The Story of a Minifigure: The FFFFF Team

### Prologue

Yorkanton City was the strangest place in the whole Lego Universe. Actually, many people from the Spaceship Station, the closest to it world, were calling it Strangeville. It wasn’t really a city, more like just a town, but its name had remained from the old years when it was bigger and more famous. However, at very old times some particular incidents happened that made its people to isolate themselves and become preservative. Since then, its people were afraid of technology and a big part of it was left out of its wall that was built then, so no “strangers with the cursed technology” would come. Actually, that part that was left out a lot after became part of Nexus City.

The strangeness of Yorkanton City started about the same time with its isolation. To prove you that it was a really odd city with really weird people I will give you some examples. Firstly, there were a house that was upside down (people lived in it), a house that was made completely of glass and a house that had the shape of a pyramid. There was a person that always walked backwards and a woman that walked with her hands. There was a man that had the voice of a woman and his daughter could grow a beard (the weirdest with her was that she liked to have a beard). Another paradox thing was that although the people of the town were preservative there was a part of the town that was full of skyscrapers, relic of the old Yorkanton City. However, the strange thing was that most Yorkantonians could not understand how erratic the town was.

The story we will talk about in fact starts when a light blue light like a laser appears in the Planet Crux, starting on its surface. After a little however it turns purple, then disappears and in the end the planet explodes creating the Crux System. The difference between the Crux System and the Nimbus System was that the Crux System was the ensemble of the worlds that all together made the Crux Planet, while the Nimbus System was just a little part in its centre. Yorkanton City was the world that was the farthest from the Crux System’s centre. That helped in its isolation.

The story we will talk about however mainly starts 10 years later when a boy gets out of his house to go to school at the eleventh of September.

***Year 4012, 15 Years old***

### Chapter 1: Not a long time ago in a world far far away

John Steele got out of his house to go to school. He walked in the Octopus Square, a circular paved square from which 8 streets started. John had brown, messy, un-brushed not very long, but not short hair and eyes in the colour of amber. He was about 1.60 metres high\*. He was thin and had no muscles. He was wearing a green T-shirt and black pants. He made for another boy that was standing in the centre of the square next to the statue of the first mayor and when he reached him, he greeted “Hello, Antony!”

“Haven’t I told you to call me Tony?! And you are late!” the boy who was one year older than John said. He had dark brown straight hair and blue eyes. His body was muscular and he was about 1.90 metres high. His clothes were blue and grey.

“I’m sorry about your name. I always forget it. About being late, I was thinking of how gravity works even if our planet exploded” John answered.

“Oh! John! Will you ever stop talking about scientific stuff?!” Tony told him as they started walking.

“Like you are better! The only thing thou care about is fighting!” John talked with his English accent.

“Now that you said fighting, I started doing Judo. It’s so fun…” Tony started and couldn’t stop talking until they reached school.

Their school was in the skyscraper area of the town, where not many people lived. There were mostly the offices of some civil servants and other similar things. But even those were few and only in the lowest levels of the buildings.

John and Tony got inside and they took the stairs until the second floor where John’s classroom was that years. John stopped there while Tony went to the third floor where his classroom was. John got in his classroom where all the other children of his class were.

“Sit, Steele!” their teacher said imperatively and John sat next to a red-haired boy with brown eyes and about the same body type.

“Welcome John, you’re late as you always are” the boy said and smiled. . .

Bewαre of the shαdows becαuse I might be there.

### Chapter 2: The Maelstrom

John got out of the door and saw Tony waiting for him at the other side of the street. John walked till him and then grumbled “My program this year is so boring! On Monday I have Legish\* and History. On Tuesday I have Cruxish\* and Home Economy! On Wednesday I have Religious Studies and Literature. Only in Thursday I have Chemistry, Science, Math and Biology! This year is going to be the worst!” The school programs of Yorkanton City were also strange. Firstly, they didn’t have school on Friday. The hours of each subject were done all in the same day and weren’t split.

“Sure it will! That girl Darkon I was telling you sat right behind me and I keep hearing her complaints and it is so irritating!” Tony answered and they started walking.

Then, Tony started talking about Sarah Darkon and all her disadvantages as a person.

“…and she keeps saying that she wants to crash the Maelstrom. She even wrote it on my hand when I was almost asleep during the History lesson! I mean we all have lost people from the Maelstrom, but we’re not doing like that! ...” he was saying.

At that point John didn’t speak. He just looked at his friend and thought of what he said. He had also lost his grandfather from the Maelstrom and once when the Maelstrom was coming into the town they had also been attacked in their house. That was the main reason that he always wanted to fight the Maelstrom.

But what was the Maelstrom? The Maelstrom was a chaotic force whose aim was either to rule the Universe or to destroy it; no one knew because no one could ask. It had the power to infect, corrupt, destroy and change to make better- at least better for itself. Whatever was infected and some stuff that were corrupted by it gained a purple aura, the Maelstrom Aura. It had been born when the Imagination Nexus, the last source of pure Imagination- the creative force that was the opposite of Maelstrom and Chaos generally- was corrupted by that destructive force. It had taken its name from the vortex it had created that was currently located in the centre of the Crux System.

Since the Yorkanton City was so far from the Maelstrom Vortex, the Maelstrom there was very weak and so its creatures. The Stromlings, the basic Maelstrom Beings which were just infected minifigures, and the Hammer Stromlings, Stromlings with hammers, were the only beings of the Maelstrom and were never fully infected.

However, Nexus Force, an organization made to fight the Maelstrom using Imagination and to protect the Last Shard of Imagination, Nexus wasn’t there for the same reason that the Maelstrom was weak in Yorkanton City. So, there was about the same balance with the centre of the Crux System.

John and Tony reached the Octopus Square and split up, so they could go to their homes. . .

### Chapter 3: At home

John got inside his house. He the scent of crepes, probably the food his mother was cooking at the moment. His mother name was Jane Phonus while his father was Rusty Steele. It was very unusual and not commonly liked that she had kept her own last name, but no one could change her mind and there was no law saying that this was illegal, although the Mayor and his people would like that.

"I'm home!" John said.

"How was your day?!" he heard his father's voice saying from the library.

"You know, the usual! It was boring!" John told him as he entered the library.

"It can't be that bad! When I was in school, it wasn't that boring" Rusty Steele said. He had black straight hair and sideburns, hardy face and a little taller body than Shadow's. He also had muscles because he was a blacksmith.

Their house had a regular size the Yorkanton City. It had 3 bedrooms, a dining room, a living room, a bathroom and a kitchen. The weird however was that they had a library. Few people in that town had even one book, while they had a pretty big collection. Big for them of course. It was very difficult to find books there and most of them had been willed to them from their families.

John took a book about architecture and started reading until food was ready. Then, he ate and afterwards he kept reading. When he had finished with it he took another one and read until it got dark when he went to

sleep. . .

### Chapter 4: A new Acquaintance

Time passed that way. In the morning John and Tony met to go to school. Then, they had school when they both had very bad time. Then, they returned home and John started reading books. October came and at the middle of it, Tony got sick, so John had to go alone to school. It wasn’t something difficult, but it was important, because if things had happened differently John might have not met a person very important for his whole life.

It was that day, the 14th of October that John got out of his house and looked around to see something very weird: a girl that had lied on the middle of the Octopus Square and seemed to sniff the air. The girl was full of dust and soil and green clothes were torn at some places. Nevertheless the girl was very beautiful. She had very long brown un-brushed wavy hair that reached the top of her legs. However, she had a tuft that was even longer. She was thin, shorter than John with smallish body type. However, the most beautiful of all on her was her green eyes. Full of energy and curiosity they looked around like the square was the most interesting thing in the world.

Despite the fact that the rest of the people were just ignoring her and were passing next to her like she wasn’t there, John was drawn by her. It was not her beauty. No, at that time John had many things in his mind, but not girls. It wasn’t that. It was her strangeness that made John like her from the first moment he saw her.

So, John started walking towards her and when he reached her, he looked from above.

“Lost something?” he asked.

“No! I am just trying to remember what the smell of the road I took yesterday, so I can follow it to school” the girl answered with her sweet melodic voice and a Scottish accent that didn’t fit her general appearance.

“What?!” John exclaimed surprised “You try to find the smell that leads you to school?”

“That’s right! You see I don’t remember the way there! I am new to that area” she replied.

“I could help you go there!” John offered who however still couldn’t understand how a minifigure could find his way to somewhere by smell.

“Alright!” the girl accepted and she stood up surprisingly fast.

“My name is John Steele! But if I were you I wouldn’t trust any guy before I had even looked at him” John told her.

“But I had looked at you before!” the girl said.

“When?! I didn’t saw you looking at me”

“When you got out of your house over there. I notice easily more things than usual people. By the way I’m Katherine. Katherine Pirate. But please call me Katie or Kate”

“Pirate?! Where did you get that name from?!”

“My father says that my great-great-great-great-great-grandfather was a Space Pirate from Space Station. You know you look pretty weird with that messy hair” Katie said as they started walking.

“Like you are better. But the hair is because I just can’t brush them. It’s just impossible. So, you moved here recently?”

“Yes! Just yesterday! It’s a nice place, but I preferred my old home. It was next to the Maelstrom Valley. It was very beautiful you know, before the Maelstrom. If I had a wish, I would wish to see it again like it was before” Katie explained smiling, but with some nostalgia in her face.

“And what made you come here?”

At that question Kate’s face darkened “The Maelstrom attacked us. For the third time”

“I’m sorry” John told. Yorkanton City had passed through dark times the first year after the Imagination Nexus Corruption when the Maelstrom kept attacking at several houses destroying the families living in it. Even then they once in a while heard that some people had been attacked. John’s family had also been attacked.

“It’s okay. I have got used to it” Kate said with a sad tone “I lost my sister form it you know. I saw them dragging her” Then, suddenly, the girl started crying and John not knowing what to do or say just patted her on the shoulder.

For John’s luck, after some minutes she stopped crying and although, her eyes were still wet and red, she said “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have cried like that”

John looked at her awkwardly and answered “It’s okay. It’s not bad to cry sometimes”

Katie surprisingly smiled and they kept going. After some minutes they reached school.

“Would thou like me to guide thou?” John asked her gently.

“Not really, no!” the girl replied “I explored the school yesterday and found where every room was! Even the secret ones!”

“What?! The school has secret rooms?! Hard to believe!” John exclaimed.

“Yes!” she said excitedly “Every building like this, how they call them, I think something like Skascrepers…”

“Skyscrapers you mean!” John corrected.

“Yes, those! They all have at least one secret room or secret passage! Isn’t it exciting?!”

Then, after that they split, because Kate was two years younger than John and her classroom was in another floor. . .

### Chapter 5: Time for Action

Katie became a good friend of John and he was happy to have such a strange person as a friend, because John liked strange things and he wanted to be strange. And that was because he believed that the odd and the crazy things are those that make life interesting and are those that set people apart. And John wanted to be different. It's not sure why, but he always wanted to be the exception, the one that is going against the others.

However, the next days John was thinking. He was thinking that much he couldn't even read. The meeting with Kate had flustered him. And what he was thinking was simply the Maelstrom. So, John started asking his classmates questions about the Maelstrom and if it had done anything to them. And then John realized that most people hadn't been personally attacked by it and that they weren't outraged with it. Actually, they were barely angry with it because most Yorkantonians hadn't lived the horror of the Maelstrom.

All this led John to make a certain decision and go meet Katie at the middle break of school on a Tuesday towards the end of the month.

“Hey, Kate!” he greeted her.

“Hello, John!” she answered.

“I'd like you to come to my home next Saturday at 7 o'clock!” he quickly said.

“Okay! But what's the reason?”

“I don't have time to explain!!! I have more people to meet in this break!”

And he then left her like that while people were staring at them thinking that the one freak found the other.

John walked away ignoring them and found a person for which he had heard much, although they weren't good. And from what he had heard, he would be able to recognize that person, even if he was half-blind. And that person's name was Sarah. Sarah Darkon.

“Are you Sarah Darkon?” John asked with his face being serious.

“Who's asking?” she replied without smiling either and with a bored voice.

“John Steele is my name, but does this really matters. I'm someone who cares. Who cares about the Maelstrom”

Suddenly, Sarah got much more interested.

“Yes, that's me! What do you want?” she said with a voice which wasn't bored anymore.

“Come to my house next Saturday at 7 o'clock”

“For what reason?”

“Just come you'll be interested about it” he said because at that time the bell sounded and they had to go back to class.

After school John met with Tony, who was okay again, and left to go home.

“Could you come at my house on Saturday 7 o'clock?”

“Okay, but why?”

“You'll learn then” he told him and then said goodbye, because they had reached Octopus Square.

It was Saturday, Quarter to Seven and John was quickly shopping at the market where his mother had sent him. He finished and then started running. Children were wandering around knocking doors dressed with several costumes, because it was Hallowe'en. He managed to reach his house at 5 to 7 and he panting got inside.

“Here... you are!' he said giving the bags he has to his mother, who was a woman about his height, with brown curly hair and the same amber eyes.

He, then went to his room and tried to tidy it, but then knocks were heard a the door.

“I'M OPENING!” John shouted to his parents.

It was Kate.

“Trick or Treat!”

She was wearing a pirate costume, but it wasn't like the usual ones. It looked like it was real and it may was. The only thing missing was a pirate hat, but that didn't matter.

“You know you didn't have to wear a costume, right?” John said.

“Yes, but it's my tradition to wear pirate clothes every Hallowe'en”

Then, she walked in and John made to close the door, but a girl from outside exclaimed “Wait! John!” It was Sarah.

John led them to his room when the knock at the door was heard once more. He went and opened the door and Tony stepped in.

“Hello!”

“He-”

“What is ***he*** doing here?!” Sarah interrupted.

“The same I shall ask to! John, what is the meaning of this?!” Tony also got angry while Katie came at the door, too “Why did you gather us all here?!”

“*Because* it's time for action!”. . .

### Chapter 6: The Anti-Maelstrom Team

“It's time for someone to fight the Maelstrom! And that will be us. For some reason the Maelstrom attacked all of us, so I gathered us all to fight it. No one else would. Only those who have felt its horror can understand and want to fight it. So, I have a question for you: Do you want to join me at fighting the Maelstrom?” John explained.

“You will die if you do it on your own! I can't let you alone! You have my sword!” Tony replied first.

“I say let's do this!” Sarah said “Although Bandogan will join, too” Sarah had short jet black hair and her eyes had the exact same colour. She was a little taller than John, but not much.

Katie however had to think of it more. Although from the four of them she had been hurt by the Maelstrom the most, she was younger and had a purer soul, so she didn't want revenge not like Sarah and Tony.

“But what will happen to the Infected Minifigs, if we start smashing them? Won't they die?” she said in the end.

“I've thought of this. I won't let you go there and smash them. They're still people. I am going to use all my chemistry knowledge and skills to create a substance that will help us defeat them, but just weaken them enough to imprison them until we find a way to disinfect them” He said that because everyone still remembered the failure of the Yorkantonian Defense when the Maelstrom had come in the start. Everybody wondered how they had managed to keep them in the Maelstrom Valley.

“If it is so, I agree. I would love to stop the Maelstrom from ruining other people's lives”

“Alright then. I hoped that you would all agree to that Additionally, I want to say something irrelevant: Could you not use the term 'Minifig'? You see the real word 'Minifigure' comes from the language of the First Builders. In the start it was Mininfigor, which comes from the words minin and Figor that mean touched and Imagination, so altogether it means the Touched by Imagination. However, when the First Builders got extinct, the other people changed the word, so it would sound like a word that comes from the words mini and figure”

“Really?!” everyone said with some disbelief in their face. It was difficult to believe such a thing.

“You think that I would lie to you?!” John said pretending to resent “Oh, something more! You have to keep this secret. I don't want the Mayor to know about it. Something makes me believe that he wants the Maelstrom to be here”. . .

### Chapter 7: Elections

The next days John and his friends kept talking about what they would do when action started. But then suddenly an event came that made them forget about it. The elections. And it was very sudden, because people knew the school year that the elections would happen, but the exact date was usually decided only few days before it. That happened because if a politician doubted the Mayor during the 'Elections Year' then new elections started. And that had happened that time, too. Borrowfield, leader of the Opposition, had stated that he didn't believe that Crezon, the current Mayor, couldn't handle his power well.

However, some usual elections wouldn't have surprised them. What really surprised them was what Borrowfield stated he wanted to do:

“It's high time a new era came. We cannot always live in the past. We must conquer our conservatism and move on. Technology has always been believed to be something bad. However, I say that with the right use, technology can take as forward and make us a strong power through the universe!”

However, even stranger was that he had loads of supporters, more than Crezon or any other nominee. He would probably win, because people had forgot their conservatism and wanted to move on.

And the day of the elections came. Everyone looked forward to see what would happen in the end. At the evening most Yorkantonians had been gathered at the square outside the town hall, where the votes were being counted. Everyone awaited for the results to come. People had been seperated into two big groups and some smaller ones. Everyone talked to people that were close to them, but no one seemed to hear what the others were saying. They all thought that everyone was listening to them, because the fuss was that terrible that you didn't realize the person you were talking to was talking, too.

Then, suddenly a person came out of the town hall and like someone had put sound to mute everyone stopped talking at once. The person seemed dissatisfied. Probably the person he wanted to be elected hadn't become the Mayor.

“According to the Yorkantonian Constitution...” the person started talking while nobody listened since what he was saying was really boring things that actually just didn't matter “...as the Mayor for the next 5 years is set...” Everyone stretched their ears to hear well “Paul Borrowfield! Congratulations Paul!” he said as another minifigure came from the building with his arms raised greeting his audience. Many people started booing, but even more people started applauding, whistling, screaming from happiness.

“HELLO PEOPLE OF YOKANTON!!!” he shouted and more booing, whistling, applauding and screaming came. One girl among the people shouted “I LOVE YOU PAUL!!!” and everyone laughed, because they weren't used to such expression of feelings.

“THANK YOU!!! Thank you for voting me! For voting the new era! I swear that after my resign, thing will be completely different, but for good. We are going to start by providing better education! A new university will be created with the help from our friends from the Space Station. Additionally, technology will become available to Yorkantonians, too. In fact, telephones will be given to anyone who wants one as gifts from the government. A new era has come and it's here to stay!”. . .

### Chapter 8: The second meeting

In the start it was Kate's request to meet again, because she wanted to talk about a very important subject about their team. However, both John and Tony thought of something they wanted to tell in the meeting. So, it was decided that they would meet at the 21th of November at John's house.

So, at that day Sarah, Katie and Tony arrived at about 7 o'clock.

“So, Katie what's the important subject you wanted to talk about?” John asked.

“Well, it's simple: We need a name. We can't refer to our team as 'our team'. What do you think?” she answered.

“Well, that's not really important” Tony started and Kate loured “However, I agree, we need a name. What about the Anti-Maelstrom Team?”

“No, it makes our work obvious. We need something that won't betray us if someone hears or reads somewhere our name” John disagreed.

“I thought that the new Mayor is not conservative!” Magical said.

“Indeed! But, as I wanted to tell you today, he never spoke about the Maelstrom. Whatever he's going to do, the Maelstrom is going to stay here for some time to come”

“How about the Destroyers?” Sarah asked.

“Nooo!” John exclaimed like he had been offended “The Maelstrom Beings are the ones who destroy, not us!”

“Like you have a better idea!” she said frowning.

“Hmm! I thought something that will confuse anyone who learns it. What do you think about the FFFFF Team” John suggested.

Tony and Darkon looked at him unable to believe what he had said, but Katie liked it “Nice! It's weird! I like it!”

“What?” Sarah said “From all the things ya could think that's what ya thought?!”

“If she dislikes is then I like it” Tony said.

“I decided to use the letter F, because both in Greek and the language of the First Builders-” John tried to say, but he was interrupted by Katie “You know the language of the First Builders and Greek! Awesome!!!”

“Yeah, yeah! It wasn't that difficult. I just read some books and I now know them” John replied. The First Builders were some ancient humans that had got extinct long ago. They had lived at the period of 1 AF to 1062 AF. AF meant After Figorianis, which was how the First Builders called themselves. “Nevermind, both in Greek and the language of the First Builders, Figorish, Imagination starts with F. In Greek it's something like Fantassia and in Figorish it's Figor. And I said 5 Fs because I just like 5”

“Ok! If you like it so much!” Sarah finally agreed.

“And now we come to my subject” Tony told them “We need a leader”

“Easy!” Kate said before anyone else could “John. He's the founder, he's the leader”

Everyone agreed and with lack of any more subjects the meeting ended then. . .

### Chapter 9: The Venture Explorer

“No, Tony!” John talked on the phone “I haven't finished with my experiments. I just now found some Uranium. I haven't even checked all the chemical elements! There are millions of combinations. I can't know even if at least one of them can weaken the Maelstrom... No, I won't tell you where did I find the Uranium... Yes, I have Plutonium, too... From all the chemistry lessons, the one you were listening to was the one for nuclear power... Brick it! What bad did I do for you to torture me that much!!!...”

Their conversation continued like that. December had come and everyone awaited Christmas eagerly. Most people had now installed telephones in their houses. It was the new fashion. Same thing happened with John and Tony, who phoned John every day to ask if he had finished his experiments for how to weaken the Maelstrom. So, John really regretted that they had installed a telephone, too.

“Hmm” John thought after he finished his conversation with Tony “I wish I could find some Ganium. It's the only element, except for Gunium, that I can't find. And maybe this one is the solution to my problem”

Ganium and Gunium were Chemical Elements discovered by a scientist called Ganaz. That scientist came from Yorkanton City, too. His books were banned, but John had managed to find a copy of each, because he believed he was a bright man. Ganaz had told that Ganium was the element of Imagination while Gunium was a catastrophic element of chaos. In addition Ganaz told that Ganium and Gunium existed in the minifigure's body.

John kept working in his room and tested the effects of Uranium on an infected twig. The effects were disastrous. John, being ready this time took the extinguisher quickly and the fire from the explosion burnt out almost immediately. John left the room, because of the smoke. And saw his father getting ready to leave.

“Where are you going?” John asked.

“Rumors from the Space Station say that a spaceship of the Nexus Force is coming here today. According to Mrs Blackberry, it will land at the edge of the Maelstrom Valley, near to the Nexus House. Want to come?” his father answered.

“Of course!”

“You'll come like that?!” his father wondered when John made for the door. John looked at his body. His clothes and face were black from the explosion.

“Yes. Why not?”

“Nothing” his father said smiling.

They left and after twenty minutes they reached the place where houses stopped and grass started. Although it was night, you could see the infected parts of the valley, because Maelstrom glittered a little. The last house, a wooden one, had many posters about the Nexus Force on it, but they were so old that if a Yorkantonian saw the Nexus Force of that time would think that there were two Nexus Forces. That was the Nexus House. John didn't know why it was called like that, but he liked it. There were many people in front of it waiting for the spaceship to come.

Then, suddenly a thunderous sound was heard. It was the sound of the fires on the lower part of the spaceship that were stopping the spaceship from falling down. They waited a little and then some lasers were launched from it smashing any Maelstrom Being below it. Afterwards the spaceship started lowering and when it was almost at the ground some braces got out of it and the spaceship landed. It was green and almost rectangular, but its front part was a curve. Some big letters on it said VENTURE EXPLORER. . .

### Chapter 10: The Nexus-Forcer

A ramp came out of the spaceship and a minifigure walked on it. When he left the ramp, it went back into the spaceship. He was wearing black robes and some scarves that hid all his face except for his two red slightly shining eyes.

Everybody stared at him. Almost nobody seemed to like the Nexus Force and its members, but many had come out of curiosity. Nobody talked as the person walked through them and the atmosphere was charged.

“Well, that’s a cosy welcome” he said and their hatefulness for him grew bigger “It seems that news travel faster than our spaceship”

“WHO ARE YOU, STRANGER?” a thunderous voice asked. Everyone looked back and saw the Mayor.

“My name is Myrror!” the minifigure answered “I represent the Nexus Force and come in peace. We would like to conduct an experiment and the conditions here are perfect”

“WE DON’T WANT YOUR EXPERIMENT TO TAKE PLACE HERE” Borrowfield told him “NOW, LEAVE AND TAKE THIS MONSTER WITH YOU” he showed the Venture Explorer “CONDUCT YOUR EXPERIMENT AT SPACE STATION. NOT HERE”

At that time Myrror had reached the Nexus House. He took a key from a backpack that he had and said “Don’t worry Mayor. I’ll take your words under consideration” He then put the key in the keyhole of the door that was in front of him and opened it. After that he went into and closed the door again. He had entered the House that nobody had managed to get in until the Nexus Force had left it there. . .

### Chapter 11: The experiment

For the next few days, everyone talked about the Nexus-Forcer, who was wandering in the city knocking at people's doors asking them to spare some of their time to help him with his experiment. At the same time the Mayor was trying to catch him and had put policemen everywhere. However, the Nexus-Forcer was always managing to escape.

     Four days after Myrror's arrival, someone knocked the door. John, who was expecting that the Nexus-Forcer would visit them, immediately made for the door. He opened it and there he was: Myrror exactly like John had seen him four days ago.

"Good evening! Is this the Steeles' house?" he said with a formal style.

"Yes. Please, come in! It must be freezing out there!" John told him looking at the snow outside. It didn't snow very much at Yorkanton City, but when it did, it was really really cold.

"Yes, thank you!" Myrror thanked as he was coming in "Can you help me conduct my experiment, please? You see, I was sent to see if the big distance from the centre of the Crux System where the last shard of Imagination Nexus is influnces people's Imagination. So, would you let me count your Imagination? We, mostly want children in our experiment, because older people have lived more close to Imagination Nexus"

"Of course! Shall we start?" John responded excited.

"I need your parents' permission first" the Nexus-Forcer said.

"Oh, wait for a second!" John replied and left him there going to the library, where he found his father. After his father had agreed to let Myrror count John's Imagination, John said to Myrror to come to his room for the test.

"So, John! Let me explain you some things about Imagination" Myrror started "Every person has some basic Imagination that is required for him to live. Even if you have only one Imagination Orb less, you smash. The basic Imagination is always 36 Imagination Orbs. However, what we count is not the basic Imagination, but the total one and the spare one. Spare Imagination is the rest of the Imagination someone has at a moment. Spare Imagination is changeable and varies from 0 to 30. There are only some exceptions that can have more, like Dr. Overbuild. Each person has a limit of spare Imagination it can have. You can make this limit go higher, but usually a person cannot exceed it. Now, Total Imagination is Basic Imagiantion plus all the spare Imagination someone can have. I'm going to count your Total Imagination. Okay?"

"Yup!" John replied. Such things were what he liked the most.

"Okay, drink this!" Myrror gave him a little bottle with a light blue liquid in it "It's Extreme Notion Potion. It doesn't harm. It increases your Imagination. And it has a great taste"

John drinked a little and realized it tasted like a Chocolate Cake and like Crepes at the same time. He drank the rest and it had the same taste.

"It tastes like Chocolate Cake and Crepes!" John exclained "At the same time!"

"Really?! When I drink it, it tastes like Spaghetti and pancakes" Myrror answered "Now, that you have full Imagination, let's scan you" He took a device that had the shape of a mirror, but had a screen instead of the glass like part. He scanned with it John from top to toe and from front to back.

"OH MY BRICK!!!" he shouted when the results were revealed "I never expected to see a person with 153 Imagination Orbs!!!". . .

### Chapter 12: Pureness

“WOW! That must be a lot!” John exclaimed.

“A lot???!!! Even Dr. Overbuild, the person that was thought to have the most Imagination, has only 83 Imagination Orbs as Total Imagination!!!” Myrror answered “Well, let’s stay calm. We also have to count the Pureness of your Imagination. Pureness is actually the physical size that counts the output of someone’s Imagination. Not every person has the same output with the same Imagination. Come; try to put those two bricks together. The only thing you have to do is to imagine they are assembled and it will happen” He gave him two simple one-stud plate bricks.

John did so and discovered that the bricks flew and stuck to each other with a little light blue flash at the place of the connection.

“WOW! That’s great!” John felt very great. The feeling of just putting those bricks together was the best that he had ever felt. Later in his life, discovered that only love felt better, but even that is a feeling of the Creative Force, even if people don’t understand that.

“Yeah, it does!” Myrror replied smiling and then scanned him again “I think I’m going to faint!”

“What now?!” John asked.

“You only lost about 33 cOrbs!!! That means you have about 28 Overbuilds\*!!!” Myrror responded, but while he was speaking the voices of some angry people were heard “Policemen! I have to leave!”

“Wait!” John exclaimed “I need some advice for something!”

“What?”

“I want to fight the Maelstrom, but I don’t know what substance to use to weaken it. Could you give me any advice on that?”

“Maybe you could study the Maelstrom before you try to create a new substance?” Myrror suggested and then jumped from the window. Then, John wondered why he hadn’t thought of that before. . .

### Chapter 13: A Discovery

After Myrror had left, John got down to work. He was determined to find what Maelstrom consisted of, so he could find what could fight it.

He took a new infected branch, because the other he had wouldn't be the best for studying after so much testing on it. After preparing it, he put a small part of it under an electronic microscope which a guy from the Space Station had sold him. He searched for the best enlargement and when he found it he looked at the part of the branch. He recognized the molecules of wood, but there were some more that were surrounding the wood ones. Those had a strange structure. They were very big and had so many electrons going around its core. However, there was something stranger. The molecules had 8 layers while according to the laws of Chemistry a molecule could have only 7.

When he saw that John was almost sure what he was looking at.

“Yes! Yes! It is logical. Very logical actually!” John talked to himself and then ran to the library. He searched for a book almost maniacally.

After a little he found it and took from its shelf. It was a really old and big book with yellow papers that had been written with a pen and ink. On its blue hard cover the word 'Supernaturallogy' was written.

Jon opened it and searched a certain chapter in it. He stopped to the chapter called “Gunium”. He started reading and found out that indeed the molecule of the chemical element Gunium had 8 layers. When he looked at a picture that had been drawn in the next picture he saw that it was the same with what he had seen.

“YEEESSSS!!!” John shouted believing that he had almost found what would fight the Maelstrom. However, he didn't know that this would just be the start for a lot of experiments and studying. . .

### Chapter 14: Some help from Katie

It was Christmas Eve. John was sitting in front of a window looking at the snow falling on the ground softly and thinking. When he discovered that the Maelstrom was made of Gunium he thought that things would become easy since Ganium is the exact opposite of it and with it he would be able to defeat the Maelstrom. However, the problem was that the Ganium was extremely difficult to find, especially in Yorkanton City (since the town was too far from the Last Shard of Imagination Nexus, the last source of Ganium).

“What are you thinking?” Katie said.

“Katie?!” John exclaimed surprised “What are you doing here?!”

“I was walking outside and I thought I could come here a little. I went to Sarah before. Your mother opened the door” Katie answered.

“Okay! But tell me: Why aren’t you with your family? I usually like to spend my holidays with my relatives” John told her.

“I don’t like the atmosphere there. It’s too compulsive!” Katie answered with some annoyance on her face, something that John hadn’t seen before “Will you ever tell me what you were thinking?!”

“Of our team actually. I have found something that could fight the Maelstrom, but it’s very difficult to find it. At big amounts at least. I don’t know what to do” John responded.

“Well, you could ask the Nexus-Forcer if he has any of it to give you. I mean the Nexus Force fights the Maelstrom. It wouldn’t fight it if they had no good way to do it. So, they probably have this thing you are talking about” Katie explained her opinion.

“That’s brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!!!” John exclaimed joyfully “Let’s go, we have to go to the Nexus House!!!”. . .

### Chapter 15: A little help from Nexus Force

John and Katie walked on the snow. Children were circulating and singing the Christmass Carols, although it was evening. About half an hour had passed since the two teenagers had left John's house and they were finally approaching the edge of the Maelstrom Valley.

Kate knocked the door of the Nexus House. They heard some running and then the door opened.

"Hello, John! Is she a friend of yours?" Myrror asked showing Katie.

"Yes, she's Katie! We've come because we wanted to ask you if could help us" John answered.

"Delighted to meet you!" Myrror told to Kate smiling and extended his hand. She grabbed it and they shook their hands "Please, come in!"

They entered the house and saw its interior. It was made of a living room, a kitchen, a bathroom and a bedroom. There were weird machines and devices all over the living room making weird sounds and conjuring smoke of several colours.

"Would you like a beverage?" asked the man.

"No, no! We won't be staying long! We would just like to know if there is something you could give us to help us gather Imagination as quickly as possible" John answered fast.

"There is something I could give you to help" Myrror said thinking and started searching among his several devices. The moment John wondered how did Myrror bring all these devices with him since he wasn't carrying anything the day he had come and the spaceship had left, Myrror found what he was looking for. He returned with a device that was like a bottle with a conch on it. There were some buttons where the two parts were connected.

"This has the ability to suck Imagination from the atmosphere. It takes about one and a half month to be filled, but it's the quickest way I have. Also, I'll give you a bottle that is already full! I hope it's enough" said Myrror with a way like he hadn't helped at all.

### Chapter 16: The leaving

John returned to his home happily, although he felt sad Myrror left. When he got in he went to the kitchen, because he was hungry and wanted to eat something. His mother appeared behind him.

“Hello, John!” she greeted him “I have to tell you something”

“What?” John asked with a bit worry on his face and in his voice.

“Tomorrow, the Nexus-Forcer, Myrror, is leaving” she started.

“I know”

“So, I have to say that I always wanted to join the Nexus Force. The last time that the Nexus Force had come here, I didn't go with them, because I had to bring you up. However, now there's no obstacle between me and this wanting of mine. You have grown now” She paused to see if John had anything to say. In spite of this, the boy stayed silent due to his surprise “But I would like to have your blessing” she continued.

“O...okay!” John answered with difficulty. Some people would find this answer queer. However, John didn't want to stand between his mother and her dream.

“Really! John, you make me so happy!” she started, but seeing the sadness at the eyes of her son she said “Don't worry, sweetheart. I'll be visiting as usually as possible. Besides you have your father with you!”

“Don't worry about me. I'm fine” told he to her lying. She figured that out but, understanding he wanted to stay alone, she left him. John, not wanting to eat anymore he went to bed and there he cried.

The next morning he woke up with red eyes. He had barely slept one hour. He put his shoes and started to walk sadly towards the door. In the same slow way, he kept walking until he reached the edge of the Maelstrom Valley. There the spaceship had already landed. There were some children watching several Nexus-Forcers going from the spaceship to the Nexus House and from it back to the spaceship, carrying several machines and devices. They wore colourful futuristic gear of a big variety. The colours that prevailed were green and orange, but there were two minifigures at the gate of the ship wearing blue gear. There was also another one with blue gear watching the Half-Infected Minifigures that were wandering at the Valley. Myrror was talking with a blond-black haired woman wearing bluish gray and green gear. She was holding a helmet.

There was no sign of John's mother. John waited for long sitting next to the Nexus House. Then, suddenly Myrror appeared next to him.

“In a little your mother will come and we will be ready to leave. Therefore, I would like to give you something more” He handed him an envelope said farewell for once more and left. At that time John's mother appeared. She came running.

“Hello John!” she told him “And I was wondering where you were! Soooo, good...bye!”

“Yes!” John answered. None of them seemed to be good at saying goodbye.

Then, Jane Phonus turned around and made to the spaceship. At the middle, she turned around again and shouted “I'LL BE VISITING YOU AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!!!” Then, she turned around for the last time and left.

If John had more tears, he would have cried like he had never did. But it seemed there was none inside him.

“Farewell!” he whispered and then left as well. . .

### Chapter 17: Figorium

John walked. His father was there, too. A tear reflected the light of the sun on his cheek. John trying to forget his loss opened the envelope that Myrror had given him. It contained a piece of paper and something metallic. He looked at the paper. With calligraphic letters Myrror had written “I hope you will find it useful. Use it wisely, Myrror”. He looked at the metallic object. It was a key. On the one side it had a carving of something that looked like a weird star. On the other side there was a symbol of a brick in a circle at the studs of which there was a capital N.

“The key of the Nexus House” John guessed “It may be useful indeed”

Days passed and the holidays ended. The first week John was too sad to go to school. Then, his father persuaded him to go, but he was still very depressed. He didn’t celebrate his birthday on the 22th of January as he always did. This state continued until the end of February. That was because at that time the device that Myrror had given him finished its work. Then, he started working on his experiments and that was the only thing he did. He talked even less than before and stopped only to sleep and sometimes to go to school. However, he was getting better and at the end of March he was much better. He had become social again and he sometimes smiled, especially when his experiments went well.

At that time he had used most of the Imagination he had collected and much of that which Myrror had given him, but he was happy because he had learnt many things about the effects of several substances on the Maelstrom. So, when May started John started mixing these substances to find one that could bring the strongest effects on Maelstrom. Another thing that helped him was the key. It was indeed the key of the Nexus House and John used the building as a lab. Myrror had left some of his things there. Or maybe it was its previous owner. John didn’t know, but he also didn’t care.

After many tries, when the end of summer came, John created a liquid that could contain Maelstrom and disinfect a little of it. It was green and glowed. Imagination was a basic part of it, so John named Figorium after the word for Imagination at the language of the First Builders. John was ready to make some weapons that would defeat the Maelstrom. . .

### Chapter 18: The Third Meeting

“I gathered you all this day” John started “Because I have a have a great announcement to make! The substance that I said I would prepare to fight the Maelstrom is ready! Behold! Figorium!” He showed the green liquid to them.

“GREAT!!! TIME TO FIGHT!!!” Tony shouted happily. He was also happy that John seemed to be his old good self. Katie seemed relieved, while Sarah didn’t show any feeling about John’s improvement.

“Not exactly. Not yet” John corrected him “You will have first to give me your weapons to use Figorium to make them strong”

“Oh, no! No more delays!” Tony exclaimed disappointedly.

“Unfortunately” said John with sympathy.

“Well, if we have to, I’ll bring you my bow and arrows tomorrow” Katie told him.

“Are you an archer?!” Sarah asked breaking her silence. It was strange and surprising that the young and innocent Katie was an archer.

“Of course! Actually, I’m a very good one” she answered.

“Ok, so bring me whatever weapons you like tomorrow and I’ll change them as fast as I can. At the same time, we must make a plan on how to attack. We can’t just go there and start charging at them”

John took a map of the Maelstrom Valley and they started walking on how to attack. Two hours passed without realizing and then they had to split, for it was too late. However, John, instead of going to bed, went to the living room and looked at the crossbow that had been put on the wall many years ago. It was a relic of their family. John’s parents didn’t remember whose was it, but the family had kept it for over a hundred years. John always wanted to take it and use it. And that’s what he did. . .

### Chapter 19: Ready to fight

John was excited by the revising of the weapons that he even forged another sword for Tony exactly the same with the other he had. So, John two weeks after their third meeting called them to announce them that their weapons were ready.

“It was a difficult job, but now I have finished it. Your weapons are ready and so is mine. Be careful though, because these weapons are not strong enough to smash the Infected Minifigures. They can only weaken them enough to capture them” John explained.

“And where will we put them after capturing?” Sarah asked.

“Don’t worry. I have found an abandoned building near the Valley that is tailor-made for this purpose. Now, get ready to see your weapons!” John answered.

He left and returned with a bag. It put it on a table among them. Then, he drew a katana from it. Its blade was made of iron, but had some green glowing little lines at some points, effect from John’s changes. Then, he pulled out Tony’s two swords saying him that he had forged a second one for him. The swords had also the green lines on them.

“So much better” Tony replied “It’s exactly the same! I don’t know how you did this, but it is a very good work!”

Then, came Katie’s bow and arrows. The bow didn’t have any change, but the arrows had a green glowing carving with the shape of an F on each side.

“Cool!” exclaimed Kate with excitement.

At last John pulled out his crossbow and his own arrows, which were the same.

“Do you even know how to handle a crossbow?” asked Tony, who knew that John wasn’t the fighting type.

“It can’t be that difficult!” John responded trying to hide the fact that he had no idea of crossbows. However, as he said these words the crossbow was accidentally set working and an arrow flew from the one side of the room to the other. Katie lowered her head avoiding it and the arrow ended up on a vase smashing it.

“I did that on purpose!” John tried to persuade them and everyone laughed “Come on” he said less happily and more moodily “We are ready to fight!” . . .

### Chapter 20: Battle!

They watched as the aura of the infected grass at the Valley was moving changing shape just like the fire does, but slower. This is also the way to figure if something is Maelstrom Fire or Maelstrom Aura: the Fire is moving much quicker.

The fellowship had reached the Maelstrom Valley and it was standing before the first infected parts of it. An Infected Minifigure watched them from far. Half-infected Minifigures (Yorkantonians called them just Infected Minifigures), unlike Stromlings, were not at all the same. If you searched among all of them, you would be lucky if you found at least two that have the same infected parts.

They were ready to fight; that’s what everyone thought. However, none of them could move towards the Half-Stromlings. Now, that they saw danger ahead even Tony feared. At last, Kate stepped forward. Although Tony was the one that liked fighting more than any other Yorkantonian, Kate was the most courageous as far as the unknown is concerned. She would be the first to go to new adventures and challenges. Though they didn’t know about such things then, this was the exact type of the Venture League Members.

In the start she was walking slowly, but she ended up running. She charged at the Half-Stromling screaming and stabbed it with a short dagger that John had given her for small distance fighting. Before she could realize it, she was surrounded by five Half-Stromlings. That motivated Tony to charge as well. He reached the Infected Minifigures and two of them fell down knocked out by his swords.

John raised his crossbow to help. However, the first arrow he threw ended up hitting Tony on his arm. Figorium does no harm to a human, but that didn’t mean that Tony was not cut by it.

“SORRY!” John shouted and ran towards them deciding that for now he would do more harm than good by using his crossbow. He drew his own dagger and charged.

Kate, now released from the Half-Stromlings was launching arrows to whichever Infected Minifigure she saw. Everyone was surprised by the fact that all the arrows hit at the exact same point on the right shoulder of each Minifigure.

John started slashing at the Half-Stromlings, but he rarely managed to even hit his target and many times Tony had to save him. That’s how they kept fighting until the sun set. They had much fun and did not think of any peril anymore. However, no one noticed that Sarah was standing at the same place for the whole evening, unable to either help them or leave, just looking at the Maelstromlings with fear in her eyes. . .

### Chapter 21: Fears

John went to bring a cart, where they would put the unconscious Half-Stromlings. However, it was then when he noticed Sarah sitting on the grass and looking on the ground and he realized she had not fought with them. So, he made for her to learn what had happened.

“Sarah, what happened? Why didn’t you come?” he asked.

“Oh, hello John! You’ve come to see my hopelessness from close?” she replied with a muffled voice.

“What are you talking about?” John said confused.

“You know! I saw the Maelstrom and could not come with you and fight. I’m a coward” Sarah explained “I’m not good at anything. You have your brain, Kate has her courage and even Bandogan has his muscles. What do I have? Only hopelessness. I couldn’t even just find the power to turn around and go home, so that I can hide my hopelessness”

“You’re neither hopeless nor a coward, Sarah!” Katie exclaimed. She and Tony had reached them “Brave is not the one who has no fear. If there is a person who hasn’t, then he is no human! Brave is the one who can overcome his fears whatever they are!”

Tony did not try to comfort her, but he didn’t say anything insulting as he would in any other case.

“That’s why I’m a coward! I wasn’t able to overcome my fears. My fears conquered me!” Sarah insisted.

“You indeed have not overcome them... yet. However, there will be more chances. No one can overcome his fears easily. The fact that you need more time doesn’t mean you lack anything. It just means that Maelstrom has left more scars on you than us. You probably have seen its real terror. And that makes you a hero, because despite you’ve seen the horror of it’s you have bore the pain” John told her like he knew the exact words that would make her feel better. Sarah looked at John’s face thinking with surprise what he had said “Besides you surely have something that we don’t, that makes you great. Everyone has a something. They just need to discover what it is! And maybe that something of yours will help you more than my intelligence helped me today!”

The memory of John running to escape the Half-Infected Minifigures made her laugh. John had managed to make her feel better.

At the next battle, Sarah participated, too. After overcoming the fear of Maelstrom she seemed to enjoy fighting the Maelstrom too much. When school started John persuaded them that knowledge from school would surely prove useful at some time and that they shouldn’t waste all the time fighting. Therefore, they fought only on Saturdays and sometimes on Sundays.

Time passed and the four fellows started beating many Darklings (Maelstrom Beings) and imprisoning them in one of the abandoned Skyscrapers. Their plan was to defeat all the Darklings around the hill that was in the centre of the Maelstrom Valley, then go to the hill, which was named the Hill of Darkness (even before the Maelstrom dwelled on it), and then go to the Nexus Force and tell them to disinfect their prisoners.

So, when winter started the four minifigures were still fighting on the Southern of the Valley where they had started. However, their acts could not go unnoticed for too long.

A minifigure got in an office where another minifigure was sleeping on his desk.

“Mr Mayor! Wake up!” the first minifigure shouted worried.

“What is it?!” the Mayor answered instantly raising his head, as if he wasn’t sleeping before.

“Just today I noticed four minifigures fighting the Infected Minifigures!” the minifigure kept shouting.

“Do you know who they were?” Mayor asked him calmly.

“I recognized Rusty Steele and Jane Phonus’ son among them!” the minifigure replied.

“I was afraid he might do something unpleasant. I was right”

“Shall we do anything?”

“Just be watching them for the time being”. . .

***YEAR 4013 16 YEARS OLD***

### Chapter 22: Dreams

It was the 22nd of January. John had celebrated his 16th birthday with many fireworks (no one knew where he found them since they were forbidden if you had no license and John had no such thing) and a little gathering with his three friends.

Now John was ready to go to sleep and think of what had happened this very happy day. And so he did. It was about one year after his mother had left and he was cured from any depression. There was however still some grief in his heart, a grief that nothing could cure.

However, suddenly in the middle of the night a knock on the door was heard. The knock was repeated again and again stronger and stronger until it woke John and his father and they opened the door. It was Sarah.

John’s father went to sleep again, but with a lot of mumbling of annoyance. John took Sarah to his room and then asked her what happened.

“John! It’s very serious! I keep having those dreams. They seem so realistic. It’s like my soul leaves my body and goes to another” Sarah started explaining “But the worst thing is that I think I go to the body of Maelstrom Beings. This time, for instance, I saw that I was a huge infected spider-like creature, or at least that was how I felt I was. A huge Maelstrom explosion occurred and the building where I was kept as a prisoner was destroyed and I managed to escape. Many minifigures had been hit by the explosion and were screaming as they were getting infected. Only three minifigures had survived and they charged at me trying to stop me. However, I smashed the two of them and threw the other in the building. I was free and ready to destroy. However, the minifigure returned. Both his hands were infected, but didn’t have any other Maelstrom on him. He held some kind of a futuristic pistol that threw light instead of bullets. He started shooting at me. Too scared by him to strike back, I ran until I reached a cave and then I just woke up!” By the time she finished, she had become wet from cold sweat.

John tried to tranquilize her, but it didn’t work this time. He told her to sleep, but the fear of her dreams wouldn’t let her. John stayed awake for much trying to figure out what Sarah’s dreams were until in the end he fell asleep.

John woke Sarah up.

“I thought of something that could help us find what your dreams are. I don’t think it will help much, but it’s the only thing I could think” John informed her.

“What’s that way?” Sarah asked.

“Some years ago a doctor-psychologist from Space Station came to live here. If he can’t explain your dreams, then I don’t know who can” John explained.

“Ok!” Sarah agreed, because there was no other way.

“Hello sir. Hello men! How could I assist you?” the doctor greeted them as they got in his office an hour later.

“My friend has some very strange and scary dreams. We came to you hoping you could help us” John answered.

“Describe me your dreams!” the doctor requested without showing any sign of being unable to solve their problem, which was certainly a hopeful thing.

Strange though it may be, after Sarah had described her dream and a good many others he took a sample of her brick-cells and put it in a microscope to study it.

After about an hour of waiting, he returned and announced them that he knew what it was.

“Some call it an illness, but I would say that it is actually a genetic variation that can disturb someone. Your dreams are side effects. But don’t worry. If I’m right you won’t have any other side effects”

“How is it called?” John asked suspiciously.

“It doesn’t have any official name, because it is very little known. I call it GSB. I’ll give you some pills. Take one per week. If they don’t work come to me and I’ll see what I will be able to do. If you run out of them, come to me and only to me! Is that understood?”

Sarah beckoned positively. John wasn’t very persuaded, but didn’t say anything. They took the pills, paid and left. . .

### Chapter 23: The Coming Back

It seemed that the pills were working, because Sarah didn’t talk about them again for a long time. Katie and Tony were very interested to Sarah’s dreams, although Tony pretended that they were very boring. Despite Katie’s tries to make her describe them more dreams, Sarah didn’t tell them any; she just wanted to forget them.

Winter passed and the Half-Infected Minifigures were getting fewer and fewer on the South until at the end of March they almost got extinct. So, they continued with battling at the Western side of Maelstrom Valley. The western Maelstrom was much tougher and denser than the Southern. However, the four fellows still enjoyed fighting it.

One day at the start of April John and his three friends were returning from a battle. They were going towards the Southern Side of the Valley when they saw an immense green spaceship. The same one that had come last year, Venture Explorer! John quickly ran towards it. A guard with a rifle was standing in front of the entrance.

“Did Jane Phonus come with you?” he asked panting.

“Yes, she left about half an hour ago. Actually, she’s the…!” the guard started saying, but John had started running once he had said yes.

He got in the city part. He kept running until he got in front of his house. His parents were discussing at the garden. He heard his mother saying “…xus Force is awesome! There are four factions! I’m in Venture League, Nexus Force’ explorers! Our leader, Hael Storm has always more missions for exploring to give us and more challenges always expect us. We risk very much, but the thrill of discovering new things is awesome!”

“Well, it seems you spend your time very well at the Nexus Force. We do well, too!” said his father “John spends much time with his friends, though I don’t know where they’re going. I wouldn’t like to discourage hi…” At that time John got in.

“Mum! I saw the spaceship and came as fast as I could!” he said.

“Hello, John!” his mother answered and smiled. . .

### Chapter 24: The Passing of the Time

John’s mother stayed there for about a month. John would talk to her about his fellows and his fighting with the Maelstrom very much and his mother would always listen to him and comment.

“It seems that not even the Nexus Force would do better here!” she had indorsed one day.

“Maybe! But don’t tell dad. I want to see how long will it take for him to discover what we’re doing” John had answered.

However, everything has to end one day. His mother was now part of the Nexus Force and she had to leave. John of course felt sadly because of that, but not as sadly as the previous time.

After his mother’s leaving John felt nostalgia for much time and actually that feeling never really passed. However, it was weakened and lowered and sometimes he was so happy that he forgot about it.

And so the rest of the spring passed and so did summer. Fighting went well, although it was becoming tougher and tougher to defeat their enemies. John could not explain that, but they always invented a new way to beat them. And although, John missed his mother, he was happier than ever before. . .

### Chapter 25: A new Attack

Though Maelstrom at the West was stronger, it seemed that it was less than at the South. Therefore, at the end of November they got rid of it. Next on the list was the Northern side of Maelstrom Valley. At that place, Maelstrom wasn't tougher, but it was difficult to fight it either way. At that place there were loads of cobs. Actually, the place was full of them. However, they weren't any normal cobs, but (fully) infected ones. If they had tried to get among them, they would have got infected before they could realize it.

Half-Stromlings would always hide in them and appear suddenly trying to surprise them. Even Chaos can use Imagination, so that it can bring more Chaos. At one point at least.

It was the first day the fellowship had gone at the North. Except for the difficulty of the cobs, the Half-Infected Minifigures seemed specially ferocious, like they were angry due to the imprisoning of the other Half-Stromlnigs. Katie seemed a bit melancholic, probably because that was about where she lived before.

In the end of the day they had defeated only 7 Maelstromlings. Not able to do anything better, they left and visited their prison to put the Darklings. Afterwards they went to Sarah's house where she got in and then at Katie's home. John and Tony said goodbye to her and turned around to make for their homes. However, they hadn't got far away, they heard a loud noise, like someone was demolishing a house, and afterward a scream.

The two boys immediately turned around and returned. Other noises continued being heard. It was like a battle occurred somewhere near. They searched to see where the sound were coming from. To their anxiety, they realized that they were coming from Kate's home.

They quickly opened the door of the hedge that was surrounding the garden and passed it. It was the first time they got in the house and though they didn't look around, John couldn't help it but notice how big and luxurious the garden was. As far as the building is concerned, it was even bigger and more luxurious.

It took them much time to cross the house and reach the other side where the sounds were coming from. However, when they reached it, they saw that in a big kitchen that was there, there was a big hole on the wall. From it many Stromlings had entered and there were more coming. Nevertheless, their actual problem was that except for the usual Half-Stromlnigs there were also Fully-Infected Minifigures. . .

### Chapter 26: Combat

Tony charged immediately. He attacked the Stromlings, but their left arms were blades and they could block his hits. Unlike Half-Stromlings, they were all the same. They had a right skeleton leg, a left normal leg, a left blade-arm, a right normal arm, a left skeleton shoulder, a normal right shoulder torn brown and black clothes, a black backpack, two red shining eyes, hair that were going back and upwards and they had Maelstrom Aura on their blade-arm, their head, their hair and their skeleton shoulder.

John followed his friend and attacked the Stromlings. Those actually, were smarter than those one would meet at Avant Gardens, because they had been trained. Even when he managed to hit them with his dagger, he actually, didn’t do anything on them. Figorium may be enough to defeat Half-Infected Minifigures, but it couldn’t do much against Full Maelstrom. At least not in that amount.

Even Tony had problems. And he didn’t like it. That made him so mad that he hit one Stromling on the stomach with so much power that it smashed. The rest of the Stromlings jumped back, surprised by that attack since they didn’t expect them to smash. However, their fear and surprise didn’t last long. Thinking that their enemies were outnumbered, they attacked again.

Realizing that the only way to defeat such enemies was to smash them, the two fellows struck back trying to smash. Tony did well since he hit his enemies maniacally. However, John could not smash them with a simple dagger. Therefore, he jumped back and drew his crossbow and wished that this would work. And indeed for the first time, John hit an enemy using his crossbow. Of course when he threw, he was aiming the Stromling that was next to the one he hit.

However, Tony could not hold all the Stromlings away from John and many passed. One of them approached John and it hit his hand making him throw his weapon. John could not feel more fear at that time, but he actually survived. He looked at the Stromling. There was an arrow stabbed on its rib. It looked its wound with surprise and fear and then smashed.

Kate had appeared all of a sudden and had saved John. At the appearance of the girl, the Stromlings retreated once more. They were never brave. However, no matter how cowardly they behaved they always came back once they contained their fear. That happened then, too. However, John had an idea. He put his hand in the backpack he always carried when they went for fighting. He pulled something that looked like a can from it. He put it on the ground and shouted: “Cover your faces!!!”

Then, he pushed it. The can started whirling spraying a green gas. He fell down, closed his eyes and covered his mouth and nose. . .

### Chapter 27: Explanations

As the gas spread in the air a thick fog was created. John waited for loads of minutes, but no one attacked him. He kept lying on the floor, but nothing happened. Then, Katie shouted in his ear: “JOHN!!! WAKE UP!!! WE’RE SAFE NOW!!! ALL THE STROMLINGS SMASHED OR FLED!!!!!!!!!!”

John surprised by that and deafened by Katie’s shouting jumped up shouting back to her: “KATIE!!!!!!!!!! MY EARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

The fog seemed to have vanished. Pieces of Stromlings were all around. His gas had worked.

“Explanations!” started Tony “What was that green gas?”

“Gas Figorium. What else?” he told them like it was obvious what it was “I didn’t know if it was toxic to minifigures or not, but it now seems it’s not. However, I wouldn’t like to be a Stromling and breathing such a thing. It’s a pity that so many of them got smashed. They could be disinfected as soon as we found what can cure them. Now, Katie you have to give some explanations, too!”

“What do you mean?!” Katie asked surprised.

“Kate, how can your family afford such a house?” John explained.

“Hmm! Why?! What do you find peculiar in my house?!” Katie pretended not to understand.

“Let me think...! Maybe the huge garden. Or maybe the huge house that is full of luxuries!!!” John said feeling a little angry.

“Oh! Well, yes those are some unusual things” she admitted with a voice that could barely be heard and a face that showed much pain “Weeell, you see... my paaaareents aaaare a bit... rich”

“A bit?” Tony participated in the conversation, noticing all the things around them that weren’t affordable by most people. In other words, he noticed everything in that house.

“Weeell, they... belong to... the ten richest minifigures of Yorkanton City!” Katie said. She told the last words so fast that they barely understood them.

“WHAT THE BRICK!!!” John exclaimed as soon as the girl spoke.

“Katie! Why didn’t you tell us?” Tony expressed his wondering.

“Well, it’s not the favourite part of my life. Okay?! I JUST HATE TO BE RICH!!!” Katie had now got mad for a reason. It actually was terrifying to see Kate, who always looked such a sweet and calm girl, to be furious.

However, none of them had the chance to say anything else, because someone else talked: “What is happening here? Why are you so loud? Oh my god! What happened to my kitchen? Katherine, what did you do this time?”

The voice was cold and, one could say, cruel. The woman that had spoke, because she was a woman, had an English accent but, unlike John, that made her sound even worse. She was a tall woman with black long curly hair. Her eyes were blue and had a French nose like Katie’s nose.

“Mum! I have told you to call me Kate!” the girl said to the woman that seemed to be her mother.

“And I have told you to call me mother! Follow my rules and then I may think following yours!” Katie’s mother answered.

“Whatever!” Kate said, starting to get even madder “I didn’t do anything!!! It was the Maelstrom!!! Don’t you see their pieces?”

The change to the way Kate’s mother talked from cold and cruel to paranoiac and maniacal was very sudden: “The Maelstrom! Oh, no! They found us again!!! We must leave again!!!”

“What happened?” a man, who probably was Kate’s father, asked as he got in. His voice was the male version of Kate’s mother voice “Katherine, we have forbidden you to bring people without asking us” He looked at her without actually showing any feeling. That, however, was the worst part of his “I’m sorry, but you must now leave”

Though they knew he wasn’t sorry at all, they turned around and left. . .

### Chapter 28: After Combat

Though it was after midnight, once the two children got out of the house did not go to their homes, but stayed to discuss what had happened and to wait and see if Katie would come out to discuss, too. However, after saying that it seemed the attacks would start again and that it was weird that the Maelstrom had attacked so many times Kate and her family and wondering how the Full Stromlings had come there, there wasn’t anything else to say about the fighting. Therefore, soon Tony broached the subject of Katie’s parents: “Kate’s parents are crazy! I don’t know how she stands living with them”

“I can’t say they’re crazy –actually, her mother may be –but they’re surely very cruel and strict. And actually, they don’t even seem to love her; they just bring her up, because they have to!” John answered.

Yet, this subject being too sad was also left, so that they remained silent. Realizing that Katie would not come out after some time they started walking home. When John finally reached home, the first sunrays had started lighting the planet chunk (at Yorkanton City the sun rose at about 4:30). Only then did he realize how much time had passed.

Once he got home he heard the worried voice of his father: “John! Where have you been???!!! What happened?!”

At that time John realized he had spots of Maelstrom Aura all over his body. Luckily, it was so weak that afterwards he easily disinfected it with some Figorium. John explained his father after so much time what he was doing when he was going out with his friends. The combination of surprise, worry, fear, confusion and pride made him do nothing except for sending his son to bed.

Actually, Rusty Steele took it quite well that his son fought the Maelstrom secretly. He accepted it easily after being persuaded by John that it wasn’t that dangerous.

On the other hand, Katie’s parents grounded her for two weeks, not letting her even to go to school. As if this wasn’t enough, they forbade her to meet her three friends again. Though she never did so, it was annoying. The only good thing for her was that she persuaded them not to move out again.

Sarah felt very jealous that she wasn’t there to fight Full Stromlings or to meet Kate’s parents. That made Tony very happy and he reminded her that for much time.

***Year 4014\*\*, 17 years old***

More time passed and they kept fighting at the North, which was still as difficult as before. December came, then Endecember\* and finally January. At the middle of its something very different happened.

Ronald Bandon, the boy that was sitting next to John at the class, saw them fighting the Maelstrom while he was going to buy some flowers for his mother’s garden. Now, Ronald had no evil in him, so he didn’t tell anyone, but he felt that he could use this opportunity. Therefore, the next day they had school, he approached John and told him: “I know”

“What do you know?!”

“I know that you know what I know!”

“No, I really don’t know what you know!”

“You’re fighting the Maelstrom!”

“Oh! That’s bad! Ronald-”

“I’ve told you to call me Ron!”

“Oh, yes! Well Ron, please can you not say anything about that to the others?”

“I can, but first I need something from you!” Ron said smiling.

“Oh, brick! What do you want?” responded John worried.

“I want...” he smiled even more “to join you”. . .

\*As I may have told in the first book, Endecember is the 13th month of the year of Crux People. Each month there had 28 days and the year lasts approximately 364 days and 7 hours.

\*\* I think I should inform you that the chronological system of Crux People and people of many other planets is different from ours. Each chronology takes an A.F. or B.F. after it. A.F. stands for After Figoriani (=Person of Imagination which is how First Builders called themselves) and B.F. stands for Before Figoriani. The Year 1 A.F. is the first year after the death of the First Builder (although legend says he’s not dead).

### Chapter 29: Ronald Bandon

John agreed to put Ron in FFFFF Team and he was very relieved that it that that he wanted. He had actually indirectly asked him if he would like to fight the Maelstrom. That time Ron had said no, but when he saw the four friends fighting, he had got excited.

John had asked him what kind of weapon he would like to have and Ron had answered: “A mace or a flail would be good!”

“Can you even lift any of those two?” John had asked.

Ron had looked at his thin arms and had said: “Probably not! An axe would also do the job!” So, John had made him a double axe with some green shining spots.

When he told the others about Ron, only Sarah had complained that more people would ruin the fun.

“Let alone that we already have 'the empty-head'!!!” she had said talking about Tony. Of course one more of their fighting had started then.

After some time, when John finished the axe, the time for Ron's first battle came. He was very anxious, but he tried unsuccessfully to hide that. He was trembling the whole time and he had a look like he was walking to his death. However, they reached the Northern side of the Maelstrom Valley and there he proved to be a great fighter. Actually, he had a great talent of finding where the Half-Infected Minifigures were, because he was a scout and knew how to find the signs of them. Yet, he couldn't pass Katie, who had recently discovered a talent of hers. She could find most of the times where the Half-Stromlings were without even using any signs; like she somehow sensed them...

January passed and so did February. The five friends were getting better and better at fighting the Maelstrom. With the help of Katie and Ron they could not be surprised. Then, one time at the afternoon, John heard the bell ringing. He opened the door and saw his mother. . .

### Chapter 30: A second Return

John felt very happy that his mother was back. She described them some of her adventures like when a crazy monkey at a jungle threatened them with a gun or when she met two dragons at a cave. However, she asked what they had been doing, too. In addition, she had brought a present for John. It was a grey cape that had the same weird star as the key of the Nexus House. That was the sign of the Nexus Force as his mother explained.

“It is a Nexus Force Cape! I thought you would like it!”

John didn’t just like it; He loved it. From then on, he wore it as much as he could. When he was going fighting, he always put his backpack under his cape hiding it, something he did for his whole life. John’s mother had also brought his father a large wrench.

“So... did you know that John is fighting the Maelstrom?” John’s father asked her.

“About that...” she started, but John didn’t hear the rest, because he had got out. He wasn’t in the frame of mind to listen to them fighting, even if it was actually more like teasing each other. He started walking and passing the picturesque houses he reached the Maelstrom Valley. There, lied Venture Explorer, the spaceship that had brought both Myrror and his mother there. Out of it was the Black-Blonde-haired girl he had seen when his mother had left for the first time. She was talking, oddly enough, with the Mayor of Yorkanton City. They actually seemed to be fighting and not fighting like his parents.

John didn’t like this. Was the Mayor really progressive or was he conservative like all the other Mayors? John thought really hard, but he couldn’t tell with only that few clues. He remembered that he didn’t want Myrror, but probably no one would as soon as he saw his red eyes.

The Mayor left. John was there for hours sitting on the ground and thinking several things. It was beginning to darken, so he stood up and made for his home. However, as he approached his house he heard yells coming from the garden. He recognised the voice of his mother and if he was right, the voice of the Mayor. They were quarrelling; it seemed like the Mayor was telling her mother not to come back ever again. The Mayor was declaring war against the Nexus Force. He was not progressive at all. For some reason he was acting. . .

### Chapter 31: Training

John's mother stayed until the middle of April. Then, she unfortunately had to leave. At that time, John said goodbye without feeling even less sad than the previous times, his mother had left. He was surely much better than the first time.

After that, on May, reinforcements came at the Northern side of the Maelstrom Valley from the East, the only side they hadn't got until then. Therefore, it became even more difficult to fight. Especially for John. He was very brilliant, but when fighting he was the worst. For that reason, Tony after one of their battles, approached him and told him: “John, with all the respect, you suck at fighting!”

“I won't disagree. What's your point?” was John's answer.

“To make you better, I believe I should train you. Maybe you can learn using your crossbow and sword!” Tony suggested.

“Really?! You'd do that for me!” John exclaimed excitedly, because he always wanted to become a better fighter and to learn to use his beloved crossbow.

“On summer yes! Right now, I have to prepare myself for the exams I'll give to get to the Fighting University. And I believe you wouldn't like to be distracted from your school exams”

Fighting University wasn't actually a university. They called it like that because it tended more to university than school. All Universities of Yorkanton City were like that. However, the Mayor was doing great efforts to make them better and had actually made an agreement with the people of Space Station to make a university; University of Science, Chemistry, Biology, Brickology and Engineering. Though, it may seem that it would be a university of great difficulty that would last very long, it actually would have not many lessons for each subject, so they put them all together to form a university that would last as all universities lasted: 3 years.

So, they agreed. Once summer came they would start training.

John did very well at his exams, even though he didn't study at all; he just remembered what they had been taught from before. Tony passed his exams, too. Actually, he got in the university with the best note. He would now become a professional fighter.

John knocked on the door, which opened almost immediately and Tony appeared behind it.

“Oh, you're here! Good! Let's start!” he said.

John got in and asked: “Where will we train?”

“We've got a backyard! We'll train there” Tony replied and led his friend to the backyard of his house.

“So, I have made us two wooden swords, because using real ones could be a little dangerous” Tony explained while giving John his own sword “Since you're not the best attacker, I think we should concentrate on your defensive skills for now”

“Ok!”

“Hold your sword... WITH ONE HAND! IT'S NOT A TWO-HANDED SWORD!!! Hold your sword with one hand at about the middle, so that you can quickly block the attacks of the enemy whatever direction he hits from. Now, I'll be attacking and you'll try to block. Ok?”

“Yes!”

The first attempt was completely aτ vain. John had put his sword at the opposite direction from the one that Tony had attacked, so that he was hit. Tony had 'forgot' to tell John that he wouldn't stop his attacks when he failed. They tried for a second time. That time he put his sword at the right side, but didn't hold it tightly enough and it left his hand. He was hit again. They tried a good many times until noon came. The only thing that John managed to do was to get full of bruises. . .

### Chapter 32: A Weird Parent

John and Tony got in the house. They had agreed that John would return to his home and come back later at about 5 o’clock. They passed through the living room and then entered the kitchen. However, something there stopped them. It was the hearing of a voice, which said: “Tony! Who’s the friend of yours? It’s no good not introducing your friends to me!”

It was a woman. Her voice sounded a bit playful and like the woman did frills. Her hair had the same colour with Tony’s hair, but they seemed to be unwashed for much time. She also had the same nose as Tony. She must have been his mother, because obviously she was older than them and Tony had never said anything about a sister. Her blue eyes were stained with red and she held a bottle of wine. Other empty bottles were on the floor; she probably was drinking for quite a time. She was sitting on a table and her clothes were quite dirty.

“Mum, no! Don’t drink more! It doesn’t do good to you!” Tony exclaimed and tried to take the bottle from her. However, she held it strongly and didn’t let her son take it. Tony didn’t want to use force against his own mother, so that he let the bottle.

“I thought I had thrown away all the bottles you had! Where did you find those?!” Tony said.

“It seems that you didn’t throw away all of them!” she said self-complacently and raised the bottle to drink more wine. However, most of it spilled on her rather than was poured in her mouth.

Tony couldn’t stand it and took the bottle by force. The mixture of intoxication and anger made the woman not to recognise her own son. She started shouting at him: “WHO ARE YOU TO GET IN MY HOUSE ILLEGALLY AND TAKE WHAT BELONGS TO ME!!! THIEF! LOUT!!! BUM!!! GIVE IT BACK TO ME!!! I NEED IT!!! GIVE IT!!!”

Then, things started getting even worse. While she yelled, she also started pulling the bottle to take it. However, because Tony wouldn’t let it, she left it and started shaking her son. Her attempts being at vain, she even slapped Tony. And Tony just looked down ashamed and embarrassed.

John was very confused. The great Tony he had seen beating so many Stromlings, now couldn’t stand up against his drunken mother. Yet, despite his confusion, he quickly got between the two minifigures stopping Tony’s mother form doing anything worse to Tony. As a reward he was punched by the woman, so that he let her go.

Although he was worried of what would happen now, the woman’s behaviour changed completely. She stopped yelling and started crying.

“My own son... betrays me... and doesn’t... let me have... what I need...” she said while she was crying “Leave!”

“Mum...” Tony started saying, but was interrupted.

“LEAVE!!!”

Then, the woman went to another room, though her crying could still be heard. Tony started searching for more bottles. In spite of his efforts to hide it, John saw a tear rolling on his cheek.

“Tony, I’m very sorry! I didn’t know your mother is...” John started saying, but hesitated.

“WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF, JOHN???!!!” Tony started shouting, something not unexpected by John “SHE’S A TOPER!!! FOR THE PAST 9 YEARS!!!”

Jon didn’t speak. He waited to see if Tony would say anything else.

“Since my father was taken by the Maelstrom” he said more calmly. Now, he couldn’t stop it and more tears started rolling on his cheeks.

“Maybe I should leave” John said and started making some steps towards the door.

“Yes! And we’d better continue training tomorrow” Tony said and turned his back, so that John couldn’t see him crying. . .

### Chapter 33: More Training

The next day John went to Tony’s house again. Tony acted like the whole thing that had happened the previous day had not happened. He didn’t know what happened after he left, but he didn’t see Tony’s mother again. However, sometimes he heard her smashing things.

Meanwhile John’s training continued and at the third day of practicing, he managed to block an attack of Tony. Yet, he was so surprised and excited that he had managed to do this, so that he forgot to block the next attack that hit him on the stomach. Nothing special happened during the rest of the day. As time passed John became better and better (considering his standards) and in the end of June he was able to block almost all the attacks of Tony. At that time Tony said that it was time to start working on his attacks.

John was even worse at that than defence. They worked on that by putting John to try and hit Tony, something that even in the end of July John would manage to do it very rarely. At the same time, Tony would attack John at random times, so that he didn’t forget what he had learnt about defence and so that he would be more alert. The first time that he had done that, John had failed completely. His excuse had been that he wasn’t ready. However, Tony had answered: “Always be ready!”

And then August came. After a big fight between the two minifigures, Tony turned to John and told him: “Tomorrow you’ll bring your crossbow. It’s time for you to start practicing on your range attacks, since it seems that you won’t be getting any better at melee fighting”

Actually, John was now at a state where he could easily enough block or dodge an attack of someone else and could manage to hit someone after an average amount of ten failed attempts.

Therefore, the next day John came happier than you can imagine at Tony’s house with his crossbow. Tony had put a target, from those that the archers use, in the garden.

“The exercise is very simple. You must hit the target. If you hit the target, we move on to a moving target. Now, hold it with both your hands. One at the trigger and one in the front to support it and keep it stable. Got it?” he explained and since John nodded he continued “Put it close to your head, so that your eye and the peak of the arrow are almost at the same straight line. In that way it’s easier to aim. Got it?”

John nodded affirmatively and Tony waved his hand like he was saying: “Go on!”

John held the crossbow as Tony had told him. He closed his one eye and concentrated. He then put his one finger on the trigger and slowly pushed it...

“AAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!”

The results were ‘disastrous’. John had hit Tony on the arm like the first time they had fought the Maelstrom, while the crossbow had left John’s hands flying to the other side of the backyard.

“AAAHHH! I WAS TWO METRES AWAY!!! HOW COULD YOU HIT ME???!!!” Tony shouted as he was pushing his arm to lower the pain “TRY AGAIN WHILE I’M GOING TO WRAP MY ARM WITH A BANDAGE!!! I HOPE YOU’RE NOT THAT USELESS TO HIT ME EVEN WHEN I’M DOING THAT!!!”

John continued practicing on that for the rest August, but the only progress he made was that the arrow hit the wall near the target and didn’t hit Tony and that’s how in the end of that summer the training of John ended ingloriously. However, John didn’t know that this training could actually be something very important in his future life. . .

### Chapter 34: Stalker

Once summer was finished Kate, Sarah and Ron came back from vacation, where they had gone for the whole summer. In Yorkanton City, minifigures used to go during vacations of summer at the Limnum Lake, a big enough lake at the Eastern side of the town. That’s where the three children had gone, too.

Tony hadn’t gone, because his mother wasn’t in the state to travel for holidays even if it was a very short distance that maybe did not deserve to be called travel. John had not gone, because he had asked his father not to, so that he could practise at fighting as he did.

Now that the children were returning they would be able to fight again and see if all that practising had helped or not. The first time they met after summer Katie hugged both John and Tony, having missed them. Ron had shaken hands with them and Sarah had just stood, not deigning even to shake hands. She had just stood with her arms folded and looking at them slightly contemptuously and had said a “Hello”.

“Want to fight?!” Tony had said excitedly.

“Certainly not with ya!” Sarah had answered “But what can I do? There’s no other way!”

“Oh, you’ll regret this!!! Brick-head!” he exclaimed and one more of their fighting started.

Indeed John was now better at fighting and the times that the others had to save him reduced much, although they didn’t stop completely. Some days passed without any important incidents. School started and at the second week, odd things started happening again. It was evening and the five friends had just finished fighting the Maelstrom.

And then, as they were going towards the building where John imprisoned the beaten enemies, John though he saw a figure moving in the dark. It was like a shadow, but the fact that there was shade all around them, made John unsure if what he saw was real. However, he considered that if it was real, they should be careful. If it wasn’t, well some more care wouldn’t harm them.

Therefore, he told others and the following days he was very careful and tried to notice if he saw anything strange. However, some weeks passed and they saw nothing. So, they forgot about it. However, in the middle of October while they fought a quite wild Half-Stromling, John saw a black figure at the far. Yet, when he blinked the figure had disappeared.

That awakened John’s suspiciousness. He told the other for once more and they were as concerned as him.

“Don’t come the next Saturday! I want to check something!” John said disappointing them, but having reasons for that.

The next Saturday, John left his house at the usual time, as if he was really going to fight. However, those were not his plans. After having reached the middle of the route he was usually taking to go to the Valley, he turned right. At the next crossroads he turned right again and so he did at the third one. Then, at the forth crossroads, he turned right as well. He kept going in circles and at some times looked distinctively back to see if there was anyone there.

The first time he looked back, he saw a man with sunglasses. It was weird that he was wearing them, because people there disliked such things. Then, the second time he looked back two circles later he was still there following him. The third time he looked back three circles later, he was still there...

John slowed down and walked in a very slow pace. However, so that he intrigued his stalker he finally turned left in one of the crossroads. Due to his going so slow and the man’s joy that they were changing the route forgetting that way to go slower as well, the man almost reached John. At that time, John suddenly turned around and said: “Hello sir! I’ve noticed that you were going in circles all that time. Have you been lost?!”

The result was not unexpected; the man turned around and started running to escape. John followed him, but the man was much quicker than him and he couldn’t reach him. However, when he turned in one crossroads he saw a most peculiar sight: Katie standing over the fallen man.

“How did you get here?!” John asked surprised.

“I was just passing by!” Katie replied.

John was not persuaded by her reply, but he had to deal with the stalker first. He looked at him. He had put his hand on his mouth like he had taken a pill. That flustered John very much.

“Who are you? Who sent you?” he enquired.

“I SHALL NEVER TELL YOU!!!” the man shouted and then smashed.

John couldn’t believe it. The man had just suicide. John couldn’t stand it. He didn’t remember ever watching anyone smashing. It was horrible. Katie next to him seemed to have started crying, but John couldn’t notice that. He was deep in his own thoughts.

“To whom was he so loyal that he even suicide not to betray him?” he was thinking.

A drop of water fell on John’s head. He looked on the sky. Dark clouds had gathered and it seemed that it was going to rain heavily; maybe even a storm could occur.

“Autumn has come!” he thought “And with all its consequences!” He looked at the man “Amongst them Darkness being the worst. However, worst things shall come, because after autumn winter follows”

\*\*\*

“Sir! The pieces of your spy were found in the Mazer Street! It seems he took his pill! That means only one th-” a worried minifigure said to the Mayor, who was behind his desk in his office.

“HOW THE BRICK DID THEY CATCH HIM???!!!” the Mayor interrupted him outraged.

“Sir, if I am allowed to say so” the minifigure started saying scared “I think you just found a clever opponent”

“Yes! You’re right! It seems that it is time for us to play a game!” the Mayor said having calmed. An evil smile formed on his face...

\*\*\*

The night of the same day, John could not sleep because he could not stop thinking of the man that was following them. He was thinking of all the possibilities that existed: “He spied us on his own... No, spies are never the abettor... The Maelstrom had him do it... No, the Maelstrom would probably use a Maelstrom Being... My father... No, that’s just crazy... The Nexus Force... No, except for being crazy why would the Nexus Force care about me... The Mayor...”

Suddenly, a loud and perpetual knocking on the door interrupted his thoughts.

“Who could it be at 2 o’clock after midnight?” John asked himself, while he was going to the door to open.

He opened and saw something that he never expected. The Black-Blonde-haired girl of the Venture Explorer, the Nexus Force spaceship, was standing there worriedly and impatiently.

“Are you Mr. Steele?” she asked quickly.

“Yes, I’m John Steele! What happened?” John replied.

“Jane Phonus, your mother! She was lost”. . .

### Chapter 35: A Great Loss

“WHAT?!” John shouted worried and surprised.

“Indeed! We were flying near Space Station in Venture Explorer. We were doing a patrol protecting the worlds around, because there are unusual Maelstrom movements here” she started explaining So, Nexus Force sent us to see why and protect the people. Then, suddenly our Spaceship was attacked by some Maelstrom Spaceships. A great battle occurred. We finally won, but by the time the spaceships had been destroyed. A minifig from the crew informed me that he saw a Half-Stromling -you know Partly Infected Minifigures” she added seeing the wondering expression of John “What was I saying? Oh, yeah! The Half-Stromling was infecting her leg. The minifigure smashed the Half-Stromling, but didn’t have the time to help your mother. Then, he said, a missile hit the ceiling and a hole was created. And Jane left the ground as many other things and some minifigures, flew to the hole and got out of the spaceship”

By that time, John had started crying.

“So… so she’s… she is… d… de-” John tried to say.

“We can’t be sure. Her pieces weren’t found and some other minifigures that had the same fate as her survived, because of the ‘mini-atmosphere’ that the spaceship creates around it. However, even if she survived she probably will have turned into a Half-Stromling by now” the woman said.

Suddenly, Rusty Steele, John’s father appeared behind John. He looked worriedly with curiosity and surprise all at the same time.

“What happened?! Who are you?” he inquired.

“I’m Sky Lane” she said “Captain of Venture Explorer”

She then explained to him what had happened, too. His reaction wasn’t different from John’s one.

Two days later they did a funeral (without burying any body/pieces of course), believing that it would be better even if she had not got really smashed. John’s friends and relatives (they weren’t many), his father’s friends and -weird though it may seem- the Mayor came. John was now like when his mother had left to join the Nexus Force.

When the funeral ended, the Mayor approached John and told him: “Walk with me please, will you?”

“Ok” said John sadly.

They fended off the crowd that had been formed.

“I am very sorry for your loss, John!” he started saying “I really liked your mother. It is a pity that she was lost at such a young age. However, at least we have you left. I have noticed you are quite bright. Maybe you could work with us”

All that made John very angry. He could tell that the Mayor was lying much and just wanted to start shouting at him. And so he did.

“You must have much audacity, sir!” he started seemingly calm “You said you are sorry for our loss and that you liked my mother. In fact, you liked her so much that you told her to never come back. What a love! YOU SHOULD HAVE NEVER BECOME A MAYOR!!! YOU BRICKY BORROWFIELD!!! I SHALL NEVER WORK WITH YOU!!! I AM CERTAIN THAT YOU ARE PLAYING A GAME!!! WHAT GAME, I DON’T KNOW YET, BUT I WILL LEARN!!! I ALSO AM ALMOST CERTAIN THAT IN THIS GAME, I AM YOUR OPPONENT!!! IF THIS IS TRUE, YOU’LL REGRET THIS!!!”

Then, John turned around and left. As he was leaving, the Mayor said: “I have never lived a more irrational attack!” However, once John had left, he said: “I gave you a chance to play with me; now, you’ll regret this for playing against me”

That day John made an enemy; an enemy that would trouble him for many years. . .

### Chapter 36: The Gathering of the Clouds

The next weeks John was miserable again. When his mother had left the first time, he knew that she could return. However, then there was very little hope that his mother was alive, let alone that she would be disinfected.

He stopped fighting the Maelstrom, because every time he saw Maelstrom Beings, he remembered his mother and fell down crying. However, soon he managed, thinking that what he hoped with all his heart –his mother being alive- was the truth, to stop being so sad. However, he kept not fighting, because his reaction to the sight of Maelstrom did not change.

October left and November passed. December came and one announcement made that change.

“WE’VE BEATEN MAELSTROM AT THE NORTH!!!” Ron exclaimed happy.

Although John had not fought all that time, the others had continued fighting. Actually, John had persuaded them to do so.

“That’s great!” he answered “Now, we’ll attack the Eastern Side and then the *Hill of Darkness!*” He said the last three words with a “spooky-ghost” voice.

“We will? Will you come, too?” Sarah asked.

“I think it’s worth giving it a shot, after so much time!” John told them.

“Yay!” Katie cheered.

“Let’s do this!” Tony said.

“It seems logical!” Ron said.

“Whatever!” was Sarah’s response.

They were at the Eastern Side of the Maelstrom Valley, with the Hill of Darkness at their backs. They were looking at the Half-Infected Minifigures and they were looking at them. Luckily, John had not had another crisis. Then, they charged.

The five minifigures attacked the crowd of the Half-Stromlings and prepared for something as difficult as before; maybe even harder. However, no such thing happened. The enemies seemed to be as strong as the first they had fought at the South.

John hit one Half-Stromling with his dagger and it fell down unconscious. The joy that filled him for doing so was overly much and extremely surprising. Then, John hit it again and then again. The joy stopped and it became anger, he started hitting the Infected Minifigure harder and harder until it smashed.

John stopped. He realized what he had done and fell on his knees. He started crying. He couldn’t stand what he had just done.

“How could I have done such a thing???” he asked himself.

He had smashed Stromlings when they had attacked Katie’s house. Yet, those were Stromlings, fully infected Stromlings; he was almost sure they would not return to their normal self after disinfection. However, the Half-Stromlings had still hope. Nevertheless, he had just smashed one, forever; never to return in this Universe...

His friends came to comfort him, but he just kept crying.

“If we are not going to fight, we should get out of here. I don’t think the Infected Minifigures will respect your feelings, John!” Tony said.

“Is fighting the only thing ya care about?!” Sarah exclaimed angrily “Can’t ya see the boy is crying???!!!”

And they started one more of their fights. Ron stayed silent, because he did not know what to say and stopped any Half-Stromlings coming close. Kate, however, sat next to John and said “How did you do that, John? You weren’t a person that becomes outraged and cannot control his rage! What happened to you?”

“Winter came, Kate! Clouds are gathering and they have affected me most of all!” he replied and Katie remained silent thinking John’s metaphorical words. The Maelstrom had indeed brought ‘winter’ to the peaceful lands of Crux. ‘Clouds’ were gathering and a ‘storm’ would come. Yet, there was one hope in her heart. And that’s what she said: “Spring comes after winter and sunshine after a storm”. . .

***Year 4015, 18 Years Old***

### Chapter 37: Spaceships on the sky

It was the middle of January. John was at the Nexus House building several stuff.

“If a storm is going to start, I have to be prepared!” he had said to himself some weeks ago when he had decided to do what he was doing now.

He had built two pistol-like weapons so far (of which he had got inspired seeing the weapons that some Nexus-Forcers were holding). Now he was working on some kind of explosives. He had read about them in books, but never actually seen any.

However, as he was working he heard cries of panic from outside. That alerted him and worried him.

“What the brick is happening?!” he exclaimed as he got out. He saw a group of younglings, which had got out in the evening to have a walk. However, now they were looking at the dark sky terrified.

John looked at the sky as well. He wasted some time trying to find what they were looking at and then he shouted surprised: “HOLY CRUX!!!”

Among the bright stars, a spaceship could be seen. However, the problem was not that a spaceship could be seen in the sky. No, the problem was that a purple spaceship with Maelstrom Aura could be seen in the sky.

It was still far, but John was sure it was heading for their world.

“Brick it!!! I’m not ready for the storm to come!!!” he said and then got back into the Nexus House to continue working.

The next day everyone was talking about the Maelstrom Spaceship that had appeared on the sky. Most of the people had noticed it and those who hadn’t, had been told by the others. The interfering of the sun’s light did not let them see if the spaceship was still there, because it had not got in the atmosphere of the planet chunk. That’s why many of them believed that it had gone. And those who did not believe that hoped it.

However, that was not the case. When the sun set again, everyone –everyone except for John, who was too busy to waste his time like that- was staring at the sky. Many screams were heard that time, too. The spaceship was still there and now it was closer to them than the previous night. Hearing the voices, John got out of the Nexus House.

“I hoped that I would be incorrect!” he said to himself “But it seems my theory is true!”

However, things now were worse, because it was not one the spaceship they saw. At least four spaceships were flying towards Yorkanton City. Everyone was now afraid, if not terrified. Once more, John got in the Nexus House and kept working. He had to finish at least those explosives before the spaceships reached them.

The next day, there was even more talking about the coming spaceships. Everyone was worried and could not do their job. However, the night that followed was the worst of all three.

John was still working on his explosives, when a sound interrupted him. This time it was no scream, but a deafening noise like two huge things had crashed. He got out again and saw a most terrifying sight. The spaceships were now seven and were flying above them closer than ever. For the first time, he realized how huge they were.

One of them, however, was not Maelstrom. It was the Venture Explorer. The noise he had heard had been caused by a missile that had hit one of the Maelstrom Starships. Now, the Venture Explorer was fighting the other six spaceships and was using bombs, missiles and lasers. The other spaceships were striking back with the same means.

What gave John hope was that only one of the spaceships was bigger than the Explorer, while all the other were about half its size. More deafening sounds were heard. A tremendous fight had just started. . .

### Chapter 38: Spaceships on the ground

The next day everyone was frightened more than ever. Not only did the deafening sounds of the battle kept being heard all day, but also the spaceships had entered the atmosphere of Yorkanton City, which made them visible the whole day. Yet, the most frightening thing of all, but also the most impressive was when one of the Maelstrom Spaceships exploded. The sound was so deafening that everyone thought they would smash. To make matters worse, the pieces of it fell all over the city damaging it greatly and sometimes infecting whatever they fell on.

John stayed in the Nexus House that day, too. He had to finish as much explosives as he could. However, when he heard that the Mayor would give a speech at the Deemous Square, he decided that he should hear what he would say.

“I know I was the one who brought that technology you have right now, but it’s like those metal monsters on the sky...” the Major made a pause and pointed to the spaceships “... have talked to me! And what did they tell me? They told me that technology is cursed! Indeed cursed! Once we started using technology the Maelstrom came to punish us!!! That’s why it appeared in the first place. People were using technology that much that the Maelstrom came to destroy...” At that time, he was interrupted by the explosion of another Maelstrom spaceship. People screamed, although it wasn’t as surprising, frightening and impressive as the first time “... to destroy them! The Nexus Force thinks it will defeat the Maelstrom with its technology, but the only thing it does, is making matters worse!!!”

However, now few people were paying attention. The explosion had drawn it all. One person was running while shouting: “THE DESTRUCTION OF THE UNIVERSE IS COMING!!! IT’S OUR END!!! THE BRICK-APOCALYPSE HAS COME!!! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!”

That created pandemonium. Everyone started running around screaming. Yet, half an hour later they managed to make them stop and pay attention to the speech.

“The only solution is to destroy all the technology I brought! Then, the Maelstrom will leave us alone! That’s why I will send my agents to destroy all the technological objects that were given to you or bought by you! Of course you’ll take your money back for whatever you bought! May the Creationist help us!”

Creationist was called the Upper Being in which Crux people and not only believed. According to their religion the Creationist had created the Universe and had given Imagination to minifigures. However, much time had passed since minifigures really believed in the Creationist.

Once he was finished most of the audience started clapping. Yet, before they ended a minifigure, probably the same as the previous one, cried: “THE MAYOR IS LYING!!! THE DESTRUCTION IS COMING!!! THERE’S NO SAVING!!! FOR ANYONE!!!”

Pandemonium was created again. However, this time the Mayor and his people could not stop it.

Yet, John had already left saying that this was utter nonsense. He went to his home quickly and hid his family’s telephone, television and some other things in a secret closet. Then, he met his friends one by one to tell them to hide whatever they could.

“Oh, brick!” exclaimed Ron, who was the last to visit “They already came here and smashed anything technological we had!”

John got out of the house. The sun was about to set, when a third spaceship exploded. Pieces fell around John and sometimes towards him. However, only small pieces hit him without harming him a lot; he dodged all the others. After that, he returned to the Nexus House and kept working.

The sun had set a lot of hours ago. It was after midnight. Despite that, John was still working; he felt that something would happen soon and he would need to be ready. And his instinct turned out to be right.

A loud noise was heard from outside. It didn’t sound like any of the other sound they were hearing until now. It also seemed to have come from very close. It was repeated twice and then there was only silence.

John got out of the Nexus House to see what was happening.

“What in the name of Imagination!!!” he shouted surprised and terrified.

Three Maelstrom Spaceships had landed at the Maelstrom Valley and a crowd of Stromlings and Half-Stromlings was getting out of them. . .

### Chapter 39: The Storm Cometh

John returned to the Nexus House to take all the things he had made when he was getting prepared for that exact moment. He got out again quickly and rushed to the closer spaceship.

He drew one of the two pistols he had made. It had two pipes attached to it. The pipes ended up to two glass cylinder-like containers with Figorium in them. He had tied the containers on his back at the right and left of his backpack and under his cape.

John pushed the trigger and Figorium was sprayed on the Maelstrom Enemies. Many Half-Stromlings and Full-Stromlings fell down unconscious and some others smashed. John did not have such a big problem smashing full-infected minifigures, because he believed there wasn’t any chance for them being saved.

He kept spraying at them for some minutes until he ran out of Figorium, then he untied the containers and threw then together with the pistol on a Stromling, which had approached him, knocking it out.

Then, he drew his other pistol, which was of better technology. When he had made it, he had managed to make a pistol very similar to the kind that Nexus-Forcers use. That pistol launched green laser spheres. John also drew his dagger. He used the pistol to smash the Full-infected Minifigures and the dagger to knock out the Half-Infected ones.

Before he had defeated many enemies, another Maelstrom Spaceship that had not been noticed before, because it was hidden by all the others exploded. Its parts started falling around John like rain. Some fell very close, but they did not hit him. Some others fell at the Stromling crowd smashing many of the Infected Minifigures. John felt very lucky, because the Stromlings had started surrounding him at that time and that pieces saved him. One big piece hit the spaceship that was in front of him, creating a minor explosion. That explosion smashed some of his enemies as well.

What made things even better was that that spaceship was the last Maelstrom one that was on the air and that now Venture Explorer was coming to destroy the others.

John kept fighting and soon he had beaten many of the Stromlings. However, when the Infected Minifigures started getting less thick the crowds from the other spaceships joined the one that John was fighting.

“Brick it!” John exclaimed terrified when the Maelstrom Mob surrounded him.

He grabbed a GFC (Gas Figorium Can) and placed it on the ground. It sprayed the green gas, which covered everything around him. John did not wait for the fog to clear and threw one of his explosives where he believed there were still undefeated Stromlings. After that, he ran towards that place and got out of the fog.

His calculations were right. All the Maelstrom Beings at that place had been smashed and the rest had gone far from the fog not to get smashed. The area in front of him was clear, but John knew this would not last for long.

He ran quickly towards the spaceship that was closer to him. Darklings were still coming from them, so he thought that to stop them, he had to destroy the spaceships first.

John went at the back of the spaceship, where there weren’t any Stromlings. He launched laser orbs at the back part of it to weaken it as much as he could. Then, he grabbed one more explosive and placed it at the spot where he had fired. After that, he started running to get as far as he could.

A small explosion happened in the start, but before it had finished another bigger explosion occurred and then one more. Soon the spaceship was completely destroyed by the chain explosions.

John was very content with his plan working. He headed for the next spaceship. However, a group of Stromlings of both kinds stopped him. John raised his gun to hit them, but one of them moving very quickly took it and smashed it.

John drew his dagger, but soon one of the Full-Stromlings managed to disarm him.

“Holy brick!” he shouted.

His last hope was his explosives, the remaining weapons he had. He made a few steps back and launched one of them on his enemies. It smashed them all; or actually almost all…

One of the Stromlings had jettisoned to his back without being smashed. It jumped on him throwing him on the ground. The Stromling, which had also fallen, hit John’s backpack with its blade-arm ripping both his cape and his backpack. The blade hit an explosive, which exploded immediately.

Luckily, John had made them to harm only Maelstrom. Hence, he remained unharmed while the Stromling smashed.

“Brick it! It was my last explosive! Now, how will I destroy the other spaceships?” John talked to himself.

He looked at the pieces of the smashed Stromlings. Half-Stromlings had also smashed. He felt sorry about that, but he knew it was inevitable. He picked his dagger up and looked around. He realized he could not find where the crowd of Stromlings he had fought before was. Then, some screams coming from the town indicated where they had gone. . .

### Chapter 40: The Battle of the Brute

John started running towards the screams when a deafening sound stopped him. He turned his head towards the spaceships and saw that one of them was on fire. Venture Explorer was floating above them and it seemed that it had bombarded the one. The remaining Maelstrom Spaceship was the biggest one. A double turret on its roof aimed at the Nexus Force Spaceship and shot some lasers at it. Lego bricks fell from it, but no big damage was done. Then, Venture Explorer struck back with some missiles and some bombs. That was the end of the spaceship that was once known as the Sentinel Defender.

John smiled and began running again towards the place where the screams had been –and still were being– heard. He entered the town part and when the cries stopped he did not have any problems. The Stromlings had left many Maelstrom traces behind them and John followed them. Soon he realized that the route they had taken was leading to Octopus Square, where he lived. Was it just a coincidence or was the Maelstrom heading for his home?

When he finally reached Octopus Square, in which indeed the Maelstrom was going, he saw a most terrifying sight; the Stromlings, having broken the door of his house and part of the wall around it, were entering his home.

“Holy Crux!” John exclaimed frightened as he ran toward his house. He drew his dagger and hit the Half-Stromlings that were at the door with more power than he wanted to use. The Half-Infected Minifigures fell on the ground smashing.

He got in his house. It was a pandemonium; Stromlings of both kinds were smashing everything they could see. Some of them were even fighting with each other. However, most of the Full-Stromlings were a different kind. They did not have an aura. They were just purple and seemed to shine. They were the kind that was later named Stromling Invaders.

However, it made no difference to John, who didn’t even notice that difference in his hurry and terror. He looked around. He spotted his father having fallen in the middle of the room and trying to protect himself from three Full-Stromlings with an overly big wrench that John had never seen before. Despite his father’s efforts it seemed that he would soon be defeated, let alone his wrench had started getting infected.

John ran to save him. However, once he was noticed, the obstacles to reach him were many. Almost all the Stromlings ran toward him and attacked. He did not have time to defeat them all, so he just dodged or blocked their attacks and rarely pushed them away. Yet, that was not all. It seemed that when they wanted, Stromlings could be very ‘infectious’. That meant that by the time John had entered his house, half the room had already got infected. Hence, he had to be very careful not to touch anything infected and get infected himself.

In spite of all this, he finally managed –the creationist knows how– to pass through all the Stromling and reach his father. Then, he smashed the three Maelstromlings hitting them with much power, but at the third of them his dagger smashed.

“Brick it!” John said and even though they were in the middle of a battle, his father answered: “Watch your language, kid!”

John helped his father to stand up. Then, he put his arm in his backpack and grabbed the last thing in his backpack. It was his crossbow.

“May the Imagination be with us!” John said and gulped.

And indeed it seemed as if Imagination was with them, because when John threw the first arrow it hit a Stromling and not just any Stromling, but the one he was aiming at. That encouraged him and many Stromlings fell by his arrows that night.

However, the Maelstrom was not planning on losing this battle. As soon as the Stromling seemed to get few, a loud noise was heard from outside like a giant was coming. All the fighting stopped at once. Even the Stromling looked towards the wall with fear on their face; if it is possible for a Stromling to be afraid.

They waited in silence and then suddenly a huge long purple-black thin, relatively to its length, thing passed through the wall and touched the ground. John wasn’t sure what it was. The thing was drawn out making the wall winkle out of the rest building. The thing turned out to be the leg of an immense Maelstrom Brute. It looked a bit like a spider, but had only four legs and had some guns next to its head. When he saw it, John remembered the creature that Sarah had seen in her dreams.

“WHAT IN THE NAME OF IMAGINATION!!!” he shouted feeling completely terrified.

The wall that was stuck on its leg fell on the ground and smashed in thousand pieces He threw some arrows on it, but it was no use. It just angered it.

“We’re doomed!” John said and looking at his father he knew he was thinking the same.

John closed his eyes and waited. Then, a loud BAM was heard and he opened his eyes surprised. He saw a minifigure wearing blue gear close to the Beast. He was holding a huge futuristic gun that was launching rockets. Obviously he had thrown a rocket to the Maelstrom Monster, because there was smoke coming from its head and it was looking at the man. More people arrived. They had all futuristic gear and most of them used laser blasters. Most of them wore blue or green clothes, but there were some few that wore orange clothes. However, there was one minifigure simply dressed with a red shirt and blue trousers. He was bald and despite the battle he still smiled. He had no weapons, but he used his hands which glowed in a light blue colour.

*Imagination!* John thought. He found it amazing how he used it to fight, especially since he did it at Yorkanton City, the most distant world of the Crux System.

However, the arrival of a Half-Stromling reminded him he was also participating in that battle. He got ready to attack, but then stopped. Half of the face of the Infected Minifigure was not infected. It was obviously a woman. And John thought he knew what woman.

“Mom!” he whispered.

The Darkling, which was walking toward him stopped, as if it realized John was –or used to be– its son.

“HIT IT!!!” his father shouted.

John turned around slowly and looked at him.

“I can’t! She’s mom!” he answered.

“DO IT! THAT’S NOT YOUR MOTHER!!! IT’S A MONSTER!!!” he cried.

Then, seeing that John did not move, he ran and took his crossbow violently and looked at the Stromling. For a second it seemed that he hesitated, but then the sound of the arrow flying was heard and John saw the not infected brown eye of hers close. . .

### Chapter 41: The Worst Birthday

John could not believe it. His mother had been smashed by his own father. His last hope of her saving was now lost. He collapsed on the floor due to being too upset. Tears started dropping from his eyes as if it was a small rain.

He got up and looked around. He could not even find his mother’s pieces amongst the pieces of all the Stromlings. The only thing he found which he was sure was a piece of hers was an infected hand. He grabbed it and instantly felt a terrible pain on his own hand. He looked at it and saw it had got partially infected. He put his mother’s hand in his pocket and a part of his trousers got infected, too. The infection did not continue, because a partially infected object can only infect the same area of the surface of another object.

John looked at the whole room. By that time the Nexus-Forcers had defeated all Stromlings and the Beast was nowhere to be seen. The girl that had told him about his mother being infected was now approaching him. Once she was close enough, she asked: “What happened? Why are you crying?”

John looked at her with a sad expression and said: “My mother! She survived the battle in which she got infected and came here today. However, my father... my father smashed her! Now, there’s no hope of her returning!”

“John! I don’t know what to tell you to comfort you, other than that: Doctor Overbuild –the most imaginative person I know– once rebuilt a minifig after he was hit by a Maelstrom lightning. So, have some hope! Maybe one day your mother will be saved” was the girl’s reply.

John was relieved for a little. That was the moment when he decided that no matter what he would join the Nexus Force. However, after that the thought that a long time would pass until he would meet Dr. Overbuild, it would probably be too late for his mother to be rebuilt when he would meet him made him sad again. Yet, he was not as sad and miserable as before.

“What happened to the Beast? Did you smash it?” he asked suddenly after some silence.

“The Spider Boss? No, it ran away just a little before we would defeat it. That’s what it does! But we wouldn’t be able to smash it even if we defeated it. It is very powerful!” she answered.

“Okay!” said John and turning around to leave he faced his father.

“Why did you hesitate?” he asked looking a bit angry.

“Because it was my mother! YOUR WIFE!!!” John exclaimed.

“That was not your mother! And even if it used to be her, which I doubt, SHE NOW WAS JUST A MONSTER!!!” he said more angrily and quite harshly.

“Gentlemen! Please calm down!” the girl tried to prevent their fight.

“DO NOT SNARL!” Rusty Steele said and pushed her away.

“SHE WASN’T THE MONSTER! YOU ARE! YOU ARE A MONSTER THAT SMASHED HIS OWN WIFE! AND DON’T PRETEND THAT YOU DON’T KNOW SHE WAS HER. I SAW THAT YOU HESITATED, BEFORE YOU LAUNCHED THE ARROW!” John shouted.

“WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE TO JUDGE MY ACTIONS!!!? I AM YOUR FATHER, JOHN STEELE!!! I KNOW SOMETHING MORE THAN YOU DO!!!” Rusty Steele shouted as well.

“YOU’RE WRONG!!! BECAUSE YOU’RE NOT MY FATHER!!! AND I AM NOT JOHN STEELE!!! YOU’RE JUST A STRANGER TO ME!!!” John kept shouting and turned his back to leave.

As he quickly strode to his room, the sun started rising and as the first sunbeams lighted them, John’s 18th birthday dawned. It was the worst birthday of his life. . .

### Chapter 42: The Running Away

Rusty Steele sat on a chair being angry, as the Nexus-Forcers started disinfecting the room with a light blue dense gas. The gas spread in the whole room and then to rest of the house, too.

The gas reached the first floor, which was a significantly smaller floor since the only room of its was John’s bedroom. Watching that Rusty thought of his son and calming down he realised how upset his son must have been at the moment. With that thought in mind he stood up and walked to the stairway. He went upstairs and knocked at the door of John’s bedroom.

There was no response from inside. Rusty knocked again. Nobody replied this time either.

“John, I know that you are angry, but please let me talk to you! I’m sorry for being so harsh at you before!” said he.

No one answered. That made Rusty start worrying. John always responded to him even if not with words. He quickly opened the door, thanking his luck that it wasn’t locked.

However, thanking stopped as soon as he entered the room. There was no sign of John. And it also seemed that many of his stuff were missing. Rusty ran instantly to the gap that had been created due to the missing wall. He looked out of it and searched around the Octopus Square. Finally after much searching, he saw John vanishing in one of the 8 streets and roads starting from the square...

Wiz Ardon, the Peculiar Enchanter (talk)\*\*\*---\*\*\*Wiz Ardon, the Peculiar Enchanter (talk)

“John!!! Did you see that monster???!!!” Kate exclaimed as soon as she noticed John walking at the Ctapodi Street.

John raised his head and looked at her sadly. Then, he spoke:

“I am not John Steele anymore. I do not know how I should be called now, but John is not my name anymore. As for the monster, I did see it. It actually attacked my house”

He was wearing his cape and his backpack under it. The backpack was full of several things he thought that he should take with him.

“I think that the beast was the same with the one that Sarah had seen in that dream of hers!” John –or at least the boy who used to be John– said.

“No, it wasn’t!” a voice was heard “The beast I had seen in my dream was quite smaller than that one. That was gigantic!”

No sooner did they hear the voice than they turned their heads to see Sarah.

“Where are you going with such a full backpack?” Sarah asked then.

“Rusty Steele committed a terrible crime and now he’s a stranger to me. I ceased being John Steele, for I am not anymore the son of his! Thus, I leave the house in which I previously lived and now go to the Nexus House” explained he.

“Then, how should we call you, if not John?” Kate asked with worry being apparent on her face.

“Call me Strange, for the time being. It suits me, for it suits all people of this town”. . .

### Chapter 43: Obsession

Strange indeed moved to the Nexus House. In the start he was a bit introverted and did not want to talk about the day of the attack. He only told his friends that Rusty Steele had committed a terrible crime. And the time passed slowly with Strange trying to survive on his own and feeling terrible psychic pain, although not showing it.

When spring came Strange started to build things to keep himself busy and forget his pain. In that way, he became a little obsessed with it. He stopped doing all other things that one normally does. He would not study for school and often he was difficultly persuaded to attend school lessons. Sometimes he even forgot to eat. He also stopped going with the others to fight the Maelstrom.

His friends were very concerned about him. They indeed helped him survive by giving him the money he needed (mostly Katie), reminding him to eat, cooking for him and doing other things for him. However, they were very worried for his psychic state. That's why they had a council without Strange and they decided that they should learn what had happened that day first to help him.

Katie pressed the button next to the door of the Nexus House over which there was a sign saying: “Press this, don't knock!”. A bell was heard ringing and then Strange's voice:
“Please stand by as I walk to open the door. If I don't open the door then I am not here, I don't want you in or I didn't notice the bell ringing!”

As soon as the recorded message ended, the door opened and Strange appeared.

“So, do you like it?” he asked.

He was quite a mess. His hair were less brushed than usually and very oily, while his clothes were dirtier than ever.

“It's good!” said Tony awkwardly.

“Great!” Strange replied seeming happy. However, his friends knew better “Please come in!”

The boy walked into the house and his four friends followed him.

“Beware of the wires on the floor!” he said.

They looked down and noticed that there were wires at many spots, starting from or ending to peculiar machines and devices. They arrived at a room that must have been the living room, but the strange devices that were everywhere made it hard to tell. Sarah, Ron and Katie sat on a sofa while Tony and Strange sat on chairs that he brought.

“So, what is the purpose of this pleasant visiting?” Strange asked.

“Jo- I mean Strange!” Tony started “I will be short: You're not good! Your state right now is... problematic”

“What do you mean by that?!” Strange answered as if he was offended.

“For instance, you have a week to go to school and you did not let us in for longer! That is not normal!” Ron responded.

“I was busy!” Strange told them briskly with a rather angry look.

“Busy doing what?!” Sarah asked him.

“I was building a computer!” he said angrily.

“That exactly is the problem, Strange!” Kate talked “You are obsessed with building and you neglect all other things in your life. An you're doing that to forget what happened that night. And while you're doing that, you enclose yourself and don't let us communicate with you. Yet, the only way to get over whatever happened is by talking about it, not trying to bury it in the depths of your soul. You know that's true! You just connive! Express your feelings! Face your problems!” By the time she finished she sounded quite angry.

“You want to know what happened then! Okay! I'll tell you!” Strange replied also angrily.

He then started describing all the events of that day. His friends were impressed by his achievements but shocked by Rusty Steele's actions. However, by the time he ended he had started crying.

“Impressive...” Tony started saying, but was interrupted by Sarah who said: “Is that the only thing ya care about? Don't ya care about your friend's feelings!”

“YOU DIDN'T LET ME FINISH!!!” Tony shouted and they started fighting again.

While Ron tried to stop them, Kate approached Strange and told him calmly: “Don't worry! You'll surely find a way to bring back your mother, since such thing is possible!”

“You think so?” Strange asked her looking at her with his reddened eyes.

“I know so! You're the most brilliant person I know! If anyone can find the way, that is you!”

And Strange smiled.

After that visit, Strange was very relieved. He stopped building so much and started doing other things, too. Hanging with his friends and fighting the Maelstrom he got happier and happier. Thus, Spring passed more quickly and came June when Strange gave his final exams that would define whether he would go to his university he wanted to go to. He indeed passed, with excellent marks actually. Yet, that wasn't a good thing in Yorkanton City; such people were thought to be very weird and often dangerous, while the Mayors always preferred the people to be stupid, for they could rule them more easily that way.

Having passed to the university, the rest of the summer was quite carefree. He and his friends all went to Limnum Lake and they had great fun, even though Sarah and Tony seemed to always fight.

After summer, Strange was very happy, for he finally was in the university he wanted to go. He liked all the subjects they did and he looked forward especially for Brickology and Engineering, which started at the next term. However, the best thing was that all the professors were fro Space Station and therefore the lessons weren't ruined by awful professors.

Meanwhile, he and his friends were fighting the Maelstrom harder than ever. Thus during December the last Half-Stromlings retreated to the Hill of Darkness. After some fighting in the rest valley with some Half-Stromlings who had returned to where they were before, they were ready for their last ordeal at the Maelstrom Valley; the Hill of Darkness. . .

***Year 4016, 19 Years Old***

### Chapter 44: The Hill of Darkness

The Half-Infected Minifigures at the Hill of Darkness were the strongest ones in the whole world. However, the Hill bore that name even before the Maelstrom came there. That was because legends talked about a beast that dwelled there, which was known as Beron's Bane. Beron was the last known descendant of Yorkanton, who was the founder of that town. The Beast was said to live hundreds of years and to be master of both fire and ice. It was a legend that always frightened the citizens of Yorkanton City.

That legend as well as the strength of the Half-Stromlings of that area was also a reason for the fellowship to be troubled for quite a time. Sarah and Ron felt that they shouldn't just go there and make an assault without a plan, if they should attack at all. That triggered both a series of arguments between Sarah and Tony and a series of councils trying to find a plan to attack. Yet, someone would always object to the proposed plan. All that led them to having not attacked when January came.

“No, that plan wouldn't work for separating our team would weaken us. We're stronger as a team” Strange told them.

“But-” Sarah started, but she never finished, because she was interrupted.

“ENOUGH!” Tony shouted angrily “I've had enough of this! We're never going to agree at anything. I got bored of sitting here and debating! I want to fight! So, I don't care whether you'll follow me or not, but tomorrow I'll go and fight the Maelstrom”

Sarah seemed to be ready to object to that or at least respond as angrily as him, but a strict look of Strange's stopped her.

“I was not the one to start all this. Thus, I won't stop you Tony. Actually, I'll come with you!” Strange replied.

“Never leave your team on its own!” said Kate “Count me in!”

“If the stupid one's gonna fight, I'll come to. Ya ain't gonna get rid of me that easily!” Sara said.

“I can't say I am excited that *you* will come!” Tony answered.

Then, everybody looked at Ron to see what he would say.

“If you guys are all going, then I shall follow. But know I am not doing it because I want to!” he finally said.

“Are you ready for the hardest battle that we have fought!” Tony asked.

“No!” responded Ron with fear being apparent on his face.

“It was a rhetorical question!” Tony said.

“Hey, Strange! I just heard some strange news in which you may be interested. I heard that Rusty Steele disappeared a couple of months ago!”

No sooner did Strange hear this than he loured.

“Why would I am interested in those news!” he said, although he indeed found himself thinking why he disappeared “Let's proceed!”

They then charged to the hill. The hill was full of beautiful strange trees that they had never seen before. They actually were trees that originated from Earth. Normal trees of Crux did not include any of the trees that we consider usual or normal. Those had been brought there by the First Builders and were some of the very few Earth plants on Crux. They were also very old. Strange could swear that some of them were over 1000 years old. They kept staring at all the different beautiful trees and for a moment forgot why they had come there. The place was almost... magical.

Yet, that beautiful sight was ruined by the trails of infection that were left at many places. That reminded the fellowship what they had come there for. They looked around the forest to see if they could find any Half-Stromlings. But it was the Half-Stromlings that found them first. As they looked around, two Half-Infected Minifigures appeared from the darkness that was created due to the thickness of the forest. They charged against Kate and before anyone noticed them, the girl had fallen and two very wild Maelstromlings were attacking her. Strange who was nearer to her than the others quickly rushed to help her.

That's how started one of the most difficult battle they had fought until then. The next battles were like that. Except for the strength of their enemies, their wildness, the thickness of the forest and its darkness were also disadvantages for them. It would be very difficult to win in that area. . .

### Chapter 45: The 19th Birthday

They kept attacking at the Hill of Darkness the next days whenever they could. However, soon Strange's 19th birthday came and some important incidents would happen then.

“Happy Birthday!” Katie wished to Strange as soon as she got into the Nexus House.

“Thanks!” said Strange happily. He actually felt very happy that Kate had come. For some months, he was always happy when Kate was close to him. Except for the happiness he also felt some other strange feelings, which he had never felt before and did not know what they were.

“You're welcome! I brought you a present!” she replied “Did I come first again?”

“Indeed you have! But you didn't have to bring me a present! I'll put it in my room! Wait a second!”

Strange walked to his room and left the gift there. With a glimpse, he noticed the hand of his mother, which he now had put in a jam full of Figorium not letting it infect anything. As he saw that he remembered that his birthday was also the anniversary of his mother's smashing. That ruined his cheerfulness for a moment.

Yet, he then heard voices from the door and that made him forget about his mother. As he got to the little hall of the house, he saw Ron and Tony discussing with Katie.

“So, what are we going to do today?” Tony asked cheerfully.

“Oh, I bought from a guy from Space Station, six of the 20 top banned films of Yorkanton City: Star Wars!” Strange answered excitedly.

“Banned?! Don't things get banned for some reason?” asked Ron.

“Nah! The Mayor and his people just don't like them, because they're Science Fiction Films. Actually, I don't think that they like *any* films!” Strange responded.

“Did I hear the word film?” said Sarah as she entered through the still open door.

“Indeed you have! I bought Star Wars!” Strange said.

“Ain't those banned? Cool!”

“Ok, let's go to the living room to watch them. It will be a Star Wars Marathon!” Strange told them.

They indeed did so and Strange put the first film into the Video Cassette Player that was under his television. As the yellow letters started descending, Tony said confused: “You made a mistake, Strange! You put the fourth episode instead of the first one!”

“No, I did no mistake. Episode 4 was the first one to be made” Strange explained.

“Really?! Those who made it were crazy!”

“Shh!”

After that one they saw the 5th Episode and then the 6th one. However, after that -no one knows why- Tony and Sarah stared arguing again. Hence, Strange went out to the little veranda of the house to wait until they stopped.

As he gazed the sky, which would soon get black for the sun was setting, Kate followed him.

“It's nice here; with this view to the valley!” she said.

“Indeed!” he answered with a smile.

He then gazed at her, thinking she was more beautiful than the whole view or anything on which he had ever set hies eyes on, while she was looking at the valley. That was when Strange, looking at Kate during the sunset with the sun being behind her and the blowing air moving slightly her hair, that he actually had fell in love with her. . .

### Chapter 46: Superians

However, the idyllic scene was ruined once the sun was long set and it started darkening. For when Katie looked at Strange she suddenly gave a loud scream. That alarmed the boy and made Sarah and Tony stop fighting and look at her wondering.

“What happened?!” he asked looking around to see if there was anything or anyone attacking them.

“Your head! It vanished!!!” Kate screamed.

Strange raised his hands and grabbed his head with them.

“I feel it perfectly nor-” he started saying, but never finished.

“Your hands are missing, too!!!” she cried loudly and confusedly.

As Strange looked at his hands, he realized that indeed he could not see his hands, although he felt them. Yet, as soon as he made that realization his hands reappeared.

“They appeared again! What was that?!” Tony said as the rest came there.

“You saw it, too?” Strange asked.

“Indeed we did!” Ron replied “We could only see your clothes, but nothing that belongs to your body! As if your body was camouflaging!”

“Camouflaging to what?” wondered Sarah.

“To Darkness, to Shadows!” Kate responded “It happened once it darkened!”

“It is a possibility!” Strange told her.

“But what is it?” Ron asked.

“It actually looks like a super power!” Tony said.

“Tony, my friend, I think you’ve found the answer!” Strange exclaimed happily.

“Really?! That stupid answer?!” Sarah said.

“Indeed that stupid answer! But let me explain. Ganaz talked in a book of his about the Superians, who are people with extra Imagination that gives them unusual powers! Maybe I am a Superian!”

After that there was some –much actually– discussion on the subject of Strange’s power and then they decided they would watch the rest of the films another day. Yet, before his friends left, Strange launched some fireworks that he said he had made himself.

The next time they met, Strange told them gladly: “I’ve got it!!! Eureka!”

“You’ve got what?” Tony inquired.

“My name!!!” he explained “I never liked plain Strange much, so I was trying to find another name! And now I’ve got it! My mother had told me that in the Nimbus System they make some special nicknames that are made of three words. Thus, I thought of Strange Odd Shadow for me! I have already explained you why Strange, Odd has a similar meaning and Shadow because of my power!!!”

“It is quite cool, but there’s no way I’m gonna call ya Strange Odd Shadow every time I need to say your name!” Sarah responded.

“What about Shadow?” Kate suggested “It will be like Kate or Katie for Katherine!”

“Sounds good to me!” Strange Odd Shadow said with a voice inside his head telling him that he would say yes to whatever Katie would say.

*I indeed like it! It’s not just because I love her!* He answered to himself. . .

### Chapter 47: A Wound

Everyone was content with Shadow’s new name. They did not like Strange as a name, so they were pleased by Strange Odd Shadow, or just Shadow.

However, except for the happy events, there are those that make people sometimes feel even miserable. And having just started with the Hill of Darkness, there were yet some more to come.

One day at the end of February the five friends attacked for once more in the Hill of Darkness. They had barely done any progress until then. As usually some Darklings jumped suddenly from the shade to attack Tony. By then they had got used to that way of being attacked and they expected it.

Yet, that day their enemies used a different variation of that tactic. As three of them were fighting Tony, two more appeared and attacked Shadow. Then, four Half-Stromlings appeared in front of Katie and Sarah. Ron was the only one not fighting someone, yet. He ran towards Shadow who was apparently the one needing help the most. However, as he did that something hit him on the back and he fell down.

He rolled and looked at the Half-Infected Minifigure that was over him looking at wildly. Ron was frozen in fear. He shouted someone shouting his name. And then he felt the great pain of the infection. The Half-Stromling had spiked a Maelstrom Dagger on his right leg. He felt the infection spreading slowly on his leg. That was so painful he did not realize he was bleeding.

Ron closed his eyes and waited in agony. Why didn’t the pain stop? Why couldn’t he just smash for his torture to end? He started screaming. His fear was overwhelming him. That made the infection become faster. He was barely resisting to it, letting it get quicker.

Suddenly, Ron heard bricks falling on the ground and then the dagger being drawn from his leg. The pain was reduced a bit and the infection got slowed down a tad. Then, some substance started falling on his leg and it relieved much of his pain. The process of infection even stopped at least temporarily.

Ron opened his eyes. All four of the others were standing above him looking at him worriedly. Shadow was holding something that looked like an extinguisher, but was made of glass and was almost empty; there was few Figorium at its bottom. His whole right leg was infected. There was much Figorium on it and some blood.

Ron closed his eyes again. The pain was coming back and he felt very weak.

“Ron! Do you hear me? Ron!” Shadow said worriedly.

“Yes!” responded Ron weakly.

“Great! Tell me: Are you okay? Do you think you can stand it a bit more?”

“Just... Just take me home”. . .

### Chapter 48: When friends split up

“I always thought that one of us might get hurt badly in those battles, but I never thought it would be so badly or that it would be someone other than me!” Shadow said.

They were in the Nexus House and he was trying to do anything to help Ron.

“I don’t think I can do anything else for him right now. I have stabilize his infection and to reduce its ability to infect to zero, but I can’t do anything to disinfect him. I also have given him a Figorium serum that should relieve his pain even more” Shadow explained what he had been doing until then “But there’s nothing I could do to help him furthermore!”

“I wish it was me that had been infected!” Katie said.

“Don’t talk like that! No one should have been infected!” Shadow told her.

“Besides I think that I could stand such a thing more than any of us!” Tony said.

The incident was so sad, that Sarah and Tony could not find the courage to argue, whatever the other said.

“The best we can do now is to take him home, as he asked!”

The worst thing of all was to explain to Ron’s mother not just the accident, but also the whole thing about them fighting the Maelstrom. After explaining, they tried to comfort her, but their attempts were at vain. She then asked them to stay alone with her son and they left.

Ron remained unconscious for some days. When he woke up, his mother informed the four friends and they asked to come and meet him.

“Hello Ron! We came to see you! How do you feel?” Shadow said entering first the room.

“Oh! It’s you!” answered Ron apparently irritated by their presence.

“Don’t behave like that! We came to see you” Sarah replied almost as irritated as Ron.

“Ron! We’re very sorry about what happened! If there was a way to change things, we would have done that! But since we can’t, I want you to know that we will always be next to you! Nothing really changed!” Shadow tried to comfort him.

“And why would I want you next to me?! Shadow, if you don’t remember you were the ones who persuaded me to go to the Hill of Darkness, although I did not want to!!! IF IT WASN’T FOR YOU, I WOULD BE OKAY!!! WHY WOULD I WANT TO BE YOUR FRIEND???!!! EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED!!! AND THAT’S BECAUSE OF YOU!!!” Ron responded angrily.

“Ron, listen to me! It’s the Maelstrom talking! It affects you...” Shadow tried to calm him down.

“NO, SHADOW!!! IT’S ME TALKING!!! AND YOU’D BETTER UNDERSTAND IT!!! YOU ARE NOT WELCOME HERE!!! LEAVE!!!” Ron interrupted furiously.

“Ok! We’ll leave, bu-” Shadow started saying.

“Wait!” Ron exclaimed not in the least angrily “Since the infection I have some really bad times and I can’t control myself. But even if I learn to do so, there will still be a problem. Being infected was the worst experience of my life and I don’t think I’ll ever live something worse. I felt the pain and the fear in the extreme. I couldn’t even imagine myself fighting the Maelstrom again, because that will always bring in my mind the infection and I will keep feeling the pain and the fear again and again! Even just hanging with you would bring it back to my mind. Besides I think I need some time alone, to figure out how I could get over this. Our roads split up Shadow! I’m not happy about it, but I’m afraid it’s true. Goodbye my friends!”

“But-”

“LEAVE ME!!!” he suddenly shouted getting angry again.

“Okay! We’ll leave you alone Ron, but remember that you will never be alone!” Shadow said and they left. . .

### Chapter 49: The Game Begins

It was indeed very sad to leave Ron and keep going without him. However, they did, but much time passed until they were happy again. The continued fighting and now they had one more reason to fight. They would avenge for their loss. They were less than before, but now they wanted to defeat their enemies even more. Time passed Spring came and no important events happened until the ends of April.

Shadow was at the University and a lesson of Brickology had just ended. However, as he descended the stairs to go to his home, he suddenly turned around and started running up the stairs. He had noticed some men wearing black clothes and sunglasses, just standing in the hall. They reminded him frighteningly of the minifigure that was stalking him. Yet, they noticed him, too.

“Hey you! John Steele! Stop! STOP HIM!” one of them shouted as they started chasing the boy.

“You'll never catch me!!! Whoever you are! Whoever you work for!” Shadow replied as he ran in a hallway.

As he did that, he remembered a dialogue he had a long time ago with Kate:

“*I explored the school yesterday and found where every room was! Even the secret ones!” Katie had said.*

“*What?! The school has secret rooms?! Hard to believe!” he had exclaimed.*

“*Yes!” she had said excitedly “Every building like this, how they call them, I think something like Skascrepers…”*

“*Skyscrapers you mean!” Shadow had corrected.*

“*Yes, those! They all have at least one secret room or secret passage! Isn’t it exciting?!”*

He then remembered another day when Katie had explained to him how to find such secret rooms and passages.

“Let's hope it will work!” Shadow told himself.

As he reached in front of a painting, he stopped and had a look at it. It depicted a man gazing at a big light blue column. He did not find it interesting, but he quickly pressed his thumb at the head of the man. No sooner did he do that than the painting ascended revealing a dark opening in the wall. Shadow quickly got in and the painting descended again, hiding the opening.

Shadow did not know if that was a passage or a room, but he did not dare explore it for there was no light in there. He waited with his ear on the back of the painting waiting for something to happen. Then, he heard some people running, then passing in front of him and at some point one of them saying: “Do you see him?!”

“No! Let's go to that classroom!”

As soon as Shadow heard the door being closed, he pushed the painting and it ascended once more. He got out and ran as fast as he could for the stairs. However, a little before he would not be able to be seen, the men got out of the room.

“THERE HE IS! AT THE STAIRS!!! STOP!!!” one of them shouted.

Shadow descended the stairs running and then made for the door as fast as he could. When the men saw him reach the door, they shouted: “IN THE NAME OF THE MAYOR, STOP!!!”. However, as soon as they reached the door, too Shadow had disappeared.

At the same time, Shadow was running in one of the many roads of Yorkanton City saying: “Sooo, our little Mayor made his first move! I suppose now it's my turn!”. . .

### Chapter 50: The Ball

The end of the school year was coming and Shadow was looking forward to the summer, because once more he and Tony would not go somewhere for their vacations, but instead they would prepare a surprise to the others.

Yet, before that another incident would happen. Shadow was at his home studying engineering for the exams of the University, when someone rang the bell. He quickly put his book on his desk and rushed to the door. He opened it and saw Katie. She seemed to be annoyed by something.

“Will you accompany me at the School Ball?” Kate asked immediately.

Every year the schools in Yorkanton City organised Balls at the end of the school year. Shadow had managed not to go to every one of them and so had Katie until then.

“Sure! But I thought you did not like Balls!” Shadow replied.

“I don’t like them! But this year my parents will make sure that I will go. They told me they will even have someone watch me the whole night! So, I don’t have a choice. But I don’t want to be on my own, so could you make me that favour and come with me?” Katie explained.

“Of course! What are friends for?” Shadow said.

It was the night of the Ball. Shadow was wearing his best clothes, as well as a black cape and a black top hat. He walked to the door of Katie’s house and knocked on the door. He waited a bit and then Katie opened the door. While a voice was heard saying: “Katherine, how many times will I tell you to let the servants open the door!” Katie said: “I can see you’re dressed up today! I’ve never seen you like that before”

“Well, I can say the same thing about you!” answered Shadow smiling “Tonight you are an emerald among us!”

Katie was wearing an elegant long green dress and green shoes. Other than those she only wore two earrings that were thin slices of lemon.

“Are those lemon earrings real?” Shadow asked.

“Of course!” Katie responded smiling, too “What’s that on your hair?!” She stuck her arm out and grabbed something on Shadow’s hair.

“Oh, I tried to brush my hair, but the hairbrush’ bristles broke! I thought I had removed all of them from my hair” Shadow explained.

“Aha! Don’t try to brush your hair! They’re better that way!” Katie said “Shall we go?”

“Yup!”

“I had forgotten how this building looks! Well, not really, but it wasn’t in my mind all the time!” Shadow said.

They had reached the school and now were at the first floor where the gym was, the place where the Balls occurred.

“Don’t even think of asking me to dance! It would be like giving in and doing what they want! If you don’t do so, we might have fun!” Katie told him.

“Don’t worry! I was never a good dancer! I wasn’t going to ask you!” Shadow replied.

They started discussing and the time started passing. They occasionally ate something from the buffet, but they mostly talked. However, that evening would not be so pleasant. Shadow had just learnt that Kate thought that going to University would just delay them from going to the Nimbus System, when he noticed some peculiar men staring at them.

“Katie!” he said suddenly interrupting her “Would you mind your parents being mad at you for leaving the Ball early?”

“Not so much! Why?!”

“Because I think we’re being watched... by the Mayor’s men!” Shadow explained. . .

### Chapter 51: The Chasing

“We must leave then! We’re in danger!” Katie exclaimed.

“Shh! They must not understand we’ve noticed them! Don’t do anything rush! Look! The buffet is next to the door. We’ll go to the buffet slowly and take some food from the edge. Then, also slowly we’ll go to the door. As soon as we get out, start running as you’ve never run. Now laugh! They will think I’m telling you a joke!” Shadow explained his plan.

Kate laughed and then after a little they made for the buffet. Shadow took a cup and poured lemonade in it, while Kate grabbed a sandwich. After that they walked out of the door and throwing their drink and food started running. They had barely reached the end of the corridor when the two men got out of the room and saw them at the start of the stairway. This time they were wise enough not to shout letting Shadow and Katie know that the chase had started; because it had.

As the two friends descended the stairs they saw two more men waiting at the hall of the ground floor. The two men noticed them, too. Shadow and Kate changed direction, but for their terror they saw the other two men dangerously close.

Seeing that, Kate grabbed Shadow and jumped on a painting that was nearby. Shadow expected them to crush, but instead the painting was moved by the force of their jump, turning around. Katie quickly locked the painting door with some latches that were there.

Kate reached the corner of the secret place and grabbed a torch from there.

“I use this whenever I don’t want to be seen by others. I put the torch here!” she answered to Shadow’s expression of wonder “Now, let’s get moving! It won’t take them long to break the door!”

Turning the torch on, it was revealed that they were in a narrow hallway, a secret passage. They started moving quickly, but Kate was looking at the walls very carefully, as if she was looking for something.

It seemed that they had been striding for 5 minutes when Kate stopped.

“There it is! The men won’t notice it and proceed going forward!” the girl whispered.

Shadow looked around to find what she was talking about, but saw nothing but the dirty dusty walls. Kate pushed the wall at a seemingly random place, but then some slits appeared on the wall. Soon a big part of the wall had been moved and now there was an opening.

They got out and the opening closed automatically. Shadow looked around and realized they now were at the Western Ward of the building, the opposite from the one in which they were before.

“Each passage has multiple entrances!” the girl explained “I know them all, but those men probably know none!”

Yet, it seemed that those men were all over the building. Two more were watching that corridor and having just noticed them one of them shouted: “There they are!!!”

Hearing that the young minifigures started running towards the opposite side of the corridor from the one in which the men were. However, at its end there was not stairway; just a window.

Shadow looked at the men that were coming towards them. Would that be the end? Suddenly, he came up with an idea.

“Climb on my back!” he ordered.

The girl trusting him did so, but asked anxiously: “What are you going to do, Shadow?”

“I’m going to get us out of here!” he told her and then with Katie cumbering his back, he jumped.

The window smashed and hundreds of glass shards fell with them. As they approached the ground Shadow stretched his arms and legs and landed with them. The pain was unbearable. Yet, peculiarly the pain left quite soon. While he had almost felt his brick-cells being destroyed, now he almost felt them being healed or replaced.

As all that happened the two men had reached the window and looking out of it one of them shouted: “CURSE YOU JOHN STEELE!!!”

“Come on! Let’s leave!” Shadow said with an expression of frustration and aversion as he heard that name.

“Are you sure you’re okay? That you can run?” Kate asked worriedly.

“Most peculiarly yes!” was Shadow’s response.

With those words, he stood up and they started running to go as far as they could, not caring where they would get. . .

### Chapter 52: The Cleaning of the Maelstrom Valley

“Hmm! The Mayor doesn’t play fair! He should have let me do the next move” Shadow said thinking to Katie as they walked towards her home.

“Maybe he thinks that you escaping from his chasing are your moves!” Kate suggested.

“Nah! He just wants very much to defeat me!” Shadow concluded “So, he doesn’t let me react!”

As the time passed, things got worse. At some point the Mayor’s men discovered his new home. Since then there were always two of them watching him. Shadow, however, was not stupid. He made a window bigger to make it a back door and always left the house from it, without being noticed.

Soon the summer holidays arrived with Kate and Sarah going to Limnum again. Shadow and Tony stayed with the excuse that they needed to study for their university. Yet, what they really wanted to do was to clean the Maelstrom Valley from the Maelstrom. Although he had told Tony that it was just to get rid of the Maelstrom traces there, he actually did that as a gift to Kate. He wanted to give her back what the Maelstrom had taken from her.

Shadow had not found a way to disinfect the infected, but he had found a way to make the infection move on an object’s surface or even make the infection go to another object. The way to do this was to spray Figorium with a big force and velocity on the infection.

Shadow and Tony were walking towards the Maelstrom Valley. Each one of them had one of those extinguisher-like Figorium-spraying things on his back.

“I was thinking and maybe when we join the Nexus Force I’ll use a nickname, too. What about Magical Fire Monkey? I have an almost Magical talent in fighting, I fight with Fire in my heart and Monkeys are cool animals!” Tony said.

“Hmm! That’s good! I didn’t know you like Monkeys that much. But I think we could just call you Magical!” Shadow replied.

“It sounds good!” said Tony smiling.

That was when they reached their destination. Shadow had told Tony that he wanted to start from the hardest case, that being the Northern Side of the Valley. They could see the infected cobs and they gulped thinking it would take them long to finish. However, they got down to working instantly.

It was indeed a very big area that they had to cover. Yet, the infection being of a lower rate than the usual one, it was moved easily. Thus, by the end of June they had almost finished. Shadow and Tony concentrated the infection in one place and then they moved it onto the interior of a big metal hemisphere, on which they put another hemisphere closing it.

After that they did the same thing at the other Sides of the Valley, too. Hence, by the end of the summer only the Southern Side was partially cleaned. . .

### Chapter 53: A Surprise

As soon as Katie and Sarah had returned, Shadow and Tony had indeed almost finished. That’s why Shadow was preparing a surprise for Kate.

“It’s a pity you couldn’t come! Sarah is good, but sometimes you need to be with someone else and my parents are by no means the suitable ones for being with. Sometimes I even wish that we were the poorest people in Yorkanton!” Katie was telling Shadow as he was guiding her to the Northern Side of the Maelstrom Valley. Her eyes were closed with a handkerchief.

“Don’t say such things, Katie! If you indeed were someone different, you don’t know if you would, for example, have met us! You could still live in the other edge of Yorkanton!” Shadow said.

“You’re right! But it’s difficult when you have such parents! I never wished for such wea-” she started, but stopped “Are you taking me to the Maelstrom Valley?!”

“How do you know?!” enquired Shadow surprised.

“Come on Shadow! We both know that I don’t need to have my eyes open to know where I am!” Kate replied.

“You’re indeed are good at that, but are you good enough to know that we have reached our destination?” Shadow asked jokingly.

He untied the handkerchief and Katie opened her eyes looking around. The scream that followed was unexpected, but soon Shadow realized that it was a scream of excitement and joy, for the girl was hugging him.

“Was that what you were doing all this summer?!” Kate asked with tears of thrill rolling on her cheeks.

“Yes indeed! I thought it was about time to clean it and I wanted it to be a surprise!” Shadow answered.

Kate suddenly looked at his face with a serious expression as if she was thinking something much. It was an expression that you didn’t see frequently on Katie’s face, not because she was stupid. Actually, Shadow had realized that she was very smart and that was the reason of that expression being unusual for Kate; she usually did not have to think so intensely. Yet, now she had found a difficult problem to think and Shadow wondered what it was.

However, soon she stopped and looked at the cobs.

“In the past, before all those things with the Maelstrom started I remember that my sister and I would come here and play Hide ’n’ Seek! Those were simpler times, carefree ones. When we were still children!” Kate said with a sad and nostalgic expression on her face.

Shadow thought those words and decided that they were wise ones. But they were also sad ones. And what saddened Shadow the most was that they came from a person that had lost her childhood. The Maelstrom had indeed made many children lose it.

“Want to play!” he suddenly suggested and replying to the wondering expression of Kate he said “Hide and Seek!”

“Don’t you think we’re a bit old for such games?!” Kate asked.

“Well, since we didn’t play enough in our childhood due to the Maelstrom, maybe we can play now that we have grown up!” Shadow said smiling.

And they indeed played as if they were children again; as if the Maelstrom had never come... And they played until it was night and they were tired. . .

### Chapter 54: One More Key

Shortly after the return of the girls schools and Universities opened again. They all got back to the usual routine. They attended lessons from Monday to Friday and then at Saturdays they went to fight. It was more difficult without Ron, but they managed to defeat some enemies per day. Sometimes they continued the cleaning of the Maelstrom Valley at Sundays, while the rest of the times they fought at the Hill of Darkness.

They kept living like this, without anything important or unusual happening. All that until the middle of November. At that time many people got down with the flu; Shadow was one of them, too.

“Impossible!!!” Shadow exclaimed “I can't be sick! I haven't been ill since I was ten...” A sneezing interrupted his words “Since I was ten years old! I thought I was done with being ill!!!”

“Well what can we do! It happened!” Sarah said “Now, sit down cause ya'll make it worse!!!”

“She's right Shadow! The only thing you can do now is rest! We'll take over the rest!” Kate told him.

“I don't like that idea!” he burbled.

It was clear that he did not want to stay out of fighting or stop attending lessons until he was well again. He also did not like being dependent. However, there was nothing he could do about it. His friends did not let him do what he wanted.

Until December when Shadow got better one of his friends was almost always with him. They shopped for him, cooked for him, took care of him and fought without him. By that time the Maelstrom Valley had been cleaned, so that they could concentrate in fighting.

After he got better, Shadow returned to fighting and to his University. They were all happy he did. A little after that they realized they had defeated or driven away all enemies at the base of the Hill. After that they had to ascend higher on the hill. They found even more hard resistance there.

Christmass Holidays came and the four friends started fighting more frequently. After that when January came lessons started once more and the heroes returned to their routine again. Soon Shadow's birthday arrived and they celebrated with many fireworks.

***Year 4017, 20 Years Old***

They were discussing about the Mayor and the Town Council who debated whether electricity should be banned, when someone knocked on the door. Shadow hastened to open the door. He found a very old woman waiting at the door. She was so old that Shadow wondered how she could keep standing.

“Is this the house of John Steele?” she asked weakly.

Because he did not know her and because she was so old, Shadow decided not to disagree: “Yes, this is me!”

“I just learnt that you exist and came to give you what I have been told to give you!” she said and then handed him something.

As soon as she had done that the woman turned around and started walking away peculiarly fast.

“WAIT! Who sent you to give this to me?!” Shadow shouted staying put due to his surprise.

“Ganaz!” the woman said without even looking back.

“What?! GANAZ?!” Shadow exclaimed with even more questions in his mind now.

However, the woman had already vanished in the darkness. Shadow looked at what she had given him; it was a key. . .

### Chapter 55: Follow the Leader

Shadow stayed at the door looking at the place where the old woman had disappeared. He looked at the key again. It was a very unusual one; one of a kind. The only reason that Shadow realized it was a key was that he saw its bow and its skeleton key-like cylindrical shaft. However, instead of a blade it had a hexagon. The hexagon of course wasn’t smooth. It had carvings and teeny projections, so as not to be duplicated.

Shadow stared at the odd key for a long time and thought of what the old woman had said.

“Shadow?!” someone called from behind “Are you okay? Who was it?”

Shadow turned his head slowly. It was Kate. Tony and Sarah were also with her. He described them the incident almost whispering. Shadow did not know why, but the event had upset him.

Suddenly, a fire blazed in his eyes and he smiled.

“I’ve got it! We must go! The sooner, the better!” he suddenly exclaimed happily and got out of the house almost running “Come on!” his voice was heard from outside.

His friends followed him thinking whether Shadow had got insane or not. Yet, Shadow seemed to be so absent-minded that he got out through the front door. The two men that were always waiting outside saw him and started running towards him. However, as soon as they got close enough, Shadow threw something on the ground and a little cloud of thick smoke was created around them.

Tony, Sarah and Katie stopped there watching the cloud. It faded quickly, but Shadow wasn’t there anymore; only the two men. The two of them split and went from different roads looking for Shadow.

“Let’s get out of here before they return” Tony said and the other agreed.

They closed the door of the house and left from a third road. They kept walking and about five minutes later they heard some laughter. They looked around and noticed Shadow appearing from an alley.

“They’re stupider than I thought!” he said and laughed again.

“Shadow, it’s not good playing with such stuff!” Tony replied.

“Such stuff will happen anyway. If I don’t play with them, I’ll end up miserable! Now come on, follow me”

Shadow started walking again with the same pace as when he got out of his house. The others followed him wondering where he was taking them. Soon they entered the Skyscraper area of the town. Shadow led them to the edge of that area, a little further from the wall the Yorkantonians had built to isolate themselves.

A most peculiar building was found there. It consisted of many floors. The ground floor was a big, actually a huge, circle. The next floor was a decagon, a bit smaller. The next one was also a polygon just with nine angles and also a bit smaller. After those were an octagon, a heptagon, a hexagon, a pentagon, a square and a triangle, each one of them a bit smaller than the previous one. They were all regular polygons. Finally, the last floor of that peculiar building was a dome on the triangle.

“Welcome to the Ganaz Laboratory! Oh, I always wanted to come here! And now I have the opportunity given to me by this!” Shadow showed them the odd key. . .

### Chapter 56: The Laboratory

The flames in Shadow’s eyes were stronger than ever as he put the odd key in the also odd lock of the big round door that seemed like a Hobbit door. Shadow turned the key some times and the sound of unlocking was heard.

The door opened. They entered the building. It was pitch dark. They were all likely to be eaten by a grue. Shadow grabbed a torch from his backpack and lighted the room with it.

As light fell on several objects, they realized that the room was a normal hall of a house; but a hall of another era. In most cases that would mean that the hall and the building generally had less advanced technology. Yet, they lived in Yorkanton City, where there was no place for technology. Thus, in that case that hall that was of another era actually had more advanced technology, because that era was a better era; an era of prosperity of Yorkanton City.

There were three doors there. Shadow approached the left one. It had no knob. Instead there was a little circle in the place where a spy hole would be in a front door. It actually looked a lot like a spy hole, but more futuristic. Shadow put his eye in front of it, but could not see through it. A light blue light got out of it on his eye. That surprised Shadow and he jumped back. Then, a robotic voice was heard.

“Scanning incomplete! Please, put your eye back in front of the scanner!”

John did so hesitantly. The scanning light appeared again. The voice spoke again.

“Scanning complete! Unidentified Minifigure! Purposes seem friendly! Please identify yourself!”

“I am Strange Odd Shadow!”

“Hello, Strange Odd Shadow! You can pass”

The door opened on its own. As they got in the next room an intense light turned on almost blinding them. When they got used to the light they saw they were in a living room. Shadow turned off his torch and put it back to his backpack. Then, another voice spoke. It was not a robotic voice like the other one; it was a kind male voice. However, something made Shadow think that it belonged to someone who had died a long time ago.

“Hello Strange Odd Shadow! Welcome to my laboratory! Taking into account that you could enter this place, I understand you have received the key of its. That also means you are my descendant! Yet, it means that chaos has found a way to attack, too! Bad news! I give this key to you, in case the chaos attacked. This laboratory is my way of helping you. I believe you will find many interesting books in the several libraries I have here. Also, you can add to the knowledge you will gain by them seeing the several experiments I have conducted at the several labs of this place. Although many of those labs are a mess! You see many experiments of mine lead to explosions! Anyway, have fun! I can see you have brought more life forms with you! Mind if I scan them!”

He or at least the machine which conducted the scanning did not wait for a response by Shadow. The light blue light appeared again, but it was much bigger and scanned their whole bodies.

“They seem friendly, too!” the robotic voice said.

Yet, Shadow didn’t notice any of that. He was standing in the middle of the room with his mouth open. He could not believe that he was a descendant of Ganaz, the scientist he thought was the best of all times. Additionally, he was astounded by the voice of Ganaz that was like it was making conversation with him –or at least trying– even thought he had died centuries ago. A great mind would be needed for such a thing.

As soon as he got over his shock, Shadow moved and went to the next room. That one was a lab. It wasn’t as bright as the living room, because many lamps seemed to be broken. No sooner had he entered that lab than he realized what Ganaz meant when he talked about messy labs. Broken tables were at several places. From them glass tubes, microscopes and any other scientist’s tool you can imagine had fallen and were all broken. It was difficult to walk without stepping on the pieces of something. The walls, the floor and the ceiling were darkened at several places, probably from fire. There were big light blue stains at the floor and the walls, as if a liquid had fallen on them and had now dried.

Yet, what drew Shadow’s attention was the atmosphere of the place. It was so intense, although that being intense was somehow subtle. He could however feel it. It was not bad. No. Shadow, actually felt a bit strengthened by it. He looked at the other and noticed that they probably felt it, too.

Then, suddenly he realized what the atmosphere meant and the fire in his eyes blazed again.

“Holy Crux! This is the place where a historic experiment was conducted!!!” he exclaimed.

“What experiment was that?” asked Tony.

“Well, the experiment failed, bu-” Shadow started, but was interrupted.

“How can a failed experiment be historic?” inquired Sarah as if she was saying “Are you crazy?!”

“It can when it creates Superians!” . . .

### Chapter 57: The Coin

“What?!” Tony and Sarah exclaimed simultaneously.

“Yes! That experiment created the first Superians!” Shadow said.

He was a tad surprised that Katie did not react at that and then he realized she was not with them. He looked for her in the room and found her stooping with her hand raised to grab something. She then stood up with something that was shining in her hands. The girl walked to them.

“Look what I found!”she said with a big golden coin in her hands “It's bigger than ours, but not as heavy! It's weird, isn't it?”

“I suppose our coins are made of heavier metals!” Shadow said “Can I have a look at it?”

In Yorkanton City, coins were so heavy, so that one could not carry too many with them and leave the town more easily. In addition, there weren't any banknotes.

“Of course! Here you are!” Kate gave him the coin.

Shadow took it and looked at it.

“It must be very old, since it has Yorkanton on it! For over 5 centuries they've been putting Mayors on the coins!” he said as he looked at the person that was on it. “Weird! Something makes me think that I've seen him before, but I don't remember seeing him before!”
“Then, how do you know it's him?” Sarah asked.

“It writes his name below his picture!” Shadow explained “I was right! It has the year when it was made on the other side: 1937! It's really old!!! Two millenniums old! It must be very rare! Usually when they make new coins, they just melt the previous coins. This one must have survived much melting!”

“If you like it so much, it's yours!” Katie offered.

“Katie! I couldn't accept it! You found it!”

“Well, accept it as a birthday present!”

“Thank you very much!”

Shadow had the coin always with him, but not because of its history and rareness. It was because Katie had given it to him and now he felt attached to it. Whenever he thought of her, he would always grab that coin.

Eventually they explored the whole Laboratory, but it needed some days to do so. Shadow loved all of it and especially all the big libraries it contained.

After that exploring Shadow would go often there to read books or look at the labs. Yet, he kept living at the Nexus House, because that was his home now.

No important things happened until April. Then, suddenly Kate came unexpectedly at Shadow's home.

“What happened, Katie?!” Shadow asked worried after opening the door and seeing her. Her eyes were reddened and wet from crying. Her face was pale. Her clothes were a little torn and at some places infected.

“The Maelstrom attacked again! My parents want to leave this house!”. . .

### Chapter 58: The F-Phones

“What?! When did all these happen?!” Shadow exclaimed worriedly.

“Just minutes ago! The attack wasn't very big, but it was enough to scare my parents and make them leave. But I don't want to leave you guys!!!” Katie replied paler than before.

“You won't! Don't worry! Your 18th birthday was a few weeks ago, wasn't it?” Shadow said and seeing Katie nodding positively he continued “That means that your parents are not your guardians anymore! If you want, you can leave them! And no offense, but your parents are crazy! I wouldn't blame you if you did!”

“Don't worry! I am not offended! I kind of agree!” Kate started saying.

“Though it seems that you are not the only one with crazy parents!”

“But where would I go if I left?!” Katie asked.

“You could come and stay here if you want! But I warn you, there will be no luxury!” Shadow offered.

“Believe me, that's exactly what I want! But would you really do that?!”

“Of course! What are friends for?”

Katie indeed ran away and moved at Shadow's home. Her parents were furious and they had people looking for her for months. Yet, with Shadow's help they never found where she lived.

At the same time, Shadow was working on a project. He had read in one of the books from the Ganaz Laboratory about some kind of phones that could make a call from anywhere without the need of a cable; they were called mobile phones or cell phones. That gave him one idea! What if he created their own mobile phones to communicate wherever they were?

He found another book that was explaining how several devices worked. He used that book to build his phones. The project needed one month to be finished. Then, he called the others.

“This is the FFFFF Phone; it is a mobile phone!” he said and explained them what a mobile phone was “We can use them to communicate with each other!”

“I know who I ain't gonna communicate with using this!” Sarah mumbled, but it was loud enough for Tony to hear.

Tony looked at her angrily, but did not say anything to her. Instead he asked: “Can't we just call them F-Phones?”

“Fair enough!” Shadow said and then distributed the 3 F-Phones he had built for them.

They were like some normal phones, not the kind of phones that we have these days, but like those phones that folded and with the little antenna on their tops. They were green and had a blue F on them.

After that Shadow described what the buttons on them did like the map button, the emergency button, the SOS button, but even how you called the other using the number buttons. And that's how the first F-Phones were built. . .

### Chapter 59: An Invitation

May passed and so did June. Katie graduated from school, too; although she barely did so for ever since she moved to the Nexus House she went to school very few times so as not to be found. July came and they could see that the Mayor’s men were furious that they failed to catch Shadow. And while Shadow expected more men to come to try arrest him, a letter came instead.

A bright day’s morning Shadow found a letter in front of his door. He grabbed the envelope and, seeing it was for him, he opened it. He was very surprised to find a letter for him since there was no one that communicated with him via mail.

Opening it he found a yellow paper in it that could even be parchment. It had black italic letters on it. Shadow read:

“*Dear Mr. Steele,*

*I was always very interested in meeting you from close other than that brief meeting we had during your mother’s funeral. Thus, I would be delighted if you could visit my house next Saturday at tea-time. Please, inform me in advance whether you will be coming.*

*Sincerely yours,*

*The Mayor”*

Shadow was even more surprised when he saw that. Unless it was a trap, why would the Mayor like to see him? Before deciding whether he would go or not, he consulted his friends. All of them actually said that it would be a trap and advised him not to go. Yet, Shadow in the end ignored them and decided to go; he wanted to see what the Mayor wanted him and if it was a trap, he believed he could escape. Nevertheless he did not send a response just so that he could irritate the Mayor.

Shadow walked in the Deemarchous Square, where the Town Hall and the Mayor’s House were. In the centre of the Square there was a quite big statue of a man holding a crystal in his one hand and a golden plate in his other. Shadow recognised him to be Yorkanton. In spite of the statue having lost its colours, the crystal and the golden plate still had their original colour for they were not made of stone like the rest of the statue, but were actually crystal and gold.

Shadow found the statue and what it was holding very interesting. Yet, he had no time to observe it. He had to go the Mayor’s House. He knocked on the door and a butler opened the door.

“And who you might be?” he asked seeing Shadow and probably not liking him, because of his look.

“Well, the Mayor has invited me with the name John Steele!” Shadow answered.

“Oh! Mr. Steele! Please come in!”

Shadow entered the house and the butler led him to a door. Then, he stopped him and entered the room alone. Shadow waited a little and then the butler returned.

“The Mayor will see you now!”

Shadow entered the room and found out it was an office. The Mayor was sitting on a chair behind a desk on which there were many papers like the one used in the letter.

“Mr. Steele! You’re here!” he said pretending to be pleasantly surprised, but failing to hide hi irritation.

“I am never late, Sir!” was Shadow’s response “And I would prefer it if you would call me Strange Odd Shadow, for this is my name now!”

“I meant that you did not respond to my letter. Due to that, I figured you wouldn’t come!”

“I found it was unnecessary to send you a response. It wouldn’t change the fact that I would be coming!”

“Anyway! Please have a sit!” the Mayor said even more irritated “Would you like some tea, Mr. Strange Odd Shadow?” He said the last words ironically.

“No, thanks!” refused Shadow, as he sat on a chair.

“But I insist!”

“No, thank you but I don’t like tea!”

“Another drink perhaps, then! Coffee? Orange juice? Something else?”

“An orange juice would be good!”

The Mayor rang a bell and a servant came in.

“Bring an orange juice, please!” he requested and the servant left “I have to say I wished this meeting had occurred sooner. But you see my stupid men did not treat you well and you figured they were a threat. But I just sent them, so that we could meet. They were bringing you a message!”

“Yes, you’re right! Being chased by some men that have filled a building is not the best way to treat someone!” Shadow answered sarcastically.

At that moment the servant returned with the orange juice. He gave it to Shadow and then left again.

“Drink!” the Mayor said and as he saw Shadow drinking he continued “So, Strange Odd Shadow! The last time we met we said some harsh words. Yet, I believe we can forget that and have a good cooperation! What do you think?”

In fact, Shadow had not drunk even one sip of the juice, afraid that it may have had something in it, maybe even poison. He pretended to drink once more and replied

“Cooperation between us could go very well” he started “*but* the problem is I disagree with your actions, sir! I don’t like the fact you do nothing about the Maelstrom being around and threatening the people of Yorkanton City. I dislike the fact that you don’t let the Nexus Force help us. And I detest your banishing technology. So, if that’s the only thing you have to say, I’d better be going”

And saying that, he stood up, turned around and rushed out of the room, leaving the Mayor with his mouth open. . .

### Chapter 60: The Imagination Nexus

After that meeting with the Mayor, summer passed with no significant events. Autumn came and Universities opened again. That would be the last year for Shadow, while Tony and Sarah had already finished. Katie would start then, if she hadn’t picked not to go to a university.

Yet, at the ends of October things started going bad. Instead of the two men that used to be out of his house, now there were six or seven. And they were going around the house. Therefore, they soon discovered the back-door Shadow had made. Thus, that door was also guarded. That made it very difficult for Shadow to leave his house, but he found ways. For instance when the men changed duties, there usually was a little time before the next men came. Observing them, he had learnt their program and knew when he should leave. Additionally, he passed more time in the Laboratory now.

Katie had no problem, because they neither followed nor chased her. The only thing they occasionally did was to ask her questions about Shadow.

It was one of those times that Shadow was at the Laboratory and was reading one of the many autobiographic books Ganaz had wrote. He was very annoyed, because he had just learnt that the Maelstrom had attacked again. It had attacked Tony yesterday, but he had also heard that the day before yesterday it had attacked someone else. It was easy for Tony to drive them back to the Hill, but it was said that two people had been infected during the other attack.

The book he was reading was talking about a painting Ganaz had found in his family home.

*The painting showed Yorkanton gazing at the Imagination Nexus.*

‘Could that Imagination Nexus be related to the Nexus Force? Most probably!” Shadow thought.

*I realized immediately that the painting was the renowned painting called “The Discovery of the Nexus”. Of course I knew that this couldn’t be the actual discovering of the Nexus; at least not an accurate picturing of it. That’s because there was a whole team that discovered the Imagination Nexus together with Yorkanton.*

‘Yorkanton discovered the Nexus?! Really?!’ Shadow wondered.

*A little testing on the painting showed that it was the original one drawn by Beron. The strange thing was that the painting was wrapped with paper and on the paper there were some words with the handwriting of my mother. It said “Gift from my Uncle for my wedding”*

*That of course only meant one thing and I knew it from the first second. Beron was my mother’s uncle which meant that we were descendants of Yorkanton. That meant that Beron was not...*

Shadow stopped reading. That was almost unbelievable. If Ganaz was the descendant of Yorkanton, he was too. The shock made him let the book fall on the floor. The thud of the book falling ‘woke him up’. He picked it up and as he looked at it he saw it was one page further. And that page showed the picture of the painting.

Looking at it, Shadow realized three things. The first thing was that the painting was the same painting he had seen in his university when he was being chased by the Mayor’s men. The second thing was why Yorkanton looked familiar to him when Katie had given him the coin. The third thing was what the laser-like thing that had appeared when he was still 5 years old was the Imagination Nexus. He remembered it had turned purple, which meant that it had been corrupted. And after that the Maelstrom had appeared. Its corruption had created the Maelstrom and now Shadow realized that for the first time (the Yorkantonians did not know what had created it). Whatever that Nexus was, it was very important. That’s why the Nexus Force had taken its name after it. . .

### Chapter 61: Names

Shadow arranged a meeting with his friends the next day and he explained them what he had learnt.

“Ya?! Descendant of Yorkanton?!” Sarah said surprised “It's hard to believe!”

“You could even claim the title of the Chief of Yorkanton City!” Tony exclaimed excited.

Yorkanton after founding the City had become the Chief of Yorkanton City, as he was called. After his death one of his children took over and gained the same title. After that the title and the role were passed down to the next generations. All that until Beron who died without -at least seemingly- a heir. Ever since the Mayors are being elected replacing the Chiefs until a descendant of Yorkanton returned.

“Even if there was a way to prove that I am a descendant of Yorkanton without the Mayor being able that everything are lies, no one would want the Chiefs to return after so much time. Besides I don't want to lead anyone or anything, Tony!” Shadow answered.

“It's been said that the best leaders are the ones who never wanted to be leaders!” Katie said.

“Ok! I won't try to persuade you! But I think it's better if you guys called me Magical now!” Tony told him.

“Why Magical?!” Kate asked.

Tony explained them about Magical Fire Monkey excitedly.

“Ya indeed look like a monkey! And think like one!” Sarah said mockingly.

“Maybe! But you don't think at all!!!”

“WAIT! WAIT! WAIT!” Shadow shouted before they could start arguing again “Why would you like us to call you Magical from now on?”

“It's as simple as that: Darkon and I...” he said looking at Sarah angrily “have already taken our degree from University and you will be finishing this year. Katie won't go to one. Lastly, in one year the most we will be done with the Maelstrom. Therefore, we won't have anything to keep us here. We will leave for the Nimbus System to join the Nexus Force. I want to have got used to that name by then!”

“Ton- I mean Magical! You can think after all!” said Shadow jokingly.

“Hmm! If we have to have such a three-worded nickname, I'd choose Nexus Penguin Agent!” said Sarah “Penguins are way better than monkeys!”

“I think Evil Penguin Agent suits you better!” replied Magical and everybody apart from Sarah laughed.

“I'll keep Katie for now! If it's necessary to have a nickname, I'll think of one when we go there!” said Kate.

While the others did what Magical asked them to do, Sarah kept calling him by his last name as before for some months. Yet, when January came Sarah once called him Magical having got used to it due to the many times she had heard it. As a reply Magical did a 'victory dance'. Shadow and Katie cheered and they said simultaneously: “At last!”. Yet, all that happiness and joy was ruined when the next day Sarah came running to tell them that the previous night the Maelstrom had attacked her home. . .

***Year 4018, 21 Years Old***

### Chapter 62: At Sarah’s House

At the hearing of the news Shadow got very upset. It seemed as if the old years, when everyone waited in their houses afraid of the possibility of the Maelstrom attacking them, were being repeated. He had recently heard of two more attacks. Yet, he got more upset when Sarah said that she had not managed to drive the Half-Stromlings back.

As soon as Shadow and Kate heard that, they prepared a disguise for Shadow not to be recognised by the Mayor’s men outside. Indeed it was a great disguise making Shadow look very much like Sarah.

“Wait half an hour after we leave, then get out through the back door and go to your home!” said Shadow as he was opening the door.

Then, he and Katie left. Two of the men seeing them approached them and stopped them. Shadow, thinking the disguise had not worked, got prepared to run. Nonetheless, he did not.

“Do you do it frequently to go at others’ houses for only five minutes?” one of them asked Shadow.

“Only when I want to share news with others!” said he trying to make his voice sound female and thinking that they would be exposed.

“Okay then!” he said and gave him a suspicious look, but let them pass.

Shadow and Katie held their breaths while they fended off. As they did so, they heard him saying: “I had never noticed she was so ugly!”

“But the other is a pretty one!” the other responded.

“And that confirms my theory that all those guys are stupid!” said Katie when they were away and they both laughed.

They then went to Magical’s home to have him help them.

“Katie! Dark- Shadow, why do you look like a woman? And certainly why that particular woman?” he said when he opened the door.

“Long story! Come with us!” replied Shadow tersely.

They explained to him what had happened and he almost decided not to help, but Shadow and Katie talked him out of it.

As soon as they reached Sarah’s home, it was not difficult to defeat the enemies. However, Shadow was irritated by the fact that the Half-Stromlings seemed to be laughing at him. There were about twenty Darklings in there and they were defeated fast, especially after Sarah came.

Yet, what saddened them all was when in the middle of the battle a door was burst open and a short man with short black hair entered the room.

“Shannon! What’s all that sound?!” he said “Did you bring guests? They’ll wake up little Sarah!”

The man was looking at Sarah and Sarah was looking at him. Her eyes got wet and a sad expression spread on her face.

“Dad! Please! Return to your room! I am Sarah! Not Shannon! Shannon left years ago!” By that time tears were falling from her eyes.

The man looked at her with a similar sad look and started crying, too.

“Shannon?”

“Please, Dad! I am your daughter! Please, remember! Please!” Sarah managed to say between her sobs.

Sarah’s father left, but that didn’t make Sarah happier. While Katie tried to comfort her, Magical and Shadow defeated the last enemies. Magical instantly left offering to carry the bodies of the Half-Infected Minifigures at the building where they held Half-Stromlings.

Yet, Shadow stayed there standing in the middle of the ruined living room. He was thinking; and that question came to his mind many times: “Why are our families so destroyed?”. . .

### Chapter 63: The last attack

Shadow walked to Sarah. He had thought for too long.

“I am sorry, Sarah!” he said.

Sarah looked at him with her reddened wet eyes.

“Ever since my mother left us, my dad has been like that!” Sarah replied “Most of the time, he is in his room mourning his loss. Yet, sometimes he gets out. Those times it’s like he doesn’t remember anything that has happened since my mother left. He always thinks I’m her at those times! It’s... it’s so...” Sarah did not finish that sentence for new tears started rolling on her cheeks.

“Come on now! Don’t cry! We’ll get over this together!” Katie said.

“The Maelstrom!” Sarah told them “When he is mourning, dad always says that it was the Maelstrom’s fault!”

Shadow realized for the first time why Sarah hated the Maelstrom so much.

“Don’t worry!” said he “The Maelstrom won’t hurt you furthermore!”

Sarah soon returned to her usual mood. When Shadow asked, she said that she had got used to that state. According to her, that outburst was a moment of weakness.

Winter ended and the four friends were now even closer to defeating the Maelstrom for good. Shadow was hoping that if they tried hard they would beat all their enemies by the end of summer.

In March, however, another attack –the last one for the fellowship– occurred to fluster them.

Shadow was cooking in the kitchen while Katie was practicing on archery. Then, suddenly they heard screams from outside. Shadow quickly ran to the window and looked through it. Some of the Mayor’s men were running away from something Shadow couldn’t see.

Going to his room he grabbed his dagger and then ran out of it. At the little hall he met Katie who was going outside with her bow and arrows.

Outside they found out that a bunch of Half-Stromlings was coming towards them. Apparently, the men had tried to stop them, because some of the Half-Stromlings were wearing the black clothes all the men that were chasing or watching Shadow wore. And *tried* was the key-word.

While Kate stayed at the door shooting arrows from there, Shadow charged against the Half-Infected Minifigures. Shadow quickly found himself surrounded by four enemies. He hit one on the head and it fell down unconscious. He struck against another, but it blocked his hit. At the same time he was hit on the back by a third Darkling. Shadow fell on the ground and hit the legs of one of the Maelstromlings. It fell down as well and one more stroke knocked it down. Shadow suddenly stood up and hit one of the two remaining enemies on the face. It fell down, but Shadow had not time at all to block or dodge the coming attack of the last Half-Stromling. Yet, before he was hit on the head an arrow struck the Maelstrom Being and set it unconscious. Shadow had a glance at Kate as if he was thanking her.

Yet, that glance revealed to him much more than he expected to see. The Half-Stromlings had passed him and were heading for Katie. Shadow started hitting them on the heads and backs, because they weren’t looking at him. At that time, the men that were at the back side of the house came to see what was happening. At the sight of Maelstrom most of them fled, but a few stayed to fight. They weren’t much help; more of a trouble, because Shadow and Kate had to save them whenever they were in danger –which was almost all the times. Yet, they finally managed to make the last of their enemies flee.

The men decided that they wouldn’t try to catch Shadow or something to repay him for saving him. Thus, the two young minifigures got into their house again with no problems. Suddenly, Shadow started sniffing.

“Oh, brick!!!” he exclaimed “My Pasticcio was burnt!!!” . . .

### Chapter 64: Almost finished

After the attack at the Nexus House, there was no other assault against the four young minifigures. For some time the men out of the house were less, due to their losses during that battle. Yet, soon the infected or smashed ones were replaces and even more came. After that Shadow almost lived at the Ganaz Laboratory, for he could get out of his house even less times. Therefore, he usually managed to get out of the house near 6 o’clock, he went to the Laboratory and passed all his time there unless he had to get out. Then sometimes, he returned to his home around midnight, but that wasn’t always possible.

Months passed. Summer came, Shadow graduated –with really good marks; although that was just a reason for the people of the town to think of him as a freak– and they started fighting the Maelstrom more intensely than ever.

Things were going well and soon they reached the top of the hill. There, there was a house. One could barely understand that it was a house, because it was almost fully covered by plants like ivy or at least plants that were similar to them. What made them realize it was a house was a broken window on which no plants were growing and a little part of the wooden door that was also uncovered. A quite big part of the roof was missing, probably because it had collapsed.

The first time they had seen that, Magical had remembered of the legend of Beron’s Bane.

“Be careful! According to the legend Beron’s Bane is dwelling at those places. And they say it is a master of both Fire and Ice! What kind of creature could that be?!” he had said.

“Whatever creature it is, it will be dead by now! It’s been 2 millenniums since the incident and the legend says that Beron’s Bane was already ancient when it smashed Beron! Besides, when did you start being afraid of it?” Shadow replied and that was the end of the conversation, although Sarah was looking at Magical malevolently for the rest of the day.

Yet, even in the ends of July the heroes did not manage to reach the house to have a closer look at it. The Maelstrom Beings weren’t letting them to do so. Thus, the FFFFF Team kept fighting to free this hill and Yorkanton City from Maelstrom.

After all that fighting in August the Maelstrom was much less and any Darklings at the top spread at the rest of the hill.

“How irritating!” exclaimed Sarah annoyed “Now, we’ll have to chase them all over the hill!”

“Hmm! At least we can explore the house sooner! Besides, I think they were only about ten or twenty!” Shadow said.

“Yeah, but we can’t do it today!” Magical told them “It’s already quite dark! We shall do that tomorrow”

“So be it! But I shall come quite early in the morning! Those Mayor’s men won’t let me leave the house later!” Shadow said.

“Oh! I don’t wake up as early as you do for nothing; let alone a silly exploration trip!” said Sarah.

“I don’t like it, but I agree with Sarah! I need the sleep after all this fighting!” Katie told him “But don’t worry you go early and I’ll come later!”

“Well, I’ll have to come with you, Shadow! I’m not letting you alone in enemy grounds!” said Magical.

“Okie donkey!” said Shadow happily “We shall meet at the Octopus Square at seven o’clock!” . . .

### Chapter 65: In the House

The next day Shadow woke up at about half past five. Until he got ready and got out of the house it was six o’clock. After some walking, Shadow reached Octopus Square some minutes to seven. There he saw Magical waiting for him.

“You came early!” he said.

“I’m never late; to achieve that I always come a bit earlier!” Shadow replied “Shall we go?”

“Of course!”

The two friends walked for about one and a half hour and they reached the Hill of Darkness. They started ascending and half an hour later they reached the top. On their way there, only one Half-Stromling had the courage or the stupidity to attack them and it fell unconscious with a quick stroke by Magical.

They saw two Darklings near the house, but as soon as they noticed them the fled. They approached the house and looked at it from close for the first time. It was quite big, but not too much. It certainly had no upstairs and its housetop seemed to be made of red tiles. Yet, Shadow’s attention was not drawn by the architecture of the house, but by the plants on it. Probably that happened, because the plants did not let him see much of the house. He did not recognise the plants. He surely had seen similar ones, but those had several characteristics he had not seen before; or characteristics he had seen on other plants.

“Open the door!” Shadow said as he gazed at them.

Magical looked at the door, most of which had been covered by the ivy-like plants and hesitated.

“What is it?” asked Shadow “Why aren’t you opening?”

“They might be poisonous! Besides why should I open it?” Magical responded.

“Because you are the ‘muscle-guy’! If there’s anything dangerous inside you have more odds of surviving! Anyway just kick it! You have enough strength to push it open and your boots won’t let the plants touch your skin!”

Magical did so and the door opened easily. It probably wasn’t locked. They entered the house. Although all the windows –apart from the broken one– were covered by the plants and only a slight green light got in through them the room was much lighted, due to the big hole on the ceiling. Their theory of the roof having collapsed was disproved by the fact that the parts of the roof in the room were few. The walls were very black as if they have been scorched. Any objects inside were fallen and broken or burnt as well. Some plants had managed to grow in the house, too. Yet, some of them seemed also to be burnt. At a place where four walls seemed to have been meeting at a cross the walls had been destroyed. At that place there was a dark hole. All those things made Shadow almost sure that Beron’s Bane had certainly been true at some time and that all those destructions had not been done by nature.

Magical approached the hole and almost stood on its edge. Shadow followed him and they looked inside the hole. They realized it was more of a pit; a pitch dark pit. Sometimes something glowed inside it; that something seemed to be gold due to the colour of the glowing. Yet, they could see no bottom.

“Weird! What do you think it is?!” said Magical quite loudly and his voice echoed into the pit.

“I don’t know!” whispered Shadow and even that whisper echoed “But I find this place very creepy! I think we should leave or at least get away from this pit and be careful!”

“Okay!” answered Magical also whispering and turned around to leave.

Yet, as he turned around his leg pushed a little rock that once must have been part of the walls. The rock being pushed fell into the pit.

The two minifigures, realizing that, turned around again and waited looking at the pit. They waited to hear the sound of the rock hitting on the bottom of the pit. They stayed still for some minutes and then suddenly they heard the sound of the rock coming from very far away. They also heard the echo of the sound.

Even when they heard that, they did not move. They expected for something to happen as a result of the rock’s fall. And they were right. Almost instantly after the rock reaching the bottom they heard a terrifying roar from the depths of the pit. The roar was so loud that if they were blind they would think that the beast that had roared was in front of them.

Then, another deafening noise was heard. It seemed as if two things were colliding and the one of them was being completely destroyed. They realized that the monster must have been ascending because the noise that kept being heard was coming closer. Then, they noticed in the pit a little light. It wasn’t like before, because that one seemed to be red and was getting bigger and bigger.

Soon the light was very big –or more probably very close– for them to realize it was fire. There were also golden, purple and white flames, but the red ones were by far the most. Realizing how dangerous it was to stay at the edge of the pit, they ran to the other side of the room. Yet, their curiosity and some courage –or stupidity– kept them in the house.

After that the noise of the crush started getting too loud and cracks appeared around the pit. That made Shadow figure out what was the noise. The beast was trying to pass through the passage it had created hundreds or maybe thousands years ago. Yet, it had now grown too big to pass. Thus, trying to get out it crashed on the rocks and smashed them.

The cracks started growing very big and increasing. Then, the flames quickly started getting out of the pit and the cracks, which still grew and increased. Shadow and Magical afraid of being scorched opened the door and got out of the house with an incredible speed that only fear could have brought about. Still, however, they did not leave the hill.

They watched the flames spreading on the whole house. And then the whole house smashed into countless pieces as if it had exploded. Actually, the ground had in and around the house had also ‘exploded’. Magical and Shadow realized that the fire was not the only danger that would be waiting for them if they stayed into the house. Nonetheless even out of the house they were in danger of being hit by pieces of rock, wood or soil, many of which were also on fire.

Yet, they managed to survive almost intact that danger to see the next one; the greatest of all the dangers. In the place of the house there was now a huge pit and a head bigger than the house had come out of it. Now the beast’s huge body was coming out of it. The brute had stopped breathing fire and was now roaring again, almost deafening the young men. They knew in what danger they were. However, they stayed still due to shock and fear of what they were seeing; Beron’s Bane! And Beron’s Bane was a huge dragon. . .

### Chapter 66: Beron's Bane

As the tremendously gigantic dragon flew out of the pit, its wings reached the start of it. Them being open they destroyed the ground even more, widening the pit. Its wings, similar to bat wings, were longer than one could imagine that any dragon could have. Additionally, they were fatter than one's arm.

The dragon kept ascending and finally its two legs were out, with the tail being the only part inside the pit. The dragon looked like a huge snake with two legs at the back part of its, two wings at its back and a head of a dragon. Its body was covered with scarlet red flakes. Yet, half of its enormous head was infected. Each wing was as long as a building block, each leg as tall as a house, each claw of its toes, was as tall as a minifigure. Its body was so long that it could not be likened with anything, although when Magical described that story later, he told that its body was as long as the Nexus Tower is tall.

The two minifigures stayed still looking at the dragon terrified.

“A dragon! How didn't I think of dragons?!” Shadow exclaimed “They live many millenniums if they are not slain!”

At that moment the dragon's tail had just got fully out of the pit, which was now gigantic. Yet, it seemed that the dragon heard him, or at least that he noticed them, because while he was looking at the town, he looked down and descended his head.

“And who thou might be?” he said with his vicious voice.

“Thou art facing Strange Odd Shadow and Magical Fire Monkey! But who art thou? Art thou the one they call Beron's Bane?” Shadow replied with fear growing inside him, but using the old speech, which probably was the only version of that language he knew.

“Strange names! Yet, I suppose that people have changed the names they like ever since I started sleeping. But yay I suppose that people may have given me the name Beron's Bane! I smashed Beron two millenniums ago!” the dragon said with some satisfaction and malice being apparent in his voice “But at my time they called me Chrysoclepht!”

By that time Beron's Bane had landed and his body was put around the hole.

“Well, Chrysoclepht! I do not know what thy intentions art, but this town and its people art out of range for thee!” Shadow said.

Chrysoclepht then opened his mouth and a weird sound came out of it. Shadow thought that he would breathe fire, but then he realized that the dragon was laughing.

“And who will stop me?” he said and kept laughing.

“We will!” answered Shadow and raised his crossbow, while Magical unsheathed his swords.

The dragon laughed more loudly than before.

“What can two stupid children do?! I have smashed much greater heroes than you, when they were accompanied by no end of armies! How will thou stop me?!” Chrysoclepht told them them.

Yet, Shadow had already started shooting arrows. The dragon did not notice that, because as the arrows hit the flakes they just smashed into countless little pieces. Magical approached one of his wings and struck it with his swords, but barely scratched the flakes. Yet, that was enough to annoy the dragon. Chrysoclepht put out his wings knocking Magical away and with one move of them, he was up in the air flying above them.

“Magical! I have a bad feeling about this! RUUUUUUN!!!” Shadow said.

And so they did; and that was wise, because as soon as they started running flames were launched towards them. Yet, it seemed the dragon just wanted to scare them away, because he stopped breathing fire quickly.

“I have no time for you! I have a two thousands years hunger to satisfy!” Chrysoclepht told them and then left towards the town flying. . .

### Chapter 67: A Dragon in the Town

Shadow and Magical had barely run for a minute or two when the dragon passed above them flying towards the town. They ran a little bit after that, but then suddenly Magical stopped. Shadow turning around asked: “What happened?! Why did you stop?!”.

“Dragons gather treasures, don’t they? We might find something useful among the treasures of his!” Magical said and started running towards the opposite side.

“WAIT! MAGICAL! GOLD WILL NOT HELP US AT ALL!!!” Shadow shouted.

Yet, Magical was already quite far away and did not listen. Shadow stayed put very irritated that he had been abandoned. After a little he started tapping his foot. He wanted to stop the dragon as soon as possible, but he did not want to go without Magical. In addition, he was curious to see what Magical would bring. After ten minutes he started looking round anxiously and wondering what was taking Magical so long, even though ten minutes was a ridiculously short time for Magical to go, take something and come back.

Shadow could already hear roars and occasionally screams coming from the town and that made him even more nervous. He could also hear loud noises as if things crushed. Probably, the dragon was destroying houses.

About half an hour after Magical had left he saw his friend coming holding a sword in his hand.

“You can’t believe how much gold there is inside that place!” Magical said “But I only took this!” he showed the sword “Its metal seems very special, so I thought that it might be able to slay dragons!”

Indeed it was glowing in a way that Shadow had never seen before. The sword was surprisingly looking quite similar to the swords that Magical wielded. That was probably, because the sword Magical had taken was a very special indeed and most swords in Yorkanton City were modelled after it, even millenniums after its forging.

“Are you crazy?! Because you almost got *me* crazy?!” Shadow exclaimed annoyed “How did you even get down there?!”

“I used a rope, a second rope and then climbed down the rest of the rock! It is really deep! I think that its bottom is at the start of the hill!” said he.

Magical’s theory was confirmed when they saw the big cracks that had been created all over the Hill of Darkness. After they left the Hill and its forests it wasn’t difficult to follow Chrysoclepht. He had left a path of devastation behind him, so that even if he wasn’t seen in the sky they would be able to follow him.

Yet, they did not do so. Shadow headed immediately for the Nexus House and Magical followed him. When they approached his home they found out that they were lucky enough for the Mayor’s Men to have left.

“Did the dragon come here?!” Shadow asked instantly after Katie opened the door.

“No!” replied she “Shadow, what happened? What did you do? I can hear roars, screams and noises of destruction!”

“Well, you know! The usual! We went to the hill, got into the house, awakened Beron’s Bane, who happens to be an enormous winged serpent that breathes fire!” Shadow answered awkwardly.

“YOU DID WHAT?!!!” Kate shouted shocked, surprised and angry all at the same time.

However, they had not time to discuss, because they suddenly heard a roar that was unusually close. Looking behind they saw Chrysoclepht flying towards them and causing chaos below him. . .

### Chapter 68: Battling Dragons

Shadow found the image of a huge red dragon flying towards them breathing red, golden, purple and white flames terrible and utterly terrifying. In addition, he knew that this time Chrysoclepht was not just trying to scare them away; his aim was to kill and destroy. Nonetheless, Shadow moved forward and raising his crossbow shot many arrows. Yet, the dragon was still quite far and the arrows missed their targets. Nevertheless, Shadow kept shooting arrows and in the end one of them hit the dragon's left wing, but the arrow was crumbled.

“BRICK IT!” he cried and then threw his dagger.

The dagger hit Beron's Bane on the head, but it did not do any damage. Shadow looked at Chrysoclepht and wondered why the left side of his face was infected. Wouldn't he have woken up if some Half-Stromlings had attacked him.

“Get out of there!” he heard Kate's voice say and then a hand pulling him back.

He had got distracted right at the perfect moment. Now, Katie had gone to the front and was aiming with her bow and arrow at the Dragon's head and actually its mouth. Yet, she did not launch the arrow. She waited there the dragon coming closer every second.

“KATE! Shoot the arrow or come back!!!” Shadow exclaimed “This is too dangerous!”

“WAIT!!!” she shouted.

“Kate!”

Suddenly, a silver shine flew from behind him towards the dragon. Shadow looked back. Magical had thrown one of his swords, the one Shadow had forged a long time ago. Then, a loud roar made Shadow look forward again. The sword had spiked the dragon under the eye, at a place that seemed its flakes weren't as strong.

However, the dragon was still flying towards Katie, more furiously than before. Now Chrysoclepht was so close that the flames were just some meters away from the girl. And then suddenly she let go of the arrow and it flew through the fire and into the beast's mouth. The monster stopped breathing fire and roared more loudly than ever as it started falling from the air. Yet, Katie was still staying put. Shadow did not know why she did that, but he was sure that if she continued the brute would fall on her.

“KATIE!!!” he cried as he ran quickly “FALL DOWN!!!”

The dragon's body was very close to her, so Shadow jumped. He jumped and pushed the girl away. The girl fell down away from the body of the dragon and seemed to 'wake up' while Shadow fell quite closer to the beast. Then, he felt a terrible pain at his leg. The pain was so terrible that he barely could turn his head to look what caused it. However, before he had even seen what it was he heard Katie scream “SHADOW! Oh my brick!!! Your leg!”. Then, he saw one of the terrible claws of the evil dragon nailed to his leg.

“What... The... Crux?!” Shadow finally managed to say and he then fainted.

Meanwhile Magical was watching Chrysoclepht. He had fell on the ground, but he did not think that an arrow and a hit by a sword were enough to defeat such a tremendous dragon. To confirm his theory, Beron's Bane raised his head and looked at him viciously. His anger after the arrow's stroke had reached whole new levels.

“Thou cannot defeat me!” Chrysoclepht said.

“So you think, worm!” answered Magical and he charged with the sword he had found in the dragon's lair in his right hand.

“THIEF!” Chrysoclepht cried when he saw the sword and flames got out of his mouth again stopping Magical “THIEVES!!! THOU STOLE MY TREASURE!!! FEEL THY DOOM NOW!!!”

After that he roared again even more loudly than before. However, Magical realized that the beast must have been weakened, because the amount of flames was quite less than before.

“You are weakened, worm!” he exclaimed and charged again.

More flames stopped him. He tried again and failed to reach the dragon's head. That's why he thought of a plan. He turned his back to the beast and started running towards the Nexus House (on which the dragon's tail had hit, making one wall to collapse. Chrysoclepht started following him wanting to devour him for his crimes, but he was not able to be quick on the ground, due to having only two legs. Thus, soon Magical was out of sight.

Chrysoclepht needed to fly to catch that “stupid minifigure that stole his treasure”. However, when he put out his wings to fly, he felt something nailing at his left wing. Magical had managed to go to his side and spike his wing when it was revealed. Magical was indeed right when he thought that that sword would help the. It had penetrated even the hard flakes of Chrysoclepht. After that Magical started ascending on the body of the dragon using the sword.

Chrysoclepht turned around his head to see all that and just became more furious. He started breathing fire again, but the only thing he managed was to burn his own body and barely scorch Magical's leg. The monster roared and it let its head fall on the ground trying to bear the pain.

Magical passed through the flames that now were all around at the very front part of the dragon's body. He reached the place where his head started and stabbed him there. Chrysoclepht raised his head in pain, roared for the last time and then his head fell down lifeless. . .

### Chapter 69: A New Meeting

Shadow woke up on his bed at the Nexus House. He turned around still on bed and opening his eyes he realized that there was a wall missing. Actually, its ruins were still there having fallen down and with a dragon’s tail among them.

“The wall!” he exclaimed not very weakly.

“He has woken up!!!” he heard the familiar voice of Kate to say.

“Is he okay?!” Magical asked anxiously.

“Judging by the fact that the first thing he did was to exclaim about the wall, I think yes!” Kate answered.

“Did anyone hurt due to the dragon?” suddenly Shadow inquired, because he couldn’t bear the fact that he had caused so much destruction.

“There are several minifigures that have been injured, but only one minifigure was smashed! It seemed that the dragon wanted first to cause pandemonium and then start... eating” said Sarah, who had just come.

“Oh no! That was my fault! I awakened the dragon and caused all this destruction. It’s like I smashed that minifigure myself!” Shadow said as tears started rolling on his cheeks.

“Shadow, it is not your fault! It’s mostly mine! I was the one who threw the rock and that was speaking so loudly!” Magical said to console him.

“Besides even if it was your fault, think that you actually helped to stop it! Maybe one minifigure lost its life, but all the others were saved by us. Plus, you saved me when I couldn’t move!” Kate said.

“Maybe you’re right!” said Shadow and he stopped crying.

Yet, things got worse due to the Mayor’s terrible speech in which he accused Shadow of awakening the dragon while he fought the Maelstrom. After that there was no need of the Mayor’s Men to keep Shadow in the house, because a bunch of people was always out of the house shouting, insulting him, threatening him, challenging him into battle, telling him what he had cause to them or their families. When someone got in or out of the house they threw against him several things. Those usually were fruit and vegetable, but when it was Shadow they also threw stones or occasionally even chairs.

Shadow had a very bad mood because of this, but he did not forget their aim. He could not fight, because of his injured leg, but he instructed the others on what to do. He also sometimes had them bring him something, that usually being a book or a material for the things he prepared. At the same time he had started sorting the things he had, thinking what he would take with him to the Nimbus System.

When September came the people started slowly to stop coming. Thus, in the end of September there was no one there apart from the Mayor’s men. That gave Shadow the opportunity to go out. He went to the Skyscraper in which they kept the Half-Stromlings. By that time they had defeated every one of them and Shadow was preparing the machines he had put there to keep the Maelstrom Beings powerless.

“It will only last for one year, so we will have to come back or send someone to disinfect them before that time passes, because then they will be released and destroy the town!” he had said.

Meanwhile Shadow wanted to visit his old house for the last time. It was the last day of September and Shadow had returned to the Octopus Square. He was standing in front of his old home. He could see its interior, because no one seemed to have rebuilt the house’s wall. He got in! He was surprised it was still a mess. As if no day had passed since his 18th birthday. The only difference was that there was no infection. Shadow noticed a green thing left on the floor. He picked it up and looked at it. It was something like a green radio, but Shadow had never seen any radio to recognise that. Looking at it, he found that one the one side there was that star-like sign and on the other were using instructions. They said:

1. *Press the first button.*
2. *Wait until you hear the sound.*
3. *Speak to communicate with Sky Lane.*
4. *After you speak with her, press the second button.*

Shadow did not care about how it got there, but he cared about the fact that their last problem was solved. They could now communicate with the Nexus Force, so that it could come and take them from there.

The day that the Venture Explorer would come was approaching. Shadow was completely happy again. Then, all of a sudden, Shadow found one more invitation from the Mayor. He knew it was a trap, but he wanted to show that he was not afraid, so he went. However, he said to Magical to be out of the Mayor’s Mansion.

Shadow was waiting out of the Mayor’s office. He remembered from the previous time that there was a window at the hall where he was waiting. Now, he was looking through it seeing the Deemarchus Square where among the several people Magical was.

Suddenly, the door opened and the voice of the Mayor said: “Come in!”

Shadow did so and when he entered the room he noticed there were two muscular men in it; one at his left and one at his right.

“You know Steele; there are many crimes for which I should arrest you! Yet, before I do such a rush thing I would like to ask you a question” the Mayor said.

“Ask!” said Shadow plainly.

“There are rumours that the spaceship of the cursed Nexus Force is coming again. Does that have to do with you?”

“Yes! I called the Nexus-Forcers! I will go with them to the Nimbus System! Actually they are coming today! But before anything happens tell me: Why do you not want technology, if you don’t like it why did you bring some when you were elected and why did you keep the Maelstrom Beings not fighting them?”

“Without technology, people do not read much. Not reading they become stupider. Becoming stupider it’s easier to control and manipulate them! I brought some technology, because the easier way to remind them how much they hate it is to remind them what destruction it can bring! I have to thank you actually for awakening that dragon. It was the final hit to get rid of technology! About the Maelstrom scared people are also easier to control!”

“You’re crazy!”

“No, I just want power! And that way I’ll have it! Anyway, I learnt what I wanted from you! Arrest him!”. . .

### Chapter 70: The Final Chase

“Not today!” exclaimed Shadow and raising his arms at his sides he punched both men that tried to catch him.

Before they could recover from the surprise and shock, Shadow was already out of the room. As he got out he could hear the Mayor shouting: “CATCH HIM! CATCH HIM!”. Shadow ran to the window and jumped out of it breaking it into countless pieces.

*That hurts more than I thought!* he thought as he landed on the square.

“RUN!” he shouted to Magical and then threw on the ground one of his “smoke-bombs”.

As he ran he tossed more of them at several places at the square. In the end almost the whole Square was covered by smoke.

Yet, both Magical and Shadow knew where they should go. They had arranged they would meet with the girls at the Octopus Square. They were sure that the Mayor and his men would first head to the Valley –which was not anymore a maelstrom valley– and especially to the part where the Nexus House was. That’s why they headed to that Square first and then they would follow another route they didn’t usually use.

“Be quick, because the Mayor is already chasing us!” Shadow told the girls when they arrived in the Square.

They didn’t stop even for a second and the girls followed them. Despite his anxiety, Shadow was very happy, because he knew that in a little they would be leaving that place. However, that joy ceased when they suddenly heard someone behind them saying: “THERE THEY ARE! FOLLOW THEM!!!”

Shadow looked back for a second and was sure that there were at least ten men chasing them.

“I’ll hold them up!” Magical said and he stopped running.

Yet, Shadow was now too afraid to look back. Whatever happened to Magical, he did not want to see it. They turned right and now they could not see Magical even if they looked back.

Shadow heard running coming from behind. Looking back he saw that their chasers were just five. Yet, soon from another road four more came.

“Brick it!” Shadow exclaimed and tossed his last smoke-bomb.

The next time he looked back he saw only three minifigures behind him. However, he also noticed that Katie was missing.

“Where’s Kate?!” he asked anxiously.

“I think she stumbled somewhere!” Sarah answered and seeing that Shadow was ready to return she added “But don’t worry! She can take care of herself! She’ll be okay!”

They turned left to an alley and Shadow was sure that at the end of it was the Valley. However, as they ran they found out that in the middle of the alley there was a wire mesh blocking their way.

“What the Crux?!” exclaimed Shadow and they started climbing the mesh.

However, when they had almost reached the top, Shadow heard Sarah scream from pain. Looking at her, he saw that an arrow had hit her leg.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine! Continue and I’ll be right behind you!”

Shadow indeed continued, reached the top and jumped on the ground. Looking back he saw Sarah having jumped at the other side of the mesh and drawing her katana.

“Leave!” she said looking back for the last time “We will all be okay! Even the stupid-head!”

Despite the fact that he wanted to help his friends, he kept running. Hearing those words from Sarah was quite encouraging to go on.

Soon he reached the end of the alley and was now at the open valley. And there was the Venture Explorer. Shadow ran to the spaceship and ascended the ramp that was leading to the interior of the ship. There the black-blonde-haired girl, Sky Lane, was waiting for him.

“Where are your friends?!” she asked.

“Being... chased!” he managed to say while panting “Can we... please wait... for a little!”

“Normally we should be leaving right now, but I suppose we can wait for some minutes!” said Sky.

“Thank you!”

Shadow stayed there at the top of the ramp looking around to see whether his friends would come. But no one did.

“Strange Odd Shadow! We have to leave! We can’t wait!” said Sky Lane after a little when nobody had come.

“Wait a little bit m-” Shadow started saying, but he stopped.

Someone had come from a road. Yet, it was not Sarah, not Magical and not Katie. It was the Mayor. And people were following him. They weren’t the usual men he usually had with him. They were Yorkantonian Guards and it seemed that the whole Squad had gathered there.

“STOOOOOOOOOOP!!!” the Mayor shouted “JOHN STEELE! IF YOU LEAVE WITH THIS METAL MONSTER, YOU WILL BE ACCUSED FOR HIGH TREASON AND YOU WILL BE BANISHED FOREVER!”

“THEN, I SHALL NEVER RETURN!!!” Shadow shouted, too “Let’s leave, Sky!” he said then sadly.

The ramp closed and the spaceship started floating over the ground. Then, the starship took off for a journey that would never be finished. . .

***THE END***