Zurakian Stronghold

"Well, that was weird," Deviox mumbled, hands in his pockets. Before him lay twin sets of footprints, both engulfed in flames. The first set was slightly blocky, both the heel and the toes alluding to the shape of mechanical boots. A direct foil of the former, the latter was slim, with a single dot where the heel should've been in a distinctly feminine shape.

"So," Deviox turned to Voidarix, one eyebrow raised, "What were you doing when you dived headfirst into Mrs. Crazy?"

"A favor," he replied flatly, keeping his gaze fixed on the footprints, "For a friend."

"Uh huh," Deviox crossed his arms, "I guess, to you, favors for friends include temporarily turning other friends into horrific globs on the floor that make your third friend want to puke, because that makes complete sense."

Voidarix ignored him, a blaring warning inside his head stealing his attention away from the annoyed Glatorian. Placing his hand against the side of his metal helmet, the message projected itself on his visor.

"Huh, that's odd," Voidarix muttered, turning back to Deviox, "Assembly Line 3's just been shut down."

Deviox's brow furrowed, "Hm, must be some kind of glitch. You can fix it, can't you?"

"Of course," he replied, turning to a nearby terminal, "I'll have it up and running in no-" 

He suddenly cut off, freezing in place. Blue energy began sprouting around his armor, swirling around him and leaving him nothing more than a robotic statue.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot allow that," a monotonous voice called out. The strange, hollow figure suddenly materialized in front of them, his hand outstretched towards the unmoving Voidarix. His blank face stared directly at Deviox, the word 'sorry' repeating itself over and over on his body.

Instinctively, Deviox snapped his gun in its direction and fired repeatedly at its head. He didn't stop until the distinct click signalled the empty chamber. However, it was to no avail. Each shot simply phased through the figure, causing no more than a slight distortion on his surface. They continued, slamming into the monitor behind him and knocking it off its hinges.

"What the karz are you? And what're you doing in my fortress!?" Deviox snarled, quickly slamming another clip of ammo into the bottom of his gun's handle. 

"First of all, how dare you. This fortress has never, nor will it ever be your fortress. It will always be his." he replied without a shred of emotion.

"Oh, I get it," Deviox growled, "You're one of Zurakia's goonies, aren't you?"

"Technically, yes, but it is far more complicated than that," the figure's face slightly distorted, the effects of a faceless attempt at a smile, "I'd love to explain to you in excruciating detail exactly what I am, but I'll keep it simple so as to allow your weak mind to comprehend."

"Hmph, you're too kind," Deviox grumbled, "Look, just because I don't have a PhD in Neuro-Vascular-Chemicalology or whatever the karz it is you freaks study doesn't mean I'm a moron. Unlike karz near everyone here, I'm not a nerd!" 

Ignoring the comment, the figure gestured around him, "I am this fortress, a manifestation of the central computer that runs this place," he threw his arm up over his shoulder, his thumb pointing at the petrified Voidarix behind him, "I also happen to be the artificial intelligence that controls Project 993 over there. And it's not only him, I control everything in this fortress!"

"Cool, but why are you telling me all this?"

The AI attempted to grin again, "Because I needed to buy just a couple more minutes for the assembly line to finish."

"Finish what?"

As if on cue, a loud, raucous banging sound began bounding through the ventilation shaft. Every second, it grew in volume, soon drowning out every other noise in the compound.

Dropping to his knees, the AI bowed to the floor, the words swirling around him fluctuating constantly into every known synonym of 'awe'. Struggling to make his voice heard above the clamor, he shouted, "For him!"

Immediately, a single cube fell through the shaft, landing right at Deviox's feet. It was followed by another. And then another. Soon, a tidal wave of metal prisms that began forming into a massive pile in front of the three figures. Soon, the intensity of the swarm ripped apart the metal grate they originated from, burying it in the mountain of chrome.

"No," Deviox gasped, dropping his gun in shock. He took a step backwards, his back thudding against the metal wall. Fear quickly turned to anger, however, as he turned to glare at the AI, "That's impossible!" Deviox snarled, "Zurakia's dead, I saw it with my own eyes!"

A surge of electricity fluctuated throughout the pile. As if on command, the entire mass levitated into the air, coalescing into a massive ball that swirled around itself. Slowly, they morphed into a humanoid shape and began locking together, electricity arcing outwards whenever a connection was made. A virtual electrical storm surrounded him, millions of interlocking parts discharging enough lightning to fry the nearby monitors- as smoke rose from their now black screens, it was clear that not a single part from a single screen would be salvageable.

Once the last two cubes fused together, the electricity dissipated. Sparks flew every which way, ruining most of the electronics that had survived the first barrage. With a snap, the blocky figure's form refined, sharp edges being replaced with softer ones to create a familiar, glowering form.

Eyes closed, Zurakia straightened himself, massive shoulders splaying backwards as his hands slowly clenched and unclenched. As the last few cubes swiveled into place, his bloodred eyes snapped open, locking onto Voidarix, the AI, and then finally Deviox. When their gaze met, his mouth twisted open in a grim smirk, "Then it looks like you need to have your eyes checked, you traitors."

OOC: It's Mista Steal Yo Base!

They trigger several perimeter defenses, including tripwires and heat sensors, and find themselves being pelted by turrets

Panels in the boulders open up, spraying a toxin that clouds around the Rahkshi

OOC: Zurakia thought of everything when he built the compound

IC: By the time they reacted, there had already been a decent amount of toxin released into the air. Behind them, several more turrets pop out of the ground and begin firing at them.

"Z-Zurakia!?" Deviox stuttered, his voice cracking. His face suddenly went pale; his eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

"In the flesh!" he growled in response, his voice deep and gravelly. As he spoke, steam erupted from vents lining the side of his metal jaw, spraying his surroundings with heat. Firing in rapid succession, several more bursts of steam exploded out of slots in twin tubes splayed outwards behind his vents, sending even more hot air into the room. These tubes looped around, hooking into similar ports underneath his shoulder-blades.

Dwarfing everyone else in the room by comparison, he radiated power. A combination of ripped muscles and metal intertwined, making a massive silhouette that was easily twice the size of a Toa. While both arms were massive, his right arm was a tree-trunk, as big around as some beings' torsos. Made completely out of metal, every fiber and fabricated tissue that made up the limb's interior was specifically crafted to be far stronger than what the average muscle could ever dream of becoming. For a hand, he had a shining, metal claw with four razor-sharp fingers.

If someone was somehow unintimidated by his stature, they need not look any higher than his terrifying face to instantly change their mind. While not a Kanohi, his charred and scarred visage was completely hidden by a metal mask. The only remnant of his original face was his blood-red eyes, which seemed to be able to peer into a being's very soul.

In his left hand, a massive broadsword materialized in a flurry of energy and shifting cubes. Its tip dragged across the ground, metal scraping against metal as he brandished it to the side.

“So,” he sighed, glaring at Deviox “it seems that even you betrayed me, even after all we’ve been through.”

“What the karz are you talking about!?” Deviox snarled, “I have always been loyal to your cause!”

“Oh, don’t be stupid, Deviox. I know everything,” Zurakia hissed in reply.

Zurakia nodded towards the AI. Although its face was still planted firmly on the ground in a bow, it somehow noticed the gesture and, in an unnaturally fluid motion, straightened itself upwards and pointed at one of the last monitors still intact.

Instantly, the screen lit up, revealing two familiar figures standing on top of a derelict building- one was covered in shining, metal armor, while the other one had a black coat draped over his shoulders. Behind them, a battle raged between two massive figures- a Toa Kaita and some kind of monstrously huge Makuta. Their brawl sent waves of dust billowing around the area, partially obscuring everything in sight.

Zurakia jabbed a finger towards the screen, hissing, “I know what you said to Voidarix that day, ‘if I hadn't been buried under a mile of rubble, I'd have pulled the trigger myself.’ Those were your words, no? How pathetic, you’re both a traitor and a liar.”

He paused, turning his gaze to the obsidian throne. After a moment of tense silence, his face split into a wide sneer, accompanied by a booming laugh that shook the floor.

Snapping back to face the Glatorian, he slowly crouched down until his gaze was level with Deviox. Full of malice and mock-pity, he softly replied, “Oh, the irony. He who hated the Great Beings, the one who wanted to hunt them all down,”

He threw his arms wide, suddenly straightening himself back up to his full height. Raising his voice to a shout, he added, “not only is one, but followed them down the same traitorous path!”

“I am not a Great Being,” Deviox growled under his breath, “Say that again and I’ll rip your head off.”

“Oh really? Y’know, that’s not the first time you’ve reacted like that, Deviox,” he replied, chuckling, “Computer, show him.”

Suddenly, the screen changed. Now, it portrayed the front gate of the Stronghold, though it was covered in some form of green acid. In front of it, the same, cloaked figure had a gun pointed directly at another, strange blue figure covered in complex, futuristic armor. A black visor covered this new arrival’s head, obscuring his features.

“Emarcee,” Zurakia growled, fire flashing behind his eyes, “I’ll kill him too, for a multitude of reasons.”

Sighing, he continued, “However, he was right about one thing. You are a Great Being, Deviox, like it or not.”

If looks could kill, even Zurakia would perish under Derviox’s hateful glare. However, he chose to ignore the twin orbs of death, grinning, “And, credit where credit’s due, his deductive reasoning is sound. I mean, you did get control of my old fortress and keep it intact.”

Pausing for a moment, he chuckled, “Well, partially intact, at least.”

“Wait,” Deviox disclaimed, his eyes suddenly staring at the floor, “‘kill him too.’”

After a moment of silence, he looked back up at Zurakia. Clenching his teeth, he added, “You don’t plan on leaving us alive, do you?”

“No,” Zurakia stated flatly, his face completely emotionless. Slowly, he raised his metal arm towards Deviox, “I don’t.”

A blast of white energy suddenly erupted from his clawed hand, ripping through the floor in less than a second, leaving nothing but a gaping hole where Deviox had been standing a moment earlier. However, when the dust cleared, the Glatorian’s corpse was nowhere to be found.

A shot rang out behind Zurakia, accompanied by a blast of energy that slammed into his back. Growling, Zurakia spun around, his eyes wild.

Before him stood Deviox, his black trench-coat billowing in an unseen wind. In his hand he held his gun, smoke rising from the barrel. His mouth was downturned in a snarl, his eyes glaring and slanted.

“What did you expect?” Deviox spat, “That I’d simply roll over and die like a good soldier? No, the only one dying today is you. Again!”

Deviox dove to the side as another blast of energy shook the room, firing several more return shots before landing gently on his feet. Each connected with Zurakia with a small explosion, dislodging several metal cubes which ricocheted around the room. Sliding backwards, Deviox slammed his open hand onto the floor, slowing him to a halt.

Not a moment later, Zurakia materialized above him, his metal fist pounding where Deviox had been just a second earlier. The floor shattered, shards of rock and metal flying in every direction.

A red blur swerved behind Zurakia, launching itself at his back. A metal leg swung around, aimed right for his neck.

It never connected. Zurakia twisted around with unnatural speed, grabbing it with his metal claw and slamming Deviox into a monitor, smashing device in half and littering the ground with glass. His gun clattered to the floor, a shard of glass scratching the immaculate paint along its side.

Deviox gasped, trying to get air into his lungs. His task became even harder as a metal foot planted itself onto his chest, slowly crushing the once crimson armor that covered him and pushing him further into the wall. His eyes went wide, a choked sound escaping his throat. Frantically, his arms pressed against the massive limb, but to no avail.

Zurakia leaned in close, his face less than a foot away from Deviox’s. Steam erupted again from ports on his face, sending Deviox into a coughing fit. Grinning, Zurakia growled, “Oh no, I’m afraid that you were wrong.”

His foot pressed harder, resulting in a scream from the trapped Deviox.

“You are the one who will die today, here in the very complex you helped build, not me.”

Slowly, he pressed the edge of his broadsword against Deviox’s neck, “Goodbye, Deviox.”

Roars erupted from both figures, albeit for completely different reasons, as Zurakia raised the sword and brought it back down as hard as he could.
“Now,” he rose back up to his full height, pointing the now wet blade at Voidarix, “Your turn.”

nuuuu Deviox!

Thank you, and don't worry, I plan on sticking around for a looong time. This isn't the end, just the beginning

Oh, and this isn't the end of Deviox.

automated defenses kick in, containing the EP and sealing off the area