Everyone else winced and backed away while Chop Chop, Drill Sergeant, and Bouncer's bright red eyes glared them down. The trio’s grip held tight to their weapons, yet they stood still and silent as sparks flew from their joints.

"Bouncer, Drill Sergeant, Chop Chop! What's happened to you?" Cali cried as she stepped forward. "Why're you acting so weird?"

The three of them turned their gazes down on Cali, and then, they all screamed and rushed forward.

"Obliterate the intruders!" they all cried as one!

Bouncer sped ahead of Chop Chop and Drill Sergeant as everyone else stood and watched; he shot out his hands and flipped down his fingertips! Bursts of orange light shot out and screeched towards everyone down below. Just before they could land a hit, Ninjini teleported in front of everyone else, and blasted the shots away with magic orbs!

"Bouncer, what's gotten into you?" Ninjini cried. Her mouth twisted into a scowl as she gripped her blades tight, and her scowl only grew as Bouncer glared her down, still and silent as ever. "This isn't the Bouncer I know!"

"DESTROY ALL INTRUDERS!" Bouncer bellowed as he zoomed after Ninjini.

Everyone behind her scattered as Ninjini shouldered Bouncer's tackle with magic, pushed him into the wall and floated backwards! Bouncer popped himself off the wall and shot another round of bullets towards Ninjini, but she summoned a group of orbs and shot them right through the bullets. The bullets shattered on impact as the orbs slammed into Bouncer and knocked him into the other wall.

Ninjini squeezed her wishblades' handles. "You're acting like one of those mindless security drones! What's happened to you?"

Bouncer grunted as he pulled himself off the wall, and his eyes glowed even brighter as he glared down Ninjini. It was almost as if he prepared to fire down a laser! A gigantic pillar of flames came from the side before he got the chance, and it burned him down. He wailed as the flames seared his metal, but Hot Head hardly cared as he shot off his fires!

"I'll tell you what's happening!" Hot Head cried as his flames grew even hotter. "I'm gonna flame some sense into him!"

"STOP, YOU'RE GONNA KILL HIM LIKE THAT!"

Ninjini slammed into Hot Head and threw him off balance, his flames completely disappearing as Ninjini grabbed him by the shoulders!

Hot Head snarled as he tried to wriggle his way out of Ninjini's grip. "Lemme go!" Hot Head cried as he squirmed even further, though the lock of Ninjini's magic kept him stuck tight. "I've gotta stop him!"

"That's not stopping him, that's burning him alive!" Ninjini flung her hands aside, and Hot Head sputtered as she tossed him near the wall. "He may be acting strange, but we can't kill him!"

Another string of bullets came hurtling for Ninjini, and Hot Head flamed them down with a grunt as he lurched from the wall. He flinched and held his arm as he staggered back up, but the fires in his soul weren't any less bright. "I know what I'm doing!" Hot Head cried. "Now lemme do it!"

Hot Head screamed at the top of his lungs as he charged for Bouncer, but Crusher placed a hand on Hot Head's chest and stopped him in his tracks!

"Ninjini's right," Crusher said as he clutched his hammer's handle. "If we wanna get some sense back into him…"

Crusher gripped his hammer even tighter, screamed and charged forward as he held it over his head!

"WE'LL JUST HAVE TO HAMMER IT HOME!"

Crusher screamed once again as he slammed his hammer straight into Bouncer's chest. Bouncer let out an unholy robotic screech as he flew backwards, and slammed into the wall behind him! Sparks flew from Bouncer's chattering teeth as he held his dented chest, his fingers careful to block the thin streams of leaking oil from its open parts. Yet, he jumped back up and zoomed right for Crusher, Hot Head, and Ninjini once more!

Down below, everyone else had their fair share of issues as well! Chop Chop and Drill Sergeant completely blocked them off from the control panel, and the two of them didn't look particularly happy as they charged forward! Chop Chop leaped forward, and turned his sword down as he hovered inches above Cali—but before he could strike, a glowing skull completely blocked the blow. Behind that skull, Hex strained as she kept it stable and strengthened its glow. Her hands trembled as she glared down Chop Chop, and for a moment, a hint of fear could be seen in her cold, icy white eyes.

"Chop Chop, get a hold of yourself!" Hex cried as the skull glowed even brighter in tandem with her hands. "This isn't you! You'd never turn on your allies like this!" That hint of fear and desperateness only grew in Hex's eyes as she softened her cold, hard glare. "You, I know you wouldn't betray any of us like this of your own will! Whatever's controlling you, fight it off!"

"DESTROY ALL INTRUDERS!" Chop Chop cried as he thrust his sword further into the skull!

The skull shattered completely, and Hex cried out as she fell down and collapsed against the cold, metal floors! Hex pushed herself up and flew out of the way as Chop Chop attempted to slice at her once more. She crafted a glowing cyan orb and sighed as he reeled. Her frown turned more somber as she cast it out, and blasted Chop Chop in the back with it! Chop Chop screamed as the blow sent him rolling and tumbling across the floor. Hex's cold gaze softened as she gazed over his weak, trembling form. He was only able to use his sword as a crutch while he staggered back up, but then, he lifted it up and she gasped.

"He's preparing to cast his bone brambles!" Hex cried as she levitated everyone else away. "Look out!"

Chop Chop grunted as he slammed his sword through the metal panels underfoot with such might that it sliced through the floor. The whole panel came next as massive, bony brambles covered in spikes tore up the whole floor! With everyone else evacuated, the only one it hit was Drill Sergeant. Drill Sergeant let out a shrill beep as the brambles knocked him off his wheels, tossed him off the platform, and he grunted as he fell head-first onto the lower platform's floor!

Everyone else backed away and winced as he laid dormant, but then, he flipped over and revved his engines as he dashed straight for them! Everyone else screamed and split as Drill Sergeant rushed for them—well, save for Muddy, who jumped on his back and held on tight. Drill Sergeant screamed and raced around the floor in circles, all while the other molekin piled on.

"Molekin, attack!" Clay cried.

The others all cried in agreement, raised their weapons to the ceiling, and slammed them right onto Drill Sergeant's head! Though their crude weapons did little to damage his hard head, it still bothered Drill Sergeant plenty. His balance threw way off, and his steers became less organized as he flailed his drill hands around. The molekin zoomed right past them, cheering as they waved their weapons in the air, yet Flynn and Cali winced.

"Hey, knock that off!" Flynn cried as he stepped forward. "Old Drillbot here might be acting a little weird, but he's still our friend!"

"Yeah! Quit hurting him!" Cali pleaded.

"Your friend isn't in this hunk of bolts! Not right now, anyways!" Clay protested as he zoomed past Flynn and Cali once more! He snarled and waved his hammer back towards the control panel. "That machine's probably hacked their circuits! As far as they're concerned, they're guard robots right now!"

Clay cried out as Drill Sergeant spun around in a rapid circle, but soon screamed as Chop Chop jumped back down and pushed Drill Sergeant to run the other way. While everyone else got caught up in a frantic game of chase, Flynn and Cali hummed.

"If that machine's what's controlling them," Cali whispered, "it looks like we'll have to knock it out to get them back to their senses!"

"But how are we gonna do that?" Flynn cried. "'Cause right now, our little buddies here aren't exactly keen on letting us pass!"

Cali frowned, shuffled through her pockets, and pulled out a handful of explosives. "Like it or not, we'll just have to knock them out!" Cali cried as she jerked her head back up to the other levels. "Ninjini, Crusher, Hot Head! See if you can knock Bouncer unconscious for a few seconds! We'll take care of things down here!"

Back on the first level, Ninjini winced as her eyes fell on Cali. Ninjini jolted back and sliced another wave of bullets from Bouncer in half! As their halved shells clattered onto the torn metal floor, she gulped and grasped her wishblades.

"I suppose we have no choice, then," Ninjini whispered. She pointed a hand forward as Bouncer came charging for her, and it glowed a bright purple. "Crusher, Hot Head, trio formation!"

"Right!" Crusher and Hot Head shouted.

The two of them leaped back and crashed down behind Ninjini. Hot Head thrust out his hands while Crusher crafted a smooth, hard stone with his glowing eyes! Bouncer came speeding in for them by the second, but they stood silent as they raised their weapons. Bouncer screamed as he rushed in, and Ninjini snapped her fingers!

"NOW!" she cried.

A burst of magic fled from Ninjini's hand, and bright flames and shattered bursts of crystal quickly joined it! The three attacks slammed into Bouncer one-by-one; he grunted as each one slammed him further and further back, until he finally smashed right through the wall! Bouncer groaned as quicksilver oil dribbled from his gaping mouth. The oil that poured from his chest streamed over it and his eyes flashed in and out.

"All, systems… Shutting down…" Bouncer groaned as he lunged his head backwards and fell unconscious.

Ninjini winced as she ran a hand over Bouncer's oily chest and healed away his wounds, but bursts of fire came from down below and caught her attention! She flew over to the balcony and peered down to the floor below. There, the singed remains of glowing skulls scattered around the floor as a charred Chop Chop and Drill Sergeant flew backwards and slammed into the walls. Ninjini grimaced as she squeezed the railing, yet the pound of footsteps turned her aside.

"We've got them down!" Cali cried. "Now let's hurry up and finish this thing!"

Ninjini frowned, nodded and flew over to the control panel. She summoned her wishblades as she inched closer and closer to the machine, raised her blades and prepared to strike. Right as she did, the sirens wailed even louder and the ceiling swished open! Ninjini craned her head up, and gasped as legions of robots dropped down and bore their weapons! They all ranged in size and armory, yet they all shared the trademark Arkeyan colors and that red-eyed glare.

"INTRUDERS WILL BE DESTROYED!" they all bellowed as one.

§

BB-12 groaned and blinked as his systems came online, his optical sensors grainy and blurry but quick to clear. He didn't know how, or why, or what was going on, but he somehow found himself in some kind of mine or cavern filled with crystals that glowed in all sorts of colors and then some. It was an awfully pretty sight, but it didn't bring his mind any ease.

After all, he had no idea what this place was or how he got here… Or for that matter, who he even was. He only had a vague sense of his own name, and an even vaguer sense of a purpose that he couldn't even remember. Just what was it? Something about it felt just out of reach, so far away that he couldn't recall.

BB-12 frowned as he craned his head around the cavern, maybe in some faint hope that getting a look at the surroundings could key him in on what happened. Right as he did, a coarse electrical shock rushed through his systems and sent him fritzing around! He screamed as the shock ceased, and behind him, a smaller blue and gold robot who barely reached up to his chest snarled.

"Guard robot, get back to work!" the robot cried as it waved its staff over yonder. "You're assigned to Quadrant 6-B! Now quit dawdling!"

The robot stormed off in a huff, and BB-12's optical sensors flickered as he stood in place. Was he a guard robot of some sort? Well, BB-12 supposed that was the case, so he hastily rolled off to where that other robot indicated. The crystals grew less plentiful the further he traveled, and the sound of something chipping away the rocks and pained grunts echoed around the cavern's silent halls. Something about it tugged at his core processor and gave him an awful feeling, but he traveled on still.

As he rounded a corner, the whole room flashed in a rainbow assortment of colors from the colorful crystals lodged into its walls! But, that was the only pretty sight he saw. Down below, tired mabu of all sorts who donned ragged clothes mined away the crystals in a tired melancholy. Their faces sagged from a lack of rest as they mined crystals, and dumped them into shiny red and gold mine carts. Their fur was patched with dirt and grime, and it just barely covered their weak limbs. Their eyes laid bloodshot as they mined away, their hands trembled as they barely clutched their equipment, and they swayed from side to side as if they could barely stay awake.

In fact, one mabu groaned and collapsed right on the floor. "No more," the mabu groaned as they yawned, "I need some sleep…"

The other mabu winced as they examined the sleeping mabu, and screamed as something leaped out from above! Another blue and gold robot jabbed the sleeping mabu in the back, and the mabu screamed and leaped to their feet!

"Get back to work!" the robot cried as it bonked the mabu on the head. "Our glorious emperor-king needs those radiance crystals for his machines, and he can't wait on simple-minded weaklings like you!"

"Y-YES, UNDERSTOOD!" the mabu sputtered! Sparks flew from their chattering teeth as they fumbled with their pickax, dashed back over to the wall and mined away. "Right away, sir!"

BB-12 winced as his eyes fell on the mabu, and then towards the robot as they scoffed and walked away.

"Hey man, wasn't that a little harsh?" BB-12 asked as he grabbed the robot by the shoulder. "These guys looked like they haven't had a good recharge in ages! Maybe we should let them sleep!"

The robot snarled, turned around and jabbed his staff into BB-12's leg! BB-12 screamed out as the electricity coursed through him and singed his circuits once more.

The robot's blank white eyes gleaned red as he turned around and scoffed. "Now don't tell me you're sympathizing with them!" the robot scoffed. "Your job is to sit here and make sure these sniveling mabu do their job, not feel sorry for them! Keep it up, and we'll ship you off to the repair center!"

BB-12 winced as the electricity finally faded, and he hung his head as he wheeled off. "Yes, understood."

Well, that's what he said, but BB-12 still couldn't help but feel for that poor mabu. They stumbled on their own feet as they clumsily chipped away at the wall, and everything but those shiny crystals that he supposed were Radiance. He supposed this emperor-king guy was super important if they were in such a rush to get these crystals, but couldn't they have given the little guys a bit of a rest? Well, if they wouldn't let these guys rest, BB-12 would!

BB-12 lifted the tired mabu into his hands and grinned. The mabu gasped and stumbled backwards in BB-12's palms as they glanced up at him, but the sight of his smile seemed to put them at ease.

"Hey, you alright?" BB-12 asked. "Just rest here for a little bit, I won't tell anyone."

The mabu's eyes fluttered, and despite the fact that BB-12 tried to seem as reassuring as possible, they still seemed quite distressed! Maybe that was because he was so big compared to the little guy, or that they were really tired.

"Wait a second, I know you!" the mabu sputtered. "You're BB-12, that super cool roboto-ball player!"

BB-12's shoulders slunk. "Huh?" BB-12 uttered. That didn't sound right—he was a guard robot, not someone who played roboto-ball, whatever that was. He had no idea what this mabu talked about, but judging by the shocked and wide-eyed looks all the other mabu gave him, it must have some weight to it.

"BB-12's here?" cried another mabu as they scratched their head. "Man, if I'd have known, I'd have brought something to autograph!"

"I went to your game in the Ancient's Crevice! You were really cool!" cried another, smaller mabu. "Hey, hey, show us that move you did back there!"

"Do you think I could be as great a roboto-ball player as you are?"

BB-12 sputtered, and his circuits started to spark as he laid the mabu he was holding down and wheeled off.

"I, I don't know what you're talking about, but you've got the wrong guy!" BB-12 proclaimed as he held up his hands. "I'm just some security robot, I'm not a big fancy roboto-ball or anything like that!" BB-12 lowered his hands and frowned. "At least, I don't think I was…"

However, the mabu didn't seem to listen at all! They all cheered and swarmed his wheel as they jumped up and raised their hands for him, all manner of excitement in their eyes! Their smiles were wide and bright, so unlike how downtrodden and tired they were prior. Something about it warmed BB-12's core processor—but also, something about their cheers tickled his memory circuits. It brought to mind someplace cool and slick, his oil rushing with excitement unlike anything else at the very notion.

"Hey, BB-12!" cried one mabu as they yanked a particularly round radiance crystal from a cart and tossed it to him. "Catch!"

BB-12 lifted his head, gasped as the crystal came for him, and zapped it before it could smack him in the head! Its shattered remains rained back down on the crowd of mabu, and their smiles faded as they examined the remains. Somehow, something about it made BB-12's core processor sink as well.

"… I, I'm sorry."

The mabu all sighed as they kicked away the shards, and one grabbed a pickax from the ground.

"Those robots are probably still scuffling around here," that mabu said as they slammed the pickax against the wall. "We'd better get to work."

The other mabu sighed and let out resigned mumbles of agreement as they returned back to their own posts. BB-12 hung his head. He hadn't meant to upset anyone, but he had no idea what was going on! If he really was this big popular guy, why didn't he remember any of this? What was he doing down here?

BB-12 frowned, twiddled his fingers, and forced a smile as he glanced down at the mabu. "Just what's so great about this BB-12 anyways?"

The mabu around all gasped, and the lights in their eyes returned as they glanced up at BB-12.

"Everything! You've been a star player ever since you entered the robot-ball team!" cried one mabu. "You were so fast and strong, and it seemed like you always knew just what to do! Practically all the teams were begging you to join them!"

"Y'know," chuckled another one of the mabu as they grabbed up armfuls of radiance and dumped them in crates, "I saw your game back in Lostlight! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time!"

"I know, right?" remarked another mabu. "It really seemed for a minute like your team was gonna lose!" A twinkle shone in the mabu's eye as they turned to BB-12. "But then, you just came in and scored the winning point at the very last minute!" the mabu chuckled as they turned away. "You really know how to come through!"

"Oh, that Lostlight game was nothing!" cried another mabu. "Murlayfield was the real deal! That kick he did to score the final point was one for the ages!"

"Not to mention how he completely wiped the floor with the opponents at Thorpeness! He was one to ten, and still won by a landslide!"

"I still say Erast had the best of the bunch! Every time I think about how he snatched the roboto-ball and scored just before it exploded, my heart starts racing!"

BB-12 chuckled, and the sound of warm, cheerful gushing was like music to his auditory processors. Something about those names did feel kind of familiar, but nothing in his memory circuits could pin it down still. Still, he drank in that warm, familiar feeling.

"Man, this guy sounds pretty cool!" BB-12 chuckled, but his smile faded as he clasped his hands. "I can't possibly be someone like that. After all, I'm just some security bot…"

"Au contraire!" cried another voice from the back. "You were never a security bot to begin with!"

All eyes turned to the shadows in the corner. There, a tired, scruffy-looking mabu, albeit one in much better a condition than the other mabu scattered around the mines, stood. This mabu had their hands crossed behind their back as they scoffed, yet their yellow eyes rang with a bit of pain as they glared down BB-12.

"I, I'm not?" BB-12 asked, only able to wheel back in shock. "But, then what am I doing here?"

"That's because they captured you and had you reprogrammed, wiped you clean, even!" the mabu spat as tiny tears formed at their eyes. "I was at your last game in Arkaley, and I saw everything!"

Gasps came from all the other mabu as they dropped their pickaxes and equipment, but the sour-looking mabu just stood tall.

"Arkus had never been fond of the fact that one of his own creations rebelled against his conquest and made such a fuss doing so, so when you came there, he flooded the whole town!" The mabu shot out a hand and gestured everywhere. "He razed everything down and flooded the coliseum! Everyone else was fleeing, but you stuck around to throw them off so everyone else could escape! You flung all the roboto-balls in the coliseum at them, blew up as many as you could… But, but then, they, they…" the mabu shuddered, fell to their knees and sniffled as they clutched their head, eyes covered to hide their tears. "They brought reinforcements, and…"

Two of the other mabu came to the now sobbing mabu's side, and they peered up at BB-12 with those wide, pleading eyes.

"Please, remember who you are!" one cried. "You're the best roboto-ball player ever, not some security drone!"

"Yeah! You're the guy who perfected the double-whammy shot, the faster roboto-ball player in recorded history!"

"Don't you remember all those tricks you did, or all those games you won? Don't you remember that you're our hero?"

The mabu clamored further, and BB-12 couldn't bring himself to look or listen anymore. He turned around and frowned.

"I, I'm sorry, but I really don't remember a thing," BB-12 whispered as his shoulder slunk. "I really, really want to, but there's nothing in my memory circuits about any of this…"

"Yes there is!"

That same sobbing mabu stormed forward. BB-12 perked up as they glared him down—but not with anger, or sorrow, or anything of the sort, no. It was something that seemed like, hope, he supposed?

"You say you don't remember, but if you didn't, why did you try to stick up to that guard? Why have you been so nice to us? If you didn't remember at all, you wouldn't have done that at all!" The mabu pointed a finger at BB-12. "The real you is in there somewhere, I know it!"

The mabu turned back to a large, round boulder, gasped and rushed off.

"Wait, everyone, follow me! I have an idea!"

The mabu all gasped, and they cheered as they followed that mabu to where that boulder was! They all seemed so happy as they combined whatever strength remained in their weakened bodies to push the boulder right off the cliff it sat on, and straight towards BB-12!

BB-12 screamed as the boulder came in fast, until it was inches from BB-12 himself. As it rolled in, he didn't know why, but, he kicked it! The boulder rolled back to the base of the cliff, and the mabu all cheered as it came back to him! BB-12 frowned. Why did he do that? He wanted to blow that boulder up, yet his body acted on its own on instinct! Was there a glitch in his processor or something?

The mabu cheered, and pushed the boulder right back towards him again! BB-12 kicked it back again, and they cheered as their pushes and kicks repeated! They'd roll the boulder and he'd kick it back in a simple, repetitive movement. It was nothing too fancy, yet doing it brought a smile to BB-12's face nonetheless!

He chuckled as the boulder rolled back to him and he kicked it back—and something flashed in his mind! A coliseum full of cheering beings from all corners of Skylands with sleek floors where towering titans all stood against him, a single gold and blue metal ball the only thing blocking it off… It felt, familiar, almost! BB-12 blinked, and his jaw slightly gaped as more of these memories flooded back to him: rolling across sleek marble, the cheers of the stands, the familiar scent of smoke and the adrenaline rush of victory! Those were all his memories! They seemed so distant before, but the wave crashed over his core processor and brought with it silent awe, silent awakening!

"I remember now," was all BB-12 could gasp out as the boulder rolled by his wheel.

The mabu all gasped with sheer glee, wide smiles and eyes and all, and BB-12 smirked. His eyes fell on the large boulder that rested behind him, and he rolled up.

"I'm not some security drone, forget that noise!" BB-12 cried as he zoomed in for the shot. "I'm BB-12, roboto-ball's star player!"

BB-12 swung it and slammed right into the boulder, his kick backed up by the force of his run!

"AND I'M NOT STICKING AROUND IN SOME RUSTY ARKEYAN MINE!"

The boulder crashed right into the ceiling, and BB-12 swept the mabu into his arms as the whole mine rumbled! Gigantic rocks fell from the ceiling as it crumbled away, but BB-12 zipped off without even thinking! In his mind's eye, he could see the stage set, the opposing players all lined up to take him down—but, he wasn't going down today! He zipped right through, and burst out the mine's entrance just as the rocks crumbled in!

Rocks filled up the mine's entrance, but BB-12 smiled. "Now I'd call that another star play!" BB-12 chuckled.

The mabu in his arms all cheered, yet those cheers came to a sharp silence as electricity and footsteps crackled around! Their eyes turned to the path ahead, where more of those blue and gold robots stormed in with glowing red eyes and tight grips on their swords.

"WHAT DID YOU INSIDIOUS FURBALLS DO?" cried the head of the pack, the very same robot that shocked BB-12 moments earlier. He could recognize the venom in its gleaning optics as the robot snapped down its sword and sent sparks flying."THAT WAS THE ONLY RADIANCE MINE FOR MILES! AND REPROGRAMMING ONE OF OUR OWN ROBOTS TO DESTROY IT! YOU'LL PAY WITH YOUR LIVES!"

The mabu all screamed and trembled, but BB-12 snarled as he placed them on a ledge near his height. He cracked his knuckles, and his own optical sensors tinted red. These were the ones who imprisoned him, who stripped him of his memories, who tormented the very ones who looked up to him—and now, they were gonna pay!

"You're not laying a finger on them!" Bouncer cried. The robots stopped in their tracks, and Bouncer snarled. "Messing with me is bad enough, but imprisoning all these beings and making them do your dirty work is even worse! I'm not letting you get away with it!"

The head of the group snarled himself, and a glint of anger shone in his cool red eyes. "And here I thought taking their hero and making him the very one forcing them into this work would break them." The robot snarled as they clutched their sword. "It seems I was wrong."

The two of them snarled as they rushed into each other, and then…

There was nothing.

Bouncer groaned as his aching head finally came to, lurched up and forced himself to wheel away. His chest pounded just as hard as his head did, and he could barely bring himself to stand up—but, he had to. Something about this place was wrong. He couldn't quite remember why he was here, or what happened, but he knew this was wrong! He needed to get out! He shook his head as his past memories finally cleared from his mind, fuzzy like a dream, and something came to him! A mission, a group of molekin, oil, and gasoline, and banged up metal hangars! Yes, now he remembered; he was taking down some oil rig belonging to that Kaos creep those kids were talking about. He remembered that much, but everything after was one big blur. He held his head as he tried to remember…

You are an Arkeyan soldier!

Bouncer screamed as his head throbbed again, and the whole room around him turned red and gold! Vague images of faces formed in the walls around him, ones just detailed enough that they could barely be made out against the wavering and pulsing light. Their glares pierced through his core processor, and just the sight hurt his head even more!

You are a mighty warrior of the Arkeyan kingdom! they all cried as one voice, one mind. You serve only the emperor-king and nobody else! Cast aside your other desires, for your true purpose is to serve the mighty Arkeyan empire and the mightier king!

Bouncer's head turned fuzzy once more, and something underneath him… Sank? Slipped? He couldn't really tell what, but the whole world around him started to fade and blur, all mushed together so that he could barely make it out.

You serve only the Arkeyan empire! You serve to protect our kingdoms, our wealth, the great legacy we have made! You are one of a collective, of a single soul dedicated to serving the Arkeyan honor!

"I, I, I'm…" Bouncer groaned as the floor sank to his chest, his optic sensors dulling by the second. "I'm, an Arkeyan soldier…"

Bouncer didn't even know why he said that; it slipped from his mouth without any thought! Those faces continued to glare him down as the world around him dulled again, and his head was so, so heavy, so heavy that he barely keep it up. He prepared to shut down his optics and rest…

But as he did, cheers came back to mind! The mabu's cheer and cries for their hero echoed in his head, a defying cry that drowned out the words of those around him. More importantly, it completely roused him; all his senses sharpened, and he shook his much lighter head!

"No I'm not!" Bouncer cried as he shot out his arms and sent the whole floor splashing away. His optics fixed on those faces, and he scowled as he held out his arms. "I'm not your puppet! I'm Bouncer, Elder Elemental and protector of Skylands!"

A flash of his past memories, of the mine, and the robots, and those who brought him back to his senses, all came back to Bouncer's mind, and his scowl deepened as he charged up his gauntlets.

"YOU MAY HAVE SUNK YOUR MITTS INTO ME BEFORE, BUT YOU'RE NOT GETTING ME AGAIN! I'M NOT LETTING YOU USE ME ANY LONGER!"

Bouncer wheeled back, and rockets popped out from his arms and screeched right through the walls. Everything shattered like glass as the color melted away, and a blurry vision of the outside world came! It was fuzzy, but he could tell from looks alone that things weren't good. Guess it was time for him to win the match! So, he sped forward and grinned as he jumped right into the image.

"Don't worry everyone, I'm coming!"