Chapter 22: Desolate City

 

Cutscene: Escaping this Hole

 

The last ten seconds felt like an eternity to Smiley. After the implosion of the portal, mutated beasts had swarmed him and Gresh, and they were fierce. Ferocious, indeed, but with all the wit and strategy of trained killers.

 

He didn't have the energy to take them all on, and he wasn't sure he could trust Gresh to survive a teleport. The Glatorian was taking quite a beating, and an unsettling trip through inter-dimensional space might push him over the edge. What to do, what to do...

 

Suddenly, Smiley came up with an idea. From the fighting habits of these mutants, he could guess that they were Dark Hunters… and if that was true, he could use their former nature against them.

 

Without warning, he latched one hand onto a mutant's neck, the other on its gun's trigger, and turned the fighter to face the others. Then he squeezed. When the survivors whirled to see who was attacking, they saw only one of their own with a smoking weapon, and converged on him. After a few moments, it turned into an all-out brawl between two factions of the mutants.

 

Smiley, having teleported to Gresh's side after firing the weapon, smiled more broadly as they tore each other apart. It bought him time to steady Gresh's digestive system, create a portal, and escape the pit.

 

*insert level: inter-dimensional space. Playable characters: Smiley, Gresh. New enemies: assorted Mutant Rahi. Notes: ends at a portal, all enemies are mutants.*

 

Cutscene: Bad Neighborhood

 

Smiley and Gresh arrived on the other side of the portal, fully expecting enemies to leap at them. But they were mistaken - a look at the surroundings revealed only a picturesque cityscape.

 

But not quite so picturesque as all that, Smiley realized. For a closer look (and listen) revealed two disturbing things:

 

One. There were signs of a battle here - scrapes on the buildings, blue blood smeared across the asphalt, and a few broken weapons here and there.

 

Two. It was quiet. Deathly quiet.

 

As they walked into the center of the city, it got worse. There were no buildings any more - just burning shacks, littered with bodies. A few were still alive, groaning and pleading for help, but Smiley knew from a glance they were beyond help.

 

Something came over Gresh's face. After a few minutes, he turned to Smiley and asked:

 

"Do you think death hurts?"

 

"It depends. Do you mean a death like those poor souls back there?" Smiley replied.

 

"Yes. No. I don't know," Gresh said. "Any kind."

 

"Well, I'd say it depends on how you died. A natural death is much less painful than a spear being driven into your heart," Smiley said cheerfully. "But if for the right cause… it doesn't matter. That's the most you can ask for in war - to die for something you believe in."

 

Gresh considered this, nodding.

 

"Of course, you don't have to worry about dying. Not while I'm around," Smiley quickly added.

 

"Of course not," Gresh chuckled. "Do you think -"

 

The Glatorian stopped speaking. Stopped walking. Smiley had gone a few meters when he turned back to see the green-armored warrior peering around nervously, as if waiting for an attack.

 

"What's that for?" Smiley asked.

 

"Can't you hear it?" Gresh said, starting to sweat.

 

"What?"

 

"The clicking," Gresh murmured, "the never-ending clicking…"

 

Smiley listened - and indeed, there was a clicking noise, growing ever louder. Mixed with loud buzzing. Ever louder. Ever closer.

 

"It's -" Gresh started to say, panic on his face, but he needn't continue. For just then, something blotted out the sky, black masses filling the air. And the clicking was intolerable.

 

They were Nui-Rama. Dozens of them. Hundreds. And standing in the middle was one very evil-looking Toa Kualus.

 

*insert multiman brawl: Smiley and Gresh vs. 30 Nui-Rama.*

 

*insert single-stock brawl: Smiley and Gresh vs. Dark Rahi Trainer (all Rahi).*

 

Cutscene: Bigger Guns Nearby

 

Kualus screeched with pain - not the sound a Toa would make, but an animalistic utterance. Then he slammed the wormhole device on his belt and disappeared.

 

Smiley looked away, trying to rub the image out of his retinas. He was amazed at how confident the Makuta were in their mind control - and how absolute it was.

 

Smiley and Gresh set off for one particular building, neither saying much for the rest of the trip. But eventually, Gresh's curiosity got the better of him:

 

"Why are we heading for that building, anyway?"

 

"I recognize its type," Smiley grunted. "It's a weapons research center. We're going to need much bigger firepower if we'll be breaking into the Makuta's master lab."

 

Gresh grinned. "I like the sound of that plan!"

 

Smiley grinned, too. It was kind of funny, after all.

 

The two ran for the research center with higher spirits than before.

 

*STAGE CLEAR reward: None.*

Chapter: The factory Number: I still have no idea.

 

Cutscene: An unforgiving land.

 

The portal opened in the sky. Again. Pohatu once more found himself falling towards the ground.

 

“No, not this time!” He shouted.

 

The toa of stone used his elemental powers and changed the contour of the land from a flat plain to a much more forgiving slope.

 

“Well done brother,“ Onua said after rolling down the small hill. “I have grown tired of falling into your element.”

 

“Yes well done indeed.” Talos said smugly as he hovered to the ground on his jump pack.

 

The toa of stone responded by glaring at the dark hunter.

 

Onua, trying to prevent this awkward moment from maturing any further quickly said, “Hunter, what is our mission in this strange world?”

 

“Ah yes, our mission.“ The dark hunter stammered, “Our mission is to locate the source of these mutation capsules—“ He stopped eyes getting wider behind his helmet as he realized that the capsule and portal device were now scattered metal bits on the slope that Pohatu created. “No!” He shouted, “We don’t have a way to get out of this blasted place now!” He slumped to the ground obviously saddened by the lack of transport back to his home.

 

Onua walked over and placed his hand on Talos’ shoulder. “Fear not hunter, we shall find a way back but first we must complete our mission.”

 

*insert level: Outside the factory. Playable characters Talos, Onua and Pohatu. New enemies: stationary turrets, Destroy both to gain access to the factory.

 

Cutscene: No escape.

 

As the trio walked in the doors that had opened in emergency mode once shut behind them in lock down mode.

 

“Well,“ Pohatu said sarcastically “that will sure aid us in our escape.”

 

“But” Talos pointed out “welcome to the factory.” Machinery was in constant motion around them. Robots, weapons and most notably, mutation capsules rolled off the assembly line. “Now.” Talos started, “there must be some sort of generator that powers this place...”

“Over there!” Pohatu shouted.

 

“Good eye toa, now lets go shut it down.” Talos said.

 

*insert level: inside the factory. Playable characters Talos, Onua and Pohatu. New enemies: defense drones (they have a shield around them and they get in your way, destroy the generator to progress.

 

Cutscene: Not so easy is it?

 

The power went out as the trio took a final blow to the generator

 

“Excellent” the toa of earth said “now we may being finding means of exiting—“ An electronic voice interrupted him and chimed, “Backup generator activated, power restored.”

 

“Mata nui…” Pohatu sighed.

 

“Well,” Talos said, “we won’t find it standing here, lets go”

 

*insert level: inside the factory. Playable characters: Talos, Onua and Pohatu. New enemies: none but mainly robots should appear, get to the back up generator.

 

Cutscene: Try as you might…

 

“We made it!” Talos said “Now lets shut this place down once and for all.”

 

“Why is there sand all over the floor though?” The toa of stone barley finished his sentence before the cheerful voice once again came through the loud speakers.

 

“Warning, intruders detected in generator room activating defensive protocols.”

 

The sand that Pohatu mentioned began to flow towards the center of the room. Before long a figure could be seen taking shape.

 

“That sand you mentioned wasn’t sand at all.” Talos explained “It is a Kranua, a specialized vahki unit.” The Kranua was at full form now looked down upon these pitiful intruders and took a step forward.

 

“I don’t believe I like vahki very much.” Onua said.

 

*insert boss battle: Kranua. Playable characters: Talos, Pohatu and Onua

 

Cutscene: Newcomers

 

The Kranua stumbled backwards; systems falling it began to revert back to its sand form, only to be sucked into the fan of the generator. The sand began to clog vital cooling vents and the generator started to overheat. A red light flashed, an alarm blared and the generator shut down in emergency mode.

 

“Excellent.” Talos said as the lights went out and his helmet lights activated

 

“It maybe excellent for you but I can’t see!” The toa of stone shouted angrily.

 

“Shush for a minute.” The hunter said quietly, “I’m picking up some energy signatures, one is like nothing I have ever seen before…we need to go check it out perhaps we could find an ally.”

 

“Or an enemy…” Pohatu said quietly.

 

“That’s a risk I am willing to take, lets get moving.“

 

STAGE CLEAR Reward: none

Chapter 23: The Factory

 

Cutscene: An Unforgiving Land

 

The portal opened in the sky. Again. Pohatu once more found himself hurtling towards unforgiving ground.

 

"Not again!" he cried, and focused on changing the rock-hard plain to a more comfortable sand pit.

 

"Well done, brother," Onua commented after climbing out of the sand. "I'd grown tired of smashing into your rocks."

 

"Yes, well done indeed," Talos grinned, hovering to the ground with his jet pack.

 

"Cheater," Pohatu grimaced at him.

 

Onua quickly changed the subject. "Hunter, what is our mission in this strange world?"

 

"Ah, yes! Our mission. I'd nearly forgotten," Talos stammered. "Our mission is to locate the source of these mutation capsules--"

 

Suddenly, his eyes widened behind his helmet as he realized something important. Nobody had thought to cushion the landing of the mutation capsule and the wormhole device.

 

Staring, dumbstruck, at the scattered bits of metal strewn on the rocky ground, it took him some time to utter his words of dismay.

 

"Grrrrghdffll!" he eventually growled.

 

"There goes our transport," Pohatu said. "Nice job."

 

"Fear not, Hunter," Onua said, placing a claw on Talos's shoulder. "We shall find a way back yet; but first, our mission."

 

*insert level: Outside the Factory. Playable characters: Talos, Onua, Pohatu. New enemies: Turrets (both must be destroyed to gain access).*

 

Cutscene: No Escape

 

Once the three heroes had stepped inside the factory, the doors slammed shut behind them. "Emergency lockdown," a mechanized voice called. "Doors sealed."

 

"This rather buggers our escape plan," Pohatu muttered.

 

"But," Talos said, pointing - "welcome to the factory."

 

Machinery was in constant motion around them. Robots and weapons of all kinds rolled off the assembly line - but most notably, mutation capsules.

 

"There must be some sort of generator that powers this place," Talos muttered.

 

"Over there!" Pohatu shouted, pointing towards a gigantic metal machine, connected to all the rest of the room's consoles.

 

"Good eye, Toa," Talos nodded. "Let's go shut it down."

 

*insert level: The Factory. Playable characters: Talos, Onua, Pohatu. New enemies: defense drones, generator (must be destroyed to finish).*

 

Cutscene: Defense Protocols

 

"We made it!" Talos shouted. "Now let's shut this down once and for all!"

 

"Why is there sand all over the floor?" Pohatu mumbled, but nobody paid him any attention.

 

"Warning," the voice of the factory said. "Intruders detected in generator room. Activating defense protocols."

 

The sand that Pohatu had mentioned began to flow towards the center of the room, rising up in a maelstrom of energy. Before long, a figure could be seen taking shape.

 

"That's not sand," Talos said. "Well, rather it is… but it's also a Kranua."

 

Onua and Pohatu stared at him blankly.

 

"A specialized Vahki unit," Talos explained bleakly, "retired for its brutality… and lethal methods."

 

"Ah," Pohatu said, as the Kranua stared down at them with madness in its robotic eyes. The robot took one step forwards, and the whole room shook.

 

"I don't believe I'm going to like Vahki very much," Onua said.

 

*insert boss battle: Kranua. Playable characters: Talos, Pohatu, Onua.*

 

Cutscene: Newcomers

 

The Kranua stumbled backwards, systems failing. Soon, it began to dissolve into sand - and that sand was sucked into the fan of the generator. A horrible scratching and grinding noise sliced through the air - and then the voice spoke once more.

 

"Generator overheating," it said calmly.

 

A red light flashed, an alarm blared and the generator shut down.

 

"Excellent," Talos grinned, even as the lights went out. Not missing a trick, he switched on his helmet lights.

 

"It might be excellent for you, but I can't see!" Pohatu yelled.

 

"Shush for a minute," the hunter said quietly. "I'm picking up some energy signatures… one is like nothing I have ever seen before. We need to go check it out; perhaps we could find an ally."

 

"Or an enemy," Pohatu whispered.

 

"That's a risk I am willing to take," Talos replied. "Let's get moving."

 

*STAGE CLEAR reward: none.*