The Story of a Minifigure: The Nexus Chasers

### Prologue

A frightened girl was roaming the dark and dirty alleys of Perith City in the dark of the night. Perith City was a world infamous for gathering the worst people of the Crux System. Criminals, outcasts, smugglers, escaped prisoners, even Dark Sorcerers frequented or lived in that place. And that was not the end of the list.

The girl, who had every reason to be afraid, was walking quickly trying to find her way to some place better. It was clear that she didn't belong there. Her clothes even though ruined were still colourful. No person of Perith City would ever wear anything in the bright green colour of her clothes. Her age was also giving her away. Few of the people who called Perith their home were so young, not even their teens finished. Finally, a good observer would notice the symbol that appeared on her clothes. While the skull could suggest her being a pirate, the Cruxians knew better. It was unmistakably the symbol of Venture League.

The girl was in quite a bad state. Apart from her clothes being ragged, her hair seemed not to have been brushed or washed for days, the visible parts of her skin all held injuries and, even though in the dark it wasn't easily seen, her right leg (but not her pants) was infected. Adding to that, she kept looking around at others or places from which people could emerge with bulging eyes.

Looking at a strange man with a gray robe covering his body from top to toe, she didn't see another man coming her way and bumped into him. He was a very filthy man. His brown trench coat was filthy, his black-grayish hair was filthy, his face was filthy, his shoes were filthy. Even his teeth, some of which were missing, were yellow and dirty. He was looking at her with the same look as everyone there: a really worrying interest. He smiled to her, but that was more creepy and frightening than reassuring. She made a step back, but he grabbed her arm tightly.

“Hello, little girl! Are you lost? Let me help you!” the man said with a voice fitting his image.

“No!” the girl yelped while stepping on his foot with force.

The man swore, but at the same time his grip loosened. The girl escaped from it and started running while the man swore again. While running, the girl was more or less oblivious to her surroundings, so she bumped into another minifigure, this time a woman. She was getting away from her, before the woman could stop her. However, she didn't realise that as she ran, she got through a doorway and inside some inn or something. Inside, the light, which was bright only compared to the darkness outside, blinded the girl, but she didn't stay still nonetheless. She heard several exclaims like “What are you doing here, girly?!” Suddenly, as her eyes got used to the light someone grasped her arms. The girl saw that she was in a place full of many round tables around which Perithians were sitting, drinking, eating, laughing, gambling. Now, their interest had been drawn to the newcomer. They looked like predators watching their prey. Some of them had gotten up to get to her. One of them had managed to do so. He was a man similar to the other one she had met.

“Where did you come from, girly? This is no place for little girls! Let me take you somewhere safe!” he said.

“No! Leave me alone!” the girl cried in panic.

She tried to escape from his grip, but was unable to do so. The man continued holding her, with an evil smile on his face.

“Hey, Bondevan! She told you to leave her alone!” someone said calmly.

His voice was so different than the horrible voices of all these people. To you, it might have heard like a normal voice, but to the girl who couldn't but compare them to the Perithians' ones, it seemed like it held all the benevolence of the world.

“And what are you gonna do about it, Draco?” the man laughed at him and actually spit perhaps at Draco's feet.

There came no answer, but suddenly a fist came into the girl's sight. Before she could realise it, Bondevan had been knocked out. The girl felt an arm wrapping around her back. She looked at her saviour. He was wearing what seemed to be Bat Lord gear, though his helm was not on his head, but hanging from his neck. He had black curly hair and black eyes. He was holding his staff in a way to threaten anyone who thought they might want to go against him. He then smiled to the girl. It was a different smile. It was neither creepy nor evil. It was genuine.

“Let's get out of here!” he said. . .

### Chapter 1: The start of another day

Strange Odd Shadow woke up from yet another nightmare. He was having these a lot lately. Lately being the last seven months. In the start, his nightmares mostly consisted of stuff that happened to him in Yorkanton City and during his first adventure in which he confronted the Darkitect as well as scenes of pain of others which the Darkitect had shared with him.

Now, however, these nightmares were becoming rarer and rarer. They had been replaced much by scenes of the Great Battle that had occurred one month ago. These weren't always the real ones. He would also see things that could have happened in it. There was also a really horrifying one where Captain Brickbeard, Cyborg, Quantum, Dracula and all that had sacrificed for him in that battle turned against him and accused him. Of course Quantum and Dracula had survived in the end, but this didn't matter in his dreams.

There was also another matter that troubled him in his sleep. It was the return of the Darkitect. Shadow couldn't imagine what he could do now that he was back. Perhaps, there would be a repetition of the original chase that had acquainted him with the Darkitect. And this time they couldn't win since the Leader of Maelstrom had gained the ability to possess bodies. Every time he was smashed, he could just possess a new body. Related to that, was also the infection of the Imagination Shard that he had found in Deadly Desert (scenes from which haunted him, too).

But there was also another dream he was having. To someone else this might have seemed frightening, too, but to Shadow it was a relief from the other dreams of his and felt somehow relaxing by its nature. It was a memory of these moments he had passed in a two-dimensional-like state. After the Great Battle, Shadow had spent much time to find out what this was. Shadow thought it might be related to his power to camouflage in the shadows. He knew that Superians' abilities could grow and develop. This might have been a development of his power.

Shadow got up. He was alone in his bed. Kate, his old friend from Yorkanton whom he had married, had left already. She always woke up early this time. She had found her long-lost sister during the battle in the Maelstrom Lair, Maelstrom's base. She had saved her and the other prisoners and they now were protected by the Nexus Force. However, after the long period of her imprisonment little Anne was quite scarred. Kate was trying to take care of her as better as she could. She got up early to be there when the girl would wake up.

Shadow had found out something else interesting about the girl. Her long imprisonment there was very peculiar. Few people lived so long in the Maelstrom Tower dungeons. They all were smashed or infected eventually. Shadow had studied Annie's DNA and had found she was also a Superian. Her ability was that she was impossible to infect. This showed how arrogant the Darkitect was. He wanted so much to infect every Superian, which allowed him to take their powers, and to bend down a force that resisted to his infection that he even wanted to infect an uninfectable person.

Shadow dressed and then got out of his room. He walked through the living room and reached the door. He was out in the corridor when his F-phone rang. It was Quantum.

“Hello, Quantum! I just woke up! Yes, I’ll be there soon! Are the others there? Okay! Good!” Shadow talked to the device he had built.

He reached the elevator and started going down. The elevator was see-through, so that one could see the several floors they were passing. In one of them, Shadow saw Jean and Gregory sitting on their desks and typing things on their keyboards or checking papers. In another, he saw Glittery and Platinum fighting with each other practicing their skills. Someone would wonder what all these people are doing in Shadow’s house. But this was not his house. It was the F-Tower, the base of the FFFFF Squad.

After the Great Battle, Overbuild had thought how useful the FFFFF Team had been and persuaded the other leaders to make them an official Squad. Squads were official permanent teams of Nexus-Forcers. They often had some targets and particular things they did, but not necessarily. The most popular Squad was the Building Squad.

As soon as he reached the lobby, Shadow got out of the Tower he had built in his Block Yard property so many months ago. The Tower, being his, hosted his home on the last level. Soon, he had taken off for the Nexus Tower. However, when he approached Crux Prime and the Tower he didn’t land inside the building, but near it.

There was a park of green in the centre of Nexus City. That was where the Nexus Tower had been built. Yet, right now there was a different building being built next to it. That’s where Shadow headed. About half of the Tower they were building was complete. It was aimed to be a new F-Tower. The leaders had allowed them to build their new base there. Now, Shadow found Quantum, Rad, Turt, Brick and Brick’s friend Adam B. Tray. They were all using Imagination to make bricks fly to several places. Shadow joined them with a “Hey guys!” and started building, faster than any of them. That was the start of another day; the start of another story. . .

### Chapter 2: A phone call in the midst of the day

Shadow was working for most of the morning and noon was approaching now. His arms moving quickly, the bricks followed his directions. Shadow did not accept help from other Nexus Forcers in this project, because he wanted to keep the designs of the FFFFF Tower secret; have some aces up his sleeves, in the case of an emergency. The only reason he confided in his fellow members of the Squad was that he needed their help to complete the project in a reasonable time. And perhaps some more trust he had in them. But even from them he concealed some stuff that he built on his own.

Despite their being so few people relatively to how many people usually work in projects like these, the Tower was being built quite fast. It was Imagination that helped them so much. Thus, half an F stood there.

It was at that time that Shadow’s F-Phone, which was part of his helmet, rang. It was so sudden and unexpected that Shadow jolted. Yet, being at the edge of the half-built Tower, he almost fell to the ground from a pretty high point. It was only for Adam’s quick reflexes that he avoided a painful smash that would need some time to recover from.

After restoring his balance, he answered the call. The voice of Magical Fire Monkey, Shadow’s best friend came to his ears.

“Hey, Shadow! Today’s the first day of my vacation from Castle Kingdom! I don’t think you’ve forgotten?” Magical was saying.

“Of course not! I have arranged to leave the worksite earlier today!” Shadow replied.

“Good! We have a whole week to enjoy one another before we both get back to what we’re doing! So, I was thinking perhaps we could go to the Avant Gardens Survival!”

“Not a bad idea! If you’re not tired of battling!”

“That’s not battling! It’s sleeping compared to Castle Kingdom!”

“Whatever you say! I’ll gather the gang and be there soon! Let’s meet in the Launch Pad area! Okay?”

“Okay!”

Shadow hung up. He finished what he was doing when Magical called and then goodbye-d the others. He headed for the Nexus Tower. He went by foot. When you approach the area with a rocket, the park might seem small, but it’s actually quite a big one. The walk between the two Towers was a five-minute one. But Shadow didn’t mind. He liked such walks.

It was another five minutes, if not more, until he had ascended to the level where he wanted to go. It was one of the Nexus Hospital floors. Shadow head for the Psychic/Mental Illnesses and Wounds Wing. At one of the rooms, he found Kate talking to her sister.

Annabel Pirate had certainly had much improvement from the moment they had found her, one month ago. She had begun to speak enough Legish words again. She had also become more open to people, too. Before, she would only let Kate touch her and would mostly respond in a more communicative way to her. However, she would now let Shadow and the doctors touch her, too, and communicate with them as well. But she mostly liked Shadow and Kate. She also talked with some of the other former prisoners, whom she seemed to know from the time she had passed in Maelstrom Lair. Anne also had taken to having long walks throughout the halls of Nexus Tower. She especially liked the rooms through which the Nexus passed.

Shadow had had many interesting talks with her during those walks. He insisted that Annie should talk about her experiences, so that she could get it out of her. So, he had learnt of many things like this black-ragged man Kate had found in Maelstrom Lair, who had sacrificed his own life for the others. Anne said he had been there when they brought her to her cell. Their cells were neighbouring and the man had often talked to her. For some reason, he seemed to keep his mental state quite good and was always kind to Annie. But he would never say his name. Shadow found that man odd in many respects.

However, Annabel was far from being fully healed, something that would probably never happen anyway. She still used many Stromling words, did not like most people, did not want to do much with the doctors, almost always had some panic in her eyes, did not do many activities other than walk, talk, draw (another good thing) and play some weird game with a little coin she must have learnt (or perhaps invented) in the dungeons of the Maelstrom Tower. She passed all of the rest of the time sleeping or crawling on her bed and thinking to herself. Another problem was that Anne’s mental and psychic growing up had almost stopped the time she had been kidnapped. Although she physically looked eighteen years old and few of her mental functions had grown on their own, she mostly seemed to behave like a ten-year old.

“Hello, Pirate sisters!” Shadow greeted them as he came to stand next to Kate “I am sorry Anne, but I’ll have to take Kate for now! A friend has come for the week and we would like to meet him!”

Little Anne was not very pleased but she only said in an almost whispering voice “Katie told me!”. Every time Kate left Anne was heartbreaking and Shadow had got used to it –almost; sometimes Kate didn’t even leave.

Some time later Shadow and Kate were out and going towards Sarah’s lab.

“You came earlier than I thought you would!” Kate said.

“Magical arrived early as it seems! We’ll meet him in Avant Gardens!” Shadow replied.

Soon, they were inside Sarah’s dark lab. As he searched for Sarah within it, he commented “I don’t understand why half the Paradox have dim lighting in their labs!”. He spotted the girl sitting on a chair bent over the desk that was in front of her and her cheek placed on it; she was asleep.

After the Great Battle, Sarah seemed to have a bad time, too. She tried not to think of that by overworking, but she ended up exhausting herself. Shadow did not know what tortured the girl, but he had some suspicions.

He approached her and then said a bit loudly “Sarah, you can’t continue doing this! You’ll smash yourself out of exhaustion!”

In response, Sarah shot upright immediately.

“What happened?!” she said surprised.

“Sarah, you must stop working so much! Don’t you think falling asleep while still working is a sign of that?”

“I know, Shadow! But I need to be ready for the move when you finish the Tower!”

Sarah was going to move her lab in the F-Tower when it was finished. In fact, there were already many boxes around them. Shadow decided not to continue the argument. They had had this discussion many times.

Soon, they were off for Avant Gardens. Magical spotted their rockets before they spotted him in the crowd of minifigures gathered in the Launch Pad area. Such places were always crowded, even after the Great Battle when many Nexus Forcers were smashed. When the three friends landed, Magical had already approached the Launch Pad to greet them.

“Greetings Magical!” Shadow said as he jumped off his rocket, which quickly shrunk and got inside his backpack.

“Hello! It’s good to see you again, Shadow, Kate!” Magical replied neglecting to notice Sarah. He paid his insult with an ‘accidental’ kick on his shin.

After greeting each other, the fellowship headed for the Monument. Seeing the huge statue of Bob, Shadow remembered the news of his returning to the Venture Explorer after it was restored. Actually, the news talked of all of the old crew returning –the surviving part of it–, but Shadow knew Bob was among them.

“It’s insane there, in Castle Kingdom! We drove them off one month ago, but many of the survivors hid in the other castles where they fortified, as you know!” Magical was saying.

“Then, why do you tell us?” Sarah said with bitterness.

Magical chose to ignore her “It’s very difficult to get in the castles or get them out! And it’s not like we can leave them, because we can’t let them multiply until they can really fight back! We are on the verge of recapturing one of them, but that’s all we have achieved until now!”

“Perhaps, they shouldn’t have recruited you! They would have done a lot better without you!” replied Sarah, who seemed to be in a worse mood than her usual when talking to Magical “It would have spared your awful state, too!”

Magical was indeed in an awful state. He had wounds everywhere, his clothes were almost ragged, he was dirty everywhere. His eyes were red, perhaps due to many sleepless nights. But not all of that was necessarily caused by the battling.

“Speaking of which, why don’t you have a shower or something!” Sarah asked making a grimace of disgust.

Magical seemed ready to explode; he certainly had a vein pulsing on his forehead. The answer to the last question, which he did not want to reveal, certainly was one of the things that outraged him the most at that time. It was that the water running on his back reminded him of the time when the Healers had poured some sort of medicine on his burnt back. It had caused a very acute pain. But for some reason he didn’t let himself explode. The truth was actually that Shadow had told him to go easy on her, because she was in a fragile state.

“I… I didn’t have time!” he finally said with a frown.

Sarah frowned, too. Making Magical angry wasn’t as enjoyable as it used to be, for some reason. After that, the atmosphere was tense and no one talked much. Even Shadow, who usually saw the two minifigures’ quarrelling as a silly thing, was now worried.

They passed the cave and reached the Sentinel Camp. Shadow had a look at the battlefield from behind the gates. It seemed empty compared to the past. The amount of Stromlings and Mechs and thus of Nexus Forcers was much smaller ever since the Great Battle had been won. There were only a few No-faction-yet-recruits waiting for the next Stromling to appear.

Shadow did not look for long. They soon had entered the cave that led to the Avant Gardens Survival. Survivals were some of the most dangerous areas in the Nimbus System –at least if you let them be. They were places where there was a special Maelstrom Field that turned all used Imagination to Maelstrom. That was why, the more time you passed in it, the stronger the enemies became. It was also why they didn’t let in more than four people in each of the Survival areas. If too many minifigures entered, the increased amount of Imagination used by the minute would make the Maelstrom far too strong. It is also necessary to carry Green Imaginite Crystals with you when you enter such a field, because when activated it forms an Imagination field that prevents your unused Imagination being turned and thus your being infected. When someone is smashed in a Survival, they are safely rebuilt due to Nexus Force mechanisms in a place where they can wait for the others. After the end of a Survival match, you have to wait an amount of time till the Maelstrom has gotten weak again. There were other Survivals, too, like the Gnarled Forest Survival, but those were only accessed by the elite.

About the sixteenth to eighteenth minute came and the difficult time began. Shadow was standing in a particular point where he knew the Stromlings, for some reason, never attacked you. He had built the Anvil of Armour and Kate had previously put a Fountain of Imagination there and Shadow was picking up the power-ups; his armour had run low and it’s never bad to restore some Imagination. Magical was fighting some Hammer Stromlings on his own. Sarah and Kate were facing some Mechs and Spiderlings at the other side of the area.

Shadow returned to the battle and built an Engineer’s turret. He started shooting many enemies. The moment it was broken by a Chainsaw Stromling, he had shot at a Spiderling. The Spiderling was pushed towards Sarah who hit with her katana boosting it the other way. It fell back on Shadow throwing him down. Sarah and Magical started laughing together. For a second, they seemed like two normal friends laughing. However, the then realised they were laughing together and stopped sharply.

As Kate helped Shadow up, having smashed the Spiderling, his F-phone rang. It was Dracula… and he sounded worried. . .

### Chapter 3: Another phone call in the midst of the day

Shadow was approaching the end of the tunnel, when his friends caught up with him.

“Who was it on the phone?” Kate asked.

“It was Vlad!” Shadow said, Vlad or Vladimir being the actual first name of Dracula.

“What did he say?” Sarah enquired.

“That he found a lost girl in Perith City! He thinks she’s a Nexus-Forcer!” Shadow answered not stopping striding.

As soon as Vlad had informed him of his having brought a lost girl, who seemed to have gone through something foul, from Perith City to Nexus Tower, Shadow had abandoned the Survival. This could be important and Shadow always wanted to help those harmed by Maelstrom or even from other things. His friends were dumbfounded for a bit, but soon followed him.

By that time, they had almost reached the monument. As he looked at it, this time, Shadow thought of other things, even in his hurry. It reminded him of his father, the architect of this work. He had been smashed due to an injury caused in the Great Battle. Shadow had been angry at him for ages, but only made up with him in his last moments of life. He would never forgive himself for that. But as they neared the Launch Pad area, having climbed on the monument and jumped from it, his mind was slowly distracted from that.

It wasn’t long until their rockets shot across the sky of Avant Gardens. Life in the Nexus Force was like that. You always travelled from world to world going to and fro all the time, as if someone was playing pinball and you were the ball. Everyone was used to it and yet it was still strange how Nexus Forcers never stayed for long in one place.

The four friends reached Nexus Tower in due time. Little did they know that they were in the beginning of a new adventure; all but Shadow, who seemed to suspect out of instinct that there was more to this than just a lost Nexus-Forcer. They headed for the Nexus Hospital. Vlad had told them he’d taken her there. Once they arrived in the right level they did not have to search for the right direction. They could listen to a crowd of people chattering and causing noise the way crowds do. Something more than suspicion told them that was the right way to go.

As they approached the crowd, which was outside a particular room, they noticed some flashes.

“The News people?! Not the News people! They destroy everything!!!” Shadow exclaimed “Mark my words; it won’t be for good that they learnt!”

While saying that, he reached for something in his backpack. It was a camera.

“How’s one more camera he-” Sarah said, but stopped as she saw the effects of one snap from it.

For a second, the flash blinded them and then they saw the whole crowd moving their hands as if greeting someone. It was that camera some “evil” genius had invented that made everyone do the greeting gesture. With everyone being also stunned by the effect of the evil construct, Shadow easily passed through them reached the door and opened it.

“How many times will I have to tell you, you are not allowed in here?!” someone shouted silently as soon as he did so.

“No, it’s okay, doctor! I know them, I called them here! They can help!” someone else said soothingly.

“That doesn’t change the fact that the patient needs rest and a crowd won’t give that to her!” the doctor continued angrily, but not speaking loudly “Besides, I only let you stay, because the girl wanted that!”

The other person was Vlad. He was sitting on a chair next to the only bed in the room. On the bed was a girl, a very crummy girl. She was sleeping. There was the doctor standing with her back on the white wall and glaring angrily at Shadow and the others. And finally on a chair at the other side of the room was a man who had fallen asleep. Shadow recognised him as a psychiatrist, having met him due to Annabel.

“But that’s Nirwell!” Kate exclaimed upon seeing the sleeping girl.

“What are you talking about?” the doctor was confused by this unfit response.

“The girl! She’s Nirwell Jane Lane!” Kate repeated.

“Yes! You’re right! It’s her!” Magical agreed.

“And how would you know?” the doctor was suspicious.

“We met her, one month ago, in the Nexus Meeting!” Sarah answered, also remembering her.

“That’s impossible!” Shadow said suddenly.

“Why so?” Sarah asked “We did meet her! You can’t say our memories are wro-!”

“I clearly remember her name in the list!” Shadow interrupted with a very weird expression on his face “This can’t be her, because Nirwell Jane Lane was smashed during the Great Battle!”. . .

### Chapter 4: The lost girl and the searching man

In the end, the doctor let two of them stay. Shadow and Kate did. They were discussing in whispers about how the girl could have been smashed permanently and then return back to life! Neither could find an answer to the question that was enough on its own.

Half an hour later and something, Nirwell woke up. She was surprised to see where she was, but then remembered that Dracula had brought her to the Nexus Tower. She looked at him and tried to smile. Neither the doctor nor the sleeping man drew her attention, but her eyes stopped on Shadow and Kate when she surveyed the room.

“Vlad? Who are they?” she said in a low voice.

“I am Strange Odd Shadow! That’s Kate Pirate!” Shadow told her coming closer “I am hoping we’ll be of help to your case!” Shadow smiled “We’re also friends of Vladimir!”

“Strange Odd Shadow and Kate? Perhaps Shadow and Katie?” the girl asked.

“Yes indeed!”

“You are the friends of Magical Fire Monkey! I heard he said you were lost somewhere! So, they found you!” the girl continued weakly.

“Well, that’s a pretty good memory! Surely, not everyone would remember all these details of one month ago!” Shadow commented.

“They are some of the last things before…” she said with an even lower voice and then hesitated “Befor-”

“It’s okay, miss Lane! You don’t have to answer that!” said a new voice.

It was the sleeping psychologist. He had woken up and was looking at Shadow with annoyance.

“Mr. Shadow, I think it’s time you left now! I am the girl’s doctor and I don’t think you should be talking about this now!” he said and showed him the door.

Shadow looked at him for a second with a “Challenge accepted!” sort of look and left, Kate following.

“That doctor’s going to smash you one day! He really doesn’t like your ways!” the girl commented.

“Just add him to the list!” Shadow said while passing through the people gathered around them.

As they walked through the hallway of the hospital they saw the two Lane sisters coming and meeting their third sister who had already arrived. Two of them had watery eyes, but it probably was due to relief. Shadow did not know whose daughter Nirwell was, but he was pretty sure it wasn’t Sky’s.

“So, Shadow! Are you going to take the case?” Kate teased him.

“Yes, it seems so! I have a suspicion that my suspicion was correct! When she said ‘before’, Nirwell said it in a very fearful way. Something happened to her and it seems to me it’s important!”

Kate seemed hesitant.

“Shadow… Are you sure you’re doing all this just because of your suspicions?” she asked.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that I’ve noticed after the Great Battle, even though you might think I haven’t. Whenever you don’t do something mind-absorbing and you think no one sees you, I have seen how your eyes turn empty and sad! It’s still affecting you! It’s not just Sarah and Magical! It’s you, too! I know you’re having nightmares, though you don’t want to admit it! I just can’t help but think you’re doing all this to forget all your pain!”

Kate’s voice broke and a few tears glowed on her cheeks. Shadow was ready to answer when suddenly a huge figure appeared between them. It was Namandel, a giant of a minifigure with skin of ebony, whom they had met just after the Great Battle. His brother had disappeared from the face of Crux in its duration. Now, Namandel was looking for him everywhere and Kate with Shadow helped him.

“Good, Shadow! I hoped I’d see you! I thought we could search in Ebasha’s properties for any clue on his location! What do you think?” he said with his bass voice.

“That’s actually a good idea! I’m free right now, so I think we could go!” Shadow replied.

Kate glared at him with silent anger. He was doing exactly what she had just been talking to him about. But she didn’t say anything. It was Shadow’s choice after all. . .

### Chapter 5: In the property of little Ebasha

Three rockets shot to the sky. The first belonged to the muscular Namandel. He barely fit in it. The next was Shadow’s, who was following eagerly. Last of all came Kate, who wanted to accompany Shadow, but thought he should talk to someone about the Battle and the scars it had left him.

These weren’t the only rockets around the Tower. The place was full of them, others coming and others leaving; some were even going around the Tower in slow circles –perhaps enjoying a stroll. It was hard to avoid crashing with the air full of rockets. But the vehicles had special mechanisms to avoid that. There were also some spaceships floating there giving the last detail to the scene.

Soon, the minifigures’ rockets were out of that ‘cloud’. Kate got her F-phone to notify Sarah and Magical of their latest movements; it was something Shadow always forgot to do. They headed for Avant Gardens. They would be going to Block Yard first. Ebasha had properties there, in Avant Grove and Nimbus Isle.

The three minifigures didn’t talk much throughout their travel. Namandel, because he wasn’t very talkative if there was no reason and the others two, because they didn’t feel like talking after their conversation. It wasn’t long till they approached Avant Gardens. However, they did not land on the world itself, but turned towards the area where the Block Yard planet chunks floated at the one side of the major world. Namandel punched the name of his brother’s property on a keyboard and the system gave him the coordinates of its. He led the way and the others followed.

In the particular Block Yard property, the entrance to the main area was narrower and so they had difficulty seeing how it was like. However, as they got in the building area, they were all astonished. The place was ruined! Whatever had been built there was now lying in pieces scattered all around the property. And it wasn’t all that. Half the things there were infected: bricks, rocks, the grass; everything had been affected.

“What happened here?” Kate voiced her shock as they surveyed the rare sight.

“Isn’t it obvious? The Maelstrom attacked and it destroyed this place! So much for finding information here!” Namandel said with disappointment in his voice.

“No, I don’t think it is! Obvious! Maelstrom rarely attacks Block Yard properties! You see there are mainly Spider Queens and their minions in these areas, but the Queens tend to stay in their nests, in other words their Block Yard properties!” Shadow disagreed. He picked up a half-infected 2x1 brick and examined it “Besides, this infection… it does not seem natural! I mean infection from most Maelstrom Beings does not tend to be like that, I think! I’ll have to give it to Sarah to examine it! She’s the expert!”

“If it’s not natural… are you suggesting this is a manmade job?” Namandel enquired.

“Yes! That’s exactly what I suggest! And if I’m right, I suspect his other properties will be like that, too! His disappearance and this can’t be a coincidence!”

“But why would anyone do that?” Kate asked.

“If you are asking why they would smash everything here, I can safely say that I have no idea! Or perhaps that I have too many ideas! If you are asking, why would they then infect everything, just so the blame was put on Maelstrom! I don’t think most would notice what I did!”

“I should take the brick to Sarah! You go to the other properties and bring samples from there, too, if there are any!” he continued “I might find you in either of them later!”

“Wait! Shouldn’t we search this place for anything more?” suggested Kate.

“Oh yes! Have I become too hasty to think?”

They did search the whole place, but found no other clue to the solution of the riddle. After doing so, Shadow departed for Nexus Tower and the others for Avant Grove. Shadow was getting more and more excited with all that was happening. But he was also getting worried. What was it that was really happening?

~~~\*\*\*---\*\*\*~~~

Sarah looked at the brick Shadow had brought her asking to examine it. It looked like a usual half-infected brick to her. She didn’t understand what was so special about it.

“Where did ya find this?”

“In Ebasha’s Block Yard!” Shadow replied and described the scene of the young man’s property.

“Really?! Most unusual! I understand why you are interested about this! But why would this brick should tell you anything about it?” she doubted.

“I think it was caused by minifigures! This may show up in the examination in the degree of infection!” Shadow replied.

“Yes, if it was done by minifigures, I suppose it probably would! I will do this test! Now, leave me to my work! I don’t work with audience!”

Shadow was in the nearest launch pad area of the Tower by the time his F-phone rang. He pressed the right button on his helm and heard the voice of Kate. The other properties were the same thing. Shadow couldn’t help but smile at his being right.

“We are coming there! No need for you to find us!” Kate had said.

Now, Shadow was in a room he rented for the night in Nexus Tower. Night had come –whether the world spins or not doesn’t change the fact that minifigures have to sleep some time– and Shadow did not think it necessary to travel all the way to his Block Yard. The night finding Kate and him in the Tower was often those days, so they had a particular room they always rented. Shadow was waiting, deep in his thoughts, on a chair for Kate to come. And on that spot, he fell asleep, exhausted by going from here there and then back here all over the Nimbus System. . .

### Chapter 6: Talking with the girl

Shadow woke up the next day on the bed of the room. He didn’t know he was such a deep sleeper, or that Kate could carry him from the chair to the bed. Speaking of the girl, she was still sleeping at his side and Shadow did not wake her up.

The young man was quite happy upon waking that day. It probably was that he had no dreams the last night. He stood up and made some hot chocolate to which he added a little bit of Imagination dust –it really is quite tasty! After drinking that and eating something from his backpack, he got out with his mind on what his plans were for this day. After the Great Battle, Shadow had a lot of free time, not really having any mission, to fill in with his own plans.

However, before he could go searching for Ebasha, he had to meet with the others to do it together. Thus, for now he just wandered around the halls of the Nexus Tower looking for some inspiration of a kind. Indeed that wasn’t the most creative to do, but in that time Shadow wasn’t really in the most creative of moods. He was really quite fine having surpassed the phase when he barely resisted the urge to crawl in a dark corner of his home and pity himself.

But he indeed found something to do and it was quite creative in the end. As he walked in a busy hallway, he saw two familiar minifigures and smiled mischievously. As he approached them from behind, he really felt a bit diabolical, but he excused himself by saying the results would be of a finest nature.

Neither Nirwell nor the psychiatrist guy saw him as he came from behind. Pushing the girl gently but fast enough, the two of them were lost in the crowd, the psychiatrist not even realising what had happened.

“Nirwell! So glad to see you! I see you and your psychiatrist are having a walk! I’m glad he’s doing one good thing! I hope you don’t mind my intrusion, but I think I know better places to hang around! I also thought you might want to talk a bit, you know, about your recent experiences!” Shadow soliloquized.

Nirwell was not sure what to say. This really caused her somewhat mixed feelings. But a weak smile was formed after some hesitation, despite the frowning of her eyebrows.

“I don’t mind!” she said with her voice which was low like always.

“I was really surprised to hear it was you that Vlad had found in Perith City! I remembered your name from the ones who were smashed in the Great Battle, so I wondered: How is it possible that you are alive now? Would you like to answer that, if you can, of course?”

“I don’t think you’d believe me!” the girl said “Most people don’t!”

“Well, you know, Nirwell! I happen to be one of the people who do believe the possibility of many things! So, I think it’d be worth telling me!”

The girl looked at him conspiratorially “I think I can’t be smashed! Well, not permanently! I thought it myself that it would be my end in that collapsing Tower! Then, out of the blue I get rebuilt one day later! It also happened later when…” Nirwell did not finish that sentence.

“It’s okay! I understand! You should tell me your story in order anyway!” Shadow told her “You know, Nirwell, there are some people who have special abilities others don’t! For instance, Kate can locate almost anyone or anything wherever they are! They are called Superians! You might be one!”

Nirwell had a surprised, but glad look that someone believed her. By that time they had reached the central room of the level, where the beam of the last Shard of the Imagination Nexus was.

“The Nexus –what’s left of it actually! It has soothing abilities among others. It’s helped me and it has helped other likes this girl Anne, who was imprisoned by Maelstrom for years! I like to come and watch it! It has an almost hypnotising effect, doesn’t it? It really is beautiful! In many ways!”

“I like it, too!” Nirwell answered with a smile “Some time after the Battle, a guy approached me. He persuaded me to go to that Block Yard! I don’t remember whether it was his! He said it was a good one! It was at the end of the Block Yard area, farthest from Avant Gardens, far from any other property. There… the-”

She was interrupted. Their time was over, because the psychiatrist, who was mad at Shadow by now, had just found them and was yelling at him.

“ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?! YOU STOLE MY PATIENT?! I AM THE DOCTOR, NOT YOU!”

Shadow did not care. He had made Nirwell open up to him. She probably liked him now and Shadow doubted anyone could like this particular doctor. She would find him and Shadow wouldn’t need to move his finger. . .

### Chapter 7: Off to the next mission!

“Mr. Strange Odd Shadow! In the case of Miss Annabel Pirate, I let you and your wife act as you wished, because you were concerned!” the psychiatrist was still telling him off some minutes later “However, in this case you are by no means related to the girl! You can’t do whatever you want!”

“But Nirwell needs to talk about what happened to her! To get it out of herself! Otherwise it will become a scar to her –a worse one at least!” Shadow objected.

“I believe you have no say in this! The girl is not ready to talk now! She will when her state is more stabilised!” the doctor insisted.

“It seems we can only agree that we disagree!” Shadow gave up and turned around to leave.

The doctor told him to wait and that he would report him to his official, but Shadow more or less ignored him.

A tad later, he was at Hael Storm’s office. He knocked the door, but no one answered from inside. Shadow knocked again, but there was still no reply. Hael Storm wasn’t really in it –he wasn’t much of an office person. Yet, to Shadow’s luck he happened to be passing from that very corridor at the time, so the Captain of old saw him waiting outside the door and came over to him.

“Arrgh, mi lad! What brrrings ye herrre?” he called loudly causing Shadow to jerk from surprise.

“I was wishing to see you concerning the people who went missing during the Great Battle! I am trying to solve a mystery and I think you might be able to help me!” Shadow replied.

“Well, then, I suppose I could assist ye! Come in to mi office, since we arre herre?” the pirate showed him the door.

Shadow opened it, since it was unlocked and he got in. It was a mess. Maps, globes (well actually cubes), mission reports and all sorts of things, but mostly the first three, were scattered around the room. Shadow could see maps of the Nimbus Station worlds, of the Crux System, of Crux as it was before the explosion of maps suggesting the location of the current worlds in the old Crux.

“Are you working on the rebuilding of the Crux, sir?”

“Aye! We have to find wherrre each of the puzzle pieces of Crrrux go to fit them together! Ye wanted something about the missing people?”

“Yes indeed!” Shadow replied looking at what was probably the only clean thing in the room. It was a show case which contained a compass, a piece of a black cloth with what seemed to be a white skull on it, a hook and a piece of wood “I would like to have a list of the people that went missing during the battle! I supposed you could bear to give me one copy!”

“Aye, I have it, mi boy, but we arrre not supposed to be giving this to anyone! Ye fancy ye will put it to good use?”

“I do fancy I will!”

“Well, then, I trrrust ye as Alberrrt does!” he said and after searching through some places he found the piece of paper he was looking for “Herrre it is, mi lad! Now, off ye go! Arrrgh!”

Shadow got out pleased with himself and put the list in his backpack, after giving it a quick look. He then headed for his room. He found Kate awake.

“Where were you?” she asked before sipping some orange juice.

“I visited Hael Storm to take a list of the missing people since the Great Battle! I thought we might check their properties as well!” Shadow replied.

“That’s all good, but shouldn’t we wait for the results of Sarah’s examination before we go and check all of these properties!”

“We should! That’s why, for now, we are visiting a very particular Block Yard property! I forgot to mention I also met Nirwell and had a talk with her! Unfortunately, her doctor found us before she could tell me the whole story, but she will soon! Besides we’ve got enough clues to continue our search!” Shadow said and described to Kate Nirwell’s story.

“Don’t you think we’ve had too much of properties these days?” Kate asked.

“Yes, I do! And that’s one more reason I think the two cases are connected!” Shadow responded.

“You mean Ebasha’s and Nirwell’s?” Kate enquired “That there is someone who systematically abducts people and destroys their properties?”

“It is an assumption!” Shadow told her “By the way, I think we should take Magical with us! We might meet someone aggressive!”

“Okay! On another note, Shadow, you can still talk to me! You know, about the Great Battle!”

Shadow avoided her eyes and an awkward silence followed.

Magical was snoring loudly. Really loudly! It made Shadow think that Sarah must have complained about this at some point!

“Magical, will you wake up any time soon?!” Shadow almost yelled in his ear while at the same time pushed him on the shoulder.

“Wait, what? What…?!” Magical was surprised “Did they assault the Northern Tower?!”

He looked at Shadow for a few seconds. Then, at Kate. Then, at the room.

“So, what is it?” he asked after making sure he was in the Nexus Tower and yawning.

“Perhaps, you would like to join us in our next mission!” Shadow suggested.

“Why don’t you two wait outside while I get dressed, then let me eat something and I might consider your offer!” Magical told them.

After Magical was ready, they headed for the launch pads. Shadow filled in Magical in what they had done yesterday and the morning. Then, they were back in their rockets. In the months that had passed since Shadow joined the Nexus Force, rocket-travelling had not become less unpleasant for him and that made their constant travelling from one place to another all the more annoying.

On the one side of Avant Gardens is Nimbus Station, not very close, but not really away. From the side almost opposite to that is the area of the Block Yards, while the Avant Groves are mostly between the two worlds. The end of the Block Yard area also constitutes the end of the Nimbus System on that side. Next to it is the Zephyr Asteroid Field, an area unexplored due to the many accidents caused in it. You could call it like a Bermuda Triangle of the Crux System.

It was almost in that place the minifigures were going. According to Nirwell, the Block Yard the one farthest away from Avant Gardens. As their rockets approached the zone of the farthest properties and they searched a tad, they noticed there was a planet chunk far off from any other. It almost was part of the asteroid field, but it certainly had Block Yard characteristics. The minifigures set for that place, wondering what they would find. . .

### Chapter 8: In the property farthest away

The three minifigures landed on the property. Contrary to most Block Yard properties, that one was dark, with little light reaching the place. The three friends walked cautiously towards the interior of the planet chunk. They found what seemed like a mansion.

There was a pool and a garden full of beautiful flowers, bushes and some trees. The building itself was a structure of fine architecture, perhaps three storeys tall and wide enough to contain quite many rooms.

“This garden desperately needs a gnome or two, don’t you think?” Shadow commented in whispers tongue-smiling.

“It would certainly cheer the place up a bit!” Magical replied.

They walked towards the double leaf door of the villa. Shadow got something from his backpack. It looked like a penknife and a key at the same time. He placed it on the keyhole and after some struggling with it the sound of unlocking was heard. The door slid open and they entered. Kate coming in last did not close the door; they might have to leave hastily and a closed door would be a problem.

The interior of the house was even darker, with the only light coming in from occasional windows. They were even more cautious this time and even tried not to make the planks creak. Every time it happened –and it was way more often than they’d like– they stood still trying to listen to any movement.

Slowly, but steadily they reached some sort of living room. Five doors were on its walls, one of them being the one they’d came from.

“Perhaps, we should split up!” Shadow suggested “And we can communicate through F-phones”

No one really felt comfortable with that, but they did, so that they could search faster. Each one of them chose one door and passed through it. Shadow searched for a while; despite the house being vast and having so many things it seemed empty of life. There wasn’t anything signifying the earlier existence of someone in there. So, it was until Shadow noticed a little piece of paper on the floor. It was very lucky of him to notice, because normally his glance would just pass over it too fast to notice anything.

Shadow picked it up. It seemed to be torn from a bigger piece. There were three single words on it. One was an article, one wasn’t really a word and the third wasn’t complete. It said “The NCC reques”. It probably meant to say requests, but what the NCC requested or who he was, Shadow couldn’t know. The other side of it was blank.

While he tried to make head or tales of it, Shadow heard the voice of Kate coming from the F-phone installed in his helm. She sounded hurrying.

“Shadow, Magical, there’s someone here! Come quickly! He’s running!” the girl said.

Shadow started running immediately. Reaching the living room they’d passed through, he saw a figure passing through the door they’d come from. Magical and Kate were closer to him. The three minifigures were now chasing the escaping minifigure. They got out of the building and the minifigure was already halfway to the launch pad. Before even Magical covered half the distance, the minifigure had reached the pad and got his rocket out. As his rocket got ready, he shot them one single glance that only lasted for a second. Then, he was on the rocket and off to the skies.

Soon, they were rocket chasing him! With Magical at the ‘frontline’ they followed the escapee who could reveal to them so much about all that was happening. However, the minifigure entered the asteroid field. The three minifigures were not afraid to follow, but they’d find themselves out like fish out of water there. The rockets of the Nexus Force were quite maneuverable, but even they had a hard time to avoid all of the floating rocks.

Soon, it was also revealed that the pursued one had much more experience in the asteroid field. He passed amongst the rocks with ease, while his pursuers were moving clumsily through the dangerous asteroids. The chase continued, but the minifigure was getting further and further away. Finally, Magical stopped.

“We lost him!” he called on his F-phone.

“Yes, indeed!” Shadow replied with anger rising inside of him. How could he get away?

### Chapter 9: In the F-Tower

Shadow, Kate and Magical returned to the F-Tower of Block Yard disappointedly. The man had gotten away and they’d found nothing else in that property. Shadow had shown them the paper and they agreed it could mean something, if they had the rest of the paper!

“So, what do we do now?” Magical asked as he collapsed on a couch.

“We wait, I suppose! Sarah must be looking on that brick I gave her now. As soon as she finishes, she’ll call to tell us what she’s found and we can continue based on that!” Shadow replied sitting on his favourite armchair.

Time passed slowly as they anticipated the call. But it finally came before long, even though it seemed like long.

“Hello, Shadow! I’m once again amazed! All of the samples you brought me show the same low level of infection. I can’t believe how you got that just by looking at them! I’d suppose it was caused by Infected Water! Very infectious, but the infection is not deep. The only logical answer would be that someone not infected used it to infect these bricks! You were right all along!” came her voice from Shadow’s helm.

“I knew it!” Shadow said after she hung up “Now, there’s another thing we should do! I have a list with people that went missing during the Battle! We need to search their properties to see if the same thing has happened to theirs, too! Let me make some research and stuff” he told them and sat on a computer.

Shadow started typing on his keyboard furiously. Searching through the Nexus HQ, he found all of the missing ones’ properties. Having recorded all the property names, he made a list of them, in which he gave a particular number of them to each FFFFF Squad member –with only some exceptions perhaps.

“And send!” he said as he sent the list together with some instructions to all the members of their squad.

“So, shall we go on to search properties, too?” Magical asked, sitting up.

“Nope!” Shadow told him. “We can do that later, but first we have some other things to do! The man we saw, if we manage to draw a good picture of him, we might find him somewhere!”

“I don’t remember his face too well!” Kate told him “And you can’t draw very well, Shadow! Let’s face it, there’s no chance of making a good picture!”

“Yeah, but…” Shadow started.

“I can draw him!” Magical suggested.

And before Shadow or Kate could enquire how he would do that, Magical grabbed a sheet of paper and a pencil –you could always find such things easily in that house– and started drawing. The two other minifigures stood behind him and looked over his shoulder at what he drew. He had to ask Shadow for some details he did not remember, but the result was praiseworthy.

“Great job, Magical! I didn’t know you had it in you, but you’re a secret talent!” Shadow praised.

“Yeah, thanks, just don’t tell Sarah!” he responded.

Meanwhile, FFFFF members had been calling to ask this or that about the mission he’d given them; especially what it was all about. That gave Shadow a hard time, because he wanted to concentrate on what he was doing now and they were distracting him.

Having got the sketch, he scanned it and sent it to his members, too. He was telling them that if they saw him anywhere they should tell Shadow and try not to lose him. He also sent it to Overbuild, together with a report of what he’d discovered until now.

“Kate, I think you can go and search some properties! Check your list! I might join you later!” he said to Kate, as he prepared for some other job, too.

“What about me?” Magical asked.

“You stay! I have a special job for you, if I am successful in my next search!”

Shadow was typing on the keyboard again. He found the name to which the property they’d just visited was registered. Then, he searched for the properties of the man who owned it. He found no other, but he tried other similar combinations of names. He thought it might be a fake name and that they might have used something similar for another property that was actually owned by the same person –or more probably people.

He had no success for some time. Actually, the night reached them and they had to go to sleep. The next day, he continued. Magical had wandered off somewhere in the Block Yard, but Shadow did not know what he was doing. He was unsuccessful again till his F-phone rang once again.

“Who is it now?” he exclaimed to himself angrily.

“Hello! Is this Strange Odd Shadow?” said a voice Shadow didn’t recognise, which surprised him having expected one of the members of his Squad.

“Yes, that’s me!”

“Well, I would like to let you know” the voice said “that Nirwell Jane Lane has requested to speak with you!”. . .

### Chapter 10: The lost girl’s story

Strange Odd Shadow was still smirking when he reached the Nexus Tower. He had sent off Magical to search properties as well, for the time being, so that he could talk with Nirwell. This discussion could be of utmost importance and shouldn’t be delayed.

According to the information the nurse who had called him gave him, the girl had decided that she liked Strange Odd Shadow and wanted to speak to him and not so much with Dr. Moswar, the psychiatrist. Shadow could imagine the doctor raging on this and he smiled. He almost felt the urge to laugh. He had a little, when he first heard the news.

Meanwhile, he was already getting reports on the property search. He had made some sort of online list thingy that was only accessible by the FFFFF members. Someone could log in at any time and change the state of a property from “Unknown” to “Ruined/Pseudo-Infected” or “Normal”. And also any one of them could log in and see the state of the already visited properties. So far, Brick, Adam, Kate, Sarah, Lemon and Jean had all found ruined properties. Just as Shadow had imagined, the problem was far wider than it seemed in the beginning.

Shadow enjoyed his walk till the level where the Mental/Psychic Diseases and Stuff wing of the Nexus Hospital was. By that time, he’d learnt the route like the back of his hand –both fake and real. Once he was at Nirwell’s room, he knocked on the door cheerfully. The people outside had been quite reduced, but there were still some people. Someone told him to come in and Shadow did.

The young man found Dr. Moswar, Vlad and of course Nirwell in. Vlad had become something like a protector or a bodyguard for Nirwell. He was one of the people that she felt the safest with and the most insecure without. Shadow did not know whether she really needed protection from anything, but he didn’t argue if that made the girl happy.

Shadow waved a greeting at Vlad, smiled facetiously at the doctor and then turned to Nirwell.

“Miss Nirwell! So happy to see you! I’m glad you asked for me! How are you feeling today?” he greeted.

“Hello, Dr. Shadow!” Nirwell replied with a somewhat insecure smile “I am fine! My injuries hurt less!”

“But I am no doctor!” Shadow laughed “I have neither studied medicine nor gotten a doctorate! Would you like to have a walk or stay here?”

“Let’s walk!”

“After you!” Shadow pointed to the door.

Leaving, he waved at Vlad again and winked at Moswar. As they got out, they first talked about unimportant things –but not for the weather, that’s too cliché-ish– and only started really talking when they felt comfortable in the loneliness of a huge crowd.

“You remember about the property I told you?” Nirwell asked, most probably rhetorically.

“Yes indeed! I even visited it! Found a suspicious man there! But he got away!” Shadow responded.

“Good! Well, in that property more people were expecting me!” the blonde girl started.

And so went the story that Nirwell spake. It wasn’t long after the girl entered the mansion of the property before she was assaulted by some minifigures. They drugged her using imagi-chloroform. That is a substance like chloroform, capable of knocking out a person, but with a pinch of Imagination, it also causes delusionary nightmares to anyone who inhales it. Even after one wakes up, the delusions might continue distorting reality.

After many nightmares, many of which she was afraid to recall, Nirwell woke up in some dark, humid place, probably a cell. She didn’t know how much time had passed, but she supposed it was more than a day. For some time, she was left to her delusions and with hindsight, Nirwell would have preferred it to have stayed at that. But those were not the intentions of her captors.

At some point, something opened up and light entered the room blinding the girl. In the instance before the door –because it probably was a door that had opened– closed, Nirwell saw two wicked cold eyes watching her. The voice that spoke afterwards was just as cruel as the eyes. He told her that her alliance with the Nexus Force had been wrong and that now she was marred. Described now, this might not seem as something too terrible, but his words were far more persuasive. And the seeds of doubt of one’s choices can drive one mad alone. But this is not where it ended. The man told her that perhaps if she talked she’d almost be redeemed. At first, Nirwell did not want to speak, but then came the torturing. At that point of the story, Nirwell’s voice cracked and she did not want to speak of the tortures. Shadow did not push her, but he assumed that her injuries and the infection of her right leg had occurred at that point.

As this continued and it was certainly many days that it did, the girl’s resistance cracked. She spoke and told the man many things. But the thing is she didn’t know what he wanted her to tell. So, no matter what she said the tortures continued. And Nirwell was trying to find out what she was doing wrong and what there was to say.

And so passed the time, with the only measure of it being the meals she was brought (which she was sure weren’t even coming twice a day, but any time the people wanted) and the times the man came to torture her. Throughout the whole process, she was given some other substance that made everything blurry; even senses other than sight were affected and thinking was harder. Only the sense of pain was acuter than ever –and perhaps of warmth and cold, too.

After that, Nirwell got through something just as bad, if not more. They got her out of the cell and led her through dark hallways to some open bright place. It was also loud, but with the fuzziness of everything she couldn’t understand where she was. They called to her to fight and she realised there was something in front of her –not something, but someone. Nirwell did not realise much what was happening. With clumsy moves and her weak legs barely able to bear her she swung a weapon she had just been given. She thought the same was done by the other person. And then suddenly the other person was smashed. And Nirwell watched their bricks fall to the ground. And her mind was clearer now, but not as clear.

Upon the realisation of what she had just done, Nirwell screamed her lungs out and fell to her knees. She couldn’t bear what had just happened. Someone urged her with a lance to get up again, but Nirwell continued mourning the fate of the person she didn’t know, but had just been smashed by her own hands. And then someone else passed by her and she heard a voice in her ear: “Fight them! Don’t give up!”

The voice sounded tormented, but proud. Nirwell looked at who had just passed and saw a boy with skin of ebony. He was looking at her with eyes that sparked. He was a captive, too, but he was free. And he had just freed Nirwell as well.

The girl got up decisively. She was pushed by metal and found herself in front of some other minifigure. The situation had not changed and the smashed were still smashed. But Nirwell had changed and she understood this was neither the place nor the time for mourning.

“Play it dead!” she had whispered to the other person as she attacked with her sword.

“What?!” the minifigure asked confusedly as they blocked.

“They might spare you, if they think you are not alive!” she explained.

The person understood. They pretended to fight for a bit and then the other fell down supposedly by her weapon. Nirwell tried that with three more people. It seemed to work. But in the end, it didn’t.

Soon, Nirwell was dragged back to her cell. There she was told that her scheme had been discovered! One of the three had been smashed in the process of hunting them down, but the two others were captured again. Now, they were going to be tortured because of her. They moved Nirwell to another room where the two minifigures had been put. They had her watch them be punished. And this was a torment of itself without her own torturing that followed.

After a new time period in her cell, but also in the room of the other men, too, she was brought to the bright place again. She wasn’t sure what she was going to do. She didn’t want to smash people, but could she let herself be smashed instead? But then she remembered the boy and its eyes and what he had said. And she took her decision.

When she was put in front of another minifigure, she looked the woman in the eyes and poked her sword into the ground. She felt the acute pain of the blade next. The feeling of her pieces being torn from each other was realer than ever. Only the time she had been smashed in the Great Battle was like it. And Nirwell expected that to be the end.

But it was not! And it was after that that Nirwell assumed she had that ability concerning smashing. She woke up in an unholy place full of skeletons and scattered pieces of minifigures. It seemed like a cavern. It took her time to find her way out, because it also was labyrinthine. But when she did, she found something that was lucky to the point of suspicion. A Portalling happened to be there. Portallings are a kind of Stromlings that has the ability to create portals to pass from place to place. Nirwell knew from experience that those portals could also be used by others if you jumped in before they closed. And when the Portalling created a vortex, which was quite soon, Nirwell was ready and jump she did.

That got her out in Perith City. The creature was nowhere to be seen. Yet, it was soon forgotten due to the frightfulness of the place she had ended up to. All that happened through confusion and fear and Nirwell’s mind was never really clear until she woke up in the Nexus Hospital.

And that was the story that Nirwell spake to Shadow that day. And Shadow having heard it was sitting long contemplating it, for it was most concerning.

“Thank you, Nirwell! For telling me all that! It has been most helpful! And I’m sure it wasn’t easy for you to say it. But I hope you are feeling better now!”

Nirwell smiled. She did feel better. Shadow soon led her back to her room. But as Shadow left, he was still contemplating on the story. . .

### Chapter 11: The searching man searches

Namandel’s rocket landed on the Nimbus Isle property of that girl, Nirwell. Shadow had added her properties to the list as well. Namandel walked in it. By now, he was familiar with the sight of a ruined property; Scattered bricks all over, with Maelstrom aura covering a lot of its surface. So, Shadow was right to connect the two cases.

Namandel looked around the property for the sign of anything that could be a clue. He didn’t seem to find anything. But then he noticed some movement in a nearby tree. It was growing on a rock and it was higher than he was. And as he looked and came nearer, a flock of birds came out of it and started flying.

The birds made a V formation and they seemed to fly away. But then to Namandel’s surprise they turned back. And it looked like they were heading for him. As they came nearer and nearer, Namandel grabbed his spear and shield. They could be aggressive. And then he noticed the purple stains on them. They were infected! That certainly meant a fight.

The birds reached him and he felt their sharp beaks cutting him and biting him. He attacked with his spear and upon the formation’s collision he smashed one or two. Only when they drew back to strike again, did he realise what kind of birds they were.

“Ducks?! Really? Ducks?!” Namandel exclaimed.

Due to his being quite big, he was an easy target for the Maelstrom Ducks, while his weapon was not suitable for attacking a flock of birds. That’s why in the next attack he was even more hurt while he still only smashed two.

At the third strike, Namandel fell down. How could these ducks be beating him?

“I will not be smashed by stupid ducks!!!” Namandel shouted and his voice would have echoed loud and clear in a long distance, had they been in a whole planet.

He let his shield and put his hand inside his backpack. The ducks were already turning back to strike for the fourth time and perhaps the last one, so Namandel grabbed the first thing he found and got it out… It was a hot dog!

“A hot dog! Really?!” Namandel complained to his luck.

Namandel quickly put his hand inside the backpack again in search of something else. But the ducks were coming. And then with the rush of adrenaline Shadow remembered what the hot dog was.

He put his spear down and grabbed the hot dog again and tossed it in his mouth. He was still munching it when the first beak bit his stomach. And then he opened his mouth…

Fire was spit all over the ducks who were gathering over him to attack. Burning ducks started flapping away, scattering all over the property, but eventually dropping on the ground and smashing. The few of them that were still alive fled for fear of a similar fate. Namandel continued lying on the ground trying to catch his breath.

~~~\*\*\*---\*\*\*~~~

Brick was approaching the launch pad of yet another destroyed property. He couldn’t understand why anyone would do that! It really made no sense to him that anyone would want to smash everything in a property.

However, as he reached the launch pad he heard a crash! Turning around he saw a smashed rocket in the inside of the property. It caught fire, but Brick ran towards it to help whoever had crashed. He found Adam!

Brick dragged his friend away from the fire. The minifigure coughed and looked at the person who was helping him.

“Brick! You saved me! Thank you!” he said.

“You sound surprised!” Brick replied smiling.

Adam smiled, too. Helping him get up, Brick asked him what had happened to him. He had also noticed Maelstrom stains on his clothes.

“I was ambushed! In the last property I visited. Maelstrom was there and it attacked me. I barely got out alive! I was chased, so I piloted the rocket in frenzy and crashed! We should actually go, because they might have followed me!”

The two friends went to the launch pad quickly. The prospect of being found by Maelstrom there wasn’t quite the most cheerful thing. Neither of them was a good fighter. Brick borrowed his backup rocket to Adam and they rocketed away.

~~~\*\*\*---\*\*\*~~~

Namandel visited another property of Nimbus Station. By that time, he had lost count of them. He had let Shadow know of his little adventure in the previous property. It certainly did not indulge his already hurt pride when Shadow started laughing at hearing he was attacked by Maelstrom Ducks.

With these thoughts in mind, he walked inside the property… and realised it was quite a sound one. He had finally found a property that was neither smashed down nor infected. . .

### Chapter 12: A chapter for which I didn’t bother finding a title

“Namandel, stay there hidden somewhere! And probably call for some backup! If they come for the property, you should follow them!” Shadow was saying.

He had just seen the change of status of the particular property where Namandel was to “Normal”. Just after that, Namandel had called to notify him personally! Shadow hoped someone would indeed show up in the property, so that they could get more information.

Meanwhile, he had also been informed of Adam’s and Namandel’s attacks. They had not been the only. Three more members had been attacked, one of them, one of the newest, smashed! And that made Shadow worry more for Maelstrom rarely attacked in properties. And now there had been five attacks in a day. And Shadow did not think that they were random nor irrelevant.

Now, he was once again typing furiously on a computer trying to find a property or a person related to all this. It wasn’t long before he was interrupted again. This time it was Doctor Overbuild!

“Hello, Shadow! Happy to see you’re at work!” the man said while his automated wheel chair brought him near the young man.

“Greetings Doc! What brings you here?” Shadow replied not even looking at the man.

“Actually, you! That drawing you sent me! I searched for that man! We found many shots of him and videos as well, taken from some surveillance cameras we have placed in some spots” Overbuild explained.

“Really?! Where is he? Did you capture him?” Shadow asked excitedly this time turning to look at him.

“That’s the thing, Shadow! All of these snaps and videos are from before you sent me the drawing! While the man seemed to be quite active in several of the busy places he now seems to have vanished!” Overbuild replied.

“Brick it! Of course he has! He probably knows we’re looking for him!” Shadow said exasperated “That will make it all much more difficult! It seems we’ve found ourselves some good opponents!”

Shadow filled Overbuild in all the rest he had learnt. The faction leader seemed to share his concern.

“Well, goodbye Shadow! I wish you well in your search!” Overbuild turned to leave, but he stopped “Oh and something else, Shadow! Please don’t try and steal patients from doctors again or do something similar! This time you got away with it, because Nirwell liked you. But next time I don’t think we’ll be able to save you from your punishment! Or that we should!”

And with that he left. Shadow was alone again. He looked at the screen of the computer to continue working. And then he realised he had found something. . .

### Chapter 13: In the mysterious property

“Do we really have to do this together?” Sarah complained for the umpteenth time.

“For the millionth time, it could be dangerous there and it wouldn’t be wise if only one of us went!” Magical replied “Not that I like it of course!”

Strange Odd Shadow had discovered a property to match his requirements. He had called Magical and Sarah to send them on a mission to investigate it. Now the two minifigures were heading to the particular Nimbus Isle with their rockets.

“I know, I know, but couldn’t Shadow pick someone else?!”

“I guess he knows something more to send the two of us!”

“What is there to know? I don’t think you’d do anything properly, so why send you in any important mission anyway?”

“You know it is *your* skills, the ones you supposedly have, that are not necessary to this mission! On the other hand, if we need to fight anyone or anything you wouldn’t like to be without me!”

“Yet, fighting is the only thing you *can* do! Oh no! You can also open jars!”

“Mock me as you like, but if I leave you alone expect to be kidnapped like these people! I don’t think you’d like it too much! But I think they’d like it even less! They wouldn’t be able to stand you!”

As the two people continued playing ping pong of insults, they passed over Nimbus Station. Sarah looked at the people below having a good time, going about their business, ignoring the fact that something important might be happening at the moment. She looked to the edge of the world, where in the blackness of space she could see the little chunks of Crux looking less and less like stars and more like what they really were. They soon would be there.

The Nimbus Isle property that was a suspect happened to be one of the chunks nearest to Avant Gardens. That was one more hint for its being related to all of this. The computers of their rockets recognised the world as they approached the borders of the Nimbus Station territory.

“Let’s start descending!” Magical said interrupting their arguing.

“You don’t need to tell me what to do!” Sarah protested.

“Don’t I? If I let you, you’d continue going on till you reached Yorkanton!”

“Haha! Very funny! You think I’m the one with less brain of the people in these two rockets!”

“Well, it’s certainly not me!”

“You wish! You’re not even compared to a-” Sarah was interrupted by Magical.

“Wait! What’s that?!” he asked worriedly.

“What? Have we started to fe-” this time Sarah stopped on her own; she was feeling it, too.

Their rockets were being shaken, harder and harder as they approached the property. It was like something wanted to stop them from going on. Perhaps something did! Or someone…

Yet, the two of them continued on! They were both too stubborn to stop in the first difficulty. Even as the shaking started getting dizzy enough to make them feel like Shadow every time he rode a rocket. The shaking did not stop for some time. However, in the end, with one curt move the rockets shot towards the ground of the Nimbus Isle.

Sarah started immediately trying to change the rocket’s route and saved herself from crashing just the last moment. On the other hand, Magical’s reflexes were not as quick and his rocket crashed, while he managed to jettison himself out of it.

“That’s so Gnarled Forest!” Sarah exclaimed recalling their other rocket crash during their first adventures. That time it was the Four-Faced Guy messing with their rockets. Who was it now?

Magical almost smiled at the noting of the déjà vu-ness of the situation, but he remembered it was Sarah he was with.

“Let’s just continue!” he said and moved towards the inner of the property.

Her rocket had dug slightly into the ground and Magical was not waiting for her, so she decided she could take care of the rocket later.

The property contained some sort of mansion much like the one Shadow, Kate and Magical had investigated. It wasn’t easy to break in, but in the end they managed to get through the door. Inside, the building was also similar to the other one. The two minifigures researched it for long and examined ‘every inch of it’. However, for long they found nothing. It actually seemed like it had been long abandoned. They did not split up at any moment of their investigation for fear of facing something separately less efficiently (or not efficiently at all) than if they were together.

In the end, Magical collapsed on the sofa of a big living room in the centre of the ground floor. He was sure there should be something they could find there, but they couldn’t despite all their efforts. Sarah started walking across the room from one side to another and then back to the first one. They were both trying to think of what they hadn’t already thought. Yet, after a while, Magical’s thoughts were distracted and thinking this or that he ended up focusing on the sound of Sarah’s steps. And while he didn’t do it for any particular reason, after a bit he noticed there was something peculiar. And then something clicked in his mind!

“Walk back there again!” he pointed to a particular spot on the floor.

“What?!” Sarah was looking at him as he had finally started showing the signs of madness she was always suspicious he had.

“Just do it! I want to see something!” Magical replied with excitement.

Sarah obeyed, but she still had the same look.

“Ha! Just I had thought of it!” Magical exclaimed “It must be hollow there!”

Sarah hit her foot on the floor again and she noticed the hollow sound, too. She almost congratulated Magical for having one good idea in his life, but she didn’t give him even that, she just said “Oh yes! You must be right”

With no patience to see if the floor opened in some particular way, Magical just grabbed his longsword and stabbed at the spot. It went through and after some more times, Magical had smashed the whole thing opening a hole for them to get in.

“You do realise that this could have caused something bad? It still may have!” Sarah found the chance to criticise him.

“Just get in!”

Inside, they found more interesting staff. After climbing down a metal ladder they found themselves in a circular hall with several doors. One led to a big room with many chairs and a pedestal. It seemed like a place where people of organisations of any kind met. One led to a room with two metal doors they couldn’t open. It seemed like they were cells. Another door led to a lab. Unfortunately, no signs of what kind of experiments were worked on there were left, but still there was an eerie atmosphere there. It was generally eerie with an odd silence down there.

They were still surveying the lab, which was quite big. Magical was still looking at some chemistry sets to see if he could find anything more, but Sarah moved slightly further. The end of the room was there and there was one more door there. Sarah opened the door and found a long corridor that seemed to lead to utter darkness.

“We should totally check this place out!” Sarah told Magical.

The latter looked at her direction and saw the open door leading to blackness. He thought it seemed much more suspicious than anything else.

“No, wait! Let’s finish with this room first!” Magical responded and went to look on another table.

“Come on, Magical! We’ve already finished here and if we are going to find something it will be there!”

“No, Sarah! I’m not going just yet and we shouldn’t split up!”

Sarah looked at Magical. Then, she looked back at the corridor. She had a bizarre look, as if the darkness had some charm on her.

While Magical continued he didn’t notice anyone coming. Yet, something else warned him: his superian power suddenly became suspicious of activity that could lead to a battle. He always seemed to sense when fighting was coming; like the first time they’d met the Last of the Black Knights… or the Great Battle of course.

Magical turned around to the surprise of two minifigures who were trying to sneak near him. They were wearing black clothes that covered as much of them as possible, they were holding daggers and pistols and did not look friendly. As they were taken aback, Magical had the chance to hit first. The one closer to him felt the rage of his sword on the face and chest (not the cutting side) and was flung to the opposite wall. The other one looked at his comrade and then fearfully at Magical. The said man charged against him, but having recovered the minifigure dodged his attack. Meanwhile, the one who was hit was unconscious. The minifigure fired his pistol, but Magical swirled and the bullet hit on the shield on his back. The attacker took the opportunity and charged against Magical placing his dagger near the man’s throat. However, Magical kicked him on the reed and his opponent being distracted he managed with one hit to disarm him of his dagger. The black-clothed enemy found a chance as Magical’s sword was still moving due to the momentum it had gained. His free hand grabbed Magical’s neck and started squeezing. The Sentinel drew his other sword, but with the pressure on his throat he found himself struggling to move properly. But Magical refused to give up and finding the strength to do so he raised his leg and kicked his opponent on the belly. The next moment the stranger found himself lying on the floor with Magical on top of him threatening his throat with one of his swords.

“Now you shall tell me what all of this is about!” Magical ordered.

However, instead of talking he watched the person get white as a sheet and smash. It was like he was poisoned. Or as if he had poisoned himself… Magical had heard of people who would even give their lives so that their cause was not hurt.

Upset that he had just watched a minifigure smash, perhaps by its own hands and with his participation, Magical got up saying “Thank you very much for the help, Sarah!”

There was no answer. And as Magical looked around he realised she was nowhere to be seen. Worry started growing in him.

“No, she didn’t!” he muttered and started running inside the corridor.

However, he hadn’t run a long distance when he heard a female scream from above.

“Oh no! Brick! Oh no!” he exclaimed.

He started going the other direction till he was back at the metal ladder. He climbed it up in a matter of seconds and then hurried out of the villa. Yet, as he got out he only saw a rocket shoot to the skies. Someone had just gotten away. And Magical wasn’t sure what they’d taken with them. . .

### Chapter 14: A new development

“I told her! I told her not to go there! But she wouldn’t listen to me!” Magical exclaimed in despair.

His eyes were looking worriedly moving fast and suddenly. He played with his fingers like people do when they are nervous. He was pacing up and down and if Shadow had let him he might have repeated the same things many times. His tone indicated how worried he was.

“Wait a sec, Magical!” Shadow protested “What happened? Where is Sarah?”

Magical had just returned from the mission to which he’d sent Sarah and him. Sarah was not with him and Magical was in that state. Shadow had been anticipating some good news, but now he got anxious. Kate was with him at the moment and she didn’t look more relaxed after seeing Magical.

“That’s what I’m telling you!” Magical said slightly frustrated with his mind apparently not clear.

He soon calmed slightly and narrated what had happened. At the point when he mentioned Sarah’s having vanished, Shadow’s expression got bleak and Kate’s larynx produced some exclamations. Then, he reached the point when the rocket took off.

“I immediately ran after them, but they were way ahead and as I approached the launch pad the building exploded behind me! The shockwave knocked me further and I was generally distracted for a moment. Yet, when I did get on my rocket and after the rocket of the other minifigure I did manage to spot it despite the distance. It flew away from Nimbus Station by Avant Gardens and finally reached the Zephyr Asteroid Field. There, I completely lost it! I couldn’t save her, Shadow! Now they have her! What will we do?!”

Magical was obviously living this tragedy as much as them, despite the feelings he had always shown against her in the past. Despite the grimness of the situation, Shadow couldn’t help but notice “And why would you care so much? I thought you said you hated her or something!”

“Well, you know she’s your friend Shadow, Kate! And if anyone is going to smash her that should be me!” Magical tried to find his old confidence saying that, but it was an obvious failure.

“Sarah! Oh no! The Creator knows what they’re doing to her now!” Kate was worried and a tear was rolling on her cheek “What now?”

“Well… I think we all know what now! We are going to pay a visit to the Zephyr Asteroid Field!” said Shadow. . .

### Chapter 15: In the Asteroid Field

Three rockets flew past an asteroid. They had just entered the Zephyr Asteroid Field. Shadow was seated in one of them, Magical in another and Kate on the third. Shadow looked at Kate’s rocket and contemplated the events and what could happen to her. He had not wanted her to come.

“It will most probably be dangerous and I don’t want you to be hurt! Especially now, I can’t let anything happen to you!” he had said.

“What do you mean especially now?!” Kate had asked.

“Now that your sister is back and we are in the beginning of our own family!”

“But don’t you realise I’m afraid for you as much as you are for me! Magical and Sarah went alone to that property and only one of them returned. Now, you are probably going somewhere even more dangerous! I can’t let you go alone! Besides I was never the kind of girl that avoided action!”

Shadow had had to admit that that was true and in the end he had agreed on the terms that she would be extra careful and wouldn’t risk too much. But this had not been the only matter that Kate had raised.

“And something more, Shadow! I think that it would be wiser to talk about… well everything –what I was telling you the other day– before we leave!” Kate had told him.

Shadow had been afraid she might bring this up.

“I don’t think th-”

“Shadow! One of the first things you said when you saw Nirwell was that she needed to talk about what had happened to her! Don’t you realise it’s the same thing with you?”

“Yes, I guess you are right, but… we do not have the time! We need to act as fast as possible!”

Kate had known she couldn’t change his mind and so she didn’t try. Shadow was very mulish some –or many– times.

Now, the three of the four original FFFFF members were piloting their rockets to save the fourth. Despite Shadow’s worries, part of him felt pleased that it was them working together again. They often got separated nowadays.

The Zephyr Asteroid Field did not consist of actual asteroids. They were just chunks of Crux that did not come from the surface. They varied in size and shape, but what they all had in common was that there was no life on them and that there was no level surface on them. The field had a spherical shape and had about the same diameter as the Nimbus System, but theoretically there could be something inside it. That was what they were going to find out today.

In the beginning, they were just flying their rockets maneuvering to avoid the chunks. However, about half an hour after they entered the field, something started firing them. The first hits, the ones that surprised them, were on Kate’s rocket. Luckily, Shadow, in knowledge of the danger of the Field, despite not knowing its origin, had prepared by strengthening the rockets’ shields and weapons. Even so, Kate’s rocket was slightly damaged and it almost hit an asteroid.

Shadow immediately looked over his shoulder at the source of the attacks, which had momentarily stopped. On a chunk from which they were going farther and farther, he noticed two laser blasters aiming at them. He did not know whether they were robotic or controlled by someone who was somewhere else, but he knew that they then started firing him. Shadow maneuvered to avoid the fire, but he also had to dodge the floating rocks, so he was hit by some lasers. Soon more guns installed at other asteroids located them. Now, Shadow did not wonder why so many explorers had been lost in these places. Someone had made sure they wouldn’t survive. All three of them tried to stay as intact as possible, but they would often either get hit or bump on the chunks. They, especially Magical, were also attacking the blasters, but it was difficult to hit them. Magical smashed the small asteroids, so that they could pass more easily, too.

And as if that wasn’t enough suddenly, two other rockets appeared behind them. And it seemed that the ones on them were not friendly. Trying to fight back, Magical managed to hit the one rocket sometimes making its pilot lose control, while Shadow finally managed to build something. It was only a brick wall, but Shadow released and it suddenly floated in space in front of the other rocket. It crashed on it and it stayed behind.

By that time, their rockets were getting serious damage. Yet, as if miraculously they suddenly got out of the Field. They had reached the other end!

It seemed too easy to Shadow. Certainly, it was very dangerous, but not enough for everyone to be lost. And then it hit him! What if some of them did get past? What if the real danger lay after the Asteroid Field?

They kept going for a while. The rocketeers did not appear again. Then, they noticed a world near them.

“Let’s go there!” he said to his comm..

Shadow put aside his fears. Whoever and whatever they were facing they had made a mistake. They had made it personal. . .

### Chapter 16: The Investigation Begins

Three rockets landed on the first world one would meet if they passed the Zephyr Asteroid Field coming from Avant Gardens’ direction. Shadow, Kate and Magical got off of them and examined their surroundings.

They were in a world that seemed kind of empty, deserted. It was a level surface continuing for many kilometres in all directions but for behind since they’d come that way. This land of brown soil was empty of plants, people, houses, sounds… life! Only on the background far ahead of them there were some mountains. The place seemed vast, but it was an effect partially created by the emptiness since it was actually smaller than other worlds like Crux Prime.

“Doesn’t seem very lively, does it?” Shadow commented.

“Perhaps there could be something at the other side where the mountains are!” Kate replied.

“We should check! I don’t think there’s anything anywhere else, if there even is something at the mountains!” Shadow agreed.

The got in their rockets again and flew to the other side. However, after long investigation by the mountains and over the mountains they found nothing. The mountains were the end of the world, so there was no need to search behind them.

The minifigures left slightly disappointed, but there was still hope. The area inside the Asteroid Field would be quite large, if the width of the asteroid field was the same throughout the whole of its. That would leave much space for many worlds hiding many secrets.

Indeed it wasn’t long before they reached another world. Its shape revealed from afar that it must have belonged to a mountain range before the explosion of Crux. And as they got closer, it was revealed that the particular mountains at least were not just any mountains. They were volcanoes. The red lava was visible due to its brightness and it seemed to be everywhere in the world.

Soon, they descended and landed in a point that seemed to be safer than others. This world, contrary to the other was busy with people. They were going about to their business and some didn’t even notice them. Some held mattocks or other tools of the like. There were some vehicles that seemed to be purposed for mining. The people probably were miners.

One of them approached scanned each of them from head to toe and then talked.

“Ye’re no from these parts, are ye? Ye do looks quite strangers!” he told them.

“Indeed we don’t come from here! We’re of the Nexus Force!” Shadow replied.

“Well, then! Welcome teh the Magma Tops!” the other one said “Now, ye must leave! Goodbye!”. . .

### Chapter 17: At the Magma Tops

“What? Why must we leave?” Kate exclaimed confused.

“Ye are not welcome here! They don’t likes the lot af ye!” the miner explained a bit more.

“What lot do you mean the lot of us?” Magical requested seeming offended or ready to be.

“The Nexus-Forcers! They don’t likes them! They wills pursue ye! Ye should leave now!”

“You mind if you share your name with us, my fellow?” Shadow asked for his name.

“I am Barber!”

“And who would *they* be?”

“The Ensee, the ones who has forced us teh mine for them! Magma Tops used teh be a happiest place where people mined for their living, but also enjoyed it. We even had a truce with the Rocks! But then they and the Maelstrom came. The Maelstrom caused trouble, but they… they came with guns and threatened us and forced us the work for them. They brought more miners and they are tyrannical!”

It was at that moment that Shadow noticed that other than the miners there were also some minifigures with rifles wearing slightly different clothes. They were watching around to make sure that everyone did what they should be doing. Two of them were looking their direction. They didn’t seem very friendly. All of this was bad news. This threat they were facing seemed to become bigger and bigger. And it created Shadow a feeling that he was slowly being pressed from all sides.

Another miner approached them.

“Barber, they want ye with something!” he said and pointed to the guards looking at them.

Barber looked at them sadly and then walked to them. The other left, but he was still looking at the guards, Barber and them. Shadow thought that he did not want to give the idea of having anything to do with the Nexus-Forcers. The three friends watched Barber talking to the two guards. They seemed to be angry. Then, one of them kicked him and Barber fell down with a grimace of pain. And before the three of them could react, the other aimed his rifle… and fired.

Shadow kept looking emptily at the same spot, even when the guards turned their eyes on them and made for them. When Kate grabbed his arm and pulled him running, he didn’t really feel it. He had felt too much pain in his life, yet he still was surprised by the cruelty that there was in some parts of the Universe. Minifigures smashing… minifigures! For no reason! Had they not had enough with the Maelstrom? Shadow had just watched one of them being smashed just because he was talking them. Barber probably knew of the danger, yet he still tried to warn them. He couldn’t understand how there could be so much cruelty in one person.

Shadow still did not react when the bullets started raining around them, when one hit him on the leg, when they passed over a bridge over a lava stream, when they jumped over little lava puddles and smaller streams, when they passed through a cave that besides lava, also had Maelstrom hints, when they got in an area with obvious infection by Maelstrom… He was passive to the world.

Yet, he did react when the little part of his brain that still paid attention to what was happening around notified him that his wife and friend were in danger. Their pursuers seemed to have stopped at some point, but Shadow did not remember when. It was Maelstrom that was attacking them. They looked like the rock monsters from the Power Miners genre. However, they were infected and some instead of crystal parts had magma parts. Most of them were of the small kind, but there were also two of the big troll-like ones, one magma and one crystal. There were also good old Stromlings and some creatures that looked like infected magma-rock minifigures. They outnumbered them by far.

They were outside the aforementioned cave in a rock plateau next to which there was some sort of lava river stemming from an opening to the wall and entering another cave in which there was some rock space where one could walk, a little like a sidewalk. They were underground and in fact it all was just a bigger cave. It was really really hot.

Shadow got his ice saw and shield. He figured arrows wouldn’t be of any use against the rock monsters. One Crystalling approached him and he attacked it with the ice saw, but it did not seem to be very hurt. Shadow hit again and afterwards was punched. The crystal hand of the creature on his stomach hurt quite much. He couldn’t resist bending and the creature punched him again this time managing to reach his nose due to his having bent down. Another of them approached, but this one of the Magma kind. He felt the heat rise next to him. Another punch brought him on the ground, while the Magmaling ignited his cape with its touch.

A sword was brought down upon the Magmaling with great force smashing it to pieces. Luckily, the magma of the creatures was not really of the same nature with the actual magma, so the burns at the spots where it hit Shadow were not that awful. Magical, for it was to him, that the sword belonged smashed the Crystalling, too.

“You’ll have to do better than that!” he commented while he picked Shadow up after he had extinguished the flames.

A rock smashed just above the head of Magical. It was the Crystal Troll that was throwing rocks at them. They ran to avoid them and bumped to some Stromling, which fell more easily than the other creatures. As they continued to dodge rocks, they did the unfortunate thing to stumble upon the Magma Troll. It looked at them for a second, confused, and then roared. They could see the brightness of hot interior of its mouth. And then lava came out of it. Shadow was quick to put his shield between him and the terrible heat of the liquid. He was indeed protected, but was not as happy due to the fact his shield and part of his fake hand had been melted down.

“Brick it!” he exclaimed and grabbed a Big One.

Meanwhile, Kate had found her weapons useless, too, and was using some dynamites. They were indeed effective and could smash many of them together. The only problem was she did not have an infinite amount of them. She grabbed the last bundle of three and considered what would be its best use. She resolved it would be on the Crystal Troll and when it opened its mouth to roar once more, she shoved it inside. The Troll exploded in many rock and crystal pieces.

Despite some momentary successes though, they didn’t seem to have many chances to keep fighting for long. There was still the Magma Troll and many Magmalings and Crystallings. Magical was the only one to seem to have some success, but even he could not help it with the Magma Troll, which did not get smashed even with explosives. The other two tried to find a weapon with which they’d smash more of them and tried not to get beaten too much.

And then sounded some drums and a horn. They all, the Maelstrom included, looked above them from where the sounds had come before they started echoing all around the cave’s chamber. And as they still looked a large rock fell and hit the Magma Troll smashing it to pieces. In no time, the plateau was swarmed by rock creatures, magma and crystal, coming from both entrances, from above and even with a rock boat from the lava river. They were not infected, though. They started fighting the Maelstrom Rocklings and the Stromlings. They were more and soon defeated the Maelstrom.

Once that had been achieved they turned their attention to the three minifigures. They created a circle around them and some of them talked to each other with hoarse voices that would be the natural voices for stones, if they had voices. Yet, they spoke a language they did not understand, weird and very different from the one they talked. Out of the mass of rock creatures, came a Magma one that was quite big compared to the rest and was holding a scepter of stone at the top of which there was a crystal of colour orange. He must have been some sort of leader. Once he arrived everyone hushed.

He talked to them, but they didn’t understand. Yet, his feelings were obvious due to his somewhat angry tone and his threatening pointing of his staff.

“We are very grateful for saving us! However, I regret to tell you that I do not understand your language and I fear you might not understand mine. However, I would like to point out, just in case, that we come in peace and do not wish for any trouble!” Shadow said with a hope that this might make things better.

The leader said something to another Magma creature and the other replied something. They seemed to agree. There were some whispers from the crowd. Suddenly, the leader shouted something and the crowd opened up. Three of them approached each of them and together they started carrying them towards the lava.

“Shadow, what are these?” Magical asked with obvious worry.

“I assume they are the Rocks Barber mentioned!” Shadow answered and the remembrance of Barber was a pain.

“Are they going to throw us in the lava?” Magical continued.

“I haven’t the slightest idea!” Shadow responded with a calmness that surprised even himself.

But it turned out the strange creatures had no such intentions –for now at least. They placed them in the rock boat and after some rock creatures, the leader included boarded it, too, it was set to move freely down the river. Their destination? Unknown. . .

### Chapter 18: The Rockline Tribes

The rock boat hit the dark gray rock-made side of the lava river, guided by the Rock creatures. The beings forced them out of the boat after some of them had disembarked. Once they were all on ground, the group started walking on a cave tunnel that they found there. The leader and a crystal creature led the way. Four guards surrounded the three minifigures behind them. Two more creatures were the rearguard.

The three friends proceeded in anguish. They did not know what fate awaited them at the end of this tunnel or wherever they were being led. On the one hand, the creatures had saved them. Didn’t this mean they did not mean harm to them? On the other hand, they might have just been fighting Maelstrom and saved them accidentally; their behaviour to them wasn’t very friendly until now either. And the communication problem certainly didn’t help.

They walked for some time. The creatures had short legs and so they were slow. Shadow, who if on his own usually walked fast when he was going somewhere, found it annoying after a while to have to walk so slowly. Yet, eventually they reached a bigger cave. It was taller, wider and longer. It was some sort of natural hall –though it must have been dug more when the rock creatures had found it. There were hexagons shaped all over the ‘walls’ of the cave as if it was a stone beehive; rock creatures were lying in them, apparently sleeping. At any spots where there was magma, the minifigures saw rock creatures relaxing in them as if they were in a Jacuzzi.

There were many other tunnels beginning from that cave. Rock beings were coming and going, the coming ones carrying crystals which they placed in several hexagons which seemed to serve storing purposes. Shadow was not certain what they wanted them for until he noticed one of those strange beings opening its mouth and taking a bite of the crystal it was holding. Crystals are hard, but apparently their teeth were harder. There were also some stone pillars on which crystals had been placed. Those crystals seemed to light the place –more than the magma did. On a closer look, Shadow made a guess that they were reflecting light that was coming from somewhere else.

Shadow also noticed there were some smaller creatures, which must have been the children. In addition, there were some of them that were lighter shades of gray, walked slower and seemed to be hunchbacked. They must have been the elders of the group. Finally, there were some magma-rock minifigures like the ones they’d already encountered, but not infected.

They crossed the hall –attracting many curious looks–, but did not stop there. They entered the tunnel opposite to the one from which they’d come and continued. This tunnel was shorter than the previous. Moreover, to their amazement there were parts on the rock where precious crystals of many colours ‘flowered’. The cave on the other side of this ‘hallway’ was even bigger than the one they’d just been to.

In addition to the characteristics the other hall had, it had crystals like the tunnel, some small holes on the ceiling from which light entered and three thrones on the opposite side. Two were occupied and one was empty. That’s where they were led. The Magma one with the scepter sat on the third throne while it talked in its strange tongue to the other two. The one, in the centre, was a Crystal being his shade being the lightest Shadow had seen. He was holding a scepter with a green crystal. The other creature, at the right, was of the minifigure-like sort. He had a scepter with a light blue crystal at hand. The cave also contained the creatures that looked like Rock Trolls, two of them at the sides of the three thrones.

The minifigure-like one said something in reply, the Magma one said something else and the former turned to them. He spoke. But it was not the strange tongue they talked, but the language of their own, more or less.

“Humans!” he called with his hoarse voice “Why did you come here? Don’t you know your kind has declared war against us! Are you trying to trick us in some way! If you want mercy, remember it was you who broke the truce!”

“Well, this is a sticky situation!” Shadow told himself “My friends! I assure you I do not know what you are talking about. We are strangers to this land and just arrived! We have no knowledge on its history and when chased by some others of our species ignored the fact we entered your territory! But indeed I have a request if you are willing to answer! I am wondering who you are and what this species of yours is!”

The one in the right translated to the others. The one in the left, the Magma one, replied and the former continued.

“We do not yet trust you! What do you have to say to persuade us you are not an enemy?”

“Well, I do not know much about this place, but I will talk with the little knowledge I have gained in the short time we are here and perhaps make some guesses. There are some of our species that seem to have become tyrants in this territory. They have enslaved the other humans and forced them to their service. Those same tyrants are probably the ones who declared war upon you. We came here searching for some person or more probably people who are causing troubles to the people where we came from. I suspect that the two are the same and that’s why we’re their enemy, trying to stop them. Even if they are not the ones I am suspecting they are, tyranny is not something that should exist. Thus, they are a common enemy of ours. That makes us friends! Furthermore, we belong to a group of people that is fighting the Maelstrom. As we saw, you, too, have problems with it. That’s another common enemy!”

Discussion upon this came after the little speech of Shadow’s. The central one finally talked and said something with his voice that was apparently old. The others said some things more and the right one turned to Shadow again.

“We have decided to believe you! As for your request, we are the three Rockline Tribes, the Magmalines, the Crystallines and the Figlines. We are the chiefs of each tribe: Gartragra, Stregtrokai and Throgstarcr. We have lived here for as long as we can remember. Then, the human minifigures came and they caused trouble. In their search for our gems, which they thought precious and took not to eat, as is natural, but to use them in useless things, they decided we were a nuisance. They tried to drive us away to have the Magma Tops and its crystals for their own. There was war. Yet, because there were enough crystals for the both of us, in the end, we made peace. No one dared break the truce after the first terrible war!

“Centuries later, the Big Rock or, as you call it, the planet broke into many pieces. The Maelstrom came after that and many of our friends and family were stolen by its dark powers. Yet, it was not long before more troubles came, because the humans brought strange machines and tools that destroy the mountains, causing explosions of fire and digging too fast with no thought of the Magma Tops. They angered the volcanoes and now we are in danger of their eruption destroying our home! Soon, they broke the truce, too, attacking us to have the gems for themselves! This is the situation you find us in!”

“This is indeed no good news! Grim things you speak of! However, we are intending to stop all of this madness. These people are causing much too much misery, your problems included. If you help us get out of this place, we can find the source of the problem and stop this for good! Will you help us?”

After some discussion the response was “We shall give you some guides to get you out of here! But make sure to end this! On another note, you haven’t told us your names!”

“I am Strange Odd Shadow, this is Kate Pirate and that’s Magical Fire Monkey!” he made the introductions.

“These are funny names you two have!” he pointed to the two boys.

“Indeed they are! I hope we could stay longer here and that I will be able to come back under better conditions! Your species is quite intriguing!”

Meanwhile, someone had ordered for two guides to come. One of them was a Figline (a minifigure-like one) and the other was a Magmaline.

“They shall lead you! Goodbye and good luck!”

“Farewell and thank you for your assistance!”

The guides led them through another tunnel. The Figline named Garutho knew their language, too. He explained some stuff while they went as if he was a tour guide. For instance, he told them that the Rock Trolls were named Rocklines Maximus. The other was mostly silent and Shadow was given the idea he was there to protect them.

Tunnel after tunnel and cave after cave, they covered a lone distance passing through many places. But Shadow could feel they were approaching the surface, because it was getting cooler. However, as they entered another big cave they were attacked. Shadow saw two minifigures, recognising the one as one of the pilots that had chased them earlier. . .

### Chapter 19: Sometimes there aren’t just two sides in a battle

Their two pursuers were holding blaster rifles firing lasers at them. The one Shadow recognised was what one of us would call an alien. However, in a Universe where there are multiple habitable planets, many of them having communications with each other and where different rational kinds in one planet, let alone many, there is no point in using this term. He had phosphorescent green, almost transparent skin and was wearing a black tech suit and a tech mask. The other was human. He had red hair and was wearing simple clothes that in fact did not cover his muscular arms. Neither of them looked friendly.

The three minifigures and the two Rocklines immediately jumped behind some rocks for cover. Shadow started thinking. They couldn’t approach them, because they’d be fried by the lasers. If they tried to bring them down with a ranged weapon from behind their cover the pilots would have plenty of time to approach them or find another way to be able to smash them. Perhaps, he could use some explosives. Yet, that was dangerous, because it could cause something to collapse, due to the fact the ceiling was low and the cave narrow in that spot, and wasn’t accurate.

Meanwhile, Magical had grabbed an imagination blaster pistol and Kate was using her bow. They were trying to hit their opponents, but failing for now. A little sphere fell next to Shadow. Some holes opened in it and some gas was sprayed from it.

“Cover your mouths and noses!” Shadow said taking a deep breath and then doing so himself.

He kicked the little metal sphere away and got as further from the spreading gas as he could. The Rocklines did not seem to have a problem with it. Their pursuers were obviously armed well enough to win this fight. Shadow had to fight back. He launched an explosive. After its explosion, some pieces of rock detached from the walls and the ceiling, but Shadow wasn’t sure if he had hit them. The lasers had stopped, but were they indeed smashed? Did they dare look?

However, before they’d decided, a roar was heard.

*Oh no! That can’t be good!* Shadow thought.

“It’s a Rockline Draconus!” Garutho said, but knowing what its name was didn’t make it better.

In fact, the name was quite threatening in itself, because Shadow could imagine what sort of creature that was. The cave they were in was narrow and low at that first part, but got bigger a little further. In the bigger part there were two archways leading to different tunnels. The pilots had from the one. The Draconus came from the other. It was a creature that resembled a dragon very much. However, it was made of rock and magma like the Magmalines.

As it entered, probably attracted by the noise of the explosion, it looked around and roared again. It spread its wing, but due to its weight didn’t fly more than a few decimeters high when it flapped them. It approached them. Running was heard. Shadow risked a look at their opponents and saw them running to cover behind some other rocks.

Coming closer, there was no space for the Draconus’s wings, so it landed and rolled them. It had seen the two other minifigures, but it seemed that it smelled the gas of the sphere and decided to come towards them instead of the others to see what was happening there. To its delight, it found more minifigures and some Rocklines. They were food for it.

The Draconus opened its mouth and spit a jet of lava towards Kate. Magical quickly jumped between them with his shield in front of him. The shield melted and the Draconus roared at Magical’s face. The boy had the feeling that the little hairs on his face that had grown since his latest shaving were scorched. The two minifigures got away from it and joined Shadow who was backing away towards the tunnel that was behind them. The two Rocklines, on the other hand, ran forward to fight the creature. Magical unsheathed his swords and came back to the front again.

Meanwhile, the other two found the courage to fire some lasers at them from their hiding spot. Shadow grabbed his ice saw turned it into a crossbow and launched an arrow at their direction. Kate assisted him.

The Rocklines were more resistant to the Draconus’s magma attacks and thus were better in fighting it. However, they could do much damage to it. They hit at its head and especially the eyes, Garutho with his hands and the Magmaline with his rock hammer. Magical’s swords weren’t of much help either.

Shadow thought this couldn’t get worse. And then he thought it would, just because he had thought it couldn’t. And he was wrong; and right! The Draconus roared once more before it spit magma again. Its roar echoed through the cave. And then something responded.

It sounded like the rocks themselves were roaring, in the beginning from the one side and then from the other. The noise was doubled by the echoes. Meanwhile, another noise like rocks rubbing with each other came to their ears. Even the Draconus stopped to see what was going on.

The rock walls and ceiling at the narrow part started shifting. A slit appeared in the middle of the ceiling and the two parts of it started getting away from each other and going higher. Two more slits appeared on the walls, these ones vertical, opposite to each other. As the rocks shifted more and more Shadow thought they resembled two people getting up from a sort of sitting with the back curled position. The Magmaline started to mumble worriedly.

As the two pieces of rock were getting up, they could clearly see that the one had magma parts while the other had crystals. In the end, they had two huge rock creatures before them glaring at each other. They resembled minifigures more than the Crystallines and Magmalines, but not as much as the Figlines. Compared to them, the Rocklines Maximus were little children. And they did not seem very happy.

Now, the cave had been turned to a whole quite big one that fit the two tremendous figures standing tall. Meanwhile, some rocks had collapsed blocking the path behind them.

“RUN!” Garutho commanded.

The minifigures, then, astounded saw Garutho run between the huge creatures followed by the Magmaline. As the three of them started running, too, the Crystalline giant raised his arms slowly to push the Magmaline giant. As he hit the wall, pieces of the ceiling and walls detached from the rest and fell. The Magmaline looked down and grabbed the first thing it saw: the Draconus. The creature did not seem half as frightening writhing in the hand of the giant trying to get away. However, it did not get away and the giant launched it at the face of the other. Shadow even felt pity for it, as it hit hard on the Crystal giant’s face and smashing in pieces on it.

It was a long distance to run before they were safe. The giants were slow, but they could make big steps and they also could destroy everything as they fought each other. Now, the creatures were engaged in a hand-to-hand combat, walking around the cave in the meantime. As a result, the minifigures and the Rocklines found it hard not to be stepped. The giants had not noticed them, but Shadow was not certain whether this was for the better or for worse.

A little rock hit him on the head when the giants crashed on the wall again. A bigger one fell on Magical’s shoulder. The latter was injured, but he kept going, but Shadow, who was not that hurt, started feeling dizzy. He might have fallen if Kate had not grabbed him and helped him continue.

They were getting close now and Shadow started hoping even though it was getting harder and harder to concentrate. Yet, at that point the Crystal giant appeared from behind them hitting the wall in front of them. The exit was between his legs. The other giant was coming behind them. The Crystalline placed his legs in a position that brought them closer with the one foot a little in the front of the other, so he would have more balance. He also stretched his arms in front of him, so they would meet the Magmaline’s. The two giants collided.

The Magma giant was pushing the Crystal’s arms and through them the rest of him. The gap between the legs started to slowly get smaller. They had to pass between the two giant’s legs while they were closing in together! And the giant could always change his stance.

Magical, who was fast and had passed the Rocklines, went through first. Garutho followed and the Magmaline went after him. Kate and Shadow running together and so going slower were the last ones. They still had time to pass as it seemed. They were almost there…

Then, the Magma giant decided to kick his enemy. Its leg did not hit them, but as it hit one of the Crystal’s legs it came quite close frightening them and made them fall towards the other side. The Crystal giant, out of its anger, raised its kicked leg and brought it back down with force. The two minifigures were shaken like if it was an earthquake. Then, the leg rose again and this time struck back.

Shadow and Kate, who had managed to get up a little before the Crystal started its kick, saw this as an opportunity to pass. They started running as fast as they could. They were next to the other leg, now, in front of the exit. The others were waiting for them, but at a distance. They had almost made it, but then…

The leg returned with almost as much force as it had left and hit the pair on their backs. They were flung inside the cave tunnel and fell near their fellowship. That hurt!

Kate got up and helped Shadow, too. Magical was eating some medicine consumable. Shadow ate something, too, to help with his hit on the head and they continued. They weren’t safe yet. And they didn’t know what the other minifigures were doing!

Shadow’s head was getting better when Kate asked “What were those?!”

“The mountain must really be getting angry to have let them wake!” Garutho told them in response “They are Rocklines Giganticus, ancient beings! According to legend when there were still only Magmalines and Crystallines and those two were at war, two Rocklines Giganticus were the chiefs of each tribe. At the time, there was hatred between the tribes and the two chiefs, Martamgrst and Krestrargt, fought furiously. Yet, in their last battle they kind of froze into some sort of sleep. They haven’t woken up since! They really were only a legend to me, before I saw them with my own eyes! Now, the mountain is angered and they woke up and they are continuing the battle they never finished. They probably don’t know the war ended centuries ago!”

While he spoke, they were shaken multiple times. After a while, Shadow thought that the shaking had started to come from other directions, too! Was the mountain truly angered?

“Is it just me, or is it getting hotter?” Magical asked at some point.

Indeed it was! But how could this be? They were leaving the core of the volcano and they had long passed the parts where there were lava puddles. Then, at the next shaking, part of the wall and ground behind them broke and magma came out of it.

“Perhaps we should go faster!” Shadow suggested looking anxiously at the magma spreading around the hole.

“I never really got why you humans dislike magma and heat so much!” Garutho commented.

“It isn’t exactly pleasant for us!” he replied while he increased his pace.

They were running again. When the mountain shook, rocks collapsed and sometimes holes broke at the walls and ground and either magma or gases came out. The mountain was angry!

And then when Garutho informed them they were close, they heard a voice echoing through the tunnel “They are escaping! Quickly!”

Their two pursuers had reached them. It would seem neither the quarreling giants nor the rage of the volcano had stopped them. Lasers started raining on them. Shadow was not sure how exactly they all managed to avoid the fire. Perhaps, it was because everything was shaking. Or because their chasers tried to save their lives, too. Perhaps, they were good at dodging, but Shadow did not think that was enough.

Then, they saw the exit. There wasn’t much light, because the world was always stuck in a time around dawn, but they could see the dark sky. Shadow got his rocket out while still running. His friends did the same. The vehicle started growing to its proper size on his hand. At the point when he could no longer hold it in his hand, he got outside.

How good it felt not to be under a ceiling and breath fresh air, feel the cold temperature. Yet, Shadow did not have time to enjoy this. He hopped into his rocket, which was just now finishing growing. He waved his hand to the Rocklines shouting “Thank you!” and started pressing buttons and pulled a lever.

His rocket launched to the sky. So, did Kate’s and Magical’s. However, before he was in the air, one laser found its target on his left arm. Pain almost overwhelmed him. However, he first looked behind to see if Garutho and the Magmaline were safe. They were climbing on the rocks where the pilots couldn’t follow them. Then, while Shadow was still looking that direction the mountain erupted. It was a spectacular sight, seeing the lava burst through the rock while a cloud of smoke and ashes was created above. Yet, it was also terrifying. Shadow looked in front of him again. They had gotten out of the world, despite all the difficulties. They were safe –for now at least. . .

### Chapter 20: The Lonely Islands

Shadow set his rocket to follow Kate’s and looked at his arm to tend to it. It had been rendered useless –temporarily at least. Other than the wound from the laser his fake hand had also melted –in its bigger part– by that Rockling Troll.

The young man spread some ointment over his wound, wrapped with a bandage, drank some Notion Potion and searched in his backpack to replace the destroyed hand. It was a good thing he was prepared for such an occasion and had a spare one. He felt quite better after that.

“How are you two?” he asked the others through the rocket communicator.

“I am mostly alright, but a laser scratched me at the waist!” Kate replied.

“I am not in the best of conditions because a laser found me almost at the same spot where that rock hit me. But I can handle it!” Magical said and his voice revealed pain “What about you?”

“I was hit on the back of my arm, but I bandaged it! Where should we go now?”

“Let’s just…” Kate started saying, but then two rockets appeared behind them; they were the same minifigures chasing them.

“What’s their problem?!” Magical complained.

“They are a pain in the brick!” Shadow said, mostly to himself.

The three of them started maneuvering their rockets to avoid the fire of their pursuers. Shadow turned the weapons he had installed on his rocket to fire behind him. However, the two minifigures were expert rocketeers and easily dodged his attacks. The others attacked, too, but the minifigures were indeed better at them at flying rockets. Shadow decided he officially hated rocket-flying even more.

Shadow pressed a button for the rocket to continue firing on its own and started building some things inside his backpack. He couldn’t see the bricks, but a master builder does not need to see the bricks. They can feel what they are building.

Shadow’s rocket was struck. It started moving less smoothly. Looking at his friends, he saw their rockets had similar problems. They were already damaged from the previous rocket chase. But Shadow noticed they were approaching another world.

On the first sight, the chunk of Crux seemed to be covered only with water. However, with a second look you’d notice there was an island group in its centre. Shadow headed for it.

They had just entered its gravity field when Shadow’s rocket was hit again and he lost control of it, as it started making circles. Coincidentally, severe damage was also caused at the other rockets about at the same time. But Shadow finished what he was building.

“Turn off your engines!” Shadow said to the others.

“What?! Are you crazy? We will fall!” Magical hesitated.

“Just do it!” Shadow ordered turning off his own.

At the same time, he released a brick wall out of his backpack. It was bigger than the previous one and blocked the sight of the rocketeers while forcing them to change direction. In the meantime, he also released some rocket replicas sending them at other directions, but towards the world. That was meant to confuse their chasers since they wouldn’t know which of the falling rockets would be the right ones.

Thankfully, their own rockets fell near one of the islands. Their rockets entered the dark water and it ‘consumed’ them as if it had been a greedy beast. Their weight brought them down, but the minifigures got out of them in time. Only Magical got out after the rocket joined the sea, but he managed to get out.

The momentum with which they fell from the skies brought them quite deep, too. However, buoyancy, helped by the flapping of their arms and the kicking of their legs, brought them to the surface again. Physics is not always against you.

Shadow gasped for air once he was out in the air. He saw Kate’s head a few metres away from his panting like he did. Magical, having gone deeper, came out last and his face was red. He breathed in the sweet air and almost relaxed as the feeling that his lungs would burst subsided. They started swimming towards the coast.

While from upwards it didn’t seem like a long distance, Shadow realised they weren’t that close to the island. It certainly was not a distance the average summer beach-visitor would go from the beach. Yet, it didn’t seem impossible to reach it –as long as they did not freeze to smashing; the waters were quite cold.

They did not talk, saving their powers for swimming. None of them was a very good swimmer, not swimming often either back in Yorkanton or in the Nimbus System. Only Kate seemed to be doing a tad better, but it was not an important difference and it might have been because the boys were injured.

Shadow started blaming himself for not making sure to bring a boat or pieces for one with him in his adventures before they’d even covered half the distance. How could he have forgotten that in all of his months in the Nexus Force?! Many of the worlds of the Nimbus System had sea, but Shadow had just not thought of it. Now, he regretted that very much.

To make things even worse, after they had covered about half the distance –already feeling exhausted– one light appeared on the dark sky. It was moving and it was closer than the stars. Coming closer, it got bigger and then they realised it was a helicopter. A searchlight was lighting the water searching for something –probably them.

“Dive!” said Kate and they all did at once after taking a deep breath.

The light of the searchlight soon appeared above them, though through the water they couldn’t make out the helicopter itself. The light moved around the area in which they were. Shadow hoped it would soon move on to somewhere else, because he could feel his lungs starting to get uncomfortable asking for new air.

The light finally left, but Shadow motioned for them to stay there for a bit. The helicopter was still close and it wasn’t wise to get out immediately. Shadow’s head started spinning as his lungs’ request for oxygen became more and more urgent. They soon started to go upwards.

They got to the surface again and started coughing through their panting. Shadow wanted to stop swimming and relax. However, he knew that if he did the freezing water would overcome him. He started swimming towards the coast again trying not to think of what would happen when the helicopter would get back.

“Shadow!” Kate called his name with a worried tone.

The minifigure looked back and saw Kate pointing to Magical. He had stayed behind and had his eyes closed, not moving.

“Oh no! Magical, wake up!” Shadow tried to bellow at him, but with a tired voice while changing direction splashing towards him.

“I just want to rest a little and continue…” Magical said with a voice indicating he was on the verge of lethargy “after the break!”

“No, Magical! You must not give in to it! The water…!” Shadow told him.

Magical did not respond. He seemed to have fainted. His legs came up as if he was lying on the water. Shadow did not want to do this, because it could reveal their location to their enemy. By now, he had reached Magical and Kate was next to him, too. He reached in his backpack, which fortunately was waterproof and grabbed his spare rocket. He started pressing buttons on it before it was back to its normal size. Meanwhile, Kate tried to wake Magical. He opened his eyes slightly, weakly.

“Grab on!” Shadow said.

Magical, despite his state, gripped on the rocket, which was now almost at its full size and starting to bring them down. Shadow placed his hands over Magical’s to make sure he wouldn’t let go and Kate having grabbed on, too, he pressed one more button.

The rocket shot through the water. In the beginning, it brought them a little below the surface, but Shadow had set it to bring them back up. Meanwhile, Kate managed to get on the seat of the pilot, so as to make sure it wouldn’t get too high or too deep.

“Hang on, Magical! A little more!” Shadow whispered his friend.

The rocket was much faster and Shadow’s mood changed for the better as he saw the coast coming to them in a much more reasonable speed. They had hopes again. And indeed it wasn’t many minutes before Kate made the rocket slow down and stop, falling to the bottom, which was not deep anymore though.

Kate and Shadow dragged themselves and Magical to the less wet part of the sand beach and lay down panting despite the danger of being found.

“Worst… idea… ever!” Magical remarked through his panting in spite of his condition and then fainted again.

“It looks like we’re in the Lonely Islands of Batheia!” Kate said from her spot.

“Ah yeah! I’d heard the Venture League was looking for this place!” Shadow replied.

Shadow lay for a little bit more and then spoke “We should better get up!”

Even though his body protested, he stood up and looked around. There was no one around… or was there? While he turned his back towards the sea he got a glimpse of something moving. He looked over his back and realised why he hadn’t noticed it. It was a crocodile. But not any crocodile: a Maelstrom Crocodile!

“Kate! Careful!” he warned the girl while grabbing his crossbow.

He fired an arrow, which hit the crocodile, but did not harm it. The beast’s flails were harder than a normal crocodile’s and it was bigger, too. The Maelstrom Being opened its huge mouth full of sharp teeth threateningly and started walking towards them. It was indeed fast.

“Don’t let it bite you! It won’t let go!” advised Kate.

They walked away from the brute while hoping it wouldn’t notice Magical. They launched arrows towards it, but they did not penetrate the flails. As it got closer, Shadow threw a bunch of bricks joined together into its half-opened mouth, hoping that that might stop it. However, the beast crashed the bricks with its teeth.

Shadow turned his weapon into an ice saw again and tried to hit the crocodile, which had come closer now, on the head. He was successful, but this did not stop it. It opened its mouth in order to bite. Kate was quick and fired an arrow into its wide open mouth. However, she was not quick enough and it had time to close its jaws around Shadow’s leg.

The arrow, though, managed to harm the Maelstromling and it let go. It started thrashing about in pain. Kate then grabbed her dagger and finished it with it.

“We had better get going! There might be more!” Shadow said approaching Magical “Let alone the…”

He had just then noticed the approaching light of a helicopter coming from the side of the sea. Only seconds after that, they found themselves being surrounded. A team of ten minifigures with blue uniform clothes and rifles pointed at them was circling them. At the next moment the searchlight of the helicopter found them and blinded the two minifigures. One of the minifigures spoke.

“If you move, we will smash you! You have intruded the Lonely Islands Crux Chunk illegally! Vincent, handcuff them!”. . .

### Chapter 21: A lovely boat ride

“I was just informed that you have also trespassed the Head Chunk and the Magma Tops Chunk, causing major trouble in the latter! Your punishment will be fitting!” the leader of the group told them as they walked on the central street of a town that lay on the particular island.

“We clearly did not know it was illegal!” Shadow pointed out, but the leader yelled “Do not speak, worm!”

They were led –Magical was being carried– at a port-like structure on the one side of the island. From the place they could see the rest of the Lonely Islands, even though it was night. The islands were close together, a few bigger ones with a lot of smaller ones among them or around them. The islands were so close together that the space in between was usually narrow enough for them to build bridges connecting them. The whole island group was a town that stretched over all of the islands.

There were two motorboats waiting for them in the part between that island and the next. Kate and Shadow were forced on the one boat while Magical was placed on the other. Four people embarked on Kate and Shadow’s boat and two more on Magical’s. They had taken their weapons and backpacks, but the one that was holding them got on the boat where Magical was in.

The engines of the motorboats were turned on and Shadow gulped in the idea of what they would do to them. He didn’t know what it was, but it was certainly not going to be nice. The motorboats started moving forward the one Kate and he were on leading the way. For a while, they just went on, the boats crossing the sea and getting away from the islands leaving a trail of foam behind them.

Then, at some point they started slowing down. Shadow looked inside the waters. When someone took their prisoners offshore, they usually intended to abandon them there. And it wasn’t rare for some kind of creature to lurk there to make sure the job is done. Indeed, Shadow made out some big dark figures moving around their boats. Shadow suspected what they could be.

“You!” the leader pointed to him “Go first!”

“Go… where?” Shadow smiled jestingly even at that moment during which he was in fact terrified.

“Jump!” the man snarled “You think you’re funny?”

“You just need to be slightly clearer!” the boy answered as he limped to the side of the boat. *It doesn’t really matter,* he thought to himself, *what my behaviour is! It doesn’t change anything!*

While he raised his injured leg preparing himself to jump, he felt the cane of a rifle on his back. Then all of a sudden, the motorboat shook and Shadow lost his balance. Luckily, inertia did its magic and he fell towards the boat’s floor and not the water. Meanwhile, he heard a splash as something or someone else fell in.

Shadow looked around to see what was going on. The second motorboat had hit their side. All those who were standing before had fallen, including all four of their captors and Shadow. Particularly, one of them being on the other side of the boat had fallen in the waters.

“What are you doing?!” yelled the leader getting up and turning to look at the one driving the other boat. A look of surprise was imprinted on his face.

Magical alone was standing proudly on the side of the other boat, one of his swords in hand.

“Man overboard!” he commented and then slashed his sword at the leader, who was near him, throwing him in the sea, too.

There were only two of the men remaining, now. The three minifigures charged all at once. Some bullets were fired, but they missed and soon the last of the guards joined their friends.

“Well, that was a timely interference! But you could have come sooner, you know!” Shadow said smiling.

He looked at the water. He didn’t like it that they had to do this to minifigures. He did not like it when minifigures smashed each other.

“Let’s get out of here!” Kate advised.

However, at that moment something strange happened. Something jettisoned out of the water, leaving a jet of water below it, and landed on the side of the motorboat. Shadow was only half-correct on his suspicions. It was a shark, but a Maelstrom Shark.

The creature’s purple head was on the boat, looking at them viciously while a big part of its body hanged on the side behind it. It started opening and closing its full of sharp teeth jaws trying to bite Kate who was nearer to it. Meanwhile, it used its flaps in order to get a bigger part of its on the motorboat.

Magical ran near it, while Kate ran away. Magical kicked its head when its jaws were closed sending it back to the water. Another shark appeared, though, on the other side.

“Shadow, Kate! Get to the other boat!” Magical told the others as he raised his sword with two hands to slash at the head of the shark.

The two minifigures obeyed and jumped on the second motorboat, which was now slightly further. Magical had successfully driven away the second shark, but more appeared on the boat. Magical run and jumped from the boat that was being captured by sharks on the other. At the same time, a shark had appeared on that vessel, but Kate had grabbed her bow and quiver. She fired an arrow into its open mouth, but it managed to spit something out of it first. It was a splash of acid, probably an idea of the Darkitect to make those creatures even deadlier. The acid hit Kate on her waist. The girl screamed in agony.

Meanwhile, Shadow had sat on the driver’s seat and now started the boat. Its engine roared as it got away from the other boat. Magical tossed something on the vessel they had left. The something exploded and the boat ignited.

“Just in case!” Magical justified himself.

He then saw Kate.

“Shadow! Kate she seems to be injured!” he shouted in panic.

Shadow looked over his shoulder worriedly and immediately got up and approached his wife. While Magical sat on the driver’s seat, Shadow tended to the girl’s wound, as much as he could. He was still doing so, when five minutes later, he raised his head a bit and glimpsed a strangest sight. Six dark figures were swimming fast after them almost at the surface. They were probably Maelstrom Sharks. Yet, the odd part was that there were six minifigures standing on them looking at him angrily. Their captors were alive! Not only did the sharks not attack them, but they also helped them. What was going on?

### Chapter 22: Run Shadow Run

“Magical! Can you go faster?!” Shadow shouted to his friend.

The minifigures did not have their weapons anymore, but Shadow still did not like the idea of their catching up to them. Besides they did have the sharks.

Magical looked back and saw them, too. Shadow saw fear reflected in his eyes.

“I will do my best! But why don’t you build something to make it faster?” the young man suggested.

“Good idea! Kate, I’m sorry, but I will have to take care of your wound later!” Shadow said to the girl.

He wasn’t sure if she understood what he said or if she heard him. She had her eyes closed and a grimace of pain on her face. She did not respond in any way. Shadow started getting bricks out of his backpack and making them fly and place themselves on the back part of the boat. He thought of just using rockets, but the motorboat was not stable enough for a safe taking off. The bricks created some turbines while some were placed in the front as counterweight.

Once the extra turbines started working, they started sailing faster. The Sharks and their pursuers stayed behind. They seemed to be safe.

*“This is the Base! Come in! What happened?”* called a voice coming from a little radio the boat had.

Magical pressed a button and replied “It all went by the plan! We threw them in the water! We’re now returning!”

*“Good job! We are expecting you!”*

The radio stayed silent. Magical and Shadow looked at it. That meant they wouldn’t have much time. When they wouldn’t come, they would realise something was wrong. But perhaps it was enough time for them to hide somewhere in the town. Shadow turned to Kate again.

“Shall we take off once we reach the coast?” Magical asked when they began approaching the islands.

“Not unless we have to! Remember we came here to investigate! It would be optimal to talk to the native people first at least!” Shadow replied from Kate’s side.

“Okay then! Just make sure we don’t smash!”

Shadow was content. Kate’s injury was better and the girl’s face relaxed somewhat. She opened her eyes and looked at him tiredly.

“Do you think you can walk?” Shadow asked.

“I believe so!” she said trying to get into a sitting position.

Shadow helped her and then gave her a toast to eat, while he grabbed one for himself, too. He also tossed a toast to Magical.

“Guys! I don’t know how they know, but we have company!” Magical exclaimed in panic.

Two more motorboats were coming from the strait they had come from, too. Magical steered the boat to go in a parallel direction with the coast of the two islands they had in front of them. Shadow’s turbines caused the boat to make a big curve bringing them closer to the other boats. Bullets whizzed around them.

“Shadow, the steering wheel!” Magical bellowed to the boy.

They changed positions again. Kate had already released an arrow which found one of their chasers on the leg. The minifigure raised her leg in pain and lost her balance falling into the water. Magical, by now, was also pointing at them a Rank 3 Space Ranger zipgun. Magical was not so hesitant in firing to smash, even though he didn’t like any more than the others did. It was difficult, though, to be accurate enough anyway.

A bullet scratched his arm when he saw, Kate ignite one of her arrows. It must have been some special burning material she had used, because once it pinned on the other boat’s deck, it burst on fire. Magical smiled as he saw the fire spread on the motorboat. The minifigures stopped the boat, so that they could extinguish the flames.

There was only one boat chasing them now. Shadow was sailing around one of the islands that created the strait from which the motorboats had come. He was searching for another opening for them to get inside the island group. While the other two fought with their pursuers, he assembled a bunch of bricks and tossed it backwards. When it hit one of their chasers’ face, the block forced him behind and off the boat. In revenge, one of the others fired his rifle at him and Shadow felt pain as it hit him on the scapula.

Kate prepared another flaming arrow, but a bullet broke it. The crisis was averted when she hit the ignited part and forced it into the water instead of their own deck.

They were slowly increasing the distance due to the additional turbines. However, one of the bullets damaged one of the two turbines. It stopped working and the boat started making a curve, because of the one turbine that still worked.

“Stop the turbine!” Shadow shouted and Magical did so.

However, in that short time the other motorboat had come very close. Magical let his zipgun fall on the deck and jumped on the other boat unsheathing his swords. Desperate times called for desperate measures.

There were four minifigures on the boat. Magical smashed one of them upon landing on the boat. The two others looked at him angrily, while the third was steering the boat. He placed his swords in front of him hoping they would protect him from bullets as he approached the other minifigures. An arrow placed itself on the one’s side and he fell. The water welcomed him pleasantly. Kate had sent it. Meanwhile, Magical kicked the other and hit him with the flat of his sword on the head. He joined his friend in the cold water. The last person realised she was alone and fearing Magical or Kate would smash her jumped out of the boat herself.

Magical felt terrible. He had just smashed a minifigure. It might have been self-defence, but he still had done it. He couldn’t believe it. Maelstrom was the enemy and they were fighting each other. Why had he smashed a minifigure? Why had they forced him to do it? And was he indeed forced? Or could he have avoided it? Magical’s mind felt like it was about to blow up with all these thoughts crowding it.

“Magical! Let’s go!” Shadow bellowed to him “Use that boat, so that they don’t get up on it again!”

Magical remembered where and when he was and he felt thankful he had something to do to distract him of his thoughts.

The two boats left the place. As Shadow looked behind he saw some Maelstrom Sharks help the ones in the water, but they were already far away. They searched for a way in and eventually they saw the island end and another start a little further. They headed that way.

Soon they were inside the strait and stopped there. They jumped from the boats to land. They were on the third island now.

“We should change clothes! So that they don’t recognise as Nexus Forcers on sight! And so we are not too colourful for stealth!” Shadow said.

They did so behind some bushes. After that they started running, with their backs bent, so that it wouldn’t be as easy to see them. They were between houses now. The lights were off in all of them. The curtains were closed in most and as they passed they saw some curtains close at their sight.

That island was smaller. Soon one road led them to water again. There was a bridge connecting it to another bigger island, which seemed to be almost in the centre of the island group. Shadow had just stepped on the wooden bridge when he heard steps behind them. Multiple feet were heard.

“They’re coming!” he whispered anxiously.

They forced themselves to go faster despite of their injuries. While they started running on the bridge, some fish started to emerge out of the water; they were Maelstrom Piranhas! Some of them just hit on the wood of the bridge. Some others reached the highest of their jump and fell back in the water. However, some of them landed onto the bridge and started ‘jumping’ towards them, intending to bite them.

Shadow hit one which was near him with his ice saw and sent it back to water. So did Magical with his swords. Kate did not have something appropriate to hit them with and did not want to delay by searching in her backpack. She just stayed as far as she could from the coming piranhas and if she had to, she kicked them away, despite the danger of being bitten.

They kept going forward while sending piranhas away. Shadow found one of them in front of him. It opened its mouth and sprayed some substance out of it. Shadow jumped back, because whatever it was, it sure wasn’t nice. Some of it touched the fabric of his pants and it incinerated where touched, while some of it was infected. The next moment the piranha flew away forced by an ice saw.

“Don’t let their spray touch you!” he said to the others.

They were near the end of the bridge when bullets started wheezing around them. Some pierced the wood of the bridge; some entered the water and some ended up in the sand of the island to which they were travelling. Many of them almost hit them. However, the three minifigures were running fast, so it wasn’t easy to strike, especially from some distance.

The three friends reached the sand and finally had not piranhas coming after them. They entered the town part of the island. Bullets stopped wheezing for a bit, as they turned on the first crossroad they found. They had to find a way to hide. Then, Shadow remembered they weren’t the simplest of minifigures. He quickly grabbed the hands of the others and they disappeared in the dark of the night, before their pursuers appeared in the same street. It was of course his superian ability allowing him and whoever he grabbed to camouflage in the shade, almost becoming invisible.

They stuck on one of the houses, so that their chasers wouldn’t bump on them. Around fifteen people arrived. Finding no one in front of them they stopped surprised.

“Where did they go?” one of them asked.

“I don’t know! Let’s just go! We don’t want more distance between them and us!” another said and they started running again.

When they were far enough, Shadow led the others back to the central street. Once he considered they were safe enough, he stopped the trick, so that he wouldn’t waste his energy. While they went on along the street, they looked around them to make sure there was no one around. Shadow did not see any signs of life from the buildings, except for one time when he saw two frightened eyes looking at them from between the curtains of a window. When the person realised he had seen them, the eyes disappeared.

Shadow realised that the darkness was slowly becoming less and less thick while the stars on the sky disappeared one by one. He looked around and saw light emerge from one place. The sun would rise soon. They had to find a hiding place soon.

The top of the sun was now beginning to seem over the water and Shadow started worrying that they wouldn’t find a spot in time. It was lighter and lighter around them. Then, all of a sudden, a door opened next to them just the tiniest bit. A voice spoke silently. They did not understand what the man looking at them through the opened door said, because he spoke in a different language. Seeing them looking at him quizzically, he just waved them to get inside.

The fellows didn’t think much about it. It could be a trap, but there wasn’t anything better out there. Besides, the person looked honest. They hurried in. They were safe now. . .

### Chapter 23: The Bellokovs’ story

Inside the house, Shadow, Kate and Magical found five people looking at them, including the man who had invited them in. One of them was an old wrinkled hunched and short woman. Two others, standing side by side, seemed to be a young couple. The woman’s belly had a shape closer to a sphere’s than a normal one and its size was bigger, a fact that indicated her pregnancy. Then, there was a woman round her fifties or at least the corresponding age of these people, as it isn’t rare that peoples of planets other than Earth live longer (or shorter) lives. The man who had opened the door was middle-aged, too. They all had a complexion that would remind us of Spanish people and fitting dark hair. Their eyes betrayed fear, awe and in the case of the old lady pride.

The middle-aged woman said something to the young one in a language they did not know. It sounded something like Spanish and Russian at the same time. She turned to them.

“My… mothe’ wo- want… you kn- kno’… me speak… sssome Galaz” the pregnant girl said hesitantly speaking unfluently, with difficulty and with an accent “Me Jomadre Bellokov” –pronounced Homathre Bellokof– “mothe’, Buemadre Bellokov and fathe’, Seguro Bellokov” she pointed to the middle-aged man and woman “gran’mothe’, Viejoguo Bellokov” –pronounced Viehoguo– she showed them the old woman “and husband Valihombre” –pronounced Valiombre.

Shadow watched the girl, apparently named Jomadre, curiously. Yet, he did not speak. He waited to see what she’d say to them. Kate looked at her, too, with a somewhat worried look. Her eyes’ gaze fell upon her torso.

“Are… are you… Nexis… Nixus Fors?”

“Are you going to give us in to those who are chasing us?”

“Us… no… like Ensee!” the girl spoke.

Shadow looked at them for a moment and then decided they were being truthful. Aside from the fear on most of the faces in front of him, Shadow could also see that the place where they live was neither very big nor very comfortable. They seemed to be quite poor actually.

“Yes! We are Nexus-Forcers! But what do you know about it?”

“Nixus Fors… strangers… enemy Ensee. Ensee… capture!”

Shadow suspected this. They didn’t really much about them. They just knew that those that Ensee captured and smashed were called Nexus Force. In the moment of his silence, the old woman said something curtly. The girl replied in their tongue and she spoke with much more ease. Shadow thought she was probably translating.

Once she was finished, Kate said “We are here investigating the matter of Ensee! We will to stop them!”

Jomadre translated this, too. Her mother said something.

“Sit!” the girl showed them some seats “You… injure!”

As they sat, the women of the family approached to treat their wounds. The three friends did as much as they could to help them, feeling grateful for their saving them.

“How long has the Ensee dictated you?” asked Shadow after a while.

“After Mm- Mail- Mmmailstorm… come… Ensee… appears. They… controls Mail- Mailstorm and… defeated us! 17… years before” Jomadre replied.

Shadow’s eyebrows frowned. What dark news were these? He suspected it might be so, but he didn’t feel any less threatened. The Ensee being able to control Maelstrom was the worst thing he’d heard the last few days. He thought of the other thing Jomadre had said. If the Ensee had captured this world 17 years ago, this meant that it had existed at least about the same time with Nexus Force. Thus, they could be an organisation as powerful as Nexus Force. Why did these people seem to get worse and worse as they gathered more information about them?

“So, that’s why those Maelstrom Sharks helped them!” Magical said, but his face was grim, too.

“Most probably! Jomadre, do you know what the Ensee exactly is?” Shadow spoke.

“No… Ensee only… make slave… us. No… speak… many!”

Shadow thought so, but he had to be sure. He thought what else he could ask, but Magical talked first.

“What I still don’t understand is how they realised the incoming boats were not of their people! We did tell them that we’d been thrown to the sea!”

“They no… smash in sea. They… torture in sea. After… send them… other place!” Jomadre explained.

That was interesting information. Where could they be taking their captives and what for? Then, Shadow remembered Nirwell’s story. There was a high probability that they were sent to that place. That would mean there was at least one more world that belonged to them.

“Do you know if they have captured more chunks of Crux?”

“No… new from… out- ouchide Lonely Islands”

Meanwhile, now that their adrenaline levels were lower than when you are running for your life, their other needs had started to resurface. Shadow was now hungry, thirsty, in pain due to his injuries (though they were better thanks to the Bellokovs) and he even needed to visit the bathroom. When Magical’s stomach gurgled, Shadow understood that Kate and Magical probably felt that way, too. It also reminded the Bellokovs of this and Buemadre left to bring them what she could.

It was not much, but the Nexus-Forcers contributed with some of their own food and it was far better than a completely empty stomach. Once they finished they all thanked them many times and then Shadow took their backpacks and started repairing their rockets. It wasn’t the best show of Imagination use, but still the Bellokovs were amazed at how he worked the bricks not touching them. Especially Jomadre and Valihombre were looking wide-eyed at what he was doing.

An hour or two passed. Kate was talking with Jomadre about the Lonely Islands and life there. Magical was sitting on a couch waiting, sometimes checking his weapons. Shadow was repairing.

Then, suddenly, the door burst open and a man that looked a lot like Seguro and was about his age. Shadow thought it must have been Seguro’s brother. He said something while terror was reflected on his eyes and his voice showed his fear.

“They… comin’!” Jomadre translated. . .

### Chapter 24: Escape and Hide

The three minifigures stood there for a second as the terrible news reached their ears, not having realised what they had just been told. Then, they moved. They started to pick any stuff they’d left around and stuff in their backpacks.

“You need to erase all signs of our presence here, so that they don’t suspect you!” Shadow told them while he worked.

“Need… go… back door!” Jomadre said pointing to the direction of the back side of the house.

Her mother then said something to Jomadre and they seemed to lock their eyes on each other for a moment.

“Mothe’… want me an’ Valihombre… come… wit you!” she said.

“Of course! We have no problem! Right?” Kate said immediately.

“I wouldn’t think so!” Shadow replied.

The girl informed the others. Soon they were all gathered at the back door. The Nexus-Forcers thanked the people as much as they could and the young couple said goodbye to their family in tears. They had just opened the door and Magical had got out when they heard banging at the front door.

“OPEN THE DOOR IN THE NAME OF THE LAW!!!” bellowed a man wildly from the other side.

Grim looks were shared for a second before Seguro rushing to open and the others leaving the door closing behind them. They looked round to make sure they weren’t being watched and then started running.

“Let us… lead!” Jomadre said and so she and Valihombre took the lead.

They were running, but also they were trying to be unnoticed and stealthy. When they had run a good distance, he looked back and saw smoke. There was a house which was on fire back there. Flames were licking the walls and roof of it. And it was a very particular house…

Tears rolled on his cheeks. He saw Kate’s eyes were wet, too. She must have seen it, too. As Shadow ran for his life, he took his decision and he was more determined than ever to stop this madness. He would never stop trying until he had succeeded or until he himself smashed trying.

He did not notice much as they proceeded, but he thought they were doing some curve heading for the centre of the island. There he soon found out rose a green hill, which they soon started climbing.

The climb was not too hard, but they had to be careful not to be seen climbing it. Still with all their precautions, much depended on luck. If someone did look their way for more than a moment they’d see them.

But they did not climb to the top. They were about at the three quarters of the hill when the two Lonely-Islanders stopped. They showed them a crevice. They all hurried into it and found out there was a cave inside it.

“Believe Ensee… not know… cave!” Jomadre told them.

“I just need to finish repairing the rockets and we can leave the world completely!”

While Shadow worked on the rockets, Kate asked Jomadre about life in the Lonely Islands. Magical did not know what to do and started sharpening his swords while listening to the girl.

“Mothe’ an’ fathe’… say it… quiet an’… peakful… butiful before Ensee. Now… much fear!”

“Are you not worried about bringing your child to this world with Ensee?” Kate asked then.

“We… most worried… about Melstrom!” the girl answered.

“What do you mean?” Kate asked and Shadow looked up interested to that part of the conversation.

Jomadre stayed silent for a bit then she grabbed the hem of her blouse and raised it slightly, so that her belly was revealed. The sight was shocking, probably due to the simultaneous pregnancy of the girl. Jomadre’s belly was infected…

“How did that happen?” said an upset Shadow.

“Melstorm… monkey… attack!” she said.

“Let me help you with that!” Shadow said and approached the girl.

Valihombre who had been watching with grief was now alarmed. He got up and approached menacingly and said something in his tongue that sounded angry or threatening. Shadow stopped abruptly. Jomadre told him something and he seemed to calm, but did not leave her side.

“What you… want do?” she asked.

“I just want to disinfect you! To get rid of the Maelstrom!”

The girl’s eyes widened “You can… does that?”

“Indeed I can!”

Jomadre explained to Valihombre and the sudden joy and surprise she showed was mirrored on his eyes. He made a step to the side. Taking this as a sign that he could continue, Shadow made the final few steps to her and placed his hands over the girl’s belly.

It had been a long time since Shadow used Figorium mixed with Disinfecting Liquid to disinfect people. He had learnt the basics of the art of a Disinfecter, while he had also perfected the original Disinfecting Figorium.

Shadow’s hands glowed with a light blue light. The Maelstrom Aura started retreat and at places be erased. In the end, the infection started to look more like purple scars. At that point, Shadow, whose focused face was starting to sweat, put his one hand inside his backpack. It re-emerged holding a little bottle. It contained a light blue substance that was thicker than liquid Imagination and had a slightly greenish look in it. He poured some of it on Jomadre’s aura-scars while the other hand was still doing the glowing thing. He whispered some words the others did not understand, but Kate thought she heard the word “Figor” among them. And then the final aura dissipated. The infection was gone. Shadow had done it.

Shadow sat beside the girl panting. He took a bottle of notion potion and drank it thirstily. The odd thing was that Jomadre seemed as tired as he was.

“Well, that was tiring! Don’t worry!” he said to her “It’s only natural you’re tired, too! We fought it together actually! Here!” he handed her a notion potion, too.

She drank it and looked at him enquiringly.

“The truth is, infected, but mostly partially infected people constantly fight the infection, because it is not natural! However, they usually need help to get rid of it! Now, you must be feeling like you were running a marathon and sprinted the last of the distance. But you’ll probably soon find that you feel more refreshed than you’ve ever been since you were infected” he explained “If Sarah was here, she might be able to give some more detail!”

A clang was heard. They looked towards Magical and saw his sword had fallen on the ground.

Meanwhile, Jomadre and her husband, realising that she was now free, looked overjoyed and relieved.

“Thank you!” she said and Valihombre even hugged him as he happily shouted something in his tongue.

“It was nothing! I’m glad to have been of help! Especially after all you did for us!”

Shadow soon returned to the rockets. Until then, there had been an inner battle in him. He knew what he should do, but there was something that had stopped him from doing it until then. But now, he had decided. He motioned to Kate to come closer to her.

“Kate! Once we leave this world, I want you to take Jomadre and Valihombre and leave this place! Take them to the Nimbus System!” he whispered to her.

“I’m not leaving you!”

“You have to! We can’t take them with us! It’s too dangerous for them! Besides, I want you to tell the others to have a watch on Nirwell! I fear that our intrusion might cause the Ensee to want revenge from her, because she spoke to me!”

“And what about the danger you’ll be in, alone with only Magical!” tears threatened to appear on her eyes.

“But don’t you understand! This isn’t about us! I don’t want you to leave me either, but it has to be done!”

“Why can’t you use your F-phone to contact someone else? Actually, why haven’t we used them at all to contact Nexus Force about Ensee?”

“I tried that! Something is blocking our signal outside the asteroid field!”

Kate contemplated for a while then said “Very well then! I will do it! But I’ll return, as soon as I can! And… and before that, I want you to open up! To talk about the Battle!”

“Kate, I don’t think this is the right time!”

“I think it is, considering… considering we don’t know if I’ll see you again after I leave you!” now tears were indeed rolling on Kate’s cheeks.

They both understood very well what danger lay ahead, especially if Magical and Shadow were left alone.

Now, it was Shadow’s time to stay silent thinking for a while.

“Okay then! Listen! During the Battle, I just realised more than ever that we are in war. I saw so many minifigures being smashed with no return! But the worst was when all of those people sacrificed for me! So many great people placed me over their lives when I did not deserve it! I shouldn’t have been here now, they should! It all went wrong, don’t you see it? And I can’t do anything about this! I couldn’t save them, none of them!”

“Shadow, you won’t always be able to save everyone! And you have to realise you are a wonderful person! It is not wrong that you are still here! We are all very glad you are still alive! I do not doubt that those who sacrificed for you should not have been smashed either, but you have to accept their decision to save you! I do not tell you to forget them –you should always remember them–, but you must let them go, you must get over it. And think that perhaps one day, you’ll meet them again in a better place!”

“You do believe that?” It was not doubt that he was expressing. It was the relaxation, the making sure of a child realising it was not the only one doing something and that it was not wrong.

“We have Imagination! Isn’t that a sign that there’s something bigger than us?”

“You’re right! But it’s also that on top of all this, I made that terrible mistake and dropped the Imagination Shard, letting it be infected! I thought I was helping with disinfecting the Vortex. However, I achieved nothing, because I undid it all! And then the Darkitect getting inside me! The Darkitect, who returned despite the fact we did all this to defeat him! He warned me that day when his Voice was heard. He wants revenge and I don’t know what he might do next!”

“Don’t worry Shadow! If we defeated him once, we can do it twice!”

“But what if he keeps returning? Again and again and again? We can’t do that forever! In the end, he’ll defeat us! And then he will destroy everything I love!”

“I’m not so sure that he’ll defeat us in the end! Even if we get older and we weaken, the next generation will come to fight him instead! Besides, I’m sure you’ll think of something to get rid of him for good! As for the Shard and the Vortex, you know it, too, that you did achieve something. We all have seen that Maelstrom is weakened now! There’s even the chance that war will end soon! They are freeing the castles in Castle Kingdom one by one, Crux Prime was never as peaceful and people are talking of an assault on Maelstrom Lair itself! Some people even find that there’s less action than they would have liked. You achieved something!”

Shadow realised that he was indeed feeling better. He had not expected sharing all this to have so good a result. He felt that just by talking about these things, they stopped being so painful, they lessened. He smiled.

“You were right all along, Kate! I should have done this earlier! I am glad you pushed me to do it!”

Yet, there was a sorrow in this. He now felt it was even more difficult to let her go. But he had to. . .

### Chapter 25: A mission in the dark

“Do you have anything to tell me, too?” Shadow asked Kate.

There was a momentary look of panic on her face. The girl opened her mouth, didn’t make any sound and then closed it again. Shadow smiled to her and there was something odd in that smile, perhaps some mischievousness. Then, Kate seemed to remember something.

“How are we going to leave out of this System, since we have to pass through the Zephyr Field?” she wondered.

“I thought about that! Wait a second! Jomadre! Tell me, is there some place where the Ensee keeps their rockets?”

“Yes! Why?”

“Can you take me there later?”

“Yes!”

“What are you doing, Shadow?” Kate looked worried.

“I am going to steal some of their rockets! These guns at the Asteroid Field seemed to recognise us as not Ensee automatically. So, I’m guessing it’s something on the rockets! And anyway, I trust you to lead them and yourself safely out of here!”

Jomadre seemed to have talked to her husband, too. She approached Shadow.

“Valihombre want… lead you… instead!” she told him.

“That’s fine with me!” Shadow could understand that Valihombre wanted to protect her.

“Shadow, if you are going to steal the Ensee’s rockets, why are you fixing my rocket, too?” Kate asked, when Jomadre rejoined her husband.

“Just in case it’s needed! And I’m going to do that after sunset, so I’m just passing my time! Go rest, you’ve had a bunch of difficult days!”

“So have you!”

“I don’t feel like sleeping right now! I prefer building!” he said though that was a lie; he did not want to sleep, so that he had control of things.

Kate sat by the wall of the cave. She looked at her belly with a worried glance. Magical who happened to look towards her at the time noticed that. It seemed odd to him. Kate was not one of the people who worried too much about their body, being thin and stuff. Yet, as he examined the girl he saw that indeed she seemed to be a bit rounder than he remembered.

He looked at Shadow wondering if he’d noticed. To his surprise, he saw Shadow having fallen asleep over the rocket he was repairing. He smiled. The tiredness had overtaken him. Magical was feeling sleepy himself. However, he couldn’t sleep. He had decided to watch over the entrance of the cave to make sure no one was coming. He wasn’t sure for how long this cave would be safe, but he did not want to take his risks.

~~~\*\*\*---\*\*\*~~~

“Wakey wakey!” Magical’s voice spoke to Shadow’s ears.

Shadow got up abruptly. He would always wake up easily, but now he also was anxious of being found.

“I fell asleep!” this was a statement, not a question, whether to himself or to Magical, the man did not know.

Shadow thought of the dream he’d seen. He was in his home at his Avant Gardens Property watching some television. However, out of the device the Darkitect appeared and started chasing him around the F-Tower. Shadow asked Kate for help, but the girl announced him she was leaving to fulfill her dream of becoming a cow rider. Then, Kate’s face became his mother’s face. Then, someone knocked on the door. When he opened it, Shadow was surprised to see a man wearing a red cap. The man couldn’t pronounce the words he was saying correctly for his life; Shadow also thought that if he wrote them he’d spell them even worse. The man asked him if he wanted to build a snowman with him, but Shadow couldn’t remember what happened next. He thought it included falling from the top of the F-Tower, though.

“The sun has set! It’s dark now! Time to go steal some rockets! What did you say you want them for?”

Shadow explained his plan to Magical.

“Oh! Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?”

“Just make sure the girls are okay, will you? I think we’ll be okay!”

“Fine!”

“And do get some sleep, Magical, you look awful!” Shadow noticed Magical did not look in his best of states.

“Always a pleasure to speak with you, Shadow!” he joked.

“Valihombre, shall we go?” Shadow had on the meantime prepared his backpack.

He did not reply, but he seemed to know more or less what he said, because he took lead and got out of the cave. Shadow grabbed his upper arm and they both merged with the darkness. Someone must have explained him and Jomadre about his power, because he was not surprised.

They both remained silent while they walked. That was both because they did not want to be heard and because they couldn’t communicate anyway. Shadow had his ears stretched, so that he could know whether anyone was near them. He was frightened every time his footsteps made the grass rustle.

They did not meet anyone while they were on the hill. However, they soon entered the town. They had to be extra careful in there, because there were more chances to meet Ensee people patrolling. They saw some of them at times, but avoided discovery by staying away from the lighted areas their torches created. Sometimes, they also saw a helicopter pass over them. It was more difficult to hide from its headlight. Once, when it got near finding them, they managed to jump behind some dumpsters in time. Yet, after that it got away to search in another island and they were safer.

Thankfully, their destination was near enough, on a neighbouring island. They passed over a bridge to the other island. It was not long before they reached a big building that did not fit with the rest. Of course, the door was close and locked.

*How are we going to get in?* he thought to himself, *There could be an alarm, if we broke in.*

Then, they heard voices. Two minifigures were approaching. Shadow and Valihombre hid.

“At last, some reinforcements!” one of them said; they were looking at the sky.

Shadow looked, too. Sure enough, five rockets were approaching. The two minifigures ran to the doors of the building –they were more like gates actually– and opened them. Soon, the rockets landed inside it. Five minifigures got out of them and walked out of the room. Shadow thought he recognised the two of them as the ones who’d chased them in the Asteroid Field and the Magma Tops.

“You could have come earlier!” said one of the two men.

“We wouldn’t need to be here, if you’d done your job right!”

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t you two the ones who were supposed to eliminate them twice before?”

“At least, we were only two! You are an islandful of people and can’t even find them!”

“The locals have hidden them!”

“There’s no need to fight right now! Let’s just do our job, shall we?” another one spoke.

They did not talk further, they closed the gates and left. However, in the meantime, Shadow and Valihombre had found the chance to sneak in just before the rockets entered. Now, Shadow thanked his luck. Breaking out and notifying people of your presence was so much better than breaking in and notifying people of your presence while you still had to do your mission and break out.

They looked inside. It looked like a rocket garage where people lay their rockets. Shadow approached the nearest one and scanned with some techie-thingy.

“Yes, it’s different than our rockets! I’ll have to trust my guess and think the difference has to do with the Zephyr Field!” he mumbled to himself.

He took the rocket and placed it inside his backpack while it shrank. Meanwhile, Valihombre was bringing another one. He put it into the backpack and while Shadow was about to pick up the next, the alarm went off!

“Let’s go!” he shouted and started running.

Fortunately, there was no lack of communication despite the speaking of different languages and Valihombre started running with him. Shadow placed some explosive on the door and it was broken to pieces by it. They got out and didn’t stop running until they reached the other island. The simultaneous running and use of his power had tired Shadow and he slowed down.

They did not stop going fast, though. Meanwhile, people started appearing out of everywhere and heading towards the garage. Soon, they started searching around. The two of them often had to change direction or just stay still, so that they wouldn’t be discovered. Soon, the helicopter reappeared, too. At some point, Shadow saw something pass through the light of its headlight and he thought it must have been a rocket. That meant that more people were on the sky searching for them.

Not much distance remained until they reached the hill when the headlight, all of a sudden, looked their way. Suddenly, they were visible for everyone to see. They lost no time and started running again, only this time Shadow was not camouflaging them. They immediately started being fired at. Many rockets were following them and the helicopter’s headlight remained on them making them an easy target for the rockets firing them.

They reached the hill and started ascending it. Shadow thought that even if they reached the cave that would just give the others in. He did not know what to do. Minifigures started appearing, too, on the base of the hill. Things were getting worse by the second.

Then, another sudden thing happened. Magical appeared in front of them. He was running frantically as well, but on the opposite direction.

“They found us!” he shouted. . .

### Chapter 26: Departure

“Where are the others?” Shadow screamed as he did not stop running, but instead grabbed Magical and dragged him towards the opposite direction.

“They went that way! I delayed them and then came to notify you two!” Magical replied pointing to their left.

The three of them turned towards that direction. Shadow put his hand into the backpack.

“Why didn’t you use your F-phone?” Shadow asked.

“I guess I didn’t think of that!” Magical said almost conversationally, but mixed with that panic of talking when being chased.

Shadow got three rockets out of his backpack. The one was Magical’s, the other was his and the last one was one of the stolen ones. He gave the first to Magical and the third to Valihombre, while they still increased in size.

“Ride on! We’ll find them faster and may save our skins!” he said getting into his own.

The rockets’ engines roared as they started working and they shot forward. They flew around the hill with the helicopter and the hostile rockets after them. The minifigures that were on foot soon got tired of chasing after vehicles that were faster than they were, but soon people inside cars arrived. Some of them tried to enter the hill, while the rest surrounded it, so that no one could leave –at least using their feet or a ground vehicle.

Suddenly, they noticed two figures running on the slope of the hill in front of them. As they approached them, Shadow noticed pursuers appearing from above, from higher parts of the hill, too. And then he saw it.

“Oh yeah! They’ve got this giant robot, too!” Magical commented.

“You are forgetting an awful lot of things lately, Magical!” Shadow said angrily.

Valihombre saw the robot, too, and he muttered something in a panicked tone in his tongue. It was a tall thin machine that could turn around its waist and had a relatively small head, next to which, on its shoulder, there was a minifigure. On the end of its big legs it had wheels. Yet, the upper side of it was more of a cause to worry about. Its left arm consisting of little pieces to be flexible ended up as a great sword electricity coursing through it and a circular saw on the down side of its grip. At the middle of the same arm, there was a gun. The other arm ended in a laser blaster. In addition, the part of the robot that could be considered its upper chest there were three missiles that could be launched. Even though, in the dark, they couldn’t see it very clearly, Shadow had a reason to recognise it and know all of this very well.

“That’s D.R.O.I.D.! It’s of my design! How can *they* have one of them?”

“That’s yours?”

“Yes! Destructive Robot Of Imagination Defense! They must have stolen the design somehow! This means war…er! Give these to Kate and Jomadre!” he tossed the other stolen rocket and Kate’s rocket to Magical.

Then, Shadow turned the other way. He was going to make sure the DROID did not complicate their taking off. He knew that if they turned their backs to it, it could destroy them. As he approached, the DROID turned towards him and fired one of the missiles. Shadow made a maneuver to avoid it, but the missile turned and came after him.

“Oh brick! They’re homing! Why do I have to be so good?” he exclaimed.

The idea to lead the missile onto the DROID was rejected immediately as he knew he couldn’t come close to it without getting sliced by the sword or the saw. Besides it had a very hard skin. Thus, he made a turn towards the ground and the missile followed. He looked like he was crashing and it was very risky, but the missile was closing in on him. He suddenly changed direction the last second –he actually was slightly late as the back of his rocket did scratch the ground a little. Yet, the result was the desired; the missile did not turn as quickly and exploded on the ground leaving a crater.

Meanwhile, the DROID, which was nearer now, started firing shells and laser beams at him. He maneuvered to avoid the projectiles, but then being nearer to the destructive machine he noticed some of its details. At that point, Magical came to his aid.

“Magical! Thank our luck! They seem to have stolen the early design!” he shouted jubilantly.

“What does that mean for us?” Magical asked as he started firing back, to no avail though.

“Do you see the heart?”

There was indeed a part that looked like the DROID’s heart only it was in the middle rather than on the left. It was made of a different material than the rest.

“That’s its core, but at this design, it’s more fragile! If we destroy that, it will stop working!” he spoke to his comm..

“Let’s do this then!” Magical replied.

That moment, the saw scratched his rocket on the side and he was pushed away.

“Shadow, I’m coming to help!” Kate’s voice was heard from the comm..

“No! Get Jomadre and Valihombre and get out of here! We’ve got this!” he said.

There was a moment of silence during which Shadow could imagine Kate sighing and then “Ok!”. He looked back and saw two rockets shoot towards the sky. He felt a knot in his stomach.

His attention was drawn back to the DROID when a laser beam hit the front of his rocket and set it gyrating around its vertical axis. Shadow set it to a course towards the DROID and checked what was happening. Magical’s rocket had been hit a couple of times by the look of it, but he was still trying to shoot the robot’s core. Meanwhile, everyone else had caught up on them, but they didn’t dare draw near DROID. Its projectiles could easily hit them, too. Thus, the rockets landed nearby, the helicopter flew above them lighting the scene and the people on foot had created a wide circle around the DROID watching. The people in cars had stopped trying to get to them where there were no roads a long time ago.

Another homing missile was launched. However, Magical shot at it immediately and it exploded mid-air. Shadow tried to get nearer and fire at the core, too.

“Shall we explode the other missile to hurt it?” he suggested.

“It won’t blow up! It’s protected when not launched!”

“Then, I’ll shoot it when it fires!”

Shadow did not answer, because at that point his rocket was hit by one of the shells DROID fired and then by its sword; he had to control his rocket as electricity coursed through it stopping its engines. He punched buttons again and again as it started falling, but it did not respond. At the last moment, he pressed a button and he was ejected out of the rocket which crashed and exploded.

As he fell to the ground shortly after, several brave enough minifigures got inside the circle towards him, so as to capture him. However, projectiles were ‘raining’ in that area and some of them were smashed or injured. Shadow himself was in danger, too. He started running towards the DROID. He thought that the safest place would be under it as neither the projectiles nor the sword would easily reach him there.

Some of the brave ones tried to follow, but decided to leave him to DROID when Magical attacked them. When they retreated, he made for Shadow.

“I’m not sure this is the wisest course of action, pal!” Magical commented as he approached and took him in his own rocket.

“Desperate times are desperate whatever course of action you choose!” Shadow replied.

As the rocket flew higher, Magical’s eyes turned towards the DROID’s chest and he noticed the slightest movement and then his quick reflexes did the rest. Before Shadow could realise what had happened there was an explosion on the aforementioned part of the robot. The machine did not seem to collapse as Magical had hoped since the core was near the centre of the explosion, but he noticed it was spasming. Perhaps, something important had been damaged. He did not lose his chance and fired inside the smoke at once. There was another smaller explosion and the DROID stopped moving altogether.

“That’s it! Let’s go! Good job!” Shadow bellowed jubilantly and Magical changed direction.

Someone on the helicopter tried to shoot them and the people on the ground started getting inside their rockets, but it was over. Shadow and Magical were already too far away to catch up with. The Ensee people surely had not expected them to defeat the DROID.

Soon, the rocket was outside the world’s atmosphere and the single rocket set course for the next adventure. . .

### Chapter 27: Concerning the female part of the fellowship

Kate looked behind her. She was riding a rocket together with Jomadre. She couldn’t see the two other rockets anywhere. It was only natural. They had left before the Shadow and Magical, so even if they managed to escape she could have missed them. But had they escaped?

Kate thought she could use her power to see where they were, but she was afraid she was too upset to control the zero gravity side effect. Then, she remembered her F-phone. It contained an application that showed other F-phones’ locations. She got hers out and started pressing the appropriate buttons. A map was shown on its screen. Even though when she moved it to the particular area, it showed a big black blank –since the area wasn’t mapped– she found two little dot-sized pictures that symbolized her two friends, as well as a picture that was for her.

Kate searched for Sarah, too. She did not find the girl. Something prevented its signal from reaching her, whatever that was –it could even have been destroyed. She wondered where Sarah was and what she was doing. Was she suffering? Then, Kate looked in front of her and saw the Zephyr Asteroid Field ahead. That would need more caution.

~~~\*\*\*---\*\*\*~~~

Sarah woke up in a dark room. She waited for her eyes to adjust, but they never did. There was absolutely no light in that room for her to see anything even dimly. Her head felt dizzy. Sarah tried to remember what had happened, but her thoughts weren’t clear. It felt like there was some fog inside her mind preventing her brain from working properly. It also felt like a hangover. She had a headache. It certainly was not a fun state.

Yet, Sarah had to remember, to understand. She had to put her thoughts in order. Trying to do so made her headache worse. What was the last thing she remembered? The dark hallway! She remembered that. Magical was there, too. He had told her not to go in it. But she had. Where had the hallway been? Why was she there? Had the hallway led here there? It seemed to be as dark as the hallway was, perhaps even darker.

Sarah started looking –with her hands– for the entrance to the room from which she’d gotten in there. The room was quite small and plain. It was not long before she’d searched it all, but her state caused her not to realise that and keep looking for a little time. Soon, though she realised there was no opening. That meant the hallway probably did not lead there she concluded after a lot of time. But how had she gotten there, then, especially since there was no entrance? This question came after some minutes. She tried to answer that for some time, but her mind was too fogged.

Why was she in that state?

*Drugs! Ya’re drugged,* a voice that sounded a lot like herself told her.

Voice! That reminded her she could use her voice. Or could she?

“Brick this room!” she made a test and her voice came out, but it was weak and did not sound as courageous or defiant as the words it said would indicate.

Well, nothing stopped her from talking. She could call for help. She was ready to do so, but then something told her she shouldn’t. She tried to understand why, but whatever she momentarily thought, she couldn’t remember. She didn’t call, though.

Sarah tried to find the most comfortable way to sit. The place wasn’t comfortable at all. She sat on the same spot for a long time. She was trying to think or perhaps waiting for something to happen. In that state, it was easy for her mind to be almost hollow of thoughts at times.

At some point, a disturbance on her stomach made her start feeling uneasy. She soon realised it meant she was hungry. But where was she going to get food?

It was about at that point that some door that she could not have possibly found opened. Light came in from the opening. It might have been normal lighting, but it seemed blinding to Sarah and even when the door closed shortly afterwards she could still see colours at the shape the light had when the door was opened, as happens when you look at something bright and then closing your eyes can still see something shaped like it.

Someone had gotten in when the door had opened. Sarah could tell that, because there had been a dark area in the shape of a minifigure in the middle of the light. She could still distinguish it in the middle of the fake light. She could also hear their breath, since everything else was silent. No, she her own breath, too.

It was their presence that made her think that she must have been brought here by someone.

“Woman!” a man’s voice addressed her, but before he could continue Sarah said “Man!”

A strong hand slapped her and she fell from a sitting position to a lying position. She did not dare move.

“Do not interrupt me, silly girl! You are of the Nexus Force! Do you realise what that means?”

“Certainly not what you’re going to tell me it means!” Sarah found a clever response.

This time it was a boot on her face.

“You are sassy, too! There’s something wrong about you, more than what people we treat usually have! The Nexus Force is an illness that sickens the Universe! It must be eliminated, so that the Universe can live freely again. You are part of it and you must feel remorse for it! You must regret for your sins! That way you might be forgiven for them!”

“Sinful?! Me? You are the one who has the sins, Gerland Favoris!” Sarah was suddenly surer of herself, having remembered something important.

Though she could not see it, Sarah knew the man was dumbfounded. “How do you know my name?!” he bellowed angrily at her.

“You fear me, don’t you? You can see that your substances are not working properly on me! I am not as affected by them as I should have, am I Gerland? I can see into your mind, Gerland! I can see all the terrible things you’ve done! All the torturing and the lying, the smashing and the deceiving! You are the sinful one!”

Now, Favoris was lost for words. He could not get how Sarah knew his thoughts, how she knew his memories. And this outraged him greatly, because he usually was the one that had the upper hand. And Sarah knew that he was thinking that. Of course, she was a telepath, but Gerland did not know that.

“How do you know all these things?!” he said while he hit her.

Sarah knowing he would hit her raised an arm to protect herself, but her still slow mind seemed to make that slow, too, and he just pushed it aside. Meanwhile, Sarah tried to seek further inside the mind of the man, but she couldn’t go too deep to find out what they were or why they were doing all of this. It was her slow mind again preventing her.

“I will not tell you, Gerland! But you are already telling me everything!” she thought he didn’t have to know she didn’t know all of the truth.

“That’s it! Come on!”

He forced Sarah up and had the door opened in some way that Sarah did not understand. He led her out of the room. Sarah missed her step, but she still tried to see what there was around her. However, she was not adjusted to the light, yet. She was forced to walk and soon realised she was in some hallway. There were two other minifigures with them, guards. They reached some door and they went through the doorway. Seeing its interior, Sarah knew what she was being brought there for: torturing. . .

### Chapter 28: Space… wouldn’t it be empty without some dangers in it?

Strange Odd Shadow watched Kate’s little picture on the transparent screen he had on the front of his helm until he saw it get out of the Asteroid Field at which moment it disappeared, oblivious to the fact she was doing just the same for him. He was not very worried when he saw the dot vanish, because he knew its signal was interrupted by the Field somehow.

Shadow sighed. Action and worry about his wife and the young couple had caused him to forget his other feelings a bit, but now they painfully returned to fill his mind. A memory came to his mind of his mother announcing him that she was going to leave to join the Nexus Force. He realised that perhaps this was why he didn’t want Kate to leave him. His mother had once abandoned him –it was for the greater good, but still she hadn’t chosen her son. And again later, she had gone into the Great Battle doing most dangerous feats, again neglecting her son who might have needed her. Now, she was gone forever and Shadow knew how it felt for someone so loved to leave you and never return. The wound it had left him couldn’t but sting when he saw Kate leave, especially on such a dangerous moment.

“Magical!” he spoke through the comm. “Did you want to go with Kate and the others, too?”

“And leave you alone to be smashed by the first person you meet? No way!” Magical replied.

“Don’t leave me, my friend!”

“I won’t!”

They remained silent afterwards. Shadow felt grateful for having Magical. Magical seemed to be absorbed in his own thoughts. Neither of them felt particularly joyful at the moment.

They were now travelling in an area where there were several rocks floating around like asteroids, bigger or smaller. Some even reached the size of properties, but they were all barren and irregular like the ones in the Asteroid Field. Yet, they were less dense.

At some point, they approached a place where two property-sized rocks came close together leaving a small passage between them, though you could go round them. Not paying as much attention as they should, they entered it without considering the possibility of an ambush. Only when he looked around him and saw the two big rocks surround them, did Shadow think the possibility.

“Let’s go faster, Magical! I don’t like this place!” Shadow spoke.

It was too late. It wasn’t but mere seconds after Shadow ceased talking that two spaceships appeared, one below them and one above them. They weren’t particularly big, but they were heavily armed and two rockets were certainly not a match for two spaceships of whatever kind. They had blue and silver colours and Shadow recognised the symbol of an organisation of mercenaries that operated in the centre of the Crux System.

Before they could really react they were trapped by a tractor beam from the ship above them. They started slowly rising, while a hatch opened for them to enter. Shadow started looking inside his backpack frantically. By the size of the spaceships he could tell there would be only two rooms or three maximum. That was good.

“Wear these boots!” Shadow called to Magical and tossed him a pair of boots.

They were made of some material that looked a bit like rubber, even though it was softer. The boots were big enough for someone to wear over their actual shoes. Shadow wore a pair himself.

“When we get there, make sure you only touch the floor with the boots!” he instructed Magical “And don’t do anything that would alarm them!”

Soon, the rockets entered the starship. As Shadow had predicted, there was a bunch of people –about a dozen– surrounding the opening. They wore clothes and armour on the same colours as the ships. They were pointing blaster pistols at them.

“Get out of the rockets and don’t do anything funny!” one of them said, as the hatch closed below them.

As he disembarked from his own, Shadow hid a little metal ball he was clutching in his left hand inside his sleeve. He placed his feet on the floor and made sure that Magical was okay.

“Handcuff them! You are now our captives! The Commander will be happy to know we’ve captured you!” the same person said.

“But Lieutenant, weren’t they three?” someone else said.

However, at the same time, Shadow had grabbed the little ball and tossed it onto the ground. Before the lieutenant could say anything or the minifigures with the handcuffs reached them, everyone –except for Shadow and Magical– started being electrocuted. Electricity coursed through the whole spaceship, not strong enough to cause the ship any damage, but strong enough to lay all of the people unconscious once everything was over. Of course, the little ball was guilty for all of this, another invention of Shadow.

“Why weren’t we tased?” Magical asked, a little shocked by all of this.

“The boots are insulating!” Shadow said “Hopefully, the pilots will have been tased as well!”

Shadow ran to a door that probably led to the bridge. He opened it and sure enough he found three minifigures unconscious over the control panels and another next to the door.

“How much time till they wake up?” Magical asked.

“A long one, if you inject them with this!” Shadow handed him a syringe that had a transparent substance in it.

While Magical left to do his job, Shadow started piloting the ship. He had to get rid of the other ship, before they got suspicious. He had the laser guns point to it and then fire at its engines and then fired with the ion guns. Before the people in the other ship realised what had happened, they found themselves with severely damaged engines, unable to provide themselves energy, thus all of the ships’ functions starting to fail.

“Good! Now, let’s get out of here!” and he punched some buttons, having the ship travel in fast speeds.

Magical, soon, joined him again.

“That went well!” Magical said, but as soon as he said that he grimaced “Oh no! Space Maelstrom!”

Sure enough, little purple jellies appeared all around them. They moved slowly, but they seemed to be trying to surround them, creating a dense grid, through which they wouldn’t be able to pass through without touching the jelly-like things.

“Go faster!” Magical told Shadow in panic.

“I *am* going faster!” Shadow replied loudly.

In their hurry to get out of the Space Maelstrom’s reach they hit a rock on the side of the ship. They were shaken and the spaceship was slightly damaged, but it wasn’t anything serious. They continued ahead. The gap of the Space Maelstrom grid was getting smaller and smaller every second. They were close enough now, but the gap was big enough for the ship to barely pass without being damaged, now. Then, the ship reached the grid and the two young men held their breaths.

They were on the other side. A screen notified them that there had been damage on several parts of the hull, but no Space Maelstrom had stuck to them. They both sighed in relief. They were out of danger again.

Shortly afterwards they got out of the area with the rocks, too. At that moment, they managed to see another world from afar. They headed the ship there. Soon, they were near enough to see a big arena that took most of its surface. That didn’t seem very good. Arenas were never good places. Was this part of the Ensee? They would soon find out. . .

### Chapter 29: The Tremendous Arena

“Captain of Starship JC-378 B, identify yourselves and state your purpose!” a voice spoke through the radio of the ship.

“This is John Steele and Antony Bandogan! We ask for permission to land. We come wishing to investigate this world!” Shadow replied looking at the roman style arena.

“What’s with our normal names?” Magical asked.

“I don’t want them to know we’re Nexus Force, in case they’re Ensee!” Shadow told him “Though if they are, they will probably have heard about us, so I don’t know if it’s any use!”

“There’s space in Hangar B!” the voice came again.

“Apparently, they’re not! Or they don’t know it’s us! Otherwise they would have already blasted us out of their atmosphere!” Magical said.

“Not necessarily! They could want to question us! In any case, be at the ready when we get there!” Shadow argued while he started going round the Arena until he found an opened gate with a large B written over it.

“Also…” he put his hand inside his backpack and got a blonde fake moustache, a blonde wig, blonde fake eyebrows and fake glasses.

“I never know what you’ll get out whenever you put your hand in there!” Magical commented while he watched Shadow wear all these and smiled at the odd result.

“Well, I’m running out of tricks to use soon! And don’t worry!” he said as he saw Magical’s mocking smile “I have something for you, too!”

Soon, a red beard, wig and fake eyebrows were at Magical’s hands.

“You’ve got to be kidding me! I’ll look like a Viking!” he protested.

“The purpose is not to look like yourself, so that’s good!”

Shadow’s “hair” was shoulder-length and it got in his face, so that it hid a good part of it. The glasses had big circular lenses of the kind that fits you only if you’re Harry Potter or John Lennon. They were even bigger than the usual round glasses, because Shadow wished to vanish the clever look of his eyes, which could possibly be characteristic of his. On the other hand, Magical did look like a Viking with the beard, bushy eyebrows and long curly hair also hiding a big part of his face. His already tall and muscular body completed the Viking look. They had also removed any of their Nexus Force gear they had worn again ever since they left the Lonely Islands. However, if someone that knew them well looked at them from close they’d recognise their faces. Shadow wondered how good picture of them the Ensee had.

By the time Magical had worn his new hair, Shadow had landed. They stood up and walked to the bridge’s door. They got out. Two guards, wearing armour that likened that of Romans, but with futuristic touches like the fact that the shaft of their spears had a laser look in a similar way lightsabers do, greeted them together with another person that wore a suit.

“Welcome, Mr. Steele, Mr. Bandogan!” the person said “I am Legatus Dulciverbus. I am here to accompany you!”

“Great! The rest of the crew will be staying in the ship, if you don’t mind!” Shadow said.

“No problem! Shall we go?” Legatus said.

They all started walking. Legatus Dulciverbus led them. Shadow looked all around. There were more spaceships around, but not too many. There were many of the roman-like soldiers though. They got to a door and to a hallway through it. More soldiers were there standing guard every now and then, but not too often. The whole place seemed to have an ancient roman style.

“Mr. Dulciverbus. What exactly is this place?” Shadow asked.

“It is called Tremendous Arena! There used to be some fierce and violent games occurring here, but ever since Commander Malidux Nagnus took over the place has been a lot better, only used for healthy entertainment and training. The soldiers you see, Tranqimiletes, are here to protect the place and keep order. You see we have been often threatened by enemies, mostly Maelstrom. Most of them began as trainees here. In addition, in these times of terror we hold as a fort against the evil powers that wish to destroy us!” Dulciverbus explained.

“That is very interesting!” Shadow said “I’m glad there’s a beacon of light despite the situation in other near worlds!”

“You are referring to the Ensee organisation, of course, aren’t you? They are indeed a scourge everyone is sorrowed that all these people have to sustain!”

“Do you know who’s behind them or what’s their aim?” Shadow asked.

“I am afraid I can’t help you! The Ensee is a mystery to all of us!”

“I understand!” Shadow could see he wouldn’t get any information on that from Dulciverbus, so he didn’t push it.

By that time they reached another door that led them to the inner part of the Arena, at the seats area. There were a few fighters in the oval sand-covered floor exchanging blows, but without really hurting each other. Some people stood aside and gave tips from time to time. Tranqimilites stood guard in the periphery of the arena by the wall. There were also some spectators, but they were scarce. On the periphery of the whole Colosseum-like building, there stood nine metal poles that Shadow couldn’t see very well from afar. The sun was in the start of dusk from that point of view, but soon Shadow realised the world remained perpetually in dusk time.

“It is certainly spectacular!” Shadow exclaimed.

“Yes indeed! It was first built by a Mosaic Jester architect for a gift to the Emperor of Batheia after a war they won together against the Bat Lords and Bone Men! It has often been damaged, repaired and renovated ever since”

“Its history must go quite back, if it was included in the Old Crux Wars!” Magical commented impressed.

It was a fact that the Old Crux Wars had occurred about three thousand years ago, but…

“I believe the particular alliance took place after the fall of the Diephtharmians, Antony, so it actually was built during the Second Crux Wars about fifteen hundred years later!” Shadow corrected him.

“Quite right so!” Dulciverbus agreed.

“Still old!” Magical argued.

“Mr. Dulciverbus, what are these poles all around the coliseum?” Shadow asked.

“They serve to our communications, but quite frankly I do not know how they work, so I wouldn’t be of much help in this, I am afraid!” the man smiled.

Shadow made a forced smile. He was not convinced. They kept walking silently for a while, Dulciverbus often breaking the silence to point out some interesting facts about the Arena. In the end he said “Would you like to meet the Commander now? He has said he wishes to meet you!”

“We would be glad to see him!” Shadow replied.

Legatus brought them in one more hallway and they started wandering through the coliseum’s interior again. Shadow was walking slowly and eventually he came to be relatively far behind the other two. When Magical noticed he waited for his friend.

“I want you to go investigate these poles! I’m not convinced by Dulciverbus’s explanation” Shadow whispered once he reached him.

“And how am I to get there unnoticed?” Magical demanded.

“Tell them you want to visit the bathroom. There was one near the entrance to this hallway!” Shadow suggested and then he sped up to reach Dulciverbus before he realised they were whispering to each other.

Only a minute later, Magical asked where he could find a bathroom and when they met the next soldier, Dulciverbus had him show Magical the way. The man and Shadow were now alone.

Soon they reached a door that was decorated with silver at some points. Two guards stood on its sides. Dulciverbus knocked and then opened the door. The guards let them in.

“Commander, I have brought you Mr. John Steele, as you requested. Mr. Antony Bandogan had to visit the bathroom” the man said with some awkwardness.

“Very well, Legatus! Leave us alone now! I want to talk with Mr. Steele” the man said.

Legatus nodded and left closing the door behind him. Shadow looked around to see an office. There was a bookcase full of books, a map of Galaz, the side of Crux on which the Nexus was, hanging on a wall, a table full of weird items the commander must have gathered from many places and some showcases where some special objects were kept. Behind a desk, on which there were many papers and books, a man with an aura of confidence and importance was sitting examining Shadow with his clever eyes. He pointed to a chair.

“So, Mr. Steele, are you from the Nexus Force, you and your friend?” he asked with his equally confident and important voice.

“Why would you assume that?” Shadow asked.

“My information says that three Nexus Force people, two men and one woman entered the Zephyr System a few days ago and I am assuming that the two strangers coming to investigate my world are the same ones with those who investigated other worlds like the Magma Tops and the Lonely Islands”

“And how could you have come to have this information?” Shadow enquired.

“I have people around. Do not worry! I won’t harm you. I’m not an enemy of the Nexus Force. The Ensee, on the other hand, is, but I don’t think you need me to tell you that. But my friend Mr. Steele, it is dangerous here! The Ensee controls a big part of the System and you aren’t safe. I suggest that you leave as soon as possible. Two of you can do no good for getting smashed won’t help anyone. I can see you already have been reduced to two!”

Malidux Nagnus had broad shoulders and a muscular buildup, though he didn’t seem to be too tall. He was wearing some armour similar to the one of the Tranqimilites. He had graying black hair and clever black eyes surrounded by wrinkles. His mouth formed a subtle smile. He would be considered handsome, especially in his younger days.

“Commander Nagnus, do you know anything about the aims of the Ensee or who’s behind it? I’m sure that if anyone knows, that would be you!”

“Mr. Steele, you must realise that the Ensee is a secret organisation. I’m sure you already know too much and I don’t think that’s for your good!”

Shadow remained silent for a while examining the man, while the man examined him. It seemed like they could be keeping something from him. At last, he said “Are you a fan of the Roman Empire, Commander Nagnus?”

“Indeed I am! I am glad to find another person that knows about it!”

“I understand that the original resemblance is owed to the Mosaic Jester architect,” When at a time the First Builders had established communications with the Ancient Builders of Earth, people in Crux and other planets had come to know a lot of stuff about it. Mosaic Jesters had been very interested in the Roman Empire and had imitated it in many aspects “but I can see that there are newer touches that show an interest to the Romans, like for instance the Tranqimilites”

“Indeed! You have a very observant eye, my friend! I learnt most that I have about Romans when I came to this place and found several scrolls that talked of them. There are many things admirable about the Roman Empire, but the one that I find most amusing is that it actually never fell!”

Shadow contemplated that for a moment and then said “Are you referring to the fact that half of it actually only turned –slowly of course– into a wholly different Empire, the Byzantine instead of collapsing or being conquered?”

“Mr. Steele, might you be a mind reader?” the man said laughing.

“I am afraid I have no such talent” Shadow responded and as he said that he noticed something shining on the man’s right hand.

It was a silver ring. Once he saw it, Shadow felt it drawing his attention and he found himself unable to look away. It seemed very interesting and it was beautiful, a great work of art. Shadow found himself wishing he could have it or at least examine it for a while. It seemed to be calling for him to take it. And the feeling was getting stronger. He could almost hear a voice in his ears daring him to grab it.

“Mr. Steele!” a distant voice brought him back to reality.

Shadow saw his arm stretched towards the ring ready to grab it from the man’s finger. He had stretched it without realising what he was doing.

“I am sorry! I don’t know what came to me!” Shadow got his arm back.

“You don’t have to apologise! It has this effect on people. It is a family heirloom. I think that some great-great-great-grandfather or something of mine must have enchanted it to make everyone else jealous of it” However, even as he said that he retreated his arm as if to protect his ring from an another attempt of stealing it “You’d better forget it”

Shadow could certainly not forget it. That feeling had been too intense to ignore its existence. Even now, he could feel a slight desire for it, even though it was much weakened.

“I am afraid I should be going soon!” Shadow said.

“I am sorry if this has upset you!”

“No, but I really should be off! My friend and I can’t stay too long!”

“It’s a pity! You are a very interesting minifigure and I would like to talk with you more. But if you have to go!”

“Unfortunately! I have appointed with Antony to meet at the hangar! Farewell! I hope we meet again!”

“Goodbye, Strange Odd Shadow!”. . .

### Chapter 30: A usual seeing off

Strange Odd Shadow was already closing the door behind him when he heard the Commander use the name he had picked for himself some years ago. So, he had already closed the door when his mind started working again. He didn’t want to go in there again. Especially now. So, he just left.

It was very odd. How did Nagnus know his name? Probably, his people had heard it somewhere in the several worlds they’d gone to. But why had he waited till Shadow was leaving to reveal it? That was what worried Shadow more. Could he be related with the Ensee? Probably not, otherwise they would already be chased or smashed. But even with this argument he couldn’t persuade himself there wasn’t something wrong with Nagnus.

The sound of a little bell coming from his F-phone notified him that Magical was calling. It was not the first time. He’d heard the bell a few times while he talked with the Commander. It was one of the reasons he’d left so hurriedly. He answered the call.

“Why aren’t you answering me?” Magical bellowed, but at the same time keeping his voice low.

“If you’ve forgotten, I was with the Commander! Anyway, have you reached the poles?” Shadow replied.

“Yes! They are very weird. I can’t understand what their technology does, but they have these glass tubes filled with a substance that looks like thick black Maelstrom aura! Perhaps, you should have come here and I to the Commander”

“No! I don’t think that would be a good idea! The Commander was very odd. I don’t know what to think of him. He knew who we were and my name!”

“That’s… Someone’s coming! Got to go!”

“Meet me at the hangar next to ours!”

The call was terminated. Shadow headed for the hangar area. He didn’t want to go to the hangar they’d landed in for fear of meeting the mercenaries again. They would just use their rockets.

Suddenly, the place looked very empty. Shadow didn’t know why, but there didn’t seem to be any Tranqimiletes around. It probably was the change of shifts.

Shadow soon reached the hallway leading to the hangars they’d come from and he saw Magical a few metres ahead. He caught up on him. When Magical looked at him, he didn’t recognise Shadow for a few seconds and seemed confused.

“I’m glad you’re not in trouble”

“Yeah! I told them I was lost and they just led me here. Told me the hangars are just ahead and then left for whatever job they had to do” Magical explained.

“I don’t want to go to the same hangar, because of these mercenaries! So, we’ll go to another one” Shadow pointed to a door that had a sign saying “Hangar C” on it. Shadow opened the door and entered the hangar. Then, he cried out of fear and surprise.

About a dozen of red-and-white-clothed minifigures, with a red fist all over their uniforms, looked at Shadow and pointed their blasters at him. More mercenaries. Shadow also spotted the two Ensee agents that were chasing them everywhere. There seemed to be no Tranqimiletes there. Shadow didn’t know what was happening. All he knew was that lasers started being fired at him.

Shadow jumped back and closed the door. Many lasers had passed through until then, but none hit them. Shadow exchanged terrified looks with Magical and then they started running. Behind them, the door opened again and the mercenaries and Ensee agents got out after the two Nexus-Forcers.

As Shadow and Magical ran, lasers showered all around them. Magical got his zipgun and started firing back.

“Let’s ride our rockets!” Shadow suggested.

“What? In here?! Are you insane?!” Magical screamed.

“No, desperate!” Shadow replied and he already had his rocket in his hand.

In no time, they entered their rockets and they shot forward. Indeed the rockets were too fast for such a confined space and they were hitting on the walls all the time. Yet, they lost their pursuers. What Shadow was afraid now were turns. Indeed it was not long before they reached one. The rockets were unable to do the maneuver and just hit the wall, breaking through it.

Two alarmed Tranqimiletes screamed as two rockets appeared out of nowhere breaking the wall behind them. Before this sank down, the rockets had already made two holes on the wall opposite them and disappeared.

“So, we certainly can’t turn inside this place! I just hope we’re headed towards open air and that we reach it before the rockets break down!” Shadow said.

Magical only screamed in reply, as they approached another wall. Then, all of a sudden they were flying above seats, the arena in front of them and the sky above them.

“Yes!” they both cheered and then turned their rockets towards the skies, trying not to think of all the people staring at them. . .

### Chapter 31: The Journey continues

“Nobody seems to follow us!” Magical said sighing in relief a few minutes after they took off.

“Write this down in the list of narrow escapes we’ve had the last week!” Shadow said sarcastically.

“You decided to count this week only, so that the list is half the length?” Magical comments.

“Come to think of it, Magical, you’re right! We’ve had so many narrow escapes in our lives. What with the Darkitect coming after, what with the Great Battle, what with the Ensee and so many other things, we’ve had enough of them for a lifetime. I wonder why everything seems to be happening to us.”

“Perhaps, because you meddle with everything and we are stupid enough to follow you!” Magical laughed.

“It is an idea!”

“Remember that time we fought Chrysoclepht! It seems like that was centuries ago, doesn’t it? But it was only a year ago more or less!”

“True! So, think of all these things we did in Yorkanton, they all seem to be from a different lifetime”

“Remember that time when we didn’t meddle ourselves with such stuff as Maelstrom. It wasn’t as fun, but you know that time had tranquility without, you know, the constant smashing risk!”

Shadow and Magical laughed. It was then they spotted another small world. They headed for it. Once they landed, no one was there to welcome them. Shadow was actually glad of it. That meant there was no one to try to smash them either. The two minifigures changed out of their disguises. They were of no use anymore. Besides, no one seemed to be there.

It was a barren small world, consisting of brown soil and rock. There was a cave ahead of them. They approached the cave. Shadow remembering a part of Nirwell’s story had a bad feeling about all of this. They entered the cave cautiously so as not to make a sound. Maybe it was because they were afraid someone could be there. Maybe it was the eerie aura of the place.

Inside the cave they found a most terrible sight. Skeletons and pieces of smashed minifigures piled upon each other filling the cave. Shadow couldn’t look, yet his eyes were transfixed. How could they have committed such a crime? The cave continued on in the background, but Shadow did not want to explore it. He knew what he would find.

“Let’s get out of this unholy place, Magical! I don’t want to stand in here for a minute longer!”

Magical was pretty shocked, too. As they turned around to leave, both of them wondered how minifigures could do this to other minifigures. A tear rolled on Shadow’s cheek, so as to mourn the loss of all these people, none of whom he may knew. Yet, Shadow also realised that the more he journeyed in these deadly parts, the strongest his resolve to defeat the Ensee became.

Magical and Shadow took off again. They continued their journey in search for another world. Now, anything would be welcome, even the whole Ensee army, so as to help them forget the cave world. The smiles with which they’d landed had vanished.

They did not speak this time. Neither of them thought they could do it. Besides, they didn’t know what to talk about. Anything would be weird after the previous world. Thus, they reached the next world in silence. That one was bigger, though not too much. They landed near a hut. There was another much bigger building that looked like a factory in the distance.

“So, what do you think we’ll find here?” Magical asked.

“I don’t know!”

Yet, before they could walk a bit further, a man opened the door of the hut slightly and his head appeared behind it.

“Get in, quickly, you fools! You don’t want the President of Lakum to know you’re here!”. . .

### Chapter 32: Two brick girls

Sarah Darkon was hungry; and thirsty. After she’d returned from the place she had come to think of as the ‘Room of Pain’, she’d been left in darkness again for some time. When they appeared again they’d brought a trace with food and water. However, Sarah saw in the mind of the person who’d brought it that the food was drugged. She only ate what she knew did not have drug in it. She wasn’t sure what it’d do to her, but she didn’t want to find out. She repeated that the next time, so when they brought food the third time, she could see that there was drug everywhere, even in the water. Thus, she had stopped eating and drinking.

Now, she wasn’t in a very good state, but she hadn’t started starving yet. She was expecting the next thing to come. She remembered Nirwell’s story. Would they have her fight against other minifigures? She did not know.

Meanwhile, she was trying to learn as much as she could about her captors, but whenever someone entered her cell, they made sure not to stay there too long. She knew that the strong-minded could hide their secrets longer than other if they tried.

Suddenly, the door opened and someone left something in there and closed the door again. Sarah was intrigued. What had they left in there? At the same time, she was afraid. It could be another way to hurt her. Suddenly, a voice was heard in the room as if it was coming through radio.

“So, Sarah Darkon. I see you are defying me even though I hold you captive. You are the first one to do so. I am impressed by your ability. What exactly is it? Telepathy? How does it work?”

“You think I’d tell you!” Sarah replied angrily guessing the person would hear her.

“Now, now, Sarah. You don’t have to get angry! The two of us could work together you know. You could be useful to us”

“I would never work for you!”

“Are you familiar with two minifigures called Strange Odd Shadow and Magical Fire Monkey?”

Sarah was surprised by this question. Her face clearly showed that she did. Yet, the man certainly couldn’t see that. Even if there was a camera she was in complete darkness.

“Before you start refusing, let me tell you that I can see you despite the darkness! See, I can sometimes tell what other people are thinking, too. No super powers though”

Sarah remained silent. She didn’t know what to make of this.

“So, Sarah! What would you do if I told you your two little friends’ lucks depend on me?”

“I would tell you that if Strange Odd Shadow is really meddling with you, you are the one who’s in trouble!”

“You seem to have a lot of faith in your friends!”

“If I answered this, would it make it any different? I think we’re done here! You can’t get anything out of me! Leave!”

“Very well!” and now some anger was obvious “I shall leave! But for future reference, only I say when we’re done!”

~~~\*\*\*---\*\*\*~~~

Kate Pirate was in Nexus Tower. She had just arrived. She needed to find some people really fast. She looked all around to find someone she knew in the ground. She was lucky enough to locate Jean and Gregory. She ran towards them.

“Jean! Gregory! Hi!” she bellowed.

The two minifigures turned around to see her.

“Kate, where have you and the others been?” Jean asked.

“Long story! We’ve been investigating about the lost people in Zephyr Asteroid Field. Is there anyone else nearby? I don’t want to say things too many times!”

“We just saw Dragon upstairs!” Gregory said “Let us lead!”

Kate’s eyes glowed green for a second and then she said “No need! Just come with me!”

In a few minutes, Kate, Jean and Gregory were standing before a surprised Magical Heroic Dragon. Kate started explaining everything she’d learnt about the Ensee. When she was done, all three of them were looking at her with slightly horrified looks.

“We should tell the Faction Leaders!” Dragon suggested.

“You’re right! We should!” Kate agreed “Let’s go”

And the four minifigures ran to an elevator so as to reach the level where the Leaders’ offices were. . .

### Chapter 33: Concerning the President of Lakum

Shadow and Magical perplexed entered the strange man’s hut. Inside they found a very simple house. There was a small central room that was a living room of a sort with a table in the centre, two chairs and an armchair. There was a door that led to the bedroom, which only contained a bed, as they could see, a door leading to a bathroom and another door that led to a small kitchen.

Shadow’s eyes stopped on the man himself next. He was wearing rags and was very dirty. His hair had not been brushed or washed in a long time. His face had a paranoid expression.

“What do you mean?” Shadow asked.

“What?” the man did not understand.

“About the President of Lakum. Why should he concern us?”

“Are you insane?!” the man exclaimed “Don’t you know anything?! The President of Lakum is the most dangerous person in these parts! His people just arrived in the factory an hour ago! I’m sure you wouldn’t want them to see you, so that they tell the President!”

“But why should we be worried that the President knows of our presence here?” Magical asked.

“Insane! Foolish ones! But you wouldn’t be supposed to be here! The President will find you and punish you! He is everywhere! He wants to take all over the System!”

“By Lakum you are referring to Lakum City, aren’t you?” Shadow enquired.

The man nodded.

“Why would he want to take over the System?”

“Ever since Crux was shattered, Makreia was broken and spread across the Crux System. Thus, the President of Makreia lost his kingdom. He was in the capital then, Lakum, so he became the President of Lakum. However, he wants to make a new kingdom out of the worlds near Lakum. And he’s succeeding!”

“How do you know all that?” Magical asked.

“I used to live in Lakum and I… I heard things. Then, I was captured by the President and I… I suf… I suffered! When I was let go, I managed to escape here!”

“Why would the President capture you?”

“I don’t know! I suppose I did something illegal!”

“You suppose?” Magical asked with a sarcastic expression.

The sound of rockets taking off was heard before the man could reply.

“They’re gone! Good! You can get out now, but careful!”

“Do you know anything about the Ensee?”

“What Ensee? We were talking about the President of Lakum!”

“Thank you for your help…” Shadow said and waited for the man to tell him his name.

Yet, the man did not realise that being absorbed in his own thoughts, so he did not speak.

“Well, thank you anyway! I hope we meet again in better circumstances!”

And out Magical and Shadow were.

“Well, that was an odd man!” Magical commented.

“I am afraid that his suffering caused his paranoia” Shadow answered.

“Do you believe him? I mean he did seem to have lost it! For all we know, this could just be nonsense!”

“I know, but… who did this to him then?”

“The Ensee, maybe?”

“That was my thought, but what if the President of Lakum and his people are the Ensee?”

“You think?”

“It is a possibility we should take into consideration! And we should definitely visit Lakum!”

“Great! Another possibly deadly world in our list of worlds to visit!”

“Well, for now we just have to visit this factory!” Shadow pointed to the big building ahead. . .

### Chapter 34: Smithier 2.0

Strange Odd Shadow and Magical Fire Monkey walked to the building that towered over them in front of some hills. Smoke was pouring out of some turrets at the roof and marring the sky. The factory was both tall and broad casting a big shadow over them with the sun not showing hid behind the building or the smog. There was a big gate on the wall facing them, yet, as they approached, they noticed a smaller door on the down side of it, probably meant for the use of minifigures.

After a ten-minute walk they reached the small door. There was a sign on it saying “Authorised personnel only”. Shadow stretched his hand to press a button.

“You don't reckon it's some kind of trap, do you?” Magical stopped him before he had.

“What, you think some trapdoor might open below us or that the door might spray acid on us? I suppose we'll have to take our chances!” Shadow replied.

Shadow pressed the button, but Magical still made a step behind. No trapdoor opened and no acid was sprayed, so Shadow concluded that it probably is just the bell, as he supposed in the beginning.

“Well, no booby-traps, yet!” Shadow said with a hint of a smile.

They waited and soon the door opened and a grumpy-looking minifigure appeared on the door. He examined them from top to toes and looked at them with an expression of mixed contempt and annoyance.

“What do you want?” he said in a way that made Shadow guess they were not going to get in that place any time soon.

“Hello!” Shadow started politely “I am Ioannis Atsalus. I was wondering whether we could have access to the factory. Perhaps, have a tour around, if you will have us!”

“Can't you read signs? Only staff is allowed in here! Now, beat it! We haven't got all day! We've got work to do!”.

He started closing the door, but Shadow blocked it with his foot.

“We're from Lakum! The President sent us!” Shadow lied.

The man now smiled with what seemed to be complacency.

“Goodbye!” and he forced the door closed.

Shadow and Magical got away from the factory. Once they were far enough, Shadow spoke.

“Well, it was too obvious, but it was worth the try!” he said.

“Let's look on the bright side! No army of people swarmed out to chase us!” Magical smiled.

“Quite right so!”

“Hey, what's that in the hills?” Magical suddenly pointed to some thing moving far from them in the hills by the side of the factory.

“It looks like a minifigure!” Shadow decided after a while.

“Should we check it out?”

“Why not?”

They changed direction towards the minifigure, who was coming towards them anyway. A few minutes later, they were near enough to examine each other. The minifigure was a man about forty years old, with black balding and graying hair. He had one of those thin mustaches and a panicked expression on his face.

“Are you crazy? What do you two want knocking at the door of their factory? Do you want yourselves smashed?” he shouted at them, but as silently as he could.

Shadow opened his mouth to speak, but he did not get the chance.

“No time! Follow me!”

The man started running towards the hills again. Magical and Shadow followed him. The man was glancing back towards the factory every now and then. They had reached the hills when the man looking back gave a yelp and pushed them down, falling down himself.

Shadow turned his head as much as he could and saw two minifigures had just gotten out of the factory. Even from that distance, Shadow thought he recognised them as the ones chasing them all over the System. Once he saw them, he put his power to use. It was not very dark there, but still something could be done for slightly better camouflage.

Several moments of anguish passed before the man finally said “Good! They're going the other way! That will give us some time! Let's go!”

“Where are we going?” Magical asked.

“My home!”

They walked for a good ten minutes when they finally found a house built upon the top of one of the hills. It had a very good view on the plains below.

“I saw you two coming a little after the Lakum diplomats appeared, from here and ran immediately to find you! What you're doing is really foolish! But let's better talk inside!”

Once they got inside, Shadow guessed that more than one person lived in there, but right now the house seemed to be empty. It was certainly a much better living place than the hut they've been to previously.

“Who are you? And why do you try to help us? If that's what you're doing!” Shadow asked.

“You can trust me, don't worry! I'm not one of them! My name is John Smith #49!”

“#49?” Magical inquired.

“I am one of the 48 clones of the original John Smith. The 48th actually. But since he was the first John Smith, I am the 49th!”

“Clones?!”

“Yes! It's awkward to tell other people, but I thought I could tell you. John Smith was the inventor of the Smithier, a machine that allows you to make clones of a person without much risk and without the involvement of women! Do not ask me about the ethics! I don't know myself and it involves my being! But father only cared about the science! I can't say the same about some other people, though!”

Shadow was looking at him curiously, setting aside his shock, which was much more apparent in Magical.

“You speak of John Smith #1 in past tenses!” Shadow said.

“He was smashed in the First Battle for Imagination, unfortunately! Ever since, my brothers and I have scattered all around the Nimbus and the neighbouring Systems. Several of them are still in the Nexus Force!”

“So, that answers my other question! But if you were Nexus Force, what are you doing here? We two are supposed to be the only Nexus-Forcers to get in the Zephyr System alive -or at least without being captivated!” Shadow did not mention Kate on purpose not fully trusting John Smith, yet!”

Smith was looking through the window regularly, probably to make sure the Ensee people were not coming.

“When I heard that there were some Nexus-Forcers travelling from world to world in these parts, I thought it was just rumours. No one is crazy enough to continue visiting Ensee worlds after all the narrow escapes. But when I saw you earlier going and knocking at their door, I realised how true the rumours were! Anyway, many years ago, it must have been sixteen, some people contacted me. They had heard of the Smithier and were interested in it. My brothers did not want to do anything with the Smithier, especially with other people, but I've got the scientific interest of my father. I wanted to see what these people wanted to say or propose concerning the Smithier. So, I did it anyway!

“We discussed about it a bit and then they proposed some improvements that could be made to its design. I was interested to make the Smithier as best as it could be -I was not concerned by the ethics at the time-, so I agreed. They brought me here and that's how I got here! Anyway, we've got to see how you'll get away from here without being found!”

“These people were Ensee, weren't they?” Shadow ignored the last sentence.

“Yes, they were!” John Smith said with a fearful look that asked them not to continue the discussion.

“What do they want the Smithier for?”
“Please, I've got a family, a wife and children! They're down by the river right now fishing. They've threatened me! I can't speak! There’s another man! Someone who’s not afraid! He knows about Ensee! Ask him! He lives in Lakum. Go there! It’s not far away! Just the second world you meet if you travel towards the hills’ side!”

“Does he know about the Smithier?”

“I don’t know! Please, I can’t speak!”

“How will they know, if you do?” Magical pointed out.

“Don't worry! We're here to end the reign of Ensee! Soon, the Nexus Force will know everything and will come to stop them! Your family will be safe!”

“Very well!” he said very quietly “Some time later, I discovered that the people I'd been working with had secretly altered our designs making several modifications I had not agreed to. The result would lead the Smithier 2.0 to help the clones grow faster and produce them massively while it allowed the clones to be genetically modified. I found a design that did not show the Smithier though. It was the design of a man who would have all the traits to be a super soldier. They wanted to make an army! I tried to stop them, but they threatened to hurt my family. They forced me to help them finish Smithier 2.0 but let me and my family live”

“Is that what the factory's for?”

“Yes! I also think they're making equipment! That's why there's smoke. The Smithier doesn't produce smoke!”

“How long ago did the Smithier get finished?”

“It was at least a good ten years ago! I am afraid the first wave of the army must be ready by now! But you know, the most frightening thing about these clones is that I think they don't have a soul! A creative spark! I have seen some of them. They're eerie and odd. Their eyes... They've come! Hide!”

Magical and Shadow were taken by surprise. Once they realised what had just been said they rushed through a door and closed it behind them. They had entered the bathroom, but there was no time to go elsewhere; banging was heard on the door.

“Hello, Smith!” said a harsh voice “Might you have seen two foreign minifigures wandering round here?”

“Aside from you? No! I haven’t seen no one!”

“Veeeerrry funnyyyy! Ssssooo, you wooouldn’t mind ussss checkiiiing?” that voice was very odd, alien; it seemed like a totally different creature than human was speaking.

“Just don’t make a mess, please!”

“Shadow, look!” Magical was pointing to a window.

“Good idea!” Shadow whispered.

They opened the window as quickly and as silently as they good and they got out. Magical had a little problem passing through for it wasn’t wide enough, but in the end they did it. Magical closed the window and they started running away, but making sure they weren’t seen inside the house.

“Shall we take off?” Magical asked.

“No, if we do, they’ll see we came here and Smith will have trouble!”

“What then?”

“I have an idea!” Shadow put his hand in his backpack and searched for something, all the while running; he got something that looked like a motorbike, but instead of wheels it had two circular flat surfaces that emitted a white light; it hovered above the ground “Hoverbike! Ride on!”

They mounted it and Shadow put in motion. It was pretty fast. The black cloak Shadow was wearing and his hair waved in the wind.

“Why did we not use this before?”

“We couldn’t have or we didn’t need to! We either used our rockets instead, the ground was not appropriate –it doesn’t work well over sea– or we were indoors”

“Very well!”

“Now, we will get away from Smith’s house and take off then!”

For a while, they travelled like that, always staying in the hills, where they could be hidden if they took care. Soon, Shadow deemed they were far enough. They dismounted and replaced the hoverbike with their rockets. They took off.

“Where to, now?” Magical asked.

“I think it’s high time we paid Lakum City a visit!” Shadow said. . .

### Chapter 35: Arrival at the Lake City

“AAAAAAH!”

“AAAAAAAAH!”

“AAAAAAAH!”

Shadow and Magical were the only ones who could hear their not so calm exclamations as they almost hit a floating rock, as it is impossible for sound to propagate through space.

Of course it was not for no reason that they almost flew into a rock. Soon after they took off, their two chasers had reappeared attempting to catch up with them. Even though they were far enough and couldn’t aim well, the two Nexus-Forcers still piloted their rockets like mad.

“Shadow, there’s a world over there! Do you think it might be Lakum?”

“If it is, I just hope they won’t follow us there” Shadow commented.

Lasers shot past them as they approached the planet chunk Magical had spotted.

“Do you think we could get rid of them some other way?”

“I don’t know! We can’t outrun them and I don’t how well fighting them would go. Their rockets seem to have better weapons installed”

“All we need is a trick! You certainly can outsmart them!”

“I’ve already told you, though, that I can’t find any ideas that would help us!”

The world did not seem to be Lakum City. For one part, there was no part of the Makreia Sea –which is actually a big lake– next to which the city originally lay. For another, there was no sight of any city. The world actually mostly contained fields where they could see minifigures working.

“Not the right one!”

“Are you sure we’re going the right way?”

“I think! Most of the still uncharted area is towards that direction, so Lakum City must be somewhere there!”

As they passed by the world –making sure not to be seen so as not to cause any stir or have any more people chasing them–, they looked over their shoulders at their pursuers more than once. They had escaped those two minifigures’ grasp many times until then, Shadow thought. They had to do it once more. But how could they do it? There’s no place to hide in space! Or is there?

“Magical! I just had a thought! It seems I, too, can miss the obvious. Since I can use my power on objects I touch, too, perhaps I could camouflage my rocket. The space *is* dark, isn’t it? The stars might cause some problems, I don’t know what effect they’ll have, but it’s better than nothing”

“I knew you could do it!” Magical cheered.

“Yeah, but you’ll have to jump on my rocket! That’s not the best idea!”

“Well, if we have to! Coming near you now”

Magical drove his rocket in order to place it side by side with Shadow’s.

“Wait for me to extend the rocket’s artificial mini-sphere” Shadow said referring to the term mini-atmosphere.

Shadow pressed buttons like a maniac; it did not seem like an easy thing to do. Finally, after a few minutes he stopped.

“Okay! I think I’ve done it! I’ve merged our mini-spheres” he announced.

“You think?!”

“Oh come on, now! It’s not like we have any other choice! Just jump!”

Magical looked at Shadow with a deadly look for a second, then sighed and got up. He stepped on the side of his rocket and, trying not to look at the void of darkness below him, he jumped. As he did so, he could not help screaming a little, but in the end he landed into Shadow’s rocket, safe and sound, if a little hurt by the impact. The other rocket started shrinking and it returned in Magical’s backpack.

“Are you alright?”

“I think so!” Magical said while changing his position to be more comfortable.

“Then, let’s do it!”

Shadow started channeling his power to the whole rocket and it disappeared for the eyes of those who would look at them.

“Now, let’s try a different route, so that they lose us!”

Shadow drove his rocket out of the straight route they’d been flying on for some time, so that their pursuers would actually lose them. Sure enough, after a while the projectiles ceased raining all over them and looking over his shoulder, Shadow couldn’t see the two rockets.

“Well, that’s better! Magical, can you take the handles, so I can concentrate on this?”

“I’ll try!”

Magical tried to squeeze his way in the front of Shadow and with a lot of effort he managed to do it without throwing anyone out of the one-man seat.

“Any idea on what direction we should take?” the man asked.

“Not anything different than before!” Shadow replied.

“I’ll just go this way then!” Magical said and continued towards a random direction.

“As good as any!”

They passed a few worlds as they went by and every time they located a chunk of Crux they would hold their breath to be disappointed when they examined the surface (if there was any). As they went on, Shadow could feel his power draining slowly, but steadily. Despite that, he was trying to mentally keep track of all the worlds they’d seen and the distances between them.

Then, suddenly Magical pointed out he had seen the lower part of world. Above them and to their left and front there was a point where the stars disappeared and which was brownish. Magical raised their rocket, so that they could fly above the height of its surface in order to see what it looked like.

In one instant, they were amazed. They were faced with the sight of a very beautiful city. Surrounded on three sides by the cyan waters of the lake reflecting the light of the sun, the city was a mix of shining white of marble and green of beautiful trees. It was a city built in a particular way and not randomly and with certain architecture. That was Lakum City. . .

### Chapter 36: The President of Lakum

Before they could enjoy the view of Lakum City for long, they felt their rocket bump on some invisible barrier. The rocket changed direction and it started flying in what would be a wide circle around the world, if they didn’t stop the rocket.

“There seems to be a force field stopping us. Let me see if I can do something about it” Shadow said.

He pressed several buttons on the rocket’s panel and the little screen it had showed something that seemed to please Shadow.

“Yes. Their technology is not as advanced as the Nexus Force’s. I think I can bypass this”

He pressed some more buttons, while his eyes glowed blue. Then, Shadow had the rocket move and it proceeded unhindered by anything.

“Success!” Shadow cheered.

The rocket now approached the world as fast as it could. Nearer to the city, the two men were able to take a better look at it. Though they did not know that, it was quite similar to Venice in some respects.

Soon they landed in a dark alley. As the two minifigures stretched their muscles after the tiring journey aboard the rocket, another minifigure appeared on the end of the alley and he ran towards them.

“Quick! Come with me. You have been seen. The soldiers of Lakum will soon come to arrest you. You have to come with me!”

“Who are you?” Shadow asked.

“A friend. I saw you landing and knew immediately who you were”

“And why should we believe you?”

“Look! If you want to be safe from the Ensee, you’ll come with me. If you want to waste time and get smashed, fine by me. I only wanted to help, though”

“Okay. We’ll come”

Shadow and Magical started following the minifigure, who led them running to a small house not too far away from there. He closed the door behind them and looked to be relieved.

The minifigure was filthy, but so were they, after all their adventures. Shadow still wasn’t sure whether to trust the man, but he wanted to hear what he had to say.

“So, why was it so important to get into a safe place?” he asked.

“You did a foolish thing! A very foolish thing to come here! You never should have. You’ve placed yourselves in more danger than you could imagine!”

“We’ve been through a lot these last few days. Try us” Magical replied.

“But you don’t understand. You have come to the base of Ensee! All of the things, they did to you, until now, they shall do unto you tenfold here! This is the worst place to be for a Nexus-Forcer! Especially for two Nexus-Forcers that have caused so much trouble to Ensee!”

“If you know that the Ensee’s base is located here, then would you also know what exactly it is?”

“The President of Lakum, of course! Him and his people! The man is greedy for power. When he lost the rest of Makreia due to Crux’s explosion, he decided to take over the Zephyr System to replace it. He’s worked in utter secrecy, so that the Nexus Force doesn’t discover him, but I think he now intends to invade the Nimbus System, too. He is evil, I tell you”

“Really? And do you think he might have some place where he has minifigures fight each other until they were smashed?”

“There is such a place. There’s a big building on the other side of the city, where minifigures fight each other and people make bets on who will beat who. They are not supposed to smash each other, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the President actually secretly used it to have people he didn’t like smashed”

“So, is that all?”

“What do you mean?”

“Is there anything else about Ensee and the President we should know?”

“I can’t think of anything”

“Well, then, I think it’s about time we paid the President of Lakum a visit”

“What?! No! You’ll have yourselves smashed, if you do that. It’s not safe to get out and going to the President is suicide! You need to stay here until we can send you out of here”

“We’re going to the President and this is final” Shadow said.

“But…”

“No buts! Just show us how to get there”

The minifigure looked at him as if he had gone insane. Yet, he told Shadow how to reach the President’s mansion.

“Thank you! Oh and by the way, you didn’t tell us your name”

“I’m Chuck Gravon”

“Chuck, thank you a lot for your help, but we need to go now”

“Maybe, you could stay here for a little while. The soldiers will still be looking for you”

“And if they find us, they’ll take us to the President. So, where’s the difference?” Shadow said, though it was a wild guess –there were all sorts of things the soldiers could do to them if they found them.

“Please!”

“Goodbye, Chuck!”

Shadow and Magical got out of the house and started walking towards the President’s mansion, which could be seen even from there.

“Why didn’t you ask him about the clones? He could be the person Smith talked about” Magical asked.

“We cannot just trust this man. He could be Ensee, for all we know. If I asked him about that and he was Ensee, it would be obvious we talked to John Smith and then he’d be in trouble. I don’t think he was the person Smith told us about. If he was, he’d know about the clones and he’d be willing to tell us, wouldn’t he? So, he would have told us about them when I asked him for more information”

“So, what do you think of the President? There seem to be a lot of things indicating he’s the leader of Ensee. The crazy man, his men at the factory, Chuck’s story. He could be the one”

“I’m not sure. I’d like to talk to him first”

Despite Chuck’s warnings, they did not see any soldiers around and soon they reached a more crowded part of the city and mingling with the crowd would grant them the safety they needed.

Twenty minutes later, they reached the mansion. It was one of the biggest buildings in the city. The entrance was elevated and you could only reach it by the many wide white steps of its. There were two guards at the two sides of the base of the stairs, but they did not stop them when they started ascending.

At the top, they found two more guards stationed by the sides of a majestic door. They placed their spears in an X in front of the door to stop them from entering.

“State your business with the President” one of them said.

“We are Nexus Force Representatives and wish to speak with him”

The eyes of the guards seemed to widen at the sound of that. The one who had spoken knocked on the door and called for someone. The door opened a little and the head of a minifigure appeared. The guard whispered something to him and then the head disappeared and the door closed again. Five minutes later, the minifigure reappeared.

“The President of Lakum will be happy to see you” he said.

The minifigure led them to a great hall inside the mansion. There was a man sitting on a throne-like chair on a slightly elevated part of the floor at the other side of the room and a woman sitting on another chair next to him. There was an oval table surrounded by chairs some distance away from them, but no one occupied those seats at the moment.

“Sir, these are the Nexus-Forcers” the man said to the person who must have been the President.

“Thank you, Ralph. Your assistance is no longer necessary at the moment. You can go”

Once Ralph was gone, the President turned to his visitors.

“Who are you?” he asked.

“I am Strange Odd Shadow and this is Magical Fire Monkey. We are members of the Nexus Force. We arrived in the Zephyr System meaning to investigate some disappearances, which we believe are actually abductions. Since then, we have heard a lot about this organisation called Ensee. But when we arrived in Lakum we met a man who told us that you and your people are the Ensee, sir. We could not trust him, so we decided to come and meet you to see for ourselves”

The woman, who Shadow thought must be the President’s wife, was absorbed in brushing her hair. Her eyes only looked at them, when Shadow mentioned the Ensee.

“Me? Ensee? That is preposterous! It seems that someone is trying to confuse you; or ruin my reputation. Either way, I may assure you that such rumours are definitely lies”

“And how can we be sure about that?” Magical asked, not persuaded.

“Look. I’m just trying to rule Lakum as best as I can. We’ve all been through hard times ever since we split from the rest of Makreia and I’ve been trying to do the best for my people. The Ensee, though, is evil. I don’t know how I could persuade you I don’t have anything to do with them. I’ll just say that we placed this force field around our world, so that people like them may not enter it. By the way, I could arrest you for your unauthorised arrival to Lakum. But I shall not, respecting the Nexus Force”

“If you do not have anything to do with the Ensee, then might you explain to us what exactly it is?” Shadow asked.

“I cannot. To survive with the Ensee ruling everything around us, I had to make some agreements with them. My mouth is shut. They could destroy us all, if I talked”

“Are you saying that you, the leader of this whole city, are actually afraid of even talking about them?” Magical was perplexed “What’s going wrong here? Everyone is so afraid of them”

“They have good reason” Shadow said “So, you do not have anything useful to tell us, then. If that is the case, I think we should be off”

“If so you wish. But I will have to ask you to leave Lakum as soon as possible. I do not want trouble with the Ensee”

“We shall do that! Goodbye and thank you” Shadow said and so they left. . .

### Chapter 37: The Shapeshifter

“I don’t trust him” Magical said immediately after they got out of the room.

“Me neither, but… why would he let us go if he was of the Ensee?” Strange Odd Shadow countered.

“I don’t know. Maybe he likes to play with his food; or he wants to maintain his reputation” Magical suggested.

“Perhaps. But his fear seemed genuine. And if he was Ensee, he wouldn’t just tell us he can’t prove he’s not. He would have some explanation prepared. I can’t be sure –he could be a really good actor–, but I don’t think it’s him”

“Maybe. Still I suspect him”

“Well, we can’t trust anyone, right?” Shadow said as they got out of the doorway and then “What on Crux?!”

“Brick!” Magical exclaimed, too.

In front of the mansion, some sort of vehicle with a big laser cannon upon it was hovering, the cannon aiming at them. There were two minifigures aboard: a pilot and another manning the gun. They were the two minifigures that had chased them all over the Zephyr System.

As Shadow jumped to avoid the first blast fired by the cannon, he noticed the guards were nowhere to be soon. Looking at the streets below, he saw them fleeing in the distance. Shadow got up and looked at the big crater that had been created on the marble floor.

“Magical! Rocket!” he shouted, as he started running, in time to avoid a second laser.

They got past the ship, but that was no help, because the cannon could spin 360 degrees. Shadow got his rocket out of his backpack, while a laser struck just behind him. The steps’ explosion caused him to be flung away. He fell back onto the stairs and proceeded to roll down the remaining ones.

“Ouch!” Shadow declared, just before Magical caught up with him, grabbed him and his rocket and jumped inside it, with Shadow between his arm and ribs.

Magical had the rocket set off just in time to avoid one more blast. He looked over his shoulder and saw the ship was following them by now.

“This is outrageous!” Shadow complained “Doesn’t the Ensee know anything about copyrights?! This is another one of my designs. It’s the Gun-Ship. It’s got a really powerful gun”

“That’s all very great, but how are we to escape it?”

“Try a Big One. That ought to do the trick” Shadow suggested.

Magical grabbed a Big One and tossed it to the Gun-Ship. There was an explosion, but through that explosion another laser was launched.

“Jump!” Shadow yelled.

The rocket exploded just as they jumped out of it. Meanwhile, the Gun-Ship was crashing behind them.

“At least we brought it down” Magical said after they landed on the ground.

They started running in a street vertical to the one they’d previously been, after they saw the two minifigures emerge out of the smokes around the crashed Gun-Ship. Panicked people were running and screaming all around them. Mothers were picking their children, people closed and locked doors and windows and everyone got out of their way. However, in between all of them they saw the blur of a person who was running towards the Ensee pursuers.

Shadow and Magical continued running for ten more minutes changing direction every now and then. And then they realised they had lost their pursuers. They stopped in a dark empty alley near the lake to catch their breath.

“What do we do now? Our last rocket is destroyed” Magical asked.

“I don’t know. We can’t stay here with those minifigures, but I don’t see any way out”

“Maybe, the President will give us something since he wants us out of his world”

“I don’t think he’ll be so happy to see us after this incident”

“Can you build something?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think I have all the appropriate bricks to make something that will fly, but perhaps we could find some in the city. I think it’s our only chance”

“So, where do we go now? Where would we find bricks?”

“I don’t know. And I’m not sure anyone would sell to us after this. There goes that idea”

For a few minutes, they remained silent trying to think of something.

“We’d better get out of here. We shouldn’t stay anywhere for too long” Shadow finally said.

“You’re right. Let’s go”

They started walking, when suddenly a minifigure appeared behind them.

“Thank brick!” the man said panting “I found you!”

They turned around to look at him. He had short blonde hair and green eyes, he was tall enough and on the thin side. He wore simple clothes.

“Who are you?” Shadow asked.

“The man who just saved you. I distracted and then smashed your pursuers!” he said self-complacently.

“And how would you have done that, supposing we believe you?” Shadow questioned him.

“Like that!” the man said and his characteristics started changing until he looked exactly like Strange Odd Shadow, but for the clothes, which remained the same.

“You’re a shapeshifter?!” Magical exclaimed.

“If you’re done stating the obvious, we’d better go somewhere safer”

“This is an impressive talent, but it’s no proof for what you claim to have done nor does it make us trust you” Shadow pointed out “It might even make us more distrustful of you”

“Look! These people have terrorised the Zephyr System for many long years and it’s made everyone really really frightened of them. Everyone except for one. That person is the one who can never be found by them. The one who can penetrate into their organisation, learn all their secrets and then get out without anyone ever realising he was there. And you know who’s the only person who can do that? The one who can shapeshift! So, if you’re done making stupid comments, we should go”

It was odd to converse with someone who looked and sounded exactly like him, but wasn’t him.

Shadow remembered John Smith’s words: “There’s another man! Someone who’s not afraid! He knows about Ensee! Ask him! He lives in Lakum”. That man seemed to fit into Smith’s description.

“Are you acquainted with John Smith #49?” Shadow asked.

“I’ve met him. Why?”

“He said there was a person in Lakum, who wasn’t afraid of the Ensee and who would talk to us. Did he mean you?”

“I suppose. I don’t know many other people like this, so I’ll guess he did. Are you done, now?”

“Alright. We’ll come” Shadow finally agreed.

“Follow me, then” the man said and changed his appearance to that of a short red-haired girl.

The ‘girl’ led them to a house far from where the alley in which they’d stopped, but still near the lake.

“Have a seat” he said with a deceiving female voice, pointing to a couch.

“This is really weird!” Magical commented, as he sat.

“It’s weirder when he’s got your own shape”

The ‘girl’ laughed.

“So, you two are the famous Nexus-Forcers wreaking havoc all around the Zephyr System. I really didn’t think I’d see anyone last that long here without accepting things as they are. I suppose you have questions. I shall answer them, since they are no friends of mine”

“Firstly, might you tell us your name?” Shadow enquired.

“I am Arthu Cruth”

“That aside, will you finally explain what the Ensee is?”

“The what?” the ‘girl’ was confused.

“The Ensee” Shadow repeated.

Then, the shapeshifter started laughing. As he did, his form changed to that of a middle-aged brown-haired man with a couple of teeth missing.

“It’s not Ensee! It’s En Cee. NC. They are initials” he finally said amused.

Shadow then finally remembered what Ensee reminded him. It was that paper that talked of a certain NCC.

“Initials of what?” Magical asked, slightly annoyed by Arthu’s amusement on their mistake.

“Initials for Nexus Chasers”

“Nexus Chasers? Why would they call themselves that?”

“Because they want to destroy the Nexus Force, idiot!”

“And why do they want to do that?”

“The Nexus Chasers Commander, founder of the organisation, decided that for him to become the leader of the Crux System, he’d have to beat the Nexus Force, which is the greatest minifigure force in the Crux System currently”

*NCC!* Shadow thought. *Nexus Chasers Commander. And what does Commander remind me?*

“Malidux Nagnus!” he exclaimed.

“Yes, he’s their commander”

“Why does he not worry about the Maelstrom?”

“The Nexus Chasers seem to have some kind of control over the Maelstrom they meet. I don’t know how, but it’s true”

Shadow remembered the incident with the Maelstrom Sharks. Arthu was telling the truth.

“Where do the Nexus Chasers keep their prisoners?”

“Mostly in the Tremendous Arena. It’s where they have them fight each other to the smash”

“And is the President of Lakum a Nexus Chaser?”

“No, why would he be?”

“It seems the Nexus Chasers tried to persuade us he was the leader of their group. Do you know someone called Chuck Gravon?”

“Yes, it’s the alias of a Nexus Chaser. Did you meet him?”

“Yes. He was the one who told us the President was NC. But why didn’t he just attack us?” Magical spoke.

“Hmm. Considering his insisting that we stayed, I’d say he wanted to stall us until reinforcements arrived. That’s why our pursuers knew that we’d gone to the President, too”

“Right!”

“What do you know on the clones and Smithier 2.0?” Shadow continued his questions; any doubts he had about the man had evaporated by now; his perfectly good explanations had persuaded him.

“The Nexus Chasers used the Smithier to create an army of elite clone soldiers. That, among other things, means they are like robots, though in flesh. It’s because they feel no emotions and they do not make their own thoughts; they only think what they have been programmed to think and that’s military stuff. They have no souls. And that makes them perfect soldiers. At least in the Nexus Chasers’ opinion”

“Have they infiltrated into the Nexus Force?”

“Yes. There are many members amongst your ranks that are actually traitors. I don’t know numbers, though. Nor the names”

“Is the Tremendous Arena their base?”

“Not officially, even though Nagnus passes a lot of his time there. The official base is in a world that’s empty except for some mountains. They have some underground facilities there. The place also happens to be full of oil”

“Do you know why we can’t communicate with anyone outside the Zephyr System?”

“The Nexus Chasers block any signals passing through the Zephyr Asteroid Field”

“You really have been very useful. And you discovered all this without their even knowing that you exist?”

“More or less. Cool, isn’t it?”

“You know. You’re not the only person I know who has special abilities. Maybe, after all of this is over, you can come by my facilities for studying and expanding such powers and you can meet others like you”

“You sound like you think all of this will be over soon”

“It’s because it will. Soon, the Nexus Force will arrive and the Nexus Chasers will be destroyed”

“And who will inform them of this? Did you forget what I just told you? You can’t communicate with them”

“We’ll find a way. Besides, my wife has already escaped out of this forsaken place and she will inform the Nexus Force of the existence of the Nexus Chasers, even if she doesn’t know the details. They’ll come”

“Oh right! I’d forgotten you were three when you first came to the Zephyr System. So, the third one left, she didn’t get smashed? Good, that’s good. If it’s true”

“What do you mean?” Magical asked.

“You don’t really know if she escaped. She might as well have been smashed in the Asteroid Field”
“I know she escaped” Shadow said.

“Anyway, what are you going to do, now?” Arthu asked.

“That’s… a good question. We lack any form of transportation to get out of here since our last rocket was destroyed” Magical said.

“I have a rocket” the man said, while he started transforming into an elderly lady “I could lend it to you”

“Is it by any chance a rocket of the Nexus Chasers?”

“Indeed”

“That means it can get through the Zephyr Asteroid Field. We could take it and go back to the Nexus Force and inform them of all we’ve learnt” Shadow said.

“I’m not leaving” Magical replied.

“What?”

“They still have Sarah. I’m not going to risk her being smashed by waiting for the Nexus Force to arrive. My next stop is the Tremendous Arena”

“You can’t possibly do both with only one rocket” Arthu’s elderly voice mocked him.

“Wait! I have an idea!” Shadow said. . .

### Chapter 38: Into the Arena

*Light. There was blinding light engulfing him. And extreme heat. He could feel flames burning his skin all over his body. The pain was unimaginable. He would smash.*

Vladimir Dracula the Eleventh woke up. It was the same dream as always. He dreamt of the moment of the explosion in the centre of the Maelstrom Vortex. He was terrified of that dream. Although he knew it was just the past, it was the most terrible moment of his life and reliving it again and again was very stressful.

Vlad had played it cool in front of his friends, telling them that he had survived, because he was a vampire. But he knew better. He knew vampires and he knew what he had felt at that moment. No one, not even vampires, were supposed to survive something like that. Vlad knew he was supposed to be smashed and he couldn’t understand how he was still alive. And he wasn’t sure how he could live with that.

Vlad looked at the sleeping girl in front of him. She had had similar traumatising experiences as well. She had been smashed twice without being expected to rebuild, but she was still alive. Only the two of them could understand how that felt. Other people thought that their being smashed and rebuilt felt like the usual smash-rebuild process that occurred in the Nexus Force’s ‘safe’ worlds. Sure, the latter was quite inconvenient and confusing, but when you smashed in an ‘unsafe’ world and for some reason rebuilt, it felt like it was real and was at least ten times worse. Maybe, that was another reason why Vlad felt like he should protect Nirwell that much. They’d been through similar experiences.

Someone entered the room. Vlad looked up and saw Platinum walking in.

“Hey, I’ve been called for a mission. Many of us actually. I thought you might want to come, too” he said.

“I think I’ll pass. I’ll just stay here. Nirwell likes it better when I’m here, anyway”

“Are you sure? You’ve been sitting in that chair a lot lately. Sleeping on it, even” he said looking at Vlad’s messy hair “I don’t think that’s very healthy”

“I know, but… I think it’s better that way. Nirwell needs to be looked after and I don’t feel like doing something containing action right now”

“Suit yourself. If you insist on staying here, who am I to disagree? Goodbye, then!”

“See you later”

~~~\*\*\*---\*\*\*~~~

Sarah looked at her own hands. She was being led inside a corridor that ended up in light. While looking at the light itself blinded her after being in the dark for so long, it provided her enough illumination to examine herself.

Her left hand now matched her right one. Her right hand always had a Maelstrom aura ever since she’d been infected in the Maelstrom Lair; disinfection had failed to remove the aura from her hand, although it was not dangerous. Now, her captors had infected her other hand, too, as part of their tortures.

Before she could look at the rest of her body, they were in an open area and the blinding light attacked her from everywhere. She squinted her eyes in an attempt to protect herself. The place was loud. She could hear the sounds of battle all around her and the sound of many people cheering, booing and chatting from farther away, but still around her. What was this place?
Someone handed her a sword and a shield.

“You’ll have to fight the others to survive” he said “It’s smash or be smashed”

Then, they pushed her further into the big spacey area. As her eyes started to get used to the light, she realised some minifigure was approaching her from in front of her. She still, however, couldn’t see well, so she didn’t see the minifigure’s attack coming.

The slash of the sword caused her to fall on the ground. She was not in a condition fit to fight. She looked up and finally managed to see well. She could see the fearful face of another girl. Sarah could not understand why the girl was fighting her. She looked into her mind and realised she was Nexus Force, too.

*What are you doing?* Sarah asked her telepathically, while the other was raising her sword for the fatal hit. *Why are you fighting me?*

The girl was so confused she did not make the hit.

*I have to*, the girl thought, but Sarah wasn’t sure if she was telling her or herself. *Otherwise I’ll be smashed.*

*People could pretend to be smashed in order to escape!*

*They tried it before, but they realised and then we were all punished.*

*Did you try auto-smashing?*

*How would that help? We’d just rebuild immediately and they’d catch us.*

*Don’t you know you can resist rebuilding for some time?*

*What?*

*When you auto-smash, it is not necessary that you rebuild immediately. You just have to put some effort to it. Then, they’ll abandon your pieces somewhere and you’ll be safe to rebuild. Just wait long enough to be sure they won’t be there anymore.*

*I’m not sure.*

*Do it! Just before I hit you, auto-smash.*

Then, Sarah leaped towards the girl her sword slashing towards here. The girl was smashed, but Sarah was the only one who’d seen it had happened just a little before her sword had reached her.

Sarah could now see she was in an Arena. Several minifigures were fighting each other in the oval-shaped sand area, while others watched from the spectators’ seats with malevolent expressions on their faces. She knew what she had to do.

Suddenly, she was broadcasting telepathic information to every fighter explaining the plan she had devised and told the girl. It was their only hope to survive and that’s why she could feel that the minifigures were ready to take the risk.

Two minifigures appeared in front of her, apparently locked in an intense battle. Finally, one of them, a boy with ebony-coloured skin defeated the other, but Sarah knew he had auto-smashed. Then, the boy looked at her and their eyes locked to each other’s.

“Are you Ebasha?” Sarah asked.

“Yes”

“I met your brother, Namandel. He’s very worried about you” she said and then swung her sword against him and the child auto-smashed.

She had finally found the boy they were looking for. But their job was far from over.

At that moment, Sarah heard a portcullis sliding up behind her. She turned around to see what was going on and out of the darkness, a huge Maelstrom beast emerged. . .

### Chapter 39: Let the Games Begin!

“I come to you, sir, with a message from Strange Odd Shadow, the Nexus-Forcer!” Arthu Cruth spoke, disguised as a respectable middle-aged gentleman.

“Strange Odd Shadow!” the President of Lakum exclaimed “I refuse to listen, after all the destruction and panic he caused. If you happen to know where he is, you should give him in, for he can only be considered a criminal from the state”

“Sir, I am but a messenger of the man and all I can say that hearing this message can only benefit you, certainly not harm you”

“Sir, I don't believe it would do us any harm to hear what this person has to say. It's only words after all!” said one of the President's ministers who happened to be there.

His wife wouldn't like that. It had been her, after all, who had persuaded him to be so strict on the Nexus-Forcers after what they caused. On the other hand, she wasn't here at the moment, so it wouldn't hurt, if she didn't hear it from someone else.

“Very well, speak on”

“Strange Odd Shadow's message is short and simple. The Nexus Force will soon know -or it may already know- everything about the Nexus Chasers” Arthu gave them a moment to get over the shock of hearing the name spoken openly “Thus, it will arrive shortly to stop this organisation's activity. It is possible that a representative of theirs will visit you and ask for your help. If you like, you may sit and do nothing out of fear, in that way helping the Nexus Chasers to continue existing. But you can also get over your fear and help the Nexus Force strike them down forever. The choice is yours. This decision could affect your future greatly. So, choose wisely. That is all! Thank you for seeing me, sir. I will be leaving now!”

And so Arthu left the President and his ministers, with their gaping mouths and surprised expressions.

~~~\*\*\*---\*\*\*~~~

Strange Odd Shadow was working on fixing the Gun-Ship. It had been left in the middle of the street, where no one would approach it. No one, but he and Magical Fire Monkey. At some point, a soldier approached them and told them that what they were doing was against the law. Magical just replied that if he wanted the NC's Number One enemies out of his City, he'd leave them alone. The soldier assumed a frightened expression and started quickly walking backwards, never leaving his eyes from them until he was gone.

Shadow had loaded Magical's FFFFF phone with all the information they'd gathered about the Nexus Chasers and the Zephyr System, set it to broadcast them to some of Nexus Force's private frequencies as soon as it was out of the Zephyr System and placed it on Arthu's rocket. Then, they sent the rocket flying on auto-pilot towards the Nimbus System. Hopefully, the information would reach the Nexus Force.

“Are you done?” Magical asked for what must have been the tenth time.

“Not yet, Magical, but soon I will be” Shadow replied wearily -worn by Magical's perpetual questions “Now, will you be quiet until I finish this?”

“Okay, okay! Just be quick, will you? I can't take the waiting!”

Another five minutes passed and Magical fought the urge to ask again. A man in his early twenties, whose face was evidence for his having been beaten up recently, approached them limping.

“Ηave you guyth notithed that there are thome tholdierth watthing you over there?” the young man asked them lisping.

Magical looked at the soldiers who were looking at them from afar. The previous soldier had come back with reinforcements, but they were not coming any nearer. They were just watching with fearful expressions as if they were bombs that could explode any minute.

Shadow, though, looked at the man -without stopping his work, though. He stared at him intently and then spoke.

“Arthu, you should probably tell us it's you first, next time!”

“There may not be a nectht time” Arthu deadpanned “But how did you know it wath me?”

“Well, your expression was entirely different from what it'd be if you had just been hit by someone. And further inspection showed it to be similar to your usual expression”

“When did you get to know my ecthprethion?”

“Arthu? I didn't recognise you at all! Though, I suppose it was suspicious of you to actually talk to us or even approach us.

“Magical will you put this on that thingy over there? No, next to that. Yes, thank you! A final touch aaand... it's ready!”

“It's ready? For real?” Magical asked.

“Yes. It may fly now, even in space”

“Finally!”

“Well, Arthu! This would mean we should bid you farewell, now!”

“Yes, goodbye man!”

“Bye then. I won't mith you really, but you aren't half bad people”

“See you in a different world, Arthu. And remember my offer about your visit to my facilities still stands”

“I will have it in mind if you miraculouthly thurvive!”

Magical and Shadow boarded the Gun-Ship. Shadow took the pilot's seat and Magical got on the Gunner seat. The soldiers stirred with worry, seeing them boarding the vehicle. Shadow started pressing some buttons and the Gun-Ship began hovering, while Arthu stepped back to be safer. The vehicle began ascending and moving forwards more quickly. Before they were too far gone, they heard Arthu's lisping voice call “ENDTHOY YOUR THMATHING!” behind them.

~~~\*\*\*---\*\*\*~~~

The Gun-Ship was capable of space travel for it could form a force field around it and keep the air inside. It wasn't optimal for trans-world journeys and it could only do short distances as it couldn't keep a lot of oxygen, but it was all they had. It was slower than a rocket, but Shadow was driving it well enough, as its designer, and now they were more than halfway there. Nothing interesting had happened until then, but that was how they liked it.

But as time went on, when the atmosphere had just began getting a tad uncomfortable due to the increase in carbon dioxide, two infected rockets, with infected pilots in them, appeared, one on each side of theirs.

“Magical, we have company!” Shadow said to Magical.

“Yes, I've seen them, Shadow don't worry. I'm shooting them now!” Magical replied, turning the gun towards their right. However, when Magical fired, Shadow was forced to manoeuver the ship to avoid the projectiles sent by the rockets, causing Magical to miss. As Shadow continued to move the vehicle suddenly changing directions in order to evade the rockets' fire, Magical was unable to make one true shot.

“Shoot them, shoot them, shoot them! Why are you aiming so bad?” Shadow was in panic.

“Well, if you weren't piloting so bad, I might have been able to aim better!” Magical yelled.

Shadow tried to keep the Gun-ship more steady and Magical finally managed to hit one of the rockets. The rocket exploded due to the laser's great power. Magical quickly turned the gun around to target the other rocket. As it was easier to dodge now, Shadow did not have to move the rocket so randomly, so Magical struck the other rocket on the first try. They were safe.

Shadow performed a curved trajectory on their way towards the Tremendous Arena in order to avoid the Space Maelstrom filled area. It was another hour before they finally saw the Tremendous Arena.

“Now for the tricky part!” Shadow said, as they approached the world.

“Crew of Space Vehicle 95B-4, please identify yourselves and state your purpose” a voice was heard through a comm..

Shadow gave them two names and a purpose, as Arthu had instructed him to do. It was risky despite Arthu's knowledge, but it was their only way of getting in. The names were names that Arthu had used in the past to infiltrate in the Nexus Chasers and that Arthu thought still could work. While the purpose was the most believable one at the current time. They wished to watch the Games.

Shadow and Magical waited for some minutes of agony. Then, to their relief and indeed surpise, the voice authorised them to land and directed them Hangar C. However, all was revealed to them when, upon landing, they found themselves surrounded by mercenaries and Tranqimiletes. . .

### Chapter 40: Panem et Circenses

“Fire!” Shadow exclaimed in panic, but Magical was already doing it.

A continuous laser beam was fired, while the gun turned around in a full circle, smashing and scattering everyone around them. While Magical began a second circle, Shadow had the Gun-Ship move forwards, forcing the minifigures in front of them to make way or be trampled. As the laser hit other space transport ships, many of them exploded.

Some of their enemies got to attack the vehicle, but such a thing was sparse enough for it to be unaffected until it reached the end of the hangar. Magical blasted the door, while Shadow didn't get to stop the Gun-ship before it bumped on the wall, causing it to crack. Magical turned the gun around and fired behind them for one last time. Having ducktaped the appropriate button to keep it firing, he left his seat and followed Shadow, who had already gotten through the doorway.

The hallway they entered wasn't any less full of Nexus Chasers, particularly Tranqimiletes. Shadow noticed for the first time how identical they looked; and how blank their eyes were. They were surrounded and greatly outnumbered. The Tranqimiletes pointed their laser-spears towards them. In one second, they would both be smashed. There was no way to fight through them.

But perhaps there was another way! Shadow quickly grabbed Magical's arm and then focused. He had to do it right this time. The Tranqimiletes fired lasers from the points of their spears. However, Shadow and Magical had just turned black and begun melting. The lasers missed them and hit each other. And as Shadow and Magical's figures melted and spilled on the floor, they finally shaped into something. The shadow of a minifigure holding another by the arm.

The Tranqimiletes were confused and didn't know what to do. Before they could do anything anyway, though, the combined shadow began moving, even under their feet. Some of them tried to follow it, but it was moving fast.

It is hard to find your way through a maze of hallways, especially when you have taken a two-dimensional form. However, Shadow tried to remember what the Arena's corridors were like from their previous visit and use his sense of direction, hoping to arrive in the outdoors area.

Many people would often pass over them, in most cases not even noticing the shadows with no shadow-casting objects or people. Hence, Shadow was afraid of getting back to their actual form, even though maintaining shadow form had begun straining him more and more.

Finally, Shadow couldn't take it any more and in an instance they seemed to be alone, they reverted to their original state, becoming distinguished from their shadows. Shadow almost fell down, but Magical caught him.

“We must be... close! … Let's go!” Shadow said panting.

They started moving, Magical supporting Shadow until he felt better. They met two Tranqimiletes at one point, but Magical managed to defeat them. They were good fighters, though and gave him some trouble.

Once Shadow looked ready to talk, Magical began the questions, despite the crisis of the situation.

“What was that that you did?”

“It's a new power I discovered I have at the end of the Great Battle. I can phase into an actual shadow!”

“And why didn't you use that before?!”

“Because it's still in the testing period. I haven't gotten to perfect it, yet. Plus, it's the first time I tried to do it on another person, too. It's a good thing it worked!”

“You mean we could have been smashed now?! Or stuck in two dimensions forever?!”

“Well, we're not, so be happy!”

They met strangely few Nexus Chasers at the last part of their run. It was almost as if they had decided they didn't care if they reached their destination. That wasn't very improbable actually. Their destination was indeed one of the most dangerous places they could be in at the moment.

They found a door. They pulled it open and were met by the Tremendous Arena's eternal twilight. They were finally out in the open air. They were startled to find themselves surrounded by cheering people, who were enthusiastically watching the spectacles presented in the centre of the Arena. The two young men realised that no one had noticed them. And so they allowed themselves a look at the said spectacle before they continued. And they were horrifed.

A Maelstrom Being that looked like an oversized rhinocerous, but had three horns instead of one was terrorising the poor 'gladiators' that had been released in the fighting area. And in the midst of everything, there was one minifigure chased by the Maelstrom beast: Sarah Darkon.

Magical couldn't help himself producing a cry of fear. Shadow punched him in the rib -it should be noted that this did not affect him at all-, but thankfully the scream was missed in the general joyous atmosphere. For a second, Shadow was disgusted by these people, but he didn't have time to dwell on it. He grabbed Magical and they started running down the stairs that began at the door they'd come from.

Shadow thought of using his ability, but it seemed it wasn't really necessary since no one paid them any attention and no one hindered them. Only in the end of the stairway, he saw some Tranqimiletes standing guard on each side of it. He quickly phased, Magical with him, and passed under the guards. Once they were far enough, he let themselves morph back into minifigures. He knew they wouldn't care to stop them now. Wasn't watching their enemies fight each other what they liked anyway?

Suddenly, the ground trembled where they were and they looked around to find what they expected to see near them. The Maelsrom 'Rhino' was running hitting its feets heavily on the ground a few metres away. Sarah was just jumping out of its way in order to dodge another one of its charges. Then, she saw them. An expression of mixed anger and annoyance appeared on her face.

“What are you two idiots doing here?!” she yelled at them.

“Saving the fool of you!” Magical replied.

The beast had managed to stopped running due to its momentum and turned around for a new charge. Shadow got his crossbow and started shooting arrows at it. Of course, it didn't affect the creature's hard skin, but it turned its attention on Shadow.

“I don't need saving! And I definitely don't need you two brickheads coming and foolishly smashing yourself for no reason!”

“I beg to differ! Besides, none of this would have needed to happen, if you hadn't gone into that stupid dark hallway at the first place!” Magical spat back, while he got in the beast's way to save Shadow and he immersed his sword into it.

The Maelstromling roared angrily and tried to crush Magical with its tail. On closer inspection, Shadow could see the creature was much more menacing from up close. All of its three horns -one on the forehead and one on each cheek- were all pointed forwards. Little thorn-like horns were dispersed all over its back, while its tail was much like that of an Ankylosaurous, featuring a club at its end.

“Well, you got any weapon to give me, anyway! Mine's no good” Sarah said with more acceptance, but still being annoyed.

Magical avoided the tail club and then summoned an elite force blade of lightning from his backpack, which he tossed to the girl. To cover them, Shadow launched an acid arrow on the Ankylo-rhino. This did more damage than a simple arrow, but still failed to penetrate the creature's natural armour -or was it supernatural?

Having his backpack in his hands, Magical summoned something else from it. A chain emerged out of the depths of it and Magical grabbed its edge and pulled the rest of it out. While he began flailing it around, the Ankylo-rhino was chasing after Shadow who barely got out of the way of its charge in time. Then, when the creature approached again, Magical had the chain revolve around one of its horns and tightened it until it was steady.

Suddenly, Magical felt himself pulled away from the ground, as the chain had been fully stretched and the Ankylo-rhino was still running, now towards Sarah. Despite the great strength to do so, Magical did not loosen his grip and held on from the chain. While on the air, the strong man started pulling himself forward, so that he would get closer to the beast.

The creature had to stop, because Sarah had once more evaded it. As its speed was reduced and Magical's wasn't he started nearing the Ankylo-rhino, but the chain relaxed resulting in his fall on the ground. Still, he seized the opportunity of the creature's reduced speed to finally climb on its back as he had intended all along. He tried to avoid the little horns, but some did sting him. The Ankylo-rhino was about to begin a new charge now, but Magical pulled the chain, forcing it to change its direction.

There was uproar on the side of the spectators. Half of them were really angry at this turn of events, while the rest found it interesting. Still, everyone was yelling really loud. This maddened the Ankylo-rhino so much it forgot its previous purpose. The Tranqimiletes, seeing the situation was getting out of hand, made for the beast to interfere. However, either because it was enraged or because Magical led it, the creature just attacked the Tranqimiletes and smashed them. The Nexus Chasers on the tiers began to boo them. Some of them drew their weapons, ready to interfere themselves if necessary.

Something odd happened next. While the Maelstrom beast was still running around madly, it abruptly stopped and sat down. And then it smashed. For no apparent reason.

Magical got out of the pile of bricks and removed his cloak, which was getting infected fast. Once he had gotten rid of the garment, he looked up to see that one gate had opened on the side of the Arena and countless Tranqimiletes were flooding out. He looked back and Tranqimiletes were coming from there, too.

The Roman-like soldiers began to surround them. Magical gave Sarah an Exceptional Peashooter MK II and grabbed a Pneumatic Drill of Blasting himself and they began shooting at them. Shadow used his crossbow. No matter, though, how many they smashed, the Tranqimiletes were still too many and they eventually circled them. They pointed their pink-shafted pila to them, but they didn't fire.

The three minifigures waited. They knew that they shouldn't attack now, because if they did, all of the Tranqimiletes would start firing back. For some reason, they didn't attack now and they still hoped that they'd be saved somehow. Shadow noticed that all other fighters had disappeared. A voice was heard then.

“Hello Strange Odd Shadow and friends” Commander Nagnus's voice boomed over the Arena “You have evaded being captured long enough and indeed your feats have been amazing. Truly, you are a remarkable person and if you weren't so decided to oppose me, I would be happy to have you among my ranks. However, this is where your journey ends. Your little adventure has been very great, but the end was always known to all of us. Thanks for making everything easier by foolishly coming here. I'd love to keep you alive and slowly break you, but I have decided I will not take that risk. Goodbye, Strange Odd Shadow!

“As for you, Sarah Darkon! What do you think now, when your so trusted friends finally failed you? I am happy to crush such positive thinking! Now, Tranqimiletes...”

However, for some reason Malidux Nagnus did not finish that sentence and he remained silent. The spectators started to grow restless; what was going on? The three friends were very tense. What new trick was this?

Apparently, whatever means of magnifying the volume of his voice Nagnus used, he had forgotten to disable for then he was heard whispering -although it was a whisper everyone heard- “What is this? What's going on?”

The tension was now very great for everyone. What *was* going on? Then, the answer came. There was an explosion on the northern part of the tiers and six minifigures appeared out of the hole that was created. It was Duke Exeter and five other elite Sentinels. It was a rescue mission. . .

### Chapter 41: A Tribute to George Lucas

Duke Exeter and the other Sentinels charged at the Tranqimiletes, a good portion of whom turned around to face them. They fired lasers at them, but they heeded them little, some of them protecting themselves with shields, but not decelerating at all. They reached (the ones that were not Space Rangers) the enemy soldiers and started fighting them ferociously. The elite fighters defeated them as if they were the simplest foes.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Tranqimiletes reckoned they should finish the job and smash the three friends, even without orders. Indeed some of them fired, but the amount of projectiles wasn't enough to get through the Nexus Forcers' armour and Magical jumped in front of Sarah to cover her, since she was in lack of proper armour (“I don't need ya to shield me, dummy!” Sarah complained). Yet, the most of them didn't get to fire at the three minifigures for they were quickly distracted by a new turn of events.

A big part of the tiers in the southwest section was blown to pieces, creating a great gap, through which a Nexus Force spaceship appeared as well as numerous dropships. The ship landed and several Nexus Force recruits started flooding out of it. The dropships flew over the fighting area firing at the Tranqimiletes and leaving recruits everywhere.

The Nexus Chasers on the tiers had already began entering the central area when the Duke arrived, but now they started flooding in it amass. Those that weren't fast enough, though, were bombed by two more spaceships that appeared over the Arena's walls. The Battle of the Tremendous Arena had begun.

Sarah, Magical and Shadow did not lose any time wondering what had just happened and they joined the fight. The Tranqimiletes were being attacked on all of their sides, but they were giving a fair fight themselves. The three friends moved towards where the Duke and his now four Sentinels were making their fight. Shadow had switched to his Ice Saw and was trying to defeat the Tranqimilites, but Magical and Sarah actually did most of the work. He would usually have more things up his sleeve, but he had expended most surprises during the last few days.

The Nexus Chasers surrounded the Nexus-Forcers, while more Tranqimiletes arrived from the gates. The Nexus Chasers also seemed to outnumber them, but only by little and the Nexus-Forcers had superior technology -although several of the Nexus Chasers had Nexus Force gear- and air support. Also, some of the former spectators seemed to be non-fighting supporters of the Nexus Chasers.

A dropship passed by where the FFFFF members were fighting and Magical signalled it to land.

“What are ya...” Sarah began to say, seeing the dropship stop next to them.

“Take this woman. She's one of the prisoners. She needs protection!” Magical said to a Space Ranger in the dropship.

“What?!” Sarah objected.

“The man is right, ma'am!” the man said getting out of the dropship and taking her hand “Come with me! You'll be taken to safety as soon as possible!”

And before Sarah could object any further the man led her in the vehicle, which subsequently took off and left. Its taking off revealed a lot of Tranqimiletes mixed with some Nexus Chasers to have gathered on the other side. They were attacked immediately and the two men jumped to dodge the enemy fire. Shadow looked for cover and found nothing, while there were few allies around them. He prepared for impact, when another dropship flew over them from behind him, it fired many of them and two minifigures jumped out of it. One was a Venture League member, while the other was a Sentinel. Their names were Kate Pirate and Platinum Diamond Tiger respectively.

“Need any help?” Platinum asked smugly, while he launched a Big One at the dense group of enemies.

Magical was relieved to see help arriving, but Shadow's eyes goggled at the sight of Kate.

“What are you doing here?!” he asked almost accusingly.

“I have a right to be here and I want to protect you!” she replied loudly to be heard over the sound of battle.

None of them ceased fighting while they talked.

“But what about the baby?!” Shadow noted.

“You know about that?!” Kate was surprised.

“Of course I know! I know what you're eating! Do you think I'd think you just fattened? I read the signs?” Shadow said knocing someone on the head with his ice saw.

“Excuse my interruption, but what are we talking about?” Magical asked, while he slashed his sword at two Tranqimiletes approaching him.

“My pregnancy!” Kate informed him, shooting two arrows at the same time.

“You're pregnant?!” Magical and Platinum exclaimed simultaneously, while each of them engaged into combat with a Nexus Chaser.

“Isn't this what I just said?” the girl replied, ducking to avoid a missile.

“Then, why are you here?!” Platinum and Magical continued to talk together.

Shadow was about to tell Kate she had to leave, when he was distracted by something else. Something appeared on the glass-screen of his helm. He was notified that he could communicate with the other FFFFF members and the Nexus Force generally. Somehow, during the battle what blocked the signals had stopped working. Shadow was struck by an idea.

~~~\*\*\*---\*\*\*~~~

Magical Heroic Dragon was on his leave; his well-earnt leave after all he'd done in Castle Kingdom. That's why he had not participated in the mission that the Leaders organised after Kate informed them about the Ensee. Besides, he wasn't fit for duty; he had been injured on the leg.

But all this made it even more annoying when something came to disturb his peace and quiet. And it disturbed it badly. He didn't know how it had begun or why, but when he entered one of the Nexus Tower's great halls to see what all this noise was he saw Nexus-Forcers fighting each other. He was stunned for a moment, not knowing what to do or what to think.

Then, someone saw him and shot an arrow towards him. Dragon dodged it, but he felt his leg hurt. He ran for cover inside the corridor he'd come from. What the brick was going on here?

He waited for five minutes trying to decide what his next course of action should be. Perhaps, he should contact Dr. Overbuild, who'd remained in the Tower. Did he know about this? And what would he do?

He got up to walk to the nearest elevator, but that's when he heard his F-phone ringing. It was Shadow.

“Hey, there Dragon!” Shadow spoke loudly from the other side, while sounds of battle could be heard, too “Listen, we are fighting the Nexus Chasers, but we have traitors among us. Now, that we discovered their secrets, the traitors might start attacking us from within!”

“Yes, they already have!” Dragon replied, finally understanding what was going on, though he still had some queries.

“Then, go find Nirwell and protect her! I have a feeling they might want revenge! Gotta go, now! Take care!” he hung up.

Dragon had a new mission. He wouldn't fail. The girl would be safe.

~~~\*\*\*---\*\*\*~~~

The three Nexus Force spaceships, which hiteherto had assisted them in battle as much as it was possible without smashing their own recruits, now left towards the east of the world for some unclear reason.

There was a synchronised dropship airstrike across the battlefield and it was cleared enough for Shadow to be able to see the other side of it. Vanda Darkflame and, oddly enough, a second Duke Exeter led the Nexus-Forcers in that area. Shadow smiled to himself. It would seem that the Nexus Force had contacted Arthu Cruth and asked his help.

Then, Shadow noticed another person a little closer to them, smashing any Nexus-Forcers near him. Commander Malidux Nagnus would raise his hands and produce a black smoke that smashed anyone who dared face him.

“Magical, we need to do something about him!” he said to his friend pointing in his direction.

~~~\*\*\*---\*\*\*~~~

Malidux Nagnus turned to one of his two lieutenants, who accompanied him at the time. The Commander smashed another Nexus-Forcer and then he turned to his lieutenants.

“Lieutenants, I believe it would be wise if you retreated to our base now. I will do what I can here and follow you, later!”

“Yes, Commander!” they said and left.

The Commander turned around and saw a dropship coming at him. He created a force field just in time to avoid being smashed by its rapid attacks. A minifigure emerged out of it and fell upon him. The force field faded and the minifigure swung his sword at him. Nagnus used his right hand to block the attack and, despite being injured, he was successful. His left hand then pushed the person whom he recognised as Magical Fire Monkey on the belly and he was jettisoned away with too great a force for a normal push.

Magical shot his Pneumatic Drill of Blasting and Nagnus barely avoided the shots. He prepared to produce his fatal black smoke, but Magical sensed it coming and got out of its way when it was produced. Nagnus had not expected him to survive and the next blast found him on the leg.

The Commander groaned and turning around he jumped towards the empty seats. It was a supernaturally long jump putting a long distance between them. Magical started running towards him, jumping from row of seats to row of seats. He fired blasts with his weapon and dodged black misty blasts sent from the Nexus Chasers Commander. Spikes made out of some mysterious dark materieal began to emerge from the ground under Magical's feet, but every time, it seemed that he knew where and when they'd appear and avoided them.

The Commander grit his teeth, annoyed by how Magical avoided everything he threw at him. He also realised he was getting close fast. He had to get rid of him.

Suddenly, Magical was surprised when Nagnus's whole body erupted into flames. He was taken aback and forgot to attack for a moment. The other made another superhuman jump, this time towards the battlefield. Then, he started to fall. Magical didn't see where he landed, because of the crowd in the battlefield. What had just happened?

Malidux Nagnus lighted the flames off. He was perfectly safe. He looked around him and realised the battle was not going well. Their numbers had been really diminished and the Nexus Chasers and Tranqimiletes had been limited to two areas. The Tranqimiletes had gathered in a Turtle Formation, creating a box of shields to protect them, while their pila protruded out of it and fired lasers at the Nexus-Forcers. He knew that the Tranqimiletes' Testudo was very strong, but the Nexus Force could break through it.

Suddenly, Nagnus noticed someone looking at him with wide eyes. Strange Odd Shadow had just found him. He didn't have time for this. He conjured a misty black blast, but Shadow countered it with an Imagination one. The Commander then produced a bigger blast, which Shadow had trouble stopping and which forced him to the ground when collided with Shadow's blast. Yet, he felt a pain in his heart when he created it.

The dropships attacked the Turtle Formation and it was finally broken. The battle was lost; Nagnus could see it. He needed to leave.

As Shadow got up, he barely had time to see a rocket launching to the air in the midst of everything, the Nexus Chasers Commander in it. . .

### Chapter 42: Chasing the Chaser

“Kate, quickly, give me a rocket!” Shadow said to his wife, who was with him, though Nagnus had not noticed her.

“Wh-” Kate began to ask, but Shadow cut her off.

“No time!” he said.

Kate summoned a pencil rocket out of her backpack and gave it to him. Shadow got in and he launched it. Thankfully, the battle had died down in that are and no one stopped him.

He went into the direction he'd seen Nagnus's rocket go. Once he was in space, he slowed down to find where exactly the Commander was headed. At the world's east he saw four Nexus Force Starships fighting five others, four of which were mercenary ships. He did not recognise the fifth.

At last, his rocket's radar rather than his eyes spotted Nagnus and he began following him with full speed. His rocket must have been faster, for he began gaining on Nagnus. Soon, he even began to see him with his own eyes. However, when he finally got close enough, Commander Nagnus noticed him and sped his rocket up, so that Shadow couldn't reach him.

At some point, they passed over the world with the Cloning Facility. A fierce battle was taking place there. Dozens of Trangimiletes Turtle Formations, as well as two D.R.O.I.D.s stood guard before the Factory. Trying to break through their lines were five T.U.R.T.L.E.s (Terrain-Used Robotic Turtoise, Lasers Enabled), which were turtle-shaped heavily armoured combat walkers that had three heavy cannons on their shell, one on the turtle's mouth and one instead of a tail, with numerous Nexus-Forcers behind and around them. Shadow thought he saw Panagis leading them. Nexus Force Dropships were battling with Nexus Chaser Gun-Ships in the air, while even higher seven spaceships of mixed allegiances were fighting for the heavens' control. The thought of “Turtles vs T.U.R.T.L.E.s” amused him for a moment, but it was forgotten in an instance when they left the world behind them.

Nagnus attempted to shoot him at times, but it was hard to do so from the front. The Nexus Chaser rockets were built with an emphasis on chasing, not being chased.

More time passed before they finally reached another world. It was the simple valley world. Nagnus headed for there. However, as Shadow made to follow him, Nagnus used another misty blast, which hit his rocket, damaging it dangerously. It span uncontrollably, while it began a downward trajectory, towards the ground. Shadow got ready to jump out of the rocket when the time was ready. Just before it crashed on the ground, he did. His foot was hit by the spinning rocket and then he fell on the ground face first.

Despite such injuries, as the rocket exploded behind him forcing him a little further, he got up and summoned his speeder out of his backpack.

~~~\*\*\*---\*\*\*~~~

Magical Heroic Dragon reached his position outside Nirwell's room's door. He'd figured he didn't need to upset the girl by going in. He just needed to guard the door. However, when he got there, he saw Adam Tray was there, too.

“Did Shadow send you, too? For Nirwell?” Adam asked, before Dragon could talk.

“Yes, yes he did!” Dragon replied.

“Look! Each of us can guard one of the corridors. If we need help, we call!” Adam suggested.

“Sounds fine by me!”

As there were two places from which one could come there, either to their right or their left, each one placed themselves in a different part of the same continuous corridor. Dragon stood at the very place where there was a turn, thus losing Adam from his sight.

It wasn't ten seconds that he stood there, when Brick appeared. It looked like he had been running and he had an urgent expression on his face.

“Adam's back there, isn't he? I need to find him, real quick!” the man said.

Dragon, seeing the urgency on his face and tone of voice, as well as knowing him as a friend, let him pass. But he wondered. Why was he so urgent to see Adam? As an answer, Shadow's voice rang in his head “We have trairors among us!”

“Oh, shoot!” he shouted to himself and turned back to get to the others.

~~~\*\*\*---\*\*\*~~~

Strange Odd Shadow was using his speeder to its full capacity, following the direction Nagnus had taken, towards the mountains. His cloak flapped and his hair waved against the wind. Soon he reached the mountains, but on the edge of the small mount range, allowing him to go around them. There was a very narrow strait of land at the other side, as Shadow drove between steep cliffs and the nothingness of space. He had to go slower to keep the speeder slower, but it wasn't too long before he finally saw a little house hidden between the mountains. He headed for it.

~~~\*\*\*---\*\*\*~~~

Commander Malidux Nagnus walked in the room, his office, and found Lieutenant Capidus in it.

“Commander, hello there! I hope you bring good news! But... how awful you look! It was only about an hour ago that I saw you and you seemed perfectly healthy, then! What happened to you?”

Indeed the Commander did not look so well. He had turned very thin, almost skin and bones, his hair had grayed much more, his eyes looked vacant.

“The ring has struck a cruel deal with me!” the Commander replied. When he saw that Capidus still waited for an explanation, he continued “It gave me power, but now it claims back what it has shared with me, now that I need it most. I do not have the power to use it at our enemies' destruction anymore! As for the battle, I am afraid we are losing. We were not ready for open battle, yet. If it hadn't been for that wretched Strange Odd Shadow! But it doesn't matter anymore. It's over”

“Not necessarily, sir! I am still strong. I can take the ring and use its power in the way that you can't anymore!”

His Lieutenants were some of the few, perhaps the only, people that knew about the true nature of the ring. And that was only, because such close cooperation with them made it impossible to hide its power from them.

“Nay, I shall not give you it. As long as I'm alive, I will make sure no one else has it!”

“But, sir, think of the possibilities!”

“Yet, I cannot wear it anyomore. I feel it weighs me down too much” and Commander Nagnus took off his silver ring.

Capidus looked at it greedily. If only he had its power, he'd be unstoppable. He'd be the next NCC and even more. He'd succeed where Nagnus failed. Nagnus was holding it between two fingers. And then he let it go. The ring began falling. Capidus let a joyous exclamation escape his mouth, as he approached the man and the falling ring before him. It was as if things were happening in slow motion. Perhaps, they did by some odd effect of the mysterious ring. Capidus jumped to grab the ring. Nagnus smiled slightly at something. The lieutenant's hands got around the ring just before it touched the floor. He grabbed it as soon as it did. He was victorious.

~~~\*\*\*---\*\*\*~~~

Shadow was outside the house, now, and he dismounted the speeder, when all of a sudden, the house exploded. . .

### Chapter 43: Peace at last

Shadow, Kate, Platinum, Lemon, Magical, Sarah and a random seventh person were sitting inside a dropship leading them all back to the Nexus Tower.

They were all silent for the moment, not seeking to do anything or speak at all after all that had happened. Only Lemon was holding a walkie-talkie, listening to the Nexus Force frequencies. From time to time the static would stop and the silence broken by someone's voice speaking things like “The Farmlands are secure!”, “The Magma Tops have been secured!”, “NC Agents escaped from the Arena” and “The line in the cloning facilities breaking. Need reinforcements to finish them off!”.

After recovering from the shock of the explosion, Shadow had searched the burning debris of the exploded house, before he was picked up by the dropship. He had found two things. The first was a metal hatch he suspected led to the Nexus Chasers' underground base. He had informed the others of it and moved on. He was in no place to explore it himself. But he had also noticed something glittering a little at some point, between the lit up wooden parts of the house. He had approached and found a silver ring. It was Commander Nagnus's ring. Did that mean he was smashed? Very probable. He had bent down to pick it up. However, as he had touched it, it had been freezing cold and it had caused pain to strike through his hand. He had let the ring go in less than a second, but the three fingers that had touched it had still been blackened. It was a most peculiar thing. He needed to study it. Ηe had picked it up with some pliers, placed it in a glass phial and continued. Soon, the dropship had arrived.

Magical and Sarah had sat across each other. They would occasionally glance at each other, their gazes often meeting, only to look away immediately with a frustrated expression. Shadow looked at Kate. He finally talked.

“So, what happened after you left?”

“Well, after I made sure the Bellokovs had some place to stay, I rushed to the Faction Leaders and let them know all we learnt. You know we wouldn't have a problem with sending a force of any size, due to the Maelstrom's weakening. At first, they sent two ships to make a path through the asteroids, but when your message reached us, they sent a lot more. The Duke visited the President of Lakum and Hael visited that shapeshifter guy”

“Did you hear what happened to the President?” Lemon interrupted.

“No, what?” Shadow asked.

“He was smashed by a Nexus Chaser agent for agreeing to help the Nexus Force. The help came anyway, mostly in Magma Tops, the Farmlands and other small worlds. But the Nexus Chasers seem vengeful people!”

“An agent? Who? Chuck Gravon?”

“No, his wife”

“His wife?!”

“That's what I heard!”

“It's a pity. He wasn't half-bad. He certainly was much better than our Mayor, right guys?”

“Didn't meet him, but most people would be!” Kate answered.

They remained silent for a moment. However, it wasn't quiet for Sarah and Magical had begun bickering once more. At first, they had argued at each other's being foolish and endangering themselves and others. Now, they were mentioning anything accusing they had.

“So, what happened after that?” Shadow finally said.

“Cruth told us of all the major targets we should attack, as well as the minor ones. He gave us information on where the prisoners were kept in the Tremendous Arena. Meanwhile, our ships were heading for the several targets in stealth. You know, I was very worried when I felt you two guys heading for the Arena!”

“Well, you can't talk of worry! Promise me that you won't continue fighting while pregnant!”

“Alright, alright! Don't be like that!”

Sarah might have asked about that, but she wasn't paying any attention to their conversation. Lemon just looked at Kate attentively, his gaze ending up on her belly.

“By the way, if anyone starts touching my belly, I'm gonna smash them!” Kate added “Anyway, the Duke and Hael, along with eighteen more elite recruits infiltrated the Arena. Duke and five others headed for the outside, while the others freed the prisoners. Then, there was a simultaneous attack the Arena, the Magma Tops, the Farmlands, the Lonely Islands, the Cloning Facility and one or two places more. You know the rest”

“Yes, I guess I do”

“So, what did *you* guys do after I left?”

Shadow began narrating Magical and his adventures after they left the Lonely Islands, but at some point he realised the dropship had gotten mysteriously quiet. Magical and Sarah weren't yelling anymore. He looked at them and saw that they had embraced, their heads locked to each other.

“Took them long enough!” Shadow said, but he smiled.

However, the two minifigures suddenly got away from each other and they looked at each other with confused expressions.

“What was that for, you dummhead?!” Sarah shouted

“What do you mean?! You did it!”

“Yeah, right! As if I'd want anything to do with you!”

“And they're back to usual!” Shadow face-palmed and then continued his story.

With such stories and stuff, they didn't realise when they entered the Nimbus System and eventually arrived in the Nexus Tower. The seven minifigures got out of the dropship and walked towards this level's central hall. It was a mess; it was one of the places where the Nexus-Chaser double agents had caused havoc. The things wouldn't have been so bad if people could have known who was the enemy, but in the chaos of the first moments, everyone just started to attack everyone and it was difficult to recognise the enemy after that. But the battle had ceased now. The trouble-makers had been arrested or smashed. There was peace in Nexus Tower again.

Then, Magical Heroic Dragon appeared. He saw them and his face had an expression of mixed sadness and shame. He approached them.

“Shadow... I'm sorry!” he spoke “I really am! I just... I made a mistake and...”

“Is Nirwell fine?”

“Yes. *She* is okay! Vladimir protected her. But... Brick... Brick... He... he smashed Adam!”. . .

### Chapter 44: The Shadow Book

Strange Odd Shadow looked at the face of the man in front of him. He had thought he knew him. The face was very familiar, but the expression on it was foreign. It was that of a maniac. And Shadow couldn't help, but wonder how he could have been so mistaken about a person. But there was only one question really burning inside him. It wasn't a complicated question. It was just one word.

“Why?” he spoke with a hoarse snarl.

Ther person on the other side of the railings could have feigned ignorance at his question, but he decided against it. He understood what Shadow meant very well. All was revealed now, so there was no point in hiding anything.

“The Nexus Force is weak. The Nexus Chasers hold the real power. I never cared for any one of you. I am just a very good actor. I joined your petty little group, because I thought there were some good ideas I could steal. The Nexus Chasers are the greatest power in the world and we shall destroy you! We will conquer the Universe and no one can stop us. NO ONE! And then you will rue the day you sided against us, Strange Odd Shadow. For we shall take everything you love before your very eyes and destroy it; and in the end we shall destroy you, too”

“You do realise, of course, that you lost. The Nexus Chasers were crushed by the Nexus Force in one single day. Do you think it's us who are really weak?”

“Our Commander is almighty and shall destroy you all. We shall rise from our ashes and when you least expect it, your whole lives shall collapse! And I will be freed in the end. I will be freed! And then our positions will change and I will be laughing! LAUGHING, I say! You're doomed! DOOMED!”

“Commander Nagnus has been smashed. Eveything is over!”

“You may lie to yourself, if you like. Malidux Nagnus shall return. And it will be a new age. An age of truth! An age of power! The ultimate age! We shall rise and you shall fall. This is how it all ends. IT ENDS!” Super Fission Brick spoke and laughed maniacally.

Shadow realised that the man before him was really a psychopath. He was disgusted by this creature he was looking at. He turned around and left.

~~~\*\*\*---\*\*\*~~~

Many rumours had spread amongst the Nexus-Forcers about the events that led to the final battle at the Zephyr System. As it always happens with rumours, some were near the truth, some weren't and some were farther to it than Yorkanton is to the Nimbus System. Shadow preferred that no names were mentioned by those who knew what had happened. Still, it had become known far and wide that the FFFFF Squad was very much involved in everything.

Shadow walked through one of Nexus Tower's hallways and he listened to the conversation of some Rank-1's nearby.

“Hey guys, I heard that it was some Assembly guy who learnt all about the Nexus Chasers and informed the Nexus Force. All by himself!”

“No, you got it all wrong! Didn't you learn that it was a Venture League girl that came from the Zephyr System and told the Faction Leaders everything. How would an Assembly person gather all the clues?”

“Well, the Assembly are the cleverest in the Nexus Force, that's sure!”

“But an Assembly person would never survive the dangers one would meet in the Zephyr System. The person who discovered the truth was obviously a Sentinel!”

Shadow could not understand these people. What did it matter who had discovered all of this? People had been smashed. The Nexus Force had, for the first time, engaged in a minifigure against minifigure battle and all they cared about was what Faction the minifigure who discovered the Ensee was. He was about to leave, but decided to turn around and say something to them. Perhaps, it would help them.

“Maybe, it was team effort!” he spoke.

~~~\*\*\*---\*\*\*~~~

Shadow had returned to his Block Yard property. In the quiet of his home, he was curled over a fat book with a black leather cover. However, its pages were blank. That is until Shadow's quick hand passed over them, filling them with many small, not so well-made, shapes called letters.

“What are you doing there?” Kate asked.

“You know, many people were smashed both now and during the Great Battle. So, I thought I don't want them to be forgotten. And all those stories we've lived; perhaps they might teach people something, or at least entertain them. So, I decided to write everything down. All we've lived through. All about our lost friends”

“That's a great idea! I'd like to read what you write some time. And if you need any help on it, be sure to ask!”

A little afterwards, some people arrived. Magical entered the room leading Namandel, Ebasha, Nirwell and Vlad into the room. Namandel had his hand over Ebasha's shoulders. Nirwell looked around her shyly.

“What are you all doing here together?” Shadow was amused.

“Ebasha and I met in the Nexus Hospital. We happened to meet Magical right after we were discharged and he suggested we come and see you!” Nirwell spoke quietly.

“Strange Odd Shadow, we never got to thank you, for saving my little brother!” Namandel spoke.

“Come on, I didn't do that much. It was the Nexus Force that...”

“But if it hadn't been for you, the Nexus Force would have never come” Ebasha noted.

“Yeah, we are all thankful for putting a stop to these Nexus Chasers!” Vlad said.

“You know, on other news, the Duke hinted that they might organise an attack at the Maelstrom Lair, soon. He said he thinks we're ready! Maybe this war will finally end!”

“Anybody wanna take this outside? Have a walk?” Kate suggested.

“Just a moment” Shadow said and he finished a sentence in his book.

Then, he closed it, so that its title came to the light. With big golden letters, the title was written on its cover: “The Shadow Book”.

~~~\*\*\*---\*\*\*~~~

In a dark room in the Maelstrom Tower, a man looked at the Darkitect who was happy at the latest events.

“I don't understand, Darkitect” he spoke “Why didn't you ever ally yourself to these Nexus Chasers? They could have been more useful to you as allies”

“I shall suffer no fools stealing *my* minions. I just let them be for so long, because I knew they could be useful sometime. That time is now! I can't fight them myself, so I had the Nexus Chasers weaken them for now” the Darkitect said turning towards the man with his robotic, futuristic outfit, an odd monstrous helmet hiding his head.

“What do you mean? How did you interfere to cause this?”

“Have you heard of the story?”

“Many versions. But I think I know what's the truth”

“Then, you'll know that the Nexus-Forcer that escaped the Nexus Chasers escaped their reach by entering a Maelstrom portal. Did you think that the Portalling's presence there was a coincidence?”

“Still, I don't see how they were that useful to you now”

“Oh, but Falchet, don't you see? The Nexus Force has now been marred. Minifigures fought minifigures again. The seeds of destruction have been planted. And soon, when they will grow they shall suffocate the Nexus Force. And my enemies shall destroy themselves for me. This is how it ends, my friend. This is how it ends for them!”. . .

THE END