ALVIS

Chapter 17: The Cross-Country Trek

 

Cutscene: A Simple Escape

 

Smiley walked down the hallway slowly. Even though he could create interdimensional portals, he still had to find a good place to come back to if he needed to return to this lab. He found a good place and threw an orange-tipped metal rod towards the ground. This was a primitive way to do it, but Smiley didn’t have much time. If he needed to return, he could just focus on this marker.

 

Then he opened a purple-black portal, not really focusing on where he wanted to go. All he knew was that he wanted to go somewhere more…alive. He walked through the portal and quickly appeared on the other side of the time-space continuum.

 

Looking around, he saw he was in a forest. It seemed normal enough, besides the giant space-time gap slowly engulfing it (heck, that was everywhere nowadays).

 

Smiley found a path. Apparently, there had been civilization here. Maybe there still was. He set off down the wooded path, humming quietly to himself.

 

*insert level: The Forest. Playable characters: Smiley. New enemies: Brakas?*

 

Cutscene: Not Taking Chances

 

Smiley strolled into a clearing. It appeared that eras were being missed here - before him were two beings that had never met, not in the costumes they wore. Toa Hagah Kualus he recognized, outfitted in all glory from his time as Makuta's servant. Then there was Gresh, garbed in the simple but classy outfit he'd worn to Raanu's crowning ceremony in the short-lived mega-city the Agori built in the prototype Mata Nui robot.

 

Smiley jogged up to them carefully. They were good people, he knew that, but he couldn't guarantee they wouldn't attack him. In this chaos, no one knew who to trust - besides Smiley, of course. He trusted everyone until proven wrong.

 

Meanwhile, Gresh whispered to Kualus. "There's something behind us."

 

"What kind of thing?" Kualus asked.

 

"Something about our height. Brightly-colored. In my book, that means it's either looking for a mate or highly toxic. Should we attack?"

 

"Not until I can see him."

 

Gresh snuck a quick glance out of the corner of his eye. He gasped.

 

"What?"

 

"It's… slightly disturbing. A bit shorter than me. It seems to be made out of geometric shapes… and that smile… I don't trust it."

 

"Not the strangest thing I've seen today," Kualus smiled.

 

"Name a stranger thing," Gresh challenged.

 

Kualus was caught. "Um… okay, maybe the strangest thing I've seen today. Now, normally a smile would mean good intentions, but I've met too many Skakdi to believe that. I'm not taking any chances. Turn on three."

 

Gresh tensed, waiting for the word.

 

"One… two… three," Kualus hissed. They both whirled and attacked.

 

*insert standard brawl: Smiley vs. Rahi Trainer and Gresh. Single-stock.*

 

Cutscene: Starting the Rahi Hunt

 

Smiley held back - he didn't want to hurt these two any more than necessary. After all, he ought to pick on people his own power level. He offered his hand, smiling more broadly.

 

"Just let me help you up," Smiley said, but Gresh glared at him.

 

"What - kind - of - thing - ARE you?" he panted. "You haven't even broken a sweat!"

 

"My name is Smiley," Smiley began. A snort from Kualus caught his attention, but the Toa quickly silenced himself. Smiley continued, "I'm a minifigure from the LEGO universe. And for your information, I can't sweat."

 

"Minifigure?" Gresh snorted. "How big do the other figures get?"

 

"I don't know what you're talking about," Smiley smiled.

 

"See, he seems friendly. What were you thinking, attacking him?" Kualus told Gresh off.

 

"What-? You were the one who suggested that!" Gresh replied indignantly.

 

"Caught me," Kualus admitted.

 

"So, um, where were you guys headed? I can help you," Smiley said, trying to change the subject.

 

"We were searching for Rahi," Kualas explained. Unheard by Gresh (but not by Smiley's extra-sensitive ears), he added, "since all of mine were killed."

 

"Mind if I join you?" Smiley asked, trying to look pleading. In this he failed, for his expression was fixed.

 

Gresh and Kualus looked at each other. With someone of such power on their team…

 

"I don't mind," said both in unison.

 

"Good," Smiley smiled, "because I probably would have followed you anyway."

 

*insert level: The Forest. Playable characters: Rahi Trainer, Gresh, Smiley. The forest in the background gets drier and drier. New enemies: None.*

 

*insert standard brawl: Smiley, Gresh, and Rahi Trainer vs. Nui-Rama. Single-stock.*

 

*insert level: The Desert. Playable characters: Rahi Trainer, Gresh, Smiley. New enemies: Rock entities? Level ends near a pool...

 

*insert standard brawl: Smiley, Gresh, and Rahi Trainer vs. Tarakava. Single-stock.*

 

Cutscene: Portal to the Ultimate Prize

 

The three walked through the desert, exhausted. (With the obvious exception of Smiley.) Kualus seemed happy with their catch, but still looked like he was missing something.

 

"I still wish I could catch the Rahi Nui," he eventually admitted. "I wonder if we even could."

 

"Where is it?" Smiley immediately asked.

 

"Why?" Kualus asked, slightly apprehensive.

 

"Just tell me."

 

"I'm not sure," the Toa admitted. "I only said I wished I could."

 

Gresh piped up, "It's a creation of Makuta, am I right? If so, we could check the Place of Shadow that Mata Nui mentioned once."

 

Smiley and Kualus looked at Gresh, then at each other.

 

"Bit of a wild guess," Kualus eventually said. Gresh's ego deflated a little.

 

"Not the worst," Smiley replied. "Sounds reasonable. Come on."

 

With a wave of his hand, a portal opened before them. The minifigure strode in, beaming. Behind him, Gresh and Kualus hesitated before following him.

 

*STAGE CLEAR reward: Rahi Trainer adds Tarakava to array of Rahi.*

Chapter 18: The Ghost

 

Cutscene: Matoro's Discovery

 

As the owner of the throne tapped away at a keyboard with sharp, swift jabs, Matoro crept quietly towards him, Cordak blaster at the ready. Taking a deep breath, Matoro stood up… and yanked the chair and its inhabitant to face him.

 

It was empty.

 

The Toa of Ice spun, looking for an escaped enemy. From behind him, he heard a voice, like the scraping of a blade on a frozen surface.

 

"It's funny, you know…" it hissed. Matoro whirled, but there was no one there.

 

"You Toa think you can get away with anything," it snarled from the other end of the room. Matoro trained his Cordak blaster on empty air.

 

"As long as it's 'for the safety of the Matoran'…" the voice said hatefully, "you can just bust in anywhere, wreck anything, and not be prosecuted. Well, no more… not while we're in charge."

 

Matoro turned a three-sixty - and to his astonishment, he saw the owner of the voice. He immediately decided he'd rather not have.

 

It was a monstrosity, insectoid in appearance, like something that would lurk in the shadows of the farthest-away isle. Its black exoskeleton sported white colorings in spots, and its elongated neck ended in a snakelike, fanged face. Red eyes gleamed from each side of its head. Four of its limbs (the other two were sprouting from its back) sprouted long, razor-sharp blades that it walked on. Each was stained with a blue substance Matoro didn't want to identify.

 

"You come in here, invading my home and destroying my loyal robots..." the thing hissed, and all of a sudden it wasn't there. Matoro whirled, but it wasn't anywhere.

 

"…only to come face-to-face with me."

 

Matoro turned again, but saw nothing.

 

"And you can't even hit me," it hissed, a trace of arrogance in its voice.

 

"I don't know who or what you are, foul ghost," Matoro called, turning rapidly around, "or what you're doing…"

 

After a false alarm that was really a vial falling out of its holder, Matoro continued his thread with one simple, muttered sentence:

 

"…but I can hit you."

 

Matoro felt a chill race up his spine. He whirled and fired a Cordak missile into the thing's chest just as it materialized. Coughing, it staggered back.

 

"Perhaps you can, little Toa," the thing hissed. "Perhaps you can."

 

*insert standard brawl: Matoro vs. Krika. Single-stock.*

 

Cutscene: Krika's Assistance

 

The thing snarled as he materialized once more, an ice dagger sticking out of his back. "You are a determined Toa, aren't you?" he hissed.

 

"I do my best," Matoro replied.

 

"It's a shame you chose me to try and kill," it continued. "A few of my comrades would be a much better choice. I'm not very high on the political ladder," he chuckled.

 

"What comrades? Are there more of you?" Matoro asked sharply.

 

The thing looked surprised. "But of course, little Toa."

 

"So do you or do you not have the Mask?" Matoro demanded.

 

The thing was even more bewildered. "Mask? What Mask?"

 

Matoro was furious. "THE MASK OF LIFE, YOU FILTHY PIRAKA!" he bellowed.

 

"What? I? The Mask of Life? Of course not… no…" the thing said, shaking its head vigorously. The ghostly being looked a little scared.

 

Matoro yelled in rage and blew a large, messy hole in the wall with a Cordak missile.

 

"What's so important about that Mask?" the insect asked, regaining its confidence. "Well, I suppose that's a bit obvious… to clarify, why do YOU need it so badly?"

 

Matoro had lost it. He took a deep breath before beginning:

 

"MATA NUI IS DYING!" he screamed. "AND ONLY I CAN SAVE HIM, WITH THAT BLASTED MASK, FOR WHATEVER REASON! I HAD TO LEAVE MY HOME IN SEARCH OF MY HEROES, LEAVING THE JOB I SERVED OUT LOYALLY FOR MILLENNIA, LITERALLY GONE THROUGH KARZAHNI AND FOUGHT A BAND OF DERANGED SKAKDI, SACRIFICED MY LIFE ONLY TO BE RESURRECTED, MUTATED INTO THIS FORM, FORCED TO THE DARKEST DEPTHS OF THE OCEAN, WORK WITH MAKUTA HIMSELF, AND THEN GO AND SACRIFICE MYSELF FOR THE GREAT SPIRIT ONCE MORE, WHICH SHOULD HAVE WORKED! I SHOULD BE DEAD! BUT NO… I WAS TELEPORTED INTO THIS BIZARRE WORLD, WHERE I WAS TURNED INTO AN AMPHIBIAN AND FORCED TO BATTLE THROUGH MAHRI NUI JUST LIKE BEFORE, ALL TO FIND THE MASK… ONLY TO FIND THAT ITS BLASTED MASTER ACTUALLY DOESN'T HAVE THE MASK - BARELY CARES THAT IT EXISTS!"

 

The ghostly thing was visibly shaking. So was Matoro, but the Toa was shaking with fury.

 

Eventually, he calmed down. "Sorry about that," he said through gritted teeth. "It's been a tough couple of weeks."

 

"I gathered that," the insectoid thing said cautiously. "But perhaps we could…"

 

The ghostly creature turned back to his computers and began typing once more.

 

"…assist each other," he offered.

 

Matoro lowered his blaster slightly, eyeing the twisted creature with a curious look.

 

"My superiors have ordered me to design them an army," it explained. "Weapons, robotic soldiers, technology such as our wormhole devices - those are handheld devices that can teleport you through time and space, you see? I have one here…

 

"At first, I went along with it. Over time, though, I discovered more and more of the master plan of my master, and I did not like what I saw. So I've been here, in my own custom laboratory, with the Brotherhood funding my efforts to bring them down. Curious how life works, is it not?

 

"I am leeching away at their resources, though not nearly as much as their other laboratory - the larger one, the very important one. That's probably where they'd keep the Mask, incidentally. When they are weak, I can strike…"

 

The ghostly creature turned to Matoro with dead seriousness in his crimson eyes. "If we work together, 'chosen Toa', and find the Mask that you say is here… we might be the two to save existence."

 

"I don't get it," Matoro said after a stunned silence. "What does the Mask have to do with… whatever Makuta is planning?"

 

"I should think it would be obvious," the ghost thing scoffed. "The Mask of Life is an artifact of great power. It can control… or destroy a universe of living creatures. My employers are seeking to do just that."

 

"I suppose," Matoro said, lowering his Cordak blaster further.

 

The insect furiously jabbed some more keys, then turned to Matoro. "Here, come with me," he instructed, clutching his wormhole device. "Take hold of my arm."

 

Matoro tentatively reached out a hand, then clutched the insect's thin limb. In a flash of light, they were gone.

 

Cutscene: The World Between Worlds

 

Matoro found himself once again in inter-dimensional space. Different portals, leading to different places, swirled around in the background.

 

"Why are we back here?" Matoro asked his new companion (he decided to call him Ghostly for the time being).

 

"Anytime a being teleports, he travels through inter-dimensional space," Ghostly explained. "Depending on what method of teleportation he uses, the trip might go by in no time at all, leaving him with no recollection of it… or he hurtles through it without control, dragged by the pull of his destined portal. And… I don't actually know where the Mask OR my employers actually are-"

 

"Fine time to tell me that," Matoro muttered.

 

"--however, in these conditions, those both must be known," Ghostly continued, with a glare at Matoro. "Now, each of Makuta's servants has a wormhole device in his possession. And though most of them do not know it, they travel through inter-dimensional space too."

 

"So we just follow the traffic?" Matoro interrupted. "Seems pretty simple."

 

"Not to an ordinary being," Ghostly snorted. "That's where my talent comes in. You see, the hordes travel through space in the blink of an eye. You can't even see them. Which is why we need… these."

 

Ghostly removed two pairs of goggles from his satchel. Matoro eyed them with some distaste.

 

"Won't go with my mask," he argued, but Ghostly slipped them on. And staring through their purple lenses, Matoro saw… everything.

 

Nektann robots, Skakdi, and all Makuta's other servants hurtled past the pair at breakneck speeds… and almost all were headed for one particular portal, one far-off and distant.

 

"Do you see?" Ghostly asked, grinning. Awestruck, Matoro could only nod.

 

"That is the portal we must get to," Ghostly explained. "Let's go."

 

*insert level: Inter-dimensional Space. Playable characters: Matoro, Krika. New enemies: Inter-dimensional entities?*

 

Cutscene: Explanations

 

Matoro and Ghostly fell through blindingly bright light, which never seemed to cease. No ground appeared to catch them, though for that Matoro was slightly glad.

 

"Where are we?" the Toa asked.

 

"I… I don't know," Ghostly admitted.

 

There was a short silence.

 

"You know, I have a few questions for you," Matoro said at last.

 

"Ask away," Ghostly shrugged.

 

"First and foremost, 'Ghostly': what's your name?"

 

Ghostly smirked. "'Ghostly', I like that. In any case, I am Krika, Makuta of the Northern Continent and Zakaz."

 

"Well… okay," Matoro said. "Now, what have you done with the Mahri Nui Matoran?"

 

Krika explained it swiftly. "The Mahri Nui I 'redecorated' is from your time - the time shortly before its destruction, when all the Matoran hid in the Nui Caves to avoid impending disaster."

 

"Okay, that makes sense. But now… who exactly ARE your employers?" Matoro asked.

 

"For the most part, it is the Brotherhood of Makuta," Krika said, "but it consists of many different factions. For example, Tuma and his Skrall legions from the planet of Bara Magna were some of the first to sign up. But not all are… volunteers."

 

"The Makuta's using mind control, isn't he?" Matoro asked. Krika gave him an odd look.

 

"A shrewd Toa, aren't you?" he said. "Disturbingly shrewd… but yes. The supreme leader of the Brotherhood, Maktua Teridax, would resort to all means to sway powerful factions to his side. And mind control is not left out."

 

Matoro took in the news of what they were up against.

 

"Now, of course, Teridax would have no reason to hypnotize me," Krika said quickly. "He believes to have my undying loyalty already."

 

"He's wrong, though," Matoro said immediately.

 

Krika paused before saying, "Yes. He is indeed wrong…"

 

*STAGE CLEAR reward: Krika joins team.*

Chapter 16: Shadows and Ice

 

Cutscene: Doomed Ship

 

"She's going to crash."

 

"What?" Takanuva asked, having not been really paying attention.

 

"The ship - and I'm using that in the loosest sense of the word - won't hold together much longer," Ehlek explained. "We're losing altitude, fast. We'd better find some land before we fall."

 

Takanuva peered down below. There was an ocean, calm and quite picturesque… but also deeper than an Onu-Koro mining shaft and full of treacherous currents and savage beasts.

 

"You seem awfully calm about that," the Toa of Light said, nervousness creeping into his voice.

 

"I'm a water-breather. Well, technically, I'm an amphibian now, for reasons I don't understand," Ehlek said. "I'd be fine in the ocean. Provided I survived the crash, that is. I speak mainly out of concern for you Toa."

 

"Ah. Well, I suppose we should tell Vakama," Takanuva said.

 

"Go on. I'll stay behind and see if there's anywhere safe to land," Ehlek ordered.

 

"Suit yourself," Takanuva shrugged, and backflipped down to the deck of the ship. Ehlek watched him go, then turned back to the windows.

 

Vakama jumped as Takanuva burst through the door of his pilot's cabin. "Ehlek says the ship will crash, and soon," the Toa of Light revealed.

 

"I'm not surprised," Vakama said, rolling his eyes. "After all, I'm the one with the instruments."

 

"So it will crash?" Takanuva asked.

 

"Majority says it will," Vakama shrugged.

 

"You're pretty calm about this, too," Takanuva noticed.

 

"The Great Spirit's chosen me to craft the Vahi," Vakama explained, "and I'm hoping he still needs me for something."

 

"Um… okay," Takanuva said.

 

"LAND HO!" Ehlek called from the window.

 

The two Toa dashed to the window, staring at the land fast approaching. After a few minutes, they could make out the details… such as the climate.

 

"Ice-cold," Vakama grimaced. Ehlek didn't seem too happy about that, either.

 

"Ko-Wahi," Takanuva grinned. "Maybe Kopaka's there."

 

Vakama eased the failing airship into a not-so-graceful landing in a gigantic snow drift. Immediately, Ehlek yanked on three of the four warmth jackets provided in the survival kit. Slightly frustrated and not just a bit cold, the Toa followed him out into the ice region.

 

*insert level: Ko-Wahi. Playable characters: Takanuva, Vakama, Ehlek. New enemies: Muaka cubs, Muaka (minibus). Level ends in the volcano, with a multilman brawl against the ice-affiliated and robotic enemies.*

 

Cutscene: The Viceroy's Pet

 

The platform landed lightly on the floor of the volcanic crater. The three looked around, ready for an attack.

 

They were in a massive cave, a wide tunnel opened before them.

 

"That's just beckoning to be explored," Takanuva remarked.

 

A distant boom echoed around the chamber. "What was that?" Vakama asked, slightly perturbed.

 

Another booming came. "Can't be good," Ehlek shrugged.

 

More pounding, becoming quicker in pace. In the distant end of the tunnel, the keen eyes of Takanuva could see two red points of light, growing quickly larger…

 

"Oh, Mata Nui," the Toa whispered, and dove aside. Seconds later, an absolutely massive Rahi blasted past.

 

Its skin tone was dark blue, with a golden shell. With four spiderlike legs and drooling mandibles, it was a creature straight out of a nightmare.

 

The monster gave a shrieking hiss. Takanuva's staff began to glow, while Vakama loaded his disk launcher. Ehlek stepped forwards into a battle pose, electricity crackling along his limbs.

 

*insert boss battle: Kahgarak. The Boss will be on one side of the screen, go through an attack pattern, then jump up off screen, it will either A. Fire down a Darkness spinner then land on the other side of the screen or B. quickly slam down on the other side of the screen sending out shockwaves. It will then jump up again, and land in the background of the screen. It will swipe in it’s pincers, then shoot out a smaller Visorak, then Pincers, Visorak, Pincers, then it will jump up, fire the spinner or slam down on the original side of the screen, and repeat until defeated. It will have Basic swipe and slam attacks, as well as Visorak spawning, when it is on one of the sides. For Visorak Spawning, it will either fire a spinning Keehlrak at high speeds or one of the other five main breeds will crawl out. For when it is in the background, one of the six main breeds will claw out, and it will jab out with it’s pincers, which can be attacked, having weak-points on them.*

 

Cutscene: The Tunnel

 

The three stood in front of the defeated beast. It wasn't dead, merely stunned… but stunned would have to do.

 

"What… what is it?" Vakama asked.

 

"It seems familiar," Takanuva said. "I think you described it in one of your tales: the Kahgarak, a monstrous Visorak with a connection to the Field of Shadows…"

 

"What is it?" Ehlek said, seething. "I'll tell you what it is. It is a war machine of the Brotherhood. And I won't allow it to live."

 

The Barraki screamed, the sound of pure rage and fury, and a lethal bolt of lightning lanced from his claws to the Kahgarak. The spider was turned to dust in an instant. Only its golden shell remained.

 

"You… you killed it," Vakama said, and it was his turn to sound furious.

 

"The world will be better for it," Ehlek hissed. "The Visorak are evil, and cannot be anything but. They were created to kill, to slay, to overrun, to mutate… Makuta can't be allowed reign over them."

 

The two Toa didn't say anything, just glared at the Barraki.

 

"Well, let's get back to our travels," Ehlek said hastily. "Takanuva, does anyone know what's under Mount Ihu?"

 

"No," Takanuva admitted. "Never been explored. Well, it has, but the Matoran never returned."

 

"Yet this is a dead volcano," Ehlek said. "So there must be dangers beyond lava. I suspect Makuta. Perhaps this is an entrance to the fabled Mangaia."

 

"That's possible," Takanuva nodded.

 

"Then let's go," Ehlek grinned, and charged down the tunnel. The lightning in his palms seemed to provide ample light. Takanuva turned to Vakama, who was still seething, shrugged, and followed him, his mask lighting the way.

 

*STAGE CLEAR reward: None (as far as Adventure Mode is concerned).*