interrupted, eyeing the horrific creature worriedly. “How long would you be willing to wait for us to complete this task? The, uh, other Piraka are currently out on missions, and will take a fair amount of time to return. Then, we’d need time to organize things for breaking the Toa out.”
“Yes, I’m aware the protodermis prison is under Equestrian custody.” Chir rolled her eyes, as if the question was obvious. “I shall give you a month to bring the Toa to me. Otherwise, well… you are quite the interesting specimen yourself, Zaktan~” She gave him an evil grin, before gesturing to the beast she made.
“Now, before I depart, I happen to have a new specimen that requires testing.” She said, and if Zaktan had blood it would have run cold at that moment. “So I’ll offer you another deal… one of you may fight it for me! And if you do, I’ll give you your friend back now, instead of later. Just… don’t kill it, would you? I would like to see if it has any regenerative qualities.”
“I… that is quite generous, Ma’am.” Zaktan shivered, not wanting to even be near the thing. But thankfully, they had just happened to acquire some hired help before they arrived. “I am sure our bodyguard would be honored to fight your beast for Reidak’s freedom.”
“Oh, was that the babbling fool’s name?” Chir asked, turning back to Sebaste with another of her mad smiles and a twirl of her heels. “Well? Will you test out my darling little monster for me?”
Sebaste snorted in annoyance before a large shoulder portable gun materialized in his hands. Swinging and aiming it in one fluid motion, the front of the weapon opened up as a whining sound emitted from it, while a red laser appeared on the head of the beast. As the barrel glowed red hot and the whining from it grew to a crescendo, a massive energy blast erupted from it, searing a hole into and through the creature. All that was left was a sizzling husk lying on the ground.
“I’ll pass.” Sebaste said as he dismissed his weapon. Zaktan and Thok both looked at him in shock, their oversized mouths hanging open like miniature doors.
The Matron Lord’s smile had disappeared, replaced with an unamused frown as she gave him a small glare. “Spoilsport.” She huffed, bending down to retrieve a small sample of the creature’s corpse, ripping off a chunk of flesh and pulling out a glass container. “Now I’ll have to make another pony into something new… can’t go home without at least something to experiment upon…” She turned to Zaktan, before pointing sharply at the bagged Piraka in the shadows. “Go ahead and take him, I have no interest in listening to any more of his ravings. I do hope that the next time we meet, you’ll be sure to leave that one at home.” She gave Sebaste another glare.
Sebaste returned her glare with a level look of his own, his hands behind his back. “I’ll make a note on that.” he said. “But we’ll have the toa ready for you as you requested.”
“Good.” She nodded, her wings once more extending from her arms. “I’ll be bringing along one of my sisters with me next time, and she is not as forgiving as I am.”
“We shall, uh, ensure that everything goes well, Miss Chir.” Zaktan nodded eagerly, and she gave him and Thok a polite nod.
“Then I shall see you in one month, Piraka.” Chir said, and took off. Moments later, the three displaced were left alone with the corpse Seb had made, and silence returned to the abandoned mall.
Sebaste’s posture went from ramrod straight to slightly shaking. “Fucking hell…” he muttered. “If she and her sisters used to be Makuta, I’d bet dollars to bits Chir was originally Chirox, the scientist of the Brotherhood…”
His musings were interrupted as a clawed emerald fist promptly smashed into his helmet, sending him sprawling as Zaktan advanced on him, his eyes practically boiling with barely contained energies.
“You… absolute… rrrrraaaagh!” Before Thok could intervene, Zaktan grabbed Sebaste by the throat and hauled him up, the Piraka’s strength surprising him as despite his weight he was lifted several inches in the air. “Do you have any idea what would have happened if that monster had decided to not be ‘nice’ to us?!” He demanded, crimson eyes reflecting off of Sebaste’s visor. “You could have gotten us all killed with that stunt! Or worse, on her dissection table!”
“If I did anything, it was putting a former pony out of his misery. And I had no intentions of being her or anyone else’s fucking guinea pig!” Sebaste snarled in reply. “You think I wasn’t aware of what she was capable of? I haven’t forgotten what Teridax did to some of the ponies in my old Equestria during that blasted Crusade Ahriman did!”
“And yet you still decided it was worth our deaths just to spite her?!” Zaktan roared, his triblade manifesting under his left arm. “You dislike being a damn guinea pig?! Well, you almost forced me and my friends to suffer that exact fate! And for what?!” Lasers burst from his eyes, burning against Sebaste’s shoulder. “Just so you could put some insignificant wretch out of his misery!”
Sebaste gritted his teeth at the pain as he glared at the Piraka. “Would you have done anything different with that beast if you were in my shoes, Zaktan? Or would you have let it run wild and end up having it be a thorn in your side?” he asked.
“I would have done what she asked us to!” Zaktan growled, his anger unabated, his weapon trembling in his claw. In fact, his entire body seemed to be shaking in rage. “Because she was going to take it with her after you stopped being it’s accursed test subject!”
“She was a scientist, after all.” Thok agreed, arguably more calm than Zaktan, but Sebaste could still see a glimmer of ice-cold wrath in his eyes. “She’d probably study it in a place where she has better tools, and wouldn’t just ‘let it loose’. At least, not in our world.”
Sebaste’s fists tightened. “Yet what’s to stop her from going after you lot after she’s done with those Toa? It wouldn’t matter if I was here or not, it’s more than clear she has her eyes on you whether you help her or not.”
“Even if she does,” Thok said before Zaktan could snap at him, placing a hand on the emerald Skakdi’s shoulder before gently pulling him back. “We now know she exists. We can prepare for such an eventuality. But you, in your foolhardy decisions, could very well have sped up that timetable. If she hadn’t been so… well, nice is not exactly the word I would use… but she may very well have had decided to just take us right here and now.” Thok crossed his arms, his ice pick shining in the moonlight. “No matter how you look at it, you unnecessarily brought risk to our lives, and for… what, exactly?” He brought a claw to his chin, scratching it. “A quickly end to a lowlife criminal’s suffering? No amount of suffering from these lowly ponies is worth our lives.”
Sebaste snorted. “You could also say I gave that criminal a little payback from you lot for kidnapping Rediak. Not that it really matters.”
“As if that wretched thing could have defeated Reidak.” Zaktan growled. “He was obviously just a pawn used to lure us out. Chir was the one who defeated Reidak, so in the end, you…” Zaktan’s eyes narrowed, and he growled before stomping off angrily, the air around him buzzing with noise. “There is no point arguing with a ‘Hero’ who thinks he is in the right.” He gave a look to Thok. “Pay him and send the bastard home.”
“Good luck with your mission.” Sebaste said. “And keep the change, consider my services free of charge. And as for being a ‘hero’...” Here, he chuckled darkly. “The day I lost my friends was the day I stopped calling myself that.”
“Oh, rot in hell.” Zaktan cursed, not even bothering to look back at him. “Your contract is complete.” With those words said, the Spartan vanished.
Thok followed Zaktan once Sebaste was gone, thoughts rushing across his mind. They had come quite close to becoming experiments thanks to that Spartan, and all because of a single pony… where’s the fairness in that? His life was worth at least a thousand of theirs, and he would have frozen Sebaste solid for the Makuta without hesitation if it meant staying in her good graces. But those thoughts got him thinking.
It was obvious she was some kind of ruler. The way she acted, as if everyone was beneath her, yet still somewhat respectful. Perhaps she ruled a kingdom? Maybe she wanted to expand her territory? If she did, this world could become a likely target. But if it already had its own kingdom, ruled by something other than these wretched ponies, someone like himself… maybe he could work out a deal with her?
“Thok, a question.” Zaktan interrupted the white skakdi’s thoughts as they approached their bagged comrade. “Were you actually going to pay him? I know I told you to, but…”
Thok froze for a moment, but his grin soon went wider. “Well… his pay would have been at least seven thousand bits, but… given that he breached the unofficial contract by putting our lives in unnecessary risk, that would drop him by about three thousand five hundred.” He explained. “Add the fact that he also broke the arguably simple rule of ‘do not kill’, that would have dropped him to abouuuut…” Thok pretended to think for a moment, before speaking again. “One Bit.”
That brought Zaktan’s grin back. “I’d almost say that’s still too much, but I recognize the implications of it. Well done, Thok.” The two of them stopped in front of the bound Skakdi, looking down at him as Thok flipped his ice pick over. “Now, let’s get Reidak free, and we can all go back to base and prepare for the new, worst case scenario.”
“Agreed.” Thok nodded, moving behind their partner as he undid the bindings keeping his legs bound. Zaktan handled the bag around his upper body. “Really though, a Makuta? What kind of crap have we gotten ourselves into?”
Zaktan was silent.
Thok stopped what he was doing after a moment, and looked up curiously. “Something wrong?”
“This… isn’t Reidak.”