after skirmishes with the piraka, including dalu's attempt to increase avak's senses, hakann and avak create a monster of rock and lava to fool the matoran, and defeat the monster, hopefully to better the piraka's image. using antidermis, a mysterious substance that the piraka have found on the island, zaktan creates a zamor sphere to test upon a ta-matoran subject named dezalk, which makes the matoran obedient and loyal, sending him to assemble the matoran where the piraka enslave the voya nui matoran save the resistance team. meanwhile, the toa nuva arrive, and despite the resistance team's intervention, are surprised and defeated by the piraka after a fierce battle. zaktan commands their tools and kanohi are to be stripped, and the toa nuva to burn in mt. valmai. during this time, balta, in an attempt to steal a zamor sphere, traps himself in a cave.