//------------------------------// // Chapter Twelve: Meet N' Greet, Part II: I Really Hate Toa // Story: Piraka Don't Play Fair // by The Warmaster //------------------------------// Present Day Hakann dove into a building as Jallers lightning-infused flames burned past where he had been previously, the cement charred black within the first few seconds, as if oil had coated it. However, oil would burn with fire contact, so the entire metaphor was rendered useless.   Hakann rose from his cover, firing two beams of heat from his eyes in an attempt to harm the Dark Toa. Unfortunately, the heat beams bent once they were within five feet of the Toa, flying around him before slipping into the Toa’s sword.   “Who’s bright idea was it to have me fight the Toa of Mata Nui damned fire, when almost all of my attacks are flame-based?!” The crimson Piraka growled, dashing out of the building and towards another battle taking place. Before the Toa of Fire could move to intercept him, he let loose five explosive Zamor Spheres, keeping the Toa where he was.   Hakann continued, undeterred. He grabbed the Piraka in front of him, who, much to Hakann’s joy, just happened to be Vezok.   “Trade me!” He said, tossing the blue Piraka back the way Hakann had come from. “Alright, so who am I fighting?” He turned to find the Toa of Ice, Matoro, pointing his weapon at him. “Well, suppose I shouldn't complain!” Hakann roared, narrowly jumping out of the way as a spear of ice and lightning flew towards him, scratching his right arm. Electricity quickly flashed up through his body, temporarily paralyzingly him as his body convulsed in pain. The crimson Piraka roared as Matoro smirked. When the electricity subsided, Hakann fell to the ground, smoke curling off of his armor. “Okay… that hurt.” He growled, slowly and shakily standing back up. “Let's see how you like becoming the Toa of Steam!” His clawed hands lurched forward, and twin columns of flame flew out, twin tornados of heat on a direct course for the Toa of Ice. Matoro’s eyes widened, before he leapt out of the way, fire blackening the wall behind him.   “Alright, now we are talking!” Hakann roared, chasing after the Dark Toa. Vezok cursed loudly as he discovered his newfound intimate relationship with the cement, before skidding to a stop. The blue Piraka growled as he jumped back up, dusting himself off.   “That damn prick Hakann will be sorry once this is over…” He stated, before getting blasted from behind by electric fire. Once again he fell to the ground, groaning in pain from his blackened and smoking back even as the powers of electric fire came under his control. “Lot of good that'll do me…” Vezok growled, jumping out of the way as the sound of more fire blossomed behind him. “Oi! Don't you know you're supposed to wait until I get up to attempt to kill me again?!” The Piraka growled, glaring at the Dark Toa of Fire.   Jaller smirked coldly. “I'm afraid that I don't play by your rules.” He said, before letting loose another wave of fire. This time, the flames expanded to both sides of the street, cutting off Vezok’s potential ways to dodge as the wall of fire surged forward, taller than anything the Piraka could have jumped over.   “Well, if you can't dodge it,” Vezok said, dropping into an offensive stance, “Then you just blast a hole through it.” He brought his claws upward, his weapons placed on his back as he waited. When the flames got too close for Vezok’s comfort, the blue Piraka let loose a torrent of water, creating a hole in the wall long enough for Vezok to step through, steam surrounding him. Pulling out his weapons again, he ran into a nearby building, a plan hatching within his head. When the steam cleared, Jaller was left alone in the street. He glared as he attempted to locate the missing Piraka. “So, now we play a game of hide and seek, Vezok? I thought you were a Piraka, not a Matoran.”   As he turned to his left, twin beams of Vezok’s Impact Vision smashed into his other side, knocking him through the wall of one of the buildings. Vezok chuckled as he let loose a wave of his Impact Vision onto the gray building, which, to Vezok’s estimation, was maybe five stories tall. After a few seconds of continuous hits, the building caved in on itself, burying the Toa of Fire under the rubble.   “Well, that takes care of that.” Vezok said, dusting his hands off. “I wish I had Thok here to freeze him over, but I should probably go help one of the others first.” The blue Piraka turned to find the others, but froze as a giant tower of fire erupted from the rubble, melting the remains of the building into a liquid puddle. When the flames vanished, Vezok could see the Toa of Fire standing in the center, panting, and extremely pissed.   Vezok sighed. “I just can't catch a break, can I?” He asked as he jumped back to the ground. “The other Piraka can handle themselves. Guess it's time for Round Two!” Reidak growled as yet another building collapsed on him, the Toa of Stone accurately hitting the weakest points in the building’s structure.   “Mata Nui damn it!” The Black Piraka roared angrily, shoving the massive block of rubble that had pinned him. “I really fucking hate Hewkii and his damn Mask of Accuracy!” He flipped his Buzzsaw around, activating the drill on the other side as he dug a hole into the ground, and climbed inside as he continued. “Maybe I'll break the damn thing once I'm done with him….” Suddenly, the rock in front of him parted, revealing the gray mask of the Toa he had come to loathe.  “Found you!” Hewkii said slowly, before the tunnel Reidak had made exploded, spitting the Piraka back up to the surface.  “Yep. Definitely gonna break that mask once I'm done with him…” Reidak groaned, slowly crawling to his feet as Hewkii stepped out of the large hole he had made in the street. “I'd like to see you try!” Hewkii laughed, aiming his Laser Axe at the weakened Piraka. “Enough fun and games. Say goodnight, Piraka.” Reidak fell to the ground, his hands stopping him from smacking his head into the cement. Hewkii laughed.   “I didn't mean actually fall asleep, idiot!” Hewkii said as he opened fire, the laser heading straight for Reidak’s head. To Hewkii’s surprise, a wall of earth burst from the ground in between him and Reidak, stopping the energy as it met the wall. Behind it, Reidak’s grin grew wider as he got back up.   What…?” Hewkii asked, shocked at what just happened. “You Piraka don't have elemental powers!”   “There are two things you need to know about me, Hewkii.” Reidak said, activating his powers over the earth itself once more. “One, don't call me an idiot. I'm smarter than most of the others.” The cement beneath Hewkii’s feet shook as cracks began to form. “And two, you do not fuck with the Piraka unless you want to get your mask pummeled.” All around Hewkii, the ground rose up, breaking through the cement that had trapped it for so long, before crushing the Toa of Stone under a tidal wave of earth and rock.    “Well, hopefully he learns his lesson from being part of the street.” Reidak said, walking off towards the sounds of another battle taking place.   A minute after he had left, the ground exploded into the sky, before raining back down onto the street. Hewkii crawled out from the ruined street, rage burning in his eyes.   “And you shouldn't underestimate me, Piraka…” he growled, standing back up. He looked around for the Piraka, before deciding to follow the sounds of combat. “I wish Hakann were here, funnily enough.” Thok growled as the Toa of Air leapt out of the way of his surprise attack once again. The entire battle so far had been like this. Kongu’s Mask of Telepathy had easily read each and every one of Thok’s plans without fail, and so far the white Piraka, ever the thinker, all of Thok’s attempts to attack the Toa of Air had met with failure, and left Thok with more and more damage as Kongu’s energy crossbow continued to find its mark. “If he had been here, he probably could have hit Kongu with a mental blast, and then he would have hit him with everything he had. But no, of course Lady Luck put me in front of him.” “You really should do less think-talking to yourself, and more quick-fleeing!” Kongu said from behind Thok, and the Piraka narrowly dodged the energy bolt aimed for his back. “That's the spirit!” Kongu laughed, keeping Thok occupied with more shots from his crossbow. “Ooh! Maybe you should do a dance! Maybe Mata Nui will quick-save you!”   Thok growled as his rage boiled. Without much thought to it, he froze the water molecules around the Toa of Air, and the energy shots ceased as Kongu looked around him.   “That's a neat power-trick you got there!” Kongu laughed, before he leveled his crossbow at the wall of ice between him and Thok. “But you'll have to do better!” An energy bolt flew forth, breaking through the thin wall of ice and smashing into Thok’s left arm, striking a unarmored spot. He cried out in pain as he collapsed, clutching his wounded arm. The Toa of Air stepped through the ice wall, standing above the wounded Piraka with a twisted grin on his mask.   “Any last words?” The Toa of Air asked, leveling his crossbow directly in front of Thok’s face. Thok’s eyes met Kongu’s, and before the Toa of Air realized his mistake, Thok activated his Spellbinder Vision, disrupting the Toa’s sense of balance. Kongu staggered, and Thok took his chance. Ignoring the pain in his arm, he knocked the Dark Toa’s feet out from under him with his Ice Pick, and, forming a helmet of ice around his head, smashed it into Kongu’s face as he fell. The two collapsed on the floor, Kongu reeling from the headbutt. Thok got up first, ramming his mass into the Toa of Air and, somewhat ironically, knocking the air out of his lungs. He rammed him into the side of the room they had fought in, pinning him between a Thok and a hard place. Unfortunately for Thok, Kongu activated his power over air, blasting the White Piraka away with a large gust of wind. He dropped to the floor, and slowly staggered back to his feet, the effects of the Spellbinder  Vision beginning to wear off. “Alright...that does it.” Kongu snarled, trying to focus on Thok, who was groaning on the ground. Unfortunately for the Toa of Air, the effects of getting your face smashed in by a helmet of ice and the impact of a Piraka’s skull had yet to dissipate. And to add to his misfortune, he did not hear the sound of a drill nearby.   Attempting to concentrate, he increased the air pressure around Thok at an alarming rate, hoping to crush the Piraka’s skull.   Thok roared loudly, feeling the effects of increased air pressure. He collapsed on the ground, but before Kongu could finish the job, the wall next to him exploded, and the black and gold figure of Reidak steamrolled the Toa of Air, ruining his concentration and nearly knocking him unconscious. Reidak grabbed the Toa by the neck, lifting him up to make eye contact.   “It must suck to be you in five seconds.” The Piraka growled, before grabbing the Toa with his other claw by the back of his head, and inserted it into a wall, like a school bully would dunk a kids head into a toilet. That done, Reidak moved to help Thok up.   “I’m surprised.” Reidak said to the White Piraka, lifting him up to his feet. “I would have thought you would be smart enough to fight anyone except the mind-reader.”   “Fuck off.” Was Thok’s reply, limping out the door. “Let’s go find Zaktan. I expect that the Royal Guard will be here soon, and we need to finish this before that happens.” Reidak nodded. “Right. Let's go!” He picked Thok up by the waist, flopped him over his shoulder, and sprinted off to find their emerald leader. Hewkii stepped out from behind the wall, aiming up his Laser Axe, but sighing when he realized he wouldn't be able to hit them. Instead, he turned back to the wall, where the green mask of Kongu poked out, groaning.   “Little rescue-help here, bud?” The Toa of Air asked. Hewkii sighed in annoyance, before pulling back his fist, and smashing it into Kongu’s face, popping him out of the wall. Not caring if Kongu was still conscious, Hewkii gave chase after Thok and Reidak.