Dark Hunters, Incorporated

The Dark Hunters are my army of mercenaries. They are thieves, charlatans, saboteurs, and murderers. They lie, they cheat, they steal, they bring ruin in a thousand different ways... and they excel at what they do.

[dark-hunters-inc]

Father-Son Bonding

makuta-official​:

When the murk cleared, and Kraata-Kal had vanished from sight, Makuta became tangible again. He sighed, rubbing his fingers into the bridge of his mask; despite his best efforts, his old arrogance had flared up at the worst possible moment, and led him to say the wrong thing… or, perhaps, too much of the right thing. Either way, this was going to take some serious work to smooth over. Kraata-Kal was no longer simply bitter, he was angry, and that was not something Makuta could deal with easily. 

…But he had to try.

—

Finding Kraata-Kal again was easy, since Makuta could sense him. He approached slowly, quietly; Kraata-Kal would certainly know he was there, but there was every possibility that he would simply lash out again when Makuta got close. So Makuta took just one step closer, and called out. “Will you let me fix your arm? If you choose to leave afterwards, so be it… but it would be a waste to let you drown down here, after all that.”

Kraata-Kal hovered in the water, shadowy currents swirling around him. “A waste?” he scoffed. “Maybe that’s just what I want. One last chance to deny you.”

[makuta-official]

“I don’t doubt that,” replied Makuta, gently, albeit with some difficulty. “But I think you would regret it, at the end of the day… and I would regret it. And you know my feelings on regret. So I’ll ask again… will you…” Makuta screwed his eyes shut for a moment, as if in extreme discomfort, before opening them again, now looking just a little bit exasperated, but no less concerned. “…will you please let me fix your arm?”

[dark-hunters-inc]

Kraata-Kal looked long and hard at Makuta. His words were unfamiliar, and his Rahkshi instincts told him to distrust this strange behavior. But looking closer, Kraata-Kal could tell that Makuta was as uncomfortable with these words as he. Lies issued from his mask as easily as shadows fled the light, but this speech had clearly taken effort.

Wings fluttering through the water, Kraata-Kal gently descended to the seafloor. Silt plumed around his feet as he clasped his waterlogged arm, then lifted it, holding it out towards Makuta.

“Just…” He turned his head away. “Just make it quick. Before I change my mind.”

[makuta-official]

Gingerly accepting the offered limb, Makuta began examining it to find the essential damage. While finding the offending breach was simple enough (the bubbles streaming out were a dead giveaway), he kept finding himself distracted by other damage Kraata-Kal had taken over the years. Clearly the cretin the Shadowed One had assigned to repair Kraata-Kal in the past was either unable to properly reverse-engineer the magnificent design, or simply had the intellect of a Brakas; Kraata-Kal’s armour was littered with evidence of patch jobs, many poorly done. It was a miracle the suit hadn’t fallen apart centuries ago. This had to stop.

“I have a new proposition for you,” Makuta said quietly, as not to disrupt his focus; careful application of Vacuum had drained the water from Kraata-Kal’s suit, and now his powers over Plasma were gently welding the breaches closed. “Free passage to come and go from my lair in Mangaia as you please, provided you do not steal anything, and free reign over the feral Rahkshi loose on this planet. I realise you were already trying to lead them, but you will no longer be hindered by their fealty to me. And to sweeten the deal a little further,” Makuta paused as he wrenched a fragment of coral from an essential joint. “I will also grant you a provisional position as Viceroy of the Visorak hordes, at least until I am able to locate Roodaka, or a… suitable replacement.”

“All I ask in return is that you do not inform The Shadowed One of Mangaia’s whereabouts, and that you stop by at least once so I can remedy the primitive repairs inflicted upon the rest of your armour.”

Makuta paused in his handiwork to look up at Kraata-Kal.

“What do you say?”

[dark-hunters-inc]

Kraata-Kal sneered. “You can keep your viceroy position. I won’t be a benchwarmer for anyone, least of all for Roodaka and those disgusting spiders. As for your other offer…”

He turned his head to regard Makuta coolly. “You’re not giving me the Rahkshi,” he declared. “They are not yours to give; I have already won dominance. No, you’re just… backing off.” He settled on the words carefully, as if scripting a press release. “If I choose to visit, it will be of my own volition - not out of any duty to you.”

As Makuta welded one of the deepest punctures in Kraata-Kal’s armor, he felt the mechanisms click back into place and sighed in relief. “Oh, do this spot next. It’s been pestering me ever since that oaf Vezok got funny ideas.”

[makuta-official]

Makuta side-eyed Kraata-Kal, but said nothing; he simply chuckled and obliged the request. “Of course,” he said after a moment. “That’s about the response I expected, to be quite honest. But still…” He found the problem Kraata-Kal spoke of; somehow a blow from Vezok had warped an armour panel just enough that its edge snagged a vital piston, thus stiffening the entire limb’s movement. As he carefully pulled it back to free the impeded component, Makuta continued. “Regardless, I hope you understand that, even if I overstepped, I was entirely sincere in what I said to you earlier. I do wish for you to stand with me once more… very specifically by my side, not under my heel. No matter what you choose to do from here on out, that will not change, Kraata-Kal.”

Makuta stood, brushing coral fragments from his limbs. “There. That should hold just fine, and free up your movement some, but I cannot do more without proper equipment, or I risk damaging you further. Now, I am going to continue on to collect what I came for, and return home. Will you join me?”

[dark-hunters-inc]

“Sincerity, from a Makuta?” Kraata-Kal chuckled. “I believe in actions, not words. You’ll have to prove what you say.”

He tested his limbs, feeling them move smoothly and powerfully through the water. “Magnificent. Really, when a prime specimen like this exists, why would you bother looking for a piece of junk buried in the ocean?” He splayed his helm and laughed. “I’ve wondered for years what horrible shape you had to fit yourself into in the Pit. I wouldn’t dream of turning back now.”

Kraata-Kal gestured to the murky depths. “Lead on, then, so you can collect your worthless prize.”

[dark-hunters-inc]

Father-Son Bonding

makuta-official​:

When the murk cleared, and Kraata-Kal had vanished from sight, Makuta became tangible again. He sighed, rubbing his fingers into the bridge of his mask; despite his best efforts, his old arrogance had flared up at the worst possible moment, and led him to say the wrong thing… or, perhaps, too much of the right thing. Either way, this was going to take some serious work to smooth over. Kraata-Kal was no longer simply bitter, he was angry, and that was not something Makuta could deal with easily. 

…But he had to try.

—

Finding Kraata-Kal again was easy, since Makuta could sense him. He approached slowly, quietly; Kraata-Kal would certainly know he was there, but there was every possibility that he would simply lash out again when Makuta got close. So Makuta took just one step closer, and called out. “Will you let me fix your arm? If you choose to leave afterwards, so be it… but it would be a waste to let you drown down here, after all that.”

Kraata-Kal hovered in the water, shadowy currents swirling around him. “A waste?” he scoffed. “Maybe that’s just what I want. One last chance to deny you.”

[makuta-official]

“I don’t doubt that,” replied Makuta, gently, albeit with some difficulty. “But I think you would regret it, at the end of the day… and I would regret it. And you know my feelings on regret. So I’ll ask again… will you…” Makuta screwed his eyes shut for a moment, as if in extreme discomfort, before opening them again, now looking just a little bit exasperated, but no less concerned. “…will you please let me fix your arm?”

[dark-hunters-inc]

Kraata-Kal looked long and hard at Makuta. His words were unfamiliar, and his Rahkshi instincts told him to distrust this strange behavior. But looking closer, Kraata-Kal could tell that Makuta was as uncomfortable with these words as he. Lies issued from his mask as easily as shadows fled the light, but this speech had clearly taken effort.

Wings fluttering through the water, Kraata-Kal gently descended to the seafloor. Silt plumed around his feet as he clasped his waterlogged arm, then lifted it, holding it out towards Makuta.

“Just…” He turned his head away. “Just make it quick. Before I change my mind.”

[makuta-official]

Gingerly accepting the offered limb, Makuta began examining it to find the essential damage. While finding the offending breach was simple enough (the bubbles streaming out were a dead giveaway), he kept finding himself distracted by other damage Kraata-Kal had taken over the years. Clearly the cretin the Shadowed One had assigned to repair Kraata-Kal in the past was either unable to properly reverse-engineer the magnificent design, or simply had the intellect of a Brakas; Kraata-Kal’s armour was littered with evidence of patch jobs, many poorly done. It was a miracle the suit hadn’t fallen apart centuries ago. This had to stop.

“I have a new proposition for you,” Makuta said quietly, as not to disrupt his focus; careful application of Vacuum had drained the water from Kraata-Kal’s suit, and now his powers over Plasma were gently welding the breaches closed. “Free passage to come and go from my lair in Mangaia as you please, provided you do not steal anything, and free reign over the feral Rahkshi loose on this planet. I realise you were already trying to lead them, but you will no longer be hindered by their fealty to me. And to sweeten the deal a little further,” Makuta paused as he wrenched a fragment of coral from an essential joint. “I will also grant you a provisional position as Viceroy of the Visorak hordes, at least until I am able to locate Roodaka, or a… suitable replacement.”

“All I ask in return is that you do not inform The Shadowed One of Mangaia’s whereabouts, and that you stop by at least once so I can remedy the primitive repairs inflicted upon the rest of your armour.”

Makuta paused in his handiwork to look up at Kraata-Kal.

“What do you say?”

[dark-hunters-inc]

Kraata-Kal sneered. “You can keep your viceroy position. I won’t be a benchwarmer for anyone, least of all for Roodaka and those disgusting spiders. As for your other offer...”

He turned his head to regard Makuta coolly. “You’re not giving me the Rahkshi,” he declared. “They are not yours to give; I have already won dominance. No, you’re just... backing off.” He settled on the words carefully, as if scripting a press release. “If I choose to visit, it will be of my own volition - not out of any duty to you.”

As Makuta welded one of the deepest punctures in Kraata-Kal’s armor, he felt the mechanisms click back into place and sighed in relief. “Oh, do this spot next. It’s been pestering me ever since that oaf Vezok got funny ideas.”

[dark-hunters-inc]

Father-Son Bonding

makuta-official​:

When the murk cleared, and Kraata-Kal had vanished from sight, Makuta became tangible again. He sighed, rubbing his fingers into the bridge of his mask; despite his best efforts, his old arrogance had flared up at the worst possible moment, and led him to say the wrong thing… or, perhaps, too much of the right thing. Either way, this was going to take some serious work to smooth over. Kraata-Kal was no longer simply bitter, he was angry, and that was not something Makuta could deal with easily. 

…But he had to try.

—

Finding Kraata-Kal again was easy, since Makuta could sense him. He approached slowly, quietly; Kraata-Kal would certainly know he was there, but there was every possibility that he would simply lash out again when Makuta got close. So Makuta took just one step closer, and called out. “Will you let me fix your arm? If you choose to leave afterwards, so be it… but it would be a waste to let you drown down here, after all that.”

Kraata-Kal hovered in the water, shadowy currents swirling around him. “A waste?” he scoffed. “Maybe that’s just what I want. One last chance to deny you.”

[makuta-official]

“I don’t doubt that,” replied Makuta, gently, albeit with some difficulty. “But I think you would regret it, at the end of the day… and I would regret it. And you know my feelings on regret. So I’ll ask again… will you…” Makuta screwed his eyes shut for a moment, as if in extreme discomfort, before opening them again, now looking just a little bit exasperated, but no less concerned. “…will you please let me fix your arm?”

[dark-hunters-inc]

Kraata-Kal looked long and hard at Makuta. His words were unfamiliar, and his Rahkshi instincts told him to distrust this strange behavior. But looking closer, Kraata-Kal could tell that Makuta was as uncomfortable with these words as he. Lies issued from his mask as easily as shadows fled the light, but this speech had clearly taken effort.

Wings fluttering through the water, Kraata-Kal gently descended to the seafloor. Silt plumed around his feet as he clasped his waterlogged arm, then lifted it, holding it out towards Makuta.

"Just...” He turned his head away. “Just make it quick. Before I change my mind.”

[dark-hunters-inc]

Father-Son Bonding

makuta-official​:

When the murk cleared, and Kraata-Kal had vanished from sight, Makuta became tangible again. He sighed, rubbing his fingers into the bridge of his mask; despite his best efforts, his old arrogance had flared up at the worst possible moment, and led him to say the wrong thing… or, perhaps, too much of the right thing. Either way, this was going to take some serious work to smooth over. Kraata-Kal was no longer simply bitter, he was angry, and that was not something Makuta could deal with easily. 

…But he had to try.

—

Finding Kraata-Kal again was easy, since Makuta could sense him. He approached slowly, quietly; Kraata-Kal would certainly know he was there, but there was every possibility that he would simply lash out again when Makuta got close. So Makuta took just one step closer, and called out. “Will you let me fix your arm? If you choose to leave afterwards, so be it… but it would be a waste to let you drown down here, after all that.”

Kraata-Kal hovered in the water, shadowy currents swirling around him. “A waste?” he scoffed. “Maybe that’s just what I want. One last chance to deny you.”

[dark-hunters-inc]

Do your employees often get into unprofessional workplace relationships with each other?

Not if I can help it. I have always made myself clear: the person who matters most in a Dark Hunter’s life should always be the Shadowed One. To swear loyalty to another person for no benefit other than affection is an act of folly.

All the same, this does not prevent operatives from partnering – nor does it escape my notice. Silence likes to keep his movements furtive, but Subterranean is comparatively easy to track. Despite this distraction, they remain my top operatives for infiltration and sabotage. So I will allow their tryst to continue... until it becomes profitable to separate them. Anguish and desperation have been strong motivators for operatives in the past.

Of course, Lariska would never make such a mistake. She’s learned her lesson... hasn’t she? True professionals should be at each other’s throats, not heartlights.

[dark-hunters-inc]

Were Seeker and Minion familiar with each other before joining the dark hunters?

Though both lived and worked on Destral for several years, Seeker worked as security in the Brotherhood’s vault, whereas Minion was confined to the Brotherhood’s science labs as a curiosity. When the Toa Hagah raided Destral, Minion escaped during Bomonga’s initial assault on the fortress, then swam several leagues to a nearby island. Seeker did not leave until several hours later, when he realized the Toa had stolen his precious mask, and stole a boat to sail in the opposite direction.

When Seeker learned that another Dark Hunter had previously worked on Destral, he was eager to swap stories, and disappointed to learn that Minion remained mute. In an effort to coax some information out of the Rahi, I allowed Seeker to meet with him regularly and catch up about old times. To this day, one of Seeker’s favorite pastimes is treating Minion to his lengthy tirades about their former employer, and all the ways the Brotherhood has slighted him. Minion never responds, but I’m told he is a good listener... and the fact that he hasn’t yet grown impatient with Seeker and attacked him is proof he has more patience than anyone on Odina. Myself excluded, of course. 

[darkhunterlariska]

“...is proof he has more patience than anyone on Odina. Myself excluded, of course.” 

Besides mentioning the obvious of you permanently scarring and maiming exceedingly prolific employees who made their first mistake over the course of their long careers. Along with an abundant history of other specific examples that can be named. Yesterday you literally disintegrated a server over a drink order. 

[dark-hunters-inc]

I very clearly said I wanted no ice. You heard my enunciation.

And to my credit, I waited through his entire feeble attempt at an excuse before ending his miserable life. I dislike a liar, but I despise an incompetent one.

[darkhunterlariska]

Yeah I remember you asking for no ice.

I also remember you adding that on top of a load of other requirements that you demanded; such as needing the liquid to be exactly room temperature, a certain amount of pumps per syrup, five and a half capfuls of some flavor, just a splash of fruit juice but no pulp, make sure it’s “stirred and not swirled”, but make sure to use a metal spoon to stir with...

And that’s just the ones I can recall off the top of my head from the myriad bunch, I was tuning most of it out. 

[dark-hunters-inc]

Lariska, Lariska. Surely, as a senior operative, you understand the importance of fulfilling your client’s orders to the letter? In a delicate business such as ours, even one tiny slip could mean life and death. And as I’ve proven, the same is true for service. Frankly, I expect better from you. 

[dark-hunters-inc]

Were Seeker and Minion familiar with each other before joining the dark hunters?

Though both lived and worked on Destral for several years, Seeker worked as security in the Brotherhood’s vault, whereas Minion was confined to the Brotherhood’s science labs as a curiosity. When the Toa Hagah raided Destral, Minion escaped during Bomonga’s initial assault on the fortress, then swam several leagues to a nearby island. Seeker did not leave until several hours later, when he realized the Toa had stolen his precious mask, and stole a boat to sail in the opposite direction.

When Seeker learned that another Dark Hunter had previously worked on Destral, he was eager to swap stories, and disappointed to learn that Minion remained mute. In an effort to coax some information out of the Rahi, I allowed Seeker to meet with him regularly and catch up about old times. To this day, one of Seeker’s favorite pastimes is treating Minion to his lengthy tirades about their former employer, and all the ways the Brotherhood has slighted him. Minion never responds, but I’m told he is a good listener... and the fact that he hasn’t yet grown impatient with Seeker and attacked him is proof he has more patience than anyone on Odina. Myself excluded, of course. 

[darkhunterlariska]

“...is proof he has more patience than anyone on Odina. Myself excluded, of course.” 

Besides mentioning the obvious of you permanently scarring and maiming exceedingly prolific employees who made their first mistake over the course of their long careers. Along with an abundant history of other specific examples that can be named. Yesterday you literally disintegrated a server over a drink order. 

[dark-hunters-inc]

I very clearly said I wanted no ice. You heard my enunciation.

And to my credit, I waited through his entire feeble attempt at an excuse before ending his miserable life. I dislike a liar, but I despise an incompetent one.

[bioniclechicken]

Yo

[dark-hunters-inc]

Were Seeker and Minion familiar with each other before joining the dark hunters?

Though both lived and worked on Destral for several years, Seeker worked as security in the Brotherhood’s vault, whereas Minion was confined to the Brotherhood’s science labs as a curiosity. When the Toa Hagah raided Destral, Minion escaped during Bomonga’s initial assault on the fortress, then swam several leagues to a nearby island. Seeker did not leave until several hours later, when he realized the Toa had stolen his precious mask, and stole a boat to sail in the opposite direction.

When Seeker learned that another Dark Hunter had previously worked on Destral, he was eager to swap stories, and disappointed to learn that Minion remained mute. In an effort to coax some information out of the Rahi, I allowed Seeker to meet with him regularly and catch up about old times. To this day, one of Seeker’s favorite pastimes is treating Minion to his lengthy tirades about their former employer, and all the ways the Brotherhood has slighted him. Minion never responds, but I’m told he is a good listener... and the fact that he hasn’t yet grown impatient with Seeker and attacked him is proof he has more patience than anyone on Odina. Myself excluded, of course. 

[dark-hunters-inc]

have you ever made an effort to give the dark hunters better pr?

Well, now that you mention it, I did once attempt to “go legitimate”, as the Matoran say. I understand this may be surprising; in an effort to demonize the Dark Hunters, there has been a great deal of work to cover up the details. It’s not a story the Toa would tell you.

Once the organization was turning a profit and taking on new members, it didn’t take long to attract recruits and missions from all over the universe. In the hopes of “going legitimate”, I proposed establishing a public place of operations for the Dark Hunters: accessible to all, in full view of the Toa and Turaga’s watchful eyes, for open and honest business.

Frankly, the idea made sense. My Dark Hunters are capable of a great deal of specialized tasks that mere Matoran cannot accomplish on their own. Any island would be lucky to have a treaty with us – let alone a permanent relationship! And the Matoran are always preaching about unity. Let bygones be bygones, I said, and we will walk hand in hand into a glorious new age.

Then Dume kicked me out of his office, and the rest is pretty much history.

[dark-hunters-inc]

Liberation Day

the-seventh-toa​:

Takanuva blinked, allowing himself a single moment to think before addressing the situation. The slaves were panicked, and he had to handle it fast, or else confrontation would be un-avoidable. “Your friend is safe. My partner is taking her someplace safe where the Overseer can’t hurt her.” He improvized, hoping it wouldn’t reveal too much. “But to free all of you, I need to know where she controls you from. We can only escape once she’s dealt with.”

If the crowd had any doubts, the soothing effect of Takanuva’s mask helped assuage them. Several of them looked positively giddy at the prospect of taking down the Overseer, yet as they waited for the Skakdi to return, none seemed to have an answer to Takanuva’s query.

Around the corner, Phantom worked feverishly on the slave collar. He’d only been able to carry a small utility belt into the compound, and so far, he’d found a use for every tool on it – even some creative uses that no crafter had ever used before, he reckoned. But when the work was done...

"Moment of truth,” he murmured to the Skakdi. “What do you see?”

The Skakdi’s eyes were unfocused, looking inwards rather than out. “I see... I see her,” she announced. “She’s an ugly, scrawny thing. Sitting in some dark room, wearing a mask covered in eyes.”

“Do you know where?” asked Phantom.

“I can... I can feel it,” said the Skakdi. Shakily, she rose to her feet, unable to see her own body. “This way.”

Phantom clasped her arm, and guided her as she walked. Quickly, he motioned to Takanuva. “We’ve got a lead. Let’s finish this.”

[dark-hunters-inc]

So, wait, is the mod of this blog The Shadowed One, in a sense, and everyone else on the Dark Hunters is a character used, or are they all used as characters, INCLUDING The Shadowed One?

I am not the Shadowed One and don’t claim to be. I use any and all Dark Hunters as characters, except for those that are portrayed by other blogs, such as @darkhunterlariska. The Shadowed One is used for most default purposes.

[ask-triglax]

I knicked this from the Recorder’s files a few months ago. I’m fairly certain Catlin’s building up a more accurate profile anyway, and it’s judt so fun to watch him dart around his file cabinets like a deranged niazesk.

I will say, these Rahaga do know how to make us sound mysterious. Not like they had much choice.

[makuta-official]

Father-Son Bonding

[dark-hunters-inc]

makuta-official‌:

“Scared? Perish the thought,” Makuta huffed, crossing his arms. “Cautious, is all. I don’t want to have gone to all the trouble of cajoling you into accompanying me just to have you, or I, die down here… not at my hands, or yours, or any overgrown sea slug. I’ve been working ever so hard to rebuild the bridges I’ve burnt over the years, and I wouldn’t want this one to catch alight while I’m halfway across.”

Makuta turned away from Kraata-Kal, but that did nothing to hide the edge falling from his voice, to be replaced by… something nearing remorse. “And I would think that especially unfair… given this was one of the few bridges I did not willingly burn. But you’d know more about that than I, wouldn’t you, my prodigal son?”

“Didn’t–?” Kraata-Kal whirled, eyes blazing. “Oh, don’t try to deceive me, Makuta. I know what you were scheming… you were planning to make more of my kind, weren’t you? And tell me, once you had an army of Kraata-Kal, what use would the prototype be? Gone the way of the Karzahni for the Morbuzakh, I imagine? So don’t speak to me of bridges… you only value this one because the others were never built.”

[makuta-official]

“My, my,” said Makuta, glancing over his shoulder at the incensed Kraata-Kal. “I had kept my supply of kal a closely guarded secret, known only to a select few Makuta, so how could you possibly know I had the capability to recreate the process that created you?” Makuta pivoted, glaring down at Kraata-Kal. “I understand now; one of my fellow Makuta grew jealous of me keeping the kal for myself, and planted the seeds of rebellion in your mind, leading you to abandon me and hoping to obtain the mutagen in the aftermath. I would suspect Mutran, but he was rarely known to be the jealous type… Chirox perhaps, or Kojol? Who else but they could be narrow-minded enough to not anticipate you would destroy the kal as you made your escape? Or perhaps no one did, and you deluded yourself into betrayal all on your lonesome.”

Makuta tilted his head, his eyes narrowing as he loomed over Kraata-Kal. “Regardless of whomever facilitated your betrayal, allow me to tell you exactly why your abandonment of your father was unfounded.” Makuta raised his hand, lifting one finger. “First: Unpredictability. The kal substance was used by beings known as Bahrag, to create an advanced caste of warriors, which was a process I hoped to recreate. However, as evidenced by both you and them, the process does not merely enhance the subject, but grants them new powers altogether. I cannot speak for the Bahrag, who surely understood the substance better than I, but you, with your bizarre concoction of powers, are testament to the unpredictability of the substance, which I had no means to control. Without the ability to precisely bestow powers upon a subject, the process’s unpredictability makes it too risky to replicate, especially on a creature as volatile as a kraata.”

A second finger. “Secondly: Willfulness. As I’m sure you’ve noticed, you are far less obedient than any normal kraata; whereas even Shadow Kraata fall under the will of a Makuta, your mind is entirely your own, and while this made you a highly valuable lieutenant, capable of thinking and acting clearly in the absence of a Makuta to guide you, it also makes you a more wanton element. The warriors of the Bahrag were able to think for themselves, and for them it spelled their doom, as their refusal to heed the Bahrag’s commands led them to destroy themselves. Having many creatures like yourself would be useful only so far as levels of power go, as your natural willfulness and tendency to pursue your own goals would make you far too dangerous a creature to keep around in large quantities. The vuata maca fruit does not fall far from the tree in that regard, I suppose.”

A third finger. “Lastly: Perfection. To be brief, I had no need to replicate the experiment that created you. An advanced kraata, one born of my own flesh, with incredible power and an independent mind to match. Willful though you may have been, you would have made for a superb lieutenant. Perhaps you could have been improved upon via tinkering through other means, but in all ways I could think of, you were the pinnacle of what I had meant to achieve. Considering that, along with the other contributing factors, surely you can see why I would not feel the need to replicate the process.”

The fingers curled into a fist as Makuta lowered his arm, his eyes filled with an unreadable emotion. “I was furious when you left. All that time spent, culminating in you, a near-perfect lieutenant, squandered when you abandoned me. I spent centuries mulling over why you would have sought to betray me, and so violently. I thought perhaps you had lost yourself to your Rahkshi instincts, but that never explained why you would go running to the Shadowed One. I believe I understand now, however.”

A raised eyebrow, and a shrug of armoured shoulders. “I don’t expect you to believe any of this, of course; you are my son, and were I you, I wouldn’t take it at face value either. But surely you understand that what I mean is true: I want you back by my side, Kraata-Kal. No matter how much of your allegiance you choose to grant me, I would like to hope that perhaps together with me, you can find the glory I always intended for you.” 

[dark-hunters-inc]

Shadows twisted and writhed over Kraata-Kal’s armor. Around him, water trembled and began to boil, bubbles curling off his shell. “So, you admit it yourself. I’d be such a perfect creation, if I’d just obey your orders like all your other drones. Your greatest work, yet all you can think about it is how to control it better. So why should I believe a single word from your mask? When you have every incentive to lie, and deflect the blame, and lather up my ego to win me over? It’s all just a desperate attempt at control.”

His broken arm hung at his side. “This is how you always are – how you’ve always been. A condescending control freak who can’t lower his mask for a single second to see another person’s view. I don’t know why I ever thought you weren’t.”

Kraata-Kal brandished his sword, unfurling his wings behind him, and pointed it squarely at Makuta. “I should find the glory you always intended for me, huh?” he snarled. “What if I don’t care what glory you intended? I’ll find whatever I intend. Get your claws out of my destiny, Teridax.”

A blast of shadow, fire, and water erupted from the sword, swirling in a furious torrent towards Makuta. Kraata-Kal shot backwards, letting the elements carry him a great distance, before catching the water in his wings and flapping away. He pulled the shadows tight in the water around him, kicking up silt to hide his path. For now, all he wanted was to disappear.

[makuta-official]

Father-Son Bonding

[dark-hunters-inc]

makuta-official‌:

“Scared? Perish the thought,” Makuta huffed, crossing his arms. “Cautious, is all. I don’t want to have gone to all the trouble of cajoling you into accompanying me just to have you, or I, die down here… not at my hands, or yours, or any overgrown sea slug. I’ve been working ever so hard to rebuild the bridges I’ve burnt over the years, and I wouldn’t want this one to catch alight while I’m halfway across.”

Makuta turned away from Kraata-Kal, but that did nothing to hide the edge falling from his voice, to be replaced by… something nearing remorse. “And I would think that especially unfair… given this was one of the few bridges I did not willingly burn. But you’d know more about that than I, wouldn’t you, my prodigal son?”

“Didn’t–?” Kraata-Kal whirled, eyes blazing. “Oh, don’t try to deceive me, Makuta. I know what you were scheming... you were planning to make more of my kind, weren’t you? And tell me, once you had an army of Kraata-Kal, what use would the prototype be? Gone the way of the Karzahni for the Morbuzakh, I imagine? So don’t speak to me of bridges... you only value this one because the others were never built.”

[malwarewolf-mocs]

I’d like to inteoduce Ripper! A former Dark Hunter known for his love of mutilation that the The Shadowed One used to send gruesome messages to his enemies. Got kicked out for getting a little carried away on Stelt and murdering innocent bystanders. Currently on the run from Steltan authorities.

[stars-and-bites]

Now that I have too much free time nowadays, I finally got around to taking a proper photoshoot of my Lariska moc